MJP –
On the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States, about 25,000 dockworkers are going on strike to demand better wages and more protections against the automation of their jobs.
The dockworkers’ union, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), posted on social media Tuesday that its members were striking for “the kind of wages we deserve,” and this was the first strike by ILA members in nearly 50 years.
Union officials contend that these salaries ought to take into consideration the excruciating inflation that ate away at dockworkers’ earnings under their now-expired labor agreement with the US Maritime Alliance, or USMX, which stands for ports and ocean carriers. Workers on the longshore “continue to be crippled by inflation due to USMX’s unfair wage packages,” the ILA stated, while the industry reaps the benefits.
So, how much does a longshoreman put in?
The current strike only affects 14 ports on the East and Gulf Coasts; a separate union, which represents longshoremen on the West Coast, successfully achieved large wage increases for its members in 2023. Members of the ILA have far lower salaries than their counterparts in other parts of the nation.
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Years of experience determine a longshoreman’s salary. Dockworkers were initially paid $20 per hour under the ILA’s prior agreement with USMX, which was up for renewal on Monday. With two years under one’s belt, that went up to $24.75 an hour, $31.90 with three, and $39 with six years under one’s belt.
Throughout the six-year contract, the union is seeking a 77% hike, which works out to $5 more per hour. Laborers would get $44 in the first year, $49 in the second, and $69 in the third and last year, according to the union’s proposal.
“I believe this work group has a lot of bargaining power,” stated Harry Katz, a professor of collective bargaining at Cornell University). “They’re essential workers that can’t be replaced, and also the ports are doing well.”
What is the average yearly salary?
The peak hourly wage is $39, which works out to just over $81,000 per year. However, dockworkers have the opportunity to earn even more by working extra shifts. For instance, a 2019–20 annual report from the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor revealed that almost one-third of the area longshoremen earned $200,000 or more annually.
The average longshoreman may make over $100,000 a year, but only after putting in a ton of extra time. These high earners put in up to 100 hours a week, according to Daggett, president of the ILA.
Pay for some dockworkers might be far lower, at roughly $53,000 per year, across the industry, including in nonunion jobs, as reported on the job site Indeed.
On Monday night, USMX announced a new offer that would increase the pay of dockworkers by almost 50%, triple the employer contributions to retirement plans, improve health insurance, and maintain current protections against automation.
