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US east coast dockers threaten one-day strike to protest automation

THE International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) has called for an unscheduled one-day strike at all US east and Gulf Coast ports to march on Washington to protest the loss of jobs, according to a press release in New York's Maritime Executive. 

The ILA has yet to publish the press release on its website, raising doubts whether the protest was officially sanctioned, according to American Shipper. 



The shutdown and protest is to happen with in 30 days. The ILA also protests over regulation, blasting the South Carolina Ports Authority and the New York Waterfront Commission for interfering in hiring. 



The Waterfront Commission has driven the employers and longshoremen's union to join in common cause in court, because of the commission's insistence that jobs go to more minorities and women, rather that the friends and relations of the traditionally Irish dockers. 



These prized and much coveted semi-skilled and unskilled jobs are paid in the range of US$130,000 a year, more than double that of a hospital resident physician or an FBI agent.



News of an impending shutdown caps a month of activity from the ILA in advance of the 2018 contract talks between the workers' union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents their port employers, reports Washington, DC's Supply Chain Dive.



Of the ILA threat, USMX said: "The master contract between the ILA and the USMX forbids any unilateral work stoppage by the ILA for any reason."



A month ago, the ILA staged a slowdown at South Carolina's Port of Charleston to protest increased automation and the non-ILA workers being hired to operate the new technology. 



The two sides met last week for informal talks ahead of the official negotiations, after which the ILA predicted two main issues would dominate the talks: the role of automation in job loss and the fulfilment of local contracts prior to the Master Contract's conclusion.



At present, no statement has been issued by the Port of New York and New Jersey or the South Carolina Ports Authority on plans to mitigate the disruption.



The crime-fighting Waterfront Commission of New York Harbour, a bi-state entity created in 1953, requires congressional approval to operate because it is an interstate compact. 



Now that there is less crime to fight, the commission has turned to enforcement of fair hiring practices on a waterfront that has St Patrick's Day as an official holiday.



"The commission's self-created system of background checks for all that work on the now largely mechanised waterfront is resulting in job shortages throughout the Port of New York and New Jersey and damaging the US economy," the ILA said.



ILA members expressed concerns that potential companies were dissuaded from starting businesses at the New York-New Jersey waterfront "because of the interference and harassment of the Waterfront Commission".



Two years ago, New Jersey state senators voted to eliminate the Waterfront Commission, but Governor Chris Christie vetoed the bi-partisan measure.



"We will wake up the decision makers and force them to focus on our ports," said Kenneth Riley, ILA vice president and President of ILA Local 1422, in Charleston, South Carolina. "If we don't stop the destruction caused by overreaching bureaucracies, America will pay an even bigger price."
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