The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has threatened to strike if no deal can be secured before their current contract expires at midnight, September 30. Fourteen major ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast from Texas to Massachusetts would be affected by the walkout with 45,000 workers going on strike. This would be the first East Coast dock strike since 1944.
Previous disruptions in shipping in the United States had a profound impact on the tabletop gaming industry as costs skyrocketed from 2020 to 2022. While much of the shipping for the tabletop industry comes through the West Coast as manufacturing in Asia is most common, the lack of available ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast will move traffic to the West Coast, causing similar delays and issues with container availability seen during the previous shipping crisis.
Additionally, any European and UK publishers who print books in Europe and then ship to the US across the Atlantic could potentially be affected.
The affected ports would include Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Charleston, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; Mobile, Alabama; New Orleans, Louisiana; New York/New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Savannah, Georgia; Tampa, Florida; and Wilmington, Delaware.
Negotiations came to a halt in June after the ILA accused the United States Maritime Alliance, the organization representing the ports, of violating the current work contract by using automation at ports including at Mobile, Alabama. The technology, including auto-gate systems that automated the process of allowing trucks into the ports, was allegedly used to replace union labor.
The main sticking point of negotiations is salary as East Coast longshoremen earn a base wage of $39/hour, which is far less than their peers on the West Coast who earn $54.85 and will receive an increase to $60.85 in 2027. The ILA is also demanding healthcare improvements and a ban on automation replacing union labor.
A strike could impact more than 65% of all exports and over 55% of all imports in the United States, causing massive delays in product shipments with JP Morgan analysts estimating an economic impact of $5 billion per day.
More information is available via coverage from these links from Associated Press, The Guardian, CBS News, and ICv2.
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