PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — If the strike that began Tuesday by the International Longshoremen’s Association becomes prolonged, expect to see shippers start moving vessels and containers to ports where they can be used — in short, out west.
ILA strike seeks increased wages, curbs in automation
The reverse happened two years ago when a labor dispute involving the ILA’s western counterpart, the International Longshore Workers Union, staged coordinated walkouts. While that union never authorized a full-blown strike, the walkouts were enough to disrupt port traffic in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle.
The strike is estimated to cost more than $4 billion a day in economic impact. If it’s settled quickly, what’s already in warehouses will help pick up the slack, according to Old Dominion University professor of supply chains, logistics and maritime operations Rafael Diaz.
International Longshoremen’s Association workers at Hampton and Terminal boulevards on day two of their strike for better wages and curbs in automation. (Photos courtesy of Charmaine Butler)