By Lisa Baertlein and David Shepardson
LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Employers negotiating a labor contract at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports on Thursday filed an unfair labor observe criticism in opposition to the union, saying these leaders refuse to renew talks forward of the threatened Oct. 1 strike.
The USA Maritime Alliance (USMX) mentioned it filed the criticism with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board, as a result of repeated refusal of the Worldwide Longshoremen’s Affiliation to return to the bargaining desk. The 2 sides look like deadlocked on wage points.
It’s unusual, however not unprecedented, for employers to make such complaints to the NLRB – an unbiased company of the federal authorities that enforces U.S. labor regulation, notably with regard to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices.
The six-year grasp contract between USMX and the ILA expires on Sept. 30.
A White Home official on Thursday reiterated the president doesn’t intend to invoke a federal regulation often called the Taft-Hartley Act to forestall a strike.
“We encourage all events to come back to the bargaining desk and negotiate in good religion,” the official mentioned. “Senior officers from the White Home, Labor Division, and Division of Transportation are in contact with the events and delivering the message to them instantly on being on the desk and negotiating in good religion pretty and shortly.”
As that deadline approaches, corporations that depend on ocean transport are more and more nervous that the ILA’s 45,000 members will strike and shut 36 ports that deal with greater than half of U.S. ocean commerce of merchandise comparable to bananas, meat, auto components, building supplies and attire.
Delays and prices might shortly cascade, threatening the U.S. economic system within the weeks forward of the U.S. presidential election and burdening already taxed international ocean transport networks.
A JPMorgan evaluation projected {that a} port strike might price the U.S. economic system $5 billion every day.
The employer group mentioned it requested instant injunctive aid – requiring the union to renew bargaining – so {that a} deal may very well be finalized.
The ILA in an announcement on Thursday known as the USMX a poor negotiating associate.
“If it wasn’t for the ILA partaking in critical and productive negotiations, a lot of the native agreements wouldn’t have been settled over the previous yr,” the union mentioned in an announcement.
Earlier this week, ILA Worldwide President and chief Negotiator Harold Daggett mentioned he had rebuffed a number of USMX approaches.
“They name me a number of occasions every week making an attempt to get the ILA to simply accept a low-ball wage bundle,” Daggett mentioned.
Sources near the talks mentioned the ILA requested for a wage improve of 77% – a share the union known as exaggerated. Trade consultants say the rise possible will likely be larger than the 32% rise negotiated by the union protecting employees at West Coast ports final yr.