The International Longshoremen's Association has called for strikes at ports all along the East Coast, demanding higher wages. Strikers at the Port of Wilmington say it’s time they earned more.
Dozens of longshoremen have been picketing at the port, striking in favor of better work conditions, protections from automation, and higher wages. Workers aren’t striking against the port itself, but against the United States Maritime Alliance, or USMX.
Bill Freeman has worked as a dues-paying member of the ILA at the Port of Wilmington since 1963; that’s 61 years working on the docks.
“We're hoping to get better working conditions, mainly," he explained, "And of course, your money is always good, but we are mainly trying to get our benefits. We want to work in a safe environment. We want it to be safe so we can stay here and work.”
Freeman says his own son died in an accident at the port a few years ago.
“It's a dangerous job. It's a very dangerous job, and we've had a lot of people to get hurt, get killed, even I've seen some of them laying on the ground crushed by papers – containers," he said.
ILA Local 1426 President Gregory Washington says the workers have a great relationship with the Port of Wilmington, so he looks forward to the strike against USMX ending.
Washington said, “We’re one of the fastest ports on the east coast. So we do a good job, because we want good pay for what we do.”
USMX announced yesterday that they had offered a nearly 50% wage increase and other benefits, but their offer was rejected by the union.
USMX is facing pressure from the White House to come back to the table to continue negotiations.