- The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) seeks to eliminate past concessions related to automation, particularly the use of semi-automated cranes.
- The union argues that automation threatens dockworker jobs.
- The U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group supports automation, claiming that rail-mounted gantry cranes are necessary for maintaining competitiveness, especially against ports in China.
- Semi-automated cranes replaced manual equipment like top loaders, increasing container capacity and reducing human involvement in operations.
- Employers argue that modern technology boosts efficiency, benefiting the economy and increasing cargo throughput.
U.S. Dockworker Talks Focus on Automation and Job Impact
Contract talks covering 45,000 dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts are set to restart on Tuesday in a labor dispute that will help set the pace of automation at ports stretching from Maine to Texas.
The International Longshoremen’s Association wants to eliminate past labor contract concessions on automation – notably the use of semi-automated cranes that stack containers on docks – arguing they pose a threat to jobs.
The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group, meanwhile, argues those rail-mounted gantry cranes are key to remaining competitive as ports, most notably in China, lead the way on automation.
Strike Threat Looms Over U.S. Ports as Deadline Approaches
If the two sides do not reach a deal by Jan. 15, workers at container ports that handle more than half of U.S. ocean imports could start a strike just days before President-elect Donald Trump‘s Jan. 20 inauguration.
A three-day strike by the ILA last October triggered a spike in shipping prices and cargo backlogs at the 36 affected ports.
Nearly two decades ago, port employers convinced an earlier group of ILA leaders that using semi-automated cranes at what is now known as Norfolk International Terminals would eventually help create thousands of new jobs, the union said.
Semi-Automated Cranes Spark Job Concerns at U.S. Ports
Those cranes replaced equipment like specialized human-operated forklifts known as top loaders, and have been introduced at a handful of other U.S. port terminals since.
The cranes can handle bigger container stacks than traditional equipment, expand capacity on the dock, and can work overnight arranging containers for pickup the next day, with little human involvement. Placing containers on the trailers of trucks waiting to whisk them away is still handled by joystick-wielding human operators.
“What seemed like a win for one port turned out to be the project that is becoming the model for automation that could potentially chip away at many jobs at almost every other terminal along the East and Gulf Coasts,” Dennis Daggett, the ILA’s executive vice president, said in December.
Union Seeks Anti-Automation Clause as Employers Advocate for Efficiency
Union President Harold Daggett, Dennis Daggett’s father, has called for “absolute airtight” contract language stating that there will be no automation or semi-automation at port terminals.
Employers, who recently battled the ILA over the installation of automated truck entry gates, say the nation’s economic growth relies on faster and more efficient ports.
“Modern technology is proven to dramatically increase the amount of cargo that can be moved through a port,” the maritime employers group said in December. “This can, and will, be done in a way that not only protects jobs but adds new jobs as our operations expand.”
Terminal Operators Agree to Wage Hike, on Automation Deal
The group includes terminal operators like APM, owned by Danish container carrier Maersk, as well as the U.S. arms of other major carriers like China’s COSCO Shipping and Switzerland’s MSC.
They agreed to a 62% wage increase over the next six years to end the October strike. They underscored that the pay rise is contingent on finalizing all outstanding issues – including automation.
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Source: Reuters
