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 towards the union, saying these leaders refuse to renew talks forward of the threatened Oct. 1 strike.
The US 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 seem like deadlocked on wage points.
It’s unusual, however not unparalleled, for employers to make such complaints to the NLRB – an impartial 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 return 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 straight on being on the desk and negotiating in good religion pretty and shortly.”
As that deadline approaches, firms that depend on ocean transport are more and more fearful 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 equivalent to bananas, meat, auto components, development 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 value the U.S. economic system $5 billion every day.
The employer group mentioned it requested speedy injunctive reduction – requiring the union to renew bargaining – so {that a} deal could possibly be finalized.
The ILA in a press release on Thursday known as the USMX a poor negotiating companion.
“If it wasn’t for the ILA participating in severe and productive negotiations, a lot of the native agreements wouldn’t have been settled over the previous 12 months,” the union mentioned in a press release.
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 instances every week attempting to get the ILA to simply accept a low-ball wage package deal,” Daggett mentioned.
Sources near the talks mentioned the ILA requested for a wage improve of 77% – a share the union known as exaggerated. Trade specialists say the rise seemingly might be larger than the 32% rise negotiated by the union protecting employees at West Coast ports final 12 months.