Trump Throws Support Behind Longshoremen's Union In Port Automation Dispute
By Peter List, Editor | December 12, 2024
With an economy-crippling strike expected to resume at East and Gulf Coast ports on January 15th—a mere five days before President-elect Trump returns to the White House—Trump announced his support for the International Longshoremen’s Association in its fight against automation with the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX).
In a Truth Social post on Thursday evening, Trump announced that he had met with ILA President Harold Daggett and his son, ILA Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett, and announced his support for the union and its members.
“I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump stated on Thursday. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen.”
In October, after striking for three days, the ILA accepted USMX’s wage offers and stopped their strike to return to the bargaining table over the contentious issue of automation.
The deadline to reach an agreement is January 15th—five days before Trump’s inauguration. If the ILA and USMX cannot reach an agreement, the ILA has announced that it will resume striking.
In his post, Trump castigated USMX members for them having “made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets.”
“They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt,” Trump stated. “They’ve got record profits, and I’d rather these foreign companies spend it on the great men and women on our docks, than machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced.”
For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries. It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!
Read Trump’s post in full here.
