WASHINGTON – Concerns over the possible strike at the East and Gulf Coast ports increased over the last few days.

The US Maritime Alliance filed a complaint to the National Labor Relations Board after it said the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) repeatedly refused to come to the bargaining table on a new contract.

The current six-year master contract between USMX and ILA expires on Sept. 30, with both sides still struggling to work through wage issues.

USMX also asked for immediate injunctive relief, requiring the union to resume bargaining to make a deal. 

ILA responded with its own comment stating its distrust of USMX’s negotiation methods. 

“USMX filing these charges four days before the expiration of the current master contract clearly illustrates what poor negotiating partners they have been,” the union said in its statement on Sept. 26. “If it wasn’t for the ILA engaging in serious and productive negotiations, most of the local agreements would not have been settled over the past year.”

On Sept. 27, two meat industry associations, the Meat Institute and the Meat Import Council of America (MICA), sent a letter to Daniel Maffei, chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, expressing concerns that disruptions at the port have already begun, even before the contract had run out between USMX and ILA.

“Despite several ports extending gate hours, disruptions have already commenced, with a growing number of ocean carriers announcing changes to their export services and indicating shipment cancellations are likely to begin on Oct. 1,” the associations wrote in their letter. “The US meat industry relies on an efficient, transparent and predictable ocean, trucking, and rail transportation network to meet customer demands and remain competitive in global markets. American consumers also depend on these networks to ensure a consistent supply of imports of meat and poultry products that complement domestic production and are used in staple items like ground beef, sausages and other popular retail products.”

Meat Institute and MICA added that approximately 13% of beef, 15% of poultry and 25% of pork products are exported annually from the United States.

“As in past similar situations, ocean carriers may once again revert to charging excessive detention and demurrage fees in combination with unreasonable surcharges, exacerbating shippers’ ability to remain operational,” Meat Institute and MICA stated. “Many small and medium-sized companies will be forced to cease exporting, slow or halt production lines, and furlough employees as carriers implement their familiar price gouging tactics that allow them to profit from uncertain situations not caused by shippers’ actions.”

Earlier in the week, the US Meat Export Federation issued a similar warning to the two associations about the impact a strike could have on the American economy.

The current East Coast contract covers about 45,000 dock workers and 36 ports from Maine to Texas. This would be the first East Coast dock strike in the United States since 1977.