US President Joe Biden has no plans to invoke the federal Taft-Hartley Act to prevent a potential strike by dockworkers at East Coast and Gulf of Mexico ports if they fail to secure a new labour contract by the October 1 deadline, according to a government official. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), representing workers at 36 U.S. ports, has warned of a possible work stoppage if no agreement is reached with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The two sides are currently negotiating issues including wages, benefits, and terminal automation. While Biden is not considering federal intervention, he has urged both parties to continue negotiations. Republican Members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House of Representatives, led by T&I Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Webster (R-FL), have urged the Biden-Harris Administration to do everything in its power to prevent a work stoppage at East and Gulf Coast ports that could lead to “dire impacts to our supply chains, our economy, and the American consumer.”
