U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has criticized President Biden and Vice President Harris for not taking action to prevent a potential strike by unionized dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast ports. Negotiations between the ports and union officials have stalled since June regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.
The International Longshoremen’s Association has indicated that their members may begin a strike after their current contract ends on September 30 if no new agreement is reached. Under the Taft-Hartley Act, the administration can establish a board of inquiry and seek a court injunction to allow both parties to continue negotiations. So far, the Biden-Harris administration has not used this authority or engaged in efforts to resolve the labor dispute.
“This situation requires leadership. However, your administration has not encouraged the parties to resolve the collective bargaining process prior to the end of the current contract,” wrote Dr. Cassidy. “Instead, your administration seems more interested in cementing its ‘pro-union’ legacy rather than being pro-worker. This callous attitude is insensitive to hard-working Americans who will bear the brunt of this unnecessary hardship.”
“American families should not pay the price for your administration’s ‘pro-union’ favoritism. Your refusal to act prioritizes convenience over the needs of the American people,” continued Dr. Cassidy. “You have the tools to act and avoid a harmful strike—all that is missing is leadership.”
A potential strike could significantly impact 25,000 longshoremen and thousands of other port and freight workers who handle goods from ports to businesses. A one-day strike could hold $5 billion worth of goods offshore and require five days to clear backlogs; a weeklong strike could take at least a month to clear shipments intended for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Cassidy emphasized that strikes would also lead to higher costs, reduced purchasing power for consumers, export loss, import delays, and additional disruptions during an already high-demand holiday shipping season.
He highlighted that Louisiana’s ports generate significant economic activity with one-in-five jobs linked directly or indirectly to port operations.
Cassidy urged Biden and Harris to use their authority under Taft-Hartley Act as President George W. Bush did in 2002 during an 11-day lockout.
“American families should not pay the price for your administration’s ‘pro-union’ favoritism,” reiterated Dr. Cassidy in his letter.
