The longshoremen’s strike is a test for Biden, further upending the 2024 race

• Longshoremen are striking at ports across the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.
• President Joe Biden has said he will not allow the federal government to intervene.
• But the strike could pose several problems for Vice President Harris in her presidential campaign.

A labor storm is brewing off the East Coast — but don’t expect President Joe Biden to intervene any time soon.

Longshoremen walked off work at 36 ports on the East and Gulf Coasts on Monday. The strike came after negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association – which represents about 45,000 members in the region – and the US Maritime Alliance, a coalition of container carriers and port associations, failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. Workers’ demands included higher wages and the promise of job security amid increasing automation in the shipping industry.

The work stoppage could end up costing the economy billions and crippling supply chains in the process. But the strike is more than just a test for the economy; It is also a test for Biden, who, if he so chooses, could intervene and use the power of the government to break the strike.

The reason for this is the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, a controversial aspect of US labor law. Under this legislation, presidents have the authority to intervene and seek a court order to force unions to return to work and resume negotiations if they believe national health and security are at risk. That’s exactly what then-President George W. Bush did in 2002 during a West Coast port strike.

But don’t expect Biden to do the same. Despite calls from retailers and manufacturers to invoke the law, Biden said on September 30 He will not intervene, citing the fact that “there is collective bargaining and I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley.” This position is consistent with his longstanding efforts to support labor.

Cathy Creighton, the director of Cornell University’s Buffalo Co-Lab for Labor and Industrial Relations, told BI that while Biden says he won’t intervene now, that doesn’t mean he won’t if the strike continues . Still, the Biden administration is unlikely to override workers’ wishes, she said.

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“It’s an employee’s decision to strike,” Creighton said. “You vote. So that would mean that tens of thousands of workers who wanted to strike would be overtaken. And so it’s probably not the inclination of this government to do that.”

Recent history shows that if he later decided to intervene in the strike, it could upset the workers. As Creighton noted, Biden received pushback from the labor movement after he asked Congress to intervene in a possible rail strike in December 2022.

“The right to strike is fundamental, and no president can claim to be pro-union if he does not respect that right,” said Hamilton Nolan, a labor journalist and author of “The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor.” “,” BI said.

“By not intervening, he will show that even large strikes in logistically important industries can be like any other strike and can be resolved to the benefit of workers and life can go on,” Nolan said. “If the government always deprives unions of the opportunity to conduct the most effective strike, it is a terrible and damaging act that limits the opportunities of workers in this country.”

The ILA did not respond to BI’s request for comment. In a statement, USMX said it “has demonstrated its commitment to doing our part to end the entirely avoidable ILA strike.” Our current offer of a nearly 50 percent wage increase exceeds all other recent union agreements, while taking inflation into account and recognizing the ILA’s hard work to keep the global economy running.”

In an Oct. 1 statement, Biden said he had called on USMX to make a “fair deal” to ILA workers — and that collective bargaining was the best path forward. “As our country recovers from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, longshore workers will play an essential role in providing communities with the resources they need,” Biden said. “Now is not the time for shipping companies to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while reaping record profits.”

Longshoremen also have the strong support of independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who said Biden was “right” not to invoke Taft-Hartley to contain the strike.

“Dockworkers are striking against excessive corporate greed,” the senator said on X. “The shipping industry has generated $400 billion in profits since 2020. It’s time for longshoremen to be treated with respect, not contempt.”

The strike represents another turning point in the race to 2024

The strike has the potential to further upend the already dizzying presidential race.

Vice President Kamala Harris now carries the banner of the Biden administration’s pro-union policies as the Democratic presidential nominee. But Harris’ union ties don’t run that deep Biden liked it.

Last month, the Teamsters refused to endorse either Harris or Trump in the presidential race, a major blow to Harris’ attempts to solidify union support. It was the first time since 1996 that the Teamsters did not support a candidate in a presidential election. Trump viewed the move as a victory for his campaign, as an electronic poll conducted over the summer showed the former president enjoyed significant support among rank-and-file members.

Although the Teamsters board did not endorse it, Harris received the support of local Teamsters unions in key battleground states, including Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. And Harris has also been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, the United Auto Workers and the United Steelworkers, giving her campaign significant union strength.

But the economic consequences of the dock workers’ strike are throwing a wrench into the Democrats’ already difficult situation.

“It’s going to be a political football where Republicans are already saying that Biden needs to intervene because it’s an economic issue,” Creighton said, “and it shows the absurd nature of the Republican Party saying it’s on the side of the Workers.” .”

Harris has been eager to prove that her union loyalty is as strong as Biden’s and has so far not strayed from the president as both monitor the ongoing strike. However, a work stoppage of a month or longer could lead to higher prices and shortages that would impact consumers on Election Day.

In most major polls this year, voters have consistently said they trust Trump more on economic issues, but Harris has narrowed his lead on that issue in recent weeks.

Therefore, any voter frustration over the strike could be dangerous for their campaigns as both candidates continue to argue over who would be the better economic manager.