Harris throws support behind striking port workers and rips Trump’s 'empty promises'
The tens of thousands of dock workers on strike for a new contract have officially won Vice President Kamala Harris' support, according to a statement she released on Wednesday.
The Hill reported that Harris publicly backed the demands of the International Longshoreman's Association (ILA), whose approximately 45,000 workers are walking off the job this week in protest of their employers' refusal to sign a new contract guaranteeing pay increases and a promise to not automate their jobs. The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee also took the opportunity to contrast her pro-labor campaign with that of former President Donald Trump, whom she accused of making "empty promises" of good things he "never delivers."
"This strike is about fairness. Foreign-owned shipping companies have made record profits and executive compensation has grown. The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits," Harris stated, adding that Trump "wants to pull us back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize."
READ MORE: Shipping companies raking in 'record profits' and not sharing with striking workers: Biden
In her statement, Harris also vowed to pass the PRO (Protecting the Right to Organize) Act if elected president, which is a top priority for organized labor. The legislation would, among other things, prohibit companies from holding mandatory anti-union meetings, weaken so-called "right-to-work" laws in 27 states that are aimed at inhibiting unions' right to collect dues from workers used for collective bargaining and allow the National Labor Relations Board to both fine employers for violating labor law and compensate workers for those violations.
"[Trump] thinks our economy should only work for those who own the big skyscrapers, not those who actually build them,” Harris said. “As President, I will have workers’ backs and finally pass the PRO Act. And I will fight for an opportunity economy — where every person has the chance not just to get by but to get ahead.”
Harris' statement comes after President Joe Biden issued a similar endorsement of striking longshoremen on Tuesday. Biden pledged to not only refuse to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 to break the strike, but chastised shipping companies for "raking in record profits" and refusing to share them with workers.
"Ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic and in some cases profits grew in excess of 800 percent compared to their profits prior to the pandemic," Biden stated. "Executive compensation has grown in line with those profits and profits have been returned to shareholders at record rates. It’s only fair that workers, who put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep ports open, see a meaningful increase in their wages as well."
The Hill reported that negotiations are still ongoing between ILA representatives and the United States Maritime Association (USMX), which represents shipping conglomerates. Workers are insisting that there be no automation of cranes, gates and container-moving trucks, and are pushing for a 77% wage increase phased in over the six-year contract, which they insist is necessary to keep up with inflation and costs of living.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) pointed out that shipping companies have made over $400 billion in profits since 2020, and blamed the strike on "excessive corporate greed." USMX has reportedly made wage counteroffers with ILA representatives, though no agreement has yet been reached as of Wednesday.
READ MORE: 'This is our defining moment': UAW launches historic strikes against Big Three automakers
Click here to read the Hill's full report.
