WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Biden administration officials met Friday with port operators ahead of a possible strike at East and Gulf coast ports, with a union contract expiring after Monday.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council, told members of the United States Maritime Alliance that they should be at the table with the union and negotiating ahead of the contract expiring. That’s according to a White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private meeting.
Administration officials have delivered a similar message to the union this week.
In this particular case, some of the USMX members may be making money from the strike: Maersk, for example, has seen its shares jump and has raised its prices already.
The strike wil cause a drop in maritine freight capacity which, in turn, will earn some of the carrier more than if they were working normally.
So I’m not sure how it will go, the ILA workers have a massive bargaining chip and I believe they will get a good deal, eventually, but some USMX members might want to stall the negotiations as long as possible.