Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg firmly defended the dockworkers’ strike, and revealed that President Biden had no intention of invoking the Taft Harley Act, which would force them to go back to work.
The interviewer asked about what the public perceives as a lack of action by the administration. “I do want to start with the port, and specifically, why is the president not stepping in on this — especially since you did take action to step in with the rail negotiations less than two years ago.”
Buttigieg responded, “The administration, to be clear, has been very active here. The acting labor secretary has been engaging the parties, so has the White House, so have I. What the president won’t do is reach for the Taft Harley Act because he believes that the right outcome is going to come from the collective bargaining process. That’s something that has produced results again and again — not just for worker but for our economy…we’ve seen historic wage increases and benefits for our workers and simultaneously historic profitability for companies.”
This was a particularly baffling answer, as the strike has been projected to lead not only to shortages of essential items like food and medicine, but devastate an already fragile economy, costing billions of dollars per day.
The interviewer pressed him with these facts and figures, and if and when the administration intended to step in, considering what’s at stake.
“It’s interesting to hear you say that, and I get that argument, but I also know that economists are putting out a five billion dollar per day economic hit the longer this strike goes on, you’re talking about inflationary activity too the longer this strike goes on, and every economist, every freight operator, every shipper says the more costs are incurred, that is directly going to go out to consumers. So is there a point at which the administration would take a stance and actually step in?”
Buttigieg replied, “Look, this strike can be ended today. What that’s going to take is…the companies need to put forward an offer that’s going to get the workers to the table. And again, such an offer would be absolutely compatible with the company’s remaining profit.”
In other words, they’re willing to let the citizens of this country suffer and starve so that they can stand with unions.
This comes at the tail end of historically destructive Hurricane Helene, effecting many people in desperate need of assistance and critical supplies that will be in short supply as a result of this strike, and have already been by and large neglected by the federal government.
Many have expressed outrage at the federal government’s treatment of Hurricane Helene victims compared to the generosity they show foreign entities like Ukraine and Israel, as well as what they’ve learned about dockworkers salaries. The staring base salary is $80,000 with the ability to make up to $200,000 with overtime, and the union’s president hauled in a whopping $900,000 in 2023.
The Daily Caller reports:
The ILA started their strike at midnight Tuesday after failing to agree on a new contract with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). Buttigieg argued that the companies that were part of USMX should be willing to part with some of their “unbelievable profits” to meet the demands of the ILA, which initially asked for a 77% pay raise over the six-year term of a new contract.
“We’re talking about an industry that got unbelievable profits. There was a single year where the shipping sector took $220 billion in profits around the world, and you’ve got these ocean carriers, foreign ownership, but we’ve been engaging them at the global level and at the North American level. They are certainly in a position to be able to include workers to participate in this profitability. They could end this tomorrow.”
So could Joe Biden.
Buttigieg continued, “From what I can tell, the proposals from the East Coast dockworkers are really shooting to get their wage increases in the neighborhood of the ones that were reached by the West Coast dock workers. We saw them come to terms, they reached a deal that didn’t lead to a strike, that’s compatible with profitable shipping companies and workers getting what they deserve. These East Coast dockworkers who were there during COVID, many died on the job, they are asking to get their share as well.”
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
The Democrat union workers and all other democrats need to see this since it plays right into the republican talking point that the administration including VP Harris don’t give a damn about the working people, contrary to what they keep saying to us.
“These East Coast dockworkers who were there during COVID, many died on the job, they are asking to get their share as well.” “There” many were except where govt shut down businesses, etc. “Died” from what being “there”? Sure. “Share”? It’s called a salary which they get at $80,000 with OT to $200,000 and they’re complaining. If they want West Coast pay, move. A pinkie finger ringed union boss making $900,00 says it all. The ILA is doing this before an election and after an incredibly devastating hurricane makes the strike appear to be political extortion and cruel. Big unions like big pharma, corporations, banks, government, etc. are too big to care.