A Port Strike Is Looming Over the U.S., Georgia Chief Says

A port chief has issued a warning of a possible strike among dockworkers.
Griff Lynch, the CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority, recently warned that dockworkers in some ports may soon be going on strike, but noted that a possible shutdown may only last for a few days.
“We should probably expect there to be a work stoppage and we shouldn’t get surprised if there is one,” Lynch told the Associated Press (AP) on Tuesday. “The question is: How long?”
Ports across the U.S., from Maine to Texas, are bracing for a potential shutdown next week as the union representing 45,000 dockworkers threatens to strike on October 1. That’s when the current contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, is set to expire. Negotiations for a new agreement have been stalled since June.
A strike would bring operations to a halt at 36 ports, responsible for handling nearly half of the nation’s shipborne cargo. Lynch oversees two of the busiest ports in Georgia: the Port of Savannah, the fourth-largest in the U.S. for container cargo, handling everything from consumer electronics to frozen poultry, and the Port of Brunswick, the country’s second-busiest hub for automobile shipments.
Lynch noted that he hopes the port can avoid a strike saying, “The stark reality is they are not talking right now.” While the Georgia Ports Authority is represented by the U.S. Maritime Alliance, it does not have a direct role in the contract negotiations.
When it comes to the potential duration of a strike, “no one really knows for sure,” said Lynch, who has led Georgia’s ports since 2016 and has more than 30 years of experience in the maritime industry. “I would think we should expect four to five days, and hopefully not longer than that.”
Businesses have been bracing for a possible strike for months, stockpiling extra inventory to fill their warehouses. According to Lynch, this preparation contributed to a 13.7 percent spike in container volumes at the Port of Savannah in July and August compared to the same time last year.
Georgia dockworkers are working extended hours to unload ships and send them back out to sea ahead of next Tuesday’s strike deadline. To keep up with the rush, the Port of Savannah will keep its truck gates open through the weekend, including Sunday when they’re typically closed.
During the Georgia Ports Authority’s board meeting on Tuesday, Lynch commended the approximately 2,000 union workers who manage loading and unloading at Savannah and Brunswick, saying, “They have done great work” in the lead-up to a potential strike. He added that the ports will continue operating right up until the deadline.
“We’re seeing phenomenal productivity out of them right now…You wouldn’t know this was going to happen if you hadn’t been told,” Lynch said.
The U.S. Maritime Alliance announced Monday that it has been in contact with the U.S. Labor Department and is willing to work with federal mediators. Meanwhile, union president Harold Daggett issued a statement saying his members are prepared to strike, calling the current wage offer an unacceptable “low-ball package.”
“We’re hopeful that they’ll get it worked out,” Kent Fountain, the Georgia Ports Authority’s board chairman, said. “But if not, we’re going to do everything we can to make it as seamless as possible and as easy as it could possibly be on our customers and team members.”
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.