President Joe Biden has called on the US Maritime Alliance to offer more to striking dockworkers, injecting his pro-union stance into the labour dispute.
The statement came as his predecessor, Donald Trump, blamed the president for the sweeping port shutdown.
Biden said in a statement that he urged the employers’ group, also known as USMX, to come to the table to present a “fair offer” to the International Longshoremen’s Association.
“Ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic and in some cases profits grew in excess of 800% compared to their profits prior to the pandemic,” he said, after pointing out that the USMX represents a group of foreign-owned liner operators.
“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.”
Biden’s statement came a day after USMX said it increased its wage offer and requested an extension of the current contract.
“Our offer would increase wages by nearly 50%, triple employer contributions to employee retirement plans, strengthen our health care options, and retain the current language around automation and semi-automation,” the employers’ group said.
But that was not enough to stop the strike.
The White House statement represents a doubling down of Biden’s refusal to intervene in the dispute. The president has also ruled out using his authority to end the strike.
Biden, a Democrat who has vowed to become the most pro-union president in American history, said collective bargaining is the best way for workers to receive fair pay.
“As our nation climbs out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, dockworkers will play an essential role in getting communities the resources they need,” he said on Tuesday.
“Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits. My administration will be monitoring for any price gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers, including those on the USMX board.”
The strike comes a month before an election in which vice president Kamala Harris is aiming to succeed Biden in a close race against Trump.
And while Democrats have traditionally been seen as the union-friendly party, Republican Trump also expressed sympathy for the strikers, while blaming the Biden Administration for the port shutdown.
“The strike was caused by the massive inflation that was created by the Harris-Biden regime,” Trump told Fox News Digital.
“Everybody understands the dockworkers because they were decimated by this inflation, just like everybody else in our country and beyond.”
