How Would A Port Workers Strike Impact Boston? An Expert Weighs In

By Kristina Rex, CBS Boston

September 26, 2024

BOSTON - When their six year contract expires on September 30, if the International Longshoremen's Association has not reached a deal with the United States Maritime Alliance, ports up and down the East and Gulf Coasts will close for business.

The ILA, which represents port workers who collect, unload, and organize cargo containers for international imports and exports, says it's fighting for better wages and, most importantly, less automation. "If they keep putting machinery to take our jobs, who's going to pay the income tax?" said ILA President Harold Daggett in a video to members. "Machines aren't. Who's going to pay for the military... The roads... Everything runs by taxes."

A strike would close Conley Terminal, the main cargo port in South Boston.

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