Boston’s dockworkers plan to picket 24/7 during major East Coast strike

Boston dockworkers have walked off the job at the city’s ports, demanding better wages and workplace protections from cargo operators.

Roughly 50 workers were picketing at Conley Terminal in South Boston as of mid-morning Tuesday, as part of an International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike in ports along the East Coast and Gulf Coast. The action comes after contract negotiations failed between the union and the United States Maritime Alliance, a trade group representing ocean carriers and port operators.

The more than 350 members of the longshoremen’s union who work at the Boston port all went on strike, according to ILA International Vice President Bernie O’Donnell. The union says workers will be out picketing every hour of the day until the strike ends.

The union reached an impasse with the trade group over dockworker pay and automation of machines at ports.

“They’d want to fully automate a terminal like this and have cranes run by machines and not by people, trucks run by machines not people, and it would replace all our workers,” said O’Donnell.

The strike alarmed business leaders in Massachusetts and elsewhere who worried about sweeping supply chain impacts if the stoppage lasts for more than a few days. Countless imports and exports are affected, including food, clothing, electronics, auto parts, toys, building materials and more.

Jon Hurst of the Massachusetts Retailers Association said the disruption would hurt local businesses during a crucial 4th quarter and holiday season.

“When you’re into the holiday shopping season and you have consumers that walk through the front door of a small business or a large business, and if they do not find the goods that they’re looking for, and the options, are not of their liking, they may not come back,” said Hurst.

Hurst said consumers may even see higher prices in addition to product shortages.

But Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy, who joined the workers on the picket line, said that any holiday shopping issued are a necessary to support what the longshoremen are striking for.

“We’re already talking about Christmas gifts coming, but I think that’s the price we pay, right?” said Murphy. “If they’re not going to listen to them, then we shouldn’t be blaming the workers. We should be blaming management for not listening to and helping make a fair contract for our workers.”

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With reporting from WBUR’s Zeninjor Enwemeka.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.