Before President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid, Vice President Kamala Harris demanded the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union “get on board,” which didn’t sit well with the union’s leadership.
Teamsters president Sean O’Brien says that just before Biden dropped out, Harris was meeting with local union leadership when she simply demanded the union endorse Biden.
“Around June or May, one of my vice presidents, a woman named Joan Corey out of my local, she sits on our general executive board, was at an event with Vice President Harris,” O’Brien said in the interview with Tucker Carlson. “And they’re going through the line to get the picture and Joan introduces herself to Vice President Harris, says, ‘I’m Joan Corey, I’m on the general executive board for the Teamsters.”
“[Harris] goes, ‘Teamsters? You better get on board. You better get on board. Better get on board soon,’” O’Brien said. “Says it to my vice president.”
Carlson asked if Harris said that to Corey’s face, and O’Brien said she did, and that Corey told him about the interaction the next day.
“So, she tells me this. So, I call up Marty Walsh – he wasn’t the secretary of labor – but he was pushing hard for us to make the endorsement. I’m like, ‘Let me ask you a question, Marty. Excuse my French. Who does this f***ing lady think she is?’” O’Brien said.
“Like, if I want support from any organization, I am not gonna point my finger in someone’s face and say, ‘You better get on board or else,’” O’Brien continued. “But that’s the attitude of this whole party.&#8221;
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After Harris became the nominee, O’Brien said, she finally agreed to a roundtable meeting with the Teamsters, but only answered four out of their 16 questions. O’Brien said other candidates, including President-elect Donald Trump, answered all of the union’s questions.
“On the fourth question, one of her operatives or one of her staff slips a note in front of me — ‘This will be the last question.’ And it was 20 minutes earlier than the time it was going to end,” O’Brien said during his interview with Carlson.
O’Brien said that when Harris left, she told the Teamsters: “I’m going to win with you or without you.”
Just weeks before the election, Harris became the first Democrat in decades not to be endorsed by the Teamster’s union, with a majority of members backing Trump instead, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-first-democrat-in-decades-to-not-get-teamsters-endorsement-after-members-back-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time.
“The union’s extensive member polling showed no majority support for Vice President Harris and no universal support among the membership for President Trump,” the Teamsters announced at the time.
Harris went on to lose the election, including losing every battleground state.

Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris Told Teamsters VP ‘To Get On Board,’ Souring Relationship

Kamala Harris Told Teamsters VP 'To Get On Board,' Souring Relationship

2024 Election

U.S.

Unions

For the <a href="https://californiaglobe.com/fr/voters-hand-gov-newsom-first-statewide-minimum-wage-ballot-failure-in-california-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first time</a> in California history, a ballot measure seeking a statewide minimum wage increase has failed.
The ballot measure results were finally called by the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-proposition-32-minimum-wage-ballot-68e5320b2716d2a5844dc51b97a6e235" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> on Tuesday, two weeks after Election Day. California Proposition 32, which would have increased the minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2026, failed by approximately <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_32,_$18_Minimum_Wage_Initiative_(2024)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">240,000 votes</a>, a less-than-2% difference.
The proposition was strongly opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce, which argued that the measure would increase taxes and force businesses to cut jobs, according to the AP. Earlier this year, Democrat-led California <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ca-fast-food-joints-warn-of-price-hikes-ahead-of-new-minimum-wage-definitely-going-to-pass-this-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instituted</a> a $20-an-hour minimum wage for fast-food workers, a move that caused many restaurants to hike prices and cut back on staff.
&#8220;Californians are sending Gavin Newsom and the SEIU a clear message: They&#8217;re sick of being lab rats for their pet projects,&#8221; said Rebekah Paxton, research director at the Employment Policies Institute (EPI), a conservative think tank. &#8220;Voters saw the devastating economic fallout of the $20 fast food minimum wage law, and for the first time in state history, voted against a statewide minimum wage hike.&#8221;
An EPI <a href="https://epionline.org/app/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-California-Limited-Service-Restaurant-Operator-Survey-Final-Booklet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> of 182 limited-service restaurant operators in California published in July found that 98% of fast-food restaurants in the Golden State increased prices after the minimum wage hike, 89% reduced employee hours, and 70% reduced the size of their staff.
In September, Newsom wrote an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gavin-newsom-critics-said-californias-minimum-wage-increase-would-job-killer-opposite-happened" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opinion piece</a> published by Fox News arguing that the &#8220;modest&#8221; fast-food minimum wage increase resulted in more fast-food jobs in the state along with &#8220;better working conditions, reduced financial stress and greater opportunities for upward mobility.&#8221;
&#8220;Our commitment to raising the minimum wage is a testament to California&#8217;s values,&#8221; Newsom wrote. &#8220;We believe in fairness, equity and the idea that everyone deserves a chance to succeed. And these results dispel the cynics who say we must choose between protecting workers and growing the economy.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
The broader minimum wage hike that went before voters earlier this month was pushed by unions such as the SEIU and UFCW 770. Kathy Finn, president of UFCW 770, which represents around 30,000 workers, said, &#8220;Proposition 32’s failure to pass is disappointing for all Californians who believe that everyone who works should earn enough to support their families.&#8221;
California&#8217;s minimum wage is already one of the <a href="https://pro.bloomberglaw.com/insights/labor-employment/these-states-have-the-highest-and-lowest-minimum-wages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest</a> in the country at $16 an hour for most workers, and six cities and counties in the state already have an $18-an-hour minimum wage. West Hollywood has the highest minimum wage in the state at $ 19.08 an hour for non-hotel employees, set to increase to $19.65 on January 1.

California state flag

California Voters Reject Minimum Wage Hike

California

Economy

Gavin Newsom

Labor Unions

Minimum Wage

Politics

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

CUNY Gaza Solidarity Camp

‘A Hotbed Of Anti-Semitism’: Jewish Professors Take Their Case To The Supreme Court

'A Hotbed Of Anti-Semitism': Jewish Professors Take Their Case To The Supreme Court

Anti-Semitism

City University of New York (CUNY)

Columbia University

Hamas

interview

Israel

Morning Wire

New York City

Pro-Hamas

Supreme Court

One of the oldest cliches in Hollywood is that, if you want a story involving insane levels of corruption and over-the-top mob tactics, you should probably have a lot of dockworkers in your film. Some of the most famous movies ever made, like &#8220;On the Waterfront&#8221; starring Marlon Brando, made use of this conceit involving longshoremen. For generations, everyone&#8217;s understood that this industry functions a bit like a fiefdom, independent of the rest of the country. It promotes from within. It protects its own. And when it wants something, it&#8217;s not afraid to shut down the U.S. economy in order to get it.
Over the years, various presidents have had to tangle with the dockworkers and their unions. Some of these presidents, like FDR and Obama, have granted dockworkers massive concessions. Other presidents, like George W. Bush, went to <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2002/10/08/news/ports_longshoremen/">court</a> and used the Taft-Hartley Act to end strikes that were costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars a day. But no administration in the history of this country has adopted the approach that the Biden-Harris administration is now taking.
Right now, without any objection from the White House whatsoever, a 78-year-old union boss named Harold Daggett is proudly shaking down the entire country. He&#8217;s going on television wearing gold medallions and flaunting his $700,000 salary as his union, the 50,000-member International Longshoremen’s Association, shuts down 36 ports — including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. These ports, taken together, handle more than 50% of the imports and exports to this country. The cost to the U.S. economy is more than $4 billion a day, and very soon, this shutdown could lead to shortages and mass layoffs.
And Harold Daggett has made it very clear that he doesn&#8217;t care about any of these effects. He doesn&#8217;t care what happens to millions of Americans as a result of this strike. Watch:
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Longshoremen pres. boasts about a strike hurting everyday Americans: “People never gave a shit about us until now, when they finally realize that the chain is being broke now. Cars won’t come in, food won’t come in, clothing won’t come in.” <a href="https://t.co/rHJf1e96YU">pic.twitter.com/rHJf1e96YU</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1841138309801918954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
Notice that there&#8217;s no rational argument here. He&#8217;s not arguing that dockworkers deserve higher salaries because they can&#8217;t make ends meet, or because they&#8217;re doing such a great job, or because they&#8217;re efficient, or any of that. He&#8217;s saying they should receive higher salaries because they&#8217;re holding America hostage. They have the power, so we need to pay the ransom.
When you look at the specific demands this union is making, the absurdity becomes even more apparent. Daggett wants the ports to give dockworkers a 77% pay raise to $69.00 an hour, after turning down a 50% pay raise. That&#8217;s far more than dockworkers make on the West Coast. Daggett also wants more &#8220;container royalties,&#8221; which gives money to longshoremen even if they&#8217;re not working. And he wants a complete ban on any forms of automation at ports.
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Previously I&#8217;ve talked about the rise of automation, and how it&#8217;s a threat to many Americans&#8217; jobs. There are obviously a lot of important concerns as far as how automation is used, and how many jobs it&#8217;s allowed to replace. But in this context, this blanket demand — that no automation is used at all — is a dead giveaway. It&#8217;s evidence that these dockworkers don&#8217;t care about the economy at all, or remaining competitive with what other countries are doing.
Here&#8217;s a look at what they&#8217;re doing in ports in China, to give you some idea.
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Longshoremen in China:
The Chinese port in Guangzhou. 
Virtual Longshoremen unload ships remotely with 5G, and help supervise AI vehicles that automatically drive the containers to trucks and load them, all remotely. <a href="https://t.co/Tt5J0oP1yr">pic.twitter.com/Tt5J0oP1yr</a>
&mdash; Brian Roemmele (@BrianRoemmele) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianRoemmele/status/1840913618982093229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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They still have people working there, as you can see. But they&#8217;re using cellular connections and computers to remotely unload and offload the cargo. In many cases, that&#8217;s safer, faster, and cheaper than having humans do it. We don&#8217;t have any of this, and it&#8217;s because of unions. These unions are a big part of why U.S. ports are so inefficient compared to ports all over the world. As recently as 2020, the World Bank found that there wasn&#8217;t a single U.S. port that ranked in the top 50 global ports in terms of &#8220;getting a ship in and out of port,&#8221; quickly and affordably. Not a single one. Overall, our ports are about half as efficient as global ports on average. And now, the unions representing the workers at these ports are demanding a massive raise — along with a ban on any form of technology that could make the ports more efficient.
If the Biden administration wanted to put an end to this, they could. They could do what Bush did, and take this union to court. They could apply public pressure. They could also threaten to repeal other laws on the books that already benefit the dockworkers&#8217; unions. There&#8217;s something called the Jones Act, for example. It requires that all goods transported between U.S. ports by water are carried on ships that are built in the U.S. and crewed by Americans. This leads to hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs, but unions <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/01/opinion/port-strike-shipping-union-inflation-prices.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">love</a> the law because it means more union jobs are created.
Of course, that law won&#8217;t change, and no one in the Biden administration wants it to change. They don&#8217;t want to upset Harold Daggett — someone the DOJ once accused of being an &#8220;associate&#8221; of a mafia family. He has quite a life story, by the way. 
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/10/01/business/who-is-harold-daggett-the-port-union-boss-with-alleged-mafia-ties/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>: 
<blockquote>Daggett took the witness stand that year after federal prosecutors charged him with racketeering. &#8230; During the course of the trial, one of Daggett’s co-defendants – Lawrence Ricci, an alleged major mob figure – disappeared. His body was found weeks later decomposing in the trunk of a car outside a New Jersey diner. Ricci’s death remained unsolved, though speculation circulated that he was killed after refusing to plead guilty to avoid news reports of the trial. &#8230; Daggett was acquitted.</blockquote>
So Harold Daggett beat that racketeering rap. And now he&#8217;s holding the U.S. economy hostage. Ships are having to re-route to the West Coast in order to prevent economic calamity, all because of him. It&#8217;s quite a recovery for Harold Daggett&#8217;s career. For the rest of us, it&#8217;s a crisis that has no real precedent in the past several decades.
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And this is just one of the several disasters that are unfolding in the final days of the Biden-Harris administration. Yesterday, Iran launched a volley of more than 180 ballistic missiles into Israel. This is the second direct attack by Iran against Israel in just the last few months. It&#8217;s put us much closer to World War III than we&#8217;ve been in recent history. And it comes just a year after the Biden administration&#8217;s national security adviser bragged that the Middle East was &#8220;quieter&#8221; than it&#8217;s been in two decades.  Watch:
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Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (last week): &quot;The Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades&quot; <a href="https://t.co/59MYUXhmHf">pic.twitter.com/59MYUXhmHf</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1710747691024879691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A week after Jake Sullivan made that claim, Hamas terrorists backed by Iran committed a massacre in Israel. And now rockets are flying back and forth. And despite all of this, Jake Sullivan still has his job. He wasn&#8217;t fired. He wasn&#8217;t run out of Washington after making it abundantly clear that he has no idea what&#8217;s happening in the Middle East — which you&#8217;d think would be disqualifying for a national security adviser. They forced Mike Flynn out of the job of national security adviser after, what, three weeks? And then you have someone like Jake Sullivan, who&#8217;s obviously incompetent to the point of being dangerous, and he suffers no consequences whatsoever.
Again, nothing like this happened during the four years of the Trump administration. This level of international chaos, and complete ineptitude, simply was not present. Iran was not launching rockets directly into Israel, just like Russia wasn&#8217;t sending tanks directly into Ukraine. Are Iran and Russia taking advantage of the fact that the brain of the current U.S. president is basically applesauce at this point? That seems like a valid theory, especially since the Biden administration has no alternative hypothesis for what&#8217;s going on. If you ask them, everything&#8217;s fine — until suddenly it isn&#8217;t.
That&#8217;s the same story we&#8217;re seeing in North Carolina, as I discussed yesterday.
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Gut wrenching scenes from Western NC today. This is Chimney Rock — just downriver from Asheville. It’s one of the countless communities completely devastated by Helene that still need help. Give if you can, and please keep them all in your thoughts <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC11_WTVD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABC11_WTVD</a> <a href="https://t.co/N7JDk0ygfz">pic.twitter.com/N7JDk0ygfz</a>
&mdash; Sean Coffey (@seancoffeytv) <a href="https://twitter.com/seancoffeytv/status/1841287895992201623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
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After failing to evacuate residents from the western portion of the state, the federal government is now failing to help many of the survivors. Yesterday I shared an email that came from someone named Jason, who&#8217;s from the rural area of Ashe County. He reported that FEMA was nowhere in sight. Here&#8217;s an update he sent me last night: 
<blockquote>I just got home from volunteering with a search and rescue team in Lansing which is one of the flooded rural towns. &#8230; Funny thing is the FEMA people showed up today but they are worthless. We ran into a bunch while we were delivering water and generators and they were just walking around making sure that people were still in the house.</blockquote>
So the federal government is still failing to help people in the most devastated rural areas. And communications are still spotty, in part because the government didn&#8217;t want to spend any money on Elon Musk&#8217;s Starlink system because they have a vendetta against Elon Musk. As a result, private citizens are now installing Starlink systems in the area. Journalist Nick Sortor just <a href="https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1841240114032431292" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that &#8220;first responders still do not have reliable communications&#8221; in North Carolina after four days. He uploaded this footage of three North Carolina State Police units giving him a police escort so that he can deploy Starlink systems for others to use, and he added that the police are, &#8220;literally using MY Window Starlink to communicate with each other!&#8221; Watch:
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🚨 First responders *STILL* do not have reliable comms here in Western North Carolina
After FOUR DAYS.
The three NC State Police units giving us a police escort so that we can quickly deploy Starlinks across the region are literally using MY Window Starlink to communicate with… <a href="https://t.co/uLceenFYbL">pic.twitter.com/uLceenFYbL</a>
&mdash; Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1841240114032431292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars to prepare for disasters like this, ostensibly so that vital communications equipment and supplies are available within hours. But they haven&#8217;t been doing that. For the past several days, random people — citizen journalists and volunteers — have been doing a better job than the government agency that supposedly specializes in disaster relief.
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So wherever you look — whether it&#8217;s the Middle East, or North Carolina, or the nation&#8217;s ports — you&#8217;ll find an ongoing, once-in-a-lifetime disaster that&#8217;s threatening to spiral even further out of control. This is what the country — and the world — look like at the end of the Biden-Harris term. There are multiple catastrophes happening all at once. It&#8217;s impossible for anyone to deny that the world is a measurably worse and more dangerous place today than it was when they took office. Everyone knows it. Even Kamala Harris knows it. It&#8217;s why she had to duck the first question of the presidential debate, when she was asked whether Americans are better off now than they were four years ago. 
This is the Biden-Harris &#8220;legacy.&#8221; It&#8217;ll either end in January, or inevitably, these people will lead us into a major catastrophe that we can&#8217;t come back from.

US Dockworker Strike Shutters Eastern And Gulf Coast Ports

How Dirty Union Greed Is Holding The American People Hostage

Biden Administration

Floods

Hurricane Helene

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Shipping

strike

Vice President Kamala Harris sided Wednesday with dockworkers who launched a massive strike this week that threatens to cripple the economy.
“This strike is about fairness,&#8221; Harris <a href="https://x.com/KamalaHQ/status/1841518483638497456">said</a>. &#8220;Foreign-owned shipping companies have made record profits and executive compensation has grown. The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits.&#8221;
Harris also threw in a barb at her opponent, accusing former President Donald Trump of making &#8220;empty promises&#8221; to workers and promising that she will &#8220;have workers’ backs&#8221; and fight for an &#8220;opportunity economy.&#8221;
“Donald Trump, on the other hand, wants to pull us back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize,&#8221; Harris said. &#8220;Donald Trump makes empty promise after empty promise to American workers, but never delivers. He thinks our economy should only work for those who own the big skyscrapers, not those who actually build them.&#8221;
The dockworkers union has donated<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/international-longshoremens-assn/C00158576/summary/2020"> more than</a> $1.6 million to Democrats under union president Harold Daggett, who threatened to &#8220;cripple&#8221; the economy if dockworkers did not get the contract they wanted.
Daggett endorsed President Joe Biden, but began lashing out at the White House as the strike drew near. But relations appear to be warming between the union and the administration on several fronts. Also on Wednesday, Daggett thanked Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su for speaking out in support of the striking dock workers.
Su put out a statement slamming port owners for refusing &#8220;to put an offer on the table that reflects workers’ sacrifice and contributions to their employer’s profits&#8221; as &#8220;their CEOs bring in millions of dollars in compensation per year.&#8221;
Daggett made $728,000 last year as union president, plus another $173,000 as president emeritus of the New Jersey local, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/25/dockworkers-strike-disrupt-economy-election-00181005">reported</a>.
The strike snarls supply chains and is likely to cause delays or even shortages of products like coffee, bananas, cars, clothing, and Christmas decorations. The union rejected a last-minute deal from port ownership which offered the union a nearly 50% wage raise. The union had demanded higher wages and zero port automation.
President Joe Biden could pause the strike for 80 days under the Taft-Hartley Act, but he has indicated he has no intention of doing so. Some have speculated that the president is unwilling to go out of his way to help Harris after Democrats ousted him from the presidential ticket, while others have wondered if the administration is simply courting the union vote.
Harris has struggled to lock in the union vote, usually an easy voting bloc for Democrats to sway. She is the first Democratic presidential candidate to not get the Teamsters’ endorsement in nearly 30 years. Nearly 60% of the union’s 1.3 million members support Trump, internal polling found.
As the strike continues, Harris is caught between trying to appease thousands of union members and averting economic disaster. So far, she has faced an uphill battle to win over voters with her economic message, and polls show that the majority of voters favor Trump on the economy.

Sen. Kamala Harris Speaks At Her Alma Mater Howard University

Kamala Endorses Dockworkers Strike That Union Boss Boasted Would ‘Cripple’ The Economy

Kamala Sides With Striking Dock Workers Upending The Economy

Harris 2024

The union boss who launched a massive dockworkers strike on Wednesday thanked the Biden-Harris administration&#8217;s Labor Secretary for her &#8220;wisdom.&#8221;
Harold Daggett, president of the International Longshoremen&#8217;s Association, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ILAUnion">responded</a> to a statement from Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su expressing support for the union&#8217;s demands. Daggett said the union&#8217;s 85,000 members are &#8220;grateful for the wisdom, courage and leadership of our Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su.&#8221;
“Our ILA rank and file members will continue to strike for fair wages and their share of the Foreign Ocean Carriers record billion-dollar profits and we are grateful to have the support of the U.S. Labor Department,” Daggett <a href="https://ilaunion.org/acting-u-s-labor-secretary-julie-su-says-giant-shipping-magnates-should-share-their-economic-success-with-ila-longshore-workers/">said</a>.
Su<a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osec/osec20241001"> praised</a> dock workers for putting &#8220;their health and safety on the line to keep working through the pandemic,&#8221; and slammed port owners for refusing &#8220;to put an offer on the table that reflects workers’ sacrifice and contributions to their employer’s profits&#8221; as &#8220;their CEOs bring in millions of dollars in compensation per year.&#8221;
Su&#8217;s words of support could signal a return to normal relations between the White House and the union, which has donated<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/international-longshoremens-assn/C00158576/summary/2020"> more than</a> $1.6 million to Democrats on Daggett’s watch. Daggett endorsed President Joe Biden, but began lashing out at the White House as the strike drew near. About 45,000 dock workers walked off the job and hit the picket lines on Tuesday in a massive strike that has shut down billions of dollars in trade.
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“The American economy has defied all expectations thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s leadership,&#8221; Su said. &#8220;There is room for both companies and their workers to prosper. The parties need to get back to the negotiating table, and that must begin with these giant shipping magnates acknowledging that if they can make record profits, their workers should share in that economic success.”
The strike snarls supply chains and chokes off nearly 50% of U.S. imports, including products like coffee, bananas, cars, clothing, and Christmas decorations. A total of 14 ports along the East and Gulf Coast are affected, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The union rejected a last-minute deal from port ownership, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance, which offered the union a nearly 50% wage raise. The union had demanded higher wages and zero port automation.
Su <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-taps-california-official-who-oversaw-billions-in-covid-unemployment-fraud-to-serve-as-labor-secretary">oversaw</a> billions of dollars in COVID unemployment fraud as Secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Su, who never secured Senate confirmation, recently came under fire for a proposed rule that would require companies involved in the Labor Department&#8217;s apprenticeship program to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion measures, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rep-banks-grills-bidens-labor-sec-on-claim-that-apprentice-programs-are-racist-sexist">reported</a>.

US-LOGISTICS-TRADE-STRIKE-PORT

Biden Labor Secretary Signals Support For Striking Workers After Union Boss Boasts They’ll ‘Cripple’ U.S.

Biden Labor Secretary, Dockworker Union Boss Exchange Pleasantries Amid Strike

Tens of thousands of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/labor-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dock workers</a> along the East Coast expressed their frustrations as they hit the picket lines Tuesday morning in a massive strike that has shut down billions of dollars in trade.
The International Longshoremen’s Association launched the strike at midnight after port ownership failed to meet its demands for higher wages and address the union’s objections to port automation.
&#8220;We are ILA!&#8221; union members chanted on the picket line at some ports.
They held signs reading, “Corporate greed or worker rights. ILA demands fairness,” “Automation hurts families,” and “ILA workers over machines. Defend our jobs and rights.”
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Dock workers striking at port of Savannah, Georgia <a href="https://t.co/9W7Q2nNGm9">pic.twitter.com/9W7Q2nNGm9</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1841224266081321354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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🧵Dock worker strike begins! 
I went down to the Philadelphia port and captured the scene.
45k union members with the International Longshoremen&#39;s Association walked off the job at midnight, halting billions in trade <a href="https://t.co/g1Hkn5PohN">pic.twitter.com/g1Hkn5PohN</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1841130162299048297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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About 45,000 dock workers are refusing to work, which will snarl supply chains and choke off nearly 50% of U.S. imports. A total of 14 ports are affected, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the ports in Boston, Philadelphia, Wilmington, North Carolina, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, New Orleans, Mobile, and Houston.
Daggett, the union boss, <a href="https://ilaunion.org/ila-president-harold-j-daggett-joins-picket-lines-throughout-port-newark-elizabeth-at-start-of-strike-rallies-tens-of-thousands-of-ila-members-to-stay-strong-and-united/">joined</a> dock workers on the picket line at Port Authority in New Jersey, where he delivered expletive-laden rallying cries and had heated responses for reporters.
&#8220;This is going down in history, what we&#8217;re doing here,&#8221; Daggett said. &#8220;Who&#8217;s the greedy one here? These companies over in Europe. They don&#8217;t give a f*** about us. We&#8217;re going to show them they&#8217;re going to have to give a f*** about us cause nothing&#8217;s going to move without us.&#8221;
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&#8220;We&#8217;re going to keep this thing going,&#8221; Daggett said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to be on the news. We&#8217;re going to win this f***ing thing, trust me. They can&#8217;t survive too long, and we&#8217;re going to get what the f*** we deserve, believe me. God bless all of you for being here.&#8221;
When a reporter remarked the strike would &#8220;grind the economy to a halt&#8221; and asked if Daggett was worried it would hurt the &#8220;everyday American,&#8221; Daggett responded, &#8220;Not us, they are. Don&#8217;t spin it now. &#8230; Now you start to realize who the longshoremen are, right? People never gave a s*** about us until now.&#8221;
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President of the International Longshoremen’s Association, Harold J. Daggett, 100% means business:
&quot;People never gave a s*** about us until now. When they finally realized that the chain is being broke now &#8230; You know how many people depend on our jobs. Half the world! It&#39;s… <a href="https://t.co/dQalTgbgsQ">pic.twitter.com/dQalTgbgsQ</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1841129889963069811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Since the threat of a strike started making headlines, Daggett&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-donor-union-boss-with-alleged-mob-ties-fights-biden-over-dock-worker-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged</a> mafia ties and over $900,000 income have come under scrutiny. Daggett also <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/10/01/business/who-is-harold-daggett-the-port-union-boss-with-alleged-mafia-ties/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> used to own a yacht named &#8220;Obsession&#8221; and has been spotted driving around in a Bentley.
Daggett endorsed President Joe Biden, and the ILA has donated <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/international-longshoremens-assn/C00158576/summary/2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than</a> $1.6 million to Democrats on Daggett’s watch. However, Daggett began lashing out at Biden as the strike grew near.
Biden has the authority under the Taft-Hartley Act to force union workers to stay on the job for another 80 days, but Biden has made clear that he has no intention of getting involved.
Another one of the country&#8217;s most powerful unions, the Teamsters, <a href="https://x.com/Teamsters/status/1840930034946883799">released</a> an expletive-laden statement Monday evening supporting the dock worker union, saying they are &#8220;100% committed&#8221; to standing with the dock workers and that the ocean carriers are &#8220;on strike against themselves.&#8221;
&#8220;The U.S. government should stay the f*** out of this fight and allow union workers to withhold their labor for the wages and benefits they have earned,&#8221; the Teamsters said in their statement. On Tuesday, Teamsters General President Sean O&#8217;Brien walked the picket line with dock workers in Boston.
The dock worker union vowed to remain on the picket lines for as long as it takes.
&#8220;We plan on being here 24/7 until we finalize or get a good contract from the shippers. The plan right now is, we&#8217;re just looking for a fair contract, and we&#8217;re fighting automation. It&#8217;s pretty simple,&#8221; Bernie O&#8217;Donnell, vice president for the union’s New England area, told local news in Boston.
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The ILA is not answering questions, only reiterating why they’re going on strike.
Brief comment tonight from Bernie ODonnell, international Vice President for the union’s New England area. <a href="https://twitter.com/NBC10Boston?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBC10Boston</a> <a href="https://t.co/XnibBpZWZt">pic.twitter.com/XnibBpZWZt</a>
&mdash; Kirsten Glavin (@kirstenglavin) <a href="https://twitter.com/kirstenglavin/status/1840971277198152014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The strike is &#8220;terrifying&#8221; for companies that import goods, said Ryan Peterson, founder of Flexport, a supply chain management company. For consumers, a longer strike could mean higher prices, he said.
&#8220;If this drags on for weeks or heaven forbid months, I think you will certainly see increases in prices and shortages in all kinds of goods,&#8221; Peterson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6362715495112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Fox News.
Peterson also warned that the union&#8217;s demands would hit Americans&#8217; wallets.
&#8220;A 30-70% increase in cost of labor would tank most businesses. But ports are a monopolist, so all the cost increases will get passed on to the carriers who pass it on to the merchants who pass it on to you, the consumer,&#8221; Peterson <a href="https://x.com/typesfast/status/1841115498840539142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X.
Negotiations broke down over the summer and the union rejected a last-minute <a href="https://www.usmx.com/assets/content/public-resources/9-30-24_USMX_UPDATE_Status_of_USMX-ILA_Negotiations.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offer</a> from port ownership, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance, which offered the union a nearly 50% wage raise.
However, a deal may be near since the union is seeking a 61.5% raise over a six year contract, down from the 77% they initially asked for. Daggett said in a statement Tuesday that they are demanding a $5-an-hour increase in wages for each of the six years of a new contract, plus &#8220;absolute airtight language that there will be no automation or semi-automation&#8221; and that &#8220;all Container Royalty monies&#8221; go to the union.

Dock Workers Sound Off As They Hit Picket Lines In Massive Strike

PHILADELPHIA—Tens of thousands of dockworkers took to picket lines at over a dozen ports along the East Coast on Tuesday, launching a massive strike slated to bring billions of dollars in trade to a halt just weeks before the election.
The International Longshoremen’s Association launched the strike after port ownership failed to meet its demands for higher wages and address the union’s objections to port automation. About 45,000 workers will refuse to work during the strike, which will snarl supply chains and choke off nearly 50% of U.S. imports.
The Daily Wire was on the ground early Tuesday morning to see members of ILA Local 1291 picketing in front of the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal Port In Philadelphia.
&#8220;Automation hurts families,&#8221; read one sign union members carried.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-805599" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/original_d08a4192-68e7-4d91-9fff-96e225bda07d_PXL_20241001_132947170-1024x113.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="113" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/original_d08a4192-68e7-4d91-9fff-96e225bda07d_PXL_20241001_132947170-1024x113.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/original_d08a4192-68e7-4d91-9fff-96e225bda07d_PXL_20241001_132947170-300x33.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/original_d08a4192-68e7-4d91-9fff-96e225bda07d_PXL_20241001_132947170-768x85.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/original_d08a4192-68e7-4d91-9fff-96e225bda07d_PXL_20241001_132947170-1536x170.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/original_d08a4192-68e7-4d91-9fff-96e225bda07d_PXL_20241001_132947170-2048x226.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
&#8220;Corporate greed or worker rights. ILA demands fairness&#8221; read another.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-805607" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/corporategreed-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/corporategreed-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/corporategreed-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/corporategreed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/corporategreed.jpg 1966w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></div>
Other signs read, &#8220;ILA workers over machines. Defend our jobs and rights&#8221; and &#8220;ILA demands job security.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-805597" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/overmachines-765x576.jpg" alt="" width="765" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/overmachines-765x576.jpg 765w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/overmachines-300x226.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/overmachines-768x578.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/overmachines-1536x1156.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/overmachines.jpg 1958w" sizes="(max-width: 765px) 100vw, 765px" /></div>
Workers marched in a circle holding their signs, while some sat in chairs nearby.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-805611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/sitting-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/sitting-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/sitting-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/sitting-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/sitting.jpg 1966w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></div>
Stacks of shipping containers could be seen sitting inside the port.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-805603" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/crates-829x576.jpg" alt="" width="829" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/crates-829x576.jpg 829w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/crates-300x208.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/crates-768x533.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/crates-1536x1067.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/crates-2048x1423.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 829px) 100vw, 829px" /></div>
A Philadelphia police cruiser was present at the scene.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-805605" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/cruiser-765x576.jpg" alt="" width="765" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/cruiser-765x576.jpg 765w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/cruiser-300x226.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/cruiser-768x578.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/cruiser-1536x1156.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/cruiser.jpg 1958w" sizes="(max-width: 765px) 100vw, 765px" /></div>

Dock1

PHOTOS: Dockworker Strike Hits Philadelphia Port

Dockworker Strike Hits Philadelphia Port

Biden

Philadelphia

Tens of thousands of dock workers at ports along the East and Gulf coasts walked off the job at midnight on Tuesday, a massive strike that brings billions of dollars in trade to a screeching halt.
The International Longshoremen&#8217;s Association launched the strike after port ownership failed to meet its demands for higher wages and address the union&#8217;s objections to port automation. Negotiations broke down over the summer and the two sides are still at an impasse.
About 45,000 workers will refuse to work during the strike, which will snarl supply chains and choke off nearly 50% of U.S. imports. A total of 14 ports are affected including the Port Authority in New Jersey and the ports in Boston, Philadelphia, Wilmington, North Carolina, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, New Orleans, Mobile, and Houston.
Overnight workers quickly began to picket, and pictures of the striking workers popped up on social media almost immediately.
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BREAKING – Over 45k union dockworkers with ILA are officially on strike, shutting down all East and Gulf coast ports, from New York to Miami to Houston. They’re standing to protect their future against the shipping companies forcing automation on the docks. <a href="https://t.co/BnRqZzkHqT">pic.twitter.com/BnRqZzkHqT</a>
&mdash; On the Line (@laborontheline) <a href="https://twitter.com/laborontheline/status/1840967812099043503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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On Monday, the union rejected a last-minute <a href="https://www.usmx.com/assets/content/public-resources/9-30-24_USMX_UPDATE_Status_of_USMX-ILA_Negotiations.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offer</a> from port ownership, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance, which offered the union a nearly 50% wage raise. The alliance also said it offered to triple employer contributions to employee retirement plans, better health care options, and to keep the current language around automation and semi-automation.
The union <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ILAUnion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reaffirmed</a> its plans to strike earlier in the day, saying in a statement that port ownership continues to “block” a “fair and decent contract and seems intent on causing a strike at all ports from Maine to Texas.”
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It’s official. The East and Gulf Coast ports of the United States of America are on strike. 
The ILA hasn’t announced a port strike (I keep furiously refreshing their Facebook page) but picket lines are now visible on the gate cameras:<a href="https://t.co/NhmITnH9vj">https://t.co/NhmITnH9vj</a> <a href="https://t.co/tbFiomZC6Y">pic.twitter.com/tbFiomZC6Y</a>
&mdash; Ryan Petersen (@typesfast) <a href="https://twitter.com/typesfast/status/1840968397288620502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“The Ocean Carriers represented by USMX want to enjoy rich billion-dollar profits that they are making in 2024, while they offer ILA Longshore Workers an unacceptable wage package that we reject,” the union said Monday. “ILA longshore workers deserve to be compensated for the important work they do keeping American commerce moving and growing.&#8221;
Depending on how long the strike lasts, Americans could see <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/from-coffee-to-christmas-trees-heres-what-a-dock-workers-strike-would-disrupt">shortages and delays</a> past the election and into the holiday season.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/facts-ep-18-striking-workers">WATCH: Ben Shapiro Explains Why the Dockworkers Strike Could Impact You</a>
Bananas, coffee, cocoa, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture, vehicles, and even Christmas decorations are among the products that will be affected. As far as American exports, beef, poultry, pork, eggs, and cotton will be impacted as well.
The union&#8217;s president Harold Daggett took an aggressive negotiating stance as the strike approached.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll cripple you, and you have no idea what that means,&#8221; Daggett warned in a video message a few weeks ago.
The Biden-Harris administration had the ability to stop the strike, but has opted not to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act, which gives the president the power to keep workers on the job.
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&#8220;I have not been very focused on that,&#8221; Biden commerce secretary Gina Raimondo says about the upcoming dock worker strike that will choke off half of U.S. imports tomorrow
What exactly has she been focused on?<a href="https://t.co/rl71mpfyBN">pic.twitter.com/rl71mpfyBN</a>
— Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1840777808420721151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Critics say the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-dock-worker-strike-could-cost-kamala-the-white-house-why-wont-biden-stop-it">administration didn&#8217;t do enough</a> to bring the two sides together. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was asked on Monday about the strike, and admitted that she has &#8220;not been very focused&#8221; on it.

Massive Strike By Dockworkers Threatens To Stop Work At Ports Along East Coast And Beyond

Dock Workers Go On Strike, Billions Of Dollars In Trade Screeches To A Halt

Massive Dock Worker Strike Begins

Gina Raimondo, the Biden-Harris administration&#8217;s commerce secretary, said on Monday that she is not &#8220;very focused&#8221; on the impending dock worker strike along the East Coast that could upend the economy.
Raimondo was asked about the strike during an appearance Monday on CNBC.
&#8220;Where have you been kind of focused and hearing on what would happen if the strike goes, let&#8217;s say longer than a week,&#8221; asked Becky Quick, co-host of CNBC&#8217;s Squawk Box.
&#8220;Again, I have not been very focused on that,&#8221; Raimondo responded.
About 45,000 dockworkers plan to walk off the job on Tuesday, hobbling the supply chain and throwing a wrench into the presidential election.
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&quot;I have not been very focused on that,&quot; Biden commerce secretary Gina Raimondo says about the upcoming dock worker strike that will choke off half of U.S. imports tomorrow
What exactly has she been focused on?<a href="https://t.co/rl71mpfyBN">pic.twitter.com/rl71mpfyBN</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1840777808420721151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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🔥 MUST WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeSquawk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeSquawk</a> torches Harris surrogate Gina Raimondo:
You forgot the Trump tariffs were continued by Harris-Biden, there was no recession, real wages were up, the stock market did well, record low unemployment pre-pandemic — it&#39;s weird to act like he&#39;s a wildcard. <a href="https://t.co/KTjELc8Dfa">pic.twitter.com/KTjELc8Dfa</a>
&mdash; Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1840743988166332639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
The International Longshoremen’s Association will launch a massive strike if port ownership does not meet the union’s demands for higher wages and address their objections to port automation.
Depending on how long the strike lasts, Americans could see shortages and delays past the election and into the holiday season. Bananas, coffee, cocoa, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture, vehicles, and even Christmas decorations are among the products that will be affected.
Shortages could also cause price spikes just as Americans are recovering from years of high inflation.
Raimondo had more to say when she was criticizing a potential second Trump administration&#8217;s economic policies.
Raimondo <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/09/30/not-an-exaggeration-to-think-trump-would-tip-us-into-a-recession-as-president-says-gina-raimondo.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> former President Donald Trump &#8220;erratic&#8221; and slammed the former president for saying he would implement more tariffs.
&#8220;He&#8217;s talking about a tariff on all imports. I mean that&#8217;s insane. That will raise prices of everything for everyone,&#8221; Raimondo said.
The CNBC anchor pointed out that Trump campaign surrogates have said Trump&#8217;s tariff threats are more of a negotiating tactic than a definite plan.
Raimondo also called Kamala Harris &#8220;smart and thoughtful&#8221; and defended the Biden administration&#8217;s economic record, saying the country has had a &#8220;featherbed landing&#8221; after the pandemic.
&#8220;We have had a soft landing. Inflation, we haven&#8217;t slayed it totally. It is on the way down. We need stability, predictability. And what you will have in him is unpredictable, chaotic, based on how he feels on a particular day,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;By the way, he was president. We know what that resulted in,&#8221; Raimondo said, at which point Joe Kernen, co-host of Squawk Box interjected.
&#8220;Seems like you kind of forgot that earlier,&#8221; Kernen told Raimondo. &#8220;The tariffs that he did put on were continued by the Biden administration. There was no recession. Real wages were actually up. Stock market did well. A lot of very positive things happened. Record low unemployment until the pandemic.&#8221;
&#8220;So it&#8217;s just weird to act like it&#8217;s a complete wild card what kind of president he would be when you&#8217;ve got a blueprint right there of what kind of president he would be,&#8221; Kernen continued. &#8220;And Kamala Harris has been vice president for four years, and we&#8217;ve seen what kind of vice president she would be.&#8221;

Secretary Raimondo Testifies On 2023 Budget Request

WATCH: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Says She’s ‘Not Very Focused’ On Dock Worker Strike

Biden Commerce Secretary Says She's Not Focused On Dock Worker Strike That Could Upend Economy

Gina Raimondo

About 45,000 dockworkers plan to walk off the job on Tuesday, hobbling the supply chain and throwing a wrench into the presidential election.
The International Longshoremen’s Association will launch a massive strike if port ownership does not meet the union’s demands for higher wages and address their objections to port automation. Negotiations broke down over the summer and the two sides are still at an impasse.
The strike will shutter 36 ports on the East and Gulf Coasts, choking off nearly half of all U.S. imports and costing the economy billions of dollars a day. Depending on how long the strike lasts, Americans could see shortages and delays past the election and into the holiday season.
Bananas, coffee, cocoa, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture, vehicles, and even Christmas decorations are among the products that will be affected. As far as American exports, beef, poultry, pork, eggs, and cotton will be impacted as well.
Supply chain shortages could cause prices to rise just as families are trying to recover from the <a href="https://econofact.org/inflation-and-prices#:~:text=But%20inflation%20rose%20well%20above,measured%20using%20the%20CPI%2DU." target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly</a> 20% spike in prices since before the pandemic.
The U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents port ownership, said in a statement, &#8220;we value the work of the ILA and have great respect for its members. We have a shared history of working together and are committed to bargaining.&#8221;
However, the alliance also filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge accusing the union of refusing to come to the table and negotiate. The current contract expires Monday.
On Sunday and Monday, the union <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ILAUnion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reaffirmed</a> its plans to strike in statements on social media, saying that port ownership continues to &#8220;block&#8221; a &#8220;fair and decent contract and seems intent on causing a strike at all ports from Maine to Texas.&#8221;
“The Ocean Carriers represented by USMX want to enjoy rich billion-dollar profits that they are making in 2024, while they offer ILA Longshore Workers an unacceptable wage package that we reject,” the union said Monday. “ILA longshore workers deserve to be compensated for the important work they do keeping American commerce moving and growing.
Dock workers will hit the streets at midnight on October 1, the union said.
The union added that it is &#8220;disgraceful&#8221; that foreign shipping companies want to make billion dollar profits at U.S. ports while longshore workers are &#8220;crippled by inflation&#8221; due to &#8220;unfair wage packages.&#8221;
<div dir="auto">“In addition, the shippers are gouging their customers that result in increased costs to American consumers &#8230; They are killing the customers,” the union said.</div>
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President Joe Biden indicated that he has no intention of stepping in and stopping the strike, which he could do under the Taft-Hartley Act, which allows the president to prevent strikes that would threaten national security or health. This would force union workers to stay on the job for another 80 days.
On Sunday, Biden responded to a question about Israel&#8217;s strikes in Yemen by talking about the impending labor strike.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve spoken to both sides. They&#8217;ve got to settle the strike. I support the collective bargaining effort. I think they&#8217;ll settle the strike,&#8221; Biden told reporters on the tarmac.
No negotiations are scheduled before the strike is set to begin on Tuesday.
Even a one-day strike would snarl supply chains for six days, according to industry insiders. A longer strike would take weeks or months to recover from.
Meanwhile, the economy and inflation are top issues on voters&#8217; minds this presidential election, now just five weeks away.
Vice President Kamala Harris has struggled to win over voters with her economic message, with polls showing that a majority of voters favor former President Donald Trump on the economy.

Dock Workers Threaten First Major Strike In Fifty Years

East Coast Dockworkers Plan To Strike Tuesday, Hobbling Supply Chain

About 45,000 dockworkers will walk off the job on Tuesday if port ownership does not meet the union’s demands on wages and port automation, shuttering 36 ports on the East and Gulf Coasts.
If they do, Americans could experience supply chain disruptions through Election Day and well into the holiday season.
The Daily Wire has been covering the coming strike, from the details of the contract dispute and how it could disrupt supply chains, to information about the colorful Democratic head of the dock workers union and his clash with President Joe Biden, who refuses to block the strike.
Here&#8217;s everything you need to know before the strike begins.
&nbsp;
<h3>Why the Dockworkers Strike Could Impact You</h3>
In the latest episode of FACTS, Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro takes a look at the recent dockworkers&#8217; strike, setting the stage for a broader exploration of the history of strikes in America. He examines the motivations behind these labor actions, their impacts on the economy, and how they have shaped American history. Join Ben as he explores the significance of strikes, illuminating key moments, influential figures, and important laws, while discussing how these developments can affect your life today.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/facts-ep-18-striking-workers">WATCH: Ben Shapiro Explains Why the Dockworkers Strike Could Impact You</a>
&nbsp;
<h3>The Strike Comes After Months of Contentious Negotiations.</h3>
Negotiations broke down in June between the International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/19/largest-port-on-east-coast-begins-preparations-for-a-strike.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Message" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about</a> 85,000 dock workers nationwide, and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents port management. The two sides are in a stalemate over both wages and the automation of port operations.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-a-dock-worker-strike-could-hurt-the-economy-and-upend-the-election">READ MORE: Here’s How A Dock Worker Strike Could Upend The Economy — And The Election</a>
&nbsp;
<h3>A Strike Could Impact Everything From Coffee to Christmas Trees.</h3>
About three-quarters of banana imports to the U.S. arrive at ports that would be affected by a strike, as would pharmaceutical imports — a third of which are routed through the port in Charleston, South Carolina. The National Tree Company, which sells artificial Christmas trees and other decorations, has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/24/business/economy/port-strike-economy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rushed</a> to import goods early to beat the strike, but expects to see 15% of its goods stranded if a port strike happens.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/from-coffee-to-christmas-trees-heres-what-a-dock-workers-strike-would-disrupt">READ MORE: From Coffee to Christmas Trees, Here’s What A Dock Workers Strike Would Disrupt</a>
&nbsp;
<h3>The Dockworker&#8217;s Union Has Given $8 million to Democrats.</h3>
The ILA has donated <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/international-longshoremens-assn/C00158576/summary/2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than</a> $1.6 million to Democrats on Harold Daggett’s watch, and more than $8 million to Democrats in total. Federal prosecutors in 2004 alleged a mob conspiracy to elect Daggett head of the union, and the leader is still suspected in a separate but related racketeering case that also involves the mob.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-donor-union-boss-with-alleged-mob-ties-fights-biden-over-dock-worker-strike">READ MORE: Dem Donor Union Boss With Alleged Mob Ties Fights Biden Over Dock Worker Strike</a>
&nbsp;
<h3>Biden May Let the Strike Happen to Hurt Kamala.</h3>
Presidents have the authority to block strikes that could pose national security problems, but the White House is adamant that Biden will not intervene. Some say his inaction is retribution for Harris&#8217;s role in ousting him from the presidential ticket, while others think he&#8217;s trying to appease a powerful union as union membership abandons Democrats in droves.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-dock-worker-strike-could-cost-kamala-the-white-house-why-wont-biden-stop-it">READ MORE: A Dock Worker Strike Could Cost Kamala The White House. Why Won’t Biden Stop It?</a>

Container ships at dock

Here’s Everything You Need To Know About A Potential Dockworkers Strike

Ben Shapiro

Joe Biden

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