On October 1, 2024, the U.S. Gulf Coast and East Coast dockworkers launched the first major strike in almost 50 years. The strike affected 36 ports, mainly halting the transportation of food, automobiles, and other goods, estimated to cost the economy $5 billion a day. The strike started after the negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) broke down. The workers were unhappy with the wages and protections they were receiving.
On September 12, 2024, the employees at Boeing began their strike after the union emphatically rejected a contract proposal. While the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has held three negotiations, the proposals that have been drawn up haven’t met the union’s pension and wage demands.
These strikes are nothing out of the ordinary while looking at the intense relationship between large corporations and labor, and the increase in inflation has only exacerbated the need for higher wages. Organized labor unions have continued to fight back against the dissatisfaction of workplace environments, unjust regulations, wages, and many more critical issues.
Many politicians have fiercely debated the possible resolutions and disagree about whether the strikes should be called off by the executive branch or not. Many corporations have asked Biden to call off strikes, but he often counters by suggesting the companies should offer fairer contracts that reflect the current state of the economy. Without a clear resolution of the strikes, the economic impact could be astronomical, and it is clear that a solution is desperately needed.
