The daylong protest in Washington is to highlight hiring practices in some of the nation’s ports which reduce the numbers of dockworkers, causing damage to the nation’s economy, according to the ILA.
In particular, ILA claims that interference from South Carolina Port Authority has reduced the number of dockworkers, injuring not only the port itself but also the local and national economy. It also blames the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor for job loss and economic injury.
ILA’s vice president Kenneth Riley said: “Today’s longshore workers are skilled craftsmen who operate expensive and dangerous equipment. The work of these dedicated professionals is responsible for much of America’s economic wealth. We are protesting damage to the nation’s economy that is caused by the kind of interference that President Trump promised to stop.
“The Port of New York and New Jersey is regulated by both the Waterfront Commission and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. This overregulation is damaging to one of the nation’s busiest ports, and thus hundreds of local businesses that depend upon the port to survive, by reducing the number of dock workers and, therefore, the amount of cargo that could be moved.”
ILA members are also protesting a similar situation in South Carolina, where overregulation and governmental interference are, they claim, killing jobs and reducing the value of economic activity at the ports.
Mr Riley concluded: “All we want to do is work, build this economy and keep the nation strong but over regulating agencies, enabled by the federal government, want something else, and that’s just not right for America.”