The United States International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) has confirmed that a strike will commence at midnight local time tomorrow, with union members ceasing work at East Coast and Gulf ports. The ILA, which represents 85,000 members across North America, saw any hopes of relief from Canadian ports dashed by an announcement that Montreal dockers will also begin a three-day stoppage. This action will effectively close down approximately 40% of the capacity at Canada's largest East Coast facility.

A statement from the ILA declared, "The United States Maritime Alliance... refuses to address a half-century of wage subjugation." The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) has filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), seeking "injunctive relief" in an effort to compel the ILA back to the negotiating table.

The ILA argued that the filing of these charges on a Friday, just four days before the expiration of the current Master Contract, highlights the poor quality of the union's "negotiating partners." The ILA views the lawsuit as "another publicity stunt by the employer group" and countered that "foreign-owned companies, represented by USMX, set up shop at American ports, earn billions of dollars in revenues and profits, take those profits out of the country, and fail to adequately compensate the ILA longshore workforce for their labor are engaging in a real 'unfair labor practice' and have been getting away with it for decades."