The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) issued a statement thanking Teamsters and truckers for supporting striking dockworkers as their work stoppage moves into its second day.
The ILA went on strike at midnight on October 1 as the union’s previous contract expired, resulting in a strike involving 45,000 workers that has closed 36 U.S. port facilities.
On Wednesday, October 2, the ILA thanked the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and President Sean O’Brien for “trucker caravans” showing support for picketers at port facilities.
ILA President Harold J. Daggett states that members are “grateful, encouraged and strengthened by the support your truckers and you have demonstrated during our coastwide strike at Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports.”
“In the past two days of our ILA strike, our rank-and-file ILA members walking the picket lines have witnessed endless caravans of Teamsters slowly rolling their equipment through our port areas with horns blazing and fists pumped. This is solidarity as its finest and most powerful,” Daggett wrote.
The ILA shared multiple videos of semi trucks “slow rolling” and honking horns at demonstrations taking place at port facilities.
See the videos below.
O’Brien shared a message of solidarity with the ILA on September 30:
“The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, including our members in the freight industry, stand in full solidarity with the International Longshoremen’s Association as they fight for a fair and just contract with the ocean carriers represented by USMX.”