Trump Voices Support for Dockworkers Union Amid Automation Dispute

Dockworkers gather at the Bayport Container Terminal in Seabrook, Texas, on Oct. 1, 2024. Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump offered support on Dec. 12 for members of the dockworkers union who are negotiating contracts at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports, saying further automation would harm workers.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he met with Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA), and Dennis Daggett, the union’s executive vice president, earlier in the day.

The ILA has until Jan. 15—just five days before Trump’s inauguration—to negotiate a new contract with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents 45,000 dockworkers across ports and shipping companies.

The union is seeking to ban automation from being used across ports for gates, cranes, and container-moving trucks.

The incoming president said there has been “a lot of discussion” regarding automation—using technology to complete tasks while reducing human involvement—at docks throughout the United States.

“I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump wrote. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen.”

ILA members argue automation would lead to fewer jobs, while advocates say it could boost productivity, for example by reducing the time needed to unload and load ships, while also increasing salaries for remaining workers.

In October, the union went on strike for three days over contract issues. That strike ended when ILA officials reached a tentative agreement with the USMX that included wage increases. The deal also granted both sides roughly 100 days to negotiate a new agreement that includes greater protections against automation.

In a Dec. 12 statement responding to Trump’s post, the USMX said it “appreciates and values” his remarks on the importance of American ports.

“[T]his contract goes beyond our ports—it is about supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace—from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products,” the alliance said. “To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains.”

USMX added that it looks forward to working with Trump and his incoming administration to support the strength and resilience of the U.S. supply chain and create higher paying jobs.

A dockworkers’ strike could reduce U.S. economic activity by $4.5 billion to $7.5 billion per week, according to a Dec. 2 report from J.P. Morgan Asset Management, which cites an analysis by Oxford Economics.

In his Truth Social statement, Trump also criticized foreign companies, which he said “have made a fortune in the U.S.” and which he believes should spend their “record profits” on hiring dock workers as opposed to expensive machinery that will constantly have to be replaced.

“In the end, there’s no gain for them, and I hope that they will understand how important an issue this is for me,” the president-elect said. “For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries. It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.