Understanding the ILA Strike and Its Global Implications

Winston Churchill once famously stated that "the truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is." The incontrovertible truth is that many of the products we use in the United States are not made in the United States.

The average American doesn't realize it, but the lifeblood of this nation's economy flows through its ports. If you don't believe us, take a little time on your next trip to a store and flip over the tag to see that the product you desire was not made here.

As such, when ILA president Harold Daggett brought the International Longshoreman's Association to the point of a national strike in 2024, he was dragging the entire nation into the fray. The average American is on one side of the picket line, one way or the other, whether we want to be or not. This strike is a big deal for us all.

Dockworkers: A Catalyst for Global Disruptions 

The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) and ILA members have reached a temporary agreement that extends the current contract until January of 2025. While this might seem like good news to most, what it is not is a new contract that will stand the test of time. This nation's ability to import goods is living on borrowed time.

The team here at MIRA Safety is never against a person earning a higher wage. It's the American dream, and anyone can live it how they see fit. If dockworkers strike to that end, it is their choice to make. However, we have to recognize how this action impacts the world while the planet is on the brink of World War 3.

All of the nation's largest ports were affected the moment the ILA went on strike. Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, Houston, Baltimore, Seattle, and more came to a halt and would still be so today were it not for the extension. Our ports are critical to American infrastructure, and any tactic of negotiation affects more than most care to realize.

Source: Envato 

Port Impact on U.S. Military Logistics 

President Joe Biden said in a statement that "collective bargaining works" upon the news of the USMX and ILA deal. What he didn't expound upon was the role that ports play as the nation is on the brink of global conflict. The United States has every reason to ensure its ports remain open during this particular season of world history.

It is an inescapable fact that the U.S. is on the brink of open conflict with Russia. It is a discernible truth that the United States may find itself drawn into open combat with Iran. What China decides to do across the Taiwan Strait is an open question, and the world is at the brink.

United States ports bring in strategic resources such as rare Earth elements, lithium, semiconductors, propellants, and more. The strike is not just about toilet paper, disposable goods, and cheap products made in China. This strike has global strategic implications, and you can be certain that adversaries such as China and Russia are watching closely.

Source: Envato

War Preparations: Economic Fallout from Port Strike 

Prior to World War 1, labor strikes rippled across the globe as a growing sign of discontent. As such, labor strikes in a moment of economic and military turmoil must be read in a similar context. It's all about wages, said the union, but the reality is more complex. It threatens the entire American economy.

MIRA Safety manufactures its top-tier gas masks from Europe. This is good for the American consumer and good for the average family dad looking to protect his family. We love made in America as much as the next patriot, but the reality of the global supply chain means American consumers benefit from global supply.

There are many analysts who view the strike by the longshore workers as a threat to the American consumer. We're already reeling from unprecedented inflation, and it is merely a matter of supply and demand that will make inflation rise higher. If you restrict the supply of goods pouring into east coast and gulf coast ports, the price of similar goods will rise.

ILA Strike and Global Trade Wars 

It doesn't help that the United States is entering a contentious election in 2024. The suspension of the strike is already being perceived as a strategic election move by the current administration. The impact of a prolonged strike could cost the administration the election, and that is not something they are willing to risk.

However, there is an argument patriotically to reopen our ports as all trade exists within the context of a global trade war with China. China is the 10,000-pound elephant in the room and it must be discussed. Every moment our ports remain closed is a moment that China advances its position to usurp the United States as the global trade leader.

ILA longshore workers must understand their unique position within the American economy and its role in this nation's national defense. We cannot fight a global war if our ports are closed for business. Unfortunately, global war looks more likely than not given the state of affairs in the world. A strike would only weaken this nation's ability to fight in such a global conflict.

The Global Working-Class Revolt Against Automation 

Now, the team here at MIRA Safety takes a strong position regarding the strike as we recognize its effect on our ability to defend ourselves as a nation. However, please don't take that position to be apathetic to the conditions of the American worker and the future of automation.

Automation and artificial intelligence are going to change the world, and the average American worker is not immune from its consequences. Port automation is a trend that is not going away, and workers went on strike in part to protest this change.

There is no easy answer to this question, but that does not mean we shouldn't strive to reopen our ports and ensure American dominance over global trade. It is good for America that the USMX and ILA were able to reach a deal. However, we must stand ready as such a deal was only a band-aid on a much larger problem.

Predictions for Future Strikes and World War 3 

As it pertains to the next World War, we need not focus our attention on our ports alone. Labor strikes and discontent have preceded nearly every major global conflict in modern history. Unions looking for better wages and protections against automation extend far beyond the shipping industry.

Shutting down our ports for any extended period of time threatens American manufacturing capacity here at home. For example, our Level 4 Tactical body armor plates are assembled right here in the United States of America. Any strike for as long as the ILA was proposing would cut off the supply of raw materials for that assembly.

A strike will likely have ripple effects throughout the nation's economy, and when west coast ports shut down, it would not take long before it is felt on the east coast. A tentative agreement on wages has postponed the disaster, but the threat to the nation on the brink of global war still persists.

Conclusion and Summary

We don't traffic in paranoia here at MIRA Safety, but we can't ignore history. Labor disruptions precede global conflict. This isn't Starbucks workers picketing for more health care. This isn't movie theater workers protesting the rise of streaming services.

The strike by union workers at our nation's ports is a strike on the critical infrastructure of this nation. That just doesn't happen in a vacuum. We cannot maintain our current military infrastructure without imports. We cannot maintain our role in the global economy without open access to our ports.

From Maine to Texas, throughout the Gulf Coast, and the West Coast, this nation grinds to a halt without its ports. The world is on the brink, and the recent Iranian attack on Israel just moved us one more step closer. Please don't fall asleep on this issue and pay close attention to future labor strikes in critical sectors in this nation. History doesn't lie. Stay ready. Keep preparing for the day most people dread. Stay informed.