Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorneys in Morehead City, NC

WCTI - clip

I've spoken to quite a few who say they plan on striking the rest of the week and if a contract is not drawn up, they will be back on Monday.

“No contract. No work.”

Local port workers out of Morehead City walked off the job as of 12 o'clock Monday night.

John Ellis// ILA-Local 1807 President says, “All we want is a contract, all we want. So, we can feed our families so we're not going back to work until we get it.”

These workers are a part of the 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association who are now on strike along the east coast.

For over 6 months, workers say they’ve been negotiating with the United States Maritime Alliance for higher wages, benefits, and job protection.

At least a hundred people have walked off the job in Morehead City and say they will not be returning without a fair contract.

Salavore Harvey/ ILA-Local 1807 says, “We work too hard, too long to not be compensated.”

Salavore Harvey says he’s given 12 long years of his life to the NC State Port in Morehead City as a Dockworker.

As a father he says it’s a struggle to pay the mortgage while also keeping the lights on, but nothing compares to the exhausting work hours.

Salavore Harvey/ ILA-Local 1807 says, "We work somedays we come out here 6 in the morning we don’t get home till midnight. A lot of days be like that then we got to be back five thirty in the morning.”

Working over 12-hour shifts pushing out different cargo from cars to canned goods.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, this strike could have a large economic and local impact.

Salavore Harvey/Dockworker says, “It's gonna be rougher, harder than what it is now if we don’t get something fixed real soon. It's gonna be probably worse than Covid. May not see it today or tomorrow but in a week or two you will start seeing the trickling effects of it.”

The economy plus billions of dollars could be at stake with this national strike, which could mean big changes for our grocery stores and holiday plans.

North Carolina Ports officials released the following statement by Brian E. Clark, Executive Director of North Carolina Ports:

"The Master Contract between the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) has expired and there is a work stoppage at ports along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. The Master Contract is an agreement between the ILA and the carriers and direct employers that make up the USMX. North Carolina Ports is not a party to the agreement and therefore is not a participant in the negotiations. North Carolina Ports is hopeful that both parties will return to the negotiating table and reach an agreement that allows all the ports of the East and Gulf Coast to resume operations.

North Carolina Ports is recognizing the work stoppage and has developed the following contingency plan. North Carolina Ports employees working in areas affected by the strike will be temporarily reassigned to other areas as needed.

The Port of Wilmington’s South (Container) Gate is closed for the pickup or delivery of cargo until an agreement is reached. No container vessel operations will be conducted until further notice. No intermodal rail cargo will be worked on or off of the rail at the Port of Wilmington. The Charlotte Inland Port is operating as normal. NC Ports extended its South (container) Gate hours over the weekend in an effort to help customers and port users prior to the work stoppage.

For general cargo operations, the Port of Wilmington’s North Gate and the Port of Morehead City will be operating on a normal schedule. Tenant operations and general cargo yard operations will continue as normal in both ports. No general cargo vessel operations will be conducted until further notice."