PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Two hundred striking International Longshoremen Association workers from four different locals joined the picket line in Portsmouth, sending a united message to the owners of the shipping companies to raise their wages and curb automation.
Cargo operations halt at Port of Virginia as strike begins
“It has a lot to do with the ship line,” said ILA spokesperson Derrick Perry. “The ship line is who we are striking against. The port just happens to be in between, and they have residents. So, there are differences there.”
Perry says this is the message they are sending about a new contract.
“That our contract ran out at 12 a.m.,” Perry said. “We had the right to protest, and we’re protesting automation, which is part of it, and the future of our jobs, and we are fighting for higher wages too.”…