BRAIN INJURIES ARE NOT HEADACHES

Trump’s Ex-Defense Secretary Knocks His Claim That Soldiers’ Injuries Were ‘Headaches’

Jennifer Bendery

INSIDER
Wed, October 2, 2024 

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump’s defense secretary, Mark Esper, on Wednesday pushed back on Trump’s claims that the dozens of U.S. troops who sustained traumatic brain injuries in a 2020 ballistic missile strike in Iran just had “headaches.”

“That’s obviously not accurate,” Esper said flatly in a CNN interview.

The former defense secretary recalled the events of the attack, which took place on Jan. 8, 2020, when Trump was president. At least 109 U.S. soldiers were injured after Iran dropped missiles on the Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq.

“Our troops defended extraordinarily well,” said Esper. “But over time we came to learn, as troops did self-reporting … that we had I think dozens, over 100 cases reported, and several were very serious traumatic brain injuries.”

His comments come a day after Trump scoffed at the idea that any American troops were injured in the 2020 attack. The Republican presidential nominee was asked about it during a campaign event in Wisconsin, in light of Iran launching missiles at Israel earlier Tuesday.

“So, first of all, ‘injured.’ What does injured mean? Injured means, you mean, because they had a headache?” Trump said to a reporter. “Because the bombs never hit the fort.”

After claiming “there was never anybody tougher on Iraq” than him — and mixing up Iraq with Iran — Trump appeared ruffled by the idea that he wasn’t “tough enough” on Iran at the time and boasted that none of Iran’s missiles hit the fort that day.

“They all hit outside, and there was nobody hurt other than the sound was loud, and some people said that hurt, and I accept that,” he added.

Trump similarly dismissed how badly U.S. troops were injured in the weeks after the Jan. 2020 attack, saying the Americans hurt that day “just had headaches.”

A traumatic brain injury, which is caused by an outside force like a powerful bump or blow to the head, is nothing like a regular headache. Some types can lead to short-term problems with brain function, like how a person thinks, acts or communicates. More serious cases can lead to severe disabilities and even death.

Esper said Wednesday that traumatic brain injuries are “a new harm” the U.S. military has come to understand better from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He recalled visiting a soldier at a military hospital a couple months after the Iranian attack and listening to his experience, calling it “quite a traumatic night.”

“Large blasts, much like were experienced in the ballistic missile attack in Al-Assad, can create traumatic brain injuries,” he said. “They’re unseen, if you will, casualties of war.”

Trump got it wrong on a past Iranian missile attack and again cast aside the US troop injuries as nothing more than headaches

Chris Panella
Wed, October 2, 2024


Trump recently got the details of a 2020 Iranian missile strike on US forces wrong.


He also again downplayed the resulting traumatic brain injuries of more than 100 US service members.


The former President has repeatedly dismissed the TBIs as "not very serious" or just "headaches."

Following Iran's massive ballistic missile strike on Israel, former President Donald Trump found himself discussing the 2020 Iranian attack on US forces in Iraq. He botched the details and again downplayed the injuries it caused for over 100 US service members.

The former president has repeatedly dismissed the traumatic brain injuries suffered by US forces as "not very serious" and just "headaches," trivializing what can be serious ailments.

During a press conference on Tuesday, the former president and current Republican presidential nominee said that the "bombs never hit the fort," apparently referring to the two Iraqi bases where US troops were stationed at the time.

Trump also dismissed the injuries to US soldiers caused by the attack, asking: "What does injured mean? You mean because they had a headache?" And in response to a question on whether he should have "been tougher on Iran" in the wake of the strike, he said there was "nobody ever tougher on Iraq."

Iran's missiles did, in fact, strike US positions in Iraq. The attack, which was in response to the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, was the largest ballistic missile attack ever against US forces abroad. There's visual evidence of the destruction.

US soldiers standing at the spot hit by Iranian strikes at Ain al-Asad air base, in Anbar, Iraq.AP Photo/Qassim Abdul-Zahra

Trump's inaccurate comments on the injuries echo his previous stance on the over 100 US service members who were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries after the attacks.

Not long after the attack, Trump told reporters that he "heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things," but his view was that it wasn't serious.

"I don't consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I've seen," he said.

At the time of the 2020 strike, brain injury experts and former US service members told Business Insider about the injuries, saying that Trump's comments trivialize the severeness of the conditions, which can be slow to appear and can be debilitating.

One former Vermont Army National Guard infantryman who was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 and suffered a mild TBI in combat told BI that over 10 years later, he still was still waking up with headaches every day, experienced concentration issues, and occasionally had dizzy spells.

Any brain injury, such as a TBI, can leave injured patients with troubling physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral issues, some of which may last their entire lives.

Trump's downplaying on the injuries also ran at odds with the Pentagon, which, in January 2020, acknowledged the potential ongoing issues for service members and said it would "monitor them the rest of their lives and continue to provide whatever treatment is necessary."

Some of the US service members affected by the attack were later awarded the Purple Heart for their involvement in the attack, but initially, they were denied. One service member who was affected by the Iranian attack told CBS News a few years ago that he was struggling with vision problems, memory loss, constant headaches, and hearing issues.

Iran's attack on Israel was in response to the killings of a Hezbollah and Hamas leader.REUTERS/Amir Cohen

In response to Trump's comments on Tuesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a National Guard soldier and the present Democratic vice presidential nominee, said during the vice presidential debate with Republican nominee Ohio Sen. JD Vance that Trump "wrote off" the troops' injuries as "headaches."

Trump's comments about the 2020 strike came on the heels of Iran's massive missile strike on Israel, which involved over 180 ballistic missiles. US and Israeli officials said the significant attack was largely intercepted and "ineffective," with Israel vowing to respond.

In response to the attack, Vice President Kamala Harris said that while "we are still assessing the impact," the "initial indications are that Israel, with our assistance, was able to defeat this attack." She said "our joint defenses have been effective."

Trump Mocks 100 U.S. Troops Injured in Iran on His Watch: ‘They Had a Headache’

Charisma Madarang
Tue, October 1, 2024 

ROLLING STONE


Donald Trump once again showed his disdain for United States military personnel during a campaign event in Milwaukee on Tuesday.

When taking questions from reporters during the event, a journalist asked Trump if he thought Israel should retaliate against Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attacks against the nation. The reporter also asked if Trump believed he should have been “tougher on Iran” during his presidency “after they had launched ballistic missiles in 2020 on U.S. forces in Iraq,” which left “more than 100 U.S. soldiers injured.”

The Republican candidate bristled at the idea of taking accountability for the tragic event, and instead mocked U.S. troops. “What does injured mean?” he retorted. “Injured means, you mean, because they had a headache? Because the bombs never hit the fort.”

“There was nobody ever tougher on Iraq,” Trump continued, confusing Iraq for Iran. “When you say not tough, they had no money. They had no money for Hamas. They had no money for Hezbollah. And when we hit them, they hit us. And they called us, and they said, ‘We’re going to shoot at your fort, but we’re not going to hit it.’”

The former president proceeded to insult the journalist, while downplaying the injuries sustained by troops. “If you were a truthful reporter, which you’re not, you would tell the following: None of those very accurate missiles hit our fort,” he said. “They all hit outside, and there was nobody hurt other than the sound was loud and some people said that hurt, and I accept that.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appeared to reference Trump’s comments later on Tuesday night during the vice presidential debate. “When Iranian missiles did fall near U.S. troops and they received traumatic brain injuries, Donald Trump wrote it off as headaches,” he said.

In 2020, the Defense Department confirmed that 109 U.S. service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries after Iran attacked the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq. At the time, Trump appeared to dismiss the severity of the injuries and said, “I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it is not very serious.”

Trump’s remarks on Tuesday follow his long history of insulting U.S. military. In August, Trump drew backlash from veterans groups when he said the Presidential Medal of Freedom is better than the Congressional Medal of Honor because the former doesn’t involve sacrifice. The 2024 candidate later doubled down on those comments.

Later that month, when visiting Arlington National Cemetery, Trump treated the burial grounds as a political campaign opportunity despite federal laws expressly barring such behavior. Trump and his campaign staff received widespread criticism “verbal and physical altercation” that reportedly took place during a wreath-laying ceremony when Trump’s staffers tried to enter an area reserved for recently deceased service members. The Army confirmed that someone from Trump’s team “abruptly pushed” a cemetery staffer.

The Republican hopeful attempted to blame the incident on the Gold Star families, not his campaign, who distributed images and videos of him at Arlington National Cemetery.


Trump downplays troop injuries in 2020 missile strike: ‘You mean because they had a headache?’

Brett Samuels

THE HILL
Tue, October 1, 2024 

Former President Trump on Tuesday dismissed injuries sustained by U.S. troops during a 2020 Iranian missile strike on an Iraqi base as he argued he has been tougher than the Biden administration on Tehran.

Trump fielded questions from reporters during a campaign stop in Milwaukee and was asked by one journalist whether he should have responded more strongly to Iran after it launched missiles at U.S. forces stationed at a base in Iraq in 2020, leaving dozens with traumatic brain injuries.

“So first of all, injured. What does injured mean? Injured means — you mean because they had a headache? Because the bombs never hit the fort,” Trump said.

“So just so you understand, there was nobody ever tougher on Iraq,” Trump continued, saying Iraq instead of Iran. “When you say not tough, they had no money. They had no money for Hamas. They had no money for Hezbollah. And when we hit them, they hit us. And they called us, and they said, ‘We’re going to shoot at your fort but we’re not going to hit it.'”

“And if you were a truthful reporter, which you’re not, you would tell the following: None of those very accurate missiles hit our fort,” he added. “They all hit outside, and there was nobody hurt other than the sound was loud and some people said that hurt, and I accept that.”

More than 100 U.S. service members suffered traumatic brain injuries in January 2020 as a result of an Iranian missile strike on an Iraqi base, according to Department of Defense officials.

The missile strike on the Iraqi airbase was in retaliation to Trump ordering the drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in early January 2020.

Trump similarly downplayed the injuries at the time, saying he had “heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things.”

The former president spent part of his campaign swing through Wisconsin on Tuesday criticizing the Biden administration’s foreign policy in the wake of Iranian missile attacks against Israel.

Trump, who withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Tehran during his first term, told reporters in Milwaukee there was “nobody ever tougher on Iran” than he was.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 


Trump Shrugs Off U.S. Soldiers’ Traumatic Brain Injuries as ‘Headaches’

William Vaillancourt

 Daily Beast.
Tue, October 1, 2024

YouTube

Donald Trump on Tuesday again downplayed dozens of U.S. soldiers getting traumatic brain injuries from Iranian airstrikes under his watch, telling a reporter dismissively that “they had headaches.”

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trump was asked about the January 2020 airstrikes near U.S. forces in Iraq, in light of how Iran launched a missile attack against Israel earlier Tuesday.

“Do you believe that you should have been tougher on Iran after they had launched ballistic missiles in 2020 in Iraq, leaving more than 100 U.S. soldiers injured?” the reporter asked, referencing Iran’s response to the U.S. drone killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

“So, first of all. Injured. What does injured mean? Injured means—you mean, because they had a headache? Because the bombs never hit the fort?” he said.

“Just so you understand: There was never anybody tougher on Iraq,” Trump continued, confusing the site of the strikes with the country behind it.

“If you were a truthful reporter, which you’re not, you would tell the following: None of those very accurate missiles hit our fort,” he continued. “They all hit outside, and there was nobody hurt other than the sound was loud and some people said that hurt, and I accept that.”

Trump Demands Biden Remove Ad of Him Calling Dead Soldiers ‘Suckers’ and ‘Losers’

Tuesday wasn’t the first time Trump has minimized those troops’ injuries. A few weeks after the strikes, Trump falsely claimed that “no Americans were harmed.” According to the Defense Department, 109 troops had suffered traumatic brain injuries.

In Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz alluded to Trump’s history of shrugging off the fallout from the strikes.


“When Iranian missiles did fall near U.S. troops and they received traumatic brain injuries,” he said, “Donald Trump wrote it off as ‘headaches.’”

Harris Backs Striking Dockworkers, Blasts Trump For Appointing 'Union Busters'

Dave Jamieson
Wed, October 2, 2024 

Vice President Kamala Harris came out in support of the nation’s striking dockworkers Wednesday, casting the work stoppage that shut down ports from Maine to Texas as a fight for “fairness.”

“Foreign-owned shipping companies have made record profits and executive compensation has grown,” the Democratic presidential nominee said in a statement. “The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits.”

Tens of thousands of workers walked off the job Tuesday morning amid a contract dispute with port employers. Their union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, is calling for significant raises and protections against automation in a new six-year deal. A prolonged strike could end up squeezing the economy just as the November election approaches, putting Harris and President Joe Biden’s administration in a tricky spot.

But so far, the White House has resisted calls to intervene in the dispute and force workers back on the job in the name of national security. Biden has said he believes in the collective bargaining process and that the two sides need to sort out their differences at the negotiating table.

Kamala Harris cast this week's port strike as a fight for "fairness." BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images

On Wednesday, Harris used the strike as an opportunity to highlight how she’s different from her GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump, who was hostile to unions throughout his time in the White House.

“Donald Trump … wants to pull us back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize,” she said. “As President, he blocked overtime benefits for millions of workers, he appointed union busters to the NLRB [National Labor Relations Board] - and just recently, he said striking workers should be fired.”

The latter was a reference to a recent chat Trump had on X, formerly Twitter, with his supporter Elon Musk, the social media platform’s owner. The former president praised Musk as the kind of guy who would fire strikers, which is generally illegal. (The two men laughed.)

The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits.

Vice President Kamala Harris

Harris is also correct that, as president, Trump appointed anti-union officials to the NLRB who made it more difficult for workers to organize.

He also watered down a reform by his predecessor, Barack Obama, so that millions fewer workers would have overtime protections when they work more than 40 hours in a week. (If Trump wins in November, he could once again undermine a progressive overtime reform, this time issued by Biden.)

Most major labor unions have endorsed the Harris campaign, with the exception of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which declined to back either candidate. Multiple labor historians recently told HuffPost that they consider Biden’s administration to be the most pro-union since at least Franklin D. Roosevelt’s, and that Harris could build on Biden’s legacy should she defeat Trump.

Harris backs striking dockworkers, Trump blames labor stoppage on the Biden administration

Nicholas Liu

SALON
Wed, October 2, 2024 


Kamala Harris Mario Tama/Getty Images


Vice President Kamala Harris expressed support for the 47,000 dockworkers striking for better compensation and job security on Tuesday, putting the onus on the shipping industry to prevent a potential economic fallout by satisfying organized labor's demands.

Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said that workers should be able to "negotiate" for better wages, but stopped short of endorsing the strike or the International Longshoremen Association (ILA), the dockworkers' union on the East and Gulf Coasts.

"This strike is about fairness,” Harris said in a statement. “The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits.”

The shipping industry recovered from a 2023 slump to record billions of dollars in profits so far this year. Harris also pointed out that, during his presidency, Trump "blocked overtime benefits for millions of workers" and "appointed union-busters" to the National Labor Relations Board. More recently, she noted he "said striking workers should be fired."

For his part, Trump took the opportunity to snipe at Harris, blaming the strike on "inflation brought on by Kamala Harris’ two votes for massive, out-of-control spending," likely referring to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which Harris helped pass with a tie-breaking vote in the Senate. Inflation has steadily declined since passage of the IRA.

After months of stalled negotiations over higher wages and restrictions on automating jobs traditionally held by workers, the ILA went on strike this week, shutting down more than a dozen major ports. Failure for both parties to reach a deal could cause severe delays in the transportation of goods and raise prices.

President Joe Biden could have invoked the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act to suspend the strike for 80 days while negotiations continued. However, he chose to let the strike proceed, saying he wanted to let workers exercise their collective bargaining rights. He and Secretary of Labor Julie Su have called on all parties to return to the negotiating table and give workers the "benefits they deserve."

Kamala Harris joined Biden in backing the dockworkers' strike at major U.S. ports

Story by William Gavin

 • SALON

Workers picket outside of the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 1.

Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Wednesday expressed her support for the tens of thousands of dockworkers on strike for better wages and job security.

“This strike is about fairness,” Harris said in a statement. “The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits.”

The International Longshoremen Association (ILA) went on strike early Tuesday morning after its contract with the group that represents shipping companies, terminal operators, and port associations expired. Some 45,000 workers are on picket lines at more than a dozen major ports that collectively account for about 51% of the nation’s port capacity.

The union is pushing for protection against automation, new technology in terminals, and wage hikes.

Between 2018 and 2024, employees received a $1 per hour increase to their wages, to a maximum of $38 per hour — about $79,000 annually on a 40-hour work week — while new employees started at $20 an hour. The ILA rejected the alliance’s latest offer, which would boost wages by almost 50%, triple employer contributions to retirement plans, and retain the current language around automation.

In a statement Tuesday, the ILA said the offer presented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) ignored that “many” workers start at that $20 hourly wage and that members “endure a grueling six-year wage progression” before they reach the highest wage tier.

“Our members don’t work typical 9-to-5 jobs; they work extraordinary hours, sacrificing time with their families,” the ILA said. “Our position is firm: we believe in the value our incredible rank-and-file members bring to this industry and to our great nation.”

In addition to Harris, the longshoremen have been backed by President Joe Biden and Labor Secretary Julie Su, who called for the parties to get back to the negotiating table and give workers the “benefits they deserve.” Several labor unions — from the Teamsters to the United Auto Workers to the Association of Flight Attendants — have also endorsed the ILA’s strike.

“My Administration will be monitoring for any price gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers, including those on the USMX board,” Biden said Tuesday. Several members of USMX, including Maersk (AMKBY) and Hapag-Lloyd (HPGLY), have plans to implement surcharges related to the strike later this month.

Read More: The U.S. port strike is bad news for farmers, furniture stores — and just about everyone else

The vice president on Wednesday also took aim at her rival, former President Donald Trump, pointing to his recent comments about firing striking workers. The UAW slapped Trump and Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk with federal labor charges in August after the former president praised Musk’s history of anti-union sentiment, which has affected at least two of his companies.

Most of the U.S.’s major labor unions have endorsed Harris, with the Teamsters union a notable exception, although many locals have since given her their backing. Wednesday, Harris reaffirmed her commitment to passing the pro-labor Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

In his statement Tuesday, Trump claimed the strikes were “only happening” because of inflation, for which he blamed Harris. Although he stopped short of endorsing the ILA, Trump expressed some support for their efforts.

“American workers should be able to negotiate for better wages, especially since the shipping companies are mostly foreign flag vessels, including the largest consortium One,” the former president said.

Shipping companies 'raking in record profits' and not sharing with striking workers: Biden

Story by Carl Gibson

 • 1d • 

At midnight on Tuesday morning, the International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) went on strike, meaning tens of thousands of port workers are now walking off the job in protest of their employers refusing to meet their demands.

The Associated Press (AP) reported that the ILA's unionized workforce of approximately 45,000 port workers had promised to strike without a new contract that guaranteed workers higher wages and a promise to not automate their jobs. The strike is the ILA's first in 47 years, and affects 36 ports across the country from Maine to Texas.

Now, President Joe Biden is openly siding with the striking workers, and called out the greed of shipping companies in a public statement issued on Tuesday. HuffPost reporter Sam Stein observed that the White House's position is "heavily in favor" of the striking longshoremen.

READ MORE: Brown bananas, crowded ports, empty shelves: What to expect if there's a big dockworkers strike in the US

"Collective bargaining is the best way for workers to get the pay and benefits they deserve. I have urged USMX, which represents a group of foreign-owned carriers, to come to the table and present a fair offer to the workers of the International Longshoremen’s Association that ensures they are paid appropriately in line with their invaluable contributions," Biden stated.

"Ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic and in some cases profits grew in excess of 800 percent compared to their profits prior to the pandemic," he continued. "Executive compensation has grown in line with those profits and profits have been returned to shareholders at record rates. It’s only fair that workers, who put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep ports open, see a meaningful increase in their wages as well."

Related video: Half of U.S. ocean shipping operations have halted (FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth)

The president's reminder of the shipping companies' post-pandemic profits is similar to a previous statement by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), who has long been an outspoken proponent of organized labor and critic of corporate greed. After Biden said he would not be invoking the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 to break the strike, Sanders praised Biden's commitment to workers' right to strike.

"Dock workers are striking against excessive corporate greed. The shipping industry has made $400 billion in profits since 2020," the Vermont senator tweeted. "It's time for dock workers to be treated with respect, not contempt."

Biden further excoriated the shipping companies for their greed in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall over the weekend as a category 4 storm and severely impacted infrastructure in several states. He noted that dockworkers having the contract they need is critical for disaster relief.

"As our nation climbs out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, dockworkers will play an essential role in getting communities the resources they need. Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits," Biden stated. "My Administration will be monitoring for any price gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers, including those on the USMX board."

The AP reported that despite the strike, consumers will likely be minimally affected despite the upcoming holiday season. Logistics experts told the outlet that shipping companies anticipated a strike and as a result, retailers are fully stocked on most goods throughout the holiday season. However, some fresh produce items like bananas will likely not be on shelves, with most coming into affected ports from Ecuador, Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Click here to read Biden's full statement on Whitehouse.gov.

Biden Says Dockworkers Deserve 'Fair Wage' In First Reaction To Strike

Some carriers' profits rose more than 800% after the pandemic, the president said

By Bruce Golding

IB TIMES

Published 10/01/24 


Striking members of the International Longshoremen's Association picket at the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. 

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

President Joe Biden called Tuesday for shipping companies to share some of their record profits and give striking dockworkers a "fair wage" — while also warning them against price gouging during the work stoppage.

In a prepared statement released by the White House, Biden said some ocean carriers saw their profits skyrocket more than 800% after the COVID-19 pandemic compared to what they made before.

"Executive compensation has grown in line with those profits and profits have been returned to shareholders at record rates," Biden said. "It's only fair that workers, who put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep ports open, see a meaningful increase in their wages as well."

About 45,000 dockworkers at 36 ports along the East and Gulf coasts walked off the job after their contract expired at the end of Monday, marking the first strike since 1977 by their union, the International Longshoremen's Association.

The move came little more than a month before the presidential election, and its impact on the economy could pose a problem for Vice President Kamala Harris, who's locked in a tight race against former President Donald Trump.

Biden — the self-proclaimed "most pro-union president" in U.S history — said the dockworkers were needed to help communities recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, which Moody's has projected could cost as much as $34 billion in property damage and lost economic output, Investor's Business Daily reported Tuesday.

"Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits," Biden said.

Biden also cautioned that his administration "will be monitoring for any price gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers," including members of the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).

The USMX, which represents shipping companies and port associations, said Monday evening that it offered to raise the salaries of dockworkers by 50% over six years and keep contractual limits on automation that could eliminate jobs, according to the Associated Press.

On Tuesday, the president of the International Longshoremen's Association told CNBC that the union wanted raises of 61.5%, down from 77%, in addition to a complete ban on automation, AP said.

Union members now earn a base salary of about $81,000 a year but overtime can push that past $200,000, according to AP.

Biden and other government officials are telling port companies to get a better offer to striking workers ASAP

Lian Kit Wee

Oct 2, 2024
BUSINESS INSIDER 
President Joe Biden and other top aides have called on port companies to negotiate fair deals for striking dockworkers and warned against profiting off the strike. Kent Nishimura/Mark Felix/Getty Images

President Joe Biden called for port companies to offer fair deals to striking dockworkers.
The transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, warned against exploiting the strike for profit.
He and the acting labor secretary, Julie Su, urged dock workers and companies to negotiate.

President Joe Biden and other government officials are urging port companies to offer stronger contracts to the 45,000 dockworkers on strike at East and Gulf Coast ports.

They're intervening because of the strike's huge economic stakes. It shut down 36 ports, and JPMorgan analysts have said it could put a $5 billion dent in the economy per day.

The message from the Biden administration is clear: Companies need to offer a fair deal to the striking workers as soon as possible.

In a Tuesday post on X, Biden pushed for ocean carrier companies to offer "a strong and fair contract" that reflects workers' contribution to the economy since the pandemic and to these companies' record profits.

Biden added that his team was actively monitoring for price gouging by foreign ocean carriers.

"No company should exploit this for profit," he said.

In a Tuesday statement, the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, also warned companies against profiteering from the strikes and called on them to remove any surcharges that may unfairly burden consumers or businesses.

"No one should exploit a disruption for profit, especially at a time when whole regions of the country are recovering from Hurricane Helene," Buttigieg said.

He also said the Federal Maritime Commission had been tasked with ensuring that all fees imposed during this period were "legitimate and lawful."

Buttigieg said in an Instagram post on Tuesday that he'd been in contact with supply-chain partners for months, and he urged all parties to "come to terms in good faith, fairly, and quickly."

The acting labor secretary, Julie Su, said in a Tuesday statement that she'd also been in talks with dockworkers and port operators, encouraging the groups to return to the bargaining table and "reach a fair contract."

Su said the port workers' sacrifices and importance during the pandemic and in helping communities recover from Hurricane Helene weren't fairly reflected in their salaries.

"As companies make record profits, their workers should share in that economic success," Su said in a Wednesday post on X.

Negotiations showed little movement until just before the strike began. The US Maritime Alliance, representing the ports, offered employees a 50% wage increase over six years.

Though the International Longshoremen's Association, representing thousands of dockworkers, briefly indicated a willingness to accept 61.5%, it has since reaffirmed its demand for a 77% rise over six years, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Despite calls from retailers and manufacturers to use federal powers to intervene and stop the strike, Biden has so far resisted invoking the Taft-Hartley Act, which would allow the government to force an end to the strike.

In a Tuesday statement, Biden said he remained committed to collective bargaining and called on the USMX to negotiate a stronger contract for dockworkers.

The White House, Department of Labor, and Department of Transportation didn't respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider outside business hours.

Biden urges port operators to increase wages after 45,000 workers go on strike

Strike – the first by port workers on US east coast since 1977 – threatens to shut down ports from Maine to Texas

Michael Sainato

THE GUARDIAN

Tue 1 Oct 2024 

Joe Biden has urged port operators to give workers a “meaningful increase” in pay after tens of thousands went on strike, prompting some of the busiest ports in the US to brace for crippling disruption.

About 45,000 port workers represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) began walking off the job after their contracts expired at midnight, with 36 ports along the east and Gulf coasts affected. They typically handle about half of the nation’s ocean shipping.


Strike looms at busiest US ports as 45,000 workers prepare to walk off job

Read more

Talks over a new contract between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have broken down, and the union dismissed a last-ditch offer from operators hours before the strike was due to began.

Hours after the strike began, the White House issued a robust statement calling on USMX to negotiate a “fair” contract that reflects “the substantial contribution” of ports workers to America’s economy.

“Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits,” the US president said. “My administration will be monitoring for any price-gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers, including those on the USMX board.”


The strike – the first by port workers on the US east coast since 1977 – threatens to shut down ports from Maine to Texas, mangling supply chains and straining the US economy.

As workers joined picket lines at ports including Philadelphia, Houston and Virginia in the early hours, economists have warned that failure to end the strike swiftly could lead to shortages and higher prices.

Ocean carriers have enjoyed “record profits” since the pandemic, Biden added, “and in some cases profits grew in excess of 800% compared to their profits prior to the pandemic. Executive compensation has grown in line with those profits and profits have been returned to shareholders at record rates.

“It’s only fair that workers, who put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep ports open, see a meaningful increase in their wages as well.”

Negotiators on both sides of the table have accused the other of refusing to bargain. The ILA has argued that USMX, which represents 40 ocean terminals and port operators, has “low-balled” offers on wage raises for workers and accused it of violating the previous contract by introducing automation at several US ports.


It is estimated the strike will cost the economy as much as $5bn a day. The union has said it will still handle military cargo, and that passenger cruise ships will be unaffected.

In a statement issued after Biden’s intervention on Tuesday, port operators said they were “proud” of the pay and benefits offered to their employees.

“We have demonstrated a commitment to doing our part to end the completely avoidable ILA strike,” USMX said, arguing that its latest proposed wage increase “exceeds every other recent union settlement” and addresses inflation. “We look forward to hearing from the Union about how we can return to the table and actually bargain, which is the only way to reach a resolution.”

In Philadelphia, the local ILA president, Boise Butler, said the union would strike for as long as it needed to get a fair deal, and claimed that it had leverage over the companies. “This is not something that you start and you stop,” he told Associated Press. “We’re not weak,” he added, pointing to the union’s importance to the nation’s economy.

Shipping companies made billions of dollars during the pandemic by charging high prices, and “now we want them to pay back”, Butler added. “They’re going to pay back.”

USMX filed an unfair labor practice charge against the union with the National Labor Relations Board last Wednesday, alleging the union was refusing to negotiate. Before the strike on Monday, USMX said it and the union had exchanged new offers on wages. The union countered by claiming the charge was a “publicity stunt”.

Current wages under the contract that expired on Monday range from $20 an hour to the top wage of $39 an hour. The union is seeking raises of 77% over the six-year contract, to a top rate of $69 an hour by 2030.

The Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in the US, issued a statement before the strike in support of the union.

“Let us be clear: the employers, not the workers, have shirked their responsibility and punted labor negotiations to the 11th hour, when the damage to the public and the national supply chain would be most detrimental,” said Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, president and secretary-treasurer of TTD. “While USMX seeks to cast blame on the frontline workers who move our supply chain, they are at fault.”

Port Strike Update as Teamsters Launch Foul-Mouthed Tirade at Biden Admin

Published Oct 01, 2024

By Aliss Higham
US News Reporter

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters slammed the Biden-Harris administration, saying it should "stay the f*** out of this fight" as port workers began a strike.

Just past midnight on October 1, unionized port workers from Maine to Texas walked off the job after no deal was reached regarding a new master contract between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents employers of the East and Gulf Coast longshore industry. It is the first strike among port workers since 1997.

In response to the failed negotiations, Teamsters, which represents more than a million workers across the U.S. and Canada, said it stands "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."

"The U.S. government should stay the f*** out of this fight and allow union workers to withhold their labor for the wages and benefits they have earned," the union said in a press release issued on September 30. "Any workers—on the road, in the ports, in the air—should be able to fight for a better life free of government interference. Corporations for too long have been able to rely on political puppets to help them strip working people of their inherent leverage."

A container ship departs the Port of Newark for the Atlantic Ocean on September 30, 2024. Unionized port workers from Maine to Texas have walked off the job. Spencer Platt/GETTY

Newsweek contacted the White House for comment on the Teamster's statement via email outside of standard working hours.

President Biden previously confirmed the federal government would not be taking action to prevent the walkout. A strike could be mitigated for a stretch by the president invoking the Taft-Hartley Act, which allows the government to intervene in any labor dispute that could threaten national security or safety by imposing an 80-day cooling-off period. This period would force workers back on the job as negotiations proceed.


"We've never invoked Taft-Hartley to break a strike and are not considering doing so now," a Biden administration official told Reuters. "We encourage all parties to remain at the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith."

"President Biden and Vice President Harris are closely monitoring the strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports," the White House said in a statement issued on October 1. "Senior White House and Administration officials continue to work around the clock to get both sides to continue negotiating towards a resolution. The President and Vice President believe collective bargaining is the best way for both American workers and employers to come to a fair agreement."

Why Are Port Workers Striking?

While negotiations between the ILA—which represents approximately 45,000 port workers at 36 locations across the East and Gulf coasts—and USMX made some progress regarding pay on Tuesday, the ILA said it rejected the alliance's latest proposal as it fell short of what "rank-and-file members are demanding in wages and protections against automation."

"We are prepared to fight as long as necessary, to stay out on strike for whatever period of time it takes, to get the wages and protections against automation our ILA members deserve," ILA president Harold Daggett said. "They must now meet our demands for this strike to end."

While Teamsters has previously endorsed a number of Democratic candidates during past election cycles, including Joe Biden in 2020, it has said it will not do the same for the party's 2024 nominee, Kamala Harris, after its members were divided on who to support in the November presidential election.

"President Joe Biden won the support of Teamsters voting in straw polls at local unions between April-July prior to his exit from the race," the union said in a statement in September. "But in independent electronic and phone polling from July-September, a majority of voting members twice selected Trump for a possible Teamsters endorsement over Harris."

"The union's extensive member polling showed no majority support for Vice President Harris and no universal support among the membership for President Trump."

Biden backs dockworkers in labor strike, urges ocean carriers to offer ‘fair contract’

Story by Taylor Herzlich

NY POST
• 10/01/24

President Biden on Tuesday night backed union dockworkers and pressured US port employers to put forward a “fair contract” ahead of the second day of historic port strikes.

Some 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association walked off the job on Tuesday – picketing at ports stretching from Maine to Texas as they fight for higher wages and protections from automation to be included in their new contract.

“Foreign ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic, when Longshoremen put themselves at risk to keep ports open,” Biden said in a post on X.


President Joe Biden on Tuesday night backed union dockworkers and pressured port employers to put forward a ‘fair contract.’ AP

“It’s time those ocean carriers offered a strong and fair contract that reflects ILA workers’ contribution to our economy and to their record profits.”

Analysts warn the strike could cost the economy billions of dollars a day as food, automobile, pharmaceutical and other goods shipments stall.

Biden instructed his team to monitor for potential price gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers, the White House said.

Retailers, auto suppliers and produce importers had hoped Biden would impose the federal Taft-Hartley Act, which allows US presidents to enact an 80-day cooling-off period that forces employees to return to work during certain labor disputes.

Republican representatives Sam Graves and Daniel Webster – both chairs of transportation committees – asked Biden on Tuesday to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act.

But those hopes were swept away when Biden said Monday that he does not “believe” in Taft-Hartley.

Foreign ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic, when Longshoremen put themselves at risk to keep ports open.

It’s time those ocean carriers offered a strong and fair contract that reflects ILA workers’ contribution to our economy and to their record profits.

Harold Daggett – the fiery, outspoken union boss leading the strikes – had mocked the idea during an interview in early September.

“Do you think when I go back for 90 days those men are gonna go to work on that pier?” Daggett said.

The United States Maritime Alliance had offered the union a 50% wage hike in its new six-year contract – but Daggett said the union is pushing for more.


Harold Daggett (above) — the fiery union boss leading the strikes — mocked the idea of Biden invoking the Taft-Hartley Act. AFP via Getty Images

Daggett – who raked in $728,000 in compensation last year from the ILA – said the union is seeking a $5 per hour raise for each year of the six-year contract and a promise to prohibit automation.

“We are prepared to fight as long as necessary, to stay out on strike for whatever period of time it takes, to get the wages and protections against automation our ILA members deserve,” Daggett said on Tuesday.

The widespread picketing represents the ILA’s first major strike since 1977.


Daggett said the union is seeking a $5 per hour raise for each year of the six-year contract, as well as protections from automation. Bloomberg via Getty Images

The strike comes soon after Hurricane Helene wreaked devastation across the Southeastern states and ahead of the holiday shopping season.

About half of US imports arrive via water, according to Morgan Stanley.

If the strike persists, it could slam the US economy – costing it as much as $5 billion a day, JP Morgan analysts estimated.

The port logjams could result in supply chain disruptions, food shortages and price hikes akin to the economic turmoil seen during the pandemic.

White House Meets with Terminal Operators Ahead of Looming ILA Strike

Administration officials met with employers calling for negotiations to resume for the dockworkers contact (White House official photo)

Published Sep 27, 2024 6:45 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Going into the final weekend before the threatened strike that would stop container and RoRo operations at 36 U.S. ports, the White House summoned representatives of the terminal operators and employers to a meeting. In the official readout on the meeting, the White House said that it had a similar conversation with the leaders of the International Longshoremen’s Association during the week.

The official report said that the meeting was headed up by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, and top White House economic adviser Lael Brainard. They were reported to be meeting with the U.S. Maritime Alliance officials although it did not specify which executives were representing the organization. USMX’s membership consists of container carriers, terminal operators, and port associations.

The meeting comes as the employers and union remain at a deadlock and have not had formal negotiating sessions for the master contract that covers approximately 45,000 longshore workers at ports from Maine to Florida and along the U.S. Gulf Coast. USMX acknowledged earlier in the week that it had received outreach from the federal government while saying the ILA continued to refuse to resume negotiations. USMX failed an “unfair labor” notice seeking the government to compel the ILA leadership to negotiate.

In the war of words being played out in statements, the leadership of the ILA said there had been contact between the sides but called the wage proposals from the employers “unacceptable.” They said the employers were unfair in the low wage offer. Automation issues are not being mentioned but are reported to be a major element of the new contract with the ILA saying it rejects all automation or semi-automation as a job killer.

White House officials confirmed today’s meeting as well as the messages with the ILA without providing any details. They said they were conveying directly "that they need to be at the table and negotiating in good faith fairly and quickly." 

Unidentified individuals from the Biden administration previously said they had not moved in the nearly four years of the presidency to break a union strike and it was not their intent now. They believe disputes need to be settled by negotiation, but also are closely looking at the current situation and the ramifications for the supply chain and the economy. Last year, Jule Su was credited as being instrumental in driving the contract agreement between the West Coast employers represented by the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.

Analysts point out that the White House has few options especially just weeks before the presidential elections. Trade organizations and elected officials are all pressuring the administration to intervene. It could invoke the Taft-Hartley Act which would mandate a cooling off period and negotiations. Short of that, its only option is outreach and cajoling the two sides back to the negotiating table. 

The six-year contract is ticking down due to expire at midnight on September 30 with the ILA saying it will not extend past the deadline. The union has been preparing for a long time for what its leadership has called “the biggest battle the ILA has faced in 47 years.” The last strike was in 1977 and lasted 44 days.

Biden Rules Out Intervening In Looming

Dockworkers Strike

By AFP - Agence France Presse

September 29, 2024

US President Joe Biden on Sunday said he would not intervene in labor negotiations involving thousands of dockworkers on the verge of a strike which could shut down major ports and snarl US trade.

The president was traveling back to Washington from Delaware when he was asked by reporters if he would get involved in the dispute, to which he said "no," because of "collective bargaining."


The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), which represents 85,000 dockworkers among 36 US ports, has been in contract negotiations since May which have stalled in recent weeks.

The union plans for workers "at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports" to walkout at midnight on Tuesday if a new contract is not agreed upon by then with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents shipping companies and terminal operators.


"USMX refuses to address a half-century of wage subjugation where Ocean Carriers profits skyrocketed from millions to mega-billion dollars, while ILA longshore wages remained flat," the union said Sunday in a statement.


The walkout would affect 14 large ports along the country's eastern and southern coast but would not affect western ports.

Biden styles himself as one of the most "pro-union" presidents in US history.

Dems, GOP see a common villain in the port fight: Foreign shippers

Ry Rivard
Wed, October 2, 2024



Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are so far taking the same side in the strike by East and Gulf Coast longshoremen — speaking up for the American workers against the foreign-owned shipping companies that control ports in the U.S.

The fact that major political leaders from both parties are taking aim at the European- and Asian-based shipping companies represents an early political victory for the dockworkers. Their union has portrayed the strike that began this week as a necessary step to get better wages from exploitative conglomerates that bring goods in and out of the country.

The messaging is also just the latest sign that both parties see the support of blue-collar workers as crucial to the outcome of November's elections.

“American workers should be able to negotiate for better wages, especially since the shipping companies are mostly foreign flag vessels, including the largest consortium ONE,” Trump said in a statement on Tuesday evening. The Singapore-based ONE is the sixth-largest shipping company in the world.

Striking dockworkers are enjoying the confluence of a labor-friendly Democratic White House and a GOP nominee trying to court union voters weeks before an election. Trump’s support for this strike contrasts with his suggestion in August, during an interview on X with Elon Musk, that striking employees should be fired.

Harris also sounded a message sympathetic to the port workers on Wednesday, despite the risk that an extended strike could trigger price spikes and commodity shortages that would imperil her chances of defeating Trump.


The vice president said the strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association is “about fairness,” and also emphasized the shippers’ outside-the-U.S. locale.

“Foreign-owned shipping companies have made record profits and executive compensation has grown,” she said in a statement. “The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits.”

Harris also dismissed Trump’s pro-union rhetoric as an “empty promise.”

President Joe Biden has similarly criticized shipping companies for not sharing enough of their recent record profits with workers, and said his administration is monitoring “any price gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers” during the strike.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat whose state is home to the largest port on the East Coast, put the issue more starkly. He said the strike is “foreign owned operators on the one hand and American workers on the other hand.”

The United States Maritime Alliance, the trade group that represents the shipping industry at the bargaining table, pushed back against the criticism, saying its diverse membership includes foreign-owned companies that have American subsidiaries, as well as port facility operators and associations that are based in the U.S.

“Our members employ more than 35,000 Americans within their direct organizations, and play a vital role in supporting economic activity across the country,” the alliance, known as USMX, said in a statement.

The foreign companies are convenient political foils for all sides, including the union, which is demanding raises of 60 percent or more over the next six years for workers who already do well by blue-collar standards. (Dockworkers in New York and New Jersey can make over $250,000 a year.)

Shortages during the pandemic put supply-chain issues on America's radar screen. Both parties have sought to boost American self-reliance and manufacturing, with Trump and Biden notably both agreeing that the U.S. needs to cut its reliance on Chinese goods.

But the shipping industry is a vital link to world markets that remains in the hands of foreign companies. Since the 1980s, almost all American ocean carriers have been sold to foreign companies or gone out of business. As a result, the U.S., which has its roots as a collection of maritime colonies centuries ago, has lost its place as a maritime leader over the past several decades.

Some of the companies that operate these ships, known as ocean carriers, may carry familiar logos on the sides of shipping containers. Many — like Maersk, CMA CGM, Evergreen and Hapag-Lloyd — are based in countries friendly to the U.S., but some are not. COSCO is a state-owned Chinese enterprise, which makes it an even bigger target given the anti-China sentiment coursing through Congress in both parties.

Rep. Mike Waltz, a Florida Republican, singled out COSCO in a social media post about the strike and warned of Chinese influence over American ports.

Of the more than 40,000 cargo ships in the world, fewer than 200 are based in the U.S. The business is also heavily concentrated because the largest companies — all foreign owned — control the lion’s share of the market.

Even Sea-Land, an American company that is credited for inventing the now-ubiquitous cargo container 70 years ago, was sold to Denmark-based Maersk in 1999.

The head of the striking dockworkers union, ILA President Harold Daggett, used to work for Sea-Land and speaks fondly of the company, while blasting Maersk for making record profits, doling out executive bonuses and attempting to replace his members with robots.

“If it was up to them, they would like to see everybody lose their jobs,” Daggett said in a recent video statement.

While all the major shipping lines are foreign-owned, other companies operate port facilities, known as terminals. Some of those are purely American companies, including Port Newark Container Terminal, which is based in New Jersey, and Red Hook Terminals, which has facilities in New York, New Jersey and Texas.

But Maersk also owns one of the largest terminal operators, APM Terminals, which Daggett has been particularly critical of because his members work at terminals. In Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Maersk has already built a “fully automated” terminal. As part of the contract negotiations, Daggett wants to protect workers from such automation.

At times, the foreign ownership issues have drawn legal and lawmakers’ scrutiny.

In 2016, Tyson Foods, the American food giant, urged the federal government to take a closer look at alliances among the shipping companies.

In 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported that federal investigators “crashed a meeting of the world’s 20 biggest container-shipping operators and gave subpoenas to top executives at several companies as part of a probe on price fixing.” The investigation was closed without charges.

Not only does the U.S. have few cargo ships, but the country cannot easily build more ships even if it wanted to.

This issue has long worried Congress because the American shipbuilding industry is, in the words of the Congressional Research Service, “globally uncompetitive.”

New attention on foreign ownership amid the strike could put pressure on the Biden administration to take action against Chinese cargo ships as part of a probeinto Beijing’s state-backed shipbuilding industry, which has enabled the country’s industry to quickly dominate the shipbuilding and maritime sector. The probe was requested by a coalition of labor unions, which proposed a port fee on Chinese-made ships that could be used to fund a subsidy to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding.

Ari Hawkins, Nick Niedzwiadek, Holly Otterbein, Josh Sisco and Sam Sutton contributed to this report.