The threat of a port strike at US East and Gulf Coast ports has raised its ugly head again as negotiations have stalled, meanwhile president-elect Donald Trump has backed the union.

As we reported last month, negotiations broke down between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), raising fears that an agreement would not be reached ahead of the January deadline.

The previous strike, which involved 45,000 workers across 36 ports, was called off after just three days when wages were agreed. However, workers only agreed to return to work until January 15th while the two negotiating parties focused on the remaining issues, and they remain poles apart on the subject of port automation.

On January 20th, just five days after the deadline, Trump returns to office, and after meeting the ILA President Harold Daggett last week he has come down firmly on their side.

Trump took to social media to say that money that could be saved by port automation “is nowhere near the distress, hurt and harm it causes for American workers, in this case, our longshoremen”.

He added: “Foreign companies have made a fortune in the US by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.”

“They’ve got record profits, and I’d rather these foreign companies spend it on the great men and women on our docks than machinery, which is expensive and which will constantly have to be replaced. In the end, there’s no gain for them…”

Whether Trump’s support of the union is helpful or harmful to proceedings remains to be seen, but let’s hope it’s the former.