IBERIA PARISH (NEW IBERIA) — Workers at ports from Maine to Texas are on strike, demanding higher pay and a total ban on automated equipment. At the Port of Iberia, business is reportedly continuing as usual, according to former senator and Port Board President Craig Romero.
More than 45,000 port workers nationwide have joined the strike, which began after a contract expired on October 1 between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and more than 30 ports. Romero emphasized the potential consequences of the strike, saying, “When they stop unloading the ships, or halt all activity at the ports, then the shelves start to get bare."
The strike could lead to significant increases in the cost of goods, impacting essential items from food to medication. Romero added, “The cost of all goods is about to go up; it’s going to skyrocket because of this.”
Despite the national strike, Romero said the Port of Iberia operates differently from the larger ports involved.
“The activities they perform require a heavy concentration of labor,” he explained. “Here, we’re a tenant-based port focused primarily on oil and gas fabrication, and our tenants use in-house labor for their needs.”
Romero expressed confidence that the Port of Iberia will remain unaffected by the strike. “We’re going to continue to sing that song and preach that to the world, hoping to secure more projects moving forward,” he said.
