Longshoremen
Longshoremen are dock workers who load and unload ships at ports. They are sometimes called stevedores (derived from the Spanish estibador or Portuguese estivador "man who loads"), defined as an individual (or sometimes a firm that employs individuals) who contract to load or unload a ship.[1] In the United Kingdom, they are called Dockers and in the United States and Canada they are often referred to as Longshoremen.
In the United States, most longshoremen are covered by one of two major trade unions: the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA, covering the ports along the East Coast and Gulf Coast, as well as Puerto Rico and the Great Lakes) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU, covering the ports along the West Coast as well as Hawaii).
American dock workers strike
In October 2024, a port strike involving some 35,000 longshoreman began on America's east coast.
- "Pay for longshoremen is based on their years of experience. Under the ILA's former contract with USMX, which expired on Monday, starting pay for dockworkers was $20 per hour. That rose to $24.75 per hour after two years on the job and to $31.90 after three years, topping out at $39 for workers with at least six years of service." [1]
