Port workers strike turns violent in Baltimore

BALTIMORE - The port workers strike turned violent in Baltimore Tuesday just hours after the contract between the ports and about 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association expired at midnight.

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick was at the Broening Highway Dundalk Marine Terminal and says initially there was confusion and anger as picketers allegedly tried to stop trucks from entering the complex.

She spoke with Robin, a trash hauler, who told her he had been attacked by some of the workers overnight.

"I come here for seven years. I've pulled the trash and the debris out of here for the Port of Baltimore," he told Alnwick. "The officer told me to come back and go in there and get out of my way, and they attacked me and broke the windshield and lacerated my face. Look at it."

Union members at the scene told Alnwick the truck hit one of the picketers as they swarmed around it. FOX 5 crews did see an ambulance come to assist, and we know that Robin did speak with police officers.

Baltimore police warned picketers that they cannot block the entrance to the port. 

READ MORE: Port strike: Dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast ports walk picket lines over wages, automation

Workers began picketing at the Port of Baltimore shortly after midnight, walking in a circle holding signs that read "Machines Don’t Feed Families Support ILA Worker" and "No Work Without A Fair Contract."

The union initially demanded a 77% pay raise over six years, citing inflation and years of minimal increases, according to President Harold Daggett. ILA members earn a base salary of about $81,000 annually, with some exceeding $200,000 due to overtime.

On Monday evening, the alliance countered with a 50% raise over six years and promised to maintain existing limits on automation. The union, however, seeks a complete ban on automation. The exact gap between the two sides remains unclear.

Early Tuesday, the union rejected the alliance’s latest proposal, stating it "fell far short of what ILA rank-and-file members are demanding in wages and protections against automation." Formal negotiations have not occurred since June.

"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 in the statement. "They must now meet our demands for this strike to end."

The alliance’s offer also included tripling employer contributions to retirement plans and enhancing health care options.

Supply chain experts suggest consumers won’t immediately feel the strike’s impact, as retailers have preemptively stocked up on goods, including holiday items.

The strike is expected to quickly impact perishable imports, such as bananas. Ports affected by the strike handle 3.8 million metric tons of bananas annually, accounting for 75% of the U.S. supply, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The strike could also disrupt exports from East Coast ports and cause congestion at West Coast ports, where workers belong to a different union. While railroads claim they can increase freight capacity from the West Coast, analysts believe it won’t be enough to compensate for the closure of Eastern ports.

The Associated Press contributed to this report