- "The N.C. Ports leadership team cannot be infiltrated by someone working against its own mission," the senators told Carolina Journal in a joint statement.
The North Carolina Ports Authority (NC Ports) is statutorily committed to, among other things, “increase the movement of waterborne commerce, foreign and domestic, to, through, and from such harbors and ports” as those located in Wilmington and Morehead City.
The NC Ports Board of Directors may be in direct conflict with that mission, some lawmakers argue, as a member of that board appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper, is also a local union president who happens to be leading picket lines with striking dock workers in Wilmington.
Gregory L. Washington, whose board term with NC Ports runs through 2027, serves as international representative for the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), as well as president of ILA Local 1426.
He was striking Tuesday, leading picket lines in Wilmington and giving an interview to a local news station advocating for the work stoppage until the union’s demands are met.
State lawmakers are wondering how the NC Ports can fulfill their purpose, if a member of its leadership is engaged in and encouraging labor strikes, which they argue impede the movement of waterborne commerce through the ports.
NC Senate Transportation Committee Chairs, Sens. Michael Lazzara, R-Onslow, Tom McInnis, R-Moore, and Vickie Sawyer, R-Iredell, are raising alarm over the apparent conflict of interest and calling on Cooper to replace Washington on the NC Ports board.
“The N.C. Ports leadership team cannot be infiltrated by someone working against its own mission,” the senators told Carolina Journal in a joint statement. “At a time when we need all of our state’s transportation systems collaborating, Gregory Washington is taking the day off to picket, protest, and hurt our supply chain lines. The governor should waste no time in replacing him on the board with someone who wants to move North Carolina’s ports in the right direction.”
The 10-member board consists of six appointees from the governor, and four from the North Carolina legislature, who “shall represent each section of the State in all of the business, agriculture, and industrial interests of the State.”
The relevant statute does not mention any requirements for union labor representation on the NC Ports board. While the statute does say at least one member appointed by the Governor “shall be affiliated with a major exporter or importer currently using the State Ports,” that role appears satisfied by other appointments.
It is unclear which of the listed state interests Washington’s appointment is covering.
The labor dispute between the ILA and United States Maritime Alliance centers on pay packages and job guarantees. The union is demanding an average raise of more than 75% over the six year contract period, as well protections from technological automation members worry will put them out of the job.
The strike, entering its third day, is estimated to cost the US economy between $2-$5 billion every day it persists. Experts say even a couple day’s worth of import backlogs could take weeks to clear, and clearing a weeks-long strike would take well into 2025.
ILA members’ starting pay is $20 per hour, rising to $24.75 per hour after two years on the job, and topping out at nearly $40 per hour after six years of tenure. That puts the average annual earnings in the $80,000 range, but dockworkers typically earn significantly more by taking on extra shifts and overtime.
Records show Washington, as president of the Local 1426, makes more than $100,000 in salary and other compensation, equating to more than $1 million in earnings since 2015. Carolina Journal was unable to determine if Washington is also compensated for his role as an international representative with the national ILA organization.
The national ILA union leader, Harold Daggett, has taken heat for promising to “cripple” commerce in the US with the strike, while taking home nearly $1 million a year in compensation to support a rather glamorous lifestyle.
North Carolina leaders worry the strike will have significant negative effects on the economy, consumers’ pocket books, and even disaster relief efforts. Empty shelves and high(er) prices are not what retailers typically want to present shoppers but that’s exactly what they’re facing with each day of the port work stoppage.
Beyond imported apparel and construction materials, many supply chains rely on imports for items like produce and medical supplies. One of the lawmakers’ primary concerns, they told Carolina Journal, is potential disruptions the strike could have in delivering disaster relief supplies and aid to Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.