Statement By International Longshoremen’s Association Regarding U.S. Supreme Court Issuing Temporary Injunction To New York State Against New Jersey
NORTH BERGEN, NJ – (March 24, 2022) The International Longshoremen’s Association is deeply disappointed the U.S. Supreme Court today granted the State of New York a temporary injunction blocking New Jersey from withdrawing from the Waterfront Commission Compact.
News outlets are already mischaracterizing this a win for New York. It is not. Neither does it prevent New Jersey from withdrawing from the Waterfront Commission, but rather temporarily slows that action until the case can be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
For the dedicated members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, who have spent the past two years bravely showing up for work, each day, keeping commerce moving through the darkest and most dangerous times of the COVID crisis, this is a painful action. Where’s the Justice in among our Supreme Court Justices that will allow New York State, with only 10 percent of the work generated in the Port of New York and New Jersey, to dictate how New Jersey operates?
From the decades-long harassment of our ILA members; to the slanders against our Italian American ILA membership; and the hurdles it placed to allow growth in our Port, the ILA has good reason to cheer the New Jersey State Police taking over the duties of longshore background checks and oversight from the abusive and ineffective Waterfront Commission. We were not alone in calling for the New Jersey State Police, much better, well-funded agency, to be in charge. Two New Jersey Governors and the New Jersey Legislature have, for the past four years, moved to free the Port from the chains of the Waterfront Commission.
We are grateful our strong New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy stated immediately that he will not give up the fight to protect New Jersey’s interests.
The major port stakeholders in the Port of New York and New Jersey will not be deterred in its mission and we stand ready to continue to fight, alongside Gov. Murphy; the New Jersey Legislature; our employers; and our industry; for what is right and what is good for this Port and the dedicated ILA workers who make it one of the premier ports in the world.