In a social media post, the union's president Harold Daggett said the union was fighting for “the kind of wages we deserve.” In a statement on Monday, the union blamed the United States Maritime Alliance,

But the dockworkers of today have to be skilled, knowledgeable, and dexterous enough to ensure that the incoming freight trucks, the hefty equipment, the potentially hazardous cargo, and the boats themselves operate safely and smoothly throughout all steps of the process.