By Lisa Baertlein, David Shepardson and Daniel Wiessner

LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Employers negotiating a labor contract at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports on Thursday filed an unfair labor follow grievance in opposition to the union, saying these leaders refuse to renew talks forward of the threatened Oct. 1 strike.

The US Maritime Alliance (USMX) mentioned it filed the grievance with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board, as a result of repeated refusal of the Worldwide Longshoremen’s Affiliation to return to the bargaining desk.

The six-year grasp contract between USMX and the ILA expires on Sept. 30 and the 2 sides seem like deadlocked on wage points.

The employer group mentioned it requested instant injunctive aid – requiring the union to renew bargaining – so {that a} deal may very well be finalized.

It’s unusual, however not exceptional, for employers to make such complaints to the NLRB – an impartial company of the federal authorities that enforces U.S. labor legislation, notably with regard to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices.

In uncommon instances, the NLRB will go to courtroom and ask for an injunction pending the result of a board case, however that may take weeks to play out.

The ILA on Thursday responded, calling the USMX a poor negotiating accomplice.

“If it wasn’t for the ILA partaking in critical and productive negotiations, many of the native agreements wouldn’t have been settled over the previous 12 months,” the union mentioned in a press release.

Earlier this week, ILA chief and chief negotiator Harold Daggett mentioned he had rebuffed USMX approaches.

“They name me a number of instances every week making an attempt to get the ILA to simply accept a low-ball wage package deal,” Daggett mentioned.

Sources near the talks mentioned the ILA requested for a wage improve of 77% – a share the union referred to as exaggerated. Business consultants predict that the rise can be increased than the 32% rise received by the West Coast longshore union final 12 months.

Corporations that depend on ocean delivery are more and more nervous that the ILA’s 45,000 members will strike and shut 36 ports that deal with greater than half of U.S. ocean commerce of merchandise resembling bananas, meat, pharmaceuticals, auto components, development supplies and attire.

If that occurs, delays and prices may shortly cascade, threatening the U.S. financial system within the weeks forward of the U.S. presidential election, burdening already taxed world ocean delivery networks and over time foisting increased costs on shoppers.

Economists at Oxford Economics estimated that the upcoming strike would cut back U.S. gross home product (GDP) by $4.5 to $7.5 billion, or 0.1% annualized, for each week it continues.

A strike has the potential to weigh on the October employment report at a time when the Federal Reserve is very attuned to indicators of weak point within the labor market, they added.

The timing is politically delicate since Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is dealing with former Republican President Donald Trump within the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5.

A White Home official on Thursday reiterated that President Joe Biden doesn’t intend to invoke a federal legislation often known as the Taft-Hartley Act to forestall a strike.

“We encourage all events to return to the bargaining desk and negotiate in good religion,” the official mentioned.

“Senior officers from the White Home, Labor Division, and Division of Transportation are in contact with the events and delivering the message to them instantly.”