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Dockworkers go on strike at ports on East Coast, including Port of NY and NJ

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Dockworkers go on strike at ports on East Coast, including Port of NY and NJ



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Dockworkers at ports from Maine to New Jersey to Texas went on strike Tuesday for the first time since 1977 in a move that some experts say could disrupt the supply chain and billions of dollars worth of products for weeks or more just before the holiday shopping season kicks off.

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The North Jersey-based International Longshoremen’s Association walked off the job, seeking a big increase in pay as their last contract expired at 12 a.m. Tuesday. They also oppose automation at the ports, which pose a threat to their jobs.

Striking dockworkers stood at several locations outside the Port of Newark and Port of Elizabeth Tuesday morning with signs that read, “Automation hurts families: ILA stands for job protection.” Occasionally someone would drive by honking and holding up their fist in support.

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Union leadership bounced between locations to address the striking workers. A DJ played music at one spot, and strikers availed themselves of several food trucks parked nearby.

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“They’ve made billions and billions of dollars over the last few years through COVID and everything,” Buddy Smith, president of ILA Local 1233, told strikers, referring to the shipping and terminal companies. “We worked. We lost members. We’re just asking the companies to bring us along with them.”

“Automation and going too far with technology, we just can’t afford that,” Smith said. “We’re putting people out of work.”

Leaders at the ILA cut off contract talks in June after learning that a form of automation had been introduced at the Port of Mobile in Alabama, an action they said violated the existing contract.

Last week, the United States Maritime Alliance, or USMX, a group of shipping and port terminal companies also based in North Jersey, filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board over the ILA’s adamancy that it would not resume contract negotiations.

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The USMX had issued a statement late Monday saying that over the last 24 hours, they and the union traded counter offers related to wages. The USMX said it increased its offer and also requested an extension of the current contract, since both sides have moved off their previous positions.

Strike hits 36 ports

However, early Tuesday dockworkers were out on strike at 36 ports on the East and Gulf coasts, including the Port of New York and New Jersey, which has key facilities in Newark, Elizabeth and Staten Island.

The dockworkers’ union leaders are seeking significant pay hikes for their members, saying they deserve a fair share of the profits that shipping and port terminal companies have made as cargo volume remains higher after the demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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The USMX had said its latest offer would increase wages by nearly 50%, triple employer contributions to employee retirement plans, strengthen health care options, and retain the current contract language around automation and semi-automation.

The strike could cost the economy up to $5 billion a day, upend holiday shopping for millions of Americans and dictate whether many small- and medium-sized businesses and farmers turn a profit or lose money this year, experts said.

Ho does strike impact Port of New York and New Jersey?

At the Port of New York and New Jersey, the strike has caused all activity involving loading and unloading cargo containers and automobiles to stop.

Cruise ships will continue to operate despite the strike.

Fuel, such as home heating oil, would not be affected.

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Municipal solid waste operations also would not be affected. 

The import and export of road salt, cement, Belgian block, scrap metal, edible oils and orange juice will continue, officials said. 

An estimated 35 ships are expected to enter the port over the next week and would anchor in place, according to Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

Container ships with imports bound for Newark, Elizabeth and Staten Island would end up mooring at designated sites in New York Harbor or off the coast while the strike lasts, or simply slow down, drift and loiter to ride out the strike in the Atlantic, officials said.

President Joe Biden has said he will not invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to block the strike. Instead, White House officials encouraged ongoing discussions despite pleas for help from retail, agriculture, commerce, auto care, toy and other groups for months.

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Check back for more on this developing story.

This story contains information from USA Today.



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Husband of slain New Jersey mom begs for help in newly released 911 call | Fox News Video

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Husband of slain New Jersey mom begs for help in newly released 911 call | Fox News Video


Former homicide detective Brian Foley provides expert insights into the newly released 911 call from Conor Hanlon, whose wife, New Jersey therapist Brooke Hanlon, was found stabbed to death. Foley analyzes the husband’s emotional state and the police’s approach, noting the case’s ‘suspicious’ designation 13 minutes into the call.



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NJ firefighter dies after crash responding to fire call

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NJ firefighter dies after crash responding to fire call


A young firefighter died two weeks after being badly hurt in a crash while responding to a fire call, according to the Malaga Fire Company.

Robert (Bobby) Reider, 23, was driving north along Delsea Drive while trying to get to the scene of fire on Saturday, June 27 when his car went off the road, officials said.

When first responders got to the scene of the crash, they found Reider trapped in his car and worked to remove him.

Reider was then taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he was treated for severe and traumatic injuries.

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Weeks later, on July 10 around 4:30 a.m., Reider died from his injuries while still in the hospital.

The Malaga Fire Company says that Reider joined their team in 2018 when he was just 16 as a junior firefighter.

He then went on to earn a certificate at Fire 1 at the Salem County Fire Academy in 2022.



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NJ Legislators Are Considering a Bill That Could Ban Tesla Robotaxis Due to Their Tech Choice

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NJ Legislators Are Considering a Bill That Could Ban Tesla Robotaxis Due to Their Tech Choice


New Jersey lawmakers are deliberating on a law that would create a three-year autonomous vehicle pilot program in the state, but Tesla might be banned from participating altogether over a technical choice made by the Texas-based carmaker for its self-driving vehicles.

The bill, officially known as S1677, would establish autonomous vehicle testing requirements with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. One of these proposed requirements is that autonomous vehicle operators use camera-based technology and two additional forms of sensor tech, such as lidar or radar. Of course, Tesla’s autonomous vehicle technology is purely camera-based, meaning the brand could be banned from testing in New Jersey.

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The text of the bill is fairly straightforward, requiring prospective autonomous operators to submit a “law enforcement interaction plan” and detail redundant safety systems, crash-avoidance technology, and data recording capabilities. The specific language that would ban Tesla’s system requires autonomous operators to “be equipped with crash-avoidance systems, including a camera system and two distinct sensing modalities that are capable of detecting and tracking obstacles in the event of failure of the camera system.” The bill also favors keeping traditional steering wheel and pedal controls available. While initial testing would be completed with human safety operators, the bill would allow fully autonomous operation once certain metrics, such as 50,000 crash-free miles, are met.

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The decision to require both camera- and sensor-based technology is not a coincidence, according to The Verge. “This is not anti-Tesla. I’m pro-New Jersey safety,” Democratic state senator Andrew Zwicker, the bill’s primary sponsor and a physicist by trade, said to The Verge. “At this point, I don’t think the evidence is sufficient that a single sensor with software can handle situations that humans can.”

Tesla is, unsurprisingly, upset about this development, and the company is fighting back. The automaker’s public policy platform, Engage Tesla, features a call to action for Tesla owners to contact members of the New Jersey Legislature to oppose the bill, with the plea claiming the autonomous vehicle testing program is the opposite of progress, and saying that Tesla would be legally barred from testing in the Garden State. Statistics about roadway death rates in New Jersey and denying freedom of movement for elderly populations are also included.

pilot project with self driving teslas in the eifel region

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“Rather than prioritizing real safety outcomes and performance, the bill specifically bans Tesla from the New Jersey market,” the site reads. “Every arbitrary roadblock is a delay for the people who need this life-changing technology most. Legislation that bans Tesla’s proven AV technology from the market is not caution — it’s anti-competitive favoritism that will cause New Jersey to fall behind while other states move forward.”

The bill, introduced on January 16, is currently under consideration by the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The bill’s language closely mirrors talking points from the nonprofit SAVE-US, which is lobbying for stronger oversight of autonomous vehicle testing. New Jersey is not the only state pondering additional autonomous testing regulation; New York legislators are working on similar legislation. Just yesterday, federal safety regulators called out autonomous vehicle operators like Waymo for interfering with first responders.

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Headshot of Emmet White

A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022 and Road & Track in 2024. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a BMW 318i E30 street parked in his Queens community.



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