Workers Strike at Largest Inland Container Port in US

Lorenzo D’Ettore

Members of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150 have initiated an unfair labor practice strike against QSL America, Inc., which operates one of the largest inland container ports in the United States. The strike, which began in May 2025, comes after mounting tensions between workers and management over workplace conditions, safety concerns, and alleged violations of labor laws.

Local 150, which represents over 24,000 workers across Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa, officially filed an unfair labor practice charge against QSL America on May 22, 2025. The union alleges that the company has violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) through its employee handbook, which contains provisions that interfere with workers’ rights under Section 7 of the NLRA. According to the union’s filing, the handbook contains “over-broad workplace rules and/or policies” that restrict employees from exercising their protected rights.

The labor dispute has been brewing for months, with workers reporting numerous grievances against QSL America. According to Local 150, the workers have been subjected to dangerous working conditions with unsafe machinery and inadequate safety protocols. A particularly troubling aspect of the conditions, according to striking workers, is the lack of proper training, which they say further increases the risks they face daily. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall injury and illness rate for cargo handling was 5.3 cases per 100 full-time workers, which is nearly double the rate for workers in other private industry. In addition, the fatality rate is 15.9 per 100,000 workers, which is about five times higher than the national average across all industries. These concerns gained additional weight following an incident in late April when dock worker Darius Clement reportedly disappeared during his work shift at First Street Wharf, a QSL facility operating in New Orleans.

The strike has effectively disrupted operations at QSL America’s three Chicago-land locations, which form part of a larger network of facilities across the Northeast and the Gulf of Mexico. In response to the strike initiation, QSL America has brought on out-of-state scabs and restored employment with previously dismissed workers. The strike at QSL America represents one battlefront in the escalating class conflict sweeping across the United States amid the deepening economic crisis. In the past year alone, over 270,000 workers participated in major work stoppages.

The uptick in workers struggles has been met with attacks by the combined forces of the state and capitalists. These include Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, police repression on picket lines, corporate surveillance, intimidation, and the systematic dismantling of workplace protections. Workers on strike at QSL America cite in a union press release that they face a “hostile work environment where employees endure relentless electronic surveillance through cameras. This invasive monitoring, coupled with intimidation tactics, makes workers feel threatened if they express concerns or fail to meet unreasonable demands.”

Photo: Local 150 QSL America workers on strike. Retrieved from the International Union of Operating Engineers.

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