For the first time since he was elected president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in 2018, Mr. Adams is leading labor negotiations with the companies that run cargo-handling sites at West Coast ports that are the country’s main gateways for trade with Asia.
The Pacific Maritime Association and the ILWU have agreed not to discuss the negotiations while they continue. But Mr. Adams responded in writing to questions about his background and objectives.
“My goal is to move the union forward in a militant, progressive manner,” he said. “I think you can win the war and still keep the peace.”
Mr. Adams has said the carriers are making massive profits off the backs of workers who risked their lives to keep cargo flowing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re on the side of America and good jobs over automating away jobs for the sake of foreign profits,” he said.