Dockworkers have resumed work at ports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, but their union has warned that major issues related to automation still need to be negotiated before the extension of the current contract expires in early 2025.
After a three-day strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) involving its 45,000 members brought imports to a standstill and forced dozens of ships to anchor outside maritime gateways from New England to Texas, major terminals reopened on Sunday to help restart container handling operations.
If the strike had lasted for a week, up to one million TEUs could have been stranded outside the ports.
The ILA suspended its strike late Thursday night, agreeing temporarily to a 62% wage increase deal with port employers represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). With assistance from Biden administration officials, both sides also agreed to extend the main contract until January 15 and resume negotiations for a new six-year agreement. The contentious issues include benefits, container bonuses, and the union’s insistence on banning automation technology at 14 of the 36 container handling centers across ports.
“Although securing significant wage increases is an important part of the contract, we must also protect our historic work jurisdiction from being replaced by automation,” said Union President Harold Daggett in a message to members posted on the union’s website.
Dock operators and shipping companies represented by the USMX stated that they have reached agreements with the union on technological issues.
Approval of the new contract by all ILA members is not certain; in September, 33,000 Boeing workers rejected a tentative agreement with the largest aerospace company in the United States.
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Source: FreightWaves
