A U.S. port workers union has reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract with a group of ocean carriers and terminal operators. If ratified, the agreement will avoid the shutdown of ports on the East and Gulf coasts next week.
“We are pleased to announce that the ILA and USMX have reached a provisional agreement on a new six-year ILA-USMX Master Agreement, subject to ratification, thereby avoiding any standstill on January 15, 2025,” stated the International Association of Longshoremen (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX) in a joint statement.
The two parties have agreed to continue operating under the current contract — which was extended following a three-day strike in October that closed all major ports on the U.S. East and South Coasts — until union representatives can vote and USMX members ratify the terms of the final contract.
The deal would mark the end of a bitter dispute between the dock workers union and their employers over how certain technologies can be implemented at ports, which handle about half of all U.S. container volume.
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