The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) announced Wednesday that they have reached tentative agreement on all items for a new six-year Master Contract.
The two sides agreed to continue to operate under the current contract until the union can meet with its full Wage Scale Committee and schedule a ratification vote, and USMX members can ratify the terms of the final contract.
The tentative agreement comes just days before a Jan. 15 strike deadlin eset by the union, which covers some 47,000 workers at 36 ports on the clountry's East Coast and Gulf Coast ports.
“We are pleased to announce that ILA and USMX have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year ILA-USMX Master Contract, subject to ratification, thus averting any work stoppage on January 15, 2025,” the two sides said in a joint statement. “This agreement protects current ILA jobs and establishes a framework for implementing technologies that will create more jobs while modernizing East and Gulf coasts ports – making them safer and more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong.
“This is a win-win agreement that creates ILA jobs, supports American consumers and businesses, and keeps the American economy the key hub of the global marketplace.”
According to a statement from the union, details of the new tentative agreement will not be released to allow ILA rank-and-file-members and USMX members to review and approve the final document.
The union staged a brief work stoppage last October, which was ended when the two sides agreed to a 62% wage increase over the six-year life of the contract. They had also agreed to continue talks on the use of automation at the ports. Those talks ended almost as soon as they began.
The October strike, though only lasting three days, caused major headaches for the U.S. supply chain including trucking companies.
