The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and employers represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) in a joint announcement Friday said they will resume discussions on a new master contract in November.
The union earlier this month sent 45,000 members to picket lines during a three-day strike that shut down container and vehicle handling at 36 East and Gulf Coast ports.
The strike ended when Biden administration officials helped broker an extension of the previous master contract until Jan. 15, 2025. The sides then reached agreement on a 62% pay raise over the six years of a new pact, contingent on bargaining of other issues including the deployment of automation in port operations.
The statement said negotiators will meet in New Jersey, where they will look to agree on terms for a new Master Contract Proposal that can be presented to the full ILA Wage Scale Committee for approval, and later, to ILA longshore workers for ratification.
“The ILA and USMX welcome the opportunity to return to the bargaining table and get a new agreement in place as soon as possible,” they said.
The sides added they will not discuss details of negotiations with the media prior to these meetings.
Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
Related coverage:
FEMA awards $2.6M security grant to Port of Long Beach
Strong ocean container market boosts Maersk guidance
Containers lagged ocean shipping gains in 2023, UN report finds