The agreement comes 6 days before expiration of the original contract extension
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year master contract. The agreement will replace the expiring contract which had been extended after a short strike in fall of 2024.
The two groups issued a joint statement late Wednesday evening, saying “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.”
Had an agreement not been reached, dockworkers at ports across the U.S. East and Gulf coasts could have gone on strike on Jan. 15. President Biden had previously refrained from stepping in during strike activity in October.
The potential strike could have coincided with the start of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term; Trump had not made it clear whether federal action would have been taken this time around.
Details of the tentative agreement will not be announced during the final negotiation and signing process.
