The leadership of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have announced they will resume discussions in November 2024 on renewing the master contract that expired September 30.
The October 25 statement says the two sides will then discuss “all outstanding issues to reach a new agreement.” Earlier in October, after a three-day strike that crippled operations in U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, the two sides reached a tentative agreement on wages, and extended the master contract until January 15, 2025. But the issue of automation at ports – both in terms of physical equipment and data management – remains at the heart of disagreements between the two sides.
Read More: Can U.S. Ports Find Middle Ground on Automation Before Second Strike?
The ILA — whose members account for nearly all dockworkers at major U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports — halted negotiations with the USMX in June, after discovering that a handful of ports were using automated systems to check in trucks, and refused to resume formal talks before the previous contract expired
Read More: Strike at U.S. Ports Brings Debate Over Automation Front and Center
This latest statement said the respective negotiating committees 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 statement added that the two sides will not discuss details of negotiations with the media prior to these meetings.
