Longshoremen end port strike after reaching potential deal

By Dan McCaleb
The Center Square

Nearly 50,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association will return to work after the port workers' union reached a tentative contract agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance.

"The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. have reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025 to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues," the two groups posted in a joint statement to Facebook. "Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume."

On picket lines since Tuesday, the strike against the East and Gulf Coast ports threatened to significantly disrupt supply chains, drive up consumer costs and lead to product shortages at grocery and other stores.

Negotiations had been underway since June. The disagreement was between the International Longshore Association and Warehouse Union, which represents  dockworkers across the country, and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents terminal operators and ocean carriers.

Wages of East and Gulf coast workers are a base wage of $39 an hour –approximately $76,000 annually – after six years, The Center Square previously reported. The union was asking for a 77% pay increase over six years. It also was asking for more restrictions and bans on the automation of cranes, gates, and container movements used to load or unload cargo.

Details of the tentative agreement were not released Thursday evening.