A SECOND United States port strike looks to have been avoided, as the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) announce they have agreed on a new Master Contract.
The news was delivered by way of a joint press release, that the two sides had reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year Master Contract, which the parties called a “win-win agreement”.
The agreement comes just six days before the 15 January deadline would have seen another strike across US east and gulf coast ports, a possibility which some shipping lines had already begun preparing for.
The two sides have 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.
“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 coast ports – making them safer and more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong.”
Disagreements over automation and its implementation at US ports was the primary source of the stalled negotiations, though it has not yet been revealed how language pertaining to automation and semi-automation is presented in the new Master Contract.
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 joint release said.
“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,” the statement read.
ILA President Harold Daggett took the opportunity to credit President-elect Donald J. Trump’s support as key to securing the tentative Master Contract agreement.
In a statement released by the ILA today (9 January), Mr Daggett published a message for the incoming President, saying “You have proven yourself to be one of the best friends of working men and women in the United States”.
Mr Daggett cited the in-person meeting he and his son, ILA executive vice president Dennis A. Daggett, had with President-elect Trump in December as the “chief reason” the ILA was able to win protections against automation and negotiate the tentative agreement.
“President Trump clearly demonstrated his unwavering support for our ILA union and longshore workers with his statement ‘heard round the world’ backing our position to protect American longshore jobs against the ravages of automated terminals,” said Mr Daggett.
“President Trump’s bold stance helped prevent a second coast wide strike at ports from Maine to Texas that would have occurred on January 15, if a tentative agreement was not reached.”
The meeting, which took place in Mar-A-Lago, Florida, saw the two ILA leaders reportedly meet for two hours with President-elect Trump and detail the cause for an impasse in negotiations with the ocean carriers represented by the USMX.
The ILA Leader said his union now regards President-elect Trump as “one of the greatest friends of Organized Labor and champion of the working men and women of this country”.
“He’s a hero to our ILA union and members,” said the ILA President, “President Trump gets full credit for our successful tentative Master Contract agreement”.
The news from the US regarding the new agreement appears to contrast with the ongoing dispute in Australia between the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and Qube Ports.
Negotiations between the two sides for a new employment agreement remain stalled, as a number of industry parties recently called for the Australian Government to intervene to end the dispute, with fears the industrial actions could hurt the Australian economy.
