The labor union representing some 45,000 U.S. dockworkers reached a tentative agreement with port employers on Wednesday, averting a strike at East and Gulf Coast ports later this month.
In a joint statement, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) announced they reached an agreement on a six-year Master Contract, which gives the latter the ability to 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.”
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