High Likelihood of Another East, Gulf Coast Port Strike This Month [Video]

By Ryan Hanrahan

Supply Chain Dive’s Alejandra Carranza reported in mid-December that “with less than a month before the International Longshoremen’s Association’s contract with the United States Maritime Alliance is set to expire, shippers want to know: Will there be a strike?”

“A major development in the prolonged negotiations occurred (in December) when President-elect Donald Trump voiced his support for the ILA’s stance against automation at the ports following a meeting with union leadership,” Carranza reported. “That hasn’t yet led to a new contract, with concerns over another strike growing as the Jan. 15 expiration date for a tentative deal struck in October approaches.”

“‘All in all, the situation points in the direction of another strike,’ Lars Jensen, CEO at Vespucci Maritime, said in a LinkedIn post the week before Trump met with the ILA,” Carranza reported. In addition, 13NewsNow’s Germyah Batey reportedat the end of December that “workforce commentator Thomas Fellows said there’s a high likelihood dockworkers …