The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract on Wednesday, January 8th, avoiding a potentially destructive strike at ports along the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday night, the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance stated, “This is a win-win agreement that creates job opportunities for the International Longshoremen’s Association, supports American consumers and businesses, and maintains the key position of the U.S. economy in the global market.”
Without the agreement, dockworkers were set to strike on the morning of January 16th.
Last October, the International Longshoremen’s Association held a strike, which was followed by an agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance on wage issues, ending the three-day strike. According to the agreement, hourly wages for dockworkers will increase by 10% in the first year and a total of 62% over the six-year contract period. After reaching the agreement, workers returned to their positions, and negotiators returned to the table to discuss the remaining parts of the contract.
Representatives from both sides held talks on Tuesday, marking their first meeting since mid-November of last year.
On Wednesday, the agreement was reached on all other aspects, including the issue of automation. The International Longshoremen’s Association sees automation as a core issue in the negotiations, believing that it could lead to a reduction in job opportunities.
The details of the agreement were not disclosed publicly by either side.
Both parties agreed to continue working under the current contract until they both vote to approve the contract arrangement.