Saving the country’s distribution process from being completely upended, a historic port strike has been suspended and a tentative agreement has been reached between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance.
“The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. (USMX) 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,” a joint statement from both sides issued Thursday evening reads. “Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease, and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume.”
The agreement is set to increase port workers’ wages on the East Coast and Gulf Coast by 62% over the life of the six-year contract. The deal comes after the union had been pushing for a 77% pay hike over six years, comparing their pay to those of employees on the West Coast. The short-lived strike, which began after Tuesday’s deadline for a new contract was not met, was the first scare of a widespread port worker strike since 1977 when picket lines were set up for seven weeks.
Heading into the strike, SuperTalk Mississippi News reached out to the Port of Gulfport and the Port of Pascagoula about what a long-term strike would have looked like for them.
In Gulfport, which has the state’s largest revenue-generating port with an annual economic impact of $3.8 billion to the region, officials noted that the governing Mississippi State Port Authority was not a party to the negotiations between USMX and ILA. In Pascagoula, a hub for project cargo that utilizes both union and non-union labor, officials said enough workers not taking part in the strike would be available to maintain operations with “minimal to no impact.”
Even though a tentative agreement has been reached for the foreseeable future, it did not alleviate port workers’ concerns over automated machinery. This is expected to be a key focus of negotiations between now and January 15, with the ILA seeking a ban on the use of some automated equipment.
