East, Gulf Coast Port Operators Ratify Contract

The United States Maritime Alliance, whose members operate East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, said it approved a 6-year contract with the International Longshoremen’s Association.

The vote, which follows last week’s approval by ILA membership, ratified a contract covering 14,500 port workers at 15 East and Gulf Coast ports.

The alliance, known as USMX, met in Newark, N.J., and representatives of its 43 container carriers, terminal operators and port associations approved the new contract, which includes three $1-an-hour wage increases over the 6-year agreement.

In separate votes last week, ILA members at 11 ports — including the Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest on the East Coast — approved separate local agreements covering work rules and other issues, USMX said.