Longshoremen Ratify 6-Year Contract at East and Gulf Coast Ports
Workers at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports have ratified a new six-year contract, the International Longshoremen’s Association said.
The new Master Contract between the ILA and the U.S. Maritime Alliance covers about 14,500 workers at 15 East and Gulf Coast ports, ILA said in a statement posted on its website late Tuesday.
Some ILA locals were still reporting results late Tuesday evening, but “overwhelming ratification was already secured based on the majority of ILA locals that had reported results,” the statement said.
The previous contract between the longshoremen and the USMX expired on Sept. 30. A federal mediator said in mid-March that the two sides had reached a tentative agreement, clearing the way for the union’s ratification vote.
Mediators negotiated extensions to avoid potential strikes that could have crippled operations at 15 major ports along the East and Gulf Coasts, the Associated Press reported.
The vote was applauded by the National Retail Federation.
“Today’s vote ratifying a new, long-term master labor contract is welcome news to the nation’s retailers, who have been on pins-and-needles for the past year due to the possibility of a supply chain disruption along the 14 East and Gulf Coast container ports,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy.
“The ILA and United States Maritime Alliance should be commended for reaching today’s pinnacle vote, and doing so without engaging in any disruption, stoppage, lockout or strike,” he said in a statement.
