Following a joint announcement made by the ILA and USMX on Thursday evening, the dockworker strike across the East and Gulf Coast ports has been temporarily resolved. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached a tentative agreement on wages representing a 62% salary increase and extended their current master contract until January 15, 2025.
The agreement has suspended the strike, allowing both parties to return to the bargaining table to negotiate remaining issues and finalize a formal deal. This ends a three-day strike that began on Tuesday and disrupted operations at several ports along the East and Gulf Coasts due to stalled negotiations over automation and wage concerns.
What You Need to Know:
- Some ports have announced reopening plans for Friday.
- Port Houston will reopen at 1 p.m. CT and offer extended gate hours on Saturday.
- Georgia Ports Authority to open its truck gates at 6 a.m. ET at Garden City Terminal and 8 a.m. ET at its Ocean Terminal.
- North Carolina Ports said normal operations will resume at 8 a.m. ET.
- JAXPORT said that its terminal operator SSA Jacksonville will reopen its gates at 1 p.m. on Friday, while all other terminal operators will continue to maintain their normal operating hours.
- The Port of New York and New Jersey announced that despite the tentative union agreement, all marine terminal operators (MTOs) and depots will remain closed on October 4.
- Over 50 containerships are currently waiting to discharge cargo at the affected ports, with around 100 more on the way.
- It is estimated that it will take up to a month to clear the backlog of cargo.
Recommendation:
- Contact your Laufer Import and Export Booking and Operations Representatives to review potential impact to existing and future bookings and shipments.
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