“The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. 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. Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume.”
International Longshoreman Association | United States Maritime Association |Joint Statement | October 3, 2024
ILA-USMX REACH TENTATIVE CONTRACT TERMS
Days after International Longshoreman Association (ILA) went on strike over disagreements with the United States Maritime Association (USMX) over wages, work-life balance, and job security, the groups announced a tentative agreement and resumption of work.
Ports will resume normal operations effective 8:00 a.m. local time on Friday, October 4, 2024.
ILA membership must vote to ratify the tentative agreement. Details of the new contract have not been released.
SUPPLY CHAIN IMPACT
The end of the 3-day International Longshoreman Association (ILA) dockworker strike will bring gradual relief to the maritime industry, which faced immediate disruptions. While work has resumed, delays due to port congestion and backlogs will continue as container ports process accumulated freight. The strike temporarily halted operations across U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, which are critical hubs for U.S. trade.
In 2023, U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports collectively handled around 40% of all U.S. containerized cargo, representing millions of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually. Ports like New York/New Jersey, Savannah, and Houston are major gateways for imports and exports, especially for goods like consumer products, automotive parts, and industrial supplies. The resumption of work will help alleviate supply chain pressures, but it will take time to clear the backlog and restore normal operations.
PREVIOUS ILA STRIKE UPDATES
Follow Green Worldwide Shipping’s coverage of the ILA-USMX contract negotiations updates here:
Day One: ILA U.S. East Coast Strike Coverage
Day Two: ILA-USMX Negotiation Stalemate
Potential Impact Of ILA Strike On U.S. East Coast and Gulf Ports, Carrier Surcharges
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