Negotiators Reach Agreement To Suspend Port Strike

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) suspended its port strike along the East and Gulf Coasts on Thursday after agreeing to hold off until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract, according to a statement from the union.

The strike, which began early Tuesday, affected 14 major ports after the union failed to reach a contract deal with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). While no final agreement has been reached, both sides have agreed to extend the previous contract until Jan. 15, allowing the union’s more than 40,000 members to return to work, the union confirmed in a public statement.

“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,” a statement on the union’s website states.

The extended time will reportedly allow USMX and the ILA to finalize a new six-year contract, with both sides agreeing to a 62% wage increase, according to Reuters. The ILA had initially sought a 77% increase, while USMX had offered nearly 50%, leading to the initial conflict.

Former U.S. Secretary of 🛠️Labor in the Trump administration, Eugene Scalia, had