ILA-USMX Negotiations and Potential Impact
The ongoing negotiations between the International Longshoremen Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. (USMX) remain unchanged.
The conditional agreement on wages is set to expire on January 15. If no agreement is reached by that date, a coast-wide strike on January 16 is possible. However, the negotiations have had no new developments since our last communication. As the deadline for the 90-day agreement between the two parties nears January 15, operational adjustments are again underway for East and Gulf Coast port providers.
Considering the status, we strongly encourage our customers to pick up their laden containers and return empty containers at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports before January 15. This proactive measure will help mitigate any potential disruptions at the terminals. Most leading ocean carriers have announced surcharges if a labor strike occurs on the East and Gulf Coasts this January. Other market events, like winter weather across the U.S. and the upcoming ocean carrier alliance reshuffling of services, could heighten market disruption. In the event of a strike beginning January 16, contingency routes could quickly become overwhelmed.
Our teams are developing contingency plans to minimize the impact should a labor disruption occur. We are committed to keeping you informed and will share any updates or new developments as they arise.
For up-to-the-minute updates from each organization use the links below:
– International Longshoremen’s Association
– United States Maritime Alliance
