December 19, 2024 — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has taken a stand in favor of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) in the group’s contract dispute with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which manages the ports along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts.
In mid-November, ILA leadership walked away from negotiations with USMX, refusing to compromise on automation, which USMX said must be integrated – in at least some ways – into port operations.
October 4, 2024 — The East and Gulf Coast dockworkers strike, which threatened to disrupt the U.S. economy, has been resolved – for now.
On 3 October, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) issued a joint statement that they reached a tentative agreement on wages, and agreed to extend the current union contract until mid-January 2025, allowing them time to return to negotiations on all other outstanding points.
October 1, 2024 — The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), which represents dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, has gone on strike, halting shipping to nearly half the nation’s ports.
The union’s contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), which manages the ports, expired on 30 September, and despite negotiations, no agreement was reached to renew it.