ILA, USMX reach tentative six-year deal, averting port shutdown

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) announced and the United States Maritime
Alliance (USMX) reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year Master Contract on January
8.

“We are pleased to announce that ILA and USMX have reached a tentative agreement on a
new six-year ILA-USMX Master Contract, subject to ratification, thus averting any work
stoppage on January 15, 2025,” the two sides said in a joint statement.
“This agreement protects current ILA jobs and establishes a framework for implementing
technologies that will create more jobs while modernizing East and Gulf Coast ports—making
them safer and more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains
strong.”

The parties agreed to continue operating under the current contract until the union meets with
its full Wage Scale Committee to schedule a ratification vote, and USMX ratifies the final terms.
“This is a win-win agreement that creates ILA jobs, supports American consumers and
businesses, and keeps the American economy the key hub of the global marketplace,” the
statement added.

Details of the new tentative agreement will remain undisclosed until ILA rank-and-file members
and USMX members review and approve the final document.

The ILA previously expressed strong opposition to automation technology at ports under its
jurisdiction, specifically targeting semi-automated rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMGs), which it
sought to prevent from being implemented at East and Gulf Coast ports in the new contract.
USMX countered that such technology, including RMGs, enhances port productivity and creates
more opportunities for longshore workers.

The contract talks were further complicated when President-elect Donald Trump sided with the
ILA’s stance against automation.