The union representing 45,000 striking longshoremen at ports in the eastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico has reached an agreement to suspend their strike until January 15 to allow time to negotiate a new contract, a person says. so much of the matter.
Workers affiliated with the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) will resume work immediately until at least January, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement has not yet been signed.
The deal will allow the union and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shippers, time to negotiate a new six-year collective bargaining agreement. The person also said both sides reached an agreement on salary increases, but no details were available.
The union went on strike early Tuesday after its contract expired in a dispute over wages and job automation at ports from Maine to Texas. The strike came at the height of the holiday shopping season at 36 ports that handle about half the cargo of ships entering and leaving the United States.
The risk of product shortages on store shelves increased if the strike lasted more than a few weeks. But most retailers had stocked up or shipped items ahead of time in anticipation of the strike.
“A fair agreement”
The governors of four port states on the east coast of the United States affected by the dockers’ strike, the first of its kind in 47 years, had urged this Thursday to reach a “fair agreement” that would end the strike.
The governors of New York, Kathy Hochul; New Jersey, Phill Murphy; Maryland, Wes Moore, and Massachusetts, Maura Healey, indicated in a brief note their concern about the matter and warned against price gouging by opportunistic companies.
“It is critical for USMX (the United States Maritime Alliance) and ILA (the International Longshoremen’s Association) to reach a fair agreement soon that respects workers and guarantees the flow of commerce in our ports,” the governors said. “We want to make clear that we, along with the Biden-Harris Administration, are closely monitoring cases of price gouging, and warn all companies that they should not use this moment as an opportunity to unfairly benefit from working families,” they added.
“We will continue to coordinate closely to ensure that critical supplies are available at medical centers and supermarkets across the country,” they also indicated.
The strike affected more than 43% of United States maritime trade and could cost up to $5 billion a day. The consumer goods, automotive, energy and agricultural products sectors could be the most affected if the dockers’ strike was prolonged.
US President Joe Biden said he did not plan to resort to the provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act, which allows him to force a return to work for 80 days out of national security interests.
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