Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, is reacting to the interim deal for dock workers and Tim Walz by saying it’s a ‘weakhead’ over his previous claims about Tiananmen Square. (Courtesy: CBS News)
The labor union representing about 45,000 US port workers reached a tentative agreement with port employers on Wednesday, averting a strike at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports later this month.
In a joint statement, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Federation (USMX) announced that they had reached an agreement on a six-year master contract, giving the latter the option to ratify the terms of the final contract.
“We are pleased to announce that the ILA and USMX have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year ILA-USMX Master Agreement, subject to ratification, which avoids any work stoppage on January 15, 2025,” the two parties 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 Eastern and Gulf Coast ports – making them safer and more efficient and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong .”
Details of the framework agreement will not be released to allow ILA members to review and approve the final document.
THE ECONOMIST WARNS THAT THE AMAZON AND STARBUCKS STRIKES MAY HAVE REFUSED AGREEMENTS
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 1: The Port of Baltimore is seen as porters with the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) walk off the job on October 1, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. Port workers in 14 major ports on the East Coast i (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/Getty Images)
“This is a win-win agreement that creates ILA jobs, supports American consumers and businesses, and keeps the U.S. economy at the center of the global marketplace,” the two sides added.
Both sides signed an interim agreement in October — which gave workers a 62 percent pay rise over six years — to end the three-day strike, but walked away issues related to automation unsolved.
But the two sides were still at an impasse over automation leading to the latest round of negotiations. If an agreement was not reached and a second strike occurred, the agreed-upon wage agreement that ended the first strike would be taken off the table, and both sides would be back to square one.
PORT WORKERS’ UNION AND EMPLOYERS CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS DUE TO STRIKE THREAT
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 2: A container ship sits at anchor in New York Harbor as it waits for the Port of Newark to reopen after members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, or ILA, began walking off the job at 12 noon yesterday: 01 A.M. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/Getty Images)
President Biden applauded the deal Wednesday night.
“Collective bargaining plays an important role when it comes to building a strong economy from the middle out and from the bottom up,” he said. “Today’s tentative agreement between the International Association of Longshoremen and the United States Maritime Federation shows that labor and management can join forces for the benefit of workers and their employers.”
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“I applaud the dockworkers union for reaching a strong contract,” Biden continued. “Their members kept our ports open during the pandemic as we worked together to dismantle global supply chains. Thank you to the carriers and port operators who play an essential role in our nation’s economy.”
FOX Business’ Breck Dumas contributed to this report.
