U.S. dockworkers represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) will end their three-day strike after union representatives reached a tentative agreement on improved wages with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).
As part of the agreement, the striking port workers, around 47,000 of them, will return to their jobs on Friday. Their existing contract will be extended until January 15 to allow ILA and USMX, which serves as a representative for ports and shipping companies, to work out the finer details of the new deal.
“The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. have reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025, to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues,” ILA and USMX said in a joint statement.
U.S. dockworkers represented by ILA, who mainly work on East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, went on strike at midnight on October 1 after talks about a new working contract with USMX broke down. Among ILA’s main requests was a $5 hourly raise in each of the next six years and a complete ban on automation. USMX, on the other hand, offered a $2.5 raise and promised limited use of automation.
The move threatened to danger the supply of various goods to the U.S., including fruit, vegetables, and cars, while resulting in significant losses to the economy. One week of the strike was estimated to come with a loss of more than $2 billion.