Port strike suspended until Jan.15 on tentative deal

Late Thursday night the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) agreed to suspend their strike until January 15 to allow time for negotiating a new Master Contract with the US Maritime Alliance (UMX).

The tentative deal was reportedly struck upon ILA’s acceptance of a wage increase counteroffer from UMX, representing a 61% increase over six years. No terms were agreed to regarding automation.

“The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, 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,” said the ILA and UMX in a joint statement. “Effective Immediately , all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Mast Contract will resume.”

The union boss, Harold Daggett, had made a splash in recent days as he promised to “cripple” the US economy if the union’s demands were not met. The ILA had asked for 77% raises over six years, and contractual protections against automation technology taking union jobs.

In North Carolina, with the Port of Wilmington honoring the work stoppage, lawmakers raised concern over a member of the NC Ports Authority Board of Directors, Gregory Washington. Washington is a local union president who was leading strikers and giving media interviews in the Port of Wilmington. Chairs of the Senate Transportation Committee Thursday called on Gov. Roy Cooper, who appointed Washington, to replace him with someone not engaged in obstructing maritime commerce.

Operations at the Port of Wilmington resumed at 8:00am Friday.

The first dockworker strike in nearly 50 years (1977), the stoppage threatened to significantly disrupt trade in the weeks approaching the holiday season, as well as the general election. Each day of the strike is estimated to have cost the US economy between $2-$5 billion.

Notably, the strike was suspended after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced an executive order to deploy the National Guard to move cargo in the Sunshine State, as well as directing Florida’s department of transportation to waive select tolls and weight regulations for trucks, and assigning the Florida highway patrol to oversee the flow of traffic from ports into the state.

Other governors of affected states were considering deploying their national guards, as well. A tentative deal to suspend the strike until January 15 was announced just hours later.