The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), which represents workers at ports throughout the East and Gulf Coasts, recently canceled contract talks with terminal operators represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The current five-year labor contract between ILA and USMX expires Sept. 30, and negotiations on a new agreement had been set to open June 11. The impasse is over what ILA contends are efforts to automate additional port services, and the union says it will not return to the bargaining table until these issues are resolved. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom said this is a major concern for meat exporters and for all of U.S. agriculture.
Unlike some past negotiations, the Longshoreman’s union has said its members will not continue to move cargo past the September deadline.
For more information, visit usmef.org.
