The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the U.S. Maritime Alliance resumed contract negotiations on Tuesday as the clock ticks on the current extension of the contract, which expires on February 6. Last week’s negotiations between the ILA and the New York Shipping Association (NYSA) on a local contract reportedly apparently made little headway after ILA President Harold Daggett reiterated his objections to the NYSA’s proposed changes in work rules. Employers are attempting to bring cost and productivity more in line with other U.S. East and Gulf coast ports.
Work rules at the New York-New Jersey port have been a significant issue in this year’s negotiations. Employers are insisting on changes to decades-old provisions that require excess staffing and pay for workers who are not actually on the job. The ILA says the proposed changes go too far. Both sides have said a Maine-to-Texas master contract hinges on settlement of supplemental contract led by the one that covers New York and New Jersey.
Committees representing the ILA and the U.S. Maritime Alliance also meet on Tuesday in Newark, New Jersey to discuss the master coastwide contract, which covers container-handling wages, container royalties, jurisdiction, and automation, and defines the basic workday.
At the mediator’s request, negotiators have avoided comment on the talks.
This week’s negotiations are crucial to averting a shutdown at East and Gulf Coast ports–the first coastside shutdown since 1977. If negotiators cannot agree by February 6, the ILA could strike, or management could shut down the ports by locking out union workers. Another extension of the contract is also possible. Coastwide and local dockworker contracts were originally set to export last September 30 but were extended to December 29 and again through February 6.
