The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), a labor union representing maritime workers at many East and Gulf coast ports, and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), representing shipping carriers, jointly announced a tentative agreement on a new six-year labor contract.
“We are pleased to announce that ILA and USMX have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year ILA-USMX Master Contract, subject to ratification, thus averting any work stoppage on January 15, 2025,” the ILA and USMX 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 East and Gulf coast ports – making them safer, more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong.”
The two sides agreed to continue to operate under the current contract until the union can meet with its full Wage Scale Committee and schedule a ratification vote, and USMX members can ratify the terms of the final contract.
The two groups note that details of the new tentative agreement will not be released until ILA and USMX members review and approve the final document, but the groups in October 2024 announced a preliminary agreement on wage increases. Those increases amounted to 62 percent for base pay over six years, up from a 50 percent increase offered by USMX but lower than the 77 percent increase the ILA was seeking. Thus, the new base pay for workers would be raised to $63 per hour, up from $39 per hour, over the life of the six-year contract.
