Harbor workers working next to containers
The International Longshoremen’s Association and U.S. Maritime Alliance have agreed to resume talks and to pause work stoppage for three months until January 15, 2025. The two sides had reached a tentative deal on wages which would have increased pay by 62% over the next six years, but other issues, like port automation and pension contributions, remain unresolved.
The 3-day strike by dockworkers at ports along the East and Gulf Coasts came at a critical time when disruptions would have eventually impacted the holiday season and the overall supply chain. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had been tasked with monitoring the impact of the strike on the U.S. supply chain and to enlist concerned companies as allies.
President Biden had the option of using emergency powers under the Taft-Hartley Act to suspend the strike for 80 days, but Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and Chief of Staff Jeff Zients manage to persuade both sides to return to the bargaining table instead.
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