The International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) has reported a breakdown in negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), indicating a potential increase in industrial actions at ports across the United States. This development comes after a temporary halt in strikes during October 2024, which saw ILA members on the US Gulf and East coasts bring operations to a standstill for three days. The cessation was due to an agreement on wages, but discussions on other matters such as automation and retirement benefits have since faltered.
On November 13, the ILA announced that the dialogue with USMX had reached a deadlock. The union highlighted a contentious issue where USMX expressed a desire to introduce semi-automation, contradicting initial assurances that automation would not be considered. The ILA's statement emphasized, "Talks broke down when management introduced their intent to implement semi-automation – a direct contradiction to their opening statement where they assured us that neither full nor semi-automation would be on the table. They claimed their focus was on modernization, not automation."
USMX responded to the stalled negotiations, acknowledging the two sides had made some progress but remained divided on technology-related discussions. USMX's statement clarified, "While we had positive progress on several issues, we were unable to make significant progress on our discussions that focused on a range of technology issues." They further criticized the ILA's stance on technology, arguing it would hinder the industry's ability to adapt to future supply chain demands by limiting the use of existing technologies.
Source: Heavy Lift