The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), the labor organization for U.S. East and Gulf ports, announced late Wednesday night, January 8, 2025, that they have tentatively agreed to a new six-year master contract covering ports from Maine to Texas. While the details of the agreement were not disclosed pending final approval by both parties, ILA and USMX said in separate statements that the agreement includes language that addresses the contentious issues of port automation and new technology, with USMX saying it would be willing to provide more leeway in implementing new technology in exchange for more jobs, sources say.
The new labor agreement requires approval by the ILA's local unions and USMX members, but sources including the JOC say the local unions are likely to support the agreement negotiated by ILA President Harold Daggett and Senior Vice President Dennis Daggett.
The agreement comes a week ahead of a January 15 strike deadline, as a three-day ILA strike last October ended in a wage settlement. The 45,000 workers at the East and Gulf ports will now work under the current contract until the tentative agreement is ratified by the local union's wage-scale committees.
The ILA released a statement after the deal was reached, thanking President-elect Trump for his support, saying it “helped avert a second strike.” ILA President Harold Daggett also said in a statement, “President Trump clearly demonstrated his unwavering support for our ILA union and longshore workers with his statement ‘heard round the world’ backing our position to protect American longshore jobs against the ravages of automated terminals,” indirectly acknowledging that Trump's support played a role in the labor deal.