Big Relief For Maritime Industry As US East Coast Port Workers End Strike Ahead Of Busy Season

In a major relief for the maritime industry, the strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), which led to the closure of US East Coast ports from 1 October, has been postponed at least till January 2025.

This comes as a temporary agreement on wages has been reached between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance Ltd (USMX).

Around 45,000 ILA workers across 36 ports that manage about half of the cargo entering and exiting the US, went on the strike, seeking increased wages and restrictions on automation, which could result in job losses.

A joint statement announcing the end of the strike, said, The ILA and USMX have reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025, to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues. Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease, and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume," The Hindu Businessline reported.

According to an official of a large garment manufacture cited in the Businessline report, if the strike had continued, the maritime trade would have collapsed.

"We hope that the shipments that are on the way to the US reach the destination on time to hit the shelves for the Christmas and New Year,” he added.

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