[140318.EN.BIZ] East Coast Dockers, Employers Resume Talks Stalled Since December

US EAST coast dockers and waterfront employers appeared to have knuckled under shippers’ threats to divert cargo to the west coast, and have at last agreed to resume dock talks, stalled since December 6, reports American Shipper.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) say they are resuming master contract negotiations to finalise a contract that will keep cargo moving to the east coast after September 30 when the contract expires.

ILA President Harold Daggett said in December a proposal from USMX “would have killed this union within five years – they’ll be nothing left. As of today, the ILA is against semi-automated terminals.”

More than 100 shippers, led by the National Retail Federation, recently demanded the two parties to resume talks, threatening to divert cargo away if they did not.

Said a joint statement SMX and the ILA: “USMX and the ILA want to keep cargo moving, and we are ready to put in the effort to get this job done to the satisfaction of employers and ILA.

“The ILA has received assurances from USMX that issues and concerns regarding automation have been adequately addressed, opening a path towards successfully negotiating a new agreement well before the current master contract expires at the end of September,” said the statement.

ILA spokesman Jim McNamara said that the two parties were able to clarify definitions of semi-automated terminals, fully-automated terminals, and semi- and fully-automated equipment, allowing the talks to resume.

Source : HKSG.