US employer group and dockworkers to restart talks next week?

With our portfolio of international ocean freight operations to and from the US East and Gulf Coasts, which include LCL and FCL import and export operations, Davies Turner welcomes the news that according to widespread reports in both the mainstream and trade media, the International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) are set to resume contract talks on January 7th.

Formal talks between the ILA, which represents more than 45,000 dockworkers across the US East and Gulf coast ports, and the employer group are currently at an impasse over issues related to automation at port terminals.

A tentative deal was signed by both sides in October, which gave workers a 62% wage hike over six years, to end a three-day strike, but issues related to automation remain unresolved.

If an agreement is not reached before January 15th, another coast wide strike at US East and Gulf coast ports is on the cards, which would add to the logistics hurdles shippers are already facing.

Davies Turner's ocean freight team will endeavour to keep in close contact with all clients to provide updates on this situation.

For more information about our ocean freight forwarding and logistics services, please contact ocean@daviesturner.co.uk or visit the relevant pages of this website.