Over four months after the three-day strike at Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports was called off, members of the International Longshoremen’s Union have ratified a new six-year contract with the United States Maritime Alliance.
Over 99% of members voted in favor of the contract, which will be signed March 11 and extend through September 30, 2030.
The new contract takes the potential for a second strike off the table. During the October strike, construction industry groups warned the subsequent supply-chain disruptions and material price increases would negatively impact the industry.
Benefits won by ILA members, which are retroactive to October 1, include:
A 62% wage increase. The union initially pushed for 77%, and USMX had offered 50%.
- Full protections against automation.
- Accelerated wage raises for new workers.
- Full container royalty funds returned to the ILA.
- Raises in contributions to money purchase plans.
- Strengthening the union’s healthcare plan.
The two parties reached a tentative agreement on wages and extended the then-master contract in October 2024 to allow for more negotiations in November, ending a three-day strike including tens of thousands of workers. At the time of the first strike in October, the National Association of Manufacturers estimated the strike jeopardized $2.1 billion in trade daily, which would put the total impact of the three-day strike at roughly $6.3 billion.
The strike was the first from the longshoremen’s union since 1977 and impacted every major port on the East and Gulf coasts.
ILA President Harold Daggett, in an ILA press release, expressed appreciation for President Donald Trump’s involvement with contract negotiations that included a December 2024 meeting at Mar-A-Lago, calling it “invaluable assistance.”
