Ports on the East and Gulf Coasts could close next week if dockworkers and employers cannot overcome their big differences over the use of automated machines to move cargo. The International Longshoremen’s Association, the union that represents dockworkers, and the United States Maritime Alliance, the employers’ negotiating group, on Tuesday resumed in-person talks aimed at forging a new labor contract. After a short strike in October, the union and the alliance agreed on a 62% raise over six years for the longshoremen — and said they would try to work out other parts of the contract, including provisions governing automated technology, before January 15. If they don’t have a deal by that date, ports that account for three-fifths of US container shipments could shut, harming businesses that rely on imports and exports and providing an early test for the new Trump administration.
Source link
