US Dockworkers End Strike After Tentative Wage Agreement

US Port Strike

A disruptive port strike that had halted operations at container terminals from Maine to Texas has come to an end, as US dockworkers agreed to resume work following a tentative deal on wages. The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) announced late Thursday that it had reached an agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), paving the way for ports to reopen and operations to resume.

Contract Extension to Facilitate Further Negotiations

The ILA confirmed that it has agreed to extend its current contract with the USMX until January 15, providing more time to address and negotiate other outstanding issues. The USMX, which represents containership owners, terminal operators, and port associations, has been in talks with the ILA to resolve the dispute that led to the strike beginning on October 1.

"Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease, and all work covered by the master contract will resume," the ILA said in a statement. The agreement comes as a relief for businesses across the supply chain, as the strike had caused significant disruptions, with containership operators forced to queue outside US east coast ports.

The strike’s impact was felt across the logistics industry, with major shipping companies like Maersk implementing surcharges for containers destined for the US east and Gulf coasts as the labor action stretched into late October. The tentative deal, however, provides a temporary reprieve, allowing ports to catch up on the backlog and avoid further economic fallout as peak holiday shipping season approaches.