(Reuters) – Talks between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), which represents 45,000 port workers, and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group appear deadlocked on wage issues ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to reach a new contract deal.
The union, which represents dockworkers across 36 ports on the U.S. East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, threatens to strike on Oct. 1. If its members walk off the job at ports stretching from Maine to Texas, it would be the first coast-wide ILA strike since 1977.
The affected ports process more than half of U.S. ocean trade and a widespread work stoppage would upend transportation schedules, delay goods for across a broad swath of industries and send shipping costs higher. All of that could mean shortages and higher costs for consumers.
Here’s a brief rundown of events leading up to the potential strike:
May 13, 2024
The ILA and the USMX say they will begin bargaining after May 17 with the goal of forging a new deal before the current six-year contract expires on Sept. 30.
June 10, 2024
The ILA halts negotiations amid disputes related to automation, after discovering that operator APM’s terminals and container shipping company Maersk Line were using an Auto Gate system that processes trucks without labor.
June 11, 2024
The USMX says some issues will require further conversation between the local parties, adding that it looks forward to re-engage with the bargaining committee.
July 12, 2024
ILA President and chief negotiator Harold Daggett says the threat of an Oct. 1 strike is growing after the violation of its contract by some of USMX members, which caused it to cancel negotiations earlier.
August 23, 2024
The USMX says it has been unable to secure a meeting with the ILA to resume negotiations.
September 5, 2024
Nearly 300 ILA delegates end their two-day wage scale meetings with unanimous support for President Daggett’s call for an Oct. 1 strike if an agreement is not reached.
September 23, 2024
The ILA says it has held multiple conversations with the USMX in recent weeks and adds that a stalemate remains over wages, with the employer group continuing to offer “an unacceptable wage increase package.”
September 24, 2024
The White House says it will not try to broker a deal between the two parties.
September 25, 2024
Agriculture groups urge the White House to act to avert the potential strike.
September 26, 2024
The USMX files an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board to bring ILA back to the bargaining table.
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