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USMX presents ILA with contract extension proposals
THE International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX) have taken a step forward in the labour contract negotiations for US East Coast and Gulf Coast ports.
ILA President Harold Daggett notified union members via a memo in early in the week that USMX has presented ILA with a contract extension proposal, American Shipper reported.
Mr Daggett said in the memo that the ILA is "reviewing and evaluating the contents of this document and has contacted USMX to clarify some of the times in the document." The proposal to begin negotiations marks the beginning of the end of the Maine-to-Texas labour agreement, which expires next year.
While Mr Daggett's memo did not share the contents of the USMX contract, he said that a Wage Scale Committee meeting will be convened "in the near future" to discuss the proposal. Members would be notified when the meeting arrangements are finalised.
Contract discussions have been ongoing, and informal talks between the ILA and USMX in February were "productive and fruitful," according to the ILA. However, just days later, ILA members called for the shutdown of Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports and a march on Washington to protest job loss. Mr Daggett urged members not to shut down the ports while USMX reminded members to remain in compliance with the master contract.
As a result, the ILA intends to put more emphasis on local contract bargaining, Mr Daggett said in his memo.
"The last time around, several ILA local ports had failed to reach agreement on their local contracts before the master contract was ratified in April 2013," he wrote.
Given that negotiations are still in a very early state, no talks are currently scheduled. However, with the West Coast contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) extended to July 2022, ILA and USMX are surely feeling the pressure to reach a new agreement in advance of the current contract's expiration.
ILA President Harold Daggett notified union members via a memo in early in the week that USMX has presented ILA with a contract extension proposal, American Shipper reported.
Mr Daggett said in the memo that the ILA is "reviewing and evaluating the contents of this document and has contacted USMX to clarify some of the times in the document." The proposal to begin negotiations marks the beginning of the end of the Maine-to-Texas labour agreement, which expires next year.
While Mr Daggett's memo did not share the contents of the USMX contract, he said that a Wage Scale Committee meeting will be convened "in the near future" to discuss the proposal. Members would be notified when the meeting arrangements are finalised.
Contract discussions have been ongoing, and informal talks between the ILA and USMX in February were "productive and fruitful," according to the ILA. However, just days later, ILA members called for the shutdown of Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports and a march on Washington to protest job loss. Mr Daggett urged members not to shut down the ports while USMX reminded members to remain in compliance with the master contract.
As a result, the ILA intends to put more emphasis on local contract bargaining, Mr Daggett said in his memo.
"The last time around, several ILA local ports had failed to reach agreement on their local contracts before the master contract was ratified in April 2013," he wrote.
Given that negotiations are still in a very early state, no talks are currently scheduled. However, with the West Coast contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) extended to July 2022, ILA and USMX are surely feeling the pressure to reach a new agreement in advance of the current contract's expiration.
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