ILA suspends labor contract negotiations, continues stance against automation

The International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) has cancelled today’s (June 11) scheduled talks on a new six-year contract agreement. The Union provides labor for the U.S. Gulf and East Coast ports. The issue at hand is which labor claims are violations of its existing labor agreement on automation at the port.

ILA’s statement said that projects by Maersk and its APM Terminals subsidiary at the Port of Mobile are utilizing Auto Gate system, which processes trucks without ILA labor.

The Journal of Commerce quotes the ILA as stating, “This system, initially identified at the Port of Mobile, Alabama, is reportedly being used in other ports as well,” ILA said. “This is a clear violation of our agreement with the USMX [and we will not tolerate it any longer.”

The current master contract is set to expire Sept. 30. ILA is adamant they are not returning to talks until the automation agreement violation is rectified. Should the dispute continue through the Sept. 30 contract deadline, the Gulf and East Coast ports could face a strike – something that hasn’t happened in 50 years.

Maersk has countered that the tech projects do not violate the master contract with the ILA and restates they want to resume talks.