Contract talks covering 45,000 dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts are set to restart on Tuesday in a labor dispute that will help set the pace of automation at ports
Contract talks covering 45,000 dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts are set to restart on Tuesday in a labor dispute that will help set the pace of automation at ports stretching from Maine to Texas.
The International Longshoremen's Association wants to eliminate past labor contract concessions on automation - notably the use of semi-automated cranes that stack containers on docks - arguing they pose a threat to jobs.
The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group, meanwhile, argues those rail-mounted gantry cranes are key to remaining competitive as ports, most notably in China, lead the way on automation.
If the two sides do not reach a deal by Jan. 15, workers at container ports that handle more than half of U.S. ocean imports could start a strike just days before President-elect Donald Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.
A three-day strike by the ILA last October triggered a spike in shipping prices and cargo backlogs at the 36 affected ports.
The union and employers, which have issued dueling statements in recent weeks, did not comment separately for this article.
- PAST REGRETS
Nearly two decades ago, port employers convinced an earlier group of ILA leaders that using semi-automated cranes at what is
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