02/22/2017In response to the ILA’s reported plans to shut down the ports along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts the employer group United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) today called the union’s threat “disturbing”.The USMX claims that the master contract currently in force prohibits any unilateral work stoppage for any reason, and states it will enforce the contractual rights of its members to the fullest.Further updates to follow when available.
02/21/2017The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) reportedly plans to shut down the ports along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, announcing a march on Washington for next week to protest “job loss and the resulting negative impacts on America’s economy” by highlighting “hiring practices in some of the nation’s ports that purposely reduce the numbers of dockworkers, causing immeasurable damage to the nation’s economy.”The union has not yet announced the date of the planned shutdown, or where exactly the march will originate.We will monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.