Port Strike Ends- ILA Contract Extended to Jan. 15

The port strike officially ends after three days of stoppage, with the two sides agreeing on Thursday to a tentative deal on wages. The move ends a strike that had snarled East Coast and Gulf Coast ports since the beginning of the week and threatened U.S. supply of fruits, automobiles, and other goods.

“The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. have reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025 to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues,” The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance said in a joint statement.

In a statement, President Joe Biden praised the tentative wage deal.

“Today’s tentative agreement on a record wage and an extension of the collective bargaining process represents critical progress towards a strong contract,” he said in the statement. “I congratulate the dockworkers from the ILA, who deserve a strong contract after sacrificing so much to keep our ports open during the pandemic. And I applaud the port operators and carriers who are members of the US Maritime Alliance for working hard and putting a strong offer on the table.”

The strike was the first by the ILA since 1977, and it impacted operations at 14 different ports.

Port Houston will reopen at 1 p.m. CT and offer extended gate hours on Saturday. Georgia Ports Authority to open its truck gates at 6 a.m. ET at Garden City Terminal and 8 a.m. ET at its Ocean Terminal. Meanwhile, North Carolina Ports said normal operations will resume at 8 a.m. ET.

Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg applauded both parties for reaching a tentative deal.

“As President Biden, Vice President Harris and this administration have said again and again, collective bargaining works,” Su said in a statement Thursday. “I congratulate the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance for reaching a tentative agreement on a strong wage package that allows the East Coast and Gulf ports to reopen while the parties finish bargaining on a new contract.”