East Coast Union, Shippers Express Confidence on Longshoreman Contract
The International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO, and the U.S. Maritime Alliance ended two days of negotiations on a new contract March 30 with both sides expressing confidence they’ll reach an agreement before the current pact expires on September 30, the union said. ILA President Harold Daggett and Alliance Chairman James Capo issued a joint statement saying they “had a productive exchange of ideas that will give us a good start toward negotiating a contract sooner, rather than later, in 2012, Both sides … remain committed to reaching an agreement without any disruption to port operations."
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In 2011, the 14 ports affected by the negotiations handled more than 110 million tons of import and export cargo, accounting for 95 percent of containerized shipments from Maine to Texas. The Alliance includes 24 container carrier members, including the 10 largest carriers worldwide, and every major marine terminal operator and port association on the East and Gulf Coasts. The ILA represents 15,000 members working at Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports from Maine to Texas.