Supply Chain Digest Says...   USMX said this type of crane has been in use at some ports organized by the ILA for more than a decade and have delivered big efficiency gains in cramped terminals without jeopardizing jobs.     What do you say?   Click here to send us your comments       Click here to see reader feedback

After winning a three-month reprieve in mid-October, with dock workers operating under the now expired previous six-year contract, a January deadline now looms, with the possibility of a consequential strike back again on the table.

The agreement to come back on the job came after a three-day strike in October that halted container operations at ports from Houston to Boston.

From early on, the issue of port and terminal automation has been said to be a key topic, even as wage and benefit hikes in a new six-year contract seem to have been agreed upon.

But news on the automation front took a turn this week, with management of the US Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents port and terminal operators, saying it won’t continue in negotiations with the International Longshoremen’s Association on a new six-year contract if it means giving up members’ rights to adopt semi-automated cargo handling equipment.

That according to a report from Bloomberg News on December 4.

“Modernization and investment in new technology are core priorities required to successfully bargain a new master contract,” said the USMX.

With six weeks to go before the extension expires, the two sides reportedly have no formal talks scheduled.

An interesting twist to this is that the current Biden administration helped to broker the contract extension in October. Now, the January 15th deadline comes just five days before Donald Trump again takes office, with Biden and Trump’s involvement in the negotiations unclear.

“It’s looking more and more likely the USMX and ILA will need help,” report the Transport Topic web site, adding that “The union broke off talks last month almost as soon as they began, citing concerns over technology that would eliminate jobs on the docks.

(See More Below)

On December 2, the ILA blamed the impasse in talks on a push by the terminal to expand the use of semi-automated, rail-mounted gantry cranes, which the ILA sees as an existential threat to dock workers.

However, USMX said this type of crane has been in use at some ports organized by the ILA for more than a decade and have delivered big efficiency gains in cramped terminals without jeopardizing jobs.

“USMX is not, nor has it ever been, seeking to eliminate jobs, but to simply implement and maintain the use of equipment and technology already allowed under the current contract agreements and already widely in use,” the USMX said in a December 3 statement.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Let us know your thoughts at the Feedback section below.

Your Comments/Feedback