ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 9, 2025 – The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. released a joint statement yesterday announcing an agreement on a new six-year labor contract. The agreement must be ratified by both sides, but the tentative deal averts a potential strike that threatened to shut down East and Gulf Coast ports next week.
Mike Seyfert, the President and CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), released the following statement about the agreement.
“Both sides should be commended for sitting down and working out a compromise that benefits the dockworkers and their employers alike, and we are hopeful that this deal will be ratified and made official quickly. It is a relief that these vital ports will continue to operate and that shipping channels will remain open for U.S. agriculture. America’s grain and feed industry depends on a fully functioning transportation system, and when any part fails, it can drive up transportation costs and jeopardize valuable customer relationships. Given current economic conditions, we simply cannot afford disruptions.”
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