Thousands of members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO at ports from Maine to Texas today overwhelmingly approved a Six-Year Master Contract Extension with United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) that will bring generous pay increases; landmark protections against job-killing fully automated ports; and labor peace and stability through September 30, 2024. ILA President Harold J. Daggett, the union’s Chief Negotiator who termed this agreement the best contract he ever witnessed in his 50-plus year ILA career, applauded the successful ratification vote.
As of 10 pm tonight, every ILA Local reporting results to the International offices in North Bergen, New Jersey approved the Master Contract with unanimous approval likely of all ILA Locals.
“This is a great day for the ILA and our union membership,” said President Daggett. “ILA members covered under this ILA-USMX Master Agreement can now look to a bright future where their salaries will increase and the threat of job loss from fully automated terminals, semi-automated terminals and automated equipment is eliminated. Our national health care plan, MILA remains the strong and our members will benefit from increases in Container Royalty.
“Our ILA Wage Scale Committee can be very proud of the contract they helped produced and our membership ratified,” added ILA President Daggett. “They put in long, oft-times grueling hours to bring home a contract that I think represents the best collective bargaining agreement in ILA history and maybe even in the entire history of Organized Labor.
“This extension not only protects the benefits ILA members already have, but also enhances these benefits to ensure that they are compensated appropriately for all your hard work,” said President Daggett. “I am particularly pleased with the jurisdictional protections that the ILA has negotiated that will ensure ILA jobs will be preserved in the years ahead. I believe that this proposed extension represents a giant step forward in the collective bargaining history of the ILA.” The current ILA Master Contract was set to expire at the end of September.
The new contract is now in effect for six years until September 30, 2024.
