Dockworkers at Ports From Boston to Houston Halt Labor Talks
- Longshoremen’s union, maritime group contract expires Sept. 30
- ‘Perfect storm’ of spiking rates, US election to cloud talks
A worker drives a crane through the APM Terminals yard at the Port of Mobile in Alabama in 2017.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The union representing dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast container ports has suspended labor contract negotiations set for Tuesday, citing a dispute over automation.
The breakdown comes less than four months before the current six-year pact between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the US Maritime Alliance, representing ocean carriers and terminal operators, is set to expire on Sept. 30. The agreement covers about 45,000 dockworkers from Boston to Houston, including six of the 10 busiest US ports.