News / Shippers eye Canadian ports as US east coast strike 'looks certain'

Port of Jacksonville. Photo: US Army Corps of Engineers.

A US east and Gulf coast port strike “looks certain” for 1 October, as talks between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and employers the US Maritime Alliance (USMX) flounder over wages increases and terminal automation.

Last week, the USMX said: “While there are fewer than three weeks remaining until the expiration of our current agreement, if the ILA is willing to meet it is still possible to agree to terms on a new master contract.

“We need to sit down and negotiate ...