US port strike averted as mediation service negotiates a 90-day extension

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The prospect of a strike crippling ports across the US east and Gulf coasts temporarily vanished today after the intervention of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service saw management and union representatives agree to a 90-day extension to the existing master contract.

After talks between the employer association USMX and the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) recently broke down, the two parties today met with FMCS director George Cohen.

After completing talks today, Mr Cohen made the following announcement: “I am pleased to ...