East Coast Port Negotiation Standoff Remains ‘Unchanged’

Maersk is sending a message to customers ahead of a possible second strike at the East and Gulf Coast ports—pick up your cargo before Jan. 15.

The container shipping giant said in a Tuesday advisory that it strongly encourages customers to retrieve their loaded containers from the ports ahead of the contract expiration date, as well as return all empty containers to the gateways.

“This proactive measure will help mitigate any potential disruptions at the terminals,” said Maersk in the update. “Our teams are actively developing contingency plans to minimize the impact should a labor disruption occur. “

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has maintained that it will go on strike for a second time in more than three months after walking away from negotiations in November. The ILA went on strike for three days from Oct. 1-3 before coming to an agreement on a 61.5 percent wage increase spread over six years.
more at: https://www.yahoo.com/news/maersk-east-coast-port-negotiation-170923595.html