EMPLOYERS on US east and Gulf coast ports represented by the US Maritime Alliance (USMX) have responded to the International Longshoremen’s Association decision to break off talks scheduled for this week, arguing the union’s stance on technology will take the industry “backward”.

The ILA and USMX met on Monday for what was supposed to be four days of negotiations, but the union broke off talks on Tuesday, arguing that the USMX “continued pushing automation and semi-automation language” in their contract proposal.

“[The] USMX introduced language in their proposal for semi-automated equipment to be used at ILA ports, which the union outright rejected,” the union said in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday.

The employers responded later that day, arguing that the ILA “is insisting on an agreement that would move our industry backward by restricting future use of technology that has existed in some of our ports for nearly two decades — making it impossible to evolve to meet the nation’s future supply chain demands”.

“The USMX has been clear that we are not seeking technology that would eliminate jobs,” the employers said.

The parties “had positive progress on a number of issues” but they were “unable to make significant progress on our discussions that focused on a range of technology issues”.

The development, while perhaps unsurprising, further raises the threat of more disruption in US ports from Maine to Texas in January.

The ILA went on strike on October 1, but a temporary resolution was reached three days later. The parties tentatively agreed to a 61.5% pay hike over the new contract’s duration, and to extend the current contract until January 15, giving them three more months to reach a deal.

However, the resolution was reached following political intervention from the White House, which sought to avoid or limit economic disruption just weeks before the US presidential election.

Now that the election is over, there likely won’t be the same pressure from the Biden administration to reach a deal by the January 15 deadline, which is just five days before Donald Trump will begin his second term.

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