ANKENY, Iowa – After nearly two months of labor negotiations, the International Longshoremen’s Association recently announced the suspension of talks with the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd., over what it said was a dispute over port automation.

“The main friction point seems to be the potential for automation since the International Longshoremen’s Association regards that as a threat for future job security,” Mike Steenhoek, Soy Transportation Coalition executive director in Ankeny, Iowa, told Farm World. “They also continue to negotiate over compensation, benefits, etc., but automation seems to be the main area of dispute.”

Steenhoek, who has been working with the two agricultural transportation unions, told Farm World, the two sides had been negotiating to approve a new six-year agreement.

The current agreement covers about 14,500 port workers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, and runs through Sept. 30, 2024.

Any work stoppage or strike would have a negative impact on agricultural exports via containers,” Steenhoek said. The specific consequences would be determined by the length and extent of the stoppage or strike. A lack of predictability and reliability is kryptonite to an effective supply chain.”

He added,“Any potential disruption would not impact bulk shipments since those facilities have different unions or employees working the facilities. The main impact would be on containerized exports.

“Bottom line: We encourage a supply chain that is predictable and reliable,”he said.“The continued tension between labor and management does not facilitate this. We hope an agreement can be achieved in the near future that is beneficial to both sides that can remove any prospect of disruption.”

Headquartered in North Bergen, N.J., the International Longshoremen’s Association represents 85,000 members at ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts; U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports; major U.S. Rivers; Puerto Rico; Eastern Canada and the Bahamas.

The United States Maritime Alliance, based in Lyndhurst, N.J., represents employers of the East and Gulf Coast longshore industry. Membership consists of container carriers, including the largest carriers and carrier alliances worldwide, all major marine terminal operators, and port associations representing each port on the East and Gulf Coasts. 

The decision to halt talks arises amid ongoing negotiations of local agreements under the coast-wide master contract, set to expire Sept. 30, International Longshoremen’s Association officials said.

“The International Longshoremen’s Association canceled master contract talks with the United States Maritime Alliance after discovering that APM Terminals (which has lifting standards for developing and operating advanced ports and container terminals) and Maersk Line (a Danish international container shipping company) are utilizing an auto gate system,” International Longshoremen’s Association officials said in a statement.

International Longshoremen’s Association officials said the two shipping terminal companies – APM Terminals and Maersk Line – are autonomously processing trucks using an auto gate system at the Port of Mobile (Ala.) without International Longshoremen’s Association labor.

“This system, initially identified at the Port of Mobile, Ala., is reportedly being used in other ports as well,” International Longshoremen’s Association officials said. “This is another example of United States Maritime Alliance members unilaterally circumventing our coast-wide master contract.

“This is a clear violation of our agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance, and we will not tolerate it any longer,” International Longshoremen’s Association officials added.

Harold Daggett, International Longshoremen’s Association president, who serves as chief negotiator for the union, said, “There’s no point (in) trying to negotiate a new agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance when one of its major companies continues to violate our current agreement with the sole aim of eliminating International Longshoremen’s Association jobs through automation.”

The International Longshoremen’s Association said it will not meet with United States Maritime Alliance until the auto gate issue is resolved.