Latest news with #USMX
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chief negotiator on union longshore pact to lead USMX
The United States Maritime Alliance has chosen F. Paul De Maria to serve as chief executive and chairman of the port employers' group. De Maria was the alliance's chief negotiator in contentious contract talks with the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). The pact, one of the richest in the history of maritime labor, includes landmark provisions for automating container handling at East and Gulf Coast ports. De Maria succeeds David F. Adam, who retired in April after having served as chief operating officer from 2011-13 and chief executive and chairman since 2013. The USMX board of directors made the change April 17. 'It's an honor to lead this organization as we work together with the ILA to ensure we have the strong and efficient supply chains necessary to ensure American companies can access the global marketplace,' said De Maria, in a release. 'Our focus will be on working day-in and day-out to make sure we are successfully implementing our agreement that prioritizes creating modern and safe working conditions across the industry while supporting longshore jobs.' De Maria joined USMX in 2012 as vice president of labor relations and in 2021 moved up to executive vice president and chief operating officer. Prior to joining USMX, he was senior general manager of marine terminal operator Ports America. De Maria is a graduate of the State University of New York Maritime College in New York, where he earned a U.S. Coast Guard third mate's license and a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation. Find more articles by Stuart Chirls container rates stable as trade war rages Shares of largest US-flag container carrier plunge under Trump tariffsTrans-Pacific blank sailings soar as ocean shipments plunge US plans phased approach to port fees for Chinese ships The post Chief negotiator on union longshore pact to lead USMX appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ILA, USMX Put Final Stamp on Six-Year Master Contract
Union dockworkers at the East and Gulf Coast ports officially ratified a new six-year deal with their maritime employers Tuesday evening, closing the book on more than two years of negotiations and putting any chance of a strike to bed once and for all. Nearly 99 percent of rank-and-file members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) voted in favor of the new master contract agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The deal impacts 25,000 of the union's 45,000 workers across 14 ports from Houston to Boston. More from Sourcing Journal The NLRB Lacks a Quorum. Here's What That Means for Business and Unions. Unions to Trump: 'The Time to Act is Now' on Chinese Shipbuilding Sanctions 'A Direct Attack on USPS Employees': Unions Slam Reports of Trump Takeover The extension to the master contract is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2024, and runs through Sept. 30, 2030. The labor battle between the ILA and the USMX was often contentious in the public arena, and resulted in a three-day strike to kick off October. That work stoppage ended after both parties signed a tentative agreement on wages, extending the original contract to Jan. 15 and putting off any labor action until after. After a three-month back-and-forth on automation, the ILA and USMX came to a tentative six-year deal a week ahead of the contract negotiation deadline, averting a second strike at the ports. Automation had been the central sticking point of the negotiations, with the union breaking off talks in November over the impact of technologies like rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMGs) at the Port of Virginia and the Port of New York and New Jersey. In the weeks before the ratification, the union's locals reviewed both the master contract and local port area contracts before giving their stamp of approval. ILA president Harold Daggett described the new agreement as the 'gold standard' for dockworker unions globally, highlighting that there are 'full protections against automation.' The union did not provide specific details on the protections, or how hiring practices and technology and automation deployments will complement each other. No new technology will be implemented until the parties mutually agree to related manning levels as part of a more stringent technology review process, ILA executive vice president Dennis Daggett previously said. According to a CNBC report after January's tentative deal, ILA members are assured that more workers would be hired that would complement any specific equipment being added. 'This is an incredible contract package,' President Daggett said in a statement, indicating that the estimated cost to the employers surpasses $35 billion. That figure is 'a conservative estimate,' the ILA boss claims. The ILA-USMX deal includes a 62 percent wage increase, with hourly base rates jumping to $63 from $39. The agreement also includes accelerated wage raises for new ILA workers; full container royalty funds returned to the union; raises in retirement contributions; and stronger health care, vacation and holiday benefits. The parties will formally sign the six-year deal on March 11. Daggett also heaped praise on President Donald Trump for his 'invaluable' assistance in the negotiation process. A month after winning the presidential election, Trump voiced his support for the union and cited the harm he felt automation caused American workers. This likely boxed the USMX in a corner Trump's stance was similar to his predecessor, President Joe Biden, in that both positioned the negotiations as a clash between U.S. employees versus foreign-owned corporations. None of the USMX container shipping firms are American, and many member terminals are owned by foreign entities. This dynamic was also inflamed by the fact that the ocean carriers made record profits during the Covid-19 pandemic and again in 2024. Despite the fiery rhetoric throughout the negotiations, largely coming out of the ILA's camp, President Daggett also praised his USMX counterpart Paul DeMaria in helping to bring about a settlement. 'Thank goodness USMX made Paul DeMaria the lead negotiator for management's side when they did,' Daggett said. 'Paul was uniquely qualified to move negotiations in the right direction and his appointment to this new role was instrumental in avoiding a second strike.' The USMX has not commented on the deal. The ongoing negotiations were a major factor in an increase in imports flooding into the U.S. during the summer and winter, as shippers front-loaded their cargo ahead of possible strikes and the expected imposition of tariffs by the Trump administration. Both the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports had record container handling months in December and January, in clear signs of coastal shifting over the two months to hedge against a second ILA strike.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US East Coast dockworkers ratify new six-year contract
(Reuters) - Over 45,000 U.S. dockworkers represented by the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) voted to ratify a new six-year contract on Tuesday, formalizing a deal which briefly stopped work at ports stretching from Maine to Texas in October. Terms of the contract, previously agreed upon by the labor union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), included a 62% wage hike over the life of the agreement. The new contract, which is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2024 and will be in effect until Sept. 30, 2030, boosts the hourly base rate for workers to $63 from $39, ranking longshoremen among the highest paid blue-collar workers in the country. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. It accelerates wage raises for new ILA workers, strengthens healthcare plans and also increases employer contributions to retirement plans, while safeguarding workers from threats of increased automation. ILA President Harold Daggett has said the new contract will cost employers an estimated $35 billion, "and that's a conservative estimate", he added. "Our collective strength helped produce the richest contract in our history," he said in a video to the members of the union last week. The ILA and USMX will formally sign the new contract on March 11, according to a Facebook post by the union on Tuesday.
Reuters
26-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
US East Coast dockworkers ratify new six-year contract
Feb 25 (Reuters) - Over 45,000 U.S. dockworkers represented by the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) voted to ratify a new six-year contract on Tuesday, formalizing a deal which briefly stopped work at ports stretching from Maine to Texas in October. Terms of the contract, previously agreed upon by the labor union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), included a 62% wage hike over the life of the agreement. The new contract, which is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2024 and will be in effect until Sept. 30, 2030, boosts the hourly base rate for workers to $63 from $39, ranking longshoremen among the highest paid blue-collar workers in the country. It accelerates wage raises for new ILA workers, strengthens healthcare plans and also increases employer contributions to retirement plans, while safeguarding workers from threats of increased automation. ILA President Harold Daggett has said the new contract will cost employers an estimated $35 billion, "and that's a conservative estimate", he added. "Our collective strength helped produce the richest contract in our history," he said in a video to the members of the union last week. The ILA and USMX will formally sign the new contract on March 11, according to a Facebook post by the union on Tuesday.
