Tag Archive for: International Longshoremen’s Association

Intermodal Shipping Cargo Chaos Averted with Settlement in ILA Talks

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Some of the best news of last weekend didn’t come from New Orleans and had nothing to do with the Super Bowl. For intermodal cargo shippers in the United States, the best news of all came from New Jersey, where labor mediators for the ILA and US Maritime Alliance were working all last week to come to an agreement on labor disputes.   intermodal cargo, Calhoun Truck Lines

The International Longshoremen’s Association and United States Maritime Alliance hammered out a tentative agreement for a new Master agreement between the two groups. This was huge news to cargo companies all over the country, as it helped to ensure that for the next six years, there will be no economy crushing coast-wide strike.  

Along with other leading intermodal cargo shipping companies, Calhoun Truck Lines has been carefully watching the labor talks and contract negotiations taking place between the International Longshoremen’s Association and United States Maritime Alliance.  And the fallout has been terrible for the intermodal freight economy.  

The continued threat of a coast-wide port shutdown has wreaked havoc on the supply chain for the past year. Difficulties in planning cargo shipments because of possible striking workers has forced U.S. retailers, manufacturers, farmers and shipping companies like Calhoun Truck Lines to build contingency plans into its supply chain disruption, affecting their normal business plans and monthly goals. It’s been a difficult operating time for the firm, as we’ve had to continually adjust plans to make sure our cargo reached its destination.  

The National Retail Federation released a statement over the weekend that said its members were pleased with the agreement. “The retail industry, which supports one in every four U.S. jobs, is pleased to hear that the ILA and USMX have reached a tentative, long-term master contract,” said NRF CEO Matthew Shay in the statement. “We urge the parties to quickly complete any outstanding negotiations, including local negotiations at each of the individual 14 ports, and quickly ratify the new labor agreement.”    

Calhoun Truck Lines is relieved that the talks have come to a seemingly successful resolution. An agreement was needed by the February 6th deadline, and we’re pleased it came over this past weekend. Frankly, we’re not fans of down-to-the-wire, last minute finishes. We’re sure some football fans we know on the opposite coasts aren’t fond of those types of outcomes either.

Shipping, Cargo Companies Watch East Coast Industrial Action

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Along with other leading intermodal cargo shipping companies, Calhoun Truck Lines has been carefully watching the labor talks and contract negotiations taking place between the International Longshoremen’s Association and United States Maritime Alliance.   shipping yard, Calhoun Truck Lines

If these contract negotiations are not settled very quickly, it could lead to a threatened East Coast port strike, which could seriously impair cargo shipments all around the United States. Even leading cargo transport companies like ours could lose business as a result of a breakdown in talks.  

It’s an important issue affecting business and commerce across the country. It’s so crucial that the Journal of Commerce has a continuing section on the ongoing ILA labor negotiations. In continuing contract negotiations that started in March 2012, the ILA and USMX agreed in late December to a second contract extension, through Feb. 6. The extension temporarily halted a threatened East and Gulf Coast port strike on Dec. 30. While the two sides came to a tentative agreement on container royalties, they still haven’t finalized talks about the contentious issue of work rules and productivity.

Calhoun Truck Lines is concerned enough to have addressed some of these points in a recent blog post on our site. However, we are somewhat encouraged by a late week story that wrote: “A federal mediator said three days of bargaining on an East and Gulf Coast dockworker contract yielded progress and that the International Longshoremen’s Association and employers have agreed to continue negotiations.”  

That’s a positive step, considering contract talks had earlier broken down. However, the two sides still need to come together by the Feb. 6 deadline date for a new contract with the ILA. As we wrote earlier, the effect of a strike is already being felt. Our Midwest trucking firm Calhoun Truck Lines is hearing about recent cargo cancellations, contingency plans being made or cancelled loading of containers already underway via NY/NJ ports from Detroit to Omaha. These cancellations are hurting the companies in intermodal cargo transport, as well as the drivers who operate the cargo transport.  

We hope that the two sides are able to come to an agreement before the end of January. Damage has already been done, now is the time to seek damage limitation.

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