Retailers breathed a sigh of relief after management and labor unions running the nation’s East and Gulf coast ports extended contract negotiations to December 30.
Failure to reach an agreement or extend the deadline by Sept. 30 could have triggered work stoppages that would have snarled retailers’ imports for the holidays.
The International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents the companies managing the ports, agreed to extend the deadline after noting they had made progress on several important topics.
“In taking this significant step, the parties emphasized that they are doing so “for the good of the country” to avoid any interruption in interstate commerce,” read a joint statement released Sept. 20 by the ILU and George H. Cohen, director of Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS) for the U.S. Maritime Alliance. “Due to the sensitive nature of these high profile negotiations, we will have no further comment on the schedule for the negotiations, their location, or the substance of what takes place during those negotiations.”
The National Retailer Federation (NRF) had been urging the parties throughout the summer to stay at the negotiating table and avoid a strike that could seriously harm the U.S. economy.
“This extension should provide for a stable holiday shipping and shopping season over the next few months,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy. “Until a final contract is ratified, America’s retail community will remain concerned.”
