US Dockworkers Approve 62% Wage Hike In New 6-Year Contract, Averting Major Port Disruption

Dockworkers along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts have overwhelmingly approved a six-year contract agreement with nearly 99% voting in favor, the International Longshoremen’s Association announced Tuesday.

The approval removes the threat of a potentially devastating strike that could have severely impacted supply chains across major U.S. ports from Boston to Houston, reported the Associated Press.

The contract, already approved by the U.S. Maritime Alliance of ports and shipping companies last month, provides workers with a substantial 62% pay increase over six years, raising top-scale hourly wages from $39 to $63. ILA President Harold Daggett called the agreement “the ‘gold standard’ for dockworker unions globally,” despite requiring a three-day strike last October to advance negotiations.

A key breakthrough came on automation, the most contentious issue dividing the parties. The agreement permits ports to implement modernizing technology while requiring new worker hiring and prohibiting full automation. Brian Lynch of EY Americas noted the contract “opens the door a little more for advanced technology” while maintaining labor protections.

The agreement will be officially signed the week of Mar. 10. President Donald Trump had previously voiced support for the union, criticizing automation’s impact on American workers.

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