Talks between the International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance extended 30 days
A deal has been struck that for now averts a strike by 14,500 longshoremen at 15 major ports, including the Port of New Orleans and others along the Gulf Coast and East Coast.
A federal mediator announced Friday that an expired contract for workers in the International Association of Longshoremen would be extended for another 30 days while negotiations continue.
The longshoremen had been preparing for a possible strike Sunday that would probably have crippled operations at ports that handle about 40 percent of all U.S. container cargo. Losing them to a shutdown, even for a few days, could cost the economy billions of dollars.
The mediator says there have been major steps forward toward resolving the dispute.
A contract is expiring between the ILA and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, a group representing shipping lines, terminal operators and port associations.
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