The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) announced that a strike “is becoming more likely” as they struggle to reach a new contract agreement with maritime employers along the East and Gulf coasts.

ILA president Harold Daggett criticized the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) for the slow progress in talks. The current contract for the union’s 45,000 members ends on September 30. Daggett emphasized that members would not work past this date without a new deal.

The ILA stopped negotiations in early June, alleging Maersk’s terminal arm violated the current contract with technology projects at the Port of Mobile. Despite these issues, the USMX said it expected to make progress and aims to finalize a new contract by October 1. The last contract talks in 2018 concluded with an agreement by early September.

Source: Journal of Commerce