The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) announced on June 10 the suspension of Master Contract talks with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). the ILA claims APM Terminals and Maersk Line are using an automated system to process trucks without ILA labor.

The Master Contract covers some 45,000 dockworkers along U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports. Negotiations between ILA and USMX were slated for June 11.

“There’s no point trying to negotiate a new agreement with USMX when one of its major companies continues to violate our current agreement with the sole aim of eliminating ILA jobs through automation,” said ILA President and chief negotiator Harold J. Daggett.

The ILA is “keenly aware of APM Terminals and Maersk Line’s repeated attempts to circumvent the ILA-USMX Master Contract and cut ILA jobs through the introduction of automation and semi-automation equipment,” the group said on its website.

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