2024 ILA Port Strike

The 2024 ILA strike showed that East and Gulf Coast ports, which many importers used to avoid West Coast labor risk, carry their own labor risk. The union struck on October 1, 2024, after its contract with the US Maritime Alliance expired, closing ports from Maine to Texas. On October 3 the sides reached a tentative wage deal, reported at about 62% over six years, and extended the contract to January 15, 2025, to settle other issues, chiefly automation. Many importers had pulled shipments forward before the deadline. A short strike still creates days of backlog, so labor contract dates belong in inbound planning.

• Safety StockExtra stock that covers demand and lead time swings
• Lead TimeTime from purchase order to sellable stock
• DemurrageFee for a container left at the port too long

• 2014-2015 West Coast Port Slowdown2014–2015 · Contract talks bring months of West Coast congestion
• 2002 West Coast Port Lockout2002 · Employers lock out dockworkers at 29 ports for 11 days

• Taft-Hartley Act1947 · 1947 law adding union limits and strike injunctions

1. US port strike ends: unions and employers reach tentative agreement (Seatrade Maritime) seatrade-maritime.com
2. ILA and USMX reach tentative agreement to end East and Gulf Coast port strike (Auto Care Association) autocare.org