The strike is over for now. The old contract has been extended until January 15th, but wage increases have been agreed upon. Discussions will continue on the remaining open issues until then. 

 Joint Statement Regarding Master Contract
NORTH BERGEN, NJ – (October 3, 2024) The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. have reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025 to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues. Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume.

The ILA is back to work, and the ports have reopened. Full operations should be in place by Monday, October 7th. Check with your ocean carriers, forwarders, and dray carriers for updates and further information.

Prioritize Your Containers
Prioritizing your import containers that are available for pickup is important to fulfill orders for critical products. Provide your dray carriers with a list of which containers should be moved first if they can be obtained.

Some Tips:

  • Track and document all containers that were redirected to another port due to Force Majeure, instead of the port listed on your Bill of Lading. Keep records of any additional charges, fees, or costs, such as transportation from alternate ports, for potential Protest filings or overcharge claims against your carrier.
  • This also includes charges like Demurrage and Detention. Storage charges at the terminal will restart, and you may see per diem charges even if the container isn't available for pickup until next week. Keep a close eye on these charges!
  • If you used a freight forwarder, hold them accountable as well. They should be protecting your rights.
  • The FMC may pursue action against carriers for predatory charges, and you could join the protest.
  • Don’t automatically accept additional charges. While you may have to pay them to get your containers released now, be sure to file claims afterward to recover such costs. You did not book and ship under the assumption that all "extra" costs would fall on you.

Having good data readily available helps you manage your business more effectively.

Strengthen Your Relationships with Logistics Providers
Avoid settling for transactional relationships with international logistics providers. Don’t rely solely on SLAs (Service Level Agreements) from forwarders. Instead, negotiate contracts that include work content and agreed-upon accessorial fees. Regular shippers should never pay the list price. Most logistics providers aim for long-term relationships but often push for quick transactional agreements. Take control of your business by building long-term relationships with contracted agreements.

You can negotiate contracts with more free time and even lower per diem fees. More on this in the future.