THE International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have agreed to a 90-day labour contract extension to December 29, ending fears of dock strike on the US east coast next month.
After two days of negotiations with the assistance from George Cohen, the director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the compromise made by both parties.
"In taking this step, the parties emphasised that they are doing so 'for the good of the country' to avoid any interruption in interstate commerce," said Mr Cohen.
"The negotiations on the Master Agreement will be conducted during the same time frame as negotiations for local agreements. The negotiations will continue under the auspices of the FMCS."
Retailers were delighted with the news. "This should provide for stable holiday shipping and shopping over the next few months," said National Retail Federation (NRF) vice president Jonathan Gold.
Said Kelly Kolb, vice president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association: "A 90-day extension ensures that a work stoppage will not interfere with the flow of goods during the critical holiday season."
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