Ports start 100-day countdown to new strike. Automation is dealbreaker [Video]

Dockworkers strike in a picket line outside of the Port of Houston Authority on October 01, 2024 in Houston, Texas. The strike, affecting 36 ports, marked a historic event and was the first by the union since 1977. While the International Longshoreman’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance reached agreement on better wages, automation is still being negotiated. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Brandon Bell | Getty Images News | Getty Images

The tentative agreement to suspend the International Longshoremen’s Association strike may have consumers and businesses breathing a sigh of relief. Still, the deal is far from done, according to logistics experts.

The union and port ownership reached agreement on a wage increase in a new master contract, but port automation remains a critical issue to hammer out in the tentative deal, and it is not going to be an easy part of negotiations.

In a statement Friday, the ILA said it wants to tighten the language related to the use of automation at ports. “Automation will …

Tags Business, Entrepreneur, Success