Early US imports lessen risk from seaport strike

The ILA and employers represented by United States Maritime Alliance are at odds over issues ranging from automation to wages. — Reuters

LOS ANGELES: US retailers’ early back-to-school, Halloween and Christmas holiday imports may lessen cargo delays and financial damage should workers at vital seaports such as New York and Houston strike in October, says a trade economist.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) represents 45,000 dockworkers at three dozen US ports from Maine to Texas and handle half of the nation’s ocean trade. The ILA and employers represented by United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) are at odds over issues ranging from automation to wages.