NEWSFLASH: Christmas Eve announcement – ILA, USMX agree to meet

   It’s not much of a Christmas present, at least yet, but late Monday afternoon, the director of the U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) said the International Longshoremen’s Association and the group trying to negotiate a new contract with them, the U.S. Maritime Alliance, have agreed to meet before their current pact expires on Dec. 29.
    “FMCS Director George Cohen has called a meeting of the ILA and the Maritime Alliance in advance of the December 29th expiration of the contract extension. The parties have agreed to attend. Due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations FMCS will have no additional comment at this time,” was the brief statement released late Monday.
    The master contract covering container shipping operations between the longshoremen working at 14 ports along the East and Gulf coasts expired on Sept. 30, but was extended 90 days until Saturday. The ILA has said if an agreement is not reached, its members could go on strike Sunday….