The Longshore Lowdown

Gold · Last Checked: October 5, 2026

Collective bargaining agreements

Read parties, coverage, terms, articles, and amendments through fictional records instead of treating a contract fragment as the whole agreement.

Educational orientation only. Follow employer hands-on training, approved procedures, manufacturer instructions and site rules. These guides do not authorize equipment operation.

Sample excerpt — the first section of this authored guide.

Read the agreement's boundaries first

A collective bargaining agreement is a negotiated document governing covered work. The verified modern example is a USMX-ILA memorandum supplementing an earlier Master Contract.

It covers specified container and ro-ro operations on the East and Gulf Coasts. Its stated term is October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2030.

Coverage and term identify the document's boundaries, not a universal rule for every waterfront employer or role. Prepare by matching employer, cargo, and classification to the applicable documents.

The ILA's own history describes contract negotiation alongside containerization. That provides institutional context, not independent government guidance on collective-bargaining rights.

Educational orientation only: this guide is not individualized legal advice or permission to work. It does not replace employer training, approved procedures, or site rules.

S10 · International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) ↗S11 · USMX and ILA; public copy hosted by the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey ↗

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Sources and limitations

Overview of ILA History

International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) · Last Checked: October 5, 2026

Attribute this as the ILA's account. Some headings do not align cleanly with narrative dates, and contested historical/political assertions need independent corroboration. The heading mentioning AFL-CIO should not be used to imply the AFL-CIO existed in the 1890s; the narrative says AFL affiliation. No film-history source was verified.

USMX-ILA Master Contract Memorandum of Settlement

USMX and ILA; public copy hosted by the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey · Last Checked: October 5, 2026

This is a memorandum modifying the 2018 contract, not a complete consolidated agreement. The prior contract, later amendments, local CBAs, current plan documents and local notices must be checked before advising a worker. An anniversary-hours threshold for wage progression is not a universal seniority or medical-benefit threshold. Do not use technology appendices as manufacturer evidence or operational instructions.

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