Despite talks resuming between U.S. longshoremen and employers, a dispute over port automation, along with the impending power transition to President-elect Donald Trump, will hinder progress in those negotiations, opening the door to a strike that lasts at least a few days and causes various supply chain disruptions. According to multiple media reports, contract negotiations between the International Longshoreman's Association (ILA), the union that represents port workers at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports, and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents port employers, are set to resume on Jan. 7. The resumption of talks is scheduled eight days before their contract expires on Jan. 15, after which the ILA has threatened to launch another strike at cargo ports across the eastern half of the United States if a new contract is not reached. The new talks would come after two months of gridlock following the collapse of negotiations...
