East and Gulf coast ports secure red meat export supply chain

Jan 14, 2025
By Jean-Paul McDonald
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

ILA and USMX reach tentative six-year Labor Contract Deal

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year master labor contract.

Covering East and Gulf Coast ports, the agreement will extend the current contract until the ILA’s full Wage Scale Committee and USMX members can finalize the ratification process.

"This tentative contract agreement is great news for red meat exporters and for all of U.S. agriculture," said U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom.

"The assurance that there will be no work stoppage at East and Gulf Coast ports eliminates a cloud of uncertainty and bolsters the U.S. industry's reputation as a reliable supplier of pork, beef and lamb. On behalf of USMEF’s membership, I want to thank the ILA and USMX for reaching this agreement and ensuring the continued movement of cargo."

East and Gulf Coast ports are critical to U.S. agriculture, managing 45% of pork exports and 30% of beef exports. These ports facilitate about $100 million worth of red meat shipments weekly.

In earlier discussions, USMX highlighted the importance of investing in technology and infrastructure alongside wage increases.

These investments aim to enhance safety, productivity, and efficiency, benefiting both workers and the broader industry.

“Evolving port operations and increasing wages and jobs for the ILA are not mutually exclusive. Modern technology is proven to dramatically increase the amount of cargo that can be moved through a port annually," stated the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd.

"ILA members make more money when they move more cargo, and ports need to hire more workers to manage that growth. Ultimately, these improvements serve to bolster U.S. industries by creating supply chains that are more resilient and efficient, which keeps cargo moving and helps manage costs and improves reliability for American companies that depend upon our operations every minute of every day.”

Photo Credit: gettyimages-luoman

Video: Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

When was the last time you read the label on your honey?

We spent a day at Molenkamp Honey Farms with Michael Molenkamp, who has been keeping bees for 17 seasons and runs three to four thousand hives. In mid-September, he was finishing treatments and getting his bees ready for winter, and he walked us through how Alberta honey gets made.

Alberta has just 150 commercial beekeepers running 300,000 colonies, and together they produce 40% of Canada’s honey. Long summer days and golden canola fields give Alberta honey a light flavour that’s hard to match anywhere else.

Molenkamp calls Alberta beekeepers some of the most resilient farmers he knows. There’s plenty of Alberta honey to go around, but a lot on our shelves isn’t from here, so his ask is simple. Give the label a second look and choose honey made by Alberta beekeepers, or buy straight from a beekeeper near you.