Dockworkers have already returned to work at the Port of New York and New Jersey, along with other East Coast ports, after the dockworkers’ union and the United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative agreement on Thursday.
“Since the agreement was reached last night, it’s been all hands on deck to reopen the port and restart the flow of cargo,” Deputy Port Director Beth Rooney said at a Friday afternoon briefing.
The quick restart occurred after the strike disrupted the supply of millions of tons of goods at the New York and New Jersey ports for days — leading to supply chain concerns. The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance extended their master contract until Jan. 15, 2025, buying more time to address dockworkers’ unresolved concerns, like job protections from automation.
There were 24 ships at anchor waiting to get into port as of Friday morning, including 19 container vessels, four car ships and another specialty vessel, Rooney said. The 19 container ships contain 35,000 import containers holding all kinds of consumer goods.
The Sandy Hook pilots, docking masters and tugboats are bringing 11 of these vessels into port so workers can begin unloading cargo beginning around 7 p.m. on Friday, Rooney said.
Afterward, two terminals are expected to open over the weekend so trucks can deliver the cargo to warehouses and distribution centers, while the remaining terminals will open on Monday at 6 a.m.
The strike began Tuesday morning.
Rooney downplayed the severity of the strike’s shutdown of the ports, saying that “while this could have had a much more distinct impact had it went on longer, it’s not unusual for the Port of New York and New Jersey to be closed for two or three days for winter storms.”
She said the ports were able to recover quickly even during much longer disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy and 9/11.
Rooney told reporters on Thursday that the tentative agreement only covered dockworkers’ wages, and a discussion over the next 90 days would take place to smooth out other issues raised.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul previously applauded the tentative agreement — but said that everyone would need to reach a longer-standing compromise before the tentative agreement ends in January.
“Now that the International Longshoremen’s Association has decided to suspend their strike action while negotiations continue, I continue to urge USMX and the ILA to reach an agreement that respects the rights of workers and ensures a permanent flow of goods,” she said in a statement on Thursday.