Unions representing dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast ports have started contract talks with employers ahead of the expiration of their mutual agreements. The discussions over labour provisions that cover ports from Maine to Texas are aimed at replacing an agreement that expires in 2024, reveals a report published by Wall Street Journal (WSJ) last week. Analysts believe the early start of the negotiations sends a signal of assurance to importers and industry stakeholders, who have been closely monitoring the labour situation at the West Coast. A large number of port workers in West Coast ports have been working without contracts for over six months. The WSJ added that the International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers, asked its locals in September to start talks with employer groups early on. According to James McNamara, an ILA spokesman, the union seeks to identify the main issues by mid-February in order to begin arbitration with the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents ocean carriers and terminal operators across Gulf Coast and East Coast ports. On the West Coast, contract talks have not yet been resolved. The talks came to a standstill after a labour issue erupted at the Port of Seattle involving a jurisdictional dispute. However, recent local news reported that the jurisdictional issue involving Terminal 5 in Seattle has been put aside for now, and labour negotiations for West Coast dockworkers resumed last week. According to a report by the Journal of Commerce, the negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) have discussed terminal automation, health and safety, and wages. In fear of strikes across the West Coast, importers have been diverting their shipments to the ports of East Coast, which have seen a rise in volumes last year. Therefore, the resumption of talks is considered a very good development.