Port of Baltimore workers to return to the job Friday after three-day strike ends

BALTIMORE - Port workers at the Port of Baltimore will return to work on Friday after their union agreed to suspend its three-day strike following a compromise with the U.S. Maritime Alliance.

The International Longshoreman's Association, which represents 25,000 workers at 14 ports along the East and Gulf coasts, stopped its strike after securing a pay raise of 61.5% over the next six years.

The union went on strike at midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 1 after their labor contract expired. 

Scott Cowan, the President of the ILA Local 333 chapter in Baltimore, said the deal is a win for his members after what has been a challenging year on and off the job, which included recovering from the port's closure caused by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse last March.

"It means that they can provide and put food on the table, pay their bills, and they don't have to worry anymore about losing their cars or their homes," Cowan said. "We just came back off of a major maritime tragedy with the Key Bridge. We were out of work for two months. Now we were out of work for a few more days. We're very excited to be back."

Now that port workers have a pay bump, the union is still negotiating healthcare and protections from automation.

Those negotiations will continue until January 15, but if an agreement is not reached by then, the strike could resume. But, the union told WJZ that is unlikely.

"I'm happy for them so they can get back to work and support their families," Cowan said. "They've been out here (picketing) for three days around the clock, so this is a good thing for everybody. It's a good thing for the state, the port, all the members here, and their families."

"This has been a historically difficult year for Baltimore's port workers with the tragic Key Bridge collapse," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "I am deeply relieved to hear that a tentative agreement has been reached. Baltimore is a port town through-and-through and we're proud of our @ILALocal333 members!"