labor contract

Longshoremen started picketing after their six-year labor contract with the United States Maritime Alliance expired at midnight.

The company’s owner, who asked not to be identified for competitive reasons, said he would most likely revert to the East Coast if there’s a resolution on the labor contract.

That’s the expiry date for a labor contract covering East and Gulf Coast dockworkers.

Last year, two unions representing workers at three large automakers and UPS negotiated new labor contracts that included big raises and other gains.

Those newly approved labor contracts are expected to add billions of dollars in salary costs over the next five years.