Dockworkers strike halts US East and Gulf Coast container ports
Dockworkers strike halts US East and Gulf Coast container ports. The disruption ran from 2024-10-01 (1 October 2024) to 2024-10-03 (3 October 2024), 3 days, affecting New York-New Jersey, Baltimore, Norfolk, Wilmington, NC, Charleston, Savannah, Brunswick, Houston. Houston averaged 0.0 calls per day during the event window against an expected 2.2 (-2.2). Savannah averaged 0.0 calls per day during the event window against an expected 4.8 (-100.0%). New York-New Jersey averaged 0.3 calls per day during the event window against an expected 6.3 (-94.7%). Norfolk averaged 0.0 calls per day during the event window against an expected 1.8 (-1.8).
Key facts
- Started
- 2024-10-01 (1 October 2024)
- Ended
- 2024-10-03 (3 October 2024)
- Status
- ended
- Type
- Labour action
- Severity
- 2 Moderate
- Scope
- regional
- Chokepoints
- None
- Ports
- New York-New Jersey, Baltimore, Norfolk, Wilmington, NC, Charleston, Savannah, Brunswick, Houston
- Lanes
- None
- Countries
- United States
- Confidence
- high: The start, the settlement and the resumption times are set out by the Georgia Ports Authority, which quotes the joint statement of the union and the employers' alliance, with consistent reporting in two trade outlets.
- First reported
- 2024-10-01 (1 October 2024)
- Severity basis: Port wide stoppage of 24 hours to seven days; container terminals from Maine to Texas stopped work from 2024-10-01 until job actions ceased on the evening of 2024-10-03.
What happened
From 2024-10-01 (1 October 2024) members of the International Longshoremen's Association struck container terminals at ports from Maine to Texas after contract talks with the United States Maritime Alliance failed, the union's first coastwide stoppage on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in decades. The union said work stopped at 00:01 on 2024-10-01 at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports. Terminals at New York and New Jersey, Baltimore, Norfolk, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah, Brunswick and Houston closed to vessel and gate operations, while automated and non ILA facilities continued. On the evening of 2024-10-03 (3 October 2024) the two sides announced a tentative wage agreement and an extension of the master contract to 2025-01-15, and said all job actions would cease immediately. Ports reopened through 2024-10-04.
Measured effect
Container ship port calls, New York-New Jersey
- Baseline (expected)
- 6.3 calls per day
- Observed
- 0.3 calls per day
- Change
- -6.0 (-94.7%)
- Standardised score
- -2.4
- Event window
- 2024-10-01 to 2024-10-03 (3 days)
- Baseline window
- 2024-07-30 to 2024-09-23 (56 valid days)
- Method
- wfm-effect-1.0
- Computed
- 2026-09-19 (19 September 2026), data revision 1:7e9ef1d844a0
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Container ship port calls, Savannah
- Baseline (expected)
- 4.8 calls per day
- Observed
- 0.0 calls per day
- Change
- -4.8 (-100.0%)
- Standardised score
- -2.2
- Event window
- 2024-10-01 to 2024-10-03 (3 days)
- Baseline window
- 2024-07-30 to 2024-09-23 (56 valid days)
- Method
- wfm-effect-1.0
- Computed
- 2026-09-19 (19 September 2026), data revision 1:c8d92735c4f3
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Container ship port calls, Houston
- Baseline (expected)
- 2.2 calls per day
- Observed
- 0.0 calls per day
- Change
- -2.2 (percent omitted, baseline too small)
- Standardised score
- -1.5
- Event window
- 2024-10-01 to 2024-10-03 (3 days)
- Baseline window
- 2024-07-30 to 2024-09-23 (56 valid days)
- Method
- wfm-effect-1.0
- Computed
- 2026-09-19 (19 September 2026), data revision 1:8c84c41a7bc9
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Container ship port calls, Norfolk
- Baseline (expected)
- 1.8 calls per day
- Observed
- 0.0 calls per day
- Change
- -1.8 (percent omitted, baseline too small)
- Standardised score
- -1.3
- Event window
- 2024-10-01 to 2024-10-03 (3 days)
- Baseline window
- 2024-07-30 to 2024-09-23 (56 valid days)
- Method
- wfm-effect-1.0
- Computed
- 2026-09-19 (19 September 2026), data revision 1:f767159f9b24
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Timeline
- The strike begins at 00:01 local time after the master contract expires, stopping container work at ports from Maine to Texas, among them the terminals at Newark and Boston reported by the trade press. [s3] [s4]
- Four northeastern governors call on both sides to settle and say they will watch for price gouging while the stoppage continues. [s2]
- The union and the employers' alliance announce a tentative agreement on wages and an extension of the master contract to 2025-01-15, stating that "all current job actions will cease" immediately. [s1] [s3]
- Terminals reopen through the day. The Georgia Ports Authority resumes truck gates at Garden City Terminal at 06:00 and rail at 07:00, with vessel work at Brunswick that evening. [s1]
Cause
The union struck after negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance over a new master contract broke down on wages and on protections against automation. The dispute ended with a tentative wage settlement and a contract extension, with automation left to further bargaining. Attributed by: International Longshoremen's Association and United States Maritime Alliance. [s1] [s3]
Resolution
Corrections
No corrections to this record as of 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026).
Sources
- [s1] Georgia Ports Authority, Reopening plans after October 1 work stoppage, published 2024-10-03 (3 October 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
- [s2] Office of the Governor of New York, Joint Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul, Governor Phil Murphy, Governor Maura Healey and Governor Wes Moore, published 2024-10-03 (3 October 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
- [s3] Supply Chain Dive, ILA port strike ends through tentative deal, published 2024-10-03 (3 October 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
- [s4] Manufacturing Dive, ILA strike begins, disrupting East and Gulf Coast ports, published 2024-10-01 (1 October 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)