On August 31, 2012, the Journal of Commerce (JOC) published an update on the negotiations between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), noting that ILA issued a formal request for a final contract offer. According to USMX Chairman James Capo, although negotiations are still ongoing, a final offer is still not ready.

Negotiations were scheduled to take three days - Wednesday, August 22 through Friday, August 24; however, they were stopped on the first day. The ILA-USMX contract, which covers dockworkers in all ports from Maine to Texas, is expiring on September 30,  2012. ILA has stated that a strike could result if a new contract is not agreed upon before then.

The JOC article is available online here.