Eastern Dock Strike Halted; Talks Extended Without 2-Tier Pay Scale

A three-day walkout by dockworkers at ports from Maine to Virginia ended Friday when management agreed to extend an expired contract and continue talks, the International Longshoremen’s Assn. said.

The agreement to keep the contract in force until Nov. 17 was seen as a victory for the union, which had refused to accept a demand by the Council of North Atlantic Shipping Assns. that any extension include implementation of a two-tier wage scale.

Concessions Called Crucial

The council, which represents the ports of Baltimore, Hampton Roads, Va., Philadelphia and Providence, R.I., said wage concessions were essential if its ports were to remain competitive with Southern ports, where the union had accepted pay cuts.

All management groups involved in the negotiations agreed to the extension. Other management groups that signed the agreement were the New York Shipping Assn., the Carriers Containers Council, the JSP Agency and the Boston Shipping Assn.

Local bargaining is to begin at “the earliest possible moment,” union spokesman James McNamara said. “All ports are to return to work as soon as possible.”

The strike at 11 ports by 30,000 dockworkers began just after midnight Wednesday after a three-year contract expired.

Sets Preconditions

The New York Shipping Assn. had been willing to extend the contract while talks continued, but the council demanded that a two-tier wage system be implemented as a condition of continued bargaining.