With the labor contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) expiring in two weeks, a potential strike involving over 70,000 dockworkers at 36 East and Gulf Coast ports could disrupt a vital part of the domestic supply chain. Beyond calls for increased wages, a significant point of contention is the USMX's investment in automation. The alliance, representing employers, carriers, and port operators, maintains its intention to uphold existing technology agreements that aim to modernize and enhance efficiency while safeguarding ILA members' jobs and hours. However, the union postponed early summer negotiations due to the implementation of autogates at a port in Alabama. The union's concerns about autogates are rooted in their June statement regarding APM Terminals and Maersk Line's use of an autonomous gate system at the Port of Mobile, which processes trucks without ILA labor. Despite reports suggesting the system has been operational since 2008, predating two contract periods, the ILA has also voiced apprehension about similar technologies being deployed at other USMX-affiliated ports. The 2018 ILA-USMX master contract explicitly prohibits the development of fully-automated terminals and the use of fully-automated systems.