As Hurricane Helene approaches Florida and a potential strike by the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) threatens East and Gulf Coast ports, the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) has issued an update regarding weather conditions and labor negotiations.

The U.S. Coast Guard has placed JAXPORT at Condition Zulu, which halts all vessel movements. The port's terminal gates will remain open during the storm, although this status may change based on the hurricane's trajectory and further directives from the Coast Guard.

"Because JAXPORT terminal operators establish their own operating hours at their gated facilities, drivers seeking to pick up or drop off a load are encouraged to check with their terminal operator for their specific hours of operation," the release stated.

Contact information for terminal operators is available [here](link-to-terminal-operators), and updates from Carnival Cruise Line regarding affected sailings can be found [here](link-to-carnival-updates).

**Potential ILA Strike:**

JAXPORT is also closely observing the ILA's threat to strike on Tuesday if the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) does not meet the union's demands for increased wages and improved healthcare benefits.

JAXPORT anticipates that the strike could affect approximately one-third of its operations, particularly international container volumes handled by the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal. SSA Jacksonville's contingency plan is available [here](link-to-ssa-contingency). International vehicle volumes are also expected to be impacted.