International Longshoremen’s Association delegates voted overwhelmingly Wednesday for a two-year extension of the union contract covering 18,500 Atlantic and Gulf dockworkers. … ILA President Richard Hughes said he is confident the extension will win rank-and-file approval. He said the agreement a year ahead of the Sept. 30, 2010, expiration of the current pact will prevent shippers from routing cargo away from ILA ports. “This is a stabilizing force for our industry,” he said.
