US Dockworkers, Port Employers Set to Restart Talks Tuesday (1)

Leaders from a US dockworkers’ union and the group that represents their employers are set to resume contract talks on Jan. 7 as the threat of a strike looms, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

Facing a mid-January deadline to reach a deal, Tuesday’s planned talks are a welcome sign for importers and exporters bracing for a labor disruptionthat would shut every major port on the US East and Gulf coasts. Those gateways account for roughly half of all the country’s container volumes, according to data compiled by the American Association of Port Authorities.

But the ...