PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Back in October, the International Longshoremen’s Association went on strike against the U.S. Maritime Alliance at our local ports. Previously: ILA strike seeks increased wages, curbs in automation The two sides agreed to suspend the strike for 90 days. But the 90 days are up next Wednesday, and if the ILA and the U.S. Maritime Alliance do not come to agreement, another strike could shut down ports on the East and Gulf coasts again. At Virginia International Gateway port in Portsmouth, George Berry, founder of For Truckers By Truckers, which advocates for truckers and what they do, said workers fear losing jobs to automation. “Next Wednesday, we could be looking at another longshoremen work stoppage for most of the East Coast and Gulf [Coast] ports," Berry said. Back in October, the ILA tentatively agreed to a 62% pay raise over six years, but the issue now is automation and semi-automation — the more automation there is, the fewer jobs for ILA, it said. “They don't want to lose any jobs," Berry said. "That's what they're saying. They feel that’s what automation does. They feel that it does, and the port’s position is technology is the way of the future, and the port is more efficient with automation, and some automation, not so much with the labor force that they're having to pay a large amount of money to.” At the port Tuesday, Iris Elliott, a member of ILA Local 1248, said she is not concerned about the strike, but the local's members are concerned about how they will be affected. “No, I am not [concerned] because God is in control," Elliott said. "Pretty much everyone is a little concerned because this is our livelihood. This is the way we take care of our families, and we work very hard.” Said Berry: “I think the middle ground is ILA is going to have to agree to some type of additional automation. I can’t see it being wiped off the table completely.” If there is a strike, though, Berry is matter-of-fact about it. “We turn our keys off, we sit and wait until this is resolved," Berry said, "and we're kind of on the sidelines. We are the pawns in this situation. We're not at the negotiating table with this." Berry pointed behind him to a rail-mounted gantry, or RMG, that went by — part of the automation at the port — as an example of what port workers do not want to continue seeing. “This is absolutely an example of automation," Berry said. "What you are seeing right now is that RMG is going by with no human on it. It is all automated. It is getting ready to set that container down perfectly and squarely on another container in this stack. There's no human being in that RMG right now.” A strike here also means container ships will head to the West Coast, rather than the Port of Virginia, and other East and Gulf coast ports. “We have seen that from some of the larger steamship lines," Berry said. "They are telling their customers to divert freight from the East Coast and Gulf ports. We hope that's not the case, but they did release their statement.” A strike also could also mean supply-chain disruption, but Berry said there's no current need to head to the store and stock up. “Now, if we are talking about a strike going on for weeks, well maybe there will need to be some consideration for stocking up on essentials like medicine and other essentials, too," Berry said. Elliott, though not worried, did have a message for negotiators. "My message is getting it together — we work very hard," Elliott said. "We work when other people are home. We work 24 hours around the clock. So we deserve to get what we work hard for."