WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Tens of thousands of dockworkers in ports along the East Coast and the Gulf Coast have ended their three-day long strike after their union reached a tentative agreement. Reports say that there will be a wage hike.
The International Longshoremen's Association, representing the dockworkers, and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025.
ILA said the two sides will return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues. 'Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume,' it said in a statement.
Around 45,000 dockworkers have gone on indefinite strike at seaports across the US East Coast and Gulf Coast Tuesday after the union and the port operators failed to reach a settlement on a new Master Contract.
The strike affected operations in 36 ports, giving a massive blow to the U.S. economy as those ports handle nearly half of the nation's ocean imports.
President Joe Biden applauded the International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance for coming together to reopen the East Coast and Gulf ports. 'Today's tentative agreement on a record wage and an extension of the collective bargaining process represents critical progress towards a strong contract,' he said in a statement.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that the tentative agreement to get workers a historic and much-deserved raise would not have been possible without the leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris, the ILA, and the USMX member companies. 'I want to thank everyone involved for putting the country first, finding a path forward to reopen ports, and ensuring that essential goods-including those bound for areas hard hit by Hurricane Helene-will be moving again.'
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