Dockworkers strike ends as union, freight companies reach tentative deal

Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Striking East and Gulf Coast dockworkers and U.S. port operators have reached a tentative agreement on wages, ending a two-day-old work stoppage, the longshoreman's union announced Thursday.

The International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, an industry group representing ocean freight companies and port owners, have come together on a deal, the union said in a statement .

Under its terms, the two sides have agreed to extend the current master contract until Jan. 15, at which time they will "return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues."

The current strike, which began Tuesday morning and affects all U.S. ports from Maine to Texas, will end "immediately" and all work covered by the contract will resume, the ILA said.

Dockworkers began setting up picket lines at waterfront facilities along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, marking the first coast-wide strike by the longshoremen in nearly 50 years.

The strike affected some 24,000 workers and at 14 ports, raising fears of the damage it would potentially cost the U.S. economy.

Both President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party nominee to be his successor, Vice President Kamala Harris , voiced support for the striking dockworkers this week.

Biden on Thursday hailed news of the agreement, saying, "Today's tentative agreement on a record wage and an extension of the collective bargaining process represents critical progress towards a strong contract.

"I congratulate the dockworkers from the ILA, who deserve a strong contract after sacrificing so much to keep our ports open during the pandemic. And I applaud the port operators and carriers who are members of the U.S. Maritime Alliance for working hard and putting a strong offer on the table," he said.

The president, who spent most of Thursday touring devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene in Florida and Georgia, added that the agreement is especially timely in light of the disaster recovery efforts that will be needed.

"I want to thank the union workers, the carriers, and the port operators for acting patriotically to reopen our ports and ensure the availability of critical supplies for Hurricane Helene recovery and rebuilding," Biden said. "Collective bargaining works, and it is critical to building a stronger economy from the middle out and the bottom up."