US Dock Workers Suspend Ports Strike Until January

The union representing tens of thousands of dockworkers across the US has agreed to suspend its strike while negotiations continue.

BBC reports that members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) walked out on Tuesday at 14 major ports along the east and Gulf coasts, halting container traffic from Maine to Texas.

The union says it has reached a tentative agreement on wages and will go back to work on Friday until 15 January, when they will return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues.

The action marked the first such shutdown in almost 50 years and threatened to wreak chaos amid the busy holiday shopping season and forthcoming presidential election.

“Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume,” said a joint statement by the ILA and the employers’ group – United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).

The union had been calling for a 77% wage hike, while USMX had previously increased its pay rise offer to almost 50%.