U.S. Port Union Suspends Strike After New Wage Offer

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has agreed to suspend a strike that shut down major ports on the East and Gulf Coasts.

The union said it had reached “a tentative agreement on wages” and that its 45,000 members would return to work, with the current contract extended until January 15. I Photo: Stafford Capital Partners

The decision followed an improved wage offer from port employers, Peter Eavis reported for The New York Times.

The strike, which the dockworkers’ union initiated on Tuesday, posed a threat to the economy just five weeks before national elections.

Employers, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance, have proposed a 62% wage increase over the course of a new six-year contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

This increase is lower than the union’s initial demand but significantly higher than the alliance’s previous offer.

In a statement, the union said it had reached “a tentative agreement on wages” and that its 45,000 members would return to work, with the current contract extended until January 15.

The union added that it was going back to the bargaining table “to negotiate all other outstanding issues.” The alliance issued a similar statement.