Port strike ends as agreement on wages reached: What we know

A three-day strike that halted shipping at 36 U.S. ports along the East and Gulf coasts ended Thursday.

This comes after the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative agreement on wages.

The deal, which extends the master contract between the union and port operators until Jan. 15, 2025, allows negotiations to continue on other aspects of the contract.

What does the deal include?

The tentative agreement is for a wage hike of around 62% over six years

“Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume,” the statement said.

The strike, which began late Monday night, involved more than 47,000 dock workers, including 4,500 from the Port of New York and New Jersey, one of the busiest ports in the country. Operations will now resume at ports from Maine to Texas, which were severely impacted by the walkout.

The tentative deal averts further disruption to supply chains, with both sides continuing talks on other outstanding issues.

How did the port strike affect New Jersey

The Port of New York and New Jersey, with key facilities in Newark, Elizabeth and Staten Island, is second busiest on the East Coast.

Some of the most common goods that pass through the ports include furniture; appliances, machinery and parts; plastics; wood pulp like waste and scrap; and wood. The strike set off a mini panic run on toilet paper, paper towels and other essentials, even though officials had said that was not necessary.

President Biden praises the deal

President Joe Biden praised the agreement in a statement released by the White House moments after the agreement was announced.

“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.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Is the port strike over? What to know on deal with dockworkers