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 agreement, which extends the main contract between the union and port operators until January 15, 2025, allows negotiations on other aspects of the contract to continue.
What does the agreement entail?
The provisional agreement provides for a wage increase of approximately 62% over a period of six years
“With immediate effect, all current work will cease and all work under the framework contract will resume,” the statement said.
The strike, which began late Monday evening, involved more than 47,000 longshoremen, 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 hit hard by the strike.
The preliminary agreement prevents further disruption to supply chains, with both sides continuing discussions on other outstanding issues.
What impact did the port strike have on New Jersey?
The Port of New York and New Jersey, with major facilities in Newark, Elizabeth and Staten Island, is the second busiest on the East Coast.
Some of the most common goods passing through the ports are furniture; equipment, machines and parts; plastics; wood pulp such as waste and scrap; and wood. The strike triggered a mini panic run on toilet paper, paper towels and other supplies, even though officials had said they weren’t necessary.
President Biden praised the deal
President Joe Biden praised the agreement in a statement released by the White House shortly after the agreement was announced.
“I want to thank union workers, carriers and port operators for their patriotic action 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 and the bottom up.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Is the Port Strike Over? What you need to know about dealing with dock workers
