US dockworkers 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.

Members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) walked out on Tuesday at 14 major ports along the east and Gulf coats, 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.

The affected ports included some of the nation's busiest, including in New York, Georgia and Texas. They are estimated by experts to handle more than a third of US imports and exports.

Businesses had been bracing for the possibility of a prolonged shutdown, which threatened to disrupt global trade and the US economy.

Many consumers had been fearful and were stocking up on some supplies, like baby formula and toilet paper.

US President Joe Biden told reporters earlier on Thursday that he thought the two sides would come together.

"I think we’re making progress," he said. "We’ll find out soon."

Under the 2018 contract that expired on Monday, dockworkers earned a base hourly wage of $20-$39, as well as other benefits, including royalties linked to container traffic.

Harold Daggett, head of the ILA, demanded companies agree to boost hourly pay by $5 for each year of the contract.

The union, which has about 47,000 active members according to federal filings, is also seeking protections against automation.

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