East and Gulf Coast dockworkers represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association have agreed to suspend their strike, which began Monday night (see "East Coast Dockworkers Walk Out"), while negotiating issues that are not yet settled, according to a joint statement from the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd., representing the port operators.

The union is sending its members back to work after reaching a tentative agreement with port operators on wages.  The current Master Contract will be extended until January 15, 2025 to allow the two sides to return to the bargaining table to resolve remaining issues.

The tentative wage agreement provides for raises of 62% over six years, according to the Wall Street Journal.  The most contentious issue remaining to be resolved concerns the amount of automation to be used at the ports.

The agreement avoids major disruptions in the run-up to the holiday season, which could have caused a return to the shortages, delays, and high costs experienced by importers of games, toys, and comics in the post-Covid demand surge.