The International Longshoremen’s Association announced late Thursday it would suspend the two-day-old strike across America’s East and Gulf Coast ports after reaching a tentative deal with their employers.
The deal reportedly includes a 62% rise in wages over the course of six-year contracts, which works out to about a $4 an hour wage increase per year. Workers won’t see the benefit for a few months though, as their current contract, which expires Tuesday, has been extended to Jan. 15, 2025.
President Joe Biden, who had pressed both sides to come to a deal — in no small part because of the political ramifications of a crucial labor strike five weeks before an election — praised the quick resolution. “I congratulate the dockworkers from the ILA, who deserve a strong contract after sacrificing so much to keep our ports open during the pandemic. And I applaud the port operators and carriers who are members of the US Maritime Alliance for working hard and putting a strong offer on the table,” he wrote in a statement.
With the threat of major economic disruptions from the strike now off the table, the week just got a little bit easier for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign — and with polls showing essentially a dead-heat race, she’ll take any little advantage she can get.
5: US President Donald Trump added five new countries – Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria – to the list of nations banned from traveling to the US.
With the release of its National Security Strategy, the Trump administration has telegraphed how the US intends to engage with allies, and what it expects from them.