U.S. port strike suspended until January to allow time for contract talks – National [Video]

The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports says it has reached a deal to suspend their strike until January to provide time to negotiate a new contract.

The International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance said in a joint statement they have reached a tentative deal on wage increases, a key sticking point in the labour dispute that has snarled North American supply chains for two days.

Workers will return to the job immediately, the union said, and the two sides will “return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues.”

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

The union went on strike early Tuesday after its contract expired in a dispute over pay and the automation of tasks at the ports from Maine to Texas. The strike came at the peak of the holiday …