The International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance announced they tentatively came to terms on Wednesday with a new six-year contract. And, according to ILA President Harold Daggett,

Automation was at the center of a long-running labor dispute that threatened to close East and Gulf Coast ports.

U.S. longshoremen reached a contract agreement with ports and shippers Wednesday, averting a potential strike that could have damaged the American economy. The International Longshoremen's Association union and the U.

The International Longshoremen's Association and United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative deal on Wednesday, averting a looming strike set for later this month.

The longshoremen’s union was threatening a work stoppage that could have frozen East and Gulf coast ports days before President-elect Trump takes office.

Dockworkers and employers on the East and Gulf Coasts had until Jan. 15 to reach a new agreement that settled differences over automation.

Dockworkers represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association negotiated to avoid a second port strike in a matter of months.

A tentative six-year contract agreement between longshoremen and ports has averted a potential strike that could have disrupted the U.S. economy.

Cargo could stop flowing at East and Gulf Coast ports, which handle most imports, if a union and an employers’ group can’t agree on the use of machines that can operate without humans.

The United States Maritime Alliance said on Wednesday it reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year master contract with the International Longshoremen’s Association.