A potentially crippling port strike across America’s East and Gulf Coasts has been avoided following a tentative agreement between longshoremen and shipping companies. The deal, covering wages, job security, and automation, comes after months of negotiations and is set to last six years if ratified by union members.

Union representatives and the United States Maritime Alliance, representing port operators and shipping lines, highlighted the agreement as a win for both workers and the economy. It includes wage increases and a framework for implementing new technologies while ensuring job protection. This breakthrough follows a tense standoff over automation, with the union expressing concerns over job losses, and management emphasizing the need for modernization to boost efficiency.

Negotiations resumed Tuesday after months of delays, culminating in the agreement announced Wednesday. Both parties praised the deal for balancing innovation with the preservation of American jobs, signaling a step forward for the nation’s vital port infrastructure.