A tentative deal has been reached between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the management group representing port authorities, shipping lines and terminal operators, bringing an end to a three-day strike that left ports on the East and Gulf Coasts at a standstill, according to a joint statement from the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).

The organizations said they “reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025, to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues.” Effective immediately, some 45,000 dock workers at the 36 impacted docks were expected to leave the picket lines and return to work.

According to CNN, the agreement on wages amounts to a $4-per-hour raise for each year of the six-year contract. That equates to a raise of around 10 percent of the contract’s top pay of $39 per hour and will ultimately raise wages by 62 percent over the life of the contract – less than the 77 percent pay raise ILA requested, but well above the 50 percent raise they had previously rejected.

With the wage issue settled, the two sides will now look to iron out details around the automation of ports and other sticking points. The ILA membership will need to ratify the new contract by January 15, 2025, to avoid another potential strike.