- Tentative deal includes a 62% wage hike over six years - sources
- Strike affected 36 ports, causing backlog of anchored ships
- Biden applauds "critical progress towards a strong contract"
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - U.S. dock workers and port operators reached a tentative deal that will immediately end a crippling three-day strike that has shut down shipping on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast, the two sides said Thursday.
The tentative agreement is for a wage hike of around 62% over six years, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, including a worker on the picket line who heard the announcement. That would raise average wages to about $63 an hour from $39 an hour over the life of the contract.
The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) workers union had been seeking a 77% raise while the employer group - United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) - had previously raised its offer to a nearly 50% hike.
