Miami – The dockworkers international strike has been suspended until January to give the union, ports and shipping companies time to negotiate a new deal.

The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents 54,000 port workers including the PortMiami and Port Everglades in Broward County, announced the suspension on Oct. 3, ending the three-day work stoppage.

The strike had an immediate impact on consumer and agricultural services which could’ve cost the local economy about $3.8 billion per day had the strike continued, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The strike was the first for the International Longshoremen Association in 50 years, impacting 36 ports along the eastern seaboard, JAXPORT in Jacksonville, Port Tampa Bay, and as far as Australia.

The dockworkers, who are demanding higher wages, about a 62 percent pay increase and enhanced benefits, walked out on Monday night when negotiations collapsed.

The workers carried picket signs near the ports including in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and were joined by their supporters, family members and friends.

The Longshoremen’s Association said the workers returned to work last Friday after a tentative agreement was reached between the union and U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies.

According to the Associated Press, the companies tentatively offered a 50 percent increase in salaries for six years and an option for a 62 percent increase thereafter.

The port union members will have to approve the deal as part of the ratification of a final contract.

The union can negotiate a better deal up until January.

The Longshoremen’s port workers, most of whom are Black at PortMiami and Port Everglades in Broward County, said the tentative agreement is a step in the right direction.

One of them, Danny Blackmon II who lives in Miami, told the South Florida Times that a pay hike has been long overdue for dockworkers.

He said his current salary is not enough to keep up with inflation.

“We just want our fair share because we do most of the work,” he said. “The shipping companies get billions and we deserve better pay to take care of our families.”

President Joe Biden praised both sides for agreeing to end the strike because it would have crippled the economy and impacted critical supplies needed for rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

“With the grace of God, and the goodwill of neighbors, it’s gonna hold,” President Joe Biden told reporters after the agreement was reached.

The strike could have implications for the U.S. presidential race, as Vice

President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are battling for working-class voters and union endorsements.

After the announcement that the strike was suspended, Harris, on the campaign trail in Flint, Michigan, a battleground state, said the development indicates progress toward a strong contract and represents the power of collective bargaining.

She also said it ensures the economy will stay stable, as over 254,000 labor jobs were added last month the U.S.

“Dockworkers deserve a fair share for their hard work getting essential goods out to communities across America,” she said.

During a rally in Saginaw, Michigan last week, Trump claimed that Republicans are now “the party of the American worker,” glossing over his anti-union record as president.

“Under my leadership, Americans won’t have to go on strike for a better wage or a better life,” he told a sea of supporters.

U.S. Rep. Fredrica Wilson, a Democrat from Miami, said the tentative agreement between port workers and shipping companies is a sign the economy is moving in the right direction.

“Collective bargaining is key to building our economy from the middle out and bottom up,” Wilson said on social media. I’m glad the Longshoremen and Maritime Alliance struck a tentative deal to end the strike. When our unions are strong, America is strong! Together, we’re moving our economy forward.”