The ILA and USMX have now reached a tentative agreement for a six-year master contract, a move that will avert a second strike after October's work stoppage.

Trade groups and industry leaders were at ease after the International Longshoremen’s Association the United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative agreement on a six-year contract for East and Gulf Coast port workers on Wednesday.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year master contract. The agreement will replace the expiring contract