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Today’s top story
Thousands of dockworkers have called off the strike that shut down East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance ended the three-day standoff with both sides agreeing to a 62% wage increase over six years. The union had wanted a 77% increase over six years. Both parties agreed to extend the existing contract until Jan. 15, 2025, so they can continue negotiations.
- 🎧 The biggest sticking point in the ongoing negotiations is now automation, NPR’s Andrea Hsu tells Up First . The union seeks language that guarantees humans , not machines, will handle the task of moving shipping containers. In general, they’re opposed to any technology that eliminates the need for union labor. Union President Harold Daggett says that even partially automated equipment poses a threat, as it could lead to job losses. For now, the U.S. has avoided an economic crisis, and it will take some days for things to go back to normal, Hsu says.