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.

Both parties said the deal "establishes a framework for implementing technologies that will create more jobs while modernizing" the ports.

Dockworkers and port companies have come to a tentative agreement on a new six-year deal, avoiding another work stoppage that would cause major shipping disruptions along the East Coast. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) announced the