NEW YORK -- The 14,500 longshoremen from ports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico won't strike for now as a deal was struck Friday afternoon.
A federal mediator announced that an expired contract for workers in the International Association of Longshoremen would be extend for 30 days while negotiations continue.
The longshoremen had been preparing for a strike Sunday that would have brought port operations to a halt, affecting 40 percent of all U.S. container cargo.
The mediator says the sides made major steps toward resolving this dispute.
The Associated Press