PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year master contract Wednesday, averting a potential strike. Details are not yet being released to allow ILA members and Maritime Alliance members to review and approve the final document. Port workers had expressed fears about losing jobs to automation. As port strike looms, local workers fear automation They reached the tentative agreement on all items for a new contract, and the two sides agreed to continue operating under the current contract until the union is able to meet with its full Wage Scale Committee and schedule a ratification vote, and U.S. Maritime Alliance members can ratify the terms of the final contract. “We are pleased to announce that ILA and USMX have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year ILA-USMX Master Contract, subject to ratification, thus averting any work stoppage on Jan. 15, 2025,” the two sides said in a joint statement. “This agreement protects current ILA jobs and establishes a framework for implementing technologies that will create more jobs while modernizing East and Gulf coasts ports – making them safer and more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong. “This is a win-win agreement that creates ILA jobs, supports American consumers and businesses, and keeps the American economy the key hub of the global marketplace.”