The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) said on Thursday it had reached a tentative agreement with the U.S. West Coast employers of port laborers, renewing the contract for more than 22,000 dockworkers.

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents the employers, said last week a local ILWU unit had disrupted terminal operations at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, pushing forward on contract negotiations.

The PMA and ILWU have been in the talks for a resolution since May, after the contract between them expired on July 1, 2022.

Major shippers – including suppliers to retailers such as Walmart Inc WMT.N and Home Depot Inc HD.N – have been diverting cargo from the West Coast to rival seaports on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico to avoid potential work stoppages.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)