A potential crisis was averted Thursday when longshoremen and a group representing U.S

 

A potential crisis was averted Thursday when longshoremen and a group representing U.S. west coast port employees reached a tentative contract agreement.  It averts a potential strike that could have cost the U.S. economy $1B a day. This comes after negotiations have been going on for the past 13 months as President Joe Biden sent acting U.S. labor secretary Julie Su to push for an agreement following work stoppages at ports from Seattle to Los Angeles. The six-year contract agreed upon covers 22,000 workers and 29 west coast ports. The preliminary deal will provide stability for workers and the economy, according to Su. This is the second time during his presidency that Joe Biden has had to step in to avoid work stoppages at west coast ports, as the president was forced to intervene and address bottlenecks at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach.