FROM WTOC: SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – After three days of striking, a contract extension has been agreed to by the International Longshoremen Association, according to officials with the Georgia Ports and Savannah area ILA members.

ILA members were seen breaking down their picket line outside the Port of Savannah Thursday evening. Officials with Georgia Ports said a 90-day extension has been agreed to and the ports will be open Friday. Currently, there are 13 ships waiting to enter the port and four more arriving in the next few days from the Panama Canal, according to port officials.

A local member of the ILA said they spoke with national union members and confirmed the extension. Few details have been released. ILA members heard the pay side of the negotiations may have been settled with what amounts to a 61% increase in pay. Other portions of the negotiations, local ILA members said, were still being worked out.

The ILA posted the following statement about its Master Contract on its Facebook page:

“The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. have reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025 to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues. Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume.”