West Coast dockworkers reached a tentative agreement Friday night that could help clear out cargo held up at West Coast ports, The Associated Press reported.
The deal still must be approved by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, AP reported. The 13,000-member union works on 29 ports from California to Washington and handles about $1 trillion worth of cargo per year, according to AP.
The union and the Pacific Maritime Association have been working on the deal for nine months, but for the last couple months the two sides pointed fingers as to which side was creating congestion that worried businesses, according to AP.
The deal comes after U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez gave the two sides an ultimatum to finish the deal or be forced to make a deal in Washington D.C., according to NPR.