The International Longshoremen's Association, which went out on strike on Tuesday, and the operators of ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast agreed to a temporary settlement until January 15, 2024. Port employers offered 62% over six years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The union had wanted a 77% increase and the port operators had offered 50%. But other issues have to be negotiated and this includes the use of automation on heavy machinery on the docks.

"This is not just about money; this is about future automation replacing a large majority of jobs within the ports and that reality is valid, it will eventually happen," Tracey Ortiz, director of product management at SPS Commerce, told GlobeSt.com. Right now, there isn't enough automation to keep the ports running "even for a day or two," according to Ortiz.