The union representing 45,000 dock workers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts and their employers on Wednesday said they reached a tentative deal on a new six-year contract, averting further strikes that could have snarled supply chains and taken a toll on the U.

Port terminal operators and the longshoremen’s union reached a tentative deal Wednesday that averts a port strike that would have shut down the major East and Gulf coast ports next week. The deal must still be voted on by union members but offers workers new protections against automated technology replacing jobs in addition to hefty wage gains.

Dockworkers represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association negotiated to avoid a second port strike in a matter of months.