The labor strike that halted shipping and unloading operations at U.S. East Coast ports has ended after three days. The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), representing 45,000 port workers nationwide, reached an agreement with management to end the strike on the 3rd, media outlets reported on the 4th. As a result, cargo operations have resumed at 36 ports along the U.S. East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, avoiding the feared year-end shopping season "logistics crisis." However, a final agreement must be reached by January 15 of next year. [Reuters]