The American International Longshoremen's Association, representing the interests of port workers on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, issued a joint statement on the 8th with the American Maritime Alliance, representing employers, stating that both parties reached a preliminary agreement on all terms of the new six-year master contract that day. The statement indicated that labor and management would continue to enforce the existing contract until both the union and the employers complete their internal approval processes. (Xinhua News Agency)