U.S. dockworkers agreed to return to work after port operators sweetened their contract offer, ending a three-day strike that threatened to disrupt the American economy. The breakthrough Thursday came after port employers offered a 62% increase in wages over six years,

The International Longshoremen’s Association, the union that has been on strike since early Tuesday at ports along the East and Gulf Coasts, and the management group representing shipping lines, terminal operators and port authorities are close to a deal to end the potentially disruptive work stoppage,