By Doyinsola Oladipo and David Shepardson NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. dock workers and port operators reached a tentative deal that will immediately end a crippling three-day strike that has shut down shipping on the U.

Many ports along the East and Gulf coasts were shut down, threatening the country’s supply chains, after unionized port workers went on strike on Tuesday. But those workers will return to work after reaching a tentative agreement on wages with the group representing port employers.

The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) has reached a deal to suspend its strike until January, according to a joint statement released on Thursday. The statement by the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance,