The dockworkers’ strike that could have severely hurt the American economy and the supply chain weeks before an election has been paused until January 15, diverting what could have been a political catastrophe for Vice President Kamala Harris.

“The union that represents tens of thousands of East Coast dockworkers and the shipping industry reached a tentative agreement on wages and are extending an expired contract through Jan. 15, 2025,” announced Politico on Thursday.

The union said on Facebook that “effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume.”

The threat of a strike could have severely hurt the American supply chain, which would have dramatically affected the economy going into the November presidential election between former President Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Upon news that the strike would be going forward earlier this week, Americans began to panic-buy essential goods.

“I don’t know how bad it’s going to get, but the south east just got smacked by a hurricane and now the supply chain is going to be impacted through this strike … I would rather be overprepared than scared,” a woman in Fort Worth, Texas, said in a social media post this week.

As Breitbart News reported, port congestion had already been building as the threat of a strike loomed large over the nation.

“Growing lines of container ships continued to form outside major U.S. ports on Thursday as the biggest dockworker strike in nearly 50 years entered its third day,” it reported. “The choke points are threatening shortages of everything from bananas to auto parts and are anticipated to grow in coming days if no resolution is forthcoming.”

“Some 45 container vessels that have been unable to unload had dropped anchor outside the strike-stricken East Coast and Gulf Coast ports by Wednesday, up from just three before the strike began on Sunday, according to Everstream Analytics,” it added.