U.S. longshoremen reached a contract agreement with ports and shippers Jan. 8, averting a potential strike that could have damaged the American economy.

The International Longshoremen’s Association union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance of ports and shipping companies said they had reached a tentative agreement for a six-year contract, a week ahead of a Jan. 15 deadline.

In a joint statement, the two sides said the agreement protects union jobs and allows ports on the East and Gulf coasts to modernize with new technology, “making them safer and more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong.’’

Many believe this is a win-win agreement that creates ILA jobs, supports American consumers and businesses, and keeps the American economy the key hub of the global marketplace.

A strike would have shut down ports along the East and Gulf coasts and would have begun damaging the economy if it lasted much more than a week, economists said.

Automation has long been a contentious issue at U.S. ports. Longshoremen worry that machines — such as semi-automated cranes that don’t need their own individual operators — will supplant human workers. Even if the ports agree to protect existing jobs as they modernize, they could need fewer workers as they get more efficient, meaning the port workforce and the union could shrink over time.