Nearly 50,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) are on strike Tuesday against the nation’s East and Gulf Coast ports, choking off the flow of many of America’s imports and exports in what could become the country’s most disruptive work stoppage in decades. The strike, which began at midnight, will stop the flow of a wide variety of goods over the docks of almost all cargo ports from Maine to Texas. …It could also stop US exports now flowing through those ports, hurting sales for American companies. A wide gap remained between the union’s demands and the contract offer from the United States Maritime Alliance. …Depending on the length of the strike, it could result in shortages of consumer and industrial goods, which could then lead to price hikes. It could also mark a setback to the economy, which has shown signs of recovery.

Additional coverage in First Coast News by Heather Crawford: East Coast port strike could be ‘devastating’ to nation’s supply chain, Jacksonville professor says. “Imports of lumber and steel would also be affected, impacting the construction industry”.

In Global News, by Craig Lord: U.S. port strike begins with major implications for Canada’s economy