Dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts of the U.S. are on strike as of midnight Tuesday, in what is the first large-scale work stoppage in nearly 50 years.
Dockworkers have halted the flow of about half the nation's ocean shipping after negotiations for a new labor contract broke down over wages and terminal automation.
Analysts warn the disruption will cost the economy billions of dollars a day, threaten jobs, and stoke inflation.
Representing 45-thousand port workers, the International Longshoremen's Association had been negotiating with the United States Maritime Alliance for a new six-year contract.
White House officials hope for a short strike, but President Biden has said he will not use federal powers to force dockworkers to remain on the job.
(Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)