The strike, the first in decades, began early Tuesday and would affect about 50,000 members of the International Association of Dockers (ILA) along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
The workers are demanding a wage increase and restrictions on the use of automation at ports, which they say could lead to job losses.
They are reportedly at an impasse with the United States Maritime Alliance, or USMX, which represents port operations and shipping companies.
Some observers believe that the strike will be detrimental to the Democrats, especially since their candidate, Kamala Harris, is trailing Republican Donald Trump on the question of who is best suited to handle the economy.
As is usually the case, the party in power in the White House would be responsible for any significant economic disruption in this new scenario.
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