Thousands of US dockworkers strike as contract deadline passes

By Ry Rivard, Nick Niedzwiadek | 10/01/2024 12:32 PM EDT

Their absence means cargo can’t be unloaded and presents a political threat to Democrats trying to send positive economic messages to voters.

Operations are seen in the Port of Houston Authority.

Operations are seen in the Port of Houston Authority on Sept. 20 in Harris County, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Dockworkers from New England to Texas walked off the job just after midnight Tuesday, upending parts of the U.S. supply chain weeks before the election.

Tens of thousands of workers struck after the International Longshoremen’s Association and the shipping industry could not reach a new contract after their last six-year deal expired. Their absence means cargo can’t be unloaded at ports all across the Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf Coast.

Even a short strike is likely to send shock waves through the economy. A prolonged one is politically perilous for Democrats up and down the ballot, including Vice President Kamala Harris, who may be forced to choose between their labor allies and a fully functioning economy.

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“Nothing is going to move without us,” ILA International President Harold Daggett told dockworkers in New Jersey in a video posted by the union on Facebook.

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