New York CNN —
Longshore workers at ports from Maine to Texas are set to walk off the job early Tuesday, staging what could become the most disruptive strike to the US economy in decades.
The strike could stop the flow of a wide variety of goods over the docks of almost all the cargo ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast – everything from bananas to European wine and liquor, along with clothing, toys, household goods and European autos. Also affected could be parts needed to keep US factories operating and American workers in those plants on the job.
On one side of negotiations is the US Maritime Association, which uses the acronym USMX. It represents the major shipping lines, all of which are foreign-owned, as well as terminal operators and port authorities. It is facing a strike threat by the International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents85,000 members overall.