Dockworkers from Maine to Texas went on strike this morning at ports across the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf states and the negative results could last for months.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) walked off the job Oct. 1 and North American ports, businesses and consumers are bracing for the impacts of the strike which could fuel inflation and cause good shortages.

The ILA represents about 45,000 dockworkers at 36 seaports and is at bat with their employer, the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), for a new contract agreement.

The U.S. Maritime Alliance filed an unfair labour practice charge saying that the union is not bargaining in good faith, and the ILA called the suit another “publicity stunt” by their employer.

Members say they’re looking for a 77 per cent increase in pay. Negotiations are ongoing.

The strike is the first of its kind in nearly 50 years and the second major strike this month in the U.S. with the ongoing disputes at Boeing.

CANADIAN IMPACT
Locally the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority says the biggest impact from the U.S. strike will be at Canada’s east coast ports and in Montreal, the country’s second-largest port.

Nearly 350 longshore workers in Montreal started a three-day strike at the Port of Montreal on Monday, shutting down two terminals that handle more than 40 per cent of the container traffic.

Employment demands include more regular scheduling and higher wages.