The union representing thousands of dock workers from Maine to Texas launched a strike Tuesday over wages and the use of automation, shutting down major seaports.

The union representing U.S. dockworkers signaled that 45,000 members will walk off the job at midnight, kicking off a massive strike likely to shut down ports across the East and Gulf coasts

Dozens of ports along the East and Gulf coasts of the US have shut down as thousands of dock workers strike over wages and technology that could replace jobs, according to CNBC. The strike, which began just past midnight on October 1st,

A lengthy strike by 45,000 dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas could drive up prices and make some items harder to get.

The stoppage is the first coast-wide ILA strike since 1977 and halts the flow of about half the nation's ocean shipping. A two-week strike could mean that ports would not return t