NEW ORLEANS — *The Associated Press contributed to this story*
Union dockworkers at the Port of New Orleans and across the country are on strike for higher wages and protection from automation.
The International Longshoremen's Association says it has shut down all ports from Maine to Texas now that its contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance has expired.
The strike is expected to involve 25,000 workers at 36 ports, including New Orleans.
The ILA is demanding better pay for dockworkers, and a complete ban on automated cranes, gates, and container-moving trucks.
Experts believe just 1-week of striking could cost the u-s nearly 3-point-8 billion dollars. The strike could stall imports and exports right before the peak holiday shopping season which could have global impacts.
Port officials say they are not expecting shortages.
The U.S. dockworkers who went on strike early Tuesday are just the latest unionized group to back their demands for better contracts by walking off the job to illustrate their value to both the national economy and their employers' bottom line.
Between 2022 and 2023, the number of work stoppages rose 9% to 466 strikes and four lockouts, according to figures maintained by Cornell University’s IRL School.
However, the number of workers involved in work stoppages, approximately 539,000, was more than double that the previous year, according to the school's research.
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