A likely strike by East and Gulf coast workers will disrupt U.S. imports and exports amid the high-volume holiday shipping period, with retailers, agricultural companies and the automotive sector being among the most affected. The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) is planning to launch a dockworkers' strike at U.S. ports along the country's East Coast and Gulf Coast starting on Oct. 1 if the union does not reach an agreement for a new contract with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) representing port operators by Sept. 30. The strike would span tens of thousands of dockworkers at 36 ports, including some of the busiest ports in the United States -- namely, the Port of New York and New Jersey; the Port of Savannah, Georgia; and the Port of Houston, Texas. The strike would primarily affect container shipments, with no direct impact on passenger travel or bulk shipping. During Wage Committee meetings...
