Thousands of U.S. dockworkers have gone on strike, shutting down 36 East Coast ports. The dockworkers are demanding better pay and job protections. This is the first port strike of this magnitude in five decades. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) was behind the strike. The ILA is asking for the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) to increase wages by 77 percent over six years and bar the automation of jobs. The strike has shut down key ocean shipping routes, and is raising concerns on how the strike will affect the U.S. economy. The strike may cause billions of dollars in losses for the U.S., hindering the flow of goods to and from the country. Forecaster Oxford Economics estimates that the strike could cause losses of $4.5bn-$7.5bn from the U.S. economy each week. 

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/1/thousands-of-dockworkers-shut-down-us-east-coast-ports-in-major-strike