Ports along the US east and Gulf coasts have shut down as dock workers went on strike for the first time in nearly five decades. Tens of thousands of dockworkers represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association walked out of major US ports after their employment contract expired at midnight on Tuesday.

Thousands of dockworkers could be on the picket line – including right here on the East Coast. Negotiations between companies and the International Longshoremen’s Association are struggling to move foreword.

A strike would cause billions of dollars in economic damage and force shippers to divert more products to the West Coast, raising costs for retailers and ultimately consumers.