Dockworkers began picketing at the Port of Philadelphia early Tuesday after the International Longshoremen's Association announced the union would go on strike​.

Docks in Philadelphia and all along the East Coast and Gulf Coast have ground to a halt as dockworkers strike for the first time in nearly 50 years. About 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association hit the picket line around midnight when their contacts with the owners of 36 ports expired.

A short strike could have a limited economic impact given many companies have imported extra goods ahead of a possible work stoppage or shifted more shipments to West Coast ports.

The union representing 45,000 dockworkers from Texas to Maine could go on strike on Tuesday, which could cease operations at the Port of.

The International Longshoreman's Association said its 85,000 members will hit the picket lines tomorrow, as their current contract expires at the stroke of midnight. The looming industrial action has some business owners in the Phoenix area worried.

(Reuters) -Talks between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), which represents 45,000 port workers, and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group appear deadlocked on wage issues ahead of a Sept.