The International Longshoremen’s Association announced on Sunday that a port strike will begin on Tuesday on the U.S. East Coast, and in the Gulf of Mexico. This action could cause delays, and even snarl up supply chains.

The union stated that “United States Maritime Alliance… refused to address a fifty-year wage subjugation.” USMX is the United States Maritime Alliance. It represents employers in the East and Gulf Coast Longshore Industry.

USMX has not yet commented.

It would be the coast-wide ILA’s first strike since 1977 if union members walked off the job in ports from Maine to Texas. These ports handle half of the nation’s shipping by ocean.

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Sources said that no negotiations took place on Sunday, and none is planned for the deadline of midnight Monday. The union had previously stated that the strike wouldn’t affect military cargo shipments, cruise ship traffic or cruise ship traffic.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to the union statement. On Sunday, Joe Biden had said that he would not intervene if dockworkers failed to reach a new agreement by the Oct. 1 deadline.

It’s collective bargaining. He told reporters that he did not believe in Taft-Hartley. Under the federal Taft-Hartley Act, presidents can intervene when labor disputes threaten national safety or security by imposing a cooling-off period of 80 days. Reuters reported first on September 17 that Biden had no plans to invoke the Taft-Hartley provisions, citing a White House Official. A strike at major ports could halt the flow of food, automobiles and other goods. This could threaten jobs and cause inflation in the weeks before the U.S. Presidential election.

Business Roundtable, the group that represents the major U.S. businesses, expressed “deep concern” about a possible strike on the East Coast and Gulf Coast.

A labor stoppage would cost the U.S. an estimated billions per day, “hurting American workers, businesses and consumers throughout the country.” We urge both parties to reach an agreement by Monday night. For months, the union had threatened to close the 36 ports that it covered if employers such as container ship operator Maersk or APM Terminals North America did not provide significant wage increases and stop automation projects at terminals.

Businesses that depend on ocean shipping for exports or imports are concerned by the dispute. Biden administration officials met on Friday with United States Maritime Alliance employer group (USMX), to convey directly “that they must be at the table, negotiating fairly and quickly in good faith” – a similar message that was delivered to the ILA earlier. USMX has accused ILA of refusing negotiations.