The strike by workers at U.S. ports along the East Coast and Gulf Coast has led to plenty of debate about their pay demands. However, the bigger issue at stake is the threat of automation.Some members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) already earn some of the highest wages among blue-collar workers.

I brought Gizmo, my 10-pound Yorkipoo, during one strike at the Baltimore Sun. His sign said, “Only dogs should accept bones.” I had savings to get me through that strike. I thought about that with port workers on strike for higher pay and job security.

Thousands of unionized dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts went on strike Tuesday morning, stranding cargo and sending ripples through supply chains for consumer goods and manufacturing parts. A contract between the operators of port terminals and the International Longshoremen’s Association,

A strike at these 36 ports would be the first since 1977. More than 68% of container exports and more than 56% of container imports flow through East and Gulf Coast ports, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

Nearly 50,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) are on strike against the nation’s East and Gulf Coast ports. Follow along for the latest news.

Tens of thousands of longshoremen went on strike at midnight ET, shutting down major ports along the East and Gulf coasts and choking off deliveries of everything from produce to auto parts.Consumers aren’t likely to feel the pinch unless a walkout lasts for multiple weeks,