Tens of thousands of dock workers have announced a massive strike at 14 US ports
Tens of thousands of dock workers have announced an indefinite strike at many ports in the United States, threatening significant trade and economic disruption ahead of the presidential election and the busy holiday shopping season, the BBC reports.
Members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) went on strike Tuesday at 14 major ports on the East and Gulf Coasts, halting the shipping of containers from Maine to Texas.
This action was the first such strike in almost 50 years.
US President Joe Biden has the authority to suspend the strike for 80 days for further negotiations, but the White House has announced that he does not intend to take any action.
The negotiations have been deadlocked for several months, and the contract between the parties expired on Monday. The White House said President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were closely monitoring the strike.
"The president instructed his team to convey his message directly to both sides that they should sit down at the table and negotiate in good faith, fairly and quickly," the White House announced.
