Port Workers Strike on East and Gulf Coasts

For the first time in nearly 50 years, longshoremen on the East and Gulf Coasts went on strike Tuesday, a move that will cut off most trade through some of the busiest U.S.ports and could send a chill through the economy.“Nothing’s going to move without us — nothing,” said Harold J.

Daggett, the president of the International Longshoremen’s Association union, addressing picketers outside a port terminal in Elizabeth, N.J., early Tuesday.The United States Maritime Alliance, which represents port employers, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Businesses now face a period of uncertainty.Trade experts say that a short strike would cause little lasting damage but that a weekslong stoppage could lead to shortages, higher prices and even layoffs.“When we talk about a two- to three-week strike,” said J.

Bruce Chan, a transportation analyst at Stifel, a Wall Street firm, “that’s when the problem starts to get exponentially worse.”...