Port of Los Angeles

As of midnight, dockworkers along the East and Gulf Coasts of the U.S. have launched the first large-scale work stoppage in nearly 50 years. The strike, initiated by tens of thousands of members of the International Longshoremen's Association, has effectively halted about half of the nation's ocean shipping. The workers are demanding better wages and stronger protections against terminal automation, with negotiations for a new labor contract breaking down over these key issues.

The strike is expected to have a severe impact on the U.S. . .