Tens of thousands of workers at major ports on the US East and Gulf Coasts went on strike Tuesday in an action that could drag down the world's largest economy just over a month before the presidential election.

The 45,000 dockworkers who went on strike Tuesday for the first time in decades at 36 U.S. ports from Maine to Texas may wield the upper hand in their standoff with port operators over wages and the use of automation.

Dockworkers at seaports on the East and Gulf Coasts went on strike Tuesday after negotiations with port employers over a new contract remained at an impasse.

KEY TAKEAWAYS The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) members walked out this week, seeking higher pay and labor protections against automation from the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).

Tens of thousands of longshoremen at ports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico went on strike shortly after midnight, the first strike by the port workers’ union in nearly 50 years. Workers walked off the job from Maine to Texas,

From Maine to Texas, dockworkers at 36 ports across the eastern U.S. are now on strike for the first time in decades. Supply chain experts say consumers won’t see an immediate impact from the strike because most retailers stocked up on goods,