philadelphia — 

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.

Organized labor enjoys rising public support and has had a string of recent victories in other industries, in addition to the backing of the pro-union administration of President Joe Biden. The dockworkers' negotiating stand is likely further strengthened by the nation's supply chain of goods being under pressure in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which has coincided with the peak shipping season for holiday goods.

The union is also pointing to shipping companies' record profits, which have come in part because of shortages resulting from the pandemic, and to a more generous contract that West Coast dockworkers achieved last year. The longshoremen's workloads also have increased, and the effects of inflation have eroded their pay in recent years.

The dockworkers' strike, their first since 1977, could snarl supply chains and cause shortages and higher prices if it stretches on for more than a few weeks. Beginning after midnight, the workers walked picket lines Tuesday and carried signs calling for more money and a ban on automation that could cost workers their jobs.

Major retailers prepared

Experts say consumers won't likely notice shortages for at least a few weeks, if the strike lasts that long, though some perishable items such as bananas could disappear from grocery stores — although at this time of year, most other fruits and vegetables are domestically grown and not processed at ports, according to Alan Siger, president of the Produce Distributors Association.

In anticipation of a strike, most major retailers also stocked up on goods, moving ahead shipments of holiday gift items.

The strike, coming weeks before a tight presidential election, could also become a factor in the race if shortages begin to affect many voters. Pressure could eventually grow for the Biden administration to intervene to force a temporary suspension of the strike.

Little progress was reported in the talks until just hours before the strike began at 12:01 a.m. The U.S. Maritime Alliance, the group negotiating for the ports, said both sides did budge from their initial positions. The alliance offered 50% raises over the six-year life of the contract. Comments from the union's leadership had briefly suggested a move to 61.5%, but the union has since signaled that it's sticking with its initial demand for a 77% pay increase over six years.

In early picketing, workers outside the Port of Philadelphia walked in a circle, chanting, "No work without a fair contract." The union posted message boards on the side of a truck reading: "Automation Hurts Families: ILA Stands for Job Protection."

Boise Butler, president of the union local, asserted that the workers want a contract that doesn't allow for the automation of their jobs. The shipping companies, he argued, made billions during the pandemic by charging high prices.

"Now," Butler said, "we want them to pay back. They're going to pay back."

And in New Orleans, Henry Glover Jr., a fourth-generation dockworker who is president of the union local, says he can recall the days when longshoremen unloaded 150-pound sacks of sugar by hand. He acknowledges that machinery has made the job easier, but he worries that the ports need fewer people to handle the equipment.

"Automation could be good, but they're using it to kill jobs," Glover said. "We don't want them to implement anything that would take our jobs out."

William Brucher, an assistant professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University, noted that "this is a very opportune time" for striking workers.

The contract agreement reached last year with West Coast dockworkers, who are represented by a different union, shows that "higher wages are definitely possible" for the longshoremen and has enhanced their bargaining power, Brucher said.

Biden's options

Under the Taft-Hartley Act, Biden could seek a court order for an 80-day cooling-off period that would end the strike at least temporarily, but he has told reporters that he wouldn't take that step. The administration could risk losing union support if it exercised such power, which experts say could be particularly detrimental for Democrats ahead of next month's election.

On Tuesday, the White House continued to ask the alliance to negotiate a fair contract that reflects the longshoremen's contribution to the economy.

"As our nation climbs out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene," Biden said in a statement, "dockworkers will play an essential role in getting communities the resources they need. Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits."