HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Port workers walked off work Tuesday morning at Port Houston, just one of several ports along the Gulf and East Coast where workers were picketing, leading to a historic strike.

ABC13 was in Seabrook on Tuesday, where union workers set up early with tents and cases of water in anticipation of more people showing up outside the Bayport Container Terminal.

The strike follows an impasse that has been going on for months over contract negotiations.

READ MORE: Dock workers at eastern and Gulf ports go on strike, causing new shortages

The International Longshoremen’s Association, the largest union for dock workers, is demanding higher wages and protection from automated technology.

They were unhappy with the offer from the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents port operators and shipping companies.

It’s unclear how this strike will last, but New York Governor Kathy Hochul noted in a statement Tuesday that it was the first large-scale strike by eastern dockworkers in 47 years at ports from Maine to Texas, including the Port Authority of New York. and New Jersey.

If the strike continues for weeks or months, the companies that will be most impacted will be those that rely on overseas shipments.

“The whole conversation has been about imports and Christmas and retailers, the ILA ports, the East Coast and the Gulf Coast, actually handle almost 70% of container exports from the United States,” said Baker’s Ed Emmett of Rice University. Institute for Public Policy.

ABC13 spoke with Ben Baxley, COO of Green Mile Logistics, who said he is not taking sides, but rather pushing for unity.

“You’ve got 36 ports that are essentially at a standstill right now, so if we rely on overseas products for our entire daily lives, we’re going to be significantly impacted depending on how long this continues,” Baxley explains. “Within the US, however, we have a huge opportunity to come together. So our message to everyone is: unite and try to be part of the solution.”

Baxley told ABC13’s Rosie Nguyen that they remain neutral but want it to be fair.

“These guys work their butts off every day, our harbor truck drivers, God bless their souls, they need someone to come in and help. But that will happen in the form of both parties being friendly and standing up for what is right. and come together and find a solution to pay them fair wages and ensure that all of our customers in the U.S. are taken care of,” Baxley said.

HEB told ABC13 it does not expect customers to be affected at this time.

“We do not anticipate any impact to our customers at this time. We are monitoring this issue and working closely with our suppliers,” the grocer said.

In a statement Tuesday, the union president wrote: “We are prepared to fight for as long as necessary, to continue to strike for any period of time, to get the wages and protections from automation that our ILA members deserve.”

Meanwhile, the US Maritime Alliance, or USMX, wrote in its own statement that it has increased its offer to the ILA, saying: “We are hopeful that this could allow us to fully resume collective bargaining on the other outstanding issues – in an attempt to reach an agreement.”

Emmett told ABC13 that each day this continues could cost the U.S. economy $5 billion a day.

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