Tens of thousands of dockworkers from ports spanning Maine to Texas walked off the job early Tuesday as they went on strike, demanding better wages and protections against automation. The strike comes as the contract between the International Longshoremen's Association union and U.

Two days into the Longshoreman strike and tens of thousands of dockworkers from Maine to Texas have stopped working, bringing 14 major U.S. ports to a standstill. The workers are demanding higher pay and they reportedly refuse to work until a fair agreement has been met.

Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas have started walking picket lines in a strike over wages that could cause real problems if it goes on for more than a few weeks.

The strike is impacting shipments of things like fresh food, cars and machinery. Our weekly “Econ Extra Credit” newsletter is an unexpected way to learn about the economy, one film at a time. Sign up to watch,

The International Longshoremen’s Association signaled 45,000 members were walking off the job at midnight, kicking off a strike that would cost billions a day.

At midnight Tuesday, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents 45,000 dockworkers nationwide, began to strike as their contract expired. Although just a couple hours down the road,

Longshoremen and dockworkers, belonging to the ILU, are demanding "absolute airtight" protection against the threat of automation at U.S. ports.

The East Coast ports strike is affecting some South Florida eateries. Yahoo Sports

About a hundred striking longshoremen marched by a terminal in the port of Baltimore. Some carried signs that read: “machines don’t feed families.”