Dockworkers go on a strike that could reignite inflation and cause shortages in the holiday season

A strike by dockworkers at 36 ports from Maine to Texas, the first in decades, could snarl supply chains and lead to shortages and higher prices if it stretches on for more than a few weeks.

Workers began walking picket lines early Tuesday in a strike over wages and automation even though progress had been reported in contract talks. The contract between the ports and about 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association expired at midnight.

The strike comes just weeks before the presidential election and could become a factor if there are shortages.

Workers at the Port of Philadelphia walked in a circle outside the port and chanted “No work without a fair contract.” The union, striking for the first time since 1977, had message boards on the side of a truck reading: “Automation Hurts Families: ILA Stands For Job Protection.”