The International Longshoremen's Association is preparing for a potential strike that could potentially shut down seaports from Maine to Texas.

Some 25,000 dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast ports may strike as early as October 1 if their union doesn't reach a contract deal with shipping companies and port operators.

There’s less than a week until a dockworker strike could shutter every major container port on the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and cargo owners are trying to avoid the fallout.The International Longshoremen’s Association is threating to walk out if a deal isn’t reached before Oct.

Major shipping ports along the East Coast could shut down as early as next week due to a labor dispute. Tens of thousands of dockworkers have threatened to go on strike if their union cannot reach a deal to renew their contract with the operators of those ports.