The longshoremen's strike is halting operations at ports across the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, threatening critical supply chains and potentially leading to the delay and disruption of goods from fresh produce to automobiles, reported The Washington Post on Wednesday.

The dozens of sites affected from Maine to Texas handle shipments of car parts, machinery, pharmaceuticals and food, among other goods. Some goods will be stuck while the ports remain closed. Members of the union, who work to load and unload ships and maintain equipment, are on strike to fight for higher wages and restrictions on automation at the ports.

"When you interrupt the unloading of the ships, you interrupt the entirety of the flow," Douglas Kent, an executive at the Association for Supply Chain Management, was quoted as saying. That means shipments of clothes, furniture and electronics could be stuck at sea or in warehouses while the strike continues.

Large retailers have been preparing for a possible shutdown for months by stocking up on holiday shipments early and rerouting some goods to other ports. But if the strike persists, consumers could start to see delays, according to the report. 

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