Businesses are preparing for a strike by dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts, which could begin Oct. 1 if negotiations don’t yield a new contract.

By Lisa Baertlein and David Shepardson LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Officials from President Joe Biden's administration are monitoring labor talks but not trying to broker a labor deal to avert an Oct.

Dockers at 36 ports from Texas to Maine say they will walk off the job on October 1st after their contract expires. This is the first port labour dispute on the east coast since 1977. In recent years labour-related uncertainty has been more common on the west coast,

Plus, a strike at three dozen US ports could upend supply chains and raise prices just weeks before Election Day. The FT News Briefing is produced by Niamh Rowe, Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian and Marc Filippino.

Just as US policymakers shift focus from curbing inflation to shoring up the job market, the economy faces a jolt that threatens the kind of supply-chain disruption and consumer discontent rife during the pandemic.

New York area shipping officials urged customers to immediately retrieve their cargo ahead of a possible strike next week which would impact major US ports, according to a letter released Tuesday.

Dock workers seeking better workplace protections and increased wages are threatening to strike and the outcome could lead to a banana shortage.

The first major strike in more than forty years to affect Louisiana's ports could begin as soon as next week and threatens to severely disrupt the supply chain from Texas