The port workers' strike is in its second day, with 45,000 dock workers looking for a pay raise and a ban on automation in their next contract.
As we enter day two of this enormous strike up the East and Gulf Coasts by the International Longshoremen's Association, dock workers are walking the line in the port of Baltimore.
It's one of 36 U.S. ports on the East and Gulf Coasts where union members are on strike.
The workers say they're still recovering from the shutdown after the Key Bridge collapse in March.
Now, politicians are beginning to take sides, including the president of the United States.
The longshoremen have President Joe Biden's backing. He says a consortium of shipping companies control the ports on the East Coast down to the Gulf.
"They've made incredible profits over 800% since the pandemic and the owners are making tens of millions of dollars in this. The last thing they need is to profit off of this. It's time for them to sit at the table and get this strike done," said President Biden.
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Before the strike, the president said he wouldn't intervene by using a federal law that would force a temporary end to the shutdown. But with the election weeks away, that could change.
"The president has a huge responsibility. This is a major factor, not only on Houston and our region, but the nation's economy," said Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
Experts say consumers won't see an immediate impact from the strike, but if it lasts more than a few weeks, the supply chain could stall, and prices could go up, especially for produce.
One market owner in Arizona says East and Gulf Coast markets might have to get fruits and vegetables from western ports that aren't involved in the strike.
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