Tens of thousands of dockworkers have launched an indefinite strike at major US ports, posing a threat to trade and the economy just before the presidential election and holiday shopping season. Members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) walked out on Tuesday, halting container traffic at 14 major ports along the East and Gulf coasts, from Maine to Texas. This is the first large-scale shutdown in nearly 50 years. While President Joe Biden has the authority to suspend the strike for 80 days to allow for further negotiations, the White House has indicated no plans to intervene.