A significant port strike, the first in over 40 years, has begun, affecting 36 ports along the East and Gulf Coasts and involving around 45,000 dockworkers from the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). The strike was triggered by disputes over wage increases and job protections against automation, particularly concerning practices at the Port of Mobile. Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration's handling of inflation and labor issues, while President Biden refrained from invoking the Taft-Hartley Act to intervene in the strike, emphasizing the need for negotiations. Governor Kay Ivey has urged the ILA to return to the negotiating table, arguing that the strike is harming the economy and American consumers. Experts warn that while immediate panic buying isn't necessary, prolonged disruption could lead to price increases and shortages in the coming weeks. The ILA is demanding a $5 hourly raise per year over the next six years and an end to automation projects that threaten their jobs.