Port Strikes Could Hit Gulf, East Coast

Talks with longshoremen have broken down

A looming strike by dockworkers in Houston and at 13 other ports on the East and Gulf coasts has the Port of Houston Authority worried, along with businesses and other entities that rely on workers covered under a soon-expiring contract.

Negotiations between the International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance for a contract covering 145,000 workers at ports from Texas to Maine broke down a week before the current contract is set to expire on Dec. 29.