Striking longshoremen are picketing at the ports in New Jersey. It’s the first day of their job action after failing to reach an agreement on a new six-year contract.

The decision by some 45,000 workers effectively shuts down 14 shipping ports from New Jersey to the Gulf Coast.

Harold Daggett, president of the International Longshoremen's Association, visited picketing workers outside the Maher Terminal on Tuesday.

Daggett says the shipping companies he's bargaining with are “greedy companies.” He says that the companies “are making billions of dollars and they don’t want to share. And that’s why we are out here now fighting for a contract.”

His workers walked off the job at midnight. Daggett wants his workers to earn at least or more than the $55 per hour that the West Coast longshoremen signed up for last year.

The union also wants guarantees that automation won’t be increased.

Daggett says if he doesn’t get it, “We’re gonna fight for it and we’re gonna win it or this port will never open up again.”

The U.S. Maritime Alliance tried to avert a strike with an offer last night, stating, “Our offer would increase wages by nearly 50%, triple employer contributions to employee retirement plans, strengthen our health care options, and retain the current language around automation and semi-automation.”

The union rejected that offer.

Labor experts say the ILA may get their 77% wage increase because of the importance of these 14 ports.

“They have a very strong bargaining position because 48% of all the imports in the United States goes through the East Coast and the Gulf,” UCLA professor Chris Tang said of the union.

President Joe Biden is publicly siding with the union by telling the U.S. Maritime Alliance to put up a fair offer and pay longshoremen appropriately.

“Ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic and in some cases, profits grew in excess of 800% compared to their profits prior to the pandemic…” Biden said.

Ships that can't unload on the East Coast are planning to head to the West Coast to ports in Long Beach or Los Angeles.

However, as a sign of solidarity, the longshoremen union there says they won’t unload those ships.