Grocers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey say the dockworker strike could affect the supply chain and cause prices to rise.

The 45,000 dockworkers who went on strike Tuesday for the first time in decades at 36 U.S. ports from Maine to Texas may wield the upper hand in their standoff with port operators over wages and the use of automation.

Dockworkers began picketing at the Port of Philadelphia early Tuesday after the International Longshoremen's Association announced the union would go on strike​.

Grocers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey say they're worried the dockworkers' strike could affect their supply chains, causing shortages and price increases for some foods. Brandon Goldner explains what products could be affected.

Unionized dock workers in Philadelphia and other major East Coast ports are striking for the first time in nearly half a century. Why it matters: A prolonged strike could snarl supply chains and raise prices on everything from bananas to auto parts as the presidential election and holidays near.

The union representing 45,000 dockworkers from Texas to Maine could go on strike on Tuesday, which could cease operations at the Port of Philadelphia.

Docks in Philadelphia and all along the East Coast and Gulf Coast have ground to a halt as dockworkers strike for the first time in nearly 50 years. About 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association hit the picket line around midnight when their contacts with the owners of 36 ports expired.