The storied union behind the port strike halting ships from Maine to Texas reflects a throwback to more traditional, top-down era of labor culture and activism.

Dockworkers at dozens of U.S. ports are digging in for a massive pay increase, seeking to flex their power in a strike that aims to strangle the flow of trade across much of the country.“This is going down in history what we’re doing here,

The union representing U.S. dockworkers has signaled that 45,000 members will walk off the job at midnight, kicking off a massive strike likely to shut down ports across the East and Gulf coasts.

The walkout threatened to plunge the holiday shopping season into turmoil and become an issue in next month's presidential election.

U.S. ports from Maine to Texas shut down Tuesday when the union representing about 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for the first time since 1977.