BREAKING: Thousands of dock workers along the East and Gulf coasts went on strike, halting the flow of goods to ports in U.S.

Union dockworkers along East Coast and Gulf Coast ports began walking picket lines early Tuesday, halting the movement of billions of dollars' worth of goods including furniture, paper, shoes, manufacturing components, farm machinery and much more.

The pickets began just after midnight, after talks between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents ocean carriers and port operators, failed to yield a new contract.