NY-NJ Dock Workers Authorize Strike as Talks Sour

A union representing more than 1,000 longshoremen at the Port of New York and New Jersey has authorized a strike if labor talks don't yield a deal in the next month.

A spokesman for Local 1804-1 of the International Longshoremen's Association says the vote was entered late Tuesday.

Talks between the longshoremen's union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance broke off last week, and no new talks were scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon.

The union contract expires at the end of September.

National retail experts say some retailers are already re-routing cargo to the West Coast to prepare for a possible strike up and down the East Coast.

Key issues in the dispute include overtime rules and royalty payments paid to union workers.

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