Tens of thousands of longshoremen are likely to go on strike at midnight, shutting down dozens of major ports and choking off deliveries of a range of goods.

A lengthy shutdown could raise prices on goods around the country and potentially cause shortages and price increases at big and small retailers alike.

With a strike deadline looming, the group representing East and Gulf Coast ports is asking a federal agency to make the Longshoremen’s union come to the bargaining table to negotiate a new contract. The U.