The union representing the dockworkers — the International Longshoremen’s Association — is demanding higher pay and benefits. There’s also a dispute over where cameras can record workers. But these issues could be settled pretty easily with the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the major shipping lines and port terminals. Just look at the West Coast dockworkers’ contract deal last year that significantly hiked pay, or the record wage gains that United Auto Workers won last fall. The difficult issue at the heart of this strike is whether machines will displace workers earning up to $39 an hour at the ports.

The dockworkers’ last strike in the 1970s was also over technology. Back then, the shipping industry was beginning to use big containers, because they are much easier to handle than individual boxes. The 44-day strike ended with a substantial pay hike and a guaranteed income for union members, whether they worked or not.