Port of Houston dockworkers are on strike, joining thousands of unionized longshoremen along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts after the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) failed to reach a new labor contract agreement with the union.

Why it matters: Longshoremen are critical to port operations, and a prolonged work stoppage could snarl supply chains, leading to higher prices and shortages of goods like auto parts, bananas and other foreign goods.

• The Port of Houston is the fifth-largest container port in the county and the largest on the Gulf Coast.

Driving the news: The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) rejected the USMX's final proposal, made on Monday.

• About 45,000 dockworkers are on strike. Workers at more than a dozen ports walked off work just after midnight on Tuesday after their six-year contract expired, with no indication of how long the halt on activity will last.

Friction point: Negotiations started more than a year ago between the union and the USMX, which represents ocean carriers and port operators. But they stalled in June over labor-saving technology.

• The two sides are far apart on pay and automation provisions, as the union wants more protections from automated technology replacing human workers.

Flashback: The walkout is the first of its kind since 1977, well before the rise in global trade that made shipping even more critical for the country's supply chain.

By the numbers: In Houston, the economic impact of the strike on exports could reach as high as $51 million per day, while imports could be affected by up to $41.5 million per day, according to a report by Mitre Corp., a public interest nonprofit.

• A strike could cost the U.S. economy between $3.8 billion and $4.5 billion per day, according to a JPMorgan analysis.

State of play: Major importers, including large retail chains, have been preparing for a strike for months, so there won't be an immediate shortage or price hike.

• But University of Houston supply chain and logistics technology program director Margaret Kidd told KHOU that if there's an extended strike, it could impact what we pay at the grocery store because a lot of our perishables come by ship from South and Central America.
• H-E-B confirmed with ABC 13 that it does not expect the strike to impact customers right now.

Go deeper

Season seven of "Love Is Blind" premieres on Netflix today.

Why it matters: Part of the appeal of Netflix's "Love Is Blind" is that each season feels like a microcosm of the dating scene in the city it's filmed in.

The big picture: We wanted to look back on how the experiment has unfolded so far.

• Unfortunately for us, this means revisiting the wreck that was Houston's season, which some might consider forgettable.

Houston's season five was more memorable for the drama we didn't see on screen. Only three of the six engagements and two of the three weddings were aired.

• But cheers to Lydia and Milton. Despite their rocky moments on camera, they seem to still be married.

Behind the scenes: Participant Renee Poche, whose engagement and wedding did not air, sued Netflix and production company Delirium TV, saying she didn't feel safe during her time on the show, per USA Today.

Meanwhile, Seattle really dazzled — great TV, compelling couples. Brag, brag, brag.

💭 Shafaq's thought bubble: Just yesterday, we highlighted beautiful love in Houston. Now we just need a redo on reality TV. In the meantime, catch me watching D.C.'s season.

🚶‍♀️‍ Nearly 40% of Houston sidewalks rated "fair" or "poor" according to an analysis of sidewalk data from Houston's Public Works Department. (Houston Chronicle)

🗳️ Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein is visiting mosques in Sugar Land and Spring today and tomorrow to reach Muslim voters. (Houston Public Media)

💰 A Houston pharmacy owner is accused of running a $140 million Medicare scam. (Houston Landing)

And the answer is … Union Station at Minute Maid Park!

Congratulations to Matthew R. who was spot on: "Union Station, future home of Minute Maid Park."

• Thom H. also correctly guessed the "train station that is now Minute Maid Park."
• An honorable mention goes to Virginia I. for guessing "Houston Railway station."

Flashback: Built in 1909, Union Station was the converging point for several Houston-bound passenger train lines for decades.

• By 1974, the last regularly scheduled passenger train had left the station. The building was then used for dispatching freight trains and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Fun fact: Today, Union Station still stands alongside Minute Maid Park, offering housing for special events and the Astros' team store.

• Its inclusion in the ballpark — along with the train in left field — enshrines Houston's legacy as the city where 17 railroads met the sea.