U.S. companies that rely on East and Gulf Coast ports have been scrambling for workarounds ahead of a threatened strike.

Businesses are preparing for a strike by dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts, which could begin Oct. 1 if negotiations don’t yield a new contract.

Employers negotiating a labor contract at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports on Thursday filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the union, saying those leaders refuse to resume talks ahead of the threatened Oct.

Even a short strike at East and Gulf Coast ports could disrupt U.S. supply chains until 2025, according to one expert.

Failure to reach a new longshoremen contract deal risks many East and Gulf Coast ports closing before the year-end consumer spending push -- threatening billions in losses to businesses.

U.S. ports along the East and Gulf Coasts are extending delivery hours for importers as they rush to clear cargo ahead of a potential strike by dockworkers on Oct. 1.

FOX Business' Lydia Hu has the details from Bayonne, N.J., on 'Varney & Co.'

A prolonged strike, alongside an ongoing strike by 30,000 machinists at Boeing that has already started to ripple through the aircraft maker's supplier network, could put a dent i

"This is just another headache after everything else we've been dealing with," said Kenneth Sanchez, CEO of Chesapeake Specialty Products, which sends goods like metallic abrasives and foundry sand additives used to make engine blocks and transmissions to customers around the world.