A strike by longshore workers impacting 36 ports along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico will not affect cruise operations here in Brevard County. The strike that began yesterday meanwhile, is affecting cargo operations crucial for supply chains across the eastern U.S. Port Canaveral however, remains largely unaffected as the union is not striking against cruise lines or military operations. The Brevard County port also relies on nonunion labor for cargo operations. Meanwhile, ports in Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa Bay are among ports along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts where tens of thousands of union members halted work in the dispute with the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents shipping lines, terminal operators and port authorities. The strike is expected to result in as much as a $5 Billion a day hit to the US economy.