The U.S. Department of Labor has reached out to the United States Maritime Alliance ahead of a planned ports strike on the Gulf and East coasts by the International Longshoremen’s Association that is expected to begin Oct. 1, Reuters reports.  The strike could result in the closure of some of the busiest ports in the U.S. The collection of ports, which stretches from Maine to Texas and includes the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, handles approximately 50% of U.S. imports. It’s currently unclear what the full impact would be on the Capital Region as representatives from the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, including executive director Jay Hardman, have not responded to multiple requests by Daily Report for comment.  Read more from Reuters.