MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant was noticeably quiet Thursday outside of the Wando Welch Terminal. The drop in port traffic is a sign of the ongoing strike. “It’s almost frightening. It is a ghost town,” said Marquette Mapp, a trustee for ILA Local 1422. Mapp and other fellow-Longshore workers rallied down the street from the terminal for a third day in a row. They join thousands of others on the East and Gulf Coasts who walked off the job at the end of the contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance. “We want to make sure that not only are we compensated for what we do, but we also want to make sure that automation don’t take over jobs. We also want to make sure that we’re working in a safe environment,” Mapp told News 2. NBC reported long lines of container ships were queued up outside of major ports. The Marine Traffic app showed seven ships anchored off the Charleston coast Thursday. USMX gave an update on the status of negotiations in its latest statement released on Wednesday. "USMX’s goal continues to be focused on ratifying a new Master Contract that addresses all the critical issues the parties need to bargain. Reaching an agreement will require negotiating – and our full focus is on how to return to the table to further discuss these vital components, many of which are intertwined. We cannot agree to preconditions to return to bargaining – but we remain committed to bargaining in good faith to address the ILA’s demands and USMX’s concerns.” Local dockworkers plan to stay out on the picket lines until the terms are agreed upon. “We’re anticipating, hopefully, a resolution to our strike here pretty soon. But if not, we’re here for three days, three weeks, three months. We’re at a point where, hopefully, serious negotiations are going on behind closed doors,” Mapp shared. “Because not only do we want to see the economy get back on track, but a lot of guys want to go back to work, and women. We all want to go back to work.”  News 2 checked in with the Medical University of South Carolina, Trident Medical Center, and Roper St. Francis to see if medical devices and elective surgeries were impacted by the strike. All three of the healthcare providers reported no changes.