EXCLUSIVE — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is calling on the Biden administration to intervene before union dockworkers are set to strike next week.

A work stoppage could begin as soon as Oct. 1 if the U.S. Maritime Alliance doesn’t reach an agreement with the International Longshoremen’s Association. The resulting stoppage at major East Coast ports could feature 25,000 dockworkers walking off the job, something that could snarl supply chains and cost billions of dollars, depending on how long it lasted.