More than 45,000 dockworkers, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), in 14 ports along the East and Gulf coasts of the United States — from Maine to Texas — went on strike October 1. It’s their first walkout since 1977. The entire working class should embrace their cause. The labor movement can help win the battle for public opinion and a fair contract. A victory in the strike will reverberate across the country and help everyone trying to improve wages, benefits, and job safety.