As a West Coast contract covering 26,000 dockworkers expired last night, concern rippled among U.S. retailers about a possible strike — even though talks are continuing.

"From our perspective, it's critical that these negotiations get resolved peacefully and that a new contract gets put in place as quickly as possible," said Jonathan Gold, who focuses on supply chain and customs issues as a vice president of the National Retail Federation trade group.

Early yesterday, both the companies, through their Pacific Maritime Association bargaining group and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, stressed that talks were ongoing and are continuing past the 5 p.m. deadline.

"The PMA is working hard to resolve the remaining issues," the companies said in a statement.

Union spokesman Craig Merrilees said: "We're going to keep talking, and the ports are going to keep working."

Key issues remain unresolved between the 71 cargo carriers and terminal operators and the 15,068-member union. An additional 11,000 nonunion dockworkers would be bound by whatever contract is reached.

Some retailers remember the 11-day employer lockout at all 29 West Coast ports in 2002 that ended after President Bush invoked the Taft-Hartley Act to reopen the docks. By one estimate, the lockout cost the U.S. economy as much as $15 billion.

"You can kiss my summer goodbye if that happens again," said Steve Young, president of the Allan Co. in Baldwin Park, Calif., one of the largest independently owned recycling businesses in the Western U.S.

Last year, the 29 West Coast ports, led by Los Angeles and Long Beach, handled about 1 million tons of cargo a day valued at about $465 billion.