Thousands of dock workers in ports from New England to Texas went on strike just after midnight Tuesday as they rallied for higher pay and more job security, the Associated Press reported.
The work stoppage, the first at Serving the East and Gulf Coast since 1977follows a long-running impasse in labor negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), a maritime industry group representing terminal operators and ocean liners.
The strike was expected to involve 25,000 workers, according to USMX, and shut down 14 ports: Baltimore; Boston; Charleston, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Miami; Houston; Mobile, Alabama; New Orleans; New York/New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; Philadelphia; Savannah, Georgia; Tampa, Florida; and Wilmington, Delaware.
The ILA demands significant wage increases and a complete ban on the use of automated cranes, gates and container transports when unloading or loading goods.
The ports affected by the strike handle about half of the country’s ship cargo. Experts say the economic impact of a prolonged work stoppage could be steep, potentially raising the cost of consumer goods and creating shortages ahead of the holidays.
A one-week strike can be costly US economy almost 3.8 billion dollars and increase the cost of consumer goods, according to the conference board.
For consumers and businesses, a longer strike could impede shipments of products such as bananas, manufacturing components, plywood and raw materials such as cotton and copper. Fresh meat and other refrigerated foods can also spoil, resulting in shortages and increased prices.
Still, many companies have been preparing for months and stockpiling products that could be disrupted by the port closures.
Although the massive port in New York and New Jersey will be closed in the labor action, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said at a press conference on Monday that New York do not expect shortage essential items anytime soon and advised consumers not to stockpile items.