WASHINGTON — With a strike looming, the Shippers Coalition is calling for immediate action from union leaders, the USMX, and President Biden to come to an agreement at the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico ports to prevent further damage to our already fragile supply chain.
In a press release issued on Monday, the organization stated, “the failure of negotiations between the ILA and the USMX has already resulted in an uncertain situation for shippers and consumers, especially during times of emergency. The disruptions to the supply chain are having, and will continue to have, detrimental impacts on consumers and will further deteriorate the country’s supply chain.”
“With the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, now is not the time to play politics with the ability for consumers to get critical goods,” said Sean Joyce, Executive Director of the Shippers Coalition. “We demand that all parties come to the table to immediately resolve this labor dispute, ensuring consumers don’t feel more of the impact than they already have.”
The coalition is calling for President Biden and his administration to step in and “use all the tools at their disposal, so the two sides come to an agreement before a strike happens.”
Biden has said to this point that he will not intervene, according to multiple reports.
According to MITRE, a 30-day strike would have an impact on the country’s economy that would be overwhelming to the tune of $18 billion. Shippers, manufacturers, and consumers need this to be resolved to ensure inflation does not rise and consumers do not see higher costs.
“We will see impacts on both the import and export end of our supply chains, as many Shippers Coalition members are unable to divert to the West Coast ports. US manufacturers and farmers, and ultimately consumers, will suffer since their goods will not be able to be moved out of the United States, meaning they will have a surplus of products with no room to make more,” the coalition stated. “This could have devastating impacts on facility operations.”
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
