Dock workers did begin their strike today meaning that the movement of goods along the eastern seaboard will be severely affected. Which goods? Who knows really but the union says that military goods and cruise ships will be unaffected. So bombs will continue to flow.
The strike pits the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) against the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The ILA want a 77% increase in pay over the next six years plus assurances that their jobs will not be replaced by automation.
You may recall that the West Coast dock strike that happened last September resulted in a 32% pay increase. It’s unlikely the ILA will get 77% so there is a lot of room to negotiate.
How will this affect American consumers?
According to the Wall Street Journal, “Big retailers, with their busy fall shopping season just starting to kick in, say that for now they can withstand the slowdown because they brought in products earlier than usual this year and diverted other cargoes to West Coast ports in case of a strike. But executives say a walkout lasting a week or longer would push up shipping costs and might trigger product shortages.”
