SAVANNAH, Georgia — The chief executive over Georgia’s two booming seaports said Tuesday that a strike next week by dockworkers across the U.S. East and Gulf coasts appears likely, though he’s hopeful the resulting shutdown would last only a few days. …U.S. ports from Maine to Texas are preparing for a potential shutdown in a week, when the union representing 45,000 dockworkers in that region has threatened to strike starting Oct. 1. That’s when the contract expires between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports. Negotiations on a new contract halted in June. A strike would shut down 36 ports that handle roughly half the nations’ cargo from ships. …There hasn’t been a national longshoremen’s strike in the U.S. since 1977. …A prolonged strike would almost certainly hurt the U.S. economy.
In related coverage:
- Reuters: White House monitoring US port talks, considering supply chain impacts
- American Forest & Paper: Industry expresses concern, wants to avoid strike
- New York Times: A looming east coast port strike could shake the economy