IN THE NEWS: See how the port strike will snarl shipments of bananas, beer, cars and more

Washington Post
October 2, 2024
By Luis Melgar and Rachel Lerman

FROM THE ARTICLE: The longshoremen’s strike is halting operations at ports across the East and Gulf coasts — threatening critical supply chains and potentially leading to the delay and disruption of goods from fresh produce to automobiles.

The dozens of sites affected from Maine to Texas handle shipments of car parts, machinery, pharmaceuticals and food, among other goods. Some goods will be stuck while the ports remain closed. Members of the union, who work to load and unload ships and maintain equipment, are on strike to fight for higher wages and restrictions on automation at the ports.

“When you interrupt the unloading of the ships, you interrupt the entirety of the flow,” said Douglas Kent, an executive at the Association for Supply Chain Management. That means shipments of clothes, furniture and electronics could be stuck at sea or in warehouses while the strike continues.
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“It creates a staggering amount of additional cost and transportation for small and medium-size and large companies,” said Paul Brashier, Global Supply Chain Vice President at ITS Logistics. “That trickles all the way down to the consumer, and that’s where inflationary pressure comes from.”

Read the full article.