Chicago – October 03, 2024
President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he is hopeful about progress in the ongoing port labor contract dispute as the strike by dockworkers continues along the East Coast and Gulf Coast. This strike, which started on Sunday, is the biggest in almost 50 years and has stopped the unloading of ships carrying items like bananas and car parts from Maine to Texas. This has caused many ships to wait outside the ports, with the number increasing from three to 45 since the strike began.
Although there are no current plans for new talks between the dockworkers’ union and the port owners, the owners have shown interest in negotiating again after encouragement from the White House to increase their pay offer. Biden expressed optimism but did not give more details, saying, “We’ll find out soon.”
Experts from Everstream Analytics, like Jena Santoro, have noted that the number of waiting ships might double by the end of the week if the strike does not end. Clearing up the resulting backlog could take a long time, possibly months. The strike began after negotiations for a new contract failed.
