NRF Urges Biden Administration To Intervene In Ports Strike
The National Retail Federation is urging the Biden Administration to use “all available authority and tools” to reopen ports along with East Coast and Gulf Coast and get union and port officials back to the negotiating table.
A strike by the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) went into effect just after midnight on October 1 as its contract with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) expired.
Ports impacted by the strike are Boston; New York/New Jersey; Philadelphia; Wilmington, N.C.; Baltimore; Norfolk, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Tampa; Miami, New Orleans; Mobile, Ala.; and Houston.
CNBC reported between 43% and 49% of all U.S. imports move through the ports impacted by the strike.
The statement by the NRF said, “NRF urges President Biden to use any and all available authority and tools — including use of the Taft-Hartley Act — to immediately restore operations at all impacted container ports, get the parties back to the negotiating table and ensure there are no further disruptions.
“A disruption of this scale during this pivotal moment in our nation’s economic recovery will have devastating consequences for American workers, their families and local communities. After more than two years of runaway inflationary pressures and in the midst of recovery from Hurricane Helene, this strike will result in further hardship for American families. The administration must prioritize our economy — and the millions of Americans who depend on it for their livelihood and wellbeing — and intervene immediately to prevent further hardship and deeper economic consequences.“It is essential that the ILA and USMX immediately resume negotiations with the intention of finalizing a new master contract without further disruptions and put an end to this stalemate.”
