Kamala Harris hoped that it was smooth sailing until Election Day.
But she’s got a ticking time bomb on her hands.
And Kamala Harris was hit with one nasty surprise by an ally that could ruin her.
A major strike could shut down every port from Texas to Maine
Vice President Kamala Harris could be hit with an October surprise courtesy of her allies in Big Labor.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) is ready to go on strike when the clock hits 12:01 am on October 1.
A potential strike would shut down every port in the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast.
ILA negotiators – the union representing 45,000 workers at the nation’s eastern ports – are locked into tense contract negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), the group representing port ownership.
The union wants a 77% wage increase over six years and guarantees that ports won’t switch more jobs to automation.
ILA Union Boss Harold Daggett vowed to shut down the ports if USMX doesn’t cave.
“We are very far apart,” Daggett said. “Mark my words, we’ll shut them down Oct. 1 if we don’t get the kind of wages we deserve.”
C.H. Robinson, director of North American ocean shipping Mia Ginter, thought the threat was real.
“I think everyone’s a bit nervous about it,” Ginter said. “The rhetoric this time with the ILA is at a level we haven’t seen before.”
The fallout from a potential strike
Shutting down every port from Texas to Maine, even for a few days during a strike, would cause a massive supply disruption.
Those ports handle about half of the country’s imports that arrive via the ocean.
CEO of Logistics company Staxxon, George Kochanowski, told Fox Business that a strike would lead to an increase in the price of goods shipped via container.
“Goods trans-shipped across the country are not only going to be late but they will cost more, e.g., apparel meant for early winter and the holidays,” Kochanowski explained.
“If the goods were containerized, where will all those empties go and who will pay to have them stored, accounted for, and repositioned? All these costs will be factored in the price of the goods sold,” Kochanowski added.
A strike would come as retailers begin to prepare for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the holiday shopping season.
Trucking company executive Jim Gillis said some shippers have begun to reroute to ports on the West Coast.
And that’s leading to congestion at those ports.
“As a trucker, we are seeing significant wait times for our drivers and in some cases, even being turned away due to the congestion – this is directly correlated to the increased volume shifted to the West Coast,” Gillis stated.
The West Coast ports aren’t the answer to any potential strike.
Gillis noted that shippers began rerouting there six to ten weeks ago.
“Those shippers who are now looking at shifting cargo are a little behind the eight ball and not necessarily finding quick, economic solutions to solve their issues,” Gillis said.
Even a short strike could cause the supply chain to be backed up for weeks.
Amazon packages not being delivered, and shortages on the shelves would be Kamala Harris’ worst nightmare in the final weeks of the election.
Stay tuned to Unmuzzled News for any updates to this ongoing story.
