Massive US Port Strike Takes Effect And Could Seriously Disrupt Supply Of Goods And Increase Prices. Protests Turn Violent

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) dockworkers union went on strike beginning at midnight last night over being underpaid and automation affecting their job security, marking the first majorly significant port strike since 1977. This strike, if prolonged and not resolved soon, could lead to large shortages of goods of all kinds and send prices of most products and imports higher.

After an extended deadlock with the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) went nowhere, the contract with the ports and workers expired last night and affects roughly 45,000 ILA members. Around 25,000 of those employees walked off the job and are protesting.

World Cargo News reports that ‘the ILA is calling for significant wage increases and a complete ban on the use of automated equipment, including cranes, gates, and container-moving trucks, in the loading and unloading of freight.’ Workers are asking for a 77% increase in pay over the next 6 years.

The strike affects 36 ports spanning from Texas all the way to Maine, particularly 14 major ones that include:

• Boston, Massachusetts
• New York/New Jersey
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Norfolk (Hampton Roads), Virginia
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Wilmington, Delaware
• Charleston, South Carolina
• Savannah, Georgia
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Tampa, Florida
• Miami, Florida
• Mobile, Alabama
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Houston, Texas

Some of these strikes have already turned violent. Union members at a port in Boston attacked a trashman trying to do his job.

These ports manage roughly half of the nation’s cargo. Therefore, the strikes will create systematic backlogs the longer this goes on unresolved, not to mention the shortages and price hikes on a wide array of items.

Alan Murphy, CEO of Sea-Intelligence, a research and analysis service, warned in mid-August: “It would take 6 days to clear the backlog from 1 day of strike, meaning a 1-week strike in the beginning of October, would not be cleared until mid-November. If we get a 2-week strike, then realistically, the ports would not be back to normal operations until we are into 2025.”

Shipping giant Maersk said in a comment: “The strike will have impacts on supply chains, leading to delays in cargo movement, increased costs, and logistical challenges for businesses relying on US east coast and gulf ports. Longer labor dispute durations may exacerbate disruptions, affecting import and export activities, container availability, and overall operational efficiency.”

In the meantime, ships en route to these East Coast ports cannot be diverted and will anchor offshore until a resolution can be found. Peter Sand, Chief Shipping Analyst at Xeneta, said: “These ships cannot turn back and they cannot realistically re-route to the US west coast. Some may divert to ports in Canada or even Mexico east coast, but the vast majority will simply wait outside affected ports until the workers return.”

Sand also warned of the economic ramifications this will cause:

The consequences will be severe, not only through congestion at US ports, but importantly these ships will be delayed returning to the Far East for the next voyage. A strike lasting just one week will impact schedules for ships leaving the Far East on voyages to the US in late December and throughout January.

More than 40% of total containerized goods enter the US through ports on the east coast and gulf coast, so the stakes could not be higher.

To stop trade entering the US on such a large-scale, even for a short period of time, is highly damaging to the economy so government intervention will be needed to bring the matter to a resolution for the good of the nation.

Harold J. Daggett, International President of IRL, had warned days in advance that he and his union crew will “cripple you” because of how modern commerce operates.

---

AUTHOR COMMENTARY

Typical union: the leader acts all smug like a mafia boss while he gets paid for not working while the workers doing the actual labor get squat. And then this jerk wants to sit around acting all smug like with his stupid gold chain like he’s some sort of gangster. You know, before I became a journalist/author fulltime, I was working in construction and in 2020 I was considered “essential” during the lockdowns as a private subcontractor. So where was my special “compensation?” You ain’t special.

This country is FAR too over-unionized. I understand there was a time and a place for them in our history, and even now in certain aspects, but we have heard this song and dance so many times already; and the leaders reap all the main benefits and the people its supposed to help get the crumbs, and yet no one learns and the cycle repeats.

This is such an obvious controlled-opposition psyop, too obvious it’s not even funny. The Biden-Harris administration has purposefully disregarded this for the very cause of ratcheting up prices and backlogs of everything. This country hardly produces anything and imports nearly everything, sending our once good paying jobs overseas for cheap slave and sweatshop labor elsewhere.

I’d be willing to bet you that this will only accelerate automation even more. The government and these ports would love to no longer have to pay anyone.

Be that as it may, regardless of how you may feel about the current predicament, the fact remains is that we have one and so you best take precautionary measures to deal with it. This is why I have been warning for years that you need to continue to steadily add to your emergency and backup food, water, safety and protection supplies. So now might be a good time to add to your resources, especially if these strikes remain in place for weeks.

This is also why you NEED to network and do business with your local farmers, in terms of food at least, and grow and store your own food, as we have been shown many times the modern system cannot be depended on; and you’d be unwise to do so.

Proverbs 22:3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

---

[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

The WinePress needs your support! If God has laid it on your heart to want to contribute, please prayerfully consider donating to this ministry. If you cannot gift a monetary donation, then please donate your fervent prayers to keep this ministry going! Thank you and may God bless you.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE