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The recent strikes by members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) disrupted the flow of imports and exports along the whole East Coast. Although striking can be necessary, the resulting shortages from the strike worried American families and companies. The difficulties obtaining essential items like toilet paper, furniture, and household goods created widespread concern.
The strike threatened progress made in reducing inflation in consumer goods; depending on the length of the strike, the toll could’ve reached well over billions of dollars. According to NBC News, businesses such as Birkenstock, Ace Hardware, and Amazon, had tens of thousands of packages on hold due to the strikes. I was surprised to see that ILA workers declined a roughly 50 percent salary increase over the span of five years.
As a teenage employee at Walmart, one of the importers most affected by the strike, I was directly affected by the strike at work. Managers warned us about items possibly not being in stock and unhappy customer wait times. The strike directly affected the goods that citizens need and are unhappy without.
I believe that the problem with the negotiation during the strike was due to the ILA member’s poor negotiating. With a more proactive approach between both the union and the Biden administration I believe that the strike would not have been prolonged as much as it was.
Owen Marryatt
Holden
