With grocery lists to pen and holiday shopping to plan, U.S. shoppers may soon be met with empty store shelves due to a nationwide strike that some experts say could strangle the country’s supply chain for an array of products .
While fears of desolate storefronts and toilet paper stockpiles echo the distant days of the early COVID-19 pandemic, the potential lack of product availability is this time linked to a thousands-strong strike by port workers, causing a devastating effect on international shipping for the United States.
Here’s what to know about the port worker strike and how it could affect you:
What is the longshoreman strike?
Thirty-six East Coast and Gulf Coast ports have shut down due to 45,000 union workers walking off the job Oct. 1, marking the first strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association since 1977.
Why are the port workers going on strike?
Thousands of port workers went on strike after labor negotiations over higher pay and protections against automation reportedly stalled between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance.