KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Around 45,000 dockworkers along the East Coast are on strike as of Tuesday, closing around 36 ports from Maine to Texas.
The International Longshoremen's Association is asking for companies to pay workers higher wages, improve their benefits and to guarantee that the company would not replace them with automation or advanced technology at job sites.
Donald Maier, a University of Tennessee associate professor of supply chain management, said the job protections may be an even bigger concern than wages.
"That's a bigger sticking point in addition to the wages," Maier said. "If you look at the type of technology they're considering implementing in the ports and then at the terminals, the ILA workers are considering a negotiation to prevent the loss of jobs."
He said while the ports are closed, people in East Tennessee may start seeing prices rise in the grocery store. He said many types of food arrive in shipping containers — including bananas.
"Most of the bananas that we receive in the United States, it will actually obviously have to come by a container. Bananas are one of the largest fruits that we consume in the United States," Maier said.
He also said there could be fewer car parts from overseas manufacturers, and prices could rise on imported beer and wine.
No information is available on how long the strike may last. Maier said every day it goes on, it could take between three and five days to recover.
"Because of the strike, the number of the ships that are anchored offshore are waiting to be unloaded," he said. "And by the way, there's a few more ships coming in so that backlog starts to grow."
Maier said many retailers have prepared for this strike and have enough inventory to last a week.
"The worst thing we can do as a consumer is to panic at this point," Maier said. "Some of the containers out there may have some of the holiday inventory that they're expecting for December. Again, it's gonna come in — it's just a matter of when."