A potential strike of dockworkers could have major implications for Texas and the national economy.
The strike is currently being threatened by the International Longshoremen’s Association, which is demanding higher wages and a ban on automation for loading and unloading freight on cargo ships.
The union represents around 45,000 dockworkers from Maine down to Texas.
The union plans to go on strike Tuesday at midnight after their current agreement with the U.S. Maritime Alliance expires “at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports.” While the federal government could intervene to extend negotiations and delay a strike, President Joe Biden has so far ruled that out, saying he supports the union’s “collective bargaining effort.”
A strike could affect billions of dollars in trade, according to a report from Barron’s, as well as higher prices and decreased supply for consumers.
The Port of Houston is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage, supporting 1.54 million jobs and $439 billion in economic value in Texas alone, according to its own economic impact study.
