OAKLAND, Calif. – About 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association on the Gulf and East Coast walked off the job on Monday, and so far, the strike is so far not affecting workers at the ports in Oakland or San Francisco.
West Coast dockworkers belong to a different union.
However, experts worry about the trickle-down effects if the strike lasts long enough.
Even a week-long strike might affect other ports across the country, and make deliveries during the holiday retail season a disaster.
“The timing couldn’t be any worse,” Port of Los Angeles CEO Gene Seroka said on Monday. “It’s that small-to medium-size business that I’m concerned with. Typically, they run these last 12 weeks before the holidays to make payroll and keep their companies viable. That’s at risk right now.”
For the strike to end, the ILA needs to make a deal with the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports.
Much of the labor dispute involves the …