Henrico Times

Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) has joined 69 Members of Congress, including senior leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in urging the Biden-Harris administration to prevent a potential work stoppage at East and Gulf Coast ports, such as the Port of Virginia. The lawmakers warn that a strike could significantly impact U.S. supply chains, the economy, and American consumers.

In their letter, the Members of Congress state: “If a work stoppage occurred at East and Gulf Coast ports in October, estimates suggest that a one-week strike would take until mid-November to recover from and clear the backlog of cargo. Estimates further suggest a two-week strike would take until 2025 to fully recover from. Lengthier strikes would have an even greater cascading disruption. Any of these situations would have serious consequences for American consumers and the holiday season.”

The letter also emphasizes: “While we understand issues persist in the contract negotiations between [United States Maritime Alliance] and the [International Longshoremen’s Association], it is imperative that both parties remain at the bargaining table for as long as necessary to reach an agreement that avoids a work stoppage and the serious negative economic consequences that would follow.”

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), North America's largest union of maritime workers, has indicated that a strike could begin on Oct. 1 if no new labor contract is agreed upon with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).

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