FGCU professor speaks on port worker strike

45,000 port workers on the East and Gulf Coasts were officially on strike on Wednesday after their labor contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance expired.

This marks the first major dock strike on the East Coast since 1977. And while some shoppers are already reacting, experts say consumers are not in a crisis yet.

Bananas, chocolate, auto parts and even alcohol are a few of the items that could be affected by this strike.

Bill Walsh is a shopper. He said he is worried about the length of the strike.

“I am very concerned about it. It looks like it could last a long time,” said Walsh.

Sara Mader is a shopper. She said she is worried that the strike’s effects might be widespread.

“I honestly think that if prices are going to keep increasing, it’s something that we have to worry about for everybody. It’s going to affect everybody,” said Mader.

Piyush Shah is a Florida Gulf Coast University supply chain management professor. He said this was preventable.

“We knew that the contracts expired at the end of September from ages back,” said Shah. “Everybody knew this. In an ideal situation, the management should have talked to these longshoremen unions; they should have negotiated in good faith, and we should never have had the strike.”

Shah said consumers are not in crisis mode just yet.

“Retail stores have inventories of one and a half months of everything that they sell,” said Shah.

Even though the future is uncertain, he said this could be resolved within a week, as it’s only a matter of time before the government steps in.

“These strikes are expensive for an economy,” said Shah. “Maybe [in] 4, 5, 6, days, you would see some intervention coming this weekend or some soft pressures being applied to bring both sides to the negotiating table.”