Doomsday Dockworkers
Sam Sykes ~ 09/26/2024
I just want to say, I told you so. Here at Riot Club we’re not always known for our serious reporting or subject matter, I mean, I just wrote an article about Gunts and AIDS. However, I want to get ahead of this one before anyone else does. If you thought prices were high now, just wait.
A dockworkers strike is planned for October 1st, and no deal with the union looks like it will be made in time to stop it. Huge ports along the American East and Gulf Coasts are heading for quick and costly stoppage. Unlike the UAW (United Auto Workers) strike from last fall that was incredibly greedy and will ultimately lead to even further labor outsourcing to Mexico, the longshoremen are looking for more reasonable accommodations. The union is mostly asking for a ten-percent increase in pay annually over the next six years. As we stare down the barrel of more inflation and price bans under the current administration, it doesn’t seem so greedy. They have of course thrown in the routine demands against automation of tasks and elimination of jobs, but those will inevitably be struck down in the pursuit of higher wages. The last contract, which expires in four days, was signed in 2018, when prices were incredibly low and America was sourcing its own oil.
All the 36 ports striking will disrupt the economy, but a few will have extreme impacts on very specific industries that have already been damaged by blue inflation. The port of Baltimore in Maryland and the port of Brunswick in Georgia are major importers of automobiles in the United States. The car industry has already been severely damaged by runaway inflation and the recent auto workers strike, but a complete halt in supply will not just be a temporary explosion in price. Prices seldom come back down, and with foreign cars being among some of the more affordable options, it could really hurt the middle-class. Another Georgia port, in Savannah to be exact, is an enormous importer of retail goods. So now even products that have been historically resistant to rising prices like clothing, shoes, and household items will most likely face a shortage before their prices even have a chance to increase.
People underestimate how much food is actually imported into America. Almost all fruits and vegetables that are not in season are frozen, shipped by boat, and distributed to a grocery store near you. When supply chains for extremely perishable products like food are disrupted, they can be very difficult to open up again. Even small economic disruptions can cripple South and Central American farms that are consistently under economic and cartel pressure. Without the support of the American purchasers of produce, many of these farms will simply not survive an economic drought absorbing the cost of lost crops. When the strike eventually ends, and trade lines are restored, food shortages will most likely persist as supply will be unable to meet previous demands.
In 1977, the International Longshoremen's Association, or ILA, went on strike for 44 days in October of that year. There are several parallels that can be drawn between then and now. There was an administration running the country that shot inflation through the roof and workers were desperate for higher pay in uncertain times. The strike led to even higher prices and fell squarely on the shoulders of middle-class Americans as 4 billion dollars in goods piled up on the coast.
This is far from the last industry that will be affected by insane inflation, unions are under more and more pressure to demand higher wages. Another automotive strike is not out of the question, it seems as though Stellantis (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Etc.) is mulling a fight. The longshoreman’s strike could be a catalyst for American car unions to put pressure on their respective companies. Even non-union (and rightfully so) industries like fast food and retail have been inching closer to unionization. A halting of imported goods to the Eastern U.S. could be the push these businesses need to strike. This could completely rebuild the American labor market and handcuff prices to the whims of greedy union leaders.
I know I (and this entire site) am not known for my serious journalistic endeavors. Trust me, I’d much rather write about tits, beer, cigarettes, retards, buttholes, and drug addicts, but this potential strike is not something that should be ignored. It threatens all of our lives and ability to live in the absurd.
