New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday urged dockworkers preparing to strike and their employers to come to an agreement that respects workers and averts supply chain disruptions.
This comes as the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has vowed to strike against its U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) employers starting at midnight tonight if negotiations fail.
“That deadline is rapidly approaching,” Hochul said in a press conference streamed live on YouTube. “If an agreement is not reached by later today, ports from Maine to Texas will face a strike [of] 47,000 workers, 4,500 of which are right here in the New York and New Jersey area, and we represent the largest port on the East Coast, the second largest in the nation.”
Hochul said East Coast ports have not had a strike of this magnitude since the last ILA strike in 1977. According to a news release from her office, the potential strike is not anticipated to affect petrochemical goods like home heating oil, gasoline and diesel.
“As conversations between the ILA and USMX continue with a deadline of October 1, New York is prepared to support working families if a strike occurs,” Hochul said in the release. “As the deadline looms, I urge the USMX and the ILA to come to an agreement that respects workers and ensures commerce can continue through our nation’s busiest ports here in New York.”
The governor said she does not anticipate shortages of essential goods anytime soon.
“People do not need to rush out to the grocery store and stockpile goods like they did during the pandemic,” Hochul said. “We do not want to see people reach that level of anxiety, because we are not there.”
What it could affect, and what she said she is most concerned about, is medical supplies.
“We’re deeply concerned about the impact that a strike could have on our supply chains, especially when it comes to critical goods like medical supplies and others,” Hochul said.
She said the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been working around the clock to get food products, medical supplies and other essential goods out of port facilities.
“We’re also working closely with the commercial trucking industry to ensure that these items reach their destination,” Hochul said. “This will be a major disruption for thousands and thousands of independent truckers as well.”
Hochul said most pharmaceuticals in New York arrive at their destination by air and are not expected to be disrupted.
“I’ve directed our Department of Health to remind our health care workers that they are required to maintain 60-day stockpiles of personal protective equipment,” Hochul said. “We saw the need for this during the pandemic – as well as other supplies.”
The governor said state government and local industries have been anticipating a strike and made preparations for it.