By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
The Port of Mobile may shut down if the ongoing contract dispute between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. does not get resolved by Sunday, December 30.
If the Port of Mobile shuts down (the last East and Gulf Coast port strike was 1977), it would negatively impact every importer and exporter that utilizes the container port, from manufacturers and truck drivers to farmers and retailers, affect hundreds if not thousands of U.S. jobs, and cost the U.S. economy millions upon millions of dollars a day.
A similar 2002 West Coast port disruption was estimated to cost the U.S. economy around $1 billion a day, and that strike lasted 10 days!
The National Retail Federation (NRF) – the world’s largest retail trade association – has been working tirelessly to draw attention to the potential “container cliff” along the East and Gulf Coast ports.
From the very beginning, NRF has urged both sides to remain at the table until a deal is reached! NRF’s voice continues to echo that same sentiment even after the two sides broke off negotiations yesterday.
