Port strike in Boston would have "moderate" impact in Massachusetts, economist says
BOSTON - At least 25,000 dock workers at 14 ports from Massachusetts to Texas appear ready to go on strike this week.
East Coast port strike
The dockworkers' union could walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday when their contract expires and it would be a major disruption to the economy. There might be a shortage of pharmaceuticals, cars, produce and fresh meat.
Negotiations between the union and the shipping industry have been stalled since June. Dockworkers want better pay and less automation.
Boston port would close
Conley Terminal, the main cargo port in South Boston, would shut down if there's a strike.
There are about 160 dockworkers in Boston and a strike could affect about 12,000 jobs in the area, including truck drivers, delivery workers and tugboat drivers.
But, overall, the impact in Boston and Massachusetts would be "moderate," according to economist and Boston University professor Jay Zagorsky.
Will anyone notice?
"Massachusetts is no longer one of the biggest ports on the East Coast. Instead, we're 44th in the nation," he told WBZ-TV last week. "So, if the strike is relatively short, say a week or two, no one's going to notice. But if this drags on through, say Halloween or Thanksgiving, we're going to actually start seeing some bare shelves," Zagorsky said.
"It will affect at the retail level, what gets on store shelves and what people are able to buy and consume. And strikes in the past, that's been the history, that this is incredibly disruptive to the conduct of commerce in the region," said Jim Rooney, President and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
If there's a strike, Massport said any import cargo that's still at Conley Terminal at the end of the day Monday will be unavailable "until the stoppage ends."
"Any refrigerated cargo that remains in the terminal (import and export) will not be monitored nor maintained while the work stoppage is in effect," the agency said in a statement.
There has not been a dock strike on the East Coast since 1977.
