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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Businesses Warn Of 'Coast Wide Port Shutdown' As Union Strike Looms, Appeal for Obama Intervention

As if Superstorm Sandy and the looming fiscal crisis weren't enough, a potential strike by thousands of dock workers from Boston to Houston threatens to shock the economy as early as this weekend.

Business groups and state officials in recent days have called on President Obama to intervene, and use emergency powers to "avoid a coast wide port shutdown." They warn it could cost billions, citing estimates that a 10-day port lockout in 2002 cost $1 billion a day -- and caused a major backlog in shipments.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is the latest to enter the fray and call for White House intervention. But a port strike would affect more than the East and Gulf coasts, where all these ports are located. It could choke supply chains across the country. Groups ranging from the automobile industry to the National Retail Federation to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the Cheese Importers Association of America are warning of dire consequences.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let her rip. It would stop imports which are costing American Jobs

Anonymous said...

Your damned if you do and damned if you don't

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Obama is on his 4,000,000.00 vacation in Hawaii and can't be bothered.

Anonymous said...

Here's the thing...they want to make workers join a union but then when the union does what its supposed to do (threaten to stike if it doesn't get what it wants) they want the President to step in and basically take away the one thing that gives a union negotiating power. They want the government to pick and choose what unions can and can't do and which ones to support, basically dependent one how large their contributions to the DNC are. They already trashed the Railway labor act so why not the dockworkers? Lets just let the government decide all labor disputes. Of course the other option is the Reagan solution ...

Anonymous said...

Those who are threatening to strike already make serious money.

Anonymous said...

5:16 is the perfect reason to abolish the unions at the docks!
Tjank you, ou union dic*!

Anonymous said...

I think 6:18 kinda missed the point...do you really want Obama to decide if a union can strike? Remember when Reagan fired all the air traffic controllers and hired replacements? That will never happen with Obama. Remember Eastern Airlines who went on strike that put them out of buisness? Hostess? Keep gov't out of it and let the chips fall where they may.