KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A decision made at the stroke of midnight could have major impacts on everyday life, starting with how we shop and what we can buy.
Midtown Fresh Owner Paul Petros told FOX 17 that construction has been their biggest challenge recently. Now, a new issue has emerged for Petros. “It’s pretty scary. It’s something that we haven’t really seen before,” he added.
On Tuesday morning, East Coast and Gulf Coast ports went on strike. “Unfortunately, in situations like this, people like to jack their prices up," Petros said.
To help his customers, Petros has started buying extra essential items for his store. “I am preparing for the worst, so I want to make sure I have good pricing and I can go as long as I can,” he said.
He said people should start purchasing essential items, canned goods and non-perishable items now. He also suggested that those with large freezers consider stocking up on meat.
“All this will go up, but we promise to give all our customers the best price possible because my community is very important, and it's a struggling community,” Petros said.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) is demanding higher wages, no automation or semi-automation, and that union members retain all container royalty funds.
“When a port goes on strike, you disrupt the flow of replenishment into supply chains,” said Bruce Ferrin, a professor of supply chain management at Western Michigan University.
Today’s supply chains are closely coordinated. “The effects of that will be felt very quickly, within less than a week, I would say, or a weekend, you know, or so at the most,” he added.
The duration of the strike is uncertain, and there's no telling when things will recover.
"When the West Coast ports went on strike a couple of years ago, several years ago, they were on strike for 11 days," Ferrin told FOX 17. "It took months before the supply chains recover."
However, he does not anticipate the current situation being as severe as during the pandemic. “If the East Coast and Gulf Coast ports stayed shut down for a long time, we’d still have 50% of our import trade coming into the country,” he noted.
Ferrin advised consumers to start their Christmas shopping before potential supply disruptions reach retail levels.
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