American consumers may soon be unable to buy bananas and other popular fruits when they go grocery shopping: If 45,000 dock workers who have threatened to strike actually do so, fruit aisles could be emptied and prices could skyrocket.
The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) negotiates on behalf of 45,000 longshore workers at 34 U.S. ports, which handle roughly half of America's seaborne imports.
The group said its members were prepared to walk away from their jobs if a new contract was not signed by October 1.
A potential strike could halt major ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast, ultimately reducing supplies of popular fruit, plywood and other products. According to the Daily Mail.
Americans eat more bananas per capita than any other fresh fruit.
About two-thirds of U.S. bananas are unloaded at these ports.
Port Wilmington, Delaware, the primary distribution port for Dole Fresh Fruit and Chiquita Fresh North America, is the top U.S. location for unloading bananas and other fruit, including grapes from Chile, clementines from Morocco, pears from Argentina and kiwifruit from New Zealand.
Fruit will spoil if left in port too long, and prices will rise given the delays and additional refrigeration requirements.
“Any fruit that arrives after October 1st is going to end up in the bin,” said produce importer Peter Kopke Sr. He told the Orange County Register“And everyone who invested in that business is going to suffer huge losses.”
Industry experts have warned that a week-long strike could cost the economy around $7.5 billion, the media reported.
The ILA's demands include an 80% wage increase over six years and it argues that workers are entitled to a share of the profits made by foreign container shippers during the pandemic.
The group also argues that some companies are using the technology in violation of current contracts and is calling for tougher language on automation.
