It’s surely no exaggeration to point out that the stakes are high in the dispute between the International Longshoremen’s Association and shippers and port operators that resulted in an , including Baltimore, that began at midnight Monday. Dockworkers want higher pay. That’s understandable.
The U.S. Maritime Alliance wants to keep down the cost of loading load and unloading ships.
That’s understandable, too. But do the parties, including 47,000 or so striking workers, understand the harm they may soon be causing to U.S.
consumers, the nation’s economy and Baltimore in particular? And that’s not even mentioning the presidential election, where one more piece of bad economic news might be just enough to tip the scales. An idle Port of Baltimore spells trouble for the region’s economy. More than are directly or indirectly tied primarily to cargo activity.
The port generates an estimated $3.3 billion in personal income yearly (with salaries well above the average Maryland wage). And here’s another thought — to stay on our admittedly parochial bent — the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in late March had already caused considerable economic hardship.
Must we have another crisis so soon? And that’s not even considering the loss of business and supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic. Every day this strike goes on means trouble for hardworking Marylanders. We are pleased to hear that the White House has been active behind the scenes and that Pres.