A potential disruption is on the horizon at some of the largest U.S. ports. The labor union and owners have just days to come to an agreement before a strike is set to begin, and shippers are already preparing for the worst.
Shipping giant Maersk is asking customers to pick up their containers and return empty ones before the January 15th deadline. The union has drawn a line in the sand over automation, saying no new technology can be brought on board that would take human jobs. Analysts say there has been no sign of progress so far.
The International Longshoremen’s Association says around 45,000 members would be impacted, and the U.S. Meat Export Federation says cold storage would likely take a big impact.
