Thousands of dockworkers represented by the International Longshoremen's Association went on strike today in ports along the East and Gulf Coasts as contract negotiations broke down with shipping companies represented by the United States Maritime Alliance.
But the strike is unlikely to have an immediate impact on Maine's shipping industry, said Oak McCoy, an economist with the University of New England.
He said that's because most of the cargo ship traffic coming to the International Marine Terminal in Portland is through the Icelandic company Eimskip.
"The strike is really with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, and they don't send ships to Maine," McCoy said. "And so it really is going to be the other ports that are critical to the regional economy or the eastern seaboard economy."
At issue are disputes over wages and automation.
"I think that the workers are rightly concerned about automation. It's not just about higher wages, but the future of their jobs as well, as technology reshapes industry," McCoy said.
He said Maine could still see ripple effects from the strike, in the form of shipping delays and constrained supply chains potentially leading to higher consumer prices.
