October Surprise?
The Administration Should Move to Forestall a Devastating Longshoreman Strike
With the Presidential election rapidly approaching, what might happen if the International Longshoremen’s Association makes good its threat to go on strike at 12:01 on Tuesday, October 1st?
Port union voices unanimous support for strike, escalating U.S. supply chain fears
Any disruption resulting from the United States Maritime Alliance and the International Longshoremen's Association negotiations would deal an immediate blow to the manufacturing supply chain," said the National Association of Manufacturers' managing vice president of policy Chris Netram. "A work stoppage at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports would upend logistics for U.S. businesses and hinder the movement of goods upon which millions of Americans depend. Costs will rise, and manufacturing jobs will be lost if parts and supplies don't arrive on time.
I’ve been interested in this subject for a long time. In December of 2021, I wrote this article discussing a possible solution to supply chain disruptions:
Airships Making a Comeback: Solutions for Global Supply Chain Disruptions
In November of 2023, I published a Directed Fiction novel imagining what this might look like:
