Panic buying begins amid threat of dockworkers’ strike, with toilet paper flying off the shelves again
Alarmed Virginians have taken to the nearest grocery stores to panic-buy large rolls of toilet paper.
In an eerie flashback to the Covid-19 pandemic, imCenturies and videos show dozens of concerned locals stocking up on home essentials as dock workers across the country go on strike.
Earlier this week, the International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents about 45,000 longshoremen, announced they are protesting the automation of gates, cranes and container-moving trucks.
Goods ranging from food to car shipments to dozens of ports from Maine to Texas have been blocked — costing the economy billions of dollars a day, analysts say.
Images and videos of dozens of worried people queuing with carts filled with reels have emerged as dock workers across the country go on strike.
Eric Clark, portfolio manager at Accuvest Global Advisors, said USA TODAY: ‘Any strike lasting longer than a week could cause shortages of goods for the holidays.
“We could end up with six months of inflation that is comparable to or worse than the peak inflation levels of a year ago.”
The strike – which has just entered its second day – has some cautious Americans concerned about access to necessities.
As a result, entire lengths of toilet paper were removed from store shelves within hours.
‘We are planning to buy a car and now I’m wondering if prices will go higher as inventory becomes low. Let’s wait and see,” added Hampton Roads resident Deborah Franklin.
The strike – which has just entered its second day – left many Americans concerned about whether they would be unable to access basic necessities
As a result, entire rows of toilet paper and towels are completely cleared in just a few hours
But many experts have confirmed that the strike will not have any impact on the supply of necessary products for daily life.
More than 90 percent of the country’s toilet paper consumption is produced in domestic factories and not imported.
The rest comes from neighboring Canada and Mexico, usually by rail or truck rather than by ship.
Instead of toilet paper, experts predict that foodstuffs such as bananas and seafood, along with alcohol imported from Europe, South America or the Caribbean, may be the most affected by these strikes.
Warnings have also emerged that instead of big convenience chains like Walmart and Costco, small businesses will be the hardest hit in the coming weeks.
“We are planning to buy a car and now I’m wondering, will prices go higher as inventory gets low, should we wait and see about that,” said Hampton Roads resident Deborah Franklin.
Dock workers bow in prayer during a strike at the Bayport Container Terminal
Cranes that normally run day and night are shut down during a strike by ILA members at the Bayport Container Terminal
This is not the first time that dock workers have resisted automation in their sector.
The growth of automation and technological advancements have created tensions between workers and management since the Industrial Revolution, when machines first began manufacturing goods that were previously made by hand.
But in 1960, when West Coast ports introduced machines to move cargo that had once been moved by hand, the union representing longshoremen negotiated worker protections, including assurances that the current workforce would not be laid off, according to the International Longshore & Warehouse Union.