Maryland industries consider impacts as longshoremen strike

Tens of thousands of dock workers across the nation are on strike, including at the Port of Baltimore, effectively shutting down activity.

Workers, who picketed throughout the day Tuesday, are demanding an increase in pay and a ban on automation.

Industries in Maryland are considering the potential impact of the strike on their lines of work.

For soybean farmers in the state, this is harvest time. Those in counties like Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick rely on the port to get their crops to their destinations.

"If it wouldn't be for the weather today, we'd be harvesting soybeans today," said David Burrier, a Frederick County farmer and vice president of the county's farm bureau.

"We need to put these beans in motion continually," Burrier explained. "Every day, the beans need to move because we don't have enough storage for our crop. So it's a work in progress every day. If this backs up, this'll back up harvest."

The ILA Local 333 union here in Baltimore declined WMAR's request for an on-camera interview. The union itself said on Monday the US Maritime Alliance is offering them an 'unacceptable wage they reject.' The Maritime Alliance said it asked for an extension of the current master contract and that it would increase wages by about 50 percent in a recent offer.

Peter Kitzmiller, president of the Maryland Automobile Dealers' Association in Annapolis, says if you're looking for a new car right now, you won't likely won't see any difference in light of the strike at the port which takes in a significant number of cars.

Short term impacts will likely be minimal because of built-up inventory. Long term effects, Kitzmiller told WMAR, could be a different story.

​ "At some point, it's going to create issues because of the large amount of vehicles that come through Baltimore, but also the rest of the east coast. It could definitely have an impact. But again, short term, if you're looking for a new car it's not going to have any impact," Kitzmiller told WMAR.

Some manufacturers, Kitzmiller explained, ship significantly more vehicles to ports on the east coast, which would impact those franchises disproportionately.

The longshoremen's union says it intends for the demonstration to continue around the clock, 'for as long as it takes' for the US Maritime Alliance to meet its demands.

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