Longshoremen walk the picket line outside of the Barbours Cut Container Terminal during the first day of a dockworkers strike on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Eighty percent of the products consumed in Puerto Rico are imported. One of the main ports the island receives its cargo from is Jacksonville.
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi urged island residents on Monday to remain calm as dockworkers along the East Coast of the US went on strike.
US ports from Maine to Texas shut down Tuesday when the union representing about 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for the first time since 1977.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) is demanding significantly higher wages and a total ban on the automation of cranes, gates, and container-moving trucks that are used in the loading or unloading of freight at 36 US ports.
Eighty percent of the products consumed in Puerto Rico are imported. One of the main ports the island receives its cargo from is Jacksonville.
“We are monitoring the impact of this labor conflict. The port we are keeping an eye on is Jacksonville (Florida) because a large part of the maritime cargo comes from that port. The information I am receiving at the moment is that cargo operations at that port (Jacksonville) have nothing to do with this labor conflict and should not be affected,” Pierluisi said at a news conference.
According to information that has come to light, the island has supplies for two weeks, so the labor-management situation affecting some 14 ports in the eastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico should not interrupt supplies arriving to the island.
Pierluisi said he is in communication with federal authorities, mainly Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce John Bryson.
“He is very attentive because something that we want to achieve is an agreement that the flow of transportation of the products that we receive from that particular port, but I would say from all (the ports), will not be interrupted,” Pierluisi said.
A prolonged shutdown could lead to higher prices on goods nationwide and might create shortages and price hikes for both large and small retailers as the holiday shopping season and a competitive presidential election draw near.
READ MORE: Puerto Rican first-time voter Jeampaul Cáceres sets sights on US Senate and presidency
Author
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Floridians and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at Floricua has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Florida families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
Florida’s 6 highest-paying jobs
Discover Florida's highest-paying jobs. These lucrative careers are tailored to the Sunshine State's unique landscape and economy. Florida's job...
Entre quesitos, tripletas y budines, pareja puertorriqueña cumple sueño de abrir panadería en Margate
El matrimonio se fue de Puerto Rico a principios de la crisis económica del 2015, junto a sus tres hijos. Omar y Deborah Correa tienen claro en su...
Your holiday passport to South Florida: culture, flavors, music, and a lot more!
As the holidays start, South Florida comes alive with events that showcase its unique mix of cultures, traditions, and flavors. Floricua brings you...
Beyond the election: FAU Democrats work to rebuild trust and momentum
Democrats need to remind voters that they are the people's party, and not the party of the coastal elite, students say. The 2024 election results...
