Dear President Biden,
On behalf of the undersigned organizations representing American manufacturers, farmers and agribusinesses, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, importers, exporters, distributors, transportation and logistics providers, and other supply chain stakeholders, we are calling upon you and the administration to immediately use your authorities to end the strike which has shut down all East Coast and Gulf Coast container ports. Given the dire situation and the massive negative ramifications for our industries and the economy, we implore you to take immediate action to resolve this situation expeditiously.
This has now become an issue of both economic and national security. The strike will cost the economy billions of dollars a day, impacting businesses large and small that are not party to the negotiations, but rely upon the free flow of goods, both imports and exports, through these critical ports. These port closures mean that our farmers are not able to sell their crops to overseas markets, manufacturers are not able to receive critical components for manufacturing facilities, retailers won’t be able to get their holiday merchandise in time and many other industries will be negatively impacted. The longer a strike occurs, the more severe the economic
impact and the longer it will take to recover.
While we would have all preferred for the collective bargaining process to have worked and the parties to have negotiated and reached a deal, that was not the case. The administration must now step in to not only get the ports open again but work with the parties to resolve the outstanding contract issues. The only way the parties can agree on a new deal is if they return to the negotiating table with the help of a federal mediator to ensure they bargain in good faith.
Now is the time for leadership to resolve this issue. Thank you for your immediate attention.
Sincerely,