Day 2 of port strike not to blame for empty shelves, according to economy expert

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The movement of goods was on hold for a second day in a row Wednesday while dockworkers were on strike at ports on the East and Gulf coasts.

“The water and the toilet paper seem to be going out fairly quickly, that I noticed in other shopping carts,” Ed Roberts told News 2 after his grocery run in Hanahan.

Shoppers have reported seeing shelves with low supplies in some stores, but according to an economy expert, its not necessarily due to the strike.

“In the short run, we expect to see from the strike itself, very limited effects overall because many retailers knew that this strike was a possibility as far back as June,” explained Joseph Von Nessen, a Research Economist for Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. “And so, they’ve been stocking up inventory in anticipation that we might see a strike that would take a few days or perhaps a week or two to resolve.”

Von Nessen said people are purchasing supplies post-Hurricane Helene, while others are stocking up in case of strike-related shortages in the future.

“If buyers are reacting or anticipating a shortage down the road then that can create some shortages in the short run. So, its almost a self-fulfilling prophecy in that case,” Von Nessen told News 2.

Meanwhile, local members of the International Longshoremen’s Association remained out on the picket lines Wednesday outside of the North Charleston Terminal.

The ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance have yet to come to an agreement on their next Master Contract.

“Why are we out here? We’re out here for our families and our families are no different than any other family in America. But we understand that this is part of the process,” said Brian Mack, a rank-and-file member of ILA Local 1422.

Von Nessen said prices could go up if the strike lasts several weeks.