The San Antonio grocer hopes the port strike is short-lived

SAN ANTONIO – The ongoing port strike at East and Gulf Coast ports is being closely watched by many businesses and grocery stores, although they are not currently overly concerned.

River City Produce, a distribution company located on Laredo Street, serves both businesses and residents in need of produce.

“My first thought was that it would be harder,” said Nando Gonzalez of River City Produce. “We will do it, but it will be more difficult. We just have to use alternative sources.”

He said many products are grown and shipped in the United States, but items like bananas may require adjustments depending on how long the strike lasts.

“85 percent of banana imports into the U.S. come by ship,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of it comes through Mexico, so they will be there. But depending on how long it lasts, we are dealing with a perishable product, so we only have a limited shelf life to begin with.”

Gonzalez said as soon as he realized this was happening, it reminded him of their struggles during the pandemic.

“When people were talking about COVID and supply chains and lockdowns, no one really realized what the impact would be,” he said. “When a port closes and so many products come in every day and the supply chain is disrupted, it's like a wheel that's constantly turning. We've seen the effect during COVID when the wheel gets out of balance. Instead of being smooth, it’s unbalanced, so it takes longer to come back in.”

Gonzalez said based on what they're hearing across the industry, the port strike could have economic consequences for everyone.

“It's not just bananas that will see higher prices or problems in the States. “It ranges from canned goods to electronics,” he said. “The numbers they are predicting in this daily strike will impact $3.5 billion worth of trade per day. Not a week, not a day.”

Like some retailers and businesses, Gonzalez is hoping President Joe Biden will intervene, even though he has said he won't.

Biden, who is pro-union, has the power to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which would authorize the president to seek a court order for an 80-day cooling-off period for companies and unions to resolve their differences.

“I think whenever trade and the economy are going to be affected, (Biden) has to step in and say, 'Let's fix this now,'” Gonzalez said. “Think about the American consumer. We're already paying way too much. I understand what they do and what they mean, but really think about the people who rely on these products.”

The last time such a strike occurred was in the early 2000s, when President George W. Bush invoked the Taft-Hartley Act after 29 West Coast ports locked out members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. The two parties eventually reached an agreement.

Gonzalez said he understands the fear of automation and wage concerns driving this strike, but he hopes that whether Biden intervenes or not, a deal will be reached sooner rather than later.

“Let's just be patient and hope that this ends quickly and there are winners on both sides,” he said.