YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Up and down the East and Gulf Coasts, dock workers at 36 ports are now on strike.
No one knows how long it could last, but if it goes more than a few weeks, businesses across the country will be impacted, including in York County.
“[York County has] a strong manufacturing base and a lot of those manufacturers really depend on the Ports of Baltimore and Philadelphia," said Kevin Schreiber, president of the York County Economic Alliance (YCEA).
Schreiber says YCEA is keeping a close eye on the situation, as York County imports 40 million tons, or 17%, of goods from the Port of Baltimore alone.
The county also exports about 17% of goods out of the Port of Baltimore.
“Right now, day one, hoping this gets resolved in the very near future but any time you inject any level of uncertainty it leads to some level of discontent and concern," explained Schreiber.
Many industries could be affected if the strike stretches into the days and weeks ahead, including the automotive industry.
At Ankers Garage in Spring Garden Township, owner Paul Ankers says getting vehicle parts in has been a struggle since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Parts have been a problem so this is probably going to make it worse," he said. "Everything’s coming from China, overseas anyway so if we don’t get it to the stores, we don’t get it here.”
He’s hoping for the best but preparing for the situation to impact just how quickly they can get repairs done.
“We just tell them the truth," said Ankers. "If the parts aren’t available, we can’t get them, they can’t get them.”