Editorial: Dockworkers' strike unloads October Surprise for Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris’s October Surprise didn’t waste any time, as dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas hit the picket lines just after midnight on Monday.

It’s the first such strike since 1977, and consumers could face a repeat of pandemic shopping nightmares if it lasts more than a few weeks. The strike could snarl supply chains, leading to shortages and higher prices, according to reports. The dockworkers, which include those in Boston, are calling for more money and a ban on automation that could cost jobs.

We’ve been there before and it was bad. The Biden Administration knows it, and so do voters.

“The Department of Labor is already involved, but if a strike happens, and inflation starts climbing again, it won’t look good for Harris or the current administration,” Joseph Camberato, CEO at NationalBusinessCapital.com, told Newsweek. “People will be paying close attention to how this administration handles this situation, and it could definitely affect the election.”

So far, it’s taking a hands-off, you guys figure it out stance.

The White House issued a statement Tuesday, telling both sides that they need to work things out “fairly and quickly.”

White House officials predicted the strike will have minimal impact on gas and food prices, at least for now. The key phrase is “for now.”

“The President and Vice President believe collective bargaining is the best way for both American workers and employers to come to a fair agreement,” the White House statement said.

This is a far cry from Biden’s stance on the railroad strike that loomed in 2022. He signed legislation blocking the strike, a move which angered many rail workers who had been bargaining for sick days, not included in the final deal.

Biden said in a statement: “Let me be clear: a rail shutdown would devastate our economy. Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down.”

A prolonged dockworkers’ strike could also have devastating effects, but Biden and Harris are easing off the gas. It’s not just fear of making the wrong move, unions supporting the dockworkers are not keen on Biden/Harris involvement.

As Newsweek reported, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued some choice words in a press release Monday. “The U.S. government should stay the (expletive) out of this fight and allow union workers to withhold their labor for the wages and benefits they have earned.”

No wonder Biden and Harris are staying in the virtual basement.

“President Biden and Vice President Harris are closely monitoring the strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports,” the White House said yesterday.

This is the moment for leadership, a steady, authoritative hand and skilled negotiator to help end this impasse. We don’t have that in the White House.

Biden has made it a point to emphasize his partnership with Harris in this imbroglio. If the administration somehow brings about a conclusion which satisfies both sides and ends the strike quickly, the vice president’s race to the White House would be turbocharged.

If, however, the strike stretches up to Nov. 5 and voters start feeling the pinch, Harris would be treading quicksand.

T.S. Eliot referred to April as “the cruelest month.” October’s reply: “hold my beer.”

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