NY governor unveils preparations for possible port strike

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday a series of steps state agencies are taking to prepare for a possible strike at ports from Maine to Texas, as negotiations continue ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline.

“As conversations between the ILA and USMX continue with a deadline of October 1, New York is prepared to support working families if a strike occurs,” Hochul said in a press release, using abbreviations to refer to the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).

“As the deadline looms, I urge the USMX and the ILA to come to an agreement that respects workers and ensures commerce can continue through our nation’s busiest ports here in New York,” she continued.

Hochul said officials are anticipating possible disruptions to the medical products supply chain, but heating oil, gas and diesel should not be affected by a potential strike. Cruise ships would also not be affected.

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Emergency Management is “closely monitoring the situation,” Hochul said, and will coordinate with state agencies on any possible resource deployments.

“Additionally, all state stockpiles are prepared to deploy any available resources including generators in the event they are needed,” the press release read.

The New York State Department of Health has contacted hospitals and nursing homes in the state and “reminded them of the requirement to maintain a 60-day stockpile of personal protective equipment and other critical goods,” Hochul said.

The state’s emergency and health officials communicate with health care providers to monitor for any impacts to supply chains in order to redeploy resources as needed, Hochul said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which Hochul noted is the largest port on the Eastern Seaboard, has worked with commercial trucking companies to make sure that specified cargo — essential goods, medical supplies and food products — that has already been offloaded can get to their final destinations.

Hochul also said the Port Authority has communicated with ILA to discuss “appropriate protest areas to protect free speech” ahead of a possible strike.

Hochul said strikes are not expected to impact upstate ports including Albany, Coeymans, Oswego and Buffalo.