The ongoing dockworkers strike, which has led to the closure of numerous ports along the East and Gulf Coasts, has reportedly sparked a wave of panic buying at a Staten Island Costco.
Video footage reveals the stark reality of the situation, with vast expanses of empty shelves that once held toilet paper and paper towels.
According to The New York Post, a video segment shared by FreedomNews.TV on Wednesday shows a Costco on Richmond Avenue, near the Staten Island Mall, with only a few pallets of what seems to be facial tissues remaining. The once fully stocked shelves of toilet paper have been entirely depleted, leaving behind a long, vacant wall.
A local shopper, identifying herself as Josephine, shared her experience, stating, "Everyone came out because they're worried about the strike. You gotta get the milk, the bread and the eggs but they came out for the paper towels, too." She expressed her concern about the situation escalating if the strike continues, saying, "I will be worried in another week."
Josephine also voiced her opinion on the strike, stating, "I think the strike should be over [and] I think the president should shut it down because this is going to hurt the economy." She added a grim prediction for the upcoming holiday season, "By the time Christmas comes, everybody is going to be broke."
However, experts argue that such panic buying is unnecessary. They point out that approximately 90% of toilet paper sold in the US is domestically produced, and the remainder is manufactured in Canada or Mexico. This means that these products are transported into the country via rail or trucks, not ships, and thus, are not directly affected by the port strike.
The New York Post has reached out to the Staten Island Costco for comment. Meanwhile, social media users have posted numerous photos and videos of empty store shelves in Virginia and New Jersey, which once held rolls of toilet paper and paper towels.
The port strike is expected to have an immediate impact on perishable goods such as bananas, cherries, cocoa, and sugar, most of which are imported. However, toilet paper and paper towels are non-perishable items.
President Biden, who has the authority under federal law to order the dockworkers back to work, has stated that he will not intervene. Instead, he has encouraged the union and the group representing port managers to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.
The strike, led by the International Longshoremen's Association and its 50,000 members under the leadership of President Harold Daggett, entered its third day on Thursday with no indication of the two sides nearing a resolution. The union is demanding a ban on automation and significant wage increases.
Daggett, who resides in a 7,000-square-foot mansion in a leafy part of New Jersey, has pledged to "cripple" the US economy. The country stands to lose billions of dollars as a result of a prolonged work stoppage. This could potentially lead to shortages and higher prices for electronics, auto parts, medicines, European beer and spirits, and European cars that are imported through the ports.
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