As dockworkers strike along the East and Gulf coasts, some manufacturers and retailers are asking President Joe Biden to step in. They want him to use a law from 1947 called Taft-Hartley. This law lets presidents pause strikes for 80 days so companies and unions can talk things out.

    The dockworkers’ union has about 45,000 members. They work at 36 ports across the U.S., from Maine to Texas. These ports handle a lot of goods coming into the country. When they shut down, it affects how much stuff retailers can get and how much money they make.

    The law was made after World War II by two senators, Robert Taft and Fred Harris. They wanted to keep strikes from hurting the economy too much. Over time, presidents have used this law 37 times in labor disputes. Half of those times, the issues got solved.

    Biden said he doesn’t plan to use the law right now. He thinks the companies at these ports should sit down and talk with the union to end the strike. The companies make a lot of money, especially since the pandemic started.

    Some people in Biden's party are worried that the strike could hurt voters' opinions about them. They don’t want unions to be mad at them. But experts say most voters have already made up their minds for the next election.

    This law is not popular with unions, though. Labor relations expert William Brucher from Rutgers University says these injunctions are hated by many union workers in the U.S.

Dock Strike and its Impact on U. S. Imports

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