In anticipation of thousands of East Coast dockworkers going on strike Oct. 1, U.S. healthcare suppliers have already rerouted shipments, according to Vizient.
Vizient, a healthcare improvement and group purchasing organization that works with more than 1,300 hospitals, told Becker's that supply companies have implemented alternative shipping routes, shifted volumes to alternate ports, increased their inventories and used airfreight where possible.
Over the past year, the International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance have been negotiating a six-year contract that covers 45,000 port workers, according to Fox News.
The union said Sept. 23 that USMX is offering a "stingy," "unacceptable wage increase package." The same day, USMX said it has been unable to resume bargaining after multiple attempts to schedule a meeting. ILA said it will go on strike if an agreement is not reached.
The strike could affect 36 ports on the East and Gulf Coasts. This includes six of the nation's 10 busiest ports, according to Bill Selles, senior vice president of transformation and operations for spend management at Vizient and former senior vice president of supply chain at Corewell Health.
If a strike happens, some disruption will occur, he said.
As suppliers take proactive measures, Vizient is "encouraging our member providers to access the essential supply programs we have in place in the event they have a shortage to help avoid the potential for more widespread supply disruptions due to protective purchasing," Katie Korte, PharmD, vice president of assurance and continuity for Vizient, told Becker's.
The last coast-wide strike happened in 1977.