**Retail Prices and Stock Shortages Loom as Port Strikes Continue Across the U.S.**

Some manufacturers and retailers are calling on President Joe Biden to invoke a historical 1947 law to end a massive strike by 45,000 dockworkers, which has led to the closure of 36 ports along the U.S. coastline from Maine to Texas. These stakeholders are urging the President to utilize Section 206 of the Taft-Hartley Act to impose an 80-day cooling-off period to facilitate negotiations between companies and unions.

Section 206 of the Taft-Hartley Act, introduced by Republicans Sen. Robert Taft and Rep. Fred Hartley Jr., allows the President to intervene in labor disputes that significantly affect national interests. The law authorizes the President to ask a federal court to issue an injunction to pause strikes or lockouts, prompting both parties to attempt to resolve their differences over an 80-day period. Despite the immediate relief this intervention could bring, President Biden has stated he will not step in.

The Taft-Hartley Act, passed in the post-World War II era after a series of labor strikes, also prohibits "closed shops," secondary boycotts, and forces union leaders to denounce any support for the Communist Party. Its provisions have been controversial among labor unions and are generally opposed.

Historically, presidential interventions under Section 206 have had mixed results. For example, President George W. Bush used the law in 2002 during a standoff between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and West Coast port operators, which eventually led to a contract agreement.

Biden, addressing the current strike, emphasized the urgency created by Hurricane Helene's devastation in North Carolina, noting that the labor dispute is obstructing the delivery of emergency supplies. "This natural disaster is incredibly consequential," he remarked. "The last thing we need on top of that is a man-made disaster - what's going on at the ports."

Despite the pressure from the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Retail Federation for Biden to act, he has maintained his position, urging port-operating companies to take responsibility and negotiate earnestly. Biden pointed out that these companies have seen considerable profits since the pandemic and should work towards resolving the strike.

Labor unions largely despise Taft-Hartley injunctions, which Rutgers University labor relations expert William Brucher pointed out, adding that a prolonged strike could lead to consumer shortages and rising retail prices. This situation could increase public pressure on Biden to reconsider his stance, although Brucher believes voter sentiment is likely already established, making the elections more about voter turnout rather than changing opinions.

As the strike continues, economic repercussions and consumer frustrations may compel action, but as of now, the President remains firm in his decision not to intervene directly in the labor dispute.