EVERYTHING IS GOING SWIMMINGLY: U.S. Importers Are Pulling in Goods Early as Possible Port Strike Draws Closer.

U.S. importers are rushing in millions of dollars’ worth of electronics, holiday goods and industrial materials to get ahead of a possible strike by dockworkers in less than two weeks that threatens to lock down major ports and hammer the American economy.

The drive has gained urgency as a walkout by 45,000 dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas has grown more likely, swamping West Coast ports with big cargo volumes as companies redraw their supply chains to get away from the looming labor turmoil.

“I have huge concerns about the potential strike or labor slowdown,” said Mac Harman, chief executive of Balsam Hill, a Redwood City, Calif., company that has diverted tens of thousands of artificial trees, wreaths and garlands that would usually land at the Port of New York and New Jersey to Oakland, Calif.

Balsam Hill still has millions more items to ship and faces a financial toll if it can’t get its goods to retail markets ahead of the holiday shopping season. “A strike will have a significant negative impact on both our ability to serve our customers and on our financial performance,” Harman said.

The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents the dockworkers at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, is warning that its members will strike if they don’t secure a labor deal before their current contract ends on Sept. 30. A walkout would hit major seaports including New York-New Jersey, Savannah, Ga., Norfolk, Va., and Houston.

The union, which is seeking a 77% wage increase over six years, and port employers haven’t met at the bargaining table yet and no negotiations have been scheduled.

Maybe because 77% over six years is a bit much, even for an opening negotiation position.