President Joe Biden and his administration have urged both parties in the ongoing dockworkers strike to reach a resolution “fairly and quickly,” according to a White House statement released on Tuesday.

The White House emphasized the need for an urgent resolution and recognized the hard work of dockworkers, promoting collective bargaining as the most effective solution to the impasse. Officials expressed confidence that the strike would not significantly affect gas and food prices, at least for the time being.

“The President has instructed his team to communicate directly with both parties, stressing the importance of good faith negotiations at the table—quickly and fairly,” the White House stated.

The statement notably highlighted Vice President Kamala Harris, who is appealing to labor as she prepares for her presidential campaign.

As of midnight, dockworkers at 36 ports along the East and Gulf coasts initiated a walkout after discussions collapsed, primarily over demands for increased wages and safeguards against automation. The strike could potentially cost the national economy up to $5 billion per day, depending on its duration.

On Monday, Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard convened the board of the United States Maritime Alliance, representing the ports, and encouraged them to find a resolution acknowledging the recent successes of these companies as well as the essential contributions of dockworkers.

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other officials have been in “direct contact” with both labor and management to facilitate progress in the negotiations, as confirmed by the White House.

The administration met with Maritime Alliance representatives at the White House on Friday, urging them to reach a fair agreement, as stated by the White House.

Biden administration officials were careful to avoid placing blame on the dockworkers for the strike.

“Senior officials at the White House and within the Administration are working tirelessly to encourage both parties to continue negotiations toward a resolution,” the statement noted. “The President and Vice President believe that collective bargaining is essential for both American workers and employers to reach a just agreement.”

White House: Consumer Impact Expected to be ‘Minimal’

Biden’s team assessed that the effect on consumers would be “minimal,” particularly regarding essentials like fuel, food, and medicine.

Nevertheless, Biden has established a Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to convene daily and prepare for potential disturbances, if required.

The strike “will not affect crude oil, gasoline, natural gas, or other liquid fuel exports and imports,” the White House explained, as these operations do not occur at East or Gulf coast ports. Thus, there should be no immediate effects on fuel supplies or pricing.

As per AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas was reported at $3.20 on Tuesday, a slight decrease from $3.22 on Monday.

Officials also indicated that they do not anticipate “significant fluctuations” in food prices or availability “in the near term.”

The White House’s remarks were issued in a report prepared by The Los Angeles Times.