“We’re going to continue closely monitoring the situation, what this could have, potentially, on the supply chain impacts, assessing ways to address any concerns if necessary,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.

Jean-Pierre repeated that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have received interagency briefs with assessments that there will be “limited impacts on critical consumer needs at this time, including in the important areas of fuel, food, and medicine,” at least in the short term.

“He started the supply chain disruption task force very early on to deal with what we saw related to the pandemic,” she said of Biden. “We are engaged extensively with labor, industry, state and local officials, ocean carriers, and rail and truck companies, including multiple meetings with retailers, grocers, manufacturers, and agriculture.”

Regarding Biden’s engagement with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents container carriers, direct employers, and port associations operating in the East and Gulf Coasts, and the International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents the 45,000 dockworkers striking at 14 major ports from Maine to Texas after their six-year deal expired, Jean-Pierre reiterated that the president has been “very clear” that “there needs to be collective bargaining” and that he would not use the Taft–Hartley Act to end the labor action.

“Workers need to get their fair share,” she said. “They need to get what they deserve, pay, benefits, wages. It is important that happens. The president’s going to continue to be regularly briefed, and we are urging USMX to come to the table to present a fair proposal to ILA.”

But the press secretary declined to comment on specifics after USMX raised its offer on wages to a 50% increase over six years, from an earlier 40% increase, in addition to other benefits in the 24 hours before the strike deadline at midnight Tuesday. But the dockworkers want a 77% wage increase over six years in order to negotiate with their employers. There is also a disagreement over the use of automation.

Earlier Tuesday, a White House spokesperson told reporters Biden’s message to both negotiating parties was to do so “in good faith — fairly and quickly.”

“On Monday, at the president’s direction, chief of staff Jeff Zients and national economic adviser Lael Brainard convened USMX board members and urged them to resolve this in a way that accounts for the success of these companies in recent years and the invaluable contributions of ILA workers,” the spokesperson said. “Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, and national economic adviser Lael Brainard have been in direct contact with both USMX and the ILA on the president’s behalf to keep the negotiations moving forward.”

“On Friday, they met with USMX representatives at the White House and urged them to come to a fair agreement,” the source added.