Should you stock up on essentials like toilet paper during the port strike?

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Dockworkers in New York, New Jersey, and across the U.S. are on strike for better wages and protection against automation.

The availability of some products, like bananas, coffee and alcohol, could be affected, according to the White House. But does that mean you need to rush to your local grocery store and stock up on essentials?

Gov. Kathy Hochul tried to quell the anxiety of New Yorkers on Monday, urging them not to stockpile goods.

“People do not need to rush out to the grocery store and stockpile goods like they did during the pandemic,” Hochul said. “We do not want to see people reach that level of anxiety because we are not there.”

Goods like home heating oil, gas, and diesel aren't expected to be affected, Hochul said. There should also not be shortages in medical supplies, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Hospitals in New York are required to have a 60-day PPE stockpile. The state is also prepared to use its own stockpile if needed, according to Hochul.

Despite these messages from the government, crowds flocked to supermarkets and wholesale stores, like BJ's and Costco, around the tri-state area. Some people left stores with seven to eight packages of toilet paper in their carts, shoppers told PIX11 News.

The contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance expired on Tuesday. A strike could last weeks or months.