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Don't Panic RE Port Worker Strike

My wife just confirmed our local Costco is cleaned out of bottled water (from PA & ME), paper towels and TP!
Not going to comment on wages but the ILA's opposition to automation that is already deployed in Europe seems to be on the wrong side of history.
 
cmysix said:
your right the crane operators are over $100 an hour.
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yeah many years ago I thought about doing that but didn't want to live in any of those places. So they are making $208,000 per year and want more... don't we all. I haven't seen a raise in 7yrs and don't expect to get one either. So yeah with inflation I've been going backwards big time but I'm employed and make a good wage so it's not painful like for some folks. I'm pretty sure at $200k/yr they aren't feeling any pain but they have leverage.
 
The Union had better be cautious. When I watch the news, I see people who comes across as a bunch of participants in a self entitled overpaid mob.

Since I live in Houston, one of the largest ports in the World, I know several men who work on the Docks of the Houston Ship Channel and Barbers Cut. I have seen how much “work“ these people do in an eight hour day. Historically, the Dockworkers have taken the term “featherbedding” to a level that it becomes a joke. Many even brag about how little they actually do in the course of a workday.

I can see why the Union is fighting automation. The fact is quite a few of these jobs could be performed by far less people with more sophisticated equipment is a fact in any industry, not just the import industry.
 
TSFineGuns said:
The 'average' port worker makes $80,000/yr. There are 'many' who are making over $200,000/yr with overtime.

They are asking for a 100% raise over the next five (5) years, and a ban on all plans to implement any automation.

It's quite unbelievable
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They were offered a 50 percent raise over 5 years I believe. They want 70. They must have an in as to which way the election will go.

They'll need it.....
 
D Coots said:
They were offered a 50 percent raise over 5 years I believe. They want 70. They must have an in as to which way the election will go.

They'll need it.....
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They started with 100% over five (5) years and no automation. They were offered 50%, which they turned down.
 
D Coots said:
They were offered a 50 percent raise over 5 years I believe. They want 70. They must have an in as to which way the election will go.

They'll need it.....
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I'd like to see a new President step in that doesn't have debts to repay to these unions, and who would order the union to return or be replaced. No company should be held hostage by employees. They don't have any skin in the game - but think they own the place. Something inherently wrong with that picture. I feel for any company at the mercy of even having to deal with such situations. I've had jobs I didn't think I was paid well enough to do - and I moved on. That union boss probably won't be taking a cut on his salary any time soon. There are well over 50 union officers that make more than the President of the United States. The members want wages for what others would step in and take their jobs for considerably less (pretty much proving the wages are too high)- they overpay their own boss - and have no problem costing consumers with the sky-high prices due to their actions in shutting things down. It seems to me the unions should be able to be charged under the Rico act for racketeering. The legal definition may not fit - but the action is the same.
 
I am a non union employee. When i ask for a raise i have the work ethics to back up why im asking. It has always been in my favor. Other guys i work with that do not work hard have been told work harder if you want a raise. Im a flat rate auto mechanic. For my area im underpaid by about $7-10 an hour. I could go to another place but like where i work. If they want more than work for it and prove you are worth it. I have not been hourly pay for over 20 years so i know what its like to work for ur pay.
 
i'm a nurse and i'd say I got about a 10% raise across 2 years of the hard covid pandemic years, but thats because people were jumping ship in droves for easier jobs or big travel pay contracts due to the demand.

typically our raises are no more 3% each year.

to demand a 100% raise over 5-7 years is completely insane, their union ring leader seems like a real piece of work (douche) as well.
 
Remember when Reagan fired all the traffic controllers ??

Tonnage wise would be a problem but the sea ports in Canada
and Mexico would be used to to take pressure off the choke points.
Problem here would be if rail lines could ramp up to handle it, let
alone rail itself getting involved by being sympathetic, and still a
bit of a mess it caused on the west coast......
 
This whole mess could have been avoided if the President stepped in. But he doesn`t give a crap because he was tossed. The sad part of this all is how quickly this will lead to major shortages due to the disaster in the many southern states. Poorly timed if this union wants any public support.
 
Scalloper said:
I say fire them all and let the chips fall where they may. I am fed up with unions attempting to hold the country hostage. Its obvious the union doesn't give a crap about us why should we care about those crybabies? If they don't like their pay move on to something else. Hard to take them at face value when they want to restrict automation which helps cut costs. Keep in mind all of this is to extort more money out of "We the People"
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Like it or not, they have already gone through automation to make their jobs faster or easier. The unions should have to go back to the way they unloaded ships back in the 1950's to see how they like it.
 
I've worked in 2 different union factories for a total of over 42 years. I've been though a strike (Hormel) . This is my take on unions...... if you're doing your job (properly) they do nothing for you, but if you're a sandbagger they'll do whatever it takes to keep your job.
I also believe that if the company you work for respects their employees there is no need for a union.
 
It's not just the US, in the UK the unions have been after big pay rises. They seem to think they are on a much worse deal than the private sector. It's not the 70's anymore but they seem determined to take us back there.
 
KMart said:
Like it or not, they have already gone through automation to make their jobs faster or easier. The unions should have to go back to the way they unloaded ships back in the 1950's to see how they like it.
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they have robot cranes that can unload containers faster then the $300,000 human operators, notice the shipping co's agreed to the wage increase because that is going to get tagged onto the price of the products going thru the port, the loudmouth should have kept it shut, even the stupid are starting to catch on, if it's made here it don't go thru the port.
 
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