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Unionized dock workers threaten to strike at 15 ports

TheDemSocialist

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In just a few days, a walkout by thousands of dock workers could bring commerce to a near standstill at every major port from Boston to Houston, potentially delivering a big blow to retailers and manufacturers still struggling to find their footing in a weak economy.
More than 14,000 longshoremen are threatening to go on strike Sunday - a wide-ranging work stoppage that would immediately close cargo ports on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico to container ships.

The master contract between the International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, a group representing shipping lines, terminal operators and port associations, expired in September. The two sides agreed to extend it once already, for 90 days, but they have so far balked at extending it again when it expires at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.
The union said its members would agree to an extension only if the Maritime Alliance dropped a proposal to freeze the royalties workers get for every container they unload. The Alliance has argued that the longshoremen, who it said earn an average $124,138 per year in wages and benefits, are compensated well enough already.


Read more @: Unionized dock workers threaten to strike at 15 ports - CBS News
 
Oh, hell, give 'em whatever they want. They deserve it. $125,000 probably includes their pension and healthcare benefits. They probably only make $95,000 when it all shakes out. Cheapskates.

/Sarcasm

Let them strike. When are we going to say that blackmail is illegal even if you're a union?

Striking is not blackmail or threatening to strike is not blackmail either. Striking is a collective action by a group of individuals who are employed to go against management and refuse to work until some compromise or their demands are met.
 
Striking is not blackmail or threatening to strike is not blackmail either. Striking is a collective action by a group of individuals who are employed to go against management and refuse to work until some compromise or their demands are met.

Striking is legal blackmail. Wait! Maybe it's better called legal extortion.
 
I wonder if those making money based on the labor of the longshoreman believe they themselves are compensated enough already?

I wonder if you think you don't pay enough for goods already.
 
Hope this doesn't last long.

It would be a tragedy to have to drink domestic beer and wine.
 
I would be happy to see each and every one of them banned from the dock area and replaced. At that rate people would take those jobs at half the rate and leave plenty to hire security to keep them out and offer a cost reduction to those paying the dock fees. They're union, they will get paid anyway and maybe take a little of that money the unions use to bribe the government.
 
I wonder how this will alter the shipments and impact businesses that depend on those shipments.
 


What? Yeah what! It isn't just a refusal to work. The strike messes with trucks coming in and out of the port, disrupting unloading the ships that are in port, and hampering general operations.

I say fire them all....$125K isn't enough? Get the ____ outta here!
 
If they want their union's $35 a week strike fund check or whatever it is, far be it from me to object to their decision to strike. It will hurt China more than it will the US. The trucking and rail industries will gladly haul domestic loads.
 
Once again a union is threatening/extorting another industry not for more safety, not for better hours, not because there are 12 year old longshoremen, no. Rather, what it is always about, they want more money!

Never mind that they already make 400% more than the national median income already.

The true face of greed lays in the unions.
 
I would be happy to see each and every one of them banned from the dock area and replaced. At that rate people would take those jobs at half the rate and leave plenty to hire security to keep them out and offer a cost reduction to those paying the dock fees. They're union, they will get paid anyway and maybe take a little of that money the unions use to bribe the government.

Go down to the docks and make these statements. I doubt you would get a warm reception.
 
Once again a union is threatening/extorting another industry not for more safety, not for better hours, not because there are 12 year old longshoremen, no. Rather, what it is always about, they want more money!

Never mind that they already make 400% more than the national median income already.

The true face of greed lays in the unions.

How much do you make?
 
Go down to the docks and make these statements. I doubt you would get a warm reception.

He'd probably get beat up. Because that's how unions deal with people who make sense.
 
Go down to the docks and make these statements. I doubt you would get a warm reception.
I don't imagine I would. They know damned well they've got it made and are living far beyond their actual worth. If someone were to take that away they would be quite upset. Finding a gig that good would be difficult without a bully union. It's not exactly highly skilled work and they would be looking at employment that would pay them far less. The ones that can read may want to take a look at what happened at Hostess before they do something they can't take back.
 
I don't make anywhere near that I can assure you.

Maybe if you worked as hard as they did, you would deserve it. Sounds like you are mainly just jealous to me.
 
I don't imagine I would. They know damned well they've got it made and are living far beyond their actual worth. If someone were to take that away they would be quite upset. Finding a gig that good would be difficult without a bully union. It's not exactly highly skilled work and they would be looking at employment that would pay them far less. The ones that can read may want to take a look at what happened at Hostess before they do something they can't take back.

This only shows that you know nothing about actually work. Just blowing hot air, not much of a job at all.
 
Once again a union is threatening/extorting another industry not for more safety, not for better hours, not because there are 12 year old longshoremen, no. Rather, what it is always about, they want more money!

Never mind that they already make 400% more than the national median income already.

The true face of greed lays in the unions.

More evidence that capitalists want capitalism for everybody but themselves? I thought greed was good according to you guys. I guess that only applies to Romney and his monocle polishing friends.
 
I don't imagine I would. They know damned well they've got it made and are living far beyond their actual worth. If someone were to take that away they would be quite upset. Finding a gig that good would be difficult without a bully union. It's not exactly highly skilled work and they would be looking at employment that would pay them far less. The ones that can read may want to take a look at what happened at Hostess before they do something they can't take back.

The dock workers don't have to worry as much as the hostess workers should have.
They have a pseudo monopoly, kinda like organized government workers.
 
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