Dock workers strike

[Hedgelj]

Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas go on strike, a standoff risking new shortages

The strike affecting 36 ports is the first by the union since 1977. The strike will likely have an almost immediate impact on supplies of perishable imports like bananas, for example.

apnews.com

77-50% increase in wages over 6 years and triple the employer contributions? and still striking ?

Anyone want to clue me in? What is the article NOTtelling me?

 

[bowhunter1023]

Lots of people who'd love to cross the picket line for that money...

 

[Bigcountry40]

Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas go on strike, a standoff risking new shortages

The strike affecting 36 ports is the first by the union since 1977. The strike will likely have an almost immediate impact on supplies of perishable imports like bananas, for example.

apnews.com

77-50% increase in wages over 6 years and triple the employer contributions? and still striking ?

Anyone want to clue me in? What is the article NOTtelling me?

We now live in a society where everything is so money driven that every single person feels the need to bleed every last drop out of the nearly dead post WW2 economy. People are now aware that politicians and elites have been doing this for generations so they want in before it completely collapses. Michael Moore (who I don’t like) talked about this in one of his documentaries dealing with Wall Street. Basically our best and brightest no longer pick occupation based on making world a better place (such as doctors, engineers, etc) but where they can make the most money as fast as possible, it’s finally trickled down to blue collar workers.

 

[Bigcountry40]

The 77% was the unions opening offer and has dropped it to 50%. I’m guessing the union has watched the Railroad Company’s use of technology to whittle away the conductor and engineer jobs forcing 25 year plus vets to still work on the extra board because they cant hold regular jobs. The port union doesn’t want the same to happen to them- possible explanation

 

[P8riot]

There goes the grocery and all other prices through the roof. 1 week of strikes costs billions. Blue collar guys screwing the rest of the country screaming they want Trump in office to lower costs. Everyone ultimately is in it for themselves.

 

[Big_Holla]

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Call it what you want, to talk like this in an effort to destroy the country so you can get a raise doesn't sit well with me.

 

[Hedgelj]

View attachment 200057

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Call it what you want, to talk like this in an effort to destroy the country so you can get a raise doesn't sit well with me.

Agreed wholeheartedly

ominous and sounds evil

 

[hickslawns]

UAW did this. Crippled themselves. UPS did it. Crippled their customers as prices went up. Economy tanks. Less packages sent. Less vehicles sold. Manufacturers find ways to provide the same services with less people. Or they produce less and sell at a higher cost. I hate to say it, but these strikes tend to lose jobs for the unions and cost customers more while the corporation makes the same or higher profits.

 

[Ohiosam]

There are very few unions that have the potential to screw up the economy like the longshoremen. This affects all kinds of exports too, grains, petroleum, equipment etc. Fortunately it doesn't affect the great lakes but it will affect river barges because the products can't be loaded or offloaded at the gulf. I have to wonder the timing of this, about a month before the election. Do they think Dems will pressure management to settle or are they secretly supporting Trump? Biden forced the railroad unions to accept a contract a couple years ago, will that repeat?

 

[Big_Holla]

 

[bowhunter1023]

Good time for me to be working on a multi-modal river port so we can bring goods into the heartland instead of the costs

 

[Clay Showalter]

This has the potential to get very bad, very fast.

 

[Bigcountry40]

I find interesting that politicians will pass laws for the elite and wealthy and then serve as board members//directors of these corporations they created legislation for and no one bats an eye. But blue collar union workers who make an honest living, want better wages/benefits people lose their shit. Something wrong with that system

 

[hickslawns]

I find interesting that politicians will pass laws for the elite and wealthy and then serve as board members//directors of these corporations they created legislation for and no one bats an eye. But blue collar union workers who make an honest living, want better wages/benefits people lose their shit. Something wrong with that system

Did you see the average income? They wanted a 77% increase. They will be making $260k plus another $35k in benefits? Sounds like a lot more than just an "honest living." Sounds like they are attempting to further cripple a nation which is already gimpy and maimed.

 

[Bigcountry40]

Did you see the average income? They wanted a 77% increase. They will be making $260k plus another $35k in benefits? Sounds like a lot more than just an "honest living." Sounds like they are attempting to further cripple a nation which is already gimpy and maimed.

You go to the bargaining table with a high ask, so you get what you really want when bargaining and talks conclude. If you want 50 start off asking for 75. Its no different than you giving a high bid on job on a lawn, but it’s fine when your a business owner. Unions have the right to bargain their work abilities as well. Free market

 

[Bigcountry40]

I was attempting to play devils advocate as most of the people on here are republican/libertarian which both rally to the battle cry of the free market. Now a bunch blue collar boys have figured out they have some of most important jobs to our economy and can make big boy money. Who are any of us to judge or question their worth? Fair market/free market value dictates compensation value right? you can’t have it both ways just when you like or dislike something. On a side note I think the ask of 77% is a little steep but it’s their right. Again no one bitches or bats an eye when a broker gambles your 401k, loses you 25k but still makes 300k or more a year doing nothing. I’m not saying I’m 100 percent right, but I’m definitely not wrong either.

 

[Tipmoose]

Im not sure what your definition of a free market is.

In a truly free market the employers are free to find cheaper and/or better labor whenever they so choose. They run the risk of being out-competed by other companies if they do that too aggressively or too often. Likewise, employees are free to find other companies for which to work. They run the risk of not being able to find work that pays what they are getting now. Unions are designed specifically to prevent a truly free market from functioning. Reagan showed us how to deal with unions that tried to hamstring the national economy when he replaced the air traffic controllers.

Of course Biden is no Reagan.

 

[giles]

U.S. military should run our ports anyways. My .02

 

[hickslawns]

Maybe you don't realize I was in a union for 6 years?

As a business owner I do NOT come in at a higher than giraffe coochie price and negotiate down. I would look like a crook for asking such a high price to start with. I bid to make a fair wage. If they don't like it, maybe we can lower their needs/wants or hire someone else. We have a waiting list. I'm not losing sleep over it.

In a free market they laugh off the demands of the union. They hire other workers at $100-125k/yr and maybe $15-20k benefit packages. I'm not here to bash unions. They served (past tense) their place. It was a great thing we had them at the time. Unfortunately, it seems like they are pricing their workers out of jobs now.

 

[Bigcountry40]

Im not sure what your definition of a free market is.

In a truly free market the employers are free to find cheaper and/or better labor whenever they so choose. They run the risk of being out-competed by other companies if they do that too aggressively or too often. Likewise, employees are free to find other companies for which to work. They run the risk of not being able to find work that pays what they are getting now. Unions are designed specifically to prevent a truly free market from functioning. Reagan showed us how to deal with unions that tried to hamstring the national economy when he replaced the air traffic controllers.

Of course Biden is no Reagan.

Unions were originally created to make safer work environments, stop child labor and create better working hours. This all took place during the industrial rev in the United States. Industrial Rev business owners are the reason we have so many regulations and a mixed market. Abuse of the free market actually led to creation government regulations and Unions.