IMHO anyway.
The West Coast ports that are America's gateway for hundreds of billions
of dollars of trade with Asia and beyond are no stranger to labor
unrest and even violence.
Now, the contract that covers nearly 20,000 dockworkers is set to expire, and businesses that trade in everything from apples to iPhones
are worried about disruptions just as the crush of cargo for the
back-to-school and holiday seasons begins.
With contentious issues including benefits and job security on the table, smooth sailing is no guarantee.
On one side is the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, with its
tradition of fierce activism dating to the Great Depression, when two
of its members were killed during a strike. On the other is the Pacific
Maritime Association, which represents shipping lines and operators of
terminals at 29 West Coast ports.
Both acknowledge that they are unlikely to agree on a new contract
before the current one expires June 30, but they plan to negotiate past
that deadline. That would fit the pattern from contract talks in 2008
and 2002. In 2002, negotiators didn't reach an agreement until around
Thanksgiving, following an impasse that led to a 10-day lockout and a
big disruption in trade.
The union's total control over the labor pool means huge bargaining
leverage, which negotiators have parlayed into white-collar wages and
perks for blue-collar work. A full-time longshoreman earns about
$130,000 a year, while foremen earn about $210,000, according to
employer data. Workers pay nearly nothing for health coverage that
includes no premiums and $1 prescriptions.
Lock the bastards out and hire scabs. Scabs willing to pay at least a $10 scrip fee at CVS, Walgreens or the Vons Pharmacy.
7 comments:
Those Butt Fucking Dock Munkys. Nuke all of them. I could design a complete robotic replacement system in an afternoon over a 12 pack.
I would be called a Longshoreman but I only 5 feets tall and I can't spell it.
I'm not Rabid either Shtevo
I'm A Rabbid.
C U in the cartoons.
You should feel sorry.
Sorry and ashamed about that stain you left on Grandma's pillow
when we left you alone there for a few minutes last time we visited.
Maybe you can explain why it was so hard to scrub out?
Hey, has anyone visited that transgenderbender lesbian BUTT Shlammer Aussie Ray Jay Poop Shooter FagaSauris' blog we used to raise Hell on? I hope that fags dick caught shit poisoning and broke off in his mother's butt.
Sorry, I really didn't mean that about his mother, her sick with Munky AIDS of the lips and all.
I would be one of those nearly rabid anti-union guys, who happens to have a union membership (excuse me while I throw up in my mouth a little).
It is interesting how little some unions do and how much some are over the top. We have been working without a contract since January. Interesting that our union has been in stewardship for over 2 years, which means that one man is collecting the money and writing the checks.... and still we don't have a contract.
It is also interesting that the reason that this company unionized was to improve wages and benefits for the pilots. It was successful and because this company was one of the biggest providers, it transformed the industry. Now, thanks to the union, most providers provide better pay and benefits than this company. Why? because the union also limits what they can pay. Go figure.
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