Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Longshoreman need to be trumped!
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February 9, 2015 at 7:48 am #816725
AlkiBeachParticipantThe port’s need to play ‘Hard Ball’ with the union and tell the shippers currently in route, to ‘temporarily’ route all shipping to California area ports including re-routing all vessels currently ‘on-anchor’ in the Puget Sound. This would also serve to open the eyes of the Longshoremen as they may realize that that shipper may, in-fact, make that port their preferred port of choice.
When the Longshoreman see that ‘income’ disappear, rather than just being set aside for a rainy day (after a negotiated agreement). I’m afraid then and only then will they open their eyes. Financially, the self centered Longshoreman are looking at this as much a short-term (backlog tonnage overtime) pay-off, as well as a long-term (negotiated increased wage) pay-off when they could possibly make more money because it would “require” the port’s to pay mandatory overtime to stem the backlog, especially those containers with time sensitive cargo…which by now, is every one of them!
Maybe, just maybe, the Longshoreman would learn what the Boeing employees didn’t!
Cheers!
AlkiBeach
February 9, 2015 at 9:06 am #821574
texasMemberyou’re joking, right?
I suggest you educate yourself about the ILWU, the PMA and also, what’s happening right now.
What do you think is going to happen when these “re-routed” ships get to California?
Really, I am curious.
February 9, 2015 at 2:56 pm #821575
JoBParticipantwhat texas said :)))
February 9, 2015 at 5:12 pm #821576
GAnativeParticipantThe whole West Coast is effected not just Washington.
My husband was just in LA and the hotel he stayed at apologized for the construction in the hotel. Their remodel was supposed to be completed but all of the new furniture and fixtures have been sitting on a ship at anchor for 3 weeks and counting.
February 9, 2015 at 7:21 pm #821577
JanSParticipant29 ports total…
February 9, 2015 at 8:21 pm #821578
captainDaveParticipantPort docks should be divested through leases and privatized into competing entities that can’t be controlled by a single union. The government has no business being in business because the tax payer is too big of a target for corrupt unions.
February 9, 2015 at 8:41 pm #821579
texasMemberyou realize it’s your beloved private companies who shut down the ports over the weekend, and at night right?
February 9, 2015 at 8:42 pm #821580
wakefloodParticipantDave, you have a typo. It should have read…”the taxpayer is too big of a target for corrupt ‘WALL STREET”.
February 9, 2015 at 9:02 pm #821581
Schmitz Park DadParticipantI recently read that the average Longshoreman salary is $147,000 per year and crane operators make over $300,000 per year. Perhaps we could all chip in to help pay them better to end the work slow-down.
February 9, 2015 at 9:31 pm #821582
texasMemberWakeflood, yes.
Those “average” wages are grossly exaggerated. The top-paid longshoreman in Seattle doesn’t make 300,000, not even close. I don’t know where you are getting those figures.
Every day we get closer to corporate domination, making a mockery of the concept of democracy. Sometimes I think the people will get what they deserve. Sorry to say, I don’t mean to be insensitive, but stupidity and ignorance run rampant.
It’s not that hard to read up on the basic facts of the situation. The facts, not the propaganda. Business is adept at propaganda, after all, it’s their lifeblood. The workers, the middle class, the consumers, the people who make the engine work, deserve to understand. Step away from your envy and greed and make an effort to understand what’s happening.
Longshoremen and women are working people, some make a decent living, some less so. Do not disparage those who want the same thing everyone wants: to be able to live in a warm home, to educate their children, to put food on the table, and have access to medical care when necessary, and to feel safe.
February 9, 2015 at 9:56 pm #821583
wakefloodParticipantYes, Wall St. and the Oligarchs have effectively pitted the doing ok’s against everyone below them, whilst methodically rigging the game for themselves. Nice how that works, huh?
And you don’t think they laugh while they watch the rest of us scramble and point fingers at each other?
February 9, 2015 at 10:00 pm #821584
skeeterParticipantCaptainDave – terminal operations were privatized many, many decades ago. Virtually every terminal is leased/assigned to a for-profit entity. You can go on the website for the Port of Seattle or Port of Oakland or Port of Long Beach and see which private terminal operator runs each facility.
For example:
http://www.portseattle.org/Cargo/SeaCargo/Facilities/Container-Terminals/Pages/Terminal-46.aspx
The terminal operators have formed an association called the Pacific Maritime Association (“PMA.”) The PMA negotiates the maritime labor agreements with the ILWU. So instead of each terminal operator negotiating directly with the ILWU, they collectively bargain through the PMA.
February 9, 2015 at 10:01 pm #821585
captainDaveParticipantWakefield: Please explain the Wall Street involvement in the port strike?
Texas: You seem to argue for the merits of marxism. While it may seem like a noble thing to pay the port gate keepers more and more, in the long run, it’s not a very sustainable idea for them.
At least the unions might be inadvertently helping the domestic private sector production of materials and goods. I favor buying things that are not made in countries that don’t support individual rights and freedom.
February 9, 2015 at 10:20 pm #821586
JoBParticipantcaptain dave..
texas did not advocate the merits of marxism
he pointed out that the ports are already privatized…
February 9, 2015 at 10:36 pm #821587
Schmitz Park DadParticipantI work for a really crazy company where you get fired if you slow down your work intentionally.
February 9, 2015 at 10:50 pm #821588
captainDaveParticipantJoB: How is the Port of Seattle privatized? I know that they lease a lot of land to private industry, but the container cranes and terminals are pretty much all under one authority, aren’t they?.
Breaking up the port facilities is certainly not ideal, but better than being held hostage by one union. If the union only controlled half the cranes at the port, then there would be a competitive basis.
I think I would be more in favor of making unions illegal for any government/contractor employment situations since there is so much regulation for fair compensation already on the books.
February 9, 2015 at 10:59 pm #821589
JTBParticipantAlki Beach: I think the others missed your intention to present a caricature of an opinionated but uninformed person parrotting a tired old theme so we could all have a chuckle, right? Your reference to what the Boeing employees didn’t learn is similarly humorous.
February 9, 2015 at 11:13 pm #821590
Schmitz Park DadParticipantHas anyone heard if they are replacing any of the work-slow-down employees? I would love to make $147,000 a year.
February 9, 2015 at 11:20 pm #821591
captainDaveParticipantSchmitz Park Dad : I will do it for $120 K. and buy my own insurance.
I don’t get why so many people in Seattle are so blindly in support of labor unions–unions have done such wonders for places like Detroit.
February 9, 2015 at 11:27 pm #821592
miwsParticipantSchmitz Park Dad, get elected to Congress, where you could earn an average of $174,000 per year, and if you run on the Republican ticket, you won’t have to do a lick of real work!
Although, you will have to spend a fair amount of time and energy creating and/or propagating scandals regarding Democratic Presidents.
Mike
February 9, 2015 at 11:32 pm #821593
skeeterParticipantCaptainDave – your post #16 has my head spinning.
How is the Port of Seattle privatized?
The port of Seattle is not privatized. The Port is a governmental entity. The Port owns container terminals. The Port has privatized those container terminals by leasing them out to private, for-profit terminal operator companies.
Regarding “breaking up port facilities” I’m not sure what you mean. Each facility has its own lease and its own tenant/operator.
Regarding “if the union only controlled half the cranes at the port.” The union controls no cranes. The cranes are controlled by the terminal operators. The terminal operators use ILWU labor to operate the cranes.
Your last paragraph about making unions illegal – well that’s an interesting topic of conversation. I’m sure there are strong feelings on both sides.
February 9, 2015 at 11:36 pm #821594
miwsParticipantI don’t get why so many people in Seattle are so blindly in support of labor unions–unions have done such wonders for places like Detroit.
Oh. My. God! Unions have done such terrible things for our Country!
Mike
February 9, 2015 at 11:39 pm #821595
wakefloodParticipantUnions illegal? Why bother with fighting the Constitutionality of that – which is pretty obviously “UN”, when you already have corporate union busting making them a mere fly in the ointment of corporate America already??
Again, we’re being laughed at by the Banksters and the 1% who are quite pleased at our fascination with making enemies of each other.
February 9, 2015 at 11:57 pm #821596
captainDaveParticipantMike: Why would anyone need to “create or propagate” any more scandals then the current president has already achieved on his own accord? Obama is the biggest and most corrupt “union boss” ever to have existed by virtue of his deficit spending alone.
What items on your list have not been made into law? Are you thinking that unions are doing something to prevent old laws from getting repealed or something?
Unions accomplished great things for working people in the early years. We don’t need them anymore because they now operate like corrupt mercenaries left over from old wars.
February 10, 2015 at 12:41 am #821597
texasMemberThere’s nothing to be said, really. This convo has passed the realm of reason. But a side note on this comment:
>>>>>Has anyone heard if they are replacing any of the work-slow-down employees? I would love to make $147,000 a year.
First, the reason you haven’t seen any activity at the port this weekend, or at nights, and why you see the ships on the hook, is because the employers decided to close the port at night and last weekend, not because anyone is “slowing down.”
If you had a union, maybe you could work very hard to make $147,000, and have health benefits that would cover you and your family, and you wouldn’t have to spend your time fulminating over the benefits of your neighbors.
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