Posted on 07/01/2010 5:27:18 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Clerical workers at several terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach went on strike after their contract expired early Thursday.
There was no extension when the labor contract elapsed at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, said Stephen Berry, lead negotiator for the Harbor Employers Association.
Berry said the shippers rejected the latest proposal which called for a wage increase of 21% over three years.
Berry said the shippers countered with a proposal that includes a 10% increase in monthly pension payments and protection from layoffs.
The shippers want to use new computer programs allowing customers access to booking information. The workers are worried that may lead to their jobs being outsourced.
"We're not opposed to technology that will create more efficient processes, but we do not agree if it allows others to do our work," Fageaux said.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Striking would seem to be a dangerous strategy in these times when so many would be willing to take their places.
We need a heavily armed SWAT team to do hostage negotiations because that’s all this crap is.
These poor folks prolly only make $40-$50 an hour.
Does he have the faintest idea of just how stupid that statement sounds?
If I was in this union I’d be screaming loud and often that I will take the deal! This union is NUTS to strike.
In my position the State of Alaska just approved a 2% wage increase. I would have been satisfied if they proposed a 2% decrease in this economy.
Greed will add these people to the unemployment rolls, and they deserve it.
It’s a tough, nasty union.
Replacement workers better be prepared to fight their way in and out every day.
I'm not disagreeing with you, but it's hard to picture a clerical worker's union being tough. I'm just picturing a bunch of tough clerical workers with pocket protectors lining up to throw pencils and staplers at the replacement workers.
Nah, clerical workers versus ‘scabs’ would signify cat fights.
The containers from China is going to start to smell in a few days bodies rot fast in heat.
I've been down this road.
Back then, the maritime association wanted the clerical work done by people typing into computers in remote location (read: lower cost union states other than California) and the Longshoreman's Union threw a hissy fit because it meant their clerical workers would no longer have a stranglehold on $120K per year jobs on typewriters. Since it was the midst of the peak shipping season, the maritime association buckled in about a week and gave in.
The freight which had stacked up in that brief time took more than a month to clear.
Yeah, those dockworker thugs are a large lot.
Interesting that they do this while the Gulf area is under duress - is shipping still taking place in ports along the Gulf? Are these union or non-union ports? I can see a coordinated effort to prevent shipping to non-union ports while these thugs are trying to gain a huge wage increase.
I haven't had a raise from my company in 3 years, nobody has. I don't expect one this year, and would not be surprised if our salaries get cut. Again. And my situation is probably no different than many others in the private sector.
Government employees and union employees, quite often the same thing, have no idea what it's like out there.
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