Posted on 09/13/2012 6:01:28 AM PDT by ThirdMate
When it comes to protecting job turf, few unions are as ferocious as the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). And the union isn't about to compromise that reputation, with its collective bargaining agreement set to expire September 30. "It looks like we're going to have a strike," said ILA President Harold Daggett (see photo). On August 22, talks in Delray Beach, Fla. between the ILA and a shipping industry trade group, the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), broke down. At this writing, they remain at an impasse, though each side has agreed to meet soon. The ILA, which represents about 65,000 employees at East Coast, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and other cargo ports, is insisting employers drop plans to institute cost-saving technologies and labor practices. The contract would cover 14,500 of those workers. USMX counters that reforms are overdue and that a strike could seriously damage the economy.
(Excerpt) Read more at nlpc.org ...
With Marxist strikes in the streets at home and Mooslim protesters on the rampage overseas, it seems the world is spinning into chaos. Not good news for the incumbent POTUS.
Let them strike and look greedy to the people just before an election. Let them strike all over. lol.
With that and the ME situation, it likely hurts the Democrats this election
Could this be an October surprise form the democrats of nationwide strikes and violence form OWS?
There has already been established an ILA-OWS nexus, Occupy protestors have attempted to shut down ports in Oakland and Houston.
UPDATE: A suspicious reader emails: “It MAY be ALL coincidental, but within the last couple of weeks, my cousin told me about a truly diabolical plan for election ‘optics.’ He is a Longshoreman in Texas. His union was considering going on strike for the sole purpose of allowing BHO to intervene and settle the labor dispute and look like either a uniter or maybe even tough on unions. So, when I saw that Rahm’s teachers went on strike in spite of a 16% pay raise offer, my mind went places that logic would never take it, but modern day politics do. Worth watching anyway. Also, to protect my cousin from retribution from union thugs, I suppose it would be best to avoid attribution here.”
Just go to instapundit and search on Chicago teacher strike
“Not good news for the incumbent POTUS”
Under normal circumstances it would not be good for the incumbent; however none of this seems to me to be spontaneous.
The Longshoremen? This strike could only come about because of one reason — someone forgot to pay the local Mafia protection money this month.
Very good find!
That helps to connect the dots. The teachers are demanding a 16% raise, an absolutely unreasonable demand that cannot be met, similarly the ILA demands are unreasonable insistence on outdated work rules.
The strikes are forced, who will stand to gain?
Since they couldn't get the right-wing, TP "extremists" riled up enough to riot in the streets before the elections, they had to have 0's civilian "armies" do the job these dadgum patriots just won't do.
What good is that going to do?
No one on our side is going to stay home or vote for Obama because of it.
The full article discusses in great detail the Mob connections.
If this involves private industry, their choice.
As long as there’s no thuggery, intimidation, violence, or special state assistance, I have no problem with individuals protesting their employment arrangements.
I’m not a union guy, nor have any great affection for unions.
BTW, public unions should be illegal given the intrinsic complications of political chicanery and the exaction of resources from taxpayers.
You don't think that hundreds of cities having riots and demonstrations protesting rich Romney and wall street won't get the kids alienated and voting for Boama?
Let ‘em strike, then hire up all those vets out there that are hungry for a job. They’ll be thankful.
In other words, you think strikes, riots, protests will energize Obama’s base?
We're talking about the Longshoremen -- I suspect there was plenty of thuggery, intimidation and violence.
From the Wikipedia entry for Frank Marshall Davis:
“Davis also wrote a weekly column, called “Frank-ly Speaking”, for the Honolulu Record, a labor paper published by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) headed by Harry Bridges.[13] Davis’ first column noted he was a member of the national executive board of the Civil Rights Congress,[14][citation needed] The paper had been founded in 1948 by Koji Ariyoshi, and closed in 1958. Davis’s early columns covered labor issues, but he broadened his scope to write about cultural and political issues, especially racism. He also included the history of blues and jazz in his columns.”
The explanation is that most of the shippers using the east coast ports will switch to west coast ports of entry to avoid strike related delays.
Went through just about exactly the same thing exactly 10 years ago, only it was the west coast ports which struck.
Wow! Is that surcharge already in effect?
I need to update my signature. Too many things happening . . .
after reading the article, and doing some dot connection pertaining to the boeing debacle, I am going to say that this is the payback for the union.... nlrb will rule with the union.... no matter what... this will happen all across the country...
mark my words
Our lame stream news media is in Barrys pocket so they will spin it all thing for Obama. Other staged events can be used against our freedoms. Unions can become those mistreated by the rich like Romney and gain sympathy. Any riot can be spun to Boama’s advantage make out Romney as a liar.
I think this is the demoRats plan but I don't think it will work.
No.
The logic doesn’t add up.
Let’s vote for Obama because there are riots, and the riots are Romney’s fault?
You assume logic binds the thoughts and deeds of the Obama campaign.
You have mis-underestimated the opponent!
The news media can spin any event in Barry's favor. It depends on how many people believe it. I think is is their October surprise.
My son-in-law belongs to the Communications Workers Union and he mentioned they are taking a strike vote. He had never mentioned any negotiations difficulties before. Are the unions arranging strikes as a run up to the election?
LLS
The linked article is worth reading.
“Are the unions arranging strikes as a run up to the election?”
That appears to be the case. And you won’t find the media connecting these dots, only on FreeRepublic!
Freegards,
3/M
Yes, the full article explores two main themes:
1. ILA-Mob connections
2. The resistance of the ILA to innovation, they are still fighting tooth-and-nail the changes wrought by containerization, which occured late 60’s early 70’s. They still have not come to terms with changes in productivity occuring 40 years ago, and fighting for jobs long since obsolete.
This intransigence increases the cost of virtually all goods and services, and reduces economic efficiency.
The people that vote or will vote for 0 are not logical, therefore logic does not enter the equation.
What will happen is that the sheeple will vote for the one who makes the pain/deprivation stop - without considering the long term consequences.
“I think is is their October surprise.”
I agree. I think they have made the calculation that division, strife and chaos work in their favor.They are also lazy and incompetent, and it is much easier to sow strife than to lead and create.
They have, however, made the wrong calculation.
I could not figure out the Occupy Wall Street thing and an October surprise is the only way that I could make any sense out of it.
A quick search for strike news:
Drivers, Warehouse Workers At UNFI Vote Overwhelmingly To Strike
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/10/4805659/drivers-warehouse-workers-at-unfi.html#storylink=cpy
American pilots union to conduct a strike vote
Read more here: http://blogs.star-telegram.com/sky_talk/2012/09/american-pilots-union-to-conduct-a-strike-vote.html#storylink=cpy
more likely unions see tht Obama is in trouble and thy are trying to grab what they can while they still have Obama in office.
After november it becomes air traffic controllers union.
Container cargo changed the system and efficiency increased.
One wonders about the next efficiency increase.
I doubt the NLRB will be sympathetic with a President Romney and a Romney Attorney General.
65,000 job openings...that could be a good thing.
“One wonders about the next efficiency increase.”
Long-range railguns to shoot the cargo towards its destination.
“One wonders about the next efficiency increase.”
The biggest change in the pipeline is the expanded Panama Canal. A large percentage of cargo now handled at West coast ports will soon be diverted to Gulf of Mexico ports.
Ballistic cargo. I like it.
Who will catch it on the receiving end?
No they are not. They are demanding a 30% rise.
16% is not good enough for these shrill, ludicrously well-paid puddings.
I remember their strike in 1971. I was 14 years old at the time. Todos Santos Bay in Ensenada was filled with cargo ships as Datsun, Toyota, and Volkswagen automobiles were unloaded and trucked up north. The Mexicans were able to unload the cars manually quicker than the longshoreman in Long Beach, CA could with machinery.
It was fun watching the caravans of cars run from the harbor to staging areas a few miles north.
Hussongs was packed with merchant marines. My buddy, who was 15, would arm-wrestle them for beer. He never lost and we never went thirsty.
I’m thinking some kind of giant bean-bag type target to absorb the kinetic energy without bouncing the payload back into the atmosphere.
Or... we could set up the container to deploy a parachute and drift back to earth, but for that you’d probably need to fire into the ocean, with a splashdown recovery, because it wouldn’t land in any exact spot.
Reading this thread makes me think all the Public Service Announcement radio and tv commercials URGING everyone to have water and food available for three days is MORE about these impending strikes than any kind of “attack” from enemies of the U.S.——of course, WE know the worst enemy of the American people IS the enemy within.
It is no accident of timing the unions are all jumping into crisis negotiating mode.
Remember Wisconsin, unions went int overdrive trying to negotiate contracts before the law was changed.
The back story should be if unions have lost “hope” of a second obama term. If they were confident they would not be doing this all at once.
(see also Hawaii Nurses strike where they won but lost long term because hospitals have now staggered all their nurse union contract expirations)
Just to be accurate, did not the teachers demand a 20% raise and that 16% represents the compromise?
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