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.
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