Threat of longshoremen's strike could impact Port of New York and N.J.

The Star-Ledger ^ | 12/19/2012 | Steve Strunsky

[katiedidit1]

The threat of a longshoremen's strike this year once again looms over ports from Maine to Texas, after contract talks that had already been extended 90 days broke down once again today.

[Alberta's Child]

Things could get interesting on the East Coast for a while. One thing to note is that supply chains are likely to adjust very quickly to any such labor action. The Port of NY/NJ is in a good position to cope with this kind of disruption because it has so many active rail yards within several miles of the port terminals. In the event the port is shut down, cargo that now comes to the port directly on ships will instead be shipped to the West Coast and then moved across the U.S. by rail. In fact, I’d be almost certain that major shippers have already put together contingency plans along these lines.

[katiedidit1]

Who will off load the cargo from the ships to the trains? isn’t that what the longshoremen do? this strike would affect ports from Maine to Texas unless Obama intervenes..and the ILA on the West Coast will strike too

[Happy Rain]

Good news for port cities that reside in right to work states—like our Charleston SC

[katiedidit1]

Too bad more states don’t follow SC in fighting unions. Thanks to DeMint and Scott

[Happy Rain]

I was a “scab” working the Charleston State Ports Authority back in 1978—the ILA thought they could “organize” South Carolina ports and failed miserably.

So-called “scabs” were (and are) considered heroes in our state even before our official “right to work” status was established...

...unions were responsible for a state wide depression during the depression and have yet to be forgiven...you don't demand three dollars when your employer only has two.

[Buckeye McFrog]

you don't demand three dollars when your employer only has two.

When I lived in Michigan their theory seemed to be to demand five dollars when their employer had two.

[Happy Rain]

Back during FDR's Depression—way before Obama’s—many Cotton Mills (textile manufacturing was the life blood here from then and until just about 40 years ago) in the upstate of SC had union representation.
Times were hard everywhere then and Cotton Mill Towns, like Mining Towns up in the mountains, were autonomous satrapies where the lives and livelihoods of the local denizens fully depended on the financial health of the companies that employed them...and they, like every other business during those times had to deal with both their employees welfare and the shrinking bottom lines.
The textile unions decided to strike anyway...there was no Barrack Obama Santa Claus then and when the mills went bankrupt and had to close down because of the strikes, children starved.
The bad taste for unions in SC has only grown since then.

[tomkat]

             

[katiedidit1]

I applaud your courage. There have been some violent attacks on scabs by union thugs.
Their greed and their power grew to such an extent they could cripple this nation at one time. It is refreshing to see states fighting them and I do believe we may very well witness their demise in our lifetime.

[Ultra Sonic 007]

The one thing I recall about a prior longshoremen-related event was this video. Naturally, there's a potty mouth warning to give.

Charming, aren't they?

[Alberta's Child]

The West Coast has a different union and wouldn’t go on strike. What you’re seeing here is the reverse of what happened back around 2003 or 2004 (I think). East Coast ports picked up a lot of extra business when the West Coast longshoremen went on strike.