Posted on 12/28/2014 7:18:35 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The West Coast port slowdowns are hurting workers as well as retailers this holiday season.
The NBC affiliate in Seattle reported that many of those who work for the ports can’t afford utilities or Christmas gifts for their families because the slowdowns have delayed their paychecks.
The work slowdowns are the result of a seven-month labor dispute between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). Each side of the dispute blames the other.
Vicki Raiter, the mother of one of the Port of Tacoma workers, told the local NBC affiliate, “If the shipments aren’t coming, then they have no work and they tell them not to come in today.”
“My son says he can get the electricity on in two weeks, but I don’t know that we can hold out that long,” said Raiter. “We’re trying.”
The situation has prompted many involved to seek federal assistance to resolve the dispute. In the past week, the ports of Seattle and Tacoma wrote a letter to President Obama urging him to intervene.
The PMA is also asking for Washington’s help, noting, “It is clear that the parties need outside assistance to bridge the substantial gap between us.”
PING!
May one assume the Union officers had a Merry Christmas?
Trying to run a business here in NY area and we've been dealing with backorders for weeks now because of this stupid "slowdown".
Fire them all and bring in non-union workers.
I read in an article last week that the AVERAGE yearly salary for the west coast dock workers is $147K.
Sounds like some of these guys do not budget their money very well.
Boo hoo
Make California a Right-to-Work state, problem goes away.
Can we say; “F the west cost union stevedores”?
It's not "On the Waterfront" any more.
Yes, just as soon as the Panama Canal widening is finished. :-)
Unions don’t give a damn about their members.
The difference between Union leadership and Mobsters is nil.
Will they understand what hit them?
those guys make about $150,000 a year...cry me a river
.
The ILWU grandstands all the time. Screw them. If they used their clout to help their workers instead of pushing leftists political causes they might get some sympathy but all they do is screw up everyone’s day because they want to throw temper tantrums.
How many years has 0bama had his foot on the Keystone Pipeline?
Yes, the great friend of labor.
It’s been slowing down anyway. Large numbers of unused container ships were docked around China and scrapped several years ago.
automation on the docks could eliminate half of the jobs, but the unions keep that from happening
These people make about twice what I do (and I do better than most people in this economy), and they’re whining??? Maybe the ports will eventually be run by robots.
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