Posted on 04/29/2006 4:25:18 PM PDT by seastay
Thousands of truck drivers vital to the transit of goods from the neighboring ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles -- the busiest combined U.S. seaport -- are expected to take part in a May 1 work boycott and rallies for immigrant rights, organizers said on Thursday.
A large walkout would be disruptive to the combined ports which together are the primary U.S. trading gateway with Asia. But port officials said it was difficult to determine how many drivers would take part, and for how long.
Local organizers involved in the nationwide call to stay away from work on May 1 -- international labor day -- have called on the upward of 12,000 drivers at the two ports to stop work or attend rallies.
Some 24,000 containers filled with clothing, supplies and other goods are taken out of the ports by truck each day and unloaded at warehouses for further distribution throughout the country.
Although undocumented labor at the ports is minimal, the vast majority of truck drivers serving the complex is Latino.
"There's been a call by the community for a general strike. That means we're shutting down," Ernesto Nevarez, one of the organizers, told Reuters. "Everyone has a relative (who is Latino)," he said. "It's out of solidarity with our people."
Organizers are using Citizens' Band (CB) radios and handing out fliers at the ports and their rail complexes to spread the word among the drivers, who are not members of the Teamsters union.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union representing longshore workers at the ports is not taking a position, said spokesman Steve Stallone. "I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen," Stallone said. "(The boycott) could be a flop or it could be total chaos at the ports."
Art Wong, spokesman for the Port of Long Beach, said it was still unclear how big the work stoppage could be, but if it continued for a week, it could have "longer, dramatic economic impacts, not just here but across the country."
But, he said, "Because they're all barely getting by -- and that's one of the issues -- it's hard for them to all walk off the job for a day or a few days."
Organizer Nevarez said truck drivers will decide during their rally May 1 whether to extend the sit-out to five days to press demands for for collective bargaining rights and a 25 percent pay increase
"There's a strong push to shut down five days. It's turning into a catalyst for further action," he said.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach last faced a serious congestion problem in the summer of 2004, when a shortage of labor held up the movement of goods. Two years previously, a lockout of longshoremen resulted in losses of billions of dollars and a massive backlog of pre-holiday cargo.
Stephanie Williams of the California Trucking Association, said she doubted that independent truckers would stay away from work on a large scale, attributing the boycott calls to the work of "troublemakers". But she said she had heard that warehouse employees might walk out.
"That's just as devastating," she said.
Whether it be the truckers or the warehouse workers, who load and unload interstate trailers, a walkout could result in a backlog of trucks that would "take forever" to right, she said.
"This could have a big economic impact on not just California but on other states, because 40 percent of freight out of the ports is headed for places other than California," Williams said.
These union truck drivers are making big bucks already and THEY are going on strike? These aren't jobs that Americans won't do!! They are semi-skilled jobs which pay like white collar jobs and these people still complain? Unbelievable! When you are dealing with a communist regime, there is no limit to what they want to take from the rest of us.
How cool, breaking the stereotype of the Woman Who Can't Back a Vehicle.
I just e-mailed the story to my mother and she's pretty yanked about the rerouting she faces anyway(west coast runs are good money). She won't be boycotting and Schneider hasn't said anything other than , they're routing them away from potential danger.
I'd go see what the port looks like on Monday (it's like a half-mile drive away), but I value my life. On Monday I am boycotting the world by remaining at home and staying out of the line of fire.
"Ern" refers to the LA port as the "Port of Aztlan."
They are not OTR drivers. They shuttle the containers away from the port.
Parts of San Pedro are pretty rough on a normal day.
There are a lot of female drivers these days but my ma says most of them are lesbians. She has a million mile medallion on her truck for safe driving over a million miles.
Read this one first: http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2005/july05/05-07-13.html
Then read this one: http://www.augustreview.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=4&pid=12
". . .'NAFTA's trade supercorridor' from Mexico to Canada."
A couple of very good articles. Take 'em to bed and read them. See if you can sleep. I couldn't.
Nice to see that the 'media' is finally catching on and letting the public know what they are in for on Monday. The LA port closure has been listed as a participant for weeks now. LAST monday the teamsters across the country all decided to honor their 'strike'. When the organizers got on tv and said they intended to SHUT DOWN the entire country, they meant it. Planning to travel, think again. I've seen plenty of them on tv talking about their intentions. Has anyone seen a government official get on tv and talk about the absurdity of allowing foreigners who've illegally invaded our country, simply announce that they plan to take over major cities and shut down our country, make demands in a way that local law enforcement is helpless to do anything about and is a threat to our national security? I haven't seen a one. I guess they are all sitting around in D.C. with their fingers crossed, hoping that these invaders aren't really here to take back their country or do us harm in the process. But if they end up having to call out the national guard to control violence by millions and millions of angry people, it will surely be the fault of any counter protesters present.
I'm in Wilmington (if you're familiar with the area).
Communist Support For Illegal Alien Boycott
I've only driven through Wilmington during the day. I used to live in downtown LA & work in Torrance. I went look for an apartment in San Pedro to be closer to work. The further south I drove on Gaffey the worse it got. I felt safer among the crackheads downtown.
The unions are in full support of the protesters. Including International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Apparently they are eager to make the illegals legal. The unions and the democrats are already counting the increased union dues and the votes. Everybody's got a dog in the show, even the communists.
I suspect there will be wars and rumors of wars and all kinds of craziness going on...
No doubt some crazy bass turds on all sides will be 'seizing the moment' for their own ends...
The smart governors will have the guard called out and ready to roll...
If they have them at home to spare
imo
I suspect there will be wars and rumors of wars and all kinds of craziness going on...
No doubt some crazy bass turds on all sides will be 'seizing the moment' for their own ends...
The smart governors will have the guard called out and ready to roll...
If they have them at home to spare
imo
Can't. They're Union.
Opps. Sorry. I guess they aren't
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