Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Los Angeles ports facing strike threat
Yahoo! News ^ | July 16, 2007 | ALEX VEIGA

Posted on 07/16/2007 3:50:54 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot

LOS ANGELES - Negotiators for a clerical union and some of the world's largest shipping lines and terminal operators worked past a strike deadline Monday to try to reach a contract deal and avert a shutdown of the nation's largest port complex.

The union's deadline had been 12:01 a.m. Monday, but negotiations continued. Workers remained on the job Monday morning and there was no disruption of port operations.

John Fageaux Jr., president of the office clerical unit of Local 63, a division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said the 750 clerks would strike if talks with employers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach collapsed.

"We're in the process of presenting our last, best and final offer," he said. It could take several hours for the employers to review the offer after it is submitted.

Steve Berry, lead negotiator for the 14 marine terminal operators and other firms who employ the office clerks, wouldn't predict a timetable.

"We're working hard. We just keep going," he said.

The 15,000-member ILWU has indicated that longshoremen would honor picket lines if the clerks strike. That would effectively shut down loading and unloading operations at the neighboring ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The port complex accounts for 40 percent of all the cargo container traffic coming into the United States.

A work stoppage could create ripple effects throughout many industries that depend on timely movement of cargo. It also would come as the ports enter their busy pre-holiday season, when shippers depend on the facilities to handle imports.

The clerks work at marine terminals and handle bookings for the export of cargo and other transport documents.

Under their most recent contract, full-time, port clerical workers earned about $37.50 an hour, or $78,000 a year. They also receive a pension, health care benefits free of premiums, and 20 paid holidays a year.

Berry said Monday that employers' latest offer included raises that over the life of a three-year contract would bump the employees' hourly pay to $39.50; the union is seeking increases that would equal $53 per hour by the last year of the contract.

In 2002, longshore workers across the West Coast were locked out for 10 days over a contract dispute. The shutdown cost the nation's economy an estimated $1 billion to $2 billion a day.

___

Associated Press writer Christopher Weber contributed to this report.


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: strike; trade; unions
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last
Let's not bring in more goods through Mexico, let's allow 750 clerks to shut down 40% of our cargo traffic.

NAFTA superhighway, now!

1 posted on 07/16/2007 3:50:55 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Mase; 1rudeboy; expat_panama
Look for the Union Label ping!
2 posted on 07/16/2007 3:51:48 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Why are protectionists, FairTaxers and goldbugs so bad at math?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot; dragnet2
Under their most recent contract, full-time, port clerical workers earned about $37.50 an hour, or $78,000 a year. They also receive a pension, health care benefits free of premiums, and 20 paid holidays a year.

No doubt dragnet2 thinks these workers could be earning more working on a manufacturing assembly line. After all, services just don't pay.

3 posted on 07/16/2007 4:02:34 PM PDT by Mase (Save me from the people who would save me from myself!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot
Under their most recent contract, full-time, port clerical workers earned about $37.50 an hour, or $78,000 a year. They also receive a pension, health care benefits free of premiums, and 20 paid holidays a year.

WTF!!! Fire every last one of the idiots. Making 78K a year with all of those other perks...for clerical work...and that's not enough for them?

4 posted on 07/16/2007 4:17:03 PM PDT by SeafoodGumbo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeafoodGumbo

They want $53 an hour...WTF!! I remember when the longshoremen there went on strike a few years ago, making money that Democrats would describe as “rich folks”.


5 posted on 07/16/2007 4:19:25 PM PDT by Chicos_Bail_Bonds
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Chicos_Bail_Bonds

Some are making 150,000 with overtime.


6 posted on 07/16/2007 4:22:03 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker ( Hunter/Thompson/Thompson/Hunter in 08! "Read my lips....No new RINO's" !!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Chicos_Bail_Bonds
Just like those NYC bus drivers who struck during the XMAS holidays a couple years ago. It seems like they were making 80K a year for an unskilled position and still thought that wasn't enough.

God help these fools if their pay actually reflected the market and their skills.

7 posted on 07/16/2007 4:23:12 PM PDT by SeafoodGumbo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot
Offer them $100.00 per hour with stipulating at the end of the contract they must cut 50 % of their work force and modernize.

After 10 years it will be worth it.

Plus, the union thugs would sell their "union brothers" out in heartbeat.

8 posted on 07/16/2007 4:31:42 PM PDT by Popman (I removed my Bushbot brain chip after he didn't veto the McCain Feingold election anti freedom bill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot

Less traffic on the 710 freeway!


9 posted on 07/16/2007 4:34:25 PM PDT by rbosque ("To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." - Teddy Roosevelt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Popman

HA I will bet you most are making over a hundred and hour. Do you know that they still work 2 men for every job( developed during wwII. Both guys show up for work, flip a coin the loser works the 8 hour shift the winner goes home and sleeps ( both collect 8 hours pay)


10 posted on 07/16/2007 4:50:24 PM PDT by Walkingfeather (u)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SeafoodGumbo
Making 78K a year with all of those other perks...for clerical work...and that's not enough for them?

They haven't been accepting any new applications for seven years. You don't work for the ports unless you know someone, even on the clerical end.

And the longshoreman are going to honor the strike. It would take a lot of guts to cross that picket line.

11 posted on 07/17/2007 5:53:53 AM PDT by truthkeeper (It's the borders, stupid./LOUD and PROUD!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Walkingfeather
Do you know that they still work 2 men for every job( developed during wwII. Both guys show up for work, flip a coin the loser works the 8 hour shift the winner goes home and sleeps ( both collect 8 hours pay)

You gotta be kidding. Right? That's absolutely nuts...

12 posted on 07/17/2007 7:41:18 AM PDT by SeafoodGumbo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot

Just close the damn port and send all those containers back where they came from, problem(s) solved.


13 posted on 07/17/2007 7:49:27 AM PDT by Realism (Some believe that the facts-of-life are open to debate.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Realism
Just close the damn port and send all those containers back where they came from, problem(s) solved.

Pay higher prices, for the children! Brilliant!

14 posted on 07/17/2007 7:55:00 AM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Why are protectionists, FairTaxers and goldbugs so bad at math?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: SeafoodGumbo

Not kidding.


15 posted on 07/17/2007 8:11:07 AM PDT by Walkingfeather (u)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot
Pay higher prices, for the children! Brilliant!

They'll be fine, you on the other hand I'm not so sure about, is it that you have some personal interest in these dumping grounds?

16 posted on 07/17/2007 8:12:07 AM PDT by Realism (Some believe that the facts-of-life are open to debate.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Realism
is it that you have some personal interest in these dumping grounds?

I've mentioned before that I prefer lower prices so I can save money for my children's college fund. Personal enough for you?

17 posted on 07/17/2007 8:14:33 AM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Why are protectionists, FairTaxers and goldbugs so bad at math?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Toddsterpatriot

WELL...It’s a DARN GOOD THING for our national security that we don’t have a bunch of non-union dirty Dubai Port Workers shutting us down!!!

Arabs or Chinese choking the economy, that’s bad.

Homegrown union thugs holding America hostage, why that’s just fiiiiine!

Gads.


18 posted on 07/17/2007 8:18:40 AM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Realism
Just close the damn port and send all those containers back where they came from, problem(s) solved.

Just fire the un-American union traitors and sell the port to people who will operate it like a business, like Dubai Ports World or those dirty Chinese. Problem solved.

19 posted on 07/17/2007 8:20:56 AM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: SeafoodGumbo
I don't know about two workers/one shift/two paychecks..

But I do know that a perspective contractor for work on my house described to me the vast upgrades and renovations he was doing for the owner of many (not several - many) rentals in the South Bay.
When I reflected some awe at the investment and income those properties represented - he replied only with:
"He's a retired longshoreman"

No further explanation necessary.

20 posted on 07/17/2007 8:23:40 AM PDT by norton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson