Posted on 02/08/2015 12:57:56 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) announced that loading and unloading operations at all 29 West Coast ports would temporarily be suspended this weekend in response to union slowdowns that brought freight movements at the ports to a near standstill.
PMA members stated that they cannot afford the almost $1,200 per day cost to employ International Longshore and Warehouse Union members to do little work.
After Breitbart broke the story on Thursday that union members of the ILWU planned to “walk out within the week,” the PMA employer group announced they can no longer continue to pay workers the premium pay for diminished productivity.
With ILWU members continuing to withhold the needed crane operators and slow crane movements, shippers and their customers estimated they were losing $1 billion a day. But a complete shut-down is expected to raise the U.S. economic pain to $2 billion a day....
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
This could cause some SERIOUS pain once this starts being felt through the supply chains. We all now how our economy runs on a ‘just in time’ basis.
When the shelves start being empty at Walmart and other similar places; along with many items on websites showing “out of stock”, the shit will hit the fan!
Someone WILL blink, because the pressure will be too high.
Personally I think they should fire the unionized workers that are striking. Many doctors don’t earn that much dammed money, and they are FAR more skilled and educated for what they do!
Oh Dear, can't have that!
Call in the Chinese SWAT teams.
I don’t care who they are, fire them. The day they go on strike is the day they aren’t needed anymore.
They’re just gettin’ their cut of the pie, genius.
Got somethin’ against people driving a bargain? Or do you prefer workers overseen by Communist guards with machine guns?
Down with ChiComs and their nauseating dictatorship.
Sorry, won’t be happening! Those big container cranes actually need experienced operators.
Maybe all y’all in Michigan can head out, get a job! You work cheap, right?
Right.
I don’t know what you were trying to say?
Who and what?
Maybe you can run down to the docks and give the union slugs a big smooch on the ass. You do that often, right?
Seems like that job could be automated, given todays technology.
So I’m guessing this is not a good time to move to make California a Right to Work State?
In Portland they said they import $8 billion worth of stuff. And they export $6 billion, mostly agriculture. Screw those American farmers selling stuff overseas.
Ooooh, down to insults. Guess you Commie lovers run out of arguments fast, huh?
Enjoy the snow up there. It’s beautiful and warm here on the coastline today!
A lot of it already is, the cranes are something to see.
That’s the real reason these guys make so much - the productivity is enormous, their salaries are a drop in the bucket when you look at how much freight gets moved daily.
The companies are just trying to trim out even more. Just a game.
I got to admit I have a real tough time believing these people were making that much.
Sounds to me that agricultural export shipments being halted will cause the domestic price for these goods to drop. A win-win for the US consumer.
Right! We need to be a country running a huge trade imbalance with an enemy country, while we turn ourselves into a Third World country that exports unfinished goods like grain and some raw materials.
Nigeria here we come! Yippeee!
The founding fathers, all of them protectionists, are spinning in their graves....
When the Union bosses close ports, it is OK.
When Senate Democrats (and 1 Republican) kill Coast Guard (DHS) funding the media reports Republicans are endangering our economy and safety because the Coast Guard is necessary for the ports to operate. This despite the fact that the Coast Guard will still be on duty even if there is no bill.
Compare the media coverage.
I have to pay 6 bucks to get a straight 2x4 and $4.00 for a box of cereal, ain’t Free Trade great? At least we can buy cheap mardi gras beads....
So, you think China is the only place things go on boats? No, there’s stuff being exported from the US all over the world.
Well, there was, until your union buddies decided to screw them. More American jobs going overseas, then.
Sell the in the domestic market.
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