Replies

If the port management authority thought that they could get public opinion on their side by locking out the union workers and forcing this shutdown, I would suggest that their timing simply stinks.

If they had forced this issue even three years ago, most people would have looked at the dockworkers and blamed them for the entire problem.

However, since the NASDAQ has dropped from 5000 to 1200, and since Enron and Global Crossing and Tyco and how many other companies have imploded, and since crooked CEO's and CFO's are buying themselves $100 million mansions in Florida to protect themselves against the inevitable judgements against them, I would suggest that the American public simply isn't interested in listening to management's side of the story.

As far as I'm concerned, let this strike shut down the whole freakin' economy. The management class of this country have pushed things far too far, far too hard, for far too long now. I don't think the union is the problem here, I think the rapacious CEO's and CFO's are the problem, and I think that the time is long overdue for some serious union activity all over this country, in every industry.

In fact, I'm thinking about contacting some unions and seeing what I can do to bring unions to the high-tech industry. Five years ago I was as anti-union as it was possible to be. Now I want to join one. Funny how unlimited rapaciousness on the part of the power elite can change a person's views.

Have you seen what these dockworkers make ?? I've see numbers approaching $120K average for an average 40-week workyear.

And the dockworkers were apparentely showing up for work, clocking in. . .and not working...

If their jobs can be automated, so be it. . .

I don't think the union is the problem here...

Oh, yes it is. The union is fighting technology which can better track and record the ins/outs at the ports. The unions want to insure that any technology related jobs be union jobs. The dockworkers want to keep their $100,000+ jobs so they can walk around with a clipboard and write it all down. It's utterly ridiculous.

Bush should intervene and get the ports open again. Many industries are already feeling the impact, as this article shows.

Screw the union label.

I think the rapacious CEO's and CFO's are the problem, and I think that the time is long overdue for some serious union activity all over this country, in every industry. In fact, I'm thinking about contacting some unions and seeing what I can do to bring unions to the high-tech industry. Five years ago I was as anti-union as it was possible to be. Now I want to join one. Funny how unlimited rapaciousness on the part of the power elite can change a person's views.

There are many of us who think the same way ... those who have experienced the Voracious appetites of CEOs who download Asian /Indian green-card technical workers far in excess of the the 390,000 allotted ... and just so that they can replace more expensive American workers without sending their company to politically instable parts of the world. The only people who support this situation are those whose jobs are not threatened by cheap foreign immigrant labor - lawyers and politicians come to mind.

This period of American History mirrors in many ways the beginning of the last century:
... Greedy managments (formerly known as Robber Barons)
... Heavy Influx of cheap Immigrant Labor (my grandfather was one).
... 12 hour work days
... all resulting in the rise of the Labor Movement.