Shippers lock out longshoremen at West Coast ports

Associated Press ^

[RCW2001]

SAN FRANCISCO — The association representing shipping lines locked out longshoremen at all West Coast ports until Sunday morning as part of what it called a "cooling-off period" in contract negotiations.

The announcement today came after the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping lines and terminal operators, accused the longshoremen’s union of slowing down the pace of work as a tactic to gain leverage in the increasingly acrimonious talks.

The Pacific Maritime Association board met this morning and agreed on the lockout, according to president Joseph Miniace. The lockout was scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

He called it "a very, very tough decision," but one that the association had to make because the union was bargaining in bad faith.

"It’s the very last thing we wanted to do. But the union forced us into this," Miniace said.

A spokesman for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents 10,500 workers at all 29 major Pacific ports, said the association was acting unilaterally and that union negotiators wanted to keep talking. The union learned of the lockout this morning when the two sides met for talks, spokesman Jeremy Prillwitz said.

The two sides have been bargaining over a new contract for months, but talks have steadily deteriorated.

The union issued a directive earlier telling the workers it represents to work in strict accordance with all safety and health rules.

The association said that evening that longshoremen were slowing the pace of work at ports in Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, Ore., Seattle and Tacoma.

The disruption could deal an immediate blow to the U.S. economy and stanch the flow of products from Asia just as importers are rushing to distribute goods for the holiday season.

The association has released figures saying that a coastwide labor disruption could cost the U.S. economy about $1 billion per day. The ports handle more than $300 billion in imports and exports each year.

Though they had been deteriorating for weeks, the talks crumbled this week over the question of how to implement new technology, an issue shipping lines have stressed they must resolve before signing a new contract.

The union says it doesn’t oppose new technology, but wants guarantees that positions created by technological advances are union-covered.

The association says a growth in trade will translate into more union jobs over time, but the union shouldn’t dictate that it gets every new job created by new technology.

[Rocksalt]

"The disruption could deal an immediate blow to the U.S. economy and stanch the flow of products from Asia just as importers are rushing to distribute goods for the holiday season."

This will affect retailers in this country who profit off Asian goods.On the other hand it might be a lot of US made products getting sold instead.I'm also wondering how long the Longshoremen are going to be locked out for.I heard previously the goverment was going to have the military keep the docks running.

[kcvl]

might be a lot of US made products getting sold instead

Not exactly since these products were ordered about six to eight months ago and made according to orders. Retailers will have a hard time getting anything in at this late date to replace that merchandise.

[A CA Guy]

POOR GUYS JUST CAN'T MAKE IT ON $200,000.

[Vigilanteman]

The problem is there are a lot of goods and even semi-finished materials which aren't even made in the U.S.A. anymore. Our plant depends on certain materials from Japan to keep operational-- materials for which the only other source is China.

These longshore brats are only averaging $100K per year in salaries and bennies while holding hostage those downstream making less than half.

The Maritime Association acts like a bunch of peckerless Republicans-- lockout! What they ought to do is start replacing the screw-offs like any other industry would.

[mdittmar]

The disruption could deal an immediate blow to the U.S. economy and stanch the flow of products from Asia just as importers are rushing to distribute goods for the holiday season.

Any buyer worth his pay has plenty of Christmas crap already in the warehouse.

This won't last long and the "Made in China" crap will be rolling again.

[Rocksalt]

I was wondering how long the lockout is for and if they will be replaced by temps. or the military as was indicated in the past weeks by the goverment.

[A. Morgan]

Shippers isn't he that lawyer from Chicago?

[July 4th]

I heard on the news that these guys make 6-figures easy. Someone please explain the duties of a longshoreman.

[PhiKapMom]

Well I cannot think of anything made in China and elsewhere overseas that I cannot do without! And I can always make do with something else.

The Longshoreman and their union bosses can go jump IMHO! Probably should just say the mob and the RATs as well!

[A Navy Vet]

"Someone please explain the duties of a longshoreman."

They operate cranes and forklifts. Other than that, they mostly threatened to strike every few years like professional sports players. I have a female in-law who joined their union back around 1990 at over $60,000 a year to move boxes around. She's well over six figure now for doing the same arranging. Nice gal, though.

[July 4th]

Thanks for the reply...seems way out of line to me.

[A CA Guy]

They vary. Clerks used to go on ships up and down ladders, but today sit at the computer all day. In the 70'2 my sister's ex made $70,000. If he wanted to cut his scheduel down he would still make $156,000 and if he worked nights, it was possible to make $250,000 perhaps.

Many of those jobs will be automated, so they try to grab the big bucks while they can, but they are no poor.

New folks going in don't make near that money.
That's about all I know.

[Sonny M]

Quick question, why not just fire these guys? Reagan fired the air traffic controllers in the 80's, Is there any law that says the whole goddamn union can't be fired?

[MonroeDNA]

Six figures for moving levers? For real?

[A CA Guy]

The above figures are about today and not the 70s. They make mad money.

[A CA Guy]

Six figures if they just show up and move their bowels.

[A CA Guy]

My sister's ex retires a multi-millionaire from what I hear.

[BBT]

I just heard on a radio news report that some of the shipments they are holding up are food for our soldiers in Guam.

[BJungNan]

One thing for sure, it could not have gotten much slower trying to get your goods through the port in LA a few weeks back. There was definately a work slow down in place.