West Coast: $100,000 longshoreman: union wins the global game

Minneapolis Star Tribune ^ | Published Oct 6, 2002 | Steven Greenhouse New York Times

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OAKLAND, CALIF. -- To American unions, globalization is a nefarious force that has wiped out the jobs of millions of well-paid blue-collar workers.

But the members of one union have played the global-trading system as well as any international investor: the longshoremen. They wield so much power that they have managed to obtain cradle-to-grave benefits and salaries to make many white-collar college graduates envious. For the longshoremen, globalization has been nothing but a blessing.

[BradyLS]

It's pretty clear they don't have the security and economic well-being of this country in mind.

And this guy certainly doesn't sound like a person who earrns his money based on what he does, but rather on who he's with.

I'll bet there are some green-card holders (at LEAST) that'd like a crack at their jobs for half the pay or less. Probably desperate enough to suffer some slings and arrows to keep 'em, too.

[cryptical]

This is why the Homeland Security Department shouldn't be unionized.

[Skywalk]

Damn,

As soon as they allow it, I'm there. 100K? Heck, throw me 45 large and I'm down there, though I've heard it's somewhat dangerous work. Is that true?

[ambrose]

LIVE BETTER: BUST UNIONS

[Rome2000]

All states should be right to work states.

Unions are for socialists.

Stupid SOB's think management pays their salaries, when management just pases the cost on to the consumers.

For that very reason,$100,000 grand in a unionized hellhole like San Francisco is peanuts.

[paul544]

From another article
As part of the contract offer, union members would have received an increase in pay and health care coverage with no premiums and no deductibles and a $1 billion increase to the union's pension plan.

The shipping lines offered to reopen the West Coast ports if the union agreed to a 90-day contract extension to finalize the new contract, Sugerman said.

``It is time to settle this contract dispute,'' PMA President Joseph Miniace said in a letter to union president James Spinosa. ``This is a $1 billion offer ... Let's open the ports tomorrow. It's time to put the nation's interests ahead of ours.''

This makes my blood boil. The whole country should be outraged that 10,000 selfish SOBs are costing jobs all over the world. Bush needs to bust these !#& @$ and make sure no union can ever hold this country hostage again.

[ambrose]

The owners need to suck it up and bust this union now.

[oldironsides]

Starting salary for teachers in this tri state area is not good. It is even worse down south. We have district attorney's starting salaries below teachers wages. We have Teamster trash collectors making more than any of them.

[Lion's Cub]

Actually, these guys are playing right into Bush's hand. We'll stop importing stuff from Asia (especially China), and manufacturing will move into Central & South America. It's going there already.

[yoe]

Are the Longshoremen playing for the DNC? Is this a Daschle plan? If Unions such as this can strike during Wartime, then some of the rules have to be changed. I think the strike doesn't pass the smell test; something else is going on. What more can these workers want, palaces like those of Saddam? A pretty greedy bunch and totally unpatriotic.

[BullDog108]

How do the goods get here from Central and South America? Rail? Trucks? Planes?

[stationkeeper]

mexico and vancouver simply don't have the cargo handling capacity to absorb it all.

think in terms of an airport. if atlanta, denver, and dallas suddenly shut down, do you think little rock, austin, and savannah could handle all the planes and passengers?

[stationkeeper]

ships............ships carry the vast majority of all foreign trade in and out of this country.

[BullDog108]

That was my point re: Ernest_at_the_Beach's #23 Actually, these guys are playing right into Bush's hand. We'll stop importing stuff from Asia (especially China), and manufacturing will move into Central & South America. It's going there already.

The shipping imbroglio affects Asian products AND Latin American the same.

[BullDog108]

Make that Lion's Cub's post #23.

[Truth29]

You said conscious humans...

Unfortunately, the sheeple will blame management and the dems will rail against Republican businesses.

[ampat]

An excellent suggestion.

[ampat]

The unions' time is over. All they are now are money repositories for organized crime and corrupt...uuh all politicians.

[ServesURight]

Stupid SOB's think management pays their salaries, when management just pases the cost on to the consumers.

Well said and worth repeating.

FReecerely Yours,

[ReadMyMind]

Go ahead and bust the unions. While you're at it, why don't you roll back the gains non-union workers enjoy because of the battles fought by unions on behalf of all workers. Better give back your vacation pay, your sick pay, and get ready for your 72 hour work weeks buster.

Sure there have been abuses and corruption in unions, but I think on balance, the good that's come from unions outweighs the bad. You can't name one organization of thousands of people that has not been abused or corrupted in some way and unions are not an exception.


P.S. I run a business, I'm not a union member.