What is the deal with the dock workers earning 100K+?

Me

[solmar_israel]

On all these newscasts dealing with the strike at the ports, I keep hearing that these dock workers make between $80,000-$160,000.

Does anyone else find that a little strange? Why exactly are they striking?

No one seems to be asking how exactly these guys are getting paid like this... I know surgeons that don't make this kind of money.

Can anyone fill me in?

[Non-Sequitur]

Does anyone else find that a little strange? Why exactly are they striking?

Why were the baseball players ready to strike?

Actually, it isn't money so much as job security. There is technology avilable that would allow ports to unload ships in a fraction of the time, with a lot smaller work crew. The Unions don't like it.

[PJ-Comix]

A side note, Rush was right IMHO. The closing of the docks was to sabotage the economy. The union was offered everything it wanted expect for bar codes. They were offered evry benefit and personal gain they asked for. That is why the dock workers demanded that they be allowed to work. Their leadership was acting goofy. Is there anyone on this forum who doesn't think that is fishy? I'd like to hear why.

The answer is easy. Screw up the economy to help the Demmycrats the first Tuesday in November. There is no other way to put this than SABOTAGE for strictly political purposes (as we see salary sure ain't the issue).

[ghostrider]

....$80,000-$160,000... I know surgeons that don't make this kind of money.

What a crock of crap! I have enough in my family to know that a surgeon can make that much in 6 weeks (If you could sort through the tax shelters to figure it out.) Even the backyard butchers make that - excluding the low bid quacks hired by government and government contractors.

[ReadMyMind]

People seem to forget:

1. That it is the PMA (Pacific Maritime Association) that closed the ports. They did it in response to a slowdown by the dockworkers. The ports were open until the PMA decided they wouldn't be open.

2. The guys who run the PMA make something like 100 times as much as the guys on the docks. CSX Lines' (profits of $325 million last year) CEO, John Snow makes $10 million / year, not including benefits.

3. The average dockworker's salary + benefits = $105,000 / year, but $42,000 of that is benefits. The value of the benefits is questionable.

Many people on this board say, "I don't make so much, neither should they!" How very Russian*. A more capitalist, rational and self-interested response would be "Good for them. Now how can I make so much?"


* About 9 years ago, a Russian co-worker described the peasant mentality in Russia this way: "If your neighbor paints his house, and it makes your house look shabby, an American would paint his own house to keep up, a Russian would burn his neighbor's house to the ground."

[WileyC]

The average dockworker's salary + benefits = $105,000 / year, but $42,000 of that is benefits. The value of the benefits is questionable.

Are you sure about this? Even NPR was saying that their average salary was $100,000 without benefits. They were very clear on that point. Being who they are, I don't think they would weaken the unions public position.

[MortMan]

I'm in no way in agreement with the dock workers, but their high salary might be a reflection of the cost of living on the West Coast.

If this were true, I would expect top-flight aerospace software engineers in the mid-level seniority band to make more than $60-80K. They don't (or at least there are no jobs in Kalifornia that I can find that pay better than that).

That's my perspective, at least.

[banjo joe]

is showing up and not working - and still getting paid.

I do this as often as possible.

[jjm2111]

I've worked on cargo ships once upon a time. The ILWA has three classes (if memory serves me). The top guys do make VERY good money. The $160,000 is a bit stretched though.

The third tier guys are very lazy. The crane operators are terrible. (In one three day period, the crane operator took out a cluster light part of the ship's rail, and a hatch cover). The crane operators would also hit the "Emergency Stop" button on the crane panel, so I would have to climb to the top of the crane and reset it.

ILWA longshoreman would actually bring pillows and blankets on the ship. I would find them wandering around the house, etc. I'd have wake them up.

[stuartcr]

Basically, they are doing what they are told to do.

[Mr_Mayor]

I just love this. All the people here are just jealous of some working slobs finally making a much as the so called white collared professionals. I think you guys/gals are just plain jealous. If the white collar world organized maybe ya'll could make as much or even more than the dock workers. Me. I'm in a union and as long as the owners will keep paying i'll keep earning it too!

[SW6906]

This isn't just CA, this is the whole West coast. 100 large/year is a lot of money, no matter where you live out here.....

[AppyPappy]

this implies that crane operators and laborers are making $50 an hour

How much do they make?

[AppyPappy]

White collar guys don't go on strike.

[SW6906]

By the way, dock workers do not get $100,000 a day- this implies that crane operators and laborers are making $50 an hour. This wage is just for the employees who are in charge of tracking shipments from point of origin to destination and take responsibility for the logistics.Check your math.

Yes, the laborors - and especially the crane operators - are making upwards of $50/hour.

[SW6906]

We did at Boeing three years ago, but that was highly unusual.

[RooRoobird14]

True story which will give you an idea about the kind of people who make up the longshoreman's union:

Co-worker of mine was an IBM sales rep CA bay area. He sold a few PC's to the local longshoreman's union. Between the time the PC's were sold and delivered to the customer, sales taxes had gone up, total increase in tax on the invoice was about $25.00. Longshoreman thug (outraged about the "increase in price" on the invoice) called my friend, cursed him & demanded he come to the union office to discuss the invoice. My friend did. When they met thug demanded that my friend sales rep eat the cost of the increased taxes. Rep politely said he couldn't do that.

Next thing that happened: (not making this up) The union thug reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a hand gun and pointed it directly at my friend. He demanded again that the sales tax increase be dropped from the invoice. Friend was shocked, but called the thug's bluff--he politely refused again, got up and left the office.

Later on that day, the thug called the IBM office and demanded that my friend be fired (LOL).

[Sloth]

Unions are evil.

[stuartcr]

OK...why send this to me?

[RooRoobird14]

didn't mean to send to you specifically, just tagging on to the thread.