Most of the new jobs that will be created will be outside the current labor agreement. The existing jobs will be partially phased out as technology is added. Is that related to Homeland Defense in any way? Radiation meters, emergency home phone numbers, etc?
Not really. Basically the operation of the ports would be made more efficient by using bar codes and scanners, but the shippers want the coding of this info done not by union workers at 130k per annum (clerks get this much - before overtime) but by non-union workers making whatever keypunch operators make.
But the point is this: the employers have promised that all current union members will have their jobs and benefits etc until they die. Its just that most employment growth will be taking place outside the union. So because the union guys no longer can hire their kids for cushy union jobs they are destoying the economy.