Free Republic

It's about bar coding for the purpose of tracking. This is what enables UPS and FEDX to give that speediy overnight service. They know where everything is every minute of the day and night. Unions don't want the automation...they want union members doing this (as usual) or getting paid for not doing it ... just standing there watching. BUT THE REAL BUGABOO IS stealing. Longshoremen may make $100.000.00 a year but that VERY lucrative side line of selling stolen goods...bikes, TV sets, watches, tools, etc. really rolls up the TAX FEE DOUGH. Thirty years or so back they went on strike when shippers started using containerize cargo....for the same reason. They said it was a perk. They viewed it as part of their pay and openly said so.

These union people make arount $100.000.00 yearly with $40,000.00+ in benefits. They started a work slowdown and general screw-up several months back in order to delay shipments and cause problems for employers which they knew would eventually cause a lock-out. With their wage level they wouldn't appear very sympathetic and the press would stumble onto that question eventually. I am under the impression they're contract expired in or around July. Had they gone out then it would probably be settled by now and effect to the economy would not be fresh in the minds of voters as it will likely be now. They are in kahoots with the Dems to drag down the economy just as close to the elections as possible. They have turned down pay raise and higher benies. Employers want bar codes for tracking and they want to retain inefficient (and corrupt) union manpower. This also would have some effect in tracking pilferage. They struck many years ago over containerized cargo because as they said pilferage was one of their perks and sealed containers reduced their ability to steal. Even if Bush orders them back to work he can't keep them from sabatoging shipments. Auto workers sabatoge their products also during labor disputes. Guess this is just SOP for unions. No matter where they put the Jimmy Hoffa's of this world another one pops up to take his place. cuteone