Free Republic

So many postings referring to the dockworkers wage..... I wonder why there is so many references to the money these people earn. It seems as though the focus would be on the "threat" to national security and our economy so many are claiming. Prima Donnas, on one of the top 10 most dangerous jobs on the planet, I think not....

Greedy union thugs crippling the economy, huh? Putting thousands out of work? The economy was already in shambles long before this LOCKOUT began. Perhaps we should focus on something that truly has an impact on our economy. How about our friendly neighbors to the south, and the practically open-border policy the U.S. maintains. 10,000 dockworkers locked out for 2 weeks, or... 30 years of illegal immigration, many illegally obtaining welfare, healthcare, and many other benefits meant for "citizens". You do the math.....

You seem to be fairly consumed by the fact that these people make a good wage. I'm assuming that you've never spent any time on or around the waterfront because if you had, more than likely you would begin to understand how dangerous these jobs really can be. Hence, the high wages. The ILWU isn't asking for anything extravagant, only to keep what they have fought hard for over the past 68 years. Keep in mind that during this lockout, the shipping companies are losing their butts, as are the dockworkers. But the middleman, the Pacific Maritime Assoc.(PMA), who initiated the lockout, are still collecting their fat checks.