U.S. ports from Maine to Texas are preparing for a potential shutdown in a week, when the union representing 45,000 dockworkers in that region has threatened to strike starting Oct. 1. That’s when the contract expires between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports. Negotiations on a new contract halted in June.
A strike would shut down 36 ports that handle roughly half the nations’ cargo from ships.
This article thoroughly convinced this is happening. This guy is not playing around!
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/25/dockworkers-strike-disrupt-economy-election-00181005
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The Maritime Executive permabans anybody who suggests that there is any hint of mafia involvement in shipping. I wonder if that will change now.
Good, there has to be some push back. Not saying the guy is a squeaky clean fellow but he is no more mafia tied than the companies he deals with. Sometimes labor needs their own strongmen and that has been lacking for many years. Now the CEOs make 350 times the average labor pay compared to the 82 times the average worker in 1992, in 1970 it was 20 or 30 times the average worker. There is something wrong with this and if it takes this guy with all his faults to push back? I do not care, more power to him.
By the way the latest inflation causes from the CPI seems to be corporate profit taking.
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Surprised that Daggett can just call a strike without a vote from the members.
Interesting reading below by the left of center, normally pro labor, New York Times. According to what it states & my sketchy memories of having to pay his outfit to have a job, he owns a multi million dollar yatch & drives a Bently. Yes, I have worked for some shitty CEO’s but they didn’t carry guns and I, nor the brave souls who started the Richmond Terrace Bargaining Unit weren’t afraid of being beat up or murdered by slimmy ceo’s. Working for ILA-Local 333 was the last straw for me concerning my opinion on getting someone else to negotiate on my behalf for my salary. Yes, Daggett & his cronies will strong arm management of companies but they also strong arm union members when they start asking what happened to $1.2 million dollars, who paid for the yatch, Bentley & trips to Bahamas for the whole possie. Those are some ruthless s.o.b’s imo.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/nyregion/new-york-harbor-on-the-waterfront.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/nyregion/tugboat-locals-takeover-spurs-division-in-the-ranks.html
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I have to ask; How many backs are out there ready to go to work in relief of the union strikers?
Could there be a non-union force ready to work, eat better and pay some bills?
Only if the United States opened it’s borders to millions & millions of people who could walk, crawl, hop or swim 3 yrs ago. Only if…
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The only problem, who would actually be “trained or skilled” to do what these dockworkers have been doing for years? An “undocumented alien” that can barely read or write or even totally illiterate? Some guy that drives a forklift in a factory? Just ponderin’ the possibilities and alternatives.
I do not know why my post appeared twice. Also, I was replying to someone, and I hope I did not misunderstand, but they seemed to imply that the “undocumented aliens” that have been crossing our border for the last three years could be used as dockworkers?
ILA Local 333 said the same thing in the 80’s & industry found people. 20% scab 80% fresh from across the border should keep the presents mostly under the tree come Christmas. The US has thousands & thousands of male Venezuelan immigrants boxed into hotels in NYC. Just saying…
You very may well be more knowledgeable about loading and unloading ships. My experience with loading ships was when we took on diesel fuel and provisions. Diesel was taking constant soundings of fuel tanks and provisions was mostly a “bucket brigade” of Coasties loading food into storage compartments and freezer and reefer units. My question would be how many of these people are proficient in “containerized cargo”? And thanks for the info.
Running container gantry cranes and yard hustlers is not something you learn overnight, neither is running cranes to handle dry bulk cargo whether it be grain or rolled steel or scrap. Let’s not even get into liquid bulk and then hazmat. Facility to facility may have different employee pools to choose from and not all will be non-union up and down the coast but I imagine the heat will be on those folks once this kicks off.
And for the record, as a former Port of NY/NJ vessel agent, all those docks are 100% tied up in some shady business on the office side. The rank and file are just part and parcel to it by choice or otherwise, but when I had to call out crews to depart a vessel and the highest paid and least-worked men on the shore were the linemen who consistently showed up 40mins late in high class cars wearing zero safety gear to pull a line off the bollard and then sped off, it didn’t take much to see who was on the take.
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According to the article, Daggett doesn’t do bad for himself. Over $700K as head of the ILA and another $170K because he is President Emeritus of his old local! Not too shabby.
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What gets me is the ILA Local 333 hired a guy named Carlo Chiaese to handle the financials & then had every penny stolen. Then the union said, “Our bad, we didn’t know he was mobbed up or a crook”. A picture of Mr Chiaese is below, dude in the purple shirt. Who in the hell in their right mind is going to hire a 2nd generation Italian, who’s dad was in meat packing, inport/export business who is the spitting image of Big Pussy in The Sapranos to handle their bank account? No one is that stupid. The ILA is dirty & has royally screwed over some of their own members in the past.
@ChaplainDarrell , I really don’t know much about unloading containers. I was a member of the ILA marine division. Just spitballing. But some estimates say between 3-5 million illegal immigrants came to the US since 2021. Some of them had to operate cranes & forklifts in their native shitholes. And ILA membership isn’t that high. Just guessing, but with 25%-30% experienced scabbs & the other 70% with some crane/forklifts/cargo moving experience, I bet the US could offload above 50% capacity, higher during each passing month of a strike.
This is also my experience. The line handlers must need new Lincolns and Cadillacs.
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Thanks for the info. As an old Coastie, all I can do is be keyboard warrior and follow the story.
Do you not think the “Green New Deal” and the current admin’s attitude toward the petroleum industry caused a rise in petroleum prices which the cost of “everything” is based on? Just asking an honest question, no snark or sarcasm intended.
A post was merged into an existing topic: ILA UNION ON STRIKE IN 36 US PORTS - Teamsters Warn Biden To 'Stay the F*ck
A post was merged into an existing topic: ILA UNION ON STRIKE IN 36 US PORTS - Teamsters Warn Biden To 'Stay the F*ck