Economy Hold on to your butts & buy TP; Potential Port Strike Looms Ahead

[Rhood]

With just over a week to go before thousands of longshoremen at ports on the East and Gulf Coast are due to go on strike, negotiations aimed at settling the long running contract dispute are set to resume on Tuesday.

The two sides of the dispute are the International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, the management group which represents all of the ports and other stakeholders.

Parties have already agreed on money issues, with the workers set to receive a 62% pay increase over the six year life of the contract. But work rule negotiations remain unsettled.
The union said it will fight management’s proposals to further automate ports because it contends doing so will result in the loss of high-paying jobs for its members.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/06/ila-union-ports-held-secret-meeting-on-automation-as-new-strike-looms.html

 

[Flower2dPeople]

 

[HockeyBjj]

The union already got the money for the members. A crazy 60% raise.

The union is now fighting to prevent the company from installing more efficient equipment like Europe uses.

No. A union should NOT be demanding that in the name of worker pay and benefits.

 

[oldshadow]

They might want to settle. If they strike Trump could declare an national emergency and have the national guard start unloading ships.

 

[BreatheSherBro]

It would be nice if all workers could get paid more and have great job security.

However, automation is inevitable for some jobs. You might be able to delay it somewhat, but eventually it will replace jobs. Making large demands like a 62 percent pay increase and still threatening to go on strike only further incentivizes employers to invest in automation.

 

[Renard]

Elites: Our plan to skyrocket prices didn't work. Contact the union heads. Run it again.
Assistant: But sire, shouldn't we space out our attempts a little more? We have other narratives we could play in the meantime.
Elites: No, run it again I said!

 

[terrapin]

The union already got the money for the members. A crazy 60% raise.

The union is now fighting to prevent the company from installing more efficient equipment like Europe uses.

No. A union should NOT be demanding that in the name of worker pay and benefits.

What equipment specifically? and does it reduce the number of jobs available for the same work?

 

[HockeyBjj]

What equipment specifically? and does it reduce the number of jobs available for the same work?

Seems they're using the scare tactics terms of "Automation" boogeyman, but then complaining about anything even as simple as badge readers for gates instead of paying a guy $60 an hour to sit by the gate and push a button.

The labor contract already requires nothing fully automated and no fully automated equipment. But that's not enough for the union.

_______________________________________________

Under the labor contract that expired Monday night, "no fully-automated terminals developed and no fully-automated equipment" is allowed, and partially automated equipment is only allowed after an agreement is worked out regarding workforce protections.

The contract further requires a review of "new work" arising from technology, as well as training and reassignment opportunities in a manner that preserves union labor hours.

But negotiations broke down over the summer when the union said that a gate at a facility in Mobile, Alabama, was allowing trucks to enter without the involvement of union workers, violating the contract.
The union accused Maersk Line and APM Terminals of trying to circumvent the automation provisions in the contract and said it would not return to the table with USMX until the matter was resolved.

Fears of automation are at the heart of the dockworkers strike

The USMX employers association says it's willing to continue the old technology agreement, but the ILA labor union says the terms were already broken.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[terrapin]

Seems they're using the scare tactics terms of "Automation" boogeyman, but then complaining about anything even as simple as badge readers for gates instead of paying a guy $60 an hour to sit by the gate and push a button.

The labor contract already requires nothing fully automated and no fully automated equipment. But that's not enough for the union.

_______________________________________________

Under the labor contract that expired Monday night, "no fully-automated terminals developed and no fully-automated equipment" is allowed, and partially automated equipment is only allowed after an agreement is worked out regarding workforce protections.

The contract further requires a review of "new work" arising from technology, as well as training and reassignment opportunities in a manner that preserves union labor hours.

But negotiations broke down over the summer when the union said that a gate at a facility in Mobile, Alabama, was allowing trucks to enter without the involvement of union workers, violating the contract.
The union accused Maersk Line and APM Terminals of trying to circumvent the automation provisions in the contract and said it would not return to the table with USMX until the matter was resolved.

Fears of automation are at the heart of the dockworkers strike

The USMX employers association says it's willing to continue the old technology agreement, but the ILA labor union says the terms were already broken.

www.businessinsider.com

So they're protecting jobs so there are actually human beings involved that would get wrapped up in the consequences of changing e
equipment....

I got to say that I can't feel bad for any company that wants to replace jobs with automation if they get wrapped up in a battle with a union over it.

In this case I can sort of see both sides, but I can't see The side that mocks unions for protecting jobs.

 

[HockeyBjj]

So they're protecting jobs so there are actually human beings involved that would get wrapped up in the consequences of changing e
equipment....

I got to say that I can't feel bad for any company that wants to replace jobs with automation if they get wrapped up in a battle with a union over it.

In this case I can sort of see both sides, but I can't see The side that mocks unions for protecting jobs.

I'm very pro union but there are two areas I think they stretch too far and that's protecting severe underperformers and stopping (not slowing) advancement.

I don't see a down side to replacing the guy sitting in a lawn chair pushing a button by a gate with a badge reader when there's a plan to move that guy to a different dock unloading position that's available. Having a training and reassignment plan that preserves union hours was already in the contract.

 

[terrapin]

I'm very pro union but there are two areas I think they stretch too far and that's protecting severe underperformers and stopping (not slowing) advancement.

I don't see a down side to replacing the guy sitting in a lawn chair pushing a button by a gate with a badge reader when there's a plan to move that guy to a different dock unloading position that's available. Having a training and reassignment plan that preserves union hours was already in the contract.

Well like I said I can see both sides, but in this battle against automation I'm imagining they're thinking similarly to the way gun rights people are thinking, which is that it's a slippery slope and that anything you give at all just will eventually become everything.

 

[Bornstarch]

Enough of their bullshit

Soon they'll be going on strike for not getting free hookers and blow on the job

I'm in a union myself and it is just fucking insane how lazy people are with no fear of getting fired. We can fire 80% of our workforce and still be a pretty easy job.

 

[oldshadow]

The only agreement on automation should be we would not fire the ones at work now as they automate. They would stop hiring as the need for less workers are needed.

 

[koquerelle]

I thought the conflict was over.

 

[Bornstarch]

I thought the conflict was over.

If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile

 

[Islam Imamate]

I thought the conflict was over.

Nothing can satiate the greed of a union. If you gave them a valley full of gold they would ask for a second valley full of gold.

Btw this is the head of the ILA rocking a rolex

Spoiler

And here's his mansion

Spoiler

 

[Islam Imamate]

Seems they're using the scare tactics terms of "Automation" boogeyman, but then complaining about anything even as simple as badge readers for gates instead of paying a guy $60 an hour to sit by the gate and push a button.

The labor contract already requires nothing fully automated and no fully automated equipment. But that's not enough for the union.

_______________________________________________

Under the labor contract that expired Monday night, "no fully-automated terminals developed and no fully-automated equipment" is allowed, and partially automated equipment is only allowed after an agreement is worked out regarding workforce protections.

The contract further requires a review of "new work" arising from technology, as well as training and reassignment opportunities in a manner that preserves union labor hours.

But negotiations broke down over the summer when the union said that a gate at a facility in Mobile, Alabama, was allowing trucks to enter without the involvement of union workers, violating the contract.
The union accused Maersk Line and APM Terminals of trying to circumvent the automation provisions in the contract and said it would not return to the table with USMX until the matter was resolved.

Fears of automation are at the heart of the dockworkers strike

The USMX employers association says it's willing to continue the old technology agreement, but the ILA labor union says the terms were already broken.

www.businessinsider.com

Damn that's even worse than I thought. I imagined they were against automated heavy equipment that is applied directly to the task but they're even against automating gates? I guess the Mikes of the world will still have their jobs at the docks

 

[Boxiana]

 

[Rob Battisti]

Damn that's even worse than I thought. I imagined they were against automated heavy equipment that is applied directly to the task but they're even against automating gates? I guess the Mikes of the world will still have their jobs at the docks

This is a clear example of needing to break these unions apart.

 

[Islam Imamate]

This is a clear example of needing to break these unions apart.

I'm not necessarily against that but even in Europe their unions aren't always this insane. IIRC France has strong unions but on government projects certain decisions in regards to staffing and automation aren't determined by the unions. In fact Europe is far ahead of the US when it comes to automation in regards to things like ports and the building of commuter rail where US unions fight tooth and nail to prevent the switch to automation.