Strike shuts down third-biggest U.S. port

Over a thousand longshoremen, some of the best paid employees in the country, walked off the Job Friday effectively shutting down the largest port on the East Coast.

Strike shuts down third-biggest U.S. port
A labor dispute has shut down one of America's busiest ports.

More than 1,000 union dock workers in New York City walked off the job Friday, halting business at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shipping terminals. The bi-state agency operates a vast complex of terminals in Newark, Elizabeth, Brooklyn and Staten Island and rents those facilities to 40 different shippers.

In a statement, the Port Authority confirmed the walkout and asked members of the International Longshoremen Association (ILA) to return to work. "As the agency that oversees the largest port complex on the East Coast, we strongly urge the ILA members to return to work immediately and resolve their differences after they return," the agency wrote. "In the meantime, Port Authority Police are actively working to ensure public safety for all of the stakeholders at the port."

A spokesperson for the New York Shippers Association (NYSA), which represents the port's shipping companies, told CBS MoneyWatch the group believes the job action constitutes an "illegal strike" because the ILA is operating under a current and binding contract.

The AP is reporting they are going back to work.

Longshoremen Set to Return to Ports in New York, New Jersey
Longshoremen are expected to return to the job at ports in New York and New Jersey after a surprise walkout on Friday put a halt to the unloading of ships at the nation's third-busiest port.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Friday night that operations would resume and the International Longshoremen's Association told its members to return to work as it continues working on their concerns.

A spokeswoman for the New York Shipping Association said that after an emergency contract board meeting was called Friday afternoon, an arbitrator ruled that the work stoppage was a violation of a no strike provision in the contract with the longshoremen....

Probably a non-story, but maybe somebody more familiar with the area could comment.
Thought this was interesting...

A spokesman for the International Longshoremen's Association said the walkout took many union officials by surprise.

Would a shut down, even as brief as this one appears to be, affect security at this port? Anybody else having trust issues with the Port Authority after 9-11 will find this interesting as well...

Source
Port Authority police were sent to the terminals to ensure public safety, according to the statement.

originally posted by: twitchy
Over a thousand longshoremen, some of the best paid employees in the country, walked off the Job Friday effectively shutting down the largest port on the East Coast.

Longshoreman wages are above $100K/year, making them in the top 10%. No, they're not 1% ers, but they make more than 90% of the workers in the US.

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Closing duplicate. Thank you.