East Coast ports may face strike

BOSTON | Weeks after a critical West Coast port complex was crippled by a few hundred striking workers, the East Coast is bracing for a possible walkout numbering thousands that could drastically limit 15 ports from Massachusetts to Texas, including Jacksonville. The latest talks between shipping companies and dockworkers broke down Tuesday, less than two weeks before the contract expires Dec. 29, leading to worries a strike was inevitable. The National Retail Federation wrote to President Barack Obama this week to ask him to use “all means necessary” to head off a strike, which they fear could have catastrophic ripple effects nationwide. “We foresee this as a national economic emergency, to be honest,” said Jonathan Gold, the group’s vice president of supply chain and customs policy. Gold said billions in commerce at countless businesses nationwide could be affected, from auto manufacturers awaiting parts to the truckers that deliver them.

Here is the link
jacksonville.com...

With the fiscal cliff,the US debt limit about to be reached,and now this, it seems
That we are in for a rough ride.

I don`t see a problem, so what if people have to wait until the strike is over to buy that new toyota they have their eye on or the latest and greatest video game or cell phone?
Oh thats right, it will cut into corporate americas profits and therefore it`s a national emergency.

Originally posted by Tardacus
I don`t see a problem, so what if people have to wait until the strike is over to buy that new toyota they have their eye on or the latest and greatest video game or cell phone?
Oh thats right, it will cut into corporate americas profits and therefore it`s a national emergency.

Or the people who use those truck parts to build a truck as part of their job, instead get sent home without pay for the day. Isn't that the point?

Americans forgot how to strike. Now is the perfect time.

The corporate barons are shaking at the thought of Americans standing up together and shutting down the country.

Americans could shut down the country if they were together.

Personally, I think throwing a major strike to ring in the trip off the financial cliff is about as counter-productive and insane as it gets. In fact....it's almost treasonous if the wars actually needed the military goods in and out of those ports in any real time sensitive way too. Talk about adding insult to injury and throwing a swift kick to the head for good measure.

Can anyone come up with any more ideas to help make January a real special kind of month? Maybe a nuclear meltdown in a new location? A meteor no one noticed and just small enough to land on something really really critical to U.S. national well being.

Or... Look at this another way. In remembering the recent Hostess Bakery disaster where striking for a few bucks won the local Union 100% loss of every last job there was....(and 8500+ others they had no right to bargain with) in this example, the United States is the bakery and ..umm...Like the Teamsters themselves told the Hostess people ....it's not a bluff or game. The economy is in VERY BAD trouble ....and they seem like they want to HELP MAKE it worse.

Civil war calls in Michigan? 6,000 vote to terminate the whole workplace of thousands more than their own total? Now East Coast port strikes as Defense will be throwing 10's of thousands into the street on mandatory layoffs in a few days and ripples across other segments of Government will hurt too. Add the other factors of the cliff.....?

Are the Unions TRYING to destroy this nation outright or is this just unintended consequence? I'm getting to the point I'm not sure I care.

This (M.A.D) Mutually Assured Destruction.

All these large economical problems are happening at the same time, its crazy! Its to much going on. One of these juggling balls is going to fall and its going to cripple the economy more then it already is.

But they are making a BILLION dollars a day I read yeaterday. They could fork over a bit of that and never miss a lick. I say shut them down. Nobody will be going without pay . They have strike pay and the trickle down have unemployment. A BILLION A DAY PROFIT!!

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


The whole system is rotten to the core so I say whatever makes the end of our stupid ways end sooner is a good thing. Going on the way we do is madness, but I am also suspicious as to who is pulling the strings so I guess we just wait and see how it all falls down.

I also hope some miracle happens and things get fixed with as little suffering as possible because I know most drastic change comes with hardships what I would wish on nobody. Whatever will be I guess.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Or... Look at this another way. In remembering the recent Hostess Bakery disaster where striking for a few bucks won the local Union 100% loss of every last job there was....(and 8500+ others they had no right to bargain with) in this example, the United States is the bakery and ..umm...Like the Teamsters themselves told the Hostess people ....it's not a bluff or game. The economy is in VERY BAD trouble ....and they seem like they want to HELP MAKE it worse.

Not buying it, the Bakers Union was asked for the third time in a row to take concessions in pay and benefits while executives kept giving themselves raises. How many times can you expect someone to get spit in the face before they actually stand up for themselves? The workers were not to blame for Hostess's downfall .. that is on management, regardless of the corporate spin, they are the ones that rode Hostess into the ground.

Regarding the OP, I have not researched the terms of the contract to fully understand where the negotiations are stalling but workers across this nation are battling corporate greed, as workers wages fall and corporate profits are at record highs.

I for one am glad to see and fully support workers taking a stand in the battle of wage equality.

Originally posted by mikell
But they are making a BILLION dollars a day I read yeaterday. They could fork over a bit of that and never miss a lick. I say shut them down. Nobody will be going without pay . They have strike pay and the trickle down have unemployment. A BILLION A DAY PROFIT!!

You’re getting revenue mixed up with profit.

There revenue is a Billion dollars a day. there profit will be 1-3% of that. so 10 to 30 Million in profit then you need to tax it so your looking at 7.4 million to 22.2 Million dollars in net net profit a day. This of course is depending on there margins.

I hope this does NOT happen. If the strike does happen and for any duration the impact could be severe. Even if it happens for only 3 to 5 days lets say... the delays could be detrimental... you just won't know until we go through it.

The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) & United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) are suppose to work with a federal mediator on negotiations. If negotiations don't go as planned and an agreement is not made a Coastline Strike will start on Dec 30th at 12:01am.

This will not only impact the East as the OP's title portrays. It is going to impact the EAST and GULF ports.
& Earlier at the end of November there was already the West Coast strike of which the effects are still being felt by those impacted.

If the Strike happens:

ILA will NOT handle containerized cargo

ILA Will handle unfrozen perishable commodities, contained military cargo excluding household goods, containerized mail, passenger ships and non-containerized cargo and autos.

Don't be foolish: This isn't only going to impact our Longshoremen if it happens.

Right now the ports are Operating in a mad dash effort to get the containers out of port before Dec 28th in case the strike does hit. If it happens the truckers won't have access to the ports once the strike is declared.

This isn't just about having access to buy junk that we don't need. Think about small companies who will be dealing with these delays. What if it is a struggling or start up company... it could ruin a business and that means job losses to normal every day people. & What about all of our truck drivers... have you thought about how they will be impacted.

I am already hearing of Longshoremen loosing their jobs and the strike hasn't even hit yet.

Delays alone can be devastating. Every day the strike goes will cause a major backup.

, a one-day strike would result in a three-tofour week delay. If a strike lasts longer than one day it will result in a six-to-eight week delay. The delay time for shipments will increase significantly by each day that a work stoppage continues

www.bdpinternational.com...

Ooh please ooh please come to an agreement ! We don't need or want this ! As we are not prepared for another means of getting this cargo from Point A to Point B yet that could handle the loads were talking about here.

Originally posted by Tazkven

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Or... Look at this another way. In remembering the recent Hostess Bakery disaster where striking for a few bucks won the local Union 100% loss of every last job there was....(and 8500+ others they had no right to bargain with) in this example, the United States is the bakery and ..umm...Like the Teamsters themselves told the Hostess people ....it's not a bluff or game. The economy is in VERY BAD trouble ....and they seem like they want to HELP MAKE it worse.

Not buying it, the Bakers Union was asked for the third time in a row to take concessions in pay and benefits while executives kept giving themselves raises. How many times can you expect someone to get spit in the face before they actually stand up for themselves? The workers were not to blame for Hostess's downfall .. that is on management, regardless of the corporate spin, they are the ones that rode Hostess into the ground.

Regarding the OP, I have not researched the terms of the contract to fully understand where the negotiations are stalling but workers across this nation are battling corporate greed, as workers wages fall and corporate profits are at record highs.

I for one am glad to see and fully support workers taking a stand in the battle of wage equality.

edit on 27-12-2012 by Tazkven because: (no reason given)

someone finally gets it. In my own company we are told we are facing hard economic times and that is why they have to lay off.. then they look to cut back on benefits and wages...

next thing i know every exec gets a raise .

so hard economic times but yet the crystal tower folks still get a raise?? why are they immune to the "hard" economic times?? ? oh yeah cuz the bottom level worker is the one thrown under the bus so they get their raise.

Well i got news today that the ILA & USMX have agreed to a 30 day contract extension so that negotiations may continue during that time

leolady

reply to post by votan

this shouldn't be surprising in the least ...

next thing i know every exec gets a raise .

they are just following the leader ... Obama gives Congress and Fed employees a raise via executive order ... www.abovetopsecret.com...

as for the pending strike, i really don't see it happening.
too many 'staples' of life transverse those ports.
the thought of government interference makes my skin crawl, but it's not like i have a say in the matter.

the unions have long out-lived their usefulness and are on the verge of beng booted out the door completely. unions don't keep this country operational, ppl do, skilled and unskilled alike.

in this economy, union or not, i certainly wouldn't be walking out of a port job, too many are waiting in the wings ready, willing and able to walk right in and keep the traffic flowing.

reply to post by PatriotsPride


This is a win win scenario.
Let them go on strike permanently.
Cut the umbilical cord to the slave markets of the world and the investors of America will have to focus on growing America rather than emerging markets to collect their platinum pieces from.

Originally posted by Tazkven

Not buying it, the Bakers Union was asked for the third time in a row to take concessions in pay and benefits while executives kept giving themselves raises. How many times can you expect someone to get spit in the face before they actually stand up for themselves? The workers were not to blame for Hostess's downfall .. that is on management, regardless of the corporate spin, they are the ones that rode Hostess into the ground.

Well said.
Everything is out of balance and has been getting worse for the past 30 years for the majority of the people in this country and the pendulum needs to swing back in the other direction for the majority and not the elite few.

If it takes crashing and burning this country to start anew then so be it.

Just giving an update

The latest ILA-USMX contract extension expires at 11:59 p.m., Feb. 6. The union and employers have held a series of federally mediated bargaining sessions since agreeing to an extension last month that averted a threatened Dec. 30 strike.

Work rules at the high-cost Port of New York and New Jersey have been a top issue in this year’s negotiations. Employers want changes to decades-old provisions that require excess staffing and pay for workers who aren’t on the job. The ILA says the proposed changes go too far.

Both sides have said agreement on a Maine-to-Texas master contract hinges on settlement of supplemental local contracts led by the one covering New York-New Jersey.

If negotiators can’t agree on a contract or a third extension by Feb. 6, the ILA could strike, or a management could shut the ports by locking out union workers. Employers discussed a lockout before they and the union agreed to the current contract extension last month.

leolady