US US port strike by 45,000 dockworkers is all but certain to begin at midnight - A Rather Unique October Surprise

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FILE - Shipping containers are stacked in the Port of New York and New Jersey in Elizabeth, N.J., May 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

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FILE - In this photo provided by the Georgia Ports Authority, Griff Lynch, President and CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority, provides an update on the Port of Savannah’s progress and future trajectory to 1,200 leaders from the maritime, supply chain, business and political sectors Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, during the annual State of the Port event in Savannah, Ga. (Stephen B. Morton/Georgia Ports Authority via AP, File)

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FILE - Containers are moved at the Port of New York and New Jersey in Elizabeth, N.J., on June 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Updated 12:13 PM GMT-5, September 30, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — The union representing U.S. dockworkers signaled that 45,000 members will walk off the job at midnight, kicking off a massive strike likely to shut down ports across the East and Gulf coasts.
The coming work stoppage threatens to significantly snarl the nation’s supply chain, potentially leading to higher prices and delays for households and businesses if it drags on for weeks. That’s because the strike by members of the International Longshoremen’s Association could cause 36 ports — which handle roughly half of the goods shipped into and out of the U.S. — to shutter operations.
ILA confirmed over the weekend that its members would hit the picket lines at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. In a Monday update, the union continued to blame the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, for continuing to “to block the path” towards an agreement before the contract deadline.

“The Ocean Carriers represented by USMX want to enjoy rich billion-dollar profits that they are making in 2024, while they offer ILA Longshore Workers an unacceptable wage package that we reject,” ILA said in a prepared statement. “ILA longshore workers deserve to be compensated for the important work they do keeping American commerce moving and growing.”

ILA also accused the shippers of “killing their customers” with sizeable price increases for full containers over recent weeks. The union said that this will result increased costs for American consumers.

The Associated Press reached out to a USMX spokesperson for comment.
If drawn out, the strike would led would force businesses to pay shippers for delays and cause some goods to arrive late for peak holiday shopping season — potentially impacting delivery of anything from toys or artificial Christmas trees, to cars, coffee and vegetables. Americans could also face higher prices as retailers feel the supply squeeze.

ILA members are demanding higher wages and a total ban on the automation of cranes, gates and container-moving trucks used in the loading or unloading of freight.
The coming strike by the ILA workers will be the first by the union since 1977.
If a strike were deemed a danger to U.S. economic health, President Joe Biden could, under the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, seek a court order for an 80-day cooling-off period. This would suspend the strike.
All eyes are on what, if any, action the adminstration might take — particularly just weeks ahead of a tight presidential election. But Biden has signaled that he will not exercise this power.
During an exchange with reporters on Sunday, Biden said “no” when asked if he planned to intervene in the potential work stoppage.

“Because it’s collective bargaining, I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley,” Biden said referring to a 1947 law that allows the president to intervene in labor disputes that threaten the nation’s health or safety.

 

[John Badman]

I have no strong opinion about this topic. But I wonder at some level whether this is astroturf just to have something to point at as "suffering in the Biden/Harris administration". I feel like Trump's election team is now at the stage where they instigate wherever they can in hopes of a scandal catching on in the media. Not saying it's just a Trump thing either. The fact that 2020 was the lockdown year EXCEPT for major BLM demonstrations which were honored and encouraged nationwide was the liberal version of pulling this BS. You spread the idea that the incumbent is fucking up however you can.

Sorry in advance for posting this. Feel free to vent your anger in reactions.
View attachment 6473911

You’re right. Notice how they also had a planned government shut down for October 1st before it got fixed. Democrats assumed it would be easier to put the blame on a third party union even though they’re taking orders from the White House. Want your family to not starve? Vote blue no matter who.

 

[Dagobert]

You don't do it by shutting down half the countries ports in a temper tantrum because you want a few more G's on your paystub. That is fucking greed. You don't need to be communist to call out greedy self serving behavior that only benefits one group at the cost of literally everyone. Fuck em.

OK, why is none of this ire directed at the other side of the problem? Why not be mad at the owners of the ports too? Why is it the workers need to bend and kiss the ring?

And besides, we've seen what happens if you don't actually act when an ultimatum is set in the past: you'll be exploited and trampled down. The dockworkers said they would do this, and now they did. So this isn't a temper tantrum, this is was a possible outcome known for months. What do you want them to do, keep working and thus show they weren't serious?

Would you go to work the next day if you thought your boss was short-changing you?

 

[The Gene Genie]

OK, why is none of this ire directed at the other side of the problem? Why not be mad at the owners of the ports too? Why is it the workers need to bend and kiss the ring?

Because he's a Mormon and wants you to die for Israel and the Global Empire. He's an idiot.

 

[WelperHelper99]

OK, why is none of this ire directed at the other side of the problem? Why not be mad at the owners of the ports too? Why is it the workers need to bend and kiss the ring?

And besides, we've seen what happens if you don't actually act when an ultimatum is set in the past: you'll be exploited and trampled down. The dockworkers said they would do this, and now they did. So this isn't a temper tantrum, this is was a possible outcome known for months. What do you want them to do, keep working and thus show they weren't serious?

Would you go to work the next day if you thought your boss was short-changing you?

They aren't being exploited though, they are well paid by any fucking metric. They are whining and bitching over nothing and just want more. The cost to the country vs the gain is not enough to justify it. The math doesn't work.

 

[namelesstacotruck]

The west coast ports will be open still.

All the chinesium is unimpacted. What would people even notice in a month from the east coast ports?

Europe gets fucked lol

 

[The Gene Genie]

They aren't being exploited though, they are well paid by any fucking metric. They are whining and bitching over nothing and just want more. The cost to the country vs the gain is not enough to justify it. The math doesn't work.

This country is a sham and everything they do to hasten its decline and fall is a good metric in my book. If they go on strike, it's another papercut to add to the thousands bleeding this monster dry. The workers have every right to strike and more industries should be striking and refusing to work, especially for this decadent society and Empire.

 

[John Badman]

The west coast ports will be open still.

All the chinesium is unimpacted. What would people even notice in a month from the east coast ports?

Europe gets fucked lol

Medicine and fruit. I wouldn’t be all that shocked if Joe sells the pharmaceutical base fully to China in the next month.

 

[WelperHelper99]

This country is a sham and everything they do to hasten its decline and fall is a good metric in my book. If they go on strike, it's another papercut to add to the thousands bleeding this monster dry. The workers have every right to strike and more industries should be striking and refusing to work, especially for this decadent society and Empire.

You sound like a fucking commie traitor. No wonder you didn't make it your full 30 years in the military.

 

[Nigger Cobson]

I'm not exactly the biggest hater of unions, but these demands are Luddite-tier retardation and I hope the union has enough sense to pursue more reasonable demands in the future. I'm only supporting this strike for accelerationist reasons for now.

Edit: Apparently the paycheck stuff isn't egregious as dockworkers tend to live in areas with high costs of living. Still, striking against the automation stuff is just delaying the inevitable at best (unless a Carrington event or nuclear holocaust happens before the robots take our jerbs.).

 

[The Gene Genie]

You sound like a fucking commie traitor. No wonder you didn't make it your full 30 years in the military.

1) Just because I don't like the Global Empire or its primary mission of spreading niggerfaggotry to all parts of the globe, that doesn't make me a Commie (in fact, it makes me the opposite) or a traitor.
2) Four more years than you'll ever do.

 

[Dagobert]

The cost to the country vs the gain is not enough to justify it.

According to who? The government that openly hates the workers and citizenry? The owners of the ports who have every reason to try and trampled down their labor force?

And again, why does this same rhetoric not apply to the port owners. By the same argument, the port owners are just being greedy because they want more profits to themselves. And their refusal to back down is *also* responsible for the strike. So why only blame the workers.

Again, would you go to work for someone you thought was underpaying you?

 

[cybertoaster]

Lefties, feminists, soyboys and other "pro-worker" retards on socmed the moment their amazon shipment of stupid plastic crap they can't live without gets delayed by 5 minutes.

Remember the kellogs strike? these supposedly liberal fatasses crying about not being able to get their starchy sugary "food"?

 

[WelperHelper99]

1) Just because I don't like the Global Empire or its primary mission of spreading niggerfaggotry to all parts of the globe, that doesn't make me a Commie (in fact, it makes me the opposite) or a traitor.

Yeah it does, you should be renlisted and courtmarshled for such talk

2) Four more years than you'll ever do.

FOUR. What a fucking PUSSY! Oh i guess logistics or base guard duty was so fucking hard, boo hoo! Pathetic. You aren't even a veteran. Dad served his full thirty. You did four. Bet you got beat by the boys on the daily!

According to who? The government that openly hates the workers and citizenry? The owners of the ports who have every reason to try and trampled down their labor force?

And again, why does this same rhetoric not apply to the port owners. By the same argument, the port owners are just being greedy because they want more profits to themselves. And their refusal to back down is *also* responsible for the strike. So why only blame the workers.

Again, would you go to work for someone you thought was underpaying you?

If you cant live on over 80k, that's a you problem, not shut down all the ports and cripple the country problem.

 

[The Gene Genie]

Yeah it does, you should be renlisted and courtmarshled for such talk

How does it make me a Communist, when the Communists are the one at the helm of this faggot Empire and steering it right into the ground? How does it make me a traitor, if the purpose of this Empire isn't to the benefit of the people? America is not a Nation anymore, because of this Empire. We're an economic zone and a dumping ground for the world's useless chaff, while the bureaucrats and the political-managerial class get wealthy. When people go on strike in critical industries like this, they're stabbing at the heart of this Empire and hastening its decline. And only when it declines can America be reborn as a truly free Nation.

Reminder that this entangled web of international imperial politics was exactly what the Founders and our First President said NOT TO DO.

FOUR. What a fucking PUSSY! Oh i guess logistics or base guard duty was so fucking hard, boo hoo! Pathetic. You aren't even a veteran. Dad served his full thirty. You did four. Bet you got beat by the boys on the daily!

I told you why I didn't care for the military in the last thread, and I don't see the need to reiterate it. I wasn't logistics, and everyone in the Navy does guard duty and in any case I was on a ship and not on a shore command. You have served exactly ZERO days so, like I said in the last thread, you don't get to call anyone else a "pussy" or a traitor for critiquing the Empire they served, when all you've done is champion the decadent institutions that have let to rot and ruin.

 

[WelperHelper99]

How does it make me a Communist, when the Communists are the one at the helm of this faggot Empire and steering it right into the ground? How does it make me a traitor, if the purpose of this Empire isn't to the benefit of the people? America is not a Nation anymore, because of this Empire. We're an economic zone and a dumping ground for the world's useless chaff, while the bureaucrats and the political-managerial class get wealthy. When people go on strike in critical industries like this, they're stabbing at the heart of this Empire and hastening its decline. And only when it declines can America be reborn as a truly free Nation.

Reminder that this entangled web of international imperial politics was exactly what the Founders and our First President said NOT TO DO.

You want the destruction of the country, you thus support the tranny gay communists. You are a traitor. Fuck you. Go to hell.

I told you why I didn't care for the military in the last thread, and I don't see the need to reiterate it. I wasn't logistics, and everyone in the Navy does guard duty and in any case I was on a ship and not on a shore command. You have served exactly ZERO days so, like I said in the last thread, you don't get to call anyone else a "pussy" or a traitor for critiquing the Empire they served, when all you've done is champion the decadent institutions that have let to rot and ruin.

You are a coward that dropped out after 4 years because it was too hard and you got ram ranched by the marines in the lower decks every night is what i'm hearing, uh huh.

 

[oh no its pipkun]

Only ever had one union job, and it was because unionship was a requirement of getting the job. I got the job on my own merits/military taught me a skill, and eventually, hey, I get a 25cent/hr raise; but my union dues and healthcare and pretty much everything else went up, so I was actually losing $50 a paycheck under the new negotiation. And I'm like, first of all, I didn't fucking ask anyone to negotiate for me, second of all, I'm taking a paycut, third, why the fuck would anyone agree to this shit. Union leadership pretty much told me to shut up and be thankful the union even got me this job; told them I got the job cause I have a skill, and the union didn't teach me shit. All other problems I've seen are with my family and extended family who are majority railroad and all the shit the UTU and BLE has done. I'm sure they had their place once upon a time, but it's just a fucking racket anymore; I don't want anyone from my job, sending me a newsletter telling me how to vote, what the fuck is this shit.

Now that I think about it, I can't really tell the difference between unions and democracy, you get a say in how shit goes... somehow it's never how I want it to go.

wait for the increase of chinese/korean owned factories. then the unions will be useful again. Obama's factory documentary is pretty good. showcased how lazy unions are and how cutthroat the chinese are. the chinese will run you ragged and the modern american worker needs to be coddled every second

 

[MadStan]

Dock workers get plush benefits. Fuck them.

 

[The Gene Genie]

You want the destruction of the country, you thus support the tranny gay communists. You are a traitor. Fuck you. Go to hell.

I want the end of the Global Empire so that our Nation can be reborn free of any entanglements. It's on you if you identify America with the Empire that was constructed utilizing its people and its industries and then cast aside when it was no longer necessary. This country, America, is not the Empire. It never was, and never will be.

You are a coward that dropped out after 4 years because it was too hard and you got ram ranched by the marines in the lower decks every night is what i'm hearing, uh huh.

Weird faggot fantasies aside, I did my service as per the contract stipulated when I signed.

 

[Dagobert]

If you cant live on over 80k, that's a you problem, not shut down all the ports and cripple the country problem.

Except it's not a "can I live on this" question, it's a "what is my work worth" question. People have a right to choose where they work, so they can negotiate wages if they have the position. This is the extreme end of negotiation.

How much do you make? Is it more than the 47k I lived on last year? Should I be able to demand you drop down to my income because all you need to survive is 47k/year?

Would you work for someone you thought was underpaying you?

 

[LaxerBRO]

You don't do it by shutting down half the countries ports in a temper tantrum because you want a few more G's on your paystub. That is fucking greed. You don't need to be communist to call out greedy self serving behavior that only benefits one group at the cost of literally everyone. Fuck em.

What would be the point of joining a union then?

Writers guild on strike for 148 days.

The whole point of joining a union or unionizing a workplace is if you have skills that society needs. If your job is easily replaceable or not valued by society then there is no point of joining as your strike will ignored and your job replaced as you have very little leverage.

We saw this with the writers guild strike that went on for 148 days. They had no leverage as such their union was fairly powerless.

The whole point of this is leverage.