Port Strike

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TaperPin

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In any industry, looking at union vs non union workforces, and company profits, is telling. If fat cats in the companies make less and the employees actually doing the work make more, I’m all for that. Simple.
 

Montucky

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Can you guys please describe what the DockWorkers do…..I’m picturing in my mind like Skilled Crane Operators moving containers, tug boats bringing big ass ships into the bay….skilled forkelift operators….employees with scanners delegating where each pallet or container goes……
 

JFK

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do union members have to take the woke grooming courses, what do they call it dei or something like that....
Nope. Most everyone I work with is conservative and thinks dei is absolute bs. Put more bluntly…most union guys have values that align most closely with republicans, but just wish republicans wouldn’t have such a boner for hating unions. The people running these companies have had, for the most part, life on a platter. Fast track to the top based on family connections, bonuses that are several times their annual salary. Yet somehow the low hanging fruit worth posting about on a hunting forum are the guys making a decent living to feed their families. Honestly I couldn’t give two shits if dock workers strike. If your Amazon shipment costs a few extra dollars blame the cheapskate making a multimillion dollar bonus who doesn’t take care of his employees.
 

The Guide

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That’s a ridiculously ignorant statement.


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Not necessarily depending upon his experience with construction workers. I've seen it both ways, on both sides. Depending on the trade and area there is some validity to his statement but it is not a blanket statement. I've had to finish up jobs that were billed as finished by both sectors but I've seen more jobs that were just trash by non union companies.

Jay
 
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Ag has been improving with automation quickly and it has been embraced by those that can afford it. Efficiency equals $$ for Ag.
It’s all great until it isn’t. Not saying it’s good or bad, but efficiency and thin profit margins are also killing the smaller family farmer when they are trying to compete with much larger corporate operations.
 

Rich M

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Shawn Fain is the president of the UAW and during the recent autoworkers strike he said Stellantar (maker of jeep, ram, and Chrysler) is the enemy. He got much of the pay raise he was asking for. Now, unfortunately, there are media reports about Stellantis laying off 50% of their US workforce

The longshoremen are walking down that same road to pricing themselves out of a job
Pretty much.

Unions killed twinkie and yellow truck in their greed. Then they try to say these companies were mismanaged.

wouldnt blame the ports for going 75%+ automated after this bs. Robots are cheaper and dont complain about 50% raises.

Greed isnt good for either side. Someone said something about paying a couple bucks more. Arent you tired of that yet?
 

49ereric

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UAW member here, in 12.5 years ive seen a total of 3 people fired.. one of which was his 5th time, and he was rehired 3 months later... again. from my POV that's ALL the union does is prevent people from being fired and/or held accountable in any way.
IUOE members can be let go anytime the foreman says he or she can’t do the job productively.
 

Gstew1930

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Nope. Most everyone I work with is conservative and thinks dei is absolute bs. Put more bluntly…most union guys have values that align most closely with republicans, but just wish republicans wouldn’t have such a boner for hating unions. The people running these companies have had, for the most part, life on a platter. Fast track to the top based on family connections, bonuses that are several times their annual salary. Yet somehow the low hanging fruit worth posting about on a hunting forum are the guys making a decent living to feed their families. Honestly I couldn’t give two shits if dock workers strike. If your Amazon shipment costs a few extra dollars blame the cheapskate making a multimillion dollar bonus who doesn’t take care of his employees.
Well said!
Some of the generalizations about unions are beyond ignorant. This thread is trending on par with the recent tribal hunting thread.
Exactly. I’m done with this thread. Yall are acting like I’m the one that organized this MF lol.
 

schmalzy

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I've seen many stories where an employee automates their own job, or a higher ups job and then the company fires whoever jobs were automated.

Take that as you will.

Can you provide an example of this?

Speaking anecdotally of course, but the last thing I would do to someone who effectively automated their job is fire them. I’d promote them. And I think the overwhelming majority of business owners would do the same thing.


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PaHunter86

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No, thats not what i mean. To be clear i dont think the strike is the right way to go, i'm not the guy making the calls & im also not on strike lol, im at work right now. The last contract we had was a dollar a year. everyone was good with that. Ive said multiple times i dont agree with everything, i just think there needs to be a line with automation. that's it. ive weighed in enough on this thread, yall have at it

The problem is your union is asking for a 77% pay increase over 6yrs. That's why they want to automate it. I work in a facility that is 75% automated. If a human selects the case to go to the store it cost the company roughly .62 to select that one case. Now if our robots select the same case the cost per case is .03. So if the union wasn't trying to be so greedy the thought of automation wouldn't be the case. Just my 2 cents on this.
 
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It’s all great until it isn’t. Not saying it’s good or bad, but efficiency and thin profit margins are also killing the smaller family farmer when they are trying to compete with much larger corporate operations.

He painted with a broad brush making it sound like all non union building was inferior and that’s just ignorant.


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GSPHUNTER

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Not necessarily depending upon his experience with construction workers. I've seen it both ways, on both sides. Depending on the trade and area there is some validity to his statement but it is not a blanket statement. I've had to finish up jobs that were billed as finished by both sectors but I've seen more jobs that were just trash by non union companies.

Jay
I know from first hand experience a lot of non-union companies have ex union workers on their payrolls. The workers left the union for what ever reason. The problem the Co. have is if they bid and get a bigger job they don't have the skilled labor pool to draw from as do union shops. I don't know where the ports get extra help when they need it, or do they just have workers on lots of overtime. Is there a union hall with idle works waiting for a call?
 

maxx075

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Can you provide an example of this?

Speaking anecdotally of course, but the last thing I would do to someone who effectively automated their job is fire them. I’d promote them. And I think the overwhelming majority of business owners would do the same thing.


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Just a few examples right off the top of Google
 

Rich M

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Some of the generalizations about unions are beyond ignorant. This thread is trending on par with the recent tribal hunting thread.
My old man was union. Sister was union. Both retired w pensions. Grew up w respect for unions.

Not a fan of today’s unions. Will see how much this port thing affects stuff.

Can you think back a couple years to the CA ports not allowing specific types of vehicles and container ships just drifting around off the coast?
 

maxx075

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And just something to think about in regards to the affect that this could potentially have, do you guys remember during Covid when the ports were shut down? How that affected supply chains/supplies, much of which you can still see the effect of today.

Different situation, yes, but could have similar results.
 

schmalzy

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Just a few examples right off the top of Google

None of those examples point to an employee legitimately getting fired for automating their job.

The first one highlighted an inter company affair and the use of automation to show an abuse of power

The second one highlighted the issues with automation and a team getting fired because they weren’t monitoring it.

The third one showed who was taken advantage of and scapegoated but eventually made whole and ahead.


Not sharp shooting, just genuinely don’t think that a business would fire someone who saved them money.


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realunlucky

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My old man was union. Sister was union. Both retired w pensions. Grew up w respect for unions.

Not a fan of today’s unions. Will see how much this port thing affects stuff.

Can you think back a couple years to the CA ports not allowing specific types of vehicles and container ships just drifting around off the coast?
Then you understand collective bargaining - which is basically a dare to fire everyone and start over.

Don't like the terms freeze out the employees.

Problem is Americans won't wait on the transition timeframe which is the biggest leverage in this negotiation.



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KsRancher

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Then you understand collective bargaining - which is basically a dare to fire everyone and start over.

Don't like the terms freeze out the employees.

Problem is Americans won't wait on the transition timeframe which is the biggest leverage in this negotiation.



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No part of this seems like collective bargaining. Daring them to fire everyone and start over is nothing more than legal extortion.
 
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He painted with a broad brush making it sound like all non union building was inferior and that’s just ignorant.


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Infer what you want from it I guess. If I were building a commercial building where I live I would choose union labor based on the quality and production rates I've seen from both in my area.
 
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