Longshoremen's union threatens more thuggery

[thereisnospoon]

The International Longshoreman's Association(ILA) which is the union that represents 14,000 port workers on the East Coast is threatening a port shut down.
The ILA has perhaps the most expensive and inefficient work rules of any trade union in the US. The union was offered a new deal with increased productivity rules and other concessions to lower the cost of distribution. The union is going to strike which in the long run will result in it's demise.
» Malkin: What the Looming Port Strike Is Really About » Commentary -- GOPUSA
We cannot have economic growth in this country until these types of inefficient and archaic issues are eliminated.

 

[syrenn]

union workers = lazy ass idiots.

just think about that ...striking becasue of increased productivity rules

 

[saveliberty]

So union strikers get replaced with workers. Boy, that will teach the owners.

 

[thereisnospoon]

union workers = lazy ass idiots.

just think about that ...striking becasue of increased productivity rules

Union leaders and the workers abhor the concept of productivity goals.
For a short period of time my Dad was a member of that union. He had no choice. Anyway, he used to complain about the "slow it down" attitude of the workers.
If you've ever heard of the term "Chinese inspection", the ILA has it's own model of the same.
Only it isn't intended to keep goods from certain countries out of the US. The ILA has a system of payoffs and corruption that boggles the mind. There are workers who because of archaic and complicated work rules, get paid for more than 24 hours worth of time in a 24 hour day.
If the federal government which has jurisdiction over international commerce would just step in and enforce the law, the cost of importing goods would tumble.

 

[JoeB131]

Ahhhh, I think we are finally seeing the source of Spoonhead's hatred of unions...

 

[thereisnospoon]

Ahhhh, I think we are finally seeing the source of Spoonhead's hatred of unions...

I don't "hate" unions. I despise the union mentality. I find their unwillingness to adjust and modernize their thinking. I oppose the "us vs them" adversarial relationship with employers.
And please, don't go spouting off about some bullshit regrading my Dad's situation. He LEFT the union on purpose when he got promoted...
You know SHIT.

 

[saveliberty]

Failure to adapt means the end of unions in the usual sense spoon. Half the states down, half to go.

 

[JoeB131]

Ahhhh, I think we are finally seeing the source of Spoonhead's hatred of unions...

I don't "hate" unions. I despise the union mentality. I find their unwillingness to adjust and modernize their thinking. I oppose the "us vs them" adversarial relationship with employers.
And please, don't go spouting off about some bullshit regrading my Dad's situation. He LEFT the union on purpose when he got promoted...
You know SHIT.

I wouldn't want to speculate on your family dynamic...

Funny thing is, I agree, unions can be occassionally stuck in inflexible thinking, but so can corporations....

The only thing a Union does is even the playing field between employer and employee.

 

[JoeB131]

Failure to adapt means the end of unions in the usual sense spoon. Half the states down, half to go.

Nah, people are getting wise to you...

Half these teabagging idiots who to put in during 2010 will be going right back out in 2014. Snyder, Kascich, Scott, Walker, they all trail potential democratic opponents....

 

[boedicca]

I had a short stint as a Teamster for a summer job during college. Any illusions I may have had regarding how unions benefit workers were quickly destroyed. The Teamsters are run for the benefit of the Teamsters' leadership and their cronies.

Period.

End of story.

 

[JoeB131]

I had a short stint as a Teamster for a summer job during college. Any illusions I may have had regarding how unions benefit workers was quickly destroyed. The Teamsters is run for the benefit of the Teamsters' leadership and their cronies.

Period.

End of story.

Again, I've seen the other side of it....

I've seen employees fired because they got sick or pregnant. (The former happened to me.)

I've seen an employee fired because his ex-girlfriend traded up to a manager (who was married).

I've seen an employee fired because she brought her girlfriend to the Holiday Party, and her girlfriend wore a suit, just so no one would miss the point...

In short, I've seen so much bad behavior on the part of employers, I think every shop should be REQUIRED to have a union.

 

[boedicca]

Unions don't prevent that bub. We already have laws against discrimination based on gender, race, etc.

All the unions do is funnel money to politicians in exchange for mutual protection and enrichment.

 

[saveliberty]

Failure to adapt means the end of unions in the usual sense spoon. Half the states down, half to go.

Nah, people are getting wise to you...

Half these teabagging idiots who to put in during 2010 will be going right back out in 2014. Snyder, Kascich, Scott, Walker, they all trail potential democratic opponents....

Yes, that is why not single right to work bill has failed.

We are headed for a double dip recession, the rest will fall into line very quickly.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Time for the nuclear option. If the union does close the ports, they should be rounded up and arrested as terrorists. Under the Patriot Act, one definition of terrorism is an organized attempt to disrupt the economy. This would qualify.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Ahhhh, I think we are finally seeing the source of Spoonhead's hatred of unions...

I don't "hate" unions. I despise the union mentality. I find their unwillingness to adjust and modernize their thinking. I oppose the "us vs them" adversarial relationship with employers.
And please, don't go spouting off about some bullshit regrading my Dad's situation. He LEFT the union on purpose when he got promoted...
You know SHIT.

I wouldn't want to speculate on your family dynamic...

Funny thing is, I agree, unions can be occassionally stuck in inflexible thinking, but so can corporations....

The only thing a Union does is even the playing field between employer and employee.

That's just it, unions USED to level the playing field. Now they are inflexible and archaic.
Union leaders take no notice whatsoever of market conditions.
And THAT is one reason why union leaders find their organizations in such sorry states.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Failure to adapt means the end of unions in the usual sense spoon. Half the states down, half to go.

Nah, people are getting wise to you...

Half these teabagging idiots who to put in during 2010 will be going right back out in 2014. Snyder, Kascich, Scott, Walker, they all trail potential democratic opponents....

What the hell are you talking about?
State legislatures are taking on unions and organized labor in general because taxpayers have demanded they rein in public worker unions and private business leaders have told these forced union states that they stand little chance of attracting new business.
Legislators MUST find ways to encourage the private sector to locate in their respective states because these politicians MUST help create a job friendly environment.
This is precisely why Michigan went to Right to Work. Same for Ohio and Indiana. Along with 21 other states.

 

[percysunshine]

Greece is a really awesome country.

 

[thereisnospoon]

I had a short stint as a Teamster for a summer job during college. Any illusions I may have had regarding how unions benefit workers was quickly destroyed. The Teamsters is run for the benefit of the Teamsters' leadership and their cronies.

Period.

End of story.

Again, I've seen the other side of it....

I've seen employees fired because they got sick or pregnant. (The former happened to me.)

I've seen an employee fired because his ex-girlfriend traded up to a manager (who was married).

I've seen an employee fired because she brought her girlfriend to the Holiday Party, and her girlfriend wore a suit, just so no one would miss the point...

In short, I've seen so much bad behavior on the part of employers, I think every shop should be REQUIRED to have a union.

Oh would you please just stop it!
We are SICK of these dopey anecdotes. Nobody believes you.
Nobody cares. And no one in their right mind would agree that 100% union would be a good thing.
Oh, do you REALLY believe that a labor collective would have stopped these alleged terminations? C'mon. Grow up.
At any time, a business can for cause discharge a worker as long as the transgressions that resulted in discharge are documented in a report. Union or no union...

You see Joe, a union is really powerless if an employer really wants somebody to leave their company

 

[bodecea]

Time for the nuclear option. If the union does close the ports, they should be rounded up and arrested as terrorists. Under the Patriot Act, one definition of terrorism is an organized attempt to disrupt the economy. This would qualify.

I believe Truman tried that with U.S. Steel. The Supreme Court shot him down.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Time for the nuclear option. If the union does close the ports, they should be rounded up and arrested as terrorists. Under the Patriot Act, one definition of terrorism is an organized attempt to disrupt the economy. This would qualify.

I believe Truman tried that with U.S. Steel. The Supreme Court shot him down.

That was then. We live in a different world now.
If the Airline Pilot's Assn tried to shut down air travel/commerce, the union's leadership would be warned to call off any such job action or face prosecution. And in this climate, there would be legal hell to pay.
I do not see any reason why an attempt to shut down ports would not be prosecuted with the same vigor.
The bottom line is unions do not have the clout they once did. Not even close.