Tractors on the water (oops)

putty · Jan 3, 2003

That makes me think of the dockworkers strike and the people bagging on them for thier pay, I did'nt hear anyone talking about the danger involved. I think because the nature of the buisness things like that just happen -through human or mechanical- they just happen. I would hate to be doing that stuff in 0 degree weather or 30 below windchill

Anonymous Poster · Jan 5, 2003

My understanding is the dockworkers are holding out against automation replacing some clerical jobs, not operating the cranes.

Bar codes on the containers allow the containers to be scanned like the items you buy at the grocery store. Dockworkers loose the jobs that shuffle and stamp stacks of paper after the container leaves the ship and before it leaves the dock area. They are striking to protect beaurocratic busy work. The crane operators are not impacted, but they have the leverage.

MossRoad · Jan 5, 2003

I think the average pay for a longshoreman out there was something like $83,000.00, clerks averaged $119,000 and foremen averaged $158,000.00. Also, something like only half of the longshoremen worked at least 2000 hours or more for the year(40 hours a week for 50 weeks a year). Those that did work 2000 hours a year or more averaged around $107,000.00 per year.

The port in Hong Kong moves more than 6 times the amount of freight than the port of Portland. Why? Because they use computers and bar codes and the US ports still use a stick of chalk.

In my opinion, the only thing the dock workers are fighting for is their sugar daddy.

putty · Jan 5, 2003

I don't claim to know anything about the dockworkers , their unions , or their jobs , I just see workers out in the weather in dangerous conditions and believe that there is a "sky value" to their pay that people don't acknowledge, these are jobs that make a man old faster than a job where you are inside or not in any danger, these are jobs that if done year after year speed up the aging process; Cops, Garbage men, contruction workers. I am fairly young and still learning in life so go easy on me but, if people like these are'nt earning what I believe they deserve (which is more than they are getting in general) won't all the money be going to people on top who are'nt working as hard in my young opinion? note- my arms are crossed ontop of my head right now waiting for a beating - but that is my belief.

MossRoad · Jan 5, 2003

<font color=blue>note- my arms are crossed ontop of my head right now waiting for a beating - but that is my belief. </font color=blue>

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

That's why I like TBN. It's your opinion, and I respect that. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I'll just agree to disagree with you on this one.

I agree that they work hard(when they work). I just think that they make too much money compared to anyone else in the world. They are the highest paid union in the world. And we pay their salaries in every product that we buy that has come through a port, like imported tractors(had to keep it tractor related). Cops, firefighters(all emergency workers), teachers, day care workers should get half as good a deal as these mugs. Sorry, to me it just looks like union fat cats at their finest. Unions use to be for "a fair days pay for a fair days work." This union gives organized labor a bad name.

Again, just my opinion. And not meant to stir anything up, so please keep replies civil and tractor related /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif Thanks.

putty · Jan 6, 2003

Mossroad, you go ahead and say whatever you want to me, I am very opinionated, but it is only to learn. I believe it is the responsibility each person to speak his/her opinion and not be a baby about others opinions. About the other ports moving so much more than us makes me think about how we taxpayers paid to move Nike out of the US ( a insainly profitable corp. to begin with) so they can produce shoes faster, the real reason turned out to be so they can hit them over the head with a shoe if they don't produce them fast enough.

putty · Jan 6, 2003

Sorry , I can't keep it tractor related( it is the other forum) we can keep this discussion disguised under tractors on water so all the pansies won't get their feelers hurt/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif