“They’re gonna have to give a fuck about us. Because nothing’s gonna move without us."
Dockworkers from Maine to Texas have walked out on the job at all East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, launching the first strike of its kind in almost 50 years. The International Longshoremen’s Association represents some 45,000 workers at 36 ports who are demanding higher wages and guarantees that jobs won’t be automated. “This is a time of labor mobilization in this country,” says Peter Goodman, New York Times global economics correspondent, who explains President Biden is caught between union pressure to back the strike and the threat of consumer prices rising while shipping is disrupted. “We’re only weeks away from a presidential election that could very well hinge on economic sentiments and unhappiness over inflation.”
truthout.org/...
Dockworkers want their cut of CEO record profits.
Will consumer prices rise in time to ensure a Trump victory?
How will other bargaining strategies operate in the time prior to election day?
A strike by dockworkers across the U.S. threatens to close ports on the East and Gulf coasts and seriously impact thousands, if not millions, of business supply chains, causing retailers to brace for potential shortages of some products and disappointed customers. This kind of disruption is the goal of strikes, of course, but the longshoremen’s major demand, beyond higher wages, is quite startling.
As the New York Post put it, the workers’ union is demanding a “total ban on automation,” and is holding the industry hostage for what analysis firm J.P. Morgan estimates as a $5 billion a day impact to the economy.
Specifically, the International Longshoremen’s Association says 85,000 U.S. workers and “tens of thousands” more around the world are demanding a ban on all kinds of automation at cargo ports. That prohibition would apply to cranes, gates, and moving shipping containers around the busy, sometimes chaotic scenes at commercial dockyards, according to the Post. What this means is that when a giant container ship arrives at a dock, every one of those multi-ton shipping containers would be shackled to a crane’s cable, lifted off the ship, moved ashore, stacked, organized, and moved around by trucks and hoists, each with a human at the controls.
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But herein lies the problem. Accidents at ports risk not only physically harming people, but mean potential economic hits through damaged cargo or expensive dockside machinery or shipboard equipment. Apart from accidents, mislabeling or misdirecting cargo at a port could also hit businesses’ revenue. Replacing fallible human workers could thus save port operators a lot of money.
www.inc.com/...
It's beautifully ironic that Daggett wants more money, yet supports the guy who JUST said that if his employees came to him wanting a raise or overtime, he would just fire them.
The most important word in the language of the working class is solidarity.
Gemini:
A prolonged U.S. dockworkers strike would likely lead to a noticeable increase in consumer prices. This is primarily due to the disruption of supply chains, which can result in:
- Reduced supply: Fewer goods would be able to enter the country, leading to shortages.
- Increased shipping costs: Companies may seek alternative routes or methods of transportation, which can be more expensive.
- Higher wholesale prices: These increased costs would be passed on to retailers.
The speed at which consumer prices rise would depend on several factors:
- Duration of the strike: Longer strikes would have a more significant impact.
- Nature of the goods affected: Essential items, such as food and medicine, would likely see more immediate price increases.
- Alternative supply sources: The availability of goods from other countries could help mitigate price increases.
- Inventory levels: Retailers with sufficient inventory might be able to absorb some of the costs initially.
It's important to note that the full impact of a dockworkers strike might not be felt immediately. There can be a lag between the disruption of supply chains and the resulting price increases. Additionally, the government or businesses might take steps to mitigate the impact, such as diverting goods through alternative ports or increasing imports from other countries. 1
