US dockworkers suspend ports strike until January
9 points by ethbr1 a day ago | 14 comments
  • ethbr1 a day ago |
    >> The union says it has reached a tentative agreement on wages and will go back to work on Friday until 15 January, when they will return to the bargaining table to negotiate "all other outstanding issues".

    >> Under a tentative agreement workers’ wages would go up by 62% over the next six years, according to US media reports. The union had been calling for a 77% wage hike, while USMX had previously increased its pay rise offer to almost 50%.

    Hmm, if a +8.4% yearly wage increase was feasible, then it seems like workers were being underpaid relative to the profit their work generated.

    • xpl a day ago |
      Most people are underpaid if we consider the global 'productivity-pay gap' phenomenon (since the 1970s, wages haven't been growing as much as productivity)...
    • dialup_sounds a day ago |
      They were being paid according to the previous contract negotiated in 2018, which included a ~11% wage increase over the duration.

      https://www.usmx.com/assets/content/public-resources/2018-20...

      • killingtime74 a day ago |
        For people who don't want to click the earlier duration was 6 years
      • johnnyanmac 17 hours ago |
        11% over 6 years? that's basically a cost of living adjustment. No wonder they are so outraged.
    • johnnyanmac 17 hours ago |
      more like 7.2% if it's compounding (important distinction. Especially if they are going to try to "layoff" people in the next 1-2 years).

      But yes, a large part of the argument was the wages not keeping up with the crazy inflation at all. inflation surged to 8.3% in 2022 so this isn't necessarily some crazy pay raise as opposed to getting back what they were making pre-pandemic.

      • ethbr1 15 hours ago |
        1.072^6 would be an effective 51.8% total raise after six years, no?
        • johnnyanmac 15 hours ago |
          Oh yeah, you're right. I was calculating off the original deal of 50% before they raised it to 62%. Apologies.
          • ethbr1 15 hours ago |
            Full disclosure: I originally eyeballed it, then felt bad about being imprecise, double checked my memory of the compounding formula, and calculated it out. ;)
  • h2odragon a day ago |
    The ports in Florida were being to be re-opened by FL National Guard troops. That likely would've ended the longshoreman's union.
    • hulitu a day ago |
      > The ports in Florida were being to be re-opened by FL National Guard troops. That likely would've ended the longshoreman's union.

      Rockefeller did set a precedent when he used mashine guns to end a strike.

    • ethbr1 21 hours ago |
      From my reading, the troops were deployed to protect non-union scabs, not to actually do the work.

      Not sure how much of a modern port would be instantly runnable by reservists.

      • AnimalMuppet 21 hours ago |
        How much of it would be instantly runnable by new-hire replacement workers?
        • ethbr1 15 hours ago |
          I expect they wouldn't be new hires.

          They'd be "Have experience with ____ machinery" workers.

          So probably retired union and/or folks from out of state.