“could start as early as Thursday as talks to negotiate a new labor contract are yet to reach an agreement.”
“More than 2,500 Union Pacific cars per day would not move across the border”
Translation: “Mr Big Gummit, make these ungrateful workers work, until we tell them they can stop.”
Steve
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USians have nothing to do with this. We will suffer. We hope those fine Canadians get their act together!!
Hey, this sounds like another way to close the border and keep those USians out of beautiful Canada.
And just to keep things interesting this fall…
International Longshoremen’s Association’s six-year contract with the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents port terminal operators and ocean carriers on the East Coast, expires September 30.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/east-coast-longshore-workers-may-soon-strike/ar-AA1oYl7o
Union negotiations covering East and Gulf Coast longshore workers have been stalled since June, making a strike more likely as the September 30 contract expiration looms…Last week the union sent the employer association, known as USMX, a strike notice that federal law requires 60 days before a strike…
Negotiations broke down in June over union allegations that the port of Mobile, Alabama, as well as other ports, had automated some processing of trucks entering and leaving the docks…
DB2
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This is exactly the absurdity that leads so many people to oppose these unions. They directly and explicitly oppose things that make our country operate more efficiently.
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That’s why the “JCs” need more tax cuts. They need the money to pay for automating systems, to eliminate jobs. Yay for the “Job Creators”!!! If we hand them enough money, they will be able to offshore, or automate, every job.
/sarcasm
Steve
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And this morning:
{. The two railroads - that hold a duopoly on rail freight in Canada - had said that they would lock out workers at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday. }
Apparently the railway companies’ word is reliable.
The article explains the JC position.
Up thread someone questioned the affects on US. (Image from the linked Reuters).
Reuters says in an article from a week ago, that a rail stoppage will affect a variety US n MX goods export and import. Billions of dollars.
Here is info from a 22 Aug Reuters report:
{. Canada, the world’s second-largest country by area, relies heavily on railways to transport grain, automobiles, potash, coal and other goods. The railways transport about C$380 billion ($277 billion) worth of goods and commodities annually, and the impact of the rail stoppage is expected to be felt across North America. }
There are details about the goods affected, in the article.
ralph
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There have certainly been a lot of threads on this board about the effects of robots and automation and autonomous driving. If unions are opposed then things may move more slowly.
DB2
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A different trash company took over the contract in the township where I live. The residents were issued new. wheeled, trash bins. The guy who used to jump off the truck, grab the bags of trash, and toss them into the truck, has been replaced by a mechanical arm that grabs the bin and dumps the contents in the truck. Maybe, if we give the “JCs” some more tax cuts, they can pay for autonomous trucks, and eliminate the driver too!
Or the unions will be eliminated, because they “burden” the “JCs”.
Steve
I have no problem with only one guy collecting trash. I have no problems with using construction machinery instead of large crews of men with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.
If you remember The Grapes of Wrath, the Joads weren’t driven off the land they were farming by the Dust Bowl. They didn’t own the farm; they were renters (share croppers). The owner (a JC?) invested in a tractor and only needed one-twentieth of the number of people to farm the same amount of land. If it weren’t for such innovations a majority of us were still live on a farm and spend our days looking at the rear end of a horse/ox/water buffalo.
DB2
Actually, I have never seen it. Tho I have read the head of the “Berlin Brownies” saw it, and thought he understood USians.
Steve
Actually, I was referring to the book. You know, by that Steinbeck fellow.
DB2
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Yes, unions can slow down or stop automation. But if their employer is not competitive and lose share to someone else they can find themselves unemployed.
Lets hope they decide to at least keep up with the competition.
Posted yesterday:
“ripped from today’s headlines”
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Media reports indicate the ILA is demanding a 77% pay increase over six years. This eclipses the 32% wage increase that the union representing West Coast port workers won last year for a contract of similar length. Port operators want to provide workers with a fair pay increase, but the ILA has reportedly rejected an offer to increase wages by 40%.
The ILA is also demanding that the ports freeze implementation of technology that improves productivity, including measures that speed up the process of loading and unloading ships…These updates are badly need, because today U.S. ports rank as some of the least productive in the world. According to The World Bank Group and IHS Markit, no U.S. port ranked in the top 50 for productivity in the world.
With many U.S. ports already at capacity and trade volumes expected to climb, the lack of automation technology and continued inefficiencies at these ports will come at a cost to American global competitiveness. These improvements, however, can only be made through an agreement with the port workers.
DB2
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No telling how long a strike might last, but looks like ports from “Maine to Texas” are affected this time. Will shipments be diverted to west coast or ports in Canada or Mexico.
Guessing right could give investors nice rewards if they choose to avoid eastern railroads and invest in western roads.
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