Work slowdown at Port of Long Beach means "no collectibles for you!"

[Lejuan]

I wonder whether I'll make it to 12 thousand posts before Yankees does.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Seems like it's been ages since I got a shipping notice - but got one today - I think it's the Keaton PF.

 

[Joda]

Leave it to Keaton Bats to break out first.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

I wonder whether I'll make it to 12 thousand posts before Yankees does.

Neither of us will. ISIS and AQAP are targeting us for our offensive sigs.

 

[Taibhse]

Ummmm, I am probably either to lazy to research or am missing something but these workers get paid by the hour, right? How would it be free work if they are paid by the hour? They would still get paid to do this, right?

Simple('ish):

The Pacific Maritime Association have apparently been operating a Port on not enough land for some time, but that was kinda ok (although congested).. because other companies were paying for container chassis infrastructure, that allowed PMA to maximise the efficient use of available Port space.

However the other companies have now woken up to the fact they don't need to subsidise The Pacific Maritime Association ..instead those companies decided to get a cost saving, by not supplying PMA with those container chassis.

PMA management therefore would appear to have a logical choice.. either invest in their own chassis infrastructure and continue as before.. or even, invest in chassis infrastructure and land.. to improve the product they are offering customers and expand the Port.

However, what PMA appear to be trying to do instead, is require the dockers to continue to process the same amount of containers, with no replacement chassis infrastructure, on the same amount of land, in less time.. ie. the management don't want to pay for replacement chassis, they want the dockers to magically compensate for the lack of chassis and land.. simply by working faster.. except without enough space to work faster.

Bottom line - PMA management appear to be expecting the same work, done in less hours, using less equipment.. 'productivity gains' are effectively free work (because the extra hours are not worked / paid for).. that is why they are called 'gains'.

Indeed, since the management are supplying no new equipment (to replace the free chassis supplied by other companies, that they used to use) nor land to fix the lack of space problem, in order to achieve this rise in productivity.. it looks suspiciously as though PMA are deliberately asking for the impossible, in order to pick a fight with the Union.

 

[potato]

Simple('ish):

The Pacific Maritime Association have apparently been operating a Port on not enough land for some time, but that was kinda ok (although congested).. because other companies were paying for container chassis infrastructure, that allowed PMA to maximise the efficient use of available Port space.

However the other companies have now woken up to the fact they don't need to subsidise The Pacific Maritime Association ..instead those companies decided to get a cost saving, by not supplying PMA with those container chassis.

PMA management therefore would appear to have a logical choice.. either invest in their own chassis infrastructure and continue as before.. or even, invest in chassis infrastructure and land.. to improve the product they are offering customers and expand the Port.

However, what PMA appear to be trying to do instead, is require the dockers to continue to process the same amount of containers, with no replacement chassis infrastructure, on the same amount of land.. ie. the management don't want to pay for replacement chassis, they want the dockers to magically compensate for the lack of chassis and land.. simply by working faster,.. except without enough space to work faster.

Bottom line - PMA management appear to be expecting the same work, done in less hours, using less equipment.. 'productivity gains' are effectively free work (because the extra hours are not worked / paid for).. that is why they are called 'gains'.

Since the management are supplying no new equipment (to replace the free chassis supplied by other companies, that they used to use) to achieve this rise in productivity.. nor land to fix the lack of space problem.. it looks suspiciously as though PMA are deliberately asking for the impossible, in order to pick a fight with the Union.

why can't they just do their job, if they can't fulfill management's impossible demands, then it's the management's problem. and if the management do something unfair just because the workers couldn't do the impossible, it just opens up opportunities for legal actions and people will support the union instead of opening threads like these to bash them about their work ethics.

 

[Taibhse]

why can't they just do their job, if they can't fulfill management's impossible demands, then it's the management's problem. and if the management do something unfair just because the workers couldn't do the impossible, it just opens up opportunities for legal actions and people will support the union instead of opening threads like these to bash them about their work ethics.

Management problems have a tendency to impact employees, significantly more than management, especially if the employee is being asked to contractually agree to perform a job in a certain manner.. legal redress is not nearly as reliable a test of fairness as one might hope, since the outcome often reflects how much time and money you can afford to spend on pursuing your rights.. rather than 'justice'.

Management can have a wide range of reasons for demanding employees do the impossible.. for example, engineering a situation where employees leave and then new employees are employed on terms more profitable to the management... it can also be a convenient way to avoid redundancy legislation.

The odd thing in this case, is that the Port appears to be operating flat out and under-resourced.. suggesting that there is some information missing from the media reports.
I'm also intrigued as to why the hourly rate being quoted is from 2002.. I find it strange that apparently no-one seems to know what it was in 2013, but they do for 2002.

..frankly the Trades Unions in many developed nations, made a rod for their own backs, by negotiating the realities of the economic downturn in the 1970s, extremely badly.. and have been paying for it in public mistrust, ever since.
As a general rule, the longer industrial action continues, the less the public is inclined to support their fellow citizens (no matter how badly they are being treated).. because of the inconvenience.

 

[devilof76]

Government intervening in a situation where a group of people is claiming dominion over the property of others is not a violation of rights. It's a defense.

Defending property rights is not what the National Socialists were doing. I'm glad that needs to be said.

because of the inconvenience.

That's a smear.

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

Seems like it's been ages since I got a shipping notice - but got one today - I think it's the Keaton PF.

I got my cult classics shirt Monday that got ordered during Spooktacular

 

[Chronos1919]

why can't they just do their job, if they can't fulfill management's impossible demands, then it's the management's problem. and if the management do something unfair just because the workers couldn't do the impossible, it just opens up opportunities for legal actions and people will support the union instead of opening threads like these to bash them about their work ethics.

Whether it's the fault of the employees or management, no one benefits. Right now there's a lot of finger pointing but no solutions. It's also hard to separate fact from fiction since we're all on the outside of this situation, relying on the words of others for information.

This thread was started to discuss how the port slowdown is impacting the collectibles that our shared hobbies are formed around. Whether the posts in here are pro or anti union, they're not going to impact the situation on the West Coast in the slightest. We're all just trying to pass the time and spread news of the situation until it gets resolved.

How many union topics of conversation appeared on this board before it affected our collectibles?

 

[Taibhse]

.. because of the inconvenience.

...That's a smear.

]

Nope, it's a fact.. as demonstrated on this very thread.. if the dispute had been resolved in a couple of days, no one would give a rat's posterior about it, but now those toys.. I mean vital medical supplies.. are being delayed, its a problem....

 

[Taibhse]

Whether it's the fault of the employees or management, no one benefits. Right now there's a lot of finger pointing but no solutions. It's also hard to separate fact from fiction since we're all on the outside of this situation, relying on the words of others for information.

This thread was started to discuss how the port slowdown is impacting the collectibles that our shared hobbies are formed around. Whether the posts in here are pro or anti union, they're not going to impact the situation on the West Coast in the slightest. We're all just trying to pass the time and spread news of the situation until it gets resolved.

How many union topics of conversation appeared on this board before it affected our collectibles?

 

[devilof76]

]Nope, it's a fact.. as demonstrated on this very thread.. if the dispute had been resolved in a couple of days, no one would give a rat's posterior about it, but now those toys.. I mean vital medical supplies.. are being delayed, its a problem....[/QUOTE]

I was addressing the full sentence, but I guess since I only quoted part of it, your statement was limited to the edited version and you're free to feign innocence while repeating the same low-watt misrepresentation of anyone criticizing the union's motives, methods or morals. I guess there's nothing shallow or cheap about your post at all. My mistake.

 

[Taibhse]

I was addressing the full sentence, but I guess since I only quoted part of it, your statement was limited to the edited version and you're free to feign innocence while repeating the same low-watt misrepresentation of anyone criticizing the union's motives, methods or morals. I guess there's nothing shallow or cheap about your post at all. My mistake.

 

[Bgnyc007]

Is HT announcing any new PO in January? No new product since Vader.

 

[Armymedic1980]

Is HT announcing any new PO in January? No new product since Vader.

I hope that Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from Aliens is next. it'll probably be another $400+ with that yellow lifter she used in the 2nd movie.

 

[j97e1]

The power lifter???
Dream on pal... Just that piece will cost you 300-400.

Edit: Power Loader, not Lifter

 

[RiggsMcClane]

An easy 400 on the power loader. Once you throw in the figure you're likely talking delorean prices.

 

[devilof76]

I figured as much. Or as little. Tends to be the case with most moralizing scolds. All finger pointing and no guts.

 

[Kamandi]

"Vital medical supplies" sounds like PR spin-doctoring. Anything vital they wouldn't be on a slow boat from China, it would travel air.