Does the Retail Federation really expect longshoremen to pass up their opportunity to share in the steamship companies’ profits, so retailers can have no ILWU related supply chain disruptions through 2022?
The answer to that question came from an old school longshoreman, during a labor relations meeting I attended years ago.
Right in the middle of a heated discussion regarding a complicated issue, my friend paused, smiled at the employers, and said; You know, we don’t all wear size 52 shirts and size 2 hats.
He was right then, and he is right now.
Does the Retail Federation think that the longshoremen will not read JOC articles like Evergreen swings to profit on higher rates, volume or Global container trade has best quarter since 2010?
JOC.com reports that Evergreen Marine Corporation’s profits rose 15% on the first quarter of 2017, and Yang Ming’s first-quarter volume shot up 14%.
The second JOC.com article says global container traffic posted an average volume growth of 10% for the first three months of the year, with MOL topping out at 17%.
Longshoremen read this stuff, either on the JOC’s website, or my website, or elsewhere.
Longshoremen are NOT stupid, and have a healthy hunger for information. Problem is, the Union is not feeding them.
PMA member companies are posting up to 10% increases in profits in conjunction with up to 17% increases in volume, and they are offering a 3.1% increase in wages. I think the ILWU can get more if they bargain in 2019.
A few Locals are trying to inform their membership. Check out this Local 19 Caucus Report April 24-27 San Francisco.
Looks like Local 19 has some demands beyond the take it of leave it 3-year proposal submitted by PMA on April 17, 2017, like their proposal to include Naturopathic medicine in the medical plan.
Caucus Delegate Ventoza did not get the message that PMA’s offer is a non-negotiable offer to increase wages and pensions only, for the next 3 years. He writes about going to a Contract Caucus if the membership approves the PMA offer. That is not going to happen, PMA is not offering to open the contract, they are offering a wage increase only.
How can a Delegate attend a week long meeting and NOT understand that PMA’s offer is limited to the 1 page they submitted to the Union on April 17, 2017?
What did Big Baby tell his members?
Local 23 discussed the extension proposal at their Union meeting and it seems the older longshoremen, like Roger Boespflug are in favor of the extension, because they are afraid of Trump and they do not think the next ILWU President will be up to the task.
The younger Local 23 members were not in favor of accepting the offer, because they think they can do better than the average and they are not afraid of the current Republican leadership. They know that the ILWU did very well at the bargaining table when Nixon was in office, and they had no problems with either Bush when they were President.
The younger members also seem not to be buying the nonsense regarding the next leader of the ILWU not being up to the task of negotiating with PMA.
The younger members are right. The current PMA leadership does not know how to negotiate. If the next ILWU President can chew gum and walk at the same time, he will do just fine. It will be like taking candy from babies.
Local 13 has rented the Pyramid in June to present the PMA extension offer to their membership.
I can hardly wait to hear what Mark Mendoza tells his members. I am wondering if it will be what he thinks, or if it will be what Big Baby tells him to say.
What do you think?