As thousands of dockworkers are preparing to strike should a deal not be
reached by the end of Monday, one business leader is questioning the
union’s demand for a total ban on automation.

International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) on Sunday said its 85,000
members, along with "tens of thousands of dockworkers and maritime
workers around the world," will hit the picket lines Tuesday "and strike
at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports from Maine to Texas."

The union is demanding higher wages and a total ban on the automation at
ports regarding cranes, gates and moving containers in the loading and
unloading of freight.

Benchmark Capital's Bill Gurley reacted on social media to the union’s
demands, writing that the federal government should step in if the union
seeks a total ban on automation.

PORT EMPLOYERS MEET WITH BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AS POTENTIAL STRIKE LOOMS

"Outlawing the effective use of technology will unquestionably doom our
nation," Gurley wrote. "We will become globally uncompetitive."

Port of Charleston

The ILA and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents
employers at the 36 seaports that could be affected by the strike, have
been at an impasse over issues including wages and automation at ports.

"United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) refuses to address a
half-century of wage subjugation where Ocean Carriers profits
skyrocketed from millions to mega-billion dollars, while ILA longshore
wages remained flat," the ILA said Sunday.

WHAT PRODUCTS WOULD BE DISRUPTED BY A PORT STRIKE?

A White House official on Friday confirmed to Fox Business that senior
officials from the White House, Labor Department and Department of
Transportation have met with the parties ahead of the potential strike,
urging them to return to the table to negotiate "in good faith fairly
and quickly."

A potential port strike would disrupt a variety of export and import
shipments from East Coast and Gulf Coast ports.

An analysis by J.P. Morgan estimated a strike would cost the U.S.
economy up to $5 billion per day.

carefugee182
7 hours ago

All the ports currently operate on a 5 day/week schedule. There is no
port work done on the weekends because the unions won't allow it by
contract. What this does is slow everything down because companies(take
WalMart for example) can't get containers loaded on the weekends because
the dockworker unions don't want the ports to be able to hire people to
work on the weekends. This causes long wait times for those
companies(like WalMart) that run with drivers 7days a week. All of
this, including being against automation, is for job protection in the
ports. All of these things taken together causes higher costs for every
commodity that has to go through the ports. As far as I am concerned, I
say bring on the automation.

JaneDoe101
5 hours ago

Look up ZPMC Cranes…..It’s my understanding that 85% of all port cranes
are operated exclusively using Chinese company with their proprietary
technology. This is part of the story that’s not being reported.

If they want to shut down the cranes, they cut our capability to
import/export. Plus their software doubles as an intelligence
collections agency for the Chinese.

inNV
1 hour ago

Tell me which airline union can shutdown an airport by strike?

Which trucking union can shutdown a complete freeway?

Where is there a public employee union that can shutdown sidewalks?

But a Longshoreman's Union can shutdown a port.

Ridiculous! Automate the ports and we can eliminate one more threat
against our economy.

Longshoreman are obsolete.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/longshoremen-unions-demand-for-total-ban-on-automation-questioned-as-port-strike-looms