Dockworkers are expressing their solidarity with the Boeing rank-and-file workers' revolt against the International Association of Machinists leadership.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/09/20/omai-s20.html

Anyone in this group work at any of the Railhead’s at any ILA ports loading intermodal boxes and double stacking?

Hello everyone,

I know you all probably see this post a lot on "How do I get in?" Can someone guide me please what direction to take?

I currently work for NJ state (clerk) in a office but I would love to be outside in a fast paced environment with benefits like a pension and health insurance like how I have now.

I work in a office all women (30 year female myself) and it's all drama and honestly I'm not into that I want and like a fast paced job and I like to get my hands dirty. I used to work in construction back in the days and fast food restaurants.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Good morning from north the 49th parallel

It seems as though at least in the Port of New York and New Jersey, a significant amount of empty containers are being ordered to China and various countries.

Are you guys experiencing this in other ILA and ILWU ports? I could only anecdotally speak what I'm seeing locally. 80% of our empty field is open and unused.

They seem to be precautionarily ordering out and exporting a majority of empty containers.

What are your guys's thoughts?

My brother was a longshoreman for 15 yrs. He recently died of colon cancer. His gf told me that whenever the cocoa shipments came in he would get very sick, he was hiding a lot of sickness from the family until this year when he was diagnosed and went on hospice shortly after chemo did not work. Have you ever heard of this kind of reaction? Thanks for your hard work.

Hi everyone I work in logistics now and stumbled across this field feel like I’d enjoy it a lot more, how can I apply New York area

Hello everyone i know most have heard & seen that a strike is incoming less than 12 days. I was trying to get some info on how this will affect me. Being I’m in local union hour away from port of New Orleans. I’ve been here going on 5 years in my late 20’s so I’ve never been apart or seen a strike of this nature like it’s being put in media. From research I’ve seen the over 70% wage increase Daggett wants for us and etc. Just wanted to know how would I benefit instantly with a pay raise once negotiations are settled before or during strike? Does this master contract wage increase cover me since I’m in a smaller local ILA union? Reason asking is we get paid substantially less than bigger ports and seems as if we get overlooked a lot. I’ve also seen that Biden released this morning they have no plan on invoking Taft-Hartley act. So how long could this actually play out? Just have a lot of questions & a lot is not being said around here, I’m doing better reading subreddits and finding more on here than my job.

So I’ve seen posts about lists of good items and clothing to have for rain, lashing, etc. but typically what is the best clothing to wear/have available for most jobs.

Recently got hired on for a job at a port/refinery and applied for a TWIC. In 2009 I went through a special court martial for assault and drunk and disorderly. I was allowed to stay in the military and am about to retire after 20 years. I believe these charges will show up as a federal conviction but I’m not positive. Do you all think I will have any issues with my TWIC?

Edit: I’ve also held a secret security clearance the whole time.

It’s getting real now.

For example: work in vancouver bc. A board- not yet in the union. Multiple tickets.

Could you relocate to vancouver island / squamish or prince Rupert?

Hello Everyone,

anyone know what number they're on in the casual list?

Thank you :)

Away from home, Making the ship line CEO’s billions in profits while their at home with their families. Contributing to the commerce in this country while I pay inflated prices at the stores. Getting paid pennies in hostile conditions by stevedores that get incentives on the production we produce. God bless the Longshoreman.

Has any ILWU members been told what to do coming up with the ILA possibly striking on Oct. 1st?

Just curious what the leadership has said on the topic. This potential strike is a little nerve racking.

Fortunate enough to have a reminder in the RTG today.

How long did it take everyone to get in from start to finish?

Get With the Times, ILA Tells USMX, And Stop Your Propaganda Campaign; Management Raking In Billion Dollar Profits in 2024 While Offering ILA Longshore Workers 1980-Level Wages and Benefits

NORTH BERGEN, NJ (September 10, 2024) The leaders of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) slammed United States Maritime Alliance in a message to their members over the past weekend, charging that “USMX’s corporate greed has made them delusional – profits over people.” ILA President Harold Daggett and ILA Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett co-signed a message to the ILA’s 85,000 members on Saturday, September 7 providing them with the stark message that the two sides were far apart on many issues and warned ILA longshore workers against USMX’s propaganda campaign “designed to mislead and divide us.” USMX contract proposal, they charged, failed to recognize the current economic conditions, including inflation that ILA longshore workers and their families face in 2024. The ILA leaders attacked USMX’s claim that they were offering industry-leading wages. “Their interpretation of ‘leading wages’ is polar opposite to ours,” the ILA leaders said. “Inflation has completely eaten into any raises and wages. Everything has become more expensive, even compared to six years ago. Our members are struggling to pay their mortgages, rent, car payments, groceries, utility bills, taxes, and in some cases, their children’s education. USMX’s corporate greed has made them delusional - profits over people. They have taken advantage of a low entry wage and a tiered progression system for thirty years. We outright reject their position on the new entry wage.” The union leaders further charged that USMX was “trying to fool you with promises of workforce protections for semi-automation.” “We don’t want any form of semi-automation or full automation,” the ILA said. “We want our jobs -the jobs we have historically done for over 132 years.” The top ILA leaders described another important aspect of the Master Contract Agreement – Container Royalty. They reminded ILA members that container royalty was originally negotiated as a supplemental wage and that all container royalty money belonged to the ILA and its members. “Our members should never have to share their container royalty money with the ocean carriers, who are currently making record profits,” they wrote. The ILA leaders pledge to keep ILA members up-to-date and repeated their warning to disregard misinformation coming from USMX. “Disregard any information coming from management,” they wrote. “These are the same people who circumvent your contract every day and drag their feet in the grievance and arbitration process. These are the same people who act like ‘Big Brother’, watching your every move and creating hostile work environments by putting cameras in our workstations and equipment.” Harold and Dennis Daggett remain confident and inspired by the ILA membership. “As frustrated as we are with our employers, it’s almost comical that they believe our members would fall for this nonsense,” they said. “We are a rank-and-file-first administration, and we are taking on this fight for you and your families! “Stay strong, stay united and we will prevail,” they added. ILA President Harold Daggett and ILA Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett full message to ILA members follows: Letter of Opposition to USMX's Misleading Statement

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our employers' association, USMX, recently issued a press release attempting to paint a rosy picture of the current state of negotiations. Let us be clear: this is nothing more than propaganda designed to mislead and divide us.

Industry Leading Wages? USMX claims to offer industry-leading wages. However, their interpretation of "leading wages" is polar opposite to ours. Inflation has completely eaten into any raises and wages. Everything has become more expensive, even compared to six years ago. Our members are struggling to pay their mortgages, rent, car payments, groceries, utility bills, taxes, and in some cases, their children’s education. USMX’s corporate greed has made them delusional—profits over people. They have taken advantage of a low entry wage and a tiered progression system for thirty years. We outright reject their position on the new entry wage.

Our work is in a shape industry; we are at the beck and call of the ships. No ships mean no work. The only guarantees our workers have are hourly, daily, or shift guarantees. Our rank-and-file members are not on salary—they work when the ships are docked at the berth, and only if their seniority affords them the opportunity.

Misleading Workforce Protections USMX is trying to fool you with promises of workforce protections for semi-automation. Let me be clear: we don’t want any form of semi-automation or full automation. We want our jobs—the jobs we have historically done for over 132 years. USMX members expects us to trust them? They don’t even live up to the current contract, and they want us to believe that they will honor workforce protections?

These companies have already shown their true colors. They order equipment like RMG’s and CRMG’s, and when we stand firm on our position, they cry about having spent tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, expecting us to feel sorry for them and negotiate an inferior deal. Well, that’s not going to happen! We don’t care how much they spend—a labor agreement should be worked out before they order any equipment. The days of the gentleman’s agreements are over. We want ironclad language, and we want the intent of that language in writing. Bottom line: the ILA does not support any kind of automation, including semi-automation.

These companies cannot be trusted! They continue to sneak in automated programs and eliminate our clerical functions behind our backs. They better get ready for the biggest fight they’ve ever seen. We are done with them unilaterally implementing work processes and having zero respect for our members and their work functions.

Container Royalty: Our Members' Money Container royalty was originally negotiated as a supplemental wage. That’s our members' money, earned through their hard work! Our members should never have to share their container royalty money with the ocean carriers, who are currently making record profits. The very idea that these corporate giants would even consider taking money out of our members' pockets is sickening. This is yet another example of corporate greed and their disdain for the workers who make their success possible.

Cameras in Workstations USMX continues to monitor us by placing cameras in our workstations and in the cabs of the equipment we operate. They say it's for safety, but we know better. They are using these cameras to monitor and control us, making our members feel like they’re being watched every second of the day. No worker, especially a woman, should feel uncomfortable or unsafe because management is stalking them while they’re trying to do their job. These employers are creating a hostile work environment under the guise of safety, and we won’t stand for it.

Retirement and Pension Contributions We negotiated a National Money Purchase Defined Contribution Plan in the current contract, and yes, the employers will be adding to that. But it’s a constant battle to increase the defined benefit (pension) because our man-hour assessment is simply not enough money for us to manage our funds at the local level. Remember, the first five dollars of the man-hour assessment goes directly to MILA. Not to mention that if your port receives a CR5 subsidy (V&H), then your port cannot enhance or improve local benefits, even if your pension fund is 150% overfunded. This is a constant battle with the management trustees. We are now fighting to change the rules around CR5 and increase the man hour assessment so that we can enhance local benefits.

Most of our defined benefit pension plans do not give retirees or their spouses enough money to retire with dignity. Starting a National DC program is great, but that’s for those who still have 15 years or more to go. What about the people who want to retire now? We need to increase our man-hour assessments, and we need a significant increase in our tonnage assessments! Man-hours are flatlining or barely increasing by 1-2% in this modern era, and carriers hide behind withdrawal liability. These employers don’t care about the workers who helped them achieve their historic record profits. It’s time they start giving back to the people who worked hard on the waterfront for decades. Our members deserve to retire with dignity and financial security.

Healthcare Coverage and Hardship Provisions USMX suggests that our healthcare benefits will remain the same. That’s not good enough. We demand better coverage for our members. We want to enhance our benefits, not just maintain them. Our members deserve it, and we will fight for it.

We also want to establish a hardship provision for those rare but heartbreaking cases where members are at risk of losing their healthcare benefits. It’s unimaginable that, during times of crisis, a member and their family could be left without essential coverage. In such situations, lives can be destroyed, or families may be forced into bankruptcy just to manage medical bills. We are committed to making sure those members receive the healthcare benefits they need and deserve when they need them most.

USMX’s Propaganda and Our Unity This propaganda from USMX is exactly what we predicted weeks ago. It’s also incredibly insulting that they think our members aren’t smart enough to see through their tactics. I don’t believe they understand just how united this union is today. When the time comes, we will send out the most accurate and up-to-date information to our membership. In the meantime, disregard any information coming from management. These are the same people who circumvent your contract every day and drag their feet in the grievance and arbitration process. These are the same people who act like Big Brother, watching your every move and creating hostile work environments by putting cameras in our workstations and equipment.

As frustrated as we are with our employers, it’s almost comical that they believe our members would fall for this nonsense. We are a rank-and-file-first administration, and we are taking on this fight for you and your families!

Stay strong, stay united, and we will prevail!

In solidarity,

Harold and Dennis Daggett International Longshoremen's Association

Anyone know of any ports in the US that hire into the union after a short probationary period? Doesn’t have to be longshoreman Boilmakers teamster’s whatever I’m from Philadelphia

Hello everyone as far as Pay goes it seems that checkers in Longshoremans both have the same pay cap. What are the benefits of doing one or the other and also it also seems as if primarily most Long Sherman are black and checkers and Steveador are primarily white. this is not a racial question just wondering long-term it I’m just curious why that is and is being one better than the other or at the end of the day as long as you’re in the ILA doesn’t matter what you’re doing, long-term it I am black btw and my friend sponsored me and I’m a steveador A was

Does the ILWU still recieve royalties? I’ve heard from a couple of people that they gave it up a couple of years ago for an hourly pay bump.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/09/06/dock-s06.html