Sleeping Cobra
TB Fanatic
Watch Those Food Prices.
ECON Shutdown of 29 Western Ports; BDI 559 lowest eevvver; US steelworkers shut refineries
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Sleeping Cobra
TB Fanatic
Russian Missile System Masquerading as Innocent Cargo Container
http://archive.defensenews.com/arti...-System-Masquerading-Innocent-Cargo-Container
https://www.google.com/search?q=shi...JjtH8mXNrPugogI&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1185&bih=612
ChicagoMan74
ULTRA MAGA
Between the problems I've read about going on in Venezuela and this...I wonder what the end game is here.
Ohio workers join US oil refineries strike Nationwide strike
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/ohio-workers-join-oil-refineries-strike-150209043441548.html
Ohio workers join US oil refineries strike
Nationwide strike, in which employees are seeking better health care benefits, is the first of its kind since 1980.
Workers in northwest Ohio have joined the first nationwide strike at US oil refineries since 1980.
The Blade newspaper of Toledo reported that some 100 BP-Husky Toledo refinery workers began picketing at midnight on Sunday outside the plant in Oregon, Ohio.
A local union official said on Saturday night that about 350 workers would be on strike and planned to start picketing around the clock.
The strike began after negotiations with Shell Oil Company, which is also negotiating the national contract for other oil companies, broke down.
The Ohio workers are joining about 3,800 steelworkers who began a strike on February 1 at refineries from California to Kentucky.
"They're discouraged that the strike is happening, but they understand why it has to happen," said Bryan Sidel, financial secretary of the local union.
The United Steelworkers union earlier notified BP Plc that workers at refineries in Ohio and Indiana would join the walkout.
The union has said workers want better health care benefits and limits on the use of contractors to replace union members in maintenance jobs.
A spokesman for the United Steelworkers told Al Jazeera the strike was not about wages.
"The main thing that we want people to understand is that this is not a financial strike, it's about safety and going home to our wives and our children," he said.
A BP spokesman said the company expects to continue operating with replacement workers and does not expect a significant effect on production.
"BP is disappointed that USW leadership decided to call a strike at both the Whiting Refinery and BP-Husky Toledo Refinery," said BP spokesman Scott Dean in an email to the AP news agency.
He said BP remained at the negotiating table and wanted a deal that "provides good wages while giving management the flexibility it needs" to remain competitive.
BP's plant in Whiting, Indiana, has about 1,860 employees, more than 1,000 represented by the steelworkers. BP's Toledo refinery in Ohio, which it owns 50-50 with Canada's Husky Energy, has some 600 workers total.
The plants will be staffed by replacements including retirees and former front-line workers who now hold salaried jobs, Dean said.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/ohio-workers-join-oil-refineries-strike-150209043441548.html
Ohio workers join US oil refineries strike
Nationwide strike, in which employees are seeking better health care benefits, is the first of its kind since 1980.
Workers in northwest Ohio have joined the first nationwide strike at US oil refineries since 1980.
The Blade newspaper of Toledo reported that some 100 BP-Husky Toledo refinery workers began picketing at midnight on Sunday outside the plant in Oregon, Ohio.
A local union official said on Saturday night that about 350 workers would be on strike and planned to start picketing around the clock.
The strike began after negotiations with Shell Oil Company, which is also negotiating the national contract for other oil companies, broke down.
The Ohio workers are joining about 3,800 steelworkers who began a strike on February 1 at refineries from California to Kentucky.
"They're discouraged that the strike is happening, but they understand why it has to happen," said Bryan Sidel, financial secretary of the local union.
The United Steelworkers union earlier notified BP Plc that workers at refineries in Ohio and Indiana would join the walkout.
The union has said workers want better health care benefits and limits on the use of contractors to replace union members in maintenance jobs.
A spokesman for the United Steelworkers told Al Jazeera the strike was not about wages.
"The main thing that we want people to understand is that this is not a financial strike, it's about safety and going home to our wives and our children," he said.
A BP spokesman said the company expects to continue operating with replacement workers and does not expect a significant effect on production.
"BP is disappointed that USW leadership decided to call a strike at both the Whiting Refinery and BP-Husky Toledo Refinery," said BP spokesman Scott Dean in an email to the AP news agency.
He said BP remained at the negotiating table and wanted a deal that "provides good wages while giving management the flexibility it needs" to remain competitive.
BP's plant in Whiting, Indiana, has about 1,860 employees, more than 1,000 represented by the steelworkers. BP's Toledo refinery in Ohio, which it owns 50-50 with Canada's Husky Energy, has some 600 workers total.
The plants will be staffed by replacements including retirees and former front-line workers who now hold salaried jobs, Dean said.
L.A.B.
Goodness before greatness.
Re: The Los Angeles Long Beach Ports
Quote Broccoli: "Just as you say L.A.B. another shutdown this weekend."
And from multiple sources both sides have settled all issues except for 'one company back pocket' mans job. I kid you not. This is what is hanging our economy out to dry right now. That person is that important to the long range agenda of The PMA.
Quote Broccoli: "Just as you say L.A.B. another shutdown this weekend."
And from multiple sources both sides have settled all issues except for 'one company back pocket' mans job. I kid you not. This is what is hanging our economy out to dry right now. That person is that important to the long range agenda of The PMA.
This long article is something of a basic education (approaching baby talk at times, and I despise the pose-a-question-or-comment-then-respond-to-it format) about port operations, including coverage of the current West Coast ports situation, but with emphasis on Portland. There are a lot of embedded links every time they reference something The Oregonian has covered in the past (for example, all the stories about conflicts between the unions, the city-owned port, the since-2010 private company operating the port, the shippers, the subsidies Portland gives/gave to keep shippers coming up the Columbia River rather than go elsewhere, etc.) or to clear up a particular angle (like the larger relationships between the unions and the companies), which makes posting this article in its entirety a lost cause.
What the heck is going on at the Port of Portland: A beginner's guide to longshore, Hanjin, more
by Molly Harbarger
The Oregonian/OregonLive
February 13, 2015
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/...t_the_heck_is_going_on_at_t.html#incart_river
What the heck is going on at the Port of Portland: A beginner's guide to longshore, Hanjin, more
by Molly Harbarger
The Oregonian/OregonLive
February 13, 2015
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/...t_the_heck_is_going_on_at_t.html#incart_river
Sasquatch
Veteran Member
Nurses join oil workers' strike at Tesoro refinery
By Rick Hurd
Posted: 02/12/2015 03:51:31 PM PST
Updated: 02/12/2015 05:03:39 PM PST
PACHECO -- A tanker truck slowed to a halt 10 yards from a group of oil workers, nurses and environmentalists holding signs at the intersection of Arnold Industrial and Solano ways just before noon Tuesday. The group blocked the tanker's entrance to the Tesoro Golden Refinery, keeping the driver from delivering his product.
For 10 minutes, the two sides essentially stared each other down, the driver talking with a representative of the pickets. Then, he backed up the truck and turned it around. Those with the signs cheered.
For Tesoro refinery workers, it was a win on a day that nurses from the California Nurses Association and members of the Communities for a Better Environment joined them in the first strike by United Steel Workers in more than three decades.
"To see this support is amazing," striking worker Warren Kostenuk said. "I'm just amazed."
Strikers picketed outside the refinery as the nationwide strike continued late into its second week. The steelworkers' union on Feb. 1 called for workers at nine of its plants -- including Tesoro -- to walk out to protest safety conditions, health care costs and the use of outside contractors for maintenance.
"People do die on this job," Kostenuk said, referring a 2010 explosion at the refinery that killed seven people. "People don't seem to know that, but we do. We put our lives on the line every day. ... Safety has to be the top priority, because the safer we are, the safer the community is going to be."
Nurses and environmentalists joined the strike Thursday, united by more than just their common union standing, CNA spokeswoman Katy Roemer said.
"We stand in solidarity over their safety concerns and the fact that they are the front-line workers who are going to see when something is wrong," Roemer said. "When something is wrong, they need to be able to say something, and there needs to be contractual language that allows them to say something, that allows it to be heard and allows so there are no ramifications."
A Tesoro refinery spokeswoman had no comment about the nurses' presence or the strike Thursday, referring this newspaper to a company statement that insists "Tesoro has and will continue to bargain in good faith" and that it is "committed to reaching an agreement."
The steelworkers' strike is the first since a 93-day strike in 1980.
"It's scary," Kostenuk said. "I come here every day instead of going to work. I've applied for unemployment, but I won't get it, at least not for a few months. The union is helping, but it's not going to pay the mortgage. It's just a bad situation. We hope it gets resolved."
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27516221/nurses-join-oil-workers-strike-at-tesoro-refinery
By Rick Hurd
Posted: 02/12/2015 03:51:31 PM PST
Updated: 02/12/2015 05:03:39 PM PST
PACHECO -- A tanker truck slowed to a halt 10 yards from a group of oil workers, nurses and environmentalists holding signs at the intersection of Arnold Industrial and Solano ways just before noon Tuesday. The group blocked the tanker's entrance to the Tesoro Golden Refinery, keeping the driver from delivering his product.
For 10 minutes, the two sides essentially stared each other down, the driver talking with a representative of the pickets. Then, he backed up the truck and turned it around. Those with the signs cheered.
For Tesoro refinery workers, it was a win on a day that nurses from the California Nurses Association and members of the Communities for a Better Environment joined them in the first strike by United Steel Workers in more than three decades.
"To see this support is amazing," striking worker Warren Kostenuk said. "I'm just amazed."
Strikers picketed outside the refinery as the nationwide strike continued late into its second week. The steelworkers' union on Feb. 1 called for workers at nine of its plants -- including Tesoro -- to walk out to protest safety conditions, health care costs and the use of outside contractors for maintenance.
"People do die on this job," Kostenuk said, referring a 2010 explosion at the refinery that killed seven people. "People don't seem to know that, but we do. We put our lives on the line every day. ... Safety has to be the top priority, because the safer we are, the safer the community is going to be."
Nurses and environmentalists joined the strike Thursday, united by more than just their common union standing, CNA spokeswoman Katy Roemer said.
"We stand in solidarity over their safety concerns and the fact that they are the front-line workers who are going to see when something is wrong," Roemer said. "When something is wrong, they need to be able to say something, and there needs to be contractual language that allows them to say something, that allows it to be heard and allows so there are no ramifications."
A Tesoro refinery spokeswoman had no comment about the nurses' presence or the strike Thursday, referring this newspaper to a company statement that insists "Tesoro has and will continue to bargain in good faith" and that it is "committed to reaching an agreement."
The steelworkers' strike is the first since a 93-day strike in 1980.
"It's scary," Kostenuk said. "I come here every day instead of going to work. I've applied for unemployment, but I won't get it, at least not for a few months. The union is helping, but it's not going to pay the mortgage. It's just a bad situation. We hope it gets resolved."
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27516221/nurses-join-oil-workers-strike-at-tesoro-refinery
Limner
Deceased
OK, I may have missed it, L.A.B., but add this into the mix if no one has posted it before......I bolded the paragraph that I thought interesting. If this is true, are the ports going to close as one of the (intended/unintended) consequences of Obamacare ?
http://shiftwa.org/west-coast-ports-shut-down-amid-obamacare-dispute/
http://shiftwa.org/west-coast-ports-shut-down-amid-obamacare-dispute/
I don't anything about this issue.
You seem to be blaming this on management.
Others blame it on worker greed.
Everything you say may be completely correct - I don't know - but I do know that you didn't answer my question.
And that is IF the workers are working 1/2 speed should they be paid 1/2 wages? or fired?
If that's currently not the case in this situation why not just answer the question?
Your experience maybe that union workers are great, but, from my experience, union workers do not work as hard as non union workers.
I don't know who is to blame but if my gas prices go from $1.85 to $2.19 and it is worker greed - from my point of view - I want them fired.
L.A.B.
Goodness before greatness.
Limner, no. As of a email / union memo that went out about 5 days ago. AFAIK the two parties the ILWU and PMA came to some sort of terms on the O-care and are still in accords on that matter.
The issue at hand now, the one last point of contention in this contract is STB one back pocket contested job of a pivotal ruling member between the parties. I said (Said To Be) as I will not be seeing this in an official email in all likelihood until the matter is actually settled if at all due to legal reasons. This is only presented here as a firm RUMOR.
L.A.B.
Goodness before greatness.
Coulter, if people were physically working at 1/2 effort their minds or bodies, whether behind a keyboard as a vessel planner, or in twisting their wrist and forearms as 'lasher' securing containers to the vessels deck with lashing bars and turnbuckles I would concur that firing is a reasonable action. That's the job of the ILWU Walking Bosses and Supervisor Clerks. It happens case by case every day.
What you fail to glean from my earlier post is that the nature of production in these large crowded container yards is the NEED FOR SPEEDING OVER POSTED SPEED LIMITS DUE TO PMA (Employer Representative) STRUCTURED DRIVING UNITS. Very simple, THE PMA wants to dictate a new form of reality in regards to time-distance-and traffic control points. Not to worry, soon I'm sure things get back to normal speeding as a fix is found over the last sticking point.
Our UTR - longshore truck drivers in their (intermodal yard trucks) AKA Universal Tractor Rig; have speeded well beyond the posted limits up to factors of three times posted.
Container yards can be huge with many traffic control points.
Here's an example from about the 2003 / 2004 timeframe. I personally witnessed the young MBA type marine terminal managers ignore some of our collective grade school math.
A terminal increased its acreage by 50% and could not comprehend why the same seven man unit could not get the former production numbers while driving much longer Round Trip Distances. They accused the UTR longshore truck drivers of a slowdown at that timeframe in 2003/2004. Because I am a overseer of the actual operation, I recommended the young MBA superintendent seek the counsel of my grade school math explanation. He did and we decided to hire more drivers for the expanded operation.
There you have one example of a formerly contested reality based on two differing perspectives in a nutshell.
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Theoretically the ports will reopen for business on Tuesday since the four day stoppage was only supposed to be Friday through Monday.
If the amount of physical goods transported has plunged in parallel with the BDI, then I'm a little surprised no one has been able to come up with anything about reforming ghost fleets and ghost trains. Temporary formations of ships waiting to be unloaded and loaded and parked trains waiting for the ports to reopen aren't what the "ghost" term refers to, but rather long term parking of transportation assets for months at a time. When the ghost fleets of 2009 formed, they said you could stand on the beach at night (on the open ocean, NOT in the port itself, since the port had ALREADY been packed to capacity) near Singapore and see the lights of the ghost fleet stretching for mile after mile out of sight to either side like a huge city on the ocean. But as far as I've found, there are no such current reports.
If the amount of physical goods transported has plunged in parallel with the BDI, then I'm a little surprised no one has been able to come up with anything about reforming ghost fleets and ghost trains. Temporary formations of ships waiting to be unloaded and loaded and parked trains waiting for the ports to reopen aren't what the "ghost" term refers to, but rather long term parking of transportation assets for months at a time. When the ghost fleets of 2009 formed, they said you could stand on the beach at night (on the open ocean, NOT in the port itself, since the port had ALREADY been packed to capacity) near Singapore and see the lights of the ghost fleet stretching for mile after mile out of sight to either side like a huge city on the ocean. But as far as I've found, there are no such current reports.
L.A.B.
Goodness before greatness.
Sorry that I'm forced to quote myself but here goes:
http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2025714582_apxportlabor.html
This is my told you so moment for those who were paying attention.
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L.A.B.
Goodness before greatness.
Originally published February 17, 2015 at 6:41 AM | Page modified February 17, 2015 at 9:13 PM
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APNewsBreak: AP sources say port talks focus on arbitrator
The labor-management standoff that is disrupting billions of dollars of international trade at West Coast seaports now centers on the future of one man who resolves workplace disputes at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
By JUSTIN PRITCHARD
Associated Press
BOB CHAMBERLIN / LOS ANGELES TIMES (TNS)
Container ships wait Saturday outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where 33 ships reportedly were waiting for space at the docks. Work is to resume Tuesday at West Coast ports after they were all but shut over the holiday weekend.
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The desire to not pay overtime outweighs the economic well being of our country, apparently. (February 17, 2015) MORE
@NoUPayMeCitizen What does the desire to not do work during the week, and then do it on the weekend for a premium... (February 17, 2015) MORE
The President needs to step up and lockout all members of the Longshoremen Union. Just as President Reagan did in the... (February 17, 2015) MORE
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LOS ANGELES —
The labor-management standoff that is disrupting billions of dollars of international trade at West Coast seaports now centers on the future of one man who resolves workplace disputes at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
After nine months of bargaining for a new contract and weeks of partial port shutdowns, dockworkers and their employers disagree on whether they should change the system for arbitrating allegations of work slowdowns, discrimination and other conflicts.
More specifically, their quarrel is focused on the man who since 2002 has arbitrated grievances in Southern California.
Three people with knowledge of the contract talks say negotiators for the dockworkers' union want arbitrator David Miller out, while the association representing employers will not support changes that would allow his immediate removal.
The people insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly.
Union negotiators believe Miller favors employers in disputes, for example claims that workers are intentionally slowing down cargo movement. In a letter to members last week, the union's president wrote that negotiators for employers were unwilling to budge because their side benefits from the current system.
Miller told The Associated Press he is aware that he has become the focal point of the closed-door talks but is unsure why. He figures that in the hundreds of decisions he has issued, he upset someone who is now getting back at him.
"I'm bewildered as anybody else on the outside looking in," Miller said.
U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez entered the standoff on Tuesday in San Francisco, where he settled into his new mission of forging a new contract. Perez does not have legal authority to force an agreement, but outsiders hope he can coax one that would end the protracted troubles.
In a written statement, Perez's office characterized Tuesday's meetings with both sides as "positive and productive" and said he stressed the urgency to reach a deal "to prevent further damage to our economy and further pain for American workers and their employers."
Spokesmen for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping lines that carry cargo and port terminal operators that handle it once ships dock, declined comment, citing a media blackout.
As negotiations drag on, the consequences of the cargo bottleneck are rippling through the U.S. economy.
The 29 ports on the West Coast handle about $1 trillion worth of goods annually, including Asian imports such as electronics, household goods and clothing as well as U.S. exports such as produce and meat.
Honda Motor Co. is slowing production at six factories in Ohio, Indiana and Canada due to parts shortages. California citrus exporters say exports are half of normal to places such as Korea, Japan and China. Examples from impacts on industries abound.
On Tuesday, 32 massive ocean-going vessels were anchored and awaiting a berth at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach -- the nation's largest port complex. The scene was similar outside the smaller ports of Oakland, and Seattle and Tacoma in Washington state.
Lines grew notably longer over the holiday weekend, when employers again locked most longshoremen out of work rather than pay enhanced wages.
Employers say dockworkers are intentionally slowing down, an allegation the union denies. On Tuesday, employers hired full work crews for the first time since Friday.
Currently, Miller and three other arbitrators oversee separate areas of the West Coast and are effectively appointed for life. The union wants either side to be able to dismiss an arbitrator when a contract expires, with both sides agreeing on a replacement. Recent deals have lasted six years and the one being negotiated could last five.
The maritime association wants to keep the current system. It has argued that if arbitrators are subject to reappointment they might not rule independently due to worries they might offend one side and jeopardize their future.
It was the union that initially submitted Miller's candidacy for an arbitrator position. Before his appointment, he had been a member of the local branch which represents clerks in Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Without offering details or naming names, union president Robert McEllrath wrote a letter last week that questioned "retaining arbitrators who have openly engaged in conduct that clearly compromises their impartiality, including the development of close and personal relationships that affect decision-making."
Miller understood that to be a reference to him, but in the interview with the AP said he has been impartial and believes he rules for the union in most disputes.
"When do we think these so-called crimes were committed that made everybody go so crazy," he said. "You hear a theory and you hear innuendos. But who, what, where, when? And I don't think it exists."
The two sides already have reached tentative agreements on key issues including health benefits and what jobs the union can retain in the future.
Their different wage proposals are not far apart. Under the prior contract, which expired in July, average wages exceed $50 an hour, according to the maritime association. The union says wages are set between $26 to $36 an hour -- though many shifts carry a premium over that range.
___
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APNewsBreak: AP sources say port talks focus on arbitrator
The labor-management standoff that is disrupting billions of dollars of international trade at West Coast seaports now centers on the future of one man who resolves workplace disputes at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
By JUSTIN PRITCHARD
Associated Press
BOB CHAMBERLIN / LOS ANGELES TIMES (TNS)
Container ships wait Saturday outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where 33 ships reportedly were waiting for space at the docks. Work is to resume Tuesday at West Coast ports after they were all but shut over the holiday weekend.
READER COMMENTS
HIDE / SHOW COMMENTS
The desire to not pay overtime outweighs the economic well being of our country, apparently. (February 17, 2015) MORE
@NoUPayMeCitizen What does the desire to not do work during the week, and then do it on the weekend for a premium... (February 17, 2015) MORE
The President needs to step up and lockout all members of the Longshoremen Union. Just as President Reagan did in the... (February 17, 2015) MORE
Read all 18 comments Post a comment
LOS ANGELES —
The labor-management standoff that is disrupting billions of dollars of international trade at West Coast seaports now centers on the future of one man who resolves workplace disputes at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
After nine months of bargaining for a new contract and weeks of partial port shutdowns, dockworkers and their employers disagree on whether they should change the system for arbitrating allegations of work slowdowns, discrimination and other conflicts.
More specifically, their quarrel is focused on the man who since 2002 has arbitrated grievances in Southern California.
Three people with knowledge of the contract talks say negotiators for the dockworkers' union want arbitrator David Miller out, while the association representing employers will not support changes that would allow his immediate removal.
The people insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly.
Union negotiators believe Miller favors employers in disputes, for example claims that workers are intentionally slowing down cargo movement. In a letter to members last week, the union's president wrote that negotiators for employers were unwilling to budge because their side benefits from the current system.
Miller told The Associated Press he is aware that he has become the focal point of the closed-door talks but is unsure why. He figures that in the hundreds of decisions he has issued, he upset someone who is now getting back at him.
"I'm bewildered as anybody else on the outside looking in," Miller said.
U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez entered the standoff on Tuesday in San Francisco, where he settled into his new mission of forging a new contract. Perez does not have legal authority to force an agreement, but outsiders hope he can coax one that would end the protracted troubles.
In a written statement, Perez's office characterized Tuesday's meetings with both sides as "positive and productive" and said he stressed the urgency to reach a deal "to prevent further damage to our economy and further pain for American workers and their employers."
Spokesmen for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping lines that carry cargo and port terminal operators that handle it once ships dock, declined comment, citing a media blackout.
As negotiations drag on, the consequences of the cargo bottleneck are rippling through the U.S. economy.
The 29 ports on the West Coast handle about $1 trillion worth of goods annually, including Asian imports such as electronics, household goods and clothing as well as U.S. exports such as produce and meat.
Honda Motor Co. is slowing production at six factories in Ohio, Indiana and Canada due to parts shortages. California citrus exporters say exports are half of normal to places such as Korea, Japan and China. Examples from impacts on industries abound.
On Tuesday, 32 massive ocean-going vessels were anchored and awaiting a berth at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach -- the nation's largest port complex. The scene was similar outside the smaller ports of Oakland, and Seattle and Tacoma in Washington state.
Lines grew notably longer over the holiday weekend, when employers again locked most longshoremen out of work rather than pay enhanced wages.
Employers say dockworkers are intentionally slowing down, an allegation the union denies. On Tuesday, employers hired full work crews for the first time since Friday.
Currently, Miller and three other arbitrators oversee separate areas of the West Coast and are effectively appointed for life. The union wants either side to be able to dismiss an arbitrator when a contract expires, with both sides agreeing on a replacement. Recent deals have lasted six years and the one being negotiated could last five.
The maritime association wants to keep the current system. It has argued that if arbitrators are subject to reappointment they might not rule independently due to worries they might offend one side and jeopardize their future.
It was the union that initially submitted Miller's candidacy for an arbitrator position. Before his appointment, he had been a member of the local branch which represents clerks in Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Without offering details or naming names, union president Robert McEllrath wrote a letter last week that questioned "retaining arbitrators who have openly engaged in conduct that clearly compromises their impartiality, including the development of close and personal relationships that affect decision-making."
Miller understood that to be a reference to him, but in the interview with the AP said he has been impartial and believes he rules for the union in most disputes.
"When do we think these so-called crimes were committed that made everybody go so crazy," he said. "You hear a theory and you hear innuendos. But who, what, where, when? And I don't think it exists."
The two sides already have reached tentative agreements on key issues including health benefits and what jobs the union can retain in the future.
Their different wage proposals are not far apart. Under the prior contract, which expired in July, average wages exceed $50 an hour, according to the maritime association. The union says wages are set between $26 to $36 an hour -- though many shifts carry a premium over that range.
___
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L.A.B.
Goodness before greatness.
Tuesday morning vessels worked, but not Tuesday Night.
The last sticking point is the content of the article above. When that last hurdle is cleared one way or another, then we 'should be' back to working the 33 back logged vessels on the night side. Until then, we will continue the employer mandated restriction against working the ships.
The last sticking point is the content of the article above. When that last hurdle is cleared one way or another, then we 'should be' back to working the 33 back logged vessels on the night side. Until then, we will continue the employer mandated restriction against working the ships.
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This is practically nothing BUT embedded links, so if anyone is interested in any of these particular points it's probably a link to a story about it (I tried to put "-->" in front of every embedded link). There's a bonus article after this one about how one of the last of the Hanjin container ships to dock in Portland was AGAIN hit with a work stoppage. The point being, I guess, that this fracas isn't over by a long shot.
-----
West Coast ports: Unintended consequences of negotiations, federal intervention update, full coverage of Port of Portland (links)
by Molly Harbarger
The Oregonian/OregonLive
February 19, 2015
The past two weeks saw a lot of news about ports up and down the West Coast, as well as Portland.
In case you missed any of it, want to read more backstory, or are aching to hear what others' say, I've rounded up some links.
Let's dive in.
Casual readers are tuning into the drama of contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the 29 West Coast port operators. Here's the latest:
--> AP sources say port talks focus on arbitrator
--> Port of Portland shuts down for weekend, makes contingency plans in case of longshore lockout or strike
--> Work at Port of Portland's container terminal stopped again as longshore union demonstrates
--> Port operators association ratchets up tension by casting doubt on longshore union's contract demands
--> West Coast port operators suspend work for four coming February dates
Federal intervention:
--> Oregon agriculture companies ask for federal intervention in West Coast longshore-port dispute
--> Kurt Schrader, West Coast legislators push for Barack Obama to invoke Taft-Hartley Act if labor dispute continues
Most major publications are writing about the issue right now. Here's a good national perspective piece: --> West Coast Labor Dispute Brings Crippling Delays to Seaports
The disruption is causing unintended consequences in many sectors. This article clearly has a bias, but highlights an interesting issue, regardless who you blame for the slow down: --> American Dockworkers Are Savaging Your Recycling Bin.
The Salem Statesman-Journal illustrates the consequences on small businesses: --> Local company furloughs workers after port strife
If you have no idea what any of this is talking about, try this explainer: --> What the heck is going on at the Port of Portland: A beginner's guide to longshore, Hanjin, more
and --> What do longshore workers do? How do you become one? Q&A on Port of Portland dispute
Arguably the biggest business news of the week in Oregon was Hanjin Shipping Co.'s withdrawal from the Port of Portland. The Oregonian/OregonLive's coverage from before it was announced, in order:
--> Hanjin cargo ship turns away from Portland as port labor issues near crisis
--> Port of Portland's biggest customer, Hanjin, notifies shippers it might drop Terminal 6
--> News of Hanjin leaving Port of Portland surprises port operator as shippers receive letters
--> Hanjin Shipping officially leaves Port of Portland, taking vast majority of port's business with it
--> Port of Portland unlikely to replace Hanjin Shipping for 2 years, ILWU blames port operator for loss
--> Hapag-Lloyd still calling at Port of Portland for now; Oregon legislators continue pressure on longshoremen, port operators
Impact of Hanjin loss:
--> By the numbers: What's the impact of the Port of Portland losing Hanjin Shipping?
--> What does Hanjin Shipping leaving the Port of Portland mean to you?
--> High-value shippers fly above Portland's container shipping fray
--> Portland's small businesses suffer from Hanjin's departure, port disputes
--> Oregon ag companies worry resolution to Port of Portland labor troubles may come too late
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/...t_coast_ports_unintended_co.html#incart_river
----------
Work stops (again) at Port of Portland's container terminal on one of Hanjin's final vessels
by Molly Young
The Oregonian/OregonLive
February 19, 2015
Work has again stopped at Terminal 6, the Portland of Portland's container terminal and a nexus of a long-running labor dispute (http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/02/west_coast_ports_unintended_co.html) affecting 29 ports along the West Coast, a port spokesman confirmed Thursday morning.
Contract negotiations between terminal operators and dockworkers have tied up cargo up and down the west coast for weeks, prompting the nation's top labor official to try to ease the tension and broker an agreement.
But the problems are perhaps even more acute in Portland. Hanjin Shipping Co., the port's largest container shipping company, announced last week that it would stop calling on the port, taking most business with it and severing Oregon's marine link to Asia.
Amid contract talks and labor demonstrations, one of Hanjin's final vessels to dock in Portland has been stuck for days. Longshore workers, though, were back on teh job and unloading the Copenhagen on Wednesday.
That work stopped again on Thursday, said Steve Johnson, a Port of Portland spokesman. Johnson said it's unclear what brought about the latest delay and whether it is part of a broader stoppage elsewhere. Neither ICTSI Oregon, which operates the terminal, nor ILWU Local 8, which represents dockworkers, have responded to messages left by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Each side has blamed the port's difficulties on the other side.
(Related: A beginner's guide to longshore, Hanjin and more - http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/02/what_the_heck_is_going_on_at_t.html)
ICTSI Oregon issued a statement Tuesday saying that it would work with the Port of Portland to attract a new shipping company to replace Hanjin. That process, though, could take years.
Meanwhile, officials are working to end the larger West Coast dispute before it causes further economic damages. The U.S. labor and commerce secretaries met with both parties Wednesday, a Labor Department spokesman confirmed. Labor Secretary Tom Perez spent much of Tuesday on phone calls with regional officials, including the governors of Washington and California, although apparently no Oregon representative made the list.
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/...ortlands_container_terminal.html#incart_river
-----
West Coast ports: Unintended consequences of negotiations, federal intervention update, full coverage of Port of Portland (links)
by Molly Harbarger
The Oregonian/OregonLive
February 19, 2015
The past two weeks saw a lot of news about ports up and down the West Coast, as well as Portland.
In case you missed any of it, want to read more backstory, or are aching to hear what others' say, I've rounded up some links.
Let's dive in.
Casual readers are tuning into the drama of contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the 29 West Coast port operators. Here's the latest:
--> AP sources say port talks focus on arbitrator
--> Port of Portland shuts down for weekend, makes contingency plans in case of longshore lockout or strike
--> Work at Port of Portland's container terminal stopped again as longshore union demonstrates
--> Port operators association ratchets up tension by casting doubt on longshore union's contract demands
--> West Coast port operators suspend work for four coming February dates
Federal intervention:
--> Oregon agriculture companies ask for federal intervention in West Coast longshore-port dispute
--> Kurt Schrader, West Coast legislators push for Barack Obama to invoke Taft-Hartley Act if labor dispute continues
Most major publications are writing about the issue right now. Here's a good national perspective piece: --> West Coast Labor Dispute Brings Crippling Delays to Seaports
The disruption is causing unintended consequences in many sectors. This article clearly has a bias, but highlights an interesting issue, regardless who you blame for the slow down: --> American Dockworkers Are Savaging Your Recycling Bin.
The Salem Statesman-Journal illustrates the consequences on small businesses: --> Local company furloughs workers after port strife
If you have no idea what any of this is talking about, try this explainer: --> What the heck is going on at the Port of Portland: A beginner's guide to longshore, Hanjin, more
and --> What do longshore workers do? How do you become one? Q&A on Port of Portland dispute
Arguably the biggest business news of the week in Oregon was Hanjin Shipping Co.'s withdrawal from the Port of Portland. The Oregonian/OregonLive's coverage from before it was announced, in order:
--> Hanjin cargo ship turns away from Portland as port labor issues near crisis
--> Port of Portland's biggest customer, Hanjin, notifies shippers it might drop Terminal 6
--> News of Hanjin leaving Port of Portland surprises port operator as shippers receive letters
--> Hanjin Shipping officially leaves Port of Portland, taking vast majority of port's business with it
--> Port of Portland unlikely to replace Hanjin Shipping for 2 years, ILWU blames port operator for loss
--> Hapag-Lloyd still calling at Port of Portland for now; Oregon legislators continue pressure on longshoremen, port operators
Impact of Hanjin loss:
--> By the numbers: What's the impact of the Port of Portland losing Hanjin Shipping?
--> What does Hanjin Shipping leaving the Port of Portland mean to you?
--> High-value shippers fly above Portland's container shipping fray
--> Portland's small businesses suffer from Hanjin's departure, port disputes
--> Oregon ag companies worry resolution to Port of Portland labor troubles may come too late
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/...t_coast_ports_unintended_co.html#incart_river
----------
Work stops (again) at Port of Portland's container terminal on one of Hanjin's final vessels
by Molly Young
The Oregonian/OregonLive
February 19, 2015
Work has again stopped at Terminal 6, the Portland of Portland's container terminal and a nexus of a long-running labor dispute (http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/02/west_coast_ports_unintended_co.html) affecting 29 ports along the West Coast, a port spokesman confirmed Thursday morning.
Contract negotiations between terminal operators and dockworkers have tied up cargo up and down the west coast for weeks, prompting the nation's top labor official to try to ease the tension and broker an agreement.
But the problems are perhaps even more acute in Portland. Hanjin Shipping Co., the port's largest container shipping company, announced last week that it would stop calling on the port, taking most business with it and severing Oregon's marine link to Asia.
Amid contract talks and labor demonstrations, one of Hanjin's final vessels to dock in Portland has been stuck for days. Longshore workers, though, were back on teh job and unloading the Copenhagen on Wednesday.
That work stopped again on Thursday, said Steve Johnson, a Port of Portland spokesman. Johnson said it's unclear what brought about the latest delay and whether it is part of a broader stoppage elsewhere. Neither ICTSI Oregon, which operates the terminal, nor ILWU Local 8, which represents dockworkers, have responded to messages left by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Each side has blamed the port's difficulties on the other side.
(Related: A beginner's guide to longshore, Hanjin and more - http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/02/what_the_heck_is_going_on_at_t.html)
ICTSI Oregon issued a statement Tuesday saying that it would work with the Port of Portland to attract a new shipping company to replace Hanjin. That process, though, could take years.
Meanwhile, officials are working to end the larger West Coast dispute before it causes further economic damages. The U.S. labor and commerce secretaries met with both parties Wednesday, a Labor Department spokesman confirmed. Labor Secretary Tom Perez spent much of Tuesday on phone calls with regional officials, including the governors of Washington and California, although apparently no Oregon representative made the list.
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/...ortlands_container_terminal.html#incart_river
L.A.B.
Goodness before greatness.
tansaafl,"--> AP sources say port talks focus on arbitrator"...
That little bold blue line in all likelihood (as I brought up as soon as I found out way earlier up this thread), is the majority of the ILWU's sticking point. I'll ask around to find out what Portland's 'beef' is all about with Hanjin.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm not attempting to bring one side of the dispute, I'm doing my best to present an overall big picture testimony.
In addition. If anyone is looking for a signal as to when normality returns to the West Coast Docks; that will be when the employer allows the vessels to be worked on the night-side again. That is the only reason our LA/LB Harbor is backed up as there is no 'congestion' in the container yards, only lots of free space.
That little bold blue line in all likelihood (as I brought up as soon as I found out way earlier up this thread), is the majority of the ILWU's sticking point. I'll ask around to find out what Portland's 'beef' is all about with Hanjin.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm not attempting to bring one side of the dispute, I'm doing my best to present an overall big picture testimony.
In addition. If anyone is looking for a signal as to when normality returns to the West Coast Docks; that will be when the employer allows the vessels to be worked on the night-side again. That is the only reason our LA/LB Harbor is backed up as there is no 'congestion' in the container yards, only lots of free space.
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I don't think the union has a problem with Hanjin (which is/was Portland's major shipping line until it announced it was pulling out, leaving Portland without a major shipper) but rather with the private company that took over running the container part of the Port of Portland. However, it seems to me that the conflict extends back much further than the private company taking over. I have no idea what they've been fighting about for over a decade (at least it feels that long or longer), but once Hanjin leaves there will be a hell of a lot less work for the unions to do and it might be multiple years before Portland can con (I mean "convince") another major shipper to call at Portland. I wonder what their plan is for when the rank and file are laid off for lack of work? It's going to be interesting if/when selected smaller and mid-sized businesses start closing in Oregon because they won't be able to compete globally (or even nationally) once the additional costs of moving their stuff to Seattle/Tacoma are factored in. Fun times all around! (Not!)
L.A.B.
Goodness before greatness.
I hear you! Go back up the thread where I talked about a **** *** Terminal Manager [at but not Hanjin in LB] accusing me of a slowdown about 20 years ago as I climbed a four high container on a Sunday where I worked 13 out of 14 days. The 5-day a week MBA could not understand how the 8 minutes I was taking care of (his business) saving him over 70 container moves lost time side shifting cargo that was slated for the next day on Monday saved him time and dollar'$ Perhaps my cost saving action was frowned upon as his the various entities as you intimated existing on 'marine terminals' [may have'd] in that time frame charged each other on inter-terminal foul ups and split the cost thereof as kick-backs. Who knows what dirt redirects the intention of good deeds.
I'm at our hall right now in The Port of LA. One of my 'count them on one hand right of center hall-co-worker friends' just sent me some links about Portland and West Coast conflict resolution in progress.
I will give it a read in a few and comment later.
One local news paper that may be on our TB2K do not quote list may have an article on Taft-Hartley Injunction. I'll have to read to confirm.
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Port of Oakland shut down by union meeting (pidtures)
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Longshore-workers-take-a-day-off-shut-down-6090057.php
By Peter Fimrite and Henry K. Lee
Updated 7:03 pm, Thursday, February 19, 2015
OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Shipping cranes sit idle at the Port of Oakland on February 17, 2015 in Oakland, California. Dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports from Los Angeles to Seattle returned to work today after employers shut down operations over the long holiday weekend in response to an alleged work slow down amidst long contract negotiations between Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez traveled to San Francisco on Monday to help with the contract negotiations that have been dragging on for the past nine months. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The bitter contract dispute at 29 West Coast ports intensified Thursday when dockworkers shut down the Port of Oakland amid tense negotiations that have prompted government intervention and calls for a settlement from across the nation.
Twelve cargo vessels were left sitting at the port when Oakland dockworkers took the day off for a monthly union meeting that has historically been held at night. The work stoppage came as terminal operators and longshore workers haggled over the details in a proposed union contract.
No workers showed up for the 8 a.m.-5 p.m. shift at the Oakland Port, and the shutdown prevented import containers from being moved onto trucks or rail. It also blocked exporters from completing overseas shipments. The 28 other ports stayed open Thursday.
The shutdown by International Longshore and Warehouse Union workers was seen by many as another shot across the bow in the nine-month-long battle pitting laborers against terminal operators. The contract imbroglio has provoked repeated work stoppages and slowdowns at all the major ports between Seattle and San Diego. It has infuriated shippers, retailers, truckers and farming representatives waiting to receive or export goods. It also angered Port of Oakland officials.
“The decision not to work is damaging to shippers who rely on the Port of Oakland to move their cargo, and to the thousands of people who depend on the port for their livelihood,” said John Driscoll, the port’s maritime director. “Disruptions such as this one cripple our ability to support global trade and the economy of the Bay Area.”
None of the dozen container ships waiting at port were loaded or unloaded because of what the union called a “stop-work meeting.”
This meeting, port officials said, was deliberately held during work hours in an apparent attempt to punish the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping lines and terminal operators. The association halted night operations at the 29 ports on Jan. 13 and also cut weekend and holiday work in an attempt to avoid paying overtime.
Notified of union meeting
Longshore union insiders, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a federal information embargo, said the operators were notified about the day meeting on Feb. 3, giving them plenty of time to prepare. The union meeting was scheduled immediately after a four-day shutdown by the association during the Presidents Day holiday weekend. The association admitted the lockout was its response to slowdown actions by the union, which represents 20,000 dockworkers at the 29 West Coast ports.
The tit-for-tat has resulted in a huge backup of container ships anchored in San Francisco Bay and outside the Golden Gate, waiting for room at the docks. The problem is jeopardizing millions of dollars in business. Alarmed legislators and U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez have jumped into the fray in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein called on both parties to hurry up and get things done before they do serious damage to the U.S. economy.
“Every day that goes by without a resolution only adds to the economic pain for the West Coast and the entire country,” the senators wrote to both the association and union Thursday. “The consequences of failing to resolve this dispute immediately would be devastating to our economy and to the millions of people who work hard every day for agricultural producers, manufacturers and other businesses, both large and small, in California and around the world.”
Even more disturbing, they said, is the allegation that the entire dispute is over the fate of a single arbitrator in Los Angeles.
The union wants to terminate the contract of arbitrator David Miller, who handles ports in Southern California, but the association wants to keep him, sources say. His job, which is all but guaranteed under the last contract, is the entire hangup, sources close to the negotiations confirmed.
Related Stories
West Coast governors demand end to Port dispute
Labor secretary meets with both sides in West Coast port dispute
West Coast port dispute hurts California citrus growers
“While it is understandable that the parties can disagree,” Boxer and Feinstein wrote, “it is highly disappointing that with so much at stake, you have not been able to come up with a path forward on this one remaining issue.”
Gates at marine terminals were closed Thursday and truck drivers hoping to drop off their containers were forced to cool their heels at nearby rail yards.
'Hurt a lot of people’
“It’s going to hurt a lot of people,” said Gene Starnes, 52, of Stockton, who drove a truck to the port Thursday from the Central Valley.
“It’s bad for business, bad for everybody,” said truck driver Oscar Castro, 52, of Vallejo, adding that he is more fortunate than some because he has other jobs that help pay the bills.
Kim Perrin, the director of sales and marketing at Angel Dear, a children’s clothing retailer in Union City, said she has been waiting since the middle of July for a container carrying the company’s entire 2015 spring clothing collection. She said the container ship has been waiting out at sea for a berth in Oakland for more than a month and isn’t expected to get in until at least March 15.
“It’s our whole spring 2015 clothing collection, almost a million dollars worth of merchandise,” Perrin said. “It’s pretty nuts. We’ve already had Bloomingdale’s cancel their January order, which is about $20,000 wholesale. If it goes on any longer, the stores will all cancel their orders and we are going to miss a season.”
Jonathan Gold, the vice president of supply chain and customs policy for the National Retail Federation, said retailers, agriculture and businesses across the nation are losing money, assembly lines are shutting down and auto companies are being forced to fly in parts as a result of the slowdown.
“It’s been in a critical stage for months,” Gold said. “This isn’t just affecting those on the West Coast. It’s impacting everyone who is using those ports.”
And there is a longer-term threat, said Mike Zampa, communications director for the Port of Oakland.
“If it’s not settled soon, more shippers will find other U.S. gateways, like the ports in Mexico, Canada, through the Panama Canal and on the East Coast. Cargo decline over the long term will equate with job loss for the Port of Oakland and across the West Coast.”
Full operations were expected to resume Friday.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Longshore-workers-take-a-day-off-shut-down-6090057.php
By Peter Fimrite and Henry K. Lee
Updated 7:03 pm, Thursday, February 19, 2015
OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Shipping cranes sit idle at the Port of Oakland on February 17, 2015 in Oakland, California. Dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports from Los Angeles to Seattle returned to work today after employers shut down operations over the long holiday weekend in response to an alleged work slow down amidst long contract negotiations between Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez traveled to San Francisco on Monday to help with the contract negotiations that have been dragging on for the past nine months. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The bitter contract dispute at 29 West Coast ports intensified Thursday when dockworkers shut down the Port of Oakland amid tense negotiations that have prompted government intervention and calls for a settlement from across the nation.
Twelve cargo vessels were left sitting at the port when Oakland dockworkers took the day off for a monthly union meeting that has historically been held at night. The work stoppage came as terminal operators and longshore workers haggled over the details in a proposed union contract.
No workers showed up for the 8 a.m.-5 p.m. shift at the Oakland Port, and the shutdown prevented import containers from being moved onto trucks or rail. It also blocked exporters from completing overseas shipments. The 28 other ports stayed open Thursday.
The shutdown by International Longshore and Warehouse Union workers was seen by many as another shot across the bow in the nine-month-long battle pitting laborers against terminal operators. The contract imbroglio has provoked repeated work stoppages and slowdowns at all the major ports between Seattle and San Diego. It has infuriated shippers, retailers, truckers and farming representatives waiting to receive or export goods. It also angered Port of Oakland officials.
“The decision not to work is damaging to shippers who rely on the Port of Oakland to move their cargo, and to the thousands of people who depend on the port for their livelihood,” said John Driscoll, the port’s maritime director. “Disruptions such as this one cripple our ability to support global trade and the economy of the Bay Area.”
None of the dozen container ships waiting at port were loaded or unloaded because of what the union called a “stop-work meeting.”
This meeting, port officials said, was deliberately held during work hours in an apparent attempt to punish the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping lines and terminal operators. The association halted night operations at the 29 ports on Jan. 13 and also cut weekend and holiday work in an attempt to avoid paying overtime.
Notified of union meeting
Longshore union insiders, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a federal information embargo, said the operators were notified about the day meeting on Feb. 3, giving them plenty of time to prepare. The union meeting was scheduled immediately after a four-day shutdown by the association during the Presidents Day holiday weekend. The association admitted the lockout was its response to slowdown actions by the union, which represents 20,000 dockworkers at the 29 West Coast ports.
The tit-for-tat has resulted in a huge backup of container ships anchored in San Francisco Bay and outside the Golden Gate, waiting for room at the docks. The problem is jeopardizing millions of dollars in business. Alarmed legislators and U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez have jumped into the fray in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein called on both parties to hurry up and get things done before they do serious damage to the U.S. economy.
“Every day that goes by without a resolution only adds to the economic pain for the West Coast and the entire country,” the senators wrote to both the association and union Thursday. “The consequences of failing to resolve this dispute immediately would be devastating to our economy and to the millions of people who work hard every day for agricultural producers, manufacturers and other businesses, both large and small, in California and around the world.”
Even more disturbing, they said, is the allegation that the entire dispute is over the fate of a single arbitrator in Los Angeles.
The union wants to terminate the contract of arbitrator David Miller, who handles ports in Southern California, but the association wants to keep him, sources say. His job, which is all but guaranteed under the last contract, is the entire hangup, sources close to the negotiations confirmed.
Related Stories
West Coast governors demand end to Port dispute
Labor secretary meets with both sides in West Coast port dispute
West Coast port dispute hurts California citrus growers
“While it is understandable that the parties can disagree,” Boxer and Feinstein wrote, “it is highly disappointing that with so much at stake, you have not been able to come up with a path forward on this one remaining issue.”
Gates at marine terminals were closed Thursday and truck drivers hoping to drop off their containers were forced to cool their heels at nearby rail yards.
'Hurt a lot of people’
“It’s going to hurt a lot of people,” said Gene Starnes, 52, of Stockton, who drove a truck to the port Thursday from the Central Valley.
“It’s bad for business, bad for everybody,” said truck driver Oscar Castro, 52, of Vallejo, adding that he is more fortunate than some because he has other jobs that help pay the bills.
Kim Perrin, the director of sales and marketing at Angel Dear, a children’s clothing retailer in Union City, said she has been waiting since the middle of July for a container carrying the company’s entire 2015 spring clothing collection. She said the container ship has been waiting out at sea for a berth in Oakland for more than a month and isn’t expected to get in until at least March 15.
“It’s our whole spring 2015 clothing collection, almost a million dollars worth of merchandise,” Perrin said. “It’s pretty nuts. We’ve already had Bloomingdale’s cancel their January order, which is about $20,000 wholesale. If it goes on any longer, the stores will all cancel their orders and we are going to miss a season.”
Jonathan Gold, the vice president of supply chain and customs policy for the National Retail Federation, said retailers, agriculture and businesses across the nation are losing money, assembly lines are shutting down and auto companies are being forced to fly in parts as a result of the slowdown.
“It’s been in a critical stage for months,” Gold said. “This isn’t just affecting those on the West Coast. It’s impacting everyone who is using those ports.”
And there is a longer-term threat, said Mike Zampa, communications director for the Port of Oakland.
“If it’s not settled soon, more shippers will find other U.S. gateways, like the ports in Mexico, Canada, through the Panama Canal and on the East Coast. Cargo decline over the long term will equate with job loss for the Port of Oakland and across the West Coast.”
Full operations were expected to resume Friday.
Pols warn of DHS shutdown doomsday – but most would stay on the job
Funding is about to expire for a major government agency, and charges are flying from each party on Capitol Hill that the other is responsible for the looming “shutdown.”
With those charges come sky-is-falling predictions about the dire consequences of a funding lapse.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., in blaming Republicans for the predicament, warned there are “ghoulish, grim predators out there who would love to kill us or do us harm.” She said “we should not be dilly-dallying and playing parliamentary ping pong with national security.” Mikulski suggested a shutdown would “close down ports up and down the East Coast,” because funding for the Coast Guard would be frozen.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., warns a partial DHS shutdown imperils the security of the entire country at a time of rising terrorism.
But the rhetoric doesn’t quite match the reality.
If the department loses funding at the end of the month because Congress fails to pass a budget bill, most DHS employees actually would continue to report to work, because they are considered “essential” employees.
That means Border Patrol agents stay one the job, airport security workers will still be at their posts, the Coast Guard stays on patrol -- and those East Coast ports remain open.
Still, 30,000 DHS employees are expected to be furloughed if funding lapses, and most who aren’t would not get paid until the budget stalemate ends.
And that stalemate shows no sign of breaking.
Current funding expires Feb. 27. With lawmakers out this week for the holiday recess, they only have four more legislative days to strike a deal. And both sides are digging in their heels.
The House already passed a Republican-authored funding bill, but Democrats oppose what they describe as a poison-pill provision – a measure reversing President Obama’s controversial executive actions on immigration.
In the Senate, Democrats have blocked the funding bill over those objections. In turn, Republicans are blaming them for the impasse.
Most recently, Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz claimed it is Democrats holding the agency “hostage,” to “force the president’s executive amnesty program onto the American people.” He, too, said the obstruction was “jeopardizing national security.”
His comments come in the wake of a decision from a federal judge in Texas, who ruled earlier this week that Obama’s executive actions, aimed at protecting more than 4 million illegal immigrants from deportation, should not move forward until a lawsuit filed by 26 states challenging them is decided.
While that ruling has fueled Republicans’ argument, the DHS funding bill remains stuck in the Senate. Senate Democrats blocking the bill want Congress to pass a “clean” funding bill with no immigration provisions attached.
House Speaker John Boehner is refusing to budge on his end, saying Democrats need to “get off their ass,” and pass the legislation.
Even if DHS goes into a partial shutdown, it’s unclear who would be on the receiving end of the political fallout.
According to polling, it was Republicans who took it on the chin when the entire government endured a partial shutdown for 16 days in October 2013. But it was also Republicans who picked up seats in the House and regained the majority in the Senate in the 2014 midterm elections.
This time, the nature of the backlash could depend on how much the American public is willing to take, and how long they are willing to take it. The impact of a partial DHS shutdown would not be as severe as what happened in October 2013 – in effect, putting less pressure on lawmakers to work out a deal.
If the debate carries over for months, House GOP aides say the DHS funding issue could all be folded into a larger clash over the debt ceiling.
That battle is expected to heat up in the spring.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...shutdown-doomsday-but-most-would-stay-on-job/
Funding is about to expire for a major government agency, and charges are flying from each party on Capitol Hill that the other is responsible for the looming “shutdown.”
With those charges come sky-is-falling predictions about the dire consequences of a funding lapse.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., in blaming Republicans for the predicament, warned there are “ghoulish, grim predators out there who would love to kill us or do us harm.” She said “we should not be dilly-dallying and playing parliamentary ping pong with national security.” Mikulski suggested a shutdown would “close down ports up and down the East Coast,” because funding for the Coast Guard would be frozen.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., warns a partial DHS shutdown imperils the security of the entire country at a time of rising terrorism.
But the rhetoric doesn’t quite match the reality.
If the department loses funding at the end of the month because Congress fails to pass a budget bill, most DHS employees actually would continue to report to work, because they are considered “essential” employees.
That means Border Patrol agents stay one the job, airport security workers will still be at their posts, the Coast Guard stays on patrol -- and those East Coast ports remain open.
Still, 30,000 DHS employees are expected to be furloughed if funding lapses, and most who aren’t would not get paid until the budget stalemate ends.
And that stalemate shows no sign of breaking.
Current funding expires Feb. 27. With lawmakers out this week for the holiday recess, they only have four more legislative days to strike a deal. And both sides are digging in their heels.
The House already passed a Republican-authored funding bill, but Democrats oppose what they describe as a poison-pill provision – a measure reversing President Obama’s controversial executive actions on immigration.
In the Senate, Democrats have blocked the funding bill over those objections. In turn, Republicans are blaming them for the impasse.
Most recently, Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz claimed it is Democrats holding the agency “hostage,” to “force the president’s executive amnesty program onto the American people.” He, too, said the obstruction was “jeopardizing national security.”
His comments come in the wake of a decision from a federal judge in Texas, who ruled earlier this week that Obama’s executive actions, aimed at protecting more than 4 million illegal immigrants from deportation, should not move forward until a lawsuit filed by 26 states challenging them is decided.
While that ruling has fueled Republicans’ argument, the DHS funding bill remains stuck in the Senate. Senate Democrats blocking the bill want Congress to pass a “clean” funding bill with no immigration provisions attached.
House Speaker John Boehner is refusing to budge on his end, saying Democrats need to “get off their ass,” and pass the legislation.
Even if DHS goes into a partial shutdown, it’s unclear who would be on the receiving end of the political fallout.
According to polling, it was Republicans who took it on the chin when the entire government endured a partial shutdown for 16 days in October 2013. But it was also Republicans who picked up seats in the House and regained the majority in the Senate in the 2014 midterm elections.
This time, the nature of the backlash could depend on how much the American public is willing to take, and how long they are willing to take it. The impact of a partial DHS shutdown would not be as severe as what happened in October 2013 – in effect, putting less pressure on lawmakers to work out a deal.
If the debate carries over for months, House GOP aides say the DHS funding issue could all be folded into a larger clash over the debt ceiling.
That battle is expected to heat up in the spring.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...shutdown-doomsday-but-most-would-stay-on-job/