Memorial recounts ports' costs

longshoremen are the blood and back-bone of this wonderful country....without them there would be no economy...

Speaking of Port Costs, what about the estimated 40% premium on cost of goods because of the extorted socialist high wages of the dockworkers. Backbone of the country my ass, more like sticky gum on the bottom of my shoes.

It's always sad to hear about deaths at the workplace, but glad to see things have been improved. Of course, everyone working at the port and in similiar industries know the dangers. I would in a dangerous profession and make similar money and work Union, and I know the risks and choose to do so. They also choose their profession, not the other way around. They make very good money and assume the riskes.

In response to the quote by the_reality:
longshoremen are the blood and back-bone of this wonderful country....without them there would be no economy...

That comment is way over the top. Yes the long shoremans are very important, but the majority of their jobs can be accomplised by inexperienced non-skilled workers.

Type fix from above:
I " work " in a dangerous profession and make similar money and work Union, and I know the risks and choose to do so. They also choose their profession, not the other way around. They make very good money and assume the riskes.

Quote by Almeida: "Don't get too cozy with the employers. They're still the enemy."
amen brother.

The employers are the enemy! They are part of a system that will crush you!

Uh huh. I thought the last socialist union thug longshoreman at the docks was crushed by forklift driven by another socialist union thug longshoreman who just happened to be old enough to have been forced into retirement anyplace else.

Nothing says safety like senility and heavy equipment.

The article states that there has been 61 deaths in 74 years on the docks in the entire West Coast (not just LB/LA). This is less than 1 death per year. Although every death is sad, the fact is that the docks are relatively safe.

As the other union quotes imply, the port safety issue is just another smoke screen by the union trying to get overly huge increases. I have worked in a union (at very good wages) but the union and company management worked with each other. There was no need to have a war type relationship.

Brian wrote:

It's always sad to hear about deaths at the workplace, but glad to see things have been improved. Of course, everyone working at the port and in similiar industries know the dangers. I would in a dangerous profession and make similar money and work Union, and I know the risks and choose to do so. They also choose their profession, not the other way around. They make very good money and assume the riskes.
In response to the quote by the_reality:
longshoremen are the blood and back-bone of this wonderful country....without them there would be no economy...
That comment is way over the top. Yes the long shoremans are very important, but the majority of their jobs can be accomplised by inexperienced non-skilled workers.

non-skilled work is definitely not things that they do...ive been watching on the national geographic channel on these guys and they do a helluva lot of work that is skilled work...im not even union and can at least appreciate the fine work they do...