Hi friends The local new has reported that the Port of Los Angeles has been closed and the dock workers have been locked out. The port operators say its due to a union slow down and the lockout will end sometime on Sunday. I have no idea what effect this will have on expected models coming from China but its sure going to slow things down.
Bob Does this include the Port of Long Beach as well? UP has the large intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF) there. AFAIK containers off-loaded at Long Beach head east on the UP thru Tucson -- if we had the container number(s) we could watch them on their way to the distributors LOL eNjoy
All the Westcoast Ports are effected, including Long Beach. Nothing in or out, and if the containers are on the Piers they will have to stay there until Labor is allowed back in, hopefully Sunday night, that is unless the Labor union calls a for a Stike. Jeff Shriver
This all part of your global corparations efforts to make you just another third world country. Corps like Atlas, Bachman, and the like would like nothing better than to reduce the dock workers down to minimum wage (I KNOW that not one of you here would do what they for 5.75/hr). Just think how much more profit they'll be making off of modelers like us! They already moved their operations over there why not let them try and find customers over there as well! And before any of you even try and argue otherwise just give Micro Trains a real close look, Americans produccing for Americans!!
While I'm normally on the side of labor, I've met a few dock workers, and they get a heck of a lot more then minimum wage... I've met lawyers that make less. I haven't read what the argument is exactly, but I certainly hope they don't expect to get even more money then they do already. I don't think this is the best time in the world to be bringing the import/export in this country to a halt. I personally have made a small fraction of what I normally do over the last couple of years, and most people that have money invested have lost their butts and then some... I know people want to get what they think they deserve, but the dock guys might need to get some perspective. Dave D. Los Angeles, CA -Rail Radio Online-Home of the "TrainTenna" RR Monitoring Antenna- http://eje.railfan.net/railradioonline ------------------------------------------------- -The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Photo Archive & E-Mail List- http://eje.railfan.net ------------------------------------------------- -The Ashley, Drew & Northern Railfan Page- http://eje.railfan.net/adn ------------------------------------------------- -Southern California Trains- http://eje.railfan.net/socal -------------------------------------------------
Well, the dock workers went back to work today only to get locked out again 2 hours later. Looks now like the port operators will not let the workers back in till a new contract is reached. Mean while the ships are stacking up outside the harbor. It will be our luck that the IM FT's are sitting out their.
"I know people want to get what they think they deserve, but the dock guys might need to get some perspective." The above statement is about what I expected. the ports are engaging in the lock out not the dockworkers, they (the dockworkers) are being denied the right of negotiating a contract and the corparations are refusing to even cooperate in a token effort. It is the 1890's all over again. You've got an elite make billions for work and risks that they've never done nor taken. You've got an illigit leader who is even threatining to bring in the troops if these people don't nuckle-under to his corp. bosses. Back then it was a bloody mess, this time around it is going to be a bloody farce. So I suggest you get yourselves informed before you complain about not getting your over priced stuff from China. Collective Bargining built the middle class in this country of our's and it is the only thing that will help us keep it!
Sqiurrelkins, you are being very emotive and not very factual. Please keep this topic civil otherwise it will be closed.
It doesn't look like the union dock workers are close to working for $5.75 an hour. According to the LA Times: they make $80, 000-$150,000 a year with overtime, the contract sticking point is the union resisting technology and the union has refused federal mediation. I'm sure the shippers and ports are not saints, but the dock workers are trying to save high paying jobs and the ports are trying to cut costs with technology. Not a new story.
Up here in Vancouver, the grain loaders have been locked out for a couple of weeks now. The yards are EMPTY.
I had the same thought! The goodies have been coming in so fast lately, it's getting hard to keep up! It's great to be in N scale today! BoxcabE50
Here is a post from the Atlas forum that I liberally ripped off: Our shipments arrive via the east coast and are not effected by this. Rob Pisani Atlas Model Railroad Co. As you can guess, by "this" he means the lock out.
Hmm, we have a topic about West Coast ports being closed that was almost mutated into a silly political rant. The idiotic rant we don't need- that can go to a political forum. Personally, I don't believe this is an N scale-specific topic, as such a work stoppage/lockout would also affect import of models in other scales as well, not to mention imports of other goods. Would this topic not be better served being in another forum other than N Scale? And yes, I DO model in N scale, but this work stoppage/lockout will have effect on just more than our hobby. I can only hope that this settles out with reasonable men in charge. Enough ranting- back to trains.
