@"NYCfigs"#27 @"ktrain"#2 Gentle figfanatic members. Please allow me a few words to defend the Vito's, and Mario's working on today's Longshore shipping docks. While longshoreman do make relatively good money. They make it mostly like everybody else in our society these days. They make it by doubling, and tripling working shifts. Nobody works 40 hours anymore. Also Trust, and Believe you will get hurt on the waterfront. People may be talking forklifts, but they're really discussing top lifts/called top picks. Those are the Giant lifts with 6 ft tires, that pick up entire containers loading them on truck chassis, train rail cars, or stacking them four to six containers high on the docks. Those containers are then moved around as needed by trans-tainers. Insanely huge drivable cranes that straddle endless rows of five and six High stacked containers for loading, giant International freighters, these are delivered to the Giant 200' plus foot high cranes that line the ports. Loading, and unloading the Giant ships 24 hours a day that deliver International Commerce. Also the rail cars, and trucks that deliver our Goods by rail , and trucks across our nation's highways.
When these workers get hurt, which inevitably happens nobody gets a real or Fair settlement. I myself am a crippled West Coast longshoreman. We cannot Sue the companies we work for in the same way that other Americans can pursue legal remedies we must use specific attorneys that have already been bought off by the employers. This is done under the train, and ship workers Act. We cannot just go and find our own attorney to defend us. We must use attorneys already bought off by the employers You've Lost Your Case before you enter the courtroom.
When I joined the West Coast ILWU Longshore Union local 10. I was one of three workers who formed an informal partnership.
We all came in at to the workforce at the same time. We were part of an indoctrination group of 280 workers. They killed so many of us, and maimed many more. I myself am reminded of my years on the waterfront by the extreme pain I Endure every day. There was no settlement for me. I was just thrown away. Of my informal group of three co-workers all three suffered severe injuries. We all had to pursue legal remedies under the shipbuilders, and workers ACT. Nobody got paid off for their injuries. Settlement claims go on for a decade, or even more. Please do not be so quick to judge these workers who gambled their lives every day to try to financially take care of their families. I will spend my entire day hobbling on two canes. I do this everyday. At least I wasn't killed like so many of my coworkers. Of course they want higher wages. When they get hurt that's pretty much the end of their employability.
Minimum wage in many states is $20 plus an hour. In California where I live it's mandated by law. We will be paying off the Financial effects of the pandemic the rest of their lives, like we all will.. I already said they're working eight, or 10 shifts a week trying to stay financially ahead in our inflationary environment.
Please forgive this chaotically written post. I'm just trying to give you a quick 5 minute overview of some of the conditions that exist at our nation's ports, East Coast and West Coast Longshore unions. I'm not even addressing automation. Where these fantastically wealthy fools are planning to automate all of us out of our jobs.
