By Peter Schauer
President, Orion Marine Corp., Chicago
In early July, the International Longshoremen’s Association and U.S. Maritime Alliance made progress on negotiating a new contract to replace the one expiring on Sept. 30, easing some concerns that shippers will face a dock labor confrontation on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts.
If the parties would only hold their talks in Youngstown, Ohio, rather than balmy and comfy (and expensive) Delray Beach, Fla., we could expect faster progress and union demands would be tempered by seeing all those people in the unemployment lines who gladly would take those ILA jobs (paying an average of $120,000) for half the amount and probably would do a more efficient job in line with overseas dockworkers.
LETTER: Dock labor out of touch with real America
