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US Dockworker Strike Wins 62% Raises
(internationalsocialist.net)
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this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2024
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62% over 6 years, so like 10% a year which is still not bad, but not the same 62% lump sum like the headline suggests.
Sure, but this puts the wage cap at like $63/hour. That's ridiculously good for a blue collar job. I've been in the same field for around 16 years and I'd be ecstatic if I were making half that amount, and my job requires a lot of certifications and ongoing training hours to stay certified.
That's over $130,000/year. Plus, they hit their cap after just 6 years. I couldn't imagine making that much after just 6 years somewhere. They did a great job. Laborers everywhere should be making money like this, instead of the people sitting in chairs with lumbar support complaining that the ac is two degrees warmer than what they'd like while standing next to the corporate keureg coffee machine.
But knowing how shitty companies are they'll likely make some excuse to fire people before they get close to their 6 year maximum. It's similar to how fast food places avoid hiring someone full time by scheduling them for 35 hours a week instead of 40.
That happens at McDonald's. It never happens at strong union jobs. You fire a union worker, it has to be well documented, by the book, and for a damned good reason. There's no chance of getting fired for bullshit reasons in something like a dock workers union. You also won't be getting reduced hours.
I know unions, my dad was a union VP for over a decade. I've seen how companies can be shitty even if you have the union backing you.
My wife worked at a grocery store and as i heard their union boss golfed with the CEO of the grocery chain… as i understand it that was HR masquerading as a union, by the time she left it sure was acting the part too
Wait so any new hires after this deal was made would not be included? Wouldn't new hires also be in the union?
That would seem like a pretty big deal if true.
62% right now and no increase for the six following years is actually more generous than what they got.
They're getting like a $5 an hour raise every year for 6 years and after six yours they hit their salary cap. Their cap is $131,000. Even 6 years from now that's still really good money.
Depending on location, that's really good money. Where I live i would be ecstatic to make that kind of money. Unfortunately the big docks are in big cities where money doesn't go nearly as far.
There's almost no place in the US where $130k isn't good money.
NYC and LA are probably the two areas in the US where 130k is borderline possible to live alone in a OK apartment considering the cost of living there. Below that and your quality of living takes a dive as you either need roommates or you live in a shoebox. For anywhere else 130k is fantastic.
The average rent in LA for a THREE bedroom apartment is $51,000 a year total. That leaves, after taxes, about $40,000 of money for everything else. Even in L.A that's still very easy to live on.
A 1 bedroom apartment in LA is about $26,000 a year, fyi.
A $131,000/year salary is not borderline anything in L.A.