Ports Shut Down from Maine to Texas as 45,000 Dockworkers Launch Strike over Pay & Automation

I support unions but these port workers make a shit ton of money (1 in 3 make 200k per year). They turned down a 50% pay increase plus continued automation avoidance and more employer retirement contributions because they know they can fuck over the US economy during an election year. Downvote me if you want but this is a hostage negotiation.

Edit: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2024/10/02/port-strike-dockworkers-wages/75485424007/

I actually disagree with my post. According to the article I just read, I was correct about how much some of them make (1/3 make $200k or more), but the starting pay does suck ($20 an hour). The average salary was $59k a year. I was wrong and ill informed. Alright, I’ll stand with the union on this one. I agree with their demand.

Nixon did this when the Postal Service went on strike in 1970. He brought in 23,000 national guard troops to New York to deliver the mail.

They failed, miserably, because they didn't know how to do the job. There's clips of interviews with some of them at the time, I remember one, the soldier was trying to sort the mail and laughing about how he didn't understand how the regular guy could do in a couple hours what took him almost all day.

Good luck to him, but he's gonna find out quick that soldiers aren't longshoremen.

That was such a weird season