Maersk shipping out
Blames decision on ILA'S rejection of cost-saving arrangement
By Allyson Bird
Maersk Line, in a potentially staggering blow for the Port of Charleston and the South Carolina economy, followed through Thursday on a threat to pull all of its business from the local waterfront.
The Denmark-based company, which is the port's biggest customer, said it would phase out all operations in Charleston over the next two years because it was unable to reach a cost-saving arrangement.
The Post and Courier
Maersk containers soon will move through Port of Charleston terminals for the last time. The huge shipping line will phase out all operations here over the next two years after being unable to come to terms with port officials on a cost-saving deal.
A quarter of the service reductions will come in early 2009, according to Maersk.
The steamship line's impact on the port is huge. It accounts for 20 percent of Charleston's container business in a time when container volume is down 4 percent for the fiscal year.
In a written statement, Maersk spokesman Dana Magliola blamed the decision on the International Longshoremen's Association, which rejected the company's proposal to move to the so-called common area of the port and allow State Ports Authority workers to perform jobs that otherwise fall to union labor.
"The South Carolina State Ports Authority offered us a workable solution that involved a move into the common yard, but we need the consent of the local ILA to accomplish the move," Magliola said. "The ILA refused to consent, and so we are forced to move. By moving to other regional ports, we will once again be able to compete on a level playing field with other ocean carriers while continuing to provide excellent service to our customers."
Magliola declined to name where Maersk would reroute its ships.
Official statement
Read Maersk's official statement on its impending departure
Ken Riley, president of the ILA Local 1422, could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Riley has previously said that letting Maersk out of its contract with the ILA would cut dozens of jobs at a time when man-hours are down 10 percent. He also has said it would set a dangerous national precedent.
John Alvanos, president of Local 1771 Clerks and Checkers, said the unions and Maersk have worked cooperatively for three decades. "This issue is a non-ILA issue," Alvanos said. "We're being used as a scapegoat for a bad contract Maersk negotiated between the State Ports Authority and themselves."
The Post and Courier
Reflecting on Maersk pulling out of Charleston by 2010, James Pinckney Jr. said, 'That's a long time (for them) to think about leaving the best longshoremen in the country.' He was in the International Longshoremen's union hall on Morrison Drive waiting for the night's work assignments on Thursday.
Charleston-area resident Ron Brinson, a retired chief executive at the Port of New Orleans and a frequent commentator on local maritime issues, said he was surprised that Maersk publicly pinned all the blame on the ILA.
"Steamship lines posture all the time, and port managers have the skill sets to deal with that. This time it has to be taken seriously because the overall economy has rather suddenly delivered a blow to the ocean-carrying segment of this industry," Brinson said.
Gov. Mark Sanford's office reacted to the news of the shipping line's impending departure with talk of changing the SPA's structure. Terminals currently are managed solely by the ports authority, which for years has bucked industry trends by resisting efforts to lease its terminals to private industry.
"We can either start to heavily subsidize the port operation like they do in Savannah, or we can go toward a landlord-tenant-style partnership," said Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer. "What we can't do is stay in the middle."
While Maersk currently accounts for 20 percent of the port's container business, it claimed nearly a quarter just months ago and more than 30 percent in years past. That sharp decline in volume helped bring the world's largest container carrier to this decision.
Previous story
Union members reject Maersk's cost-cutting request, published 12/13/08
Throughout this year, Maersk has faced "shortfall" fees for not meeting the volume it agreed upon in its contract with the SPA, which runs through Dec. 31, 2010. The SPA proposed two solutions: reducing Maersk's space and taking back some of the equipment it purchased for the carrier, or move to the common-use area.
Maersk publicly announced its choice to pursue the second option in October. After two tense months, hundreds of members of the three local maritime unions voted unanimously last week to reject that proposal.
Maersk sent a letter to the SPA Thursday afternoon informing the maritime agency it would return all its terminal space by the end of its contract.
The company will move one line service from Charleston — the South Atlantic Express — in early 2009. That service alone represents 25 percent of Maersk's local port calls, or two ships per week.
Bernard S. Groseclose, SPA president and CEO, said the SPA asked the company if it could provide any further assistance but that Maersk wanted the ILA to bend. He said SPA representatives have been in contact with Maersk almost daily since the situation intensified, but that Thursday's announcement came as a surprise.
"I hope that the service is not discontinued immediately, that they will have some presence here in the next few years — a sizeable presence," he said. "My hope is people would understand the overall impact and react to that."
Robert New, owner of Charleston Port Services, said rumors of Maersk's decision to pull out had been circulating on the waterfront for several weeks.
"The ripple effect is truly dramatic," he said. "It affects harbor pilots and tugs and line handlers and warehouse people and chandlers. It's a huge economic loss to the entire region all the way down to restaurant owners and car dealers. People may not realize it, but they're going feel it in months to come."
He said South Carolina's loss would likely be Virginia or Georgia's gain.
College of Charleston economist Frank Hefner said the shipping line's departure, especially one as large as Maersk, would likely delay any economic recovery in the Charleston area.
It could even exacerbate existing problems. "Unfortunately, this may not be the bottom of the market," Hefner said. "That's really a bad sign for us."
Eyeing potential container growth that's expected to follow the completion of a new terminal on the former Navy base and the widening of the Panama Canal, warehouse developers have unveiled plans to build additional space up and down the Interstate 26 corridor.
In the Jedburg area alone, several investment groups are proposing to develop more than 12 million square feet of warehouse space during the next decade.
And a Dubai investment group recently detailed its $600 million master plan to build an industrial hub with more than 4 million square feet of warehouse space in Orangeburg County, with most cargo expected to pass through the Port of Charleston.
Michael White, an El Paso, Texas-based logistics consultant who is familiar with Charleston's port operations, said those plans were based on container-traffic growth projections.
"If the port cannot replace Maersk with an equivalent number of containers through another shipping company, then I think we'd be in real trouble with developers canceling their previous plans because their plans were based on a faulty set of assumptions," White said.
Prentiss Findlay, John McDermott, Katy Stech and Warren Wise contributed to this report. Reach Allyson Bird at abird@postandcourier.com or 937-5594.
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USC_Alumni (anonymous) says...
This is not good for Charleston, the lowcountry or the State.
The ILA literally handed their jobs to the ports of Georgia and the new huge port being built in Jacksonville.
I guess the ILA didn't realize that they are actually small fish in a very big pond.
December 19, 2008 at 12:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
Staggeringly stupid miscalculation by the ILA. Maersk is the world's largest container carrier, and Charleston will not be a port call for them in two years.
The ILA, like the UAW and other unions, are TOTALLY USELESS.
Thanks for helping to sink the Port of Charleston, idiots.
Savannah is grateful.
December 19, 2008 at 1:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jstanotherday (anonymous) says...
I think its about time they start phasing out Unions such as ILA and UAW. Seems that their usefulness has been surcombed by greed. People hire 3rd party negotiators all the time. Its time for a change nation wise!!
December 19, 2008 at 2:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Creeker01 (anonymous) says...
Yet another industry being "sunk" by unreasonable and unnegotiable Union demands in lean times.
I guess the ILA doesn't pay any attention to whats happening to Detroit.
December 19, 2008 at 4:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
JimI - You do realize that there will be approx 20% less work to do now for the bloated and over-paid ILA, right? But this is a victory...?
Unions are sinking American industry.
December 19, 2008 at 5:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
JI sort of sums up what's wrong with union thinking. It's that "us against the man" philosphy that kills business. When the employer and the employees work together to please a customer and grow a business it is usually successful. Nice work ILA just worked your self out of a job but your stll united!
December 19, 2008 at 6:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Like I said it's "US AGAINST THE MAN" even if they were going no matter what, at some point there was negotiating by Maersk.
I'm waiting on the race card to be played any moment now.... Is Dot up yet? She does know that this is going to effect the mostly black ILA?
Maybe move to Detroit and join your soon to be unemployed auto workers. You guys can pool together and build a burger joint or something. I pray your workers unionize.
December 19, 2008 at 6:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ironhorse (anonymous) says...
The Union(s) deal another blow to the South!
(JimI, don't take that out of content and get all Boy George excited).
December 19, 2008 at 6:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
conch8 (anonymous) says...
The arrogance of unions continues to amaze me. For examples just look at the steel industry of the 70's, the UAW since the 70's, the baseball umpires, the apparel industry in the south, the airline industry, everything in the northeast and now the ILA here in Charleston.
Refusal to adapt to change and pigheadedness leads to more and more people being anti-union.
December 19, 2008 at 6:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dieselman2000 (anonymous) says...
How many more unemployed workers will it take before the union workers realize they are being poorly represented? When more and more companies realize they can simply close or move uncompetitive factories and industries to circumvent the unbending union labor, the unions will have to answer to these out of work folks that are missing mortgages and not feeding thier families. Cheers to the blinded Union management for unemploying your workers. As to JI's comment about them moving anyway, here's a thought, give them what they wanted and when they leave, they look like the greedy unforgiving morons.
December 19, 2008 at 7:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
Labour unions, which started out as a benefit for the worker have now become a legal form of Mafioso that charge companies unrealistic wages and demand things that are not going to happen just to get paid..
The big 3 Auto makers are examples of companies that have been left behind because of labour unions. The companies became less innovative and much less profitable over time due to the drag of the unions.
They also began to offer inferior products to the Ja_panese because of the lack of innovation and higher cost structure.
The American steel industry was destroyed by unions as well. Today, almost all of America's steel capacity has been decimated.
There are 10 major unions with every airline.
A typical example is that unions will have a clause written into their contract that only a certified electrician is allowed to change light bulbs.
So if a light bulb goes out and the electrician is on vacation, everything dependent upon that light bulb must pause until the electrician returns.
Job security? Not anymore. Did the unions get a certified carpenter to saw the branch they were all standing on?
How about a certified plumber to fluch their jobs down the toilet?
I heard McDonalds is hiring, but JimIsland has that job!
December 19, 2008 at 7:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sixcar (anonymous) says...
A union members loyalty lies with the union, not its employer.
Even a dog knows not to bite the hand of the one who feeds it.
December 19, 2008 at 7:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarkI (anonymous) says...
It isn't the ILA that is the problem it is the SPA!!!
Commercialize the port like the rest of the ILA ports and Charleston will become competitive again! The answer is not an additional government advisory board though!
December 19, 2008 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cnstreet (anonymous) says...
More excellent union representation yet again. When are workers going to realize what a sham unions are?
December 19, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stoney1 (anonymous) says...
This is once again an example of the Union being totally out-of-touch with today's economic tragedy's. They may not be the reason, but they are most definatly part of the problem instead of the solution. Now they have been instramental in loosing one of the main components to the ports business as they are responsible for the 20% plus loss that will surely spread into other areas such as the auto industries wows has. This example of MISMANAGEMENT can no longer be tolerated in our lousy economy!!!!
December 19, 2008 at 7:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
watchdog (anonymous) says...
Japan, Germany, and the rest of the G-8 all have unions. Unions are not the problem here, its the state government running the shop. The South is famous for not treating its workers fairly, A RIGHT TO WORK STATE. Unions, bring up the quality of living standards, look at the areas on the globe that have them, then look at the areas that do not have them........
December 19, 2008 at 7:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
edwardh1 (anonymous) says...
SPA is the problem, not unions. Gee we will have less trucks on the road- THATS great!!! SPA ignores the truck impact.
The SPA just help China.
December 19, 2008 at 7:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
watchdog (anonymous) says...
Remember this my fellow South Carolinians, Maersk is moving to another union port! Think for once before acting out a fool.
December 19, 2008 at 7:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarkI (anonymous) says...
Almost every port in the US is a union port.
How many are state owned and operated???
December 19, 2008 at 8 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
exorcist_pencocky4u (anonymous) says...
Will the last person leaving the City of Charleston please turn the lights out.......
December 19, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestonian (anonymous) says...
The unions are screwing us again.. First the Auto industry and now the Shipping industry..
December 19, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
IHATEINBEV (anonymous) says...
MAYBE THOSE OTHER UNION PORTS HAVE A MORE FAVORABLE BUISNESS ATMOSPHERE, AND THE UNION OFFICALS UNDERSTAND ECONOMICS A LITTLE BETTER. CONPANIES CAN'T MAKE PROFIT WHILE PAYING UNION MEMBERS EXORBAINATE WAGES FOR NOT WORKING, IE GETTIGN PAID FOR 4 HOURS WHEN ALL THEY REALLY DID WAS 1 HOURS WORTH OF WORK. JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, UNIONS HAVE TAKEN A GOOD IDEA A PUSHED IT BEYOND ITS FUNCTIONABLE LIMITS. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN UNIONS WERE A GOOD THING. WHEN COMPANIES DIDN'T CARE ABOUT THE WORKER, ONLY PROFIT. NOW, THE UNION WORKERS DON'T CAE ABOUT THE COMPANY, ONLY UNREALISTIC WAGES AND BENIFITS. THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT WHEN TIMES ARE GOOD, BUT THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHEN TIMES ARE BAD, THEY HAVE TO BE REALISTIC. MAYBE THEY CAN USE ALL THE TIME OFF FROM WORK THEY WILL HAVE IN THE COMING MONTHS TO TAKE SOME CLASSES ON ECOMICS. THEY ARE ALREADY GOING TO BE USING MY TAX MONEY FOR UNENPLOYEMENT. THEY MIGHT AS WELL USE IT TO GO TO TRIDENT TECH ALSO.
December 19, 2008 at 8:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ConcernedinCHS (anonymous) says...
If this will eventually lead to a 20% reduction in road enraged idiot tractor trailer drivers than I am all for it! That would equate to 20% less people they kill each year on 526.
December 19, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
prosperous_hb (anonymous) says...
lmbo @ exorcist_pencocky4u
December 19, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truthseeker (anonymous) says...
It is time we started asking the right questions.
How much less will Maersk pay per box at other regional ports like Savannah than the deal proposed here in Charleston?
Why is our inept port management and our elected officials still planning on building another terminal at the Navy Base and spending $180 million taxpayer dollars we do not have for a port access road when their 3 existing terminals are operating at less than 50% capacity today- before losing their largest customer?
How much of Maersk's current Charleston business will just move up to Maersk's state of the art new terminal in Norfolk?
Should our state government be in the business of handling containers competing with large international steamship lines as they build their own container terminals?
December 19, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
grannyofseven_2 (anonymous) says...
More people out of work and no money to cover unemployment wages, thanks to our GREAT governor. He wont sign for the loan so we get nothings for hard work done.
He will sit back and enjoy the holidays, while the rest of us worry about our future
JOB WELL DONE GOVERNOR. HEY That COULD MAKE YOU PRESIDENT NEXT GO AROUND.
December 19, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
watchdog "Japan, Germany, and the rest of the G-8 all have unions."
Tell me, do any of those countrys have a large military force that has protected there collective arses since the end of WW2? Answer = NO.
There is a reason that those nations are able to be socialized and unionized, they have had the American taxpayer supporting the defence of their nations for over 60 years. Thats trillions that we, the US (right or wrong) have spent on defence to cover their arses.
December 19, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
grannyofseven_2 (anonymous) says...
oops wrong story sorry
December 19, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
geekboy (anonymous) says...
Please do not feed the troll.
December 19, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tulane75 (anonymous) says...
Maersk blamed the International Longshoremen's Association, because anti-union positions play well in South Carolina.
The Union is an easy target, as evidenced by the posters above who take Maersk's bait, hook, line and sinker. Taking the Maersk statements at face value is simply irresponsible! There is more to the story.
December 19, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Don't forget about the additional port SC is planning to build in Jasper County. The Ports Authority is too good a political plum to give up. Between the union and the government, it looks like we're doomed again. I believe that a private company with some limited government oversight and with no union would be more innovative and cost effective for the port and more responsive to the community needs.
December 19, 2008 at 8:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tides (anonymous) says...
The stubborn Union brought this on themselves and the States economy. But just listen to them deny that fact. They are liars. They are responsible. That is the reality. Not some delusional defense that they did not cause it.
THANK YOU. Bunch of over paid wussies.
December 19, 2008 at 8:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tides (anonymous) says...
This country is going into a depression. Bailing out the auto workers is totally insane. They will just rip everyone of us off before they go belly up.
December 19, 2008 at 8:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
algorelost (anonymous) says...
Looks like more containers for the port of savannah.
Mearsk is common user in savannah.
December 19, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dawhetsell (anonymous) says...
A union job at a pay scale of $60.00 per hour with no work or a nonunion job at $25.00 per hour with a 40 hour work week. Which one would you want? The unions cost is about $400.00 per container to load or unload. It could be done for a lot less.also check the port fees which are about$300.00 per container. These cost are more than the shipping companies make bring the containers from China. Something is wrong with this picture. This is not counting the Federal goverments duties and fees.
December 19, 2008 at 9:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tides (anonymous) says...
JimIslander,
You are a sunk ship. Give up your silly rants. ULA brought this on themselves. Don't you keep up with the news? Read the history. Unions are the sole cause of this pull out. Unions have forces many American jobs overseas. I have seen it happen time and time and time again.
Lay off for the ULA is coming. Will there be any money to pay unemployment? Do you think Congress should get their $5000.00 raise this January 1st? All of our politicians are mostly worthless and corrupt. But idiots keep re-electing the charismatic psychopath, like McConnell and Graham.
December 19, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
Daw
Thinks for the info - very interesting. I can see why the shipper wants to be out of here. Perhaps some others will leave.
December 19, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CHRISJIII (anonymous) says...
How can this be the fault of the ILA? It's more the fault of the SPA's mismanagement and a lack of support for SC's workers by the state govenment. It all boils down to another attempt at union busting.Good riddance Maersk!!!
December 19, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tc1 (anonymous) says...
Yes, they are willing to pay the immeadiate and future greater costs and hassel to move to a different port. After all they have an obligation to their investers who rightly expect management to provide them a loss on their investments so they feel less guilty about having anything to invest anyway. In the new location it will cost them much more to do business, the righteous will rejoice, eventually they will be broke, investers will no longer feel guilt, labor will be proud for having got their fair share and all will be good.
December 19, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zmysticman (anonymous) says...
When every other port in the nation is UNION OWNED, except SC and GA, were do you think Maersk is going to take their business. Yep, thats right, to another UNION OWNED port. WAY TO GO SPA, now Maersk is gone, the cruise ships are leaving who is next Evergreen?
December 19, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Test2007 (anonymous) says...
People are soooo gullible in SC. All you have to do is say the catch phrase and everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Of course they KNOW that the South is anti-union so of course that is what the excuses are. I also like the fact that people are calling them overpaid. Sounds a bit like jealousy. That is not an easy job. Why don't you go do and try it? Bunch of whining babies...
moonpie - shut up. You mention the race card being played? Well guess what? YOU just played it you idiot.
Tide - I think it is hilarious when i hear people bash the autoworker bailout, esp people in the South. Could it be b/c most of our automakers in this region are foreign.??
hmmmm
December 19, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stand_united_unemployed (anonymous) says...
Say's it right here folks. A comment from the company that's LEAVING: "The South Carolina State Ports Authority offered us a workable solution that involved a move into the common yard, but we need the consent of the local ILA to accomplish the move," Magliola said. "The ILA refused to consent"
Show me the scapegoat in the above comment. It doesn't take a sixth grade education to figure out who's at fault here.
December 19, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jug (anonymous) says...
I find it interesting that Maersk went from 15 ships a week to 5 long before this article and now because of the union they are going to leave? Seems to me they had plans on leaving Charleston before the union issue came up?
December 19, 2008 at 9:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wjhamilton3 (anonymous) says...
So the SPA gives us an industry which is busy trying to cut wages and moving towards subsidies from the state. We're about to spend billions of dollars to build excess port capacity which we will have to subsidize to compete with Savannah. All of this so American workers can compete more directly with the slave labor of China while our industry fails because Walmart is full of Chinese goods.
This is a world where a handful of people will end up being wealthy and the vast majority of humanity will have nothing.
If we're going to turn our entire harbor over to the SPA, shouldn't we get decent high paying employment for it? I've known a lot of ILA members over the years. They send their kids to college, support their churches and are active members of the community. They're a perfect example of why it is good for people to earn a living wage. They're not perfect people, but they clearly show that paying people well provides a better quality of life for them and their communities.
We drive our local economy towards jobs which pay under ten dollars an hour and then bitch because we don't like the results.
The road back to the Plantation and the whip isn't going to be accepted without a fight.
December 19, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truthseeker (anonymous) says...
Does anyone know the amount of production hours Maersk has been doing at the SPA terminals this year??
Take a look at this chart from the SPA from 2004 showing the amount of hours Maersk containers were worked versus the other carriers.
Maersk's move will be a staggering loss for Charleston port volume .
http://www.containtheport.com/contain...
December 19, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
I really don't know Jack about port operations. I do know that the containerizing of cargo was to save costs on the pier - no more off loading of loose cargo by hand and no more pilfering of goods on the water front. We seem to have some prounion folks on board and hopefully some of them are "working" ILA folks - what do the ILA folks do for their $60+ per hour?
December 19, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MarkI (anonymous) says...
Maersk is going to another UNION port so that can't be the only reason for the move. Does anyone really think they will get a better deal there?
The UNION card was the easy one with this pull-out but the real reason for the move is an inflexible bureaucracy called the SPA. I don't argue that union workers make a good wage, but that isn't the issue here....
The same union will have workers making these wages wherever Maersk goes!!!
Read between the lines and see the answer!
December 19, 2008 at 10:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kroonerrater (anonymous) says...
That is a really cool picture of the Maersk's truck!!!
December 19, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scottmcx (anonymous) says...
Once again the Unions save us. Freaking smart, guys. I'm looking to buy a small warehouse so the prices are probably going to drop. Thanks ILA.
December 19, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
Mark
Yes - the SPA is in the equation for this move (the 5% discount reported in a previous article speaks volumes). I believe the shipper is building a facility where they will have less port costs and will be able to use nonunion workers, both of which will reduce the costs of handling cargo at a port.
December 19, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
amembersid (anonymous) says...
Go to THESTATE.COM>news>politics>(scroll halfway down page)>salary database. A lot of people looking out the window at union workers, if they showed up today.
December 19, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
For some reason, the most informative statement in this comment section was structured as a question.
"Almost every port in the US is a union port. How many are state owned and operated???"
December 19, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lookcloser (anonymous) says...
So were did the 56 million dollars that state port made last year go? They paid no state taxes on the profit or on thier land so were did it go? Im just woundering if the state is in such term oil over this move then why dosnt the state port just forgive the 5 million APM terminals owes and keep with buissness as it is. Is a state run agence that receives grants and no paback loans from tax payers allowed to bid on jobs in the private sector, seems to me there more to this story than the SC tax payers are seeing. I wold like to see the gov. of this great state tell me why the state port pays no tax but yet we need to shut down schools and cut firemen and police because we didnt have enough tax money this year. So before I point fingers I want the whole truth and not some little piece printed in a newspaper.
December 19, 2008 at 11:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SC_Native_ElCid07 (anonymous) says...
"The South Carolina State Ports Authority offered us a workable solution that involved a move into the common yard, but we need the consent of the local ILA to accomplish the move," Magliola said. "The ILA refused to consent"
There is an older gentleman who I know well that is a longshoreman. His job description is a "water boy" as he describes it. He literally brings the workers on the docks water. He fills up the water coolers etc. He has been working there since he was 18 yrs old and is now 70 yrs old so he has put his time in. He plans to keep working for at least another 10 yrs he said. The money is too good to quit he says. He makes in excess of $200k a year. Really, no joke, I have seen his tax returns. He tells me he works no more than a few days week for no more than a few hours a day. He's got it made in the shade he thinks.
This is the kind of ridiculous stuff that happens in unions. Pure BS.
Good job ILA, the ports are screwed.
You that spew off good riddance to Maersk like a bunch of idiots might as well in the same breathe say good riddance to your job. A quarter of the ports revenue just went to Savannah. Your a fool if you think that is not going to affect on you and the local economy directly.
December 19, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
notax (anonymous) says...
Let's not forget the efforts of the SC Coastal Conservation League to undermine the Ports Authority! The SCCCL has cost taxpayers thousands of dollars already! Their tactics are used not only against big companies, but also against the "little guy." They seem to have endless sums of money (they are a tax exempt organization) to fight for various and sundry matters that are at times just ludicrous!
http://coastalconservationleague.org/...
December 19, 2008 at 11:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bigwhip (anonymous) says...
It is all about greed and the lack of compromise. Maersk, SPA, and the ILA are at fault. Also remember that the ILA built a new office building several years back on Morrison Dr. It was built with non-union labor.
December 19, 2008 at 11:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
longshoremans_wife (anonymous) says...
Many of you should not comment unless you know what you are talking about. The ILA had reasons for not complying to the demands that Maersk made in order for them to stay at the Port of Charleston.
Maybe the local and state government should have backed the port when business first started to decline instead of waiting until now to say they need to do something. There are thousands of people who are employeed at the port and if the port can not survive here, then the economy in Charleston will suffer tremendoulsly. Its about time for our government officials realize this and begin to support the port instead of pointing blame at the ILA.
As far as the pay is concerned, maybe some of you should have applied at the port when you had the opportunity and you could be earning the same wage as my husband. However, I hate to burst your bubble, but it is no where near $60.00 an hour.
December 19, 2008 at 11:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lookcloser (anonymous) says...
No major shipping terminals in the us are nonuion run.But I beleave that the real ? is why are we so ready to hang the uion when the state port pays there workers 20.00 an hour and charges 56.00 an hour to the company that the use them for? Why cant the stateport who always points fingers at others print what there no taxed money goes to how about Grosseclose,what was his role in all of this. WHy is it he makes well over six figures and nobaody say anything about his salary? I just saying before we point fingers lets make everyone put their cards on the table and who ever holding at the end is the one that dosnt want SC tax payers to know what the truth really is.
December 19, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
bigwhip,
So you know for a fact that the electricians were not members of a union? You know for a fact that the plumbers were not members of a union?
I ask these two questions because I know (as the ILA knows) that these are the only two unions in Charleston that are in the construction industry. The nearest Carpenters local is in Columbia and I personally have never met a dues paying carpenter. Have you ever met a union carpenter in a 100 mile radius of Charleston?
Your effort to make a point was futile......
December 19, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
watchdog "Japan, Germany, and the rest of the G-8 all have unions."
Anyone see what happened in France when the transit union shut down? Chaos.
How about that trash workers strike in Italy. You like driving around mountains of garbage in the streets being pilfered by rats?
How about the German public workers strike? No airlines, no trains, no busses, no garbage service, backlogs at airlines around the world. That's working for ya.
How about when the east coast port workers striked because the ports wanted those guys with clipboards to use handheld computers and barcode readers to improve efficiency? Billions lost around the world because suddenly there is no movement of cargo on the entire east coast, just because it would take fewer workers to do the same job with computers than with clipboards and paper.
Yeah, unions are great. We need more of them.
December 19, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCHoser (anonymous) says...
This is going to be a hard lesson in economics for people who just don't get it. Yes, it may take a few trucks off the road, ease water traffic a tad, but this is going to cost a few hundred people their jobs. Yes, it would have been unfortunate to not work a few union workers. But now, we are going to have lots more people than that out of work. This isn't about "the man" getting richer or back door deals-it is about the people in the lowcountry who depend on the ports and their services for jobs. Life is what it is-there are those power people who have all the money, and the rest of us who want to make a living. GET USED TO IT-LIFE IS NOT FAIR. Not everyone can make huge money-that's just the way it is. Now it will be even harder for lots of folks. WELL DONE TO ALL PARTIES INVOLVED HERE! No one wanted to give a little, so Maersk took it all away. dumbazzes
December 19, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
We will need bigger taxpayer funded tourist traps to provide jobs for the out of work ILA workers since the ships are leaving. They can help load tourists on tour boats and load fish into the new and improved SC Aquarium.
December 19, 2008 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TRODI (anonymous) says...
Posted by truthseeker on December 19, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Does anyone know the amount of production hours Maersk has been doing at the SPA terminals this year??
Take a look at this chart from the SPA from 2004 showing the amount of hours Maersk containers were worked versus the other carriers.
Maersk's move will be a staggering loss for Charleston port volume .
http://www.containtheport.com/contain/in...
Man that info is so old and outdated.yes mearsk is a big chunk of the volume.some of the lines on that link dont even exist anymore period.and theres a hand full that arent mentioned and the volumes are way off.yeah its a big loss but that info on that link is garbage at best not your fault you didnt know.mearsk cut back a lot of work since then.mearsk has done itself in .they have poor customer service when they purchased a smaller line years ago over half that lines business left from bad customer service.this isnt the ila fault it isnt the ports fault.its mismanagement at maersk over the years has finally done them in.maersk signed a bad contract and wanted out with out paying for equipment. on the other hand i do hate to see them leave i have many friends and family that depend on the port for jobs some ila some not some drive trucks.hopefully the port can bring some volume up of other lines.also there is a remote possibility that some kind of agreement can be reached in the next year until mearsk is totally gone theres still a chance to work something out. .rerouting a ship isnt that difficult.
December 19, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
1. Maersk is the CUSTOMER of the Port of Charleston. As with any business, you know the customer has the right to choose to work with you or not. Maersk made the choice.
2. The ILA voted not to give them the consent to use the common area (the non-union area). Their ACTION is the problem. WHY does the ILA have to give consent for the CUSTOMER to choose? If you want to go to Subway for lunch, would it be fair for Skoogie's to have to give you consent for you to do that? What kind of "business" is that?
3. Mearsk would not have left anyway. Serving the SE US from Norfolk isn't feasible, and a full move to SAV would be costly unless there were big problems with CHS. They may have reduced port calls but, again, they need to run their business the best way they can based on the options available to them. If CHS was a more attractive option they may have invested here instead of Norfolk.
4. Most other US ports, like Charleston, have union and non-union areas. But, for stupid reasons, there are union contracts which prevent CUSTOMERS from choosing what to use on their own. Like in this case.
5. The fact that our port is state run instead of a corporation is also a problem, but not the root cause of this Maersk issue.
6. Unions were once valuable when there were no OSHA laws, child labor laws, min wage laws, etc. BUT NOW THERE ARE, and that's been the situation for decades. Unions now are group wage/benefit extortion but they are collapsging the businesses they are still involved in, like steel (done) and auto mfg (in progress). And of course shipping.
7. The BUSIEST container port in the world is Singapore. No unions but high standard of living. Although, interestingly, Maersk doesn't use Singapore much at all. They use the competing Tanjung Pelapas port in nearby Malaysia, which they own a big chunk of.
The lesson from #7 is that A) Maersk and other big carriers may want to control a big portion of their costs directly and get more involved in port/terminal operations and B) a well-run and cost-effective (ie non-union) port can still be very successful even without Maersk.
Charleston is no Singapore.
December 19, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
If B_Fwank knew half of what he was talking about he would be dangerous.
While steel has been battered and bruised it is far from dead. It was well documented by the steel industry that the unlevel international market was it's greatest article. Steel took that beating from communist governments subsidizing their industry. American steel came back as that same government realized they needed the steel for their growing country. What hurt steel? The US import/export tax policy.
What about the automobile industry. Well, Toyota and Nissan have already received their "bailout" from Japan. Kia received theirs from Korea. Mercedes and BMW have been busy taking handouts from the Germans. It is only in the US that politicians have held their noses high and said, "You are not worthy." I wonder what the rest of the world realizes that the US does not realize. But this is just half of the story......
Do you realize that US automobiles are popular are over the world? Somehow even with the tilted trade policies that our government continues to negotiate, american cars do make it through the 20-30% tariff imposed upon them when they reach a foreign border. But the popularity does not end their. YOUR car ends up in a foreign country. Yes I said, "YOUR CAR". When you have that traffic accident and the insurance company decides that it's a destruction, they auction that car. Bids come for that car from all over the world. Your local junkyard competes with that bid. Your local rebuilder competes with that bid. If you didn't already know, the dollar (in exchange) is worth nothing. The destroyed car (which is still a driver) leaves this country as parts. Your government has negotiated contracts that dictate parts leave this country with no impose duties. So all over the world our junk is being driven. Left here in America is the insurance cost. Left here in America are NEW cars that must compete with your junk (purchased for pennies) across the border.
You want to know the REAL problem B_Fwank? It is that your government does not like you as much as they like the rest of the impoverished world. They look at you (just as you look at us) and say "pull yourself up by the bootstraps. This is America!" as they give what is left of America away.......
December 19, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TRODI (anonymous) says...
Posted by longshoremans_wife on December 19, 2008 at 11:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Many of you should not comment unless you know what you are talking about. The ILA had reasons for not complying to the demands that Maersk made in order for them to stay at the Port of Charleston.
Maybe the local and state government should have backed the port when business first started to decline instead of waiting until now to say they need to do something. There are thousands of people who are employeed at the port and if the port can not survive here, then the economy in Charleston will suffer tremendoulsly. Its about time for our government officials realize this and begin to support the port instead of pointing blame at the ILA.
As far as the pay is concerned, maybe some of you should have applied at the port when you had the opportunity and you could be earning the same wage as my husband. However, I hate to burst your bubble, but it is no where near $60.00 an hour.
Good post!
December 19, 2008 at 12:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JF (anonymous) says...
2007 teu count
1 LA 8,355,039
2 LONG BEACH 7,316,465
3 NEW YORK 5,299,105
4 SAVANNAH 2,604,312
5 OAKLAND 2,388,182
6 HAMPTON ROADS VA 2,128,366
7 SEATTLE 1,973,504
8 TACOMA 1,924,934
9 HOUSTON 1,768,627
10 CHARLESTON 1,754,377
this basis if Maersk Pulls out CHS will not be a top ten container port. Does it really make sense to create a new terminal in North Charleston?
December 19, 2008 at 12:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Smart_Enough_2_Know_Better (anonymous) says...
There is one silver lining in all of this- less trucks on the road. And less trucks on the road means less wear and tear on the infrastructure, safer driving conditions and a cleaner environment.
Let the industrial base leave. Attract high-tech and knowledge companies while building a much more educated workforce to support them. THAT should be the future of SC, not cargo containers.
December 19, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
Wow Cid95!! You sure were quick to renegotiate a contract for less favorable conditions for yourself.
Will you come make your case to the people that service my mortgage? I am the customer afterall. I mean I get to choose don't I? Just because I signed this 30 year contract doesn't mean I am bound to the terms. I should get a chance to renegotiate with them instead of someone else. As you have clearly documented, they should be more than willing to renegotiate. Heck, Countrywide should be more than willing to renegotiate with me in their current financial state. They do know I could go elsewhere and they should act hastily with that knowledge.
December 19, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TRODI (anonymous) says...
Posted by Smart_Enough_2_Know_Better on December 19, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There is one silver lining in all of this- less trucks on the road. And less trucks on the road means less wear and tear on the infrastructure, safer driving conditions and a cleaner environment.
Let the industrial base leave. Attract high-tech and knowledge companies while building a much more educated workforce to support them. THAT should be the future of SC, not cargo containers.
So they can be outsourced to india in a few years.a diversity of jobs in the area would be great.safer driving conditions your driving conditions are from the elected officials.too little roads to late .everytime they build a roads its 10 years outdated.speaking of education why is it that georgia and floridas schools have plenty of money from their lottery and they have adequate roads.your elected officials strike again.i dont see many trucks on 17 or Dorchester rd during rush hour.i suppose trucks are blocking the iop connector on the weekends too!look at the design on the 526 lets go to 3 lanes then back to two.duh!i26 needs to be 12-16 lanes all the way to summerville.then going to 8 all the way to the i 95 exit.
December 19, 2008 at 12:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sc_native (anonymous) says...
Well done Unions! Once again you have proved that you are totally useless.
December 19, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
Hey Zod, you can renegotiate your mortgage. Tell them you're going to go with another mortgage company to refinance at better terms, and they'll probably work with you. If you can get a better rate at a different company they'll pay off your present mortgage and take your business, and your current company knows that and would probably rather renegotiate than let you do that. Of course, you do have to get a good enough rate at a different company to have the leverage, but it's doable. People do it every day.
December 19, 2008 at 1:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
ZOD,
So they're right. But they're also wrong, because today these same companies do business in a much different way. Faced with fierce competition and the globalization of the automotive industry, Ford and General Motors have looked outside our borders for cheaper parts and assembly; as the cost of building a car has gone up and the responsibility of pensions and pay has weighed down, US automakers have been getting decidedly less American, and the national distinction of their vehicles considerably more blurry. At the same time, foreign automakers have invested here; the likes of Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and others have put down stakes and have built their own American legacy over the span of 30 years. Now, generations of Americans look at these companies as the providers of the American Ideal. While traditional US automakers have been closing plants and moving production, foreign automakers have busied themselves with opening new plants, design shops and parts centers, employing people and rejuvenating local economies. Today, their cars are just as American as any other.
Dodge is owned by a German company, DaimlerChrysler, and because its parts content does not reach the US threshold of 75 percent, it's actually an import.
Recently opened plants include the Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi, and a Toyota truck plant outside San Antonio, Texas. Inside, automotive assembly plants are sprawling creations filled with thousands of robotics, people and cars. There's a car line that weaves from room to room, constantly carrying vehicles in various stages of manufacture, being assembled by hundreds of people at various posts along the line. Coming plants include a Kia plant in Georgia and a Honda plant in Indiana.
December 19, 2008 at 1:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
MAKE/MODEL ASSEMBLY PARTS STATUS
Jeep Liberty USA 74% IMPORT
Dodge Ram USA 74% IMPORT
Jeep Grand Cherokee USA 73% IMPORT
Lincoln Navigator USA 70% IMPORT
Dodge Caliber USA 70% IMPORT
Toyota Tacoma USA 70% IMPORT
Honda Accord USA 70% IMPORT
Honda Civic USA 70% IMPORT
Honda Odyssey USA 70% IMPORT
Chevy Impala CANADA 92% IMPORT
http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/inth...
December 19, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
longshoremans_wife (anonymous) says...
You're right MajorJohnson, Zod can refinance his house, but I think you are missing his point. He can not change the conditions of his contract unless he pays off what he already owes to the original lender. Which is exactly what Maersk did. They agreed to a contract, but now they want out of the contract with no consequences. The world does not work that way. If you agree to a contract then you are responsible for the terms and conditions of that contract. I guess this applies to everyone except Maersk.
December 19, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gamecock1 (anonymous) says...
.....continued from above
Maersk has to cut back on the cargo it brings into the Port of Charleston. This violates the contract with the SPA, which holds Maersk to its agreement and starts to panelize them for loss of cargo brought into the Port. These penalties in dollar amounts start to add up and Maersk finds themselves in debt by MILLIONS of dollars. Maersk asks if the SPA will release them from their agreement and just charge them for the equipment and SPA personnel they now are forced to use due to the reduction of cargo. And here we find a familiar pattern. The SPA refuses to negotiate with Maersk, so Maersk only other option is to ask if it can go to the Common Use Compound. The SPA benefits by this because labor is cut out of the picture and they get all the revenue generated by this. Now before you think it, this does not help the State. The SPA uses all the funds to maintain the terminals and pay management and its employees. But if you worked on the terminals you would see the deteriation of the facilities and equipment. And if you look into this yourselves you will find the SPA management (Bernard S. Groseclose, SPA president and CEO & friends) have reaped the rewards by increasing their salaries.
By doing so Maersk is forced to break the Labor Contract with the ILA. This means a loss of work and jobs for the ILA. In the past, the ILA has relinquished work to keep a good relationship with both shippers and the SPA. That loss of work amounted to hundreds of hours for ILA employees. If Maersk is forced to use the Common Use Compound, the loss of jobs will severely hurt ILA employees at a time when their workload is already cut by the reduction of cargo coming into the Port of Charleston. A reduction caused by the stubbornness of the SPA to be flexible to shippers who are also facing the reduction of business because of the global economy. So the ILA, in its efforts to hold onto jobs and work, will not agree to release Maersk from their labor agreement, making them the bad guys. Go figure!
December 19, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gamecock1 (anonymous) says...
Maersk agreed to a contract with the SPA and the ILA. In the SPA contract it agreed to move a certain amount of cargo through the port of Charleston, use an agreed amount of equipment owned by the SPA, with that equipment came the SPA nonunion personnel to operate it.
The contract with the ILA agrees to use Union labor as mechanics, inbound and outbound scales operators, container maintenance and upkeep, and compound assistance for private container haulers ,and compound yard hustler drivers to move containers around the yards.
With the building of the Savannah Terminal, Maersk was forced by Wal-Mart, Target, etc, to use the Port of Savannah. Savannah Port Authority was very savvy to go after the retailers and work out deals for them to build large distribution centers at attractive cost to them. By doing this it forced the shippers to put into the port there. Wal-Mart wanted to use the warehouse at the Wando Welch Terminal for their distribution center. The SPA had certain terms for them to sign the contract but Wal-Mart found them to be in disagreement. Given the amount of business this would generate for the Port of Charleston and the public sector here, you would think the SPA would work out something with Wal-Mart to keep them here. Instead the SPA would not budge and Savannah swooped in and gave them a deal they could not refused. By the way, Wal-Mart is a major client of Maersk and thus generates a lot of revenue for the company. And let's face it, that's what Maersk is in business for.
.....continue below
December 19, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gamecock1 (anonymous) says...
my comments should be read in reverse order
December 19, 2008 at 1:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
ZOD - check the date on this article
March 4 , 2002, 8:00 a.m.
Steeling the Future
The history of the U.S. steel industry over the last several decades has been pretty much a continuous effort to get restrictions on imports, which it blames for falling sales. In reality, unions deserve most of the blame for saddling the industry with labor costs far out of line with productivity. But management is also culpable for buying them off with future pension and health benefits that would not have to be paid until they were long retired themselves.
The legacy of this live-for-today attitude has now come home to roost. The few remaining steel companies must now pay massive sums each year to retired workers. Retiree health benefits alone consume more than $1 billion per year of steel industry profits.
In the years since the promises were made to provide these benefits, the steel industry has shrunk to a fraction of its former size. The economy simply does not need as much steel as it once did. With less output and fewer workers to bear the cost of paying benefits to retirees, the cost of producing steel domestically is just too high to be competitive, resulting in higher imports.
The steel companies and unions believe that if tariffs were imposed on foreign steel, then prices would rise by enough to make domestically-produced steel competitive again. The problem is that in making steel producers more competitive, higher prices will make industries that use steel less competitive. Since there are many more businesses that use steel than produce it, the economy as a whole suffers. Estimates are that 8 times as many jobs will be lost in steel-consuming businesses than would be saved among steel producers.
**What clearly tips the balance against protection, in my view, is the fact that there are many other industries that would also like protection. If Mr. Bush grants it to steel, he will be hard pressed to reject protection for autos, semiconductors, and others less deserving than steel.**
One of the reasons for Mr. Bush's high standing in the polls is that Americans respect his willingness to make tough decisions about the war against terrorism. He may be squandering that, too, if he bails out the steel industry.
http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_ba...
REMEMBER THE DATE ON THE ABOVE ARTICLE - read the last
2 paragraghs again.
December 19, 2008 at 1:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
B_Fwank (anonymous) says...
"The few remaining steel companies must now pay massive sums each year to retired workers. Retiree health benefits alone consume more than $1 billion per year of steel industry profits." <----sound familiar?
December 19, 2008 at 1:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TRODI (anonymous) says...
Georgia's chamber of commerce and its public also support its port.i also hear that walmart wants to open its own terminal and use its own ships.twic also had a role in the demise of walmart in charleston warehouse.the temporary employees not being able to access the warehouse with out it.
December 19, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
longshoremans_wife (anonymous) says...
Gamecock1 has hit the nail on the head! Everyone is so quick to blame the ILA before knowing the facts.
Its about time Bernie Glosseclose is replaced and get someone in here that has the Port's best interest in mind instead of only thier own.
December 19, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TRODI (anonymous) says...
With mearsk leaving the jobs are gone for the ila anyway correct?wouldnt it be wise to make concessions and at least have the vessel work instead of no work?some work is better than none.
December 19, 2008 at 1:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TRODI (anonymous) says...
Personally i think the spa and the ila should make some concessions to keep the work in charleston.work together instead of against each other.
December 19, 2008 at 1:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lookcloser (anonymous) says...
This is for CID95 do you even know what it means to have a contract?I mean really not knowing alot about the whole picture I beleave you have to realize that in todays market to let companys start breaking contracts would make contracts useless.*2* If they let a state run company bid aginst private companys theres no way they could win. A company with state backing could under bid any company in the world.The state port gets tax money grants every year and still pays no profit tax or land tax.Name one private run company that gets that deal?Do we know all the facts or are you jumping the gun?I wish we could be more of a together state than fight over who gets paid more. This is to Smart_Enough_2_Know_Better ,are you even from SC?This state was built off of the ports,not somebody building high tech.Not sure but I cant stand for people to move here and then want to change whats been here for years.Really the only people to blame about your roads are your state,but state port pays no tax to help fix the roads so why not let them make more money and still not fix the roads great plan,and those trucks you dislike so much how would products get to your stores?,how about we just take all danger off the road and walk everywhere?Now thats safe roads.Remember that 526 was built to releave truck traffic off of 26,then pepole thought DI was prime prop. and now whine that to many trucks are on 526,were does it end?
December 19, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
Although this is going to be tough, and probably the equivalent of when we lost the Navy base, we will recover. Look at it this way, maybe we will soon be able to drive down I-26 without having the 18-wheelers running us off the road.
Charleston needs to focus more on cruise ship ports to recover from this.
December 19, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jgking (anonymous) says...
way to go ILA.. what a bunch of arrogent idiots!
maybe its time for a refresher course in business 101... THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT! If any business chooses to place 20% of their eggs in one basket they better shutup and listen when that customer says they have a problem with something. Is the ILA so arrogant that they honestly and truly think they have a permament choke hold on a company as large and successful as maersk.. Whats next.. a 10 billion dollar stimulus package request to keep the port alive another year. I personally cant believe it took this long. I know lets go down to the wando terminal and flip a few cars over and have an all out riot because we truly believe that a $150 per hour double overtime rate is acceptable for some one to stand around and watch some one else check numbers off a clipboard.
December 19, 2008 at 3:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodkarmasc (anonymous) says...
The port paid over 40 million on construction of the Ravenel bridge. The port declined money from the state to build the new road for North Charleston, they will pay for it themselves. The port receives no money from the state, but rather pays big bucks out in infrastructure, jobs, and is a very good neighbor. They have helped schools, families, and area cities when in need. To simply dismiss the port as bad for the Charleston area is biting the hand that feeds you.
December 19, 2008 at 3:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChrisPia (anonymous) says...
http://archives.postandcourier.com/ar...
This might shed some light on what is going on.
December 19, 2008 at 3:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bigwhip (anonymous) says...
Zod, it may have been futile to you; that piece of info came from the general contractor which may not mean anything to you.
December 19, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gamecock1 (anonymous) says...
iceman,
I hope you will be interested to know that this is the last year for the cruise ships to call on Charleston. the SPA has run them off too. They are moving to Jacksonville I believe, and their reason is because the SPA charges them 110.00 per person to allow them to use the passenger terminal and parking lot.
So much for the cruise ships, and guess what the ILA has nothing to do with it.
December 19, 2008 at 4:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gamecock1 (anonymous) says...
jkking,
what are you smoking? 150.00 per hour DOT, you're nuts. I can tell with positive knowledge that there is not 1 ILA member who ever made that kind of pay. Stop your BS and stick to facts, type what you know not what you assume.
December 19, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
urvoucher (anonymous) says...
There should be some kind of happy middle for all. I say dis bann the union all together. Just look at the big 3 automakers.
December 19, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yird (anonymous) says...
Posted by Test2007 on December 19, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
people are calling them overpaid. Sounds a bit like jealousy. That is not an easy job. Why don't you go do and try it? Bunch of whining babies...
=========================================================
Where did you get the idea this a hard job, from the movies? On the Waterfront
staring Marlin Brando!
The days of working down in the holds with a baling hook are long over. That pretty much went out with the old stick boom freighters.
Now the containers are loaded on the ships with cranes and the longshoreman put the lashings on. As soon as the ship leaves port the crew have to go out on deck and tighten all the lashings that the longshoreman failed to do properly.
Admittedly, Charleston was the fastest turnaround port on the east coast but the quality of performance was as poor as other ports.
The compensation for longshoreman is unreal. Men with seniority show up for job call, those with less seniority get sent to the gangs to work, the senior men get sent home and paid for it.
In the ports of New York and Port Elisabeth for example, many of the senior ILA members run "gypsy" cabs after they get paid for not working the ship, then they make extra money driving seaman to the airport, or where ever they are going.
The shipping companies are afraid to anger the union for fear that they will walk off the ship and extend the in port time which comes to mega bucks.
I'm no big fan of the shipping companies but there is plenty of skulduggery on the part of the unions.
December 19, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Sorry JI you lose AGAIN!
December 19, 2008 at 5:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
palmettotree (anonymous) says...
from longshoremanswife: As far as the pay is concerned, maybe some of you should have applied at the port when you had the opportunity and you could be earning the same wage as my husband. However, I hate to burst your bubble, but it is no where near $60.00 an hour.
ma'am, i beg to differ with you if you are implying that your husband works for the port if he does not if he is a longshoreman. They are two different entitys. I know this for a fact. I also work along the waterfront and honey, your husband ain't that close to heaven. The ILA was stupid for turning down Maersk. I guess they just didn't realize who their decision would affect. It affects not only them but the whole area. What will happen to you and your family when there isn't that much work? I wish you and your family well. Hopefully the port can get some more business in here to take the place of Maersk but with the economy that is up in the air.
December 19, 2008 at 5:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truthseeker (anonymous) says...
I really would like to know what other taxpayers think of the SPA continuing with plans for the navy base container terminal. In 2008, the SPA is going to handle approx. 1.7 million TEU's. Maersk's 20+% loss will take forecasted SPA TEU volume down to 1.36 million TEU's . Today, the SPA states on its website that its existing 3 container terminals can handle over 2.5 million TEU's. So doesn't it seem rather foolhardy to anyone else to force taxpayers to invest in a 4th terminal with no assurance of any future business in this economic climate?
I put a piece in below from the P&C December 2007 detailing the $167 million state taxpayers have already committed to for funding just the port access road. I believe other agencies in our state could sure make better use of $167 million dollars.
http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/d...
The state Legislature has so far committed $167.5 million for construction of a road to accommodate traffic from the port site to I-26.
The $13.5 million contract approved on Thursday by the SPA is a fraction of the overall $550 million estimated for the port project. But getting construction under way is a big step toward its eventual completion, hopefully in 2013.
December 19, 2008 at 7:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dockworker (anonymous) says...
What a bunch of fools that write as if they actually know the facts. The SPA is a state gov entity that made $54.7 million last year and have $191.7 million cash in the bank. The SPA pays no taxes or pays no rent to the state and keeps all profits and their $191 million for themselves while the state lays off teachers and closes down disabled childrens centers. How many of you arm chair critics have actually spent a hour walking on the docks meeting the men and women members of the ILA and see what they do? Have you ever seen one of your fellow workers/friends crushed to death, his blood and guts on the dock while trying his best to load or unload a ship, I have seen 3 and have been first responder on many others. The ILA members move over $60 billion a year worth of cargo in a highly dangerous atmosphere. What do some of you fools want, everyone making a walmart salary, no benefits and no future, like a bunch of poor Mexican's. This is where the job market and local economy is heading if it were up to the SPA exec's. The easy answer is the SPA adjust their bottom line and keep, good middle class jobs in SC. The SPA gov entity has no business competiting against it's own tax paying citizens who contribute to their communities and businesses. Some of you folks are ate up with jealously and anger because the ILA makes a decent living. Moon pie, yird and ole el cid get a life and wake up. Go for it JI boy I'm all behind you. Oh yea did you brain surgeons know that Bernie Groseclose CEO of the SPA makes $264,000.00 a year plus bonuses and perks. Maersk made a $4.6 billion net profit last year and any other port where they go ILA employee's will work their operations. This is nothing more than a ploy between Maersk and the SPA.
December 19, 2008 at 9:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dockworker (anonymous) says...
Oh yeah by the way goodkarmasc the SPA did not pay $40 million for the bridge, they will pay $1 million a year for the next 25 years. They do not pay for schools, they did receive a grant from the state for $182.5 million for the navy base port access road. The SPA pays no taxes or rents which causes the free market, private sector to pay more taxes. Many of the SPA employee's are great friends and it is fact that they are punished if they speak a word of truth against the port management, I see this nearly everyday, how sad. Please folks if you are going to take the time to write at least have the facts and tell the truth. Boy do I wish we made the money that some of the writers say that we do, just another case of stretching the truth I guess.
December 19, 2008 at 9:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
longshoremans_wife (anonymous) says...
Palmetto Tree
My husband is a longshoreman and is a member of the ILA. And yes, he informed me that if a person wanted to apply for a job they would go to the union hall, not the port. My mistake!
December 19, 2008 at 10:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Get_seriousHELP (anonymous) says...
dockworker "Have you ever seen one of your fellow workers/friends crushed to death, his blood and guts on the dock while trying his best to load or unload a ship, I have seen 3 and have been first responder on many others. The ILA members move over $60 billion a year worth of cargo in a highly dangerous atmosphere"
Spare us, I spent 22 years in the military and have loaded a few body bags. Dont give us that crap. You sound like a the typicaly union punk. Everyone is ripping you off while you bust your arse. Right. Cops make so much less than any dock worker. Union punks like the UAW or the ILA, think that nothing can be done without them.
Get a grip. The rich guy is the bad guy right? We need Karl Marx to even the playing field for the worker right? what a load of crap? Unions are their own worst enemy.
December 19, 2008 at 10:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dockworker (anonymous) says...
Yea right who has the get serious help name. I suggest you get some but then again you probably don't have any insurance. No the rich guy is not the enemy, I respect anyone's effort to get his butt out the bed, work hard and prosper but the gov entity SPA should not compete against it's citizen's ripping them off as they pay taxes and compete in the free market. You are the punk, and kiss my ass along the way for thinking that I am using the death or injury of a employee/friend for an excuse. And yes, cops, teachers and firemen should make quite a lot more than they do for protecting and serving. Get some serious help a**hole!
December 19, 2008 at 10:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Get_seriousHELP (anonymous) says...
dockworker "You are the punk, and kiss my ass along the way for thinking that I am using the death or injury of a employee/friend for an excuse."
Then why did you bring it up and use it for your arguement? Sympathy? You mentioned your (supposed) co-workers, you used their tragedy to support your arguement.
dockworker "Have you ever seen one of your fellow workers/friends crushed to death, his blood and guts on the dock while trying his best to load or unload a ship, I have seen 3..."
Thise are your words. You are the one that needs help. You are the ahole.
December 19, 2008 at 10:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Get_seriousHELP (anonymous) says...
dockworker
"What do some of you fools want, everyone making a walmart salary, no benefits and no future, like a bunch of poor Mexican's."
What is your problem? Something wrong with peole that work at Wal-Mart? What, they wont bend a knee to the unions, they remain profitable and employee millions? Poor Mexicans?
Do you know where most American Ram trucks are built? Saltillo, Mexico.
The 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. The 2009 Dodge Ram. The 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T. 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8. 2010 Chevy Camaro SS. The Dodge Charger SRT8. Chrysler 300 SRT8. 2008 Ford Edge. 2009 Ford Flex. 2008 Chevy Avalanche. 2008 Cadillac Escalade EXT. 2008 Saturn Astra.
Trouble is, not one of them is built in America. Not one
That's right, the big bad Ram HD Dually, the biggest, baddest, most American of Ram trucks is built down in Saltillo, Mexico, a city that is home to so many US auto plants (Chrysler, General Motors, and Delphi) it has become known as the Detroit of Mexico.
You will say oh yeah, cheap labor, but the truth is, hard workers that are not self-centered. They dont demand more money and threaten extortion - STRIKE.
Union members have gotten what they asked for, but, reality is the party is over and the money is tight. Now you get paid what you are worth, or, the company goes out of buisness or moves else where.
December 19, 2008 at 10:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dockworker (anonymous) says...
'get some serious help' please get some serious help and go back to school so that you may learn how to spell, or at least buy a dictionary. Do you need me to lend you some funds because your job doesn't pay you enough to purchase one?
December 19, 2008 at 11:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Get_seriousHELP (anonymous) says...
Oh, so its insults now? You are better than me right? LOL, I am sorry, I never worked a dock, just retired after 22 years in the military and saw a few of my buddies die for a lot less than your buddies make. but hey, your important right. A union "man".
What a joke. You are nothing more than a pissed off. pompous arse, that feels slighted because some dock jobs are going to be lost. Maersk, said enough already, we are moving on to less greedy people and more productive folks.
Dont blame me. I just want to point out the whole damn Greek tragedy, the UAW wants bailed out, the ILA gets hosed, and they blame everyone but their own selfishness.
LOL, My my, such an important person like yourself, looking for a rope to grab after your unions tossed the end of the rope over board. Bet them union leaders are comfy.
December 19, 2008 at 11:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Get_seriousHELP (anonymous) says...
One question dorkworker, I see you joined today to post on this site. This is the only thing that matters to you? Of all the important articles and stories through out the year, and this one motivates you to comment?
It must be that it hits home, wonder why? Are you that self-centered?
December 19, 2008 at 11:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
outrage (anonymous) says...
"unions are nothing more than a monopilization of manpower" Adam Smith - economist.
December 20, 2008 at 2:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MP (anonymous) says...
Unions once served a good purpose but now are nothing more than organized crime at its worst. They get their way through threats, intimidation, and blackmail.
The best thing that I ever saw happen to a union was when the air traffic controllers union thought they could break the law and blackmail Ronald Reagan and the Federal government by striking. They got their butts fired, lock, stock, and barrel. I hope it happens to the AWU, the ILA, and every other hoodlum union organization.
The problem is that union management has brainwashed the average union worker into thinking the union was actually looking out for the little guy instead of using the little guy to fund the union management's graft, corruption and lavish lifestyles.
December 20, 2008 at 4:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DUKE714 (anonymous) says...
Typical, blame the ILA when you can. Just a scapegoat for a bad contract Maersk made w/ the state ports authority. Allison Bird should print the whole truth, but her editors won,t let her i guess. Right wing old Charleston politics. Go figure.
December 20, 2008 at 10:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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