re: Lazy crane operators making $250,000 a year exacerbating port crisis, truckers say

It’s just fun to watch the new scapegoats in society. It’ll be someone else tomorrow and people will forget about crane operators. To think, every day we have someone new to blame for our problems, it’s refreshing.

Every day there’s a new “hero” and every day a new villain.

Keep reading. Keep believing.

Thanks, you probably made the point better than I tried to.

quote:

---

it's funny that everyone is just taking this at face value and running with it

---

You’re fully aware that this happens with practically everything on the OT. Don’t act like this is something new.

Fine with me. Force us to become self-sufficient with our manufacturing. frick China.

I know that the above is short sighted and likely not possible.

quote:

---

And the crane operators need a regular quota of cargo they have to move. Nothing insane and unsafe but taking your slow arse time should never be tolerated.

---

I'd imagine they do. I'm not sure if this is relevant to the current situation or not - but Long Beach is a landlord port, who leases individual container terminals to an outside operator. Its really more of a business operations agreement and most major west coast ports operate this way while Houston, Savannah and a lot of east coast port handle the operations internally, still contracting out to the unions where necessary.

But the terminal operator handles logistics, contracting out with the various unions, etc. Most ports who operate as a landlord also include a minimum volume guarantee either per TEU, sometimes to streamline it, they have a single through-rate per ship based on classification.

So at least in the case of the landlord ports (aka, the west coast) there is a private company who benefits from volume and efficiency with increased revenue. I have never seen the arrangement with various port unions, but I'd imagine that the arrangements are also structured for higher volume while maintaining efficiency increases revenue. The actual crane operator may be getting a base salary, but the union contract likely has breakpoints where they get additional revenue over a certain annual TEU volume.


Also, when they reference the automated crane terminal in long beach, this was a decade long project that was just completed and is one of the most advanced facilities in the world. Its efficiency isn't just from cranes moving faster, the entire facility was designed from the ground up for this purpose and has tons of software advantages over older terminals - which are usually expanded in stages so don't have the same comprehensive design.

quote:

---

“The crane operators take their time, like three to four hours to get just one container.

---

Completely made up. It would probably take more effort to make a single lift take 4 hours than it would to not drag arse. Containerships generally spend no more than 24 hours doing cargo ops. Most probably only stay at the dock for 12-18 hours before sailing

quote:

---

Any of them willfully involved in slowing this process should have food withheld from them and their families until they change their practices.

---

You would make a great dictator.

Herbert Hoover, for all his faults had it right. If the communist get into control of the long shore men and teamsters unions they could shut this country down.

Can't all of these people stop complaining and just move the cargo. It's not that hard.