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The Port of Portland (Oregon) lost container service due in no small part to this exact type of fracas between unions. There was a work slowdown over who is all

The Port of Portland (Oregon) lost container service due in no small part to this exact type of fracas between unions. There was a work slowdown over who is allowed to plug and unplug refrigerated units. This slowdown eventually led to large container ships no longer calling the port. The economic impact that this has had on the local economy is huge. Now small businesses and farms need to truck or train their goods to Seattle/Tacoma, which is a large cost for low margin goods (such as hay). http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/02/what_the_heck_is_going_on_at_t.html http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/02/what_th... These are real people hurting due to the so-called fabled union demonizations.

Frondo 10y ago
That article tells us that the plug/unplug stuff was a consequence of a bunch of other stuff (like mismanagement, working without a union contract, etc). According to that article, the problems didn't begin with the who's-allowed-to-plug/unplug. They were structural and systemic, and had to do with the port being mismanaged as much as the unions agitating for their workers. So, I'm not entirely sure why you're saying it's about plugging and unplugging refrigeration units. But, also interestingly, they lost Hanjin, and a mere year later, Hanjin's bankrupt. There was a lot of press a few months ago about container ships being stranded, etc.
- salmon30salmon 10y ago
  Right, Hanjin was the company whose exit prompted this article, but the Port has since also lost Hapag-Lloyd and a small company as well. Now there are zero container ships calling Portland. Yes, it was an amalgamation of things. Management was not blameless but neither were the unions. And now, thousands of businesses are hurt. The work slowdown was a major contributing factor, and whether or not the slowdown was morally justified is outside the scope of this argument. The slowdown had a causal relationship with losing container service to Portland. More recent article: http://www.wsj.com/articles/port-of-portland-loses-last-container-ship-service-1463696432 http://www.wsj.com/articles/port-of-portland-loses-last-cont...

Frondo 10y ago

That article tells us that the plug/unplug stuff was a consequence of a bunch of other stuff (like mismanagement, working without a union contract, etc). According to that article, the problems didn't begin with the who's-allowed-to-plug/unplug. They were structural and systemic, and had to do with the port being mismanaged as much as the unions agitating for their workers. So, I'm not entirely sure why you're saying it's about plugging and unplugging refrigeration units. But, also interestingly, they lost Hanjin, and a mere year later, Hanjin's bankrupt. There was a lot of press a few months ago about container ships being stranded, etc.

salmon30salmon 10y ago
Right, Hanjin was the company whose exit prompted this article, but the Port has since also lost Hapag-Lloyd and a small company as well. Now there are zero container ships calling Portland. Yes, it was an amalgamation of things. Management was not blameless but neither were the unions. And now, thousands of businesses are hurt. The work slowdown was a major contributing factor, and whether or not the slowdown was morally justified is outside the scope of this argument. The slowdown had a causal relationship with losing container service to Portland. More recent article: http://www.wsj.com/articles/port-of-portland-loses-last-container-ship-service-1463696432 http://www.wsj.com/articles/port-of-portland-loses-last-cont...