OWS movement plans to blockade West Coast ports on monday

reply to post by DrNotforhire


Funny too that you don't seem to understand what the word socialist means, if you support a political party you are a socialist. I also think it is funny how you can't seem to grasp that the form of socialism being practised by the top 1% is far more harmful...it is nothing less than complete redistrubution of wealth.

Originally posted by detachedindividual

Ah, so your one of those conservatives who thinks that change = communism. While you neglect that bailing out the banks is selective communism. It's okay to have communism when it benefits the wealthiest in society? Yeah, that reminds me of the Soviet Union too, in fact, that's pretty much Russia and China today.

Nope. I'm one of those people who thinks certain change is good, necessary, but ANY change, just for the sake of change can be worse than the original position.

If you're so scared of America becoming a communist nation, where were your protests against the people paying for the welfare of the failing millionaires?

Um, we were shouting against that when Bush was president and he enacted TARP.

...and watch the drama unfold. The moment they block anything, a sidewalk, a road, a bridge or a port they are not within their 1st amendment rights anymore. They are not excercising free speech. They are braking the law and police are not just within their rights to arrest them but infact it is their duty to do so.
Let's see how long it'll take for some creatively edited YT videos to pop up. This is nothing more than a photo-op.

An Open Letter From The Port Truck Drivers On Occupy The Ports

We have been elected by committees of our co-workers at the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma to tell our collective story. We have accepted the honor to speak up for our brothers and sisters about our working conditions despite the risk of retaliation we face. One of us is a mother, the rest of us fathers. Between the four of us we have six children and one more baby on the way. We have a combined 31 years of experience driving cargo from our shores for America’s stores.

We are inspired that a non-violent democratic movement that insists on basic economic fairness is capturing the hearts and minds of so many working people. Thank you “99 Percenters” for hearing our call for justice. We are humbled and overwhelmed by recent attention. Normally we are invisible.

Today’s demonstrations will impact us. While we cannot officially speak for every worker who shares our occupation, we can use this opportunity to reveal what it’s like to walk a day in our shoes for the 110,000 of us in America whose job it is to be a port truck driver. It may be tempting for media to ask questions about whether we support a shutdown, but there are no easy answers. Instead, we ask you, are you willing to listen and learn why a one-word response is impossible?

We love being behind the wheel. We are proud of the work we do to keep America’s economy moving. But we feel humiliated when we receive paychecks that suggest we work part time at a fast-food counter. Especially when we work an average of 60 or more hours a week, away from our families.

Why? Just like Wall Street doesn’t have to abide by rules, our industry isn’t bound to regulation. So the market is run by con artists. The companies we work for call us independent contractors, as if we were our own bosses, but they boss us around. We receive Third World wages and drive sweatshops on wheels. We cannot negotiate our rates. (Usually we are not allowed to even see them.) We are paid by the load, not by the hour. So when we sit in those long lines at the terminals, or if we are stuck in traffic, we become volunteers who basically donate our time to the trucking and shipping companies. That’s the nice way to put it. We have all heard the words “modern-day slaves” at the lunch stops.

There are no restrooms for drivers. We keep empty bottles in our cabs. Plastic bags too. We feel like dogs. An Oakland driver was recently banned from the terminal because he was spied relieving himself behind a container. Neither the port, nor the terminal operators or anyone in the industry thinks it is their responsibility to provide humane and hygienic facilities for us. It is absolutely horrible for drivers who are women, who risk infection when they try to hold it until they can find a place to go.

The companies demand we cut corners to compete. It makes our roads less safe. When we try to blow the whistle about skipped inspections, faulty equipment, or falsified logs, then we are “starved out.” That means we are either fired outright, or more likely, we never get dispatched to haul a load again.

It may be difficult to comprehend the complex issues and nature of our employment. For us too. When businesses disguise workers like us as contractors, the Department of Labor calls it misclassification. We call it illegal. Those who profit from global trade and goods movement are getting away with it because everyone is doing it. One journalist took the time to talk to us this week and she explains it very well to outsiders. We hope you will read the enclosed article "How Goldman Sachs And Other Companies Exploit Truck Drivers"

There's a lot more to read of this letter at the link at the top. Very imformative.

reply to post by Kali74


You will probably find this survey very interesting. It would seem that the port drivers in California have been doomed by the very state in which they live and work. No surprise in California. It's not good.

www.cleanandsafeports.org...

ILWU Union Arbiter at Oakland Port has met with protesters, A.M. shift will not work today, the port is officially shut down for the day shift.

reply to post by jibeho


Absolutely tragic, the EPA is corrupt along with every other federal safety program...they hurt the people they are supposed to protect. Well in this case use the environment as a weapon for SSA against the truckers. Bastards.

reply to post by Kali74


I guess a few individuals represent the whole only when it pushes your point of view.

But the examples of negative OWS protestors don't represent the whole...because those are just individuals.


But hey...look...I can play that game too.

news.yahoo.com...

This is joke. What are they protesting?" said Christian Vega, 32, who sat in his truck carrying a load of recycled paper from Pittsburgh on Monday morning. He said the delay was costing him $600.

"It only hurts me and the other drivers. We have jobs and families to support and feed. Most of them don't," Vega said.

www.thenewstribune.com...

But the Occupy followers don’t enjoy the support of the powerful Longshore Union for any attempt to halt commerce at the port. Longshore leaders said they don’t want outside parties taking up their causes without coordinating their strategies with them.

Originally posted by Kali74
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

You should probably read my posts throughout this thread to see how wrong you are, again.

Ok dear, please tell me what I'm wrong about this time.

You see...to have a discussion...you actually have to give details...which apparently you fail to do often.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Honestly I'm surprised any trucker feels this way in light of the abhorrent conditions and wages that Port Truckers endure. Truckers usually stick together even if it costs them money to do so. Teamsters were feared and respected at one point time because of this. Maybe he's only talked to people like you who ignore everything they cant poop on or argue against.

Did you watch the livestream or happen to have been there? Publically yes the Bosses were against. From what I saw live, a lot of on the ground workers in support.

Again you cherry pick and think you have made some sort of grand point are we going to play quote wars now?

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Don't condescend to me, babe. You covering your eyes doesn't amount to me not providing detail.

reply to post by Kali74

Again you cherry pick and think you have made some sort of grand point are we going to play quote wars now?

Hello pot...meet kettle.

In case you missed it...my example of cherry picking was to point out the irony of you cherry picking.


And no...truckers do not stick together...there is a huge rift between union and non-union truckers.

Originally posted by Kali74
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

Don't condescend to me, babe. You covering your eyes doesn't amount to me not providing detail.

edit on 12-12-2011 by Kali74 because: (no reason given)

If you don't want to provide any detail about what I'm "wrong" about, maybe you should just keep quiet until you have a point to make. Don't make claims you can't back up.


I'm still waiting...what exactly am I "wrong" about in this thread???

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


If you didn't watch the livestream, I can't help you. I'm sure there will be youtube videos later but of course you will probably say they are worthless. You should know me well enough though to know I don't lie. Lot's of workers cheered in support. Believe me or don't.

Originally posted by Kali74
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

If you didn't watch the livestream, I can't help you. I'm sure there will be youtube videos later but of course you will probably say they are worthless. You should know me well enough though to know I don't lie. Lot's of workers cheered in support. Believe me or don't.

Please tell me what I'm "wrong" about.

This is starting to get sad.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


I really don't know why I have spell everything out for you. Did you know which post I was referring to, it's pretty easy if you just click...anyway, you're wrong in saying these protests had no worker support. Better?

Originally posted by Kali74
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

I really don't know why I have spell everything out for you. Did you know which post I was referring to, it's pretty easy if you just click...anyway, you're wrong in saying these protests had no worker support. Better?

Please quote me where I said that these protests had no worker support.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


You weren't implying it?

Originally posted by Kali74
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

You weren't implying it?

No, I wasn't.

I'm still waiting for the quote...it'd be a shame if you couldn't provide one.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


So you're posts about hurting the workers was to do what?