Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

[GypsyLika]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

My ohana & friends always send me muchies & grindz from da islands and I've always told dem, hey you guys need toilet paper or something Hawaii no moe, I'll snail mail'um to you.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

But yes, older folks do stock up. When I was living on the Big Island one of our neighbors had a whole room filled with toilet paper and rice just because there was an article or something that said "dock strike."

Yes, so very true. Happens every time the word "strike" is mentioned in the papers or on the TV news. The oldtimers instinctively head to Long's and proceed to buy out the store's entire stock of toilet paper, no matter if they already have enough for themselves for the next 6 months. Over the last 20 years, it's thoughtless people like them (not the ILWU) that have created shortages and inconvienienced everyone else through their panic-buying.

[anapuni808]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

Frankie, if it wouldn't be too much trouble - can you give us all some actual examples of this "panic buying" you are talking about? I'm sure we "old timers" on here would like to know exactly when we have caused shortages that affected you. It's funny you say that because in an actual strike, there are limits to how much rice, TP and other paper products one can purchase. and of course, after a couple of months (such as in the early 70's), there is nothing to buy anyway.

and as someone mentioned yesterday - all this talk of panic buying is rather silly right now since there is no strike and nothing to induce panic buying is happening.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

Frankie, if it wouldn't be too much trouble - can you give us all some actual examples of this "panic buying" you are talking about? I'm sure we "old timers" on here would like to know exactly when we have caused shortages that affected you. It's funny you say that because in an actual strike, there are limits to how much rice, TP and other paper products one can purchase. and of course, after a couple of months (such as in the early 70's), there is nothing to buy anyway.

and as someone mentioned yesterday - all this talk of panic buying is rather silly right now since there is no strike and nothing to induce panic buying is happening.

If you haven't personally been doing it, then I certainly wasn't talking about you, aikane.

But at the same time, there are folks who instinctively over-react to news about a "possible" work stoppage and go overboard on things like toilet paper. It happened when news of the ILWU's contract with the PMA expired in 2002 and the next day when I went to the Longs store in Kamehameha Shopping Center, their toilet paper shelves were totally bare. I asked what happened and the clerk told me there were shoppers that very morning who each bought as many toilet paper packs as they could cart out of the store. Some people only bought toilet paper, as a direct response to that news. In this way, their fear of a shortage was like a self-fulfilling prophecy, created by their actions.

We all know how that particular labor strife turned out. But nonetheless, it created an inconvienience for everyone else, who had to shop elsewhere just to buy a few rolls. But as far as whether panic-buying actually happens creating needless shortages at certain stores, it most certainly DOES HAPPEN. If you haven't personally experienced it at the stores that you happen to shop at, count yourself among the fortunate.

The only positive thing I can say about the wave of panic-buying the last time around was, at least there wasn't a shortage of spam, like at other times. Hmmm, maybe this is a sign that people in Hawaii are trying to live healthier?

[SusieMisajon]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

Dock strike in late sixties...I remember no sugar, coffee, toilet paper, or spam.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

Folks never elect the person who is telling the balls-to-the-wall TRUTH.

There's truth and then there's tact. The two are not mutually exclusive.

[1stwahine]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

There's truth and then there's tact. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Is there a School to learn Tact? Cause I got Ballz to tell dee TRUTH but I don't have TACT!

But I'm willing to LEARN.

Auntie Lynn

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

Is there a School to learn Tact?

Yes, but only its graduates know where it is --- and they are too tactful to tell you. And that's the truth.

[1stwahine]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

Yes, but only its graduates know where it is --- and they are too tactful to tell you. And that's the truth.

heheheh...

Hey! Your wanted on A.P.'s Hale!! Pronto

Slurp Slurp!!

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Tact? I wen learn.

Auntie Lynn

[Miulang]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

The latest news on negotiations: it's now up to the companies; the union submitted its "last, best and final" offer yesterday. Now everybody's waiting to see what the companies come back with as a counter proposal.

For what the clerks are asking, I might consider moving down to San Pedro and becoming a shipping clerk($53.00/hour + health insurance + 20 days of paid vacation to push paper around?)! Even the companies' last counter proposal on wages of $39.50/hour (up from the current $37/hour) looks pretty sweet to me.

Miulang

[tutusue]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

[...]For what the clerks are asking, I might consider moving down to San Pedro and becoming a shipping clerk($53.00/hour + health insurance + 20 days of paid vacation to push paper around?)! Even the companies' last counter proposal on wages of $39.50/hour (up from the current $37/hour) looks pretty sweet to me.[...]

Egads...I'm in the wrong business. Where do I sign up?!

[joshuatree]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

This is why unions will be the death of American jobs, not the outsourcers in other countries. $53/hr is their best offer? Heck I be looking into outsourcing the paperwork. This is simply the tail wagging the dog. And people wonder why companies become uncompetitive and fold.

[LikaNui]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

$53/hr is their best offer?

Remember the longshoremen's negotiations a few years back, where one newspaper article said that clerks in the longshoremen offices were making over $120,000 a year?!?!!!

[Karen]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

Aren't unions the main reason living here is so expensive? Not necessarily just cuz it's and islands and most things are shipped here, but the unions behind this, too?

PS....shipping clerks making more than our county prosecutor?? Either they are cheating us all, or he's sure getting ripped off.

[joshuatree]

Re: Are you ready for the next shipping strike?

Yes, unions are the main cause, if not a close second, as to why cost of living in Hawaii is so high. Imagine if there was no Jones Act, the cost of shipping would go down. Imagine if the debate of building rail did not involve union labor, I bet it would no where be the billions they are quoting. Yeah, I know, we can't undercut everything to a point where our standard of living degrades but $53/hr.....that's more like a king's standard of living.