With Deluge (of unemployed, getting), Longshore Jobs Become Long Shots

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-portjobs18aug18.story
With Deluge, Longshore Jobs Become Long Shots
By Ronald D. White
Times Staff Writer

August 18, 2004

Hundreds of thousands of applications have poured in for 3,000 temporary jobs at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles — about 10 times as many submissions as expected — underscoring just how hungry people are for high-paying work in a weak labor market.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union was so concerned about the crush of applicants that it asked a mediator Tuesday whether the hiring process could be delayed to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The mediator, however, ordered the union and West Coast shipping lines to proceed with their lottery and begin picking the 3,000 new dockworkers Thursday, as planned.

As word spread Tuesday about the flood of applications, some would-be dock hands were discouraged.

"This is almost like going to the horse track and betting on the long shot," said Raymond Sheets, a 47-year-old tree trimmer from San Diego who hopes to improve his lot by landing a job at the harbor.

The 3,000 slots, which are being offered to help handle a record amount of cargo coming through the ports, will pay $20.66 to $28 an hour — substantially higher than the average $8.38-an-hour entry-level wage in Los Angeles County. On Friday, the state reported that California's employers cut a net 17,300 jobs in July, illustrating how cautious many businesses remain when it comes to hiring.<snip>

[brainshrub]

1. And why do they get paid so well?

Because they are Union! :D All those people who won't be getting jobs should remember that fact as they start their dead-end jobs elsewhere. Perhaps they will work harder to work toward Unionizing the Wal-Marts & other McJobs.

Union = living wages.

[papau]

2. Amen to the union thought ! :-)

:-)

[54anickel]

3. Have you seen the non-union worker organization the AFL-CIO has

kicked off? Unions know that they, along with the rest of us, are in some serious trouble here. They've not been too successful in unionizing so this is their latest endeavor.

http://www.workingamerica.org

[brainshrub]

4. Thanks for the link

I have just made a $15 dollar donation and signed up.

While I am not a Union-member myself, I have directly benefited from the hard work of Unions. (i.e. 8-hour day & workplace safety.)