In a scene straight out of The Sopranos, video has emerged of Harold Daggett, the chief negotiator for the International Longshoreman’s Association, threatening to “cripple” the U.S. economy.
RedState has been reporting that a strike was looming, and the dockworkers made good on their threats by walking off the job at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday. The union foresaw a time in the not-so-distant future when robotics and AI would take over their profession, so they decided to double down and demand a significant increase in wages.
The ILA is reportedly asking for raises of $5 an hour, per year, which would be an immediate 12.8% pay hike on the current top pay of $39 an hour. Repeating that $5 an hour increase each year would result in raises totaling 77% during the life of the contract.
The union is also seeking a total ban on the use of automation in their industry.
In the video…
