Some truths about this ILWU shutdown: First, the strike wasn’t about money. These logistical workers earn about $41 per hour, a solid middle-class income. Second, it wasn’t “spontaneous.” They’ve been working without a contract for two and a half years, since June 2010. Third, and most importantly, the strike was about job security — not their own, but that of future employees.
Anyone who’s been paying attention to the economy knows that the biggest labor story of the last quarter-century is the loss of American jobs, particularly those that pay decent wages. Realizing they had the necessary clout to make themselves heard, the ILWU took it upon themselves to insist that this job drain end now, at least in the shipping business. They were looking to save future American jobs, not line their pockets.
Instead of regarding this strike as an exercise in greed or self-interest, we should regard it for what it was — an attempt to provide the American worker with economic dignity. And who else, besides a labor union, is going to concern itself with a worker’s dignity? The Chamber of Commerce? The World Bank? Wall Street?? The ILWU should be applauded for drawing attention to what has become a national disgrace.
