Occupy protesters shutting down ports

Monday, December 12, 2011

Occupy protesters shutting down ports in spite of unions telling them not to

By John Aravosis (DC) on 12/12/2011 1100 AM


#fullpost { display: none; } I don't know about this. From AP:

Anti-Wall Street protesters along the West Coast joined an effort Monday to blockade some of the nation’s busiest docks, with the idea that if they cut off the ports, they cut into corporate profits.

The protesters are targeting the locations because they believe American ports have become “economic engines for the elite.” They are most upset by two West Coast companies — giant West Coast port operator SSA Marine and grain exporter EGT — that they believe epitomize the big corporations that make up the “1 percent.”

Goldman Sachs owns a major stake in SSA Marine, and the bank has been a repeated target of Occupy protesters since the movement began. The two port companies have also engaged in high-profile clashes with union workers lately, and the Occupy protesters want to stand up for the workers.

Okay, the connection to Goldman is interesting. But I'd like to know a hell of a lot more about just who works at that port, and whose goods are going through that port - meaning, they're not stopping Goldman's imports, they're stopping imports to businesses across America (and exports from business across America) right before Christmas, and during a Depression. And what's worse, the unions seem, at best, divided on this action (which isn't a good thing if it's supposedly being done in support of the unions).

More from CNN

In addition to Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Diego protesters planned to shut down ports in Portland, Oregon; Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, Vancouver, British Columbia and Anchorage, Alaska, according to the Occupy the Ports website.

Then there's this:

"We are occupying the ports as part of a day of action, boycott and march for full legalization and good jobs for all to draw attention to and protest the criminal system of concentrated wealth that depends on local and global exploitation of working people, and the denial of workers' rights to organize for decent pay, working conditions and benefits, in disregard for the environment and the health and safety of surrounding communities," organizers said on their website.

Hmm. This is starting to sound more radical than I'm comfortable with, and that's the first time I've felt this way throughout these many months. And according to the article, truckers, for example, are going to lose a day of pay because of this action. I'm sorry, but that bothers me right before Christmas and in the middle of a Depression.

Alternet has a different take on all of this

If work is shut down at the ports, "It's one more day that Goldman Sachs and Wall Street firms are unable to create profit," said Koch. And as the website for the action says, "U.S. ports have thus become economic engines for the elite; the 1 percent these trade hubs serve are free to rip the shirts off the backs of the 99 percent, who turn their profits."

That's how port truck driver Leonardo Mejia from Los Angeles sees it, too. Drivers, he says, "are part of the 99 percent." Mejia drives for Shippers Transport Express in Los Angeles and says that he's excited about the action, even if work stops at the nation's largest port complex. It means that he and most of his fellow drivers (not just the 1 percent) will also not be making any money that day. Mejia is part of the 82 percent of port truck drivers in the United States that are classified as independent contractors and not employees.

Maybe. I'm just getting a bad feeling about all of this. I hope I'm wrong. Your thoughts?