When containerization happened in the 50's and 60's, the ILA went from 10s of thousands of jobs down to 3.5K in NY. However, after several strikes, workers won as big a victory as possible with with new technology. They won a "Guaranteed Annual Income" for all existing longshore workers that lasted for two generations, they won organizing rights w/in 50miles of the ports on containerized cargo (AKA the 50 mile rule), and they won a permanent cut of productivity gains through their "Container Royalty Fund." These victories should be celebrated as a model and not forgotten. (The 50 mile rule was later struck down, but workers had won it in the contract.)
When containerization happened in the 50's and 60's, the ILA went from 10s of thousands of jobs down to 3.5K in NY. However, after several strikes, workers won as big a victory as possible with with new technology. They won a "Guaranteed Annual Income" for all existing longshore workers that lasted for two generations, they won organizing rights w/in 50miles of the ports on containerized cargo (AKA the 50 mile rule), and they won a permanent cut of productivity gains through their "Container Royalty Fund." These victories should be celebrated as a model and not forgotten. (The 50 mile rule was later struck down, but workers had won it in the contract.)