🚨 **The U.S. Longshoremen’s Plight** ⚓💪
Right now, 45,000 dockworkers are **on strike** from Maine to Texas, marking their first strike since 1977. Why? They’re fighting for **fair wages** and job security in the face of increasing automation at U.S. ports. 📦🚢
### 🔑 **Key Issues:**
- **Wages**: The longshoremen are demanding a **77% pay increase** over six years to catch up with inflation. They currently make a base salary of ~$81k, but many work large amounts of overtime to make more. 💰
- **Automation**: The workers are calling for a **ban on automation** (cranes, gates, container-moving trucks), fearing robots could take their jobs. They want to protect the human workforce from being replaced by machines. 🤖🚫
The strike affects 36 ports handling half of the nation’s cargo, and could lead to **higher prices** and product shortages if it continues, especially as the holidays approach! 🛒🎁
### 🌊 What will happen next?
** #LongshoremenStrike #AI #WorkerRights #USPorts #Automation #FairWages #supplychaincrisis