Try to live on $81K as an EXPERIENCED worker (6+ yrs, not an apprentice) in the NYC or Baltimore area…
That would be problematic. I would have to know more about prices outside the city and how long of a commute people would be willing to make.
While the companies (and their CEOs) make hand over fist billion dollars of profit. They just want their share since they are literally the backbone of the operations.
I have absolutely no problem with the notion that companies and CEOs should share the profits more equitably. But that's likely not going to happen.
Also their last contract was pre-pandemic and the companies didn’t try to provide more compensation for when inflation and the cost of living skyrocketed.
Few companies did.
I understand that most longshoremen makes way more than what I calculated. It’s because a majority of them pick up overtime hours. Which increases the risk of accidents.
Which is why I would've been more concerned about automation vs. a significant pay raise. Automate more of the process, lay off workers and don't worry about machines getting tired and causing accidents.