02-05-2015, 01:17 PM
Not really. What is going on now with the longshoremen is equivalent to fast food workers striking for a $15 per hour minimum wage.
The ports in Singapore and Shanghai are almost totally robotic with about 12 people loading and unloading thousands of containers. The US longshoreman union won't let that happen, just trying to extend their jobs. That is why the gigantic super container port is being built in Mexico, to circumvent the US longshoremen.
It's a tough spot for the Democrats, needing and supporting unions, but almost half the jobs today will have robots in their positions in 20 years. Microsoft has some security guard robots out in California and they are operating at $6.25 per hour and that is with some profit margin. These social gyrations will swing wildly while the transition occurs.
"Mahalo nui Pele, 'ae noho ia moku 'aina" - kakahiaka oli
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*