How do you get a job as a longshoreman?

How do you get a job as a longshoreman?

The two main steps to become a longshoreman are to get a dockworker’s card and then work your way up through the local union. In the United States and Canada, longshoremen belong to organizations such as the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).

What kind of work do longshoreman do?

A longshoreman is a person who loads and unloads cargo onto ships at a dock or port. Also called dockers or dock workers, longshoremen make up an integral part of the workforce in the shipping and receiving industry. The work is outdoors during all types of weather.

How many hours does a longshoreman work?

12 to 20 hour days are not uncommon but we only work 3 to 4 days per week- normally 3.

What skills do you need to be a longshoreman?

Longshoreman Requirements: Proficient with operating tractors, forklifts and cranes. Completion of physical examination. Ability to speak, write and read basic English. Ability to work with minimal supervision, and to follow instructions and procedures.

Do longshoreman make good money?

About half of West Coast union longshoremen make more than $100,000 a year — some much more, according to shipping industry data. More than half of foremen and managers earn more than $200,000 each year. Longshoreman pay dwarfs that of almost all other transit employees, such as trucking, railroad or airline workers.

Do longshoremen make good money?

Why do longshoreman make so much?

Import / export is extremely lucrative. Each container contains many thousands of dollars in each. Longshoremen are in a position to inflict a lot of damage on manufacturing, trading and insurance companies, and are well organized in labor unions to do just that if necessary to protect their positions.

How are longshoreman paid?

Longshoremen receive hourly pay increases based on how many contract years they have worked as well as when they started working with the company. Per the current contract, new longshoremen who are ILA members earn a pay increase from $20.00 to $23.75 an hour after two years of work experience.

Is a longshoreman a blue collar job?

Even if the truth lies somewhere in between, the longshoremen who are causing so much grief to workers and businesses around the country are among the nation’s best-paid blue-collar workers.

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