American Hospitality

[Jim Gallup]

This weekend my ship had a turnaround in Long Beach, California. As the Guests were disembarking, I was called to the gangway to meet an urgent visitor.

 

The visitor turned out to be the Shop Steward for the Union Stevedores who were very slowly - as always - unloading the luggage.

He told me that they were having a big problem and he needed to speak to me in private immediately.

In my office he explained that my staff was being far too nice to our Guests. The Guests were then comparing my staff to the Stevedores and telling the Stevedores that they were doing a lousy job. He told me that the Stevedores were very upset about this and were considering a work stoppage.

 

I told this fellow that I would instruct my staff to be quite mean to our Guests on the last day of the cruise, so that his boys could look a lot better and not have their feelings hurt. He seriously thanked me, shook my hand, and left to go tell his employees the good news.

 

I nearly choked, trying to conceal my laughter until he was out of my office.

Welcome to America..........................

[chasetf]

......He told me that they were having a big problem and he needed to speak to me in private immediately. In my office he explained that my staff was being far too nice to our Guests. The Guests were then comparing my staff to the Stevedores and telling the Stevedores that they were doing a lousy job. He told me that the Stevedores were very upset about this and were considering a work stoppage. ....Welcome to America..........................

Getting to be the American way in too many areas. Dumbing down to the lowest common denominator. That's what unions do for us...

[Cotton]

"Jim Gallup"....Just curious - What exactly is your position on the ship, that would cause you to be the one to intervene?

[celticd1]

Getting to be the American way in too many areas. Dumbing down to the lowest common denominator. That's what unions do for us...

 

Huh, I thought that was the job of FOX "news".........:rolleyes:

[Jim Gallup]

Cotton,

Senior Officer onboard.

The American Union Members - who are the only ones legally allowed to load and unload everything from my ship - really like to complain about nearly everything. We pay them $40,000 to drive the forklifts and stand around and drink coffee and smoke cigarettes most of the day, every time we stop there.

They generally insult our passengers and try to shake them down for more tips whenever possible. These characters get very upset when they see my staff smiling and helping our passengers without having their hands out for money.

Since the stevedores have so much time on their hands, they like to complain quite a lot. They get tired of complaining to each other and then they go after us. They tell us that we need to pay them more, feed them, and let then sit down because their feet hurt from standing around all day

[DonLou]

It's not only unions. I remember one of my first office jobs. I was busy processing paperwork and one of the senior members came over to me and told me to slow down. I was working too fast. He wanted to work overtime to get time and a half. Sorry. I didn't know that's how things worked.

[Sally Forth]

This weekend my ship had a turnaround in Long Beach, California. As the Guests were disembarking, I was called to the gangway to meet an urgent visitor.

 

The visitor turned out to be the Shop Steward for the Union Stevedores who were very slowly - as always - unloading the luggage.

He told me that they were having a big problem and he needed to speak to me in private immediately.

In my office he explained that my staff was being far too nice to our Guests. The Guests were then comparing my staff to the Stevedores and telling the Stevedores that they were doing a lousy job. He told me that the Stevedores were very upset about this and were considering a work stoppage.

 

I told this fellow that I would instruct my staff to be quite mean to our Guests on the last day of the cruise, so that his boys could look a lot better and not have their feelings hurt. He seriously thanked me, shook my hand, and left to go tell his employees the good news.

 

I nearly choked, trying to conceal my laughter until he was out of my office.

Welcome to America..........................

You know, I'm not a union fan, but a lot of this just doesn't ring true.

 

Viv

[chasetf]

You know, I'm not a union fan, but a lot of this just doesn't ring true. Viv

It sure does with me. Especially at the Ft Lauderdale and San Francisco ports. I always pay my $1 per bag extortion, but see where many folks feel they need to tip more to ensure their bags make it to the ship.

 

I never used a porter leaving the ship and port. But I would expect to tip those guys. That is not an expected service paid by my port fees or the ship's port charges. The one's loading and unloading with the fork lifts get paid out of the $40,000.

[Cotton]

Thx for your reply, Jim. Interesting.;)

[Happy ks]

I've had too many bad experiences with the stevedores on shore after departing the ship. We can manage our bags ourselves, thank you very much.

 

Now, boarding is a completely different matter....I don't want my bag knocked into the water by "accident".

 

Perhaps if they were nicer to us, we would use them.

 

BTW, I'm a union member (required to join several years after I was hired). It's not so bad, we have a great union. We also have a great group of people working in our location, no deadbeats at all. My work ethics have not changed because of the union and I still give more to my job than what is required of me. I love my work, plenty of non-union people probably can't say that.

[Sally Forth]

You know, I'm not a union fan, but a lot of this just doesn't ring true.

 

Viv

I'm not talking about the tip extortion. I'm talking about the union steward being so bold as to go to the ship to complain. I wonder if it was really the steward or just some sort of instigator.

 

Viv

[megabill]

Maybe i've been lucky - but i've never encountered any problems like this before. sure - i've only been on 7 - probably nothing compared to the more senior members of the boards here.... but still.

 

i personally dont think $1/bag is extortion - and again - maybe im just lucky - but have never been "pressured" or felt obliged to give more. And the tip, i thought, was pretty universal - whether its a hotel, ship or airport - $1/bag is the 'rule'.

 

I've also never dealt with the baggage handlers on the ship or on shore at disembarkation to say that the baggage handlers on the ship were more pleasant or more efficient than those shoreside - and in fact - i would think that with the way disembarkation is on most ship with the exception of "porters" bringing your luggage to your ride home - there wouldn't be any interaction with them on disembarkation (since luggage is either on a carousel or set up for customs inspection before guests start disembarkation).

 

did i just totally miss the point??

[The Analyst]

It's not only unions. I remember one of my first office jobs. I was busy processing paperwork and one of the senior members came over to me and told me to slow down. I was working too fast. He wanted to work overtime to get time and a half. Sorry. I didn't know that's how things worked.

 

I worked in a distribution warehouse when I was in high school. I distinctly remember the day I passed my 3-month probationary period and officially became part of the union (UFCW): I was slugging bags as I had always done up to that point when one of the full-timers came over to me and said, "why are you working so hard, you're in a union now."

[laughoutloud]

It's not only unions. I remember one of my first office jobs. I was busy processing paperwork and one of the senior members came over to me and told me to slow down. I was working too fast. He wanted to work overtime to get time and a half. Sorry. I didn't know that's how things worked.

 

The enthusiasm of youth & the cynicism of age...

 

I was a young temp. filing papers. Of course I put all the A's together, the B's together, etc. & then filed them. My older colleague filed each page one at a time to make her job laaaaaaaaaast...