Judge Orders Ends to Miami Trucker Strike

[Khephra]

MIAMI -- A federal judge has ordered an end to a two-week strike by 700 independent truckers at the Port of Miami-Dade, but the drivers vowed to continue their work stoppage.

U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz issued a temporary restraining order Friday, saying the port, Miami-Dade County and a private terminal operator at the port would suffer "immediate and irreparable injury, loss or damage" unless the striking truck drivers were forced to stop the boycott.

"We are not going back to work until our demands are met," striking driver Eladio Marin said.

snip....

The drivers are seeking higher wages, saying that long waits at the port make their $50-a-load payment insufficient. They also say they should not be required to pay for liability insurance, which is deducted from their paychecks.

http://www.newsday.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-trucker-strike-florida,0,7539435.story?coll=sns-ap-business-headlines

[brainshrub]

1. Go truckers! Go Union!

[Nevernose]

2. immediate and irreparable injury, loss or damage

Well, that's the whole freaking POINT of a strike isn't it? To hurt the other guy until they give you what you want?

"Universal Maritime Services ... said it has lost 95 percent of its business, at a cost of about $700,000, because truckers weren't entering the port to pick up or deliver cargo."

It goes on to say that as independant contractors who are not union members, they are violating anti-trust laws by conspiring to restrict trade. This may be legally correct, I don't know, I'm not a lawyer, but it sounds right to me. Still bullshit, though, as it is in no way morally correct.

Besides, the court can order anything it wants, there's no way in hell you can force 1,000 angry truckers to do anything, much less go to work.

I wonder if these guys are going to rethink their opinion of unions?

[mbperrin]

3. Get a union! "Independent" means isolated and

alone, and that sounds like a target to me!