First Mexican truck to enter US interior

[Blue_In_AK]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44971132/

I'm no fan of Duncan Hunter, but I think he's right on this one. More NAFTA bullshit.

The first Mexican carrier is set to roll into the U.S. interior Friday, but the Teamsters union and two California congressmen haven't given up on stopping the cross-border trucking program that had been stalled for years by safety concerns and political wrangling.

U.S. Reps. Duncan Hunter and Bob Filner joined Teamsters President James Hoffa at the border Wednesday to take a bipartisan stand against the pilot project that will allow approved Mexican trucks to come deep into the United States. The first one will enter Texas.

Hunter is a San Diego-area Republican, while Filner is a Democrat whose district includes California's border with Mexico.

They were surrounded at a news conference by more than 75 union members from at least five states.

Allowing Mexican trucking companies to deliver goods rather than transfer them to U.S. haulers at the border will put American jobs and highway safety at risk, they said.

<snip>

[itsrobert]

1. This is all about the unions at the Port of Los Angeles

They want the ships to go to Mexico and bypass Los Angeles altogether.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. Not entirely, but it clearly is a factor

[doc03]

3. On the flip side the, first American truck driver looses his job

because Mexican trucking companies are now permitted to deliver goods rather then transfer them to US haulers.

[pampango]

4. The next thing you know German and Polish trucks will be entering the French interior.

Maybe France should withdraw from the EU and build a wall on the German border. That's worked well in the past. ;)

[doc03]

6. Do German truckers make a fraction of the wages that a

French driver makes?

[pampango]

9. No but the Polish and Czechs and Slovaks and Slovenians, among others, do. n/t

[doc03]

10. Do drivers outside the EU like the Russians or Chinese

deliver goods inside the EU.

[pampango]

14. What difference does that make? We're not talking about the US opening to Russia and China, either.

Mexico is our continental neighbor just like Poland and Slovakia are to France.

France (and Germany and other more prosperous European countries) do open up to truckers from Poland and Slovakia and other not-so-well-off countries on their continent.

[doc03]

21. So you are all in favor of destroying one of the only jobs left

in this country that currently has a labor shortage.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. When will people get it?

We need continent wide unions with continent wide wage scales. It is the ONLY way.

[doc03]

7. I am all for that but the goal here is to totally eliminate unions

and drive wages down on the entire continent.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I know, but instead of screaming due to those Mexican drivers

Who happen to be union, our unions should build bridges and demand at least north American wide wage scales that will be union for all.

That is my point and it only helps them.

Don't worry have had this exact conversation in Spanish in Mexico City. The idea of a continent wide union is strange still, there and here. But this international in the name of many a union...it is time to make it operational.

[doc03]

12. I hate to break it to you but unions are on life support. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. I hate to break it to you

But unions are waking up, and they are not on life support across north America as a continent, which is what we are talking about.

But if you want to throw the towel, be my guest. (Free hint unions are now down a path of radicalization)

[doc03]

20. I worked a job with a union for 44 years 1966-2010 and the unions

have been on a steady decline the entire time. I am not sure of the numbers but hasn't private sector union membership dropped from something like 30% to like 8% now? I am not anti union I am just pointing out facts. When the percentage of workers represented by unions increases a significant amount I will take it back. I was on two strikes one for 100 days an another for 10 1/2 months and we ended up going back for the offer on the table the day we went out. Started taking concessions in the late seventies the company right now is threatening bankruptcy again and the union is currently in negotiations on more concessions. I am just thankful to be retired and don't have to deal with it anymore.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Yes, but unions are now reacting

There are developments in the horizon that will surprise you, hopefully in a good way, soon.

And what I said about continent wide unions I mean it. The afl-CIO should start working with the CTM, for example.

A continent wide wage scale ends quite a bit of the bullshit. As long as we see them as enemies, and I understand why, the bosses win.

I guess this is too complex... I had done this in Spanish too. :banghead:

[CanonRay]

8. There goes another who knows how many jobs.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

15. "But Officer, those are not bald tires! Those are racing slicks!!

:evilgrin:

[Earth_First]

16. What emissions safety? Inspection?! What log book?

:mad:

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Sorry to break this to you

But yes on all three.

Mexico City, and all long range trucks will go through it, has one of the most stringent emission controls in north America. This is why pollution has actually improved in mexico city while I cannot say the same for Houston. This is not the issue as much as people want to. The issue is we need a truly international union with high wage scales. Don't allow yourself to be distracted. Oh and those drivers, they are union too. But we need one that spans north America.

[LiberalAndProud]

18. Do DOT regs apply to foreign truckers?

Independent trucking in the U.S. will soon be but a memory, I fear.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. They do

And things like smog controls are actually far more stringent down there...and are enforced too