Is the Shipping Crisis a silent tsunami for the economy

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As I understand things are about to get a lot worse with shortages and I guess supply demand and increase in prices of goods. Likely I don’t understand the severity of this situation but it looks bad.

Looks like this is why it’s happening...

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1444322215491776519

The director of one of the largest ports in the US warns the shipping industry is in 'crisis mode' as 66 cargo ships float off the California shore

A historic backlog of cargo ships stuck off the California coast has spurred shortages and price hikes across the country.

www.businessinsider.com

Target chartered its own container ship to sidestep the global shipping crisis ahead of the holiday shopping season

Target is preparing for its holiday shopping season and incentivizing customers to start shopping early.

www.businessinsider.com

It’s happening

 

[silentkisser]

Yeah, this is a major problem. As one of the articles points out, it isn't really an issue at the ports, but more an issue with getting truckers and warehouses running at peak capacity. I haven't heard how the port of Vancouver is doing. I wonder if some of those ships could be sent up there, or down to Mexico. A lot of containers are shipped over the border by train...

 

[Insidious Von]

This is what happens when you scapegoat immigrants.

All of the truckers I employ are immigrants doing what they must to establish themselves in their adopted homeland...and hopefully bring their families here. Fact is we are all immigrants, get used to it.

 

[rhuarc29]

This is what happens when you scapegoat immigrants.

All of the truckers I employ are immigrants doing what they must to establish themselves in their adopted homeland...and hopefully bring their families here. Fact is we are all immigrants, get used to it.

Unless I'm missing something, the influx of immigrants has been fairly steady, both for Canada and the U.S., even in the face of COVID. Besides which, the shipping issue is global.
I'd say there's a combination of factors at play here. Partially people unwilling to work due to health risk, people unwilling to work because they received "free" cash handouts, disruptions due to local shutdowns during COVID outbreaks, a massive underestimation of recovery speed, and fragility in supply routes even prior to COVID.

 

[silentkisser]

Well now, you will be paying more. Isn't it what the lefties have been wishing for years, now?

Close. Oh so close. What people want is a living wage. Minimum wage wasn't something that was started to pay teenagers. It was rolled out to ensure everyone could live off of their salary. Somewhere along the way, it started to mean you lived in starvation mode. That is bullshit, considering how profitable all these companies are, like Walmart and McDonalds. The reality here is, both of these companies have pushed a lot of their employees to live off of government assistance, especially in the US. So, basically, these companies pay their CEOs millions, they pay out dividends, find ways to cut their tax bills, and force their employees to get help from taxpayers.

That is the right-wing way of doing things. Obviously it's very short sighted, since it puts more people on welfare or food stamps...But, corporate taxes are low!!!

Now, a lot of people look at people who work at these places as disposable or less worthy because they work minimum wage. But, speaking as someone who toiled in similar situations, you work a hell of a lot harder there than you do in nearly any office environment. You have managers micromanaging your breaks, scheduling you at weird times (flex schedules are a fixture at McDonald's, where you might work the breakfast rush, then you're off until the lunch rush...).

Workers rights are becoming human rights, though I doubt you would agree with that.

 

[newfie]

No one wants to be a trucker, especially long distance. Not enough pay for the hours you work. No safe place to park at night and when Covid started, drivers couldn't even find places to eat or use the the washroom. A lot of older drivers just gave it up.

 

[jcpro]

Close. Oh so close. What people want is a living wage. Minimum wage wasn't something that was started to pay teenagers. It was rolled out to ensure everyone could live off of their salary. Somewhere along the way, it started to mean you lived in starvation mode. That is bullshit, considering how profitable all these companies are, like Walmart and McDonalds. The reality here is, both of these companies have pushed a lot of their employees to live off of government assistance, especially in the US. So, basically, these companies pay their CEOs millions, they pay out dividends, find ways to cut their tax bills, and force their employees to get help from taxpayers.

That is the right-wing way of doing things. Obviously it's very short sighted, since it puts more people on welfare or food stamps...But, corporate taxes are low!!!

Now, a lot of people look at people who work at these places as disposable or less worthy because they work minimum wage. But, speaking as someone who toiled in similar situations, you work a hell of a lot harder there than you do in nearly any office environment. You have managers micromanaging your breaks, scheduling you at weird times (flex schedules are a fixture at McDonald's, where you might work the breakfast rush, then you're off until the lunch rush...).

Workers rights are becoming human rights, though I doubt you would agree with that.

I don't begrudge the CEO of the company that employs me his money, perks or the company's tax status. And neither does anyone else because we are very well compensated for our efforts. And some effort it is that requires (often) six days weeks and double the hours the "living wage" proponents are willing to put in. On the other hand, most of my coworkers can afford families on a single income. Now THAT is a living wage. I know it's harsh, but life is such that it produces outcomes based on your effort, intelligence, perseverance and a bit of luck. I started from exactly zero as most of my coworkers and we have very decent lives, but we paid for it. It is the productivity that drives the wages and keeps us competitive and thus employed.

 

[oil&gas]

We must eliminate the use of fossil fuel asap to ensure
there will be no future shipping crisis. Without diesel and
jet fuel global economy will automatically be localized.
And elimination of emission from planes and ships will
be one great leap forward in our fight against climate change.

 

[Anbarandy]

Unless I'm missing something, the influx of immigrants has been fairly steady, both for Canada and the U.S., even in the face of COVID. Besides which, the shipping issue is global.
I'd say there's a combination of factors at play here. Partially people unwilling to work due to health risk, people unwilling to work because they received "free" cash handouts, disruptions due to local shutdowns during COVID outbreaks, a massive underestimation of recovery speed, and fragility in supply routes even prior to COVID.

Edited to delete deeply ingrained biases and misconceptions.

 

[silentkisser]

I don't begrudge the CEO of the company that employs me his money, perks or the company's tax status. And neither does anyone else because we are very well compensated for our efforts. And some effort it is that requires (often) six days weeks and double the hours the "living wage" proponents are willing to put in. On the other hand, most of my coworkers can afford families on a single income. Now THAT is a living wage. I know it's harsh, but life is such that it produces outcomes based on your effort, intelligence, perseverance and a bit of luck. I started from exactly zero as most of my coworkers and we have very decent lives, but we paid for it. It is the productivity that drives the wages and keeps us competitive and thus employed.

I do begrudge the CEO. They don't toil like the average worker does. They are more concerned with their compensation to give a fuck about anyone below the C-suite. Look how many CEOs get stock options or bonuses based on share price. So, what do they do? Stock buybacks to jack up the share price. Or they cut staff to "increase efficiencies" for short term gain. They are more concerned with shareholders than other stakeholders. And their level of compensation is so out of whack for what they do. Is any CEO really worth $20M a year? Are they that visionary that they out perform their peers by such a staggering amount? The answer is no. CEO pay has been grossly inflated over the past 30 years. Sure, it's a stressful job, but they also get golden parachutes for when they get fired, even for cause.

Now, I don't begrudge you for making good money. You make more than a living wage. But you look down on those who toil in retail or fast food. Not everyone has the access to get a higher education for hundreds of reasons. So, should they starve? Imagine having to live in Toronto earning minimum wage. Where the fuck would you live? What could you possibly eat? How would you get to work? Minimum wage started out as the minimum wage to live (food, shelter etc.). Now we look at it like only the scum of the earth work these jobs and we shouldn't care. That's the wealth gap, and it's growing each and every year.

 

[rhuarc29]

Edited to delete deeply ingrained biases and misconceptions.