Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015 - FEBRUARY 22, 2015
belmontbeacon.com
Shipping Corporations Go “On Strike” Against Workers in Light of Self-Created Conditions by nick kipley The Port of Long Beach and Los Angeles shut down this past weekend because the Pacific Maritime Association claimed that there was no room to put the containers from a flood of ship traffic currently anchored off the coast. The PMA also claimed there were not enough qualified dock crane operators to move freight for stacking within the port. The shutdown cost an estimated one-billion dollars a day this weekend, and occurred because of port conditions; ships weren’t being unloaded fast enough. Renegotiations of the longshoremen and warehouse worker’s contract is in the works this week, so when PMA claims that dockworkers want a raise in their “$1,200 a day” salary, it’s difficult not to feel like the dockworkers are being a bit lazy. The only problem with this narrative is that the PMA is an association whose strongest members are comprised of seven of the largest European and East Asian shipping corporations in the world. They are not
Landmark “Green Port Policy” Turns 10 Port of Long Beach Reaffirms Commitment to Environment
dockworkers. The PMA are the ones responsible for clogging the Port of L.A./L.B.C. with their own ships, while simultaneously complaining that there are too many ships in the port. The shutdown this week-
end occurred when the PMA ceased to pay the International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union for their labor, which the PMA claims has been declining
wood, CA 90712. The HAT Committee (Hearing Assistive Technology) through Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Long Beach/Lakewood Chapter provides this free event every third Friday of the month. A representative from CaptionCall will be on hand to offer
information on phones with captioning. Sam Moghadam, Hearing Instrument Specialist from Ascent Hearing Center, will also be present to assist with hearing aids. HAT does not sell hearing aids or Hearing Assistive Devices, but pro-
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Port of Long Beach’s historic Green Port Policy by honoring its originators and reaffirming their commitment to environmental sustainability. Thanks to the many the Policy’s many successes, air quality and water quality have dramatically improved and the Port of Long Beach has become a recognized leader in environmental stewardship among seaports around the world. In unanimously adopting a resolution Monday to reaffirm the Port’s commitment to the Green Port Policy, today’s Commissioners said they were determined to broaden its promise. “Protecting the environment is one of the great challenges of the 21st century, and the biggest success of our Green Port Policy is yet to come as we see our programs being adopted at ports around the world -- and our industry free of emissions and completely sustainable,” said Harbor Commission President Doug Drummond. On Monday evening, the current Harbor Commission also honored six former com-
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Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Jon Slangerup
– Courtesy photo
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Free “Hands-On” Hearing Assistive Technology Demonstration Unique to Southern California
Do you have trouble hearing on the phone and have trouble hearing conversations in restaurants? Can’t hear the doorbell ring? New technologies are available for you to try “hands on” Friday, Feb. 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Weingart Senior Center, 5220 Oliva Avenue, Lake-
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