If you’ll remember, there was a bit of a scare back in the fall, right before the election, as the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA), the union for the longshoremen on most East and Gulf Coast ports and the consortium that manages those ports, the United State Maritime Alliance (USMX) were at loggerheads over a new contract and the issue of automation.
There was a lot of pre-walkout necessary and expensive reshuffling of Christmas orders and commerce in an attempt to beat the deadline and panic at the thought of the devastating effects of what an extended walkout would do to a tottery US economy. POTATUS and Co. were frozen in ‘Y’all be careful out there” mode, adding to a general sense of doom.
At the last minute, a pause in hostilities was hammered out and only a pause.
…The Biden administration was completely hands-off until the union physically shut the ports down. Even then, their participation only went as far as the Secretary of Labor finally flying in to meet with both parties to “urge” them to work through their differences and for the USMX to give a little to the union. That’s classic Scranton Joe for you there.
Public pressure and outrage, election upheaval, not to mention a looming economic disaster all probably served to cool some heated jets enough for a bit of progress to be made in a short period of time. The USMX agreed to something on the order of a 62% wage hikeover 6 years. Then everybody agreed to get the docks reopened under the terms of the old contract while they hammered out other, thornier issues, but only until 15 January 2025.
The two parties had been in talks until last month when the ILA once again broke off negotiations over USMX’s insistence on installing ‘automation’ at the ports.
…The ILA broke off contract talks last month as employers sought to include semiautomated container cranes in a new pact, saying the USMX was trying to eliminate union jobs. Employers countered that automation technology is needed to make box handling at ILA ports more globally competitive, which would in turn create jobs.
Pointing out that this is Joe Biden’s mess is technically correct, but in practicality, it is a waste of time and energy. […]
— Read More: hotair.com
At Last, a Company With Integrity in the Gold IRA Industry
For several years, I’ve been vetting out precious metals companies in search of the best. I believe in gold and silver but it’s hard to find integrity in the Gold IRA industry. The vast majority operate with shady tactics and gigantic spreads that take advantage of Americans who simply want to protect their life’s savings.
I’ve found a handful that I like and I’ve worked with some of them. By no means would I “unrecommend” them because, again, I vetted them out and found them to be above the fold. Unfortunately, it isn’t hard to be better than the rest when the rest are so darn awful.
After years of searching, I finally found a company that truly operates with integrity. Augusta Precious Metals has three important attributes that set them far above the competition:
- Non-Commissioned Sales Team: I cannot stress how important and unique this is. With just about every other company in the Gold IRA industry, the sales teams make commission from every account they open. This means they steer their clients toward the gold and silver products with the highest commission. With Augusta Precious Metals, the team is solely focused on putting the best gold and silver for their clients into their IRA. They get paid to serve the best interests of the Gold IRA client, NOT their own commission pay.
- Incredibly Low Fees: Most Americans would be shocked if they knew the spread other Gold IRA companies charge. Augusta charges just 5% versus up to 45% elsewhere.
- No Pressure, No Gimmicks: There’s an understanding among most in the Gold IRA industry that fear and pressure is the way to go. Augusta Precious Metals takes a sober approach when working with clients because they hold integrity in the highest possible regard. This is why they don’t offer gimmicks like “free” or “bonus” silver. It’s also why they do not apply pressure tactics to get quick sales. Their educational and transparent approach to doing business is exceedingly rare in the Gold IRA industry.
