Automation
I write to you out of great concern about the job losses and Tax revenue losses in the great state of California due to automation at the Los Angeles and Long Beach port complexes. The foreign shipping companies Are working to eliminate 90% of Longshore jobs from the waterfront and operate equipment with robots which is 50% slower than a conventional human operation. The Union (ILWU) has a 5-year agreement with these foreign shipping companies which are represented by the PMA (Pacific Maritime Association) which allows for complete automation of the Los Angeles and Long Beach port complexes if the shipping decides to do so, they can and will continue to automate the ports and eliminate Longshore jobs.
Los Angeles and Long Beach port commissioners are giving the green light to automation and are not evaluating the economic impact on the region by eliminating longshore jobs. Further, APMT at Pier 400 did not disclose the elimination of jobs, APMT will no
longer pay the same amount of payroll tax. These two things are important to the economic well-being of the State of California. Furthermore, APMT misused Zero-emission funding from the state of California eliminating jobs being done by human workers driving diesel equipment with Robots driving diesel equipment which did not reduce emissions. APMT should be made to convert back to conventional human operation which can be done quickly.
APMT has slowed down the throughput of the Terminal by 50%. A ship would take 3-4 days to unload and load the ship with human operation. Now, automation ships are in dock up to 10-11 days. Under Human operation, APMT would do 300 containers for each crane during an 8- hour shift. Now, with automation, each crane might break 100 containers in an 8-hour shift, which is more than 50% less cargo movement in an automation operation at APMT 400.
Furthermore, APMT holds less than 50% of containers on site due to the 3-high stack system on the terminal that allows automated Strade carriers to reach. APMT should be made to maximize the use of the Terminal and stack containers 6-high with A-Z pile set-up. What will happen if ports continue to automate 50% of containers presently sitting on the dock in port will be sent inland. That’s a lot of wasted land.
We are asking the state to intervene and install a “Moratorium” on any further automation at the ports in California until hearings can be held to evaluate the economic impact on Automation will have the region. Further, we want the state to mandate Tra-Pac, LBCT and APMT to convert back to human operation.
The loss of these jobs will cause great economic hardship for the region. As outlined in the report by the Economic Roundtable called “Someone Else’s Ocean. Please move quickly to stop the job loss.
Desiderio Chavez
IlWU, Local 13 Longshore worker
AI Woes
Really terrible– and illegal — how the shady AI industry is replicating the recordings of so many voice actors and using them for profit without permission or compensation.
These talented humans have worked so hard to perfect their craft. I have many friends and colleagues who are being ‘AI ripped off’ like this. It’s happening everywhere and it’s sickening.
Laurel Garza
Lomita, CA
Mercury Under Near Mt. Wilson Observatory
If anyone thought the recent fires in Southern California were bad, you haven’t seen the potential Mt. Wilson Observatory has. The 100” and 60” telescopes are in a seismically active area “EARTHQUAKES,” to stabilize those behemoth’s, they sit on pools of mercury. While there have been no recorded incidents, if any, the potential is catastrophic should mercury get into the soil, water table, wildlife or worse, people, Los Angeles would become uninhabitable, or at the very least, large portions would. This must be addressed immediately, here’s one better,suppose some lunatic ….
I beseech you, someone to do something. The telescopes had their time and day, with Hubble, The Keck, and others. It’s time for them to go. Call who needs to be called, get in someone’s face, yell from the top of a tree, you know someone that knows somebody! I’ve done my due diligence.
Robert Fergusun
San Pedro
Salute to Harriet Tubman
During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman (1822-1913, later Brigadier General) was a spy, a scout, a guide, and she led troops into combat. This is in addition to her Underground Railroad work.
President Trump and Secretary Hegseth should salute Harriet Tubman.
I am waiting for those salutes.
Michael Madrid
Veteran
San Pedro
It’s the Economy
The economy may not be in a “technical” recession, but consumers are already living through one.
The signs are everywhere—from prices creeping up to businesses making desperate moves.
– The Dollar stores aren’t even dollar stores anymore. First, Dollar Tree raising some prices to $1.75. Now, they’ve officially sold Family Dollar to a private equity firm for $1B—after buying it for $8.5B in 2015. That’s not just a financial loss, that’s a fire sale. And when private equity gets involved, store closures and job cuts are almost guaranteed.
– Layoffs are still UP. More companies are still doing layoffs, while tariffs are doing a layup in our budgets—driving up the cost of everyday goods.
– Could utilities be the next recession indicator? If your energy bill is creeping up, you’re not alone. As costs rise, even basic household expenses are feeling out of reach.
And this is just what’s in the headlines. The reality? People are tightening their budgets, skipping “extras,” and adjusting to a financial squeeze they weren’t prepared for. Stagflation was something I warned about last year and seems like it’s the low tide before the high tide of recession levels.
We don’t need two negative GDP quarters to call a thing, a thing—we see it in our bank accounts and at checkouts. What’s an indicator you’ve noticed in your own budget?
Nadia Vanderhall
Financial Planner & Marketer
Charlotte, North Carolina