Cruise Terminal Porters

[not-enough-cruising]

2 hours ago, Longford said:

You're fantasizing if you think porters ... luggage handlers ... at cruise terminals are earning six-figure salaries.  LOL!

And you are fantasizing that you have any clue how a labor union works, 

[topnole]

5 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Well, you can't stiff the bartenders.  Every drink has an automatic 18% tip added.  

Except for the thousands of diamond drinks each week.   

[topnole]

3 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

Who gets a beer at a bar and doesn’t tip?

Everyone in Europe?

[shellunderwater]

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

And, you know this, how?

I'm with the Chief on this.

 

Big fan of his from back in the Clarea days....pre-covid.

[mo&fran]

12 hours ago, Longford said:

You're fantasizing if you think porters ... luggage handlers ... at cruise terminals are earning six-figure salaries.  LOL!

They don't make all of that just handling your luggage when you cruise. They also load and unload all of  those cargo ships. They also deal with all of the provisions being loaded on your cruise ship, and all of the work around the dock when your ship is in port.

[CleverFirst]

I don't have any first hand experience with porters or longshoremen salaries, and it sounds like neither do any of you, but I do have experience being a union worker and being on the receiving end of the whole "they get paid too much already for what they do" manipulation tactics. The vast majority of laborers in the US make, and survive on, much less than what everyone else not intimately aware of the profession expects. I'm a union nurse who makes 65k a year. I do get great healthcare, retirement, and education benefits. But the narrative that nurses are making six figures, making more than residents and fellows, is absurd. And this tactic of shaming minimum and low wage workers for "getting paid too much" for the work they do, because one time you saw a person taking a nap or whatever, is just an example of turning the middle class against the lower class to prevent the middle and lower class from recognizing the true source of greed and injustice, the corporations. 

 

I did a google search of miami porter salary which shows the high end being 18 dollars an hour.  That is certainly not six figures, and while it's.... I guess... a living wage.... to say they make more than most cruisers and are greedy for even expecting tips, let alone ASKING for them, and then creating a boogey man story that they are maliciously handling baggage if their "demands are not met" is so toxic. They are people, doing a physical labor job, just trying to make a buck. This isn't negotiating with terrorists. If you don't tip, fine, but this theme of villainizing them to make yourself feel better about not tipping is extremely ugly. 

[time4u2go]

9 minutes ago, CleverFirst said:

I don't have any first hand experience with porters or longshoremen salaries, and it sounds like neither do any of you

You might try taking a look at the posts by chengkp75.

[mo&fran]

Porters work in hotels. Longshoremen are the baggage handlers at the ports.

[CleverFirst]

18 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

You might try taking a look at the posts by chengkp75.

That person is retired out of the workforce, has made insulting posts multiple times in this thread about the workers, and is trying to imply they all make six figures. Maybe a handful do. But I just googled salaries for longshoremen in florida as well (just incase porter wasn't producing the correct results) , and that salary is still 70k at the high end.  I do not trust their posts as a resource at all. 

 

Edit: everyone knows averages can be significantly skewed by outliers. The MEDIAN wage for a longshoreman in miami is 26k. 

Edited January 8, 2023 by CleverFirst

[Charles4515]

27 minutes ago, CleverFirst said:

I did a google search of miami porter salary which shows the high end being 18 dollars an hour.

People are calling them porters but at the ports the porters are port workers who are handling baggage. They could also be moving cargo. They make much more than $18 an hour because longshoremen are an essential occupation in our economy so the unions can negotiate better wages than other unions like nurses. If the longshoreman go on strike or have work actions it could cost business’s billions. 

[Charles4515]

28 minutes ago, CleverFirst said:

That person is retired out of the workforce, has made insulting posts multiple times in this thread about the workers, and is trying to imply they all make six figures. Maybe a handful do. But I just googled salaries for longshoremen in florida as well (just incase porter wasn't producing the correct results) , and that salary is still 70k at the high end.  I do not trust their posts as a resource at all. 

 

Edit: everyone knows averages can be significantly skewed by outliers. The MEDIAN wage for a longshoreman in miami is 26k. 

I agree with you that poster saying six figures are cherrypicking out a few workers who have a lot of seniority and can hold the best jobs at the best locations. So most woekers proably make under $100,000 and workers starting out may not get 40 hours and make $25,000. However the workers who have the most seniority are probably likely cherrypicking the best jobs,  will choose the cruise ship work. So they could be making over $100,000. When someone says longshormen make $600,000 that could be a crane operator. Crane operators in any industry command high wages. So what say about the median is valid. However the longshoremen  who handle our bags are not tipped workers. We tip them out of custom. I will continue  to do so but none should feel they have to. They are not like airport porters who do need the tips to live on. And if you decide not to tip your baggage is not going to go missing. 

Edited January 8, 2023 by Charles4515

[CleverFirst]

4 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I agree with you that poster saying six figures are cherrypicking out a few workers who have a lot of seniority and can hold the best jobs at the best locations. So most woekers proably make under $100,000 and workers starting out may not get 40 hours and make $25,000. However the workers who have the most seniority are probably likely cherrypicking the best jobs,  will choose the cruise ship work. So they could be making over $100,000. When someone says longshormen make $600,000 that could be a crane operator. Crane operators in any industry command high wages. So what say about the median is valid. However the longshoremen  who handle our bags are not tipped workers. We tip them out of custom. I will continue  to do so but none should feel they have to. They are not like airport porters who do need the tips to live on. And if you decide not to tip your baggage is not going to go missing. 

 

Yes, exactly. The whole point of my post was that the thread was going in a very ugly direction of villainizing these people and making outrageous claims that "luggage will go missing if a cruiser doesn't succumb to the extortion of these port workers who are actually making a base pay much higher than theirs, and then still demanding tips ontop of that base pay".  Totally ridiculous. 

[chengkp75]

11 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I agree with you that poster saying six figures are cherrypicking out a few workers who have a lot of seniority and can hold the best jobs at the best locations.

I will again defend my position on longshore wages by taking data from the article that received data from the union itself:

 

https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/dock-workers-union-demands-hurt-consumers/

 

In fact, according to the union's own material, the average dockworker makes $147,000 in annual salary and pulls in $35,000 a year in employer-paid health care benefits. Pensions pay $80,000 a year.

 

3 minutes ago, CleverFirst said:

The whole point of my post was that the thread was going in a very ugly direction of villainizing these people and making outrageous claims that "luggage will go missing if a cruiser doesn't succumb to the extortion of these port workers

Please show where I ever said that baggage would go missing over lack of tipping.  Never said that, and don't believe it, as there is no way that one longshoreman tracks a single bag all the way from the curb to the ship's side, and since they won't share tips with the guys doing the scanning or driving the forklifts, what incentive is there to leave the bag behind. 

 

44 minutes ago, CleverFirst said:

has made insulting posts multiple times in this thread about the workers,

Is it insulting to state examples that I have personally seen over many years of experience with these workers?  I have seen the same behavior on East Coast, Gulf Coast, and West Coast ports, so it isn't like it is isolated instances.

[not-enough-cruising]

9 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

I will again defend my position on longshore wages by taking data from the article that received data from the union itself:

 

https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/dock-workers-union-demands-hurt-consumers/

 

In fact, according to the union's own material, the average dockworker makes $147,000 in annual salary and pulls in $35,000 a year in employer-paid health care benefits. Pensions pay $80,000 a year.

 

Please show where I ever said that baggage would go missing over lack of tipping.  Never said that, and don't believe it, as there is no way that one longshoreman tracks a single bag all the way from the curb to the ship's side, and since they won't share tips with the guys doing the scanning or driving the forklifts, what incentive is there to leave the bag behind. 

 

Is it insulting to state examples that I have personally seen over many years of experience with these workers?  I have seen the same behavior on East Coast, Gulf Coast, and West Coast ports, so it isn't like it is isolated instances.

Gotta love real data; but someone will

claim its false, no doubt! 
 

thanks @chengkp75

[CleverFirst]

16 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

I will again defend my position on longshore wages by taking data from the article that received data from the union itself:

 

https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/dock-workers-union-demands-hurt-consumers/

 

In fact, according to the union's own material, the average dockworker makes $147,000 in annual salary and pulls in $35,000 a year in employer-paid health care benefits. Pensions pay $80,000 a year.

Did you really just take an article, from 2015, from investor.com which has an extremely anti-union bias as seen later in the article, that itself does not cite any sources, and use that as evidence?

 

Everything I'm seeing from current posted wages on glassdoor.com,  salary.com, careers.com, etc, is showing in the 40-80k range, with 60k being very much the median. Which, is certainly not bad money, especially for the labor I'm seeing them do, lifting heavy luggage, bag after bag, for hours. 

https://www.salary.com/research/salary/posting/longshoreman-salary

 

Again, you're retired out of the workforce, I just don't think you have a good idea of what current working conditions are like, what the current economy for younger working class people is like, etc. 

 

And btw I never claimed you specifically were fear mongering about bags going missing, but that the thread in general was. I do still stand by the fact (even moreso now, after that "evidence" you produced) that you're clearly out of date/out of touch with your info you're providing and not a good source to trust on these workers' wages.  

 

 

[publicpersona]

7 minutes ago, CleverFirst said:

I never claimed you specifically were fear mongering about bags going missing

 

There's no evidence that not tipping will result in mishandling of your luggage in any way. However, that intimidation is something I've experienced multiple times as the stevedore says, "I'm the one who makes sure your luggage gets safely on the ship."

 

Besides being untrue (the stevedores will again handle your luggage, but not necessarily that individual), what purpose does such a statement serve than to pressure for a tip?

[chengkp75]

14 minutes ago, CleverFirst said:

Again, you're retired out of the workforce, I just don't think you have a good idea of what current working conditions are like, what the current economy for younger working class people is like, etc. 

Let's see.  I retired in September 2021.  Does that make me out of date?  Am I not current enough?  And, crowdsourced sites like salary.com are not very accurate when it comes to unionized jobs, as I just looked at salary.com for Marine Chief Engineer salaries, and found that I was making well in excess of the top salary listed (by about $40K), and yet our company, with its union contract, was one of the less "desirable" contracts within the union, and we had trouble obtaining personnel.  Just the fact that they try to break down data into irrelevant chunks (showing which states had the highest salaries for a job that doesn't care where you live), shows that they really have no idea about the industries they post salaries about.

[Straughn]

I generally check two smaller bags rather than one larger one. At my age, it is easier for me to handle the two rather than one large suitcase. Yes, these bags would fit thru the scanner on the ship, but I don’t want to deal with that. I find that a $5 bill, a friendly smile and a thank you to the Porter/longshoreman (or whatever title is appropriate) goes a long way. I am happy to tip a few $ to not have to schlep my luggage. 

[ReneeFLL]

On 1/5/2023 at 5:37 PM, pcur said:

All I can say is I've been cruising with RCCL, Princess, HAL, and Celebrity for 50 years this coming October, and never once had my bag stolen, lost, or not delivered.  I'll just keep smiling big, hand over the bag, and give them a tip, thanking them for taking care of it for me.

 

However, don't get me started on the OAK baggage handlers.  There's one common denominator to the theft of my prescription medications and  miscellaneous items.  That would be coming in or out of OAK.

I would never leave prescriptions or important stuff in my checked luggage. Always in my carry on for flights or cruises.

[Charles4515]

1 minute ago, ReneeFLL said:

I would never leave prescriptions or important stuff in my checked luggage. Always in my carry on for flights or cruises.

Yes the same., Every cruise line and airline warns passengers not to leave prescriptions in checked luggage. 

[ReneeFLL]

On 1/5/2023 at 6:02 PM, Scotico said:

What is the normal rate per bag.  One person tells me it $2-$3 bag and others tell me it's $5 bag.

We tip a $1.00 a bag an no more.

 

On 1/5/2023 at 7:23 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

In 25 cruises I have never once tipped a porter when embarking a ship and have never had a bag not make it on board. 

Frankly, I’m getting tired of tipping porters for them to walk 10 feet to put the bags on a cart. I know I don’t tip much, but it’s the principle of it. There have been a few times where I didn’t just to see what they would do. There was one guy that held his hand out so long that I finally shook it and said thanks and acted like I didn’t know what he wanted.
 

Seems like everyone in the States is looking for tips now. I have even seen a tip jar at a garden center and I just laughed. I’m leaning more and more to not tipping them, but convincing DH is another thing. With his job he’s so used to tipping in other countries that it’s hard for him to give it up here for the porters.

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by ReneeFLL

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

Seems like everyone in the States is looking for tips now. I have even seen a tip jar at a garden center and I just laughed.

Not just the states....seeing lots of those "tip jars" showing up in Canada as well.

[mjkacmom]

3 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

We tip a $1.00 a bag an no more.

 

Frankly, I’m getting tired of tipping porters for them to walk 10 feet to put the bags on a cart. I know I don’t tip much, but it’s the principle of it. There have been a few times where I didn’t just to see what they would do. There was one guy that held his hand out so long that I finally shook it and said thanks and acted like I didn’t know what he wanted. Seems like everyone in the States is looking for tips now. I have even seen a tip jar at a garden center and I just laughed.

All of my kids worked at a garden center starting at 14, the boys got tipped very well for carrying stuff to cars, a fortune during Christmas tree season (brutal work). My girls were cashiers but sometimes got tips, especially if they walked around with the customers. Once a customer came back to tip my daughter after my daughter drove her and her plants home (no car).

[Cruisin'allovertheworld]

On 1/7/2023 at 12:30 AM, Longford said:

Why, when you ask some to do what you’re not willing to do yourself? 

It is not my job. It is literally their job.

On 1/7/2023 at 7:00 AM, Jasukkie said:

Good for them! It's really hard work. 

 

Agreed! You couldn't pay me to do it, that's for sure!

On 1/7/2023 at 9:39 AM, Tree_skier said:

...He retired in luxury at 55.

Good for him! That's a great age to retire- My dad was 56 when he retired but would have retired a little earlier if not for the GFC (Global Financial Crisis). My mum didn't work after I was born. Are you jealous because you won't be able to retire at that age? Honestly that is how it comes across.

17 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

Who gets a beer at a bar and doesn’t tip?

 

14 hours ago, topnole said:

Everyone in Europe?

Also everyone in Aus/NZ.

[ReneeFLL]

 

On 1/6/2023 at 7:50 AM, NoShoes2 said:

…I actually had a porter tell me that for a certain amount that he could guarantee our bags would arrive by a certain time. As a newbie we fell for it. LOL 

Since then we haven't been caught up in the craziness. We take our time, tip the porter and watch that our bags are handled correctly. 

I’ve had a ported tell me that he was the one who would take my bag safely to my room while having his hand out. Having sailed plenty of times before I knew it wasn’t true. I asked since when are porters allowed on the ship? He turned and walked away and put my bags on the cart. Never said anything to me after that. Sorry you were told this.