This is to be a participant-observer study. The purpose is to examine the effects of maritime automation on the lives of longshoremen, their families, and communities in two harbor areas --Los Angeles and San Francisco. At the present time in most American ports, the hands of longshoremen touch only 20 per cent of the cargoes moved. Most cargoes are now hauled in containers, in unitized loads, or in bulk. During the last decade, freight movement has become fully intermodal in surface (ship, truck and railroad) transportation. The resulting mechanized work situation bears little resemblance to the traditional longshore occupation, work opportunity has been cut by 40 per cent and all the surviving longshoremen are not the recipients of a minimal pay guarantee plan. It is certain that in addition to the longshoremen themselves, their families and communities have been affected by this crisis, but in what specific ways? The question provides the overall objective of the research. The research will take place mainly in longshoremen's homes and the bars, cafes, parks and community places where they and their families and friends gather. Two major port areas have been chosen in which to conduct the research in order to bring benefit of comparison. The longshore labor forces of Los Angeles and San Francisc work under the same collective bargaining agreement, are members of the same union, but are dissimilar in many ways. To provide but one example, 70 per cent of San Francisco longshoremen are black as compared to 10 per cent in Los Angeles. First and second generation white southerners and men with Spanish surnames compose the two largest racial-ethnic groupings (approximately 30 per cent each) among Los Angeles longshoremen. It is probable that automation has affected different longshoremen, their families and communities in different ways. The specific aims of the study are designed to determine if this is the case and in what ways, both collective and individual.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter