Lighting Store Showroom Near North Charleston, SC

Published: Oct. 1, 2024 at 1:34 PM PDT|

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Roughly 6,000 port workers in the Lowcountry are almost a day through the first strike of its kind since the 1970s, demanding better pay and protections for the job.

Some are describing the roads near Charleston, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant terminals a ghost town for cargo, but the sidewalks are crowded. Port workers are taking shifts of 50 or more to sit on the picket line, waving signs that demand wages and protection against automated industries.

“Whether it’s two days, two weeks, two months. However long it takes we’re in it for the long haul. We’re long overdue,” International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1422 member Marquette Mapp says.

The demands come after negotiations over a Master Contract stalled between the association and the U-S Maritime Alliance. The group was discussing a deal meant to go into effect on October 1, but when the time came, no decision was made.

The union was offering a 77% pay raise over the contract’s six-year life. The alliance had responded by offering 50% and limits of automation from the previous contract.

Many on Columbus Street, Remount Road and Long Point Road are describing this as a generational fight, striking alongside parents and children. Some have under 10 years of experience, others have decades, but all have the same goal.

“If we give in now, in the future, it’ll just snowball,” ILA Local 1771 President Lance McLaughlin says. “We have the majority of containers in the Southeast. Everyone at some point or another, some fashion, relies on the ports.”

When asked about their day-to-day, workers say it’s impossible to compare to any other field.

“You’re on call 24/7, you could wake up as early as five in the morning, and not go to bed until five the next morning. When a shipment calls into the port, we’re duty bound to do what it is to get containers out,” Mapp says.

Throughout the day, the group heard honks, and some rebukes, from passersby. In solidarity, the group plans to stay put until a final decision is made.

The president of the South Carolina Ports Authority released a statement on a strike involving thousands of port workers from Boston to Houston, including Charleston.

Barbara Melvin released this statement Tuesday:

In South Carolina alone, port operations generate an $87 billion economic impact each year and support more than 260,000 jobs, meaning every 1 in 9 SC jobs is tied to port operations. These jobs account for those that work on the ports every day, as well as for thousands of jobs at port-dependent businesses throughout the state. Our port system is critical to thousands of businesses throughout the Southeast and beyond. Manufacturers, automakers, retailers, grocery stores, health care providers, farmers and small businesses all greatly benefit from the skilled services that we jointly provide with our maritime partners. When we move cargo in support of companies and communities, the positive benefits ripple out across our state and region.

The strike began at midnight Tuesday morning after negotiations between the U.S. Maritime Alliance and the International Longshoremen’s Association stalled.

But the union wants a complete ban on automation.

“We just want the community to know that we’ve done our part,” Mapp said. “Just this past weekend, we had over 30 ships to come in the Port of Charleston Thursday night up to Sunday morning. None of them was delayed. All of them was turned back around and headed in their destination in a timely fashion, professionally. People that we call longshoremen did the work and made sure that it was done and in the proper time.”

It wasn’t clear just how far apart both sides are.

Gov. Henry McMaster held a briefing Tuesday afternoon on the state’s efforts to respond and rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

When asked about the strike about 15 hours after it began, he said he anticipates there will be an impact to be felt. But the extent of that impact, he said, would depend on how long the strike lasts.

McMaster said that preparing for a strike or trying to work around it to minimize effects to supply chains involved in storm response is hard to do, especially since this strike extends up and down the east coast.

“It’s been in the news, and people were aware that it was coming—suppliers, shippers,” he said. “We have a lot of logistics that flow from that port, and I’m confident that everyone that is involved with it on either end are aware of it and did whatever they could. But we cannot settle the strike between the carriers and the union.

Experts say immediate needs in the wake of Helene should still be met – but the impact on longer-term necessities is unclear.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CHARLESTON, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BoldAge PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is excited to announce the opening of its newest center in North Charleston, South Carolina. This new location marks a significant step in the organization’s bold mission to provide comprehensive, personalized care for seniors in the community, allowing them to live independently at home while receiving medical and supportive services. The Charleston center officially opens its doors today and is now welcoming participants.

BoldAge designs its PACE programs to deliver holistic care through an integrated team of health professionals, ensuring that participants receive the medical, social and emotional support they need. The Charleston site will serve a growing senior population, providing access to primary care, physical therapy, home care, nutrition services and social activities – all under one roof. The custom-designed center is located at 2801 Ashley Phosphate Road, and BoldAge will provide transportation services to the building for participants.

“We are thrilled to expand our services to North Charleston, a community that values the health and dignity of its older adults,” said Mary Austin, CEO of BoldAge. “Our goal is to help older adults stay in their homes and communities while giving them the comprehensive, compassionate care they need to lead fulfilling lives.”

Leading the new site in North Charleston is Rob Williams, Sr., who brings extensive experience in senior care management and community outreach. “I am honored to lead the BoldAge team here in Charleston,” said Williams. “This program offers life-changing services, and we look forward to partnering with local families to ensure that our seniors receive the care and support they deserve.”

The BoldAge PACE North Charleston center is now enrolling participants. Enrollees must be 55 or older, live in the service area, and be certified by the state as eligible for nursing home care. For more information or to schedule a tour of the new facility, please visit www.boldagepace.com or call 855.801.2653.

About BoldAge PACE: BoldAge is a privately owned and operated company focused on providing excellent PACE care. The organization currently provides care to over 400 individuals at six licensed PACE centers across New Jersey, South Carolina, California, Indiana and Kentucky. It has plans to open 10 more centers by 2026.

Contacts

For media inquiries, contact: Heidi Webster National Director of Business Development BoldAge PACE 801.706.1680 hwebster@boldagepace.com

SEATTLE, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab shares gained 3.5% on Friday on bets that the planemaker's U.S. West Coast factory workers will approve a new wage offer and end a seven-week strike that has halted jet production and hammered the company's finances.

Around 33,000 machinists, who have been on strike since Sept. 13, will vote on Monday on a new contract offer raising wages by 38% over four years, up from a prior 35% offer.

The proposal adds a $12,000 ratification bonus but did not meet workers' demand for the restoration of a defined-benefit pension. Boeing workers rejected two previous proposals in votes on Sept. 12 and Oct. 23.

"It looks promising since it is approaching the union's original target of a 40% wage increase over four years. The fact that the strike has lasted almost two months is also a factor in favor of a deal," said Ben Tsocanos, aerospace director at S&P Global Ratings.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg urged workers on Friday to accept the deal, saying in a note to staff that it was time to "focus on rebuilding the business and delivering the world's best airplanes".

Workers on the picket lines were divided, with some telling Reuters they were ready to end the grueling strike and others determined to hold out the full 40% wage increase.

"It's not enough. They haven't even reached our demand," said Kenneth Vi, a 34-year-old quality inspector.

Kate McKinney, a 59-year-old who works on the 737 MAX jet, said she would be voting to accept the deal.

"I want to get back to work. Bills are what they are," McKinney told Reuters.

The strike has halted production of Boeing's best-selling 737 MAX jets as well as its 767 and 777 widebodies, leading to a $6 billion loss in the third quarter and complicating Ortberg's turnaround efforts.

Wall Street analysts have been scanning Reddit posts and social media reactions, which were a harbinger of worker sentiment in the previous two votes.

The machinists union has said it extracted everything it could from the company, while warning that future offers could be regressive.

"The proposal's economics are a material improvement for labor. Union leadership's endorsement, unlike the most recent proposal, should help further bridge the vote towards ratification," said Dino Kritikos, managing director at Fitch Ratings.

Workers have the option of putting a lump sum of $5,000 from the bonus into their 401(k) retirement account or take cash.

That option, coupled with the possibility that workers could see 20% of their salary go into retirement accounts, may sway pension hardliners, Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu wrote in a note.

Workers have lost an average of $10,400 in wages during the strike, eclipsing the average first year pay rise under the offer, Kahyaoglu said. She said Boeing's recent capital increase puts it in a stronger negotiating position.

Its shares have fallen 8.3% since the strike began in September.

Sign up here.

Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru, Dan Catchpole in Seattle and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Writing by Abhijith Ganapavaram and Joe Brock; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Cynthia Osterman

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Published: Oct. 29, 2024 at 1:45 PM PDT|

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments hosted a celebration of progress for South Carolina’s first-ever mass transit system.

Leaders gathered on Tuesday at the future site of the Shipwatch Square Transit Center, located at 3621 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston.

“This is the center of the Lowcountry Rapid Transit corridor. This becomes a hub of transit, multi-modal access and workforce development. A one-stop shop for all your needs,” Principal Transit Planner Sharon Hollis said.

The event functioned as a progress report for the work done so far with the public getting a chance to hear from those who have worked most closely on this system. The project has hit its halfway mark since planning began in 2019 and leaders are looking at around 60% of the final design.

The project is estimated to open to the public in 2029.

The Lowcountry Rapid Transit System is set to be a 21.3-mile modern bus rapid transit system to provide reliable forms of transportation between various places in the region.

The recommended route for the LCRT, though subject to change as they work through the design plan, would run from Ladson to downtown Charleston across 20 stations. Transit users would have access to 7,600 daily trips with a 21-hour weekday service.

The line would run in dedicated lanes along the sides and center median of busy roads, like Rivers Avenue. Each station would have real-time signage, Wi-Fi, lighting and off-board fare payment.

It would also add road safety improvements for heavily traveled roads and added facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. This includes sidewalks, crosswalks and pathways.

According to the transit group, Rivers Avenue has a 200% higher crash rate than the state’s average. The project would add 34 pedestrian crosswalks there.

“When they provide better for their families, their mindsets are higher and they can invest,” Mayor Reggie Burgess said. “This system builds generational wealth.”

Leaders said it was challenging to create an extensive plan that did not interrupt the function of existing communities but adds to them.

“What we’ve done is design a transit system that goes through communities that are alive, vibrant and active, and it adds to that. It does not displace anyone, “Chairman Mike Seekings said. “It allows communities to add things they don’t have, like housing.”

The corridor alone is expected to see a job growth of 30% and a household increase of 50% over the next 20 years.

The project requires funding from both the 2016 and 2024 transportation sales tax referendums, $250 million from 2016 and a portion of the total $648 million from 2024. There will also be $5 million from the federal government to cover construction.

The system would provide connectivity to more than 60 healthcare and hospital systems, five colleges and universities and several neighborhoods, community centers, jobs, entertainment, grocery stores and more.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The South Carolina Ports Authority reopened the Hugh Leatherman Terminal Wednesday after legal disputes temporarily shut down its operations for over a year.

COSCO Shipping’s Orchid docked at Hugh Leatherman Wednesday to unload 1,750 cargo boxes.

Hugh Leatherman was the first of three stops the container ship will make on the East Coast before heading to Asia, according to the SC Ports.

The terminal will expand its connection between the Southeast U.S. and Asia with a weekly service starting in early October.

“This first-in-call from Asia is a significant competitive advantage for shippers moving goods through the Port of Charleston,” Barbara Melvin, the president of SC Ports, said in a statement.

The North Charleston terminal has been closed since January 2023 over staffing disputes between SC Ports and the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1422.

Both sides came to an agreement at the end of June to reopen the terminal under a hybrid staffing model.

Within the agreement, the terminal’s operations and equipment stay under the port authority’s ownership. State port employees will also have a choice of whether to stay in their current job capacity or join the union.

Kenneth Riley, the vice president of the ILA Local 1422, wrote in a statement that both parties have been working tirelessly to make the terminal’s opening a reality.

He says both groups are determined to make this terminal the most productive and efficient in the southeast.

“The new operating model that has been agreed to by the South Carolina Ports Authority, the ILA and the ILA employers will create a more unified and productive workforce,” Riley said in a statement.

The Hugh Leatherman Terminal is now the newest ocean terminal to open in the country in more than a decade. By the time it operates at full capacity, it will be able to process 2.4 million intermodal containers.

The terminal’s gates officially open for trucks tomorrow at 8 a.m.

“The reopening of Leatherman Terminal is a monumental day for our world-class port system,” Melvin wrote in the statement. “In partnership with the ILA, employers and the greater maritime community, we are thrilled to once again provide excellent port service at Leatherman Terminal for the benefit of our ocean carrier and cargo owner customers.”

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.