Lobstermen Strike (Union: sale, insurance, co-op)

[deerislesmile]

I can't find a news piece to link to (though WABI did a piece last night and again tonight...), I thought it was worth mentioning that lobstermen up and down the Maine coast are statying in from haul to protest the low prices that they are being paid by the seafood buyers at the docks. Different ports will be striking this week, and if the price doesn't go up, they may all strike for all of next week. Not that it will impact most of you, I know, but there's a lot of coastal Maine that is supported by lobstering money... My dad, Mr. DIS, and just about every other guy I know is a lobsterman, and I know that most of them can't make enough to pay their expenses for the day at the current prices. I hope that it does something, not just drive up the retail price so much that it kills any retail market activity.

[Elcarim]

I saw that. I agree that they should be making a profit, but we sure hope it doesn't go too high. Although, I saw that lobster is $9.99/lb at Hannafords. We pay $17.98/lb in our grocery stores that carry lobster. I guess I couldn't complain at all!

[deerislesmile]

The guys are getting about $3.50/lb. Between bait, fuel, insurance, and stermens wages, it usually *costs* them about $400-500 to go out for the day. so $3.50/lb just isn't cutting it....

[danpv]

I'd rather that most of the money finally paid at the retail end went to the lobstermen who do all the hard work than to the buyers and brokers in the middle.

Are not the lobstermen organized into a co-op or union of some sort where THEY can set their asking price?

[Elcarim]

I completely agree. I thought the same thing when I read the article - why shouldn't the people who are doing the hard work receive the most profit from their efforts?

[Cida]

I'm finally about to fulfill my dream of going to Maine to eat lobster!

Please keep us posted.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by danpv

I'd rather that most of the money finally paid at the retail end went to the lobstermen who do all the hard work than to the buyers and brokers in the middle.

Are not the lobstermen organized into a co-op or union of some sort where THEY can set their asking price?

They could do that, but the at the other end of the line the sellers would probably not want to give up whatever margin they are making now, and would raise *their* prices. Will the retail customers pay the new, higher prices or will they cut back consumption which would result in lower demand for the product?

If that were to happen, then some of the lobstermen might not be able to sell their catch, some might go out of business.

On the other hand, some might go out of business anyway, which could reduce the supply and cause further price escalations, resulting in a similar situation.

I don't think there's an easy answer, too many factors involved- economy, money supply (discretionary income), fuel etc.

Things change and unless you adapt to the changes you get left behind. When computers started becoming commonplace, there was the movement toward 'paperless' offices. What is happening to the paper industry now?

Some people will evaluate where they are and choose to do something different. Others will choose to do what they've always done and maybe make it or maybe not.

My cousins used to own the cannery on Holmes Bay but they sold out to a conglomerate a few years back. Some of them still work for the new company, I don't know what happened to the others. The old house is vacant and falling down, the field is overgrown with trees and brush.

Maybe the lobstermen could find a way to flash freeze the lobsters and go into business shipping them around the country, like Omaha Steaks does? If they were to hold back some of the catch to sell at retail on their own, reduced suply might force the current buyers to increase the price they are willing to pay in order to get the product.

Then the buyers might start offering a higher price on their own in order to be assured of product ahead of *their* competitors, and absorb the extra cost without feeling as though they were forced into it by a 'hostile' supplier.

The 'strike' might do the trick though, or part of it. Supply and demand in a free market. Eventually a balance will be reached, but probably NOT to *everyone's* satisfaction.

[mollysmiles]

what a mess! Good luck to all the lobstermen....keep us posted DeerIsle....I've been out of the loop for a couple of days, so I hadn't heard this

[Highlanderme]

Elcarim says "I completely agree. I thought the same thing when I read the article - why shouldn't the people who are doing the hard work receive the most profit from their efforts?"
Unfortunatley in our Capitalist society the hard workers rarley if ever get a fair shake.The rich get richer (from our toil) and the hard working men and women that actually do physical labor get the shaft!

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Highlanderme

Elcarim says "I completely agree. I thought the same thing when I read the article - why shouldn't the people who are doing the hard work receive the most profit from their efforts?"
Unfortunately in our Capitalist society the hard workers rarely if ever get a fair shake.The rich get richer (from our toil) and the hard working men and women that actually do physical labor get the shaft!

And yet, so many look down upon Unions.

The mark-up on retail is extremely high. For example, if you bought a $25 shirt at a store, the manufacturer probably sold that shirt to the store for around $3 or less. That is how a store can have a 70% off sale and still make some money.

So being that, if the lobstermen get more for their catch-and I believe that they should, then prices to everyone else will also rise-as stated by another poster-to protect the profit margins.

I heard on the news yesterday that the MAINE lobsters are shipped to Canada for processing. If this is true, that is just wrong, and a part of the problem as I see it. Lobstering is a huge economic source for the state of Maine. It is caught here, it should be processed here.