For fifty years, the Longshoremen's union has enjoyed a monopoly on the docks of New York's harbor. A recent ruling by the Waterfront Commission allows Metal Management to use its own laborers to unload steel from ships; a move Longshoremen fear could threaten the strength of their union. The Commission's ruling only covers new steel contracts Metal Management delivers to the harbor.
See "Ruling May Erode Longshoremen's Grip on Ports", Leslie Eaton, The New York Times, May 15, 2001