Continuing announced that all of its employees, who needed Transportation Workers Identification Credentials (TWIC) by the final mid-April deadline, have them.
More than 600 Crowley terminal and port workers in Port Everglades, Pennsauken, Jacksonville, San Juan and St. Thomas and more than 1,000 merchant seamen from Alaska to Puerto Rico obtained TWIC credentials during a series of rolling federal deadlines. To ensure compliance and business continuity Crowley helped employees get their credentials by reimbursing the cost of the cards, more than $275,000 in total, for employees who applied within certain guidelines. Crowley not only reimbursed TWIC fees and expenses but also provided paid work time for workers to obtain credentials.
The latest April 15 deadline applied to all marine personnel, licensed and unlicensed that hold a credential from the U.S. Coast Guard for service on vessels regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. These mariners were required to have a TWIC in their possession in order to continue service.
TWIC deadlines for port terminal workers occurred in phases from late 2008 into early 2009. The cards are required for workers to be able to enter terminals and restricted areas without being escorted. Crowley met all TWIC deadlines and is 100 percent compliant.
"There were a number of significant licensing and documentation requirements imposed on our mariners in the last couple of years, and we thought it was important to support them as they obtained their first set of credentials," said Tom Crowley, company chairman, president and CEO. "In addition, given the serious consequences of not being in compliance, we concluded that supporting our employees with the initiative would help ensure continuity of service for our customers."
Cole Cosgrove, vice president of marine personnel, praised employees and the company's decision to assist workers.
"I am extremely proud of the professionalism shown by our crews," he said. "Our mariners were very proactive and we appreciate their diligence in meeting this mandate as the impact to them and the company could have been very serious."
"Tom Crowley made the commitment last year to reimburse all regular employees if they got their TWIC in accordance with guidelines set by the operating units. The decision has paid off," Cosgrove said. "With almost 1,000 mariners on board company vessels on any given day, it was important to ensure that we met federal guidelines and were able to provide uninterrupted service to our customers."
(www.crowley.com)