ILA Members Attend USACE Hearing

Thousands of ILA members from the Port of New York and New Jersey attended a public hearing called by the USACE in Fort Monmouth, N.J. to demonstrate support for dredging projects which they say are needed to protect their jobs and the port's future. ILA Locals throughout the port say members are outraged the USACE has reopened the public comment period on a dredging permit which has already been issued to Brooklyn Marine Terminal. They say such an action jeopardizes the Port of New York and New Jersey to continue to take clean, uncontaminated dredged material to the ocean. They further state objections to this and other dredging projects runs counter to the 1996 agreement negotiated by Vice-President Al Gore with the maritime industry, labor and environmental groups. Now tentative agreements between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Maersk Sealand are once again in jeopardy, along with the threat of other shippers leaving the port. "ILA members are gravely concerned about their livelihoods," said John Bowers., ILA's international president. "It's regrettable that parties to the 1996 agreement with Vice President Al Gore are now reneging on the deal.