Waterfront Commission Schedules Public Hearing

The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor announced today that it has scheduled a public hearing to commence on December 13, 2002 to consider the joint-recommendation of the New York Shipping Association-International Longshoremen's Association Contract Board (Contract Board) requesting the Commission to accept applications from 400 persons for inclusion in the Longshoremen's Register. The hearing will be held in the Commission's Hearing Room at 39 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, New York at 10:00 A.M. In 1999, the States of New York and New Jersey amended the Waterfront Commission Act to provide for a more streamlined and efficient manner of bringing a sufficient number of dockworkers into the labor force to meet the demand for such labor. Due to increased business in the Port of New York/New Jersey, as well as changes in the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement between management and labor and attrition in the dock labor force, the Waterfront Commission sought the amendment so that it could anticipate and meet the need for labor in the Port in a timely manner. This joint recommendation is the fourth request made following enactment of the legislation. In May 2000, the Commission conducted a public hearing to consider the joint request by the Contract Board for the acceptance of applications from 481 persons for inclusion in Longshoremen's Register, which joint request was subsequently conditionally granted. After a public hearing held in January 2001, the Commission granted the petition of Naporano Iron and Metal Co., an independent stevedore, to conditionally accept applications from 40 persons for inclusion in the Register. Following a June 2002, public hearing on another joint recommendation by the Contract Board, the Commission determined to accept applications from 450 persons immediately and 303 applications from longshorepersons and/or checkers upon the submission of proof by the industry that an increase in labor is necessary as a result of retirements of dockworkers, and/or the addition of or the anticipated addition of new cranes at a waterfront facility and/or as a result of new business at a waterfront facility.