Eleven Savannah-Chatham County public school students have been named Maritime Logistics Education Taskforce interns for 2014. The select group was introduced Monday evening at a kickoff at Woodville Tompkins Technical and Career High School.
The MLET program, now in its second year, is designed to positively impact Georgia’s logistics workforce by promoting the awareness of maritime, transportation and supply-chain careers to Savannah high school students. The internships, which run from February to May, will build a strong knowledge base and develop management skills in the logistics industry.
The program is funded by a collaboration of logistics professionals.
The 2014 interns are Nygeria Campbell, Tyrone Free, Leroy Green and Adasha Plunkett from Robert W. Groves High School; Kevin Le and Aaron McClellan from H.V. Jenkins High School; Brad Eaton and Vernard Truell from Sol C. Johnson High School; and Charles Carter, James Leonard and Christopher Robinson from Woodville Tompkins.
River pilot hits milestone
Earlier this month, veteran Savannah river pilot Richard Wesley piloted his 10,000th ship, bringing the hulking, 1,065-foot container vessel MSC Maeva safely upriver to Garden City Terminal.
And, no, 10,000 is not a typo. A graduate of Maine Maritime Academy, “Pilot 11” has been guiding the big ships for more than 30 years. Look for more about Rick and his milestone in next week’s PortSide.
Water bill ‘unlikely’ this year
Congressional Quarterly is reporting that a final vote on the Water Resources Reform Development Act is highly unlikely before Congress adjourns for Christmas.
“It’s looking good, but we’re not there this year,” Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairman of the water resources conference committee told CQ.
The bill, which opens the door for construction of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project to begin, has strong backing from business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation.
If it is not passed before the holiday recess, it is expected to go before the House and Senate for a final vote early next year.
Union negotiators honored
Leaders of the International Longshoremen’s Association, United States Maritime Alliance and New York Shipping Association were honored as “partnerships that work” last week at the start of a White House Labor and Management Summit.
George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Services, kicked off the four-hour summit by recognizing ILA President Harold J. Daggett, ILA Atlantic Coast Division President Dennis A. Daggett; the current and former leaders of United States Maritime Alliance — Dave Adam and James A. Capo — and the president of New York Shipping Association John Nardi, praising them for their successful efforts in negotiating a landmark six-year master contract and local New York-New Jersey contract earlier this year.
Cohen said the ILA and management averted a strike that would have shut down major ports along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and crippled the nation’s economy. He praised both sides for agreeing to a series of contract extensions that ultimately gave enough time to finalize a contract.
Savannah’s delegation to those negotiations, led by former ILA Local 1414 president Willie Seymore, played an important part in getting the contract finalized, said Jim McNamara, public relations director for the dockworkers union.
“Willie played a crucial role in those conversations,” McNamara said. “We relied on his counsel and wisdom.”
Senior business writer Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for Savannah Morning News and Savannahnow. Reach her at 912-652-0324 or mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
Following are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean terminals this week. Schedules are supplied by GPA and are subject to change.
TERMINAL VESSEL ETA
GCT MAERSK DHAHRAN Today
GCT MOL COSMOS Today
GCT OCTAVIA Today
GCT VENICE BRIDGE Today
GCT PRAIA Today
GCT VILANO Today
GCT CSCL VANCOUVER Today
GCT EVER ELITE Today
GCT MSC BRUXELLES Today
OT GRANDE GABON Today
GCT NYK DENEB Saturday
GCT DUBAI EXPRESS Saturday
GCT PHILADELPHIA EXPRESS Saturday
GCT MSC MICHAELA Sunday
GCT MUKADDES KALKAVAN Sunday
GCT CMA CGM SAMSON Sunday
OT OBERON Sunday
GCT APL PEARL Monday
GCT MAERSK COLUMBUS Monday
GCT SINGAPORE EXPRESS Monday
GCT UASC SITRAH Monday
GCT FRISIA ROTTERDAM Monday
GCT HYUNDAI DYNASTY Monday
OT GLOBAL SUCCESS Monday
GCT MSC MELISSA Tuesday
GCT EVER DELIGHT Tuesday
GCT APL QATAR Tuesday
GCT MOL MAXIM Wednesday
GCT KEA Wednesday
GCT ISLANDIA Wednesday
GCT DRESDEN EXPRESS Wednesday
GCT HANJIN GDYNIA Wednesday
GCT ZIM BARCELONA Thursday
GCT MAERSK MISSOURI Thursday
GCT WARNOW ORCA Thursday
GCT AMELIA Thursday
GCT YM MANDATE Thursday
OT ZHI QIANG Thursday