Thousands of Baltimore port workers not getting paid after Key Bridge collapse

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IT’S BEEN NEARLY THREE WEEKS SINCE A CONTAINER SHIP LOST POWER – AND HIT THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE IN THE PORT OF BALTIMORE — CAUSING IT TO COLLAPSE INTO THE PATAPSCO  RIVER AND THERE’S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE THINGS GET BACK TO NORMAL..

THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – ALONG WITH THE U.S. COAST GUARD – ARE  WORKING TO CLEAR THE STEEL AND CONCRETE DEBRIS FROM THE WATER.

BALTIMORE MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON’S OFFICE SAYS CREWS CONSTRUCTED TWO TEMPORARY ALTERNATE CHANNELS – AND SO FAR, – 69 VESSELS HAVE TRAVERSED THOSE WATERWAYS.

HOWEVER – MOST OF THE HARBOR IS STILL NOT ACCESSIBLE. 

U.S. COAST GUARD COMMANDER BILL MCKINSTRY TELLS ABC NEWS – DIVERS ARE DEALING WITH MURKY WATERS – MAKING THE SALVAGE OPERATION MORE CHALLENGING.

ENGINEERS HAVE AN AMBITIOUS GOAL OF OPENING A THIRD LIMITED-ACCESS CHANNEL FOR MORE VESSELS BY THE END OF APRIL – AND THEY’RE HOPING TO RESTORE THE PORT TO NORMAL CAPACITY BY THE END OF MAY.

SINCE THE KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSED – NEARLY 8,000 JOBS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED – AND THOSE THOUSANDS OF WORKERS ARE NOT GETTING PAID UNTIL CARGO SHIPS RESUME OPERATIONS.

HOWEVER – PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN’S ASSOCIATION AT THE PORT OF BALTIMORE, SCOTT COWAN – TELLS WTOP NEWS THAT ONLY ABOUT 300 OF THEM ARE WORKING ON DAILY BASIS IN MAINTENANCE JOBS.

HE SAYS MANY OF THE THOUSANDS OF WORKERS HE REPRESENTS ARE GETTING NERVOUS.

TO TRY AND ALLEVIATE THAT BURDEN… EARLIER THIS WEEK – MARYLAND GOVERNOR WES MOORE SIGNED THE PORT ACT INTO LAW – WHICH WILL PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO PORT WORKERS IMPACTED BY THE KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE AND INCENTIVES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES SO THEY DON’T MOVE TO ANOTHER PORT.

BUT COWAN SAYS THE FRUITS OF THAT LEGISLATION HAVEN’T BEEN FELT YET.