ADDITIONAL LONGSHORE POSITIONS ADDED AT PORT OF VANCOUVER USA (7/11/07)

For Immediate Release

VANCOUVER, Wash. - The Port of Vancouver USA is all about creating family-wage jobs, and there are 26 new jobs on the docks.

With the continued growth of cargos being both imported and exported through the port, a study was done to determine the number of longshore workers the port needs to keep cargo moving efficiently and effectively.

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) determined that the Port of Vancouver needed 26 additional longshore workers now, and perhaps more by the end of 2007.

“There is significant growth at the Port of Vancouver,” said Executive Director Larry Paulson. “And because of that growth, there are more and more cargoes – including many project cargoes – arriving and leaving the port. We simply needed more help on the docks. These are family wage jobs, with benefits, and that means a lot to this community.”

The port being so busy has obviously had an effect on staffing the longshore crews.

“It’s really nice to have more longshore workers here at the Port of Vancouver,” said Cager Clabaugh, president of the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) Local 4. “It’s pretty simple; we just need more people to keep this port working efficiently.”

Stevedores on the port agree.

“ILWU Local 4 and all the employers will strive to meet the Port of Vancouver’s growing cargo needs by continuing to work together,” said Jones Stevedoring Senior Vice President Doug Beeber.

The Port of Vancouver is one of the largest grain exporters on the Columbia River, but it also is a leader in the handling of other bulk commodities, including copper concentrate and fertilizers among others. Roughly 16 percent of all grain exported from the U.S. goes through the Port of Vancouver. It is also the U.S. port of entry for Vestas wind energy components. In addition, Vancouver is the U.S. West Coast’s port of entry for Subaru automobiles.

The port’s efficiency, its access to modes of cargo transportation that includes river, road and rail, and its ability to quickly turn ships are major reasons why shipping lines choose the Port of Vancouver.

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The Port of Vancouver, USA, created by Clark County taxpayers in 1912, is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast. Its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a dependable labor force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community.

- POV -