GAL TEX Pilots Ask for Pay Increase

Newly received document alleges insufficient rates since 2000 and further requests significant multi-year rate increases. Industry stakeholders expected to file formal protest.

A newly filed Application for Pilotage Rate Change has been filed by the Pilots of Galveston County, Texas. The newly received document alleges insufficient rates since 2000 and further requests significant multi-year rate increases. In response, an industry stakeholder meeting has been called to discuss the rate change request and formulate industry response.

The hastily arranged meeting of the WGMA and its stakeholders will take place at the port of Texas City Administration Building on Friday at 1130 AM. According to local WGMA spokespersons, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the application for rate increase. Local Gulf Coast industry sources tell MarEx that it is all but certain that an objection will be filed as a result of the meeting. Additionally, the meeting is said to be open to non-WGMA persons and company representatives.

The West Gulf Maritime Association is a Texas nonprofit corporation, was organized in early 1968 to succeed the former local maritime associations in Houston, Galveston and Brownsville, Texas and to embrace within the membership of one Association the steamship owners, operators, agents along with stevedoring and/or terminal companies located in all Texas ports and the Port of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Acting through its committees appointed from the membership, the Association negotiates and administers various labor agreements with the International Longshoremen's Association in West Gulf ports. The Association provides a forum for discussions and exchanges of information between the member companies concerning a wide variety of industry challenges of mutual interest and concern.