Crowley to reimburse workers for TWIC

Crowley to reimburse workers for TWIC Crowley Maritime Corp. will cover the initial cost of obtaining a federal Transportation Worker Identification Credential for its full-time employees, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based ocean transportation and marine services company said Friday.
   Enrollment for the federal identification cards began Oct. 16 at the Port of Wilmington, Del., and is continuing on a rolling basis at ports across the country. The cards, which are to be used to control access to restricted areas, cost $132.50 and are good for five years. They have a photo and fingerprint scan embedded in them to verify the cardholder has been screened. Mariners, truck drivers with hazardous material permits and others who have already undergone federal background checks pay $105.25 for the cards.
   Crowley said its decision, which applies to merchant mariners and shore side personnel, is expected to expedite the TWIC application process by removing the financial burden on individual employees, and will help the company meet federal regulatory requirements before the end of 2008.
   “We want to make sure affected Crowley employees are in compliance early and one of the ways to help that along is to remove the personal financial obligation associated with the application process,” Tom Crowley, the company’s chairman and president, said in a statement.
   Crowley employs about 4,100 people, although not all of them work at port sites and require the card.
   It is the first company to publicly announce its willingness to assist workers bear the cost of the security program.