NY/NJ terminals want to hire freely

NY/NJ terminals want to hire freely

Curto

   The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor ought to get out of the business of deciding how many longshoremen the port's terminal operators can hire, said a representative of the port's terminal operators and carriers.
   This summer the Waterfront Commission was rocked by allegations of incompetence and corruption leveled in a report by the New York Inspector General.
   At a hearing of the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions on Monday, the president of the New York Shipping Association, Joseph C. Curto, expressed support for the commission to continue to have the right to exercise police powers in battling corruption at the port.

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   But Curto noted the inspector general’s report found the Waterfront Commission 'has strayed somewhat from its original mission and we believe it once again needs to focus on its core law enforcement responsibilities,' such as 'licensing of longshore industries and workers, monitoring and auditing those industries and workers, and conducting investigations of suspected illegal activities.'
   Curto said the NYSA, which represents employers of longshoremen, supports a bill in the New York legislature that would allow employers to adjust their labor needs as conditions warrant.
   'An open register will allow the Port of New York and New Jersey to quickly adjust labor needs to capture growth opportunities and ward off competition for the international commerce that fuels our regional economy,' he said.