Union officials want Congress to step in and save Philly Shipyard.
Members of the AFL-CIO's Metal Trades Department rallied in Washington DC Tuesday morning, in part to urge legislators to get the Pennsylvania shipbuilder a government contract.
"With the US shipbuilding industry constantly under attack from foreign manufacturers, members of Congress need to know just how important the Jones Act is to our economy," said Metal Trades Department President Jimmy Hart. "We’re also here to ensure that the Philly Shipyard remains a priority following last year’s layoffs."
The beleaguered company lost $44m last year, according to its annual filing, while cutting its workforce from 1,200 to 400 last year per the union.
The company had to cancel a contract for two TOTE Maritime containerships last fall and its project to build two others for Matson — the largest US-made boxships ever — ended up a money-losing proposition.
The Matson ships, delivered last October and earlier this year, were the last ships in Philly Shipyard's queue.
To grow the orderbook, chief executive Steinar Nerbovik told TradeWinds that the yard is looking forward to, and preparing for, a domestic LNG boom and have begun seeking government contracts.
"Going forward, we will have to combine government projects with commercial shipbuilding," Nerbovik said. "We have to enter this new arena, too."
The rally, which also urged legislators to support the Jones Act and secure back pay for members hit by January's government shutdown, had Philly Shipyard's vice president Frank Giantomaso in attendance.
