The Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots has endorsed a recommendation of an administrative law judge that establishes a target income of $214,447 per year for both bar pilots and river pilots along the Columbia River. In doing so, the nine-member board approved a settlement reached earlier this year between the bar pilots and ports along the Columbia River, and recommended a far lower income than river pilots had requested.
Gary Lewin, who represented the bar pilots at the board meeting, said he thought the board’s decision was fair and that the negotiated settlement with the ports was “a very balanced agreement.” The adopted salary was equal to what the pilots earned last year, Lewin said, adding that as traffic increases in the future, pilot salaries will increase.