How long will the log boom in Coos Bay last? A Jones Stevedoring rep said, "Fifty years, or it could be months." ILWU Local 12 President Marvin Caldera put his guess at five years.
Last summer, the Paul Bunyan was the first log ship in five years China-bound from Coos Bay.The number of vessel calls to the Port of Coos Bay spiked from a record-low of 25 in 2009 to 39 last year.
How long can this trend sustain itself?
Marvin Caldera, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 12, leans more toward five years.
Caldera says the union has between 30 and 40 longshoremen helping load logs. He says he hopes to add about 25 more to help keep up with demand.
Each ship that comes to port means an estimated $1.5 million to laborers, such as longshoremen and truckers.
“That means a lot to us,” Caldera says.