Eight days after reaching a tentative deal with International Raw Materials, Port of Longview commissioners Wednesday agreed to enter a new five-year lease with the terminal operator, in what is expected to bring millions of dollars in new revenue and dozens of jobs to the port.
The commissioners gave the green light on the lease despite opposition from the local longshoremen’s union, which said it still has jurisdictional issues to work out with IRM.
“Once again we’re getting into an EGT-type situation,” said Billy Roberts, president of ILWU Local 21, referring to the union’s highly-charged battle over a lease with EGT in 2011, which lead to protests and several arrests. “This is like packing up and moving across the country when you don’t have a house. At this time, we still have a lot of work to do … and we’re not in support of this project.”
Commissioner Jeff Wilson said the lease explicitly states that IRM will have to honor the port’s working agreement with the ILWU.
