N.O. Port May Lose Workers Because of Housing Woes

N.O. port may lose workers because of housing woes

NEW ORLEANS Longshoremen working at the Port of New Orleans are upset with housing conditions on a cargo ship where they are staying, which may lead some to leave their jobs, the ports chief said Wednesday.

In a worse-case scenario, a large loss of workers could force the port to shut down, Gary LaGrange, president of the port, said. Thats very possible, he said.

About 200 workers on Wednesday were forced to move off a ship where they had been staying the past few weeks and onto another ship where there were fewer toilets along with less space and privacy, LaGrange said.

He blamed Federal Emergency Management Agency officials who decided to move workers from three ships onto one for what he called penny-pinching purposes.

A message seeking comment was left with a FEMA spokesman in Baton Rouge.

Some longshoremen did not show up for work Wednesday, briefly interrupting work at the port. James Campbell, president of the International Longshoremens Association, Local 3000, said the workers have returned.

About 500 longshoremen working at the port have been living on ships because housing is at premium in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.

The ship where they are staying now is so crowded that longshoremen who are working staggered shifts can no longer get a decent nights sleep, LaGrange said.

We didnt expect to come to luxury, Campbell said. They say this is beyond normal living conditions.