With Willie Seymore’s second term as president of Local 1414 of the International Longshoremen’s Association coming to a close, the dockworkers union has elected Tommy Stokes III as the organization’s new president.
A veteran dockworker and well-known jazz musician, the 52-year-old Stokes will be sworn in next month, taking the reins of an organization more than 2,000 members strong and vital to the success of Georgia’s deepwater ports.
In Seymore’s six-year tenure as head of 1414, the port has grown to become the fourth-busiest in the nation, second only to New York/New Jersey on the East Coast and second overall in export volume.
His job has been far from easy, as he worked to get his union through the economic slowdown that began shortly after he took office.
Earlier this year, he played a critical role as part of the ILA team negotiating with the U.S. Maritime Alliance to forge a new labor contract before a strike would have shut down major ports from Maine to Texas.
It was Seymore, in fact, who called for a vote with talks coming down to the wire and billions in U.S. commerce at stake. His motion was seconded and the vote to accept the contract carried.
“Management and labor were hugging each other,” he said in February, recalling the emotion of the moment. “There were tears of joy. We all knew what was at stake and what we were able to avoid.
“We were close to shutting down the eastern half of our country to commerce.”
Seymore, 65, will continue to serve the ILA’s international executive council as a vice president.
GPA employees play Santa
With help from the chorus of Pooler Elementary School — its business-education partner — Georgia Ports Authority celebrated the season Thursday with the presentation of gifts for children in the care of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
CASA is a nonprofit group that advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in juvenile court deprivation proceedings.
This year, GPA’s 12th annual CASA holiday gift campaign, port employees fulfilled the wishes of 60 area children. Case workers at CASA supply the GPA with wish lists for children and youth ranging in age from infant to 17 years.
Employees take a name and get together to fill wish lists with everything from toys, dolls and bikes to clothing and electronic games.
“CASA performs a vital service, looking after the interests of abused and neglected youth from our own community,” said GPA executive director Curtis Foltz. “This gift program allows us to brighten the season for children aided by the CASA program.”
Lise Marshall agreed.
“Giving back to our community is a core value our employees embrace throughout the year,” said Marshall, GPA’s senior director of Human Resources. “Through their generosity, many local children will have a brighter holiday.”
CASA Executive Director ZaDonna Slay said the GPA toy drive is a highlight of the year for the children in their care.
“It gives them that breath of fresh air for the holidays,” Slay said. “They’re having so many challenges along the way, so having their advocates act as their ‘Secret Santa,’ so to speak, means the world to them.”
CASA recruits and trains volunteers to help hundreds of children who have been removed from their homes and become entangled in an overcrowded juvenile justice and foster care system. The mission of the CASA program is to ensure abused and neglected children find a safe, permanent and nurturing home.
Senior business writer Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for Savannah Morning News and Savannahnow. Reach her at 912-652-0324 or mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
Shipping schedule
Following are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean terminals this week. Schedules are supplied by GPA and are subject to change.
TERMINAL VESSEL ETA
GCT KAAN KALKAVAN Today
GCT ZIM MONACO Today
GCT MSC SAMANTHA Today
GCT CMA CGM MANET Today
GCT PAGO Today
GCT CSCL BRISBANE Today
GCT MAERSK DRUMMOND Today
GCT HOECHST EXPRESS Today
GCT HANJIN ATLANTA Today
OT TUGELA Today
GCT MIRAMARIN Saturday
GCT MSC ESTHI Saturday
GCT NYK ROMULUS Saturday
GCT ADRIAN MAERSK Saturday
GCT ST LOUIS EXPRESS Saturday
GCT HALIFAX EXPRESS Saturday
GCT TORM CARINA Sunday
GCT OOCL SOUTHAMPTON Sunday
GCT CONTI HARMONY Monday
GCT JPO LIBRA Monday
GCT MAERSK MEMPHIS Monday
GCT FOWAIRET Monday
OT TIRRANNA Monday
OT STAR KILIMANJARO Monday
GCT APL SARDONYX Tuesday
GCT EVER DEVOTE Tuesday
GCT ZIM TEXAS Tuesday
GCT MSC STELLA Tuesday
GCT DALLAS EXPRESS Tuesday
GCT NYK DAEDALUS Tuesday
GCT RT STAR Tuesday
GCT HANJIN DURBAN Tuesday
GCT SHIPPAN ISLAND Wednesday
GCT NEDLLOYD TASMAN Wednesday
GCT BERLIN EXPRESS Wednesday
GCT NYK DENEB Wednesday
GCT BREMEN BRIDGE Wednesday
GCT CSAV LINGUE Thursday
GCT MAERSK CAROLINA Thursday
GCT ZIM CALIFORNIA Thursday
GCT VENICE BRIDGE Thursday
GCT MAERSK ROUBAIX Thursday