Jeffboat Tries to Avert Shipyard Strike

Jeffboat LLC announced that it has submitted to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local No. 89 a comprehensive last, best and final offer relating to the terms of employment of the approximately 750 shipyard workers employed at the company's Jeffersonville, Ind. facility. Officials from Local 89 told Jeffboat management that the measure would be put to a vote of union members on Sunday, May 5, 2002. The current labor contract between Jeffboat and Local 89 expired at midnight on April 29, 2002, at which time Jeffboat employees elected to go out on strike. American Commercial Lines LLC is a fully integrated network of marine transportation companies, operating more that 5,000 barges and 200 towboats on the inland waterways of North and South America and transporting more than 70 million tons of freight annually. Additionally, ACL operates marine construction, repair and ancillary service facilities, and river terminals. Jeffboat LLC is the largest single-site inland shipbuilding and repair facility in the U.S. In addition to building tanker and hopper barges, Jeffboat constructs river towboats and specialty vessels.