Brothers and Sisters,
I want to start this report by saying THANK YOU to all of our rank and file members who showed up this past Wednesday and took the time to conduct some very important union business for our Local.
We had 11 By-Law amendments and one charity donation brought before the membership, and I am extremely pleased to announce that EVERY SINGLE ONE PASSED! A CLEAN SWEEP!
That is what union participation looks like. Very good work to all of our rank and file members who came out, participated, listened, debated, and ultimately made decisions that will help move this Local forward.
Full-Time Officer Positions
I also cannot stress enough how pleased I am that the membership voted to make the positions of Vice President and Business Agent full-time officer positions.
Now is the time, like no other, to take the momentum we currently have and continue performing at an even higher level as officers of this Local.
You have my guarantee that we will not let the rank and file down. We will continue to work, continue to improve, and continue to move and propel this Local forward into the future as the biggest and baddest clerical Local on the East Coast.
There is another extremely important motion that was made to the By-Laws Committee by Brother Robby Taylor this past Wednesday that I want the membership to be aware of.
Coming up over the next several months, the positions of D&D Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Financial Secretary will be up for consideration as full-time officer positions. Additionally, the position of Chairman of the Executive Board will be considered for a salary of five days per month.
I am 100% behind these motions. I believe now, more than ever, is the time for the rank and file to seriously consider these full-time officer positions.
These positions are extremely important and provide crucial support to the operation of our Local. As our Local continues to grow, our responsibilities continue to grow with it, and we need to make sure our officers have the time and resources necessary to properly serve the membership.
Volume & Production
Volume is up, but production is down. We are being told that the cargo currently on the water is looking very strong, which is encouraging as we move forward.
A significant amount of our recent production issues has been weather related. In July alone, we had 500+ standby hours due to weather.
The good news is that the cargo outlook remains strong, and the work continues to be there.
Port of Savannah Volume
The Georgia Ports Authority reported a very strong start to Fiscal Year 2027.
- Port of Savannah exports increased 7.7% in July, totaling nearly 115,000 TEUs—more than 8,200 TEUs above July 2025.
- Imports increased 5%, reaching 251,888 TEUs.
- The Port of Savannah handled 503,739 TEUs in July, an increase of 27,051 TEUs, or 5.7%, compared with the same month last year.
- The Appalachian Regional Port volumes increased 41%, setting a new record.
- Imports currently on the water indicate that GPA is expecting another strong month of August container volumes.
The Port of Savannah also averaged nearly 15,000 truck transactions per day in July. Truck turn times averaged 31 minutes for a single-container move and 51 minutes for a dual move.
Upcoming Volume Outlook
Our current four-week outlook is:
- Week of 8/17: 39 vessel calls — 74,086 lifts
- Week of 8/24: 40 vessel calls — 65,992 lifts
- Week of 8/31: 41 vessel calls — 68,325 lifts
- Week of 9/07: 46 vessel calls — 75,475 lifts
This report shows some really strong volume over the next several weeks. The vessel count also appears to be more in line with what we would consider a typical week, which leads me to believe that this is true volume and not simply an abnormal spike.
That is very encouraging news for our membership. If these projections hold, this should provide plenty of opportunities for our members to finish the year strong on hours.
The work is there, and we need to be prepared to take advantage of it. As always, we will continue monitoring the volume closely and keeping the membership informed as we move forward.
Gate Agreement Negotiations
We have officially entered into negotiations for a new Gate Agreement.
These discussions are important, and I will continue to keep the membership informed as negotiations progress and information becomes available.
MIS Training
MIS will be in town within the next few weeks to begin additional training with our dispatchers.
This will be an important step as we continue improving our systems and making sure our dispatchers have the tools and knowledge necessary to effectively perform their jobs.
Gateway Meeting & Additional Start Times
On Monday of next week, we will be meeting with Gateway to discuss the possibility of adding additional start times.
I will keep everyone informed as information becomes available following that meeting.
Gate 1 Closure
Beginning Monday, August 17th, Gate 1 will be closed and is scheduled to remain closed until Sunday, August 23rd at 10:00 PM.
Please plan accordingly and allow yourself additional time when reporting to work during this closure.
Facial Recognition Update
The facial recognition system at the Gate 8 turnstile is now active.
If you have not yet enrolled, you need to register with the GPA Credentialing Office. Registration is a quick process and takes approximately 90 seconds.
The system is designed to provide frictionless access. Once enrolled, members will no longer need to scan their TWIC or use a hand scan at the facial-recognition turnstile. Access is granted in less than a second.
You must have a current, active TWIC to enroll.
GPA has also been working to schedule its mobile credentialing unit in the coming weeks to assist employees who need access to the Gate 4 kitchen and Rae’s Hall.
A significant portion of our workforce has already completed enrollment. Please do not wait until the last minute to get registered. The goal is to make this process as easy and efficient as possible for everyone.
Heat & Hydration
We are under extreme heat warnings through the weekend and into next week.
Please remember to hydrate and stay safe out there. Hydration starts before you even report for your shift.
Brother Doug Baggett and Chairman Patrick Lowe will continue stocking the coolers at all of the gates with cold water and hydration packets.
On the vessel side of the operation, our Ship Foremen will also be riding the dock with stocked coolers to make sure our members have access to cold water and hydration while working.
Please look out for one another and do not take this heat lightly.
Ship Foremen
I want to take a moment to recognize the outstanding work being done by our Ship Foremen.
Last month, in July, we dispatched 133 Ship Foremen.
That is a huge number and our biggest number yet.
These guys are doing a great job, and we are now looking at ways to further develop and propel the Ship Foreman position into the future.
I appreciate the work these men are putting in and the leadership they are providing on the vessel side of the operation.
Trustees Meetings & Retirement Incentive
Next week we have two days of scheduled Trustees meetings.
One of the major topics we will be discussing and hopefully voting on is the retirement incentive that has been a major topic of conversation throughout the waterfront over the past several months.
As information becomes available through these meetings, I will make sure the membership is kept informed.
Georgia Southern University
This past Monday, Brother Michael Parsons took Georgia Southern Professor Scott Ellis on a tour of “The Life of a Container.”
Brother Parsons started with Professor Ellis at the scale during the pre-check process and then walked him through the different stages of a container move from the gate, to the yard, and ultimately to the vessel.
I am very excited about the opportunity to continue developing a relationship with Georgia Southern University and look at ways we can work together on the training and development needs of future Clerks and Checkers.
This is exactly the type of relationship that can help us build our workforce for the future.
CORE Credit Union
If you were unable to attend the membership meeting this past week, CORE Credit Union was our guest sponsor.
They provided a great meal from The Pirates’ House and gave our membership some excellent information about the services they offer.
I encourage everyone to give them a look and see what they may be able to do for you with checking, savings, auto loans, mortgage accounts, and other financial services.
Communication & Representation
I want to leave everyone with something that I cannot stress enough:
If there is a problem on the dock, please reach out to an officer.
I cannot tell you how many times I hear about an issue two or three days after it happened, and my first question is always:
“Why didn’t you call?”
And the answer I usually hear is:
“Man, I didn’t want to bother you.”
If we don’t know about it, then guess what? We don’t know.
It is so much easier to fix problems and expedite situations while they are happening and in the moment. Please do not hesitate to call an officer. That is what we are here for.
We would much rather hear about an issue immediately and have the opportunity to address it than find out days later after the situation has already escalated.
IMPORTANT: Management Meetings
There is one last extremely important issue that I want everyone to understand.
NO ONE and I mean ABSOLUTELY NO ONE should be going into an office with management by themselves.
That is a terrible idea, and the optics do not look good for the individual.
ILA labor should always have an officer or a member in good standing present as representation when being approached by management and asked to enter a closed door meeting.
If management wants to speak with you behind a closed door, call an officer.
Do not put yourself in a situation where you are alone with management and there is no one else present to witness what was said or what occurred.
Look out for one another.
Closing
In closing, I want to say what I always say:
THANK YOU.
Everyone is stepping up. Everyone is covering the work, helping one another, and doing their part. It is absolutely amazing to see.
I could not be more proud to represent this Local as your President.
We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we also have tremendous momentum. We have an opportunity right now to continue building something special for our membership.
Let’s continue to stay involved. Let’s continue to communicate. Let’s continue to look out for one another.
ONE TEAM. ONE PURPOSE.
ILA ALL THE WAY.
“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” – PSALM 121:8
“Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is the lightning that does the work.” – Mark Twain
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love for what you are doing.” – Kirby Smart
In Solidarity,
Josh & TEAM