FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
BUSINESS AND LABOR LEADERS ANNOUNCE NEW WISCONSIN MARITIME COALITION
Economic Impact from Maritime Jobs in Wisconsin Nearly Doubles
Wisconsin’s Maritime Workforce Delivers During COVID-19 Pandemic
MADISON, WI Business and labor leaders from around the Badger State stood up the Wisconsin Domestic Maritime Coalition (WIDMAC) as the voice of the domestic maritime industry in Wisconsin. The coalition, comprised of leading Wisconsin employers and unions, launched with an announcement of 41% growth of domestic maritime industry jobs in Wisconsin. These jobs are critical to the state’s supply chain, enabling the delivery of vital resources and supplies that businesses and citizens need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the findings of a new report conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on behalf of the Transportation Institute (TI), Wisconsin ranks among the top twenty states in the nation for the number of domestic maritime jobs, employing 9,670 individuals and generating over $635.3 million in worker income. This thriving industry produces $2.2 billion annually for the Wisconsin economy – an 88% increase since the previous study was completed.
The backbone of the domestic maritime industry is the Jones Act, serving as a pillar of economic strength and job creation for Wisconsin. Specifically, this law states that the transportation of merchandise between U.S. points is reserved for U.S. -built, -owned, -crewed, and -documented vessels.
The new coalition will educate state leaders, media, and policy makers on the importance of this vibrant, growing industry, fighting for the nearly 10,000 domestic maritime workers in the state that continues to keep America’s supply chain moving forward in a safe and efficient manner.
Maritime Leaders Recognize the Economic Impact of the Jones Act:
It’s a fact – the Jones Act is a jobs creator and economic driver for Wisconsin, said Michael Gerhardt, President of WIDMAC and Vice President of the Dredging Contractors of America. Shipyards alone account for more than 8,000 jobs and $437.2 million in worker income, having delivered over 1,800 American-made vessels for the U.S. government and private sector, including over 60 dredges. Deep-draft commercial ports and small recreational harbors are dredged and kept open by 2nd and 3rd-generation family-owned, entrepreneurial U.S. companies, enabling domestic shipping companies to move millions of tons of cargo each year, which boosts local economies and strengthens the overall health of the state.
Great Lakes vessels carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy. Our lakers are crucial to keeping the American economy running, and maritime workers across Wisconsin have stepped up to meet demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.Our ships are made and maintained in Wisconsin shipyards and move iron ore, grain, and coal from Wisconsin ports and deliver salt, cement, stone, and fuel to Wisconsin docks. With many of our sailors living in Wisconsin, we proudly stand up for this vibrant, all-American maritime economy, said James Weakley, President of Lake Carriers’ Association.
The state of Wisconsin is a leader in the domestic maritime industry, supporting over 9,000 family-wage jobs and contributing over $2.2 billion to the economy, said James L. Henry, Chairman and President of the Transportation Institute. The findings in our most recent study and growing impacts in Wisconsin demonstrate the strength and necessity of the Jones Act.
These numbers show how the Jones Act is crucial to not only national security but also economic security and job growth. We’re proud to see the domestic maritime industry’s investments in Wisconsin lead to job growth like this, said Michael Roberts, President of the American Maritime Partnership.
“The Jones Act serves legitimate and lasting economic, national security and homeland security interests at no cost to the federal or state governments. This venerable law stands on its own merit, said American Maritime Officers (AMO) National President Paul Doell.
Thanks to the Jones Act, the domestic maritime industry now employs approximately 650,000 Americans across all 50 states, creates $41 billion in labor income for American workers, and adds more than $154.8 billion in annual economic output each year. Nationally, there are more than 40,000 American vessels – built in American shipyards, crewed by American mariners, and owned by American companies – that operate in our waters 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
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Wisconsin Domestic Maritime Coalition (WIDMAC) advocates for the Badger State’s strong domestic maritime industry, including shipping lines, ship repair facilities, dredging operators and labor unions. Wisconsin’s domestic maritime industry represents nearly 10,000 American jobs and generates a total annual economic impact of $2.2 billion.
American Maritime Partnership (AMP) is the voice of the U.S. domestic maritime industry, a pillar of our nation’s economic, national, and homeland security. More than 40,000 American vessels built in American shipyards, crewed by American mariners, and owned by American companies, operate in our waters 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and this commerce sustains nearly 650,000 American jobs, $41.6 billion in labor compensation, and more than $154.8 billion in annual economic output. You can learn more by visiting www.americanmaritimepartnership.com.
The expanding WIDMAC membership currently includes American Maritime Partnership, Lake Carriers’ Association,
Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, American Waterways Operators, Transportation Institute, American Maritime
Officers, American Maritime Officers Service, Dredging Contractors of America, JF Brennan Company
and Wisconsin shipyards.
