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Sailors Union asks Port of Bremerton to back $60,000 state grant for basic safety training
Summary
Waylon Robert of the Sailors Union of the Pacific asked the Port of Bremerton to send a letter of support for a $60,000 Washington State transportation-budget request to expand Coast Guard‑required basic safety training; commissioners agreed to provide a letter of support.
Waylon Robert, political director of the Seattle branch of the Sailors Union of the Pacific, asked the Port of Bremerton commissioners to send a letter supporting a $60,000 transportation‑budget request to add a basic safety training program in Washington state.
Basic safety training is required by the U.S. Coast Guard for mariners and must be renewed periodically, Robert said. He told commissioners that the training is in short supply in Washington and that delays of “a couple months” for entry into existing courses are contributing to staffing shortages on tugs and state ferries.
Robert said Crawford Nautical Training (the contractual school for unlicensed mariners on Washington State Ferries) and other providers now deliver the course but cannot meet demand. ‘‘Basic safety training is essential to work in this industry,’’ Robert said. He asked the Port to send a letter of support to legislators and transportation‑budget leaders backing the $60,000 request.
Robert listed local and regional supporters of the request, including the Inland Boatmen’s Union of the Pacific, the Washington State Labor Council, the Port of Olympia, the Maritime Trades Council AFL‑CIO, Western Tow Boat and other industry groups. He said Representative Greg Nance and several other lawmakers were backing the request.
Commissioners and Port staff signaled support. One commissioner said they would submit a letter; another commissioner noted staff had a draft letter in progress. Port staff agreed to coordinate with the union on a draft and to forward the letter to the union and legislators.
Why it matters: The Coast Guard‑required training is a gatekeeper for many maritime jobs. Robert framed the $60,000 request as a way to expand training capacity locally so mariners can obtain or renew credentials more quickly and reduce gaps that affect ferry and tug operations.
Next steps: Port staff will work with the union on a draft letter of support to be submitted to the state transportation budget leaders and the legislators Robert named.
