N.B. protest pauses work on Vineyard Wind project

MEMBERS OF the predominantly Black International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1413 blocked the main entrance to Port of New Bedford with an informational picket Tuesday, accusing wind farm developer Vineyard Wind LLC of falling short of its promises to hire a diverse workforce. Above, the ship UHL Felicity, carrying massive parts for offshore wind turbines, arrives to dock May 24 in New Bedford. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO/ RODRIQUE MGOWI

NEW BEDFORD – Work on a highly touted wind farm project off the Massachusetts coast was shut down because of a protest over diversity and local hiring on the job site, The Public’s Radio reported Tuesday. 

Members of the predominantly Black International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1413 blocked the main entrance to the Port of New Bedford with an informational picket Tuesday, accusing the project’s developer, Vineyard Wind LLC, of falling short of its promises to hire a diverse workforce. 

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Vineyard Wind is building a 62-turbine wind farm 15 miles off the Massachusetts coast. It’s expected to put out 800 megawatts, enough electricity to power more than 400,000 homes, beginning this year. The first U.S. offshore wind farm opened off Rhode Island’s Block Island in late 2016. But with five turbines, it’s not commercial scale. 

Union President Kevin Rose told the nonprofit The Public’s Radio he is seeking a contract that guarantees full-time jobs to his members, who have been unloading cargo in the port for decades prior to the arrival of the offshore wind industry. 

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“Look at the license plates around here, different states. They’re not local,” Rose said. “They’re all working full time, the ILA is not.” 

On May 24, the vessel UHL Felicity bringing wind turbine tower sections from Portugal reached the Port of New Bedford. Once assembled out on the water this summer by developer Vineyard Wind, the turbines will stand more than 850 feet high. 

Twelve ILA members have already been working part-time on the project helping unload the barge that carried turbine components into the port on Wednesday, according to The Public’s Radio report. 

Rose told The Public’s Radio local longshoremen deserve a contract guaranteeing full-time work similar to the contracts that other unions on the job site are already working under. 

“I can’t wait to do this [protest] until the ship leaves because then I lose my leverage,” said Rose. “All it takes is, if they don’t want to strike, give me a contract. Because we have a no strike clause in our contracts, right? Give me something in writing that says, local people are going to be working full time.” 

A site manager for Vineyard Wind, Brekken Martin, disagreed with workers’ claims about local representation. He told The Public’s Radio that a majority of workers on-site in New Bedford this week are from southeastern Massachusetts. But he confirmed that assembly work will be paused for at least a day. 

“I don’t want anybody to get near them with equipment or anything,” Martin said. “These are our neighbors here protesting and we’re going to do everything we can to protect their right to protest and come to a peaceful resolution.” 

In a statement released through a spokesperson, Vineyard Wind said, “With over 300 union employees having worked on the project to date, and many more to come, we will continue to find solutions with GE to help support union participation on our projects and remain confident that a compromise can be reached in New Bedford to support the ILA.” 

Martin said negotiators intend to reach a quick resolution with the longshoremen. 

“I can’t tell you when it’s going to happen but we want the ILA on-site,” Martin told The Public’s Radio.

(Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.)

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