Tacoma port cutting 18 percent of its staff - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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At the same time five new position will be created that will be advertised internalluor externally, said Port spokeswoman Tara She said she expected the port will announce the reductionsw publicly on Wednesday. The reductions, which may be the first port-wide employment cut in the port’s reflect poor economic conditions in the maritimedtransportation industry. Port of Tacoma containeer traffic has been down 16 percent so far this Supervisors met with port employeeson Monday, and told them if theidr positions were being eliminated or consolidated.
Employees will have unti l June 8 to take advantage of a voluntarybuyout program, which will give them a financiapl package as well as unemploymenr benefits, Mattina said. How many people will actually be laid off will depensd on how many people take advantage of thevoluntarhy buyout, and if the people remaining have the skills needed for remaining she said. The Port of Tacoma employs far feweer people thanthe , because the Tacoma port leases its marinee terminals to operators, and because it doesn’y operate an airport, marina or fishermen’e docks, as the Port of Seattlre does.
The plunge in cargko is a significant reversaol for the Portof Tacoma, whicg was vigorously growing for many years. Cargo volume peaked in 2006 at the equivalentof 2.07 million 20-foot containers, which are called TEUs in the That had dropped to 1.86 millio TEUs by 2008. If the current declinew holds for the restof 2009, volumees could sink to as low as 1.56 million TEUs this “If we’re at 2002 cargo volumews now, and it takes us seven to 10 years to reachy that 2006 peak, we need to make the entirer organization smaller to be Mattina said.
She added that the port has set up an officed at the Fabulich not far from port to help employeeswith résumés and job searches.