Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan met with leaders of the International Longshoremen Association (ILA) on Monday to discuss urgent needs and priorities following the catastrophic collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore. The meeting aimed to ensure close coordination as recovery efforts ramp up at the critical maritime trade hub.
The ILA is the largest union representing longshore workers across North America’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts, Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and inland waterways. Hogan stated he convened with ILA President Scott Cowan and State Senator Johnny Ray Salling “to hear from them firsthand their priorities and needs at this incredibly difficult time.”
Emphasizing the national economic significance, Hogan urged leaders at all levels of government to move past partisan politics and collaborate to clear wreckage expediently, allowing the longshoremen workforce to resume operations as swiftly as possible.
“This is not just critical for Baltimore and Maryland, but for our nation’s economy and supply chain,” Hogan stressed in a news release after the meeting.
While recovery efforts progress, the U.S. Coast Guard has already established a temporary alternate shipping channel near the collapsed bridge as part of a phased plan to reopen the main navigation channel leading to Baltimore’s vital port facilities.
The meeting between the former governor and ILA officials comes just days before a scheduled visit to Baltimore on Friday by President Joe Biden, who is expected to survey damage from the bridge disaster and discuss federal support for response and reconstruction efforts.
As a crucial East Coast maritime hub, resuming full port operations in Baltimore is a priority for stakeholders across Maryland and beyond. Hogan’s dialogue with the longshoremen’s union leadership underscores the need for coordinated action to address the economic impacts swiftly while protecting worker safety during the complex recovery process.