United States
The industry has
a new champion for the Recreational Marine Employment Act of 2002
(RMEA), said the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) on
Monday, 15 April.
Representative Ric Keller has signed on to
sponsor the bill, which, if ratified, will exempt the recreational
marine industry from the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation
Act (LHWCA).
Representatives Jim Davis (D-FL), John J.
Duncan (R-TN), Jim Saxton (R-NJ) and Clay Shaw (R-FL) also have
signed on as an original co-sponsor for the Act.
"When we
approached Congressman Keller about the issue, he immediately jumped
at the opportunity to be the champion because he understands the
impact Longshore insurance has on small businesses in the
recreational marine industry," said Walter Meloon, president and
chief executive officer of Correct Craft. "Keller's support shows
what can be accomplished through advocacy by working with
representatives at every level of government."
"Securing
Representative Keller's sponsorship is a great benefit to our
efforts considering his position on the Education and Workforce
Committee which has jurisdiction over the Longshore Act," added
Stacey Proctor, Government Relations coordinator for the Marina
Operators Association of America.
Longshore Act places
hardship on industry
Since 1927, the LHWCA has placed
hardship on the recreational boating industry.
Originally,
the LHWCA was created to provide protection to shore based workers
injured while temporarily on navigable waters of the United States.
The 1972 amendment addressed the reverse, responding to
longshoremen who walked out of federal coverage every time they left
a ship.
Because state benefits were less generous, Congress
expanded the federal coverage to encompass injuries occurring on
piers and adjacent land used for loading and unloading
ships.
Marine industry surveys indicate that employers would
save an average of US$99,000 a year if exempted from the LHWCA, and
95 percent of those people surveyed said they would re-invest their
savings into their workforce, according to NMMA.
"This bill
is all about saving and creating jobs," said NMMA director of
Federal Government Relations Kelly Bobek. "When enacted, the
recreational Marine Employment Act will strengthen the entire
industry from the subcontractor, to the marina to the
manufacturer."
The LHWCA is also detrimental to the industry
because it puts businesses that can afford and obtain Longshore
premiums at a competitive disadvantage due to substantially higher
labor rates, creating an unlevel playing field.
Many small
businesses that are unable to afford the hefty Longshore premiums
are forced to operate without it.
The Recreational Marine
Employment Coalition is encouraging industry stakeholders to take
the time to write their elected officials and ask for their support
of Act.
This can be accomplished through NMMA's Making Waves
lobbying tool available at www.nmma.org/government.
Visitors to the site can click on the Making Waves icon and
follow the instructions to add their support to the RMEA.
- For more of the latest news, click here.
- For related information on this story, click here.
- To discuss this topic with other recreational marine industry
professionals, click here.
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