BOLI orders contractor to pay prevailing wages to remove derelict boats

State ruling on union wages threatens derelict boat cleanup program

Three years ago, the Legislature accelerated the messy job of removing derelict ships and boats that clog waterways across the state — sailboats in the Willamette River, abandoned tugs in Coos Bay, rotting fishing boats in Newport and rusting barges on the Columbia River. Lawmakers in 2023 allocated nearly $19 million to remove and demolish the abandoned vessels. The Department of State Lands, which oversees Oregon’s waterways, quickly began th…

BOLI orders contractor to pay prevailing wages to remove derelict boats

The ruling catches Oregon ports by surprise and could slow the removal of junk vessels from navigable waterways. By Nigel Jaquiss Oregon Journalism Project Abandoned vessels in Port of Newport –Photos courtesy of Port of Newport Three years ago, the Legislature accelerated the messy job of removing derelict ships and boats that clog waterways across the state: sailboats in the Willamette River; abandoned tugs in Coos Bay; rotting fishing boats i…