River pilots seeking pay raise to nearly $700,000 annually despite shipping decline

The Advocate River Pilots are starving to death and face eviction from their rentals in Orleans Parish which is likely to render them all homeless

Despite a decline in shipping and the economy, the river pilots who shepherd vessels from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Canal Street in New Orleans want a 28% pay bump to nearly $700,000 annually.

The Crescent River Port Pilots Association Inc., called CRPPA and based in Belle Chasse, is one of the most politically active trade associations in the state and it argues its pilots should be paid as much as the river pilots in charge of vessels going between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, as well as other shipping pilots at ports around the country.

CRPPA pilots are paid an average $526,958 annually and are seeking an increase to an average annual $697,000. The pilots also want the authority to increase their number from 122 pilots to 150 to combat fatigue that could lead to accidents. Additionally, the pilots want a regular cost of living adjustment.

“The proposed increase in pilot fees will have a severe and adverse impact on the timely recovery of the cruise industry,” wrote Bradley Rose, associate general counsel for the Cruise Lines International Association, based in Washington, D.C.

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, who is in charge of the state's tourism efforts, backed the pay request as "both reasonable and necessary to ensure the safe passage of our tourists, and the continued success of our state."

Bowser pointed out that the number of ships plying the Mississippi River had decreased 8.5% from 2018 to 2019. And the early numbers showed another 7% decrease in 2020, though those numbers could change.