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Contractors take pay dispute to street
AW Comm ConProtest p3
Contractor Roy Neely stands along Highway 84 holding his sign of protest Wednesday morning. R&W Painting co-owners Eric Ronnbeck and Josh Warner protest with him. The three said they were owed thousands of dollars for weeks. - photo by Photo by Andrea Washington
After weeks of allegedly not being paid, four contractors working at the site of the new Fairfield Inns & Suites, took to the streets Wednesday morning.
The small group protested for nearly three hours along Highway 84, holding picket signs and expressing frustration over not being paid for their work in almost a month. The new hotel is going up behind Applebee’s restaurant in Flemington
“We have to pay our bills, we’ve got kids to feed and people that work for us that depend on us,” R&W Painting co-owner Eric Ronnbeck said. “We can’t wait no more.”
According to Roy Neely, this is not the first time workers have been stiffed by hotel owner, San Patel. Neely claimed a number of contractors have quit working at the site due to non-payment. He alleged Patel has needed to bring in new employees almost monthly since the start of construction.
The new father added he felt the owner was taking advantage of employees who cannot afford to sue in court for their wages. He said protesting was a last ditch effort to bring awareness to their plight.
“We’re just good, hardworking American guys out here trying to make a living and taking care of our families,” Neely said. “People like this are just taking advantage of people and we think the public should know about it.”
As lunchtime neared, the contractors finally received paychecks from a man who refused to identify himself, although some workers claimed he was Patel.
Patel, however, has been out of the country and will not return until the first part of July, according to a clerk at his Holiday Inn Express next to Fairfield.
When asked why it had taken so long for workers to receive payment for their services, the unidentified man said a check was given to someone who should have paid the contractors, but ran off with the money.
“He’s nowhere to find,” he said as workers signed for their checks. “We paid him, but now we can’t find him. We’ve been looking for him.”
He refused to confirm or deny claims Patel has a history of late and non-payments with contractors.
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GPA grows trade, market share
Intermodal volume up 20 percent
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Rubber tired gantry cranes handle cargo at the Chatham Intermodal Container Transfer Facility at the Port of Savannah. The Georgia Ports Authority's Mason Mega Rail project will double rail lift capacity to 1 million containers per year by 2020 - photo by Provided

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved 14 percent growth in March container volumes, moving 355,208 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers.

From July 2017 to March, TEU container trade grew by 9 percent, or 255,786 additional units for a total of 3.08 million, a new record for Savannah.

"Savannah's continued strength is a reflection of our customers' commitment, Georgia's leadership, and the many dedicated service providers, GPA employees and ILA members who come together every day to achieve great things," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "March marked our 17th consecutive month of business expansion thanks, in part, to a strong economy and growing market share."

Intermodal rail volumes jumped by 20 percent in March and 15.4 percent for the fiscal year to date, for a total of 318,454 containers handled over nine months – another record for the GPA.

"As the numbers show, our rail cargo is growing at a faster pace than our overall trade," GPA Chairman Jimmy Allgood said. "This is important because rail is playing a key role in our responsible growth strategy. We anticipate our rail infrastructure investments to take 250,000 trucks off the road each year by 2020."

The GPA recently broke ground on its Mason Mega Rail Terminal, on which the Port of Savannah will build 10,000-foot unit trains within its own footprint. From the expanded rail infrastructure at Garden City Terminal, Class I rail providers CSX and Norfolk Southern will provide direct rail service to major Southeast and Midwestern markets from Memphis to St. Louis, Chicago to Cincinnati.

An added benefit is that the Mason Mega Rail project will move all rail switching on terminal – improving vehicle traffic flow around the port.

In August, the GPA will open its Appalachian Regional Port in Murray County. Located in an industrial belt, including the production and export of carpet and flooring, automobiles and tires, the ARP will provide an alternative to all-truck transit to Northwest Georgia.

Each round-trip container moved via the Appalachian Regional Port will offset 710 truck miles on Georgia highways.

March was also a strong month for roll-on/roll-off auto and machinery units at the Port of Brunswick and Ocean Terminal in Savannah. Colonel's Island Terminal in Brunswick handled 66,144 cars, trucks and tractors, while Ocean Terminal added 4,050, for a total 70,194, a 17.2 percent increase.

"The global economy is thriving and our volumes are following suit," Lynch said. "As existing accounts grow their footprint in the expanding auto facility in Brunswick, Georgia's competitive logistical advantages are drawing additional business across all of our docks."

Lynch noted that for the fiscal year to date, Mayor's Point breakbulk terminal in Brunswick grew by 44 percent (34,515 tons) to reach 112,728 tons of forest products. At East River Terminal, bulk cargo expanded by 34 percent July-March (189,918 tons) for a total of 750,384 tons.

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