183 



INTERNATIONAL northwest international regional omcE 



LONGSHOREMEN'S & WAREHOUSEMEN'S 



2800 1ST AVE. - RM. 260, SEATTLE, WA 98121 — PHONE 447-1917 U N ION 



Statement prepared for: Senate Energy Committee Hearing conducted 

 in Ketciilkan on April 24th, in regards to the Tongass National Forest. 



I am John Bukoskey, Northwest International Representative for the 

 International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union. I represent 

 the membership in the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon 

 and Alaska, which includes approximately 4,000 members plus their 

 dependants. In their interest I am making the following statement: 



Dear Senators, 



We are responding, urging you to support the legislation purposed by 

 Senator Murkowski and Senator Stevens, in regards to the Tongass 

 National Forest. We would like this opportunity to point out that over the 

 past four or five years, the Longshoremen in Southeast Alaska have 

 experienced a dramatic reduction in work opportunities most directly 

 related to the economy in the State of Alaska. They have experienced 

 between a $10,000 and $20,000 loss of income for that period. 



In reviewing the proposed legislation by Senator Wirth, we feel this 

 would cut that income another 36%; considering that we would endure a 

 36% reduction in the harvest of available timber. This bill would 

 dramatically effect our members by reducing their income to less than 



