Jeffboat

Jeffboat is the largest inland shipbuilder in the United States, located in Jeffersonville, Indiana. It is the second-largest builder of barges. It is most notable for building the "General Jackson" showboat, the "Mississippi Queen" steamboat, and the "Casino Aztar" riverboat casino.

Originally named the Howard Shipyards, it had fallen on hard times due to the Great Depression. The United States Navy bought the shipyards in 1942 and gave it to a new company, Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company. During World War II it built 123 Landing Ship-Tanks (LSTs), 23 submarine chasers, and numerous other craft. Post-war, the shipyards built customized crafts, but specialized in barges and towboats. In 1957 the official name was changed to Jeffboat.

Production was stopped from 1986 to 1989.

In 2001 a wildcat strike took place, as the workers felt that their union sold them out to the company.

A union decertification petition was circulated in the fall of 2006. The petition required 30% of bargaining unit employees to sign to schedule a decertification election. The election was held on Dec. 7, 2006, and the employees voted overwhelmingly (NLRB certified results 649 to 190) to retain Teamsters local 89 as their union.

ee also

* Howard Steamboat Museum

External links

* [http://www.aclines.com/JB/Jb_about.asp Official Site]
* [http://www.coltoncompany.com/shipbldg/ussbldrs/postwwii/shipyards/active/inland/jeffboat.htm List of ships built after WW2 by Jeffboat]
* [http://www.lifeatjeffboat.com Pro-worker website]
* [http://www.freejeffboat.org Pro-management website]
* [http://www.teamsters89.com Official IBT Local 89 website]