Baltimore City has approved a $1 million fund for businesses impacted by the partial port closure in the wake of last week’s Francis Scott Key bridge collapse.
MacKenzie Garvin with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development said the money is paid to employers for wages, similar to earlier COVID-19 relief programs.
“This will allow businesses to be able to subsidize a portion of the wages for their workers and allow them to remain attached to their employment,” she said.
Baltimore’s spending board unanimously approved a deal Wednesday to transfer money from the general fund to the Baltimore Civic Fund. The program is modeled off similar programs from the COVD-19 pandemic and in part, it’s meant to keep the workforce from leaving the port — so that it can reopen at any moment.
Last week, a 984-foot Singaporean cargo vessel called the Dali struck a supportive pylon on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Within seconds, large sections of the bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River. The ship was able to initiate a mayday call just two minutes before the collision but six construction workers who were filling potholes at the time of the accident were not evacuated in time. Eight men fell into the water. Two survived. The bodies of two men were recovered a day later and four are missing, presumed dead.
The port is mostly closed to maritime traffic due to debris and wreckage blocking the deep draft channel. Around 8,000 maritime workers are immediately affected. Two small channels were opened up earlier this week.
“I want to be clear that this money is just an initial move,” said Mayor Brandon Scott, a Democrat who is up for reelection this year, during his bi-weekly Wednesday press conference. “It is not nearly enough to cover all the businesses and all the workers who will be impacted, but is an important first step and one that we had the ability to move quickly.”
Scott told reporters he does not think the subsidies would interfere with relief being considered by state lawmakers in Annapolis.
The city’s program is only available for Baltimore City residents. Businesses can apply for up to $7,500 per worker, according to the employment office. The city estimates that could cover close to 130 workers.
On Tuesday, the state Senate advanced the Protecting Opportunities and Regional Trade (PORT) Act which also establishes a relief fund for companies that rely on the port. It would also ensure that unemployment benefits are made more available to port workers who may not otherwise qualify for full unemployment.
Also on Wednesday, the Board of Estimates approved a request from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to fundraise on behalf of the families of the six construction workers who died in the bridge collapse. The office is now the custodian of fundraising efforts started by Latino Racial Justice Circle; their original GoFundMe amassed $98,000 within the first 48 hours of the accident.
City agencies must get approval for fundraising, per the city code.
Catalina Rodriguez-Lima, director of the city’s immigrant affairs office, said the group has no fundraising goal but so far has raised around $500,000.
“Many of those who passed away were heads of households. So they [the families] do need funding for rent, mortgage, utility bills,” said Rodriguez-Lima. She also said that the office is working to assign dedicated case managers to the victims’ families. The funds can also be used for childcare, funeral costs, legal fees, and repatriation of remains.
All six of the workers were born in either Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras. Only the remains of two workers have been recovered so far. Recovery operations have been hindered by dangerous diving conditions and weather.
More information on how to apply for the wage subsidies will be available in the coming days, said a city spokesperson.
The workers were employed by Brawner Builders at the time of the accident. They are Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35; Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26; Miguel Luna, 49; Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, 38; Jose Mynor Lopez, 35; and one man who has not yet been identified.
