Study sees hope for continued shipbuilding at Avondale Shipyards
Those still hoping that Avondale Shipyards can have some sort of a future building ships may derive some comfort from a joint study conducted by researchers at Loyola University New Orleans and the University of New Orleans. The researchers conclude while it is unlikely that Avondale will continue as a shipbuilder for the U.S. Navy, the “shipyard can remain viable as a world-class manufacturer of seagoing vessels if it pursues viable alternatives.”
The study, “Avondale: The Uncertain Future of a Great American Shipyard,” was co-authored by Ted Quant, Loyola University’s Twomey Center For Peace Through Justice; Petrice Sams-Abiodun, Lindy Boggs National Center for Community Literacy at Loyola University; Vern Baxter, UNO professor of sociology; and Steve Striffler, UNO professor of anthropology.
“Examining the past, present and future of Avondale was an eye opening experience,” Quant said. “That shipyard not only created jobs, it fostered a community and single-handedly was responsible for creating the middle class in that part of New Orleans. We need to do everything possible to keep Avondale open.”
Highlights of the study, according to a hand out from Loyola University, include:
The Bad News: If Avondale closes, it will be devastating for laid-off workers and the economy of Greater New Orleans.
The Good News, states the handout: Avondale can remain viable as a world-class manufacturer of seagoing vessels.Although reduced demand makes it unlikely that Avondale will continue as a shipbuilder for the U.S. Navy, viable alternatives exist and should be pursued. The almost $300 million in taxpayer money that Huntington Ingalls had hoped to collect from the federal government for shutting down the shipyard is now available to finance its future. Similarly, Governor Bobby Jindal announced a $214 million incentive package to support any joint venture involving Huntington Ingalls at the site. The fact that we are now speaking about Avondale’s future, and not its closing, represents a major victory for the workers and Louisiana as a whole.
November 30, 2011
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Submited at Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 3:00 pm on Uncategorized by ethan
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