Longshoremen Support Newsome's Contract Extension

State Ports Authority CEO Jim Newsome got a contract extension with a $50,000 a year raise late Tuesday from the SPA board, according to reporting in the Post and Courier.

His new contract will extend seven years beginning in January with a new salary of $350,000.

Newsome was scheduled to be in Charleston tonight to deliver the Annual State of the Ports Report at the Charleston Marriott on Lockwood Boulevard downtown.

Though he had not heard about the extension, International Longshoremen Association #1422 President Kenny Riley welcomed the news when he spoke to Patch on Tuesday evening.

"We feel pretty good about Jim being around leading the port for another seven years," Riley said. "We feel we are moving in the right direction as far as rebuilding our container business."

Riley said the Port and union workers do have some issues to work out in contract negotiations, but added that the union has found Newsome to be a good partner to work with.

"We have absolutely no problems with (the contract extension)," he said.

Note: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect location for Jim Newsome's State of the Port Address. The location has been corrected, we regret the error.