The Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots has endorsed a recommendation of an administrative law judge that establishes a target income of $214,447 per year for both bar pilots and river pilots along the Columbia River. In doing so, the nine-member board approved a settlement reached earlier this year between the bar pilots and ports along the Columbia River, and recommended a far lower income than river pilots had requested.

The Columbia bar pilots navigate vessels from the open sea across the treacherous Columbia River Bar, while the Columbia River Pilots guide vessels four to nine hours upriver to the Port of Longview, Port of Portland and Port of Vancouver, Wash. Five-year rate agreements with both groups expired last fall.

Sue Johnson, administrator for the Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots, said the board members made no changes to the settlement reached in March between the bar pilots and the Columbia River ports. That agreement established a target income of $299,998 for each pilot, which would include $85,551 in expenses for equipment, health and life insurance, sick leave and pension allowances.

Gary Lewin, who represented the bar pilots at the board meeting, said he thought the board's decision was fair and that the negotiated settlement with the ports was "a very balanced agreement." The adopted salary was equal to what the pilots earned last year, Lewin said, adding that as traffic increases in the future, pilot salaries will increase.

Johnson said the board made some minor "tweaks" to the administrative judge's recommendation for the river pilots, but maintained the same salary as was recommended for the bar pilots.

The river pilots had requested parity with pilots in Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay, whose salaries reportedly average about $374,000.

Although the salary approved for the river pilots fell short of their request, it represented an increase from their 2009 incomes which averaged $160,337, and a drop from their 2008 salaries of $231,959 and 2007 salaries of $244,890.

Paul Amos, president of the Columbia River Pilots, was unavailable for comment.

Representatives for steamship lines that serve the Columbia River ports opposed any increase in pay for the pilots because traffic on the river has declined during the recession.

Jim Townley, executive director of the Columbia River Steamship Operators' Association, was not available for comment.

The Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots has three public members, three pilot members and three shipping industry members. All are appointed by the Oregon governor and approved by the Oregon Senate.

A copy of the board action is expected to be posted this week at http://www.oregon.gov/PUC/BMP/index.shtml.