More than 14,000 apply for longshore jobs at Tacoma port

A much-anticipated Tacoma longshore jobs lottery is done, but it may be as long as three weeks before the winners’ names are announced.

Scott Mason, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23 president, said Tuesday that more than 14,000 people submitted cards to become one of the 226 people eligible to become unidentified longshore casual workers.

The original announcement said those names could be posted on the two sites about three weeks after the April 8 drawing. But other industry sources said the list could be made public in as little as a week.

“My advice is to those who entered the lottery is to keep checking the sites,” said Mason.

The odds of being drawn from among the cards submitted were long. In addition to the 14,000 members of the public who entered the drawing, 1,100 people who received special “interest” cards from Longshore Union members or shipping industry officials also were part of the lottery process.

Each of the 226 people selected will be notified of their selection by mail, said Mason. That selection letter will give them instructions about arranging a physical examination and for undergoing job training. That job training time will be paid.