Associated Press - November 27, 2009 4:05 AM ET

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) - With commercial traffic along the Columbia River in a slump, pilots and the shipping industry are debating pay raise proposals.

Pilots say it's been too long since they've gotten a raise, and their incomes have fallen behind those of pilots at other West Coast ports.

Shippers, whose tariffs pay the pilots' salaries, say the request for pay raises is coming at a bad time for the industry and should be postponed.

Two kinds of specialized pilots guide ships on the Columbia, one past the dangerous bar at the mouth and the other upriver from there.

Ship traffic on the Columbia has fallen around 30 percent in the past year. Two lines have stopped calling at the Port of Portland.

Information from: The Daily Astorian, http://www.dailyastorian.com

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