§ 24-12-49 - Declaration of policy – Preventing economic harm to the town of Jamestown.
SECTION 24-12-49
§ 24-12-49 Declaration of policy –Preventing economic harm to the town of Jamestown. – It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to prevent the economicharm to the town of Jamestown which will occur upon the opening of the NewportBridge to traffic through loss of employment opportunities on the Jamestown andNewport ferries and the resultant dislocation of the residence of the Jamestownand Newport ferries employees, therefore:
(1) The authority shall, in the operation and maintenance ofthe Newport Bridge, engage employees of the department of transportation whowere employed in connection with the operation of the ferries from Jamestown toNewport and whose employment is terminated voluntarily or involuntarily byreason of the opening of the Newport Bridge to traffic, before it shall engageany other employees.
(2) The several departments of the state government includingthe personnel department are hereby charged with the responsibility ofproviding employment opportunities within the state classified service andwithin reasonable commuting distance of their residences, for employees of thedepartment of transportation who were employed in connection with the operationof ferries from Jamestown to Newport and whose employment has been terminatedby reason of the opening of the Newport Bridge to traffic.
(3) During the period of the operation of the Newport Bridgeas contemplated in this chapter, preference shall continue to be given toemployees of the department of transportation employed in connection with theoperation of the ferry from Jamestown to Newport and whose employment has beenterminated by reason of the opening of the Newport Bridge to traffic in fillingvacancies which may occur from time to time.