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Volume 62, Number 12
Single-Occupancy
,
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For Paul Hall Center
1
1
December 2000
of approximately 1oo single-occupancy dormitory rooms at the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, located in Piney
Point, Md. The artist's sketch above shows what the building (situated
behind the library) is expected to look like upon completion. Page 3.
Seafarers
To Crew
USNS
Impeccable
The U.S. Military Sealift Command last
month ceremonially launched its newest
ocean surveillance vessel, the SIUcrewed USNS Impeccable. Finishing
touches are being applied to the 281foot vessel at Halter Marine Shipyard in
Pascagoula, Miss. Page 4.
New Tug-Barge
Joins Express
Marine Fleet
Union Members
Vote in Record
Numbers
President Signs
Bill for Mariner
Tax Relief
NY Waterway
Crews Approve
New Contract
_ _ _ _ _ Page4
_ _ _ _ _ Page3
_ _ _ _ _ Page2
_ _ _ _ _ Page 24
Beck Notice
Page6
�Law Intends Mariner Tax Relief
President's Report
Electlon Day Lessons
As the presidential election dragged on, countless news reports
detailed the legal twists and turns that seemingly changed by the
hour.
Along the way, the nation got a refresher course in the electoral college. In fact, media surveys revealed that a sizeable number of Americans weren't even aware that the U.S. utilizes electoral votes, rather than the "popular" count, to determine the presidency.
It's a riveting and historic story, one that stirred up innumerable emotions and opinions even as Election Day gave way to
Thanksgiving.
Yet, I hope that the complexities surrounding the Florida
recount didn't obscure what is perhaps the most important lesson
we all should have learned from this episode: Every vote counts.
Set aside for a moment all of the legal wrangling-not to mention all of those comedic, pretend ballots that probably showed up
at some point on your fax machine or email!
The power of a single vote is highlighted by the fact that
Florida law mandated the initial recount precisely because the
tally was so close. If enough supporters of either leading candidate had voted, then the election would have been determined
without all the prolonged activities after November 7.
Every vote counts. Your vote counts.
That's a lesson that all Seafarers should take to heart, whether
it's for a local, state or national election or for an SIU election
like the one currently under way. Don't sit on the sidelines in any
election and let other voices be heard while you remain silent.
Don't assume that your single vote can't make a difference.
Study the issues, study the candidates and cast your votes.
We work in a heavily regulated industry. Our day-to-day functions and our long-range survival continually will be affected by
politicians and the people they appoint.
It may be something as routine as upgrading your rating, or
something as historic as the construction of new U.S.-flag cruise
ships and tankers. In every case, the opportunities for growth are
tied to politics, one way or another.
Similarly, the Sill's direction starts with you, the individual
member. You elect officials to lead the way in strengthening our
union. You decide the outcome of proposed constitutional amendments such as those on the current SIU ballot.
It must have been a sickening feeling for the people in Florida
who wanted a particular presidential candidate to win, yet failed
to vote. They probably realized too late that they could have had a
positive impact, not only by voting but also by encouraging others
to vote.
Whomever you support in the SIU election, and however you
stand on the proposed amendments, I urge you not to repeat their
mistake of remaining silent. For the future of your union, cast
your votes and encourage your fellow members to do the same.
President Clinton early last month signed into
law the bipartisan Transportation Worker Tax
Fairness Act, a measure aimed at providing "equitable treatment with respect to state and local
income taxes for certain individuals who perform
duties on vessels."
The law took effect Nov. 9. It amends Chapter
111 of the United States Code, Title 46.
The legislation stipulates that pilots and other
mariners ''who perform regularly assigned duties
while engaged as a master, officer or crewman on a
vessel operating on the navigable waters of more
than one State" shall be subject to state income tax
only in his or her residential state.
In successfully requesting unanimous consent for
the Senate version of the Transportation Worker Tax
Fairness Act (S. 893), Senator John McCain (RAriz.) on Sept. 28 stated, "Under existing law, water
transportation workers, including marine pilots, tow
and tugboat workers and others who work aboard
vessels are often subjected to filing and tax requirements by states other than their state of residence,
leading to possible double taxation. I do not believe
that double taxation is what Congress had intended
for any transportation worker when it crafted the
Interstate Commerce Act."
He pointed out that the Interstate Commerce Act
exempts truck drivers, airline pilots and railroad
employees from being taxed by state and local jurisdictions in which they don't reside.
Senator Slade Gorton (R-Wash.), who along with
Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced S. 893,
stated that the legislation "will rectify this situation
by extending the same tax treatment to personnel
who work on the navigable waters of more than one
state."
Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) had introduced a
companion bill in the House in March 1999.
SIU Pensioners to Get $500 Year-End Bonus
Eligible SIU pensioners will
receive a year-end bonus check
of $500 this month. The
Seafarers Pension Plan Board of
Trustees recently approved the
payment after union representatives to the group recommended
the bonus.
This bonus check will be sent
to all SIU pensioners who currently receive monthly benefit
checks for normal, early normal
or disability pensions from the
Seafarers Pension Plan.
The trustees also authorized
the plan administrator to issue the
January pension checks in
December, as has been done for
many years.
The board of trustees, composed of representatives from the
SIU and its contracted companies, decided to issue the bonus
after reviewing the plan's successful investment performance.
More information about the
bonus or the pension plan in general may be obtained by contacting any union hall or by calling a
plan representative at 1-800CLAIMS4. Members and pensioners also may write to the plan
at 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs,
MD 20746.
':/Please be advised that SIU headquarters and. all SIU
hiring ~s .Vfil:}t>e,.~· · .;~qay,
Jan.. : ;(~~.fJit;-ObSer·
~~~:f.~ii
Solidarity With OPEIU
Season's Greetings
For many, the holiday season is a reflective time. Looking back
on the past year, I am especially grateful for the steady professionalism exhibited by SIU crews in our deep sea, Great Lakes
and inland fleets. Your reliable work and your outstanding reputation helped pave the way for the union's continued advancement.
I also want to say a special thanks to the staff at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and Education. Between the openings of the new simulator building at Piney Point and the new
safety school in Hawaii, plus the surge of training required for
mariners in the initial crewing of U.S. Lines' cruise ship Patriot,
they have had their hands full. And they've done a great job.
My thanks also goes to the staff of the Seafarers LOG. They
are a dedicated group and they put out a good product, month
after month.
Finally, I offer warm wishes to all Seafarers and their families
for a safe, happy holiday season.
Volume 62, Number 12
Seafarers rallied Oct. 15 in Garden City, N.Y. with striking members of the Office and Professional
Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153 who are employed at Adelphi University. The OPEIU
members' job action began in mid-September. The key issues included health care premiums, wages
and pension benefits. Pictured above, from left, are AB William Rackley, SIU VP Atlantic Coast Jack
Caffey, OPEIU President Michael Goodwin, AB Edwin Ortega and Recertified Bosun Gus Koutouras.
Below, Local 153 members demonstrate in the rain.
December 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Managing
Editor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor, Jim
Guthrie; Art. Bill Brower; Administrative Support, Jeanne
Textor.
Copyright © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reseived.
2
Seafarers LOB
December 2aaa
�Single-Occupancy Rooms Planned for Paul Hall Center
Other Improvements Okayed for School
As vocational schooling becomes
increasingly vital for Seafarers, the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education continues improving its curriculums and its facilities.
The latest major announcement from
the Piney Point, Md. school came last
month during SIU membership meetings
throughout the country. Namely, the Paul
Hall Center is adding approximately 100
single-occupancy dormitory rooms for
upgraders. Meanwhile, approximately half
of the school's existing 250 hotel rooms
will be renovated.
The 100 or so new rooms will be located in the former trainee administration
building-scheduled for a complete refurbishment-behind the Paul Hall Library
and Maritime Museum. An additional floor
likely will be added to the two-story structure.
New furniture also is being ordered for
approximately half the rooms in the hotel,
while new roofs are being installed on
nearly every structure throughout the 65acre campus. Work already has begun on
the latter project, expected to last about
eight months.
The estimated completion date for the
new rooms and renovated hotel rooms is
not yet known. Nevertheless, Seafarers at
SIU halls around the nation look forward
to the upgrade.
"It'll be a phenomenal improvement,"
said QMED Tyler Harden in Mobile, Ala.
"What it's going to do is cut down on distractions, especially for concentration on
your studies. It'll probably also allow
members to get better sleep, because of
different (individual) schedules for classes.
"It makes you feel like the officials are
looking out for our best interests," he
added.
In New Orleans, Recertified Steward
Ernie Hoitt said, "I think it'll improve
people's studies. One person to a room, I
think it'll work out fine."
"It's an excellent decision," stated
Electrician Randy Clark in Houston. "It
will increase guys' ability to study and
increase privacy. It's a great move."
In Baltimore, AB John Salarda cited
The above illustration is an artist's rendition of the refurbished building at the Paul Hall
Center which will contain nearly 100 single-occupancy rooms.
the potentially more conducive atmosphere
for studies as a key benefit to the singlestudent rooms.
Oiler Stephanie Brown in Jacksonville,
Fla. said another plus may be "lifestyle
considerations-something as simple as,
one person may smoke, while [a roommate] may not."
The changes were announced following
October meetings of the Trustees of all of
the Seafarers Plans.
"We have need for single-occupancy
rooms, so this will be a big step forward,"
said Don Nolan, vice president of the Paul
Hall Center. "It'll take a lot of work, but it
will all be worth it."
Other notable additions to the center
during the past 18 months have included
the openings of the new simulator building
and the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and
Safety School. Also during that time, the
school has added several U.S. Coast
Guard-approved, STCW-related courses
and secured opportunities for students to
earn college credits by successfully completing certain vocational training classes.
Balloting·Begins in SIU Election
Above, QMED Ralph Thomas
emerges from the voting booth in
Jacksonville. Below, Jacksonville
Port Agent Tony McQuay (left in
both photos) checks that SIU
members Chief Steward Jerome
Jordan (in left photo) and AB
Frank Thompson are eligible to
vote in the union election.
Voting began last month and
will continue through Dec. 30 in
the election of officers of the
SIU's Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District.
Balloting is taking place at 21
SIU halls throughout the country.
Full-book SIU members in good
standing are eligible to vote in the
election, which will determine
union officers for the 2001-2004
term. The ballot also includes
five proposed constitutional
amendments.
Seafarers may obtain their ballot from 9 a.m. until noon,
Mondays through Saturdays,
except legal holidays, until Dec.
30.
Listed on the ballot are the
names of candidates seeking the
posts of president, executive vice
president, secretary-treasurer, six
vice presidents, six assistant vice
presidents, two headquarters rep-
resentatives and 10 port agents
(for a total of 27 positions). It
also includes the five proposed
constitutional amendments.
At the union halls, a member
in good standing (upon presenting his or her book) is given a
ballot and two envelopes. After
his or her selection is marked, the
ballot is folded and placed inside
an envelope marked "ballot."
That envelope then is sealed
inside a postage-paid envelope
bearing the mailing address of the
bank depository where ballots are
kept until submitted to the union
tallying committee.
That rank-and-file tallying
committee, consisting of two
members from each of the
union's constitutional ports, will
be elected in December. They
will convene in early January and
will tabulate and announce the
election results.
New Name, Improved Benefit
Affirmed by Seafarers Health Plan
The Seafarers Welfare Plan Board of Trustees
last month announced an increase in the sickness
and accident benefit, plus a new name for the Plan
itself.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2001, the sickness and accident benefit will be $25 per day. That amount represents an increase of more than 212 percent.
Additionally-largely due to member feedback
indicating occasional misunderstandings with some
health care providers-the Plan's new name is the
Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan. The periodic
confusion apparently stemmed from some providers
mistaking the term "welfare" to mean public assistance, rather than wellbeing.
At the November membership meeting in Piney
Point, Md., Seafarers Plans Administrator Lou
DecembeT 2000
Delma noted, "Although this change has been
approved, both names (Seafarers Welfare Plan and
Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan) will be in use
for a while, as it will take some time to change all of
the Plan documents and to notify the required government agencies."
As reported in the November issue of the
Seafarers LOG, the Plan also recently announced a
major expansion of its annual scholarship program
for SIU members and their dependents. The
improved program annually will include three
scholarships for SIU members and five for spouses
and dependent children of Seafarers. Altogether, the
scholarships' value totals $132,000.
For more details on the scholarship program, see
page 21.
Oiler Michael McClinton (right) presents his book to Jacksonville Port
Agent Tony McQuay to receive his ballot.
Union Families Mobilize,
Vote In Record Numbers
Nation Elects Pro-Maritime Congress
Union households played a pivotal role on Election Day, accounting for the winning margins in several key elections and ballot initiatives, according to the AFL-CIO.
The national federation of trade unions (to which the SIU is affiliated) also reported that union members and their families composed a
record high 26 percent of voters Nov. 7.
Meanwhile, a solid nucleus of pro-maritime legislators won their
respective elections in the House and Senate, said SIU Legislative
Affairs Director Terry Turner.
"It's very gratifying that so many people were re-elected who
believe in a strong U.S.-flag fleet," Turner stated. "At the same time,
there are some new faces in both houses of Congress, and the SIU will
work hard to familiarize those legislators with the vital role of the U.S.
Merchant Marine."
The presidential election remained unsettled as this issue of the
Seafarers LOG went to press. Prior to Nov. 7, Vice President Al Gore
and Texas Gov. George W. Bush each issued a statement expressing
support for the U.S.-flag fleet and American mariners.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney noted that union voters helped
defeat two "paycheck deception" ballot initiatives that attacked the
voice of working families in Oregon. They also were instrumental in
turning back voucher initiatives in California and Michigan.
"What is striking about all the exit polls is how much a majority of
Americans agree with a working families agenda," Sweeney said.
"Working families want Social Security protected and Medicare
strengthened, not turned over to HMOs. They want prescription drug
benefits for seniors, as well as investments in education, health care
and infrastructure."
According to a post-election survey reported by the federation,
union members identified as their most important voting issues (in
order) Social Security; economy and jobs; health care including prescription medications; and education.
As in previous elections, corporations substantially outspent unions
-by 15-to- l--during this voting cycle. That is up from 11-to-1 in the
prior two elections.
During mid-November party meetings, House Speaker Dennis
Hastert (R-Ill.), Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) and Majority
Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) were reappointed to their respective positions for the new Congress, as were House Minority Leader Richard
Gephardt (D-Mo.) and Minority Whip David Bonior (D-Mich.).
Senate leadership positions were expected to be filled early this month.
Seafarers LOG
3
�MSC Christens USNS Impeccable
Seafar~rs
The USNS Impeccable
is covered by a five-
year contract.
Will Crew New Surveillance Ship
The U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) last
month ceremonially launched its newest ocean surveillance vessel, the SIU-crewed USNS Impeccable.
The ship is the only one in its class.
SIU members will fill all unlicensed positions
aboard the new vessel when it enters the fleet,
although that date has not yet been announced.
Copies of the new five-year contract covering
the Impeccable and 13 other SIU-crewed T-AGOS
and SWATH ships were mailed to the vessels in
October. As previously reported, Seafarers enthusiastically have reacted to the agreement, which
includes substantial wage and benefit increases.
For instance, with the new contract, the bosuns,
stewards and QMEDs-based on working seven
days a week and working three hours of overtime
per day-each would earn $6,622.75 per month.
The contract also increased the vacation benefit by
five days and adds enrollment in the Seafarers
Money Purchase Pension Plan.
Also, the pact includes 3 percent wage increases
each year, plus boosts the vacation benefit seven
days (to a total of 14) by the third year.
Meanwhile, finishing touches are being applied
to the Impeccable at Halter Marine Shipyard in
Pascagoula, Miss. The Impeccable will join eight
other ocean surveillance vessels that use a towedarray sensor system, called SURTASS, to support
the Navy's antisubmarine warfare capability. It will
gather ocean acoustical data for antisubmarine warfare and rapidly transmit the information to the
Navy for prompt analysis.
The Impeccable is 281 feet long and can travel at
a sustained speed of 12 knots. It is considerably
larger and even faster than the 235-foot Victorious-class ships, which are capable of a sustained
speed of 9.6 knots.
Express Marine Launches New Tug & Barge
The SIU welcomed new jobs
as Express Marine dedicated the
new barge Domino Sugar along
with its companion tug Express
Explorer.
The tug and barge recently
entered service, transporting
cargo primarily between Baltimore and Brooklyn, N.Y.
Express Marine listed several
notable aspects of the barge's
design. For instance, it is coated
with food-grade epoxy paint that
meets FDA standards for contact
with food-grade products.
Ten pumps are situated on the
barge, each of which is rated at
400 GPM. They leave minimal
residual product after unloading,
while enabling a complete offload 10.5 hours.
An air filtration system was
added to the barge to filter
replacement air going into the
Sealarer Young Survives
Singapore Airlines Disaster
Seafarer Warren Lee Young
dozed in his seat aboard
Singapore Airlines flight SQ006,
settling in for an anticipated long
flight from Taiwan's Chiang Kaishek International Airport to Los
Angeles.
Moments later, he struggled to
escape the fiery remains of the illfated jet, which mistakenly had
traveled down a closed runway.
The Boeing 747-400, moving at
greater than 150 mph, struck a
concrete barrier on the runway
and then caromed through a construction site. Eighty-one of the
179 people aboard were killed as
the plane erupted into flames and
broke apart.
Young, a medical department
representative (MDR) with the
SIU, survived, suffering bums on
both arms. He returned to the
U.S. one week after the Oct. 31
disaster and, as oflate November,
continued receiving daily treatments for his injuries.
The crash made headlines
worldwide.
"I've had all kinds of emotions
about it, a little bit of everything,"
Young, 44, said in a Nov. 15
interview with the Seafarers
LOG. "At first, I had some trouble sleeping."
The anxious moments continued when he returned to the airport a week later for what proved
to be a routine flight home. "But
my sisters and brother-in-law
came over (to Taipei), along with
a nurse from the U.S., and they
flew back with me. I was a little
nervous about flying at first, but
their being there made it a little
easier."
'lhe Plane Started Shaking'
Young joined the SIU in July
1999 in Norfolk, Va., after spending 11 years in the U.S. Navy. He
most recently had sailed aboard
the SIU-contracted surveillance
ship USNS Bruce Heezen and
then briefly went aboard the
USNS Bowditch before planning
to return home.
Having flown overseas and
back several times, he wasn't
worried as he settled into seat
53K-a window seat near the
right wing on flight SQ006.
"I heard a little pop. I thought
we had a blowout," he recalled.
AP Photos/Wally Santana
An air safety investigator from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
inspects the wreckage of Singapore Airlines flight SQ006 scattered on
the runway of Chiang Kai-shek International Airport.
4
Seafarers LOS
tanks as product is pumped off.
Additionally, the vessel is
equipped with three on-deck
tanks that will return residual
cane syrup product from one port
to another for further processing.
The barge was constructed by
Halter Marine in Gulfport, Miss.
The Express Explorer is a twin
engine tug with 3600 horsepower
of towing capacity. Its bow fits
into the notch at the stem of the
barge.
The tug utilizes a crew of six
and features an upper wheelhouse that is 48 feet above the
water level, providing optimum
visibility.
-~ .~a~~ ~I F~~f'.;,
AP Photos/Wally Santana
Aviation inspectors view the sheared fuselage of Singapore Airlines jetliner flight SQ006 as it sits on the runway of the international airport in
Taipei, Taiwan. The accident killed 81 people.
"Then the plane started shaking,
jolted two or three times. I saw
fire on the right wing, then everything started falling apart.
"The next thing I knew, fire
was shooting in my window," he
continued. "I shielded my face
and tried to get down as low as I
could. I released the seat belt,
then it seemed like I fell up
(toward the top of the plane). I
must have lost consciousness,
because by the time I got up, I
could only see three other people.
The plane had broken apart and
the exit was just ahead of me.
That's where I must have slid."
As he and other passengers
left the wreckage, they took cover
in a large drainage ditch.
"There must have been 40 or
50 people in there," said Young.
"We got in there in case the plane
exploded. We stayed there a couple of minutes and then heard an
explosion."
Despite his injuries-secondand third-degree bums on his
right arm, first- and seconddegree bums on his left-Young
assisted other passengers out of
the ditch. Vans transported them
to the terminal; from there, ambulances took them to a hospital.
Confined in a foreign facility,
Young said he initially didn't
realize the large scope of media
coverage the crash received,
though he was interviewed by
CBS Radio and by television personality Bryant Gumbel.
"I think I missed out on most
of it, and then when I got back,
the elections had taken over," he
said.
Though he lives in Norfolk,
Young is staying with family in
Texas. He is taking hydrotherapy
and likely will not need skin
grafts to repair the damage.
However, Young said he anticipates undergoing physical therapy for his right hand and arm.
According to news reports, the
pilot of flight SQ006 (who survived the crash) is being blamed
for the wreck.
Young said it could have been
worse.
"It just so happened that part
of the plane broke (away) from
where the fuel was," he
explained. "The open part of the
plane was facing away from the
fire. The right wing was what hit
the (construction) equipment,
apparently. That's how I got
burned.
"I wasn't going to sit in my
seat very long," he concluded. "I
just wanted to get out of my seat
and see if I was still going to be
on fire."
;i~2t1~;W~ili~~~~~looo .
• Pumping Rate~
4000GPM
• Epoxy Liner: FDA
approved for direct con;.
tact with food
Tug Express Explorer
• Length: 116 Feet
• .. Draft: 16 Feet
a Beam: 32 Feet
a Hp:3600
• Crew: 6
Source: Express Marine, Inc.
In next month's LOG:
Look for the Paul
Hal I Center Course
Guide - featuring
descriptions of all
the upgrading
courses available to
Seafarers in 2001.
Also, visit the SIU
on the web at
www.seafarers.org
December 2000
�Merchant Marine Included In World War II Memorial
Hart Praises 'Sometimes
Overlooked' Service
Service anthems and ''Taps" are
played at the Nov. 11 event.
The U.S. Merchant Marine's
vital contribution to the Allied
victory in World War II will be
honored as part of a new memorial being built in Washington,
D.C.
President Clinton led a
groundbreaking ceremony on
Veterans Day for the World War
II memorial. James Dooley, who
sailed in the U.S. Merchant
Marine during the war, also participated, along with other veterans.
In an account of the ceremony,
the U.S. Maritime Administration
(MarAd) noted, "The World War
II Memorial will be the first
... 'Notice to WWII Mariners
· · The BBC has commissioned what it describes as a "landmark
series.'1 on the Battie of the Atlantic. It will consist of three SQ-minute
programs.
As part of its research. the BBC is trying to contact (among others): survivors of the sinking· of the Rueben James; those who
served on UJ:;lerty ships; survivors from the tankers Gulfamerica,
Atlas or Byron Benson; and "anyone ~ho has a tale to tell relating to
the .Battle of the Atlantic.11
·
i·· gualified individuals may contact Dominic Sutherland at the BBC
yi~(,.:i'llaU {BBC, Room 5433, White City, 201 Wood Lane, London
¥1!12 7TS, United Kingdom), telephone (+44 (0)208 752-6532), fax
(0)208 752-6336) or email (dominic.sutherland@bbc.m,uk).
H44
Lakes Seafarers,
Gordon Crew Honored
For Dramatic Rescues
national memorial dedicated to
all who served in the armed
forces and Merchant Marine of
the United States during World
War II and acknowledging the
commitment and achievement of
the entire nation. All military veterans of the war, the citizens on
the home front, the nation at
large, and the high moral purpose
and idealism that motivated the
nation's call to arms will be honored."
The ceremony concluded with
a medley of service anthems,
MarAd reported. The first,
announced as the song of the
Merchant Marine, "Heave Ho!
My Lads, Heave Ho!," was sung
by Erin Gant, a graduate of the
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Another
U.S.
Merchant
Marine veteran attending the ceremony reported that military veterans, at least one with tears in his
eyes, approached him to thank
him and the merchant marine for
its wartime service, according to
MarAd.
In his Veterans Day statement,
Maritime Administrator Clyde
Hart (who recently returned to
that post after a temporary assignment elsewhere) stated, "Each
year, the nation pauses on
November 11 to give thanks to
and for all who have served in our
armed forces in times of peril.
Sometimes
overlooked
are
America's Merchant Mariners
who have risked all to support
and sustain our servicemen and
women.
"During World War II, nearly
6, 000 merchant seaman and offi-
cers lost their lives in the struggle
for freedom. In 1945, General
Dwight D. Eisenhower said the
members of the merchant marine,
'by their devotion to duty in the
face of enemy action, as well as
the natural dangers of the sea,
have brought us the tools to finish
the job. Their contribution to final
victory will be long remembered.'
"On Veterans Day 2000,
ground will be broken on the
Nationai Mall in Washington,
D.C., for the National World War
II memorial. It is appropriate and
gratifying that the memorial will
be dedicated to all who served in
the armed forces and the
Merchant Marine of the United
States during World War II.
"From the birth of the Nation
through the epic battles of the
20th Century, our merchant
mariners have served whenever
and wherever needed, including
in Korea, Vietnam and the
Persian Gulf. Today we should
remember those in the merchant
marine who served our nation so
gallantly in the past, and we
salute those who are prepared to
answer the next call, whenever it
comes.
"With the groundbreaking ceremony on the National Mall, we
will especially hold in our hearts
those who risked and sacrificed
so much serving in the merchant
marine during World War II."
Labor Applauds OSHA's
New Ergonomic Standard
up the need for the new ergonomic standard, despite years of
research and studies to the contrary, including reports from the
National Academy of Sciences,
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and
the dozens of hearings with hundreds of witnesses that OSHA
conducted around the country
this year.
For now, the new rule does not
apply to the maritime, construction, railroad or agricultural
industries . .· The agency noted,
"OSHA recognizes that [musculoskeletal] problems are also serious in the construction, maritime,
agricultural and railroad industries. However, the OSHA Act
authorizes OSHA to set appropriate rulemaking priorities and to
use a phased approach to rulemaking. A primary basis for the
Agency's decision to limit the
scope of this rulemaking to general industry is that most of the
evidence and data relating to
ergonomic interventions addresses general industry. Since general
industry accounts for more than
90 percent of the musculoskeletal
disorders reported each year,
OSHA is promulgating a standard
that addresses general industry
first. This approach ensures that
the greatest number of MSD hazards will be eliminated or controlled while OSHA determines
appropriate regulatory approaches for the construction, agriculture and maritime industries."
For additional information,
check the internet site: http://
www.osha.gov/.
Worker Safety Rule
May Prevent
Millions of Injuries
AB John Vegh (left) and Deckhand Michael Cushman were recently
honored for their rescue of a dockworker in Michigan in January 1999.
Seafarers from the USNS Gordon and Cement Transit Company
were among the honorees last month at the 31st annual Admiral of the
Ocean Seas (AOTOS) awards ceremony, conducted in New York City.
The Gordon crew received a mariner's plaque for its March 1999
rescue of two people in the Persian Gulf from a sinking fishing boat.
Rear Admiral Gordon S. Holder, commander of the U.S. Military
Sealift Command, described the rescue as "a perfect example of seamanship in the finest tradition."
AB John Vegh and Deckhand Michael Cushman were honored for
their roles in a January 2000 pier-side rescue of a dockworker who had
fallen through ice between a tug and barge in Ferrysbug, Mich. Vegh
sustained a separated shoulder during the nighttime episode.
The primary awards went to David J. Tolan, chairman of the
Carriers Container Council and the United States Maritime Alliance
Ltd; and to M. Brian Maher, chairman and CEO of Maher Terminals,
Inc. The awards are
sponsored by the United
Seamen's Service.
The Honored Seafarer Awards earned by
SIU members "recognize the heroism American seafarers who have
risked their lives to save
others and the outstanding seamanship of officers and crews of vesAn award also went to Seafarers from the sels participating in resUSNS Gordon, who plucked two people from cue operations," noted
a sinking fishing boat in the Persian Gulf.
the sponsor.
December 2000
During groundbreaking ceremonies for the World War II Memorial in
Washington, D.C., President Clinton addresses the crowd.
Calling it "the most important
worker safety action developed"
in the 30-year history of the U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said the
agency's newly issued ergonomic
standard will spare millions of
workers from repetitive stress
injuries.
OSHA issued the new rule
Nov. 13. It takes effect Jan. 16,
2001, with varying start-up dates
for specific provisions.
While applauding the measure, the national federation of
trade unions (to which the SIU is
affiliated) cautioned in a statement that "the battle over the
ergonomic standard is not over,
as business groups and their allies
in Congress are expected to continue their efforts to kill the worker safety rules. Opponents of the
new safety standard are expected
to continue their fight to include a
ban in the still-pending fiscal year
2001 appropriations legislation
that funds OSHA which would
prevent the agency from spending any money on implementing
the standard. They also may take
their fight to the courts."
As stated by OSHA in its
issuance of the rule, "The purpose of this standard is to reduce
the number and severity of musculoskeletal disorders caused by
exposure to risk factors in the
workplace. This standard does
not address -injuries caused by
slips, trips, falls, vehicle accidents, or similar accidents."
OSHA estimates that some 1.8
million workers a year report
such work-related musculoskeletal disorders as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and back
injuries- and more than 600,000
of those workers are forced to
take time off from work to recover. The safety agency predicts
that the new standard will prevent
4.6 million such injuries in the
first 10 years.
"Workers in poultry plants,
meat packing and auto assembly,
along with computer operators,
nurses' aides, cashiers and others
in high-risk jobs, will finally have
much-needed
protection,"
Sweeney said.
"Since the passage of OSHA
in 1970, the job fatality rate has
been cut by 75 percent-saving
more than 220,000 lives," said
AFL-CIO Safety and Health
Director Peg Seminario. "Job
injury rates have been lowered by
39 percent. This new standard
will also help make jobs safer and
lower injury rates even more."
Business groups have argued
that no scientific evidence backs
Representing the U.S. Merchant
Marine during the ceremony is
James Dooley.
Seafarers LOS
5
�Working tb.e SIU
Ferries Bild Tugs
On tb.e Great Lakes
The tug Mary
Monroe, Mich.
Hannah docks in
SIU Safety Director Todd Brdak (left) talks with AB Dan Natto
aboard the Great Lakes Towing Co. tug Delaware, in
Cleveland, Ohio.
Left: Working aboard the
Great Lakes Towing Co.tug
Wyoming in Detroit is AB
Mike McCormick.
Above:
ABffankerman
Joseph Wilkens
says "hi" from the
tanker Hannah
(which is pushed
by the tug Mary
E. Hannah) in
Monroe, Mich.
Left: Cook
Lawrence
Wilbanks prepares dinner on
board the tug
Mary E. Hannah
while docked in
Monroe, Mich.
Right: OS Noel Viger secures
the auto ferry South Channel
before making a run across
the North Channel from
Harsens Island, Mich. to
Algonac, Mich.
Above:
The North Channel, operated by Champion Auto Ferry
Co., arrives at the Algonac,
Mich. dock.
The tugs Washington and Delaware arrive at the Great Lakes Towing
shipyard on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio.
Making an early morning run across the North Channel near Algonac,
Mich. is Champion Auto Ferry's South Channel.
Notice to Employees Covered by Union Agreements
Regulated Under the National Labor Relations Act
The Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD assists employees by representing them in all aspects of their employment and
work aboard vessels which sail deep sea, on the Great Lakes
and inland waters throughout the country. For the most part, the
union spends a majority of its financial resources on collective
bargaining activities and employee representation services. In
addition to these expenditures, the union also spends resources
on a variety of other efforts such as organizing, publications, political activities, international affairs and community services. All of
these services advance the interests of the union and its membership.
This annual notice is required by law and is sent to advise
employees represented by the Seafarers International Union,
AGLIWD about their rights and obligations concerning payment
of union dues. This notice contains information which will allow
you to understand the advantages and benefits of being a union
member in good standing. It also will provide you with detailed
information as to how to become an agency fee payor. An agency
fee payor is an employee who is not a member of the union but
who meets his or her financial obligation by making agency fee
payments. With this information, you will be able to make an
informed decision about your status with the Seafarers
International Union, AGLIWD.
1. Benefits of union membership- While non-members
do receive material benefits from a union presence in their workplace, there are significant benefits to retaining full membership in
the union. Among the many benefits and opportunities available to
a member of the Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD is the
right to attend union meetings, the right to vote for candidates for
union office and the right to run for union office. Members also
have the right to participate in the development of contract proposals and participate in contract ratification and strike votes.
Members also may play a role in the development and formulation
of union policies.
2. Cost of union membership - In addition to working
dues, to belong to the union as a full book member the cost is
$300.00 (three hundred dollars) per year or $75.00 (seventy-five
dollars) per quarter. Working dues amount to 5 percent of the
gross amount an employee receives for vacation benefits and are
paid when the member files a vacation application.
3. Agency fee payors - Employees who choose not to
become union members may become agency fee payors. As a
condition of employment, in states which permit such arrange-
6
Seafarers LOG
ments, individuals are obligated to make payments to the union
in the form of an agency fee. The fee these employees pay is to
support the core representational services that the union provides. These services are those related to the collective bargaining process, contract administration and grievance adjustments.
Examples of these activities include but are not limited to, the
negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the enforcement
and administration of collective bargaining agreements and meetings with employers and employees. Union services also include
representation of employees during disciplinary meetings, grievance and arbitration proceedings, National Labor Relations
Board hearings and court litigation.
Employees who pay agency fees are not required to pay for
expenses not germane to the collective bargaining process.
Examples of these expenses would be expenses required as a
result of community service, legislative activities and political
affairs.
4. Amount of agency fee -As noted above, dues objectors
may pay a fee which represents the costs of expenses related to
those supporting costs germane to the collective bargaining
process. After review of all expenses during the 1999 calendar
year, the fee cost associated with this representation amounts to
65.33 percent of the dues amount. This means that the agency
fee based upon the dues would be $195.99 (one hundred ninetyfive dollars and ninety-nine cents) for the applicable year. An
appropriate reduction also will be calculated for working dues.
This amount applies to the 2001 calendar year. This means
that any individual who wishes to elect to pay agency fees and
submits a letter between December 1, 2000 and November 30,
2001 will have this calculation applied to their 2001 dues payments which may still be owed to the union. As noted below, however, to continue to receive the agency fee reduction effective
January 2002, your objection must be received by December 1,
2001.
A report which delineates chargeable and non-chargeable
expenses is available to you free of charge. You may receive a
copy of this report by writing to: Secretary-Treasurer, Seafarers
International Union, AGLIWD, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs,
Maryland 20746. This report is based upon an audited financial
report of the union's expenses during 1999.
Please note that as the chargeable and non-chargeable
expenses may change each year, the agency fee amount may
also fluctuate each year. Individuals who are entitled to pay
agency fees and wish to pay fees rather than dues, must elect
this option each year by filing an objection in accordance with the
procedure noted below.
5. Filing of objections - If you choose to object to paying
dues, an objection must be filed annually. To receive the deduction beginning in January of each year, you must file by the beginning of December in the prior year. An employee may file an
objection at any time during the year, however, the reduction will
apply only prospectively and only until December 31 of that calendar year. Reductions in dues will not be applied retroactively.
As noted above, each year the amount of the dues reduction may
change based upon an auditor's report from a previous year.
The objection must be sent in writing to: Agency Fee Payor
Objection Administration, Secretary-Treasurer's Office, Seafarers
International Union, AGLIWD, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs,
Maryland 20746.
6. Filing a challenge - Upon receiving the notice of calculation of the chargeable expenditures related to core representation activities, an objector shall have 45 days to submit a challenge with the Secretary-Treasurer's office if he or she believes
that the calculation of chargeable activities is incorrect. Every
person who wishes to object to the calculation of chargeable
expenses has a legal right to file such an objection.
7. Appeal procedure- Upon receiving the challenge(s) at the
end of the 45-day period, the union will consolidate all appeals and
submit them to an independent arbitrator. The presentation to the
arbitrator will be either in writing or at a hearing. The method of the
arbitration will be determined by the arbitrator. If a hearing is held,
any objector who does not wish to attend may submit his/her views
in writing by the date of the hearing. If a hearing is not held, the arbitrator will set the dates by which all written submissions will be
received.
The costs of the arbitration shall be borne by the union.
Individuals submitting challenges will be responsible for all the
costs associated with presenting their appeal. The union will have
the burden of justifying its calculations.
The SIU works very hard to ensure that all of its members
receive the best representation possible. On behalf of all the SIU
officers and employees, I would like to thank you for your continuing support.
Sincerely,
David Heindel, Secretary-Treasurer
December 2000
�Recertified Bosons Cite Positive Growth
Seafarers Ascend to Deck Department's Pinnacle
The SIU's newest recertified
bosuns credited the union and the
Paul Hall Center for substantial
progress and also encouraged the
school's unlicensed apprentices
as they embark on their careers.
Offering their remarks during
the November membership meeting in Piney Point, Md. were
Recertified Bosuns Kendr·a
Harmon,
Savage,
Phillip
Michael Hill, Romeo Lugtu,
Paul Lucky, Scott Heginbotham, Kyle Schultz, Thomas
Driggers, Donald Rezendes,
David Zurek, Richard Higgins
and Thomas Temple.
The recertified dozen completed a four-week course considered
the highest program of study
available to deck department
Seafarers. Combining practical
and classroom instruction, they
covered topics such as STCW
requirements, wire splicing, navi-
gation, damage control, forklift
handling, Hagglund crane operations, fire fighting, first aid and
CPR, anti-terrorism measures,
computer skills, and many others.
They also met with representatives of the union's contracts
department; medical, pension and
vacation plans; communications
staff; and from the AFL-CIO
Maritime Trades Department.
Several of the graduates
offered poignant accounts concerning their respective beginnings with the SIU and how the
union helped them find direction
in life. All 12 said the recertification course proved worthwhile.
"The class was beyond my
expectations," stated Savage,
who sails from the port of
Houston. "It cleared up misinformation, and it was very informative."
Savage, who joined the SIU in
1988, cited as course highlights
the review of STCW requirements and the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety School.
"My experiences at Piney
Point are always wonderful," said
the four-time upgrader. "The
classes are helpful, the instructors
are great."
'H's Paying Off'
Harmon, who graduated from
the trainee program in 1978 and
who sails from the port of
Norfolk, Va., recalled an era
when shipping wasn't as rewarding as it is today.
"The '80s were pretty tough,
and some of the decisions that
were made, I dido 't always agree
or understand them. But it's paying off now," he said. "We have a
lot of ships and a lot of jobs.
We're ahead of the game."
Hill expressed similar sentiments. A 1991 graduate of the
trainee program, he said, "The
SIU leadership is taking us in the
right direction."
Hill, who sails from the port of
Tacoma, Wash., said that during
the course he had many questions
answered about union rules, shipping procedures and the plans. He
also encouraged fellow Seafarers
to upgrade.
"Upgrading is necessary for
SIU members to make themselves better Seafarers," he noted.
"It also makes my job as a bosun
easier when the people who work
for me have the proper training."
Lugtu credited the union with
"changing my life. With the SIU,
I'm secure in my job, I'm secure
with the future of my family."
A Seafarer since 1983,
Lugtu's home port is Wilmington,
Calif. He is a frequent upgrader
and he described the school's various curriculums as "opportunities to improve yourself."
Additionally, he encouraged fellow Seafarers to contribute to the
union's political activities fund.
Finally, in what has become an
unofficial tradition for recertified
bosuns and stewards alike, Lugtu
(like each of bis classmates)
directed comments to the unlicensed apprentices at the meeting.
"Be proud of our union and
help make it the best in the country," he urged. "When you're on a
ship, listen to your superiors. Be
serious about your work, set your
goals and maintain a good attitude."
Right Track
Like Lugtu, Lucky said the
SIU helped him find direction.
"Coming out of senior high, it
was a dark road. I didn't know
where to go," recalled the 18-year
Seafarer and trainee graduate. "I
heard about the SIU from a
friend's dad who was in the
union. It has made me mature a
lot, and I can support my family.
I thank the officials, staff and
instructors for educating me."
Donald Rezendes
Lucky, who sails from Mobile,
Ala., described the Paul Hall
Center as "the best training
school in the world. To fellow
Seafarers, I'd say stop waiting for
your time and go to Piney Point."
Heginbotham graduated from
the entry program in 1991 and
since then has upgraded three
times.
"Upgrading is no longer
optional. We must continue to
hone our skills in order to maintain a competitive edge in this
global marketplace," he noted.
Heginbotham, who sails from
the port of Baltimore, also credited the union with "realizing fabulous growth with the (Mike)
Sacco administration. How do we
thank them? Be as professional as
possible. Make them proud of
us."
Continued on page 9
Kyle Schultz
Savage Sets Precedent
As 1st Female Graduate
Of Bosun Recertification
Thomas Driggers
December 2000
Romeo Lugtu
Kendra Savage made union
history Nov. 6, becoming the
first female to graduate from the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education's bosun
recertification program.
The month-long class is considered the top curriculum available to deck-department Seafarers. The bosun recertification
program has been offered at the
school in Piney Point, Md. since
1973.
"It's an incredible honor,"
said Savage, who joined the SIU
12 years ago. "I would say to
any other female Seafarers in the
deck department, if you have
enough courage to walk aboard
ship, then you have enough
courage to become a recertified
bosun."
However, Savage added that
she isn't sure how soon another
female bosun may follow in her
footsteps. She cannot recall sailing with another female member
of the
deck
department
(although they definitely exist).
However rare it may be to
find ladies in the deck department on deep sea ships, Savage
felt fairly comfortable from the
moment she signed on with the
SIU. She comes from a seafaring
family-her brother Justin
Savage is an SIU member, her
brother John Savage is a port
captain for G&H Towing who
formerly sailed with the SIU,
and her father sailed as an
unlimited master.
"Everybody out there has to
prove themselves, man or
woman," Kendra Savage stated.
"There were some difficult
times, but it's a learning process
and my shipmates taught me a
lot. How you carry yourself is
how you'll be treated."
Kendra Savage, the SIU's first
female recertified bosun, says
of sailing, "How you carry yourself is how you'll be treated."
She described her "proudest
moment" as a time early in her
career, when a seasoned bosun
repeatedly refused to address her
-apparently because he questioned her suitability. Instead, be
channeled her assignments
through other deck department
members.
"Finally, one day be said to
me, 'Girl, tie off those lines!'
That was a great feeling."
Seafarers LOG
7
�MTD Maps Plan for Thwarting Runaway Flags
Report Urges Cooperative International Efforts Targeting FOCs
A detailed report by the AFLCIO Maritime Trades Department (MTD) spells out the problems associated with runawayflag shipping and lists potential
remedies.
In a recent declaration to the
International Commission on
Shipping (ICOS), the MTD
slammed runaway-flag shipping
(also known as flag-of-convenience or FOC shipping), saying
the scheme threatens the existence of traditional maritime registries.
Runaway-flag shipping is a
scam in which the shipowner typically avoids its nation's labor,
safety and tax laws-among others-by using another country's
flag.
Given the importance of the
maritime industry, the MTD
report said, policymakers around
the globe have a vested interest in
ensuring that it remains sound.
Unfortunately, the proliferation
of FOC registries has created a
crisis that is evidenced in many
ways including: a future potential
shortage of suitably skilled
mariners; an aging world fleet; a
long-term increase in the number
of accidents and lives lost at sea;
serious and chronic human rights
abuses; and the inability or reluctance of some flag states to
implement vitally important
international standards.
The international maritime
community must tackle this challenge head-on, stressed the
report. Among other actions, the
report suggests that the world's
maritime population employ the
following tactics:
• Recognize the important role
that the industry plays in the
world economy and establish
and enact policies that ensure
its continued viability and
structural soundness.
• Confront the environmental,
safety and humanitarian crisis
at sea.
• Establish meaningful incentives and measures to modernize the international fleet
while reducing maritime accidents and deaths.
• Recognize that mantlme
workers are important assets
and take steps to improve
their wages, working conditions, skills and training.
• Participate in international
organizations such as the ILO
and IMO and strengthen them
by enhancing their oversight
authority in the enforcement
of existing and future rules
and regulations and by helping ensure that they receive
the proper resources to reach
this objective.
Once the structural crisis has
been addressed, the MTD report
recommended specific measurers
that would help modernize the
world fleet. Among them:
• Refuse to accept the culture of
secrecy that surrounds the
Norwegian-Flag Tanker Charged in Polluting
Bankruptcy Action May Foil Oil Spill Accountability
United States prosecutors may
come up short in their quest to
bring the owners, operators and
officers of a foreign-flag tanker
to justice for deliberately dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of oily water and for lying to
the U.S. Coast Guard, because
the companies involved have
filed for bankruptcy.
Published reports say a federal
grand jury earlier this year indicted four people connected to the
Norwegian-flagged Freja Jutlandic-the vessel's master, her
chief engineer and two supervisors. The four allegedly tried to
hide a hole in the hull of the
10,884-dwt vessel. In addition, a
seven-count indictment was
issued last month against the
ship's operator, D/S Progress of
Denmark, and her owner, K/S
Transport. The companies faced
criminal fines of $500,000 for
each of the seven counts against
them.
This is believed to be the first
case in which a shoreside "designated person" under the International Safety and Management
Code was criminally charged
with directing vessel pollution,
according to news reports.
The chances of holding any of
those involved accountable, however, has sharply diminished. Not
only have the charged individuals
returned home to Europe on bail,
but also the two Danish companies are moving into bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, the Freja Jutlandic
has been put up for auction, without attracting any interest.
The indictments stemmed for
a routine inspection of the Freja
Jutlandic in the port of Baltimore
last March. According to federal
prosecutors, one of the crew
passed a handwritten note to U.S.
Coast Guard personnel, alleging
a hole in the vessel's hull. Court
records indicate that inspectors
found "a cascade of water" pour-
Wilson Crew Ready for Run to West Africa
ing into the ship through a hastily
patched hole in its engine room.
Failure to report a leak is a felony
under U.S. law. In addition, the
master and chief engineer
allegedly were then ordered to
dump 25,000 gallons of fuel
mixed with water overboard en
route to Mexico.
The indictment alleges that the
master discharged more than
260,000 gallons of oily water
between February and April.
They also failed to report that the
ship was' pumping out between
100 and 500 gallons of oily water
an hour for 10 days as a result of
the leak, published sources say.
FOC system and take steps to
make it more open and transparent.
• Require that a genuine link
exist between shipowners and
the nations under whose registries they document their
vessels.
• Take appropriate steps to
ensure that FOC and other
substandard registries implement and adhere to international standards, regulations
and norms.
• Acknowledge that conditions
in the international maritime
industry won't improve if
owners are permitted to
change registries at will.
• Restore accountability and
establish effective sanctions
to all facets of the FOC system, including registries,
shipowners,
classification
societies, charterers, manning
agencies, banks and insurance
companies.
The MTD report lauded civilian mariners as important assets
that should be treated with dignity and respect. Unfortunately, the
testimony said, labor and civil
rights abuses permeate today's
FOC culture, and investment in
seafarers training and development in many nations is virtually
nonexistent. To alter this situation, the MTD urged the international community to:
• Pay attention to the human
element in shipping. Chronic
labor and human rights abuses
that exist aboard substandard
and FOC vessels should not
be tolerated, the report said.
• Ratify and rigorously enforce
ILO Convention 147, the ILO
Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work
(1998).
LOG Awarded 1st Prize
In Labor Press Contest
A four-page center spread in
the December 1999 Seafarers
LOG earned a first-prize award
last month from the International
Labor Communications Association (ILCA).
The ILCA, an AFL-CIO organization which provides support
to international, national, regional and local union publications
and web sites, presented the prize
for "Decade of Progress," a documentation of the major issues,
actions and people that have
affected Seafarers and the U.S.
merchant fleet during the years
1990 through 1999.
The article included highlights
from each of the 10 years as well
as a reproduction of a front page
from one of the monthly LOGs
from that year.
Altogether, more than 1,500
entries from hundreds of publications vied for awards offered in
egory was "best story, profile or
editorial using history to explain
current events."
The "Decade of Progress"
piece noted that the Persian Gulf
War helped change the thinking
of many who previously didn't
see the need for a strong U.S. -flag
• Make maritime training and
strict enforcement of the
International Convention on
of
Training,
Standards
Certificate and Watchkeeping
a priority.
While the international maritime community must undertake
the lion's share of the actions to
combat FOC shipping, the report
also itemized vital functions that
individual nations ought to
embark on. Individual nations can
play an important role in eradicating abuses aboard FOC vessels
through both their flag state
responsibilities and port state control activities, the report suggested. The MTD recommended that
as flag states, individual nations
should, among other actions:
• Provide agencies in charge of
overseeing maritime safety,
labor and governmental standards with the resources necessary to ensure that these
standards are being met.
• Ratify, implement and enforce
maritime treaties and obligations to which they are party.
• Support concerted actions by
the B40 FSI Subcommittee to
establish mandatory/binding
international requirements for
the quality of flag states and
flag registries.
• Support actions by the FSI
Subcommittee to establish a
"white list" for nations that
pass IMO scrutiny in the
implementation and enforcement of their conventions.
Further, the MTD recommends that individual nations
exercise appropriate and strict
port state control measures in
scrutinizing the movement of
substandard and FOC vessels in
their waters, including detention
and denial of entry into waters
ship flying the flag of a chronic
offending nation.
fleet.
The staff of the Seafarers LOG
includes Jordan Biscardo, communications director; Deborah A.
Hirtes, managing editor/production; Jim Guthrie, associate editor; Bill Brower, art; and Jeanne
Textor, administrative support.
Hea~ing the department during
the time covered by the contest
period was Daniel W. Duncan,
now serving as executive director
of the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades
Department.
15 different categories. Publicaa
Taking a quick break from loading cargo aboard the SS Wilson in
Port Jacinto (Texas), some of the deck department members meet
with Houston Safety Director Kenneth Moore (second from left).
They are (from left) AB Jeff Treadwell, AB Stanley Jandora and
Bosun Gene Butson. The Wilson Shipping Co. vessel is bound for
two ports in West Africa.
B Seafarers LOB
tions competed with newspapers
and journals of similar circulation
and style.
The combined per-issue circulation of the ILCA's 900 member
publications exceeds 28 million.
The LOG s award was in the
field of labor history. The subcat-
This is a portion of the award-winning article, "Decade of Progress,"
published in the December 1999 issue of the Seafarers LOG.
December 2000
�With Gov1t
Services
Division
Seafarers
Members of the SlU's
Government Services Division
recently reviewed updates to the
Civil Marine Personnel Instructions-Customer Service Unit
West at the Point Loma U.S.
Naval Base in San Diego.
Identifications in each photo are
from left to right.
Above: Supply
Dept. Steward
Job Victoria,
Supply Dept.
Steward Rene
Pascua, AB
Samuel Tumala
Left: SIU Government Services
Division Representative Chet
Wheeler, Customer Service
Unit West Director Robert
Rosemeyer
Right: Chief Steward Enrique
Evangelista, Bosun Edward
Rasgaitis, Engine-Deck
Engineer/Machinist Maurice
Cokes ·,_
Update on RRF Vessels
Who Are Those Masked Men?
They're not camerashy, but Seafarers
(from left)
Recertified Bosun
Michael Hill and AB
Abedon Lujan are
bundled up for
sandblasting operations aboard the
/TB Philadelphia.
Aboard the Cape Rise in Norfolk, Va., SIU VP Government
Services Kermett Mangram (standing) and Seafarers discuss new
agreements resulting in the union's contracted companies operating 45 Ready Reserve Force vessels. Confirmed by the U.S.
General Accounting Office in late September, the contract awards
span the next five years (through April 2005).
12 Bosons Graduate from Recertification Program in Nov.
Continued from page 7
Schultz said his time in the
SIU "has been a wild, fun, profitable 22 years. I truly have seen
the world, I've made some good
friends and I'm honored to have
been chosen for this program.
God bless the SIU!"
Likewise, Driggers mentioned
his worldwide travels as a career
highlight. "I've been to Europe,
South America, all kinds of
places. It's always been a good
life for me."
Driggers joined the SIU in
1978 and sails from the port of
Jacksonville, Fla. He advised the
unlicensed apprentices, "Study
hard, and remember there are no
stupid questions except for the
ones you don't ask. Hang out
with the good people and avoid
the troublemakers."
Seizing Opportunity
"This is it!" exclaimed an
enthusiastic Rezendes, who sails
from the port of Tacoma.
"I first came to this school in
1969 at 16 years old," he continued. "The SIU changed the direction I was heading and allowed
me to live a life of integrity. I was
enabled to get some education
and set goals for myself that I
December 2000
probably never would have
achieved otherwise."
Rezendes said the recertification class gave him "a much better understanding of [political
action] and how our pension and
medical benefits work. I look forward to getting back out there and
squaring away some misinformation that's going on."
He added, "Our President
Sacco and his staff have been
right on the mark in their visions
of the future of the SIU and the
ever-changing role we have as
U.S. merchant mariners."
Zurek said the school's newest
training facilities-the simulator
building and the fire fighting
school-particularly caught his
attention.
"I was very, very impressed,"
said the 22-year SIU member,
who sails from the port of New
York. "People have done a fine
job here for us. Now I can go out
to the membership and let them
know what a good thing we have
here."
Speaking to the apprentices,
Zurek ~aid, "You have an opportunity to make a good, honest liv-
ing at this trade. It's done me and
my family very well. Ask questions, do the best you can and be
proud of the SIU."
Symbolic of a growing component of U.S. military veterans
in the SIU, Higgins said he appreciated the chance to start a second
career following 24 years in the
U.S. Navy.
"I never thought I'd have
another chance to work and advance," stated Higgins, who joined
the union in 1990 in Norfolk, Va.
"I'm very grateful to be here."
Higgins emphasized the need
for all Seafarers to upgrade. He
also told the apprentices,
"Realize the opportunity that lies
out there for you. But you also
have the responsibility of doing a
good job."
The final speaker, Temple, has
sailed inland and deep sea during
his 24 years in the SIU.
"I learned a lot in this class
and I thank the staff," said
Temple, who sails from the port
of Mobile, Ala. "To the unlicensed apprentices, the opportunity is there. Keep an open mind
and a good attitude."
Many of the recertified bosuns said that the Paul Hall Center's new simulator building (left) and Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School
(right) greatly have enhanced the vocational education opportunities at the Piney Point, Md. campus.
Seafarers LOG
9
�tut eds West
/Joard tlte
lo/Jal Sentinel
After the load of fiberoptic cable was completed, the Global Sentinel
and its crew were given
a Shinto blessing for a
safe journey (left). The
ship's captain, D.B. Neel
(below) also took part in
the Japanese ceremony.
The cable ship Global Sentinel spent 25 days in the port of Hitachi, Japan recently, loading 3,200 kilometers of fiber-optic cable for a project in South America. While in port, the crew took some time from its
round-the-clock loading operation for an American-style barbecue.
More than 120 people took part in the cookout, including many of the Hitachi workers and their
families. The steward department, under the direction of Recertified Chief Steward Kent
Rosiek-and with the help of Chief Cook Charles Atkins and Cook/Bakers Shawn
"Fuji" Fujiwara and Landa Bunch-spent the whole day preparing the food. Also
helping out with setup and serving the guests were SAs Leroy Jenkins, Hamid
Shahbain, Estive Soriano and Brenda Gray.
A few Hitachi employees brought some local fare, so everybody had an opportunity to sample both Eastern and Western food.
The Japanese were amazed at the sheer amount of food put out by the ship's
crew for their tasting pleasure, noted Fujiwara (who sent the LOG the photos
appearing on this page).
A few days after the barbecue, when the loading had been completed, the ship
and its crew were given a Shinto blessing for a safe journey and safe project. The
Global Sentinel then set sail for Valparaiso, Chile, with a stop in Hawaii for fuel and
stores.
Above: Crew members
and guests alike enjoy
warm weather and great
food aboard the Global
Sentinel.
"What would an American barbecue be without burgers and hot dogs right off the grill?" asks Cook/Baker
Shawn "Fuji" Fujiwara.
The successful cookout was the result of the combined
efforts of the ship's steward department. From left are
Brenda Gray, Hamid Shahbain, Estive Soriano, Leroy
Jenkins, Landa Bunch, Charles Atkins, Kent Rosiek and
Shawn "Fuji" Fujiwara.
It
took a
28-foot
table to contain most of the
food presented
by the ship's
steward department.
Left: Some of the
workers from the
cable factory man
one of the grills,
serving noodles
and chicken yakitore sticks for all
to sample.
10
Seafarers LOB
Det:elllber2IJIJO
�During the October membership meeting at the union hall in San Juan members
share a moment of silence for departed SIU brothers and sisters.
'
Amancio Crespo, SIU safety director Caribbean region, begins another day at the office,
ready to ship a crew member to a waiting
vessel. Crespo also sent the LOG the
photos appearing on this page.
After 72 days of work aboard the
Allegience (IUM), AB Joel Gonzalez
files for his "B" seniority book at the
SIU hall in San Juan. With him are
his wife, Flora, and daughter Caren.
Right: Chief
Steward Kris A.
Hopkins (left) and
Chief Cook Carlos
E. Suazo prepare
a meal before
heading to the
payoff on the El
Morro.
Ready for some work at the CSX crane department in San
Juan are CMEs William Bland (left) and Ray Prim.
Right: Kenneth
Griggs, second
mate on the Pilot,
reads a Seafarers
Welfare Plan
booklet during a
recent servicing
trip to the tug.
Safety Director Amancio Crespo,
right, talks to his hometown mayor,
Luisito Melendez, during a campaign walk in the neighborhood,
about the Seafarers in Puerto Rico
and how the union is helping the
island's economy.
Right: Heading back to
work following an Aug.
1 payoff aboard the
Perseverance (IUM) at
the Sun Oil Terminal in
Yabucoa, P.R. are ABs
Marshall Turner (left}
and Diego Hatch Jr.
AB Michael Watson gets some fried chicken
for lunch during a service aboard the tug
Sentinel at the TMT terminal in San Juan.
Above: Putting everything in place following a
San Juan payoff on the El Morro (IUM) is SA
John Fitzgerald.
Right: Ready for the lunch crowd aboard the
Perseverance are (from left) Chief Cook Marvin E.
James, SA Chancie J. Ransom and Chief Steward
Catherine M. Hays.
December 200IJ
During a pre-payoff meeting on the El Morro, GUDE
Sabino Pacheco (left) and Chief Cook Carlos E.
Suazo meet in the crew mess.
Seafarers LOG
11
�JH[(QJ]LJ[]DA\ 1Y GJRJEJE7f][NfG§
The holida.y greetings appearing on this page were written hy Seafarers, pensioners, friends and fAJnily
m.em.hers. They are listed in alpha.hetica.l order hy the nAJne of the individual sending the m.essa.ge. The
SeJa.rers LOG joins with those appearing helow in extending season's greetings
fo all Seafarers and their fam.ilies.
sail with bountiful joy and always find safe harbors.
Much love always,
Bob & Tracy Davis
To all Seafarers
My wife, Alice, and I wish everyone a Merry
Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. Smooth
and safe sailing. May God bless you.
Denis Abshire
To all active and retired members of the SIU
Merry Christmas to all, and a very happy, prosperous New Year 2001-and smooth sailing.
Perfecto M Amper and family
To Steve Nelson
You surprised me last year/with a poem, just for
me./Here's one for you/to fill you with glee:/Merry
Christmas, my friend/Happy New Year, too/I hope
Santa makes/all your wishes come true! Your friend
Nancy Avery
Gerry Borozan
To David House
Happy holidays, little brother! Best wishes for
health, wealth and happiness in the coming year.
Richard J. Fuller
Helen P Matsuura
To all active and retired Seafarers and their
families
A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. I
am retired with 40 years' seatime. I am 75 years old and
going strong.
Sidney Garner
To all Seafarers and their families
Happy are all who fear the Lord and walk in His
ways. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
God bless you.
Domingo Gordian
To Vincent Ratcliff, all SIU officials and
Seafarers and their families
Merry Christmas and many more Happy New
Years-and don't stop believing in Santa Claus.
Leonard Grove
Nancy Avery
To the SIU membership-active and retired
Happy holidays.
Mr. and Mrs. Archie Beck
To all SIU members
My heartiest wishes to all Seafarers everywhere--on land, at sea and on the Great Lakes-for
a very Merry Christmas and smooth sailing into the
year 2001.
Gerry Borozan
To the SIU Honolulu hall
Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka to all my friends. I
think about you often. Hope to see you in May. God
bless you all!
Mike Briscoe
Steven, Jimmie, Liz, Miles
and Preston Scheck
To the SIU Wilmington hall
Merry Christmas, Jesse, Lorraine, Frank, John and
Eric. Thanks for believing in me. God bless you all.
Mike Briscoe
To William, Vilma and Tommy Lee Rackley
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year. Remember all the Christmases we shared as
a family. Love you all. Your loving family,
Mom (Charlotte E. Canion), Beverly, Tommy,
Marylee, Bruce and Rob
To Janet in Jacksonville
Thanks for being a good friend. Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year. Bueno suerte mi arniga.
John Clarke
To Dean Corgey and staff
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May you
have great luck in the coming year.
John Clarke
Vilma, William and
Tommy Lee Rackley
To Kendra, Janice & Celia
Season's greetings. May Santa bring you all many
gifts. With heartfelt thanks for everything.
John Clarke
To Steve Crane
The greatest gift does not lie under the tree or in the
store, but rests quietly in the heart, waiting to be given.
... The greatest gift is love. We miss you so much. Love
you,
Evelyn and Stephanie Crane
To Scott Trester and family
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my friend
and his family. God bless.
Mike Davis
To Bosun Ralph Gibbs and all Seafarers
Season's greetings to you all! These Santa's helpers
have moved to Texas. Find us at 99 Lakeview Village,
Montgomery, TX 77356. A safe holiday to you all!
lH[
To Rachel, Justin, Cody and Emily
Looking forward to another Christmas and New
Year together. Hope I don't get coal "again." I sure hope
you've been good! Love always,
Dad (Brian Fountain)
To Jeannette Fountain
I' m sure glad I' ll be home with you during the holidays, but I' m really sorry I could not be with you when
you really needed me. Love forever,
Brian (Fountain)
12
-
Seafarers LOG
To the crew of the /TB Groton
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Stay
safe, and thanks for the great ride. See ya!
Brian Fountain
To all Seafarers
Peace and greetings this holiday season. May you
To Mimi and Bob McNellis
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Tom and Frank McNellis
To the Doran family, the Pazarecki family, the
Reilly family and to Bonnie King and Jamie
Lew
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Tommy Mac (Tom McNellis)
To all
Happy holidays to all at sea and at home. To shoregang members and their families , Merry Xmas. God's
blessing to the SIU LOG and my wife, Hattie Minors.
Anstey Minors
To Duke Bryant
It was great sailing with you again. Happy holidays
to you and your family. Looking forward to working
with you in 200 l.
Dave and Jackie Moore and family
To Kay, Kenny, Stacie, Tug, Billy Jr., Laura K.
and Michael
I thank God each day for having such a wonderful
wife and kids. I thank you all for your love and support
you all give me while I'm away on a ship. Love,
Dad (Billy Hill)
To CSX Hawaii Crew
The Hill family wishes all brothers and sisters a
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Give thanks to
Jesus for answered prayers.
Bosun Billy Hill
To Millie, Mary & Bobby
I miss you all. Wish all of you a very merry holiday.
Call sometime.
Willard Huggins
Jf
To all Seafarers and Janice at the Houston hall
Merry Christmas!
Lester Moore
To all my good friends and shipmates
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you.
Jimmy Moye
JR_
To Vilma and Tommy Lee Rackley
I would like to wish my wife and son, whom I miss
every day when I am away, a Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year. Love you,
William Rackley
To Charlotte Canion and family
From the Philippines to Bayonne! Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year to mom, MaryLee, Bruce,
Beverly, Tommy, Bob, Dina and Cashmere.
William, Vilma and Tommy Lee Rackley
To Donley Johnson
Dear Donley, as we spend our first Christmas
together, may our hearts be filled with love and cheer,
and last throughout every New Year.
Colleen Johnson
1K
To Amir Kasim
To my dear husband, Amir. Even though we won't
be together for the holidays this year, you are in my
mind and in my heart. My best wishes to you and the
rest of the SIU. Love always, your wife
Irma Kasim
To all our shipmates and officials
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
To Vincent Coss and family
I would like to wish my old friend and great union
man a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the
Philippines.
William and Vilma Rackley
To all Seafarers at sea, ashore and retired
May the sun be on your face and the wind at your
back. And may the holiday spirit shine upon you and
your loved ones.
William F Reid
To Randy Beacham
Hope you have a safe and very, very happy holiday
season, Randy. Give our love to your family.
Carlton Richardson, Tina & Family
Percy Kennedy and Dorothy Kennedy
To Connie
May your holidays be as wonderful as they' ve ever
been. With any luck, we can be together. I love you.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
To Alex Morris on the Manhattan Island &
Becky
Wishing you and your family a safe and happy holiday season. Let's plan to get together in spring 200 l.
Love to all,
Phil Kleinebreil
Carlton & Tina Richardson
To my three wonderful daughters
It's so few Christmases we've had together, but just
to let you know you girls are always in my thoughts and
prayers. Merry Christmas.
To Carlton Dennis Richardson on the Sugar
Island
Just remember we will be thinking of you on
Christmas morning. The holidays won't be the same
until you come home. See you soon! Love always,
Dad (Phil Kleinebreil)
lL
Your lady in waiting (Tina Richardson)
To Kasandra, Harper and Sam
I want to wish my own crew a very Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year. Christmas is an
important time for us. You all keep me going. Casey,
you ' re doing a great job on the home front. I love you
all.
§
To Jimmie Scheck
Merry Christmas, daddy. May we have many more
happy Christmases. We love you.
Steven, Miles, Preston & Liz Scheck
Joel (aka the dad of the bunch) Lechel
To officers and crew aboard the CSX Producer
Happy holidays to all of you onboard and ashore.
Thanks for wonderful memories. God be with you.
To all active and retired Seafarers
Compliments of the season-and one big salute to
the best maritime union bar none.
Kay Lechel
Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Siddons
To Boo Lippke, Kitty Lippke, Tori, Cody,
Hannah, Judy, puppy Lewis and the kids
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I love y'all.
To all former Erie-Lack RR men and their families
Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year
to all who sail the seven seas. May your God be with
you.
Robert and Tracy Davis
lF
To Rod "Bronco" Matsuura
Honey, I just want you to know that I'll always love
you from the bottom of my heart. Happy holidays. I
love you,
Guy lewis
Ml
Orrin D. Smith and family
To Bill Wiemers
I hope all is going well and that the coming holidays
are joyous for you. I would like to hear from you.
To Steward Vernon Warren
To Vern and all my many friends on the waters.
Have the best of the holidays. I miss you all very much.
Dick Maley
Had to retire because of medical reasons. Smooth sail-
To Chad Galt and family
Congratulations, fella. I hope you all have a very
happy holiday. I would like to hear from you.
Harry L. Stockman
Dick Maley
To George Foley
I hope that all is well with you and that you have a
terrific holiday. I would like to hear from you.
Dick Maley
ing. Sincerely,
To all Seafarers and their families
May you and your loved ones at sea all have the best
Xmas and New Year ever. Smile and be happy!
Thomas Tobias
More holiday greetings on page 13
December 2000
�'Safety First' on Columbia Queen
Shipboard Training Enhances Secure Operation
As one might imagine, there
are seemingly endless details
involved in launching a new passenger vessel.
But, for the inaugural group of
Seafarers who earlier this year
signed on aboard the 218-foot
Columbia Queen, one element
particularly stood out: safety.
With that in mind, SIU crew
members completed on-site safety training aboard the Columbia
Queen prior to the first voyage
May 26. Instructors from the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education conducted the shipboard classes, which
included fire fighting, first aid
and CPR, sanitation and more.
The early May training sessions took place in Natchez,
Miss.
Subsequently,
the
Columbia Queen sailed for the
Pacific Northwest, where it offers
seven- and eight-night vacations.
The riverboat-which can
carry 161 passengers-is owned
by SIU-contracted Delta Queen
Steamboat Co. Delta Queen also
operates the passenger boats
American Queen, Delta Queen
and Mississippi Queen, which
cruise throughout the nation's
heartland and the Old South.
Additionally, the company is
building coastal cruise vessels
scheduled to begin service next
year.
Deckhand Miles Souder, Porter Wilson Growacki, Deckhand Nate
Williams, 1st Cook Bryan Heinrich
Deckhand
Frank Dykes
Seafarers on the Columbia Queen completed safety training before the
riverboat's first voyage.
Mrnre Holliday G1nee1tll.ng§
Continued from page 12
To Mike Sacco, George McCartney,
Jack Caffey, Carl Peth and Red
Campbell
Wishing you a very Merry Xmas and
Happy New Year.
1LJ[
Thomas Tobias
To Jack Edwards
Best wishes to you and your wife.
Jack Utz
To Bob Hall
Best wishes to you and your staff.
Jack Utz
To Captain Kucharski
I extend good wishes for the holiday
season to you and yours.
Jack Utz
y
MltL§<C~
To Pam
Remember N.C. More room now! A
safe, holy Christmas and holiday season!
A great 2001 !
Capt. John
To Jeff Stuart on the Gopher State
To Becky Sleeper
Happiest of holidays to our Orgulf
Angel, your staff and your family. Best
wishes for prosperity and peace in the
coming year. Your Orgulf Gang,
Marty, WT., Nancy, Herman
and Doug
Marsha, Wally, Geebee & Gater
To dad and pop-pop (Phil Varos)
We wish you a Merry Christmas, we
wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you
a Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year! Love always,
To Marvin Zimbro
Through the year, you always try to
keep us happy. In return, we would like to
say Happy Holidays. We love you.
To dad and pop-pop (Phil Varos)
We miss you very much and can't
wait to see you. Carly says "pop-pop"
now. Have a great Christmas! We love
you!
Your wife and children
Jerry, Tracy & Carly
To Phillip Varos
We all love and miss you. There will
be plentry of surprises for you when you
come home. Good bless you!
Terry, Ed, Eddie, Tommy, Steven
&Logan
Delivering in Va. 's 1st District
Retired Seafarer Max
Simerly provides copies
of the Seafarers LOG to
Jo Ann Davis earlier this
year at her campaign
kickoff in Hampton, Va.
Davis last month
became the first
Republican congresswoman from Virginia by
defeating three other
candidates in the 1st
District. Simerly, known
for many years throughout his region for his tireless work in voter registration drives, is an officer in the Hampton
Roads Chapter of the
American Merchant
Marine Veterans.
December 2000
Deckhands Dan Schrader, Jason Beck and Seth Eckroth
Merry Christmas, hon. Love from
your family in Key Largo,
Lu, Robert and Matthew
Oiler
Tim Duffin
Deckhand Roberto Castillo, Cabin
Attendant Tracey Carter
Allegiance Crew Brushes Up
On Union Election Procedures
I
Pictured in San Pedro, Calif. following a union meeting on the MN
Allegiance are (from left) GUDE Aaron Thomas, SA Larry Bachelor,
SIU Patrolman Bryan Powell and Chief Cook Keith Nixon.
During a payoff in San
Pedro, Calif. in early Octoberweeks before the SIU elections
-Seafarers aboard the MIV
Allegiance met with SIU
Wilmington, Calif. Port Agent
John Cox and SIU Jacksonville,
Fla. Patrolman Bryan Powell.
The officials and crew reviewed in detail the balloting
procedures for the SIU elections, including the absentee
ballot system. They examined
the proposed constitutional
amendments printed on one side
of the ballot.
Additionally, among other
topics, they discussed recent
contractual gains secured by the
union as well as overall positive
trends in maritime, including
the revitalization of the U.S.flag cruise ship industry.
Seafarers LOG
13
�Hands-On Training Is Vital Component Of Apprentice Class
Program Offers Maritime Careers
Many of the new and evolving
regulations impacting merchant
mariners place unprecedented
emphasis on the practical demonstration of job skills. Efficiently
documenting such performances
of shipboard tasks is a big reason
why the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education
in 1997 published a U.S. Coast
Guard-accepted training record
book (TRB).
That same year, the schoollocated in Piney Point, Md.restructured its entry-ratings program, placing greater emphasis
on hands-on training. The revamped curriculum comprises
three segments: an initial 12
weeks at the school, featuring a
blend of classroom and practical
instruction; a 90-day shipboard
assignment on an SIU-contracted
vessel, designed to help students
Attend
Monthly
Membership
Meetings
decide which department they
prefer (deck, engine or steward);
and department-specific training
back in Piney Point.
Shipboard learning isn't limited to that second segment, as students utilize various training vessels at the Paul Hall Center.
Apprentices also use the worldclass Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting
Safety School (part of the Paul
Hall Center), which offers practical training in fire fighting, water
survival, confined-space safety
and more. And soon, they will
train in the school's new simulator building, which houses cutting-edge simulators for navigational, engine, crane and liquidcargo operations.
For more information about
the apprentice program (and
other aspects of the school),
please call the Paul Hall Center
toll-free at 1-877-235-3275,
or visit the internet site
http://www.seafarers.org.
Keeping abreast of news from
within the SIU and the maritime
industry is the most important reason for attending the monthly
membership meetings held on
specified dates in each SIU ball
around the country.
In addition to informing Seafarers about contract talks, maritime legislation and national
Aboard the
training vessel
Osprey, unlicensed apprentices at the Paul
Hall Center for
Maritime
Training and
Education begin
learning their
craft.
Continuing Education
policies, the meetings provide a
forum in which to discuss issues
of importance to the rank-and-file
members and to the union's officials.
Seafarers may refer to the
schedule below as well as each
issue of the Seafarers LOG, which
lists the dates of the next two meetings scheduled for each port.
The Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education primarily focuses on vocational studies, but additionally offers academic curriculums-all aimed at developing well-trained, efficient mariners. Two students in the Piney Point, Md. facility's
unlicensed apprentice class 602 recently took advantage of the
supplementary courses by earning their GEDs. Receiving the
certificates during the November membership meeting in Piney
Point are (from left) UAs Charles Fitzpatrick and Michael Harvey,
congratulated by SIU Headquarters Representative Carl Peth.
Membership Meetings in 2001
Port
~ftney Point
..:;;.,
Traditional Date
January
February
March
April
til<>n(fay after f!.rst Su~day
8
5
5
2
New York
9
6
6
3
7
.?...... ~.r~ r\,
4;f)J; ·. · · · . ,.,
8
5
Tuesday after first Sunday
-~.
Vfednesday after !irst Sunday
;f!ltitatlelJbia
Baltimore
t£1fert9jk
Thursday after first Sunday
......,.
....
Jacksonville
:;Ian Jau
Algonac
fHouioo·. ·
..... ,.
:;;:;
New Orleans
iMobile
1
'.
Duluth
·•·
.....
10
······
11
........<
8
;:;;:·
!MY
''~'"'
ThurS(iay after fitst sundax!'
11
8
Thursday after first Sunday
11
8
8
8
L···· 8
Thursday after first su,nday
11
Friday after first Sunday
12
Monday after second Sunday
Tuesday after second Sunday
16*
'San
F-ianC1sco
· Thursday after second Sunday
·::::§•'
•·•·
•''•'/ ·1'2'
12
13
14
17
:--:···
...•
.···"'·
11
14
7
"·'
······
4
....
....
8
9
5
·•···
5
:~
6
S. . tr ····/
9,
10
7
5
9
6
9
H0; 6 ., . .
7
.A;;;e ;:r;'. ? w
'i
8
6
11
'·\ . 9
·.·:
::=;:·:--:
10
15
12
16
13
..
13
··<·;<-
;;'){ '.: <•6 )' . •·•·.
7
·····
•·,/•
?,
10
14
10
13
September October November December
·il1:r. a,;z>iwi! .14~/:!f :~~;;,
,.
·•·
······•· ..:...:;,
••8·' ••
3
7
11
>
?
.; ;.~ ;nHlfm~ "%!>'' +g. <P
1(}
6
· • T;,'·G~Jt
. Wb;/ ,4'
5
10
.. ..
August
July
,.
5
5 ..
,
4
·f•
8
·s·r··-·>· 5
9
_,..
::=:. :·:··
16
't8
. i/{.
9
·Wednesday after s~cond Sunday 17
Wednesday after second Sunday
:·;;.;.
June
7
....
······
.
May
5
3
9
6
4
10
7
5
11
8
11
'
7
10 . .
·?'-"''·•
6
8
,.
6
6
8
6
12
9
7
15
13*
11"
'*<it•
.·:...
10
10
14
11
16
13
11
11
15
12
17'
14
12
12
•,.
....
14
14
11
16
13
11
15
12
17
14
15
15
12
11.
14
12
16
13
18
15
13
18
15
13
17
14
18
16
14
13
18
15
13
17
14
18
16
14
•C
13
·····
St. Louis
Friday after second Sunday
19
16
16
jf.tonolutu ·
Friday after, second Sunday
19
16
16
Wilmington
Monday after third Sunday
22
20*
19
16
21
18
16
21*
17
22
19
17
·i·-{New:Jedfard
.
.
..
Tuesday after thtrd Sunday
23
20
20
17
22
19
17
21
18
23
20
18
Jersey City
Wednesday after third Sunday
24
21
21
18
23
20
18
22
19
24
21
19
23
21
...~~·-
.
·;..~
,t•~a
frtd~ after third Su~day
..,
. ...
·•····
8
11
;p·
•••. '<.·
a
26
23
..,
23
ii
,..
20
25
..
22
20
24
21
26
.. '
>
*Piney Point change created by Labor Day holiday; Philadelphia change created by Independence Day holiday; Houston changes created by Martin Luther King's birthday and Veterans' Day
holidays; Wilmington changes created by Presidents' Day and Paul Hall's birthday holidays.
14
Seafarers LOB
December 2000
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
OCTOBER 16 - NOVEMBER 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
TOTAL SIIlPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Port
· Algonac ·
0
3
1
5
0
Baltimore
Guam .
10
Honolulu
Houston
5
I
0
5
8
11
14
42
6
4
6
9
9
10
23
8
St. Louis
Wilmington
255
Totals
DECK DEPARTMENT
2
. ff
4
1
0
I
2
6
6
4
11
3
15
11
10
0
5
8
5
3
16
7
12
4
3
13
6
4
1
2
0
1
1
0
6
7
5
1
4
23
19
I
. 10
]()
29
9
2
14
1
10
1
2
1
20
14
s
146
82
18
10
8
3
4
6
9
.,. 8 . . ,.,.;, , ,•:•'i'•{}•' •'·~:.•:•,.)•'·•·•· •c'' ' ' ' ' '·' • }:
2
1
10
2
0
3
6
5
132
92
52
10
3
0
0
1
0
I ··
3
:-o
.
·.~·
. ,. 1
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Baltimore ..............•.Thursday: January 11, February 8
15
49
21
10
13
27
28
6
5
19
34
14
7
11
26
29
7
9
6
2
3
4
5
2
4
7
2
2
10
6
15
7
7
1
3
2
5
4
8
4
1
6
4
11
193
9
0
2
138
51
8
0
6
24
0
5
5
0
1
0
l .
21
3
2
15
0
6
0
1
159
48
35
2
4
0
Totals All
Departments
6
12
130
8
31
0
18
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
·.· ( ... i .
Houston ..................Tuesday: January 16*
Monday: Febru;uy 12
o_.
o
o
3
0 .•
4
2
2
0
6
72
o
243
2
o·
o
o
8
15
65
0
12
4
8
5
6
10
4
1
5
1
2
0
{)
7
l
3
3
5
0
0
4
13
13
·g .
10
5
0
10
4
()
.5
~4
l~
7
16
4.
1
0
0
4
18
6
11
11
0
0
0
0
0
16
4
3
7
11
l7
25
0
4
3
6
5
0
3
2
14
l
12
6
8
3
13
15
0
19
0
3
6
5
2
0
2
0
6
7
0
0
1
4
0
10
2
11
11
37
12
152
181
34
130
156
0
0
0
0
583
438
350
446
371
272
148
0
1
29
60
"'.
13
8
44
J.
0
Honolulu .................Friday: January 19. February 16
6
4
0
18
4
1
Totals
15
7
. '·· ·· p
Wilmington
18
1
l
5
1
1
0
()
February 14
4
14
25
11
1
18
3
17~
4
10
·•··. 39
13
Dulutb .....................Wednesday: January
5
10
16
. Mobile
2
16
45
17
Houston
Jacksonville
. Piney Point .............Monday, January 8, February 5
Algonac ..................Friday: January 12. February 9
4
10
4
7
Trip
Reliefs
34
19
24
10
7
47
9
0
32
3
25
22
5
50
86
7
19
6.
Above, AB Dexton West operates an oceanographic
winch aboard the USNS Sumner in the Sea of Japan.
The exercise involves lowering an oceanographic package to the bottom of the sea and then recovering it in
2,000 meters of water. In the photo below, QMED Troy
Banks controls the winch from the vessel's deck, monitoring operating parameters and ensuring that wire is
properly replaced on the drum. Banks built and installed
a special device to wash salt from the wire as it returns
aboard ship.
14
.48
17
4
12
8
13
34
0
2
8
18
16
64
253
293
891
643
486
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
December 2000
Seafal'el'S LOS
15
�~-------------------------------------------------------~~--~~--~--
- -- -
--
-- -
Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
OCTOBER 16 -
Mithael S.acce<t
' "" .President
John Fay
. •.
Executive Vice President
CL -
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
8=~~ ·: : ·
Auguttin Teltet
·.
Vwe .President Co.n~ts
.fade Caffey ·.
Vice President Atlantic Coast
Tum Oruebow.ski
Vfoe Pi:esideitt Lakes and Inland Waters
·,.
Dean Corgey
Vice President Guff Coast
NidtoIU J. Marrone
Vice President West Coast
·•·
~Ma11gnm
Vice President Govemment SeNices
Al{
..
Company/Lakes
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
0
NOVEMBER 15, 2000
L-Lakes
9
2
Algonac
0
4
9
Port
Algona-c
()
Non Priority
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
DECK DEPARTMENT
":Fi'f\\0 . C'
15
5
. ...
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
5
0
2
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
7
0
I
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
0
....
:-;.:
'0
NP -
.,
-
5
10
IJEAl)QUARTERS
5201 Auth Way
Camp $prings. MD 20746
(301) 899..()675
ALGONAC
S20 St Clair River Dr,, Algonac, Mr 4800 I
··.. , (810) 794-4988
Totals All Depts
0
46
42
0
26
24
0
20
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
18
ANCHORAGE
72 l Sesame Stj #1 C, Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 561-4988
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
BALTIMORE
OCTOBER 16 -
231$ &sex St,, Baltiroore,MD 21224
(410) 327-4900
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
.
DULUTH
.....
105 Medical Arts Building, Duluth, MN 5580Z .
.. (21$) 722-4110
Region
NOVEMBER 15, 2000
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
Atlant1~-~Coasr
Gulf Coast
·. t'.a~~OLULU
Lakes,}ruand Wa~rs
6Q6 Katihi St., Honolulu, HI 96819
.
{801S) 845-$222
.HOUSTON
1221 Pierce St.~ Houston, TX 17fJ.<Yl
{713) 659-5152
JERSEY CITY
99 Montgomery t., Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 43$-9424
MOBILE
1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605
(334) 478-0916
NEW BEDFORD
48 Union St., New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997*5404
NEW ORLEANS
3911 Lapalco Blvd., lJarvey1 LA 7-0058
(504} 328·7545
NEW YORK
635 F:OUrtb Ave. 1 Btooklyn,.NY 11232
(718) 499-6600
NORFOLK
115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510
(757}622-1892
2604 S. 4 St, Phila<telphia, PA 19148
{2JS) 336-3818
PlNEYPOlNT
P.O. Box 75.. Piney Point, MD 20674
(301) 994--0010
Po:R.1' EVERGLADES
1221 S. Andtews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 3.3316
.
(954) 522-7984
SAN .FRANCISCO
350 Fremont St
San Franeisco, CA 94 l 05
(415) 543-585$
Government Services Division
(415) 861-3400
SANTURCE
16~
sT.'toms· ·
4581 Gravois Ave,, St. Louis, MO Q3116
.. (314) 752~6500
TACOMA
3411 South Union Ave., Tacoma, WA 98409
(253) 212m14
WJLMJNGfON
510 N. Broad Ave., Wibnington. CA 90744
(310) 549-4000
16
Seafarers LOG
4
5
Atlantic Coast
0
0
0
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
0
Gulf Coast
0
iaJ<es, In1~d :Waters ....
o.
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
Totals
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
.o
0
.::,:
0
0
.•.
2
1
1
4
Totals All Depts
5
1
10
10
2
7
12
1
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
27
PI C-FROM-THE-PAST
This photograph, sent to the
PHll.ADELPlIIA
1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave•• Stop
Santurce. PR 00907
(787) 7214033
West Coast
Totals
Region
LOG by Alfred Porcari of Howard
Beach, N.Y., was taken at sea in
December 1956 on the Waterman
Steamship Corp. vessel SS Yaka, a
C-2 cargo ship.
Porcari notes that "everyone
slept back aft below, right over the
rudder. When the ship was light and
that rudder came out of the water, it
just about bounced you out of your
bunk. The steward department
slept midships. There were three
oilers all on different watches in the
same room. Same for the three firemen-and they all got along. The
ship also carried three wipers and
after supper, everyone sat on the
#5 hatch shooting the bull (in photo
at right). These were the days
before VCRs and private rooms."
In those days, Porcari adds,
Waterman had at least 25 SIUcrewed ships. This particular one
was from New York to the Far East
and back-about a 95-day trip.
Porcari joined the SIU in the port
of New York in 1947 and retired in
1991.
December 2000
�~------.._.--------------~---~--~~~~~- -~ -
--
Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
worldng lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
n Inland captain and a recertified steward are among the
18 Seafarers announcing
their retirements this month.
Weldon Potts navigated the inland
waterways as a captain for nearly
25 years while Recertified Steward
Henry Jones Jr. graduated from
the highest level of training available to members of the steward
department at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md.
Including Jones, 12 of the
retirees sailed in the deep sea division and one plied the Great Lakes.
Potts and four others navigated the
inland waterways.
Six of the retirees worked in the
deck department, seven shipped in
the engine department and four
sailed in the steward department.
On this page, the Seafarers LOG
presents brief biographical accounts of the retiring Seafarers.
A
DEEP SEA
NATHAN
ADAMS, 59,
joined the SIU
in 1967 in the
port of
Houston. Born
in Groesbeck,
Texas, Brother
Adams served
in the U.S. Army from 1960 to
1962. He first sailed for the SIU
aboard a Columbia Steamship Co.
vessel. A member of the engine
department, he upgraded his skills
in 1974 and in 1998 at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime Training
and Education in Piney Point, Md.
He lives in Houston.
SANG TO
BAE, 64,
started his
career with the
SIU in 1982 in
the port of
Honolulu.
Born in Japan,
Brother Bae
first shipped aboard an American
Hawaii Cruises vessel. Brother
Bae sailed in the steward department and upgraded his skills in
1990 at the Paul Hall Center. He
last sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Achiever. Brother Bae resides in
Philadelphia.
ROBERTH.
CLIFFORD,
63, began his
career with the
SIU in 1963 in
the port of
Detroit. The
Michigan
native served
in the U.S. Army from 1954 to
1955 and first shipped aboard a
Rockport Steamship Company
vessel. Brother Clifford sailed in
the deck department and upgraded his skills in 1985 at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of
Seamanship in Piney Point, Md.
He last sailed aboard the USNS
Washington, operated by Interocean Ugland Management Corp.
Brother Clifford calls Tomball,
Texas home.
JACKV.
DIXON, 64,
joined the SIU
in 1972. A
member of the
engine department, Brother
Decembel' 2000
Dixon first shipped aboard the
Sea-Land Los Angeles. He
upgraded his skills in 1973, 1974,
1980 and 1984 respectively at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship. Brother
Dixon last sailed aboard the
Patriot, an Ocean Carriers, Inc.
vessel. He resides in England.
ABDULLA
HUSSEIN,
50, started his
career with the
SIU in 1972,
joining in the
port of San
Francisco.
Born in
Yemen, Brother Hussein first
shipped aboard Delta Steamship
Lines' Del Sol. A member of the
engine department, he upgraded
his skills in 1996 and 1997 at the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education. Brother
Hussein last shipped aboard the
Overseas Philadelphia. He
resides in Dearborn, Mich.
HENRY
JONES JR.,
65, hails from
Louisiana.
Brother Jones
began his
career with the
SIU in 1964 in
the port of San
Francisco. A member of the steward department, he first shipped
aboard the Del Sol. Brother Jones
upgraded his skills in 1980 and
1997 at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education.
A recertified steward, he last
sailed aboard Pronav Ship
Management's LNG Leo. Brother
Jones lives in Seattle.
RUBEN
MARTINEZ,
65, began his
career with the
SIU in 1972 in
the port of
New York. A
native of
Puerto Rico,
Brother Martinez served in the
U.S. Army from 1955 to 1958.
He first shipped aboard the Eagle
Voyage, operated by Sea
Transport. Brother Martinez
sailed as a member of the engine
department and upgraded his
skills in 1973 and 197 5 at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship. He last
shipped aboard the Mayaguez,
operated by NPR, Inc. Brother
Martinez lives in his native
Puerto Rico.
ARTURO
MONTENEGRO, 59,
hails from the
Philippines.
He started his
career with the
SIU in 1977 in
the port of San
Francisco. Brother Montenegro
first shipped aboard the Coastal
California. A member of the
engine department, he last sailed
aboard the Oakland. Brother
Montenegro calls Castro Valley,
Calif., home.
LUISA.
NIEVES, 61,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1961,
joining in the
port of New
York. A native
of Puerto
Rico, Brother Nieves first
shipped aboard a Sea-Land
Service, Inc. vessel. He sailed in
the engine department and
upgraded his skills in 1978, 1985
and 1986 at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School of
Seamanship. He last shipped
aboard the Sea-Land Elizabeth.
Brother Nieves lives in Jersey
City, N.J.
JUAN
ORTIZ, 65,
started his
career with the
SIU in 1979 in
the port of
Houston. A
native of
Puerto Rico,
he served in the U.S. Army from
1954 to 1956. Brother Ortiz first
sailed aboard the Connecticut,
operated by Connecticut
Transport, Inc. A member of the
engine department, he upgraded
his skills in 1987 and 1996 at the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education. Brother
Ortiz last shipped aboard NPR.
Inc. 's Humacao. He resides in
Fayetteville, N.C.
JOSE A.
PADILLA, 57
joined the SIU
in 1970 in the
port of New
York. Born in
Puerto Rico,
Brother
Padilla first
sailed aboard the Fanwood, operated by Waterman Steamship
Corp. He worked in the steward
department. His last vessel was
the Sea-Land Consumer. Brother
Padilla calls Hatillo, P.R. home.
MOHAMMEDS.
SHARIFF, 68,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1966,
joining in the
port of Detroit.
Born in Arabia,
Brother Shariff worked in the
steward department and frrst
sailed aboard a Buckeye
Steamship Co. vessel. Prior to
retiring, he worked aboard the
cable ship Global Sentinel. He
calls Detroit home.
GREAT LAKES
MARTIN
SZEKELY,
62, started his
career with the
SIU in 1973 in
the port of
Detroit. The
Painesville,
Ohio native
first sailed aboard a Falcon
Marine Co. vessel. A member of
the deck department, he last
shipped aboard a Luedtke
Engineering Co. vessel. Brother
Szekely resides in Winthrop
Harbor, Ill.
INLAND
ROBERTE.
BRANCH,
56, joined the
SIU in 1977 in
the port of
New Orleans.
A native of
Louisiana,
~----~· Boatman
Branch sailed primarily aboard
Crescent Towing & Salvage
Company vessels in the deck
department. Boatman Branch
resides in his native Louisiana in
the city ofNatalbany.
WILLIAMG.
HOOK, 62,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1973 in
the port of
Norfolk. He
served in the
Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG
1953
U.S. Marine Corps from 1960 to
1966 and first sailed aboard a
Virginia Pilot Corp. vessel.
Boatman Hook was a member of
the deck department and last sailed
aboard an Association of Maryland
Pilots vessel. He calls Vrrginia
Beach, Va. home.
ROBERTJ.
JOHNSON,
60, started his
career with the
SIU in 1967 in
the port of
Philadelphia.
A member of
'--~~~-___, the deck department, Boatman Johnson first
sailed aboard a PF Martin Co.
vessel. The Pennsylvania native
last worked aboard an Interstate
Oil Transportation Co. vessel. He
lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
JERRYM.
MUNSON,
62, hails from
Wisconsin. He
began his
career with the
SIU in 1970,
joining in the
port of Philadelphia. Boatman Munson served
in the U.S. Marine Corps from
1955 to 1957. A member of the
deck department, he first sailed
aboard a Michigan Tankers vessel. Boatman Munson spent part
of his career in the deep sea division and last sailed aboard a
Mariner Towing Co. vessel. He
resides in Gibsonton, Fla.
WELDONW.
POTTS, 61,
started his
career with the
SIU in 1966 in
Port Arthur,
Texas. A native
of Center,
Texas, he
served in the U.S. Army from
1955 to 1958. Boatman Potts
sailed as a captain. He frrst
worked aboard a Higman Barge
Lines vessel. Prior to retiring, he
sailed aboard a Hvide Marine
Towing Services vessel. Boatman
Potts calls Orange, Texas home.
year contract during which the key issue of
manpower would be studied by a panel, with
recommendations to be made at the condusion of the agreement. The llA has accused
the shippers of not bargaining in good faith.
In December, the number of babies born
under the Seafarers maternity benefit program
rose to 1,000. The Welfare Plan provides a
$200 maternity bene1990
fit for eligible seamen
(Referring to
with a $25 bond
Operation Desert
being given to the
Shield)
baby. The benefitsr
The magnitude of the
first established in
marine transportation
April 1952, have
been an important aid u===============================~ operation is evidenced
in the amount of
to Seafarers in meetpounds of materiel that has been carried from
ing the high costs of maternity care. The
the United States to the Gulf. As of the third
maternity plan is funded by the SIU Welfare
week
in November, the Military Sealift
Plan.
Command, the agency in the Anned Forces
responsible for waterborne transport of sup1962
plies, reports that over 2.1 birtion pounds of
The Seafarers International Union and other
unit
equipment have been delivered to the
member unions of the AFL-ClO Maritime
Guff,
as well as 3.8 bflrion pounds of fuel.
Trades Department are giving full suppon to a
Additionally, there have been more than 150
strike by members of the International
off-loads at docks in the Middle East.
Longshoremen's Association in ports from
Many of the vessels carrying supplies to the
Maine to Texas. The walkout followed the
Persian
Gulf are manned by SIU members.
shippers' rejection of an ILA offer of a two-
THIS MOJ\11H
1/\1 SIU HISTORY
Seafal'ers LOG
17
�Santa Maria,
Brother
Blackburn
~--~--~ served in the
U.S. Army from 1940 to 1944 and
began receiving his SIU pension in
1985. He resided in Los Angeles.
and first
shipped aboard
the North Platte
Victory, operated by Delta
Steamship
Lines. Brother
Edlund last
sailed aboard
Cove Shipping
Co. 's Cove Navigator. He began
receiving his pension in 1984.
Brother Edlund resided in Alabama.
NORWOOD BRYANT
TOMAS ESCUDERO
Pensioner
Norwood
Bryant, 71, died
Aug. 21.
Brother Bryant
began his career
with the SIU in
1962, joining in
the port of
Baltimore. He
sailed as a member of the deck
department. Brother Bryant first
shipped aboard a Calmar Steamship
Corp. vessel and last sailed on
Waterman Steamship Corp. 's Sam
Houston. Born in Clinton, N.C., he
served in the U.S. Coast Guard from
1946 to 1951. Brother Bryant began
receiving his pension in 1993. He
resided in his native North Carolina.
Pensioner
Tomas
Escudero, 71,
passed away
Aug. 23. A
native of Puerto
Rico, Brother
Escudero joined
the SIU in 1971
in the port of
New York. He first shipped aboard
the Robin Trent, operated by MooreMcCormack Lines. Brother Escudero was a member of the engine
department and last sailed aboard
Delta Steamship Lines' Santa Paula.
He served in the U.S. Army from
1949 to 1959 and began receiving
his pension in 1999. Brother
Escudero lived in Pennsylvania.
JAMES BYERS
FLOYD FRITZ
operated by
Delta Steamship
Lines. He last
worked aboard
Delta's Santa
FADEL M. ABDULLA
Brother Fadel
M. Abdulla, 49,
died Aug. 29.
Born in Yemen,
he joined the
SIU in 1970 in
the port of
Seattle. Brother
Abdulla first
shipped aboard
a Michigan Tankers, Inc. vessel. A
member of the steward department,
he last sailed aboard the Westward
Venture, operated by Interocean
Ugland Management Corp. Brother
Abdulla lived in Seattle.
LIONEL ANTOINE
Pensioner
Lionel Antoine,
80, passed away
Aug. 29. He
began his career
with the SIU in
1942 in the port
of New Orleans.
Brother Antoine
was born in
Louisiana and first sailed aboard the
Alcoa Polaris, operated by Alcoa
Steamship Corp. Before retiring in
1982, the steward department member shipped aboard Waterman
Steamship's Thomas Nelson. Brother
Antoine lived in New Orleans.
RAMSEY BAUMGARDNER
-
Pensioner
Ramsey
Baumgardner,
68, died Aug.
15. Brother
Baumgardner
began his career
with the Seafarers in 1956,
joining in the
port of Houston. He first sailed
aboard Ore Navigation Corp. 's
Marore. A native of Colorado, he
last worked aboard the Sea-Land
Consumer. Brother Baumgardner
served in the U.S. Marine Corps
from 1949 to 1950. He began receiving his pension in 1996. Brother
Baumgardner resided in California.
GHAZIR BENDECK
Brother Ghazir
- Bendeck, 63,
passed away
Feb. 2. He
joined the
Seafarers in
1966 in the port
of New
Orleans. Born
in Honduras, he
sailed as a member of the steward
department. Brother Bendeck first
sailed aboard the Steel King. He last
worked aboard Waterman Steamship
Corp. 's Sam Houston. Brother
Bendeck resided in Louisiana.
DAVID BETZ
.-----,,-----, Brother David
Betz, 41, died
Aug. 20. He
joined the
Seafarers in
1977 in the port
of Philadelphia
and sailed in the
steward department. He first
shipped aboard the USNS Potomac.
He last sailed on the cable ship Long
Lines. Brother Betz lived in
Maryland.
REUBENC.BLACKBURN
Pensioner Reuben C. Blackburn, 77,
passed away Sept, 16. Born in
Wilkesboro, N.C., he joined the
Seafarers in 1951 in the port of San
Francisco. Brother Blackbum
shipped as a member of the steward
department. His first ship was the
18
Seafarers LOS
Magdelena.
Pensioner
James Byers,
79, passed
away Aug. 28.
Brother Byers
began his
career with the
Seafarers in
1947, joining in
_ ____. the port of
Mobile, Ala. A member of the
engine department, he first shipped
aboard an Alcoa Steamship Co. vessel. He last sailed on a Michigan
Tankers, Inc. vessel. Born in
Pennsylvania, Brother Byers served
in the U.S. Navy from 1939 to 1944
and began receiving his pension in
1976. He called Alabama home.
VINCENT J. CALI
Pensioner
Vincent J. Cali,
89, died Oct. 3.
Brother Cali, a
charter member
of the SIU,
joined the union
in 1939 in the
port of New
Orleans. A
native of Hammond, La., he sailed
in the steward department, first sailing aboard an Alcoa Steamship Co.
vessel. He last sailed aboard the Del
Ar, operated by Delta Steamship
Lines. Brother Cali began receiving
his pension in 1975. He lived in
New Orleans.
THOMAS CORRELL
Pensioner
Thomas Correll,
64, passed away
Aug. 30.
Brother Correll
joined the
Seafarers in
1960 in the port
of New York.
~--~-~- The Brooklyn
native sailed as a member of the
deck department, first shipping
aboard a Sea-Land vessel. He last
worked on the Sea-Land Crusader.
Brother Correll began receiving his
pension in 1999. He resided in New
York.
JOHN EDLUND
Pensioner John Edlund, 73, died
Aug. 26. Born in Alabama, Brother
Edlund joined the SIU in 1948 in the
port of Mobile, Ala. He sailed as a
member of the engine department
•iliiiil~-::;:---,
Pensioner
Floyd Fritz, 74,
died Aug. 25.
Brother Fritz
was born in
Portsmouth,
Ohio. He began
his career with
the Seafarers in
~-~--.J 1946, joining in
the port of Baltimore. A member of
the deck department, he first shipped
aboard an Interocean Management
Corp. vessel. Brother Fritz last
sailed aboard the USNS Capella. He
began receiving his pension in 1988.
Brother Fritz resided in Duval, Fla.
ORLAISPEN
Pensioner Orla
Ispen, 72,
passed away
Sept. 30. A
native of
Denmark,
Brother Ispen
joined the SIU
in 1964 in the
port of New
York. He first sailed aboard the
Bienville, operated by Sea-Land
Service, Inc. A member of the deck
department, Brother Ispen last sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Quality. He
began receiving his pension in 1993.
Brother Ispen lived in New York.
last worked on
the Gus W
Darnell, operated by Ocean
Ships, Inc.
Brother Mercier
began receiving
his pension in
1991. He lived
---"'"------' in Baltimore.
EDMUND NICOLAS
Pensioner
Edmund
Nicolas, 65,
died April 5.
Born in the
Philippines,
Brother Nicolas
joined the
MC&S in 1978
in the port of
San Francisco. The steward department member first sailed aboard the
Santa Mercedes, operated by Delta
Steamship Lines. Brother Nicolas
last worked on the Mokihana. He
began receiving his pension in 1995.
Brother Nicolas lived in California.
BOBBIE STEARNS
Pensioner
Bobbie Steams,
68, died April
21. Brother
Steams joined
the SIU in 1966
in the port of
Wilmington,
Calif. A
California
native, he first sailed aboard the
Loma Victory, operated by Delta
Steamship Lines. He worked in the
steward department and last workedaboard the USNS Audacious, operated by U.S. Marine Management.
Brother Steams began receiving his
pension in 1996. He lived in
California.
EDWARD THOMPSON
Pensioner
Edward
Thompson, 70,
passed away
Sept. 20. Born
in Pennsylvania,
Brother
Thompson
'°'·
joined the SIU
in 1952 in the
port of New York. He first shipped
aboard a Sprogue Steamship Co.
vessel. Brother Thompson sailed in
both the deck and steward departments during his career. His final
voyage was aboard the Sea-Land
Anchorage. Brother Thompson
served in the U.S. Navy from 1947
to 1951. He began receiving his pension in 1992. Seattle was his home.
RICHARD JOHNSON
JAMES WOODS
Pensioner
Richard
Johnson, 71,
died Aug. 23.
Born in
Virginia, he
joined the SIU
in 1951 in the
port of New
.....__ _....__ _~ York. Brother
Johnson first sailed aboard the
Seamar, operated by Bethlehem
Steel Corp. He shipped as a member
of the deck department and last
sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Navigator. Brother Johnson began
receiving his pension in 1990. He
called San Francisco home.
Pensioner
James Woods,
76, died July 9.
Brother Woods
started his
career with the
SIU in 1959,
joining in the
· port of Jack" sonville, Fla.
The Iowa native sailed as a member
of the steward department. He first
shipped aboard Suwannee Steamship
Co. 's Sampan Knot. Brother Woods
last sailed on the Sea-Land Portland.
He served in the U.S. Navy from
1942 to 1946. Brother Woods started
receiving his pension in 1985. He
resided in Fredricksburg, Iowa.
JOSEPH MERCIER
Pensioner Joseph Mercier, 74,
passed away Sept. 11. A New
Hampshire native, Brother Mercier
joined the SIU in 1951. He first
sailed aboard the Neva West, operated by Bloomfield Steamship Co. A
member of the deck department, he
GREAT LAKES
JAMES E. SETTERBO
Pensioner James E. Setterbo, 74,
passed away Aug. 21. Brother
Setterbo started his career with the
J , SIU in 1963,
:>
joining in the
..,,- port of
Frankfort,
Mich. He first
sailed aboard a
Michigan
Interstate
Railway vessel.
'--"---"" A member of
the deck department, he last worked
aboard a Michigan Tankers, Inc. vessel. Brother Setterbo served in the
U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946. He
began receiving his pension in 1975.
Michigan was his home.
INLAND
JOHN M. PIDLLIPS
Pensioner John M. Phillips, 82, died
May 15. Boatman Phillips joined the
SIU in 1973 in the port of Mobile,
Ala. A member of the deck department, he primarily sailed aboard
Dravo Basic Materials Co. vessels.
The Alabama native served in the
U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946. He
began receiving his pension in 1982.
Boatman Phillips resided in Uriah,
Ala.
EMIL WERNER
Boatman Emil
Werner, 60,
passed away
Oct. 5. He
joined the SIU
in 1969 in the
port of
Baltimore.
Boatman
Werner was a
member of the deck department. He
sailed primarily aboard Maritrans
vessels. Sharptown, Md. was his
home.
RAILROAD MARINE
FRANK COMUNALE
Pensioner Frank
Comunale, 92,
passed away
Aug. 25. A
native of New
Jersey, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1960 in the port
of New York.
Brother Comunale sailed as a member of the deck department, first sailing aboard a Pennsylvania Railroadoperated vessel out of Norfolk, Va.
He last shipped aboard a Penn
Central Transportation Co. vessel.
Brother Comunale began receiving
his pension in 1973. He resided in
Florida.
Correction
The photo that accompanied the
biographical sketch of William J.
Barnes in the October Final
Departures column was published
in error. The individual depicted
in that photo is still alive and
residing in Alabama. The correct
photo and obituary follows.The
Seafarers LOG regrets the error.
Pensioner
William
Barnes, 79,
died July 10.
He joined the
Seafarers in
1953 in the
port of New.
York. Born in
the Philippines, Brother Barnes first sailed
with New York Dock Railway Co.
A member of the engine department, he began receiving his pension in 1987. Prior to retiring, he
sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Marketer. Brother Barnes resided
in his native country.
December 2000
�JJ pri.
many digests of union shipboard
it~ On oet;1sion, because of space
$, some will be omitted.
li1$1 a
'iewed by the union's contract department.
uirlng at(ention or resolution are addressed by the union
oftbe s1"fps' minutes. The minutes are then forwarded
to the.$ealarers LOG tor publication.
AMBROSE CHANNEL (IUM).
Aug. 30-Chairman Mario R.
Romero, Secretary Elena R.
Curley, Educational Director
Peter Joseph, Steward Delegate
Isabel Miranda. Chairman
reminded everyone to be sure zcards are up to date. He read article in LOG about LNG ships and
expressed pleasure that SIU brothers and sisters could retain jobs on
six of those vessels for five more
years. Educational director stated
ship will have new satellite system
for better TV reception within next
few months. He suggested everyone attend Paul Hall Center in
Piney Point, Md. to upgrade skills
every possible opportunity. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Previous request made for company to provide permanent mailing
address. Company has provided
two: one for letters, another for
packages. Suggestion made for
contracts department to negotiate
better pay and OT for unlicensed
apprentices aboard ship. Everyone
pleased to see Chief Steward
Curley back on ship after two
months off. She has done outstanding job. Next ports: Port
Everglades, Fla.; Beaumont,
Texas.
AMERICAN MERLIN (OspreyAcomarit Ship Mgmt.), Aug.
6-Chairman Sean M. Ryan,
Secretary Thomas Wybo, Deck
Delegate Duane R. Castello,
Engine Delegate John Robinson
Jr., Steward Delegate Hamin
Sialana. Chairman announced
payoff on arrival in Houston Aug.
13 before heading to Mombasa,
Kenya. Steward asked to submit
repair list and crew requested to
tum in used linen, keys and uniforms and to clean cabins before
signing off. Educational director
encouraged Seafarers to take
advantage of upgrading opportunities at Piney Point. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Suggestion
made that allotments be available
twice a month via direct deposit on
all foreign voyages. Request made
for new washers and dryers as well
as wall-mounted fans. Also asked
for second steward assistant due to
extra people on board.
CSX HAWAII (CSX Lines), Aug.
13-Chairman Billy G. Hill,
Secretary Edward P. Herrera,
Educational Director Tracy J.
Hill, Deck Delegate Wilfredo
Velez, Engine Delegate Samuel
Garrett, Steward Delegate David
Valle. Chairman stated payoff to
take place in port of Jacksonville
Aug. 25. He asked that everyone
take Coast Guard inspection and
all drills seriously. He also reminded crew members to check all sailing documents to make sure they
are up to date. Educational director
requested more information on
STCW. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Request made for clarification of medical benefits for
those considered not fit for duty
for more than six months. Chairman noted Paul Hall Day Aug. 20.
All Seafarers are thankful for his
strength and courage and for what
he did for the SIU. Steward
department thanked for job well
done.
HM/ DEFENDER (IUM), Aug.
30-Chairman Daniel C. Eckert,
December 2000
Secretary Donald GaNung,
Educational Director George H.
Bixby, Deck Delegate Joseph R.
Laine, Steward Delegate Peter L.
Crum. Chairman advised everyone to read Seafarers LOG to find
out what's going on in industry.
He noted new wages have been
posted. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Request made for new
furniture in crew lounge as well as
tile in messhall and some rooms.
/TB NEW YORK (Sheridan
Transportation), Aug.
20-Chairman Stephen J. Argay,
Secretary Brenda M. Kamiya,
Educational Director John K.
Binpong, Deck Delegate Anthony
Heinoldt, Engine Delegate Lane
Schroeder, Steward Delegate Ali
Muther. Chairman stated ship still
waiting for junction box for TV
antenna. He said all departments
working exceptionally well together. Secretary added everyone very
helpful and hardworking. Educational director advised members to
attend upgrading courses at Paul
Hall Center, check z-cards for
expiration dates and be sure to
have STCW by January 2002. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestion made to have contracts
department look into having prescription benefits available for
dependents. Request also made to
have potable water tanks cleaned
and water fountain repaired. Next
port: Lake Charles, La.
PERSEVERANCE (IUM), Aug.
31-Chairman James E. Bishop,
Secretary Catherine M. Hays,
Educational Director Kenneth W.
Pinchin, Deck Delegate Diego
Hatch, Engine Delegate Milton
Israel, Steward Delegate Marvin
James. Chairman announced payoff upon arrival in Marcus Hook,
Penn. He thanked deck department
for good, efficient job cleaning
tanks. Educational director
stressed importance of upgrading
skills at Piney Point. Treasurer
announced $1,100 in ship's fund.
Would like to use that money for
satellite dish or more powerful TV
antenna. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestions made for
contracts department to look into
higher daily maintenance and cure
benefits and dropping seatime
requirements for insurance eligibility as long as member is in good
standing. Next ports: Savannah,
Ga.; Yabucoa, P.R.; Nederland,
Texas.
SPC 5 ERIC G. GIBSON
(Osprey-Acomarit Ship Mgmt.),
Aug. 25--Chairman Thomas E.
Minton, Secretary Felipe P.
Orlanda, Educational Director
Jim Porter, Deck Delegate
Robert E. Thompson III, Engine
Delegate James B. Porter,
Steward Delegate David A.
Brown Ill. Chairman reviewed
minutes from previous meeting
and reminded crew to talk to
department delegate if problems
arise. He noted unlicensed apprentice doing fine aboard ship.
Secretary thanked steward department for job well done. Filipino
and oriental dishes are nice change
from usual menu. Educational
director noted importance of
upgrading and getting STCW certificate. He also spoke about new
simulator at Piney Point and urged
everyone to take advantage of
school's state-of-the-art training.
Discussion held about OT policy.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Bosun explained new meeting format. Clarification requested on
shipping rules and crew relief procedures. Chairman explained value
of supporting SPAD. Next port:
Guam.
PRUDHOE BAY (Crowley),
Aug. 27-Chairman Daniel W.
Seagle, Secretary Scott Opsahl,
Educational Director Leonel S.
Lazu, Deck Delegate Frederick
C. Meier, Steward Delegate
Sherman Anderson. Chairman
stated payoff scheduled on arrival
in Seattle. Take any problems with
air conditioning to bosun. Patrolman will be present at payoff to
address concerns, and captain is
available whenever draw is needed. Secretary thanked crew for
keeping messhall tidy. Educational
director reminded crew members
about need for STCWs, TRBs and
upgrading at Paul Hall Center and
not to wait until last minute. He
also noted number of classes to be
held on board in next week: CPR;
first aid; drug, alcohol and social
responsibility. Treasurer announced
$695 in ship's safety fund. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Contract still under negotiations.
Everyone advised to be patient during transition. Suggestions made to
reduce time needed for vacation
and pension and raise pension to
reflect standard of living costs.
Next port: Seattle.
USNS LOYAL (Maersk), Aug.
20-Chairman Christopher E.
Brady, Secretary Jose Montero,
Educational Director Scott A.
Kucharski. Chairman led discussion on new contract and complimented crew on professionalism.
Educational director spoke about
training requirements for shipping
aboard TAGOS vessels. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Those
remaining aboard for next mission
advised to take special care in
rough seas and extreme weather.
CAPRICORN (PRONAV), Sept.
23-Chairman Salim Ibrahim,
Secretary Zein Achmad,
Educational Director Rene R.
Rosario, Deck Delegate William
Rios, Engine Delegate John G.
Knott, Steward Delegate Antonio
Perez. Educational director stated
STCW certificates required to ship
out starting 2002. He reminded
crew members to take necessary
upgrading courses before it's too
late. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Crew members requested
unemployment guide be supplied
to vessel to clear up any misunderstandings about collecting unemployment. Request also made for
contracts departments to see that
availability of e-mail services be
included in future contract negotiations as well as lowering seatime
required for retirement. Next ports:
Tobata, Japan; Bontang, Indonesia.
CSX NAVIGATOR (CSX Lines),
Sept. 17-Chairman Robert S.
Wilson, Secretary Richard A.
Riley, Educational Director Daniel
F. Dean, Engine Delegate James
B. Spranza, Steward Delegate
Dominico Dacua. Chairman read
president's report from LOG and
led discussion about shipping and
future jobs. Secretary noted new
movies purchased from ship's
fund. Educational director said
upgrading at Paul Hall Center is a
must to protect your job, your
family and your future. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Recommendations made for contracts
department to look into lowering
retirement age and raising monthly
retirement benefits. Next port:
Tacoma, Wash.
CSX PRODUCER (CSX Lines),
Sept. 26-Chairman Joel A.
Lechel, Secretary Peter Ciddio,
Educational Director Allan A.
Rogers, Deck Delegate Joseph A.
Osorio, Engine Delegate Leonard
P. Viles, Steward Delegate Pedro
J. Laboy. Chairman announced
payoff in Oakland, Calif. Sept. 26.
Everything going smoothly; e-mail
for crew members to be set up
soon. Secretary stated all correspondence in order and posted.
Educational director urged everyone to upgrade. He has forms
available. Treasurer announced
ship heading to Oakland, Calif.;
Honolulu; Guam.
HUMACAO (NPR, Inc.), Sept.
17-Chairman William S. Byrne,
Secretary Milton M. Yournett.
Chairman announced payoff in
Jacksonville and thanked crew for
job well done, especially during
Coast Guard inspection. Secretary
stressed importance of upgrading
skills at Paul Hall Center and contributing to SPAD. "It's your
future." Educational director noted
Bound for Houston
During a gangway watch aboard the CSX Challenger at the
CSX dock in San Juan, AB Regina Ewing sets the ship's sailing
board.
$922.18 in ship's fund. No beefs
or disputed OT reported.
Suggestion made for contracts
department to look into increasing
pension benefits in next contract
and lower seatime required for
pension. Vote of thanks given to
Chief Cook Laboy and his crew
for excellent food and barbecues.
Steward thanked crew for helping
keep public areas clean and tidy.
New remote control needed in
crew lounge. Next ports: Long
Beach, Calif.; Honolulu; Oakland.
CSX TACOMA (CSX Lines),
Sept. 17-Chairman John D.
Kelley Jr., Secretary Lincoln E.
Pinn Jr., Educational Director
Lorance D. Pence, Engine
Delegate Steven D. Bower,
Steward Delegate Jioia deLeon.
Chairman announced payoff on
arrival in Tacoma, Wash. Sept. 20.
Crew to get blanket day off.
Chairman advised everyone to be
sure current address and beneficiary cards are current when filing for
vacation. He also reminded members to vote in upcoming election.
Every vote counts. Educational
director encouraged crew members
to upgrade at Piney Point whenever possible and contribute to
SPAD. Treasurer announced $500
in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made
for next contract to include 30minute coffee breaks. "By the time
the crew gets to the crew lounge
for coffee, it's time to go back to
work." Plumbing snake on special
order to help stop flooding of laundry rooms. Steward department
thanked for great job.
CSX TRADER (CSX Lines),
Sept. 10-Chairman Dennis
Brown, Secretary Kevin M.
Dougherty, Educational Director
Milton E. Sabin, Deck Delegate
Joseph A. Loyal, Engine Delegate
Ahmed Ahmed, Steward Delegate
Alejo Fabia. Chairman reported
ship due in Tacoma Sept. 15.
Payoff scheduled upon arrival.
Treasurer announced $216 in crew
fund. Crew voted to donate $50 to
American Heart Association. Will
also purchase additional used
equipment for gym. "Our recreation area is now looking real
good and is being enjoyed by
many of the crew." No beefs or
disputed OT noted. Crew members
said everyone misses news and
sports they used to receive on
AFRTS radio. Prices of satellite
TV/radio antenna will be checked
out. Following payoff in Tacoma,
all crew members must comply
with STCW and not to wait until
last minute to get required training. Treasurer announced $217 in
movie fund. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Several suggestions
made for contracts department to
check out, including reducing
seatime necessary for retirement,
raising monthly pension benefit,
fully covering prescription drugs
for dependents, increasing optical
benefits and raising maintenance
and cure. Vote of thanks given to
steward department for cleanliness
of ship and continued good food.
INDEPENDENCE (U.S. Ship
Mgmt.), Sept. 17-Chairman
James R. Wilson, Secretary Jill
M. Prescott, Educational Director
Kevin T. McCagh, Steward
Delegate Charles T. Powers.
Chairman announced new washing
machine due in Long Beach, Calif.
Secretary thanked everyone for
efforts in keeping house clean
since coming out of shipyard.
Educational director advised members to keep up to date on all shipping requirements. No beefs
reported. Some disputed OT noted
in steward department. Suggestion
made for contracts department to
look into reducing seatime needed
to collect pension and increasing
pension b_~nefit. General discussion held about money purchase
pension plan and about launch service in Panama. Vote of thanks
given to steward department for
job well done.
INTEGRITY (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
Sept. 18- Chairman David
Denizac, Secretary Stephanie L.
Sizemore, Educational Director
Dennis R. Baker, Deck Delegate
Clay Brown. Chairman announced payoff upon arrival in
Elizabeth, N.J. Sept. 24. Ship currently on new run to Mediterranean. Secretary stated information was distributed to crew
regarding allowances for dental
and pension benefits as well as
information on seamen's documents. Some disputed OT reported
in deck department due to delayed
sailing; none in other departments.
Suggestion made for contracts
department to look into reducing
rotary shipping tours of duty.
Requests also made for launch service provided by company and that
transportation should be covered
by company due to change in
schedule of ship to and from port
of engagement. Steward department thanked for good job.
Seafarers LOG
19
�Dijon Ham 'n' Swiss
Jalapefio Bread
Know Your Rights
Serves: 25
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
GALLEY
~
2 cups water
Y2 cup dijon mustard
~
CORNER
cup yeast, active, dry
cup margarine
2 cups flour, all-purpose
3 cups cooked ham, chopped
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
cup j alapefio peppers, canned
Mix together flour, sugar, salt.
Mix together water, mustard and margarine and heat to
125 degrees. Cool to 105-110 degrees and add yeast. Let
bloom and add to flour mixture.
Add enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
Knead until smooth and elastic.
Roll dough to 14" x 12". Spread ham, cheese and
jalapeno peppers down center. Make cuts at 1" intervals
down the side. Fold strips over top, alternately, to cover.
Brush with egg wash. Set to rise. Bake at 375 degrees for
25 minutes or until done. Serve warm.
Certified Executive Ch
John Hetmanski
Yields: 2 loaves
If anyone is looking for a particular recipe or has one of their own that they would like to
share, drop Chef Hetmanski a line at the Paul Hall Center, P 0. Box 75, Piney Point, MD
20674 or e-mail to: shlssvoc@us.hsanet.net.
AFL·CIO
NATIONAL
BOYCOTTS
DIAMOND WALNUT CO.
Diamond brand bagged and canned walnuts and walnut pieces
.,.. Teamsters
FARMLAND DAIRY
Milk sold under the Farmland Dairy label in stores in
Connecticut, New Jersey and New York
.,.. Teamsters
MT. OLIVE PICKLE CO.
Pickles and relishes sold under the Mt. Olive and other labels,
including the Food Lion and Harris Teeter supermarket "house" labels
.,.. Farm Labor Organizing Committee
FURNITURE
STRAITS FURNITURE CO.
Jackson, Miss., manufacturer of entertainment centers, dining-room
and bedroom furniture. Brands include: Canbrough Oak Collection,
Downing Street Collection, Cherry Creek Collection, Hood, Straits
.,.. Electronic Workers, Furniture Workers Division
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
BUILDING MATERIALS & TOOLS
BROWN & SHARPE MFG. CO.
Measuring, cutting and machine tools and pumps
.,.. Machinists
JET EQUIPMENT & TOOLS, INC.
Auburn, Wash., distributor of •JET" brand metal- and wood-working
power and hand tools for home and commercial use
.,.. Teamsters
SOUTHWIRE CO.
Commercial and industrial wire and cable; Do-It-Yourself brand
homewir.;
.,.. Electrical Workers
CLOTHING
MASTER APPAREL
Men's and boys' trousers. Labels include Hills and Archer, and Ivy Hill
.,.. Electronic Workers
ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATION
TRANSPORTATION & TRAVEL
ALITALIA AIRLINES
Air transport for passengers and freight
.,.. Machinists
BEST WESTERN-GROSVENOR RESORT
Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.; located at Disney World, but
separately owned and operated
.,.. Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees
CROWN CENTRAL PETROLEUM
Gasoline sold at Crown, Fast Fare and Zippy Mart stations and
convenience stores
.,.. Paper. Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers
FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON
Hotel in Waterbury, Conn.
.,.. Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees
HOLIDAY INN SUNSPREE HOTEL
Hotel in Kapaa, Hawaii
.,.. Longshore & Warehouse Union
NEW OTANI HOTEL & GARDEN
Hotel in downtown Los Angeles
.,.. Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees
BLACK ENTERTAINMENTTELEVISION
BET cable television, Action payperview, Bet on Jazz
.,.. Electrical Workers
FOOD & BEVERAGES
BASIC VEGETABLE PRODUCTS/
BASIC AMERICAN FOODS
Dehydrated garlic, onion, and other vegetable products, chiefly for
institutions such as colleges, hospitals and hotels, and for other food
processors. Labels include: Snow White gar!ie, Mello Toasted onion,
Dial-A-Heat garlic and chilis, High-Flavor onion and garlic,
Dehydrolfrozen Vegetables, Potato Pearls, Gok:len Grill hashbrowns
and potato pancakes, Santiago Refried Beans, Quick-Start Chili Mix
.,.. Teamsters
CALIFORNIA TABLE GRAPES
Table grapes that do not bear the UFW label on their carton or crate
.,.. Farm Workers
20
Seafarers LOG
OTHERS
CF&I STEEL and OREGON STEEL MILLS, INC.
Steel, including rod, bar, rail, pipe and steel plate
.,.. Steelworkers
WELLS FARGO and NORWEST BANKS
Wells Fargo has branches in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington; Norwest
has branches in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South
Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming
.,.. Steelworkers
R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO.
Cigarettes: Best Value, Camel, Century, Doral, Eclipse, Magna,
Monarch, More, Now, Salem, Sterling, Vantage, and Winston; plus all
Moonlight Tobacco products
.,.. Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The
Constitution of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District makes specific provision
for safeguarding the membership's
money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by
certified public accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee of
rank-and-file members, elected by
the membership, each year examines the finances of the union and
reports fully their fmdings and recommendations. Members of this
committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations
and separate findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds
of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District are
administered in accordance with
the provisions of various trust fund
agreements. All these agreements
specify that the trustees in charge of
these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All
expenditures and disbursements of
trust funds are made only upon
approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial
records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds.
SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the
employers. Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts are posted and
available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Full copies of contracts as
referred to are available to members at all times, either by writing
directly to the union or to the
Seafarers Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU
contracts are available in all SIU
halls. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union
official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she
should contact the nearest SIU port
agent.
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective membership. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Seafarers LOG
policy is vested in an editorial
board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from
among its ranks, one individual to
carry out this responsibility.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU
unless an official union receipt is
given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any
money for any reason unless he is
given such receipt. In the event
anyone attempts to require any such
payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is
required to make a payment and is
given an official receipt, but feels
that he or she should not have been
required to make such payment,
this should immediately be reported
to union headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of
the SIU Constitution are available
in all union halls. All members
should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a
member feels any other member or
officer is attempting to deprive him
or her of any constitutional right or
obligation by any methods, such as
dealing with charges, trials, etc., as
well as all other details, the member
so affected should immediately
notify headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in
employment and as members of the
SIU. These rights are clearly set
forth in the SIU Constitution and in
the contracts which the union has
negotiated with the employers.
Consequently, no member may be
discriminated against because of
race, creed, color, s x, national or
geographic origin.
If any member feels that he or she
is denied the equal rights to which
he or she is entitled, the member
should notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS
POLITICAL
ACTIVITY DONATION
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and purposes
including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering
of the American merchant marine
with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen
and the advancement of trade union
concepts. In connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions are
voluntary. No contribution may be
solicited or received because of
force, job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct,
or as a condition of membership in
the union or of employment. If a
contribution is made by reason of
the above improper conduct, the
member should notify the Seafarers
International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the
contribution for investigation and
appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his
or her economic, political and
social interests, and American trade
union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If
at any time a member feels that any
of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been
denied the constitutional right of
access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The
address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Au th Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
December 2000
;
�SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT
FOR SEAFARERS WELFARE FUND
-·
This is a summary of the annual report of the Seafarers Welfare Fund, EIN
13-5557534, Plan No. 501, for the period January 1, 1999 through December
31, 1999. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as
required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
The Board of Trustees has committed itself to pay all claims incurred under
the terms of the plan.
Basic Financial Statement
The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was
$30,224,364 as of December 31 , 1999, compared to $24,272,339 as of January
1, 1999 (as restated). During the plan year, the plan experienced an increase in
its net assets of $5,952,025. This increase includes unrealized appreciation and
depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value
of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. During the plan
year, the plan had a total income of $49,803,331 including employer contributions of $49,414,547, realized (loss) of $(115,422) from the sale of assets, earnings from investments of $1,756,399, other income of $42,318, and unrealized
(depreciation) of assets of $(1,294,511 ).
Plan expenses were $43,851,306. These expenses included $4,963, 199 in
administrative expenses and $38,888,107 in benefits paid to participants and
beneficiaries.
You Rights To Additional Information
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part
thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report:
1) An accountant's report;
2) Assets held for investment;
3) Transaction in excess of 5 percent of plan assets; and
4) Financial information and information on payments to service
providers.
To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call
Board of Trustees Seafarers Welfare Fund, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD
20746 (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $4.50 for the
full annual report, or 15 cents per page for any part thereof.
You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and
at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompa
nying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompa
nying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan
administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as
part of the report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not
include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these
portions are furnished without charge.
You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the
main office of the plan (5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746) and at the
U.S. Department of Labor in Washington D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL) upon payment of copying costs. Request to the
DOL should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, N4677, Pension and
Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution
Avenue, N.W., Washington DC 20216.
SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT
FOR SEAFARERS MONEY PURCHASE PENSION PLAN
This is a summary of the annual report for the Seafarers
Money Purchase Pension Plan, EIN 52-1994914, Plan No.
001 , for the period January 1, 1999 through December 31,
1999. The annual report has been filed with the Internal
Revenue Service, as required under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
Basic Financial Statement
There are four more
months until applications for
the SIU scholarship program
are due. That leaves plenty
of time to send away for
your application, fill it out,
collect all the necessary information and mail it in.
Seafarers, their spouses
and dependent children can
make the new year a memorable one by applying for one
of eight scholarships being
awarded next May.
Filling out the coupon
(below right) for a copy of
the program booklet is the
first step toward pursuing
your hopes, dreams and goals
for a higher level of education. It contains eligibility
information, procedures for
applying and a copy of the
application form.
Once the scholarship
booklet has been received,
applicants should check the
eligibility information carefully to make sure that certain
conditions are met.
Since the completed application form (and other
required paperwork) is due
no later than April 15,
2001, applicants should start
December 2000
collecting the necessary documents as soon as possible.
These include transcripts and
certificates of graduation, letters of recommendation, a
photograph and certified
copy of birth certificate.
Also, arrangements should be
made to take the SAT or
ACT tests by February.
The 2001 scholarship will
consist of eight monetary
grants to be awarded to three
SIU members and five
dependents. One of the
three scholarships reserved
for SIU members is in the
amount of $20,000 for
study at a four-year college
or university. The other two
are for $6,000 each and are
intended as two-year awards
for study at a post-secondary
community college or vocational school. Five scholarships will be awarded in the
amount of $20,000 each to
the spouses and dependent
children of Seafarers.
No one can be awarded a
scholarship without filling out
an application and mailing it
to the Scholarship Program
by April 15, 2001. Do it
today!
Benefits under the plan are provided through a trust
fund. Plan expenses were $201,422. These expenses
included $126,572 in administrative expenses and $74,850
in benefit paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of
6,968 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the
plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these
persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits.
The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of
the plan, was $6,531,592, as of December 31, 1999, compared to $3,961,403 as of January 1, 1999. During the plan
year, the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of
$2,570, 189. This increase includes unrealized appreciation
and depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan's assets at the end of
the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the
year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan
had a total income of $2,771,611 including employer contributions of $2,150,747, employee contributions of
$27 ,310, earnings from investments of $533, 171 and other
income of $60,383.
Your Rights to Additional Information
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual
report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed
below are included in that report:
1) An accountant's report;
2) Assets held for investment;
3) Transactions in excess of 5 percent of the plan
assets; and
4) Financial information and information on payments
to service providers.
To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part
thereof, write or call Board of Trustees of Seafarers Money
Purchase Pension Plan, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs,
MD 20746; telephone (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover
copying costs will be $2.55 for the full annual report or .15
cents per page for any part thereof.
You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the
assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or
a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full
annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes w.ill be included as part of
that report.
You also have the legally protected right to examine the
annual report at the main office of the plan (5201 Auth
Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746) and at the U.S .
Department of Labor in Washington D.C., or to obtain a
copy from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the DOL should be
addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N4677,
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S.
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.,
Washington DC 20216.
r----------------------------------------------------------------------------,
P
lease send me the 2001 SIU Scholarship Program booklet which contains eligibility information, procedures for applying and a copy of the application form.
Mariner's Social Security Number - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Street Address
City, State, Zip Code _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Telephone Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
for: D Self
D Dependent
Mail this completed form to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Welfare Plan,
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746
This application is
12/00
~----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seafarers LOG 21
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Basic Safety Training - Hawaii
Basic Safety Training (STCW) -
An on-site basic safety training (STCW) class
was conducted by instructor Mitch Oakley Oct. 20-22 in Galveston, Texas for G&H boatmen. Completing the class are (in alphabetical order) Chris Bartholmey, Michael Brown,
Jimmy Cady, Jeff Fitzgerald, Whitney Hargrave, Matthew Hudnall, Craig King, Carl Kivela,
Michael Lynch, Raymond McGuire, Claude Murphy, Marion Peoples, Mundy Ransom,
Willard Ransom, Martin Scott, Brandon Taylor, Corey Taylor, Gene Tuttle, Keith Walton,
Bruce Williams and Dennis Murphy. (Note: Not all graduates are in photo.)
The Seafarers graduating from the first basic safety training class held on Oahu are
being dispatched to the new cruise ship, the MS Patriot in all three shipboard departments. They are (from left, kneeling) Ben Cusic (instructor), Eric Quayle, John
Ferreira, Crispulo Orosco, Alejandro Quirolgico, Oscar Luis, Deren Atienza, Dwayne
Paishon, (second row) Anwar Muthana, Alan Larson, Eric Silva, Sigfred Erickson,
Patrick Mitsuyoshi, Loreto Orosco, Donato Tabag, Jimmy John Kincaid, Dennis
Donehoo (instructor), Quirino Bangloy and Steven Soltysik (instructor).
Able Seaman -
Earning their AB ratings Oct. 27 are (in alphabetical order)
Kristopher Anderson, John Brooks, Daniel Buffington, Brookie Davis, Jack Drossos, David
Green, Eric Hurt, Adrian Jones, Timothy LaRue, Paulo Leite, Ruben Rivera, Michael
Samuels, Cliff Trapp and Delsrael Williams. (Note: Not all graduates are in photo.) Their
instructor, Bernabe Pelingon, is at left.
Water Safety -
Crew members who will be working aboard American Classic voyages' new cruise ships completed the required water safety course at Piney Point Oct. 11.
From the left (kneeling) are Reni Saldarriaga, Tanya Kennedy, Jocelyn Palacia, (second
row) Helene lshizabi, Alexander Rosssinsuiy, Juan Vega, Randy McCalip, John White,
Bernarde Pelingon (instructor) Florante Sunega, Ruben Stewart Jr. and Paul Smith.
Being dispatched to the MS Patriot as general utility crew are graduates of the second basic safety training class held on Oahu. The members are (from left, kneeling)
Mark Villa, Edgardo Bitlon, (second row) Wayne Dimmer, Judyn Martinez, Gerardo
Villanueva, lreneo Padilla, Romel Gante, Jose Ayon-Ayon , (third row) Sean Hayes,
Hamilton Kaopua, Edgardo DeGuzman, Miguel Palisoc, Constantine Udarbe, Bobby
Harris, Roger Casida and Dennis Donehoo (instructor).
Some of the graduating Seafarers from the third basic safety training class on Oahu
are bound for the new cruise ship. From the left (kneeling) are Romeo Manansala,
Ben Cusic (instructor), Edgardo Basye, Noel Comacho, Steven Soltysik (instructor),
Jose Bautista Jr., Federico Giray, Deserie Westergard, Artemia Gandeza, (standing)
Dennis Donehoo (instructor), Abdul Hasan, Arthur Medeiros, James Leavy, Falefatu
Maluina, Edward Ah San, Gregory Rice, Roland Cabasag, Mark Cabasag, Salah
Saleh, Hazza Hussein, Justo Flores, Jaime Austria and Editha Barraca.
Upgraders Lifeboat
Government Vessels -
Graduating from the government vessels course Oct. 4 are
(front row, from left) Kevin Mcintyre, Efren Villarose, Cheryle Mix, Michael Sherno, (second row) Mark Cates (instructor), Michael DiAngelo, Quinton Washington, Jesus
Martinez, Jerramy McNeil, Freddy Traffin and Jerome Wong.
22
Seafarers LOii
Completing their lifeboat endorsements Sept. 29 are
upgraders (from left, first row) Michael Kachele, Keith Mcintosh, Michael Samuels,
Kenneth Adamczak, Michael Doby, Delsrael Williams, Barnabe Pelingon (instructor), (second row) Brookie Davis, Eric Hurt, Ali Akmar, Adrian Jones, Jose Garcia, Timmy LaRue,
Lloyd Hall Sr., Isadore Greenberg and John E. Brooks.
December 2aaa
�Galley Operations/
Advanced Galley Operations
(Every week)
December 4, 18;
January 8, 22
February S, 19
March5, 19
Safety 's,eaialty Courses
Start Date
Date of Completion
January 19
February 2
Basic Fire Fighting/STCW
February16
Marcbl
<···
March 16
Start
Date
Da~of
Marcb30
Completion
April 13
April 27
May 11
March 16
May25
June8
With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts, US MMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and OMED applicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee Qf $280 with their application. The pqyment should be made with a money order only.
payable to LMSS.
UPGRADING APPLICATION
Name
Date of Birth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member D
END
DATE
BEGIN
DATE
COURSE
Lakes Member D
Inland Waters Member
D
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed.
Social Security#_________ Book# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Seniority _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Department _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D No D
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
LAST VESSEL:--- - - - - - - - - - - - - Rating: _ _ __
Date On: _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ __
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
D Yes
DNo
If yes, c l a s s # - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D Yes DNo
If yes, course(s) taken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D Yes
D No
Firefighting:
D Yes D No
CPR: D Yes
DNo
Primary language spoken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SIGNATURE
Date Off:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfally complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, PO. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
12100
Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Phase III - Graduation is just a
short time away for these unlicensed
apprentices in the third phase of their
training. They are (in alphabetical
order) Stiles Anderson, Travis
~\
'4'~, l
0.
PAUL HA LL .
CENTER
December 2DOO
Astbury, James Brosher, Joseph
Brasher, Harry Clements IV, Kenneth
Dyson, Bryan Field, Charles
Fitzpatrick, Sean Fortner, Jafar
Gordon , Michael Harvey, Beth Ketah,
Otis Reynolds and Nathan Young.
Seafarers LOB
23
�SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORTS
for MCS Supplementary Pension Plan,
Seafarers Welfare Fund and
Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan
- page 21
NY Waterway Crews Approve Contract
Group Completes Safety Training at Paul Hall Center
November was a newsworthy
month for 100-plus Seafarers
who sail aboard commuter ferries operated by NY Waterway.
Their newly approved, four-year
contract took effect Nov. 1; and
eight Seafarers became the first
group from NY Waterway to
complete safety training at the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education, located
in Piney Point, Md.
Additionally, construction in
Alaska continued on a new highspeed boat scheduled for
February delivery. Its capacity
will be 149 passengers.
Sailing as captains and deckhands, SIU members crew 22
boats operated by the company.
The ferries cover 10 routes
between New York and New
Jersey. Last year alone they
transported more than 7 million
passengers.
By a ratio of better than two
to one, Seafarers recently
okayed the new contract.
Serving on the SIU negotiating
committee were Captains John
Clare and A.J. Rinkus,
Deckhands Kevin Lohr and
George Schumpp, and SIU
Representative Jack Caffey Jr.
"Compared to the old contract, this one is definitely better.
It's a positive step for the
future," said Lohr, a shop steward at NY Waterway for the past
eight years. "I think it is very
fair in terms for retirement benefits and allowances for the
future. It offers the best
Seafarers plan available to
include full medical and dental."
The agreement calls for wage
increases in each of its four
years. It stipulates major gains in
the pension benefit and solidifies
a seniority system. It also paves
the way for members to take
courses at the Paul Hall Center.
"This is what the members
wanted, and we wouldn't stop
until we got it," said Caffey.
"The improvements in the pension plan are very substantial.
The opportunity to train at Piney
Point is a major breakthrough.
From a modest
beginning in 1986,
NY Waterway ferries
have become a popular alternative for
commuters in New
York and New
Jersey. The SIUcrewed boats transport approximately
20,000 daily commuters and also
offer sightseeing
tours and lunch
cruises.
NY Waterway mariners last month completed safety training at the
Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. Among those Seafarers pictured
at the school are (in alphabetical order) Deckhand Adam Ashton, Capt.
Thomas Beckedorff, Capt. Robert Capenegro, Deckhand Andrew
Galarza, Deckhand Robert Lara, Deckhand Ramon Santiago,
Deckhand Wilson Verdesoto and Capt. Frank Virginia. Also pictured are
SIU Representative Jack Caffey Jr. and Y Water Operations Manager
(and former SIU member) Michael McPhillip .
"We built a stepping stone for
the next contract," he continued.
"The committee worked hard
and stood up for their fellow
members."
Crew members wasted no
time taking advantage of the
training opportunities.
Completing basic fire fighting,
water survival, CPR and other
components in mid-November
were Captains Robert
Capenegro, Thomas
Beckedorff and Frank
Virginia, along with Deckhands
Adam Ashton, Andrew
Galarza, Ramon Santiago,
Wilson Verdesoto and Robert
Lara.
The school and the company
plan to use last month's training
as a building block for developing courses specifically tailored
for NY Waterway crews.
"The fire fighting was useful," noted Ashton. "You don't
often get to use a hand-held,
mobile extinguisher. Now, the
guys know exactly what it feels
like to use one, and the same
goes with the hoses.
"This is a bit of an experiment for the school and the
company," he added. "I'm sure
when the process is more jo specific for NY Waterway, it'll
be much better. But this was
good, we got a lot of good information."
"It's interesting and it can be
a lot of help," said Virginia. "For
me, this was all refresher (subject matter). For a deckhand, it
probably would be perfec ."
Former SIU de - a division
member ic ae McPhillips,
NY Waterway's operations manager, sat in on some of the training.
"The school is really impressive. We can get our guys
trained the way we want them
trained," he said. "The students
were very enthusiastic."
Founded in 1986, NY
Waterway is the largest private
ferry operator in the U.S. In
addition to its commuter services, the company offers sightseeing tours around lower
Manhattan and up the Hudson
River, among others. Its schedule also features ferry service to
every home game played by
Major League Baseball's New
York Yankees and New York
Mets.
.
'
.
�
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HEADLINES
LAW INTENDS MARINER TAX RELIEF
SIU PENSIONERS TO GET $500 YEAR-END BONUS
SINGLE-OCCUPANCY ROOMS PLANNED FOR PAUL HALL CENTER
BALLOTING BEGINS IN SIU ELECTION
UNION FAMILIES MOBILIZE VOTE IN RECORD NUMBERS
NEW NAME, IMPROVED BENEFIT AFFIRMED BY SEAFARERS HEALTH PLAN
MSC CHRISTENS USNS IMPECCABLE
EXPRESS MARINE LAUNCHES NEW TUG AND BARGE
SEAFARER YOUNG SURVIVES SINGAPORE AIRLINES DIASTER
MERCHANT MARINE INLCLUDED IN WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL
LAKES SEAFARERS, GORDON CREW HONORED FOR DRAMATIC RESCUES
LABOR APPLAUDS OSHA’S NEW ERGONOMIC STANDARD
WORKING THE SIU FERRIES AND TUGS ON THE GREAT LAKES
RECERTIFIED BOSUNS CITE POSITIVE GROWTH
MTD MAPS PLAN FOR THWARTING RUNAWAY FLAGS
REPORT URGES COOPERATIVE INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING FOCS
NORWEGIAN-FLAG TANKER CHARGED IN POLLUTING
LOG AWARDED 1ST PRIZE IN LABOR PRESS CONTEST
EAST MEETS WEST ABOARD THE GLOBAL SENTINEL
‘SAFETY FIRST’ ON COLUMBIA QUEEN
HANDS-ON TRAINING IS VITAL COMPONENT OF APPRENTICE CLASS
NY WATERWAY CREWS APPROVE CONTRACT
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Seafarers Log
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12/01/2000
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Newsprint
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Vol. 62, No. 12
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/daa9b5a23c5e64dd27d5531f6224a44b.pdf
0b85443ffe57b2aab54a6e1b318df192
PDF Text
Text
Volume 62, umber 11
SIU Job Growth Continues
Seafarers Crew
Reflagged
Cruise Ship
In mid-October, SIU members
signed on aboard United States
Lines' newly acquired cruise ship
Patriot in Oregon. Formerly the
Nieuw Amsterdam, the vessel is
slated to cruise the Hawaiian
Islands starting Dec. 9. Bosun
Bernie Eda (right) and other crew
members climbed the gangway as
the vessel was reflagged under
the Stars and Stripes. Page 4.
Photo by Robert Mihovil
S&H Christens
Z-Drive Tug
Seafarers in the Gulf Coast region recently
welcomed a new Z-drive tug to the G&H
Towing fleet. The Matthew K, christened in
Galveston, Texas in late September, is getting
positive reviews from SIU boatmen. Page 4.
SIU-Contracted
Companies to
Operate45
RRFVessels
SIU members will crew 45 Ready Reserve
Force (RRF) ships (including the Cape
Washington, pictured here) for the next five
years, following a government announcement
that upheld earlier contract awards for vessels
by the U.S. Maritime Administration. The SIU
secured substantial wage increases and benefit gains aboard the 45 ships awarded to six
of its contracted operators. Page 3.
Safety School Opens in Hawaii
The SIU and the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education last month opened a new, U.S. Coast
Guard-approved basic safety training school in Barbers Point, Honolulu. The facility primarily is intended for
use by local residents for new job opportunities aboard U.S.-flag cruise ships as well as to meet the increased
demand for trained mariners from Hawaii. Page 3.
�President's Report
ContlnueCI Progress
Doesn't it seem like yesterday when all the talk was about
"Y2K" and the millennium bug and epic New Year's Eve celebrations?
Well, we're almost through the year 2000. And just like during the 1990s, the SIU is still on a roll.
In this union, our top priority is clear: good jobs and job
security for the membership. That goal never changes.
I'm proud of the SIU's work in consistently achieving that
goal. This month alone, for example, we are reporting major
contractual gains on the RRF ships; new jobs on the cruise
ship Patriot and the Z-drive tug Matthew K; and the launch of
MSC's newest SIU-contracted surveillance vessel.
We also opened, with the assistance of the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and Education, a new basic safety
school in Hawaii. It mainly is designed to help the union and
its contracted companies meet the increased manpower
requirements that go hand-in-hand with the expansion of the
U.S.-flag cruise ship fleet as well as the increased demand for
trained mariners from Hawaii.
Those gains certainly aren't the only ones the SIU has
made. As we reported in October, three to six new tankers
have been ordered for the Jones Act fleet. Those ships will be
crewed by SIU members.
Additionally, the Paul Hall Center has opened a first-class
simulator building featuring the world's most modem equipment.
These successes, along with many others that have been
reported throughout the year in the LOG and at membership
meetings, don't come easy and they don't happen by accident.
Particularly in our industry, we have to scratch and claw for
everything we gain. We constantly battle against foreign-flag
interests who would love nothing more than to see the U.S.
flag wiped off the seas.
One way we can win that fight is through the continued
good work of the Paul Hall Center's advisory board. Through
close examination of the industry and careful planning, the
board has been instrumental in helping the SIU provide our
contracted companies with the world's best-trained mariners.
More information about this key group begins on page 5.
Overall, with the year winding down and the holidays
approaching, we in the SIU have much to be thankful for.
We've worked for-and won-many new jobs and substantial
contractual improvements. We've improved our capability to
provide state-of-the-art training for any and all Seafarers who
want it.
We also have our sights set on even bigger gains in the
future. And we intend to keep on winning.
Job Well Done
On a personal note, I extend my most sincere thanks and
appreciation to John Graykowski for his terrific work as
deputy maritime administrator and (twice) as acting maritime
administrator. Mr. Graykowski, as reported on page 7, is stepping down from MarAd. He truly embraced MarAd's cause,
and his enthusiasm will be missed.
Volume 62, Number 11
November 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 520 l Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Managing
Editor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor, Jim
Guthrie; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative Support, Jeanne
Textor.
Copyright © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
2
Seafarers LOG
SIU, Other Maritime Unions
Unite in Battle to Improve
'Oil Patch Mariners' Conditions
Members Asked to Help in Gulf Coast Effort
For the last two years, five
maritime unions have worked
together to organize the offshore
mariners sailing in the Gulf of
Mexico oil patch.
The campaign is reaching
mariners aboard offshore service
vessels (OSV) and tugboats that
pull oil rigs to location. The effort
is taking place all along the Gulffrom Florida to Texas-and has
the full support of the AFL-CIO.
By working together, the
unions- which include the
American Maritime Officers; the
International Organization of
Masters, Mates & Pilots; the
Marine Engineers ' Beneficial
Association; the National Maritime Union; and the Seafarers
International Union-are consolidating their resources to benefit
those seeking a voice at the workplace.
Each of the unions had been
fielding requests from oil patch
mariners to join. Many workers
were afraid they would be unable
to meet the Standards for
Training,
Certification and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers
(STCW) requirements when they
are implemented in 2002. Others
described the horrific conditions
they experience regularly while at
sea and were looking for help.
Still others knew from family and
friends who are members of the
maritime unions about the benefits and job security of having a
union contract.
The unions assisted a grassroots organization called the Gulf
Coast Mariners Association
(GCMA), located in Houma, La.
The GCMA, founded by men and
women who work in the oil patch,
were tired of the runaround they
were getting from the large companies who took over the momand-pop outfits during the bust
times of the 1980s and early
1990s. The founders of the
GCMA realized the mariners
needed a voice.
From its simple start a few
years ago, the GCMA now boasts
a membership of more than 1,000
mariners in Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
As it grew, the GCMA
received more and more firsthand
accounts of the problems and
dangers faced by oil patch
mariners. Many of them were
direct violations of safety and
labor regulations issued by the
U.S. Coast Guard. Yet, almost all
of the reports included a statement that the violations never
were given to federal authorities
because the mariners feared losing their jobs.
Some of these statements
reminded the representatives of
the five maritime unions of the
experiences reported by the organizers 50 and 60 years ago when
they were organizing the deep sea
industry:
Union·-~~,·~
.,Pl,ght·of·OffsbOre''. IVl~rlnersi.
..-rR:'first1Uling !'started hearingtro:if nmttn~,; w&n 1git do~'tiere .~ the ·
homfll9n. sta~enf/They treat us likes:~-' J Fnow it's not pretty tO hear', but
that•s:Wbahtqey say.. And it's no1 Just a~nstttie boat oompantes, but tne oil
ccimpanies and vendors. t hate to see mariners treated like they are the bot.~om of!ft~ b~}l'et. Everyone talks Jike that so
ygu even hear guys referring foithems.etves as 'boat trash.' t can't believe hbw they get paid for 12
hours and work 18 or 20 nours a day With no overtime. and Jt just seems nor~
mat. Ifs hard to agitate arouml overtime because no one really expects it.
People can get fired for anythingat anytime-just because someone doesn't
like you or wants to.hire their nephew. And there's nothing they can do about
it except pack their bags and start tooking for another job."
'
Jimmy O~no, OMU organizer from SIU
much,
"The mariners in the Gulf today haVe constanttY stated they woukf not
want their chftdr~n to ,fu:fl~. theA!; into the industry. They see that their fathers
still have to work lf'\t() thetf 10s because they have no pension and need the
money, They canoot afforct to retire. They want a better life for their chitdren
and this industry does n.o! .provlde it unless they can get some help. That's
why they are looking for
like the unions to provide job security and
long-term benefits."
Tim Dragone, OMU organizer from AMO
scimeone
~organizing
is a much tougher job than I ever imagined. The mariners in
tl1e Gulf are treated like second..class citizens whose rights are ignored by the
boat companies. They're told they~re not allowed to speak to union organizers
or even among themselves about a union. These mariners are routinely
ordered to break environmental laws and the rutes of good seamanship.
They're slowly getting stronger and I'm proud to help them toss away the
chains of slavery that have bound them too long,"
John Hasson, OMU organizer from MEBA
''The mariners here are getting such a raw deal. When you look at conditions on the boats-pay, benefits. food-it's unbelievable sometimes. The
companies treat them tfke a number. The captalns have no authority on the
boats~ but the companies want to catr them supervi$0rs to try to keep them
out of the union. They are called 'boat trash: When they are on the vessels.
it's Uke a prison camp. If anyone needs a union, it's these guys down here."
Gary Hensley, OMU organizer from MM&P
"We have the working condruons of a Third World country rtght here in our
own backyard, and ifs time to clean it up! These mariners can get the job
done under the worst condiUons. be it weather, fatigue or poor equipment.
They make it happen. So I say it's about time that they get the respect and
recognition that they deserve, and the onty way that's going to happen is if the
mariners stick together, They need a union:
John Ebanks, OMU DFganfzer from NMU
The five maritime unions are united in their effort to end the abuse
faced by oil patch mariners who
work aboard vessels like this one
in the Gulf of Mexico.
• "The 12-hour rule is ludicrous. It does not make sense
when it cannot be enforced.
Either run more than 12 hours or
turn the wheel over to an ... inexperienced. You close your eyes
and pray."
• "The whole crew would be
up all day shifting barges and
chipping and painting. Then the
company would call and give us
orders to get a material barge and
take it offshore. This was a fourman crew doing this job. And this
is a continuous cycle."
• "I have been working on
boats for about 28 years. The
number one issue that I see which
needs to be addressed at this time
for the inland and coastwise
mariner is fatigue and hours
worked."
• "I was the only one [capable] to handle my boat, running
my work sometimes beyond 12
hours. Stress is a big part of my
life. Keep going to keep the company, and the oil company, happy.
I have no choice. It doesn't matter
whether I'm tired or not. I'm just
a person that has to feed my family and keep a roof over hls
head."
Others offered actual accounts
of dangerous situations:
• "I was working as a deckhand with Coastal Towing. Me
and the captain were the only
crew. We were working with rig
Workhorse 4 (a jackup rig), moving it from one location to another in Vermillion Block 31. Many
times it would take us 12 to 30
hours to get the rig on location
where it could start to work on
the well. With just two men on
board, we were unable to cook or
get any sleep. The captain would
complain to our office about the
hours and that we were tired and
needed some rest, but they told us
that the boat was not making
enough money to put a third man
on to help. Finally I had enough
and I quit."
• "I have 16 years experience
as a tankerman with a grade A
document. I worked on the MV
San Miguel for Buffalo Marine in
Texas. I have worked hitches of
35 days straight. We were work-
Continued on page 6
November 2000
�SIU-Contracted Companies to anage 45 RRF Vessels
Wages, Benefits Substantially Increased
SIU members will crew 45
Ready Reserve Force (RRF)
ships for the next five years, following the General Accounting
Office's announcement in late
September that upheld earlier
contract awards for 74 vessels by
the U.S. Maritime Administration.
The SIU secured substantial
wage increases and benefit gains
aboard the 45 ships awarded to
six of its contracted operators.
The union also has attained
retroactive wage increases totaling at least 4 percent for the years
1999-2000-a period in which
the RRF vessels operated under
contract extensions because of a
1998 protest concerning the government's bidding procedure.
The new five-year agreements
call for much larger wage boosts,
plus Seafarers Welfare and
Pension Plans benefits at their top
levels; inclusion of the Seafarers
Money Purchase Pension Plan at
5 percent of base wages; increased vacation benefits and
other gains.
The new contracts are retroactive to May 1, 2000. Crew turnover among the 74-ship RRF fleet
was scheduled to begin Nov. I on
Pacific Gulf Marine's Cape Flattery is one of eight RRF ships the company will manage and operate under a contract with the U.S. Maritime
Administ:tion.
•
•
Union EleCllOn Voling
Starts November 1
Voting for officers of the
Seafarers International Union's
Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters District, to be conducted
by secret ballot, begins Nov. 1
and continues through Dec. 30.
This election also includes five
proposed constitutional amendments. (See sample ballot, pages
12-13.)
Full-book SIU members in
good standing are eligible to vote
in the election, which will determine union officers for the 20012004 term. Such members may
pick up their ballots at any of 21
SIU halls throughout the country.
Ballots may be obtained from 9
a.m. until noon, Mondays
through Saturdays, except legal
holidays, until Dec. 30.
The ballot includes the list of
candidates seeking the posts of
president, executive vice president, secretary-treasurer, six vice
presidents, six assistant vice presidents, two headquarters representatives and I 0 port agents (for
a total of 27 positions). It also
includes the five proposed constitutional amendments.
In accordance with the union's
constitution, a credentials committee composed of six rank-andfile Seafarers, elected by their fel-
low members, reviewed the nomination applications to ensure
each candidate's eligibility. The
committee's report was prepared
Aug. 18 (after the nominations
period closed) and approved by
the membership at the September
meetings. Subsequent to the
September membership meetings, a nominee for the position
of vice president in charge of contracts and contract enforcement
appealed his disqualification by
the committee. This individual's
appeal was presented to the membership at the October membership meetings and the appeal was
granted.
The secret ballots are accompanied by envelopes marked
"Ballot" as well as postage-paid
envelopes bearing the address of
the bank depository where the
ballots are kept until submitted to
the tallying committee. Each
Seafarer must present his or her
book to the port agent or agent's
designated representative when
receiving the ballot, the envelope
marked "Ballot" and the mailing
envelope.
When the member receives
the ballot and envelopes, his or
Continued on page 7
lli!i,~~s.e be advisee! that SIU headquarters and all
li4f!l!JiriTJ!l halls will be closed Monday, Dec. 25 for
1;:::E£:EE:.:::;~
'frs h(iurs
will resume the following workday.
·:·-_;;;ft;:
<;:;:._·
November 2000
·,;,
most of the vessels, although a
few began earlier.
The SIU-contracted companies which were awarded contracts are American Overseas
Marine Corp. (AMSEA); Crowley Liner Services; Interocean
Ugland Management.; Ocean
Duchess; Pacific Gulf Marine;
and Patriot Contract Services. A
list of the SIU-crewed vessels
accompanies this article.
The vessels in the RRF fleet
are used when the nation's armed
forces require surge shipping,
such as during the Persian Gulf
War or more recent operations in
Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia. The
ships are owned by the government and operated by private
shipping companies using American merchant mariners.
The fleet is maintained in various states of readiness. Some
vessels are ready to sail at a
moment's notice as prepositioning vessels. Others stand in
reserve or reduced operating status (ROS), ready to be fully
crewed and deployed in four days
or fewer. The rest of the fleet
operates under 10-to-20-day activation status.
The fleet includes tankers,
RO/ROs, barge carriers, crane
ships and breakbulk vessels.
'-JIF Sltips;tiJ Be Managed·by SI~. COnt.panie5
American Overseas
Marine Corp. (9)
Beaver State
Cape Jacob
Cape John
Cape Johnson
Cape Juby
Cape Nome
Curtis
Green Mountain
State
Wright
Cr9wley L!ner
Se/vices (8}
C~pe
Inscription
, {)~pe lntr~pid .
,Gape lsabei ·
Gape Island
Cape Lambert
Gape Lobos
Cape Washington
Gape Wrath
lnlerocean Ugland
Mgmt. Corp. (11)
Petersburg
Potomac
Gopher State
Flickertail State
Cornhusker State
Cape Mendocino
Gape Fear
Cape Mohican
Cape May
Chesapeake
Mount Washington
Ocean Duchess (3)
Alatna
Chattahoochie
Nodaway
When the awards first were
announced in May, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater stated, "These contracts will enable
the Ready Reserve Force to continue to perform its vital role in
protecting America's national
security, one of the Department of
Transportation's top strategic priorities."
Pacific Gulf Marine
(8)
Diamond State
Equality State
Gape Farewell
Cape Florida
Cape Flattery
Keystone State
Gem State
Grand Canyon
State
Patriot Contract
Services (6)
Cape Breton
Cape Bover
Cape Blanco
Cape Borda
Gape Gibson
Cape Girardeau
The awards originally were
made in the summer of 1998, but
MarAd quickly rescinded them
following objections to the bidding procedure. Finally, the new
contracts were announced earlier
this year- but were followed by
more protests, this time apparently concerning the outcome of the
awards, rather than the method
used to determine them.
MSC Launches New Survey Ship
USNS Mary Sears Joins
The U.S. Military Sealift
Command (MSC) last month ceremonially launched the sixth of
its Pathfinder T-AGS 60 class of
oceanographic survey ships, the
USNS Mary Sears.
SIU members will crew the
new ship sometime in 2001most likely in the spring or summer. Meanwhile, finishing touches are being applied to the vessel
at Halter Marine Shipyard in
Moss Point, Miss.
The Mary Sears will join five
other SIU-crewed oceanographic
surveillance ships operated by
Dyn Marine for MSC. The others
are the Pathfinder, Bowditch,
Sumner, Henson and Heezen.
Like its forerunners, the Mary
Sears is 329.5 feet long and can
travel at 16 knots. It will join its
sister ships in collecting scientific data from coastal as well as
deep ocean waters around the
world for the Navy Oceanographic Office.
s Other Surveillance Vessels
Photo Credit: MSC
The USNS Mary Sears, pictured during construction in Moss Point,
Miss., is the sixth SIU-crewed T-AGS 60 class vessel operated by Dyn
Marine for the U.S. Military Sealift Command.
The ship is the first oceanographic vessel named after a
female oceanographer, according
to MSC. The late Mary Sears "is
widely credited with expanding
the role of oceanographic research
and data collection," the agency
noted. She also helped develop
"one of the foremost oceanographic institutions in the world."
Safety Training School Opens in Honolulu
The SIU and the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education last month opened a
new, U.S. Coast Guard-approved
basic safety training school in
Barbers Point, Honolulu. The
facility primarily is intended for
use by local residents for new job
opportunities aboard U.S.-flag
passenger ships- such as the
newly reflagged Patriot (see
story, page 4).
Already, three groups of students (58 individuals) have completed STCW basic safety training at the new school. At least a
few additional installments of the
course will be offered before the
end of the year; it is anticipated
that consecutive classes will be
conducted throughout most or all
of 2001.
The newly reffagged Patriot
sails to Portland. Page 4
Instructors from the Paul Hall
Center, which is based in Piney
Point, Md., directed last month's
classes and also provided lifeboat
training on the SIU-crewed SS
Independence in Hawaii. The
center's health and safety director, Jim Hanson-a key figure in
the planning of the acclaimed
Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and
Safety School, which opened last
year in Piney Point-also helped
teach the courses, in addition to
coordinating much of the setup.
"The students did really well.
They especially liked the maze,"
Hanson noted. "The Coast Guard
was there also, and they seemed
pleased with the safety switches,
the gear and the ratio of instructors to students."
Hanson added that the other
instructors- Dennis Donehoo
and Ben Cusic-"did a tremendous job both in helping get the
facility open and in teaching the
courses. They really went the
extra mile."
The school is located on a forContinued on page 7
Seafarers LOii
3
�r
I'
Sealarers Crew New Z-Drive Tug
~
'
I
SIU members in the Gulf
Coast region are sailing aboard
the new Z-drive tug Matthew K,
following the boat's christening
in Galveston, Texas in late
September.
"It's really an exceptional
boat," said Mate Sean Arbogast.
"It's got great maneuverability
and it's very comfortable."
Bay-Houston Towing Company owns the vessel, while
G&H Towing operates it. Built at
Main Iron Works in Houma, La.,
the Matthew K performs docking
operations in the Texas ports of
Houston, Galveston, Texas City,
Corpus Christi and Freeport. The
boat also has general towing
capabilities.
"This is an exciting new addition to the fleet," stated SIU Vice
President Gulf Coast Dean
Corgey. "It shows the type of
technological advancement that
will keep SIU members in step
with the future. It also underscores the value of the new simulators [at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Edu-
Seafarers (from left) Sean Arbogast, Thomas Sneed, William Hadley
and Jeff Welch welcome the newest addition to G&H fleet.
cation] that will be used to train
people on these high-tech vessels."
Carroll Young, executive vice
president of G&H Towing,
played a big role in the Matthew
K's design. "It was designed with
escort capability in mind, but also
with consideration for future possibilities," he noted. "It has an
extended keel, and in that regard
Seafare rs Climb Gangway
To Pristine Passenger Ship
After many months of anticipation, Seafarers in mid-October
signed on aboard United States Lines' newly acquired passenger ship
Patriot in Oregon.
Following the transfer of ownership Oct. 18 from Holland America
Line, the 1,212-passenger vessel-flying the Stars and Stripes-proceeded to Cascade General Shipyard in Portland, Ore. for a multi-million dollar refurbishment.
Formerly the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Patriot will cruise the
Hawaiian Islands beginning Dec. 9. According to U.S. Lines' parent
company, American Classic Voyages, the Patriot will sail every
Saturday evening from Honolulu, Oahu. Passengers may select from
80 optional island explorations as the ship cruises to the ports of
Nawiliwili, Kauai; Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawaii; and Kona, Hawaii
before returning to Honolulu the following Saturday.
"This acquisition is great news for the American-flag passenger
industry and for the SIU," stated SIU President Michael Sacco. "We
welcome the new job opportunities. We also look forward to doing our
part to help ensure the continued revitalization of the U.S.-flag passenger fleet."
Philip C. Calian, American Classic's chief executive officer, noted,
"We are within weeks of introducing the Patriot as Hawaii's largest
and most contemporary year-round cruise ship. The ship will pioneer
United States Lines' return as 'America's cruise line."'
Under American Classic's Project America initiative, the company
is building a pair of 1,900-passenger vessels slated to begin sailing in
2003 and 2004. They are under construction at union-contracted
Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. and will be the largest
ocean-going cruise ships ever built in a U.S. yard. The keel for the first
ship was laid Oct. 10.
For Patriot reservations, call toll-free 877-330-6600 or visit the
web site www.unitedstateslines.com. For job opportunities on the
Patriot, contact your port agent or visit the "jobs" section at www.seafarers.org.
Admiral Towing Crews
Approve First Contract
The SIU has negotiated its first-ever contract
with Admiral Towing & Barge Company in Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii. According to Neil Dietz, SIU Port
Agent in Honolulu, the agreement is for three years
and affects 12 Seafarers who operate three Z-drive
tugs.
Following unanimous ratification, the pact was
signed Sept. 20, ending negotiations which commenced in June.
Among the contract's highlights are enrollment
in the Seafarers Welfare Plan and the Seafarers
Money Purchase Pension Plan, wage increases and
language for call-out pay.
"I think it's a good first contract," said Chuck
Seafarers LOG
•
Length; 100 feet
•
Beam; 38 feet
•
Draft: 17.1 feet
•
Main engines: 2 EMO 12-645
turbo charged engines, 2150
hp each, devetoping a total of
4300 bhp @ 900 rpm
•
Drive units: 2 Utstein Model
#1650 Azimuth Drive Units
with 86-lnch stainless steel
wheels in Nautican high-performance nozzles
a
Bollard putr: 110,000 lbs.
ahead and 100,000 astern
•
Deck
machinery.:
Markey
Model #DYSF-52 "Escort" fine
winch on bow with 750 ft
"Plasma"
line
rated
at
96(),000# working strength; 1
Markey variable speed cap-
U.S. Lines' Patriot
Debuts December 9
4
All four wheelmen have shown
above-average ability to learn the
new system."
Both Arbogast and Young
pointed out that the Matthew K
gets high marks for crew comfort.
"I've been here 43 years, and
this boat is probably one of the
best I've ever seen in that
regard," Young said.
"I absolutely agree," noted
Arbogast. "The only person you
share a room with is your relief.
The galley is large, and there are
two air conditioning units on the
boat-one especially for the
wheelhouse."
Matthew K FacfSheet
it's not a typical Z-drive tug. The
hull and winch is [like that of an]
escort tug, which also differs
from a typical Z-drive.
"It's unique to this area," he
continued. "Z-drive tugs aren't
common in Texas, but the
Matthew K has been really wellaccepted. It does everything and
more than we'd hoped."
Arbogast said the crews are
adjusting well to the new boat.
"It's not difficult, just different," he observed. "It doesn't
handle like a big boat. You have
joysticks like in an airplane,
rather than a wheel. There's a bit
of a learning curve, but everybody's doing exceptionally well.
stan aft
•
Generators: 2 Detroit Diesef 671 unitsy each producing 75
•
Wheelhouse: Designed with
360--degree visibility
•
Fire fighting: 2000 GPM
Aurora ftre pump. driven by
Detroit Diesel 8V-71 with
"Skum" fire monitor mounted
kW
on fornard deck
8 Classificati-0n: ABS
Inter-
national Load line
SIU Mate Sean Arbogast greets
the boat's namesake, 12-year-old
Matthew Evans Kuebler-a great,
great grandson of Capt. W.D.
Haden, founder of Bay-Houston
Towing.
•
Electronics~
Furuno Radar, 2
VHF radios, PA system, auto
pifot with Furuoo OGPS sys-
tem ·
Orgulf Boatman Ratify New Pact
A new contract has been hammered out between SIU boatmen
in St. Louis and Cincinnati-based
Orgulf Transportation. The new
agreement, ratified Sept. 18, covers three years and boasts significant upgrades in wages and benefits.
Approximately 150 full-time
and probationary SIU members
who crew 21 Orgulf tugboats will
benefit from the fresh accord.
Negotiations had been ongoing
since early August.
Major points of the new contract include:
• Wage increases ranging from
6.1 percent to 8.2 percent in
the first year
• Wage increases of 2 percent
in the second and third years
• Enhanced welfare benefits
that will include prescription
coverage for dependents
• An increase in optical and
death benefits
• A one-time $300 signing
bonus for SIU members
(other than probationary
members)
• Stand-by pay or free-time
Howard, a member of the negotiating committee.
The historic contract offers a unique challenge
for the SIU, Dietz said. The pact is part of a military
bid and marks the first time that Navy tugboats in
Pearl Harbor have been replaced with civilian vessels. The Navy has retired its tugboats in Pearl
Harbor.
The SIU-crewed Admiral Towing tugs are
responsible for providing towing, docking and other
assistance (including emergency) to various classes
of vessels and barges at the U.S. Navy Station in
Pearl Harbor. The crews' most delicate duties will
involve the docking and undocking of submarines,
Dietz said.
In addition to Howard, the SIU contract committee consisted of Deron Schade, a tug captain; and
Bill Sneed, a deckhand. These individuals did a ter-
Continued on page 6
These SIU members recently joined SIU Vice President Great Lakes Tom
Orzechowski and St. Louis Port Agent Becky Sleeper in the successful
negotiation of a new three-year contract with Orgulf Transportation.
Pictured are, seated from left, Nancy Avery, Martha Smith and Herman
Rowe. Standing are W.T. Bush, Doug Ogle and Sleeper.
days (when the company initiates stand-by status)
In addition to the foregoing
advancements, the SIU contract
committee successfully negotiated for the installation of satellite
dishes aboard company vessels.
Orgulf typically has been
tough but fair in negotiations,
according to SIU St. Louis Port
Agent Becky Sleeper.
"Members of both committees
[the SIU contract committee and
their counterparts representing
Orgulf Transportation] worked
extremely hard and addressed all
the issues on the table," Sleeper
said. "We made great strides during the negotiations, especially
with respect to up-front wage
increases and in the medical plan
which now affords prescription
coverage for dependents.
"The new contract goes a long
way to establishing Orgulf as a
premier inland employer company. It offers perhaps the most
competitive wage scale out there
and the medical plan is magnificent," she said. "Hopefully the
next time around, and with more
member participation, we'll
make even greater advances."
Martha Smith, a member of
the SIU negotiating committee,
shared Sleeper's sentiments
about the new contract. "The
negotiations went very well," she
said. "The response we've had
from the membership has been
very positive.
"They (the membership) were
ecstatic with what we got for
them as well as what we did not
lose" she continued. "We were
firm in what we needed ....
"I thought · getting the 6 to 8
percent wage increases the first
year and the 100 percent medical
coverage for everybody, including children and spouses, were
quite fantastic. Both are unique in
day and age," she concluded.
Chris Ulmer, labor liaison for
Orgulf, was equally pleased
Continued on page 5
November 2000
�Advisory Board
Revisits STCW
Governor Mel Carnahan, 66,
Dies in Oct. 16 Plane Crash
Simulators Are a Highlight
As Industry Group Studies
Training Requirements
The Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education's deep sea and inland advisory board worked through an
ambitious agenda last month
during its 33rd annual meeting
in Piney Point, Md.
As has been the case in each
of the last few yearly sessions,
the group devoted much of its
time to STCW-related issues. It
reviewed in detail the convention's various requirements for
unlicensed mariners (see charts,
page 10). It also refined the system for auditing the SIU's U.S.
Coast Guard-accepted training
record books (TRBs )-both the
actual documents and the
school's database that collectively contains the information
found in them.
Other topics included the
Paul Hall Center's new simulators; strategies for recruiting
shipboard personnel; new courses that recently received Coast
Guard approval; "distance learning," a term for providing vocational instruction over a secure
electronic medium; the school's
unlicensed apprentice program;
the Coast Guard's interim rule
on licensing and manning for
officers of towing vessels; and a
review of the board's accomplishments during the past year.
The meeting took place Sept.
25-26. Participants included
representatives of SIU-contracted deep sea, Great Lakes and
inland companies; the Coast
Guard and its National Maritime
Center (NMC); the U.S.
Maritime
Administration
(MarAd); the U.S. Military
Sealift Command (MSC); the
U.S.
Army Transportation
School (Fort Eustis); the
Logistics Management Institute;
the U.S. Military Transportation
Management Command; the
National Transportation Safety
Board; and the Paul Hall Center.
Opening the meeting, SIU
President Michael Sacco credited the board for several noteworthy accomplishments since
last year's conference. These
include the opening of the
Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and
Safety School; the formation
and work of the TRB auditing
committee; and the development
of criteria for the new simulators.
"When labor, management
and government work together
to solve our problems, it's not
that difficult," Sacco stated. "We
can solve them together."
The SIU president thanked
Paul Hall Center instructors and
officials for their efforts in helping secure top-notch simulators
for shiphandling, engine room
operations, liquid cargo transfer
and crane operations- equipment that is expected to significantly enhance dozens of Paul
Hall Center courses. He also
praised the Coast Guard for
working with the school as it
developed and updated curriculums to maximize the simulators' instructional value.
SIU Vice President Contracts
Augie Tellez pointed out that the
conference "is historic because,
for the first time, we have NMU
officials and contracted operators participating."
Bill Eglinton, the school's
director of vocational education,
described the advisory board's
mission as "a team effort.
Together, we come up with solutions. This is a multi-faceted
industry, and there's so much
going on, we've got to talk
about it in order to meet everyone's needs."
He added that since the last
meeting, the school has obtained
Coast Guard approvals for 15
classes, which include a few
renewals and a number of new
courses. The school also has
produced or obtained more than
1,200 training videotapes that
are available to SIU-contracted
companies.
One of the conference's highlights was an in-depth, STCWrelated
question-and-answer
session moderated by Capt.
Myles "Chip" Boothe and Capt.
Ernest Fink of the Coast Guard's
NMC. Along with Eglinton,
they discussed with the other
attendees some of the recurring
questions about both the original
1978 STCW convention and the
1995 STCW convention as
amended. They reviewed the
STCW "checklists" developed
by the school as well as various
Coast Guard regional examination center (REC) procedures
including licensing and certification methods.
The agenda also featured a
hands-on tour of the new simulator building. Upgraders and
Conference participants took a
hands-on tour of the Paul Hall
Center's new simulator building. In
photo above and below, Major
General Kenneth L. Privratsky,
Commanding General of the
Military Traffic Management
Command, tries the crane simulator and visits the bridge simulator.
entry-level students are expected to begin utilizing the new
gear this month.
As reported in previous
issues of the Seafarers LOG, the
bridge simulator is the centerpiece of the new systems. It features a 360-degree viewing sector and three interactive auxiliary bridges. The main bridge
includes an integrated ship control console with ARPA/radar,
global marine distress system
(GMDSS), electronic chart display (ECDIS, with charts from
Continued on page 10
Missouri Governor Mel
Carnahan, a friend of labor who
was running for the U.S. Senate,
died in a plane crash Oct. 16
near St. Louis. He was 66.
Also perishing in the wreck
were Carnahan's son and an
aide. The plane was a six-seat
Cessna 335 which went down in
a rocky area.
Carnahan consistently supported working families. He
fought for collective bargaining
rights for state workers and
opposed "paycheck deception"
legislation similar to California's infamous Proposition
226, which was designed to rob
workers of their voice in the
political process.
The two-term governor's
budgets included unprecedented
investments in job training and
other workforce preparation programs. He strengthened prevailing-wage enforcement and dramatically reduced the time it
took to process workers' compensation claims. He also extended health care coverage to
thousands of previously uninsured children, and he passed an
effective patients' bill of rights.
Carnahan also supported the
U.S. Merchant Marine. He twice
was honored by the St. Louis
Port Council of the AFL-CIO
Maritime Trades Department,
including earlier this year.
Maryland Governor Parris N.
Glendening, chairman of the
National Governors' Association, said in a prepared statement, "Mel Carnahan 's career
and greatness were marked by
his gentle humor and tireless
Orgulf Pact Signed
Continued from page 3
about the new accord. "We [at
Orgulf] were happy with the
overall result of the contract," he
noted. "We were [especially]
happy that we could provide an
increase in the overall coverage
afforded in their health care plan.
I give a lot of credit to your negotiators for that.
"We've had a great relation-
Gov. Mel Carnahan
passion for public service and
the people of Missouri."
Michigan Governor John
Engler, vice chairman of the
association, said, "I served with
Governor Carnahan for nearly
eight years (in the organization).
I came to know him as a man
with a deep commitment to public service."
An editorial in the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch noted, "Among
his political peers, including his
enemies, Mr. Carnahan was
known as an even-keeled, evenhanded and progressive policymaker. Making government
work was Carnahan 's legacy ....
We will miss him because he
was a kind and decent man."
Carnahan was running for the
Senate against incumbent Republican John Ashcroft.
Roger B. Wilson was sworn
in Oct. 18 as Missouri's governor.
ship with the Seafarers for a long
time and we hope to keep it that
way," he added. "They've been
crewing Orgulf vessels for more
than 25 years and have always
done a superb job."
The SIU negotiating committee consisted of Seafarers Smith,
W.T. Bush, Doug Ogle, Nancy
Avery and Herman Rowe along
with Great Lakes Vice President
Tom Orzechowski and Sleeper.
Raise Minimum Wage
Union members and officials rallied Oct.
12 at the U.S. Capitol along with several
prominent legislators in support of
increasing the minimum wage. Speakers
included (top photo) House Minority
Leader Richard Gephardt, (below left)
House Minority Whip David Bonior and
(below right) Senate Minority Leader
Tom Daschle. AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney (far right in photo below) also
helped lead the call for passage of legislation boosting the minimum wage.
In three photos above (from left), Paul Hall Center Vocational Education
Director Bill Eglinton, Coast Guard Capt. Myles "Chip" Boothe and
Coast Guard Capt. Ernest Fink discuss various requirements of the
original and amended STCW conventions.
November 2000
Seafarers LOG
5
�,1
Indiana Harbor Crew
Welcomes Apprentice
Memorializing Mooney
Phase II Offers Valuable Hands-On Training
When the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education
launched its revised trainee program in 1997, perhaps the most
noteworthy addition was a 90-day
shipboard training segment.
Known as Phase II, this portion of
the unlicensed apprentice curriculum affords students the ultimate
in hands-on training. It consists
of 30 days sailing in each of the
departments-deck, engine and
steward-aboard an SIU-contracted vessel.
Great Lakes SIU members
aboard the Indiana Harbor
recently welcomed Paul Gobs as
one of the first Phase II apprentices to sail on an American
Steamship Co. vessel-and the
Seafarers commended both the
student and the program itself.
"I think the hands-on experience is important when it comes
education,"
to
shipboard
observed QMED Todd Buckingham. "Paul is catching on really
fast."
Second Engineer Gerard
Ed Mooney, who passed away in
July, often spent long hours on the
job as an SIU headquarters representative from 1961 until his retirement in 1977. But, as SIU
President Michael Sacco put it,
Mooney also found time to be "a
great socializer. He had tremendous concern for people, especially members of the SIU." With that in
mind, the bar at the Paul Hall
Center in Piney Point, Md. on Sept.
26 was dedicated as the Mooney
Pub. A brief ceremony took place
featuring remarks by Sacco, retired
SIU Vice President West Coast
George McCartney, and Mooney's
son Stephen Mooney (who sailed
with the SIU). A sign was unveiled
that reads "Mooney Pub, A Safe
Harbor." Pictured at right are
Stephen and Julianne Mooney.
Unions Unite to Help Gulf Coast Mariners
Continued from page 2
ing three men per boat -<:aptain,
mate and myself. I would work
many positions, as a cook, engineer, deckhand and tankerman. I
have seen myself work up to 42
hours at a time due to the lack of
crew. I now have a bad back from
having to deal with pulling hoses
by myself and being overfatigued."
• "July 28, 1999, I worked for
a company in Dulac called Gulf
Pride. I went on the boat thinking
I'm making at least $160-$170 a
day-a little crewboat. I had to
find a deckhand. It took us hours
and hours to clean this boat up-it was that messy. The boat hadn't
moved in four months from
where it was. But I told the man
that I could move it.... By 11
p.m. that night, we got the boat
moving [and] went to Intracoastal
City. On Aug. 1, my wife got the
check and she told me I'm only
making $103 a day and the man
don't even know his math-his
adding was also wrong. I called
the man. He never answered. My
wife called. He was very rude.
[He] said ifl don't like it, get off.
Well, I did."
In order to address the needs
of the mariners, the unions created an organization called the
Offshore
Mariners
United
(OMU). As its project, the OMU
·::J<L~
~
Seafarers LOG
Anderson-an SIU hawsepiper
who graduated from the school in
Piney Point, Md. in 1979 and
subsequently upgraded therestated, "It's good to see a person
who came from the same school
that I came from, and his level of
participation has been incredible.
We've already had him making
the rounds. He's catching on
fast."
Before starting their Phase II
training, the center's unlicensed
apprentices complete 12 weeks of
introductory courses in Piney
Point. Later, once they have finished Phase II, they return to the
school for department-specific
training that completes the program.
Gobs, who signed on the
Indiana Harbor in September, said he is enthusiastic about the program
-particularly the shipboard training.
"It has really been a good
experience for me," Gohs noted.
"I've learned a lot, and when my
crew members showed me the
SIU union hall from the ship as
we passed by in Algonac (Mich.),
it made me feel all my time spent
preparing for this 90 days was
worth it."
For more information on the
unlicensed apprentice program,
contact the Paul Hall Center's
admissions office at (301) 9940010, or visit the Paul Hall Center
section of the internet site
www.seafarers.org. The site
includes printable and electronic
versions of the apprentice program application.
Tying up the vessel
(at right) in Saginaw,
Mich. are (below,
from left) DEUs
Larry Kauti, Allan
Johnson and Jack
Povaser.
Oil patch mariners looking to gain the advantages of a union contract
work long hours aboard undermanned supply vessels like these tied up
in Port Fushion, La.
tackled the need for STCW training.
Working with the Louisiana
AFL-CIO and the U.S. Department of Labor, the OMU obtained a grant for the GCMA in
the amount of nearly $4 million
to offer classroom and hands-on
training for union and non-union
mariners to get their STCW
endorsements. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney announced
the grant to mariners on June 23
during a visit to Houma.
The training will be available
at various locations along the
Gulf Coast.
The companies cried foul to
the local media, claiming they
would have provided the training.
The mariners already had seen
An offshore supply vessel delivers goods to a rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mariners working aboard vessels like this are fighting to join a union.
6
QMED Todd Buckingham (left in
left photo) and Second Engineer
Gerard Anderson (right in top
photo), an SIU hawsepiper, welcome Unlicensed Apprentice Paul
Gohs aboard the Indiana Harbor.
promises of additional crew, better pay, safer working conditions
and much more come and go
without being met. They knew if
they were to get their STCW
endorsements, it would have
come from their wallets.
Now, the OMU is launching
its organizing campaign. Members from all five unions are
involved.
This effort will not be won
overnight. It will require the help
of the entire memberships of the
maritime unions. Your assistance
is needed for this drive to be successful.
Many maritime union members have family and friends who
work and/or live in the oil patch
area of the Gulf. Please let them
know about this campaign. Ask
them to get involved to improve
the lives of these overworked
mariners . Let these struggling
mariners know the advantages of
having a union contract, with its
work rules, benefits and educational opportunities.
Members who would like to
assist the effort are urged to contact their port officials.
This is the biggest maritime
organizing battle since the 1950s.
The oil patch is the largest area of
unorganized maritime workers in
the country. All five unions are
devoted to making this drive a
success, noting the odds are great
but they have been overcome
before.
Continued from page 4
rifle job during the negotiations,
according to Dietz. "Each of
them did a wonderful job representing the interests of the members," said Dietz. "Chuck
Howard especially was instrumental during the negotiations
because he made sure that news
was communicated from the
union to the members and vice
versa. We also had tremendous
support from the contracting and
legal staffs at headquarters."
Deron Schade (top photo)
and Bill Sneed (right}
served on the
negotiating committee,
along with Chuck Howard
and SIU Port Agent
Neil Dietz.
November 2000
�-- -
-- - - -
-
- - - - - - --
Graykowski
Leaves MarAd
Transportation
Secretary
Rodney
Slater last month announced that U.S.
Maritime Administrator John Graykowski is
resigning as of Nov. 4.
At press time, his
successor had not
been named.
Graykowski was
named deputy maritime administrator in
1994. He has served
as acting administrator since May, when
Clyde Hart took an
assignment at the
Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration.
"John Graykowski
has been a determined
leader and enthusiastic advocate of the
Vocational Education Director
Receives Public Service Award
nation's maritime industries," said Slater.
"He has had a tangible
positive impact on the
U.S. shipbuilding industry by efficiently
administering
programs and policies
resulting in . . . ship
construction and shipyard activity."
"It has been an
honor to serve under
President Clinton, and
specifically with Secretary Slater," Graykowski said. "The
National Shipbuilding
Initiative, Maritime
Security Program and
Maritime Transportation System innovations clearly illustrate
their support for our
vital American mar-
Outgoing Maritime
Administrator John
Graykowski
itime industries."
Before his appointment to MarAd,
Graykowski was an
associate with two
law firms based in
Washington, D.C. He
also was senior counsel on the Merchant
Marine Subcommittee
of the Senate Commerce, Science and
Transportation Committee.
SIU Election Starts Nov. 1
Continued from page 3
her book will be stamped with
the word "Voted" and the date.
Members who cannot travel to
one of the 21 union halls during
the voting period may request an
absentee ballot. Such requests
should be made in writing, by
registered or certified mail, to
SIU Secretary-Treasurer David
Heindel at SIU headquarters:
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs,
MD 20746. Requests for absentee ballots should be postmarked
no later than Nov. 15.
Article XIII of the union's
constitution spells out the procedures by which an election will
be conducted. The entire text of
Article XIII, along with a sample ballot, a list of voting locations, full reprints of the current
constitution and the proposed
revised constitution, the tallying
committee's report and other
related information appears on
pages 13-32 of the October 2000
issue of the Seafarers LOG.
(Piney Point inadvertently was
omitted from the list of voting
locations that appeared on page
13. It was included on the sample ballot on page 15.)
Moreover, a notice of the election was mailed in September to
all members at their last known
address, with a list of all voting
locations as well as a sample of
the official ballot.
NOTICE OF 2 • ELECTION
FOR ELECTION OF 2001-2004 OFFICERS
SEAFARERS INTERIAnoNAL UNION
Atlantio, Bait, Lakes amllnland WatetS l'h"strlct
Elections wm be conducted by secret matt ballot.
,.,i Batlots may be obtained at the foltowing locations from 9:00 a.m. to 12
{i;OQ(>n {focal tfme}, Mondays through Saturdays, exctuding holidays, during
?5!J~vottng period. The voting period shaU commence Nov, 1, 2000 and shalt
;;;:C<)ntinue
through Dec. 30, 2000.
<J: ..·.-.....
VOTING LOCATIONS
Bill Eglinton, director of vocational education at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education, has received the U.S.
Coast Guard's Meritorious Public
Service Award for his work as
chairman of the agency's Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory
Committee (MERPAC).
Coast Guard Rear Admiral
Robert North presented the award
to Eglinton, who chaired MERPAC for one term from 1998
through early 2000. (A chairman
may not serve consecutive
terms.)
The committee is composed of
unlicensed and licensed mariners,
shipping company officials,
Coast Guard representatives,
maritime training specialists and
others from the industry. MERPAC advises the secretary of
transportation (via the Coast
Guard commandant) on matters
concerning the training, qualification, licensing, certification
and fitness of U.S. mariners.
The award reads in part, "Mr.
Eglinton led a diverse group of
highly talented experts in providing outstanding recommendations to the Coast Guard.. . . His
direct and constant oversight of
the performance measures development work groups resulted in
vital and timely recommendations to the Coast Guard's efforts
to implement the International
Convention on Standards of
Training,
Certification
and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers.
"Mr. Eglinton organized 15
work groups comprised of more
than 100 committee members and
maritime industry volunteers.
Each group developed specific
performance measures for particular shipboard competencies and
forwarded them to the full committee for consideration and
approval. That each of these work
groups completed their respective
tasks on time is a direct reflection
on Mr. Eglinton's personal
involvement, commitment, and
leadership.
"In addition to this significant
accomplishment," the citation
continues, "Mr. Eglinton reassigned committee members who
completed their respective performance measures packages to
develop additional recommendations on simulator standards for
demonstrating competence in cri-
Bill Eglinton, vocational education
director at the Paul Hall Center,
shows the award he received
from the U.S. Coast Guard for
chairing an advisory committee.
sis management and human
behavior; and, advice on a Coast
Guard
proposal
to
the
International Maritime Organization Subcommittee on Standards
of Training and Watchkeeping on
medical standards for seafarers .... His efforts in maintaining
positive morale and high productivity during this challenging
time are highly commendable."
For more information on
MERPAC or the Paul Hall
Center, visit the site index/links
section of www.seafarers.org.
Coast Guard-Approved School Opens in Honolulu
Continued from page 3
mer Navy base that belongs to
the state. It features four different, environmentally safe burn
pads which simulate various
types of marine fires; a "smoke
house" for training with breathing apparatuses; a series of
mazes; two classrooms and an
office; and a container configured for search-and-rescue training.
Plans are in the works to build
a newer, expanded facility.
Meanwhile, 15 or so SIU
members voluntarily joined the
Piney Point contingent in preparing the school at Barbers Point.
Officials and members of the Honolulu Fire Department put the new
school through its paces, inspecting the facility and also training there.
Pictured from left to right are Capt. Terry Seeling, Deputy Chief John
Clark, Chief Anthony Ramos and Paul Hall Center Health and Safety
Director Jim Hanson.
fif....~tJMORE .•.. ••..2315 E$s~x St, Saftimore, MO . 21224
~-~~Ron ... ;~ ....•520 St. Clair River Or., Algonac, MJ 48001
iiOOGJTH .. ~ ....... 705 Medical Arts Bfdg., Duluth, MN 55802
N!~l't~UDERDALE .. 1221 South Andrews Ave., Ft Lauderdalet Fl. 33316
;:;:·:-; ·:-;.-:;:::::·:·.·
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-
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il~~AM
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... ~ ..:....125 Sunny Plaza, Suite 301~E. Tun Jesus
. .Crisostomo St. Tamuning, Guam 96911
lil~Br~LU ? ....606 KaUhi St., H~notulu, HJ 96819
;f.oN . : :..•...1221 Pierce St. Bouston. TX ,nooz
.
W~SoNVtLi.E ....3315 liberty St., Jacksonville~ Fl
32206
.;:SEY CITY ,.•....99 Montgomery St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
0
1~E ..~ ........164tfoaupnin ~s~nd Parkway"~obile, AL
36605
SEOfORO .••46 Union St., New Bedford. MA 02740
OE:LPHlA , ..•2604 South Fourth St, PhHa.deJphia, PA 19148
Above: Students practice turning
a valve and extinguishing a fire at
the new safety school in Honolulu.
The building in the background
houses classrooms for more
instruction.
POINT•' ••••.•Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship,
· ,Piney.f01nt. MD ;20674
Left: Though much
of the safety training
is hands-on, two
large classrooms
are available for
other segments of
the course.
#0'1Bmber 2000
Seafarers LOB
7
�ITF Recovers $1.4 Million for Premier Crew
Runaway-Flag Campaign Gains
Momentum With 'Action Weeks';
Port Canaveral Office Opens
The International Transport
Workers' Federation's worldwide
campaign against runaway-flag
shipping has yielded notably
strong results since a Sept. 19
rally on Capitol Hill titled
"Workers Against Floating
Sweatshops."
The September event (covered
in last month's Seafarers LOG)
kicked off a series of "action
weeks" both in the U.S. and
abroad. It also coincided with the
opening of a new ITF office in
Port Canaveral, Fla. intended to
improve crew conditions in the
cruise ship industry.
Among the campaign's recent
highlights:
• ITF officials based at the
Port Canaveral facility recovered
$1.4 million in back wages for
the crew of the defunct Premier
Cruise Lines runaway-flag ship
SeaBreeze. At press time, they
also were assisting more than
1,100 other crew members from
Premier ships tied up in the
Bahamas.
• SIU members and officials
voluntarily teamed up with ITF
NMU ITF Inspector Enrico Esopa
departs from the Viktorio Kodovilja in Carteret, N.J.
inspectors and representatives of
other U.S. maritime unions for
unannounced ship inspections
Sept. 20-21 in New York/New
Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Houston, Norfolk, Va., Charleston,
S.C. and New Orleans. Several of
the vessels were cited for violations; one was ordered to pay
$5,000 in back wages to the crew.
• In late September, actions
were conducted in 28 European
countries. More than 500 inspections were carried out, and nearly
$400,000 in back pay for the
crews was recovered, with more
expected.
• From Oct. 16-20, the federation sponsored an Asia-Pacific
action week. Nearly $1 million in
back pay was recovered for crews
of the various inspected runawayflag ships.
In announcing the opening of
its Port Canaveral office, the ITF
pointed out in a written statement, "Since the 1980s, cruise
shipping has grown at an average
9.6 percent per year, racing ahead
of other maritime sectors. Port
Canaveral is the world's third
leading port for this trade, handling 1.35 million passengers per
year.
"However, the gains have
been one-sided. Most vessels fly
flags of convenience, which
allow unscrupulous operators to
pay crews a pittance while
demanding they work up to 12
hours a day, seven days a week.
"The ITF is opposed to the
flag of convenience system,
which allows ships to be registered in countries other than that
of ownership, and which is
directly implicated in the operation of unsafe ships, illegal activities and exploitation of crews,"
the federation's statement added.
"For as long as the system is
allowed to continue, the [ITF]
TOTE Nets Safety Awards
For Design of New RO/ROs
SIU-contracted Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) last month
announced it received the Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation (ADEC) Commissioner's Pollution Prevention Award
2000.
The award reads, "For the design and construction of the Orea
Class vessels to be sailing in Alaska by 2002. Totem Ocean Trailer
Express has commissioned ships that carry fuel in double walled tanks,
use a diesel electric propulsion system, and numerous other attributes
that go beyond what is required by law to protect Alaska's air and
water. By doing so, TOTE has set the bar for many other vessels that
travel in Alaska's waters."
TOTE's new roll-on/roll-off vessels are being built at San Diego's
NASSCO shipyard. They will be the first non-military containerships
or RO/ROs built in a domestic yard since the R.J. Pfeiffer came out in
1992.
ADEC Commissioner Michele Brown, in announcing the award,
stated, "We all know that prevention is truly the only way to handle an
oil spill. TOTE, though, acted upon that goal by not waiting for regulations, but [taking] the initiative to make the Orea Class vessel safe,
efficient and environmentally responsible. TOTE went beyond compliance by thinking through the risks, anticipating potential harms and
acting to prevent pollution."
Earlier this year, TOTE received the States/British Columbia Oil
Spill Task Force 2000 Legacy Award in recognition of "extraordinary
efforts to prevent oil spills demonstrated in the design of their new vessels."
B Seafarers LOG
Seafarers and members of other U.S. maritime unions teamed up for unannounced FOC ship inspections
during the U.S. "action week" in September. Among those participating were (left to right, kneeling) Seafarers
Lee Frazier and George Murphy, SIU ITF Inspector Don Thornton, Seafarers Carlos Perez and Harry
Galena, (standing) MM&P member Daniel Laurion, Seafarers George Mazzola and Michael DiAngelo, SIU
Baltimore Port Agent Dennis Metz, Seafarers Brandon Purcell, Greg Brandeni and Bill Lough, and Donald
Marcus of the MM&P.
will attempt to curb its abuses by
ensuring that crews are covered
by agreements on working hours,
wages and conditions."
More than 500 transport-related unions-including the SIUare affiliated with the Londonbased ITF.
Right: Seafarers Tim Taylor
(left) and John Gallagher
(right) meet crew members of
the Cyprus-flagged CMA CGM
Gauguin during an inspection
in Port Newark, N.J.
Texas Commission Rejects
1
Preauthorization1 Rules
AFL-CIO Official Credits SIU's Moore
Editors note: The following is
reprinted from the Texas AFLCIO daily electronic newsletter.
In a resounding victory for
working people, the Texas
Workers' Compensation Commission on Oct. 19 rejected proposed "preauthorization" rules
that would have let the insurance
industry decide most of the circumstances under which an
injured worker gets treatment.
The proposed rules failed on a
3-3 tie vote. The three commissioners representing employers
voted to enact the rules, while the
three commissioners representing
employees voted against the
rules.
To our knowledge, this was
the first 3-3 tie vote since O.D.
Kenemore, a ferocious defender
of working people and the retired
president of the Tideland Central
Labor Council, left the agency for
retirement.
Led by Doctors Council 1199
of AFSCME, the Texas AFL-CIO
spent months lobbying against
the proposals. The commission
staff recently revamped the proposal to relax some of the more
onerous sections, but the doctors'
union and the Texas AFL-CIO
still saw the proposals as onesided attempts to limit medical
treatment for injury victims.
Texas AFL-CIO President Joe
D. Gunn gave the lion's share of
credit for today's vote to
Commissioner Kenneth Moore, a
[representative] of the Seafarers
Union.
"Today, Kenneth Moore came
into his own as a fighter for
injured workers in Texas," Gunn
said. "Some months ago, in criticizing Gov. Bush's appointments
to agencies that have employee
representation, I lumped Brother
Moore in with other appointees
that we believe were not
equipped to do the job. I'm glad
to be proven wrong on this. Ken
Moore today distinguished himself by standing up to a significant amount of pressure in the
interests of Texas working people. Ken Moore led the way and
helped persuade the other
employee representatives, Jack
Abla and Rebecca Olivares, that
as representatives of employees,
they were obligated to protect
injured workers from these proposed rules."
Upon hearing Gunn's comments, Moore said, "I appreciate
the kind words. However, the
credit for this victory definitely
must be shared among all three of
us who voted against the proposal. We wouldn't have won without each of those votes."
Gunn noted that the Workers'
Compensation Commission staff
spent a good part of the meeting
trying to persuade the employee
representatives to sign off on the
proposal, but Moore led the arguments against the proposal during
the commission discussion.
Workers' Compensation Commissioner Kenneth Moore, an SIU
representative, is credited with
helping protect the rights of working people in Texas.
Gunn said after his criticism of
the Bush appointments, he and
the Texas AFL-CIO staff held
several meetings with Moore and
found him to be ready, willing
and able to navigate in the complex waters of workers' compensation law. Gunn said Dean
Corgey, a member of the Texas
AFL-CIO Executive Board, was
instrumental in assuring the
Texas AFL-CIO that the
Seafarers Union, which represents some workers who are covered by workers' comp and some
who are covered by other laws,
would stand tall for the strongest
workers' compensation system
that workers can get.
November 2DDO
�Baltimore-Area Retirees
See Bright Future for SIU
Four Fondly Reflect on Inland Careers
Four retired Seafarers, friends
who each navigated the waters in
and around Baltimore during
their careers with McAllister
Towing, recently gathered at that
city's SIU hall to exchange
pleasantries, reflect on their profession and share their impressions regarding the state of SIU
and its benefits programs.
Collectively, they have more
than 130 years of sea time.
Joining the four was a fifth
Seafarer, Steve Hardin. Although not yet a retiree (he plans
to retire in three years), Hardin,
a tug captain, was eager to join
his friends and hear their takes
on their respective careers. A
monthly SIU membership meeting provided the setting for their
reunion.
Bob Machlinski was the
"vet" of the group. Joining the
SIU in 1952 in the port of
Baltimore, Machlinski sailed as a
member of the deck department.
He ended his Seafaring career in
May 1996.
"I live very comfortably as an
SIU retiree," Machlinski said,
"and I don't think I'll ever work
anywhere else again .... I'm very
satisfied with the pension and
other benefits I receive because
they took care of my wife before
she died. They're still taking
care of me today."
Machlinski says he sees a
promising future for the SIU. "It
looks like the union really is
picking up steam in the passenger trade area," he offered.
"More passenger ships are sailing under the American flag, and
that means more jobs for SIU
members.
"I do foresee a manpower
shortage, though, so the school
at Piney Point will become even
more important," he noted.
"More people will be going
through there to get the skills
they need in order to fill all of
the jobs that soon will become
available."
Joining the SIU in July 1963
was Gerard Freburger. A member of the engine department, he
came ashore in December 1998.
"My retirement package is
good, very good," Freburger
said. "My family and I depend
on my pension as well as benefits. Overall, I am very pleased
with what I receive."
Although he believes a great
deal has changed in the maritime
industry since he began his
career, at least one thing has
remained the same: Unions are
absolutely necessary for worker
protection, he stated.
"There definitely is a need for
unions today, because so many
things are changing in the workplace," Freburger said. "That's
especially true in the maritime
industry because contracts are
getting longer and longer and
more people are needed to fill
the jobs on a long-term basis.
Unions really help and protect
people."
Jerard Cifarelli retired effective January 1998. A native of
Baltimore, Cifarelli was a tug
captain. He joined the Seafarers
in 1970.
During his career, Cifarelli
was never one to stand still. He
sailed as a cook and later as an
engineer. Before retiring, he had
worked his way up to the wheelhouse.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my
time with the SIU, but retirement
is good," Cifarelli shared. "I now
get a good (retirement) check
and basically I'm very pleased.
Our pension and benefit system
is right on top compared to those
offered by other [organizations].
"I can honestly say that if it
was not for the union, I wouldn't
have anything today," he continued. "The benefits we enjoy as
retirees were fought for hard by
the union, and I appreciate that. I
just hope others behind us get to
enjoy the same."
Cifarelli sees today's SIU as
well organized and headed in the
right direction. "The people in
the top positions are doing a
great job. The union is far better
than it was [years ago]," he said.
"When I started, I was making $9 per day," Cifarelli continued. "When I retired I was making more than $200 per day. It's
really come a long way from
what it was when I was working
on the water.
"I would definitely recommend the SIU to anyone looking
for a rewarding career because
it's a good organization. The
leaders are good people who
work for the members, and they
will always be there for you."
Cifarelli was especially
impressed with the new union
hall in Baltimore. The facility
opened this summer.
"The new hall is really nice
and I think the union will benefit
a great deal from it," he offered.
"Besides being great for its
members, the hall sends the message to people on the outside
that the SIU really cares about
its people. That translates into a
better image for all of us and I
Crew Enjoys Off-Time Angling
Chief Cook Jeremy Kelley
November 2000
SA Roger Jarrett
After a recent membership meeting in Baltimore, the retirees as well as
one soon-to-be retiree talked about old times and the future of the SIU.
Those who gathered were (front, from left) Jerry Cifarelli, Gerard
Freburger, (back) Joe Zorbach, Bob Machlinski and Steve Hardin.
Hardin plans to retire in three years.
think that's good."
Joe Zorbach Jr. was the
"rookie" of the group. The
Baltimore native retired last
month with nearly 30 years of
service with the SIU. He joined
the union in 1971 in the port of
Baltimore and sailed in the
engine department.
"Now that I'm retired, I plan
to take it real easy," Zorbach
said. "Who knows, I just might
rent beach umbrellas or something to pass the time.
"I'm not real concerned about
money and that type of thing,"
he continued, "because the SIU
has always taken care of me and
my family. My recent pension
and medical benefits are good
examples of that."
Reflecting on his career, the
U.S. Navy veteran said, 'The
SIU has changed a great deal
since I came in. It's more technical now and if you don't
upgrade, you definitely will get
left behind. I know from experience, because I went to Piney
Point earlier this year and took
four courses myself. The Coast
Guard is making more and more
requirements in all phases of the
industry, so you have to go to
school and learn new things in
order to survive out there."
Turning to the state of the
SIU today, Zorbach offered, "I
used to think that the SIU and
maritime industry in general
would decline in the next 10
years, but I no longer feel that
way. It now looks like everything is on the upswing."
Zorbach said he had experienced some hard times during
his career, but he had no real
regrets about his decision to
become a mariner. "The waters
were not always calm during my
career," he said, "but when I
look back over it, I don't think I
could have done any better anywhere else. I would definitely be
a Seafarer again because I thoroughly enjoyed my career.
Seafaring was a natural for
me," Zorbach concluded.
hen Seafarers from the USNS
Invincible last summer chartered a fishing boat during
their off-time, they made the most of
the trip.
Chief Steward Beth Leonhard,
Chief Cook Jeremy Kelley, QMED
Jeffrey Wise, SA Roger Jarrett and
MDR Mark Blanchard hauled in 75 pounds
of tuna and 60 pounds ofwahoo during their four-hour excursion in
Diego Garcia.
Leonhard said she suggested the trip because "no one liked the
fish we had on board (the Invincible). We brought back the tuna
and wahoo and had a cookout for the crew. Altogether it lasted
about three meals, and we made various dishes-tuna kabobs, marinated and grilled fish .... "
The successful line-casting included one unsavory moment. A
shark bit off a wahoo's body while the
chief steward was reeling in the
doomed fish.
"I pulled the bloody
head right into my chest.
It was gross!" she recalled.
"It was a large shark, and it
nonchalantly ate the rest of
the fish and then kept going."
Leonhard, who provided the photos
for this article, said that the exceptionally clear water
around Diego Garcia helped the SIU anglers' cause. "The
water is so beautiful there, you can see the fish swim by.
We'll probably try for sailfish next time."
The Invincible is a T-AGOS vessel that supports the
U.S. Air Force by deploying a mobile surveillance and
tracking radar system that can monitor U.S. or foreign
space missiles or weapons testing.
W
Seafarers LOS
9
�STCW Requirements for Unlicensed SIU Personnel
(Before February 1, 2002)
Position
Basic Safety Training
Steward Dept. (all)
Yes
Deck Dept.
Ordinary Seaman/DELI
Yes
Able-bodied Seaman
Yes
Bosun
Yes
Engine Dept.
Wiper/DELI
No: Non-watchstander
Note: Mariner may possess a '78 or '95 certificate
for lifeboatman/water survival. But not required
(same for other non-watchstanders)
No: Non-watchstander
Note: Same as above. However, if specially
trained , an STCW certificate for rating forming
part of a navigational watch is required.
Yes
Note: A '78 or '95 certificate for rating forming part
of a navigational watch is required. If assigned
cargo duties, must also have tankerman assistant
on certificate and MMD.
Yes
Note: Same as above.
Yes
Fireman/Watertender
Oiler/OMLI
Yes
QMED-Watchstander
Yes
QMED-Dayworker
Yes
QMED-Pumpman
Yes
STCW Certificate Required
Advisory Group
Studies Training
Continued from page 5
all over the world), a steering
console and more.
It provides teaching support
in the following areas: voyage
planning and execution; coastal
and offshore navigation; collision avoidance; ARPA/radar
operation; electronic navigation
systems; search and rescue operations; vessel traffic management; high speed navigation;
bridge watchkeeping procedures
including tugs and barges, towboats and piloting; GMDSS procedures; oil spill response man-
agement; port development;
human factors; and bridge team
management.
The engine room simulator is
potentially useful to any rating
in that department, from wipers
to engineers. It is designed for
the training of engine room
watchkeeping personnel in the
operations of a vessel's diesel
propulsion plant and electrical
power plant. Additionally, it
includes an auxiliary systems
and machinery simulator.
The crane and liquid cargo
simulators are similarly advanced and useful.
No: Non-watchstander
Note: Mariner may possess a certificate for water
survival.
No
Note: Not required until Feb. 1, 2002. However,
mariner may possess a certificate for water survival.
No
Note: Same as above.
No: Non-watchstander.
Note: Same as above.
Yes: A '78 or '95 certificate for tankerman assistant
is required.
Note: Evidence of meeting compliance with STCW Basic Safety Training (BST) until Jan. 31, 2002 is either evidence of having sailed
prior to Feb. 1, 1997, or individual was assessed aboard ship during the relaxed assessment period and has entries in TRB to that effect,
or has completed a Coast Guard-approved BST course and is recorded in TRB. Effective Feb. 1, 2002, everyone must have received
training and assessment in Basic Safety Training.
STCW Requirements for Unlicensed SIU Personnel
(Beginning February 1, 2002)
Position
Basic Safety Training
STCW Certificate Required
Steward Dept. (all)
Yes
No: Non-watchstander
Note: Mariner may possess a '95 certificate for
Chapter V: Special Training for Special Vessels.
Deck Dept.
Ordinary Seaman/DEU
Yes
Able-Bodied Seaman
Yes
Bosun
Yes
No: Non-watchstander
Note: Same as above. However, if specially
trained, an STCW certificate for rating forming
part of a navigational watch is required.
Yes
Note: A '95 certificate for rating forming part
of a navigational watch is required. If assigned
cargo duties, must also have tankerman assistant
on certificate and MMD.
Yes
Note: Same as above.
Engine Dept.
Wiper/DEU
Fireman/Watertender
Oiler/OMU
Yes
Yes
QMED-Watchstander
Yes
QMED-Dayworker
Yes
QMED-Pumpman
Yes
No: Non-watchstander
Yes
Note: A '95 certificate for rating forming part of an
engineering watch is required.
Yes
Note: Same as above.
Yes: Non-watchstander
(Many SIU-contracted companies have requested
that QMED non-watchstanders possess STCW
certificates in order to help ensure compliance in
special circumstances)
Yes: A '95 certificate for tankerman assistant
is required.
Note: Effective Feb. 1, 2002, all SIU members will have received training and assessment in Basic Safety Training.
STCW Requirements for Limited Licenses SIU Personnel
(Beginning February 1, 2002)
Radio
Observ.
Adv. FF
Surv.
Craft
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
ARPA
License
Tonnage
Voyager
BST
BRM
Master
<200GRT
Foreign
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mate
<200GRT
Foreign
Yes
Yes
Yes
Chief/
Asst. Engr
<200GRT
Foreign
Yes
No
No
GMDSS
Note: Vessels <200 GRT on domestic voyages are exempt and all vessels greater than 200 GRT on domestic or for eign voyages must
meet training requirements listed above.
Note: Mariners must obtain this training and assessment (close the gap) before Feb. 1, 2002. GMDSS and ARPA are required for vessels equipped with this equipment.
Effective Feb. 1, 2002, all SIU members will have received training and assessment in Basic Safety Training.
10
Seafarers LOS
In photos above
and at right, members of the advisory board tour the
school's new simulators for
shiphandling,
engine room operations, liquid
cargo transfer and
crane operations.
November 2000
�"You can't get fresher than
this," notes Recertified Steward Luis Escobar (left), as he
and AB Mario Baja pull in the
catch of the day aboard the
Breton Reef The vessel was
in Cherry Point, Wash. at the
time. The crabs (below) were
so large and plentiful that
Escobar and the galley gang
used them in recipes for
steamed crabs, crab Newburg, crab gumbo and crab
fritters.
Right: Pumpman James
McDaniel (right) got two
birthday cakes for his special day, both baked by
Unlicensed Apprentice Beth
Ketha (center) aboard the
Breton Reef With them is
Recertified Steward Luis
Escobar, who notes that
Ketha is "the best," happily
baking not only cakes, but
cookies and much more.
The galley gang aboard the Liberty Sea is a real team. Doing
whatever it takes to raise morale, provide healthy, hearty fare and
keep the vessel in tip-top condition are Chief Steward Thomas
Kreis, Chief Cook Christopher Green and GSU Artie Pilgrim.
Left: USNS Dahl's bosun,
Klaus "Whitey" Tankersley
(right), and (former SIU member) Captain Mike Finnigan
put the .finishing touches on
the ship's life ring. With the
motto "USNS Voo Doo Dahl,"
it recently was presented to
the Seaman's Club in Diego
Garcia.
Recertified Steward Kevin Marchand and Chief Cook
Bernadette Yancey begin preparations for the next meal
aboard the USNS Dahl.
#o'1ember 2000
Seafal'ers LOB
11
�ELECTION NOTICE OF 2000 ELECTION
Section 401 (e) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act) requires the mailing of an election notice to each member entitled to vote at his last known address. This notice is being sent to you in compliance therewith and, in
addition, contains information of interest to all candidates and members.
SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR VOTING LOCATIONS AND PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL REVISIONS
OFFICIAL BALLOT
No. 00000
SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICAAtlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District
VOTING PERIOD NOVEMBER 1st, 2000 THROUGH DECEMBER 30th, 2000
INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS-In order to vote for a candidate, mark a cross (X) in voting square to the left of name. If you vote for more candidates for office than specified
herein, your vote for such office will be invalid.
MARK YOUR BALLOT WITH PEN AND INK OR INDELIBLE PENCIL
PRESIDS;~
Vote for One
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE SOUTHERN REGION, GREAT
LAKES AND INLAND WATERS
,,
0
Ji
"
Robert (Bobby) J. Clinton 111 .fC-19~8
2
0
Charles Burdette Collins, C-1652''
3
D
Michael J. Sacco, S-1288
'\._ /J
14,ffiJ
~ .1
(Vote for One)
D
,
24
lice-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
·
0
Michael D. Murphy, M-2483
7
0
William Parker, P-1067
17 D
George Tricker,
Larry Frank Phillips, P-1257
9
D
Augustin Tellez, T-764
PHILADELPHIA PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
27 D
Co~§V
(Vote for One)
28 D
(Vote for One)
(Vote for One)
Edward Kelly, Jr., K-5043
NEW ORLEANS PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
Ambrose L. Cucinotta, C-1795
30 D
HOUSTON PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
(Vot,Pfor One)
Don Anderson, A-5244
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN
CHARGE OF THE SOUTHERN REGION,
GREAT LAKES AND INLAND WATERS
(Vote for One)
D Dean E. Corgey, C-5727
Stephen W. Judd, J-5336
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN
CHARGE OF THE WEST COAST
20 D
(Vote for One)
Dennis Metz, M-3013
Nicholas A. Celona, C-1578
(Vote for One)
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE GULF COAST
Joseph T. Soresi, S-2658
BALTIMORE PORT AGENT
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN
CHARGE OF THE GULF COAST
Jack Caffey, C-1010
Robert Selzer, S-1258
MOBILE PORT AGENT
18 D
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE ATLANTIC COAST
11
26 D
(Vote for One)
19 D
10 0
NEW YORK PORT AGENT
T-f)J~:r
-PRESfO;~t~t~..l- J .i
Vote for One
D
Edward "Edd" W. Morris, M-1358
(Vote for One)
ASStSTA.N'f'v1cE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE
"bJ?~ONTRACTS AND CONTRACT
ENFORCEMENT
'··
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
CONTRACTS AND CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT
25 D
:efP
ASSISTANT VIC.
CHARGE OF THE AT~TIC
8
Carl Peth, P-755
A,#(Vo.Jlfor One)
ifr
Vote for One
6
D
Gl.00'{,gVRtiME
.. NT SERVICES
WFISH~G INDUSTRIES
J~*"" ,.~~rm~tr~. Mangram, M-2394
David W. Heindel, H-1443
Leo Bonser, B-1193
(Vote for One)
SECRETARY-TREASURER
D
23 D
Thomas Orzechowski, Jr., 0-601
.L.
.:.
John Fay, F-363
5
(Vote for Two)
PINEY POINT PORT AGENT
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
4
Vote for One
HEADQUARTERS REPRESENTATIVE
21 D
32 D
···~:-.~
~<\.
•;;,,_
ST.
James P. McGee, M-5945
. ~::.~. /.};'
ViQcen.t Frands•Coss, C-8138
.....
l'bu) PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE WEST COAST
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN
CHARGE OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES
AND FISHING INDUSTRIES
Vote for One
(Vote for One)
12 0
Kevin Bertel, B-1832
13 D
Nicholas J. Marrone, M-2308
22 0
Robert Hall, H-5727
33 0
DETROIT-ALGONAC PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
34 D
);
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Seafarers LOG
Donald A. Thornton, T-5501
OFFICIAL BALLOT 2001 - 2004
OFFICIAL BALLOT 2001 - 2004
.q0
0
N
Rebecca J. Sleeper, S-2497
See Reverse Side for
Voting Locations
and
Proposed Constitutional Revisions
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November 2000
�ELECTION NOTICE OF 2000 ELECTION
FOR ELECTION OF 2001-2004 OFFICERS AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Election will be conducted by secret mail ballot.
Ballots may be obtained at the following locations from 9:00 A.M. to 12 Noon, Mondays through Saturdays, excluding holidays, during the voting
period. The voting period shall commence on November 1st, 2000 and shall continue through December 30th, 2000.
VOTING LOCATIONS
ALGONAC
BALTIMORE
DULUTH
FT. LAUDERDALE
GUAM
HONOLULU
HOUSTON
NEW ORLEANS
NEW YORK
NORFOLK
PHILADELPHIA
PINEY POINT
520 St. Clair River Drive, Algonac, Ml 48001
2315 Essex Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
705 Medical Arts Building, Duluth, MN 55802
1221 South Andrews Avenue , Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
S-Sanqy Plaza, Tun Jesus Crisostoma St., Tamuning, Guam 96911
0,l:rKaJ.ihf'$.treet, Honolulu, HI 96819
12~1
Pi}rc~"'
'Street,
Houston, TX 77002
"!.
'~
.ll
15 Libe~"'Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206
Mq}ltgomery Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302
MOBILE
40 ~auphin Island Parkway, Mobile, AL 36605
NEW BEDFORD'''~'""'-- 48 J,Jn'ion Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
PUERTO RICO
SAN FRANCISCO
ST. LOUIS
TACOMA
WILMINGTON
3911 LaPalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058
635 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
115 Third Street, Norfolk, VA 23510
2604 South Fourth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship,
Piney Point, MD 20674
1057 Fernandez Juncos Avenue, Santurce, PR 00907
350 Fremont Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
4581 Gravois Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63116
3411 South Union Street, Tacoma, WA 98409
510 North Broad Avenue, Wilmington, CA 90744
""'·::;:;;~_mm;:e-·
WHEREAS, the Executive Board of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District met on May 12, 2000 to discuss the current needs and conditions of the Union, its membership and
the maritime industry in this country; and
_
WHEREAS, among their discussions and deliberations was the subjecf'Cif''prpposed revisions in the Union's Constitution which would enable the Union to function more efficiently and to continue to fulfill its obligations to the membership· and
/
'\,
WHEREAS, a Constitutional Committee was elected
,AtJ9'ust 7,
·~\in ac;t0rdance with Article XXV, Section 2 of our Constitution. They studied the proposed Constitutional Amendments Resolution and unanimously concurred on all
proposed constitutional revisions; and
/l
WHEREAS, the report of the Constitutional C
\'b y tt\,"membership at the regular membership meetings in September 2000.
l
NOW,THEREFORE,ITISRESOLVED
~~;~
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE FOLLOWING CONSTIT~JION~LY ADOPTED PROPOSITIONS, TO BE VOTED UPON, IF ADOPTED, WOULD AMEND THE CONSTITUTION AS FOLLOWS:
PROPOSITION #1
Are you in favor of amending Article V, Dues and Initiation Fee, Section 1 (a) of the Constitution of !tiEf•$.eafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows :
•section 1. All members' dues shall consist of:
"-'p·· ''·
(a) Dues annually in the sum of four hundred dollars ($400.00) which shall be paid in equal am ,,,,.
n a ~lendar year basis, no later than the first business day of each calendar quarter, and;"
I.~ BOX OF YOUR CHOICE
'so
Noo
_, 111{,N #2
Are you in favor of amending Article V, Dues and Initiation Fee, Section 1 (b) of the Constitu;/k
'(b) a sum equal to five percent (5%) of the gross amount received for vacation benefits for days wo
ment for the earned vacation benefits and shall become effective as to members in the manner design
the employ of the Union, its subdivisions and its affiliated organizations, or in any employment at the Un
above the sum of one hundred dollars ($100.00) quarterly on a calendar year basis, no later than the first
.;!.~national Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
ted employers. Dues payable under this Sub-section (b) shall be payable on the days that the member receives payrmined by a majority vote of the membership by secret ballot. When so determined by the membership, members in
ction as provided in Article XII, Section 1 (a) and (c), shall pay in addition to that provided for in paragraph (a) immediately
iness day of each quarter while so
loyed.'
·:;-;i;,:.
11
11
PLACE X IN BOX OF YOUR
YES 0
NO
Are you in favor of amending the following Constitutional provisions to revise the name of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District;
Title Page
Heading
Preamble
Article I, Name and General Powers
Exhibit A
Preamble, Section Ill, Section IV, Section V, Section VI, Section VII, Section VIII, Section IX, Section X, Section XI, Section XII and Section XIII
so that the name of the Union would reflect the consolidation of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District and t
Maritime Union in all of the above referenced sections
and headings to read as follows Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District-NMU.
PLACE X IN BOX OF YOUR CHOICE
YESO
NOO
11
11
PROPOSITION #4
Are you in favor of amending Article VII, Systems of Organization, Section 2 of the Constitution of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to _tead
·section 2. The Headquarters of the Union shall be located in Camp Springs, Maryland and Piney Point, Maryland or at such places as the Executive Board may determine from time to time. The Hpedquart
J consist of
a President, an Executive Vice-President, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of Contracts and Contract Enforcement, a Secretary-Treasurer, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the Atlantic Coast. on~'(1) Vice-Pi'e.sident in';Chai'ge of the
Gulf Coast, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the West Coast, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of Gp.vemme..,,.
ices and Fi~himJ '
Industries and two (2) Vice-Presidents at Large.'
!{
~~:?"'
Are you in favor of amending Article VIII, Officers, Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters Representatives and Port Agents, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Seafarers International Union''of No'..
, Gulf, Lakes
~-,,,._
and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
'Section 1. The officers of the Union shall be elected as otherwise provided in this Constitution. These officers shall be the President, an Executive Vice-President, one (1) Vice-President in Charge~· ._ ontracts and Contract
Enforcement. a Secretary-Treasurer, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the Atlantic Coast. one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf Coast, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the West Coast, one (1). .~. President in Charge of
the Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters, and one (1) Vice-President in Charge of Government Services and Fishing Industries and two (2) Vice-Presidents at Large.•
'
Are you in favor of amending Article X, Duties of Officers, Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters Representatives, Port Agents, Other Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous Personnel, Section 1o of the Constitution of the
Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
"Section 10. Vice-Presidents at Large.
There shall be two (2) Vice-Presidents at Large whose duties shall be as directed by the President with concurrence of the Executive Board. Such duties and responsibilities may be changed from time to time in like manner, as dictated by the needs of the Union.'
Are you in favor of amending Article X, Duties of Officers, Vice-Presidents, Headquarters Representatives, Port Agents, Other Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous Personnel , Section 14, Executive Board of the Constitution of the
Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
'Section 14. Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall consist of the President, the Executive Vice-President, the Vice-President in Charge of Contracts and Contract Enforcement, the Secretary-Treasurer, the Vice-President in Charge of the Atlantic Coast Area,
the Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf Coast Area, the Vice-President in Charge of the West Coast Area the Vice-President in Charge of the Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters, the Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing Industries, the Vice-Presidents at Large and the National Director (or chief executive officer) of each subordinate body or division created or chartered by the Union whenever such subordinate body or
division has attained a membership of 3,200 members and has maintained that membership for not less than three (3) months. Such National Director (or chief executive officer) shall be a member of the respective subordinate body or
division and must be qualified to hold office under the terms of the Constitution of such division or subordinate body.·
Are you in favor of amending Article X, Duties of Officers, Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters Representatives, Port Agents, Other Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous Personnel , Section 15 (b) , Delegates of the Constitution
of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
"Section 15. Delegates.
(b) The term "delegates• shall mean those members of the Union and its subordinate bodies or divisions who are elected in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution to attend the Convention of the Seafarers International
Union of North America. The following officers and jobholders, upon their election to office or job shall, during the term of their office or job be delegates to all Conventions of the Seafarers International Union of North America in the following order of priority: President; Executive Vice-President; Vice-President in Charge of Contracts and Contract Enforcement; Secretary-Treasurer; Vice-President in Charge of the Atlantic Coast; Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf
Coast; Vice-President in Charge of the West Coast; Vice-President in Charge of the Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters; Vice-President in Charge of Government Services and Fishing Industries; Vice-Presidents at Large;
Assistant Vice-Presidents; Headquarters Representatives , with priority to those most senior in full book Union membership; and Port Agents, with priority to those most senior in full book Union membership.'
PLACE X IN BOX OF YOUR CHOICE
YESO
NOD
11
11
PROPOSITION #5
Are you in favor of amending Article XXll , Quorums, Section 2 of the Constitution of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
"Section 2. The quorum for a regular meeting of a Port shall be twenty-five (25) members.'
11
11
PLACE X IN BOX OF YOUR CHOICE
YESO
NOD
These amendments, if approved, shall become effective upon the date of certification of the Union Tallying Committee.
November 2000
Seafarers LOB
13
�S~ling on
tb.e Atlantic . • •
Appropriately named, the Atlantic sails from the U.S.
ports of Boston; New York; Norfolk, Va.; Charleston, S.C.,
Jacksonville, Fla. and Houston across the Atlantic Ocean to
the European ports of Rotterdam, Holland; Bremerhaven,
Germany; Felixstowe, England; and LeHarve, France.
According to DEU John Cooper (who sent these photos
to the LOG), the hard-working crew aboard the U.S. Ship
Management vessel enjoys the 42-day run but always looks
forward to coming home .
.
.........__,,_,
··~~..;.-,,..~
The Houston shoregang begins loading the ship's stores for the
next trip.
Right: Unlicensed
Apprentices
Nathaniel Miller
(right) and Josh
Ellerbee are
packed and ready
to go home after a
long trip to Europe.
QMED Ehtesham Ahmed
checks the schedule for
arrival time in New York.
He will then return to his
home port of Baltimore.
Bosun George Perry waits for members of the
deck department in the Atlantic's gear locker.
Right: SA
Jack Jones
cleans dishes
from lunch.
DEU John Cooper takes the helm of
the containership.
Left: AB Bill Pinkston
(right) stands watch with
the 8 x 12 mate, Erick
Cox.
Enjoying a quick break in the crew mess are AB Janaro Jackson and
Chief Electrician John Walsh.
Chief Steward Edward Porter (right) talks with Patrolman
Frank Cottongin Ill at payoff in the port of Houston.
APPLY
NOW
FOR
1OF8
SCHOLARSHIPS
TO
BE
AWARDED
IN
1001
r----------------------------------------------------------------------------,
P
lease send me the 2001 SIU Scholarship Program booklet which contains eligibility information, procedures for applying and a copy of the application form.
Mariner's Social Security N u m b e r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Street Address
City, State, Zip Code _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Telephone Number __________________________
This application is for: 0 Self
0 Dependent
Mail this completed form to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Welfare Plan,
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746
14
Seafarers LOB
11/00
Filling out the coupon at left
is the first step toward pursuing
your hopes, dreams and goals
for a higher level of education.
All Seafarers and their
spouses and children who plan
to attend college next year are
encouraged to send away for the
2001 SIU Scholarship Program
booklet. It contains eligibility
information, procedures for
applying and a copy of the
application form.
Eight monetary grants will
be awarded next year to three
SIU members and five dependents. One of the three scholarships reserved for SIU members
is in the amount of $20,000 for
study at a four-year college or
university. The other two are for
$6,000 each and are intended as
two-year awards for study at a
post-secondary community college or vocational school. Five
scholarships will be awarded in
the amount of $20,000 each to
the spouses and dependent children of Seafarers.
Once the scholarship booklet
has been received, applicants
should check the eligibility
information carefully to make
sure that certain conditions are
met.
No one can be awarded a
scholarship without filling out
an application and mailing it to
the Scholarship Program by
April 15, 2001. Do it today!
November 2111JO
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
SEPTEMBER 16 - OCTOBER 15, 2000
*TOTA"L REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Port
·. . Algonac
1
Baltimore
6
:;JjJuam
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
2
2
0
I
4
2
l
3
l
6
4
7
16
3
4
5
27
9
26
Mobile
New Orleans
New York
9
27
30
9
3
10
S
21
11
14
7
4
22
Norfolk
Philadelphia
Piney Point
14
5
4
18
3
6
4
6
2
2
1
2
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
P~rto ·R'.100
:,5;;g.,, ' 8
San Franeisco'ii .21
Seattle .
· ':. 25
St. Louis
Wilmington
Totals
Port
· Algonac
Baltimore
Guam
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
4
2
27
220
11
122
0
0
-0
6
0
5
14
15
0
8
4
15
9
2
7
8
Mobile ,
···'New Orleans
.:. New York
.4
Norfolk
Philadelphia
Piney Point
6
3
2
9
· Puerto Rico
3
San Franc~co: . . · J 1
Seattle
13
St. Louis
Wilmington
Totals
9
8
8
3
3
1
6
7
2
3
4
5
63
o·,·
2
I
18
2
3
2
3
6
4
6
202
5
14
15
6
3
2
3
11
6
3
3
0
3
5
3
2
1
2
0
1
2
62
22
21
48
21
11
9
0
5
3
5
11
17
7
12
7
21
17
26
4
5
10
15
7
3
5
0
3
7
3
14
5
4
Algonac ..................Friday: December 8, January 12
Baltimore ................ Thursday: December 7, January 11
Duluth .....................Wednesday: December 13, January 17
Honolulu .................Friday: December 151 January 19
Houston .. " ..............Monday: December 11
Tuesday: January 16*
•change created by Martin Luther King h<>Jiday
Jacksonville .•.....•....Thursday: December 7. January 11
39
14
4~
4
~l,,
6
34
2
17
5
7
55
56
391
174
100
New Bedford ..........Tuesday: J>ecember 19, January 23
0
3
0
0
7
0
2
NewOrleans .......~...Tuesd!ty: .December 12, January 16
0
8
l
3
2
0
2
4
6
0
7.
4
3
27
29
5
Jersey City .•~...........Wedpesday:December 20, January 24
Moblle t +.................Wednesdai~; December 13, January 17
New York'. ...............Tuesday: becember 5, January 9
9
27
6
' ll
18
0
8
4
3
3
8
' 3.·
7'
17
5
4
4
74
0
1
z
9
3
3
5
12
5
7
'1
2
2
I{)
lO
9
14
14
0
9
0
3
41
3
33
4
11
172
13
3
149
49
6
0
0
10
IO
0
4
90
38
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
1
i
()
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
7
9
3
9
19
2
1
11
11
5
2
4
6
7
0
6
101
0
12
0
12
39
Piney Point ............. Monday, December 4, January 8
2
1()
1
7
9
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
l
' (
0
0
0
3
3
0
1
3
3
1
0
1
7
2
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
AU Groups
Class A Class B Class C
8
100
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
Algonac·
Baltimore
Guam
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
Mobile
0
3
0
11
10
0
0
o·
3
0
Seattle
St. Louis
Wilmington
Totals
12
16
21
l
1
2
0
0
17
6
4
140
42
25
2
0
1
l
l
l
0
3
23
3
0
0
13
2
5
0
0
0
2
1
3
I
0
11
109
2
37
2
33
9
18
5·
0
2
31
0
1
0
6
6
6
5
5
8
9
2
10
1
3
0
3
3
6
0
7
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
0
6
3
5
M~pile
o
4
3
1
0
73
7
9
4
i
4
4
29
Norfolk
Philadelphia
Piney Point
1
0
I
5
Puerto Rico
San Francisco
· ··Seattle
2
St. Louis
Wilmington
Totals
0
9
39
500
ii/GU.am ,
···Ne'W Orleans · ·
York
•
Totals All
Departments
O
3
4
1
0
2
0
2
0
19
10
0
69
0
0
6
2
9
12
2
6
12
3
10
26
7
10
12
0
l
8
8
11
0
4
2
2
0
38
0
15
20
1
9
2
4
11
21
4
158
9
212
0
4
32
412
338
443
s
0
7
0
1
17
1
0
0
0
2
30
2
12
1
4
255
75
39
l
1
0
16
5
8
1
1
J
0
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
8
1
0
1
5
7
9
0
11
MUHARAM HUSIN
Please contact Isabel Husin at (718) 369-1430 or
Maria at (718) 832-7651 at your earliest convenience.
Corrections
In the October LOG, page 13, Piney Point inadvertently was omitted from the list of_yoting locations.
4
0
Personal
i ····
3&
29
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
·
1
1
0
22
9
11
i.
26
4
0
3
0
26
Port
i~l~gonac
· l\altimore
5
3
. SanFrancisco
5
0
1
1
6
4
I
2
4
3
·•· J
7
7
13
8
3
0
22
5
New Orleans
Q
3
4
0
0
0
2
3
8
0
4
19
0
4
1
7
New York
Norfolk
Philadelphia
Piney Point
t Puerto Rico
:~ew
6
9
8
Jl
1
7
103
26
0
5
10
3
4
15
21
2
0
2
9
7
2
3
17
2
0
1
15
19
0
Port
'%
DECK DEPARTMENT
3
l
1
1
0
0
2
2
0
4
Trip
Reliefs
December 2000 & January ztiiJi;<i
Met11bership Meellngs
lleep Sea, Lakes, Inland Waters
In the October LOG, page 37, the obit for SIU
Pensioner Charles Rice should have stated that he graduated from the steward recertification program (not
bosun recertification).
2.
1
0
1
37
16
30
110
10
17
8
10
n
5'
ATTENTION All SEAFARERS
CAeckgour Z,, ·Card/
50
7
56
'/~--·..·,~y
15
2
0
~~
49
l
27
23
9
16
37
8
10
17
0
1
3
4
113
146
0
0
0
78
25
288
24
338
327
265
120
896
686
526
22
2
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
November 2000
Seafarers LOB
15
�-
Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
../
SEPTEMBER 16 - OCTOBER 15, 2000
CL -
Company/Lakes
*TOTAL REGISTERED
AU Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
Port
0
19
12
Algonac
0
8
6
Port
Algonac
Port
0
4
10
Algonac
0
13
. 21
Algonac
Port
Nicholas J. Marrone
Vice President West Coast
.
,Kermett Mangram
Viee President Government Services
..
L-
Lakes
NP -
Non Priority
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
DECK DEPARTMENT
11
8
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
3
5
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
2
7
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
·o
11
8
·····. ·'····· 0
0
8
0
3
0
2
0
5
. lllDADQUART.ERS
. . . S201 Auth Way
· Camp Springs, MD 20746
('W
. l) 899-067 5
ALGONAC
520 St. Clair River Dr., Alg®ac. MI 48001
. (&to) 794-4988
Totals All Depts
0
44
49
0
26
29
0
18
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
20
ANCllORAGE
121 Sesame St, #lC, Anchorage. Al< 99503
·.·.
(907) 561-49'88
D ispatchers' Report for Inland Wat e rs
BALTm.JORE
SEPTEMBER 16 - OCTOBER 15, 2000
·2315 &Sex.St., :aattimoi:e, MD 21224
(410) 3274900
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
GUAM . ,
125 Sunny Plaza, Suite 30M<:
Tun Jesus Crisostomo St.
Tamuning, Guam 9691 l ·
(671) 647-1350
HONOLULU
606 Kalihi St., Honolulu, HI 96819
(80&) 845-5222
· ·u;oUSTON
.• J 121 Pierce St, Houston. TX 71002
.
(713) 659.-5152
~~,J1tland ~aters
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
. Lakes, Inland Waters · 0
West Coast
0
Totals
0
Region
Atlantic Coast
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
8
12
0
1
·· o
0
1
···•·
()
0
0
.
0
0
9
1
0
10
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
0
0
0
•··.·. > () .
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
0
1
0
0
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Gulf Coast . . . <
Lakes, Inl~!ld Water~.;tdfg
····· ··.·.·.···.··········
~l!~~~DVO;~
4& Union St., New Bedford, MA 02740
(508} 997-5404
NEW ORLEANS
3911 Lapalco Blvd., Hm'Vey, LA 70058
(504)328-7545
NEW YORK
635 Fourth Ave.• Brooklyn, NY 11232
West Coast
Totals
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Totals All Depts
1
0
13
2
0
11
3
1
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
1
34
(7 18) 499-6600
NORFOLK
115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 2.3510
PIC-FROM-THE-PAST
(757) 622-1892
PlOLADELPlUA
2604 S. 4 St., P.biJadelphi~ PA l 9148
(215) $36-381&
PINEYPOlNT
P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674
(301) 994~0010
PORT EVERGLADES .
· J i21 S. Andrews Ave,, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
.
(954) 522...7984
SAN FRANCISCO
35-0 Fremont St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-5855
Government Services Divisfon
(415) 861-3400
SANTURCE
l 057 Fernandez Junc<>S Aile., Stop
Santu.rce, PR 00907
(787) 721-4033
16~
ST. LOUIS
4581 Gravois Ave., St. Loliis, MO 63116
(314) 752-6500
TACOMA
.3411 South Union Ave., Tacoma, WA 98409
{253) 212m14
WILMINGTON
This 36-year-old photo was sent to the LOG by retired Seafarer James W. Krebser
of Stuart, Fla. He writes: "Unlike the proverbial 'ships that pass in the night,' they often
pass in the daytime, too. This snapshot of two Great Lakes bulk carriers was photographed in July 1964 on Lake Superior from aboard the SIU-contracted SS Frank E.
Taplin."
Krebser then went on to sail 10 Sea-Land containerships throught the 1970s in the
SIU's Atlantic & Gulf District.
Broad Ave., Wtlmin8f()n, CA 90744
(310) 5494000
16
Seafarers LOG
November 2000
�Welcome. Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
n Inland pilot, a recertified
steward and a recertified
bosun are among the 17
Seafarers announcing their retirements this month.
Alton Douglas navigated the
inland waterways as a pilot for
nearly 30 years. Recertified
Steward Norman Evans and
Recertified Bosun Enrique Velez
graduated from the highest levels
of training available to members
in the steward and deck departments, respectively, at the Paul
Hall Center in Piney Point, Md.
Including Evans and Velez, 13
of the retirees sailed in the deep
sea division and one plied the
Great Lakes. Douglas and two
others navigated the inland waterways.
Six of the retirees were members of the deck department, four
shipped in the engine department
and seven sailed in the steward
department.
On this page, the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of the retiring Seafarers.
A
DEEP SEA
AHMED
ALGAZZALI, 65,
joined the SIU
in 1979 in the
port of New
York. Born in
Yemen,
Brother
Algazzali first sailed aboard
Connecticut Transport's Connecticut. A member of the steward
department, he upgraded his
skills in 1987, 1989 and earlier
this year at the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and
Education in Piney Point, Md.
Brother Algazzali last shipped
aboard the Captain Steven L.
Bennett, operated by Sealift, Inc.
He resides in Brooklyn, N.Y.
JOSEPH F.
BIL LOTTO
JR, 71, hails
from
Louisiana. He
began his
career with the
SIUin1951,
first sailing
aboard the Steel Fabricator, operated by ISCO Inc. Brother
Billotto shipped as a member of
the engine department, last working aboard the Sea-Land
Challenger. He calls Mobile, Ala.
home.
ERNEST
BRINKLEY,
62, joined the
SIU in 1964 in
the port of
Norfolk. He
first sailed
aboard the
Spitfire,
NORMAN
EVANS, 63,
joined the SIU
in 1960 in the
port of San
Francisco.
Prior to
becoming a
Seafarer,
Brother Evans served in the U.S.
Army from 1954 to 1957. He first
sailed aboard the Del Campo,
operated by Delta Steamship
Lines. A member of the steward
department, Brother Evans completed the steward recertification
course at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School of Seamanship
in 1984. The Alabama native last
sailed aboard an American Ship
Management vessel. Brother
Evans lives in Dallas.
AMBROSIO
FACHINI, 56,
hails from
Brazil. He
joined the SIU
in 1966 in the
port of New
Orleans and
first sailed
aboard the Overseas Joyce. A
member of the steward department, Brother Fachini upgraded
his skills at the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and
Education in 1993. He last
worked aboard the American
Merlin, operated by OspreyAcomarit Ship Management, Inc.
Brother Fachini resides in
Wilmington, Calif.
EDWARDJ.
HIEL, 61,
started his
career with the
SIU in 1969,
joining in the
port of
Cleveland. He
first sailed
aboard an American Steamship
Company vessel. A native of
Michigan, he shipped as a member of the steward department.
Brother Riel upgraded his skills
at the Paul Hall Center in 1990,
1994, and again earlier this year.
He last sailed aboard the USNS
Sisler, a Maersk Line vessel.
Brother Riel calls Saginaw, Mich.
home.
a
General Cargo Corp. vessel. A
native of Florida, Brother
Brinkley shipped as a member of
the steward department. He last
sailed aboard Bay Ship
Management's USNS Yano.
Brother Brinkley resides in
Norfolk, Va.
HAROLD G. CALDEIRA, 64,
began his SIU career in 1956,
joining in the port of Houston.
Born in New York, he shipped as
Nortember 2000
a member of
the deck
department.
Brother
Caldeira
upgraded his
skills at the
Paul Hall
Center for
Maritime Training and Education
in 1995 and 1998. He last sailed
aboard CSX Lines' Newark Bay.
Brother Caldeira calls Holiday,
Fla. home.
PHILLIP C.
PARDOVICH, 65,
joined the SIU
in 1958 in the
port of New
York. Prior to
becoming a
Seafarer, he
served with the U.S. Army from
1954 to 1956. A member of the
engine department, Brother
Pardovich first sailed aboard
Boston Towing Boat Company
vessels. He upgraded his skills in
1979, 1981 and 1991 at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship. The New
York native last worked aboard
the Sea-Land Newark Bay.
Brother Pardovich resides in Port
Richey, Fla.
Salcedo first sailed aboard the
Penmar, operated by Calmar
Steamship Corporation. A member of the steward department, he
hails from Puerto Rico. Brother
Salcedo last shipped aboard the
USNS Algol. He resides in New
Orleans.
!.••~~JESUS
RODRIGUEZ, 65,
began his SIU
career in 1981,
joining in the
port of
Wilmington.
Born in South
America, Brother Rodriguez
sailed as a member of the engine
department. He first shipped
aboard the Santa Mercedes, operated by Delta Steamship Lines.
The Columbia native last worked
aboard the Overseas Ohio.
Brother Rodriguez lives in
Whittier, Calif.
ENRIQUE
VELEZ, 58,
hails from
Puerto Rico.
He began his
career with the
SIU in 1977,
joining in the
port of New
York. A bosun, Brother Velez
first shipped aboard the Robert E.
Lee, operated by Waterman
Steamship Corp. He shipped as a
member of the deck department
and completed the bosun recertification course at the Paul Hall
Center for amaritime Training
and Education in 1993. Brother
Velez last sailed aboard the SeaLand Crusader. He resides in his
native Puerto Rico.
JULIAN
SALAZAR,
64, hails from
Texas. He
started his
career with the
SIU in 1970,
joining in the
port of
Houston. Before becoming a
Seafarer, he served in the U.S.
Army on two occasions; from
1950 to 1952, and from 1952 to
1954. Brother Salazar first
shipped aboard the Steel Flyer,
operated by ISCO, Inc. A member of the engine department, he
upgraded his skills often at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship. He attended the institution in 1975, 1978,
1979, 1980 and 1984. Brother
Salazar last sailed aboard the
LNG Libra, operated by Pronav
Ship Management. He calls
Houston home.
JOSE SALCEDO, 56, started his
SIU career in 1964, joining in the
port of Puerto Rico. Brother
WAYNED.
WOODCOCK, 64,
started his
career with the
SIU in 1966.
Prior to
becoming a
Seafarer,
Brother Woodcock served with
the U.S. Coast Guard from 1956
to 1960. He first sailed aboard the
USNS Mt. Vernon, operated by
Mt. Vernon Tankers Corporation.
A native of Texas, Brother
Wookcock shipped as a member
of the steward department. He
upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship in 1975.
Brother Woodcock last sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Explorer.
He lives in Waco, Texas.
GREAT LAKES
MOUSA M. SALEH, 52, joined
the SIU in
1972 in the
port of
Detroit. Born
in Yemen, he
first sailed
aboard the
George D.
Globe, operated by Great Lakes Associates.
Brother Saleh shipped as a member of the deck department. He
last sailed aboard the Richard J.
Reiss, operated by Erie Sand
Steamship. Brother Saleh is a resident of Dearborn, Mich.
INLAND
DOMENICO
CHIODI, 62,
started his
career with the
SIU in 1981,
joining in the
port of New
York. Born in
Italy, Boatman
Chiodi spent his entire career
sailing aboard New York Cross
Harbor Railroad vessels. He
sailed as a member of the deck
department. Boatmen Chiodi
resides in the Bronx, N.Y.
ALTON
DOUGLAS,
65, hails from
Louisiana. He
began his SIU
career in 1962,
joining in the
port of New
Orleans. A
pilot, Boatman Douglas first
sailed aboard Dixie Carrier vessels. He last sailed aboard Allied
Towing vessels. Boatman
Douglas calls Slidell, La. home.
FRANK D. WHITTINGTON,
73, joined the SIU in 1962. A
native of Galveston, Texas,
Boatman Whittington sailed
aboard Galveston Wharves operated vessels during his career. He
resides in Texas City, Texas.
amend the U.S. labor laws in order to give the
NLRB jurisdiction over aews of foreign-flag
1942
vessels substantially engaged in American comBritish Prime Minister Winston Churchill
merce. The SIU president dedared that this
offered his thanks and
action would prevent
the thanks of the
disasters such as the
Royal Navy to the
..
sinking of the
aews of two SIU-conI Tl
.f ~f I n
Yannouth Castle, the
tracted ships that
A.f
•r.
American-owned,
returned to New York
.f~f
Panamanian-flagged
after 1 t months on
01Jise ship which sank
the run to Russia. A
in the Caribbean with
commendation
~==============================~ a los.s of 89 lives,
relayed by Adm. E.S. Land, director of the
after being destroyed by fire.
War Shipping Administration, from the British
1990
Admiralty said in part~ "Mr. Winston
An additional breakout of Seafarers will crew
ChurchiR, the British Prime Minister, has paranother 13 ships for the government's Ready
ticularly requested that he be associated with
this message of congratulations ••.• I should like Reseive Force (RRF) fleet which has been acti·
also to offer my congratulations to you and
vated by the military to support the massive
deployment of supplies and equipment to the
your aew for excellent work you all perPersian Guff•••. For the duration of the breakformed during this encounter,, which is a great
credit to the United States merchant marine.'' out, SIU President Michael Sacco extended
The ships are unnamed for security reasons.
until 10 p.m. the hours of the union's man·
power center and hiring halls, which have been
operating in high gear since August when the
1965
stepped-up shipping demands began.
SIU President Paul Hall called on Congress to
Reprinted from past issues of the SeJ.farers LOG
,.UJS MQ,A.f..rU
J SJU HJ Si ORy
Seafarers LOG
17
�Editors note: The Seafarers LOG
staff makes every attempt to find and
publish pertinent facts regarding the
careers of our deceased brothers
and sisters. These facts normally
include, but are not limited to, date
and port joined the SIU, vessels
sailed, department worked, and
place of residence at the time of
death. In some instances, however,
significant information simply is not
available on their respective careers.
When this occurs, we will list the
name, age, date of death and division sailed at the end of this column.
Photos will be published when available.
DEEP SEA
NORWOOD BARBOUR
Pensioner
Norwood
Barbour, 73,
died July 23.
Born in North
Carolina, he
joined the SIU
in 1945 in the
port of Norfolk.
He shipped as a
member of the engine department
and began receiving his pension in
1969. Brother Barbour served with
the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1952.
He made his home in Washington,
D.C.
ROBERT BELVIN
Pensioner
Robert Belvin,
79, passed away
July 26. Brother
Belvin joined
the MC&S in
1968 in the port
of San
Francisco. A
member of the
steward department, he first sailed
aboard the President Polk. The
Louisiana native began receiving his
pension in 1984. He last sailed
aboard the President Madison.
Brother Belvin lived in San
Francisco.
.--------~
VIRGILIO COLLAZO
Brother Virgilio
Collazo, 48,
died July 14.
Born in
Bayamon, P.R.,
Brother Collazo
joined the
Seafarers in
1999 and sailed
as an AB. He
first shipped aboard the Chemical
Explorer, operated by Intrepid Ship
Management. Brother Collazo last
worked aboard the Sea-Land
Hawaii. He resided in his native
Puerto Rico.
HELEN DRAGAVON
Pensioner Helen Dragavon, 82,
passed away May 5. Sister Dragavon
joined the MC&S in 1957 in the port
of San Francisco. Born in Soudan,
Minn., she shipped as a member of
the steward department. Sister
Dragavon first sailed aboard an
Oceanic Steamship operated vessel
and last worked aboard the
Mariposa. She began receiving her
pension in 1969. Sister Dragavon
called Hermantown, Minn. home.
OLAF KJONBOG
Pensioner OlafKjonbog, 98 died
July 25. Brother Kjonbogjoined the
Seafarers in 1950 in the port of New
Orleans. Born in Norway, he sailed
as a member of the steward department and began receiving his pension in 1969. Brother Kjonbog
resided in Kenner, La.
.,.
Seatann LOB
JOHN MERKEL
RAYMOND SMITH
Pensioner John
Merkel, 76,
died Aug. 15.
Born in
Philadelphia,
Brother Merkel
began his career
with the SIU in
1942, joining in
the port of
Mobile. The Philadelphia native
sailed in the deck department and
shipped primarily aboard Waterman
Steamship Corp. vessels, including
the Northern Lights. Brother Merkel
began receiving his pension in 1971.
He lived in Wadena, Minn.
Pensioner Raymond Smith, 72, died
May 17. Brother Smith joined the
SIU in 1961 and sailed primarily
aboard Great Lakes Towing vessels.
Born in Cleveland, he sailed as a
pilot. Brother Smith began receiving
his pension in 1990. He lived in
Lakewood, Ohio.
CONRADO NAVARRA
Pensioner
Conrado
Navarra, 88,
passed away
Sept. 8. Brother
Navarra was
born in the
Philippines and
sailed with the
SIU as a member of the steward department. He
began receiving his pension in 1969.
Brother Navarra lived in New York.
AnANTIC FISHERMAN
CLYDE PARKER
Pensioner
Clyde Parker,
82, died July
14. Born in
Alabama, he
joined the
Atlantic
Fishermen's
union in 1940
.........~;;.umo""""-.._..,............., in the port of
Savannah, Ga. before it merged with
the AGLIWD. He sailed as a member of the deck department and
...---==~....,,.....,.,.,
began receiving his pension in 1981.
A bosun, he resided in Mobile, Ala.
BART POWERS
Pensioner Bart Powers, 72, passed
away Aug. 3. He joined the Atlantic
Fishermen's Union in 1953 in the
port of New York. The New York
native sailed as a member of the
engine department and began receiving his pension in 1985. He lived in
Clearwater, Fla.
WILLIAM COUTURE
Brother William Couture, 89, died in
July. Brother Couture sailed in the
deep sea division.
WILLIAM MURRAY
.,...---.,----.,,,,_.,,...=--. Pensioner
William
Murray, 86,
died July 3.
Brother Murray
sailed in the
deep sea division.
Only limited information was available on the careers of the following
deceased brothers/sisters:
ANTHONY RUSSO
LEON GASPERMENT
Pensioner Leon
Gasperment,
95, passed away
July 14. Brother
Gasperment
sailed in the
Railroad
Marine division.
Pensioner Anthony Russo, 75, died
July 11. Brother Russo shipped in
the deep sea division.
SHEW WONG
Pensioner Shew Wong, 77, passed
away June 14. Brother Wong sailed
in the deep sea division.
KUNO SCHOPFER
Pensioner Kuno
Schopfer, 84,
died July 9.
Brother
Schopfer began
his career with
the SIU in
1951, joining in
the port of New
York. He first
sailed aboard Victory Carrier's
Aimes Victory. Born in Germany, he
shipped as a member of the engine
department. Brother Schopfer began
receiving his pension in 1984. He
called Summerville, S.C. home.
WILLIAM THORNTON
Pensioner
William
Thornton, 84,
passed away
July 28.
Brother
Thornton began
his career with
the SIU in
1940, joining in
the port of Philadelphia. A member
of the engine department, he was
born in Johnston County, N.C.
Brother Thornton last shipped
aboard the Andrew Jackson, operated by Waterman Steamship Corp.
He served with the U.S. Army from
1942 to 1943. Brother Thornton
began receiving his pension in 1962.
He lived in Sea Level, N.C.
INLAND
EDDIE JONES
Boatman Eddie Jones, 41, died May
22. A member of the steward department, he sailed primarily aboard
Delta Queen Steamboat Co. vessels.
Boatmen Jones resided in Chicago.
GREAT LAKES
HARVEY LONG
Pensioner
Harvey Long,
95, passed away
June 19. Born
in Michigan,
Brother Long
sailed as a
member of the
engine department. He
worked primarily aboard Viking vessels, including the Ann Arbor.
Brother Long began receiving his
pension in 1969. He resided in
Thompsonville, Mich.
Your Rights To Additional Information
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annuat report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed beloW'ke included in that report:
1) An accountant's report;
. . . 2) Assets held for investment;
. .. ~; i>
. .•
.
·if,3) transactions in exces~ 9f? per~~nt of the plan as~s; c;;; ·. '.. i
.J.)
.
Actuarial information reg~rdingthe . furiding ofthepl~i ~rid ,
. ·
5).·. Financial information an? inforn:tation on payments to sepdc~ pf9videi:s; · . . . .··
...
. ..
. . .. 1'9 6btajfi a copy of the·fu:lla,nnual·repo:rt, or-any part the@~ wtlteor call Board ofTtustees of Seafarers Pe.rtsion:T.rnst; 5201
~titltWay. Camp Springs, MD2()746, {301) 899~0675. 'fll~ cb.aige to cover copying costs will be $8.85 for the full: annuali:eport
or.JS cents per page fm: any part~~f.
. ·
.,.. You also have therigh~to. .tJ;ceive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge,a statement of the assets and liabµlties of the plan and acco~ying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of ~~.f!la:iJ. and accompanying note&, or both.
If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan adroinistrator~ these ~o $~eµts and accgm:panyjng not~s
be
wm
inCluded as part of that report.
. .,
. > · tr. t · · . . .
.. .
}·
You also bave the legally pr-0tected right to examine the ~rirtual report at the main' o~~~,'.9f the; pJan (5201 Autb ~ay, Camp
Springs, MD 20746) and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington D.C., or t(J ?pbt~m:w c.~py fu>m the U .S, DepartJn,etit'o:f
Labor upon payment of copying c~ts..Requests to the Department should be add:r~ t<).;~~~lic Disclosure Room. Room N4677;
Pension and Welfare Benefits ~dJliinI~tr.ation.
U.~. Department of La:bor, 200 ConstitutfonA\tenue, N.W.; Washington DC 20216.
·:.;·
.
.
·~~::.::::;-.;:~/)'::;
.·.·.
,•:;.
:
-
SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT
FOR GREAT LAKES TUG &DREDGE PENSION PLAN
This is a summary of the annual report for the Great Lakes
Tug & Dredge Pension Plan,
EIN 13-1953878, Plan No. 003, for the period January 1,
1999 through December 31, 1999. The annual report has been
filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
Basic Financial Statement
Benefits under the plan are provided through a trust fund .
Plan expenses were $1,629 ,68 l. These expenses included
$213,741 in administrative expenses and $1,415,940 in benefits
paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 305 persons
were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the
plan year, although not all of these persons had yet earned the
right to receive benefits.
The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the
plan, was $23,767,126, as of December 31, 1999, compared to
$25,004,473 as of January 1, 1999. During the plan year, the
plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of $(1,237,347).
This decrease includes unrealized appreciation and depreciation
in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the
value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of
the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets
acquired during the year. The plan had a total income of
$392,334, including employer contributions of $202, 110, realized gains of$1,009,023 from the sale of assets, earnings from
investments of $1,196,282 and unrealized (depreciation) of
assets of$(2,015,08l).
Minimum Funding Standards
An actuary's statement shows that enough money was con-
tributed to the plan to keep it funded in accordance with the
minimum funding standards of ERISA.
Your Rights To Addftlonal Information
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual
report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below
are included in that report:
1) An accountant's report;
2) Assets held for investment;
3) Transactions in excess of 5 percent of the plan assets;
4) Actuarial information regarding the funding of the plan;
and
5) Financial information and information on payments to
service providers;
To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call Board of Trustees of Great Lakes Tug & Dredge
Pension Plan, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746, (301)
899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $5.25 for
the full annual report or 15 cents per page for any part thereof.
You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and
liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of
income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or
both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the
plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying
notes will be included as part of that report.
You also have the legally protected right to examine the
annual report at the main office of the plan (5201 Auth Way,
Camp Springs, MD 20746) and at the U.S. Department of
Labor in Washington D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S.
Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests
to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure
Room, Room N4677, Pension and Welfare Benefits
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution
Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20216.
November 2000
�llfli'~i#fJlrers LOG attemptgto print as many digests of union shipboard
;;ft~ ?t·i :L:· 'minutes as possible. On occasion, because of space
s.
ll~:inutes ,;::;;r;;m:;~ct"P•~aL
1%i[1Jtl#e.1SS,ues requiting attenlio11, o.r.re,;,lutlon a"' gddressed by the union
Hff/ i;Y/it1n receipt of thtt. ~bi/'-s~ minutes:·The minutes are then forwarded
·_•- · - · -~I
·· ·
, •.•_!_•_•_:
.•
_•.-.•
,•_._•_•.•.•-·-·-· ·'·-·-·-·-•_!_._._-_•-·-· ;_.•._
--·
,~!~e,Seat;r/lrs LOG for publicalion.
.........
XWHffr::·~·;
CSX TRADER (CSX Lines), July
2-Chairman Loren Watson,
Secretary Kevin M. Dougherty,
Educational Director Milton E.
Sabin, Deck Delegate Joseph A.
Loyal, Engine Delegate Joseph A.
Canlas, Steward Delegate Alejo
A. Fabia Jr. Bosun reported
everything going well. He stressed
shipboard safety, including wearing proper shoes on deck. He
talked about new simulators at
Paul Hall Center in Piney Point,
Md. and how SIU is using latest
technology to keep its training levels among highest in world.
Secretary stressed importance of
contributing to SPAD, this being
major election year, and encouraged members to register to vote.
"Our votes could have a major
impact on the Jones Act and other
issues affecting the future of
American shipping." Educational
director pointed out new simulators at Piney Point for training by
engine department members as
well as deck. He also noted that
anyone who has not been to the
school lately would be very
impressed with fire fighting school
and culinary lab. Treasurer
announced $400 in ship's general
fund . Would like to purchase
weight lifting and aerobic exercise
machines and make nice gym in
passenger lounge. Beef reported in
deck department. Bosun noted that
ship now in last year of five-year
contract with Sea-Land (now
CSX) and advised crew members
to discuss any ideas or suggestions
for contract negotiations. He also
reminded everyone to separate
plastics properly, to rewind and
take care of video movies and to
know and follow safety rules
booklet. Vote of thanks given to
steward department for great job.
Next ports: Tacoma, Wash.;
Oakland, Calif.; Honolulu; Guam.
continue to upgrade skills at Paul
Hall Center and be sure to meet
STCW requirements. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Vote of
thanks given to steward department for good job.
ROVER (Intrepid Shipping), July
9- Chairman Jamie Miller,
Secretary Juan B. Gonzalez,
Educational Director George
Fernandez, Deck Delegate Carey
L. Foster. Bosun advised crew to
wear hard hats and safety glasses
during canal transit and in port. He
also reminded them about separating all plastic items from regular
trash and said he spoke with captain about getting daily news.
Secretary urged unlicensed apprentices to listen to old-timers on ship
in order to learn ropes. Educational director reminded brothers
and sisters to upgrade at Paul Hall
Center and to be sure STCW is
current. By 2002, every seaman
will need it. Deck delegate reported disputed OT; otherwise, ship
running smoothly. Clarification
requested from headquarters
regarding missing man watch.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department for job well done. Next
port: Dijbouti, Africa.
SMT CHEMICAL TRADER
(Intrepid Ship Mgmt.) July 31Chairman Anthony Maben,
Secretary Gregory Johnson,
Educational Director arlton .
Stamp. Ship due to arrive in
Ukraine Aug. 8 and then head to
U.S. in September. Chairman
thanked crew for smooth voyage
and noted importance of donating
to SPAD. He also urged members
to read LOG to keep updated on
happenings in union and maritime
industry. Secretary extended vote
of thanks to all hands for helping
keep messroom clean. Educational
director advised crew members to
upgrade at Piney Point school.
EXPLORER (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
July 20-Chairman Michael A.
Noble, Secretary William R.
Burdette, Educational Director
Kevin DeSue, Deck Delegate
Larry D. Thompson, Engine
Delegate Steven L. Rollins,
Steward Delegate Carlito S.
Navarro. Chairman pleased with
good trip, good crew and good
food. He thanked everyone for
their help. New dryer brought
aboard this voyage. Need individual crew member to be responsible
for upkeep of rental TV. Secretary
stated revision of sailing schedule
needed. Educational director
reminded crew members of
upgrading courses available at
Piney Point. Treasurer announced
$1,830 in ship's fund. No beefs
reported. Some disputed OT indicated in engine department.
Clarification requested on vacation
days and retirement. Next ports:
Long Beach, Calif.; Panama.
USNS DAHL (Maersk Line), July
29-Chairman Klaus W.
Tankersley, Secretary Kevin L.
Marchand, Educational Director
William Staton. Chairman noted
previous question on travel was
answered and is something to be
considered in next contract.
Treasurer announced $560 in
ship's fund; $300 will go toward
Aug. 13 island party (vessel currently in port in Diego Garcia).
Additional donations being sought.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestion made that when crew
member gets off and has to wait
for flight in Diego Garcia, he
should be paid daily wages until
actual time of departure. The way
it is, some have to wait several
days without pay. Round of thanks
given to steward department for
great food and service. Pictures of
ship on sale for $5 from steward or
captain.
OOCL INNOVATION (U.S. Ship
Mgmt.), July 23-Chairman
Konstantinos Prokovas,
Secretary Edward C. Winne,
Educational Director Rex E.
Bolin, Deck Delegate Daniel W.
Miller, Engine Delegate Richard
H. Surrick, Steward Delegate
Hamdi Hussein. Secretary noted
ship to change to Mediterranean
run next voyage. Ship also to be
renamed SeaLand Oregon. Educational director urged everyone to
CSX CHALLENGER (CSX
Lines), Aug. 13-Chairman
Tommy R. Benton, Secretary
William E. Bragg, Educational
Director Clive A. Steward Sr.,
Deck Delegate Erowin C. Udan,
Engine Delegate Larry P. Calixto,
Steward Delegate Glenn A. Taan.
Chairman noted old business pending is cleaning of supply air duct
system. He advised crew members
of upcoming payoff scheduled
Aug. 22 in Jacksonville, Fla. and
November 2000
r mmd d
m to adh re to Yra te
management procedures. Agriculture inspector will not allow
any deviations from rules. He also
stressed importance of contributions to SPAD and MDL.
Secretary suggested everyone read
latest issue of LOG and make sure
all sailing papers are up to date.
Educational director urged all
hands to apply for upgrading at
Piney Point-and not miss out on
this benefit. Discussion held on
starting ship's fund. Deck department reported beef and disputed
OT for dayworkers. Suggestion
made for contracts department to
consider reducing requirements for
vacation benefits. Steward to
check on status of fans for cabins
and common areas. Vote of thanks
given to all departments for helping keep clean ship. Special mention to DEU Mothana Mothana
and UMS Rafael Pagan for extra
effort and hard work. "They are
without a doubt a credit to the Sill
and its membership." Next ports:
Houston; New Orleans; Jacksonville; San Juan, P.R.
CSX CONSUMER (CSX Lines),
Aug. 6- Chairman Rudy A.
Santos, Secretary Terry L. Allen,
Educational Director Mark Serlis,
Deck Delegate Milton F.
Caballero, Engine Delegate Jose
E. Villot Jr., Steward Delegate
William Muniz. Chairman
announced payoff Aug. 8 in
Oakland, Calif. He thanked crew
for job well done and advised
them to be sure endorsements are
up to date. Secretary noted ship's
first unlicensed apprentice, Mike
Harvey, is good shipmate. He
reminded those getting off to leave
room clean for next person.
Educational director advised members to upgrade skills at Paul Hall
Center and get necessary endorsements for increased job security.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Several suggestions made for consideration by contracts department:
lower seatime required for pension
and improve medical plan for
dependents. Next ports: Oakland
and Long Beach, Calif.; Honolulu.
CSX KODIAK (CSX Lines), Aug.
13-Chairman Garry D. Walker,
Secretary Melvin E. Morgan,
Educational Director Alfonso D.
Bombita Jr., Deck Delegate John
S. Habib, Engine Delegate Gebar
H. Ogbe, Steward Delegate Rang
V. Nguyen. Chairman announced
scheduled arrival in Tacoma,
Wash. Aug. 15 with payoff next
day. Blanket relief for crew available Aug. 16. Educational director
advised everyone to check z-cards
and STCW for expiration dates
and renew them, if necessary. He
also noted schedule of upgrading
courses listed in monthly LOG. All
members urged to upgrade skills.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestion made from crew to
have pay<? ff upon arrival of ship in
Tacoma in order to have more time
to spend with families. Vote of
thanks to steward department for
keeping ship clean and for excellent food preparation. Next ports:
Anchorage and Kodiak, Alaska;
Tacoma.
CSX TACOMA (CSX Lines),
Aug. 6-Chairman Joseph Artis,
Secretary Lincoln E. Pinn Jr.,
Educational Director Lorance D.
Pence, Engine Delegate Steven D.
Bower, Steward Delegate Jioia J.
deLeon. Chairman stated payoff
scheduled in Tacoma, Wash. upon
arrival Aug. 8. Educational director recommended crew take advantage of upgrading courses offered
at Piney Point. He also stressed
importance of contributing to
SPAD. Treasurer announced $500
in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made
that CSX implement sailing board
by phone and also have it posted
by 1700 hours. Crew asked to
· p laundr) room door closed at
all times and lint screens cleaned
for fire safety. Everyone also
requested to rewind and replace
movies when finished viewing.
Thanks given to steward department for job well done.
DEFENDER (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
Aug. 5-Chairman Jerry
Borucki, Roger D. Linasan,
Educational Director Gerald
Payne, Deck Delegate Peter
Koucky, Engine Delegate Asher
adding extra man in steward
department and providing dependents with prescription coverage.
Requests made for repair of communications system in crane, purchase of new embarkation ladders
and better selection of movies.
Also request made for voltage converters in staterooms. Next port:
Charleston, S.C.
MARINE COLUMBIA (ATC),
Aug. 4--Chairman Anthony J.
Sabatini, Secretary William E.
Cruising the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is
an awe-inspiring engineering achievement.
Completed in August
1914, it unites two great
oceans-the Atlantic and
Pacific-and provides a
path between North and
South America. Bosun
Jerry Borucki (left) sent
us this photo of himself
and Second Mate
Haines Lawrence as the
U.S. Ship Management
vessel Defender made
its way through the
canal on its run from
San Pedro, Calif. to
Freeport, Bahamas.
J. Liss, Steward Delegate Barry J.
Alviso. Chairman thanked everyone for job well done. Secretary
also praised all hands for keeping
ship clean. Educational director
encouraged crew members to
upgrade at Piney Point to increase
knowledge and financial future. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Clarification requested on emergency trip off ship. Unlicensed
laundry room needs two washing
machines and two dryers. Request
also made for new VCR in crew
library. Ship en route to San Pedro,
Calif. Then heading to Panama,
Mexico and Freeport, Bahamas.
INNOVATOR (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
Aug. 13-Chairman George D.
Vukmir, Secretary Jose M.
Bayani, Educational Director
Christopher L. Earhart, Deck
Delegate Gerry A. Gianan,
Engine Delegate Melvin W.
Layner. Chairman announced
payoff Aug. 15 following U.S.
Coast Guard inspection. He
thanked all departments for good
job since taking ship out of shipyard in Ulsan, Korea July 13.
Secretary thanked chairman and
deck department for keeping ship
very clean. All unlicensed crew
members wished Capt. Garry E.
Fleeger good luck on his new job
as port captain of Matson ships.
Educational director urged all
hands to attend upgrading classes
at Paul Hall Center for training
and job security. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Next port: Los
Angeles.
MAERSK TENNESSEE (Maersk
Line), Aug. 27-Chairman James
J. Keevan, Secretary Dwight E.
Wuerth, Educational Director
Peter G. Murtagh, Steward
Delegate Thomas G. McCurdy.
Chairman talked about piracy near
anchorage in Callao, Peru. He
asked crew members to return all
movies to gym area and contribute
to SPAD. This is an election year,
and SPAD donations help keep the
union strong. Secretary thanked
crew for helping keep house clean.
Educational director suggested
everyone upgrade skills at Piney
Point. He also reminded crew to
keep all merchant mariner 's documents, STCW and TRBs current.
Treasurer announced $158 in
ship 's fund. Some disputed OT
reported in deck department.
Recommendations made for contracts department to look into
Bryley, Educational Director
Ronald Gordon, Engine Delegate
Detricke P. Kelly. Chairman
announced receipt of new washer.
He urged all Seafarers to vote in
upcoming SIU election Nov. 1
through Dec. 30. Educational
director advised all hands to
upgrade at Paul Hall Center for job
security and to keep current with
STCW requirements. He also
stressed importance of contributing
to SPAD. Treasurer announced
$1,500 in ship's fund. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Suggestion
made for contracts department to
look into prescription coverage for
dependents. Vote of thanks given
to steward department for job well
done and to Chief Cook Sam
Harris for great meals. Next port:
Cherry Point, Wash.
NORTHERN LIGHTS (IUM),
Aug. 28-Chairman John 0.
Glenn, Secretary Gregory G.
Keene, Educational Director
Michael W. Phillips, Deck
Delegate Rafik A. Shahbin,
Steward Delegate Christopher D.
Hopkins. Chairman announced
layover in Anchorage, Alaska.
Secretary stated good voyage with
good ship .and good crew. He
reminded crew members to check
mariner's documents and STCW
for expiration dates. Educational
director urged everyone to utilize
educational opportunities available
for SIU members at Piney Point.
Crew asked to help keep laundry
and lounge areas clean and to
close doors to outer decks.
Request also made for satellite
dish aboard ship. Vote of thanks
given to deck and steward department for job well done.
OVERSEAS NEW ORLEANS
(OSC Ship Mgmt.), Aug. 27Chairman Daniel N. Laitinen Jr.,
Secretary Jonathan White,
Educational Director John E.
Trent, Deck Delegate Darrel W.
Koonce Jr., Engine Delegate
Willie J. Franks, Steward
Delegate Sisto DeAnda. Chairman
noted payoff in New Orleans Aug.
30. He advised crew to attend
upgrading courses at Paul Hall
Center. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Request made for new
ice machine and for new linens
and pillows. Thanks given to steward department for great job.
Seafarers LOG
19
�Chicken Fried
Steak
Know Your Rights
Serves: 25
. . . serve with chicken gravy, mashed
potatoes and biscuits ...
Ingredients:
GALLEY
CORNER
4-1/8 pounds cube steak
1-1/2 quarts all purpose flour
4
eggs
1-1/8 quarts buttermilk
salt
black pepper
Season 1/2 cup flour with salt and pepper to taste. Pat
cube steaks dry with paper towel and dredge in seasoned
flour. Put aside while preparing batter.
Beat egg with milk, then gradually add remaining 1 cup
flour, beating constantly to make a smooth, thick batter.
Season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a fryer to 370 degrees. Dip steaks into batter and place in hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning
once, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Be sure to heat
oil back to 370 degrees between batches.
Drain on paper towels before serving.
a particular recipe or has one of
their own that they would like to share, drop Chef
Hetmanski a line at the Paul Hall Center, P. 0. Box 75,
Piney Point, MD 20674 or e-mail to:
shlssvoc@us. hsanet. net.
If anyone is looking for
Certified Executive Chef
John Hetmanski
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The
Constitution of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District makes specific provision for
safeguarding the membership's
money and union finances . The constitution requires a detailed audit by
certified public accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee of
rank-and-file members, elected by
the membership, each year examines
the finances of the union and reports
fully their findings and recommendations. Members of this committee
may make dissenting reports, specific recommendations and separate
findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds
of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District are administered in accordance with the provisions of various trust fund agreements. All these agreements specify
that the trustees in charge of these
funds shall equally consist of union
and management representatives
and their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust
funds are made only upon approval
by a majority of the trustees. All
trust fund financial records are
available at the headquarters of the
various trust funds.
SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the
employers. Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts are posted and
available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Northwest 1\lrlines ..•AU~\. lAM. IBT. TWU
Unions
Ol~mpic :\lrwa~~ .. .IAM
Ontario Kxpl'C$S .•. IAM
AH\-A....,gn. of 1'11ght Attendants. AF'lrCIO
Pilots Assn.• Afl.rCIO
A~\-Allied Pilots Assn.
APPA-1\ssn. of Profos.c;lonal Plight
Attendants
CW\-CommunlcaUons \\brkers of
America, Af'L--CIO
lAM*-lnlcrnaUonal A.o;.c;n. or \fachlnisL<>
& Aerospace Workers, 1\!<1,-CIO
IACP-Jndcpcndcnt Assn. of Conllnental
Pan :\merfcan Alrwa~s ...Af;\. AW·\
Piedmont Airlines.•. i\fi\. All}\. !AM
Pro:\lr...AP:\. UAW
PSA Airlines .. .Ml\. ~\J,m. lAM. IITT
Reeve AlcuUan Airways ... ALPA
S~way Airlines ...AU~\
Southwest Airlines .. .IAM. !UT. 'l'VU
Splr
I'\. T\\ll
..ALm. nn. TWU
1\l.l.~\-J\lr I.inc
Piiots
trn•-tntemauonal Brotherhood of
Tuamstcrs. AFlrCIO
ln\--tndcpendent Pilots A."lSn.
PACE-Paper. Allied-Industrial.
Chemical & f<:ne©' \forkers
lntcniaUonal Union, 1Wr,.c10
'f\\li-Transport Work.Cl'$ Union.
AFlrClo -
:r.
'IWU
Allegheny Commuter lrllnes ..•AFA.
ALn\, mr
UNION
20
LABEL
Seafarers LOS
... ACP. IAM. !UT
Lines...ALB\. 1WU
Alr AUanUc•.. L-\M
Atrnc ... Al.l~\
Air Canada .• JAM
Alr Midwest•. .IAM
Air Nom .. .ALPt\
Air Ontario...ALn\
Air 'Iran Airlines•..1\FA. IBT, TWU
Air Transal. ..ALn\
Air Wlsconsln ...AH\. :.\ U}\, lAM
Alaska 1\lrllnt'$ ...Af<i\, ALB\. IAM. IBT.
ANO
E.xpross I (Nortl1wcst.s\irllnk) .•.Al.f~\.
PACE
Frontier :\lrllnes ...'f\\iU
Great f..akes Avtalton ... fAM. Un
Hawaiian Airlines ... AfA. AU~\. IAM. 1'\.'U
Horl1.0n Alr...AB\. IBT, 'l'WU
Kelo\\11a Fllgbtcran.Air Charter.. .!\I.PA
KJ.c\f...'l'WU
Labrador 1\lrways .. JAM
Mesa Airlines... Af/\, AU}\
Mesaba A'.iaUon ...At/\. ;\J,f}\, TIVU
Midway Airlines ...AH\, ALH\, lJ M
Mld\\'CSt Express .•. AE\, ALB\
SERVICE
TRADES
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU
contracts are available in all SIU
halls. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime
on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union
official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she should
contact the nearest SIU port agent.
con
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
UA\~~!'(j ·.· 't.\!!
Air r\lllanr.e...AT.PA
Full copies of contracts as referred
to are available to members at all
times, either by writing directly to
the union or to the Seafarers
Appeals Board.
• l<'urelgn l-1:1{1 Carriers: The lA\I rtprcsenis
rmploytws of lhe follo\\1ng: J\er Ungus. Aero
Peru. lltalla lrllnes. Al ~\t, AnUllcan
Alrtlnes. 8atmmasa1r. British i\lrwa,)s, BWIA.
Continental Micronesia. OOmlnl<'ana. 1-:1 :\I
Israel; l.l>\T. f ,u.IUlan.~. MeJi:lc.ana, Pl:tt1111plne
Airlines, Swii Air. and Vartg. In addition. the
lBT repm;enis emplO)'CCS of (:<JnUnent<JI
Mlcnmcsla.
DEPARTMENT,
AFL·CIO
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective membership. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Seafarers LOG
policy is vested in an editorial board
which consists of the executive
board of the union. The executive
board may delegate, from among its
ranks, one individual to carry out
this responsibility.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU
unless an official union receipt is
given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any
money for any reason unless he is
given such receipt. In the event anyone attempts to require any such
payment be made without supplying
a receipt, or if a member is required
to make a payment and is given an
official receipt, but feels that he or
she should not have been required to
make such payment, this should
immediately be reported to union
headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of
the SIU Constitution are available
in all union halls. All members
should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a
member feels any other member or
officer is attempting to deprive him
or her of any constitutional right or
obligation by any methods, such as
dealing with charges, trials, etc., as
well as all other details, the member
so affected should immediately
notify headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in
employment and as members of the
SIU. These rights are clearly set forth
in the SIU Constitution and in the
contracts which the union has negotiated with the employers. Consequently, no member may be discriminated against because of race, creed,
color, sex, national or geographic
origin.
If any member feels that he or she
is denied the equal rights to which
he or she is entitled, the member
should notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS
POLITICAL
ACTIVITY DONATION
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to further its objects and purposes including, but not limited to, furthering the
political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the
preservation and furthering of the
American merchant marine with
improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen and the
advancement of trade union concepts. In connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions are
voluntary. No contribution may be
solicited or received because of
force~ job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct,
or as a condition of membership in
the union or of employment. If a
contribution is made by reason of
the above improper conduct, the
member should notify the Seafarers
International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the
contribution for investigation and
appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his
or her economic, political and social
interests, and American trade union
concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If
at any time a member feels that any
of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been denied
the constitutional right of access to
union records or information, the
member should immediately notify
SIU President Michael Sacco at
headquarters by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The
address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
November 2000
�During a standby aboard the CSX Hawaii are (from left) Chief
Steward Rafael Cardenas, SA Elston Yu and Chief Cook William
Blees.
AB Tom Grosskurth repairs a canvas in the bosun's
locker aboard the El Morro during a recent payoff in
. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
San Juan.
Ar11111tl fl1e l'ttrf ttf 11111 1111111
Edward Haber,
chief steward on
the CSX Challenger,
is ready to help serve
the next meal.
Chief Mate John Cates (left) and
Capt. William Smith are happy to get
the recent LOG during a servicing trip
to the tug Sentinal, which took place
at TMT Terminal on Isla Grande in
San Juan.
Right: Prior to payoff of the
Perseverance (IUM) in
Yabucoa , P.R., AB Diego
Hatch Jr. helps with the discharging of cargo at the
Sun Oil Terminal.
OMU Rod Frazier performs a routine check of the
engine room burners on the NPR, Inc. vessel
Carolina.
Pedro Barbosa (right)
receives his first union book from
SIU Safety Director Amancio Crespo
(who sent the LOG the photos on
this page) at the San Juan hall.
At the TMT terminal in San Juan, Chief Mate
Roger M. Rothschild operates the stern winch
during preparations for sea operations aboard
the tug Pilot.
November 2000
At the SIU hall in San Juan are (from left) AB Julio Matos, GUDE Victor
Torres, San Juan Safety Director Amancio Crespo, AB Rafael Vega,
SA Antonio Colon and SIU Delegate Raymon Ayala.
AB
Steven
Gough
serves
pizza
aboard the tug
Pilot while the
vessel is being serviced.
Seafarers LOG
21
�r,
Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
SEAFARERS
PAUl HALL CENTER
PA UL. HAL L CENTE R
LIFEBOAT
CLASS
Tankerman
LIF EBOAT CLASS
.. ~:'.'~'"·':';':;~3.'5".~:Q,po,~<;fO:<":;'.'.'.'~;o
Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class
606 - Unlicensed apprentices from class 606 who graduated from the water survival course are (from left) Elliott
Johnson, Skyler South-Sutika, Thomas Hawks and Jason
Thompson.
Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 607 Completing the water survival course are unlicensed apprentices from
class 607. They are (from left, kneeling) Jermiel Lawson , William
Wak~man , (seco~d row) Brent Fitzgerald, David Provost, Karen Aguilar,
Dominque Tarantino , Jesse Toves, (third row) Christopher Offrey, Philip
Brown, Justin Grasseth , Jack Slagle, Jefferson Weir and Darnell
Slayton.
(PIC)
Barge
-
Upgrading Seafarers completing the tankerman (PIC) barge course Oct. 13 are (from
left, first row) Kenneth Baker, Damon
Johnson, David MacCollister, Mitch Oakley
(instructor) , (second row) Spencer Kreger,
Tim Keller, Steve Bush and Marvyn Chester.
Able_ Seaman -
Ta':l_k~r ~ami~arization/Assistant Cargo (DL) Graduating from the tanker
fam11tanzat1on/ass1stant cargo (DL) course Oct. 13 are (from left, kneeling) William Howell,
Cody Colson, Antwan Stafford, Leonard Shuman 11 , (second row) J.J. Cooper, Jessica
LoRusso, Kenneth Green, Harry Oglesby, Arlington Ayoso, Keith Mcintosh, Jim Shaffer
(instructor) , (third row) Joshua Ellerbee, Ole Olesen, Kevin George, Archie Ware Jr.,
Gilberto Figueroa Jr., Ibrahim Muhammad, William Yurick, Nicholas Craddock, Nathaniel
Miller, Jamal Somerville, (fourth row) Bryan Hill, Peter Pamepinto and Kenneth Jackson.
Earning their AB ratings Sept. 29 are (from left 1rst row) James
Hazel.Ip,. ~oel Balaguer, Jose Gamb~a , Mark Edmo_nds, Alberto Rivera ,
nd row)
"dEman V1l1, Ahmed Saleh, Jerry Cassie, Stan Beck (instructor), (third row, virtua
den) Jonathan Buffington , Muhiddin Awale, (fourth row) Richard Williamson, Cha
Schulz and Peter Wojcikowski.
Marine Electrical
Maintenance - With
their instructor Eric
Malzkuhn (far right) are
upgrading Seafarers in the
Oct. 13 graduating marine
electrical maintenance
class. From the left are
Anatolia Gorit, Leonides
Bacal, James Daley, Taylor
Watson, Milton Greene Jr.
and David Parker.
STCW and Water Safety -
Crew members who will be working aboard American
Classic Voyages' new cruise ships recently completed required classes in STCW and water
safety. They are (in alphabetical order) Randall Agpalsa , Stephen Dewey, Joyce Hefley,
Wolfgang Herz, Ernest Higa, Matthew Mccombs, Melissa _.Moyers, Neil Reilly, Armin
Ruehling, Mark Rumbarger, Roderick Smith, James Somera, Hans Susser and Josef
Wilblinger.
We Did It!
FOWT -
Earning their FOWT endorsements Oct. 6 are (in alphabetical order) Nabil Ahmed, Geoffrey
Bagley, Norn~an Barbosa, Chris Chambers, Virgil Craige, Joshua Davenport, Russell English, Edric
Hernandez, Richard Kent, Hussein Kirkland, Robert Lee, Keith Ligon , Romuald Marlinski, James McDonald,
S~lvatore Migliara, Melvin Nelson, Carlos Ortiz, Jason Paesler, Ryan Palmer, James Porter, Jason Roate,
Vincent Sanchez, Kwan Tam, Bobby Taylor, Anthony Thomas, Europa Tuivaiti , Paul Weil and James
Williams. Not pictured are James Beaudreau, Shannon Bonefont, William Knox and Bruce Weathers. Their
instructor, Mark Jones, is at far left.
22
Seafarers LOS
Unlicensed Apprentice Graduation - All the studying
pays off for another group of unlicensed apprentice graduates as
they complete Phase Ill of their program Oct. 20. From the left
(first row) are Andrew Linares, Paul Hagan, Ray Herbert, Todd
Curry, Michael Humphrey, Quinton Washington, Jesus Martinez,
Norman Arquillano , Michael Logotaeo, (second row) Michael
James Jr., Jerramy McNeil, Roland Carter II, Edward Deupree,
Freddy Traffin, Michael Sherno Jr., Kevin Mcintyre, Brian Fifer,
Patrick McAlpin and David Alexander.
November 2000
�SEAFARERS PAUL HALL CENTER
, ~:~JWfiY~~~~~!!!~!~'
;,Maritime Ttafrting and Education in Piney Point, Md. All programs are geared
. to improve :·the job skills of S~ar;~rs and to promote the American maritime
· · Galley op~i-*uonst
Advanced Galley Operations
(Every week)
Nov. 6, 13, 20, 27;
Dec. 4, 11, 18
Certified Chief Cook/Chief Steward Nov. 6, 20;
,.
Dec. 4, 18
(Every other week)
:;,, Please note that this sphedule niay change to reflect the needs of the mem't?l?ership, the ~tP!!~f;,, ~ndus~~4 7 inJimes of conflict-the nation'ssecuri:ty.;
Safety Specialty CoalSllS
7;i>. Students:~~~~~fariy;oftliese classes should check in the Saturday b.ejore ·
Start
:. ~eir coUl'Se.~§';j~tart date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the
Date
Course
:,;:.,morning of~ 'start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reserva~
! iions shoulibe made for Saturday.
November6
Basic Fire Fighting
Seafarers :wli-0·}!~v~ any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at
January22
. tlie Paul f¥!1~.~~!!tt?t'. .piay call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010.
February5
:.::industry.
Date of
Completion
November 10
January26
February 9
February 23
February 19
November 24
Date of
Completion
Start
Date
January 19
January 15
.January29
February 12
February 26
February 2
February 16
March 2
January 15
January 19
(*must have basic fire fighting)
Start
Date of
Completion
· Date
At:atleJJJiC Departmeld,,.~ourses
March 30
January 26 . ..
With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and OMED aoglicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee of $280 with their application. The payment should be made with a monl?J? order onlv.
payable to LMSS.
Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __
Deep Sea Member D
END
DATE
BEGIN
DATE
COURSE
Date of Birth _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _
Inland Waters Member D
Lakes Member D
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed.
Social Security# _ _ _ _ __ _ __
Book# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Seniority _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Department _ _ _ __ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes D
No D
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __
LAST VESSEL: _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _
Rating: _ _ __
Date On: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Date Off:
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
DYes
DNo
If yes, class#------ -- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
0 Yes DNo
If yes, course(s) taken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
0 Yes 0 No
Firefighting:
0 Yes 0 No
CPR:
0 Yes DNo
Primary language spoken _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __
SIGNATURE
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the sched_uling letter only if you
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
ll/OO
Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Left: Limited License Completing the limited license
course recently are (from left) Bill
Block, Jim Cunningham, Guy
Butler, Don Langman, Edward
Hervias and Mike Smith (instructor).
Not pictured is Duane Evans.
Right: Chief Cook Upgrading to chief cook are (from
left) David Wakeman, Jimmy
Williams, Arthur Edwards, Chef
John Dobson (instructor), Justo
Reyes and Jose Garcia.
November 2000
Seafarers LOS
23
�SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORTS
for Seafarers Pension Trust
and
for Great Lakes Tug &Dredge Pension Plan
- page18
More than 3,400 Seafaren
Train at Fire Fighting School
Facility Offers Broad Range of Safety Instruction
I
~
I
I
I
~
I
I
I
I
i
While the Paul
Hall Center's
new simulator annex
understandably
has been
a hot
topic
lately at
the Piney
Point, Md.
campus, the
center's Joseph
Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety
School quietly has become a
vocational education staple for
many upgraders and apprentices
alike.
Since it opened in June 1999,
through September
of this year, the
fire fighting
school has
trained
3,406
Seafarersan average of
about
212
monthly.
The breakdown by class is:
897 mariners in basic
fire fighting; 243 in advanced fire
fighting; 555 in damage control;
532 in the water survival segment
of lifeboat; 732 in STCW basic
safety; and 44 7 in first aid and
CPR.
The school, located near the
Paul Hall Center's main campus,
is composed of three main buildings with several other areas dedicated to educating mariners on
how to combat and suppress shipboard fires. Specifically tailored
for mariner fire fighting and safety training, it is equipped with the
most modem, environmentally
and hygienically safe equipment.
Its main features include:
• a three-story burn building
(named the Eternal Flame)
designed to replicate in areas a
bridge, an engine room, shaft
alley and other facilities found
aboard ship;
• a multi-level maze building
used for search-and-rescue training;
• outdoor burn areas featuring the kinds of pipes and hoses
found on tankers, a helicopter
pad like those located aboard
some vessels, and an area for
training with fire extinguishers;
• computer-equipped classrooms;
• an indoor pool used for
water survival training;
• a damage control room
with a recessed floor to allow
training in rising water.
Student reaction to the fire
fighting and safety school consistently has been positive, with
Seafarers typically describiiig it as
first-class and a tremendous asset.
Others have been even more
lavish in praising the facility. For
instance, a high-ranking official
with the International Transport
Workers' Federation called it "a
world-class institution. It is the
best, most well-equipped facility
of its kind anywhere in the
world."
For a list of upcoming classes
at the Paul Hall Center, see page
23. Also, look for the annual
course guide for 2001 in an upcoming issue of the LOG.
�
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Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009
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Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log
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November 2000
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HEADLINES
SIU, OTHER MARITIME UNIONS UNITE IN BATTLE TO IMPROVE ‘OIL PATCH MARINERS’ CONDITIONS
MEMBERS ASKED TO HELP IN GULF COAST EFFORT
SIU-CONTRACTED COMPANIES TO MANAGE 45 RRF VESSELS
UNION ELECTION VOTING STARTS NOVEMBER 1
MSC LAUNCHES NEW SURVEY SHIP
USNS MARY SEARS JOINS 5 OTHER SURVEILLANCE VESSELS
SAFETY TRAINING SCHOOL OPENS IN HONOLULU
SEAFARERS CREW NEW Z-DRIVE TUG
U.S. LINES’ PATRIOT DEBUTS DECEMBER 9
ORGULF BOATMAN RATIFY NEW PACT
ADMIRAL TOWING CREWS APPROVE FIRST CONTRACT
ADVISORY BOARD REVISITS STCW
SIMULATORS ARE A HIGHLIGHT AS INDUSTRY GROUP STUDIES TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
INDIANA HARBOR CREW WELCOMES APPRENTICE
GRAYKOWSKI LEAVES MARAD
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR RECEIVES PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
ITF RECOVERS $1.4 MILLION FOR PREMIER CREW
TEXAS COMMISSION REJECTS ‘PREAUTHORIZATION’ RULES
TOTE NETS SAFETY AWARDS FOR DESIGN OF NEW RO/ROS
BALTIMORE-AREA RETIREES SEE BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SIU
MORE THAN 3,400 SEAFARERS TRAIN AT FIRE FIGHTING SCHOOL
Creator
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Seafarers Log
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Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
Publisher
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Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
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11/01/2000
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Newsprint
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Text
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Vol. 62, No. 11
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/6ecdea4b450488db597926d8ee2c1825.pdf
9498f7b6b677d5345f891635a1bd617c
PDF Text
Text
SIU Scholarship Program Expands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Page3
Volume 62, Number 1O
October 2000
Building_ Nlore Jobs for the SIU
Alaska Tanker Co.
Adding 3 New Ships
BP May Order Total
of 6 New Tankers
The SIU tanker fleet will expand by three to six vessels, following last month's announcement by BP that the company has ordered new double-hull tankers. The initial order is
for three tankers (patterned after the illustration below) and is valued at more than $630
million. It includes options to purchase three additional vessels. Page 2 .
er
•
I
l'aul Hall Center Unveils Second-to-None Training Aids
Installation of new, state-of-the-art simulators
for shiphandling (including GMDSS), engine
room functions, crane operations and liquid
cargo procedures will be finalized this month
at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training
and Education, located in Piney Point, Md.
The top-of-the-line equipment is housed in a
new annex to the preexisting simulator building. Upgraders and entry-level students are
expected to begin utilizing the new simulators
in November. Early reaction to the simulators,
sampled last month by numerous upgraders,
has been extremely positive. Pages 3, 8.
�New Tankers Ordered
President's Report
Good News In Threes
For the SIU, good news in September came in threes.
First, the announcement by BP that new tankers have been
ordered for the Jones Act trade is a huge statement in more ways
than one. It signals broader support for our industry and confidence
in the future of the U.S. Merchant Marine.
And it means jobs for the SIU, beginning with the first new
tanker's delivery in 2003. At minimum, three new ships should be in
place by 2005. BP also has an option to build three additional double-hull tankers, meaning as many as six new vessels are possible.
I hope SIU members see the connection between BP's announcement and our union's political activity. Because there's no way BP or
anyone else would take such a step if the Jones Act did not enjoy
solid support on Capitol Hill.
The SIU backs the Jones Act because it protects our livelihoodsbut we also support it because it's good for America's economic and
national security. This country deserves a strong domestic-flag fleet.
BP's new ships will be a welcome addition.
Of course, those aren't the only new U.S.-flag ships on the way.
As we have reported in previous months, American Classic Voyages
is building two large cruise ships and, meanwhile, is preparing to
launch the reflagged Patriot in December. Delta Queen just
announced that the first two of its five coastal cruise vessels will sail
in May 2001. TOTE has ordered two new cargo ships for the domestic fleet. The Military Sealift Command regularly is adding new
LMSRs to its prepositioning force, most recently in late July.
If that doesn't convince people that there's a solid future for the
U.S. Merchant Marine, then I don't know what will. The proof is
right there-with new containerships, new tankers, new RO/ROs,
new passenger ships. And the SIU is determined to ensure that this is
just the beginning of comprehensive maritime revitalization for the
U.S. fleet.
Another big news item is the opening of the new simulator complex at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education.
I've been through the whole thing, and all I can say is, Wow! What a
tremendous addition for the school.
It reminds me of last summer, when the Paul Hall Center opened
the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School. The new simulators are on par with the fire fighting school. The equipment is the
world's finest, the layout is perfect and the overall package is something everyone involved with the school will be proud of.
The most important aspect of these new tools is that they will help
Seafarers do a better job aboard ship. Some of the upgraders who
practiced on the new simulators last month said that the training aids
will make other Seafarers feel sharper and yet more relaxed when
they're at sea because they'll be so familiar with the equipment. To
me, that translates into improved safety and better efficiency.
The new simulators and the fire fighting school trace their roots to
the yearly meetings of the Paul Hall Center's deep sea and inland
advisory board. By the way, that group's 33rd annual conference was
scheduled for late September and will be reported in next month's
issue of the LOG.
The board is an industry group that typically includes representatives from the SIU, the school, SIU-contracted companies, the Coast
Guard, MarAd, the Military Sealift Command, the National
Transportation Safety Board, and the American Council on
Education. Collectively, it has worked hard to identify the training
and certification needs of U.S. mariners as well as ship operators.
The yearly gatherings have yielded many good, practical ideas.
They helped spawn the training record books now carried by SIU
members. They have helped the school in creating specially designed
courses to meet the unique needs of numerous companies, including
on-site training. They have helped create an unprecedented level of
industry-wide cooperation- a crucial asset for the growth of the U.S.
fleet.
For the third bit of good news, the Seafarers Welfare Plan
announced a major enhancement of its scholarship program. Now,
the program offers a total of eight grants, worth $132,000.
This benefit has come a long way since its inception in 1952. But
it remains emblematic of the union's long-held commitment to learning.
So, I urge all eligible Seafarers and their dependents to take
advantage of the scholarship program. It exists to help you further
your education. Please make the most of it.
Volume 621 Number10
October 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published month-
ly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
~ 11
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Managing
Editor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor, Jim
Guthrie; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative Support, Jeanne
Textor.
Copyright © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved
2
Seafarers LOG
SIU Fleet Augmented With BP ·Directive
SIU employment opportunities
within its tanker fleet received a
momentous lift last month when
BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.
announced it has ordered three new
double-hull tankers for the Jones
Act trade. That order is worth more
than $630 million-and it includes
company options to purchase an
additional three vessels.
The ships will be operated by
SIU-contracted Alaska Tank.er
Co. (ATC) to deliver Alaska
North Slope crude oil to refineries on the U.S. West Coast.
Design work already is under
way, with the first ship scheduled
for delivery in 2003. Subsequent
vessels are due in 2004 and 2005.
"This is a major boost for our
union and for everyone else who
believes in the future of the U.S.flag fleet," stated SIU President
Michael Sacco. "It's an investment in U.S. Merchant Marine,
and the SIU will do its part to protect that investment by continuing
to provide the world's besttrained mariners."
The "Alaska class" vessels
will be constructed at San
Diego's NASSCO Shipyard, a
facility that is building two new
state-of-the-art containerships for
~::£~'1
•
Design life: 35 to 50 years
•
Length: 94Heet
a
a
Beam: 164 feet
a
OeadWeight :185t000 MT ·
:•
Capacity~ 1 ~3
million barrels
TOTE and in recent years also
has built several new SIU-crewed
LMSRs for the U.S. Military
Sealift Command.
According to BP, the new
tankers "will be built with redundant propulsion and steering systems which include twin diesel
electric power systems in segregated engine rooms, twin propellers and twin rudders. Use of
diesel electric propulsion systems
will also reduce air emissions at
sea and in port while reducing
maintenance down time. To eliminate accidental oil leaks, the propeller shafts will be cooled and
lubricated with seawater instead
of lubricating oil. Cargo piping
will be installed in the cargo
tanks, instead of on deck, to
reduce the risk of small spills.
The ships will be fitted with stateof-the-art machinery and cargo
control systems and an integrated
navigation system."
"We see a long future on the
North Slope," said BP spokesperson Anne Drinkwater. "We
expect our net Alaska production
to stay at or above the current
level for another decade." BP has
a net Alaska production of
300,000 barrels per day.
The company also stated that
the new-build project will keep
an estimated 1,000 NASSCO
workers employed over the Jife of
the agreement.
Delivery of these vessels will
satisfy the commitment BP made
as part of an agreement with the
state of Alaska to accelerate-by
an average of one year-the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 retirement
dates of the non-double hull vessels in BP's chartered Alaska fleet.
By 2005, at least three new double-hull tankers will have joined
the Overseas Ohio (at left) and
other vessels operated by SIUcontracted Alaska Tanker Co. in
delivering Alaska crude oil to
West Coast refineries.
ITF Secures $119,000 in Wages
For Filipino Mariners in N.J.
International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) inspectors
from the SIU and NMU recently
joined forces to secure $119,266
in back wages plus full repatriation for a dozen Filipino mariners
who had sailed aboard the runaway-flag vessel Father M
The vessel, owned by Barclay
Shipping of Greece and flying the
flag of Malta, has been under ITF
contract since November 1999.
However, when crew members
contacted SIU-ITF Inspector Tim
Burns in late May, they reported
the contract was not being honored.
A few days later, Bums and
NMU-ITF Inspector Enrico
Esopa met with the crew when
the ship docked in Port Newark,
N.J. Reportedly acting on orders
from the company, the captain
refused to produce any wage documents. However, the crew provided their individual receipts,
which clearly showed they were
receiving only half the pay called
for in the contract.
Despite the ITF's demands
that the agreement be honored,
Barclay initially refused. The
inspectors then arranged for U.S.
marshals to arrest the Father M
on May 31.
On June 5, the company
agreed to pay the back wages and
repatriation expenses. A protective order also was put into the
settlement to shield the mariners
from retaliatory action by the
company agents or any other
party.
Father M crew members wave goodbye from New York's Kennedy
Airport, shortly after receiving back pay and repatriation expenses. The
crew praised the work of ITF Inspectors Tim Burns and Enrico Esopa,
who led their fight.
be·aavisea
Please
!hai,sltl
·1t1illfj
·headquarl:ers and" all SIU hiring halls will be closed ,'."tJ;
·Friday,.Nov. 10, 2000 for the observance of Veteraas~v;~;
Day and Thursday, Nott 23 fQ~ Tha'!ksgiving .qety ~:,,~;j¥Ji
(unless·an emergency arises). Normal business }]ours<~
will resume the following workday.
·
October 2000
�School Adds Superlative Simulators
Cutting-Edge Systems Enhance Paul Hall Center
As they initially tried out the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education's new
simulators, the upgraders sounded like kids at a carnival.
"Virtual reality!" yelled one.
"This is incredible! Unbelievable!" added another.
Seemingly everyone who has
sampled the high-tech setup in
Piney Point, Md. has reacted the
same way, including many other
students and a group of U.S.
Coast Guard inspectors who
toured the facility in midSeptember.
The modern building-an
annex to the preexisting simulator
building which will be dedicated
next year- houses new simulators for shiphandling (including
GMDSS), engine room functions,
crane operations and liquid cargo
procedures. Installation is supposed to be finalized this month,
with upgraders and entry-level
students utilizing the simulators
beginning in November.
Among the first courses that
will integrate the new tools are
AB, QMED, FOWT, radar and
ARPA. Many more will follow.
"We often hear terms like 'cutting-edge' or 'state-of-the-art,'
but these simulators truly are second to none," noted J.C. Wiegman, assistant director of vocational education at the Paul Hall
Center. "It's an enormous
enhancement for the entire
school."
QMED Taylor Watson stated,
"This shows the union is moving
with the times, if not ahead of
them. It shows an interest in our
future."
"It's just like being out at sea,"
said Pete Wojcikowski, a Navy
veteran enrolled in the AB
course. "To sum it up in one
word: awesome! I'm definitely
impressed."
After trying the full-mission
shiphandling simulator, fellow
student Chad Schultz agreed.
"It's pretty amazing-very realistic," he observed. "This will
make you a lot more relaxed at
the helm."
That simulator is the centerpiece of the new systems. It features a 360-degree viewing sector
and three interactive auxiliary
bridges. The main bridge includes
an integrated ship control console
with ARPA/radar, global marine
Deep sea, inland and Great Lakes Seafarers in
numerous deck and engine department upgrading
courses will utilize the new simulators, as will students in the unlicensed apprentice program.
Pictured above (from left), upgraders and instructors sample the engine and shiphandling simulators
and the multi-function classroom.
distress system (GMDSS), electronic chart display (ECDIS, with
charts from all over the world), a
steering console and more.
It provides teaching support in
the following areas: voyage planning and execution; coastal and
offshore navigation; collision
avoidance; ARPA/radar operation; electronic navigation systems; search and rescue operations; vessel traffic management;
high speed navigation; bridge
New Coastal
Ships Debut
In May 2001
The SIU-crewed fleet of passenger ships will grow again in
May 2001 with the debut of two
new vessels operated by Delta
Queen Coastal Voyages, a subsidiary of American Classic
Voyages.
The Cape May Light and the
Cape Cod Light-the first of five
ships planned for the coastal fleet
-will offer their respective
inaugural cruises beginning May
5, according to a recent statement
by the company. Each vessel is
300 feet long and can carry 226
passengers. The ships will travel
along the East Coast, Great
Lakes and Canadian Maritime
Delta Queen Coastal Voyages' new 226-passenger ships, patterned
after this model, are scheduled to sail in May.
Provinces.
Seafarers already crew four
passenger vessels operated by
another
American
Classic
Voyages subsidiary, Delta Queen
Steamboat Co. Those ships are
the American Queen, Columbia
Queen, Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen.
The coastal ships "are named
for historic lighthouses and
designed to resemble the classic
Patriot Sails in December
The SIU-crewed passenger vessel Patriot, operated by United
States Lines, remains on schedule to begin weekly cruises from
Honolulu on December 9. The former Holland America ship can
carry 1,212 passengers, is 704 feet long and 33,930 gross tons.
U.S. Lines' parent company American Classic Voyages also is
constructing two new passenger vessels, scheduled for completion in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
coastal packet ships of the late
1800s," noted a company official.
More information about the
itineraries and vacation packages
is available toll-free at 800-8468000 and on the internet at
www.coastalvoyages.com.
watchkeeping
procedures
including tugs
and
barges,
towboats and
piloting;
GMDSS procedures; oil spill
response management; port
development;
human factors;
and bridge team
management.
"It's
like
nothing I've ever
seen before,"
said OS Awale Muhiddin. "It is
absolutely excellent."
"Wow!" said OS Jon Buffington. "It's impressive and it'll
be a great training aid."
Added OS Andy Williamson,
..I think it's great. It will help us
learn to steer a vessel, and it surpasses my expectations."
The engine room simulator is
potentially useful to any rating in
that department, from wipers to
engineers. It is designed for the
training of engine room watchkeeping personnel in the operations of a vessel's diesel propulsion plant and electrical power
Scholarship Program
Expands to $132,000
Fifth Dependent Grant Added;
Existing Endowments Raised
Nearly 48 years to the day
since it launched an unprecedented scholarship program for SIU
members and their dependents,
the Seafarers Welfare Plan (SWP)
has announced a huge expansion
of the operation.
The improved program annually will include three scholarships for SIU members and five
for spouses and dependent children of Seafarers. Altogether, the
scholarships'
value
equals
$132,000-a 52 percent increase
from the previous amount.
In approving the program's
first increase since 1990, the SIU
Board of Trustees allowed an
additional dependent scholarship
and boosted the dependent grants
to $20,000 apiece, up from
$15,000. The four-year scholar-
ship for an active SIU member
also was expanded to $20,000.
The board acted on a recommendation
by
the
SWP
Scholarship Committee. In a
memo to the trustees, the committee cited "the increasing number of applicants as well as the
quality of the applicants" as motivating its proposal.
The $20,000 scholarship for
an SIU member is for use at a
four-year institution of higher
learning. Two other awards-for
$6,000 each-go to Seafarers for
use toward two years of study at a
community college or vocational
school.
The five dependent grants are
designated for use at four-year
colleges or universities.
"Throughout our history, the
plant. Additionally, it includes an
auxiliary systems and machinery
simulator.
The crane and liquid cargo
simulators are similarly advanced
and useful.
"I'm very impressed," declared QMED Milton Greene Jr.
after using the engine room simulator. "This is something we can
really use."
"It's fantastic," said QMED
James Daley, an NMU member
enrolled in the marine electrical
maintenance 1 course. "You can
learn a lot with this equipment.
It's everything they say it is."
SWP ScholarshiP
Progtam lllgldiglds
•
•
Annual value of grants
awarded has increased
from $87,000 to $132l000
Dependent schofarshi~
increased trom ·$1s.ooo to
$20,000 apiece
•
The four-year gr.~nt for an
active StU member increased from $15,000 to
$20,000
•
A fifth ·dependent schotarship has· been added, up
from four
·
·
SIU always has emphasized the
importance of education," stated
SIU President Michael Sacco.
"The expansion of the scholarship program reaffirms that commitment."
SWP Administrator Lou
Delma said the scholarship committee "is thrilled that our recommendation was approved. It's a
great step forward for Seafarers
and their dependents, and it's a
big boost to an already successful
program."
Seafa1'81'S LOB
3
�Seafarers, Elected Reps Rally
Against 'Floating Sweatshops'
Runaway Flags Tagged 'Nothing Short of Criminal'
Wearing T-shirts and caps
emblazoned with the slogan
"Workers Against Floating
Sweatshops," more than 100 SIU
members rallied Sept. 19 on
Capitol Hill to protest the scam
that is runaway-flag shipping.
Thirteen speakers addressed
the demonstration, and each
urged an end to runaway flags,
also known as flags of convenience (FOCs). In order of
appearance, the speakers were
U.S. House Minority Whip David
Bonior (D-Mich.); AFL-CIO
Maritime Trades Department
President Michael Sacco, who
also is president of the SIU; Rep.
William Clay (D-Mo.); Marine
Engineers 'Beneficial Association
President Larry O'Toole; Rep.
Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.); Thomas
Tay, vice chairman of the
International Transport Workers'
Federation's (ITF's) Seafarers
Section and general secretary/
executive director of the
Singapore Maritime Officers'
Union; Senator Ron Wyden (DOre.); Stephen Cotton, secretary
of the ITF Special Seafarers'
Department; Remo di Fiore, an
ITF executive board member; Air
Line Pilots Association President
Duane Woerth; International
Longshore & Warehouse Union
Legislative Director Lindsay
McLaughlin; AFL-CIO President
John Sweeney; and Rep. Gene
Taylor (D-Miss. ). Additionally,
Senator Barbara Mikulski (DMd.) sent a letter of support that
Bulletin
As this issue of the Seafarers LOG went to press, tTF inspectors
were assisting 950 crew members in a massive back~P<!)' ,yase
invotving three vessels from the runaway-flag Premier Cruise.·Lines.
tn Halifax, Nova Scotlaf the Sea Breeze was arrested and
arrangements were being made for 250 represented crew members
to receive $460,000 in unpaid wages frorn the company.
Jn the Bahamas, crew members ·from the OclJanic and the Big
Red Boat JI were due to receive $2.4 million in back pay, thanks to
JTF intervention.
Premier is based in Port Canaveral~ Fla.
.·... ·,.
was read to the assembly.
The ITF and several of its
U.S.-based affiliate maritime
unions (including the SIU) hosted
the event, which kicked off an
"action week" patterned after previous ITF endeavors. Unannounced ship inspections along
the East and Gulf coasts were
slated for later that week (too late
for the Seafarers LOG October
deadline).
s
21st Century Slavery
During the Sept. 19 demonstration in Washington, speaker
after speaker likened runawayflag shipping to slavery. (FOC
shipping is a scheme in which the
shipowner typically avoids its
nation's labor, safety and tax
laws-among others-by using
another country's flag. This
escape also often includes hiring
multinational crews through an
agency based in a country other
than that of the shipowner or the
flag state.)
U.S. Workers Lack
Right ta Organize
In a report issued August 31, the watchdog group Human Rights
Watch (HRW) states that U.S. workers lack the most fundamental
internationally recognized human rights at the workplace-the basic
freedom to organize, bargain and strike.
The 217-page report, titled "Unfair Advantage: Workers' Freedom
of Association in the United States Under International Human Rights
Standards,H was issued by the nation's premier human rights organization following a year-long investigation that encompassed workers in
many industries and occupations in workplaces from coast to coast.
"Workers' basic rights are routinely violated in the United States
because U.S. labor law is so feebly enforced and so filled with loopholes," the report states.
Each year, thousands of workers in the United States are fired from
their jobs or suffer other reprisals for trying to organize unions.
Millions of workers are excluded from labor laws meant to protect
workers• organizing and bargaining rights, and their number is growing, according to the report.
The report is based on the examination of workers' rights to organize, to bargain collectively and to strike under international norms. It
found widespread labor rights violations across regions, industries and
employment status.
The group studied many sectors to assess the scope of the problem
(services, industry, transportation, agriculture, high tech) and included
geographic diversity (cities, suburbs, rural areas). It also looked at a
wide range of workers (high and low skill, blue and white collar, resident and migrant, women and men, racial, ethnic and national origins).
The cases studied in the report offer a cross-section of workers'
attempts to form and join trade unions, to bargain collectively and to
strike.
To supplement its on-the-ground research and official records,
HRW used credible news accounts of instances where workers' rights
appear to have been impaired and also relied on National Labor
Relations Board records of complaints filed against companies by
workers claiming a violation of their rights.
Employers often resist union organizing by dragging out legal proceedings for years, the report states. Labor law is so weak that companies often treat the minor penalties as a routine cost of doing business,
4
Seafarers LOG
"That kind of exploitation isn't
allowed in America anymore, but
it's business as usual on the high
seas," stated Bonior. "FOC shipping is a menace to public safety
and an assault on human rights."
He also pointed out that runaway flags are prominent not
only on cargo vessels, but also
aboard passenger ships-including high-profile, U.S.-based companies such as Royal Caribbean
and Carnival.
"I will always stand by you,"
Bonior concluded.
Sacco noted that while FOC
shipping is a human-rights issue,
"we must recognize that runaway-flag shipping also is a vital
national security issue for the
United States of America.
Runaway-flag shipping is the
No. l enemy of the U.S. Merchant Marine. The growth of the
runaway-flag fleet unquestionably has weakened American
sealift capability, making it more
difficult to provide our armed
forces with the supplies they need
all around the world."
He cited two ways to combat
FOCs.
"One is to go after the runaway-flag shipowner and operator and hold them accountable.
The ITF and its affiliate unions
are doing that, and, slowly but
surely, it's paying off....
"The Seafarers International
Union remains committed to the
ITF campaign against FOCs. We
will do anything and everything
to help ensure the campaign's
success.
"The other step we must take
is to build a stronger U.S.-flag
merchant marine," Sacco continued. "American-flag ships are the
safest in the world, crewed by the
world's best-trained mariners.
American-flag ships protect our
economic and national security.
American-flag ships and U.S.
Merchant Mariners are this
nation's fourth arm of defense.
"Revitalizing our fleet must be
a top priority in Congress."
'Disgraceful Conditions'
Clay said that FOCs often are
wrought with "disgraceful and
intolerable conditions that we
ought to not let exist. These floating sweatshops are a scheme to
deny workers their rights.
They're all about exploitation.
Crews live under the most inhumane circumstances.
"This nation not only has the
right, but the moral duty" to fight
not a deterrent against violations. Some workers have succeeded in
organizing new unions in recent years, the report notes, but only after
surmounting major obstacles.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney emphasized the historical
importance of the report. He agreed with the conclusion of HRW, stating that U.S. labor law is stacked against employees who wish to organize a union, allowing employers to intimidate and coerce workers not
to unionize. He further noted that employers routinely delay organizing and bargaining for years, rendering workers' basic rights moot and
that the penalties for employer violations of the law are practically
meaningless.
"Most U.S. workers lack an effective right to strike because their
employers simply replace them-permanently," Sweeney said.
"Immigrant workers' rights are under particular assault. And millions
of citizens lack legal protection altogether, including farm workers,
temps, 'independent' contractors who are really dependent on their
employers, and state and municipal workers in states lacking collective
bargaining rights for public employees.
"In case study after case study, the report asks not whether the letter of U.S. law was upheld, but whether our 65-year-old legal system
affords workers basic internationally recognized human rights at work.
Sadly but not surprisingly, Human Rights Watch concludes that it's not
even a close call. The vast majority of American workers-from apple
pickers to computer programmers-lack these fundamental freedoms."
Sweeney stated that the report will be a helpful tool ''to use with our
allies as we continue to make the case about the obstacles that workers face in this country when they try and organize."
He concluded, "The policy implication of the Human Rights Watch
report are clear. We must fundamentally overhaul our labor laws to
bring us into line with basic human rights norms. At the same time, we
must continue to raise the flag of workers' rights in the international
arena. We cannot protect our own rights or living standards at home or
work to build a strong voice for working men and women around the
world unless we also help ensure that workers in all countries can exercise their rights."
Kenneth Ross, executive director of HRW, said, "The cards are
stacked against workers in the United States. The U.S. government
cannot effectively press another country to improve labor standards
while violating them itself. It should lead by example."
Human Rights Watch was formed in 1978 and conducts regular,
systematic investigations of human rights abuses in more than 70
countries around the world. Their goal is to hold governments accountable if they transgress the rights of their people.
against FOCs.
O'Toole said runaway flags
''threaten the very existence of
our fleet. The time is now to stop
them.
"Our U.S. Merchant Marine
really acts as a national guard,"
he added. "We're ready to serve
this country."
Engel stated the FOC issue is a
matter of"basic fairness. If phony
foreign flags are flying on vessels, then everyone loses .... We
should not tolerate slave wages
and working conditions.
"Your fight is America's fight.
Your cause is just. Keep on fighting. Right is on our side. Victory
will come."
Tay recounted FOC cases in
Singapore with which he has
worked.
"We've seen how the crews
have suffered and been exploited
by FOC owners. We are with you
in this fight."
Wyden led with the New
Carissa episode, which began in
February 1998. The runaway-flag
freighter ran aground at Coos
Bay, Ore., spilling 70,000 gallons
of heavy bunker fuel. Incredibly,
large sections of the ship remain
there.
.):.;·~ \. · ·"' See page
10 for
'· · · •·
'.!;· : p(J(Jto~raphs from the ra!lf :
cm,. ~ilitoL Hill.
........,.>: .·: ..
."' ....· . ,.:tsr
"Reality is, it's easier to register a supertanker in some foreign
countries than it is to register an
automobile in Oregon," he said.
"As long as FOCs continue, it's
just a matter of time before the
next New Carissa.
"It's time to make sure no
more oil is spilled and no more
coastlines are ruined because this
country refuses to get tough."
Vftal to America
Cotton reiterated Sacco's point
that the U.S.-flag fleet is crucial
to national and economic security
- a fact that demands action
against FOCs.
"The American flag is vital to
the future of American economics," he stated. "It's crucial that
all nations with economic power
and influence" mobilize against
runaway flags.
"We have to fight for freedom," asserted di Fiore. "We
Continued on page 10
RRF Decision
Due Oct.10
October 10 is the date set by
the General Accounting Office
(GAO) for announcing its decision concerning two remaining
challenges to the U.S. Maritime
Administration's most recent
awards of five-year contracts
for the maintenance and operation of74 Ready Reserve Force
(RRF) ships.
The original assignments,
announced in May, saw 45 vessels awarded to SIU-contracted
companies. For those 45 ships,
the SIU secured substantial
wage increases, plus an additional pair of wage increases
retroactive to 1998 and 1999,
respectively.
The existing contracts were
extended after several companies challenged the awards.
Further details will be published in an upcoming issue of
the Seafarers LOG.
October 2000
�Rep. Bateman
Dies at 72
REC Chiefs Meet in Piney Point
The Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education last month hosted the annual meeting of the
heads of the U.S. Coast Guard's regional examination centers (RECs). The three-day seminar in Piney
Point, Md. primarily focused on "policy issues, with heavy emphasis on STCW," noted a Coast Guard
spokesman. The group toured the Paul Hall Center's Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School
(top photo) and the new simulator annex (below). They also received sample training record books
(TRBs) like the ones carried by SIU members. "The school and the sample TRB gave [the Coast Guard
licensing office chiefs] a feel for what the mariners are being exposed to,'' added the spokesman.
U.S. Rep. Herb Bateman (RVa. ), a respected legislator and
staunch supporter of the U.S.
Merchant Marine and the
American shipbuilding industry,
passed away in his sleep
September 11 in Leesburg, Va.
He was 72.
Bateman, chairman of the
Merchant Marine Oversight
Panel on the House Armed
Services Committee, served
Virginia's 1st District for 18
years. He had battled various
health problems for approximately the past decade and, consequently, in January announced
he would retire after his current
term.
"Herb Bateman was a true
friend and advocate for the
entire U.S. maritime industry,"
stated SIU President Michael
Sacco. "He particularly understood the importance of sealift
to America's national defense
and the need to maintain a pool
of trained U.S. citizen mariners.
We will miss him."
U.S. Rep. Herb Bateman
Among many other pro-maritime actions, Bateman in recent
years supported the Jones Act,
the Maritime Security Program
and initiatives to bolster U.S.
sealift capability. The Air Force
veteran's district included
Newport News Shipbuilding,
and he likely was best known
for his advocacy for the military.
U.S. Maritime Administrator
John Graykowski said, "I feel
that I have lost a good and true
friend of this agency and our
His
leadership,
industry.
courage and determination
helped strengthen the maritime
industry."
Philly Seafarers Back AFSCME
Unions Welcome New ROS Language
SIU civil service mariners (CIVMARS) working
directly for the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift
Command (MSC) recently received good news in
the form of a settlement regarding works rules for
reduced operating status (ROS).
The agreement was reached between the SIU, the
other maritime unions representing CIVMARS
(National Maritime Union; Masters, Mates and
Pilots; Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association)
and MSC.
As a result, SIU CIVMAR watchstanders will
receive the applicable premium pay for work on
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays whether the vessel
is at sea or in port. Additionally, while a vessel is in
port and in long-term ROS, Seafarers will be paid
when a watchstander works in excess of eight hours
per day.
Before the settlement, masters had been authorized to change work schedules when vessels were
in ROS or in full operating status but awaiting
assignment. The unions contended that this system,
though well-intended, caused confusion on the ships
and at times was difficult to uniformly administer.
Consequently, the ROS language in the Civil
Marine Personnel Instructions (a document that
guides MSC personnel) has been revised.
"It took a while to reach this agreement, but it
was worth the wait. It's a significant gain for SIU
CIVMARS," stated SIU Government Services
Representative Chester Wheeler.
The SIU represents unlicensed CIVMARS working aboard MSC vessels operating from the West
Coast.
Overall, MSC operates a wide range of civiliancrewed military support ships, including many outside the CIVMAR fleet. A substantial number of
those vessels-tankers, dry cargo ships, roll-on/rolloff vessels, surveillance ships, ammunition carriers
and others-are crewed by SIU members.
Exterior Enhanced at Baltimore Hall
The SIU's new hall in
Baltimore opened
July 1, but some cosmetic work continues
at the Essex Street
facility-including the
recent addition of
exterior lettering, pictured at left.
October 2000
SIU members from the Philadelphia area recently demonstrated
downtown in support of fellow trade unionists from the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
Among those participating from the SIU were (pictured above)
OMU Juma S. Juma, Steward Bill Kelly, AB Paul Wills, QMED Joe
Grandinetti, GUDE Lafe Fraley and Steward Jeff Beasley (along
with three of his children). The rally focused on contract talks
involving AFSCME members and several Philadelphia hospitals.
Resolution Honors Merchant Mariners
The
U.S.
House
of
Representatives on September 14
unanimously approved a resolution honoring U.S. Merchant
Marine veterans.
The resolution was authored
by Rep. Steve Kuykendall (RCalif.), who serves as vice chairman of the Merchant Marine
Panel of the House Armed
Services Committee.
"The United States Merchant
Marine has provided critical support to the armed forces of the
United States in periods of conflict," Kuykendall said. "The time
has come for us to recognize the
dedication and contributions of
merchant marine veterans and to
honor those who sacrificed their
lives in defense of the United
States."
The resolution encourages citizens as well as the government
commemorate
merchant
to
mariners ' service through ceremonies and other activities.
"Merchant mariners have
served the country since the birth
of our nation," Kuykendall con-
eluded. "They helped form our
Continental Navy, they manned
the Liberty and Victory ships that
helped win World War II, and
they delivered the equipment that
won the Gulf War. Their contributions have been many, and the
nation is grateful for the service
and sacrifice of all merchant
mariners."
Notice: Flu Shots Set
For November 15 at
Tacoma SIU HaH
Vkginia Mason Clinic will again
offer free flu shots this year to
members,
dependents
and
retirees who qualify under the
rules of the Seafarers Welfare
Plan. The inocu1atlons will be given
at the Tacoma hall on Wednesday,
Nov. 1-5 from 9 a.rrt unUI noon. The
address is 3411 South Union
Avenue. Any member, dependent
or retiree intending to receive a flu
shot is requested to can the half at
least one week prtor to Nov. 15.
The telephone number ls (253)
272-7774,
Seafarers LOG
5
�Training Proves Beneficial for SIU Port Personnel
Fifteen SIU administrative
assistants from various ports converged on the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. Aug.
24-27 for training on a new, longawaited membership dues collection and tracking system. Port
agents, vice presidents, patrolmen
and SIU headquarters personnel
earlier in July and August received the same training.
Developed and designed by
employees from the Seafarers
Management Information System
(SMIS), the new approach
streamlines the process administrative personnel have for years
relied on to collect, track and post
dues paid by union members.
Under it, administrative assistants
at ports now simply collect dues,
make appropriate entries into the
SIU's mainframe and then provide members with a computergenerated receipt.
Upon making the entries into
the mainframe, all pertinent
information regarding dues payment becomes available on the
spot to all authorized parties,
regardless of location. Under the
old system, dues were collected at
respective ports, receipts were
manually prepared for members,
and notices of payments made
were e-mailed to the controllers'
office at headquarters. Copies of
receipts were then faxed to headquarters and "paid" entries inserted into the union's mainframe in
bulk monthly, usually some 30
days after payments initially were
received.
The fresh plan is a collaborative effort of a number of people
on the SMIS staff, according to
Wally Schmidt, SMIS director. It
was implemented in three phases.
Phase one was up and running in
January, while phases two and
three gradually have been added
since then.
"The training at Piney Point
was conducted to teach our port
agents, vice presidents, patrolmen
and administrative people at the
various ports how to use the new
system and related software,"
Schmidt said. "That training was
a success and at this point is pretty much complete.
"Some questions will probably
surface as time goes on," he continued, "but when they do, people
have been instructed to call our
help desk for assistance. If questions arise that the help desk can't
answer, they will be referred to
me," Schmidt said.
"I was very proud of the job
everyone involved did in developing, designing and training our
people on the new system,"
Schmidt concluded. " And I think
over time, the new system will be
very well received and appreciated. I think it's something that will
be used for a long time."
Paul Hall Center Vice President Don Nolan said the training
had numerous benefits. "Besides
making it easier for the administrative people to do their jobs, it
gave them a deeper appreciation
of what we do here," Nolan said.
"They got to see the school, visit
the fire fighting facility and participate in training as well as visit
headquarters."
Several of the administrative
personnel offered feedback on
their training, their tour of facilities at Piney Point and SIU headquarters, and their overall experience while in the area.
Lisa Clark from the port
Baltimore stated, "The entire
experience was great.
"The training was especially
insightful. We participated in various types of exercises at different work stations. They told us
what we'd be doing with the new
system and gave us a nice manual that explained it. Before the
training, ad.min folks did not handle dues that much, but now when
members come in we can handle
them."
"The training was very educaContinued on page 7
Port of Tacoma Administrative Asst. Brenda Delia attempts to board a
life raft during an introduction to water survival session at Piney Point.
Crowley Maritime Appoints
New Vice Chairman/Exec VP
Bill Pennella has been promoted to vice chairman and executive
vice president for Crowley Maritime Corporation (CMC).
Formerly executive vice president with responsibility for human
resources> labor relations and purchasing> Pennella also will oversee
information technology and finance and accounting functions for the
Oakland-based corporation and will continue to report to Tom
Crowley Jr., CMC chairman, president and CEO.
Pennella has more than 30 years of experience in administration,
human resources and labor relations. Prior to joining Crowley, he
worked in those fields for two global steamship lines.
Since joining Crowley 13 years ago, Pennella has held positions of
increasing responsibility including vice president of human resources
and senior vice president of human resources/administration.
"This is a well deserved promotion," said Crowley. "Bill has been
a valued member of our team for many years."
6
Seafarers LOB
The administrative assistants took part in a hands-on training session at the Paul Hall Center related to the
SIU's new dues collection system, which will streamline the dues collection process in all ports.
NMU Members Praise Paul Hall Center
Editors note: More than 100
members of the National
Maritime Union have attended
various courses at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education in Piney Point, Md A
reporter from the Seafarers LOG
talked to a sampling of these
mariners to get their impressions
of the school, its instructors and
the curriculum. Following are the
comments offour individuals who
currently are enrolled in the
SCTW basic safety course.
"I find it to be a very outstanding school," said Rubun Ruck.
"The curriculum is great and the
instructors are wonderful. I have
never had any training like this
before."
Ruck, who joined the NMU in
New York, hails from Brooklyn
and is an electrician. He ships in
the engine department and has
been sailing for nearly 30 years.
"The instructors are great fundamental teachers," he continued.
"They really take time with you
and make sure that you understand what's being taught before
they move on to something else.
Although I made some suggested
changes in one of the classes, I
will definitely go back and tell
my port agent to send people
down here for the training
because it's great.
"What I learned here in one
week far exceeds what I learned
the whole time I have been going
to sea. It's very in-depth and
extremely realistic. I can now
appreciate what firefighters go
through in our cities, before I had
no concept of what they did. Now
I do thanks to what I have learned
here."
Wiper Andrew Potash shared
Ruck's assessment and was particularly impressed with the water
survival training he received.
"The water survival training was
very interesting and stimulating,"
he noted, "because it offered an
abundance of good, hands-on
training."
Potash also hails from New
York and sails in the engine
department, but unlike Ruck is a
newcomer to the seafaring indus-
try.
"I've only been a member of
the NMU for two months," he
said. "Before coming here, I'd
NMU members enrolled at the Paul Hall Center as of mid-September
included Rubun Ruck, Jose Garcia, Ahmed Saleh, Alberto Rivera,
James Daley, Ali Akmar, J.J. Reyes, Earl Woods, Jerry Jones, Andrew
Potash, Daniel Ramirez Jr. and Winston Gardner.
never had any hands-on training
relating to being a mariner.
"Besides the water survival
training, I was impressed with the
fire prevention training," he continued. "It was excellent and I
rate the school as well as the
instructors very high on that. I
learned a great deal about the
realities of fires on board ships.
Before coming here, I had seen
only videos about them. These
did not really teach me anything,
but the training I received really
opened my eyes.
"I'd highly recommend the
school to fellow NMU members
because of the quality of instruction available here at the school,"
Potash continued. "The instructors are very understanding and
patient. They are willing to share
their experiences and knowledge
other people, they teach you what
you really need.
Port Arthur, Texas native
Jerry Jones was awestruck by the
school as well as the SCTW curriculum. An OS, Jones has been a
NMU member for four months.
"This is my first time at any
merchant seaman school," he
shared, "and it's been quite informative for me. I am now more
aware of a lot of things aboard
ships that I was not aware was out
there before.
"The instructors were great
because they took time with us;
they did not rush anyone along;
they made sure we understood
what was being presented before
moving on to something else.
They were very professional."
Earl Woods, a deck engine
mechanic, echoed the sentiments
of his fellow NMU brothers.
Woods has been sailing for more
than 30 years, but until now has
never had any hands-on training
tq hone his seafaring skills.
"I grew up in the school of
hard knocks, he said. "Everything
I knew about being a mariner
before corning here was acquired
on a do-as-you-go basis.
"The school is very impressive
and the curriculum is superb," the
Mobile, Ala. native said. "You
have wonderful instructors here.
They take time with you and give
you the opportunity to ask questions if you don't understand
what's being presented.
"I was especially impressed
with the hands-on approach that
they used during the classes,"
Woods continued. "Here, I actually climbed into a life raft and got
involved in fire fighting just as
though it was taking place aboard
a ship. I'd never done either
before and that makes a big difference because things I took for
granted out there were brought to
the forefront here.
"I for one, and I imagine there
are quite a lot of others who feel
the same way, learned a lot here.
I'd definitely come back again
and look forward to doing so," he
said.
October 2000
�Whitten Brings Caring Touch
To Her Work at Piney Point
Florence Whitten has spent
the last 23 years giving her talents, time and love to make sure
the needs of others are met.
This comes as no surprise to
the thousands of Seafarers and
their family members who have
entered the gates of the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training
and Education in Piney Point,
Md. They know firsthand of the
generosity, kindness and
thoughtfulness that Whitten
exudes.
Although her official duties
involve handling money and
making travel arrangements
(she's the center's purser/travel
consultant), you'd be hard
pressed to find anyone who
would not characterize her more
as a mother simply because she
genuinely cares. She is consumed about every mariner and
everything that affects their
respective livelihoods and well
beings.
As purser, Whitten takes in,
accounts for, deposits and disperses all funds generated at the
center. As travel consultant, she
makes travel arrangements for
all personnel (entry-level students, upgraders, dependents and
family members) coming to or
leaving the installation. It is the
latter portion of her job that she
finds more rewarding.
"I love my job and all of the
people I meet and help on a
daily basis," she said. "When
you think of it, we all really do
need and depend on one another.
We are in a union, and being in a
union means you're in a family.
Everyone who comes here are
members of my family."
Whitten said she respects the
rigors that Seafarers routinely
undergo. "Just think of what they
go through," she offered. "They
are away from their families so
much. They really do sacrifice
an awful lot each day; they give
up something in order to give
something back to others ....
While they are here, the least I
can do is to help them. That's
why I try very hard to make sure
they are happy, that their travel
arrangements are right, and that
their airline, bus or train tickets
are not outrageously priced."
Whitten's day normally
begins early and continues until
she feels assured that she has
done all she can that day for
members in need of her services.
"I'm here at about 6 a.m. each
day," she said. "I know that's
early for some people, but you
never know what can go wrong
nor at what time. Sometimes, a
member may have to leave on
short notice and I want to be
here to do what I can to help him
or her."
Many members bring their
wives and children with them
while attending classes at the
school. When this occurs,
Whitten says becoming involved
with the family members, especially the kids, is comparable to
having "heaven here on earth. I
really like it when they bring
their kids along with them
because children are what it's
really all about."
Aside from the SIU members
and their families, Whitten
attributes her deep affection for
her job to the positive atmosphere in which she works and
the people with whom she
works.
"I love working here now
more than ever before because
everything is so positive," she
shared. "There are so many good
people on this base. I have excellent co-workers, a terrific super-
Florence Whitten takes care of all the transportation needs at the
school for students and their families.
visor and a wonderful union
president who always puts the
needs of others way ahead of his
own. How can I not be happy?"
she concluded.
Whitten's kind gestures have
not gone unnoticed over the
years. Even after people leave
the school, they regularly call,
write letters or send cards to
acknowledge her deeds, according to Don Nolan, vice president
of the school and Whitten's
immediate supervisor.
"Many of the people don't
remember her name," Nolan
shared, "but we all know who
they are talking about when we
receive correspondence thanking
us for how well there were taken
care while they were here.
"Florence is probably one of
the most important people we
have here at the school," Nolan
declared. "I say that because she
takes care of the massive transportation needs of our students
and their families. Getting people in and out in a timely and
efficient fashion is critical to
what we do here.
"She really goes way out of
here way to ~ake people happy
and she loves doing what she
does. I can't say enough about
what she means to us and what
she has done for all of us,"
Nolan concluded.
l'orls' AAs Train on New System
tional and beneficial," said
Romeo Lumanlan, who works in
the port of San Francisco. 'Tm
glad they came up with new way
for collecting dues." Lumanlan
has been with the union for some
30 years and is well accustomed
to collecting dues under the old
system.
"I could not wait to get back to
my job and put what I learned
into practice. And when I did, it
really helped me a lot," he said.
"I already had the manual, but the
training put everything we had
done in a classroom environment
into perspective."
"The new system will make
our jobs a lot easier because we
won't have to do e-mails everyday," said Linda Kluska, who
works in the Philadelphia hall.
"All transactions now will now
go directly to the controllers'
office. It will also make for easier accounting at the end of the
week.
"I thought the training was
pretty easy, very informative and
well conducted," she continued.
"It's been working pretty smoothly so far . . . this is definitely a
much needed change and we really had a nice time while there."
Karen Shuford from the port
of Jacksonville gained new
insights as a result of her visit.
"Everything really opened up my
eyes as to what Sill members go
through," she said "and I'm sure
we only touched a tip of the peak
of a mountain during our stay.
The stuff that we were taught in
just the short time we were there
was tremendous."
Of the dues collection training, Shuford said, "It was tremendous and a welcome change.
Without a doubt, the new system
has taken a lot of headache out of
the job for me. Now when people
make their payments, they are
keyed in and it's in the system
right then.
Susan Dersewek is fitted with full gear at the school's fire fighting
school. Dersewek works as an administrative assistant in the port of
Algonac.
"It's the best thing I have seen
come along since I have been
here and I been in my position for
nearly nine years."
In
addition
to
Clark,
Lumanlan, Kluska and Shuford,
others who participated in the
training and their respective ports
were Sherri Peters - Norfolk;
Alicia Lorge - Mobile; Barbara
Vicknair - Harvey; Brenda Delia
- Tacoma; and Sharon Gongon
Rios
from
Puerto
Rico.
Remaining participants included
Larayne Koide - Honolulu;
Janice Hunicke - Houston,
Patricia Christian - Alton; Susan
Dersewek - Algonac; Paulette
Johnson - Duluth; and Elizabeth
Weirschem from St Louis.
With the assistance of an instructor, Karen Shuford tries her skills at
extinguishing a blaze during a hands-on tour of the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting School in Piney Point. Shuford is the staff administrative assistant in the port of Jacksonville.
USCG Approves 2 Additional
STCW-Related Classes at PHC
The Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education last month
received U.S. Coast Guard approval for
two courses that fulfill STCW requirements for mariners sailing aboard certain
passenger vessels.
The newly approved classes are 7-hour
crisis management and human behavior,
and 4-hour crowd management.
In its approval letters, the Coast Guard
noted that students who successfully complete the crisis management and human
behavior course will satisfy the training
requirements of "Table A-V/2 and
Paragraph 5 of Section A-V/2 of the
STCW Code for Passenger Ships Other
Than Ro-Ro Passenger Ships; and, the
Passenger Safety training requirements of
Paragraph 4" of that same section of the
code.
Those who successfully complete the
crowd control class will satisfy "the
Crowd Management training requirements of Paragraph 1 of Section A-V/3 of
the STCW Code for Pasksenger Ships
Other Than Ro-Ro Passenger Vessels,"
along with the safety training requirements of Paragraph 3 of that section.
Located in Piney Point, Md., the Paul
Hall Center offers a wide range of classes
for Seafarers in the deck, engine and
steward departments. For a list of upcoming courses, see page 41.
Seafarers LOS
7
�State-of-the-Art Simulators
Aid Paul Hall Center Training
Seafarers at the Paul Hall Center last month raved about the bridge simulator, which includes a 360-degree viewing sector and provides teaching support in GMDSS (among many other areas). It also is interactive with an auxiliary bridge.
Without exception, the Paul
Hall Center's simulatorhased training is designed
to meet all requirements of
the amended STCW
convention and the U.S.
Coast Guard.
Numerous engine department courses will utilize the new
simulators, including QMED, FOWT, pumproom maintenance and operations, diesel engine technology, marine
electrical maintenance and others. The simulators will
help upgraders to meet the assessment of competencies
for ratings forming part of an engineering watch-an
STCW requirement.
B Seafarers LOG
The annex features a
multi-function classroom
offering GMDSS support,
liquid cargo training, oil
spill containment training and much more.
October 2000
�Great lakes Season
Picks Up witb.
Water levels in the Great Lakes early this season were very low, resulting in a need for cargo
vessels to lighten their loads in order to avoid
running aground in channels and ports. But precipitation over the last couple months has been
above average, according to Detroit-Algonac
Port Agent Don Thornton, especially on Lakes
Superior and Erie, resulting in an increase of
cargo movement by U.S.-flag lakers.
It also is time for the fall harvest of grain to
be transported to various ports, so work aboard
the SIU-crewed Great Lakes vessels is in full
force.
The photos on this page show some of the
activities of SIU members in the Great Lakes
region.
The galley gang on the SIUcrewed Southdown
Challenger makes sure crew
members eat healthfully and
heartily. These photos were
snapped when the cement
carrier was in Charlevoix,
Mich. recently. At left is steward department member
Abdullah Samawi. Below left
is Recertified Steward Mike
Kozak standing before an
intricately carved watermelon, and below right is Second
Cook Joel Markle carrying a
breakfast plate of eggs and
pancakes.
Capt. Blake Nye ties up the Erich R. Luedtke in
Bay City, Mich.
The SIU-crewed Adam E. Cornelius steams down the St. Clair River.
James Rider
is a captain
with Luedtke
Engineering.
Personal Greetings for Holiday Issue of the LOG
As has been done in past years, this December,s edition of the Seafarers LOG will include the
ever-popular holiday greetings from active and retired Seafarers and their families to other
members of the seafaring community and their families.
To ensure that your holiday message is published, please follow the instructions below:
• PRINT or TYPE (in 25 words or less) the message in the space provided. Photographs also are
welcome. (Please print-if we cannot read your message, it will not be included.)
•
Be sure your greeting is in the holiday spirit.
• Do not send more than three entires per person. (This form may be reproduced.)
• Be .sure to include your name as well as the name of the person to whom you are sending
the greeting. (Your name is necessary since the notices are listed alphabetically by the
senders last name.) Include your phone number in case there are any questions.
• The holiday greeetings must be received no later than Friday, November 17, 2000.
• Send your entries to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 207 46. You also
may fax copies directly to the LOG at (301) 702-4407.
Vernon Wallen, a steward aboard
the Richard J. Reiss, fries up
some bacon for breakfast.
Seafarers arriving at the SIU hall
in Duluth are greeted by SIU
Representative Paula Johnson.
Additionally, forms may be filled out in any union hall and turned in to the official at the
counter-or may be given to the boarding patrolman during a vessel's payoff.
The holiday greetings section of the December LOG is a favorite feature for many, so be sure to
get your message in on time.
.·
HOLIDAY MESSAGE
Lon Calloway (right) is captain
of the Chippewa, one of the
SIU-crewed ferries (below) to
Mackinac Island, Mich. from
Mackinaw City and St. Ignace.
Operated by Arnold Transit
Co., the ferry line introduced
the first catamarans in passenger service on the Great
Lakes in 1987. It also operates
10/00
(Please Print)
To: --------------------------------------------------------------~
From: ____________________________________________________________
~
Sender's Telephone Number: _________________________________
Message:
seven tugs and a vehicle han-
dler.
Check the block which describes your status with the SIU:
D Active Seafarer
D
Family Member of Active Seafarer
D Retired Seafarer
D
Family Member of Retired Seafarer
Other:
October 2000
Seafarers LOB
9
�Rally Against FOCs
Continued from page 4
Left: ITF
Seafarers
Section Vice
Chairman
Thomas Tay
must succeed in this campaign."
Woerth likened the FOC situation to one that someday may
confront the airline industry.
"Our fight is your fight. We
know what's at stake and we
know the same thing can happen
to us," he said.
"We must bring this to the
attention of the American people.
Some of your signs (displayed at
the rally) say, 'End the FOC
scam.' Nothing is more plain than
that."
Mikulski 's letter warned of the
"repugnant practices of FOC
ships. They treat workers like
slaves. Ending this practice
should be a priority for our
nation."
McLaughlin said FOC might
just as well stand for "floating
outcast crap vessel. They cause
[problems] for everyone who
comes into contact with them."
Sweeney said he was "proud
to add the support of the entire
AFL-CIO. Flags of convenience
are most often just flags of cruelty. On the high seas, they are
nothing short of criminal."
He emphasized the need to
publicize the battle against runaway flags.
"Our job is to draw attention
to these horrible conditions and
practices, and to support the ITF.
As a supposedly moral nation, we
should not allow [FOCs] to continue. We stand with the ITF."
Taylor said the ITF campaign
"is important to America.
Unfortunately, [FOCs] can make
money with sweatshop labor. We
have to remain vigilant."
He added that "doing away
with the idiotic cruise-tonowhere"-a ploy used by some
runaway-flag passenger ships to
circumvent U.S. cabotage lawsshould be a national priority.
The London-based ITF is composed of more than 500 transportation-related trade unions
worldwide.
Members at the Washington, D.C. rally show
their support for the work of the ITF.
Stephen Cotton, secretary of the
ITF Special Seafarers' Dept.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY)
More than 100 Seafarers joined other union members in showing their
support for the ITF's campaign against the flag of convenience scam.
Right: Rep.
Gene Taylor
(D-Miss.)
House Minority Whip
David Bonior (D-Mich.)
SIU and MTD President
Michael Sacco
Air Line Pilots Association
President Duane Woerth
MEBA President Larry O'Toole
SUPPORTS
F ir ffl'"' 11w1
" fttr
Ml
H1Jri11cr.~
ILWU Legislative Director
Lindsay Mclaughlin
10
Seafarers LOG
Those attending the demonstration listen intently as a number of
speakers from government and labor urge an end to runaway flags.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
Remo di Fiore,
ITF executive board
�*********************************
Independence Day at Bea
**********************
Independence Day- the Fourth of July-is a joyful holiday for Americans, often celebrated at home with good
old-fashioned backyard barbecues.
Just because many SIU members were aboard ship
that day doesn't mean the holiday was ignored or went
unnoticed.
Franchesca Rose, chief steward aboard the CSX
Enterprise, and Patrick D. Helton, chief steward on the
PFC Eugene A. Obregon, sent photos to the LOG showing how they helped their shipmates celebrate July 4,
2000.
For crew members on the Enterprise, Independence
Day took the form of a Hawaiian
luau; aboard the Obregon, red,
white and blue was the color of
the day-everything from the
bunting and decorations, to the
aprons of the steward department,
to the strawberry, blueberry and
whipped cream cakes.
Patriotically adorned in red, white and blue aprons and caps
are members of the galley gang aboard the PFC Eugene A.
Obregon. From the left are ACU Mauricio Castro, Chief
Cook Rudolph Xatruch and SA Arnulfo Lacayo.
Left: Recertified Steward Patrick Helton prepares red (strawberries), white (whipped
cream) and blue (blueberries) desserts for the
Obregon barbecue.
Above: Crew members
and guests enjoy the
Hawaiian luau aboard the
Enterprise.
Right: The patriotically
draped salad and dessert
table contains more than
enough in the way of
accompaniments to the
traditional July 4th fare for
Obregon crew members.
Above: AB Jose Sanchez gives a
thumbs-up for the celebration
aboard the Obregon, which took
place while the ship was anchored
in Souda Bay, Crete.
Right: Enterprise
Captain Ken Fisher
enjoys the holiday
meal.
Left: Enterprise Chief
Mate James Franklin
is joined by his wife,
Joanne, for the luau.
Taking a short
break before the
Obregon's barbecue begins is SA
Ali Albaadani.
Bosun Henry Bouganim (left) and AB Gary Clark wait for
a pallet of stores to be loaded on the Obregon.
Chief Cook Rudolph Xatruch is ready to serve his all-American lndepdence Day barbecue.
Seafarers LOS
11
�2001: An Education Odyssey
Eight Scholarships to Be Awarded
Back in 1952, when the Seafarers Welfare Plan
established a scholarship program to help qualified
members and their dependents finance their college
and vocational educations, only four awards were
given. Beginning with the fall term of 1953, the four
students were to receive full college scholarships of
$1,500 a year for four years, good at any recognized
college or university in the United States.
The yearly $1,500 stipend was more than enough
in 1953 to cover all tuition and fees and still leave
money over for books and incidentals, even at an
Ivy League school.
When Cindy Marie Winter won a scholarship
(see article at right) in 1998, the Seafarers Welfare
Plan was already offering seven scholarships. Three
were earmarked for Seafarers (one in the amount of
$15,000 and two others for $6,000 each) and four
$15,000 awards were for the dependents of SIU
members.
This year, the odds of being selected for an SIU
scholarship have gotten even better. As of July 10,
2000, in addition to the three monetary awards for
Seafarers, an additional scholarship has been added
to the dependent category, for a total of eight scholarships.
The scholarship committee believes this additional award is necessary due to the increasing number of application forms as well as the quality of the
applicants. They also increased the amount of the
four-year scholarships (both for Seafarers and for
dependents) from $15,000 to $20,000-for a total
of $132,000.
The Seafarers Welfare Plan scholarship is now
taking applications for the 2001 program, which
will award the eight grants. All Seafarers and their
spouses and children who plan to attend college are
encouraged to complete a scholarship application.
The deadline for submission of all required paperwork is April 15, 2001.
The first step in the application process is sending away for the Seafarers Scholarship Program
booklet. To receive a copy of this guide, fill out the
coupon at the bottom of this page and return it to the
address listed on the form.
Once the scholarship booklet has been received,
applicants should then check the eligibility information and, if they are eligible, should start collecting
other paperwork which must be submitted along
with the full application by the April 15 deadline.
These items include transcripts and certificates
of graduation. Since schools are often quite slow in
handling transcript requests, the sooner the request
is made, the better.
Another part of the application package includes
letters of recommendation solicited from individuals who know the applicant's character, personality
and career goals.
A photograph of the applicant as well as a certified copy of his or her birth certificate also need to
be included.
The selection committee looks at the high school
grades of all the applicants and also checks the
scores of either their College Entrance Examination
Boards or American College Tests. Therefore,
arrangements should be made to take these exams
no later than February 2001 to ensure the results
reach the committee in time to be evaluated.
Those Seafarers and dependents who previously
have applied for a Seafarers Welfare Plan scholarship and were not selected are encouraged to apply
again this year, provided they still meet all the eligibility requirements.
Today, there are more chances than ever to make
your dreams for a college education a reality. Start
the process now by sending for a copy of the scholarship program booklet.
Mariner's Social Security Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Telephone Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
This application is for: D Self
D Dependent
Mail this completed form to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Welfare Plan,
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746
10/00
After delivering a commencement address last May before a crowd
of 7,200 people, Cindy Marie Winter (right) is all smiles as she
poses with her mother, Clare.
From Piney Point to Mayo Clinic
1998 Scholarship Winner
Keeps Upgrading Her Skills
When Cindy Marie Winter
was awarded a $15,000 scholarship in 1998, the 31-year-old
chief cook took full advantage
of the educational opportunities
it afforded her.
Following Winter's graduation from trainee class 506 in
1992, she began working
aboard LNG tankers and kept
returning to Piney Point to
upgrade her skills, completing
the assistant cook, cook and
baker and certified chief cook
course as well as receiving her
LNG and tanker operations
endorsements.
During her six-year career
as a Seafarer, Winter decided
to pursue her formal education.
She enrolled in Inver Hills
Community College in
Minnesota, where she completed classes in chemistry, mathematics and English, receiving
top grades in all. She then
enrolled in biology, physics,
philosophy. and interpersonal
speech communications, and
maintained an "A" average
while tutoring other students in
chemistry and mathematics.
She was then admitted to
Century College in White Bear
Lake, Minn. as a student in the
medical imaging program,
where she worked on her
Associate of Applied Science
degree in Radiographic
Technology. In January 1999,
she enrolled full-time nights at
Metropolitan State University
in St. Paul, Minn. and began
working on her Bachelor of
Arts degree in Medical
Imaging and Health Care
Administration.
She maintained a very high
grade point average at both
schools and graduated May 11,
2000 from Metro State with
high honors. A week later, she
graduated with an Associate of
Arts degree and an Associate
of Applied Science degree
from Century College. In all, it
took her two-and-a-half years
to complete the three degrees!
In a recent letter to the
Seafarers LOG, Winter writes,
"Century College selected me
to be their 'Exemplary
Graduate,' which is a combination of valedictorian and student of the year. I cannot even
begin to tell you what an honor
it was. During the Century
College commencement exercises, I was asked to address
the graduating class of more
than 800 students and all of
their families and friends. In
total, I spoke to a crowd in
excess of 7,200 people. I wrote
my address in reference to the
similarities of sailing and education. It went over wonderfully, and I got a standing ovation.
"Also, thanks to my scholarship, I was able to spend
time volunteering for different
organizations and causes during my time in school. One of
my major projects was designing and presenting a six-hour
training session on breast cancer awareness and detection
for American Indian women. I
created a trainer's manual, participant's manual and culturally specific exercises to promote awareness. I am scheduled to teach this course this
summer on both the White
Earth Reservation and the
Leech Lake Reservation of the
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. I
also have had the chance to
work with the American
Cancer Society, the National
Multiple Sclerosis Society, the
Red Cross, and Ramsey
County Foster Care. None of
these volunteer activities could
have been possible without the
support of the Seafarers
International Union."
Where is Winter headed
now? She is currently attending St. Mary's University of
Minnesota full-time nights for
a dual Master of Arts degree in
( 1) health and human services
administration and (2) management and expects to graduate in August 2002. She also
has been accepted to the Mayo
School of Health-Related
Sciences at the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minn. to study
diagnostic medical sonography
(ultrasound). The Mayo Clinic
is rated the number one school
in the world for this program
and is a highly competitive
school in which to gain admission.
Winter concludes her letter
with, "Once again, I would
like to say that without the
support of the SIU and the
Seafarers Welfare Plan schol-
arship program, I could never
have reached my goals of
higher education. I encourage
everyone to take advantage of
all the education they can get.
I learned that from all my time
upgrading at Piney Point. The
resources are out there; it's up
to you to make the difference."
L---------------------------------------------------------------------------12
Seafarers LOG
October 2000
�Balloting Begins Nov. 1 for Union Officers
Voting starts Nov. 1 for the
election of officers for the
Seafarers International Union
Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters District. SIU members
will be able to cast secret ballots
at union halls or by mail through
Dec. 30, 2000.
Seafarers eligible to vote in
this election to determine union
officers for the 2001-2004 term
are full-book members in good
standing. This eligibility criteria is
spelled out in the union's governing document, the constitution.
The ballot will list the names
of all qualified candidates as
determined by the credentials
committee, a group made up of
six rank-and-file Seafarers who
reviewed the nominating petitions
of all SIU members seeking office
in this districtwide election. A
sample of this ballot appears on
pages 14 and 15.
The credentials committee
report, which was prepared Aug.
18, and submitted to the member-
ship at the September monthly
meetings, indicated 33 candidates
had qualified to run for 27 positions. (The committee's report
was published in the September
2000 Seafarers LOG.)
The 27 posts for which
Seafarers will cast their ballots are
president, executive vice president, secretary-treasurer, six vice
presidents, six assistant vice presidents, two headquarters representatives and 10 port agents.
20 Polling Places
The election will be conducted
by mail ballot as provided by the
union's constitution. Secret ballots, accompanied by envelopes
marked "Ballot" and postage-paid
envelopes printed with the
address of the bank depository
where the ballots are kept until
submitted to the tallying committee, will be available to full-book
members in good standing at 20
union halls around the country.
(See list of voting locations on
Notice on Unopposed Candidates
One part of the article of the SIU constitution covering rules for
elections concerns the election of candidates who are unopposed for
the office in question.
The section states that those candidates who are unopposed for
any office or job shall be considered elected to that office or job and
that the tallying committee shall not have to count the votes for any
such candidate.
The entire section, contained in Article XIII, Section 5 of the SIU
constitution, reads as follows:
"A candidate unopposed for any office or job shall be deemed
elected to such office or job notwithstanding that his name may
appear on the ballot. The Union Tallying Committee shall not be
required to tally completely the results of the voting for such unopposed candidate but shall certify in their report that such unopposed
candidate has been elected to such office or job The Election Report
Meeting shall accept the above certification of the Union Tallying
Committee."
Procedures for Voting
All Seafarers eligible to vote in the union's 2000 election of officers and job holders for the term 2001-2004 may vote by secret ballot from Nov. 1 through Dec. 30, 2000.
Secret ballots, together with self-addressed, stamped envelopes
for mailing, will be available at union halls to all eligible voters.
Seafarers are eligible to vote in the union's election if they are fullbook members in good standing.
Details of the election procedure are spelled out in Article XIII
of the SIU constitution, which is printed verbatim on pages 16 and
17 of this issue of the Seafarers LOG.
In summary, here is the procedure for voting:
• Eligible Seafarers may pick up ballot and mailing envelopes
from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon (local time), Monday through Saturday,
excluding legal holidays, from Nov. 1 through Dec. 30, 2000 at designated union halls (see list on this page).
• When a full-book member arrives to vote, he or she should
present his or her book to the port agent or his duly designated representative.
• The member will be asked to sign a roster sheet indicating the
date, the number of the ballot given the member and his or her book
number.
• The member will have his book stamped with the word
"Voted" and the date.
• At the same time, the member will receive a ballot, together
with an envelope marked "Ballot" and a mailing envelope. The
mailing envelope has the address of the depository printed on it,
making it self-addressed. It also has the postage pre-paid.
• The top part of the ballot above the perforated line will be
retained by the port agent or his duly designated representative.
• In cases where a member does not produce his or her book,
or if there is a question about the member's good standing or other
eligibility matters, the member will receive a mailing envelope of a
different color marked with the word "Challenge." His or her book
also will be stamped "Voted Challenge" and the date.
• After a member has voted, he or she puts the ballot in the
mailing envelope which is addressed to the bank depository and
stamped. The mailing envelope should then be put in the mail.
this page.)
Eligible Seafarers may pick up
their ballots and envelopes
marked "Ballot" and mailing
envelopes at these halls between
9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon,
Monday through Saturday, except
legal holidays, from Nov. 1 to
Dec. 30.
Each member must present his
or her book to the port agent or
the agent's designated representative when receiving the ballot, the
envelope marked "Ballot" and the
mailing envelope. When the
Seafarer receives the ballot and
envelopes, his or her book will be
stamped with the word "Voted"
and the date.
If a member does not present
his or her book, or if there is a
question in regard to his or her eligibility to vote, the Seafarer will
receive a mailing envelope of a
different color marked with the
word "Challenge." His or her book
will be stamped with the words
"Voted Challenge" and the date.
For members who believe they
will be at sea during this time, the
SIU constitution provides for
absentee voting procedures. Fullbook members in good standing
who need to vote by absentee ballot should direct a request for the
ballot to the union's secretarytreasurer at SIU headquarters- 5201 Auth Way, Camp
Springs, MD 20746.
NOTICE OF 2 - ELECTION
FOR EtECTION OF 2001-2004 OFFICERS
SEAFARERS IRTERllATIOIAL UlllOlf OF NORTH AMERICA
Aflanllc, llall, Labs anll laland WalelS 0"'1ll:t
Secret Ballots
Once the Seafarer has received
his or her ballot and envelopes, he
or she marks the ballot for the
candidates of his or her choice
and puts it in the envelope marked
"Ballot." This envelope is sealed
by the member and placed in the
mailing envelope and then dispatched in the mail. These steps
ensure the integrity of the secret
ballot process.
The union's constitution, in
Article XIII, details the procedures for voting in union elections. (See copy of the constitution, pages 19-25.)
All ballots will be counted by
the rank-and-file tallying committee consisting of two members
elected from each of the union's
constitutional ports. These committee members will be elected in
December. They will convene as
the tallying committee in early
Jan. 2001.
350 Fremont St.1 San Francisco, CA 94105
4581 Gravois Ave~~ . $~. Louie, MO 63116
3411 South Union St. Tacomat WA 98409
$10 North Broad Ave., Wilmington, CA ·
·00144
ELECTION IN FORMAT/ON CONTINUES
ON THE NEXT 19 PAGES.
Procedure for Absentee Ballots
In the case of members eligible to vote who
believe they will be at sea during the Nov. 1
through Dec. 30, 2000 voting period, absentee ballots are available.
The SIU constitution ensures that members who
are eligible to vote and who find themselves in this
situation may vote. Procedures are established in
the SIU constitution to safeguard the secret ballot
election, including the absentee ballot process.
Here is the procedure to follow when requesting
an absentee ballot:
• Make the request in writing to the SIU office
of the secretary-treasurer, 520 I Auth Way, Camp
Springs, MD 20746.
• Include in the request the correct address
where the absentee ballot should be mailed.
• Send the request for an absentee ballot by
registered or certified mail.
• The registered or certified mail envelope
must be postmarked no later than midnight, Nov.
15, 2000 and must be received at 5201 Auth Way,
Camp Springs, MD 20746 no later than Nov. 25,
2000.
• The secretary-treasurer, after confirming eligibility, will send by registered mail, return receipt
requested, to the address designed in the request, a
ballot, together with an envelope marked "Ballot"
and a mailing envelope no later than Nov. 30,
2000.
• Upon receiving the ballot and envelopes,
vote by marking the ballot. After voting the ballot,
place the ballot in the envelope marked "Ballot."
Do not write on the "Ballot" envelope.
• Place the envelope marked "Ballot" in the
mailing envelope which is imprinted with the mailing address of the bank depository where all ballots are sent.
• Sign the mailing envelope on the first line of
the upper left-hand comer. Print name and book
number on the second line. The mailing envelope
is self-addressed and stamped.
• The mailing envelope must be postmarked
no later than midnight Dec. 30, 2000 and received
by the bank depository no later than Jan. 5, 2001.
Seafal'fll'S LOii
13
�ELECTION NOTICE OF 2000 ELECTION
Section 401 (e) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act) requires the mailing of an election notice to each member entitled to vote at his last known address. This notice is being sent to you in compliance therewith and, in
addition, contains information of Interest to all candidates and members.
SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR VOTING LOCATIONS AND PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL REVISIONS
OFFICIAL BALLOT
No. 00000
SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICAAtlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District
VOTING PERIOD NOVEMBER 1st, 2000 THROUGH DECEMBER 30th, 2000
INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS-In order to vote for a candidate, mark a cross (X) in voting square to the left of name. If you vote for more candidates for office than specified
herein, your vote for such office will be invalid.
MARK YOUR BALLOT WITH PEN AND INK OR INDELIBLE PENCIL
<
~~~;.~~-- -----------------------------------------------------------------·-~
....
_____
D_____ _
PRESIDE .
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE SOUTHERN REGION, GREAT
LAKES AND INLAND WATERS
Vote for One
~
D
ff
Robert (Bobby) J. Clinton lll,~-1)38
2
D
Charles Burdette Collins, C-1652
3
D
Michael J. Sacco, S-1288
Vote for One
D
ESl'tlENT IN CHARGE OF
N~~NT SERVICES
SHfNG INDUSTRIES
_;'ate for One)
~
:=;;;
~.........
ASSIMANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN_J;ttARGE
A
OF CONTRACTS AND CO
ENFORCEMEN
Vote for One
6
D
Michael D. Murphy, M-2483
7
D
William Parker, P-1067
,
15 ~ K~pnett T. Mangram, M-2394
SECRETARY-TREASURER
D
Leo Bonser, B-1193
23 D
Carl Peth, P-755
PINEY POINT PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
of Woodrow Shelton, S-2558
John Fay, F-363
5
22 D
3 ... o"'""h.; Thomas Orzechowski, Jr., 0-601
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
(Vote for One)
4
HEADQUARTERS REPRESENTATIVE
(Vote for Two)
David W. Heindel, H-1443
24 D
NEW YORK PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
25 D
26
D
8
D
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN
CHARGE OF THE GULF COAST
(Vote for One)
D
18 D
Jack Caffey, C-101 O
19
20
Vote for One
12
D
Nicholas J. Marrone, M-2308
21
OFFICIAL BALLOT 2001 - 2004
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Seafarers LOii
.l.011ve
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D
Stephen W. Judd, J-5336
Don Anderson, A-5244
D
0
31 D
Robert Hall, H-5727
See Reverse Side for
Voting Locations
and
Proposed Constitutional Revisions
NOTE: For the position of vice president in charge of contracts and contract
enforcement, the final ballot may look different from this sample ballot. Larry
Frank Phillips, P-1257, has appealed his disqualification by the credentials committee to run for this position . If his appeal to the membership is successful, then
his name will appear on the final ballot. The final version of the ballot will be
reprinted in the November issue of the Seafarers LOG.
Virfac~f"€rancis Coss, C-8138
ST. LO S PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
James P. McGee, M-5945
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN
CHARGE OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES
AND FISHING INDUSTRIES
(Vote for One)
Kevin Bertel, B-1832
0
0
NEW ORLEANS PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
Ambrose L. Cucinotta, C-1795
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN
CHARGE OF THE SOUTHERN REGION,
GREAT LAKES AND INLAND WATERS
(Vote for One)
Dean E. Corgey, C-5727
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE WEST COAST
11 D
Edward Kelly, Jr., K-5043
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN
CHARGE OF THE WEST COAST
(Vote for One)
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE GULF COAST
(Vote for One)
10 D
Dennis Metz, M-3013
MOBILE PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
Nicholas A. Celona, C-1578
D
Augustin Tellez, T-764
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE ATLANTIC COAST
(Vote for One)
9
(Vote for One)
D
Joseph T. Soresi, S-2658
BALTIMORE PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
27 D
17
Robert Selzer, S-1258
PHILADELPHIA PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
16 D
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
CONTRACTS AND CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT
(Vote for One)
Edward "Edd" W. Morris, M-1358
32 D
Rebecca J. Sleeper, S-2497
DETROIT-ALGONAC PORT AGENT
(Vote for One)
33 D
Donald A. Thornton, T-5501
OFFICIAL BALLOT 2001 - 2004
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Ot:tober 20llO
�ELECTION NOTICE OF 2000 ELECTION
FOR ELECTION OF 2001-2004 OFFICERS AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Election will be conducted by secret mail ballot.
Ballots may be obtained at the following locations from 9:00 A.M. to 12 Noon, Mondays through Saturdays, excluding holidays, during the voting
period. The voting period shall commence on November 1st, 2000 and shall continue through December 30th, 2000.
VOTING LOCATIONS
ALGONAC
520 St. Clair River Drive, Algonac, Ml 48001
BALTIMORE
2315 Essex Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
DULUTH
705 Medical Arts Building, Duluth, MN 55802
FT. LAUDERDALE
1221 South Andrews Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
GUAM
~~ Plaza, Tun Jesus Crisostoma St., Tamuning, Guam 96911
NEW ORLEANS
NEW YORK
NORFOLK
PHILADELPHIA
PINEY POINT
HONOLUL~
U60fl<~~treet, Honolulu, HI 96819
12~
· 1 '..i.e' e ~reet, Houston, TX 77002
HOUSTON
31 Libe~treet, Jacksonville, FL 32206
JACKSONV ·
·
M · ntgomery Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302
JERSEY Cl~
MOBILE
.
0 i auphin Island Parkway, Mobile, AL 36605
NEW BEDFORD · 48 Ion Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
PUERTO RICO
SAN FRANCISCO
ST. LOUIS
TACOMA
WILMINGTON
3911 LaPalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058
635 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
115 Third Street, Norfolk, VA 23510
2604 South Fourth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship,
Piney Point, MD 20674
1057 Fernandez Juncos Avenue, Santurce, PR 00907
350 Fremont Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
4581 Gravois Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63116
3411 South Union Street, Tacoma, WA 98409
510 North Broad Avenue, Wilmington, CA 90744
WHEREAS, the Executive Board of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District met on May 12, 2000 to discuss the current needs and conditions of the Union, its membership and
the maritime industry in this country; and
oposed revisions in the Union's Constitution which would enable the Union to function more efficiently and to continue to fulfill its obligations to the memberWHEREAS, among their discussions and deliberations was the su ·
ship; and
7 ordance with Article XXV, Section 2 of our Constitution. They studied the proposed Constitutional Amendments Resolution and unanimously concurred on all
WHEREAS, a Constitutional Committee was elected Q
proposed constitutional revisions; and
' membership at the regular membership meetings in September 2000.
.
WHEREAS, the report of the Constitutional C
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS RESOLVED
Y ADOPTED PROPOSITIONS, TO BE VOTED UPON, IF ADOPTED, WOULD AMEND THE CONSTITUTION AS FOLLOWS:
PROPOSITION #1
Are you in favor of amending Article V, Dues and Initiation Fee,
"Section 1. All members' dues shall consist of:
(a) Dues annually in the sum of four hundred dollars ($400.00) which shall be paid in equal a
eafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows :
lendar year basis, no later than the first business day of each calendar quarter, and;"
Are you in favor of amending Article v, Dues and Initiation Fee, Section 1 (b) of the Constituti ..
I · rnational Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
"(b) a sum equal to five percent (5%) of the gross amount received for vacation benefits for days worke
"cted employers. Dues payable under this Sub-section (b) shall be payable on the days that the member receives payment for the earned vacation benefits and shall become effective as to members in the manner design
., termined by a majority vote of the membership by secret ballot. When so determined by the membership, members in
the employ of the Union, its subdivisions and its affiliated organizations, or in any employment at the Uni · 's ection as provided in Article XII, Section 1 (a) and (c), shall pay in addition to that provided for in paragraph (a) immediately
loyed."
above the sum of one hundred dollars ($100.00) quarterly on a calendar year basis, no later than the first o · iness day of each quarter while so .
PLACE 11 X 11 IN BOX OF YOUR
YESD
NO
Are you in favor of amending the following Constitutional provisions to revise the name of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Attantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District;
Title Page
Heading
Preamble
Article I, Name and General Powers
Exhibit A
Preamble, Section Ill, Section IV, Section V, Section VI, Section VII, Section VIII, Section IX, Section X, Section XI, Section XII and Section XIII
so that the name of the Union would reflect the consolidation of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Attantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District and
and headings to read as follows Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters Dlstrict-NMU.
PLACE 11 X 11 IN BOX OF YOUR CHOICE
YESD
NOD
PROPOSITION #4
Are you in favor of amending Article VII, Systems of Organization, Section 2 of the ConstiMion of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to
"Section 2. The Headquarters of the Union shall be located in camp Springs, Maryland and Piney Point, Maryland or at such places as the Executive Board may determine from time to time. The H
ua
1) Vi a President, an Executive Vice-President, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of Contracts and Contract Enforcement, a Secretary-Treasurer, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the Atlantic Coast,
Gulf Coast, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the West Coast, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters, one (1) V1C9-President in Charge of G .
~t.Niir.k
Industries and two (2) Vice-Presidents at Large.•
Are you in favor of amending Article VIII, Officers, Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters Representatives and Port Agents, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Seafarers International Union
and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
"Section 1. The officers of the Union shall be elected as otherwise provided in this Constitution. These officers shall be the President, an Executive Vice-President, one (1) Vice-President in Charge
Cd acts and Contract
Enforcement, a Secretary-Treasurer, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the Atlantic Coast, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf Coast, one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the West Coast, one
the Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters, and one (1) Vice-President in Charge of Government Services and Fishing Industries and two (2) Vice-Presidents at Large.•
Are you in favor of amending Article X, Duties of Officers, Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters Representatives, Port Agents, Other Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous Personnel, Section 10 of the Constitution of the
Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
"Section 10. Vice-Presidents at Large .
There shall be two (2) Vice-Presidents at Large whose duties shall be as directed by the President with concurrence of the Executive Board. Such duties and responsibilities may be changed from time to time in like manner, as dictated by the needs of the Union.•
Are you in favor of amending Article X, Duties of Officers, Vice-Presidents, Headquarters Representatives, Port Agents, Other Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous Personnel, Section 14, Executive Board of the Constitution of the
Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
"Section 14. Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall consist of the President, the Executive Vice-President, the Vice-President in Charge of Contracts and Contract Enforcement, the Secretary-Treasurer, the Vice-President in Charge of the Atlantic Coast Area,
the Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf Coast Area, the Vice-President in Charge of the West Coast Area the Vice-President in Charge of the Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters, the Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing Industries, the Vice-Presidents at Large and the National Director (or chief executive officer) of each subordinate body or division created or chartered by the Union whenever such subordinate body or
division has attained a membership of 3,200 members and has maintained that membership for not less than three (3) months. Such National Director (or chief executive officer) shall be a member of the respective subordinate body or
division and must be qualified to hold office under the terms of the Constitution of such division or subordinate body.•
Are you in favor of amending Article X, Duties of Officers, Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters Representatives, Port Agents, Other Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous Personnel, Section 15 (b), Delegates of the ConstiMion
of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
"Section 15. Delegates.
(b) The term "delegates• shall mean those members of the Union and its subordinate bodies or divisions who are elected in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution to attend the Convention of the Seafarers International
Union of North America. The following officers and jobholders, upon their election to office or job shall, during the term of their offlC9 or job be delegates to all Conventions of the Seafarers International Union of North America in the following order of priority: President; Executive Vice-President; Vice-President in Charge of Contracts and Contract Enforcement; Secretary-Treasurer; Vice-President in Charge of the Atlantic Coast; Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf
Coast; VIC9-President in Charge of the West Coast; Vice-President in Charge of the Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters; Vice-President in Charge of Government Services and Fishing Industries; Vice-Presidents at Large;
Assistant Vice-Presidents; Headquarters Representatives, with priority to those most senior in full book Union membership; and Port Agents, with priority to those most senior in full book Union membership.·
PLACE 11 X 11 IN BOX OF YOUR CHOICE
NOD
YES r:J
PROPOSITION #5
Are you in favor of amending Article XXll, Quorums, Section 2 of the Constitution of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, to read as follows:
"Section 2. The quorum for a regular meeting of a Port shall be twenty-five (25) members."
PLACE 11 X 11 IN BOX OF YOUR CHOICE
YESD
NOD
These amendments, If approved, shall become effective upon the date of certification of the Union Tallying Committee.
Seafa1'81'S LOB
15
�SIU Constitution
Spells Out Rules
On 2000 Elections
The section of the union s constitution outlining voting procedures in the SIU's elections, which
are held every four years, appears
here and on page 17 in its entirety.
Article 1111
Elections for Officers, Assistant
Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives and Port Agents
Section 1. Nominations.
Except as provided in Section 2
(b) of this Article, any full book
member may submit his name for
nomination for any office, or the
job of Assistant Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative or
Port Agent, by delivering or causing to be delivered in person, to the
office of the Secretary-Treasurer at
Headquarters, or sending a letter
addressed to the Credentials
Committee, in care of the
Secretary-Treasurer at the address
of Headquarters. This letter shall be
dated and shall contain the following:
(a) The name of the candidate.
(b) His home address and mailing address.
(c) His book number.
(d) The title of the office or
other job for which he is a candidate, including the name of the Port
in the event the position sought is
that of Port Agent.
(e) Proof of citizenship.
(f) Proof of seatime and/or
employment as required for candidates.
(g) In the event the member is
on a vessel, he shall notify the
Credentials Committee what vessel
he is on. This shall be done also if
he ships subsequent to forwarding
his credentials.
(h) Annexing a certificate in
the following form, signed and
dated by the proposed nominee: "I
hereby certify that I am not now,
nor, for the five (5) years last past,
have I been either a member of the
Communist Party or convicted of,
or served any part of a prison term
resulting from conviction of robbery, bribery, extortion, embezzlement, grand larceny, burglary,
arson, violation of narcotics laws,
murder, rape, assault with intent to
kill, assault which inflicts grievous
bodily injury, or violation of Title II
or III of the Landrum-Griffin Act,
or conspiracy to commit any such
crimes."
Dated ......................................... .
Signature of member
Book No . .................................... ..
Printed forms of the certificate
shall be made available to nominees. Where a nominee cannot
truthfully execute such a certificate, but is, in fact, legally eligible
for an office or job by reason of the
restoration of civil rights originally
revoked by such conviction or a
favorable determination by the
Board of Parole of the United
States Department of Justice, he
shall, in lieu of the foregoing certificate, furnish a complete signed
statement of the facts of his case
together with true copies of the
documents supporting his statement.
16
Seafarers LOG
Any full book member may
nominate any other full book member, in which event such full book
member so nominated shall comply
with the provisions of this Article
as they are set forth herein relating
to the submission of credentials. By
reason of the above self-nomination provision, the responsibility, if
any, for notifying a nominee of his
nomination to office shall be that of
the nominator.
All documents required herein
must reach Headquarters no earlier
than July 15 and no later than
August 15 of the election year.
The Secretary-Treasurer is
charged with safekeeping of these
letters and shall tum them over to
the Credentials Committee upon
the latter's request.
Section 2. Credentials Committee.
(a) A Credentials Committee
shall be elected at the regular meeting in August of the election year at
the Port where Headquarters is
located. It shall consist of six ( 6)
full book members in attendance at
the meeting with two (2) members
to be elected from each of the
Deck, Engine and Steward departments. No officer, Assistant VicePresident, Headquarters Representative or Port Agent, or candidate for office of the job of
Assistant Vice-President, Headquarters Representative or Port
Agent, shall be eligible for election
to this Committee except as provided for in Article X, Section 4. In the
event any Committee member is
unable to serve, the Committee
shall suspend until the President or
Executive Vice-President or the
Secretary-Treasurer, in that order,
calls a special meeting at the Port
where Headquarters is located in
order to elect a replacement. The
Committee's results shall be by
majority vote with any tie vote
being resolved by a majority of the
membership at a special meeting
called for that purpose at that Port.
(b) After its election, the
Committee shall immediately go
into session. It shall determine
whether the person has submitted
his application correctly and possesses the necessary qualifications.
The Committee shall prepare a
report listing each applicant and his
book number under the office or
job he is seeking. Each applicant
shall be marked "qualified" or "disqualified" according to the findings
of the Committee. Where an applicant has been marked "disqualified," the reasons therefore must be
stated in the report. Where a tie
vote has been resolved by a special
meeting of the membership, that
fact shall also be noted with sufficient detail. The report shall be
signed by all of the Committee
members and be completed and
submitted to the Ports in time for
the next regular meeting after their
election. At this meeting, it shall be
read and incorporated in the minutes and then posted on the bulletin
board in each Port.
On the last day of nominations,
one member of the Committee
shall stand by in Headquarters to
accept delivery of credentials. All
credentials
must
be
in
Headquarters by midnight of closing day.
( c) When an applicant has been
disqualified by the Committee, he
shall be notified immediately by
telegram at the addresses listed by
him pursuant to Section 1 of this
Article. He shall also be sent a letter containing their reasons for
such disqualification by air mail,
special delivery, registered or certified, to the mailing address designated pursuant to Section 1 (b) of
this Article. A disqualified applicant shall have the right to take an
appeal to the membership from the
decision of the Committee. He
shall forward copies of such appeal
to each Port where the appeal shall
be presented and voted upon at a
regular meeting no later than the
meeting
after
the
second
Committee's election. It is the
responsibility of the applicant to
insure timely delivery of his
appeal. In any event, without prejudice to his written appeal, the applicant may appear in person before
the Committee within two days
after the day on which the telegram
is sent to correct his application or
argue for his qualification.
The committee's report shall be
prepared early enough to allow the
applicant to appear before it within
the time set forth in this
Constitution and still reach the
Ports in time for the first regular
meeting after its election.
(d) A majority vote of the
membership shall, in the case of
such appeals, be sufficient to overrule any disqualification by the
Credentials Committee in which
even the one so previously classified shall then be deemed qualified.
(e) The Credentials Committee, in passing upon the qualifications of candidates, shall have the
right to conclusively presume that
anyone nominated and qualified in
previous elections for candidacy
for any office, or the job of
Assistant Vice-President, Headquarters Representative or Port
Agent, has met all the requirements
of Section 1 (a) of Article XII.
Section 3. Balloting Procedures.
(a) Balloting in the manner
hereafter provided shall commence
on Nov. 1 of the election year and
shall continue through Dec. 31,
exclusive of Sundays and (for each
individual Port) holidays legally
recognized in the City of which the
Port affected is located. IfNov. 1 or
Dec. 31 falls on a holiday legally
recognized in a Port in the City in
which that Port is located, the balloting period in such Port shall
commence or terminate, as the case
may be, on the next succeeding
business day. Subject to the foregoing, for the purpose of full book
members securing their ballots, the
Ports shall be open from 9:00 a.m.
to 12 noon, Monday through
Saturday, excluding holidays.
(b) Balloting shall be by mail.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall
insure the proper and timely preparation of ballots without partiality
as to candidates or Ports. The ballots may contain general information and instructive comments not
inconsistent with the provisions of
this Constitution. All qualified candidates shall be listed thereon
alphabetically within each category
with book number and job seniority classification status.
The listing of the Ports shall
first set forth Headquarters and
then shall follow a geographical
pattern commencing with the most
northerly Port of the Atlantic Coast,
following the Atlantic Coast down
to the most southerly Port on that
coast, then westerly along the Gulf
of Mexico and so on, until the list
of Ports is exhausted. Any Port outside the Continental United States
shall then be added. There shall be
no write-in voting and no provisions for the same shall appear on
the ballot. Each ballot shall be so
prepared as to have the number
thereon placed at the top thereof
and shall be so perforated as to
enable that potion containing the
said number to be easily removed
to insure secrecy of the ballot. On
this removable portion shall also be
placed a short statement indicating
the nature of the ballot and the voting date thereof.
( c) The ballots so prepared at
the direction of the SecretaryTreasurer shall be the only official
ballots. No others may be used.
Each ballot shall be numbered as
indicated in the preceding paragraphs and shall be numbered consecutively, commencing with number 1. A sufficient amount shall be
printed and distributed to each Port.
A record of the ballots, both by serial numbers and amount, sent thereto, shall be maintained by the
Secretary-Treasurer, who shall also
send each Port Agent a verification
list indicating the amount and serial numbers of the ballots sent. The
Secretary-Treasurer shall also send
to each Port Agent a sufficient
amount of blank opaque envelopes
containing the word "Ballot" on the
face of the envelope, as well as a
sufficient amount of opaque mailing envelopes, first class postage
prepaid and printed on the face
thereon as the addressee shall be
the name and address of the depository for the receipt of such ballots
as designated by the President in
the manner provided by Article X,
Section 1, of this Constitution. In
the upper left-hand comer of such
mailing envelope, there shall be
printed thereon, as a top line, provision for the voter's signature and
on another line immediately thereunder, provision for the printing of
the voter's name and book number.
In addition, the Secretary-Treasurer
shall also send a sufficient amount
of mailing envelopes identical with
the mailing envelopes mentioned
above, except that they shall be of
different color, and shall contain on
the face of such envelope, in bold
letters, the word "Challenge." The
Secretary-Treasurer shall further
furnish a sufficient amount of
"Roster Sheets" which shall have
printed thereon, at the top thereof,
the year of the election, and immediately thereunder, five (5) vertical
columns designated date, ballot
number, signature full book member's name, book number and comments, and such roster sheets shall
contain horizontal lines immediately under the captions of each of the
above five columns. The SecretaryTreasurer shall also 3end a sufficient amount of envelopes with the
printed name and address of the
depository on the face thereof, and
in the upper left-hand corner, the
name of the Port and address, and
on the face of such envelope should
be printed the words "Roster
Sheets and Ballot Stubs." Each Port
Agent shall maintain separate
records of the ballots sent him and
shall inspect and count the ballots
when received to insure that the
amount sent, as well as the number
thereon, conform to the amount and
numbers listed by the SecretaryTreasurer as having been sent to
that Port. The Port Agent shall
immediately execute and return to
the Secretary-Treasurer a receipt
acknowledging the correctness of
the amount and the numbers of the
ballots sent, or shall notify the
Secretary-Treasurer of any discrepancy. Discrepancies shall be corrected as soon as possible prior to
the voting period. In any event,
receipts shall be forwarded for all
the aforementioned election material
actually
received.
The
Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare a
file in which shall be kept memoranda and correspondence dealing
with the election. This file shall at
all times be available to any member asking for inspection of the
same at the office of the SecretaryTreasurer and shall be turned over
to the Union Tallying Committee.
(d) Balloting shall be secret.
Only full book members in good
standing may vote. Each full book
member may secure his ballot at
Port offices from the Port Agent or
his duly designated representative
at such Port. Each Port Agent shall
designate an area at the Port office
over which should be posted the
legend "Voting Ballots Secured
Here." When a full book member
appears to vote, he shall present his
book to the Port Agent or his aforementioned duly designated representative. The Port Agent or his
duly designated representative
shall insert on the roster sheet
under the appropriate column the
date, the number of the ballot given
to such member and his full book
number, and the member shall then
sign his name on such roster sheet
under the appropriate column. Such
member shall have his book
stamped with the word "Voted" and
the date, and shall be given a ballot,
and simultaneously the perforation
on the top of the ballot shall be
removed at the same time the member shall be given the envelope
marked "Ballot" together with the
pre-paid postage mailing envelope
addressed to the depository. The
member shall take such ballot and
envelopes and in secret thereafter,
mark his ballot, fold the same,
insert it in the blank envelope
marked "Ballot," seal the same,
then insert such "Ballot" envelope
into the mailing envelope, seal such
mailing envelope, sign his name on
the upper left-hand comer on the
first line of such mailing envelope
and on the second line in the upper
left-hand comer print his name and
book number, after which he shall
mail or cause the same to be
mailed. In the event a full book
member appears to vote and is not
in good standing or does not have
his membership book with him or it
appears for other valid reasons he is
not eligible to vote, the same procedure as provided above shall
apply to him, except that on the
roster sheet under the column
"Comments," notation should be
made that the member voted a challenged ballot and the reason for his
challenge. Such member's membership book shall be stamped
"voted challenge," and the date,
and such member instead of the
above-mentioned mailing envelope, shall be given the mailing
envelope of a different color
marked on the face thereof with the
word "Challenge." At the end of
each day, the Port Agent or his duly
designated representative shall
enclose in the envelope addressed
to the depository and marked
"Roster Sheets and Ballot Stubs,"
the roster sheet or sheets executed
by the members that day together
with the numbered perforated slips
Continued on page 17
October 2000
�Info
ation for the 2000 Election of Officers
SW Atlanti.c, Gulf, Lakes & Inland Waten D.
Article XIII
Constitutional Rules
Continued from page 16
removed from the ballots which
had been given to the members,
and then mail the same to such
depository.
To insure that an adequate supply of all balloting material is
maintained in all Ports at all times,
the Port Agent or his duly designated representative, simultaneously
with mailing of the roster sheets
and ballot stubs to the depository at
the end of each day, shall also make
a copy of the roster sheet for that
day and mail the same to the
Secretary-Treasurer at Headquarters. The Port Agent shall be
responsible for the proper safeguarding of all election material
and shall not release any of it until
duly called for and shall insure that
no one tampers with the material
placed in his custody.
(e) Full book members may
request and vote an absentee ballot
under the following circumstances:
while such member is employed on
a Union-contracted vessel and
which vessel's schedule does not
provide for it to be at a Port in
which a ballot can be secured during the time and period provided
for in Section 3 (a) of this article or
is in an accredited hospital any time
during the first ten (10) days of the
month of November of the election
year. The member shall make a
request for an absentee ballot by
registered or certified mail or the
equivalent mailing device at the
location from which such request is
made, if such be the case. Such
request shall contain a designation
as to the address to which such
member wishes his absentee ballot
returned. The request shall be postmarked no later than 12:00 p.m. on
the 15th day of November of the
election year, shall be directed to
the Secretary-Treasurer at Headquarters and must be delivered no
later than the 25th of such
November.
The
SecretaryTreasurer shall determine whether
such member is eligible to vote
such
absentee
ballot.
The
Secretary-Treasurer, if he determines that such member is so eligible, shall by the 30th of such
November, send by registered mail,
return receipt requested, to the
address so designated by such
member, a "Ballot," after removing
the perforated numbered stub,
together with the hereinbefore
mentioned "Ballot" envelope, and
mailing envelope addressed to the
depository, except that printed on
the face of such mailing envelope
shall be the words "Absentee
Ballot," and appropriate voting
instructions shall accompany such
mailing to the member. If the
Secretary-Treasurer determines
that such member is ineligible to
receive such absentee ballot, he
shall nevertheless send such member the aforementioned ballot with
accompanying material except that
the mailing envelope addressed to
the depository shall have printed on
the face thereof the words
"Challenged Absentee Ballot." The
Secretary-Treasurer shall keep
records of all of the foregoing,
including the reasons for determining such member's ineligibility,
which records shall be open for
inspection by full book members
and upon the convening of the
Union Tallying Committee, presented to them. The SecretaryTreasurer shall send to all Ports the
names and book numbers of the
October 2000
members to whom absentee ballots
were sent.
(f) All ballots to be counted
must be received by the depository
no later than the Jan. 5 immediately subsequent to the election year
and must be postmarked no later
than 12 midnight Dec. 31 of the
election year.
Section 4.
(a) At the close of the last day
of the period for securing ballots,
the Port Agent in each Port, in
addition to his duties set forth
above, shall deliver or mail to
Headquarters by registered or certified mail, attention Union Tallying
Committee, all unused ballots and
shall specifically set forth by serial
number and amount the unused
ballots so forwarded.
(b) The
Union
Tallying
Committee shall consist of 20 full
book members. Two shall be
selected from each of the 10 Ports
of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Mobile, New Orleans,
Houston, Detroit-Algonac, San
Francisco, St. Louis and Piney
Point. The election shall be held at
the regular meeting in December of
the election year or, if the
Executive Board otherwise determines prior thereto, at a special
meeting held in the aforesaid Ports
on the first business day of the last
week of said month. No officer,
Assistant Vice-President, Headquarters Representative, Port
Agent, or candidate for office, or
the job of Assistant Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative, or
Port Agent shall be eligible for
election to this Committee except
as provided for in Article X,
Section 4. In addition to its duties
herein set forth, the Union Tallying
Committee shall be charged with
the tallying of all the ballots and the
preparation of a closing report setting forth, in complete detail, the
results of the election, including a
complete accounting of all ballots
and stubs, and reconciliation of the
same with the rosters and receipts
of the Port Agents, all with detailed
reference to serial numbers and
amounts and with each total broken
down into Port totals. The Union
Tallying Committee shall have
access to all election records and
files for their inspection, examination and verification. The report
shall clearly detail all discrepancies
discovered and shall contain recommendations for the treatment of
these discrepancies. All members
of the Committee shall sign the
report, without prejudice, however,
to the right of any member thereof
to submit a dissenting report as to
the accuracy of the count and the
validity of the ballots, with pertinent details.In connection with the
tally of ballots, there shall be no
counting of ballots until all mailing
envelopes containing valid ballots
have first been opened, the ballot
envelopes removed intact and then
all of such ballot envelopes mixed
together, after which such ballot
envelopes shall be opened and
counted in such multiples as the
Committee may deem expedient
and manageable. The Committee
shall resolve all issues on challenged ballots and then tally those
found valid utilizing the same procedure as provided in the preceding
sentence either jointly or separately.
(c) The members of the Union
Tallying Committee shall, after
their election, proceed to the Port in
which Headquarters is located, to
arrive at that Port no later than Jan.
5 of the year immediately after the
election year. Each member of the
Committee not elected from the
Port in which Headquarters is
located shall be reimbursed for
transportation, meals and lodging
expenses occasioned by their traveling to and returning from that
Port. Committee members elected
from the Port in which Headquarters is located shall be similarly reimbursed, except for transportation. All members of the
Committee shall also be paid at the
prevailing standby rate of pay from
the day subsequent to their election
to the day they return, in normal
course, to the Port from which they
were elected.
The Union Tallying Committee
shall elect a chairman from among
themselves and, subject to the
express terms of this Constitution,
adopt its own procedures. All decisions of such Committee and the
contents of their report shall be
valid if made by a majority vote,
provided there be a quorum in
attendance, which quorum is hereby fixed at ten ( 10). The
Committee, but not less than a quorum thereof, shall have the sole
right and duty to obtain all mailed
ballots and the other mailed election material from the depository
and to insure their safe custody during the course of the Committee's
proceedings. The proceedings of
the Committee, except for their
organizational meeting and their
actual preparation of the closing
report and dissents therefrom, if
any, shall be open to any member
provided he observes decorum.
Any candidate may act as an
observer and/or designate another
member to act as his observer at the
counting of the ballots. In no event
shall issuance of the above referred
to closing report of the Committee
be delayed beyond Jan. 31 immediately subsequent to the close of the
election year. In the discharge of its
duties, the Committee may call
upon and utilize the services of
clerical employees of the Union.
The Committee shall be discharged
upon the completion of the
issuance and dispatch of its report
as required in this Article. In the
event a recheck and recount is
ordered pursuant to this Article, the
Committee shall be reconstituted,
except that if any member thereof
is not available, a substitute therefor shall be elected from the appropriate Port at a special meeting held
for that purpose as soon as possible.
of
the
(d) The
report
Committee shall be made up in sufficient copies to comply with the
following requirements: two copies
shall be mailed by the Committee
to each Port Agent and the
Secretary-Treasurer no later than
Jan. 31 immediately subsequent to
the close of the election year. As
soon as these copies are received,
each Port Agent shall post one copy
of the report on the bulletin board
in a conspicuous manner and notify
the Secretary-Treasurer, in writing,
as to the date of such posting. This
copy shall be kept posted until after
the Election Report Meeting which
shall be the March regular membership meeting immediately following the close of the election year.
At the Election Report Meeting, the
other copy of the report shall be
read verbatim.
(e) Any full book member
claiming a violation of the election
and balloting procedure or the conduct of the same, shall within 72
hours of the occurrence of the
claimed violation notify the
Secretary-Treasurer at Head-
quarters, in writing by certified
mail, of the same, setting forth his
name, book number and the details
so that appropriate corrective
action, if warranted, may be taken.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall
expeditiously investigate the facts
concerning the claimed violation,
take such action as may be necessary, if any, and make a report and
recommendation, if necessary, a
copy of which shall be sent to the
member and the original shall be
filed for the Union Tallying
Committee for their appropriate
action, report and recommendation,
if any. The foregoing shall not be
applicable to matters involving the
Credentials Committee's action or
report, the provisions of Article
XIII, Sections 1 and 2 being the
pertinent provisions applicable to
such matters.
All protests as to any and all
aspects of the election and balloting procedures or the conduct of
the same not passed upon by the
Union Tallying Committee in its
report, excluding therefrom matters
involving the Credentials Committee's action or report as provided in the last sentence of the immediately preceding paragraph, but
including the procedure and report
of the Union Tallying Committee,
shall be filed in writing by certified
mail with the Secretary-Treasurer
at Headquarters to be received no
later than the Feb. 25 immediately
subsequent to the close of the election year. It shall be the responsibility of the member to insure that
his written protest is received by
the Secretary-Treasurer no later
than such Feb. 25. The SecretaryTreasurer shall forward copies of
such written protest to all Ports in
sufficient time to be read at the
Election Report Meeting. The written protest shall contain the full
book member's name, book number, and all details constituting the
protest.
(f) At the Election Report
Meeting, the report and recommendation of the Union Tallying
Committee, including but not limited to discrepancies, protests passed
upon by them, as well as protests
filed with the Secretary-Treasurer
as provided for in Section (e)
immediately above shall be acted
upon by the meeting. A majority
vote of the membership shall
decide what action, if any, in accordance with the Constitution, shall
be taken thereon, which action,
however, shall not include the
ordering of a special vote, unless
reported discrepancies or protested
procedure or conduct found to have
occurred and to be violative of the
Constitution affected the results of
the vote for any office or job, in
which event the special vote shall
be restricted to such office, offices
and/or job or jobs, as the case may
be. A majority of the membership
at the Election Report Meetings
may order a recheck and recount
when a dissent to the closing report
has been issued by three (3) or
more members of the Union
Tallying Committee. Except for the
contingencies provided for in this
Section 4 (f), the closing report
shall be accepted as final. There
shall be no further protest or appeal
from the action of the majority of
the membership at the Election
Report Meetings.
(g) Any special vote ordered
pursuant to Section 4 (f) shall be
commenced within ninety (90)
days after the first day of the month
immediately subsequent to the
Election Report Meetings men-
•ct
tioned above. The depository shall
be the same as designated for the
election from which the special
vote is ordered. And the procedures
shall be the same as provided for in
Section 3, except where specific
dates are provided for, the days
shall be the dates applicable which
provide for the identical time and
days originally provided for in
Section 3. The Election Report
Meeting for the aforesaid special
vote shall be that meeting immediately subsequent to the report of the
Union Tallying Committee separated by one calendar month.
Section 5. Elected Officers and
Jobholders.
A candidate unopposed for any
office or job shall be deemed elected to such office or job notwithstanding that his name may appear
on the ballot. The Union Tallying
Committee shall not be required to
tally completely the results of the
voting for such unopposed candidate but shall certify in their report
that such unopposed candidate has
been elected to such office or job.
The Election Report Meeting shall
accept the above certification of the
Union Tallying Committee without
change.
Section 6. Installation into Office
and the Job of Assistant VicePresident, Headquarters Representative or Port Agent.
(a) The person elected shall be
that person having the largest number of votes cast for the particular
office or job involved. Where more
than one person is to be elected for
a particular office or job, the proper number of candidates receiving
the successively highest number of
votes shall be declared elected.
These determinations shall be
made only from the results deemed
final and accepted as provided in
this Article. It shall be the duty of
the President to notify each individual elected.
(b) The duly elected officers
and other job holders shall take
over their respective offices and
jobs and assume the duties thereof
at midnight of the night of the
Election Report Meeting, or the
next regular meeting, depending
upon which meeting the results as
to each of the foregoing are deemed
final and accepted, as provided in
this Article. The term of their predecessors shall continue up to, and
expire at that time, notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained
in Article XI, Section 1. This shall
not apply where the successful candidate cannot assume his office
because he is at sea.
In such event, a majority vote of
the membership may grant additional time for the assumption of
the office or job. In the event of the
failure of the newly-elected
President to assume office, the provisions of Article X, Section 12
shall apply until the expiration of
the term. All other cases of failure
to assume office shall be dealt with
as decided by a majority vote of the
membership.
Section 7.
The Secretary-Treasurer is
specifically charged with the
preservation and retention of all
election records, including the ballots, as required by law, and is
directed and authorized to issue
such other and further directives as
to the election procedures as are
required by law, which directives
shall be part of the election procedures of this Union.
Seafarers LOG
17
�- -- - - - -
We, the undersigned Constitutional
Committee, were elected at the
Headquarters membership meeting, on
August 7, 2000, in accordance with
Article XXV, Section 2 of our
Constitution. We have had referred to us
and studied, the proposed Constitutional
Amendments Resolution submitted by our
Executive Board.
This Resolution, containing the proposed amendments, prior to its submission to us, was adopted by a majority vote
of the membership at Headquarters and all
ports. The provisions of the Resolution
including its "WHEREAS" clauses, are
attached so that all members will have
available to them its full text for their
review and study at the same time that
they read this, our Report and
Recommendation.
As all individuals involved in the maritime industry are aware, the industry has
changed substantially over the last several
years. Legislation has been repealed and
enacted affecting this industry and the
trade union movement in general. We, in
this Union, must seriously consider what
can be done to strengthen our institutional
structure to enable the Union to function
more efficiently while continuing to fulfill
its obligations to our membership. To this
end, one of the things that our membership has already approved is the
merger/consolidation of the National
Maritime Union into our Union. As a
result of the previously held referendum
and our awareness of these changing
times, certain Constitutional Amendments
have been proposed to clarify and update
our Constitution.
It is to be noted that where feasible,
this Committee recommends that the proposed constitutional changes, the new
material, be underlined with the nonunderlined words representing the language of the present Constitution.
A. Name Chanee for Union
To implement and effectuate the
desires of this membership, as expressed
in the referendum held in November and
December, 1999, it is being proposed that
the name of our Union be changed to
reflect the consolidation/merger of the
National Maritime Union into the
Seafarers International Union of North
America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters District. We concur with the
Resolution and recommend the following
amendments be adopted to effectuate it.
Amend the following Constitutional
provisions to revise the name of the
Seafarers International Union of North
America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District;
l. Title Page
2. Heading, Page 2
3. Preamble
4. Article I, Name and General Powers
S. ExhibitA
Preamble, Section III, Section IV,
Section V, Section VI, Section
VII, Section VIII, Section IX,
Section X, Section XI, Section XII
and Section XIII
so that the name of the Union would
reflect the consolidation of these two
unions in all of the above- referenced
sections and headings. The above-referenced amendments would become
effective at the time of, and not before,
the final consolidation of these entities.
A. Dues
As the Resolution states, it is proposed
that the annual regular dues amount to be
paid shall be four hundred dollars
($400.00) per year and that in addition the
working dues to be paid by officers and
members who are employed by the Union
shall be increased to one hundred dollars
($100.00) per quarter. Your Committee, to
carry out these changes, recommends that:
Amend Article V, Dues and Initiation
Fee, Sections 1 (a) and (b) to read as follows:
"Section 1. All members' dues shall
consist of:
(a) Dues annually in the sum of fQyr
hundred dollars ($400.00) which shall be
paid in equal amounts on a calendar year
basis, no later than the first business day
of each calendar quarter, and;
(b) a sum equal to five percent (5%) of
the gross amount received for vacation
benefits for days worked for contracted
employers. Dues payable under this Subsection (b) shall be payable on the days
that the member receives payment for the
earned vacation benefits and shall become
effective as to members in the manner
designated and determined by a majority
vote of the membership by secret ballot.
When so determined by the membership,
members in the employ of the Union, its
subdivisions and its affiliated organizations, or in any employment at the
Union's direction as provided in Article
XII, Section l (a) and (c), shall pay in
addition to that
provided for in
paragraph (a) immediately above the sum
18
Seafarers LOG
of one hundred dollars ($100.00) quarterly on a calendar year basis, no later than
the first business day of each quarter
while so employed."
B. Vice-Presidents at Larve
As the Resolution states, it is also proposed that the office of "Vice-President at
Large" be created and that two (2) such
positions be added to the Executive Board
to reflect the changing and growing needs
of the Union. Your Committee, to carry
out this change recommends that:
Amend Article VII, System of
Organization, Section 2 to read as follows:
"Section 2. The Headquarters of the
Union shall be located in Camp Springs,
Maryland and Piney Point, Maryland or at
such places as the Executive Board may
determine from time to time. The
Headquarters officers shall consist of a
President, an Executive Vice-President,
one (I) Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement, a
Secretary-Treasurer, one ( l) VicePresident in Charge of the Atlantic Coast,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Gulf Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the West Coast, one (1) VicePresident in Charge of the Southern
Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries and two C2) Vice-Presidents at
~-"
Amend Article VIII, Officer,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives and Port Agents, Section
1 to read as follows:
"Section 1. The officers of the Union
shall be elected as otherwise provided in
this Constitution. These officers shall be
the President, an Executive VicePresident, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement, a Secretary-Treasurer, one
(I) Vice-President in Charge of the
Atlantic Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast, one (I) VicePresident in Charge of the West Coast,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland
Waters, and one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing lndustries and two (2) VicePresidents at Large."
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice- Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel by adding a new Section to
read as follows:
"Section 10 Vice-Presidents at Large
There shall be two (2) Vice-Presidents
at Large whose duties shall be as directed
by the President with concurrence of the
Executive Board. Such duties and responsibilities may be changed from time to
time in like manner as dictated by the
needs of the Union."
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel by renumbering the existing
Sections 10 through 15 to become 11
through 16.
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel existing Section 13 which when
renumbered shall be Section 14, Executive
Board to read as follows:
"Section li. Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall consist of
the President, the Executive VicePresident, the Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement, the
Secretary-Treasurer, the Vice-President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast Area, the
Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf
Coast Area, the Vice-President in Charge
of the West Coast Area the Vice-President
in Charge of the Southern Region, Great
Lakes and Inland Waters, the VicePresident in Charge of Government
Services and Fishing Industries, the VicePresidents at Large and the National
Director (or chief executive officer) of
each subordinate body or division created
or chartered by the Union whenever such
subordinate body or division has attained
a membership of 3,200 members and has
maintained that membership for not less
than three (3) months. Such National
Director (or chief executive officer) shall
be a member of the respective subordinate
body or division and must be qualified to
hold office under the terms of the
Constitution of such division or subordinate body."
Amend Article X, Duties of Oj]icers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
-
- -- -
Personnel existing Section 14 which when
renumbered shall be Section 15,
Delegates to read as follows:
"Section 15. Delegates.
(a) The term "delegates" shall mean
those members of the Union and its subordinate bodies or divisions who are elected in accordance with the provisions of
this Constitution to attend the Convention
of the Seafarers International Union of
North America. The following officers
and jobholders, upon their election to
office or job shall, during the term of their
office or job be delegates to all
Conventions of the Seafarers International
Union of North America in the following
order of priority: President; Executive
Vice-President; Vice-President in Charge
of Contracts and Contract Enforcement;
Secretary-Treasurer; Vice-President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast; VicePresident in Charge of the Gulf Coast;
Vice-President in Charge of the West
Coast; Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland
Waters; Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries; Vice-Presidents at Large;
Assistant Vice-Presidents; Headquarters
Representatives, with priority to those
most senior in full book Union membership; and Port Agents, with priority to
those most senior in full book Union
membership."
D.Qruu:mn
As the Resolution states, it is being
proposed that the quorum for a regular
meeting of a port be changed from fifty
(SO) to twenty-five (25) members to
enable effective action to be taken at
membership meetings. Your Committee,
to carry out this change, recommends that:
Amend Article XXII, Quorums.
Section 2 to read as follows:
"Section 2. The quorum for a regular
meeting of a Port shall be twenty-five (25)
members."
E. Definitions and Mjscellaneous
Provjsjons Thereto
To further effectuate all of the above,
it is proposed that Section 8 be amended
to read as follows:
"Section 8. The terms "this
Constitution" and "this amended
Constitution" shall be deemed to have the
same meaning and shall refer to the
Constitution as amended which takes the
place of the one adopted by the Union in
1939, as amended up through Al2ti1
2.QQQ."
This Committee has been directed to
fashion the procedure for a secret ballot
referendum vote upon these amendments
and to recommend effective dates for the
proposed amendments. Your Committee
concurs with the Resolution recommending that the amendments, if voted upon
affirmatively in accordance with the following voting procedures, become effective upon their passage. We, further recommend that, if the position of VicePresident at Large is created by
Constitutional Amendment, the President
be given the authority, subject to the concurrence of the Executive Board, to determine when to fill these two (2) positions
and to then so fill them for a first term of
office.
In addition, we recommend that the
secret ballot referendum vote upon these
proposed amendments, including the
time, manner and procedure for voting on
the amendments and the tallying and certification of the voting results, be the same
as constitutionally provided for the election of officers and jobholders and be held
as part of the secret ballot mail referendum for the election of officers and jobholders commencing November 1, 2000
and ending December 31, 2000.
We further recommend:
(a) That part of the ballot that applies
to the recommended change in the regular
dues payment read as follows:
Amend Article V, Dues and Initiation
Fee, Section 1.
"Section 1. All members' dues shall
consist of:
(a) Dues annually in the sum of fuYr
hundred dollars ($400 00) which shall be
paid in equal amounts on a calendar year
basis, no later than the first business day
of each calendar quarter, and;"
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendment?
YES [] NO []
(b) That the part of the ballot that
applies to the recommended change in
working dues payable by union officers
and members read as follows:
"(b) a sum equal to five percent (5%)
of the gross amount received for vacation
benefits for days worked for contracted
employers. Dues payable under this Sub-
section (b) shall be payable on the days
that the member receives payment for the
earned vacation benefits and shall become
effective as to members in the manner
designated and determined by a majority
vote of the membership by secret ballot.
When so determined by the membership,
members in the employ of the Union, its
subdivisions and its affiliated organizations, or in any employment at the
Union's direction as provided in Article
XII, Section 1 (a) and (c), shall pay in
addition to that provided for in paragraph
(a) immediately above the sum of one
hundred dollars ($100.00) quarterly on a
calendar year basis, no later than the first
business day of each quarter while so
employed."
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendment?
YES [ ] NO [ ]
(c) That the part of the ballot that
applies to the recommended name change
read as follows:
Amend the following Constitutional
provisions to revise the name of the
Seafarers International Union of North
America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters District;
1. Title Page
2. Heading
3. Preamble
4. Article I, Name and General Powers
5. Exhibit A
Preamble, Section III, Section IV,
Section V, Section VI, Section
VII, Section VIII, Section IX,
Section X, Section XI, Section XII
and Section XIII
so that the name of the Union would
reflect the consolidation of the
Seafarers International Union of
North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District and the
National Maritime Union in all of the
above referenced sections and headings.
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendment?
YES [ ] NO [ ]
(d) that the part of the ballot that
applies to the recommended creation of
two (2) Vice-President at Large positions
read as follows:
Amend Article VII, System of
Organization.
"Section 2. The Headquarters of the
Union shall be located in Camp Springs,
Maryland and Piney Point, Maryland or at
such places as the Executive Board may
determine from time to time. The
Headquarters officers shall consist of a
President, an Executive Vice-President,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement, a
Secretary-Treasurer, one ( l) VicePresident in Charge of the Atlantic Coast,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Gulf Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the West Coast, one (I) VicePresident in Charge of the Southern
Region. Great Lakes and Inland Waters,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries and two (2) Vice-Presidents at
Large"
Amend Article VIII, Officer,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives and Port Agents, Section
1.
"Section 1. The officers of the Union
shall be elected as otherwise provided in
this Constitution. These officers shall be
the President, an Executive VicePresident, one ( l) Vice-President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement, a Secretary-Treasurer, one
(1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Atlantic Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast, one ( 1) VicePresident in Charge of the West Coast,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland
Waters, and one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing Industries and two (2) VicePresidents at Large."
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice- Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel:
"Section 10. Vice-Presidents at Large.
There shall be two (2) Vice-Presidents
at Large whose duties shall be as directed
by the President with concurrence of the
Executive Board. Such duties and responsibilities may be changed from time to
time in like manner as dictated by the
nee<ls of the Union "
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel, Section 14.
"Section 14. Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall consist of
the President, the Executive VicePresident, the Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement, the
Secretary-Treasurer, the Vice-President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast Area, the
Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf
Coast Area, the Vice-President in Charge
of the West Coast Area the Vice-President
in Charge of the Southern Region, Great
Lakes and Inland Waters, the VicePresident in Charge of Government
Services and Fishing Industries, the VicePresidents at Large and the National
Director (or chief executive officer) of
each subordinate body or division created
or chartered by the Union whenever such
subordinate body or division has attained
a membership of 3,200 members and has
maintained that membership for not less
than three (3) months. Such National
Director (or chief executive officer) shall
be a member of the respective subordinate
body or division and must be qualified to
hold office under the terms of the
Constitution of such division or subordinate body."
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous,
Personnel, Section 15, Delegates.
"Section ll. Delegates.
(b) The term "delegates" shall mean
those members of the Union and its subordinate bodies or divisions who are elected in accordance with the provisions of
this Constitution to attend the Convention
of the Seafarers International Union of
North America. The following officers
and jobholders, upon their election to
office or job shall, during the term of their
office or job be delegates to all
Conventions of the Seafarers International
Union of North America in the following
order of priority: President; Executive
Vice-President; Vice-President in Charge
of Contracts and Contract Enforcement;
Secretary-Treasurer; Vice-President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast; VicePresident in Charge of the Gulf Coast;
Vice-President in Charge of the West
Coast; Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland
Waters; Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries; Vice-Presidents at Large;
Assistant Vice-Presidents; Headquarters
Representatives, with priority to those
most senior in full book Union membership; and Port Agents, with priority to
those most senior in full book Union
membership."
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendments?
YES [ ] NO [ ]
(e) that the part of the ballot that
applies to the change in the number of
members required to constitute a quorum
at a regular meeting of a port read as follows.
Amend Article XXIl,
Section 2.
Quorums,
"Section 2. The quorum for a regular
meeting of a Port shall be twenty-five (25)
members."
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendment?
YES [ ] NO [ ]
We further recommend, if it is reasonably possible, that a copy of our
Committee's Report, together with a copy
of the proposed Resolution and membership action taken to date, be printed in the
Seafarers LOG, October 2000 issue so
that the membership will be kept abreast
as to all facts at this time and copies of
such LOG issue, to the extent possible, be
made available to the membership at all
Union offices and Halls during the months
of November and December 2000.
Your Constitutional Committee wishes to thank the Union, its officers, representatives, members and counsel for their
cooperation and assistance during our
deliberations and to assure all members
that we believe the adoption of the proposed Resolution will serve the needs of
the Union and the membership.
Fraternally submitted, Constitutional
Committee
August 18, 2000
October 2000
�PRESENT CONSTITUTION
THE SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICAARANTIC, GULF, LAKES AND INLAND WATERS DISTRICT
AFFILIATED WITH SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA,
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR CONGRESS
OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS
PREAMBLE
As maritime and allied workers
and realizing the value and necessity
of a thorough organization, we are
dedicated to the forming of one
Union for our people, the Seafarers
International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District, based upon
the following principles:
All members shall be entitled to
all the rights, privileges and guarantees as set forth in this Constitution,
and such rights, privileges and guarantees shall be preserved in accordance with its terms.
We declare that American seamen
are entitled to receive their employment without interference of crimps,
shipowners, fink halls or any shipping bureaus maintained by the
Government.
We affirm that every worker has
the right to receive fair and just
remuneration for his labor and gain
sufficient leisure for mental cultivation and physical recreation.
We proclaim the right of all seamen to receive healthful and sufficient food and proper forecastles in
which to rest. We defend the right of
all seamen to be treated in a decent
and respectful manner by those in
command, and
We hold that the above rights
belong to all workers alike, irrespective of nationality or creed.
Recognizing the foregoing as our
inalienable rights, we are conscious
of corresponding duties to those in
command, our employers, our craft
and our country.
We will, therefore, try by all just
means to promote harmonious relations with those in command by exercising due care and diligence in the
performance of the duties of our profession and by giving all possible
assistance to our employers in caring
for their gear and property.
Based upon these principles, it is
among our objects:
To use our influence individually
and collectively for the purpose of
maintaining and developing skill in
seamanship and effecting a change in
the maritime law of the United States
so as to render it more equitable and
to make it an aid instead of a hindrance to the development of a merchant marine and a body of American
seamen.
To support a journal which shall
voice the sentiments of maritime
workers and through its columns seek
to maintain their knowledge of, and
interest in, maritime affairs.
To assist the seamen of other
countries in the work of organization
and federation to the end of establishing the Brotherhood of the Sea.
To form and to assist by legal
means other bonafide labor organizations whenever possible in the attainment of their just demands.
To regulate our conduct as a
Union and as individuals so as to
make seamanship what it rightly isan honorable and useful calling. And
bearing in mind that we are migratory, that our work takes us away in different directions from any place
where the majority might otherwise
meet to act, that meetings can be
attended by only a fraction of the
membership, that the absent members who cannot be present must
have their interests guarded from
what might be the results of excitement and passions aroused by persons or conditions, and that those
who are present may act for and in
the interest of all, we have adopted
this Constitution.
Statement of Principles and
Declaration of Rights
In order to form a more perfect
Union, we workers in the maritime
and allied industries, realizing the
value and necessity of uniting in pursuit of our improved economic and
social welfare, have determined to
bind ourselves together in the
Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District, and hereby dedicate ourselves to the following principles:
In promoting our economic and
social welfare, we shall ever be
mindful, not only of our rights, but
also of our duties and obligations as
members of the community, our
duties as citizens, and our duty to
combat the menace of communism
and any other enemies of freedom
and the democratic principles to
which we seafaring men dedicate
ourselves in this Union.
We shall affiliate and work with
other free labor organizations; we
shall support a journal to give additional voice to our views; we shall
assist our brothers of the sea and
other workers of all countries in these
obligations to the fullest extent consistent with our duties, obligations
and law. We shall seek to exert our
individual and collective influence in
the fight for the enactment of labor
and other legislations and policies
which look to the attainment of a free
and happy society without distinction
based on race, creed or color.
To govern our conduct as a Union
and bearing in mind that most of our
members are migratory, that their
duties carry them all over the world,
that their rights must and shall be
protected, we hereby declare these
rights as members of the Union to be
inalienable.
No member shall be deprived of
any of the rights or privileges guaranteed him under the Constitution of
the Union.
II
Every qualified member shall
have the right to nominate himself
for, and, if elected, or appointed, to
hold office in this Union.
Ill
No member shall be deprived of
his membership without due process
of the law of this Union. No member
shall be compelled to be a witness
against himself in the trial of any
proceeding in which he may be
charged with failure to observe the
law of this Union. Every official and
jobholder shall be bound to uphold
and protect the rights of every member in accordance with the principles
set forth in the Constitution of the
Union.
IV
Every member shall have the right
to be confronted by his accuser
whenever he is charged with violating the law of this Union. In all such
cases, the accused shall be guaranteed a fair and speedy trial by an
impartial committee of his brother
Union members.
v
No member shall be denied the
right to express himself freely on the
floor of any Union meeting or in
committee.
VI
A militant membership being necessary to the security of a free union,
the members shall at all times stand
ready to defend this Union and the
principles set forth in the Constitution of the Union.
VII
The powers not delegated to the
officers, job holders, and Executive
Board by the Constitution of the
Union shall be reserved to the members.
CONSTITUTION
Article I
Name and General Powers
This Union shall be known as the
Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District. Its powers
shall be legislative, judicial, and executive, and shall include the formation
of, and/or issuance of charters to, subordinate bodies and divisions, corporate or otherwise, the formation of
funds and participation in funds, the
establishment of enterprises for the
benefit of the Union and similar ventures. This Union shall exercise all of
its powers in aid of subordinate bodies and divisions created or chartered
by it. For convenience of administration and in furtherance of its policies
of aid and assistance, the Union may
make its property, facilities and personnel available for the use and on
behalf of such subordinate bodies and
divisions. A majority vote of the
membership shall be authorization for
any Union action, unless otherwise
specified in the Constitution or by
law. This Union shall at all times protect and maintain its jurisdiction.
Article II
Affiliation
Section 1. This Union shall be
affiliated with the Seafarers
International Union of North America
and the American Federation of
Labor-Congress
of
Industrial
Organizations. All other affiliations
by the Union or its subordinate bodies
or divisions shall be made or withdrawn as determined by a majority
vote of the Executive Board.
Section 2. In addition to such
other provisions as are contained
herein, all subordinate bodies and
divisions seeking a charter from
and/or affiliation with this Union,
shall be required to adopt, within a
time period set by the Executive
Board, a Constitution containing provisions as set forth in Exhibit A,
annexed to this Constitution and
made a part hereof. All other provisions adopted by such subordinate
bodies and divisions as part of their
Constitution shall not be inconsistent
therewith. No such Constitution or
amendments thereto shall be deemed
to be effective without the approval
of the Executive Board of this Union,
which shall be executed in writing,
on its behalf, by the President or, in
his absence, by any other officer designated by it. Such approval shall be
deemed to be recognition of compliance herewith by such subordinate
body or division.
Where a subordinate body or division violates any of the foregoing,
and, in particular, seeks to effectuate
any constitutional provision not so
authorized and approved, or commits
acts in violation of its approved constitution, or fails to act in accordance
therewith, this Union, through its
Executive Board, may withdraw its
charter and/or sever its affiliation
forthwith, or on such terms as it may
impose not inconsistent with law, in
addition to exercising any and all
rights it may have pursuant to any
applicable agreements or understandings.
Section 3. This Union shall also
have the power, acting through its
Executive Board, and after a fair
hearing, to impose a trusteeship upon
any subordinate body or divisions
chartered by an affiliated with it, for
the reasons and to the extent provided by law.
Article Ill
Membership
Section 1. There shall be two
classes of membership, to wit, full
book members and probationary
members. Candidates for membership shall be admitted to membership
in accordance with such rules as may
be adopted from time to time by a
majority vote of the membership and
which rules shall not be inconsistent
with the provlSlons of this
Constitution. All candidates with two
hundred and sixty (260) days or more
seatime in a consecutive twenty-four
(24) calendar month period commencing from January l, 1968, in an
unlicensed capacity, aboard an
American-flag merchant vessel or
vessels, covered by contract with this
Union, shaH be eligible for full membership. All persons with less than
the foregoing seatime but at least
thirty (30) days of such seatime, shall
be eligible for probationary membership. Only full book members shall
be entitled to vote and to hold any
office or elective job, except as otherwise specified herein. All probationary members shall have a voice in
Union proceedings and shall be entitled to vote on Union contracts.
Section 2. No candidate shall be
granted membership who is a member of any dual organization hostile
to the aims, principles and policies of
this Union.
The members, by majority vote,
shall at all times have the right to
determine the membership status of
pensioners.
Section 3. Members more than
one ( 1) quarter in arrears in dues shall
be automatically suspended and shall
forfeit all benefits and all other rights
and privileges in the Union. They
shall be automatically dismissed if
they are more than two (2) quarters in
arrears in dues. An arrearage in dues
shall be computed from the first day
of the applicable quarter, but this
time shall not run:
Continued on page 20
Seafarers LOB
19
�g
r
; -
Present Constitution - SIUNA - AGLIWD
Continued from page 19
(a) While a member is actually
participating in a strike or lockout.
(b) While a member is an inpatient in an accredited hospital.
(c) While a member is under an
incapacity due to activity in behalf of
the Union.
(d) While a member is in the
armed services of the United States,
provided the member was in good
standing at the time of entry into the
armed forces, and further provided he
applies for reinstatement within ninety (90) days after discharge from the
armed forces.
(e) While a member has no
opportunity to pay dues because of
employment aboard an Americanflag merchant vessel. The provision
of this Sub-section (e) shall be inapplicable when such merchant vessel
is operating upon the Great Lakes or
upon the harbors, rivers or territorial
waters of the United States.
Section 4. A majority vote of the
membership shall be sufficient to
designate additional circumstances
during which the time specified in
Section 3 shall not run. It shall be the
right of any member to present, in
writing, to any Port at any regular
meeting any question with regard to
the application of Section 3, in accordance with procedures established by
a majority vote of the membership. A
majority vote of the membership
shall be necessary to decide such
questions.
Section 5. The membership shall
be empowered to establish, from time
to time, by majority vote, rules under
which dues and assessments may be
excused where a member has been
unable to pay dues and assessments
for the reasons provided in Sections 3
and 4.
Section 6. To preserve unity, and
to promote the common welfare of
the membership, all members of the
Union shall uphold and defend this
Constitution and shall be governed
by the provisions of this Constitution
and all policies, rulings, orders and
decisions duly made.
Section 7. Any member who
gives aid to the principles and policies of any hostile or dual organization shall be denied further membership in this Union to the full extent
permitted by law. A majority vote of
the membership shall decide which
organizations are dual or hostile.
Section 8. Evidence of membership or other affiliation with the
Union shall be in such form or forms
as determined by the Executive
Board and shall at all times remain
the property of the Union. Members
may be required to show their evidence of membership in order to be
admitted to Union meetings, or into,
or on Union property.
Article IV
Reinstatement
Members dismissed from the
Union may be reinstated in accordance with such rules and under such
conditions as are adopted, from time
to time, by a majority vote of the
membership.
Article V
Dues and lnftiation Fee
Section 1. All members' dues
shall consist of:
(a) Dues annually in the sum of
three hundred dollars ($300.00)
which shall be paid in equal amounts
on a calendar year basis, no later than
the first business day of each calendar quarter, and;
(b) A sum equal to five percent
(5%) of the gross amount received
for vacation benefits for days worked
for contracted employers. Dues
payable under this Sub-section (b)
shall be payable on the days that the
member receives payment for the
earned vacation benefits and shall
become effective as to members in
the manner designated and deter-
20
Seafarers LOG
mined by a majority vote of the membership by secret ballot. When so
determined by the membership,
members in the employ of the Union,
its subdivisions and its affiliated
organizations, or in any employment
at the Union's direction as provided
for in Article XII, Section 1 (a) and
(c), shall pay in addition to that provided for in paragraph (a) immediately above the sum of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) quarterly on a calendar
year basis, no later than the first business day of each quarter while so
employed.
Section 2. No candidate for full
book membership shall be admitted
into such membership without having paid an initiation fee of six hundred dollars ($600.00), except as otherwise provided in this Constitution.
In addition, the candidate shall pay a
ten dollar ($10.00) "service fee" for
the issuance of his full book.
Each candidate for probationary
membership and each probationary
member shall, with the payment of
each of his first quarterly dues, as
required by Section 1, pay at each
such time the sum of one hundred
and fifty dollars ($150.00) as partial
initiation fee. The total of such initiation monies so paid shall be credited
to his above required initiation fee for
a full book member upon completion
of the required seatime as provided
for in Article III, Section 1.
Section 3. Payment of dues and
initiation fee may be waived for organizational purposes in accordance
with such rules as are adopted by a
majority vote of the Executive Board.
Section 4. All members shall be
and remain in good standing.
Article VI
Reti ment from Membersh p
Section 1. Members may retire
from membership by surrendering
their Union books or other evidence
of affiliation and paying all unpaid
dues for the quarter in which they
retire, assessments, fines and other
monies due and owing the Union.
When the member surrenders his
book or other evidence of affiliation
in connection with his application for
retirement he shall be given a receipt
therefore. An official retirement card
shall be issued by Headquarters,
upon request, dated as of the day that
such member accomplishes these
payments and shall be given to the
member upon presenting the aforesaid receipt.
Section 2. All the rights, privileges, duties and obligations of membership shall be suspended during the
period of retirement, except that a
retired member shall not be disloyal
to the Union nor join or remain in any
dual or hostile organization, upon
penalty or forfeiture of his right to
reinstatement.
Section 3. Any person in retirement for a period of two (2) quarters
or more shall be restored to membership, except as herein indicated, by
paying dues for the current quarter, as
well as all assessment accruing and
newly levied during the period of
retirement. If the period of retirement
is less than two (2) quarters, the
required payment shall consist of all
dues accruing during the said period
of retirement, including those levied
during that period. Upon such payment, the person in retirement shall
be restored to membership, and his
membership book, appropriately
stamped, shall be returned to him.
Section 4. A member in retirement may be restored to membership
after a one (1) year period of retirement consisting of four (4) full quarters only by a majority vote of the
membership.
Section 5. The period of retirement shall be computed from the first
day of the quarter following the one
in which the retirement card was
issued.
Section 6. No member may retire
his membership during the period of
a strike or lockout.
Article VII
Systems of Organization
Section 1. This Union and all
officers, Assistant Vice-Presidents,
Headquarters Representatives, Port
Agents, and members shall be governed in this order by:
(a) The Constitution
(b) The Executive Board
(c) Majority vote of the membership
Section 2. The Headquarters of
the Union shall be located in Camp
Springs, Maryland and Piney Point,
Maryland or at such places as the
Executive Board may determine from
time to time. The Headquarters officers shall consist of a President, an
Executive Vice-President, one (1)
Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement,
a Secretary-Treasurer, one (1) VicePresident in Charge of the Atlantic
Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast, one (1)
Vice-President in Charge of the West
Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Southern Region,
Great Lakes and Inland Waters and
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries.
Section 3. The staff of each Port
shall consist of such personnel as is
provided for herein and the Port shall
bear the name of the city in which the
Union's Port Offices are located.
Article VIII
Officers, Assistant VicePresidents, Headquarters
Representatives and
Port Agents
Section 1. The officers of the
Union shall be elected as otherwise
provided in this Constitution. These
officers shall be the President, an
Executive Vice-President, one (1)
Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement,
a Secretary-Treasurer, one (1) VicePresident in Charge of the Atlantic
Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast, one ( 1)
Vice-President in Charge of the West
Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Southern Region,
Great Lakes and Inland Waters, and
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries.
Section 2. Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters Representatives
and Port Agents shall be elected,
except as otherwise provided in this
Constitution.
Article IX
Other Electlve Jobs
Section 1. In addition to the elective jobs provided for in Article VIII,
the following jobs in the Union shall
be voted upon in the manner prescribed by this Constitution:
Committee members of:
( 1) Trial Committees
(2) Annual Financial Committees
(3) Appeals Committees
(4) Strike Committees
(5) Credentials Committees
(6) Union Tallying Committees
(7) Constitutional Committees
Section 2. Additional committees may be formed as provided by a
majority vote of the membership.
Committees may also be appointed as
permitted by this Constitution.
Artlcle I
Duties of Officers, Assistant
Vice-Presidents, H dq rters
Representatives, Port Agents,
Other Elected Jobholders and
Miscellaneous Personnel
Section 1. (a) The President shall
be the executive officer of the Union
and shall represent, and act for and in
behalf of the Union in all matters
except as otherwise specifically provided for in the Constitution.
(b) He shall be a member ex-officio of all committees, except as otherwise herein expressly provided.
(c) The President shall be in
charge of, and responsible for, all
Union property, and shall be in
charge of Headquarters and Port
offices. Wherever there are time
restrictions or other considerations
affecting Union action, the President
shall take appropriate action to insure
observance thereof.
(d) In order that he may properly
execute his responsibilities, he is
hereby instructed and authorized to
employ any help he deems necessary,
be it legal, accounting or otherwise.
(e) Subject to approval by a
majority vote of the membership and
the Executive Board, the President
shall designate the number and location of all Ports, the jurisdiction, status and activities thereof, and may
reduce and/or relocate such Ports,
and may reassign Vice-Presidents,
Assistant Vice-Presidents and the
Secretary-Treasurer without reduction in wages. He may also reassign
Headquarters Representatives and
Port Agents to other duties without
reduction in wages.
Where Ports are opened between
elections, the President shall designate the Union personnel thereof
The President may designate, in
the event of the incapacity of any
Headquarters Representative or Port
Agent, or any officer other than the
President, a replacement to act as
such during the period of incapacity,
provided such replacement is qualified under Article XII of the
Constitution to fill such job.
At the regular meeting in May of
every election year, the President
shall submit to the membership a preballoting report. In his report he shall
recommend the number and location
of Ports and the number of
Headquarters Representatives and
Port Agents who are to be elected. He
shall also recommend a bank, a bonded warehouse, a regular office thereof, or any similar depository, to
which the ballots are to be mailed,
except that the President may, in his
discretion, postpone the recommendations as to the depository until no
later than the first regular meeting in
October.
The report shall be subject to
approval or modification by a majority vote of the membership.
(t) The President shall be chairman of the Executive Board and may
cast one ( 1) vote in that body.
(g) He shall be responsible, within the limits of his powers, for the
enforcement of this Constitution, the
policies of the Union, and all rules
and rulings adopted by the Executive
Board, and those duly adopted by a
majority vote of the membership.
Within these limits, he shall strive to
enhance the strength, position, and
prestige of the Union.
(h) The foregoing duties shall be
in addition to those other duties lawfully imposed upon him.
(i) The responsibility of the
President may not be delegated, but
the President may delegate to a person or persons the execution of such
of his duties as he may in his discretion decide, subject to the limitations
set forth in this Constitution.
(j) Any vacancy in any office or
the job of Assistant Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative or Port
Agent shall be filled by the President
by temporary appointment of a member qualified for the office or job
under Article XII of this Constitution
except in those cases where the filling of such vacancy is otherwise provided for by this Constitution
(k) The President is directed to
take any and all measures and
employ such means which he deems
necessary or advisable to protect the
interests and further the welfare of
the Union and its members in all matters involving national, state or local
legislation issues and public affairs.
(1) The President shall have the
authority to require any officer or
Union representative to attend any
regular or special meeting if, in his
opinion, it is deemed necessary.
Section 2. Executive
VicePresident.
The Executive Vice-President
shall perform any and all duties
assigned him or delegated to him by
the President. The Executive VicePresident shall be a member of the
Executive Board and may cast one
( 1) vote in that body.
Section 3. Vice-President
in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement.
The Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement
shall perform any and all duties
assigned him or delegated to him by
the President. In addition, he shall be
responsible for all contract negotiations, the formulation of bargaining
demands, and the submission of proposed collective bargaining agreements to the membership for ratification. He shall also be responsible,
except as otherwise provided in
Article X, Section 15(d) ( 1), for
strike authorization, signing of new
contracts and contract enforcement.
He shall also act for Headquarters in
executing the administrative fi.mctions assigned to Headquarters by
this Constitution with respect to trials
and appeals except if he is a witness
or party thereto, in which event the
Secretary-Treasurer shall act in his
place. In order that he may properly
execute these responsibilities he is
hereby instructed and authorized to
employ such help as he deems necessary, be it legal, or otherwise, subject
to approval of the Executive Board.
The Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement
shall be a member of the Executive
Board and may cast one ( l) vote in
that body.
Section 4. Secretary-Treasurer.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall perform any and all duties assigned him
or delegated to him by the President.
He shall be responsible for the organization and maintenance of the correspondence, files, and records of the
Union; setting up, and maintenance
of, sound accounting and bookkeeping systems; the setting up, and maintenance of, proper office and other
administrative Union procedures; the
proper collection, safeguarding, and
expenditure of all Union funds, Port
or otherwise. He shall submit to the
membership, for each annual period,
a detailed report of the entire Union's
financial operations and shall submit
the Annual Financial Committee
report for the same period. The
Secretary-Treasurer's report shall be
prepared by an independent certified
public accountant. He shall also work
with all duly elected finance committees. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be
responsible for the timely filing of
any and all reports on the operations
of the Union, financial or otherwise,
that may be required by any Federal
or state laws. The SecretaryTreasurer with the approval of the
President shall employ a person who
by profession and/or employment
shall qualify to perform the functions
and duties of a Comptroller. Such
person shall be responsible for the
maintenance, safeguard and verification of the Union's financial affairs
and records under the supervision
and direction of the SecretaryTreasurer. The responsibility for such
functions shall be that of the
Secretary-Treasurer notwithstanding
the delegation to such Comptroller.
In order that he may properly execute
his responsibilities, he is hereby
instructed and authorized to employ
any help he deems necessary, be it
legal, accounting, or otherwise, subject to approval of the Executive
Board.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall be a
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October 2000
�Present Constitution - SIUNA - AGLIWD
Continued from page 20
member of the Executive Board and
may cast one (1) vote in that body.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall be a
member ex-officio of the Credentials
and Union Tallying Committees. In
addition, he shall make himself and
the records of his office available to
the Annual Financial Committee.
Section S. Vice-President
in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast.
The Vice-President in Charge of
the Atlantic Coast shall be a member
of the Executive Board and shall be
entitled to cast one (1) vote in that
body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all the Ports
and the personnel thereof on the
Atlantic Coast including their organizing activities. The Atlantic Coast
area is deemed to mean that area
from and including Georgia through
Maine and shall also include the
Islands in the Caribbean. In order that
he may properly execute his responsibilities he is empowered and authorized to retain any technical or professional assistance he deems necessary, subject to approval of the
Executive Board.
Section 6. Vice-President
in
Charge of the Gulf Coast.
The Vice-President in Charge of
the Gulf Coast shall be a member of
the Executive Board and sha11 be
entitled to cast one (1) vote in that
body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all the Ports
and the personnel thereof on
the
Gulf Coast including their organizing
activities. The Gulf Coast area is
deemed to mean the State of Florida,
all through the Gulf, including Texas.
In order that he may properly execute his responsibilities he is empowered and authorized to retain any
technical or professional assistance
he deems necessary, subject to
approval of the Executive Board.
Section 7. Vice-President
in
Charge of the West Coast.
The Vice-President in Charge of
the West Coast shall be a member of
the Executive Board and shall be
entitled to cast one (1) vote in that
body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all the Ports
and the personnel thereof on the West
Coast including their organizing
activities. The West Coast area is
deemed to mean the States of
California, Oregon, Washington,
Alaska, and Hawaii.
In order that he may properly execute his responsibilities, he is
empowered and authorized to retain
any technical or professional assistance he deems necessary, subject to
the approval of the Executive Board.
Section 8. Vice-President
in
Charge of the Southern Region,
Great Lakes and Inland Waters.
The Vice-President in Charge of
the Southern Region, Great Lakes
and Inland Waters shall be a member
of the Executive Board and shall be
entitled to cast one (1) vote in that
body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all the Ports
and the personnel thereof in the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and
Inland Waters including their organizing activities.
In order that he may properly execute his responsibilities, he is
empowered and authorized to retain
any technical or professional assistance he deems necessary, subject to
approval of the Executive Board.
Section 9. Vice-President
in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing Industries.
The Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries shall be a member of the
Executive Board and shall be entitled
to cast one (1} vote in that body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of the Union in
the representation of individuals
Ot:lobel' 2IJIJIJ
employed in fishing industries and
civilian seamen employed by the federal government
including but not
limited to the negotiation of the collective bargaining agreements, processing grievances and the administration of collective bargaining agreements and shall direct the activities of
the Union personnel assigned to him
by the President and carry out such
other functions as the President may
assign to him from time to time.
Section 10. Assistant
VicePresidents.
There shall be six (6) Assistant
Vice-Presidents as follows: Assistant
Vice-President in
Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement;
Assistant Vice-President in Charge of
the Atlantic Coast; Assistant Vice
President in Charge of the Gulf
Coast; Assistant Vice-President in
Charge of the West Coast; Assistant
Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and
Inland Waters; and Assistant VicePresident in Charge of Government
Services and Fishing Industries. Each
Assistant Vice-President shall work
with and under the direction of the
appropriate Vice-President. He shall
assist, as directed, in all activities of
the appropriate Vice-President and
shall be responsible to such VicePresident.
Section 11. Headquarters Representatives.
The
Headquarters
Representatives shall perform any and all
duties assigned them or delegated to
them by the President or the
Executive Board.
Section 12. Port Agents.
(a) The Port Agent shall be in
direct charge of the administration of
Union affairs in the Port of his jurisdiction subject to the direction of the
Area Vice-President.
(b) He shall, within the jurisdiction of his Port, be responsible for the
enforcement and execution of the
Constitution, the policies of the
Union, and the rules adopted by the
Executive Board, and by a majority
vote of the membership. Wherever
there are time restrictions or other
considerations affecting Port action,
the Port Agent shall take appropriate
action to insure observance thereof.
(c) He shall be prepare to
account, financially or otherwise for
the activities of his Port, whenever
demanded by the President, the VicePresident of the area in which his
Port is located, or by the SecretaryTreasurer.
( d) In any event, he shall prepare
and forward to the SecretaryTreasurer a weekly financial report
showing, in detail, weekly income
and expenses and complying with all
other accounting directions issued by
the Secretary-Treasurer.
( e) The Port Agent shall designate which members at the Port may
serve as representatives to other organizations, affiliation with which has
been properly authorized.
Section 13. Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall consist
of the President, the Executive VicePresident, the Vice- President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement,
the
SecretaryTreasurer, the Vice- President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast Area,
the Vice-President in Charge of the
Gulf Coast Area, the Vice-President
in Charge of the West Coast Area, the
Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and
Inland Waters, the Vice-President in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing Industries, and the National
Director (or chief executive officer)
of each subordinate body or division
created or chartered by the Union
whenever such subordinate body or
division has attained a membership
of 3,200 members and has maintained that membership for not less
than three (3) months. Such National
Director (or chief executive officer)
shall be a member of the respective
subordinate body or division and
must be qualified to hold office under
the terms of the Constitution of such
division or subordinate body.
The Executive Board shall meet
no less than twice each year and at
such times as the President and/or a
majority of the Executive Board may
direct. The President shall be chairman of all Executive Board meetings
unless absent, in which case the
Executive Board shall designate the
chairman. Each member of the
Executive Board shall be entitled to
cast one (1) vote in that body. Its
decision shall be determined by
majority vote of those voting, providing a quorum of three (3) is present.
It shall be the duty of the Executive
Board to develop policies, strategies
and rules which will advance and
protect the interests and welfare of
the Union and the members. It shall
be the duty of the SecretaryTreasurer or in his absence, an
appointee of the Executive Board, to
keep accurate minutes of all
Executive Board meetings. The
Executive Board shall determine per
capita tax to be levied and other
terms and conditions of affiliation for
any group of workers desiring affiliation. The Executive Board may direct
the administration of all Union
affairs, properties, policies and personnel in any and all areas not otherwise specifically provided for in this
Constitution. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Executive Board may
act without holding a formal meeting
provided all members are sent notice
of the proposed action or actions and
the decision thereon is reduced to
writing and signed by a majority of
the Executive Board.
In the event that death, resignation or removal from office for any
reason should occur to the President,
the Executive Board by majority vote
shall name a successor from its own
membership who shall fill that vacancy until the next general election.
In the event the President is incapacitated for a period of more than
thirty (30) days, and the Executive
Board by majority vote thereafter
determines that such incapacity prevent the President from carrying out
his duties, the Executive Board by
majority vote may appoint from
among its own membership the officer to fill the office of President. This
appointment shall terminate upon the
President's recovery from such incapacity or upon the expiration of the
President's term of office, whichever
occurs first.
The Executive Board by majority
vote may grant requests for leaves of
absence with or without pay to officers. In the event that a leave is granted to the President, the Executive
Board by a majority vote shall designate from among its own membership who shall exercise the duties of
the President during such period of
leave.
Notwithstanding the provision of
Section lG) of this Article X, the
Executive Board, by majority vote,
may determine not to fill any vacancy in any office or job for any part of
an unexpired term.
Section 14. Delegates.
(a) The term "delegates" shall
mean those members of the Union
and its subordinate bodies or divisions who are elected in accordance
with the prov1s1ons of this
Constitution to attend the Convention
of the Seafarers International Union
of North America. The following
officers and jobholders, upon their
election to office or job shall, during
the term of their office or job be delegates to all Conventions of the
Seafarers International Union of
North America in the following order
of priority: President, Executive
Vice-President; Vice-President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement; Secretary-Treasurer;
Vice-President in Charge of the
Atlantic Coast; Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast; VicePresident in Charge of the West
Coast; Vice President in Charge of
the Southern Region, Great Lakes
and Inland Waters; Vice-President in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing Industries; Assistant VicePresidents; Headquarters Representatives, with priority to those most
senior in full book Union membership; and Port Agents, with priority
to those most senior in full book
Union membership.
(b) Each delegate shall, by his
vote and otherwise, support those
polices agreed upon by the majority
of the delegates to the Convention.
(c) The President shall assign to
each subordinate body or division
that number of delegates to which
this Union would have been entitled,
if its membership had been increased
by the number of members of the
subordinate body or division, in
accordance with the formula set forth
in the Constitution of the Seafarers
International Union of North
America, except that this provision
shall not be applied so as to reduce
the number of delegates to which this
Union would otherwise had been
entitled.
Section 15. Committees.
(a) Trial Committee.
The Trial Committee shall conduct the trials of a person charged
and shall submit findings and recommendations as prescribed in this
Constitution. It shall be the special
obligation of the Trial Committee to
observe all the requirements of this
Constitution with regard to charges
and trials and their findings and recommendations must specifically state
whether or not, in the opinion of the
Trial Committee, the rights of any
accused, under this Constitution,
were properly safeguarded.
(b) Appeals Committee.
1. The Appeals Committee shall
hear all appeals from trial judgments,
in accordance with such procedures
as are set forth in this Constitution
and such rules as may be adopted by
a majority vote of the membership
not inconsistent therewith.
2. The Appeals Committee shall,
within not later than one (1) week
after the close of the said hearing,
make and submit findings and recommendations in accordance with the
provisions of this Constitution and
such rules as may be adopted by a
majority vote of the membership not
inconsistent therewith.
(c) Annual Financial Committee.
1. The
Annual
Financial
Committee shall make an examination for each annual period of the
finances of the Union and shall report
fully on their findings and recommendations. Members of this
Committee may make dissenting
reports, separate recommendations
and separate findings.
2. The findings and recommendations of this Committee shall be
completed within a reasonable time
and after the election of the members
thereof, and shall be submitted to the
Secretary-Treasurer who shall cause
the same to be read in all Ports, as set
forth herein.
3 All officers, Union personnel
and members are responsible for
complying with all demands made
for records, bills, vouchers, receipts,
etc., by the said Annual Financial
Committee. The Committee shall
also have available to it the services
of the independent certified public
accountants retained by the Union.
4. Any action on the said report
shall be as determined by a majority
vote of the membership.
5. The Annual Financial Committee shall consist of seven (7) full
book members in good standing to be
elected at Headquarters. No Officer,
Headquarters Representative or Port
Agent shall be eligible for election to
this Committee. Committee members
shall be elected at the regular
Headquarters' meeting designated by
the Secretary-Treasurer. In the event
such regular meeting cannot be held
for lack of a quorum, Headquarters'
Port Agent shall call a special meeting as early as possible for the election of Committee members to serve
on the Annual Financial Committee.
On the day following these elections
and continuing until the Committee
has completed its report, each
Committee member shall be paid for
hours worked at the existing AB
Seaman standby rate of pay, but in no
event shall they be paid less than
eight (8) hours per day. They shall be
furnished room and board during the
period they are performing their
duties.
In the event a Committee member
ceases to act, no replacement need to
be elected unless there are less than
three (3) Committee members, in
which event they shall suspend their
work until a special election for
Committee members shall be held as
provided above for such number of
Committee members as shall be necessary to constitute a Committee of
not less than three (3) members in
good standing.
(d) Strike Committee.
1 In no event shall a general
strike take place unless approved by a
majority vote of the membership or
segment of the Union, whichever
applies.
2 In the event a general strike
has been approved by the membership the Port Agents in all affected
Ports shall call a timely special meeting for the purpose of electing a
Strike Committee. This Committee
shall be composed of three (3) full
book members and their duties shall
consist of assisting the Port Agent to
effectuate all strike policies and
strategies.
Article XI
wages and Term of Office of
Officers and Other Elective
Jobholders, Union Employees,
and Others
Section 1. The following elected
officers and jobs shall be held for a
term of four ( 4) years; except the
term of officers and jobs elected in
balloting conducted in 197 5 shall be
for five (5) years:
President
Executive Vice-President
Secretary-Treasurer
Vice-Presidents
Assistant Vice-Presidents
Headquarters Representatives
Port Agents
The term of years set forth here is
expressly subject to the provisions
for assumption of office as contained
in Article XIII, Section 6(b) of this
Constitution.
Section 2. The term of any elective jobs other than those indicated in
Section 1 of this Article shall continue for so long as is necessary to complete the functions thereof, unless
sooner terminated by a majority vote
of the membership or segment of the
Union, whichever applies, whose
vote was originally necessary to elect
the one or ones serving.
Section 3. The compensation to
be paid the holder of any office or
other elective job shall be determined
from time to time by the Executive
Board subject to approval of the
membership.
Section 4. The foregoing provisions of this Article do not apply to
any corporation, business, or other
venture in which this Union participates, or which it organizes or creates. In such situations, instructions
conveyed by the Executive Board
shall be followed.
Article XII
Qualifications for Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents,
Headquarters Representatives,
Port Agents, and Other
Elective Jobs
Section 1. Any member of the
Union is eligible to be a candidate
Continued on page 22
Seafarers LOB 21
�Present Constitution - SIUNA - AGLIWD
Continued from page 21
for, and hold, any office or the job of
Assistant Vice-President, Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent provided:
(a) He has at least three (3) years
of seatime in an unlicensed capacity
aboard an American-flag merchant
vessel or vessels. In computing time,
time spent in the employ of the
Union, its subsidiaries and its affiliates, or in any employment at the
Union's direction, shall count the
same as seatime. Union records,
Welfare Plan records and/or company
records can be used to determine eligibility; and
(b) He has been a full book member in continuous good standing in
the Union for at least three (3) years
immediately prior to his nomination;
and
(c) He has at least one hundred
(100) days of seatime, in an unlicensed
capacity,
aboard
an
American-flag vessel or vessels covered by contract with this Union or
one hundred (100) days of employment with, or in any office or job of,
the Union, its subsidiaries and its
affiliates, or in any employment at
the Union's direction or a combination of these, between January 1 and
the time of nomination in the election
year, except if such seatime is wholly
aboard such merchant vessels operating solely upon the Great Lakes or, if
such seatime is wholly aboard tugboats, towboats or dredges and contractual employment thereon is for
fixed days with equal amount of days
off, he shall have at least sixty five
(65) days of such seatime instead of
the foregoing one hundred ( 100)
days; and
(d) He is a citizen of the United
States of America; and
(e) He is not disqualified by law.
He is not receiving a pension from
this Union's Pension Fund, if any, or
from a Union-Management Fund to
which Fund this Union is a party or
from a company under contract with
this Union.
(f) He has not sailed in a licensed
capacity aboard an American flag
merchant vessel or vessels within
twenty four (24) consecutive months
immediately prior to the opening of
nominations.
Section 2. All candidates for, and
holders of, other elective jobs not
specified in the preceding sections
shall be full book members of the
Union.
Section 3. All candidates for, and
holders of elective offices and jobs,
whether elected or appointed in
accordance with this Constitution,
shall maintain full book memberships in good standing.
Article XIII
Elections for Offlcel'S,
Assistant Vice-Presidents,
Headquarters Representatives,
and Port Agents
Section 1. Nominations.
Except as provided in Section
2(b) of this Article, any full book
member may submit his name for
nomination for any office, or the job
of Assistant Vice-President, Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent, by delivering or causing to be
delivered in person, to the office of
the Secretary-Treasurer at Headquarters, or sending a letter addressed
to the Credentials Committee, in care
of the Secretary-Treasurer at the
address of Headquarters. This letter
shall be dated and shall contain the
following:
(a) The name of the candidate.
(b) His home address and mailing
address.
(c) His book number.
(d) The title of the office or other job
for which he is a candidate,
including the name of the Port in
the event the position sought is
22
Seafarers LOG
that of Port Agent.
(e) Proof of citizenship.
(f) Proof of seatime and/or employment as required for candidates.
(g) In the event the member is on a
vessel, he shall notify the
Credentials Committee what
vessel he is on. This shall be
done also if he ships subsequent
to forwarding his credentials.
(h) Annexing a certificate in the following form, signed and dated
by the proposed nominee:
"I hereby certify that I am not
now, nor, for the five (5) years last
past, have I been either a member of
the Communist Party or convicted of,
or served any part of a prison term
resulting from conviction of robbery,
bribery, extortion, embezzlement,
grand larceny, burglary, arson, violation of narcotics laws, murder, rape,
assault with intent to kill, assault
which inflicts grievous bodily injury,
or violation of Title II or III of the
Landrum Griffin Act, or conspiracy
to commit any such crimes."
Dated ............................................... .
Signature of Member. ...................... .
Book No .......................................... .
Printed forms of the certificate
shall be made available to nominees.
Where a nominee cannot truthfully
execute such a certificate, but is, in
fact, legally eligible for an office or
job by reason of the restoration of
civil rights originally revoked by
such conviction or a favorable determination by the Board of Parole of
the United States Department of
Justice, he shall, in lieu of the foregoing certificate, furnish a complete
signed statement of the facts of his
case together with true copies of the
documents supporting his statement.
Any full book member may nominate any other full book member in
which event such full book member
so nominated shall comply with the
provisions of this Article as they are
set forth herein relating to the submission of credentials. By reason of
the above self nomination provision
the responsibility, if any, for notifying a nominee of his nomination to
office shall be that of the nominator.
All documents required herein
must reach Headquarters no earlier
than July 15 and no later than August
15 of the election year.
The
Secretary-Treasurer
is
charged with safekeeping of these
letters and shall turn them over to the
Credentials Committee upon the latter's request.
Section 2. Credentials Committee
(a) A Credentials Committee shall
be elected at the regular meeting in
August of the election year at the Port
where Headquarters is located. It
shall consist of six (6) full book
members in attendance at the meeting
with two (2) members to be elected
from each of the Deck, Engine and
Steward Departments. No officer,
Assistant Vice-President, Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent, or candidate for office of the
job of Assistant Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent, shall be eligible for election to
this Committee except as provided
for in Article X, Section 4. In the
event any Committee member is
unable to serve, the Committee shall
suspend until the President or
Executive Vice-President or the
Secretary-Treasurer, in that order,
calls a special meeting at the Port
where Headquarters is located in
order to elect a replacement. The
Committee's results shall be by
majority vote with any tie vote being
resolved by a majority of the membership at a special meeting called for
that purpose at that Port.
(b) After its election, the
Committee shall immediately go into
session. It shall determine whether
the person has submitted his application correctly and possesses the nee-
essary qualifications. The Committee
shall prepare a report listing each
applicant and his book number under
the office or job he is seeking. Each
applicant shall be marked "qualified"
or "disqualified" according to the
findings of the Committee. Where an
applicant has been marked "disqualified," the reason therefore must be
stated in the report. Where a tie vote
has been resolved by a special meeting of the membership, that fact shall
also be noted with sufficient detail.
The report shall be signed by all of
the Committee members and be completed and submitted to the Ports in
time for the next regular meeting
after their election. At this meeting, it
shall be read and incorporated in the
minutes and then posted on the bulletin board in each Port.
On the last day of nominations,
one (1) member of the Committee
shall stand by in Headquarters to
accept delivery of credentials. All
credentials must be in Headquarters
by midnight of closing day.
(c) When an applicant has been
disqualified by the Committee, he
shall be notified immediately by
telegram at the address listed by him
pursuant to Section I of this Article.
He shall also be sent a letter containing their reasons for such disqualification by airmail, special delivery,
registered or certified, to the mailing
address designated pursuant to
Section 1(b) of this Article. A disqualified applicant shall have the
right to take an appeal to the membership from the decision of the
Committee. He shall forward copies
of such appeal to each Port where the
appeal shall be presented and voted
upon at a regular meeting no later
than the second meeting after the
Committee's election. It is the
responsibility of the applicant to
insure timely delivery of his appeal.
In any event, without prejudice to his
written appeal, the applicant may
appear in person before the
Committee within two (2) days after
the day on which the telegram is sent
to correct his application or argue for
his qualification.
The Committee's report shall be
prepared early enough to allow the
applicant to appear before it within
the time set forth in this Constitution
and still reach the Ports in time for
the first regular meeting after its election.
(d) A majority vote of the membership shall, in the case of such
appeals, be sufficient to overrule any
disqualification by the Credentials
Committee in which event the one so
previously classified shall then be
deemed qualified.
(e) The Credentials Committee,
in passing upon the qualifications of
candidates, shall have the right to
conclusively presume that anyone
nominated and qualified in previous
elections for candidacy for any
office, or the job of Assistant VicePresident, Headquarters Representative or Port Agent has met all
the requirements of Section l(a) of
Article XII.
Section 3. Balloting Procedures.
(a) Balloting in the manner hereafter provided shall commence on
November 1st of the election year
and shall continue through December
31st, exclusive of Sundays and (for
each individual Port) holidays legally
recognized in the City of which the
Port affected is located. If November
1st and December 31st falls on a holiday legally recognized in a Port in
the City in which that Port is located,
the balloting period in such Port shall
commence or terminate, as the case
may be, on the next succeeding business day. Subject to the foregoing, for
the purpose of full book members
securing their ballots, the Ports shall
be open from 9:00 AM. to 12 Noon,
Monday through Saturday, excluding
holidays.
(b) Balloting shall be by mail.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall insure
the proper and timely preparation of
ballots without partiality as to candidates or Ports. The ballots may contain general information and instructive comments not inconsistent with
the provisions of this Constitution.
All qualified candidates shall be listed thereon alphabetically within each
category with book number and job
seniority classification status.
The listing of the Ports shall first
set forth Headquarters and then shall
follow a geographical pattern commencing with the most northerly Port
of the Atlantic Coast, following the
Atlantic Coast down to the most
southerly Port on that coast, then
westerly along the Gulf of Mexico
and so on, until the list of Ports is
exhausted. Any Port outside the
Continental United States shall then
be added. There shall be no write-in
voting and no provisions for the same
shall appear on the ballot. Each ballot
shall be so prepared as to have the
number thereon place at the top
thereof and shall be so perforated as
to enable that portion containing the
said number to be easily removed to
insure secrecy of the ballot. On this
removable portion shall also be
placed a short statement indicating
the nature of the ballot and the voting
date thereof.
(c) The ballots so prepared at the
direction of the Secretary-Treasurer
shall be the only official ballots. No
others may be used. Each ballot shall
be numbered as indicated in the preceding paragraphs and shall be numbered consecutively, commencing
with number 1. A sufficient amount
shall be printed and distributed to
each Port. A record of the ballots,
both by serial numbers and amount,
sent thereto, shall be maintained by
the Secretary-Treasurer who shall
also send each Port Agent a verification list indicating the amount and
serial numbers of the ballots sent.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall also
send to each Port Agent a sufficient
amount of blank opaque envelopes
containing the word, "Ballot" on the
face of the envelope, as well as a sufficient amount of opaque mailing
envelopes, first. class postage prepaid
and printed on the face thereon as the
addressee shall be the name and
address of the depository for the
receipt of such ballots as designated
by the President in the manner provided by Article X, Section I, of this
Constitution. In the upper left-hand
comer of such mailing envelope,
there shall be printed thereon, as a top
line, provision for the voter's signature and on another line immediately
thereunder, provision for the printing
of the voter's name and book number.
In addition, the Secretary-Treasurer
shall also send a sufficient amount of
mailing envelopes identical with the
mailing envelopes mentioned above,
except that they shall be of different
color, and shall contain on the face of
such envelope, in bold letters, the
word, "Challenge." The SecretaryTreasurer shall further furnish a sufficient amount of "Roster Sheets"
which shall have printed thereon, at
the top thereof, the year of the election, and immediately thereunder,
five (5) vertical columns designated
date, ballot number, signature full
book member's name, book number
and comments, and such roster sheets
shall contain horizontal lines immediately under the captions of each of
the above five (5) columns. The
Secretary-Treasurer shall also send a
sufficient amount of envelopes with
the printed name and address of the
depository on the face thereof, and in
the upper left-hand corner, the name
of the Port and address, and on the
face of such envelope, should be
printed the words, "Roster Sheets and
Ballot Stubs". Each Port Agent shall
maintain separate records of the ballots sent him and shall inspect and
count the ballots when received to
insure that the amount sent, as well as
the number thereon, conform to the
amount and numbers listed by the
Secretary-Treasurer as having been
sent to that Port. The Port Agent shall
immediately execute and return to the
Secretary-Treasurer
a
receipt
acknowledging the correctness of the
amount and the numbers of the ballots sent, or shall notify the
Secretary-Treasurer of any discrepancy. Discrepancies shall be corrected as soon as possible prior to the
voting period. In any event, receipts
shall be forwarded for all the aforementioned election material actually
received. The Secretary-Treasurer
shall prepare a file in which shall be
kept memoranda and correspondence
dealing with the election. This file
shall at all times be available to any
member asking for inspection of the
same at the office of the SecretaryTreasurer and shall be turned over to
the Union Tallying Committee.
(d) Balloting shall be secret.
Only full book members in good
standing may vote. Each full book
member may secure his ballot at Port
offices from the Port Agent or his
duly designated representative at
such Port. Each Port Agent shall designate an area at the Port office over
which should be posted the legend
"Voting Ballots Secured Here."
When a full book member appears to
vote he shall present his book to the
Port Agent or his aforementioned
duly designated representative. The
Port Agent or his duly designated
representative shall insert on the roster sheet under the appropriate column the date, the number of the ballot given to such member and his full
book number, and the member shall
then sign his name on such roster
sheet under the appropriate column.
Such member shall have his book
stamped with the word, "Voted" and
the date, and shall be given a ballot,
and simultaneously the perforation
on the top of the ballot shall be
removed. At the same time the member shall be given the envelope
marked "Ballot" together with the
prepaid postage-mailing envelope
addressed to the depository. The
member shall take such ballot and
envelopes and in secret thereafter,
mark his ballot, fold the same, insert
it in the blank envelope marked
"Ballot", seal the same, then insert
such "Ballot" envelope into the mailing envelope, seal such mailing envelope, sign his name on the upper lefthand corner on the first line of such
mailing envelope and on the second
line in the upper left-hand corner
print his name and book number,
after which he shall mail or cause the
same to be mailed. In the event a full
book member appears to vote and is
not in good standing or does not have
his membership book with him or it
appears for other valid reasons he is
not eligible to vote, the same procedure as provided above shall apply to
him, except that on the roster sheet
under the column "Comments", notation should be made that the member
voted a challenged ballot and the reason for his challenge. Such member's
membership book shall be stamped
"Voted Challenge", and the date, and
such member instead of the abovementioned mailing envelope, shall be
given the mailing envelope of a different color marked on the face thereof with the word, "Challenge". At the
end of each day, the Port Agent or his
duly designated representative shall
enclose in the envelope addressed to
the depository and marked "Roster
Sheets and Ballots Stubs", the roster
sheet or sheets executed by the members that day together with the numbered perforated slips removed from
the ballots which had been given to
the members, and then mail the same
to such depository. To insure that an
adequate supply of all balloting material is maintained in all Ports at all
times, the Port Agent or his duly designated representative, simultaneously with mailing of the roster sheets
and ballot stubs to the depository at
the end of each day, shall also make a
Continued on page 23
October 2000
�Present Constitution - SIUNA - AGLIWD
Continued from page 22
copy of the roster sheet for that day
and mail the same to the SecretaryTreasurer at Headquarters. The Port
Agent shall be responsible for the
proper safeguarding of all election
material and shall not release any of
it until duly called for and shall
insure that no one tampers with the
material placed in his custody.
(e) Full book members may
request and vote an absentee ballot
under the following circumstances:
while such member is employed on a
Union contracted vessel and which
vessel's schedule does not provide
for it to be at a Port in which a ballot
can be secured during the time and
period provided for in Section 3(a) of
this Article or is in an accredited hospital any time during the first ten (10)
days of the month of November of
the election year. The member shall
make a request for an absentee ballot
by registered or certified mail or the
equivalent mailing device at the location from which such request is
made, if such be the case. Such
request shall contain a designation as
to the address to which such member
wishes his absentee ballot returned.
The request shall be postmarked no
later than 12:00 P.M. on the 15th day
of November of the election year,
shall be directed to the SecretaryTreasurer at Headquarters and must
be delivered no later than the 25th of
such November. The SecretaryTreasurer shall determine whether
such member is eligible to vote such
absentee ballot. The SecretaryTreasurer, if he determines that such
member is so eligible, shall by the
30th of such November, send by registered mail, return receipt requested,
to the address so designated by such
member, a "Ballot", after removing
the perforated numbered stub, together with the hereinbefore mentioned
"Ballot" envelope, and mailing envelope addressed to the depository,
except that printed on the face of
such mailing envelope shall be the
words "Absentee Ballot" and appropriate voting instructions shall
accompany such mailing to the member. If the Secretary-Treasurer determines that such member is ineligible
to receive such absentee ballot, he
shall nevertheless send such member
the aforementioned ballot with
accompanying material except that
the mailing envelope addressed to the
depository shall have printed on the
face thereof the words "Challenged
Absentee Ballot." The SecretaryTreasurer shall keep records of all of
the foregoing, including the reasons
for determining such member's ineligibility, which records shall be open
for inspection by full book members
and upon the convening of the Union
Tallying Committee, presented to
them. The Secretary-Treasurer shall
send to all Ports the names and book
numbers of the members to whom
absentee ballots were sent.
(f) All ballots to be counted must
be received by the depository no later
than the January 5th immediately
subsequent to the election year and
must be postmarked no later than 12
midnight December 31st of the election year.
Section 4. (a) At the close of the
last day of the period for securing
ballots, the Port Agent in each Port,
in addition to his duties set forth
above, shall deliver or mail to
Headquarters by registered or certified mail, attention Union Tallying
Committee, all unused ballots and
shall specifically set forth by serial
number and amount the unused ballots so forwarded.
(b) The Union Tallying Committee shall consist of twenty (20)
full book members. Two (2) shall be
elected from each of the ten (10)
Ports of New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Mobile, New Orleans,
Houston, Detroit-Algonac, San
Francisco, St. Louis and Piney Point.
The election shall be held at the reg-
October 2000
ular meeting in December of the election year or, if the Executive Board
otherwise determines prior thereto, at
a special meeting held in the aforesaid Ports, on the first business day of
the last week of said month. No offiVice-President,
cer,
Assistant
Headquarters Representative, Port
Agent, or candidate for office, or the
job of Assistant Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent shall be eligible for election to
this Committee except as provided
for in Article X, Section 4. In addition to the duties herein set forth, the
Union Tallying Committee shall be
charged with the tallying of all the
ballots and the preparation of a closing report setting forth, in complete
detail, the results of the election,
including a complete accounting of
all ballots and stubs, and reconciliation of the same with the rosters and
receipts of the Port Agents, all with
detailed reference to serial numbers
and amount and with each total broken down into Port totals. The Union
Tallying Committee shall have access
to all election records and files for
their inspection, examination and
verification. The report shall clearly
detail all discrepancies discovered
and shall contain recommendations
for the treatment of these discrepancies. All members of the Committee
shall sign the report, without prejudice, however, to the right of any
member thereof to submit a dissenting report as to the accuracy of the
count and the validity of the ballots,
with pertinent details.
In connection with the tally of
ballots there shall be no counting of
ballots until all mailing envelopes
containing valid ballots have first
been opened, the ballot envelopes
removed intact and then all of such
ballot envelopes mixed together, after
which such ballot envelopes shall be
opened and counted in such multiples
as the Committee may deem expedient and manageable. The Committee
shall resolve all issues on challenged
ballots and then tally those found
valid utilizing the same procedure as
provided in the preceding sentence
either jointly or separately.
(c) The members of the Union
Tallying Committee shall, after their
election, proceed to the Port in which
Headquarters is located, to arrive at
that Port no later than January 5th of
the year immediately after the election year. Each member of the
Committee not elected from the Port
in which Headquarters is located shall
be reimbursed for transportation,
meals, and lodging expenses occasioned by their traveling to and
returning from that Port. Committee
members elected from the Port in
which Headquarters is located shall
be similarly reimbursed, except for
transportation. All members of the
Committee shall also be paid at the
prevailing standby rate of pay from
the day subsequent to their election to
the day they return, in normal course,
to the Port from which they were
elected.
The Union TaJlying Committee
shall elect a chairman from among
themselves and, subject to the
express terms of this Constitution,
adopt its own procedures. All decisions of such Committee and the contents of their report shall be valid if
made by a majority vote, provided
there be a quorum in attendance,
which quorum is hereby fixed at ten
(10). The Committee, but not less
than a quorum thereof, shall have the
sole right and duty to obtain all
mailed ballots and the other mailed
election material from the depository
and to insure their safe custody during the course of the Committee's
proceedings. The proceedings of the
Committee, except for their organizational meeting and their actual preparation of the closing report and dissent therefrom, if any, shall be open
to any member provided he observes
decorum. Any candidate may act as
an observer and/or designate another
member to act as his observer at the
counting of the ballots. In no event
shall issuance of the above referred to
closing report of the Committee be
delayed beyond January 31st immediately subsequent to the close of the
election year. In the discharge of its
duties, the Committee may call upon
and utilize the services of clerical
employees of the Union. The
Committee shall be discharged upon
the completion of the issuance and
dispatch of its report as required in
this Article. In the event a recheck
and recount is ordered pursuant to
this Article, the Committee shall be
reconstituted, except that if any
member thereof is not available, a
substitute therefore shall be elected
from the appropriate Port at a special
meeting held for that purpose as soon
as possible
( d) The report of the committee
shall be made up in sufficient copies
to comply with the following requirements: two (2) copies shall be mailed
by the Committee to each Port Agent
and the Secretary-Treasurer no later
than January 31st immediately subsequent to the close of the election year.
As soon a these copies are received,
each Port Agent shall post one (1)
copy of the report on the bulletin
board in a conspicuous manner and
notify the Secretary-Treasurer, in
writing, as to the date of such posting. This copy shall be kept posted
until after the Election Report
Meeting which shall be the March
regular membership meeting immediately following the close of the
election year. At the Election Report
Meeting, the other copy of the report
shall be read verbatim.
(e) Any full book member claiming a violation of the election and
balloting procedure or the conduct of
the same, shall within seventy two
(72) hours of the occurrence of the
claimed violation
notify the
Secretary-Treasurer at Headquarters,
in writing by certified mail, of the
same, setting forth his name, book
number and the details so that appropriate corrective action, if warranted,
may be taken. The SecretaryTreasurer shall expeditiously investigate the facts concerning the claimed
violation, take such action as may be
necessary, if any, and make a report
and recommendation, if necessary, a
copy of which shall be sent to the
member and the original shall be
filed for the Union Tallying
Committee for their appropriate
action, report and recommendation, if
any. The foregoing shall not be
applicable to matters involving the
Credentials Committee's action or
report, the provisions of Article XIII,
Sections 1 and 2 being the pertinent
provisions applicable to such matters.
All protests as to any and all
aspects of the election and balloting
procedures or the conduct of the
same not passed upon by the Union
Tallying Committee in its report,
excluding therefrom matters involving the Credentials Committee's
action or report as provided in the last
sentence of the immediately preceding paragraph, but including the procedure and report of the Union
Tallying Committee, shall be filed in
writing by certified mail with the
Secretary-Treasurer at Headquarters
to be received no later than the
February 25th immediately subsequent to the close of the election year.
It shall be the responsibility of the
member to insure that his written
protest is received by the SecretaryTreasurer no later than such February
25th. The Secretary-Treasurer shall
forward copies of such written
protest to all Ports in sufficient time
to be read at the Election Report
Meeting. The written protest shall
contain the full book member's
name, book number, and all details
constituting the protest.
(f) At the Election Report
Meeting the report and recommendation of the Union Tallying
Committee, including but not limited
to discrepancies, protests passed
upon by them, as well as protests
filed with the Secretary-Treasurer as
provided for in Section (e) immediately above shall be acted upon by
the meeting. A majority vote of the
membership shall decide what action,
if any, in accordance with the
Constitution shall be taken thereon,
which action, however, shall not
include the ordering of a special vote,
unless reported discrepancies or
protested procedure or conduct found
to have occurred and to be violative
of the Constitution affected the
results of the vote for any office or
job, in which event the special vote
shall be restricted to such office,
offices and/or job or jobs, as the case
may be. A majority of the membership at the Election Report Meetings
may order a recheck and recount
when a dissent to the closing report
has been issued by three (3) or more
members of the Union Tallying
Committee. Except for the contingencies provided for in this Section
4(f), the closing report shall be
accepted as final. There shall be no
further protest or appeal from the
action of the majority of the membership at the Election Report Meetings.
(g) Any special vote ordered pursuant to Section 4(f) shall be commenced within ninety (90) days after
the first day of the month immediately subsequent to the Election Report
Meetings mentioned above. The
depository shall be the same as designated for the election from which the
special vote is ordered. And the procedures shall be the same as provided
for in Section 3, except where specific dates are provided for, the days
shall be the dates applicable which
provide for the identical time and
days originally provided for in
Section 3. The Election Report
Meeting for the aforesaid special vote
shall be that meeting immediately
subsequent to the report of the Union
Tallying Committee separated by one
(1) calendar month.
Section S. Elected Officers and
Jobholders.
A candidate unopposed for any
office or job shall be deemed elected
to such office or job notwithstanding
that his name may appear on the ballot. The Union Tallying Committee
shall not be required to tally completely the results of the voting for
such unopposed candidate but shall
certify in their report that such unopposed candidate has been elected to
such office or job. The Election
Report Meeting shall accept the
above certification of the Union
Tallying Committee without change.
Section 6. Installation into Office
and the Job of Assistant VicePresident, Headquarters Representative or Port Agent.
(a) The person elected shall be
that person having the largest number
of votes cast for the particular office
or job involved. Where more than
one ( 1) person is to be elected for a
particular office or job, the proper
number of candidates receiving the
successively highest number of votes
shall be declared elected. These
determinations shall be made only
from the results deemed final and
accepted as provided in this Article.
It shall be the duty of the President to
notify each individual elected.
(b) The duly elected officers and
other job holders shall take over their
respective offices and jobs and
assume the duties thereof at midnight
of the night of the Election Report
Meeting, or the next regular meeting,
depending upon which meeting the
results as to each of the foregoing are
deemed final and accepted, as provided in this Article. The term of
their predecessors shall continue up
to, and expire at that time, not withstanding anything to the contrary
contained in Article XI, Section 1.
This shall not apply where the successful candidate cannot assume his
office because he is at sea.
In such event, a majority vote of
the membership may grant additional
time for the assumption of the office
or job. In the event of the failure of
the newly-elected President to
assume office the provisions of
Article X, Section 12 shall apply
until the expiration of the term. All
other cases of failure to assume office
shall be dealt with as decided by a
majority vote of the membership.
Section 7. The Secretary-Treasurer is specifically charged with the
preservation and retention of all election records, including the ballots, as
required by law, and is directed and
authorized to issue such other and
further directives as to the election
procedures as are required by law,
which directives shall be part of the
election procedures of this Union.
Article XIV
Other Elections
Section 1. Trial Committee
A Trial Committee shall be elected at a special meeting, held at 10:00
A.M. the next business day following
the regular meeting of the Port where
the trial is to take place. It shall consist of five (5) full book members,
three (3) of which shall constitute a
quorum. No officer, Assistant VicePresident, Headquarters Representative, Port Agent or other Union
personnel may be elected to serve on
a Trial Committee. No member who
intends to be a witness in the pending
trial may serve, nor may any member
who cannot for any reason, render an
honest decision. It shall be the duty
of every member to decline nomination if he knows, or has reason to
believe, any of the foregoing disqualifications apply to him. The members of this Committee shall be elected under such generally applicable
rules as are adopted by a majority
vote of the membership.
Section 2. Appeals Committee.
The Appeals Committee shall
consist of seven (7) full book members, five (5) of whom shall constitute a quorum, elected at the Port
where Headquarters is located. The
same disqualifications and duties of
members shall apply with regard to
this Committee as apply to the Trial
Committee. In addition, no member
may serve on an Appeals Committee
in the hearing of an appeal from a
Trial Committee decision if the said
member was a member of the Trial
Committee.
Article XV
Trials and Appeals
Section 1. Any member may
bring charges against any other member for the commission of an offense
as set forth in this Constitution.
These charges shall be in writing and
signed by the accuser who shall also
include his book number. The
accuser shall deliver these charges to
the Port Agent of the Port nearest the
place of the offense, or the Port of
pay-off, if the offense took place
aboard ship. He shall also request the
Port Agent to present these charges at
the next regular meeting. The accuser
may withdraw his charges before the
meeting takes place.
Section 2. After presentation of
the charges and the request to the
Port Agent, the Port Agent shall
cause those charges to be read at the
said meeting.
If the charges are rejected by a
majority vote of the Port, no further
action may be taken thereon, unless
ruled otherwise by a majority vote of
the membership of the Union within
ninety (90) days thereafter. If the
charges are accepted, and the accused
is present, he shall be automatically
on notice that he will be tried the following morning. At his request, the
trial shall be postponed until the
morning following the next regular
meeting at which time the Trial
Committee will then be elected. He
shall also be handed a written copy of
Continued on page 24
Seafarers LOG
23
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�Present Constitution - SIUllA -AGLIWD
Continued from page 23
the charges made against him.
If the accused is not present, the
Port Agent shall immediately cause
to be sent to him, by registered mail
addressed to his last known mailing
address on file with the Union, a
copy of the charges, the names and
book numbers of the accusers, and a
notification that he must appear with
his witnesses ready for trial the morning after the next regular meeting, at
which meeting the Trial Committee
will be elected.
In the event a majority of the
membership of the Union shall vote
to accept charges after their rejection
by a Port, the trial shall take place in
the Port where Headquarters is located. Due notice thereof shall be given
to the accused who shall be informed
of the name of his accusers and who
shall receive a written statement of
the charges. At the request of the
accused, transportation and subsistence shall be provided the accused
and his witnesses.
Section 3. The Trial Committee
shall hear all pertinent evidence and
shall not be bound by the rules of evidence required by courts of law but
may receive all relevant testimony.
The Trial Committee may grant
adjournments, at the request of the
accused, to enable him to make a
proper defense. In the event the Trial
Committee falls beneath the quorum,
it shall adjourn until a quorum does
exist.
Section 4. No trial shall be conducted unless all the accusers are present. The Trial Committee shall conduct the trial except that the accused
shall have the right to cross-examine
the accuser, or accusers and the witnesses, as well as to conduct his own
defense. The accused may select any
member to assist him in his defense
at the trial, provided (a) the said
member is available at the time of the
trial, and (b) the said member agrees
to render such assistance. If the
accused challenges the qualifications
of the members of the Trial
Committee, or states that the charges
do not adequately inform him of what
wrong he allegedly committed, or the
time and place of such commission,
such matters shall be ruled upon and
disposed of prior to proceeding on
the merits of their defense. The guilt
of an accused shall be found only if
proven by the weight of the evidence,
and the burden of such proof shall be
upon the accuser. Every finding shall
be based on the quality of the evidence and not solely on the number
of witnesses produced.
Section S. The Trial Committee
shall make findings as to guilt or
innocence, and recommendations as
to punishment and/or other Union
action deemed desirable in the light
of the proceedings. hese findings and
recommendations shall be those of a
majority of the Committee, and shall
be in writing, as shall be any dissent.
The Committee shall forward its
findings and recommendations, along
with any dissent to the Port Agent of
the Port where the trial took place,
while a copy thereof shall be forwarded to the accused and the
accuser, either in person or by mail
addressed to their last known
addresses. The findings shall include
a statement that the rights of the
accused under this Constitution were
properly safeguarded. The findings
also must contain the charges made,
the date of the trial, the name and
address of the accused, the accuser,
and each witness; shall describe each
document used at the trial; shall contain a fair summary of the proceedings; and shall state the findings as to
guilt or innocence. If possible, all
documents used at the trial shall be
kept. All findings and recommendations shall be made a part of the regular files.
Section 6. The Port Agent of the
Port of Trial shall, upon receipt of the
findings and recommendations of the
24
Seafarers LOG
Trial Committee, cause the findings
and recommendations to be presented and entered into the minutes at the
next regular meeting.
Section 7. The Port Agent shall
send the record of the entire proceedings to Headquarters, which shall
cause sufficient copies thereof to be
made and sent to each port in time for
the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Section 8. At the latter meeting,
the proceedings shall be discussed.
The meeting shall then vote. A
majority vote of the membership of
the Union shall:
(a) Accept the findings and recommendations, or
(b) Reject the findings and recommendations, or
(c) Accept the findings but modify the recommendations, or
(d) Order a new trial after finding
that substantial justice has not been
done with regard to the charges. In
this event, a new trial shall take place
at the Port where Headquarters is
located and upon application, the
accused, the accusers, and their witnesses shall be furnished transportation and subsistence.
Section 9. After the vote set forth
in Section 8, any punishment so
decided upon shall become effective.
Headquarters shall cause notice of
the results thereof to be sent to each
accused and accuser.
Section 10. An accused who has
been found guilty or who is under
effective punishment may appeal in
the following manner:
He may send or deliver a notice of
appeal to Headquarters within thirty
(30) days after receipt of the notice of
the decision of the membership.
Section 11. At the next regular
meeting of the Port where Headquarters is located, after receipt of the
notice of appeal, the notice shall be
presented and shall then become part
of the minutes. An Appeals Committee shall then be elected. The
Vice-President in Charge of Contracts and Contract Enforcement is
charged with the duty of presenting
the before-mentioned proceedings
and all available documents used as
evidence at the trial to the Appeals
Committee, as well as any written
statement or argument submitted by
the accused. The accused may argue
his appeal in person, if he so desires.
The appeal shall be heard at Union
Headquarters on the night the committee is elected. It shall be the
responsibility of the accused to insure
that his written statement or argument arrives at Headquarters in time
for such presentation.
Section 12. The Appeals Committee shall decide the appeal as soon
as possible, consistent with fair consideration of the evidence and arguments before it.
It may grant
adjournments and may request the
accused or accusers to present arguments whenever necessary for such
fair consideration.
Section 13. The decision of the
Appeals Committee shall be by
majority vote and shall be in the form
of findings and recommendations.
Dissents will be allowed. Decisions
and dissents shall be in writing and
signed by those participating in such
decision or dissent. In making its
findings and recommendations, the
Committee shall be governed by the
following:
(a) No finding of guilt shall be
reversed if there is substantial evidence to support such a finding and,
in such case, the Appeals Committee
shall not make its own findings as to
the weight of evidence.
(b) In no event shall increased
punishment be recommended.
(c) A new trial shall be recommended if the Appeals Committee
finds: (a) that any member of the
Trial Committee should have been
disqualified, or (b) that the accused
was not adequately informed of the
details of the charged offense, which
resulted in his not having been given
a fair trial, or (c) that for any other
reason, the accused was not given a
fair trial.
(d) If there is not substantial evidence to support a finding of guilt,
the Appeals Committee shall recommend that the charge on which the
finding was based be dismissed.
(e) The Appeals Committee may
recommend lesser punishment.
Section 14. The Appeals Committee shall deliver its decision and
dissent, if any, to Headquarters,
which shall cause sufficient copies to
be published and shall have them sent
to each Port in time to reach there
before the next regular scheduled
meeting. Headquarters shall also
send a copy to each accused and
accuser at their last known address,
or notify them in person.
Section 15. At the meeting indicated in Section 14 of this Article, the
membership, by a majority vote, shall
accept, the decision of the Appeals
Committee, or the dissent therein. If
there is no dissent, the decision of the
Appeals Committee shall stand.
If a new trial is ordered, that trial
shall be held in the Port where
Headquarters is located in the manner
provided for in Section 2 of this
Article. Any decision so providing
for a new trial shall contain such
directions as will insure a fair hearing
to the accused.
Section 16. Headquarters shall
notify the accused and each accuser,
either in person or in writing
addressed to their last known
address, of the results of the appeal.
A further appeal shall be allowed as
set forth in Section 17 of this Article.
Section 17. Each member is
charged with knowledge of the provisions of the Constitution of the
Seafarers International Union of
North America, and the rights of, and
procedure as to, further appeal as
provided for therein.
Decisions
reached thereunder shall be binding
on all members of the Union.
Section 18. It shall be the duty of
all members of the Union to take all
steps within their constitutional
power to carry out the terms of any
effective decisions.
Section 19. Every accused shall
receive a written copy of the charges
preferred against him and shall be
given a reasonable time to prepare his
defense, but he may thereafter plead
guilty and waive any or all of the
other rights and privileges granted to
him by this Article. If an accused has
been properly notified of his trial and
fails to attend without properly
requesting a postponement, the Trial
Committee may hold its trial without
his presence.
Article XVI
Offenses and Penanies
Section 1. Upon proof of the
commission of the following offenses, the member shall be expelled
from membership:
(a) Proof of membership in any
organization advocating the overthrow of the Government of the
United States by force;
(b) Acting as an informer against
the interest of the Union or the membership in any organizational campaign;
(c) Acting as an informer for, or
agent of, the company against the
interest of the membership or the
Union;
(d) The commission of any act as
part of a conspiracy to destroy the
Union.
Section 2. Upon proof of the
commission of any of the following
offenses, the member shall be penalized up to and including a penalty of
expulsion from the Union. In the
event the penalty of expulsion is not
invoked or recommended, the penalty shall not exceed suspension from
the rights and privileges of membership for more than two (2) years, or a
fine of fifty dollars ($50.00) or both:
(a) Willfully misappropriating or
misusing Union property of the value
in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00).
(b) Unauthorized use of Union
property, records, stamps, seals, etc.,
for the purpose of personal gain;
(c) Willful misuse of any office
or job, elective or not, within the
Union for the purpose of personal
gain, financial or otherwise, or the
willful refusal or failure to execute
the duties or functions of the said
office or job, or gross neglect or
abuse in executing such duties or
functions or other serious misconduct
or breach of trust. The President may,
during the pendency of disciplinary
proceedings under this subsection,
suspend the officer or jobholder from
exercising the functions of the office
or job, with or without pay, and designate his temporary replacement;
(d) Unauthorized voting, or
unauthorized handling of ballots,
stubs, rosters, verification lists, ballot
boxes, or election files, or election
material of any sort;
(e) Preferring charges with
knowledge that such charges are
false;
(t) Making or transmitting, with
intent to deceive, false reports or
communications which fall within
the scope of Union business;
(g) Deliberate failure or refusal
to join one's ship or misconduct or
neglect of duty aboard ship, to the
detriment of the Union or its agreements;
(h) Deliberate and unauthorized
interference, or deliberate and malicious vilification, with regard to the
execution of the duties of any office
or job;
(i) Paying for, or receiving
money for, employment aboard a
vessel, exclusive of proper earnings
and Union payments;
(j) Willful refusal to submit evidence of affiliation for the purpose of
avoiding or delaying money payments to the Union, or unauthorized
transferring or receiving evidence of
Union affiliation, with intent to
deceive;
(k) Willful failure or refusal to
carry out the order of those duly
authorized to make such orders during time of strike; ·
(I) Failure or refusal to pay a fine
or assessment within the time limit
set therefore either by the
Constitution or by action taken in
accordance with the Constitution.
Section 3. Upon proof of the
commission of any of the following
offenses, members shall be penalized
up to and including a suspension
from the rights and privileges of
membership for two (2) years, or a
of
fifty
dollars
fine
($50.00) or both:
(a) Willfully misappropriating or
misusing Union property of the value
under fifty dollars ($50.00);
(b) Assuming any office or job,
whether elective or not with knowledge of the lack of possession of the
qualifications required therefore;
(c) Misconduct during any meeting or other official Union proceeding, or bringing the Union into disrepute by conduct not provided for
elsewhere in this Article;
(d) Refusal or negligent failure to
carry out orders of those duly authorized to make such orders at any time.
Section 4. Upon proof of the
commission of any of the following
offenses, members shall be penalized
up to and including suspension from
the rights and privileges of membership for one ( 1) year or a fine of three
hundred dollars ($300.00) or both:
(a) Crossing a picket line sanctioned by the Union;
(b) Failure to perform picket
duty in strikes.
Section S. Upon proof of the
commission of any of the following
offenses, members shall be penalized
up to and including a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00):
(a) Refusal or willful failure to
be present at sign-ons or payoffs;
(b) Willful failure to submit his
Union book to Union representatives
at pay-off;
(c) Disorderly conduct at pay-off
or sign-on;
(d) Refusal to cooperate with
Union representatives in discharging
their duties;
(e) Disorderly conduct in the
Union ball;
(t) Gambling in the Union ball;
(g) Negligent failure to join ship.
Section 6. Any member who has
committed an offense penalized by
no more than a fine of three hundred
dollars ($300.00) may elect to waive
his rights under this Constitution subject to the provision of Article XV,
Section 19 and to pay the maximum
fine of three hundred dollars
($300.00) to the duly authorized representative of the Union.
Section 7. This Union, and its
members, shall not be deemed to
waive any claim of personal or property rights to which it or its members
are entitled by bringing the member
to trial or enforcing a penalty as provided in this Constitution.
Section 8. Any member under
suspension for an offense under this
Article shall continue to pay all dues
and assessments and must observe
his duties to the Union, members,
officials, and jobholders.
Article XVI
Publications
This Union may publish such
pamphlets, journals, newspapers,
magazines, periodicals and general
literature, in such manner as may be
determined, from time to time, by the
Executive Board.
Article DI
Bonds
Officers and jobholders, whether
elected or appointed as well as all
other employees handling monies of
the Union shall be bonded as required
by law.
Article XIX
Expenditures
Section 1. In the event no contrary policies or instructions are in
existence, the President may authorize, make, or incur such expenditures and expenses as are normally
encompassed within the authority
conferred upon him by Article X of
this Constitution.
Section 2. The prov1s1ons of
Section 1 shall similarly apply to the
routine accounting and administrative procedures of the Union except
those primarily concerned with trials,
appeals, negotiations, strikes, and
elections.
Section 3. The provisions of this
Article shall supersede to the extent
applicable, the provisions of Article
X of this Constitution.
Article XX
Income
Section 1. The income of this
Union shall include dues, initiation
fees, fines, assessments, contributions, loans, interest, dividends as
well as income derived from any
other legitimate business operation or
other legitimate source.
Section 2. An official Union
receipt, properly filled out, shall be
given to anyone paying money to the
Union or to any person authorized by
the Union to receive money. It shall
be the duty of every person affiliated
with the Union who makes such payments to demand such receipt.
Section 3. No assessments shall
be levied except after a ballot conducted under such general rules as
may be decided upon by a majority
vote of the membership, provided
that:
(a) The ballot must be secret.
(b) The assessment must be
approved by a majority of the valid
ballots cast.
Section 4. Except as otherwise
Continued on page 25
�Present Constitution - SIUNA -AGLIWD Continued from page 24
provided by law, all payments by
members or other affiliates of this
Union shall be applied successively
to the monetary obligations owed the
Union commencing with the oldest in
point of time, as measured from the
date of accrual of such obligation.
The period of arrears shall be calculated accordingly.
Section 5. To the extent deemed
appropriate by the majority of the
Executive Board, funds and assets of
the Union may be kept in an account
or accounts without separation as to
purpose and expended for all Union
purposes and objects.
Article XII
Other Types of Union
Affiliation
To the extent permitted by law,
this Union, by majority vote of the
membership, may provide for affiliation with it by individuals in a lesser
capacity than membership, or in a
capacity other than membership. By
majority vote of the membership the
Union may provide for the rights and
obligations incident to such capacities or affiliations. These rights and
obligations may include, but are not
limited to (a) the applicability or nonapplicability of all or any part of the
Constitution; (b) the terms of such
affiliation; (c) the right of the Union
to peremptory termination of such
affiliation and, (d) the fees required
for such affiliation. In no event may
anyone not a member receive evidence of affiliation equivalent to that
of members, receive priority or rights
over members, or be termed a member.
Article XIII
Quorums
Section 1. Unless
elsewhere
herein otherwise specifically provided, the quorum for a special meeting
of a Port shall be six (6) full book
members.
Section 2. The quorum for a regular meeting of a Port shall be fifty
(50) members.
Section 3. Unless
otherwise
specifically set forth herein, the decisions, reports, recommendations, or
other functions of any segment of the
Union requiring a quorum to act officially, shall be a majority of those
voting, and shall not be official or
effective unless the quorum requirements are met.
Section 4. Unless otherwise indicated herein, where the requirements
for a quorum are not specifically set
forth, a quorum shall be deemed to be
a majority of those composing the
applicable segment of the Union.
Article XXlll
Meetings
Section 1. Regular membership
meetings shall be held monthly only
in the following constitutional Ports
at the following times:
During the week following the
first Sunday of every month a meeting shall be held on Monday- at
Piney Point; on Tuesday-at New
York; on Wednesday-at Philadelphia; on Thursday-at Baltimore;
and on Friday-at Detroit-Algonac.
During the next week, meetings shall
be held on Monday-at Houston; on
Tuesday-at New Orleans; on
Wednesday-at
Mobile;
on
Thursday-at San Francisco; and on
Friday-at St. Louis. All regular
membership meetings shall commence at 10:30 A.M. local time.
Where a meeting day falls on a
Holiday officially designated as such
by the authorities of the state or
municipality in which a Port is located, the Port meeting shall take place
on the following business day.
Saturday and Sunday shall not be
deemed business days.
The Area Vice-Presidents shall be
the chairmen of all regular meetings
Ot:tober 2000
in Ports in their respective areas. In
the event the Area Vice-Presidents
are unable to attend a regular meeting
of a Port, they shall instruct the Port
Agents, or other elected jobholders,
to act as chairmen of the meetings.
In the event a quorum is not present at 10:30 A.M. the chairman of
the meeting at the pertinent Port shall
postpone the opening of the meeting
but in no event later than 11 :00 A.M.
Section 2. A special meeting at a
Port may be called only at the direction of the Area Vice-President, Area
Assistant Vice-President or Port
Agent. No special meeting may be
held, except between the hours of
9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. Notice of
such meeting shall be posted at least
two (2) hours in advance on the Port
bulletin board.
The Area Vice-Presidents shall be
the chairmen of all special meetings
in Ports in their respective areas. In
the event the Area Vice-Presidents
are unable to attend a special meeting
of a Port, they shall instruct the Area
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Port
Agents, or other elected jobholders,
to act as chairmen of the meetings.
Section 3. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, all regular meetings shall be governed by the following:
l The Union Constitution.
2. Majority vote of the members assembled.
Article XXIV
DeflnHlons and Miscellaneous
Provisions Relating lhereto
Section 1. Incapacity.
Unless
otherwise set forth or dealt with herein, the term "incapacity," shall mean
any illness or situation preventing the
affected person from carrying out his
duties for more than thirty (30) days,
provided that this does not result in a
vacancy. However, nothing contained
in this Article shall be deemed to
prohibit the execution of the functions of more than one (1) job and/or
office in which event no incapacity
shall be deemed to exist with regard
to the regular job or office of the one
taking over the duties and functions
of the one incapacitated. The period
of incapacity shall be the time during
which the circumstances exist.
Section 2. Unless otherwise set
forth or dealt with herein the term
"vacancy" shall include failure to
perform the functions of any office or
job by reason of death, or resignation,
or suspension from membership or
expulsion from the Union with no
further right to appeal in accordance
with the provisions of Article XV of
this Constitution.
Section 3. When applicable to
the Union as a whole, the term
"majority vote of the membership"
shall mean the majority of all the
valid votes cast by full book members at an official meeting of those
Ports holding meetings. This definition shall prevail notwithstanding
that one ( 1) or more Ports cannot
hold meetings because of no quorum,
For the purpose of this Section, the
term "meeting" shall refer to those
meetings to be held during the time
period within which a vote must be
taken in accordance with the
Constitution and the custom and
usage of the Union in the indicated
priority.
Section 4. When applicable solely to Port action and not concerned
with or related to the Union as a
whole, and not forming part of a
Union-wide vote. the term "majority
vote of the membership" shall refer
to the majority of the valid votes cast
by the full book members at any
meeting of the Port, regular or special.
Section 5. The term "membership action," or reference thereto,
shall mean the same as the term
"majority vote of the membership.••
Section 6. Where the title of any
officer or job, or the holder thereof, is
set forth in this Constitution, all ref-
erences thereto and the provisions
concerned therewith shall be deemed
to be equally applicable to whomever
is duly acting in such office or job.
Section 7. The term "election
year" shall be deemed to mean that
calendar year prior to the calendar
year in which elected officials and
other elected jobholders are required
to assume office.
Section 8. The
terms
"this
Constitution" and "this amended
Constitution" shall be deemed to
have the same meaning and shall
refer to the Constitution as amended
which takes the place of the one
adopted by the Union in 1939, as
amended up through July, 1989.
Section 9. The term "member in
good standing" shall mean a member
whose monetary obligations to the
Union are not in arrears for thirty
(30) days or more, or who is not
under suspension or expulsion effective in accordance with this
Constitution. Unless otherwise
expressly indicated, the term "member" shall mean a member in good
standing.
Section 10. Unless plainly otherwise required by the context of their
use, the terms "Union book," "membership book" and "book," shall
mean official evidence of Union
membership.
Section 11. The term "full book"
or "full Union book" shall mean only
an official certificate issued as evidence of Union membership which
carries with it complete rights and
privileges of membership except as
may be specifically constitutionally
otherwise provided.
Section 12. The term "full book
member" shall mean a member to
whom a full book has been duly
issued and who is entitled to retain it
in accordance with the provisions of
this Constitution.
Section 13. The term "seatime"
shall include employment upon any
navigable waters or days of employment in a contracted employer unit
represented by the Union.
Section 14. The term "in an unlicensed capacity aboard an Americanflag merchant vessel or vessels" shall
include persons employed in an unlicensed or licensed capacity aboard
dredges, tugboats, towboats and similar vessels used to tow, propel, or
push barges or other conveyances or
assist merchant vessels in docking or
undocking, or persons otherwise
employed in a contracted employer
unit represented by the Union.
Artlcle XIV
Amendments
This Constitution shall be amended in the following manner:
Section 1. Any full book member
may submit at any regular meeting of
any Port proposed amendments to
this Constitution in resolution form.
If a majority vote of the membership
of the Port approves it, the proposed
amendment shall be forwarded to all
Ports for further action.
Section 2. When a proposed
amendment is accepted by a majority
vote of the membership, it shall be
referred to a Constitutional Committee in the Port where Headquarters is located. This Committee
shall be composed of six (6) full book
members, two (2) from each department and shall be elected in accordance with such rules as are established by a majority vote of that Port.
The Committee will act on all proposed amendments referred to it. The
Committee may receive whatever
advice and assistance, legal or otherwise. it deems necessary. It shall prepare a report on the amendment
together with any proposed changes
or substitutions or recommendations
and the reasons for such recommendations. The latter shall then be submitted to the membership. If a majority vote of the membership approves
the amendment as recommended, it
shall then be voted upon in a yes or
no vote by the membership of the
Union by secret ballot in accordance
with the procedure directed by the
majority vote of the membership at
the time it gives the approval necessary to put the referendum to a vote.
The Union Tallying Committee shall
consist of six ( 6) full book members
two (2) from each of the three (3)
departments of the Union, elected
from Headquarters Port. The amendment shall either be printed on the
ballot, or if too lengthy, shall be
referred to on the ballot. Copies of
the amendment shall be posted on the
bulletin boards of all Ports and made
available at the voting site in all
Ports.
Section 3. If approved by a
majority of the valid ballots cast, the
amendment shall become effective
immediately upon notification by the
aforesaid Union Tallying Committee
to the Secretary-Treasurer that the
amendment has been so approved,
unless otherwise specified in the
amendment. The Secretary-Treasurer
shall immediately notify all Ports of
the results of the vote on the amendment.
EXHIBIT A
Minimal requirements to be contained in Constitution of subordinate
bodies and divisions chartered by or
affiliated with the
Seafarers
International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District.
All members shall have equal
rights and privileges, subject to reasonable rules and regulations. contained in this Constitution, including
secret election, freedom of speech,
the right to hold office and the right
of secret votes on assessment and
dues increases, all in accordance
with the law.
II
No member may be automatically
suspended from membership except
for non-payment of dues, and all
members shall be afforded a fair
hearing upon written charges, with a
reasonable time to prepare defense,
when accused of an offense under the
Constitution.
Ill
This Union is chartered by (and/or
affiliated with), the Seafarers
International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District, and this
Constitution and any amendments
thereto, shall not take effect unless
and until approved as set forth in the
Constitution of that Union.
IV
An object of this Union is, within
its reasonable capacity, to promote
the welfare of, and assist, the
Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District.
v
The charter (and/or affiliation)
relationship between this Union and
the Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District shall not
be dissolved so long as at least ten
(10) members of this Union, and the
Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District acting
through its Executive Board wish to
continue such relationship.
VI
No
amendment
to
this
Constitution shall be effective unless
and until approved by at least twothirds vote of the membership in a
secret referendum conducted for that
purpose. In any event, the adoption of
this Constitution and any amendments thereto, will not be effective
unless and until compliance with
Article II of the Constitution of the
Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District is first
made.
VII
The Seafarers International Union
of North America-Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District
shall have the right to check, inspect
and make copies of all the books and
records of this Union upon demand.
VIII
This Union shall not take any
action which will have the effect of
reducing its net assets, calculated
through recognized accounting procedures, below the amount of its
indebtedness to the Seafarers
International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District, unless
approved by that Union through its
Executive Board.
IX
So Long as there exists any indebtedness by this Union to the Seafarers
International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District, that Union
shall have the right to appoint a representative or representatives to this
Union who shall have the power to
attend all meetings of this Union or
its sub-divisions, or governing
boards, if any, and who shall have
access to all books and records of this
Union on demand. This representative, or these representatives, shall be
charged with the duty of assisting this
Union and its membership, and acting as a liaison between the Seafarers
International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District and this
Union.
X
So long as any unpaid per capita
tax, or any other indebtedness of any
sort is owed by this Union to the
Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District, such
indebtedness shall constitute a first
lien on the assets of this Union,
which lien shall not be impaired
without the written approval of the
Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District acting
through its Executive Board.
XI
The per capita tax payable by this
Union to the Seafarers International
Union of North America-Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District shall be that which is fixed in
accordance with the terms of the
Constitution of that Union.
XII
This Constitution and actions by
this Union pursuant thereto are subject to those provisions of the
Constitution of the Seafarers
International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District pertaining to
affiliation, disaffiliation, trusteeships,
and the granting and removal of charters.
XIII
This Union shall be affiliated with
the Seafarers International Union of
North America through the Seafarers
International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District. It shall share
in, and participate as part of the delegation of that District to the
Convention of the Seafarers
International Union of North
America in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the
Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District.
Seafarers LOii
25
.
�AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR CONGRESS
OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS
*'nle proposed changes from the present constitution have been highlighted to make comparisons between Ille two lllOl'e easily ldenlllled•
...
PREAMBLE
As maritime and allied workers
and realizing the value and necessity
of a thorough organization, we are
dedicated to the forming of one
Union for our people, the Seafarers
International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gult: Lakes and
Inland Waters District-NMU, based
-
upon the following principles:
All members shall be entitled to
all the rights, privileges and guarantees as set forth in this Constitution,
and such rights, privileges and guarantees shall be preserved in accordance with its terms.
We declare that American seamen
are entitled to receive their employment without interference of crimps,
shipowners, fink halls or any shipping bureaus maintained by the
Government.
We affirm that every worker has
the right to receive fair and just remuneration for his labor and gain sufficient leisure for mental cultivation
and physical recreation.
We proclaim the right of all seamen to receive healthful and sufficient food and proper forecastles in
which to rest.
We defend the
right of all seamen to be treated in a
decent and respectful manner by
those in command, and
We hold that the above rights
belong to all workers alike, irrespective of nationality or creed.
Recognizing the foregoing as our
inalienable rights, we are conscious
of corresponding duties to those in
command, our employers, our craft
and our country.
We will, therefore, try by all just
means to promote harmonious relations with those in command by exercising due care and diligence in the
performance of the duties of our profession and by giving all possible
assistance to our employers in caring
for their gear and property.
Based upon these principles, it is
among our objects: To use our influence individually and collectively for
the purpose of maintaining and
developing skill in seamanship and
effecting a change in the maritime
law of the United States so as to render it more equitable and to make it
an aid instead of a hindrance to the
development of a merchant marine
and a body of American seamen.
To support a journal which shall
voice the sentiments of maritime
workers and through its columns seek
to maintain their knowledge of, and
interest in, maritime affairs.
To assist the seamen of other
countries in the work of organization
and federation to the end of establishing the Brotherhood of the Sea.
To form and to assist by legal
means other bonafide labor organizations whenever possible in the attainment of their just demands.
To regulate our conduct as a
Union and as individuals so as to
make seamanship what it rightly is-
26 Sealal'fll'S LOS
an honorable and useful calling. And
bearing in mind that we are migratory, that our work takes us away in different directions from any place
where the majority might otherwise
meet to act, that meetings can be
attended by only a fraction of the
membership, that the absent members who cannot be present must
have their interests guarded from
what might be the results of excitement and passions aroused by persons or conditions, and that those
who are present may act for and in
the interest of all, we have adopted
this Constitution.
Statement of Principles and
Declaration of Rights
In order to form a more perfect
Union, we workers in the maritime
and allied industries, realizing the
value and necessity of uniting in pursuit of our improved economic and
social welfare, have determined to
bind ourselves together in the
Seafarers International Union of
North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District-NMU, and
hereby dedicate ourselves to the following principles:
In promoting our economic and
social welfare, we shall ever be
mindful, not only of our rights, but
also of our duties and obligations as
members of the community, our
duties as citizens, and our duty to
combat the menace of communism
and any other enemies of freedom
and the democratic principles to
which we seafaring men dedicate
ourselves in this Union.
We shall affiliate and work with
other free labor organizations; we
shall support a journal to give additional voice to our views; we shall
assist our brothers of the sea and
other workers of all countries in these
obligations to the fullest extent consistent with our duties, obligations
and law. We shall seek to exert our
individual and collective influence in
the fight for the enactment of labor
and other legislations and policies
which look to the attainment of a free
and happy society without distinction
based on race, creed or color.
To govern our conduct as a Union
and bearing in mind that most of our
members are migratory, that their
duties carry them all over the world,
that their rights must and shall be
protected, we hereby declare these
rights as members of the Union to be
inalienable.
No member shall be deprived of
any of the rights or privileges guaranteed him under the Constitution of
the Union.
II
Every qualified member shall
have the right to nominate himself
for, and, if elected, or appointed, to
hold office in this Union.
Ill
No member shall be deprived of
his membership without due process
of the law of this Union. No member
shall be compelled to be a witness
against himself in the trial of any proceeding in which he may be charged
with failure to observe the law of this
Union. Every official and jobholder
shall be bound to uphold and protect
the rights of every member in accordance with the principles set forth in
the Constitution of the Union.
IV
Every member shall have the right
to be confronted by his accuser
whenever he is charged with violating the law of this Union. In all such
cases, the accused shall be guaranteed a fair and speedy trial by an
impartial committee of his brother
Union members.
v
No member shall be denied the
right to express himself freely on the
floor of any Union meeting or in
committee.
VI
A militant membership being necessary to the security of a free union,
the members shall at all times stand
ready to defend this Union and the
principles set forth
in the
Constitution of the Union.
VII
The powers not delegated to the
officers, job holders, and Executive
Board by the Constitution of the
Union shall be reserved to the members.
CONSTITUTION
Article I
Name and General Powers
This Union shall be known as the
Seafarers International-.
Union. of
North America-Atlantic,·Gutt Lakes
and .Inland Waters District#NMU. Its
powers shall be legislative, judicial,
and executive, and shall include the
formation of, and/or issuance of charters to, subordinate bodies and divisions, corporate or otherwise, the formation of funds and participation in
funds, the establishment of enterprises for the benefit of the Union and
similar ventures. This Union shall
exercise all of its powers in aid of
subordinate bodies and divisions created or chartered by it. For convenience of administration and in furtherance of its policies of aid and
assistance, the Union may make its
property, facilities and personnel
available for the use and on behalf of
such subordinate bodies and divisions. A majority vote of the membership shall be authorization for any
Union action, unless otherwise specified in the Constitution or by law.
This Union shall at all times protect
and maintain its jurisdiction.
Article II
Affiliation
Section 1. This Union shall be
affiliated with the
Seafarers
International Union of North
America
and
the
American
Federation of Labor-Congress of
Industrial Organizations. All other
affiliations by the Union or its subordinate bodies or divisions shall be
made or withdrawn as determined by
a majority vote of the Executive
Board.
Section 2. In addition to such
other provisions as are contained
herein, all subordinate bodies and
divisions seeking a charter from
and/or affiliation with this Union,
shall be required to adopt, within a
time period set by the Executive
Board, a Constitution containing provisions as set forth in Exhibit A,
annexed to this Constitution and
made a part hereof. All other provisions adopted by such subordinate
bodies and divisions as part of their
Constitution shall not be inconsistent
therewith. No such Constitution or
amendments thereto shall be deemed
to be effective without the approval
of the Executive Board of this Union,
which shall be executed in writing,
on its behalf, by the President or, in
his absence, by any other officer designated by it. Such approval shall be
deemed to be recognition of compliance herewith by such subordinate
body or division.
Where a subordinate body or division violates any of the foregoing,
and, in particular, seeks to effectuate
any constitutional provision not so
authorized and approved, or commits
acts in violation of its approved constitution, or fails to act in accordance
therewith, this Union, through its
Executive Board, may withdraw its
charter and/or sever its affiliation
forthwith, or on such terms as it may
impose not inconsistent with law, in
addition to exercising any and all
rights it may have pursuant to any
applicable agreements or understandings.
Section 3. This Union shall also
have the power, acting through its
Executive Board, and after a fair
hearing, to impose a trusteeship upon
any subordinate body or divisions
chartered by an affiliated with it, for
the reasons and to the extent provided by law.
Article Ill
Membership
Section 1. There shall be two
classes of membership, to wit, full
book members and probationary
members. Candidates for membership shall be admitted to membership
in accordance with such rules as may
be adopted from time to time by a
majority vote of the membership and
which rules shall not be inconsistent
with the prov1s1ons of this
Constitution. All candidates with two
hundred and sixty (260) days or more
seatime in a consecutive twenty-four
(24) calendar month period commencing from January 1, 1968, in an
unlicensed capacity, aboard an
American-flag merchant vessel or
vessels, covered by contract with this
Union, shall be eligible for full membership. All persons with less than
the foregoing seatime but at least
thirty (30) days of such seatime, shall
be eligible for probationary membership. Only full book members shall
be entitled to vote and to bold any
office or elective job, except as otherwise specified herein. All probationary members shall have a voice in
Union proceedings and shall be entitled to vote on Union contracts.
Section 2. No candidate shall be
granted membership who is a member of any dual organization hostile
to the aims, principles and policies of
this Union.
The members, by majority vote,
shall at all times have the right to
determine the membership status of
pensioners.
Section 3. Members more than
one (1) quarter in arrears in dues shall
be automatically suspended and shall
forfeit all benefits and all other rights
and privileges in the Union. They
shall be automatically dismissed if
they are more than two (2) quarters in
arrears in dues. An arrearage in dues
shall be computed from the first day
of the applicable quarter, but this
time shall not run:
(a) While a member is actually
participating in a strike or lockout.
(b) While a member is an inpatient in an accredited hospital.
(c) While a member is under an
incapacity due to activity in behalf of
the Union.
(d) While a member is in the
armed services of the United States,
provided the member was in good
standing at the time of entry into the
armed forces, and further provided he
applies for reinstatement within ninety (90) days after discharge from the
armed forces.
(e) While a member has no
opportunity to pay dues because of
employment aboard an Americanflag merchant vessel. The provision
of this Sub-section (e) shall be inapplicable when such merchant vessel
is operating upon the Great Lakes or
upon the harbors, rivers or territorial
waters of the United States.
Section 4. A majority vote of
the membership shall be sufficient to
designate additional circumstances
during which the time specified in
Section 3 shall not run. It shall be the
right of any member to present, in
writing, to any Port at any regular
meeting any question with regard to
Continued on page 27
�Proposed Constitution - SIUllA - AGLIWD-llMU
Continued from page 26
the application of Section 3, in accordance with procedures established by
a majority vote of the membership. A
majority vote of the membership
shall be necessary to decide such
questions.
Section 5. The
membership
shall be empowered to establish,
from time to time, by majority vote,
rules under which dues and assessments may be excused where a member has been unable to pay dues and
assessments for the reasons provided
in Sections 3 and 4.
Section 6. To preserve unity,
and to promote the common welfare
of the membership, all members of
the Union shall uphold and defend
this Constitution and shall be governed by the provisions of this
Constitution and all policies, rulings,
orders and decisions duly made.
Section 7. Any member who
gives aid to the principles and policies of any hostile or dual organization shall be denied further membership in this Union to the full extent
permitted by law. A majority vote of
the membership shall decide which
organizations are dual or hostile.
Section 8. Evidence of membership or other affiliation with the
Union shall be in such form or forms
as determined by the Executive
Board and shall at all times remain
the property of the Union. Members
may be required to show their evidence of membership in order to be
admitted to Union meetings, or into,
or on Union property.
Article IV
Reinstatement
Members dismissed from the
Union may be reinstated in accordance with such rules and under such
conditions as are adopted, from time
to time, by a majority vote of the
membership.
Article V
Dues and Initiation Fee
Section 1. All members' dues
shall consist of:
(a) Dues annually in the sum of
~f(}ft#l)yq9t~d ~follars ($4-00.00) which
shall be paid in equal amounts on a
calendar year basis, no later than the
first business day of each calendar
quarter, and;
(b) A sum equal to five percent
(5%) of the gross amount received
for vacation benefits for days worked
for contracted employers. Dues
payable under this Sub-section (b)
shall be payable on the days that the
member receives payment for the
earned vacation benefits and shall
become effective as to members in
the manner designated and determined by a majority vote of the membership by secret ballot. When so
determined by the membership,
members in the employ of the Union,
its subdivisions and its affiliated
organizations, or in any employment
at the Union's direction as provided
for in Article XII, Section 1 (a) and
(c), shall pay in addition to that provided for in paragraph (a) immediately above the sum of one hundred dol:
!~$':($l00,00) quarterly on a calendar
year basis, no later than the first business day of each quarter while so
employed.
Section 2. No candidate for full
book membership shall be admitted
into such membership without having paid an initiation fee of six hundred dollars ($600.00), except as otherwise provided in this Constitution.
In addition, the candidate shall pay a
ten dollar ($10.00) "service fee" for
the issuance of his full book.
Each candidate for probationary
membership and each probationary
member shall, with the payment of
each of his first quarterly dues, as
required by Section 1, pay at each
such time the sum of one hundred
and fifty dollars ($150.00) as partial
initiation fee. The total of such initia-
October 2000
tion monies so paid shall be credited
to his above required initiation fee for
a full book member upon completion
of the required seatime as provided
for in Article III, Section 1.
Section 3. Payment of dues and
initiation fee may be waived for organizational purposes in accordance
with such rules as are adopted by a
majority vote of the Executive Board.
Section 4. All members shall be
and remain in good standing.
Article VI
Retirement from Membership
Section 1. Members may retire
from membership by surrendering
their Union books or other evidence
of affiliation and paying all unpaid
dues for the quarter in which they
retire, assessments, fines and other
monies due and owing the Union.
When the member surrenders his
book or other evidence of affiliation
in connection with his application for
retirement he shall be given a receipt
therefore. An official retirement card
shall be issued by Headquarters,
upon request, dated as of the day that
such member accomplishes these
payments and shall be given to the
member upon presenting the aforesaid receipt.
Section 2. All the rights, privileges, duties and obligations of membership shall be suspended during the
period of retirement, except that a
retired member shall not be disloyal
to the Union nor join or remain in any
dual or hostile organization, upon
penalty or forfeiture of his right to
reinstatement.
Section 3. Any person in retirement for a period of two (2) quarters
or more shall be restored to membership, except as herein indicated, by
paying dues for the current quarter, as
well as all assessment accruing and
newly levied during the period of
retirement. If the period of retirement
is less than two (2) quarters, the
required payment shall consist of all
dues accruing during the said period
of retirement, including those levied
during that period. Upon such payment, the person in retirement shall
be restored to membership, and his
membership book, appropriately
stamped, shall be returned to him.
Section 4. A member in retirement may be restored to membership
after a one (1) year period of retirement consisting of four (4) full quarters only by a majority vote of the
membership.
Section S. The period of retirement shall be computed from the first
day of the quarter following the one
in which the retirement card was
issued.
Section 6. No member may
retire his membership during the
period of a strike or lockout.
Article VII
Systems of Organization
Section 1. This Union and all
officers, Assistant Vice-Presidents,
Headquarters Representatives, Port
Agents, and members shall be governed in this order by:
(a) The Constitution
(b) The Executive Board
(c) Majority vote of the membership
Section 2. The Headquarters of
the Union shall be located in Camp
Springs, Maryland and Piney Point,
Maryland or at such places as the
Executive Board may determine from
time to time. The Headquarters officers shall consist of a President, an
Executive Vice-President, one ( 1)
Vice-President in
Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement,
a Secretary-Treasurer, one (1) VicePresident in Charge of the Atlantic
Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast, one (1)
Vice-President in Charge of the West
Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Southern Region,
Great Lakes and Inland Waters and
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries and two (2) VicePresidents at Large.
Section 3.
The staff of each
Port shall consist of such personnel
as is provided for herein and the Port
shall bear the name of the city in
which the Union's Port Offices are
located.
Article VIII
Officers, Assistant VicePresidents, Headquarters
Representatives and
Port Agents
Section 1. The officers of the
Union shall be elected as otherwise
provided in this Constitution. These
officers shall be the President, an
Executive Vice-President, one (1)
Vice-President in
Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement,
a Secretary-Treasurer, one (1) VicePresident in Charge of the Atlantic
Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast, one (1)
Vice-President in Charge of the West
Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Southern Region,
Great Lakes and Inland Waters, and
one ( 1) Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
~:~1:.~~1il~~~g}Jj){{~/i;iifiiii£i'.i
Section 2. Assistant
VicePresidents, Headquarters Representatives and Port Agents shall be
elected, except as otherwise provided
in this Constitution.
Article IX
Other Elective Jobs
Section 1. In addition to the
elective jobs provided for in Article
VIII, the following jobs in the Union
shall be voted upon in the manner
prescribed by this Constitution:
Committee members of:
( 1) Trial Committees
(2) Annual Financial Committees
(3) Appeals Committees
(4) Strike Committees
(5) Credentials Committees
(6) Union Tallying Committees
(7) Constitutional Committees
Section 2. Additional committees may be formed as provided by a
majority vote of the membership.
Committees may also be appointed as
permitted by this Constitution.
Article X
Duties of Officers, Assistant
Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents,
Other Elected Jobholders and
Mlscellaneous Personnel
Section 1. (a) The President
shall be the executive officer of the
Union and shall represent, and act for
and in behalf of the Union in all matters except as otherwise specifically
provided for in the Constitution.
(b) He shall be a member ex-officio of all committees, except as otherwise herein expressly provided.
(c) The President shall be in
charge of, and responsible for, all
Union property, and shall be in
charge of Headquarters and Port
offices. Wherever there are time
restrictions or other considerations
affecting Union action, the President
shall take appropriate action to insure
observance thereof.
(d) In order that he may properly
execute his responsibilities, he is
hereby instructed and authorized to
employ any help he deems necessary,
be it legal, accounting or otherwise.
(e) Subject to approval by a
majority vote of the membership and
the Executive Board, the President
shall designate the number and location of all Ports, the jurisdiction, status and activities thereof, and may
reduce and/or relocate such Ports,
and may reassign Vice-Presidents,
Assistant Vice-Presidents and the
Secretary-Treasurer without reduc-
tion in wages. He may also reassign
Headquarters Representatives and
Port Agents to other duties without
reduction in wages.
Where Ports are opened between
elections, the President shall designate the Union personnel thereof.
The President may designate, in
the event of the incapacity of any
Headquarters Representative or Port
Agent, or any officer other than the
President, a replacement to act as
such during the period of incapacity,
provided such replacement is qualified under Article XII of the
Constitution to fill such job.
At the regular meeting in May of
every election year, the President
shall submit to the membership a preballoting report. In his report he shall
recommend the number and location
of Ports and the number of
Headquarters Representatives and
Port Agents who are to be elected. He
shall also recommend a bank, a bonded warehouse, a regular office thereof, or any similar depository, to
which the ballots are to be mailed,
except that the President may, in his
discretion, postpone the recommendations as to the depository until no
later than the first regular meeting in
October.
The report shall be subject to
approval or modification by a majority vote of the membership.
(f) The President shall be chairman of the Executive Board and may
cast one ( 1) vote in that body.
(g) He shall be responsible, within the limits of his powers, for the
enforcement of this Constitution, the
policies of the Union, and all rules
and rulings adopted by the Executive
Board, and those duly adopted by a
majority vote of the membership.
Within these limits, he shall strive to
enhance the strength, position, and
prestige of the Union.
(h) The foregoing duties shall be
in addition to those other duties lawfully imposed upon him.
(i) The responsibility of the
President may not be delegated, but
the President may delegate to a person or persons the execution of such
of his duties as he may in his discretion decide, subject to the limitations
set forth in this Constitution.
(j) Any vacancy in any office or
the job of Assistant Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative or Port
Agent shall be filled by the President
by temporary appointment of a member qualified for the office or job
under Article XII of this Constitution
except in those cases where the filling of such vacancy is otherwise provided for by this Constitution
(k) The President is directed to
take any and all measures and
employ such means which he deems
necessary or advisable to protect the
interests and further the welfare of
the Union and its members in all matters involving national, state or local
legislation issues and public affairs.
(1) The President shall have the
authority to require any officer or
Union representative to attend any
regular or special meeting if, in his
opinion, it is deemed necessary.
Section 2 Executive
VicePresident.
The Executive Vice-President
shall perform any and all duties
assigned him or delegated to him by
the President. The Executive VicePresident shall be a member of the
Executive Board and may cast one
( 1) vote in that body.
Section 3. Vice-President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement.
The Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement
shall perform any and all duties
assigned him or delegated to him by
the President. In addition, he shall be
responsible for all contract negotiations, the formulation of bargaining
demands, and the submission of proposed collective bargaining agreements to the membership for ratification. He shall also be responsible,
except as otherwise provided in
Article X, Section 15(d) ( 1), for
strike authorization, signing of new
contracts and contract enforcement.
He shall also act for Headquarters in
executing the administrative functions assigned to Headquarters by
this Constitution with respect to trials
and appeals except if he is a witness
or party thereto, in which event the
Secretary-Treasurer shall act in his
place. In order that he may properly
execute these responsibilities he is
hereby instructed and authorized to
employ such help as he deems necessary, be it legal, or otherwise, subject
to approval of the Executive Board.
The Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement
shall be a member of the Executive
Board and may cast one (1) vote in
that body.
Section 4. Secretary-Treasurer.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall perform any and all duties assigned him
or delegated to him by the President.
He shall be responsible for the organization and maintenance of the correspondence, files, and records of the
Union; setting up, and maintenance
of, sound accounting and bookkeeping systems; the setting up, and maintenance of, proper office and other
administrative Union procedures; the
proper collection, safeguarding, and
expenditure of all Union funds, Port
or otherwise. He shall submit to the
membership, for each annual period,
a detailed report of the entire Union's
financial operations and shall submit
the Annual Financial Committee
report for the same period. The
Secretary-Treasurer's report shall be
prepared by an independent certified
public accountant. He shall also work
with all duly elected finance committees. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be
responsible for the timely filing of
any and all reports on the operations
of the Union, financial or otherwise,
that may be required by any Federal
or state laws. The SecretaryTreasurer with the approval of the
President shall employ a person who
by profession and/or employment
shall qualify to perform the functions
and duties of a Comptroller. Such
person shall be responsible for the
maintenance, safeguard and verification of the Union's financial affairs
and records under the supervision
and direction of the SecretaryTreasurer. The responsibility for such
functions shall be that of the
Secretary-Treasurer notwithstanding
the delegation to such Comptroller.
In order that he may properly execute
his responsibilities, he is hereby
instructed and authorized to employ
any help he deems necessary, be it
legal, accounting, or otherwise, subject to approval of the Executive
Board.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall be a
member of the Executive Board and
may cast one ( 1) vote in that body.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall be a
member ex-officio of the Credentials
and Union Tallying Committees. In
addition, he shall make himself and
the records of his office available to
the Annual Financial Committee.
Section 5. Vice-President
m
Charge of the Atlantic Coast.
The Vice-President in Charge of
the Atlantic Coast shall be a member
of the Executive Board and shall be
entitled to cast one (1) vote in that
body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all the Ports
and the personnel thereof on the
Atlantic Coast including their organizing activities. The Atlantic Coast
area is deemed to mean that area
from and including Georgia through
Maine and shall also include the
Islands in the Caribbean. In order that
he may properly execute his responsibilities he is empowered and authorized to retain any technical or professional assistance he deems necessary, subject to approval of the
Continued on page 28
Seafarers LOG
27
�Proposed Constitution- SIUNA - AGLIWD-NlfU
Continued from page 27
-
Executive Board.
m
Section 6. Vice-President
Charge of the Gulf Coast.
The Vice-President in Charge of
the Gulf Coast shall be a member of
the Executive Board and shall be
entitled to cast one (1) vote in that
body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all the Ports
and the personnel thereof on
the
Gulf Coast including their organizing
activities. The Gulf Coast area is
deemed to mean the State of Florida,
all through the Gulf, including Texas.
In order that he may properly execute his responsibilities he is empowered and authorized to retain any
technical or professional assistance
he deems necessary, subject to
approval of the Executive Board.
Section 7. Vice-President
m
Charge of the West Coast.
The Vice-President in Charge of
the West Coast shall be a member of
the Executive Board and shall be
entitled to cast one ( 1) vote in that
body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all the Ports
and the personnel thereof on the West
Coast including their organizing
activities. The West Coast area is
deemed to mean the States of
California, Oregon, Washington,
Alaska, and Hawaii.
In order that he may properly execute his responsibilities, he is
empowered and authorized to retain
any technical or professional assistance he deems necessary, subject to
the approval of the Executive Board.
Section 8. Vice-President
in
Charge of the Southern Region,
Great Lakes and Inland Waters.
The Vice-President in Charge of
the Southern Region, Great Lakes
and Inland Waters shall be a member
of the Executive Board and shall be
entitled to cast one (1) vote in that
body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of all the Ports
and the personnel thereof in the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and
Inland Waters including their organizing activities.
In order that he may properly execute his responsibilities, he is
empowered and authorized to retain
any technical or professional assistance he deems necessary, subject to
approval of the Executive Board.
Section 9. Vice-President
in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing Industries.
The Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries shall be a member of the
Executive Board and shall be entitled
to cast one (1) vote in that body.
He shall supervise and be responsible for the activities of the Union in
the representation of individuals
employed in fishing industries and
civilian seamen employed by the federal government
including but not
limited to the negotiation of the collective bargaining agreements, processing grievances and the administration of collective bargaining agreements and shall direct the activities of
the Union personnel assigned to him
by the President and carry out such
other functions as the President may
assign to him from time to time.
Seclion 10. Vfce--l>tesidents
at
Large. There shall be two (2) Vice-
Presid~µts at Large.·whose duties
sh~ll be as directed by the President
with concurrence of the Executive
Board.. $uch duties and responsibilities may be changed from time to
time in like manner, as dictated by
tlie needs of the Union.
· .Section 11. Assistant
VicePresidents.
There shall be six (6) Assistant
Vice-Presidents as follows: Assistant
Vice-President in
Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement;
Assistant Vice-President in Charge of
the Atlantic Coast; Assistant Vice
28
Seafarers LOG
President in Charge of the Gulf
Coast; Assistant Vice-President in
Charge of the West Coast; Assistant
Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and
Inland Waters; and Assistant VicePresident in Charge of Government
Services and Fishing Industries. Each
Assistant Vice-President shall work
with and under the direction of the
appropriate Vice-President. He shall
assist, as directed, in all activities of
the appropriate Vice-President and
shall be responsible to such VicePresident.
Secti-on 12. Headquarters Representatives.
The Headquarters Representatives shall perform any and all duties
assigned them or delegated to them
by the President or the Executive
Board.
Section 13. Port Agents.
(a) The Port Agent shall be in
direct charge of the administration of
Union affairs in the Port of his jurisdiction subject to the direction of the
Area Vice-President.
(b) He shall, within the jurisdiction of his Port, be responsible for the
enforcement and execution of the
Constitution, the policies of the
Union, and the rules adopted by the
Executive Board, and by a majority
vote of the membership. Wherever
there are time restrictions or other
considerations affecting Port action,
the Port Agent shall take appropriate
action to insure observance thereof.
(c) He shall be prepare to
account, financially or otherwise for
the activities of his Port, whenever
demanded by the President, the VicePresident of the area in which his
Port is located, or by the SecretaryTreasurer.
(d) In any event, he shall prepare
and forward to the SecretaryTreasurer a weekly financial report
showing, in detail, weekly income
and expenses and complying with all
other accounting directions issued by
the Secretary-Treasurer.
(e) The Port Agent shall designate
which members at the Port may serve
as representatives to other organizations, affiliation with which has been
properly authorized.
Section 14. Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall consist
of the President, the Executive VicePresident, the Vice- President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement,
the
SecretaryTreasurer, the Vice- President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast Area,
the Vice-President in Charge of the
Gulf Coast Area, the Vice-President
in Charge of the West Coast Area, the
Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and
Inland Waters, the Vice-President in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing Industries, the VicePresidents at Large and the National
Director (or chief executive officer)
of each subordinate body or division
created or chartered by the Union
whenever such subordinate body or
division has attained a membership
of 3,200 members and has maintained that membership for not less
than three (3) months. Such National
Director (or chief executive officer)
shall be a member of the respective
subordinate body or division and
must be qualified to hold office under
the terms of the Constitution of such
division or subordinate body.
The Executive Board shall meet
no less than twice each year and at
such times as the President and/or a
majority of the Executive Board may
direct. The President shall be chairman of all Executive Board meetings
unless absent, in which case the
Executive Board shall designate the
chairman. Each member of the
Executive Board shall be entitled to
cast one (1) vote in that body. Its
decision shall be determined by
majority vote of those voting, providing a quorum of three (3) is present.
It shall be the duty of the Executive
Board to develop policies, strategies
and rules which will advance and
protect the interests and welfare of
the Union and the members. It shall
be the duty of the SecretaryTreasurer or in his absence, an
appointee of the Executive Board, to
keep accurate minutes of all
Executive Board meetings. The
Executive Board shall determine per
capita tax to be levied and other
terms and conditions of affiliation for
any group of workers desiring affiliation. The Executive Board may direct
the administration of all Union
affairs, properties, policies and personnel in any and all areas not otherwise specifically provided for in this
Constitution. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Executive Board may
act without holding a formal meeting
provided all members are sent notice
of the proposed action or actions and
the decision thereon is reduced to
writing and signed by a majority of
the Executive Board.
In the event that death, resignation or removal from office for any
reason should occur to the President,
the Executive Board by majority vote
shall name a successor from its own
membership who shall fill that vacancy until the next general election.
In the event the President is incapacitated for a period of more than
thirty (30) days, and the Executive
Board by majority vote thereafter
determines that such incapacity prevent the President from carrying out
his duties, the Executive Board by
majority vote may appoint from
among its own membership the officer to fill the office of President. This
appointment shall terminate upon the
President's recovery from such incapacity or upon the expiration of the
President's term of office, whichever
occurs first.
The Executive Board by majority
vote may grant requests for leaves d
absence with or without pay to officers. In the event that a leave is granted to the President, the Executive
Board by a majority vote shall designate from among its own membership who shall exercise the duties of
the President during such period of
leave.
Notwithstanding the provision of
Section 1(j) of this Article X, the
Executive Board, by majority vote,
may determine not to fill any vacancy in any office or job for any part of
an unexR~;~ t.;rm.
S~.;~))jf.f~~ Delegates.
(a) The term "delegates" shall
mean those members of the Union
and its subordinate bodies or divisions who are elected in accordance
with the prov1s10ns of this
Constitution to attend the Convention
of the Seafarers International Union
of North America. The following
officers and jobholders, upon their
election to office or job shall, during
the term of their office or job be delegates to all Conventions of the
Seafarers International Union of
North America in the following order
of priority: President, Executive
Vice-President; Vice-President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement; Secretary-Treasurer;
Vice-President in Charge of the
Atlantic Coast; Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast; VicePresident in Charge of the West
Coast; Vice President in Charge of
the Southern Region, Great Lakes
and Inland Waters; Vice-President in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing Industries; Vi~e-Presidents at
Large; Assistant Vice-Presidents;
Headquarters Representatives, with
priority to those most senior in full
book Union membership; and Port
Agents, with priority to those most
senior in full book Union membership.
(b) Each delegate shall, by his
vote and otherwise, support those
polices agreed upon by the majority
of the delegates to the Convention.
( c) The President shall assign to
each subordinate body or division
that number of delegates to which
this Union would have been entitled,
if its membership had been increased
by the number of members of the
subordinate body or division, m
accordance with the formula set forth
in the Constitution of the Seafarers
International Union of North
America, except that this provision
shall not be applied so as to reduce
the number of delegates to which this
Union would otherwise had been
entitled.
Section 16. Committees.
(a) Trial Committee.
The Trial Committee shall conduct the trials of a person charged
and shall submit findings and recommendations as prescribed in this
Constitution. It shall be the special
obligation of the Trial Committee to
observe all the requirements of this
Constitution with regard to charges
and trials and their findings and recommendations must specifically state
whether or not, in the opinion of the
Trial Committee, the rights of any
accused, under this Constitution,
were properly safeguarded.
(b) Appeals Committee.
1. The Appeals Committee shall
hear all appeals from trial judgments,
in accordance with such procedures
as are set forth in this Constitution
and such rules as may be adopted by
a majority vote of the membership
not inconsistent therewith.
2. The Appeals Committee
shall, within not later than one (1)
week after the close of the ·said hearing, make and submit findings and
recommendations in accordance with
the provisions of this Constitution
and such rules as may be adopted by
a majority vote of the membership
not inconsistent therewith.
(c) Annual Financial Committee.
1. The
Annual
Financial
Committee shall make an examination for each annual period of the
finances of the Union and shall report
fully on their findings and recommendations. Members of this
Committee may make dissenting
reports, separate recommendations
and separate findings.
2. The findings and recommendations of this Committee shall be
completed within a reasonable time
and after the election of the members
thereof, and shall be submitted to the
Secretary-Treasurer who shall cause
the same to be read in all Ports, as set
forth herein.
3. All officers, Union personnel
and members are responsible for
complying with all demands made
for records, bills, vouchers, receipts,
etc., by the said Annual Financial
Committee. The Committee shall
also have available to it the services
of the independent certified public
accountants retained by the Union.
4. Any action on the said report
shall be as determined by a majority
vote of the membership.
5. The
Annual
Financial
Committee shall consist of seven (7)
full book members in good standing
to be elected at Headquarters. No
Officer, Headquarters Representative
or Port Agent shall be eligible for
election
to
this
Committee.
Committee members shall be elected
at the regular Headquarters' meeting
designated by the SecretaryTreasurer. In the event such regular
meeting cannot be held for lack of a
quorum, Headquarters' Port Agent
shall call a special meeting as early as
possible for the election of
Committee members to serve on the
Annual Financial Committee. On the
day following these elections and
continuing until the Committee has
completed its report, each Committee
member shall be paid for hours
worked at the existing AB Seaman
standby rate of pay, but in no event
shall they be paid less than eight (8)
hours per day. They shall be furnished room and board during the
period they are performing their
duties.
In the event a Committee member
ceases to act, no replacement need to
be elected unless there are less than
three (3) Committee members, in
which event they shall suspend their
work until a special election for
Committee members shall be held as
provided above for such number of
Committee members as shall be necessary to constitute a Committee of
not less than three (3) members in
good standing.
(d) Strike Committee.
1. In no event shall a general
strike take place unless approved by a
majority vote of the membership or
segment of the Union, whichever
applies.
2. In the event a general strike
has been approved by the membership the Port Agents in all affected
Ports shall call a timely special meeting for the purpose of electing a
Strike Committee. This Committee
shall be composed of three (3) full
book members and their duties shall
consist of assisting the Port Agent to
effectuate all strike policies and
strategies.
Article XI
Wages and Terms of Office of
Officers and Other Elective
Jobholders, Union Employees,
and Others
Section 1. The following elected officers and jobs shall be held for
a term of four (4) years; except the
term of officers and jobs elected in
balloting conducted in 197 5 shall be
for five (5) years:
President
Executive Vice-President
Secretary-Treasurer
Vice-Presidents
Assistant Vice-Presidents
Headquarters Representatives
Port Agents
The term of years set forth here is
expressly subject to the provisions
for assumption of office as contained
in Article XIII, Section 6(b) of this
Constitution.
Section 2. The term of any elective jobs other than those indicated in
Section 1 of this Article shall continue for so long as is necessary to complete the functions thereof, unless
sooner terminated by a majority vote
of the membership or segment of the
Union, whichever applies, whose
vote was originally necessary to elect
the one or ones serving.
Section 3. The compensation to
be paid the holder of any office or
other elective job shall be determined
from time to time by the Executive
Board subject to approval of the
membership.
Section 4. The foregoing provisions of this Article do not apply to
any corporation, business, or other
venture in which this Union participates, or which it organizes or creates. In such situations, instructions
conveyed by the Executive Board
shall be followed.
Article XII
Qualifications for Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents,
Headquarters Representatives,
Port Agents, and Other
Elective Jobs
Section 1. Any member of the
Union is eligible to be a candidate
for, and hold, any office or the job of
Assistant
Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent provided:
(a) He has at least three (3) years
of seatime in an unlicensed capacity
aboard an American-flag merchant
vessel or vessels. In computing time,
time spent in the employ of the
Union, its subsidiaries and its affiliates, or in any employment at the
Continued on page 29
October 2000
�Proposed Constitution - SIUNA - AGLIWD-NllU
Continued from page 28
Union's direction, shall count the
same as seatime. Union records,
Welfare Plan records and/or company
records can be used to determine eligibility; and
(b) He has been a full book member in continuous good standing in
the Union for at least three (3) years
immediately prior to his nomination;
and
(c) He has at least one hundred
(100) days of seatime, in an unlicensed
capacity,
aboard
an
American-flag vessel or vessels covered by contract with this Union or
one hundred (100) days of employment with, or in any office or job of,
the Union, its subsidiaries and its
affiliates, or in any employment at
the Union's direction or a combination of these, between January 1 and
the time of nomination in the election
year, except if such seatime is wholly
aboard such merchant vessels operating solely upon the Great Lakes or, if
such seatime is wholly aboard tugboats, towboats or dredges and contractual employment thereon is for
fixed days with equal amount of days
off, he shall have at least sixty five
(65) days of such seatirne instead of
the foregoing one hundred ( 100)
days; and
(d) He is a citizen of the United
States of America; and
(e) He is not disqualified by law.
He is not receiving a pension from
this Union's Pension Fund, if any, or
from a Union-Management Fund to
which Fund this Union is a party or
from a company under contract with
this Union.
(f) He has not sailed in a licensed
capacity aboard an American flag
merchant vessel or vessels within
twenty four (24) consecutive months
immediately prior to the opening of
nominations.
Section 2. All candidates for,
and holders of, other elective jobs not
specified in the preceding sections
shall be full book members of the
Union.
Section 3. All candidates for,
and holders of elective offices and
jobs, whether elected or appointed in
accordance with this Constitution,
shall maintain full book memberships in good standing.
Article XIII
Elections for Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents,
Headquarters Representatives,
and Port Agents
Section 1. Nominations.
Except as provided in Section
2(b) of this Article, any full book
member may submit his name for
nomination for any office, or the job
of Assistant Vice-President, Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent, by delivering or causing to be
delivered in person, to the office of
the Secretary-Treasurer at Headquarters, or sending a letter addressed
to the Credentials Committee, in care
of the Secretary-Treasurer at the
address of Headquarters. This letter
shall be dated and shall contain the
following:
(a) The name of the candidate.
(b) His home address and mailing
address.
(c) His book number.
(d) The title of the office or other job
for which he is a candidate,
including the name of the Port in
the event the position sought is
that of Port Agent.
(e) Proof of citizenship.
(f) Proof of seatime and/or employment as required for candidates.
(g) In the event the member is on a
vessel, he shall notify the
Credentials Committee what
vessel he is on. This shall be
done also if he ships subsequent
October 2000
to forwarding his credentials.
(h) Annexing a certificate in the following form, signed and dated
by the proposed nominee:
"I hereby certify that I am not
now, nor, for the five (5) years last
past, have I been either a member of
the Communist Party or convicted of,
or served any part of a prison term
resulting from conviction of robbery,
bribery, extortion, embezzlement,
grand larceny, burglary, arson, violation of narcotics laws, murder, rape,
assault with intent to kill, assault
which inflicts grievous bodily injury,
or violation of Title II or III of the
Landrum Griffin Act, or conspiracy
to commit any such crimes."
Dated ............................................... .
Signature of Member. ...................... .
Book No ................. ... ...................... .
Printed forms of the certificate
shall be made available to nominees.
Where a nominee cannot truthfully
execute such a certificate, but is, in
fact, legally eligible for an office or
job by reason of the restoration of
civil rights originally revoked by
such conviction or a favorable determination by the Board of Parole of
the United States Department of
Justice, he shall, in lieu of the foregoing certificate, furnish a complete
signed statement of the facts of his
case together with true copies of the
documents supporting his statement.
Any full book member may nominate any other full book member in
which event such full book member
so nominated shall comply with the
provisions of this Article as they are
set forth herein relating to the submission of credentials. By reason of
the above self nomination provision
the responsibility, if any, for notifying a nominee of his nomination to
office shall be that of the nominator.
All documents required herein
must reach Headquarters no earlier
than July 15 and no later than August
15 of the election year.
The
Secretary-Treasurer
is
charged with safekeeping of these
letters and shall turn them over to the
Credentials Committee upon the latter 's request.
Section 2. Credentials Committee
(a) A Credentials Committee shall
be elected at the regular meeting in
August of the election year at the Port
where Headquarters is located. It
shall consist of six (6) full book
members in attendance at the meeting
with two (2) members to be elected
from each of the Deck, Engine and
Steward Departments. No officer,
Assistant Vice-President, Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent, or candidate for office of the
job of Assistant Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent, shall be eligible for election to
this Committee except as provided
for in Article X, Section 4. In the
event any Committee member is
unable to serve, the Committee shall
suspend until the President or
Executive Vice-President or the
Secretary-Treasurer, in that order,
calls a special meeting at the Port
where Headquarters is located in
order to elect a replacement. The
Committee's results shall be by
majority vote with any tie vote being
resolved by a majority of the membership at a special meeting called for
that purpose at that Port.
(b) After its election, the
Committee shall immediately go into
session. It shall determine whether
the person has submitted his application correctly and possesses the necessary qualifications. The Committee
shall prepare a report listing each
applicant and his book number under
the office or job he is seeking. Each
applicant shall be marked "qualified"
or "disqualified" according to the
findings of the Committee. Where an
applicant has been marked "disquali-
fied," the reason therefore must be
stated in the report. Where a tie vote
has been resolved by a special meeting of the membership, that fact shall
also be noted with sufficient detail.
The report shall be signed by all of
the Committee members and be completed and submitted to the Ports in
time for the next regular meeting
after their election. At this meeting, it
shall be read and incorporated in the
minutes and then posted on the bulletin board in each Port.
On the last day of nominations,
one (I) member of the Committee
shall stand by in Headquarters to
accept delivery of credentials. All
credentials must be in Headquarters
by midnight of closing day.
(c) When an applicant has been
disqualified by the Committee, he
shall be notified immediately by
telegram at the address listed by him
pursuant to Section I of this Article.
He shall also be sent a letter containing their reasons for such disqualification by airmail, special delivery,
registered or certified, to the mailing
address designated pursuant to
Section 1(b) of this Article. A disqualified applicant shall have the
right to take an appeal to the membership from the decision of the
Committee. He shall forward copies
of such appeal to each Port where the
appeal shall be presented and voted
upon at a regular meeting no later
than the second meeting after the
Committee's election. It is the
responsibility of the applicant to
insure timely delivery of his appeal.
In any event, without prejudice to his
written appeal, the applicant may
appear in person before the
Committee within two (2) days after
the day on which the telegram is sent
to correct his application or argue for
his qualification.
The Committee's report shall be
prepared early enough to allow the
applicant to appear before it within
the time set forth in this Constitution
and still reach the Ports in time for
the first regular meeting after its election.
(d) A majority vote of the membership shall, in the case of such
appeals, be sufficient to overrule any
disqualification by the Credentials
Committee in which event the one so
previously classified shall then be
deemed qualified.
(e) The Credentials Committee,
in passing upon the qualifications of
candidates, shall have the right to
conclusively presume that anyone
nominated and qualified in previous
elections for candidacy for any
office, or the job of Assistant VicePresident, Headquarters Representative or Port Agent has met all
the requirements of Section l(a) of
Article XII.
Section 3. Balloting Procedures.
(a) Balloting in the manner hereafter provided shall commence on
November I st of the election year
and shall continue through December
31st, exclusive of Sundays and (for
each individual Port) holidays legally
recognized in the City of which the
Port affected is located. If November
1st and December 3 lst falls on a holiday legally recognized in a Port in
the City in which that Port is located,
the balloting period in such Port shall
commence or terminate, as the case
may be, on the next succeeding business day. Subject to the foregoing, for
the purpose of full book members
securing their ballots, the Ports shall
be open from 9:00 A.M. to 12 Noon,
Monday through Saturday, excluding
holidays.
(b) Balloting shall be by mail.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall insure
the proper and timely preparation of
ballots without partiality as to candidates or Ports. The ballots may contain general information and instructive comments not inconsistent with
the provisions of this Constitution.
All qualified candidates shall be listed thereon alphabetically within each
category with book number and job
seniority classification status.
The listing of the Ports shall first
set forth Headquarters and then shall
follow a geographical pattern commencing with the most northerly Port
of the Atlantic Coast, following the
Atlantic Coast down to the most
southerly Port on that coast, then
westerly along the Gulf of Mexico
and so on, until the list of Ports is
exhausted. Any Port outside the
Continental United States shall then
be added. There shall be no write-in
voting and no provisions for the same
shall appear on the ballot. Each ballot
shall be so prepared as to have the
number thereon place at the top
thereof and shall be so perforated as
to enable that portion containing the
said number to be easily removed to
insure secrecy of the ballot. On this
removable portion shall also be
placed a short statement indicating
the nature of the ballot and the voting
date thereof.
(c) The ballots so prepared at the
direction of the Secretary-Treasurer
shall be the only official ballots. No
others may be used. Each ballot shall
be numbered as indicated in the preceding paragraphs and shall be numbered consecutively, commencing
with number 1. A sufficient amount
shall be printed and distributed to
each Port. A record of the ballots,
both by serial numbers and amount,
sent thereto, shall be maintained by
the Secretary-Treasurer who shall
also send each Port Agent a verification list indicating the amount and
serial numbers of the ballots sent.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall also
send to each Port Agent a sufficient
amount of blank opaque envelopes
containing the word, "Ballot" on the
face of the envelope, as well as a sufficient amount of opaque mailing
envelopes, first class postage prepaid
and printed on the face thereon as the
addressee shall be the name and
address of the depository for the
receipt of such ballots as designated
by the President in the manner provided by Article X, Section 1, of this
Constitution. In the upper left-hand
corner of such mailing envelope,
there shall be printed thereon, as a top
line, provision for the voter's signature and on another line immediately
thereunder, provision for the printing
of the voter's name and book number.
In addition, the Secretary-Treasurer
shall also send a sufficient amount of
mailing envelopes identical with the
mailing envelopes mentioned above,
except that they shall be of different
color, and shall contain on the face of
such envelope, in bold letters, the
word, "Challenge." The SecretaryTreasurer shall further furnish a sufficient amount of "Roster Sheets"
which shall have printed thereon, at
the top thereof, the year of the election, and immediately thereunder,
five (5) vertical columns designated
date, ballot number, signature full
book member's name, book number
and comments, and such roster sheets
shall contain horizontal lines immediately under the captions of each of
the above five (5) columns. The
Secretary-Treasurer shall also send a
sufficient amount of envelopes with
the printed name and address of the
depository on the face thereof, and in
the upper left-hand comer, the name
of the Port and address, and on the
face of such envelope, should be
printed the words, "Roster Sheets and
Ballot Stubs". Each Port Agent shall
maintain separate records of the ballots sent him and shall inspect and
count the ballots when received to
insure that the amount sent, as well as
the number thereon, conform to the
amount and numbers listed by the
Secretary-Treasurer as having been
sent to that Port. The Port Agent shall
immediately execute and return to the
Secretary-Treasurer
a
receipt
acknowledging the correctness of the
amount and the numbers of the ballots sent, or shall notify the
Secretary-Treasurer of any discrepancy. Discrepancies shall be corrected as soon as possible prior to the
voting period. In any event, receipts
shall be forwarded for all the aforementioned election material actually
received. The Secretary-Treasurer
shall prepare a file in which shall be
kept memoranda and correspondence
dealing with the election. This file
shall at all times be available to any
member asking for inspection of the
same at the office of the SecretaryTreasurer and shall be turned over to
the Union Tallying Committee.
( d) Balloting shall be secret.
Only full book members in good
standing may vote. Each full book
member may secure his ballot at Port
offices from the Port Agent or his
duly designated representative at
such Port. Each Port Agent shall designate an area at the Port office over
which should be posted the legend
"Voting Ballots Secured Here."
When a full book member appears to
vote he shall present his book to the
Port Agent or his aforementioned
duly designated representative. The
Port Agent or his duly designated
representative shall insert on the roster sheet under the appropriate column the date, the number of the ballot given to such member and his full
book number, and the member shall
then sign his name on such roster
sheet under the appropriate column.
Such member shall have his book
stamped with the word, "Voted" and
the date, and shall be given a ballot,
and simultaneously the perforation
on the top of the ballot shall be
removed. At the same time the member shall be given the envelope
marked "Ballot" together with the
prepaid postage-mailing envelope
addressed to the depository. The
member shall take such ballot and
envelopes and in secret thereafter,
mark his ballot, fold the same, insert
it in the blank envelope marked
"Ballot", seal the same, then insert
such "Ballot" envelope into the mailing envelope, seal such mailing envelope, sign his name on the upper lefthand comer on the first line of such
mailing envelope and on the second
line in the upper left-hand comer
print his name and book number,
after which he shall mail or cause the
same to be mailed. ln the event a full
book member appears to vote and is
not in good standing or does not have
his membership book with him or it
appears for other valid reasons he is
not eligible to vote, the same procedure as provided above shall apply to
him, except that on the roster sheet
under the column "Comments'', notation should be made that the member
voted a c~allenged ballot and the reason for his challenge. Such member's
membership book shall be stamped
"Voted Challenge", and the date, and
such member instead of the abovementioned mailing envelope, shall be
given the mailing envelope of a different color marked on the face thereof with the word, "Challenge". At the
end of each day, the Port Agent or his
duly designated representative shall
enclose in the envelope addressed to
the depository and marked "Roster
Sheets and Ballots Stubs", the roster
sheet or sheets executed by the members that day together with the numbered perforated slips removed from
the ballots which had been given to
the members, and then mail the same
to such depository. To insure that an
adequate supply of all balloting material is maintained in all Ports at all
times, the Port Agent or his duly designated representative, simultaneously with mailing of the roster sheets
and ballot stubs to the depository at
the end of each day, shall also make a
copy of the roster sheet for that day
and mail the same to the SecretaryTreasurer at Headquarters. The Port
Agent shall be responsible for the
proper safeguarding of all election
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�Proposed Constitution- SIUNA - AGLIWD-NMU
Continued from page 29
material and shall not release any of
it until duly called for and shall
insure that no one tampers with the
material placed in his custody.
(e) Full book members may
request and vote an absentee ballot
under the following circumstances:
while such member is employed on a
Union contracted vessel and which
vessel's schedule does not provide
for it to be at a Port in which a ballot
can be secured during the time and
period provided for in Section 3(a) of
this Article or is in an accredited hospital any time during the first ten (10)
days of the month of November of
the election year. The member shall
make a request for an absentee ballot
by registered or certified mail or the
equivalent mailing device at the location from which such request is
made, if such be the case. Such
request shall contain a designation as
to the address to which such member
wishes his absentee ballot returned.
The request shall be postmarked no
later than 12:00 P.M. on the 15th day
of November of the election year,
shall be directed to the SecretaryTreasurer at Headquarters and must
be delivered no later than the 25th of
such November. The SecretaryTreasurer shall determine whether
such member is eligible to vote such
absentee ballot. The SecretaryTreasurer, if he determines that such
member is so eligible, shall by the
30th of such November, send by registered mail, return receipt requested,
to the address so designated by such
member, a "Ballot", after removing
the perforated numbered stub, together with the hereinbefore mentioned
"Ballot" envelope, and mailing envelope addressed to the depository,
except that printed on the face of
such mailing envelope shall be the
words "Absentee Ballot" and appropriate voting instructions shall
accompany such mailing to the member. If the Secretary-Treasurer determines that such member is ineligible
to receive such absentee ballot, he
shall nevertheless send such member
the aforementioned ballot with
accompanying material except that
the mailing envelope addressed to the
depository shall have printed on the
face thereof the words "Challenged
Absentee Ballot." The SecretaryTreasurer shall keep records of all of
the foregoing, including the reasons
for determining such member's ineligibility, which records shall be open
for inspection by full book members
and upon the convening of the Union
Tallying Committee, presented to
them. The Secretary-Treasurer shall
send to all Ports the names and book
numbers of the members to whom
absentee ballots were sent.
(f) All ballots to be counted must
be received by the depository no later
than the January 5th immediately
subsequent to the election year and
must be postmarked no later than 12
midnight December 31st of the election year.
Section 4. (a) At the close of the
last day of the period for securing
ballots, the Port Agent in each Port,
in addition to his duties set forth
above, shall deliver or mail to
Headquarters by registered or certified mail, attention Union Tallying
Committee, all unused ballots and
shall specifically set forth by serial
number and amount the unused ballots so forwarded.
(b) The Union Tallying Committee shall consist of twenty (20)
full book members. Two (2) shall be
elected from each of the ten (10)
Ports of New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Mobile, New Orleans,
Houston, Detroit-Algonac, San
Francisco, St. Louis and Piney Point.
The election shall be held at the regular meeting in December of the election year or, if the Executive Board
otherwise determines prior thereto, at
a special meeting held in the aforesaid Ports, on the first business day of
30
Seafarers LOB
the last week of said month. No officer,
Assistant
Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative, Port
Agent, or candidate for office, or the
job of Assistant Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative, or Port
Agent shall be eligible for election to
this Committee except as provided
for in Article X, Section 4. In addition to the duties herein set forth, the
Union Tallying Committee shall be
charged with the tallying of all the
ballots and the preparation of a closing report setting forth, in complete
detail, the results of the election,
including a complete accounting of
all ballots and stubs, and reconciliation of the same with the rosters and
receipts of the Port Agents, all with
detailed reference to serial numbers
and amount and with each total broken down into Port totals. The Union
Tallying Committee shall have access
to all election records and files for
their inspection, examination and
verification. The report shall clearly
detail all discrepancies discovered
and shall contain recommendations
for the treatment of these discrepancies. All members of the Committee
shall sign the report, without prejudice, however, to the right of any
member thereof to submit a dissenting report as to the accuracy of the
count and the validity of the ballots,
with pertinent details.
In connection with the tally of
ballots there shall be no counting of
ballots until all mailing envelopes
containing valid ballots have first
been opened, the ballot envelopes
removed intact and then all of such
ballot envelopes mixed together, after
which such ballot envelopes shall be
opened and counted in such multiples
as the Committee may deem expedient and manageable. The Committee
shall resolve all issues on challenged
ballots and then tally those found
valid utilizing the same procedure as
provided in the preceding sentence
either jointly or separately.
(c) The members of the Union
Tallying Committee shall, after their
election, proceed to the Port in which
Headquarters is located, to arrive at
that Port no later than January 5th of
the year immediately after the election year. Each member of the
Committee not elected from the Port
in which Headquarters is located shall
be reimbursed for transportation,
meals, and lodging expenses occasioned by their traveling to and
returning from that Port. Committee
members elected from the Port in
which Headquarters is located shall
be similarly reimbursed, except for
transportation. All members of the
Committee shall also be paid at the
prevailing standby rate of pay from
the day subsequent to their election to
the day they return, in normal course,
to the Port from which they were
elected.
The Union Tallying Committee
shall elect a chairman from among
themselves and, subject to the
express terms of this Constitution,
adopt its own procedures. All decisions of such Committee and the contents of their report shall be valid if
made by a majority vote, provided
there be a quorum in attendance,
which quorum is hereby fixed at ten
(10). The Committee, but not less
than a quorum thereof, shall have the
sole right and duty to obtain all
mailed ballots and the other mailed
election material from the depository
and to insure their safe custody during the course of the Committee's
proceedings. The proceedings of the
Committee, except for their organizational meeting and their actual preparation of the closing report and dissent therefrom, if any, shall be open
to any member provided he observes
decorum. Any candidate may act as
an observer and/or designate another
member to act as his observer at the
counting of the ballots. In no event
shall issuance of the above referred to
closing report of the Committee be
delayed beyond January 31st imme-
diately subsequent to the close of the
election year. In the discharge of its
duties, the Committee may call upon
and utilize the services of clerical
employees of the Union. The
Committee shall be discharged upon
the completion of the issuance and
dispatch of its report as required in
this Article. In the event a recheck
and recount is ordered pursuant to
this Article, the Committee shall be
reconstituted, except that if any
member thereof is not available, a
substitute therefore shall be elected
from the appropriate Port at a special
meeting held for that purpose as soon
as possible
(d) The report of the committee
shall be made up in sufficient copies
to comply with the following requirements: two (2) copies shall be mailed
by the Committee to each Port Agent
and the Secretary-Treasurer no later
than January 31st immediately subsequent to the close of the election year.
As soon a these copies are received,
each Port Agent shall post one (1)
copy of the report on the bulletin
board in a conspicuous manner and
notify the Secretary-Treasurer, in
writing, as to the date of such posting. This copy shall be kept posted
until after the Election Report
Meeting which shall be the March
regular membership meeting immediately following the close of the
election year. At the Election Report
Meeting, the other copy of the report
shall be read verbatim.
(e) Any full book member claiming a violation of the election and
balloting procedure or the conduct of
the same, shall within seventy two
(72) hours of the occurrence of the
claimed violation notify the
Secretary-Treasurer at Headquarters,
in writing by certified mail, of the
same, setting forth his name, book
number and the details so that appropriate corrective action, if warranted,
may be taken. The SecretaryTreasurer shall expeditiously investigate the facts concerning the claimed
violation, take such action as may be
necessary, if any, and make a report
and recommendation, if necessary, a
copy of which shall be sent to the
member and the original shall be
filed for the Union Tallying
Committee for their appropriate
action, report and recommendation, if
any. The foregoing shall not be
applicable to matters involving the
Credentials Committee's action or
report, the provisions of Article XIII,
Sections I and 2 being the pertinent
provisions applicable to such matters.
All protests as to any and all
aspects of the election and balloting
procedures or the conduct of the
same not passed upon by the Union
Tallying Committee in its report,
excluding therefrom matters involving the Credentials Committee's
action or report as provided in the last
sentence of the immediately preceding paragraph, but including the procedure and report of the Union
Tallying Committee, shall be filed in
writing by certified mail with the
Secretary-Treasurer at Headquarters
to be received no later than the
February 25th immediately subsequent to the close of the election year.
It shall be the responsibility of the
member to insure that his written
protest is received by the SecretaryTreasurer no later than such February
25th. The Secretary-Treasurer shall
forward copies of such written
protest to all Ports in sufficient time
to be read at the Election Report
Meeting. The written protest shall
contain the full book member's
name, book number, and all details
constituting the protest.
(f) At the Election Report
Meeting the report and recommendation of the Union Tallying
Committee, including but not limited
to discrepancies, protests passed
upon by them, as well as protests
filed with the Secretary-Treasurer as
provided for in Section (e) immediately above shall be acted upon by
the meeting. A majority vote of the
membership shall decide what action,
if any, in accordance with the
Constitution shall be taken thereon,
which action, however, shall not
include the ordering of a special vote,
unless reported discrepancies or
protested procedure or conduct found
to have occurred and to be violative
of the Constitution affected the
results of the vote for any office or
job, in which event the special vote
shall be restricted to such office,
offices and/or job or jobs, as the case
may be. A majority of the membership at the Election Report Meetings
may order a recheck and recount
when a dissent to the closing report
has been issued by three (3) or more
members of the Union Tallying
Committee. Except for the contingencies provided for in this Section
4(f), the closing report shall be
accepted as final. There shall be no
further protest or appeal from the
action of the majority of the membership at the Election Report Meetings.
(g) Any special vote ordered pursuant to Section 4( f) shall be commenced within ninety (90) days after
the first day of the month immediately subsequent to the Election Report
Meetings mentioned above. The
depository shall be the same as designated for the election from which the
special vote is ordered. And the procedures shall be the same as provided
for in Section 3, except where specific dates are provided for, the days
shall be the dates applicable which
provide for the identical time and
days originally provided for in
Section 3. The Election Report
Meeting for the aforesaid special vote
shall be that meeting immediately
subsequent to the report of the Union
Tallying Committee separated by one
(1) calendar month.
Section S. Elected Officers and
Jobholders.
A candidate unopposed for any
office or job shall be deemed elected
to such office or job notwithstanding
that his name may appear on the ballot. The Union Tallying Committee
shall not be required to tally completely the results of the voting for
such unopposed candidate but shall
certify in their report that such unopposed candidate has been elected to
such office or job. The Election
Report Meeting shall accept the
above certification of the Union
Tallying Committee without change.
Section 6. Installation into Office
and the Job of Assistant VicePresident, Headquarters Representative or Port Agent.
(a) The person elected shall be
that person having the largest number
of votes cast for the particular office
or job involved. Where more than
one ( 1) person is to be elected for a
particular office or job, the proper
number of candidates receiving the
successively highest number of votes
shall be declared elected. These
determinations shall be made only
from the results deemed final and
accepted as provided in this Article.
It shall be the duty of the President to
notify each individual elected.
(b) The duly elected officers and
other job holders shall take over their
respective offices and jobs and
assume the duties thereof at midnight
of the night of the Election Report
Meeting, or the next regular meeting,
depending upon which meeting the
results as to each of the foregoing are
deemed final and accepted, as provided in this Article. The term of
their predecessors shall continue up
to, and expire at that time, not withstanding anything to the contrary
contained in Article XI, Section 1.
This shall not apply where the successful candidate cannot assume his
office because he is at sea.
In such event, a majority vote of
the membership may grant additional
time for the assumption of the office
or job. In the event of the failure of
the newly-elected President to
assume office the provisions of
Article X, Section 12 shall apply
until the expiration of the term. All
other cases of failure to assume office
shall be dealt with as decided by a
majority vote of the membership.
Section 7. The Secretary-Treasurer is specifically charged with the
preservation and retention of all election records, including the ballots, as
required by law, and is directed and
authorized to issue such other and
further directives as to the election
procedures as are required by law,
which directives shall be part of the
election procedures of this Union.
Article XIV
Other Elections
Section 1. Trial Committee
A Trial Committee shall be elected at a special meeting, held at 10:00
A.M. the next business day following
the regular meeting of the Port where
the trial is to take place. It shall consist of five (5) full book members,
three (3) of which shall constitute a
quorum. No officer, Assistant VicePresident, Headquarters Representative, Port Agent or other Union
personnel may be elected to serve on
a Trial Committee. No member who
intends to be a witness in the pending
trial may serve, nor may any member
who cannot for any reason, render an
honest decision. It shall be the duty
of every member to decline nomination if he knows, or has reason to
believe, any of the foregoing disqualifications apply to him. The members of this Committee shall be elected under such generally applicable
rules as are adopted by a majority
vote of the membership.
Section 2. Appeals Committee.
The Appeals Committee shall
consist of seven (7) full book members, five (5) of whom shall constitute a quorum, elected at the Port
where Headquarters is located. The
same disqualifications and duties of
members shall apply with regard to
this Committee as apply to the Trial
Committee. In addition, no member
may serve on an Appeals Committee
in the hearing of an appeal from a
Trial Committee decision if the said
member was a member of the Trial
Committee.
ArtlcleD
Trials and Appeals
Section 1. Any member may
bring charges against any other member for the commission of an offense
as set forth in this Constitution.
These charges shall be in writing and
signed by the accuser who shall also
include his book number. The
accuser shall deliver these charges to
the Port Agent of the Port nearest the
place of the offense, or the Port of
pay-off, if the offense took place
aboard ship. He shall also request the
Port Agent to present these charges at
the next regular meeting. The accuser
may withdraw his charges before the
meeting takes place.
Section 2. After presentation of
the charges and the request to the
Port Agent, the Port Agent shall
cause those charges to be read at the
said meeting.
If the charges are rejected by a
majority vote of the Port, no further
action may be taken thereon, unless
ruled otherwise by a majority vote of
the membership of the Union within
ninety (90) days thereafter. If the
charges are accepted, and the accused
is present, he shall be automatically
on notice that he will be tried the following morning. At his request, the
trial shall be postponed until the
morning following the next regular
meeting at which time the Trial
Committee will then be elected. He
shall also be handed a written copy of
the charges made against him.
If the accused is not present, the
Port Agent shall immediately cause
to be sent to him, by registered mail
Continued on page 31
October 2000
�Proposed Constitution - SIUllA - AGLIWD-llMU
Continued from page 30
addressed to his last known mailing
address on file with the Union, a
copy of the charges, the names and
book numbers of the accusers, and a
notification that he must appear with
his witnesses ready for trial the
morning after the next regular meeting, at which meeting the Trial
Committee will be elected.
In the event a majority of the
membership of the Union shall vote
to accept charges after their rejection
by a Port, the trial shall take place in
the Port where Headquarters is located. Due notice thereof shall be given
to the accused who shall be informed
of the name of his accusers and who
shall receive a written statement of
the charges. At the request of the
accused, transportation and subsistence shall be provided the accused
and his witnesses.
Section 3. The Trial Committee
shall hear all pertinent evidence and
shall not be bound by the rules of evidence required by courts of law but
may receive all relevant testimony.
The Trial Committee may grant
adjournments, at the request of the
accused, to enable him to make a
proper defense. In the event the Trial
Committee falls beneath the quorum,
it shall adjourn until a quorum does
exist.
Section 4. No trial shall be conducted unless all the accusers are present. The Trial Committee shall conduct the trial except that the accused
shall have the right to cross-examine
the accuser, or accusers and the witnesses, as well as to conduct his own
defense. The accused may select any
member to assist him in his defense
at the trial, provided (a) the said
member is available at the time of the
·al, and (b) the said member agrees
to render such assistance. If the
accused challenges the qualifications
of the members o{ the Trial
Committee, or states that the charges
do not adequately inform him of
what wrong he allegedly committed,
or the time and place of such commission, such matters shall be ruled
upon and disposed of prior to proceeding on the merits of their
defense. The guilt of an accused shall
be found only if proven by the weight
of the evidence, and the burden of
such proof shall be upon the accuser.
Every finding shall be based on the
quality of the evidence and not solely on the number of witnesses produced.
Section S. The Trial Committee
shall make findings as to guilt or
innocence, and recommendations as
to punishment and/or other Union
action deemed desirable in the light
of the proceedings. hese findings and
recommendations shall be those of a
majority of the Committee, and shall
be in writing, as shall be any dissent.
The Committee shall forward its
findings and recommendations,
along with any dissent to the Port
Agent of the Port where the trial took
place, while a copy thereof shall be
forwarded to the accused and the
accuser, either in person or by mail
addressed to their last known
addresses. The findings shall include
a statement that the rights of the
accused under this Constitution were
properly safeguarded. The findings
also must contain the charges made,
the date of the trial, the name and
address of the accused, the accuser,
and each witness; shall describe each
document used at the trial; shall contain a fair summary of the proceedings; and shall state the findings as to
guilt or innocence. If possible, all
documents used at the trial shall be
kept. All findings and recommendations shall be made a part of the regular files.
Section 6. The Port Agent of the
Port of Trial shall, upon receipt of the
findings and recommendations of the
Trial Committee, cause the findings
and recommendations to be presented and entered into the minutes at the
Ot:lober 2000
next regular meeting.
Section 7. The Port Agent shall
send the record of the entire proceedings to Headquarters, which shall
cause sufficient copies thereof to be
made and sent to each port in time for
the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Section 8. At the latter meeting,
the proceedings shall be discussed.
The meeting shall then vote. A
majority vote of the membership of
the Union shall:
(a) Accept the findings and recommendations, or
(b) Reject the findings and recommendations, or
(c) Accept the findings but modify the recommendations, or
(d) Order a new trial after finding
that substantial justice has not been
done with regard to the charges. In
this event, a new trial shall take place
at the Port where Headquarters is
located and upon application, the
accused, the accusers, and their witnesses shall be furnished transportation and subsistence.
Section 9. After the vote set forth
in Section 8, any punishment so
decided upon shall become effective.
Headquarters shall cause notice of
the results thereof to be sent to each
accused and accuser.
Section 10. An accused who has
been found guilty or who is under
effective punishment may appeal in
the following manner:
He may send or deliver a notice of
appeal to Headquarters within thirty
(30) days after receipt of the notice of
the decision of the membership.
Section 11. At the next regular
meeting of the Port where Headquarters is located, after receipt of the
notice of appeal, the notice shall be
presented and shall then become part
of the minutes. An Appeals Committee shall then be elected. The
Vice-President in Charge of Contracts and Contract Enforcement is
charged with the duty of presenting
the before-mentioned proceedings
and all available documents used as
evidence at the trial to the Appeals
Committee, as well as any written
statement or argument submitted by
the accused. The accused may argue
his appeal in person, if he so desires.
The appeal shall be heard at Union
Headquarters on the night the committee is elected. It shall be the
responsibility of the accused to
insure that his written statement or
argument arrives at Headquarters in
time for such presentation.
Section 12. The Appeals Committee shall decide the appeal as soon
as possible, consistent with fair consideration of the evidence and arguments before it.
It may grant
adjournments and may request the
accused or accusers to present arguments whenever necessary for such
fair consideration.
Section 13. The decision of the
Appeals Committee shall be by
majority vote and shall be in the form
of findings and recommendations.
Dissents will be allowed. Decisions
and dissents shall be in writing and
signed by those participating in such
decision or dissent. In making its
findings and recommendations, the
Committee shall be governed by the
following:
(a) No finding of guilt shall be
reversed if there is substantial evidence to support such a finding and,
in such case, the Appeals Committee
shall not make its own findings as to
the weight of evidence.
(b) In no event shall increased
punishment be recommended.
(c) A new trial shall be recommended if the Appeals Committee
finds: (a) that any member of the
Trial Committee should have been
disqualified, or (b) that the accused
was not adequately informed of the
details of the charged offense, which
resulted in his not having been given
a fair trial, or (c) that for any other
reason, the accused was not given a
fair trial.
(d) If there is not substantial evi-
dence to support a finding of guilt,
the Appeals Committee shall recommend that the charge on which the
finding was based be dismissed.
(e) The Appeals Committee may
recommend lesser punishment.
Section 14. The Appeals Committee shall deliver its decision and
dissent, if any, to Headquarters,
which shall cause sufficient copies to
be published and shall have them
sent to each Port in time to reach
there before the next regular scheduled meeting. Headquarters shall also
send a copy to each accused and
accuser at their last known address,
or notify them in person.
Section 15. At the meeting indicated in Section 14 of this Article, the
membership, by a majority vote,
shall accept, the decision of the
Appeals Committee, or the dissent
therein. If there is no dissent, the
decision of the Appeals Committee
shall stand.
If a new trial is ordered, that trial
shall be held in the Port where
Headquarters is located in the manner provided for in Section 2 of this
Article. Any decision so providing
for a new trial shall contain such
directions as will insure a fair hearing
to the accused.
Section 16. Headquarters shall
notify the accused and each accuser,
either in person or in writing
addressed to their last known
address, of the results of the appeal.
A further appeal shall be allowed as
set forth in Section 17 of this Article.
Section 17. Each member is
charged with knowledge of the provisions of the Constitution of the
Seafarers International Union of
North America, and the rights of, and
procedure as to, further appeal as
provided for therein. Decisions
reached thereunder shall be binding
on all members of the Union.
Section 18. It shall be the duty of
all members of the Union to take all
steps within their constitutional
power to carry out the terms of any
effective decisions.
Section 19. Every accused shall
receive a written copy of the charges
preferred against him and shall be
given a reasonable time to prepare
his defense, but he may thereafter
plead guilty and waive any or all of
the other rights and privileges granted to him by this Article. If an
accused has been properly notified of
his trial and fails to attend without
properly requesting a postponement,
the Trial Committee may hold its trial
without his presence.
Article XVI
Offenses and Penafties
Section 1. Upon proof of the
commission of the following offenses, the member shall be expelled
from membership:
(a) Proof of membership in any
organization advocating the overthrow of the Government of the
United States by force;
(b) Acting as an informer against
the interest of the Union or the membership in any organizational campaign;
(c) Acting as an informer for, or
agent of, the company against the
interest of the membership or the
Union;
(d) The commission of any act as
part of a conspiracy to destroy the
Union.
Section 2. Upon proof of the
commission of any of the following
offenses, the member shall be penalized up to and including a penalty of
expulsion from the Union. In the
event the penalty of expulsion is not
invoked or recommended, the penalty shall not exceed suspension from
the rights and privileges of membership for more than two (2) years, or a
fine of fifty dollars ($50.00) or both:
(a) Willfully misappropriating or
misusing Union property of the value
in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00).
(b) Unauthorized use of Union
property, records, stamps, seals, etc.,
for the purpose of personal gain;
(c) Willful misuse of any office
or job, elective or not, within the
Union for the purpose of personal
gain, financial or otherwise, or the
willful refusal or failure to execute
the duties or functions of the said
office or job, or gross neglect or
abuse in executing such duties or
functions or other serious misconduct
or breach of trust. The President may,
during the pendency of disciplinary
proceedings under this subsection,
suspend the officer or jobholder from
exercising the functions of the office
or job, with or without pay, and designate his temporary replacement;
(d) Unauthorized voting, or
unauthorized handling of ballots,
stubs, rosters, verification lists, ballot
boxes, or election files, or election
material of any sort;
(e) Preferring charges with
knowledge that such charges are
false;
( f) Making or transmitting, with
intent to deceive, false reports or
communications which fall within
the scope of Union business;
(g) Deliberate failure or refusal
to join one's ship or misconduct or
neglect of duty aboard ship, to the
detriment of the Union or its agreements;
(h) Deliberate and unauthorized
interference, or deliberate and malicious vilification, with regard to the
execution of the duties of any office
or job;
(i) Paying for, or receiving
money for, employment aboard a
vessel, exclusive of proper earnings
and Union payments;
(j) Willful refusal to submit evidence of affiliation for the purpose of
avoiding or delaying money payments to the Union, or unauthorized
transferring or receiving evidence of
Union affiliation, with intent to
deceive;
(k) Willful failure or refusal to
carry out the order of those duly
authorized to make such orders during time of strike;
(l) Failure or refusal to pay a
fine or assessment within the time
limit set therefore either by the
Constitution or by action taken in
accordance with the Constitution.
Section 3. Upon proof of the
commission of any of the following
offenses, members shall be penalized
up to and including a suspension
from the rights and privileges of
membership for two (2) years, or a
fine
of
fifty
dollars
($50.00) or both:
(a) Willfully misappropriating or
misusing Union property of the value
under fifty dollars ($50.00);
(b) Assuming any office or job,
whether elective or not with knowledge of the lack of possession of the
qualifications required therefore;
(c) Misconduct during any meeting or other official Union proceeding, or bringing the Union into disrepute by conduct not provided for
elsewhere in this Article;
(d) Refusal or negligent failure to
carry out orders of those duly authorized to make such orders at any
time.
Section 4. Upon proof of the
commission of any of the following
offenses, members shall be penalized
up to and including suspension from
the rights and privileges of membership for one ( 1) year or a fine of three
hundred dollars ($300.00) or both:
(a) Crossing a picket line sanctioned by the Union;
(b) Failure to perform picket
duty in strikes.
Section S. Upon proof of the
commission of any of the following
offenses, members shall be penalized
up to and including a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00):
(a) Refusal or willful failure to
be present at sign-ons or payoffs;
(b) Willful failure to submit his
Union book to Union representatives
at pay-off;
( c) Disorderly conduct at pay-off
or sign-on;
( d) Refusal to cooperate with
Union representatives in discharging
their duties;
( e) Disorderly conduct in the
Union hall;
(f) Gambling in the Union hall;
(g) Negligent failure to join ship.
Section 6. Any member who has
committed an offense penalized by
no more than a fine of three hundred
dollars ($300.00) may elect to waive
his rights under this Constitution subject to the provision of Article XV,
Section 19 and to pay the maximum
fine of three hundred dollars
($300.00) to the duly authorized representative of the Union.
Section 7. This Union, and its
members, shall not be deemed to
waive any claim of personal or property rights to which it or its members
are entitled by bringing the member
to trial or enforcing a penalty as provided in this Constitution.
Section 8. Any member under
suspension for an offense under this
Article shall continue to pay all dues
and assessments and must observe
his duties to the Union, members,
officials, and jobholders.
Article XVII
Publications
This Union may publish such
pamphlets, journals, newspapers,
magazines, periodicals and general
literature, in such manner as may be
determined, from time to time, by the
Executive Board.
Article XVIII
Bonds
Officers and jobholders, whether
elected or appointed as well as all
other employees handling monies of
the Union shall be bonded as
required by law.
Article XIX
Expenditures
Section 1. In the event no contrary policies or instructions are in
existence, the President may authorize, make, or incur such expenditures and expenses as are normally
encompassed within the authority
conferred upon him by Article X of
this Constitution.
Section 2. The provlSlons of
Section 1 shall similarly apply to the
routine accounting and administrative procedures of the Union except
those primarily concerned with trials,
appeals, negotiations, strikes, and
elections.
Section 3. The provisions of this
Article shall supersede to the extent
applicable; the provisions of Article
X of this Constitution.
Article XX
Income
Section 1. The income of this
Union shall include dues, initiation
fees, fines, assessments, contributions, loans, interest, dividends as
well as income derived from any
other legitimate business operation or
other legitimate source.
Section 2. An official Union
receipt, properly filled out, shall be
given to anyone paying money to the
Union or to any person authorized by
the Union to receive money. It shall
be the duty of every person affiliated
with the Union who makes such payments to demand such receipt.
Section 3. No assessments shall
be levied except after a ballot conducted under such general rules as
may be decided upon by a majority
vote of the membership, provided
that:
(a) The ballot must be secret.
(b) The assessment must be
approved by a majority of the valid
ballots cast.
Section 4. Except as otherwise
Continued on page 32
Seafarel'S LOS
31
�Proposed Constitution - SIUllA - AGLIWD-llMU
Continued from page 31
provided by law, all payments by
members or other affiliates of this
Union shall be applied successively
to the monetary obligations owed the
Union commencing with the oldest in
point of time, as measured from the
date of accrual of such obligation.
The period of arrears shall be calculated accordingly.
Section 5. To the extent deemed
appropriate by the majority of the
Executive Board, funds and assets of
the Union may be kept in an account
or accounts without separation as to
purpose and expended for all Union
purposes and objects.
Article XXI
Other Types of Union
Afflllation
To the extent permitted by law,
this Union, by majority vote of the
membership, may provide for affiliation with it by individuals in a lesser
capacity than membership, or in a
capacity other than membership. By
majority vote of the membership the
Union may provide for the rights and
obligations incident to such capacities
or affiliations. These rights and obligations may include, but are not limited
to (a) the applicability or non-applicability of all or any part of the
Constitution; (b) the terms of such
affiliation; (c) the right of the Union to
peremptory termination of such affiliation and, (d) the fees required for
such affiliation. In no event may anyone not a member receive evidence of
affiliation equivalent to that of members, receive priority or rights over
members, or be termed a member.
Article XIII
Quorums
Section 1. Unless
elsewhere
herein otherwise specifically provided, the quorum for a special meeting
of a Port shall be six (6) full book
members.
Section 2. The quorum for a regular meeting of a Port shall be t\X~n
fy'!five (25) ri:tembent
Section 3. Unless
otherwise
specifically set forth herein, the decisions, reports, recommendations, or
other functions of any segment of the
Union requiring a quorum to act officially, shall be a majority of those
voting, and shall not be official or
effective unless the quorum requirements are met.
Section 4. Unless otherwise indicated herein, where the requirements
for a quorum are not specifically set
forth, a quorum shall be deemed to be
a majority of those composing the
applicable segment of the Union.
Article XXlll
Meetings
{
-
Section 1. Regular membership
meetings shall be held monthly only
in the following constitutional Ports
at the following times:
During the week following the
first Sunday of every month a meeting shall be held on Monday-at
Piney Point; on Tuesday-at New
York; on Wednesday-at Philadelphia; on Thursday-at Baltimore;
and on Friday-at Detroit-Algonac.
During the next week, meetings shall
be held on Monday-at Houston; on
Tuesday-at New Orleans; on
Wednesday-at
Mobile;
on
Thursday-at San Francisco; and on
Friday-at St. Louis. All regular
membership meetings shall commence at 10:30 A.M. local time.
Where a meeting day falls on a
Holiday officially designated as such
by the authorities of the state or
municipality in which a Port is located, the Port meeting shall take place
on the following business day.
Saturday and Sunday shall not be
deemed business days.
The Area Vice-Presidents shall be
the chairmen of all regular meetings
32
Sealarers LOB
in Ports in their respective areas. In
the event the Area Vice-Presidents
are unable to attend a regular meeting
of a Port, they shall instruct the Port
Agents, or other elected jobholders,
to act as chairmen of the meetings.
In the event a quorum is not present at 10:30 AM. the chairman of
the meeting at the pertinent Port shall
postpone the opening of the meeting
but in no event later than 11 :00 A.M.
Section 2. A special meeting at a
Port may be called only at the direction of the Area Vice-President, Area
Assistant Vice-President or Port
Agent. No special meeting may be
held, except between the hours of
9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. Notice of
such meeting shall be posted at least
two (2) hours in advance on the Port
bulletin board.
The Area Vice-Presidents shall be
the chairmen of all special meetings
in Ports in their respective areas. In
the event the Area Vice-Presidents
are unable to attend a special meeting
of a Port, they shall instruct the Area
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Port
Agents, or other elected jobholders,
to act as chairmen of the meetings.
Section 3. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, all regular meetings shall be governed by the following:
1 The Union Constitution.
2. Majority vote of the members assembled.
Article XXIV
Definttions and Miscellaneous
Provisions Relating Thereto
Section 1. Incapacity.
Unless
otherwise set forth or dealt with herein, the term "incapacity," shall mean
any illness or situation preventing the
affected person from carrying out his
duties for more than thirty (30) days,
provided that this does not result in a
vacancy. However, nothing contained
in this Article shall be deemed to prohibit the execution of the functions of
more than one (1) job and/or office in
which event no incapacity shall be
deemed to exist with regard to the
regular job or office of the one taking
over the duties and functions of the
one incapacitated. The period of
incapacity shall be the time during
which the circumstances exist.
Section 2. Unless otherwise set
forth or dealt with herein the term
''vacancy" shall include failure to
perform the functions of any office or
job by reason of death, or resignation,
or suspension from membership or
expulsion from the Union with no
further right to appeal in accordance
with the provisions of Article XV of
this Constitution.
Section 3. When applicable to
the Union as a whole, the term
"majority vote of the membership"
shall mean the majority of all the
valid votes cast by full book members at an official meeting of those
Ports holding meetings. This definition shall prevail notwithstanding
that one ( 1) or more Ports cannot
hold meetings because of no quorum,
For the purpose of this Section, the
term "meeting" shall refer to those
meetings to be held during the time
period within which a vote must be
taken in accordance with the
Constitution and the custom and
usage of the Union in the indicated
priority.
Section 4. When applicable solely to Port action and not concerned
with or related to the Union as a
whole, and not forming part of a
Union-wide vote, the term "majority
vote of the membership" shall refer to
the majority of the valid votes cast by
the full book members at any meeting
of the Port, regular or special.
Section 5. The term "membership action," or reference thereto,
shall mean the same as the term
"majority vote of the membership."
Section 6. Where the title of any
officer or job, or the holder thereof, is
set forth in this Constitution, all references thereto and the provisions
concerned therewith shall be deemed
to be equally applicable to whomever
is duly acting in such office or job.
Section 7. The term "election
year" shall be deemed to mean that
calendar year prior to the calendar
year in which elected officials and
other elected jobholders are required
to assume office.
Section 8. The
terms
"this
Constitution" and "this amended
Constitution" shall be deemed to
have the same meaning and shall
refer to the Constitution as amended
which takes the place of the one
adopted by the Uni oil . in . 1939, ..~
amended up through M~h> Ji~~:;~~;fi;;
Section 9. The term "member in
good standing" shall mean a member
whose monetary obligations to the
Union are not in arrears for thirty
(30) days or more, or who is not
under suspension or expulsion effective in accordance with this
Constitution. Unless otherwise
expressly indicated, the term "member" shall mean a member in good
standing.
Section 10. Unless plainly otherwise required by the context of their
use, the terms "Union book," "membership book" and "book," shall
mean official evidence of Union
membership.
Section 11. The term "full book"
or "full Union book" shall mean only
an official certificate issued as evidence of Union membership which
carries with it complete rights and
privileges of membership except as
may be specifically constitutionally
otherwise provided.
Section 12. The term "full book
member" shall mean a member to
whom a full book has been duly
issued and who is entitled to retain it
in accordance with the provisions of
this Constitution.
Section 13. The term "seatime"
shall include employment upon any
navigable waters or days of employment in a contracted employer unit
represented by the Union.
Section 14. The term "in an unlicensed capacity aboard an Americanflag merchant vessel or vessels" shall
include persons employed in an unlicensed or licensed capacity aboard
dredges, tugboats, towboats and similar vessels used to tow, propel, or
push barges or other conveyances or
assist merchant vessels in docking or
undocking, or persons otherwise
employed in a contracted employer
unit represented by the Union.
Article XIV
Amendments
This Constitution shall be amended in the following manner:
Section 1. Any full book member
may submit at any regular meeting of
any Port proposed amendments to
this Constitution in resolution form.
If a majority vote of the membership
of the Port approves it, the proposed
amendment shall be forwarded to all
Ports for further action.
Section 2. When a proposed
amendment is accepted by a majority
vote of the membership, it shall be
referred to a Constitutional Committee in the Port where Headquarters is located. This Committee
shall be composed of six (6) full book
members, two (2) from each department and shall be elected in accordance with such rules as are established by a majority vote of that Port.
The Committee will act on all proposed amendments referred to it. The
Committee may receive whatever
advice and assistance, legal or otherwise, it deems necessary. It shall prepare a report on the amendment
together with any proposed changes
or substitutions or recommendations
and the reasons for such recommendations. The latter shall then be submitted to the membership. If a majority vote of the membership approves
the amendment as recommended, it
shall then be voted upon in a yes or
no vote by the membership of the
Union by secret ballot in accordance
with the procedure directed by the
majority vote of the membership at
the time it gives the approval necessary to put the referendum to a vote.
The Union Tallying Committee shall
consist of six (6) full book members
two (2) from each of the three (3)
departments of the Union, elected
from Headquarters Port. The amendment shall either be printed on the
ballot, or if too lengthy, shall be
referred to on the ballot. Copies of
the amendment shall be posted on the
bulletin boards of all Ports and made
available at the voting site in all
Ports.
Section 3. If approved by a
majority of the valid ballots cast, the
amendment shall become effective
immediately upon notification by the
aforesaid Union Tallying Committee
to the Secretary-Treasurer that the
amendment has been so approved,
unless otherwise specified in the
amendment. The Secretary-Treasurer
shall immediately notify all Ports of
the results of the vote on the amendment.
EXHIBIT A
Minimal requirements to be contained in Constitution of subordinate
bodies and divisions chartered by or
iiilii5
I
All members shall have equal
rights and privileges, subject to reasonable rules and regulations, contained in this Constitution, including
secret election, freedom of speech,
the right to hold office and the right
of secret votes on assessment and
dues increases, all in accordance
with the law.
Seafarers International , Upi9n
0..(
North America-Atlantic,. OulfJ;~~~$;
and Inland Waters District-N.M.U is
first made.
··.
VII
The Seafarers lntemationallJrudn;
of North America-Atlantic,; Oulf;
Lakes and Inland Waters UiStd~ttil
NMU shall have the nght to .check,'
inspect and make copies of all the
books and records of this Union upon
demand.
VIII
This Union shall not take any
action which will have the effect of
reducing its net assets, calculated
through recognized accounting procedures, below the amount of its
indebtedness to the S.CafateiSi
~~~~~
approved by that Union through its
Executive Board.
IX
So long as there exists any indebtedness by this Union to the :s~~
2
~==x~!n~~t,1~1:; ~~~
Jnl~d Wat¢ts P.istrict'."NM.U, that
Union shall have the right to appoint
a representative or representatives to
this Union who shall have the power
to attend all meetings of this Union or
its sub-divisions, or governing
boards, if any, and who shall have
access to all books and records of this
Union on demand. This representative, or these representatives, shall be
charged with the duty of assisting this
Union and its membership, and acting as a liaison between the §~faretS!
:e~:~r;~~r~;Ji1lli&&~
lnlapdWate:rs Dimtet.:-NMU and this
Union.
II
No member may be automatically
suspended from membership except
for non-payment of dues, and all
members shall be afforded a fair
hearing upon written charges, with a
reasonable time to prepare defense,
when accused of an offense under the
Constitution.
Ill
This Union is chartered by (and/or
affiliated with), the Seafarers
~fent~~oiiar Uni-On of North
~merica-Atlantie. Gulf!> Lakes and
hlland Waters Distri~NW~ and this
Constitution and any amendments
thereto, shall not take effect unless
and until approved as set forth in the
Constitution of that Union.
IV
An object of this Union is, within
its reasonable capacity, to promote
the welfare of, and assist, the
Seafarers International 'Unionr! of
~~ar~~~t1&1fe$
v
The charter (and/or affiliation)
relationship between this Union and
the Seafarer$ Intemau0naf Unfortrof
Nnrth America,w~tl~e. Oulf .U.keS
&ll4 ltdand _,l\Tater$/_DisJnQt'.'.NMO
1
shall not be dissolved so long as at
least ten (10) members of this Union,
and the Si?atarerS'JfitemationalUnfon
pf:'Noih .A:meriei-Atlantic. Qµlf~
~+iilia
Article II of the Constitution of the
lillaild '· waters' ntsttiCiJ.
NMl.1 · a.Ciiilg ··through ·iis '·'Executive
Board wish to continue such relationship.
VI
No
amendment
to
this
Constitution shall be effective unless
and until approved by at least twothirds vote of the membership in a
secret referendum conducted for that
purpose. In any event, the adoption of
this Constitution and any amendments thereto, will not be effective
unless and until compliance with
x
So long as any unpaid per capita
tax, or any other indebtedness of any
sort is owed by this Union to the
-
s uch indebtedness shall constitute a
first lien on the assets of this Union,
which lien shall not be impaired
without the written approval of the
!:~~~B!I!
ing through its Executive Board.
XI
The per capita tax payable by this
l]nion ·. to ..th~. Se~f~ .Inienfati-0nat
tTnioii 'of Norttl'.{'iAm~nca-Atlantic;z
Gul:fi Lak~~ . aii~ ln~Md
Waters'.
Pistti~t:NMJY shall be that which is
fixed in accordance with the terms of
the Constitution of that Union.
XII
This Constitution and actions by
this Union pursuant thereto are subject to those provisions of the
Constitution of the Seafarer&
=~~,!n~~~~~~ ·~~:J
1!~4.W'~_, D!sttj<if-~ pertaining to affiliation, disaffiliation,
trusteeships, and the granting and
removal of charters.
XIII
This Union shall be affiliated with
the :s&ifarers ·Iniet:nationat uiifonol
l'fri Amer,ica tbiQugp 'the S~f~
lntern:ational .· Union of , No~
ft\metf,ca-Atlantic!J. , Gulf1 Lak.~ ,,@M
J.nlal)A W~~. Ui.$kiGl·NM'O.~ It shall
share in, and participate as part of the
delegation of that District to the
Convention of the
Seafarers
International Union of North
America in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the
Sear~en
liitima.tfonaf ·uu1snr·:o1;
North America-Atlantic# Oul~ ta\~1
l\ndJB.13n4. Pla~;D.Im~1NM.t1,i
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
AUGUST 16 - SEPTEMBER 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Port
1
5
0
Norfolk
8
2
2
3
5
3
l1
14
8
16
11
11
15
I
6
9
13
4
7
10
4
8
5
6
0
6
3
10
23
1
3
4
Wilmington
Totals
St. Louis
Wilmington
Totals
Port
Algonac
Baltimore
Guam
Honolulu
Houston
New Orleans
New York
Norfolk
249
11
8
147
80
102
34
9
3
13
3
13
8
12
4 .··
2
IO
8
4
6
2
()
5
5
7
60
101
21
42
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
r·
l
4
0
6
9
12
5
..o
o
0
l
0
0
0
2
6
3
6
11
1
6
2
5
1
0
17
10
19
7
8
4
15
4
11
2
196
155
62
(}
3
I
·3
0
20
23
35
8
16
21
13
0
8
5
8
I
.
Q
0
16
1
6
4
1
10
11
4
1
2
2
1
4
1
5
20
2
0
0
0
7
3
27
2
9
4
24
17
61
257
92
46
. I
<)
1
1
3
3
0
14
0
40
2
122
l
5
50
3
30
4
0
1
12
127
2
0
15
6
0
-0
0
0
0
40
0
3
8
6
0
8
· ·s
4
3
0
0
5
4
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
16
16
0
5
50
175
179
29
81
98
0
0
0
588
474
323
441
260
182
182
15
1
.. 6
Thoughts ofyoung men dying
Ships swallowed up by the sea
Too few huddled close in lifeboats
Memories still painful to me
Across the slate gray Atlantic
Countless dramas would nightly
unfold
Merchantmen unprotected and helpless
German U-boats increasingly bold
21
0
7
1-0
40
4
26
339
558
703
by Harry T. Scholer
Survivors who came home stayed briefly
Then back to battle they'd go
The tide when it turned did so swiftly
War was brought home to the foe
11
956
Veterans
10
31
II
0
6
83
LOG-A-RHYTHMS
The prey was slow allied convoys
Tanker, freighter, none left unscathed
Toll on the crewmen was frightening
Thousands went to the grave
2
2
. .20
24
4
20
280
.11
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
October 2000
15
8
12
15
1
0
0
Totals All
Departments
33
56
26
15
12
. 21
0
12
5
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
St. Louis
Wilmington
Totals
27
20
26
4
5
155
62
, *change created by Veterans Day holiday
4
18
2
17
44
Friday: December 8
0
9
5
4
2
0
5
0
22
·. o
0
3
0
2
Membership Meetings
.··_:· oeep. Sea;·· ~1ces, Inland Waters
22
10
134
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
0
3
2
0
0
18
25
7
5
8
Trip
Reliefs
November & December 2•
Brave sailors now long since retired
Their sacrifice earned our respect
Whose spirits still live on the ocean
An example we try to reflect.
(Harry T. Scholer of Orlando, Fla., sails as a second mate
aboard the MT. Independence/Ocean 211 (Maritrans Inc.).
He dedicates this poem to all the brothers and sisters of the
WWII generation for their sacrifices and notes that "we
who sail today owe them all a debt of gratitude.")
Seafarers LOG
33
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
AUGUST 16 CL -
Company/Lakes
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
Port
··Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Totals All Depts
ALGONAC
Clair RiverDr.1' Alg<>nac, MT 48001
(810) 794-4988
..
0
16
13
0
l~
6
0
5
13
Q
. . lA .
. . Z(io
0
47
58
SEPTEMBER 15, 2000
L-Lakes
NP -
Non Priority
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
DECK DEPARTMENT
13 · ·
'tf?'
..• 11
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
3
8
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
3
.0,
10
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
··=~···
....2.B
0
30
0
5
0
4
. "
.0
:!4 t
'"9
40
0
""
2
6,
17
12
18
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
ANCHORAGE
721 Sesame St.,#IC; Anchorage. AK 99503
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
{907) 561-49$8
BALTIMORE
AUGUST 16 -
2315 Essex St., Baltimore; MD 21224
' {410) 327~4900
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DULUTH
705 Medi-031 Arts Building. Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 7~-4110 ,,
.G UAM
.
125 SuueyPl~ Suitt 301{~
Tun Jesus Cris0$t~o.SLc/;
Region
(611) 647-1350 .
yf;~!l~fifaf~~t
0
5
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v ···as
;:f}i
·;111ts~~z;~~'>:W.ited];'. '.~ .P.NP:n1:JJs£f;KJ l.i~rrtsW!h
·.·.;·'. ·o
··.······u·
..
HONOLULU
(808) 845-5222
1221 Pierce St., Houston. TX 77002
(713) 659-5152
JACKSONVILLE
JERSEY CITY
99 Montgomery St., Jersey City, NJ 07302
(2.0l) 435-9424
MOBILE
1640 Dauphin lsiand PkWJ1 Mobile, At 36605
(334},47~~0916
...
_;-;,··:·:-·:·
NE\Y.BEUFORD
\,,)?·.;:;·
·
Gulf Coast
33 l 5 Liberty St. Jacksonville, FL 32206
(904) 353.-0987
-
..
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
HOUSTON
·:_;:::
·.·.·.·.:.•.•.!.'..'.'
West Coast
606 Kalihi St., Honolulu, lU. 96819
•·.·
$.:
;.
ii
48 Union St., New Bedfordf MA OZ740 .
.
{50~ .997~5404
NEW ORLEANS
391} Lapaloo Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058,
(504)328-7545
NEW YORK
635 Fourth Ave,, Brotild~ NY U232 . .
(71&) 499--6600
Lakes, Inland Waters
2
8
9
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
West Coast
0
0
Totals
Region
1
0
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
4
1
1
3
1
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
O"
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
Totals
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
Totals All Depts
2
2
10
4
3
0
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
9
0
1
0
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
1
0
<~.·.. . .
Ta:rnuning, Guam 969tlXJ;'
SEPTEMBER 15, 2000
3
3
1
15
1
25
()
. o,. . ,.
0
{)
0
0
()
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
. 0 /J
Of .
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
2
3
1
26
~·o•o•" • •" ""'''"""""•"·•·••• 'l.J ·""'';"'".""••"·"·•·
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
.
NORFOLK
115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 621-1892
PBlLAJ>ELPBlA
2604 S. 4 St, Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 336·3818
PJN£Y POINT
P.O. Box 75, Piney Point. MD 20674
(3-01) 994-0010
PORT EVERGLADES
1221 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 522~7984
PI C-FROM-THE-PAST
In earlier years, the SIU apparently was involved in various
sporting events, among them a horse race and soap box
derby.
The horse race photo (right) is from the LOG archives. All
that is known about it is what is printed on the picture. "Andrea
Gomez, International Vice President of SIUNA, accompanied
by Ann Olmen, awards the Paul Hall Trophy to the owners,
and driver, John Quinn of Con Brio, winner of the Seafarers
SAN FRANCISCO
350 Fremont St.
San Fr~isco, CA 94105
(415) 543·5855
Government Sel."Vi<:es Division
(415) 861~3400
SANTURCE
l057FemandezJuncos Ave., Stop 16!4
Santurce, PR. 00907
(787) 7214033
Sl'. LOUIS
·4581-0ravois Ave., St. Louis. MO 63ll6
(314} 752-65-00
TACOMA
~41 l South Uni<>n Ave., Taeoma, WA 98409
\253) 212~m4
. •<·.. f WllMJN~N
SlON.Br:OadAve.., Wilmington. CA 90744
(310) 54~:4000
J\,
34
Seafarers LOB
International Union Purse at Rosecroft (Md.) Raceway Friday, May 10, 1963."
The soap box derby photograph (left) was sent to the
LOG by Antoinette Warren, the wife of Pensioner and charter member Paul A. Warren, 87, of Mandeville, La. Warren,
pictured with the young driver, was an official in the union
for 32 years. He worked as a patrolman in the port of New
Orleans, where this race took place.
October 2000
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-fiag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
recertified
among the
announcing
ments this month.
Thomas J. Maley graduated
from the highest level of training
available to members of the steward department at the Paul Hall
Center in Piney Point, Md.
Including Maley, five of the
retirees sailed in the deep sea division. Five others navigated the
inland waterways, five plied the
Great Lakes and one worked in the
railroad marine division.
Nine of the retirees were members of the deck department, four
shipped in the engine department
and three sailed in the steward
department.
On this page, the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of the retiring Seafarers.
A
DEEP SEA
· ROBERTL.
BIRMINGHAM, 65,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1965,
joining in the
port of New
···"'·· York. Born in
Asheville, N.C., he served in the
U.S. Air Force from 1953 to
1957. Brother Birmingham first
sailed aboard the Cabins, operated by Texas City Refining, Inc. A
member of the deck department,
he upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship in Piney
Point, Md. Prior to retiring, he
sailed aboard the Northern Lights,
an lnterocean Ugland
Management Corp. vessel. He
resides in New Orleans.
DONALDJ.
GIFFORD,
64, hails from
New York. He
joined the SIU
in his native
state in 1971
and first sailed
aboard the
Transchamplain, operated by
Hudson Waterways Corp. Brother
Gifford served in the U.S. Marine
Corps from 1953 to 1957. A
member of the deck department,
he upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship in 1979.
Prior to retiring, he sailed aboard
the LNG Libra. Brother Gifford
lives in Chaumont, N.Y.
THOMASJ.
MALEY,64,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1959 in
the port of
New York. A
member of the
steward
department, Brother Maley first
sailed aboard Boston Towing
Company vessels. He upgraded
his skills and completed the steward recertification course at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship in 1983.
Brother Maley last sailed in 1993.
Prior to retiring, he worked
aboard the Franklin J. Phillips,
operated by Maersk Line Ltd.
Brother Maley calls Pine City,
N.Y. home.
Ot:lober 2DIJIJ
GARYC.
MITCHELL,
62, joined the
SIU in 1970 in
the port of
Seattle after
having served
in the U.S.
Navy from
1956 to 1960. A native of Ohio,
Brother Mitchell first sailed
aboard the Brooklyn, operated by
Bay Tankers. He upgraded his
skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School of Seamanship
in 1975, 1995, 1997 and again
earlier this year. Brother Mitchell
worked in the engine department.
He last sailed aboard the 1st Lt.
Baldomero Lopez, operated by
American Overseas Marine. He
resides in Alliance, Ohio.
JOHNE.
THOMAS,
62, was born
in Baltimore.
He began his
career with the
SIU in 1974 in
the port of
Norfolk, Va. A
member of the steward department, Brother Thomas first
shipped aboard Waterman Steamship Corp. 's Hurricane. He upgraded his skills at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education in 1997. Prior to retiring, he sailed aboard Waterman's
Stonewall Jackson. Brother Thomas
calls Portsmouth, Va. home.
INLAND
EDWIN J.
BLACK, 61,
hails from
Pennsylvania.
A member of
the U.S. Army
from 1958 to
1964,
Boatman
Black joined the SIU in 1972 in
the port of Baltimore. He first
sailed aboard Berg Towing
Company vessels. He shipped as
a member of the deck department. Prior to retiring, he sailed
aboard Interstate Oil Transport
Company vessels. Boatman Black
lives in Rock Hall, Md.
LEANDER BOURGEOIS, 63,
joined the SIU in 1967 in Port
Arthur, Texas. The Louisiana
native had two tours of duty in
the U.S. Army, serving from 1955
to 1958 and from 1960 to 1963.
He first sailed with the SIU
aboard Southern Towing, Inc.
vessels. A member of the deck
department, Boatman Bourgeois
sailed aboard H vide Marine vessels prior to his retirement. He
calls Lafayette, La. home.
JOHNNIE
RAY
BROWN,63,
is a native of
Tennessee. He
began his
career with the
SIU in 1988 in
the port of
New Orleans. Boatman Brown
served in the U.S. Army from
1956 to 1960. A member of the
steward department, he worked
primarily aboard Red Circle
Transport Co. vessels. He last
sailed in 1999. Brother Brown
calls Hollister, Fla. home.
JOHNA.
FURMAN
SR., 61, began
his SIU career
in 1966, joining in the port
of Norfolk,
Va. A native of ·
Currituck,
N.C., Boatman Furman served in
the U.S. Army. He first sailed for
the SIU aboard Southern Carriers
Corp. vessels. A member of the
deck department, Boatman Furman was last employed on SIUcontracted boats in 1984. Prior to
his retirement, he sailed aboard
Allied Towing's Mohawk. Brother
Furman resides in Portsmouth, Va.
JOHNRUSSEFF, 71,
joined the SIU
· in 1993 in the
port of
Wilmington,
Calif. The
North Dakota
native is a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving
from 1944 to 1945. A member of
the engine department, Boatman
Russeff sailed primarily aboard
Brusco Tug & Barge Co. vessels.
He resides in Oxnard, Calif.
GREAT LAKES
RAUL BARRERA, 44,
joined the SIU
in 1977 in the
port of Detroit.
A member of
the deck
department,
Brother
Barrera first sailed aboard Erie
Sand Steamship's Schoellkojf. He
was born in Wayne County, Mich.
and served in the U.S. Army from
1973 to 1975. Brother Barrera
upgraded his skills several times
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship. Prior to
retiring, he worked aboard
American Steamship Co. 's M!V
Buffalo. Brother Barrera calls
Port Huron, Mich. home.
MOHNSEN
AHMED
ELMATIDL,
63, began his
career with the
SIU in 1966 in
the port of
Detroit. Born
in Yemen,
Brother Elmathil first sailed
aboard American Steamship Co. 's
American Sea Ocean. A member
of the engine department, Brother
Elmathil last sailed earlier this
year aboard American Steamship's John Boland. He calls
Detroit home.
CHARLES A.
HOLTREY,
55, was born
in Michigan.
He joined the
SIU in 1966 in ....
Frankfort,
Mich. A member of the
deck department, Brother Holtrey
first sailed aboard the American
Sea Ocean, operated by American
Steamship Co. He upgraded his
skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School of Seamanship
in 1979. Prior to his retirement,
he sailed aboard American
Steamship's Indiana Harbor. He
still resides in his native Michigan.
THIS MONTH
IN SIU HISTORY
JOHNT.
OSTWALD,
65, joined the
SIU in 1977 in
Duluth, Minn.
The Oakland,
Mich. native
first sailed
aboard the S. T.
Crapo, operated by Inland Lakes
Management, Inc. A member of
the engine department, Brother
Ostwald was last employed in
1999. Prior to retiring, he sailed
aboard the Richard J. Reiss, operated by Erie Sand Steamship.
Brother Ostwald lives in
Cheboygan, Mich.
KAID A. TAIRI, 65, began his
career with the SIU in 1967, joining in the port of Detroit.
Originally from Yemen, the deck
department member first sailed
aboard the Reiss Brothers, operated by American Steamship Co.
Prior to retiring, Brother Tairi
shipped aboard Bob-Lo Island's
Columbia. He lives in New
York.
RAILROAD MARINE
WILLIARD
V.BYRNS
JR., 62, hails
from Matthews, Va. He
joined the
Seafarers in
1970 and first
sailed the same
year as a member of the deck
department. Brother Byrns served
in the U.S. Army from 1957 to
1960. He was last employed in
1985 with the Chesapeake &
Ohio Railway. Brother Byrns
currently resides in Hudgins, Va.
. o~ ~ctoh~ at;'~ .
1?10;
P~dent
. NiiOn siped · th~
Merchant Mai'fne'Aa .
'ijf.\1970.;:. Ttiis A.et,
'ff!it.;~~~=-==~:;::;;::;:::;;==::::::=:========~ which incorporated
: many provisions backed by the Seafarers
International Union, had .paSsed b(>th hOuses
of Congress by substandal majorities before
it was sent to President Nixon for his·· signaDuring the two-and-a-half years in whtch the
SIU dinic program has been operating; a
sharp decline in the inddence of tuberculosis
among Seafarers has been noted. The clinics,
Which stress preventive medidne, offer phys-.
ture. President Nixon said the bill marked
,. and the U.S. Public Health Setvlce Hospital$
will go to SIU-contracted co~nies.
the beginning of a new era for the troubled
maritime industry and opened the prospect
of revitalization of the
flag maritime
. fleet.
icaf examinations to atl members. .
The bill will benefit SIU men more than oth·
The major requirements for c0ntrolling
. ers by means of its proviSton to construct
tuberculosis are early detection and effective · 300 new ships for the foreign trade in the
treatment. The SIU's cfmics suppfy the first
next 10 years. The bulk of those 300 ships
u.s...
....
Seafarers LOB
35
�Pensioner
Henry Armstrong, 79, died
July 15. Brother
Armstrong
began his career
with the SIU in
1953. The steward department
member first
sailed aboard Ore Navigation
Corp. 's Export Leader. A native of
North Carolina, Brother Armstrong
began receiving his pension in 1979.
Prior to retiring, he sailed aboard the
Sea-Land Venture. Brother
Armstrong lived in Charlotte, N.C.
HANSM.BANG
Pensioner Hans
M. Bang, 62,
passed away
Aug. 11.
Brother Bang
started his
career with the
SIU in 1965. A
member of the
engine department, the Denmark native first sailed
aboard the Transhudson, operated by
Hudson Waterways Corp. He upgraded
his skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School of Seamanship in
Piney Point, Md. several times and
began receiving his pension in 1999.
Before retiring, he sailed aboard
CSX Lines' Voyager. Brother Bang
called Monte Rio, Calif. home.
HERBERT CLARITY
Pensioner
Roberto Bosco,
73, passed away
July 26. He
began his career
with the SIU in
1951, joining in
the port of New
York. Born in
Puerto Rico,
Brother Bosco first sailed aboard
Waterman Steamship Corp. 's Wild
Ranger. The steward department
member started receiving his pension in 1989. Prior to retiring,
Brother Bosco sailed aboard the
American Heritage, operated by
Westchester Marine Corp. He called
Carolina, P.R. home.
Pensioner Herbert Clarity, 80, died
July 1. The La Cygne, Kan. native
started his career with the MC&S in
1945. He first sailed aboard the
Hibbing Victory. A member of the
steward department, Brother Clarity
last sailed aboard American
President Lines' President Lincoln.
He resided in Ft. Scott, Kan.
EDWARD BOGGUESS
Pensioner
Edward
Bogguess, 74,
passed away
June 13. Born
in Iowa,
Brother
Bogguess
joined the
MC&S in 1966
in the port of San Francisco, before
that union merged with the SIU. The
steward department member started
receiving his pension in 1983. Prior
to his retirement, he sailed aboard
the President Pierce, operated by
American President Lines. Brother
Bogguess resided in Seattle.
DOMINICK BRANCOCCIO
Pensioner
William Barnes,
79 died July 10.
He joined the
Seafarers in
1953 in the port
of New York.
Born in the
Philippines,
Brother Barnes
first sailed with New York Dock
Railway Co. A member of the
engine department, he began receiving his pension in 1987. Prior to
retiring, he sailed aboard the SeaLand Marketer. Brother Barnes
resided in his native country.
Pensioner
Dominik
Brancoccio, 69,
died June 8. A
native of New
York, he served
in the U.S.
Navy from
1948 to 1952.
Brother
Brancoccio began his career with the
SIU in 1953,joining in the port of
New York. A member of the steward
department, he first sailed aboard an
AH Bull Steamship Co. vessel.
Brother Brancoccio started receiving
bis pension in 1988. Before retiring,
he sailed aboard a Sea-Land Service
vessel. Brother Brancaccio was a
resident of Brooklyn, N.Y.
FRANK BARTLETT
PAT BUCCI
Pensioner
Frank Bartlett,
80, passed
away July 14.
Born in
Alabama,
Brother Bartlett
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1948, joining in the port of New
York. He first sailed aboard an Alcoa
Steamship Co. vessel. Brother
Bartlett served in the U.S. Army
from 1942 to 1943. The steward
department member began receiving
his pension in 1985. Prior to retiring,
he sailed aboard the Fa/con Princess, operated by Seahawk Management. Brother Bartlett lived in
Mobile, Ala.
Pensioner Pat
Bucci, 81, died
July 27. Brother
Bucci started
his career with
the SIU in
1966, joining in
the port of
Wilmington,
Calif. Born in
Utah, he served with the U.S. Navy
from 1942 to 1945. He sailed in the
deck department. Brother Bucci
began receiving his pension in 1984.
Before retiring, be worked aboard
the Santa Magdalena, operated by
Delta Steamship Lines. Brother
Bucci lived in San Diego.
WILLIAM BARNES
-
ROBERTO BOSCO
FELIX BATARA
Pensioner Felix Batara, 87, died
May 23. Born in the Philippines, he
graduated from the Marine Cooks &
Stewards (MC&S) training school
and joined that union in 1944 in the
port of San Francisco. Brother
Batara was a member of the steward
department. He first sailed aboard
the Robert G. Cousins, operated by
Hammond Shipping. Brother Batara
began receiving his pension in 1972.
Prior to retiring, he sailed aboard the
President Taylor, operated by
American President Lines. Brother
Batara called Hercules, Calif. home.
36
Seafarers LOB
ALVIN BURROUGHS
Brother Alvin
Burroughs, 51,
passed away
July 19. Born in
Alabama, he
graduated from
the Seafarers
Harry
Lunde berg
School's entry
level training program in 1969 and
joined the SIU in Piney Point, Md.
Brother Burroughs was a member of
the engine department. He last
shipped aboard Interocean Ugland
Management Corp. 's Diamond
Shoals. Brother Burroughs lived in
Mobile, Ala.
OREN DOWD
Pensioner Oren
Dowd, 78,
passed away
July 22. Brother
Dowd began
his career with
the Seafarers in
1958, joining in
the port of
Mobile. The
Alabama native served in the U.S.
Navy from 1944 to 1946. He sailed
in both the deep sea and inland divisions. The deck department member
first shipped aboard Waterman
Steamship Corp. 's Morning Light.
Brother Dowd began receiving bis
pension in 1986. Prior to his retirement, he sailed aboard Crescent
Towing & Salvage Co. vessels. He
lived in Chickasaw, Ala.
USNS Potomac, operated by Bay
Ship Management, Inc. Brother
Guillory lived in Fulshear, Texas.
FOOKHAU
Pensioner Fook Hau, 93, passed
away May 22. A native of China,
Brother Hau started his career with
the MC&S in 1957. He first sailed
aboard the Golden Mariner. A member of the steward department, he
began receiving his pension in 1973.
Prior to retiring, Brother Hau sailed
aboard the President Cleveland. He
resided in San Francisco.
Pensioner
Nolan Hurtt, 67,
died Aug. 14.
Brother Hurtt
started his
career with the
..\ SIU in 1951,
:~ joining in the
port of
Baltimore. He
first sailed aboard the Oremar, operated by Ore Navigation Corp. A
member of the deck department, be
began receiving bis pension in 1990.
Prior to retiring, Brother Hurtt sailed
aboard the cable ship Global Link.
He resided in Parkville, Md.
ARTHUR JACOBS
WING MAH
Pensioner
Arthur Jacobs,
77, passed
away July 26.
He began his
career with the
SIU in 1952,
joining in the
port of Boston.
A native of
Waterville, Maine, Brother Jacobs
first sailed aboard Isbrandtsen
Company NSA-operated vessels. A
member of the engine department,
he started receiving his pension in
1988. Prior to retiring, he sailed
aboard NPR Inc. 's Bayamon.
Brother Jacobs called West Palm
Beach, Fla. home.
Pensioner Wing Mah, 91, died
March 11. Brother Mah joined the
MC&S in 1945 and sailed in the
steward department. Born in China,
his first vessel was the William H.
Prescott, operated by American
President Lines. Brother Mah began
receiving his pension in 197 .
Before retiring, he sailed aboard the
Lurline, a Matson Navigation Co.
vessel. Brother Mah called San
Francisco home.
HARUNOBU ENOMOTO
Pensioner
Harunobu
Enomoto, 81
died June 12.
Born in Hawaii,
Brother
Enomoto joined
the MC&S in
1968 in the port
of San
Francisco. The steward department
member began receiving bis pension
in 1986. Prior to retiring, he sailed
aboard the President Fillmore.
Brother Enomoto resided in
Kanoehe, Haiwaii.
LUIS FRANCO
Pensioner Luis
Franco, 90,
passed away
June 14. A charter member of
the SIU,
Brother Franco
started his
career with the
union in 1939
in the port of Baltimore. The Ponce,
P.R. native first sailed aboard the
Cape Corwin in the steward department. Brother Franco began receiving his pension in 1965. Prior to
retiring, he sailed aboard the Del
Aires. Brother Franco lived in Miami.
RICHARD GUILLORY
Brother Richard Guillory, 45, died
June 8. Born in Texas, he began his
career with the SIU in 1973, joining
in the port of Houston. Brother
Guillory first sailed aboard the
Overseas Arctic, operated by
Overseas Bulk Tank Corporation.
His last voyage was aboard the
JULIUS M. MAGNO
Pensioner Julius
M. Magno, 80,
passed away
July 29. Born in
the Philippines,
Brother Magno
began his career
with the
Seafarers in
1962. A memher of the deck department, be first
shipped aboard a Merchantile
Steamship Corp. vessel. Brother
Magno began receiving his pension
in 1985. Prior to his retirement, he
sailed aboard the Sea-Land Explorer.
Brother Magno lived in National
City, Calif.
NOLAN HURTT
JOHN DUNN
Pensioner John
Dunn, 75
passed away
June 10. He
served in the
U.S. Army from
1941 to 1945.
Brother Dunn
started his
Seafarers career
in 1947, joining in the port of
Baltimore. The Maryland native was
a member of the steward department. He began receiving his pension in 1983. Prior to retiring,
Brother Dunn sailed aboard the
Santa Lucia, operated by Delta
Steamship Lines. He called Silver
Spring, Md. home.
Interocean
Ugland
Management
Corp.'s
Chiwawa. A
member of the
deck department, Brother
Lester began
receiving his
pension in 1988. Prior to retiring, he
shipped aboard the Sea-Land
Venture. Brother Lester resided in
Reeves, La.
JOE LEWIS JOHNSON
Pensioner Joe
Lewis Johnson,
63, died Aug. 4.
A native of
Alabama, he
joined the SIU
in 1960. He
first sailed
aboard the Twin
Falls, operated
by Swannee Steamship Co. A member of the steward department,
Brother Johnson began receiving bis
pension in 1996. Before retiring, he
sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Enterprise. Brother Johnson lived in
Vallejo, Calif.
SAMUEL JOHNSON
Pensioner
Samuel
Johnson, 78,
passed away
Aug. 8. He
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1951, joining in
the port of New
Orleans. The Florida native first
shipped aboard a Sprogue Steamship
Co. vessel. A member of the engine
department, he began receiving his
pension in 1991. Prior to his retirement, Brother Johnson sailed aboard
the cable ship Global Link. He lived
in Baltimore.
CHARLES LESTER
Pensioner Charles Lester, 62, died
July 11. The Louisiana native began
his career with the Seafarers in
1958,joining in the port ofNew
Orleans. He first sailed aboard
WILLIAM MARTINI
Pensioner William Martini, 84, died
April 29. A native of New York, he
joined the MC&S in 1939. Brother
Martini first sailed aboard the
President Taft. The steward department member began receiving his
pension in 1975. Prior to his retirement, he sailed aboard the Oregon
Mail. Brother Martini lived in
Seattle.
THEODORE R. MARTINEZ
Pensioner
Theodore R.
Martinez, 74,
passed away
June 22. He
served in the
U.S. Army from
1943 to 1947.
Brother
Martinez began
his career with the Seafarers in
19 51. A member of the engine
department, he first sailed aboard
Southhail Company of Florida vessels. Brother Martinez started receiving his pension in 1981. Before retiring, he sailed aboard the Inger, operated by Reynolds Metal Company.
Galveston, Texas was his home.
HILARIO MIRANDA
Brother Hilario Miranda, 66, died
May 17. The Galveston, Texas
native began his career with the SIU
in 1961. A member of the engine
department, he first shipped aboard
Cape Waterways, Inc. vessels. He
last sailed aboard the Overseas
Washington. Brother Miranda called
Houston home.
RODOLFO MOREIRA
Brother Rodolfo Moreira, 71, passed
away July 31. A native of Honduras,
he joined the SIU in 1991 in the port
of Honolulu. A member of the steward department, he first shipped
Continued on page 3 7
October 2000
�Continued from page 36
aboard
American
Hawaii Cruises
vessels. Brother
Moreira upgraded his skills at
the union's
school in Piney
Point, Md. and
last sailed
aboard the USNS Yano, operated by
Bay Ship Management, Inc. He
lived in the Bronx, N.Y.
BLAISE PANICHO
Pensioner
Blaise Panicho,
84, died Aug.
16. Born in
Maryland,
Brother Panicho
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1951, joining in
the port of New York. He served in
the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946.
Brother Pancio first sailed aboard
the Robin Trent, operated by Sinclair
Oil Corporation. A member of the
steward department, Brother
Panicho started receiving his pension in 1981. Prior to retiring, he
shipped aboard the cable ship Long
Lines. Brother Panicho resided in
Baltimore.
NORRIS PERKINS
Pensioner
Norris Perkins,
78, passed away
June 4. Brother
Perkins began
his career with
the MC&S in
1958, joining in
the port of
Seattle. A native
of Missouri and a member of the
steward department, he first sailed
aboard American President Lines'
President Adams. Brother Perkins
started receiving his pension in
1992. Before retiring, he sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Tacoma.
Brother Perkins lived in Seattle.
CHARLES RICE
Pensioner
Charles Rice,
77, died July
11. He began
his career with
the SIU in
1945,joining in
the port of
Gloucester,
· Mass. A member of the steward department,
Brother Rice graduated from the
bosun recertification course at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School
in 1979. He began receiving is pension in 1986. Prior to his retirement,
Brother Rice shipped aboard the
Osprey, operated by NPR, Inc. He
called Ormond Beach, Fla. home.
in the port of New York. Born in
Trinidad, he sailed in the steward
department. Brother Rooks began
receiving his pension in 1994.
Before retiring, he sailed aboard the
Sam Houston, a Waterman
Steamship Corp. vessel. Brother
Rooks lived in Kenner, La.
EDWARD STANKIEWICZ
Pensioner
Edward
Stankiewicz,
74, passed
away June 24.
He served in
the U.S. Navy
from 1943 to
1946. The
Pennsylvania
native began his career with the SIU
in 1951, joining in the port of
Philadelphia. A member of the deck
department, Brother Stankiewicz
first sailed aboard the Transatlantic.
He began receiving his pension in
1991. Prior to his retirement, he
sailed aboard the Tam Gui/den, operated by Transport Commercial.
Brother Stankiewicz resided in
Philadelphia.
RAMON THOMAS
Brother Ramon Thomas, 21, died
July 27. Born in Mobile, Ala.
Brother Thomas began his SIU
career in 1999, joining in the port of
Piney Point. He last sailed aboard
the USNS Bob Hope, operated by
Maersk Lines, Ltd. Brother Thomas
resided in his native Mobile.
THEODORE WEEMS
Pensioner
Theodore
Weems, 75,
passed away
July 20. Born in
Ohio, Brother
Weems began
his career with
the Seafarers in
;;.......;;,;.....__~""----' 1949,joining in
the port of New York. He served
with the U.S. Navy from 1942 to
1946. Brother Weems was a member
of the dec:.C department. He began
receiving his pension in 1986. Prior
to retiring, he sailed aboard the
Samuel L. Cobb. Jacksonville, Fla.
was his home.
GEORGE WHITE JR.
Pensioner
George White,
Jr., 80 died July
29. He began
his career with
the MC&S in
1954, joining in
the port of San
Francisco.
L----~~~:.....o:...___, Brother White
was a veteran of the U.S. Army. The
steward department member began
receiving his pension in 1991. Prior
to retiring, Brother White worked
aboard the Sea-Land Consumer. He
resided in Los Angeles.
ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ
Brother Roberto Rodriguez, 51,
passed away June 16. Born in New
York, he served in the U.S. Air
Force from 1968 to 1970. Brother
Rodriguez joined the SIU in 1971 in
the port of New York. He first sailed
aboard the Council Grove, operated
by Interocean Ugland Management,
Corporation. A member of the
engine department, Brother
Rodriguez upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School
in 1974. He last sailed aboard the
USNS Gilliand. He resided in
Brooklyn, N. Y.
COURTNEY ROOKS
Pensioner Courtney Rooks, 75, died
Aug. 14. Brother Rooks started his
career with the SIU in 1951,joining
October 2000
INLAND
RAYMOND DIXON
Pensioner
Raymond
Dixon, 81,
passed away
June 11. A
native of
Louisiana,
Captain Dixon
began his
L--~~L.i:1~__J career with the
SIU in 1957, joining in the port of
New Orleans. He navigated the
inland waterways throughout his
career, sailing primarily aboard
Dixie Carrier vessels. He last sailed
in 1981. Brother Dixon began
receiving his pension in 1982. He
resided in Marrero, La.
ROBERT FREEMAN
Boatman Robert Freeman, 58 died
April 17. He began his SIU career in
1988 joining in the port of
Philadelphia. A member of the deck
department, Boatman Freeman first
shipped aboard a Moran Towing of
Philadelphia vessel and last sailed
aboard a McAllister Towing of
Philadelphia vessel. He served in the
U.S. Air Force from 1961 to 1963.
He called Boynton Beach, Fla.
home.
JOSEPH LANDRY
Pensioner Joseph Landry, 69 passed
away July 28. Boatman Landry
began his SIU career in 1963, joining in Port Arthur, Texas. He served
in the U.S. Army from 1948 to
1955. A member of the deck department, Boatman Landry sailed primarily aboard Hvide Marine Towing
Co. vessels. He began receiving his
pension in 1988. Brother Landry
Landry called Groves, Texas home.
BRUNO LEWANDOWSKI
Pensioner
Bruno
Lewandowski,
65, died June
29. He served
in the U.S.
Marine Corps
· from 1953 to
1956. Boatman
Lewandowski
began his career with the SIU in
1976, joining in the port of
Philadelphia. Born in Pennsylvania,
he worked primarily aboard
McAllister Towing Co. vessels, last
sailing in 1986. A member of the
steward department, Boatman
Lewandowski began receiving his
pension in 1996. He resided in
Philadelphia.
FRANCIS LUKOWSKI
Boatman
Francis
Lukowski, 55,
died June 13.
Captain
Lukowski
served in the
U.S. Navy from
1966 to 1969.
Born in
Massachusetts, he began his career
with the Seafarers in 1969, joining
in the port of Baltimore. Boatman
Lukowski sailed primarily aboard
McAllister Towing of Baltimore
vessels. He lived in Huntington
Beach, Calif.
EUGENE R. LUTTRELL
Pensioner Eugene R. Luttrell, 79,
passed away July 15. Boatman
Luttrell began his career with the
SIU in 1961,
joining in the
port of Norfolk,
Va. He served
in the U.S.
Navy from
1945 to 1946.
The Virginia
native sailed
primarily
aboard Moran Towing of Virginia
vessels. Boatman Luttrell began
receiving his pension in 1985. He
called Reedville, Va. home.
JOHN LYNCH
Pensioner John
Lynch, 73, died
June 12. A
native of
Pennsylvania,
he served in the
U.S. Army from
1945 to 1946.
Captain Lynch
started his
career with the SIU in 1957, joining
in the port of Philadelphia. Boatman
Lynch first navigated the inland
waterways aboard Taylor Marine
Towing Company vessels. He began
receiving his pension in 1996. Prior
to retiring, Captain Lynch piloted
Turecamo Maritime vessels.
Philadelphia was his home.
ARTHUR E. MAIER SR.
Pensioner
Arthur E. Maier
Sr.,78, passed
away June 8.
Boatman Maier
served in the
U.S. Navy from
1942 to 1945. A
deck department member,
he started his career with the SIU in
1957, joining in the port of Houston.
The Ocean Springs, Miss. native
began receiving his pension in 1985.
Boatman Maier worked aboard
Dixie Carriers vessels throughout his
career, last sailing in 1983. Brother
Maier resided in Biloxi, Miss.
CHARLES NORTON
Boatman Charles Norton, 56, died
June 27. He started his career with
the SIU in 1977, joining in the port
ofNorfolk, Va. A native of Virginia,
Boatman Norton sailed in the deck
department. He worked primarily
aboard McAllister Towing of
Virginia vessels until he came
ashore in 1990. Chesapeake, Va. was
his home.
DAVID STILES
Pensioner David Stiles, 70, passed
away May 27. He served in the U.S.
Navy from 1947 to 1948. Captain
Stiles began his career with the SIU
in 1973, joining in the port of
Norfolk. A native of Virginia, he
first sailed aboard Norfolk &
Baltimore vessels. Brother Stiles
began receiving his pension in 1992.
Prior to retiring, he sailed aboard
Northeast Towing vessels. Brother
Stiles resided in Cape Charles, Va.
GREAT LAKES
GEORGE HARRISON
Brother George
Harrison, 57,
died July 28.
He started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1966. The West
Virginia native
served in the
U.S. Army
from 1967 to 1969. He first sailed
for the SIU aboard the American Sea
Ocean, operated by the American
Steamship Co. A member of the
steward department, he last sailed
aboard the John Boland, another
American Steamship Co. vessel.
Brother Harrison lived in Ivydale,
W. Va.
GORDON LUCKETT
Pensioner Gordon Luckett, 77,
passed away Aug. 12. Brother
Luckett began his career with the
SIU in 1967, joining in the port of
Detroit. A member of the deck
department, he first shipped aboard a
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.
vessel. Brother Luckett began
receiving his pension in 1988. Prior
to retiring, he sailed aboard a Falcon
Marine Company vessel. He resided
in Clearwater, Fla.
JOSEPH W. McKENNA
Pensioner
Joseph W.
McKenna, 67
died July 1. He
began his seafaring career in
1963, joining in
the port of New
York. He sailed
primarily
aboard Great Lakes Towing Co. vessels. Brother McKenna began
receiving his pension in 1995.
Brother McKenna served with the
U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954. He
resided in Cleveland.
FRANK W. RYDELL
___....,,....,,,_...... Pensioner
Frank W.
Rydell, 93,
passed away
July 3. Brother
Rydell began
his career with
the SIU in
1963, joining in
the port of
Chicago. The Wisconsin native
sailed primarily aboard Great Lakes
Towing Company vessels. He began
receiving his pension in 1976.
Mokena , Ill. was his home.
Tuesday, lov. 7 is Election Day 2000.
This year, the American people will select those legislators who will sene
them in Congress. In addition to choosing a new president and vice president, one-third of the 100 senatorial seats are up for grabs as are all 435
positions In the House of Representatives. Remember, you can't vote
unless you are registered.
Participate ••• Register • • • VOTE/
Seafarers LOG
37
�The SS Ceveland:
Still Going Strong
..
The following article and accompanying photos were sent
to the LOG by Bosun David J. Garoutte.
The SS Cleveland was launched in October 1969 as the SS American Mail.
After nearly 31 years, but under a different name and company, this Sealift, Inc.
break-bulk, 'tween deck freighter is still delivering cargo worldwide under the
U.S. flag. She is truly unique as there are less than a handful in the American
fleet.
Our two most recent trips took us to Puerto Cortes, Honduras, with containerized foodstuffs; then to Matarani, Peru, via the Panama Canal, with
bagged cargo. Needless to say, it was a pretty fine trip but not without its fair
share of hard work.
Changing the rigging from lifting 20-ton containers to the 5-ton yard and
stay rig for the bags and then back again is no cakewalk. Just the basic maintenance on the ship is considerable. Anyone who has sailed on an old freighter
knows exactly what I mean. There are 25 booms on the ship, counting the heavy
lift jumbo.
After loading more bagged cargo in Houston, we went to Wilmington, N.C.
for assorted general cargo, including nine heavy lifts as well as a fair amount of
ordnance. Being June, it was a pleasant trip across the Atlantic, through the
Mediterranean and Aegean seas to Thessaloniki, Greece, then down to Piraeus
for the discharge of the remaining cargo.
With a wistful farewell to Greece, we steamed north to Durres, Albania.
None of us having been there before, we didn't know what to expect, but were
pleasantly surprised at the amenities and friendliness offered us. As an emerging
third-world nation, there were some things to be desired by some Americans,
but from a sailor's point of view, our week-long stay was a pleasant one. It is a
beautiful mountainous country with sprawling valleys of farmland and a proud
and ancient history.
From top to bottom, we all worked hard.
I've personally been on this ship eight years and hope to be here when she
drops her anchors on the beach after her final voyage ...providing she is retired
before I am.
GSU Alice Poree (left) and Chief Steward Mike
Vinca provide good cheer as well as good food.
From left to right: Bosun David Garoutte works on a swivel atop one of the 25
booms aboard the Cleveland; cargo operations in Matarani, Peru; crew members work the hoses during a fire and boat drill.
Sailing :tram Holbmd to Florida
From U.S. Ship Management, Inc. comes
word that as of Aug. 10, 2000, the Ned/loyd
Holland has been renamed the SeaLand Florida.
The photos snapped aboard the newly renamed
ship were sent to the LOG by AB Linnell B.
Coleman.
Bosun William Card adjusts a valve on the deck of the
SeaLand Florida.
38
Sllafarers LOB
Right: ABs Linnell
Coleman (left) and
Rodney Jimenez mix
some paint before tackling
the job ahead of them.
Above: After a hard day's
work and with the tool room
neatly organized, QMED
Charles Kirksey (left) and
DEU Roosevelt Clark are
ready to clean up for dinner.
.4
Left: Serving lunch
aboard the SeaLand
Florida are (from left)
SA Richard Jones,
Steward Ernest Dooms
and Chief Cook Robert
Wilcox.
�>The se~lar,1'LOG a1tf1mpts t~;prtnt ~. many digests oianion shipboard
·
· ·. · 11!l1JJ!lff a~p,qnlb{l(~·h9fl occasion~ because of spate
· · 1im.ffl!tionss some will be omitted.
, Shi~f!zl1tate$ t;rst are reviewed by the unio11's contract depadment.
if\Those Issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union
·upon receipt of the ships' minutes. The minutes are then lorwanled
to the Seafarers LOG tor publication.
CLEVELAND (Sealift Inc.), July
1~hairman David Garoutte,
Secretary Miguel E. Vinca, Educational Director Edward Shamburger, Deck Delegate Peter A.
Poree, Steward Delegate Othello
Dansley. Captain and chief mate
thanked all departments for good
trip. Chairman announced three
days at berth in New Orleans and
then on to Ethiopia. He also noted
3 percent COLA effective July 1,
2000. Secretary thanked everyone
for keeping mess hall clean. Educational director reminded crew
members of opportunities available
at Paul Hall Center in Piney Point,
Md. for upgrading skills. No beefs
or disputed OT. Discussion held
about safety issues aboard ship.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department for good food, especially great barbecue, and for
cleanliness of house. Next port:
New Orleans.
DIAMOND SHOALS (IUM), July
25--Chairman Richard E. Barnes,
Secretary Laura L. Cates, Educational Director Ronald Celious,
Deck Delegate Albert E. Mensah
Jr., Engine Delegate Leportre L.
Jasper, Steward Delegate Subagio
Wibisono. Chairman stated coveralls will be provided by company.
He also noted copies of new contract and merger information, provided by boarding patrolman, now
in crew lounge and smoking room.
Crew members expressed concern
about cold temperatures in staterooms. Suggestion made for company to purchase heaters. Educational director said many jobs now
available, so members should sign
up for courses at Piney Point to be
better prepared. Treasurer announced $2,000 in ship's fund. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Request made for written clarifications from union to ship's officers.
Steward department praised for job
well done. Special thanks to chief
mate for delicious baked goods.
ENDURANCE (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
July 10--Chairman Daniel M.
Ticer Jr., Secretary Russell B.
Beyschau, Educational Director
George Evosevich, Steward Delegate Wiley C. Owens. Chairman
noted changes coming in 2002,
particularly with new STCW
agreement. He reminded crew
members to get necessary endorsements. He also stated wages are up
on Ready Reserve ships. Bosun
announced captain pleased with
condition of crew staterooms during sanitary inspection. He wished
everyone smooth voyage and
pleasant and safe vacation. Secretary urged members contribute to
SPAD. He thanked all hands for
cooperation and patience during
cleaning and waxing of decks.
Educational director stressed
importance of upgrading skills at
Paul Hall Center. Treasurer announced $100 in ship's movie
fund. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Request made for chair
for ABs standing wheel watch.
Crew gave vote of thanks to steward department for excellent job.
Next port: Long Beach, Calif.
INTEGRITY(U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
July 2--Chairman Domingo Leon
Jr., Secretary Michael F. Hammock, Educational Director
Robert J. Hamil, Deck Delegate
Paul D. Lewis, Steward Delegate
October 2000
Ali S. Hydera. Chairman announced good trip with payoff July
6 in Elizabeth, N .J. Vessel will then
start new, longer run. Secretary
thanked crew members for keeping
messhall clean. Educational director suggested attending upgrading
classes in Piney Point and making
sure all seamen's papers and necessary endorsements are up to date.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Clarification requested on working
rules for three-man steward department and on riding gang supervision. Suggestion made for contracts
department to look into increasing
pension and for health plan to
include additional companies. Also
suggested that more benefits be
extended to dependents. Steward
department thanked for job well
done. Next port: Boston, Mass.
KODIAK (CSX Lines), July 1Chairman Roger Reinke, Secretary Melvin E. Morgan, Educational Director Alfonso D. Bombita Jr., Deck Delegate John
Habib, Engine Delegate Phillip
Greenwell, Steward Delegate
Michael Linus. Chairman announced ship scheduled for payoff
July 4 in Tacoma, Wash. Blanket
relief for all crew July 5. Educational director reminded members
to check expiration dates on z-cards
and STCW endorsement to avoid
hassles when shipping out.
Seafarers LOG lists upcoming
upgrading courses; everyone urged
to attend. Some disputed OT reported in steward department.
Numerous suggestions and recommendations made, including: (1)
members be able to collect vacation
pay every 60 days, (2) Piney Point
implement basic woodworking
course and refresher wire-splicing
course to take while attending
upgrading classes, (3) SIU print up
guideline of members' rights concerning Family Medical Leave Act.
Thanks given to chief electrician
for running wire for extra dryer and
to steward department for keeping
ship clean and for excellent food
preparation. Next ports: Tacoma;
Anchorage and Kodiak, Alaska.
LNG ARIES (Pronav), July 24Chairman Jack J. Cooper, Secretary Doyle E. Cornelius, Educational Director Jeffrey Yarmola,
Deck Delegate Richard L. Lewis,
Engine Delegate Michael J. Brennan, Steward Delegate Donna D.
Moore. Bosun thanked everyone
for job well done during uncertainty of vessel reflagging. Crew did
professional job, "as would be
expected for SIU brothers and sisters." Secretary thanked members
for help keeping lounge clean.
Educational director noted importance of attending upgrading courses at Paul Hall Center and advised
crew to check LOG for schedule of
classes. Disputed penalty time in
all departments; no beefs reported.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department for job well done.
LNG GEMINI (Pronav), July 20Chairman John Thompson, Secretary Georg G. Kenny, Educational
Director Donald Lumpkins,
Engine Delegate Dasril Panko,
Steward Delegate Sukirman
Suraredjo. Chairman stated union
adequately responded to issues
addressed at previous meeting. He
stressed need for safety at all times
and not take anything for granted.
Scuttlebutt has vessel being
reflagged and recrewed by AMO
officers on or about Sept. 5. Educational director stressed need to
upgrade skills at Piney Point. New
simulator building soon ready for
classroom instruction. Treasurer
announced $2,800 in general ship's
fund. Refrigerators and television
purchased for all unlicensed crew
staterooms as well as microwave
oven for galley. Additional funds to
be spent on improving satellite TV
system. Crew members reminded
that refrigerators and TV sets to be
stenciled and secured to bulkheads
and not to be transferred when
changing watches. Chairman read
and discussed president's report
from May issue of LOG, stressing
vital role played by Seafarers as
part of America's defense system.
Suggestion made for contracts
department to consider making
Maritime Day, May 22, paid holiday in future contract negotiations,
in memory of all Seafarers who
gave their lives for this country.
Discussion held on difficulties with
travel agency used by Pronav.
Steward thanked crew for cooperation in maintaining clean ship and
for returning movies to library.
Video library is outdated; bosun informed crew members that anyone
purchasing new videos or books
can be reimbursed from ship's
fund. Next port: Nagoya, Japan.
MAERSK CALIFORNIA
(Maersk Lines), July 23--Chairman Andrew B. Barrows, Educational Director Robert J. Flesey
Jr., Secretary David Joseph.
Chairman complimented crew
members on their professionalism.
He announced payoff Aug. 2.
Educational director reminded
members that fire fighting certification needs renewal every five
years. Everyone should check to
see theirs are updated. Treasurer
announced $600 in ship's fund. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestion made that spouses and
dependents be issued medical cards
and receive coverage for prescriptions. Also that new weight
machine be added to gym.
OOCL INSPIRATION (U.S. Ship
Mgmt.), July 30--Chairman Leon
T. Jekot, Secretary Jerome Jordan, Educational Director Eric D.
Bain, Deck Delegate Hans Gottschlick. Chairman announced payoff on arrival in Houston. This is
last voyage for ship with name
OOCL Inspiration. Name being
changed to Commitment, its original name. Colors currently being
painted on house, decks and hatches. Educational director suggested
crew members upgrade skills at
Paul Hall Center. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Clarification
requested about days off in steward
department. Suggestion made to
have contracts department look
into increasing pension in next
contract. Old dryer needs repair or
replacement. Next ports: Bahamas;
Charleston, S.C.; Norfolk, Va.;
Newark, N.J.
OVERSEAS HARRIETTE (OSG
Management), July 2-Chairman
Clyde C. Smith, Secretary Mark
A. Flores, Deck Delegate Hernando M. Bansuelo, Engine Delegate
William E. Cassel ID, Steward
Delegate Santiago Amaya. Vessel
to pay off in Lake Charles, La.
after traversing Panama Canal July
8. Educational director noted delay
in repair of certain galley items.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestions made for contracts
department to look into dependent
prescription coverage and increased
dental benefits. More communication requested with ship's captain
and licensed officers. Crew members also would like company to
donate computer to unlicensed
crew. Additional request made for
more fresh fruit and vegetables for
long voyages. Steward department
thanked for job well done.
OVERSEAS NEW YORK (ATC),
July 25--Chairman Jack Walker,
Secretary Jeffrey L. Smith, Edu-
cational Director Edward H. Self,
Deck Delegate Donald Rezendos,
Engine Delegate Sean Walker,
Steward Delegate Norm Cox.
Chairman announced payoff July
27. He noted coveralls available
from chief mate and reminded
crew that no more than two movies
should be taken at a time. Educational director stressed importance
of utilizing Paul Hall Center facilities for upgrading skills and noted
ATC safety course not yet in effect.
He also advised members to fill out
garbage, dry garbage and tin cans.
Aluminum cans also separated for
collection by shoregang bosun in
Oakland. He reminded everyone
about renewal of STCW, passports
and z-cards. Educational director
urged everyone to upgrade at Paul
Hall Center for better paying jobs.
Treasurer announced $800 in ship's
fund. Money to be used to fix
satellite system. Some disputed OT
reported in engine department; no
beefs noted by all three department
delegates. Communications read by
On-Call on the Red Cloud
No sooner does Bosun Gary White sit down for a quick break
aboard the USNS Red Cloud (Maersk Lines) when he is paged on
his walkie-talkie.
forms for extra day's vacation pay.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Communications from headquarters read and posted regarding
vacation pay during current contract and signing off on TRBs.
Requests made for new movies,
new crew lounge furniture and
exercise room for crew. Thanks
given to steward department for
good job.
PERSEVERANCE (Maritrans ),
July 21--Chairman Thomas W.
Lasater, Secretary Catherine M.
Hays, Educational Director
Kenneth W. Pinchin, Deck Delegate Diego Hatch, Engine Delegate Milton Israel, Steward Delegate Marvin James. Chairman
announced payoff in Puerto Rico
July 31. He advised everyone to
read article in recent LOG about
renewing STCW by Feb. 1, 2002.
He also noted this is big election
year and that Seafarers should stay
involved, vote for those who are on
maritime's side, and vote in union
elections-don't let others decide
for you. Dedication and hard work
of SIU members and officials have
paid off; several companies have
agreed to increase wages and benefits aboard ship. Secretary stated
contract extended another year.
Educational director urged crew
members to upgrade skills at Piney
Point and make sure seamen's
papers are up to date. Treasurer
announced $1, 100 in entertainment
fund. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Request made for parts to
fix crew bikes or purchase new
ones. Suggestion made that Seafarers get paid from day they start
traveling to ship and that vacation
benefits be payable after 60 days.
Also requested better prescription
plan for dependents, including coverage for periodontal work and
more optical benefits. Request
made for tank and oil spill lockers
to be kept more orderly. Thanks
given to steward department for
good food and to all crew members
for keeping house clean and helping with soogie job in meat and
chill boxes. Next ports: Puerto
Rico; Nederland, Texas; Tampa,
Fla.; Marcus Hook, Penn.
PRODUCER (CSX Lines), July
2--Chairman Robert S. Wilson,
Secretary David A. Cunningham,
Educational Director Alan A.
Rogers II, Deck Delegate Joseph
A. Osorio, Engine Delegate Owen
J. Duffy Jr., Steward Delegate
Pedro J. Laboy. Chairman announced payoff July 4 in Oakland,
Calif. He commended crew for
good job separating plastic, wet
bosun regarding increased wages
aboard MarAd vessels. Suggestion
made regarding company-paid
transportation when vessel changes
run to completely new area. Steward department welcomed aboard
Eddy Ramirez as new utility/
pantryman, a seasoned pro from
San Francisco. Steward also
thanked Chief Cook Laboy for
delicious meals and keeping galley
very clean. "Everyone is real
happy about the food on this vessel." Next ports: Honolulu;
Oakland and Long Beach, Calif.
QUALITY (U.S. Ship Mgmt.), July
9--Chairman Jim Hassan, Secretary Franklyn J. Cordero, Educational Director Brian Sengelaub,
Deck Delegate Bennie Spencer,
Engine Delegate Carlos Bonefont,
Steward Delegate Evans Verveniotis. Chairman noted receipt
of new microwave oven. He
thanked all departments for safe
trip. Secretary thanked everyone
for helping keep house, messhalls
and lounges clean and reminded
all members to have STCW updated before 2002 deadline.
Educational director stressed
importance of upgrading skills at
Piney Point and requested crew to
follow rules for separating plastic
items from rest of garbage and
trash. He also cautioned that safety
is everyone's business. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. New LOGs
received on board. Crew advised
that reading LOG is best way to
keep abreast of changes in industry. Steward department given vote
of thanks for good job.
ROBERT E. LEE (Waterman
Steamship Corp.), July 23Chairman Cesar A. Gutierrez,
Secretary James A. Jackson Jr.,
Educational Director Isadore J.
Greenberg, Deck Delegate Bernard I. Blunt, Steward Delegate
Nadine Butler. Chairman noted
that after being at anchor 13 days
for boiler repair, ship once again
en route to Suez Canal and then to
U.S., with next port Morehead
City, N.C. and payoff in New
Orleans. Educational director
advised everyone to take advantage of union facility in Piney
Point for upgrading skills. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Recommendation made for contracts department to look into raising maintenance and cureg. Repairs
needed to VCR and ice machine.
Crew thanked steward department
for job well done.
Seafarers LOB
39
�Baked Turkey
Croquettes
Know Your Rights
Serves: 25
... a good way to use up leftover turkey,
chicken or ham. If using ham, put through
a meat grinder and use 1-112 cups ground
ham .. .
GALLEY
1/2 cups butter
3/4 cup flour
1-112 pints milk
8-1/3 cups turkey, chopped
CORNER
4-1/8 teaspoons salt
1-1/8 teaspoons celery salt
5
eggs
2-3/4 tablespoons water
2-1/8 cups bread crumbs
1-1/8 teaspooons ground sage
112 cup butter, melted
Melt 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add the flour
and stir until well blended. Cook one minute. Slowly add
milk and cook, stirring constantly, until boiling.
Let sauce cool; add chopped turkey, egg yolk, salt and
celery salt.
Form into 25 small cones. Mix bread crumbs with
ground sage. Beat egg in water. Roll cones in crumbs. Dip
each cone in egg and roll again in crumbs. Place on
greased baking pan and drizzle with melted butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
If anyone is looking for a particular recipe or has one of their own that they would like to
share, drop Chef Hetmanski a line at the Paul Hall Center, P. 0. Box 75, Piney Point, MD
20674 or e-mail to: shlssvoc@us.hsanet.net.
tetten
to
the
Editor
I
(Editors note: the Seafarers LOG
reserves the right to edit letters
for grammar as well as space
provisions without changing the
writers intent. The LOG welcomes letters from members, pensioners, their families and shipmates and will publish them on a
timely basis.)
4
)Ii
Captain Praises
Steward Department
I just wanted to drop a note to
let you know of the incredible job
done by Chief Steward Brandon
Maeda and our SIU steward gang
here aboard the Cable Ship
Global Link.
Alongside the dock, as the
ship is now, provides crew members the opportunity to eat at a
variety of restaurants. However, a
majority of the crew as well as
the office staff remain aboard for
the meals so as not to miss the
great chow.
The variety of meals prepared
by Chief Cook James Tran
ranges from
the standard
ChiliMac to Beef Wellington and
lobster. The menu changes so
often, one looks forward to seeing what there is to offer each
day. The baker, Ed Tully, continues to amaze us with his preparations of sweets, some topped with
chocolate sculptures that he prepares at night on his own time.
Brandon and his gang always
manage to keep the morale of the
crew and officers up while at sea
and also strive to maintain the
same good feeling while alongside the dock. The monthly birthday parties with cakes and special
meals have become the norm
which everyone looks forward to
as much as Brandon's holiday
specials.
40
Seafarers LOG
I
This ship has months of waiting for a cable break or a project
but must maintain a 24-hour callout mode of readiness. This
means all 118 bunks must be kept
ready, stores loaded for at least 45
days for 90 men, and above all,
the ship must be kept in a constant state of cleanliness.
The vessel hosts all manner of
company personnel as well as the
weekly functions by our PR people. In all, 1,500 linear feet of
passageway are kept clean and
waxed, ready to receive the
unknown visitor as well as provide a sense of pride to those who
sail aboard her.
Suffice it to say, the steward
department has a lot to do with
the professionalism witnessed by
our customers every day. Our
morale, comfort and needed rest
are taken care of for us by these
guys. As for myself, Brandon
takes one more worry off my
mind as I know the stewards are
always ready to go to sea and that
we won't even notice the difference.
Captain William H. Dowd
Master, CS Global Link
•
days ( 1945), the old Libertys
were not really equipped for shipto-shi p refueling at sea while
underway. The bosun and deck
crew did the best they could using
the standard cargo booms to keep
oil hoses out of the water. The
hoses were in sections of 20 or 40
feet with quick couplings at each
end. The ships had to be very
close alongside.
The skippers tried to take
advantage of good weather. The
mariners on the ship's wheel had
to be on their toes, and we in the
engine room had to hold that old
triple expansion engine at constant revs and the boiler pressure
constant all the while a ship was
fueling alongside.
I guess we did a good job-no
collisions or scrapes.
Joseph R Legere
West Palm Beach, Fla.
)II
Reading Good News;
Remembering the Past
I look forward to getting my
copy of the LOG. It's mostly
always good news, not like our
daily newspapers. I especially
enjoy reading the stories like
"Voyage to India" [April, July,
August 2000]. That brought back
memories of being a fireman/
watertender on a Liberty tanker
when I was 16.
The ship's job was to refuel
the convoy escort ships to the
Mediterranean and back. In those
•
)II'
Getting the Facts
Straight on Islam
I read the article "Voyage to
India." The article was good and
informative. But Mr. Smith misinformed your readers about the
Islam religion when he wrote that
"the muezzins, or priests, have
the 'good fortune' to be blinded
while still young babies 'so that
they may see no evil."'
The statement is completely
false. In Islam, there is no priest
system. Islam just has religious
teachers, scholars and professors.
They are paid for teaching, not for
performing religious activities, or
they are paid for the upkeep of
mosques or schools.
The actual practice to which
Smith referred was that whenever
a baby boy was born blind naturally, the parents would send him
to religous school to memorize
the holy book, the Koran, and get
some religious knowledge so he
could earn his living by teaching.
Zarif A. Qazi
Ontario, Canada
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The
Constitution of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District makes specific provision
for safeguarding the membership's
money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by
certified public accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee of
rank-and-file members, elected by
the membership, each year examines the finances of the union and
reports fully their findings and recommendations. Members of this
committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations
and separate findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds
of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District are
administered in accordance with
the provisions of various trust fund
agreements. All these agreements
specify that the trustees in charge of
these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All
expenditures and disbursements of
trust funds are made only upon
approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial
records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds.
SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the
employers. Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts are posted and
available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Full copies of contracts as
referred to are available to members at all times, either by writing
directly to the union or to the
Seafarers Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU
contracts are available in all SIU
halls. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union
official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she
should contact the nearest SIU port
agent.
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective membership. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Seafarers LOG
policy is vested in an editorial
board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from
among its ranks, one individual to
carry out this responsibility.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU
unless an official union receipt is
given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any
money for any reason unless he is
given such receipt. In the event
anyone attempts to require any such
payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is
required to make a payment and is
given an official receipt, but feels
that he or she should not have been
required to make such payment,
this should immediately be reported
to union headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of
the SIU Constitution are available
in all union halls. All members
should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a
member feels any other member or
officer is attempting to deprive him
or her of any constitutional right or
obligation by any methods, such as
dealing with charges, trials, etc., as
well as all other details, the member
so affected should immediately
notify headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in
employment and as members of the
SIU. These rights are clearly set
forth in the SIU Constitution and in
the contracts which the union has
negotiated with the employers.
Con eque 1 , no member may be
discriminated a ·
because of
race, creed, color, sex, n · al or
geographic origin.
If any member feels that he or she
is denied the equal rights to which
he or she is entitled, the member
should notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS
POLITICAL
ACTIVITY DONATION
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and purpo es
including, but not limite to, furthering the politica , social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering
of the American merchant marine
with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen
and the advancement of trade union
concepts. In connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions are
voluntary. No contribution may be
solicited or received because of
force, job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct,
or as a condition of membership in
the union or of employment. If a
contribution is made by reason of
the above improper conduct, the
member should notify the Seafarers
International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the
contribution for investigation and
appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his
or her economic, political and
social interests, and American trade
union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If
at any time a member feels that any
of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been
denied the constitutional right of
access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The
address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
October 2000
�With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
Name - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - Address
- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
your class starts, US MMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and QMED agplicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee qf $280 with their agplication. The payment should be made with a money order only.
gqyable to LMSS.
COURSE
Telephone
BEGIN
END
DATE
DATE
Date of Birth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member D
Lakes Member
D
Inland Waters Member
D
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed
Social Security#_________ B o o k # - - - - - - - - - Seniority _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Department _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D No D
Home Port
------------
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
D Yes D No
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
If yes, class# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D Yes
D No
If yes, course(s) taken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D Yes D No
Firefighting:
D Yes D No
CPR:
D Yes D No
Primary language spoken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
LAST V E S S E L : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rating: _ _ __
Date O n : - - - - - - - - - - - Date Off:
SIGNATURE
--------------
DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
Upgrade your skills at the Paul Hall Center
Seafarers LOS
41
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
ARPA -
Standing outside the entrance to the Paul Hall Center's new simulator building are graduates of the ARPA class, held in July. They are (from left, first row) Bill Cliett,
Douglas Jones, Susan Galka, Mike Smith (instructor), (second row) Jim Boyce, Carl
Brachear and Jerry Martinsen.
Tankerman (PIC) Barge - Completing the tankerman (PIC) barge course July
28 are (from left, kneeling) Michael Bedney, Michael Knighton, (second row) Jason
Foster, Barry Schuffels, Laurence Gilley, Ronnie Harrington, Marijan Masnov, Gerry
Davis, Demetrius Simmons, Randy Diaz, Ben Cusic (instructor), Greg Scott, (third row)
Norman Tourtellot, Maurice Martin, Todd Moreland and Samuel Porchea.
Upgraders Water Survival - Completing the water survival course Aug. 4 are
Seafarers (from left, kneeling) Mario Morante, Cheryle Mix, Bernabe Pelingon (instructor), Edita Miguel, Franz Schnell, (second row) David MacCollister, Bryan Chase, Scott
Wilson, Ede Sinette Jr., Faleh Saleh, (third row) Roger Noah, Mark Poor and Wayne
Smiley.
AB -
Upgrading Seafarers earning their AB endorsements Sept. 1 are (fro feft,
kneeling) Cheryle Mix, Bernabe Pelington (instructor), (second row) · ael Bowers,
David MacCollister, Luis Martinez, Scott Wilson, Mario Morante, Ede Sinette Jr., Noel
Balaguer, (third row) Emani Viii, Mark Poor, Wayne Smiley, Damon Parker, Roger Noah,
(fourth row) Chad Warren and Patrick Maldonado.
STCW Basic Safety Successfully completing the
STCW basic safety class July 28
are (from left, kneeling) Juan
Green, Gary Torres, Niko
Monsales, Antonio Libo-on,
Armando Bermudez, Rudy
Antonio, ln-ocenio Desaville,
Edward Hopeau, (second row)
Russ Levin (instructor), Milton
Flynn, Pablo Bermudez, Darren
Barrett, Bartow Bridges, John
Phillips, Rossel Lino, Gerald
Evans, Michael Cascio, Curtis
Thornton, Abdul Munassar, (third
row) William Watterson, Nicholas
Joyce, Rick Metcalf, Dan
McDonald, Mike Kifle, Louis
Gracia, Ken Grose and John
Turner Ill.
HAZWOPER -
Boatmen sailing aboard
Crowley vessels recently completed an 8-hour HAZWOPER renewal class. They are (front row, kneeling)
Richard Hollis, Richard Workman, Craige Terry,
James Tank, Ede Sinette Jr., Willie Rose, Ben Guillot,
Wade Wansley Ill, (second row) Chester Stephens Jr.,
Robert August Sr., John Jackson, Andrew Smith,
Barry Lincourt, Ronnie Harrington, Larry Belcher,
Peter Gottschalk, Steven Williams, Gilberto
Chamorro, W.B. Callahan, Barry Schuffels, Lawrence
Holbert, Jim Larkin, Elijah Seals and John O'Neal.
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
DEU -
Unlicensed apprentices completing the DEU course Aug. 18 are (from left, kneeling) John
Lightfoot, (second row) Maurice Chambers (instructor), Robert Gambill, Matthew Redlinger, Justin Baker,
Jerome Luckett, Brian Spears, Edmund Livings, (third row) Ian Hemba and Robert O'Neal.
Phase III - Graduation is just a short time away for these unlicensed apprentices.in their third phase of study. From left, kneeling
are Roger Berger, Michael Bull, Timothy Manes, Earle Shakes, (second row) Jose Rivera, Donna Sylvia, Terry Blade, John Collins Jr.,
Jared Lee, (third row) Caleb Sachs, Lovell Hyman, Dominic Whitty,
Elijah Huff and Ryan Humphrys.
Phase
>
m
Graduation - Charles Walker, Christopher Todd,
Eli Smith, Marquel Sapp, Justin Rodgers, Ronel Guerzon, Ian
Ferguson, Raymond Elsner, Janan Driggers, Randolph Cash and
Robert Brown conclude the last stage of the unlicensed apprentice
program .
Water Survival -
Members of the unlicensed apprentice program who completed the water survival
portion of their training in August are (from left, first row) Ben Cusic (instructor), Anthony Rodriguez, Phillip
Jones, Skyler South Sutika, Keni Smith, Lewis McCray, Reggie Arvelo, (second row) Darren Barrett, Khari
Harris, James Summers, Thomas Hawks, Elliott Johnson and Jason Thompson.
Chief Steward Under the supervision of
Chef/Instructor John Dobson (stirring soup),
Seafarers upgrade their
steward department skills.
Not all the class members
are in the photograph at
right. The class roster
included (in alphabetical
order) Jose Garcia,
Patricia Geras, David
Camacho, Lara Evans,
Franz Schnell, John
Stephen, Herman Stith
and David Wakeman.
Vessel Operations -
Working their way through the Unlicensed
Apprentice Program, the following students completed the vessel operations class in August: (from left, first row) Matthew Nunez, Emilio
Abreu, Damon Straughter, Justin Johnson, (second row) Maurice
Chambers (instructor), Michael Praslicka, Paul Voisin, Darren Rollins
and John Rochez.
QMED -
This is the last QMED class
until next year. Completing the course are
(from left, kneeling) Lewis O'Neal, Jaime
Hernandez, Antonio Libo-on, Robert
McMurray, James Tyson, Richard Abbott,
George Murphy Jr., (second row) Edward
Fore, Courtney Price, Mike Price, Mike Kifle,
Lamar Parker, Brandon Purcell, Gregory
Brandani, Carlos Perez, Trinity Ippolito and
David Ayou .
October 2000
Seafarers LOS
43
�Election lnfonnatlon
See special section on pages 13-32
regarding the upcoming
SIUNA-AGLIWD election.
Sealilt Training: A Vital Resource
For America's 4th Aim ofDefense
During flight operations aboard the Sgt. William R.
Button en route from Guam to Saipan, AB Jamie
Dalasio (above and inset) attaches cargo to a U.S.
Navy helicopters hoisting cables.
Above and at right: Forklift training and
crane operations are but a few of the components in the sealift preparedness course
offered at the Paul Hall Center.
Thousands of Seafarers crew ships that collectively constitute
America's fourth arm of defense. During times of war, those vessels carry 95 percent of all equipment and supplies needed to sustain the U.S. military, according to government data.
Manning vessels that are operated for the Department of
Defense by SIU-contracted companies, Seafarers help provide
vital ocean transportation of fuel, ammunition and other materiel
to sustain U.S. forces worldwide during military operations. They
do so for as long as requirements dictate, at any location around
the globe and under all imaginable conditions.
As one might suspect, working aboard such vessels demands
skills that are compatible with military operations. Thanks largely
to the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in
Piney Point, Md., SIU crews are well prepared to meet the challenges posed by these unique requirements. Since 1984, the school
has conducted a sealift preparedness course that has equipped
Seafarers with the expertise needed to function aboard ships while
in military operations modes.
The course has been updated on several occas1
eep pace
with changing military needs. These skills currently inclu ,
are not limited to: underway and vertical replenishment, crane
operations, forklift training, refueling, damage control, CBRD
(chemical, biological and radiological defense), search and rescue,
MSC familiarization and helicopter operations.
SIU crews utilize their sealift training while working aboard
prepositioning ships, tankers,
oceanographic and surveillance vessels, aircraft
tenance shi
ast sealift
ships. Seafarers also use
sealift skills while manning
vessels from the nation's
Ready Reserve Force (RRF).
SIU members further hone
their sealift skills by participating in military exercises at
Ferrero takes a break after
standing watch on the bow
of the MV Cape Trinity.
Right: AB Mike
Riley pulls lookout
duty on the
�
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Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009
Description
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Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log
Source
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Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present, Seafarers Log Digital Copies
Publisher
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Seafarers International Union of North America
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October 2000
Description
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HEADLINES
NEW TANKERS ORDERED
ITF SECURES $119, 000 IN WAGES FOR FILIPINO MARINERS IN N.J.
SCHOOL ADDS SUPERLATIVE SIMULATORS
SEAFARERS, ELECTED REPS RALLY AGAINST ‘FLOATING SWEATSHOPS’
U.S. WORKERS LACK RIGHT TO ORGANIZE
REP. BATEMEN, DIES AT 72
UNIONS WELCOME NEW ROS LANGUAGE
RESOLUTION HONORS MERCHANT MARINERS
TRAINING PROVES BENEFICIAL FOR SIU PORT PERSONNEL
WHITTEN BRINGS CARING TOUCH TO HER WORK AT PINEY POINT
STATE-OF-THE-ART SIMULATORS AID PAUL HALL CENTER TRAINING
GREAT LAKES SEASON PICKS UP WITH RAIN
RALLY AGAINST FOC’S
INFORMATION FOR THE 2000 ELECTION OF OFFICERS , SIU ATLANTIC, GULF, LAKES AND INLAND WATERS DISTRICT.
SIU CONSTITUTION SPELLS OUF RULES FOR 2000 ELECTIONS
PRESENT CONSTITUTION-SIUNA- AGLIWD
THE SS CLEVELAND: STILL GOING STRONG
SAILING FROM HOLLAND TO FLORIDA
SEALIFT TRAINING: A VITAL RESOURCE FOR AMERICA’S 4TH ARM OF DEFENSE
Creator
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Seafarers Log
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Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
Publisher
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Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
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10/01/2000
Format
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Newsprint
Type
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Text
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Vol. 62, No. 10
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/c47c38b74da9372259a1cb5cd25a186f.pdf
d850bc00f48c1bd94e3a5794ede89e15
PDF Text
Text
Volume 62, Number 9
September 2000
New T-AGOS P ct
Yields Major Gains
In Wages, Benetits
I'
Maersk Line Ltd.
Wins 5-Year Contract
SIU members aboard the USNS Stalwart as well as 12 other T-AGOS
ships operated by Maersk Line Ltd. will receive substantial wage and
benefits increases as part of a new five-year contract awarded by the
U.S. Military Sealift Command. Page 3.
SIU Backs CWA, IBEW
Seafarers last month demonstrated with striking members of the
Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers near Washington, D.C. By Aug. 24, the 87,000 striking workers had returned to their jobs at Bell AtlanticNerizon after reaching tentative accords. Page 2.
10 Years Alter Persian Gulf War,
MarAd Reflects on Sealift El fort
Page5
Signaling new jobs for the SIU, the USNS Watkins (above and inset) was launched July
28 at NASSCO. Seafarers are crewing the U.S. Military Sealift Command's newest prepositioning ship, which tentatively is slated to sail in October. Page 3.
Wilmington Union Hall's
Renovation Nearly Done
Page3
�I
President's Report
Heeding Strong Words
During the last few months, many authoritative figures from
throughout our industry have emphasized this country,s need for a
strong U.S. Merchant Marine.
Their comments are powerful and not to be taken lightly.
Some examples: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen.
Henry H. Shelton stated, "Our national security and strategy
depends on a vital merchant marine, and the Joint Chiefs and I
know it and so do our leaders in Washington.''
Navy Admiral Al Herberger, former U.S. Maritime
Administrator, said, "The commercial merchant marine represents
a cost-effective way of providing logistics supplies. Ifs a bargain.',
Rear Admiral John R. Fisher, president of the U.S. Navy
League, observed, "In all future wars threatening U.S. interests
overseas, 95 percent or more of the supplies and equipment needed by our air and ground forces in the combat zone will have to
come by sea. We cannot depend on foreign-flag ships to carry that
cargo."
Those are not isolated remarks. U.S. Rep. Herb Bateman,
chairman of the House Merchant Marine Panel, called for the
extension and expansion of the Maritime Security Program and
the prepositioned ship program.
Admiral James B. Perkins, former commander of the U.S.
Military Sealift Command, pointed out, "The history of the merchant marine in military service is characterized by high heroism
and noble sacrifice .... As former commander of the Navy's
Military Sealift Command1 I saw it every day, up dose and personal: The U.S. Merchant Marine is absolutely vital to sustain
U.S. troops overseas."
Most recently. in a 10th anniversary reflection on the Persian
Gulf War, Maritime Administrator John Graykowski declared,
.. Sealift is absolutely essential to protect freedom and project
America's interests anywhere, anytime in an imperfect world.
Crewing those ships will be America's citizen mariners, ready and
willing to answer their nation's call as they have since 1775."
Brothers and sisters, we in the SIU should feel proud that our
industry enjoys that kind of support from such well-respected,
knowledgeable people.
But we also must not miss the urgency in their statements.
Their common message is two-fold; America needs a U.S.-flag
fleet to protect national and economic security, and we had better
take steps to ensure that fleet exists!
The U.S. maritime industry needs much more than a reproduction of the current 10-year Maritime Security Program. The MSP
must be extended for at least 15 to 20 years, and its fleet must be
expanded.
Cargo preference laws must strictly be enforced.
Tax reform for U.S. mariners and commercial vessels must be
implemented.
Additionally, our industry must capitalize on new opportunities
in the coastwise trades. With a projected doubling of waterborne
commercial vessel traffic in the U.S. during the next 20 years,
there is great potential for expansion in the domestic fleet.
As always, your union is working closely with our allies
throughout the industry to achieve these goals. It's not easy. But,
as we demonstrated during the long, hard fight to enact the MSP,
we will commit every resource necessary to win.
Of course, our greatest resource is you, the rank-and-file member. When you participate in grassroots activities, you help protect
your job and your industry. And, believe me, even a fairly quick
action such as writing to your senator or congressman carries a lot
of weight.
In the coming months, the SIU will call upon the entire membership to get involved in the next stage of our nationwide drive
for the newest phase of U.S. maritime revitalization.
Together, we will get the job done.
Volume 62, Number 9
Unions Win Key Demands
At Bell Atlantic/Verizon
Some 87,000 striking members of the Communications
Workers of America (CWA) and
the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers (IBEW)
returned to their jobs at Bell
AtlanticNerizon Aug. 21 and 24
after hammering out tentative
accords.
The temporary contracts, subject to membership ratification,
cover three years and provide a
12 percent wage increase plus
better pension benefits to the
Verizon workers, among other
gains. Representatives for both
unions said the agreements
address key concerns that were at
the heart of the strike that began
Aug. 6.
The contracts cover union
members in New York, New
Jersey, New England, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland,
Virginia, West Virginia, and the
District of Columbia.
SIU members and officials
supported CWA members on
picket lines every day of the
strike. The SIU donated food and
also marched with fellow trade
unionists at a demonstration site
in Leonardtown, Md. and in
Washington.
CWA Growth Areas
The CWA reported that the
new contract package "substantially curbs forced overtime for
customer service employees and
technicians- a key issue in the
walkout- and
achieves
the
union's major job security goals,
including sharp limits on the
transfer of work as the result of
the GTE-Bell Atlantic merger that
created Verizon_
"Another breakthrough provision opens the door to unionization for thousands of Verizon
Wireless workers in the old Bell
Atlantic portion of Verizon by
extending card-check recognition
and neutrality rights for gaining
representation."
CWA President Morton Bahr
Striking members of the Communications Workers of America thank
SIU members for supporting them on the picket lines.
stated, "This settlement secures
the future for our members at this
company and it also helps sharpen
Verizon 's competitive edge. The
men and women we represent are
the human face of Verizon, the
people who deal directly with the
customers every day. This agreement assures Verizon the advantage of a stable workforce of the
most highly skilled and experienced people, and in many ways it
gives our members the ability to
do their jobs even better."
CWA members had sought job
~ecurity and member access to the
company's growth areas- wireless, data network integration.
Internet and more--as well as
limits on contracting out.
According to the union, Bell
Atlantic's unwarranted use of
contractors had jeopardlled not
only the company's reputation for
customer service, but also its
move into high-speed Internet
access.
Excessive stress and forced
overtime were additional concerns. Workers at call centers,
CWA charges, have been subjected to continuing speedups and
excessive monitoring, and were
not given time for the training
they need to market Verizon 's
newest products. Workers also
regularly had been subjected to
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Managing
Eclltor!Production. Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor, Jim
Guthrie; Art, Bill Brower, Administrative Support, Jeanne
Textor.
2
Seafarers LOG
forced overtime, restrictions on
vacations and days off. Some
were denied time off the job for
family emergencies, the union
says.
The CWA and IBEW workers
"have taken a stand for justice that
echoes throughout workplaces
across America," said AFL-CIO
President John S. Sweeney in a
prepared statement August 7 after
the strike began. "These workers'
high-road vision for Bell Atlantic/
Verizon 's growth reflects the kind
of future which working families
need in the new economy. They
have called for Bell Atlantic/
Verizon to make sure that the
company's new jobs are good
jobs-jobs that pay a family-supporting wage with benefits and a
say on the job."
McDermott
Goes Union
September 2000
Copyright© 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
Recertified Stewards George
Borromeo and Kathy Shaner
operate a grill to help feed the
striking communications workers.
Joining CWA members on the picket line are Seafarers Jason Hudkins,
Paul Gohs, Timothy Squire Jr., David Vaughn and Justin VanPelt.
A majority of workers at J.
Ray McDermott Shipyard in
Amelia, La. last month voted to
join the International Union of
Operating Engineers.
Following an intense campaign, 404 employees voted for
union representation while 319
voted against it. That represented
an 87 percent turnout of the 830
eligible voters.
The SIU and other maritime
unions assisted in the campaign.
"Our ultimate goal is to
improve the quality of life for
these workers, while at the same
time helping McDermott excel,
which is also good for the entire
community," said Operating
Engineers Local 406 Business
Manager Pete Babin.
J. Ray McDermott is a subsidiary of New Orleans-based
McDermott International, Inc. Its
employees construct offshore oil
rigs and platforms.
September 2000
�Seal arers' Wages, Benefits Increase
Under New Five-Year T-AGOS Pact
Seafarers working aboard 13
T-AGOS ships operated by
Maersk Line Limited will receive
significant gains in wages and
other benefits over the next five
years. The increases were realized Aug. 16 after the U.S.
Military
Sealift
Command
(MSC) awarded a new contract to
the Norfolk, Va.-based company.
The USNS Effective, a SWATH vessel, is one of the 13 ships whose
SIU crew members are the recipients of a new five-year contract.
In addition to wage increases,
the agreement also provides for
improved dental benefits for
members and dependents, outpatient dependent care, inclusion in
the Seafarers Money Purchase
Pension Plan and other gains.
"The SIU not only retains our
jobs on the 13 T-AGOS ships, but
also achieves major improvements throughout the contract,"
stated SIU Vice President
Contracts Augie Tellez. "This is
very similar to what transpired
earlier this year with the fast
sealift contract and last year with
a separate T-AGOS contract.
Once again it proves the union's
point that the hardest thing is to
get that first contract and, once
we're in, things will improve."
The ships covered by the
agreement are the USNS vessels
Able, Assertive, Bold, Capable,
Effective, Indomitable, Invincible, Loyal, Persistent, Prevail,
Stalwart, Victorious~ Vindicator
and Impeccable. The Impeccable
is scheduled to join MSC's
Maersk-contracted T-AGOS fleet
next year.
SIU Welcomes USNS Watkins
New RO/RO Crewing Begins This Month
Seafarers this month will crew
the U.S.
Military Scalift
Command's (MSC's) newest
prepositioning ship in San Diego.
The USNS Watkins, a roll-on/rolloff (RO/RO) vessel, was
launched July 28 and tentatively
is slated to sail in October.
Representing new jobs for SIU
members, the Watkins will carry a
wide range of equipment for the
U.S. Army, including tanks and
armored personnel carriers. It
was built at NASSCO Shipyard
in San Diego.
A "nucleus crew" will climb
the gangway this month, followed soon thereafter by the
remaining members.
The 950-foot Watkins is
equipped with port and starboard
sideport ramp systems, two single-pedestal twin cranes and
cargo hatches in three holds. It
has a combination of fixed and
hinged RO/RO ramps.
The vessel also features environmental control for its cargo
September 2000
Shown at anchor in Monterey, Calif., the SIU-crewed USNS Assertive
supports the U.S. Navy's surveillance capabilities.
According to MSC, the 13
ships already in operation support
the following U.S. Department of
Defense programs: the Navy's
Surveillance Towed Array Sensor
System (SURTASS); Navy,
Atlantic Fleet and U.S. Coast
Guard counter-drug initiatives;
and the Air Force Electronic
Systems Command's radar missile tracking system.
In announcing the $108 million contract, MSC noted that the
seven ships involved in SURTASS (Able, Assertive, Bold,
Effective, Loyal, Prevail and
Victorious) "collect acoustic data
using an array of hydrophonesunderwater listening devicesdep loyed on a tow cable.
Acoustic data is gathered by
civilian technicians and passed
via satellite to fleet commanders
to support anti-submarine warfare .... "
Three of the other ships
(Stalwart,
Indomitable and
Capable) detect and monitor drug
trafficking activities in the
Caribbean and northern Pacific.
Two more (Vindicator and
Persistent) involved in that effort
sail with Coast Guard law
enforcement detachments and are
equipped with 38-foot deployable
pursuit boats.
The other vessel (Invincible)
supports the Air Force by deploying a mobile surveillance and
tracking radar system "that can
monitor U.S. or foreign space
missiles or weapons testing.H
Wilmington SIU Hall's
Renovation Nearly Done
The SIU-contracted USNS Watkins and USNS Charlton are the newest
additions to MSC's fleet of LMSRs. Seafarers this month begin crewing the Watkins and already are sailing on the Charlton.
holds, foam fire fighting and dewatering system for the holds,
and bow thruster units.
SIU members and officials
were among the thousands of
people who attended the vessel's
ceremonial launch. Christening
the ship with ceremonial bottles
of champagne were co-sponsors
Dianne Watkins Branch, daughter
of Master Sgt. Travis E. Watkins,
for whom the ship is named, and
Anne Sullivan de Leon, wife of
Rudy de Leon, U.S. Deputy
Secretary of Defense.
Master Sergeant Watkins was
posthumously awarded the U.S.
Army Medal of Honor for his
heroic actions in Korea in
September 1950.
Speakers at the launch included U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha (DPa. ), ranking minority member on
the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee;
Vice Admiral George P. Nanos
Jr., commander, Naval Sea Systems Command; Vice Admiral
Gordon S. Holder, commander of
MSC; and U.S. Army Major
General Mario F. Montero Jr.,
assistant deputy chief of staff for
Army logistics.
The Watkins is one of 14 new
builds and six converted vessels
comprising a government-mandated initiative known as the
strategic sealift program.
Earlier this summer, SIU
members crewed another new
prepositioning ship built at
NASSCO, the USNS Charlton.
Outside, it looks the same.
Inside, the SIU hall in Wilmington, Calif. is undergoing a complete
upgrade and expansion, scheduled for completion sometime this
month.
"It's basically a complete retrofit and a major improvement.
Anyone who hasn't been here in a while won't recognize the inside of
the hall, once all the work is finished," noted SIU Wilmington Port
Agent John Cox.
The Southern California hall is located at 510 North Broad Avenue,
near the Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor. The SIU-affiliated United
Industrial Workers operates a union hall in the same building, separat-·
ed by a lobby.
Despite the renovation's scope, all union services have remained
available for Seafarers at the SIU hall.
The Wilmington refurbishment, which began in late June, is the latest of several fairly recent stories involving SIU halls. Earlier this year,
the union opened new halls in Baltimore and Guam, while the halls in
Norfolk, Va. and Algonac, Mich. have undergone renovations.
Refurbishment of the
SIU's hall in
Wilmington, Calif.
began in late June
and is scheduled for
completion this
month.
Seafarers LOG
3
�Committee Reviews
Nomination Petitions
For Union Election
The credentials committee,
composed of six rank-and-file
SIU members, has reviewed all
nominating petitions of SIU
members seeking office in the
2000 districtwide elections in the
union's Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District.
After meeting last month and
studying the nomination applications to ensure each candidate had
complied with the criteria spelled
out in the SIU's constitution, the
credentials committee issued its
report, which will be presented to
the membership for its approval at
the September meetings.
Thirty-three candidates for 27
ballot positions qualified to run in
the election, which takes place
Nov. 1 through Dec.31, the committee reported.
Members of the committee
were elected at the August head-
quarters membership meeting in
Piney Point, Md. Voted to the
committee by their fellow
Seafarers
were
Recertified
Steward John Bukowsky, Deckhand John Gallagher, OMU
Decarlo Harris, Steward Bill
Kelly, AB George Mazzola and
Electrician Allan Rogers II.
Gallagher was selected by the
committee to serve as chairman.
During the Aug. 7 membership
meeting, Seafarers had to present
their union books in order to be
nominated to the committee.
After the voting took place,
results immediately were made
known.
The union constitution establishes guidelines for the credentials committee in Article XIII,
Section 2. According to those
rules, the committee must be
elected at the port where head-
quarters is located (Piney Point).
The credentials committee
must comprise six full-book
members, including two members
from each of the three shipboard
departments: deck, engine and
steward.
Additionally, no elected official or candidate for union office
is permitted to serve on the committee.
Members seeking the position
of president, executive vice president, secretary-treasurer, vice
president, assistant vice president,
one of two headquarters representative positions or one of 10 portagent posts had to submit nominating papers between July 15
and Aug. 15.
The Seafarers who served on
the credentials committee also
were elected by their fellow members to serve on the constitutional
committee, in accordance with
Article XXV, Section 2 of the
union's constitution. They issued a
separate report detailing the proposed constitutional amendments
that will appear on the ballot.
SIU Tugs Help 'Op Sail'
Succeed in Baltimore
In photos above, SIU-crewed Moran tugs assisted in docking and
undocking services for many of the tall ships that sailed into the port of
Baltimore as part of "Op Sail 2000."
Above'. Serving on the rank-andfile credentials committee as
well as the constitutional committee are (from left) SIU memb~rs George Mazzola. Decarlo
Harris.
Bill
Kelly,
John
Bukowsky, John Gallagher and
Allan Rogers II.
Left: The committee reviews
applications submitted by SIU
members seeking office in the
upcoming AGLIWD election.
"Op Sail 2000," a maritime millennium event that promoted the use
of tall ships as centers of learning to ports around America, was a huge
success June 23-29 during its call on the Port of Baltimore.
Some 35 tall ships of various classes participated in the affair,
which attracted more than one million people over seven days. Aside
from the lure of the tall ships themselves, much of the event's triumph
was directly attributable to the first-rate marine operation efforts of
Moran Towing. The tug operations company, which has been under
contract with the SIU for more than 50 years, provided free docking
and undocking services for the majority of the larger tall ships that
came to Baltimore for the outing.
In addition to Baltimore, Moran operates vessels in Philadelphia
and Texas.
Paul Swenson, vice president of Moran Towing, had high praise for
the tug crews who went above any beyond the call of duty prior to as
well as during the tall ship event. "They put in two weeks prior to the
event getting our vessels in pristine condition," he noted. "They really
did a fantastic job and our boats looked great."
ITF Gains $65,000 in Back /lay
For Crew of Runaway-Flag Ship
Once again demonstrating that
runaway-flag shipowners will be
held accountable, the International Transport Workers'
Federation (ITF) recently secured
$65,000 in back pay plus other
assistance for the multinational
crew of the cargo ship Epic.
Tim Burns, one of the SIU's
ITF inspectors, led the monthlong assistance that culminated in
mid-July. He reported that the
Greek
shipowner
(Success
Shipping) outright threatened to
abandon the crew and vessel, but
eventually complied with the
ITF's demands. The ITF had the
ship detained near Philadelphia.
The photos above reflect the lack of stores and unclean conditions
found aboard the Epic.
4
Seafarers LOG
Unpaid wages were not the
only problem plaguing the Epic,
which flies the flag of St. Vmcent
and the Grenadines and is managed by the Philippine agency
InterOrient Maritime Enterprises.
According to Bums as well as
press accounts, the Greek,
Russian and Filipino crew members had no fresh water and therefore drank dirty water out of
buckets. The ship was infested
with roaches and mice, and crew
members were malnourished
because of a severe shortage of
stores.
"But the worst part may have
been the nonpayment of wages,"
Burns noted. "The mariners produced letters from their spouses
saying they were losing their
homes to the banks, their children
did not have food and milk and
they were selling their children's
bicycles to pay the bills."
The shipowner agreed to the
ITF's lawful insistence that none
SIU ITF Inspector Tim Burns (fourth from right) and attorney Jack
Bernstein (center, wearing jacket) helped secure $65,000 in back
wages for crew members of the runaway-flag Epic.
of the crew be blacklisted for
contacting the federation. The
company also paid the crew's
legal expenses and reimbursed
the ITF for other costs associated
with this case. Additionally, the
settlement included repatriation
for the crew and properly supplying and sanitizing the Epic.
Runaway-flag shipping is a
scam in which the shipowner typically avoids its nation's labor,
safety and tax laws (among others) by using another country's
flag. This escape also often
includes-as with the Epic-hiring multinational crews through
an agency based in a country
other than that of the shipowner or
the flag state.
The London-based ITF is composed of more than 500 transportation-related trade unions
worldwide, including the SIU.
September 2000
�Gulf War Report Lauds U.S. Mariners,
Calls for Strong American-Flag Fleet
10 Years After Desert Storm,
MarAd Examines Sealift Role
A new report by the U.S.
Maritime Administration (MarAd) examines the U.S. sealift
effort during the Persian Gulf
War and emphasizes the need to
maintain a strong American-flag
fleet.
Maritime Administrator John
Graykowski last month issued a
detailed, three-page statement in
which he praises the U.S.
Merchant Marine for its role in
Operation Desert Shield/ Desert
Storm. The account coincides
with the 1oth anniversary of
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
"During World War II, the
merchant marine earned recognition as the nation's 'fourth ann of
defense,"' Graykowski stated.
"Their actions in delivering
equipment, ordinance and supplies in Desert Shield/Desert
Storm demonstrated how much
the merchant marine continues to
merit that badge."
While the report primarily
focuses on specifics of the
Persian Gulf War sealift operation, Graykowski underscores
that the conflict highlights the
ongoing need for a powerful U.S.
merchant marine.
"The need to crew our reserve
sealift ships during national
emergencies also emphasizes the
need to maintain an adequate
peacetime merchant fleet and
maritime workforce," he said.
"As we relive the events of those
troubled times ( 10 years ago), I
hope that more and more of us
will see the wisdom that this conflict offers those willing to grasp
it. Sealift is absolutely essential
to protect freedom and project
America's interests anywhere,
anytime in an imperfect world.
Crewing those ships will be
America's citizen merchant
mariners, ready and willing to
answer their nation's call as they
have since 177 5."
Excerpts from the report follow.
"This is an appropriate time
for Americans to pay tribute to
our armed forces-the world's
finest-who stood and delivered
when diplomacy failed. As we
marvel at their heroism and sacrifice, we would do well to remember that our fme men and women
in unifonn had help from a timeproven source- the U.S. Merchant Marine and the American
maritime industry ....
"Did the performance of the
Ready Reserve Force and U.S.
merchant seafarers meet expectations? The statistics speak for
themselves. Activation times at
the onset were slower than anticipated; however, operational relia-
bility was very good with performance rated well over 90 percent.
Once ships were up and running,
there were few major difficulties.
"The reason for the delayspropulsion or auxiliary machinery in almost every case-could
be traced to failure to fund routine maintenance. A valuable
'lesson learned' for the Maritime
Administration, the Defense Department and the Congress was
the critical importance of funding
maintenance and systematic seatrials, followed by readiness tests
through unscheduled activations ....
"People are the strongest or
weakest link in a crisis. In Desert
Shield/Desert Storm nearly
10,000 American merchant
mariners serving on RRF ships,
the Military Sealift Command's
Afloat Prepositioning Force and
its Fast Sealift Ships, and with
commercial U.S.-flagged ships,
proved their value. Grizzled
'salts' worked alongside ordinary
seafarers, imparting the hard wisdom of seafaring; the job is not
complete when the sun goes
down. In port or on the seas,
workdays were long with little
time left for anything but sleep.
"U.S.-flagged ships (commercial and military) with civilian
crews carried 79 percent of the
Setting the Record Straight:
Foreign-Flag Ships in Gulf War
Myth
Reality
Cost Less
Avg. $50 more per ton than U.S.
ships
More Efficient
150 FF carried only 21 % of
dry cargo for America's military
forces in the desert war. Nearly
9,800
American
merchant
mariners served during the Gulf
War, and roughly half participated in theater. These men and
women put patriotism above safety in sailing into troubled waters.
Like many of those in the Armed
Forces they supported, they were
subject to lethal scenariosfloating mines, chemical warfare
and missile attacks ....
"Too few Americans outside
the defense sealift community
wiJI likely remember the loadouts
at ports that stretched round-theclock. They may overlook the
contributions of merchant seafarers working 16 hours a day to get
badly needed vessels up and running after months of inactivity.
Those of us who have seen close
up the decidedly unglamorous yet
undeniably vital work of
America's merchant marine and
maritime industry performed
before, during and after the Gulf
War will never underestimate
their role in a crisis.
"America's merchant mariners
earned the respect of U.S. sol-
Maritime Administrator
John Graykowski
diers, sailors, airmen and marines
who recognize professionals by
accomplishments under pressure.
The only civilians invited to join
the military in the National
Victory Parade in our nation's
capital after the war were those
who earned the U.S. Merchant
Marine Expeditionary Medal for
service during Desert Shield and
Storm."
cargo/103 U.S. carried 79%
As Reliable
13 FF hesitated or refused to enter
Gulf
As Safe
40% of FF were from registries on
USCG "blacklist" for safety
Source: U.S. National Defense Transportation Association
ARA 1s Steinberg /lasses Away
Bill Steinberg, president
emeritus of the American Radio
Association, AFL-CIO, passed
away Aug. 1. He was 87.
Steinberg served as president
of the ARA- affiliated with the
International Longshoremen's
Association-from 1948 until
1984. He remained active in
union affairs until his death.
ARA President William
Schuman described Steinberg as
a warrior for the maritime trade
union movement.
Steinberg sailed as a radio
officer aboard U.S. merchant
ships during World War II. He
took part in the negotiations
leading to the 1955 merger of
the American Federation of
Labor and the Congress of
Industrial Organizations.
In chronicling Steinberg's
life, the ARA noted, "For over
September 20DD
ARA President Emeritus
Bill Steinberg
five decades, he was a man of
clear principles and broad vision
who was articulate in defense of
all men and women of the U.S.
Merchant Marine. He was both
a stalwart patriot and a dedicated trade unionist."
ITF Takes Campaign
To Nation's Capital
The International Transport
Workers' Federation (ITF) is
taking a key crusade to a town
that knows all about campaigns.
On September 19, the ITF is
conducting a rally in Washington, D.C. against runawayflag shipping. The event tentatively is scheduled to begin at
11 a.m. near the Capitol.
Featured speakers include
John
AFL-CIO
President
Sweeney. The SIU and other
U.S. maritime unions are scheduled to take part in the demonstration, which carries the
theme "Workers Against Floating Sweatshops."
For more information, contact the ITF's Washington, D.C.
office at (202) 955-834 7 or call
the SIU at (301) 899-0675.
Struck by Cyprus-Flag Ship,
ITF Global Mariner Sinks
The International Transport
Workers' Federation last month
reported that its fonner training
ship ITF Global Mariner sank in
the Port of Matanzas, Venezuela
on the Orinocco River. No
injuries resulted from the Aug. 2
incident.
The Global Mariner reportedly was struck by the Cyprus-flag
general cargo ship Atlantic
Crusader. Northern Marine,
operator of the Global Mariner,
stated, "Following the collision,
the Global Mariner, which was
struck portside by way of No. 2
hold and then No. 3 hold, flooded
and sank. All personnel were
evacuated from aft by pilot boat.
All personnel were accounted for
and there were no injuries. At the
time of the incident, the Global
Mariner had three pilots on
board, one tug attached forward
and a further tug standing by.
Initial reports from the port indicate that the Global Mariner
moved off berth and turned into
the channel under the con of the
harbor pilot and with one tug
attached, when she was struck by
the Atlantic Crusader."
David Cockroft, ITF GeneralSecretary, .· commented, "The
Global Mariner won a place in
the affections of everyone interested in the well-being and basic
rights of seafarers. Although
hearing this news was a little like
finding out that a friend had been
hurt, our overriding feeling is
relief that no one was injured."
The Global Mariner in February concluded a 20-month,
worldwide voyage that spotlighted the ITF's campaign against
runaway-flag shipping. SIU
members on the East, West and
Gulf Coasts participated in the
ship's U.S. port calls.
Overall, the vessel visited 86
ports in 51 countries and attracted
nearly three-quarters of a million
visitors to its shipboard exhibition. Subsequently, it served as a
training vessel.
When the collision occurred,
the Global Mariners 22-member
regular crew was comprised of
British officers and predominantly British unlicensed personnel
with some Polish ratings. Also on
board were nine United Kingdom
cadets.
Seafarers LOB
5
�Credentials Approved for Candidates to 27 Union Offices
Rank-and-file Seafarers, elected during
the August membership meeting to serve as
the credentials committee, met last month to
review the credentials of SIU members seeking to run for union office. What follows is
the complete text of the credentials committee report which is being submitted for
approval by the sru membership during this
month's meetings.
Report of Cndentlals Commtttee
On Candidates for 2000 Election of Officers,
2001-2004
SIUllA-A&LIWD
We, the undersigned members of the
Credentials Committee, were duly elected at
the regular membership meeting held in
Headquarters-Port of Piney Point on August
7, 2000. We have examined the credentials of
candidates for elective office or job in the
Seafarers International Union of North
America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters District for the years 2001-2004, in
accordance with Article XI, Section I , and
submit the following report.
Your Committee qualified or disqualified
those members who submitted for office
based upon the Union Constitution, particularly those provisions contained in Articles
XII and XIII. The applicable constitutional
provisions are as follows :
ARTICLE XII, Qualifications for
Officers,
Assistant
Vice-Presidents,
Headquarters Representatives, Port Agents,
and Other Elective Jobs.
Section 1. Any member of the Union is
eligible to be a candidate for, and hold, any
office or the job of Assistant Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative, or Port Agent
provided:
(a) He has at least three (3) years of
seatime in an unlicensed capacity aboard an
American-flag merchant vessel or vessels. In
computing time, time spent in the employ of
the Union, its subsidiaries and its affiliates,
or in any employment at the Union~ direction, shall count the same as seatime. Union
records, Welfare Plan records and/or company records can be used to determine eligibility,' and
(b) He has been a fall book member in
continuous good standing in the Union for at
least three (3) years immediately prior to his
nomination" and
(c) He has at least one hundred (100)
days of seatime, in an unlicensed capacity,
aboard an American-flag vessel or vessels
covered by contract with this Union or one
hundred (100) days of employment with, or
in any office or job of, the Union, its subsidiaries and its affiliates. or in any employment at the Unions direction or a combination ofthese, between January 1 and the time
of nomination in the election year, except if
such seatime is wholly aboard such merchant
vessels operaring solely upon the Great
Laus or, if such seatime is wholly aboard
tugboats, towboats or dredges and contractual employment thereon is for fixed days
with
equal amount of days off, he shall
have at least sixty-five (65) days of such
seatime instead of the foregoing one hundred
(100) days; and
{d) He is a citizen ofthe United States of
America; and
(e) He is not disqualified by law. He is
not receiving a pension from this Unions
Pension Fund, if any, or from a UnionManagement Fund to which Fund this Union
is a party or from a company under contract
with this Union.
(/) He has not sailed in a licensed capacity aboard an American-flag merchant vessel
or vessels within 24 consecutive months
immediately prior to the opening of nominations.
Section 2. All candidates for, and holders
of, other elective jobs not specified in the
preceding sections shall be fall book members of the Union.
Section 3. All candidates for. and holders of elective offices and jobs, whether
elected or appointed in accordance with this
Constitution, shall maintain fall book membership in good standing.
ARTICLE XIII, Election for Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives and Port Agents.
Section 1. Nominations.
Except as provided in Section 2(b) ofthis
Article, any full book member may submit his
name for nomination for any office, or the
job
of
Assistant
Vice-President,
Headquarters Representative, or Port Agent,
b)I delivering or causing to be delivered in
person, to the office of the SecretaryTreasurer at Headquarters, or sending, a letter addressed to the Credentials Committee,
in care of the Secretary-Treasurer. at the
address of Headquarters. This letter shall be
dated and shall contain the following:
(a) The name of the candidate.
(b) His home address and mailing
address.
(c) His book number.
(d) The title ofthe office or other job for
which he is a candidate including the name
of the Pon in thl! event thll position sought is
that of Port Agent.
(e) Proo/of citizenship.
(/) Proof ofsentime and/or employment
as required for candidates.
(g) In the event the member is on a vessel, he shall notify the Credentials
Committee whar vessel he is on. This shall be
done also if he ships subsequent to forwarding his credentials.
(h) Annexing a certificate in the following form, signed and dated by the proposed
nominee:
"I hereby certifY that I am not now, nor,
for the five (5) years Last past, have I been
either a member of the Communist Party or
6
Seafarers LOG
convicted of, or served any part of a prison
term resulting from conviction of robbery,
bribery, extortion, embezzlement, grand larceny, burglary, arson, violation
of narcotics laws, murder, rape, assault with intent
to kill, assault which inflicts grievous bodily
injury, or violation of Title II or III of the
Landrum-Griffin Act, or conspiracy to commit any such crimes. "
Dated .... ..... ....... .................................... ....
Signature of Member ............. ......... .... ......... .
Book No..................... ........ ..... ................... ..
Printed forms of the certificate shall be
made available to nominees. Where a nominee cannot truthfully execute such a certificate, but is, in fact, legally eligible for an
office or job by reason of the restoration of
civil rights originally revoked by such conviction or a favorable determination by the
Board of Parole of the United States
Department ofJustice. he shall, in lieu of the
foregoing certificate, furnish a complete
signed statement of the facts of his case
together with true copies of the documents
supporting his statement.
Any fall book member may nominate any
other full book member in which event such
full book member so nominated shall comply
with the provisions of this Article as they are
set forth herein, relating to the submission of
credentials. By reason of the above selfnomination provision the responsibility, if any,
for notifYing a nominee of his nomination to
office, shall be that of the nominator.
All documents required herein must
reach Headquarters no earlier than July 15
and no later than August 15 of the election
year.
The Secretary-Treasurer is charged with
safekeeping of these letters and shall tum
them over to the Credentials Committee upon
the latter s request.
In order to ascertain the meaning of the
term "member in good standing" which is
used in Article XII, Subsection I (b), the
Committee referred to Article XXIY, Section
9 of our Constitution which reads as follows :
"Section 9. The term 'member in good
standing ' shall mean a member whose monetary obligations to the Union are not in
arrears for thirty days or more, or who is not
under suspension or expulsion effective in
accordance with this Constitution. Unless
otherwise expressly indicated, the term
'member ' shall mean a member in good
standing."
Your Committee sought guidance from
the Union's General Counsel and the
Secretary-Treasurer as to whether this section would apply to a member who is unable
to pay dues because of employment aboard
an American flag merchant vessel as stated
in Article III, Section 3(e). Your Committee
was advised that, in keeping with past practice and constitutional interpretation, the
same thirty (30) day grace period should be
applied in these situations. Accordingly,
when a member who is working on foreign
articles leaves the vessel, the dues for the
applicable quarter must be paid within thirty
(30) days from the date of discharge in order
to maintain good standing.
Your Committee also referred to Article
Ust of Persons Who Submitted
Credentials to Ute Credentials Committee
PRESIDENT
Robert J.Clinton UI, C-1938 ...................... Qualified Credentials in order.
Charles Burdette Collins, C- 1652 .............. Disqualified-Was not in continuous
good standing for (3) years prior to
time of nomination.
Qualified: on basis of appeal.
Michael J. Sacco, S-1288 ............................ Qualified Credentials in order.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Joseph P. Allum, A-1275 ... ......................... Disqualified-Did not have at least (100)
days of seatime or Union employment
between Jan. 1 and time of nomination.
John Fay, F-363 ..........................................Qualified Credentials in order.
Anthony Leo, L-685 .................................... Nomination withdrawn.
SECRETARY.TREASURER
David Heindel, H-1443 ......... ..................... Qualified Credentials in order.
Michael D. Murphy, M-2483 ......................Qualified Credentials in order.
William Parker, P-1067 .............................. Qualified Credentials in order.
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
CONTRACTS AND CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT
Larry Frank Phillips, P-1257 ......................Disqualified-Was not in continuou.s good
standing for (3) years prior to time of
nomination.
Augustin Tellez, T-764 ................................ Qualified Credentials in order.
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE ATLANTIC COAST
Jack Caffey, C-1010 .................................... Qualified Credentials in order.
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE GULF COAST
Dean E. Corgey, C-5727 ............................ Qualified Credentials in order.
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE WEST COAST
Kevin Bertel, B-1832 .................................. Qualified Credentials in order.
Nicholas J. Marrone, M-2308 .................... Qualified Credentials in order.
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE SOUTHERN REGION, GREAT LAKES AND INLAND WATERS
Thomas Orzechowski, Jr., 0-601 ........... ..... Qualified Credentials in order.
Woodrow Shelton, S-2558 ..... ..................... Qualified Credentials in order.
VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND FISHING INDUSTRIES
Kermett Mangram, M-2394 ........................ Qualified Credentials in order.
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE
OF CONTRACTS AND CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT
George Tricker, T-919 ................................Qualified Credentials in order.
Roy W. Dunaway ........................................ Disqualified-Was not within the time
frame for submission of credentials.
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE ATLANTIC COAST
Nicholas A. Celona, C-1578 .............. ..... ..... Qualified Credentials in order.
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE GULF COAST
Ambrose Cucinotta, C-1795 ........................ Qualified Credentials in order.
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE WEST COAST
Don Anderson, A-5244 ................................ Qualified Credentials in order.
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
THE SOUTHERN REGION, GREAT LAKES AND INLAND WATERS
James P. McGee, M-5945 .......................... Qualified Credentials in order.
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF
GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND FISHING INDUSTRIES
Dana Cella. C-1600 .................................... Disqualified-Was not in continuous
good standing for (3) years prior to
time of nomination. Did not have at
least (100) days of seatime or Union
employment between Jan. 1 and time of
nomination.
Robert Hall, H-5727 ............................ ........ Qualified Credentials in order.
HEADQUARTERS REPRESENTATIVE
Leo Bonser, B-1193 ............ ........................ Qualified Credentials in order.
Cart Peth, P-755 ..........................................Qualified Credentials in order.
PINEY POINT PORT AGENT
Edward "Edd" W. Morris, M-1358 ............ Qualified Credentials in order.
NEW YORK PORT AGENT
Robert Selzer, S-1258 .................................. Qualified Credentials in order.
PHILADELPHIA PORT AGENT
Joseph Soresi, S-2658 ................................ Qualified Credentials in order.
BALTIMORE PORT AGENT
Dennis Metz, M-3013 ..... ...........................Qualified Credentials in order.
MOBILE PORT AGENT
Edward Kelly, Jr. K-5043 ...................... ...... Qualified Credentials in order.
NEW ORLEANS PORT AGENT
Steve Judd, J-5336 ........................... ........... Qualified Credentials in order.
HOUSTON PORT AGENT
Anthony McQuay, M-2735 ........................Qualified Credentials in order.
SAN FRANCISCO PORT AGENT
Vincent Coss, C-8138 .................................. Qualified Credentials in order.
ST. LOUIS PORT AGENT
Rebecca Sleeper, S-2497 ............................ Qualified Credentials in order.
DETROIT-ALGONAC PORT AGENT
Donald A. Thornton, T-5501 ......................Qualified Credentials in order.
XXIV, Section 13 for the definition of the
term "seatime". This section reads as follows:
"Section 13. The term 'seatime ' shall
include employment upon any navigable
waters, or days of employment in a contracted employer unit represented by the Union. "
We also noted in Article XXTV, Section
14, the meaning of the term "in an unlicensed capacity aboard an American-flag
merchant vessel or vessels. " This portion of
the Constitution reads as follows :
"Section 14. The term 'in an unlicensed
capacity aboard an American-flag merchant
vessel or vessels ' shall include persons
employed in an unlicensed or licensed
capacity aboard dredges, tugboats, towboats
and similar vessels used to tow, propel, or
push barges or other conveyances or assist
merchant vessels in docking or undocking, or
persons otherwise employed in a contracted
employer unit represented by the Union. "
After full and careful deliberations, the
Committee made its decisions and sent
appropriate notification to candidates. The
ultimate decisions of this Committee are
later set forth. In arriving at these ultimate
decisions, the Committee was most concerned with carrying out a stated principle of
our Union which is that "every qualified
member shall have the right to nominate
himself for, and, if elected or appointed, to
hold office in this Union. "
In connection with the foregoing, we
have also consulted with rhe SecretaryTreasurer who, under our Constitution, has
the obligation to insure appropriate election
procedures as legally required (Article XIII,
Section 7). Our Secretary-Treasurer has further consulted with the Unions Counsel as to
the law applicable in Union nominations and
elections.
The following is a complete listing of all
men who submitted their credentials to the
Committee. Their names and the office or job
for which they submitted such credentials are
listed in the order in which this Committee
feels they should be placed on the general
ballot, that is, in alphabetical order under
the office or job for which they run, and that
the Ports, following the Headquarrers
offices, beginning with Piney Point, be
arranged on the ba/101 geographically, as
has been done in the past. After each mans
name and book number is his qualification
or disqualification, followed by the reason
for that decision.
As you will note in the foregoing sections of the Committee's Report, the provisions of the SIU Constitution governing election procedures made it mandatory that some
of the nominees be disqualified. In light of
these circumstances, the Committee wishes
to call to the attention of all members the
necessity of following all requirements and
procedures which are established by our
Constitution to govern eligibility to candidacy to Union office. However, at this time, the
Committee particularly desires to point out
the provisions of Article XIII, Section 2(c) of
the Constitution, which spell out in detail the
right of a disqualified candidate to appeal
from the decision of the Credentials
Committee and how he does it.
In compliance with Article XITJ, Section
2(b) of our Constitution, and in an attempt to
give every nominee every consideration and
to try to prevent any disqualifications by this
Committee, John Gallagher, Book No. G5475, of the Credentials Committee,
remained at the entrance of the Headquarters
building of the Union until midnight of
Tuesday, August 15, 2000, to receive any
credentials that might have been delivered
either by mail or by hand after the closing of
business hours by the Union.
The Committee points out that in the
President's Pre-Balloting Report approved
by the membership as per the Constitution
and published in the May Seafarers LOG the
exact offices and jobs for which nominations
were to be made was set forth.
In passing upon the credentials for certain of the nominees, this Committee had to
make six disqualifications, and the following
are the details relative to each of those disqualifications:
1. Joseph P. Allum, A-1275--Candidate for Executive Vice President.
Your Committee noted the receipt of a
letter dated August 3, 2000, addressed to
David Heindel in which Brother Allum
requested his name be placed on the ballot
for election to the position of Executive Vice
President.
Union records indicate that Brother
Allum did not acquire any days of seatime or
union employment in the year of 2000,
whereas at least one hundred (I 00) days of
seatime or one hundred ( 100) days of union
employment between January I and time of
nomination are needed to qualify for an elective job.
Based upon the provisions of Article XII,
Section I, (c) the Committee disqualified
Brother Allum for the job of Executive Vice
President.
In accordance with the requirements of
Article XIII, Section 2 (c) of our
Constitution, and in order to assure adequate
notice of its decision, the Committee
informed Brother Allum of his disqualification by Mailgram sent on August 16, 2000 to
the address stated in his letter of nomination.
Moreover, the Mailgram was followed by a
Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested letter dated August 16, 2000 from the
Committee to Brother Allum that set forth
the reason for his disqualification. A copy of
the Union Constitution was enclosed with
the aforementioned letter so that Brother
Allum would have available the procedure to
be followed in appeal from the disqualifica-
ti on decision of the Committee.
On August 18, 2000 at approximately
12:40 p.m., I returned a telephone call to
Brother Allum as he had telephoned Dave
Heindel 's office inquiring as to the reason
why he was disqualified to run for the office
of Executive Vice-President as per a
Mailgram received on August 17, 2000.
I informed Brother Allum that the
records indicated that he did not acquire any
seatime in the year 2000 and the Committee
based his disqualification as per the provisions in the Constitution.
Brother Allum informed me that he had
been Unfit for Duty since July of 1999 and
had been unable to ship.
I reiterated to Brother Allum the basis of
the Committee's decision and informed him
that a letter had been mailed to him that fully
detailed the reasons for his disqualification.
A copy of the Constitution was enclosed in
the letter and if he wished to appeal the decision of the Credentials Committee he should
follow the appeal procedure listed in the
Constitution.
2. Dana Cella, C-1600--Candidate
for Assistant Vice President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing Industries.
Your Committee noted the receipt of a
letter dated August 1, 2000, addressed to the
Credentials Committee in which Brother
Cella requested his name be placed on the
ballot for election to the position of Port
Agent of Tacoma, Washington.
Your Committee noted that SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel, by letter dated
August 3, 2000, advised Brother Cella that
the position of Port Agent of the Port of
Tacoma is not a position which will appear
on the ballot.
Your Committee also noted that Brother
Cella, by letter dated August 1, 2000, also
submitted his name for the position of
Assistant Vice President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing Industries.
We have been advised by SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel, that, in a telephone
conversation with Brother Cella, Brother
Cella agreed to withdraw his nomination for
Port Agent in Tacoma and instead to submit
only his nomination letter for Assistant Vice
President in Charge of Government Services
and Fishing Industries to the Credentials
Committee.
Your Committee noted that Union
records show that Brother Cella paid his dues
for the Second Quarter of 1998 on May l l
1998, whereas they should have been paid no
later than April 30, 1998. His dues for the
Fourth Quarter of 1998 were paid on
December 10, 1998, whereas they should
have been paid no later than October 31,
1998. Brother Cella paid his dues for the
Second Quarter of 1999 on June 16, 1999,
whereas they should have been paid no later
than April 30, 1999. Brother Cella paid his
dues for the Fourth Quarter of 1999 on
November 3, 1999, whereas they should
have been pa.id no later than October 31,
1999. Also, his dues for the First Quarter of
2000 were paid on February 14, 2000,
whereas they should have been paid no later
than January 31, 2000. Your Committee
agreed to waive the lateness of these dues
payments due to the fact that Brother Cella
was aboard the SL Developer during this
time frame and the dues were paid each time
within one month of his discharge.
Your Committee further noted that
Brother Cella paid his dues for the Third
Quarter of 1997 on October 12, 1997, whereas they should have been paid on July 31,
1997. Union records indicate that Brother
Cella paid his dues for the Third Quarter of
1998 on September 29, 1998, whereas they
should have been paid no later than July 31,
1998. Brother Cella paid his dues for the
First Quarter of 1999 on March 8, 1999
whereas they should have been paid no later
than January 31, 1999. Brother Cella paid his
due~ for the Third Quarter of2000 on August
I, 2000, whereas they should have been paid
no later than July 31, 2000. Your Committee
found no grounds in the Constitution to
waive these late payments.
Based upon the provisions of Article XII,
Section I (b ), and further supported by
Article III, Section 3; Article V and Article
XXIV, Section 9, previously carried herein,
the Committee disqualified Brother Cella for
the job of Assistant Vice President in Charge
of Government Services and Fishing
Industries.
In addition the above Union records indicate that Brother Cella had acquired only
fifty-six (56) days of seatime in the year
2000, whereas at least 100 days of seatime or
Union employment between January l and
time of nomination are needed to qualify for
an elective job.
Based upon the provisions of Article XII,
Section 1, (c) the Committee further disqualified Brother Cella for the job of Assistant
Vice President in Charge of Government
Services and Fishing Industries.
In accordance with the requirements of
Article XIII, Section 2 (c) of our
Constitution, and in order to assure adequate
notice of its decision, the Committee
informed Brother Cella of his disqualification by Mailgram sent on August 16, 2000 to
the address stated in his letter of nomination.
Moreover, the Mailgram was followed by a
Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested letter dated August 16, 2000 from the
Committee to Brother Cella that set forth the
reason for his disqualification. A copy of the
Union Constitution was enclosed with the
aforementioned letter so that Brother Cella
would have available the procedure to be followed in appeal from the disqualification
decision of the Committee.
Continued on page 14
September 2000
�We, the undersigned Constitutional
Committee, were elected at the
Headquarters membership meeting, on
August 7, 2000, in accordance with
Article XXV, Section 2 of our
Constitution. We have had referred to us
and studied, the proposed Constitutional
Amendments Resolution submitted by our
Executive Board.
This Resolution, containing the proposed amendments, prior to its submission to us, was adopted by a majority vote
of the membership at Headquarters and all
ports. The provisions of the Resolution
including its "WHEREAS" clauses, are
attached so that all members will have
available to them its full text for their
review and study at the same time that
they read this, our Report and
Recommendation.
As all individuals involved in the maritime industry are aware, the industry has
changed substantially over the last several
years. Legislation has been repealed and
enacted affecting this industry and the
trade union movement in general. We, in
this Union, must seriously consider what
can be done to strengthen our institutional
structure to enable the Union to function
more efficiently while continuing to fulfill
its obligations to our membership. To this
end, one of the things that our membership has already approved is the
merger/consolidation of the National
Maritime Union into our Union. As a
result of the previously held referendum
and our awareness of these changing
times, certain Constitutional Amendments
have been proposed to clarify and update
our Constitution.
It is to be noted that where feasible,
this Committee recommends that the proposed constitutional changes, the new
material, be underlined with the nonunderlined words representing the language of the present Constitution.
A. Name Change for Union
To implement and effectuate the
desires of this membership, as expressed
in the referendum held in November and
December, 1999, it is being proposed that
the name of our Union be changed to
reflect the consolidation/merger of the
National Maritime Union into the
Seafarers International Union of North
America. Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters District. We concur with the
Resolution and recommend the following
amendments be adopted to effectuate it.
Amend the following Cons1i1u1ional
provisions to revise the name of the
Seafarers International Union of North
America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District;
1. Title Page
2. Heading, Page 2
3. Preamble
4. Article I, Name and General Powers
5. Exhibit A
Preamble, Section III, Section IV,
Section V, Section VI, Section VII,
Section VIll, Section IX, Section
X, Section XI, Section XII and
Section XIII
so that the name of the Union would
reflect the consolidation of these two
unions in all of the above- referenced
sections and headings. The above-referenced amendments would become
effective at the time of, and not before,
the final consolidation of these entities.
A.D..gn
As the Resolution states, it is proposed
that the annual regular dues amount to be
paid shall be four hundred dollars
($400.00) per year and that in addition the
working dues to be paid by officers and
members who are employed by the Union
shall be increased to one hundred dollars
($100.00) per quarter. Your Committee, to
carry out these changes, recommends that:
Amend Article V, Dues and Initiation
Fee, Sections 1 (a) and (b) to read as follows:
"Section 1. All members' dues shall
consist of:
(a) Dues annually in the sum of .fi:rnr
hundred dollars ($400.00) which shall be
paid in equal amounts on a calendar year
basis, no later than the first business day
of each calendar quarter, and;
(b) a sum equal to five percent (5%) of
the gross amount received for vacation
benefits for days worked for contracted
employers. Dues payable under this Subsection (b) shall be payable on the days
that the member receives payment for the
earned vacation benefits and shall become
effective as to members in the manner
designated and determined by a majority
vote of the membership by secret ballot.
When so determined by the membership,
members in the employ of the Union, its
subdivisions and its affiliated organizations, or in any employment at the
Union's direction as provided in Article
XII, Section 1 (a) and (c), shall pay in
provided for in
addition to that
paragraph (a) immediately above the sum
September 2000
of one hundred dollars ($100.00) quarterly on a calendar year basis, no later than
the first business day of each quarter
while so employed."
B. Vice-Presidents at Lar1:e
As the Resolution states, it is also proposed that the office of"Vice-President at
Large" be created and that two (2) such
positions be added to the Executive Board
to reflect the changing and growing needs
of the Union. Your Committee, to carry
out this change recommends that:
Amend Article Vil, System of
Organization, Section 2 to read as follows:
"Section 2. The Headquarters of the
Union shall be located in Camp Springs,
Maryland and Piney Point, Maryland or at
such places as the Executive Board may
determine from time to time. The
Headquarters officers shall consist of a
President, an Executive Vice-President,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement, a
Secretary-Treasurer, one (1) VicePresident in Charge of the Atlantic Coast,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Gulf Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the West Coast, one ( 1) VicePresident in Charge of the Southern
Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters,
one ( 1) Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries and two (2) Vice-Presidents at
Large."
Amend Article VIII, Officer,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives and Port Agents, Section
1 to read as follows:
"Section 1. The officers of the Union
shall be elected as otherwise provided in
this Constitution. These officers shall be
the President, an Executive VicePresident, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement, a Secretary-Treasurer, one
(1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Atlantic Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast, one (1) VicePresident in Charge of the West Coast,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland
Waters, and one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing Industries and two (2) VicePresidents at Lare;e."
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice- Presidents, Headqu11rters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel by adding a new Section to
read as follows:
"Section 10. Vice-Presidents at Laree.
There shall be two (2) Vice-Presidents
at Large whose duties shall be as directed
by the President with concurrence of the
Executive Board. Such duties and responsibilities may be changed from time to
time in like manner as dictated by the
needs of the Union."
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representalilles, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel by renumbering the existing
Sections 10 through 15 to become 11
through 16.
Amend Article X, Du/ks of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel existing Section 13 which when
renumbered shall be Section 14, Executive
Board to read as follows:
Personnel existing Section 14 which when
renumbered shall be Section 15,
Delegates to read as follows:
"Section "· Delegates.
(a) The term "delegates" shall mean
those members of the Union and its subordinate bodies or divisions who are elected in accordance with the provisions of
this Constitution to attend the Convention
of the Seafarers International Union of
North America. The following officers
and jobholders, upon their election to
office or job shall, during the term of their
office or job be delegates to all
Conventions of the Seafarers International
Union of North America in the following
order of priority: President; Executive
Vice-President; Vice-President in Charge
of Contracts and Contract Enforcement;
Secretary-Treasurer; Vice-President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast; VicePresident in Charge of the Gulf Coast;
Vice-President in Charge of the West
Coast; Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland
Waters; Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries; Vice-Presidents at Large;
Assistant Vice-Presidents; Headquarters
Representatives, with priority to those
most senior in full book Union membership; and Port Agents, with priority to
those most senior in full book Union
membership."
D.Qru!.rnm
As the Resolution states, it is being
proposed that the quorum for a regular
meeting of a port be changed from fifty
(50) to twenty-five (25) members to
enable effective action to be taken at
membership meetings. Your Committee,
to carry out this change, recommends that:
Amend Article XXII, Quorums.
Section 2 to read as follows:
"Section 2. The quorum for a regular
meeting of a Port shall be twenty-five (25)
members."
E. Definitions and Miscellaneous
Provisions Thereto
To further effectuate all of the above,
it is proposed that Section 8 be amended
to read as follows:
"Section 8. The terms "this
Constitution"
and "this amended
Constitution" sh al I be deemed to have the
same meaning and shall refer to the
Constitution as amended which takes the
place of the one adopted by the Union in
1939, as amended up through A1?rl1
2000."
This Committee has been directed to
fashion the procedure for a secret ballot
referendum vote upon these amendments
and to recommend effective dates for the
proposed amendments. Your Committee
concurs with the Resolution recommending that the amendments, if voted upon
affirmatively in accordance with the following voting procedures, become effective upon their passage. We, further recommend that, if the position of VicePresident at Large is created by
Constitutional Amendment, the President
be given the authority, subject to the concurrence of the Executive Board, to determine when to fill these two (2) positions
and to then so fill them for a first term of
office.
In addition, we recommend that the
secret ballot referendum vote upon these
proposed amendments, including the
time, manner and procedure for voting on
the amendments and the tallying and certification of the voting results, be the same
as constitutionally provided for the election of officers and jobholders and be held
as part of the secret ballot mail referendum for the election of officers and jobholders commencing November 1, 2000
and ending December 31, 2000.
We further recommend:
(a) That part of the ballot that applies
to the recommended change in the regular
dues payment read as follows:
"Section 14. Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall consist of
the President, the Executive VicePresident, the Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement, the
Secretary-Treasurer, the Vice-President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast Area, the
Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf
Coast Area, the Vice-President in Charge
of the West Coast Area the Vice-President
in Charge of the Southern Region, Great
Lakes and Inland Waters, the VicePresident in Charge of Government
Services and Fishing Industries, ~
Presjdents at Large and the National
Director (or chief executive officer) of
each subordinate body or division created
or chartered by the Union whenever such
subordinate body or division has attained
a membership of 3,200 members and has
maintained that membership for not less
than three (3) months. Such National
Director (or chief executive officer) shall
be a member of the respective subordinate
body or division and must be qualified to
hold office under the terms of the
Constitution of such division or subordinate body."
(b) That the part of the ballot that
applies to the recommended change in
working dues payable by union officers
and members read as follows:
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
"(b) a sum equal to five percent (5%)
of the gross amount received for vacation
benefits for days worked for contracted
employers. Dues payable under this Sub-
Amend Article V, Dues and Initiation
Fee, Section 1.
"Section 1. All members' dues shall
consist of:
(a) Dues annually in the sum of .fm!r
hundred dollars ($400 OQ) which shall be
paid in equal amounts on a calendar year
basis, no later than the first business day
of each calendar quarter, and;"
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendment?
YES [ ] NO [ ]
section (b) shall be payable on the days
that the member receives payment for the
earned vacation benefits and shall become
effective as to members in the manner
designated and determined by a majority
vote of the membership by secret ballot.
When so determined by the membership,
members in the employ of the Union, its
subdivisions and its affiliated organizations, or in any employment at the
Union's direction as provided in Article
XII, Section 1 (a) and (c), shall pay in
addition to that provided for in paragraph
(a) immediately above the sum of one
hundred dollars ($100.00) quarterly on a
calendar year basis, no later than the first
business day of each quarter while so
employed."
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendment?
YES [] NO [ ]
(c) That the part of the ballot that
applies to the recommended name change
read as follows:
Amend the following Constitutional
provisions to revise the name of the
Seafarers International Union of North
America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters District;
1. Title Page
2. Heading
3. Preamble
4. Article I, Name and General Powers
5. Exhibit A
Preamble, Section III, Section IV,
Section V, Section Vl, Section VII,
Section VIII, Section IX, Section
X, Section XI, Section XII and
Section XIII
so that the name of the Union would
reflect the consolidation of the
Seafarers International Union of
North America, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District and the
National Maritime Union in all of the
above referenced sections and headings.
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendment?
YES [ ] NO [ ]
(d) that the part of the ballot that
applies to the recommended creation of
two (2) Vice-President at Large positions
read as follows:
Amend Article
Organization.
VII,
System
of
"Section 2. The Headquarters of the
Union shall be located in Camp Springs,
Maryland and Piney Point, Maryland or at
such places as the Executive Board may
determine from time to time. The
Headquarters officers shall consist of a
President, an Executive Vice-President,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement, a
Secretary-Treasurer, one (I) VicePresident in Charge of the Atlantic Coast,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Gulf Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the West Coast, one (1) VicePresident in Charge of the Southern
Region, Great Lakes and Inland Waters,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries and two (2) Vice-Presidents at
Large."
Amend Article VIII, Officer,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatilles and Port Agents, Section
1.
"Section 1. The officers of the Union
shall be elected as otherwise provided in
this Constitution. These officers shall be
the President, an Executive VicePresident, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement, a Secretary-Treasurer, one
(1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Atlantic Coast, one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast, one ( 1) VicePresident in Charge of the West Coast,
one (1) Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland
Waters, and one (1) Vice-President in
Charge of Government Services and
Fishing Industries and two (2) VjcePresidents at Large."
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel:
"Section 10 Vice-Presidents at Large.
There shall be two (2) Vice-Presidents
at Large whose duties shall be as directed
by the President with concurrence of the
Executive Board. Such duties and responsibilities may be changed from time to
time in like manuer as dictated by the
needs of the Union "
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous
Personnel, Section 14.
"Section H_. Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall consist of
the President, the Executive VicePresident, the Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement, the
Secretary-Treasurer, the Vice-President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast Area, the
Vice-President in Charge of the Gulf
Coast Area, the Vice-President in Charge
of the West Coast Area the Vice-President
in Charge of the Southern Region, Great
Lakes and Inland Waters, the VicePresident in Charge of Government
Services and Fishing Industries, ~
Presidents at Large and the National
Director (or chief executive officer) of
each subordinate body or division created
or chartered by the Union whenever such
subordinate body or division has attained
a membership of 3,200 members and has
maintained that membership for not less
than three (3) months. Such National
Director (or chief executive officer) shall
be a member of the respective subordinate
body or division and must be qualified to
hold office under the terms of the
Constitution of such division or subordinate body."
Amend Article X, Duties of Officers,
Assistant Vice-Presidents, Headquarters
Representatives, Port Agents, Other
Elected Jobholders and Miscellaneous,
Personnel, Section 15, Delegates.
"Section "· Delegates.
(b) The term "delegates" shall mean
those members of the Union and its sub·
ordinate bodies or divisions who are elected in accordance with the provisions of
this Constitution to attend the Convention
of the Seafarers International Union of
North America. The following officers
and jobholders, upon their election to
office or job shall, during the term of their
office or job be delegates to all
Conventions of the Seafarers International
Union of North America in the following
order of priority: President; Executive
Vice-President; Vice-President in Charge
of Contracts and Contract Enforcement;
Secretary-Treasurer; Vice-President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast; VicePresident in Charge of the Gulf Coast;
Vice-President in Charge of the West
Coast; Vice-President in Charge of the
Southern Region, Great Lakes and Inland
Waters; Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries; vice-Presidents at Large;
Assistant Vice-Presidents; Headquarters
Representatives, with priority to those
most senior in full book Union membership; and Port Agents, with priority to
those most senior in full book Union
membership."
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendments?
YES [ ] NO []
(e) that the part of the ballot that
applies to the change in the number of
members required to constitute a quorum
at a regular meeting of a port read as follows.
Amend Article XXII, Quorums,
Section 1.
"Section 2. The quorum for a regular
meeting of a Port shall be twentv-fiye (25)
members."
Are you in favor of the above
Constitutional Amendment?
YES [ ] NO [ ]
We further recommend, if it is reasonably possible, that a copy of our
Committee's Report, together with a copy
of the proposed Resolution and membership action taken to date, be printed in the
Seafarers LOG, October 2000 issue so
that the membership will be kept abreast
as to all facts at this time and copies of
such LOG issue, to the extent possible, be
made available to the membership at all
Union offices and Halls during the months
of November and December 2000.
Your Constitutional Committee wishes to thank the Union, its officers, representatives, members and counsel for their
cooperation and assistance during our
deliberations and to assure all members
that we believe the adoption of the proposed Resolution will serve the needs of
the Union and the membership.
Fraternally submitted, Constitutional
Committee
August 18, 2000
Seafarers LOG
7
�Bosun Isenstadt Retires
Thanks SIU for Handing Him 'the World'
After a 22-year career with the
SIU, Bosun Brian Isenstadt has
retired his book, but not his love
of the sea.
The following autobiographical letter from Isenstadt and the
accompanying photographs were
sent to the LOG by Brandon
Maeda, chief steward aboard the
Global Link.
I had heard stories of the sea
all my life. My great, great,
great, great grandfather and my
great, great grandfather went to
sea very early in their teens, both
sailing as carpenter apprentices.
My father also went to sea, giving up an education at M.LT. to
do so. He came up through the
hawsepipe and sailed as master
for more than 24 years, only to
retire a few years ago.
So in the summer of 1977, off
I went to see the world. I joined
the NMU in New York and tried
to get on any ship going anywhere. After two months and
still no ship, I heard about anoth-
er maritime union, the Seafarers
International Union. The next
morning, I was on my way to
Brooklyn. I found the hall and
joined up. In just a matter of
weeks, I was flying down to
Trinidad as an OS to join the
tanker Overseas Juneau. We
shuttled for months between
Nigeria and Louisiana carrying
crude.
We were then sent to the U.S.
West Coast to run North Slope
crude from Valdez to Long
Beach and Panama. I even got to
brave a voyage 'round Cape
Hom that trip. I couldn't believe
I was actually getting paid to do
this. As a "C" card, I got almost
seven months that trip.
My next ship was an old C3
containership, the Sea-Land
Charleston. Again, as a "C"
card, I sailed six months on her.
It was an around-the-world voyage starting in New Jersey and
stopping in ports, some of which
I had never even heard of:
Felixstowe, Bremerhaven,
The farewell dessert prepared by Steward/Baker Edward Tully was a
chocolate brownie cake with white cream cheese filling. It was topped
with a chocolate ganache and homemade truffles shaped like shells and
starfish, made with white and dark cMcolate and filled with fruit jelly_
A well-fed
crew
Cartagena, Genoa, Suez Canal,
Jiddah, Dubai, Singapore and
Kobe. Then on to Seattle,
California, through the Panama
Canal and ports in the Gulf of
Mexico and the East Coast,
finally ending up back in Port
Elizabeth.
It was an adventure of a lifetime, and I was still getting paid.
How could I not keep doing this?
My friends at home were still
working at their everyday jobs
completely oblivious to the
world around them. I wanted
more of this.
I now had enough time to
upgrade, so down to Piney Point
I went. That was back in the
days of the old motel, the Bull
Shepard and before the new
library. I took lifeboat, AB and
LNG classes. After that, there
was no stopping me. I took any
and every ship I could, never
turned down a ship and never
met a ship I didn't like. I sailed
them all: stick ships, tankers,
containers, RO/ROs, bulkers and
LNGs, commercial charters, military charters and tramps. I loved
the work and I had a passion for
traveling_
As the years went by, I fell in
love, got married and started a
family. It became more difficult
to leave home, but leave I did. In
1987, I caught a six-week fly-out
to Guam to join the Cable Ship
Long Lines. I've been working
with the company, Transoceanic,
ever since. That ~ix-week job
turned into 12 years. I was lucky
enough to join the Global Link
on her maiden voyage from
Singapore. I've sailed on her as a
splicer/joiner, bosunmate and
bosun. And for the past nine
years, I've called her home.
When the Global Link ended up
being home ported in Baltimore,
I packed up the family, moved
down to Maryland and bought a
house. The ship spends a lot of
time in port, so I was able to see
my family more often.
I also returned to the Paul
Hall Center to complete the
bosun recertification course,
which was quite informative,
educational and fun.
Earlier this year, I retired my
book after 22 years with the
union. I took a job with the cable
ships' parent company, Tyco,
working as a cable splicer/supervisor. I am able to go home at
5 p.m. and have weekends offeven more like a normal life. I
work in the office at their
Baltimore depot and still get out
to sea as a cable splicer/supervisor on a variety of cable projects.
I do want to thank the
Seafarers Union for the opportunities they've given me. They lit-
Edward Tully, steward/baker aboard the
Global Link, credits the bakeshop and
instructors at the Paul Hall Center for giving
him the inspiration to challenge himself in the
culinary field.
Brandon Maeda, chief steward on the
Global Link, sent these photographs to the
LOG to show what an accomplished craftsman Tully is, and stated, "He is a real pleasure to work with and a welcome addition to
any galley gang. Tully doesn't mind going the
extra few steps it takes to turn a routine meal
or dessert into an extraordinary delight for
the benefit of the crew."
These photos show some of Tully's spectacular edible creations.
crew.
Register to
upgrade
now at the
Paul Hall
Center.
For further
At right: lsenstadt shows off the
mariner's clock in a walnut casing
he received as a parting gift from
the crew of the cable ship.
erally handed me the world. The
ability to travel and have a career
that you enjoy, to me, is priceless.
rd also like to thank the "oldtimers" out there with whom I
have sailed because they're the
ones who kept me on course and
steaming full ahead.
How could I forget my wife,
Carole? Thanks for standing by
me all these years.
So to all of you out there
whom I've had the pleasure of
working with, and to all of you
out there who didn't have the
pleasure of working with me,
thanks for all the great yearsand smooth sailing to you.
A Dessert Lover's Dream Aboard the Global Link
is a happy
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
UPGRADING COURSES
Above: Captain William Dowd
(right) congratulates Bosun
lsenstadt during a retirement
party aboard the Global Link.
. .. in honor of Father's Day,
a three-tier chocolate rum
cake with white buttercream
frosting ...
Steward/Baker Tully with a
freshly-baked raspberry chocolate charlotte ...
... assorted
French petits
fours (bitesized cake
with fruit filling and
marzipan
and fondant
frosting) ...
... a chocolate and cream
cheese cake to celebrate
Maritime Day 2000 .. _
... in celebration of spring, a
golden cake with fruit filling
topped with buttercream and
assorted marzipan fruits ...
... French
eel airs
and
cream
puffs...
... strawberry fantasy cake with
homemade truffles for those crew
members with birthdays in May...
B Seafarers LOG
___ ban voyage cake with spiced
rum and mango fruit meringue...
September 2000
�13 Recertified Stewards Become
Role Models for Future Seafarers
"Learning and improving ourselves-that's what the Paul Hall
Center is all about," stated SIU
President Michael Sacco in introducing the graduating members
of the recertified steward class at
the August membership meeting
in Piney Point, Md.
Eleven students (two additional classmates shipped out prior to
the meeting) were on hand to
receive certificates of graduation
from the highest level of vocational education the union offers
for members of the steward
department. They were Manuel
Basas, Jeffrey Beasley, George
Borromeo, Susan Bowman,
John Bukowsky, Ronald Davis,
Wilfredo DeLeon, Albert
Fretta, Gary Mizer, Miguel
Robles and Kathy Shaner. (The
two not present were Oscar
Angeles and Hugh Wildermuth.)
Throughout the four-week
program, the recertified stewards
became a close-knit group as they
learned more about the union in
which they now play an increased
leadership role. They toured
Capitol Hill together as well as
the union headquarters in Camp
Springs, Md., where they met
with representatives of the SIU's
various departments. These meetings were designed to enhance
their understanding of the union's
operations and provide them with
the latest information from each
department so they, in tum, can
relay it to their fellow crew members aboard their next ship.
As the new recertified stewards were called to the podium
individually to accept their graduation certificates, each spoke a
few words from the heart, thanking all those who helped them
advance. They also encouraged
Jeffrey Beasley graduated from
the trainee program in Piney Point
in 1981 . Now at the top of the
steward department, he thanked
the SIU for giving inner city kids
the chance for a rewarding future.
George Borromeo, along with his
partner Al Fretta (not pictured),
took first place in a recertified
steward chili cookoff.
Following an intensive four-week course, the newly graduated recertified stewards pose for a group photo.
They are (from left) Wilfredo Deleon, George Borromeo, Susan Bowman, Ronald Davis, Kathy Shaner,
Jeffrey Beasley, Miguel Robles, Albert Fretta, Gary Mizer, John Bukowsky and Manuel Basas.
the unlicensed apprentices to
study and work hard, in the hopes
that one day they, too, will make
it to the top.
First to the podium was Susan
Bowman, 42, who joined the
union in Norfolk, Va. in 1988 and
now sails from Guam. She
extended her thanks to the staff
and employees at the Paul Hall
Center as well as to the membership. This is the third time
Bowman has upgraded at the
school, and she was extremely
impressed by how the union functions "like a well-oiled machine."
She also was appreciative for the
time she spent with her peers,
"bouncing a lot of shipboard
ideas off each other."
This was the third time back at
Piney Point for Ronald Davis as
well. The 49-year-old member
sails from the port of New
Orleans, where he joined the
union in 1991.
He thanked everyone at the
school, the union and all the officials for helping fight to keep the
SIU strong. He also singled out
his wife, Crystal, and thanked her
for sharing this time with him and
for her belief in his ethic of working hard toward the attainment of
high goals and standards.
Davis believes the leadership
skills he acquired in the past four
weeks will help him do a better
job aboard ship and advised the
unlicensed apprentices to "work
hard, for you are the future of this
union."
Wilfredo DeLeon, 41 , joined
the SIU in 1985 in the port of
Honolulu, working aboard the SS
Independence. Now sailing from
Wilmington, Calif., he noted that
members in this union have an
opportunity to advance themselves. DeLeon said that meeting
with representatives from the various union departments and with
his fellow Seafarers was very
helpful in his training. He also
thanked the union for the opportunity of bringing his family to
the Paul Hall Center to enjoy the
facilities while he was studying.
Manuel Basas, who sails from
the port of Jacksonville, gave his
heartfelt thanks to everyone at the
school. The 52-year-old joined
the SIU in Seattle in 1980. He
said he found the steward recertification program very informative and rewarding and encouraged his fellow Seafarers to
upgrade their skills as well.
In accepting her graduation
certificate, Kathy Shaner expressed her thanks in a poem. The
50-year-old Shaner, who joined
the union in San Francisco in
1991 and has returned to upgrade
at the school four times, recited:
1 thought I would go out to sea,
Not knowing what all that would be.
At.first it was tough,
Not knowing much stuff
But now J 'm recertified ... see.
I came to the Seafarers school
To learn everything that I could.
And year after year
It became quite clear
The Lundeberg School ... it roles.
Courses at the school's fire fighting facility were a requirement for completion of the recertification program.
September 2aaa
Thanks to the mass of teachers and
staff,
The officials of SIU.
Without them to help me
I surely would not be
Reciting this limerick to you.
She also turned to the unlicensed apprentices and reminded
them to make excellence their
standard.
Gary Mizer, 47, also sails from
San Francisco. He expressed his
gratitude to the staff at Piney
Point and urged the unlicensed
apprentices to continue to return
to the school for upgrading. "It's
the best thing you can do.,,
Miguel Robles was pleased
with some of the new and
improved skills he learned that
will help him in his shipboard
duties. The 54-year-old Robles
joined the SIU in 1968 in New
York and now sails from San
Juan. Robles thanked everyone at
the school for their help and
expertise and stated, "We have
the best union in all of maritime."
"Respect" was the key word in
Albert Fretta's address. The 44year-old, who sails from
Jacksonville, advised the unlicensed apprentices to save their
money, respect themselves and
their jobs and love and respect
their families, also noting that the
SIU "is one, big family."
John Bukowsky, 46, said he
has a lot to be thankful for. He
singled out the Paul Hall Center
staff for teaching him discipline
and helping him better learn his
job.
This is the sixth time that
Bukowsky, who sails from the
port of Baltimore, has returned to
the school since joining in Piney
Point in 1980. He thanked the
other members of the steward
recertification class for "sharing
the experience of their probably
120 years combined seatime,"
and noted that he tries to learn
from everyone he sails with, from
captain on down, and appreciates
any chance to learn even more.
After learning more about the
inner workings of the SIU,
Jeffrey Beasley said he is glad he
is where he is- in the steward
department, trying to please only
about 40 crew members at a time
- and that the union's leaders are
where they are-trying to please
all the members all the time.
Beasley, 38, graduated from
the trainee program in 1981 and
has returned to the school three
times for upgrading. He now sails
from Philadelphia.
He thanked the SIU for taking
kids out of the inner city and giving them a chance--a future. He
singled out personal thanks to
Carl Peth and Ken Conk.I in for
helping him through some of his
early hard times and expressed
appreciation to Romeo Lupinacci, Don Nolan, Ed White and
the other instructors for teaching
him the basics of his craft- and
imparting their wisdom.
He advised the unlicensed
apprentices to go aboard a ship
and learn by listening. "The other
crew members will help you
through the tough times."
The last of the speakers was
George Borromeo, 42, a member
of trainee class 341 who joined
the union in 1981. He, too, has
returned to the school a number
of times since his trainee days to
upgrade his skills and is proud
that his dedication, perseverance
and commitment to hard work
have paid off.
Borromeo, who sails from
New York, stated that the Paul
Hall Center continues to be the
key element in upgrading one's
skills and broadening one's
knowledge of this ever-changing
fascinating industry.
To the trainees, Borromeo said
that this period in their lives is an
opportunity for enrichment
through travel, experiencing different people and cultures and by
acquiring the skills necessary to
achieve their goals.
Recertified Steward Albert Fretta
advised the unlicensed apprentices to respect themselves, their
families and their jobs.
Seafarers LOG
9
�Do you have a family-related photo you would like
to share with fellow Seafarers? If so, this is the
place.
Please send submissions to the Seafarers LOG,
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Photos
will be returned, if so requested.
If e-mailing digital images, please send
dhirtes@seafarers.org. The higher the resolution,
the better.
10
Seafarers LOS
September 2000
�Ship Seizure in Canada HI lllights
Need for Strong U.S.-Flag leet
The critical importance of
The Katie was en route to
maintaining a U.S.-flag mer- Becancour, Quebec when her
chant marine available to meet owners, Third Ocean Marine
national security requirements Navigation of Annapolis, Md.,
for sealift capacity was ampli- reportedly ordered her to stop
fied Aug. 3 when an American- short of her destination and
owned, foreign-flag freighter anchor in international waters
was boarded and seized by off Newfoundland. At issue was
armed Canadian sailors as part a pay dispute with the charter
company, Andromeda Navigaof a pay dispute.
The runaway-flag vessel, the tion, which allegedly owed
GTS Katie, was carrying mili- Third Ocean some $228,000 for
tary vehicles, containers and services previously rendered.
other equipment-property of Katie owners refused to send
the Canadian government- the freighter to port and unload
being transported from Kosovo its cargo until the debt was settled.
The Canadian National De"Canada -S dilemma
fense initially agreed with SDV
Logistics of Montreal to ship
the equipment because its miliis a classic example
tary did not have a vessel large
enough to do the job. SDV subcontracted the job to Androof the danger of
meda Navigation, which in tum
retained the services of the GTS
Katie from Third Ocean.
becoming militarily
After two weeks of fruitless
negotiations, two Canadian war
dependent on ships
ships (the frigate HMCS
Montreal and the destroyer
HMCS Athabaskan), equipped
registered in other
with torpedoes and deck guns,
were dispatched to the 36,000ton cargo ship's position.
countries. "
Canadian officials say the war
ships' mission was to monitor
- Vice Admiral James B. Perkins
the Katie and attempt to force
Fonner Military Sealift Cornman er
her toward Canadian waters.
Ship owners, however, refused
to comply, and negotiations
in the wake of a peacekeeping eventually broke off.
With no resolution to the
mission. The ship was sailing
under the flag of St. Vincent and standoff imminent, the Canadian government secured perthe Grenadines.
While accounts on the actual mission from St. Vmcent and
number of vehicles and contain- the Grenadines to board the vesers aboard the vessel vary, sel and resolve the situation.
Canadian National Defense Under international law, a vesofficials say the cargo is valued sel can only be boarded after
at a quarter-billion dollars and either the captain or the country
represents about 10 percent of of registry gives consent.
the country's military might.
The Katie weighed anchor at
Reminiscing Old Times
about I a.m. Aug. 3 and began
moving toward Canada, but
shipowners again announced
plans to stop short of Canadian
waters until money was
received for the former debt. At
about 1 p.m. that same day, the
Canadian government launched
its plan to seize the ship, and
soldiers were ordered to move
in. A helicopter was subsequently launched, flown to the
Katie s location and maneuvered into position. Armed
sailors were lowered onto the
vessel to redirect it toward the
Canadian mainland. No shots
were fired during the incursion.
Published reports quoted
Canadian Defense Minister Art
Eggleton as saying, "No
responsible government can
allow interference with military
capabilities," during a briefmg
in Quebec in the wake of the
boarding. "We had to take
action," he said.
Two Canadian tugboats have
since hauled the Katie from
Rimouski, Quebec to Becancour, and eventually to
Montreal where the military
cargo was unloaded. As this
issue of the Seafarers LOG
went to press, the Katie was
moored at Montreal and the
Canadian government had filed
suit against its owners for
undisclosed damages associated
with breach of contract.
Third Ocean also may be the
target of legal action by the 24member crew who argue that
they have not been paid for
nearly one year and are owed
more than $200,000. According
to an International Transport
Workers' Federation representative, the crew could impound
the vessel if talks on the back
pay issue fail.
Good Start for Guam Group
Members of Unlicensed Apprentice Class 603 on July 7 completed part one of the three-phase entrylevel curriculum at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. The students, all citizens of Guam, were congratulated by their territory's lieutenant governor (Madeleine
Bordallo, center), who toured the school after tending to unrelated business in Washington, D.C.
Pictured from left to right are Mike Herrera, Gerald Martinez, Ryan Legario, Bordallo, Kevin Ignacio,
Christopher Dinio and Joe Benvente. See page 13 for more information on the apprentice program.
Seafarers on the MIV 1st Lt. Alex Bonny man
reported smooth sailing after a recent exercise in
Diego Garcia, with special credit given to the steward department.
"The department deserves a vote of thanks,
Ten retired Seafarers recently met at the SIU Hall in Philadelphia
to reminisce about old times. The group, pictured above, included ( left to right, standing) Butch Zemeck, Bert Smith, Pat Devine,
Joe Varano, Harry Smith, John Gallagher, Jack Pierce and Harry
McCullough. Kneeling are Dan Dogherty and Vince Stankiewicz.
"Canada's dilemma is a classic example of the danger of
becoming militarily dependent
on ships registered in other
countries," commented former
Military Sealift Commander
Vice Admiral James B. Perkins.
"Even if foreign ships are available, it's unwise now or ever for
any country to rely on foreign
tonnage and foreign seamen to
carry out its defense or foreign
policy missions.
"The United States should
remember this lesson well, and
realize once again that it cannot
function militarily without a
robust maritime fleet grounded
on a thriving U.S. merchant
Marine," the admiral continued.
"We simply can't do without
ships under the American flag,
and manned by American crews
as a vital part of our national
defense arsenal."
especially for all the hard work and improvements
we've seen over the last couple of months," the
crew reported in ship's minutes dated July 9.
Chief Steward Howard Williams, during a
recent stop at SIU headquarters in Camp Springs,
Md., said the Bonnyman "is a good ship.
Everybody gets along-military and civilian,
licensed and unlicensed. We go out every two
weeks on trial runs, and overall things run
smoothly."
Fellow crew members
praised the work of the
Bonnyman's galley
gang, which includes
Third Cook Ali Nasser
(far left}, Chief Steward
Howard Williams (center), Chief Cook Rafael
Cardenas (second from
right) and SA Marco
Cayetano (far right)
along with SAs
Reynaldo Lacayo, Kolly
Patty and Rossell
Mena.
Seafarers LOB
11
�Liberty on the Lakes
Orgulf Talks Begin
Retired Seafarers Crew John W. Brown
Above, the past and present intersect as SIU-crewed tugboats operated by Great Lakes Towing dock the John W Brown in Buffalo, N.Y.
Contract negotiations began last month in St
Louis for SIU boatmen who navigate Orgulf
Transportation tugboats along the Mississippi
River and its tributaries. Representatives for
the SIU and the Cincinnati-based company
conducted three negotiating sessions in
early August, with more on the way. Overall,
Seafarers crew 21 Orgulf tugboats. Above,
pictured aboard the MN Dick Conerly, (from
left) Cook Nancy Avery, Utility William
Bowers, Lead Man Marty Watson and
Deckhand Scott McQuade discuss suggestions for the new contract. At right, Watson
and McQuade work on deck.
A number of retired SIU members have been sailing as part of the
volunteer crew aboard the Liberty ship John W Brown during the historic vessel's recent voyage throughout the Great Lakes. Usually based
in Baltimore, the Brown is operated by Project Liberty Ship, a nonprofit group. The World War II-era vessel in late May kicked off its
"Living History Voyage" to U.S. and Canadian Lakes ports; it was
scheduled to return to Baltimore late last month.
The Brown is a floating museum- albeit a fully functional shipand the main purpose of its recent voyage was to attract guests who
otherwise probably never would see it. Visitor turnout reportedly has
been very strong throughout the voyage, and the guests have seemed
pleased with their tours.
In fact, a spokesperson for the project said the turnout at times has
been overwhelming.
More information about the tour, including photos, is available on
the internet at http://www.liberty-ship.com/.
Personal Greetings for Holiday Issue of the LOG
As has been done in past years, this December's edition of the Seafarers LOG will include the
ever-popular holiday greetings from active and retired Seafarers and their families to other
members of the seafaring community and their families.
To ensure that your holiday message is published, please follow the instructions below:
• PRINT or TYPE (in 25 words or less) the message in the space provided. Photographs also are
welcome. {Please print-if we cannot read your message, it will not be included.)
•
Be sure your greeting is in the holiday spirit.
•
Do not send more than three entires per person. (This form may be reproduced.)
•
Be sure to include your name as well as the name of the person to whom you are sending
the greeting. (Your name is necessary since the notices are listed alphabetically by the
senders last name.) Include your phone number in case there are any questions.
•
The holiday greeetings must be received no later than Friday, November 17, 2000.
•
Send your entries to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 207 46. You also
may fax copies directly to the LOG at (301) 702-4407.
Above and below, retired SIU members Barry Malpas, Richard Hill and
Dick Orgel work aboard the Brown in Toledo, Ohio. QMED Malpas
joined the SIU in 1944, QMED Hill joined in 1942 and OS Orgel (who
later sailed as master) also joined in 1942.
Additionally, forms may be filled out in any union hall and turned in to the official at the
counter-or may be given to the boarding patrolman during a vessel's payoff.
The holiday greetings section of the December LOG is a favorite feature for many, so be sure to
get your message in on time.
HOLIDAY MESSAGE
9100
(Please Print)
To:
~------------------------------------------------------------~
From:~------------------------------------------------------------Sende~~lephone Numbe~--------------------------------------------~
Message:
Check the block which describes your status with the SIU:
D Active Seafarer
D
Family Member of Active Seafarer
D Retired Seafarer
D
Family Member of Retired Seafarer
Other:
12
Seafarers LOG
September 2000
�Paul Ball Center: Apprentices Wanted!
. .=-a
~ fi
l la
tl
The Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, located in
C: 9
~ tfj Jl
Piney Point, Md., offers a wide range of vocational studies as well as aca&¥S ~ ~ M
~e~-;;, demic courses.
One highlight of the curriculum is the unlicensed apprentice pro.· ~~~
ii~~·~~~~ gram- a three-phase course that fully prepares entry-level men and
·---;>~
women for careers as mariners. The apprentice program blends hands-on
training with classroom studies. It includes an initial 12-week segment at Piney Point, followed by a 90-day shipboard assignment designed to help students select which department-deck, engine or steward- they prefer.
Finally, students return to the Paul Hall Center for department-specific training.
Staffed by knowledgeable, dedicated instructors, the school also is equipped with topnotch training equipment. This includes a maritime fire fighting and safety school (adjacent
to the main campus) that is second-to-none.
Additionally, the school this month is set to unveil a new simulator building that will
house cutting-edge simulators for navigational, engine, crane and liquid-cargo operations.
For more information about the apprentice program and other aspects of the Paul Hall
Center, please call the school toll-free at 1-877-235-3275, or visit the internet site at
http://www.seafarers.org.
:;;
~
Basic and advanced fire fighting, water survival and confined-space safety are some of
the classes conducted at the Paul Hall
Center's Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and
Safety School, which opened last year.
Aboard the training vessel Osprey, members
of Unlicensed Apprentice Class 604 take
part in a fire drill. Pictured above (from foreground to back) are Instructor Maurice
Chambers, Louis Cappadonna, Damion
Straughter, Roderic Kelly and Armando
Gonzalez. Below is Michael Praslicka.
Right: Hands-on training is a key component of the apprentice program. Here,
Larry Tribby {left) and Louis Cappadonna
practice their navigation skills.
Below: Pausing for lunch before their
afternoon class on the Osprey are (from
left) Darren Rollins, Paul Voisin, Roderic
Kelly, Larry Tribby, Damion Straughter,
Matthew Nunez and Armando Gonzalez.
Below Right: Armando Gonzalez helps
prepare the training boat Osprey for docking.
September 2000
Seafarers LOG
13
�Delta Queen Makes Surprise
Stop In Clarksville, Tenn.
Passengers aboard the SIUcrewed Delta Queen were surprised when the steamboat pulled
into Clarksville, Tenn. because
Clarksville was not on the 7-day
cruise itinerary. Then again, there
was nothing on the itinerary
except for embarkation in St.
Louis on day one (July 5) and
debarkation in Nashville, Tenn.
on day seven (July 12).
Everything in between intentionally was a mystery.
This meandering cruise is just
one of Delta Queen Steamboat
Company's growing attractions.
It is known as Capt. Gabe's
Tramping Cruise, because Capt.
Gabe Chengery, a 33-year veteran in the steamboating business,
said patrons needed a change
from the ordinary. And just like
on riverboats in the 1800s, the
day-to-day itineraries were at the
captain's whim.
"Repeat cruisers are looking
The Delta Queen jazz band sets up its instruments for a pierside ~re
mony in which the captain is made an honorary citizen of Clarksville,
Tenn.
for a different kind of cruise,"
Chengery said. "So I came up
with this mystery cruise idea
about three years ago."
For many years, the paddlewheeler has sailed past Clarks-
ville (known as the Queen City)
as it made its way up and down
the Cumberland River, but this
was the first time the boat docked
there since 1986.
The passengers were allowed
off the boat to visit the local
museum and tour the city on trolleys during their three-hour excursion. Ken Conklin, former commandant of the Paul Hall Training
Center in Piney Point, Md., now
lives in Clarksville and sent the
LOG the accompanying photos.
The Delta Queen is a beautiful
example of the thousands of paddlewheel steamers that once plied
the great American waterways.
Built in 1926, it was designated a
National Historic Landmark in
1989.
A second mystery cruise will
Ken Conklin stands at the pier in Clarksville, Tenn. where the Delta
Queen ties up for the first time since 1986.
take place this month, starting in
St. Louis and ending in Chattanooga, Tenn.
ATTENTION ALL SEAFARERS
The Committee was infonned that after
Brother Cella received his Mailgram, he contacted the Secretary-Treasurer by phone who
then referred him to the Credentials
Committee to appeal his disqualification.
The Credentials Committee infonned
Brother Cella that a letter had been mailed to
him that fully detailed the reasons for his disqualification. A copy of the Constitution was
enclosed in the letter and if be wished to
appeal the decision of the Credentials
Committee he should follow the appeal procedure listed in the Constitution.
3. Charles Burdette Collins, C1652--{::andidate for President.
Your Committee noted the receipt of a
certified letter dated July 15, 2000,
addressed to the Credentials Committee in
which Brother Collins submitted his name
for nomination to the office of President.
Union records indicate that Brother
Collins paid his dues for the Second Quarter
of 2000 on May 7, 2000, whereas they
should have been paid no later than April 30,
2000.
The records also indicate that even
though Brother Collins was employed
aboard the Galveston Bay the vessel paid-off
in Blount Island, Jacksonville, Florida on
April I, 2000 and _Brother Co~ins had ~
opportunity to pay his dues on a timely basis.
Your Committee could not waive the lateness on this dues payment and disqualified
Brother Collins for the job of President.
Based upon the provisions of Article
XII, Section 1 (b), and further supported by
Article III, Section 3; Article V and Article
XXIV, Section 9, previously carried herein,
the Committee disqualified Brother Collins
for the job of President.
In accordance with the requirements of
Article XIII, Section 2 (c) of our
Constitution, and in order to assure adequate
notice of its decision, the Committee
informed Brother Collins of his disqualification by Mailgram sent on August 16, 2000 to
the address stated in his letter of nomination.
Moreover, the Mailgram was followed by a
Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested letter dated August 16, 2000 from the
Committee to Brother Collins that set forth
the reason for his disqualification. A copy of
the Union Constitution was enclosed with
the aforementioned letter so that Brother
Collins would have available the procedure
to be followed in appeal from the disqualification decision of the Committee.
The Committee was informed that after
Brother Collins received his Mailgram, he
contacted the Secretary-Treasurer by phone
to appeal his disqualification. He stated that,
while the Galveston Bay did pay off in
Jacksonville on April 1, 2000, he did not
have the opportunity to pay his dues for the
Second Quarter 2000 at that time because the
Union official present at the pay-off had to
leave to open the Union Hall. Brother
Collins stated be paid his dues for the Second
Quarter at the first date that that was feasible
to do so.
The committee contacted the Union official present at the pay-off and obtained from
him a statement concerning his recollection
of the events of April I, 2000 aboard the
Galveston Bay.
....
-.. -
YouR. JoB MAY BE AT S1AKE
14
Seafarers LOB
Upon reviewing the statement provided
by the Union official, it was unclear to the
Committee whether Brother ColJins had an
opportunity to meet his monetary obligations.
The Committee contacted Brother
Collins by phone and he informed the
Committee
Chairman
that
another
crewmember aboard the Galveston Bay was
also unable to pay his dues at the pay-off.
The Committee attempted to contact the
crewmember but were unable to do so as he
was at sea. However, the crewmembers dues
records were reviewed and they indicated
that he paid his Second Quarter 2000 dues on
May 7, which is the same date as Brother
Collins.
The Committee decided that based on
the known facts provided to SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel and your
Committee, Brother Collins appeal did in
fact have merit. The Committee agreed that
Brother Collins was qualified to run for the
office of President. Brother Collins was notified on the Committee's decision by a
Mailgram dated August 18, 2000.
4. Roy W. Dunaway-Candidate for
Assistant Vice President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement.
Your Committee noted the receipt of an
undated letter addressed to President
Michael Sacco received June 26, 2000, in
which Brother Dunaway requested his name
be placed on the ballot for election to the
office of Assistant Vice President in Charge
of Contracts and Contract Enforcement.
Your Committee noted that SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel, by letter dated
June 26, 2000, advised Brother Dunaway
that the nominating period is between July
15 and August 15, 2000 and enclosed a copy
of the Constitution referencing Article Xlll,
Section 1, which explains the nominating
procedure. Your Committee no~ that no
timely nomination has been received.
Based upon the provisions of Article
XlII, Section 1, the Committee disqualified
Brother Dunaway for the job of Assistant
Vice President in Charge of Contracts and
Contract Enforcement.
In accordance with the requirements of
Article XIII, Section 2 (c) of our
Constitution, and in order to assure adequate
notice of its decision, the Committee
informed Brother Dunaway of his
Disqualification by a Certified Mail Return
Receipt Requested letter dated August 17,
2000 from the Committee to Brother
Dunaway that set forth the reason for his disqualification. A copy of the Union constitution was enclosed with the aforementioned
letter so that Brother Dunaway would have
available the procedure to be followed in
appeal from the disqualification decision of
the Committee.
5. Anthony Leo, L-685-Candidate
for Executive Vice President
Your Committee noted the receipt of a
letter dated August l, 2000, ad<lre$ed to the
Credential Committee in which Brother Leo
requested his name be placed on the ballot
for election to the office of Executive Vice
President.
Your Committee also noted the receipt of
a certified letter dated August 11, 2000
addressed to David Heindel in which Brother
Leo withdrew his nomination for Executive
Vice President. Accordingly, the Committee
agreed that no further action is needed on
Brother Leo's nomination.
6. Larry
Frank
Phillips,
P1257-Candidate for Vice President in
Charge of Contracts and Contract
Enforcement.
Your Committee noted the receipt of a
fax dated August 14, 2000 in which Brother
Phillips requested his name be placed on the
ballot for election to the office of Vice
President in Charge of Contracts and
Contract Enforcement
Your Committee also noted that Brother
PhiJJips in submitting his nomination did not
include the Certificate, that according to the
Constitution, Article XIIl, Section 1, is necessary to qualify a person for office.
Your Committee noted that SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel, via facsimile dated
August 15, 2000, advised Brother Phillips to
send to his office a signed and dated
Certificate as soon as possible, but no later
than September 15. 2000.
The Committee was informed that
Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel, on
August 15, 2000, via facsimile received the
signed and dated Certificate from Brother
Phillips. The Committee agreed f:bat Brot~er
Phillips had fulfilled the nominanon requrrements set down in the Constitution.
Your Committee noted that Union
records show that Brother Phillips paid his
dues for the Second Quarter of 2000 on May
4, 2000. whereas they should have been paid
no later than April 30, 2000. However,
Brother Phillips was aboard the Overseas
Ohio from March l, 2000 through June 1,
2000. On these grounds and due to the fact
that the dues were paid within one month of
his discharge your Committee agreed to
waive the lateness of this dues payment.
Your Committee also noted that Brother
Phillips paid his dues for the First Quarter of
1999 on February 25, 1999, whereas they
should have been paid no later than January
31, 1999. The records reflect that Brother
Phillips was aboard the SS Cape Lookout
Shoals from January l, 1999 through
February 26, 1999. The vessel paid-off in
Jacksonville on February 3, 1999 and
Brother Phillips had an opportunity to pay
his dues at that time. Your Committee found
no grounds in the Constitution to waive this
late dues payment.
Based upon the provisions of Article
XII, Section l (b), and further supported by
Article III, Section 3; Article V and Article
XXIY, Section 9, previously carried herein,
the Committee disqualified Brother Phillips
for the job of Vice President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement.
In accordance with the requirements of
Article XIII, Section 2 (c) of our
Constitution, and in order to assure adequate
notice of its decision, the committee
informed Brother Phillips of his disqualification by Mailgram sent on August 16, 2000 to
the address stated in his Jetter of nomination.
Moreover, the Mailgram was followed by a
Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested letter dated August 16, 2000 from the
Committee to Brother Phillips that set forth
the reason for his disqualification. A copy of
the Union Constitution was enclosed with
the aforementioned letter so that Brother
Phillips would have available the procedure
to be followed in appeal from the disqualification decision of the committee.
All credentials received as of August 15,
2000, were turned over to the Committee in
good order, and those received by mail subsequently, but not later than August 15,
2000, have similarly been furnished to the
Committee in good order. All credentials
have been examined in strict accordance
with the Constitution. Any defect in the credentials disposed of by the Committee has
been the sole responsibility of the sender and
no person adversely affected by such defect
has denied this to the Committee.
Fraternally
Committee
submitted,
Credentials
August 18, 2000
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
JULY 16 -AUGUST 15, 2000
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Port
o·
. g: '
3
o-
()
11
5
4
28
16
18
8
11
... 8 ::
7
1
1
I
0
7
22
25
8
14
4
15
8
7
11
5
5
1
Guam
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
· . Mobile
·:: ·. ·.s
7
NewOtleans
· New)!'ork
Norfolk
17
2
Wilmington
Totals
o
26
246
Port
4
0
3
5
7
' 5..
5
2
"9
7
2
11
117
3
3
78
20
26
2
19
Trip
Reliefs
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
0
2
7
0
0
2
8
14
9
16
8
4
4
4
2
10
l
8
7
1
4
0
4
7
5
2
12
3.
8
2
2
12
50
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
i
0
2
~
7
5
· . ;7
.o
9
16
44
11
55
3
21
30
1
s
4
5
1
3
54
26
7
19
25
11
9
12
11
18
8
6
408
152
5
7
6
l
4
4
8
14
0
11
20
.I :
13
4
7
l
8
5
Duluth .....................Wednesday: October 11, November 15
Honolulu .................Friday: October 13, November 17
Houston ......•.•... ,.....Monday; October 9, November 13
5
90
52
4
6
Baltimore ................Thursday; October 57 November 9
0
11
85
0
3
16
15
•change created by Veterans. Day holiday
5
10
16: ·:
0
3
Monday: November 13*
14
o·
3
7
Algonac .........,.........Friday: October 6;
2
0
New Orleans ...........Tuesday: QCtober lO:t November 14.
'
New York .................Tuesday; October 3, November 7
~
3
' l()
~
4
2
4
2
9
10
9
0
7
0
2
4
9
2
7
6
1
0
0
8
2
4
0
0
2
0
0
7
·. s .; ·
3
'. 6
11
1
5
~t
7
0
3
. 24
2~
St. Louis
·-~,.....,.<;,,nwm
2
2
18
6
0
0
161
57
29
25
21
3
3
4
28
3
10
5
13
7
2
26
9
0
0
0
0
2·
17
16
0
17
2
9
4
10
3
8
JO
12
0
5
Personals
1
8
l
3
0
3
0
SIU-MSC ANNUAL PICNIC
The annual SIU-Marine Cooks & Stewards picnic is
scheduled for Sunday, September 10, from noon until 5
p.m. at the barbecue area (site #7) at San Bruno City
Park. This is a pot luck, BYOB picnic.
DEREK MACKEY
Please contact the SIU hall in the port ofJacksonville
(904) 353-0987
4
29
268
19
102
2
9
3
39
80
New Pensioner Soto
3
27
10
17
12
2
8
9
3
' "i7
12
.1
l
3
6
2
::9:·://:.:::. J·~.": .:· . . 24.:::.-..
1
7
18
1
1
0
0
29
4
.>r :
19
St. Louis
Wilmington
Totals
Totals All
Departments
0
2
1
5
13
49
174
6
211
567
446
370
2..
2
7
·16
0
0
6
0
0
8
6
...
332
0
()
···: o
8
()
1
24
240
.......
9
4
4
-- 1
2
t6 ....
l~
11
3
0
3
3· "" 17 . ... 3
3
8
11
0
0
0
5
8
6
28
99
131
412
0 .. "
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
3
13
0
11
0
0
0
7
183
105
15
28
12
19
. 31 . " .
13
18
2
0
21
2
21
11
1s
22
3
30
3
73
14
248
16
310
938
607
496
0
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
September 2000
36
18
n
-
AB Jose Soto (right) receives his first pension check from
SIU Port Agent Victor Nunez at the hall in Santurce, P.R.
Seafarers LOS
15
�-
Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
JULY 16 -AUGUST 15, 2000
CL -
Company/Lakes
DeanCorgey
Vice .President Gulf Coast
Nichobs J. Marre>ne
Viee J>r.e$ident West Coast
'
.
.
.
Algonac
13
0
16
8
0
..
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
25
6
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
3
13
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
.. s
. ..·..._-.w.: ···
4
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
0
7
1
0
3
5
0
0
0
:;····
19
."BEADQUARTERS
. SWlAuth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
·.
(101) 89~-0675
ALGONAC
-
32
Port
Algonac
. 510 St. Clair River l)r., A1g-0nac, Ml .48001
·
0
NP-Non Priority
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
L-Lakes
·........ om}) 7944988
Totals All Depts
0
74
44
0
62
32
0
12
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port .
12
ANCHORAGE
721 Sesame St., #lC, Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 561-4988
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
JULY 16 - AUGUST 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Region
. Atlantic Coast
::·...::(j:""ifd:
: .:·:: i ... ·:
u . . -0as
"
:· . ~~~ Ihlarid Wat~rs
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
7·
West Coast
Totals
Region
I
2
0
5
2
12
Atlantic Coast
0
0
0
0
0
Totals All Depts
3
2
12
2
0
8
8
3
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
2
33
PIC-FROM-THE-PAST
NORFOLK
115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23$1Q
·(7$7) 622-i892
J>H&ADELPIDA
2604 S. 4 St., Philadelphia, PA 19148
(21S) 336-3818
PlN.&.Y..POlN'f
'. i>:o.. Box 75? Piney Point; MD 20674
(~01.) :994..001(} ..
..OllT EVERGLADES
1221 S. Andrews Ave,, Ft. Lauderdale, FL :33316
(954) s22~7984
··
· ... ·
SAN FRANCISCO
350 Fremont St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
... (415) 5:43-.5.8$$. .
· Go~e~nt ~tvi~ DiVision· ·
(415) 861~3400
.
"" ·
SANTURCE
lOS1 Femande.z Juuco$ Ave., Stop 16¥2
Santurce, PR 00907
-
"(787) 721-4033 ' '
ST. LOUJS
TACO.MA,
3411 South Union Ave .• Tacoma. WA 98409
(253) 212-1n4
WILMINGTON ..
510 N. BroadAve., Wilmington, CA 90744
(310) 5494000
16
Seafarers LOG
This photo was sent to the
Seafarers LOG by Antoinette
Warren, the wife of Pensioner
Paul A. Warren of Mandeville,
La.
The picture was snapped in
New Orleans during an organizing drive aboard the Mobile City.
Warren is kneeling at left. Also in
the photo is former SIU Vice
President Lindsey Williams
(standing fourth from left).
Brother Warren, now 87, is a
charter member of the SIU, having joined in 1938 in Alabama.
He sailed in the deck department with the SIU as well as during WWII in all theaters of operation .
An official in the union tor 32
years, Warren was active in all
SIU beefs and served as an
organizer on the Great Lakes
and with Cities Service and
Isthmian. Additionally, he worked
as a patrolman in the port of
New Orleans. Holding Book No.
W-3, Warren may well be the
seniormost SIU official.
September 2000
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard US-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
n inland captain and a
member of the engine
department who upgraded
his skills on five separate occasions are among the eight
Seafarers announcing their retirements this month.
Captain Richard N. Roel Sr.
navigated the waterways for nearly three decades, yet found time to
upgrade his skills at the Harry
Lundeberg School of Seamanship
in Piney Point, Md. And speaking
of upgrading, Paul R. Wolf did it
often. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native
visited the union's school in 1979,
1981, 1984, 1992 and 1994, each
time improving his skills as a
member of the engine department.
Four of the retirees sailed in the
deep sea division, three navigated
the inland waterways, and one
plied the Great Lakes.
Two of the new pensioners
were members of the steward
department, four others sailed in
the deck department and two
shipped in the engine department.
On this page, the Sea/arers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of the retiring Seafarers•
careers.
A
DEEP SEA
- - - - - - - - . ALBERT
HENDRICKS, 58,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1962,
joining in
New York.
The Mobile
Ala. native first navigated the
waterways aboard the Elizabeth,
operated by the AH Bull
Steamship Company. A member
of the steward department,
Brother Hendricks last sailed in
March. Prior to his retirement, he
sailed aboard the PFC Eugene A.
Obregon, operated by Waterman
Steamship Corp. Brother
Hendricks resides in Mobile.
FAGALILO MALIGA, 59, was
born in American Samoa. Brother
Maliga started his career with the
SIU in 1978 in the port of San
Francisco. He first sailed aboard
Pensioner Makes
SPAD Donation in
Mooney's Memory
Joe Morrison knew Ed
Mooney for 40 years, so the
retired recertified bosun understood how deeply Mooney
cared about the SIU.
With that in mind, Morrison
last month made a $300 contribution in Mooney's memory to
the Seafarers Political Action
Donation (SPAD).
"It's the best remembrance I
possibly could give Ed," stated
Morrison, who sailed with the
SIU from 1960 to 1992. "SPAD
helps make sure the union gets
good jobs and benefits in the
future, and that's what Ed was
all about."
Mooney, a popular and
effective SIU official, passed
away July 4, at age 84. He first
sailed with the SIU in 1944, and
later worked as a headquarters
September 2000
the Santa
Magdalena,
operated by
Delta
Steamship
Lines. A member of the
steward
department,
Brother Maliga last navigated the
waterways in 1999. His final voyage was aboard the Sea-Land
Innovator. Brother Maliga lives
in Long Beach, Calif.
WILLIAMF.
MURPHY,
70, sailed as a
member of the
deck department. He
joined the SIU
in 1974 in
New York. His
first ship was the Erna Elizabeth,
an Albatross Tanker Company
vessel. The Worcester, Mass.
native served 20 years with the
U.S. Marine Corps before becoming a Seafarer. Brother Murphy
upgraded his skills often at the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education in Piney
Point, Md. Before retiring he
sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Express. Brother Murphy resides
in Okinawa, Japan.
PAUL R. WOLF, 60, hails from
Brooklyn, N.Y. Brother Wolf
began his career with the SIU in
1962, joining in the port of New
York. Prior to becoming a
Seafarer, Brother Wolf served in
the U.S. Army from 1957 to
1960. A member of the engine
department, he first sailed aboard
the Capri, operated by Peninsular
Navigation Corporation. A frequent upgrader, Brother Wolf
attended the union's school in
1979, 1981, 1984, 1992 and
1994. Prior to his retirement, he
sailed aboard the LNG Gemini,
operated by Pronav Ship
Management. Brother Wolf
resides in West Melbourne, Fla.
INLAND
SAMUEL T. JACKSON JR.,
representative from 1961 until
retiring in 1977.
Morrison said he met
Mooney during an organizing
campaign in Buffalo in 1960.
The two remained friends thereafter.
"Ed worked very, very hard
explaining what a union would
mean, and he was talking to
people who weren't used to the
idea of a union," noted
Morrison. "He impressed me
right away. He was a gentlemen
to everyone around him, always
had time to hear any kind of
complaint or beef-and there
were plenty of them at that
time."
Morrison added that he stays
up-to-date on the latest SIU
news and that the union "has
done so many things for people
who wouldn't have had a chance
if it weren't for the SIU. It still
does that today- gives a chance
to people who want to make
something of themselves."
61, hails from Charleston S.C.
Brother Jackson joined the SIU in
1976 in Houston. A member of
the engine department, he sailed
primarily aboard Marine
Contracting & Towing vessels.
His first voyage occurred in
1976; his last, in 1988. Brother
Jackson still calls Charleston
home.
ed his career
with the SIU
in 1962, joining in Duluth,
Minn.A member of the
deck department, Brother
Walsh spent his entire career sailing aboard Great Lakes Towing
Co. vessels. He upgraded his
skills at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education
in 1995. Brother Walsh resides in
South Range, Wis.
SIU Joins 'Bloody Thursday' Remembrance
RICHARD N. ROEL SR., 63,
began his SIU career in 1961 in
Philadelphia. Born in Camden,
N.J., Captain Roel first navigated
the inland waterways aboard a
Curtis Bay Towing Company vessel. The captain upgraded his
skills at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education
earlier this year. Prior to his
retirement, he sailed at the helm
of McAllister Towing of Philadelphia vessels. Brother Roel
resides in Westville, N.J.
PAUL VON BODUNGEN, 38,
hails from New Orleans. Brother
Von Bodungen started his Sill
career in 1980. The Port Sulphur,
La. resident spent his entire
career navigating the inland
waterways aboard Crescent
Towing Salvage Company, Inc.,
vessels. A member of the deck
department, Brother Von
Bodungen 's most recent voyage
was in 1998.
GREAT LAKES
JAMES P. M. WALSH JR, 59,
was born in Wisconsin. He start-
Retired SIU VP West Coast George McCartney carried a message
of solidarity to the recent ceremony conducted in San Francisco by
the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) commemorating the ssth anniversary of the General Strike of 1934.
"What was true then, remains fact today. Namely, we are strongest
when we stand and work together," stated McCartney at the large
gathering of union members, politicians and other citizens. The
1934 strike involved thousands of union members-including
mariners and longshore workers-along with more than a thousand police and eventually the National Guard. It turned tragic on
"Bloody Thursday" (July 5) when a policeman fired fatal shots into
the crowd, killing two workers.
Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG
the.
fttan~m' . ~4'1~ry ~omm,,i~~e to .
denounce the use·by''.Aijlertcan com~nles
of ships registered irr Panama, Liberia·and
upon
jlfl19i?~~~HE:; ::!:::::;;~~:~:~:::~rz~
Street ·~ftihbits~ ·506-\ ~lr Ne~pYqH<' Br~nch action against these runaway flags.
and the Attan~6:J~ ·<fiulfJ~~tj¢.~, Q.:f-fif~: '(~~,,. ~~,The runaway operatorJ''-- the SIU asserted,.
union occupies the
· ·
·
''is a predatory para....
top five floors with
site, roaming the seas .
the shipping hall takMQ,MTU
in search of profit..
ing the entire second
I '1 l n
gate profits, mean. .
floor. The lounge,
while preying upon
complete with. card /.
I '1
l ' ~
the more poorly paid
and writing tables,
peoples of other
takes the third floor.
lands in the worst
.Efh~. stewards' offices
.
traditions of ofd.. fash· ~nd the baggage room, which offers fr.ee
joned dollar imperialism and economic cofobaggage chettdng ·for' members·in·gooa
nialism.. /1
standing,.. artr-otf:.t.he. fourth .:floor).and
1984'.
branch offices, indudJng the office of the
Seafarers LOG take up the fifth floor.
The Pfc. Eugene A Obregon, the second ·Of
'TUJS
'n
JM SJU HJSYiC)iAY
Atlantic & Gulf District headquarters com..
three vessels that have been converted for
prise the top floor.
military charter under the TAKX program,
"The reaction of the·membershijfto 'tJ1eir .
· was christened on September a in San
new home has been very favorable. ·
Diego. She was preceded by the Sgt. MJtej
Commenting on the new building, one
Kocak, which was christened in August, and
Seafarer said, ''from now on we don't have will be followed by the Maj. Stephen W.
to take off our hat to nobody."
Pless. The work is being performed for
Watennan Steamship Corp. and wlll be
1964
operated under charter by the M11h:ary
The Seafarers International Union has called Sealift Command.
Seafarers LOG
17
�DEEP SEA
EDMUND BURNETT
=,--,....,=,,...-------,Pensioner
Edmund
Burnett, 72,
died May 26.
Brother Burnett
' began his career
with the SIU in
1969 in the port
of Houston and
first sailed
aboard the Steel Architect, operated
by Isco Inc. A native of Hawaii, he
was a member of the steward department and began receiving his pension in 1990. Brother Burnett
returned to sea in 1991 during the
Persian Gulf War, working aboard
Seahawk Management's Falcon
Leader. Galveston, Texas was his
home.
CALVIN DeSILVA
Pensioner
Calvin DeSilva,
73, passed away
June 6. A member of the deck
department,
Brother DeSilva
joined the SIU
in 1947 in the
pan of New
York. Born in Trinidad, West Indies,
Brother DeSilva first sailed aboard
the Steel Maker, operated by Isco
Inc. He last sailed aboard the SeaLand Crusader and began receiving
his pension in 1989. Brother DeSilva
resided in Orlando, Fla.
ALBERT ESTRADA
Pensioner
Albert Estrada,
77, died May
17. Born in
New Orleans,
Brother Estrada
began his SIU
career in 1947
in the port of
New Orleans.
He first sailed aboard an Alcoa
Steamship Company vessel. A member of the steward department,
Brother Estrada served with the U.S.
Navy from 1943 to 1945. He
upgraded his skills at the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School of
Seamanship in Piney Point, Md. in
1981. In 1989, he sailed aboard the
Waterman Steamship-operated Sam
Houston and began receiving his
pension that same year. Chalmette,
La. was his home.
CLAUDE H. GILLIAM
Pensioner Claude H. Gilliam, 74,
passed away May 30. A native of
Tennessee, Brother Gilliam began
his career with the SIU in 1951 in
the port of Baltimore. A member of
the steward department, Brother
Gilliam first sailed on Metro
Steamship Corporation's Atlantic
Water. He served in the U.S. Army
from 1944 to 1947. Prior to his
retirement, he sailed aboard the
Waterman Steamship Corp. vessel
Stonewall Jackson. Brother Gilliam
began receiving his pension in 1991
and resided in Gretna, La.
KENNETH GILLIAM
Brother Kenneth Gilliam, 53, died
May 30. Born in Galveston, Texas,
Brother Gilliam started his SIU
career in 1991,joining in the port of
Houston. He first sailed aboard the
Cape Edmont, operated by
Interocean Ugland Management
Corporation. A member of the deck
department, Brother Gilliam last
sailed on the Liberty Star. operated
by Liberty Maritime Corporation.
Galveston was his home.
HEBER GUYMON
- - - - . Pensioner
Heber Guymon,
74, died Nov.
11, 1999.
Brother
Guymon joined
the SIU in 1948
in the port of
Baltimore and
first sailed
aboard a Sinclair Oil Corporationoperated vessel. Born in
Hunnington, Utah, he sailed as a
member of the engine department.
Brother Guymon upgraded his skills
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
ThaLasacy
Of Two Seafarers
Two dedicated union members, later to become officials, were
taken from us recently, only weeks apart. The legacy and contributions provided by these men remain intact.
Edward Mooney and Juan Reinosa were a big part of my life as
an active seaman.
I shipped out of Brooklyn from the time Ed was first elected a
patrolman until he was appointed headquarters representative and
everything in between. His position toward the rank-and-file members never changed. He was always there for anyone with a reasonable concern.
Ed, along with John Dwyer, were instrumental in handling a delicate Brooklyn waterfront problem that might otherwise have gotten
out of hand.
I was a shipmate of Juan's. When he was chosen to work ashore,
I personally was skeptical. Are we going to trade a great steward,
great cook and even greater shipmate for a three-piece suit, cluttered
desk and typewriter (remember them?)? Time allayed those fears. It
is common knowledge that Juan played a large role in making the
food and stewards' program the overwhelming success that it is
today.
My next protracted stay other than New York was in San
Francisco. As fate would have it, Juan was elected port patrolman
there. My stay in San Francisco suddenly became a pleasant experience.
I was blessed. I could never have picked this exacta. Memories
are reward enough. If someone should ask if I knew Ed or Juan, I can
proudly answer in the affirmative. To both families, I send my sincere condolences.
Anthony Notturno
Villas, N .J.
18
Seafarers LOS
School of Seamanship in 1974 and
began receiving his pension in 1981.
Prior to his retirement, he sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Commerce. El
Paso, Texas was Brother Guymon's
home.
WILLIAM R. HORNE
Pensioner
William R.
Home, 73,
passed away
May 17. Born
in New Jersey,
Captain Home
began his career
with the SIU in
1947, first sailing aboard the Council Grove, operated by Cities Service. Brother
Home began receiving his pension
in 1988. Prior to retiring, he sailed
aboard the Transpacific. He resided
in San Francisco.
IRA R. JESSE JR.
Pensioner Ira R.
Jesse Jr., 65,
died June 5.
Born in Texas,
Brother Jesse
began his SIU
career in 1967
in the port of
San Francisco.
A member of
the steward department, he first
sailed aboard the Andrew Jackson,
operated by Waterman Steamship
Corp. Bother Jesse served in the
U.S. Air Force from 1953 to 1957
and began receiving his SIU pension
in 1988. Prior to retiring, he shipped
aboard Westchester Marine's Beaver
State. Brother Jesse resided in Las
Vegas.
FREDERICK JOHNSON
Pensioner
Frederick
Johnson, 78,
passed away
May 5. Bosun
Johnson joined
the SIU in 1942
in the port of
New York.
Born in Massachusetts, he first sailed aboard the
Charles Warfield, an Alcoa
Steamship Company vessel. A member of the deck department, Bosun
Johnson upgraded his skills by completing the bosun recertification
course at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School of Seamanship in
1974. He began receiving his pension in 1986. Prior to his retirement,
Bosun Johnson sailed aboard the
OM! Missouri. Mobile, Ala., was his
home.
TOM MARSHALL
Pensioner Tom
Marshall, 76,
passed away
June 2. Brother
Marshall began
his career with
the SIU in
1955, joining in
San Francisco.
t.:.---'l..--'----__...., A native of
Louisiana, he was a member of the
steward department and first sailed
aboard the North PLT Victory, operated by Sheppay Steamship. Brother
Marshall began receiving his pension in 1991. Prior to his retirement,
he sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Pacific. New Orleans was his home.
CONLIN M. MURPHY
Pensioner
Conlin M.
Murphy, 77,
~ passed away
·· June 2. Brother
Murphy began
his career with
the Seafarers in
1952 in the port
of San Francisco. A member of the
steward department, he first sailed
aboard the Del Oro, operated by
Delta Steamship Lines. Prior to joining the SIU, Brother Murphy was in
the U.S. Army, serving from 1941 to
1944. He began receiving his pension in 1988. Prior to his retirement,
Brother Murphy sailed aboard
Mokihana. He called San Francisco
home.
SIU in 1969 in the port of New
Orleans sailing in the deck department. His first ship was the Steel
Advocate, operated by lsco Inc. He
later transferred to the inland division. Brother Davidson began
receiving his pension in 1999. Prior
to retiring, he sailed aboard Crowley
Towing & Transportation vessels.
Cypress, Texas was his home.
DEAN PRINDLE
Pensioner
Harold A.
Deich, 81, died
April 18. A
Maryland
native, Brother
Deich started
his career with
the SIU in 1957
in the port of
Baltimore. A member of the deck
department who also sailed as a captain, he first worked aboard
Wheeling Steel Corporation vessels.
Brother Deich served in the U.S.
Army from 1944 to 1946. Prior to
his retirement in 1981, he sailed
aboard Charles H. Harper &
Associates vessels. Glen Burnie,
Md. was his home.
Pensioner Dean Prindle, 75, died
May 5. Born in California, Brother
Prindle began his SIU career in
1956. He first sailed aboard the Fair
Port, operated by Waterman
Steamship Corp. A member of the
deck department, Brother Prindle
served with the U.S. Air Force from
1946 to 1948. He began receiving
his pension in 1990. Prior to his
retirement, he sailed aboard the SeaLand Pacific. Brother Prindle
resided in Oakland.
RICARDO RISBECK
Brother Ricardo
Risbeck, 60,
passed away
May 16.A
native of
Pennsylvania,
Brother
Risbeck started
his career with
the SIU in
1966, joining in Seattle. His first
voyage was aboard the Sea-Land
Anchorage. A member of the engine
department, Brother Risbeck upgraded his skills in 1973 and 1987
respectively at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School of Seamanship.
He last sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Enterprise. Brother Risbeck resided
in Bellingham, Wash.
EDWARD RULEY
Pensioner Edward Ruley, 76, died
May 12. Bosun Ruley started his
career with the Seafarers in 1943,
joining in the port of Norfolk, Va. A
member of the deck department, he
first sailed aboard a Waterman
Steamship vessel. Brother Ruley
began receiving his pension in 1990.
Prior to his retirement, the Maryland
native sailed aboard the SS Point
Susan, operated by Point Venture
Corporation. Baltimore was his
home.
ALEJANDRO SERRANO
Pensioner
Alejandro
Serrano, 73,
died June 6.
Brother Serrano
joined the
Seafarers in
, 1961 in the port
ofNewYork.
Born in Puerto
Rico, Brother Serrano first sailed
aboard the Pisces, operated by
Balton Shipping. He worked as a
member of the steward department
and began receiving his pension in
1995. Prior to his retirement,
Brother Serrano sailed aboard the
Mayaguez, operated by Puerto Rico
Marine Management Inc. Brother
Serrano resided in his native Puerto
Rico.
INLAND
BYRON DAVIDSON
Pensioner
Byron D.
Davidson, 57,
died May 2.
Brother
Davidson
served in the
U.S. Navy from
1960 to 1964.
The Colorado
native launched his career with the
HAROLD DEICH
CYRUS GUSSMAN
Pensioner Cyrus
Gussman, 79,
passed away
April 23. A
native of
Morgan City,
La. Boatman
Gussman began
his career with
the SIU in 1964
joining in Port Arthur, Texas. He
served with the U.S. Army from
1939 to 1946. A member of the
engine department, Brother Gussman began receiving his pension in
1985. During his career, he sailed
primarily aboard vessels operated by
Higman Barge Lines. Brother
Gussman resided in Louisiana.
GREAT LAKES
PAUL MONAHAN
Pensioner Paul
Monahan, 77,
died Nov. 30,
1999. Born in
Pennsylvania,
Brother
Monahan began
his career with
the Seafarers in
1968, joining in
Chicago. A member of the deck
department, he first sailed aboard the
Southdown Challenger, operated by
Cement Transit Company. Brother
Monahan served with the U.S.
Marine Corps from 1941 to 1947
and began receiving his SIU pension
in 1991. Prior to his retirement, he
sailed aboard the American
Steamship Company-operated
Charles E. Wilson. Brother Monahan
resided in Albany, N .Y.
AnANTIC FISHERMEN
SALVATORE LoPICCOLO
..,,,,.,.,,.,.,,,,..,,,..,,.._..,...,...,.,,,.,.,....,,...... Pensioner
Salvatore
LoPiccolo, 81,
died June 1. A
native of
Massachusetts,
hejoind the
Atlantic
Fishermen's
Union before it
merged with the AGLIWD in 1981.
During his career, he also sailed
aboard deep sea vessels as a member
of the deck department. LoPiccolo
was a resident of Gloucester, Mass.
He began receiving his pension in
1981.
September 2000
�•,
·.
·.•.
:.:.
Ships ~ihu~'firlt are 'reviewed by Ille union's contract depattment
\. Those Issue~ reqtiiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union
. . ·.· UfHJn tetelJlf t1f the ships' minutes. The minutes are then forwarded
>to the Seafarers LOG tor publication.
LNG GEMINI (Pronav Ship
Mgmt.), May 21-Chairman Zan al
A. Sirigar, Secretary Georg G.
Kenny, Educational Director Mark
Freeman, Deck Delegate Scott J.
Seiler, Engine Delegate Dasril
Panko, Steward Delegate Sukirman
Suraredjo. Chairman reported new
mattresses received. Educational
director advised members to take
advantage of training facilities at
Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Recommendations for next contract
include adding prescription coverage
for dependents and issuing insurance
cards. Question sent to contracts
department concerning injury
reports. Recommendation made for
union to look into transportation to
and from ship and for status of contract negotiations with Pronav.
Discussion held on how to spend
ship's fund. Suggestions included
new microwave, refrigerators for all
staterooms and upgraded satellite
TV system. Steward thanked crew
for help maintaining clean ship.
Crew, in tum, expressed gratitude
for having "one of best cooks in
union onboard."
MAERSK ARIZONA (Maersk
Line), May 19--Chairman Scott A.
Heginbotham, Secretary Grant H.
Acmstead, Educational Director
David W. King, Deck Delegate
Joseph LeBeau, Engine Delegate
Daniel F. Avery, Steward Delegate
Raford C. Nixon. Chairman
announced new washers and dryers
due on arrival in Houston or New
Orleans. Vessel then heading for
Mombasa, Kenya. Educational director urged all members to upgrade at
Piney Point, Md. Clarification
requested by deck department on
overtime. Request made for repair of
antenna. At present, ship not able to
pick up news broadcasts. Crew
members also requested verification
of company policy regarding monetary advances. Vote of thanks given
to steward department for great
chow.
OVERSEAS VIVIAN (OSG), May
18---Chairman Doyle W. Ellette,
Secretary Claude C. Hollings Ill,
Educational Director Murray W.
Robertson, Engine Delegate
Andrew Lopez III. Chairman
announced ship en route to Durban,
South Africa. Captain to get van so
crew can go ashore. He thanked
crew for cooperation and asked
everybody to be aware of safety
issues and report unsafe items to
department heads. Fresh vegetables
and fruits to be brought aboard in
Durban. Educational director stated
upgrading skills at Piney Point is
road to higher wages. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. All communications read and posted. Chairman
told crew that LOG gives members
information on maritime news both
at sea and ashore. Steward department given vote of thanks for job
well done.
PRODUCER (CSX Lines), May
21--Chairman William J. Card,
Secretary David A. Cunningham,
Educational Director Alan A.
Rogers II, Deck Delegate Joseph A.
Osorio, Steward Delegate Pedro
Laboy. Chairman announced payoff
in Oakland, Calif. upon arrival.
Vessel now on regular 14-day run to
Long Beach and Honolulu. Bosun
reminded everyone to separate plastic items from regular trash and to
keep messhalls locked in port. Crew
September 2000
members also advised to check expiration date on z-card and make sure
other documents (passports, STCW,
TRBs) are up-to-date. Educational
director urged everyone to upgrade
ratings in department. Treasurer stated $848 in ship's fund. Clarification
on reliefs requested in engine department. Suggestion made to ask contracts department to consider doubling pension and reducing seatime
required. Bosun thanked steward
department for good food and for
keeping areas clean and well
stocked. Steward thanked relief
bosun for help with garbage during
voyage and Chief Cook Laboy for
keeping galley spotless. Request
made by member for meals made
with no beef, pork, lamb, cheese and
pasta; also that pork not be added to
beans and soup.
WASHINGTON (ATC), May 7Chairman Rudy Santos, Secretary
Scott Opsahl, Educational Director
Charles W. Dahlhaus, Deck
Delegate Gavino A. Octaviano,
Engine Delegate Patrick Lynch,
Steward Delegate Samuel Harris.
Chairman announced payoff in
Cherry Point, Wash. Vessel may
anchor prior to docking; if so, ship
will pay off at anchor. Secretary
reminded members to leave clean
room for next person. Educational
director urged everyone to upgrade
and keep endorsements current,
check expiration date on z-card and
have TRB signed. He also suggested
donating a little extra to SPAD to
help keep SIU interests known on
Capitol Hill. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Request made for electronic money transfer capability and
for company-supplied DVD player.
Crew radio antenna requires repair.
Crew baggage locker, now used as
weather gear locker by officers
needs to be reclaimed. Next ports:
Ferndale, Wash. and Valdez, Alaska.
CAPE JACOB (Amsea), June 3Chairman Robert W. Johnson,
Secretary James M. Kasha, Deck
Delegate Kelvin W. Johnson,
Engine Delegate Lawrence T.
French, Educational Director
Lawrence T. French III, Steward
Delegate Arturo A. Rodriguez.
Chairman talked about retroactive
pay increase resulting from resolution in contractual agreement.
Captain discussed repatriation flights
and answered questions from crew.
Secretary spoke more about new
Amsea contract and how it benefits
everyone in SIU. Educational director stressed need for keeping STCW
endorsement and TRBs up to date
and of upgrading at Piney Point.
Treasurer announced $100 in ship's
fund to be used for purchase of
movies. Donation made to American
Diabetes Association on behalf of
crew member aboard ship. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. President's
report read from most recent LOG
and discussion ensued on past and
future of SIU. Voyage completed to
Maldives with 22 Navy personnel
aboard. Also took part in British
operations mission. All went well;
vessel to depart for Singapore July
10. Everyone reminded to be safety
conscious at all times. This includes
wearing goggles or other eye protection and safety shoes. Vote of thanks
given to Steward Kasha and his
department for job well done.
CAPE LOOKOUT SHOALS
(IUM), June 22--Chairman Steven
L. Bush, Secretary Jose A. Rivera.
Chairman confirmed vessel has new
charter for next several years, begging early July. Run will be from
Valdez to Nikolski, Alaska with
occasional trips to Anacortes, Wash.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Communications are slow aboard
ship, with no LOGs received recently. This expected to change with
change ofroute and new P.O. box in
Nikolski. Suggestion made to have
contracts department look into negotiating with company for various
improvements, which will help
attract relief crew members.
GREEN ISLAND (Waterman
Steamship Corp.), June 4--Chairman Bennie Freeland, Secretary
John G. Reid, Educational Director
James Laratta, Deck Delegate
Desiree M. Crockett, Engine
Delegate Philip W. Zalewski.
Chairman talked about need for coffee makers in pantry and increase in
provisions. Secretary reminded
everyone getting off to strip beds
and obtain fresh linens for next person; also to return any movies to
video library. Educational director
encouraged members to upgrade
skills at Piney Point and to ensure
STCW and other documents in
order. He also mentioned help is
available for anyone with alcohol or
drug problems. Check with patrolman at any SIU hall. Beef reported
in deck department; no disputed OT
noted by department delegates.
Request made that satellite dish be
included in next contract for all SIU
ships and that vacation time and
overtime be counted toward seatime.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department for excellent job with
limited stores.
GUAYAMA (NPR, Inc.), June 11Chairman Roan Lightfoot,
Secretary Gina G. Lightfoot,
Steward Delegate Jerry S. Gant.
Chairman announced payoff in
Jacksonville, Fla. June 16. He noted
safety pamphlets posted in messhalls
and for everyone to become familiar
with material, especially in light of
upcoming Coa t Guard inspection.
Secretary suggested crew members
anend upgrading courses at Paul
Hall Center. Educational director
reminded members about SCTW
cutoff date (Feb. 2002) and not to
wait until last minute. Some disputed OT brought up in deck department; no beefs reported by department delegates. Steward department
given vote of thanks for fine job.
Next ports: San Juan, P.R. and
Jacksonville.
INTEGRITY (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
June 4--Chairman Domingo Leon
Jr., Secretary Stephanie Sizemore,
Educational Director Dennis R.
Baker. Educational director advised
crew members to upgrade skills at
Piney Point to secure brighter future
and noted that new simulator building with state-of-the-art equipment
to be ready soon. He also reminded
crew members getting off to supply
rooms with clean linens. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. New dryer for
crew on order. Suggestion made for
contracts department to look into
increasing maintenance and cure and
extend medical benefits to dependents. Thanks given to steward
department for excellent food. Next
port: Boston, Mass. and Elizabeth,
NJ.
LIBERTY STAR (Liberty
Maritime), June 18--Chairman
Robert B. Lindsay Jr., Secretary
Joseph C. Birke, Educational
Director Junious Williams Jr.,
Deck Delegate James E. Sullivan,
Engine Delegate Joseph Williams,
Steward Delegate Julio Guity.
Chairman announced Haifa, Israel as
next port of call. Crew members
should be aware that Liberty Star
works from bell to bell. No word
from company on June 15 pay
increase. Educational director stated
STCW requirements need to be fulfilled; he encouraged members to
attend upgrading courses at Paul
Hall Center. Treasurer announced
$238 in ship's fund. Clarification
requested by deck delegate on
mandatory overtime for day workers
Saturdays and Sundays in port or at
sea. Beefreported in engine department regarding no weekend nighttime overtime. New microwave
requested for crew on mess decks.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department for job well done.
LIBERTY SUN (Liberty Maritime),
June 11--Chairman Joseph W.
Moore, Secretary John B. McGill
Jr., Educational Director Lorie
duties. Suggestion made for membership to receive Christmas bonus.
Steward expressed interest in having
union forms put on CDs for shipboard computer use. Movies purchased in El Segundo, Calif. Some
members expressed desire for exercise area. Vote of thanks to steward
department, especially T. M. Curley.
"Good food is the standard and not
the exception." Next port: Honolulu.
OVERSEAS NEW YORK (ATC),
June 11--Chairman Carlos
Old Friends Meet Again
Third Mate Mark
Holman (left), who
sent this photo to
the LOG, and
Bosun Dave
Garoutte recently
made a trip to
South America on
the SS Cleveland.
The two graduated
from the same
bosun recertification
class at Piney Point
in 1988. Both also
joined the union
immediately after
completing the
entry-level training
program: Holman in
1980 and Garoutte
in 1972.
Christmas Jr., Deck Delegate
Abraham M. Murray, Engine
Delegate Robert L. Stevenson,
Steward Delegate Henry Greene Jr.
Chairman announced payoff in New
Orleans June 12. Both he and secretary gave words of encouragement to
unlicensed apprentices aboard vessel. Educational director pointed out
positive results of attending upgrading courses at Paul Hall Center.
Some disputed OT reported in
engine department; no beefs or disputed OT in deck or steward departments. Requests made for new VCR
and typewriter.
MARINE COLUMBIA (ATC), June
11-Chairman Gregory L.
Hamilton, Secretary James F.
Dunne, Educational Director
Ronald Gordon, Deck Delegate
Fred L. Collins, Engine Delegate
Carlos Ortiz, Steward Delegate
John F. Huyett. Educational director advised crew members to attend
necessary courses at Paul Hall
Center to comply with STCW.
Chairman noted weights and dartboard approved for purchase and
additionally requested two new trash
containers--one for plastics and one
for biodegradable items. Treasurer
announced $1,509 available in fund
for purchase of dartboard and
weights and $250 in emergency
fund. Disputed OT reported in
engine department. Everyone asked
to help keep noise down in passageways. Extra launch requested but not
approved. Vote of thanks given to
steward department for job well
done. Suggestions sent to contracts
department for negotiation of new
contract.
OVERSEAS CHICAGO (ATC),
June 12-Chairman Christopher J.
Kicey, Secretary Gregory S. Lynch,
Educational Director Miguel
Callazo. Chairman thanked everyone for hard work. He said payoffs
would take place monthly as soon as
company gets payroll plan installed
on ship. Secretary discussed union's
money purchase pension plan
(SMPPP). Educational director
announced new ATC class at Piney
Point being developed and encouraged all members to upgrade skills
at the school, particularly to be up to
industry standards for STCW. Movie
fund to be created; donations accepted by GSU T. M. Curley. No beefs
or disputed OT reported; clarification requested on coffee making
Loureiro, Secretary Jeffrey L.
Smith, Educational Director
Edward H. Self, Steward Delegate
Saeed Saeed. Chairman announced
payoff in Ferndale, Wash. June 13.
Educational director stressed upgrading skills at Paul Hall Center and
noted ATC safety course not yet
scheduled. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Communications received
from contracts department concerning vacation pay and current agreement. Clarification requested on
interest rate for money purchase
pension plan. Requests made for
new crew lounge furniture and room
for exercise equipment. Thanks
given to steward department for job
well done.
RELIANCE (CSX Lines), June
l 0--Chairman Lance X. Zollner,
Secretary Gene C. Sivley,
Educational Director Michael A.
Rubino, Deck Delegate Russell
Haynes, Steward Delegate Mose
Peacock Jr. Chairman announced
payoff in Tacoma, Wash. June 16
and thanked crew for smooth voyage. Educational director reminded
crew memb{'.rs of importance of
contributing.to SPAD, particularly in
this election year. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Steward department given vote of thanks for great
job.
R.G. MATTHIESEN (Ocean Shipholding Inc.), June 24--Chairman
Robert G. Bell, Secretary Lovell
McElroy Sr., Educational Director
Moses Micken Jr., Deck Delegate
Brian Matthiesen, Engine Delegate
Todd Moreland, Steward Delegate
Elhussieny Elnaggar. Chairman
announced annual inspection by
Lloyds of London insurance group
to take place while at anchor in
Manchester, Wash. Secretary noted
fresh produce taken on with 90-days
stores in Hawaii also due for contamination inspection in Manchester
due to federal codes. Educational
director reminded everyone to check
expiration date on z-card before
shipping out. He also suggested
attending upgrading courses at
Piney Point for job security. No
beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew
gave vote of thanks to steward
department for great meals. Next
ports: San Francisco and Crockett,
Calif. and Manchester and Ferndale,
Wash.
Seafarers LOG
19
-
�Know Your Rights
Gazpacho
Serves: 25
Preparation Time: 2 hours
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The
Constitution of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District makes specific provision
for safeguarding the membership's
money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by
certified public accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee
of rank-and-file members, elected
by the membership, each year
examines the finances of the union
and reports fully their findings and
recommendations. Members of this
committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations
and separate findings.
. . . a great way to use up your gardenfres h vegetables . ..
GALLEY
CORNER
1 1/s gallons red ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 1/s quarts cucumber, chopped
1 1/s quarts large bell peppers, chopped
11/s pints onion, chopped
41/g cloves garlic
l1/s quarts bread crumbs
1 1/s cups olive oil
l/4
cup balsamic vinegar
!1/s teaspoons salt
11/s teaspoons white pepper
Puree vegetables in blender or food processor. Press
-
through sieve to remove seeds. Puree bread crumbs with
olive oil and vinegar. Blend into vegetable puree and season with salt and pepper. Chill well.
If anyone is looking for
loi..~..
~ertified
Executive Ch~
. .·:y . .John Hetmanski · l
\.':. ~ ....::·· "·'·
.
i/: .. '
a particular recipe
or has one of their
own that they would like to share, drop Chef Hetmanski a line
at the Paul Hall Center, P. 0. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674
or e-mail to: shlssvoc@us.hsanet.net.
~;::~l!fllB&'it:~••~~1:
.· Etripfoyee Retl!'¢tnent Income ~Urify'Acf of J'9?4 '(ERJSA)." ··· ·. . ··:···· ··· :· ···
.
..
Basic financial Statement
.
..... Tue value ofthe plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan. was $4,490A36 as ofJuty 31, 1999,. compared to
:$3.143,615 as ofluly 31, 1998. During the plan year, the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of$5SJ 79. During
:.:1h.e pfari .year, the plan:bad a total incom~ of $5,780,303, .including employer contributions of $5,610.854 and earnings from
·· investments 6f $169,449_In addition. the plan restated its beginning net assets to appropriately reflect the ptovisions of
, 1ICPA Sta~~entofPositi.vn 9f~1es~pg ir\,~djus~~nts . ~? bep~fit 09~~gatio~ . ()f$J~40S,t00. .... ·.· . .... ·. . .•. ..... ·../
~1~~t;~:•f¢i.W~~k~~i~T~%:·'~p.#.n$~§Ji,l:9~µ4e~:t:.~~74.;(>:45m•adfuinistrati\f~expenses,•~<l:$S~$64i~3o/iiit>~n;;;;
' ' . YOUr Bights to Addltlomil Information
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report. or any part thereof~ on request. The items listed below
;~eiIT8I"aig~~~i~~~Q£1Jt;,;iJ~;Ji~~L"'"''0<49/t&,$U%:,,,,,,,%j%
0'''
can
4
To obtam a copy of the full annual xeport; or any.part:thereof; write or
M;lf: <:;ft.'.ice of;the. a.dmmts~tot o~i9le .S.1'i;t
Pacific District Suppletnental a~efits flan, In~.• at 522 Harrison St;reet, §an Fran~~e~~. £6 . ~~lp?~~l 04.< ~~l~phQ*~ nill.11t:·
· her (415) 495~6882. The charge to cover copying costs will be $2.50 fort4e futl::aniiu~lir~i'iii §t".$.;<V2.Sp¢f pageif()r
. part thereof.
. ·.·
.
u•
<} ., · x ·
·•+
'
aliY ·
also have the right to receive from the plan administrator; .on. ~ue5}. ~a .~tp9 ~b~gp;.}~)S~~tgf:~~t~~.s~~>
· and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement ofincome ·~fridexpensesQf!'thepl~µ 'and_;#cCptJiP.lWY~!V
·notes, {)r bQtb. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrat-O}\ the~ tw<> .&pitem.~ts .a.nqaccofrt,., ·
...·panyiug note,s. will pe indµded !lS part of lliat!ermrt· ~e -~~arge .to covet copyjng costs giv¢ii !!bO,V:~. d~~ . nQtjn.clude a
.•charge for the copying Qf tb~s~ portions of tbe report.t?eeaiise t.h~s~. P.Q#.i§ris ·;:ire :~i.Shed Without ·charge; · · ·
·
· ·· Y-0u also have the legally protected right to examine the annualreport at the main -office ofthe plan, 522 Hamson Stree4
; San Francisco, CA .941Q$·3104 and at th~ U.S ..Dept. ofLabQr(DQL) in Washington, D.C.. or to obtain a copy .from the DOL
· upriil"payment of copying costs. Requests to the DOL should be address.ed to: Public Disclosure Room NS638, Pension and
Welfare Benefits Administration; U.S, Department of LabQr~ 200 Constituti<m Avenue, N .w. Washington. DC 20216.
. :: ·.
Y\'>U
Are You Receiving All Your Important Mail?
In order to ensure that each
active SIU member and pensioner receives a copy of the
Seafarers LOG every month-as
well as other important mail such
as W-2 forms, pension and health
insurance checks and bulletins or
notices-a correct home address
must be on file with the union.
If you have moved recently or
feel that you are not getting your
union mail, please use the form
on this page to update your home
address.
Your home address is your
permanent address, and this is
where all official union documents will be mailed (unless otherwise specified).
If you are getting more than
one copy of the LOG delivered to
you, if you have changed your
address, or if your name or
address is misprinted or incomplete, please fill out the form and
send it to:
Seafarers International Union
Address Correction Dept.
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
.--------------------------------------------------,
HOME ADDRESS FORM
9100
(Please Print)
Name:
Phone No.:~----------------------------~
Address:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
Social Security No.: ____ ~~~~'~~~~
Book No.:
D
Other
_
_
_
_
_
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
D Active SIU
D Pensioner
This will be my permanent address for all official union mailings.
This address should remain in the union file unless otherwise changed by me personally.
L--------------------------------------------------~
20 Seafarers LOB
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds
of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District are
administered in accordance with
the provisions of various trust fund
agreements. All these agreements
specify that the trustees in charge of
these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All
expenditures and disbursements of
trust funds are made only upon
approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial
records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds.
SIDPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the
employers. Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts are posted and
available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Full copies of contracts as
referred to are available to members at all times, either by writing
directly to the union or to the
Seafarers Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU
contracts are available in all SIU
hal1s. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union
official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she
should contact the nearest SIU port
agent.
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective membership. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Seafarers LOG
policy is vested in an editorial
board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from
among its ranks, one individual to
carry out this responsibility.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU
unless an official union receipt is
given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any
money for any reason unless he is
given such receipt. In the event
anyone attempts to require any such
payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is
required to make a payment and is
given an official receipt, but feels
that he or she should not have been
required to make such payment,
this should immediately be reported
to union headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of
the SIU Constitution are available
in all union halls. All members
should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a
member feels any other member or
officer is attempting to deprive him
or her of any constitutional right or
obligation by any methods, such as
dealing with charges, trials, etc., as
well as all other details, the member
so affected should immediately
notify headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in
employment and as members of the
SIU. These rights are clearly set
forth in the SIU Constitution and in
the contracts which the union has
negotiated with the employers.
Consequently. no member may be
discriminated against because of
race, creed, color, sex, national or
geographic origin.
If any member feels that he or she
is denied the equal rights to which
he or she is entitled, the member
should notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS
POLITICAL
ACTIVITY DONATION
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and purp ses
including, but not limi ed to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering
of the American merchant marine
with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen
and the advancement of trade union
concepts. In connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions
are voluntary. No contribution may
be solicited or received because of
force, job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct,
or as a condition of membership in
the union or of employment. If a
contribution is made by reason of
the above improper conduct, the
member should notify the Seafarers
International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the
contribution for investigation and
appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his
or her economic, political and
social interests, and American trade
union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If
at any time a member feels that any
of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been
denied the constitutional right of
access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The
address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
September 2DDD
�Sept 11, 25;
Oct. 9, 23, 30;
Nov. 6, 20;
Dec. 4, 18
General education and ~ollege courses are available as needed. In acfditlOn; ·, .
basic vocational support program courses are offered tbrough-0ut the year, one
week prior to the AB, QMED, FOWT, Third Mate, Tanker·Assistant-.and Water
.Survival courses. An introduction to. compu~rs·
be self-stUdy.
course will
lflliJl'rf1*11ii~i;i,i~·;);
Name
--------------------------~
Address
- --------------------------
With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days sea time for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and QMED 4J1.Plicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee of $280 with their apulication. The uavment should be made with a money order only.
payable to LMSS.
COURSE
Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member
D
Lakes Member
Date of Birth
D
BEGIN
END
DATE
DATE
---------
Inland Waters Member
D
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed.
Social Security# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Seniority _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D
No
D
Book#---------Department _ __ _ _ _ _ __
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
DYes
DNo
If yes, class# _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ __ __
Have you attended any SHLSSIPHC upgrading courses?
DYes
ONo
If yes, course(s) taken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D Yes
D No
Firefighting:
D Yes D No
CPR:
0 Yes
ONo
Primary language spoken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
September 2000
LAST VESSEL: _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __
Date On: - - - - - -- -- - --
Rating: _ _ _ __
Date Off:
SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _
DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, PO. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
9100
Seafarers LOB
21
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
--r
Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 598 - Unlicensed apprentices from class 598 who graduated from the water survival course are (in alphabetical
order) Malachi Albertie Jr., David Alexander Ill, John Barrington, Roger Berger, Terry
Blade, Earnesto Brandon, John Collins Jr., Edward Deupree Ill, Jose Echeverria Jr.,
Patrick Edwards, Lovell Hyman, Jared Lee, John Lightfoot, Edmund Livings, Timothy
Manes, Kevin Mcintyre, Jose Rivera, John Rochez, Earle Shakes Jr. and Dominic Whitty.
Their instructor was Bernabe Pelingon.
SEAFARERS
f•Ul
HALL CENTER
LIFEBOAT
CLASS
::=:";:~~·~.9.l.;~_;.::=.=.;-~~~
Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 604
Completing the water survival course are unlicensed apprentices from
class 604. They are (from left, front row) Louis Cappadonna, Bernabe
Pelingon (instructor), Paul Voisin, (second row) Justin Johnson, Roderic
Kelly, Larry Tribby, John Rochez, Darren Rollins. (in boat) Matthew
Nunez, Damon Straughter, Emilio Abreu and Michael Praslicka.
Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 603 - Class 603 unlicensed apprentices who
successfully completed the water survival course are (in alphabetical order) Joseph Benavente Jr.,
Christopher Dionio, Lokona Farias, Jackson Gourgue, Byron Graham, Michael Harvey, Michael Herrera,
Kevin Ignacio, Haven lussig, Nicholas Jones, Ryan Legario, Charles Lewis, Adam Lippe, Samuel Lloyd,
Ralph Martin Jr., Jerald Martinez, William Mcintyre, Felix Medina, Allyson Pangelinan, Kenneth Simon and
Sidney Wagner Jr. (Note: Charles Lewis is not in the photo.)
Designated Duty Engineer (DDE) -
Completing the designated duty engineer course July 7 are (in no specific order) John
Knott, George Murphy Jr., Donald Lumpkins, Monty Dunphy, Richard
Robertson, Laurence Gilley and Rene Vazquez. Their instructor, not
pictured, was Barney Kane.
We Did It!
FOWT -
Earning their FOWT endorsements July 21 are (from left, first row) Manuel Oliveras, William
Rozier, Fahd Alsoofi, Paul Flores, Armando Bermudez, Curtis Thornton, Brent Morris, (second row) Mark
Jones (instructor), James Brown, Pati Taototo, Pedro Ortiz Jr., Gary Torres, Edward Hopeau, William
Watterson, Milton Flynn, Pablo Bermudez, Nicholas Joyce, (third row) Carey Foster Jr., Abdul Munassar,
Niko Monsales, Juan Green, (fourth row) Gerald Evans, Ray Avie, Darryl White, John Turner 111, Victor
Harvey, Rossel Lino and Louis Gracia.
22
Seafarers LOB
Unlicensed Apprentice Graduation -All the studying
pays off for another group of unlicensed apprentice graduates as
they receive their certificates June 23. Posing with "Momma"
Theresa Price are (in alphabetical order) Gregorio Abalos, Kyle
Bailey, Tyrone Brown, Carlos Castillo, Christophre Cummings,
Sherrod Frazier, Brian Guiry, Michael McErlean , Benny Perez,
Karl Roy, Shauntay Shavies and Guy Todd. (Note: two of the
graduates are not in the photo.)
September 2000
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Steward Department Skills
Chief Cook -
Leaming specific culinary skills which will prepare them to sail as a chief cook are (in no particular order) Erni
Lizada, David Camacho, Natividad Zapata, Herman Stith, Harry
Kimble, Gerry Querubin, Tanja Pfizenmaier, George Burgos,
Michael Harris, Marcus Nicholas and Vern Andrews. With them are
instructors Chef John Hetmanski and Chef John Dobson as well as
assistant instructor Chef Phyllis Rand.
Tanker Familiarization/Assistant Cargo (DL) - Completing the tanker familiarization/assistant cargo (DL) course June 16 are (from left, kneeling) Ian Ferguson, Eli Smith, Ronel Guerzon, Charles
Walker, Randolph Cash Jr., Marque! Sapp, Raymond Elsner, Chris Todd, (second row) Jim Shaffer (instructor) Chuck Thompson, Janan Driggers, Thomas Odem, Ehtesham Ahmed, Sammy Montana, Kevin Conklin,
Melvin Stegall, Justin Rodgers, (third row) Dave Rankin, Riley Donahue, John Gilston and Tom Woerner.
Able Seaman -
Completing the AB course August 4 are (from left, first row) Enrique Brown, Melvin Hill,
Veronica Miller, Gwynne Turkington, (second row) Willie Johnson, David Pratt, Curtis Newman, Rizalino
Aldana, Thomas Skubinna, Christopher Green, Timothy Beuk, (third row) William Maggio II, Jeffrey Smith,
James Miller, Agustin Miranda, Joshua Weir, Jack Swain, Joel Patzer, Dustin Macomber, Randy Pasquarella,
Thomas Morgan, Stan Beck (instructor) and Travis Jarvis.
Galley Operations - The galley operations course teaches
students baking skills. From the left (front row) are Angelo
Camacho, Rocel Caballero, Leopold Calderon, Adele George,
Kaipo Cornwell. Julio Ciliezar, Juan Rios, (second row) Chef Ed
White (instructor), Gary Dottino, Jimmy Williams and Darren Barrett.
Academic Department
English as a Second Language (ESL) College Math Prep
Instructor Peggy
Densford (left) works with Pete Malone (Unlicensed
Apprentice Class 575) to prepare for college math
courses.
September20IJIJ
William Mcintyre, a native of Pattaya, Thailand , studies English with Instructor Peggy Densford.
Right: Computer Class -
Fateh Saleh, from the
port of Wilmington, Calif., practices using the computer
with help from Instructor Richard Prucha.
Seafarers LOB 23
�Volume 62, Number 9
Septe ber 2000
SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT
SIU Pacific District Supplemental
Benefits Fund, Inc.
-page20-
SIU-Crewed Sbip Becomes Tourist Attraction
hydrographers.
While visitors in Alexandria toured the
vessel, SIU Headquarters Rep. Carl Peth
conducted a union meeting and answered
questions posed by the crew members,
mostly pertaining to the new contract.
With him was Christine Short, who soon
will help out in the port of Honolulu as a
patrolman.
This is the first ship for OS David
Jones of Houston, who graduated from
the Unlicensed Apprentice Program at the
Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. in
May. While still in training, Jones
worked
aboard
the
class 295 and joined the SIU in 1979.
The vessel's mission scientists and
technicians from the Naval Oceanographic Office perform surveys aboard the
ship to collect data for charting that portion of the world's coastlines that are not
adequately charted. The data are utilized
in both war and peacetime missions.
The oceanographic ships operate in
potential hot spots of the world-such as
the Sea of Japan, the Persian Gulf, the
Mediterranean coastal waters-wherever
the U.S. Navy may be called upon to
operate or fight.
Survey ships
also are
used for
spe-
Chief Steward Warren Lombard (left) and
Chief Cook Julio Arzu have everything
under control in the galley.
I
t's not often that ordinary residents get
a chance to climb aboard a military
vessel, but hundreds of people took
advantage of just that opportunity when
the SIU-crewed USNS Bruce C. Heezen
(pronounced HAY-zin) docked in the port
of Alexandria, Va. recently and was available for tours.
The ship, launched March 25, 1999
and delivered to the Military Sealift
Command (MSC) January 2000, is the
fifth of the Pathfinder T-AGS 60 class of
oceanographic survey ships that are
designed to gather underwater data in
either coastal or deep ocean waters. In
order to perform its mission, the Heezen
is equipped with the latest survey technology, including a dynamic positioning system, which automatica11y controls the
ship's speed and heading and enables it to
maintain its position and follow a track
line.
Survey ships are ambassadors for the
United States, stopping at foreign and
domestic ports that rarely see U.S. Navy
vessels and creating goodwill by helping
train other nations' oceanographers and
Liberty
Sun, but he
considers the
Heezen his first ship.
It is also the first voyage for GVA Ann
Mensior of Indiana, one of two women
aboard ship, and she loves it. The mother
of four (and grandmother) recently made
a complete career change. And while she
noted that it is sometimes difficult to be
away from home, she keeps in touch with
her family by e-mail and now has an
opportunity to see things she has never
seen before in Indiana: whales, jellyfish,
dolphins, flying fish, a sunset at sea. She
hopes to attend upgrading courses at
Piney Point as soon as possible.
OS Alvin Clark, who helped greet visitors as they climbed the gangway onto
the Heezen , graduated from the
Unlicensed Apprentice
Program in 1998 and
spent one month with
the vessel in Gulfport,
Miss. prior to sailing
first to Norfolk, Va.
and then to
Alexandria.
For Chief Steward
Warren Lombard,
however, this is old
hat-his fifth time
aboard an oceanographic ship. He graduated from the union's
trainee program in
situations, such
as locating aircraft that have crashed or
charting wrecks that may be hazardous to
shipping. The scientific data collected by
the Navy's oceanographic survey fleet are
necessary to all U.S. military forces operating on or above the seas who must be
prepared to sail or fly at a moment's
notice.
The Heezen, which is 329.5 feet long
and can travel at a speed of 16 knots, was
named for Bruce C. Heezen, a 20th century oceanographer best known for his pioneering work mapping the ocean floors.
He died in 1977 of natural causes aboard
a submarine that was about to explore the
submerged mid-Atlantic mountains that
he had studied throughout his 30-plus
years as an oceanographer.
During the shipboard union meeting, GVA
Joseph A. Gierbolini listens intently to clarification on the current contract.
The USNS Bruce C. Heezen was
named by a group of fifth graders from
Cranston, R.I. The students' entry was
chosen from among 2,000 entries from
American school children in a 1998
Navy-authorized ship-naming contest,
which was held to coincide with the
International Year of the Ocean. The contest encouraged students to learn about
the maritime sciences, naVa:J'.'"0-e>eaitio~rr,
phy and the use of the Internet as a
research tool.
Following a return trip to Norfolk, the
vessel, operated by Dyn Marine for the
MSC, will head for operations off the
coast of Iceland.
Above: While tourists were busy
roaming the decks of the Heezen,
SIU members gathered for a union
meeting in the messroom. From the
left are Storekeeper Earl Thomas,
Chief Cook Julio Arzu, Chief
Steward Warren Lombard, OS
David Jones and Oiler Jonas
Bocaya.
OS David Jones (right) shows Headquarters Rep. Carl Peth
his TRB, indicating he was properly credited for steering
aboard the vessel.
Left: Honolulu Patrolman
(in training) Christine Short (left)
talks with GVA Ann Mensior
about life aboard ship.
�
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Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009
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HEADLINES
UNIONS WIN KEY DEMANDS AT BELL ATLANTIC/VERIZON
SEAFARERS’ WAGES, BENEFITS INCREASE UNDER NEW FIVE-YEAR T-AGOS PACT
SIU WELCOMES USNS WATKINS
WILMINGTON SIU HALL’S RENOVATION NEARLY DONE
COMMITTEE REVIEWS NOMINATION PETITIONS FOR UNION ELECTION
ITF GAINS $65,000 IN BACK PAY FOR CREW OF RUNAWAY-FLAG SHIP
GULF WAR REPORT LAUDS U.S. MARINERS, CALLS FOR STRONG AMERICAN-FLAG FLEET
10 YEARS AFTER DESERT STORM, MARAD EXAMINES SEALIFT ROLE
STRUCK BY CYPRUS-FLAG SHIP, ITF GLOBAL MARINER SINKS
ARA’S STEINBERG PASSES AWAY
CREDENTIALS APPROVED FOR CANDIDATES TO 27 UNION OFFICES
BOSUN ISENSTADT RETIRES
SHIP SEIZURE IN CANADA HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR STRONG U.S.-FLAG FLEET
SIU-CREWED SHIP BECOMES TOURIST ATTRACTION
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Seafarers Log
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Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
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Seafarers International Union of North America
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09/01/2000
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Newsprint
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Vol. 62, No. 9
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/fca465180ee65bef665e01bfb653aedf.pdf
d366969973229d1f718993ff62e35af3
PDF Text
Text
Volume 62, Number 8
August 2000
Baltimore Hall Opens;
Wilmington Undergoes
Major Refurbishment
The SIU was on the move last month as the union's newest hall
opened in Baltimore (top right photo). Seafarers enthusiastically
welcomed the change in location. Meanwhile, major renovations are
taking place at the hall in Wilmington, Calif. (upper left). This continues a steady upgrade in the SIU's facilities-the Baltimore building
is the second new SIU hall to open this year and the sixth since
1994. Others, including the hall in Norfolk, Va. (directly above), have
been improved during the past year. Pictured at the immediate left
and right, respectively, are SIU members at the Baltimore hall.
Pages 12-13.
.Rescue at Sea
Union Gains 2 Ships
------------~~~~Page3
The SIU-crewed Sea-Land Quality recently saved a
., French sailboat racer whose vessel capsized in
rough Atlantic seas. Page 7.
Coalition Urges
MSP Expansion
Passenger Vessel
Construction Starts
~~~~~~~~~~Page3
�Prtsident's Report
Resolvlng Differences
Even in this era of remarkable cooperation between maritime
labor, management and government, occasional disagreements are
inevitable.
Such is the case in a long-running dispute
between the United States Military Sealift
Command (MSC) and several U.S.-flag carriers
including Sea-Land, Crowley and TOTE, among
others. The short of it is this: MSC and the carriers disagree about the amount of money the
Michael Sacco government contractually is obligated to pay for
cenain services that were provided during
Operation Desert Storm.
More specifically, the question concerns the application of the
McCumber Amendment to the 1904 Cargo Preference Act. That
amendment prohibits U.S. carriers from charging higher rates to
the military than to private shippers for transporting "like goods."
As one might expect of a case that has lasted nine years and
involves more than $18 million, the details are complex. But it
boils down to Sea-Land contending that its rates are legally justified by differences in the respective services it provided for the
military and for commercial shippers during the same period.
MSC doesn't see it that way, and argues that the rates should have
mirrored those charged to the commercial segment.
A few months ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington,
D.C. ruled in Sea-Land's favor. A key part of the ruling stated that
the company "cannot be held liable for pricing its contract
according to the kinds of goods it agreed to carry, rather than the
kinds of goods that MSC actually shipped."
I think that Last sentence underscores this case·s complications.
If it were a cut-and-dry issue, it wcmldn 't have taken this long to
litigate.
Along those lines, there are no "bad guys" in this situation.
Each side has a different interpretation of the law and believes it
i~ Mrrect. People are simply doing their jobs. trying to do what
they think is right.
That said; it's time to put this issue to rest. The court sent SeaLand and MSC ba~k to the Arm«! Service Board of Contract
Appeals to pursue what it describes as more "facrual determinations" aimed at finally resolving the case (consistent with the
court's ruling). Whether the resolution is done via the board or
through a settlement, I hope it happens soon.
I also want to emphasize that, so far, this dispute hasn't spoiled
the productive working relationships that have been forged across
all components of the U.S.-flag maritime industry. Such cooperation isn't just talk-it's a very reaJ commodity that has helped
generate and maintain support for the U.S. fleet.
In the long run, that collaboration is critical for America's
national security and for maintaining a manpower pool of trained,
loyal, U.S.-citizen mariners. That is the "bigger picture," and all
concerned would be wise to level their focus on it.
Maintaining Professlonal Standards
As reported on page 3, the fleet of SIU-crewed LNG vessels
has begun reflagging. To the Seafarers remaining on the six ships
that will stay under SIU contract, I know you will maintain the
same top-notch professional standards that you always have
demonstrated. Your excellent work enabled the SIU to retain
those ships, and your continued dedication undoubtedly will
strengthen your union.
Volume 621 Number 8
August 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The &afarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Managing
Editor/Production. Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor, Jim
Guthrie; Art, Bill Brower, Administrative Support, Jeanne
Textor.
Copyright © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved
2
Seafarers LOB
Sen. Inouye
Honored for
WWII Heroism
U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye (DHawaii), for decades a leading
proponent of the U.S. merchant
marine, was awarded the Medal
of Honor on June 21 for heroism
during World War II.
Inouye and 19 fellow members of the 442nd Regimental
Combat Team received the
nation's top military decoration
from President Clinton during a
White House ceremony.
The senator served as a medic
with an all Japanese-American
unit in Europe during the war. He
lost his right arm during combat
in Italy, yet, moments later, used
his left arm to toss away a
German grenade that had landed
nearby. That action saved numerous Allied I ives.
In a letter congratulating
Inouye for his award, SIU
President Michael Sacco wrote,
"Your service to the United States
during World War II is a shining
example for all Americans." He
also thanked the senator for "all
the hard work you have accomplished to preserve and strengthen the U.S.-flag commercial fleet.
The men and women of the SIU
applaud your receiving the recognition you justly deserve. We
remain proud to calJ you our
friend and brother."
Inouye, an honorary member
of the SIU, deflected credit for his
achievement, citing the positive
influence of his family and fellow
servicemen. "An honor of this
nature should be shared with
many others," he stated in a communication to the SIU president.
A longtime backer of the U.S.-flag
fleet, Sen. Daniel Inouye recently
received the Medal of Honor for
his heroic actions in WWII.
"This Medal of Honor belongs to
my grandparents, parents and the
men of my platoon. I accept this
great honor in their behalr'
Among many other actions in
behalf of the U.S. fleet, Inouye
was an outspoken and effective
advocate of the Maritime
Security Program, enacted in
1996. He also played a key role in
clearing the way for construction
of the two deep sea cruise ships
being built for U.S. Lines by
Ingalls Shipbuilding.
New York-Area Seafarers Rally
In Support of ILA Local 1814
SIU members and officials
joined hundreds of fellow trade
unionists June 22 in New York for
a demonstration supporting the
striking members of International
Longshoremen 's
Association
(ILA) Local 1814.
Some 300 ILA members have
been on strike for a year against
Domino Sugar's Broolclyn, N.Y.
refinery. Because Domino is
owned by the Britain-based company Tate & Lyle, the recent
protest took place outside the
British Consulate in New York.
In a flyer summarizing its
plight, Local 1814 pointed out,
"The strike action was the workers' last resort given the fact that
they tried for nine months past the
expiration date to get a (new)
contract."
Indeed, a partial list of the
company's demands illuminates
the union's position. Among other
things, Domino calls for: cutting
the workforce by about one-third;
eliminating the seniority system;
slashing overtime; abolishing personal and sick days; unlimited
subcontracting; and reopening the
contract whenever Domino deems
it necessary.
"In short, they slashed a 59page contract book to about five
pages," the union noted.
The International Transport
Workers' Federation, to which
both the Sill and the ILA are
affiliated, accused Domino of
"highjacking the negotiations and
submitting a series of unreasonable demands for concessions."
Photo courtesy of Miller Photography
Participating in the recent rally in New York for ILA Local 1814 are (from
left} SIU Representative Jack Caffey Jr., SIU VP Atlantic Coast Jack
Caffey, Local 1814 Representative Tom Scalla, Local 1814 President
Frank "Red" Scollo, New York Central Labor Council Public Policy
Director Ed Ott, New York State AFL-CIO Special Projects Director Ed
Panarello and Local 1814 Secretary-Treasurer Lou Pernice.
Pensioners and Dependents
Try Pilot Benetns Program
The Seafarers Welfare Plan (SWP) last month
announced the start of a one-year pilot program
allowing for payment of home health and hospice
benefits for eligible SIU pensioners and their dependents. Upon recommendation of the SWP administrator, the board of trustees authorized the trial program, effective July 10.
This test benefit is modeled after the program
currently in place for active Seafarers and their
dependents. A brief description of these benefits follows:
• The SWP will pay 100 percent of the actual
home health care costs, up to the maximum daily
rate set forth in the rules, and subject to certain limitations.
•The SWP will pay 80 percent of the reasonable
and customary cost of hospice care, subject to cer-
tain limitations set forth in the rules.
• The benefits for home health and hospice care
combined are subject to a lifetime maximum of
$10,000 per participant.
• Private duty nursing care is subject to an annual cap of $2,000 per participant and is included in
the lifetime maximum cap of $10,000.
Questions about these benefits should be directed
to the claims department at 1-800-252-4674.
The trustees directed the administrator to review
this program after one year to determine its effectiveness. At that point, the trustees will determine
whether or not the program becomes a permanent
part of the rules and regulations.
Augusf 2000
�Union Gains 2 Ships
M aersk Line Ltd. to Operate
Converted Ammunition Ships
The recent award of a fiveyear operating agreement to SIUcontracted Maersk Line Ltd. by
the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) will result in
Seafarers getting new job opportunities aboard two additional
ships.
Two foreign-flag cargo vessels
are reflagging under the Stars and
Stripes. They will replace two
others that are transferring from
the Maritime Security Program
(MSP) to MSC. The latter two
ships are the SIU-crewed Newark
Bay and OOCL Innovation. They
will be converted for use as
ammunition carriers.
For the SIU, these developments mean a net gain of two vessels. SIU members will continue
crewing the ships that are transferring to MSC's flee~ plus they will
climb the gangways to the two
vessels that are reflagging.
The first reflagging tentatively
is scheduled to take place by the
end of this year, as is the start of
conversion work on one of the
current MSP ships. The second
will take place some time in
2001.
"The SIU welcomes this
opportunity and will, as always,
provide the best-trained mariners
in the world," stated SIU Vice
President Contracts Augie Tellez.
Maersk Line Limited, based in
Norfolk, Va., operates about two
dozen SIU-crewed vessels for
MSC and in the Maritime
Security Program. Its Seafarerscrewed fleet includes containerships, roll-on/roll-off prepositioning vessels and T-AGOS ships.
The OOCL Innovation, tying up earlier this year in Port Elizabeth, N.J.,
will be converted for use by MSC, as will the Newark Bay. SIU crews
will remain aboard both ships and will sign onto two others that are
reflagging under the Stars and Stripes.
Construction Launched for U.S. Lines' Vessel
Rep. Abercrombie Says Project Provides 'Foothold' in Foreign-Dominated Industry
Photo oourtm;y of Amoriaan Glaoaie Voyages Co.
The patriotic theme was impossible to miss during the ceremonial
launel"I of eon~truetion on tl"le lergest U.S.-flag cruise ship. Amid fireworks, American flags, red, white and blue confetti and an Uncle Sam
lookalike, the building commenced during Independence Day weekend
at Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. The vessel is slated
for completion in 2003 and will be crewed by SIU members.
Amid colorful, patriotic fanfare, constructfon recently was
launched on what is planned as
the largest cruise ship ever built
in the United States. American
Classic Voyages and its subsidiary U.S. Lines, along with the
U.S. Maritime Administration
and Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding,
ceremonially kicked off production during Independence Day
weekend at the unionized shipyard in Pascagoula. Miss.
The steel used in the ceremony
will be part of a 1,900-passenger
vessel--crewed by SIU members
-slated for completion in 2003 .
That vessel will sail exclusively
in the Hawaiian Islands, while an
SIU-crewed sister ship (also
operated by U.S. Lines) is scheduled for completion in 2004.
Both those vessels-as well as
the former Holland America ship
Patriot, which in December will
sail under the U.S. flag with an
SIU crew-resulted from passage
of the U.S.-Flag Cruise Ship Pilot
Project three years ago. That legislation is expected to help revitalize domestic shipbuilding, create thousands of American jobs
and increase U.S. tax revenues,
among other benefits.
The construction contract for
the two new 72.000-ton ships has
a potential value of up to $1.4 billion, according to American
Classic Voyages. It also includes
an option for a third ship.
At least one legislator who
supports the U.S. merchant
marine hailed the construction's
launch as the start of America's
full-scale entry into the thriving
cruise market. U.S. Rep. Neil
Abercrombie (D-Hawaii). in
remarks July 17 on the floor of
the U.S. House of Representatives, stated, "The cruise
SIU Maintains Jobs on 6 LNG Tankers
Following a decision by the U.S. Court of
Appeals which cleared the way, the U.S.
Maritime Administration (MarAd) on July 12
reaffirmed its approval for the reflagging of
eight liquefied natural gas vessels to foreign
registry. As reported in previous editions of
the Seafarers LOG, SIU members will continue sailing aboard six of the vessels-the LNG
Capricorn, LNG Taurus, LNG Libra, LNG
Gemini, LNG Leo and LNG Virgo. The economic provisions (including benefits) of the
SIU Standard Tanker Agreement will apply to
those ships once the reflagging to the
Marshall Islands registry takes place.
The LNG Aquarius reflagged with a foreign crew last month and the LNG Aries was
August 2000
scheduled to follow by month's end. Seafarers
sailing aboard those two ships at the time of
reflagging will receive a severance package.
The schedule for reflagging the remaining
vessels was not available at press time.
PRONAV Ship Management applied to
reflag the ships in August 1999. When MarAd
approved the request in November, the
Department of Transportation agency emphasized that its decision "should not be taken as
a precedent for any other situation." Maritime
Administrator Clyde Hart said he ·~reluctantly..
issued the ruling and also stressed that a key
condition to the approval .. helps to ensure the
continued availability of American mariners
for commercial operations and military readiness/' because all the unlicensed jobs for six
of the ships will be held by Americans for at
least the next five years. MarAd also has
authority over any further changes in foreign
"ownership, registry or operation."
The agency last month confirmed its original
stance following an appeal of the reflagging.
SIU President Michael Sacco stated, "Our
position always has been that the eight ships
should remain under the American flag. The
union is disappointed in MarAd's ruling.
"However, our crewing of six of the LNG
vessels will help provided a continued manpower pool of trained American mariners for
U.S. national defense purposes," he continued. Sacco added that the application of the
SIU's Standard Tanker Agreement wages and
benefits will, for the first time, apply
American labor standards on foreign-flag
ships.
In written communications sent during the
past 11 months to the SIU LNG crews-and
during shipboard meetings between Seafarers
and SIU officials-the union noted that its
decision to accept continued employment on
the reflagged ships was made only after
painstaking analysis. Further, the reflagging
originally was scheduled to begin in 1998
(under a previous application by the ship
operator); and the SIU had negotiated a conditional phase-out agreement ending in 2003
whereby it would not, in fact, sail on the
reflagged vessels.s.
The union reconsidered its position last
year due to unforeseen circumstances involving contract negotiations between a U.S. officers union and PRONAV. Those conditions
threatened the Sill's severance agreement and
made it possible that all eight ships quickly
would reflag, leaving SIU crews without any
opportunity for continued employment on
those vessels.
As noted in a memo from SIU Vice
President Contracts Augie Tellez to the LNG
crews, "When weighed against the alternatives, the final decision (to sail on the six
reflagged ships) was based on the ultimate
benefit to our members and their families ....
[The agreement] maintains our benefits and
will provide jobs and job security for five
more years while preserving our severance
agreement."
Rep. Neil Abercrombie
industry is one of the fastest
growing segments of the travel
and leisure industry, growing at a
pace of about nine percent annually. Loopholes in U.S. laws and
regulations have essentially
ceded this burgeoning vacation
business to companies operating
cruise ships under flags of convenience.... The U.S.-flag Cruise
Ship Pilot Project ... will change
that and will give Americans a
foothold in a cruise industry now
dominated by foreign cruise
lines."
Abercrombie also pointed out
that the new U.S.-flag vessels
"will help maintain the manpower necessary for building and
crewing ships in times of national emergencies. The Department
of Defense has also expressed
interest in utilizing the hull
designs for cruise ships for command and control vessels in the
future."
Finally~ he declared that the
new builds "demonstrate that
America can build ships competitively on the world market. At a
fixed price of $440 million
apiece, the ships are only slightly
above the price being charged for
cruise ship construction in
European yards, where nearly all
new cruise ships are built. The
price of American ships would be
even more competitive in the
world market if the worldwide
ship construction subsidies were
eliminated."
Sllatal'fll'S LOS
3
�Union Official and Friend to All
Advocate for Maritime Labor, Ed Mooney Dies at 84
Edward X. Mooney, a member
of the SIU since 1944 and headquarters representative from 1961
until his retirement in 1977, died
July 4 at his daughter's home in
Goodyear, Ariz. He was 84.
Known affectionately as "the
Monsignor," Mooney was a
strong and constant advocate for
U.S. mariners. He was born in
New York in 1916 and left a job
as a bar manager to catch his first
SIU ship in 1944. After the war,
he sailed on several of the old
Alcoa and Bull Line passenger
ships- as a bartender and smoking room steward on the SS Alcoa
Cavalier and as chief steward on
the SS Alcoa Corsair. He also
worked as a steward on Bull
Line's SS Puerto Rico.
"Ed was a very loyal, caring
man for bis family and his
union," stated SIU President
Michael Sacco, who knew
Mooney for nearly 40 years. "He
broke me in on the waterfront as
a patrolman.
"Ed was a good organizer, a
good teacher and was very wellliked by the membership. He was
very active in the community,
too."
One of his friends from the
Mooney talks with members in
the NewYork union hall during the
early 1970s.
early years was John Gallagher,
an SIU member from 1942 to
1985 and now living in Pennsylvania. "It is a sad day," he stated, upon hearing of Mooney's
passing. "He went out of his way
to be helpful and was good to all
Seafarers. We sailed together during World War II and were in
Italy when the war ended,"
Gallagher reminisced. (They
were both serving as ABs aboard
the Cranston Victory, which was
taking war cargo to the Italian
front.) "I consider him a very
close, personal friend, and I will
miss a real good man," Gallagher
stated.
From the very start of his maritime career, Mooney was active
in union programs and played an
important role in the SIU's early
organizing beefs. He served as
ship's delegate on a number of
vessels and participated in the
Wall Street Strike, the General
Strike of 1946, the Canadian beef
and the Puerto Rico longshore
beef.
George McCartney, retired
Vice President West Coast and
pallbearer at his funeral, said
Mooney "was like a big brother
to me." They sailed together in
1949 on the SS Puerto Rico and
also worked in organizing the SS
Atlantic in 1958 . McCartney
noted the saying, ''A friend in
need is a friend in deed" fit
Mooney to the letter. "He was
truly a friend in deed."
Retired Vice President "Red"
Campbell worked on the waterfront with Mooney. He said he
was extremely likeable and an
excellent official. "Mooney was
very pleasant and had a good attitude. No beef was too small for
him to deal with, and he maintained a good relationship with
the members."
In 1951, Mooney ran for union
office for the first time and was
elected joint patrolman for the
port of New York. Two years
later, he became assistant secretary treasurer. He also served as
manager of the union's Port
O'Call Bar and Nightclub in
SIU at Fishermen's Memorial Service
The SIU on May 29 took part in the annual Fishermen's Memorial
Service conducted by the New Bedford (Mass.) Port Society.
Above, SIU New Bedford Port Agent Henri Francois (right) and
Howard Nickerson, retired director of the Offshore Mariners
Association, carry a wreath of flowers to the water. The yearly
event is intended to recognize the "contribution and sacrifice of
those men who serve aboard our fishing vessels," noted the port
society.
4
Seafarers LOil
1951-52.
Retired SIU Business Agent
John Dwyer worked with
Mooney in New York. The pair
kept in touch and saw each other
every year. "He was a great guy,"
Dwyer added.
In 1961 , Brother Mooney was
named headquarters representative by then-SIU President Paul
Hall, a post he held until his
retirement. In the same year,
AFL-CIO President George
Meany nominated Mooney to
represent the labor movement on
the Puerto Rico Wage and Hour
Committee.
During his years as an SIU
official, Mooney mainly worked
out of the port of New York. He
did, however, spend two years in
the port of Buffalo and also
taught a union education course
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship in Piney
Point, Md.
Mooney helped represent the
SIU in the Maritime Trades
Department New York Port
Council, as well as in the
National Maritime Council. He
also was very active in promoting
the union's political interests in
New York on both the local and
state levels.
When Mooney retired, he was
serving as a union trustee for the
Seafarers Pension and Welfare
Plans and had served as a delegate representing the SIU A&G
District at every SIUNA convention since 1953.
Following his retirement in
1977 and looking back on his life
in the SIU, Mooney said, "The
union and this membership have
come a long, long way since I
joined. And I'm happy and proud
to have been a part of it.
But as far as we have come as
a successful organization, we still
have a long way to go."
Mooney added, "We have a lot
of work left to do, but the SIU has
always come out on top, and I
don't think that's about to
change."
Even though poor health
forced him to retire, he moved to
Seattle and continued to improve
the lives of others.
This dedication of service to
organized labor, the maritime
industry and the community did
not go unnoticed, and in 1989,
Mooney was recognized at a luncheon of the Puget Sound District
Council of the Maritime Trades
Department, where he was presented with a lifetime achievement award. In his brief remarks
following the honor, Brother
Mooney said he would continue
to fight on behalf of working people and the maritime industry.
"Just because I'm retired," he
noted, "doesn't mean I've
stopped working."
Honolulu Port Agent Neil
Deitz worked with Mooney in
Seattle and remembers "Ed
Mooney as someone to whom
you could ask any question. He
would share every contact and
resource with you to get the job
done. The first thing he told people was, 'Nothing is too good for
the members, so never go to the
janitor when you can go to the
Edward X. Mooney
landlord."'
Mooney's wife, Wilma, died
in 1991. He is survived by three
sons: Edward, Robert and
Stephen X. Mooney (who sailed
for many years with the SIU);
two daughters: Carol Frawley and
Patricia Lodico; daughter-in-law
Julianne Mooney; son-in-law
Carmine Lodico; two sisters and
numerous grandchildren. A
funeral mass took place July 10 in
Bothell, Wash.
0
Edward X. Mooney was known for his ability to get along with everyone-from fellow Seafarers to political dignitaries. In this photo (originally printed in the November 1986 LOG and titled "Kennedy and the
'Monsignor'"), Mooney, already retired but working part-time out of the
Seattle hall during the congressional elections, was on hand to greet
Congressman-elect Joseph P. Kennedy (D-Mass.).
San Fran Rep Meets DOT Head
San-Francisco-based SIU Representative Chet Wheeler Jr.
(right) recently met U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney
Slater during an event hosted by the port of Oakland, Calif.
(photo at right). Slater visited the port June 23 to review a
major expansion program (dubbed Vision 2000) that is
under way. The $700 million project is expected to help the
local economy and the environment, said Port of Oakland
Executive Director Charles Foster.
August 2000
�Coalition Urges MSP Expansion
Industry Group Details Recommendations
For Improving U.S. Fleet, National Security
Answering the U.S. Maritime
Administration's (MarAd's) request for an assessment of the
Maritime Security Program (MSP),
a coalition of unions (including
the SIU), shipowners, operators
and associations last month
offered a detailed analysis of the
10-year plan along with several
key recommendations for improving it.
"In order to continue to contribute to [America's] national
maritime policy goals and objectives, the Maritime Security
Program must be extended,
expanded and upgraded," stated
the group. "It must become a
vehicle for the growth of the
United States-flag merchant
marine and not simply a means to
preserve an existing core fleet.
"We also believe very strongly
that the Maritime Security
Program cannot by itself solve
America's maritime manpower
and commercial sealift problems.
Rather, it must not only be modified to better assist in improving
the competitiveness of the United
States-flag foreign commerce
fleet, but must also be accompanied by meaningful maritimerelated tax and regulatory reform
and by the full implementation of
existing cargo reservation programs."
Among the coalition's proposals:
•Extend the MSP "for a period of at least 15-20 years. This
change would give investors and
lending institutions more confidence to provide the funds necessary for the replacement of vessels and the expansion of the
U.S.-flag fleet."
• Expand the MSP fleet. This
will bolster U.S. sealift capability
while providing "a greater, much-
needed base of employment for
American merchant mariners .... It
is important to remember that the
U.S. Navy is facing recruiting
shortfalls and dropping retention
rates.... Consequently, predicating a sealift strategy on government personnel to crew commercial sealift shipping is simply not
a viable option."
• Supplement the MSP via
"strict compliance with existing
cargo preference laws that require
a percentage of military and nonmilitary U.S.-government impelled cargoes be shipped on privately owned U.S.-flag commercial vessels."
• Tax reform for U.S.
mariners and commercial vessels.
Without it, "the American merchant fleet will have to continue
to try to compete against foreignflag vessels and crews that
receive much more favorable tax
treatment from their nations."
The group endorsed the pending National Security Sealift
Enhancement Act (H.R. 3225,
S.1858), which includes tax
incentives. Additionally, the
coalition claimed the existing
MSP and its associated Voluntary
Intermodal Sealift Agreement
(VISA) have delivered on their
expected goals. They include
maintaining both a cost-effective,
viable U.S.-flag commercial fleet
that strengthens America's sealift
capabilities and a trained manpower pool of U.S. citizen
manners.
The group pointed out that the
MSP and VISA programs "have
strong, bipartisan support in the
Congress and the executive
branch. As President Bill Clinton
stated when he signed the
Maritime Security Act of 1996
into law, 'The American flag
must always sail in the sea lanes
of the world."'
Further, they noted, "Without
a sufficient number of militarily
useful, privately owned ships
operating under the U.S. flag, and
without a sufficient cadre of
trained, loyal American citizen
merchant mariners, our country
will be at the mercy of those
whose economic, political and
military interests may be contrary
to our own."
The comments were submitted
by a group which includes the
AFL-CIO Maritime Trades
Department and four of its member unions (the SIU, NMU,
MM&P and MEBA), the
Transportation Institute, the
American Maritime Congress,
American
President
Lines,
American Ship Management,
Automar International Car Carrier, Maersk Sealand, the Maritime Institute for Research and
Industrial Development, Central
Gulf Lines, Farrell Lines, First
American Bulk Carrier Corp.,
First Ocean Bulk Carriers, the
Labor Management Maritime
Committee, Lykes Lines, OSG
Car Carriers, U.S. Ship Management and Waterman Steamship
Corp.
Union Mourns Loss of Retired Port Agent Reinosa
Juan J. Reinosa, retired SIU
port agent in Puerto Rico who
also served as a patrolman in San
Francisco, passed away July 22 in
Freemont, Calif. He was 79.
Brother Reinosa joined the
SIU in 1944 in New York. He was
a career Seafarer with more than
25 years of sea time in the steward department.
Because of his expertise as a
chief steward, Brother Reinosa
was among the first mariners
assigned to the industry's food
pl~n undi;;r thi;; maritime advam;ement program. The late Paul Hall,
former SW president, personally
assigned him.
In this capacity, Brother
Reinosa helped to pioneer the art
of properly provisioning seagoing
vessels based on crew size, duration of voyage and distance
between ports. His input on standards for cleanliness and sanitation in galley/dining operations
was pivotal in establishing
today's norm.
Brother Reinosa began sailing
in 1936. He came ashore in 1965
as a patrolman in San Francisco,
after signing off the Steel
Scientist. In 1975, he was elected
port agent in San Juan, P.R. He
kept that position until his retire-
ment in 1984.
"He was a proud Seafarer who
was devoted to the job and to the
SIU membership," said Juan
Reinosa Jr. of his late father. "His
dedication to the union always
came to the forefront of whatever
he did. He worked very closely
with all the early SIU officials."
George McCartney, retired
SIU Vice President West Coast,
was a longtime friend and former
shipmate of Brother Reinosa.
McCartney was among the last
(c;i;;cluding immediate family) to
converse with Brother Reinosa
prior to his death.
"I called his
daughter
Marghuerite to see how Juan was
doing," said McCartney. "She put
the phone up to his ear and I said
a few words to him in Spanish
reminiscing about our time at sea
together on the Bull Line, otherwise known as the Puerto Rican
Navy. His daughter told me that I
must have said something funny
to him because he smiled. He
could understand you, but he
could not talk.
"I sailed with him in the '50s,"
McCartney continued. "He was
chief steward and I was an oilier.
Juan was one of the best chief
stewards that I have ever sailed
with. He was a very competent,
responsibk and capabk guy, a
great shipmate, a great union
brother and a very good friend.
He helped a lot of people."
"Juan was a good old buddy of
mine, a World War II veteran"
offered Red Campbell, retired
SIU vice president contracts.
"You never had any food complaints when Reinosa was aboard
a vessel. He was not a cookbook
steward. He learned it all the way
from ground up--from messman
to galkyman to cook and baki;;r to
chief cook. He served in all the
capacities. When needed, he
could jump right into the galley
and do whatever was needed to
be done. He was an all around
quality guy."
"I knew him for many years,"
said Bob Selzer, SIU port agent in
Brooklyn, N.Y "He was one of
the original charter members. He
was on Beaver Street when the
hall was there in 1944. I did not
sail with him, but I did work with
him for a while. I remember him
as being a real nice guy and one
of the very knowledgeable oldtimers."
Steve Ruiz, port agent in San
Juan from 1991-1999, remembers
Brother Reinosa as one of the
most giving union officials he has
ever met. "I knew him for about
20 years," Ruiz said. "I knew him
when he was port agent in San
Juan. Also, he sailed on some of
the same ships as I did.
"He was kind enough to come
down and familiarize me with the
port and introduce me to the right
people when I became port agent
in San Juan," Ruiz continued.
"Juan was a great guy, always
willing to give a hand and answer
your questions. He did so much
for so many people."
Brother Reinosa is survived by
his wife, seven children, 22
grandchildren and 17 greatgrandchildren. His children, all of
whom reside in California, are:
Juan J. Reinosa Jr. of Newark;
Rose Marie Reinosa of Hayward;
Raymond Reinosa of Oakland;
As port agent in San Juan, P.R.,
Juan Reinosa chaired the monthly informational meetings.
Linda Reinosa and Marghuerite
Reinosa Johnson of Union City;
Antonio Reinosa of Tracey and
Iris Reinosa of Hayward.
GCMA Wins Grant for Mariner Training
Training, Legislation Discussed
SIU officials met with representatives of the union's
contracted Great Lakes operators to discuss the latest issues impacting the industry. A key topic at the
June 28 conference (which took place at the SIU hall
in Algonac, Mich.) was the specialized training available to Great Lakes mariners at the Paul Hall Center
in Piney Point, Md. Proposed legislation that may
impact the Lakes also was a prime issue. At left, SIU
President Michael Sacco (standing) updates the
group on the new simulators being installed at the
Paul Hall Center. Also pictured are SIU VP Lakes and
Inland Waters Tom Orzechowski {center) and SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel. Below, the discussion continues.
August 2000
The Gulf Coast Mariners Association (GCMA) recently announced
it has secured-with backing from U.S. maritime unions including
the SIU-a $4 million grant from the U.S. Labor Department to provide STCW certification training to mariners of the Gulf Coast.
Pictured at the June 30 press conference in New Orleans announcing the grant are (from left) Masters, Mates and Pilots President
Tim Brown; GCMA President Penny Adams; Marine Engineers'
Beneficial Association President Larry O'Toole; Louisiana State
AFL-CIO President John "Red" Bourg; AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney; and SIU President Michael Sacco. Others in attendance
included New Orleans Mayor Mark Mariole, Louisiana Secretary of
Labor Garey Forster and American Maritime Officers President
Michael McKay. The grant is available to both union and unrepresented workers alike, but is intended to provide financial assistance
only to those mariners whose company or union is not already paying for the STCW training.
Seafarers LOG
5
�Left: Before loading provisions on board the tug
Gauntlet, (from left) OS
Jason Powell, Engineer
Steve Williams and OS
Mario Morrante take inventory.
Right: Operating the
forklift on the Crowley
dock during cargo
operations is
AB Kyle Sweep.
Jacksonville, Fla. is home to Crowley's 63acre shipping terminal, encompassing that company's containership, barge and tug operations.
Seafarers working at the terminal, located
on Talleyrand Ave., are involved in many of
the activities there. They load barges for the
coastal, Caribbean and Puerto Rico trade
routes and also work aboard the tugs that haul
the barges and help with harbor work, including vessel docking and undocking.
Additionally, SIU members assist with the
maintenance and repair of Crowley equipment.
The photos appearing on this page were
taken recently at the Crowley terminal by SIU
Patrolman Bryan Powell.
AB Ed Sinette helps load cargo onto the tug Pilot.
Assisting in unloading
waste and lube oils
from the tug Pilot is OS
Jason Powell.
Engineer Apprentice Manuel Little works to repair a
portable pump on board the tug Pioneer.
Teamwork and
safety are essential at
the Crowley dock and aboard the tugs, whether the work
involves loading, offloading, cleaning or getting underway.
6
Seafarers LOii
Augusf 2000
�........'tyCrew
Saves Racer
In Dramatic
Rescue at Sea
AB Bill H@nd@rson (l@ft) and oth@r members of the Quality
crew speM time witn LaLou Roucayrol (right) shortly after his
rescue.
Bosun Jim Hassan gets a close-up view of the Frenchman's heavily damaged vessel.
Augusf 2000
A French sailor with a fondness for racing today is back
home with his family and out of
harm's way, thanks to the SIU
crew aboard the Sea-Land
Quality. The aquatic daredevil
had a brush with death on the
high seas during the early morning hours of June 10.
Fortunately for the Frenchman, the Quality was in the same
area near the time of his
encounter at sea, making its way
to the port of Boston from
LeHavre, France.
"LaLou Roucayrol was navigating his $2-million dollar trimaran (sponsored by the Banque
Populaire of France) from
Plymouth, England to Newport,
R.I. in a race," said Quality
Chief Cook Tom Milovich.
Heavy seas severely damaged
one pontoon of Roucayrol 's vessel, causing it to capsize, according to Milovich. The Frenchman
was thrown overboard
and--except for a life vest and
the remaining two intact pontoons of his boat-was completely at the mercy of the ocean
at 5;30 a.m.
Members of the Quality
crew spotted him some 12 hours
later. The U.S. Ship Management
Co. vessel maneuvered alongside
the wreckage of the sailboat at
about 6 p.m. and picked up the
sailor. "At that time, we were
located at a position 45 degrees
43 .6 minutes north latitude and
0.38 degrees 29.3 minutes west
longitude," recalled the chief
cook. "He was cold and a bit
shaken, but for the most part was
in good shape and good spirits."
Quality crew members helped
the Frenchman aboard and did
what they could to make him
comfortable. A tanker arrived on
the scene a little later and salvaged his vessel.
With Roucayrol aboard and
his vessel secured, the Quality
resumed its course to Boston.
Along the way, several of the
Frenchman's race competitors
were observed in full sail heading for Newport. Roucayrol
filled in Milovich and the
remainder of the crew on the
details of the competition as well
as his brush with death.
The Quality docked in Boston
three days later on the morning
of June 16. Once in Boston,
Roucayrol departed for Logan
Airport where he boarded a
flight to New York. There he was
reunited with his wife for their
return trip to France.
s
Lalou Roucayrol (on ladder) makes his way to
safety aboard the Sea-Land Quality.
Watching the rescue operations is Chief Cook
Tom Milovich, who provided the photos on this
page.
Wiper Carlos Bonefonte takes a look at the $2
million racing boat just prior to it being salvaged
by the crew of a nearby tanker.
Seafarers LOG
7
�Lessons
ed at Sea
Still Serve CWA President
Bahr Began Union Career as WWII Mariner
On his first ship as a radio operator
sailing the North Atlantic in 1944, Morton
Bahr learned an invaluable lesson that he
still takes with him today as the president
of the 630,000-member Communications
Workers of America (CWA).
Bahr, a member of Local 2 of the
American Communications Association
(ACA), was invited to a meeting in the
chief mate's fo'c's'le with other officers
aboard the Liberty Ship Thorstein Veblen.
The group was talking about negotiations
between the unions (Bahr's ACA, MEBA
and MM&P) and the War Shipping Administration.
Unknown to the group, the ship's captain was standing outside, listening to the
discussion. The captain kicked in the door
and announced, "There will be no union
talk aboard my vessel."
At that moment, Bahr said he learned
the value of having union protection on
the job. He also learned that there are
those individuals and companies who are
not interested in allowing workers to
organize or to have a say as to how things
work.
That episode. which occurred shortly
after he turned 18, has stayed with him
for more than half a century. He remembers that hatred toward unions every time
he prepares for an organizing effon or
c0t1.tract 11egotiation.
Bahr sailed for two-and-a-half years
before coming ashore in late 1946 to work
as a radio operator, which led to his
involvement with the CWA. He recently
recalled his experiences at sea for a.
reporter from the Seafarers LOG.
Born in Brooklyn, Bahr had never been
aboard any vessel larger than the Staten
Island Ferry prior to ~igning on to the
Veblen. He had completed one year of
college, but realized he was near draft
age. He heard about the U.S. Coast
Guard's radio officers school on the lower
east side of Manhattan and enrolled.
Bahr learned how to type and to take
Morse code. He earned his FCC license
and immediately registered at the ACA
union hall-and then was sent to the ship
without any nautical training.
"My first voyage was one of ignorance," Bahr stated.
After meeting the chief mate, who
showed Bahr where his quarters were, he
realized he knew very little about the
ship. He reported on a Saturday, but was
told he was not needed until Monday.
"I figured out where the gangway was
by holding the rail and found dockside."
Being new as a radio officer, the union
assured him that another radio officer
would be aboard to show him the ropes.
There was another operator, but he had
not sailed since before World War IL
"This was Mackay Radio equipment.
Fortunately, the instruction books were
extraordinary," Bahr remembered.
The Veblen left New York just after DDay as part of a 68-ship convoy. The vessel was loaded with high octane aviation
fuel and jeeps.
Bahr had a fo'c's'le to himself. He was
unaware of how others handled life
aboard ship, so when he sacked out, he
put on his pajamas and slept soundly.
After about 30 days at sea, "I grew up
very quickly."
General alarm sounded. The convoy
was being attacked. When Bahr reported
to the deck with a life jacket over his
pajamas, he learned the rest of the crew
slept with their clothes on.
The Veblen was sent with others in the
convoy to North Africa to assist in the
invasion of southern France. During the
month there. the captain would not allow
mail to be picked up. The vessels left for
Toulon where the French had scuttled the
port and its fleet when the war started.
Bahr said his vessel tied up to two lamp
posts and oftloaded the jeeps.
The ships then sailed for Marseilles
where the captain went ashore. Officials
ordered the Veblen to sail with five other
ships to another port 25 mites a.way.
Without the captain aboard, the crew
would not sail. So the Veblen stayed in
port, while the five set sail and ended up
being sunk.
The return trip to the States also was
eventful. A load of boxcars for North
Africa carried the wrong gauge wheels, so
they were loaded into a hold on the
Liberty ship. High seas caused the wheels
to shift from side to side. The crew feared
they would puncture the vessel and cause
it to sink.
''No one volunteered to go into the
hold. But we threw mattresses, pillows,
wood, whatever we had when the load
shifted to pack it."
The Veblen made it home safely in
Morton Bahr is pictured in uniform, shortly after marrying Florence Slobodow in 1945.
B Seafarers LOG
November 1944.
"After that first trip, everything else
was downhill," Bahr noted.
He sailed aboard two other vessels,
taking two trips aboard each. He learned
that the captain and conditions on the
Veblen were not typical of the U.S. merchant fleet.
Bahr's second trip again took him
across the Atlantic, but instead of staying
in the Mediterranean, the vessel sailed to
India to deliver- as the crew discovered
later-Post Toastees and cosmetics to the
British citizens of that colony.
Bahr noticed no other vessels from the
convoy were headed in the same direction
as his ship, the George Chafee, when they
departed Gibraltar. Few were aware of the
real cargo within the holds because airplanes covered the deck. The ship was
ordered to stay close to the North African
shore as it made its way to the Suez
Canal.
Off the coast of Libya, the captain
called for Bahr when a vessel in the distance started signaling. It was nighttime
and the vessel was using lights.
"It was ordering us to stop. Do not
drop anchor. We are by ourselves in
waters with enemy subs and we're being
told to stop."
The vessel was a Briti~h patrol boat
and we had strayed into a minefield. We
stayed overnight and the boat led us out in
daylight."
While sailing through the Suez, Bahr
experienced something he thought only
occurred in Biblical times-a locust
attack.
"It looked like a thunderstorm. We
closed all the portholes and they started
hitting the ship."
While he took precautions within his
fo'c's'le, Bahr forgot about the porthole
and intake fan in the radio shack. "That
was some mess."
The Chafee stay in India stunned
Bahr with another lesson he never forgot.
For the return trip, the vessel would
take on manganese. needed for producing
steel. He saw railroad cars loaded with the
powder on the dock beside the ship and
two 4-x-8 boards leading from the cars to
the vessel.
"Six women were in the cars, loading
the manganese into the top of garbage can
covers. They placed the covers on their
heads and walked across the boards to
dump them in the holds. They did this for
12 hours for 35 days.
"I couldn't believe it. I still remember
my outrage at how they mistreated and
degraded women."
V-E Day took place as the Chafee was
coming home. "We tied up beside a
British hospital ship and celebrated."
The vessel was in the last convoy to
sail through the Mediterranean to
Gibraltar. He recalled seeing all the
German U-boats sailing in to surrender
and thinking all of them had been in the
Mediterranean looking for vessels like
his.
Before joining the merchant marine,
Bahr met Florence Slobodow and visited
with her whenever he came home.
After the war in Europe ended, Bahr
signed on the Abraham Clark, which
loaded 2,000 tons of phosphate in Boca
Grande, Fla., then sailed to Galveston,
Texas to take on food for Europe.
However, the ship was overloaded and
scraped bottom, causing a leak. When the
phosphate got wet, it formed a sealant that
s
CWA President Morton Bahr reflects on his
years at sea.
forced the ship to limp back to New York
for repairs.
While home, Bahr eloped with
Florence. The pair has been together ever
smce.
Bahr made two runs on the Clark.
During the second voyage, he received
word that his son was born. He got home
six weeks later to meet the newest addition to the family.
Bahr only knew the sea for a livelihood and told his wife he was going to
make one more trip. She had other ideas:
"Go ahead. But the baby and I won't be
here when you return."
She had a stack of ads for land-based
radio operators so he applied and landed
a job with Mackay in March 1947.
Bahr joined ACA Local I 0 and started
to work shoreside, until a strike in
January 1948. This was the first major
strike in the country after the Republican
Congress had passed the Taft-Hartley Act,
which banned closed shops. The strike
lasted three months during which time the
union was decertified.
Bahr returned to work without a contract and "found out what it is like to be
in a big company without a union .. " The
company dictated when and how people
would do their jobs.
The ACA tried to return to Mackay, but
was not successful. Bahr met an organizer
for the CWA in December 1950 and started working to bring the CWA into the
company. Despite tremendous company
opposition, the CWA won the organizing
fight in April 1954.
Bahr became the first president of his
local. Three years later, he joined the
union's international staff as the lead
organizer in the campaign to bring 24,000
workers at New York Telephone into the
CWA. After holding several other union
positions, he was elected CWA District l
vice president in 1969.
He became the third president in CWA
history in 1985. He followed through on
his college education and received his
bachelor's degree from Empire State
College in 1983. Today, he also serves
with SIU President Michael Sacco as a
vice president on the AFL-CIO executive
council.
Bahr has one more sea story he likes to
tell.
In 1974, while attending a New York
state union convention, he was in a room
with Paul Hall, then the president of the
SIU. They were waiting to meet with the
state's governor when they started talking
about their backgrounds.
It was then that Hall discovered Bahr's
maritime roots. "'I knew there was areason I liked you,"' Hall told Bahr. Years
after Hall's death, Bahr received the New
York Port Council's Paul Hall Award. He
is extremely proud of the recognition,
which hangs in his private office.
1
Augusf 2000
�Hail to the Chef. • •
Culinary Lab Named In Honor of Lupinacci
Since 1980, Chef Romeo
Lupinacci has dedicated himself
to the instruction and professional development of steward
department upgraders at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education.
Last month, the school said
"thank you" by dedicating its galley training building as the
Romeo Lupinacci Culinary Lab.
Among those attending the July
10 ceremony were Lupinacci 's
family, SIU members and officials, Paul Hall Center staff members and 20 or so members of the
Three Rivers Chapter of the
American Merchant Marine
Veterans (AMMV), to which
Lupinacci belongs.
"I'm thrilled. I can't put it into
words, but it's a real honor," said
Lupinacci, who retired last year
but still works for the school as a
consultant.
SIU President Michael Sacco
credited Lupinacci for ''the way
he puts his heart and soul into this
school. When someone loves their
work, it's easy to spot. It comes
across in everything they do. That's
exactly the case with Romeo.
"From the beginning, his love
for the school and union has been
evident. It shows in his passion
for detail, his commitment to
training and his pride in the students and the campus."
Paul Hall Center Vice President Don Nolan, who helped
interview Lupinacci 20 years ago,
said the Sewickely, Pa. native
"has been a real blessing for this
school. His knowledge and experience have benefited everyone
who's ever met him, especially
the students."
SIU Plans Administrator Lou
Delma
pointed
out
that
Lupinacci's tutoring has had a
positive impact throughout the
union. "It is a fact that morale
aboard ship is greatly influenced
by the steward department-how
it prepares and presents nutritionally balanced yet varied meals
and how it adheres to strict sanitation regulations," Delma stated.
"It is to Romeo's credit that many
of today's Seafarers reap the benefits of his instruction."
Lupinacci sailed in the merchant marine (engine department)
during World War II, although he
almost didn't survive his inaugural voyage. In May 1943, his first
ship was torpedoed off the North
Carolina coast. Lupinacci later
received an award for rescuing
several shipmates from the
wreckage; they spent nearly four
days in a life raft before a
destroyer's escort picked them
up.
He primarily sailed on troop
ships, and made the invasions at
France and Sicily.
After developing a distinguished post-war culinary career,
he arrived at Piney Point specifically to help prepare for the initial
crewing of the passenger ship SS
Independence. He quickly discovered it was a good fit, and has
remained there.
A certified executive chef,
Lupinacci is a member of many
associations, among them the
Academy of Chefs and the
Golden Toque. He was one of the
first 13 chefs in the world to be
certified as an executive chef
with distinction by the American
Culinary Federation. He also has
won numerous other awards
throughout his career.
Welcoming the Newest 'Queen'
Romeo Lupinacci (left} and SIU President Michael Sacco stand in front
of the new sign designating the Paul Hall Center's primary galley
instruction facility as the Romeo Lupinacci Culinary Lab.
Comparing today's mariners
with those of prior eras,
Lupinacci said, "The people
today are more educated- more
into computers, nutrition, counting calories. They realize what
type of diet the seamen need to
keep them going and prolong
their lives.
"I also think the school has
improved a lot over the years," he
continued. "It's a more dignified
educational institute. When the
recertified stewards come back
here, everyone can see they're
great, great chefs. It does my
heart good."
What made him stay at Piney
Point for 20 years? "It goes back
to a feeling I had when I first
came here," he recalled. "It really
wasn't the money, but the people
impressed me. They were downto-earth. I was a seaman and I
related to them.
"I love it down here. The challenge was to teach young people
who are very grateful for the education. It's fun doing that."
SIU VP WAst CMst Nick Marre>ne (right photo, at left) and
American Classic Voyages Co. President and CEO
Roderick McLeod applauded the recent christening {below)
of the newest Seafarers-crewed passenger boat, the
Columbia Queen. Launched in June, the vessel is 218 feet
long and can carry 161 guests. It offers cruises in the
Pacific Northwest.
Leo Bebout (background), president of the Three Rivers Chapter of the
American Merchant Marine Veterans, and chapter member Ed Trapp
present a lifetime achievement award to Romeo Lupinacci, who also
belongs to the chapter.
Experience Gained on CSX Hawaii
Procedure for SIU Absentee Ballots
Elections for the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District are scheduled for later this
year. As in past SIU election years, a comprehensive guide will be published in the Seafarers LOG
prior to the balloting.
In the case of members eligible to vote who
believe they will be at sea during the Nov. 1 through
Dec. 31, 2000 voting period, absentee ballots will
be available.
The SIU constitution ensures that members who
are eligible to vote and who find them5elve5 in thi5
situation may vote. Procedures are established in
the SIU constitution to safeguard the secret ballot
election, including the absentee ballot process.
Here is the procedure to follow when requesting
an absentee ballot;
1. Make the request in writing to the SIU office of
the secretary-treasurer, 5201 Auth Way, Camp
Springs, MD 20746.
2. Include in the request the correct address where
the absentee ballot should be mailed.
3. S~md thA request for an absentee ballot by rAgistered or certified mail.
4. The registered or certified mail envelope must
be postmarked no later than midnight, Nov. 15,
August 2000
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
2000 and must be received at 5201 Auth Way,
Camp Springs, MD 20746 no later than Nov. 25,
2000.
The secretary-treasurer, after confirming eligibility, will send by registered mail, return receipt
requested, to the address designated in the
request, a ballot, together with an envelope
marked "Ballot" and a mailing envelope no later
than Nov. 30, 2000.
Upon receiving the ballot and envelope, vote by
marking the ballot. After voting the ballot, place
the ballot in the envelope marked "Ballot." Do not
write on the "Ballot" envelope.
Place the envelope marked "Ballot" in the mailing envelope which is imprinted with the mailing
address of the bank depository where all ballots
are sent.
Sign the mailing envelope on the first line of the
upper left-hand corner. Print name and book
number on the second line. The mailing envelope is self-addressed and stamped.
The mailing envelope must be postmarked no
later than midnight Dec. 31, 2000 and received
by the bank depository no later than Jan. 5,
2001.
Roslyn Nikita Brooks recently completed a tour as chief cook
aboard the Hawaii (CSX). "This has been a learning experience for
me," wrote Brooks in a brief note accompanying these photos. 'The
knowledge that I have gained here has been overwhelming, and I
am grateful to have such good stewards to assist me in advancing
my cooking and communications skills." She also thanked the
union officials in Norfolk, Va. for "always giving me encouragement." Some of Brooks' fellow shipmates in the galley include
{above left} Relief Steward Michael Baker. Chief Cook Roslyn
Nikita Brooks and SA Natalie Norrie. Also aboard the Hawaii
(above right) are Chief Steward Edward Herrera, Unlicensed
Apprentice Brad Lowry and Brooks.
Seafarers LOS
9
�Simulator Complex Almost Ready
Liquid Cargo Training Featured in New Facility
The cutting-edge simulator
complex at the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and
Education in Piney Point Md. is
only about one month from completion. When finished in midSeptember, the complex will
house arguably the finest teaching equipment of its kind and provide maximum training flexibility for Seafarers in a PC-based
simulation environment.
"All is on track for us to meet
our target date for the facility's
grand opening and dedication,"
said J.C. Wiegman, the center's
assistant director of vocational
education. Besides his normal
duties, Wiegman in recent
months has been the center's
watchdog over the entire simulator venture. He has stayed in
close contact with school and
union officials, attended frequent
meetings, and persistently monitored the project's evolution.
"It's been quite an adventure,"
reflected Wiegman. "Collectively, we have experienced some
bumps and bruises along the way,
but I'm confident that the final
results will be well worth the
energies cind resources we have
expended."
In addition to simulators for
training ·in shiphandling, engine
room operations and the Global
Marine Distress Sequencing
System, the pristine complex also
will accommodate an apparatus
for training in liquid cargo handling. This equipment, christened
the Liquid Cargo Handlirig
Simulator (LCHS), will be used
for the training and assessment of
Seafarers responsible for handling liquid cargoes (crude oil as
well as LPG ga5) abQard ~hips.
The LCHS conforms to all
amended STCW, MARPOL,
IMO and ICS requirements as
well as to other international conventions and regulations, according to Jim Shaffer, an instructor at
center. Pursuant to these direc-
The simulator building (exterior view in inset) is still under construction but is slated to open next month. It
will be equipped with the world's finest simulators and will host a broad range of classes.
tives, Shaffer explained, the
LCHS is realized as modular software for personal computers that
is integrated into a network server.
"Training on this equipment is
a requirement for anyone who is
going to be a tankerma.n person in
charge (PlC) or a tankerma.n PIC
aboard a barge," Shaffer added.
The simulator's nucleus or
brain is a mathematical model
that imitates the activities of
machinery and ship systems in
real time. This model has the
capability of distinguishing control actions as well as changes in
environmental conditions.
What1s more, explained Shaffer, it can react to these changes
while allowing for the physical
characteristics of the elements
found in ship systems and
machinery.
All processes are reproduced
and correlated as they actually
happen. Output parameters from
the model are displayed by a
monitoring system. These parameters are checked for abnormal
conditions that are indicated by
alarms and a logging system.
The LCHS features multiple
workstations-two for instructors
and 10 for students. The instructor workstations will be used for
creating exercises, realizing studies and analyzing training outcomes.
Trainee workstations will ex pose students to replications of a
cargo control room and auxiliary
operations. These replications
will include remote control of
machinery, monitoring of parameters and current conditions of
tanks, alarms and load calculators. All student training activity
is conducted under instructor
supervision, individually or in a
Rock-Solid Makeover at School
group.
All modem tankers are computer-operated, according to
Shaffer. "By that I mean they
have computer-operated loading
and discharging systems that control the handling of all cargo. So
what we are doing through simulators is providing our [students]
with the expertise they need to be
successful in their futures. That
expertise must necessarily include the ability to cope and perform in an environment saturated
with 21st century technology.
"To be in charge of a loading
operation. you must have actual
time at a console, you must actually on-load and off-load products," he continued. "With the
simulator, our trainees learn to do
that without putting any oil in the
water. It's the closest thing to
being there without actually
being there."
ATTENTION ALL SEAFARERS
Check Your Z-Canl; Your Job May Be at Stake
A new sign constructed of brick and stone (see detail in inset) now signals the location of the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, based in Piney Point, Md. The marker
bears the names of several of the center's key compl)nents, including the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety School. The center's front gate, around the corner from the aforementioned sign, also recently underwent refurbishment.
10
Seafarers LOii
According to a law that took
effect in 1995, the U.S. Coast
Guard requires all merchant
mariners to renew their merchant mariner's documents
(z-cards) in order to continue
sailing. As of December 1999,
all mariners must have
renewed their z-card in order
to continue sailing aboard
U.S.-flag vessels. That means
that as of January 1, 2000, all
active z-cards should have
been issued no earlier than
January 1, 1995.
You may renew your z-card
beginning one year before its
expiration date. No merchant
mariner is allowed to ship with
an expired document. (Mariners may renew their z-cards
up to one year after the expiration date. However, mariners lose their endorsements
if they renew beyond that
one-year extension.)
The expiration date is five
years to the day after the card
was issued. Z-cards list the
expiration date in two different
locations:
(1) near the mariner's
photo on the front and
(2) near the mariner's fingerprint on the back.
For those z-cards without
an expiration date, the date of
issuance is located on the
back of the document beside
the fingerprint. However, any
z-cards that do not have an
expiration date printed on
them will be considered void
as of January 1, 2000.
If you have any questions
concerning the status of your
z-card, contact your port
agent or patrolman.
August 2000
�'Tanks to Tents, Band-Aids to Bullets'
Seafarers-Crewed Phillips Deli11ers
In 11/larine Corps Cargo Exercise
ACU Raymond Alexander prepares a meal in the galley of the
Pvt. Franklin J. Phillips while the
vessel is tied up in Jacksonville. In
addition to the crew, 103 Navy
personnel were served during
cargo operations aboard the ship.
The Pvt. Franklin J Phillips ties up at the Blount Island Marine Corps Terminal for scheduled
MPS cargo backload operations.
Chief Steward James Kidd carves
roast beef for the evening meal.
The SIU-crewed prepositioning ship Pvt.
Franklin J. Phillips docked at the Blount
Marine
Corps
Terminal
in
Island
Jacksonville, Fla., June 16 for its scheduled
MPS cargo back.load operations. The vessel
remained in port through June 28.
Basically a freight ofiloading maneuver,
MPS cargo back.loads normally take place
every two years. During such operations, a
vessel's entire shipment is oftloaded. It is then
repositioned, stored or parked (vehicles) in
appropriate land-based facilities.
In the case of the Phillips, this cargo consisted of enough equipment and supplies to
sustain personnel who compose one-fifth of a
U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary brigade,
according to Bryan Powell, an SIU patrolman
in Jacksonville. "The Phillips ' cargo consists
of everything from tanks to tents and bandaids to bullets," Powell said, "H you need
anything in the way of supplies for the U.S.
Marines, the Phillips has it."
Crane operations came to the forefront
during the operations, as many items in the
ship's payload had to be hoisted from one
position to another. Taking advantage of this
opportunity for training, 103 U.S. Navy personnel boarded the vessel when it docked.
Under the watchful eyes of the Marines who
actually did the offload, they took part in the
operations.
The training lasted for about 10 days,
according to Powell. "They went almost
around the clock for about a week. They usually broke from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. each day, but
then resumed their training."
SIU steward department crew members
figured prominently during the operation.
They had to support the additional Navy personnel. To accommodate the increased popu-
All cranes aboard the Pvt. Franklin J. Phillips
were rigged with adjustable spreaders in preparation for cargo operations in Jacksonville.
lation, the SIU crew was enlarged from 12 to
15 people, Powell said.
Once the Phillips ' cargo had been
ofiloaded, the vessel made its way to the shipyard in Newport News, Va. for routine
repairs. Altogether, it was out of the water for
about two weeks.
After repairs had been e ffected, the vessel departed Jacksonville on June 28 en route
to Durban. Its next destination was its homeport, Diego Garcia.
B Ken Cooper plugs in extra deck
ights under the vessel's lashing rods.
Bosun Ernest Lee (left) and AB Richard Lee work on the deck of
the Pvt. Franklin J. Phillips while the vessel is tied up at the
Blount Island Marine Corps Terminal in Jacksonville.
Great Lakes Crews Greet New VP
Ready to meet aboard the Hannah D. Hannah in South Chicago are
(from left) SIU VP Lakes and Inland Waters Tom Orzechowski,
Deckhand James Bening, Port Agent Don Thornton, Safety Director
Todd Brdak and Captain Bill MielickL
Hannah Marine
Deckhands
Steve Nemeth
(right) and
James Bening
(center) welcome SI Li VP
Tom
Orzechowski to
their boat.
Augusf 2000
Several SIU tugboat crews met recent- .
ly with the union's new vice president ""
Great Lakes and Inland Waters District,
Tom Orzechowski.
Last month and in June, Orzechowski
along with Algonac, Mich. Port Agent
Don Thornton and Safety Director Todd
Brdak conducted shipboard meetings
with Seafarers employed by Bigane Four ABs who sail with Great Lakes Towing greeted SIU VP Tom
Vessel Fueling, Great Lakes Towing and Orzechowski during a recent conference in South Chicago.
Hannah Marine. The sessions took place Pictured from left to right are Stathis Kourtis, Tim Barnaby, Juan
in the Chicago area.
Sanchez, Orzechowski and Grant Hult.
Meetings with SIU crews on vessels
AB Juan Sanchez
operated by American Steamship, Kins{far left) of Great
man, Southdown and others tentatively
Lakes Towing disare planned for this month and
cusses an issue
September.
·
with SIU VP Tom
The inland crews welcomed OrzeOrzechowski
chowski and discussed issues including
(directly across
the Jones Act and the Seafarers Political
table) and Safety
Activity Donation (SPAD).
Director Todd Brdak
(center). Listening
Meanwhile, cargo movement on the
in is SIU
Lakes-much of it transported by SIU
Headquarters
vessels-has been augmented by increased water levels, though it still Representative Leo
Bonser (standing).
remains behind last year's pace.
Seafarers LOS
11
�Members Welcome Move to New Facility
Baltimore-area SIU members last
month enthusiastically endorsed the
opening of the union's newest hall-a
completely refurbished facility that
opened July 1.
Located at 2315 Essex Street, the
Baltimore building is the second new
SIU hall to open this year and the sixth
since 1994 (see box). The finishing
touches still were being applied as this
issue of the Seafarers LOG went to
press-including installation of the
shipping board and an SIU sign adorning the exterior.
A ceremonial inauguration was
planned for mid-August, but the hall
has been fully functional since it
opened. Members' initial reactions
have been overwhelmingly positive.
"I've seen more guys in this hall
today than I saw at the old hall in the
last six months," observed QMED Bob
Oppel on July 21. "People are hanging
out more, socializing more.
"It's a clean building and it's easy to
get to coming off (Interstates) 95 or
83," he added.
William "Smitty" Smith, who
joined the SIU in 1960 and retired as a
QMED in 1997, said the opening "is
the best thing that's happened since we
moved (to the previous hall on East
Baltimore Street) in 1954. It's great for
the membership."
Eight-year Seafarer AB Steve
Keville pointed out that the Essex
Street facility, located in Canton near
Fells Point, is closer to the waterfront
than the old hall. "It looks great and it's
in a better neighborhood," he stated. "I
feel better coming here and waiting for
a job than I would at the old place."
AB Eddie King, a member since
1972, said he has "a lot of memories of
the old hall, but I think this is a great
move. It's convenient and clean, it's in
a nice neighborhood and it feels like a
new home."
Wiper Mike Wroten, a two-year
SIU member who is very familiar with
the area, described the new hall as
"more modem-looking. This entire
neighborhood has been fixed up a lot,
and the SIU has added to that. It's
smaller than the old hall, but it should
work."
Electrician Peter Stein, who joined
the union in 1990, agreed. "It's smaller, but the other place was kind of a
bummer. This is an improvement," he
said.
AB Terrence Carmody echoed the
sentiments of his fellow members. A
Seafarer since 1992, he said the new
location "is safer. This is a lot nicer
building to come to, and I don't mind
hanging around.''
The hall includes a lounge area with
cable television; a member-accessible
microwave oven, refrigerator and sink;
a large counter area; separate restrooms; two first-floor offices plus a
computer room; a loft office and conference room; and storage space.
The mostly brick and marble decor
blends with the neighborhood, while
the hall's air vents and some of the
light fixtures are patterned after those
found aboard ship.
This is the third location for the SIU
in Baltimore. From 1939 to 1954, the
Baltimore hall was located on North
Gay Street. The hall on East Baltimore
Street opened in November 1954.
Readily accessible to members
at the hall are a
microwave
oven, sink and
refrigerator.
A conference table is housed in the loft office
at the rear of the hall.
12
Seafarers LOS
The union hall's brick and marble decoration is consistent with other build
revitalized Canton area.
�•t With Seafaren
ike Wroten drops by the SIU's
all.
Since opening July 1, the hall has been bustling with membership activity.
Port Agent Dennis Metz,
Retired QMED William Smith
OS Patricia Hausner,
AB Pete Woodward
AB Frederick Wood
Electrician Peter Stein
QMED C.A. Long,
Retired Bosun RJ. LeRoy
AB Eddie King,
QMED Bob Oppel
AB Terrence Carmody
Pictured above and at right are SIU members who visited the new Baltimore hall
July 20.
Augusf 2000
AB Steve Keville (right) is assisted by Lisa
Clark and "Snake" Williams.
Seafarers LOB
13
�A VOYAGETOINDIA-1940
This is the
conclusion to
Pensioner and
SIU charter
member James
Melford
Smith sjournal
of his trip to
India in 1940
as an ordinary seaman on board
the SS Steel Age. The first segment, printed in the April 2000
edition ofthe Seafarers LOG, told
of his voyage past the Rock of
Gibraltar, through the Suez Canal
and arriving in Jidda, Saudi
Arabia. The second part, in last
months LOG, saw the ship sailing
to the Persian Gulf and Bombay
and ended in Ceylon.
ing around the Chinese and
native Burmese quarters. Met an
English engineer and a couple
Anglo-Indian girls with a bit of
Chinese mixed in. Really exotic
looking. Drank and danced 'til 2
a.m. at Cliftons and Maxims.
Uptown are shops, a sou-
venir
hunter's
paradise.
Ebony elephants (I bought
two), semi-precious stones etc. I
hired a rickshaw and went sightseeing in the native village. A
curving road beside the sea lined
with palms, Ceylonese and
Singbalese shopkeepers hawking
their wares. The area was very
odorous-about the same as any
Far East slum district. My rickshaw boy, like a race horse, never
stopped running. The sweat was
pouring down his brown face,
and acting in that capacity, he
permitted himself all the gastronomic privileges of a horse, making it rather unpleasant at times.
The inland countryside of Ceylon
is very beautiful but, unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to
make a trip inland. Returned to
the ship about midnight and got
called out at 0300 to batten down
the hatches and get ready for sea.
Underway at dawn for Rangoon,
Burma. A British mine-sweeper
with paravanes streamed preceded us out of the harbor, guiding
our way through a mine field.
Today we are cruising through
the Bay of Bengal. The sea is a
very deep blue and there are
white fluffy clouds floating lazily
along the horizon. A beautiful
spring day but what a contrast to
yesterday! We had our first real
rain since leaving the New
England coast of America. The
water came down in sheets and
was as hot as the wind that was
driving it. In the oppressive heat
and humidity, I had a hard time
keeping awake on my wheel
watch last night. For the past
three days, I have been reading
the sea story, "Capt. Horatio
Hornblower," by C. S. Forester,
an interesting book about the
British navy in 1810. The author
knows his seamanship, and the
story is full of action and human
drama.
Tuesday, April 9-0n arrival
in Rangoon, it was pleasant cruising up the Irrawaddy River to our
berth past the pagodas, the Mayo
Marine Club and the Strand
Hotel. There were many small
boats in the river, their white sails
flashing in the early morning sunlight. There were also many
brightly colored rowboats of the
Venetian style with their high
bow and pronged stem; the boatman standing precariously on the stem
pushing forward on the oars.
Although it was extremely hot
and sticky, I went ashore at noon.
Had a scotch and soda at the
Marine Club, then went to
Cliftons, went swimming, then
got a rickshaw and went sightsee-
14
Seafarers LO&
Waltzed and jitterbugged until I
was silly. Had a swell time and a
horrible hangover. Got underway
for Calcutta at 0800.
Off Watch
I am writing from notes on
"Dorian Gray." It expresses my
sentiments almost exactly:
"Youth! Nothing else is worth
having in the world. And I have
it, completely and abundantly.
Should I let it slip by in a commonplace quest for riches and
respectability, then lament the
price that has to be paid for these
futile ideals? Let those who wish
that sort of life have it. I want
freedom. Freedom to do whatever strikes my fancy. Freedom to
search the farthermost comers of
the earth for the beautiful, the
joyous, the romantic.
"I must have the freedom of
the sea, foreign ports, foreign
smiles. I shall continue to follow
the prow of a ship-any ship-and sail, Spain, China, India. I
shall lie on a beach in the South
Seas doing nothing but pleasant
and romantic things all day and
throw monkeys at the coconuts. I
am yielding to temptation before
increasing years and responsibilities rob me of the courage!"
Saturday, April 13-lt took
all day to come up the Hooghly
River to the Kidderpore docks
which is the terminus of this Far
East run for Isthmian Line ships.
The Bengal countryside was very
picturesque as was the traffic on
the river. Low rolling hills and
sand dunes. Bengal villages nestled on the banks of the river
among groves of trees. What
appeared to be floating haystacks
drifting with the current turned
out to be native houses on floats.
Arriving at the dock, we
secured the ship and went ashore
to the Marine Club for some
refreshing drinks as the climate
here is hot and sticky.
Kidderpore is a suburb of
Calcutta, which is a 15-minute
ride on the tram. New sights and
sounds. Dalhousie Square, The
Esplanade, Chowringhe Road
and the Grand Hotel (a first-class
place with a fifth-rate floor show
and orchestra). Not up to our
western ideas of entertainment.
A tea house on Watgunge Road
with Japanese girls serving tea.
Cute!
During the following week, I
went ashore almost every night
and went swimming in the afternoon. There were dances at the
Marine Club on Tuesday and
Thursday evenings, but the
girls-although exotic lookingmost emphatically cannot dance.
Felt a bit ill on Thursday-just a
slight cold, so stayed aboard.
Horrible climate-it takes the zip
right out of one.
Saturday, April 20-Awoke
with chills and fever. Capt. Jones
called a doctor who sent me to the
Presidency General Hospital in a
gharrey (a horse-drawn carriage).
On arrival, I was immediately put
to bed and soon went to sleep. I
woke up Saturday, April 27 for
about 10 minutes. A shot in the
arm put me back to sleep and I
woke up on Wednesday, May 1.
Learned from my nurse that I had
been hanging on to life by a hair
for a whole week. Rather a surprise. Very groggy for several
days after waking up. I have lost
32 pounds. It was lobar pneumonia.
I expect to get out of the hospital tomorrow, May 18. One
whole bloody month in this place.
The food here is insufficient in
quantity and inferior in quality,
but the service is excellent. Very
typical of India. Every morning,
as soon as I awake, my servant
boy brings me bread and butter
with my tea. Being a "European,"
I find I am entitled to special
privileges. I have a private room
and two nurses besides my personal servant. One of my nurses
is a beautiful Anglo-Indian girl;
the other is a large woman about
40 who takes no guff from anyone. She is very tough. When she
is not around, I call her "The
Battle Ax," much to the merriment of the staff. Capt. Jones
came up to see me and brought
some supplies from the ship
before they sailed-canned milk,
fruit and cigarettes. A fine man to
sail with.
I understand from the young
British doctor who saved my life
by drawing fluid out of my lungs
with a large syringe that I was
very fortunate. The first shipment
of sulfanilamide had just arrived
in India from the May & Baker
Co. in London where it was first
developed last year. I could not
have survived without it. (Other
notes: The screeching of the
Mynah birds on the hospital
grounds was extremely irritating.
When I was only half conscious,
they put an Indian man on a
stretcher in the hallway just outside my room. The poor guy
moaned and screamed for hours
before he died. I was kind of glad
when he died-for both our
sakes.)
I had expected to be in resi-
by J. Melford Smith
dence at the Marine Club until
getting a ship, but Rockley
Boothroyd, whom I met in the
hospital, invited me to stay at his
home in Cossipore. He is the
manager of the jute factory here.
I have my own personal servants
(four of them for mere pennies a
day). We usually go to the Grand
Hotel on Chowringhe Road every
afternoon for "tea time." Almost
every night there is a dinner and
dance. Britain is at war and the
social life seems to be a bit hectic. Roddey is a real popular guy
and some of it rubs off on me. Of
course being an American with
money in my pocket is fascinating to the girls who think all
Americans are rich.
Notes on Calcutta
Dreams of sweet sandalwood,
rich brocades and luxuriant gardens which one ordinarily associates with the "romance of the
east" theme are quickly dissipated when one walks down a street
in Calcutta. Instead, you are
almost overcome by the stench of
garbage, multitudes of unwashed
Hindus, Moslems, etc. There are
hundreds of sacred cows which
wander about the streets, lie
down in the middle of the shopping district and tie up traffic.
Their droppings are everywhere.
A rather interesting sight is an
occasional bull-fight in Clive
Row, the Wall Street of India.
Moreover, no one will interfere
with the animals, and all the
might of the British Empire could
not induce one of the Hindu
policemen to touch them.
The poorest class of Hindus in
India have no housing problems
to worry about. They may or may
not possess a straw mat.
Wherever darkness finds them,
they lie down on the sidewalk and
promptly fall asleep. I marvel at
their ability to sleep so soundly on
hard concrete and withstand the
kicking and scufiling of hundreds
of pedestrians. Their life span is
about 35 years, especially the
rickshaw boys who run constantly.
One blazing hot afternoon,
Boothroyd and I were returning
to Cossipore in two rickshaws
when his boy suddenly fell on his
face, throwing Rockley out into
the dirt road. Boothroyd got up
swearing and dusting himself off,
then lifted the boy's shoulder
with the toe of his boot.
"Blighter's dead" he said, then
gave a whistle for another rickshaw, and we continued on our
way. Due to the extreme heat,
dead bodies in Calcutta are disposed of in the burning ghats
along the Hooghly River within
12 hours. The river is a tributary
of the Ganges and sacred to the
Hindus.
One of the regulars at afternoon tea at the Grand was a
delightful old gal whose husband
was on duty up at the Khyber
Pass in northern India. We were
discussing the American efforts
to aid Britain in their fight with
Germany. I was amazed when she
said, "Well, you're still just one
of the colonies, ya know." Her
favorite drink was gin and tonic.
One afternoon she joined our
table singing some little ditty
about "two old maids and a bottle
of gin." When I asked, "Where's
the other old maid?" she said,
with a wave of her hand, "Oh, she
fell down outside."
My time in Calcutta after leaving the hospital was very enjoyable. It was the beginning of the
monsoon season and, though it
rained a great part of the time, the
weather was just as hot. I took the
opportunity to further my
acquaintance with the Carter
girls, Gladys, Lulu, Joyce and
Rita. Also with Diana, a dancing
instructress at the club, and my
very good friend, Miss Margaret
Chenery, from the inland city of
Simla who is at present a nurse at
the P.G. Hospital and to my
notion the most beautiful and
thoughtful girl in India.
I am at present aboard the SS
Steel Traveler on the way to
Singapore. After my months in
Calcutta, I left that city with
regret, having made many friends
there, among them a Danish lad
named Eric Hendricksen, who is
stranded there by the war, and a
Czechoslovakian chap who was
interned in a British concentration camp two days before I
sailed. I also left with the memories of a month spent in the hospital and a pair of wrecked lungs.
So-farewell to India.
The past week at sea has been
spent reading and sleeping. I am a
non-paying passenger so do no
work. The weather has been very
hot. For the first three days the
sea was choppy with frequent
rain storms (the southeast monsoon), but due to the speed of the
ship and the direction of the
wind, these soon pass. Today we
are in the Strait of Malacca.
Small islands dot the horizon.
The jungle-covered
Malay
Peninsula is to port and the island
of Sumatra lies unseen under
heavy clouds to starboard.
It is night time and the sea is a
smooth unruffled blue with white
clouds drifting slowly through
the star filled sky. A thin scimitar
of a moon sheds a pale gleam of
light over this Eastern sea, giving
a promise of fulfillment to this
horizon-chaser's past dreams of
the most romantic city of the Far
East. On the morrow, my ship
arrives in Singapore!
Singapore
In order to describe my stay
here in the right perspective, I
must start by saying that
Singapore is a very large and consequently a very expensive city.
Lying in the narrow part of the
Strait of Malacca, surrounded by
small green islands and low jungle-covered hills, Singapore is
known as the Gibraltar of the
East. It is well fortified and has
been a British colony since 1826,
guarding the only short route to
China. The island is connected to
the Malay peninsula by a causeway and bridge across the Johor
Strait, which carries both road
and rail traffic. The architecture is
Continued on page 20
August 20IJIJ
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
JUNE 16 - JULY 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Trip
Reliefs
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Personal
10
Honolulu
3
17
17
12
7
6
4
2
Wilmington
Totals
18
148
50
19
12
I
18
28
8
2
4
26
3
0
0
13·· ..
1
8
11
10
2
10
0
0
9
36
10
4
254
82
41
5
0
3
1
5
13
. 2 ..
19
12 ..
9
27
-~
ll
25
3
27
11
3
21
69
236
294
945
612
480
0
3
8
2
10
4
3
7
0
4
0
0
0
7
44
118
200
43
123
135
0
531
392
347
434
338
263
188
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
August 2DlllJ
13
12
32
0
4
3
11
3.
3
0
0
3
St. Louis
Wilmington
Totals
Totals All
Departments
12
2
3
0
IN SEARCH OF A PHOTO
Raymond Keevins is looking for a photo of his
Lifeboat Class #171from1975. Anyone who has a
photo of Lifeboat Class # 171 is asked to mail it to
the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs,
MD 20746-4275. We will have copies made and
return the photo to you.
Burial at Sea for OEE Risbeck
On
Sunday,
June 18, 2000,
the
officers
and crew of
the Westward
Venture committed the remains of Electrician Richard W. Risbeck to the Pacific
Ocean in the Gulf of Alaska (latitude 56 degrees 41 .24
minutes north, longitude 143 degrees 10.41 minutes
west). The TOTE vessel's bosun, James H. Lewis (far
right in left photo above), said Risbeck, who died May 19
at age 60, was a good friend and well thought of by
everyone with whom he sailed. He also enjoyed collecting model trains. "As your closest friend," Lewis said,
"may you rest in peace." Captain Mark Daly (right in inset)
conducted the burial service at 1520 hours, Alaska
Daylight Time.
Seafarers LOS
15
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
JUNE 16-JULY 15, 2000
CL - Company/Lakes
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
Totals All Depts
0
60
L - Lakes
NP - Non Priority
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
45
0
47
23
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
0
13
22
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
JUNE 16-JULY 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
2
1
7
Totals
0
0
0
0
Totals All Depts
3
1
7
9
0
0
6
12
1
33
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
PIC-FROM-THE-PAST
This photo was sent to the
Seafarers LOG by Gene
Lachappelle of Big Bay, Mich.
The picture was snapped in
1955 aboard the dredge
Chester Harding, which was
heading to Venezuela for a
year to help with the dredging
of a new channel into Lake
Maracaibo.
Some of the crew members
decided to shave their heads
for the voyage. LaChappelle is
at left (without hair) and in inset
(with hair).
Brother LaChappelle, 72
this month, joined the SIU in
1945 in New Orleans. He
sailed in the deck department,
most recently in 1991 aboard
the Gopher State during the
Persian Gulf War.
If anyone has a vintage
union-related photograph he or
she would like to share with the
LOG readership, it should be
sent to the Seafarers LOG,
5201 Auth Way, Camp Spring
MD 20746. Photographs will be
returned, if so requested.
16
Seafarers LOS
Augusf 2000
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard U.S. -flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
wo recertified stewards and
one recertified bosun are
among the 15 Seafarers
announcing their retirements this
month.
Recertified Stewards Raffaele
Ascione and Paul C. Stubblefield
and Recertified Bosun Giovanni
A. Vargas graduated from the
highest level of training available
to members in the steward and
deck department, respectively, at
the Paul Hall Center in Piney
Point, Md.
Including the three recertified
graduates, 12 of the retirees sailed
in the deep sea division and three
navigated the inland waterways.
Six of the retirees were members of the steward department,
three shipped in the engine department and six sailed in the deck
department.
On this page, the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of the retiring Seafarers'
careers.
T
DEEP SEA
RAFFAELE
ASCIONE,
58, joined the
SIU in 1968 in
the port of
New York. A
member of the
steward
department,
Brother Ascione first sailed
aboard the Crest Overseas
Shipping Company's Ne:w York.
Born in Italy, he upgraded his
skills on several occasions at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship in Piney
Point, Md. Most recently, he
completed steward recertification
training there in 1995. Brother
Ascione last sailed in 1998
aboard the Overseas Marilyn. He
calls New Orleans home.
JUAN
CANALES,
62, began his
career with
the SIU in
1976 in the
port of San
Juan, P.R.
Brother
Canales sailed in the inland division during most of his career;
however, his most recent years
were spent in the deep sea division. He first worked aboard the
Eagle Traveler, operated by Sea
Transport Corporation. Born in
Santurce, P.R., Brother Canales
sailed as a member of the steward
department. He was last on the
USNS Soderman, a Bay Ship
Management vessel, in 1998.
Brother Canales currently resides
in Rio Piedras, P.R.
CHINHUA
CHANG, 69,
joined the SIU
in 1987 in the
port of Wilmington, Calif.
Born in China,
Brother Chang
first sailed
aboard the Altair, operated by
Bay Tankers. A member of the
steward department, he last
worked in 1998 aboard the Sea-
August2000
Land Atlantic. Brother Chang
currently resides in Keelung,
Taiwan.
RAYMOND
G.CONNOL-
ment, Brother New last sailed in
1997 aboard Interocean Ugland
Management's Agathonissos. He
resides in Toano, Va.
PAULC.
LY, 65, hails
from Ohio.
Brother
Connolly
served in the
U.S. Anny
from 1952 to
1954 and joined the SIU in 1966
in the port of Detroit. A member
of the steward department, he last
worked earlier this year aboard
the Overseas Vivian. Brother
Connolly currently resides in
Highlands, Texas.
DOMINGO
DeCOSTA,
64, began his
career with the
SIU in 1992 in
the port of
New York. A
member of the
steward
department, Brother DeCosta first
sailed aboard the SS Constitution,
operated by American Hawaii
Cruises. He updated his skills at
the Paul Hall Center in Piney
Point, Md. Decosta last worked
in 1999 aboard the USNS
Gilliand, a Bay Ship
Management vessel. Brother
Decosta was born in the Philippines but now calls Elmhurst,
N .Y. 1 home.
JOSEPH
DUNN, 65,
hails from
Brooklyn.
N .Y. Brother
Dunn served
with the U.S.
Anny from
1952 to 1955.
He joined the SIU in 1958 in the
port of New York and first sailed
aboard the Steel Artisan. A member of the deck department,
Brother Dunn last sailed in 1994
aboard the Sea-Land D.efender.
He lives in Redmond, Wash.
PEDRO FLORES, 71 , joined
the SIU in 1969 in the port of
New York. Born in Puerto Rico,
he first sailed aboard the SS
Antinous, operated by Waterman
Steamship Corp. He upgraded his
deck department skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship in 1978.
Brother Flores last shipped out in
1993 aboard the Sea-Land Value.
He cwnntly resides in Brooklyn,
N.Y.
STUBBLEFIELD, 65,
hails from
Woodford
County, Ky. A
member of the
U.S. Navy
from 1952 to
1957, Brother Stubblefield joined
the SIU in 1968 in the port of
Norfolk, Va. He first sailed
aboard the Bradford Island, operated by Steuart Tanker Co. A
member of the steward department, Brother Stubblefield
upgraded his skills several times
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship and, in
1984, completed the steward
recertification program. He most
recently sailed last year aboard
the Liberty Spirit, a Liberty
Maritime Corp. vessel.
Jacksonville, Fla., is his home.
FREDERICK
T. TIERNEY,
55, began his
career with the
SIU in 1968,
joining in the
port of New
York. Born in
New York, he
sailed in the engine department.
Brother Tierney's first ship was
the SS Manhattan, operated by
Hudson Waterways Corp. He last
sailed in 1999 aboard the Gopher
State. Brother Tierney resides in
Brooklyn, N .Y.
GIOVANNI
A. VARGAS,
64, hails from
Puerto Rico.
Bosun Vargas
joined the SIU
in 1953 in the
port of New
York. Brother
Vargas first sailed in the deck
department aboard the Ponce. He
upgraded his skills at the Paul
Hall Center, completing the
bosun recertification program in
1993. He last sailed in 1997
aboard the Mayaguez, operated
by NPR, Inc. Brother Vargas
resides in Bayshore, N. Y.
ROLFED.
WELCH, 70,
joined the SIU
in 1991 in the
port of San
Francisco. A
native of
Rome, Ga.,
Brother Welch
is a member of the engine department. He first sailed aboard the
Cape Mohican, operated by OMI
C<'.>rp. His last VQyage took place
earlier this year when be sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Enterprise.
Brother Welch lives in
Bremerton, Wash.
INLAND
GEORGEH.
CHAMPION,
65, joined the
SIU in 1980 in
the port of
Houston. A
member of the
deck depart-
ment, Brother Champion spent
his entire career navigating the
inland waterways aboard G&H
Towing-operated vessels. He last
sa iled earlier this year. Brother
Champion, who was born in
London, resides in Houston.
LOUIEB.
PAYNE, 66,
joined the SIU
in 1980 in the
port of
Norfolk, Va.
Born in
Wanchese,
N.C., Brother
Payne served in the U.S. Air
Force from 1954 to 1974. He
spent his entire SIU career aboard
Allied Transportation-operated
vessels. A member of the engine
department, he last navigated the
waterways earlier this year
aboard the Sea Eagle. Brother
Payne upgraded his skills at the
Paul Han Center in 1993. He still
resides in North Carolina.
JAMESR.
WILKINS,
62, hails from
North
Carolina. He
joined the SIU
in 1960 in the
port of
Norfolk, Va. A
captain1 Brother Wilkins first
worked aboard a Gulf Atlantic
Transport Corp. (formerly Gulf
Atlantic Towing Corp.) vessel.
He last sailed in 1984 aboard a
Mariner Towing Co. vessel.
Brother Wilkins calls
Chesapeake, Va. home.
THIS MONTH
JN SIU HISTORY
CLAUDE
NEW, 70,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1965,
joining in the
port of
Norfolk, Va.
The Virginia
native served in the U.S. Anny
from 1948 to 1950. He first
shipped aboard the Sparrows Pt.,
operated by Curtis Bay Towing.
A member of the deck depart-
Seafarers LOG
f7
�Pensioner Jay
Beavers, 72,
passed away
March 2. He
joined the SIU
in 1970 in the
port of Baltimore, sailing in
the deck department. His first
ship was the Marore, operated by
Ore Navigation Corp. A native of
West Virginia, he served in the U.S.
Anny from 1950 to 1952. Brother
Beavers began receiving his pension
in 1988. Prior to retiring, he sailed
aboard the cableship Charles L.
Brown. Brother Beavers resided in
Baltimore.
MARION BEECHING
Pensioner
Marion Beeching, 74, died
May 16. The
Missouri native
began his career
with the Seafarers in 1946
in the port of
Baltimore. A
recertified bosun and a member of
the deck department, he first sailed
aboard the Calmar. Prior to retiring
in 1987, he sailed aboard the Champion. Brother Beeching served in the
U.S. Anny from 1951to1953.
Houston was his home_
FRANK BOLTON
Pensioner Frank
Bolton, 68, died
May 5. An honorably discharged veteran
of the u_s_
Army, Brother
Bolton began
his career with
the SIU in 1970
in the port of Seattle. He first sailed
aboard a Colonial Steamship Co.
vessel in the engine department. The
Anacoco, La. native upgraded his
skills several times at the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School and began
receiving his pension in 1997. Prior
to his retirement, Brother Bolton
sailed aboard the Overseas Chicago.
He last resided in Groves, Texas.
BRENT CHICHESTER
Pensioner Brent
Chichester, 71
passed away
May 2. A member of the steward department,
he began his
career with the
SIU in 1974 in
the port of
Seattle. Brother Chichester was a
native of Nevada and first sailed
aboard the President Cleveland,
operated by American President
Lines. He began receiving his pension in 1989, after sailing aboard the
Chief Gadao, a Matson Navigation
Co. vessel. Brother Chichester
resided in Seattle.
WINFIELD S. DOWNS
Pensioner
Winfield S.
Downs, 79, died
April 26. Born
in New Jersey,
Brother Downs
began his career
with the SIU in
1945 in the port
of New York. A
member of the engine department,
he first sailed aboard the Calmar.
Brother Downs began receiving his
pension in 1986. Prior to retiring,
he sailed aboard the USNS Altair.
He made his home in New Gretna,
N.J.
18
Seafarers LOG
Pensioner
Thomas Fields,
87 passed away
April 24. A
native of
Georgia, he was
a charter memer
of the SIU, having joined in
1939 in the port
of Savannah, Ga. He sailed in the
steward department, first working
aboard the Del Compo, operated by
Delta Steamship Lines. Prior to his
retirement in 1983, Brother Fields
sailed aboard the HM/ Petrachem.
He lived in Richmond, Va.
REYNALD GABAYLO
Reynald Gabaylo, 42, died March 3.
He began sailing with the SIU in
1983 in the port of Honolulu. A
native of Hawaii, Brother Gabay lo
was a member of the steward department and worked aboard American
Hawaii Cruises vessels throughout
his career. The SS Independence was
his first as well as his last ship.
Brother Gabaylo made his home in
Ewa, Hawaii.
member of the steward department
and first sailed aboard a Delta
Steamship Lines vessel. Brother
LaMonthe served in the U.S. Army
from 1951to1953. Prior to retiring
in 1983, he sailed aboard Delta
Steamship Lines' Santa Adela.
Brother LaMonthe resided in
Livermore, Calif.
DUANE PETERSON
Pensioner
Duane Peterson,
83, died April
22. Brother
Peterson began
his SIU career
in 1962 in the
port of San
Francisco. Born
in Canada, he
was a member of the engine department, first sailing aboard the Globe
Carrier. Prior to retiring in 1981, his
final voyage was aboard the SeaLand Newark. He served in the U.S.
Army from 1943 to 1946. Brother
Peterson made his home in Napa,
Calif.
EARL W. PIPPENS
Pensioner John
C. Griffith, 75 ,
passed away
May 10. He
hailed from
Pennsylvania
and began his
career with the
SIU in 1968 in
the port of New
Orleans. Brother Griffith was a
member of the engine department,
first sailing aboard the Robin Hood.
a Sinclair Oil Company vessel. Prior
to his retirement in 1986. he sailed
aboard OMI Corporation's Cap e
Clear. Houston was his home.
Pensioner Earl
W. Pippens, 83,
passed away
May 5. A native
of Mississippi,
Brother Pippens
began his career
with the sru in
1970 in the port
of San Francisco. He served in the U.S. Navy
from 1938 to 1959. Brother Pippens
first sailed as a Seafarer aboard the
cableship Long Lines. A member of
the steward department, Brother
Pippens began receiving his pension
in 1991. Prior to retiring, he sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Patriot. His
home was in San Francisco.
MICHAEL KALKIS
ARCANGEL SAAVEDRA
Pensioner
Michael J.
Kalk.is, 82, died
May 5. A native
of Shenandoah,
Pa., Brother
Kalk.is served in
the U.S . Army
from 1943 to
1946. He began
his career with the SIU in 1947,
joining in the port of New York.
Brother Kalkis was a member of the
engine department and first sailed
aboard the Steel Advocate. He began
receiving his pension in 1981. Prior
to retiring, Brother Kalk.is worked
aboard the Santa Mercedes, operated
by Delta Steamship Lines. He lived
in San Francisco.
Pensioner
Arcangel
Saavedra, 84,
died May 5.
Born in Puerto
Rico, he was a
charter member
of the SIU, having joined in
1939 in the port
of Jacksonville, Fla. Brother Saavedra was a member of the steward
department and first sailed aboard
the Wild Ranger, operated by
Waterman Steamship Corp. Prior to
retiring in 1980, he sailed aboard the
Jacksonville. Brother Saavedra
resided in Bronx, N.Y.
JOHN E. KENNEDY
Pensioner Richard Schaeffer, 74,
passed away April 4. A native of
West Palm Beach, Fla., he began his
career with the SIU in 1967 in the
port of Seattle. A member of the
deck department, Brother Schaeffer
first sailed aboard the Sea Monitor,
operated by Lykes Brothers Steamship Co. He served in the U.S. Army
from 1942 to 1945 and began
receiving his SIU pension in 1990.
Prior to retiring, he sailed aboard the
Sea-Land Explorer. Brother
Schaeffer called Reno, Nev. home.
JOHN C. GRIFFITH
Pensioner John
E. Kennedy, 95,
died March 29.
A native of
Louisiana, he
was a charter
member of the
SIU, having
joined in 1939
in the port of
New Orleans. A member of the deck
department, he first sailed aboard the
Alcoa Cavalier. Prior to his retirement in 1968, Brother Kennedy
worked aboard the Alcoa Explorer.
He made his home in Metairie, La.
ADOLPH LaMONTHE
Pensioner
Adolph
LaMonthe, 79,
died April 18.
Brother LaMonthe began
his career with
the SIU in 1960
in the port of
New York. A
native of New Orleans, he was a
RICHARD SCHAEFFER
LEE SCOTT
Pensioner Lee
Scott, 84, died
April 6. He
joined the SIU
in 1970 in the
port of San
Francisco. A
California
native, Brother
Scott was a
member of the deck department and
first sailed aboard the Western
Clipper. He started receiving his
pension in 1981. Prior to his retirement, Brother Scott sailed aboard a
Michigan Tankers, Inc. vessel. He
resided in San Anselmo, Calif.
EDWARD SPOONER
Pensioner Edward Spooner,
75, died April
20. A Pennsylvania native,
Brother Spooner
began his career
with the SIU in
1960 in the port
of Baltimore. A
member of the deck department. he
first sailed aboard the Malden
Victory, operated by Delta Steamship
Lines. Prior to retiring in 1989, he
sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Producer. Brother Spooner served in
the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946.
He resided in Smock, Pa.
JOHN A. TINSLEY
John A. Tinsley,
67, died May 7.
Born in Kansas
City, Mo.,
Brother
Tinsley's seafarrng career
began in 1962
when he joined
the union in the
port of Seattle. He first sailed aboard
the Sea-Land Commerce as a member of the steward department.
Brother Tinsley's last voyage was
aboard the Northern Ligh1. He
served in the U .S. Army from 1950
to 1953. He resided in Seattle.
LESTER WINETEER
Pensioner
Lester Wineteer,
80, died April
14. He joined
the SIU in 1970
in the port of
San Francisco.
Brother
Wineteer sailed
in the steward
department. His first ship was the
Santa Mariana, a Delta Steamship
Lines vessel. Prior to h is retirement
in 1986, he sailed aboard Matson
Navigation Co. 's Hawaiian Citizen.
Brother Wineteer served in the U .S.
Navy from 1942 to 1946. He resided
in Yountville, Calif.
ROBERT D.WOODSON
Robert D.
Woodson, 38
passed away
April 28. A
native of Richmond, Va.,
Bother Woodson joined the
SIU in 1990 in
the port of Norfolk, Va. He first sailed aboard the
Flickertail State as a member of the
deck department. He last worked as a
bosun on the USNS Watson. Brother
Woodson lived in Roanoke, Va.
INLAND
ROBERT ANGLIN
Pensioner
Robert Anglin,
80 died March
6. A native of
Saltillo, Tenn.,
he began sailing
with the SIU in
1971 from the
port of Norfolk,
Va. Boatman
Anglin was a member of the deck
department and served in the U.S.
Navy from 1939 to 1970. He sailed
as a captain during most of his
career, the bulk of which was spent
aboard Moran Towing of Virginia
vessels. Boatman Anglin began
receiving his pension in 1988.
Haymarket, Va., was his home.
WILLIAM E. DIGGS
Pensioner Willian E. Diggs, 77,
passed away April 13. Born in
Labon, Va.,
Brother Diggs
started sailing
with the SIU in
1966 in the port
of Norfolk. He
was amember
of the engine
department and
L.......~--------J worked aboard
Virginian Pilot Corporation vessels
throughout his career. Brother Diggs
began receiving his pension in 1985.
He resided in Onemo, Va.
THOMAS McCAUSEY
Pensioner Thomas McCausey, 64,
died May 5. A native of Detroit,
Brother McCausey started sailing
with the SIU in 1972 from the port
of Philadelphia. The deck department member first worked aboard a
Gulf Atlantic Transport Corp. vessel.
Brother McCausey served in the
U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to
1959. Prior to retiring from the SIU
in 1998, he sailed aboard a Crowley
Towing & Transportation Co. vessel.
Brother McCausey lived in Lakewood, Calif.
GREAT LAKES
VERNON BELONGA
Pensioner
Vernon
Belonga, 62,
died April 24.
Born in Ontonagen, Mich.,
Brother Belonga joined the
SIU in 1970 in
the port of
Detroit. The deck department member first sailed aboard a Bo operated vessel. He was a residen
Bay City, Mich. Prior to retiring in
1996, Brother Belonga worked
aboard the Walter J. McCarthy.
ROY LYNCH
Pensioner Roy
Lynch, 64,
passed awa
Apri
. he
Tennessee
native began his
career with the
SIU in 1971 in
the port of
Detroit. A
member of the steward department,
Brother Lynch first sailed aboard an
American Steamship Company vessel. He had significant time as a captain as well. Prior to his retirement,
he sailed aboard the Merle McCurdy,
operated by Great Lakes Associates.
Brother Lynch called LaF ollette,
Tenn. home.
LAWRENCE OBERLE
Pensioner Lawrence Oberle, 73,
passed away April 23. Born in
Strongs, Mich., Brother Oberle
joined the SIU in 1956. He worked
in the deck department during his
career and began receiving his pension in 1989. Prior to his retirement,
he sailed aboard a vessel operated by
Luedtke Engineering Company.
Brother Oberle resided in Saulte Ste.
Marie, Mich.
THOMAS J. SMITH
Pensioner
Thomas J.
Smith, 73, died
May 11. He
., began his SIU
career in 1950
in the port of
Milwaukee. The
deck depart~"""""'"-=~- ment member
first sailed aboard a Penn Dixie
Cement Corp. vessel. Prior to his
retirement in 1988, he worked
aboard Cement Transit Company's
Southdown Challenger. Brother
Smith lived in Petoskey, Mich.
Augusf 2000
�ATLANTIC (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
April 30--Chairman William E.
Stoltz, Secretary Milton M.
Yournett. Chairman announced
payoff in Jacksonville and thanked
crew for helping keep ship clean.
Secretary urged crew members to
read LOG and attend union meetings in order to be better informed
of latest maritime industry news.
Educational director stated upgrading at Paul Hall Center in Piney
Point, Md. is best way to ensure job
security. He also stressed importance of donating to SPAD. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Recommendations made for contracts department to consider lowering sea time requirements for retirement and pension, and to secure
100 percent medical and prescription benefits for family members.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department for job well done. Next
ports~ Charleston, S.C.; Port
Everglades, Fla.; Houston and
J acksonvi lie.
BLUE RIDGE (Crowley Petroleum), April 28-Chairman Juan M.
Rivas, Secretary Ron Malozi,
Educational Director William M.
Hudson. Deck Delegate Joe
Caruso, Steward Delegate Steve
Johnson. Chairman read president's
report from latest LOG and urged
everyone to upgrade at Piney Point
to better skills. He also noted
importance of donating to SPAD.
Secretary thanked everyone for
good job. Educational director
encouraged crew members to
upgrade at Paul Hall Center: "The
school is great!" No beefs or disputt:d OT reported. Suggestion made to
ask contrn.cts department to look
into possibility of retiring at 55 with
20 years' sea time. Next ports: Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla. and Texas City,
Texas.
CLEVELAND (Sealift, Inc.), April
24--Chairman Fareed A. Khan,
Secretary Miguel E. Vinca,
Educational Director Oliver L.
Celestial, Deck Delegate Cleveland West, Steward Delegate
Otello Dansley. Chairman praised
crew members for job well done,
particularly deck department for
good job cleaning cargo hold.
Secretary added his thanks to everyone for helping keep mess hall
clean. He reminded those leaving
ship to pick up clean linen for
replacement crew and discussed
importance of voting in this year's
elections. Educational director
talked about upgrading opportunities at Piney Point. No beefs or disputed OT. Suggestion made to get
new movies on board. Videotapes
must be checked out from chief
engineer. Vote of thanks to steward
department for job well done. Next
port: Lake Charles, La.
DISCOVERY (CSX Lines), April
30-Chairman Nelson Sala,
Secretary Donald C. Spangler,
Educational Director Roger M.
Wasserman, Eng1ne Delegate
Joseph R. Perry, Steward Delegate
Mark V. Cabasag. Chairman discussed president's report in LOG,
reflecting on past decade of shipping and how upgrading is essential
to job security. Educational director
reminded crew members to check zcards for expiration date and to
keep up-to-date on drug tests and
physical exams. Disputed OT
reported by deck delegate and beef
concerning overtime in steward
August2000
department. Requests made for
radio for crew lounge and new
chairs in crew mess. Vote of thanks
given to steward department for
great food and cookouts. Next
ports: Oakland and Long Beach,
Calif. and Honolulu.
GALVESTON BAY (U.S. Ship
Mgmt.), April 22-Chairman
James E. Davis, Secretary Andrew
Hagan, Educational Director
Miguel Rivera, Deck Delegate
Charles B. Collins, Steward
Delegate Willie Grant. Chairman
noted this is election year and contributions to SPAD help put those
people in office who are for strong
maritime industry. Educational
director stated Paul Hall Center
available to all Seafarers to upgrade
skills and help them earn more
money. Treasurer announced $22 in
ship's movie fund. Beefreported by
deck department; no disputed OT in
any department. Suggestion made
for contracts department to look
into allowing crew members to
apply for vacation checks after 60days' sea time. Vote of thanks given
to everyone for job well done. Next
ports: Charleston. S.C.: Port
Everglades. Fla.; Houston and
Jacksonville.
GREAT LAND (lUM), April 30Chairman Ernest J. Duhon,
Secretary Antoinette M. Spangler,
Educational Director Michael W.
Phillips. Deck Delegate Michael R.
Hester, Engine Delegate Joseph I.
Laguana, Steward Delegate
Kassem Saleh. Chairman reminded
crew members to remain current in
their dues. Educational director
advised everyone to have training
record books (TRBs) filled out by
chief mate. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Suggestion made for
Paul Hall Center to establish
optional course for advanced seamanship, including carpentry and
splicing. Ship's crew requested
greater access to movies provided
by company. Thanks given to steward department for job well done.
Next port: Anchorage, Alaska.
blasting operations. He thanked
everyone for good jolr-steward
department for good food and deck
department for helping him become
familiar with vessel. Secretary
reported new stores due in next
port. Educational director urged
crew members to utilize facilities at
Paul Hall Center, keep up with
STCW requirements and keep
abreast of union rules. No beefs or
disputed OT noted. Request for
contracts department to consider
requiring 90 days' sea time for
vacation benefits. New TV, VCR
and antenna needed. Next port:
Long Beach, Calif.
KENAI (ATC), April 10---Chairman James R. Wilson, Secretary
Dorothy Odoms, Educational
Director Dale Graham, Deck
Delegate Joshua A. Mensah,
Engine Delegate Kevin Sullivan.
Chairman passed along captain's
thanks for practicing safe work
habits and pointed out that all
should be familiar with and use
safety equipment on board vessel.
Chairman said all standard forms
(union meetings, crew lists, repair
logs, etc.) to be sent directly to ship.
Educational director suggested possible use of educational books and
films for upgrading information be
ordered from internet. Funds
received from safety awards total
about $12,000 and are available for
crew's use. No beefs reported.
Some disputed OT noted in steward
department regarding extra meals.
Question raised as to where NMU
members ship out from San
Francisco and Hawaii now that
NMU halls there have closed. Solid
vote of thanks to Chief Steward
Odoms and her department. Next
port: Richmond, Calif.
OVERSEAS NEW ORLEANS
(OSG). April 23--Chairman Daniel
N. Laitinen Jr., Secretary
Jonathan White, Educational
Director John E. Trent, Deck
Delegate John W. Yates, Steward
Delegate Alberto Falcon.
Chairman reported crew dryer fixed
and announced payoflf April 28 in
Houston, Texas. He advised everyone to upgrade at Piney Point every
chance possible. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew members
read president's report in LOG and
expressed appreciation for work
union is doing in keeping jobs for
membership. Next ports: Tampa,
Fla. and Houston.
PACIFIC (CSX Lines), April 10Chairrnan Ray J. Ramirez,
Secretary Robert P. Mosley,
Educational Director Seller T.
Brooks, Deck Delegate Theodore
Doi, Steward Delegate J. I. JaFar.
help SA by taking dirty linen to 03
level and leaving rooms clean.
Secretary reminded everyone to
make sure they're eligible to vote in
upcoming SIU elections and registered to vote in national elections.
Educational director stressed importance of upgrading at Piney Point
and contributing to SPAD for job
security. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestion made for contracts department to look into
reducing sea time needed for vacation. Vote of thanks given to stew-
on extra vacation benefits for completing tour with no illness. He
thanked everyone for keeping noise
down in passageways. Educational
director explained process of getting
STCW renewed. Treasurer
announced $33 in ship's fund. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestions made to have contracts
department look into raising pension
benefits and have company pay for
work shoes. Thanks to steward
department for job well done, espe-
Must Be Doing Something Right ...
•
It was all smiles when the Developer (U.S. Ship Mgmt.) put into
port recently in the Los Angeles
area. Above (from left) are AB
David Cordero. Bosun Roger
Reinke and Steward/Baker Ruben
Casin. At right are AB Mark
Brenner and QMED Clifford Miles.
ard department for job well done.
Next ports: Elizabeth; Portsmouth,
Va. and Rotterdam, Netherlands.
cially for great barbecues. Next
ports: Port Everglades and
Jacksonville, Fla.
HM/ BRENTON REEF (IUM),
May 31-Chairman Thomas P.
Banks, Secretary Luis A. Escobar,
Educational Director James L.
McDaniel, Deck Delegate Pedro V.
Ramos, Engine Delegate Mark
Roman, Steward Delegate Randy
A. Stephens. Bosun conveyed chief
mate's compliments on job well
done by deck department on return
voyage from West Coast. He
announced payoff June 2 followed
by big clean-up job and Coast
Guard inspection while vessel still
in Gulf Coast. Secretary urged
everyone to upgrade at union's
facilities in Piney Point. Some beefs
reported in deck and steward
departments. Suggestion made for
contracts department to look into
lowering sea time requirements for
collecting vacation checks. Vote of
thanks given to steward department
for great work.
HUMACAO (NPR, Inc.) May 28Chairrnan David I. Murray,
Secretary Raymond L. Jones,
Educational Director Angel
Hernandez, Deck Delegate Terry
L. McKee, Engine Delegate Terrow
T. Franks, Steward Delegate Pedro
Rodriguez. Chairman announced
payoff in Puerto Rico June 2 and
encouraged everyone to upgrade
skills at Paul Hall Center. Secretary
asked crew to keep laundry room
clean and trash-free. Treasurer noted
$313 in ship's movie fund. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Several
suggestions made, including for
contracts department to look into
allowing crew members to bring
spouses aboard for one round-trip
voyage on coastwise vessels, having
union pay for dependents' prescription drugs, extending shipyard time
for reclaiming job from 30 to 60
days and lowering sea time requirements for collecting vacation
checks. Vote of thanks given to
steward department for cleaning
ship after.shipyard period and also
for continued delicious meals.
HM/ DEFENDER (IUM), April
25-Chairman Juan Castillo,
Secretary Steven R. Wagner, Educational Director Charles J.
Brockhaus, Deck Delegate Pedro
Lopez, Engine Delegate Roderick
I. Frazier, Steward Delegate Isabel
Sabio. Chairman announced ship to
discharge in Corpus Christi, Texas
or Lake Charles, La., then take load
of gasoline to Florida. After that,
vessel scheduled to go on Corpus
Christi to Tampa run. Shipyard period planned for June. Secretary stated new mattresses to be ordered
which will properly fit bed insert.
Educational director urged everyone
to take advantage of Piney Point
educational facilities. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Request
made for new dryer in crew laundry. Suggestion made that contracts
department look into reducing
amount of sea time needed to call
for relief. Vote of thanks given to
steward department.
Chairman thanked VP Nick
Marrone and Port Agent Vince Coss
for visiting ship and updating crew
on recent changes. Bosun asked that
everyone be on time for customs
and immigration, make sure z-cards
are up-to-date, and support SPAD.
Secretary and educational director
urged crew members to take advantage of facilities and upgrading
courses at Paul Hall Center.
Treasurer announced $40 in movie
fund, $60 in ship's fund and $147
in cookout fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Following reading of president's report in LOG,
crew expressed gratitude to
President Sacco for work he and
union officials are doing for
Seafarers. Clarification requested
on vacation and overtime rates.
Vote of thanks to Stewards Larry
W. Ballard and Robert Mosley for
jobs well done. Next ports: Tacoma,
Wash.; Oakland, Calif.; Hawaii;
Guam and Hong Kong.
DEVELOPER (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
May 4-Chairman Dana M. Cella,
Secretary Robert A. Castillo,
Educational Director Lawoo S.
Shete, Deck Delegate George
Mazzola, Engine Delegate Julio
Paminiano. Chairman talked about
shipyard preparations and threeweek layoff. He suggested crew
members contribute to SPAD to
help union be heard on Capitol Hill.
Everything going well, according to
secretary, and educational director
urged all to attend Piney Point
upgrading classes. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Communications
received from VP Augie Tellez
regarding issues from last shipboard
meeting. Suggestion made for contracts department to look into lowering sea time and age requirements
for pensions. Job well done by steward department, and crew welcomed
aboard new chief cook, Ray
Mohamed. Next ports: Yokohama
and Nagoya, Japan; and Pusan,
South Korea.
/TB PHILADELPHIA (Sheridan
Transportation Corp.), April 28Chairman Michael D. Hill,
Secretary Thurman C. Johnson,
Educational Director Jose M.
Ramirez, Deck Delegate Walter
Harris, Engine Delegate Ahmed S.
Salim, Steward Delegate Cesar
Santos. Chairman cautioned crew
to be extra careful around sand-
PERFORMANCE (U.S. Ship
Mgmt.), April 23-Chairrnan
Jimmie L. Scheck, Secretary
Patrick J. Corless, Educational
Director John J. Walsh, Deck
Delegate Bennie Spencer, Steward
Delegate Luis M. Caballero.
Chairman announced payoff in
Elizabeth, N.J. April 27. He asked
those crew members getting off to
EL MORRO (IUM), May 1Chairman Steven W. Copeland,
Secretary Kris A. Hopkins,
Educational Director Frederick W.
Dougherty Jr., Deck Delegate
Homar Linefield, Engine Delegate
Reinaldo Roman, Steward
Delegate Robert G. Maschmeier.
Chairman announced clarification
INTEGRITY (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
May 7-Chairman James V. Triassi
Jr., Secretary Stephanie L.
Sizemore, Educational Director
Dennis R. Baker, Deck Delegate
Clay V. Brown, Engine Delegate
Michael McNally, Steward
Delegate John A. Padilla. Secretary
stated new TV antenna to be
installed next trip. Six new mattresses purchased and distributed to
members listed on repair list.
Educational director led discussion
on LOG article about STCW. Crew
requested more clarification. Movies
purchased last trip with donations
from crew. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Request made that company furnish seamen transportation
home from foreign ports due to
death of immediate family member.
Contributions of $250 collected for
Relief Bosun F. Santiago on news
of his daughter's death. Clarification
needed for relief trip time off.
Special thanks to steward department for Easter meal, especially to
steward for home-baked goods.
Voyage was good and crew worked
well together. Next ports: Boston,
Mass.; Elizabeth, N.J. and Norfolk,
Va.
Seafarers LOG
19
�(Editors note: the Seafarers LOG
reserves the right to edit letters
for grammar as well as space
provisions without changing the
writers intent. The LOG welcomes letters from members, pensioners, their families and shipmates and will publish them on a
timely basis.)
..
.
N ma Ship
For Hawaiian Senator
As a fitting memorial to the 19
newly awarded Asian Medal of
Honor recipients, I request that
the SIU lobby on behalf of Sen.
Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) for an
Anny prepositioning ship to be
named in his honor and to honor
all Nisei warriors of the 442nd
regimental combat team.
Sen. Inouye has been a friend
of labor throughout his 38-year
tenure as a Democratic senator.
He exemplifies courage, integrity
and dedication, and has never
failed the SIU or the maritime
industry.
I am proud to be a member of
the merchant marine, an American Legion member and Marine
Corps Veteran. I hope we can
lobby for a fitting memorial to the
service and commitment of the
brave senator from Hawaii.
JMtpb J. Gallo Jr.
Jersey City, N.J.
.
. . . and a second letter from
Brother Gallo . ..
..
Condolences to
Haller Famlly
Please accept my sincerest
gesture of sympathy for the passing of Brother Chuck Haller earlier this year. I was shocked and
saddened when I learned of his
passing in the Seafarers LOG.
Please take comfort in knowing that Chuck was the finest
union brother that I have ever
sailed with, and he will never be
forgotten by the brothers of the
SIU.
God bless the Haller family;
and if I can ever be of service to
you, don't hesitate to contact me.
With deep regret,
Brother Joseph J. Gallo Jr.
Jersey City, N.J.
Brown Deserves
To Lead Parade
As I watched the July 4 telecast of "Ops Sail 2000," the
announcer used the word "maritime" a few times. describing the
tall ships.
If I'm correct in my thinking. I
didn't see any merchant ships in
the parade, and my thoughts went
to the Liberty ship John W ,
Brown, which is now a museum
in Baltimore.
If ever a ship deserved to lead
this parade, it was the John W
Brown.
Built in 1942, it brought supplies to the troops wherever needing during World War II, through
enemy waters. It was a miracle
the ship survived.
Life wasn't over for the Libery
ship after the war. While other
merchant ships and military vessels were put into mothballs, to
be scrapped in later years, the
Brown was given to the Metropolitan High School in New York
in 1948, the year I graduated
from there.
My class was the first to attend
classes on her, to learn what the
life of a seaman was really about.
Once aboard a real ship, there
wasn't any cutting classes or
playing hooky because we had
pride in the ship and in ourselves.
As old as she is now, I believe
the John W. Brown still could get
under way and should have led
the parade.
If she were to lead the next
Ops Sail, people will see her and
start asking questions. And they
will learn that the Brown and
ships like her helped us win the
war. Only then will the public
realize how important the merchant marine is to them, both in
war and in peace.
Pensioner Walter Karlak
Woodside Queens, N.Y.
Conclusion to Smith's 1940 India Voyage
Continued from page 14
is modem in the conventional tropical style, with
large windows and doorways. In buildings in the
tropics there is usually no glass in the windows. In
place of glass, they have wooden shutters which
keep out the frequent rain showers. The walls are
about two feet thick and composed of what we at
home call adobe. The designs on these buildings are
usually very intricate and beautiful after the fashion
of the Eastern artists. All in all, I seem to derive a
great deal of comfort and tranquility while living in
these cool, simply furnished buildings among the
quiet Oriental people who dwell here.
The population of Singapore is a conglomeration
of Malayans, Chinese, Filipinos and every other
race, religion and nationality. The city is, by virtue
of its reputation, a paradise for sailors. There is no
end of women, liquor stores and cabarets where a
sailor ashore can spend his hard-earned money lavishly in the accustomed manner.
As for entertainment, there is the great Raffles
Hotel. They have an excellent orchestra for dancing,
and good food. Most of the people you meet there
are Europeans of the international society set. Soon
after arriving, I was introduced to Miss Dorothy
Barbara Barlow and immediately fell in love-again.
Dorothy's father is a major in
the British army and her
mother is Cantonese. She is
very intelligent and lovely and
also very funny. We spend
most of our time together and
through Dorothy, I have
access to the country club and
private parties and dances.
There are some fine beaches where one can swim in an
enclosure which is erected as
a protection against sharks.
There is also an interesting
zoo which is situated some
distance from the city. It is
reached by a twisting, wellpaved road through dense
green jungle and coconut
groves. At the zoo, the people
are closed in, not the animals.
We find it very enjoyable to
20
Seafarers LOii
.,.
sit at a table on the veranda of the cafe, drinking a
cold beer while observing the wild animals and the
beautiful scenery.
Now it is time to leave Singapore and the good
friends I have made. It is tempting to just say "to
hell with it" and stay here. In the Marines we have a
saying about men who do that: "He went Asiatic,"
sounding a bit derogatory. Recently, a stuffy official
of the U.S. State Department told me I had overstayed my welcome and that I should leave on the
next available ship. I mentioned this to a British
friend who is fairly high up in the Foreign Service.
He said, "Tell that bloody blighter to mind his own
business, you may stay as long as you like." I don't
know if that consular officer hated Americans or if
he was just jealous of Dorothy and me, though I had
noticed him staring hard at us at the Raffles one
evening during a dinner dance. Anyway, it's about
time to go back to work and replenish my finances,
but I hope to get another Far East run on my next
ship.
THE END
Notes: The next year, the Steel Age was sunk in
the Indian Ocean by the German submarine U129.
All hands perished, including Capt. Jones and my
two watch partners, Able
Seamen Bill Marks and Bud
O'Conner.
Since the British commander had failed to secure the
back door to the island, the
Japanese attack on Singapore
in 1942 obliterated the area
near the Jahor Strait bridge.
Major Barlow s house, which
was near the bridge, took a
direct hit from Japanese
artillery. According to the Red
Cross report, Dorothy, her
mother and a maid died there
along with some neighbors.
Twenty years later, when I visited the area, I could not recognize anything.
The last time I was in
Singapore, I didn't even go
ashore.
JMS
Know Your Rights
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The
Constitution of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District makes specific provision
for safeguarding the membership's
money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by
certified public accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee of
rank-and-file members, elected by
the membership, each year examines the finances of the union and
reports fully their findings and recommendations. Members of this
committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations
and separate findings .
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds
of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District are
administered in accordance with
the provisions of various trust fund
agreements. All these agreements
specify that the trustees in charge of
these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All
expenditures and disbursements of
trust funds are made only upon
approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial
records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds.
SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the
employers. Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts are posted and
available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Full copies of contracts as
referred to are available to members at all times, either by writing
directly to the union or to the
Seafarers Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU
contracts are available in all SIU
halls. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (On on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union
official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she
should contact the nearest SIU port
agent.
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective membership. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Seafarers LOG
policy is vested in an editorial
board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from
among its ranks, one individual to
carry out this responsibility.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU
unless an official union receipt is
given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any
money for any reason unless he is
given such receipt. In the event
anyone attempts to require any such
payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is
required to make a payment and is
given an official receipt, but feels
that he or she should not have been
required to make such payment,
this should immediately be reported
to union headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of
the SIU Constitution are available
in all union halls. All members
should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a
member feels any other member or
officer is attempting to deprive him
or her of any constitutional right or
obligation by any methods, such as
dealing with charges, trials, etc., as
well as all other details, the member
so affected should immediately
notify headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in
employment and as members of the
SIU. These rights are clearly set
forth in the SIU Constitution and in
the contracts which the union has
negotiated with the employers.
Consequently, no member may be
discriminated against because of
race, creed, color, sex, national or
geographic origin.
If any member feels that he o
is denied the equal rights to which
he or she is entitled, the member
should notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS
POLITICAL
ACTIVITY DONATION
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and pu
s
o, furincluding, but not Jim·
thering the politi , social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering
of the American merchant marine
with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen
and the advancement of trade union
concepts. In connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions
are voluntary. No contribution may
be solicited or received because of
force, job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct,
or as a condition of membership in
the union or of employment. If a
contribution is made by reason of
the above improper conduct, the
member should notify the Seafarers
International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the
contribution for investigation and
appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his
or her economic, political and
social interests, and American trade
union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If
at any time a member feels that any
of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been
denied the constitutional right of
access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The
address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
August2aaa
�SEAFARERS PAUL HALL CENTER
2000 UPGRADING COURSE SCHEDULE
~
The following is the schedule for classes beginning between August through
the end of the year at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education
in Piney Point, Md. All programs are geared to improve the job skills of
Seafarers and to promote the American maritime industry.
Please note that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the maritime industry and-in times of conflict-the nation's security.
Students attending any of these classes should check in the Saturday be/ore
their course's start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the
morning of the start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reserva-
'S tart Date
..July3, 10,17, 2.f, 31; Aug.. 7, 14, 21, 28;
:· Sept.4, 11; 18, 25; Oct; 2, 9, 16, 23, 3'0; .
Nov. 6, 13., lO, 27; Dec. 4, 11, 18 .
July 3, 17, 31; ~ug. 14, 28; Sept. 11, 25;
Oct. 9, 23, 30; Nov. 6;.26; Dec. 4, 18 ·
tions should be made for Saturday.
Seafarers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at
the Paul Hall Center may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010.
·· Dateof
· ;: .CoQJpleti~ll
Course ·
Deck Upgrading Courses
Start
Date
Date of
Completion
Able Seaman
August 7
September 4
October 2
September 1
September 29
October 27
Lifeboatman
August 21
September 18
September 1
September 29
Radar Unlimited
August 7
October 2
August 17
October 13
Automatic Radar Plotting Aids*
October 16
October 20
Course
(ARPA) (*must have radar unlimited)
Engine Upgrading Courses
Course
Start
Date
Date of
Completion
Basic Electronics
August 21
September 15
Fireman/Watertender & Oiler
August 28
October 6
M;uioe Ele,trical Maintenance I
Seprember 4
October 13
Marine Electronics Teebnician I
September 1
October 13
Welding
September 18
October 16
October 6
November 3
Academic Department Courses
Recertification Programs
Start
Course
Date
Date of
Completion
Bosun Recertification
October 9
November 6
General education and college courses are available as needed. In addition,
basic vocational support program courses are offered throughout the year, one
week prior to the AB, QMED, FOWT, Third Mate, Tanker Assistant and
Water Survival courses. An introduction to computers course will be self-
-·-~· - ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- · - · - ·- · - · - ·- -- · - · - · - · - · - ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·-·-·-·- ·-·- ·-·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- -- -- · - · - ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·- ·With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime-for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWX AB and OMED lllJlllicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee qf $180 with their 4.11plication, The pq,vment should be made with a monev order onlv.
pqyable to LMSS.
UPGRADING APPLICATION
COURSE
Telephone
BEGIN
END
DA.TE
DATE
Date of Birth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member D
Lakes Member
D
Inland Waters Member
D
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed
Social Security#
Book# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _
Seniority _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Department _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D
No
D
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
LAST VESSEL: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Rating: _ _ __
Date On: _ __ _ __ _ _ _ __
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
D Yes
DNo
If yes, class# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D
Yes
D
No
If yes, course(s) taken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D
Yes
D No
Firefighting:
D Yes D No
CPR:
D Yes D No
Primary language spoken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Augusf 2000
SIGNATURE
Date Off:
--------------------
DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPUCATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Poinl, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
8100
Seafarel'S LOB
21
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
.
~~-0>.ki:;,::,. .....
PAUL HALL CENTER
LIFEBOAT
CLASS
= -=IL~
E=::::-~
Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 602- Unlicensed apprentice
class 602 recently graduated from the water survival course. They are (in alphabetical
order) Lewis Amundson, Kenneth Dyson Jr., Bryan Field, Charles Fitzpatrick, Sean
Fortener, Jafar Gordon, Kenneth Jackson, Nathan Jarmon, Beth Ketah, Ibrahim
Muhammad, Jacob Soeteber, Antwan Stafford and Nathan Young.
Government Vessels - Students who completed the government vessels course
June 9 are (from left, kneeling) Benny Perez, Gregorio Abalos Jr., Carlos J. Castillo,
(standing) Tyrone Brown, John Holmes, Karl Roy Jr., Guy Todd II, Kyle Bailey, Shauntay
Shavies, Greg Thompson (instructor) Sherrod Frazier, Christopher Cummings, Brian
Guiry, Louis Champ Jr., Byron Harris, Louis Nickerson Sr. and Charles Billips.
Advanced Fire Fighting -
Earning their advanced fire fighting endorsements May 19 are (kneeling) Michael Kaye, (from left,
standing) Robert Scott, Mark Wain, Anthony Hammet (instructor) and
Joe Walker Jr. Not pictured is Andre Frazier.
An End ... and a Beginning
Able Seaman -
With the help of instructor Barnabe Pelingon and Bill Saul serving as engineer, the May
26 graduates of the able seaman class ready to head out on the MN Osprey to learn proper techniques in
standing a bridge watch and steering a vessel. Included in the class are (in alphabetical order) Adel Alameri,
Robert Arneel, Benjamin Barnes, Ronald Burris Jr., Jimmie Casey, Antony Cruzvergara, Carey Hatch, David
Heindel Jr., Ausberto Laspinas, Lito Mariano, Brian McLarnon, Royal Mobley, Nestor Montoya Jr., Lawrence
Richardson Jr., Russell Roberts and Ziting Xu.
Unlicensed Apprentice Graduation - After all the
hard work, unlicensed apprentices Donald Davis, Larry Hogan,
David Jones Jr., Rashad King and Steven Lamb Jr. complete
their third and final phase of study and are ready to become SIU
members. Above, the graduating students share their special
moment with "Momma" Theresa Price. Below, some of them
work with instructors Eric Malzkuhn and Maurice Chambers in
the deck engine utility class.
Limited License for Mate or Master -
Graduating from the limited license course July 14 are
(from left, kneeling) Michael Cascio, Troy Gros, Gregory Jarvis, Victor DiGiorgio, Blaine Tompson, (standing)
Robert Boudreaux, Billy Barletta, William Bruce, Scott Morton and Shane Boudreaux. They are posing in
front a a new mural at the school which was painted by Christy Holloway, daughter of the school's commandant, Don Hollaway.
Z2
Seafarers LOii
AugllSf 2000
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Steward Department Skills
Tankerman (PIC) Barge Course -
Graduating from the tankerman (PIG) barge course May 26
are (from left, front row) Richard Chamnes, Ronnie Jackson, Liberato Viray, Raymond Samaria, (seond row)
Mitch Oakley (instructor), Matthew Sandy, Eddie Harrison, Thomas Flanagan, Paul Moss, James Reily, Eric
Bridges. Manuel Little and Richard Lee.
Chief Cook - Learning specific culinary skills which will prepare them to sail as a chief cook are (from left) Natividad Zapata,
Instructor/Chef John Dobson, Sixta Batiz, Donnie Cabanizas,
Michael D. Harris, Michael Todman, William Daly, Breon Lucas and
Jonathan Gibson. On this particular day in the culinary lab, the students learned the art of making pizza with low-fat, fresh ingredients.
The results were delicious.
Chief Cook - Additional upgraders in the chief cook course are
(from left, front row) Tanja Pfi:zenmaier, Scott Burgess, (standing)
George Burgos, Mike Kozak, Vern Andrews and Chef/Instructor
John Hetmanski.
Galley
Operations -
Radar Observer -
Standing at the construction site of the new simulator building are Seafarers completing the radar observer course April 14. From the left are Steve Ruiz, Brock Booker, David Hinson, Mike
Smith (instructor) and Richard Roel.
The galley operations
course teaches students baking skills.
Freshly baked
breads, rolls, pies,
cakes and sweet rolls
have a positive effect
on crew morale
aboard ship. Here,
Elida Miguel, who
completed the galley
operations course
May 19, restocks the
dessert section in the
Paul Hall Center's
lunchroom.
~
Unlicensed Apprentice Program - Part of the first phase of the unlicensed
apprentice program at the Paul Hall Center involves galley familiarization-including galley skills, sanitation, basic food preparation and good nutrition. Instructor Roy Fairfield (at
far right in photo above) helps class 603 with that aspect of their training. It also is a time
when the young meh and women learn that healthy bodies as well as healthy minds help
keep the number of injuries aboard ship to a minimum. In photo at right, the class enjoys
some good old-fashioned calisthenics. Included in unlicensed apprentice class 603 are (in
alphabetical order) Joseph Benavente Jr., Christopher Dionio, Lokona Farias, Jackson
Gourgue, Byron Graham, Michael Harvey, Michael Herrera, Kevin Ignacio, Haven lussig,
Robert Johnson, Nicholas Jones, Ryan Legario, Charles Lewis, Adam Lippe, Samuel
Lloyd, Ralph Martin Jr., Jerald Martinez, William Mcintyre, Allyson Pangelinan, Kenneth
Simon, Jack Slagle and Sidney Wagner Jr.
Augusf 2000
Seafarers LOii
23
�m.seafarers.org
Volume 62, Number 8
Balllmon Hall
Moves to Eaex Street
See pages 12-13
�
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Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009
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Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log
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Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present, Seafarers Log Digital Copies
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Seafarers International Union of North America
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August 2000
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HEADLINES
SEN. INOUYE HONORED FOR WWII HEROISM
NEW YORK-AREA SEAFARERS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF ILA LOCAL 1814
UNION GAINS 2 SHIPS
MAERSK LINE LTD. TO OPERATE CONVERTED AMMUNITION SHIPS
CONSTRUCTION LAUNCED FOR U.S. LINES’ VESSEL
SIU MAINTAINS JOBS ON 6 LNG TANKERS
ADVOCATE FOR MARITIME LABOR, ED MOONEY DIES AT 84
COALITION URGES MSP EXPANSION
INDUSTRY GROUP DETAILS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING U.S. FLEET, NATIONAL SECURITY
UNION MOURNS LOSS OF RETIRED PORT AGENT REINOSA
WITH CROWLEY SEAFARERS
QUALITY CREW SAVES RACER IN DRAMATIC RESCUE AT SEA
LESSONS LEARNED AT SEA STILL SERVCE CWA PRESIDENT
BAHR BEGAN UNION CAREER AS WWII MARINER
HAIL TO THE CHEF… CULINARY LAB NAMED IN HONOR OF LUPINACCI
SIMULATOR COMPLEXT ALMOST READY
LIQUID CARGO TRAINING FEATURED IN NEW FACILITY
SEAFARERS-CREWED PHILLIPS DELIVERS IN MARINE CORPS CARGO EXERCISE
GREAT LAKES CREWS GREET NEW VP
MEMBERS WELCOME MOVE TO NEW FACILITY
A VOYAGE TO INDIA-1940 BY J. MELFORD SMITH
SCENES FROM THE PORT OF SAN JUAN
Creator
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Seafarers Log
Source
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Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
Publisher
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Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
08/01/2000
Format
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Newsprint
Type
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Text
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Vol. 62, No. 8
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/00271cd06898f5acf2fde3190a479b21.pdf
be056884637c439827949f8d9e7da69f
PDF Text
Text
Volume 62, Number 7
SIU Active in
Maritime Day
Remembrances
July 2000
SIU members recently welcomed new job opportunities
aboard the Military Sealift Command's latest vessel, the USNS
Charlton (top photo). The prepositioning ship was delivered in
May. Pictured above are some of the Seafarers composing the
Charlton's first full crew. Page 3.
New SIU Hall
Opens In Baltimore
Construction of the union's new hall in Baltimore was ongoing when
this photo was snapped in mid-June, but the facility remained on
schedule for a July 1 opening. Page 3.
STCW 'In Plain English'
-------------Page 6
Crews React to SL-7 Pact
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Page7
�President's Report
Progress In Y2K
As we enter the second half of the year 2000, it already has
been a fantastic year for the SIU.
Consider what we've accomplished during
the past six months. New jobs on prepositioning ships, car carriers, tankers and passenger
vessels-with many more on the horizon. The
~ · opening of new SIU halls in Guam and
Baltimore. Excellent new contracts for the
fast sealift and Ready Reserve Force vessels,
Michael Sacco the latter of which should come to fruition
soon.
At the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education, new simulators are being installed. They are the
best of their kind, and will provide new and experienced
Seafarers alike the opportunity to fine-tune their trade.
Additionally, members continue to express their strong
endorsement of the historic merger of the National Maritime
Union into the SIU. There is no doubt the merger will benefit
both unions, and I appreciate the overwhelming support you
have given.
All of these developments begin with you, the rank-and-file
member. The pride you take in your work, and the safe, professional way you go about your job, bring consistently positive
feedback about SIU members from all segments of the industry.
In fact, everywhere I go to represent the SIU, I am heart-
ened by what others say about our members.
But, like a sports team that's riding an impressive winning
streak, we can't afford to let down or coast. Because the challenges and the competition do not end.
Our industry is heavily regulated by the government, and so
we depend on electing representatives who understand the U.S.
fleet's vital role in national security. So much of our livelihoods are tied to politics.
That's why we all must participate in the upcoming elections. We must throw all of our support behind the candidates
who will work to ensure a strong, viable U.S. merchant
marine. As we prepare to elect a new president, a new
Congress and a third of the Senate, I urge you to be involved.
This also is an election year for the SIU. Once again, it's
important to participate. Every vote counts, so don't sit back
and let others choose the leadership of your union. Get the
facts, make an informed decision and cast your ballot. The
more members get involved, the stronger the SIU will be.
As for gaining even more shipboard jobs for the future, our
union prides itself on providing the best-trained mariners in the
world- and so we rely on each Seafarer to work safe, work
hard and upgrade whenever possible. The best ammunition the
SIU possesses when it comes to getting new jobs and keeping
the ones we already have, is the reliable performance of
Seafarers throughout the industry.
The Paul Hall Center is the perfect tool to ensure that the
SIU never runs out of that ammunition. Please take advantage
of it.
·
I am proud of the SIU's accomplishments so far this year
and, going back further~ throughout the 1990s. We have come
a long way.
With your continued support and good work, I know we're
headed for even better things in the months and years ahead.
Uolume 62, Number 7
July 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Glllf:
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Au th
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Managing
Editor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor, Jim
Guthrie; Art, Bill Brower, Administrative Support, Jeanne
Textor.
Copyright © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
2
Seafarers LOG
Former MSC Commander
Urges New Maritime Policy
Adm. Perkins Cites Merchant Marine's
Essential Role in U.S. National Defense
Editors note: U.S. Navy Vice
Admiral James B. Perkins, former head of the Military Sealift
Command (MSC), stated last
month that the nation must take
immediate steps to ensure the survival and growth of the American
Merchant Marine.
Perkins released a paper
titled, "Game, Set, Match: The
U.S. Merchant Marine and
National Defense." In it, he
emphasizes the U.S. Merchant
Marines crucial role in national
security. He also urges continued
support for the Maritime Security
Program and cargo preference
laws, plus various tax incentives,
among other steps.
Perkins retired in February
1999 after a two-year stint as
commander of MSC.
Here is his report from last
month.
The first Independence Day of
the new millennium is a good
time to remember how much this
country's freedom depends on the
U.S. Merchant Marine. One major
reason: In times of war or international crises, 95 percent of the
weapons, supplies and equipment
needed by our forces overseas are
carried by ships-usually over
thousands of miles of ocean.
To accomplish this mission,
the military uses privately owned
commercial vessels, flying the
United States flag, and the U.S.
Merchant Marine to supplement
its own transportation assets.
And it's been this way for a
long time. The history of the merchant marine in military service is
characterized by high heroism
and noble sacrifice. Merchant
mariners have served in all of
America's wars, enduring their
finest, but most tragic hour during
World War II with a per capita
casualty rate second only to the
Marines. There is very good reason why the U.S. Merchant
Marine is called "the vital fourth
arm of national defense."
What if our Merchant Marine
weren't there? The answer is
more important than ever, and as
former Commander of the Navy's
Military Sealift Command, I saw
it every day, up close, and personal: The U.S. Merchant Marine is
absolutely vital to sustain U.S.
troops overseas.
Today, many merchant mariners are on duty crewing over 100
auxiliary vessels for the Navy,
while others stand by for the day
when they will be called forward
to support military operations
abroad. And they most assuredly
will be. But the real question is:
Will the U.S. commercial fleet
and manpower be there in sufficient numbers when the call
comes? My crystal ball is a bit
cloudy.
In recent years, no economic
sector has ebbed so dramatically
as the U.S. maritime industry. It
wasn't always so. In 1945, twothirds of the world's merchant
ships flew the U.S. flag. These
vessels not only fulfilled crucial
wartime missions, but dominated
the sea-lanes of international
commerce for decades afterward.
Those days are over. Except in
a few niche markets, the U.S.-flag
Merchant Marine has been done
U.S. Navy Vice Adm. James B.
Perkins, who headed the Military
Sealift Command for two years,
says the nation cannot do without
a strong U.S. Merchant Marine.
in by the unlevel playing field of
international competition.
As a result, our merchant fleet
is shrinking rapidly, down more
than half since 1981 and facing
extinction in international shipping trades. The oceangoing fleet
now numbers only 203 ships with
military utility-including 114
cargo ships, 86 tankers and one
passenger vessel.
Meanwhile, the great American economic powerhouse booms
to the point where the world
catches pneumonia if the U.S.
sneezes. This country now generates an astounding 25-30 percent
of all international commerce, but
less than 3 percent arrives on or
leaves our shores aboard U.S.flag ships.
Continued on page 5
Another Take on FOC Cruise Ships:
LA Times Bares 'Sweatshops at Sea'
Runaway-flag cruise lines continue to take a
pounding in the U.S. commercial press.
The latest piece exposing the conditions on runaway-flag cruise vessels (also called flag-of-convenience or FOC ships) appeared May 30 in the Los
Angeles Times and subsequently was reprinted in
several affiliated newspapers, including The Tampa
Tribune-Times.
Written by Christopher Reynolds and Dan
Weikel, the 2,500-word article explores some of the
difficult and often unsafe conditions faced by crews
on FOC cruise ships-such as those operated by
Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal
Caribbean. The authors cited crews who have sued
for millions of dollars in back wages; described
questionable medical practices including one scenario in which a crew member lost a hand; and
recalled the tragic tale of 31 mariners who died in
1998 when their vessel was ordered to sea "despite
an approaching hurricane."
They also interviewed crew members who asserted that many of them "plunge into debt" to secure
jobs on the vessels. This often involves not only the
legitimate job-related expenses, but also illegal payments to recruiters who otherwise may block an
individual's employment.
Additionally, Reynolds and Weikel pointed out
that many of the crews "are recruited from some of
the world's poorest nations," and they face "a wage
scale that often begins at less than $2 an hour." A
minister interviewed for the story described runaway-flag passenger ships as "sweatshops at sea"
and "ocean-going maquiladoras."
Several anonymous cruise ship workers said they
do not complain because they're afraid they will be
fired.
One said he suffered severe burns because he
didn't understand orders given to him in English.
Along those lines, the.·writers point out that the language barrier potentially places passengers in
harm's way. "Because companies recruit in many
countries, plaintiffs' lawyers and U.S. transportation
investigators question whether crew members can
communicate with crewmates and passengers, especially in emergencies," they noted.
Those concerns have been borne out more than
once in recent years, beginning with the much-publicized Ecstasy fire in 1998. In fact, that accident
touched off an unprecedented flurry of media coverage about runaway-flag shipping that has included a
60 Minutes report, at least two front-page stories in
The New York Times and numerous other press
accounts.
Runaway-flag ships (passenger and cargo vessels
alike) are registered in a nation other than the one of
ownership. Very often, they carry Third World,
multinational crews-some of dubious qualifications.
By using the runaway-flag scam, shipowners can
avoid paying taxes and hide from labor and environmental laws.
Please be advised that SIU headquarters
and SIU hiring halls will be closed on · · ·
Monday, August 21, 2000 for the ob~rvanee
of Paul Hell's birthday (unless
,.
an ema1gency.arises): Normal business·hot;;rs
will resume the following worl<da~ ·
an
July 20DD
�Seafarers Crew MSC's Newest RO/RO
USNS Charlton Strengthens Prepositioning Fleet
U.S. sealift capacity increased with the recent delivery of the SIUcrewed USNS Charlton in San Diego.
The U.S. Military Sealift
Command's newest prepositioning
ship has been delivered, and with
it comes new jobs for the SIU.
Seafarers are sailing aboard
the USNS Charlton, a 950-foot
roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) vessel
that is scheduled to receive its
first assignment early this month.
Bosun T.C. Oneyear said on
June 21 that the crew is anxious
to begin its next task.
"The ship seems to be very
soun~ but right now we have no
indication where it's going," he
noted. "But no matter what, we '11
be ready."
AB Laurentis Colbert said,
"It's a huge ship and it's brand
new. Overall, everything has been
fine so far."
Constructed at San Diego's
NASSCO shipyard, the Charlton
is one of 14 new builds scheduled
as part of a government-mandated initiative to improve America's sealift capability. Six converted vessels round out that
fleet, known as the strategic
sealift program.
The next new ship due out is
the USNS Watkins, probably in
October. It also will be crewed by
SIU members.
Seafarers composing the initial
crew of the Charlton include
Bosun Oneyear, ABs Colbert,
Johnny Birdwell, Nathaniel
Carr, Peri Drew, Michael Mayo
and Ferdinand Viniegra, OSs
Stephen Gallegos, Greg Baker
and Isaac Diaz, Electrician
Timothy Pillsworth, QMEDs
Alan Nelson and Steven
Campbell, OMUs Jeffrey Bukey,
Gualberto Salaria and Sergio
Ayala, GUDE Ellis Clayborn,
Chief Steward Christopher Hale,
•
•
Length: 950 feet
Beam: 106 feet
• Draft: 34 feet
•
Displacement: 62)644
long tons
•
•
Speed: 24 knots
Cargo space: 390,000
square feet
Source: Military Sealift. Command
Chief Cook Claudia Kammeyer,
SAs Tawnia Stucker and George
Gauggel, and Storekeeper Kevin
Wortman.
The Charlton is operated by
Maersk Line Limited of Norfolk,
Va. and is named in memory of
U.S. Army Sergeant Cornelius H.
Charlton, a posthumous recipient
of the Medal of Honor for his
heroic actions during battle in
Korea in 1952.
New Hall Opens in Baltimore
Fallowing nominal delays in
construction last month, the
SIU's new hall in Baltimore was
scheduled to open July 1, after
this edition of the Seafarers LOG
went to press. It is located at 2315
Essex Street.
.. It's going to be the most
beautiful hall in the SIU. I love
it," stated Chief Steward Jose
Luaces shortly after seeing the
near-finished product. "It's close
to the waterfront and it's in a
good neighborhood. It's going to
have everything we need. Every
member should be proud of it."
QMED Teddy Wallace and
Oiler Loring Callwood also welcomed the move from the old
facility on East Baltimore Street,
where the hall had been located
since November 1954.
"The SIU couldn't have
picked a better location for the
new hall," observed Wallace. "]
know the area well and J'm very
happy with the change."
Callwood noted there is a bus
stop directly in front of the hall and
said the close access will benefit
area members like him by providing transportation options. "I'm
happy about that and I'm looking
forward to the move," he said.
The Essex Street facility is a
former art studio that has been
completely refurbished inside
and substantially modified outside. It is located in Canton near
Fell's Point, considered an attractively burgeoning area.
The Washington Post, in a
major story about Canton in its
real estate section of June 10,
described the area as "Baltimore's hottest neighborhood
these days, the city's own example of gentrification in these
times of good housing markets
across the country."
In its heyday, the expansive
hall on East Baltimore Street was
considered among the best of its
kind. Before that building
opened, the SIU's Baltimore hall
was located on North Gay Street.
Columbia Queen Sails;
Patriot Launches Dec. 9
The new SJU-crewed Columbia Queen riverboat made its
inaugural voyage last month following a June 3 christening in
Portland, Ore.
Owned by The Delta Queen
Steamboat Co., a New Orleansbased subsidiary of American
Classic Voyages, the vessel is 218
feet long and can carry up to 161
passengers. It is scheduled to
offer cruises in the Pacific
Northwest.
Also last month, the first hull
for American Classic Voyages'
new fleet of coastal passenger
The Columbia Queen debuted last month in Portland, Ore. It will offer
cruises in the Pacific Northwest (right).
July2000
How To Get There
The new Baltimore hall is
roughly a five-minute drive from
the old one on East Baltimore
Street. Seafarers going to the
new hall from East Baltimore
Street can turn right on
Patterson Park Avenue, then left
on Eastern Avenue, right on
Montford and right on Essex.
If going to the new hall from
the inner harbor, take Pratt
Street, turn right on S.
Broadway, left on Eastern
Avenue, right on S. Chester
Street, slightly left on Boston
Street, left on Leakin Street and
right on Essex.
The new hall:
2315 Essex Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
(410) 327-4900
ships was successfully launched
in Jacksonville, Fla. The Cape
May Light is on target to begin
sailing in spring 2001.
Additionally, United States
Lines recently announced that the
deep sea cruise ship MS Patriot
will debut Dec. 9 in the Hawaiian
Formerly
Holland
Islands.
America
Line's
Nieuw
Amsterdam, the Patriot
1,212 passengers.
This issue of the Seafarers LOG went to press more than a week
before the Baltimore hall's scheduled July 1 opening. The two photos
above, showing parts of the exterior and interior, were taken in midJune while refurbishment of the Essex Street facility was ongoing.
Photos of the finished product will be printed in next month's LOG.
QMED Teddy Wallace (left) and Oiler Loring Callwood (right) both say
the new hall is a positive move for the SIU.
Seafarers LOB
3
�Indy Crew to the Rescue
Seafare rs' Swift Reactions Save Lives
SIU Philadelphia Port Agent Joe Soresi (left) discusses the new contract with Captain Melvin Braddy.
Express Marine Crews
Approve New Contract
SIU members who sail aboard Express Marine tugboats and barges
have approved a new three-year contract that includes numerous gains.
Approved in early May, the agreement is retroactive to March 16,
2000. It calls for wage increases in each year of the pact and also features a one-time bonus of $1,000 per member. Other highlights
include:
• Prescription benefits for dependents.
• 100-percent coverage of outpatient care for dependents.
• Increased optical benefits.
• A doubling of the death benefit.
• Work-rule improvements.
• A pension-credit increase.
Serving on the negotiating committee were SIU Philadelphia Port
Agent Joe Soresi, Captain James Dixon, Mate Riley Johnson Jr. and
AB/Cook Hilton Foster.
Seafarers ratified the contract via a mail-in secret ballot. The votes
were counted May 2 on the tug Russell B. Murray by Captain Miles
Ireland, Mate Guy Pruitt Sr. and AB/Cook Jesse Gardner.
Express Marine is based in Pennsauken, N.J. near Camden. The
company operates five tugs and barges that move coal along the East
Coast. They are the Guardian, Russell B. Murray, Baltimore, Consort
and Escort.
SIU crew members aboard the SS Independence
rescued several people recently in two separate
occurrences while underway in the Hawaiian
Islands. The actions of Seafarers in both events prevented potential loss of life.
In the first incident, SIU Waiter George Dezafra
performed the Heimlich Maneuver on Kaye
Spargur.
Spargur, a passenger on the Independence from
Tucson, Ariz., was having dinner in the vessel's dinning room May 15. Her otherwise delightful meal
was ruined when food lodged in her throat and cut
off her air supply.
Luckily for her, Dezafra was close by and hastened to her rescue. The Pearle City, Hawaii native
had learned the emergency-response procedure during a shipboard training session earlier this year.
Rick Redmond, an instructor at the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point,
Md., conducted Dezafra's class (and provided the
photos accompanying this story).
Independence Head Waiter Christyn Nawrot, an
SIU member who calls Michigan home, comforted
the choking victim once Dezafra bad ensured her air
passages were clear.
The second episode occurred during the evening
of June 5 some five miles south of Oahu. At approximately 10:30 p.m., the vigilant eyes of AB Jessie
Bongolan and 3rd Officer Kawika Lucas caught
glimpses of what they deemed an emergency situation. By interpreting light signals and flares, they
ascertained that a sailboat they saw had no means of
power or other communications.
What concerned the duo more, however, was the
fact that the vessel was pitching and rolling, and
continually drifting farther away from the islands.
They advised the Independences captain of the situation and ensured notification of the Coast Guard.
The Independence then maneuvered within close
proximity of the vessel and stood by until the Coast
Guard arrived. No lives were lost.
The Independence is operated by American
Hawaii Cruises.
(Editors Note: The foregoing are just two examples of situations encountered by SIU members in
the performance of their daily duties. Should you or
any SIU member you know have similar experiences, please notify the staffofthe Seafarers LOG at
(301) 899-0675; by mail at 5201 Auth Way, Camp
Springs, MD 20746; or by email at
jbiscardo@worldweb.net)
Head Waiter Christyn
Nawrot (left) and
Waiter George
Dezafra (right) join
Perry and Kaye
Spargur in the dining
room of the
Independence. The
Spargurs, a couple
from Tucson, Ariz.,
were the center of
attention recently
aboard the vessel
when Kaye became
ill after having food
lodge in her airways.
Both waiters, members of the SIU,
assisted the victim in
her recovery.
Training Aboard the
Independence--
Above: Pictured aboard the
Russell B. Murray are (from left}
AB/Cook Jesse Gardner, Captain
Miles Ireland, SIU Port Agent Joe
Soresi and Mate Guy Pruitt Sr.
The three boatmen counted the
secret ballots which confirmed
ratification of a new three-year
contract.
Crew members aboard the
Independence recently
underwent onboard emergency squad firefighting
training. Completing the
exercise were (left to right)
Engine Storekeeper
Jonathan Barraca , OS
Awadh Abdulla and AB
Dave Horton.
Left: Mate Guy Pruitt Sr. (left) and
AB/Cook Jesse Gardner count
the ballots.
Steward Maiello Memorialized
On May 12,
the cremated
remains of
Chief Steward
Robert James
Maiello were
committed at
sea, approximately 50 nautical miles south of
Cape Hatteras, N.C. The ceremony
took place aboard the Cape
Johnson, pictured at right. Brother
Maiello passed away Dec. 22, 1999.
He was 53 and had been an active
SIU member for 10 years.
4
Seafarers LOG
July 2000
�Merger Discussed in New York
In separate meetings May 9 in
Brooklyn, N.Y., members of the SIU
(below) and the NMU (left) discussed the merger of the two
unions. SIU President Michael
Sacco (center) addressed both
gatherings. He is joined by NMU
President Rene Lioeanjie (right)
and NMU VP Charlie Stewart (left).
By overwhelming majorities and in
separate votes lasting from Dec. 1,
1999 through Jan. 31, 2000,
Seafarers and NMU members
approved a referendum to proceed
with merging the two unions. Next,
SIU members will vote during the
NovemberDecember SIU general election
whether to approve
needed constitutional changes. After
that, another vote
will take place for
SIU members to
approve or reject
many of the specific
terms of the merger.
Adm. Perkins States U.S. Needs Merchant Marine
Continued from page 2
At the same time, the U.S.
Navy has also shrunk dramatically. Since the end of the Cold War,
the active duty fleet has been cut
almost in half, and is now just
over 300 ships- the lowest number since the early 1930s.
Current (inadequate) shipbuilding budgets are drawing the
fleet down further. This will, of
course, make things tougher for
the remaining ships and sailors
wM provide vital U .S. forwru-d
presence around the world . With
operating tempo at an unprecedented peacetime high, the Navy
faces very difficult recruiting and
retention challenges.
Still, the Navy must be there
when the country calls, and is
adapting to the quiet revolution
taking place in the way we support America's men and women
in uniform overseas. Military
logistics strategy is changing
from "just in case" to "just in
time"-an approach dependent
upon rapid, reliable delivery of
essential supplies.
Massive warehouses are giving way to a transportation-based
system constantly on the move
through state-of-the-art private
sector ports and other transit
facilities which speed military
supplies from factory to foxhole.
The mountains of stock on-hand
are gone. The Armed Services
now purchase and deploy supplies nearly simultaneously with
force movement, synchronized to
support maximum momentum for
the troops.
In other words, essential
materiel is flowing through the
pipeline to the right place, at the
right time, and in the right
amount. Continued success
depends on the U.S.-flag commercial fleet, both to carry cargo
and petroleum, and to provide
crews for ships held in reserve
status. While the new logistics
strategy is both more efficient
and necessary, there is less margin for error.
With that in mind, the next
president and Congress must
adopt maritime policies which
ensure a U.S.-flag fleet fully
capable of providing crucial com-
July2000
mercial shipping assets. Without
such action, maintaining smaller
inventories and moving more
supplies via merchant ships
exposes military distribution
channels to critical shortfallswhich could cost lives.
"We simply can't do
without ships under
the American flag,
built in American
shipyards, and
manned by
American crews as
a vital part of our
national defense"
To avoid such an unacceptable
possibility, a comprehensive program must be developed to
ensure survival and encourage
growth of the U.S. Merchant
Marine. The economic benefits
and enhanced defense capabilities far outweigh incidental and
non-recurring costs.
I recommend a balance of
government promotional programs and private sector competitiveness initiatives that will help
level the maritime playing field.
As it is, U.S.-flag vessels must
compete against foreign stateowned ships, subsidized shippers
and shipyards, and the industrial
cartels of America's strongest
economic competitors.
At home, our Merchant
Marine operates under the most
demanding regulatory regime in
the world-which costs more, but
assures safety-while foreign
shipping interests are subject to
minimal regulation, enforcement
and taxes.
We need a blend of tax incentives, regulatory relief, capital
modernization and increased
competitiveness, while maintaining the support provided by traditional maritime programs and
laws. The most important include:
• sustained funding for the
Maritime Security Program
(MSP). Launched in 1996, MSP
underwrites
a
partnership
between the federal government
[and ship] operators in which
U.S.-flag, U.S. citizen-crewed
ships, equipment, terminals and
management services are available to the Department of
Defense during national emergencies. With 47 vessels currently enrolled, the program is authorized until 2005 and deserves
strong support thereafter.
• strict compliance with existing cargo preference laws which
require that certain U.S. government-impelled
cargoes
be
shipped on U.S.-flag vessels .
Preference cargoes are the single
most important incentive for
American operators in the international trades to remain under
the U.S. flag, providing a vital
base of guaranteed cargo to offset
foreign-flag advantages. Without
these cargoes, virtually every
U.S.-flag vessel in the international markets would be forced
either out of business or out of
U.S. registry, [which is] obviously unacceptable; and
• a range of corporate tax
incentives to grow the fleet and
narrow the cost disparity between
doing business under the U.S.
flag and that of other nations.
Like most enterprises, international shipping is an industry
where capital pursues the greatest
return for the least expense, with
a maximum degree of freedom. It
must become attractive to
investors once more.
In this brave new world of
just-in-time logistics, we cannot
function militarily without a
robust marine transportation
capability, and it must be grounded on a thriving U.S. Merchant
Marine. A solid partnership with
the commercial U.S.-flag fleet is
not just the best way, it is the only
way to get the job done and
answer the bell when the next crisis arises- as it will. We simply
can't do without ships under the
American flag, built in American
shipyards, and manned by
American crews as a vital part of
our national defense arsenal. They
need our helir-and quickly.
IMO Revising
SOLAS Chapter
Group Formed to Enhance
Passenger-Ship Safety
The year 2002 already stands
out in the maritime industry
because it is a compliance date
for the amended STCW convention.
Now, another revised treaty is
targeted for implementation that
year.
During a recent meeting of its
Maritime Safety Committee in
London,
the
International
Maritime Organization (IMO)
began updating Chapter V of the
International Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS) Convention. IMO aims
to consider "the complete revised
draft text" of Chapter V this
December and then apply the
final version beginning in July
2002.
Chapter V concerns shipboard
navigational equipment and systems. The proposed revisions
include mandates for voyage data
recorders ("black boxes"), automatic ship identification systems
and ARPA, among others.
"Most of the deep sea fleet
will easily meet the new requirements, but it may impact heavily
on the offshore supply industry,"
noted Bill Eglinton, director of
vocational education at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime
Training, who attended the IM 0
meeting May 15-26.
During the same session, IMO
Secretary-General
William
O'Neil called for "global consideration of safety issues pertaining
to passenger ships, with particular emphasis on large cruise
ships." The safety committee
formed a working group that is
scheduled to convene later this
year, when it will address passenger vessel construction and
equipment; crisis and crowd
management; crew and passenger
training; personnel evacuation;
and potential risks large passenger vessels may face in the next
few years.
O 'Neil said that while the
structural integrity of recently
built large cruise ships isn't in
doubt, it is questionable whether
or not maritime treaties including
SOLAS and STCW "duly
address all the safety aspects of
their operation- in particular, in
emergency situations.••
SIU Present at Ratings Task Force Meeting
The SIU took part in a meeting of the International Transport
Workers' Federation's (ITF's) ratings task' force May 23-24 in
Auckland, New Zealand. The agenda included examination of a
detailed report concerning the worldwide supply of "suitably
trained" merchant mariners. Above, SIU Executive VP John Fay
(center), who chairs the ITF's Seafarers' Section, hears a breakdown of the report. Below (from left), Fay and SIU SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel, a guest at the task force session, are
pictured with Dave Morgan, national president of the New
Zealand Seafarers' Union.
Seafarers LOG
5
�STCW in Plain English
Vocational Education Director Tackles
Segments of Amended '95 Convention
Editors note: Bill Eglinton, together in 1978, but the U.S. did
director of vocational education not sign onto it until 1991. I
at the Paul Hall Center and a won't bore you with the details of
regular participant in interna- why we waited so long, but in
tional forums pertaining to STCW 1992 we started letting everyone
and other regulations impacting know that we were now on board
the maritime industry, wrote the with this convention, the requirefollowing article. This is the first ments of which we easily met.
in an occasional series intended
However, that 1978 convento keep Seafarers updated on the tion was under revision, and we
roles governing their trade.
stayed tuned for further news
Most of the U-8. maritime because who knew what might be
industry is familiar with our in store for us. Oh boy, what an
nation's rules and regulations understatement!
stemming from the U.S. Coast
The heart of the 1995 revised
Guard which impact our daily STCW Convention puts its
lives- anything from pollution emphasis on the training and
prevention, to getting our AB or assessment of mariner practical
QMED endorsement, to our per- skills (proficiencies). In short,
sonal lives ashore (driving, med- taking a multiple-choice examination to become an electrician,
ical issues, etc.).
But, where did the newest AB, Third Mate/Engineer, won't
international treaties and conven- cut it anymore. You must demonstrate that you can do your job.
tions come from?
Hey, isn't this what we have
SIU members most certainly
have heard of the STCW Con- been saying for years? Don't ask
vention by now. The Seafarers me a bunch of theoretical multiLOG must have published 50 ple-choice questions, give me
related articles or more over the that piece of equipment and I'll
past several years, but I want to show you how it works!
Now~ whom does it affect and
put it in everyday terms-language that hopefully will give when does it take place? First, the
you both a sense of understanding STCW Convention applies to all
mariners working aboard seagoand a sense of urgency.
The United Nations has an ing merchant vessels, whether on
entity that deals with maritime domestic or international voyissues, the International Maritime ages. Inland and Great Lakes vesOrganization (IMO), which i~ sels are not under the STCW
headquartered in London. Mari- Convention. So, if you sail
time nations that belong to the aboard near-coastal or deep sea
IMO (about 133) agree to fotlow ships, listen up! To better undervarious international agreements, stand when these changes kick in,
called treaties or conventions. you should be aware of three
Over the year~, the IMO ha.s pro- important dates.
February 1, 1997: Various
conventions
duced
several
including the Safety of Life a.t requirements of the amended
Sea Convention (SOLAS), the 1995 STCW Convention entered
Marine Pollution Convention into force, namely: Basic Safety
Training (BST); special training
(MARPOL) and others.
Almost all of these conven- for certain types of ships (tankers
tions deal with equipment, con- and RO/RO passenger ships); and
struction or operational proce- familiarization instruction when
dures. Only one IMO convention joining a new ship. This marks
deals with people- the Standards the beginning of what is called
of Training, Certification and the transitional period, which
Watchkeeping (STCW) Con- means we have five years to put
in place all the new requirements
vention.
This convention was put -that is until Feb. 1, 2002.
August 1, 1998: If you started
your seagoing career (sailing)
before this date, you have until
Feb. l, 2002 to comply with the
revised 1995 STCW Convention.
However, if you started sailing or
began maritime training after this
date, you must be in full compliance with STCW now.
February 1, 2002: The implementation period ends and all
seafarers must meet all the
requirements of the revised 1995
STCW Convention.
The SIU and the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education saw these new changes
coming. In fact, we got involved
by sending people to the IMO
meetings as part of the U.S. delegations. Immediately we wrote
articles in the LOG so the membership could know what was
taking place, and practically
every month the LOG updated the
developments occurring in our
industry.
So, with that history lesson out
of the way, what do YOU have to
do? Unlicensed Seafarers must
concern themselves with two
things: having taken a Coast
Guard-approved Basic Safety
Training (BST) course or being
trained and assessed aboard ship
with entries made into your
Training Record Book (TRB) and
if you are a watchstanding deck
or engine department person, you
need to have a 1995 STCW certificate.
If you do not have Ba.sic
Safety Training or the 199 5
STCW certificate, if required, by
February 1, 2002, YOU CANNOT SAIL ABOARD DEEP
SEA OR NEAR-COASTAL
SHIPS!
The Paul Hall Center at Piney
Point, Md. has been offering the
BST classes for some time now.
We have many classes scheduled
through the end of this year, and
next year we will run these classes continuously. So, get scheduled for this course!
Here's another incentive to
take the BST course as soon as
Construction Continues
On Simulator Complex
GMDSS Component to Augment Training
Construction on the simulator complex addition at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education in Piney Point, Md., began in mid-April. The facility's exterior has
been completed . Construction crews will soon move to the inside to begin finishing the
structure's interior.
6
Seafarers LOG
U.S. Coast Guard Regional Exam Centers
(Updated
as of May 2000)
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
Bldg. 14, Rm. 109, Coast Guard Isl.
Alameda, CA 94501-5100
Phone: (510) 437-3092
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
510 L Street, Suite 100
Anchorage, AK 99501-1946
Phone: (907) 271-6736
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
200 Jefferson Ave., Suite 1302
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 544-3297
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
Claude Pepper Federal Building
51 SW 1st Ave, 6th Floor
Miami, FL 33130-1608
Phone: (305) 536-6548/6874
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
U.S. Custom House
40 South Gay Street
Baltimore, MD 21202-4022
Phone: (410) 962-5132
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
9820 Lake Forest Blvd, Suite P
New Orleans, LA 70127-3077
Phone: (504) 589-6183
U. S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
455 Commercial Street
Boston, MA 02109-1045
Phone: (617) 223-3040
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Inspection Office
Regional Examination Center
Battery Park Building
New York, NY 10004-8545
Phone: (212) 668-7492
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
196 Tradd Street
Charleston, SC 29401-1899
Phone: (843) 724-7693
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
6767 North Basin Avenue
Portland, OR 97217-3992
Phone: (503) 240-9346
U. S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
433 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96813-4909
Phone: (808) 522-8264
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
1519 Alaskan Way South
Seattle. WA 98134-1192
Phone: (206) 217-6115
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
8876 Gulf Freeway, Suite 200
Houston, TX 77017-6595
Phone: (713) 948-3350
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
1222 Spruce Street, Suite 8.104E
St. Louis, MO 63103-2835
Phone: (314) 539-3091
U.S. coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
2760 Sherwood Lane. Suite 2A
Juneau, AK 99801-8545
Phone: (907) 463-2458
U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Ofc
Regional Examination center
165 N. Pico Avenue
Long Beach. CA 90802
Phone: (562) 980-4485
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
Federal Building, Room 501
234 Summit Street
Toledo, OH 43604-1590
Phone: (419) 259-6395
Members should not expect same-day service for document renewals or
STCW certificates. Please call the REC in advance with your request.
possible. If you hold an endorsement for lifeboatman that was
issued before August 1, 1998 and
you try to renew your MMD
before Feb. 1, 2002. then the only
way you can keep that lifeboat
endorsement when renewing is
by providing proof of complying
with the Basic Safety requirements of STCW.
If you sail as AB, Boatswain's
Mate, FOWT or QMED watchstander, you must have a 1995
STCW certificate by Feb. 1, 2002.
To get this certificate, go to any
U.S. Coast Guard Regional
The infrastructure for a new state-ofthe-art simulator complex continues to
take shape at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education in Piney
Point, Md. In addition to the existing
Lindsey Williams Building, which has
been refurbished, the aggregate structure
will feature a five-classroom addition.
Construction on the addition began
about eight weeks ago, according to J.C.
Wiegman, assistant director of vocational
education at the center. The building's
exterior has been completed, and construction crews will soon move to the inside to
begin finishing the structure's interior.
"Once completed, the addition will contain five classrooms," Wiegman said.
"Three of the rooms will be for general
purpose use, a fourth for multi-functional
applications and the fifth for our crane simulator."
The Global Marine Distress Sequencing
System simulator (GMDSS) is one of the
many training tools that will be housed in
the complex (articles were published on
the shiphandling and engine room simulators in the May and June editions of the
Seafarers LOG, respectively). It will be
utilized by Seafarers who seek General
Operator Certificates (GOC) or Restricted
Examination Center (REC) with
the following things: your merchant
mariner's
document
(MMD); Training Record Book
(TRB); BST course certificate,
and one (1) passport photo. There
is no charge for the 1995 STCW
certificate. You can also get your
certificate through the mail by
sending notarized copies of your
MMD and BST certificate and the
photo to your nearest Coast Guard
REC (see listing above of all
Regional Examination Centers).
Don't wait till the last minute
on _this: the clock is ticking!
Operator Certificates (ROC).
Fully compliant with IMO resolutions
and the latest STCW code requirements,
the simulator can also be used as a component of the mariner's training and examination for the First Class or Second Class
Radio Electronics Certificate.
The system will have the capability to
accommodate two instructors and 10 students simultaneously in a multi-functional
classroom. It also will have the capacity to
accurately imitate communication between
ships, and among ships and co-stations
using terrestrial satellite communications
systems. Both types of communication can
be accomplished with a high degree of
realism.
Additionally, unlicensed apprentices
can be familiarized with the correct operation of GMDSS equipment for distress and
general communication.
"We will be training able bodied seamen, the limited license people and the
licensed people who need GMDSS," said
Russell Levin, an instructor at the center.
"We also have quite a few people within
the SIU who already have licenses and
who will be training on this equipment."
Continued on page 11
July2000
�'Vote of
·Thanks'
Buoyed by big gains in a new five-year contract covering fast sealift ships, SIU members
last month expressed strong satisfaction with
the agreement.
During three separate shipboard meetings
June 8 in Baltimore with SIU Vice President
Contracts Augie Tellez, SIU crews on the
USNS Wright, Cape Washington and Cape May
enthusiastically offered votes of thanks for the
union's work in securing major improvements
in the fast sealift contract. That agreement covers eight vessels which also are known as SL7s. They are the USNS Algol, USNS Altair,
USNS Antares, USNS Bellatrix, USNS Capella,
USNS Denebola, USNS Pollux and USNS
Regulus.
As reported last month, the contract keeps
the jobs on the eight ships with the SIU.
Highlights include substantial wage increases
both in full operating status and reduced operating status; Seafarers Welfare and Pension
Plans benefits at their top levels; and inclusion
of the Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan
at 5 percent of base wages.
SIU-contracted American Overseas Marine
(AMSEA) won the pact with the U.S. Military
Sealift Command to operate the ships.
The new contract "is well-deserved. It's
great news/' said Bosun John Toomey aboard
the Cape May.
On the Wright, Bosun Thomas Moore
described the contractual gains as "incredible.
This is a big step forward."
Several Seafarers stAted that the new agreement is part1cularly satisfying to the numerous
members who have spent considerable time
working aboard the fast sealift ships.
Telle~ reminded them that the union
"always has said the hardest thing is to get that
first contract, and once we we 're in, things will
improve. It doesn't happen overnight, but this
contract proves our point."
Also last month, Seafarers were cautiously
optimistic about the recent contract awards by
the U.S. Maritime Administration for operation
of 74 Ready Reserve Force (RRF) vessels.
Although several companies protested the
awards- resulting in a stopgap extension of
the existing contract- the SIU secured substantial wage increases and benefit gains
aboard the 45 RRF ships awarded to its contracted operators. The union strongly anticipates that when the challenged bids are
resolved (tentatively expected by late September), the SIU will end up with a very similar
number of ships and an equal or better contract
compared to the one used in the original award.
1------
Pictured aboard the USNS Wright are (from
left) Bosun Thomas Moore. GUDE Mark
Canada, SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez, (sitting) Chief Steward Richard Mata, SIU
Baltimore Port Agent Dennis Metz and
QMED/Electrician James Weismore.
The USNS Denebola is one of eight fast sealift ships covered
by the new five-year contract. Pictured on the vessel after
reviewing contract highlights are (seated, from left) SA John
Weber, Chief Cook Dante Black, Chief Steward Gary Lackey,
Bosun Willie Reynolds, AB Donald Gearhart, (standing) Wiper
Carlos Perez, AB Ben Shupp, Electrician Ronald Kitlas, Wiper
Enrique Nunez and OS C. Salim.
Chief Steward
Michelle
Hopper (left)
and QMED
Taylor Clear
(right)
Besides the new contract, Seafarers on the Cape Washington also
discussed the expanding U.S.-flag passenger fleet, the Jones Act
and other issues. Pictured from the left are Bosun Rick James,
Electrician Steve Kafka, QMED Taylor Clear, SIU VP Contracts
Augie Tellez, Chief Steward Michelle Hopper and SIU Baltimore
Port Agent Dennis Metz.
Above: Seafarers meet aboard the Cape
May. Left: Pictured from the left are Baltimore
Port Agent Dennis Metz, (rear) AB Billy Ray
Hanbury, First Engineer William Camacho,
Chief Engineer James Wingate, Second
Engineer Jim Van Pelt, Bosun John Toomey,
SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez and
Steward/Baker John Reid. The officers all are
SIU hawsepipers.
July2DOO
Seafarers LOG
7
�r------.-.----- -------
-~- -
- -- -
National Maritime Day
Nation Honors Merchant Mariners
SIU Participates in Several Ceremonies
Americans across the nation
paid tribute last month to the
bravery and sacrifices of the
thousands of U.S. merchant mariners who so honorably have
served our country, especially
those who gave their lives during
armed conflict. The occasion was
National Maritime Day-an
annual observance dating back to
1933 that acknowledges this
often forgotten group's contributions.
The SIU participated in several ceremonies, including three in
Washington, D.C. on May 25 and
two West Coast observances earlier that week. The events in and
near the nation's capital were
conducted by, respectively, the
U.S. Maritime Administration
(MarAd), the Port of Washington
Propeller Club and the U.S.
Military
Sealift
Command
(MSC).
MarAd Memorial
MarAd's event in Washington,
called the Merchant Marine
Memorial Service 2000, took
plact: at the U.S. Navy Memorial.
In his operting remarks,
Maritime Administrator Clyde J.
Hart dubbed the gathering as ..a
day set aside ti'.'.) hDnor the brave
American civilia.ns a.nd merchant
mariners who gave their lives to
protect the freedoms we cherish.
"It i5 al5o a day for rejoicing~"
Hart continued, "rejoicing not
only for their courage and self·
tessness. but for their exuberance
and innovation."
Noting that th~ event's purpose was to focus on the contributions of seamen, principally
those who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II, Hart
said, "Their passing is reason for
sorrow, their presence reason for
joy. We honor them with praise
for their maritime skills honed by
tough physical work in the seas'
unforgiving environment."
Keynote speaker Rodney
Slater called the nation's merchant fleet "the United States'
first Navy." Recounting their
contributions during the Revolutionary War, the Secretary of
Transportation said, "The U.S.
merchant marine, which defeated
the British navy to gain
America's independence, has
served our country- and served it
well-in every war since 177 5.
There is no more devoted community of professionals than
those who serve the nation's
marine transportation system."
Former U.S. Rep. Helen Bentley
presents remarks in behalf of
Rep. Herb Bateman. Both are
strong supporters of the U.S. merchant fleet.
B Seafarers LOS
After noting that more than
6,000 merchant mariners lost
their lives "for the cause of freedom during World War II," Slater
reflected on the admiration
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
possessed for the men who composed the U.S. fleet. He quoted
the late commander-in-chief as
having stated: "(Mariners) have
written one of its most brilliant
chapters. They have delivered the
goods when and where needed in
every theater of operations and
across every ocean in the biggest,
the most difficult and dangerous
job ever undertaken. As time
goes on, there will be greater public understanding of our merchant's fleet record during this
war (World War II)."
He further illustrated the vital
importance of the maritime industry
today to America, noting that it
annually accounts for some threefourths of a trillion dollars of
America's gross national product
"Our domestic fleet is one of
our most productive and costeffective modes of transportation," Slater said, ••moving 24
percent of the nation's cargo at
less than 2 percent of America's
total freight cost. U.S. commercial ports handle 95 percent of the
nation's international trade."
He concluded, "Despite the
challenges, the future is bright"
SIU President Michel Sacco
associated the plight of merchant
mariners during World War II to
that of front line soldier.
"The seafarers of World War II
were attacked from every angle,"
Sacco explained. "They were
bombed from enemy airplanes,
fired upon by enemy ships, torpedoed by enemy submarines.
Many did not survive. They died
in blazing explosions, in icy
waters, in lifeboats that drifted
into oblivion. They burned and
drowned and starved.
"But there has never been any
quit in the American merchant
marine," the SIU president asserted. "That's why leaders of that
era, from Roosevelt to Eisenhower on down, emphatically
stated that the merchant marine
made all the difference m wmning the war."
Representing the Seafarers at the annual wreath-laying ceremony
aboard the Jeremiah O'Brien in San Francisco are retired SIU VP West
Coast George McCartney (right) and SIU Representative Chester
Wheeler (second from right).
Left and below: Guests
observe the presentation of colors at last
month's Maritime Day
ceremony conducted
in Washington, D.C. by
the U.S. Maritime
Administration.
Sacco said that white ceremonies such as the memorial service are important, there is another way we as Americans can pay
tribute to the thousands who gave
their lives during World War II as
well as those who served during
other conflicts.
"The best way we can honor
them and confinn that they did
not die in vain is to keep the
American flag flying on the high
seas, .. Sacco said.
Sacco reminded those in attendance (including Seafarers from
the Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education in Piney
Point, Md.) that America depends
on the sealift provided by a strong
merchant marine whenever involved in conflict.
"I wholeheartedly believe that
the young men and women now
entering the industry can look
forward to a bright future and a
National Maritime Memorial Day Proclamation
May 22, 2000
Americans have always looked to the sea as a source of prosperity and security. Bounded by two oceans and the
Gulf of Mexico, with the Great Lakes, the ~int Lawrence Seaway, scores of harbors, ports, and Inlets, and thousands of miles of inland river shorelines, our Nation has been blessed with an unparalleled means of moving passengers and freight, protecting our freedom, and linking our citizens with the world.
Today, 95 percent of our imports and exports are moved by water - more than one billion metric tons of cargo
- and our waterways currently handle 140 million passengers a year. Our domestic fleet ls one of our most productive and cost-effective modes of transportation, moving 24 percent of the Nation's cargo at less than 2 percent
of America's total freight cost. The men and women of the U.S. Merchant Marine and the thousands of other workers in our Nation's maritime industry have made Immeasurable contributions to our economic strength, standard of
living, and leadership in the global marketplace.
The U.S. Merchant Marine plays an equally important role in maintaining our national security. In times of con·
flict or crisis, the Armed Forces rely upon the Merchant Marine's sealift capability to transport critically needed
equipment and supplies. Time and again, American mariners have demonstrated their willingness and ablllty to meet
ohen daunting challenges. From World War II to Korea to Vietnam, from Desert Storm to the Balkans and in numerous incidents in between, the U.S. Merchant Marine has responded with courage, patriotism, and a steadfast devotion to duty.
The 21st century wlll hold new challenges for our maritime industry, including an anticipated doubling of cargo
and jUllenger traffic In the next cwo decades. If we are to meet those challenges, we must maintain a robust U.S.flag fleet, crewed by American mariners. Last September, the Secretary of Transportation presented to the Congress
a blueprint for modernizing our Marine Transportation System - the wate1Ways, ports, railways, and roads that move
people and goods to, from, and on the water. We must build more and better ships, modernize our shipyards, create d@@per ports for today's ever larger containerships and ocean liners, and maintain a skilled maritime workforce.
We must also ensure that local, State, and Federal agencies, the U.S. military, the maritime industry, shippers, labor
unions, environmental groups, and other concerned organlzatlonJ work in partnership to carry out this blueprint.
As we celebrate National Maritime Day this year, we also mark the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Maritime
Administration. Throughout the past five decades, the dedicated men and women of this agency have worked to
improve the competitiveness of our maritime Industry in world markets and to strengthen our ability to respond
swiftly and effectively in time1 of crisis. On behalf of a grateful Nation, I salute these outstanding public servants
for their commitment to the U.S. Merchant Marine and to the shipbuilding, repair services, ports, and intennodal
water and land transportation systems they need to function efficiently.
In recognition of the Importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine to our Nation's prosperity and security, the
Congress, by a joint resolution approved Hay 20, 1933, has designated May 22 of each year as ~atlonal Maritime
Day·" and has authorized and requested the President to Issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate
observance.
Now, therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22,
2000, as National Maritime Day. I urge all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies,
and activities and by displaying the flag of the United States in their homes and in their communities. I also request
that all merchant ships sailing under the American flag dress ship on that day.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.
William J. Clinton
lifetime career in the U.S. merchant marine," he concluded.
Two other speakers were featured at the MarAd ceremony.
Raymond Ebeling, president
and chairman, American RollOn/Roll-Off Carriers, urged support for the Jones Act and the
Maritime Security Program. He
also called for ..a new comprehensive and aggressive maritime
policy."
Ebeling said that the beginning point of that new policy
must be an agreement by all key
stakeholders on the future role of
the U.S. merchant marine and of
U.S. flag carriers in terms of support of national defense policy.
Edward Kelly, vice president,
American Maritime Officers,
who had just returned from the
meeting of the International
Maritime Organization in London, reflected on his trip and
shared his impressions on how
the world views our maritime
industry.
"At the meetings, the United
States is still recognized as a
global leader in almost everything," he said. "Included are
maritime safety, quality and standards. However we do not measure up in the number of ships we
have or in the number of mariners
at sea, and certainly not in the
number of ships we have under
construction."
Kelly said that the IMO and
the world look to the United
States for leadership, and it is
essential that we present a
stronger maritime trade commitment to them.
"In order to live up to our calling," Kelly suggested, "we must
have a national maritime policy
that promotes the U.S.-flag merchant marine adequate to meet
out national and economic security needs."
He concluded his remarks by
suggesting that "a most fitting
memorial for those who have
given their lives would be a merchant marine fleet of over 500
ships, a maritime program and
more ships capable of functioning
as a Navy auxiliary in times of
national emergency. In this man-
Continued on next page
July2000
�Vice Presidential Salute
Continued from previous page
~~·~-
ner, we would honor those who
have gone before us."
and supported by the Gulfo] Mexico; AmenCa. ·ts :literally
encircled by waters t1w.t reqµ~re us to rnair,itai~ our ~m- ,
petitive edge. The U.S. Merchant Marine, a fleet that is
U.S. built, U.S~ owned, and U.S# crewed, is helping to
ensure that success in the 21st century.
·
A strong America requires a strong merchant marine.
I am proud of our administration's record in promoting
the development and maintenance of a modem, efficient
Backing from Bateman
Congressman Herbert H.
Bateman (R-Va.), chairman of the
Special Oversight Panel on the
Merchant Marine of the House
Armed Services Committee, was
scheduled to deliver the keynote
address at the Propeller Club's
annual Maritime Day luncheon.
The congressman, however, was
unable to attend due to a death in
his family.
Helen Delich Bentley, former
member of Congress from
Maryland and former chairman of
the Federal Maritime Commission, read his prepared speech at
the U.S. Navy Yard. In part, Rep.
Bateman's remarks were as follows:
"We in the Congress are committed to providing the necessary
resources and support for the
maritime community so that you
can continue to perform the outstanding work that has proven so
beneficial to our nation. To that
end, we share a set of common
goals: we must have a strong
maritime industry, including a
viable and economically competitive U.S.-flag fleet; a strong
shipbuilding industrial base; and
an economically viable nationwide infrastructure of serviceable
SIU President Michael Sacco discusses the MarAd ceremony with students from the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education.
harbors on the Great Lakes,
inland waterways and seacoasts
of the United States ....
"The maritime industry, the
Congress and the administration
must continue to plead our case
with the American people. An
informed public will allow us to
provide the necessary funding to
preserve maritime power as the
underpinning of our national
security ....
"I would be remiss if I did not
mention several other pillars of
our maritime security. The Jones
Act, the Passenger Vessel
Services Act, and the America's
cargo preference laws are keeping our merchant marine afloat.
Ships would not be under construction in the U.S. today if it
were not for these laws. And
ships would not be flying the
United States flag for employing
American citizen mariners if it
were not for these laws.
"We must all vigorously
enforce the letter and spirit of
these statues while bringing new
ideas to the table to expand the
U.S. fleet by stimulating growth
in each pillar of our merchant
marine."
MSC Ceremony
"Today, National Maritime
Day, we take time to remember
and celebrate the heroic feats of
the men and women who have
served this nation as merchant
mariners . Established in 1933,
this special day recognizes the
service and sacrifice of those who
have served ashore and afloat,
going in harm's way when necessary."
So stated Adm. Donald
Pillingt vice chief of naval operations, during his keynote address
at the MSC ceremony at the
Washington Navy Yard. A
wreath-laying ceremony commemorating the American merchant mariners lost to hostile
action followed the admiral's
address.
The event, which attracted
merchant fleet, capable of helping our expanding world
trade. and meeting the needs of the military in times of
conflict, or national emergency. The Jones Act is thefoundation of our American.maritime·ind.tlstry a,nd an essen- .
··tial· part of· the fabric . or our . n,atjO.tt':s . . gcon.q@ic, . an~,;.
national security. I am committed to ensutin{f'f°he pres·<
more than 300 participants and
spectators, was hosted by Vice
Adm. Gordon S. Holder, commander of MSC. Posting the colors and providing music were
members of the U.S. Navy
Ceremonial Guard and the U.S.
Navy Band, respectively.
Also on hand were the master
and crew of the ocean-going tug
USNS Mohawk who represented
MSC ships and America's merchant mariners around the world.
Seafarers from the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education in Piney Point, Md.,
were also in attendance.
Admiral Pilling noted that
although the Washington Navy
Yard was a fitting place to
acknowledge the mammoth contributions of America's men;hant
mariners to our nation's very
existence, the yard's history isn't
as long as that registered by the
merchant mariners.
"While the yard contains 200
years of history, that number falls
25 years short of the service
given by these gallant men and
women," the admiral said. "Their
history is full of courageous
deeds and selfless sacrifice."
After tracing their record from
the Revolutionary War to the present, Admiral Pilling commented
on the historically close relationship merchant seamen have
always shared with their uniformed comrades.
"It is vital that the partnership
between the U.S. merchant
marine and the U.S. Navy remains
strong, especially in these days of
'rightsizing' and shrinking budgets," Admiral Pilling offered.
"At the same time, the modem
global market requires a powerful
maritime force to protect our
interests and prevent hostilities.
Our maritime forces must be able
to prevail in conflict.
"As we move into a new millennium, I have complete faith in
the men and women of our merchant marine," he continued. "I
know they will be there, whenever the nation calls, a crucial part
of our maritime force."
Admiral Pilling concluded his
remarks with a statement of gratitude to all merchant mariners
who paid the ultimate sacrifice
for this nation. "I extend a heartfelt thanks and the appreciation of
the nation to the men and women
of America's merchant marine,
for your heroism, your sacrifices,
your undaunted service."
July2000
SIU President Michael Sacco
Seafarers LOS
9
�Maersk Sealand Opens
New Houston Terminal
New York's 30-Year Lease Approved
Maersk Sealand has expanded its operations in
Houston with the recent opening of a 71-acre terminal. The Terminal Six facility, ceremonially opened
by the company and the port of Houston May 17,
includes four cranes. a dozen receiving/delivering
lanes, six scales plus an additional 16 acres being
developed. It features 2000-foot berths and dockside rail.
A number of SIU members and officials attended
the kickoff at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal.
Two weeks later, Maersk Sealand welcomed news
from the northeast that the governors of New York and
New Jersey finally cleared the way for implementa-
tion of a 30-year lease between the port and the
company. New Jersey's Christie Whitman and New
York's George Pataki ended a 17-month stalemate
that had delayed the shipping line's expansion at
Port Elizabeth, N.J.
According to press reports, the governors had
been at odds regarding which state benefits more
from its Port Authority revenues. They approved the
lease after agreeing to earmark $250 million for
New York transportation projects, allow privatization of the World Trade Center and study a possible
increase in fares for the commuter rail linking the
two states.
Attending the ceremonial opening at the Barbours Cut facility are (from
left) Recertified Steward Fernando Urias, AB Travis Corgey, Bosun
John Cain, SIU Safety Director Kenneth Moore, Bosun's Mate Gilbert
Rodriguez, SIU VP Gulf Coast Dean Corgey, SIU Asst. VP Jim McGee
and Electrician Randy Clark.
Allied Tug Falcon Awaits New Charter
Seafarers met with SIU officials aboard the Allied
Towing tug Falcon (below) recently in the port of
Norfolk, Va. The vessel was in the shipyard getting prepared for a new charter. In addition to distributing copies
of the most recent Seafarers LOG and other union forms,
officials also discussed the new contract, pensions and
the proposed merger of the NMU into the SIU.
Chief Cook Donald Lee Jones
The new terminal already spans 71 acres and will expand by another
16 currently being developed.
USNS Soderman Ties Up In Norfolk
Captain R. C. Morris and
Port Captain Andy Higbee
Chief Engineer Hugh L Gibbs Jr. and
Utility Man Richard E. Hamilton.
Mate Thomas B.
Mercer
and
Port Engineer
SIU officials recently greeted the crew of the USNS Soderman as
it tied up in the Port of Norfolk, Va. Officials passed out the latest
edition of the Seafarers LOG as well as other SIU forms to crew
members. Pictured above (from left) are Chief Steward Ron Jones,
SA Herman Stith and Chief Cook Thomas Johnson. Pictured below
(from left) are AB Tim Kacer, SIU Representative Pat Vandergrift,
Bosun Jeff Saxon and OS Paul Hennessey.
Wiggins
to
Seafarers LOG
July2000
�Front-Gate Facelift Almost Finished
Dredging With the Manhattan Island
Two NATCO dredges-the Dodge Island and the
Manhattan Island-currently are working in San Juan Bay,
P.R. on a nearly year-long project to deepen the shipping
channel. At left is the dredging process in operation and
(below) the Manhattan Island enters San Juan bay for its
first week of work.
The front gate at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is being refurbished. It is scheduled for completion this
month. The center is located in Piney Point, Md.
Hart Goes to New Department;
Graykowsld Fiiis MarAd Post
Simulator Complex Under Construction
Continued from page 6
Levin said the center's original GMDSS system was radiooperator Morse Code-based, or
ship-to-ship. However, things
have changed tremendously
where communications are concerned, he added. With the advent
of satellite communications and
the ability of satellites to detect
signals, communications developers decided that rather than
retaining a ship-to-ship-based
system, a better approach would
be to go ship-to-shore.
"They decided on this approach because the shore folks
could manage communication
input much better by using a rescue coordinating center," Levin
offered. "As a result, the
International Maritime Organization (IMO), an IMO subcommittee, and other working groups in
various countries developed the
GMDSS. They also developed
equipment requirements, operating procedures and examinations."
Levin said GMDSS training in
the United States, and in most
other countries today, is standardized. Signatory nations must
comply with Standards of
Training
Certification
and
Watcbkeeping (STCW) laws.
These prerequisites, the same
that exist for other countries,
presently are satisfied in the U.S.
through a 70-hour course. One
requirement in that course is the
demonstrated ability (for assessment) of actually operating the
equipment.
The instructor concluded that
the GMDSS simulators should
help students at the Paul Hall
Center learn communications
systems quicker and hone their
ability to interact with them.
When completed, the simulator complex addition will contain five classrooms. Three of the rooms will be for general purpose use, a fourth for
multi-functional applications and the fifth for a crane simulator.
July2000
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently
announced that Maritime Administrator Clyde Hart
will serve as the acting deputy administrator of the
new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA). During Hart's leave of absence from
MarAd, Deputy Administrator John Graykowski
will be its acting administrator.
The FMCSA was established Jan. 1. Its mission
is to improve roadway safety by preventing commercial motor vehicle-related injuries and fatalities.
Graykowski previously served as acting head of
MarAd from 1997 to 1998.
Port Waives Rent
For Lane Victory
Los Angeles harbor commissioners last month
approved a five-year rent-free agreement with the
group operating the historic vessel SS Lane Victory.
The lease is expected to save an estimated $270,000
for the U.S. Merchant Marine Veterans of World War
II, the volunteer association in charge of the ship.
The Lane Victory-which served in World War
II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War- has been
berthed in Los Angeles for the past 11 years. It is a
floating memorial but remains fully operational,
offering a half-dozen or so one-day cruises to
Catalina during the summer.
Maintenance and operation of the vessel costs an
estimated $200,000 even without any rent, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
ITF Dellvers For Crews
On Runaway-Flag Ships
The International Transport Workers' Federation
(ITF) recently reported that in 1999 it recovered
more than $23 million in back pay owed to crews on
551 runaway-flag and other substandard ships.
The ITF is composed of 570 affiliate unionsincluding the SIU-in more than 130 countries.
Those unions represent more than five million
members.
In addition to securing back wages for the crews,
the ITF through its 100-plus inspectors last year
arrested numerous unsafe ships and ensured that
proper repairs were made.
With St. Louis AMMV Chapter
SIU President Michael Sacco (fourth from right) and Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan (fifth from right) greet
members of the Samuel Parker Chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans during this year's
St. Louis Port Council dinner. The event took place April 8. Pictured from left to right are Donald Adams,
SIU St. Louis Port Agent Becky Sleeper, Edward Dierkes, George Ward, Donald Witte, Mike Congardi,
Carnahan, Sacco, Michael Buckley, John Ludwig and Jack Grothe.
Seafarers LOG
11
�With th
At the
llall
In and
Right: Port Agent Anthony
McQuay conducts a membership meeting at the
Jacksonville hall with the help
of VP Dean Corgey (left) and
Patrolman Bryan Powell.
Catching up on union news during a monthly membership meeting are (from
left) OMU Gary Doyen, OMU Patrick McPherson, Chief Cook Jack Hart,
Steward/Baker Floyd Bishop and OMU Milton Israel Jr.
During a recent union meeting at the Jacksonvil
Chief Cook Rob Seim, QEE Hardin Chancey
Payne review the Seafarers LOG and discuss t
trends in the maritime industry.
Recertified Bosun David
Campbell addresses the
membership at a recent
union meeting. Brother
Campbell stressed the
importance of upgrading at
the Paul Hall Center and the
need to bring new recruits
into the union. (Campbell
completed the bosun recertification course at the
school in May.)
Port Agent Anthony McQuay presides over the voting
booths while Recertified Bosun William "Scotty" Byrne
receives his ballot. Brother Byrne cast the first vote at the
Jacksonville hall in the SIU-NMU proposed merger.
Left: Full book members raise their
hands to be counted at the Jacksonville
membership meeting.
12
Seafarers LOG
July2000
�,Memben:
~()UDdthe
ri\'llle liall
Recertified Steward Milton Yournett reads
about new and upcoming SIU job opportunities while aboard the Atlantic.
The Jacksonville hall has the largest jurisdictional
area as well as the largest coastal area of any of
the SIU ports-spanning the region from the North
Carolina border to Key West, Fla. to Panama City.
Needless to say, shipping is very good in
Jacksonville1 making many job calls quite competi·
tive and action at the counter fast and furious.
Serving the membership throughout the region
are Port Agent Anthony McQuay along with
Patrolmen Bryan Powell (who provided the photos
on these two pages) and Harmando Salazar. They
meet the ships, tugs and dredges that hit port any·
where In their jurlsdlaion and also help the members with any business they need to take care of in
the hall.
Deckhand Derek Dragon unpacks and mixes paint for maintenance work at the docks of Crescent Towing and Salvage
in Savannah, Ga.
SIU Patrolman Bryan Powell (center) meets with two unlicensed apprentices-Ryan
Smith {left) and Randolph Cash-aboard the Atlantic, a U.S. Ship Management Co.
vessel.
Since December, the port
of Jacksonville has taken
delivery of four new contrainer cranes (like the one
at left), for a total of 14. The
new cranes help the port
keep pace with the growing
container trade and are
part of a $150 million
investment in terminal
improvements over the past
three years.
Two members of the dock crew at
Crowley are OSs Mario Morante and
Jason Powell.
Also at Crowley. Port Agent Anthony McQuay
(left) stops to chat with AB Gilberto Chamorro.
any of the SIU-contracted ships, tugs and dredges come through or are stationed in the port of Jacksonville. The above vessels are just four of a larger number serviced by port officials
ecently. From the left are the El Mo"o (Sea Star}; the dredge Dodge Island on the job in Georgetown, S.C.; the PFC William B. Baugh offloading at Blount Island Marine Terminal; and the tug
enera/ Oglethorpe of Crescent Towing & Salvage in Savannah, Ga.
July2000
Seafarers LOS
13 .
J
�A VOYAGETOINDIA-1940
Last April,
the Seafarers
LOG published
part of Pensioner James M.
Smith's journal
of his trip to
India in 1940
as an ordinary
seaman aboard the SS Steel
Age.
The vessel had steamed past
the Rock of Gibraltar, through the
Suez Canal and called on the
ports of Alexandria, Egypt and
Jidda, Saudi Arabia.
This second segment continues
in Jidda.
This evening, Bud, Bill and I
went ashore ($5 for round-trip in
launch) and were escorted around
the city by an Arabian government official who could speak
fairly good English. Jidda has no
electric lights, using gas as its
means of illumination. There are
no paved streets and no sidewalks. The streets are hardpacked dirt, even in the "shopping district." There is an abundance of goats, donkeys (which
are painted all colors of the rainbow), dirty dogs, cats and camels.
The Arabs, however, are most
kindly and not at all aggressive. I
much prefer them to my late
Egyptian fiends, er, friends.
My guide and interpreter was
well dressed in the native garb of
flowing silken robes, leather sandals and a blue silk sash. His
headdress was the customary turban with a one-inch diameter
black cord wrapped twice around.
It is the badge of authority for
government officials.
We walked through the dark
streets flanked by buildings that
were ornate but centuries old _
There was a distinctly oriental
odor that I could Mt define, and I
saw no women except two or
three shrouded black creatures
that somehow didn't resemble in
any way the female of the species.
From a minaret came the wail of a
muezzin: plaintive, lonesome and
searchingly thin, calling the faithful to evening prayer. The
Moslems pray five times a day,
and the muezzins, or priests, have
the "good fortune" to be blinded
while still young babies "so that
they may see no evil."
We went through the east gate
in the walled city and were on the
road to Mecca for about 100
yards. There was a camel caravan
camped alongside the road with
the camels tethered nearby. Being
an old farm boy from the midwest, I couldn't resist trying to
make friends with one of the animals. When I went to pat him
(her?) on the nose, the beast made
a swipe at me with huge yellow
teeth, and I fell over backward,
much to the merriment of the
bedouins, who were rolling on
the ground with laughter.
Returning to the center of the
town, the government chap invited us to his house for tea. More
dark alleys. On the floor in the
entrance hall lay about a dozen
ragged pilgrims, one of whom
had a dangerous looking dagger. I
stepped over them all very carefully. Up five short flights of
stairs and into a well-furnished
room with a platform bed built
around two sides. There were
about two dozen pillows of varying and beautiful design and a
14
Seafarers LOG
by J. Melford Smith
thick rug on the floor that would harbor. Had a drink with a couple
Somewhere east of Suez
cost a fortune in the States.
British soldiers, then the three of
Where the best is like the
The windows were of wood us went to the cinema.
worst
The movie was in an ancient
Where there ain 't no ten comand pointed at the top. On the
wall was a picture of King Farouk amphitheater open to the starry
mandments
And a man can raise a thirst
and his Egyptian queen. There night sky. I asked one of my comwas a small table of teak or panions about not having a roof.
mahogany on which were small He said, "What for? It hasn't
Saturday,
March
23glasses, ash trays that were never rained here for 105 years!" In Underway at dawn yesterday for
meant for use and similar articles Aden, I used five kinds of money Karachi, India. The Arabs in
of beautiful but useless design.
-American, English, Arabian, Rastanura stole everything that
wasn't bolted to the deck. They
The tea was thick, very sweet Egyptian and Indian.
Wednesday, March 13- even stole the flag halyard! Today
and very good. We chatted about
Arabia and Egypt and T. E. Underway at 1700 for Rastanura the weather is warm with calm
Lawrence before leaving to visit in the Persian Gulf. At sunset we seas as we cross the Gulf of
the Americans' residence.
were pushing our bow into the Oman. I am drawing 100 rupees,
There are seven Americans East Indian Ocean, a flat lazy sea which I hope will last until
here working for Standard Oil of turned to blue and gold by the set- Calcutta.
Sunday, March 24--Easter
California. We were welcomed ting sun. In the east, the first of
with open arms (and scotch and the evening stars was twinkling in Sunday. Fine weather and calm
sodas).
We
blue seas. There
were the first
is a full moon
Americans to
these
nights,
making it very
visit them, and
they were genbeautiful on the
uinely glad to
midwatch. While
off watch, if I'm
see us. Everyone got slightly
not working with
tipsy, and we
the deck gang
under superviarrived at the
dock at midsion of the bonight in a Ford
sun, I lie on deck
touring sedan
and read. At prein high humor
sent am reading
"History of the
and noisy song.
Saturday,
United States"
March 9by Emerson Fite.
Woke up this ,.........."":-Am surprised at
how much I still
morning with a
hangover. and
-~~11".a• have to learn
my mouth felt
about American
like the Russian
~....-:o~-------------~~:...__.~:::::J history.
Army had been marching through a deep blue sky.
Tuesday, Macch 26-Arrivcd
it in their stocking feet _Too many
Thursday, March 14--Was in Karachi, which is at the mouth
scotch and sodas, no doubt. really warm on deck today. of the Indus River. Went ashore in
Blistering hot today. Underway Didn't get up 'til noon. This is the afternoon. Found the place
really splendid cruising compared very interesting and the prices
for Aden at 1600.
Sunday, March 10--Got up to my two years as a Marine on lDw. Underway for Bombay on
at noon. Have been reading the USS Houston. There has been Wednesday.
"Beau Geste" by P.C. Wren. a ship in sight all day with guns
Friday, March 29- We
which I finished after getting off mounted aft and no flag. We arrived in Bombay about noon.
Went to a movie in the evening.
watch. Very good story. Played ~hanged course just in case.
"quoits" this afternoon. It's like
Friday, March l~Fish on Saw "Balalaika," then had dinner
horseshoes but with eight-inch the menu today. Nothing of inter- at the Taj Mahal Hotel-"The
rings made of rope. The sea is est to write about. 1380 miles to Gateway to India."
smooth as glass and it's hotter our next port of call. Weather
than hell. We pass a ship every very hot-am getting a good tan.
Bombay Nights
two or three hours. ETA at Aden
Tuesday, March 19-For the
Englishmen and ladies in
is Tuesday morning.
past three days we have been evening clothes, beggars everyMonday, March. 11-The cruising steadily northeast at 10 where crying "Bakshish, Sahib,"
weather is very hot but we have a knots through the Indian Ocean. gharreys (horse-drawn carriages)
strong wind and a choppy sea. Today we entered the Persian and rickshaws, Indian girl prostiThis wind is called a "khamsin," Gulf from the Gulf of Oman. tutes, some not more than chilwhich means "50" in Arabic, Both countries are in sight. On dren,
Anglo-Indians
called
because it blows 50 days a year. the port side, the high, desolate "Chichi's," and some of the most
Passed two islands near the and rugged mountains of the beautiful architecture in the
entrance to the Red Sea. We stand Arabian Peninsula; to starboard, world. The locals wear class
watches only since it's too hot to the low rolling coastal plain of marks on their foreheads and in
work on deck.
Persia (Iran). We will be arriving their noses. Colorful saris on the
in Rastanura Thursday morning. women. And people, people
GuH of Aden
This evening there is a yellow everywhere.
Tuesday, March 12-Entered moon lying low over the East
The weather was bot and the
the Gulf of Aden this morning. Indian Sea, reminding me of nights beautiful. Sitting on the
Raised land at 1400 and tied up to more romantic moments. Just one veranda with my British friends
buoys in Aden harbor at 1600. year since Palm Beach. Ah, and a lovely Chichi girl named
Went ashore after dinner. There romance! Perhaps things will Terry. Thought of "The Romance
isn't much of interest here work out better in the future.
of the East" Can't remember the
although Aden is the fueling port
Read "Half a Loaf' by Grace author:
for all ships going to and from the A. Lewis, a tenderly romantic
The lilt of liquid Malay tunes
Far East. This is a British military novel of the trials and tribulations
Azure tropic skies
post where duty should be avoid- of a young author and his wife.
The warmth of sunlight on
ed if possible. It is incredibly barThursday, March 21lagoons
ren, consisting of huge rugged- Arrived at Rastanura this momLaughter in dark eyes.
looking mountains of volcanic ing. A most desolate place with
From distant lands these magrock and, incidentally, one of the nothing to signify its existence
ics come
hottest places on earth, with tem- but a few oil tanks. Flat desert, no
Where love and fragrance
peratures running to 130 degrees. trees. The British pilot who
meet
There are a few Allied mer- brought the ship in said, "When
The lute and zithers gentle
chant ships in the harbor, all the wind isn't blowing like hell
strum
armed. While ashore, I walked from the north, it's blowing like
Is stilled by desert heat.
around the English settlement. hell from the south." It is so hot
From many a visioned
then down through the native and dry we are thirsty all the
unknown land
quarter and back to the Crescent, time. I wonder if Kipling was in a
A mystic world afar
which is a tree-lined street run- situation like this in northern
Mongolia, Tibet, Samarkand
ning along the shoreline of the India when he wrote:
And fabled 'Zanzibar!
On Sunday I went to the race
track with my British friends,
dressed in my new khaki shorts
and pith helmet. Won a whole
bunch of rupees but didn't realize
how much until I returned to the
hotel, emptied all my pockets and
the ones I had stuffed in my shirt.
Almost $500 ! The most money I
have ever had! On Monday I
stopped at the bank and changed it
to American dollars before returning to the ship and had Capt.
Jones put it in the ship's safe.
We left Bombay this morning
at dawn. As we made our way
across the harbor through the
heavy traffic, the sun rose out of
the ocean to touch the rounded,
pointed domes of the Taj Mahal
Hotel and slowly flood the city
with light, chasing the early
morning mist before it. And so
farewell to this great city of the
East, where east is east and west
is also east.
We are now bound for
Columbo, Ceylon with an ETA
for Thursday. There is a rumor
going around that we will go to
Singapore from Calcutta and
back to the States via Honolulu.
Around the world cruise!
Columbo, Ceylon
Friday, April S-Arrived in
Columbo early
Wednesday
evening. We moored the ship to a
buoy in the polluted harbor.
My watch partner, Bill Marks,
had bought a tailored white
sharkskin suit in Bombay and
was wearing it for the first time.
There were three bum.boats tied
up at the foot of the gangway. Bill
went tripping merrily down the
gangway. He jumped into the first
boat, which tipped dangerously.
Off balance, he jumped into the
second boat with the same result.
The third boat was a complete
miss, and poor Bill wound up in
the oily harbor water with his
white sharkskin suit A comical
performance but a real loss for
Bill.
I went ashore in a bumboat at
a cost of one-half rupee. Columbo
is a singularly beautiful town and
has a fine European-style business district, elegant English tea
rooms and the Grand Oriental
hotel. The city is clean, and the
native housing districts are a mile
or more from the main shopping
area.
The native Ceylonese are not
so ragged as elsewhere in the
East. Transportation is by rickshaw or trams and also fast motor
buses. The dock where I landed is
a very modem one with a moneychanging place at the entrance.
Opposite the dock is the Grand
Oriental, so I stopped in. There
was dancing in the ballroom with
some
rather
bored-looking
British colonials dressed in
evening clothes and their very,
very snobbish women. The
atmosphere was a bit dull so I
left. Perhaps Kipling had it right
when he wrote about some girls
back home in merry old England:
Beefy face and grubby hand
Law, what do they understand?
I've a sweeter, neater maiden
In a cleaner, greener land
On the road to Mandalay.
To·be continued
in a future issue of the
Seafare-rs LOG. .
July 2000
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
MAY 16 *TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
TOTAL SHIPPED
AU Groups
Class A Class B Class C
· Baltimore
Norfolk
Trip
Reliefs
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
AU Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Tuesday: September 5*
DECK DEPARTMENT
Port
New York
: Philadelphia
JUNE 15, 2000
29
7 ..
6
21
IO
4
5
3
4
2
1
9
11
7
12
5
12
24
10
17
9
12
13
12
2
0
11
11
8
9
7
6
s
3
.}
6
4
11
17
4
5
7
2
1
254
2
143
87
6
Mobile
New Orleans
s
23
25
3
0
6
1
l
I
0
0
8
· o .....
0
2
0
26
4
4
120
22
18
32
59
. : :·:::.·: ..43
10
26
11
39
18
23
3
43
11
108
420
3
8
2
184
. 20
12
4
10
3
0
6
17
5
10
7
2
5
4
2
. 5
8
7
7
3
··.29
3
6
·7
5
10
13
•••••••••••••••
.Friday: August 11, September S
Baltimore .......-.o.....Tuursday: August 10, September 7
Duluth .......•
+ ••••••••••••
Honolulu .•.
n
•••
~~;
Wednesday; August 16, September 13
......
Friday: AriguSt 18,. Septembet lS
2
1
71
4
0
2
4
5
2
2
0
0
3
3
9
. . '13
0
4
1
7
8
12
0
3
1
6
12
2
5
7
2
4
1
1
32
6
10
10
11
4
35
3
4
0
0
12
38
42
8
I
Personals
FRIENDS OF JAMES E. HILL
James E. Hill would like to hear from shipmates who
served with him aboard the Penn Vanguard or the Keva
Ideal. His address is 410 East Oak Ave., Apt. 7, Tampa,
FL 33602.
6
Crusader Pays Off in New York
0
5
0
112
2
58
0
259
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
20 .. ,. .
16''
0
0
0
2
0
10
0
1
10
0
0
0
21
38
0
..
0
77
43
.2
.3. :·:.
l4
17
16
4
5
38
43
.... 2 .
Totals All
Departments
8
7
18
u
3
8
6
3
ll
18
Algonac
9
6
5
7
19
5
10
3
2
. *change created by Labor Day holiday
2
15
2
2
These photos were snapped aboard the Crusader (CSX)
during a recent stop in New York. Above (from left)
Electrician Kevin Cooper and AB John Walsh enjoy a late
dinner. Below (left) Bosun Roberto Diaz meets with SIU
New York Safety Director Jack Sheehan, and (right)
Steward Joe Emidy finishes up his galley duties for the
evening .
19
3
21
0
0
0
0
2
41
199
171
25
109
126
0
85
290
290
608
493
337
434
356
258
224
970
655
504
0
0
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
July2000
Seafarers LOG
15
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
MAY 16 - JUNE 15, 2000
CL - Company/Lakes
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
DECK DEPARTMENT
Port
Algonac
Port
0
. Algonac
0
A~gonac
NP-Non Priority
TOTAL smPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
Port
L-Lakes
0
17
4
0
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
·: 0 .:7~.:. . ·: ·:· . °() .
0 :
.: .:!:,,,.::. ::s·.·.;:x·}:x•:r:.f
Port
Algonae
Totals All Depts
0
53
48
0
32
18
0
19
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
21
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
MAY 16 - JUNE 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Totals
0
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
1
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
0
0
11
7
2
7
12
0
Totals All Depts
4
2
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
5
31
PIC-FROM-THE-PAST
PfilLAl>ELPIDA ..
2604 S. 4 St., Philadelphia, PA 19'148'
{215). 336-3818
. . · P,INB.Y llO~T
eo. Bmc 1s. Piriey Point. MD
...'. . :.:· ....: {'.!PD t)94-00l~
16
Seafarers LOS
.
.
20674
This photo was sent to the
Seafarers LOG by Pensioner
Arthur Longuet of Carson
City, Nev.
The picture was snapped
in the summer of 1947
aboard
the
Governor
Graves, a Waterman Steamship Corp. vessel, which was
en route to France.
Longuet is in the second
row, fourth from right
(marked with an "X"). He
sent this photo to the LOG.
hoping someone might recognize himself.
Brother Longuet, now 72,
joined the SIU in 1945 in his
native New York. He sailed in
the deck department and
retired in 1991.
If anyone has a vintage
union-related photograph he
or she sould like to share
with the LOG readership, it
should be sent to the
Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth
Way, Camp Springs, MD
20746. Photographs will be
returned, if so requested.
July2000
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
recertified bosun who
upgraded his skills several
times at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education in Piney Point, Md., is
among the six Seafarers announcing their retirements this month.
Brother Walter W. LeClair
has some 30 years of service with
the SIU in addition to his tenure
with the U.S. Army.
In addition to Brother LeClair,
each of the five other retirees
sailed in the deep sea division.
Three of the retirees were
members of the steward department, two shipped in the engine
department and one sailed in the
deck department.
On this page, the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of the retiring Seafarers.
A
DEEP SEA
PEDRO A. ALICEA, 66, joined
the SIU in 1977 in the port of
New York and
first sailed
aboard the
Westchesteroperated
Charle,ston. A
native of
Puerto Rico,
Brother Alicea
worked in the steward department. He last sailed this year
aboard the Producer, operated by
CSX Lines. Brother Alicea
resides in Ponce, P.R.
PAULT.
BABBIN, 62,
hails from
Jacksonville,
Fla. A native
of Boston,
Brother
Babbin joined
the SIU in
1972 in the port of Seattle. He
worked as a member of the
Steamship Lines, Inc. Brother
Rosich last sailed in 1999 aboard
the Cape Gibson, operated by
Patriot. He currently resides in
San Bruno, Calif.
engine department, first sailing
aboard the Transyork, a Trans
Western Associates vessel. The
Jacksonville resident last sailed
this year aboard the NPR Inc.operated Mayaguez.
CLIFFORD A MELROSE, 75,
began his career with the SIU in
1974 in the port of Seattle. A
member of the steward department, Brother Melrose 's first
ship was the Sea-Land Galloway.
The Deadwood, S.D. native last
sailed in 1984 aboard the
Weschester-operated Arcon.
Brother Melrose currently resides
in Rapid City, S.D.
FRANCISCO M. ROSICH, 59,
joined the MC&S in 1972 in the
port of San Francisco. Brother
Rosich is a native of Peuto Rico.
His first ship was the Santa
Mariana, operated by Delta
YUSEF
SALAHI, 71,
hails from
Astoria, N. Y.
Brother Salahi
joined the SIU
in 1972 in the
port of San
Francisco. A
native of Yemen, his first ship
was the Noon Day, a Waterman
Steamship Corp. vessel. He was a
member of the engine department, last sailing this year aboard
the Green Island, also operated
by Waterman. Brother Salahi
calls Lackawanna, N. Y. home.
WALTERW.
Le CLAIR,
64, joined the
SIU in 1960 in
the port of
New York. A
native of New
Hampshire,
Brother LeClair was a member of
the deck department. He first
sailed aboard an Interocean
Ugland-Management Corp.vessel.
An honorably discharged veteran,
he served in the U.S. Army from
1958 to 1960. Brother LeClair
upgraded his skills several times
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School in Piney Point, Md. and
completed the bosun recertification program there in 1974. The
Chatham, Mass. resident last
sailed in 1976 aboard the
Anchorage, operated by Sea-Land
Services.
Mayaguez Incident Recalled
In Television Shaw, Letter
The 1975 ordeal of the SS Mayaguez, one of the most famous SIUcrewed ships ever, recently was recalled in a one-hour feature on the
Discovery Channel. "Seized at Sea" aired May 14.
The show focused mainly on rescue efforts by the U.S. Marine
Corps. Navy and Air Force that followed the Mayaguez capture by
Cambodian rebels (the Khmer Rouge) off that country's coast. It featured recently declassified film footage of the mission and included
interviews with President Gerald F Drd, Mayagui!z crew members and
military personnel.
Additionally, Charles G. Raymond, president of CSX Lines (formerly Sea-Land, which operated the Mayaguez), sent a letter to the
U.S. Ambassador in Cambodia concerning the 25-year anniversary of
the incident and a related ceremony. The letter is reprinted here:
s
The Honorable Kent Wiedemann
Ambassador
Embassy of the United States of America
27 EO Street 240
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Re: Ceremony Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Mayaguez incident
l!~~-J~~~~··'
Dear Ambassador Wiedemann:
·,;.itJ~!fng ·ai heati(fuaitil-$;J~i.,g4ent Paul Hall
-~~~~!r··ia~;::tnt=~=an
..pdj~i:·.(i.q-i:·;~ij~i;::;. .
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. at . . ney . " ·~• ...•.
·:;_:.~9. ~tain yo~ng' l;nei(·.··y
fJQi.:. entf'Y#-vid. JOb.s . . . .
cation,, training ~nd...
THJS MONTH
JN SJU HISTORY
:::0~·
. uu
__..minated ra~
~loo
·: flionth at a diplomat•
..·i.(:.(Onf~rtPC.e. ..CQn.- . ,
:
. :aucte<I J~ . ~dii.d6~·:;\. : :-: :
·. ;:ships;"'; ,D ts<Wlll . .be·:1n·. . . · .
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wJth the ·adop&n·of :
: '. :~a4.1ij;«;~!f.' ·YP8r~~i~$:. .!rainia,~· ~· en~bl~· . :: i.:i:.: .>~;·:,:•.; ~·; ~~~~r:. ~f. $lgnifkant:· ~eviiio11s. .ai~~d ~· . ·. .
<~~~?lm~(t~q~™g
.:wot!dfil<~~ameri:w ·:qualifY· f0r
promotions <. . ,. :·: . .·Improving shipboard safet)t. ·
·. ~ft!!i';;$~@fit•:<f ·training.....:·
;.;f~~j;,;;·'.~.jfk!·•••• ! ; ···••;\;cj:J;.;·y; ;_;;/· ;'.•·;• J;::i{:~; ~e~wa:~~~ ~.:U':n·
L~#!~~~;·o.µ.·"the. $1\.P~J>rand
.>stol!:·: ~~'°arters. buildlnr".in
·new. siX·
. .. .
that the safety'.:.of seamen was the primari.
camp Springs, consideration .in the updating of the
.:.: M4~/~/~~tf.~g::. c,Omi>t.e.tio'-1· · The buildfitr.ls
... lntematk>nal. Con\fei1don of the Standards of
·Training#' Certification and Watchkeeping
·':W.~J~~@1:. .Q~C. All of.Jhe ~erior wo~k
(STCW),. a 17-year-old pact that has t 13
:. J\~· tiien.:completed; "and·interior·work is
signatory countries whose fleets represent
tld~~·'-~:aJ(.!1Jg· rapidly.
nearly 95 percent of the world's merchant'i:;Xi!i;:5~J14irir ·should be ready for occupation
~Ip tonnage..
· IObted just' minutes by car from downtown
July2DOO
Twenty-five years ago this morning, the United States Navy, Air Force and
Marine Corps launched a military rescue effort against the forces of the
Cambodian Khmer Rouge. Their sole mission was to free the forty officers and
crew members of the U.S.-flag merchant vessel Mayaguez. The ship, operated
by our company, Sea-Land Service, had been seized by a Cambodian gunboat
four days earlier while on a routine commercial voyage from Hong Kong to
Thailand . The crew was taken forcibly from the ship and held in an unknown
location. This action represented a direct attack by the Khmer Rouge on the sovereign territory of the United States of America and the illegal detention of its citizens .
Tragically, forty-one American servicemen lost their lives during the successful completion of the mission . As a result of the courage and sacrifice of the
members of the rescue team, the Mayaguez's crew was released by their captors, reunited with their ship and returned safely to their voyage.
The statement made by the United States on May 15, 1975 was heard loud
and clear around the world. U.S.-flag merchant ships and American seamen will
be protected on the high seas with the same vigor and determination as our borders and citizens would be defended at home. The brave men who died during
this mission left a legacy which has and will continue to instill pride in the men
and women who choose to go to sea on our ships. The American merchant
marine will always be grateful.
Mr. Ambassador, please pass on our thanks and lasting gratitude to the
members of the United States' armed forces attending your ceremony today for
their service to our country and for the ultimate sacrifice of their comrades twenty-five years ago. They gave their lives to protect not just the men of the
Mayaguez, but the American merchant marine and its crews wherever they sail.
Sincerely,
Charles G. Raymond
President
Seafarers LOB
., 7
�DEEP SEA
BLEWETT DAVIS
~~=
Pensioner
Blewett Davis,
76, passed away
April 13. Born
in Texas, he
began his SIU
career in 1965
in the port of
Wilmington,
Calif. His first
ship was the Sreel Flyer. Brother
Davis worked in the deck department. Prior to retiring in October
1988, he sailed aboard the Overseas
Juneau. The Abernathy, Texas resident was a veteran of World War II,
having served in the U.S. Coast
Guard from 1942 to 1945.
JEROME J. FAHEY
Jerome J. Fahey, 58, died November
10, 1999. A native of New York, he
first sailed with the Seafarers in
1986 aboard the USNS Assurance,
operated by Sea Mobility, Inc. He
sailed in the deck department and
upgraded his skills at the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School of
Seamanship in Piney Point, Md.
From 1958 to 1962, he served in the
U.S. Navy. Brother Fahey last sailed
in 1997 aboard the Cpl. Louis J
Hauge Jr., operated by Maersk Line.
He was a resident of Ingleside,
Texas.
NORMAN L. FERGUSON
Pensioner N6rman L Fergu~(')t1, 82,
passed away February 27. Brother
Ferguson joined the Marine Cooks
& Stewards (MC&S) in 1943. Born
in Mississippi, he sailed as a chief
steward and began receiving his
pens.Qn in May 1973. H., made his
home in Suison City, Calif
passed away April 9. He began his
career with the MC&S in 1942
aboard the Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Born in Idaho, he worked as a chief
steward, last sailing aboard the
President Roosevelt, an American
President Lines vessel. Brother
Johnston was a ·resident of
Manzanita, Ore. and retired in May
1983 .
DAVID KNIGHT
Pensioner
David Knight,
89, died April
6. Brother
Knight joined
the Seafarers in
1941 in the port
of New Orleans.
The Louisiana
native sailed in
the steward department and started
receiving his pension in October
1972. He made his home in
Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
JOSEPH J. KUNDRAT
Pensioner
Joseph J.
Kundrat, 84,
passed away
March 22. Born
in Pennsylvania,
be began his
career in
1944. Brother
~~;;;;.;;;.;;;.;;;..;;;;;;;;;;.:;;.:.;;;;;i Kundrat worked
in the steward department and
upgraded his skills at the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School, where he
graduated from the steward recertification program in 1980. Prior to
retiring in December 1982, he sailed
as a chief steward aboard the
Osprey. Westminster, Md. was his
home.
sru
KANE K. LEETEG
Pensioner Kane
PETER GONSALVES
Pensioner Peter
Gonsalves, 68,
died April 9. He
started his
~areer with th~
MC&S in 1961
aboard the
Sierra, an
Oceanic
Steamship Co.
vessel. The Hawaii native worked in
the steward department and upgraded his skills at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md., where he
graduated from the steward recertification program in 1986. Prior to
retiring in June 1994, he sailed as a
chief steward aboard the Manulani,
a Matson Navigation Co. vessel.
Brother Gonsalves was a resident of
Honolulu.
ALEXANDER N. GONZALES
Pensioner Alexander N. Gonzales,
85, passed away April 8. Born in the
Philippine Islands, he joined the
MC&S, sailing as a member of the
steward department. A resident of
Daly City, Calif., he started receiving his pension in July 1974.
JOHN L. HUBBARD
Pensioner John
L. Hubbard, 80,
died March 31 .
A rtative of
. Canada, he
.Jr joined the Sea·'% farers in 1949 in
the port of New
York. During
his career, he
sailed in the engine department and
was active in union organizing drives. Prior to retiring in June 1982, he
worked aboard the Baltimore, operated by Sea-Land Service. Linwood,
Mass. was his home.
ROBERT W. JOHNSTON
Pensioner Robert W. Johnston, 87,
18
Seafarers LOG
L.J. MAY
Pensioner L.J. May, 72, died
February 27. He started his career
with the MC&S in 1945, sailing
aboard the Matsonia, a Matson
Navigation Co. vessel. Brother May
worked in the steward department
and began receiving his pension in
February 1969. He was a resident of
San Jose, Calif.
WILLIAM NEAL
Pensioner
William Neal,
83, died March
17. After a 20year career in
the U.S. Navy,
he joined the
SIU in 1960 in
the port of
--"-"-' Norfolk, Va.
His first ship was the Andrew
Jackson, a Waterman Steamship
Corp. vessel. Born in Kentucky, he
worked in the steward department
and upgraded his skills at the SIU 's
training center in Piney Point, Md.
Brother Neal last sailed aboard the
Santa Lucia, operated by Delta
Steamship Lines and began receiving his pension in September 1983.
He made his home in Chesapeake,
Va.
SAMUEL
PAPPAS
Pensioner
Samuel Pappas,
72, passed away
recently. Born
in Illinois, he
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
194 7 in the pon of Mobile, Ala.
Brother Pappas worked in the deck
K. Leeteg, 67,
department, last sailing aboard a
died February
22. Brother
Leeteg joined
the Seafarers in
Waterman Steamship Corp. vessel.
A resident of New Orleans, he stan@d r@c@iving his pension in June
1993. From 1954 to 1956, he served
in the U.S. Army.
1952. A native
of Washington,
he worked in
the deck department and upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School.
He last sailed aboard the Overseas
Joyce and began receiving his pension in July 1997. Tacoma, Wash.
was his home.
CHARLES F. LONG
·
to 1945, he served in the U.S. Navy.
Mobile, Ala. was his home.
Pensioner
Charles F.
Long, 87,
passed away
February 7. A
native of
Montana, he
joined the SIU
in 1962.
Brother Long
worked in the steward department.
Prior to retiring in October 1977, he
sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Producer. He made his home in
Okeechobee, Fla.
~-·
MORTIMER T. MORRIS
Pensioner
Mortimer T.
Morris, 72,
passed away
March 30. A
native of
Alabama, he
began his career
with the
Seafarers in
1948. He sailed in the engine department and frequently upgraded at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School.
During his career, he was active in
union organizing drives. Prior to
retiring in June 1988, Brother Morris
worked aboard the Aurora, operated
by Westchester Marine. From 1944
ANGEL
PEDROSA
Pensioner
Angel Pedrosa,
77, died March
20. A native of
Puerto Rico, he
began his SIU
career in 1948
in the port of
New Orleans. He sailed as a member
of the steward department. Prior to
retiring in June 1984, he worked
aboard the Ponce, a Puerto Rico
Marine Management, Inc. vessel.
Brother Pedrosa lived in Orlando,
Fla. He was a veteran of World War
II, having served in the U.S. Army
from 1939 to 1942.
JUAN RIOS
Pensioner Juan
Rios, 86, passed
away March 23 .
A charter mem~ ber of the
Seafarers, he
joined the union
in 1939 in the
port of Philadelphia. A native of Puerto Rico, he
worked in the engine department
and was active in union affairs and
organizing drives. Brother Rios last
sailed aboard a Sea-Land Service
vessel and started receiving his pension in May 1980. He was a resident
of San Juan, P.R.
JAMES L. SANDERS
Pensioner James L. Sanders, 70,
died April 12. Brother Sanders started his career with the SIU in 1968 in
the port of New York, sailing aboard
the Overseas Joyce. Born in
Kentucky, he worked in the deck
department and upgraded his skills
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School, where he graduated from the
bosun recertification program in
1982. His last ship was the Samuel
L. Cobb. A resident of Camden,
NJ., he retired in May 1991.
EDWARD J. SMITH
Pensioner Edward J. Smith, 89,
passed away March 14. He joined
the MC&S, sailing as a member of
the steward department. Brother
Smith resided in Weymouth, Mass.
and started receiving his pension in
October 1973.
TERRELL J. STAFFORD
Pensioner
Terrell J.
Stafford, 87,
died April 6. A
native of
Louisiana, he
began sailing
with the
Seafarers in
194 7 from the
port of Galveston, Texas. Brother
Stafford worked in the engine
department, last sailing aboard the
Jefferson Davis , a Waterman
Steam.ship Corp. vessel. A resident
of Lecompte, La., he retired in
September 1978. During World War
II, he served in the U.S. Navy from
1942 to 1945.
STEVE SZANTO
Pensioner Steve
Szanto, 73,
passed away
March 5.
Brother Szanto
joined the
in 1944 in the
port of New
York. Born in
West Virginia,
he sailed in the deck departn1ent and
began receiving his pension in
August 1980. Virginia Beach, Va.
was his home.
sru
RALPH G. TURNER
Pensi<mer Ralph
G. Turner, 71,
died recently.
Born in
Nebraska, he
graduated from
theMC&S
training School
in 1966 and
joined that
union in the port of San Francisco.
Brother Turner worked in the steward department, last sailing aboard
an American President Lines vessel.
He made his home in Oakland,
Calif. and retired in May 1982.
DAVID W. VELANDRA
Pensioner
David W.
Velandra, 70,
passed away
March 25. He
joined the
Seafarers in
1966 in the port
of Baltimore.
His first ship
was the Losmar, a Calmar
Steamship Corp. vessel. A native of
Michigan, he worked in the steward
department and upgraded his skills
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School, where he graduated from the
steward recertification program in
1984. Prior to retiring in January
1993, Brother Velandra sailed
aboard the Liberty Star. From 1946
to 1949, he served in the U.S. Army.
He resided in Las Vegas.
ALAN F. WEESE
Alan F. Weese, 53, died March 18.
Brother Weese started his career
with the SIU in 1969 in the port of
Seattle. A native of California, he
sailed as an
electrician and
upgraded his
skills at the
Paul Hall
Center for
Maritime
Training and
Education. His
first and last
vessels were operated by Sea-Land
Service. From 1963 to 1967, he
served in the U.S. Navy. Puyallup,
Wash. was his home.
GILBERT T. WOLFE
! Pensioner
· Gilbert T.
Wolfe, 70,
passed away
March 16. A
native of
Maryland, he
:.. began his career
with the
Seafarers in
1943 in the port of Baltimore.
Brother Wolfe sailed in the deck
department and began receiving his
pension in July 1984. Towson, Md.
was his home.
SAUL F. ZAMBRANO
Pensioner Saul
F. Zambrano,
87, died recent.. ly. Born in
· · Ecuador, he
started his
career with the
SIU in 1969,
sailing aboard
the Beatrice
Victory. The deck department member upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School.
Prior to retiring in September 1980,
Brother Zambrano worked aboard
the Arecibo, a Puerto Rico Marine
Management, Inc. vessel. He made
his home in Manta Manabi,
Ecuador.
ROBERT E. ZIMMERMAN
Pensioner
RobertE.
, Zimmerman,
87, passed away
March 19. He
joined the
Seafarers in
1953 in the port
of San
Francisco. A
native of Indiana, Brother Zimmerman worked in the engine department, last sailing aboard the SeaLand Portland. He was a resident of
Bremen, Ind. and started receiving
his pension in October 1980.
INLAND
GEORGE T. LEMAIRE
Pensioner George T. Lemaire, 61,
passed away March 4. Born in
Pennsylvania, he began his career
in 1956 in the port of
with the
Baltimore, sailing aboard a Baker
Whiteley Co. vessel. Boatman
Lemaire worked in the deck department and attended an education conference at the SIU's training school
in Piney Point, Md. He last sailed
aboard a McAllister Towing Co.
vessel and began receiving his pension in July 1993. He was a resident
of Edgewood, Md .
sru
JOSEPH S. SIMONE
Pensioner
Joseph S.
Simone, 74,
died March 14.
· He started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1965 in the port
of Philadelphia,
Continued on page 20
July2000
�~~, DiEfllllll~lr~
·,iiffh11,St1afaretS LOG attemji~{tiijrliJI '$Jnifnt digasts ol anlOR shlpboanl
!Jii "'
minute8·a&/J0$8ibl~...'{!nt~~~tlt1h; ;becausa ttl $/Ja"
..\\ft)/.
,. .,.,.
····p1Jmltatto11f.'
· $iiiii11;wlllbe'omltted.
"" · .,.,,.
. . I · ,.. · , .;
"10,ffsbi,,, minutes 11rs1:are 'le;;sweit by the union'S contract department.
ffi!Ji11se Issues requifing afhlntjlJn or resolution are addressed by the union
1
+lff;~;;ttpon receipt o~t/Jeshlps minutes. The minutes gre then forwarded
>;@~/!!: . . .
. :.: . :.:: t'1.the.S.eafarers LOG tor publication. . . ·.· .
.
'" . ... ..
·:-·.. ::
·, ·;';', --~·'
" .' ,,
"·.
SAM HOUSTON (Waterman
Steamship Corp.). March 26Chairman Mark S. Downey,
Secretary Roderick K. Bright,
Educational Director Michael L.
Mefferd, Deck Delegate Gregory
Hickman, Engine Delegate
Prentiss R. Smith, Steward
Delegate Ovidio Crespo.
Chairman expressed thanks from
captain for putting out engine room
fire in Charleston before shoreside
help arrived. Job well done.
Treasurer announced $450 in ship's
fund. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Deck delegate requested
clarification on pay for daymen
standing watch. Suggestion made
to form credit union. Vote of
thanks given to steward department
for good job.
AMBROSE CHANNEL (IUM),
April 2-Chairman Mario M.
Romero, Secretary Elena R.
Curley, Educational Din;ctor
Stephen R. Treece, Deck Delegate
R@jlinnld A. Watkins, Engine
Deltgate Jerome • Dooms,
Steward Delegate Jimmy White
Jr. Recently recertified bosun
Romero s.aid h~ is aboard ship to
help solve problems in all three
depanments. but crew should first
talce complaints to department delega.te. Education diri:ctor encouraged Seafarers to upgrade skills at
Paul Hall Center in Piney Point,
Md. for better wages and job securicy. Sug2estion made for crew to
donate money for purchase of
videotapes. Crew members
requested ship address for receipt
of mail and LOGs. Thanks given to
steward department for job well
done.
ATC OHIO (ATC), April 23Chairman Timothy D. Koebel,
Secretary Gregory G. Keene,
Educational Director Larry F.
Phillips, Deck Delegate Jess F.
Chalker, Steward Delegate
Tommy E. Belvin. Chairman
spoke about new direct deposit
option in place and said he would
inform crew members when ATC
course to be offered at Piney Point.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Clarification received from headquarters regarding weekend shift
work. Suggestion made for contracts department to negotiate with
ATC to return to option of receiving cash for transportation after
successful completion of work
tour. Next ports: Valdez, Alaska
and Ferndale, Wash.
EL YUNQUE (IUM), April 28Chairman Ronald Mena, Secretary
Francis E. Ostendarp Jr., Deck
Delegate Blair C. Baker, Engine
Delegate Jimmie R. Graydon.
Chairman announced payoff in
Puerto Rico at 1O a.m. Educational
director advised crew members to
upgrade at Paul Hall Center whenever possible. No beefs or disputed
OT reported . Seafarers informed of
dock change in Jacksonville. Next
port: San Juan, P.R.
HM/ DEFENDER (IUM), April
9--Chairman Juan Castillo,
Secretary Steven R. Wagner,
Educational Director Charles J.
Brockhaus, Deck Delegate Robert
July2000
C. Hoppenworth, Engine
Delegate Roderick Frazier,
Steward Delegate Isabel Sabio.
Payoff set for Corpus Christi,
Texas. Ship to load gasoline for
Perth Amboy, N.J. and then return
on Citgo charter to Florida.
Secretary reminded crew members
leaving ship to get clean linen for
reliefs. Educational director
stressed importance of upgrading
skills at Piney Point. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Communications received stating company headquarters moving to old
Kirby/Sabine location in Port
Arthur, Texas. New dryer requested
for crew laundry as well as stationary bike in exercise room (or
access to officers' exercise room).
Microwave in crew mess also
needed. Suggestion made for contracts department to look into being
able to call for relief after 90 days
instead of 120 and receiving vacation after completing 60-da.y relief
job. Insurance cards requested.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department.
HM/ DYNACHEM (IUM). April
L9-Chnirman Robert J.
Coleman, Secretary Ronald
Tarantino, Engine Delegate
Victor Quloto. Chairman went
over old business, noting receipt of
new washer dryer and TV, thllllk
to Capt. Jose Leonard. He
announced payoff May l in Lake
Charles, La. and reminded crew
members to check expiration date
on z-cards and other documents
before it's too late. Secretary
advised everyone to check pay
vouchers and see captain or delegate as soon as possible for
changes. Treasurer welcomes donations of all amounts for movie,
satellite and gym equipment funds.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestion made for contracts
department to look into raising
vacation pay and including extra
incentives in next contract. Also
requested cost of living increases
for pensioners and coverage for
prescription drugs for dependents.
Everyone asked to help keep
lounge and crew laundry clean and
separate plastic items from regular
trash. After Lake Charles, ship
heading to Port Everglades, Fla.
INNOVATOR (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
April 16-Chairman John E.
Stout, Secretary Louis Nicoud,
Educational Director Tesfaye
Gebregziabher, Deck Delegate
Klaus E. Tammler, Engine
Delegate Gregorio A. Blanco,
Steward Delegate Andy N.
Campollo. Chainnan announced
ship going into yard in Korea in
June for about three weeks. He
thanked everyone for keeping ship
clean and separating garbage.
Educa.tion.al director urged crew
members to take advantage of educational and upgrading opportunities available at Paul Hall Center.
Treasurer stated $709 in ship's
fund. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestion made for contracts department to look into
reducing time needed for vacation
from 120 days to 90 days. Steward
department given vote of thanks
for job well done. Next ports: Long
Beach, Calif.; Panama Canal;
Manzanillo, P.R.; and Freeport,
Bahamas.
INTEGRITY (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
April 9-Chairman Felix A. -·
Santiago, Secretary Stephanie L.
Sizemore, Educational Director
Dennis R. Baker, Deck Delegate
Clay Brown, Engine Delegate·
Michael C. McNally, Steward
Delegate John Padilla. Chairman
thanked crew for working together
and maintaining ship's lounge.
Educational director advised everyone to check expiration dates on
documents. Renewals can take several days to weeks. Treasurer
announced $40 in movie fund.
Three movies purchased last trip;
all contributions welcomed. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestions made for contracts
department to raise maintenance
and cure rates and furnish prescription coverage for dependents. Vote
of thanks given to steward department for delicious baked goods and
menu variety. Suggestion made for
company to supply refrigerators to
all crew members. Request made
for LOG to publish addresses of
senators and congressmen on
Capitol Hill (see page 20~ June
issue). Next ports: Boston, Mass.
and Elizabeth, N.J.
KODIAK (CSX Lines), April 9Chainnan Garry D. Walker,
Secretary Michael F. Meany.
Payoff scheduled April 11 upon
arrival in Tacoma, Wash. Day off
for all hands April 12; check with
boarding patrolman. Old business
taken care of. including heat in
rooms and condition of linen locker. Treasurer announced $4,300 in
ship's fund. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Letter of thanks
received from company regarding
securing of 7,000-gallon propane
tank that broke loose in a storm.
Special meals (lobster and t-bone
steak) provided by company a.s
thank you for avoiding disaster
with no injuries. Vote of thanks
given to bosun's wife, Letty Jo
Walker1 for dona.ting homemade
jams and jellies to crew. Thanks
also given to chief steward and his
department for job very well done.
LIBERTY WAVE (Liberty
Maritime), April 23-Chairman
Ronald Charles, Secretary Frederick L. Washington Sr., Educational Director Jeffery T. Field,
Engine Delegate Carl L. Turner.
Bosun announced payoff in New
Orleans April 25. Vessel will then
return to Haifa, Israel. Secretary
asked crew members to clean
rooms and reefer boxes and turn in
keys before leaving ship. Educational director suggested everyone
take advantage of upgrading opportunities at Paul Hall Center. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Clarification needed on DEU's cleaning of
lounge and laundry areas.
MAERSK CALIFORNIA
(Maersk), April 16-Chairman
James T. Martin, Secretary
William P. McGee, Educational
Director James T. McParland,
Deck Delegate Dirk W. Adams,
Steward Delegate Ivan R. Salis.
Chairman noted. AB James Rose
taken ill April 15 in Panama Canal.
Will be gone at least until ship
arrives in Charleston, S.C. April
19. Treasurer Jeffrey A. Lagana
announced $728 in ship's fund.
Two new vacuum cleaners purchased in Peru. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made
for contracts department to look
into reducing seatime needed for
pension. Another suggestion made
to have one person to a room when
upgrading at Piney Point. Sincere
thanks given to steward department for job well done and to deck
department for wire change on crane.
MAERSK COLORADO
(Maersk), April 16-Chairman
Mohamed S. Ahmed, Secretary
Ray A. Garcia, Deck Delegate
David J. Joseph, Engine Delegate
Ray Avie Jr., Steward Delegate
Allan D. Bright. Chairman reported payoff April 20 in Long Beach,
Calif. Coast Guard inspection to
take place at that time. He noted
safe voyage with good crew and
read schedule of courses available
at Paul Hall Center. Relief steward
I
1
dental program and prescription
coverage for dependents. New
toaster needed in crew messhall as
well as first-aid kits. Vote of thanks
given to steward department for
great job. Next port: Portland, Ore.
OVERSEAS VIVIAN (OSG Ship
Mgmt.), April 9--Chairman
Daniel W. Seagle, Secretary Pablo
P. Lopez, Educational Director
Murray W. Roberson. Everything
going well, according to chairman.
Stopover in South America
While at anchor in the port of Guayaquil, Ecuador recently, crew
members aboard the Maersk Tennessee wait at the bow for
bunkers to be loaded . From the left are Chief Mate Kurt Breitfeller,
Bosun Jerry Borucki. ABM John Wagner and Second Mate
Deborah Hennen. The vessel is on a San Antonio, Texas to
Guayaquil to Long Beach, Calif. run.
stated regular steward to return in
Long Beach. This was his first time
on Maersk ship and he enjoyed
trip. He reminded crew members to
check seamen's documents and
STCW for expiration and suggested upgrading skills at Paul Hall
Center. Educ~tional director
advised crew to think and practice
safety at all times. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Request made
for refrigerators for crew rooms.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department, especially Chief Cook
Bright.
MAERSK TEXAS (Maersk),
April 16-Chairman John M.
Zepeda, Secretary Donna M.
DeCesare, Educational Director
Edward C. Mancke, Steward
Delegate Clancy T. Hennigan.
Chairman noted repair of ice
machine, but part still on order for
washer. Ship will dock on arrival
in Long Beach, Calif. April 10.
Everything running smoothly.
Secretary thanked his department
members, especially Chief Cook
Hennigan, for excellent job.
Educational director urged all to
upgrade at Piney Point and to be
aware of z-card expiration (every
five years). No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Suggestion made for
contracts department to reinstate
time off on freighters. Request
information as to Money Purchase
Pension Plan.
OVERSEAS HARRIETTE (OSG
Ship Mgmt.), April 9-Chairman
Gary L. Dates, Secretary Mark A.
Flores, Deck Delegate Joseph
Carrillo, Engine Delegate Michael
Gay, Steward Delegate Marco
Guity. Chairman thanked everyone
for job well done. Separate pay
vouchers to be issued for Saturday
and OT work due to lack of cash
on board ship. Secretary noted trip
to North Korea very educational.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestions made for contracts
department to look into being able
to leave ship after six months and
receive transportation and unemployment. Also suggested upgraded
Payoff scheduled in New Orleans
after clearing immigration and customs. Galley gang to have cookout/barbecue every Sunday.
Secretary suggested crew members
upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center
and get necessary endorsements for
higher jobs. Better ratings mean
more money. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Vote of thanks given
to chief cook and his crew for job
well done.
PRODUCER (CSX Lines), April
11-Chairman William J. Card,
Secretary David A. Cuningham,
Educational Director Alan A.
Rogers II, Deck Delegate William
D. Brinson Jr., Engine Delegate
Terry J. Mouton, Steward
Delegate Cecilio E. Suarez.
Chairman stated payoff to take
place in Elizabeth, NJ. April 14.
Vessel stores to be delivered at that
time. Chairman also noted captain
put out revised schedule of vessel's
arrival on West Coast but is subject
to change. He reminded crew
members to check STCWs and zcards for expiration dates.
Educational director urged everyone to upgrade at Piney Point. He
will check class offerings for those
getting off and wanting to attend
courses there. Treasurer stated
$750 in ship's fund. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Bosun read
several articles from LOG and
reminded everyone to keep updated on new information about union
and maritime industry. Recommendations made for contracts
department to look into increasing
pension due to rising cost of living,
and lowering seatime and age
requirement for pension. Bosun
thanked steward department for
great food and keeping areas clean.
Chief steward commented to bosun
and deck gang about great new
paint job on aft house. New mattresses to be ordered for everyone
by end of month. Entire crew
thanked Messman Suarez for keeping messhalls spotlessly clean and
well stocked. Next ports: Elizabeth; San Juan, P.R.; Jacksonville,
Fla.
Seafarers LOG
19
�SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT
FOR SIU PACIFIC DISTRICT PENSION PLAN
This is a summary of the annual report for SID Pacific District Pension Plan, 94-6061923 for the fiscal year ended July
31, 1999. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
Basic Financial Statement
Benefits under the plan are provided by the plan. Plan expenses were $13,560,893. These expenses included $892,001
in administrative expenses and $12,668,892 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 4,560 persons were
participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all these persons had yet earned the right
to receive benefits.
The value of the plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $147,907,172 as of July 31, 1999, compared
to $156,888, l 93 as of July 31, 1998. During the plan year, the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of $8,981,021.
This decrease includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of plan assets, which is the difference between
the value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of
assets acquired during the year. The plan had a total income of $4,579,872, including employer contributions of $29,212,
and earnings from investments of $4,549,539, and other income of $1,121.
Minimum Funding Standards
An actuary's statement shows that enough money was contributed to the plan to keep it funded in accordance with the
minimum funding standards of ERISA.
Your Rights to Additional Information
-
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below
are included in that report:
1.
an accountant's report;
2.
assets held for investment;
3.
transactions in excess of 5 percent of plan assets; and
4.
actuarial information regarding the funding of the plan.
To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of the administrator of the SID
Pacific District Pension Plan, 522 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-3104. The charge to cover copying costs will
be $2.50 for the full annual report, or $0.25 per page for any part thereof.
You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets
and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying
notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a
charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.
You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan, 522 Harrison Street,
San Francisco, CA 94105-3104 and the U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S.
Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the DOL should be addressed to: Public Disclosure
Room, N-5507, Pension and Welfare Benefit Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20210.
Thailand in Seattle
Know Your Rights
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The
Constitution of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District makes specific provision for
safeguarding the membership's
money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by
certified public accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee
of rank-and-file members, elected
by the membership, each year
examines the finances of the union
and reports fully their findings and
recommendations. Members of this
committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations
and separate findings.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU
unless an official union receipt is
given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any
money for any reason unless he is
given such receipt. In the event
anyone attempts to require any such
payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is
required to make a payment and is
given an official receipt, but feels
that he or she should not have been
required to make such payment,
this should immediately be reported
to union headquarters.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds
of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District are
administered in accordance with the
provisions of various trust fund
agreements. All these agreements
specify that the trustees in charge of
these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All
expenditures and disbursements of
trust funds are made only upon
approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial
records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds.
the SIU Constitution are available
in all union halls. All members
should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a
member feels any other member or
officer is attempting to deprive him
or her of any constitutional right or
obligation by any methods, such as
dealing with charges, trials, etc., as
well as all other details, the member
so affected should immediately
notify headquarters.
SIDPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the
employers. Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts are posted and
available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Steward department members on the APL Thailand recently met with SIU Tacoma Safety Director
Jamie Overby aboard the vessel in Seattle. They discussed the latest union news including the proposed merger of the NMU into the SIU. Pictured from left to right are ACU Tim Ellis, Chief Cook
Enrique Garrido and Chief Steward Cynthia Caster.
FRANCIS X. THOMAS
ltiJ!~I Dep~rtures· .
.· ·:co~tbi~~d ftom p~ge i a
sailing aboard the P.F. Martin, a
McAllister Towing Co. vessel.
Boatman Simone worked in the deck
departmertt and upgraded his skills
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School. The Pennsylvania native last
sailed as a pilot aboard a Curtis Bay
Towing Co. vessel. A resident of
Dover, Tenn., he retired in August
1988. During World War II, he
served in the U.S. Coast Guard from
1943 to 1946.
HERBERT I. SWARTZ
Pensioner Herbert I. Swartz, 71,
passed away January 25. A native of
New Jersey, he joined the SIU irt
1972 in the port of Philadelphia. He
worked in the deck department and
upgraded his skills at the Sill's
training center in Piney Point, Md.
Prior to retiring in March 1990,
Brother Swartz sailed aboard an
Interstate Oil Transport Co. vessel.
During World War II, he served in
the U.S. Marine Corps. from 1942 to
1947. He was a resident of Clifton,
Heights, Pa.
20
Seafarers LOG
Pensioner
Francis X.
Thomas, 72,
died February
18. After 22
years in the U.S.
Navy, he began
his Seafarers
career in 1967
in the port of
Norfolk, Va. Boatman Thomas sailed
as a captain and attended an education conference at the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School. The
Pennsylvania native last worked
aboard an Atlantic Towing Co. vessel and began receiving his pension
in October 1989. Portsmouth, Va.
was his home.
ROBERT A. WATSON
Pensioner Rohen A. Watson, 70,
passed away February 25. Born in
Pennsylvania, he joined the SIU in
1969 in the port of Philadelphia.
Boatman Watson sailed primarily
aboard Interstate Oil Transport Co.
vessels as a member of the deck
department. A resident of
Philadelphia, he started receiving his
pension in February 1992.
PAULG. WEST
Paul G. West, 58, died February 3. A
native of
Virginia, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1979. Boatman
West worked in
the deck department and
upgraded at the
Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education. A resident of Chesapeake, Va., he sailed primarily
aboard Allied Towing Co. vessels.
GREAT LAKES
RAYMONDE. SALMI
Pensioner
Raymond E.
Salmi, 79, died
March 28. The
Ohio native
joined the
Seafarers in
1961 in the port
of Cleveland.
Brother Salmi
worked in the deck department, sailing primarily aboard Great Lakes
Towing Co. vessels. A resident of
Parma, Ohio, he began receiving his
pension in June 1982. He was a veteran of World War II, having served
in the U.S. Army from 1941to1945.
Full copies of contracts as
referred to are available to members
at all times, either by writing directly to the union or to the Seafarers
Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU
contracts are available in all SIU
halls. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (On on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union
official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she
should contact the nearest SIU port
agent.
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective membership. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Seafarers LOG
policy is vested in an editorial
board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from
among its ranks, one individual to
carry out this responsibility.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in
employment and as members of the
SIU. These rights are clearly set
forth in the SIU Constitution and in
the contracts which the union has
negotiated with the employers.
Consequently, no member may be
discriminated against because of
race, creed, color, sex, national or
geographic origin.
If any member feels that he or she
is denied the equal rights to which
he or she is entitled, the member
should notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS
POLITICAL
ACTIVITY DONATION
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and purposes
including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering
of the American merchant marine
with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen
and the advancement of trade union
concepts. In connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions
are voluntary. No contribution may
be solicited or received because of
force, job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct,
or as a condition of membership in
the union or of employment. If a
contribution is made by reason of
the above improper conduct, the
member should notify the Seafarers
International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the
contribution for investigation and
appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his
or her economic, political and
social interests, and American trade
union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If
at any time a member feels that any
of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been
denied the constitutional right of
access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The
address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
July2000
�With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: Documents proving 120
days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date your
class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of you_.r union book indicating
your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it is Coast
Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and QMED anlicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard fee of
$280 with their allJllication. The payment should be made with a money order only. oavable to
UPGRADING APPLICATION
LMSS.
Telephone
END
DATE
BEGIN
DATE
COURSE
Date of Birth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member
If the following
D
Lakes Member
D
Inland Waters Member
D
information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed
Social Security#_________ Book# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Seniority _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Department - - - - - - - - U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D
No [J
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
LAST V E S S E L : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rating: _ _ __
Date On:
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
[J Yes
D No
If yes, ~lass#-----------------------
Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D Yes D No
If yes, course(s) taken
--~--------~-~-------
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D Yes D No
Firefighting:
D Yes D No
CPR:
D Yes D No
Primary language spoken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
July2000
- - - - - - - - -- -
Date Off:
SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul HaU Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex.. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
Seafarers LOG
21
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Able Seaman Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 601 -
Unlicensed apprentices
in class 601 graduating from the water survival course are (from left, kneeling) Nathaniel
Miller, Malik Hunt, Bryan Hill, Ole Olesen, David Provost, Kenneth Green, (second row)
Deshawn Stephenson, Patrick McAlpin, Stiles Anderson, Gilberto Figueroa Jr., William
Yurick, Joshua Ellerbee, Jerramy McNeil and Bryan Mccallum Jr.
SIU members successfully completing the AB curriculum May 26
are (in alphabetical order) Adel Alameri, Robert Arneel, Benjamin Barnes, Ronald
Burris Jr., Jimmie Casey, Deronja Clark, Antony Cruzvergara, Carey Hatch, David
Heindel Jr., Ausberto Laspinas, Lito Mariano, Brian McLamon, Royal Mobley, Nestor
Montoya Jr., Lawrence Richardson Jr., Russell Roberts and Ziting Xu. Their instructor,
Bernabe Pelingon, is in the back row, fifth from left.
Liillittd L -CtDH -
Graduate5 of the 6-week limitecJ licen$e ¢:0urs~ ar~ (in alphaMtieal l'.lrder) Billy
Barletto, Robert Boudreaux, Shane Boudreaux, William Bruce, Michael Cascio, Victor DiGiorgio, Troy
Gros. Gregory Jarvis. s~ott Morton and Blaine Tompson. This course includes inland and international
rules of the road, piloting in coastal waters, weather observations and forecasting, among other topics.
Tanker Familiarization/Assistant
Cargo (DL) - Earning their graduation
certificates for completion of the tanker
familiarization/assistant cargo (DL) course
May 19 are (from left, kneeling) Michael
McErlean, Benny Perez, Carlos Castillo,
Dorothy Carter, Kameron Kamaunu, Elpidio
Toyco, (second row) Guy Todd II, Brian
Guiry, Gregorio Abalos Jr., Karl Roy Jr.
Angel Perez, Crista Arnold, James Reily,
Thomas Powe, Cuthbert Forbes, (third row)
Chris Todd, Tyrone Brown, Christopher
Cummings, Lawrence Rose, Clinton Gillins,
Timothy Kotsis, Shauntay Shavies, Sherrod
Frazier, Steven Ruiz, William Harris, Kyle
Bailey, Michael Repko, Bernard Baker, Eric
Bridges and Charles James. Their instructor, Jim Shaffer, is at far left.
Unlicensed Apprentice Graduation - After all the hard work and
studying, unlicensed apprentices completing their third and final phase of study
are (in no particular order) Dwayne Brock, Roderick French, Phillip Hartline,
Richard Huffman, L.G. Johnson, Charles Joswiak, Travis Kirchhofer, Steven
Pollard, Chad Reynolds and Joseph Rutter.
22
Seafarers LOB
Upgraders Water Survival - SIU members graduating from the water survival class
April 28 are (from left, kneeling) Radfan Alkamlani. Joseph Ashworth, Bernabe Pelingon
(instructor), Ziting Xu, Ausberto Laspinas, (second row) Michael Joel, Faustino Onato, Alberto
lnsong, Jimmie Casey, Joel Rosete, Lito Mariano, Carey Hatch, Russell Roberts, Bakr Elbana,
(third row) Benjamin Barnes, Gregory Baker, Gerry Querubin, Michael Repko, Royal Mobley
and Scott Brady.
July2000
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
FOWT -
Earning their FOWT
endorsements May 12 (and giving the
thumbs-up sign) are (in alphabetical
order) Mohamed Ahmed, John Alicea,
Charles Billips, Daniel Borden,
Michael Bragdon, Louis Champa Jr.,
Christopher Corpuz, Byron Harris,
Thomas Hawkins, Orlando Herrera,
Michael Jarvi, Robert Kane, Cornell
Knox, Paul Kucan II, Louis Nickerson,
Rocky Olds, Ramon Sanchez, Joseph
Schrack, Al Seay, Edgar Shrode,
Dana Thomas, Jason Tracey, Donald
Tye, Jevon Vontoure and David
Watkins. Their instructor (not pictured) was Mark Jones.
,)
Steward Department Skills
Guvernment Vessels - With instructor Greg Thompson (standing, fourth from
right) are students who completed the government vessels \;Ourse April 14. ln\;luded in
the group are Corinthis Thomas, Dulip Sookhiram, Michael Davis, Clinton Gillins, Joao
Cordeiro. John Kolodziej, Gerry Querubin, Bakr Elbana, Adeeb Saleh, Joel Rosete, Luis
Lopez and Jacob Scott.
Learning specific
culinary skills which will prepare them
to sail as a chief cook are (left)
Chef/Instructor John Dobson with
Simone Solomon, (above) Dana Washington and Chris Amlgable, and (below)
Breon Lucas and Jonathan Gibson.
CPR/First Aid - Instructor Jennifer Langford (kneeling, left) joins graduates of
the CPR/first aid course, including Dorothy Carter, Jioia deLeon, Heather Frizzelle,
Romeo Rivera. Faustino Onato. Wendelyn Sugui, (second row) Bill Churney, J.D.
Berger, Greg Baker, Tom Woerner, Kameron Kamaunu, Scott Brady and Derrick
Sullivan.
Advanced Galley Operations Able Seaman -
Instructor Larry Malone (standing, right) works closely with AB
students in the April 28 graduating class. They include Efrain Collazo, Alvin Clark,
Nathaniel Salter, Bernard Beof, Cornelio Villaflor, Dionisio Baldevia and Clifton
Doon is.
July2000
Ready to cook aboard any ship following
completion of the advanced galley operations course are (from left, front row)
Gregory Blaylock, Elida Miguel, Joel Ramos, Jack Savin, Dulip Sookhiram, Vincente
Molina, (second row) Instructor Ed White, Gerry Querubin, Radfan Alkamlani,
Bianca Bennett, Robert Dillinger and John Leahey.
Seafarers LOB 23
�SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT
SIU Pacific District
Pension Plan
-page20
Seafarers Welcome MSC Commander
Admiral Holder Visits SIU-Crewed Gopher Stat.e
SIU members aboard the prepositioning
ship Gopher State recently welcomed a trio
of special visitors, led by U.S. Navy Vice
Admiral Gordon S. Holder, commander,
Military Sealift Command (MSC).
Holder toured the ship in Guam. He was
accompanied by Rear Admiral Tom Fellin,
base commander of U.S. Navy Forces
Marianas in Guam; and Captain Philip
Briscoe, commander of MSC's Maritime
Prepositioning Ship Squadron (MPSRON)
Three.
The Gopher State is a crane ship owned
by the U.S. Maritime Administration and
operated
by
Interocean
Ugland
Management. It is one of eight ships currently serving in MPSRON Three. The others are the 1st Lt. Jack Lummus, Sgt.
William R. Button, 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez,
Pfc. Dewayne T. Williams. SP5 Eric G.
Gibson, Ltc. Calvin P. Titus and the SS
Petersburg.
"The squadron's mission is to provide
swift and effective sea transportation of
vital equipment and supplies to a designated area of operations," notes MSC. The vessels "can leave port and sail literally anywhere in the world and bring combat support and equipment the U.S. Marines and
Army need to accomplish their missions ....
Since its inception, the squadron has operated in support of operations Desert Storm in
the Persian Gulf and Restore Hope in
Somalia, as well as other numerous exercises and operations from California to
Korea."
AB Jonathan Davis
OS Rodolfo Zena, OS Louis Anderson
Left: OS Dionce Bright
Bosun Nathaniel Leary
'%
AB Ronald Makowiecki
Left: Seafarers also welcomed aboard Rear Admiral Tom
Fellin, base commander of U.S. Navy Forces Marianas
in Guam (fourth from left); and Captain Philip Briscoe,
commander of MSC's Maritime Prepositioning Ship
Squadron Three (third from left). Pictured from left to
right are Chief Steward Herbert Davis (rear), AB Philip
Perry, Capt. Briscoe, Radm. Fellin, AB James McCarthy,
Gopher State Capt. Tim McGeein, OS Dionce Bright, AB
Jonathan Davis and AB Jesus Olbes.
Admiral Gordon s. Holder,
MSC commander (fifth
from left), recently was
welcomed aboard the
Gopher State in Guam.
Pictured on the ship (from
left) are A6 Roncild
Makowiecki, AB Jonathan
Davis, SA Adele George,
OS Louis Anderson, Adm.
Holder, AB Jesus Olbes,
Bosun Nathaniel Leary, AB
Charles Corley, AB Philip
Perry and OS Dionce
Bright.
"·
Keeping their fellow crew members well fed are (from left)
Chief Steward Herbert Davis, SA Adele George, SA
Jeffrey Mitchell, Chief Cook Wayne Webb and SA
Anthony Grant.
�
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Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009
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Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log
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July 2000
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HEADLINES
FORMER MSC COMMANDER URGES NEW MARITIME POLICY
ADM. PERKINS CITES MERCHANT MARINE’S ESSENTIAL ROLE IN U.S. NATIONAL DEFENSE
ANOTHER TAKE ON FOC CRUISE SHIPS: LA TIMES BARES ‘SWEATSHOPS AT SEA’
SEAFARERS CREW MSC’S NEWEST RO/RO
USNS CHARLTON STRENGTHENS PREPOSITIONING FLEET
NEW HALL OPENS IN BALTIMORE
COLUMBIA QUEEN SAILS; PATRIOT LAUNCHES DEC. 9
INDY CREW TO THE RESCUE
SEAFARERS’ SWIFT REACTIONS SAVE LIVES
EXPRESS MARINE CREWS APPROVE NEW CONTRACT
IMO REVISING SOLAS CHAPTER
STCW IN PLAIN ENGLISH
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR TACKLES SEGMENTS OF AMENDED ’95 CONVENTION
CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES ON SIMULATOR COMPLEX
‘VOTE OF THANKS’
CREWS COMMEND CONTRACT IMPROVEMENTS
NATION HONORS MERCHANT MARINERS
MAERSK SEALAND OPENS NEW HOUSTON TERMINAL
NEW YORK’S 30-YEAR LEASE APPROVED
WITH THE MEMBERS IN AND AROUND THE JACKSON HALL
A VOYAGE TO INDIA-1940 BY J. MELFORD SMITH
SEAFARERS WELCOME MSC COMMANDER ADMIRAL HOLDER VISITS SIU-CREWED GOPHER STATE
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Seafarers Log
Source
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Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
Publisher
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Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
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07/01/2000
Format
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Newsprint
Type
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Text
Identifier
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Vol. 62, No. 7
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/e21d25ac95fa37f6bd1d08da538caa2c.pdf
efd0ba25f064cee28b5157d9851c007c
PDF Text
Text
SIU Makes Big Gains
In Fast eaI if t Pact
Seafarers on
Pictured May
AB Robinson
"Mack" Ward,
the USNS Altair are happy with the new contract.
24 aboard the vessel in New Orleans are (from left)
Crusoe, AB Tyrone Benjamin, Chief Steward Harold
Bosun Morris Foster and OS Edwin Fuller.
The USNS Capella is one of eight fast sealift ships being operated
by SIU-contracted AMSEA following last month's contract award by
the U.S. Military Sealift Command. The SIU made substantial gains
in the five-year agreement. Page 3
New Baltimore Hall
Opening This Month
Joining Forces With Mine Workers
Page4
Navy League President
Praises 'Vital 4th Arm'
During a
demon~tration la~t
month on Capitol Hill, Seafarer5 5howed their support
Pages
for tens of thousands of Mine Workers who are fighting to preserve the health care
benefits they lonQ aQo were promised by the government. Page 2
3 Seafarers, 4 Dependents Win SWP Scholarships
Seafarer Victor
G_ Frazi9r
Seafarer Dana
Seafarer Neonito
D. Cunningham
S. Sodusta
Chevone C. Hall
Daughter of
Carlton P Hall
John J. Macom
Hyacinth Padua
Son of Earl M.
Ma com
Stepdaughter of
Stephen Avallone
Elizabeth Heath
Daughter of
Donald
w. Heath
A panel of educators named
three Seafarers and four dependent children of SIU members as
winners of the 2000 Seafarers
Welfare Plan Scholarships, totaling $87,000.
�.
President's Report
(..
U.S. Maritime'• History - and Future
Fittingly, the Maritime Day ceremonies conducted last month by
the U.S. Maritime Administration in Washington were dedicated to
the memory of those mariners who lost their lives
while serving their country.
The long and proud history of the U.S. merchant marine, particularly the extraordinary
sealift effort that made the Allied victory in
World War II possible, remains a vital part of our
fabric today.
More than 1,200 Sill members perished in
Michael Sacco World War II. Their names are engraved in a
sobering, handsome monument at the Paul Hall
Memorial Library in Piney Point, Md.
Those men-and thousands more-braved often-horrific conditions to deliver the goods. From North Africa to Sicily, from
Murmansk to the Pacific, from Anzio to Normandy, they voluntarily
answered the call--every step of the way.
Overall, more than 200,000 U.S. mariners helped move some
300 million tons of materiel to support the cause. Estimates of their
fatalities range as high as 8,000-plus-a casualty percentage second
only to that of the Marine Corps.
Of course, their courageous legacy cannot be fully conveyed by
statistics. The essence of their contribution and their heroism is better reflected by the survivors' accounts of fiery sinkings, weeks
spent in lifeboats, mustering the will to ship out again.
Their stories and their role in history must never be forgotten. As
General Dwight D. Eisenhower put it after the war, "Every man in
this Allied Command is quick to express his admiration for the loyalty, courage and fortitude of the officers and men of the merchant
marine.''
But, ceremonies are only one method by which we remember the
U.S. merchant marine's contributions to America's national and
economic security. Today, the best way we can honor our predecessors is by continuing the revitalization of the U.S.-flag fleet.
Along those lines, there i5 an excellent column by retired Rear
Admiral John R. Fisher, president of the U.S. Navy League, on
page 5 of this issue of the; Srnfarers LOG. I urge you to read it and
closely examine his advice.
As Fisher points out, the history of the merchant marine is something from which we, as a nation, must take valuable lessons.
Foremost among them is that in all future conflicts, sealift will be;
the dominant means of transport. Equally important, as Fisher
write5, We ~annot depend on foreign-flag ships to carry that
0
cargo_"
In part, that is why we must build on the momentum that has
boosted the U.S. fleet since the mid-19905. Consider some of the
many positivc developments in that time: the enactment of the
Maritime Security Program, construction of the Double Eagle and
millennium-class tankers, new builds and conversions for the civilian-crewed prepositioning ships of the U.S. Military Sealift
Command, and containerships and car carriers reflagging under the
Stars and Stripes.
That's not all. The U.S.-flag passenger fleet is primed for major
expansion. That growth includes new deep sea and coastal cruise
ships being built in American shipyard5, plus the reflagging of a
modem deep sea passenger vessel from foreign to U.S. flag.
ThMe success stories and others didn "t happen by accident. It
has taken hard work and unprecedented cooperation from all segments of the ittdustry_ It will take more of the same to sustain our
momentum.
I'm confident we'll get the job done_ I wholeheartedly believe
that the young men and women now entering the industry can look
forward to a bright future and a lifetime career in the U.S. merchant
marine_
Just as the mariners of World War 11 overcame tall challenges,
today's Seafarers are proving the nay-sayers wrong. We're proving
that not all of the U.S. merchant marine's finest moments arc; in the
pa.st, because we intend to remain an indispensable part of
America's security well into the next century and beyond.
The U.S. merchant marine has been a crucial component ofthis
nation since Revolutionary rimes. And in all the years since then,
one thing ha~m~t changed and never will: Give us the cargo, and
we'll deliver.
Volume 62, Number 6
June 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
~16
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs. MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices.:. POSTMASTER'.
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG. 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Jordan Bi.scardo; Managing
Editor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor. Jim
Guthrte; Art, Bill Brower: Administrative Support. Jeanne
Texror.
Copyright (0 2000 Seafarers International Union. AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
2
Seafarers LOG
Seafarers Back U•WA
In Health Care Battle
Rally's Focus: 'Save the Coal Act'
Seafarers joined forces with some 12,000 United
Mine Workers May 17 during a Capitol Hill rally.
The gathering, staged on the west lawn of the U.S.
Capitol. marked the latest step in the UMWA's
ongoing campaign to protect the lifetime health care
benefits of retired coal miners and widows.
The Seafarers• contingent, hailing from the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in
Piney · Point, Md., complemented supporters from
across the country who jointly chanted "Keep the
Promise, Save the Act" during the course of the proceedings. Clad in white shirts and blue baseball caps
bearing the SIU logo, they brandished their signs,
which boldly proclaimed, "The Seafarers
International Union, Maritime Trades DepartmentAFL-CIO Supports The United Mine Workers and
The Coal Act."
More than 50 years ago, an historic agreement
was signed between the Mine Workers and the federal government that created the UMWA Health and
Retirement Funds_ That pact, known as the KrugLewis Agreement, laid the foundation for decades of
medical improvements in America's coal fields.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of coal-mining families have enjoyed the promise of lifetime
medical care for themselves and their dependents.
But today, that pledge is in danger of being broken.
Because of a series of court decisions, the self-sustaining financial support for the UMWA Combined
Fund that Congress put into place in the l 992 Coal
Act has been jeopardized. And unless Congress
steps in and once again ensures that the act is saved,
nearly 70,000 retirees and widows could lose their
benefits.
"We're here to make sure Congress keeps its
promise to America's coal miners," UMWA
International President Cecil Roberts told the ra1ly
participants, many of whom traveled by bus from a
dozen states as far as away as Utah and Nevada. "It
was very necessary for you to make this trip to make
sure that 68,000 persons are not cut off from their
benefits_"
Several other speakers took turns at the microphone to buttress the sentiments affirmed by
Roberts. Among them was AFL-CIO Secretary-
Representing the SIU at the rally were Jafar
Gordon, Kenneth Jackson, Antwan Stafford, Beth
Ketah, Ibrahim Muhammad, Nathan Jarmon, Sean
Fortener, Lewis Amundson, Jacob Soeteber, Kris
Fitzpatrick and Kenneth Dyson.
Treasurer and former UMWA President Richard
Trumka, who pledged labor's full support.
"We're here today to rally to remind Congress
during this election year that we need help, and we
need it because our friends are in danger and 70,000
retired miners and their widows are in danger," he
said.
"We rally to remind our elected officials that the
Coal Act is a sacred trust forged on the field of battle, and we will fight to save it," Trumka continued.
"And we rally to remind our nation that we will win
the fight because we are more than just coal miners
and our families, we"re workers from all walks of
life and we're standing together, 40 million strong,
Connnuedonpagel4
Welfare Plan Awards Scholarships to Seven
The Seafarers Welfare Plan has
announced this year's scholarship
recipients. Selected by a panel of
professional educators last month
were three Seafarers and four
dependents of SIU members.
Victor G. Frazier, who sails
as an AB, was awarded a $15,000
Reviewing the scholarship appli·
cations are (top photo, from left)
Dr. Henry Toutain, Dr. Trevor
Carpenter, (bottom photo, from
left) Dr. Charles D. O'Connell Jr..
Dr. Michael Glaser and Or_
Charles Lyons Jr.
scholarship. He plans to study
finance and international business
and possibly earn a law degree as
well.
Two scholarships in the
amount of $6,000 each were
awarded to deep sea members
Dana D. Cunningham and
Neonito "Dacu" S. Sodusta.
Cunningham is a graduate of
the entry-level training at the Paul
Hall Center and completed the
steward recertification program
there. A member of the Associated
Locksmiths of America, he hopes
to continue in this field and specialize in safe and bank vault work.
Sodusta already has a Bachelor
of Science degree in maritime
transportation from the Philippines and is a decorated veteran of
the U.S. Navy. A member of the
SIU since 1994, he would like to
study photography at Tidewater
Community College in Virginia
Beach, Va.
Four graduating high school
seniors each were selected to
receive $15,000, four-year scholarships for dependents of SIU
members. They are Chevone C.
Hall. daughter of Bosun Carlton
P. Hall; John J. Macom, son of
QMED Earl M. Macom;
Hyacinth V Padua, stepdaughter
of Chief Steward Stephen
Avallone; and Elizabeth E. Heath,
daughter of inland member
Donald W. Heath.
This year's selection committee, as in the past. was appointed
by the Board of Trustees of the
Seafarers Welfare Plan.
The panel was composed of Dr.
Michael Glaser, St_ Mary's
College of Maryland; Dr. Charles
D. O'Connell Jr., University of
Chicago; Dr. Gayle A. Olson,
University of New Orleans; Dr.
Henry Toutain of Gustavus
Adolphus College in Minnesota;
Dr. Trevor Carpenter, Charles
County [Md.] Community College; and Dr. Charles Lyons Jr.,
American Association of College
and Universities.
(Unable to attend the meeting in
Sedona, Ariz. were Father David A.
Boileau, Ph.D., Loyola University;
and Dr. Keith Schlender, Medical
College of Ohio.)
For a more in-depth look at
each of the scholarship winners,
see page 9.
June2000
�SIU Achieves Big Gains in Fast SeaHf t Contract
AMSEA Wins 5-Year Pact/or 8 Vessels
The SIU achieved substantial gains in
the new contract for eight fast sealift ships
awarded last month by the U.S. Military
Sealift Command (MSC).
SIU-contracted American Overseas
Marine (AMSEA) won the five-year pact
with MSC to operate the USNS Algol,
USNS Altair, USNS Antares, USNS
Bellatrix, USNS Capella, USNS Denebola,
USNS Pollux and USNS Regulus. The
transfer of the vessels from Bay Ship
Management to AMSEA was expected to
be completed late last month.
"The award keeps the jobs on the eight
ships with the SIU membership and will
continue to provide employment for the
next five years," noted SIU Vice President
Contracts Augie Tellez. "The contract also
provides for excellent gains for the crews,
both in full operating status (FOS) and
reduced operating status (ROS)."
The agreement calls for significant wage
increases. Details were presented to
Seafarers during last month's membership
meetings and during shipboard meetings
with SIU officials.
The contract also provides for Seafarers
Welfare and Pension Plans benefits at their
top levels, and includes the Seafarers
Money Purchase Pension Plan at 5 percent
of base wages.
Aboard the Altair, Chief Steward
Harold Ward, a 30-year member of the
SIU, said the new agreement "is a good
deal. The benefits are excellent and the
Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan
sounds fantastic. And the wages, of course,
are fabulous. It's been well worth the wait."
Ward also cited the revised work schedule and wage categories as highlights.
On the Pollux, AB William Talbert mentioned "better benefits" and the increased
wages as two focal points of the pact.
Similarly, Bosun Walter Loveless on
the Algol said, "I'm tickled to death with
the new contract. It's a whole lot better pay
and excellent benefits. I'm sure I'm speaking for every SIU member on this ship."
The fast sealift ships (also called SL-7s)
are roll-on/roll-off and lift-on/lift-off vessels equipped with cranes and ramps. They
are specially suited to transport heavy or
bulky materiel such as tanks, helicopters
and large-wheeled vehicles.
All were built as container ships for SeaLand Service and later were acquired and
converted by MSC. They can sail at speeds
greater than 30 knots.
According to MSC, "Ninety-three percent of a U.S. Anny mechanized division
can be lifkd using all eight ships. Seven of
the class moved 13 percent of all the cargo
transported between the U.S. and Saudi
Arabia during and after the Persian Gulf
War. Six were activated for the Somalian
operation in December 1992 and all have
been used in various operations and exercises since then."
SIU crews remain aboard the eight fast sealift ships now operated by AMSEA, including
the USNS Bellatrix (top) and the USNS Algol (below and at left).
APNJide World Photos
Herberger Outlines Goals to Strengthen U.S. Fleet
Past MarAd Administrators Urge Action to Promote Merchant Marine
The immediate past head of
the Maritime Administration put
forward a three-point outline to
focus governmental and commercial attention to strengthen the
U.S.-flag merchant fleet in the
21st century.
Retired Navy Admiral Albert
Herberger was one of five former
U.S . Maritime Administrators to
speak before the Washington,
D.C. Propeller Club during a
Capitol Hill luncheon May 9.
Each- including Andrew Gibson
who served from 1969 to 1972;'
Samuel Nemirow~ 1979 to 1981;
John Gaughan, 1985 to 1989; and
Captain Warren Leback. 19891993- spoke about his term in
the office and offered a brief look
a.head. The quintet was introduced by the present administratC>r1 Ctyde Hart.
Herherger who was at the
helm when the Maritime Security
Program became law in 1996.
devoted his remarks ~o whr;n; the
fleet a11d the industry must go in
the coming years.
The Kings Point graduat<; and
former merchant marine officer
stakd there is an increasing national defense role for the commercial
industry there are new opportunities for domestic coastwise trade
and there must be stronger federal as i~tance for the fleet.
1
1
National SecurHy
"The commercial merchant
marine represents a cost-effective
way of providing logistic supp1i es," Herberger pointed out
~bout the U .S.-flag merchant
fleet carrying needed military
good~ to U.S. troops around the
wor1d.
June2000
Five previous U.S. Maritime Administrators join the present head of the
Maritime Administration, Clyde Hert (third from left), at a Capitol Hill
luncheon to discuss the future of the U.S.-flag fleet. From the left are
John Gaughan. Warren Leback, Hart, Albert Herberger, Andrew
Gibson and Sam Nemirow.
He added that investment
must be brought into the industry
so new ships will be built. One of
the key components for that
investment is the ever-growing
role of the merchant fleet in
national security.
.. Look at it objectively. There
i5 not a more cost·effective way.
It's a bargain! Any support that
can be given to the commercial
sector for national security reasons is valid!"
Coa~twise Development
Herberger then told the audience that the coastwise trades
could see a major resurgence as
the nation's highways and railroads get more and more crowded. He noted America started as a
waterborne nation and could
return to its roots if predictions
hold true that there could be an
additional 10,000 trucks deliver·
ing cargo daily in 10 years.
"The waterborne alternative is
the only viable way to start look-
ing at it."
He stated truckers, rail and
shipping could all benefit by
working together.
Federal Assistance
Finally. the administrator from
1993 to 1997 cited the need for
the maritime industry to emphasize what it does for national
security to acquire more government anention and federal assistance. He noted the merchant
fleet is needed to maintain
America's role as the world's
greatest trading nation.
"I the maintenance of a U.S.
maritime capability as a key component also important?" Herberger asked.
He informed the Propeller
Club that the Defense Department provided a subsidy of
$855 million to ease the merger
of defense contractors Lockheed
and Martin Marietta. The figure
is almost the same amount authorized for the 10-year Maritime
Security Program.
"How important is it-as the
result of government assistance
- that U.S.-flag vessels are
crewed by skilled U.S. mariners
who are available in emergencies
to man not only the commercial
fleet, but also the govemmentowned strategic sealift vessels?"
Herberger urged the audience
to work hard to promote the U.S.flag fleet so it will continue to
grow to meet the new challenges
of the coming years.
Other Administrators
Andrew Gibson, who served
as administrator when the 1970
Merchant Marine Act was enacted, called the present fight for the
U.S.-flag fleet "a critical moment
... worthy of more than a passing
interest."
Sam Nemirow said the industry must be placed on a sound
basis in order to compete with
international competition. He
added Congress and the administration must work to pass legislation with a longer commitment to
the fleet than the 10 years authorized in the Maritime Security
Program.
Citing section 101 of the 1936
Merchant Marine Act, which
called for the U.S. to foster the
development of a U.S.-flag fleet,
John Gaughan stated, "We need
to find a solution. We need to
hold government accountable.
This can't be done on the cheap."
ln conclusion, Warren Leback
reminded the group of the time it
took to pass previous maritime
measures and that action for new
legislation must get under way.
.v~nc~ oflndependence .
Day (unless an errjer-·=.
.gency arises). Nor.ma/ .
· business hours will
resume the following
wQrkday.
RRFAward
Challenged
The U.S . Maritime Administration (MarAd) last month
awarded five-year contracts for
the maintenance and operation
of 74 Ready Reserve Force
(RRF) ships, but several companies subsequently challenged
the awards.
As a result, the existing contracts have been extended for 90
days. MarAd announced May
16.
A MarAd spokesman said the
agency "received notification
that . . . bid protests were filed
with the General Accounting
Office."
The original assignments
saw 45 vessels awarded to SIUcontracted companies. For those
45 ships, the sru secured substantial wage increases, plus an
additional pair of wage increases retroactive to 1998 and 1999,
respectively.
Further details will be published in an upcoming issue of
the Seafarers LOG.
Seafarers LOG
3
�Union Names Lakes
VP: T. Orzechowski
The SIU executive board last
month named Tom Orzechowski
as vice president of the union's
Lakes and Inland Waters District.
Orzechowski succeeds Byron
Kelley, who retired (see page 5).
A native of Camden, N.J.,
Orzechowski graduated from the
trainee program at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education in 1991. He sailed in
the deck department, both in the
deep sea and inland divisions.
In 1996, he was elected SIU
port agent in St. Louis. Two years
later, he was elected vice president of the SIUNA-affiliated
Seafarers Entertainment and
Allied Trades Union.
Orzechowski has extensive
experience as an organizer,
Tom Orzechowski
including sailing aboard organizational-status vessels.
SIU Makes It to the Show
The new Baltimore hall, slated to open by month's end, is located at 2315 Essex Street. Renovations to the
former art studio will include (top left) replacement of the bay door with glass panels and a double front door.
The brick. building is situated in Canton.
New Hall to Open in Baltimore
SIU's Guam Office Is Fully Operational
The SIU plans to open its new hall in Baltimore
by the end of the month. Refurbishment of the facil-
ity, located at 231.5 Essex Street in the Canton section of town~ is expected to be finished by midmonth. The union will complete transfer of its operations from 1216 East Baltimore Street during the
following week or so.
The telephone number for the new Baltimore hall
will remain the same; (410) 327-4900. Seafarers
who utilize this hall are asked to stay in touch with
the staff for an exact opening date.
Formerly an art studio, the Essex Street building
represents a significant improvement compared to
the hall on East Baltimore Street.
"It will be very user-friendly for the membership," noted SIU Baltimore Port Agent Dennis
Metz. "It's in a better area of town and it's something everyone in the SIU can be proud of."
Baltimore•s will be the second new hall opened
this year by the SIU_ In April, the union opened an
office in the U.S. territory of Guam.
SIU Guam Port Agent Matt Holley reports that
the hat I there "is fully up and running and already
has been used by a lot of members. The feedback
has been very positive."
The Guam hall is located at Sunny Plaza, 125
Tunjesus Crisostona Street, Suite 301-E.
The SIU and one of its affiliated unions, the United Industrial Wor1<ers (UIW).
shared a booth last month at the annual AFL-CIO Union Industries
Show_ This year's event took place May 5-8 in Milwaukee and
attracted hundreds of thousands of guests. Above, pictured at the
SIU-UIW booth are (from left) AFL-CIO Maritime Trades
Department Exec. Secretary-Treasurer Frank Pecquex, UIW
National Director Steve Edney, Glass and Pottery Workers
President James Rankin, SIU President Michael Sacco, UIW Great
Lakes Region VP Bill Dobbins and SIU Headquarters
Representative Leo Bonser. Below, visiting the SIU-UIW display are
(from left) AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO
President John Sweeney, Dobbins, Pecquex, AFL-CIO Union Label
and Service Trades Department President Charlie Mercer and
Edney. Bottom, guests check out the numerous displays of unionmade goods and services.
SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel greeted
Seafarers last month at the SIU hall in Guam.
Prospective unlicensed apprentices Jesse Anthony (right) and Pua Crisostomo-Kaaihue apply for the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime Trainino and Education's entry program at the Guam hall.
4
Seafarers L06
June2000
�Navy League President Cites Need
For Strong U.S. Merchant Marine
John R. Fisher
Editors note: In the May issue
of Sea Power magazine, Rear
Admiral John R. Fisher, national
president of the Navy League of
the United States, describes
Americas need for a strong US.flag merchant marine. His column is reprinted here.
The Vital Fourth Arm
In the Foreword to our January
2000 "Almanac" issue of Sea
Power, I noted that "Very few
Americans realize how dependent
the United States is on the U_S _flag Merchant Marine for national defense and its continued economic well-being." That comment is worth repeating. and
expanding upon. as Navy
Leaguers and other supporters of
a strong U.S.-flag fleet observe
"Maritime Month" this May in
numerous special events both in
Washington, D.C. and elsewhere
throughout the country.
From the Revolutionary War
to and through Desert Storm,
SIU
America's Merchant Marine
served as an essential partner of
the U.S. Navy, earning the unofficial but well-deserved title of
"the vital fourth arm of national
defense." As has been the case
with the nation's armed services
that it served so well and so gallantly, however, the Merchant
Marine is almost always neglected in times of peace_ Our grateful
but perennially forgetful nation
always talces for granted that in
times of future conflict there will
be enough time to rebuild the
Merchant Marine to the number
of ships needed, and enough
trained American seafarers to
man those ships.
Those careless and militarily
dangerous assumptions may have
been partially valid even as late
as the beginning of World War II,
but not since then, and are
demonstrably not true today.
Consider the following:
• German submarines sank
more than 20 million tons of U.S.
and Allied shipping in World War
II, and came within a hair of winning the Battle of the Atlanticand, therefore, the war- for
Adolf Hitler_ The US_ Merchant
Marine had a higher per capita
casualty rate than any of the
nation's armed services in the
first two years of fighting.
• Less than 10 years ago it
took the greatest sealift effort in
all history for the United States
and its coalition partners to defeat
Iraq, a third-rate military power.
In that conflict the United States
possessed almost total control of
the sea and was able to safely
offload almost 10 million tons of
cargo in the modem ports of
Saudi Arabia- but had to charter
foreign-flag ships to transport
more than 20 percent of that
cargo. Of much greater importance: Many of the U.S. seafarers,
including some WWII veterans
who manned the U.S.-flag ships
in the Gulf War, had to come out
of retirement to answer their
country's call. Appropriately,
they were the only civilians to
march in the Desert Storm victory parade in Washington.
• If the U.S./NATO air war
against Serbia last year had
required the commitment of
ground forces, Navy officials
have stated. the result might well
have been a "logistics nightmare"
and, rather than total victory, a
total debacle instead_
A careful reading of history
shows that there are several
lessons to be learned from the
preceding and other conflicts.
The first is that in all future wars
threatening U.S. interests overseas, 95 percent or more of the
supplies and equipment needed
by our air and ground forces in
the combat zone will have to
come by sea. The second is that
we cannot depend on foreign-flag
ships to carry that cargo. The
third is that, because of the pace
of modem warfare, the U.S.-flag
sealift ships and American seafarMaritime Day activities in
Washington, DC took place
too late for the Seafarers
LOG's June printing deadline.
Full coverage of those
ceremonies will be included in
the July issue.
ers available at the start of conflict cannot be substantially augmented in any way.
What can, and should, we as a
nation do to ensure the availability of enough sealift ships and
crews for the foreseeable future?
Several things, as Rep. Herbert
H. Bateman, chairman of the
House Merchant Marine Panel,
points out in an interview in this
issue of Sea Power: (1) Extend
and probably expand both the
maritime security program and
the prepositioned ship program;
(2) Significantly increase the
funding available for shipbui1ding under the Title XI loan-guarantee program; and (3) Develop.
promote, and implement policies
that make it possible to once
again build ships "of every variety"-commercial as well as
naval-in American shipyards.
"If we lose our ability to build
ships," Chairman Bateman further points out, "we lose our
capability to sustain ourselves as
a maritime power." I concur
wholeheartedly in that appraisal,
and in his assessment of what
should be our immediate maritime priorities.
After these crucially important
short-term actions are taken,
though, we also should develop,
and quickly implement, longerterm plans and policies to ensure
that the U.S.-flag merchant fleet
is no longer what it now is, the Achilles' Heel of national
defense -but once again
resumes its rightful role as the
Vital Fourth Arm.
In the long run, of course, it
will be up to the American people, in a very real sense, to determine whether we want to be-or
even deserve to be-a true maritime power in the brave new
world of the 21st century.
John R. Fisher
National President
This article is reprinted courtesy of Sea Power magazine, the
official publication of the Navy
League of the United States,
which retains all rights of ownership, including copyright restrictions.
es VP Kelley Retires
Former Tug Capt. Logged Half-Century of Service
After 50 years of making his
living in the maritime industry,
SIU Vice President Lakes and
Inland Waters Byron Kelley has
retired.
The son of a tugboat captain,
Kelley started sailing in 1951. He
served four years in the U.S.
Coast Guard (1953-57) before rejoining the ranks of the merchant
marine, where he earned licenses
as a tugboat captain and pilot.
Kelley, 67, often saih:d on ves~
sels operated by Great Lakes
Towing or Dunbar and Sullivan
Dredging. The Michigan native
came ashore in 1973 to work for
the SIU and became a fixture in
the Great Lakes region. He served
the last 11 years as vice president
of the SIU's Greal Lakes and
Irtlartd Water~ Di~trict Earlier, he
worked as an SIU representative,
safety director ( 1983-89) and
assistant vice president (1989).
"Byron took his work very
seriously, and that benefited the
membership. He was a dedicated
official," stated SIU President
Michael Sacco.
Kelley cited the overall
progress of the U.S. merchant
marine as his career highlight.
"It sounds cornball. but what I
enjoyed the most was seeing the
comfort of the working guy
improve to the point where they
make a damn good living," Kelley
recalled_ "When I started sailing,
if you got a 2-cents-an-hour raise,
that was something. Today, it has
evolved and become a job to be
proud of. Here on the Lakes, the
money and the benefits through
the SIU are such that the members
don't want to give them up. So,
my ability to help through the
negotinting process is probably
my greatest source of pride."
George McCartney, retired
SIU vice president West
At a recent gathering in Allen Park, Mich., House Minority Whip David
Bonier {left) and his wife, Judy, congratulate retiring SIU Lakes and
Inland Waters VP Byron Kelley on his career.
June20DO
After more than 20 years sailing in the deck department, Kelley came
astiore in 1973 to work for the SIU. Above, Kelley (left) chats with
Seafarer W. Adamek in 1978 at the old SIU hall in Detroit. Below, Kelley
surveys the icy conditions outside the hall in Algonac, Mich _
Coa~t,
credited Kelley with being Hvery
reliable and accurate. He was
always well-informed and on the
ball."
Ed Hogan, vice president of
Sill-contracted Hannah Marine,
said Kelley "always did a good
job for his people. really hustled
for them. But he was decent for us
to work with. too."
Ed Coffey. business representative for the Greater Detroit
AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Council, said
Kelley is "a he11 of a good trade
unionist. He got involved with us
through the Michig'1n Maritime
Trades Port Council, and we're
proud of our association with the
Seafarers __ .. You knew when he
was talking, it was time to listen."
More than 200 well-wishersincluding dozens of political figures-joined Kelley for a combination birthday-retirement party
April 16 in Allen Park, Mich.
Among those attending were U.S.
House of Representatives Minority Whip David Bonior (DMich.), U.S. Rep. John Dingell
(D-Mich.) and numerous state
officials.
Also
participating
were
Richard Cordtz, president emeritus of the Service Employees
International Union; Edgar Scribner, retiring president of the
See related story, page 4
Detroit Metropolitan AFL-CIO;
Patrick Devlin, head of the Greater
Detroit Building and Construction
Trades Council; and others.
Despite retiring, Kelley said he
will remain active in the labor
movement. He is vice chairman of
the Detroit and Wayne County Port
Authority, president of the AFLCIO Labor's International Hall of
Fame, and serves as a consultant to
the Detroit Metropolitan AFLCIO, among other endeavors.
"I can be of service to the
movement in several capacities,"
he noted. "I'm not going to get
bored, by any means."
Seafarers LOG
5
�Crowley Seafarers Complete
Tailor-Made STCW Training
School Helps Licensed Mariners Meet
Requirements ofAmended Convention
Although many of the courses
at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education
are geared toward helping unlicensed mariners meet the requirements of the amended STCW
convention, the school also provides similar instruction for
licensed Seafarers.
With that in mind, nine
licensed SIU members who sail
with Crowley Maritime Services
recently completed two weeks of
U.S. Coast Guard-approved,
STCW-related courses at the Paul
Hall Center, located in Piney
Point, Md. Their curriculum
included advanced fire fighting,
hazardous materials (HAZMAT)
recertification, STCW basic safety, CPR and first aid.
Finishing the classes April 28
were SIU members Homer
Roberson, Anthony Morgan,
Miguel Vasquez, Roger Horton,
For instance, according to the
Coast Guard, the requirement for
a master's license for 500 or
1,600 gross tonnage on ocean or
near-coastal waters may include
automatic radar plotting aids
(ARPA), global maritime distress
systems (GMDSS), bridge team-
John Salmon, Bruce Brumback, Bill Smith, Willie Gardner and Paul Fuller. These
STCW Info. on the Web
Seafarers sail from the Gulf Coast
region, primarily Lake Charles,
La. and Houston.
The two-week session at Piney
Point was crafted following meetings between Crowley representatives and school officials. The
Paul Hall Center honored the
company's request to help its
crews fulfill multiple STCW
requirements in one uninterrupted
stretch of training.
"We understandably have concentrated most of our efforts the
last few years on unlicensed
(training), but many SIU members sail licensed on limited tonnage vessels," said Bill Eglinton.
director of vocational education
at the Paul Hall Center. "In some
cases they have to meet additional STCW requirements."
The U.S. Coast Guard maintains a comprehensive web
site covering STCW. It can be
found at:
http://www.uscg.mil/stcw/
That site and others of potential interest to Seafarers are
linked at the SIU's web site:
http://www.seafarers.org
work. advanced fire fighting.
STCW basic safety. and survival
craft and rescue boat. The
requirement for engineering officers' licenses- including designated duty engineer (unlimited
hp), chief engineer (limited
oceans) and assistant engineer
(limited oceans)--comprises first
aid and CPR, advanced fire fighting, STCW basic safety, and survival craft and rescue hMt
The Crowley crews-and other
SIU-contracted companies that
traditionally operate in coastal
waters- are subject to STCW regulations once they go beyond the
12-mile U.S. boundary line.
" We may sail on tugboats, but
we're not just inland. I recently
made a trip to Africa," noted
Gardner, who sails as a chief
engmeer.
SIU Asst. VP Contracts George Tricker (left) and Crowley Maritime
Services Director of Marine Operations Ed McCain discuss STCW
requirements with crews from the Gulf Coast region.
He said the Paul Hall Center
trammg, including hands-on
instruction at the Joseph Sacco
Fire Fighting and Safety School,
proved worthwhile, "especially
water survival. We also fought all
kinds of fires, different types. I
never had done that before, so it
was an experience."
Students said the fire fighting training proved very worthwhile.
Smith, a captain, said he
appreciated the chance to meet
numerous STCW requirements in
a fairly short time.
"I'd recommend to other
members who need this training~
to come up here and do it-get
[the requirements] out of the
way," he said. "Just be senous
about it, because it's a serious
school. Don't think you're going
to come here and party. Nobody's
going to give you anything."
Smith added that the fire fighting and water survival components were particularly useful.
Getting Lots of Practical Experience
No Beefs Between Steward, Captain ·
Whci says unlicensed mariners and officers can't get along? Chief Steward Michael Kozak {right) and
his wife, Kimberly Borges-who sails as a captain with the American Maritime Officers-report
smooth sailing since their marriage in February 1999. SIU President Michael Sacco chatted with them
after the May membership meeting in Piney Point, Md.
6
Seafarers LOG
Maxwell Hassell-El, a student in the chief cook course at the Paul
Hall Center, enjoys the hands-on approach to cooking. The upgrader, who sails from the port of Norfolk, Va., believes "the instructors
at the school are truly interested in the students' welfare."
June2000
�14 Bosuns Earn Recertification
Many Commend Paul Hall Center for Progress
A seasoned group of SIU
members last month became the
union's
newest
recertified
bosuns, following their completion of the top curriculum available to deck department Seafarers
at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education.
Graduating at the Piney Point,
Md. school May 8 were Rickie
Burgess, David Campbell,
Arthur Cross, Bernard Hutcherson, David Kalm, Steven
Ledermann, Jeffrey Libby,
Robert Lindsay, Paul "Blackie"
Matsos, Thomas Minton, John
Mossbarger, Johnny O'Ferrell,
Daniel Ticer and Robert
Wilson. (O'Ferrell successfully
completed the class but left to
catch a ship before the graduation
ceremony.)
In remarks at the meeting, the
bosuns commented on variou5
aspects of the school and the
union.
0
1 was overwhelmed to find
out just how many people work in
the political Menn to kc;i;p thi5
industry alive," observed Minton,
The union's newest recertified bosuns are congratulated by SIU officials following last month's membership
meeting in Piney Point, Md. Pictured from left to right are (kneeling) Daniel Ticer, Rickie Burgess, (standing)
SIU Plans Administrator Lou Delma, Bernard Hutcherson, David Campbell, SIU Asst. VP Contracts George
Tricker, Robert Lindsay, Arthur Cross, SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez, Steven Ledermann, John Mossbarger,
David Kalm, Paul Matsos, Robert Wilson, Jeffrey Libby, SIU President Michael Sacco, Thomas Minton and
SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel.
who joined the SIU in 1968. "I
now know more about the industry, so I can answer questions and
do my job as ship's chairman
much better than before.
"I feel that with the hard work
(SIU President) Mike Sacco and
(SIU VP Contracts) Augie Tellez
and. for that matter, everyone in
the Washington political (field)
are doing~ we are in for exciting
times and a bright future."
Campbell, an SIU member for
26 years. encouraged his fellow
members to "stick with it and
good things will happen to you.
The SIU has always been a good
deal."
He also pointed out that in this
federal dcdion year, "Whoever 's
going to hdp U5 in maritime,
that's who to vote for. Remember
also to contribute to SPAD."
Lindsay complimented his
classmates, Paul Hall Center staff
and SIU headquarters officials for
helping provide
a valuable
course. A 10-year member of the
SIU, he listed contract issues, the
AFL-CIO Maritime Trades
Department's role, the operation
of the Seafarers benefits plans
and the importance of SPAD as
some of the highlights.
"It was a good experience and
I met a lot of nice and helpful
people:," Lind~ny ~nid. "There; arc;
a lot of opportunities in this
union .... rd also like to thank the
SIU staff in Norfolk (Va.) for
being so helpful."
Wilson said he hadn •t attended
the school since 1979. and he was
pleasantly surprised at its
progress.
"I wasn't impressed in 1979.
Now, I am," he ~aid. "The teachers care, they want each student
to achieve high kveb of knowledge in each course. We had fun,
David Campbell
June2000
Daniel Ticer
too. I recommend all members
upgrade."
He added, "The progress of
the SIU is not by chance. A plan
has been set to assure all SIU
members employment with better
benefits and pay on the horizon."
A frequent upgrader who
joined the union in 1978,
Hutcherson identified computer
training as a course highlight.
"I would recommend to any
Seafarer to upgrade.'' he stated.
"Upgrading is advancing yourself. I've always enjoyed this
school. Ifs very rewarding!'
In a brief but emotional
address, Ticer emphasized his
feelings about the Brotherhood of
the Sea.
''I'm talking to you from my
heart. This is my family, my
house," he said, gesturing toward
the audience. "Support this thing
and it'll keep working."
For Ledermann, bosun recertification marked his eighth time
upgrading at Piney Point.
"I joined in 1969 as a trainee,
and every time I come here, it
gets a tittle better," he said. "Mike
Sacco and (Paul Hall Center VP)
Don Nolan make it better, and I
thank them for giving us this
opportunity.h
ed the chance to interact with his
classmates.
"That was a highlight, rubbing
shoulders with the other bosuns,"
he noted. "We usually don't get to
see each other. because we're at
sea.··
He also credited the union ·s
officials for "great leadership.
Our officials stay on top of the
industry and instigate change in
the industry. It's to our benefit."
Matsos said that, through the
SIU, "I've always had a job and
always done well. I thank the SIU
and the whole staff, from the
president down. It's nice to be
here, but I'm ready to go back to
work!"
Addressing the unlicensed
apprentices in the audience, he
added, "Ask questions. I joined in
1956 and I still ask questions."
Burgess also spoke to the
apprentices. "You can get anything you want, as long as you
work at it. And when it comes to
politics, remember we're all
about maritime."
A Seafarer since 1979, Kalm
noted the improvements in the
Paul Hall Center•s facilities and
curriculum.
..The school's been really
great and it's come a long way.
It's something for all of us to be
proud of," he said. "There are a
lot of unions. but none can match
us with this school."
Both Cross and Libby thanked
the school staff and encouraged
the apprentices in their studies.
Because the bosuns also completed the school's STCW basic
safety course, they finished a
total of seven weeks of studies at
Piney Point. Combining practical
and classroom instruction, they
covered topics such as wire splicing, navigation. damage control.
forklift handling, Hagglund crane
operations, fire fighting, first aid
and CPR, and many others.
Additionally, they were updated by Sacco and Tellez on the
union's latest efforts to ensure job
security for all Seafarers. They
also met with representatives
from the AFL-CIO Maritime
Trades Department and the
union's communications staff.
Rickie Burgess
Robert Lindsay
Steven Ledermann
Arthur Cross
Mossbarger said he appreciat-
Seafarers LOS
7
�Engine Simulator Will Aid
Paul Hall Center's Training
New Tools to Help With STCW Compliance
The schooling of engine
department personnel at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point,
Md. will receive a boost beginning this fall, thanks to the addition of a state-of-the-art engine
room simulator (ERS).
Slated to be housed in the center's completely refurbished
Lindsey Williams Building, the
ERS is one of four new simulators that will be installed in the
school's classrooms. The ERS
will consist of a two-stroke and
four-stroke slow speed and medium speed propulsion diesel, a
600-psi main propulsion steam
and turbine simulator, and a gas
turbine simulator. It will be utilized for teaching engine room
watchkeeping personnel how to
properly operate a ship's propulsion and electrical power plants.
The other simulators will be
for training in shiphandling, crane
operations and liquid cargo procedures.
Energized about the new
equipment and its array of appli-
Construction continues on the new Paul Hall Center building that will
house
simul~tors
for shiph~ndling 1 engine room
ations and liquid cargo procedures.
op~ration~ 1 eran~ op~r
cations, J.C. Wiegman, assistant
director of vocational education
at the center, said the learning
tools will help provide unprecedented realism.
"Up until now, (some) students
have had to rely exclusively on
classroom lectures for training,"
he continued. "With the addition
of this simulator, we can now provide them with hands-on experience which ultimately translates
into a better trained student."
In compliance with revised
STCW 95 Convention and Code
requirements, the new ERS will
allow Paul Hall Center instructors
to conduct three-level training for
new personnel. These levels are:
• Entry level-familiarization.
This level is designed for the
study of the structure and operating principles on the machinery
and related systems.
•Standard level (for FOWT/
QMED ratings)--standard operation and watchkeeping.
• High level (for licensed engineers)-advanced operation and
troubleshooting.
The engine simulator features the most modern technology.
In addition to making the
three-level training available for
instructors, a milestone in the center's curriculum, this cutting-edge
technology will facilitate assessment of student competence. This
feature is deemed particularly
beneficial during certifications
and the recruitment of new engine
department personnel.
As an example, the ERS can
simulate operations during emergencies. This capability will permit training in troubleshooting to
be conducted.
A malfunction scenario, prepared in advance by instructors,
can be included in the exercise.
From the instructor workplace,
the scenario can be edited on-line
for each trainee. Similarly, failures of machinery can be entered,
levels in the tanks changed and
orders given from the bridge imitated.
Instructors also can prepare
arbitrary start situations, assign
each student an individual exercise, or give the same exercise to
the entire class. Twelve students
can be put through simulated
exercise paces at the same time.
The simulator will make it
possible for instructors to:
• Freeze situations at any juncture for the purpose of additional
discussion,
• Record the sequence of actions
and events of each trainee, and
• Replay recorded classes on
real, fast and slow time or in a
step-by-step mode.
The ERS can also be used in
conjunction with bridge resource
management and engine room
resource management.
Apprentice Program Gives 'Second Chance'
Shavies Grateful for Opportunity at Paul Hall Center
Five years ago, Shauntay Shavies
Mula Mly ~ttvi~iM
hi~ rurur~
tlmmgh
dream~ arid make-believe itttage~. He wa~
uncertain about where he was going as
well as h6w he W<">Uld get there. At that
juncrure, he was repaying society for a
wrong tum he had made as a youth.
Life had not been especially kind to
the then troubled and misguided 15-yearold. He had not experienced the security
that normally correlates with happiness
during childhood. His sense of worth was
fictional. His aspirations for success were
clouded by an absence of purpose.
Desperate to replace these voids with
closeness and a feeling of belonging, he
rumed tc street gangs.
Change or Lne
That was then. Nowadays, life is very
different for the 21-year-old Tacoma,
Wash. native. His demeanor. values and
entire approach to existence have undergone a dramatic reformation. Currently
enrolled in the third and final phase of the
unlicen5ed apprentice program at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education, Shavies looks forward to being
a productive part of society and earning a
respectable tiving.
"I look at being here (the school in
Piney Point, Md.) as being given a second
chance, and I plan to make the most of it,"
he said. "I now have a future and no longer
have to worry about living day to day."
Perhaps his day-to-day Jiving conditiOrt~ led hitn towa.rd hi~ itt.di~cretioM a_~ a_
minor. Sha.vies is the second of four siblings who was raised entirely by his mother. A single parent, Tamra Shavies spent
her days Md ttJghts wofkihg to provide
for hi:r ~hildm1.
..My mother did everything she could
for me and my brothers," Shavies
recalled. "She worked two jobs and basically gave us what we needed to survive.
We never got anything fancy like some
kids did. And that really made me mad
because for some reason, that was not
enough for me. I always wanted more.
Like every good parent, though, my
0
B Seafarers LOB
mom tried to keep us out of trouble," he
cottt1nued. She taught an of us the ditlerente between right an.d wrong, but I was
the kind of kid that had to learn the hard
way .. . from experience. I never believed
anything until I experienced it on my
own. r had to prove things to myself."
Such "proof• often was gained at the
expense of others. He became involved in
gangs at an early age. By joining a gang,
he sought to secure those things that he
longed for yet never realized he already
had in his family life. In his estimation at
that time, the gang afforded such things as
caring, sharing, unity, guidance and-perhaps most importantly- loyalty.
HI got involved with the street and
gangs earty in my life, because I had no
father figure around," Shavies said. "I
joined because it made me feel like I
belonged and could be myself. I thought
that the gang would give me all of the
things I did Mt ha eat home."
All of his expectations were met and
0
surpassed initially, but the gang's appeal
i;vi;ntually subsidi;d. As a result, Shavies
sometimes reassessed his involvement.
"In gangs, everybody has a job to do
based on what they do best. They (gangs)
are not just made up of young people and
teenagers; you also have older people who
run things, they are almost like parents"
Shavies said. "And I understood that part
of it. But I had a hard time handling how
someone could say that they loved you on
the one hand and beat the hell out of you
at the same time for whatever reason.
"I guess the part that hurt me most,
though, was when I discovered how
quickly the people that I used to hang out
with in the streets would desert me/'
Shavies said. ((lt's not a good sensation to
feel deserted, forgotten about, or to have
people who you think are your friends
turn their backs on you. I guess they were
not really my friends and they did not
really care about me that much either."
Through it all however, there was at
least one constant in Shavies' life which
remained loyal and unshakable-his
mother. She never gave up on her son or
compromised her faith in him .
..My mom was my only real friend.
She always supported me and gave me
encouragement," Shavies said. "She was
always there for me and I thank God for
her.
"People say that it takes something
dramatic or significant to wake someone
up," he continued. "When I looked at people around me and thought about them
and their futures, I didn't like what I saw.
"I found out that a close friend of mine
would never get out of jail and it scared
me to think that I could end up just like
him if I didn't change. I now know that
through faith and belief in yourself, anything is possible."
Shavies' newfound hope and belief in
himelf paid dividends in 1996 when he
earned his GED. Two years later, he
regained his freedom. Life had new meaning and purpose. He could now assertively let go of his past and get on with his
future. For the next six months, he
worked in various capacities under a work
release program.
After completing the work release program in March 1998, he sought the advice
and guidance of counselors who helped
him maintain his focus. Over the next 12
months. Shavies contacted more than a
few agencies. He sought employment
opportunities and any "breaks" along the
way that would aid him as he traveled the
long road back to a normal existence. He
worked at a food processing plant, drove
a forklift and was employed as a janitor.
Getting a Break
Then came the break he had been
awaiting. He entered the first phase of the
SIU's unlicensed apprentice program
Sept. 1, 1999. Some 12 weeks later, he
began phase 2 and was off to sea for his
first voyage. He spent 90 days aboard the
Totem Ocean Trailer Express vessel
Northern Lights. The ship made weekly
calls at ports between Tacoma and
Anchorage. During this part of his training, Shavies achieved superior ratings in
all required departments.
Shauntay Shavies, scheduled to graduate
this month from the Unlicensed Apprentice
Program at the Paul Hall Center, credits the
school with helping him turn his life around.
Upon graduation, Shavies will ship out
for 120 days and work as an OS. Ile then
will return to the school to upgrade to AB.
Currently, he serves as the chief bosun for
the Unlicensed Apprentice Program. In
this role, he works dosely with the
school's commandant in the daily supervision of unlicensed apprentices in phases
one and two.
Shavies openly credits the Paul Hall
Center and its staff for both the impact that
it has had on his life and also the role it has
played in the reformation of his values.
"When I first came here, I thought that I
had made another big mistake because I
viewed it like being in the military ... too
many rules to deal with," he said. "But I
stuck with it and it all began to make sense
to me. Everything really came out while I
was at sea because all that they (instructors) had been telling me fell into place.
"Before, I really did not care about
much of anything, but now I understand
that I have responsibilities and that other
people depend on me," Shavies concluded. "Now I can hold a conversation with
my mom and tell her how good I'm doing
and what I plan to do in the future:·
June2000
�Scholarships Awarded to Seven in 2000
ince the Seafarers Welfare
Plan issued its first scholarships in 1953, nearly 300
SIU members and their spouses
and dependent children have used
the award monies to further their
educations.
In introducing the program, the
union wanted to make sure that
Seafarers and their family members who were qualified to attend
a college, university or technical
school would have the financial
means available to do so.
That philosophy continues
today as seven more people-three
Seafarers and four children of SIU
members-were selected recipients of the Seafarers Welfare Plan
scholarships totaling $87, 000.
Last month, a panel of educators, making up the Seafarers
Welfare Plans scholarship committee, met to select the scholarship winners for 2000. On this
page are brief descriptions of the
backgrounds and career goals of
the seven college-bound students.
S
SEAFARERS
ICTOR G. FRAZIER, 39,
was awarded a four-year
scholarship in the amount
of $15,000. The deep sea member
looks forward to obtaining a
degree in finance and international
business and is seriously considering pursuing a degree in law as
V
we1L
follc.wing his 1978 graduation
from high school in Albuquerque
N_M_ Frazier worked various jobs
to help support his mother and
three siblings, putting off dreruns
1
1
of continuing his education.
It was not until 1982 that
Fra'.lier returned to academics,
attending classes at various colleges 1n CaHfom1a and working
toward a degree in aeronautics. It
was then that he also joined the
Air Force Reserve.
Eleven years later, in 1993, and
not happy with the direction his
life was leading, he joined the
Seafarers International Union. He
thanks the SIU West Coast offic;:iab for hdping "a mlrtd young
man transition into becoming a
merchant seaman.
He has continua11y upgraded
his skills at the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and
EducatJon in Piney Point, Md. a.nd
i~ c;:urr~ntly ~ailing as an AB
aboard the Liberty Spirit.
The deck department member
has a.ppli~d to the University of
California in Berketey Calif.,
Stanford University in Palo Alto,
Calif'., Iloward University in
Washington, D.C. and Clark
Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga.
H
1
D
,
ANA
D.
C
I G-
HAM, 3 7, has been a merchant sailor for 17 years_
He completed his junior year at
Oakton High School in Oakton,
Va. and went to sea.
Brother Cunningham completed the entry-level training at the
Paul Hall Center in 1984 and
earned hi~ QED at that time:, as
well.
Since then, the steward department member has returned to the
school on many occasions 1
advancing from cook/baker to
chief cook to chi f steward. In
1992, he graduated from the steward recertification program-the
highest curriculum available to
JuneZOOO
members of the steward department.
But Cunningham also has other
interests. In 1995, he began working as a locksmith apprentice and
after two years, received his memthe Associated
bership to
Locksmiths of America.
While continuing to sail with
the SIU, presently aboard the LNG
Capricorn, the recertified steward
has been practicing as a full service locksmith. He hopes to specialize in safe and bank vault work
and believes he will excel in this
field.
With the $6,000 scholarship
award, Brother Cunningham plans
to attend the Master's Safe and
Vault School in Nicholasville, Ky,
considered one of the best schools
in this field.
EONITO "DACU" S.
SODUSTA has already
accomplished much in his
42 years.
Following graduation in 1974
from high school in the
Philippines. he went on to get a
Bachelor of Science degree in
maritime transportation from
Visayan Maritime Academy, also
in the Philippines. He then
shipped out aboard foreign-flag
ships until 1985, when he went
shoresidc and took a marketing
position.
But seafaring was in his blood,
and Sodusta enlisted in the U.S.
Navy. Ht was a vtttran of th~
Persian Gulf War and received
many medals and commendations
during his four years of military
service.
With an honorable discharge
from the Navy. Brother Sodusta
then joined the SIU in 1994, first
working
aboard
the
S.S.
Ittdependente. He has taken a
number of upgrading courses at
the Paul Hall Center and is
presently an AB aboard the
N
Courier.
In his scholarship application 1
Sodusta noted that much of his
time as a mariner has taken him
away from his parents and his wife
and three sc.ns, but that phc.tography has helped him keep busy and
gives him much pleasure.
While in rhe Navy, he enrolled
in a photography home study program from which he received a
certificate of graduation in 1993,
and he now would like to improve
in this field and concentrate on
commercial photography.
With his two-year, $6,000
scholarship from the Seafarers
Welfare Plan, Sodusta hopes to
realize his educational dreams at
Tidewater Community College in
Virginia Beach, Va. or another
trade school specializing in photography.
ber since 1978, presently sailing as
a bosun aboard the Quality.
While in school, Hall participated in a number of athletic, academic and musical activities,
among them junior varsity volleyball, the Latin-American Society,
the Deerfield Black Student
Coalition, and as a member of the
chorus, chamber singers and an a
cappella group. She also has been
a volunteer with Habitat for
Humanity and at several nursing
homes.
"Drawing and writing are my
hobbies," Hall wrote in her application form, "and music is certainly my passion, but life-science
enthralls me . . . . I feel it is very
important that we understand as
much as we can about ourselves.
With this knowledge, I hope to
one day contribute to society as
much as I can by helping as many
people as l can."
OHN J. MACOM, 18, is
another student with ambitions of being a doctor.
He is graduating this month
from Belfast Area High School in
Belfast, Maine, and will use his
$15,000 scholarship award to follow a pre-med curriculum at
Villanova University, Boston
University, Fairfield University or
Dickinson College.
He is the son of Rebecca and
Earl M. Ma,om. His father. a
deep sea member who joined the
SIU in 1965, sails in the engine
department, currently aboard the
Potomac.
Macom has been an excellent
student and has challenged himself by taking as many advanced
placement courses as possible. He
stayed on top of his studies, maintained honors and ranked in the
top 20 percent of his class while
still participating in many organizations throughout his school and
community.
He is a mentor for elementary
and middle school students, has
participated in his town's voluntary fire department, taken the
position of treasurer of his high
school newspaper and been elected treasurer of the Future Business
Leaders of America- among other
activities. He also has found time
to manage the school's champion
swim team and has been a member
of the tennis team for our years.
With all these activities,
Macom also earned a little money
while working as a pizza delivery
boy; dishwasher; newspaper deliverer and camp counselor.
0
My goal is to become a doctor," Macom wrote in his scholarship application. "Just the thought
of helping others makes it all
worthwhik. I also plan to use my
knowledge in medicine to help
poverty stricken areas."
J
DEPENDENTS
HEVONE C. HALL is
graduating this month from
Deerfield Academy in
Deerfield, Mass. With her fouryear, $15,000 scholarship, she
plans to pursue a career in medicine at any one of 10 schools to
which she has been accepted,
including Cornell University,
C
Dartmouth College, Wellesley
College and Tufts University.
The 17-year-old is the daughter
of Colleen and Carlton P. Hall.
Her father has been an SIU mem-
H
YACINTH V. PADUA
hopes to become the first
doctor in her family.
The 17-year-old immigrated to
the United States from the
Philippines in 1997 and the family
relocated to New Mexico.
Her parents are Julieta and
Stephen Avallone. Her step-dad
joined the union in 1988 and currently sails as a chief steward
aboard the Jack Lummus.
As she graduates this month
from Manzano High School in
Albuquerque, N.M., Padua has
overcome cultural challenges to
become a remarkable student. She
quickly mastered English and
became a first-rate writer, and has
been published in the school literary magazine.
She excels in both mathematics
and English and has taken honors
classes in both subjects, maintaining a 3.9 grade point average and
ranking in the top 11 percent of
her class.
Padua's other activities include
working part time and doing volunteer work for her church.
"I want achievements that I can
be proud of," Padua wrote in her
scholarship application, "so that
when I look back from the future,
I know that I have made a small
difference in the world. I want to
be an example to other children
that education is the trail out of
poverty. I want to make my family
proud so when I go back to the
Philippines, others will be
empowered to pursue higher a
academic excellent."
Padua will use her $15,000
scholarship money to begin premed studies at the University of
New Mexico in August.
W
hen ELIZABETH E.
HEATH was in the first
grade, she wanted to be
an engineer and then an astronaut.
Since the second grade, she
wrote in her scholarship application, her plans have changed
slightly. She decided then that she
no longer wanted to be an astronaut but still wanted to pursue a
career in mechanical. civil or
industrial engineering.
The 18-year-old can now realize her dreams. With the help of
her $15,000 schoJarship, she plans
to attend Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg, Va. next fall.
Graduating this month from
Kecoughtan High School in
Hampton, Va., Heath is ranked
number 10 in a class of384. She is
a member of the National Honor
Society, Latin Honor Society and
high school academic team. She
was selected in a highly competitive field as a delegate to the
Virginia Girls State and "Who's
Who of American High School
Students." Heath also has been
enrolled in advanced placement
physics and is involved in several
civic, church and other school
organizations such as the science
club, Keyettes and Latin club.
Additionally, she has performed as
a percussionist in the school's
marching band, concert band, symphonic band and winter drum line.
Heath also is an active member
of her church, where she sings in
the adult choir and the Virginia
youth choir.
While she has not determined
exactly what she wants to do with
her engineering degree, she hopes
that by furthering her education, "I
will determine exactly what field I
want to enter because the job market is changing so rapidly these
days. More education will be my
key to determining how I want to
spend the rest of my life."
Heath's parents are Connie and
Victor G. Frazier
Dana D. Cunningham
Neonito S. Sodusta
Chevone C. Hall
John J. Macom
Hyacinth V. Padua
Donald W. Heath. Her father, a
member of the inland division
since 1983, is presently a launch
operator with the Virginia Pilot
Association.
Elizabeth E. Heath
Seafarers LOG
9
�Left The tugs Cleo J. Brisco and Ronald Brisco tie up in Port Hueneme.
Above; AB Richard Volkart poses in front of the Maersk Tennessee,
which just tied up in port
In and Around tb.e
Port al Los Angeles
A photo feature on
activities around the port
of Los Angeles-including the SIV hall in
Wilmington-appeared
in last month's Seafarers
LO(/.
SIV Wilmington Port
Agent John Cox, who
met with some of the
crew members aboard
the incoming SIVcrewed vessels, provided
additional photos this
month .
Ships and boats of all
types and sizes call on
the port of Los Angeles
which, together with
Long Beach and Port
Hueneme, is one of the
10
Ssafarers LOii
June2000
�-- 1
Adai'&omS
A rousing "hafa adai" (welcome) was given to SIU
Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel during his recent visit to
Guam. Heindel was in the U.S. territory to meet with Seafarers
aboard several of the large number of SIU-contracted ships
based in the area-including the MV Lt. Col. Calvin P Titus,
USNS Petersburg and Gopher State- and to check out the new
hall and SWP-contracted clinic (see related story on page 4).
Feedback about the union facility was quite positive. The
crew members he talked with seemed pleased with the addition
of a local ball where they can register, file for benefits, acquire
upgrading forms and beneficiary cards and take care of other
related union business.
The photos appearing on this page were sent to the LOG by
the secretary-treasurer.
Thi~ view of the harbor was taken from Nimitl Hill, named after Admiral Nimitz. who was
in charge or the U.S. Navy forces during WWII and led the invasion to free Guam from
Japanese control. The beach is where the U.S. Marines landed. and the port and Navy
base are also visibl~ - TM v~ss~I in tM baci<ground is the Sgt_ William R. Button.
Above; Whomping up a
great meal for his fellow
crew members on the
Calvin P Titus is Chief
Cook Mark Stevenson _
At left AB Carl Larson
finishes a task aboard
the Gopher State_
The Cdlvin P. Titus i~ fortunate to have a number of unlicensed
apprentices (UA) on board. From the left, following a shipboard meeting, are UA Jerramy McNeil, Bosun Evan Bradl~y, SIU SecretaryTrg;;u;umr D~vid HQindel, UA William Howell and UA Stiles Anderson.
Remembering Brother Chuck Haller
Working together on the Petersburg's deck are AB John Favero
(left) and AB/DM John Barnard.
..
Above; Nathaniel Leary is the bosun
aboard the Gopher State_ At left:
803un Eddie Hall (left) joins
Pef'Jrsburg 5teward department
members tor a photo. They are
Steward Oscar Angeles, Chief Cook
Wendy Fearing, SA Fisal Zain and
SA Nasser Hasson_
This is believed to be one of the last photos of longtime Seafarer
Chuck Haller (far right), who passed away February 26. It was
taken under sunny skies but in frigid temperatures early in the
new year at the Crowley Petty's Island facility in Pennsauken,
N_J_Pictured with Haller are (from left) fellow SIU members John
Wozunk, John Gallagher, John Haller (Chuck's brother) and Mike
Kirby. The Hallers are one of many families with more than one
member sailing with the SIU. In addition to Electricians Chuck
and John , QMED Robert Haller and OMU Mike Haller are part of
the Brotherhood of the Sea. Chuck Haller's obituary appears on
page 18.
Seafarers LOS
ff
�••
San Juan is one of the biggest
and best natural harbors in the
Caribbean, so it is no wonder that
the SIU hall, located in suburban
Santurce, is a hub of activity.
SIU-contracted ships are a
common sight as they arrive in
San Juan and other Puerto Rican
ports such as Guayanilla, Yabucoa
and Guayama. The vessels are
offloaded with goods for the nearly four million people living on the
island. A small percentage of this
merchandise is then shipped out
again to smaller islands such as
St. Thomas and St. John in the
Shipping
Virgin Islands.
During a recent tour of the various ports, SIU Port Agent Victor
Nunez and Safety Director
Amancio Crespo met with crew
members aboard a variety of vessels, including those operated by
NPR, Inc.; CSX Lines; U.S. Ship
Management; and lnterocean
Ugland Management.
Jn addition, two NATCO
dredges-the Dodge Island and
the Manhattan Island- are presently working in San Juan harbor
on a 10- to 12-month project to
dredge the shipping channel.
Above: While the Producer was in San Juan
recently, this photo was taken of (from left) AB
William D. Brinson Jr., Chief Steward Gregory
N _ M~lvin and Bcsun
JC~I
A _ L~CML At
l~ft'.
Chief Pumpman Alex S. Dunlop assists in a
di3charge operation aboard the Patriot in
Guayanilla, P.R.
/;:/: Above right Samuel Porchea, bosun aboard the Allegiance, is
: '' pleased with what he reads in the Seafarers LOG. At left: This was
·' the fir~t time in Puerto Rico for' the Cdtolina after time in the shipyard_ !=rom the left are Bosun Stewart V Dixon, Chief Cook Jorge
R. Salazar and Chief Steward Eva M. Mayers.
While the Chemical Explorer was in Guayam
recently, Chief Steward Dadang R Rashi
receives his full membership book from SI
Safety Director Amancio Crespo.
Abovs:Bosun
Luis Ramirez
and Chief
Steward Francis
The AllfJgianofJ stopped off in Yabucoa,
PR during a recent run _From tne left are
6A
Mo~leh
C:athQrim~
6.
Mo~leh,
Chief Steward
M_ Hays and Chigf Cook. Larry
Jolla.
12 Seafarers LOB
E_Ostendarp Jr_
take a coffee
break aboard
the El Yunque,
along with (left)
GUDE Pedro C.
Gago and OMU
Jimmie R.
Graydon.
Chief Cook Loicy M _Jones watches over
the deep fryer on board the Chemical
Explorer.
June2000
�Solidarity
.
SIU Safety Director Amancio Crespo (left) marches with UNITE
Assistant to President Wilfredo Medina.
Seafarers joined scores of other union members and officials recently in a rally and picket line in front of the
Capitol building in San Juan to support their brothers and
sisters in the Puerto Rican Police Federation.
Marching with members from UNITE, the MTD and other
unions and organizations April 4, the group voiced its concerns to legislators to create afand to compensate members
of the police force for overtime already worked, but for
which the government says it doesn ~ have the funds.
GIMl<wise from far left: Dredging operations contin-
ue aboard the Dodge Island in San Juan Bay • A
happy crew on board the dredge Manhattan Island
are (from left) Oiler Keith E. Neathery, AB Kevin
Hamilton, Chief Steward Harold Kinney, SA William
Brainard. AB Jimmy G. Saloom and Mate George
Hofmann • Dr~gt9nd9r Torrimy Davi~ worll~ in tne
"pit" inside the wheelhous~ cf thA Dodg~ Island during operation$ in San Juan Bay • On break aboard
the Dodge fa/and are (from left} SA Miriam
Merluzzo, Chief Steward Steven Talucci , Dragtender
Tommy Davis and AB Charles G. Troutwine Jr.
Halping with cargo operations on tne Allegiance
are ABs Michael M. Edwards and Eddie L. Major.
JuneZOOO
Maintaining watch aMard tne Carolina is OMU
Charles L Whar on. Wharton also serves as
the engine delegate.
Shewing ~upport for the Puerto Rican Police Federation are (from left)
Pumpman Angel Ortiz, GUDE Luis Carrion, AB Jose Canales and AB
Richard Wheat.
AbovQ left: SIU Safety Director Amancio Crespo (left) and SIU Port
Agent Victor Nunez (right) talk over the situation with legislator Anibal
Vega Borges. Above right: Bosun Eric Perez joins in the rally.
Seafarers LOG
13
�Seafarers Rally With Mine Workers
Continued from page 2
fighting."
U.S. senators and representatives from six coal-field states,
and from both sides of the aisle,
also addressed members at the
highly spirited rally. They
pledged their support for legislation that would restore the fmancial integrity of the UMWA's
Combined Benefit Fund (CBF).
Congressional speakers included: Sens. Robert C. Byrd CDW. Va.), Jay Rockefeller (DW.Va.), Charles Robb (D-Va.),
John Warner (R-Va.), Mike
DeWine (R-Ohio), Arlen Specter
(R-Pa. ), and Reps Bob Wise (DW. Va.), Bob Ney (R-Ohio),
Spencer Bacas (R-Ala.), Ron
Klink (R-Pa.), Rick Boucher (D-
Va.), Frank B. Mascara (D-Pa.),
Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.Va.), Ted
Strickland (D-Ohio) Robert
Aderholt (R-Ala.), and Edward
Whitfield (R-Ky.).
Others who spoke were
National Council of Senior Citizens President George Kourpis;
Bituminous Coal Operators Association President David Young;
UMWA International Vice President Jerry D. Jones; and UMWA
International Secretary-Treasurer
Carlo Tarley.
Seafarers who participated in
the rally included JaFar Gordon, Kenneth Jackson, Antwan
Stafford, Beth Ketah, Ibrahim
Muhammad, Nathan Jarmon,
Sean Fortener, Lewis Amundson, Jacob Soeteber, Kris
Fitzpatrick and Kenneth Dyson.
An estimated 12,000 union members join in the May 17 demon~tration
M Capitol Hill.
Each was impressed with the
tremendous turnout and show of
solidarity. Several offered their
impressions.
"I think the rally was very
effective," said Ketah. "It shows
that union members are a proud
people, united, they are like a big
family. It's good that so many of
them came out to support something as meaningful and worthwhile as this."
"Today's is a very strong rally
because other unions are here
supporting the coal miners,"
Fortener offered, "and that's good
because they (the UMWA) are a
hard-working group. They need
to have what they are asking for
in this rally. I'm glad I had the
opportunity to be here and show
my support."
"Coming together like this
helps to build stronger unions,"
Mohammed suggested. "Groups
of people should unite for common causes. As far as politics are
concerned, when politicians see
this many people gather for one
cause, they should take notice
because they are supposed to be
representing the people. They
should give them what they
want."
Soeteber praised the UMWA
stance and all of the supporters
who turned out to rally in their
behalf. ..I understand totally
Vian a Viney Vuint VacatiC>n
Bchools soon w111 t7B ou-i for r.ne
ki~~-iiilnd t-hat- means only one
thin~: &i Gummer vaca1'iio11 i~
~rQ1.m~ th~ Gorner.
SIU members anti -their familie~
who want to do somethin~ different- t:hi& year wit-hoU1~ blowin~ -Che
family bud-ae-i ml(jl'lt. mn5ider 't.ak-
UNION MEMBER
VACATION RATES
A vacation stay at the Paul
Hall Center is limited to two
weeks per family.
MAmber
$40.00/day
Spouse
$10.00/day
Child
$10.00/day
Note: There ;s no charge for
children 11 yQa~
of
~ge
or
youngfi!fr. The pricris listed
above include all meals Dur
do not inolude tax.
In~
.adv.a11t:age of :a benefit unique
vacationing at the
Paul Hall Center for M21ritime
Troining trnd Educl'ltion in Piney
Poittt, Md.
Everythin~ yDu could :a~~ for in
1l su111111er VL'lca-tion c.-an be found 21t
Pi11ey Point. Bee;ide~ c:omfort:~ble
.accommodation~ for the whole
family, a5 well ag, three dedic:iou~
me.als .a day, the Paul HJtll Center
21fforde; plenty of opportunities to
fish, go boating, pl;;;iy tenni& ~nd
swim. Also .av.ail.able for uBe are a
Bauna and exercise facili-Cies.
Piney Point. in S~. M~ry's
County, is ideally situated to .allow
for d~y trips throughau-c -che historic: ~outhern Maryland and
Washington. D.C. me'tropolit.a11
areas. The loc.at.iD11 provides ~
grcn:rt chzmcc to vi~it ~uch l.:::1ndmt.1 rks £15 t.he home of George
w.ash111~'t011
at Mt. Vernon,
Arlington Cemetery and the U.S.
Capitol. Children will love w wur
to
SMfarer~:
~uw?
the FE31 l?uilding or see where U.S.
money i~ made a"t the Bureau of
f'rintintJ and En~ravin~. And
waitchlntJ
t,he sharks at the
Baltimore acquarium is a real
tre;;it.
But: if sight-seeing is 1101i your
idea of .a v.-ac.-ation, there i!3 alw~y~
something going on in St. Mary'B
County, it~elf. Se.>ifood fe&tivGil&,
art exhibit;ions. antique and craft
shows, concerts and theater product.ions .are but a few of the
offerin(3S.
A vilcation stay at the Paul H21ll
Center is limited to two weeks per
family, and the rates are very rea~onal?le
Bill Yockey (white cap), a Mine Worker from Booneville, Ind., thanks
Seafarers for participating in the demonstration. Yockey asked the SIU
contingent to autograph one of the Seafarers· support signs and said he
would keep it as a souvenir and share it with fellow UMWA members.
UMWA International President Cecil Roberts calls on Congress to
honor its commitment providing health benefits for Mine Workers and
their families.
where they (members of the
UMWA) are coming from," he
said.
"The coal miners just want the
respect and benefits that they
have been promised and I think
it's long overdue:· shared
Gordon. "Being here and supporting them fits into what we are
learning about in school. People
coming together and backing one
another for a common cause . . .
that's really what it's all about."
The UMWA supports several
bipartisan measures introduced
recently on Capitol Hill to help
shore up the dwindling CBF:
• H.R. 4144, the Coal Accountability and Retired Employee Act for the 21st Century
(CARE 21) drafted by Rep. Nick
Rahall (D-W.Va.), which would
authorize the transfer of $1 72
million in the Abandoned Mine
Land (AML) Reclamation Fund
interest money to the CBF.
• S. 2538, the Coal Miners and
Widows Health Protection Act of
2000, proposed by Sen. Jay
Rockefeller (D-W. VA.), which
would annually transfer a portion
of the $346 million allocated by
the Clinton-Gore Administration
in its 2000 budget from the U.S.
Treasury into the CBF.
• S. 2584, the Coal Accountability and Retired Employee Act,
introduced by Sen. Charles Robb
(D-Va.) as the Senate companion
bill to Rahall 's Care 21.
SIU Shipping Scenes in Port Elizabeth
(Bee box at left).
Give yourself a11d your family an
unforgettable vacation at f'iney
Poin't. Ge11d the completed applict:rtion form to the Seafarers &
Recreation Center, P.O. E3ox 75,
f'iney Point, MD 20674.
You won't regret it.
PAUL HALL CENTER TRAINING & RECREATION CENTER
Vacation Reservation Information
Port Elizabeth, N.J. typically is a busy place for SIU members.
Such was the case on the recent day when these photos were
taken. Above: Pictured on the Crusader are (from left) Chief
Staward Jo~ Emidy, Wiper J. Vega Mercado and OMU Allen
Newgen. Below: Seafarers tie up the OOCL lnncvatian .
Name;
Social Security number: _ _ _ _ __ _ __
Book number:
Address;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Telephone number:
Number in party I ages of cn11aren, If applicable: - - - - - - - - - - 2nd choice: _ __
3rd choice: ___
Date of arrival: 1st choice: _ __
(Stay is limited to a maximum of two weeks)
Date of departure:------------Send 1hi~ compluUJd application to the Seafarers Training & Recreation Center,
PO Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674--0075.
'
6100
I
L--------------••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••-------------------------------------
14
SeafalYllS LO&
June 20IJIJ
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
APRIL 16 *TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
MAY 15, 2000
TOTAL SIDPPED
ALI Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Port
July & August 2000
•embers/lip Meetings
Trip
Reliefs
.,,eep Sea, Lakes, Inland Waters
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
AU Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Piney ·Point .. ~ .......... Monday: July 3; August 7
DECK DEPARTMENT
6
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
30
4
5
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
13
11
14
13
4
:. )~cksonyille
San .F a11.;:~sco
.32
i\4
' 14
Wilmington.
24
11
Seattle
26
5
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
13
13
27
4
.
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Pofot. ·
3
2
11
' 9
O·
4
8
14
12
7
6
2
4
4
4
7
7
10
17
31
10
12
3
9
7
22
26
16
51
2
8
22
22
7
0
4
19
11
12
4
7
7
1
1
3
3
11
2
3
0
0
14
2
l
4
0
12
3
14
·. .Baltiiµore
4
4
Norfolk
5
4
12
3
0
J
3
Port
Mobile
New Orleans
3
2
·.·.ja~~~n~i·u~ · 22 ·
Seattle
19
10
6
0
103
195
6
0
56
5
0
1
4
10
3
1
11
5
7
7
Baltimore ................ Thursday: July 6, August l 0
20
7
17
23 .
5
15
12
Honolulu ....... ..........Friday: July 14, August 18
7
7
12
41
45
42
2
l
19
20
39
8
7
2
l
I
2
7
14
12
13
4
9
23
2
6
0
1
116
2
0
397
179
25
6
6
13
5
0
10
2
10
3
2
2
2
6
9
7
6
Jersey City .............. Wednesday; July 19, August 23
Mobile .................... Wednesday~ July 12, August 16
New Bedford ......... .Tuesday: July 18> August 22
New Orlean.s >..•.~ .; , , .. TUe$d~y:July lhAugust 15 .
New York................ Wednesday: July 5* Tuesday: August 8
•chapge Cri:t{it~dhy Independence Day holiday
Norfolk ................... Thursday: July 6? August 10
Philadelphia ............ Wednesday: July S~ August 9
San.: f~~S~~~ .:"~: :·· ~:<Th~ay: July 13, August 17
. $a,n Jµan.~:" ..·:.:.;:;··::··:·;Thursday:July 6, August 10
..
'.
·. ··· ·.
·:·.;,..·..;
'·'.••
'
··.·
........ .
.·•·
;: si;.:; L,6~1~<.·;~;.:/'.:.·~~;.:, ....Friday; Jt1l:y14~ August 18
. Tacoma ...... ·.......... .'.. Friday: July 21. August 25
........
Wilmingtoo .. :, ............ Monday: July 17; Tuesday, August 22*
16
13
Jacksonville ............Thursday: July 6, August 10
7
14
7
Houston ......... .........Monday: July l 0, August 14
4
l
8
9
9
Duluth .... ................. Wednesday: July 12, August 16
2
8
12
83
2
Algonac ..................Friday: July 7, August 11
8
2
5
10
20
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
7
8
l
3
0
2
I
4
: ....Stii;t::F.:r!lri"isco ·. .40
..:, 'wnfiiil{i6n
'"' .... ' Jl . . ·: ' !2 "
Puerto Rico
3
2
0
72
·Philad~lphia
11
15
2
0
108
", NeW'' Yotk
17
6
8
3
0
247
Algonac
Totals
50
5
17
3
2
8
4
3
11
1
6
6
4
2
5
,
6
.. , . .. .
*cha'f!ff:C ¢r(lt/tfld by Plmf .Rall birthday haliday
Honolulu
:
Hous~on ... : :..".. :: .............·..
Sb: L9'!.:l(~:::! . ·:::!.;:;·:·:: .
: ::~fo~y·; Poim . ·
· Personals
Algonac
Totals
Port
. :N.~w
rork ..
EDWARD CALLAWAY
(or anyone knowing his whereabouts)
l 4 ..
Please call Marthalyn at (904) 733-0274 .
. .:Phi.i~d~lph~~: ·:. ·;... :; : ..i .: :.;: ·; .
"J,la.ltft'nore
HUBERT CHARLES
· · ·I
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
:· )i\c~g~pviHfi!
8
1
11
· .San F'rancisco
.Wihniugton .
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
: "':. :f!o.uswn
· St. Louis
: ·Piney Point · · ·
Algonac
Totals
7·
16
6
2
4
4
8
JC)
8
10
16
2
15
3
8
I
2
1
. .:· Bait1m~re
Norfolk
Moblle
New Orleans
2 ..
2
40
7
2
5
37
9
4
31
4
2
2
4
2
0
16
5
15
ANYONE WHO KNEW WES TRACY
18
. 3.
.. ,2 '
2
l
l
9
2
40
Shannon Grady, daughter of the late Wesley Tracy, is
seeking information about him "to enable me to pass a
few stories of him on to his grandchildren. " Tracy
reportedly sailed out of West CQast ports in the early
1960s. Anyone who knew him may write to Shannon
Grady at P.O. Box 972, Fall River Mills, CA 960280972.
8
5
3
0
0
o·
2
0
3
0
0
0
0
2
0
35
22
47
247
2
82
8
48
41
1
3
2
14
3
2
18
0
131
51
2
26
1
30
118
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
0
7
15
3
0
0
0
2
0
o·
o
0
0
2
11
11
4
9
11
0
1
1
3
0
0
3
9
9
1
0
8
10
14
0 .·
27
20
23
0
4
14
8
0
s
1:5
22
0
0
12
5
12
2
23
32
5
40
18
11
112
20
·8
3
: ·SP.n f'rahci~co .
7
t5
lO
5
6
ll'
11
::.with1.ihet.~n.... ".
3 '' :. 12
9
3
7
Seattle
7
Pueno Rico
j
Honolulu
9
Houston
1
0
0
2
0
0
Total~
8
2
IO
Total!i
0
3
7
9
12 ..'
.:: ~t. J..9~~~ ' '
:· :.Pihcy Point ·. ·· ·
· Algonac ·
1
0
11
2
4'
YJackS(}riville·· .:
7
6
4
Port
::: ,Now .Y<>tk
·;:·:·pfril~de1
.... . . .... P'hia". ..·
7
10
5
11
. 35 ·
8
2
4
S
17
10
I
9
3
6
3
0
19
3
4
40
0
4
0
12
13
(912) 284-9922 or (904) 384-5404.
THEODORE HENKLE
Please contact David C Williams at (662) 568-2291.
SEAFARERS ABOARD
COLUMBIA EAGLE IN 1970
Were you aboard the Columbia Eagle in March 1970
when it was hijacked to Cambodia? If so, a researcher
would be interested in talking with you. Write to Don
Charleston, 8118 Heacock Lane, Wyncote, PA 19095 or
e-mail: oldtar@home.com.
A New Beginning
12
0
4
I
0
0
3
17
0
42
165
189
25
103
llS
0
79
263
319
549
422
330
439
312
231
159
921
650
542
0
CHARLES DAVIS
Please contact your daughter, Teresa Carreon, at
0
0
22
l
Please get in touch with your old shipmate. Jim Rose,
al (412) 795-1017.
All
Departments
111
"Total Registered.. means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
June2000
AB Antonio Rodriguez happily receives his first pension check in March from Amancio Crespo, safety
director at the SIU hall in Santurce, P.R. Rodriguez
worked in the CSX shoregang in San Juan.
Seafarers LOG
15
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
APRIL 16 CL -
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
AugllStin Tellez
Vice President Contracts
.
J~kCaffey
· Vice President Atlantk Coast
.
Tom Orzechowski
Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters
. , Qt;.a n Co.rgey
Vke President Gulf C<la&
' .~klV1,IJUI J, Mam>,n,e " '
~t¢
idcnt West C<iASt
Pre
..
.
· Ktrmett Mangram
·
Y;.c;e Pr~sident Gov-emment Services
Company/Lakes
Port
0
16
·9·
Algonac
0
9
8
Port
Algonac .
Port
0
5
Algonac
Port
Algonac
IO
'"
.7 '
20:
MAY 15, 2000
L-Lakes
NP -
Non Priority
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
DECK DEPARTMENT
12
0
2
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
". 0 .
6
3
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
..
·3 . ....
0
1
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
0
5
6
'
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
0
0
5
HEADQUARTERS
520t Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
(301) 899-0675
ALGONAC
520 St. Clair ruver Dr., Algonac, MT 48001
Totals All Depts
0
40
44
0
23
14
0
16
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
30
(810) 7944988
--
ANCHORAGE
721 Sesame St,, #lC, Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 561-4988
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
BALTIMORE
APRIL 16 -
. 1216 E. Baltimore St., &Jtimore, MD 21202
'
(410) 327-490-0 .
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
1
MAY 15, 2000
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
0
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
0
Total§ All Depts
5
1
19
12
0
9
12
0
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
5
32
PIC-FROM-THE-PAST
These photos were sent to
the Seafarers LOG by Pensioner Salvatore A. (Joe)
DiMaggio of Scranton, Pa.
The larger photo is of the
deck gang aboard the Robin
Locksley in the summer of
1957. The ship, which was on
the Baltic run, was in drydcck in
the port of Baltimore at the time
this photo was snapped.
Brother DiMaggio is second
from left, sitting on the bitt.
The inset photo shows two
Sais-DiMaggio on the left and
BMun Salvatore Frank on the
right-aboard the Stratport in
1953.
Pen$ioner DiMaggio jcined
tne SIU in 1948 in the port of
New York. Before retiring in
1975, he sailed as a bosun
aboard Sea Transport's !Eagle
Traveler.
Brother DiMaggio, now 74, is
a U.S. Navy veteran of World
War IL He would like to hear from some of his old shipmates. They may call him at (717) 346-
8119.
If anyone has a vintag~ union-related photograph he or she would like to share with the LOG
readership, it should be sent to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Photographs will be returned, if so requested.
16
Seafarers LDG
June2111JO
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
member of the deck
department who
also
sailed as an inland captain
is among the 17 Seafarers
announcing their retirements this
month .
Brother
Richard
G.
Montalvo has some 26 years
with the SIU in addilion to his
service in the u_s. Anny. He
upgraded his skills several times
during his career, most recently in
1994 at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education
in Piney Point, Md.
In addition to Brother Montalvo, three other retirees navigated the inland waters, nine sailed
in the deep sea division, three
plied the Great Lakes and one
worked in the railroad marine
division.
Ten of the retirees were in the
deck department, six shipped in
the engine department, and one
sailed in al I three departments.
On this page, the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of the retiring Seafarers.
A
DEEP SEA
.---=:----------.
LARRY W.
COMBS, 61,
is a native of
Charleston,
S.C. Ile first
sailed in 1955
aboard the
Alcoa Puritan
and upgraded
his skills in 19.59 at the Andrew
Furus~th Trnining School in
Baltimore. A member of the deck
department, Brother Combs last
sailed in 1999 aboard the SetaLund Atlantir;. He is an honorably
discharged veteran who served in
the U.S. Army from 1963 to
1965. Combs now resides in
Reno) Nev.
JERRYW.
DELLINGER. 61,
graduated
frcm the
JAMES V. HIGGINS, 67,joined
the Seafarers in 1967 and sailed
from the port of Mobile, Ala. His
first ship was the Oceanic Wave,
an Oceanic Pioneer Steamship
Co. vessel. Born in Louisiana, he
worked in the deck department.
Brother Higgins last sailed in
1995 aboard the Sea-Land
Galveston. He is a military veteran, having served with the U.S.
Marine Corps from 1952 to 1956
and the U.S . Air Force from 1956
to 1960. He now calls Savannah,
Ga. home.
AHMED
HUSSAIN,
60) began his
career with the
Seafarers in
1977 in
Seattle. Pim
sailing aboard
the lngqr,
operated by Reynolds Metal Co. 's
Marine Division, Brother Hussain
worked in all three departments
during his career. He was a
native of Yemen and bcr;amc an
American citizen. Hussain last
sailed in 1999 aboard Interocean
Ugland Management's Westward
Venture. He resides in Tacoma,
Wash.
WILLIE L.
c;nlry•lcvd
training pro-
gram at the
Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School of
Seamanship in 1967 and jcined
the SIU in the port of New Ycrk.
He first sailed aboard the
Seatrain Savannah as a member
of the engine department. Brother
Dellinger upgraded his skills at
the SIU's training school in Piney
Point) Md. in 1970 and a.ga.1n in
1986. The Ncrth Carolina native
last sailed in 1999 aboard the
Sea-Land Atlantic.
GARIN
DOYLE, 59,
hails from
New Orleans.
A mi;!mber of
the deck
depa.rtment,
Brother Doyle
first sailed in
1978 from Freepon, Texas. His
first vessel was the Co ve
Navigator. operated by Cove
Shipping Company. Doyle last
shipped in 1999 aboard the Sgt.
Matej Kocak, a Waterman
Steamship Com. vessel. He lives
in Rover Ridge) La.
MELVIN H. FERGUSON, 61,
began his career with the SIU in
June2000
1968. First
sailing from
the port of
Tacoma,
Wash., he
worked in the
deck department aboard
the Sea-Land
Fairland. A native of Colorado,
Ferguson last sailed in 1999
aboard the Sea-Land Kodiak.
Brother Ferguson served in the
U.S. Navy from 1957 to 1963. He
calls Port Orchard, Wash. home.
LINDSEY,
50, joined the
Seafarers in
1969 in the
port of New
Orleans. A
native of
Mississippi, he
first sailed aboard the Hastings ,
operated by Waterman Steamship
Corp. Brother Lindsey sailed as a
member of the engine department
during his career, most recently
working in New Orlcan:s as 11
r;rane maintenance electrician. He
last sailed aboard American
Steamship Company's Sgt.
William R. Button. He now calls
Natalbany, La., home.
MOHSIN MOHAMED, 62,
began his career with the
Seafarers in 1968, first sailing as
a member of the engine department aboard the Alcoa
Commander. Brother Mohamed
upgrad~d hi~ ;,kill:s at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship. He rnake:s
his home in Brooklyn1 N.Y.
CARLOS THOMAS, 76, began
his career with the Seafarers in
1990. Born in Trinidad , he first
sailed aboard the Ameri~an
Cormorant. This vessel was operated by Pacific Gulf Marine. A
.---,...,.,.,,.==----
member of the
deck department, Brother
Thomas last
sailed earlier
this year
aboard
Interocean
Ugland
Management's Petersburg. He
now makes his home in Italy.
INLAND
RICHARDG.
MONTALVO, 48, first
sailed in 1977
aboard the
Vulcan, operated by Sabine
Towing. A
native of
Texas, Boatman Montalvo sailed
in the deck department, most
recently as a captain. He was last
employed in 1998 with Sabine·
Hvi de. An honorably discharged
veteran, Montalvo served in the
U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972.
He calls Groves, Texas home.
SIDNEVD.
PELASJR.,
62. is a naLi v~
of Buras, La.,
who sailed as
a member of
the deck
department.
. . .: Joining the
Seafarers in 1971 , he first sailed
aboard Dixie Carriers vessels out
of the port of New Orleans. He
lad ~ailed aboard Barge #St-85 in
New Orleans 1 a vessel also operated by Dixie Carriers . Brother
Pelas still resides in Buras.
GEORGE W. STEWART, 62,
began his career with the
Seafarers in 1981 and first sailed
aboard the Manhattan Island.
Operated by North American
Trailing Company (NATCO) ~ this
ve~~el sa.iled out of New Castle.
Reprinte~ fr~m
Canada. A
member of the
engine department, Brother
Stewart last
sailed in 1999
aboard the
Dodge Is land,
aNATCOLtd.
Partnership-operated vessel. Born
in Key West, he now calls
Seffner, Fla. home. Stewart is an
honorably discharged veteran of
the U.S. Air Force.
.--~~=:----,
STOUDEN-
MIRE, 62,
joined the
Seafarers in
1963 in the
port of
Norfolk, Va. A
native of
North Carolina, Boatman
Stoudenmire worked as a member
of the engine department during
his seafaring career. He last sailed
in 1987 aboard Cape Fear Towing
Company's Fort Fisher. Stoudenmire calls Wilmington, N .C.
home.
GREAT LAKES
ROBERT C. CHARTERS, 61,
hails from Frankfort, Mich. A
member of the deck department
during his career, he joined the
Seafarers in 1961. Charters first
sailed aboard the Ben W Calvin,
11 vessel operated by American
Steamship Company. The same
company last employed him in
January of this year. At that juncture, he sailed aboard the Sam
Laud. Brother Charters is an honorably discharged veteran who
served in the U.S. Army.
WILLIAM COCHENET, 61,
joined the Seafarers in 1960. A
member of the engine department,
he first sailed aboard an American
Steamship vessel from the port of
p;i,st issues of ~he Seafarers LOG
1941'
The SS Robin Moor1 an SIU ship, was the first
U.S.-flag vessel to.be sunk by the Germans.
On May 21, the crew was given 20 minutes
by the Gennan submarine commander to
leave the vessel. After the crew launched the
lifeboats1 and
were
approximat~ly
one
mile from the ship,
·the Gemia'1 subma- .'·.
rine torpedoed the
ship, ~inking tt.
This action led to a · .,
demand, eventually
carried out, that all
.---____,,_ ...-------. RAMZEY A.
NASSER,49,
first sailed
with the Seafarers in I 971
from the port
of Detroit.
Born in
Yemen, he
worked in the deck department
and upgraded his skills in 1988.
Brother Nasser last sailed in 1997
aboard the Saint Clair, operated
by the American Steamship Co.
He now makes his home in
Dearborn, Mich.
RAILROAD MARINE
FRANK J. OTTOFARO, 66,
hails from Richmond, Va. He first
sailed with the Seafarers in 1962
in the deck department. An honorably discharged military veteran, Brother Ottofaro served in the
U.S. Navy from 1955 to 1957. He
was last employed in 1999 with
the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway.
Ottofaro currently resides in
Hampton, Va.
S ea£are i.-s :
Remember to
contribute
to SPAD
for job security.
soon as the Bureau of Internal Revenue and
the NLRB gave their approval to the plan.
Under the terms of the welfare plan as agreed
to by the shipowners committee, Seafarers will
receive $500 in death benefits and $7 per
week in hospital benefits. The plan provides
for the trustees to set up additional benefits as
the fund grows. The plan will be supervised by
a six-man board of
trustees, three from
the union and three
from the companies.
THIS MONTH
Jl'I SJU HISTORY
1991
Sixty-five SIU mem·
~~~~~~======s;:;;:;;;;;;;;:;:;:;;;;;;:;~~::;::;:~ bers were part of a
American .. flag ships be armed and supplied
with gun crews. lt led to the union's dem4nd
also for higher bonuses and insurance.
1950
On June 15, the SIU Atlantic and Gulf
District signed an agreement with the bulk of
st~arnship <:ompan1es und~r contract to the
union, the terms under which the Seafarers
Welfare Plan would operatf. The signing paved
the way for the plan
DALLAS E.
Detroit.
Brother
Cochenet is a
native of
Wisconsin. He
last sailed in
1999 aboard
the Southdown
Challenger,
operated by Cement Transit Co.
to begin
functioning as
contingent of civilian
mariners who -0n June 8 marched rlown the
streets of Washington, D.C. and past President
George Bush in the National Victory
Celebration Parade to honor Operation Desert
Shield/Desert Storm veterans. The military
invited civilian mariners to participate because
of the major role they ptay~d in getting
materiel to the troops, marking the first time
they were invited to march in a parade.
An estimated 200,000 parade viewers were
on hand.
Seafarers LOG
17
�•.
SIU in 1951 in
Lake Charles,
La. A native of
Louisiana, he
worked in the
steward department, last sailing as a chief
cook aboard the
BIN AHMAD
Pensioner Bin
Ahmad, 70,
died February
22. Brother
Ahmad started
sailing with the
STU in 1967.
Born in
Malaysia, he
worked in the
de~k department and frequently
upgraded at the Seafarers Harry
L~ndeberg School of Seamanship in
Pmey Point, Md. He graduated
from the ho.s un recertification program there 1.0 1982 and last sailed
aboard the LNG Aries. A resident of
Ne"'. ~ork, .Brother Ahmad began
rece1vmg his pension in October
1988.
FELIX P. AMORA
Pensioner Felix
P. Amora, 76,
passed away
April 6. Born in
the Philippines,
he be&an his
career with the
Seafarers in
1947 in the port
=~~ ofN~w
Orleans. He worked in the engine
di::pamm:m. last sailing ~bo~d n
Sea-Land Service vessel. During his
career, he also sailed in the steward
department. Brother Amara was a
resident of Daly City. Calif.
~~----'
Star of Texas.
He was a veteran of World War II
having served in the U.S. Army '
from 1941 to 1945. Brother Fontenot
made hi heme in Lake Charles and
retired in December 1982.
JAMES J. GORMAN
Pensioner
James J.
Gorman, 69,
died April 9. He
graduated from
the Andrew
Furuseth
Training School
in 1956 and
joined the
Seafarers in the port of New York.
His first vessel was the West Trader
Born in New York, he worked in the
deck department and upgraded at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School,
where he graduated from the bosun
recertification program in 1973.
During his career, he was active in
union organizing drives. From 1947
to _1952, he served in the U.S. Navy.
Pnor to retiring in March 1994 he
sailed aboard the Ambassador, 'operated by Crow lc;y American
Transport. Brother Gorman was a
resident of Sarasota, Fla.
CHARLES W _HALLER
Daniel G.
Brady, 59, died
Mfil'th 20. A
native of
Chicago, he
began his sailing career in
1977 when he
joined the
Military SMHft
Command. Brother Brady worked in
the deck department, ln:st :sailing
aboard tho Lawrence Gianella, an
Ocean Ships, Inc. vessel. Fort
Meyers, Fla. was his home.
RICHARD C. BUSBY
Pensioner
. " Richard c.
Bu~by, 74,
passed away
March 23. He
joined the
Seafarers in
1947 in the port
of Mobile, Ala.
' .
,
The Mississippi
nuhn:; worked 1fi the engine department and upgraded his skills at the
Sill's training school in Piney Point,
Md. A veteran of World War II he
served in the U .S. N~vy from ig43
to 1946. Brother Busby last sailed
aboard the Del None, opernted by
Delta Steamship Lines. He was a
resident of Mobile and began receiving his pension in December 1984.
MICHAEL D. FLOOD
Michael B.
Floml, 71, died
January 8. Born
in Pennsylvania, he started
his career with
the SIU in 1950
in the port of
Ph11ade1phia.
.:· Brother Flood
wo_rked in the deck department and
retrred in Decembet 1959. He was a
resident of Holmes, Pa. From 1945
to 1949, he served in the U.S.
Navy.
CLARENCE FONTENOT
Pensioner Clarence Fontenot, 82,
passed away March l l . Brother
Fontenot began his career with the
-
18
Seafarers LDG
Charles W. Haller, 46, passed away
February 26. He graduated from the
Se11farers Harry Lundeberg School's
entry-level training program in 1970
and joined the union in Piney Point,
Md. The Thetis was his first vessel.
A native of New Jer~ey, Brcther
Haller sailed in the engine department and upgraded hi$ skilb at the
school. Housten was his home.
JOSEPH KLONDYKE
Pensioner Jo~eph Klondyke, 72, died
February 5. Born in Michigfill, he
~taned his career with the Seafarers
m 1952 in the port of New York.
Brother Klondyke worked in the
deck department, last sailing aboard
the Green Valley, a Waterman
Steamship Corp. vessel. A resident
of Spartanburg, S.C., he began
receiving his pension in June 1990.
From 1946 to 1947, he served in the
U.S. Army.
JACK J. "JACKIE" PARSLEY
Pensioner Jack
J. "Jackie"
Parsley, 65,
passed away
March 26. A
native of West
Virginia, he
joined the SIU
.
in 1966. Brother
Parsley worked
·: ·.
in the engine department and
upgraded hi~ ~kill~ at the School of
Marine n.ngineering in :Brooklyn,
N. Y. Dunng his career, he also sailed
in the inland division as a member of
~e deck department. Prior to retiring
m March 1992, Brother Parsley
worked aboard the Sea-Land
Crui5ader. Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
was his home. From 1951to1955
he served in the U.S . Navy.
'
CATALINO R. RAMOS
· .
Pensioner
Catalino R.
Ramos, 92, died
April 3. He
began his career
with the
Seafarers in
1945 in the port
of New York.
Born in Puerto Rico, he sailed in the
steward department and was active
in union organizing drives. Brother
Ramos was a resident of Beachwood, N.J. He retired in November
1975.
RICHARD SHEEHAN
Richard Sheehan, 31, passed away
February 6. Brother Sheehan started
his career with the SIU in 1999 in
the port of New York. He worked in
the deck department, last sailing
aboard the Global Sentinel. He was
a resident of the Bronx, N.Y.
RICHARD F. SWEETING
Richard F.
Sweeting, 42,
died January 3.
Born in
Maryland, he
graduated from
the Seafarers
Harry
Lunde berg
School's entrylevel training program in 1978 and
jo~ed the ~nion in Piney Point, Md.
His first ship was the Allegiance,
operated by Interocean Management.
He sailed in the deck department
and returned to the school to
upgrade his skills. From 1995 to
1997, he worked in the inland division, last sailing aboard a Moran
Towing Co. vessel. Brother
Sweeting made his home in B11ltimore.
JAMES H. COLBERT
Pensioner
James H.
Colbert, 77,
died March 20.
Boatman
Colbert joined
the Seafarers in
1956 in the port
of Mobile, Ala.
The Alabama
native sailed in the engine department. He was a veteran of World
War II. having served in the U.S.
Army from 1943 to 1946. Prior to
retiring in September 1981, he
worked for Dravo Basic Materials.
Atmore, Ala. was his home.
ROBERT M. CROFT
Pensioner
Robert M.
Croft, 40,
passed away
March 30. A
native of Texas,
he began his
career with the
.. ;, SIU in 1976,
sailing aboard
the C.H. M_asterson. operated by
G&H Towmg Co. He worked in the
engine department and upgraded his
skills at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education in
Piney Point, Md. Boatman Croft last
sailed aboard a Moran Towing Co.
vessel. A resident of Hitchcock
1:exa~, he began receiving his p~n
ston in January 2000.
CHARLES YOUNG
Pensioner Charles Young, 76, died
March 8. Born in Louisiana he first
sailed with the Seafarers in '1959
aboard the Del Sud. Brother Young
worked in the steward department.
His last ship wns the Dd Caribc.
Both his first and last vessels were
operated by Delta Steamship Co.
From 1948 to 1949, he served in the
U.S. Army. He was a resident of
New Orleans and retired in June
1988.
INLAND
MILTON H. ATHERTON
Pensioner MHton H. Atherton, 74,
passed away March 7. Boatman
Atherton joined the Seafarers in
1961 in the port of Norfolk, Va. The
Virginia native worked in the;: deck
department, last sailing aboard a
Mariner Towing Co. vessel. A resident of Cobbs Creek, Va., he bcg11n
receiving his pension in April 1988.
From 1949 to 1950, be served in the
U.S. Army.
WILLIAM P. CAMPBELL
William P.
Campbell, 52,
died April 5.
Bomin
Louisiana, he
began his career
with the SIU in
1966 in the port
of New
Orlcan:;.
Boatman Campbell worked in the
deck department, sailing primarily
aboard vessels operated by Crescent
Towing Co. Gretna, La. was his
home.
JOSEPHS. CHUPKA
Joseph S. Chupka, 46, passed away
February 3. He graduated from the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School 's
entry level training program in 1974
and joi_ned the union in Piney Point,
Md. His first vessel was the tug
Mary Ann, operated by Marine
Towing 0'1. Boatman Chupka
w~~ked in lhe deck department, last
sa1hng aboard a McAllister Towing
Co. vessel. He was a resident of
Philadelphia.
BENJAMIN FITTE
Pensioner
Benjamin Fitte,
78, died
February 29.
Born in
Louisiana, he
began sailing
with the
Seafarers in
,___ ___..m:.:::.....___ _ 1 l 957 from the
port of Houston. Boatman Fitte
worked as a captain, primarily
aboard G&H Towing Co. vessels. A
yeteran of World War 11, he served
m the U.S . Coast Guard from 1940
to 1946. He made his home in Mt.
Pleasant, Utah and started receiving
his pension in February 1987.
CLARENCE R. HAYES.
Pensioner Clarence R. Hayes, 95,
passed away February 6. Boatman
Hayes started his career with the
Seafarers in 1951 in the port of
Norfolk, Va. The Nonh Carolina
native sailed as an engineer and
began receiving his pension in May
1970. He was a resident of
Wanchese, N.C.
THO MAS C. HUTCHINS
Thomas C. Hutchins, 62, died
February 23. A native of Texas he
first sailed with the Seafarers i~
1969, aboard a G&H Towing Co.
vessel. Boatman Hutchins sailed as a
member of the deck department.
Rockport, Texas was his home.
FLOYD H. McGOWAN
Pensioner Floyd H. McGowan 71
passed away F cbruary 19. Aft~r a '
27-year career in the U.S. Coast
Guard, he joined the Seafarers in
1976 in the pon of Norfolk, Va.
Born in North Carolina he sailed in
the engine department ~nd upgraded
~is ~kills at the SIU's trnining school
~n Pmey Point, Md . Prior to retiring
in March 1993, he sailed aboard an
Atlantic Towing Co. vessel. Boat·
man McGowan lived in Chesapeake,
Va.
GREAT LAKES
RALPH J. GOOD
Pensioner Ralph J. Good, 82, passed
away April 4. Born in Ohio, he
began his career
with the SIU in
1961 in the port
of Cleveland.
Brother Good
worked in the
deck department, last sailing aboard a
Great Lakes
Dredge & Dock Co. vessel. During
World War II, he served in the U.S.
Army from 1941 to 1946. He was a
resident of Avon Lake, Ohio.
EDWARD KASZUBINSKI
Pensioner
Edward
Kaszubinski,
73, died
January 20. A
native of
Michigan, he
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1961 in the port of Detroit. Brother
Kaszubinski worked in the deck
department, last sailing aboard a
Great Lakes Towing Co. vessel. A
resident of Detroit, he retired in
November 1988. From 1944 to
1946, he served in the U.S. Army.
VICTOR W. KNECHTEL
Pensioner
VictorW.
Knechtel, 79,
passed away
February 28.
Brother
Knechtel joined
the SIU in 1960
in the pore of
Detroit. Born in
Michigan , he sailed in the deck
department. He was a veteran of
World War II, having served in the
U .S. Navy from 1941 to 1945. Prior
to .retiring in February 1986, he
satled aboard the Sam Laud an
American Steamship Co. v;ssel.
Alpena, Mich. was his home.
WILBERT L. PINNEY
Pensioner
Wilbert L.
Pinney, 78, died
January IO.
Brother Pinney
began his career
with the Seafarers in 1961
.
in the port of
"·
Duluth, Minn.
The Minnesota native worked in the
deck department, sailing primarily
aboard vessels operated by Great
Lakes Towing Co. During World
War II, he served in the U.S. Anny
from 1942 to 1946. He was a resident of Two Harbor, Minn. and began receiving his pension in 1984.
ALVER V. STENMAN
Pensioner Alver
V. Stenman, 90,
passed away
March 2. A
native of
Wisconsin. he
joined the SIU
' in 1960 in the
port of Detroit.
,___ _ _ _ _ _--1 Brother Stenman worked in the engine department, last sailing aboard the JE.
Ferris. He made his home in Ashland, Wis . and retired in October
1974.
WILLIAM E. WILCOX
Pensioner William E. Wilcox, 67,
died February 16. He first sailed
with the SIU in 1957. A native of
Michigan, he worked in the deck
department. Prior to retiring in July
1994, he sailed aboard a Luedtke
Engineering Co. vessel. Brother
Wilcox. who was a resident of Sault
Saint Marie, Mich., began receiving
his pension in July 1994.
June2DOO
�·Digest of ~flipboard .
.· g~i!PJ1'fetinss
The Slatare'fS:. l,o.fl:attemp'tf.:tt(prf6ta1 mtJny digerl$ of union shipboard
· · · . ·: :"· miiiclt~"S.·: 'is:jiiJSiiblilJlfn.ifccasion, because ot space
..
limitations, some will be omitted.
Shipsmli1l!fi[s ilrst are reviewed by the unions contract department
Those i"sues iequlrfiig attention or resolution are addressed by the union
upon fBCf:if!L°'t the ships' minutes. The minutes are then forwarded
· · · : / :F:.t:... to :the Se.atarers LOG for publication.
TRADER (CSX Lines), February
1:3
hnirm.nn Loren E. Watson,
Secretary Ktvin M. Doughtrty,
Educational Dirc.;;tor Robert D.
Mayer, Deck Delegate Ervin T.
Davis 1 Engine Delegate Joseph A.
Canlas, Steward Delegate
Mohamed Muthanna. Chairman
reported all going well this voyage.
Treasurer announced $250 from
ship's fund used to purchase ping
pong table and equipment. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Message received from VP Contracts Augie Tellez regarding outcome of proposed merger vote.
Also received communications regarding use of outside companies
for shoregang work. President's
report from Seafarers LOG revkwtd. Everyeine encouraged
about new U.S.-flag ships, noting,
"H's good to see tangible results of
our potitical efforts and hard
work.,. Bosun reminded crew to
separat~ pladic items from regular
ti'Mh, fill L>Ut repair list and keep
vessel clean. He thanked engineers
for quickly fi~ing broken dryer.
Ncxl ports: Tncomn, Wnsh. and
Oakland> Cati f.
USNS HENSON (Dyn Marine
Services}, Fobruary 12--Chairrrnm
John R.. Wolft, Secretary Harry
Brvwvr, Deck Dii!legate Dnvid
Koory, Stewnd Delegate Kevilt
M. Brown. chainnan stated vessel
due in mid-March to sa· o coast
of we~t Africa (Ivory coast) for 12 yenr voynze for oManographic
survey work. He said he is trying
to introduce faster and t\'J~fe efficient way for seamen to receive
money at payo ff. Some disputed
OT reported in steward depart·
ment. Chairman read president's
report from recent Saafarars LOG
and explained why merging of SIU
and NMU would be good for both
unions- more jobs and greater
variety of ships.
(CSX Lines),
March l 2-Chnirm1m Roy L.
William!il, Secretary William E.
Bragg, Educational Director Allen
D. Park@r, Deck Delegate Charles
A. Mull, Engine Delegate Robert
D. Feltus Jr., Steward Delegate
Clenn A. Taan. Chairman read
president's report from latest LOG.
He stated still no official word as
to ship's renssignmcnt to EMt
Coast, possible toward end of
April. Payoff s:cheduled for Mnch
28 in Oakland, Calif. Secretary
read cover letter and directive from
W@d Cmid VP N icK. Marrone and
applauded effort to bener inform
meni.bers:hip aboard contracted
~HALLENGER
ve!:!:el!: . Di!:CU!:!:ion hell1 abOut
srarrine ship·s fund: all agreed it
would be good idea. Steward t.o
begin accepting donations at rtext
payQff ruid b~gin ~ooount ledg@r.
o beefs or disputed OT.
Suggestion made to reduce in-pon
evening meal service by half-hovr
due to reduced crews, since most
nlrcndy n.rc ashore. Steward
requested help keeping ship clean,
nnd crow was asked for patience
during completion of repairs. Next
ports'. Oakland and Long Beach.
Calif; Honolulu.
DEVELOPER (U.S. Ship
Mnnngcmcnt ). March 19-Chairmnn Roger J. Rtinkt, Sooretary
Ruben Casin Jr., Educational
Director Gary M. Dahl, Deck
Juno2000
Delegate Jo~eph A. Loyal, Engine
Delegate Julio R. Paminiano,
Steward Delegate Ali A. Ghalib.
Chairman announced ship docking
·n Long Beach, Calif. March 22.
Standbys to be on dock when ship
clears customs and immigration.
Payoff scheduled upon arrival.
Crew members to remain aboard
ship until completion of Coast
Guard fire and boat drill. Vessel
will sail following day for Cristobal, Panama and then to the Freeport, Bahamas. Educational director reminded everyone to upgrade
skills at Piney Point. and to complete course work necessary for
STCW endorsement. Course
schedule listed in Seafarers LOG.
No beefs or disputed OT Several
suggestions made: to collect pension after 20 years seatime, to get
update on proposed NMU merger,
to be allowed to collect vacation
checks every 60 days or on discharge from vessel on foreign voyages of 70 days. Lener sent to
union regarding condition of cargo
stncking :frrunes and expanded
metal catwalks. Vote of thanks
given to steward department for
job well done.
DISCOVERY (CSX Lines), March
19-Chairman Nelson Sala, Secretary Jo~@ph A. Laureta, Educational Director Roger M. Wasserman, Deck Delegate Allan R
Cimpb~U, Sttward. Deltgatt
Mark V. Cabasag. Chairman
announced payoff in Long Beach,
Cnlif. on March 25. He thnnked
officials for great job informing
crew members about SIU activi·
ties. Secretary urged everyone to
continue to upgrade skills at Paul
Hall Center. No beefs or disputed
OT. Crew pleased with arrival of
new VCR and thanked steward
department for top-of-the-line
menu. Next ports; Long Beach and
Honolulu.
EXPEDITION (CSX Lines),
March 19-Chairman Norberto
Prats. Secretary Edear Vazquez,
Deck Delegate Efrain Alvarez,
Ensine Delegate Jose Ramos,
Steward Delegate Charles N.
Ratcliff. Chairman announced
everything running smoothly with
no beefs or disputed OT. Educational director advised crew members to take advantage of upgrading courses available at Piney
PMrtt. Chairman. read president's
report from recent Seafarers LOG
and talked about proposed merger
of SIU and NMU. Sugstgtiort
made to receive 365-day pension
credit for 180 days seatime per
year. Anorher recommendation was
for contracts department to look
into prescription covernge for
dependents.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Treasurer announced $4, 109 in
ship's fund and secretary noted
approval from captain for purchase
of games for crew use. Two memos
on NMU-SIU merger vote read and
posted. Satellite dish to be repaired
in Portland, Ore. Everything being
set up for departing crew to clear
Canadian customs. Special vote of
thanks given to steward department
for fine meals 24 hours a day and
for keeping house clean--even
with crew of 99. Next ports:
Victoria, Canada; Portland.
GREEN ISLAND (Waterman
Steamship), March 5-Chairman
Michael Borders, Secretary
McKinley Jones Jr., Educational
Director Thomu P_ Arthur, Deck
Delegate Domingo Contreras,
Engine Delegate Philip W.
Zalewski, Steward Delegate
Lataysha L. Roberson. Educational director reminded crew
members to check STCW and zcards for expiration dates and also
bring TRBs up to date. He also
stressed importance of upgrading
skills at Paul Hall Center. Some
disputed OT reported in steward
department; no beefs noted. Chairman acknowledged receipt of letter
from headquarters regarding new
pay scale and manning. Suggestions made to have vacation
days recognized as seatime for
pension purposes and to separate
living quarters of dayman and
watchstander. Steward department
given vote of thanks for outstanding barbecue.
MAERSK COLORADO
(Maersk), March 19--Chairman
Mohamed S. Ahmed, Secretary
Hugh E. Wildermuth, Educational Director Everett Snow,
Deck Delegate David Joseph,
Engine Delegate Ray Avie,
Steward Delegate Allan D. Bright.
Chairman a.Mounced payoff in
Long Beach, Calif. upon arrival.
He thanked crew for job well done
and reminded them to check expiration dates on endorsements and
to wear hard hats when loading and
unloading cargo. Educational
director recommended taking
advantage of upgrading courses at
Piney Point. Treasurer announced
$498 in ship's movie fund. No
beefa or di:Jputed OT reported.
Thanks given to steward department for great meals and service,
and steward thanked crew for support and helping keep ship clean.
MAERSK TEXAS (Maersk),
March 8-Chnirman J(')hlt M.
Zepeda, Secretary Donna M.
DeCesare. Chairman stated Coast
Guard inspection went well. Ship
looks great and everyone performed well. Repairs still needed
on large washing machine, ice
machine and left upper dryer.
Secretary thanked crew members
for helping keep house clean.
Educational director stressed need
to upgrade at Piney Point and be
sure STCW certificates are current.
Some disputed OT reported by
deck delegate; no beefs or disputed
OT in engine or steward departments. Everyone reminded to clean
room~ thcroughly before payoff.
Stand-bys available at halls. Clarifkation requested from company
regarding money purchase pension
plan. Next port: Long Beach, Calif.
GLOBAL SENTINEL
(Transoceanic Cable Ship), March
22-Chairman Joseph J. Olson.
Secretary Kent D. Rosiek,
Educational Director Ronald J.
Za~h. Chainnan thanked crew for
job well done. Capt. Perez also
thanked everyone for professional
attitude and top performance on
recent cable project. Delegates
given room inspection sheets fer
room repairs. Educational director
stated road to advancement is by
upgrading at Paul Hall Center and
reminded everyone of necessity of
holding valid STCW certificate.
MARINE COLUMBIA (ATC),
March 31-Chairman Anthony J.
S11b11tini, Secretary John F.
Huyett, Educational Director
Emilio Madara, Deck Delegate
Jeff D. Turkus, Engine Delegate
Detricke P. Kelly. Chairman emphasized safety during upcoming
work in Barbers Pt., Hawaii. He
reminded crew to be especially
careful while embarking/disembarking launch boat. Educational
director emphasized importance of
upgrading at Paul Hall Center and
making use of facilities there to
further educate and enhance
careers. Treasurer announced
$1,300 in ship's fund. Approval
given for purchase of new weights
for crew gym. New curtains also
ordered for all living and public
spaces. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestion made for contracts department to look into
reducing time needed to collect
vacation pay from 120 days to 90
days. Request also made for new
washing machine, furniture for
PACIFIC (CSX Lines), March 5Chairman Edward C. DeSoucey,
Secretary Robert Mosley, Educational Director Carmine Barbati,
Deck Delegate Theodore E. Doi,
Engine Delegate Carlito V. Episioco, Steward Delegate Cecil R.
Husted. Chairman read and led
discussion on president's report
from latest Seafarers LOG about
new ships being built. All crew
members strongly welcomed news
of modem fleet. Secretary advised
Innovation Comes to Port Elizabeth
SIU officials were on hand to greet crew members aboard the
OOCL Innovation when it sailed into the port of Elizabeth, N.J.
recently. They updated the Seafarers aboard the U.S. Ship
Management vessel on union and maritime news and handed out,
among other things, copies of the latest Seafarers LOG. At right,
AB Thomas J. Kilbride readies the gangway, while at left (from left),
GUDE Simeon Rivas, Electrician Brian J. Sengelaub and SA
Richard F. Oliva check out the headlines in the LOG.
crew lounge, room keys and dart
board. Next ports'. Honolulu;
Valdez. Alaska; El Segundo, Calif.
NAVIGATOR (CSX Lines),
March 26-Chairman Edward J.
Stoetzel. Secretary Susano C.
Cortez, Educational Director
Daniel F. Dean, Deck Delegate
Joseph Dallas. Engine Delegate
Ross Himebuch, Steward Delegate
Dominico N. Dacua. Chairman
read response from VP Contracts
Augie Tellez regarding suggestion
on vacation pay. Educational director urged crew members to take
advantage of upgrading opportunities at Paul Hall Center. He also
noted $240 collected for movie
fund. Treasurer announced $167
remaining in tuna fund. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Steward
department thanked for great job.
especially excellent meal of black·
ened tuna, sushi and sashimi prepared by Chief Steward Cortez and
Chief Cook Dacua.
OVERSEAS PHILADELPHIA
(OSG Ship Management), March
14--Chairman Lawrence L.
Kunc, Secretary Dorothy Carter,
Educational Director Kenneth
Spivey, Deck Delegate Norman
Tourtellot, Engine Delegate
Apolinario S. Aguirre. Steward
Delegate Mariano M. Martinez.
Chairman related "job well done"
from captain and announced ship
heading to Alaska from Korea.
Secretary going on vacation; new
steward coming aboard. She
stressed upgrading opportunities
available at Paul Hall Center and
reminded members to register and
vote in November congressional
and presidential elections.
Educational director reminded
everyone to check z-cards, STCW
and other endorsements to make
sure they're up to date. Treasurer
announced $1,500 in ship's fund.
Deck delegate noted presence of
gas fumes which needs to be
checked. Suggestion made to
receive vacation with at least 30
days aboard vessel and cut seatime
from 120 to 90 days. This would
put more jobs in halls. Thanks
given for all good work aboard
ship and for good food.
everyone to take advantage cf
upgrading facilities at Piney Point
and make sure z-cards are current.
Educational director also spoke
about new fire fighting school at
Paul Hall Center and reminded
crew to be sure STCW certificates
are kept current. He also stressed
importance of contributing to
SPAD. Treasurer announced $40 in
movie fund, $65 in ship's fund and
$147 in cookout fund. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Crew members offered suggestions for future
contract. Vote of thanks given to
steward department for job well
done, especially cookouts. Thanks
also given to chief electrician. for
his help. Next ports; Tacoma,
Wash., Oakland, Calif.; Hawaiibefore heading to Guam and Hong
Kong.
PAUL BUCK (Ocean Shipholding), March 12-Chairman
William H. Bubrig III, Secretary
Paul Sullivan, Educational
Director Jimmie E. Thomas, Deck
Delegate K.evin O'Callaghan,
Engine Delegate Scott A. Lucero,
Steward Delegate Adolphus C.
Young. Chairman thanked crew
members for their hard work.
Steward echoed thanks, singling
out Chief Cook Tammy Bingisser
for exceptional job. Educational
director stressed importance of
upgrading skills at Piney Point.
Repairs needed on starboard dryer
and basketball hoop. Next ports:
Selby, Calif.; Portland, Ore.;
Ferndale, Wash.
USNS LITTLEHALES (Dyn
Marine), March 5-Chairman
John J. Bluitt, Secretary Willie
T(')omer, Educational Director
John M. Valle. Chairman
informed crew of completion of
voting on NMU merger. Secretary
strongly urged members to upgrade
at Paul Hall Center in order to stay
competitive. Educational director
noted all applications and information on courses available aboard
vessel. Ship's fund to be started
soon. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestions made to
lower minimum retirement age.
Crew requested access to computer
e-mail, separate from captain and
officers. Next port: Aqaba, Jordan.
Seafarers LOG
19
�Know Your Rights
r. ..
.·.· · ·
(Editors note: the Seafarers LOG
reserves the right to edit letters
for grammar as well as space
provisions without changing the
writer intent. The LOG welcomes letters from members, pensioners, their families and shipmates and will publish them on a
timely basis.)
s
Penaloner Karlak
Gives Back to Union
It seems to me t at people
today only know one thing
-take, take, take. Seldom do I
read of the few that gi vc back.
I have the SIU to thank for
everything I own-for sailing
their [contracted] ships at a good
salary and under good conditions-and most of all for the
excellent medical benefits.
Shortly after retiring in 1986, I
was hospitalized for six weeks
-and the union paid everything.
Once I became entitled to
Medicare, which covers 80 percent of the costs, the union continued paying the remaining 20
percent.
If I were to have paid what the
union paid, I'd be wiped out of all
my years of savings.
A number of times, I received
a Christmas bonus from the
union-something I never received ashore before joining the
SIU.
To show my appreciation for
everything the union has done for
me, I am enclosing a donation to
SPAD so the officials can continue their good work in Washington.
Walter Karlak
Woodside Queens, N. Y.
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The
Constitution of the SID Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District makes specific provision for
safeguarding the membership's
money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by
certified public accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee
of rank-and-file members, elected
by the membership, each year
examines the finances of the union
and reports fully their findings and
recommendations. Members of this
committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations
and separate findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds
of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District are
administered in accordance with the
provisions of various trust fund
agreements. All these agreements
specify that the trustees in charge of
these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All
expenditures and disbursements of
trust funds are made only upon
approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial
records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds.
Crew members from the MIV lnt~grity
recently asked that the Seafarers LOG publish
mailing addresses for U.S. Senators and
Congressmen. Here they are;
The Honorable (Name)
United States Senate
W~~hington,
DC 20510
The Honorable (Name)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Additionally, mo$t members of Congress
may be contacted by em~il. To locat~ ~n
address, go to www.senate.gov or www.house.gov. The SIU's web site (www.seafarer5.org) provides links to those sites and to the
Whit@ Hcw~e under our ulegislation" section.
When writing to members of Congress,
whether via letter or email, remember to be
concise_ State your purpose, be factual and
explain how legislation probably will impact you
and others_ If writing about a specific bill.
include its name and number (House bills
begin with H.R., Senate bills with S_)_
Also be sure to include your name and
return address.
The telephone number for the Capitol
~witchboard is (202) 224-3121.
Procedure for SIU Absentee Ballots
Elections for me SIU Atlantic, (;ulf, Lakes and
Inland Wat~rg District are scheduled for later this
year_ As in past SIU election years. a comprehen·
sive guide will be published in the Seafarers LOG
prior to the balloting.
In the c~~e of members eligible to vcte WM
believl!! th~y will M at s~a during the Nov_ 1 through
Dec. 31, 2000 voting period, absentee ballots will
be available_
The SIU constitution gnsures that memb~rs WhO
ar~ ~ligibl~ tc vet~ and who find themselves in this
situation may vote. Procedures are est~bli~hed in
the SIU constitution to $~feg1,1ard the seeret ballot
election, including tl'I~ ~M~nt~~ Miiot process_
Here i5 the procedure to fallow when requesting
an aosentee ballot:
1. Make the reque~l in writing to the SIU offioe of
the secretary-treasurer, 5201 Auth Way, Camp
Springs, MD 20746.
2_ Include in the request the correct address where
the absentee ballot should be m~iled.
3. Send the request for ~n ?bsentee ballet by r~g
istered or certified mail.
4. The r9gi~ten;id or certified mail ~nv~lop~ must
be postmarked no later than midnight, Nov. 15,
.ZO
Seafarers LOii
2000 and must be received at 5201 Auth Way,
Camp Springs, MD 20746 no later than Nov. 25,
2000.
5. The secretary-treasurer. after confirming eligibility, will send by registered mail. return receipt
requested. to the address designated in the
request. a ballot. together with an envelope
rnarkgd "B;;illot" and a mailing envelope no later
than Nov_ 30, 2000_
6. Upon receiving the ballot and envelope, vote by
marking the ballot After voting the ballet, place
the ballot in the envelope marked "Ballot." Do not
write on the ~Ballar envelope.
7_ Place the envelope marked "Ballot" in the mailing envelope which is imprinted with the mailing
address of the bank depository where all ballots
are sent.
8. Sign the mailing envelope on the first line of the
upper left-hand ccrner_ Print name and book
number on the second line. The mailing envelope is self-addressed and stamped.
9_ The mailing envelope must be postmarked no
later than midnight Dec. 31, 2000 and received
by the bank depository no later than Jan. 5,
2001_
SIDPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the
employers_ Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts arc posted and
available in all union ha.Us_ If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority
righb a.s contained in the contracts
between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs. MD 20746
Full copies of contracts as
referred to are available to members
at all times, either by writing directly to the union er to the Seafarers
Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS_ Copies of all SIU
contracts are available in all SIU
halls. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union
official fails to protect their i;;ontractual rights properly, he or she
should contact the nearest SIU port
agent.
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective membership. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Seafarers LOG
policy is vested in an editorial
board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from
among its ranks, one individual to
carry out this responsibility.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU
unless an official union receipt is
given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any
money for any reason unless he is
given such receipt. In the event
anyone attempts to require any such
payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is
required to make a payment and is
given an official receipt, but feels
that he or she should not have been
required to make such payment,
this should immediately be reported
to union headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of
the SIU Constitution are available
in all union halls. All members
should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a
member feels any other member or
officer is attempting to deprive him
or her of any constitutional right or
obligation by any methods, such as
dealing with charges. trials, etc., as
well as all other details, the member
so affected should immediately
notify headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in
employment and as members of the
SID. These rights are clearly set
forth in the SIU Constitution and in
the contracts which the union has
negotiated with the employers_
Consequently, no member may be
discriminated against because of
race, creed, color, sex, national or
geographic origin.
lf any member feels that he or she
is denied the equal rights to which
he or she is entitled, the member
should notify union headquarters.
P OLITICAL
DONATION
SEAFARERS
ACTIVITY
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and purposes
including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering
of the American merchant marine
with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen
and the advancement of trade union
concepts. In connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions
are voluntary. No contribution may
be ~olicited or received because of
force, job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct,
or as a condition of membership in
the union or of employment. If a
contribution is made by reason of
the above improper conduct, the
member should notify the Seafarers
International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the
contribution for investigation and
appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his
or her economic, political and
social interests, and American trade
union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If
at any time a member feels that any
of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been
denied the constitutional right of
access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The
address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
June2000
�June 5, 19; July 3, 17, 31; August 14, 18;
Sept. 11, 25; Oct. 9, 23, 30; Nov. 6, 20
Start
Date
July 10
August7
September4
October2
LiiD·t~;;::,;ff{tr;,!t%U1;(fJ;i:fJ/:§:]ftfiil'f>g@">J..f.;t!tiffiJ~41ii'{;·;f:Ji;.t'}Xtl~
With th1r applicatton, COPIES of the following must be sent · One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts. USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indi-
Name _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~
Address
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -
cating y our department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and QMED applicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee Qf $280 with their uoolicution. The pavment should be made with a money order only.
pavahle to LMSS.
END
DATE
BEGIN
DATE
COURSE
Te1ephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Dup Sea Member D
Date of Birth - - - - - - - - Lakes Member D
Inland Waters Member D
If the following inftJrmatton is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed
Social Security # _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Book#
----------Seniority _ _ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ Department _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D No D
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -
LAST VESSEL: _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Rating: _ _ __
Date On:
Are you a graduate of the SHLSSIPHC trainee program?
DYe~
DNo
If yes, class# ~----------------------
Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D Yes DNo
If yes, course(s) taken----------~--------
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Cuard Lifeboatman Bndorsement?
D
Yes
D
No
Firefighting:
D
Yes
D No
CPR; D Yes
ONo
Primary language spoken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
June2DOD
-~--~--~----
Date Off:
SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPUCATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Ojficu, po_ Rox 75, Piney Point, MD 10674-0075; or Jax to (301) !J!J4-2180.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
6100
Seafarers LOG 21
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Welding -
Members of the engine department earning their certificates of achievement from the welding course on March 31 are (from left) Francis Yapching, Gustavo
Osorio. Roy Matteson. Ali Rhoufiry. Buzzy Andrews (instructor), James Oling and
Sjamsidar MadjidjL
ARPA -
Completing the course in automatic radar and plotting aids on March 24 are
(from left) John Arnold, Kenneth Boone, Daniel Cruz, Mark Klecz, R. Mark Cobb, James
Watson and Mike Smith (instructor)
Tanker Familiarization/
Assistant Cargo (DL) Earning their graduation certificates for
completion of the tanker familiarization/assistant cargo (DL) course on
April 14 are (from left, kneeling) Lisa
Kitashima, Mike Frampton, Eduardo
Ramos, Gregory Douglas, Ali Ali,
Abdul Hassan, Donna Jacob-Scott,
Malika Brown, David Jones, (standing)
Albert Tircuit, Corinthis Thomas, Ali
Rhoufiry. Keith O'Bryan. Shelia Lewis.
Pedro Valdez, Donald Davis, Peter
Kulyk, Rashad King, Steven Lamb,
Larry Hogan, Shirley Winbush, Steven
Kroner, Frank Bakun, Jay Linx and
Jim Shaff~r (instructor) .
Detk Engine Utility -
In their final phase of the unlicensed
apprentice program are (from left) Larry Hogan. Rashad King. Steven
Lamb. David Jones and Donald Davis.
Marine
Electronic~
LNG Familiarization -
Graduating from the LNG familiarization course on March 24 are (in alphabetical order) Andre Bennett, Brock Booker, Larry Crawford, Ede DeOliveira, Miguel Guity, Maxwell
Hci55ell-EI, Donna Jacob-Scott, John Kolodziej, Luis Martinez, Curtis Nicholson, Jerome North, John
P:;}lughi, Dinh Thong and William TMma~ - ThAir instructor was John Thompson _
Technician
Instructor Russ Levin (riatit) congratulates QMED
Mohamed Alsinai for passing the exCim given by
the FCC in global marine distress systems with
radar endorsement. Alsinai completed the Marine
Electronics Technici~n course ~t the Paul Hall
Center on March 31.
22
Seafarers LOG
Galley Operations - Finishing one of the required two-week modules in the galley operations curriculum are (in alphabetical order) Kaid Adam, Monamed Ahmed, Terry Allen, Malika Brown, Donnie Cabanizas, Jonathan Gibson, Johanny
Gonzalez and John PalughL Chef/Instructor Ed White is third from left and Assistant Instructor Scott Burgess is fifth from left.
(Note: not all the course participants are pictured.)
June2000
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Advanced Fire Fighting Earning their advanced fire fighting
endorsements on April 14 are (in
alphabetical order) Gregory Baker,
Andre Bennett, Jeanmarie Berger,
Scott Brady, Dorothy Carter, William
Churney, Jioia De Leon, Heather
Frizzelle, Alberto lnsong, Kameron
Kamaunu, Faustino Onato, Gustavo
Osorio, Romeo Rivera, Wendelyn
Sugui, Derrick Sullivan and Tom
Woerner. Their instructor, John Smith.
is at far right. This was the last class
taught by Smith prior to his death last
month from cancer
GED -
JH~n FMt~r and Elijah Huff (second and third from left) worked hard and
tM academic d~partm~nt t~ ~arn th~ir high school equivalency degree
(GED)_Congratulating tti~ pair ar~ P~ggy D$Mford (left) and Joan Mile5, both in5tructori;;
at the Paul Hall Genter_
mMe use
~f
Able Seaman -
SIU members enrolled in the AB currieulum in April included
(in alphabetical order) Abdulaziz Ahmed, Mary Bado. Dionisio Baldevia, Bernard
Beof, Jonathan Brown. Alvin Clark, Efrain Collazo, John Davis, Clifton Doonis,
Jason Foster, Kathleen Holden. Reginald Johnson Jr.. Benjamin Okazaki. Kenneth
Salgado, Nathaniel Salter, Jeremy Thigpen, Eddie Thomas, Cornelio Villaflor and
Adam Walls. Their instructor was Barnabe Pelingon.
ChiefCook Learning some of
the finer points in
cooking from their
instructors are
(from left) Donnie
Cabanizas, Chef
Instructor Phyllis
Rand, Crista
Arnold. Susan
Radar Observer -
Standing on the construction site for the new radar simulator
Moe, Thalis Ealy
building are graduates of the radar observer class. which ended April 14. From the left
~r'Q SkMm Ruiz, Brock Booker, David Hin~on, Mike Smith (instructor) and Richard Roel.
and Richard Mata.
GED -
Peter Pameointo recently earned his hiOh schOol diplo-
ma while training for his career in the merchant marine (unlicensed
apprentice class 598)_ He stands beside a portrait of Paul Hall,
previous pr~sidMt of the SIU who firmly believed that yo1.1ng peopl9 ;;ir9 th9 futurn of the SIU and th~t the SIU has the best-trained
seamen in the world_
.June2aatJ
STCW Personal Safety - One component of the bosun recertification program is completion of the
STCW per5onal safety class. From the left (front row) are Instructor Ben Cusic, Robert Lindsay Jr., John
Mossbarger, David Kalm, Robert Wilson, Bernard Hutcherson (seated), Johnny O'Ferrell and Daniel Ticer.
In the second row are Steven Ledermann, Rickie Burgess, David Campbell, Jeffrey Libby, Thomas Minton,
Arthur Cross and Paul Matsos.
Seafarers LOS
23
�Number 6
Vacation at Piney Point
Enjoy a summer vacation with your
family at the Paul Hall Center.
See page 14 for information and rates.
Overseas Philadelphia Calls on North Korea
Historic Voyage Takes SIU Ship to Two Ports in Communist Nation
Deep sea mariners often cite
the "chance to see the world" as
an appealing part of their profes-
sion.
For Seafarers aboard the
tanker Overseas Philadelphia,
that opportunity extended to new
territory earlier this year, as the
vessel delivered grain to the
North Korean ports ofNampo
and Hungnam. That is believed
to be the first time an SIU ship
visited the communist country.
Several other U.S.-flag vesselsincluding the SIU-crewed
Maersk Artzona and Overseas
Vivian-also went there at the
~umc
time.
"It was an experience," noted
Rtctrtifitd Steward Don1thy
Cart~r,
who provided the photos
The photos above and at right of the port of Hungnam, North Korea
were taken March 7 aboard the SIU-crewed Overseas Philadf?/phia.
accompruiying thi3 article. "We
ml cd quik u bit ubout the hi~
toric a3ped of the trip, und it
wn3 kind of neut to go 3ome·
where we hndn't been bdore."
Cruttr and st:>mt M htr ship-
Taking advantage of a rare
opportunity to tour North
Korea are SIU members
from the Overseas
Philadelphia along with
three shipping agents and
three officers from the vessel. The SIU members in
the photo are Recertified
Steward Dorothy Carter
(front row, second from
left), and (back row, left to
right) GSU Majed
Alsunbahi, OS Ali Nasser,
AB Larry Toston. Bosun
Larry Kunc, AB Norman
Tourtellot, (second from
right) DEU Apolinario
Aguirre and AB Anecito
Lim boy.
mates went ashOre in Nam.po in
early February. Among those
venturing throu&h the three-hour
t~rnr (dire~ted
by Kumm military
personnel) were Bosun Larry
Kunc AB Norman Tourtellot~
AB Anei:itv Limbvy, OS Ali
Nasser. OS Larry Toston. DEU
Apolinario Aguirre. Carter and
GSU Majed Alsunbahi.
Other than during the super1
vised sightseeing- the t:>nly kind
permitted in North Korea-crew
members "could leave the ship.
but only stay around the port/'
Carter recalled. "To any other
S lU members who happen to go
then;. pkasc do as the authorities
tell you. Because you'll be
arrested if you don't."
Tight security notwithstanding, the Nampo tour proved
enjoyable for the Seafarers. The
guides spoke English and assisted the crew members in commu-
The Future of the SIU
nicating with other North
Koreans.
"We saw sports arenas and
monuments the burial sire of a
political leader, and we went on
a shopping expedition," said
Carter, a 20-year member of the
SIU. Fox hats, hand-made
swca.tcrs and a North Kortlln
~tamp i;;olkction were (lmong the
good~ purchn~cd by SIU mem-
bers.
"My overaJl impression is
that it's very regimented there,"
she continued. "There s security
everywhere. armed guards.
1
There's poverty in some areas.
We could see kids trying to steal
the wheat (nt the port); you
Mt1
tell they're hungry.
..It was a worthwhile experience~ but I wouldn't do it again."
The words printed at the bottom of this sign say it all: "Through this
N orlh Korea is located in
ea~tem
As;a. ;n the northern half
of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea
of Japan. China, South Korea
and Russia are its border countrie~.
Loaded with grain, the Overseas Philadelphia sails through ice en route
to the port of Nam po. North Korea on February 7.
door walks the future of the SIU." Eight young people arrived in April
at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney
Point. Md. to enroll in the unlicensed apprentice program. These
trainees, all citizens of Guam, are the first residents from that U.S.
territory to sign up for the three-phase curriculum which will prepare
them for a career at sea. Beginning the first phase training session
are (in no particular order) Samuel Lloyd, Ryan Legario, Michael
Herrera, Kevin Ignacio, Joseph Benavente Jr., Jerald Martinez,
Christopher Dionio and Allyson Pangelinan.
�
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Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009
Description
An account of the resource
Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present, Seafarers Log Digital Copies
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Seafarers International Union of North America
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June 2000
Description
An account of the resource
HEADLINES
SEAFARERS BACK UMWA IN HEALTH CARE BATTLE
RALLY’S FOCUS: ‘SAVE THE COAL ACT’
WELFARE PLAN AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO SEVEN
SIU ACHIEVES BIG GAINS IN FAST SEALIFT CONTRACT
HERBERGER OUTLINES GOALS TO STRENGTHEN U.S. FLEET
UNION NAMES LAKES VP: T. ORZECHOWSKI
NEW HALL TO OPEN IN BALTIMORE
SIU’S GUAM OFFICE IS FULLY OPERATIONAL
NAVY LEAGUE PRESIDENT CITES NEED FOR STRONG U.S. MERCHANT MARINE
SIU LAKES VP KELLEY RETIRES
CROWLEY SEAFARERS COMPLETE TAILOR-MADE STCW TRAINING
ENGINE SIMULATOR WILL AID PAUL HALL CENTER’S TRAINING
APPRENTICE PROGRAM GIVES ‘SECOND CHANCE’ SHAVIES GRATEFUL FOR OPPORTUNITY AT PAUL HALL CENTER
PUERTO RICO: CARIBBEAN HUB OF ACTIVITY
OVERSEAS PHILADELPHIA CALLS ON NORTH KOREA
HISTORIC VOYAGE TAKES SIU SHIP TO TWO PORTS IN COMMUNIST NATION
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Seafarers Log
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
06/01/2000
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Newsprint
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Vol. 62, No. 6
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/ca8cbda27269aa3443977fb652072553.pdf
7f7bd310e1742008c9a00ed98a694cf2
PDF Text
Text
•
• •
imulator laildin
School Will Add World's
Most Modern Systems
Groundbreaking for the new simulator building at the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education
took place last month. The school, based in Piney Point,
Md., is adding new simulators for shiphandling (insets),
engine room functions, crane operations and liquid cargo
procedures. Pages 12-13.
Local Clinic Contracted on Island
The union last month opened a new hall in
Guam, a U.S. territory where many SIU-crewed
vessels are based. It is located on the third floor
of Sunny Plaza in Tamuning. Additionally, the
Seafarers Welfare Plan contracted with a nearby medical clinic in Harmon, Guam. At right
(from left), SIU Representative Matt Holly,
AB/Dayman Mike Merrell, AB Bruce Bussert,
AB John Favero and Recertified Bosun Peter
Funk arrive outside the hall. Page 3.
Jobs Gained
Joining Call for Global Debt Relief
Seafarers Crew Tanker Prudhoe Bay
The SIU tanker fleet grew last month as Seafarers crewed the Prudhoe Bay from the
hall in Tacoma, Wash. The vessel's run includes three different stops in Washington
as part of the Jones Act fleet. Page 3.
At a rally April 9 in Washington, D.C., Seafarers and other
union members joined fellow activists in calling for global debt
relief for developing nations. AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney (center) delivered a powerful message at the event
when he pointed out that Third World debt is forcing American
workers to "compete for jobs with workers in countries who
are making 1O cents an hour." Greeting Sweeney are (from
left) Recertified Bosun Dan Ticer, SIU Representative Steve
Ruiz and Unlicensed Apprentices Patrick McAlpin and
William Yurick. Pages 2, 11.
�President's Report
Bulldlng for the Future
As you can see on the front page of this issue, we have another project under way at the Paul Hall Center designed to further
improve the quality of the training Seafarers
receive.
The center is expanding and upgrading its
simulator facility. In a big way.
When the Lindsey Williams Building opened
15 years ago, the equipment inside was considered cutting-edge technology. Members could
come to the school to upgrade their shiphanMichael Sacco dling skills using computers rather than actually
being on the water.
Fifteen years ago, the shiphandling simulator was the most
effective way of training. It has been upgraded to the best of its
capabilities. However, it has reached its limits. All the information stored in the separate computer room in the Williams
Building to operate the simulator now can fit inside a laptop
computer.
The new simulator building-scheduled to open this fall-will
continue to provide shiphandling training. The facility is
designed to better prepare deck department members to become
ABs.
The new equipment will allow upgraders to have a full 360
degree view from the virtual bridge. It will have electronic chart
displays in a fully integrated bridge.
Like the old simulator, it will have several auxiliary bridges
along with the main bridge. The difference will be that the separate bridges will be interactive. This means a Seafarer training to
operate a docking tug can work with another upgrader learning to
bring a containership to port. The technology will allow them to
work together to experience this situation. This is just one of
many new training situations that can be experienced.
Seafarers working aboard tankers and tank barges will benefit
from the new technology. The center will be installing a liquid
cargo handling tanker simulator which can be used by inland and
deep sea upgraders. The new system incorporates the latest technology aboard today's tankers, including computerized loading
and discharge.
Engine department upgraders will have their own simulator
courses.
The new equipment will greatly expand the automation training for QMEDs as the center will have the capability to train in
any propulsion mode. This includes diesel propulsion, steam
propulsion, gas turbine propulsion and all auxiliary support systems.
The new building will feature multi-functional classrooms that
will allow for all kinds of training.
And, best of all, the whole system is designed to upgrade and
expand to include the technology needs of the future.
The SIU is proud of the fact that we have the best trained,
safest mariners in the world. This new s ·mulator complex is the
latest proof we intend to keep that distinction.
The Paul Hall Center has continually grown and changed to
meet and exceed the needs of Seafarers since its gates opened
more than 30 years ago. Those of you who have been to Piney
Point know of the many changes that have taken place just during the last couple of years. The culinary lab and the Joseph
Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School are the most obvious. But,
the range of new classes and the modem way that old standards
are taught highlight the school's ability to change with the times.
The Seafarers LOG will keep you updated on the progress of
the new simulator building.
The new facility is the latest example of how the SIU is moving ahead with the times-new ships, new jobs, new technology
and new training for the new century.
Volume 62, Number 5
May 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Au th Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Daniel Duncan; Managing
Editor, Jordan Biscardo; Associate Editor/Production,
Deborah A. Hirtes; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative
Support, Jeanne Textor.
Copyright © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
2
Seafarers LOS
Seafarers Join In Call
For Global Debt Relief
Approximately 50 SIU members took part in an April 9 rally
in front of the U.S. Capitol-a
demonstration described by the
AFL-CIO as "a symbolic call to
the world's industrialized nations
and global financial institutions
to break the staggering chain of
debt afflicting the world's developing nations."
Union members were prominent among the estimated 4,000
people who participated in the
four-hour event, culminating with
demonstrators forming a human
chain around the Capitol.
Organized by Jubilee 2000/
USA, which bills itself as "part of
a worldwide movement of people
of conscience and people of faith,
including trade union members,
environmentalists, human rights
and other activists," the rally
kicked off a week of mobilizations aimed at making the global
economy work for working families.
"High debt levels force developing countries to lower labor
standards and wages in order to
attract corporate investment,"
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney
told the Jubilee 2000 crowd.
"That means American workers
must compete for jobs with workers in countries who are making
10 cents an hour. It pits worker
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney calls on Congress to cancel the debt
owed by some nations.
against worker and nation against
nation in a race to the bottom, and
it's a race we must stop with debt
relief."
OS Joao Cordeiro, interviewed by a television reporter
during the event, said that canceling the debts of the most heavily
indebted nations "is the right
thing to do." That will help
enable them to boost spending on
education, health care and job
creation, he stated.
According to rally organizers,
40 such nations owe other governments and financial institutions, such as the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund,
some $220 billion, with little realistic hope of repayment. One
result is that these countries cannot afford the most basic social
needs.
In Mozambique, recent floods
killing more than 600 people and
displacing a million more added
to already crushing poverty, said
Eufrigina dos Reis Manoela, a
member of that nation's parliament. Yet Mozambique must
spend most of its few resources
on servicing its debt.
"That money should be used
for long-term development to
Continued on page 11
Many of the Seafarers who took part in the demonstration show off part of the chain held by participants
around the U.S. Capitol to symbolize the chain of debt incurred by developing nations.
St. Louis Port Council Honors 3
The St. Louis Port Council f;'!JIT2Wi'!777~
of the Maritime Trades
Department, AFL-CIO last
month honored three individuals during its annual
dinner event. Pictured at
the April 8 affair are (from
left) Dick Mantia, port
council president; Jack
Martorelli, port council
VP: Michael Sacco, MTD
and
SIU
president;
Missouri
Gov.
Mel
Carnahan, recipient of the
Joseph Sacco Friend of
Labor award (named in
memory of the late SIU
VP); Jimmy Hathman, president of the Iron Workers District Council of St. Louis and winner of the
Labor Man of the Year award; Ken Behlmann, president of the Behlmann Automotive Group and honoree as the Management Man of the Year; and Jerry Feldhaus, executive secretary-treasurer of the
Building and Construction Trades Council of St. Louis.
May 2000
�Prudhoe Bay Signals New SIU Jobs
The union last month gained new jobs in its Jones Act tanker fleet
as SIU-contracted Crowley Maritime became the operator of the former ARCO vessel Prudhoe Bay.
After the first SIU crew signed onto the ship, the vessel began lightering operations in Puget Sound, Wash. The Prudhoe Bay usually
loads several grades of gasoline, jet fuel and diesel at the Cherry Point
refinery and then lighters to Crowley barges in Anacortes, Wash.
Built in 1971 in Baltimore, the tanker is 810 feet long and has a
105-foot beam. It can carry approximately 443 ,000 barrels.
SIU Tacoma Safety Director Jamie Overby met with Seafarers as
they boarded the tanker late last month. He reported they were excited
at the prospect of new jobs for SIU members.
In the engine room of the former ARCO tanker are (from left) GUDE J. Israel,
OMU Earl Olson, Safety Director Jamie Overby, OMU John Lange and OMU
Casey Barber.
Helping keep the galley
operating smoothly is Chief
Cook Gary Loftin.
Formerly part of the ARCO
··· . 'fleet, the Prudhoe Bay now
by SIU members.
Pictured aboard the newly contracted tanker Prudhoe Bay are (from
left) AB Alula Teferi. ABT. Ingersol. Safety Director Jamie Overby and
Bosun Lewis FitzjearL
On 'Z' Job in Pearl Harbor
SIU Opens Hall in Guam
Welfare Plan Contracts With Clinic
With the opening last month of
a new SIU hall in Guam,
Seafarers now have an additional
location where they can register,
file for benefits, acquire upgrading forms and beneficiary cards
and take care of other related
business with the union.
Additionally, the Seafarers
Welfare Plan has contracted with
Harmon Doctors' Clinic in Guam,
so members may utilize that facil-
ity to meet their medical requirements for shipping.
"Considering the large number
of SIU-contracted ships that are
based in Guam, this is a logical
move that should prove very convenient for the membership,"
observed
SIU
SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel. He
added that in addition to the SIU
halls in the continental United
States, the union now operates
Earlier this year, SIU-crewed tractor tugs accomplished their task
of docking an aircraft carrier at the Naval base in Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii as these photos were taken. Seafarers first crewed the new
"Z-class" boats in early 1999. Operated by Admiral Towing and
Barge Company. the tugs feature a Z-drive-an integrated unit
which replaces conventional propellers and rudders. It performs
propulsion as well as steering, thereby enabling the tug to push or
pull in any direction. Each of the Hawaii-based tugs-named Z-
Three, Z-Four and Z-Five-is 95 feet long.
Seafarers in Guam may utilize the new SIU
hall at Sunny Plaza (left) and the new clinic in Harmon (right).
SIU Hall in Guam
Sunny Plaza
125 Tunjesus Crisostona St.
Suite 301-E
Tamuning, Guam 96911
Telephone: (671) 647-1351 or
1350
Fax: (671) 647-1359
SWP-Contracted Clinic
Harmon Doctors' Clinic
2214 Route 16
Harmon, Guam 96912
halls in Guam, Hawaii, Alaska
and Puerto Rico.
The Guam hall is located at
Sunny Plaza (third floor), 125
Tunjesus Crisostona Street in
Tamuning. The clinic is in nearby
Harmon, located at 2214 Route
16 (see box above).
Meanwhile, progress continues in the modification of the
building on Essex Street that will
serve as the SIU's Baltimore hall.
The union anticipates transferring
its Baltimore operations from the
current facility on East Baltimore
Street to the newer building in the
near future.
Taking advantage of the newly contracted clinic in Guam are SIU members (from left) AB/Dayman Mike
Merrell, AB Bruce Bussert and AB John Favero, each with Tesh Caole of the Harmon Doctors' Clinic.
May 2000
Seafarers LOG
3
�Membership Receives President's Pre-Balloting Report
SIU President Michael Sacco
has issued the pre-balloting report
to the membership announcing
general elections for the union's
officers will take place this year.
The releasing of this report is
called for in Article X, Section
1( e) of the SIU constitution.
The report lists the various
offices that will appear on the
will
begin
ballot.
Voting
November 1 and continue
through December 31.
Those elected will serve a
four-year term from 2001 through
2004. A total of27 positions from
president to port agent will
appear on the ballot.
In presenting the report, Sacco
noted he has worked with the
union's executive board and port
officials to appraise the needs of
the SIU for the next four years
and beyond, while considering
changes that have occurred in the
industry.
Printed below is the full text of
the 2000 pre-balloting report.
May 8, 2000
Pursuant to Article X, Section
1(e) of our Constitution, I am submitting at this regular May membership meeting of this election
year, my Pre-Balloting Report
The balloting for our General
Election of Officers for the term
2001-2004 will commence on
November 1 and continue through
December 31, 2000. The election
will be conducted under the provisions of our Constitution, as
amended and effective July 13,
1989, and such other voting procedures as our SecretaryTreasurer may direct
I have, in consultation with our
Executive Board and
Port
Representatives, made a careful
appraisal of the needs of this
union, its membership and its currently existing constitutional ports.
We have carefully considered the
changes that have taken place in
the maritime industry over the last
few years, with a view toward
the
ever-changing
meeting
demands.
It is my recommendation, in
accordance with our Constitution,
that the following offices be placed
on the ballot in the 2000 General
Election of Officers for the term
2001 through 2004.
HEADQUARTERS
President
Executive Vice President
Secretary-Treasurer
Vice-President in Charge of
Contracts and Contract Enforcement
1 Vice-President in Charge of
the Atlantic Coast
1 Vice-President in Charge of
the Gulf Coast
1 Vice-President in Charge of
the West Coast
1 Vice-President in Charge of
the Southern Region, Great Lakes
and Inland Waters
Seamen's Missions Offer Aid
Centers Assist Mariners Throughout U.S.
Editor s Mte.· Sinclair Oubre, an SIU
member and diocesan director of the
Apostleship of the Sea, wrote the following
article. A Catholic priest, Oubre joined the
SIU in 1990. This year, he has sailed as an
AB aboard the HMI Dynachem and the
ocean-going tug Doris Moran.
You finish the last gulp of coffee before
going below to relieve the watch. It is 1945
hours, and you finish the story with your
crew mates. Going below, you relieve the
watch. As you look at the clock in the control room, it is 2000 hours. A tremendous
shudder rattles the ship to her keel, and at
the next moment of consciousness you are
on the deck, wondering how you traveled
the last 15 feet.
As you come to your feet, and head to
the main deck, you see the ravaged deckand then come upon one of your friends
who only a moment before was sharing
your story. He is pinned and dying, crushed
by equipment that came loose in the explosion.
• • •
A clear night meets the watch and the
ITB slowly moves out of the channel. Up
ahead, a ship is heading into port. The two
vessels are positioning themselves to pass
port-to-port.
This pmcedure has happened thousands
of times before, but this time something is
different. The alignment is not right.
Closing at more than 20 knots, it's too
late to avoid collision once you realize this
will not be a standard passing situation.
A tearing sound rings from ahead, the
vibration of two vessels sliding past each
other. It is followed by the bright light of
igniting fuel.
You had read of things like this happening, but you thought it only happens to
other people.
You ring the emergency alarm, and the
crew tries to go to their emergency stations. However, the flames already have
engulfed the barge, and the fire's intensity
prevents the mate from reaching the life
raft canister.
Can't stay, can't get to the life raft, so
there's only one choice left. You grab your
life jacket, and you and the rest of the crew
jump into the black abyss.
As you rise to the surface, the acrid
smells of petroleum fumes fill you lungs,
and you do not know if you will make it.
• • •
The above stories are true, but they are
not unique. When a maritime casualty hap-
4
seatarers LOB
pens, damage occurs. There is one type of
damage to the ship-but there are two
types of damage to the crew members.
The first type of crew injury is the physical trauma: broken limbs, lacerations,
bums. These conditions need immediate
attention.
Vice-President in Charge of
Government Services and Fishing
Industries
1 Assistant Vice-President in
Charge of Contracts and Enforcement
1 Assistant Vice-President in
Charge of the Atlantic Coast
1 Assistant Vice-President in
Charge of the Gulf Coast
1 Assistant Vice-President in
Charge of the West Coast
1 Assistant Vice-President in
Charge of the Southern Region,
Great Lakes and Inland Waters
1 Assistant Vice-President in
Charge of Government Services
and Fishing Industries
2 Headquarters Representatives
10 Port Agents
There shall be one port agent
in each of the ten Constitutional
ports; namely: Piney Point, New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Mobile, New Orleans, Houston,
Though they are terribly painful, they
can be treated, splinted and bandaged. The
healing takes time, but each week, progress
can be seen until the bones and flesh heal.
Once healed, the mariner can physically
return to his or her profession.
The second type of damage is much less
obvious, and may take much longer to
heal. This is the psychological hurt that
each mariner suffers in his or her own
unique way.
Often, one is not aware of the depth of
the psychological damage until the physi-
San Francisco, Detroit-Algonac
and St. Louis.
In accordance with the abovementioned Article X, Section 1(e)
of our Constitution, I am required
to recommend a bank, a bonded
warehouse, regular office thereof,
or any similar depository, to which
the ballots are to be mailed, no
later than the first regular meeting
in October of this year. I will make
such recommendation to the
membership before such deadline.
As provided for in Article XIII,
Section 1, nominations open on
July 15, 2000 and close on August
15, 2000.
The foregoing constitutes your
President's Pre-Balloting Report
and subject to my further recommendation as to the depository to
be made hereafter, I recommend
its adoption.
Fraternally submitted,
Michael Sacco
cal healing is completed, and one prepares
to board the next ship. This happened to
one of the crew members of the SS Texaco
Oklahoma. He did not realize the degree of
his injuries until he attempted to board the
plane to meet his next ship.
At that point, he realized he could never
go back. The pain was too great, the hurt
too deep.
A friend recently said to me, "The company was very good about getting help.
Continued on page 8
Fire Fighting Instructors
Smith, Combs Pass Away
The SIU and the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training
and Education are mourning
the loss of two fire fighting
instructors-John Smith and
Richard "Stormie" Combswho passed away recently in
unrelated cases.
Smith,
71, worked
at the school
in
Piney
Point, Md.
smce 1988.
He
died
April
16
~----~ after battling
John Smith
cancer-a
disease
which he refused to let keep
him off the job, right until his
final days.
Combs, . .rm......_,.__,
55, started
teaching at
the Paul Hall
Center
in
He
1996.
died March
26, apparent- ~"
ly from com- ·ifw.w.'.!"''''''
p 1i cat i on s Stormie Combs
after
what
was expected
to be fairly minor surgery.
Both men helped plan and
build the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety School
(pan of the Paul Hall Center),
which is the premier marine
fire fighting facility in the U.S.
It opened last year.
"It's a shame. I don't know
how you replace either one of
them, because they both did
such a great job," said Don
Nolan, vice president of the
Paul Hall Center. "We extend
our condolences to, both fami-
lies, but I know that everyone
here at the school also feels as
if we've lost two members of
our family."
Jim Hanson, safety director
at the center, knew both instructors well.
"When we hired John, he
told me that he never dreamed
he would get paid for doing
something he loved so much,"
Instructors John Smith (left) and Stormie Combs (center), picHanson recalled. "It didn't tured at the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School with
take long for him to prove that. fellow teacher Rick Redmond, brought dedication and expertise
Whenever you gave him a to their jobs.
class, a project or anything
else to do, he was on it right
A Florida native, Smith Mechanicsville (Md.) Volunaway. I learned in a very short served in the U.S. Navy from teer Fire Department and was
time that I didn't have to check 1950 to 1973. He remained an a familiar face at local schools,
on him to see if a task was active member of the Bay where he annually instructed
d(')ne, because it always was.
District Volunteer Fire Depart- children on fire safety during
"I have known Stormie
ment, located in Lexington "Fire Prevention Week."
since we joined the county's
Both made numerous trips
volunteer (fire fighting) com- Park, Md. and was to have
been
inducted
this
month
into
to
the
SIU-contracted passenpanies," Hanson continued. "I
Southern
Maryland ger boats Delta Queen, Misstook him on his first trip on the the
Delta Queen to show him the Volunteer Fire Department issippi Queen and American
different classes we do for Association Hall of Fame. (His Queen, where they provided
those crews, and I immediate- posthumous induction took on-site safety training for
ly knew he was going to love it place at Smith's memorial ser- Seafarers.
In various remembrances,
and do a great job for us. vice on April 22.)
He instructed an estimated they were praised as extremely
People on the boats looked
forward to his return. He had a 7 ,000 students throughout reliable and diligent.
way with people; you just had Southern Maryland, not only
"They're a credit to this
to love him."
at the Paul Hall Center but also school," stated Bobby Dean,
Fellow instructor Anthony at local colleges and emer- another fire fighting instructor
Hammett also knew both men gency-services organizations. at the Paul Hall Center.
for many years.
During most of his years at the "Stormie never had an enemy.
0
Stormie would give you Seafarers school, he was the John, once you got through the
the shirt off his back in a
primary fire fighting instructor rough exterior, you saw that he
snowstorm," Hammett said. "I
had a love for the fire fighters
for the trainees.
never saw him upset. He was
and Seafarers he trained."
born
in
LeonardCombs,
always trying to help someRecertified Steward Dorotown, Md., was a veteran of
body.
the
U.S.
Air
Force
(1963thy
Carter described Combs
"John was a good instructor, too," he continued. "I hope 1969). He worked as a fire and Smith as "very supportive.
I'm (working) that hard when fighter for the Department of They were always there for the
I'm that age, because he'd Defense for 23 years before students. and we needed that
wear me out. He really put a joining the Paul Hall Center more than anything else. They
staff. He was an officer for the meant a lot to us."
lot of energy into his job."
May2000
�Military 'Depends' on Merchant Marine
Joint Chiefs Chair Shelton Reaffirms Support for U.S.-Flag Fleet
The nation's highest ranking
military officer told cadets at the
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
in Kings Point, N.Y. that the military "depends" on the U .S.-flag
merchant fleet.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, Gen. Henry H. Shelton
(U.S. Army), addressed the students during the academy's 12th
Battle Standard Dinner on April
5. His remarks covered several
topics, but he opened with his
emphatic support for the U.S.flag fleet.
"Quite simply stated, our
national security strategy depends
on a vital merchant marine, and
the Joint Chiefs and I know it and
so do our leaders in Washington,"
Shelton stated.
"Ask any officer from any of
the services who has had the
opportunity to serve on a joint
task force in the myriad of hot
spots around the globe- just ask
any of them if the U.S. merchant
marine is important to their operations," noted the general.
"You will not only get a 'yes,'
Georgine Retires as President
Of the Building Trades Dept.
Robert A. Georgine retired last
month as the president of the
Building and Construction Trades
Department, AFL-CIO, (BCTD)
a position he has held more than
25 years.
"The trade union movement is
losing one of its giants," noted
SIU President Michael Sacco.
"Bob Georgine has always
been a fighter for building trades
members. He has done a lot to
improve the lives of a.11 working
people_ We are all going to miss
our friend," added Sacco, who
also is president of the Maritime
Trades Department, AFL-CIO.
The BCTD board elected
Edward C. Sullivan, president of
the International Union of
Elevator Constructors, to finish
Georgine's unexpired term. The
board also selected Joseph
Maloney, who had been the executive director for the Canadian
office of the BCTD, to be the
department's secretary-treasurer.
Georgine, 67, started his
career in his native Chicago
catching hot rivets as .an Iron
Worker helper. After serving in
the Army, be began an apprentice
program as a lather. He later was
elected business agent of Lathers
Union Local 74 before becoming
president of the International
Union of Wood, Wire and Metal
Lathers_ He was elected to the
BCTD post in December 1974.
AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney called Georgine "a
strong and effective leader_ His
supp6rt for the programs of the
AFL-CIO has been a critical factor in our rebound in organizing
and political power."
New York Bill Aims to
Include Mariners in
Civil Service Exam Law
New York legislators are considering a bill that
would provide men and women who sail in the U.S.
merchant marine with the same status as members
of the U.S. armed forces when they apply to take a
state competitive civil service exam.
State senate bill 1710 was introduced earlier this
year by 12 members of the upper body of the New
York State Legislature. It is being considered by the
Senate's Committee on Veterans and Military
Affairs.
May2DDO
and Construction Trades Dept. He
is pictured with SIU Pres_ Michael
Sacco after addressing the 1998
Mart meat department workers
earlier this year voted to join the
UFCW. Since that mid-February
vote in Jacksonville, Texas, the
company's union-busting lawyers
have used red tape in attempts to
stall and subvert the exercise of
employee rights.
Armstrong, who works at
Crown Cork & Seal in Abilene,
Texas, pointed out that several
UIW members at the plant have
family members who are employed at Wal-Mart_
"So, we've had an inside look
at some of the tactics the compa-
ny is using to prevent this election from being successful," be
noted. "The UFCW has one representative in town for these [ 1OJ
meat cutters; the company bas 20.
The company is bringing in each
employee one at a time and then
in groups, telling them that
unions are just 'big business that
wants their dues.' Then they tell
them the union won't get them
Gen. Henry H. Shelton
ed all U.S. forces during the
Persian Gulf War also has been
vocal in his backing.
"Since I became chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I have
come to appreciate first-hand
why our merchant marine has
long been called the nation's
fourth arm of defense .... The
American seafarer provides an
essential service to the well-being
of the nation, as was demonstrated so clearly during operations
Desert Shield and Desert Storm,"
noted Gen. Colin Powell in 1992.
MarAd's Hart Visits SIU Vessels
Maritime Trades winter executive
board meeting.
Like the Maritime Trades, the
BCTD is one of seven trade and
industrial departments within the
AFL-CIO. The BCTD is composed of 15 international unions
representing 3 million construction workers in the U.S. and
Canada.
The measure would amend the present state law
to allow merchant mariners to take the same makeup civil service exams as permitted members of the
armed forces when they are not available on the regular testing day because they are on active duty.
Civil service tests are required for some jobs in
the Empire State. The position goes to the person
with the highest score. The law provides for military
personnel who are forced to miss an exam they have
qualified to take, to have a special test administered
later.
SIU Vice President Atlantic Coast Jack Caffey
saluted the legislators introducing the bill. He said
recent actions to include mariners who sailed in
World War II as veterans made the elected officials
aware of the problem with the state's civil service
exam process.
SIU Affiliate Backs
Wal-Mart Campaign
On the heels of the first prounion vote by Wal-Mart employees~ the AFL-CIO and the United
Food and Commercial Workers
(UFCW) have launched a joint
nationwide educational campaign
to spotlight the harmful impact
the huge retail chain is having on
working families and their communities across the nation.
"Regardless of industry, occupation, trade or craft, Wal-Mart is
destroying jobs, lowering wages,
eliminating health benefits and
busting unions" wherever it situates, said AFL-CIO President
John Sweeney and UFCW President Douglas Dority in a letter to
all AFL-CIO state federations
and central labor councils.
During the campaign's early
stages, two members of the SIUUnited
Industrial
affiliated
Worker (UIW}-Mike Armstrong
and Glenda Copelin-recently
participated in a rally in Tyler,
Texas, near the town where Wal-
Robert Georgine (left) retired last
month as president of the Building
but a resounding 'yes-and-canwe-have-more! '"
This is not the first time the
Battle Standard Dinner has been
used by a chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff to declare support
for the U.S.-flag commercial fleet
and
its
American
citizen
mariners.
Three years ago, Shelton's
predecessor, Gen. John M.
Shalikashvili, told the cadets,
"Today, after two centuries, our
merchant marine is every bit as
important and every bit as vital to
the commerce and defense of our
nation as it ever has been.
"We simply cannot overstate
the vital contributions of our U.S.
merchant marine. Our national
security depends on its vitality,"
Shalikashvili stated.
These two chairmen are not
alone in their support. The man
who served in the post immediately prior to both and command-
anything (through collective bargaining) or represent them."
Armstrong is president of the
AFL-CIO Abilene/Big Country
Central Labor Council, which
supported the Tyler rally.
Sweeney and Dority took part
in that event, which may be a
springboard to union representation for other workers at WalMart's 2,485 stores in the U.S.
"We won't stand by and let
Wal-Mart take our money at the
cash registers as consumers, then
stab us in the back as workers,"
said Sweeney. "As a movement,
we must take steps to respond to
Wal-Mart's attack on our living
and working standards."
Meanwhile, the UFCW welcomed a ruling in late March by
the National Labor Relations
Board ordering a union representation election for meat and
seafood department employees at
the Wal-Mart "Supercenter" in
Palestine, Texas.
Labor's initial reports in ·its
nationwide educational campaign
concerning Wal-Mart pointed out
that, among other facts, Wal-Mart
is the largest outlet for imported
goods in the United States, buying many products from countries
Seafarers aboard the Gopher State and the Petersburg recently
welcomed U.S. Maritime Administrator Clyde Hart (far right) aboard
the respective vessels in Guam. Recertified Steward George
Borromeo aboard the Petersburg said Hart complimented the SIU
for its reliability. Recertified Bosun Peter Funk told Hart that the
crews "extend our gratitude for the opportunity to serve MarAd and
our country in the most professional manner possible." Pictured
with Hart aboard the Petersburg are (from left) Captain Jay Parker,
Guam Rep. Robert Underwood, Funk and Borromeo. Both ships
are operated for MarAd by lnterocean Ugland Management
where child labor, slave labor and
human rights suppression are
commonplace.
Additionally, an average WalMart employee earns about
$11,700 per year (working 30hour weeks), while only 38 percent of Wal-Mart employees have
company-provided health cover-
age (the national average is more
than 60 percent).
And qespite the company's
"Buy American" and "Bring it
Home to the USA" slogans, a pair
of 1998 studies revealed that 80
percent and sometimes more than
90 percent of clothing sold in
Wal-Mart is foreign-made.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney (left} and Mike Armstrong, a member of the SIU-affiliated United Industrial Workers, discuss labor's
efforts to protect Wal-Mart workers' legal right to choose union representation. The two met at a rally in Tyler, Texas.
Seafarers LOG
5
�With 29 diversified facilities for handling all types
; of cargo, the port of Los Angeles-including Long Beach
· and Port Hueneme-is one of the busiest in the nation.
In recent weeks, SIV Wilmington Port Agent John Cox
met some of the incoming SIV-crewed vessels in those ports
f\fq'~,;0··;r1·,<W{;%''J!:ti-1'.~;(t1\?2t.;1)1)fi>'I to update the members on recent activities within the union
and the maritime industry and to clarify or respond to any
questions raised during their voyages.
Cox also provided the photos appearing on this page.
More of these pictures will be included in an upcoming
issue of the Seafarers LOQ.
Susan Galka (above) is an AB
aboard the USNS Effective (below),
a SWATH vessel operated by Maersk
for special missions of the Military
Sealift Command.
Aboard the Developer, AB Jerry Borucki loads barrels with the help of a deck crane.
In the Wilmington Hall
When the Overseas New York tied up
in Long Beach, the camaraderie
among crew members was evident.
Pictured above are QMED Stanley
Golden and Recertified Steward
Nancy Heyden.
6
Seafarers LOG
Working on deck are Overseas New York crew members (from left)
Bosun Carlos Loureiro. Chief Engineer Jeremy McCartney and
Chief Pumpman Dencio cayan.
Chief Cook Carlita Navarro
AB Ron J. Sagadraca
May2000
�Work Starts Aboard Lakers Despite Low Water Levels
Low water levels in the Great
Lakes-the fastest decline in
nearly 150 years-is not only
affecting shoreline property owners and marina operators, it also
is forcing cargo vessels-like the
SIU-crewed American Republic
-to lighten their loads in order to
avoid running aground in channels and ports.
Lakes Huron, Michigan and
Erie each have fallen 312 feet
over the past three yearsbetween 11 and 13 inches below
last year's levels. (The waters on
Superior and Ontario have
remained fairly constant because
they are regulated by locks and
dams.)
Some of the marinas and channels can be dredged to avoid boat
damage, but freighters and barges
have resorted to cutting their
loads-some by as much as 6,000
tons-to reduce their drafts by
two feet in order to stay clear of
running aground in narrow waterways and ports.
According to Glen Nekvasil,
spokesman for the Clevelandbased Lake Carriers' Association,
"When you light-load your vc:ssd
by 6,000 tons, you 're leaving
more than $200,000 on the dock.
This is not really a positive development, but there's nothing we
can do about it."
Nekvasil further noted that if it
took an average of 50 voyages to
meet a customer's coal or iron ore
requirements in 1997, it now
would take 52 trips with a lightened load.
The low water levels could
mean additional runs during this
season for SIU-crewed vessels.
Sometimes a laker can run
more routes to make up the shortfall, but those that must traverse
the Sault Ste. Marie locks are
limited since the locks are closed
from January 15 to March 25 due
to winter ice.
Vessels that don't have to pass
through the locks have taken
advantage of the lack of winter
ice to stretch the shipping season
and get in more runs. This year,
for example, the SIU-crewed
Medusa Conquest started the new
season by sailing from Chicago to
Charlevoix on February 7-just
13 days after its last voyage from
the prior season. That meant that
some Great Lakes mariners, who
usually have ab.:>ut twl'.'.l ml'.'.lnths
off during the winter seas.:>n, this
year had only about two weeks.
Scenes like these are not uncommon on the Great Lakes this year.
Above: the lake bed is clearly visible where the American Mariner is tied
up. Below: four additional feet of water usually pound against this dock.
Nekvasil confirmed that in
such cases, shipping on the Great
Lakes "is becoming a year-round
industry."
The reason for the low water
levels this year is two warmerthan-average winters. Snowpack
runoff, rain and winter temperatures affect the water levels on the
Great Lakes. This year has seen
much less snow, lower-than-average rainfall and increased evaporation of surface water due to the
mild winter. Higher temperatures
mean less ice to protect the lakes
from early evaporation and less
melting snow to replenish tributaries and groundwater. And if the
lack of rain continues, the Illinois
Natural Resources Water Survey
Division believes a drought-and
therefore water shortages-are
possible this summer.
Dealing with this whim of
Mother Nature is especially difficult since only three years ago,
the water levels were at a nearrecord high.
In spite of the low water levels, Seafarers are hard at work,
carrying the cargoes so vital to
the economy of this nation: iron
ore, stone, coal, cement, sand,
grain, salt and liquid bulk products.
Fitout on t.IJe Alpena
Cleveland, Ohio
While the American Mariner was docked at Drummond Island, OS
Justin Von Sprecken did some work from the landing chair, as did
(inset) OS Robert Crosby.
Mark LaFrance
Cook
Norbert Hinrichs
Wheelsman
Taking part in a lifeboat
drill aboard the John J.
Boland in Sandusky,
Ohio are (clockwise from
top) Wheelsman Kelly
DeVine, Bosun Michael
Keogh and Wheelsman
Larry Skowronek.
James Werda
Wheelsman
May2000
Seafarers LOG
7
�r
NATCO Crews in the News
lnq1irin9 Seatarer
Question: Which port was your
favorite to sail into and why?
(Asked of SIU members in the
union hall in New Orleans.)
Norman
Jackson,
Steward• Recife,
' Brazil. It was
a pleasant
place. I loved
the beach
and enjoyed
being there.
Terrence
Ford,DEU
- I've only
been to one
port outside
the country
and that was
Haifa, Israel.
It is nice, the
climate is
good and the people are good.
March proved noteworthy for Seafarers sailing aboard NATCO dredges, for at least two reasons. First,
as reported on page 4 of the April St:1afarers LOG, SIU crews overwhelmingly approved a new threeyear contract. Participating in negotiations were (top photo, from left) NATCO VP Bill Pagendarm; SIU
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Port Agent Ambrose Cucinotta; Seafarer Dale McKelvie; SIU Asst. VP Contracts
George Tricker; Seafarers Ray Maddock, Mike Horn and Jeff McCranie; NATCO Project Manager Bill
Murchison and NATCO Operations Manager George Strawn. The agreement includes wage and benefit increases and was extremely well-received by the membership. In the next two photos, Seafarers on
the Padre Island meet with SIU Mobile. Ala. Port Agent Ed Kelly (left photo, standing) before casting
their Vl".'.ltes. Meanwhile, Captain Steve Taylor provided the two photos at bottom. which illustrate another newsworthy happening involving NATCO crews (also reported last month). SIU member Dennis
Johnston (right) helped rescue a local sport fisherman whose boat otherwise would have smashed into
either these rocks (left) in San Juan Harbor or the grounded runaway-flag ship nearby.
...,......~--==---___,
Jimmy
Dea no,
BREC Perth,
Australia. It
really was
five women
to every
people were
nice there to
me. I sailed
a majority
of my time between India and
Puerto Rico.
When I kit I t1eeded tounseling,
they sent me to a good family
counselor. The counselor was
very good and very qualified, but
she could not understand the life
of a seaman, or life on board a
ship.
"I went to the sessions, but
they really did not help," the
friend continued. Lilt was only
when I talked to my uncle who
had been a seamen during World
War II. He had his ship torpedoed
out from under him. He experienced being in the dark water, the
stench of oil, and the loss of his
shipmates. He understood what I
had gone through and the ways of
the sea. Because he knew, he
could teach me how I could heal
and sail again."
My friend then said, "Father,
could you tell the mariners that if
they are in the same type of situation that I faced, they can come
to the seamen 's mission. There,
they can find a priest or minister
who knows the life of the mariner
and can be a listening ear as he
B
seatarers LOG
tries to heal his mind and spirit."
I promised to do so, and that j~
the purpose of this article.
• • •
All along the coasts of North
America are seamen •s missions
that are at the service of mariners.
Often, these places are thought of
as a location for a ride to the
store, a place to call home or a
port-o call for a cheap beer.
However, and most importantly,
they are the mariner's place for
spiritual ministry of mind and
soul.
As a port chaplain and as an
active mariner, I invite you to
visit the seamen's mission near
you for help in healing your mental or spiritual pains. These may
be the result of a casualty, or
other causes.
Very recently, a brother
mariner shared with me how
much a local seamen 's mission
helped him to overcome his
addiction to alcohol. He confessed that he wouldn't be working today if he had not been given
some tough love, and loving up-
port at the local seamen's miss1on.
If you are unsure where the
closest seamen's mission is to
you, I invite you to check at your
union hall, or contact the Rev.
Paul Chapman at the North
American Maritime Ministry
Association. Rev. Chapman
works in coordination will all the
centers in North America. His
phone number is (212) 533-6945.
You also may contact him by
email at PKCMAN@aol.com or
by writing to him at 23 7
Thompson St., New York, NY
10012.
Another contact is Rev. Bob
Balderas at the Apostleship of the
Sea: telephone (202) 541-3226;
email aos·usa@nccbuscc.org;
mailing address 3211 4th Street,
N.E., Washington, DC 20017.
Also, feel free to contact me at
(409) 838-0451 extension 137.
As my friend said, "If I would
have known more about the seamen's mission, I would have
gone there earlier."
Chief
StewardAntofagasta,
Chile. Nice
and tropical
with beautiful scenery.
The people
greet you nice. The beach is beautiful.
Birke,
QMED Mombasa,
Kenya. I
went on a
safari, saw
elephants
and other
animals in
the wild. I had a good time.
Lawrence
man.
Calcutta,
India. The
Continued from page 4
....---,....._--...,...__..,..,..,......, Howard
Williams,
Everybody
told me that. I went and I said,
'They weren't lying.'
J ohnny
Young,
retired Chief
Cook-
Seamen's Missions and Centers
Areat~eServWeof Marinen
Stacey
Bernard,
OS - Singapore. It is a
nice place
for shopping
for clothing
and souvenirs. It is
beautiful for
sightseeing.
Laurie
Christmas,
QMED I've been
around the
· world many
: times - I
used to be a
Delta Lines
stiff - and
any place in Brazil would be my
favorite.
~
Wright,
retired
QMEDMombasa,
Kenya. It felt
just like
home. The
people were
very friendly.
Frank
Cotton gin,
AB/Dayman
- I guess
Estonia, in
the Baltic
Sea. Everything about
it. The
scenery was
nice, plus it was my first ship
(Liberty Sea), so it was exciting.
Michael
Devalle,
L ChiefSteward
· . - Any place
~ in South
. America.
· The people
~ were nice. It
was a paradise run for
members back then on Delta Lines.
Bosun Mixon Commended
By Overseas Chicago
Capt~
Recertified Bosun Jesse Mixon recently was credited by
Captain William Gould for his outstanding work aboard the tanker
Overseas Chicago.
In a letter to Mixon, which was forwarded to the SIU, Gould
noted the "very fine job you have done during this past shipyard
period aboard the Overseas Chicago. Both the chief mate and
myself have been impressed not only with your competence and
ability to get the job done, but also by the way you worked so well
with shipyard and contract employees."
The letter continued, "Thanks in large part to your determination and dedication the Overseas Chicago has come a long way ....
Whether it was setting up the rigging to paint the undersides of the
bridge wings, or insuring the airless paint sprayer kept running,
you continually made sure things happened.
"You are a credit to both your profession and the SIU."
Mixon has been an SIU member for 26 years.
May2DOD
�New Orleans Members Meet With HQ Officials
Active and retired Seafarers at
the New Orleans hall got together
April 11 with officials from SIU
headquarters during the monthly
membership
meeting.
SIU
President Michael Sacco, Exec.
VP John Fay and Sec.-Treas.
David Heindel participated in the
assembly, along with more than 50
members. Sacco provided updates
on the potential merger of the
NMU into the SIU; the importance
of doing a good job and working
safely aboard ship; new job opportunities in the SIU; donating to
SPAD, and more.
Attending the membership meeting in New Orleans last month are
(from left) SIU Patrolman James Brown, President Michael Sacco, New
Orleans Safety Director Chris Westbrook, Secretary-Treasurer David
Heindel and VP John Fay.
President Sacco (above) updates
members (top right) on the latest
happenings within the SIU and
the U.S. maritime industry.
Group from Guam
Begins Curriculum
At Paul Hall Center
Eight citizens of Guam arrived
ship. Finally, students return to
last month at the Paul Hall Center
the center for department-specific
training that prepares them to
begin sailing aboard SIU-contracted vessels.
for Maritime Training and
Education in Piney Point, Md.,
where they are enrolled in the
unlicensed apprentice program.
They are the first residents
from the westernmost United
States territory to sign up for the
three-phase curriculum, which
r pares students for a career at
SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel (right) greets Recertified
Steward Ernie Hoitt, who gave a vote of thanks to SIU President
Michael Sacco and his staff.
Alaskans Tackle Apprentice Program
sea.
Arriving from Guam were
Samuel Lloyd, Ryan Legario,
Michael Herrera, Kevin Ignacio, Joseph Benavente Jr.,
Jerald Martinez, Christopher
Dionio and Allyson Pangelinan.
The unlicensed apprentice
program includes an initial 12week training session in Piney
Point covering the basics, followed by a 90-day practical training and assessment period that
takes place aboard a U.S.-flag
Welcoming the first group from Guam to enroll in the unlicensed
apprentice program are Paul Hall Center VP Don Nolan (fifth from left)
and Recruiting Director Bart Rogers (far right). The newest apprentices
are {from left, front row) Christopher Dionio, Michael Herrera, (second
row) Samuel Lloyd. Ryan Legario, Allyson Pangelinan, Joseph
Benavente Jr., (third row) Kevin Ignacio and Jerald Martinez.
Assisted by a career-placement program run by the state, four
Alaska residents are enrolled in the entry training program at the
Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. They chatted with school and
SIU officials following last month's membership meeting. Pictured
from left to right are Patrick McAlpin, Paul Hall Center VP Don
Nolan, Beth Ketah, SIU President Michael Sacco, Lewis
Amundson, Jacob Soeteber and SIU Secretary-Treasurer David
Heindel.
New Bedford Patrolman Retires
More Apprentices Earn GEDs
A familiar face at the SIU hall in New Bedford, Mass., Patrolman
Eugenio DeSou:sa (left, with Port Agent Henri Francois) retired
April 28. Desousa worked at the New Bedford hall for 13 years.
Previously, he worked in various jobs in the fishing industry, both
in the U.S. and in his native Portugal. DeSousa's plans for retirement include spending time with his children and grandchildren.
working around his New Bedford-area house and-despite
decades of doing this for a living-fishing. "He did a great job and
will be missed," noted Francois, who presented Desousa with a
commemorative plaque.
In recent months, a number of unlicensed apprentices have taken advantage of the GED program
offered at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education. During last month's membership
meeting at the Piney Point, Md. facility, apprentices Quinton Washington and Elijah Huff (fourth and fifth
from left, respectively) were congratulated by SIU officials for earning their high school equivalency
diplomas. Pictured from left to right are Seafarers Plans Administrator Lou Delma, Asst. VP Contracts
George Tricker, SIU President Michael Sacco, Washington, Huff, SIU Sec.-Treas. David Heindel, SIU
VP Contracts Augie Tellez and SIU Baltimore Port Agent Dennis Metz. Also earning his GED was
apprentice Donald Davis, who was unable to attend the meeting.
May2000
Seafarers LOG
9
�On SW Ships in
San Francisco
SIU members aboard the
Sea-Land ships Challenger,
Pacific and Trader and on
Matson's R.J. Pfeiffer and
Lurline met recently with
officials from the union's San
Francisco hall. Pictured on
this page with the SIU crews
are SIU West Coast VP Nick
Marrone, Asst. VP Nick
Celona and Safety Director
Vince Coss. During the shipboard meetings, crews and
officials discussed (among
other news) the maritime
industry's latest training
requirements, construction of
new SIU-contracted ships,
and the importance of political action.
Sea-Ltmd Trader
VP Nick Marrone, Recertified
Bosun Dennis Brown
Sea-Land Challenger
VP Nick Marrone, Chief Steward Bill Bragg
Lurline
Chief Cook Jon Blasquez, VP Nick Marrone, Chief Cook John Stein,
Safety Director Vince Coss, QMED Ed Rynberg, Recertified Steward
Louella Sproul
R.J. Pfeiffer
Asst. Cook
Marcus Rowe,
Chief Steward
John Bulawan,
Chief Cook
Ronnie
Richardson,
Asst. VP Nick
Celona
·:.; il<l«jw~·:.iti~·3~rt,¢1(::ari<l ·:support manttme tabor's
... 'fight to .t>resefv~ American jfJips, manned by ·.
: :t95:s·:··.: ; ·:· . . ··.
Lurline
(Sitting) VP Nick
M~rrone, Chief Steward Lucille Aguilar
(Standing) Matson's James Mann, Chief Cook Steven Sun,
Asst. VP Nick Celona
Federation Promotes Savings Bonds
American seamen at ':Arilerican·wage levels. He .:·
lald the.responsibility for the decline of U.s.·
. m~ri.dme:·af the door.of ~he Departments of .· ·
Agricuftu·re, Defense and State, whose polkie$ :
weaken rather than help American shipping. ,
~h~ . irimrqye~'t .we~f~e ·and··. bospitaU~tton pack- · Sen~tors v ance. Hartke, T~d Kennedy and
·
/·~g¢·'. :Were··.ri~gO,tia,t¢d: :Wit~ the s~.!P O\.Vn~rs :on . ·. o·aniel IJ'touye also ·Called for a stronger .:
the advke·of the
.
Americaii~flag· mer~
·S~afare..S W~lfare Plan.:· ,
chant fleet in speeches
A v~~tpe~: plan to indud~ hospi~I an~ su~gicar·pe~¢fl.t5;;; ..(p.~usJ ~Ii incruse in ·disahUitY:.: .
.· benefits,·. hOspltal benefits and death ·benefits..
will go .into effect on June 1. The provisions of
The provisions
. .
·include: Jiospitat bene~
The AFL-CIO is endorsing this year's national campaign overseen by
'
the U.S. government encouraging citizens to "save for a more secure :·. fits fofWives of..:·
·: :s~afarerfarid unmar~ .: :;,
future" by investing in savings bonds.
In announcing its backing, the federation (to which the SIU is affiliated) noted, "Even though we are in the midst of the best economic times in
history, as a nation we have a very low savings rate . ... Savings bonds provide Americans, young and old, a safe and convenient way to save.
Whether buying the familiar series EE or the inflation-protected series I,
savers receive competitive interest rates, exemption from state and local
income taxes on earnings, and under certain circumstances exclusion from
federal income tax if the bonds are used to pay the tuition and fees of higher education."
The new series I bond is currently earning 6.98 percent interest, and the
series EE was earning 5 .19 percent as of April.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, labor chairman on the national volunteer committee promoting the campaign, said, "The labor movement's
long history of endorsement for the savings bonds program has been based
on our concern for assuring that union members and their families know
about and have access to this opportunity of saving for a sound financial
future. For many working Americans ... savings bonds can offer an easy
and relatively high-yielding method to save for their future needs."
More information is available on the internet at:
www.savingsbonds.gov.
10
Seafarers LOB
THIS MONTH
'M
.... Ht rTo
,:f~ ~--V :· .· ~(
~·
='
· ._ .;
· beforetheconven- · ·
1
tiQn~ .
. v ..,··
ried children under
19; provisions .for
. home visits by a fami- rn:=~~~====~~============~ Ending nearly 72
.
hours of uncertain
ly physician; surgical benefits up to a maxicaptivity by the new Communist Cambodia
mum of $300; death benefits are raised from
the entire 39-m.an crew, 28 of them
$1,000 to $3,500 and the disabflity pension · regime,
SIU members, of the seized containership
·is. increased .by .·$ lO per wee~ tq $~5 pet
M~yaguer were safely rescued tare· Wednesday
week. ·
·
evening, May 14, by the naval destroyer USS·,
Wilson shortly after military action was carried
out by combined U.S. Marine and Air Force ·
' 1965 ·
..
. The 12th biennial convention of the Seafarers units against the Cambodians~~..
The Mayaguez, en route from Hong Kong to ·.
International Union of North Alnerka was
Sattahip, Thailand loaded with 225 containers
held in Washington from May 26 through
1
of cargo, was reportedly seized in intern9tional ·
J~ne l. The highlight of the conventlon s first
waters off the coast of Cambodia in one of the
day' came when Aft-CIO President George
most traveled trade routes in Southeast Asia.
,Meany pledged that, the federation would go
May2000
�ISeat arers Participate in Jubilee 2000/USA: Breaking the Chains of Debt I
Continued from page 2
cure social ills," she said during the rally.
As one union member put it, "If they
could get the debt canceled it would mean
their governments wouldn't be so easy to
exploit by corporations that are just looking for the cheapest way to make the bigger profits. They don't care about the people in these countries."
Among those
shals were (kneeling) L.G.
Johnson, (standing, from left)
Josh Ellerbee, Jerramy McNeil,
Jessy Lorusso and Thomas
Minton.
OS Joao Cordeiro (left) is interviewed
by a television reporter.
Left: Blake Horton (left)
answers a visitor's question
about the rally.
Ready to lend a hand to rally organizers are (top photo, from left)
Seafarers DeShawn Stephenson, Dave Campbell, Mike James and
Ole Olsen, along with (bottom photo, from left) Dan Ticer, Brad Lowry,
David Jones, Travis Kirchhofer and Todd Curry.
Low temperatures and a daylong wind advisory didn't deter
SIU members from taking part in
last month's rally in Washington,
D.C. supporting debt relief for
developing nations. At right
(from left), Bob Wilson and
Blake Horton join thousands of
other supporters near the
Capitol. Below (from left),
Seafarers John Mossbarger,
Jioia de Leon, Heather Frizzelle,
Steve Ledermann, Dorothy
Carter and Joao Cordeiro arrive
early for the April 9 event.
Why Global Debt Relief
Matters to Working Families
Editors note: The following is reprinted with
permission, from the AFL-CIO.
Saddled with enormous debt owed to international financial institutions and rich countries, the
governments of many developing nations ex.pose
their citizens to exploitation by multinational corporations and are unable to spend money on critical health and education needs.
This overwhelming debt helps speed the global
"race to the bottom," lowering wages, living standards and workers' rights not only in poor nations,
but in the United States as well. Relieving that
debt would help create a global economy that
works for working families in all nations.
Because they lack their own resources, poor
governments have to borrow billions of dollars
from the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund to finance their economic development. But these institutions often require poor
countries to reduce spending on social programs,
cut wages, eliminate job security and privatize
public enterprises. These moves can be devastating. leading to massive job losses, which in tum
May2000
make it hard for governments to afford to pay back
their debts.
The pressure to repay their debt prevents governments of developing nations from meeting their
citizens' basic needs. For example, Zambia spends
$3 on debt payments for every $1 it spends on
basic social services. This in a country where,
according to the Harvard University Center for
International Development, 20 percent of the population is HIV positive, 30 percent of children
have no vaccinations and half of the population
has no access to safe drinking water.
Meanwhile, in their efforts to augment international loans with private investments, governments
of developing nations often lower labor standards
and wages to attract corporations-undercutting
jobs here and abroad by forcing competition with
workers who earn as little as 10 cents an hour.
Because the debt owed to the United Sates is a
ver.y small proportion of our overall budget, relieving developing nations' debts would barely impact
the United States- but it would make a huge difference to the countries affected.
Seafarers LOS
11
�Paul Hall Center A
L
The engine room simulator
includes diesel propulsion
plant consoles (upper left),
the electric power plant
main switchboard (upper
right) and electric power
plant consoles (right). It is
designed for the training of
engine room watchkeeping
personnel in the operations
of a vessels diesel propulsion plant and electrical
power plant and includes
an auxiliary systems and
machinery simulator.
ast summer, the Paul Hall Center for M
marine-oriented fire fighting and safe
of its kind.
The center, located in Piney Point, Md., i
mier this fall when it is scheduled to open ne
simulator in the world. Altogether, the refu
addition will feature new simulators for ship
tions and liquid cargo procedures.
Deep sea, inland and Great Lakes Seafar
upgrading courses will utilize the new simula
tice program. Without exception, the simulat
with the amended STCW convention.
These new simulators will go a long way
trained in the latest shipboard technology," s
help SIU crews prepare for the challenges of
"It's going to be a huge boost to the stu
added J.C. Wiegman, assistant director of v
"Several years of research went into this, incl
ulators overseas. Because of the thoroughne
the best equipment for the best-trained, safes
The centerpiece of the expansion w'ill
360~degree viewing sector and three interac
include an integrated ship control console wi
(GMDSS), electronic chart display (ECDIS,
console and more.
Graphically, it is believed to be as power
The simulated "views" from the bridge are re
wide variations in weather, time of day and c
It provides teaching support in the follo
coastal and offshore navigation; collision avo ·
igation systems; search and rescue operation
igation; bridge watchkeeping procedures incl
GMDSS procedures; oil spill response manag
bridge team management.
The engine room simulator is potentially
wipers to engineers. It is designed for the trai
in the operations of a vessel's diesel pr
Additionally, it includes an auxiliary systems
The crane and liquid cargo simulators are
The simulators are designed by Transas M
Further details about the simulators and t
upcoming issues of the Seafarers LOG.
0
Adding to the realistic feel
of the simulators is an integrated ship control console
with tools such as Furuno
radar (lower left) and electronic chart displays
ECDIS (left and below).
Thousands of navigational
charts from around the
world are included
Some Classes That Will Utilize
New Simulators
AB
Bridge management
Third mate/limited license
Unlicensed apprentice
Inland courses
QMED
FOWT
Pumproom maintenance and
operations
Crane maintenance
electrician
Tankerman-PIC (barge) (DL)
Tankerman familiarization/assistant
cargo (DL)
Diesel engine technology
Marine electrical maintenance
Gr,
Ql
12
Seafarers LOB
May2000
�•
Qing 4 Simulators
Instructors can select from a wide variety in weather, time of day, location and class of vessels for the full-mission shiphandling simulator (above and two photos directly below).
aritime Training and Education opened a new,
school now considered by many as the best
looking forward to another blockbuster preclassrooms equipped with the most modem
bished Lindsey Williams Building and new
andling, engine room functions, crane opera-
rs in nurutf(")U~ deck and eng;ne department
ors, as will students in tht unlicensed apprenr~bascd
training in those cour es
ill cDmply
oward helping ensure that Seafarers arc fully
id SIU President Michael Sacco. "They will
the new century."
ems, the instructors and our entire school,"
cational education at the Paul Hall Center.
ding evaluation of some of the high-tech sims of that research, we know we' re installing
-working mariners in the world."
fu11-mission shiphandling simulator with a
ive auxiliary bridges. The main bridge will
h ARPA/radar, global marine distress system
ith charts from all over the world), a steering
u] a system as exists anywhere in the world.
arkably realistic, and the programs allow for
ing areas: voyage planning and execution;
dance; ARPA/radar operation; electronic nav; vessel traffic management; high speed rtavding tugs and barges, towboats and pilottttg;
ment; port dcvdopmcnt; human factors; and
seful to any rating in that department, from
· g of engine room watchkeeping personnel
pu1sion plant and electrical power plant.
and mat;hinc,ry simulator.
imilarly advanced and useful.
nne.
t; classroom expansion will be published in
With state-of-the-art equipment and unparalleled
graphics (two photos
directly above, right and
below)J the bridge simulator will bolster numerous
classes at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime
Training and Education. It
includes a 360-degree
viewing sector.
undbreaking for the new simulator classrooms
the Paul Hall Center took place la.st month.
May 2000
Seafarers LOB
13
�Each summer, the Paul Hall Center fot Maritime
·.: Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. opens its
:-. :·doors to vacationing Seafarers and their families.
·: · There is ·much to take advantage of at the center - com.·f?rtable accommodations, three delicious meals each day, a
·• . libtaty, !'ealth spa, te~s courts, ~lympic-size swimming
:· ··· .pool, .s~ilb()ats and mtles of beautiful landscape for peaceful
::· walks or picnics.
·
In historic southern Maryland, where the facility is located, are
~any fam~us la1!dmarks and ~actions-something for everyone
in the family- like seafood festivals, arts and crafts fairs, antique
shows, country auctions and acres
of unspoiled parkland.
The center also is just a short
drive front Washingto~ D.C.,
Arlington.1 Va. and Baltiinoi'e.1 ·
Md.t each offering many histori...
"'" .~V.
cal and educational sights as well
·· •
as recreational pursuits lik~ baseball
11111m1i1.-,,,.,
at Camden Yards..
A vacation stay at Piney Point
is limited to two weeks pe'
family.
. .....
f t:·
PAUL HALL CENTER TRAINING & RECREATION CENTER
Vacation Reservation Information
Name:
Social Security number'.----~------ Book number:
- - -- - --
UNION MEMBER VACATION RATES
Address'.
A vacation stay at the Paul Hall Center is limited to
Telephone number:
Number in party I ages of children, if applicable:
0 ate of arrival:
1st choice:
t
I
----------~------
2nd choice: - - - -
3rd choice: _ _ __
•r
Member
$40.00/day
Spouse
$10.00/day
Child
$10.00/day
I
I
I
I
•
I
(Stay is limited to a maximum of two weeks)
two weeks per family.
I
I
I
• Note: There is no charge for children 11 years of
Date of departure: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
I
I
I
I
Send this completed application to the Seafarers Training & Recreation Center,
P 0. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674.
age or younger. The prices listed above include all
' meals but do not include tax.
~ - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
I
I
5100
----- ~~-~~-----~~--~-~--~--------------------------------------------------------------------!
f4
Seafarers LOG
May 2000
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
MARCH 16 - APRIL 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Port
New York
Philadelphia
B~ltimor~, •..
Norfolk
Mobile
19
. 4
17
5
4
6
11
15
7
9
5
9
5
3
9
10
3
4
9
7
7
15
9
11
7
6
8
10
9
Houston ..
St Louis
·:Piney Po.in,t .
Algonac
Totals
DECK DEPARTMENT
l7
5
i4
...... ()
5
8
8
30
12
.~
0
5
ell
3
.o
235
0
148
12
9
2
3
6.•.
3
10
0
S.
6
2
4
Trip
Reliefs
29 "
18
17
27
.'i .·.·,
2·
l
.o
2
3
7
2
5
21
17
3
11
8
8
17
13
19
9
5
24
31
10
10
6() .
24
0
4
5
41
8
48
21
18
4
2
12
4
0
39
18
16
11
7
11
4
10
4
0
11
10
31
2
l
4
0
2
" 8
0
193
0
106
5
.2
3
406
196
124
22
11
7
5
4
9.
5
9
l
2
67
3
0
3
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
}
2
5
0
3
2
0
3
1
......J .:. .
8
3
4
4
2
7
8
4
0
4
7
19
7
15
Baltimore ................Thursday: June 8~ July 6
Duluth .....................Wednesday: June 14, July 12
Honolulu .................Friday: June 16, July 14
Houston ................. .Monday: June 12, July 10
•
.,., 20 ····
Mobile ..... ~ ..... ~ ........ Wedn~y: . Juri~. 14.. July 12
9
4
I
Algonac ..................Friday: June 9, July 7
H
20
51
·Piney Point .·........... :Monday: June 5, July 3
Jacksonville ........ .,Thursday: June 8,. July 6
6
7
2
73
5
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
7
·
..
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
.· Jua.a & •.J•1Y 2001J
.MelilbBrsbJP
. ,' .. Meelin
.· . rgs
;Dtiejj:Sea; .Lakes,.Inland'Waters
New Bedford ......... .Tuesday: June 20, July 18
6
21
8
Personal
Mobile
New Orleans
0
2
6
2
6
1.ac'ksonville
Puerto Rico
8
4
.·J.3 .
1
l~ ·
':l
2
14
2
2
2
0
6
12
8
8
38.
9
8
40
35
6
.6 .
·2
2
3
2
1
0
".
31
3
1
1
ROBERT B. HYLAND
Please contact William H. Hyland at 7143 East
Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21224; or call (410)
282-0595.
Discussing STCW Requirements
2
47
35
0
91
0
1
0
1
1
27
25
257
78
37
4
3
38
18
88
, ()°, .
7
4
o·
0
0
0
()
l
19
' 23·.
0
0
0
'
0
AlgM.M
202
Totals
Totals All
Departments
SS4
422
359
26
396
108
304
124
230
14
0
0
5
1
0
73
254
308
138
934
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
May 2000
10
657
540
After last month's membership meeting in Piney Point,
Md., SIU President Michael Sacco and SA Shirley
Winbush discussed some of the requirements of the
amended STCW convention and how they impact
Seafarers' training. Winbush is enrolled in the tanker
familiarization/assistant cargo (DL) course at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education.
Seafarers LOG
15
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
MARCH 16 · '""''. ,., ......... ·. ,., ....... Mkltad Sacco
President
.
John Fay .. ·q . · ·
·executive Vfo.e Presidenf;.;· ··
CL -
Company/Lakes
Secretary-Treasurer
L-Lakes
NP- Non Priority
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
David Heindel
APRIL 15, 2000
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
Augustin Tellez
Vice President Contracts
.;
Jack Caffey
Vice President Atlantic Coast
Bytiln Kelley
Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters
Dean Corgey
Vice President Gulf Coast
Nfchotas J. Marrone
Vice President West Coast
Kennett Mang.ram
Vice President Government Services
4
..
HEADQUARTERS
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 207%
(301) 899-0675
ALGONAC
520 St.
DECK DEPARTMENT
]
8
0
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
3
0
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
9
0
l
Port
0
17
6
0
9
3
Algonac
0
5
6
Port
Algonac
0
18
16
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
0
8
5
0
6
3
0
5
6
9
14
0
. .. _.-.
~
-
....
28
1
0
49
31
0
20
0
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
Totals All Depts
28
tair River Dr., Algonac, MI 48001
(810) 794-4988
ANCllORAG.E
721 Sesame St., #IC, An<:horage, AK 99503
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
(907} 561-4988
MARCH 16 -
BALTIMORE
1216 E. Baltimore SL, l3altirot)re, MD 212-02
(4WH27-49<?'J
*TOTAL REGISTERED
AU Groups
Class A
Class B
o·
0
0
Class C
,: : · ah:it:e<;a~t:<:;r:;::<:.:;;s+::::· . . · 1
::E~~~~$S:.1m.~~:; W,~j~f.S:: · .:· q
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
AU Groups
Class A
Class B
0
0
0
0
Lake8, lfilana. warers ·o ·
0
0
0
I
0
4
S
Gulf Coast
0
;pa,~~.s~JP:l~g ,~a~~:: : · .0.·...
Wc~t Coast
0
Totals
0
Region
·:· : ~~~t~~:: ~~~:~J::i:.:·:>YT:·:::::::::::.:°' . .
'(:folf Coast···':· ....:::\:.:: ..... :.:.....0: ....
3
8
9
0
3
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
0
Q. ...
0
1 ...
0
14
11
1
1
24
2
2
27
10
0
''
0
0
1
.
0
0
Totals
0
0
0
2
1
1
4
0
0
0
Totals All Depts
5
1
10
10
2
7
12
1
West Coast
Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
Region
Atlantic·: C9.a$t,.:.: ·
APRIL 15, 2000
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
0
PIC-FROM-THE-PAST
This copy of an old photo was sent to the Seafarers LOG
by Pensioner John M. Clarke of Houston, Texas.
It was taken at "Joe Palooka's" in Mobile, Ala. in 1953 at
a moment of relaxation during the Atlantic organizing drive.
Pictured are some crew members from the Royal Oak, a
Cities Service vessel, as well as members from Atlantic
16
Seafarers LOG
Refining.
Clarke, then a steward assistant, is the one in the cowboy hat.
John M. Clarke joined the SIU in 1953 in the port of New
York and sailed in the steward department. He served in the
U.S. Army from 1950-1952 and retired in 1994.
May2000
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
ne recertified bosun is
among the 21 Seafarers
announcing their retirements this month. Representing 50
years of active union membership,
Recertified Bosun Thomas H.
Hawkins graduated from the
highest level of training available
to members in the deck department at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School in Piney Point,
Md.
Including the recertified graduate, 12 of the retiring mariners
sailed in the deep sea division ,
four shipped on inland vessels and
five plied the Great Lakes.
Fifteen of the retirees worked
in the deck department, four
shipped in the engine department
and two sailed in the steward
department.
On this page, the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of the retiring Seafarers.
O
DEEP SEA
LUIS R.
CENTENO,
66. first sailc;d
with the
Seafarers in
1959 aboard
the Beauregard. A native
of Puerto
Rico, he worked in the deck
department. During his career. he
also sailed in the engine dcpartrnr;nt, Brother Centeno last
worked aboard a Sea-Land
Service vessel. He makes his
home in San Francisco.
THOMASH.
HAWKINS,
73, began his
career with the
Seafarers in
1949 from the
port of New
YMk. A native
ofWashingt1:m, he worked in the deck
department and upgraded his
skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School in Piney Point,
Md., where he graduated from the
bosun recertification cours.e in
197 5. Brother Hawkins last sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Kodiak. He
calh Hoodsport, Wash. home.
LO, 70, started his career
with the STU
in 1986, sailing aboard the
USNS Hess ,
operated by
May 2000
port of San
Francisco. A
native of
California, he
worked in the engine department
and upgraded his skills at the
SIU's training school in Piney
Point, Md. His last ship was the
Lawrence H Gianella, operated
by Ocean Ships. Inc. From 1956
to 1960, he served in the U.S . Air
Force. Brother Lacunza makes
his home in Sparks, Nev.
THOMASN.
LUKETICH,
65, firs.t ~ailed
with the SIU
in 1978 aboard
the Potomac.
operated by
Ogden Marine.
A native of
Pennsylvania, he worked in the
deck department, last sailing
aboard the Sea-Land Kodiak.
From 1951 to 1955, he served in
the U.S. Navy. Brother Luketich
has retired to Ardenvoir, Wash.
OLIVEIRA,
graduated
from the
Marine Cooks
& Stewards
(MC&S) training school in
1962 in Santa
Rosa. Calif. and joined the
MC&S in the port of San
Ft'ttt'lti~tl">. Bmii in Ecuador, he
became a U.S. citizen. Brother
Galdos worked in the steward
department. last sailing aboard
the Lurline, a Matson Navigation
Co. vessel. He has retired to
Cloverdale, Calif.
JARAMIL-
ERNEST
LACUNZA,
62, joined the
Seafarers in
1968 in the
in China, he worked in the steward department. He participated
in several Thanksgiving events at
the San Francisco hall. Brother
Siu last sailed aboard a Sea-Land
Service vessel. He has retired to
Bay Shore, Calif.
ROBERTL.
SMITH, 62,
joined the
Seafarers in
1962 in the
port of New
York after
graduating
from the
Andrew Furuseth Training
School. His first ship was the
Alcoa Pioneer. Born in
Massachusetts, he worked in the
deck department, last sailing
aboard the Sea-Land Enterprise.
From 1957 to 1959, he served in
the U.S. Anny, Brother Smith
calls San Francisco home.
JOSE SOTO,
61, began his
career with the
SIU in 1969,
first sailing
aboard the
Joplin Victory.
A native of
Puerto Rico.
he worked in the deck department
and upgraded his skills at the
Sill's training school in Piney
Point, Md. From 1956 to 1959,
he served in the U.S. Army. Prior
to retiring, he sailed aboard the
Mayaguez , an NPR, Inc. vessel.
Brother Soto makes his home in
Carolina, P.R.
MANUELM.
VIRGILIO
GALDOS, 65,
ROMAN
LSC Marine, Inc. Born in
Ecuador, he became a U.S. citizen. Brother Jaramillo worked in
the steward department, last sailing aboard the USNS Denebola, a
Bay Ship Management vessel.
From 1952 to 1954, he served in
the U.S. Army. He resides in
Brigantine, N .J.
66, began his
career with the
Seafarers in
1992, first
sailing aboard
the Antarctic.
He worked in
the deck department and upgraded hi~ ~kill~ a.t the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education in Piney Point. Md.
Brother Oliveira last sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Endurance.
San Diego is his home.
ANGELR.
SANTANA.
67, graduated
from the
Andrew
LEONARD
STEINHARDT, 57,
graduated
from tbe
Andrew Furuseth Training
School in
1964 and
joined the Seafarers in the port of
New York. The Steel Seafarer
was his. first ship. Bl">rn in New
York, he sailed in the engine
department and frequently
upgraded his skills at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education. Brother
Steinhardt has retired to Toms
River, N.J.
ated by Radcliff Materials.
Mendenhall, Miss. is where he
calls home.
FREDDIE R.
RICE, 62,
began sailing
with the SIU
in 1969 from
the port of
Norfolk, Va.
The North
Carolina
native worked as a mate/pilot,
last sailing aboard a Maritrans
vessel. Boatman Rice makes his
home in Lowland, N.C.
WILLIAML.
SMITH, 65,
first sailed
with the
Seafarers in
1973 aboard
the tug
Mariner. Born
in Mississippi,
he worked as an OS/Cook, last
sailing aboard the Honour, operated by Maritrans. From 1956 to
1958, he served in the U.S. Army.
Boatman Smith calls New York
home.
GREAT LAKES
FRANCIS J.
BELLANT,
62, first sailed
with the SIU
in 1957 working aboard the
tug Mojave,
operated by
Dunbar &
Sullivan Dredging Co. A native
of Michigan, he sa~led as a captain and upgraded his skills at the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education. Before
retiring, Brother Bellant worked
aboard the tug Carl Luedtke,
operated by Luedtke Engineering
Co. St. Ignace, Mich. is where he
calls home.
CLARENCE
B. CASEY,
62, joined the
Seafarers in
1961 in the
port of Detroit,
working
aboard the tug
Hardwick, operated by Great
Lakes Dredge & Dock. Born in
Kentucky, he sailed in the deck
department. From 1954 to 1957,
he served in the U.S. Anny.
Brother Casey has retired to Fort
Gratiot, Mich.
JAMES
CORBRAN,
62, began his
career with the
SIU in 1960
from the port
of Buffalo,
N.Y, sailing
aboard the
Edmund P. Smith, an American
Steamship Co. vessel. Brother
Corbran worked in the deck
department and upgraded his
skills at the SIU's training school
in Piney Point, Md. From 1955 to
1958, he served in the U.S . Air
Force. Prior to retiring, he sailed
aboard the Richard J. Reiss, operated by Erie Sand Steamship. The
New York native makes his home
in Hamburg.
KENNETH
w.
DeGRAFF,
62, first sailed
with the
Seafarers in
1967. Born in
Illinois, he
worked as a
deck engineer and upgraded his
skills at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education.
From 1958 to 1960, he served in
the U.S. Coast Guard. A resident
of South Holland, Ill., Brother
DeGraff last worked aboard a
Great Lakes Towing Co. vessel.
MARVIN A.
SCHMITZ,
65, joined the
SIU in 1973 in
the port of
Chicago. The
FredA
Manske was
his first vessel.
A native of Wisconsin, he worked
as a conveyorma11, last sailing
aboard the St. Clair, operated by
Amerfoan Steamship Co. From
1957 to 1959, he served in the
U.S. Army. Brother Schmitz has
retired to Glenbeulah, Wis.
INLAND
Furusdh
Training
School in
1961 and
joined the SIU in the port of New
York. The Puerto Rico native
sailed in the deck department and
upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School. During his career, he was
active in union organizing drives.
Brother Santana makes his home
in Caguas., P.R.
KWAN JOY
SIU, 62, graduated from the
MC&S training school in
1969 and
joined the
MC&S in the
port of San
Francisco. His first ship was the
President Wilson , operated by
American President Lines. Born
CHRISTOPHERS.
LUPTON, 64,
started his.
career with the
SIU in 1954.
Boatman
Lupton
worked as a tugboat captain, last
sailing aboard an Interstate Oil
Transport Co. vessel. A native of
North Carolina, he makes his
home in New Bern.
HENRYR.
RAINEY, 62,
joined the
Seafarers in
1967 in the
port of New
Orleans. The
Mississippi
native worked in the deck department. Boatman Rainey last sailed
in 1990 aboard the Avocet, oper-
...... Re$tonttiQU of the historic. ~1P 4meripaf1. f.icto,Y . co.~tin~~~ju·· .
·:. Tampal ~cording to the groil:P.oveiseeing.th.e projeer:·. . , ·· ·
J'~~Vic~oty S4ip. I~c. last .rnQnth. repo~~d-that tlfo: ves.seF-s -bµ~l,;. .
deck and superstructure ''have been sand blasted and have' a new
·.
coat of paint. The ship is out of dry-qock and back in the wet slip." .'.
A loca.t television station planned to air a feature late last month
about yolunteers who are helping restore the American Victory.
.o"I'he project also has received newspaper coverage. .... .
FQr tnot~ information about the American Victory~ restorai)on, · ·
or to volunteer, sen<l email to AmVic@aol.com, ·telephone"(Sl3)
· 228r8766 or write to The Victory Ship, Inc., 705 Channelside Dr.,
Tampa, FL 33609.
.
".
. .
Built in 1945, the American Victory had been part of th~ U.S.
Re erve Fleet on Virginia~s James River since after the Vietnam
War. Formerly crewed by SIU members the 454-foot vessel was
one of more than 500 Victory ships that debuted near the end of
World War Il During Vietnam, it was operated by Hudson
Waterways Corp.
·
Seafarers LOG
17
�DEEP SEA
LORENZO BENNETT
Pensioner
Lorenzo
Bennett, 73,
passed away
February 3. A
native of
Mobile, Ala., he
began sailing
with the Seafarers in 1947
from the port of New Orleans. The
steward department member later
graduated from the Andrew Furuseth
Training School in Mobile and
attended an education conference at
the SIU's training school in Piney
Point, Md. From 1945 to 1947, he
served in the U.S. Army. Brother
Bennett last sailed aboard the SeaLand Galveston as a chief steward
and began receiving his pension in
February 1992. He was a resident of
Los Angeles.
ZEEY.CIDNG
Pensioner Zee
Y. Ching, 78,
died December
22, 1999. Born
in China, he
started his
career with the
SIU in 1948 in
the port of N cw
York. Brother
Ching worked in the steward depart·
ment, last sailing aboard an inland
VMMI operated by Dixie Carriers. A
resident of Violet, L;i., he started
receiving his pttlSiM in November
1976. He was a veteran of World
War II, having served in the U.S.
Navy from 1942 to 1946.
JOSEPH L. FORNIS
Pensioner Joseph L. Fomis, 71,
pMsed away January 19. Brother
Fomis joined the Marine Cooks &
Stewa.rd:J (MC&S) in 1945, first sailing aboard the Edwin H. Du.ff: He
worked in the steward department
and retired in January 1975. Los
Angeles was his home.
CESAR S. LAGO
Cesar S. Lago,
60, passed away
February I 0. A
native of the
Philippine
ldand~, he
begcli\ his SIU
career in 1984
from the port of
="'-"-"--' Wilmington,
Calif., first sailing aboard the SS
Independence, an American Hawaii
Cruises vessel. Brother Lago worked
as a chief cook. A resident of Wil·
mington, he last sailed aboard the
Sga-Land Enlerprist:.
WALLYW.LAU
···.,,: . . Pensioner Wally
.: W_ Lau, 78 died
February 19. He
joined the
MC&S in 1944
in the port of
StUl Frattcisco_
Born in China,
he worked in
=-=-=--'--~~ the steward
department and upgraded his skills
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School. where he graduated from the
steward recertification program in
1989. Prior to retiring in April 1997,
he sailed aboard the Overseas New
York_ Brother Lau wa~ a resident of
San Francisco.
the Cubore, an
Ore Steamship
Corp. vessel.
Brother Long
worked in the
engine department and
retired in
December
1979. Sea
Level, N.C. was his home.
ALEJANDRO S. MARTINEZ
Pensioner
Alejandro S.
Martinez, 66,
died February
13. A native of
Puerto Rico, he
graduated from
the Andrew
, "'
Furuseth
;~l'\\ 1 Training School
in 1964 and joined the union in the
port of Baltimore. The Transeastern
was his first vessel. Brother Martinez sailed in the deck department.
Before he retired in June 1999, he
worked aboard the Golden Monarch,
a Westchester Marine vessel. From
1952 to 1954, he served in the U.S.
Army. His home wa:J in Ponce, P.R.
EDWARD MERCHANT
Pensioner EdwMd Merchant, 87,
passed away March 5. He joined the
MC&S in the 1940s. Brother
Merchant sailed itl the steward
department and began receiving his
pension in April 1977.
OLIVER P. OAKLEY
Pensioner
Oliver P.
Oakley, 71, died
December 8,
1999. Born in
Pennsylvania,
he first sailed
with the
Seafa.rer:J in
1946 aboard the
B/uq Ridgq Victory) a Calmar
Steamship Corp. vessel. Brother
Oakley worked in the steward
department. Prior to retiring in
December 1997, he sailed aboard the
Denebola, operated by Bay Tankers.
He was a resident of Olyphant, Pa.
CALVIN T. PRICE
Pensioner
Calvin T. Price,
76, passed
away MMch 10.
A native of
North Carolina,
he joitled the
SIU in 1951 in
the port of
Norfolk, Va_
Brother Price worked in the deck
department, last sailing aboard the
Van HorizQn, opernted by Vancor
Steamship Co_ During h1s ca.rter, he
also worked in the engine department. The Tarboro, N.C. resident
started receiving his pension in April
1983 .
KIM SIN QUAN
Pensioner Kim
Sin Quan, 67,
died February
15. Brother
Quan began his
career with the
MC&S in 1958
from the port of
San Francisco_
~..........- - Born in China,
he worked as a chief cook. Prior to
retiring in January 1995, he sailed
aboard the Matsonia, a Matson
Navigation Co. vessel. San Francisco was home to Brother Quan.
HENRY D. LONG
-
Pensioner Henry D. Long, 83,
passed away February 6. Born in
North Carolina. he started his career
with the Seafarers in 1953 in the
port of Baltimore. His first ship was
18
Seafarers LOG
OTIS L. SESSIONS
Pensioner Otis L. Sessions, 72,
passed away February 14. He joined
the Seafarers in 1973 in the port of
Houston. The Mississippi native
worked in the
engine department and frequently upgraded at the SIU's
training center
in Piney Point,
Md. During his
career, he was
.___ _ _ ___..._"""-..;..;:oi active in union
affairs and organizing drives. His
last ship was the LNG Capricorn. A
resident of Bay Minette, Ala., he
began receiving his pension in May
1997. From 1950 to 1952, he served
in the U.S. Army.
RAYMOND J. THOMAS
Pensioner Raymond J.
" Thomas, 79,
died December
4, 1999. Born
in Alabama, he
-- started sailing
'" with the Seafarers in 1942
in the port of
New York. Brother Thomas worked
in the steward department, last sailing as a chief cook aboard the Cove
Trader. A resident of Mobile, Ala.,
he started receiving his pension in
July 1986.
RICARDO M. VENZON
Pensioner
Ricardo M.
Venzon, 72,
died January 25.
Brother Venzon
joined the Seafarers in 197 5
in the port of
Wilmitlgton,
Calif., first sailing aboMd the Council Grove. A
native of the Philippines. he worked
in the deck department. Prior to retiring in March 1992, he sailed aboard
the Over$eas Alice. From 1945 to
1972, he served in the U.S. Army.
Brother Venzon lived in Honolulu.
STEVE WEST
Pensioner Steve
West, 79,
passed away
February 11. He
began his career
with the SIU in
1963 from the
port of New
York, first sailing aboard the
Pioneer Mist_Born in Poland, he
became a U.S. citizen. Brother West
~ailed in the engine department and
upgraded to a licensed officer. A resident of Bergenfield, N.J., he started
receiving his pension in March
1988.
WILLIAM M. WEST
Pensioner
WilliamM.
West, 85, died
January 2. A
charter member
of the Seafarers, he joined
the union in
1938 in the port
of Norfolk. Va.
Born in Panama, he sailed in the
engine department. He was active in
union affairs and organizing drives
during his maritime career. Brother
West last sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Newark. A resident of Seattle, he
retired in January 1981.
Mobile, Ala. Brother Whitten
worked in the engine department,
last sailing aboard the Sea-Land
Producer. He was a resident of
Mobile and started receiving his
pension in February 1985. The
Alabama native served in the U.S.
Army from 1949 to 1950.
JAMES H. RATHBONE
AHSAIWONG
Pensioner Ah
Sai Wong, 89,
died January
27. Born in
China, he began
sailing as a
steward with
the Seafarers in
1948 from the
port of San
Francisco. He started receiving his
pension in July 1975. Brother Wong
was a resident of San Francisco.
Pensioner
Walter H.
Whitten, 72,
passed away
January 14. He
started his
career with the
SIU in 1945
from the port of
James H.
Rathbone, 52,
passed away
February 8.
Born in North
Carolina, he
first sailed with
the SIU in 1990
aboard deep sea
vessel Cape
Farewell. Boatman Rathbone later
transferred to the inland division,
sailing primarily aboard McAllister
Towing Co. vessels as a mate.
Poquoson, Va. was his home.
HARRY WOO SR.
Pensioner Harry
Woo Sr., 78,
passed away
January 31. A
native of
Hawaii, he
joitled the
MC&S. Brother
Woo sailed in
the steward
department and began receiving his
pension in January 1970. Kaneohe,
Hawaii was his home.
RONALD L. REEVES
HILAND
Ronald L.
Reeves, 50,
died December
30, 1999. After
retiring from
the U.S. Navy,
he began his
career with the
Seafarers in
1994 aboard an
Allied Towing Co. vessel. Boatman
Reeves sailed as a member of the
deck department. Born in Indiana,
he was a resident of GainesviHe, Ga _
LESLIE W. COLLIER
HUGH L. STEWART
Pensioner
Leslie W.
Collier, 69. died
March 6. A
native of
Virginia, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1969 in the port
of Philadelphia.
Boatman ColHer worked as a captain
and upgraded his skills at the SIU's
training school in Piney Point, Md.
A resident of Coinjock, N.C., he
started receiving his pension in
March 1993.
Pensioner Hugh
.: L. Stewart, 69,
passed away
January 2 7. A
native of
Alabama, he
joined the SIU
in 1952, first
sailing in the
deep sea division aboard the Oremar. He later
transferred to inland vessels. Boatman Stewart worked in the deck
department, last sailing aboard a
Moran Towing Co. vessel. He was a
resident of Baltimore and started
receiving his pension in December
1987. From 1948 to 1952, he served
in the U.S. Navy.
JOHNNIE W. FELDMAN
Johnnie W. Feldman, 62, passed
away January 2. Born in Arkansas,
he began his career with the SIU in
1974 in the port of Houston.
Boatman Ftldm.an last sailed as a
captain aboard a Marine Towing Co.
vesseL From 1955 to 1963, he
served in the U.S. Air Force.
DONALD G. HUDDLESTON
Pensioner
Donald G.
Huddleston, 71 ,
passed away
January 20. He
started sailing
with the SIU in
1960 in the port
ofNorfolk, Va.
Boatman
Huddleston worked as a tankerman,
last sailing aboard a Maritrans vessel. A resident of Supply, N.C., he
retired in September 1993. From
1956 to 1958, he served in the U.S.
Air Force.
BENNIE J. LANDRY
Pensioner
Bennie J.
Landry, 68,
WALTER H. WHITTEN
ated from the diesel scholarship program in 1982. During his career, he
also worked in the deck department.
From 1951to1955, he served in the
U.S. Navy. A resident of Lufkin,
Texas, he began receiving his pension in August 1988.
passed away
February 21.
Boatman
Landry began
his SIU career
in 1963 from
Port Arthur,
Texas. The Texas native sailed in the
engine department and upgraded his
skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School, where he gradu-
GREAT LAKES
REINO E. SALO
Pensioner
Reino E. Salo,
85, died
November 12,
1999. Born in
Wisconsin, he
began his SIU
career in 1960
from the port of
Detroit. Brother
Salo sailed in the engine department
and began receiving his pension in
April 1979. He was a resident of
Superior, Wis.
THOMAS KARL SCHULTZ
Thomas Karl Schultz, 56, passed
away January 15. A native of
Michigan, he joined the Seafarers in
1961 in the port of Detroit. Brother
Schultz worked in the deck department, last sailing aboard the Adam
E. Cornelius, an American
Steamship Co. vessel. He was a resident of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
DANIEL A. STORCE
Daniel A. Storce, 62, passed away
February 4. Brother Storce first
sailed with the Se ...Jrers in 1968
aboard the Reiss Brothers, operated
by American Steamship Co. Born in
Illinois, he worked in the deck
department, last sailing in 1985
aboard the Presque Isle. Cloquet,
Minn. was his home.
May2000
�fa
wwwawwww
crew members to keep current
with upgrading/training and Coast
Guard requirements. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Vote of
thanks given to steward department, with special thanks to Chief
Cook Arthur Medeiros for excellent meals and great barbecues.
EL MORRO (IUM), January
31-Chairman Steve Copeland,
Secretary Kris Hopkins,
Educational Director Fred
Dougherty, Engine Delegate Teki
Williams, Steward Delegate
Marvin E. James. Bosun stressed
importance of keeping all beefs
routed through department heads.
He asked crew members to lower
noise on crew deck, take care
while smoking in cabins and return
movies promptly and put in order.
Secretary advised everyone to
upgrade at Paul Hall Center in
Piney Point, Md. and check expiration dates on necessary shipping
documents. Treasurer announced
$152.28 in ship's fund. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Crew van
provided at Blcunt Island seems to
be working well. Inquiry made
into increasing pensicn benefits.
Clarification requesced on STCW
deadline. Vote of thanks given to
steward department for jcb well
done. Ne'.l{t ports~ Port Everglades
and Jacksonville. Fla.
HM/ CAP/i LOOKOUT
SHOALS (IUM), Jatmary 31 ChAirma.n Steven t,. Bush.
Secretary Alan W. Bartl~y,
Edu<;atiomtl Director Salom~
CHtr6, Deck Dele ate.Zimmnc Qn, ngine Delegate
Wilbert J. Mil~& Jr., Steward
Delegate Ralph F. Morgan. Prior
to leaving port of Seattle, chairman requtsttd absentee ballots for
mercer vote. EdLicational diri;dor
,minded crew members to check
STCW and z-cards for expiration
dates. Treasurer announced $900
in ship's movie fund. Some disputed OT reported in engine and
steward departments. Inquiries
made on improving mail service
and obtaining refrigerators for
crew rooms. Steward asked crew
to help keep linen locker clean.
Recommendation made to keep
door closed during meal times to
keep people out of galley other
than steward d~partment memberi.
Vole of thanks givett tc steward
depa.rtment for job well done, to
deck department and DEU for help
provided to :o;teward. Ship heading
to New York. Hou~ton und
Philadelphia.
LIBERTY STAR (Liberty
Maritime Corp.), January 24Chairman Rodney Jimenez,
Secretary Normnn EYnns,
Educational Director Trent R.
Sterling. Chairman noted payoff
scheduled January 28 in Beaumont, Texas. All crew member!;
~hould return movies, ~trip bunks
and cleaft rMms before getting off
ship. Trip was good. Educational
director advised those members
who have time to consider upgrading at Piney Point. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Steward
department given vote of thanks
for weekly cookouts.
MARINE COLUMBIA (Intrepid
Ship Mgmt), January 24Chuim1un Greg()ry Hamilton,
Secretary Jamu F. Dunne,
Educational Director Ronald
Gordon, Engine Delegate
Detricke R. K~lly, Steward
Delegate Kathleen Lanah~n.
Chairman noted shipyard work finished and vessel ready to sail.
Payoff to take place in El Scgun-
May2000
do, Calif. and will then sail to
Richmond, Calif. and Valdez,
Alaska for cargo. Secretary said
holidays enjoyed by all and wished
good health and happiness from
ship's crew to officers and staff at
Piney Point and headquarters.
Educational director urged everyone to use facilities and upgrading
programs at Paul Hall Center and
be aware of new regulations and
requirements needed for future
sailing. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestion made to have
contracts department look into
ability of receiving vacation pay
after 90 days. Several items needed to be purchased, including new
set of exercise weights, furniture
in crew lounge, curtains in living
and dining areas and cabins and
new jacket for steward department
for work in reefer boxes.
NAVIGATOR (CSX Lines),
January 16-Chairman Werner H.
Reeher, Secretary Lynn N.
McCluskey, Edui;ational Director
Robert E. Bruckmall, Dock
Delegate Joseph Dallas, Engine
Delegate Ross Himebauch,
Steward Delegate Terry R.
MaKno. Chairman announced payoff January 22 in port of Tacoma.
He thanked i;rew for helping keep
ship in order and reminded them to
get clean set of linen for relief
b@for@ leaving. He also urged
everycne to take time to vote in
SIU-NMU merger. He noted pro·
gress made in last 10 year~.
Trtasurer stressed importance of
upgrading skills at Paul Hall
Center. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestion made to have
vacation pay incorporated into
gross pay, which later will determine pension benefits. Vote of
thanks to steward department for
well-prepared meals.
2nd LT. JOHN P. BOBO
(AMSEA), January 26-Chairman
William L. Bratton, Secretary
Kristin Krause, Educational
Director Ch~rles J. Betz, Steward
Delegate haat Newsome.
Chairman announced arrival of
across-the-board EPA, which is
posted en bulletin board. Anyone
int@rested in voting ~hClUld check
with union patrolman when returning to States. He also advised crew
to make sure all shipping documents are updated. Educational
director suggested crew members
take advantage of educational
opportunities at Piney Point.
TteMurer announced $1.355.85 in
ship's fund, of which $942 allocat·
ed for purchase cf T-shirts in
Pa.lma 1 Spain. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Satellite system still
in the worh.
CHALLENGER (CSX Lines),
February 13--Chairman Mauro
Gutierrez, Secretary William E.
Bragg. Educational Director
Marvin D. Wells. Chairman stated
rumors regarding vessel being
transferred to East Coast are firming up as fact. No official notice
yet, but preparations being made.
He announced payoff in Oakland,
Calif. on February 15. Crew awaiting response from headquarters
regarding tanlc/cargo hold cleaning. Secretary read fax from headquarters informing crew of preliminary results on SIU-NMU merger
vote. Educational director urged
GUAYA MA (NPR, Inc.), February
6-Chairman Ray Gorju,
Secretary Richard Hicks,
Educational Director Ronald C.
Smith, Deck Delegate James R.
Blitch. Chairman thanked all
hands for good trip and announced
payoff upon arrival in Jacksonville. He asked that all movies be
returned and that plastic refuse be
separated from regular trash. Educational director recommended
crew members upgrade skills at
Paul Hall Center. Some disputed
OT reported in engine and steward
departments. Vote of thanks given
to steward department for job well
done.
GUS DARNELL (OSI), February
21-Chairman Salvatore G.
Ciciulla, Secretary Robert L.
Easley, Educational Director
Lawrence A. Banks II, Deck
Delegate Efrain N. Santana.
Chairman led discussion on new
shipping company and encouraged
Seafarers to contribute to SPAD
for job security. Secretary warned
crew to watch cut for use of alcohol at sea and ashore. Educational
director advised members to
upgrade at Piney Point, particularly the tanker operations course. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Request for satellite to be brought
up to captain and company.
Request made to provide additional cold drinks while in Caribbean
and other hot areas. Next port:
Charlestont S.C.
HM/ DEFENDER (U.S. Ship
Mgmt.), February I-Chairman
Bradley L. Seibel. Secretary
Steven R. W agner , Educational
Director harles J. Brockhaus\
Deck Delegate Arnold R. Neff,
Engine Delegate Kenneth
Stratton, Steward Delegate Isabel
Sabio. Chairman announced payoff in Corpus Christi, Texas on
February 3. Educational director
recommended everyone take
upgrading classes at Paul Hall
Center. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestion made for
contracts department to look into
reducing number of days needed to
receive vacation check from 120 to
60 and increase fine for missing
ship from $100 Lo $500. Discussion held regarding medical
attention for crew members; Chairman noted regular charter from
Corpus Christi to be changed after
two more discharges in Tampa.
INNOVATOR (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
February 6-Chairma.n John E.
Stout, Secretary Jose M. Bayani,
Educaticnal Director Christopher
L. Earhart, Deck Delegate
William G. Burke, Engine
Delegate William D. Parker,
Steward Delegate Yahya S. Ali.
Chairman thanked crew for good
voyage and reminded those getting
off to clean cabin for next person
and leave key. Secretary thanked
everyone for helping keep mess
hall and crew lounge clean, with
special thanks to bosun and daymen for great job painting galley
storeroom. He pointed out importance of donating to SPAD for job
security. Educational director
encouraged everyone to upgrade at
Piney Point and stay on top of new
rules and regulations needed to
ship <'.>Ut, including STCW. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Suggestion made for contracts
department to look into cutting
vacation pay from 120 to 90 days.
Next port: Long Beach, Calif.
LIBERTY SEA (Liberty
Maritime), February 21Chairman Michael A. Presser,
Secretary Thomas D. Kreis,
Educational Director Walter R.
Ferrero, Deck Delegate Daniel P.
Seymour, Engine Delegate John
D. Lewis, Steward Delegate
Christopher M. Green. Chairman
announced payoff in New Orleans
on February 25. He posted communications for all to read regarding SIU-NMU merger vote.
Hill, Engine Delegate Cary
Pratts, Steward Delegate Alberto
Falcon. Chairman thanked deck
department for good job while ship
was in co1d north. He announced
payoff in Corpus Christi, Texas
and urged those getting off to go
to Piney Point to upgrade skills.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
President's Report from Seafarers
Great to Be Home
It was all smiles for the crew aboard the Developer, when it put into
the port of Long Beach, Calif. last month, fresh from a Far East
run. From the left are DEU Jose Garcia, Relief Steward/Baker
Ruben Casin and AB Dante Cruz. For additional photos taken
aboard this U.S. Ship Management vessel and other ships calling
on the busy California port, turn to page 6.
Secretary thanked crew for helping
keep ship clean. Educational director stated importance of upgrading
at Paul Hall Center. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Recommendation made for contracts department to look into 100 percent dental insurance coverage for members
and dependents. Repairs needed to
meat box. Vote of thanks given to
steward department in helping
make good trip and keeping morale
high. Next port: Haifa, Israel.
MAERSK CALIFORNIA
(Maersk), February 6-Chairman
Frank P. Hedge, Educational
Director James T. McParla11d,
Deck Delegate Donnie Collins II.
Steward Delegate Edward F.
Fuller. Chairman stated ship locks
good and asked for help keeping it
that way. Educational director
advised crew members to advance
learning skills by upgrading at
Piney Point. Treasurer announced
$850 in ship's fund. Discussion
held about safety factors related to
working on watch and everyone
stated they would like to work
more overtime. Clarification
requested on overtime for steward
department. Suggestion made for
contracts department to look into
increasing pension fund. New vacuum cleaners and coffee pots
needed as well as new mattresses.
Next ports: Charleston, S.C.:
Freeport, Bahamas; Miami; and
Panama.
MAERSK CONSTELLATION
(Maersk), February 4-Chairman
William C. Dowzicky 1 Secretary
Khamis Mageed. Chairman
stressed importunce of having
STCW endorsement by 2002.
Secretary stated that best way to
clear air among shipmates is to
hold union meetings on reg-ular
basis. Educational director reminded crew to keep eye on new courses available at Paul Hall Center.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Ice cream freezer for crew mess
hall needed as well as TV antenna
and e-mail service. Request made
for company to inform crew members of death in family. Better
health insurance requested as well
as dental coverage for family
members. Ship heading to Japan
and South Korea.
OVERSEAS NEW ORLEANS
(OSG Ship Mgmt.), February 20-Chairman Daniel N. Laitinen Jr.,
Secretary Jonathan White,
Educational Director John E.
Trent, Deck Delegate Michael
LOG read, and discussion ensued
regarding new ships, importance
of contributing to SPAD and SIUNMU merger vote. Suggestion
made for contracts department to
consider being able to file for
vacation pay after 90-day tours.
Steward department given vote of
thanks.
OVERSEA S OHIO (ATC),
February 22-Chairman Timothy
D. Koebel, Secretary Jeffery L.
Smith, Educational Director
Larry F. Phillips, Deck Delegate
J ess Chalker, Steward Delegate
Tommy Belvin. Chairman reported that captain will attempt to pay
off ship every 30 days. Electronic
transfer draws will be availagle
twice a month (15th and 3ot ).
Educational director will keep in
touch with Paul Hall Center
regarding schedule of proposed
ATC courses. Chairman read letter
from VP Contracts Augie Tellez
addressing questions about riding
gangs and 90-day vacation.
Requests made to have periodontal
treatments covered by health plan
for members and dependents.
Discussion held about money purchase pension plan. Forms being
printed to deal with pre-payoff
room checks which will be conducted and signed off by steward
or bosun. Next ports: Los Angeles,
Ferndale and Richmond, Calif.
OVERSEAS WASHINGTON
(ATC), February 22-Chairman
Jack Walker, Secretary Alphonso
Davis, Educational Director
Charles W. Dahlhaus. Chairman
announced payoff scheduled at
anchor in next port. He mentioned
STCW requirements need to be
fulfilled. Secretary said deck
department doing good job with
separating trash and plastic items
and in keeping house in good
shape. He advised members to
read Seafarers LOG to be
informed on issues, especially
SIU-NMU merger vote. Educational director encouraged everyone to attend upgrading courses at
Piney Point, especially for tankerman certificate. Disputed penalty .
OT in deck department; none in
engine or steward departments.
Request made for tape rewinder in
crew lounge. It was reported that
there was a lot of snow in Valdez,
Alaska this past winter and that
anyone taking a job aboard a
tanker in that region should be
sure to bring along lots of cold
weather gear and safety shoes.
Ship heading to Anacortes, Wash.
Seafarers LOG
19
�~
I
·· ·
·.-
,~
was retired, but that's not the end
.• :~1:~n~fe10Ii~;: ~~0a':.,~0!i~infi
·,·_-._.,-_.
1
•_:~.· ·.
thi~,
and sailed on ships such as
a
._. .
_ floating museum, if you will
..........:..=..................""""'"...............__..'""'"-~~-----.....;.;.'----........_ _ . . . - - -...............-.............
She's probably nothing com(Editor s note: the Seafarers LOG
ment of U.S. seamen;
pared to the ships being built and
reserves the right to edit letters
•Armed Guard who served on sailed these days, but she wasfor grammar as well as space
U.S. merchant marine ves- and still is-something real speprovisions without changing the
sels;
cial to those who had her as part
writers intent. The LOG we!• members of any uniformed of their Jives way back when.
comes letters from members, penU.S. armed services with a
Want to see the ship? She's
sioners, their families and shipDD-214; and
berthed at Pier 1 Clinton Street in
mates and will publish them on a
•widows of veterans who have Baltimore. She's open to the pubtimely basis.)
received their DD-214.
lie Wednesdays and Saturdays.
To receive an application for She's scheduled to leave May 15
Seafarers Welfare Plan
membership, please call or write: for a trip to Toledo and ports of
Has No Comparisons
American Merchant Marine
call on the Great Lakes, which
Veterans
will keep her away for about four
I've heard people tell of the
months.
c/o Gene Delong
medical plans their unions give
Hudson
Valley
Chapter
The old students? Some of us
and, believe me, there's no comP.O. Box 284
are among the volunteer crew that
parison: the Seafarers Welfare
Pleasantville, NY 10570
will man her for the trip. Now
Plan is the best.
(914) 769-3539
that's a far cry from the school
No matter what type of meddays when we heard the boilers
ical attention I needed in the past
When your completed applica- constantly but never dreamed of
(before Medicare), the SWP paid
tion and copy of proof of eligibil- sailing with her. To some of us, it
everything.
I am very, very fortunate in ity are returned, they will be for- is a second chance at an unfulhaving been a member of the warded to an AMMV chapter filled dream of a lifetime.
Whether our dreams were fulSIU. And, speaking as the voice near your residence.
filled or not, what remains is that
of experience, I hope all members Albert M. Antaki
the John W Brown was somerealize what a good union they Chapter President
thing very special to those of us
belong to.
privileged to have gone to school
Walter Karlak
aboard her.
Queens, N.Y.
Llllarty Ship John Brown
George P. Whitney
Now a Living Memorial
Glenside, Pa.
September 7, 1942 at Beth·
AMMV Looking
lehem-Fairfax Shipyard in Balt(Editors note: George P
Far New Membere
imore, Md.: the Liberty ship John
Whitney ;s a graduate of the
W
Brown
slides
down
the
way
The American
Merchant
schoolship John W Brown, part
Marine Veterans (AMMV) i5 a and into the Chesapeake. Her life
of Metropolitan Vocational High
young, growing organization has begun.
School in New York City. He curShe was one of only 2, 700
s.eeking new members.
rently is secretary of the alumni
It is a non-profit pro-American Liberty ships to be built and one
association that was formed three
organization whose purpose is to of 344 built at the Bethkhcmyears ago. He is looking for other
Fairfax yard.
gain recognition for what the me i
1f she had made but one cross- past tudents of the schoolship.
of the merchant marine have
Anyone intersted in joining the
accomplished for our country in ing during the war, it was figured
alumni assocation should contact
times of war and pence. It abo that her construction was a sucthe SS John W Brown Alumni
aims to educate the American cess. But thi$ old girl, s.he's someAssociation by mail at P. 0. Box
thing
clsc.
She
made
13
crossings
public as to the importance of
343, Wading River, NY 11792 or
having a strong Amtrican-ftag as a lim ·tcd troop s.hip, taking our
by e-mail at jwba/um@aol.com.)
merchant purine at all times and men over and sometimes German
to help the cause c.f American POWs back.
Once the war was won, she SIU Gains Strengtll
seapower and the American seadidn't stop there; she went on to
man.
Through the Years
To be eligible, applicants must serve as a schoolship in New
This letter is dedicated to the
submit proof of service in the York City, training thousands of
men
and women who-in the past,
American merchant marine at young men for merchant careers.
any time, or on allied countries' Thousands of young men like present and future-strive daily to
ships carrying American cargo in myself walked her decks and hit retain a strong hold on our
wartime. Acceptable proof of ser- the books in preparation for a life nation's defense.
Through the strength of the
at sea. I wonder how many of
vice includes:
• certificate of discharge from you were among those young American merchant marine, we
m;can voyages (foreign or mi:n. If you are, we're looking to live in peace today. The courage
speak with yc.u, as. we have start- of these men and women is awecot'\stal) or inland waters;.
•members M U.S. maritime ed an alurtttli association and are some.
Through the visionary leaderservice (active or inactive, trying to locate as many of the old
students as possible in an attempt ship and the strong unity of the
including Academy cadets);
membership and the Paul Hall
•members of U.S. Health to reunite aboard our proud ghip.
In 1982 the John W BMwn Center, the union continues to
Service who cngaged in treatgrow.
I am proud to be one of its
members for 38 years- from
1947 to 1985, and then reclaiming
my book in 1987 for a last voyage.
Paul Hall was the head of the
union when I joined. He left a
legacy-now the Paul Hall
The U.S. merchant marine, so long ignori;d, unappreciated and
Center-where everyone could
i:veu orgollen by the nation it served during World War IT gets a
have the opportunity io educate
just and long-overdue tribute in a new book, "Pntriofa and Heroes:
themselves
and make life meanTrue Stories of the U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II."
ingful. His vision went far and
The author. Gerald Reminick, became acutely aware that 50
beyond even his expectations,
years after the end of thi; war, many of the old-timers were dying.
and the Paul Hall Center is no
He determined to gather together and publish as many first-person
doubt the greatest technical vocadiaries and remembrances as possible tc remind the nation of its
tional school to assist seafarers in
debt to the merchant seamen.
being all that they ~an be.
SIU Pensioner Peter Salvo of McKeesport, Pa. is one of the
Carrying on Hall's tradition
mariners foatured in the book. His sailing ex.pi;ricnccs during the
and adding a stronger emphasis
1940s are included in chapter 5.
to training was Frank Drozak.
((Patriots and Heroes" is being published by Glencannon Press
The gavel then fell to a third
and will be available late this month. Anyone wishing to order the
great man, one with whom I am
book (320 pages with more than 50 photos and illustrations) should
proud to asso~iaic, Mike Sacco.
contact: The Glencannon Press, Maritime Books, P.O. Box 644,
May the Scafarcr5' leadership
Benicia, CA 94510. The toll free number is (800) 711-8985 and the
continue to have God's blessings.
f~x is (707) 747-0311. The price for the book is $21.95 plus $4 shipRobert C. Goodrun
pmg.
•
•
SIU Pensioner Pete Salvo
Featured in New Boak an
WWII Merchant Mariners
Eufaula, Ala.
20
Seafarers LOG
Know Your Rights
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The
constitution of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District makes specific provision
for safeguarding the membership's
money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by
certified public accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee
of rank-and-file members, elected
by the membership, each year
examines the finances of the union
and reports fully their findings and
recommendations. Members of this
committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations
and separate findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds
of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District are
administered in accordance with
the provisions of various trust fund
agreements. All these agreements
specify that the trustees in charge of
these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All
expenditures and disbursements of
trust funds are made only upon
approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial
records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds.
SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the
employers. Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts arc posted and
available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
520 I Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Full copies of contracts as
referred to are available to members at all times, either by writing
directly to the union or to the
Seafarers Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU
contracts are available in all SIU
halls. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union
official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she
should contact the nearest SIU port
agent.
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective membership. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Seafarers LOG
policy is vested in an editorial
board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from
among its ranks, one individual to
carry out this responsibility.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU
unless an official union receipt is
given for same. Under "no circumstances should any member pay any
money for any reason unless he is
given such receipt. In the event
anyone attempts to require any such
payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is
required to make a payment and is
given an official receipt, but feels
that he or she should not have been
required to make such payment,
this should immediately be reported
to union headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of
the SIU constitution are available in
all union halls. All members should
obtain copies of this constitution so
as to familiarize themselves with its
contents. Any time a member feels
any other member or officer is
attempting to deprive him or her of
any constitutional right or obligation by any methods, such as dealing with charges, trials, etc., as weJl
as all other details, the member so
affected should immediately notify
headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in
employment and as members of the
SIU. These rights are clearly set
forth in the SIU constitution and in
the contracts which the union has
negotiated with the employers.
Consequently, no member may be
discriminated against because of
race, creed, color, sex, national or
geographic origin.
lf any member feels that he or she
is denied the equal rights to which
he or she is entitled, the member
should notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS
POLITICAL
ACTIVITY DONATION
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and purposes
including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering
of the American merchant marine
with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen
and the advancement of trade union
concepts. [n connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions
are voluntary. No contribution may
be solicited or received because of
force, job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct,
or as a condition of membership in
the union or of employment. If a
contribution is made by reason of
the above improper conduct, the
member should notify the Seafarers
International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the
contribution for investigation and
appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his
or her economic, political and
social interests, and American trade
union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If
at any time a member feels that any
of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been
denied the constitutional right of
access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The
address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
May2000
�----------------------------------~--~~~~~- -- ~- ~~-
.•' The foUowing·is the schedule for classes beginning between May through November
at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. AU pro-
-
Course
~gtams are geared to improve the job skills of Seafarers and to promote the American
maritime industry.
Please note that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the
maritime industry and-in times of conflict-the nation's security.
Students attending any of these classes should check in the Saturday before their
course's Start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the morning of the
- start dates. For clllSses ending on a Friday:t departure reservations should be made for
.:Saturday.
· Seafarers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at the Paul
.:::·. ~~~ ·.S91~:. ~:~Y. ~~~-~e admissions office at (301) 994-0010.
Safety Specialty Courses
Course
Start Date
Date of Completion
Tanker Familiarization/
May 1
May29
June 16
·. · Assistant Cargo (DL)*
May19
July 14
August 11
July3
Deck Upgrading Courses
Start Date
July 31
September 4
Date of Completion
May26
August4
September 1
September 29
Odober27
Mayl
July 10
August7
September4
October 2
September 15
October 13
November3
October 2
October 23
May26
Basie Fire Fighting.
July 21
August 18
September 22
October 20
November 10
.July7 ·
June 26 ~Tuly 24
August 4
A~ust21
September l
September 29
September 18
With this application, COPIES of lhfl following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatimefor the previous year, one day in 1he lasl six months prior to the date
your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicaring your department and seniority, and qualifying seat_ime for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested All FOWT. AB and QMED aaalicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
&e of $180 with thgir applicqtiofL The pavment should be made with a monev order onlv.
aavable m LMSS.
UPGRADING APPLICATION
END
DATE
BEGIN
DATE
COURSE
Telephone ------~---
Deep Sea Member
If the following
D
Lakc:s Member
DateofBirth _ _ _ __ _ _ __
D
Inland Waters Member
D
information is noi filled out completely, your application will not be
processed.
S6~1AI Seturity # - - - - - - - - -
Seniority~----------- Departmtttt _ _ _ __ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D
No
D
Home Port
----~~~~~~--
Ettdorsement(s) or License(s) now held - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -
LAST VESSEL; _ __ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ Rating: _ _ __
Date On;
Ari;
yQ\l
~ graduate af the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
[J Yes
SIGNATURE
Jfyes 1 class# - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -
Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D Yes
D No
If yes, course(s) t a k e n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Da ycu
hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D Yes D No
Firefighting:
D Yes D No
-----~--~-~-
CPR: D Yes
Date Off:
[J No
D No
Primary language spoken~~~~~~~~~~-~~~~~-~-~
~----------~-~
DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPUCATJON TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, PO Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit. equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified. of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
5100
Seafarers LOG
21
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
-
Unlicensed Apprentice Class Graduation Welding -
Members of the engine department earning their certificates of achievement from the welding course on January 28 are (in no
particular order) Michael Blue, David Heavey and Jean Horn. Their
instructor, Buzzy Andrews, is at the back.
Headquarters Representative Carl Peth
(left) administers the union pledge to the unlicensed apprentices who completed the third and final
stage of their training program. The proud new book members are (in alphabetical order) Shannon
Bonefont, Steven Cook, Jason Dew, Reggie Donaldson, Bobby Ellis Jr., David Green, Blaine
Harkins, Romel Holland, Kenneth Jones, Tyler Laffitte Jr., Keolamauloahawaiiloa Mowat, Erik
Nappier, Robert Parker, Brandon Scalzo, Europa Tuivaiti and Adam Williams.
QMED - Graduating from the
QMED course on April 14 are (in alphabetical order) Joseph Ashworth,
Eugene Bedard. George Bixby, Philip
Curtis, Robert Flesey, Roy Frett,
William Harris, Antonie Jennings,
Asher Liss, Dennis Middleton, Vincent
Mull ,
Michael
Repko,
Daniel
Rodriguez. Carlos Sanchez., Gregory
Stone. Kim Tye, Benjamin Vernon and
Hiawatha Williams.
Chief Cook - Learning some of th@ finer points in cooking from
Chc;if/lndructor John DOMM (center) are (from left) Susan Mos, Louis
Morri~. Dobson, Jam~~ Wadswonh and Christa Arnold.
Government Vessels -
Completing the government vessels course on February 18 are (from left, seated) Blaine Harkins. Romel Holland, Reggie Donaldson, Bobby Ellis Jr.. (second row) Mark Cates (instructor),
Thomas Broberg, Sarah Hansen, David Green, Steven Cook. Shannon Bonefont, Kaid Adam and Jason Dew.
Train the Trainer -
To teach ~ny STCW ccurse at the Paul
Hall Center, the U.S. Coast Guard requires instructors to complete
this w@@k-lor'lg ~curse _ Conducted by Beth Wroblewski (Mad of the
curriculum development department at Piney Point) last December,
the participants learned and discussed different aspects of training.
Completing the train the trainer cours@ are (in no particular order)
Mitch Oakley, Tami Accardo-Jones, Gregory Thompson, Francis
Russell, Robert Russell, Robert Dean Jr., Buzzy Andrews. Jody
Sch'11rf@nstein, Penny Adams. Ray Adams Sr., Sam Meyers, John
Smith, Bernabe Pelingon, Stan Beck. Bill Saul, Joyce Raum and
John Hetmanski.
22
Seafarers LOS
S CW Personal Survival -
Upgrading Seafarers recently completing the personal survival
requirements for their STCW certificates are (in no particular order) Alvin Moore, Deborah Tate, Edward
Wallace. Clifton Washington, Larry Bradley, Edward Pace, Doug Gantenbein, Sidney Jenkins, Cesar
Johnson, Joseph Ayeo, Herberd Adolph, Carlos Ebanks, Wilfred Lambey, Ronald Tremble, Carlos Julio,
Miguel Rivera, Gary Lamp and Steven Hoskins. Their instructor was Mitch Oakley.
May2000
�Pa uI Ha II Ce nter Graduat in9 CIass.es
Galley Operations -
Finishing one of the required two-week modules in the galley
operations curriculum are (in alphabetical order) Mohamed Ahmed, Terry Allen, Malika
Brown, Daniel Dillabough, Roy Jerue, Lisa Kitashima and Thomas Medardo. Their instructor, not pictured, was Chef Ed White.
Welding -
Completing the welding course on March 3 are (in alphabetical order)
Sotero Berame, Marino Callejas, David Kloss, Rhonda Koski, Conrado Martinez,
Faustino Pereira, Lino Remorin and Peter Sternberg. Their instructor, Buzzy Andrews, is
in the back, at left.
Jones, GarloS' Majao. Nelson Martin, Calvin McField, John Miracle, Jason Mixson, Alex
Oliva. Eldon Palmer, Eric Rodgers, Mark Savage, Lawrence Sherinski, Hector Solis,
Samuel Taylor, Mark Vidal, Alexander Williams, Dawn Williams and Jeffrey Wise_
Advanced. Fire Fighting
Earning their advanced fire
fighting endorsements on March
17 are (from left. Kneeling) Luis
Martinez, Donna Jacob-Scott,
(second row) William Thomas,
Ede DeOliveira . Paul Grant.
Austin Howard. Albert Haarmann,
Richard Durance, David Heavey,
John Wong. Curtis Nicholson Sr.,
Joel Rosete, (third row) Sarah
HM$en, Tim Keller. Antnony
Hammett (instructor), Norman
Smith, David Campbell, Tommy
Cyru5, Bart Bookman , (fourth
row) Sen Shi.ipp ~no Nicholds
ViQira _
May2000
Seafarers LOG
23
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Galley Operations -
Finishing one of the required two-week modules in the galley
operations curriculum are (in alphabetical order) Mohamed Ahmed, Terry Allen, Malika
Brown, Daniel Dillabough, Roy Jerue, Lisa Kitashima and Thomas Medardo. Their instructor, not pictured, was Chef Ed White.
Welding -
Completing the welding course on March 3 are (in alphabetical order)
Sotero Berame, Marino Callejas, David Kloss, Rhonda Koski, Conrado Martinez,
Faustino Pereira, Lino Remorin and Peter Sternberg. Their instructor, Buzzy Andrews, is
in the back, at left.
Jone , Carlmr Majao. Nelson Martin, Calvin McField, John Miracle, Jason Mixson, Alex
Oliva, Eldon Palmer, Eric Rodgers, Mark Savage, Lawrence Sherinski, Hector Solis,
Samuel Taylor, Mark Vidal, Alexander Williams, Dawn Williams and Jeffrey Wise.
Advanced Fire Fighting
-
Earnin!J their advanced fire
fighting endorsements on March
17 are (from 1en. Kneeling) Luis
Martinez, Donna Jacob-Scott,
(second row) William Thomas,
Ede DeOliveira. Paul Grant.
Austin Howard. Albert Haarmann,
Richard Durance, David Heavey,
John Wong, Curtis Nicholson Sr.,
Joel Rosete, (third row) Sarah
HM$en, Tim Keller, AnthOny
Hammett (instructor), Norman
Smith, David Campbell, Tommy
Cyrus, Bart Bookman , (fourth
row) e~n Shupp ~no Nicholds
ViQira .
May2000
Seafarers LOS
23
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009
Description
An account of the resource
Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present, Seafarers Log Digital Copies
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Seafarers International Union of North America
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
May 2000
Description
An account of the resource
HEADLINES
SEAFARERS JOIN IN CALL FOR GLOBAL DEBT RELIEF
PRUDHOE BAY SIGNALS NEW SIU JOBS
SIU OPENS HALL IN GUAM
MEMBERSHIP RECEIVES PRESIDENT’S PRE-BALLOTING REPORT
SEAMEN’S MISSIONS OFFER AID
FIRE FIGHTING INSTRUCTORS SMITH, COMBS PASS AWAY
MILITARY ‘DEPENDS’ ON MERCHANT MARINE
GEORGINE RETIRES AS PRESIDENT OF THE BUILDING TRADES DEPT.
NEW YORK BILL AIMS TO INCLUDE MARINERS IN CIVIL SERVICE EXAM LAW
SIU AFFILIATE BACKS WAL-MART CAMPAIGN
WORK STARTS ABOARD LAKERS DESPITE LOW WATER LEVELS
BOSUN MIXON COMMENDED BY OVERSEAS CHICAGO CAPT.
NEW ORLEANS MEMBERS MEET WITH HQ OFFICIALS
SEAFARERS PARTICIPATE IN JUBILEE 2000/USA: BREAKING THE CHAINS OF DEBT
MAJOR UPGRADE PAUL HALL CENTER ADDING 4 SIMULATORS
SIU PENSIONER PETE SALVO FEATURED IN NEW BOOK ON WWII MERCHANT MARINERS
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Seafarers Log
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
05/01/2000
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Newsprint
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Vol. 62, No. 5
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/0433b5608cd6267104cdaade2a811105.pdf
ae0416fdaf854bc2032fcca0e6a56bcf
PDF Text
Text
Volume 62, Number 4
Hull Completed
For 1st Coastal
Cruise Vessel
New Delta Queen Ships
Slated to Sail Next Year
The hull has been completed for the first 226-passenger coastal
cruise ship in the SIU-contracted Delta Queen Coastal Voyages fleet
(above). Construction of the second hull is under way. Delta Queen's
parent company, American Classic Voyages, also recently
announced news concerning the first of two 1,900-passenger deep
sea cruise vessels it is building. Page 3.
Tampa Ne
Of Stranded Crew
SUNDAY. FllUWAU 27. '!000
Seafarers Honor late
VP By Dedicating
Mobile Hall
Stranded sailors
languish in limbo
ITF, Others Gain Back Pay,
Repatriation for Mariners
More than 150 active and retired Seafarers and their families recently gathered at the SIU hall in
Mobile, Ala. to celebrate the memory of Leon Hall, the late Atlantic Coast VP. Hall began his
career in Mobile. As the building was dedicated in his memory, a photo of Hall and a plaque were
unveiled (top photo). Applauding at the ceremony are (from left) SIU President Michael Sacco,
Clyde Hall (nephew of Leon Hall) and Port Agent Ed Kelly. In bottom photo, members of Leon
Hall's family are welcomed to the building by SIU officials, led by Sacco (front, third from right).
Among those in attendance were Hall's sisters, Isabella Singleton and Alberta Hall (front, third
and fifth from left). Page 4.
A front-page story in the Tampa Tribune chronicled the saga of
Lithuanian and Russian mariners who were stuck aboard their rusting ,
disabled runaway-flag freighter for more than a year and a half in the
Gulf Coast port. Immediately after the original story ran, authorities
cleared the red tape, allowing crew members finally to return home
with back pay. Page 2.
�Stranded Crew Finally Goes Home
Presidnt'1 Report
Our Next Generation
When you are doing something right, the word spreads.
That has got to be the case concerning the Paul Hall Center's unli.-------...,,.._.... censed apprentice program. From Alaska to Hawaii
to Guam to Florida, special efforts are in place to
promote this nine-month curriculum to young men
and women looking for a career.
Last month, I took part in a ceremony in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. where the local Propeller Club
offered a scholarship to a young lady, Dusti
Arrowood, who is headed to Piney Point. Executive
Vice President John Fay, Fort Lauderdale Port
Michael Sacco Agent Ambrose Cucinotta and I were proud to represent the SIU at the event where we could meet one
of the people who will be carrying the banner oftbe union and the U.S.
merchant marine in this new century.
The unlicensed apprentice program has been turning out mariners
ready to meet the challenges of the sea since the curriculum was
changed in 1997. At that time, the center expanded its basic training
for those entering the industry. Previously, newcomers studied for
three months in classroom situations while receiving hands-on training
at the Piney Point campus. Now, they receive nine months of preparation-with three months of actual sea duty in between the education
received at the school.
These young people are the future of the SIU. They are the ones
who will be aboard the U.S.-flag vessels that are on the drawing boards
today. Their future is bright because of the work all of you have done
to secure a strong U.S.-flag fleet.
I'm sure you have noticed 11ll the new vessels we have announced
in the Seafarers LOG the last several years. Some of them already are
sailing, others will he coming on line soon.
It does not do any of us any good to contract for these new ships,
then not recruit new people to join our ranks.
Like most of you, I look in the back of each issue to see who has
retired. But I also make the point of looking to see who's coming on
board. Those great young faces photographed in the unlicensed
apprentice water survival classes are the next generation of Seafarers.
Their efforts have caught the eyes of many.
Alaska Congressman Don Young devoted one of his half-hour television shows aired to his constituents to the unlicensed apprentice program. He interviewed two of the graduates who came from that state
during the telecast.
Government officials in Hawaii are working with the union to
recruit young people from the Aloha State.
After touring the center in December, the governor of Guam, Carl
T.C. Gutierrez, launched a recruitment program for the residents of his
territory.
And this is just the beginning.
Each of you can play a role in this effort. Promote what it means to
be a Seafarer to young people. Explain how they can gain a profession
and see the world at the same time. Let them know what is coming,
like the new cruise ships. Put them in touch with the admissions office
at the Paul Hall Center.
Remember, others watched out for you and taught you the ropes
when you joined. Now you can return that favor to a young man or
woman just starting his or her venture in life.
Our next generation of Seafarers have tremendous opportunities
ahead of them. Let's do all we can to help them meet those challenges.
ITF Aids Mariners on Runaway-Flag Ship;
Tampa Tribune Articles Bare FOC 'Prison'
The headline said it all:
"Stranded sailors languish rn
limbo."
It applies to any number of
mariners aboard runaway-flag
ships throughout the world. But
in this instance, the Tampa
Tribune
front-page
article
focused on the awful case of
Lithuanian and Russian crew
members stuck aboard the
Golden Star for more than a year.
In its edition of Sunday,
February 27, the newspaper published three articles related to the
case, beginning on page one and
occupying a full page inside.
Attracting such publicity is
part of the campaign against runaway-flag shipping that is waged
by the London-based International Transport Workers'
Federation (ITF), to which the A front-page article in the February 27 Tampa Tribune exposes the
SIU is affiliated. Besides general· plight of Lithuanian and Russian crew members stuck aboard the
ly increasing people's awareness
Golden Star, a Panamanian-flag freighter in need of repairs.
about the runaway-flag scam,
exposure can help pressure the last six without getting paid.
unscrupulous shipowners to give They survived with the help of a
crew members their due-usually local minister and the monthly
back wages and repatriation, and food stipend provided by the
perhaps medical attention.
shipowner, alternately listed as
With the Golden Star, efforts Tamboril Properties Inc. or
The Miami Herald last
by the ITF and the Immigration Caribbean Ship Management.
month reported that the runand Naturalization Service were
After surveying the rusting
augmented by the Tribune s ship and meeting the crew,
away-flag Carnival Cruise
aggressive coverage. Tribune reporter Elizabeth Bettendorf
Lines opposes a cruise ship
reporter Jim Sloan, one of two wrote, "Their vessel has become
ticket tax- $4 per person, per
who covered the Golden Star, their prison. They share it with
day-that would generate
said the paper fielded numerous cockroaches and sweltering heat."
$320 million for construction
phone calls and emails from local
In an overview of the runwayof a baseball stadium downcitizens responding to the stories, flag scam, Sloan described "a
town.
"saying the situation is really dis- worldwide fleet of derelict hulks
Carnival Chairman Micky
gt'.isting and wanting to help."
rusting in ports around the world,
Arison's basketball team, the
After the stories ran, the manned by sailors left to rot
Miami Heat, plays in a new
mariners received back wages while shipowners squabble over
and were flown home.
arena "operated through a tax
Coast Guard fines and port fees,
The relief was long overdue. or simply battle bankruptcy. They
on hotel visits," the newspaper
The Panamanian-flagged Golden are most often flag-of-convenoted. However, a Carnival
Star, a 490-foot freighter, limped nience ships, registered with
spokesman told the Herald
into Tampa in September 1998 Third World countries that prothat the proposed cruise ticket
after sustaining damage from a vide little regulation. Some call
tax is "absolutely preposterhurricane.
them 'runaway flags.' Others
ous."
It's still there and still needs bluntly label them ' Dogs of the
The levy would partially
repairs.
Sea."'
fund a ballpark for the Florida
Many of the mariners who
The scheme usually involves
recently departed the vessel had multiple parties from runawayMarlins, with the club paying
spent more than 17 consecutive
an estimated $80 million.
Continued on page 4
months aboard the Golden Star,
Stranded sailors
languish in limbo
Carnival Taxed
By Proposal
Rank-and-File Financial Committee
Approves Union's Records for 1999
A committee of rank-and-file members, elected
by their fellow Seafarers during last month's union
meeting in Piney Point, Md., has reviewed the
SIU's financial records for 1999 and found them in
good order.
Each department was represented on the committee. Serving were Recertified Bosun Dan
Marcus, AB Joseph Riccio, QMED John H.
Smith, FOWT Melvin Grayson, OMU Decarlo
Harris, Chief Steward Donald Mann and SA
SIU officials welcome a new recruit for the Paul Hall Center's unlicensed apprentice program during last month's meeting of the Port
Everglades, Fla. Propeller Club. From the left are Fort Lauderdale Port
Agent Ambrose Cucinotta, SIU President Michael Sacco, Dusti
Arrowood and SIU Executive VP John Fay.
Volume 62, Number 4
April 2000
Jam es Simms.
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
~76
2
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly
by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth Way;
Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 899-0675.
Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Daniel Duncan; Managing
Editor, Jordan Biscardo; Associate Editor/Production,
Deborah A. Hirtes; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative
Support, Jeanne Textor.
Copyright © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
Seafarers LOB
Serving on the committee were (from left) OMU
Decarlo Harris, Chief Steward Donald Mann, FOWT
Melvin Grayson, Recertified Bosun Dan Marcus, SA
James Simms, QMED John Smith and AB Joseph
Riccio. Pictured with them is SIU SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel (far right).
"We find that the headquarters of the union is
taking all steps possible to safeguard union funds
and to see that the disbursements of the union are
in accordance with the authority delegated to them
and that, at the same time, there is a striving effort
to increase day-to-day efficiency of our operation,"
the committee noted in its report.
The use of an annual financial committee is
required by Article X, Section 15 of the SIU
Constitution. It reads: "The Annual Financial
Committee shall make an examination for each
annual period of the finances of the Union and shall
report fully on their findings and recommendations."
Apri/2000
�American Classic Announces 'Milestones'
In Revitalization of U.S. Passenger Fleet
1st Hull Complete for Coastal Cruise Ship;
Expansion Means New SIU Jobs On Horizon
SIU-contracted
American
Classic Voyages last month
announced what it described as
"several milestones in (the company's) plan to introduce six new
vessels over the next four years,"
augmenting its position as the
largest owner and operator of
U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed passenger
vessels.
For Seafarers, the news bodes
well for job opportunitiesbeginning next month, with the
scheduled start of Columbia
Queen riverboat vacations in the
Pacific Northwest. The new 161passenger vessel, slated to sail on
May 26, is part of the fleet operated by American Classic sub·
sidiary Delta Queen Steamboat,
also rui SIU-ccntracted company.
Meanwhile, the hull has been
completed in Jacksonville, Fla.
for the first 226-passenger ship in
Delta Queen's new "coastal voy-
ages" fleet, and construction of
the second hull is under way. The
line--ultimately to include five
vessels-will begin operations
next year.
American Classic also announced that Independence Day
weekend ''will mark the start of
fabrication of the first of two
1,900-passenger vessels (the company) is building under the historic Project America initiative to
help revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry, create more than
5,000 American jobs, increase
U.S. tax revenues and expand consumers' leisure travel options."
These two deep-sea vessels are
being built in union-contracted
Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding in
Pascaguola, Miss. The ships
(operating under the banner of
United States Lines) are scheduled
to sail around Hawaii beginning in
2003 and 2004, respectively.
As part of that same program,
the Patriot (formerly Holland
America's Nieuw Amsterdam and
acquired last year by U.S. Lines)
is expected to begin Hawaiian
Island cruises in December. The
ship can transport more than
1,200 passengers.
Finally, American Classic
reported that November 11 has
been scheduled as the fust departure of the SIU-crewed SS
Independence from its new home
port of Kahului, Maui. Currently,
the Independence utilizes Honolulu as its home port.
"American Classic Voyages
remains committed to the U.S.:flag fleet," noted SIU President
Michael Sacco. •This company is
another example that the maritime revitalization program initiated in the mid- l 990s is paying
dividends in new vessels and new
jobs for American mariners."
The first hull is complete for Delta Queen's new fleet of coastal passenger ships, which will sail along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts.
First Orea-Class RO/RO Expected by Summer 2002
TOTE Provides More Information on New Jones Act Vessels
Seafarers may see the first of
two Orea-class roll-on/roll-off
vessels operated by Totem Ocean
Trailer Express (TOTE) as early
as the summer of 2002, according
to the company's president and
CEO, Robert P. Magee.
Speaking before the Washington, D.C. Propeller Club on
February 29, Magee updated maritime industry and government
officials on the progress of the new
vessels, announced in the January
issue of the Seafarers LOG.
TOTE plans to build at
National Steel and Shipbuilding
Company in San Diego two
RO/ROs for the Jones Act fleet.
They will sail between the Pacific
Northwest and Anchorage, Alaska.
The ships will be the first non-military containerships or RO/ROs
built in an American yard since the
R. J Pfeiffer came out in 1992.
Magee told the audience the
company is fully involved in the
engineering phase of design. He
expects the first steel to be cut by
spring 2001.
"We look forward to these vessels serving the people of Alaska
soon," Magee stated.
He revealed more details about
the vessels during his address,
including several planned "redundancies." With this, maintenance
can be performed on one unit
while another is working. He
added TOTE is doing this because
the ships operate more like a
cruise vessel as they are never
shut down in order to keep the
seven-day round-trip schedule.
Each will be powered by diesel
electric plants, with four main
engines and two auxiliary units.
Each will have two electric
motors, dual rudders and twin
propellers. The power plants are
designed to be the cleanest burning available in today's market.
The two RO/ROs will be 839
feet long and have beams of 118
feet. The three vessels already in
the TOTE fleet are 790 feet long
with 105-foot beams. One of the
necessary design features for the
new ships is they must fit the terminals already being used by
TOTE.
The ships will incorporate
other environmentally secure systems, including a state-of-the-art
sewage treatment plant and double-hulled fuel tanks that are not
adjacent to the skin.
The Orea-class vessels will be
able to hold more than 600 trail-
TOTE Pres. and CEO Robert Magee (left) updates SIU Asst. VP
Contracts George Tricker on the progress of the two new Jones Act
RO/ROs planned for Alaskan service.
Apri/2000
ers/containers and 200 automobiles as opposed to the nearly 400
and 110 respectively on TOTE 's
present ships. The new RO/R.Os
will feature 12 internal ramps compared with five on the three that are
sailing. The deck configuration
will allow the new ships to handle
trailers ranging from 30 to 70 feet.
The bows will feature a "whaleback" design to protect containers
on the deck from high seas. The
hulls will be ice-belted to provide
additional protection in Cook
Inlet during winter.
Magee pointed out TOTE is
the first of several shipping companies considering an update of
their Jones Act fleets. He said this
points to an even stronger U.S.flag merchant fleet for the new
century.
(The Jones Act, part of the
1920 Merchant Marine Act, is the
nation's freight cabotage law. It
states that any cargo moved
between two domestic ports must
be carried aboard U.S.-crewed,
U.S.-built and U.S.-flagged vessels.)
TOTE operates three SIUcrewed vessels-the Great Land,
the Northern Lights and the
Westward Venture. TOTE is a subsidiary of Saltchuk Resources,
Inc.
Please be advised
that SIU headquarters
and all SIU hiring halls
will be closed on
· Monday, Mai 29i' 2000
for the observance of
MemofieFDay {unless.
an emergency arises).
Normal business
hours will resume the
following workday.
Administrative Task Force Finds
USCG Missions Vital for New Century
An interagency task force assigned to look into
the needs of the U.S. Coast Guard into the 21st century has found "that the nation has an enduring need
for a Coast Guard, specifically for a Coast Guard in
the deepwater environment, that there is a near term
requirement for re-capitalization and that the Coast
Guard's Deepwater Capabilities Replacement
Project should continue to be pursued."
Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater issued
the report in late February in conjunction with a
speech by Coast Guard Commandant James Loy to
the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on
February 24.
Admiral Loy updated the media and others from
the maritime industry on the role of the Department
of Transportation agency and how it is being prepared for the future.
Deputy Secretary of Transportation Mort
Downey served as chair for the 16-member task
force composed of representatives from various federal departments and agencies as well as the White
House. The group, appointed by President Clinton
in 1999, was charged with answering if the nation
requires a Coast Guard to operate in the deepwater
environment. It analyzed the agency's missions
through the year 2020. This was the first administrative-level survey of the agency in almost 20
years.
In the summary of his task force's report,
Downey stated, "Our findings reinforced the value
of a multi-missioned Coast Guard with regulatory,
law enforcement, and humanitarian-focused emergency response authority, and military capability
that offer this and future administrations a highly
motivated, cost-effective service with the demonstrated competence to meet changing national priorities."
The task force agreed to a series of conclusions
that underscore the need for the Coast Guard and the
support the agency will require to meet the challenges of 2020:
•the Coast Guard's roles and missions support
national policies and objectives that will endure into
the 21st century;
• the United States will continue to need a flexible,
adaptable, multi-mission, military Coast Guard to
meet national maritime interests and requirements
well into the next century;
•in order to hedge against tomorrow's uncertainties, the Coast Guard should be rebuilt so as to make
it more adaptable;
• the Coast Guard should continue to pursue new
methods and technologies to enhance its ability to
perform its vital missions;
•the re-capitalization of the Coast Guard's deepwater capability is a near-term national priority; and
• the deepwater acquisition project is a sound
approach to that end and the interagency task force
strongly endorses its process and timeline.
Seafarers LOG
3
�1 ----'He Earned the Respect of All'
Building Named in Leon Hall's Memory
Among the more than 150 people attending the ceremony are (from
left) OMU Percy Payton, Jacksonville, Fla . Port Agent Tony McQuay
and retired Steward Tobe Dansley.
Pictured at the counter are (from left) SIU employee Alicia Lorge,
Recertified Steward Albert Coale and retired Steward Herbert Scypes Sr.
SIU Boat Operator
Rescues Fisherman
Editors note: SIU member
Richard Williams, second assistant engineer on the NATCO
dredge Manhattan Is land, submitted the following article.
On the morning of March 10,
the crew boat Columbia River
-operated by Seafarer Dennis
Johnston-was doing a routine
survey of the San Juan, P.R.
entrance channel.
The Columbia River is working with the SIU-crewed hopper
dredge Manhattan Island, which
is contracted to deepen and widen
the entrance channel.
San Juan is well known for its
onshore swells and heavy surf.
Aboard the Columbia River,
Johnston and Don Smith, a field
engineer for NATCO, sighted a
sport fisherman caught in the
trough and waving frantically.
Initially the fisherman was moving in and out of sight due to the
heavy swell. It appeared his
engine lost power and he was
rapidly heading toward the rocks.
Captain Johnston immediately
suspended the survey to investigate. Sea conditions made it
impossible to go full speed; by
4
Seafarers LOB
the time the Columbia River
arrived, the fisherman was only
about 25 to 50 feet from the
rocks.
Now the crew boat was in danger of going aground; but Smith
threw a line to the boat-aptly
named Hijo Afortunado or Fortunate Son-and safely towed it
to a nearby marina.
Approximately one-half mile
away was a runaway-flag vessel
that had been aground for several
months. If the crew boat had
arrived a minute later, the allfiberglass Hijo Afortunado would
have suffered the same fate.
The fisherman praised Johnston and Smith for their assistance and courage.
Captain Steve Taylor saw the
rescue from the Manhattan
Island.
"If he had gone up on the
rocks, there's no telling if anyone
would have found him," he said.
"His boat would have crunched
like potato chips.
"He's lucky, because we don't
survey there every day and
(Johnston and Smith) were the
only guys around for miles."
More than 150 active and
retired Seafarers and their families recently gathered at the SIU
hall in Mobile, Ala. to celebrate
the memory of Leon Hall, former
vice president of the union's
Atlantic Coast region.
In what is believed to have
been an unprecedented ceremony,
the building was named in memory of Hall, a charter member of
the union, who passed away in
1992 at age 72. No other SIU hall
has been dedicated in someone's
memory.
The hall now features a large
photo of Leon Hall and a plaque
of remembrance.
"Leon was a mentor to the next
generation of union officials,"
said SIU President Michael Sacco
during the February 25 ceremony.
"He reminded all of us who
worked with him to always
respect the brothers and sisters
who make up this union. He
drilled into us the need to do our
homework and always be prepared when we boarded a ship,
because the members were counting on us."
At least 20 members of Hall's
family attended the assembly,
including his two sisters.
"The comments from everyone who attended were so positive," noted Ed Kelly, the SIU
port agent in Mobile. "It couldn't
have gone any better."
Hall, always an extremely
popular union brother. worked
every shipboard job in the galley,
becoming a chief steward. In the
early 1960s he came ashore to
work with the union's Maritime
Advancement Program, the SIU 's
early upgrading and refresher
training operation.
From there, he served the
membership in various posts
including San Francisco port
agent, New York port agent and
headquarters representative. In
1979 he became Atlantic Coast
vice president, a position to
which he was re-elected in every
union balloting until his retirement in 1988.
Never short of conversation,
he affectionately was nicknamed
"Radio" by his union brothers
and sisters.
"Leon truly cared about his fellow Seafarers," observed Sacco.
"He earned the respect of all."
AB Herbert Scypes Jr. provided four photos accompanying
this article along with two on the
front page.
The memorial plaque reads as
follows; "Leon Hall was a true
believer in helping others. He
was an advocate, teacher, listener,
mentor, supporter-in other
words, a union brother in every
sense of the word. While he
fought to improve the working
I
Leon Hall served the membership
in many union posts, including
Atlantic Coast vice president.
conditions for all Seafarers, his
heart always remained in Mobile.
Brother Hall charted the course
that many others followed in the
SIU."
SIU President Michael Sacco (second from left) is pictured with retirees
(front, from left) Sonny Rankin, Sacco, Y. C. McMillan, Herbert Scypes
Sr., Herbert Hollings, (back) Nick Juzang and Eddie Bowers.
1
NATCO Crews Ratify 3-Year Contract
By a vast majority, SIU members sailing aboard NATCO
dredges have approved a new
three-year contract featuring
numerous gains.
"We're all pretty excited about
it," said Captain Steve Taylor
aboard the Manhattan Is land.
"Everybody's happy with it,"
observed AB/Dragtender Ray
Maddock, who served on the
negotiating committee. "Primarily, what the guys were asking
for were more benefits for their
dependents, a higher pension and
pay raise. We achieved all of
those goals, along with others.
We got everything the members
asked for, plus a few other gains
they (initially) weren't even
aware of."
Also serving on the committee, which negotiated the contract
in early March, were Mike Horn,
Dale McKelvie, Jeff Mccranie,
SIU Asst. VP Contracts George
Tricker and SIU Ft. Lauderdale,
Fla. Port Agent Ambrose Cucinotta.
Captain Phil Kleinebreil said
everyone on the Northerly Island
approved the contract. "Everybody is very satisfied," he noted.
Among other gains, the pact
calls for a 3-percent wage
increase each year of the contract;
doubles the optical benefit for
members and their dependents;
doubles the death benefit; and
adds prescription coverage for
dependents.
It also stipulates additional
pension credits; increases vacation benefits; and adds NATCO
crews to the Seafarers Money
Purchase Pension Plan.
"I think it's a good one. I was
happy with it," said Hom. "I've
been through this procedure a few
times now, and every time it's
been an education. We tried really hard this time to educate the
crews about all the gains that
were made, because some of the
background information isn't
necessarily incorporated into the
printed version of the contract."
Both Hom and Maddock credited Tricker and Cucinotta for
their efforts.
"This was my first time on the
bargaining committee, and it was
a worthwhile experience," stated
Maddock, whose wife is a shop
steward for the Office and
Professional Employees International Union. "Both George
and Ambrose were invaluable.
They're professionals and they're
good guys."
He added that both the SIU
crews and the company are work-
ing to ensure NATCO crews may
take advantage of the curriculums
available at the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and
Education, including various
classes based at the Joseph Sacco
Fire Fighting and Safety School.
ITFAssists
Stranded
Mariners
Continued from page 2
flag nations. More than a halfcentury ago, U.S. maritime
unions called them runaways
because of their use as a device
for shipowners to pay a fairly
nominal fee to the government of
a non-maritime nation seeking to
raise revenue. The shipowners
then escape from a maritime
nation's safety regulations, procedures and inspections, tax laws
and higher wages-mostly by
insulating themselves with often
unscrupulous managers and registries.
The ITF comprises more than
500 unions from approximately
130 countries.
April20DO
�Houston Seafarers Meet With Rep. Green
U.S. Rep. Gene Green (top photo, standing) earlier this year
attended a membership meeting at the SIU hall in Houston, where
he emphasized to Seafarers his strong support of the U.S. merchant marine. Green-pictured with (from left) SIU VP Gulf Coast
Dean Corgey, SIU Asst. VP Jim McGee and SIU Representative
Kenny Moore-reiterated his backing of the Jones Act and the
Maritime Security Program. He also encouraged members to register and vote in the November elections.
Supreme Court Rules State Oversteps
Jurisdiction Regarding Tanker Regs
By a unanimous vote, the U.S. Supreme Court
declared the state of Washington had overstepped its
jurisdiction in imposing stricter tanker regulations
than those implemented by the federal government.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy delivered the decision in the case of United States v. Locke on March
6. In his statement, Justice Kennedy wrote,
"Washington's regulations regarding general navigation watch procedures, crew English skills and
training, and maritime casualty reporting are preempted by the comprehensive federal regulatory
scheme governing tankers."
Kennedy added, "The state has enacted legislation in an area where the federal interest has been
manifest since the beginning of the republic and is
now well established.... Only the federal government may regulate the design, construction, alteration, repair, maintenance, operation, equipping,
personnel qualification and manning of tankers.
Congress has left no room for state regulations of
these matters."
The case was remanded to the lower courts to
consider whether other standards, such as lookouts
in times of restricted visibility, may be allowed
because of "peculiarities" within Washington state's
waterways.
It was brought to the U.S. District Court in 1996
by the International Association of Independent
Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) after the Pacific
Northwest state passed laws requiring tankers entering the state's waterways to meet its stricter regulations than those implemented by the federal Oil
Pollution Act of 1990. Those regulations dealt with
watch policy, English-speaking requirements, spill
reporting and additional training and drills. INTERTANKO challenged the legislation as unconstitutional because it superceded federal law.
After the district court ruled in favor of the state,
INTERTANKO appealed. The United States intervened on the side of INTERTANKO, claiming the
district court failed to give sufficient weight to the
foreign affairs interests of the federal government.
Despite the involvement of the government, the
appeals court found in favor of the state.
The case moved to the Supreme Court and was
heard December 7, 1999.
AFL-CIO Continues Push for Global Economic Fairness
Following its peaceful march
through the streets of Seattle last
December to call attention to the
needs of workers in the global
economy, the AFL-CIO is pushing forward with its campaign for
global fairness.
The national labor federation's
executive board endorsed a state-
Amsea Offers Retroactive
Adjustments for RRF Crew Members
Amsea has joined the list of Ready Reserve Force (RRF)
vessel operators providing EPA wage adjustments to
Seafarers working aboard its contracted ships.
SIU Vice President Contracts Augie Tellez reported the
company will provide the adjustment retroactive, in some
cases, to July 1998.
Tellez noted the problems concerning the EPA pay scales
go back to complaints filed in July 1998 about the bidding procedure used by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) in
awarding new three-year contracts for RRF ships. When
MarAd rescinded the awards announced the previous month,
it extended the contracts for those companies already managing the vessels. Since that time, MarAd has been working to
correct the problems discovered within its bidding procedures.
New awards are expected to be announced later this year.
The SIU-contracted vessels covered under the Amsea
announcement include the Cape Jacob, Cape John, Cape
Johnson, Cape Juby, Cape Lambert, Cape Lobos, Cape
Nome, Cape Washington, Cape Wrath, USNS Curtiss and
USNS Wright.
The RRF fleet provides surge shipping for the U.S. armed
forces. The ships are owned by the government but operated
by private companies that employ U.S. merchant mariners.
The vessels, which are kept in various states of readiness,
include tankers, roll-on/roll-offs, breakbulk and auxiliary crane
ships.
Pres. Jackson Crew Discusses Merger
ment during
its
meeting
in
February to educate both union
members and the general public
on how the global economy
affects everyone, to push for
stronger human rights and worker
rights language in trade agreements, to establish international
solidarity with workers in emerging nations and to hold multinational corporations accountable
for their e:fforts to speed the race
to the bottom.
One of the AFL-CIO's immediate objectives is to stop legislation that would grant permanent
normal trade relations to China.
Congress is considering a measure that would end the yearly
review for such trade status for
China. The measure has the support of the White House.
In its effort to show why
China should not be granted permanent normal trade relations,
the AFL-CIO referred to a U.S.
State Department report issued
February 25 that stated the Asian
nation's "poor human rights
record deteriorated markedly
throughout the year, as the government intensified efforts to suppress dissent."
The report detailed extensive
human rights abuses, including
AFL-CIO Pres. John Sweeney
updates the Maritime Trades
Dept. executive board on the labor
federation's campaign for fairness
in the global economy.
continued or further tightened
restrictions on freedom of religion, association, movement,
speech and the press.
Among the facts listed by the
State Department to support its
contention were:
• extrajudicial killings, torture
and mistreatment of prisoners,
forced confessions and denial of
due process;
•by the end of 1999, almost all
key leaders of the opposition
China Democracy Party were in
prison or custody;
• thousands of members of the
Falun Gong spiritual movement
were detained after the movement was banned in July; and
• violence against women which
included forced abortions and
forced sterilization as well as trafficking of women and children.
After the State Department
report was released, AFL-CIO
President John Sweeney said,
"Year after year, report after
report shows that China has no
intention of abiding by the most
basic rules of the international
community. Our growing trade
relationship with China has not
encouraged China to clean up its
act, despite what supporters of
permanent free trade status
claim."
Polling conducted by the
AFL-CIO since the first of the
year revealed nearly 70 percent of
American voters reject the idea
that "the best way to improve
human rights is not to restrict
trade, but to engage China and
include it in important international bodies, such as the World
Trade Organization." The polls
also showed Americans dismiss
the idea that permanent trading
status for China would expand
exports and create good jobs in
the U.S.
Sweeney
further
noted,
"China-which has not yet ratified the two United Nations
covenants on human rights it
agreed to sign before President
Clinton's-·trip to China in 1998has broken every trade agreement
it has signed with the United
States over the past 10 years."
The affiliated unions of the
AFL-CIO, which includes the
SIU, represent more than 13 million workers.
Hvide Marine Founder Dies
Earlier this year, Seafarers aboard the President Jackson in San
Francisco discussed the proposed merger of the NMU into the
SIU. Pictured in the galley are (from left) SIU San Francisco Port
Agent Nick Celona, Recertified Steward Terry Allen, Assistant
Cook/Utility Mary Lou Lopez and SIU VP West Coast Nick
Marrone. As reported in last month's issue of the Seafarers LOG,
members from both unions overwhelmingly voted in favor of full
merger talks.
April2000
Hans J. Hvide, founder of Hvide Marine
Incorporated, passed away March 16 after a 10month fight with heart disease. He was 83.
Hvide Marine owns the five SIU-crewed
"Double Eagle" tankers-the HM! Ambrose
Channel, HMI Diamond Shoals, HM! Cape
Lookout Shoals, HM! Nantucket Shoals and the
HM! Brenton Reef
Hans Hvide had a long and distinguished
career in the maritime industry, retiring in 1994.
He is credited with initiating the first roll-on/rolloff operation in the United States, in the early
1950s. He founded several maritime companies,
including American Overseas and Chartering
Corp. (1945), and Port Everglades Towing Co.
(1958), the forerunner to Hvide Marine.
The Miami Herald described Hvide as a
"maritime pioneer" who "helped mold Port
Everglades with his inventiveness, will and philanthropy."
His son, Erik, who served as president of
Hvide Marine for five years, told the newspaper,
"Whether it was a deckhand or a cook, a captain
or a manager, he always had time for people and
a sincere interest for them. He believed in people
and was very idealistic."
Hans Hvide was born in 1916 in Bergen,
Norway to a ship-owning family. He graduated
from Bergen Commercial College in 1935 and
immigrated to the United States five years later.
During World War II, Hvide was an executive
with the Norwegian Shipping and Trading
Mission in New York, which was charged with
the operation of the Norwegian merchant fleet.
Seafarers LOG
5
�Wheelsman Joseph Boyer
Richard Reiss
QMED Eugene Hayes
J.A. W Iglehart
After a fairly mild winter, Great Lakes
Seafarers are getting an early start
the 2000
navigation season.
The Southdown Conquest was the first laker
to fit out; the cement carrier departed February
7 from Chicago bound for Charlevoix. Mich.
Full crews also reported aboard the JA. W
Iglehart and Alpena in mid-March to inspect
their boats and get them in tip-top condition for
the heavy loads ahead.
The opening of the Soo Locks in Sault Ste.
Marie, Mich.-traditionally marking the beginning of a new sailing sea.son-took place at the
end of last month~ and most of the other SIUcrewed lakes vessels began their routes at that
time as well.
SIU representatives met with Seafarers
aboard many of the vessels at fit-out and provided the photographs on this page.
They noted that whil.e no ice remains on the
lakes, the water
levels are still
very low.
on
The dredge Luedtke gets to work.
Porter Gary Lipczynski
American Mariner
Wheelsman Kenneth Bluitt
American Mariner
Right: AB Watchman Jeff
Laland
Richard Reiss
A Great Lakes tug in Toledo
helps break ice for the
American Republic.
Bosun Herb Shiller
J.A. W Iglehart
Deckhand Lorry Wilcox
Luetdke Engineering Co.
6
Seafarers LOB
AB Vladislav Pitsenko
J.A. W Iglehart
Right: QMED Tracy Ribble
J.A. W Iglehart
Second Cook Raymond Maynord
American Mariner
April 2000
�Recertified Stewards
Encourage Apprentices
The message may not be new,
but its tremendous importance to
SIU members also is intact.
In what has become an unofficial tradition, 10 graduating
members of the recertified steward class last month urged unlicensed apprentices at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education to take
full advantage of the opportunities available through the school
and the SIU.
The stewards-Robert Hag-
gerty, Martin Buck, Abraham
Martinez, Anthony St. Clair,
William McGee, Charles Roldan, Randy Stephens, Richard
Riley, Jeanette Montgomery
then," said the 38-year-old
Seafarer. "Today, the unlicensed
apprentices have a wonderful
program here. I encourage you to
ask questions and be careful in
foreign ports. Good luck!"
Haggerty, 36, whose home
port is Tacoma, Wash., told the
apprentices that this shouldn't be
their only trip to the Paul Hall
Center.
"I can't urge you enough to
keep upgrading. Keep current and
you'll have no problem shipping," he stated.
St. Clair, McGee and Stephens
each reminded the apprentices
that their safe, productive work
aboard ship will help determine
and
Kevin
Marchandaddressed the apprentices and fellow Seafarers during the March
membership meeting in Piney
future continued employment
opportunities for Seafarers.
"It's important to do a good
job when you're out there,"
Point, Md.
observed Stephens, 45, who sails
from the; port of Houston.
Thi; recertified stc;w~ds also
complimented the school's in·
structors and staff, crediting them
with maintaining a comfortable
but professional atmosphere that
promotes learning.
Recertification, a five-week
curriculum, is considered the top
class offered to members of the
steward department.
Head Start
Marchand, who sails from
Port Everglades, Fla., let the
apprentices know "what a head
start your have." He recalled that
his first deep-sea voyage ( 1978)
occurred only because an · officer
literally shanghaied him to a nonunion ship. .
"Things were very different
"When you get to sea, work
hard and do your job," said the
46-year-old McGee, whose home
port is Jacksonville, Fla. "Stick
with the course and come back to
Piney Point to upgrade as soon as
possible."
"It may seem obvious, but the
best thing you can do for yourself
and your union is to do a good
job/' explained St. Clair, 43, who
sails from the port of Houston.
"And come back ~o upgrade. The
staff here works hard for our benefit."
'Holding ~ Future'
Riley, 49, emphasized, the
impact the apprentices can have.
"You hold the future of our
Part of the class took place at the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and
Safety School, located near the Paul Hall Center's main campus.
Several stewards said they were impressed by the facility's very modern and maritime-specific equipment. The fire fighting school opened
last summer.
The SIU's newest recertified stewards are pictured with SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez (top photo, fourth from
left) and (bottom photo) SIU Director of Legislative Affairs Terry Turner (right, standing). Completing the fiveweek curriculum were Richard Riley, Anthony St. Clair, Abraham Martinez, Robert Haggerty, Kevin
Marchand, Jeanette Montgomery, William McGee, Charles Roldan, Randy Stephens and Martin Buck.
union in your hands," declared
Riley, who sails from the port of
Honolulu. "Please don't drop the
ball. We have the best educators
here at the school; take advantage
of it. There are more and more
(industry) regulations to come, so
stay current by upgrading.
"And remember this; 'Safety
First' will protect you and your
family."
Others in the recertification
class mentioned various aspects
of the curriculum, with several
pointing to the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety School as an
invaluable addition to the Paul
Hall Center.
Montgomery, 35, praised the
Paul Hall Center's culinary staff,
whom she described as "outstanding." She said the recertification students enjoyed a natural
camaraderie and "good communication" throughout the class.
Montgomery, whose home
port is Tacoma, Wash., also said
she enjoyed the upgraders' meeting with SIU Vice President
Contracts Augie Tellez and SIU
Assistant Vice President Contracts George Tricker at the
union's headquarters, located in
Camp Springs, Md.
Martinez, 43, credited the
union and the school for offering
a worthwhile class and a solid
career path.
"I'm proud to be an SIU member and I thank (SIU President)
Mike Sacco and his staff," noted
Martinez, who sails from the port
of Jacksonville.
Buck, 42, who also sails from
Jacksonville, commended "the
Apprentices Earn GEDs
Because academic studies can
help Seafarers be more proficient
in their work at sea, the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education offers such instruction
in addition to vocational courses.
Two unlicensed apprentices
recently took advantage of the
center's GED program, and they
received diplomas during the
March membership meeting in
Piney Point, Md. GED graduates
Steve Pollard (second from left)
and Phillip Hartline (right) are
pictured with SIU SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel (left)
and SIU VP Contracts Augie
Tellez.
Apri/2000
officials at headquarters and at
Piney Point. I can't thank you
enough. Keep up the good work."
Roldan, 30, whose home port
is New York, described the
course as "very rewarding. I thank
everyone involved."
Among other studies, the
course included various lessons
in the galley labs, training at the
new fire fighting and safety
school, a trip to AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C. and
a visit to SIU headquarters.
Boeing Strike Ends
Workers Approve 3-Year Pacts
Union engineers and technical
workers at Boeing Corp. declared
"a huge victory" as they returned
to work last month in Puget
Sound, Wash., following what is
believed to be the largest whitecollar strike in U.S. history.
The workers on March 19
approved separate three-year contracts covering 22,352 members
of the Society of Professional
Engineering
Employees
in
Aerospace (SPEEA). SPEEA is
an affiliate of the International
Federation of Professional and
Technical Engineers.
The contracts, each approved
by more than 70 percent of those
voting, call for annual wage
increases and health benefits for
dependents, among other gains.
The union also triumphed when
Boeing dropped its demand that
workers pay part of their health
insurance premiums.
"We plan to march back in just
as we left- as a group together,"
the union said in a statement.
"This is a huge victory for
SPEEA. We thank every person
who played a part in making our
strike work-the members on the
picket line, the volunteers, the
staff, other labor unions and the
community at large."
AFL-CI 0 Secretary-Treasurer
Richard Trumka, who led the crucial final days of bargaining
before the settlement, stated that
because of this outcome,
"Millions of white-collar and professional workers in our country
now know they can build a better
future for their families by joining
and forming unions."
An estimated 17 ,000 workers
walked off their jobs on February
8, following nine months of contract negotiations. In a resolution
supporting the workers, the AFLCIO pointed out that Boeing
"refused to engage in meaningful
negotiations on economic items
despite the company's record
profits and aggressive acquisition
strategy. Boeing (also) threatened
to retaliate against employees
who engage in their right to
strike .... Boeing disciplined the
engineers' bargaining chairman
for expressing the employees'
point of view to the press."
The company's penultimate
contract offer included major concessions on employees' benefits
and was rejected by a nearly
unanimous vote. A subsequent
offer was rejected, largely because of wages.
Days before the strike began,
federal mediators intervened and
brought the parties back to the
bargaining table. However, the
company flatly refused to
improve its offer and the mediator
halted negotiations.
Under terms of the settlement
agreement, union members will
return to the same jobs they held
prior to the strike. Boeing and
SPEEA "mutually pledge to
return all operations back to normal at the earliest possible time,"
the union noted.
The new contract also includes
a "partnership agreement" aimed
at "rebuilding the relationship"
between Boeing and the workers.
Seafarers LOG
7
�ITF: Stop Blacklisting Filipinos
SIU Backs Mariners at Manila Demonstration
More than 1,000 mariners
along with 118 International
Transport Workers' Federation
(ITF) inspectors marched through
Manila to protest the blacklisting
of Filipino seafarers who report
ill treatment, dangerous working
conditions and unpaid wages.
The late-February rally coincided with the biennial seminar
for ITF inspectors from around
the world. Don Thornton, the
Sill's ITF inspector on the Great
Lakes, represented the union at
the five-day session.
The protest against the practice of blacklisting highlighted
the ITF assembly. Despite sweltering temperatures, it lasted five
hours and covered three miles,
including a lengthy stop at the
Philippines Overseas Employment Agency (POEA-often the
lone official source for seagoing
jobs).
Several Filipino mariners told
the crowd about the severe and
unjust treatment they have
endured because of blacklisting.
lTF officials pointed out that the
disreputable practice is widespread, but particularly acute in
the Philippines.
A global federation of more
than 500 transport-related unions
(including the SIU), the ITF
reported that the Philippines "is
the world's largest supplier of
Among the participants in the ITF meeting were (from left) Arthur
Petipas, Don Thornton, Rick Esopa and Jose Ybarra. Thornton is the
SIU's ITF inspector on the Great Lakes; the other three men are ITF
inspectors for the NMU.
labor to the global merchant fleet,
with some 200,000 individuals.
Every year, ITF inspectors assist
many thousands of Filipino
mariners in recovering millions of
dollars in unpaid wages, ensuring
that the vessels they sail on are
safe and that they are being fairly
treated.
"However, more often than not
those who contact the ITF for help
are labeled as 'troublemakers.'
Their names are added to blacklists held by manning agencies
and watch-lists held by the POEA.
As a consequence, many frightened mariners keep silent, leaving
the way clear for unscrupulous
shipowners to ignore even their
most basic rights."
As one ITF representative put
it, "When seafarers rightfully
complain about safety standards,
poor working conditions or
unpaid wages, they should not be
punished for life. Yet if a seafarer
appears on a blacklist, their maritime car~er, often the only job
open to them, is over.
"This immoral and illegal
practice must be stamped out."
The ITF further charges that
such blacklisting violates not only
the rules of the International
Labor Organization, of whlch the
Philippines is a member, but also
the Philippines Constitution itself.
According to press reports,
Philippines Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, who spoke at
the seminar, promised to investigate the ITF's complaints about
blacklisting. Crewing agents also
pledged their cooperation.
Upon learning of a strike by workers at the Manila Hotel-originally
scheduled to host the five-day gathering-the ITF moved its seminar to
a different location in the city. Above, Abdulgani Serang, a member of the
National Union of Seafarers of India, blocks a truck from approaching the
Manila Hotel.
Some of the U.S.-based ITF inspectors who attended the seminar gather for the rally. ·
Crew Member Confirms
Threat of Blacklisting
More than 1,000 mariners
marched through Manila to
protest the blacklisting of
Filipino mariners. The lateFebruary event, conducted
by the ITF, elicited promises
from the local government
and manning agencies to
cooperate in solving the
problem.
Lucio Degal knows all about
the fear of being blacklisted.
He was part of the Filipino
crew aboard the runaway-flag
Evangelos late last year when the
ship delivered foreign steel to
Cleveland.
The crew sought ITF assistance when the ship arrived in
Ohio in October. Inspectors
quickly discovered that the
mariners were owed more than
$100,000 in unpaid wages and
were suffering from a severe lack
of stores.
But the crew members,
reportedly afraid of being blacklisted, rescinded their initial
complaints asking for the ship's
arrest. In fact, ITF inspectors
Don Thornton and Jim Given
were told the captain of the
Panamanian-flagged,
Greekowned ship ordered the mariners
to sign papers indicating they
already had been paid "if they
wanted to continue sailing."
Only Degal refused to back
down. He received $5,000 in
back wages, plus repatriation.
At the ITF rally in Manila,
Degal recognized Thornton and
shared new details about the
Evangelos case. Degal, who
repeatedly thanked the ITF for
its assistance, insisted that the
others withdrew their grievances
because they were worried about
blacklisting.
Lucio Degal (right) ,
received his back
wages, thanks to
help from ITF ·
inspectors Don
Thornton (left), Jim
Given and others.
But the rest of the
Evangelos crew
members, afraid of
being blacklisted,
withdrew their complaints.
B Seafarers LOG
Apri/2000
�When representatives from the Paul
Hall Center were in Guam last January to
run a seminar aimed at establishing a system to boost enrollment by Chamorros (the
people of Guam) in the unlicensed apprentice program at Piney Point, Md., they also
took time to visit SIU-contracted ships stationed nearby-both on Guam and Saipan,
two U.S. territories in the Western Pacific.
Paul Hall Center VP Don Nolan and
Bart Rogers, the center's admissions coordinator, updated crew members on the latest union news, including the SIU-NMU
elections and brought them recent copies of
the Seafarers LOG.
The photos on this page show some of
the meetings held aboard the 2nd Lt. John
P. Bobo, SPC5 Eric G. Gibson, PFC
Dewayne T Williams and the 1st Lt. Jack
Lummus.
Above: Seafarers "
discuss Uf~aboard
the Bobo in Saipan
with VP Don Nolan.
Paul Hall Center VP
Don Nolan poses with
(above left) SA
Richard Gegenheimer
and (above right)
Bosun John Davis on
Right: Chief Steward
Robert Firth (right)
gets the latest union
news when
the Wifliams in
Saipan.
Admisstons
Coordinator Bart
Rogers visited the
GUDE AU Mohamed,
left, and QE Kenneth
Couture, right) Hsten to
SIU representatives
2nd Lt. John P. Bobo.
aboard the Williams.
Left: Two of the crew
members on board the
1st Lt. Jack Lummus in
Saipan are Chief Cook
Eric Loret and AB
Robert Butler.
Right Preparing lunch for
Bobo crew members is
Cook/Baker Danelle Harvey.
Apri/2000
Seafarers LOB
9
�Global J,ink Finishes
Flurry of Five Repain
The SIU-crewed Global Link recently concluded a busy stretch of
five consecutive cable repairs lasting three weeks apiece.
Chief Steward Willie Crear reports that the vessel completed jobs
near Florida, New York, the Bahamas and the mid-Atlantic shelf,
"with more than 90 people on board for each trip. Whew! That was a
lot of work."
The ship returned to its home port of Baltimore in late January
- just in time for a spate of snow and ice that paralyzed the region.
Meanwhile, crew members in early March congratulated OS Mary
Bado on successfully concluding her first voyage. A graduate of the
unlicensed apprentice program at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education, Bado signed off the Global Link and headed
back to the school in Piney Point, Md. to upgrade to AB.
"We all love Mary and she has come a long way from apprentice to
OS," noted Crear. "She is furthering her career by continuing the union
tradition of improving oneself."
The steward department gave Bado a warm sendoff, preparing a
banana-chocolate ganache cake with kirschwasser and chocolatedipped strawberries. The Global Link is operated by Transoceanic
Cableship Co.
VIEWS FROM ABOVE: The SIU-crewed Sea-Land Explorer and SeaLand Voyager tie up in Long Beach, Calif. while Electricians Daran
Ragucci and Allen Pasik work on a head block and bar.
On tlieJob in Long Beach
Seafarers in Long Beach, Calif. recently met with
the SIU's Wilmington, Calif. port agent, John Cox,
to discuss the proposed SIU-NMU merger and other
union news. The camera-toting port agent provided
these photos.
The Global Link's steward
department had its hands full
but got the job done during a
recent stretch of five consecutive cable repairs. The ship carried more than 90 people for
those voyages. Pictured from
left to right (standing) are Chief
Steward Willie Crear, SA Ali
Akmar, SA Marcial Avila,
Above: Electricians Van
Phan (left) and Jim
Dryden are pictured at
the end of a boom.
(kneeling) Cook/Baker Radames
Toro and SA Mauricio Martinez.
Photo right: On behalf of the
entire crew, Chief Steward Willie Crear (left) presents OS Mary Bado
with a cake to commemorate her first voyage. "She has come a long
way from apprentice to OS," Crear observed.
ATTENTION: SEAFARERS
',,
,,,
,,,
'~
\
'
Being in California in January has its advantages-such as riding with
the top down. Shown here returning to the Sea-Land Express are AB
Dan Porter, SA Ali Mohamed, QMED Alfred Lane and DEU Aguilo
Llorente.
SA Ali Mohamed heads to the galley on the Sea-Land Express.
\
CQNfKllUTF 'ta TllE
SEAFA~E~S
POL.tTICA'AOTroN
OONAT\ON
10
Seafarers LOB
Apri/2000
�Stories Won't End Because Bosun Cain's Come Ashore
Mobile Member Calls It a Career After Nearly 50 Years With the SIU
Anyone who has spent any
time with recent pensioner
Hubert Cain knows he is a man
who likes to pass along stories.
Not your typical sea stories,
which he can do as well as anyone else, but real life stories
about his nearly 50-year career
as a Seafarer.
Perhaps the most well known
is the one immortalized by an
old "Ripley's Believe It or Not"
cartoon about an eel plugging a
leak in a cargo ship_
"That really happened
because I was on the ship when
it happened," recalled the retired
recertified bosun in an interview
with the Seafarers LOG. "I still
have the cartoon." (A copy is
reprinted with this article.)
The vessel was the Alcoa
Pioneer. Cain and shipmates
were trying to bring the vessel to
Mobile, Ala. because it was taking on water. When the cargo
ship came into drydock, the eel
was discovered in the hole where
water had been seeping.
"I never saw anytlllng like it
before or since."
Cain received his mariner's
document while he was in the
eighth grade_He said that was a
normal thing to do in Mobile, the
southern Alabama community
4·8-MOBILE PRESS
BELIEVE IT OR NOT
By
Ripl~y
.....~-~
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.
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.
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LWffD INlt>- ORYDOQ(
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NBElrMU~
711AT A HOLE IN TUE
'801'7tM1 OF 11/E $11/P
NAO BEEN EFFECTIVELY
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._............
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DR~ THOMAS MAHTON '"20.-.n>"
DELIVIPEO $0 SflfMON$ OIJ :
THE .SUBJECT OF 'P.Slfl./rf I/SJ .
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HIS PUBLISHED SERMONS ON PSAlM-'19
COMPRISE .A eooK OF UOQOOO ~
- NEARLY ·~Cf THE ~U"'f. ·:·
. OF THE &NTfR& 8181;1 ···~• •··
1
This reprint from 1961 tells about the eel that plugged a hole on the
Alcoa Pioneer while Hubert Cain was aboard_
where he and his brother John
(another SIU bosun) grew up.
They stayed in school but would
sail during the summers
Being one of the biggest kids
in the neighborhood, he played
center on his high school football team and earned all-city
honors. Also on that team was
his next door neighbor, Vince
Dooley, who eventually became
the head football coach at the
University of Georgia.
When graduation time came,
Cain recounted his teammates
saying what colleges they were
headed for_"I'm going to the
union hall" was Cain's reply,
where he caught the Fort
Jackson.
" Sailing really is my life. I'm
retired, but I'm still SIU!"
He started in the deck department and worked his way up to
recertified bosun in 1975 _Over
the years, not only did his job
change, but so did the working
conditions for Seafarers_ When
asked what was the biggest
change he had witnessed. he
could not list one because he
believed there were several.
Cain said many of the
changes regarding the shipment
of cargo can be traced to
Malcolm McLean for introducing containers. Prior to the
arrival of the boxes, cargo was
handled as best as possible. Cain
remembered being aboard a C-2
Waterman vessel with five hatches, 22 booms and one jumbo
boom in the days before containers.
"It was fun to rig, but we
don't do that now," he noted .
When he started sailing,
fo ' c's'les could have as many as
five mariners occupying them
and no air conditioning.
"Conditions kept getting better. We went to two in a fo ' c's' le
with a shower at the end of the
hall. Then, private rooms with
baths and phones_
" I call them floating condominiums" he added with a chuckle.
ing without a wait to allow them to build up
90 days' sea time.
1963
Under the arrangement with the Coast Guard,
The SIU-manned Floridian became the first
Seafarers who pass the examination at the end
American merchant ship fired on by Cuban
of their lifeboat training will be automatically
MIG jet airplanes when she was attacked last
given their lifeboat tickets after they have
Thursday, March 28,
sailed for the required
rr.:===============================:;i 90 days to gain certiby two Russian-built
fication.
aircraft about 50
miles north of Cuba.
The jets first circled
1980
the ship for 20 minMembers of the SIU
utes before opening
joined picket lines in
up with their machine
San Francisco recent·
guns.
u==:::::::::::::=::=::==::::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=:::!l ly, to show solidarity
The attack came in
with unions striking
the same waters between Cuba and Florida
local TV station KRON. Local unions belongwhere Cuban MIGs attacked the American
ing to the American Federation of Television
shrimp boat Ala with rockets and machine
and Radio Artists {AFTRA} and the
guns on February 20. Seafarer Jack Nelson, an International Brotherhood of Electrical
AB, took pictures of the attack from the deck, Workers (IBEW) have been on strike for nearly
which he handed over to U.S. intelligence
three months, seeking improved wages and
sources when the ship docked in Miami.
working conditions.
The management of the TV station had pub1967
The United States Coast Guard recently grant- licly claimed that the striking unions did not
have the support of organized labor in San
ed approval of the lifeboat certification trainFrancisco. The SIU's response was to publicly
ing at the Harry Lundeberg School of
demonstrate that the IBEW and AFTRA cerSeamanship: In the future, examinations for
tainly did have labor's support by joining the
lifeboat certification will be given to seamen
who attend the school after their lifeboat train- picket line.
Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG
Marking Hubert Cain's retirement recently are (from left) his brother
John (an SIU bosun) , SIU President Michael Sacco. Cain and Bosun
Tom Soresi.
But Cain quickly pointed out
these better conditions were
gained by the SIU through negotiations .
"Union leaders got these conditions. The companies didn't
offer them! "
The Mobile native also listed
automation of the wheel house
and engine room among the
alterations that influenced all
manners.
Even after 50 years of sailing,
the bosun is proud of the facts "I
never met a seaman I didn't like,
and I never brought a beef into
port We always settled it before
tying up."
Cain provided some advice
for those entering the SIU: "The
union is not offering a job, it's
offering you the opportunity to
be somebody. You can go places
and be what you want to be."
He urged all members to keep
upgrading and learning because
the industry will continue to
change.
Cain plans to stay active in
union causes. He still attends
membership meetings in Mobile
and is involved politically for
candidates that support maritime
issues_ He said he may not be
making ships, but he has no
intention of slowing down.
Credit Chief Cook, Too
The steward department
aboard the President
Jackson went the extra mile
to provide special meals on
Thanksgiving and Christmas
days, as noted on page 10
of the March issue of the
Seafarers LOG. However, in
a recent note to the LOG,
Assistant Cook/Utility Mary
Lou Lopez said the department overlooked one thing:
a photo of Chief Cook John
Bennett (pictured here). "His
photo inadvertently got left
out, but he did a great job
on his holiday relief trip,"
wrote Lopez. "Everyone
enjoyed his great personality
and cooking skills_"
Doubling Up at Paul Hall Center
1 . JS C> ·
I . JU HJSTC>
April2000
Other students at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education may have thought they were seeing double when, in fact,
they saw identical twins Shannon (left) and Shaun Bonefont at the
school in Piney Point, Md. Shannon is upgrading to FOWT, while
Shaun is completing the third and final phase of the unlicensed
apprentice program. Numerous other members of the Bonefont
family also sail with the SIU.
Seafarers LOG
11
�Vacati()n at the Vaul llall tenter
As many Seafarers, pensioners and their families have already discovered, the Paul Hall Center
in Piney Point, Md. offers just about everything
one could possibly want to help make a memorable summer vacation-and at a great value.
Just ask the people pictured on this page. They
were among the many vacationers who took
advantage of this SIU benefit last summer-and
had a great time!
For up to two weeks this summer, SIU members
and their families can enjoy a dream vacation of
their own, spending their hard-earned time off
doing exactly what they want.
The center offers affordable accommodations
and three meals a day plus a health spa, tennis
courts, Olympic-size swimming pool, a maritime
museum and beautifully landscaped grounds.
There also are plenty of opportunities for
fishing, boating, jogging and sunbathing at
nearby beaches.
The summer months in Southern Maryland
are filled with festivals, celebrations, fairs
and Cl'aft show5, and that doesn't even begin
to take in all the museums, historic sites,
haseha.11 games and other activities in
Washington, D.C., Alexandria and Arlington, Va.,
and Baltimore and Annapolis, Md.-all within an
easy hour-and-a-half drive from Piney Point.
As a benefit
of membership in the
SIU, Joe
Vazquez, who
works on the
shoregang in
Philadelphia, took
advantage of the
summer vacation
opportunities for
himself and his family at the P11ul H11ll
Center. Enjoying th~
pool 11rea are members
of his family-Kathryn,
J ~nnif "r and Kothy
Vazquez-as well as
Anna, Jessica, David and
George Marusiak and Roy
Erdman.
While QMED Rand
.
summer, his wife y McKenzie was attendin
.
him at the schooi Deb, a~d daughter, Shawn~ upgrading courses last
and still be on vacation.
, were able to stay with
Retired Bosun John Aversa and his wife, Shirley,
spent part of last summer's vacation at Piney Point.
John now has his own embroidery business-Ship's
Wheel Nautical Crafts. He made the caps that
both he and Shirley are wearing.
If you missed out on the Paul Hall Center in
1999, then don't let your summer holiday be a
repeat of last year's. Start a new tradition ...
in Piney Point. Everyone in your family will
love it and want to keep coming back.
The first step is to decide when you want to
arrive. Then, fill out the reservation form at
right and mail it to the Paul Hall Center.
That's all there is to it. Happy vacation!
PAUL HALL CENTER TRAINING & RECREATION CENTER
Vacation Reservation Information
Name:
Social Security number: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
UNION MEMBER VACATION
RATES
A vacation stay at the Paul Hall Center is limited to
two weeks per family.
Book number:
Address:
Telephone number:
Number in party I ages of children, if applicable: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Member
$40.00/day
Spouse
$10.00/day
Child
$10.00/day
Note: There is no charge for children 11 years of
Date of arrival:
1st choice:
2nd choice: _ _ __
3rd choice: _ _ __
(Stay is limited to a maximum of two weeks)
Date of departure: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
age or younger. The prices listed above include all
meals but do not include tax.
12
Seafarers LOG
Send this completed application to the Seafarers Training & Recreation Center,
P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674.
4100
Apri/2000
�What You Need to
Know About
STCW Certificates
The information on this page is reprinted from previous issues of the Seafarers LOG in order to clarify which unlicensed mariners need an STCW certificate, the differences between 1978 and 1995
certificates, and how to obtain them _
Who is required to carry an STCW certificate
right now?
Any mariner sailing in international waters who is
required to hold a lifeboatman 's endorsement Any
rating forming part of a navigational watch. All tanker
personnel who are assigned cargo duties (such as
ABs and pumpmen, for instance).
Whether they carry a 1978 certificate or a 1995 certificate depends on when they entered the industry
and when they may have upgraded.
_ _ _ _ _u_n_i_te_d_S_t_a_te_s_o_f_Am_e_r_ic_a__
ENDORSEMENT ATI1!SI1NG THB ISSUB OF A CERTIFICATE UNDER 1HE PROVISIONS OF THE INTI!RNAnONAL
CONVENI10N ON STANDARDS OF TRA1NINO, CERTIFlCATlON AND
WATOIX1!l!PINO JIOll SJ!AJIAJU!RS, 1978
~~":~of the Uniled Stalel of America catiliel that Certificate No-,!=..::6:.=:!_.!.:.7.~::,:::6..:::.:6!...oo~3:.__dul_y_qualificd_
. _in
UMlJ'A'IlONS APPLYING 1" ANY)
CAPAoTr
consider timing their application for the 1995 certificate so it coincides with renewal of their z-card. By
doing so, the 1995 certificate will be valid for five
years.
Rating forming part
of tl navigationa1
watch
Proficient in the
use of aurvi val.
craft
What if I am an AB sailing on a tanker in international waters, but currently don't have an
STCW certificate?
"THIS CERTIFICATE EXPIRES 31 JANUARY 2002."
No one fitting that description is supposed to sail. If
you were unaware ot the requirement (which dates
to 1996) and somehow "slipped through the cracks,"
then you should immediately make arrangements to
acquire your STCW certificate.
What's the difference between the two certificates?
Date of isaue ofthW endonement
Who is required to
cany an STCW certificate as
af February 1, 20027
Th@ mi!!in chi!lng@ i!IS of that dat«:! i$ that vvatch$tand·
ing members of the engine department are required
to carry a 1995 STCW .;;ertificate (as of February 1,
2002) . So, the requirements apply to all watchstanding personnel (including engine department members), all tanker personnel who are assigned cargo
duties, and all lifeboatmen on passenger vessels
(that is. those crew members who are required to
hold a lif@boat !!!!ndor~'='m~nt).
Also, the 1978 certificate is obsolete as of February
1, 2002.
If I currently must carry an STCW certificate,
which one should I possess?
It depends on when you began sailing and when you
may have upgraded your rating.
Mariners who started their sea service or training
before August 1, 1998 must meet the requirements
of the 1978 convention. Those individuals may carry
ex ires on February 1,
the 1978 certificate, hi
2002 (regardless of when it was issued).
Mariners who began their sea time or training after
August 1, 1998 must meet the requirements of the
1995 STCW amendments-and , therefore, must
carry a 1995 certificate.
One potentially confusing issue is that it is permissible for mariners who began sailing or training before
August 1, 1998 to carry a 1995 certificate, even
though it's not presently required. For those individuals, the 1995 certificate supersedes the 1978 document. In other words, there is no reason to carry both.
However, the 1995 document is not considered
superior or more desirable for those mariners. Either
one satisfies current regulations for affected ratings.
Keep in mind that the 1978 certificate cannot be
used on or after February 1, 2002.
What if I upgraded after August 1, 1998?
If you began both the required sea time for the
upgrade and also the training itself after August 1,
1998, then you need a 1995 certificate. If any of the
required sea time or training took place prior to
August 1, 1998, then you only are required to have a
1978 certificate (though, again, you may apply for a
1995 document, provided you meet the Chapter VI
requirements).
What if I applied for my first z-card after August
1, 1998 and had no prior sea time or training?
You need a 1995 certificate, which would have been
issued when you acquired your z-card if you satisfied the requirements of STCW Chapter VI: Basic
Safety Training.
How do I get an STCW certificate?
Through Coast Guard regional exam centers
(RECs). To get a 1995 certificate, Seafarers must
present evidence of meeting the requirements of
STCW Chapter VI: Basic Safety Training. These
requirements are for documentation of training and
assessment for personal survival techniques, fire
fighting and fire prevention, elementary first aid and
personal safety/social responsibility.
Mariners also may apply by mail to the REC that
issued their license or document.
The 1995 certificate expires on the same date as the
individual's z-card, regardless of when the certificate
is issued. With that in mind, mariners may want to
Apri/2000
of the a1xwe c..m:ntion, '°-in
:-::::;·;.th~~~ ilM~Jion. illdiCaiedO
Thia cndoracmcat ii DOI valid wilC8 ICCOlllpOilicd by a Yl1id US Merclwlt Marinen' lic:cmc or doc:umellt.
The lawful bok!Dr of this cndoracmcnt may ltrVC in the following capacity or capKitica apecified.
The main differences are that the 1995 certificate
has a space for a passport-size photo (the 1978 certificate does not): and the 1995 certificate uses
d@scriptions thi!!t are germane to particular coun·
tries. instead of wider-ranging terminology from the
International Maritime Organization .
An example of the terminology differences'. Under
the "capacity" description, the 1995 certificate may
say, WAble seaman, any waters, lifeboatman," whereas the 1978 document says "Rating forming part of
a navigational watch" and "Proficient in the use of
18 APR 1997
25 AUG 1945
L. M. HYMAN
(O.. ........ I0..1)
sample of a 1978 certificate
surviv~I cr~ft."
It's also worth noting that the 1995 certificate features spaces marked "function," "level" and "limitations applying (if any)." However, these areas intentionally are left blank. They were added to the certificate solely to aid port state control officials by providing some uniformity between U.S. certificates and
those used in other signatory nations.
United States of America
ENDORSEMENT ATTESTING THE ISSUE OF A CERTIFICATE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE
INTERNATIONAi. CONVENTION ON STANDARDS OF TRAJNING, ceRTIFICAnON AND
WATCHKEEPING FOR SEAFARERS, 1978, AS AMENDED IN 1995
The Gov.,.,,,ent ol the U"ted States of Amaica cettiftes Iha! Cer!ificata No.(s) _,,,,46"-'-7"-"92-""12"""23
"--------has " - Issued lo _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___,whoho> be<n ""'1d dtJy~ollod in
accaaancew1111111eprovismsolragu:atlor(s)_,_,VI'"-'/Z,,___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ o1111eaoovecooventim, to serve
In the
How did this all start? And why is it so confusing?
This
casiaeil\I or capacities fisted below.
endors.,,,.,,t is not vajid unJess
The lawful -
ABLE SE.AMAN,
ANY WATERS
LIFEBOATHAN
BASIC SAE"ETY TRAINING
AND INSTRUCTION COMPLETED 11 DECEMBER 1998.
Endo<semontNo.: 467921223
U. S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
455 Commercial Street
Boston, MA 02109-1045
Phone: (617) 223-3040
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
iHued"' ll FEBRUARY 1999
ot~HO~US~TO:::.:,:N_ _ _ __
2 2 NOVEMBER 5 3
Oatootbffthollhoholdo'otlhoccrtlllGoto
photo
DEPT. OF TRANS .. CG 5611 (1Q.!16)
Contact your nearest REC, your port agent or the
Paul Hall Center. You also may check the Coast
Guard's STCW web site, located at:
http://www.uscg.mil/stcw/
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
U.S. Custom House
40 South Gay Street
Baltimore, MD 21202-4022
Phone: (410) 962-5132
"""""ed.
LIMITATIONS APPLYING (IF ANY)
S1gnot1nolcertitlcate-
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
510 L Street, Suite 100
Anchorage, AK 99501-1946
Phone: (907) 271-6736
LIMITATIONS APPLYING (IF ANY}
of this onlarsamant may servo In the following capacity or capocitles
CAPACITY
I have more questions.
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
Bldg. 14, Rm. 109, Coast Guard Isl.
Alameda, CA 94501-5100
Phone: (510) 437-3092
_.l'-'J'-"'UN,,_,,E.....!!2""-'00;.:.3_ _ _ _ _~
LEVEL
FUNCTION
STCW stands for International Convention on
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for mariners.
The original STCW convention, ratified in 1978, is a
multi-national agreement which sets minimum standards for certification, training and skills needed by
deep-sea mariners worldwide.
The U.S. didn't sign onto the original convention until
1991. At that time, the U.S. was given five years to
reach total compliance.
Here's where things became more complicated: In
1995, more than 100 nations-including the U.S.ratified amendments to the original convention. In
some cases, the dates for compliance with the original pact and the amendments overlapped.
Essentially, that is how the U.S. ended up with two
different STCW certificates (not to mention other
requirements).
subject lo '"'Y limitations indiealod '-"til
accompanied by a valid U.S. M#chant Mariner's license er docu'nanl
sample of a 1995 certificate with space for photo
U.S. Coast Guard Regional Exam Centers
(Updated as of 9/30/99)
196 Tradd Street
Charleston, SC 29401-1899
Phone: (843) 724-7693
U. S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
433 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96813-4909
Phone: (808) 522-8264
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
8876 Gulf Freeway, Suite 200
Houston, TX 77017-6595
Phone: (713) 948-3350
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
2760 Sherwood Lane. Suite 2A
Juneau, AK 99801-8545
Phone: (907) 463-2458
U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Ofc
Regional Examination Center
165 N. Pico Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone: (562) 980-4485
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office Memphis
Regional Examination Center
200 Jefferson Ave. , Suite 1302
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 544-3297
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
Claude Pepper Federal Building
51 SW. 1st Ave. 6th Floor
Miami, FL 33130-1608
Phone: (305) 536-6548/6874
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
9820 Lake Forest Blvd, Suite P
New Orleans, LA 70127-3077
Phone: (504) 589-6183
U.S. Coast Guard
Activities New York
Regional Examination Center
Battery Park Building
New York, NY 10004-8545
Phone: (212) 668-7492
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
6767 North Basin Avenue
Portland, OR 97217-3992
Phone: (503) 240-9346
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
1519 Alaskan Way South
Seattle, WA 98134-1192
Phone: (206) 217-6115
U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office
Regional Examination Center
1222 Spruce Street, Suite 8.104E
St. Louis, MO 63103-2835
Phone: (314) 539-3091
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Examination Center
Federal Building, Room 501
234 Summit Street
Toledo, OH 43604-1590
Phone: (419) 259-6395
Seafarers LOG
13
�-
A VOYAGE TO INDIA-1940
Pensioner
James M. Smith
joined the SIU
in Baltimore as
a charter member, first sailing
in 1939 following a four-year
stint in the US.
Marine Corps.
After having spent a cold and
hungry winter in the port of
Savannah, Ga., he shipped as an
ordinary seaman on Isthmian
Line's SS Steel Age, an old Hog
Islander built during the First
World War.
During a voyage to India, the
21-year-old Smith kept a journal
of his observations and impres-
course to escape enemy submarines. At 1600 we raised land
off the starboard bow with the
mist shrouding the mountainous
coast of North Africa. At 1800 we
entered the Strait of Gibraltar
with the city of Tangier on our
starboard side. We were through
the strait at 2200 and received a
signal from a British warship to
heave to and prepare for a
boarding party.
As
stood by
f o r
the
kling off the port quarter and the
lights of Ceuta, Spanish Morocco
off the starboard quarter.
East to Suez
Sun and wind and beat of sea
Great lands stretching endlessly
Where be bonds to bind the free
All the world was made for me.
Author?
by J. Melford Smith
and lives as he pleases with no
gold braid around to dampen his
enthusiasm for his chosen profession.
Tuesday, February 27Rigged cargo booms and stood
wheel watch. Got haircut from
my watch partner last night, my
first in two months. Wrote letters
this evening. Am drawing $10
from my $55 a month pay but
will endeavor to save
part of it. Last
year I was
mak-
sions. This is the first of several
installments of that journal.
W
e sailed from the port
of New York about the
middle of February
1940 bound for Gibraltar. The
war in Europe had started in
September of the previous year
with the German iltta~k l'.'ln
Pt'.'>land1 but as we were a socalled uneutral" country1 we
painted a big American flag on
the side of the ship and sailed
with all our lights on. Our captain
was from Denmark and was worried about his family there. He
said he knew the Germans would
invade his country sooner or later.
As it turned out, his worst fears
had been realized before the voyage was over.
At Sea
Monday, February 19-1 am
the ordinary seaman on the 12 to
4 watch along with two able seamen. We share a room with three
bunks. It is spartan but comfortable. During the day we each
stand an 80-minute wheel watch
while the other two do routine
ship maintenance under the
supervision of the bosun. On the
night watch, it is another 80minute wheel watch, the same on
lookout and the same on standby.
The lookout stands his watch on
the bow and is required to report
any lights he sees by ringing the
ship's bell: one ring for port, two
for starboard and three for dead
ahead. He also checks every 30
minutes to see if the running
lights are all working, then shouts
at the bridge through cupped
hands, "Lights are bright, sir."
At sea aboard a merchant ship,
the routine is eat, work and sleep.
On the mid-watch you go to bed at
0400 and get up at 1130, so your
breakfast is the same as lunch for
the rest of the crew. Soup, meat
and vegetables for breakfast take
some getting used to!
Tuesday, February 20--Sure
will be glad to go ashore when we
arrive in Alexandria, Egypt, our
first port. Maybe find me a
Cleopatra! Hope to take a trip to
Cairo if we have enough time in
port.
The weather was warm today
and the sea smooth. Passed a ship
on the morning watch- the first
since leaving New York. I am
enjoying this.
Wednesday, February 21Steaming
steadily
toward
Gibraltar at the magnificent speed
of 10 knots (quite a change from
last year on a 33-knot Navy cruiser). The weather is fair and warm.
We passed an Allied ship about
noon that was making a zig-zag
14
Seafarers LOB
inspection
party, the light
of a brilliant full rtlOt'.'>Il
revealed the majestic rt'.'>ck rising
abruptly from the water, entirely
devoid, to my great disappointment, of the Prudential Life
Insurance advertisement I had
always seen emblazoned upon it.
Gibraltar:
the
ancients'
"Pillars of Hercules," the impregnable lord of the Mediterranean,
the
universal
symbol
of
indomitability.
Gibraltar: the romantic place
where Tarik, the frrst Moorish
chieftain, launched his invasion
of Spain, and the place from
which the last of his race returned
to Africa 700 years later. The
scene of 14 long sieges dating
from Phoenician times to the
Napoleonic wars.
Gibraltar is a British colony
and the headquarters of the Ninth
Army Corps. There is an indifferent harbor with the town of
Gibraltar plastered on the side of
the rock, perched expectantly
above the sea. The rock itself
soars 1,300 feet above the
Mediterranean and consists of
Jurassic limestone overgrown
with cactus and infested with
monkeys.
There are no lights to indicate
that here is the greatest and most
significant fortress in the world,
but any student with military
experience knows that, in keeping with its grim appearance, the
rock is studded with heavily camouflaged guns such as the nineinch fieldpiece on Rock Gun
Point, the northernmost peak.
This is the British "Mount
Olympus," this corner of two
continents (Africa and Europe)
and two oceans (the Atlantic and
Mediterranean).
At 2300 the armed boarding
party comes alongside in a
launch-two officers and six
men. They proceed to inspect the
ship's papers concerning cargo.
They were very courteous. I
asked a British sailor how he was
enjoying the war. "What war?"
was the answer. Until now there
has not been much action on
either side.
As the moonlight turns the
Strait of Gibraltar to silver, the
boarding party leaves the ship
and we begin creeping out into
the star-studded Mediterranean
night. Bright moonlight with the
lights of Algeciras, Spain twin-
Thursday, February 22Windy and cool. Routine day at
sea. Passed several ships. Didn't
get up until noon. George
Washington's birthday.
Friday, February 23-1,450
miles to Alexandria. Our position
is just off the island of Sardinia. I
asked the 2nd mate if this was
where sardines come from. He
must have thought I was serious
and just about choked laughing.
This afternoon I stood watch,
washed clothes and went to bed.
Read "The First Hundred
Thousand" by Ian Hay-an interesting history of the Scottish
Highlanders during the war. Most
seafarers are voracious readers.
It's been said that we will read
anything with printing on it.
Fortunately, the Seamen's Church
Institute runs an exchange library
so we can exchange our reading
material in almost any port.
Saturday, February 24-The
blue Mediterranean, warm weather, smooth seas and a clear blue
sky. A really enjoyable life.
Haven't had a thing to do all day
except for watches, so a siesta is
indicated. Just lying about the
deck and reading. There is a full
moon these nights; it is so brilliant it seems to flood the ocean
with a white ethereal light. Last
night on my 12-4 watch, the lost
love of my teenage years was
haunting me for the fust time in
many months. It must be the
romance of the Mediterranean.
Fire and boat drill today.
Sunday, February 25-0ff
the coast of Sicily today. In 1912
there was a disastrous earthquake
here in which many thousands
died. The weather is hot with a
wind blowing off the African
desert. It is called a "sirocco."
Norman Douglas, in his novel
"South Wind," describes the
effect it has on people. I see what
he meant because I have been in a
black mood all day. Four more
days to port.
Monday, February 26Weather warm, wind shifted to
northeast. Routine watches and
maintenance. On a freighter
(unlike on a passenger ship or
Navy cruiser), a man's life is his
own. The ship belongs to him: its
decks, its bridge, its holds. He
brooks no repression. He dresses
$42 a
month as
a corporal,
USMC. Progress.
\Vednesday, February
28-Routine day at sea. More
wind. water and stars. Expect to
arrive in port in the morning.
Passed a British destroyer
squadron at about 0200. They
were really making knots, and l
wondered about their mission.
Thursday, February 29And so we sailed for eight days
on to the land of Egypt. Sunny
days and starry nights with a full
moon. What vagabond could ask
for more-the ship almost to
myself, good quarters, excellent
food and balmy weather. As the
white walls of Alexandria begin
to peep over the horizon, I realize
that Egypt is only 10 miles away.
Alexandria, Egypt
Arrived in port at I 000.
Customs and immigration officials came aboard. We were
cleared for entry at about 1130.
Went ashore with my watch partners Bill Marks and Bud
O'Conner at 1700. Five piasters
for the boatman. Searched by
police three times before leaving
the dock-a blatant shakedown
for bribes. They seem to have one
price for the natives, one for
Europeans and one about 500
percent higher for Americans.
Left Bud and Bill and shoved
off alone through the narrow
streets of Alexandria past dark
alleys, evil-looking natives and a
horrible stench. Soon met two
Coldstream Guardsmen, Morton
Hinds and George Hesse, who
were out on the town. Had a good
time. Back to the ship at 0300.
Friday, March 1-Woke up
with a bad hangover (can't imagine having a good one). Worked
all day. Went ashore at 1800 in
the dress blues uniform of a U.S.
Marine corporal. Entertained at
dinner at the Coldstream Guards'
mess. Drank a considerable
amount of wine and got lost in the
narrow streets of a native quarter
on the way back to the ship.
Saturday, March 2-Got
underway for Port Said about
1400. Set sea watches. Arrived
early Sunday morning and tied up
to buoy at entrance to Suez Canal.
Numerous British merchant ships
mounting one five-inch and one
three-inch gun aft. Battery on
shore fired 21-gun salute for
someone. City looks interesting
but can't go ashore.
At 1800 we were underway to
transit the canal. Unlike the
Panama Canal, the Suez Canal is
just a ditch. There are no locks
throughout its 90-mile lengthjust sand dunes on both sides. We
passed nine ships during our transit and had to tie up to the bank
each time. Turned in at 0400.
Monday, March 4--Got up at
1030. We are anchored at the
town of Suez at the southeastern
end of the canal. We are anchored
about three miles from shore, discharging some cargo on to a
barge. Can't go ashore--broke
anyway!
The scenery here is a remarkable blend of subtle colors: high
blue mountains of barren rock,
plains of dazzling white sand
reaching from the mountains to
the sea, and the light blue waters
of the harbor sparkling in the
blazing sunlight. It was very hot
today but is cold enough for an
overcoat tonight. Expect to get
underway by noon tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 5-Able
Seaman Jack Hollrock's 22nd
birthday today. We played the
victrola and drank Scotch in lieu
of a celebration. We are now
cruising slowly through the Red
Sea to Jidda, Arabia, about 600
miles down the coast. The sea is
like a mirror this evening and the
sunset very beautiful.
Wednesday, March 6---Calm
sea and very hot weather. Just
came off 12 to 4 watch. Have
been feeling rather ill todaychills and fever. Didn't do any
work but read "The Complete
Mariner" by Nason.
Thursday, March 7-Feeling
much better today. Weather is
beastly hot with absolutely no
breeze. Last night I had the fust
wheel (midnight to 0120). The
wheelhouse was hot and the
smoke from the stack was going
straight up. There is very little
current in the Red Sea and the
desultory clicking of the autopilot
along with the heat caused old
Morpheus to take over and I suddenly found myself on the deck.
The third mate said, "What the
hell happened?" I said, "I don't
know, I guess I went to sleep."
The old saying "asleep on his
feet" is not true. When you go to
sleep, your knees buckle and you
fall down.
Jidda, Saudi Arabia
Friday, March 8-Arrived in
Jidda this morning. The harbor
here is very shallow with many
sand bars. Three hundred yards
from us is an old Turkish
freighter lying partly on her port
side, hard aground on a sand bar.
Her superstructure and decks
have been charred by fue and are
rusting away with age. She has
been lying here for 15 years,
according to the customs officer.
The view from our ship is very
good-low rugged mountains
and heat-burnished plains making
a fine setting for the gray walls
and minarets of Jidda. This port
city is the gateway to Mecca, the
"Forbidden City," which lies
about 40 miles inland and which
Christians are not allowed to
enter under penalty of death.
To be continued
in future issues of the
Seafarers LOG.
April 2000
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
FEBRUARY 16 - MARCH 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Port
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonvi1le
San Francisco
~ilm,~gt~~":
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
. S.t.. L9'1h·. ·
.Piney :P~int
Algonac
Totals
25
8
6
8
14
17
40
20
21
24
7
14
23
4
2
2
235
16
5
3
9
7
3
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
20
2
8
2
l
10
4
10
7
14
3
7
3
17
10
13
IO
12
15
3
28
12
16
8
9
5
27
23
6
6
7
6
4
13
8
2
4
24
14
3
2
0
l
1
1
0
94
198
85
11
6
7
2
5
16
l
5
0
122
Trip
Reliefs
7
0
51
10
8
3
2
22
19
5
30
61
2
5
4
6
7
14
2
0
2
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
22
10
8
5
17
1
4
10
17
18
11
6
10
24
18
11
13
7
8
5
12
3
3
23
IO
6
9
9
6
1
12
43
36
37
13
15
45
3
2
8
0
4
I
0
54
0
0
I
2
2
7
0
74
401
180
5
3
4
10
0
115
May & June 2000
Membership Meetings
Deep Sea, Lakes, Inland Waters
Piney Point .............Monday: May 8, June 5
Algonac .................. Friday: May I 2, June 9
Baltimore ................Thursday: May 1I, June 8
Duluth ..................... Wednesday: May 17, June 14
Honolulu ................. Friday: May 19, June 16
Houston .................. Monday: May 15, June 12
Jacksonville ............Thursday: May 11, June 8
Jersey City ...... ~ .......Wt'dn,es~y: May 24, June 21
Mobile ........... ;....... ~Wednesday; May 17, June 14
New Bedford ..........Tuesday: May 23t June 20
New Orleans ...........Tuesday: May 16, June 13
New York. ...........·....Tuesday: May 9 June 6
1
Port
·: : N¢:W·Y9rk · . ·
·. "Philadelphia ·
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
2
u
9
2
2
14
5
.9
2
1
0
0
5
.Z
3
2
Norfolk
6
4
6
10
12
3
I
7
2
0
1
Mobile
5
1
6
4
12
1
0
Saltirpore
14
New Orleans
9
·:. ")a'bksb"vtlle ·
19
S~n Fr~ncisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
. St. Louis
Piney Poi.pt
I o ac
6
.4 "
·..... to:L:·: .
15
3
3
15
1
3
1
4
11
' 5 '·.·:.: ·"
7
4
4
8 '
4
11
7
14
2
2
2 . ''• .. ?.:
4 '
4
0
1
1
120
86
47
13
6
4
0
12
6
8
2
1
4
4
6
0
0
Jacksonville
16
4
Totals
Port
e
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
6
2
Ho-qston
St. Louis
Piney Point
11
0
3
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
Totals All
Departments
0
9
2
0
4
1
l
0
140
0
50
28
6
26
14
0
1
2
0
28
8
2
7
3
1
4
1
14
8
7
6
11
3
4
10
24
45
8
5
6
33
29
6
1
2
1
0
6
0
0
0
0
6
2
1
57
0
0
2
2
1
5
I
3
2
0
243
68
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
7
8
0
0
0
0
9
50
37
0
2
2
15
11
15
2
I
15
21
18
20
20
7
1
7
0
4
0
4
5
11
12
6
9
13
1
15
14
11
2
20
3
4
0
4
0
71
14
10
0
0
9
6
7
9
5
0
8
0
0
6
0
18
4
l
21
17
0
10
1
155
0
176
0
0
82
268
2
3
8
3
5
4
6
46
6
0
19
0
119
228
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
148
l
0
0
6
3
15
7
7
3
12
4
30
8
36
24
0
3
0
0
0
68
899
Please contact Edwin H. Hagedorn at 615 Braeside
Road, Baltimore, MD 21229-2113.
PETER CZECH
Please get in touch with Wayne Hardesty at Box
3692, Erie, PA 16508; or telephone (814) 454-7852.
9
45
0
Personals
LEONARD PAUL
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
Apri/2000
4
7
23
4
5
St. Louis · .':~·.. .'::·: ~:.::;·::.: :Friday: May 19, June 16 . ·
Wilmington ...............Monday: May 22, June 19
31
2
May 11, June 8
5
2
2
'6
2
0
29
0
0
453
1
2
0
0
6
I
SanJuan~-.~ ............... Thursday;
Tacoma ....... ~ .. :.· .~:... :.Frid.~y: May 26, June 23
0
6
4
0
124
28
0
4
San Francisco .........Thursday: May 18, June 15
'' (;''
0
0
0
345
0
29
0
0
12
413
0
32
2
0
1
527
129
1
l
8
6
8
32
187
70
2
1
0
0
12
0
0
5
5
2
0
0
0
7
0
1
2
19
17
0
4
0
0
5
0
., 5. '
4
5
2
0
15
?
0
1
0
9
2
"8 '
9
9
3
.2
1
12
1
13
20
1
11
'7
.0
2
3
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
18 '
9
7
19
19
2
4
-·--------
5
12
4
3
11
26
0
4
Port
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
7
15
6
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
9
5
1
3
2
20
4
8
15
6
2
4
14
0
20
0
0
103
'6
6
5
8
3
·o
San Francisco
Algonac
Totals
19
:· 1
I
..o
Wilmington
1
7
2
5
5
11.
7
8
9
8
4
16
2
268
645
11
2
1
2
16
21
19
6
101
13
3
19
0
280
481
AUTHOR SEEKS INTERVIEWS
WITH FORMER MARINERS
Did you work on the America or United States? I am
a writer looking for information on these great ships.
Please contact me:
Larry Driscoll
P.O. Box 676
Seneca Falls, NY 13148-0679
or e-mail elaurensl@yahoo.com.
LOG-A-RHYTHMS
Nikita's Journey at Sea
by Roslyn Nikita Brooks
With the sea in mind,
things are not as bad as they seem.
With the sea in mind,
I can fill my wildest dreams.
With the sea in mind, I can do anything, I know I can.
The stars above speak to me as though
they are aware of the most inner secrets of my heart.
I can look for the best in life.
I shall not be dismayed by the wickedness around me,
because the angels of the sea surround me.
With the sea in mind, I can find the shape of my soul.
I shall not flee, I shall continue ...
to be a sailor of the sea.
(This poem came in a dream to Chief Cook Roslyn Nikita Brooks
while sailing aboard the Sea-Land Hawaii. She hopes it will be an
inspiration to her fellow shipmates.)
Seafarers LOG
15
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
Sealal'IN'S lntemallonal Union
Oireototy
FEBRUARY 16 -
MARCH 15, 2000
Michael Sacco
President
CL -
John Fay
:E-x~c:Utive Vice President
David Heindel
Secretary-Treasurer
Augustin Tellez
Vice President Contracts
Jack Caffey
Vice President Atlantic Coast
Byron Kelley
Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters
DeanCorgey
Vice President Gulf Coast
. Nicholas J. Marrone
· .· Vice President. West Coast
Kermett Mangram
Vice Prei:iident Government Services
..
.
lIEADQUARTERS
S20 I Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
(301) 899-0675
Al..CO~AC
520 St. Clair Ri"er Dr.
Algonac, Ml 4800 I
(810) 794-4988
L-Lakes
NP -
*TOTAL REGISTERED
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
All Groups
Class CL
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Company/Lakes
Class L
Class CL
Class NP
0
19
7
0
7
1
0
4
3
0
19
Class L
Non Priority
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class NP
Class CL
Class L
Class NP
0
19
3
0
6
0
0
3
3
DECK DEPARTMENT
4
0
0
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
1
0
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
0
l
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
·o
3
0
L
Totals All Depts
0
49
24
0
3
4
0
46
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
9
ANCHORAGE
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
721 Sesame St.. #lC
Anchorage. AK 99503
(907) 56 r-4988
FEBRUARY 16 -
BALTIMORE
1216 B. Baltimore St.
*TOTAL REGISTERED
A.II Group~
Class A Class B Class C
Ilaltirt'lorc, MD 21202
(41 O}
32H~UU
J:>ui.•tra
' 70~ Medical Arts .Buil<11ng
MARCH 15, 2000
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A
Class B
Class C
Class A
Class B
Class C
DuJuth, MN 55802 ..
'
(218) 722-4110
Region
HONOLULU
Atl~tl.ti~ : Go~$t~· .
606 Kalihi St.
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 845~5222 .• .
HOUSTON
J221 ·eierce·st
;:: ·· ·
Houston, TX 77002
(713} 659-5152
JACKSONVILLE
331S.Liberty St.
· Jacksonville, FL 32206
{904) 353-0987
JERSEY CITY
~9 Montgomery St
Jersey Cify, NJ 07302
(201) 435-9424
MOBILE
164() Dauphin Island Pk;wy. .
Mobile, AL 36605
.
(334) 478-0916
NEW BEDFORD
48 Union St.
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-5404
NEW ORLEANS
391 l Lapako Blvd.
Harvey, LA 70058
(504) 328-7545
NEW YORK
635 Fourth Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718) 499-6600
NORFOLK
115 Third St
Nor.folk, VA 23510
(7$7) 622-1892
:PHILADELPIDA
2604 S.4 St.
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 336-3818
PINEY POINT
P.O. Box 75
Piney Point, MD 20674
(301} 994-0010
PORT EVERGLADES
1221 S. Andrews Ave.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 522-7984
SAN FRANCISCO
350 Fremont St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-5855
Government Services Division
- (415) 861-3400
SANTURCE
1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Stop l 61h
Santurce, PR 00907
(787) 721-4033
-
ST. LOUIS
45&1 Gravois Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63116
(314) 752-6500
TACOMA
3411 South Union Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98409
(253) 272-7774
WILMINGTON
5l0 N. Broad Ave.
Wilmington, CA 90744
(310) 549-4-000
16
Seafarers LOS
. Gulf.Coast .....·
.3
.2
Lake$, Inland Waters
0
2
5
0
0
2
0
4
0
2
10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Cdast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
Totals
0
0
DECK DEPARTMENT
.:: O•··.
·.<)
2
. 2 "· ·.
o
·
ff
0
6
10
ENGINE
0
0
0
1
0
0
3
4
DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
0
.o
0
0
0
0
0
o
.,o .·
0'
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
:·,. o
D
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
()··· ..,:
0
0
1
1
1
Totals All Depts
5
3
10
10
3
5
9
3
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
2
1
29
PIG-FROM-THE-PAST
This copy of an old
photo was sent to the
Seafarers
LOG
by
H.
Pensioner Hubert
"Red" House of Mobile,
Ala.
It was taken in the late
1950s aboard the SS
Alcoa Clipper, and from
the looks of it, fishing was
pretty good.
House, who was a
dayman on this voyage,
is pictured fourth from
left. Others he identified
in the photo are Dayman
Frank Cotchot (left) and
OS Berry Hill (second
from left).
Brother House, now
72, worked in the deck
department, both inland
and deepsea. He began
sailing with the SIU in
1945 and retired in 1987
(interrupted by a twoyear stint in the U.S.
Army from 1952-54).
April 2000
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard US.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
hree recertified bosuns are
among the 25 Seafarers
announcing their retirements this month. Representing 86
combined years of active union
membership, Recertified Bosuns
T
Luis E. Guadamud, Vagn T.
Nielsen and Ramon L. Quiles
graduated from the highest level
of training available to members
in the deck department at the Paul
Hall Center in Piney Point, Md.
Including the three recertified
graduates, 16 of those signing off
shipped in the deep sea division,
eight sailed the inland waterways
and one plied the Great Lakes.
On this page, the Seafarers LOG
presents brief biographical accounts
of this month's pensioners.
DEEP SEA
JOSEG.
last worked aboard the Sea-Land
Enterprise. A native of Canada,
he has retired to Montreal.
ABRAHAM
CARBAJAL,
63, first sailed
with the Seafarers in 1969
aboard the
Overseas
Explorer. A
native of
Honduras, he became a U.S. citizen and worked in the engine
department. Prior to retiring, he
sailed aboard the Robert E. Lee,
operated by Waterman Steamship
Corp. Arabi, La. is home to
Brother Carbajal.
LONDON
CURRY, 65,
with the Seafarers in 1970.
His first ship
was the Steel
Rover, operated by Isthmian
Lines. Born in the Philippines, he
worked in the engine department
and upgraded his skills at the Sea~
farers Harry Lundeberg School in
Piney Point, Md. Prior to retiring,
he sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Challenger. Brother Bagat makes
.
e-in
s-te '
graduated
from the
Marine Cooks
& Stewards
(MC&S) training school in
1972 and
joined the MC&S in the port of
Wilmington, Calif. Brother Curry
worked in the steward department, last sailing in 1997 as a
chief cook aboard the Sea-Land
Defender. From 1955 to 1957, the
Oklahoma native served in the
US. Army. He makes his home
in Los Angeles.
HANSM.
BANG, 62,
joined the SIU
in 1965 in the
port of San
Francisco. The
Transhudson,
a Hudson
Waterways
vessel, was his first ship. Born in
Denmark, Brother Bang sailed in
the engine department and
upgraded his skills at the SIU's
training school in Piney Point,
Md. He last worked aboard the
Sea-Land Voyager. He has retired
to Monte Rio, Calif.
FUfil,65,
first sailed
with the SIU
in 1966
aboard the
Overseas
Rose. A native
_....-::c..___._ _ of Oregon, he
started working in the engine
department and later transferred
to the deck department. From
1955 to 1957, he served in the
U.S. Army. Brother Fujii last
sailed in 1980 aboard the Stuyvesant, operated by Bay Tankers.
He has retired to Woodland, Calif.
BAGAT, 64 1
began sailing
HUSSAIN A.
BUBAKR,
65, started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1964 in the
port of Detroit.
Brother Bubakr began
working in the Great Lakes division. He later transferred to deep
sea vessels and upgraded his
steward department skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School. Prior to retiring, he sailed
aboard the Great Land. Born in
Yemen, he became a U.S. citizen.
He makes his home in Seattle.
WILLIAM
H.BURKE,
68, joined the
SIU in 1970 in
the port of
Detroit. He
first sailed
aboard the
J.A. Kling, a
Great Lakes vessel, and later
transferred to the deep sea division. Brother Burke sailed in the
deck department and upgraded
his skills at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md. He
April2000
TADATO
LUISE.
GUADAMUD, 65,
graduated
from the
Andrew Furuseth Training
School in
1961 and
joined the Seafarers in the port of
New Orleans. His first ship was
the Del Mar. Born in Ecuador, he
sailed in the deck department and
upgraded his skills at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School,
where he graduated from the
bosun recertification class in
1975. A resident ofMetairie, La.,
he last sailed in 1978 aboard the
Overseas Vivian.
WILLIAMD.
HATCHEL,
62, graduated
from the
Andrew Furuseth Training
School in 1961
and joined the
SIU in the
port of New York, first sailing
aboard the Michael, a Mayflower
Steamship Corp. vessel. A native
of Louisiana, he sailed in the
engine department and upgraded
his skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School. From 1955 to
1958, he served in the U.S. Navy.
Prior to retiring, Brother Hatchel
sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Tacoma. He has retired to Starks,
La.
MOHAMED
M.HUSSEIN,
59, began his
SIU career in
1971 in the
port of New
York. Born in
Yemen, he
sailed in the
steward department and upgraded
frequently at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md.
Brother Hussein last worked
aboard the !TB Philadelphia,
operated by Sheridan Transportation Co. Dearborn, Mich. is
where he calls home.
GEORGEO.
KHULAGI,
65, joined the
Seafarers in
1969 in the
port of New
York. The
Ames Victory,
operated by
Victory Carriers, was his first
ship. Brother Khulagi worked in
the deck department, last sailing
in 1986 aboard the Sea-Land
Venture. Born in Yemen, he
became a U.S. citizen and makes
his home in Buffalo, N.Y.
VAGNT.
NIELSEN,
66, started his
career with the
SIU in 1962 in
the port of
New York.
His first ship
was the
Kathryn, operated by A.H. Bull
Steamship Co. A native of
Denmark, he sailed in the deck
department and upgraded at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School, where he graduated from
the bosun recertification program
in 1974. During his career, he
was active in union organizing
drives. He is a resident of
Brooklyn, N.Y., Brother Nielsen
last worked aboard the JTB
Philadelphia.
--~
JAMES A.
PEACOCK,
60, graduated
from the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg
School's entry
level training
program in 1968 and joined the
union in the port of New Orleans.
Born in Georgia, he first shipped
aboard the Pecos. Brother
Peacock worked in the deck
department and upgraded his
skills at the SIU's training school.
A resident of Jacksonville, Fla.,
he last sailed aboard the Nuevo
R, Inc.
San Juan, operated by
From 1957 to 1960, he served in
the U.S. Army.
RAMON L. QUILES, 55, graduated from the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School's entry level
training program in 1967 and
joined the Seafarers in the port of
New York. The Steel Recorder
was his first
vessel. Born in
Puerto Rico,
he sailed in the
deck department and
upgraded at
the SIU's
training
school, where he graduated from
the bosun recertification program
in 1980. Prior to retiring, he
worked aboard an NPR vessel.
Brother Quiles has retired to
Cliffwood, N.J.
ANTONIO
M.RODRIGUEZ, 62,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1964 in
the port of
New York.
His first ship
was the Elizabethport, a SeaLand Service Vessel. Born in
Cuba, he sailed in the deck
department. Brother Rodriquez
makes his home in Santurce, P.R.
JEAN R. SAVOIE, 65, started
his career with the SIU in 1973 in
the port of Norfolk, Va., after a
20-year career with the U.S.
Coast Guard. The Massachusetts
native began working in the inland division, sailing as a member of the deck department. He
later transferred to deep sea vessels and worked in the steward
department. During his career,
Brother Savoie upgraded his
skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School. His last ship,
before retiring, was the Cornhusker State, operated by Interocean Ugland Management.
Portsmouth, Va. is where he calls
home.
INLAND
ROBERTM.
CROFT,40,
first sailed
with the SIU
in 1976
aboard the
C.H. Masterson, operated
byG&HTowing Co. A native of Texas, he
worked in the engine department
and upgraded frequently at the
Paul Hall Center in Piney Point,
Md. Boatman Croft last sailed
aboard a Moran Towing Co. vessel. He makes his home in
Hitchcock, Texas.
VICTOR V.
DANIELS,
62, joined the
Seafarers in
1956 in the
port of Norfolk, Va. Born
in North Carolina, he
worked in the deck department.
Boatman Daniels last sailed
aboard the tug Roanoke, operated
by Maritrans, Inc. He has retired
to Wanchese, N.C.
ISAIAH JENKINS, 62, began
his career with the SIU in 1975 in
the port of New Orleans. The
South Carolina native worked as
an engineer and sailed primarily
aboard vessels operated by
Whiteman Towing. Boatman
Jen.kins makes his home in
Harvey, La.
JAMESR.
LUPTON, 62,
first sailed
with the SIU
in 1970. Born
in North Carolina, he worked
as a captain,
most recently
aboard a Mariner Towing Co.
vessel. Oriental, N.C. is where
Boatman Lupton calls home.
JOHN H. OTTINGER, 62,
started his career with the Seafarers in 1967 in the port of
Philadelphia. The New Jersey
native worked in the deck department, last sailing aboard an
Interstate Oil Co. vessel. From
1955 to 1959, he served in the
U.S. Air Force. Boatman Ottinger
has retired to King of Prussia, Pa.
STEPHEN
M.PLASH
III, 41, joined
the Seafarers
in 1976 in the
port of
Houston, sailing aboard the
tug Atlas. A
native of Texas, he worked as a
tugboat captain. Prior to retiring,
he sailed aboard the Francis E.
Haden, operated by G&H Towing
Co. Boatman Plash makes his
home in League City, Texas.
HERBERTP.
THOMPSON, 63,
started his
career with the
SIU in 1975 in
the port of
Houston.
Boatman
Thompson worked as a captain
and attended an education conference at the SIU's training school
in Piney Point, Md. A resident of
Houston, he last sailed aboard the
Scout, operated by Crowley
Towing & Transportation Co.
From 1956 to 1959, he served in
the U.S. Army.
HOLLISR.
WILSON, 59,
first sailed
with the
Seafarers in
1961. The
Alabama
native worked
as a captain,
last sailing aboard a Crowley
Marine Service vessel. Boatman
Wilson makes his home in
Perkinston, Miss.
GREAT LAKES
ALI A.
MUSLEH, 66,
began sailing
with the SIU
in 1966 from
the port of
Detroit. Born
in Yemen, he
became a U.S.
citizen. Brother Musleh worked in
the steward department, last sailing aboard the J.A. W. Iglehart,
operated by Inland Lakes Management. He makes his home in Dearborn, Mich.
Seafarers LOG
17
�final DeN~ures
DEEP SEA
VALENTIN ACABEO
Pensioner
Valentin
Acabeo, 83,
passed away
December 12,
1999. A native
of Puerto Rico,
he joined the
Seafarers in
1940 in the port
of New York. During his career, he
sailed in the deck department and
was active in union organizing drives. Prior to retiring in February
1978, he sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Anchorage. Brother Acabeo was a
resident of Bayamon, P.R.
WILLIE H. CHESTNUTT
Willie H.
Chestnutt, 61,
died February
20. Born in
Arkansas, he
started his
career with the
SIU in 1970 ifi
the pon of New
Orleans. His
fll1lt
'--.........::'---'~---'
HALIM Y. HAMBOUZ
- Pensioner
HalimY.
Hambouz, 73,
passed away
February 10.
He began sailing with the
SIU in 1949.
Born in Egypt,
he worked in
the engine department and upgraded
his skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School. During his
career, he was active in union organizing drives. Prior to retiring in
March 1995, he sailed aboard the
Sea-Land Value. Brother Hambouz
was a resident of Brooklyn, N.Y.
ALLISON I. HEBERT
Pensioner
Allison I.
ship was me Kyska, a Waterman
Steamship Corp. vessel. Brother
Chestnutt sailed in the deck depanment and upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School
in Piney Point, Md. From 1955 to
1964, he served in the U.S. Navy.
A resident of Gretna, La., he last
worked aboard the Liberty Star.
ROBERT J. DAWSON
Pensioner
Robert J.
Dawson, 73,
passed away
January 7. He
first sailed with
the Seafarers in
1958. The
California
native worked
in the deck department and upgraded
his skills at the SIU's training school
in Piney Point, Md. During World
War II, he served in the U.S. Navy
from 1943 to 1946. Prior to retiring
in March 1994, he sailed aboard the
Sea-Land Kodiak. Brother Dawson
made his home in Seattle.
JEREMIAH W. DONOVAN
Pensioner Jeremiah W. Donovan, 72,
died October 22, 1999. Brother
Donovan joined the Marine Cooks
and Stewards (MC&S) in 1945. The
California native sailed as a member
of the steward department and began
receiving his pension in July 1974.
From 1951 to 1953, he served in the
U.S. Army. Brother Donovan made
his home in Mesa, Ariz.
BERNARD F. FIMOVICZ
Pensioner
Bernard F.
Fimovicz, 77,
passed away
February 22.
Born in Ohio,
he started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1943 in the port
of San Francisco, sailing in the deck
department. During his career, he
was active in union organizing drives and attended an education conference at the SIU's training school
in Piney Point, Md. Prior to retiring
in April 1979, he worked aboard the
Ultramax, operated by Westchester
Marine. Wheeling, W.Va. was his
home.
NILS E. GRONBERG
Pensioner Nils E. Gronberg, 84, died
January 30. A native of Finland, he
first sailed with the SIU in 1942.
18
Seafarers LOS
Brother
Gronberg
worked in the
deck department and began
receiving his
pension in June
1972. He made
his home in Sea
Level, N. C.
Hebert, 75, died
February 3.
Brother Hebert
joined the
- Seafarers in
1947 in the port
of New York.
Born in Louisiana, he worked in the engine depart·
ment and upgraded his skiJls at the
SIU's training school in Piney Point,
Md. He last sailed aboard the OM!
Pla11e, a Titan Navigation vessel. A
resident of Abbeville, La., he started
receiving his pension in July 1985.
BERNARD R. HIREEN
Pensioner
Bernard R.
Hireen, 67,
passed away
December 16,
1999. Born in
Canada, he
began his SIU
career in 1964
..................:s............__.,,___Llili>i!I from the port of
New York. His first vessel was the
Robin Locksley. He worked in the
engine department, last sailing
aboard the Walter Rice, operated by
Reynolds Metal Co. From 1960 to
1964, he served in the U.S. Navy.
Brother Hireen lived in Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada and
retired in August 1997.
TONY E. INSON
Pensioner Tony E. Inson, 94, died
January 8. He joined the MC&S in
1944 in the port of San Francisco.
Born in the Philippines, he sailed as
a member of the steward department
and started receiving his pension in
July 1968. Brother Inson made his
home in San Francisco.
CHOCK S. JONG
Pensioner Chock S. Jong, 75, passed
away November 6, 1999. Brother
Jong began his career with the
MC&S in 1947 from the port of San
Francisco. A native of California,
Brother Jong sailed in the steward
department and began receiving his
pension in November 1978. San
Francisco was his home.
SANFORD KEMP
Pensioner
Sanford Kemp,
73, died August
18, 1999. A
native of
Georgia, he
began sailing
with the
Seafarers in
1951. Brother Kemp worked in the
steward department, last sailing as a
chief cook. A resident of Register,
Ga., he retired in May 1980. From
1948 to 1951, he served in the U.S.
Navy.
of New York. Brother Nuttal sailed
in the steward department and
retired in May 1974. During his
career, he was active in union organizing drives. San Francisco was his
home.
JOHN A. KICSAK
EDDIE A. PARR
John A. Kicsak,
37, passed
away December
20, 1999.
Brother Kicsak
graduated from
the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School's
entry-level
training program in 1984 and joined
the union in Piney Point, Md. His
first vessel was the LNG Virgo, an
Energy Transportation Co. vessel.
Born in Pennsylvania, he sailed in
the deck department and upgraded at
the school. He was a resident of
Norfolk, Va.
Pensioner
Eddie A. Parr,
89, passed
away February
3. A charter
member of the
Seafarers, he
joined the
union in 1939
in the port of
New Orleans. The Louisiana native
sailed as a bosun in the deck department. During his career, he was
active in union organizing drives.
Brother Parr was a resident of Wells,
Maine and started receiving his pen·
sion in January 1973.
JOSEPH LAN
ISAAC ROWEL
Pensioner Joseph Lan, 88, died
December 27, 1999. Born in China,
he joined the MC&S in 1942 in the
port of San Francisco. He sailed in
the steward dep~ent and began
receiving his pension in September,
1974. Brother Lan made his home in
San Francisco.
Isaac Rowel, 50 died December 2,
1999. A native of Louisiana, he
began his career with the SIU in
1969 in the port of New Orleans.
Brother Rowel worked in the engine
department, last sailing in 1994
aboard the Carolina, operated by
Puerto Rico Marine Management.
He was a resident of New Orleans.
EDWARD E. LINDBERG
Pensioner
Edward E.
Lindberg, 76,
passed away
December 5,
1999. He began
his career with
the Seafarers in
1941 in the port
...,..;..:.__~ of New Orleans.
A native of Iowa, he sailed as a member of tlie deck department. Brother
Lindberg was a resident of Long
Beach, Calif and started receiving
his pension in December 1986.
PAUL D. MARRA
Paul D. Marra,
42, died Jan 22.
A native of
California, he
graduated from
the Seafarers
Harry
Lunde berg
School's entrylevel training
program in 1974 andjoined the
union in Piney Point, Md. The
Potomac, operated by Ogden
Marine, was his first vessel. Brother
Marra sailed in the deck department
and upgraded at the school.
Sacramento, Calif. was his home.
EDWARD G. MORALES
Pensioner
Edward G.
Morales, 87,
· passed away
February 15.
, Brother Morales
· first sailed with
the SIU in 1952
: aboard the
Wacosta, a
Waterman Steamship Corp. vessel.
Born in Hawaii, he worked in the
engine department. A veteran of
World War II, he served in the U.S.
Army from 1942 to 1945. He was a
resident of Winter Haven, Fla. and
started receiving his pension in
January 1977.
WILLIAM NUTTAL
Pensioner
William Nutttal,
94, died
January 19.
Born in the
Philippines, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1947 in the port
ARTHUR W. RUMMEL
Pensioner
ArthurW.
Rummel, 86,
passed away •
December 11,
1999. He first
sailed with the , ·
Seafarers in
1946 in the port
of New ~York.
Born in Germany, he worked in the
steward department. During his
career, he was active in union orga1
nizing drives and attended an education conference at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md. He was a
veteran of World War II, having
served in the U.S. Army from 1942
to 1946. Brother Rummel resided in
Sea Level, N.C. and began receiving
his pension in August 1976.
THOMAS S. SCRUGGS
Pensioner
Thomas S.
Scruggs, 86,
died January
13. Born in
Oklahoma, he
joined the
MC&S in 1954
1 in Portland,
~L.J.JLl-~~~:::J...11 Ore. Brother
Scruggs sailed as a member of the
steward department. A resident of
Seattle, he retired in July 1979.
JOHN A. SMITH
Pensioner John
A. Smith, 75,
passed away
January 27. A
native of West
Virginia, he
began his
career with the
Seafarers in
'-----"'""-------' 1949 from the
port of Tampa, Fla. Brother Smith
sailed in the engine department.
Prior to retiring in February 1988,
he worked aboard the Sea-Land
Oakland as a chief electrician. He
made his home in Elkton, Md.
INLAND
LOYD G. ARMANTROUT
Pensioner Loyd
G. Armantrout,
77, passed away
January 30.
Born in Florida,
he joined the
Seafarers in
1967 in the port
of Houston.
L..._~---"""""":..bL=-----1 Boatman
Armantrout worked as a chief engineer, last sailing aboard a G&H
Towing Co. vessel. From 1944 to
1946, he served in the U.S. Marine
Corps. A resident of Galveston, he
started receiving his pension in
August 1987.
ANTONIO ATILES
- - - . Pensioner
Antonio Atiles,
72, died
Jariuaryr l9~ He
started his
career with the
SIU in 1976 in
his native
Puerto Rico.
Boatman Atiles
sailed in the deck department and
attended an education conference at
the Sill's training school in Piney
Point, Md. Prior to retiring in June
1991, he worked aboard a vessel
operated by Crowley Towing &
Transportation. Carolina, P.R. was
his home.
ARANTIC FISHERMEN
SANTO G. FARINA
Pensioner Santo
G. Farina, 87,
passed away
January 31.
Born in Italy,
- he joined the
Atlantic
Fishermen's
Union before it
merged with the
AGLIWD. A resident of Gloucester,
Mass., he started receiving his pension in April 1979.
CORRECTION
RAYMONDE. SHARP
Raymond E. Sharp, 66, passed away
October 19, 1999. Brother Sharp
joined the Seafarers in 1952 in the
port of New Orleans. A native of
Indiana, he worked in the deck
department, last sailing in 1978
aboard the Cape Washington.
LEROY SIMMONS
Pensioner Leroy
Simmons, 75 ,
died December
3, 1999. He
joined the
MC&S in 1955
-~) in the port of
San Francisco.
Born in South
Carolina, he
sailed in the steward department.
Brother Simmons was a resident of
Daly City, Calif. and began receiving his pension in July 1976.
The biographical sketch of inland
member Robert F. Hudgins that
appeared in the February Final
Departures was incomplete. It
should have read:
ROBERT F. HUDGINS
Robert F. Hudgins, 54, died
December 3,
1999. Boatman
Hudgins started
his career with
the Seafarers in
1962 in the port ·
of Norfolk, Va.
'----'""'-'-~"""""""""---"-'-' For many years,
the Virginia native worked as a captain, sailing from Norfolk to Texas
aboard vessels operated by Moran
Towing Co., Interstate Oil Transport,
Sonat and Maritrans. He also attended an education conference at the
SIU's training school in Piney Point,
Md. A resident of Mathews, Va., he
last sailed in 1985 aboard a Moran
Towing Co. vessel.
April2000
�Digest of Shipboard
Union Meetings
The Seafarers LOG attempts to print as many digests ()f union shipboard
minutes as possiblel On occasion, because of space
limitations, some wlll be omitted.
Ships minutes first are reviewed by the union's contract department.
Those Issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union
upon receipt of the ships' minutes. The minutes are then forwarded
to the Seafarers LOG for publication.
CHALLENGER (CSX Lines),
December 19-Chainnan Roy L.
Williams, Secretary James E.
Harper, Educational Director
Lowell R. Lemm, Engine Delegate Teddie H. Carter. Chainnan
discussed president's report in
LOG reflecting on past decade. He
reminded everyone that upgrading
skills is vital to maritime industry.
Clarification requested on cleaning
cargo holds and tanks and on number of hours needed for sanitation
by DEU; also on water blasting for
deck department, which is not in
current contract. Secretary urged
crew members to participate in
upcoming merger vote and advised
tMm t6 check expiration dates on
STCW and z-cards. Educaticinal
director dre~~~d need to stay current with all issues concerning
uruQn. Crew asked for text of Jones
Act. V6tt of thanks given to stew·
ard department for job well done.
Next ports: Long Beach and
Oakland, Calif.
EL YUNOUE (IUM), December
31-Chairman Paul J. Latorre,
Secretary Milton M. Yournett. '
Educational Dir~ctor Orlando
Cancel, Deck Delegate Ronald
Mena, Engine Delegate Jimmie R.
Graydon, Steward Charles B.
Collier Jr. Chairman announced
He reminded crew members to
vote for merger of SIU and NMU,
noting strength in unity and better
bargainin osition. He also
. stresse 1mpo nee o co · uting
to SPAD for preservation of Jones
Act and job security. Secretary
echoed sentiments and urged members to upgrade at Paul Hall Center
in Piney Point, Md. for better
future. Recommendations made to
ask contracts department to consider lowering seatime required for
retirement and pension and fully
fund medical and prescription
plans for dependent family members. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Next port: Jacksonville.
EXPEDITION (CSX Lines),
December 5--Chairman Norberto
Prats, Secretary Edgardo M.
Vazquez, Educational Director
Oswald N. Bermeo, Engine Delegate Pablo Albino, Steward Delegate Michael A. Harris. Chairman
announced everything running
smoothly with no beefs or disputed
OT. Secretary advised crew members to upgrade skills and help
union by contributing to SPAD.
Educational director spoke about
benefits of upgrading at Piney
Point. Discussion held on upcoming SIU-NMU merger vote. Vote of
thanks given to SA Luis Rivera
for maintaining clean ship and to
steward department for delicious
Thanksgiving Day dinner.
HAWAII (CSX Lines), December
19-Chairman Billy G. Hill,
Secretary Edward P. Herrera,
Educational Director Tracy J. Hill,
Deck Delegate Evan J. Bradley,
Engine Delegate Mark E.
McNabb, Steward Delegate Jorge
R. Salazar. Chairman announced
payoff in Oakland, Calif. He
thanked all crew members for successful Russia-aid shuttle. He also
reminded everyone to fill out
paperwork for coll).pleting tour of
duty. Educational director asked
that crew members have mate sign
TRBs. Beef reported by engine
Apri/2000
delegate regarding no day's pay
for those flying to Far East. Suggestion made to lower age of
retirement. Job well done in all
departments. Bosun asked crew to
take care of videotaped movies.
AB watchstanders thanked Capt.
Barry for chair on bridge during
long periods of hand steering.
OHIO (ATC). December 13Chairrnan Gregory A. Agren,
Secretary Jeff Smith, Educational
Director Rudolph Lopez, Deck
Delegate Winston D. Thompson,
Engine Delegate Marvin
Lambeth. Chairman reminded
crew members to vote on SIUNMU mtrger by January 3 L
Educational director suggested
everyone take advantage of educational opportw1itits at Paul Hall
Center. No beefs or disputed OT
repcrt~d. Communication received
from VP Contracts Augie Tellez
regarding changes when daymen
become watchstanders. Suggestions made to lower eligibility
for vacation pay and increase benefits for dental care. Steward department given vote of thanks for job
well done.
OVERSEAS JUNEAU (OSG
Ship Mgmt.), December 5--Chairman Benedict B. Born, Secretary
Thomas Wybo, Educational
Director Christopher J. Kirchhofer, Deck Delegate Steve
Brown, Engine Dele ate ona
Lucas, Steward Delegate Vickie
Haggerty. Chairman led discussion of SIU-NMU merger. Many
questions brought up regarding
merger, for which clarification
requested. He also talked about
money purchase pension plan and
told everyone to keep abreast of
personal statements. He requested
crew members turn in keys and
leave rooms clean at end of voyage. Secretary reminded members
to check shipping documents for
expiration dates. Educational director urged everyone to attend
upgrading courses at Piney Point.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Request made for contracts department to look into direct deposit of
allotments twice a month. Mail service needs to be checked and new
curtains and crew lounge/mess hall
furniture ordered. Chairman gave
vote of thanks to all for hard work
throughout voyage and keeping
house clean. Deck gang also
thanked for smooth operation of
tank cleaning, and steward department given A+ for food and sanitation. Steward, in turn, thanked
bosun and deck department for
help with barbecue, Steve Brown
for extra help and master for providing specialty items for holiday
meals. Emergency relief supplies
given to crew aboard foreign-flag
ship (Panamanian flag, Greekowned, Ukrainian-crewed), Delos
#1, who have been without pay for
months. Next port: Portland, Ore.
OVERSEAS PHILADELPHIA
(OSG Ship Mgmt.), December
12-Chairman Lawrence L.
Kunc, Secretary Dorothy S.
Carter, Educational Director
Kenneth Spivey, Engine Delegate
Adrian Davis, Steward Delegate
Jasper Jackson. Chairman noted
ship out of yard and will load jet
fuel in Singapore for delivery to
West Coast. Secretary advised crew
that captain is checking on whether
crew members can call families
from ship during holidays. Educational director stressed importance
of upgrading skills and keeping
STCW endorsements updated.
TRBs to be filled out by chief
mate. No beefs reported in deck or
engine departments. During safety
meeting, crew members reminded
to secure all work areas and rooms,
to stay off deck during bad weather
and heavy seas, and to always wear
hard hats and overalls. Anyone
needing goggles, earplugs or safety
belt should see mate or bosun.
Next ports: Honolulu and Los
Angeles.
2nd LT. JOHN P. BOBO
(AMSEA), December 6--Chairman William L. Bratton, Secretary Kristin Krause, Educational
Director Charles J. Betz, Deck
Delegate Darryl S. Atwood.
Discussion held about SIU-NMU
merger. Chairman asked that anyone with problems see department
delegate. If problem remains unresolved, take it to ship's committee,
which meets weekly. Secretary
noted cola machine not working;
will be repaired soon. Volunteers
needed to help with Christmas
decorations. Educational director
advised crew members to upgrade
at Piney Point He ncited that with
possible NMU merger, classes
may be mere crowded, so get in
early. Treasurer announced $1,955
in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Money purchase
pension plan discussed. Satellite
system is on the way. Contract for .
upcoming year to be published
soon. Steward department given
vote of thanks for enjoyable
Thanksgiving Day dinner. Next
ports: Barcelona. Spain; Haifa,
Israel.
SPIRIT (CSX Lines), December
26-Chairman Robert T. Grubbs,
Secretary Angel B. Correa,
Educational Director Mohamed N.
Alsinai, Deck Delegate Frederick
C. Me· er, Engine De egate J ·
Reyes, Steward Delegate Miguel
A. Robles. Chairman talked about
SIU-NMU merger vote and asked
everyone to participate. Secretary
spoke about benefits of upgrading
at Paul Hall Center and stressed
importance of contributing to
SPAD. Treasurer announced $60 in
movie fund. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Suggestion made and
forwarded to contracts department
to lower seatime needed for vacation and retirement. Thanks given
to steward department for job well
done. Next port: San Juan, P.R.
DEVELOPER (U.S. Ship Mgmt.),
January 9-Chairman James L.
Carter, Secretary Robert A.
Castillo, Educational Director
David B. Hamilton. Chairman
said trip went well with good crew.
He stressed importance of contributing to SPAD and announced
arrival in Long Beach, Calif.
January 14 with payoff following
day. Secretary thanked crew for
helping keep vessel clean. Educational director reminded everyone
of necessity of obtaining TRBs in
order to register. Crew members
also need to have STCW endorsements by 2002. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made
for next contract to have same
vacation time as MMP and MEBA.
Vote of well deserved thanks given
to steward department.
EXPLORER (U.S. Ship Mgmt),
January 30--Chairman Edward
M. Cain, Secretary William R.
Burdette, Educational Director
Ernest Gibson, Deck Delegate
Horst Baetjer, Engine Delegate
Larry D. Thompson, Steward
Delegate Michael R. Briscoe.
Chairman announced arrival in
Long Beach, Calif. February 2.
U.S. Coast Guard inspection drill
to take place there. Chief mate sent
out notice of time off for unlicensed crew. Suggestion made to
send letters to union and company
regarding Coast Guard inspections
and drills taking place on only full
day in port (day off). Request that
drills and inspections be held on
sailing day, when all crew members are aboard. Secretary noted
that any issues concerning food
quality or service should be
addressed to him. Educational
members of upgrading at Paul Hall
Center whenever possible. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Clarification requested on shipping
rule violations and equalization of
overtime.
MAERSK TEXAS (Maersk),
January 10--Chairman Dirk W.
Adams, Secretary Theodore E.
Gilliland in the Gulf
While the USNS Gilliland
was in the Persian Gulf
recently, SIU members
continued to perform their
jobs in a professional manner. At right aboard the
Bay Ship Management Co.
vessel are QMED
Octovianus Pariama (left)
and GUDE Ezell Jordan.
Below, Roberto Rodriguez
works on the diesel generator from above.
director urged everyone to attend
upgrading courses at Piney Point.
Treasurer announced $1,500 in
ship's fund. Everyone enjoying
new video rewinder, thanks to
chief cook. No beefs or disputed
OT reported.
GOPHER STATE (IUM), January
27--Chairman Nathaniel Leary,
Secretary Winston E. Marchman,
Steward Delegate Wayne D.
Webb. Chairman announced payoff on January 31 in Guam and
urged crew members to continue
attending upgrading courses at Paul
Hall Center when time permits.
Everything running well with no
beefs or disputed OT reported.
HM/ DIAMOND SHOALS
(IUM), January 29-Chairman
Ramon Castro, Secretary Leticia
Perales, Educational Director
Nestor V. Martinez, Deck
Delegate Randall R. Shearer,
Steward Delegate Isabel Miranda.
Chairman announced ship arriving
January 30 in El Segundo, Calif. to
anchor. Payoff scheduled next day.
He thanked deck department for
good, safe job. Secretary stated
linen always available. If anything
else needed, let steward department
know. Educational director spoke
of upgrading skills at Piney Point.
Treasurer announced movie fund
of $150/ month. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Two suggestions made and forwarded to contracts department. First, that crew
receive one hour weekly for sanitary and delegates, chairman and
secretary get one hour weekly for
union business. Second, that crew
members be allowed to collect
vacation pay after 80 days employment. Thanks given to all department for job well done.
MAERSK COLORADO
(Maersk), January 23-Chairman
Andrew B. Barrows, Secretary
Hugh E. Wildermuth,
Educational Director Floyd J.
Acord, Steward Delegate Allan D.
Bright. Chairman discussed
upcoming SIU-NMU merger vote
and misinformation being spread
via internet about merger. Educational director reminded crew
Quammie. Chairman announced
everything running smoothly with
arrival in Charleston, S.C. January
11. Still awaiting arrival of lounge
furniture and new motor for washing machine. Educational director
encouraged members to upgrade at
Piney Point. No beefs or .disputed
OT reported. Thanks given to steward department for job well done .
PFC EUGENE A. OBREGON
(Waterman Steamship), January
13--Chairman Henry Bouganim,
Secretary Patrick D. Helton,
Educational Director Robert A.
Farmer, Deck Delegate Juan
Torres, Engine Delegate Maximo
D. Dising, Steward Delegate
Rudolph A. Xatruch. Educational
director stressed benefits of
upgrading at Paul Hall Center. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Everyone asked to make sure
STCW certificates are up to date.
Request made to look into availability ofreliefs and also to be sure
hiring halls let Seafarers know of
pay scale on this vessel. Thanks
given to steward department for
great voyage, especially holiday
meals. Port of expected payoff:
Souda Bay, Crete.
ROBERT E. LEE (Watennan
Steamship), January 23Chairman Eugene T. Grantham,
Secretary Miguel A. Pabon, Deck
Delegate Quintin S. Herrera,
Steward Delegate Fernando R.
Guity. Chairman announced
watchstanding changes in deck
department. Educational director
noted those crew members who
took hazmat test this trip should
receive validation card from chief
mate. Treasurer reported $602 in
ship's fund. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Clarification requested on penalty rate OT. Job well
done given to Capt. William
Dunford, engine department and
ABs for safe operation after ship
hit bad weather while entering port
of Morehead City, N.C. Damage
was done to bridge and other
places in house. Port of expected
payoff: New Orleans.
Seafarers LOG
19
�I lctlcn to the Editor
(Editors note: the Seafarers
LOG reserves the right to edit letters for grammar as well as space
provisions without changing the
writers intent. The LOG welcomes letters from members, pensioners, their families and shipmates and will publish them on a
timely basis.)
Remembering
The Good Times
lam
writing to
let you
know my
dear friend
of nearly
30 years,
Wally
Lau,
passed
awaym
February.
Steward/Baker Wally
Lau aboard the Gus
W oamelf in 1987.
He was
78.
We met on the Martposa in
San Francisco. He was a great
tMk/bilker and got along well
ith illl the ~hipmates .
Wally made very attractive
ornaments for the passenger
tables, which pleased the guests
very much.
He is survived by a daughter,
Elaine.
Jeanie L. Sartup
Rochester, Wash.
(Pensioner Jeanie Sartup first
sailed aboard the Monterey in
November 1969. She retired in
1983.)
Remembering
The Good Times II
Once an SIU member retires
after countless years with the best
union ever, and the excitement
dies down after fishing, vacationing and doing all the other things
you couldn't do when you were
sailing, you' 11 start thinking of all
the amazing sights you've seensome good and some bad.
As an oiler aboard the Robin
Kirk on the South African run, I
remember
seeing
Tabletop
Mountain and Lion Head Mountain as we neared the port of
Capetown-both ef which I had
read of in geography and history
books in my grade school days.
Two wipers and I went to the
top of Tabletop by cable car and
could watch the city getting
smaller and smaller. Once on top,
it was a. beautiful sight, and I
haven 't forgotten it to this date.
Then there was the time on the
Steel Surveyor as we were heading toward Hawaii for a full load
of sugar after discharging military cargo in Saigon. As we
neared the Hawaiian coast, I saw
the most beautiful sunset everpicture-perfect.
Another memory: as a second
electrician aboard the Cosmo
Trader, we were going to Saigon
with military cargo, but due to an
emergency, we had to pull into
Manila, in the Philippines, for
repairs.
A company gangway man told
us of an unusual sight at a cemetery there. The man was right.
After entering through a gate,
the chief electrician and I noticed
a stone wall encircling the place.
As we went in deeper, it was truly
a sight to behold.
Every deceased person was
interred in a marble monument
above ground, each one with a
huge painting of him- or herself
enclosed in glass. One of the
monuments was huge and must
have housed many generations.
The entire cemetery was spotless
and a sight to be seen.
I have tried to find the pictures
I took, but can't locate them.
I was an SIU member from
1951 until 1986, and I owe everything I have to the SIU. Members
will never realize what a great
union they are with until they
retire or go somewhere else.
Walter Karlak
Woodside, Queens, N.Y.
Remambarlng
The Good Timas Ill
Russians have told me that
everybody in Russia has read
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry
Finn.
Around 1953, I spent a month
in Russia. I sailed aboard a cadet
training stiip in Talin, Estonia and
on a Russian ship out of Odessa1
then l l days aboard the
Alexander Pushkin from Rostov
on the Don to Kazan.
With this experience, I wrote a
short story, "Bernard Overall,
The Russian Tom Sawyer."
Rev. Charles H. McTague
Harrison, N.J.
(Charles McTague joined the
S!UonFebruary2, 1939andlater
studied for the priesthood at St.
Francis Xavier University in Nova
Scotia, Canada. He has been a
priest for the past 53 years.)
Procedure for SIU Absentee Ballots
Elections for the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District are scheduled for later this
year. As in past SIU election years, a comprehensive guide will be published in the Seafarers LOG
prior to the balloting.
In the case of members eligible to vote who
believe they will be at sea during the November 1
through December 31, 2000 voting period, absentee ballots will be available.
The SIU constitution ensures that members who
are eligible to vote and who find themselves in this
situation may vote. Procedures are established in
the SIU constitution to safeguard the secret ballot
election, including the absentee ballot process.
Here is the procedure to follow when requesting
an absentee ballot:
1. Make the request in writing to the SIU office of
the secretary-treasurer, 5201 Auth Way, Camp
Springs, MD 207 46.
2. Include in the request the correct address where
the absentee ballot should be mailed.
3. Send the request for an absentee ballot by registered or certified mail.
4. The registered or certified mail envelope must
be postmarked no later than midnight,
FREE
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
AD~ISSION
November 15, 2000 and must be received at
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746 no
later than November 25, 2000.
The secretary-treasurer, after confirming eligibility, will send by registered mail, return receipt
requested, to the address designated in the
request, a ballot, together with an envelope
marked "Ballot" and a mailing envelope no later
than November 30, 2000.
Upon receiving the ballot and envelope, vote by
marking the ballot. After voting the ballot, place
the ballot in the envelope marked "Ballot." Do not
write on the "Ballot" envelope.
Place the envelope marked "Ballot" in the mailing envelope which is imprinted with the mailing
address of the bank depository where all ballots
are sent.
Sign the mailing envelope on the first line of the
upper left-hand corner. Print name and book
number on the second line. The mailing envelope is self-addressed and stamped.
The mailing envelope must be postmarked no
later than midnight December 31, 2000 and
received by the bank depository no later than
January 5, 2001.
• F.AA&ILY FUN!
~D:i[]~
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D
[])!]10~~
[].QJ@)G8~~l][]@)G8~
~©we3
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D@B
[]m80IBDlS0
cu:Dl:18l~~~
Friday, May 5 -12 111• t• • 1-•.
lat. - 1u11. - Man.• May 1-1
11 •••• ,. , ,_._
20
Seafarers LOG
Know Your Rights
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The
constitution of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District makes specific provision for
safeguarding the membership's
money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by
certified public accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee
of rank-and-file members, elected
by the membership, each year
examines the finances of the union
and reports fully their findings and
recommendations. Members of this
committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations
and separate findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds
of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District are
administered in accordance with the
provisions of various trust fund
agreements. All these agreements
specify that the trustees in charge of
these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All
expendihrres and disbursements of
trust funds are made only upon
approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial
records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds.
SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the
employers. Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts are posted and
available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chainnan
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Full copies of contracts as
referred to are available to members
at all times, either by writing directly to the union or to the Seafarers
Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU
contracts are available in all SIU
halls. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union
official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she
should contact the nearest SIU port
agent.
EDITORIAL POLICY -
THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective membership. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Seafarers LOG
policy is vested in an editorial
board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from
among its ranks, one individual to
carry out this responsibility.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU
unless an official union receipt is
given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any
money for any reason unless he is
given such receipt. In the event
anyone attempts to require any such
payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is
required to make a payment and is
given an official receipt, but feels
that he or she should not have been
required to make such payment,
this should immediately be reported
to union headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of
the SIU constitution are available in
all union halls. All members should
obtain copies of this constitution so
as to familiarize themselves with its
contents. Any time a member feels
any other member or officer is
attempting to deprive him or her of
any constitutional right or obligation by any methods. such as dealing with charges, trials, etc., as well
as all other details, the member so
affected should immediately notify
headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in
employment and as members of the
SIU. These rights are clearly set
forth in the SIU constitution and in
the contracts which the union has
negotiated with the employers.
Consequently, no member may be
discriminated against because of
race, creed, color, sex, national or
geographic origin.
If any member feels that he or sheis denied the equal rights to which
he or she is entitled, the member
should notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS
POLITICAL
ACTIVITY DONATION
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and purposes
including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering
of the American merchant marine
with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen
and the advancement of trade union
concepts. In connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions
are voluntary. No contribution may
be solicited or received because of
force, job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct,
or as a condition of membership in
the union or of employment. If a
contribution is made by reason of
the above improper conduct, the
member should notify the Seafarers
International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the
contribution for investigation and
appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his
or her economic, political and
social interests, and American trade
union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If
at any time a member feels that any
of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has .been
denied the constitutional right of
access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The
address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
April 2000
�-~;.:
Start Date
Date of. Completiop
April 3
Mayt ·
May29
April21
May19
June 16
Basic Fire Fighting
April 24
May22
April 28
May26
morning
Advanced Fire Fighting
April 3
May29
April 14
June 9
Seafarers who have .MY questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at
th~:.,r~. . :· ....~J.: m~~~!·: ~y- cail the admissions office at (301) 994-0010.
Government Vessels
May8
May22
May26
June9
x-~r
h: \~~
_
-:
.;_
_ . ;
;·.
-~::. · - .;, : . <.~-.;;:_._.}( ,
.{. , S}A :··. ·\.-:,.
.'~ _
./~:
-
~hefQJt~~itJ,gi~. ~b~.·~gli,~9ul~ fo('das~~~~~~niting between April through
Tanker Familiarization/
~sistant <;;argo (DL)*
June ZOQ()jlfthe ~,aulHa~fCenter fQr Marii1me training and Education in Piney ,'
Poirit, :Nld._AlLprdgrafus ate geared to improv~ thejob skills of Seafarers' an4 to .
(*fnusthave basic fue fighting)
promote the American maritime industry.
·
Please note that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the iµatjtime inuustry and-in times of conflict-the nation's security.
Students atte11ding any of these classes should check in the Saturday before
· theit course's start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the
Qf the start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reserva,· :"#oits· sh~uid be made for Saturday.
oeok Upgrading Courses
. April 7
STCW Basic Safety (refresher)
\
Date of Completion
Start Date
".
April 28
Mayl6
April 7
::.May26 . :.
Tankerman (PIC) Barge*
(~must
l1gve b«Sic ./irf!.flghliflg) .: ·
. April 28 (pre-AB)
General educati~rl iij·~J:::;~~lli!~'. :¢~....r:§.~: ~~ j\f~ll~lite· ~i~~~fle~~ Iniddition,
·:.:<ba,;c .v~cational support progra.1rFcoqrses are otfererl throughout the year,
].1~:·:.W.~·ek prior to the AB, QMED, FOWT, Th.i rd Mate, Tanker Assistant
:: :: ::"· : ~~: .. :: J.',.'. Su~~i,:Y.~l ~~µ_rs~; ·:.~P J'1.~9:~.~~p9.~ : :t~:. ~O.:ipll.~~ers .coµrse .will be
.
· /'
.
;!@~:,;n 3; io;'11, ~· _
Mayl, 8, 15, 22, 29
June 5, 12, 19, 26
April 3; 17
May 1, 15, 29
June 12, 26
Check next, month's LOG for·; additionf!I Paul Hall
Cent~r co4PseS Tor the second half of the year.
·, ...::.·-~·-·-·-·-·- .....:~·.-. .·..:.:·:_.;:..., ___ ___ ·-·-·-·-·-·- · -·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·- ~-·-·--··-·-·-·-·-·;._·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·,
UPGRADING APPLICATION
With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatime'for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime .for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and QMED applicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee of $280 with their application. The payment should be made with a money order only.
payable to LMSS.
COURSE
Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member
D
Lakes Member
BEGIN
END
DATE
DATE
Date of Birth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
D
Inland Waters Member
D
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed.
Social Security# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Book# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __
Seniority _ _ _ _ _- - ' - - - - - - - - Department _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D
No
D
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held ----'---- - - - - - - - - - - - -- -
LAST VESSEL: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ Rating: _ _ __
Date On: _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
D Yes
D No
If yes, class# - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -- - - - Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D Yes D No
If yes, course(s) taken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
0
Yes
0
No
Firefighting:
0
Yes
0
No
CPR:
0
Yes
0
No
Primary language spoken _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __
Apri/2000
Date Off:
SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfally complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPUCATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, P 0 Box 75. Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (30 I) 994-2189.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
4100
Seafarers L06
21
-
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
-
ARPA - Completing the course in automatic radar and plotting aids on February 4
are (from left) Jeff Lagana, Bill Hough, Edgard Martinez, Tim Johnston, Chris Edyvean,
Raymond Henderson, John Astad, Dennis Hurley and Mike Smith (instructor).
Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 599 -
Unlicensed apprentice class 599 graduating from the water survial course are (from left, kneeling) Peter
Pamepinto, Normar'I ArquillaM, Ryan Humphreys, Quinton Washington, Elijah Huff,
(st~nding) Brian Fifer, Jesus Martinez, Ray Hebert. James Brosher, Donna Sylvia and
Jam~I Somerville.
Welding Marine Electronics Technician -
Members of the engine department earning their certificates of achievement from the welding course on March 3 are (in no particular order) Conrado Martinez,
Peter Sternberg, Lino Remorin, David Kloss, Marino Callejas, Sotero Berame, Rhonda
Koski and Faustino Pereira. Thei~ instructor was Buzzy Andrews.
Graduating from the marine electronics technician course on March 31 are (from left) Frank
Bakun, Mohamed Alsinai, George Collier,
Douglas Felton and (seated) Jay Linx. Their
instructor, not shown, was Russell Levin. At left
are the same students on a tour of high tech
exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington, D.C. The museum displays helped
the upgraders understand the rapid changes
that have occurred in technology.
Recertified Stewards -
Students completing the steward
recertification program on March 6 learn the art of ice carving as
part of their requirements for graduation. Members of the class
(not all in the photograph) are (in no particular order) Richard
Riley, Anthony St. Clair, Robert Haggerty, Kevin Marchand, Randy
Stephens, Abraham Martinez, Martin Buck, William McGee,
Jeanette Montgomery and William Bryley.
Able" Seaman -
Upgrading Seafarers earning their AB endorsements on February 18 are (in alphabetical order) Ronald Ammar, Arvell Brown, Michael Brown, David Burnham, Paul Cuevas, Randy Diaz,
John Durfee, Miguel Guity, Frank Hall, Douglas Hemphill, Mark Hummel, Walter Lichota, Patricia McNulty,
Nelson Montoya, Michael Moore, Chad Noda, Phillip Noto, James Stimage and Justin Vonsprecken.
22
Seafarers LOG
Aprl/2000
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Tanker Assistant Cargo (DL) - Among those
completing the tanker assistant cargo (DL) course on
January 28 with instructor Jim Shaffer are (in no particular order) Shannon Bonefont, Alfred Mcintyre, Europa
Tuivati, Keolamauloahawaiiloa Mowat, David Green,
Blaine Harkins, Randy McKenzie, Adam Williams,
Brandon Scalzo, Robert Parker, Charles Larson,
Secundino Arzu, Romel Holand, Kenneth Jones,
Michael Mayo, Tyler Laffitte Jr., Erik Nappier, Reggie
Donaldson, Thomas Komenda, Lino Remorin, Barry
Verbois, John Astad, Enrique Crespo, Roy Williams,
Steven Cook, Abdulla Saeed, Jason Dew, Bobby Ellis
Jr. , Frank Iverson and John Palughi.
Tanker Assistant Cargo (DL} -
on
February 25. another group gradu~ted from thA
tanker assistant cargo (DL) cour~e with instructor Jim Shaffer (far right). They are (in no sp@·
eifie order) Roy Jerue Jr., Brock Booker, Carlton
Hendley, Vincent Sanchez Ill, Fr@d McGauley
IV, Derrin Juul, M~rk P@sola , Hectcr Frederick.
Judith MJ::rwin, St@v@n Kniola , Miehael Kachele,
Jo$eph Saeger', Antheny Brown. William Lough,
Donovan Christie, Edgardo Ong, Johnie
Chavis, Maxw911 HassQll-EI, John WMg, David
Fricker, Kenji Hoffman, Ernie Gay, Jerome
Wong, Adel Shahter, Bernard Hutching and
David Heavey.
•\:. '
SEAFARERS
P!»t-HA.U~. !EKTER
LIFEBOAT CLASS
6Q.0_
'
"" ·'·~
~
..
.. :(t~}·
~-·,
Unlicensed Apprentice Class 600 - Completing the water survival course are members
of unlicensed apprentice class 600. They are (in alphabetical order) Travis Astbury, Joseph
Brasher, Shannon Berry, William Colson, Todd Curry, Paul Hagan, Blake Horton, Michael James
Jr., Andrew Linares, Michael-Shawn Logotaeao, Jessica Lorusso, Bradford Lowry, Harry Oglesby,
William Schuchardt and Leonard Shuman II.
FOWT - Earning their FOWT endorsements on February 18 are (in no particular
order) Calvin Mcfield, John Miracle, Jason Mixson, Alex Oliva, Eldon Palmer, Eric
Rodgers, Mark Savage, Lawrence Sherinski, Hector Solis, Samuel Taylor, Mark Vidal,
Antuan Barnes, Shaun Bonefont, Cole Bridwell, Kevin Bullen, Elvin Fontanilla, Timothy
Apri/2000
Galley Operations - Finishing one of the required two-week modules in
the galley operations curriculum are (from left, front row) Kameron Kamaunu, Lisa
Marie Kitashima, Daniel Dillabough, (second row) Chef Ed White (instructor),
Larry Jolla, Terry Allen, Richard P. Mata and Roy Fairfield (assistant instructor).
Flynn, Manuel Hernandez, Mohamed Jamsheedi, Anthony Jones, Carlos Majao, Nelson
Martin, Alexander Williams, Dawn Williams and Jeffrey Wise. Their instructor was Mark
Jones (far left).
Seafarers LOG
23
�Volume 62
Number 4
Vacation at Piney Point
Now is the time to start thinking_ about a
summer vacation. The Paul Hall Center
can provide you and]OUT family with all
the ingredients for a memorable
summer holiday. For additional
information and_rates, see page 12.
NATCO Crews 'Always Picking Up'
Safety Stressed in Round-the-Clock Assignments
Captain Phil Kleinebreil describes dredging as "probably the most dangerous part of the maritime industry.
There's a lot of moving equipment and the work is nonstop. There are a lot of overhead dangers."
SIU crews on NATCO dredges meet the challenge by
constantly emphasizing safety. From basic precautions
such as wearing hardhats and steel-toed shoes, to more
elaborate protective measures like meticulously rigging
equipment for dredging and beach-replenishment jobs, the
mariners work safely.
"I'd say that the union, the company and the crews are
well-equipped for doing safe work," says Kleinebreil, who
has spent 13 years on NATCO's SIU-crewed dredges.
Adds Captain Mike Horn, a 17-year veteran of the
industry, "It's fa ·r1y specialized work. In order to do it
properly and safely. you can't put just anybody out there."
SIU members crew the NATCO hopper dredges Dodge
Island, Sugar Island, Padre Island, Manhattan Island and
Northerly Island, plus another dredge (the Long Island)
operated by NATCO parent company Great Lakes Dredge
& Dock. And, as reported in the January issue of the
Seafarers LOG, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock is building a
new 315-foot dredge at a union yard in Sturgeon Bay,
Wis.-the Liberty Island, tentatively slated to sail in 2001.
"We work all over the place:· notes Hom. "We work
most of the major ports on the East Coast and some of the
lesser ones. I've also worked jobs in Oregon and
California."
Routine dredging, channel maintenance and beach
renourishment are the most common jobs for NATCO 's
fleet. Last month, the five Seafarers-crewed dredges handled assignments in Florida, South Carolina, Alabama and
Puerto Rico.
No matter the task, the vessels operate 24 hours day,
seven days a week. Despite that relentlessly demanding
schedule, Kleinebreil says the NATCO mariners have
found their niche.
"I like dredging. The work is hard, but the time goes by
fast when you're out here," he observed last month while
aboard the Northerly Island. "You get quality time at
home, and the money's not bad, either."
The crews also keep a sense of humor about their industry. They jokingly describe their work with slogans such
as, "Dredging is always picking up," or "Dig it."
"And there are a few others, too, but we don't want to
go there," Kleinebreil chuckles.
Chief Steward Sidney Guidry whips up a delicious lunch for
fellow crew members aboard the Northerly Island.
Ready to meet with Pat Vandergrift, SIU safety
director from the port of Norfolk, Va., are (from left)
Asst. Engineer William Quick, AB Brad Brunette and
Steward/Cook David Strickland on the Sugar Island.
A visiting photographer is the only thing that briefly
slows (from left) QMED Brett Sallee, QMED Rickey
Pettaway, AB Joe Conlin and Chief Engineer
Joseph Kadak aboard the Northerly Island.
�
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April 2000
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HEADLINES
STRANDED CREW FINALLY GOES HOME
ITF AIDS MARINERS ON RUNAWAY-FLAG SHIP; TAMPA TRIBUNE ARTICLES BARE FOC ‘PRISON’
CARNIVAL TAXED BY PROPOSAL
RANK-AND-FILE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE APPROVVES UNION RECORDS FOR 1999
AMERICAN CLASSIC ANNOUCES ‘MILESTONES’ IN REVITALIZATION OF U.S. PASSENGER FLEET
FIRST ORCS- CLASS RO/RO EXPECTED BY SUMMER 2002.
ADMINISTRAIVE TASK FORCE FINDS USCG MISSIONS VITAL FOR COUNTRY.
BUILDING NAMES IN LEONA HALL’S MEMORY.
NATCO CREWS RATIFY 3-YEAR CONTRACT
SIU BOAT OPERATOR RESCUES FISHERMAN
SUPREME COURT RULES STATE OVERTSTEPS JURISDICTION REGARDING TANKER REGS
AFL-CIO CONTINUES TO PUSH FOR GLOBAL ECONOMIC FAIRNESS
HVIDE MARINE FOUNDER DIES
RECERTIFIED STEWARDS ENCOURAGE APPRENTICES
BOEING STRIKE ENDS WORKERS APPROVE 3-YEAR PACT
ITF: STOP BLACKLISTING FILIPINOS
SIU BACKS MARINERS AT MANILA DEMONSTRATION
CREW MEMBER CONFIRMS THREAT OF BLACKLISTING
GLOBAL LINK FINISHES FLURRY OF FIVE REPAIRS
ON THE JOB IN LONG BEACH
STORIES WON’T END BECAUSE BOSUN CAIN’S COME ASHORE
MOBILE MEMBER CALLS IT A CAREER AFTER NEARLY 50 YEARS WITH THE SIU
A VOYAGE TO INDIA- 1940 BY MELFRD SMITH
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Seafarers Log
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Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
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04/01/2000
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Newsprint
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Vol. 62, No. 4
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/9cfe61e5a2b85e39d7590e44b271995f.pdf
9d603b6d8fe9cb9b729963be32404c90
PDF Text
Text
Volume 62, Number 3
March 2000
'
•
verw e min
Back-Full Merger Talks
Members of the SIU tallying
committee sort ballots last
month at union headquarters in
Camp Springs, Md. Pictured
from left are OMU Decarlo
Harris, Chief Steward Donald
Mann and Recertified Bosun
Dan Marcus. In separate votes,
members of the two unions
approved continuation of the
process that began last year to
bring the NMU into the SIU.
Page 3.
MTD Board Sets Goals
For Stronger U.S. Fleet
Lakes Activities Abound
Labor, Industry and Government Officials
Promote New Ships, More Jobs, Modern Ports
Talking about construction plans for
new U.S.-flag passenger vessels are
(from left) Jerry St.
Pe', chief operating
officer for Litton's
shipbuilding division;
SIU and Maritime
Trades Department
President Michael
Sacco; and House
Democratic Whip
David Bonior.
Pages 3, 4, 5.
This year's layup included the successful
rescue of one Seafarer and a dockworker caught in icy waters, plus an on-site
hazmat course for SIU members at
Luedtke Engineering. To ready for tying
up for the winter, crew members like
QMED Jennifer Cronin (pictured aboard
the American Republic) thoroughly
secured their vessels. Page 7.
�President's Report
The Vision Ahead
Last month, we got a clear vision of what the future will hold for our union and our
industry.
During a seven-day stretch in mid-February at the Maritime
Trades Department, AFL-CIO winter executive board meeting, shipping industry representatives announced the status of several major
vessel construction projects, and the SIU and NMU reported mem. bers of bo~h unions voted overwhelmingly to proceed with bringing
the NMU mto the Seafarers. These two events show the positive
steps being taken to continue the strengthening of the U.S.-flag fleet.
Among the speakers at the MTD meeting were Jerry St. Pe', chief
.
operating officer for Litton Shipbuilding, and Stan Barer, CEO and
Michael Sacco co-chairman of Saltchuck Resources. Both oversee projects of
tremendous importance to the SIU and the industry.
Litton is building the two passenger vessels ordered by SIU-contracted American
Classic Voyages for its Hawaii trade. The ships will sail under the U.S. Lines banner.
St. Pe' informed the MTD board the shipyard will begin cutting steel in July. He
added the company is on schedule to deliver the first 1,900-passenger ship by January
2003, with the other to come a year later.
It's hard to believe that only one year ago the contract to build these new vessels
was signed within the U.S. Capitol. In a matter of months, we will see the actual construction taking place.
Barer spoke on how important his company considers the Jones Act. Saltchuck so
firmly believes in the freight cabotage law that it signed a contract late last year to
build in an American yard the first two commercial U.S.-flag RO/ROs in 10 years.
These vessels witl sail for a Saltchuck affiliate, Totem Ocean Trailer Express
(TOTE)~ which has an SIU contract. He noted his company is setting the example for
other U.S.-flag carriers to follow.
That's at least four new ships coming on line during this decade. Four very important ships that will be crewed by Seafarers.
They are the latest proof that all the hard work during the 1990s is paying off. All
the phone calls, letters and visits to elected officials advising them why we need a
strong U.S.-flag fleet made a difference. All the votes for pro-maritime candidates, no
matter what party, helped secure the Jones Act and allowed passage of the Maritime
Security Act, which is taking us into the 21st century.
For more than a year, the Seafarers LOG has run story after story about the new
ships, tugs, barges and dredges that Seafarers are or will be crewing. They show that
revitalization has begun.
That was an important part of the MTD meetings last month. Another important
issue addressed by the group was, "Where do we go from here?"
Retired Maritime Administrator Albert Herberger set the stage with his insight. He
stated the U.S.-flag fleet will remain a vital component in the nation's defense for the
foreseeable future.
He called on all elements of the U.S.-flag industry to continue to work as one
because that is when Congress and the White House pay attention. He urged modernizing the nation's port facilities, including channel dredging so the larger vessels can navigate America's harbors.
Herberger discussed a future in which domestic shipping works with surface transportation networks to relieve stress on the nation's highways and railroads. Such a
vision would mean new ships-thus new jobs for Seafarers- within the Jones Act
trade.
Yes, the future looks bright. But, there is much that still has to be done.
This leads me into the other vision for the future--the proposed merger of the NMU
into the sru.
I appreciate your confidence as shown by your votes for this important effort. I realize for some of you this was a difficult ballot to cast. As many of you know, resources
were drained and blood was spilled over the years as our two unions fought for the
same jobs. I still have a few lumps on my head from those days.
But times change.
The U.S.-flag fleet is moving forward, and we must continue to move with it. New
ships are being built. New jobs are being created. We cannot be tied to the ways of the
past.
As I have said many times, we have to commit our resources to bringing these new
jobs to all of our members. We cannot afford to be deterred.
We have seen members from both unions studying side-by-side in upgrading classes
at the Paul Hall Center. Both unions worked together to implement the agreement with
the Alaska Tanker Company. Now, both unions can continue the work toward the merger-and a stronger U.S.-flag merchant fleet.
We are at the threshold of tremendous opportunities within the maritime industry. We
have worked hard to get to this point. And that hard work will not have been in vain.
ITF Campaign Vessel
Concludes World Tour
Pitfalls of Runaway-Flag Shipping
Revealed to Nearly 750,000 Visitors
The International Transport
Workers' Federation (ITF) campaign ship Global Mariner last
month finished its world tour,
docking in London after an ambitious 20-month voyage.
Beginning July 1, 1998, the
Global Mariner called on 86
ports in 51 countries as part of the
ITF's campaign against runawayflag shipping, also called flag-ofconvenience (FOC) shipping.
Almost 750,000 visitors toured
the vessel's exhibition-a mesmerizing demonstration of the
risky and often inhuman nature of
runway-flag operations.
"Many of the visitors, including transport and labor ministers
and other leading politicians,
were shocked to see the level of
exploitation and abuse endemic
in the world of shipping," the ITF
said in reviewing the Global
Mariners voyage.
SIU members visited the ship
when it came to the East and Gulf
coasts in 1998 and the Pacific
coast last year. They and the other
guests experienced what the ITF
described as the Global Mariners
"giant images, videos, computer
games and animation that tell
true-life stories of seafarers working in appalling conditions.
Poorly paid or unpaid, under-fed,
sometimes injured and often
abandoned overseas with no
money to get home, the catalogue
of abuse and exploitation has
been an eye-opener to thousands
who thought life at sea was a
romantic adventure."
Based in London, the ITF comprises more than 500 unions from
approximately 130 countries.
The ITF has fought against
runaway-flag shipping for 51
years, and the SIU has aided that
campaign virtually since its start.
In FOC shipping, a vessel
owner (often from a traditional
maritime nation) registers his
ship in a non-traditional country
such as Liberia, Panama, Belize,
Vanuatu and others. This is done
to avoid his home nation's laws
involving safety, wages, taxes
and more.
Crews for these runaway-flag
Volume 62, Number 3
March 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 899-
0675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Daniel Duncan; Managing
Editor, Jordan Biscardo; Associate Editor/Production,
Deborah A. Hirtes; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative
Support, Jeanne Textor.
Copyright © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
2
Seafarers LOG
The Global Mariner (above and below) recently completed a 20-month voyage to 51 countries as part of the
ITF's campaign to educate people about the exploitation of mariners aboard flag-of-convenience vessels.
ships typically come from still
other nations (like Indonesia, the
Philippines and Sri Lanka) where
they receive a minimum of training, if any at all. The crews often
are refused wages for months at a
time and receive substandard
food allotments, among other
problems.
While the Global Mariners
world tour spotlighted numerous
cases of abuse in runaway-flag
shipping, publicity wasn't the
journey's only benefit. The federation reported that in France,
Portugal, Chile, Canada, Russia
and Africa "the ship encountered
(and the ITF subsequently aided)
crews abandoned and relying for
their survival on the kindness of
locals. In the Philippines the
ship's visit increased pressure on
the government and manning
agencies to stop the practice of
'blacklisting' seafarers who dare
to complain about ill-treatment-denying them future
work ....
"The 20-month voyage was
eventful in other ways too--early
on. The ITF, long a staunch critic
of unreliable shipowners, received some lessons itself in the
realities of shipboard industrial
relations. Despite the excellent
union negotiated wages and con-
ditions offered to the (mainly
British) crew, it proved harder
than expected to recruit and retain
seafarers who were both technically qualified and committed to
the cause of global trade unionism."
The ITF also reported a wide
variance in the number of visitors
per port, ranging from "less than
1,000 to a staggering 70,000 in
the port of Karachi. In smaller
ports the impact was usually
much greater than in large cities.
In Dutch Harbor, Alaska, 25 percent of the population went on
board. Among the most enthusiastic visitors were schoolchildren~ many of them experiencing
their first taste not only of life at
sea but also of the role which
trade unions can play in defending workers' rights."
The vessel may be converted
into a training ship or resold into
the commercial market.
Man:h2000
�SIU, N•U Back •erger Talks
By overwhelming majorities, members of the Seafarers
International Union Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters District (SIU), and members of the National Maritime
Union (NMU) have approved a referendum to proceed with merging the two unions.
"This is a great step forward
SIU members approved the
resolution with 86 percent voting for the SIU. I congratulate our
in favor of full merger talks for membership," said SIU President
bringing the NMU into the SIU. Michael Sacco. "In the long run,
Balloting took place from a merger ~f the NMU into the
December 1, 1999 through ~benefit the entire U.S.flag fleet."
January 31, 2000.
"We are very pleased with the
A similar election took place
at the same time in the NMU, faith shown by our members to
where 93 percent of those voting continue this process," stated
NMU President Rene Lioeanjie.
approved the resolution.
The complete report of the "We look forward to continuing
SIU tallying committee-a group the effort toward a merger."
As indicated in several recent
composed of six rank-and-file
members elected by their peers at issues of the Seafarers LOG and
the February membership meet- in communications from the SIU
ing in Piney Point, Md.-will be executive board to the memberavailable at this month's member- ship, based on the first votes, the
ship meetings and will be posted SIU and NMU officials serving
in the SIU halls. Serving on the on the merger committee will
committee were Oiler Thomas address specific details of the
Burns, OMV Decarlo Harris, merger. (The committee first met
AB Jeff Lagana, Recertified in June 1999 to examine whether
Bosun Dan Marcus, Chief a merger will be feasible and benSteward Donald Mann and SA eficial to members of both
unions.)
James Simms.
Members Cite Added Strength
As Key Benefit of Unification
SIU members from coast to coast said they approved full merger
talks between the SIU and the NMU because they see such unification as strengthening all concerned.
"It'll make us a stronger union," said Recertified Bosun Larry
Zepeda, a 29-year Seafarer, at the SIU hall in Houston. "I was
always for it. I think we should have done it way back."
An SIU member since 1974, QMED Darrell Camp (also at the
Houston hall) stated, "It makes sense for unlicensed personnel to be
in one union instead of two or three."
Seafarers further indicated through their votes that the need to
focus on the U.S.-flag fleet's survival and growth outweighs the
often contentious history between the SIU and NMU.
"We're stronger as one than as two," noted QMED Bob Oppel at
the Baltimore hall. "I've been in the union since 1968 and I've
always talked about a merger. We'll have more leverage when we
negotiate contracts."
Bosun Joseph Moore, contacted at the New Orleans hall, agreed.
"We've been competing for these contracts for as long as I can
remember, and the companies play the unions against each other.
With a merger, they can't run back and forth between the unions, trying to get it lower and lower. That's why I think it's a great thing,"
said Moore, who joined the SIU in 1963.
At the hall in Wilmington, Calif., QMED Stanley Golden and
Bosun Frank Hedge each expressed support for the proposed merger.
"The more ships you have, the more members you take in, the
more control you have," explained Golden, who joined the union in
1991.
"I'm for it all the way," said Hedge, a Seafarer since 1986. "In
fact, get all mariners into one union is how I feel. It'll strengthen us,
being under one umbrella."
In Jacksonville, Chief Cook Michael A. Harris pointed out the
proposed merger is proceeding under the safety of a three-step voting process. He also mentioned that the shipping rules will continue
to apply, with Seafarers maintaining priority aboard ships currently
sailing under an SIU contract.
"Plus with one union, we'll have more ships and we can keep all
the scabs from trying to take our jobs," added Harris, who joined the
Seafarers in 1979.
Other members reiterated the potential benefits of merging the
NMU into the SIU.
"It should help our union out, make it stronger," declared AB
Phillip Milam at the hall in Norfolk, Va. "I think it'll give us more
ships, more opportunities and different kinds of ships."
QMED Alan Nelson in Baltimore said the merger "is good for us.
With one union, the companies won't be able to split us. And we're
not going to lose any jobs, so it's perfect."
Nelson, who joined the SIU in 1968, added, "The union's only as
strong as the weakest link, and the weakest link has been that split
with the other (unlicensed) union."
In New Orleans, 35-year Seafarer Frank Kraemer cited "eliminating the competition and sticking together'' as positive aspects of
an SIU-NMU merger.
"It should help new people starting out in this industry," the
QMED stated. "Over the long haul, it's a good idea."
March 2000
Next, SIU members will vote
during the November-December
SIU general election whether to
approve needed constitutional
changes (such as adding vice
presidents and the NMU in the
union's name). NMU members
are not eligible to vote in the SIU
general election because the
merger will not be complete by
then.
After the general election, a
third vote will take place for SIU
members to approve or reject
many of the specific terms of the
merger. Before that vote, SIU
members will be given detailed
information on what the merger
would mean and what changes
would occur.
The process contemplated is
similar to the one implemented
during 1977-78 when the Marine
Cooks & Stewards merged into
the SIU.
Members of the tallying committee meet with SIU Secretary-Treasurer
David Heindel (center) after last month's membership meeting in Piney
Point, Md. Pictured from left are OMU Decarlo Harris, Chief Steward
Donald Mann, AB Jeff Lagana, Heindel, Oiler Thomas Burns,
Recertified Bosun Dan Marcus and SA James Simms.
New Ships, Modern Ports, Stronger Fleet
Are Goals Stressed at MTD Board Meeting
With new ships and port modernization plans on the drawing
board, speakers at the winter
meeting of the Maritime Trades
Department, AFL-CIO (MTD)
executive board outlined a broadbased agenda for the U.S.-flag
merchant fleet in the new century.
Board members, who come
from the 30 unions and 23 port
maritime councils that compose
the MTD, heard from government representatives, shipping
executives, union officials and
legislators. The board approved a
series of policy statements on
such subjects as cabotage, shipbuilding, dredging, ocean shipping regulations and labor issues
when it met February 10 and 11.
MTD President Michael Sacco
set the tone for the two-day meeting in New Orleans in his opening remarks.
Sacco, who also serves as SIU
president, told the board members and guests, "We've worked
together to make sure every
Congress and every administration understands the importance
of having a strong U.S.-flag
sealift capability.
"We're going to keep working
together to increase domestic
shipbuilding, both in the commercial and military sectors. I'm talking about American-flag ships
carrying American crews, built in
unionized American yards!
"We'll keep fighting to maintain the Jones Act and other laws
that protect the interests of working families. And we'll continue
to seek new labor laws that give
workers a fair and reasonable system when they consider union
representation."
New Ships Update
Of particular interest to many
in the room were progress reports
on two U.S.-flag passenger vessels and two U.S.-flag rollon/roll-off ships announced last
year.
Jerry St. Pe', who as executive
vice president of Litton Industries
oversees its shipbuilding division, announced the first steel
would be cut for the SIU-contracted American Classic Voyages' U.S. Lines passenger ships
Saltchuck Co-Chair and CEO Stan Barer tells MTD President Michael
Sacco and the rest of the MTD executive board that his company is taking the lead by building two new RO/ROs for the Jones Act trade.
in July. He noted delivery of the
first ship is set for January 2003
with the second coming a year
later.
Saltchuck Resources Cochairman and CEO Stan Barer
said his company showed its
commitment to U.S.-flag shipping and the Jones Act when its
SIU-contracted Totem Ocean
Trailer Express (TOTE) affiliate
signed a contract to build two
commercial RO/ROs late last
year.
"I hope what we're doing
gives confidence to other operators to do the same," Barer stated.
Looking Ahead
Setting forth a vision that others could follow was retired
Maritime Administrator Albert
Herberger, who called on the U.S.
government to work with the
U.S.-flag industry to devise a
maritime policy.
"When you consider this
nation a maritime nation, the
greatest trading nation in the
world, an economic giant by
every measure with a highly successful maritime industry in
peace and war, with a significant
national security need that requires strong operating companies, dedicated professional maritime labor with experience, skills
and high standards in the operating unions, in the shipyards, in
the ports and terminals, in the
longshoremen ranks- to have
this off-again, on-again policy
pattern is contrary to common
sense," Herberger declared.
He outlined areas where
growth can take place domestically and internationally. (See
story on page 5.)
AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney .·noted how everyone
benefits when labor and management work together. He congratulated the workers at nearby
Avondale Shipyard for sticking
together during their six-year
fight to gain union recognition.
He also saluted St. Pe' and Litton
Industries for their efforts to
bring labor peace to the Louisiana
yard after acquiring Avondale last
year.
Continued Support
House Democratic Whip
David Bonior (D-Mich.)-as
well as House colleagues William
Jefferson (D-La.), Nick Rahall
(D-W.Va.) and Robert Weygand
(D-R.I.}-recommitted their support for the U.S.-flag fleet.
Bonior, the second highest
ranking Democrat in the U.S.
House of Representatives, pointed out "the Jones Act is in our
national interest" and called port
modernization "one of the best,
single investments this country
can make."
Continued on page 4
Seafarers LOS
3
�Avondale Focuses Unions' Resolve to
Fight for Better Working Conditions
AFL-CIO Pres. Sweeney Reminds MTD Board
Of Value in Grassroots Campaign Efforts
The recent union recognition
for Avondale (La.) Shipyard
workers highlighted the discussion of labor issues before the
Maritime Trades Department,
AFL-CIO (MTD) winter executive board meeting in New
Orleans last month.
Words of encouragement came
from AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney, elected officials and others during the two-day meeting.
"I congratulate you on your
long overdue win at Avondale,"
stated Sweeney. "So many of the
people in this room fought so
long and so hard for that tremendous victory."
In 1993, Avondale workers
voted by a 3-to-2 margin to be
organized. However, executives
at the privately owned shipyard
did everything they could to
evade the outcome.
Litton Industries purchased
the yard in August 1999. Three
months later, the AFL-CIO Metal
Trades Department and the new
shipyard management signed an
agreement to end the strife. Litton
also owns the unionized shipyard
in Pascaguola, Miss., where the
two new SIU-crewed U.S. Lines
passenger ships will be built.
Sweeney recognized the head
of Litton's shipbuilding division,
Jerry St. Pe', and thanked him for
his efforts in bringing peace to
Avondale.
"Labor and management-we
can build stronger lives, stronger
companies, stronger communities
and, most important, stronger
ships," the head of the national
labor federation added.
The president of the Louisiana
AFL-CIO, John "Red" Bourg,
also thanked those who helped
the Avondale workers during
their struggle.
He noted the fight to gain a
union at the Louisiana yard began
30 years ago.
"We would not have won it
without the support of the AFLCIO around the country. I want to
thank you for what you have done
for us and the mariners," Bourg
said.
Sweeney did not limit himself
to the subject of Avondale. He
reminded the board members that
2000 is an important election year
in which a new president, the full
House of Representatives and
one-third of the Senate will be
elected.
He said early predictions show
anti-labor forces may outspend
unions by a 15-to-l ratio during
MTD Speakers Stress Goals
For U.S.-Flag Industry
Continued from page 3
The vice commandant of the
U.S. Coast Guard, Vice Admiral
James Card, noted all predictions
he has seen call for America's
trade with other nations to grow
substantially.
"This inevitable growth means
we need to be very serious about
preserving America's maritime
strength while refining and
enforcing safety and environmental standards," Card said.
this year's balloting cycle to get
their candidates elected.
"These guys are terrified, terrified of the progress we've been
making," Sweeney stated.
He pointed out that some of the
issues for which trade unions will
be fighting in this election are fair
trade policies, better public
schools, securing Medicare and
Social Security, affordable health
care for all and labor law reform.
He added the AFL-CIO gets
its power "from engaging and
mobilizing our rank-and-file
members-the people who make
this country what it is. And getting them to hold elected officials
accountable every day. That's
what I see us doing, and it makes
me hopeful."
One of those elected officials,
Louisiana State Sen. Michael
Robichaux, thanked the MTD
board for the grassroots efforts
their members have performed to
elect him.
He said he views the battle for
better working conditions as
being between "sweaters and nonsweaters"-people who sweat on
the job as opposed to those who
work in plush offices and have
others do their duties.
"We need to insist in some
Hal Creel, chairman of the
Federal Maritime Commission,
added, "One of the commission's
mandates is to encourage the
development of an economically
sound U.S.-flag liner fleet capable of meeting national security
needs."
The member unions of the
MTD, of which the SIU is one,
represent approximately 8 million workers.
4
Seafarers LOG
ITF's Jon Whitlow
way, shape, manner or form that
they [the sweaters] receive decent
wages and improved wages!"
declared Robichaux.
Also pointing out the need for
better wages and working conditions, but in this case for the
world's mariners, was Jon
Whitlow, the assistant secretary of
the
International
Transport
Workers' Federation's (ITF)
Seafarers' and Fisheries' Sections.
He reminded the board of the
work performed by the ITF during the last 51 years to fight runaway-flag shipping "to try to protect those crews."
Whitlow noted the cruise ship
industry is one of the biggest
challenges, but recent stories
about breakdowns, fires, pollution and other unpleasant conditions have brought these ships
under public scrutiny.
"It is about time the cruise
ship industry is brought to task,"
Whitlow added.
The MTD is made up of 30
unions and 23 port maritime
councils in the U.S. and Canada.
Its member unions represent
around 8 million workers. SIU
President Michael Sacco also
serves as MTD president.
Procedure for SIU Absentee Ballots
Crowley Seafarers
Approve Contract
Seafarers employed by Crowley Towing and
Transportation recently approved a four-year contract that includes numerous gains.
Among the agreement's highlights is a new medical benefit: prescription coverage for dependents.
The pact also calls for wage increases, additional
optical benefits, amplified pension credits, additional vacation benefits, an increased death benefit and
contract language making it easier to advance one's
rating.
With Crowley having recently commenced operations in San Diego, the contract was appended to
include that area. This means new employment
opportunities for Seafarers in Southern California.
The agreement also stipulates that the union and
Crowley jointly will develop galley training for the
company's new four-person tractor tugs.
Retroactive to July 1, 1999, the contract covers
members who also are part of Crowley's operations
in Jacksonville, Fla.; Lake Charles, La.; Philadelphia; San Diego; and Wilmington, Calif.
"We've always made good money, and these new
benefits put it right over the top," said Nicholas
Conway, who served on the negotiating committee.
Also representing the SIU during a pair of weeklong bargaining meetings in Piney Point, Md. were
Seafarers Wayne Berry, David Verschoor, Peter
Albano, Robert August Sr., Rick Cristofano,
Darrel Koonce Jr. and James Adaway along with
SIU Assistant VP Contracts George Tricker,
Wilmington Port Agent John Cox, Jacksonville Port
Agent Tony McQuay and Philadelphia Port Agent
Joe Soresi.
La. AFL-CIO Pres. Red Bourg
Collecting contract suggestion forms and meeting
with Seafarers at the Crowley facilities in Wilmington,
Calif. is SIU Asst. VP Contracts George Tricker.
Pictured with him are members (from left) George
Cox, Tom Humphry, Mike Stravers, John Tipich, Bob
Bouton, Bruno Kameta, Dragi Odak and Mike
Restivo.
When Crowley
recently began
operations in
San Diego,
Engine Utility
Jasper McGrit
(left) and
Captain William
Stevens (pictured aboard
the tug
Spartan) helped
ensure a
smooth and
safe start.
Elections for the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District are scheduled for later
this year. As in past SIU election
years, a comprehensive guide
will be published in the Seafarers
LOG prior to the balloting.
In the case of members eligible to vote who believe they will
be at sea during the November 1
through December 31, 2000 voting period, absentee ballots will
be available.
The SIU constitution ensures
that members who are eligible to
vote and who find themselves in
this situation may vote. Procedures are established in the SIU
constitution to safeguard the
secret ballot election, including
the absentee ballot process.
Here is the procedure to follow when requesting an absentee ballot:
1. Make the request in writing to
the SIU office of the secretary-treasurer, 5201 Auth
Way, Camp Springs, MD
20746.
2. Include in the request the correct address where the
absentee ballot should be
mailed.
3. Send the request for an
absentee ballot by registered
or certified mail.
4. The registered or certified
mail envelope must be postmarked no later than mid-
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
night, November 15, 2000
and must be received at 5201
Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD
207 46
no
later
than
November 25, 2000.
The secretary-treasurer, after
confirming eligibility, will send
by registered mail, return
receipt requested, to the
address designated in the
request, a ballot, together
with an envelope marked
"Ballot" and a mailing envelope no later than November
30, 2000.
Upon receiving the ballot and
envelope, vote by marking the
ballot. After voting the ballot,
place the ballot in the envelope marked "Ballot." Do not
write on the "Ballot" envelope.
Place the envelope marked
"Ballot" in the mailing envelope which is imprinted with
the mailing address of the
bank depository where all
ballots are sent.
Sign the mailing envelope on
the first line of the upper lefthand corner. Print name and
book number on the second
line. The mailing envelope is
self-addressed and stamped.
The mailing envelope must
be postmarked no later than
midnight December 31 , 2000
and received by the bank
depository no later than
January 5, 2001.
Man:h2000
�1
)
MTD Board Hears Plans to Promote U.S.-Flag Fleet
Herberger, Barer Outline Their Ideas for Moving Industry into the New Century
The former head of the U.S.
Maritime Administration and a
top executive of a U.S.-flag shipping company presented their
visions for the future of the U.S.flag commercial fleet when they
spoke before the Maritime Trades
Department, AFL-CIO (MTD)
executive board last month in
New Orleans.
Vice Admiral Albert Herberger (USN-retired) served as
the Maritime Administrator from
1993 to 1997. During his term, he
worked with the U.S.-flag industry to steer the Maritime Security
Program through Congress and
the Clinton administration. He
rejuvenated the Title XI Shipbuilding Loan Guarantee Program, which helped domestic
shipyards convert from military
to commercial construction. He
was instrumental in the development of the Voluntary Intermodal
Sealift Agreement (VISA),
which ensured that the nation's
intermodal transportation systems be available to the military
in times of emergency or crisis.
Herberger began his maritime
career as a merchant ship officer
Ret. Maritime Administrator Albert
Herberger lays out his plans for
strengthening the U.S.-flag fleet
in the new century during his
address to the MTD executive
board.
after graduating from the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy. He
joined the Navy and served 32
years-including a tour as deputy
commander-in-chief of the U.S.
Transportation Comman4 which
oversees the logistics for all U.S.
armed forces worldwide---before
retiring in 1990.
In opening his address,
Herberger reminded the executive board that America always
has been a maritime nation, but
the U.S.-flag industry has ebbed
and flowed depending on the
immediate needs of the country.
He called on government leaders
to work with the maritime industry to develop a policy that would
make America a stronger commercial maritime power.
"The question of investment
in new ships must be the key to
any policy initiative," Herberger
stated.
"The U.S. maritime industry
will continue to play a significant
role in the nation's economic
growth if corrective action is
taken. Both international and
domestic fleets along with revitalized ports and waterways can
be vital components of our transportation system and indispensable elements of our national
security capability."
He noted, "The industry's
challenges and opportunities are
many, but must be aggressively
pursued."
In order to move forward,
Herberger said three things need
to be done:
"There must be, one, commercial development and investment
in new services and shipping
opportunities which will, in turn,
bring additional mariner jobs,
new shipbuilding and port operations;
"Two, a strong partnership
with the Defense Department to
fulfill the ever-critical national
security requirements; and
"Three, hold the line against
changes to U.S. cabotage and
trade laws."
He pointed out changing patterns involving trade, new technological developments and increased marketplace demands in
the U.S. and around the world
will create opportunities for
waterborne transportation.
One particular change he sees
happening is the increased use of
domestic and coastwise shipping
as the nation's railways and highways become more congested.
"I see waterborne transport of
trucks, freight, automobiles and
passengers in a complementary
Legislators Real firm Support for Merchant Shipping
Four members of Congress told the
Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO
(MTD) executive board that the U.S.-flag
fleet continues to have strong support on
Capitol Hill.
Speaking before the group during its
winter meeting February 10 and 11 in New
Orleans were House Democratic Whip
David Bonior (D-Mich.) and Reps. William
Jefferson (D--La.), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.)
and Robert Weygand (D-R.I.).
Boni or, the House of Representatives'
second highest ranking Democrat, started
his address by thanking the board members
for all that they have done to support him
and other pro-maritime, pro-labor legislators.
"Thank you for standing with me
through all my toughest battles.
"But, let me thank you for something
else, too. Thank you for standing up and
speaking out for an America that a lot of
people in Washington find it easy to ignore
these days. I'm talking about the America
that works with its hands," he said.
"I'm not talking about folks you'd find
pushing paper in some plush office tower,
but the men and women on board lakers
hauling taconite pellets through port towns
with names like Algonac.
"It's the longshoremen who bust their
backs every day moving cargo in Boston,
New York, Baltimore and right here in New
Orleans. It's the engineers living in a world
where it always smells like diesel fuel ...
men and women who've made the world's
sea lanes their home."
Bonior called a U.S. flag flying from a
vessel "the only guarantee there is that ship
is properly maintained with a trained, professional crew."
He added the Jones Act is in America's
economic and defense interests.
Commitment, Modernization, Funding
In welcoming the board members to his
home district, Jefferson also affirmed his
commitment to the Jones Act.
"I will continue to support the Jones Act
and will work with you to fight off any
effort to undermine it."
He pointed out that every member of the
March2000
Rep. Robert Weygand
Rep. Nick Rahall
Louisiana delegation signed the resolution
supporting the freight cabotage law during
the previous Congress.
Jefferson updated the board on legislation he introduced in the House with Rep.
Jim McCrery (R--La.) to make the U.S.--flag
fleet more competitive internationally-the
National Security Sealift Enhancement Act
(H.R. 3225).
Jefferson said part of the decline in U.S.flag shipping overseas is due to the industry
being overburdened with taxes. H.R. 3225
-and its companion in the Senate, S.
1858-would allow the owner of a U.S.flag vessel operating in international trade
to fully deduct that vessel in the year in
which it was acquired and documented
under the American flag. The measure
would extend an existing income tax exclusion for Americans working overseas to
U.S. mariners. It also would include alternative minimum tax relief on shipping
income and expand the expense deductions
coming from conferences or other meetings
aboard U.S.-flag vessels.
"We came to the conclusion it is time for
Congress to act in this important area and it
is time for Congress to act now to level the
playing field," declared the Louisiana representative.
Rahall told the MTD board action needs
to be taken to modernize America's ports.
Rep. William Jefferson
"We have a national interest in maintaining and improving these navigational channels," noted the West Virginia official.
"Maintaining a strong U.S.-flag merchant
marine is critical to our nation's economic
and security requirements. That is something I've always supported in my 24 years
in Congress," Rahall remarked.
Weygand reminded the audience his
home state of Rhode Island has a history of
shipbuilding. He proclaimed the cutbacks in
funds for ship construction during the 1970s
and 1980s "devastating."
He called on Congress to fully fund the
Title XI shipbuilding loan guarantee program because of the success shown during
the 1990s in constructing double-hull
tankers and other vessels.
"We believe it is important that we have
the money to rebuild our fleet, to build new
ships, because by doing that, not only do we
have a better port, a better facility, better
ships to come into there, we have a better
environment. A good clean environment
with good clean jobs-high-paying
jobs-is what we want and that's what we
must strive for," Weygand stated.
The MTD executive board is made up of
officials from its 30 unions, including the
SIU, and 23 port maritime councils. The
unions in the MTD represent approximately
8 million workers.
partnership with trucking and
railroads-not an open competition."
He urged the maritime interests in the audience to maintain
the nation's freight and passenger
cabotage laws. He called for a
renewed effort to rebuild the
nation's ports and their infrastructures. He reminded everyone that the U.S.--flag fleet continues to be and will remain vital
to the national security. He called
for maintaining cargo preference
laws.
Finally, Herberger urged the
nation's lawmakers to review the
tax laws that affect the merchant
fleet.
"The bottom line is U.S. companies need policy changes to
stay alive. The tax burden-the
U.S. tax environment under
which the American shipowner
must compete, but from which
foreign competitors are largely
exempt- impacts the day-to--day
operation competitiveness and
the ability to acquire new
replacement tonnage for the
American fleet."
Following up on Herberger's
theme of looking ahead was Stan
Barer, co-chairman and CEO of
Saltchuck Resources.
Barer announced the company
is determined to prepare for the
new century by building the first
two commercial roll-on/roll-off
vessels for the Jones Act trade in
10 years for its SIU-contracted
affiliate Totem Ocean Trailer
Express (TOTE).
"The way to win on the Jones
Act is simply build because if
you make the investment, I don't
think Congress is going to take it
away from you," Barer told the
MTD executive board.
He noted the nation's cabotage
laws (of which the Jones Act is
one) are part of a "four-legged
stool" that supports American
domestic transportation systems
and its workers. He said any
effort that would take away just
one of those legs would affect all
others, which include rail, trucks
and airlines.
"If you change the Jones Act
and said you can bring in foreign
labor and foreign ships immune
from taxation, immune from
labor laws, immune from the
civil rights laws-you just come
in and do the work in America
and take your money home,
what's a trucker going to say?
You will upset the balance here."
He stated the trucking companies would succumb to thirdworld wages and workers, then
the railroads, followed by the airlines.
"This would wipe out millions
of workers!
"Is there something wrong
with employing our own workers
inside our own country?! I want
U.S. citizens working for me!"
Barer declared.
He added labor and management have to work together to
keep the industry moving forward.
The MTD is composed of 30
unions and 23 maritime port
councils in the U.S. and Canada.
The unions within the MTD represent approximately 8 million
workers.
Seafarers LOG
5
�---- -
~
-- ----~ ----
- - -
--
--
Home on the (Gun) Range
Petersburg Crew Keeps Terrorism in Crosshairs;
Course Aims at Strengthening National Defense
Since its chartering in 1938,
the SIU continually has cooperated with American shipowners
and the U.S. military to help
ensure a strong national defense.
Seafarers on the USNS
Petersburg recently displayed
such teamwork again when they
participated in anti-terrorism
firearms training in Guam.
Overseen by the U.S. Military
Sealift Command (MSC), the
training took place at a gun range
on the island's U.S. Naval base.
The Petersburg crew is far
in more training with U.S.
Marines.
AB J.J. Arnold provided the
photos accompanying this story.
Under the professional instruction of U.S. Navy personnel, SIU crew
members from the Petersburg take aim with 9 millimeter handguns (top
photo) and M-14 rifles (below).
from alone in learning the safe
operation of handguns and rifles.
All of the MSC ships stationed in
Guam (many of which are SIUcrewed) are provided with this
anti-terrorism training. The
course is offered four to six times
per year, depending on the availability of the gun range.
Meanwhile, the Petersburg
was scheduled to travel to
Okinawa last month and take part
Recertified Bosun Peter Funk
(right) is ready for the start of the
course in Guam.
Above: Operating the stores
crane is AB Carlos Thomas.
Left: Back aboard ship, AB Miles
Copeland loads stores.
ABs Roman Genetiano and Eddie Ponteres, part of the Petersburg
crew, help with loading stores.
Quick Response Douses Fire
Aboard Sea-Land Developer
The captain of the SIU-crewed
Sea-Land Developer credited all
hands for a timely, effective
response in extinguishing a shipboard fire January 14.
Captain Robert Lamb provided the following account. No
injuries were reported.
"The Sea-Land Developer
arrived in Long Beach (Calif.) on
January 14 in the early morning
hours. After a very hectic day of
ABS safety inspections, she
sailed at 1830, taking departure at
the pilot station at 2130. The
entire crew was looking forward
to the long, peaceful trip to
Balboa down the Mexican coast.
"Two hours later the chief
engineer called me to say he had
an economizer fire. I went immediately to the bridge to find
flames shooting 10 feet out of the
stack!
"We rang the general alarm for
emergency stations at 2248.
While the chief mate assessed the
situation with the engineers,
Bosun Dana Cella and two other
men were fully suited in turnout
gear and ready to apply boundary
cooling by 2300. He reported in
at that time and I informed him to
6
Seafarers LOG
You Towed My Battleship!
stand by.
"The chief engineer and I had
by then decided to use the fixed
C02 system for the economizer (a
device that pre-heats fuel or
water for greater efficiency m
'This proficiency
. . . is a tribute to
the training that is
given to each
member of the
SIU.'
-
Capt. Robert Lamb
engineering plants). This had the
effect of knocking down the
flames and the stack was now
clear.
"It was determined that the
boundary cooling was not necessary because the fire did not
appear to be in danger of spreading. Charged hoses were left in
place, a fire watch was set, and the
crew stood down at about 0100.
"At 0600 on January 15, a second set of bottles was rigged
from the main bank to the economizer co 2 station, no small feat
by any means. Before we were
towed back to the dock and
applying C02 from a tank truck
on the pier, this evolution was
accomplished three times and
C02 was released four times into
the economizer.
"Throughout this period the
crew handled themselves in the
best traditions of the sea. Their
performance was exemplary and
is commended.
"In addition to Dana Cella, the
unlicensed crew consisted of ABs
Eric Lund, George Mazzola,
Robert
Crooks,
Thomas
Arnold and David Cordero,
Electrician Gary Dahl, QMED
Keith Manzano, DEU Jose
Garcia, Chief Steward Ruben
Casin, Chief Cook John
Gehring and GSU Ali Ghalib.
"Once again this proficiency
in the ability to act in dangerous
circumstances is a tribute to the
training that is given to each
member of the SIU. It is indeed a
pleasure sailing with such professionals."
SIU tugboat crews played a key role last year in a Veterans' Day
celebration in Philadelphia. SIU-crewed boats from Crowley and
Moran moved the battleship USS New Jersey along the Delaware
River as part of the ceremonies. Seafarers from the McAllister fleet
also were on hand. Above, SIU members (from left) Deckhand
Dave MacCollister, Deckhand Wallace Duffield and Mate Robert
Van Blunk aboard the Iona McA/ister join in the festivities.
Meanwhile, the Grace Moran (directly below) and the Explorer
(bottom) team up.
Man:h2000
�Luedtke Crews Complete
On-Site Hazmat Training
Great Lakes Crews Eye Fitout
AMERICAN MARIN£
OS Mohamed Mohsin
Safety gear comes in various sizes and varieties, as shown by (from
left) Luedtke foreman Shannon Jensen, AB Dale Leonard and QMED
Ed Carlson.
Preparing for a spring assignment that likely will involve the
dredging lllld transport of contaminated substances, SIU members employed by Luedtke
Engineering recently completed
a 40-hour course on hazardous
waste operations and emergency
response.
Mark Jones, an instructor at
the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime
Training
and
Education in Piney Point, Md.,
conducted the class January 31Febroary 4 in Frankfurt, Mich.
(near Luedtke's offices).
"All the guys thought it was a
good course," noted Captain
Marty Szekely. "For about half
of us, the hazmat training was
completely new material. I'll tell
you one thing, that instructor was
A-1. He was right to the point
and he made everything clear."
In addition to Szekely, the
other SIU members who completed the class were Ken
Glaser, John Shaski, Bert
Adams, Dale Leonard, Charlie
Wallace, Les Morr, William
West, Rieb Arnold, Kevin
Hollenbeck, Ed Carlson, Lorry
Wilcox. Jason Beyette, Randy
Johnson, Joe Kane, Jim Rider,
Larry Hilton, Don Mills, Mike
Niehus and Albert Cropek.
Luedtke officials and a few
members of the International
Union of Operating Engineers
also completed the class.
"Everything came together
quite well," said Jones. "It was
cold and snowing all week, but
everyone in the class showed up
every day. There was a lot of
effort put into it."
Jones and the students covered numerous topics, including
terminology, rights and responsibilities, personal protective
equipment,
decontamination
operations, field survey instruments and sampling, medical
surveillance, first aid and CPR
and more. The class ended with
an exam.
The Paul Hall Center routinely offers on-site training to meet
the unique needs of Seafarers
throughout the country.
QMED Ed Carlson
dons a safety suit
in class, aided by
Captain Marty
Szekely.
Seafarers are asked to keep in
touch with the SIU halls in
Algonac, Mich. or Duluth,
Minn. this month as Great
Lakes fitout information
becomes available.
Meanwhile, these photos provide a glance back at the
1999 season-one in which
U.S.-flag ships transported
nearly 116 million tons of
cargo on the Lakes.
Captain Kenny Glaser
Kurt R. Luedtke
Bosun Tim Johnson
Chief Steward Kris Setterington
Buffalo
Iglehart
Unlicensed Apprentice Steven
Cook, Kinsman Independent
Lakes Seafarers Make Icy Rescue
Left: Instructor
Mark Jones (left)
and Captain Les
Morr demonstrate
using protective
equipment.
Below: Students
covered many
subjects in the 40hour course,
which blended
classroom instruction with
hands-on training.
March2000
American Mariner
Crew members on the Southdown Challenger
began the new year with an unusual pier-side rescue
in Ferrysburg, Mich.
AB John Vegh, trying to aid a dockworker who
had fallen through ice between a tug and barge
notch, suffered a separated shoulder during the
January 1 nighttime episode.
Deckhand Michael Cushman helped lead a
group that pulled Vegh from the frigid water. The
dockworker, Bruce Groeneveld, also assisted after
he was retrieved.
The incident began as the Southdown Challenger, a freighter hauling cement, went to tie up.
"We didn't have a clear dock because of the tug
and barge, so extra people were sent out to help us,"
recalled Vegh. "One of the (shoreside) workers went
up on the barge to catch a heaving line. There's a
notch cut out for the tug to attach to it. All the ones
I'd seen have a railing or some other barrier around
it, but this one didn't-just a notch cut out in the
deck.
"The tug was in there, but there was probably 20
feet of open area," he continued. "It was very dark,
and the shadow from the bow of the tug on the barge
made it look like no gap.
"I heard somebody yell, 'Help, I'm in the water!'
I followed this guy's footsteps in the snow, jumped
down on the barge, took three steps and fell on top
of him. I couldn't even tell there was a [gap] there."
With Vegh unable to swim due to his injury, and
Groeneveld powerless to help him under the circumstances, Groeneveld crawled onto an ice floe,
J~·-
After a mishap while
trying to aid a dockworker who fell into icy
water, AB John Vegh
(left photo) got help
from Southdown Challenger shipmates, including
Deckhand Michael Cushman (right and inset).
from where he was pulled onto the deck.
Meanwhile, Cushman retrieved a ladder and
positioned it so that he, Grueneveld and another person could reach Vegh (who was wearing a lifejacket).
"I'm not sure exactly how long it took. Probably
eight minutes, but that was long enough because it
was cold," said Vegh, who added that he and
Groeneveld have kept in touch since then.
Seafarers LOG
7
�r
1st Group from Guam
Heads to Piney Point
10 Slated for Apprentice Program
Ten people from Guam are scheduled to enroll
this month in the Paul Hall Center 's unlicensed
apprentice program.
They are the first Guamanians to begin the threephase curriculum since the signing late last year of
a cooperative agreement between the Piney Point,
Md.-based school, the SIU and the government of
the U.S . territory. That pact calls for establishment
of a recruitment system aimed at boosting Guamanians' enrollment in the unlicensed apprentice program. It is structured the same as the one in which
Alaska has participated since 1997.
In mid-January. as many as 1,000 residents of
Guam attended a seminar on the island about the
entry-level trn.ining. Representatives from the Paul
Hall Center described the program in depth and met
throughout the day with prospective applicants.
Guam Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez (who along
with several other Guam officials extensively toured
the Paul Hall Center in late December) attended the
seminar. Speaking to local reporters, he described
the Paul Hall Center as "state-of-the-art" and said
the unlicensed apprentice program is a good fit for
"people who are committed to a drug-free workplace and challenging work to find a responsible
place in society."
Guam is the westernmost United States territory,
situated between Hawaii and the Philippines in the
Western Pacific. Its population last year was
approximately 163,000.
The unlicensed apprentice program blends classroom instruction and hands-on training, including a
90-day stint aboard U.S.-flag merchant vessels.
Upon graduation, the Seafarer is shipped out to
work as either an ordinary seaman, wiper or steward
assistant.
SIU crew members from the USNS Petersburg enthusiastically volunteered to help spread the word about
the apprentice program during off-time. The ship was stationed in Guam during the seminar but has since
sailed to Okinawa (see story, page 6).
In these three
photos, interested
residents of Guam
learn more about
the Paul Hall
Center's entry-level
training program.
Chatting during a break at the mid-January seminar are (from left)
Chief Steward George J. Borromeo (who provided the photos accompanying this story), Guam Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez and Paul Hall
Center VP Don Nolan.
SIU Supports ILA at Dredging Rally
Seafarers participated in a
late-January rally and public
hearing in Fort Monmouth, N.J.
concerning a proposed dredging
project at the port of New York/
New Jersey.
SIU members joined with an
estimated 2,200 fellow trade
unionists, most of them members
of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), in urging public officials to support
dredging of terminals at Brooklyn
and Queens, N.Y. Failure to do
so, they warned, will threaten
hundreds of thousands of local
jobs and damage the economy.
At issue is whether or not the
mud samples from the terminals
contained unacceptable toxicity
levels. Apparently, at least one
environmental group thinks so.
and hyperbole."
A high-ranking port official
stated at the hearing that the
Army Corps of Engineers itself
has acknowledged that mud samples from Brooklyn and Queens
met the "clean" standard. The
official further asserted that the
samples satisfy the 1997 accord
overseen by Vice President Al
Gore and signed by the Army,
two federal agencies and environmental groups to restrict an old
dump site to categorically clean
material.
During the January hearing,
Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)
stated that those who support
dredging "care just as much about
the environment as anyone else.
We understand that water quality
and habitat are important, but
180,000 jobs and a $20 billion
economy generated by the port
also are important."
Two weeks following the
hearing, ILA Executive Vice
President Al Cernadas addressed
the winter executive board meeting of the Maritime Trades
Department, AFL-CIO.
He
thanked the MTD board for passing a statement to allow the needed dredging to get started so large
commercial vessels may continue
to call on the port.
Paul Hall
Center VP
Don Nolan is
interviewed by
Stephanie
Lum for a
local television
station, KUAM
Channel 8.
Others are challenging the
project based on a questionable
interpretation of other rules governing the dumping of dredged
material.
As an official from the New
York Shipping Association put it,
environmental "extremists want
to bring the shipping industry to
its knees" by using "scare tactics
B Seafarers LOG
AB J.J. Arnold (right) answers a question about the shipboard training.
SIU members join thousands of fellow trade unionists at a public hearing in Fort Monmouth, N.J. addressing a dredging project for the port
of New York/New Jersey.
March2000
�Crew members on the El Yunque had a
special guest recently, when the vessel
carried the Ringling Brothers Circus
from Jacksonville, Fla. to San Juan, P.R.
Posing with one of the elephants are
AB Carlos Suazo. AB Ron Mena. SA
Blair Baker, DEU John Cooper and
Bosun Luis Ramirez.
Douglas
Burch,
steward/
baker on
board the
USNS Cape
Isabel, prepares a
tasty meal
for the crew.
The vessel
is on ROS
status in the
old Long
Beach
(Calif.)
naval shipyard .
From the left are Chief Cook
Mariano Norales, AB Carlos
Parilla, AB Thomas Lasater and
SA Elston Yumateo.
i
WITH THE SIU
The Sea-Land Expedition is loaded up and
ready to go. From the left are AB John
Alberti, Electrician Joe Corr and AB George
Darley.
The crew aboard :
the /TB Groton
enjoyed a cookout, which was
prepared with
pride by Chief
Steward Charlie
Roldan (left) and
Chief Cook Joel
Molinas.
Right: San
Juan Port
Agent Victor
Nunez (left)
shows unlicensed
apprentice
Brett Parkins
around the
SIU hall.
Participating in a membership meeting aboard the USNS
Pathfinder in San Juan are San Juan Port Agent Victor Nunez,
GVAs Richard Jensen, Jonathan Gibson and Celso Ordonez,
Chief Cook Francisco Aguillar, Storekeepers Gary Hanson and
Luther Jesord, ABs John Soares, Rafael Lopez and Kenneth
Gross, OSs Victor Velez and Joseph Gierbolini, Oilers Oswaldo
Lopez and Bryce
Gritten and
QMEDThomas
Hooper.
Second
Pumpman
Mario
Cruzat is
ready to
go ashore.
His vessel , the
Overseas
Ohio, was
at the
moorings
in El
Segundo,
Calif.
The entire unlicensed crew on the USNS Dahl poses for a group shot
while the vessel was in a San Diego, Calif. shipyard.
Man:h2000
When the Sea-Land Expedition was in Elizabeth,
N.J. recently, steward department members Tom
Vanyi (left) and Charlie DiCanio show it takes
teamwork to get the job done.
Seafarers LOG
9
�CelebraJing a New Year
On tb.e El Yunque
While much of the rest of the world was getting
ready to celebrate the year 2000 in excessive fashion, crew members aboard the El Yunque also took
note of the new year, but in their usual, professional manner.
The vessel, operated by Interocean Ugland
Management Co. spent New Year's eve at sea,
heading for a payoff in San Juan on January 2.
Members of the engine department on
the El Yunque include (from left) DEU
Orlando Herrera, OMU Hiawatha J.
Williams and Oiler Reginald Abrams.
Chief Cook Joey Gallo (left) and Recertified Steward Louis Nicoud
111 are a great team aboard the Sea-Land Liberator. Here, they
pose on deck as the vessel navigates the Panama Canal.
East Coast Meets West Coast
Aboard Sea-Land Liberator
Steward Dept. Team Stresses Education
Along with Fine Food and Service
Ready to usher in the new year are deck
department members (from left) AB Blair C.
Baker, OS Pedro C. Gago, Bosun Luis
Ramirez, AB Carson Jordan and (kneeling)
AB/Ship's Chairman Paul J. LaTorre.
Delicious, home-style meals are prepared and
served by (from left) Chief Steward Milton
Yournett, SA Charles B. Collier Jr. and Chief
Cook David Camacho.
A real sense of camaraderie is evident among the El Yunque's
crew members, including AB Ronald Mena, OS Pedro C.
Gago, Chief Steward Milton Yournett, Chief Cook David
Camacho, AB Blair C. Baker, Oiler Hiawatha J. Williams,
Bosun Luis Ramirez, AB Carson Jordan, SA Charles B. Collier
Jr. and DEU Orlando Herrera.
When Recertified Steward Louis Nicoud III from Las Vegas
met up with Chief Cook Joey Gallo from Brooklyn aboard the
Sea-Land Liberator, everything fell into place.
The two professionally trained chefs were of one mindset: a
commitment to provide a superior level of service to the unlicensed crew and officers. Everything from daily meetings on
menu development to an emphasis on sanitation went toward
fulfilling that goal.
Both men also believe in professional development as the
key to a thriving U.S. merchant marine, and stress to their fellow crew members that upgrading their skills at the Paul Hall
Center is the way to go.
Nicoud, a 19-year member of the SIU and graduate of the
union's entry-level training program at Piney Point, emphasizes
a clean galley and house, galley economy, fine food and service
and a sense of humor. According to his shipmate Gallo, Nicoud
(who has completed the steward recertification program at
Piney Point-the highest curriculum available to members of
the steward department) is a quality-driven food service professional with a flair for marketing, which is reflected in his menu
text and design.
Gallo has been a member of the SIU for 10 years. A professional chef and Culinary Institute graduate, the former U.S.
Marine Corps cook/baker has the philosophy, "If we can do it in
a restaurant, we can do it on a ship."
Menu diversity and preparation are Gallo's strong points, and
he is a stalwart proponent of the Paul Hall Center. He has
upgraded to certified steward and hopes to attend the union's
recertification program as well. He also plans to enroll at
Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey to complete
requirements for a bachelor's degree in hospitality management.
Nicoud and Gallo are almost like a bicoastal vaudeville act,
always seeking to surprise, entertain and please their audiences.
Whether it comes in the form of high quality international cuisine or a simple good morning, the two Seafarers are always on
the job-living and working the credo, "Brotherhood of the Sea."
HoHday Highlights .tram tb.e PresidentJachon
Those crew members who found themselves aboard the
President Jackson on Thanksgiving and Christmas days
were in for something special.
Mary Lou Lopez, assistant cook/utility and steward
department delegate on the vessel, noted that the President
Jackson was in the Far East. "Being it was the last
Thanksgiving and Christmas before the new millennium,"
she wrote in a letter accompanying these photos, "we went
the extra mile."
Clockwise from left: Nothing says Christmas like festive
decorations-and freshly baked cookies, brought into the
crew lounge by Assistant Cook/Utility Mary Lou Lopez.
Ron Peterson, chief mate aboard the President Jackson,
is the first crew member to sample the elegant Christmas
appetizers. Just to make sure the Thanksgiving Day
treats are as delicious as they look, Recertified Steward
Terry Allen and Assistant Cook/Utility Mary Lou Lopez do
a quick taste-test. An assortment of pies and cakes
topped off a perfect Christmas dinner.
10
Seafarers LOG
Man:h2000
�he seafaring life agreed with Matt
Harrison from the moment he joined
he SIU in 1982.
"It's the best thing that ever happened to
me. I've gone around the world because of the
SIU," stated the 38-year-old AB.
Harrison graduated from the trainee program at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School
in Piney Point, Md. A few years into his sail-
71
ing career, he took up photography-expressly
to "capture the feel of shipping," he recalled.
"I didn't have any background with photography, but it interested me," he continued.
"I started for artistic reasons. but it was all
trial and error. As the years went by, I got better."
Approximately eight years of flashbulbs
Man:h2000
and film fulfilled the AB 's pictorial aspirations. He sold his camera gear in the mid1990s.
But during his time behind the lens,
Harrison accumulated a compelling collection
of photos, with subjects such as shipmates,
vessels and foreign lands.
And although he's had his fill of taking
pictures, he's eager to continue sailing.
"I wanted to see the world, and that's why I
joined the union," noted Harrison, who most
recently sailed aboard the Northern Lights. "It
was either Piney Point or join the (military)
service, but I'm glad I ended up with the SIU.
"(SIU President) Mike Sacco got me started, I met him at the school. To me, we're family. That brotherhood means a lot."
Seafarers LOG
11
�Seafarers Crew New
The delivery ceremony featured a tribute to the vessel's namesake, Cpl. Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. Taking part
in the service are (from left) AB Johnny Birdwell, AB Omar Muhammad, SIU Port Agent John Cox, Misty Elk
(Red Clt>ud's grMddeughter). OS Lenerd Madison and Recertified Bosun David Parl<.
U
e new year began with new SIU jobs, as
Seafarers crewed the USNS Red Cloud in
San Diego.
A Watson-class vessel assigned to the U.S.
Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC), the
Red Cloud began its inaugural voyage in
January, shortly after delivery.
For the union, the 950-foot ship represents
job opportunities. But it also signifies a commitment by the U.S. government to a strong
American sealift capability. The Red Cloud is
part of a 19-ship program (14 new builds, five
conversions) designed to ensure sufficient U.S.
sealift resources.
Built at the National Steel and Shipbuilding
Company (NASSCO), the Red Cloud joins
MSC's prepositioning fleet. Vessels in that armada are fully loaded with U.S. military supplies
and equipment and are stationed near potential
areas of conflict around
•
fc I,
the world. Their
tanks, tractor-trailers and high-mobility military
vehicles, just to name a few.
Like the others in its class, the Red Cloud
includes 390,000 square feet of cargo space. It is
named in memory of Army Cpl. Mitchell Red
Cloud Jr. ( 1925-1950), a posthumous recipient
of the Medal of Honor.
Red Cloud perished from enemy fire while
defending a ridge in front of his company command post in Korea in 1950. "His heroic actions
prevented his company from being overrun,"
noted the U.S. Navy in a press release.
The first SIU crew aboard the USNS Red
Cloud consisted of Recertified Bosun David
Park, ABs Omar Muhammad, Thomas
Ellington, Andre Frazier, Edward Miller and
Johnny Birdwell, OSs Jerry Fanning, Lenard
Madison and Willie Harrington, QMEDs
Timothy Pillsworth, Sylvester Crawford,
Nunzio Ciciulla, Anthony McNeil,
Dwight Ward and Michael
Gott, Storekeeper Alex
Davis, Steward/Baker
Christopher
Hale, Chief
Cook
Bernardo
Jordan and
SAs
Claudia
Kamm eyer and
Tanja
Pfizenmaier.
A walk through the engine room
shows all the latest equipment.
12
Seafarers LOG
Man:h2000
�Prepositioning Ship
Crew members take a short break in the galley.
Greeting a visitor is the watchstanding AB, Edward Miller.
SAs Tanja PHzenmaier (left) and Claudia Kammeyer sign on for
the Red Cloud's first voyage.
A specially decorated cake helps
mark delivery ceremonies for the
new MSC-operated vessel.
USNS Red Cloud
By the numbers
Length: 950'
Beam: 105'-9"
Displacement
at design draft: 62,700 tons
Cargo area: 393,000 sq. feet
Design speed: 24 knots
Miscellaneous
Berthing, living, mess, recreation and office
spaces for as many as 13 officers and 32 unlicensed personnel. Similar facilities available for
'supercargo crew' of 50 military personnel.
Additional features include leisure and community
facilities, hospital complex, laundry and workshops.
Propulsion plant
Two GE LM-2500 gas turbines with an output of
32,000 BHP each
Two 24' -0" controllable pitch propellers - 95 RPM
at full power
Man:h2000
12,500 KW total ship's service generating capability
2,000 KW emergency generating capacity
Cargo system & equipment
Self-sustaining roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) capabilities
Self-sustaining lift-on/lift-off (LO/LO) capabilities
Centerline stern slewing ramp
Port and starboard sideport ramp system
Two single pedestal twin cranes
Cargo hatches in three holds
All RO/RO decks fixed
Combination of fixed and hinged RO/RO ramps
Special features
Environmental control for cargo holds
Foam firefighting and de-watering system for
cargo holds
Bow thruster units
List control system
Source: NASSCO
The ship's delivery ceremony kept the steward department busy and in
good spirits. Pictured from left to right are Steward/Baker Chris Hale,
Chief Cook Bernardo Jordan and SA Claudia Kammeyer.
Seafarers LOB
13
�-
Port Agent Anthony McQuay (center) congratulates certified chief cooks Jimmie Reddick (left) and Willie Grant
for their hard work in preparing the holiday fare.
More than 100 Seafarers and their families and friends
gathered at the festively decorated Jacksonville hall last
December 22 for a memorable holiday party.
Port Agent Anthony McQuay set the tone for the celebration in his welcoming remarks, which were then followed by a delicious luncheon.
Certified Chief Cooks Jimmie Reddick and Willie Grant
took advantage of the hall's full galley to prepare the meal,
while messmen Almus Allen and Brian Wilder assisted in
helping serve the holiday fare, consisting of everything from
turkey and ham with all the trimmings to an endless variety
of freshly baked pies and cakes.
The photos of the party on this page were taken by
Patrolman Bryan Powell and Recertified Bosun Roan
Lightfoot.
Enjoying the festivities are (from left) Retired Bosun
Paul Butterworth, Port Secretary Karen Shuford, Mrs.
Butterworth and Carolyn Shuford.
IP®rn! ®i!J]~®mwfillil@ M@~ &.b@ Ifil®Ifil®~~
>
•
>J
'
I
'•'•·
•
,·,
Left:
Messmen
Alm us
Allen (left)
and Brian
Wilder
help serve
lunch to
Seafarers
and their
guests.
Partaking in good food and holiday cheer at the Jacksonville party are
(from left) ABs Rubin Mitchell, Lydell Grant and Charles Whitehead.
The party at the Jacksonville hall helps (from left) AB James
Blitch, Recertified Bosun Roan Lightfoot and QEE Angel
Hernandez get in the holiday spirit.
Bosun John Micklos (left) gets a chance to
share in the festive occasion with AB Tom
Gruber and his wife.
Having a great time are (from left) OMU
Stephanie Brown, DENU Jerry Miller and Mrs.
Charles Whitehead.
Patrolman Harmando Salazar (left) welcomes retired Recertified Bosun Billy
Darley to the Jacksonville hall.
Right: It's all
smiles at the table
of (from right)
OMU Ramon
Calazo, his wife
and their niece
Stephanie.
AB Tom Driggers (left) and his wife enjoy a soda and some
good conversation with AB John Gatton.
Posing for a photo during the festivities are (from left)
Patrolman Harmando Salazar, Port Agent Anthony
McQuay, Crowley VP of Labor Relations Mike DePrisco
and Patrolman Bryan Powell.
14
Seafarers LOS
Retired Recertified Steward Joe Miller (left) reminisces about "the good old days" and the bright future
of the SIU with retired SA Frank Sirignano.
Port Agent Anthony McQuay and his family enjoy the culinary delights served at the holiday luncheon.
llarch 2000
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
JANUARY 16 -
FEBRUARY 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Class A Class B Class C
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San . Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
32
5
4
15
19
18
34
31
26
26
6
10
Houston
26
St. Louis
3
0
· Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
Port
Ne~~\Tork
P~iladelphia
Baltnnf.?re
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
JackSonville
San Francisco
_ Wih;nington ""
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
3
23
4
8
2
3
5
1
7
5
12
1
7
2
6
11
12
4
12
3
14
5
3
30
10
3
8
5
14
5
13
15
11
9
12
5
10
20
1
4
5
6
5
6
3
3
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
H6
137
8
10
6
2
10
3
5
0
5
3
13
8
7
2
3
2
1
3
11
3
l9
1
11
9
3
14
13
4
3
4
7
2
3
8
z
.,. .. 5
10
12
3
15
5
9
19
4
9
3
5
2
3
125
0
106
0
16
7
3
3
2
8
17
2
7
9
13
41
14
9
18
4
ll
46
9
5
17
5
13
1
1
10
53
9
25
9 .... .1 -.. .
3
u
4
()
4
88
1
418
0
173
3
16
0
0
·3
15
·- '3
10
3
11
5
14
0
5
3
21
8
6
12
6
4
0
15
3
3
6
0
98
1
1
2
0
2
1
5
11
19
14
24
14
15
15
10
11
29
2 ·
3
San Francisco ......... Thursday: April 13, May 18
San Juan ..................Thursday: April 6, May 11
4
3
55
2
St Louis ................. Friday: April 14, May 19
Tacoma ................... Friday: April 21, May 26
Wilmington ...............Monday: April 17, May 22
Each port's meeting starts at 10:30 a.m.
3
5
1
0
8
9
11
2
4
2
EKOWDOFFOH
26
4
7
4
4
0
2
6
13
IO
10
17
6
7
3
2
2
2
0
9
2
0
2
0
0
15
0
24
100
16
0
l
9
2
10
14
3
0
1
0
1
4
0
1
6
3
11
5
0
2
7r
0
0
54
47
37
30
3
24
20
TERRY GILLILAND
2
3
Please get in touch with Pammy Gilliland at 21168
Winding Way, Lexington Park, MD 20653; or call (240)
728-0777.
5
0
5
7
0
9
2
1
2
0
0
0
263
59
27
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
16
7
0
0
0
5
0
41
35
0
0
2
1
9
3
8
12
29
1
7
0
2
15
1
11
17
13
68
8
1
3
6
I
8
3
10
1
0
0
34
0
0
2
6
189
308
3
6
9
0
38
4
St. Louis
0
Piney Point
Algonac
0
0
36
5
I
139
205
39
0
119
558
420
344
464
354
2
8
6
7
115
0
0
19
0
0
0
3
4
15
0
I
11
0
5
0
0
10
17
8
11
16
20
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
12
1
24
17
25
3
38
18
l
12
5
ESTEBAN B. LUKE
Please contact Reyna Roman at P.O. Box 216,
Hampton Bays, NY 11946; or telephone (631) 3691682.
Job Call in the New Orleans Hall
13
20
11
11
18
8
86
13
3
10
22
0
0
0
0
0
75
247
258
185
949
606
437
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
William Coffy (Bob Louis ' nephew) saw your picture
in the February LOG and would like to hear from you.
Please call him at (973) 485-3487.
1
0
42
Personals
JAMES ROY AMBROSE
44
0
6
3
0
9
0
0
2
7
-PhlladeJpbia.. :......... Wedn~day: Apn1 5, May 10
11
2
12
14
New York ............... :Tue§day; April 4, May 9
1
2
4
17
New Orleans ...........Tuesday: April 11, May 16
2
30
0
0
5
0
2
1
12
New Bedford ..... :.... Tuesday; April 18, May 23
6
4
0
71
0
2
4
0
2
0
6
7
3
10
2
4
0
1
3
3
8
3
10
0
4
0
141
0
Mobile .................... Wednesday: April 12, May 17
Please contct Tammy Ambrose Bullock at 2703 South
Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, VA 23322; or call (757)
421-7233 or FAX (757) 421-4320.
6
7
0
3
8
5
10
14
Jersey City ..............Wednesday: April 19, May 24
2
0
5
0
Jacksonville ............Thursday: April 6, May l l
9
0
1
Houston .................. Monday: April I0, May 15
29
3
25
Honolulu ................. Friday: April 14, May 19
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
11
3.
1
3
0
3
0
Duluth ..................... Wednesday: April 12, May 17
193
3
4
0
38
9
2
Baltimore ................ Thursday: April 6, May 11
~No~folk ..........~.'. ...... Thursday~_April 6, May 11
2
4
4
1
4
Algonac .................. Friday: April 7, May 12
53
0
121
12
0
5
6
3
March20DO
17
1
6
7
Piney Point ............ Monday: April 3, May 8
4
0
127
1
0
4
0
0
37
4
3
2
2
6
1
s
2
0
l9
15
Totals All
Departments
4
1
0
9
8
8
l
5
0
2
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Totals
8
14
22
22
3
60
24
26
59
41
2
14
7
2
2
13
55
lO
7
12
6
2
18
5
6
16
6
0
2
6
16
9
3
4
3
6
~
6
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
16
8
12
10
·-
8
Port
New York
2
4
204
14
10
18
Totals
12
7
9
5
3
2
U2
9
19
8
Jacksonville
Piney Point
Algonac
Class A Class B Class C
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
4
2
3
Houston
St. Louis
21
18
30
4
12
19
1
78
0
Port
New York
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
DECK DEPARTMENT
Port
New York
Trip
Reliefs
April & May 2 •
Memlletship Meetings
Deep Sea, Lakes, Inland Waters
0
These three Seafarers were spotted recently in the New
Orleans hall waiting for a job call. From the left are Chief
Cook Gerardo Frederick, DEU Cirilo S. Centeno and
Chief Cook Pedro Ramos.
Seafarers LOS
15
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
Seafarers International Union
Dlridory
JANUARY 16 -
Michael Sac<:o
President
CL -
John Fay
Executive Vice President
David Heindel
Secretary-Treasurer
Augustin Tellez
Vice President Contracts
Jack Caffey
Vice President Atlantic Coast
Byron Kelley
Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters
Dean Corgey
Vice President Gulf Coast
Nicholas J. Marrone
Vice President West Coast
Kermett Mangram
Vice President Government Services
"
....
- lttADQtJAl'UERS
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
(~01)
89M675
ALGONAC
520 St. Clair Rivt:r Dr.
-
Algonac, MI 48001
Company/Lakes
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
0
23
14
0
4
0
0
4
5
0
11
15
FEBRUARY 15, 2000
L-Lakes
NP -
Non Priority
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
2
8
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
4
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
1
3
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
o·
6
I
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
0
21
6
0
5
2
0
3
4
0
_9_
9
Totals All Depts
42
34
0
0
8
17
0
38
*'Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
21
(810) 794-4988
ANCHORAGE
SQoam~ St.J if l C
721
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
Anchorage~ AK 99503
(907) ~61-4988
JANUARY 16 -
BALTIMORE
FEBRUARY 15, 2000
1216 E. Baltimore St
*TOTAL REGISTERED
AU Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 327-4900
DULUTH
705 Medical Arts Building
Duluth, MN 55802.
(11~) 12~-4110
HONOLULU
0
606 Kalihi St
Honolulu, HI 968 i9
(808) 845"'.?222
3
,.·'
JACKSONVILLE
3315 Liberty St.
JacksonviIJe, FL 32206
(904} 353-0987
JEllSEY CITY
,,,
,.•.• , •• ,,.,, "'· c:,,,. 9~l M'ontgom~efY-·.St,.j\: ..... ,_, ., .,. . ,. ""''". . . ,. . . . ,.
Jersey City, NJ 01302
(201) 435-9424
''" MOBILE
i64o Datiphin1stand.P~.
Mobile, AL 36605
(334) 478-0916
NEW BEDFORD
48 Union -St.
New Bedford1 MA 02740
(508) 997-5404
NEW ORLEANS
3911 upalco Blvd.
Harvey, LA 70058
(sp.t) 3,28-7545
NEW YORK
635 Fourth Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718) 499-6600
NORFOLK
115 Third St.
Norfolk,. VA 23510
aA<l Waters
0
2
5
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
0
Gulf Coast
0
~~' f!ll~{i }Va~~t . ::''·Q
West Coast
0
Totals
0
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters 0
West Coast
0
Totals
0
0
1
. ~L
0
6
10
8
1
0
10
3
4
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
1
1
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
0
0
0
6
8
·O
1
16
2
28
0
1
·~ ~-_ ~:o ,;"
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
Totals All Depts
10
9
5
3
10
3
5
3
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
29
PIG-FROM-THE-PAST
(757) 622-1892
PHILADELPHIA
2604S.4St.
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 336-3818
PINEY J>OINT
P.O. Box 75
Piney Point1 MD 2067:f
(301)994-0010
PORT EVERGLADES
1221 S. Andrews Ave.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 522-7984
SAN FRANCISCO
350 Fremont St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-5855
Government Services Division
{415) 861-3400
SANTURCE
1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Stop 16%
Santurce, PR 00907
-
(787) 721-4033
ST.WUIS
4581 Gravois Ave.
St Louis, MO 63116
(314) 752-6500
TACOMA
3411 South Union Ave.
Tacoma, "\NA 98409
(253) 272-7774
WILMINGTON
510 N. Broad Ave.
Wilmington. CA 90744
(310) 549-4000
16
Seafarers LOG
This copy of an old
photo was sent to the
Seafarers LOG by John
E. Helman of Fremantle,
Western Australia.
It was taken August
15, 1944 aboard the SS
Edwin L. Godkin. The
Luckenbach Lines vessel was offloading allied
equipment for the war
effort in St. Tropez in the
south of France.
AB Helman (standing
center) identifies his
shipmates
as
"AB
Charles Lucas from
Queens, N.Y., Felix (a
carpenter) from Baltimore, Md. and AB
Frenchy Cyr from Maine."
Now 80, Helman still
enjoys reading the Seafarers LOG and wonders
where his old shipmates
are today.
Man:h2000
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
nland Captain John E. Long is
among the 14 Seafarers announcing their retirements this
month.
Representing 38 years of active
union membership, Brother Long
graduated from the towboat operator program offered at the
Seafarers
Harry
Lundeberg
School in Piney Point, Md. This
program was designed to prepare
qualified mariners for licenses
under U.S. Coast Guard regulations requiring such documentation for all operators of uninspected towboats and tugboats.
Jncluding Brother Long, four
of the retirees navigated the inland
waterways and l 0 sailed in the
deep sea division.
Six of the retiring pensioners
were members of the steward
department, five shipped in the
engine department, and three
worked in the deck department
This month's pensioners are
scattered across the country: five
have retired to the East Coast,
three make their homes in the Gulf
states, three live on the West
Coast, two reside in the Midwest
and one person calls Puerto Rico
home.
On this page, the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of this month's pensioners.
I
DEEP SEA
HAMEEDK.
ALI, 63, started his career
with the
Seafarers in
1970 in the
port of San
Francisco. His
first ship was
the San Francisco, a Sea-Land
Service vessel. Born in Yemen,
he worked in the steward department and upgraded his skills at
the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School in Piney Point, Md. Prior
to retiring, he sailed aboard the
Sea-Land Atlantic. Brother Ali
makes his home in New York.
ERNESTOR.
AVILA, 65,
joined the SIU
in 1973, first
sailing in the
inland division
aboard a G&H
Towing Co.
vessel. He
later transferred to deep sea vessels. A native of Honduras, he
sailed in the steward department.
Brother Avila last worked aboard
the Sea-Land Endurance.
Hawthorne, Calif. is where he
calls home.
WILLIAM
H.
BRIMIIALL,
65, joined the
Seafarers in
1967 in the
port of
Philadelphia.
His first ship
was the Vantage Venture, operated by Vancor Steamship Co. Born
in California, he sailed in the
engine department and upgraded
his skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School. From 1953 to
1956, he served in the U.S. Army.
March2000
Brother Brimhall last sailed in
1982 aboard the Overseas
Juneau. He has retired to Santa
Rosa, Calif.
CHARLESH. .--~-=-~--,
DAVIS, 65,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1966.
His first ship
was the Ocean
Cloud, operated by Ocean
Ore Carriers. The Ohio native
sailed in the deck department and
upgraded his skills at the SIU's
training school in Piney Point,
Md. Prior to retiring, h worked
aboard the SP5 Eric G. Gibson, a
Maersk Line Ltd. vessel. Brother
Davis makes his home in
Jacksonville, Fla.
VIRGILIO
GALDOS, 65,
joined the
Marine Cooks
& Stewards
(MC&S) in
1962 in the
port of San
Francisco.
Born in Ecuador, he became a
U.S. citizen. Brother Galdos
worked in the steward department, last sailing aboard the
Lurline, a Matson Navigation Co.
vessel. He has retired to
Cloverdale, Calif.
JOE
HARRIS, 61,
graduated
from the
Andrew
Furuseth
Training
School in 1964
and joined the
Seafarers in the port of Norfolk,
Va. His first ship was the
Bradford Is land, operated by
Cities Service Oil Co. He worked
in the engine department and
upgraded frequently at the SIU's
training school in Piney Point,
Md. The Alabama native served
in the U.S. Anny from 1956 to
1958. Brother Harris last sailed
aboard the Guayama, an NPR,
Inc. vessel. Jacksonville, Fla. is
where he calls home.
LLOYDT.
PALMER, 67,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1987
from the port
of Mobile,
Ala. He first
sailed aboard
the USNS Dutton. The Alabama
native worked in the steward
department as a chief cook.
Brother Palmer last sailed aboard
the Newark Bay, a Sea-Land
Service vessel. From 1953 to
1955, he served in the U.S. Army.
He makes his home in Mobile.
DONALDE.
PETERSON,
65, joined the
SIU in 1978 in
the port of
New Orleans
after a 20-year
career in the
U.S. Navy.
Brother Peterson's first SIU ship
was the Sea-Land Economy. Born
in Minnesota, he sailed in the
engine department as a chief electrician. Prior to retiring, he
worked aboard the Sgt. Matej
Kocak, a Waterman Steamship
Corp. vessel. He has retired to
Foley, Ala.
VIRGILIO
RIVERA, 62,
first sailed
with the SIU
in 1972 aboard
the Longview
Victory. The
Puerto Rico
native worked
in the steward department and
frequently upgraded at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education in Piney
Point, Md. He last sailed as a
chief cook aboard the Sea-Land
Hawaii. Brother Rivera makes his
home in Vega ~aja, P.R.
JACKA.
SINGLE-
CHARLES
M. GAUTIER, 63, began
sailing with
the Seafarers
in 1965 from
the port of
Norfolk, Va. A
native of
North Carolina, he worked in the
deck department. Boatman
Gautier last sailed as a barge captain in 1984 aboard a Maritrans
vessel. He has retired to Mt.
Olive, N.C.
JOHNE.
LONG, 60,
joined the sru
in 1961 in the
•"
port of New
Orleans. The
Louisiana
native sailed in
the deck department and upgraded at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School, where he
completed the towboat operator
course in 1973. Prior to retiring,
he sailed as a captain aboard a
Crescent Towing & Salvage Co.
vessel. New Orleans is where he
calls home.
STELLAM.
PAYNE, 62,
started her
career with the
SIUin 1986 in
the port of St.
Louis. Born in
Missouri, she
worked in the
steward department Sister Payne
last sailed aboard a vessel operated by Midland Enterprises,
Orgulf Division. She makes her
home in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
Worth 1, 000 Words
TARY, 62,
joined the
Seafarers in
1967, first
sailing aboard
the Burbank
Victory. Born
in Oregon, he worked in the
engine department and upgraded
at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education.
From 1954 to 1961, he served in
the U.S. Navy. Brother Singletary
last worked aboard the Cape
Trinity. Santa Fe, Texas is where
he calls home.
INLAND
GEORGE W. DIXON, 62, started his career with the SIU in
1964 in the port of Philadelphia.
He worked in the engine department. The Pennsylvania native
served in the U.S. Army from
1956 to 1959. Prior to retiring, he
worked aboard an Interstate Oil
Co. vessel. Boatman Dixon
makes his home in Philadelphia.
SIU retirees Eddie Craddock and Jerry Brown recently stopped by
the hall in Mobile, Ala. to check out the growing collection of
framed photos of SIU-contracted ships. While there on January 24,
they chatted with SIU Port Agent Ed Kelly and others. Pictured
from left to right are Kelly, Brown, Craddock, retiree Clarence
Pryor, QMED Hannable Smith and retiree Jerry Carl.
Reprinted from past issues of the Sea(arers LOG
aboard SIU ships before January 1, 1955 or
had not shipped r~gularly during the peri·
1941
ods to cover classes A and B received a "C"
More than 2,500 members of the Atlantic
rating. ln the future, seamen with "A" ratings
and Gulf District participated in the election of will receive preference over the other two catofficers of the SIU, Atlantic & Gulf District
egories for job calls and the "B" rated seamen
for 1941. This was
rr.=:========~====================::::;:n will receive preference
the first election conover ''C" men.
ducted since the two
districts were amalga1963
mated into the one
The SIU will represent
district. The election
the crew of the new
covered the Atlantic
cable ship SS Long
District representative,
Lines. Crewmen have
the Gulf District reprebeen flown to
sentative, and port agents and patrolmen in all Hamburg, Germany to sail the ship, the
ports from Boston to Texas City and including world's largest cable ship, out of the shipyard
where she was built and take her on sea trials.
San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Her initial job will be to complete an all cable
1955
underwater network throughout the
The membership of the Seafarers International Caribbean, connecting Florida, Jamaica,
Union, Atlantic & Gulf District, ratified a
Panama and South American points. Since
newly negotiated contract clause establishing a there is no other large cable ship sailing under
seniority hiring provision with contracted com- the U.S.-flag, the SIU negotiated a special
panies. The new hiring system involves three
manning scale to cover the crew. When the
classes of seniority. Men sailing before
ship arrives in the United States, SIU crew
December 31, 1950 got" A" ratings; men
members will take part in a training period for
sailing regularly since January 1, 1951 were
several weeks to prepare them for cable laying
rated class "8'' and men who had no time
operations.
who
1HlS MO " TH
lN SlU HISTORY
Seafarers LOS
17
�DEEP SEA
HARRY JESSE BARRICK
Pensioner Harry
Jesse Barrick,
75 , passed away
December 23,
1999. Born in
Washington, he
joined the
Marine Cooks
& Stewards
~~__J (MC&S) in
1956 in the port of San Francisco.
Brother Barrick worked in the steward department, last sailing aboard
the Kauai, a Matson Navigation Co.
vessel. He was a resident of Bullhead City, Ariz. and started receiving his pension in February 1987.
HOWARD G. BRADSHAW
tification program in 1982. Prior to
retiring in October 1984, he sailed
aboard the Golden Monarch, operated by Westchester Marine. He was a
resident of Savannah.
retiring in
November 1987,
he sailed aboard
the Inger, operated by
Reynolds Metal
Co. He made
his home in Galveston, Texas.
ROBERT JAMES MAIELLO
Robert James
Maiello, 53,
passed away
December 22,
1999. Born in
New York, he
first sailed with
the SIU in
1989, aboard
_ ____, the USNS
Harkness. The steward department
member upgraded his skills to chief
steward at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education in
Piney Point, Md. Brother Maiello
last worh!d aboard the JQb Stuart.
Wilmington, N.C. was his home.
Pensioner Edward Charles Ryan, 72,
passed away December 14, 1999.
Born in Oregon, he started his career
with the Seafarers in 1964. He first
sailed aboard the Yorkmar, operated
by Calmar Steamship Corp. Brother
Ryan worked in the engine department, last sailing aboard the Philadelphia, a Sea-Land Service vessel.
A resident of Seattle, he began receiving his pension in August 1992.
EDWARD CHARLES RYAN
Pensioner
Howard Gilbert
Bradshaw, 68,
ctiea January 2.
He fust sailed
with the Sea·
farers in 19 51
as a member of
the engine
department. The
Virginia native upgraded his skills at
the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School in Piney Point, Md. From
1948 to 1951, he served in the U.S.
Air Force. Brother Bradshaw last
sailed aboard the Charleston, a
Westchester Marine vessel. A resident of Chesapeake, Va., he retired
in August 1990.
JAMES LUDWIG MILLER
GEORGE A. SILVA
Pensioner
James Ludwig
Miller, 79, died
December 22,
1999. A native
of Washington,
he joined the
MC&S in 1942.
· Brother Miller
worked in the
steward department, last sailing on
the President Grant, an American
President Lines vessel. A resident of
Oregon City, Ore., he began receiving his pension in April 1991.
, . - - - - - - - - . Pensioner
George A.
Silva, 74, died
December 5,
1999. A native
of Massachusetts, he began
sailing with the
SIU in 1952
from the port of
Boston. Brother Silva worked in the
engine department, last sailing
aboard the ITB Jacksonville. During
his career, he was active in union
organizing drives. The Sykesville,
Md. resident retired in August 1986.
DAVID BRONSTEIN
JOSEPH P. PETRUSEWICZ
Pensioner David
Bronstein, 70,
passed away
January 16,
1997. He started
his career with
the SIU in 1965
in the port of
Houston. His
first ship was
the Henry, operated by American
Bullc Carriers. During his career, he
sailed in the steward department and
upgraded at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md., where
he graduated from the steward recertification program in 1981. Prior to
retiring in September 1991, he sailed
aboard the Cape Hudson. The Texas
native served in the U.S. Army from
1944 to 1946. Brother Bronstein
lived in Houston.
Pensioner Joseph P. Petrusewicz, 67,
passed away December 20, 1999. He
started his career with the Seafarers
in 1951. His first ship was the Ann
Marie, operated by A.H. Bull
Steamship Co. The Massachusetts
native worked in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School.
During his career, he was active in
union organizing drives. Prior to
retiring in December 1989, Brother
Petrusewicz sailed aboard the Falcon
Princess, operated by Seahawk Management. Quincy, Mass. was his home.
DANIEL JOE CHERRY
Pensioner
Daniel Joe
Cherry, 84, died
December 30,
1999. Brother
Cherry began
sailing with the
Seafarers in
1943 from the
port of Tampa,
Fla. Born in Florida, he worked in
the engine department and upgraded
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School. He last sailed aboard the
Bayamon, operated by Puerto Rico
Marine Management. A resident of
Baltimore, he began receiving his
pension in May 1984.
THOMAS C. HANKINS
Pensioner
Thomas
Cranston
Hankins, 70,
passed away
December 21,
1999. A native
of Florida, he
· joined the SIU
* ' in 1945 in
Savannah, Ga. Brother Hankins
sailed in the steward department and
upgraded at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md., where
he graduated from the steward recer-
18
Seafarers LOB
RUDOLFO "RUDY"
RAMIREZ
Pensioner
Rudolfo
"Rudy"
Ramirez, 73
died December
24, 1999. A
native of Texas,
he joined the
SIU in 1967 in
the port of
Houston. Brother Ramirez worked
in the steward department and upgraded bis skills at the SIU's training school in Piney Point, Md. His
last ship was the Sea-Land Consumer. A resident of Houston, he
began receiving his pension in
December 1991.
JOSEPH RAPOZA
Pensioner
Joseph Rapoza,
82, passed
away November 29, 1999.
Born in Hawaii,
he joined the
MC&S in 1953
in the port of
Seattle. Brother
Rapoza sailed in the steward department and started receiving his pension in January 1980. He was a resident of Lynwood, Wash.
JOHN W. RIELLY
Pensioner John W. Rielly, 77, died
November 25, 1999. Brother Rielly
began his SIU career in 1943 from
the port of New York. The Minnesota
native worked in the steward depart-
ERIK P. SMITH
Pensioner Erik
P. Smith, 79,
passed away
November 18,
1999. He joined
the Seafarers in
1959 in the port
of Philadelphia.
Born in Finland, he worked
in the engine department and
upgraded his skills at the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School. Prior to
retiring in August 1985, he sailed
aboard the Pittsburgh, a Sea-Land
Service vessel. He made his home in
Lantana, Fla.
WILLIAM C. SMITH
Pensioner William C. Smith, 93,
passed away June 1, 1999. Brother
Smith was a member of the MC&S,
and a resident of Daly City, Calif.
He started receiving his pension in
February 1973.
JAMES STATHIS
Pensioner James Stathis, 73, died
March 1, 1997. Brother Stathis
began sailing with the SIU in 1953.
His first ship was the Dorothy, operated by A.H. Bull Steamship Co.
The New York native sailed as a
member of the deck department.
During his career, he was active in
union organizing drives and attended
an education conference in 1970 at
the SIU's training school in Piney
Point, Md. From 1943 to 1946, he
served in the U.S. Army. Prior to
retiring in June 1988, he worked
aboard the Sea-Land Endurance.
Brother Stathis was a resident of
San Francisco.
NICHOLAS SWOKLA
Pensioner
Nicholas
Swokla, 73,
passed away
November 10,
1999. Born in
Connecticut, he
joined the
Seafarers in
' - - - - = - - " " " ' ' - - - - ' 1946 in the port
of San Francisco. Brother Swokla
sailed in the deck department and
started receiving his pension in
December 1982. He was a resident
of Hayward, Calif. -
PERCY THOMPSON
Pensioner Percy
Thompson, 94,
died November
30, 1999.
Brother
Thompson first
sailed with the
SIU in 1947
from the port of
New Orleans.
The Louisiana native worked in the
steward department and upgraded
his skills at the SIU's training school
in Piney Point, Md. A resident of
New Orleans, he retired in October
1972.
RAYMOND
J. VAUGHT
Pensioner
· Raymond J.
Vaught, 80,
passed away
October 10,
1999. A native
of California,
he joined the
MC&S in 1952 in the port of San
Francisco. He sailed in the steward
department and upgraded his skills
at the MC&S training school. He
last worked aboard the Manu/ani, a
Matson Navigation Co. vessel.
Brother Vaught made his home in
Sacramento, Calif. He began receiving his pension in February 1984.
RONALD E. WARRIOR
Ronald E.
Warrior, 48,
died December
4, 1999. He
began his career
with the Seafarers in 1991
in the port of
Seattle. Born in
Oklahoma, he
sailed in the deck department. From
1969 to 1971, he served in the U.S.
Navy. Brother Warrior was a resident of Federal Way, Wash.
VAN WHITNEY
Pensioner Van
Whitney, 78,
passed away
November 9,
1999. Born in
Trinidad, he
started his
career with the
SIU in 1944 in
the port of New
York. His first ship was the Del Sud.
Brother Whitney sailed in the engine
department and upgraded bis skills
at the SIU's training school in Piney
Point, Md. During his career, he was
active in union organizing drives. A
resident of St. Petersburg, Fla., he
began receiving his pension in
January 1978.
INLAND
PIDLIP E. AYERS
Pensioner Philip
E. Ayers, 63,
passed away
December 26,
1999. Born in
North Carolina,
he first sailed
with the
Seafarers in
1961. Boatman
Ayers worked in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School,
where he graduated from the towboat operator program in 1973. A
resident of Mullica Hill, NJ., he
began receiving his pension in
December 1998. From 1955 to 1959,
he served in the U.S. Air Force.
ERNEST FELIX FABRE
Pensioner
Ernest Felix
Fabre, 79, died
December 16,
1999. He started his career
with the SIU in
1953 in the port
of New Orleans.
A native of
Louisiana, he worked in the engine
department, last sailing as a chief
engineer aboard a vessel operated by
Dixie Carriers. Boatman Fabre
began receiving his pension in 1983.
He was a resident of Harvey, La.
JAMES THOMAS GASKILL
Pensioner
James Thomas
Gaskill, 86,
passed away
December 26,
1999. A native
of North
Carolina, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1957 in the port of Philadelphia.
Boatman Gaskill sailed as a tugboat
captain and retired in December
1975. Arapahoe, N.C. was his home.
DERWOOD D. KENT
Pensioner
Derwood
Downing Kent,
84, died
December 25,
1999. Boatman
Kent began
sailing with the
SIU in 1957
from the port of
Baltimore. The Virginia native
worked as a chief engineer. A resident
of Round Rock, Texas, he started
receiving his pension in May 1979.
GREAT LAKES
THOMAS HOLT FORG
Pensioner
Thomas Holt
Forgrave, 85,
passed away
January 9.
Brother Forgrave joined the
Seafarers in
1961 in Sault
Ste. Marie,
Mich., where he made his home. He
sailed in the deck department and
began receiving his pension in 1976.
MICHAEL J. MARTINAC
Pensioner
Michael John
Martinac, 80,
died January
15. Born in
Michigan, he
started his
career with the
SIU in 1957 in
the port of
Duluth, Minn. Brother Martinac
worked in the deck department, last
sailing aboard the Adam E. Cornelius, operated by American Steamship Co. A resident of Gladstone,
Mich., he started receiving his pension in February 1982.
RAILROAD MARINE
OTTO CONRAD SCHWARZ
Pensioner Otto
Conrad
Schwarz, &7,
passed away
December 18,
1999. A native
of New Jersey,
he joined the
Seafarers in
1963 in the port
of New York. Brother Schwarz
sailed in the deck department and
retired in January 1975. He was a
resident of Hoboken, NJ.
March 2000
�Digest of Shipboard
Union Meetings
The Seafarers LOG attempts ta print as many digests of union shipboard
minutes as possible. On occasion, because of space
limitations, some will be omitted.
Sh/ps_1piiifttis first are reviewed by the union's- contract department.
Thoss fss{jes tei/uiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union
l)/itfif. · to/the ships' minutes. The minutes are then forwarded
·: !o.the Seafarers LOG for publication.
MAERSK ARIZONA (Maersk
Lines, Ltd.). November 29Chairman Scott A. Heginbotham,
Secretary Joseph S. Henby,
Educational Director David W.
King, Deck Dekgate Joseph
LeBeau, Engine Delegate Ricky
Carter, Steward Delegate
Rayford Nixon. Meeting held
while at anchor in Gdansk, Poland.
Chairman stated vessel probably
not entering drydock next day as
planned. Deck watches set. Secretary
noted lack of stores, including
milk. Every effort being made to
obtain supplies in Gdansk.
Educational director stressed
upgrading program at Paul Hall
Center in Piney Point, Md.
Treasurer announced $20 in ship's
fund. Beefs reported in deck and
steward departments. Chairman
read communications on EPA
wage adjustment and led discussion on impending NMU merger.
He urged all members to vote.
Clarification requested on reliefs
after 120 days while outside continental U.S.
SEA-LAND ENTERPRISE
(CSX), November 19--Chairman
Hayden W. Gifford, Secretary
Franchesca
ose, Educational
Director Ray L. Chapman.
Chairmah noted portside gangway
motor fixed and crew did great job
in annual Coast Guard inspection
in Oakland, Calif. He informed all
crew members ·o f importance of
being aware of all existing emergency procedures regarding safety
of vessels and crew members
while at sea and ashore. Secretary
encouraged everyone to take
advantage of new fire fighting
school in Piney Point and keep in
mind importance of participating
in safety meetings and fire and
boat drills. Educational director
urged crew to upgrade at Paul Hall
Center and make sure fire fighting
endorsements are up-to-date. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Vessel going on new run to Russia.
All hands advised to bring warm
clothing.
STONEWALL JACKSON
(Waterman Steamship Corp.),
November 21--Chairman Carl T.
Lineberry, Secretary Claude C.
Hollings III, Educational Director
Michael L. Mefferd, Deck
Delegate Larry Martin, Engine
Delegate Dennis C. Bennett,
Steward Delegate Thomas G.
Mccurdy. Chairman announced
arrival in Morehead City, N.C. on
Thanksgiving and then to payoff in
New Orleans. Of two washing
machines ordered, one arrived.
Educational director reminded
crew members to obtain TRBs,
upgrade skills at Piney Point and
contribute to SPAD. Some disputed OT reported in engine department. No beefs noted by all three
delegates. Steward department
given vote of thanks on job well
done.
AMERICAN MERLIN (Osprey
Acomarit Ship Mgmt.), December
11--Chairman James R. Wilson,
Secretary Darryl K. Goggins,
Educational Director Jeffrey L.
Murray, Deck Delegate Robert
E. Thompson Ill, Steward
Delegate Ambrosio Fachini.
Chairman informed crew of ship's
arrival at sea buoy in Orange,
March2000
Texas and stated vessel would
probably go in on low tide with
some ballast changes. Educational
director recommended members
take advantage of course offerings
at Paul Hall Center. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Clarification
requested on issue of missing seaman's wages pertaining to deck
department. Wholehearted thanks
given to Chief Steward Goggins
and his gang for job well done.
CAPt= JACOEJ (American
Overseas Marine Corp.),
December 13-Chairman Robert
W. Johnson, Secretary Salvatore
E. Torneo. Chairman asked mem-
bers to read communications
regarding SIU-NMU merger.
Secretary stated SIU President
Mike Sacco's view on merger, urging each member to think long and
hard about direction of our union
and this industry as we head into
next century and how this union
can only build a brighter future for
all. Educational director stressed
union's school in Piney Point
offers training and potential to better each member. Treasurer
announced $220 in ship's fund.
Request made to assign specific
area for smoking in crew lounge.
Voyage made with Royal Overseas
Police Officers to reconnoiter
outer islands of Chagos
Archipelago (in Indian Ocean).
Several crew members ferried
ashore to islands that not many
people have ever visited.
GALVESTON BAY (U.S. Ship
Mgmt.), December 12--Chairman
James E. Davis, Secretary Hasan
A. Rahman, Educational Director
Robert H. Brown Jr., Deck
Delegate Charles B. Collins,
Engine Delegate Randell G.
Porter. Chairman reminded crew
members to check z-cards for
renewal date. Educational director
noted importance of SPAD contributions, especially with upcoming
presidential election. He also
advised crew of courses available
at Paul Hall Center for compliance
with STCW. Treasurer announced
$110 in ship's fund. Some disputed
OT reported in steward department. Suggestions made and forwarded to headquarters for 100
percent health care coverage for
Seafarers and for option of buying
seatime with vacation pay. Food
reefer containers don't work properly and should be replaced. Vote
of thanks given to steward department for wonderful Thanksgiving
Day dinner. Next ports: Houston
and Jacksonville.
LNG ARIES (PRONAV),
December 27--Chairman Jack J.
Cooper, Secretary Robert A.
Brown, Educational Director
Allen W. Scott, Deck Delegate
Angel L. Perez, Engine Delegate
Paul P. Pagano, Steward Delegate
William F. Smalley. Chairman
noted good crew and said he
enjoyed sailing with them.
Discussion held about reflagging
of LNG fleet. SIU Rep. Steve Ruiz
visited ship December 13 to
answer questions about reflagging
issue. Secretary reminded crew
members to continue jobs in same
professional manner as always.
Educational director urged everyone to upgrade as much as possi-
ble. Treasurer announced $1,905
in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Communications
from headquarters read and posted
in crew messhall. Suggestion made
and forwarded to contracts department to include dependents in current prescription plan and to give
ID cards to members and dependents similar to those issued by
other insurance carriers. Vote of
thanks given to steward department for fine holiday meals.
MAERSK TENNESSEE (U.S.
Ship Mgmt.), December 26Chairman James J. Keevan,
Secretary Dwight E. Wuerth,
Educational Director Peter G.
Murtagh, Engine Delegate
Herbert Daniels, Steward
Delegate John Q. Lee. Chairman
announced payoff in Charleston,
S.C. and led discussion of possible
SIU-NMU merger. He noted new
dishwasher installed and old gym
equipment repaired. Still awaiting
new exercise equipment and repair
of galley exhaust fan. Secretary
thanked crew for helping keep ship
clean. Educational director urged
members to upgrade at Paul Hall
Center. Forms available aboard
ship. He also reminded those getting off in Charleston to have
TRBs signed. Treasurer announced
$171 in ship's fund. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Clarification
requested on pay increase and contract changes due to MaerskSeaLand merger. Crew also
requested improved allotment distribution, comfortable coveralls for
tropical climates and replenishment or purchase of first aid kits
for control room. Helmsman asked
for wheel reliefs when necessary.
After payoff in Charleston, ship
heading to Freeport, Bahamas.
OVERSEAS JOYCE (OSG),
December 7--Chairman John
O'Ferrell, Secretary James E.
Willey, Educational Director
Antonio N. Libo-on, Deck
Delegate amon uimba,
Steward Delegate Russell B.
Beyschau. Payoff scheduled for
December 12 in Portland, Ore. No
beefs or disputed OT reported by
department delegates. Bosun gave
vote of thanks to steward department for job well done, especially
Thanksgiving Day meals.
Following payoff in Portland, ship
heading to Long Beach, Calif. and
Japan.
OVERSEAS MARILYN (OSG),
December 10--Chairman Marco
A. Galliano, Secretary Carlos
Sierra, Deck Delegate Don
Ackerman, Engine Delegate
Conrado D. Martinez, Steward
Delegate Pablo Alvarez.
Chairman announced payoff upon
arrival in Portland, Ore. After fast
turnaround, vessel headed to
Indonesia. He thanked deck
department for very good job on
long trip and to rest of crew for
smooth voyage. No beefs or disputed OT reported. President's
report from LOG read pertaining
to SIU-NMU merger. Crew
requested additional information.
Suggestion made and forwarded to
contracts department to extend
prescription coverage for dependents. All crew members' mattresses need to be checked and
replaced if necessary. Request also
made for sheets and blankets that
fit bunks.
SEA-LAND INTEGRITY (U.S.
Ship Mgmt.), December 19Chairman Domingo Leon Jr.,
Secretary Nick Andrews,
Educational Director Clive A.
Steward. Chairman requested
specifications for shortwave radio
for crew lounge. He noted no
beefs or disputed OT this voyage
and stated voyage was pleasant
and crew well-trained. Educational
director urged members to take
advantage of upgrading courses at
Piney Point. Treasurer announced
$20 in ship's fund. Communications received from headquarters
regarding possible merger of SIU
and NMU. Suggestions made and
forwarded to contracts department
to raise maintenance and cure
according to cost of living,
upgrade medical benefits and
continue to keep skills sharp by
upgrading at Piney Point. No beefs
or disputed OT reported.
Suggestion made and forwarded to
headquarters to have board of
trustees look into raising pension
and equalize vacation days for
members aboard all SIU-contract-
Liberty in Israel
Recertified Bosun
Cesar A. Gutierrez
(far right) recently
sent these photos
taken aboard the
MN Liberty Wave
in December. The
ship was headed
for Haifa, Israel.
Joining the bosun
on deck are AB
Burlin Pinion (left)
and AB Jim
Nixon. Pictured
below are AB
Lester Hoffman
(left) and Pinion
(in bosun's chair).
extend them to dependents and
have all pension and welfare contributions made by company forwarded to seafarers upon retiring.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department for good job. Final
thought from crew: "With the millennium knocking at our door, may
all our brothers near and far have a
healthy and prosperous new beginning. The future is ours."
SEA-LAND PACIFIC (CSX),
December 25--Chairman
Dominic L. Brunamonti,
Secretary Robert P. Mosley,
Educational Director Carmine
Barbati, Deck Delegate Theodore
E. Doi, Engine Delegate Gregory
Howard, Steward Delegate Cecil
R. Husted. Chairman recommended crew members read report
about SIU-NMU merger in
Seafarers LOG, keep informed of
contract and contribute to SPAD.
He also suggested everyone be
ready for customs and immigration
- on arrival in U.S. Secretary
reminded crew to take advantage
of upgrading and educational benefits of Paul Hall Center.
Educational director spoke of complying with STCW, attending
courses at Piney Point, if necessary. Treasurer announced $110 in
cook-out fund and $170 in movie
fund. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. On order are two VCRs
and a dryer. Crew members
reminded that lounge and messroom are no-smoking areas.
Question raised as to lack of unlicensed apprentices aboard ship.
Most recent one was almost a year
ago. Vote of thanks given to steward and his crew and to Captain
Smith for wonderful Christmas
party. Next ports: Oakland, Calif.;
Hawaii, Guam and Hong Kong.
SEA-LAND PERFORMANCE
(U.S. Ship Mgmt.), December
12--Chairman Jimmie L. Scheck,
Secretary Irwin J. Rousseau,
Engine Delegate Darrell C.
McDonald, Steward Delegate
Larry Bachelor. Chairman
stressed safety while on deck and
in house. He also led discussion of
possible SIU-NMU merger.
Secretary noted importance of contributing to SPAD. Educational
director advised crew members to
ed ships. Since Maersk bought
Sea-Land, clarification requested
on whether Maersk also participates in money purchase pension
plan. Hats off to steward department for great job. Next port:
Jacksonville.
SEA-LAND RELIANCE (CSX),
December 27--Chairrnan Lance
X. Zollner, Secretary Rang V.
Nguyen, Educational Director
Benny A. Orosco, Deck Delegate
Norman Adler, Engine Delegate
William E. Cassel, Steward
Delegate Thomas M. Curley.
Chairman stated vessel in shipyard
in Pusan, South Korea. Crew to be
laid off December 31 for three
weeks. He reminded crew members to register to get jobs back.
Educational director stressed need
for everyone to upgrade skills at
Paul Hall Center and contribute to
SPAD. Some beefs reported in
deck department; no beefs or disputed OT noted by engine or steward department delegates. Requests
made for new TV and antenna for
crew lounge. Vote of thanks given
to steward department for great
Christmas dinner.
LNG LEO (PRONAV), January
2--Chairman Woodrow Shelton
Jr., Secretary Amy K. Rippel,
Educational Director Michael L.
Brown, Deck Delegate Raphael
S. Vargas, Engine Delegate
Endang Abidin, Steward Delegate
Claudell Blakely Jr. Chairman
spoke about shipboard visit by SIU
Rep. Steve Ruiz, who answered
questions about proposed SIUNMU merger. He noted importance of sending in absentee ballots in order to be counted.
Educational director reminded
crew to take advantage of upgrading courses at Paul Hall Center.
With potential for many new jobs
in upcoming years, everyone
should be ready. Treasurer
announced $346 in ship's funds.
All communications read and posted regarding merger and MarAd's
decision to reflag LNGs. Steward
department given thanks for hard
work during holidays and for
preparation of extra special meals
for officers and crew. Next port:
Nagoya, Japan.
Seafarers LOS
19
. ;I
�1941: The Defense of Wake &land by J. Melford Smith
Pensioner
James
M.
Smith joined
the SIU in
Baltimore as a
charter member, first sailing aboard the
SS Cornelia
(Bull Line) in 1939. Previously,
he served in the U.S. Marine
Corps.
He sailed during World War II
the Korean conflict and Vietnam,
accumulating 30 years' sea time
with the SIU and the American
Maritime Officers.
This article describes events
preceding the attack on Pearl
Harbor.
T
he Hindus call it karma. In
the west they call it fate. In
the Marines we called it
just plain dumb luck:_
At one time or another, everyone who has been in combat has
probably thought about it "Why
me? Why was I spared when so
many of the people I knew were
either killed in action or wounded?"
.
Call it karma, fate or whatever-whether or not you become a
casualty seems largely to depend
on a decision you made sometime
in the past.
In the summer of 1941, I was
working at Kaneohe on the windward side of Oahu. I was an electrician for the "Contractors,
Pacific Naval Air Bases," a consortium of construction companies that were building air bases
in Hawaii, Midway, Johnston,
Palmyra and far to the westward,
Wake Island.
When we started at Kaneohe
there was nothing there but sand
and coral. In three months beginning in May we put up barracks, a
mess hall, a hospital building and
finished the runway and the No. l
hangar. During our lunch breaks Auto~atic Rifleman) in the 1st ner to which she was accustomed.
the talk was about the war in Bn. 5t Marines at Quantico, Va.
How true.
Europe and how long it would be
Around the middle of October,
Several of the married men I
before we were in it.
worked with decided to go since the diplomatic negotiations with
I had been sailing with the SIU they needed the extra money. Japan reached an impasse and the
for two years since being dis- Against all my Marine training war tension grew. I was wiring up
charged as a corporal from the (never volunteer for anything!), I the pumps along the runway that
Marine Corp and wa enjoying practically had decided to go with were to be used for fueling the
my work ashore, especially since them. However, Aunt Grace and aircraft when another SIU seaI was living with my
man, Oneal "Sparky"
Aunt Grace and her .-------------------~ Sykes, who was working
mother in Lanikai, just
with the plumbing gang,
five mile from my job.
joined me for lunch.
Aunt Grace, a retired
As we sat in the sunschool teacher, had inshine on the edge of a
troduced me to a lovely
refueling pit eating our
Chinese-American girl
sandwiches, Sparky said,
whom I considered very
"You know, this place is
- \\ .
I
exotic and romantic.
going to get clobbered
! \
I
-.
Being just 22, I was
pretty soon."
looking for romance and
I said, "I've been
a possible Jong-term
thinking the same thing.
I
relationship. It didn't
What do you say we get
l
d
hurt that her father was a
the hell out of here?" We
//
very wealthy businessboth knew that if anyman and had just bought
thing happened we
her a new Oldsmobile
would probably
be
while I was still driving
frozen in our jobs.
an old clunker. Our
We didn't waste any
wages were barely adetime. That weekend we
quate but our standard of
got our final paychecks
living was gradually
and registered at the
improving after the long
union hall in Honolulu
dark years of the
for shipping. The followDepression.
ing week we were on a
In September 1941,
Waterman Line ship
the superintendent of ~-~--~-------~~---~ heading for Panama and
construction a ked for The raising of the U.S. flag at Wake Island in 1945. the Gulf port of Mobile,
volunteers to go out to
Ala. As we steamed out
Wake Island to rush that
of the harbor toward
base to completion. They wanted my girlfriend were being very Diamond Head, it was early
carpenters, plumbers and electri- persuasive in insisting that I evening.
cians and the pay would be time- should stay and finish the job at
Looking back at the area
and-a-half, "seven tens" (seven Kaneohe.
where Hickam Field and Pearl
days a week, 10 hours a day). To
I decided to stay on Oahu for Harbor were located, an anti-airus "wire-jerkers," that sounded the time being. Since she had craft battery was having firing
like big money!
talked me into staying, I ugge t- practice. The shells were bursting
I knew that Maj. James P.S. ed to my beautiful Chinese girl- high in the air against the backDevereux had just taken over as friend that because we got along drop of the Koolau range in a
commanding officer of the so well, we should think about prophetic farewell salute.
Marine Detachment on Wake. He getting married. Much to my chaIt was only six weeks later on,
had been my battalion CO when I grin, she laughed and said that I December 7, that the Japanese
was a BAR man (Browning could not support her in the man- attacked. The base at Kaneohe
~\
,.
. I -\
,'\.
i
There are
Thousands of
Reasons to Apply
for an SllJ
Scholarship . . . .
\
... anywhere between
6,000 and 15,000, to be
exact. For these are the
dollar amounts of individual scholarships being
awarded this year to
Seafarers and their
dependents.
In all, seven scholarships are being offered by
the Seafarers Welfare
Plan. One Seafarer will be
eligible to receive a
$15,000 grant for use at a
four-year institution of
higher learning. Two
other Seafarers will have
r---------------------------------------------------------------------.,
I
I
I
please send me the 2000 SIU Scholarship Program booklet which contains eligibility information,
procedures for applying and a copy of the application form.
I
I
I
: Name - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I'
I
Mariner's Social Security Number _ _ __ _ __ __ _ __ _ ________
I
<
I
: Street Address
II City,
Deadline
State, Zip Code _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
April15,2000isthe
date by which all completed applications for this
year's scholarships must
be mailed.
Some of the items that
I
: Telephone Number
1
1
This application is for: D Self
D Dependent
I
I
I
Mail this completed form to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Welfare Plan,
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746
3100
the opportunity to be
awarded $6,000 grants
for use toward two years
of study at a community
college or vocational
school.
The remaining four
scholarships will be presented to the spouses and
dependent children of SIU
members. Each of these
$15,000 awards is for use
at a four-year college or
university.
Because the Welfare
Plan receives many applications for the scholarships, it is often quite difficult to determine the
seven recipients. Therefore, all applicants should
fill out the application
form as thoroughly as
possible and provide all
the requested information
by the due date.
was hit hard, and the next day
Wake Island was attacked. Major
Devereux and his Marines put up
a magnificent fight until December 23, causing the enemy more
than 381 dead and many wounded. They sank two ships and shot
down seven planes, but with no
reinforcements or supplies, the
end was inevitable.
The surviving Marines and
Navy personnel and some of the
construction crews (70 were
killed and 12 wounded) were sent
to POW camps in China and
Japan, though five Marines were
beheaded on board the Nitta
Maru, chosen at random from the
survivors_ Nearly 100 of the construction men, electricians,
plumbers, carpenters, plus the
foreman of each group, were kept
on the island as slave labor for the
Japanese military. Rear Admiral
Shigematsu Sakaibara was the
officer commanding.
By October of the following
year, the work on the island was
completed. At that time the men
were marched down to the beach
in formation and machine-gunned
to death_
The U.S. recovered Wake
Island after the Japanese surrender in 1945. For his atrocity,
RADM. Sakaibara was hanged as
a war criminal.
Although the U.S. merchant
marine suffered a higher rate of
casualties than any of the services
except the Marine Corps in that
war, where I served during the
battles of Guadalcanal, Saipan,
Guam and Linguyan Gul , the
defense of Wake Island is one
operation that I'm glad I missed!
J. Melford "Jim" Smith,
Ch.Engr. USMM (Ret.)
(Major Devereux was awarded
the Navy Cross for his leadership
of the Marines at Wake Island.)
need to accompany the
written application form
are transcripts and certificates of graduation, letters of recommendation,
scores from college
entrance examination
tests, a photograph of the
applicant and a certified
copy of the applicant's
birth certificate.
Also, those who have
previously applied for a
Seafarers Welfare Plan
scholarship and were not
selected are encouraged
to apply again this year,
provided they still meet all
the requirements. (Eligibility requirements are
spelled out in a booklet
which also contains an
application form. To
receive a copy of this
booklet, fill out the
coupon below and mail it
to the Seafarers Welfare
Plan. The program booklets also are available at
the SIU halls.)
April 15 is only one
month away! But there
still is time to send in your
application. Good luck!
1
L.------------ -----------------------------------------------------------J
20
Seafarers LOG
Mart:h20DO
�Letters to the EdhOr
Artlcl• in LOG
Venore. After 58 years as an old ore
line stiff, I'd heard this story in
almost the same language. "Come
closer, identify yourself." Rugged old
tub took four or five to do her in.
I was on the new SS Lenore and
SS Fe/tore in deck maintenance,
F.W.T., etc. But my favorite was the
SS Mangore, ex-SS Oremar. For 13
months, we were armed with two 30caliber land-based machine guns,
which only the crew rnessrnan knew
how to operate. From March 1942
until November 1942, we were armed
in Belfast with a 4-inch off an old
American four-stack destroyer, which
was useless against high level and
dive bombers off the Norwegian
coast The 20-millimeter were 60
rounds per drum with tension put
carefully on them while loading them
with various rounds of tracer and
armor piercing shells.
The latest edition of the LOG was
great~ even saw an old shipmate of
mine, Jimmy Tucker.
Bring• Back Memories
Jack Gardner
I was surprised by the accuracy of
the story on the sinking of the SS
New
(Editors note: the Seafarers LOG
reserves the right to edit letters for
grammar as well as space provisions
without changing the writer s intent.
The LOG welcomes letters from members, pensioners, their families and
shipmates and will publish them on a
timely basis.)
Jan. LOG Great;
Keep It Up
I always enjoy reading the LOG
and finding out about what's going on
in the union. The latest [January]
issue was great. I especially liked all
the old-timers' stories of their early
days in the union.
I would appreciate more of the
same as well as human interest stories
about members and their experiences
at sea.
Willard C. Thayer
St. Petenburg7 Fla.
c
)Is
Orlean~,
La.
Labor Briefs
UFCW Wins at Wal-Mart
'Fair' Vote Postponed
The AFL-CIO last month
reported that 12 employees at
Wal-Mart's Jacksonville, Texas
"Supercenter's" meat department
"stood up to the company's
intense anti-union campaign and
became tbe fi st employees at the
wor 's largest retailer to join a
union, voting to become members
of Food and Commercial Workers
Local 540."
UFCW President Douglas H.
Dority called it "the vote heard
'round the world," adding, "This
victory could open the floodgates
ent-up worker frustration at
the a
·ve treatment, low pay
and lousy benefits at Wal-Mart."
The U.S. House of Representatives has postponed indefinitely consideration of the Fair
Access to Indemnity and Reimbursement Act, which threatens to
ruin the enforcement powers of
the National Labor Relations
Board and the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
by requiring the agencies to pay
fees and expenses of companies
that win any administrative or judicial proceedings before them.
According to published reports, anti-worker representatives
did not have enough votes to pass
the bill.
An'N: SEAFARERS
Know Your Rights
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The constitution of the
SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District
makes specific provision for safeguarding the membership's money and union finances. The constitution
requires a detailed audit by certified public accountants
every year, which is to be submitted to the membership
by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee
of rank-and-file members, elected by the membership,
each year examines the finances of the union and
reports fully their findings and recommendations.
Members of this committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations and separate findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District are administered in accordance with the provisions of various trust
fund agreements. All these agreements specify that the
trustees in charge of these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust
funds are made only upon approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial records are available at
the headquarters of the various trust funds.
SIDPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights
and seniority are protected exclusively by contracts
between the union and the employers. Members should
get to know their shipping rights. Copies of these contracts are posted and available in all union halls, If
members believe there have been violations of their
shipping or seniority rights as contained in the contracts between the union and the employers, they
should notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The proper address for
this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Full copies of contracts as referred to are available to
members at all times, either by writing directly to the
union or to the Seafarers Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU contracts are available in all SIU halls. These contracts specify the wages
and conditions under which an SIU member works and
lives aboard a ship or boat. Members should know their
contract rights, as well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper sheets and in the
proper manner. If, at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union official fails to protect
their contractual rights properly, he or she should contact the nearest SIU port agent
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE SEAFARERS
LOG. The Seafarers LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member.
It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed
harmful to the union or its collective membership. This
established policy has been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The responsibility for Seafarers LOG policy is vested in an editorial board which consists of the
executive board of the union. The executive board may
delegate, from among its ranks, one individual to carry
out this responsibility.
/
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No monies are to be paid
to anyone in any official capacity in the SIU unless an
official union receipt is given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any money for any
reason unless he is given such receipt. In the event anyone attempts to require any such payment be made
without supplying a receipt, or if a member is required
to make a payment and is given an official receipt, but
feels that he or she should not have been required to
make such payment, this should immediately be reported to union headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of the SIU constitution are available in
all union halls. All members should obtain copies of
this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its
contents. Any time a member feels any other member
or officer is attempting to deprive him or her of any
constitutional right or obligation by any methods, such
as dealing with charges, trials, etc., as well as all other
details, the member so affected should immediately
notify headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members are guaranteed
equal rights in employment and as members of the SIU.
These rights are clearly set forth in the SIU constitution
and in the contracts which the union has negotiated with
the employers. Consequently, no member may be discriminated against because of race, creed, color, sex,
national or geographic origin.
If any member feels that he or she is denied the equal
rights to which he or she is entitled, the member should
notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS POLITICAL ACTIVITY DONATION - SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund.
Its proceeds are used to further its objects and purposes including, but not limited to, furthering the political,
social and economic interests of maritime workers, the
preservation and furthering of the American merchant
marine with improved employment opportunities for
seamen and boatmen and the advancement of trade
union concepts. In connection with such objects, SPAD
supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions are voluntary. No contribution may be solicited or received because of force,
job discrimination, financial reprisal, or threat of such
conduct, or as a condition of membership in the union
or of employment. If a contribution is made by reason
of the above improper conduct, the member should
notify the Seafarers International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for
investigation and appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect
and further his or her economic, political and social
interests, and American trade union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION-If at any time a member feels that any of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been denied the constitutional
right of access to union records or information, the
member should immediately notify Sru President
Michael Sacco at headquarters by certified mail, return
receipt requested. The address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
520 l A'-:lth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Are You Receiving All Your Important Mail?
In order to ensure that each
active SIU member and pensioner
receives a copy of the Seafarers
LOG every month-as well as
other important mail such as W-2
forms, pension and health insurance checks and bulletins or
notices- a correct home address
must be on file with the union.
If you have moved recently or
feel that you are not getting your
union mail, please use the form
on this page to update your home
address.
Your home address is your
permanent address, and this is
where all official union documents will be mailed (unless otherwise specified).
If you are getting more than
one copy of the LOG delivered to
you, if you have changed your
address, or if your name or
address is misprinted or incomplete, please fill out the form and
send it to:
Seafarers International Union
Address Correction Dept.
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
r---------------------------------------------------,
HOME ADDRESS FORM
3100
(Please Print)
Name:
Phone No.:---'-~~---'-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Address:
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Social Security No.:
D Active SIU
/ ____ I _ _ __
Book No.:
D Pensioner
D Other
This will be my permanent address for all official union mailings.
This address should remain in the union file unless otherwise changed by me personally.
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
L---------------------------------------------------~
Seafarers LOS
21
-- .-
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
HAZMAT -
Basic Fire F. ghting -
Seafarers working aboard the Mississippi Queen and Delta
Queen steamboats recently graduated from a basic fire fighting class at the Joseph
Secco Fire Fighting School. Presenting them with their certificates of course completion
are Steve Ruiz (far left) and Paul Hall Center Health and Safety Director Jim Hanson (far
right) . Th@ stud@nts ar@ (in no particular ord@r) Sigmund Tomczak, Johnny Speed, Mike
Swigert. Ronnie Jackson. Charles Meers and Michael Knighton_
Advanced Fire Fighting - Graduating from the advanced fire fighting course on
January 21 are (from left, first row) Robert Hagood, Robert Flesey, James Donohue, (second row) Frank Bakun, Mario Cruzat, John Miller, (third row) Robert Bell, Bernard
Hutching, Rick Redmond (instructor), (fourth row) John Schafer, Roman Kasparyan, Monty
Smith, (fifth row) Charles Thompson, Johnny Johnston and Robert DesMarteau.
Boatmen sailing aboard Luedtke Engineering Co. vessels recently participated in an on-site hazardous materials class. They are (in no particular order) James
Holtrey, Shannon Jensen, William Frary, Tim Kibby, Mike Schmeltzer, Kenneth Glaser,
John Shaski Jr., Bert Adams, Dale Leonard, Charles Wallace, Lester Morr, William West,
Richard Arnold, Kevin Hollenbeck, Edward Carlson, Lorry Wilcox, Jason Beyette, Randall
Johnson, Joseph Kane, James Rider, Martin Seekley and Larry Hilton. Completing their
HAZMET recertification are Don Mills, Tom Zatkovic, G_ Lamerson, Mike Niehus and
Albert Cropek.
Basic Electronics -
Completing the basic electronics course on January 28 are
(from left) Mohamed Alsinai, Jay Linx, Douglas Felton and George Collier. Their instructor, not shown, is Russ Levin.
Radar Observer Earning their radar
observer endorsement
recently are (first row)
Joseph Riccio, (from left)
Mingta Yuen, Ben Shupp,
Marc Liebig, Jerome
Wong, Daniel Marino and
Lance Armstrong. Their
instructor, Mike Smith, is
standing.
Phase 3, Unlicensed Apprentice Program- Completing the third phase of their unlicensed apprentice program are (kneeling, from left) Robert Parker, Reggie Donaldson, Tyler Laffitte Jr., Brandon Scalzo, Bobby
Ellis Jr., Jason Dew, Europa Tuivaiti, (standing) Erik Nappier, Shannon Bonefont, Adam Williams, Steven Cook,
David Green, Blaine Harkins, Keolamauloahawaiiloa Mowat, Kenneth Jones and Romel Holland.
22
Seafarers LOS
March 2000
�SEAFARERS PAUL HALL CENTER
2000 UPGRADING COURSE SCHEDULE
Safety Specialty Courses
The following is the schedule for classes pegirining between March through
June 2000 at file Paul:.HallCentetfor Marithne.Trafuing and Education in Piney
are geared to hnprove the job skills of Seafarers and to
Point, Md. All
promote the American maritime industry.
Please npie that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the rnembet$bip; the maritime industry and-in times of conflict-the nation's security.
Stuae]its attending any of these classes should check in the Saturday before
their coufse's $tart date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the
morning of the start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reserva-
programs
nons shi>uld be made for Saturday.
Seafar~.rs .who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at
Course
Start Date
Date of Completion
Tanker Familiarization/
Assistant Cargo (DL)*
March6
Apri13
March24
Mayl
May29
May19
June 16
March27
April24
March31
April 28
May26
(*must have basic fire fighting)
Basic Fire Fighting
April 21
May22
April 3
March 17
April 14
May29
June9
March6
Advanced Fire Fighting
the Paul Hall Center may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010.
April 14
Marcb27
Government Vessels
Deck Upgrading Courses
May26
May8
. MaY: 22
Date of Completion
Start Date
April 3
s1'cw Bisif Safety (refresher).
,., ................ ; ................ .
..·.·..
;:;:'
.;.
... :..~. .
.
. .
May I
June9
March10
March30
April 7
Mafch6
March 27
April 3
March 20
March 17
April 17
.: April 7
.J: .. :May 26
March24
Academic Department Courses
. ~neral educatio~ and. ~:9:P~~ :~()!f.l.;S~S . ?.r~11v11il~ble as needed. In addltion, ·
·. basic vo~a(ional support ptograni CPU~ a17e 9tlered throughout the year,
one week prior .to .the AB, QMED, FOWT~ Thlr4~:M~!~, Tanker Assistant
and Water Survival courses. An introduction to com.pot~~ 4.19~r~, will be
self-study~ .•
April3
June 12
May12
July 21 ·
March 13
April 17
May22
March 31
Mays
June9
Ma 1;5~,....,,,..,-..,~--
Steward Upgrading Courses
Start Date
Galley Operations/
Advanced Galley Operations
(Every week)
Certified Chief Cook/Chief Steward
(Every other week)
March 6, 13, 20, 27
April J,, 10, 17, 24
May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
March6, 20
April 3', 17
May 1, 15, 29
----~ -- -- - --- - ---- ---------·----- ---- --- - --- ------- ------- - ----- --- - ----- --·- -- ------- -- --------- -- -- --- ---- - ------ -- -- -- - ---- -- --- -- -- ----- ----With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
( 120) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page.,of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWT, AB and QMED applicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee of $280 with their awlication. The pavment should be made with a money order onlv.
payable to LMSS.
UPGRADING APPLICATION
COURSE
Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member
D
Lakes Member
BEGIN
END
DATE
DATE
Date of Birth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
D
Inland Waters Member
D
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed.
Social Security#_________ Book# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Seniority _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Department _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D
No
D
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
LAST VESSEL: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Rating: _ _ __
Date On: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
D Yes
D
No
If yes, class# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D Yes
D
No
If yes, course(s) taken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D Yes 0
No
Firefighting:
D
Yes
D
No
CPR:
D
Yes
D
Date Off:
SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only if you
present original receipts and successfally complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
REI'URN COMPI.ETED APPUCATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, Admissions
Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
No
Primary language spoken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Man:h2000
Seafarers LOS
23
�Volume 62
Number 3
March 2000
Attention Seafaren:
One month remains until the April
15 deadline for scholarship
applications. See page 20 for
additional information.
Mike Dillard, Newport News Shipbuilding
The HM/ Ambrose Channel, crewed by SIU members since its launch early last year, features individual pumps and valves for each tank, controlled from a central location.
Ambrose Channel Makes 1st NY Harbor Call
SIU-Crewed 'Double Eagle' Enters Second Year of Operation
The
SIU-crewed
HMJ
Ambrose Channel last month
made its first visit to the port of
New York/New Jersey. The "double eagle" tanker traversed its
namesake to deliver 155,000 barrels of diesel oil from a refinery
in Baton Rouge, La.
Operated
by
Interocean
Ugland Management for H vi de
Marine, the Ambrose Channel is
part of a new five-ship fleet
crewed by Seafarers. The other
double-eagle tankers are the HMI
Diamond Shoals, HM/ Cape
Lookout Shoals, HM/ Nantucket
Shoals and the HM/ Brenton
Reef
All were constructed at unionized Newport News (Va.) Shipbuilding. They were built with
double hulls to comply with the
Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
The Ambrose Channel entered
service in February 1999. Named
after on old U.S. Coast Guard
light ship, it can carry a wide
variety of chemica products in
14 specially coated tanks.
HMI Ambrose Channel
Length: 619'-09"
Beam: 105'-08"
Speed: 16 knots
Cargo capacity:
341,459 gross barrels
Tanks: 7 pairs of tanks port
and starboard
SIU members sailing aboard the Ambrose Channel when the photos on
this page were taken included the following: Recertified Bosun Carmine
Bova ABs Walter Taulman, Bartow Bridges, Patrick Rankin, Maurice
Hetri~k and Reginald Watkins, QMED Peter Joseph, OMUs Hilario
Martinez, Charles Jones and Jamie Hernandez, Chief Steward Lonnie
Jones, Chief Cook Obencio Espinoza and GVA Juan Rochez. The photos
were submitted by SIU Wilmington (Calif.) Port Agent John Cox.
�
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Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009
Description
An account of the resource
Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present, Seafarers Log Digital Copies
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Seafarers International Union of North America
Dublin Core
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March 2000
Description
An account of the resource
HEADLINES
ITF CAMPAIGN VESSEL CONCLUDES WORLD TOUR
SIU, NMU BACK MERGER TALKS
NEW SHIPS, MODERN PORTS, STRONGER FLEET ARE GOALS STRESSED AT MTD BOARD MEETING
AVONDALE FOCUSES UNIONS’ RESOLVE TO FIGHT FOR BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS
AFL-CIO PRES. SWEENEY REMINDS MTD BOARD OF VALUE IN GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN EFFORTS
CROWLEY SEAFARERS APPROVE CONTRACT
MTD BOARD HEARS PLAN TO PROMOTE U.S.-FLAG FLEET
LEGISLATORS REAFFIRM SUPPORT FOR MERCHANT SHIPPING
HOME ON THE (GUN) RANGE
PETERSBURG CREW KEEPS TERRORISM IN CROSSHAIRS; COURSE AIMS AT STRENGTHENING NATIONAL DEFENSE
QUICK RESPONSE DOUSES FIRE ABOARD SEA-LAND DEVELOPER
LUEDTKE CREWS COMPLETE ON-SITE HAZMAT TRAINING
LAKES SEAFARERS MAKE ICY RESCUE
1ST GROUP FROM GUAM HEADS TO PINEY POINT
SIU SUPPORTS ILA AT DREDGING RALLY
A SEAFARERS SCRAPBOOK
AB MATT HARRISON AIMS LENS AT SHIPPING AND SIGHTS
RED CLOUD ROLLS IN
SEAFARERS CREW NEW PREPOSITION SHIP
1941: THE DEFENSE OF WAKE ISLAND BY J. MELFORD SMITH
AMBROSE CHANNEL MAKES 1ST NY HARBOR CALL
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Seafarers Log
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
03/01/2000
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Newsprint
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Vol. 62, No. 3
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/9acc6cfc2ddbe18af2378b1002ef1ace.pdf
1a1cbf507965f5981391da5662e13a96
PDF Text
Text
American Sealif t,
SIU Jobs Expand
With New RO/RO
Seafarers Will Crew USNS Charlton,
MSC1s Latest Prepositioning Ship
SIU members soon will sail aboard the U.S. Military Sealift Command's newest prepositioning ship, the
USNS Charlton (pictured at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Co.). Christened in San Diego, the 950-
foot ship is almost complete and is slated for sea trials in April. Page 3.
Allied Adds
Sea Raven
Allied Transportation Co.'s Sea Raven is running, signaling additional opportunities for Seafarers. The articulated tug and barge,
recently launched after refurbishment, transports chemicals to
and from ports between the Gulf Coast and New York. Among the
first Seafarers to sign on the Sea Raven are Captain G.W. Urban
(left photo) and Chief Engineer Walter Jarvis (right). Page 3.
Merger Voting Ends
Voting ended as scheduled
on January 31 in the proposed merger of the SIU
and the National Maritime
Union. Balloting began on
December 1. Among the
Seafarers casting a vote
were inland Cook James
Runaway-Flag
Cruise Lines:
Another Fine,
More Mishaps
Neuner, pictured at the SIU
hall in St. Louis. Page 2.
Tax Tips for Mariners
-----------Page 3
Voter Registration Data
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Page14
�Voting Ends on SIU-#MU Merger
President's Report
Tallying Committee Will Report to Membership
Register and Vote
This new year has so much potential and possibility for all of us.
New ships-with their new jobs for Seafarers-will come on line
throughout 2000. As we all know, the addition of
these vessels did not appear overnight. For years,
the SIU and the rest of labor worked with the maritime industry, government officials and members
of Congress to make this happen.
Many of you know how long it took for the
Maritime Security Program to go from an idea to a
law. Original legislation was proposed to the
Michael Sacco Senate in 1992. Committee hearings were held.
SIU officials met with industry representatives and
legislators to craft a measure. The proposal was modified and amended several times before the House of Representatives and the Senate
passed the act, then President Clinton signed it in 1996.
During that time, one presidential election and two congressional
elections were held. The White House went from Republican to
Democrat, while the Congress changed from a Democratic majority
to one led by Republicans.
We kept the Maritime Security Program alive during those five
years, thanks to your voluntary donations to SPAD. Those donations
helped open doors so SIU officials could meet with members of
Congress to discuss the need for maritime legislation and its importance to the citizens of their districts as well as for the whole country.
SPAD is just one important factor in this procedure.
The other is your participation in the election process.
The year 2000 is a presidential and congressional election year.
Americans now are deciding whom they want to lead the country
over the next four years. The presidential primaries are under way,
while races for other elective positions are just getting started.
Seafarers, pensioners and their families have always been active in
all aspects of politics. They meet with their elected officials, write
them, call their offices and get involved in the campaigns of those
who stand up for our issues.
Seafarers, pensioners and their families also register and vote.
Post-election surveys taken in the last couple of years have shown
a greater percentage of union households voting than the general
population.
Union members know the importance of electing men and women
who understand their needs and concerns and will fight for them.
Concerning this upcoming election, just look at some of the issues
already being debated among the presidential candidates: Social
Security, education, Medicare, health care and the minimum wage.
These are topics that affect all of us.
While these issues are making the nightly news shows, Seafarers
continue to ask candidates what they think about the vital role the
U.S.-flag merchant fleet plays in national defense and the economy.
Thanks to you, our concerns continue to be heard. And, because of
you, new ships are being built with Seafarers climbing the gangways.
Now is the time to make sure your voice is heard. Make sure you
are registered to vote. On page 14 in this issue of the Seafarers LOG
is a chart with a state-by-state breakdown of when registration ends,
when primaries are held and when polls are open. Don't wait until
the last minute; check your status now.
If you aren't registered, do it now. If you are registered, make sure
family members and friends are, too. If not, take them to the voter
registration office and get them on the rolls. Let them know their
vote counts. If they don't believe an individual vote makes a difference, tell them about the pro-labor candidate who was elected to the
Virginia state senate last year by fewer than 40 votes out of thousands upon thousands cast. Or recount how union members worked
together in California in 1998 to tell their friends and neighbors how
Proposition 226's "paycheck deception" wouJd limit the voice of
working people in the political process. That measure went from 70
percent of the population in favor of Proposition 226 in February to a
54-46 defeat of the measure in June.
The stakes are too high to sit at home (or on ship) and say "my
vote doesn't matter." If Seafarers followed that feeling, we wouldn't
have the Maritime Security Program and all of these new jobs.
I thank those of you for your continued involvement-for voting,
writing letters, calling, talking with your elected officials and donating to SPAD. Let's keep up the good work and stay active in 2000.
Volume 62, Number 2
February 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Daniel Duncan; Managing
Editor, Jordan Biscardo; Associate Editor/Production,
Deborah A. Hirtes; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative
Support, Jeanne Textor.
Copyright © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
2
Seafarers LOG
Chief Steward Edward Tully (left) is ready to vote at
the SIU hall in Piney Point, Md., after receiving materials from SIU Port Agent Edd Morris.
Voting ended as scheduled on January 31 in the proposed merger of the SIU and the National Maritime
Union (NMU). Balloting began December 1.
The next step is the eJection of an SIU tallying
committee consisting of six full book members (two
from each of the three departments). They will be
elected at the membership meeting February 7 in
Piney Point, Md. The committee members then will
count the ballots and prepare a report to the rest of
the membership.
A similar election took place during the same
time period in the NMU.
As reported in previous issues of the Seafarers
LOG, if the members of both unions accept the resolution, then a merger committee (consisting of officials from the SIU and NMU) will continue its work
to draft the specifics regarding seniority, job security, training and other topics.
Additionally, as noted on the ballot, the merger
would require changes in the SIU constitution. Those
amendments would be presented to the membership
during the regularly scheduled officers' election in
late 2000.
SIU members at the New Orleans hall said the
mechanics of the balloting went well.
"It was very smooth," stated Chief Steward
Joseph Birke. "I was given the paperwork to vote
with, and the envelopes. I put my vote in one envelope, then sealed it in the other and mailed it myself.
It was a good process."
Recertified Bosun Hugo Dermody described voting as "easy going. I hope everybody voted.
Everything here was well-marked and easy to understand. The decision should be easy, too."
MarAd Increases U.S. Vessel Count
Change More Accurately Assesses Size of U.S.-Flag Fleet
The official U.S.-flag vessel
count will better reflect the number of crafts available to handle
commerce because the U.S.
Maritime Administration (MarAd)
will include tugs, barges, ferries
and other work vessels.
"It is time to reflect in our
numbers the true size diversity of
the U.S. fleet," MarAd Administrator Clyde Hart told the
Washington, D.C. Propeller Club
last month in announcing the
Department of Transportation
agency's new system for figuring
the number of vessels sailing
under the American flag.
In the past, MarAd's "U.S.
Merchant Marine Data Sheet"
listed only the number of large,
self-propelled, deep-draft ships
within the U.S.-flag fleet.
Effective immediately, the report
-which will be issued at least
twice a year-will continue to
include what had been counted
and add many other vessel types,
from large oceangoing barges to
riverboats and ferries, as long as
they are active. The new calculations reflect the changing nature
of the industry, including the use
of integrated tug/barges in place
of cargo vessels.
"The new product we are
introducing today is more comprehensive, more illuminating
and will provide a sounder base
for businessmen and analysts to
determine trends and act accordingly," Hart noted during his
January 13 presentation.
The head of MarAd pointed
out the U.S.-flag fleet is composed of "about 38,000 vessels
that Americans can depend upon
to deliver the goods they need
and want. The diversity in this
fleet is no less amazing. Nearly
37,000 of these vessels are cargo
carriers actively engaged on our
nation's waterways."
The updated figures which
reflect the fleet's size as of
January 1, 1999 include:
l ',~. W,m•rburu .. Ii ;uh: bv \:•·"5~~
frp•· anJ IC\11..L", t->•.Ht
MarAd Administrator Clyde Hart explains a chart showing how the
Department of Transportation agency will include more vessels and
barges in tallying the size of the U.S.-flag fleet.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
29,545 cargo-carrying vessels
of which 2,948 are larger than
1,000 gross tons;
1,491 passenger vessels
(including ferries) with the
combined capability of carrying more than 410,000 people;
5,446 tugs and towboats;
1,424 crewboats, including oil
industry supply and utility
vessels;
25,698 barges and 613 powered vessels moving cargo on
inland waterways;
409 vessels sailing in foreign
trade;
2,443 ships and barges in the
domestic coastal trade; and
206 ships and barges operating on the Great Lakes.
Jones Act Support
While announcing the new
system for calculating the fleet's
size, Hart touched on several
other issues during his 30-minute
address.
He reaffirmed the agency's
strong support for the Jones Act
and the Passenger Vessel Services
Act-the nation's cabotage laws.
"The Jones Act has been a corner of the U.S. maritime policy in
every administration since its
passage 80 years ago. In these
days of the new century-here,
now- it remains relevant for
_A merica's economic health and
its national security."
Hart noted critics of the cabotage laws always ask if the measures are necessary and fair.
He answered by pointing out
more than 40 nations, including
the major economic powers of
Europe and Asia, have similar
laws to protect the interests of
their citizens.
"Let me quote [U.S. Air
Force]
General
Charles
Robertson, commander-in-chief
of the U.S. Transportation
Command. He said, 'Without the
laws requiring the use of U.S.owned, -built and ~rewed vessels for cargo movement between
U.S. ports, the U.S. maritime
industry-a critical member of
our defense transportation system-would wither. And maritime readiness would be severely
degraded, if not crippled.'
"The Jones Act protects U.S.
interests and that's ethical enough
for me," Hart stated.
Continued on page 4
February 2000
�Maritime Agenda Awaits Congress
Efforts Being Considered to Strengthen U.S.-Flag Fleet/or New Century
Maritime issues are among the
many topics on the agenda as legislators return to Capitol Hill for
the second session of the 106th
Congress.
Along with bills dealing with
raising the minimum wage,
strengthening Social Security and
Medicare, providing funds for
public school construction and
looking at more affordable health
care for all Americans will be
measures seeking to strengthen
the U.S.-flag merchant fleet.
Late last year, a bipartisan
team from the House of
Representatives and the Senate
proposed legislation to make the
U.S.-flag fleet more competitive
in international commerce.
"The elected officials want to
make sure American-flag ships
can compete worldwide," noted
Terry Turner, SIU director of government relations. "They are looking for a way to level the playing
field between U.S.-flag shipping
and foreign-flag operations."
That measure, known as the
National Security Sealift En-
hancement Act, addresses several
tax issues. One part of the bill
would extend the existing income
tax exclusion for Americans
working overseas to U.S. merchant mariners. Another calls for
the owner of a U.S.-flag vessel
operating in international trade to
be able to fully deduct that ship in
the year in which the vessel is
acquired and documented under
the American flag. Other components would include "alternative
minimum tax relief' on shipping
income and expand the expense
For Runaway-Flag Cruise Workers,
It's Anything But Smooth Sailing
NY Times Spotlights Crews' Hardships;
2 FOC Lines Make Other Unwanted News
Two Miami-based, runawayflag cruise lines seemingly cannot
stay out of the news.
Since late December, Royal
Caribbean and Carnival Cruise
Lines have racked up more negative publicity, continuing a fairly
constant pattern that started with
the Ecstasy fire in 1998.
The latest fiascoes:
• On Christmas Eve, The New
York Times published a front-page
article examining the working
conditions of crew members on
runaway-flag passenger ships.
The lengthy article-reprinted in
several affiliated newspapersdetailed how some of the mariners
pay for jobs that often consist of
long hours, low wages and little to
no recourse.
• In mid-January, Royal
Caribbean agreed to pay $3 .5 million to Alaska in a settlement to a
civil lawsuit. The settlement
stemmed from Royal Caribbean's
dumping of hazardous materials
in Alaskan waters, and it is in
addition to the record $18 million
in pollution fines that the company last year agreed to pay.
• Shortly after midnight on
January 12, the Carnival ship
Celebration caught fire and drifted for six hours in the Caribbean.
According to press reports, the
more than 1,500 passengers were
told remain in place, due to limited lighting.
• Several passengers are
threatening legal action in the
wake of Carnival's pricey "millennium cruise" aboard the
Paradise. Engine problems
reportedly forced the ship to
change its itinerary, and as a
result, many disgusted passengers
flew home to the U.S. from the
Bahamas.
Some of them have posted
complaints on the internet, at
http://www.starshiptravel.com/co
mplaints.htm. One described the
Paradise trip as a "floating nightmare."
While many news reports in the
past 12 months have focused on
how runaway-flag cruise lines in
the U.S. avoid paying taxes or
adhering to this nation's labor or
environmental laws, last month's
Times piece (written by Douglas
Frantz) concentrates on the crews.
"Long hours and subsistence
wages are part of their contracts,
as is the threat of being fired without notice or cause," he wrote.
The story mentions that
"record number of passengers are
packing bigger and grander
ships," and the runaway-flag
companies are raking in huge
financial rewards. Carnival, for
instance, pockets $2.8 million per
day in profits.
Crew members aren't sharing
in that windfall. Frantz reported
that the mariners, often from
Third World nations, "routinely
work 80 to 90 hours a week without extra pay" for hours exceeding the contracted amount. Some
earn as little as $50 per month,
though they can earn more
through tips.
Inadequate medical treatment
is another key issue: "Crew mem-
ROIR01s Sea Trials Scheduled for April
deductions arisir1g from conferences or other meetings aboard
U.S.-flag cruise ships.
In introducing the National
Security Sealift Enhancement Act
(S. 1858) to his colleagues, Sen.
John Breaux (D-La.) said he did
not want to exempt the owners of
U.S.-tlag ships from paying U.S.
income taxes. Rather, he was
seeking to "alleviate the tax burden on the U.S.-flag fleet.
"The Congress must take
aggressive action to preserve our
fleet of U.S.-flag vessels, while
bers sometimes find themselves
shipped home or living on a few
dollars a day in sick wages while
waiting for care."
Another concern Frantz noted,
is mariners paying for their jobs,
such as the Norwegian Cruise
Line kitchen worker who paid a
month's wages (about $400).
"Those at the bottom of the
heap are most likely to have paid
a fee to get their job, to have paid
their own air fare, to know the
least about their rights and to have
little chance for advancement,"
Frantz wrote.
The writer added that the runaway-flag cruise line issues have
caught the attention of some
members of Congress. They have
described the companies as operating "inside our waters and outside our laws."
creating incentives for new, modem ships to be registered under
the U.S. flag," added Breaux.
The measure also was introduced in the House as H.R. 3225
by Reps. Jim McCrery (R-La.)
and William Jefferson (D-La.).
While hearings are expected to
be held on the bills during 2000,
none had been scheduled in either
the House or the Senate as the
Sea/arers LOG went to press.
Another matter of concern to
the American maritime industry
is the need to find a funding formula that will permit the continued dredging of America's harbors and shipping channels.
Congress has been considering
how to fund harbor and waterway
maintenance projects that will be
fair to all who use the nation's
waterways. This debate has been
going on since the Harbor
Maintenance Tax was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S.
Supreme Court in 1998.
Maritime interests will be trying to gain more funds for the
Title XI shipbuilding loan guarantee program, which was used
throughout the last decade to construct in U.S. yards commercial
vessels sailing under American
and foreign registries.
In the mid- l 990s, the governContinued on page 4
Union Welcomes
Allied's Sea Raven
The SIU recently gained new jobs when Norfolk, Va.-based Allied
Transportation Co. added the articulated tug and barge Sea Raven to its
fleet.
The unit carries a crew of eight. It transports chemicals to and from
ports between the Gulf Coast and New York.
Allied acquired the vessel approximately one year ago. The tug
underwent "mostly cosmetic" repairs in Norfolk, while the barge "was
rebuilt in Baltimore," noted Jeffrey Parker, vessel operations manager
at Allied.
The Sea Raven has a 24,000-ton carrying capacity. It is 530 feet
long, with a 76-foot beam and a 7,200 hp engine.
USNS Charlton Signals New Jobs for Seafarers
The USNS Charlton, a new roll-on/roll-off
(RO/RO) ship which soon will be crewed by SIU
members, is slated for sea trials in April.
The 950-foot vessel was approximately 85 percent complete as of late January. San Diego-based
National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in December conducted a ceremony during
which the vessel was released into the harbor.
One of 14 new builds scheduled as part of an initiative to bolster U.S. sealift capability, the USNS
Charlton has 390,000 square feet of cargo space. It
will be assigned to the U.S. Military Sealift
Command (MSC), carrying prepositioned U.S.
Army equipment, vehicles and supplies to key locations worldwide.
As with most of the other recent new builds in
the strategic sealift program, the USNS Charlton is
named in memory of a Medal of Honor recipient.
U.S. Army Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton is a
posthumous recipient of the U.S. Army Medal of
Honor for his heroic actions during battle in Korea
in 1952.
The keynote speaker at the christening was
Major General Mario F. Montero Jr., U.S. Army
assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics. Other
speakers included Rep. Brian Bilbray, (R-Calif.);
Vice Admiral Gordon S. Holder, commander of
MSC; Rear. Admiral Dennis Gilbert Morral, U.S.
Navy program executive officer for expeditionary
warfare; and Richard H. Vortmann, president of
NASSCO.
February 2000
Among those crewing the 530foot unit are (above) AB/ Tankerman Gary Reynolds, (below) AB
William Hudgins Jr. and (bottom)
Cook/OS Robert Mathews.
Seafarers will crew the USNS Charlton later this
year. The prepositioning ship is the newest vessel in
MSC's fleet.
The articulated tug and barge
Sea Raven, a chemical carrier,
represents new employment opportunities for Seafarers.
Seafarers LOB
3
�SIU1s Baltimore Nall
Relocating to Essex St.
Sea-Land Seafarers Welcome Sacco, Tellez
Seafarers in Baltimore can look forward to a new SIU hall opening there sometime this spring.
The facility, located on Essex Street, will replace the current
hall, located on East Baltimore Street. It is a one-story buiJding with
a loft office in the back.
Most recentJy used as an art studio, the structure is 2,400 square
feet. It is situated in a more modem and generally more appealing
area than the existing hall.
Modifications to the newly acquired property are needed to
facilitate efficient operations. They are being scheduled through the
Baltimore Building Trades, AFL-CIO.
SIU members aboard the Sea-Land Express (top photo) and the Sea-Land Quality (two photos
below) recently welcomed SIU President Michael Sacco and SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez aboard
the ships in Port Elizabeth, N.J. The union officials and crew members discussed the proposed SIUNMU merger and other issues affecting Seafarers' livelihoods. Sacco is pictured fourth from the left
in photo above. Tellez second from left.
SMPPP Administrator Provides Plan Update
Editors note: The following
article was written by Lou Delma,
administrator of the Seafarers
Money Purchase Pension Plan. It
is an update for plan participants.
As we begin the new century,
the SMPPP is taking steps necessary to send year-end account
summaries to all participants. As
always, these summaries will be
in the mail before the end of
March.
Meanwhile, we thought it
would be a good time to recap
exactly how the plan works and,
in the process, hopefully answer
any questions that still might
remain on this plan.
As you probably know, the
plan has only been around since
June 1996. Since its inception, the
number of participants has
jumped to nearly 5,400 participants at year-end.
Plan assets, including both
realized and unrealized income,
are over $6.2 million. During the
3.5 years that have passed, the
plan has received more than $5.8
million in employer contributions
with another $52,000 in participant contributions.
The plan is pleased to
announce once again that our
investment manager, Morgan
Stanley Dean Witter, has reported
that annualized earnings on the
account are 12.86 percent with a
total return from inception
through December 31, 1999 of
34.36 percent. Although those
numbers are unaudited, they
reflect an accurate representation
of how the account is doing.
While the plan continues to
grow, we have been successful in
keeping expenses in check as
operating expenses directly attributable to the plan are approximately 4.2 percent.
Earnings on the account will
be distributed to participants
based on each individual participant's account total, as it compares to the overall account total
on a percentage basis. Expenses
directly related to this account are
allocated to each participant in the
Marine Cooks & Stewards
Pension Increases by 14o/o
The Board of Trustees of the
Marine Cooks & Stewards
(MCS) Supplementary Pension
Plan recently approved the following benefit improvements, as
recommended by the plan actuary:
• Effective January 1, 2000, all
present and future pensioners
or pensioners' beneficiaries
will receive a 14 percent benefit increase.
• All current MCS Supplementary Pension Plan pensioners or pensioners' beneficiaries will receive a one-time
lump sum payment of $500.
4
Seafarers LOB
Both the lump sum payment
and the 14 percent adjustment
will be included with each eligible participant's pension check
issued no later than February
2000.
The letter sent last month to
plan participants noting the aforementioned benefits, also pointed
out that "all future applications
for the MCS Supplementary
Pension Benefit must be submitted to Plan headquarters at 5201
Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD
20746. This change will not have
any effect on the issuance of
monthly benefits in the future."
plan equally.
For example, let's assume the
total account was valued at $5
million and the account was to
earn 10 percent or $500,000. Let's
further assume that participant Z
had $5,000 deposited in his or her
name. Since $5,000 is .1 percent
of the total account, that participant would earn .1 percent of the
$500,000 earned or $500.00.
Furthermore, if plan expenses
amount to $200,000, based on
5,400 participants, each participant account would be charged
approximately $37.00.
Direct contributions to the plan
for an established account are permissible; however, the plan cannot accept contributions in excess
of 10 percent of a participant's
gross annual income. For this reason, it is difficult to accept a
deposit from an individual without detailed information, because
when the payment is received we
Likely have no way to tell if the
payment exceeds that 10 percent
maximum allowable by law.
However, payments will be
accepted if they are accompanied
by a current pay voucher verifying that the contribution is within
the guidelines. As always, payments through a vacation deduction can be made by signing the
required authorization form
which can be obtained at any port
or writing to the Plan Office.
All participants should have
received a Summary Plan
Description Booklet. If you do not
have one or would Like a new one,
please contact the Plan Office at
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs,
MD 20746. For account balance
inqumes please call Basil
Castrovinci, Associates at 1-800485-3703. For all other inquiries
on the Plan, please contact the
Plan at above address or call 301899-0675 .
Mobile Of I icial Harold
Fischer Passes Away
Longtime Mobile, Ala. port
official Harold Fischer passed
away on September 4, 1999 following an extended illness. He
was 83 years old.
Brother Fischer joined the
SIU as a charter member in
December 1938 in his native
Mobile. His book number was
Fl.
After sailing in the engine
room, he came ashore in 1943
to work in the Mobile hall. He
served in the Army from 1944
to 1946, then returned to the
SIU as an official in the southern Alabama port.
Except for a stint in San
Francisco from 1950 to 1953,
Brother Fischer was assigned to
Mobile until his retirement in
1978.
"He was not just liked by the
members of this port, he was
revered," recalled SIU Mobile
Port Agent Ed Kelly. "He would
do anything for anybody."
His widow, Nellie, told the
Seafarers LOG how grateful she
Harold Fischer
was when many Mobile-area
attended
Brother
retirees
Fischer's funeral. "There were
so many of them, I couldn't
believe it. They even wrote a
special tribute to him which one
member read. He definitely was
a union man," Mrs. Fischer
said.
Besides Mrs. Fischer, he was
survived by his daughter, three
grandchildren and two great
grandchildren. He was buried at
Pine Crest Cemetery in Mobile.
MarAd Changes Way of Counting U.S. Vessels
Continued from page 2
Other Topics
He noted with pride the effort
under way to build two new passenger ships in an American yard.
(These are the two American
Classic Voyages ships announced
in the April 1999 issue of the
Seafarers LOG, which will sail in
the Hawaiian trades under the
United States Lines' banner.)
He said MarAd is working
with the rest of the Transportation
Department to implement a blueprint to meet the nation's transportation needs by the year 2020.
He reminded the audience,
which included his predecessor
retired Admiral Albert Herberger,
of the many Title XI loan guarantees issued by MarAd during the
1990s for vessel construction and
shipyard modernization.
Finally, Hart proclaimed safety would remain "our North Star"
within the industry.
"We should all be proud of the
exacting safety and environmental standards that our nation
demands of the maritime industry
in shipbuilding and repair, in
operations on the sea and the
waterways.
"America has the best
mariners and finest ships and
shipyard personnel in the world.
Maritime Issues on Congressional Agenda
Continued from page 3
ment funded the program at $50
million, which equates to $1 billion in new construction. However, the U.S. Maritime Administration budgeted only $6 million for Title XI in Fiscal Year
2000 and is proposing the same
amount for FY 2001.
Congressional retirements made
news during the holiday recess.
Among the Legislators announcing
they would not run for reelection
was Rep. Herbert Bateman. The
nine-term Virginia Republican, a
longtime supporter of the U.S.-flag
fleet, is the chairman of the House
Merchant Marine Panel within
the Armed Services Committee.
The chair of the House Merchant
Marine Panel, Rep. Herbert
Bateman (R-Va.), announced he
would retire at the end of this session of Congress.
February 2000
�Union Membership Increases Again
New Data Shows Largest Growth in 20 Years
More and more workers are
saying, "Union, yes!"
Union membership increased
by more than 265,000 in 1999,
according to figures released
January 19 by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics. That marks the
largest annual membership
growth in more than 20 years.
The number ofunion members
in the U.S. increased from 16.21
million to 16.48 million. In addition, the percentage of U.S. workers who have a union remained
steady at 13.9 percent, reversing a
trend of decline and despite
strong overall job creation.
Union membership increased
by 112,493 in the private sector,
nearly double the size of the only
other such annual increase in two
decades. The 1999 private sector
growth eclipsed the entire 1998
union membership growth of
l 01,000 public and private sector
workers.
The percentage of private sector workers who have a union
also remained statistically steady,
stopping the decline since 1978.
"We're turning the corner, but
we're not at our destination yet,"
said AFL-CIO President John J.
Sweeney. "Today's data indicate
that our renewed emphasis on
helping working people form
unions is having an impact. Our
challenge for the future is to
remain focused and to broaden
our efforts. It's crucial for unions
to continue to grow if working
men and women are going to
have a stronger voice in the issues
that matter to them most."
Indy Makes History
At Pearl Harbor Yard
Following two weeks in dry dock, the SS Independence resumes its
week-long cruises to five ports of call in the Hawaiian islands.
The SIU-crewed SS Independence underwent routine maintenance
last month in Hawaii, but in one respect the upkeep proved momentous.
The cruise ship became the first commercial vessel ever in a regularly scheduled dry dock at the U.S. Navy's Pearl Harbor complex. In
1985, the SIU-crewed SS Constitution (the sister ship of the
Independence) was docked there for emergency repairs.
SIU-contracted shipowner American Classic Voyages said the twoweek tune-up benefited the company, the Navy and the State of
Hawaii.
"A local docking means that the Independence does not lose a week
of service in transit to and from the U.S. mainland for repairs, as it did
in 1997. The U.S. Navy leases a dock that would otherwise have been
idle, and local workers and suppliers benefit from the project's positive
economic impact," the company stated in a press release.
The inspection and repairs employed 700 Hawaii workers.
Launched in 1951, the Independence was refurbished in 1994 and
1997.
An American Classic Voyages subsidiary, United States Lines, later
this year is scheduled to launch the reflagged and modified Patriot.
The company also has contracted for two new l,900-passenger cruise
ships slated for service in 2003 and 2004, respectively. All of those
vessels will be crewed by Seafarers.
Union Squashes Y2K Bug
SIU headquarters, which
includes the union plans and
accounting departments (among
others), apparently went unaffected by the once-dreaded Y2K bug.
Management information systems (MIS) personnel at the
Camp Springs, Md. facility long
ago initiated preventive measures
aimed at thwarting potential Y2K
problems. Those steps included
installing various Y2K compliant
software, reworking the phone
system and modifying the internal mechanics of the medical
claims system.
"Thus far, we haven't experienced any .Y2K problems whatsoever," said Wally Schmidt, the
union's MIS director, in midJanuary. "We're reasonably confident that if anything pops up in
February 2000
the next few weeks, it will be
very minor."
The Y2K bug stems from the
widespread use of two digits,
rather than four, to signify the
year in some software applications, hardware chips and computer databases (for example,
12/22/99). Programmers, information specialists and many others had warned of potential difficulties in the year 2000 when the
year is "00" and some computer
based systems cannot differentiate it from 1900.
According to news reports,
most Y2K glitches through early
January had been fairly minor.
But that success came at a costworldwide, literally billions of
dollars were spent on preventive
Y2K efforts.
The federation of trade unions,
to which the SIU is affiliated,
pointed out that much of the
growth was due to more workers
forming unions in the last few
years, and some was due to
growth in the economy.
At least 600,000 workers organized unions in 1999, according
to internal AFL-CIO and affiliate
union data-an increase of more
than 25 percent over 1998. Some
unions had their best organizing
year in recent history. Nearly
50,000 workers joined both the
UAW and the IBEW, for example, and more than 150,000
joined SEIU.
Some of those gains are offset
by retirements, plant relocations
or closures, and other factors.
Similarly, AFL-CIO Organizing
Director Kirk Adams pointed out
that in order to continue growing
(as a percentage of the work
force) in a rapidly expanding
economy, unions must organize
between 500,000 and a million
workers per year.
In some sectors, last year's
growth represents a combination
of organizing and an increase in
union jobs. In construction, for
instance, union density has been
dropping since the 1960s, but
showed an increase from 17 .8 to
19.1.
Union membership in the public sector also grew by 152,788.
The percentage of public sector
workers who have a union
decreased slightly, from 37.5 percent to 37.3 percent.
More workers are forming
unions because they want a say in
issues that affect them at work,
such as wages, benefits and working conditions, according to
recent polling and reports from
organizing campaigns.
"As low-wage, service and
temporary jobs increase, many
Americans find themselves without benefits or a steady paycheck," the federation noted.
"Unions are a way for workers to
tum that trend around and ensure
they gain in prosperous times."
Census Will Impact Congress, States
At Stake: Assigning $185 Billion in Annual Federal Funds
Election Day isn't the only
period this year that promises a
deep and broad impact on
American politics.
The 2000 census, commencing April I, will be the basis for
reapportionment next year of
seats in the U.S. Congress and in
state and local legislative districts. Based on population shifts,
some states as well as their legislative districts may gain or lose
representation.
Census data also is used in
allocating approximately $185
billion in federal funds each year
-money earmarked for such
projects as road and transportation planning, school construetion, housing development and
dozens more. Additionally, local
governments and businesses use
the information.
The U.S. Constitution requires
a nationwide census every 10
years. All census information
submitted by individuals is confidential and is not shared with any
other agencies.
There are two types of census
forms: short and long. The short
form asks seven questions and
takes about 10 minutes to complete, according to the Census
Bureau. Approximately 83 percent of households receive the
short form.
The rest receive the long form,
covering 34 subjects and requiring 40 minutes or so to complete.
Census Schedule*
Mid-March: Deliver census questionnaires
April 1: Census Day
March-May 2000: census takers visit
housing units in rural and remote areas
to drop off and/or pick up forms
Late April-Early July 2000: census takers
visit housing units that did not return census forms
October-November 2000: All field work
completed
December 31, 2000: Apportionment
counts delivered to the president
April 1, 2001: All$tates receive redistricting counts
*Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Shipboard Seatarers Can Be Counted
As was the case IO years ago, SIU members who
are aboard ship on Census Day (April 1) may identify "home" as a place ashore or the vessel itself.
According to the Census Bureau, "Crews of U.S.
flag merchant vessels engaged in inland waterway
transportation are counted at their usual onshore residence (the place where they live and sleep most of
the time when they are onshore).
"Crews of U.S. flag merchant vessels docked in a
U.S. port or sailing from one U.S. port to another
U.S. port are counted at their usual onshore residence
if they report one (the place where they live and sleep
most of the time when they are onshore) or otherwise
on the vessel."
I
Unlike in 1990, however, mariners aboard ships
sailing to, from or between foreign ports will not be
counted as part of the U.S. overseas population. This
change essentially was made because of logistical
difficulties in counting all U.S. citizens overseas (not
just mariners).
Those mariners sailing to, from or between foreign ports will be counted at their usual onshore residence if they report one, or otherwise on the vessel.
The bureau was scheduled to mail census materials by late January or early this month to U.S.-flag
shipping lines, in sufficient quantities . to provide
every mariner (and passenger) with a chance to be
counted.
Former SUP President Dempster Passes Away
Paul Dempster, former president of the
Seafarers- affi 1i a ted
Sailors' Union of the
Pacific (SUP), passed
away December 17 in a
Concord, Calif. hospital.
He was 71.
Paul
Dempster
Dempster served as
SUP president from 1978
to 1990. He also had been president of
the San Francisco Central Labor Council
and the San Francisco AFL-CIO Port
Maritime Council of the Maritime Trades
Department.
He joined the SUP in 1949 and sailed
as a bosun and AB.
"Paul was a down-to-earth, reliable
guy who was very strong in negotiations," stated retired SIU Vice President
West Coast George McCartney.
Dempster, a native of Hawaii, served
in the U.S. Marine Corps during World
War II.
He is survived by his wife of37 years;
his daughter; two sisters; and three
grandchildren.
According to Dempster's wishes, his Retired SIU VP West Coast George McCartney (right)
ashes were scattered at sea from the deck serves as a pallbearer at Paul Dempster's funeral
December 23 in Concord, Calif.
of the Matsonia.
Seafarers LOG
5
�Quam Connects with Apprentice Program
Territory's Gov't Seeks Employment Boost
Residents of the westernmost
United States territory will have
an enhanced opportunity to begin
a career in the U.S. merchant
manne.
The government of Guam,
working with the SIU and the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education, is establishing a recruitment system
designed to facilitate Guamanians' enrollment in the center's
unlicensed apprentice program.
This endeavor is very similar to
one in which Alaska has participated since 1997.
In carefully examining the
benefits of such a partnership
between the territory, the union
and the school (located in Piney
Point, Md.), Guam Governor Carl
T.C. Gutierrez- along with several other Guam officials--extensively toured the Paul Hall Center
in late December. U.S. Rep.
Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), whose district includes the training facility,
also took part in the tour.
In mid-January, an estimated
1,000 Guamanians attended a
seminar on the island about the
unlicensed apprentice program.
(Guam's population is approximately 155,000.)
The program's curriculum is
divided into three phases. During
the first segment, which lasts 12
weeks and takes place at the
school , students receive classroom and hands-on training that
covers basic seamanship and
familiarization skills.
During the second phase,
apprentices serve aboard US.flag merchant vessels for a mini-
mum of 90 days. That span is
divided into thirds, allowing students to work in all three departments.
Finally, students return to the
school for the third stage, which
involves
department-specific
training. Upon graduation, the
Seafarer is shipped out to work as
either an ordinary seaman, wiper
or steward assistant.
Open since 1967, the school
offers not only entry-level training, but also more advanced
vocational upgrading courses for
experienced mariners. It also provides academic support and features a college degree program.
The Paul Hall Center last year
opened a state-of-the-art fire
fighting and safety school near
the main campus.
Among those accompanying
Governor Gutierrez last month to
Piney Point were the following
Guam officials: Attorney General
John Tarantino; Senator Eloy
Bermudes (a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former executive manager of the Guam Port
Authority); Joe T. San Agustin,
administrator of base realignment
and closure; and Jerry Yingling,
executive manager of the Guam
International Airport Authority.
Discussing the school's 33-year history as a major employer in southern Maryland are (from left facing camera) Guam Governor Carl T.C.
Gutierrez, Paul Hall Center VP Don Nolan, and U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer
(D-Md.) during a late December tour.
The opening last year of the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety
School (below), part of the Paul Hall Center, has proven extremely beneficial for numerous classes, including the unlicensed apprentice curriculum. Observing a demonstration December 27 at the modern campus are (from left) U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Guam Governor Carl
T.C. Gutierrez, Paul Hall Center Safety Director Jim Hanson and Guam
Senator Eloy Bermudes.
THEY SHOULD KNOW: While researching the program, Guam officials chatted with students enrolled in the
Paul Hall Center's unlicensed apprentice program.
Reminder
As part of the existing standard freightship and tanker contracts,
Seafarers may qualify for an extra vacation day per month.
However, the contracts department reminds SIU members that in
order to obtain this benefit, they must secure and compfete a "tour of
duty" form when signing off the vessel. This one-page form, available
aboard the ship, should be signed by the master with the ship's seal.
It is the member's responsibility to keep the form until filing for vacation benefits.
The extra vacation day will be paid to any eligible SIU member
who successfully completes his or her tour of duty without injury or
illness and who files the correct paperwork. If the Seafarer already
has collected some vacation pay prior to successfully completing his
or her tour, then the extra day will be awarded on the last vacation
check, once he or she completes the assignment and meets the verification requirements.
Notice
Mobile Hosts Feb. 25 Ceremony
Honoring Memory of Leon Hall
CG Sets Drug Test Rate
At 50 Percent for Y2K
The U.S. Coast Guard recently announced that it will maintain a
minimum random drug testing rate of 50 percent for merchant vessel
crew members throughout this year. The agency reported that the
1998 results (the most recent available when determining the 2000
standard) were positive 1.68 percent of the time.
Federal regulations require marine employers to conduct random
drug testing programs for covered crew members on inspected and
uninspected vessels.
6
Seafarers LOG
Leon Hall
Active and retired Seafarers along with their
families and friends are invited to a February 25
dedication at the SIU hall in Mobile, Ala. in memory of the late SIU Vice President Leon Hall.
Refreshments will be provided.
Hall passed away in 1992 at age 72.
The ceremony's starting time had not been determined as this issue of the Seafarers LOG went to
press. Please check with the Mobile hall at (205)
4 78-0916 for more information.
February 2000
�Among those pictured aboard the LNG Aquarius in Japan are Chief
Cook G. Williams, SA Joseph Welle, P. Kasim, SA C. Washington, AB
J. O'Shaughnessy and Bosun Zaine Basir.
Applying muscle to their task are Recertified Bosun Jamie Miller (right) and two ABs aboard the USNS Sisler.
Servicing Se0;[arers Overseas
Crews Discuss Merger,
Otherl01portantlssues
The proposed merger of the SIU and NMU was a hot topic aboard the
LNG Taurus during a recent shipboard meeting. Among those attending are (from left) QMED M. Hill, QMED J. Orr, GUDE Norman
Barbosa, Recertified Steward Judi Chester, Recertified Bosun Dan
Marcus and AB D. Bates.
SIU crews in Japan, Singapore, Diego Garcia
and other overseas ports welcomed SIU
Representative Steve Ruiz to their respective ships
throughout the month of December.
Ruiz met with Seafarers aboard the eight LNG
ships (Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Gemini, Leo,
Libra, Taurus and Virgo); on the Buffalo Soldier,
American Cormorant and Cape Jacob; and aboard
the USNS vessels Potomac, Anderson, Phillips,
Watson, Baugh, Yano, Sisler, Shughart and
Gilliland
"The main thing on the crews' minds was the
merger, and an overwhelming majority gave a very
As was the case aboard many other SIUcontracted ships, the steward department
on the James Anderson worked to create
a homey holiday atmosphere at sea.
Helping get the job done are SA B.
Fermin, SA Ibrahim Taha, SA E. Alaa,
Chief Steward M. Watts, Assistant Cook
M. Walter and GUDE A. Mohamed.
Prepositioned in Diego Garcia, the Pvt. Franklin Phillips is a good feeder thanks to the galley gang that includes Chief Steward James Kidd,
Chief Cook A. Mohammed, Cook/Baker C. Jones, SA C. Nunez-Avila,
SAM. Thomas and others.
February 2000
positive response," noted Ruiz, referring to the proposed merger of the SIU and the National Maritime
Union (see story, page 2).
"They all seemed very happy to see a union official on the ships," he added.
Other subjects discussed among Ruiz and the
crews included the Alaska Tanker Co., the reflagging of the LNG ships, and the various new vessels
coming under SIU contract.
"The LNG crews gave a vote of thanks" to SIU
President Michael Sacco and SIU VP Contracts
Augie Tellez, Ruiz added.
Posing for a photo aboard ttie USNS Potomac in
Singapore are SA Liana McKinney, SA Luis Gonzalez,
Chief Steward Norman Cox, Bosun Sean Ryan and Chief
Cook Pamala Hagler.
Left: Chief Electrician Ronald Paradise
(left) and Bosun Edwin Rivera attend the
meeting aboard the Phillips.
SIU Representative Steve Ruiz answers Seafarers' questions aboard the Cape Jacob. Listening are Chief Cook
Marco Guevara, Oiler Gregory Carroll, ABT. O'Brien and
AB R. Trainor.
SERVICE WITH A SMILE: Aboard the LNG
Capricorn (from left), Chief Cook Rafael
Cardenas, SA Gloria Melluish and SA Antonio
Perez welcome a camera-toting guest.
Seafarers LOS
7
�Sea -arers
Celebrate
Holidays
Steward Departments
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
FROM STEWARD DEPT
MN MARlNE COLUMBIA
THUR NOV 25 1999
COMMANDING OFFICER CAPT JOHN T SCOGGINS
ME N U
B R E A K F A S T
CHILLED FRUI JUICES
SLICED FRESH FRUITS
ASSORTED COLD CEREALS BREAKFAST POTATOES
BREAKFAST PASTRIES
EGGS COOKED TO ORDER
FRENCH TOAST
HOT CAKES
GRJLLED BACON
GRJLLED HAM
HOT GRITS
HOT OATMEAL
CHOICE OF OMELETTES
EGGS BENEDICT
(HAM BAC CHEESE ONIO PEPPER CRAB) EGGNOG
Pictured from left to right, SA Othman Saleh,
Steward/Baker James Dunne and Chief Cook John
Huyett offer a Thanksgiving meal featuring traditional
dishes and more.
Marine Col11mbia
Give Extra Effort
To Provide
U NCH
AND MANY HAPPY RETURNS
FROM JOHN &JIM &OTTMAN
Scrumptious
Shipboard Fare
As Thanksgiving gave way to Christmas
and New Year's Day, SIU steward departments continually utilized their skills, creativity and enthusiasm in preparing holiday feasts
for fellow crew members.
Several of those vessels contacted the
Seafarers LOG to commend the respective
galley gangs. Some of the photos they submitted, along with others from the holidays, are
shown on this page and the next one.
L
FRENCH ONION SOUP W/CH/ CROUTONS
ASSORTED COLD SALADS&MIXED RELISHES
SHRIMP & CRAB COCTAILS
ROASTED TURKEY W/DRESSING & GRAVY
BAKED HAM W/FRUIT SAUCE
RICE PILAFF GLAZED YAMS MASHED POTATO
GREEN PEAS SUMMER SQUASH
BROCCOLI
HOT COFFEE COLD MILK FRUIT DRINK HOT TEA
PECAN PIE
PUMPKIN PIE
JELLO
PUDDING
PETITS FOURS HARD CANDY
ASSORTED NUTS
DINNER
LEFT OVERS FROM LUNCH
PLUS ROASTED PRIME RIB WIAU JUS
Pictured on deck is
Bosun Greg Hamilton.
Chief Pumpman Ron Gordon works up an
appetite while helping keep the equipment
operating.
Steward/Baker Dunne (right photo) is in a dicey situation while SA Saleh has an idea for
decorating the treetop.
Sulphur Enterprise
SAVE
ROOM
FOR
DESSERT: Bosun Tony
Sabatini enjoys Thanksgiving dinner.
Recertified Bosun Marvin Zimbro
lends a hand during meal preparation.
Fist-size shrimp were on the Thanksgiving
menu.
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Credit for the Thanksgiving goodies on the Sulphur
Enterprise goes to (from left) Chief Cook Jimmy Cordova,
Steward/Baker Nee Tran and SA Trinidad Sanchez.
8
Seafarers LOG
:;R!
Mn..PKf!Th.
:~~
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~n\ll'i.-Ab DDART~i"-"'158Jfll(;
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Eyeing the menu choices are DEU Justin Ravnell (left) and
Recertified Bosun Marvin Zimbro.
February 2000
�Wilmington
Sharing holiday sentiments aboard
Matson's Manulani are (from left) SA
Tim Ellis, Port Agent John Cox and
Chief Steward Lorraine Brayman.
Each Christmas, a large,
bearded man in a red and
white hat visits Seafarers in
Wilmington, Calif.-usually
several hours after Santa
makes his rounds. Port Agent
John Cox (pictured in these
four shots) continued the tradition in 1999.
Pictured from left to right are
AB Herman Moningka, Port
Agent John Cox and Captain
Bruno Kalmeta.
Crowley Seafarers Engine Utility Deso Hrboka, AB
Mike Privette, Mate Hank Scott and Mate Barry
Schuffels welcome their jolly visitor.
On the Sea-Land Patriot are (from left) Electrician Bozidar Baul,
AB John Emrich, AB Mitchell Santana, AB Matt Bevak, Port
Agent John Cox, Bosun Bobby Garcia, AB Ray Vicari and AB
Don Hamrick.
GI bal
Mariner
More than 100 people, including crew members, company officials and
guests, turned out for the Christmas luncheon aboard the cable ship
Global Mariner. Chief Steward Lanette Lopez (behind the camera)
worked with (from left) SA Syed Murtaza, Chief Cook Antony Bach, SA
Suzanne Santora, SA Husain Salah and Cook/Baker Walter Schoppe
as well as Bosun Thor Young and Splicer/Joiner Nelson Poe in readying the succulent cuisine.
ITB Philadelphia
No SIU-crewed ship may
have faced more difficult circumstances near the holidays
than the !TB Philadelphia.
As noted in letters from AB
John Bellinger and Captain
Nicholas Colavito (see page
20), the vessel engaged in a
challenging voyage delivering food aid (37,000 tons of
grain) from Portland to two
ports in North Korea.
Because of various unforeseen difficulties, "the disBosun Terry Cowans (left) and
charge took 30 days, longer AB John Bellinger eagerly anticiby far than was projected,"
pate the Thanksgiving spread.
noted Bellinger, who provided these photos. "During the
entire stay, communication
was severely restricted. The
strain was especially great
on the steward department,
as the Philadelphia carried
seven extra people to operate
the machinery for the discharge.
"Additionally, large
groups of customs and
immigration officials as well
as officials from the port
often arrived with little
notice, and expected to be
Cook/Baker Mohamed Hussein
fed."
(right) and Chief Steward
The ship left Korea a few Thurman Johnson ready the
days before Thanksgiving,
meal.
and crew members "enjoyed
a spectacular Thanksgiving dinner, due in large part to
the creativity and squirreling ability of Chief Steward
Thurman Johnson and Cook/Baker Mohamed
Hussein, wrote Bellinger.
"This will be Mohamed's last voyage. The officers and
crew presented him with a certificate of appreciation and
a modest cash gift to express their gratitude for his fine
work under trying circumstances. Mr. Hussein is such a
fine baker that when the bread from shore finally ran out,
the quality of life aboard actually improved, as delicious
fresh breads, rolls, pastries and cookies rolled forth from
Mo's oven. Lucky are we who sailed with him, and we
wish him happiness on the beach.
"Also, the entire crew has shown once again that long
hours and difficult straits do not slow down American
merchant mariners."
Sea-Land
Patriot
Beef Wellington is one
of many holiday menu
choices on the SeaLand Patriot.
RUDOLPH'S GOT NOTHIN' ON THIS ONE: Unlicensed Apprentice
Justin Baker (class No. 597) puts the final touch on temporarily rednosed Brooke Dement at a holiday gathering inside the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and Education, in Piney Point, Md.
February 2000
Seafarers LOG
9
�Pensioner James M Smith
joined the SIU in Baltimore in
August 1939, right out of the
l"YT.......,,--.r.........,,......,...TT""".._ Marine Corps
as a corporal
and as an
expert of 50caliber
machine guns.
He sailed during WWII, the
Korean conJ. Melford Smith flict and the
early part of
the Vietnam
war and upgraded at the union s
school in Brooklyn to third assistant engineer.
This article recounts a voyage
he took in 1942 aboard the SS
Alcoa Pathfinder.
alking down the dimly lit
dock at midnight, I could
hear the hum of the generators through the steel hull of the
ship while I was still 100 yards
away. The ship was loaded down
almost to her plimsol marks, so the
gangway had only a slight incline.
Carrying my sea bag and tool
kit, I went up the narrow gangway
to the deck. At the top of the gangway, the mate had posted the sailing board with a sailing time of
0500 and the date: 2/28/42.
Stepping onto the deck, I was
stopped short by a strong odor that
had been long forgotten- the
smell of horse manure! I must be
dreaming, I thought. With a war
going on, we couldn't possibly be
carrying a load of horse manure to
some port overseas. Maybe some
general or admiral had started a rose
garden somewhere and was using
his clout to get some fertilizer.
Casting aside such disrespectful
thoughts about our fearless leaders,
I walked aft on the port side and
discovered the farm-like odor was
coming from a dozen wooden
stalls lashed securely on deck.
They contained four thoroughbred
horses and eight cows. For an old
Ohio farm boy, this was truly a
sight to behold! I had milked my
share of cows and spent more time
than I cared to admit looking at the
south end of horses going north. I
never expected to be so closely
associated with them while plying
my trade as a seagoing electrician
in the U.S. merchant marine.
I had signed on at the United
States Shipping Commissioner's
office the previous afternoon, but
this was my first time aboard this
new type of vessel. It was called a
C-1 A cargo ship and was just a
year old. The ship had no guns,
and her only defense against attack
was a speed of 16 knots. On this
run there were no armed escorts
available.
Although America at times has
prided herself on being a major
maritime nation, we have never
had a national maritime policy.
Except during periods when our
nation was at war, our leaders have
allowed our merchant marine to
deteriorate almost to the point of
non-existence.
But in 1942, we were in a state
of national emergency, and there
was a mad scramble to build and
crew ships to supply the armed
forces. The enemy was sinking
them far faster than they could be
built, and we were losing the experienced seamen to man them.
Along the East Coast, the lights of
the cities were being used by
German submarine crews to silhouette our ships, making them easy
targets. Our losses were appalling.
Locating the electrician's cabin,
I found it was well furnished but
W
10
Seafarers LOG
like that!" We both dashed for the
was taking care of the animals,
had only one 18-inch port that
making sure they had food and
engine room. I flipped the main
opened on the after deck and a
water and cleaning their stalls. He
lighting breakers and the ship went
small electric fan. I thought, this
had an endorsement on his seadark.
son-of-a-gun is going to be a hot
The German U-boat lay off the
man's certificate that I had never
one!
heard of: Cattleman. A seagoing
harbor and fired at us for 15 minutes
I had been told at the union hall
before the local armed forces got
cowboy! It was something he did
that the ship was hauling bauxite
their coast defense guns in action
from Dutch Guiana on the coast of "off watch" and was paid overtime
and drove them off. The Nazi gun
accordingly.
South America to the port of
I felt very uneasy about sailing
crew was aiming primarily at the
Mobile, Ala. Bauxite is a gray,
oil tanks and refinery at the edge of
in those submarine-infested waters
dusty, gritty mineral that is the
with the animals. One look at their
town and except for that first round,
main ingredient in making alularge brown, trusting eyes and the
none of them came close. By late
minum. When loading and disthought of what would happen if
the next afternoon, the local longcharging bauxite, the dust covers
shoremen had gotten the cargo
the entire ship. The ventilation fans we got hit made me first angry,
then sad. We humans were responashore, we had cast off the mooring
must be shut down to protect the
lines and were sailing around the
sible for the present conditions and
machinery, but the bauxite gets in
Venezuelan coast to La Guaira.
your food, your hair and your nose. could take care of ourselves. For
As we rounded the peninsula,
the horses and cows confined in
If you are sweating, you soon look
staying close inshore, I was
like a gray ghost.
their stalls, their terror and panic
would be ended only by their death informed by the engineer on watch
It was a miserable cargo to
that there was a smell of burning
transport but a vital one for the war by drowning. I vowed that if we
insulation near the main switcheffort. I had never refused a job
survived this voyage, I would get
another ship as I did not want to be board. I soon located the problem
becau e of the conditions or danand found a circuit breaker that
gers, and I had sailed on some real
around when that happened.
was overheated. It was one of the
rust buckets, so I stowed my gear
Captain Dumke, who had made
breakers for the steering gear
and crawled into the comfortable
this trip several times, said the
motors, which
bunk for a few
was a vital piece
hours sleep.
of equipment. I
It seemed
decided to
only a moment
change the ciruntil the oiler on
cuit breaker
watch was
immediately,
knocking on my
even though I
door saying "It's
would have to
zero four thirty
work it "hot,"
Elec, we're getwhich was 240
ting underway in
a half hour
volts.
-and the cofI removed
the defective
fee's ready." I
breaker and
mumbled thanks
installed the
and got dressed,
Often sailing unarmed, U.S.-flag cargo ships were at great risk through- new one.
buckled on my
tool belt, shoved out World War II-as evidenced in this 1942 photograph of an American Tightening the
ammo ship whose entire crew perished.
last nut, the
a flashlight in
my back pocket
wrench slipped,
and headed to
flew out of my
worst danger lay in our passage
sweating hand and landed across
the engine room to make sure the
through the Yucatan Channel, the
the bus bars which carries the main
circuit breakers for the anchor
load from the generators. The eyewindlass and the aft warping winch narrow waterway between Cuba
searing flash from the short circuit
were in the "on" position on the
and the Yucatan Peninsula. He
timed our passage through there at
blinded me temporarily and
main switchboard. They are used
night. We would go to maximum
knocked the generators off line.
by the deck gang to pull in the
speed, zigzag wildly in the dark
The ship drifted without power,
mooring lines securing the vessel
night and stay as close to shore as
and an onshore wind pushed us
to the dock.
I introduced myself to the l st
possible without running aground.
toward the rocks less than a mile
And with the fathometer offi Its
away. Our engine crew reacted
assistant engineer, who was warmquickly to the emergency, and we
ing up the engine, grabbed a cup of pinging would be heard by enemy
coffee and went up to the bow to
sound gear.
soon had the generators back on
stand by the anchor windlass conline and the ship underway again. I
Though he was a grouchy old
trols in case something should hap- cuss with never a kind word for
had almost accomplished by accipen while the ship was docking or
dent what Adm. Doenitz's subany of the mates, he stayed on the
undocking. It's a part of the job I
marines had failed to do.
bridge all night and saw us safely
enjoyed- unless it was raining.
a Guaira was a pretty little
through.
Before getting my marine electritown nestled at the foot of
Our first port of call was
the coastal mountain range.
cian's certificate, I had sailed in the Maracaibo in the Gulf of
Venezuela, where we had some
It serves as the seaport for Caracas,
deck gang as an AB after putting
general cargo to discharge. To
the capital, which is about I 0 miles
in my time as OS. Those ratings
are a holdover from the days of
enter the port, there is a narrow
by road over the steep and rugged
channel with a swinging
sail but are still used.
mountains. The Venezuelan people
bridge/gate which opens on a large
awn was breaking, and the
were very friendly toward us
lake with many oil platforms dotcity was coming to life as
"Norte Americanos."
we moved slowly out of the
ting its surface. The gate is pulled
After I finished work for the
dock area and into Mobile Bay.
open and closed by a small tugday, I walked uptown to the city
Soon we were passing Fort
boat. The port was closed from
square. There was the usual catheMorgan on the tip of Dauphin
dusk to dawn because of possible
dral on one side and a small park
Island, whose huge cannon had
enemy action.
in the center. Many of the townsfired at Admiral Farragut's fleet of
people were enjoying the evening
It was late evening and already
gunboats in 1864 when he made
dark by the time we got our ship
in the square, including some strikthat famous remark "Damn the toringly beautiful girls, most of whom
moored to the dock alongside a
pedoes, full speed ahead." Now, as
were accompanied by a chaperone.
warehouse just inside the gate.
My walk around the square was
Chief Engineer Hardwick and I
we entered the Gulf of Mexico
where the submarines of Hitler's
interrupted by a really Lovely girl
were sitting on a bench on the aft
"Thousand Year Reich" were lying
who flashed me a big smile as I
side of the deckhouse. We were
having an after-dinner smoke and
in wait for us, we could say the
strolled by. Since there was not a
talking when there was a bright
same thing.
chaperone in sight, I stopped to
We brought our ship up to full
flash of light in the outer harbor.
talk, though my Spanish was very
speed and started a zigzag course
The chief said, "I wonder what
limited.
to Maracaibo and La Guaira,
idiot is signaling to get inside the
"Hola! Senorita, Que pasa?
Venezuela. While making the fiveharbor this late at night."
Como se llama? (Hi, miss, what's
day voyage, I learned that some
Before I had a chance to reply,
happening? What's your name?)
wealthy businessman in Venezuela
there was a terrific explosion and
"Elita" she said with a sweet
the end of the warehouse disintesmile, followed by a long string of
was starting a ranch and had
Spanish. I hadn't the faintest idea
grated. The animals were crying
ordered the finest breed of animals
from the States. This was the secwhat she had said after her name,
with fear, and some shrapnel hit
ond shipment, and there were two
the stem of the ship. I said, "Chief, so I asked "Habla Englais?"
more on order. One of the sailors
She shook her head no, then
I've never heard a ship enter a port
L
D
said, "Ah leetle," and held up her
fingers pinched together.
We were soon sitting at a sidewalk cafe drinking coffee and
laughing while struggling with the
language barrier and enjoying each
other's company. After about an
hour, I indicated that it was time
for me to go (we were sailing at
dawn.) When I stood up to leave,
Elita, still chattering in Spanish,
took my arm. I caught the word
"paseo" (walk), so we started to
walk east along the beach road. It
was a beautiful spring night with a
full moon and a cool breeze from
the Caribbean. When we came to
the edge of town I said to myself,
Elita must be a country girl if she
Lives this far out of town.
After about a quarter mile she
asked me something in Spanish
that I didn't understand. We continued strolling down the road
hand in hand with Elita asking the
same question every hundred yards
or so. Finally, while I could still
see the lights of the town, I
stopped and sat down on a stone
culvert while I figured out what
she was saying. At last it became
clear to me that she did not understand that I was a seafaring person
on a ship! Elita was asking "How
much farther is it?" When we met
the next time, we laughed about it.
The next morning, heading
down the coast to Paramaribo,
Dutch Guiana, I thought, how frustrating to not be bilingual in a
hemisphere where 21 out of 23
countries speak Spanish. In India I
had Learned a little Bengali and in
the Philippines a little Tagalog
along with their Spanish. I decided
then and there to start studying
Spanish as soon as I could find a
good study book.
But as Robert Bums, the Scot
poet, said, "The best laid schemes
of mice and men gang aft agley."
Due to the exigencies of the war, I
soon found myself in the islands of
the South Pacific for the duration.
Studying Spanish had a very low
priority where each voyage was a
matter of survival. I regret that I
never did learn it. ...
aramaribo is the capital of
Surinam, which is a Dutch
colony. The buildings are
Dutch style and though English is
spoken, the main language is
Dutch. We didn't have time to go
ashore as the mine where we were
to load bauxite was 25 miles up the
Surinam River, and the river pilot
was waiting.
As we wound our way up the
river through the dense jungle,
branches and vines would sometimes scrape alongside. Monkeys
and colorful birds of all kinds
screeched and yelled at us for disturbing their habitat. It was a
unique experience for us deep sea
sailors.
The mine had a conveyor system that was extended over the
ship's holds. The powdery bauxite
poured off the concave conveyor
belt into the hold, throwing up
clouds of choking dust. The heat
was almost unbearable, but there
was a little breeze blowing up the
river so I turned in that night with
my fan sucking some of that air
into my room. During the night
the wind shifted and I awoke with
a choking sensation, unable to
breathe. Turning on a light, I discovered myself and my room completely covered with a heavy coating of bauxite dust and my fan
making it look like a Sahara dust
storm. Bauxite dust does not taste
good.
P
Continued on page 17
February 2000
�.,,
....
i
·.IIIi
,
~
.
Leap at the Chance for a College Scholarship
•
COMPLETE THE COUPON
AT RIGHT AND MAIL TO:
Scholarship Program
Seafarers Welfare Plan
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
FebTuary 2~0
Are you putting off applying
for college because you just don't
have the time-or the money?
Well, this month both those
problems may be solved! Since
this is a leap year, which means
February has an extra day, it will
give you more time to do all those
things you wished you had more
time to do.
And one of those things is to
sit down and apply for an SIU
scholarship.
Since the union began its
scholarship program in 1952,
many Seafarers and their family
members have been awarded
higher education grants and gone
on to realize their educational
goals.
This year, as in the past, the
Seafarers Welfare Plan will present seven scholarships. Three of
the awards will go directly to
Seafarers. One of these grants is
for $15,000 for use at a four-year
institution of higher learning. The
other two awards designated
specifically for SIU members are
$6,000 each for use toward two
years of study at a community
college or vocational school.
The remaining four grants will
be presented to spouses and
dependent children of Seafarers.
Each of these scholarships is for
$15,000 to study at a four-year
college or university.
quired of all applicants in order to
be considered for a scholarship.
Who Is Eligible?
Materials Needed
Scholarships are available to
Seafarers, their spouses and
dependent children (pensioners
are not eligible). Additional eligibility information may be found
in the 2000 SIU scholarship program booklet. Just fill out the
coupon below and mail it to the
address listed. Program booklets
also are available at all SIU halls.
In addition to the application
form itself, other items are re-
Transcripts and certificates of
graduation are needed, as are letters of recommendation from
individuals who have knowledge
of the applicant's character, personality and career goals; scores
from the College Entrance
Examination Board (SAT) or
American College Test (ACT)
exams; a photograph of the applicant; and a certified copy of the
applicant's birth certificate.
Deadline Nears
The completed applications
MUST be mailed and postmarked
ON or BEFORE April 15, 2000.
Those who have applied for an
SIU scholarship in the past and
were not selected are encouraged
to apply again this year, provided
they still meet all the requirements.
So ... don't let a Jack of time or
money prevent you from furthering your education. You have an
extra day this month to leap for
the chance at a scholarship. Don't
let it pass you by.
r----------------------------------------------------------------------------,
P
lease send me the 2000 SIU Scholarship Program booklet which contains eligibility information,
procedures for applying and a copy of the application form.
Mariner's Social Security Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Telephone Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
This application is for: D Self
D Dependent
Mail this completed form to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Welfare Plan,
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746
2100
L---------------------------------------------------------------------------SeafaTel'S LOG
11
�TAX TIPS FOR SEAFARERS
HOWTO PREPARE
ATAXRETURN
Step I.
Get all records together.
• Income Records. These include
any Forms W-2, W-2G and 1099.
• Itemized deductions and tax credits.
• Medical and dental payment
records.
• Real estate and personal property
tax receipts.
• Interest payment records for items
such as a home mortgage or home
equity loan.
• Records of payments for child care
so an individual could work.
Step 2.
Get any forms, schedules
or publications necessary to assist in
filing the return. IRS Publication 17
entitled "Your Federal Income Tax
for Use in Preparing 1999 Returns"
is the most comprehensive guide the
agency has issued this year. Most IRS
offices and many local banks, post
offices and libraries have publications
designed to provide individuals with
information on correctly filing tax
returns.
Step 3.
Fill in the return.
Step 4.
Check the return to
make sure it is correct.
Step 5.
Sign and date the return.
Form 1040 is not considered a valid
return unless signed. A spouse must
also sign if it is a joint return.
Step 6.
Attach all required forms
and schedules. Attach the first copy
of Copy B of Forms W-2, W-2G and
1099R to the front of the Form 1040.
Attach all other schedules and forms
behind Form 1040 in order of the
attachment sequence number. If tax
is owed, attach the payment to the
front of Form 1040 along with Form
1040-V (original only). Write name,
address, phone number, social security number and form number on your
check or money order.
Rounding Off to Whole Dollars:
Cents may be rounded off to the
nearest whole dollar on the tax
return and schedules. To do so, raise
amounts from 50 to 99 cents to the
next dollar. For example, $1.39
becomes $1 and $2.50 becomes $3.
Fast Refund:
Taxpayers are able to request
direct deposit of their tax refunds by
filling out lines 66b, 66c and 66d on
their Form 1040. Line 66b is for the
STANDARD
DEDUCIION
This is the standard deduction
chart for most people. If a taxpayer is 65 or older or blind,
there are additional standard
deductions. (Note that the personal exemption deduction is
$2,750.)
Filing
Status
Standard
Deduction
Single ........... $4,300
Married filing
joint return or
Qualifying widow(er)
with dependent
children ........ $7,200
Married filing
separate return ....$3,600
Head of household ..$6,350
bank's routing number. Line 66c
indicates the type of account, and
line 66d is the taxpayer's account
number at the bank.
When tax returns are filed electronically, a refund will be received in about
3 weeks, or in 2 weeks if it is deposited
directly into a savings or checking
account For a charge, many professional tax return preparers offer electronic filing in addition to their return
preparation services. If an individual
prepared his or her own return, a preparer or transmitter in their area can
file the return electronically. For a list of
who can file a tax retnrn electronically
in any given area, call the IRS toll-free
number, 1-800-829-1040, and ask for
the Electronic Filing Office.
WHAT ARE
CONSIDERED
DEDUCTIONS
AND CREDITS
Personal Exemption Amount: The
deduction for each exemption-for
the individual, his or her spouse and
dependents has increased to $2,750
per person. In 1999, the exemption
deduction for high income taxpayers
may be reduced or eliminated if their
adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts.
s.andardl>eWdim.Hmlncraad:
The standard deduction, or dollar
amount that reduces the amount that
is taxed, has increased for most people (see box below to the right).
Because of this increase, it may be to
an individual's benefit to take the
standard deduction this year even if
that person has itemized deductions
in the past.
Personal Interest Deductions:
For 1999, personal interest cannot be
deducted. Personal interest includes
interest on car loans, credit cards and
personal loans.
Interest on Secured Loans Deductible: Interest paid on mortgages or investments is 100 percent
deductible.
Union Dues Deduction: Union
dues, including working dues, are
deductible only if they exceed 2
percent of adjusted gross income. Hthey
do, only the portion over the 2 percent is deductible. SPAD contributions have never been deductible.
Oub Dues Deduction: No deduction is permitted for club dues; however, dues paid to professional or
public service organizations are
deductible for business reasons.
Deductions Subject to 2% of
Adjusted Groa Income: These
include investment advisory fees,
trustee's administrative fees, legal
expenses that are paid to produce taxable income, safe deposit box rental and
tax preparation fees.
Deducting WOik-Reiated &penses:
Expenses associated with a seaman's
work may be considered tax deductible. However, no expense can be
deducted for which a seaman has
been reimbursed by the employer.
Tiavel to the union hall to register or
travel to the union's designated medical facility to take the required physical and drug tests are examples of
expenses which are work-related but
not reimbursed by the company.
Members of the galley crew may
deduct the costs of knives and other
equipment they personally own but
use when on a ship performing their
work duties. The purchase of
work-related clothing and other gear,
as long as it is truly for work and not
paid for by the employer, are likely to
be considered tax-deductible.
Deducting Work-Related C',ar
Expenses: Use of a personally-owned
automobile in work-related travel can
result in deductible expenses. Two
methods can be used to compute
automobile expenses-either listing a
standard mileage rate or determining
actual cost On the tax return due
April 17 of this year, the IRS is
accepting a standard mileage rate of
32.5 cents per mile (for 1/1-3/31)
and 31 cents per mile (for 4/112/31). Parking fees and tolls can be
added when using the standard
mileage rate. If using actual expenses, information must be available on
all operating-related costs for the
vehicle, including interest, insurance,
taxes, licenses, maintenance, repairs,
depreciation, gas, oil, tolls and parking. In either the standard mileage
rate or the actual cost method of
determining car expenses, accurate
records should be kept The IRS recommends keeping a log book or
diary listing all expenses related to
travel. Only work-related expenses
not reimbursed by an employer can
be claimed.
Deducting Work-Related Meals
When 'Ihlveling: Workers in transportation are allowed a special rate
on the meal allowance of $38 per day
in the continental U.S. and $42 per day
outside the continental U.S. Otherwise
the IRS standard meal allowance is
generally $34. In some locations it is
$42, and in Hawaii and Alaska it is
computed differently. Tiavel expenses,
including meals, can only be deducted
if directly related to one's work and if they
have not been reimbursed from any
other source.
Limit on Itetni7.ed Deductions:
In 1999, itemized deductions may be
limited for individuals earning more
than $126,600 of federal adjusted
gross income (or $63,300 if married
and filing separately).
Earned Income Credit: A
refundable earned income credit
(EIC) is available to certain low
income individuals who have earned
income and meet certain adjusted
gross income thresholds. For tax year
1999, an individual does not have to
have a qualifying child to be eligible
for this credit if certain conditions are
met Different credit percentages and
phase-out percentages are provided
based on the taxpayer's income level
and the number of qualifying children
eligible, if any. The maximum credit
allowed is as follows: Taxpayers with
income less than $10,200 and no
qualifying children - $347 maximum
credit; taxpayers with income less than
$26,928 and with 1 qualifying child $2,312 maximum credit; taxpayers
with income less than $30,580 and
with 2 or more qualifying children $3,816 maximum credit. If the
earned income credit reduces the
income tax liability below zero, a
refund will be granted by the IRS.
Taxpayers should use form 1040,
schedule EI C to see if they are eligible
for the credit
Dependent's Social Security
Number: Each dependent must
have a social security number (SSN).
Individuals may get an SSN for their
dependent by filing Form SS-5 with
their
local
Social
Security
Administration office or calling the
Administration at 1-800-772-1213.
It usually takes about two weeks to
receive an SSN.
Dependent Child Credit: Effective for tax year 1999, taxpayers who
have a qualifying child who is a U.S.
citizen and for whom the taxpayer
may claim a dependency exemption
and who is less than 17 years old, are
entitled to the child tax credit The
amount of the credit is $500 per
child.
Credit for Higher Education
'IWtion: Individuals may be able to
take the "H0 PE" credit for tuition
and related expenses paid for oneself,
spouse or dependents to enroll at or
attend an eligible educational institution (i.e., college or graduate school
or vocational training). The HOPE
credit provides a maximum allowable
credit of $1,500 per student for each
of the first two years of postsecondary education. For qualified
expenses paid after January 1, 1999,
taxpayers can take the "Lifetime
Leaming Credit," that is a credit of
20 percent of qualified tuition expenses paid by the taxpayer for any
year (after that date) the HOPE credit is not claimed. This credit is not
limited to the first two years of postsecondary education. Also, no credits
are available for expenses of a student in any year that tax-free distributions from an education IRA are
used to pay the student's expenses.
Student Loan Interest: Taxpayers
may be able to deduct up to $1,500 of
interest paid after December 31, 1998
for qualified education expenses for
oneself, spouse or dependents. The
deduction is allowed in figuring
adjusted gross income.
Individual Retirement
Accounts:
• Education IRAs-Taxpayers
can contribute up to $500 each
year to an Education IRA for a person
under age 18. The contribution is not
deductible. Earnings on the contribution will be distributed tax-free provided that they are used to pay the
beneficiary's postsecondary education expenses. However, the exclusion is not available for any year in
which the HOPE credit or the
Lifetime Leaming credit is claimed.
Also, no contribution may be made
by any person for the same beneficiary during any year in which a coµtribution is made to a qualified state
tuition program.
• Roth IRAs-The maximum
total yearly contribution that can be
made by an individual to a Roth IRA
is $2,000. Roth IRAs are subject to
income limits. The maximum yearly
contribution is phased out for single
taxpayers with an Adjusted Gross
Income (AGI) between $95,000 and
$110,000, for joint filers with an AGI
between $150,000 and $160,000, and
for married filing separately with an
AGI between $0 and $10,000.
Although the contributions are not
deductible, the distributions may be
tax-free depending on when and why
they are made.
• Penalty-Free IRA Distributlons-The additional 10 percent t.ax
penalty on an early distribution
from an IRA may not apply if you
pay higher education expenses for
yourself, spouse or your children or
grandchildren. The tax also may not
TAX TIPS FOR SEAFARERS
12
Seafarers LOG
TAXTIPSFO
Presented on these two p
handy tax tips that have
mariners. Included are th
1999 and where to get
WHERETO GE
General Information:
1-800-829-1040 may be called ti
questions 24 hours a day.
Publications:
Call 1-800-829-3676 to order curr
publications.
Walk-In Help:
IRS representatives are availabl
try to help with tax questions that c:
To find the location of an IRS office
States Government, Internal Reven
Telephone Help:
The IRS is prepared to answer qu
taxpayer information service, public
can be ordered.
The federal Tele-Tax system h
about 150 topics. 1-800-829-4477 i
When calling from a touch tone ph
repeat the topic and the letter "C"
To listen to a directory of topics aftet
123. You can also check the status
This telephone service is availabl
time).
Personal Computer:
Access the IRS 's Internet Web Si
forms, instructions and publication
questions; search publications on-1'
withholding allowances using their
requests for help via e-mail; and si
news by e-mail from the IRS Digita
Send IRS Written Questions:
Written questions regarding the
District Director (listed on the tax
with the letter.
Federal law prohibits employers
from the wages of mariners workin
Specifically, the law [46 USCA
wages due or accruing to a master,
member of the crew on a vessel e
coastal, interstate or non-contiguous
provisions of the tax laws of any
wealth, or a subdivision of any of th
hibit any such withholding of the w
the coastwise trade between ports ·
pursuant to a voluntary agreement
The law, however, does not exe
taxes. Mariners, just like any other
their obligations to the government
Each state has a set of criteria
resident of that state. A seaman sho
she is unsure about residency status.
For example, in California d
California State Board of Eq
seaman-despite the fact that he
year-was a resident of the state fi
consideration the fact that the se
tained a bank account in a Califo
Additionally, each state has es
residents of that state must pay a
ual earned income from a source
Many states allo~ a credit in the
if that person has already paid taxes
If any questions arise rega
niariners should telephone t
state in which they reside.
TAXTIPSFO
February 2000
�RSEAFARERS
ges of the Seafarers LOG are
een prepared especially for
new deduction amounts for
additional information.
apply if you pay expenses related to
the purchase of a home by a firsttime homebuyer. Only $10,000 during the individual's lifetime may be
withdrawn without a penalty for this
purpose.
nt and prior year fonns, instructions and
Private Delivery Services: Tax
returns and extensions can be mailed
through private delivery services such
as
Airborne
Express,
DHL
Worldwide Express, Federal Express
and United Parcel Service.
Forms of Payments: One can
in many IRS offices around the counot be answered easily by telephone.
look in the phone book under "United
in return for services) .
• Tier 2 and supplemental annuities under the Railroad Retirement
Act.
• Lump-sum distributions.
• Gains from the sale or exchange
(including barter) or real estate, securities, coins, gold, silver, gems or
other property (capital gains).
OTHER TAX
INFORMATION
INFQRMATION
r general information. IRS staff answer
TAX TIPS FOR SEAFARERS!
pay the Internal Revenue Service
through credit cards, debit cards,
charge cards, cash, bank check or
money order.
• Accumulation distributions from
trusts.
• Prizes and awards {contests, raffles, lottery and gambling winnings).
• Earned income from sources
outside the United States.
•
Director's fees.
• Fees received as an executor or
administrator of an estate.
• Embezzled or other illegal
income.
stions by phone. Through the agency's
tions covering all aspects of tax-filing
WHICH RECORDS
TO KEEP
s recorded tax infonnation covering
Keep records of income (such as
receipts), deductions (for example,
canceled checks) and credits shown
on the tax retum, as well as any
worksheets used to figure them, until
the statute of limitations runs out for
that return, usually 3 years from the
date the return was due or filed, or 2
years from the date the tax was paid,
whichever is later. However, it is recommended that all records be kept
for about 6 years.
the IRS's automated Tele-Tax system.
ne, the letter "R" or number "7" will
r number "2" will cancel the message.
the introductory message finishes, dial
f your refund.
from 7:00 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. (local
e at www.irs.ustreas.gov to: download
; see answers to frequently asked tax
e by topic or keyword; figure your
-4 caJculator, send them comments or
up to receive the latest tax issues and
Dispatch.
returns can be sent directly to an IRS
rm). Include a social security number ,
'RS MUST PAY
COME TAX
from withholding state and local taxes
aboard U.S.-flag ships.
1108(11)] provides that "no part of the
officer or any other seaman who is a
gaged in the foreign, coastwise, intertrade shall be withheld pursuant to the
, territory, possession or commonm, but nothing in this section shall pros of any seaman who is employed in
the same state if such withholding is
tween such seaman and his employer."
pt seamen from paying state and local
citizens of any given state, must meet
f the area in which they live.
determine whether an individual is a
d check with a state tax office if he or
g the early 1970s, a case before the
alization stated that a merchant
was on a ship for 210 days of the
r tax purposes. The board took into
owned a home in California and main.a-based bank.
blished conditions under which nonortion of state tax if such an individased in that state.
ount an individual must pay the state
in another state.
Change of Address: If an individual has changed his or her address
from the one listed on that person's last
tax return, IRS Form 8822 should be
filled out and filed with the agency.
Death of a Taxpayer: If a taxpayer died before filing a required return
for 1999, the taxpayer's personal representative {and spouse, in the case of
a joint return) must file and sign the
return for that person. A personal
representative can be an executor,
administrator or anyone who is in
charge of the taxpayer's property.
WHICH INCOME
TO REPORT
In addition to wages, salaries, tips,
unemployment
compensation,
capital gains, dividend payments
and other income listed on the federal tax return, the following kinds of
income must be reported.
The following kinds of income do
not need to be reported on the federal tax return:
• Benefits from government welfare
programs.
• Jones Act settlements for injuries,
pain, suffering, medical costs.
•
Maintenance and Cure.
• Workers' compensation benefits,
insurance, damages, etc. for injury or
sickness.
• Disability retirement payments
{and other benefits) paid by the
Veterans' Administration.
•
Child support.
• Gifts, money or other property
inherited or willed.
• Dividends on veterans' life
insurance.
• Life insurance proceeds received
because of a person's death.
• Amounts received :from insurance
because of loss of the use of a home
due to fire or other casualty to the
extent the amounts were more than
the cost of normal expenses while living in the home.
• Certain amounts received as a
scholarship.
• Jones Act settlements for lost
wages.
• Amounts received in place of
wages from accident and health plans
(including sick pay and disability pensions) if employer paid for the policy.
• Life insurance proceeds from a
policy cashed in if the proceeds are
more than the premium paid.
• Profits from corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts.
•
Endowments.
•
Original Issue Discount.
• Distributions from self-employed
plans.
• Bartering income {fair-market
value of goods or services received
SEAFARERS
February 2000
WHICH INCOME NEED
NOT BE REPORTED
FILING
AN EXTENSION
IRS Form 4868 can be used to ask
for a four-month extension to file IRS
Form 1040A. An individual requesting an extension is under no obligation to explain why the additional
time is needed. Filing of the form
gives an individual until August 15,
2000 to file his or her 1999 federal
tax return. The IRS will contact the
individual directly only if the request
for an extension is denied.
To extend the period of time in
which one can file a tax return, that
individual must correctly fill out Form
4868 and pay all of the tax
monies due.
TAX PLANNING TIPS
Selling Your Home'?
The tax law gives homeowners a special tax break on capital gains realized
on the sale of a principal residence. If you have owned and used a home as
your principal residence for periods totaling at least two years out of the last
five years before selling, you generally can take advantage of this break to
exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for joint filers). People who fail to
meet the ownership or use test or have claimed the exclusion for another
home within two years of the sale may qualify for a partial exclusion.
Don't forget capital improvements. H you find yourself with unexpected
taxable gains on your home sale, check your records for overlooked capital improvement expenses you've paid over the years. The costs of capital improvements, such as adding another bath, garage or family room, are
added to your basis in the home and, thus, reduce your taxable gain.
Reinvesting Your Dividends
Make sure you count any reinvested dividends as part of your tax basis
when you sell the stock you bought through a dividend reinvestment plan.
The dividends were taxed to you when they were originally paid. You don't
want to pay tax on them twice. The same holds true for mutual fund dividends
you had automatically reinvest.eel.
State Taxes
Many state income tax laws are based on federal tax rules. So, the strategies
you use for your federal tax planning may work with your state tax planning
as well. Be aware that
Some states allow two-earner couples who file joint federal returns to file
separate state returns when it is advantageous. Check your state's rules. If
you have a choice, calculate your tax both ways and use the method that
produces the lower tax. Also, you may be considered a resident of-and owe
taxes to-two states if you own two residences in different states. If you sell a
property in another state at a profit, generally you owe that state taxes on
your gain.
If the filing of Form 4868 and the
subsequent four-month extension to
file does not provide the individual
with enough time, he or she can then
file Form 2688, known as
"Application for Additional Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual
Income Tax Return." Another option
open to the person seeking more
time in which to file is to write a letter to the IRS stating the reason the
extension is necessary.
An individual seeking an extension is advised by the IRS to file
Form 4868 before filing Form 2688.
Copies of Form 4868 are available by calling the agency's tollfree number which is dedicated to
tax form requests (800) 829-3676.
Also, the form is available from all
main IRS branch offices and from
the
IRS
web
site
at
www.irs.ustreas.gov.
And if a
Seafarer finds himself or herself overseas, he or she can obtain the form
from any U.S. embassy or consulate.
It is im.portant to bear in
m.ind that th.£ filing of Form 4868
requesting an extension does not
get one off th.£ hook from. having
to pay any taxes due. Form 4868,
when sent in, m.ust be accompanied by all tax monies due th.£
U.S. governnumt frmn th.£ individual filing the extension.
OVERSEAS AT TAX TIME
Should a Seafarer find himself
or herself overseas and seeking
IRS forms or assistance, U.S.
embassies and consulates are
equipped to provide some taxpayer-related services. At a
minimum, IRS forms are available at all U.S. embassies and
consulates located in:
• Berlin, Germany
• Caracas, Venezuela
• London, England
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Nassau, Bahamas
• Ottawa, Canada
• Paris, France
•
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
•
Rome, Italy
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
•
Sydney, Australia
• Tokyo, Japan.
/
TAXES DUE
APRIL 17, 2000
TAX TIPS FOR SEAFARERS
Seafarers LOG
13
�---------------------------------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- - ~ -
••II
State l'tl•ar1 Dates
rater legistratio• leadll•es
tot Be•eral Electlo•:
Taesd111, llore•bet 1, 2100
State
Registration Deadline(s)
Primary Date
(Presidential I Congressional)
2000 promises to be a very
exciting election year. The
president of the U.S., as well
as members of the House of
Representatives and the Senate, will be determined this
November 7.
In order to vote, you must be
registered. The chart below
lists some important dates and
times you need to know in
order to register and to exercise your right to vote.
Polling Hours
8 am- 6/8 pm
June 6 (Cong. runoff date - June 27)
10 days before an election
7
am - 8 pm
Conventions
May
19
(R);
May
20
(D)
I
Aug.
22
30 days before an election
ALASKA
6
am - 7 pm
Feb.
22;
March
11
(Dl/
Sept.
12
29 days before an election
ARIZONA
7:30
am - 7:30 pm
May
23
(Cong.
runoff
date
June
13)
30 days before an election
ARKANSAS
March
7
·
7
am8 pm
29 days before an election
CALIFORNIA
7
am
7 pm
March
10
I
Aug.
8
29 days before an election
COLORADO
6
am
8
pm
March
7
I
Sept.
12#
14 days before an election
CONNECTICUT
7
am
8
pm
Feb.
5;
Feb.
8
(R)
I
Sept.
9
20 days prior to general election;
DELAWARE
21 days prior to primary election
7 am - 8 pm
May2
30 days before an election
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
7 am - 7 pm
March 14 I Sept. 5 (runoff date - Oct. 3)
29 days before an election
FLORIDA
7 am - 7 pm
March 7IJuly18 (runoff date - Aug. 8)
The 5th Monday before a general primary, general
GEORGIA
election or presidential preference primary. The 5th
day after the date of the call for all other special
primaries and special elections
7 am - 6 pm
Caucus March 7 (D); May 19 (R) I Sept. 23
30 days before an election
HAWAII
8 am - 8 pm
May23
25 days before an election by mail; 24 days before
IDAHO
an election in person, or election day at the polls
6 am - 7 pm
March 21
29 days before primary; 28 days before general election
ILLINOIS
6
am - 6 pm
May2
29 days before an election
IN DIANA
7
am - 9 pm
Caucus Jan. 24 I June 6
Delivered by 5 pm 10 days before state primary or general
IOWA
election; 11 days before all others. A postmark 15 or more
days before an election is on time
617 am - 718 pm
April 4 I Aug. 1
Delivered 15 days before an election
KANSAS
6 am - 6 pm
May 23
28 days before an election
KENTUCKY
6 am - 8 pm
March 14 I Nov. 7 (runoff date - Dec. 9)
24 days before an election
LOUISIANA
6/10 am* - 8 pm
March 7 I June 13
10 business days before an election or delivered
MAINE
in person up to and including election day
7 am - 8 pm
March 7
9 pm on the 5111 Monday before an election
MARYLAND
7 am - 8 pm
March 7 I Sept. 19
20 days before an election
MASSACHUSETIS
7 am - 8 pm
Feb. 22 [Caucus March 11 (D)] I Aug. 8
30 days before an election
MICHIGAN
7 am - 8 pm *
Caucus March 7 I Sept. 12
Delivered by 5 pm 21 days before an election;
MINNESOTA
also election day registration at polling places
7 am - 7 pm
March 14 (Cong. runoff date - April 4)
30 days before an election
MISSISSIPPI
6 am - 7 pm
March 7 I Aug. 8
28 days before an election
MISSOURI
7 am/noon* - 8 pm*
June 6
30 days before an election
MONTANA
718 am - 718 pm
May 9
The 41h Tuesday before an election or delivered
NEBRASKA
by 6 p.m. on 2nd Friday before an election
7 am - 7 pm
Conventions May 19-21 (D), May 25 (R) I Sept. 5
9 pm on the 5th Sat. before any primary or general
NEVADA
election. 9 pm on the 3rd Sat. before any recall or
special election unless held on same day as primary
or general election. Then it remains the 5th Saturday.
11 am - 7 pm
Feb. 1 I Sept. 12
10 days before an election, or registration at polls
NEW HAMPSHIRE
on election day
7 am - 8 pm
June 6
29 days before an election
NEW JERSEY
7 am - 8 pm
June
6
28 days before an election
NEW MEXICO
6
am - 9 pm
March
7
I
Sept.
12
25 days before an election
NEW YORK
6:30
am - 7:30 pm
May
2
(Cong.
runoff
date
May
30)
Postmarked 25 days before an election or received
NORTH CAROLINA
in elections office or voter registry agency by 5 pm
719 am - 7/9 pm*
Conventions Feb. 29 (R), March 7 (D) I June 13
North Dakota does not have voter registration
NORTH DAKOTA
6:30 am - 7:30 pm
March 7
30 days before an election
OHIO
7 am - 7 pm
March 14 I Aug. 22 (runoff date - Sept. 19)
25 days before an election
OKLAHOMA
7 am - 8 pm
May 16
21 days before an election
OREGON
7 am - 8 pm
April 4
30 days before an election
PENNSYLVANIA
7 am/noon - 9 pm
March 7 I Sept. 12
30 days before an election
RHODE ISLAND
7 am - 7 pm
Feb. 19 (R), March 9 (D) I June 13 (runoff dat - June 27)
30 days before an election
SOUTH CAROLINA
718 am - 718 pm
June 6 (Cong. runoff date - June 20)
Delivered 15 days before an election
SOUTH DAKOTA
6/8 am - 7/8 pm**
March 14 I Aug. 3
30 days before an election
TENNESSEE
7 am - 7 pm
March 14 (Cong. runoff date - April 11)
30 days before an election
TEXAS
7 am - Bpm
March 10 I June 27#
20 days before an election
UTAH
6/10 am - 7 pm
March 7 I Sept. 12
Delivered to town clerk before noon, postmarked or
VERMONT
submitted to OMV on 2nd Saturday before an election
6 am - 7 pm
Feb. 29 (R); Convention June 3 (0) I June 13#
Delivered 29 days before an election
VlRGINfA
7 am - 8 pm
Feb.
29
I
Sept.
19
30 days before an election or delivered in person up to
WASHINGTON
15 days before an election
6:30 am - 7:30 pm
May9
30 days before an election
WEST VIRGINIA
719 am - 8 pm
April 4 I Sept. 12
13 days before an election or completed in the local
WISCONSIN
voter registration office 1 day before an election or
completed at polling place on election day
7 am - 7 pm
March 1OI Aug. 22
30 days before an election or register at polling place
WYOMING
on election day
* Depends on size of jurisdiction; * * 7 pm CST - 8 pm EST;# In Connecticut and Utah, conventions are held by the parties prior to the primary. In Virginia, parties may choose to
nominate candidates by convention rather than by primary. SOURCE: U.S. Federal Election Commission.
ALABAMA
14
Seafarers LOG
Febl'Uary 2000
�·~--- ·- -
- ---
Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
DECEMBER 16, 1999 - JANUARY 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
AU Groups
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Class A Class B Class C
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
30
San Francisco
24
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
25
27
11
8
3
6
16
10
14
36
29
3
0
243
17
3
4
14
4
11
13
11
16
7
3
8
12
4
2
130
10
2
2
10
20
9
4
7
15
2
8
16
4
6
19
28
3
18
7
6
4
2
20
20
8
4
0
0
87
7
10
14
2
0
0
189
2
13
4
14
14
6
11
7
3
6
6
5
6
0
2
8
1
0
8
5
9
11
2
3
12
4
6
5
5
2
I
0
0
0
100
78
52
10
11
21
20
18
8
4
6
3
5
22
18
6
71
12
29
45
18
12
21
8
1
6
40
59
16
23
2
1
0
97
23
10
2
6
10
4
5
7
5
5
16
3
13
7
17
1
0
12
4
2
2
4
3
2
0
1
445
183
90
15
53
16
l
7
5
8
7
14
7
7
13
2
8
17
4
0
2
118
11
3
3
5
7
1
2
7
9
9
8
9
3
2
5
4
2
3
0
87
16
1
6
3
0
5
4
5
2
7
3
19
7
6
3
12
2
3
1
0
0
37
5
0
4
16
2
1
2
105
5
4
7
10
3
8
8
4
9
3
3
5
1
5
0
76
0
0
2
4
0
3
l
0
6
3
2
2
0
2
0
26
'Deep
sea, takes, 1n1a11d waters
Piney Point ............. Monday: March 6, April 3
Baltimore ................Thursday: March 9, April 6
Duluth ..................... Wednesday: March 15, April 12
HonoJulu ................. Friday: March 17, April 14
Houston ..................Monday: March 13. April IO
Jacksonville ............Thursday: March 9, April 6
Jersey City .............. Wednesday: March 22, April 19
Mobile .................... Wednesday: March 15, April 12
New Bedford ...•......Tuesday: March 2 l t April 18
New Orteans ...........Tuesday; March 14, April 11
New York................Tuesday: March 7, April 4
Norfolk ...................Thursday: March 9, April 6
Philadelphia ............ Wednesday: March 8, April 5
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
Port
-iliiSbj ,,.,,,.
Algonac ..................Friday: March 1O.. April 7
DECK DEPARTMENT
Port
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
Trip
Reliefs
• • • & ~I 2111JO
5
24
0
4
3
3
6
6
18
15
36
18
12
19
11
13
4
2
4
6
0
1
7
0
0
0
38
26
3
I
0
211
13
3
2
7
6
16
17
10
11
8
12
6
2
3
0
117
3
l
2
4
3
3
11
2
6
4
0
San Francisco ......... Thursday: March 16, April 13
San Juan ..................Thursday: March 91! April 6
St. Louis .................Friday: March 17~ April 14
Tacoma ................... Friday: March 24, April :21
Wilmington ...............Monday: March 20, April 17
Each potf's meeting starts at 1g..311 a.m.
5
Personals
6
3
0
2
Please call you brother, Joe Engbrock, in Houston at (713)
946-6162. He is very anxious to talk with you.
55
HERMAN COLLIER
DEREK MACKAY
Please call you wife at (757) 559-6952.
Port
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
12
1
6
6
8
8
21
29
21
22
2
13
11
0
162
4
1
3
7
2
0
0
2
1
0
5
2
6
2
4
0
6
3
4
9
3
2
3
0
53
0
16
0
0
2
0
36
Port
4
0
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
2
0
5
5
11
2
8
5
16
2
0
0
1
62
Totals All
Departments
585
20
14
0
0
2
16
1
4
15
8
9
11
8
14
13
11
19
17
9
1
45
6
0
17
0
183
4
120
3
3
14
0
222
453
382
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
9
2
1
6
I
0
0
I
1
2
3
l
9
4
8
13
18
13
5
1
4
2
0
2
6
1
2
5
2
4
1
10
4
4
2
12
46
33
0
14
0
34
3
4
8
0
20
20
2
0
69
6
0
267
21
1
6
10
l
0
0
116
2
2
0
35
0
0
0
0
15
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
0
4
14
17
0
2
0
0
0
2
2
0
31
8
0
120
112
0
0
0
0
0
-0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
441
331
231
204
4
6
8
16
1
5
0
0
1
11
0
11
5
6
7
16
3
9
15
7
3
0
16
0
0
3
5
2
0
0
31
5
6
13
16
5
10
IO
11
1
12
10
26
1
9
2
10
7
7
5
4
2
11
6
1
6
2
2
1
5
1
3
0
0
24
1
1
0
2
0
83
45
26
8
0
2
2
42
3
3
20
20
9
11
5
7
22
8
13
5
3
0
3
15
12
10
15
4
21
20
20
PIDLIP REYNOLDS
Bridget Booker would like you to give her a call. She is at
1 (800) 375-0060, ext. 5647.
CREW MEMBERS FROM THE 1940s
Thomas W Hardeman is seeking to contact former crew
members who sailed aboard the Richard Montgomery in 1943,
the Jacob H. Gallinger in 1943-44, the Joseph H. Hollister in
1944, the William Terry Howell in 1945 and the Tyson Lykes in
1945. Hardeman can be reached at 821 Indigo Avenue, Casey,
SC 29033
SURVIVORS OF THE SS ALCOA PILGRIM
Retired Seafarer James C. Huffmaster would like to get in
touch with fellow crew members who survived the sinking of
the SS Alcoa Pi/gram (May 25, 1942). Please contact him via
the SIU hall in Mobile, Ala. at (205) 478-0916.
Corrections
In a photograph published in the November 1999 issue
of the LOG, page 13, QMED-Electrician Saro Koumashian
of the MFOW was misidentified.
In the January 2000 issue, page 5, the article about the
late SIU VP Bob Matthews should have stated that he came
ashore during the union's formation in the late 1930s and
worked as an official from that time until his retirement.
8
9
3
157
2
0
0
1
72
13
0
13
0
98
268
285
1,021
651
475
20
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
February 2000
2
8
3
11
Brotherly Encounter at School
The SIU's
motto, "Brotherhood of the
Sea," may
' mean a bit
more to some
members than
others. For
~ · instance, DEU
Abdulsalam
Mohamed (left)
and AB Fadhl
Mohamed are
' brothers who
recently caught up on family news while upgrading at
the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education, located in Piney Point, Md. They hadn't seen
each other in four years, and were happy to finally renew
acquaintance at the school.
Seafarers LOG
15
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
DECEMBER 16, 1999 MchaeJ Sacco
'" President
CL -
+· .. , ;Jobnfay
:&eeutive Vice President
David Heindel
Secretary-Treasurer
;;,< . . ,,A,~g~s#.n Tellez
·. . Vice President Contracts
.Jack Caffey
Vice President Atlantic Coast
Byron Kelley
Vlce President Lakes and Inland Waters
DeanCorgey
Vice President Gulf Coast
Nicholas J. Marrone
VIce President West Coast
Kermett .Mangram
Vice President Government Services
•
)I'
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
0
22
18
0
13
5
0
5
10
0
40
33
L-Lakes
NP -
Non Priority
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
*TOTAL REGISTERED
AU Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
h ;{~~~i!Wiit!ii£i;.@J'; if"
r;;
Company/Lakes
JANUARY 15, 2000
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
DECK DEPARTMENT
10
10
0
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
4
0
7
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
2
7
0
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
21
11
0
0
12
7
0
7
4
0
3
3
0
21
11
HEADQUARTERS
520l Auth Way
Camp Springs. MD 2-0746
(101} 899~0675
ALGONAC
520 St. Clair River Dr.
Algonac, Ml 4&001
(&lO) 194-4988
ANCHORAGE
721 Sesame St, #IC
Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) SQJ-4988
27
27
0
0
39
78
69
Totals All Depts
0
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
Disp~chers'
_/
BALTIMORE
Report for Inland Waters
DECEMBER 16, 1999 -
JANUARY 15, 2000
1216 E. Baltimore St.
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 327-4900
DULUTH
705 Medical Arts Building
Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 722-4110
HONOLULU
606 Kalihi St.
Honolulu, I;Jl .96& 19
(808) 845-5222
HOUSTON
1221 Pierce St.
Houst<Jn, TX 7'§002
(713) 659..5152
J
JEBSEYCITY
99 Montgomery·St
Hersey Cio/{Nl 0'?302
(201) 435-9424
',J»;OBILE .y
t 640bauphin lslallii PkWy.
Mobile, AL 36605 .
(334) 478-0916
NEW BEDFORD
48 Union St.
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 99M404
NEW ORLEANS
39ll Lapako 81vd.
Harvey, LA 70058
(504) 32S-7545
.NEW YORK
635Fourth Ave.
Broo.klyn, NY 11232
(718) 499-6600
NORFOLK
115 Third St
Norfolk, VA 23510
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
Totals
0
1
30
3
0
3
0
1
34
4
0
0
17
0
0
1
0
0
17
1
0
0
9
0
9
0
0
0
0
0
30
0
10
0
3
13
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
1
0
0
20
0
0
2
10
0
30
0
3
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
1
0
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
0
0
2
0
3
10
6
0
18
2
5
0
18
0
14
32
0
0
0
14
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
15
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
3
13
0
0
14
0
6
4
47
37
0
5
14
60
Totals All Depts
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port .
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
0
36
PIC-FROM-THE-PAST
(757) 622-1892
.PHILADELPHJA
2604 S.4 St.
.Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 336-3818
PlNEYPOlNT
P,0.Box 75
Piney Point, MD 20674
{301) 994-00 l 0
J?ORT EVERGLADES
1221 S. Andrews Ave.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 522-7984
SAN Ji'RANCJSCO
350 Fremont St
San Francisco~ CA 94105
(415) 543-5855
Govemment Servjces Division
(4 l 5) 861 ·3400
SA.NTURCE
1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave.. Stop 16}'2
Santurce, PR 00907
(787) 721-4033
ST.LOUIS
45&1 Gravois Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63116
(314) 752-6500
TACOMA
3411 South UuionAve.
Tacoma, WA 93409
(253) 272-7774
WlLM.INGTON
51() N. Broad Ave.
Wilmington, CA 90744
0 l 0) 549-4000
16
Seafarers LOG
This photo was sent to
the Seafarers LOG by Mary
Geiling, the widow of pensioner Richard Geiling of
Shoreline, Wash.
It was taken during the
Christmas season in 1955
aboard the hopper dredge
Sand Captain in Venezuela.
Geiling is the tallest
member of the galley gang
in this photo. Other identified members are "Andy
Messina, Tom, Frank, Jim
and Frenchy."
Mrs. Geiling notes that
her husband, who was an
active member for 40 years
(from 1951 until his retirement in 1991 ), died this
past June. His ashes were
scattered at sea from the
deck of the Sea-Land
Reliance-and he is greatly
missed.
February 2000
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
ne recertified bosun is
among the 12 Seafarers
announcing their retirements this month. Representing 46
years of active union membership,
Recertified Bosun Hubert C.
Cain is a graduate of the highest
level of training available to members in the deck department at the
SIU's training school in Piney
Point, Md.
Including Cain, nine of the
retiring Seafarers shipped in the
deep sea division, two sailed on
inland vessels and one plied the
Great Lakes.
Six of the retiring pensioners
worked in the deck department,
five sailed in the engine department and one shipped in the steward department. Seven of the pensioners served in the U.S. military-six in the Army and one in
the Navy.
This month, half of the pensioners have retired to the Gulf
states and two each have chosen to
live on the East Coast, Midwest
and Puerto Rico.
On this page the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of the retiring Seafarers.
0
DEEP SEA
JOSE A.
BERDIEL,
58, joined the
Seafarers in
1967 in the
port of New
York. His first
ship was the
Bienville,
operated by Sea-Land Service.
The Puerto Rico native worked in
the engine department and
upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School in Piney Point, Md. Prior
to retiring, he worked on the
Humacao, an NPR, Inc. vessel.
Brother Berdiel makes his home
in Cleveland, Ohio.
RAMON
BONAFONT,
60, started his
career with the
SIU in 1964 in
the port of
New York. He
first sailed
aboard the
Colorado, a Waterman Steamship
Corp. vessel. Born in Puerto
Rico, he sailed in the deck
department and upgraded his
skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School. During his
career, he was active in union
organizing drives. Brother
Bonafont last sailed aboard the
Sea-Land Producer. Carolina,
P.R. is where he calls home.
GEORGE
BRUER, 66,
began sailing
with the
Seafarers in
1959 from the
port of New
York. He
sailed in the
deck department and frequently
upgraded his skills at the Sill's
training school in Piney Point,
Md. Born in Germany, he became
a U.S. citizen and served in the
U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955.
During his career, he was active
in union organizing drives.
February 2000
Brother Bruer has retired to
Indian Harbor, Fla.
HUBERTC.
CAIN, 65 first
sailed with the
SIU in 1952 in
the port of
Mobile, Ala.
His first ship
was the Alcoa
Polaris. A
native of Alabama, he worked in
the deck department and upgraded his skills at the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School, where
he graduated from the bosun
recertification program in 1974.
From 1963 to 1965, he served in
the U.S. Army. Brother Cain last
sailed aboard a Sea-Land Service
vessel. He calls Mobile home.
WALTERW.
CHANCEY,
58, graduated
from the
Andrew
Furuseth
Training
School in
1958 and
joined the Seafarers in the port of
Mobile, Ala. Brother Chancey's
first ship was the Alcoa Partner.
Born in Florida, he worked in the
engine department and frequently
upgraded at the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and
Education in Piney Point, Md.
During his career, he was active
in union organizing drives. Prior
to retiring, he worked aboard the
Sea-Land Express. He makes his
home in Seffner, Fla.
ARTHURR.
LANG, 62,
joined the SIU
in 1968 in the
port of Jacksonville, Fla.
His first ship
was the
Longview
Victory. A native of Florida, he
worked in the deck department.
From 1956 to 1958, he served in
the U.S. Army. Brother Lang last
sailed aboard the Galveston Bay,
a Sea-Land Service vessel. He
has retired to Jacksonville.
ANGELL.
O'NEILL, 61,
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1958 in the
port of New
York. Born in
Puerto Rico,
he sailed in the steward department. He was active in union
organizing drives during his
career. Brother O'Neill last sailed
aboard the Mayaguez, operated
by NPR, Inc. Carolina, P.R. is
where he calls home.
LARRIE L.
PROFFITT,
88, began his
career with the
SIU in 1955.
Born in
Hawaii, he
worked in the
engine depart- . ~. . - ment as a chief electrician.
Brother Proffitt last sailed in
1978 aboard the Newark, a SeaLand Service vessel. He makes
his home in Baltimore.
DONAL RAY
SWANNER,
72, joined the
Seafarers in
1977 in the
port of
Houston. Born
in Oklahoma,
he started his
sailing career in the deck department aboard inland vessels.
Brother Swanner later transferred
to the deep sea division and
worked in the engine department.
During his career, he upgraded
his skills at the Paul Hall Center
for Maritime Training and
Education. From 1953 to 1956,
he served in the U.S. Navy. Prior
to retiring, he worked aboard the
Paul Buck, an Ocean Ships, Inc.
vessel. He has retired to Channelview, Texas.
INLAND
TERRYR.
LeBLANC,
65, joined the
Seafarers in
1954 in the
port of
Houston. The
Texas native
began working in the deck department and
later transferred to the engine
department. Boatman LeBlanc
last sailed aboard the Manta, a
G&H Towing Co. vessel. Aransas
Pass, Texas is where he calls
home. From 1956 to 1958 he
served in the U.S. Army.
MICHAELJ.
POWELL,
55, first sailed
with the SIU
in 1970 in the
port of
Norfolk, Va.
Born in
Virginia, he
worked as a captain. Boatman
Powell last sailed in 1997 aboard
the Escort, operated by Express
Marine. He makes his home in
Poquoson, Va.
GREAT LAKES
TIMOTHY W. WALLACE, 52,
began his career with the
Seafarers in 1971. The Michigan
native sailed in the engine department and upgraded his skills at
the Seafarers
Harry
Lundeberg
School. From
1967 to 1969,
he served in
the U.S.
Army. Brother
Wallace last
sailed in 1998 aboard the Buffalo,
an American Steamship Co. vessel. Alpena, Mich. is where he
calls home.
Aboard the Pathftnder
Continued from page 10
Due to the shallow depth of
the Surinam River, we could take
only a partial load of the ore. We
were to stop at Port of Spain,
Trinidad for the remainder of the
cargo. The deck gang used our
high pressure fire hoses to wash
down the ship as we made good
time down the river. We were
glad to see the open ocean and
escape the heat, even if it did
mean there was a danger of running afoul of one of Der
Fuehrer's submarines.
In Port of Spain, there was
frantic construction. They were
building an airbase that could be
used for aircraft to protect shipping, and as a ferry base for
flights to Africa and Europe. As I
walked up the street, a catchy little tune called "Rum and Coca
Cola" blasted at maximum volume from every cantina's open
doorway. "Go down Point
Cumana - both Motha an' Dahta
-workin' fo' the Yankee dollah."
Point Cumana happened to be
the red light district. It was war
time, and some of the people
were destitute. As we sailed back
to Mobile with our full load of
aluminum ore, we heard reports
of ships being sunk near our
intended route. Capt. Dumke
changed course frequently to
keep us well clear of the latest
enemy action.
I had asked for a relief on
arrival in Mobile, but much to
my disappointment, none was
available. I had to make a second
voyage with the horses and cows.
During the final week of that second voyage in early May 1942,
Adm. Doenitz, commander of the
German navy, moved a wolf
pack of his submarines into the
Gulf of Mexico. Our Navy was
helpless to combat this maneuver, and ships were being sunk
even at the mouth of the
Mississippi River. Like the run
up the East Coast, the Gulf
became a shooting gallery for the
enemy. The radioed cries for help
from torpedoed ships were heartwrenching, but there was nothing
we could do except try to make it
into Mobile Bay- where my
relief was waiting.
Five days after I signed off
the ship in Mobile, the German
submarine U-181 slammed a torpedo into the Pathfinder as she
crossed the Gulf. Six months
later at an island in the South
Pacific called Guadalcanal, I
received a report that the survivors had taken to the lifeboats
and were picked up days later by
a ship bound for Laurenco
Marques, Mozambique, where
they were put ashore. The animals did not survive.
JMS
SS Alcoa Pathfinder
20,000 seamen.
In response to the demonstration, Adm. John
Harllee, chairman of the federal Maritime
1947
In a stirring demonstration of inter-union supCommission, promised a "confident, deterport, the Seafarers International Union took to mined and aggressive effort" to aid in the solvthe streets of downtown New York in support ing of the Puerto Rico freight rates controver·
rr;:::::::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::==m sy. He said that such
of the strike of the
United Financial
a solution should be
Employees, Local 205,
found without having
AFL. More than 200
to resort to the use
white-capped Seafarers
Aj
tt
a~
of foreign-flag vessels
joined the picket lines
l "f _ _V
- l ' .ft f '
in Puerto Rican
and distributed more
trade.
than 25,000 leaflets,
prepared by the SIU,. to
1992
inform the public of the need for organizing
The MV R.]. Pfeiffer, the only large commerthe underpaid workers in the brokerage busicial ship under construction in the United
ness.
States, was christened February 15 at a ship·
yard in San Diego. The new 71 4-foot contain·
1965
At a joint demonstration in San Juan, the SIU ership is owned by Matson Navigation
strongly protested attempts by the government Company and is named for the company's
chief executive officer and chairman of the
and certain industry leaders on the island to
board. Delivery of the ship is scheduled for
allow foreign-flag vessels to enter the Puerto
Rico trade. The SIU warned that the introduc- June, with service commencing in August ....
The cost for the Pfeiffer is $ 129 million and
tion of foreign-flag shipping into the island
does not include government subsidies.
trade could result in the unemployment of
Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG
THJS MO TH
J· SJ
HJS?,O,
Seafarers LOS
11
�Final DeparturesDEEP SEA
LEON A. ACOSTA
Pensioner Leon A. Acosta, 74,
passed away December 7, 1999.
Born in Colombia, he first sailed
with the Seafarers in 1967 aboard
the Falmouth. Brother Acosta sailed
in the engine department as a chief
electrician. Prior to retiring in June
1991, he signed off the Robert E.
Lee, a Waterman Steamship Corp.
vessel. He was a resident of New
Orleans.
MICHAEL J. BARROW
Michael J.
Barrow, 49,
died November
22, 1999. He
began his career
with the SIU in
1981 from the
port of San
Francisco. His
L---....:.!J=...-.....lllZ..---l first SIU ship
was the Santa Maria, operated by
Delta Steamship Lines. During his
career, he sailed in all three departments. Brother Barrow last sailed
aboard the Global Link. Born in
Jamaica, he made his home in
Richmond, Va.
CASIMIR BOGUCKI
Pensioner
Casimir
Bogucki, 74,
died November
11, 1999. A
native of Pennsylvania, he
joined the SIU
in 1948 in the
port of New
York. Brother Bogucki sailed in the
deck department and upgraded his
skills at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School in Piney Point, Md.
During World War II, he served in
the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1946.
Prior to retiring in September 1987,
he signed off the Overseas Alice.
Reno, Nev. was his home.
MILTON G. BROUSSARD
Pensioner
MiltonG.
Broussard, 85,
passed away
November 11 ,
1999. Born in
Louisiana, he
first sailed with
the Seafarers in
t
1956 aboard the
Antinous, a Waterman Steamship
Corp. vessel. Brother Broussard
worked in the deck department, last
sailing aboard the Banner, operated
by International Ocean Transport
Corp. A veteran of World War II, he
served in the U.S. Army from 1941
to 1944. He also served in the U.S.
Navy from 1933 to 1940. He was a
resident of Yardley, Pa. and began
receiving his pension in 1979.
RICHARD S. BYNUM
Pensioner Richard S. Bynum,
68, died November 14, 1999.
He began his
career with the
SIU in 1978,
first sailing on
the Del Sol,
""""""""""'----"' operated by
Delta Steamship Lines. Brother
Bynum sailed in the deck department
and upgraded his skills at the SIU's
training school in Piney Point, Md. ,
where he graduated from the bosun
recertification program in 1988. The
Louisiana native served in the U.S.
Navy from 1948 to 1952. He made
his home in Seattle and retired in
December 1997. His last ship was
the Global Sentinel, a Transoceanic
Cable Ship Co. vessel.
SALVATOR CANDELA
Pensioner Salvator Candela, 73,
18
Seafarers LOG
passed away
May 25, 1999.
Brother Candela
joined the Seafarers in 1942
in the port of
New Orleans.
During his
career, he
L__.....,L"'""'""...__
_ _ J worked in the
deck department and was active in
union organizing drives. Prior to
retiring in August 1986, he worked
aboard the Sea-Land Producer. New
Orleans was his home.
GUILLERMO S. CASTRO SR.
Pensioner
Guillermo
Castro Sr., 78,
died November
24, 1999. Born
in Puerto Rico,
he began sailing
with the SIU in
1945 from the
port of Philadelphia. The deck department member was active in union organizing
drives and upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School,
where he graduated from the bosun
recertification program in 1974.
Brother Castro last sailed aboard the
Boston, a Sea-Land Service vessel. A
resident of Ludowici, Ga., he began
receiving his pension in 1983.
LEONG CHUN
Pensioner Leong Chun, 89, passed
away November 22, 1999. Brother
Chun joined the Marine Cooks and
Stewards. He sailed as a member of
the steward department and started
receiving his pension in June 1970.
He was a resident of San Francisco.
WILLIAM HUNTER
=-,,,..--~
Pensioner
William Hunter,
73, passed away
October 29,
1999. Brother
Hunter joined
the Seafarers in
1955 in the port
of Mobile, Ala.
A native of
Alabama, he worked in the deck
department, last sailing aboard the
OMI Sacramento. A resident of
Mobile, he started receiving his pension in April 1990. He was a veteran
of World War II, having served in
the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1946.
JOSEPH KRISTOF
Pensioner Joseph Kristof, 83, died
November 12, 1999. Born in
Wisconsin, he started his career with
the Marine Cooks & Stewards
(MC&S) in 1952 in the port of San
Francisco. He sailed in the steward
department and began receiving his
pension in August 1978. Brother
Kristof was a resident of Santa Rosa,
Calif.
HERIBERTO MIRANDA
Pensioner
Heriberto
Miranda, 74,
passed away
November 29,
1999. A native
of Cuba, he first
sailed with the
Seafarers in
1953. Brother
Miranda worked in the engine
department and started receiving his
pension in July 1990. He made his
home in Miami.
JOSEPH COLLINS
LIN SUEYONG
Pensioner
Joseph Collins,
52, died
December 15,
1999. A native
of Alabama, he
graduated from
the SIU's entry
level training
program in
1968 and joined the union in the port
of New Orleans. Brother Collins
worked in the engine department and
upgraded his skills at the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School. A resident
of Mobile, Ala., he began receiving
his pension in April 1994.
Pensioner Lin Suey Ong, 87, died
October 10, 1999. Brother Ong
began sailing with the MC&S in
1946 from the port of San Francisco.
Born in China, he worked in the
steward department and retired in
August 1973. San Francisco was his
home.
WILLIAM J. DUNNIGAN
Pensioner
William J.
Dunnigan, 92,
passed away
December 1,
1999. Born in
Maryland, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1945 in the port
of Baltimore. He worked in the
engine department as a chief electrician. Brother Dunnigan last sailed
aboard the Kainalu and started
receiving his pension in December
1985. He was a resident of Bel Air,
Md.
ANGEL GARCIA
Pensioner
Angel Garcia,
85, died recently. He began his
career with the
SIU in 1948
from the port of
New York.
Born in Florida,
he worked in
the steward department and upgraded
his skills at the Sill's training center
in Piney Point, Md. During his
career, he was active in union organizing drives. Prior to retiring in
October 1979, he worked aboard the
Guayama, operated by Puerto Rico
Marine Management. Tampa, Fla. is
where he called home.
GENE A. PASCHALL
Pensioner Gene
A. Paschall, 74,
passed away
November 28,
1999. He first
sailed with the
Seafarers in
1946 aboard the
Joseph I. Kemp.
A native of
Texas, he worked in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School,
where he graduated from the bosun
recertification program in 1979.
During World War II, he served in
the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946.
Prior to retiring in April 1992,
Brother Paschall worked aboard the
Star of Texas, operated by Seahawk
Management, Inc. He was a resident
of Eagle Lake, Texas.
THOMAS R. READING
Pensioner
Thomas R.
Reading, 80,
died October
18, 1999. Born
in California, he
started his
career with the
SIU in 1966 in
the port of San
Francisco. His first ship was the
Beloit Victory. He sailed in the deck
department and upgraded his skills at
the SIU 's training center in Piney
Point, Md., where he graduated from
the bosun recertification program in
1980. Prior to retiring in September
1985, he sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Independence. During World War II,
he served in the U.S. Army from
1940 to 1946. During the Persian
Gulf War, Brother Reading came out
of retirement and sailed aboard the
USNS DeSteiguer. He made his
home in Central, Utah.
EMIL H. RIUTTA
Pensioner Emil
H. Riutta, 78,
passed away
November 14,
1999. A native
of Oregon, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1957 in the port
of Seattle.
During his career, he worked in the
engine department and was active in
union organizing drives. Brother
Riutta last sailed aboard the SeaLand Philadelphia and began receiving his pension in November 1986.
Astoria, Ore. was his home. During
World War II, he served in the U.S.
Coast Guard from 1942 to 1946.
RUDOLPH ROMA
Pensioner
Rudolph Roma,
67, died
December 7,
1999. Brother
Roma began his
career with the
SIU in 1962 in
the port of
Houston, first
sailing aboard the Santa Emilia. The
Texas native worked in the engine
department. He retired in May 1995,
last sailing aboard the Overseas
Alice. Brother Roma was a resident
of Spring, Texas.
PETER SERNYK
Pensioner Peter
Sernyk, 78,
passed away
October 31,
1999. He first
sailed with the
Seafarers in
1951. Born in
Poland, he
L----=.~......... . . : L - - - l worked in the
deck department and upgraded his
skills at the SIU's training center in
Piney Point, Md., where he graduated from the bosun recertification
program in 1975. Prior to retiring in
December 1987, Brother Sernyk
sailed aboard the !TB Mobile. He
made his home in Ringwood, NJ.
sailed in the
deck department and
attended an
education conference in 1978
at the SIU's
training school
in Piney Point,
L - - - - = . . ; ; . . . . . ; ; . - - - - ' Md. A resident
of Mathews, Va., he last sailed in
1985 aboard a Moran Towing Co.
vessel.
SIDNEY JACKSON
Pensioner
Sidney Jackson,
89, passed away
November 16,
1999. He began
sailing with the
SIU in 1957
from the port of
Mobile, Ala. He
worked in the
steward department and began
receiving his pension in May 1976.
Boatman Jackson was a resident of
Carlton, Ala.
GREAT LAKES
HENRY J. BENTON
Pensioner
Henry J.
Benton, 84,
passed away
November 19,
1999. Brother
Benton began
sailing with the
Seafarers in
L--~~~-__. 1950 from the
port of Chicago. The Michigan
native worked in the engine department, last sailing aboard the Adam E.
Cornelius, operated by American
Steamship Co. A resident of North
Muskegon, Mich., he began receiving his pension in March 1977.
VANDELIN P. KOVALIK
Pensioner Vandelin P. Kovalik, 82,
died November 2, 1999. Born in
Ohio, he first sailed with the S
1948 in the port of
I-arta. He
started in the steward department
and later transferred to the deck
department. Brother Kovalik last
worked aboard the Lakewood, an
Erie Sand Steamship Co. vessel. He
was a resident of Richmond Heights,
Ohio and retired in April 1982.
INLAND
DONALD L. MASKELL
ROYCE M. CARAWAN
Pensioner Donald L. Maskell, 62,
passed away November 16, 1999. A
native of Michigan, he joined the
Seafarers in 1964 in the port of Detroit. Brother Maskell began working
in the engine department and later
transferred to the deck department. A
resident of Alpena, Mich., he started
receiving his pension in 1994.
Pensioner Royce M. Carawan, 64,
died November 27, 1999. A native
of North Carolina, he began sailing
with SIU in 1961 from the port of
Norfolk, Va. Boatman Carawan
worked in the deck department and
upgraded his skills at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education in Piney Point, Md. From
1952 to 1955, he served in the U.S.
Navy. He last sailed aboard an
Allied Towing Co. vessel and retired
in February 1997. Boatman Carawan
was a resident of Scranton, N.C.
HENRY S. GEORGE
Pensioner
Henry S.
George, 84,
passed away
November 23,
1999. He joined
the SIU in 1961
in the port of
Norfolk, Va.
'--.i.L..-"""L...o......1...L.---' The Virginia
native worked as a tugboat captain,
last sailing aboard a McAllister
Towing Co. vessel. A resident of
Whitestone, Va., Boatman George
began receiving his pension in
February 1979.
ROBERT F. HUDGINS
Robert F. Hudgins, 54, died
December 3, 1999. Boatman
Hudgins started his career with the
Seafarers in 1962 in the port of
Norfolk, Va. The Virginia native
HOWARD N. NEGARD
Pensioner Howard N. N egard, 86,
died November 4, 1999. He started
his career with the SIU in 1961 in
the port of Duluth, Minn. A native
of Minnesota, he sailed as a member
of the engine department. Brother
Negard made his home in Duluth
and retired in November 1978.
RAILROAD MARINE
JAMES J. MONTENES
Pensioner
James J.
"'•
Montenes, 78,
passed away
November 27,
1999. Brother
Montenes
joined the
Seafarers in
I 960 in the port
of New York. The ?-W York native
sailed as a deckhand and started
receiving his pension in December
1981. During World War II, he
served in the U.S. Navy from 1941
to 1945. He was a resident of
Waterloo, N.Y.
February 2000
�Digest of Shipboard
Union Meetings
The Sealare~s LOG attemptJ to print as many digests of onion shipboard
mmutes as possible. On occasion, because of space
limitations, some will be omitted.
Ship~ minutes li~t are reviewed by the union's contract department.
Those issues ~equmng a~en!io~ or resolution are addressed by the union
upon receipt of the ships minutes. The minutes are then forwarded
to the Seafarers LOG for publication.
SEA-LAND CHALLENGER
(Sea-Land Service), August 1Chairman Richard L. Volkart,
Secretary William E. Bragg,
Educational Director Herman
Manzer, Deck Delegate Frank
Cammuso, Engine Delegate
Teddie H. Carter, Steward
Delegate Henry 0. Wright Jr.
Chairman noted that new toaster
received and installed in crew
mess. He led discussion of
announcement of Maersk's intended acquisition of Sea-Land's international assets. Awaiting more
~nformation. Secretary passed on
mformation pertaining to asbestos
settlement and talked about relaxed
assessment for STCW compliance.
Educational director stressed
importance of regular upgrading
and benefits of attending Piney
Point. He noted that as more
~equirements and training are
lmposed on livelihood of seafarers
it is more important than ever to '
remain current and up-to-date. No
beefs or disputed OT. Suggestion
made and forwarded to contracts
department to revamp Article V of
standard contract to better relate to
three-man steward department
which is now norm. Request ~ade
to bring up issue of late standbys at
next union meeting in Wilmington
Calif. Inquiry made as to lack of '
fans in cabins and common areas.
Steward will investigate. Crew
members getting off vessel should
vacate cabin for new member. If
overnight stay courtesy extended,
then he should move to spare
cabin. Next ports: Oakland and
Long Beach, Calif.
·
SEA-LAND EXPLORER (SeaLand Service), August 13Chairman David Messick
Secretary William Burdette
Educational Director Robert J.
Flesey Jr., Deck Delegate James
C. Henry, Engine Delegate Jesse
Manard, Steward Delegate
Michael Briscoe. Chairman
announced payoff after arrival
August 17 in Long Beach, Calif
Educational director reminded
~veryone about fire fighting trainmg at Paul Hall Center and about
STCW requirements. Treasurer
announced $1,200 in ship's fund.
Chief Cook Briscoe purchased
video rewinder for ship and will be
r~imbursed. He also wants to buy
n~e cooker for galley. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Notice
received from VP Contacts Augie
Tellez regarding sale of portion of
Sea-Land to Maersk. Suggestion
made and forwarded to contracts
department to change time required
for tour of duty. All hands reminded to take complaints directly to
department delegate.
SEA-LAND VOYAGER (SeaLand Service), August 2Chairman Stephen R. Garay,
Secre~ James E. Harper,
Educattonal Director DiMarko L.
Shoulders, Deck Delegate
Edward F. O'Brien, Engine
Delegate P. Alegado, Steward
Delegate Jorge A. Barahona.
Chairman announced extended
deadline for STCW relaxed assessment. He also reminded everyone
to get TRBs signed by mate or
engineer and urged crew to consider upgrading skills or endorsements
at Piney Point. Secretary noted
upgrading is vital to maritime
February 2000
industry. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Explanation of Maersk
Sea-Land agreement read, discussed and posted. Steward related
difficulty ordering adequate stores.
MAERSK ARIZONA (Maersk
Lines), September 29-Chairman
Scott A. Heginbotham, Secretary
Joseph S. Henby, Educational
Director David W. King, Deck
Delegate Joseph LeBeau, Steward
Delegate Raford Nixon. Chairman
noted seamen must complete 70
days or two trips to receive transport home. Parts available for crew
mess salad bar and should be fixed
soon; dumbwaiter still waiting on
parts for repair as are several washers and dryers. Some transformers
available aboard ship and must be
signed for and returned. Chairman
reminded all hands to make sure to
firmly close both elevator doors.
Discussion held on hatch-handling
safety. Secretary noted ship to transit Suez Canal, then head to
Djibouti, Africa and Chittagong,
Bangladesh. Educational director
stressed need for crew members to
have STCW basic safety endorsements. Treasurer announced $20 in
ship's fund. Clarification requested
on rates for ABs going directly
from watch to deckjobs. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Question
raised concerning issuance of coveralls and high prices in slop chest.
NORTHERN LIGHTS (IUM),
September 28-Chairman John O.
Glenn,. Secretary Gregory Keene,
Educat10nal Director Daniel P.
Mitchell, Deck Delegate Saleh
Ali, Engine Delegate Mark D.
Savage, Steward Delegate Jose P.
Maglalang. Captain thanked crew
for good work during storm last
trip. Bosun pleased with crew for
keeping laundry room and passageways clean and gave vote of thanks
to steward department for job well
done. He urged members to
upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center.
Secretary noted new television on
board. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Recommendation made
and forwarded to contracts department to raise monthly pension
allowances. Members want clarification on possible reimbursement
for money deducted from pay for
New Jersey Health Care, which
doesn't affect them. Next port:
Tacoma, Wash.
PETERSBURG (IUM), October
24--Chairman Eddie E. Hall
Secretary Oscar R. Angeles, '
Educational Director John P.
D' Alessandro, Steward Delegate
Mohamed Muthanna. Chairman
announced ship under new management. So far, nothing changed
from old company, and vessel still
under coastwise articles. Educationa~ director urged crew to keep
up wtth current upgrading courses
at Piney Point. Treasurer
announced $165 in ship's fund. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
SEA-LAND DISCOVERY (SeaLand Service), October 17Chairman Nelson Sala, Secretary
D~nald C. Spangler, Educational
Drrector Roger M. Wasserman,
Dec~ Delegate Ron J. Sagadraca,
Engme Delegate Ricky D. Arroyo,
Steward Delegate Susan Moe.
c.hairman noted everything runnmg smoothly. Payoff expected
this voyage in Long Beach, Calif.
Secretary reported good crew and
reminded them to leave clean
rooms for reliefs. Educational
director stated upgrading at Paul
Hall Center can improve skills and
job security. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Communications read
and posted regarding upcoming
vote about SIU-NMU merger. Next
ports: Oakland and Long Beach
Calif
'
SEA-LAND KODIAK (Sea-Land
Service), October 30-Chairman
Roger Reinke, Secretary Melvin
E. Morgan, Educational Director
Marvin Wells, Deck Delegate
Basil D. Stolen, Engine Delegate
Jan Haidir, Steward Delegate
Sam Kassem. Chairman
announced vessel entering shipyard
November 25 until December 5.
Not yet sure whether company will
keep everyone. Educational director advised crew members to use
facilities at Piney Point to upgrade
education and get credentials needed in future to ensure eligibility
and job security. He also stressed
need for everyone to vote on merger of SIU and NMU. No beefs or
disputed OT reported.
Recommendation made and sent to
contracts department for consideration to reduce seatime needed for
vacation pay. Also recommended
Welfare Plan pay full cost of optical and dental benefits. Next ports:
Tacoma, Wash. and Anchorage and
Kodiak, Alaska.
SEA-LAND TRADER (Sea-Land
Service), October 31-Chairman
Larry Watson, Secretary Richard
Riley, Educational Director
Edward Rynberg. Chairman stated new VCR received and in use in
crew lounge. Tape rewinder still to
be purchased. Vote of thanks given
to deck department for dealing
with winch on back deck (due to
~e repaired by shoreside personnel
m Tacoma). Educational director
noted he upgraded last year at
Piney Point and suggested all
Seafarers look into upgrading in
their departments for whatever
endorsement they might need to
keep sailing. Treasurer announced
several hundred dollars in ship's
fund from which $50 is spent each
trip for fresh fish in Guam. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Communications read and posted
regarding proposed SIU-NMU
merger.
EL MORRO (IUM), November
29-Chairman William J. Card,
Secretary Gina Lightfoot,
Educational Director Fredrick W.
Dougherty Jr., Deck Delegate
Angelo Wilcox Sr., Engine
Delegate Eliesel Montalvo,
Steward Delegate Robert G.
Maschmeier. Chairman announced
payoff in San Juan, P.R.
Educational director stressed
importance of upgrading skills at
Paul Hall Center. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Discussion held
on SIU-NMU merger. Suggestion
made to get refrigerators for all
unlicensed personnel. Vote of
thanks given to steward department
and unlicensed apprentice for fine
job.
GALVESTON BAY (Sea-Land
Service), November I I-Chairman
Paul Dornes, Secretary Hasan A.
Rahman, Educational Director
Francis C. Quebedeaux, Deck
Delegate Charles B. Collins,
Steward Delegate Larry L.
Griffin. Chairman announced payoff in Jacksonville, Fla. November
12. He advised crew members to
take advantage of courses at Piney
Point. He also noted toll-free number for questions on TRBs and
STCW requirements. Secretary
stressed importance of contributing
to SPAD and upgrading skills at
Paul Hall Center. No beefs or disputed OT reported.
HUMACAO (NPR, Inc.),
November 21-Chairman David
Murray, Secretary Raymond
Jones, Educational Director
William F. Payne, Engine
Delegate Kenneth L. Biddle,
Steward Delegate Pedro
Rodriguez. Payoff scheduled
November 22 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Chairman advised everyone that
Communication from VP Contracts
Augie Tellez read and posted
rega;ding new ships' meetings.
Chairman also read several articles
from Seafarers LOG about SIUNMU merger. Suggestion made to
lower vacation requirements to 60
days. Clarification requested on
Ready for Lunch on the Osprey
When the Osprey arrived in the port of Norfolk, Va. recently, steward department members went to work fixing lunch for the crew.
From the left aboard the Osprey-Acomarit vessel are Steward
Gregory Johnson, Chief Cook Lawrence Winfield, SA Max HassellEl and Steward Felipe P. Orlanda.
$160 in ship's fund to be used for
videos for crew. He also advised
them of February 2002 deadline for
STCW compliance. Secretary sug~est~d all members going on vacatton m December be sure to vote at
union hall on SIU-NMU merger
and upgrade skills at Paul Hall
Center. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestion made to have
shipyard layoff period extended to
60-90 days, instead of current 30day period, so members can
reclaim jobs. Request also made to
have Welfare Plan cover prescription medication for dependents and
for vacation time to be used as
seatime for retirement purposes.
Everyone reminded to have TRBs
signed off by chief mate for any
training and demos on board. Vote
of thanks given to steward department for excellent meals. Next
port: San Juan, P.R.
LIBERTY SEA (Liberty
Maritime), November 28Chairman Harold L. Sebring,
Secretary Thomas D. Kreis
Educational Director Micha~l A.
Birke, Deck Delegate Harry G.
Champagne, Steward Delegate
Christopher M. Green. Chairman
reported receipt of new ice
machine for crew. Next port is
New Orleans where vessel will
load and proceed to Philippines.
Secretary asked everyone getting
off to strip bunks and have clean
linen ready for next crew member.
Educational director stressed
importance of upgrading at Piney
Point and getting STCW endorsements. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Steward department
given vote of thanks for job well
done. Requests made for new
toaster, bread box and hook for ice
machine scoop.
M_AERSK COLORADO (Maersk
Lme), November 14--Chairman
Mohamed S. Ahmed, Secretary
Hugh E. Wildermuth,
Educational Director Everett W.
Snow, Deck Delegate George
Jordanides, Engine Delegate
Robert J. Arneel, Steward
Delegate Lionel Packnett. Ship to
pay offNovember 17 in
Charleston, S.C., according to
chairman. He thanked crew for
good job and helping keep ship
clean. Discussion held on STCW
requirements. Crew members
~waiting answer to previous questlons on Money Purchase Pension
Plan. Educational director urged
everyone to upgrade at Paul Hall
Center at frrst opportunity. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
GUD work hours. Antenna needed
for crew lounge. Before next payoff, ship headed to Bahamas
Miami, Panama and Colombia.
MAYAGUEZ (NPR, Inc.),
November 22-Chairman Roan R.
Lightfoot, Secretary George
Vorise Jr., Educational Director
Michael C. Martykan. Discussion
held on SIU-NMU merger.
Chairman stated SIU is respected
organization within maritime
industry and on Capitol Hill
because it has consistently stood up
for its members. Secretary stated
payoff in Philadelphia November
26. He advised crew members to
upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center.
Educational director informed crew
that upon completion of relief period, members are entitled to file for
vacation benefits for that period.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Everyone reminded that safety is
number one priority aboard ship.
OVERSEAS NEW YORK
(Alaska Tanker Co.), November
8-Chairman J. Carlos Loureiro
Secretary Nancy Heyden,
'
Educational Director Edward Self
Engine Delegate Michael P.
'
Brown. Chairman noted receipt of
raise retroactive to May 12, 1999.
Those who did not receive it at
home should call Keystone
Shipping. Payoff scheduled for
November I 0 at anchor in Port
Angeles. Patrolman from Seattle
hall will attend. Asst. VP Nick
C~lona came aboard ship in
Richmond, Calif. to discuss possible SIU-NMU merger. Letter from
headquarters regarding merger also
received and posted in crew
lounge. Secretary asked that wet
paint gloves not be left on washers
and dryers. Educational director
reminded crew to attend safety
classes at Piney Point in order to
continue shipping. No beefs or dis~uted OT reported. Several suggestlons made and sent to contracts
department for consideration. They
included being able to file for
vacation pay after working 90
days, being able to retire with full
benefits after 20 years of seatime,
regardless of age at retirement and
abolishing the one-day seatim~
requirement in six months to
remain eligible for medical benefits. Vote of thanks given to steward department for good food, to
deck department for hard work on
?eek, ~nd to engine room for keepmg ship running. New furniture for
crew lounge expected soon.
Seafarers LOG
19
�Digest of Shipboard
. Union Meetings
The Seafare'? LOG attempts to print as many digests of union shipboard
mmutes as possible. On occasion, because of space
limitations, some will be omitted.
Ship~ minutes 11~1 are reviewed by the union's contract department.
Those rssues !"'qumng a~en!io~ or resolution are addressed by the union
upon receipt of the ships mmutes. The minutes are then forwarded
to the Seafarers LOG for publication.
SEA-LAND CHALLENGER
(Sea-Land Service), August 1Chairman Richard L. Volk.art
Secretary William E. Bragg, '
Educational Director Herman
Manzer, Deck Delegate Frank
Cammuso, Engine Delegate
Teddie H. Carter, Steward
Delegate Henry 0. Wright Jr.
Chairman noted that new toaster
received and installed in crew
mess. He led discussion of
announcement of Maersk's intended acquisition of Sea-Land's international assets. Awaiting more
~nformation. Secretary passed on
mformation pertaining to asbestos
settlement and talked about relaxed
assessment for STCW compliance.
Educational director stressed
importance of regular upgrading
and benefits of attending Piney
Point. He noted that as more
~equirements and training are
imposed on livelihood of seafarers
it is more important than ever to '
remain current and up-to-date. No
beefs or disputed OT. Suggestion
made and forwarded to contracts
department to revamp Article V of
standard contract to better relate to
three-man steward department
which is now norm. Request ~ade
to bring up issue of late standbys at
next union meeting in Wilmington
Calif. Inquiry made as to lack of '
fans in cabins and common areas.
Steward will investigate. Crew
members getting off vessel should
vacate cabin for new member. If
overnight stay courtesy extended,
then he should move to spare
cabin. Next ports: Oakland and
Long Beach, Calif.
·
SEA-LAND EXPLORER (SeaLand Service), August 13Chairman David Messick
Secretary William Burdette
Educational Director Robert J.
Flesey Jr., Deck Delegate James
C. Henry, Engine Delegate Jesse
Manard, Steward Delegate
Michael Briscoe. Chairman
announced payoff after arrival
August 17 in Long Beach, Calif
Educational director reminded
~veryone about fire fighting trainmg at Paul Hall Center and about
STCW requirements. Treasurer
announced $1,200 in ship's fund.
Chief Cook Briscoe purchased
video rewinder for ship and will be
r~imbursed. He also wants to buy
n~e cooker for galley. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Notice
received from VP Contacts Augie
Tellez regarding sale of portion of
Sea-Land to Maersk. Suggestion
made and forwarded to contracts
department to change time required
for tour of duty. All hands reminded to take complaints directly to
department delegate.
SEA-LAND VOYAGER (SeaLand Service), August 2Chairman Stephen R. Garay,
Secret3!Y James E. Harper,
Educational Director DiMarko L.
Shoulders, Deck Delegate
Edward F. O'Brien, Engine
Delegate P. Alegado, Steward
Delegate Jorge A. Barahona.
Chairman announced extended
deadline for STCW relaxed assessment. He also reminded everyone
to get TRBs signed by mate or
engineer and urged crew to consider upgrading skills or endorsements
at Piney Point. Secretary noted
upgrading is vital to maritime
February 2000
industry. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Explanation of Maersk
Sea-Land agreement read, discussed and posted. Steward related
difficulty ordering adequate stores.
M_AERSK ARIZONA (Maersk
Lmes), September 29-Chairman
Scott A. Heginbotham, Secretary
Joseph S. Henby, Educational
Director David W. King, Deck
Delegate Joseph LeBeau, Steward
Delegate Raford Nixon. Chairman
noted seamen must complete 70
days or two trips to receive transport home. Parts available for crew
mess salad bar and should be fixed
soon; dumbwaiter still waiting on
parts for repair as are several washers and dryers. Some transformers
available aboard ship and must be
signed for and returned. Chairman
reminded all hands to make sure to
firmly close both elevator doors.
Discussion held on hatch-handling
safety. Secretary noted ship to transit Suez Canal, then head to
Djibouti, Africa and Chittagong,
Bangladesh. Educational director
stressed need for crew members to
have STCW basic safety endorsements. Treasurer announced $20 in
ship's fund. Clarification requested
on rates for ABs going directly
from watch to deck jobs. No beefs
or. disputed OT reported. Question
raised concerning issuance of coveralls and high prices in slop chest.
NORTHERN LIGHTS (IUM),
September 28--Chairman John O.
Glenn,_ Secretary Gregory Keene,
Educat10nal Director Daniel P.
Mitchell, Deck Delegate Saleh
Ali, Engine Delegate Mark D.
Savage, Steward Delegate Jose P.
Maglalang. Captain thanked crew
for good work during storm last
trip. Bosun pleased with crew for
keeping laundry room and passageways clean and gave vote of thanks
to steward department for job well
done. He urged members to
upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center.
Secretary noted new television on
board. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Recommendation made
and forwarded to contracts department to raise monthly pension
allowances. Members want clarification on possible reimbursement
for money deducted from pay for
New Jersey Health Care, which
doesn't affect them. Next port:
Tacoma, Wash.
PETERSBURG (IUM), October
24-Chairman Eddie E. Hall
Secretary Oscar R. Angeles, '
Educational Director John P.
D' Alessandro, Steward Delegate
Mohamed Muthanna. Chairman
announced ship under new management. So far, nothing changed
from old company, and vessel still
under coastwise articles. Educationa~ director urged crew to keep
up with current upgrading courses
at Piney Point. Treasurer
announced $165 in ship's fund. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
SEA-LAND DISCOVERY (SeaLand Service), October 17Chairman Nelson Sala, Secretary
D?nald C. Spangler, Educational
DITector Roger M. Wasserman,
Dec~ Delegate Ron J. Sagadraca,
Engme Delegate Ricky D. Arroyo,
Steward Delegate Susan Moe.
~hairman noted everything runmng smoothly. Payoff expected
this voyage in Long Beach, Calif.
Secretary reported good crew and
_ reminded them to leave clean
rooms for reliefs. Educational
director stated upgrading at Paul
Hall Center can improve skills and
job security. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Communications read
and posted regarding upcoming
vote about SIU-NMU merger. Next
ports: Oakland and Long Beach
Calif.
'
SEA-LAND KODIAK (Sea-Land
Service), October 30-Chairman
Roger Reinke, Secretary Melvin
E. Morgan, Educational Director
Marvin Wells, Deck Delegate
Basil D. Stolen, Engine Delegate
Jan Haidir, Steward Delegate
Sam Kassem. Chairman
announced vessel entering shipyard
November 25 until December 5.
Not yet sure whether company will
keep everyone. Educational director advised crew members to use
facilities at Piney Point to upgrade
education and get credentials needed in future to ensure eligibility
and job security. He also stressed
need for everyone to vote on merger of SIU and NMU. No beefs or
disputed OT reported.
Recommendation made and sent to
contracts department for consideration to reduce seatime needed for
vacation pay. Also recommended
Welfare Plan pay full cost of optical and dental benefits. Next ports:
Tacoma, Wash. and Anchorage and
Kodiak, Alaska.
SEA-LAND TRADER (Sea-Land
Service), October 31--Chairman
Larry Watson, Secretary Richard
Riley, Educational Director
Edward Rynberg. Chairman stated new VCR received and in use in
crew lounge. Tape rewinder still to
be purchased. Vote of thanks given
to deck department for dealing
with winch on back deck (due to
repaired by shoreside personnel
m Tacoma). Educational director
noted he upgraded last year at
Piney Point and suggested all
Seafarers look into upgrading in
their departments for whatever
endorsement they might need to
keep sailing. Treasurer announced
several hundred dollars in ship's
fund from which $50 is spent each
trip for fresh fish in Guam. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Communications read and posted
regarding proposed SIU-NMU
merger.
?e
EL MORRO (IUM), November
29--Chairman William J. Card
Secretary Gina Lightfoot,
'
Educational Director Fredrick W.
Dougherty Jr., Deck Delegate
Angelo Wilcox Sr., Engine
Delegate Eliesel Montalvo
Steward Delegate Robert
Maschmeier. Chairman announced
payoff in San Juan, P.R.
Educational director stressed
importance of upgrading skills at
Paul Hall Center. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Discussion held
on SIU-NMU merger. Suggestion
made to get refrigerators for all
unlicensed personnel. Vote of
thanks ~iven to steward department
and unlicensed apprentice for fine
job.
G.
GALVESTON BAY (Sea-Land
Service), November 11-Chairman
Paul Dornes, Secretary Hasan A.
Rahman, Educational Director
Francis C. Quebedeaux, Deck
Delegate Charles B. Collins,
Steward Delegate Larry L.
Griffin. Chairman announced payoff in Jacksonville, Fla. November
12. He advised crew members to
take advantage of courses at Piney
Point. He also noted toll-free number for questions on TRBs and
STCW requirements. Secretary
stressed importance of contributing
to SPAD and upgrading skills at
Paul Hall Center. No beefs or disputed OT reported.
HUMACAO (NPR, Inc.),
November 21--Chairman David
Murray, Secretary Raymond
Jones, Educational Director
William F. Payne, Engine
Delegate Kenneth L. Biddle,
Steward Delegate Pedro
Rodriguez. Payoff scheduled
November 22 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Chairman advised everyone that
Communication from VP Contracts
Augie Tellez read and posted
reg~ding new ships' ~eetings .
Chamnan also read several articles
from Seafarers LOG about SIUNMU merger. Suggestion made to
lower vacation requirements to 60
days. Clarification requested on
Ready for Lunch on the Osprey
When the Osprey arrived in the port of Norfolk, Va. recently, steward department members went to work fixing lunch for the crew.
From the left aboard the Osprey-Acomarit vessel are Steward
Gregory Johnson, Chief Cook Lawrence Winfield, SA Max HassellEl and Steward Felipe P. Orlanda.
$160 in ship's fund to be used for
videos for crew. He also advised
them of February 2002 deadline for
STCW compliance. Secretary suggested all members going on vacation in December be sure to vote at
union hall on SIU-NMU merger
and upgrade skills at Paul Hall
Center. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Suggestion made to have
shipyard layoff period extended to
60-90 days, instead of current 30day period, so members can
reclaim jobs. Request also made to
have Welfare Plan cover prescription medication for dependents and
for vacation time to be used as
seatime for retirement purposes.
Everyone reminded to have TRBs
si~~d off by chief mate for any
trammg and demos on board. Vote
of thanks given to steward department for excellent meals. Next
port: San Juan, P.R.
LIBERTY SEA (Liberty
Maritime), November 28Chairman Harold L. Sebring,
Secretary Thomas D. Kreis
Educational Director Micha~l A.
Birke, Deck Delegate Harry G.
Champagne, Steward Delegate
Christopher M. Green. Chairman
reported receipt of new ice
machine for crew. Next port is
New Orleans where vessel will
load and proceed to Philippines.
Secretary asked everyone getting
off to strip bunks and have clean
linen ready for next crew member.
Educational director stressed
importance of upgrading at Piney
Point and getting STCW endorsements. No beefs or disputed OT
r~ported. Steward department
given vote of thanks for job well
done. Requests made for new
toaster, bread box and hook for ice
machine scoop.
M_AERSK COLORADO (Maersk
Lme), November 14-Chairman
Mohamed S. Ahmed, Secretary
Hugh E. Wildermuth,
Educational Director Everett W.
Snow, Deck Delegate George
Jordanides, Engine Delegate
Robert J. Arneel, Steward
Delegate Lionel Pack.nett. Ship to
pay off November 17 in
Charleston, S.C., according to
chairman. He thanked crew for
good job and helping keep ship
clean. Discussion held on STCW
requirements. Crew members
~waiting answer to previous questions on Money Purchase Pension
Plan. Educational director urged
everyone to upgrade at Paul Hall
Center at fust opportunity. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
GUD work hours. Antenna needed
for crew lounge. Before next payoff, ship headed to Bahamas
Miami, Panama and Colombia.
MAYAGUEZ (NPR, Inc.),
November 22-Chairman Roan R.
Lightfoot, Secretary George
Vorise Jr., Educational Director
Michael C. Martykan. Discussion
held on SIU-NMU merger.
Chairman stated SIU is respected
organization within maritime
industry and on Capitol Hill
because it has consistently stood up
for its members. Secretary stated
payoff in Philadelphia November
26. He advised crew members to
upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center.
Educational director informed crew
that upon completion of relief period, members are entitled to file for
vacation benefits for that period.
No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Everyone reminded that safety is
number one priority aboard ship.
OVERSEAS NEW YORK
(Alaska Tanker Co.), November
8-Chairman J. Carlos Loureiro
Secretary Nancy Heyden,
'
Educational Director Edward Self
Engine Delegate Michael P.
'
Brown. Chairman noted receipt of
raise retroactive to May 12, 1999.
Those who did not receive it at
home should call Keystone
Shipping. Payoff scheduled for
November 10 at anchor in Port
Angeles. Patrolman from Seattle
hall will attend. Asst. VP Nick
C~lona came aboard ship in
Richmond, Calif. to discuss possible SIU-NMU merger. Letter from
headquarters regarding merger also
received and posted in crew
lounge. Secretary asked that wet
paint gloves not be left on washers
and dryers. Educational director
reminded crew to attend safety
classes at Piney Point in order to
continue shipping. No beefs or dis~uted OT reported. Several suggestions made and sent to contracts
department for consideration. They
included being able to file for
vacation pay after working 90
days, being able to retire with full
benefits after 20 years of seatime,
regardless of age at retirement and
abolishing the one-day seatim~
requirement in six months to
remain eligible for medical benefits. Vote of thanks given to steward department for good food, to
deck department for hard work on
?eek, ~nd to ~ngine room for keepmg ship runnmg. New furniture for
crew lounge expected soon.
Seafarers LOG
19
�SEAFARERS PAUL HALL CENTER
2000 UPGRADING COURSE SCHEDULE
The following is the schedule for classes beginning between February
through June 2000 at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education
in Piney Point, Md. All programs are geared to improve the job skills of
Seafarers and to promote the American maritime industry.
Please note that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the maritime industry and-in times of conflict-the nation's security.
Students attending any of these classes should check in the Saturday before
their course's start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the
morning of the start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reservations should be made for Saturday.
Seafarers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at
the Paul Hall Center may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010.
Safety Specialty Courses
Course
Start Date
Date of Completion
Tanker Familiarization/
Assistant Cargo (DL)*
February 7
March 6
April 3
May 1
May 29
February 25
March 24
April 21
May 19
June 16
Basic Fire Fighting
February 28
March 27
April 24
May22
March 3
March 31
April 28
May26
Advanced Fire Fighting
February 14
March 6
February 25
March 17
Government Vessels
February 28
March 27
May 1
May 22
March 17
April 14
May 19
June 9
STCW Basic Safety (refresher)
February 7
March 6
February 11
March 10
Tankerman (PIC) Barge*
March 13
April 3
May22
March 17
April 7
May26
February 28
March 20
March 3
March 24
February 28
March 3
(*must have basic fire fighting)
Deck Upgrading Courses
Course
Start Date
Date of Completion
Able Seaman
February 21
March 20
April 17
March 17
April 28
May26
February 7
March 20
April 17
Feb. 19 (pre-AB)
March 31 (pre-AB)
April 28 (pre-AB)
Life boatman
Radar
March 6
April 3
March 17
April 14
Automatic Radar Plotting Aids*
March 20
April 17
March 24
April 21
Mayl
June 23
(ARPA) (*must have radar unlimited)
Limited License
(*must have basic fire fighting)
LNG Familiarization*
(*must have advanced fire fighting)
Oil Spill Containment
Engine Upgrading Courses
Course
Start Date
Date of Completion
Fireman/Watertender & Oiler
April 3
May12
Welding
February 14
March 13
April 17
May26
March 3
March 31
May5
June 9
Designated Du
General education and college courses are available as needed. In addition,
basic vocational support program courses are offered throughout the year,
one week prior to the AB, QMED, FOWT, Third Mate, Tanker Assistant
and Water Survival courses. An introduction to computers course will be
self-study.
June 23
ay 5
E gineer (DDE)
Academic Department Courses
Steward Upgrading Courses
Course
Start Date
Galley Operations/
Advanced Galley Operations
(Every week)
Certified Chief Cook/Chief Steward
(Every other week)
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 6, 13, 20, 27
April 3, 10, 17, 24
February 7, 21
March 6, 20
April 3, 17
~
.
-·-·:.,).·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-
UPGRADING APPLICATION
Name ---------------------------~
Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatimefor the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts, US MMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and QMED applicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee of $280 with their application. The oavment should he made with a money order onlv.
pavahle to LMSS.
COURSE
Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member
If the following
D
Lakes Member
BEGIN
DATE
END
DATE
Date of Birth _ _ _ _ __ _ __
D
Inland Waters Member
D
information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed.
Social Security# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Book# - - -- - - - - - - Seniority _ __ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ Department _ _ __ _ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
0
No
0
Home Port - - - - - - -- - - - - Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
LAST VESSEL: _ _ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ Rating: _ _ __
Date On: _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ __ Date Off:
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
D Yes
D No
If yes, class# _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ __
Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D Yes
D No
If yes, course(s) taken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ __
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D Yes D No
Firefighting:
D Yes D No
CPR:
D Yes D No
Primary language spoken _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
February 2000
SIGNATURE _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, PO. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,
access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
2100
Seafarers L06
21
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
.:..
-
~~._.......,~1sEAFARERS
PAUL Hlll CENTER
LIFEBOAT
CLASS
t~:_?> ~9,.5_ =-~,-
--
Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 595 - Unlicensed
apprentice class 595 graduating from the water survival course are (from left,
kneeling) Randolph Cash, Gregorio Abalos, Christopher Cummings, Ronel
Guerzon, Keyshon Foote, (second row) Tyrone Brown , Montroes Fulton, Michael
Bull, Eli Ade, Benny Perez, Carlos Castillo, Walter Kyles, (third row) Charles
Walker, Jonathan Aichs, Christopher Todd, Guy Todd II and Ian Ferguson.
Government Vessels - Seafarers who successfully completed the government vessels course
on December 17 include (in no specific order) Steve Roquemore, Charles Sadler, Greg Cherry, Robert
Forrest, Frank Patrick, Tim Graham, Edward Milstead, James Tyson, William Kelley, Benjamin Ines,
Roderick Clay, Ahmed Sharif, Justin Seybert, Michael Joel, John Palughi, John Petushin , Timothy
Horger, James McCarthy, Brandon Maeda and Keith Kowaleski.
PAUL
LIFEBOAT CLASS
591
Unlicensed Apprentice Basic Fire Fighting Class 596 -
Members of unlicensed apprentice class 596 graduating from the basic fire fighting class are (in no particular order) Kyle Bailey, Spencer Randall , Sherrod Frazier, Armando Garayua-Gonzalez,
Edward Joyal Ill, Harry McKever, Terrell McMillian, Felix Medina-Vidal, Andres Morin,
Marquel Sapp, Shauntay Shavies, Robert Walter, Raymond Elsner Jr. and Randall Sachs.
Their instructor, John Smith, is at far left.
GED -
Academic -
Ursel (Buddy) Barber
receives a certificate of achievement from
instructor Peggy Densford for completing a
college-level course in developmental math.
Barber is a Class I QMED who sails from the
port of Houston.
It was a proud day for Justin Germain, a
Phase Ill unlicensed apprentice , as he receives his
Maryland high school diploma through the Paul Hall
Center. With him are (from left) Academic Department
Coordinator Ed Fitzgerald and Academic instructors
Peggy Densford and Joan Miles.
Advanced Galley Operations -
Finishing one of the required
two-week modules in the galley operations curriculum are (from left) Larry
Pugh , William Mohica, Kim Gardner and Chef/Instructor Ed White .
Advanced Fire
Fighting - Marking completion of the advanced fire
fighting course on December
10 are Allan Gorman, llavia
Amaya , Daniel Figge, Daniel
Gish, Clarence Sampay,
Clovis Pomare, Ali Rhoufiry,
Frank Iverson, Gheorghe
Savencu, David St. Onge and
David Hinson. Their instructor, Anthony Hammett,
stands at far left.
22
Seafarers LOS
February 2000
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Tankerman
(PIC) Barge
CourseGraduating from the
tankerman (PIC)
barge course in the
port of Jacksonville
on August 12 are
Crowley boatmen
Aitzgorri Gastanaga
(left) and Ernest
Williams (right) . With
them is instructor
Mitch Oakley.
Tankerman (PIC) Barge Course - G&H Towing boatmen completing the
tankerman (PIC) barge course in September are (from left, kneeling) Jesse Alaniz, T.J .
Snead, Roy Wick, Richard Johnson, Adam Simon, Martin Almanza , (second row) Matt
Hargrove, Brian Taylor, Kevin Casler, Ted Sliter, Jaime Brown, Steve Williams, Leo
Barron and G&H trainer Sabrina Matteson . Their instructor was Mitch Oakley.
Phase I Unlicensed Apprentices - For members of unlicensed apprentice class 595, this visit to the USNS Antares in Baltimore
is their first time on a vessel before they will actually ship out.
Unlicensed Apprentice Class 596 - In the steward culinary lab, members from class 596, nd
h
perv· · of ·n
T' · g, po y
show the fruits of their labors in preparing breakfast.
Phase III Unlicensed Apprentices -
Phase Ill unlicensed apprentices tour the SL-7
USNS Antares in Baltimore to gain a better understanding of the work that goes on in the deck
and engine departments. They are (in no specific order) Brett Parkins, Lane Schroeder, Roger
Steward, DeMichael Dews, Andrew Straka Jr. , Bruce Weathers, Ramon Thomas, Christopher
Gen , Raheem Owens, Jess Chalker, Mitchell Gustafson, Kevin Johnson, Brent Morris, Anthony
Cruz Vergara , Kristopher Anderson , Paul Weil , Donaldo Arevalo, John Allan , James Miller Jr.
and Chad Partridge.
Upgraders Water Survival - Upgrading
Seafarers who completed the water survival class on
November 12 are (from left, kneeling) Helen Mitchell,
Spencer Moxley Sr., (second row) Bernabe Pelingon
(instructor), Ellis Jones, Ali Rhoufiry, Wilfred Scales,
Carlos Julio, Marcial Avila, Francisco Harry, (third row)
Mohamed Abdulsalam , Ali Naser, Sidney Jenkins, Velly
Marquez, (fourth row) George Johnson, Julian Lacuesta
Jr., Edgardo Ong , Virgilio Managbanag, Romeo Rivera
and William Bruce.
Tanker Assistant Cargo (DL)-Among those
completing the tanker assistant cargo (DL) course on
October 15 are (in no particular order) Nestor Montoya
Jr., Misti Thornbrugh , Martin Vargas, Shatonn Fowler,
Antonio Watson , William Rozier, Salvatore Migliara,
Chris Daniels, Jeffrey Smith, James Brown, Samuel
Giles, Marion Collins, Joshua Weir, Chad Warren , Fahd
Alsoofi, Melvin Hill 111 , Paul Flores, Pedro Ortiz Jr. and
Jarian Hutchinson. Their instructor, Jim Shaffer, is
standing at far right.
February 2000
Seafarers LOG
23
�Volume 62
Number 2
Attention Seafaren:
This year is a leap year. Take advantage of the extra day to work on your
SIU scholarship application. See page
11 for additional information.
'Head Reci1•iter' Honored at Meeting
Annamarie Haller Is the Proud Mother of Four Seafarers
She has gone from "Special
SIU Dispatcher" to "Head SIU
Recruiter."
But whatever title is awarded
to Annamarie Haller, it cannot
top the one of which she is most
proud-the mother of four SIU
members.
Seafarers showed their gratitude during the January membership meeting in Piney Point, Md.
when SIU Vice President
Contracts Augie Tellez recognized her in the audience. She
received a solid round of
applause from all those in attendance.
Tellez called her the "head
recruiter" in the union. As proof,
he added, she was attending the
meeting with two of her four
maritime sons: OMV Mike
Haller and Chief Electrician
John Haller. (The other two are
Chuck, a hawsepiper who sails
as an engineer, and QMED
Robert. A fifth brother, Joey,
pursued a shoreside career.)
Mrs. Haller, a resident of
Summit, Miss., had spent
Christmas and New Year's with
her sons in the Philadelphia area.
They told her they were planning
to attend the union meeting and
invited her to join them.
Ten years ago, the Hallers
were featured in the Seafarers
LOG as one of the large number
of families with more than one
member sailing with the SIU.
In December 1989, the LOG
noted that when manpower needed to fill a position in the engine
room, they would call Mrs.
Haller to help locate one of her
sons. In the same article, Chuck
said he would hate to hear the
phone ring when he was at home
because his mother would be
honest and tell manpower where
he was.
Left: Two of Annamarie
Hailer's four seafaring sons
join her on the stage in Piney
Point. From the left are OMU
Mike Haller, SIU VP
Contracts Augie Tellez, Mrs.
Haller, CE John Haller, his
wife, Marlene, and SIU
Sec'y-Treas. David Heindel.
~
Below: Annamarie Haller stands
before the SIU membership during the January meeting in Piney
Point after being recognized as
the union's "head recruiter."
Since then, she has moved to
Mississippi, but she still keeps
up with the happenings in the
union.
When asked what it took to
raise all of her sons, she
responded, "A lot of prayers."
She quickly added she is
proud of all of them: "We made
it and it has worked."
Three of the four brothers
graduated from the trainee program at Piney Point. John was
the first, completing the program
in 1972. Robert followed two
years later. Mike came through
in 1995.
Several of them have sailed
together. John recalled trips with
Chuck aboard the USNS Antilles,
Overseas Anchorage and SeaLand San Juan. Tellez remembered that Robert and John were
involved in organizing Crowley
tugs on the West Coast.
that following the meeting they
were taking their mother on a
trip to Washington, D.C. Mrs.
Haller added she was looking
forward to seeing the White
House, the Vietnam Memorial
and some art museums.
Chief Cooks Chat with SIU President
During a break in
their recent studies
at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime
Training and
Education, Chief
Cooks Eddie Ong
(right) and Marie
Mitchell spoke with
SIU President
Michael Sacco concerning the proposed
merger of the NMU
into the SIU.
Visiting the Paul Hall Center
And Starboard Means....
Part of the vessel familiarization training at the Paul Hall
Center is learning wheel commands for steering a vessel.
Here, students at the Piney
Point, Md. facility receive
instruction from Larry Malone
aboard the training vessel
Osprey. Eager to take the
wheel are Tim Manes,
Earnesto Brandon, Jose
Echeverria and
John Barrington.
Recertified Steward Ekow Doffoh (left) brought his wife, Winifred,
to the January membership meeting in Piney Point. While touring
the center, they posed with SIU Sec'y-Treas. David Heindel.
�
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February 2000
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HEADLINES
UNION WELCOMES ALLIED’S SEA RAVEN
RO/RO’S SEA TRIALS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL
USNS CHARLTON SIGNALS NEW JOBS FOR SEAFARERS
SIU’S BALTIMORE HALL RELOCATING TO ESSEX ST.
MOBILE OFFICE HAROLD FISCHER PASSES AWAY
SMPPP ADMINISTRATOR PROVIDES PLAN UPDATE
MARINE COOKS AND STEWARDS PENSION INCREASES BY 14%
UNION MEMBERSHIP INCREASES AGAIN
NEW DATA SHOWS LARGEST GROWTH IN 20 YEARS
CENSUS WILL IMPACT CONGRESS, STATES
INDY MAKES HISTORY AT PEARL HARBOR
UNION SQUASHES Y2K BUG
GUAM CONNECTS WITH APPRENTICE PROGRAM
CREWS DISCUSS MERGER, OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
THE PATHFINDER BY J. MELFORD SMITH, CH. ENGR. USMM, RET.
‘HEAD RECRUITER’ HONORED AT MEETING
ANNAMARIE HALLER IS THE PROUD MOTHER OF FOUR SEAFARERS
Creator
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Seafarers Log
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Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
Publisher
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Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
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02/01/2000
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Newsprint
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Vol. 62, No. 2
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log
-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/e9639bf08c6a604770504ae9e596baad.pdf
f541646a60689e0c8e04ae0b0ceb438e
PDF Text
Text
SIU charter members recall the
union's beginning and offer
words of experience to the
newest Seafarers. Pages 8-1 O.
l'age3
�~
President's Report
Working for a Stronger Fleet
Look at the headline on the next page. What a way to start the
new year, the new century and the new millennium!
All the work of the last I 0 years is paying off.
Two new roll-on/roll-off ships that will be built in
an American shipyard! A new hopper dredge also
to be built in an American shipyard!
What great presents for Seafarers and the U.S.flag commercial fleet to receive during the holiday season. Justly deserved presents, I might add.
These new builds-as well as the new two
Michael Sacco passenger ships, the Double Eagle tankers, the zclass tugs, the coastal cruise vessels, the harborclass tugs, the MSC RO/ROs, the car carriers and others announced
during the last 12 months-show the U.S.-fleet remains a strategic,
economic and national defense need for this country.
The revitalization, for which we have fought so long, is well
under way.
While it is great to reflect on the industry's success, let us not
forget this job is nowhere close to being finished!
All segments of the U.S. maritime industry still require attention.
The deep sea fleet has drawn the primary concentration with the
Maritime Security Program and its new vessels, but more needs to
be done.
The two new Jones Act RO/ROs announced by TOTE is a
tremendous first step. These ships will be the first built in a U.S.
yard for the commercial fleet in nearly a decade. The TOTE vessels
are just the beginning for both the Jones Act fleet and domestic
shipyards.
The construction of the Double Eagle tankers show that
American workers can compete with international yards to build
state-of-the-art ships for the 21st century. We must push to bring the
revitalization process to the rest of the tanker fleet.
The new hopper dredge displays a determination to upgrade
America's ports as they prepare for the coming century. Following
years of struggle and red tape that kept some harbors from having
even mere maintenance work done, an agreement was brokered by
representatives from the White House, state and local governments,
the unions and the industry earlier this year to allow dredging in the
port of New York/New Jersey. Work in other facilities-like
Oakland, Calif.-also is in progress.
Another sign that the ports are looking ahead is the number of
new tugs either on the drawing boards or already sailing. While
these vessels will assist in docking ships, work still has to be done
to upgrade the land-based transportation systems within the port
facilities.
The Persian Gulf War vividly demonstrated the need for civiliancrewed prepositioning vessels. New builds and reflagged vessels
continue to join the U.S.-flag fleet to make sure the requirements of
America's armed forces are met if and when they are called to
action.
With the new passenger ships being built for United States Lines,
America shows it can compete with the runaway-flag cruise industry-which finally is coming under the media's glare for its disregard for this nation's tax, wage and worker safety laws.
Yes, we are seeing change, growth and progress within our
industry. It has not occurred overnight. But it is happening.
Our industry is not being ignored, much as it was 10 years ago.
So, while we have this attention, we must continue to address the
many other needs-including those for inland and Great Lakes
members.
That is why is it so vital as we enter this first presidential and
congressional campaign year of the 21st century that we register to
vote. And we must continue to educate those who want to serve us
about what is important and dear-a strong and vibrant U.S.-flag
merchant fleet.
Throughout our industry, we're seeing proof that hard work does
pay off. Let's keep that spirit going as we enter the new century.
Volume 62, Number 1
January 2000
The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN I 086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf,
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 899-
0675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Communications Director, Daniel Duncan; Managing
Editor, Jordan Biscardo; Associate Editor/Production,
Deborah A. Hirtes; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative
Support, Jeanne Textor.
Copyright© 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
2
Seafarers LOG
Seafarers Cast Ballots
On Proposed •erger
Voting Ends Jan. 31 on SIU-NMU Unification
Voting will continue until the
end of this month on whether the
SIU will proceed with full merger
talks with the National Maritime
Union.
Balloting began December 1,
1999 and is scheduled to last
through January 31, 2000. Voting
is taking place in all SIU halls
between 9 a.m. and noon local
time, Monday through Saturday,
excluding holidays. Seafarers
also may request an absentee ballot by following the instructions
printed in the October issue of the
LOG. Additionally, those instructions are available via the union's
web site (www.seafarers.org, in
the LOG section, October issue).
Port officials said the turnout
was strong during the first month
of voting.
The current vote will determine whether the SIU membership wants this merger and, if
approved, gives the union's executive board permission to continue with the merger talks. A similar election is taking place at the
same time in the NMU.
Overall, the proposed merger
involves a three-step voting
Chief Cook Jose Guzman (right) secures his ballot at the SIU hall in
Norfolk, Va. from SIU VP Government Services Kermett Mangram.
process. That procedure is
explained in detail in a recent letter mailed from the SIU executive
board to each member. Copies of
the letter also have been distributed aboard ships by patrolmen
and are available in union halls.
Left: Recertified
Bosun Greg
Hamilton reviews
the official ballot
before casting his
vote at the
Wilmington hall.
Ready to vote is OS Mark
Edmonds at the Norfolk hall.
In three photos above, AB Frank Cammuso, Chief Cook Karen Fensel and AB Gary Tauro, are among the
first to vote at the SIU hall in Wilmington, Calif.
Retirees Say Thanks
For Year-End Bonus
Dozens of SIU pensioners wrote thank-you notes
to the union's executive board following last
month's announcement that eligible retirees are
receiving a year-end bonus check of $500.
"It couldn't come at a better time," wrote Lorne
Eagle.
"What a nice surprise," said Antoinette Thayer.
"Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
Plurinsus Ordansa said he welcomed the bonus
because it would help him purchase Christmas gifts
for his grandchildren. "I have a dozen, you know, so
that $500 bonus is a great help. May God bless you
all, especially our union, our brothers and sisters at
sea, and our honorable President Mike Sacco."
Leonard Paul wrote that he appreciates the SIU
"remembering their pensioners. We are so grateful,
and that's putting it mildly."
The checks were mailed in early December to all
SIU pensioners who currently receive monthly benefit checks for normal, early normal or disability
pensions from the Seafarers Pension Plan.
Please be advised that SIU headquarters
and all SIU hiring halls will be closed on
Monday, February 21, 2000 for the observance of Presidents' Day (unless an
emergency arises). Normal business
hours will resume the following workday.
January 2000
�Building for the New Century
TOTE Announces
Two New Vessels
SIU-contracted Totem Ocean Trailer
Express (TOTE) began the new year by
ordering two new roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO)
vessels to be built in an American yard for
the Alaskan Jones Act trade.
The new ships, called the "Orea" class,
are expected to be sailing by late 2002.
They will be the first non-military containerships or RO/ROs built in a domestic yard
since the R.J. Pfeiffer came out in 1992.
"This announcement shows TOTE 's
continued confidence in and commitment
to the Jones Act and the U.S. merchant
marine," SIU President Michael Sacco
stated.
"TOTE has been a major player in the
Alaskan maritime industry since the company was founded 25 years ago. The company understands the needs of the Alaskan
citizens and their businesses. TOTE is
establishing itself as the pacesetter for the
next century by building these ships that
will feature the very latest technology
designed to protect the environment."
Sacco added that these two ships, as
well as the other recently announced new
builds, show "the U.S.-flag merchant fleet
continues to be revitalized. Since the passage of the Maritime Security Program in
1996-along with the ongoing support for
the nation's cabotage laws in Congress, the
U.S.-flag merchant fleet remains a vital
part of America's economic and national
defense transportation system."
The 825-foot vessels will be constructed at National Steel and Shipbuilding
Artist , conception shows
Corporation in San Diego. The two ships
what the ~ new Orea-class
will have a capacity equal to the three
TOTE - vessels 'will look
ROIR.Os already in service for TOTE.
like when they b~gi_n sai~
Among the features to be incorporated
ing in 2002 .., · ·
into the new design are the cleanest burning marine power plants available in
today's market, fuel that will be stored in
double-hulled fashion not adjacent to the
skin, and a state-of-the-art sewage treatAlso, the hulls will be ice-belted to proment plant.
vide additional protection in Cook Inlet
"These ships, which can carry 50 per- during the winter months.
cent more cargo than our present ships, are
"This $300 million private investment
designed specifically to endure the harsh will further our commitment to Alaskans
conditions of the Alaska trade," noted ·well into the next century by enhancing
TOTE President and CEO Robert P. Alaskan job opportunities on our vessels
Magee.
and shoreside, improving the resource
The Orea-class vessels should carry 600 development infrastructure and better
highway trailers as well as 200 automo- serving Alaskan consumers with faster and
biles. They are being configured to easily more economical service," stated Magee.
handle 48- and 53-foot trailers. More than
Besides the new vessels, Magee said the
75 percent of the freight on board will be company is planning improvements to its
enclosed below deck.
pier and terminal facilities in Anchorage.
Reflecting on how the Seattle-based
company plans for the future, Magee
pointed out, "TOTE owes its success to our
loyal customers and to the hard work of
both our direct employees and members of
organized labor such as our longshoremen,
teamsters, mechanics, seafarers and merchant officers who provide our efficient
service."
Seafarers already crew the three vessels
operating in TOTE's fleet-the Great Land,
the Northern Lights and the Westward
Venture. TOTE is part of a larger company
known as Saltchuk Resources. Inc.
Great Lakes Unveils
New Hopper Dredge
Seafarers will have a new vessel to crew
late next year following the announcement
by Great Lakes Dredge & Dock to construct a 315-foot hopper dredge.
Work is expected to begin by March for
the Liberty Island. The large self-propelled
dredge will be built by union workers at
Manitowoc Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
"This is yet another positive sign that
companies like Great Lakes Dredge &
Dock are committed to a strong, vibrant
U.S.-flag merchant fleet," noted Augie
Tellez, SIU vice president for contracts.
"This new dredge will help ensure
America's harbors and ports will meet
future demands. And this vessel will provide more jobs for SIU members in this
vitally needed segment of the industry,"
Tellez added.
The Liberty Island will have a 5,000cubic-meter capacity. It will be 59 feet
wide and have a top speed of 14 knots.
The vessel will be capable of working
as deep as 90 feet. It will be constructed
Work will begin on the hopper dredge Liberty Island by March so it will be ready
for its Seafarers' crew late next year.
with bottom-dump doors to provide for
rapid unloading.
Seafarers are aboard the Great Lakes
Dredge & Dock dredge Long Island. The
company's NATCO subsidiary operates
five dredges which are crewed by SIU
members. They are the Padre Island, the
Dodge Island, the Sugar Island, the
Northerly Island and the Manhattan
Island.
Unions to WTO: Global Economy Must Work for Working Families
Dozens of Seafarers were
among the estimated 40,000
peaceful protesters .at the recent
World
Trade
Organization
(WTO) meeting in Seattle.
Shouting "No to the WTO,"
working families from more than
50 unions, 25 states and 144
countries marched through
Seattle's streets on November 30
to demand that international trade
rules be reformed to respect
workers' rights and protect the
environment. The protests contin-
Tens of thousands of protesters at the WTO summit in Seattle demanded that international trade agreements include enforceable provisions
protecting workers. Marching in a demonstration on November 30 were
SIU members (closest to camera, from left) Steward/Baker Mike
Gramer, Chief Cook Veronika Cardenas and GSU Joel Crow.
January 2000
ued through December 3, the
final day of the WTO talks.
Speaking at the rally on
30,
AFL-CIO
November
President John Sweeney said,
"Here in the United States, we
will continue to organize in the
Congress and elsewhere against
any trade accords that do not
include workers' rights and
human rights and environmental
and public health protections.
And we will stop them."
AFL-CIO Executive Vice
President
Linda
ChavezThompson, dozens of officials
from international unions, as well
as religious, human rights, environmental and international officials told the crowd that free trade
is not "free" if its costs are child
labor and forced labor, poverty
wages, hazardous workplaces and
environmental degradation, and
that free trade must be substituted
with fair trade.
After the WTO talks ended,
Sweeney added, "This week's
heightened scrutiny of negotiations at the World Trade
Seafarers are among the unionists at the November 30 rally.
Organization meeting punctured
the veil of secrecy and insensitivity in which the WTO has shrouded itself and made it impossible
for trade negotiators to paper over
differences or to pass off a bad
deal as acceptable. In the end,
there was no consensus on issues
of crucial importance to average
citizens, not just in the U.S. but
around the world, and there was
no deal. ...
"Despite the lack of breakthroughs in policy, this week produced a stunning breakthrough in
the public debate over globalization. Americans crossed a threshold to begin a truly national conversation about rules and standards and values in the global
economy, and they were joined
by citizens across the globe."
Seafarers LOG
3
�Shipboard Meetings Cross the Country
Union officials from across the country continue to meet with
Seafarers when their vessels dock.
The officials, including President Michael Sacco and SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel, update members on the latest news within
the union and answer questions on a broad range of topics from the
ongoing SIU-NMU merger vote to issues dealing with benefits and
contracts.
Included on this page are photographs from Port Elizabeth, N.J.;
Norfolk, Va.; and Long Beach, Calif.
SIU New York Port Rep. Jack
Caffey Jr. (left) talks with Bosun
Mike Manekas on the deck of the
Sea-Land Defender.
SIU Sec'y-Treas. David Heindel
answers a question for the
Cape Race crew. Listening are
QMED James Atwell and
Bosun Walter Ritvalsky.
Getting ready to take part in a meeting aboard the Cape Ray are (from
left) SIU VP Govt. Services Kermett Mangram, AB Lonale Andrews,
AB Joe Murphy and Bosun Billy Farris.
Awaiting his turn to hit the deck is SIU Sec'yTreas. David Heindel (right). With him on the
Cape Ray are Bosun Billy Farris (left) and QMED
J. Sterner Clothier.
Chief Stewards Anthony Houston
(left) and Ed Banks (center) greet
SIU Sec'y-Treas. David Heindel.
Crowley harbor members meet SIU President Michael Sacco at the dock in Wilmington,
Calif. From the left are AB Dragi K. Odak, Mate Mike Stevens, Sacco, AB Herman
Moningka and Capt. Scott Linsley.
Crewmembers from the Flickertail State and Comhusker State held a joint
union meeting with SIU VP Govt. Services Kermett Mangram (center).
Posing for a photo in the Norfolk, Va. hall are
(from left) Chief Steward Bud Marchman, SIU
Sec'y-Treas. David Heindel, SIU VP Govt.
Services Kermett Mangram and AB Jared
Blavat.
SIU VP Atlantic Coast Jack Caffey conducts a meeting
aboard the Sea-Land Consumer when it docked
recently at Port Elizabeth, N.J.
Right: Listening during the
meeting on the Sea-Land
Expedition are (from left)
Electrician 0. Bermeo,
Steward P. Laboy, AB P.
Torres and OMU P. Albino.
Sea-Land Chief Tours Paul Hall Center
Left: Taking part in the joint vessel meeting in Norfolk are
Bosuns Scott Palew (left) of the
Comhusker State and Billy
Edwards of the Flickertail State.
Charles Raymond (far right), president and CEO of Sea-Land
Service, recently visited the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training
and Education in Piney Point, Md. With him for this photograph
(from left) are Bill Eglinton, the center's director of vocational education; John Mason, head of American Services Technology, the
center's contracted operator; Kim Raymond; and Don Nolan, the
center's vice president. In related news, Sea-Land Service changed
its name to CSX Lines, LLC.
4
Seafarers LOG
Right: Answering questions for crew members
aboard the Sea-Land
Integrity about the SIUNMU merger vote is SIU
VP Atlantic Coast Jack
Caffey. Listening (from
left) are Wiper A. Daif,
New York Port Rep. Jack
Caffey Jr., Electrician D.
Baker and Steward S.
Sizemore.
January 2000
�Avondale Goes Union
Retired SIU VP
New Orleans arbitrator Bernard Marcus has
certified that the Metal Trades Department of the
AFL-CIO and the Metal Trades Council of New
Orleans represent a majority of the employees at
Avondale's main shipyard facility in New
Orleans as well as at the Gulfport, Miss. facility.
Pursuant to the agreement between the unions
and Avondale, the company will recognize the
unions as the representative for these 4,100
employees.
Announced in a recent letter to representatives
of the council and to Avondale's management, the
decision clears the final hurdle for the union to
begin negotiations for the workers' first contract.
Avondale had already recognized the union as
the representative of its Tallulah, La. facility,
which consists of about 100 employees.
The certification comes five weeks after the
unions and Avondale approved a neutrality agreement which, among other things, set out the procedure for gaining union representation based on
a majority of the workers signing petitions
reflecting that they desire to be represented by the
unions.
Robert A. Matthews, retired
SIU vice president and a charter
member of the union, died
November 29 at his home in
Mobile, Ala. He was 85.
Brother Matthews, SIU book
number M-1, joined the union
in December 193 8 in Mobile.
The native of Fairhope, Ala.
sailed in the engine department
until the early 1950s, then came
ashore.
Brother Matthews was the
SIU port agent in Baltimore
from 1953 to 1956, then held
that same job in Houston from
1957 to 1961. During the next
11 years, he worked as the
union's vice president of contracts and contract enforcement. He was the first chairman
of the Maritime Defense
League (formed in 1967), and
also briefly served as vice president of the Seafarers Harry
of
Lunde berg
School
Seamanship in Piney Point,
Md.
Brother Matthews cited
health concerns when he retired
in October 1972 at age 58.
"With Bob's passing, the
SIU loses part of its history,"
said SIU President Michael
Sacco. "Bob was there from the
beginning."
"Bob was a good negotiator
and he had a good rapport with
the membership," stated Red
Campbell, retired SIU vice
president contracts. "He was
Bob Matthews
Arbitrator AffirJTis Metal Trades' Majority Passes Away
Although that process allowed the unions one
year to secure the required signatures, the unions
gathered substantially more than the required
number of signatures in fewer than 10 days from
the date of the neutrality pact.
The recognition applies to three Avondale
locations: four facilities in New Orleans (the
Main Yard, Harvey, Waggaman and Algiers),
Tallulah, and Gulfport, Miss.
Litton took over the yards on August 2 last
year in a $529 million buyout.
For more than 50 years, Avondale had been the
only major non-union yard building U.S. Navy
and commercial ships in the nation. The most
recent organizing campaign was launched in the
spring of 1993.
"We will be asking Litton to plan for full-scale
negotiations as early as possible in the new year,"
said John Meese, president of the national Metal
Trades Department in Washington. "This is definitely the dawn of a new day for the workers at
Avondale, but we still have some heavy lifting to
do to conclude a fair contract which we have
been fighting for all these years."
ITF Secures Greatly Needed Aid
For Crew on Runaway-Flag Ship
As the nation celebrated
Thanksgiving, crew members
aboard the runaway-flag Hea
sailed into Cleveland with waning hopes and no cause for festivity.
The Filipino mariners were
malnourished and badly in need
of medical attention. Their living
conditions were, perhaps, best
illustrated by their use of river
water for bathing and brushing
teeth.
The German company Zirkel,
in charge of the Hea, also owed
back wages to the entire crew.
Facing those bleak circumstances, an officer aboard the
Antigua-flagged vessel contacted the International Transport
Workers' Federation (ITF), an
organization of transport-related
unions to which the SIU is affiliated. (Aiding mariners such as
those on the Hea is a major part
of the ITF's operations.)
Don Thornton, one of the
SIU's ITF inspectors, quickly
gained support from Cleveland
dock workers who threatened to
stop unloading the Hea 's cargo
of steel wire until the crew's
demands were satisfied. He also
coordinated efforts with ITF
officials and dock workers in
London and Bremen, Germany
(the Hea 's next scheduled stops
outside the United States).
As a result, some of the back
wages were paid in Cleveland,
with a promise by the company
to pay the balance in
England-in front of an ITF
inspector.
The ship also took on full
stores, and arrangements were
made for medical attention for
those who needed it. Additionally, at least one officer (who
had been on the ship for 10
months and was owed $5,000)
received full back pay and permission to sign off the vessel.
Based in London, the ITF
comprises more than 500 unions
from approximately 125 countries.
The ITF has fought against
runaway-flag shipping for 51
years, and the SIU has aided that
campaign virtually since its start.
In the runaway-flag scenario,
a shipowner--<>ften from a traditional maritime nation-registers his vessel in a non-traditional country such as Liberia,
Panama, Belize, Vanuatu and
others. This is done to avoid his
home nation's laws regarding
safety, wages, taxes and more.
Crews for these runaway-flag
ships typically come from still
other nations (like Indonesia, the
Philippines and Sri Lanka)
where they receive a minimum
of training, if any at all. As in the
H ea 's case, these crews often are
refused wages for months at a
time and receive substandard
food allotments, among other
difficulties.
Charter member Bob Matthews,
book number M-1 , served as the
union's vice president of collective bargaining.
instrumental in bringing many
of the inland companies under
contract."
George McCartney, retired
SIU vice president West Coast,
described Matthews as "very
thorough and very accurate as
the vice president in charge of
contracts, at a time when shipping was tough. He did a good
job."
Brother Matthews retired to
Mobile and often visited the
SIU hall there.
"He enjoyed coming to the
hall and sitting down with the
bound versions of the Seafarers
LOG from the 1940s and 1950s,
and just reminiscing with other
people at the hall," observed Ed
Kelly, SIU port agent in
Mobile.
Funeral services took place
at St. Paul's Episcopal Chapel
in Mobile.
Survivors include Brother
Matthews' daughter, Daria
McDonald.
Deckhand Elhadji Ndiaye
Honored for 1998 Rescue
AMO Celebrates 50th Anniversary
SIU Deckhand Elhadji Ndiaye (center) receives a rescue award
November 5 in New York from retired U.S. Rep. Helen Bentley on behalf
of the United Seamen's Service. Looking on is SIU VP Atlantic Coast
Jack Caffey.
SIU President Michael Sacco (second from left) and SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez (left) joined in the
American Maritime Officers' recent celebration of that union's soth anniversary. The ceremony took
place November 15 at AMO headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla. AMO National President Michael McKay
(second from right) and AMO National Secretary-Treasurer Robert McKay (far right) presented the SIU
with a plaque honoring the Seafarers' role in establishing AMO in 1949. AMO was chartered by the
Seafarers International Union of North America as the Brotherhood of Marine Engineers.
January 2000
Seafarer Elhadji Ndiaye recently received an award for his role
in a December 1998 rescue involving a distraught man in New
York's frigid Hudson River.
Ndiaye, a deckhand who sails aboard passenger ferries operated
by NY Waterway, received a plaque from the United Seamen's
Service on November 5 in New York. The award is described as an
Admiral of the Ocean Seas (AOTOS) mariner's rosette.
The rescue had an odd twist. The man saved by Ndiaye and his
fellow crew members aboard the Henry Hudson violently resisted
their help.
Described as the "suicide swimmer" by the New York Post, Cheng
Guo Seng jumped into the river from an elevated embankment in an
attempt to drown himself. Someone witnessed the jump and alerted
the nearby Henry Hudson via radio; the SIU-crewed ferry then quickly moved near Seng.
After struggling for several minutes, Ndiaye and the others finally pulled the delirious Seng into a rowboat that had arrived to help in
the rescue.
Seafarers LOS
5
�..;.........g Thanksgiving With Seafaren
... Aboard t.b.e Blue Ridge
There's nothing like a good meal to ease
the feelings of being away from home for
the holidays.
So, Recertified Steward Ron Malozi,
Chief Cook Henry Richardson and SA
Stephen Johnson went all-out in preparing
Thanksgiving dinner aboard the tanker
Blue Ridge.
"We have a good crew on here, and
everybody had a great time on
Thanksgiving," noted Malozi.
The menu featured traditional
Thanksgiving fare along with many other
dishes. Highlights included sliced Nova
salmon, Danish herring with wine sauce,
hot crab hors d 'oeuvres, roasted turkey,
roasted smoked ham, broiled rock lobster
tail, crown roast of veal, boiled Alaskan
crab legs, assorted pies and candies, and
much more.
The Blue Ridge sails from Texas City,
Texas to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., delivering
gasoline additives.
Among the beneficiaries of the Thanksgiving
feast are deck gang members (from left)
Bosun Frank Lyle, AB V. Cruz and AB
Richard Wittwer.
ANY ROOM LEFT? Assorted pies highlight the dessert menu.
Recertified Steward Ron Malozi
presents a full and scrumptious
Thanksgiving menu for fellow crew
members aboard the Blue Ridge.
Below: SA Stephen Johnson
(left) and Chief Cook Henry
Richardson cheerfully do
their parts to ensure a tasty
array of food.
Pumpmen Larry Phillips (left) and
Bill Hudson partake in the meal.
Chief Cook Henry Richardson does
the honors and carves the turkey.
... Aboard USNS Dabl
USNS Dahl crew members enjoy the meal together.
Filling their plates are SIU members (top photo) Bosun Klaus
"Whitey" Tankersley, AB Wallace
William, QMED Kurt Benjamin and
QMED Abraham Smith, along with
(below) QMED Olie Webber,
Engine Cadet Victor Flynn, GUDE
Rocky Olds and OS Terry Malone.
Editors note: Former
Seafarer Mike Finnigan, now
sailing as chief mate aboard the
USNS Dahl, sent the following
article and accompanying photos
to the Sea/arers LOG.
The SIU crew on board the
USNS Dahl put on a great
Thanksgiving Day meal for the
entire ship's crew. Under the
direction of Chief Steward
Javier Delosreyes and Chief
Cook Gregory McHugh, the
crew mess hall was transformed
and set up for a family-style
meal. Bosun Whitey Tankersley
and the deck department were a
great help in setting up the crew
mess hall.
Farmer SIU members Captain
Kurt Kleinschmidt and Chief
Mate Mike Finnigan said it was
great sitting down with the crew.
The USNS Dahl is now
docked in Norfolk, Va. after
completing the Bright Star exercise for the U.S. Army.
Chief Steward Javier Delosreyes (left) presents a
cake for the crew. Who else but the captain, former
SIU member Kurt Kleinschmidt, would make the first
cut?
MAKING IT ALL POSSIBLE: Members of the steward department on
the USNS Dahl are Chief Steward Javier Delosreyes, SA Sean Bracy,
Chief Cook Greg McHugh and SA Roy Warren.
Left: Bosun Whitey Tankersley welcomes a
young guest to the Thanksgiving dinner.
6
Seafarers LD6
January 2000
�San Francisco Feast
Draws Record Crowd
More than 400 Seafarers, retirees, friends
and guests - including Rep. Nancy Pelosi
(D-Calif.) and Mayor Willie Brown - turned
out November 23 for the annual
Thanksgiving dinner at the SIU hall in San
Francisco.
"This was the biggest and best one yet,"
said SIU Assistant Vice President Nick
Celona, who helped coordinate the yearly
feast.
Approximately three-fourths of the attendees were SIU members, pensioners and
their families. The rest included California
Labor Federation Executive SecretaryTreasurer Art Pulaski and President Tom
Rankin, officials from dozens of unions,
local politicians and judges, shipping company representatives and others.
Chief Steward Burt Richardson volunteered along with fellow Seafarers in overseeing much of the meal preparation and
KEY INGREDIENTS:
Volunteering to help prepare and
serve the food were Seafarers (top photo, from
left) Chief Steward Burt Richardson, Chief
Steward Jon Blasquez, Chief Cook Eddie Gomez
and Chief Cook John Stein, and (bottom, from
left) Wiper Adam Wheeler, Chief Steward Louella
Sproul and AB Jason Schoenstein.
presentation.
Celona recalled the first dinner he helped
coordinate. "It really started as a small event,
with just a few guests, and each year, it grew
and grew.
"One thing hasn't changed: It's still a
time for giving thanks for what we have in
the SIU and the American merchant marine."
For the 1999 celebration, Alioto's
Restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf cooked 19
turkeys, while desserts were donated by
Mimi's Bakery. SIU-contracted Crowley,
Matson, and Sea-Land Service donated a
large portion of the food.
As usual, the menu was packed with traditional Thanksgiving chow, including all the
trimmings.
Jack Henning, retired executive secretarytreasurer of the California Labor Federation,
received a cake for his 84th birthday.
· Rep. Nancy Pelosi greets the crowd at the SIU hall. Welcoming her are
SIU VP West Coast Nick Marrone (left) and SIU Asst. VP Nick Celona
(right).
Right:
Seafarers
welcome
San
Francisco
Mayor Willie
Brown to the
SIU hall.
Ready for seconds are (from left) Denise Celona, Dr. Stephen
Brattesani, Rachell Boschetti, retired Marine Cooks & Stewards official
Roger Boschetti, Flavia Marrone, Jimmy Giblin, and Christine Marrone.
Among the SIU-contracted companies taking part in (and donating to) the
dinner were Matson representatives (from left) Ron Lempriere, Rick
Meleski, Jack Sullivan, Jim Mann, Lynn Korwatch and Tammy Findlay.
January 2000
In the two
photos above
and in the
one at left,
Seafarers,
retirees,
friends and
guests enjoy
the festivities
at the San
Francisco
hall.
Seafarers LOG
7
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................- -......_----,.._~~.....-:-r~__.....--~~~-- ---- --
SIU Charter Members
Recall Union's Launch
From Humble Beginnings, SIU Grows and Gains
Editors note: During the past few months, newspapers and magazines
from coast to coast have offered assorted retrospectives as the 20th century
nears its conclusion.
In that spirit, the Seafarers LOG on these three pages presents reflections
on the unions roots by eight charter members. Though each individual did so
in a unique way, the eight Seafarers echoed a common theme. They said that
the union's early days, predictably, were a strnggle. But through hard work,
keen foresight, teamwork and sacrifice, the SIU steadily improved. The SIU's
heroic peiformance in World War II also proved vital in the union's advancement, as reflected in some of the aforementioned members' chronicles.
The charter members have something else in common: More than six
decades later, they all still stay updated on the latest SIU news. And they
believe that the union today is on the right course for continued success in the
new millennium.
Finally, they offer words of experience to those just starting their careers
with the SIU
Here are their stories.
William Emerson
Age: 83
Joined: Baltimore, 193 8
Sailed as: AB
Retired: 1976
Advice to new members: Be thankful you 're in a
union. Stay clear of the drugs, and work for the
union because the union works for your agreements.
Joining the SIU is the best thing I've ever done.
My uncle was a Baltimore policeman. He knew
someone who had a shipping hall. They took in four
that day in 1938 and put us on the old Steel Ore,
which at that time was non-union. I basically was
just looking for work
On the nonunion ships, there
' were nine head in a
fo'c'sle. The food was
terrible, there was no
overtime, and sometimes you had to work
on your own time. It
was just like you were
a slave, really.
I had heard a lot
about the SIU. A felBrother Emerson splices low named Bill
rope on the Portmar.
McKay was the port
Rooseven Robbins
Age: 81
Joined: New Orleans,
1939
Sailed as: Recertified
Steward
Retired: 1982
Advice to new members:
Try to learn as much as
you can and try to go to
Piney Point for upgrading. I enjoyed that, being
certified as a steward.
Some of the best times of
my life were at the school.
The sea always fascinated me. I tried to join
the Navy before World War II, but I was too young. I used to
hang around the docks. I started shipping on non-union
banana boats, then began hanging around the union hall.
They shipped me on the Del Rio.
The early days were probably 85 percent different than
when I retired. Way back then, there was discrimination
against blacks. You could only sail when they had a full
black steward department. But that changed.
Plus, most of the big ships were NMU at that time. It was
rough. We didn't have passenger ships, other than during the
war ....
I mostly shipped out of New York and New Orleans until
I moved to Philadelphia in 1945. Then I shipped from Philly
and New York.
B Seafarers LOG
The SIU-crewed Robin Moor was
the first U.S. ship torpedoed during
World War II. Some of the survivors
are pictured here.
agent in Baltimore then. When I joined the union, I saw
the biggest difference. It was a great thing. I worked a
lot of picket lines in New York, Baltimore and other
places. I really enjoyed it.
World War II - It was rough. I sailed on a Waterman
ship for nine months, shuttling from Scotland to the
Mediterranean. Ships sank all around us.
We would anchor and wait for a convoy. We'd shoot
these depth bombs off all night to keep the Germans
from setting bombs on our propeller. Then we'd meet
the convoy coming out of the Mediterranean. It was terrible.
Other than the war, I really liked the water and was
never scared, even though we ran into a few hurricanes.
It never bothered me, although I got washed down the
deck a couple of times.
I hated to quit when I did, but an auto accident almost
killed me.
The Flomar, shown here in
1940, was part of the Calmar
Line, one of the first SIU-contracted fleets.
'Always Have a Job' - I think the SIU is in great shape.
You can see that if you're with the union, you know you
always have a job if you want to work. A lot of these
non-union companies, they don't care about you. But the
union will back you and help you.
The opportunity is there. I have two sons who went
with the SIU right out of high school (Edward H. and
William J. Emerson). They both started from the bottom
and went on to get their engineer's license.
Being around the old-timers in New York, I gained a lot
of experience. After I had a chance to work with them, I just
fell in love with it. The officials always looked out for me (Atlantic Coast Vice President) Leon Hall and others took
me under their wing.
I learned a lot and made a very good living.
World War II - I was on the North Atlantic route during the
war and was fortunate to get through it. I lost a lot of friends
who were on those ships that were torpedoed on the
Murmansk Run.
Once, I was on a coal ship that caught fire right off the
Virginia coast. We abandoned ship.
There were a lot of other close calls. In a rough storm,
one of my ships practically broke in half. The deck department worked night and day, held it together. We limped into
Belfast and stayed there 20-some days. The shipyard workers told us we'd never make it back to New York, but we did
make it.
I was lucky all the way through the war.
'See the Progress' - I think the SIU is wonderful. I get the
LOG every month, and what the union has done, all the
ships and jobs, it's way more plentiful than when I got started and even when I retired. When you got off, you had to
wait a long time between jobs. Now, guys have it made.
They have a chance to upgrade and earn a good living.
You can see the progress the union has made. And we're
going to accomplish a lot more. I'd advise any young guy to
join, because it's the opportunity of his life.
January 2000
�Nathan Rudnick
Eddie Bowers
Age:84
Joined: Mobile, Ala., 1938
Sailed as: Chief Steward
Retired: 1979
Advice to new members: Stick
with it,, upgrade yourself and
make a better union. Thats one
reason the SIU is in good shape
today - we stuck with the union.
Sometimes we sacrificed, went
years without a raise, but it was worth it. Thats what
built the union.
I joined because I thought it would be nice to see
some of the world, and was able to do that. Travel
appealed to me very much. I enjoyed it.
When I first started to sea, I only got $30 a month.
After 1944 or 1945, we started getting raises and it made
things much better. We had some very good people as
union officials. In talking with the old-timers around
Mobile, it gave me a good idea what I wanted to do people like Orlin Banks, Scotty Ross.
We did go through some hard times. The shipboard
conditions were pretty rough, and we weren't making any
money in the beginning. We sailed on boats that almost
looked like they were ready to be scrapped. Old rust pots.
Sometimes we were scared, but we made it. We sailed all
over the world. Those are some trips I'll never forget.
I remember walking picket lines, too. The Isthmian
strike and just about every other picket we had since
then. I enjoyed working with the union. I just love
Seafarers. I don't think that anyone who went to sea
could love it any more than I did.
Promising Future - The SIU turned the comer because
we had such dedicated people in the union. It was reassuring to know we had people who were so dedicated.
From what I see today, things are looking good for the
SIU. One thing I thought would never happen is the
merger with the NMU. We bad many fights aboard the
ships. They would come on board to fight. But now,
whatever's best for our union.
I started at an early age and worked a long time. It
was worth it.
Seafarers pack a meeting at union headquarters on Beaver
Street in New York (top) and demonstrate in Manhattan during a beef (below).
January 2000
Age:79
Joined: Miami, 193 8
Sailed as: AB (later attained license)
Retired; 1982
Advice to new members: You 're fortunate to be starting
a great living, with top wages, health benefits, vacation
pay - every kind of benefit. Your living conditions
aboard ship are as good if not better than some peoples homes, with all kinds offacilities and no better
food at any restaurant in the whole world. If you pay
attention, theres no end to your going up the ladder
and being captain ofyour own ship.
I got my papers in Boston, then went to Florida and
hung around the union hall. I first sailed with Bull
Line, as a wiper. Bull Shepard (later an SIU official
and a founder of the Paul Hall Center) was an AB on
another ship I was on in 1938, the Estrada Palma. In
1939 and 1940 I sailed as an AB on a Delta Line ship,
the Del Rio ....
I was involved in one of the first strikes the SIU
pulled, in 1938. The company was P&O (Peninsula
and Occidental) Steamship. They had five ships in Port
Everglades, three railroad car ferries and two passenger
ships. I walked the picket line for a month, maybe two.
I remember picking up nickel milk bottles on Miami
Beach taking them for change.
At that time, Port Everglades had absolutely nothing. There was one dock, one company office building
that was really a shack, and two "B" joints. Otherwise,
all the land was barren.
On one of their ships, the Estrada Palma, all the
crew's quarters were on deck and we made two weekly
trips between Port Everglades and Havana, Cuba. We
had two sets of railroad tracks and we took on board
28 freight cars - 14 on each track. The ship was put
astern to the dock and fastened ashore with a huge
hasp, so the shore tracks would meet with the ship
tracks.
(Editors note: the P&O strike lasted 14 months,
with the SIU finally winning in the summer of 1939.
Ninety percent of the 300 crew members in the fleet
certified the SIU as their sole bargaining agent.)
Wortd ar II-After two years I got a third mate's
ticket. During the war, I was sailing on the Liberty ship
Rudnick (right) and two shipmates from the engine
room of the Estrada Palma visit the Newport News, Va.
maritime museum while the ship undergoes repairs.
William S. King when we were torpedoed on the way
home. We spent three-and-a-half days in the lifeboat,
then ended up in South Africa. The submarine came up
and took the captain POW.
I left the industry after the war, then in 1975 I
joined the SIU again. I sailed as an AB.
Education Is Key - One of the most important things
the SIU has done, as I look at it, is the schools they've
run to train seamen. In the old days, you learned from
the older seamen aboard the ship - fire fighting,
lifeboats and so on.
Today, when a kid comes aboard the ship, I imagine
he probably knows more than the average AB knew 40
years ago. He knows about life-saving equipment, gas
techniques for going into the hold of a tanker, for
example. In the old days, you didn't know those things
until you sailed for at least a few years.
The SIU-crewed Estrada Palma sailed between Port
Everglades, Fla. and Havana, Cuba.
--~~i;i to move to one side of the hall
Salvatore Frank Jr.
because the roof leaked. But I
Age:78
liked it down there. I was the
Joined: Providence, Rhode
only Yankee at the hall at that
Island, 1938
time. The guys bought me a
led as: Bosun
rebel hat from the Civil War
Retired: 1985
era.
Advice to new members: Do
I wasn't fussy, so long as I
your work. Do what you 're told
worked. Anything to make a
to do, and don't slack off Keep
dollar. I didn't stay on the beach
your mouth shut and your ears
too long ....
and eyes open, and you'll get
When we went on strike, I
along fine. And don't go in with
went out. I was ashore for the
the attitude that you already
Isthmian and Bull Line beefs
know everything. We all have to
(1945-47,
and 1957-58, respeclearn.
' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ _ _ _ J tively). The only thing I didn't
I quit school in junior high
and went into a civilian camp so This photo is believed to be one of the earliest in like was when we [supported a]
SIU history, taken in fall 1938 in Providence, R.I.
strike on Beaver Street (in New
I could make money. It was a
York),
helping
the
telephone
operators. I got clubbed in
camp to get us kids off the street, but I didn't stay there
the
head.
I
still
got
a
lump
here.
long because I had the SIU.
But I got to see the world, and the pay was good.
I'd heard about the union through a relative who
There's
something about the ocean that attracted me.
worked as a longshoreman. Another relative wanted to
get me into the NMU, but I chose the SIU. The NMU
World War II - I sailed on the Atlantic side in 1942. We
was nothing but communists in those days, and I didn't
went to the invasion of North Africa, went along the
want to belong to no communist organization.
dock. The deck department did all the discharging - the
Frank Berry was the agent when I joined at the hall
whole
ship. We finished the job in seven days.
on South Main Street. I used to clean up after hours. I
I
also
made a trip to England on an old Hog Island
started as an OS and an organizer - and I got kicked off
It
was
very slow, and we saw some other ships get
ship.
the ship the same day, as soon as I mentioned the union!
off
along the way.
knocked
Then I got a job on the Herman F Whitten, an SUP
On
D-Day,
I went to Normandy on a small tanker.
ship.
Our job was to fuel the hospital ship and the LCis (landDifferent Era - I liked it in those days, liked the guys.
ing craft). During a storm, our anchors broke loose and
Today, you have to lock your lockers. In those days, you we ended up on the beach, right where they were holdgot paid, you could leave your money on your bunk, go
ing German prisoners. We weren't supposed to go
take a shower and come back and the money would still
ashore, but we went anyway.
be there. The deck department all slept together in one
As soon as I got back to the States, I got on a Robin
room, except for the bosun, who had his own room.
Continued on page 10
I shipped from Mobile. Every time it rained, we had
Seafarers LOG
9
�SIU Charter Member Frank Recalls Union's Launch ·
r""""~-~~~"ll
Continued from page 9
Line ship ....
One time, my ship mistakenly ended up in the middle of a British war ship
convoy at night. We almost fired on them, not knowing who they were.
Another time, in 1943, we ended up in a typhoon, while we were carrying
airplanes on deck ....
I also sailed during Korea and Vietnam, and that was totally different compared to World War II. Some of the foreign ships refused to carry our cargo. But
as you see in the LOG now, the armed forces have more respect for us American ships and American crews. During the war, some of them had no use
for us. They called us draft dodgers. I was no draft dodger. We took the oath,
same as they did when they joined the service. A lot of people don't know that,
even G.I. 's from World War II. We had old guys who went to sea when they didn't have to. Others couldn't get in the service, so they went to sea. And many
lost their lives.
We didn't make a lot of money. About $50 or $60 a month as on OS. And
when we got off a ship, we had to take care of ourselves. There was no paid
leave.
Bright Future- Why has the SIU remained strong? First, you've got to give
credit to Paul Hall. He was in there, fighting. Him and (Paul Hall Center Vice
President and SIU Representative) Frank Mongelli.
If Paul could only be alive today and see how well the union's doing. But
he's happy in heaven. Mike Sacco is doing a hell of a good job. He's getting the
unions together, and this makes us more powerful. When we go out for something, we can get it together.
The absence of strikes is another positive. That's the best way to do it - talk
things over. It's working.
WA"il~:ID ll
bers: Be thankful for
what you've got. Be
good to yourself and
everybody else. It took
a long time to get what
we have today.
I was a longshoreman, but I got tired of
that. When I had the
chance to go to sea, I
took it.
I first sailed on a
Savannah Line passenger ship. We took the ship up to New York to
drydock.
It was rough in those days, nothing like it is
today - in every respect. The food wasn't as
good, for sure. Plus, the companies didn't
want the union. Every chance they got, they
tried to break it up.
Joined: New York, 1938
5ailed as: FOWT (later attained license)
Retired: 1950
Advice to new members: Listen to everybody on that ship. Ask
questions ifyou don~ understand. Some people may laugh at
questions, but don't pay them any mind.
I started sailing because times were tough. I was just a kid,
16 years old, and at least by going to sea I got my room and
board, plus my pay. I couldn't get in the armed services
because of my eyesight.
The NMU in those days had the most jobs and the best
runs. We had constant trouble with them. There were some ports we wouldn't go ashore
in, and others where, if you went ashore, you went in a group. We did lots of organizing. Then the war came along, and we got so many new people, it was tough to stay on
course.
I enjoyed seeing different places, meeting different kinds of people. Some ships were
better than others. We had a saying: "The last ship was the best one, the ship you 're on
is the worst, and the next one will be better than anything." But it never worked out that
way!
World War II - One thing I learned before the United States got into the war, from talking with foreign seamen in various overseas ports - the slow ships were going to be
trouble. The worst thing that happened, I was standing the 4 to 8 watch on a run to
England, and we got hit with a dead torpedo.
Before the war, there wasn't much of a change in crews. But most everybody was what
I'd call a bona-fide seaman. They had basic knowledge of all shipboard jobs. This is what
killed a lot of people during World War II; they were trained, but they weren't seamen.
When it came to the union, the thing that impressed me the
James L. Tucker
Age: 87
Joined: Jacksonville, Fla., 1938
Sailed as: Bosun. Also worked
as a port official in New
Orleans, Baltimore, Mobile,
Ala. and Charleston, S.C.
Retired: 1971
Advice to new members: If
you 're interested, its a good
life. But you have to want to
improve yourself at all times.
I was raised in a home where
everybody was union, so when I
started going to sea, I joined. I
actually started with the International Seamen's Union
(ISU), a forerunner of the SIU, in 1933.
My first SIU trip was in 1938 on the Marjorie, a Bull
Line ship. It was what I could find in those days. I stuck
with it, I enjoyed it and I eventually made a good living.
In those days, the early days, you couldn't raise a family (as a merchant mariner). Most of the improvements
came after World War II. People like (SecretaryTreasurer, then SIU President) Paul Hall, (SecretaryTreasurer) Whitey Hawk and (Atlantic District Chairman)
Duke Duchesne started the ball rolling.
10
Seafarers LOG
Joined: Savannah, Ga.,
1938
Sailed as: Chief Cook
Retired: 1982
Advice to new mem-
Warren Brown
Age:79
Remembering Paul Hall -
Tom Fields
Age:87
When I first started, I was getting $1 a day
as a messman. There was no overtime or anything like that. They were very difficult times
in the beginning, but it was still exciting.
Going to sea meant you saw different things
and different parts of the world.
World War II - In June 1942, I was on the passenger ship City of Birmingham when we were
torpedoed, sailing out of Norfolk, Va. We were
carrying bilge workers to Bermuda, and a
destroyer escort picked us up.
During the war, I sailed in the Pacific a lot.
It was a tough time out there. I also sailed the
North Atlantic. The German wolf packs were
knocking so many ships off, but we made it.
Of course, once we got to Russia, we couldn't
go anywhere.
The war helped change a lot of our shipboard conditions, helped improve them. Then
the war ended and things improved some
more, especially in the 1950s and 1960s.
What Ues Ahead - I think the SIU is getting
better all the time, and the officials are doing a
good job. We're improving all the time, which
you can see with all the (newly contracted)
ships. I can't see anything but getting better.
most - and I'm not saying this because it's popular - was Paul Hall's attitude. He truly
wanted the seaman to have a better life. He had a hard time convincing people that seamen needed to be educated, but he did it.
At that time, there was an adversarial attitude by the companies and by us. Paul
taught us that we had to stop, if we were going to get anywhere. Paul said, 'We're going
to have to prove to the shipowner that we're responsible people. That's the only way
we'll succeed.' He made a tremendous impression on a lot of people, and I'm one of
them.
We once sailed together on the Schoharie, South Atlantic Steamship Co., out of
Savannah. The voyage was Baltimore to Egypt to Arabia and India, then back to
Baltimore. Paul was the watertender.
He went and told [someone similar to a port captain] that we needed electric fans on
the ship. The guy refused. Paul said, 'I'll give you my personal word that those fans
will be as good when we come back as when we left.' He even offered to pay for them.
The guy said okay, and put the fans on the ship.
Every week, Paul told everyone what he had done, reminded the guys to keep them
clean. He said if we can't take care of things, then we won't get them in the first place.
The first thing when we got back, that guy went up the gangway and looked at the fans.
And you know what kind of shape they were in.
On the Right Track- It was very tough to give up shipping, because I had started when
I was young. That was all I knew. People ashore didn't think the same way we did. But
I'd started a family, and my wife said I had a choice, if you know what I mean.
Today, I'm happy to see the SIU is getting some new ships. The union seems to be
well-organized, and it's great that members are upgrading themselves, studying and taking advantage of the school. Not many unions have a school like that.
It's hard to believe that a country with this much coastline doesn't think more of
merchant shipping. I hope our merchant marine expands.
The toughest job the union had was to teach the members that if you took, you had
to give. You had to be reasonable. And it's working. Everybody's on the right track.
Early Memories - It was a struggle. Little by little, we
kept improving things.
Then we started the school (in 1952 in New York), and
that gave the boys some experience. It was sort of hard to
teach them on the ship. Although, several of the ships I
was on, especially Delta Line, we had classes for wire
splicing and other things, and that's how a Jot of people
learned. But it was hard to take the time to teach. ·
Shipboard conditions also were improving during this
time.
World War II - I was bosun on the Liberty ship Roger B.
Taney, a Waterman ship. It was February 7, 1943. We
were empty when we were torpedoed about 500 miles
into the South Atlantic.
The survivors spent 42 days in two lifeboats - 22 people in one boat, 26 in the other. All but three of the crew
made it.
We set up regular watches, just like on a ship,
although we were elbow to elbow. We still had (fresh)
water that came with the lifeboat, plus we caught water
on a canvas top to the boat. That's what actually saved
us, I believe. There were stores for 31 people for 30 days,
but we had double stocked.
We had prayer every day. Eventually we were picked
up a mile from the beach in Brazil. We could see the light
ashore for two days before we got picked up.
I sailed again after this incident, to Russia and the
Pacific. That was my livelihood.
Seeing the World - What I enjoyed most about the SIU
was the travel, seeing all these different countries. In
those days, there were no fast turnarounds like today. You
could lay two, three, four weeks in a place.
I mostly went to South America, on the Delta Line ships.
I spent more than 20 years on those ships alone, but I also
made seven trips around the world with Isthmian.
And even though I worked for the SIU ashore, when I
retired I was sailing. My last ship was the Del Sud .. ..
The SIU is improving
all the time. The union is
making it more convenient for the members to
learn, which they need to
keep up with the improvements on the ships. You
pick up a little on the
ships, but not enough.
One thing the industry
has to do is get rid of all
these fly-by-night outfits,
these runaway-flag opera- Tucker is pictured aboard the
tors.
Del Mar in 1949.
January 2000
�This handy ve~ion of the Paul
Hall Cent.er's catalog is printed in
the Seaf'areis IJJG as a convenience to SID membe~. Please
keep it for reference.
The infamous ~Y2K bug"
forced organizations worldwide to
plan ahead, talcing preventive and
often costly steps to avoid computer glitches stemming from the
turn of the century.
Forward thinking is nothing
new at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime
Training
and
Education, located in Piney Point,
Md. From its opening in 1967, the
center has enjoyed a well-deserved
reputation for constantly improving and consistently meeting the
industry's ever-changing needs.
The school remains steadfastly
committed to turning out the besttrained mariners in the world.
During the past year, the most visible evidence of that commitment
was the opening in May of the
Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and
Safety Schoo~ a world-class facility located on school property near
the main campus. This new, million-dollar school arguably is the
Students at the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety School are trained
specifically in fighting shipboard fires.
Able Seaman
This six-week course leads to endorsement as an able
seaman (AB). It consists of hands-on training and classroom work covering deck seamanship, rules of the road,
marlinespike seamanship, helmsmanship, cargo handling, safety, fire fighting, emergency procedures, first
aid, anchoring and mooring, and aids to navigation.
Students must have a lifeboat endorsement in
order to take the AB course. Students completing
the AB course must attend the Government
Vessels course immediately afterward. (This
course is limited to 25 students maximum.)
Lifeboat/Water Survival
Students in this two-week course can earn lifeboat certification at the end of the class. Featuring a mix of practical training and classroom instruction the course covers emergency drills, lifeboat construction, lifeboat
launching and recovery, life raft construction, life raft
launching and maintenance, and use of all lifeboat and
life raft equipment.
Additionally, students learn practical survival methods and the use of emergency radio and distres ignals.
A minimum of three hours per day is spent outdoors
in lifeboats conducting practical exercises uch as rowing/ coxswain training and davit operation . (Thi.s
course i,s limited to 25 students maximum.)
Bridge Management
The U.S. Coast Guard-approved shiphandling iinulator course provides realistic bridge watchstanding training for deck personnel aboard both deep sea and inland vessels.
Successful completion of this two-week course is
accepted as Coast Guard credit for 60 days of seatime
on vessels of unlimited tonnage.
also
Special areas of skills development include general
shiphanclling and helmsmanship, river and channel transits, entering and departing various ports, coastal navigation, U.S. avy-related operations such as convoy and
underway replenishment, hawser towing, pushboat towing and emergency shiphandling.
Students must have a valid radar certificate to
enroll.
Celestial Navigation
The six-week course covers the areas of celestial navigation required for licensing as a second or third mate
unlimited and for all limited licenses. Students are
instructed in latitude observations by sun and Polaris,
running fixes by un, stars and planets, compass error
by amplitutde and azumuth, star identificaiton, and care
and use of the sextant.
made other improvements. The
school began offering two U.S.
Coast Guard-approved STCW
basic safety courses whose content
is essential in helping merchant
mariners comply with the 1995
amendments to the STCW convention. It also initiated a Coast
Guard-approved, 32-hour class in
automatic radar plotting aids
(ARPA).
Additionally, the school closely
worked with the American
Council on Education and earned
certification for many of its courses that potentially allow Seafarers
to receive college credit for those
particular classes.
The school also continued its
long tradition of providing company-specific and on-site training
throughout the U.S., including
STCW classes in Hawaii.
These are just a few of many
examples of how the Paul Hall
Center continues to offer cuttingedge training for Seafarers.
An overview of the courses
available at the school is contained
in this four-page section. Students
should note that courses and class
dates may change due to the manpower needs of SIU-contracted
companies. Therefore, Seafarers
should check the latest issue of the
Seafare rs LOG for the most up-todate class listings.
Course descriptions and schedules also are available on the
SIU's web site, located at
http://www.seafarers.org.
The basic eligibility for SIU
members who want to upgrade at
Piney Point includes 120 days'
seatime in the previous year, one
day of seatime in the last six
months prior to the date the class
starts, a copy of their z-card (front
and back), a copy of the identification page of their union book, plus
any other course-specific requirements. If the course mandates a
U.S. Coast Guard test to acquire
the endorsement, then the upgrader must meet all Coast Guard
requirements prior to taking the
class. Some courses have other
specific requirements which are
printed in bold.
For more information about the
Paul Hall Center or any of its
courses, contact the Admissions
Office, Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education,
P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD
20674-0075 or call (301) 9940010.
Radar Observer/Unlimited
The eight-day radar observer/unlimited class lead to a
radar ob erver endorsement that is good on vessels of
any tonnage.
Approved by the .S. Coast Guard, the course featur
hand -on training and clas room work, including
radar the T)\ observation operation and use, interpretation and plotting, advanced radar plotting, collision
avoidanc and navi ational ex rcise.
Stud ms operate modern audio-visual and radar siinulation gear, as well as the full hiphandling simulator, as
they practice controlling and maneuvering a vessel, plotting courses and safely guiding a ship without jeopardizing the safety of other vessels. Also included are practical
exercises and lectures covering inland waterway and river
navigation and piloting.
ARPA-Automatic Radar Plotting Aids
This course of instruction in rporat the use of ARPA
iinulation equipment to operate, observe and utilize the
radar plotting aids. tudents will gain an understanding of
the limitations of the aids as well as their performance factors, sensor inputs and malfunctions and will gain a knowledge of trackina capabilities processing operational
warnings and target acquisition.
Students must have completed the Radar
Observer course in order to enroll in this class.
Unlicensed Apprentice Co~
Includes a 20-hour shipboard sanitation class and a 20-hour galley familiarization class. After students complete 90 days' seatime in the apprentice
program, those who choose to sail in the steward department will return to
the school for a four-week galley operations class. Galley operations features
a pair of two-week modules.
Galley Operations
Members must have 240 days' seatime to enroll after completing the
unlicensed apprentice program. Non-graduates must have 365 days'
seatime as an SA to enroll. The course consists of two, two-week modules
(for a total of four weeks). Each module includ 35 hours, with additional
time participating in the school's galley operations.
Certified Chief Cook
Members must have 180 days' seatime after completing galley operations
to enroll. The course consists of six, two-week modules that are stand-alone
(for a total of 12 weeks). This structure allows eligible upgraders to enroll at
the start of any module.
Advanced Galley Operations
Hands-on training in steering and following commands is one aspect of the excellent AB course
offered at the Paul Hall Center.
January 2000
pgraders in the third mate course will study all subje t
areas found on the U. . Coast Guard license exam for
third mate. The 14-week curriculum includ instruction
in all areas of terrestrial and eel rial navigation, deck
seaman hip, rul of the road, shipbuilding, hip tability, cargo handling, federal regulations. watchkeeping,
hip maneuvering, construction and tability.
Members mu t have 180 days' eatime after completing certified chief
cook to enroll. The course consi ts of four one-week modules. (for a total of
four weeks).
Chief Stewanl
Members must have 180 days' seatime after completing advanced galley
operations to enroll. This is a 12-week class.
Seafarers LOS
11
�Upon completion of the course, a Paul Hall
Center certificate of graduation will be issued.
Course entry requirement is QMEDAny Rating.
Basic Electronics
Designed to help Seafarers develop an understanding of what goes on inside the electronic
box found aboard ship, this four-w k course
covers principles of analog electronics, activ
devices and basic digital electroni . The stud nt also will learn all aspects of circuit dia!!rarru,. and the instructor will work with each
tudem individually to ensur a working knowledg of all shipboard electronic devices.
Marine Electronics Tech I
Classroom instruction as well as hands-on experience help upgrading Seafarers remain
the best trained workforce in the maritime industry.
Many engine department courses have prerequisites. For eromple, to be accepted for Advanced
Refrigeration/OJmainers, you must have success-
fuily romp/et;ed Marine Electritxd Mainrenance I
(MEM I) and Refrigeration System Mainrennnce
and Operations.
Fireman/Watertender and Oiler
This year. SHLSS offers a four-week FOWT test
preparation course leading to the endorsement
as fireman/watertender and oiler. Topia; covered include the parts of a boiler, engineroom
equipment, e°ooineroom procedures, operating
auxiliary equipment, watchstanding, starting
and securing main engines, steam and water
cycle. fuel oil and lube oil systems. diesel
engines, refrigeration systems and auxiliary
machinery.
The class prepares students for .S. Coast
Guard general safety, oiler and fireman/watertender tests.
Students completing the FOWf course
must attend the Government Vessels
course immediately aftenvard.
OMED-Any Rating
The curriculum for certification and endorsement as a Qualified Member of the Engine
Department (QMED)-Any Rating consists of a
12-week course leading to the following ratings:
pumpman, refrigeration engin r, electrician,
machinist, deck engineer and junior engineer.
The course of instruction prepar the student to test for the US. Coast Guard exams in
each of these ratings and includes classroom
and practical training.
4fh.
QMED Classification Steps
Cla&s QMED D SHLSS/PHC QMED-Any
Rating certificate or
G Q.MED-An
Rating
:pd Cla&s QMED 0 QMED-Any Rating successfully completing one mandatory and
one or more elective courses
2nd Class QMED 0 QMED-Any Rating successfully completing two mandatory and
two or more elective courses
tst Class QMED 0 QMED-Any Rating successfully completing all mandatory cours
and three or more elective courses.
Mandatory rourses are MEM I, Power Plant
Mainrenance and Diesel. Technol,ogy.
more than two engine d partrnent courses can be taken per stay at the school.
Any member with an engineer's license " rill
be classified as a 4th Class QMED.
Io
Power Plant Maintenance
The majority of this ix-we k cours features
hands-on training covering a variety of topi .
Some clas room work also is included.
Subj cts include pipefitting, thermaJ insulation, valve repair. pump repair/overhaul.
hydraulic y tern repair, drilling/machine
thread fabrication use of various epoxies and
similar compounds for emeraency and temporary repairs maintenance of power transmission equipment (such as flexible coupling ),
use of proper oils and greases for bearing
maintenance and lubrication, reconditioning
shell and tube heat exchangers. centrifugal
lube oil/fuel oil purifier maintenance and
removal of heavy equipment in the engineroom.
Course entry requirement is QMEDAny Rating.
12
Seafarers LOG
Marine Electrical Maintenance I
The six-week course of instru tion leading to
certification in Marine El trical ~Iaintenance I
con i ts of practical training and classroom
instruction aimf".d at providing the basic skills
required of shipboard electri ians. The range of
topi includes basic electrical th ry, DC and
AC circuits, electrical sa£ tv, electrical test
equipment and troubl hoo~, ele ni.cal protective and witching devi , lectrical wiring
diagrams and schematics, control and pow r
circuits, batteri , AC generation and distribution equipment, transformers. lightina systems
and fixtur , galley and miscellaneou heatina
equipment, ingle- peed A
motor and
aero -the-line starters and wiring techniques.
Course entry requirement is QMEDAny Rating.
Marine Electrical Maintenance II
Aimed at providing the more advanced skills
requir d of the shipboard electrician, thi
six-w k course featur hands-on training and
classroom instructi n and lea to c rtification
in ~1arine El trical .\laintenance II.
Among the subjects covered are interpretation of the ational Electrical Code, specialized electrical t t equipment. advanced applicati n of cir uit pr tection and ·witching
devi • relay lo!ric. ompl . ontrol circuit .
D and A generators. voltage re!!Ulators
electrical distribution hardware, DC motor
and controll r , C motors and controller ,
deck machinery. motor generator set , converter , inverters and rectifier , electric
propulsion
tern and interior communication system .
Also, the course will include an introduction to solid tate electronic controls and their
applications, and t11e general maintenance
responsibiliti of the lectrician, as well as troubleshooting and repair.
Course entry requirement is Marine
Electrical Maintenance I.
The marine electroni technician program is
a four-week course. Topi included in the
course are AC and DC circuits, active and passive components, amplifier , power supplies,
antenna systems, satellite and radar systems,
microprocessor control systems, digital control
systems and ystems troubleshooting.
Course entry requirement is Basic
Electronics.
Pumproom Maintenance
Leading to certification in pumproom maintenance and operations, this four-week class
includes hands-on training and classroom
work. The curriculum consists of cargo properties and emergency procedures, operation
and maintenance of valves and pumps loading
pr c dur . cargo pump operations. cargo
measurement, discharging procedures, ballasting procedures, tank cleaning, inert gas
systems and more.
Upon completion of the course, a Paul Hall
Center certificate of graduation will be issued.
In order to take this class, students
must already have taken the Tanker
Assistant DL (formerly Tanker Operation/Safety) course (described on next
page) and be certified as a QMED-Any
Rating or hold endorsement as a pumpman.
Refrigeration System Maintenance
and Operations
~ow an elective. this ix-week class blends practical and cla&,-oom instruction leading to certification in refrigeration system maintenance and
operations. Among the topics covered are theory of mechanical refrigeration, major system
components, accessories, cycle controls, refrigerants and oils, and applied electricity.
Standard service techniqu are emphasized, such as the operation, troubleshooting
and maintenance of ships' tores plants, air
conditioning plants, cargo ventilation and
dehumidifying equipment, as well as pantry
refrigerators, water coolers and ice machine .
Hands-on shop training includes the complete fabrication of a working refrigeration system from basic system components. An introduction to refrigerated container units also is
presented.
Students m\S be rertified as QMED -Any
Rating or have equivalent inland experienre
or hold Coast Cuard endorsements as refrigeration engineer and electrician in order to
enroll for tlIB rou:rse.
Refrigerated Containers
This four-week course leads to certification in
refrigerated contain rs maintenance and consists
of both dassl' m and practical shop training.
The training experience enables students to
assume the duties of a maintenance el trician
on board ships carrying refrigerated containers.
Students receive training in all phases of
refrig rated ntainer unit operation, maintenance., repair and troubleshooting. This includes
the various types of engines, refrigeration and
electrical systems.
The course is designed to help students
develop a systematic approach to troubleshooting, as well as to acquaint them with pecific
maintenance procedures.
Course entry requirements are Marine
Electrical Maintenance I and the basic
Refrigeration System course.
Welding
Clas room instruction and on-the-job training
comprise this four-week course, which features
practical training in electric arc welding and
cutting and oxy-acetylene brazing, welding
and cutting. upon completion of the course, a
Paul HaJl Center certificate of graduation ·will
be issued.
Thinl Assistant Engineer
The course of instruction ]eading to licensing
as a third assistant engineer consists of classroom instruction in 'uch topics as diesel
propul ion plants, team propulsion plants
engineering safety, auxiliary boilers and
diesels, water systems, electricity generating
plants. electri al distribution and ele,ctrical
devi . The 12-week course, which meets
C. . Coast Guard requirement for Ii ensing,
also includes team turbines, refrigeration,
heating and air conditioning and auxiliary ystems.
All FOWT, AB and QMED applicants must submit a U.S. Coast
Guard fee of $280 with their
application. The payment should be
made with a money order only,
payable to LMSS.
Diesel Engine Technology
Thi four-week course, leading to certification
in diesel engine technology, consists of classroom instruction and hand -on training.
Topics of instruction include diesel engine theory: two- and four-stroke cycle operating principl ; and the con truction, operation, maintenance r pair and troubl hootina of low-,
medium- and high-speed diesel engines.
Also covered are associated auxiliaries
terns, lubricaincluding intake and exhaust
tion and cooling systems, and fuel inj ction
and tarting
tern .
tudents r eive practical trainina in the
operation and repair of di el en!rin
on
board school training v
ls.
Course entry requirements are
QMED-Any Rating or equivalent inland
experience.
Hydraulics
The curriculum in the four-w k hydraulic
course blends practical training with Classroom
work. Fluid , actuator. control device
pump reservoirs. symbols and hydraulic y terns in marin equipm nt ar am ng the ubd are
ject covered in this clas . Also addr
principles of l ctrical control of hydrauli y tern , cargo winch • deck cran . anchor
windlas.ges, hips' steerina systems, ramps. fire
doors and a wid variety of other hipboard
systems.
Engineroom Familiarization
Designed for prospective tugboat engineers
this two-week class provides instruction in the
following areas: engin room afety, engine ring plant nom nclature, piping y tern hardware a functional d ription of main propulsion and auxiliary machin ry and associated
pipina ) terns, plant operations and watchkeeping, and afe handling of fuel and oil
spill pr vention.
chief engineer for handling emergencies and
other non-routine operating conditions.
Tankerman (PIC) Barge
This 40-hour course leads to the endorsement
as tankerman (PIC) barge. The obj ct of this
course is to provide the knowledge and skills
associated with tank barge operations and to
supervise th safe and pollution-free transfer
of dangerous liquids. (This course is Limited to
25 students maximum.)
Engineroom Operations &Maintenance Limited License/License Prep
This course i design d for inland personnel
with intermediate kills to prepar assi tant
engineer for all phases of engineroom operations and routine maintenance. dditionally,
the two- week curri ulurn prepar
tudent
to as ume the duties of the chief engineer.
Engineroom Troubleshooting &
Casualty Control
This two-week course is an advanced kill
pro!!ram d igned to up!!rad the kills of the
Aimed at preparing tu.dents to test for an.
limited tonnage licen , thi eiaht-week course
consists of classroom instruction in all areas of
terr trial navigation, deck seamanship, rul
of the road. hipbuilding, hip stability, cargo
handling, federal regulation first aid, CPR
and fir fighting.
Students must have an AB endorsement and 540 days of seatime on an SIUrontracted vessel OR equivalent inland
experienoo in order to take the limited
lirense/lioonse prep exam.
January 2000
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All students attending upgrading programs
at the Paul Hall Center participate in certain
courses as part of their regularly schedukd program. Government vessels course, physical, fitness, first ai.d and CPR, industrial relations and
fire fighting either are required or may be taken
as elective courses by upgraders in all departments.
courses and who must be annually recertified,
this one-day class includes a regulatory
overview of Occupational Safety and Health
ct (0 HA) requirements, as well as reviews
of toxology terminology, medical monitoring
in truments and techniqu , ite-control and
emergency preparedn . proper use of respiratory protection and monitoring equipm nt
and new technology.
Government Vessels Cotme
Fim Aid and CPR
As part of its ongoing goal of providing the
best possible training for Seafarers while staying a step ahead of the industry~s needs, this
three-week class i · open to eafarers sailing in
any department.
The course is structured as three one-week.
stand-alone modules. The modul may be
taken in any order.
Included in the first week are an introduction to the U.S. .Military Seaiift Command and
military vessels, damage control, CBRD (chemical, biological, radiological defense), anti-terrorism level I and hazardous materials training.
The second week featur forklift operations, underway replenishment and vertical
replenishment.
Cargo-handling and crane operations are
included in the third week.
(I'his course i.s required ofstudents attending
AB or FOWT courses.)
tuden in thi three-day clas learn the principl and techniques of safety and basic first
aid. as well as cardiopulmonary r uscitation
(CPR) according to the accepted tandards of
the American Red Cro - .
ter u ·ces 'ful
completion f each phase of this course, tudents are awarded a certificate from the
American Red Cro s.
Basic Fire Fighting
The one-week basi fire fighting c urse provid
tudents with general knowledg of the
chemistry of fire, fire fighting equipment and
materials and techniques for using them safely. Students receive 20 hours of classroom
training and 10 hours of practical training.
Upon successful completion of the course,
students receive a U. . oast Guard-recognized certificate of graduation from the Paul
Hall Center.
Advanced Fire Fighting
Forklift operations is one facet of training in
the government vessels course.
Oil Spill Prevention and Containment
This one-week course consists of classroom
and practical training exercises. Topics of
instruction includ types of oil and petroleum
products and their behavior on water, pollution prevention regulations, hazardous materials training. spill prevention, and small boat
operations. Students also receive instruction in
spill containment booms and boom towing
configurations and anchoring operations.
Also covered are selection of ab orbents,
suction equipment and skimmers and their
proper use.
Hazmat Recertification
Available for personnel who have completed
40- or 24-hour hazardous materials (hazmat)
-
During this two-week course, students learn
how to blueprint a vessel and organize emergency quads for fire fi ahting. The class covers
how to give concise orders using the different
types of communication "''ith crew members
and land-based fir units, l ad rship rol and
responsibilities, documentation of crew training, and emergency squad organizing.
Students also study how to inspect and
service various shipboard fire extinguishing
equipment before going through shipboard
sin1ulations and actual fire fighting drills.
Industrial Relations
While attending upgradina c ur
at th
Lundeberg School, all SIU members attend
industrial relations courses for one week.
Seafarers learn about the maritime industry
and the role of U.S. shipping in the economy
and in times of crisis. Also, participants review
the role of the SIU within the industry and the
right of eafarers as outlined b · the IU constitution. tudents gain an under tanding of
the various laws and legislati e programs
which promote a l.;.8.-flag merchant marine.
Courses also are conducted to provide
Seafarers \vith full information on the many
benefit plans available to qualifying members
through the union's collective bargaining
agreement.
General Physical Fitness
The
.S. Coast Guard places certain physical
The Academic Department has a long hi.story of providing
support and services to members of the Sea/ arers International
Union. S ince the f ounding of the school in Piney Point, Md.,
there has been academic support f or students taking vocational
programs as well as f or those students who require basic skiHs,
Engli.sh language skills or wish to continue their education.
There are a variety of opportunities offered t,o the membership.
Specific questions about the programs can be answered or
explained by contacting the Academic Department at (301) 9940010, ext. 5411.
General Education Program
The GED pro!ITam is open to all members who do not have a
high school diploma. Assistance is offered to pr pare students
to take the test in ~1aryland or in their home stat . Emphasis is
placed on writing skills, social studies. cien e. interpreting literature and art, and mathematics. GED students r ceive individualized instruction in preparation for the test. The school
has for many years successfully prepared SIU members to pass
the test. For many eafarers, this is a milestone in their liv
(Prior to taking the test in Maryiand, a 12-week residency is
required.)
Water survival (above) and fire prevention
techniques (right) are two of the topics covered in the STCW basic safety refresher
course which helps Seafarers meet the
requirements of STCW Chapter VI.
requirements on all mariner . To ensure the
U.S.-flag fleet has physically fit crew members, the SIU encourages Seafarers to exercise
properly.
At the Paul Hall Center, workout programs
are individually designed to meet the needs of
the student. Students may participate in free
weight, autilus or Unive1'Sal weight training,
which can be used to gain, lose or maintain
body weight Aerobic and swimming programs
also are available.
Tanker Familiarimtion/
Assistant Cargo (DL)
This is a 15-day, U.S. Coast Guard-approved,
Category 1 couse. It is designed to meet the
Code of Federal Regulation requirements for
personnel not having the required sea service.
The objective of this course is to provide the
knowledge and skills necessary to conduct
operations on tankships. Topics include the
16-hour worker health and safety (HAZWOPER) First Responder/Operations Level, ship
design and operation, cargo characeristics,
enclosed space entry, cargo transfer and shipment, and pollution prevention and emergency operations and response.
LNG Familiarimtion
Thi three-week course con i t of a afety
program designed to meet TCW requirements for those who have not served on Li G
hips. The course of instruction includ Ll G
fire fighting, confined pace awareness LNG
nomenclature, Li"\G ship operations, personal
safety Ll G safety, hazardous material, LNG
cargo tank ~evel indicators, temperature),
ematical skill . These skills help students experience greater
uccess in both vocational and academic classes. tudents who
receive low cores on the T ' ABE benchmark examinations,
given at the Paul Hall Center, are encouraged t enroll in thi
pro!rram. tud nt may enter these classes while attending
up!!rader courses or may nroll in an extended ABE course
offered throughout the year.
English as aSecond Language
The English as a econd Language course assi ts tudent in
basi Enulish and technical vocabulary kills. The purpose of
th class is to give eafarers who have not learned English as
their native languag and who have difficulty speaking, hearing
understandina and/or writing the English language. the opportunity to aain proficiency in that language. As much as po ible.
instru tion will be provided to give the Seafarer the English language kills necessary to perform the
ntial tasks within the
department under whi h he or h sails. 1
are offered
throughout the year for tho
tu.dents requiring in-depth
instruction. or ~tud nts may hedul assistance during their
upgrading classes.
Adult Basic Education
Basic Vocational Support Program
The Adult Basic Education (ABE) program assists tudent in
improving their basic language, technica1 vocabulary and math-
The Basic Vocational upport Progran1 assists tudents in
improving course- pecific vocational language and mathematic
January 2000
LNG cargo pumps (Carter pump construction
and ops), inert gas generator (general flow system), nitrogen gas system, LNG vapor compressor, warm-up heater and boil-off heater.
(This course is limited to 25 students maximum.)
STCW Basic Safety Refresher
This five-day U.S. Coast Guard-approved
course meets the five-year STCW Chapter
VI basic safety requirement for all personnel sailing prior to Augu t 1, 1998. The
four modules contained within the cour e
are fir prevention and fire safety, elementary first aid, per onal survival techniques
and personal afety and so ial r pon ibiliti . Classroom training in combination with
assessment of proficiency as per STCW
tables will be conducted and entries made
in the training record book. (This course i.s
limited to 25 students m axim um.)
skills. It is d igned to assist with the fundamental understanding
of concepts and theoretical ideas which are the fundamentals of
a given vocational course. Some of these classes are offered prior
to the regularly scheduled courses to provide the members with
knowl ge and kills that will assist them once the classes have
begun. These courses are ideal for students who have been
away from the classroom. need basic skills or do not use
English as their native language.
College Program
The Paul Hall Center is a degree-granting institution approved
by the :\1aryland Higher Education Commission. Yocational
cours ~ also are approved for credit by the American Council
on ducation (ACE). ~!embers may apply for colleg credit for
many of th vocational cour that they take while upQTading
at the chool. In addition, the center offers general edu ation
cour
required for an as ociate d QTee. Th chool curiat of Applied cience Degree in
rent! offers an
l'auti al ci nee and ~1arine Engineering Teclmology.
tudent are required to have a total of 60 to 70 colle11e hours
to earn a degree. Students also may take advantage of remedial program that help prepare them for ollege level courses. It
is r ommended that students meet with a counselor to plan a
coll ge program.
Seafarers LOG
13
�••
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WUS ±:OWL
SJ
Pail Ball Center llpgrad.in.g Course S~ltedule fir 2000
The following is the course schedule for the first half of the new yearOJanuary
through June 2000Dat the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education
in Piney Point, Md.
The course schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the
industry or the national interest. Seafarers should continue to consult each monthly edition of the Seafare rs LOG for the most up-to-date course schedule.
For additional information, contact the Paul Hall Center, P.O. Box 75, Piney
Point, MD 20674-0075; telephone (301) 994-0010. Please note that students
should check in the Saturday before their course's start date. The courses listed
here will begin promptly on the morning of the start dates.
Deck Upgrading Courses
Safety Specialty Courses
Start
Date
Date
of Completion
January 10
February 7
March 6
April 3
Mayl
June 2
January 28
February 25
March 24
April 21
May 19
June 16
Basic Firefighting
January 17
February 28
March 27
April 24
May22
January 21
March 3
March 31
April 28
May26
Course
Tanker Familiarization/
Assistant Cargo(DL)*
(*must have basic fire fighting)
Course
Start Date
Date of Completion
Able Seaman
January 24
February 21
March 20
April 17
February 18
March 17
April 28
May26
Advanced Firefighting
January 10
February 14
March 6
January 21
February 25
March 17
Able Seaman - Inland
January 31
February 18
Government Vessels
Life boatman
January 10
February 7
March 20
April 17
January 21 (pre-AB)
Feb. 19 (pre-AB)
March 31 (pre-AB)
April 28 (pre-AB)
January 31
February 28
March 27
May 1
May22
February 18
March 17
April 14
May 19
June 9
Radar
January 17
March 6
April 3
January 28
March 17
April 14
STCW Basic Safety (refresher)
February 7
March 6
February 11
March 10
Tankerman (PIC) Barge*
January 24
March 13
April 3
May22
January 28
March 17
April 7
May26
February 28
March 20
March 3
March 24
February 28
March 3
Automatic Radar Plotting Aids*
January 10
January 31
March 20
April 17
(ARPA) (*must have radar unlimited)
Limited License
January 14
February 4
March 24
April 21
Mayl
June 23
LNG Familiarization*
(*must have advanced fire fighting)
Oil Spill Containment
Engine Upgrading Courses
Course
Start Date
Date of Completion
Fireman/Watertender
& Oiler
January 10
April 3
February 18
May 12
QMED - Any Rating
January 24
April 14
Basic Electronics
January 10
January 28
Marine Electronics Technician I
January 31
February 18
Welding
January 10
February 14
March 13
April 17
May26
January 28
March 3
March 31
Mays
June 9
May 15
June 23
Designated Duty Engineer (DDE)
(*must have basic fire fighting)
Steward Upgrading Courses
Galley Operations/Advanced Galley Operations modules start every week beginning January 3. Certified Chief Cook/Chief Steward classes start every other week
beginning January 10.
Academic Department Courses
General education and college courses are available as needed. In addition, basic
vocational support program courses are offered throughout the year, one week
prior to the AB, QMED, FOWT, Third Mate, Tanker Assistant and Water Survival
courses. An introduction to computers course will be self-study.
ex
---~·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-
UPGRADING APPLICATION
Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatimefor the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying ·seatime for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and QMED applicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard
fee of $280 with their application. The payment should be made with a money order onlv.
pavable to LMSS.
COURSE
BEGIN
END
DATE
DATE
Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member
D
Lakes Member
D
Inland Waters Member
D
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed.
Social Security# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Book# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Seniority _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Department
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D
No
D
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
LAST VESSEL: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rating: _ _ _ __
Date On:
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
DYes
DNo
If yes, c l a s s # - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
DYes
DNo
If yes, course(s) taken _ __ _ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _
Firefighting:
0 Yes
D No
CPR:
0 Yes D No
Primary language s p o k e n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
14
Seafarers LOG
SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,
Admissions Office, PO Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D Yes D No
- - - - - - - - - - - - Date Off:
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission, access
1/00
or treatment of students in its programs or activities.
January 2000
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
NOVEMBER 16 - DECEMBER 15, 1999
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Port
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
Totals
Totals
DECK DEPARTMENT
9
4
17
2
0
9
1
6
10
14
1
0
4
4
0
5
14
6
14
19
6
13
8
18
33
22
23
4
9
4
14
13
0
5
5
6
3
4
6
5
11
4
7
6
9
5
7
7
17
5
15
3
22
5
11
8
8
14
1
4
10
2
4
5
2
16
12
3
3
1
0
13
15
19
53
25
21
44
13
11
31
3
1
0
291
9
3
9
3
11
10
22
5
11
3
3
1
134
85
210
6
0
8
2
2
4
11
4
7
2
0
3
3
0
0
0
111
2
61
8
11
21
18
2
3
21
26
8
25
75
38
38
14
34
61
14
15
40
14
25
15
2
9
3
5
6
8
7
10
4
13
11
4
14
4
2
3
2
3
11
3
0
8
86
433
186
2
1
3
5
6
l
30
3
6
0
2
4
7
14
1
0
2
6
4
3
7
0
5
5
0
6
146
3
6
8
5
12
10
6
8
5
2
10
7
1
6
0
95
10
3
4
6
2
3
3
3
3
1
5
47
3
4
5
4
4
11
3
18
20
6
5
0
7
15
5
3
3
7
10
9
2
2
5
4
2
4
13
41
22
14
19
4
4
7
8
3
2
27
1
10
1
6
2
2
4
0
0
5
0
3
2
46
214
126
52
9
9
6
9
10
1
9
7
4
2
3
2
0
5
1
2
7
2
0
97
81
42
7
14
9
5
9
STEWARD DEPARTME T
27
2
8
2
13
4
4
15
23
17
31
0
14
16
5
0
174
8
16
0
2
3
1
2
6
2
1
5
4
6
5
2
2
2
4
3
0
5
1
9
27
10
1
0
0
5
2
2
7
2
3
2
0
0
2
16
10
12
6
0
0
1
I
10
5
24
44
8
25
1
0
10
8
35
2
2
0
7
20
4
12
5
21
0
0
2
5
2
6
0
251
85
29
0
0
0
0
0
0
IO
0
36
30
5
1
3
9
3
0
6
16
1
55
0
0
31
113
1
0
0
0
0
35
23
0
58
6
0
4
0
0
5
0
0
21
18
5
14
13
5
6
11
0
0
8
0
0
2
0
5
0
4
4
0
0
6
2
2
5
10
7
6
2
8
0
0
0
0
10
13
10
13
4
11
13
9
4
11
7
3
7
13
6
11
6
9
9
6
7
3
7
3
2
6
29
68
6
3
15
Totals
5
4
5
5
7
67
6
0
0
New Bedford .......... Tuesday: February 22, March 21
New Odeans ........... Tuesday: February 15, March 14
-
Norfolk ................... Thursday: February 10, March 9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
5
4
12
13
2
14
4
23
8
18
24
24
13
24
17
14
6
10
15
3
45
13
2
6
82
11
8
3
14
1
19
1
0
22
1
0
0
0
11
0
0
1
0
48
163
186
0
34
18
2
123
151
0
87
246
223
659
447
349
454
350
277
190
985
643
400
1
0
0
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
San Francisco ......... Thursday: February 17, March 16
San Juan .................. Thursday: February 10, March 9
St. Louis .................Friday: February 18, March 17
Tacoma ................... Friday: February 25, March 24
Wilmington ...............Tuesday: February 22*
Monday: March 20
(*change created by Presidents ' Day holiday)
Each port's meeting starts at 10:30 a.m.
Personals
CAPT.CHARLEST.MILLER
AND OTHER CREW MEMBERS
OF THE SS MAYAGUEZ (1975)
Please contact John Warren at (703) 908-4242.
THOSE WHO SAILED FROM 1938-'40
SIU charter member Nathan Rudnick would like to
hear from former shipmates who sailed on any ofthe following vessels between 1938 and 1940: Estrada Palma,
SS Mary, Capilla, Flurspar. He may be reached at P 0.
Box 25547, Tamarac, FL 33320.
Holiday Greetings
0
10
January 2000
Mobile .................... Wednesday: February 16, March 15
1
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
Port
Jersey City .............. Wednesday: February 23, March 22
3
2
3
3
0
0
0
Jacksonville ............Thursday: February 10, March 9
RAOULPADRA
4
8
8
1
2
0
Houston .................. Monday: February 14, March 13
Please get in touch with Kevin Schultz. You may write
him c/o the Seamen s Church at 241 Water Street, New
York, NY 10038.
2
2
17
I
0
Honolulu ................. Friday: February 18, March 17
2
6
0
Duluth ..................... Wednesday: February 16, March 15
8
12
19
14
15
0
Baltimore ................ Thursday: February 10, March 9
2
2
11
12
7
8
4
3
2
0
5
Algonac .................. Friday: February 11, March 10
Philadelphia ............ Wednesday: February 9, March 8
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
18
3
2
6
12
10
28
13
7
14
8
8
13
0
4
0
Piney Point .............Monday: February 7, March 6
New York ................ Tuesday: February 8, March 7
96
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto RicD
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals All
Departments
48
9
7
5
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
9
10
Port
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Trip
Reliefs
26
Port
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
TOTAL SlllPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
February & March 2 •
Membership Meetings
Deep Sea, Lakes, Inland Waters
The following holiday greetings arrived too late for
inclusion in the December issue of the LOG.
To Rex Bolton, Nancy Hadgen,
Ray Garcia, Monte Grimes and
Big Skip
Merry Xmas. Hope Santa
brings you everything you
want. Happy 2000. May you
always have fair winds and
calm seas.
Francis Adams
To Randy Stevens and friends of
Teddy Wood
Peace and goodwill to all
my brothers at sea. We will
miss you, Teddy! Landlocked
due to injury - please write!
David Etheredge
0
18
To all Seafarers
Merry Christmas. Be as
happy as you can be. To anyone who would care to write,
I'd love hearing from you. To
Randy and his family, best
wishes.
James D. Holland,
#391218
ffynne Unit C. C.
Huntsville, Texas 77349
To my SIU brothers and sisters in
Jacksonville, Fla. and San Juan,
P.R.
Wishing you all the best of
everything and much, much
more, now and always. P.S.
Don't forget SPAD.
Jose Lopez Morales
To Tina, Amber and Teresa
Richardson
Merry Christmas
from Chief Steward
Saundra Leonard.
Merry Christmas to my
loving wife and daughters.
Keep an eye on the moon. I'm
always watching you. All my
love,
Carlton D. Richardson
Seafarers LOS
15
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
Seafarers International Union
Dlreotory
NOVEMBER 16 -
Michael Sacco
President
CL -
John Fay
Executive Vice President
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
David Heindel
Secretary-Treasurer
Augustin Tellez
Vice President Contracts
Jack Caffey
Vice President Atlantic Coast
Byron Kelley
Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters
Dean Corgey
Vice President Gulf Coast
Nicholas J. Marrone
Vice President West Coast
Kermet1 Mangram
Vice President Government Services
HEADQUARTERS
520 l Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
(301) 899-0675
ALGONAC
520 St. Clair River Dr.
Algonac, MI 4800 I
{810) 794-4988
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
HOUSTON
1221 Pierce St
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 659-5152
JACKSONVILLE
3315 Liberty St.
Jacksonville, FL 32206
(904) 353-0987
JERSEY CITY
99 Montgomery St.
Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 435-9424
MOBILE
1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy.
Mobile, AL 36605
(334) 478-0916
NEW BEDFORD
48 Union St
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997.5404
NEW ORLEANS
3911 Lapalco Blvd.
Harvey, LA 70058
(504) 328-7545
NEW YORK
635 Fourth Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718) 499-6600
NORFOLK
115 Third St.
Norfolk, VA 23510
{757) 622-1892
PHILADELPHIA
2604 S. 4 St.
Philadelphia, PA 19 t 48
(2t5) 336-3818
PINEY POINT
P.O. Box 75
Piney Point, MD 20674
(301) 994-0010
PORT EVERGLADES
1221 S. Andrews Ave.
ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 522-7984
SAN FRANCISCO
350 Fremont St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-5855
Government Services Division
(415) 861-3400
SANTURCE
1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Stop 16Y2
Santurce, PR 00907
(787) 721-4033
ST.LOUIS
458 t Gravois Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63 t 16
(314) 752-6500
TACOMA
3411 South Union Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98409
(253) 272-7774
WILMINGTON
510 N. Broad Ave.
Wilmington, CA 90744
(310) 549-4000
16
Seafarers LOG
19
15
0
19
15
0
5
12
0
15
18
NP -
Non Priority
TOTAL SlllPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
15
10
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
10
9
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
4
0
9
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
0
10
10
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
0
0
0
0
6
6
0
0
3
5
8
17
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
NOVEMBER 16 -
BALTIMORE
1216 E. Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
{410) 327-4900
HONOLULU
606 Kalibi St.
Honolulu, HJ 96819
(808) 845-5222
0
L-Lakes
Totals All Depts
0
58
60
0
39
38
0
12
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
ANCHORAGE
721 Sesame St, #IC
Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 561-4988
DULUTH
705 Medical Arts Building
Duluth, MN 55802
{218) 722-4110
Company/Lakes
DECEMBER 15, 1999
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters
West Coast
Totals
0
2
0
1
30
0
1
0
33
1
0
0
20
0
20
0
0
0
12
0
12
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
4
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
DECEMBER 15, 1999
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
1
20
0
10
0
4
1
4
5
25
2
5
17
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
18
0
0
2
0
0
1
0
3
18
0
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
3
2
0
0
0
2
0
14
0
19
33
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
45
23
2
Totals All Depts
2
5
3
65
9
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.
0
0
3
3
37
PIC-FROM-THE-PAST
This photo was sent to the
Seafarers LOG by pensioner
Alfred Porcari of Howard Beach,
N.Y.
It was taken on September 11,
1954 aboard the Robin Goodfellow. The Seas Shipping Co. Inc.
vessel was off the coast of Dar es
Salaam, Tunesia (East Africa) at
the time, and obviously the fishing
was good.
This was a great company to
work for, Porcari wrote in a note
accompanying the photo. It had
12 ships, all on the South African
run . On these ships in those days,
they had great grub and plenty of
overtime and movies for the
crew... .This was a 120-day trip.
Porcari (standing at left) was a
25-year-old OS at the time. Next to
him is the chief cook, and behind
the chief cook is Bosun Pat
Maranelli, who later became a
patrolman.
Porcari, now 70, joined the SIU
in 1947 and retired in 1991.
January 2000
�Welcome Ashore
Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their
working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or
Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently
retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job
well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.
mong the 17 Seafarers
joining the ranks of pensioners this month are
three graduates of the Towboat
Operators Scholarship Program.
Representing 78 years of
active union membership,
Brothers Leslie W. Gibbs, Carl
K. Moor and John R. Thomas
graduated from the towboat operators scholarship program offered
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School in Piney Point, Md. This
program was designed to prepare
qualified mariners for licenses
under U.S. Coast Guard regulations requiring such documentation for all operators of uninspected towboats and tugboats.
Including the three graduates,
nine of the retirees navigated the
inland waterways, five shipped in
the deep sea division and three
sailed aboard Great Lakes vessels.
Eleven of the retiring pensioners sailed in the deck department;
four worked in the engine department and two were members of
the steward department. Ten of
the retirees served in the U.S.
military-six in the Navy, two in
the Army and one each in the Air
Force and Marine Corps.
This month's pensioners have
retired to all parts of the country:
seven reside on the East Coast;
six make their homes in the Gulf
states; three live in the Midwest;
and one is on the West Coast.
On this page, the Sea/arers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of the retiring Seafarers.
A
DEEP SEA
RITAM.
BALLARD,
60, joined the
Marine Cooks
& Stewards
(MC&S) in
1965 in the
port of San
Francisco. Her
first ship was the Lurline, a
Matson Navigation Co. vessel.
Born in Switzerland, she sailed as
a member of the steward department. Prior to retiring, she sailed
aboard the SS Independence,
operated by American Hawaii
Cruises. Sister Ballard makes her
home in Santa Rosa, Calif.
LEONARD
BARTLETT,
72, first sailed
with the SIU
in 1955 aboard
the Sea Comet
II. A native of
Alabama, he
worked in the
deck department. From 1946 to
1953, he served in the U.S. Navy.
Brother Bartlett last sailed aboard
the Sea-Land Developer. He has
retired to Gadsden, Ala.
MICHAEL
H. BONSIGNORE,
65, graduated
from the
Andrew
Furuseth
Training
School in
1960 and began his career with
January 2000
the Seafarers in the port of
Baltimore. The Maryland native
started in the engine department
and later transferred to the steward department. Brother
Bonsignore upgraded to chief
cook at the SIU's training school
in Piney Point, Md. He last sailed
in 1996 aboard the USNS Wright,
operated by American Overseas
Marine. From 1951 to 1954, he
served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Fallston, Md. is where he calls
home.
WILLIAMP.
JEMISON,
62, began his
career with the
SIU in 1960 in
the port of
Mobile, Ala.
Brother
Jemison sailed
in the engine department and
upgraded his skills at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education in Piney
Point, Md. The Alabama native
served in the U.S. Navy from
1955 to 1958. Prior to retiring, he
sailed aboard the Julius Hammer,
operated by Ocean Chemical
Transport. He makes his home in
Theodore, Ala.
HANSJ.
SCHLUETER, 65, joined
the SIU in
1955. Born in
Germany, he
worked in the
engine department and
upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School. He also attended an education conference there in 1970.
Brother Schlueter last sailed in
1998 aboard the Major Bernard
Fisher, operated by Crowley
American Transport. From 1960
to 1963, he served in the U.S.
Army. He calls New York home.
INLAND
THEODORE R. BAILEY, 65,
began his career with the
Seafarers in 1963 from the port of
Baltimore, first sailing aboard the
Sophie, a Harbor Towing Corp.
vessel. Born in Virginia, he
worked as a captain. Boatman
Bailey last sailed in 1985 aboard
a vessel operated by Sonat of Md.
From 1957 to 1958, he served in
the U.S. Army. He makes his
home in Abingdon, Md.
DWAINT.
DORSETT,
62, joined the
SIU in 1978 in
the port of
Houston. A
native of
Texas, he
worked as a
chief engineer, last sailing aboard
the Gretchen, a G&H Towing Co.
vessel. From 1954 to 1958, he
served in the U.S. Navy. Boatman
Dorsett has retired to Dickinson,
Texas.
ERIK H. ERIKSEN, 62, started
sailing with the Seafarers in 1968
in the port of Jacksonville, Fla.
His first vessel was the tug
Margaret "C ", operated by Gulf
Atlantic Towing. Born in
Denmark, he
worked as a
captain and
upgraded his
skills at the
Seafarers
Harry
Lundeberg
School. Prior
to retiring, he sailed aboard the
Fa/con, an Allied Towing Co.
vessel. Boatman Eriksen calls
Jacksonville home.
LESLIE W.
GIBBS, 63,
began his
career with the
Seafarers in
1957 in the
port of
Houston. The
Arkansas
native sailed in the deck department and upgraded his skills at
the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School, where he graduated from
the towboat operator scholarship
program in 1973. Boatman Gibbs
last sailed as a captain aboard the
J.H. Masterson, a G&H Towing
Co. vessel. He has retired to
Santa Fe, Texas.
IF-.,,.....:;;;:;;;;-.::::==i,
CARL K.
'I·. MOOR,
71,
began his
•. 1 career with the
., 'I.· SIU in 1976
&"
J from the port
f1
of Norfolk,
Va. He first
sailed aboard
the Sea Hawk, operated by Ocean
Towing. He worked in the deck
department and frequently
upgraded at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md., where
he graduated from the towboat
operators scholarship program in
1979. The Tennessee native
served in the U.S. Navy from
1948 to 1967. Boatman Moor last
sailed aboard the Falcon, an
Allied Towing Co. vessel. He
makes his home in Norfolk.
DEXTER D. MOORE, 59,
joined the Seafarers in 1961 in
the port of Norfolk, Va. A native
of North Carolina, he worked in
the deck department and upgraded his skills at the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education. He last sailed as a
captain aboard the Socrates, operated by Allied Towing Co. From
1958 to 1961, he served in the
U.S. Navy. Pinetown, N.C. is
home to Boatman Moore.
GLENE.
MURRY, 65,
started his
career with the
SIU in 1977 in
Port Arthur,
Texas. Born in
Louisiana, he
worked in the
deck department, last sailing as a
captain aboard the Monitor, a
Crowley Marine Services vessel.
From 1950 to 1953, he served in
the U.S. Navy. Boatman Murry
has retired to DeRidder, La.
EUGENE P.
PARKER, 65,
first sailed
with the SIU
in 1944.
Boatman
Parker worked
in the deck
department,
most recently aboard the Boomtown Belle, operated by West
Bank Riverboats. Born in New
Jersey, he calls Gretna, La. home.
JOHNR.
THOMAS,
62, began his
SIU career in
1974 in the
port of Tampa,
Fla. Born in
Alabama, he
sailed in the
deck department and upgraded
his skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School, where he
graduated from the towboat oper-
ators scholarship program in
1983. Brother Thomas's first vessel was the D. T. Sheridan; his last
was the Gulf Star; both were
operated by Sheridan Transportion Co. From 1954 to 1967,
he served in the U.S. Air Force.
Boatman Thomas makes his
home in St. Petersburg, Fla.
GREAT LAKES
ALIM.
ATTIEK, 65,
began his
career with the
SIU in I 963 in
the port of
Detroit. Born
in Yemen, he
became a U.S.
citizen in 1974. Brother Attiek
worked in the engine department,
last sailing in 1978 aboard the
George Goble. He makes his
home in Dearborn, Mich.
JOSEPHM.
KELLY, 53,
first sailed
with the Seafarers in 1964
from the port
of Alpena,
Mich. Born in
Michigan, he
sailed in the deck department, last
working aboard the American
Mariner, operated by American
Steamship Co. Brother Kelly
makes his home in Posen, Mich.
WALTERT.
LESCZYNSKI, 65, joined
the SIU in
1968 in the
port of Detroit.
During his
career, he
worked in all
three departments. He last sailed
as a conveyorrnan aboard the
Richard Reiss, operated by Erie
Sand Steamship. Born in
Michigan, Brother Lesczynski
has retired to Marblehead, Ohio.
qualification of men for their AB certificates and
other deck ratings. Plans are also being made for
1942
the starting of both steward department and
Early on the morning of January 25, the ore car- engine department classes in the near future.
rier SS Venore was torpedoed off the Carolina
Instructors are being drawn from the ranks of
coast and went down
rr;::::::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=::=~ experienced Seafarers
with the loss of the skipwith a thorough famif..
per, the radio operator
t
iarity of the subject
and 18 SIU crew mem~
,
-4
,
matter of the courses.
bers. The 21 survivors
'
The entire training proof the Venore, after
V
#
gram will be 100 perspending 38 hours in an
cent union-operated
open lifeboat, were
~==============================~ and financed.
picked up by a rescue vessel and taken into
1962
Norfolk, Va.
The
first agreement of its kind in the maritime
The submarine masqueraded as a lightship and
industry
recently assured that a supply of fresh
blinked a coded message for the Venore to come
milk
will
be available for every working seaman.
closer. When the unsuspecting ship got within
Development
of a new process that allows
range, the submarine fired two torpedoes and
dairymen
to
superheat
milk and ultra-pasteurize
then shelled her with a deck gun.
it
so
that
it
can
be
stored
in cans without refrigIn spfte of r~<:ent promises that all (Allied) ships
eration
has
made
it
possible
to have a supply of
would be armed, this ship did not even have a
fresh
milk
aboard
ship
at all times. Use
canned
cap pistol aboard. She was a sitting duck.
of the new canned fresh milk is designed to do
away with the problem of purchasing and han1952
dling milk in different foreign ports where facili·
The first of three projected upgrading schools
ties,
supplies and quality are limited.
for Seafarers is now operating at headquarters
In
the
future, the SIU Feeding Plan will insure
with the opening of a class for the deck depari..
that
mtlk
is available aboard all contracted ships.
ment. The purpose of the new program is the
Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG
l
0
s-1·.• •s
l
0
r
Seafarers LOB
17
�DEEP SEA
JAN JACOB BEYE
Pensioner Jan
Jacob Beye, 78,
passed away
October 10,
1999. Born in
Holland, he
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1948 in the port
of New York. Brother Beye worked
in the deck department and upgraded
his skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School in Piney Point,
Md., where he graduated from the
bosun recertification program in
1973. Prior to retiring in January
1986, he worked aboard the
Transcolumbia, a Hudson Waterways vessel. During his career, he
was active in union organizing drives. He lived in Little Ferry, N.J.
ANELLBROWN
Pensioner Anell Brown, 75, died
October 22, 1999. Brother Brown
joined the Marine Cooks &
Stewards (MC&S) in 1944. He
sailed as a member of the steward
department and began receiving his
pension in August 1969. He was a
resident of East Palo Alto, Calif.
AUGUSTIN 0. CASTELO
.------------. Pensioner
Augustin Oracio
Castelo, 74,
passed away
October 15,
1999. He began
sailing with the
Seafarers in
1953 from the
........""""'"'---_...._~........i port of Baltimore. Born in Cuba, he worked in
the engine department and upgraded
his skills at the SIU's training school
in Piney Point, Md. A resident of
Miami, he started receiving his pension in January 1986.
JAMES CHARLIE DIAL
Pensioner James
Charlie Dial,
76, died
November 3,
1999. A native
of Alabama, he
joined the SIU
in 1942 in the
port of Tampa,
....___.......__ __,__ ____. Fla. Brother
Dial sailed in the engine department
and upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School.
From 1948 to 1949, he served in the
U.S. Army. Prior to retiring in 1985,
he worked aboard the Del Sud, operated by Delta Steamship Co. He
made his home in Livingston, Ala.
CHARLESO.FAIRCLOTH
Pensioner
Charles Oscar
Faircloth, 73,
passed away
recently.
Brother Faircloth started his
career with the
Seafarers in
....___ ___.._ __......__, 1944 in the port
of Tampa, Fla. His first ship was the
Stephen Leacock. He worked in the
deck department and upgraded his
skills at the SIU's training school in
Piney Point, Md., where be graduated from the bosun recertification
program in 1974. The Florida native
served in the U.S . Army from 1953
to 1955. Brother Faircloth last sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Consumer and
began receiving his pension in April
1992. Brandon, Fla. was his home.
EVANS R. GATEWOOD
Pensioner Evans Rudolph
Gatewood, 82, died October 10,
18
Seafarers LOG
1999. Born in Missouri, he began
his SIU career in 1973 in the port of
Yokohama, Japan, first sailing
aboard the Gateway City, a SeaLand Service vessel. He worked in
the engine department and upgraded
his skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School. A veteran of
World War II, he served in the U.S.
Navy from 1935 to 1945. Brother
Gatewood last sailed aboard the SeaLand Spirit. The Oakland, Calif. resident retired in July 1999.
upgraded his
skills at the
SIU's training
school in Piney
Point, Md.
From 1943 to
" 1946, he served
~_.~' in the U.S.
Army. A resident of Seattle,
he began receiving his pension in
January 1988.
in the port of
Baltimore in
1947. Brother
Smith sailed
in the engine
department as
a chief electrician and
began receiving his pension in January 1968. Millersville, Md. was his home.
JEW LIN GUN
VERNON JAMES ROSE
ELORIS BONNER
"PELOKA" TART
Pensioner Jew Lin Gun, 72, passed
away October 6, 1999. He joined the
MC&S in 1946 in the port of San
Francisco. Born in China, he worked
as a member of the steward department. Prior to retiring in April 1969,
Brother Gun worked aboard the
Monterey. He was a resident of San
Francisco.
Pensioner Vernon James Rose, 81,
passed away November 2, 1999.
Brother Rose joined the MC&S in
1951 in the port of Seattle. Born in
Ohio, he worked in the steward
department, last sailing aboard the
President Cleveland, operated by
American President Lines. He was a
resident of Portland, Ore. and started
receiving his pension in November
1983. He was a veteran of World
War II, having served in the U.S.
Army from 1943 to 1947.
JOHN EDGAR HOWELL
Pensioner John
Edgar Howell,
82, died
October 27,
1999. A native
of Georgia, he
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1951 in the port
of Mobile, Ala. His first ship was
the Frank C Emerson. Brother
Howell sailed as a member of the
engine department. During World
War II, he served in the U.S. Army
from 1941 to 1945. A resident of
Rome, Ga., he began receiving his
pension in November 1980.
KEITH JONES
Pensioner Keith
Jones, 75,
passed away
November 9,
1999. Brother
Jones began
sailing with the
SIU in 1946
from the port of
.____ ___,,...____ ____, New York.
Born in Honduras, he worked in the
deck department, last sailing aboard
the Mount Vernon Victory. He was a
resident of Chalmette, La. and started receiving his pension in January
1988.
.---~"""""'=------,
CHARLES VICTOR
MAJETTE
Pensioner
Charles Victor
Majette, 79,
died October
31 , 1999. A
charter member
of the Seafarers, he joined
the union in
---""-=:;...._ _ _ December 1938
in the port of Baltimore. The
Virginia native sailed in the deck
department as a bosun. During his
career, he was active in union organizing drives. He began receiving
his pension in November 1981.
Brother Majette was a resident of
Hudgins, Va.
MARTIN MEJIA
Martin Mejia, 56, passed away
September 18, 1999. Born in
Honduras, he started his career with
the SIU in 1989 in the port of New
York. He worked in the steward
department, last sailing in 1997
aboard the Overseas Valdez. Brother
Mejia lived in the Bronx, N.Y.
WILLIE RAY REDDIC
Pensioner Willie Ray Reddic, 75,
died October 30, 1999. A native of
South Carolina, he began his career
with the Seafarers in 1956 in the
port of Houston. Brother Reddic
sailed in the engine department and
LAWREN CE M. "LARRY"
SCHROEDER
. . - - - - - - - - Pensioner
Lawrence M.
"Larry"
Schroeder, 76,
died November
2, 1999. Born in
Pennsylvania,
he started sailing with the
Seafarers in
1947 from the port of New York.
His first ship was the Topa Topa,
operated by Waterman Steamship
Corp. Brother Schroeder worked in
the deck department. Prior to retiring in March 1965, he sailed aboard
the Seatrain Louisiana. Baltimore
was his home.
Pensioner
Eloris Bonner
"Peloka" Tart,
86, died
November 3,
1999. A charter
member of the
Seafarers, he
joined the
union in
February 1939 in the port of Mobile,
Ala. A native of Alabama, he last
sailed as a chief steward. During his
career, he was active in union affairs
and organizing drives. He retired in
July 1975 and lived in Mobile.
LORENCE EDWARD
TAYLOR
,..............,,..........,.==----, Pensioner
Lorence
Edward Taylor,
88, passed away
October 29,
1999. He began
his SIU career
in 1945 in the
port of New
.._____ ____, York. Born in
Illinois, he sailed in the engine
department and upgraded his skills
at the union's school in Brooklyn,
N.Y. Brother Taylor was active in
union organizing drives and started
receiving his pension in February
1969. He made his home in
Brooklyn.
ALFRED JOSEPH SEVERE
JUSTIN THEODORE WOLFF
Pensioner
Alfred Joseph
Severe, 67,
passed away
October 26,
1999. He first
sailed with the
SIU in 1956
from the port of
_ _ ___.._LI Baltimore
aboard the Orion Star. He later
graduated from the Andrew Furuseth
Training School in 1958. A native of
Maryland, he worked in the steward
department. His last ship was the
Global Link. Brother Severe was a
resident of Pasadena, Md. and began
receiving his pension in December
1992. From 1948 to 1955, he served
in the U.S. Army.
Pensioner Justin
Theodore
Wolff, 78, died
November 5,
1999. Brother
Wolff joined the
Seafarers in
1941 in the port
of New
Orleans. A
native of Mississippi, he worked in
the deck department, last sailing
aboard a Sea-Land Service vessel.
He was a resident of New Orleans
and retired in July 1983.
BILL LAVERN SIDEROFF
Pensioner
George
Washington
Lawrence, 77,
passed away
October 28,
1999. He began
his sailing
career in 1945
and joined the
Seafarers in 1961 in the port of
Norfolk, Va. The Virginia native last
sailed as a captain aboard a Curtis
Bay Towing Co. vessel. A resident
of Virginia Beach, Va. , Boatman
Lawrence began receiving his pension in February 1987. He was a
veteran of World War II, having
served in the U.S. Navy from 1940
to 1945.
Pensioner Bill
Lavern
Sideroff, 73,
died October
21 , 1999.
Brother
Sideroff joined
the Seafarers in
1964 in the port
of Seattle. His
first ship was the Fairport, a
Waterman Steamship Corp. vessel.
Born in Washington, he sailed as a
member of the deck department.
Prior to retiring in May 1991 , he
worked aboard the Sea-Land
Mariner. A veteran of World War II,
he served in the U.S. Navy from
1943 to 1962. He made his home in
Seattle.
INLAND
GEORGE WASHINGTON
LAWRENCE
WILLIAM JAMES MEEHAN
JULIUS BILL SMITH
Pensioner Julius Bill Smith, 99,
passed away October 27, 1999. Born
in Pennsylvania, he joined the SIU
Pensioner William James Meehan,
83, died October 22, 1999. Boatman
Meehan started his SIU career in
1948 in the port of Norfolk, Va.,
sailing in the
deep sea division as a member of the deck
department. He
upgraded his
skills at the
SIU's training
school in Piney
Point, Md. and
graduated from the bosun recertification program there in 1974.
During his career, he was active in
union organizing drives. The
Virginia native later transferred to
the inland division and sailed as a
2nd mate. Prior to retiring in
January 1982, he worked aboard a
McAllister Towing Co. vessel. A
veteran of World War II, be served
in the U.S. Navy from 1940 to 1946.
Chesapeake, Va. was his home.
GEORGE GUY THEMIS SR.
Pensioner
George Guy
Tbemis Sr., 72,
passed away
September 25,
1999. A native
of Alabama, he
began his career
with the Seafarers in 1970.
Boatman Themis worked as a towboat captain, last sailing aboard a
Western Towing Co. vessel. A resident of Brazoria, Texas, he began
receiving his pension in March 1993.
GREAT LAKES
JOSEPH L. MIKLOCZAK
Pensioner
Joseph L.
Mikloczak, 76,
died October
26, 1999.
Brother
Mikloczak
joined the SIU
in 1960 in the
port of Detroit.
Born in Wisconsin, he sailed in the
engine department. Prior to retiring
in December 1981 , he worked
aboard the C.L. Austin. He was a
resident of Duluth, Minn.
PERRY A. SPILDE
Pensioner Perry
A. Spilde, 87,
passed away
October 11,
1999. Born in
Montana, he
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1957 in the port
of Toledo, Ohio. Brother Spilde
worked in the deck department, last
sailing aboard the Nicolet. He was a
resident of Cedar Falls, Iowa and
started receiving his pension in
November 1977.
RAILROAD MARINE
METRO PALUBNIAK
Pensioner
Metro
Palubniak, 77,
died October
15, 1999. A
native of New
Jersey, he began
his sailing
career with the
marine division
of the Pennsylvania Railroad in
1948 and joined the SIU in 1960 in
the port of New York. Brother
Palubniak worked in the deck
department and began receiving his
pension in April 1964. Ridgewood,
N .J. was his home.
January 2000
�for Seafarers to upgrade skills at
Paul Hall Center. Treasurer
announced $40 in video fund and
asked everyone to rewind tapes
when through with them. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Discussion
held on possible merger of SIU and
NMU. Clarification requested on
Family Leave Act. Thanks to steward department for good food. Next
port: San Juan, P.R.
Faria, Educational Director George
W. Collier, Engine Delegate Edrick
Hernandez, Steward Delegate
Kenrick Gaton. Chairman
announced payoff October 9 in New
Orleans, La. He asked those getting
off to clean rooms, return room keys
and collect passports. He noted deck
department did outstanding job
cleaning holds. He also stated need
for continued donations to SPAD.
Secretary thanked crew for helping
SULPHUR ENTERPRISE
EL MORRO (IUM), September
27-Chairman Steven W.
Copeland, Secretary Kris A.
Hopkins, Educational Director
Frederick W. Dougherty Jr., Deck
Delegate Rubin Mitchell, Engine
Delegate Reinaldo Roman,
Steward Delegate Robert G.
Maschmeier. Bosun led discussion
of president's report in Seafarers
LOG and relayed news of death of
former AFL-CIO President Lane
Kirkland. He announced payoff
September 29 in Jacksonville and
reminded crew members to handle
ship's trash in proper manner.
Educational director advised everyone to keep up-to-date on STCW
endorsements and TRBs and to
upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center in
Piney Point, Md. Treasurer stated
$130 in ship's fund. Some money
used last month for purchase of
grills and charcoal. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Questions raised
regarding use of clinic card for hospital/emergency use and viability of
purchasing satellite TV. Vote of
thanks given to steward department
for job well done. Next ports:
Jacksonville and Port Everglades,
Fla.; San Juan, P.R.
GALVESTON BAY (Sea-Land
Service), September 26-Chairman
James E. Davis, Secretary Kenneth
A. Hagan, Educational Director
Miguel Rivera, Deck Delegate
Charles B. Collins, Engine Delegate
Sheldon Greenberg, Steward Delegate Robert T. Seim. Educational
director stressed importance of contributing to SPAD, especially with
upcoming elections. He reminded
crew of courses available at Piney
Point for upgrading and complying
with STCW requirements. Treasurer
announced $50 in movie fund. No
beefs or disputed OT reported. Steward department thanked for excellent
food and sanitary conditions.
HM/ DIAMOND SHOALS (IUM),
September 26-Chairman Gabriel I.
Bonefont Jr., Secretary Leticia
Perales, Educational Director Alvin
A. Burroughs, Deck Delegate
Michael Charnesky, Engine Delegate Lebaron Bumpers, Steward
Delegate Samuel Spain. Chairman
noted payoff September 29 in Texas
City, Texas. He thanked all departments for job well done and thanked
SIU for providing more jobs for
members. Chairman also advised
Seafarers to train for future at Paul
Hall Center and ~ontribute to SPAD
for job security. Secretary reminded
crew of availability of linen at all
times. Educational director echoed
chairman's advice on taking advantage of educational opportunities at
Piney Point. Treasurer noted ship is
provided with money for monthly
movies. Anyone who buys a video
will be reimbursed and will help
build movie library. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Steward requested additional ice machine; present
one not large enough. Recommendation for relief after work tour of 90
days to be sent to contracts department for consideration in next contract. Next ports: Texas City;
Savannah, Ga.
HM/ PETROCHEM (IUM),
September 19-Chairman Calvin
M. Miles, Secretary Theodore E.
Quammie, Deck Delegate Kendra
Savage, Engine Delegate Oscar
Garcia, Steward Delegate Anthony
January 2000
St. Clair. Chairman expressed pleasure with crew. He reminded them to
separate plastic items from other
trash. Secretary noted everything in
order. Educational director encouraged members to continually
upgrade skills at union's facility in
Piney Point. No beefs or disputed
OT. Vote of thanks to steward
department for fine job. Next port:
Tampa, Fla.
LIBERTY WAVE (Liberty Maritime), September 26-Chairman
Ronald Charles, Secretary Frederick L. Washington Sr., Educational Director Scott S. Fuller, Deck
Delegate Charles A. McPherson,
Engine Delegate Juan M. Bell,
Steward Delegate Latausha L.
Roberson. Chairman announced
payoff September 29 in Houston.
Secretary asked all persons getting
off to clean room and refrigerator
and turn in key. Educational director
urged all members to upgrade at
Piney Point. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. President's report from
LOG read regarding new ships
which means more jobs for SIU
members.
OVERSEAS MARILYN (OSG
Ship Management), September 5Chairman Glenn Christianson,
Secretary Carlos A. Sierra,
Educational Director Conrado D.
Martinez, Deck Delegate Donald
R. Ackerman, Steward Delegate
Thomas M. Kelly. Chairman reported payoff in Beaumont, Texas. Ship
will load cargo there and in Houston
and head back to North Korea. He
expressed gratitude to crew for job
well done. Secretary thanked everyone for helping keep lounge and
messhalls clean. No beefs or disputed OT. Chairman discussed president's report from Seafarers LOG.
Clarification requested regarding
contract under which crew is working. Steward department thanked for
job very well done.
SEA-LAND INTEGRITY (SeaLand Service), September 26---Chairman Leon Jekot, Secretary
Stephanie L. Sizemore, Steward
Delegate Enrique Agosto.
Chairman announced payoff in New
Jersey upon arrival. Steward thanked
crew for helping with sanitary on
deck. Educational director reported
chief mate will sign TRBs with correct dates and stamps for shipboard
training. Donations being accepted
for movie fund to enlarge ship's
video library. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Crew lounge needs
new radio with medium- and shortwave, AM-FM bands, to get news,
game results, etc. Suggestion made
and sent to contracts department that
if seamen meet seatime requirements, they should be able to draw
pension regardless of age. Bosun
thanked steward department for fine
fare. Next ports: Boston, Mass.;
Elizabeth, NJ.
SEA-LAND SPIRIT (Sea-Land
Service), September 19-Chairman
Howard W. Gibbs, Secretary
Edgardo G. Ombec, Educational
Director Mohamed N. Alsinai,
Deck Delegate Albert Balatico,
Steward Delegate Neville Hughes.
Chairman reminded crew members
to check that endorsements are upto-date and to wear hard hats when
loading and unloading cargo.
Educational director stressed need
(Sulphur Carriers), September 26---Chairman Marvin P. Zimbro,
Secretary Nee Tran, Educational
Director Gregorio Alvarez, Deck
Delegate Thames H. Solomon,
Engine Delegate Christopher W.
Ledlow, Steward Delegate Audrey
V. Brown. Chairman announced
payoff in Tampa, Fla. and then on to
Port Sulphur, La. Secretary reminded crew members not to eat in
rooms. Educational director urged
everyone to utilize Paul Hall Center
to advance job classification and
skills. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Steward department given
vote of thanks for job well done.
USNS GORDON (Bay Ship Management), September 19-Chairman
Allen W. Runion, Secretary
Susanne Cake, Educational Director
Timothy Clarke, Deck Delegate
James E. McAtee Jr., Steward
Delegate Douglas J. Swets. Chairman announced payoff September
20 in Charleston, S.C. He explained
procedures for customs to those not
experienced in returning to U.S.
from foreign ports. Secretary noted
long trip with limited supply of
stores to be discussed with patrolman at payoff. Educational director
recommended upgrading at Piney
Point to move up ladder. Treasurer
said $12 remains in ship's fund after
purchase of supplies for barbecue
before leaving Diego Garcia. No
beefs or disputed OT. Clarification
received from headquarters regarding wages. Thanks given to steward
department for improvising with
limited stores.
/TB JACKSONVILLE (Sheridan),
October 29-Chairman Sonny
Pinkham Jr., Secretary Rayfield E.
Crawford, Deck Delegate Nabassin
Adedouawongobou,Engine
Delegate Michael Snow, Steward
Delegate Eugene Perez Jr.
Chairman read president's report
from Seafarers LOG concerning
possible SIUINMU merger. Crew
asked headquarters to keep members
informed of merger progress through
LOG and vessel e-mails. Educational
director suggested all crew members
take time to upgrade skills and ratings at Paul Hall Center. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Suggestion
made for contracts department to
look into increasing medical benefits
for dependents' medications and prescriptions. Steward department
thanked for job well done. Next
port: New Orleans, La.
LIBERTY SEA (Liberty Maritime),
October 10-Chairman Harold L.
Sebring, Secretary Thomas D.
Kreis, Educational Director Bruce
N. Zenon, Deck Delegate Harry G.
Champagne, Engine Delegate
Lawrence R. Sherinski III,
Steward Delegate Larry Jolla.
Chairman noted new chairs for crew
mess replaced, as requested. No
word yet on payoff. Secretary
thanked everyone for helping keep
messhall clean and asked crew to
strip linen from beds and pick up
clean set for replacement crew members before leaving. Educational
director stressed importance of taking advantage of upgrading courses
offered at Piney Point. Beefs reported by deck delegate. No beefs or
disputed OT in engine and steward
departments. Parts on order for ice
machine in crew mess. Next ports:
Haifa, Israel; New Orleans, La.
MAERSK ALASKA (Maersk
Lines), October 3-Chairman John
D. Kelley Jr., Secretary Manuel
Valdez, Alaska; Richmond, Calif.
POTOMAC (IUM), October 12Chairman David B. Zurek, Secretary Emilio Cordova, Educational
Director Earl M. Macom. Chairman
informed crew members of final
rules on Coast Guard user fees as
well as USCG station addresses/
phone numbers and information on
delayed assessments. Educational
director reminded everyone of edu-
Swanner Gets Proper Send-Off
The crew of the Paul Buck helped QMED Donal Swanner (aka
Gypsy) celebrate a well-deserved retirement. Swanner (pictured
directly behind life ring), who has sailed mainly as a pumpman on
just about every ship in the SIU, was presented with a ship's ring
signed by the crew with best wishes, a couple sets of coveralls and
a hat ("just in case he changes his mind") and an honorary chief
engineer's license from the engineroom gang. The steward department baked a special cake in his honor. Capt. Severin A.
Samuelsen, master aboard the Paul Buck, noted Swanner was a
loyal employee and a good shipmate. "We will miss his company
and wish him the best for the future." From the left (standing) are
Chief Cook Malcolm Holmes, AB Robert Clemons, DEU Mohamed
Kassem, 2nd Mate (and former SIU member) Robert Whytock,
Pumpman Jimmie Thomas, AB Andrzej Tlalka, Bosun Chris Kicey,
AB Kannan Mangalanandan, QMED Roy Robinson, Chief Steward
Kim DeWitt, GSU Al Young, AB William Buhrig Ill, AB Al Campbell,
(kneeling) QMED Donal Swanner and GSU Virgilio Hoffman.
keep ship clean, and educational
director urged everyone to attend
upgrading classes at Paul Hall
Center. Some disputed OT reported
by deck delegate. No beefs or disputed OT in engine or steward
departments. Bosun Kelley thanked
steward department for job well
done, especially Manuel Faria and
Kenrick Gaton for "best food I've
had on any ship in 31 years."
MAERSK TEXAS (Maersk Lines),
October 31-Chairman John M.
Zepeda, Secretary Donna
DeCesare, Educational Director
Edward C. Mancke, Deck Delegate
Spencer M. Kreger, Steward
Delegate Stephanie K. Hendrick.
Chairman announced payoff November 3 in Charleston, S.C. Everyone
happy topside, although still waiting
for crew lounge furniture and repair
of large washing machine. Educational director urged members to
upgrade skills at Piney Point.
Treasurer announced $100 in movie
fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Request made for information on money purchase pension
plan. Thanks to deck department for
black motors on deck. "They really
stand out and make the ship look
nice."
OVERSEAS OHIO (ATC), October
20-Chairman Timothy D. Koebel,
Secretary Jeff Smith, Educational
Director Nicholas C. Aguilera,
Deck Delegate Richard Barnhart,
Engine Delegate Jam es M.
Fennessey, Steward Delegate Ron
DeWitt. Chairman read letter
regarding retroactive pay. Also discussed possible merger of SIU and
NMU. After assurances that pensions of both unions would remain
separate, chairman recommended
crew vote in favor of merger.
Disputed OT reported by engine delegate; no beefs or disputed OT
reported in deck or steward departments. Clarification requested on
some aspects of new ATC agreement. Chairman and crew thanked
Captain Gillespie for acquiring new
VCR, rewinder and movies. Thanks
also given to steward department for
good food and service. Next ports:
cational opportunities available at
Paul Hall Center. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew requested
information on money purchase pension plan. Steward department
thanked for fine job. Ship stationed
in Diego Garcia.
SEA-LAND PRODUCER (SeaLand Service), October 3Chairman Joel A. Lechel, Secretary
David A. Cunningham, Educational
Director Christopher M. Devonish,
Deck Delegate William D. Brinson
Jr., Engine Delegate Victor L.
Sapp, Steward Delegate Clifford B.
Elliot. Chairman welcomed two
unlicensed apprentices, Shannon
Bonefont and Keolamauloaohawaiiloa Mowat. He told them not
to be afraid to ask questions. Bosun
thanked everyone for helping keep
ship looking great. "We have had
lots of compliments in different
ports about tlie ship." He reminded
crew of separate receptacles for sorting glass, cans, paper and food
waste. Educational director reminded crew members to check STCW
endorsements and z-cards for expiration dates and to attend upgrading
classes at Piney Point. Treasurer
announced $1,070 in ship's fund. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Bosun reminded everyone about holiday greetings for December LOG
and advised crew to read "Know
Your Rights" section. Suggestion
made and forwarded to headquarters
regarding medical insurance identification cards for dependents.
Proposals made to have vacation and
medical plans booklets written in
simpler language and to have questionnaires sent to all members for
suggestions for upcoming contract.
Steward thanked crew for keeping
messhalls and pantry clean. Bosun
thanked steward department for
good food and great barbecues. He
also thanked deck gang for helping
maintain great outside appearance of
ship. Electrician suggested higher
containment wall be built around
stores crane in case of leakage. Next
ports: Jacksonville, Fla.; San Juan,
P.R.
Seafarers LOG
19
�Letters to the Editor
(Editors note: the Seafarers LOG
reserves the right to edit letters
for grammar as well as space
provisions without changing the
writers intent. The LOG welcomes letters from members, pensioners, their families and shipmates and will publish them on a
timely basis.)
American Qu-n Runs
At World-Class Level
My wife and I recently took a
vacation on the American Queen
along the Ohio River. The trip
was a very pleasant surprise. We
were very happy with every
aspect of the cruise and will surely take another trip with this operator [Delta Queen Steamship Co.]
in the future.
The vessel itself is beautiful
inside and out. The meals and
dining room service were spectacular. I spoke with several other
passengers who had traveled on
ocean trips before, and they all
said the same thing: the American
Queen was superior to the FOC
[flag of convenience] cruise lines
by far. Many mentioned the safety factor, and many also knew of
the fact that this vessel is inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The crew members, as you
know, are all American, and they
do their jobs in a professional
manner. There is absolutely no
doubt in my mind that an
American crew is the equal of or
better than the crews on the ocean
cruise lines. They also obey the
laws of the U.S. regarding pollution. On this ship, not even the
passengers' cigarette butts went
in the water.
This operator has a contract
with both the SIU and AMO, and
I can state from my personal
knowledge that they know how to
operate a passenger vessel. This
would seem to me to bode very
well for the future of Delta Queen
Steamship Co. and the passenger
vessels they are seeking to build.
I made it my business to
observe the various departments:
hotel, pursers, engineers, dining
room staff and steward department. They were all top-notch;
nothing was too much trouble.
The whole operation was just outstanding in all respects.
If anyone should tell you that
American seamen cannot operate
a passenger ship at a world-class
level, let them take a trip on the
American Queen.
Keith S. Faulkner
AMO-retired
LOG-A-RHYTHM
The Winds of a Much Colder Fall
by Robert Franza
(Seafarer Scott Brusecella submitted the following poem to the
Seafarers LOG. It was written by his friend Robert Franza, formerly a
member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.)
I was once in love much deeper
than the seas on which I sail.
It seems I tried too hard to keep her
but J 've a strong grip on this rail.
I think now too much on the long ago
when hair was full and eyes were keen.
And she may feel the same for all I know,
am I the young prince in her dreams?
If it was summer, I can 't remember
through tears my small town slipped away.
"The Wind, " "The Wind, " it was September
why that day differed not from today.
The last goodbyes to friends and family,
I searched the crowd to find her face.
She was not there to leave a smile with me,
how I wished for just one more embrace.
Through the years I kept her picture,
was it my passion for the past?
Or a link to my homeland, I am not sure
what made me rid of it at last.
Now as this hairline recedes, so do memories
.-of tender moments I ache to recall.
Looking out on the sea and right into these,
"The winds of a much colder fall. "
Know Your Rights
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The constitution of the
SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District
makes specific provision for safeguarding the membership's money and union finances. The constitution
requires a detailed audit by certified public accountants
every year, which is to be submitted to the membership
by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee
of rank-and-file members, elected by the membership,
each year examines the finances of the union and
reports fully their findings and recommendations.
Members of this committee may make dissenting
reports, specific recommendations and separate findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District are administered in accordance with the provisions of various trust
fund agreements. All these agreements specify that the
trustees in charge of these funds shall equally consist of
union and management representatives and their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust
funds are made only upon approval by a majority of the
trustees. All trust fund financial records are available at
the headquarters of the various trust funds.
SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights
and seniority are protected exclusively by contracts
between the union and the employers. Members should
get to know their shipping rights. Copies of these contracts are posted and available in all union halls. If
members believe there have been violations of their
shipping or seniority rights as contained in the contracts between the union and the employers, they
should notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The proper address for
this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Full copies of contracts as referred to are available to
members at all times, either by writing directly to the
union or to the Seafarers Appeals Board.
CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU contracts are available in all SIU halls. These contracts specify the wages
and conditions under which an SIU member works and
lives aboard a ship or boat. Members should know their
contract rights, as well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper sheets and in the
proper manner. If, at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other union official fails to protect
their contractual rights properly, he or she should contact the nearest SIU port agent.
EDITORIAL POLICY - THE SEAFARERS
LOG. The Seafarers LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member.
It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed
harmful to the union or its collective membership. This
established policy has been reaffmned by membership
action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The responsibility for Seafarers LOG policy is vested in an editorial board which consists of the
executive board of the union. The executive board may
delegate, from among its ranks, one individual to carry
out this responsibility.
PAYMENT OF MONIES. No monies are to be paid
to anyone in any official capacity in the SIU unless an
official union receipt is given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any money for any
reason unless he is given such receipt. In the event anyone attempts to require any such payment be made
without supplying a receipt, or if a member is required
to make a payment and is given an official receipt, but
feels that he or she should not have been required to
make such payment, this should immediately be reported to union headquarters.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of the SIU constitution are available in
all union halls. All members should obtain copies of
this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its
contents. Any time a member feels any other member
or officer is attempting to deprive him or her of any
constitutional right or obligation by any methods, such
as dealing with charges, trials, etc., as well as all other
details, the member so affected should immediately
notify headquarters.
EQUAL RIGHTS. All members are guaranteed
equal rights in employment and as members of the SIU.
These rights are clearly set forth in the SIU constitution
and in the contracts which the union has negotiated with
the employers. Consequently, no member may be discriminated against because of race, creed, color, sex,
national or geographic origin.
If any member feels that he or she is denied the equal
rights to which he or she is entitled, the member should
notify union headquarters.
SEAFARERS POLITICAL ACTIVITY DONATION - SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund.
Its proceeds are used to further its objects and purposes including, but not limited to, furthering the political,
social and economic interests of maritime workers, the
preservation and furthering of the American merchant
marine with improved employment opportunities for
seamen and boatmen and the advancement of trade
union concepts. In connection with such objects, SPAD
supports and contributes to political candidates for
elective office. All contributions are voluntary. No contribution may be solicited or received because of force,
job discrimination, financial reprisal, or threat of such
conduct, or as a condition of membership in the union
or of employment. If a contribution is made by reason
of the above improper conduct, the member should
notify the Seafarers International Union or SPAD by
certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for
investigation and appropriate action and refund, if
involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect
and further his or her economic, political and social
interests, and American trade union concepts.
NOTIFYING THE UNION- If at any time a member feels that any of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been denied the constitutional
right of access to union records or information, the
member should immediately notify SIU President
Michael Sacco at headquarters by certified mail, return
receipt requested. The address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Unlicensed Apprentices Earn GEDs - and Congratulations
It's a Dog's Life
Prison life is for the dogs,
notes AB Richard A.
Ransom, who is now incarcerated in Richmond, Texas.
He would love to receive
mail from other Seafarers.
You may write to:
Richard A. Ransom
#624561
Jester 4 Prison Unit
Richmond, Texas 77469
20
Seafarers LOS
Three unlicensed apprentices at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education received their
GEDs at the November membership meeting in Piney Point, Md. The GED program is available to
apprentices and upgraders alike through the school's academic department. SIU President Michael
Sacco (third from left) joined the audience in congratulating the studious trio of (from left) Lane
Schroeder, John Alba and Jess Chalker.
January 2000
�Monthly Membership Meetings
Keep Seafarers Informed an
Issues, Contracts, Elections
Port
The year 2000 promises to be a very
exciting one. Apart from the hoopla connected to it being the start of a new
decade/century/millennium, this year will
see a U.S. presidential election as well as
the addition of a number of new vessels to
the U.S.-flag fleet.
One way to keep track of all the news
which affects the lives and livelihoods of
Seafarers is by attending the monthly
membership meetings.
Held in each SIU hall around the country, the monthly membership meeting is a
forum to keep members abreast of any and
all issues of importance to them.
Below is the schedule of meetings for
2000. Each issue of the Seafarers LOG
also lists the dates for the next two meetings scheduled in each port.
Traditional Date
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
Piney Point
Monday after first Sunday
3
7
6
3
8
5
3
7
5*
2
6
4
New York
Tuesday after first Sunday
4
8
7
4
9
6
5*
8
5
3
7
5
Wednesday after first Sunday
5
9
8
5
10
7
5
9
6
4
8
6
Baltimore
Thursday after first Sunday
6
10
9
6
11
8
6
10
7
5
9
7
Norfolk
Thursday after first Sunday
6
10
9
6
11
8
6
10
7
5
9
7
Jacksonvi 11 e
Thursday after first Sunday
6
10
9
6
11
8
6
10
7
5
9
7
San Juan
Thursday after first Sunday
6
10
9
6
11
8
6
10
7
5
9
7
Algonac
Friday after first Sunday
7
11
10
7
12
9
7
11
8
6
13*
8
Houston
Monday after second Sunday
10
14
13
10
15
12
10
14
11
9
13
11
New Orleans
Tuesday after second Sunday
11
15
14
11
16
13
11
15
12
10
14
12
Mobile
Wednesday after second Sunday
12
16
15
12
17
14
12
16
13
11
15
13
Duluth
Wednesday after second Sunday
12
16
15
12
17
14
12
16
13
11
15
13
Thursday after second Sunday
13
17
16
13
18
15
13
17
14
12
16
14
St. Louis
Friday after second Sunday
14
18
17
14
19
16
14
18
15
13
17
15
Honolulu
Friday after second Sunday
14
18
17
14
19
16
14
18
15
13
17
15
Wilmington
Monday after third Sunday
18 *
22*
20
17
22
19
17
22*
18
16
20
18
New Bedford
Tuesday after third Sunday
18
22
21
18
23
20
18
22
19
17
21
19
Wednesday after third Sunday
19
23
22
19
24
21
19
23
20
18
22
20
Friday after third Sunday
21
25
24
21
26
23
21
25
22
20
24
22
Philadelphia
San Francisco
Jersey City
Tacoma
September October November December
*Piney Point change created by Labor Day holiday; New York change created by Independence Day holiday; Algonac change created by Veterans Day holiday; Wilmington changes created by Martin
Luther King's birthday, Presidents' Day and Paul Hall's birthday holidays.
Don't Let the
The deadline for receipt of
Seafarers Welfare Plan Scholarship applications is April 15,
2000. That is only three months
away, so if you plan to apply for
one of the seven scholarships
being awarded this year, don't put
it off any longer.
First, obtain a scholarship program booklet which spells out
eligibility requirements and procedures for applying. It also
includes a copy of the application
form. You may get the booklet in
any SIU hall or by filling out the
coupon on this page and mailing
it to the SIU Scholarship Program
of the Seafarers Welfare Plan.
The application form is very
straight-forward. But the entire
application package contains a
number of additional items which
must accompany the form and
which may take some time to collect. They include:
• autobiographical statement
• photograph
S~holarship
• certified copy of birth certificate
• high school transcript and cerification of graduation or official copy of high school equivalency scores
• college transcript
• letters of reference
• SAT or ACT results.
All Seafarers and their spouses and children who plan to
attend college are encouraged to
apply.
The seven scholarships will be
awarded in May 2000 to three
SIU members and four dependents. One of the three monetary
awards reserved for SIU members is in the amount of $15,000
and is intended to help cover the
cost of attending a four-year, college-level course of study. The
other two are for $6,000 each and
are intended as two-year awards
for study at a post-secondary
vocational school or community
college. Four of the scholarships
Education Is the Key!
Jn addition to the scholarship program offered by the
Seafarers Welfare Plant another benefit of being a member
of the SIU is the opportunity to study and upgrade at the Paul
Hail Center for Maritime Training and Education, located in
Piney Point, Md.
Deadline Pass You By
are awarded in the amount of
$15,000 to the spouses and
dependent children of Seafarers.
With the cost of a college education rising each year, the SIU
scholarship is one SIU benefit
that can help members and their
families realize their educational
goals.
BUT - no one can be awarded a scholarship without filling
out an application and mailing it
to the Seafarers Welfare Plan by
April 15. SO - do it now!
If you sent in an application form last year
and were not selected
for one of the scholar-
ships, you should try
again in 2000.
r----------------------------------------------------------------------------,
lease send me the 2000 SIU Scholarship Program booklet which contains eligibility information,
P
procedures for applying and a copy of the application form.
Mariner's Social Security Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Telephone Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
This application is for: D Self
D Dependent
f
See pages 11-14 in this issue of the LOG for an overview of
an the courses offered at the school this year.
Mail this completed form to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Welfare Plan,
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746
1/00
~-----------------------------------------------------~----------------------
January 2000
Seafarers LOG
21
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 596 - Unlicensed apprentices
in class 596 graduating from the water survival class are (from left, kneeling) Harry McKever,
Andres Morin, Jason Martinez, Kyle Bailey, (second row) Caleb Sachs, Edward Joyal Ill,
Janan Driggers, Armando Garayua-Gonzalez, Felix Medina-Vidal (third row) Terrell McMillen,
Spencer Dewey, Shauntay Shavies, Robert Walter, Raymond Elsner, Marque! Sapp and
Sherrod Frazier.
Tanker Assistant Cargo (DL) -
Earning their graduation certificates for completion of the tanker assistant DL course on October 15 are (in no particular order)
Spencer Moxley Sr., Alvin Martin, Willie Howard Ill, Linda Barber, Mohamed Hossain,
William Meyer, Jose Vazquez, Elmo Davis, Edward O'Reilly, Mott Arnold , Gary Lamb,
Nestor Agcaoili, Mohamed Bidar, Duane Costello and Jim Shaffer (instructor).
STCW Basic Safety -
Marine Electrical Maintenance I -
Under the
instruction of Mark Jones, upgraders completing the challenging marine electrical maintenance I course on October
29 are (from left) Abdulrub Atiah, Nathan Hollander and
Sjarifudin Noor.
Successfully completing the
fire fighting portion of the basic safety class necessary for
their STCW endorsements are (in no particular order) Don
Montoya, Gary Koshland, Riccardo Ciolino, Leroy
Maynard, Marie Mitchell and Manuel Andrade.
Radar Observer/Unlimited -
Earning their radar
endorsements on October 15 are (from left, first row) Scott
Evans, Glenn Christianson, (second row) Mingta Yuen,
James Dixon, (third row) James Marchiano, Benjamin
Shupp, Felipe Jimenez, (fourth row) Robert Borchestser,
Casey Taylor (instructor) and Mark Kerr.
Welding -
Members of the engine department
completing the welding course on October 22 are
(from left) Oliver Balico, Liberato Viray, Archie Ware
Jr., George Bixby, James Porter, Mohamed Eljahmi
and Buzzy Andrews (instructor).
Government Vessels - Before graduating from the
damage control portion of the government vessels course
on November 19, Seafarers (from left) David Roof,
Jonathan Morgan and Joseph Weller had to stop the leaks
in the damage control trainer at the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety School.
Welding -
Upgrading Seafarers marking completion of the
welding course on November 12 are (from left) Michael Williams,
William Kelley, Dennis Clay, James McDonald, Joseph
Grandinetti, Jerome North, Daniel Gish and Buzzy Andrews
(instructor).
Government Vessels - Successfully completing the government vessels course on
November 19 are (from left, first row) Noel
Balaguer, John Wells, Fahd Alsoofi, Joshua Weir,
James Brown, Antonio Watson, (second row)
Pedro Ortiz Jr., Salvatore Migliara, Chris Daniels,
Jeffrey Smith, Samuel Giles, Korron Richardson,
(third row) Martin Vargas Jr., Misti Thornbrugh ,
Shatonn Fowler, Chad Warren , Greg Thompson
(instructor), (fourth row) Earl Castain, William
Rozier, Jarian Hutchinson, Nestor Montoya Jr.,
Marion Colins Jr., Patrick Meagher, Steven Meyer
and Terry Gilliland.
22
Seafarers LOB
January 2000
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
Chief Cook
Learning some of the finer points in cooking from Chef/Instructor
John Hetmanski (left), Chef Phyllis Rand (third from left) and Chef/Instructor Shannon
Twigg (fourth from left) are Walter Winchester, Glenn Toledo and John Palughi.
Galley Operations
Finishing one of the required two-week modules in the galley
oeprations curriculum are (from left) John Stephen, Harry Kimble, Mark Wertanen and
Benjamin Ines with Ed White (far right), their chef/instructor.
Certified Chief Cook - Upgrading steward department members complete the
necessary course work to become certified chief cooks. From the left are Mohamed
Kamer, Roderick Clay, Chef/Instructor John Dobson, Walter Winchester, Glenn Toledo
and John Palughi.
STCW Basic Safety
Completing the fire fighting portion of the basic safety class at the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School are (from left, first
row) Pedro Miranda, Peter Bogev, Sam Meyers (instructor), Rizalino Aldana, Ty
Heller, (second row) Sean O'Malley, Richard Bradford, Edmundo Mustillo, Kenneth
Arthurs, Gerald Gavin, Herbert Rodgers Jr. and Jackie Russell (instructor).
Vessel Familiarization - Members of unlicensed apprentice class 597 who completed the
vessel familiarization part of their curriculum are (from left, kneeling) Edmund Livings, Michael
Sherno, Justin Baker, Tammy Smith, William Howell Ill, Earle Shakes, Robert O'Neal, Jose
Rivera, (second row) Larry Malone (instructor), Robert Brown, Freddy Traffin, Darren Rollins,
Roland Carter II, David King, Ian Hemba, Justin Rodgers, Robert Gambill, Harry Clements IV and
Dominic Davis.
Tanker Assistant Cargo (DL) Upgrading Seafarers complete the tanker assistant cargo (DL) course on November 19. Included
in the photo are (in no partikcular order) Chad
Partridge, James Miller Jr., Hugh Crossan 111,
Lane Schroeder, Anthony Cruzvergara, Troy
Banks, Timothy Horger, James Clark, Bruce
Weathers, Ramon Thomas, Donaldo Arevalo,
Andrew Straka, DeMichael Dews, Edward
Milstead, Gregory Gallagher, Brent Morris,
Christopher Green, Willard Bell, Brian Corbett,
Brett Parkins, Kevin Johnson, Mitchell Gustafson,
Kris Anderson, Roger Steward, Jess Chalker,
John Alba, Raheem Owens, Peri Drew and
Ronald Jones.
January 2000
Seafarers LOG
23
�Attention Seafaren
The Paul Hall Center's course guide for the year
2000 i.s included in thi.s i.ssue of the Seafare rs
LOG. Check it out on pages 11 - 14 and start
thinking now about your upgrading plans
for the new year.
SIU Celebrates Car Qurier's RetJagging
Sen. Sarbanes, MarAd's Hart Vow More Growth for U.S.-Flag Fleet
As SIU members busily prepared the car carrier Tanabata
for its next voyage, speakers at
a nearby celebration of the
ship's reflagging under the Stars
and Stripes vowed that such
occasions will become more frequent.
"U.S.-flag ships are vital to
the country and, frankly, the
world," stated U.S. Maritime
Administrator Clyde Hart at the
November 23 ceremony in
Baltimore. "If we have to build
the U.S. fleet one ship at a time,
we will."
"We'll keep doing this,"
agreed Senator Paul Sarbanes
(D-Md.). "You [rebuild] one at a
time, and I'm delighted towelcome this new U.S.-flag vessel."
The 623-foot Tanabata
means new jobs for Seafarers.
Built in Japan in 1994, the ship
reflagged November 3 in
Bremerhaven, Germany. It is
operated by SIU-contracted
American Roll-On Roll-Off
Carrier, LLC (abbreviated as
ARC).
The Tanabata sails between
the U.S. East Coast and
Northern Europe, with a normal
round trip taking 30 days. It carries both government and commercial cargoes.
"Things are going really
well. It's a good ship with a
good crew," said Bosun Charles
Davis. "The (U.S.) Coast Guard
came aboard in Germany for
Bosun Charles Davis describes
the Tanabata as "a busy ship with
a good crew. n
The car carrier Tanabata
reflagged U.S. in early
November. The SIU-contracted vessel operates between
the U.S. East Coast and
Northern Europe.
Photos above and below:
Featuring two ramps and as
many as 13 decks, the ship carries wheeled vehicles of all kinds.
tests, fire drills and lifeboat
drills, and all of that went
well .... It's a busy ship."
Chief Steward Saundra
Leonard said she enjoyed being
part of the first SIU crew to sail
on the Tanabata.
"It's an excellent opportunity
and a new experience to bring
back a reflagged ship to the
United States," she observed.
"The ship is in excellent shape,
and every meal is an adventure!"
Named after an annual
Japanese festival, the Tanabata
transports cars, trucks, boats,
heavy equipment, household
goods and more. It is equipped
with two ramps and can be configured to include 13 decks. The
vessel's top speed is approximately 20 knots.
During the reception, ARC
Chairman and President
Raymond Ebeling chatted with a
group of unlicensed apprentices
from the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and
Education who toured the ship.
At the ceremony, Ebeling
said, "By itself, adding one ship
to the U.S. fleet is not an overwhelming event. But I hope it
demonstrates that U.S. shipping
is not on death row."
Added former U.S. Rep.
Helen Bentley, "This newest
addition to the American merchant marine makes it a happy
and joyous day."
SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez (left) and SIU Baltimore Port Agent
Dennis Metz (right) join Tanabata Captain Steven Kayser-an SIU
hawsepiper-at the ceremony.
Welcoming the new U.S.-flag vessel
Chief Cook Elizer Saintvil (left) and Chief
Steward Saundra Leonard are two of the first
Seafarers to sail aboard the newly contracted
vessel.
ARC Chairman and
President Raymond
Maritime
Administrator Clyde Hart
U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes Retired Rep. Helen Bentley
-
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009
Description
An account of the resource
Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present, Seafarers Log Digital Copies
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Seafarers International Union of North America
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
January 2000
Description
An account of the resource
HEADLINES
SEAFARERS CAST BALLOTS ON PROPOSED MERGER
TOTE ANNOUNCES TWO NEW VESSELS
GREAT LAKES UNVEILS NEW HOPPER DREDGE
UNIONS TO WTO: GLOBAL ECONOMY MUST WORK FOR WORKING FAMILIES
AVONDALE GOES UNION
ARBITRATOR AFFIRMS METAL TRADES’ MAJORITY
ITF SECURES GREATLY NEEDED AID FOR CREW ON RUNAWAY-FLAG SHIP
DECKHAND ELHADJI NDIAYE HONORED FOR 1998 RESCUE
SIU CELEBRATES CAR CARRIER’S REFLAGGING
SEN. SARBANES, MARAD’S HART VOW MORE GROWTH FOR U.S.-FLAG FLEET
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Seafarers Log
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
01/01/2000
Format
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Newsprint
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Vol. 62, No. 1
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log