http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/32cce29d1ff688d57b6468d30b0a85e7.pdf e2e995744ec53190fc8b6f188f6816a9 PDF Text Text Sea-Land's New D-7 Sails on Alaska Run Seafarers will crew the Sea-Land Anchorage Aug. 15 for its first northbound sailing from Seattle to Alaska. The new D-7 is the first of three vessels set to replace four 1944-vintage C4X ships currently serving the Alaska market. The ships, built in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., have a capacity of 706 40-foot equivalent units. When all three are on line it will increase Sea-Land's cargo capacity by 90 percent. The vessels cost about $60 million each and the Sea-Land Tacoma and Sea-Land Kodiak should be sailing by November. Each vessel carries a 21-man crew. See Page 6 Official Publication of the Seafarers International Union• Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District• AFL·CIO Vol. 49, No. 8 August 1987 Drozak-Use American Ships and Crews Charter of U.S. Ships Could Solve Gulf Problem If the U.S. government offered "genuine" U.S. tankers with U.S. crews to Kuwait, Iran, Iraq or any other Persian Gulf country, the tanker war and a dangerous Gulf confrontation could be avoided. Such a plan has been offered by SIU President Frank Drozak. (See full text of letter on page 3.) The reftagging of the 11 Kuwaiti tankers has been literally and figuratively running through mine fields. On the first trip with U.S. Navy escorts, the tanker Bridgeton was hit by a mine and suffered damage. Ironically, it was the Bridgeton which was forced to lead the convoy because she was able to withstand more damage if hit again than the U.S. warships protecting her. In Congress and around the world, the plan has drawn fire from several sources. Late last month bills to prohibit U.S. escorts and to deflag the Kuwait tankers were introduced in both houses and have a host of cosponsors. U.S. allies have refused to help out in minesweeepig chores. American planners did not foresee the need for minesweeping and when the convoy took off, no American minesweeping ships or helicopters were available to clear a path. The United States has legitimate goals in the Gulf and in protecting the sea traffic there, Drozak said. But ••the policy undeniably tilts toward Kuwait and Iraq and thus risks making the United States a belligerent," Drozak said. He said a major dilemma facing the U.S. in the Gulf is what to do if Iran attacks a U.S. ship. "What will be the next American step in escalation? Iran is no military match of the United States, but a military confrontation between the two countries only plays into the hands of Court Upholds SIU Plans in Sonat, Dixie Pension Case The SIU has won an important case against two inland companies which have refused to bargain for their licensed employees. A federal district judge in Baltimore ruled the Union's Pension Plan has a right to deduct past service credits toward pensions when a company stops making contributions to the SIU Pension Plan. The court upheld the Plan's right to take away the past service credits (a credit toward a pension for the years an employee worked with the com(Continued on Page 9.) Inside: Trade Talks Threaten Jones Act Page 3 S~afarers Man Famous Schooner Page a Inland Tug & Tow News Pages 9-11 SHLSS-20 Years Later Pages 13-18 the Soviet Union, which has long coveted the role of Iran's 'protector.' It also thwarts a strategic objective of our last two presidents: to normalize relations with a post-Khomeini regime and prevent Soviet hegemony," he said. ''Little in the administration's history of inconsistent lurching and tiltings in the Iraq-Iran conflict gives anyone confidence that these issues have been carefully considered in the re flagging policy,'' he said. The plan to charter U.S. tankers to any country in the Gulf would be evenhanded, he said. •The United States tankers and the United States Navy protecting them would be strictly neutral. This option would guarantee the freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, leave no vacuum for the Russians and help stop the tanker war, thus containing the Iraq-Iran conflict,'' Drozak suggested. He also said that such a policy would make U.S. objectives clear and reduce the risk of attack on both commercial and U.S. Navy ships. Earlier this month 0nly two ships had been reftagged, but four others apparently were close to sailing the Gulf under the American flag. A combination of Iranian naval exercises and the lack of minesweeping capabiJty has slowed the original schedule of sailings. WWII Seamen May Gain Vets Status DOD Wrong in Denial The 90,000 surviving merchant seamen who served during World War II are a step closer to receiving the recognition and benefits they have sought for 42 years. The government erred in denying veterans benefits for the aging sailors, a federal judge ruled last month. The ruling came in a suit filed by various seamen's organizations, a trial during which the SIU testified for the aging merchant sailors. .. I think it's a wonderful, but long overdue victory. About 250,000 seamen served during World War II and 160,000 have died without their government recognizing their efforts," said SIU President Frank Drozak. The suit centered around the denial of veterans benefits by a special Department of Defense review board. It was set up in 1977 to process applications from various groups who contributed to the war effort but were not in any of the armed services. The Department of Defense Civilian/Military Service Review Board has heard 64 cases and granted veterans status to 14 groups. The groups range from the civilians who defended Wake Island to telephone operators and dieticians in World War I. When the review board was created, it set up various guidelines to determine if certain groups could be granted veterans status. Despite the fact that merchant sailors had a higher casualty rate than any branch of the service besides the Marine Corps, and about 6,000 seamen were killed by enemy action, they have been constantly turned down for benefits. The judge, Louis F. Oberdorfer, ruled that merchant seamen have an equal or even stronger claim to benefits than many of the groups already granted veterans status. He said the guidelines were applied inconsistently by the review board. (Continued on Page 4.) �President's Report by Frank Drozak mine exploded in the Persian AThatGulf last week. in itself was not too surprising. Despite the administration's line that we were just an honest broker trying to keep the sealanes open, the United States had for all practical purposes become an active participant in the Iran-Iraq War the moment it announced that it was going to redocument 11 Kuwaiti tankers under the American registry. Tensions had been running high in the area for weeks; the editorial pages of this country's newspapers were full of stories predicting that the Iranians would try something. The only thing unusual about the mining-and to most people, it was a real shocker-was that the administration had apparently failed to make any kind of contingency plans in case something like this happened. knows it, whether or not his advisers have told him, the maritime industry is in desperate straits. As a result of the cuts that have been made in the maritime budget over the past six years, it is not even certain if there will be a maritime industry. " ... Many industries have been victimized by the administration's inability to foresee the consequences of its own actions ... '' To many people, this episode seems to sum up many of the worst aspects of the Reagan presidency. During the past six years, the administration has acted as if it were more interested in its own rhetoric than in the consequences of its actions. This is not only true of the Persian Gulf, but of unfair trade, deregulation, OSHA and the growing budget deficits. Many industries have been victimized by the administration's inability to foresee the consequences of its own actions. Maritime, for example, was told that the president placed a "high priority" on the American-flag merchant marine. That was the public relations end of it. Yet the reality has been quite different. Whether or not the president In this atmosphere, victories have been hard to come by. Yet thanks to the support of this membership, and the hard work of our legislative staff, there is some good news, though it is always tempered by the knowledge that we are in a life and death struggle for survival. Earlier this month, for example, 55 senators co-sponsored a resolution by Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) demanding that the administration take maritime off the bargaining table in the free trade talks that are being held with Canada. We're not yet home free on this issue, but at least Congress has made its position clear. In effect, what the Canadians are asking the administration to do is to gut this nation's entire system of cabotage laws. And with this administration you just don't know. The thing that bothers me most about the administration is that it refuses to accept input from the people and industries being hurt on a grassroots level. Maritime and other industries were talking about unfair trade long before the issue reached the crisis stage. Yet no one in a position of authority would listen. The same thing is true of the Kuwaiti reflagging. It will have severe adverse effects on the commercial viability of the Americanflag merchant marine and the sea-lift capability of this country. Yet our input has not been solicited. The SIU-AGLIWD has not gotten to where it is by ignoring reality. We have always looked the issues squarely in the eye, and because of this we have been able to grow. Even now, when the maritime industry has declined by more than one-third over the past six years, we have been able to sign up new work. * * * During the past three years, the SIU-AGLIWD has signed up 58 new vessels representing more than 800 new jobs. No other maritime union can make this claim. Yet we have a problem. Some of our members don't want to sail on these vessels. They'd rather grab a SeaLand vessel or a coastwise run. But let me be honest with you: any member who is counting on commercial work for his job security is out of touch with reality. The long-term trend in the maritime industry is clear. There will be fewer vessels and smaller crews. Work will be less physical and more technical. And a growing percentage of jobs available to American-flag seamen will be onboard military vessels. In the short-term, at least, there is no escaping this trend. Anyone who fails to upgrade his skills and to gain military clearance is buying a one-way ticket to the unemployment line. In the future, there will be fewer jobs, fewer maritime unions, and very little commercial work. Members who fail to take jobs onboard military vessels are not only jeopardizing their own job security, they are jeopardizing the job security of each and every other member of this Union. I'm not one to mince words. It's a hungry world out there. If we don't man these vessels, someone else will. And in the process, they will gain whatever benefits that come with manning those jobs. And those benefits include continued employment for all our members, the ability of our middle-aged members to protect their pension rights, and a chance for our younger members to become licensed officers in record time. Stewards Complete Recertification This group of recertified stewards completed their training this month. Pictured above are William Burdette, Roger Griswold, Maxine Peterson, Jonny Cruz, Milton Yournett, Dallas Taylor, Gerhard Schwarz, Richard Geiling, Alan Hollinger, David Boone, Donald Spangler, Udjang Nurdjaja, SHLSS Vice President Ken Conklin and SHLSS Steward Department Director Laymon Tucker. Official Publication of the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic , Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, August 1987 Vol. 49, No. 8 AFL-CIO Executive Board Frank Drozak President Charles Svenson Editor Mike Hall Managing Editor Max Hall Deborah Greene Associate Editor Associate Editor 2 I LOG I August 1987 Angus "Red" Campbell Joe DiGiorgio Vice President Secretary Joe Sacco Mike Sacco Leon Hall Vice President Vice President Vice President George McCartney Roy Mercer Steve Edney Vice President Vice President Vice President The LOG (ISSN 0160-2047) is published monthly by Seafarers International Union, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, AFL-CIO, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, Md. 20746, Tel. 8990675. Second-class postage paid at M.S.C. Prince Georges, Md. 20790-9998 and at addi~ional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Spnngs, Md . 20746. �---Sl)e Ne\tr fJork Sime11 SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 1987 Letters Let Them Rent Whole Tankers, Not Just Flags To the Editor: President Reagan's decision to reflag Kuwaiti tankers is founded on three legitimate policy objectives: (I) to preserve freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf; (2) to avoid a vacuum that the Russians could fill thus furthering their longtime objective in the region, and (3) to stop the tanker war, thereby limiting the Iraq-Iran conflict. These are laudable goals. But the policy undeniably tilts toward Kuwait and Iraq, and thus risks making the United States a belligerent. If Iran retaliates against the reflagged tankers, United States Navy forces or some other target, what wilJ be the next American step in escalation? Iran is no military match for the United States, but a military confrontation between the two countries only plays into the hands of the Soviet Union, which has Jong coveted the role of Iran's "protector." It also thwarts a strategic objective of our last two presidents: to normalize relations with a postKhomeini regime and prevent Soviet hegemony. Little in the administration's history of inconsistent lurchings and tiltings in the Iraq-Iran conflict gives anyone confidence that these issues have been carefully considered in the reftagging policy. That it was initiated without a formal intelligence assessment-and that, in the name of freedom of navigation, it tilts against Iran, which has been responsible for only about half as many tanker attacks as Iraq-simply compounds its deficiencies regarding the three United States objectives. Congress is caught between two unacceptable choices. It can allow the reftagging policy to proceed despite its flaws and dangers. Alternatively, if its stops the reftagging, it risks undermining the president by creating an impression of withdrawal from the Persian Gulf, which would provide a major opportunity for the Russians. What can be done to make the best of a bad situation? There is another option that accomplishes all three objectives, while avoiding the tilt toward Kuwait and Iraq, thereby reducing the risk of provoking Iran and making the United States a belligerent. That is to offer to charter genuine United States-flag tankers with United States crews, of which there are an ample number available, to both Kuwait and Iran, to Iraq and to any other country in the region. This would be an evenhanded policy. The United States tankers and United States Navy protecting them would be strictly neutral. This option would guarantee freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, leave no vacuum for the Russians and help stop the tanker war, thus containing the Iraq-Iran conflict. Even if Iran did not accept the offer, a policy that made our intentions and objectives clear would reduce the risk of attack on our ships and the need for subsequent United States escalation. That United States-flag commercial vessels have been operating in the area throughout the war without serious incident makes it likely that American lives would be far less at risk in this scenario. The provocation is not the presence of United States ships. American ships have served the region more than 40 years. Rather, the provocation is the thinly veiled reftagging scam that rents our protection to one side at the expense of the other. Doubts about whether the United States will in the end really respond to an attack on the reftagged vessels as if they were genuine American ships only heightens the prospects for confusion, miscalculation and escalating hostilities. Undeniably, this plan would put more American seamen (28 as against I per ship) at some risk. But American crews are already vol- untarily taking that risk in the Persian Gulf. The additional numbers would be small, particularly compared with the number of Navy personnel now being put at substantially greater risk. The use of genuine United Statesflag tankers would cost slightly more than using multinational refiagged hybrids. But the expense is insignificant and, after all, renting the United States Navy should not be free. This is probably the best alternative in a bad situation. It could be the most constructive thing the United States has done in the sevenyear history of the war. FRANK DROZAK President, Seafarers International Union of North America Camp Springs, Md., July 22, 1987 T-AGOS Crew Slams Reflagging Like most seafarers, the crew of the USNS Indomitable, a T-AGOS vessel, sometimes falls behind on the breaking news when at sea. But while these SIU members say they have only heard "bits and pieces" of the Kuwaiti reftagging plan, their response to it shows they fully understand the dangerous precedent it sets. Here is their letter. "Being at sea for extended periods of time, we have been hearing only bits and pieces of President Reagan's plan to reftag Kuwaiti tankers, but what news we have received has greatly disturbed us all. To our understanding, these ships will be under the American flag, with crews of foreign nationals-something which would set an extremely dangerous precedent, which might well end up being the final nail in the coffin of the American merchant marine. "Since the Reagan regime took power (under a promise to fortify and rebuild the merchant marine), both the industry and the American seamen seem to have been.assailed on all fronts-the Jones Act is under constant attack, Alaskan petroleum products are sought for foreign trade, laws reserving government and foreign assistance cargoes are only sporadically enforced. And now, of all things, our own government is endorsing the manning of American ships with crews of foreign nationals. If this terrible precedent is allowed to take place, we wonder where the betrayal will stop. Can we look forward in a year or two to a whole fleet of ships which nominally fly the American flag but don't have a single American onboard? We mightjust as well suggest that we reflag five or six American frigates under the Kuwaiti flag and let them protect their own tankers. The same common sense logic which dictates that we man our own navy and other military forces with American citizens demands that we expect nothing less for our merchant marine. "The SIU crew of the USNS Indomitable has a universal feeling of dread and despair concerning this attack on our livelihood. As Union brothers and sisters, we are bound together to protect our common needs and common interests. We are most anxious to learn what action our Union is taking to keep this most atrocious sellout of the American merchant marine from becoming reality. We are counting on your leadership to let the self-serving politicians and the American public know how we feel. Give us action before it is too late." Canada Wants Jones Act Opened Trade Talks Draw Fire From U.S. Maritime Industry American shipping on the Great Lakes has been in the doldrums for the past several years. Today there is a move afoot which some say could finally kill U .S.-ftag shipping on the Lakes and all coastwise shipping: opening up the Jones Act to Canadianftag shipping concerns. The concern is so great that more than 120 U.S. maritime-related companies and organizations (including the SIU) have written all Senate members urging that the Jones Act be kept strictly American. In addition, 213 House and Senate members have co- sponsored a resolution calling on President Reagan to reject the Canadian proposals. The controversy began when U.S. and Canadian negotiators began talks earlier this year to resolve many of the trade problems between the two countries. Canadian negotiators proposed a so-called "North American Jones Act." Under the plan, Canadian ships could be allowed to carry oil and other products from Alaska to the lower 48 states, cargo between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland and other shipments between U.S. ports on the Lakes. Under current law, domestic coastwise shipping is reserved exclusively for U .S.-flag ships. The plan ''threatens to dismantle longstanding U.S. maritime policy essential to our shipyards, inland tug and barge industry, the Great Lakes fleet, the offshore oil and gas service industry and both our international and domestic maritime fleets," said the letter to senators. In addition to opening markets to Canadian shipping, the trade talks also have suggested that U.S. maritime programs could be open to Canadian interests. Currently U.S. ship owners, in the domestic trade must pay added tax if the ships are repaired in a foreign yard. That provision also could be struck down. The letter from the 120 industry groups noted that the U.S. falls dangerously short of sealift capability now, according to a presidential report. If the Canadian proposals are inclutled in a trade package, they would further weaken the nation's defense. "Considering the advantages Ca(Continued on Page 26.) August 1987 I LOG I 3 �DOT Offers New Program Reaction Mixed to New Operating Subsidy Plan A new plan offered by the Reagan administration to reform the operating differential subsidy program (ODS) has met with mixed reaction within the maritime community. But praise for the plan has been faint at best. The new plan would base a ship owner's subsidy on labor costs only. Current ODS payments are based on a variety of costs, including labor, insurance, maintenance and repairs not covered by insurance. The formula for determining the wages-only subsidy has drawn fire from several groups. Under the current program, subsidy payments are guaranteed for the life of an ODS contract, usually 10 years or more. In the administration's proposal, subsidy payments would be authorized for 10 years, but the appropriations must be approved each year. That type of payment makes long-term planning uncertain, critics of the plan said. The favorable reaction to the program has been limited to the fact that for the first time in seven years, the administration has offered something in the way of a promotional program for the U .S.-flag fleet. Since taking office, the administration capped the current ODS program by not allowing any new contracts. The construction differential subsidy plan for shipyards was scrapped. There have been constant battles over cargo preference. While the maritime industry has suffered under these cutbacks, the administration has offered no alternatives. At least this new ODS program is a start, some say. But most observers hope that Congress will modify the plan. Other aspects of the program: • A cap on the number of subsidy ''grants,'' as they would now be called, available to each company. Those already receiving subsidies with fewer than 10 ships in operation (this would include Farrell Lines and Waterman Steamship Corp.) would be eligible for up to 10 ship-year subsidies a year. Ten ship-years is the equivalent of operating 10 ships under subsidy for one year or one ship for 10 years. The idea is to allow the smaller carriers to grow within the program. Subsidized carriers with more than 10 ships would be limited to 20 shipyear subsidies. Unsubsidized lines entering the program for the first time would be limited in the number of ship-year subsidies they could receive to the number of ships in their fleet during the two-year period prior to enactment of the bill, and no more than 20. • All carriers also would be allowed to sell or swap subsidies, thus permitting them to cash in on their subsidy assets or acquire more subsidy than they are otherwise entitled to receive from the government. • All existing trade route restrictions on subsidized carriers would be eliminated. In the future, subsidized lines could deploy their ships wherever they want, an idea consistently opposed by some of the smaller carriers who fear they'll be pushed out of their niche markets. • The payment system would be changed in an effort to improve the carriers' cash flow. Instead of paying at the end of each voyage, the government would pay companies semimonthly. • No subsidy would be paid for the carriage of government cargoes reserved for U .S.-flag ships, such as military cargo or Food for Peace ship- ments. It appears that the carriers would have to discount the rates they charge for such cargoes to reflect subsidy payments expected on the voyage. • Subsidized carriers would be allowed to operate foreign-flag feeder vessels, but the capacity of the latter could not exceed the capacity of the company's U.S.-flag operations. There would be no review process, as there is currently, to ensure the foreign-flag ships do not compete with any subsidized services. • Current law shielding unsubsidized domestic operators from competition from subsidized carriers would remain unchanged. The l~tter could trade between domestic points only with special approval from the secretary of Transportation. Existing services, however, would be grandfathered, a provision favoring Sea-Land Corp., currently an unsubsidized operator with both domestic and international services. • Ships built in foreign shipyards would be eligible for subsidy and for government preference cargo immediately on being brought under the U.S. flag. Oct. Blast Killed 4 NTSB Faults Yukon Safety Three different safety-related factors led to the blast aboard the Ogden Yukon (OM/) last Oct. 28 which killed one SIU member and three other crewmen, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) study reports. The three problems cited in the NTSB report were: the operator's failure to "establish and enforce" safety procedures for performing hot work; the chief engineer's failure to ensure that all tank vent flame screens were installed and maintained properly, and the failure of the refining company to supply the ship with fuel oil of the proper flash point. The report said that flame cutting was being done above the starboard fuel oil storage tank before the blast. The chief engineer told the NTSB that neither he nor his assistant made any particular safety inspection of the area and that he did not discuss any safety procedures with the welders. He further testified that no fire hoses charged with water were laid out for use and that no one was designated as a fire watch. In addition, the NTSB found that the flame screen for the after vent on the fuel storage tank that exploded was missing before the accident. The report said that if the vents had been checked for flame screens before any work began it "may have prevented the fires and explosions. Also, the NTSB discovered the Yukon was carrying the wrong fuel, with Safety problems led to the fatal blast aboard the Ogden Yukon (OMI), a government report says. a very low flash point. Normally the ship used No. 6 fuel oil with a flash point of more than 150 degrees F. The Yukon was loaded with oil which had been contaminated by oil with a lower viscosity and a flash point as low as 22 degrees F. Vet Fight Brings All Seamen Together If, 42 years after World War II, merchant sailors are finally given the same benefits as military veterans, no one knows exactly how many of them are alive today to take advantage of the recognition. But there is one thing this crusade for veterans benefits has brought about and that is unity-unity between the various maritime unions. For at issue is something that affects not only SIU members who served during World War II, but sailors in the other maritime unions as well. Anthony Nottage of Cypress, Calif. is one SIU pensioner who has personally telephoned his congressman, Rep. Robert K. Dornan, to express his views regarding H.R. 1235, the Merchant Seamen's Benefit Act. He also has written letters to 44 other congressmen 4 I LOG I August 1987 in California as well as both state senators. The 69-year-old pensioner sailed as chief electrician from 1943 to 1971 and was part of the Murmansk run to Russia. Nottage was on the Samuel H. Walker when it was sunk by German torpedoes. He also served in the merchant marine during the Korean and Vietnamese wars. ''There are only a few of us oldtimers left," Nottage writes in his letters for passage of H.R. 1235, "and I believe this bill is 40 years overdue.'' And Otis L. Bouchie Jr., who retired from the NMU in 1966, has gone on a personal crusade for passage of the bill. Bouchie, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps (and therefore already has veterans benefits), nonetheless feels the need for all U.S. merchant mariners who served in World War II to be recognized. And so this 74-yearold Alabaman who has ''a lot of friends in the SIU'' writes 30 letters a month' 'to senators, representatives, cabinet members, mayors, governors, other maritime unions, trade unions and anybody else who might help H.R. 1235"-with just one theme: recognition for World War II merchant seamen. The NMU pensioner has been pleased with the response he has received so far, about 90 percent, but continues to press forward in his writing campaign. Bouchie, whose larynx was removed five years ago due to cancer of the larynx and who now speaks through a mechanical voice box, says he has a lot to be thankful for. And his personal crusade for benefits for all merchant mariners would be one more thing to add to his list. The Yukon was towed to Japan after the explosion and sold for scrap. Vets (Continued from Page 1.) The suit -concerned two groups of seamen who had been denied benefits. The first were seamen who participated in the many invasions during World War II; the second, others who sailed during the war. The judge said seamen who joined the invasions performed military duties under military control. He also said the denial of benefits to other seamen was not supported by the review board's decision. After Oberdorfer's ruling, he ordered both sides to return to court this month and present recommendations on what remedies would be appropriate. The government has not said if it will appeal the case. The judge could order veterans status for invasion force seamen or all World War II sailors. He could also order the review board to redraft its guidelines. Most of the war-era seamen probably wouldn't take advantage of college tuition funds or home loans. But many would qualify for veterans medical benefits, if those benefits are awarded. �In its monthly series of interviews and reports, "PROFILES" will highlight key government officials instrumental in shaping national and maritime policy. Rep. Connie Rep. Wally Herger More~la A C THIRD generation rancher and independent businessman, Wally Herger (R-Calif.) was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the second congressional district of California Nov. 4, 1986. ONNIE MORELLA (R-Md.), elected in 1986 to the lOOth Congress, represents Maryland's eighth congressional district, which covers the most populous portion of Montgomery County, a wealthy and overwhelmingly Democratic area just outside Washington, D.C. Although a freshman in the U.S. House of Representatives, Morella is no newcomer to elective office. The former airline reservations clerk turned college English teacher decided to enter politics 17 years ago. She worked for the Montgomery County Commission for Women, served eight years in the Maryland House of Delegates, to which she was first elected in 1978 and re-elected in 1982, and won a stunning victory this past fall to capture the seat vacated by four-term Democratic congressman Michael Barnes. In Annapolis, she was a member of the House Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Law Enforcement and Transportation. With a bachelor of arts degree from Boston University and a master's degree from The American University, Morella is an educator by profession. She is currently on leave from Montgomery College where she has taught since 1970. Rep. Morella calls herself a moderate, a liberal in the tradition of her long-time friend, retired Sen. Charles McC. Mathias, who actively campaigned for her. And her agenda, she says, is one of "enlightened social policies balanced by fiscal conservatism.'' She supports aid to the contras (but adds that there has to be accountability) and supports "Star Wars" and Medicaid funding for abortions for some poor women. A Catholic, Morella has consistently voted pro-choice and is against mandatory drug testing. The second congressional district includes all of the counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba as well as portions of the counties of Lake, Napa and Nevada. Rep. Connie Morella "I vote my conscience," Morella said. "I think constituents want a representative who votes independently." Although Rep. Morella wasn't appointed to her preferred committeesHouse Ways and Means and Appropriations-she serves on minor committees that matter to her constituents. In the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, she is the ranking minority member. She also serves on the Science, Space and Technology Committee and on the Select Committee on Aging. Morella is not afraid to stand up for what she deeply believes in. "I think I have, with all lack of modesty, an extraordinary, strong eight-year record for issues that I care deeply about," she said of her years in the Maryland House of Delegates. "Civil rights, women's issues, budgetary issues . . . You make a mark by sometimes introducing good legislation that the majority picks up and then you end up being the co-sponsor.'' She hopes to play a similar role in the House of Representatives. Certainly, the Republican congresswoman will be watched very closely as names are being tossed out as possible opponents for her seat in 1988. Ten of the 12 counties in his district are major timber producing areas (the 1986 national Christmas tree on the Capitol grounds was grown in Siskiyou County), so it is appropriate that Herger serve as a member of the House committee on Agriculture. What is more important to SIU members, however, is that he is also on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee (chaired by Walter B. Jones, D-N.C.), and could be an important ally in future maritime legislation. The representative, who was elected vice president of the freshman Republican class of the 100th Congress, also was chosen secretary of the California Republican Congressional Delegation. He majored in Business Administration at California State University in Sacramento and served three terms in the California State Assembly. There, he was on the Ways and Means Committee and was vice chairman of the Agriculture Committee. Rep. Herger holds a number of strong views regarding the defense of this nation. He stands behind President Reagan in his support for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). ''For the past 20 years," Herger states, "the Soviet Union has increased its strategic nuclear capability, while the United States has significantly slowed its development ... Therefore, implementation of SDI would reduce this dangerous Soviet nuclear superiority and would Rep. Wally Herger push us closer to the long-term goal of elimination of nuclear weapons. In a similar vein, Herger supports a limited chemical weapons program and believes that the U.S. should not be bound to comply with the unratified, expired SALT II treaty. He also believes that the United States, as a nation, must make a full commitment to pursuing all the facts about our servicemen still unaccounted for in Southeast Asia and has indicated that he "will strongly support efforts to locate and bring home American MIAs. '' Savings Bonds Protect Futures -----Around the New Orleans Hall----- ~~.I ..• One of the SIU's first organizers, Buck Stevens (right) had chance to renew his Union ties in New Orleans recently. Shown with his grandson (center) and Rep Nick Celona, Stevens goes over plans for an upcoming Port Council meeting. ·. .· ,.__:.~. When the new standard agreements were ratified recently, Bosun "Scotty" and New Orleans Port Agent Ray Singletary took time to study the new contracts. August 1987 I LOG I 5 �'T Anchorage Sails- The Sea-Land Kodiak will be the third of the new D-7s. The bow has been strengthened for the ice encountered on the Alaskan run. Kodiak, Tacoma Wait For Final Touches at Sturgeon Bay Yard Chief Cook George Gibbons on the Anchorage as it left its Wisconsin shipyard. This is the view from the Anchorage's bridge as she steams toward the Sturgeon Bay Bridge into Lake Michigan. The Anchorage crew was flown into Green Bay, Wis. to take the ship from the Lakes to the West Coast. Above is AB Bill Sider at the airport. The latest technology includes this computerized navigational steering (below) on the bridge of the Anchorage. Steward/Baker James Anchorage. on the QMED Joe Graves (above) at breakfast in the crew's mess. SI A Michael Bubaker (below) finishes up the lunch dishes. Recertified Bosun Dave Atkinson takes a break on the third deck rec center aboard the new Anchorage. The Tacoma will be the second D-7 for Sea -Land. 6 I LOG I August 1987 Wright �Area Vice Presidents' Report Great Lakes by V.P. Mike Sacco I will be heading back East later this month to attend the triennial convention of the SIUNA. It will be an important convention. For one thing, the maritime industry is confronted by serious problems. In addition, next year marks the 50th anniversary of both the SIUNA and its Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District. Both organizations were born of the wreckage of the old International Seamen's Union, a loose federation of autonomous maritime unions formed in the latter part of the 19th century. Under the leadership of Andrew Furuseth, the ISU was able to achieve many important victories, including passage of the Seamen's Act of 1915. Yet the ISU was never able to recover from an ill-fated strike called in 1921. By the time the Great Depression rolled around, it was on its deathbed. The election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932 ushered in a new era for both the United States and the labor movement. For the first time ever, organized labor moved to center stage of American politics. Passage of the Wagner Act of 1935 presented the labor movement with many new opportunities. Yet like the country from which it sprang, the American labor movement was not monolithic. It was split along regional, economic, ethnic, racial and philosophical lines. And so it was with the labor movement. Trade unionists everywhere argued about the merits of John L. Lewis' call to industrial trade unionism. Traditionalists like AFL President William Green rejected this approach. The waterfront was not immune to these developments. Indeed, one of the primary reasons behind the formation of both the SIUNA and the SIU-AGLIWD were the philosophical differences that existed between the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (which broke away from the AFL in 1935). The AFL represented a certain type of trade unionism. Craft-oriented, intensely patriotic, it concentrated on bread and butter issues. The CIO, on the other hand, stressed social issues, political action and mass organizing. Harry Lundeberg, the secretarytreasurer of the Sailors Union of the Pacific, was a strong believer in AFL principles. In order to counter the rising influence of the CIO-affiliated National Maritime Union, which was formed in 1937 by Joe Curran, Lundeberg requested and received AFL charters for both the Seafarers International Union of North America and the Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic and Gulf District. While the AFL maritime unions had a strong presence on the West Coast, they were all but non-existent on the East Coast and in the Gulf. To counter this inherent structural weakness, Lundeberg established the Atlantic and Gulf District of the SIU. From its inception, the A&G District incorporated the principles of both industrial and craft trade unionism. Like the NMU, it was established along industry-wide lines. As Lundeberg had planned, the newly-formed A&G District gave the AFL a secure base on the East Coast. This, in turn, transformed the SIUNA into a viable national organization, a worthy heir of the old ISU. There is no guarantee of what will happen in arbitration. Yet it is exceedingly important for these tug and barge companies to understand that we will not back down from a fight. Any company that tries to abridge the rights of our members will have to pay a high price. The bankruptcy proceedings have had far-reaching consequences. For one thing, seamen working for the company have had to line up with the rest of the company's creditors in obtaining contributions to their pension and welfare plans. The shipping companies that remain in business on the West Coast are trying to fill the void left by U.S. Lines. Sea-Land, an SIU-contracted company, is interested in picking up four U.S. Lines vessels which had been on the U .S.-Hawaii-Guam run. Sea-Land's bid to procure these vessels had been opposed by Prudential Insurance, one of U.S. Lines' largest creditors. Earlier this month, however, Prudential withdrew its objections to the acquisition, which bodes well for Sea-Land's efforts to buy out these vessels. West Coast Report by V. P. George McCartney W Gulf Coast by V.P. Joe Sacco T HE contract between the SIU and Radcliff Materials has been extended while the two sides try to find ways to bridge the gap that separates them. Problems remain. For one thing, the astronomical increase in medical costs is affecting the industry. As reported in previous issues of the LOG, the SIU is trying to contain these costs. It even instituted a bonus program under which it awards members 25 percent of the monies saved when they alert the welfare plan of unnecessary billings. The SIU has always been willing to work closely with any company that respects the rights of our members. In Louisiana, for example, we are monitoring the actions of the legislature as they pertain to the shell-dredging industry. For the past six year , there has been a war on the rivers of this country. Tug and barge companies have tried to take on the maritime unions. We have taken a carrot-and-stick approach to this attack. We will go out of our way to work with those companies that respect the rights of our members. At the same time, we will leave no stone unturned in fighting those companies that don't. Just recently, for example, the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals partially overturned a ruling by Judge Morey Shears in regards to National Marine. The judge ruled that the company's refusal to arbitrate its differences with the Union over the sham sale to Compass Marine constituted a breach of contract. The matter must go back to arbitration. HEN today's trainees celebrate the SIU-AGLIWD's lOOth anniversary in the year 2038, they can say that they entered the maritime industry during a period of profound change. Everywhere you look on the West Coast, there are signs of change. There is an intense rivalry among the West Coast ports to make themselves more competitive. Intermodalism is more than a buzz-word out here: it is something that has already happened. And Wilmington, with its ready-made market of 12 million people, is leading the way. Sea-Land and APL, two of the largest carriers out here, are in the process of connecting their port facilities to rail lines. They are deadly serious about "one-stop" shipping, which they see as the future of this industry. Throughout history, there has been an innate connection between trade and the maritime industry. Things are no different today. The increasing importance of the Pacific rim countries to the American economy is having a profound effect on all aspects of American life. In a sense, the maritime industry provides a microcosm of this trend. The growing trade between the United States and the countries of the Far East has far-reaching possibilities. But as long as East Asian markets remain closed, the benefits provided by this trade will all be one way. Still, things look decidedly better in that respect than just a year ago. Pressure brought on the Reagan administration by the maritime industry and organized labor is having some effect. Taiwan, for example, has promised to relax restrictions on its intermodal transportation industry, which has been closed to American operators. That's not to say that things are good. Even the toughest and most committed American-flag shipping company can find itself in the same boat as U.S. Lines, which last year was forced to file for Chapter XI bankruptcy proceedings. U.S. Lines had been the largest American-flag shipping company in existence, and it had a legendary name in the industry. East Coast by V.P. Leon Hall F a two-week period last month, it seemed as if everyone in New York was either listening to or talking about the Iran-contra hearings. The hearings ended on an anti-climactic note. What, after all, could top Ollie North's declaration that he would go "mano-a-mano" with Abu Nidal, or George Shultz's chilling reminder that "nothing ever gets settled in this town." Still, I predict that the hearings will have a subliminal effect on the 1988 elections. If nothing else, they underscore the importance of putting people into power who respect the proper function of government. The spectacular revelations coming out of the hearings have all but obscured an important national development; planning for the 1988 elections is well under way. Strong grassroots political organizations will play a pivotal role in deciding who becomes this country's next president. With the hard-learned lessons of 1984 under its belt, labor should be well-positioned to make a difference. In New York and elsewhere, representatives from the SIU are meeting with their counterparts in other labor organizations to see how they can better coordinate their efforts. While the labor movement has not yet endorsed anyone (and it is possible that no consensus will emerge), the bridges that are now being built are extemely important. In New York, the SIU joined other labor organizations in hosting "get acquainted" meetings for the Paul Simon and Michael Dukakis campaigns. The SIU, like every other national union, has so far refrained from enOR (Continued on Page 11.) August 1987 I LOG I 7 �The Falls of Clyde: A Little Taste ·of History The steering station aboard the Falls of Clyde. TT was quite a sight watching the Falls Lt Clyde hoist anchor at Pier 7 and pull into dry dock in Honolulu Harbor's Pier 41. Towed by tug for the mile-long trip, the 109-year-old Falls of Clyde is the last four-masted square-rigged merchant ship afloat. The oldest oil tanker in the world, it is also the last of the first fleet of Matson ships. The Falls of Clyde was the first ship to carry the Hawaiian flag, Jan. 20, 1899. Needless to say, volunteers to help in the June 26 move were not hard to come by. Steve Baker, former SIU member and now 3rd mate on the Charles L. Brown, and SIU Patrolman/Recertified Bosun John Ballentine supervised the operation as SIU members and other experienced hands donated their time, energy and skills just to be a part of this historic event. :~\~\, . SIU crewmembers board the Falls of Clyde and prepare to launch. They are (I. to r.) Port Agent Tom Fay; Patrolman and Recertified Bosun John Ballentine; Steve Baker, 3rd mate on the Charles L. Brown; Jim Holland; Erowin Udan, and Gary "Doc" Trentz, corpsman for T-AGOS. Photos by Cathie Ballentine AB Chris Delamer readies the heaving line. AB John Bloodworth pulls in the spring line. 8 I LOG I August 1987 Gary "Doc" Trentz tried his hand at a little deck work. �~m~-~"'~~~~- .., s . I ;:$ tug/tow arge/dredgel ~~~~~·~-~~·@:=:=~~=:=:::~r.tii~~Wfil;;mro~::;&;-t.:!ffu:°'"'ft~ Court Upholds SIU Plans in Sonat, Dixie Pension Case (Continued from Page 1.) pany before it signed a contract with the SIU) in a case involving employees of Sonat Marine and Dixie Carriers. Both companies have refused to recognize the SIU's right to bargain for its licensed employees, claiming such workers are so-called "supervisory personnel.'' Along with the refusal to bargain, both companies stopped making contributions to the Plan for the licensed workers. The Plans, the court said, may reduce the benefits payable by cancelling past service credits when an employer stops making contributions or when the Union is decertified. The decision does not affect anyone who retired before contributions were stopped. It also does not reduce any service credit for the years the employee worked under an SIU contract. But it could mean some employees would not be eligible for early retirement or they could have the benefits reduced to a lower level. Licensed inland members who were faced with Sonat's and Dixie Carrier's refusal to recognize the Union as their agent had three choices. First they could have gone to work for any SIUcontracted inland company and retained their past service credits toward pension benefits. Second, if they retired before the companies stopped making contributions to the Plans, they would have retained their past service credits. But if they accepted the companies' terms and returned to work without a contract, the past service credit was eliminated. The SIU is still fighting for its rights to represent licensed workers, but the court battle could drag on for years. On the Midas, You Otter Get to Know Gumbo McAllister Scheme Leads to Strike A series of unfair labor practices and grievances at McAllister Brothers Towing Co. in Norfolk, Va. has led to a strike there by SIU crews and pickets at two other McAllister operations. In Baltimore and Philadelphia SIU members have honored the picket lines set by the striking Norfolk workers. The SIU has charged McAllister with unfair labor practices and circumventing the contract in a scheme to remove tug captains with docking pilot licenses from their equipment. The SIU has filed unfair labor charges with the NLRB and grievances have also been filed in Norfolk. The contract with McAllister expires Sept. 30. Not quite old enough for his standard shellfish diet, Gumbo gets a feeding from the Midas' crew, (I. to r.) Cliff Robertson, Buddy Prinks, Charles O'Brien and SlU servicing team member Jim McGee. Ships pets come in all different shapes, sizes and species, but the crewmembers of Sabine Towing's Midas may have one of the more unusual--Gumbo the Otter. Baker Whiteley Committee Seneca Notice Attention crewmembers of the Tug "Seneca," Crowley Maritime Corporation. Anyone employed aboard the above-named tug since Dec. 15, 1986 is due a 2.24 percent Economic Price Adjustment (E.P.A.) under the terms of the military agreement. For any monies due you, please contact: Mr. John Schiemer Crowley Maritime Corporation Military Support Division Box 2287 Seattle, Washington 98111 Provide your name, rating, social security number and appropriate dates of employment. When negotiations begin for a new contract with Baker Whiteley Towing Co. in Baltimore, these four SIU Boatmen will make up the Contract Committee. They are (I. tor.) Engineer Joseph Zorbach, Capt. Louis Canavino, Deckhand Steve E. August and Mate Leon J. Mach Sr. August 1987 I LOG I 9 �Gerold Harris, cocktail waiter in the Main Saloon Curtis Carraby, waiter Waitress Tracey Anderson and bartender Ray Ringwald Steamboatin' 1987 Allan Hammond, busboy Karen Murray, cocktail waitress in the Paddle Bar Crew and staff members on the Mississippi Queen Mississippi Queen Matt Young, maitre d 'hotel In the crew galley: Bobby Werre, Eric Woods, Reggie Kaiser, Tom Thomson and Edgar Whelan. Bobby Werre, busboy 10 I LOG I August 1987 �In Memoriam Pensioner Landsdale J. Madere, 83, died April 29 of respiratory arrest. Born in Edgard, La., Brother Madere sailed inland as an engineer. He went on pension in 1969. Burial was at Westlawn Memorial Park in Gretna, La. He is survived by a daughter, Joyce Morvant, and two sons, Lansdale Jr. and Louis. Pensioner Frank L. Pasaluk, 71 , died April 13. Born in Maryland, Boatman Pasaluk joined the Union in 1950 in the port of Philadelphia. He was active in the General Strike and the Isthmian beef and retired on pension in 1979. Surviving is a daughter, Dorothy Mastripolito. New Pensioners The following Inland members have retired on pension: Mobile Jack T. Fillingim Robert L. Odom Norfolk Perrin L. Cudworth Dispatchers Report for Inland Waters JULY 1-31, 1987 Port New York ......................... Philadelphia ....................... Baltimore ......................... Norfolk .......................... Mobile ........................... New Orleans ..... . ........ ... .. .... Jacksonville ....................... San Francisco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wilmington ...... ............ ...... Seattle ... . ..... ... . ........ ...... Puerto Rico ......... ......... ..... Houston .......................... Algonac .......................... St. Louis ... .. . ...... . . ... .. ...... Piney Point ........................ Tota s ...... ... ... ... .. ... . .. . . .. Port New York ......................... Philadelphia .. ... ...... . ... . ....... Baltimore ................ ......... Norfolk ........ ......... .. . ...... Mobile ........... . ..... .......... New Orleans ....... ... ... ... . . .. . .. Jacksonville .............. ......... San Francisco ...................... Wilmington ........................ Seattle ........................... Puerto Rico ... .......... . ... . . .... Houston ..... . ................ .. .. Algonac ..................... ..... St. Louis ......................... Piney Point ................ .. ...... Totals ........................... Port New York .. ....... . ..... ......... . Philadelphia .. .......... ....... ... . Baltimore .. ........ . ..... ....... .. Norfolk .......................... Mobile ........................... New Orleans .......... . ............ Jacksonville .................... .. . San Francisco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wilmington ........................ Seattle .............. . ............ Puerto Rico ....................... Houston . .. .... . ......... ... . .... . Algonac .......... .. .............. St. Louis ......................... Piney Point . ....... ....... ... ...... Totals ... .. ..... .... .. ....... .... Totals All Departments ... . ............ Government Services Division by V.P. Buck Mercer I N the commercial maritime industry , when a seaman violates the Ship's Articles while on voyage, he or she is "logged" and perhaps fired when the ship returns to the pay-off port. On occasion, the seafarer may face a Coast Guard hearing if the infraction is of a serious nature. Generally, however, the crewmember faces a labor-management hearing to deter- 0 2 6 28 2 1 4 0 6 0 0 7 21 0 0 77 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 17 0 0 0 2 0 10 0 0 1 0 6 0 0 0 2 2 0 23 0 0 0 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 29 15 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C 0 DECK DEPARTMENT 0 0 1. 0 6 0 35 8 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 42 55 0 0 0 0 3 2 31 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 22 9 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 37 0 0 3 0 3 50 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 4 6 119 42 60 135 31 56 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 48 0 0 3 0 3 0 72 0 6 4 35 0 1 2 0 10 0 0 10 16 0 0 0 3 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 44 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 6 4 0 26 0 58 84 41 79 0 0 0 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 9 175 **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C 59 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 9 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 13 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 16 1 120 66 80 *"Total Registered" means the number of men who actually registered for shipping at the port last month. **" Registered on the Beach" means the total number of men registered at the port at the end of last month. Area Vice Presidents' Report (Continued from Page 7.) dorsing any one candidate. We are seeking your input. Accordingly, the June issue of the LOG contained an insert discussing the candidates' views on a number of issues ranging from trade to social welfare to defense. *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class B Class C I mine further employment with the particular company. Once the ship pays off, however the crewmember is off the payroll. The disciplinary procedure for the Military Sealift Command, Pacific Civilian Marine Personnel is different. It is an expensive, long, drawn-out process that robs MSCPAC of the shipboard services of its mariners for weeks or even months on end. For example (and this is the rule rather than the exception), an MSCPAC seaman misses a day's duty for which there is no excuse. He will be written up by his supervisor. That paper then goes to the master of the vessel who supposedly gets the facts of the incident and writes more paper either penalizing the seaman anywhere from a reprimand (which seldom happens) up to 14 days suspension. He can recommend more than that, but that action must be taken by the commander, MSCPAC. If the seaman receives anything other than a reprimand , he is sent back to home port , at the expense of the government. That means a replacement must be sent to the ship, again at the expense of the government. The seaman who has been penalized and returned to home port is placed in the Marine Placement and Receiving Branch (POOL) at MSCPAC to await his fate. In the meantime, the seaman has the opportunity to appeal the decision of the master of the vessel or the decision of shoreside management. Before the appeal process becomes effective, the seaman will sit for weeks or months in the POOL on the payroll, before the suspension goes into effect. During this drawn-out process, shipboard services of the affected seaman are lost. At any given time, there may be 15 to 20 seamen on disciplinary actions, sitting in the MSCPAC POOL drawing wages. MSCPAC has chosen to use this same expensive procedure for years, even though the "log" penalty is in their Schedule of Penalties. While these seamen sit around in the MSCPAC POOL and draw wages, they cannot be assigned to a ship until they are cleared and replacement personnel cannot be sent to ships in many ratings because MSCPAC is not that deep in manpower. One would think that the PowersThat-Be at MSCPAC would recognize their expensive disciplinary problem and use the "log" process. U.S., China Sign Rescue Pact The United States and the People's Republic of China have entered into an agreement to cooperate in responding to distress calls at sea. Under the agreement, the U.S. and China will set up procedures and communications for requesting and rendering maritime search and rescue assistance and for joint operations when appropriate. The agreement also calls for technical cooperation and ex- change of information on search and rescue organization, plans and equipment. The cooperative agreement with China is the second such agreement negotiated by the U.S. The first, with Japan, was signed last month. Both are responses to the 1979 International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, which became effective in 1985 and which encourages bilateral cooperation. -----Artifacts Wanted----Military Sealift Command Headquarters is developing a historical display about the development of MSC from the Merchant Fleet, and MSC from 1798 to present. MSC is requesting any individuals or groups who desire to donate or lend personal or ship artifacts to please contact Mr. Carl Beuchert at (202) 433-0656. Items should be mailed to Military Sealift Command (M-OOD), Department of the Navy, Washington D.C. 20398-5100. August 1987 I LOG / 11 �SIU, MTD Host Boy Scouts In Labor Education Program B OY Scouts from 13 states across the nation were guests of the SIU and the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department for a two-week program of sightseeing, recreation and trade union education. The program, now in its second year, is sponsored by the MTD as part of a program to promote the trade union objectives of the American Labor Movement. The Scouts are recruited through the MTD's Port Councils, and offer young men and women in the Scout Movement two-week all-expense vacations in Washington, D.C. and at the SIU's Training and Recreation Center in Piney Point, Md. In Washington, the Scouts tour the headquarters of the SIU, the MTD and the AFL-CIO, and visit the Capitol Building. In Piney Point, the Scouts, several of whom are Sea Scouts, learn something of seafaring from the young men and women in training at the SIU school. Participating in this year's program were Brian Hite, Florida; Victor Paulus, Chicago; William Hutchings, Virginia; Chris Moritz, Ohio; Travis Corgey, Houston; Robert LeBlanc, Mobile; Eric Figueroa, Brooklyn; Dwayne Simmons, Detroit; Chris Alvarado, California; Shawn Lucas, Philadelphia; Art Mees, St. Louis; Reginal Rhea, New Orleans; Charle Seaman, Baltimore, and Paul Bensel, Columbia, Maryland. AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland greets Scouts in the Federation's headquarters. Alan Bosch, of the AFL-CIO Community Services Department, talked to the scouts about the importance of the Labor Movement in America today. Sea Explorer Paul Bensel Columbia, Maryland Scout Travis Corgey Houston, Texas Scout Chris Moritz Clay Center, Ohio During their two weeks at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship, the Scouts learned the importance of education and training in the maritime industry. Scout Reginald Rhea New Orleans, Louisiana Scout Art Mees St. Louis, Missouri 12 I LOG I August 1987 Jean lngrao, executive secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department, welcomed the Scouts to AFL-CIO headquarters. �A PROUD HISTORY ... SH LSS Celebrates 20 Years THEY STILL MARCH THROUGH PINEY POINT! P iney Point! After twenty years, the Seafarer's Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship is doing what it does best-preparing personnel to crew American ships. From an idea that began at the SIU hall in Brooklyn, to establish training programs for entry rating and upgrading seamen, Paul Hall expanded it to various training schools at SIU ports nationwide. As the HLSS programs expanded to meet the challenges of advancing technology, it became necessary to centralize the training activities. Thus, in 1967, HLSS was finally consolidated on 28 acres of a former marina (which earlier served as a Navy torpedo test range) in Southern Maryland at Piney Point. In the years since the school was founded, SHLSS has grown to become the largest educational facility for licensed and unlicensed seafarers and inland boatman in the United States. The first SIU officials on the scene in 1967 realized that they had their work cut out for them. Frankie Mongelli recalled checking the foundations of the buildings and luckily not finding any snakes. The mosquitoes were so bad that after working outside, you almost needed a transfusion. Paul Hall seemed to be protected from them by his cigar while he directed work from a golf cart. The first trainees were given a lot of on-the-job training. They laid sidewalks, built docks and piers, l-IARRY LUNDEBERG 1101~ A FIGHTER F 1,57 EAMAN'S IGHTS ~ painted anything that didn't move and generally got things in SIU order. The men that were the first to march through are the ones that now lead the Union and most appreciate the accomplishments of the Lundeberg School. Mike Sacco, who instituted the food service program and was vice president of the school at one time, is now Great Lakes vice president. His brother Joey, who supervised the dredging of the school's waterfront, is now Gulf Coast vice president. Paul Hall, Earl Shephard, Frank Mongelli, Paul and Frank Drozak and other longstanding SIU officials have .had a close personal hand in the · development of the SHLSS through the years. Since those first exciting days of transforming Paul Hall's ideas into reality, the school campus has expanded to more than 60 acres on the waterfront of St. George's Creek. In those early years, when the operations at HLSS consisted of a course to help Seafarers get their lifeboat endorsements, there was at least as much building construction as there was teaching. But the vision of a unique edl,lcational institution was never lost. The dream was to build a school that served the educational needs of seafarers and the manpower needs of the maritime industries. Buildings went up and new roads went in to accommodate the rapid expansion of the educational programs. August 1987 I LOG I 13 �SHLSS Celebrates 20 Years • Trainees used to be housed in the small, simple H-barracks. ~You're well on your way to becoming an old-timer if you can remember this scene: the original entrance to the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. In the background is the old motel, which was razed to make way for the Mongelli Recreation Center . • PHYSICAL GROWTHBUILDING FOR LEARNING W hen the SHLSS Library, located in the former engine room of the schoolship CHARLES S. ZIMMERMAN first opened, many of the shelves were completely empty. Then in 1981, the Paul Hall Library and Maritime Museum was dedicated. Since opening, it has become one of the best sources of maritime labor research in the United States. There is a media center to provide students with audio-visual equipment and software, films, video and audio cassettes and slides. Also housed in the library are a television studio and video production facilities. All of the modern facilities of the library help the instructors and students in the pursuit of educational goals. Originally, the Vocational Education Department was housed aboard the cargo ship CLAUDE SONNY SIMMONS, and when the upgrading programs were first expanded, they were held aboard a refurbished barge. In 1977 a new Vocational Education building was constructed (the Logan Building and shop area) and soon thereafter, the Drozak building which houses academic classrooms and various offices. The largest facility on campus, which was constructed in 14 I LOG I August 1987 The Paul Hall Library and Maritime Museum stands at the heart of the Lundeberg School. Named after the school's founder, it houses an impressive collection of maritime books, audio-visual equipment and primary research material on the SIU and the maritime industry. 1984, is the Seafarers Training and Recreation Center. A far cry from the small simple H-barracks, and a 112 room dormitory, in which the trainees originally lived, the ultramodern center houses all of the Entry Level Trainees, Upgraders, and their families. In addition to 300 modern rooms containing closed-circuit cable TV, the Center boasts a conference center capacity, with a large auditorium, three conference rooms, bar and recreation areas, formal and informal dining areas, health spa, • The school has undergone a 20-year period of steady growth. SIU Secretary Joe DiGiorgio, left, talks with Frank Mongelli, the late vice-president of the Lundeberg School, about construction that was then under way. olympic-sized swimming pool, card and pool rooms. Most recently constructed is the SHLSS Simulator building which houses a multifunction bridge, deepsea and inland simulator system. .Most of the Union's top officials served a stint at the school. SIU Gulf Vice President Joe Sacco, left, helped dredge the school's port area. With him is former SHLSS Vice President Bob Matthews. Thanks to the fully modern and comfortable facilities at the Mongelli Recreation Center, Piney Point is now an easy tour of duty. �SHLSS Celebrates 20 Years .A, A group of seamen receive their lifeboat endorsement. A comprehensive educational and vocational program was developed to help seamen meet a rapidly- At far left is Tom Brooks, a former instructor at the school. .A, Former SHLSS President Hazel Brown congratulates SIU member Mack White on using the school's facilities to gain his High School Equivalency diploma. Since the school's inception 20 years ago, more than 1,800 members have done the same. The late Paul Hall, who founded the SHLSS, promoted the school at membership meetings around the country. ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL GROWTH T The curriculum at the school combines classroom training with hands-on experience. he school believes that the men and women who choose careers as professional seafarers or boatman must be provided with the knowledge and skills to keep pace with technological advances within their industries. As a result, the school has developed a total program for professional advancement as a boatman or deepsea mariner. By bringing together highly qualified educators in the specialized field of maritime training. Centralization made possible the rapid expansion of the school's vocational programs. As vocational education became more advanced and specialized, the need for academic skills to master the highly technical instructional manuals became evident. To meet that need, a reading skills program was established in 1970. The program proved to be a highly successful complement to vocational training, and the academic curriculum has since experienced the same rapid growth as the vocational programs. A landmark in the Academic Program was the graduation of the first student to complete the GED Program and earn his high school diploma. Since then, 1,805 additional people have earned diplomas through the high school equivalency program. Their numbers include men and women trainees, upgraders, employees, and retired seafarers. County, state and national educators visited the SHLSS when the school was designated a GED test center. At that time, director of Academic Studies was Hazel Brown, who later became president of SHLSS. Today, an expanded program offers Adult Basic Education, study skills and English as a Second Language. With such strong emphasis ac this time being placed on the educational needs of the seafarers, the very first Seafarers' Educational Conference was held at the HLSS in 1971. Coming from fourteen ports around the nation, 250 rank-and-file Seafarers searched for a new understanding of their Union and for solutions to their common problems. They came to study, to learn, to question and discuss the problems facing their Union and the industry. August 1987 I LOG I 15 �SHLSS Celebrates 20 Years I n 1972, the Lundeberg School recognized the need for trained personnel aboard the tugs, towboats, and barges of the inland and coastal waterways. Again, the school responded to this need, and today basic vocational training and a complete upgrading program in all licensed and unlicensed ratings are available to America's professional boatmen. The necessity for continual expansion of the educational programs in response to advancing technology was recognized in 1977 when a committee representing the American Council on Higher Education recommended college credit for the vocational courses which were offered at SHLSS. An affiliation between the school and Charles County Community College was established, and the two schools developed a higher education general studies programs for SIU members leading to an Associate in Arts degree. In preparation for a review by the Maryland State Board for Higher Education in 1983, a modification of the college program was required. It was agreed that CCCC would hire and control the A generation of inland boatmen · received their training on the Susan Collins. The late Bill Hall, who was SIU Headquarters Rep. and an instructor at school, congratulates this member of the graduating class. Hall helped develop the Union Education Program at the SHLSS. Janice Smolek, Director of Library Services, helps a young trainee with his studies . • A class of trainees is addressed by the late John Yacmola, who was the Union's national field coordinator and special assistant to the president. 16 I LOG I August 1987 Prospective members of the Steward Department gain valuable experience in learning how to serve and prepare food. �SHLSS Celebrates 20 Years The decline in the maritime industry has made competition for jobs more intense. The Union's commitment to education has maximized our members' prospects for employment. Shephard Falls was named after this man, Earl "Bull" Shephard, who was one of the Union's most beloved officials. He is seated under a picture of Claude "Sonny" Simmon, who like Shephard, was one of the founders of the SIU. At left is Paul McGaharn, one of the first instructors at the school. '· ""-. \ ..• faculty within SHLSS for the program, as well as develop and implement all courses. The conditions were proposed to the SHLSS Board of Trustees and accepted. With this agreement, A Nautical Science Certificate program was developed. This course of study would supplement the regular vocational and general education programs by providing post-secondary academic training in Nautical Science. By 1985, SHLSS had developed its own degree programs in Nautical Science Technology and Marine Engineering Technology. These programs received full approval from the Mary land State Board for Higher Education in November of 1985. Since 1985, much emphasis has been placed on preparing Seafarers for work with military contracted ship companies. The school has undertaken new programs for training SIU crews for the Military Sealift Command contracted ships. Included in this training is instruction on a twin pedestal sixteen ton Hagglund crane. This shipboard crane is the only one in shoreline service in the United States. Riding the crest of change, the Lundeberg School conducted the First Annual Sealift Conference in 1986 with Union, SHLSS, company, government and military representatives in attendance. The conference was designed to provide an opportunity to review the Sealift Training Program and discuss ideas and goals for all concerned within the Sealift community. The goal of the school is to provide Sealift training to all SIU members. Since an estimated 60 percent of the work available to SIU members will be in the military sector by 1990, the training for the military ships has become essential. Addressing the seriousness of this situation, Frank Drozak, president of the SIU, underscored the importance of the work of this gathering when he said, "I hope that this conference will be the beginning of a joint program between the shipowner, maritime industry and military to better prepare for the future . Time is running out. (The school and the SIU) must prepare now in order to have a future." Former SHLSS Vice .· President Bob Matthews, left, looks over a rare copy of Wright's Official History of the Spanish-American War at the school's library, which used to be housed onboard the Charles S. Zimmerman. The school's curriculum is geared towards employment opportunities in the maritime industry. Above, SIU members receive training in sealift support functions. The school's top-notch facilities have been an important selling point in signing up new jobs. Here, SIU President Frank Drozak shows Navy officials the school's Haaglund crane. August 1987ILOGI 17 �SHLSS Celebrates 20 Years A nd so, as the saying goes, "The more things change, the more they remain the same. " Seafarers are still working hard today in order to provide for themselves and ensure a livelihood for their brothers and sisters in the future. The establishment of the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship twenty years ago was the ultimate means to fulfilling this dream of providing fair wages, job security, and top-notch vocational and academic training for SIU members. Because of world politics and economics , the maritime industry has drastically changed in the past two decades, making the futures of seafarers and boatmen appear much less secure than in the past. However, the Lundeberg School, in conjunction with the SIU leadership, is addressing the maritime problems of today with a flexible, forward-looking, practical program; facing the problems head-on with a no-nonsense approach toward maritime industry growth, development and management. The Seafarers' Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship will help all of us to successfully navigate the stormy seas ahead and steer us onto a promising course for the future. Reflections on 20 Years at the SHLSS Sitting back and reflecting on the past twenty years of growth and development here at the Lundeberg School, it is supremely satisfying to see how far we have come. Many years of long hours and back-breaking labor, initially shouldered by the founders of the school themselves, have born fruit as evidenced by the impressive modern · ·:. ·>:·=~ . . facility which we enjoy today. .~·.<~ ~. ·.·~ ? ~ut, however beautiful a campu~ we can build, it all means nothing without f.·. :·: ·:..;·::~~~·:·_~:"'~·8 ·$... . havmg the stu?ents to benefit from 1t. The heart and backb~ne,_ the ve?' essence of t~==,:=::,:\{:}::.= . ::. · ··· ·· · ,:~. \=.:· the program, 1s the entry-level student. It was these enthus1ast1C recruits who first i t·,(';:h·· ·., ..:· ••~\\ilr :~:~:r:~:£:~~~~~::~:~~::i;:~~n~~:;~~:~~:~~~.~~::;::~:~~s today and are proud that through our past efforts, they can now enjoy the best in vocational and academic maritime education. Years back, as a young recruit in the Marine Corps, I learned respect for authority and the value of discipline and their importance in giving direction to my life. By instilling a respect for strength of character and leadership through discipline and hard work, we at the SHI.SS hope to do the same for these young men and women. By simply giving them a chance, guaranteeing them a job and building up their own self-respect and self-confidence with top-notch training, we ensure the continued growth and betterment of the SIU and the maritime industry at large. Paul Hall once said, "Never say that it can't be done until you try." We can do anything we dream of if we all work toward a common goal. That is, to develop the best trained and knowledgeable seamen to perform any assigned task on any ship in the most professional and safe manner possible. Who knows what the future holds for us. However, feel safe in the knowledge that we at the SHI.SS are ready and able to meet any challenge presented to us. i / Ken Conklin / ~~ President, SHLSS SHLSS HISTORY AT A GLANCE August, 1967 - The Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship opens; graduates its first lifeboat classes January, 1970 - Reading skills program established for trainees and upgraders who need assistance with vocational materials GED (High School Equivalency) program was instituted for eligible trainees and upgraders Training and program begun for Boatmen of inland and coastal waterways Alcohol Education Class offered, later expanded to include drug education, counseling and rehabilitation September, 1970 - 1972 - October, 1975 - .., 1977 1978 - - New Vocational Education and Shop buildings constructed (Charles Logan Building) New academic, office building constructed (Paul Drozak Building) A.A. (Associate in Arts) degree program begun with Charles County Community College GED program graduates its I, OOOth student 18 I LOG I August 1987 1981 June, 1983 - August, 1983 - January, 1984 - 1984 - 1985 - Paul Hall Library and Museum dedicated Developmental Study Skills class offered to SIU members one week prior to their scheduled upgrading course A six week Adult Basic Education (ABE) program begun for SIU members who want to improve their reading, writing, English grammar and math skills English as a Second Language (ESL) course begun for those SIU members who need to improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills Seafarers' Training and Recreation Center completed; SHI.SS Simulator Building constructed A.A. degree courses of study added in Nautical Science and Marine Engineering Program of training for Military Sealift Command begun �Steward Upgrading Courses 1987 Upgrading Course Schedule Course Programs Geared to Improve Job Skills And Promote U.S. Maritime Industry August 1987 - December 1987 The following is the current course schedule for August 1987 December 1987 at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. For the membership's convenience, the course schedule is separated into six categories: Deck Department courses; Engine Department courses; Steward Department courses; Adult Education courses; All Department courses and Recertification Programs. Inland Boatmen and deep sea Seafarers who are preparing to upgrade are advised to enroll for class as early as p<>Bble. Although every effort will be made to fill the requests of the members, the classes are limited in size - so sign up early. The course schedule may change to reflect the membership's needs and the needs of the industry. SIU Representatives in all ports will assist members in filling out the application. Engine Upgrading Courses Course QMED • Any Rating * Sealift Operations & Maint. Fireman/Watertender, Oiler *Sea lift Operations & Maint. Check-In Date September 21 December 14 October 12 December 7 Completion Date December 11 January 8 December 4 December 31 Variable Speed DC Drive *Sealift Operations & Maint. September 21 November 2 October 30 November 27 Electro-Hydraulic Systems *Sealift Operations & Maint. November 9 December 21 December 18 January 15 Assistant Cook *Sea lift Operations Assistant Cook *Sea lift Operations Assistant Cook *Sea lift Operations Cook and Baker *Sealift Operations Cook and Baker *Sealift Operations Chief Cook *Sealift Operations Chief Cook *Sealift Operations Chief Steward *Sealift Operations Chief Steward *Sealift Operations & Maint. & Maint. & Ma int. & Maint. & Maint. & Maint. & Maint. & Maint. & Maint. Completion Date October 23 November 20 December 18 September 28 October 26 November 23 October 23 November 20 December 18 Celestial Navigation November 2 December 4 Radar Obsever December 7 December 12 Radar Obsever (Renewal) Open ended course, however, must notify SH LSS before entering this course. Sealift Operations & Maintenance Towboat Operator September 7 Inland Deck Shiphandling Simulator October 12 October 30 October 16 Recertification Programs Check-In Date Completion Date Steward Recertification August 31 November 2 October 5 December 7 Bosun Recertification September 21 November 2 Course October 16 November 13 November 27 December 24 January 8 February 5 October 30 November 27 December 11 January 8 October 30 November 27 December 25 January 22 October 30 November 27 December 25 January 22 Completion Date · For students who wish to apply for the GED, ESL, or ABE classes for the first six months of this year, the courses will be six weeks in length and offered on the following dates: High School Equivalency (GED) November 2 December 14 Adult Basic Education (ABE) & English as a Second Language November 2 December 11 The Developmental Studies~ (DVS) will be offered one week prior to some of the upgrading classes. They will be offered as follows: September 7 September 11 College Programs Check-In Date October 26 Course Associates in Arts Completion Date December 18 Don't Miss Your Chance to Improve Your Skills November 20 December 12 Check-In Date August 31 September 28 October 26 Course Able Seaman/Seallft Operations & Maintenance September 2 October 19 October 14 November 30 November 25 January 11 September 2 November 2 October 14 December 14 September 2 November 2 October 28 December 28 September 2 November 2 October 28 December 28 Check-In Date Course October 9 November 6 Deck Upgrading Courses Completion Date Adult Education Courses Towboat Operator Refrigeration Containers - Advanced Maintenance August 31 *Sealift Operations & Maint. October 12 Diesel Engineer - Regular October 12 *Sealift Operations & Maint. November 23 Check-In Date How? SHLSS has self-study materials in many areas. Upon your request; SHLSS will send them to you to study in your spare time . You can use these skills : on your job . to improve your skills for upgrading. to further your education. Please send me the area(s) check~d below : * * * MATH Fractions Decimals Percents Algebra Geometry Trigonometry (Plane) (Spherical) D D D STUDY SKILLS Listening Skills How To Improve Your Memory How To Use Textbooks Study Habits Test Anxiety ENGLISH: Writing Skills Test Taking T aeries Grammar Books D Stress Management Writing Business Notetaking Know-How Letters D SOCIAL STUDIES Geography D COMMUNICATION SKILLS U.S. History 0 Basic Metrics Economics D Name Street City _ _ _ __ D D D D D State D D D D D D D D D D Zip _ _ _ _ _ .. Book No . Social Security No . Department Sailing In _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 11 Cut out this coupon and mail to : Adult Education Department Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship Piney Point, Maryland 20674 Send it today! August 1987ILOGI19 - �ppl ow for a SHL S Up radi g C urse ......................................................................................................................................... Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamansh·p Upgrading Application Name (LaSt) Date of Birth --......------------Mo./Day/Vear (Middle) (first) Address-------------------n~=n--------------------- (City) Deep Sea Member D Telephone -~---.......-----­ (Area Code) (Zip Code) (State) Inland Waters Member D Pacific D Lakes Member D Social Security#_ _ _ _ _ _ Book#_ _ _ _ _ _ Seniority _ _ _- _ _ Oepartment _ _ _ _ __ Date Book Port Presently Was Issued _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Port lssued _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Registered In _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Endorsement(s) or License(s) Now Held ___________________________________ Are you a graduate of the SHLSS Trainee Program: D Yes Trainee Program: From _ _ _~~-to.----,-.,.---n----(dates attended) No D (if yes, fill in below) Last grade of schooling completed _ _ _ __ Have you attended any SHLSS Upgrading Courses: D Yes No D (if yes, fill in below) Course(s)Taken~---------------------------------~ Do you hold a letter of completion for Lifeboat: D Yes No D Firefighting: D Yes No D CPR: D Yes No D Date AvaiJable for Training - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Primary Language Spoken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I Am interested in the Following Course(s) Checked Below or Indicated Here if Not Listed DECK ENGINE D Tankerman D AB/Sealltt Special 0 AB/Sealltt Limited 0 AB/Seallft Unlimited D Towboat Operator Inland D Towboat Operator Not More Than 200 Miies O Towboat Operator (Over 200 Miies) D Celestial Navigation D MHter Inspected Towing Vessel 0 Mate Inspected Towing Vessel D 1st Class Piiot D Third Mate Celestial Navigation o Third Mate O Radar Observer Unlimited D Simulator Courae No transportation will be paid unless you present original receipts and successfully complete the course. 0 FOWT 0 QMED-Any Rating O Variable Speed DC Drive Systems (Marine Electronics) O Marine Electrlcal Maintenance D Pumproom Maintenance & Operation D Automation O Refrigeration Systems Maintenance & Operations D Diesel Engine Technology o Assistant Engineer (Unlnspected Motor Veaael) D Chief EnglnHr (Unlnspected Motor Vessel D Third Asst. Engineer & Original Second Asst. Engineer Steam or Motor o Refrigerated Containers Advanced Maintenance o Hydraulics o Electro-Hydraulic Systems STEWARD O Assistant Cook Utility D Cook & Baker D Chief Cook D Chief Steward D Towboat Inland Cook •••= • ~ ALL DEPARTMENTS D Weldlng D Lifeboatmen D Seallft Operations & Maintenance ADULT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT D Adult Basic Education (ABE) D High School Equlvalency Program (GED) D Developmental Studies (DYS) 0 English H a Second Lllnguage (ESL) O ABE/ESL Lifeboat Preparation COLLEGE PROGRAM D Aaaoclates In Arts DegrH D Nautical Science Certificate RECORD OF EMPLOYMENT TIME-(Show only amount needed to upgrade In rating noted above or attach letter of service, whichever is applicable.) VESSEL RATING HELD DATE SHIPPED DATE OF DISCHARGE SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ DATE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Rev 5117 RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Seafarers Harry Lundeberg Upgrading Center, Piney Point, MD. 20674 ·························································································································~::::::::;;;.............'-i..\ 20 I LOG I August 1987 - �,..--------------------------~------------- On The West Coast San Francisco-A Look at a Busy SIU P9rt Patrolmen Gentry Moore (right) had a chance to service the steward department on APL's President Buchanan recently. Here (I. to r .) are Chief Ceok Moses Peacock, Assistant Cook Wah Gong Jue, friend and visitor A. Campenella and Moore. West Coast Vice President George McCartney gives his report at the monthly membership meeting. Dispatcher Tom-Tom Hum gives his monthly report to the San Francisco membership while Welfare Rep Gilbert Gasch acts as recording secretary. SIU VP Buck Mercer addresses the members at the monthly meeting. Chief Cook Steve Aikens (left) receives his first pension check from the SIU after many years of service. San Francisco Patrolman Gentry Moore presents the check. SIU Rep Raleigh Minnix mans the counter at the San Francisco hall. Last month San Francisco labor forces got together to celebrate "Bloody Thursday." Here (I. tor.) are SIU VP George McCartney, former SUP President Morris Weisberger and SUP VP Jack Ryan. Bloody Thursday is so named in honor of the two striking longshoremen who were gunned down and the many others who were wounded during the 1934 longshoremen's strike in San Francisco. August 1987 I LOG I 21 �- Shaping Up and Shipping Out They may not have had Jane Fonda around to whip them into shape, but the crew of the Gus Darnell (Ocean Shipholding) did their best to shape up and ship out on a recent trip. These pictures were submitted by AB Jim Elbe and taken during a run to the South Pole. The Darnell can double as a floating driving range. Here QMED John Anderson keeps his head down on an iron shot. It may not be the Boston Garden's parquet, but the deck of the Darnell doubles as a basketball court. DEU Jim August (left) and messman Charles Bryant get in a little one-on-one. AB Jim Higgins pumps up his biceps. AB Don Piasso jumps rope. He could row for miles and never get to the other side. QMED Mike L. Mefferd stays in shape using a rowing machine. 22 I LOG I August 1987 AB Chuck Whitehead finds a jogging path on the deck of the Darnell. During the dart games, AB Bob Adams finds another place to ride. �- While in LA Harbor, the OM/ Columbia gets a service call from SIU officials. From the left: Don Anderson, Wilmington port agent; J.R. Broadus, bosun; R.P. Vicari, AB; T.E. Anderson, AB; Dennis Lundy, SIU field rep, and Ali Mohamed, steward assistant. (Photo by Greg Thompson) OM/ Columbia LA stopover for Columbia ,, The OMI Columbia's steward department (I. to r.): Robert Gilliam, steward assistant; Liz Stazio, chief cook; Ali Mohamed, steward assistant, and C.R. Moss, chief steward. California Scout Visits SHLSS (Photos by Proud father-to-be Robert Pagan, AB, and his wife Lee. Dennis Lundy) Each port maritime council of the Maritime Trades Department, AFLCIO, is sponsoring a deserving boy or girl scout in their respective area to participate in a two-week vacation at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at Piney Point, Md. this summer. The Southern California Ports Council selected Christopher Alvarado of Carson, Calif. to be the recipient of the 1987 award. The Ports Council will pay for all air transportation and travel expenses, and the Seafarer's Harry Lundeberg School will pick up their stay at Piney Point. In addition, President Ted Kedzierski, Southern California Ports Council, presented a $50 check for pocket money to Christopher to spend during the trip. Eleven-year-old Christopher Alvarado is a member of Troop 205 of Wilmington, Calif. He was selected by Scout~aster Estaban Martinez and Connie Calderon of the Wilmington Teen Center in conjunction with MTD Field Representative Dennis Lundy. Ted Kedzierski, president of the Southern California Ports Council, awards 11year-old Christopher Alvarado with a two-week vacation to SHLSS. From the left are Dennis Lundy, MTD/SIU field rep; Connie Calderon, director of the Wilmington Teen Center; Fred Alvarado, father of the scout; Chris Alvarado; his sister Crystal; his mother Aurora, and Kedzierski. Bosun J.R. Broadus August 1987 I LOG I 23 �Help A Friend Deal With Alcoholism and Drugs I i Be~use would~'t GJ ij Addicts don't have friends. a friend let another man blindly travel a course that has to lead to the destruction of his health, his job and his family. And that's where an alcoholic or drug user is headed. Helping a fell ow Seafarer who has an addiction problem is just as easy-and just as important-as steering a blind man across a street. All you have to do is take that Seafarer by the arm and guide him to the Union's Addictions Rehabilitation Center in Valley Lee, Md. Once he's there, an SIU member will receive the care and counseling he needs. And he'll get the support of brother SIU members who are fighting the same tough battle he is back to a healthy, productive alcohol-free and drug-free life. The road is a long one for an alcoholic and drug user. But because of ARC, an addicted SIU member doesn't have to travel the distance alone. And by guiding a brother Seafarer in the direction of the Rehab Center, you 'II be showing him that the first step back to recovery is only an arm's length away. r-------------------------------~ I I I I l l I lI Addictions Rehabilitation Center I am interested in attending a six-week program at the Addictions Rehabilitation Center. I understand that all my medical and counseling records will be kept strictly confidential, and that they will not be kept anywhere except at The Center. Name · · · · · .. · · · · · · · · · · · · · .. · · .. · · .. · · · · · Book No. · · · · · · · · · · · · · · : I Address ........................................................ . I (Street or RFD) (City) (State) (Zip) 1 Telephone No. I : I l I Mail to: THE CENTER Star Route Box 153-A Valley Lee, Md. 20692 or call, 24 hours-a-day, (301) 994-0010 L--------------------------'·- -------------------------------24 I LOG I August 1987 �USNS Mercy Comes Home by Bob Borden, PAO, MSCPAC The USNS Mercy came home to Oakland 5 Calif. July 13 to a place she's never been before and with a welcoming ceremony rarely accorded MSC ships. About 3,000 persons were on hand to greet the hospital ship after her 135-day humanitarian and training voyage that took the vessel to the Philippines and a few South Pacific countries. As the 894-foot white ship sailed underneath the Golden Gate Bridge , colorful flower petals were dropped onto her deck. A few minutes later, military cannons from the Presidio of San Francisco and Naval Station Treasure Island were fired in booming salutes to the ship and crew as a biplane with a "Welcome Home" banner passed overhead. Fire boats sprayed colored water into the air, and hundreds of red, white and blue balloons were released when the ship tied up at the North Marginal Pier at the Supp y Center, ending an historic voyage no one imagined less than a year ago. On hand for the ship's arrival was enough brass to sink the former 90,000 dead-weight ton tanker that was converted over a two-year period into this nation's first hospital ship in 15 years. All of the distinguished visitors, many of whom were flown out to the ship prior to her pierside arrival , had nothing but praise for the 72 MSC crewmembers and the 550 military medical staff. by Bob Borden, PAO, MSCPAC A familiar face at MSCP AC the past 13 years who never worked for the command quietly retired in July. Wallace Henderson Jr., the blind vendor who operated the MSCP AC snack bar since 1974, closed his shop at the command to devote more time to his pastor duties at a local church. ''There's no better foreign policy than helping to improve the health of people in other countries," said the government' s top doctor, U .S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. "The United States stands tall today because of the humanitarian mission conducted by the USNS Mercy ." The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs , Dr. William Mayer, conveyed a message of appreciation from the president to the men and women of the Mercy thanking them for their service aboard the ship over the past five months. ' This ship represents the best of marriages between the civilian community and the armed forces,'' said Dr. Mayer, who oversees health care within the worldwide U.S. defense community. ''Getting this ship to the Philippines under a very tight schedule was a logistical challenge unlikely to be duplicated again." Until last September, the ship was scheduled to come to Oakland at the end of 1986 and placed in reduced operating status. That changed when President Corazon Aquino of the Philippines visited the United States late last summer. The U.S. government made arrangements to have the hospital ship, then under construction in San Diego, made available for a 1987 training and humanitarian voyage to the Philippines and the South Pacific. " What has happened in the past 10 months is a minor miracle ," said ADM James Lyons, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet who first pro- "I'm going to miss MSCPAC and all the people I came to know there over the years," said Henderson, smartly dressed in one of the many tuxedos he wore to work the past 4,400 weekdays . "I have a lot of friends here and everybody's treated me well but I'm tired and I want to devote more time to the church." Henderson's involvement with the Familes of crewmembers, and well-wishers crowd the pier at NSC Oakland as the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) makes its final approach. (Photo by AN Deborah Davis) posed sending the Mercy to the Philippines. ADM Lyons presented the Navy's prestigious Meritorious Unit Commendation to the ship, an award that's also going to the USNS Sioux (T-ATF 171) for her assistance to the Mercy during the hospital ship's recent deployment. Philippine Consul General Virgilio N anagas told the audience he was delighted to express his government's appreciation to the men and women of the USNS Mercy . "Your compassion will long be remembered by the Filipino people," he said, "and you've strengthened the friendship between our two countries." For Oakland, thearrivelofthe USNS Mercy was an event exceeded only by baseball's major league all-star game hosted by the city the day after the ship arrived at her new home port. Oakland Mayor Lionel Wilson pesented keys of the city to RADM D. L. Sturtz, commanding officer of the Mercy's Medical Treatment Facility, and then to "Rear Admiral" Richard Hosey, the MSC master of the ship. When the mayor realized his mistaken title, he quipped, "Well, it's a promotion well deserved for the captain!'' The Mercy will remain at her permanent lay berth at NSC Oakland undergoing maintenance and logistical work in preparation for a post-shakedown availability in early 1988. church goes back to 1952 when he was blinded by a dynamite explosion in Oklahoma while working for a construction company. He was in the hospital for two months and was told he would never see again. "I took the news very hard initially," said Henderson, 54. "But then I became active in a church and that seemed to ease my pain." Henderson went to work for the Oklahoma League for the Blind, then came to California in 1966. While living in San Francisco, he took a job with the Lighthouse for the Blind making brooms. But Henderson wanted to get into his own business, despite his handicap. Frustrated in his attempts to find employment outside blind agencies, Henderson wrote a letter to the president of the United States. "I told President Lyndon Johnson that I didn't just want to sit around and draw blind aid or social security,'' said Henderson, a native of Jackson, Miss. "I told him, 'Mr. President, I want a job just like other folks'." President Johnson, impressed with Henderson's determination, made contact with California state officials. ' 'The next thing I knew, state people were calling me on the phone and knocking on my door," chuckled Henderson, who was eventually placed in a disabled business enterprise program that led to his ownership and operation of food concessions in federal buildings. At one time, Henderson operated five snack bars in San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento. He eventually retained only his MSCPAC operation which he ran with his family. Away from the command, Henderson has kept busy the past several years with his pastor duties in Richmond and three live church radio broadcasts every week. Henderson· s also planning to take the first vacation he's had since 1974. Always philosophical, the MSCPAC vendor said he simply takes life as it comes. "Blindness won't end up hurting someone too much if a person has get-up and go," he advised. 'Tve known some blind persons who are bitter and just want to sit around all day. Others only want pity. But I tell everybody in our church, 'Don't pity "" me because you can't help me by pitying me. Tell me what I should do and how to do it and I'll go from there'." Henderson's simple message is a sermon he's been living much of his~ adult life. August 1987 I LOG I 25 �Deep Sea Victor Aviles, 72, died June 8. He was buried in Fajardo, P.R. ' Pensioner Angel C. Cimiano died April 3 of cardiopulmonary arrest and pneumonia. He was 86. Born in Spain, Brother Cimiano joined the SIUmerged Marine Cooks and Stewards Union and sailed in the steward department. He first sailed in 1920 and retired on pension in 1966. Seafarer Cimiano, who was cremated, is survived by a niece , Albertina Hernandez, of San Diego , Calif. Pensioner Domenic Di Sei died Feb. 21. He was 73. Brother Di Sei joined the SIU in 1942 and went on pension in 1976. His body was cremated. Surviving is a nephew, Anthony Di Sei, of Bangor, Pa. Jeronimo Hernandez, 87, died May 9 of a brain infarction and pneumoma. Born in Puerto Rico, Brother Hernandez joined the SIUmerged marine Cooks and Stewards Union in l 957 and sailed in the steward department. Burial was in Rio Piedras, P.R. He is survived by his wife, Herminia. Pen ioner Louie E. Hudson succumbed to leukemia May 11. He was 60. Born in Alabama, Brother Hudson went on pen ion in 1986. Burial was at Lawnhaven in Theodore, Ala. He is survived by his wife , Bernice, of Mobile, Ala. Pensioner Alfredo Morell, 84, died May 16. Born in Ponce, P.R., he retired from the SIU in 1969. Seafarer Morell is survived by his wife, Maria Luisa, and a son, Edwin, both of Ponce. Burial took place in Ponce. Harry A. Pruss succumbed to leukemia April 25. He was 53 and an active member at the time of his death. Brother Pruss joined the SIU in 1965 in Philadelphia, Pa. and sailed in the deck department. He first sailed with Interocean Management in 1964; his most recent ship was the Sea-Land Pacer. Born in Toledo, Ohio, Seafarer Pruss' body was returned there for burial at Resurrection Cemetery. He is survived by a brother, Leonard , of Toledo. Pensioner Blaine S. Rowe, 71, died June 20 of cardiac arrhythmia. Born in North Carolina, Seafarer Rowe retired on pension in 1977. Burial took place at Watson Cemetery in Lowland, N.C. He is survived by his wife, Alva, of Lowland. Pensioner Leroy C. Swiger, 70, died July 18 following an extended illness. Born in West Virginia, Brother Swiger sailed in the engine department, retiring after 28 years service. He was also a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy. Seafarer Swiger was a member of Clarksburg Lodge No. 482 B.P.O.E. Elks and Meuse-Argonne Post #573 VFW. Interment was at Elk View Masonic Cemetery in Clarksburg, W. Va. He is survived by his mother, Blanche M. Wright Swiger; two sons, Boyd "Bud" of Weston, and Wayne L. of Deep Creek, Md.; one daughter, Cynda K. Wheeler of Mt. Clare; 10 grandchildren; one great grandson , and several nieces and nephews. Trade Talks Threaten Jones Ac (Continued from Page 3.) nadian maritime interests would enjoy in economic, promotional, regulatory and fiscal terms under such an agreement, no objective analysis could argue for the survival of a disadvantaged U.S.-ftag fleet and vital shipyard mobilization base in such a hostile competitive environment," the letter said. The industry and congressional - groups have urged U.S. negotiatiors to take all talk of opening the Jones Act off the table. Because the proposed trade treaty between the two countries is "fast track" legislation, the Senate will only be able to vote yes or no on the entire package and and will not be able to make any amendments to the treaty. There is an Oct. 5 deadline for the two sides to come up with a trade treaty. The following organizations have urged the rejection of Canadian proposals to open the Jones Act to Canadian shipping. Addsco Industries, Incorporated Aloha Pacific Cruises, Incorporated Allied Towing Corporation Amerada Hess Corporation American Hawaii Cruise Lines American Heavy Lift Shipping Company American Institute of Merchant Shipping American Maritime Officers Service American Pilot's Association American President Lines, LTD. American Steamship Company American Towing & Transportation Company, Incorporated American Waterways Operators Amoco Transport Company Apex Marine Arnold Transit Company Association of Maryland Pilots Avondale Industries, Incorporated Bath Iron Works Corporation Bay Houston Towing Company 26 I LOG I August 1987 - Bay Shipbuilding Corporation Bethlehem Steel Corporation Bigane Vessel Fueling Company Bob-Lo Company Bulkfleet Marine Corporation C.G. Willis, Incorporated Cape Fear Towing Company, Incorporated Capital Marine Corporation Cement Division-National Gypsum Company Central Gulf Lines, Incorporated Continental Maritime Industries, Incorporated Council of American Flag Ship Operators Crescent Towing & Salvage Company Crowley Maritime Corporation Crowley Towing & Transportation Company Curtis Bay Towing Company of Virginia Curtis Bay Towing Company of Pennsylvania Danahy Marine Service Delta Queen Steamboat Company Dixie Carriers, Incorporated Dunbar & Sullivan Dredging Company Edward E. Gillen Company Erie Navigation Company Erie Sand Steamship Company Express Marine, Incorporated Falcon Marine Company Farrell Lines, Incorporated G&H Towing Gastrans, Incorporated General Dynamics Incorporated General Ship Corporation Great Lakes International, Incorporated Great Lakes Task Force Great Lakes Towing Company Gulf Atlantic Transport Corporation Hannah Marine Corporation Higman Towing Company Ingalls Shipbuilding Division Inland Boatmens Union of the Pacific International Longshoremen and Warehousemen's Union Island Shipping Line Jacksonville Shipyards, Incorporated Joint Maritime Congress Kinsman Lines, Incorporated Keystone Shipping Company Lake Carriers Association Litton Great Lakes Corporation Lockheed Shipbuilding Company Luedtke Engineering Company Lykes Bros. Steamship Company, Incorporated Marine Contracting and Towing Company Marine Contracting Company Marine Oil Service, Incorporated Marine Transport Lines Marinetta Marine Corporation Maritime Engineers Beneficial Association District 1 Maritime Engineers Beneficial Association District 2 Maritrans Operating Partners L.P. Matson Navigation Company Maritime Institute for Research and Industrial Development Master, Mates and Pilots McAllister Brothers, Incorporated Medusa Corporation Metro Machine Corporation Moran Services Corporation Moran Towing and Transportation Company, Inc. Moran Towing of Texas, Incorporated National Maritime Union National Association of Dredging Contractors National Steel & Shipbuilding Company Newport News Shipbuilding Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corporation Peterson Builders, Incorporated Pilot Services Corporation Pringle Transit Company Puerto Rico Marine Management Incorporated Radcliff Materials, Inc. Rainbow Navigation Robert E. Derecktor of Rhode Island, Incorporated Seafarers International Union Sea-Land Service Incorporated Self Towing Company, Incorporated Sheridan Transportation Company Shipbuilders Council of America Southwest Marine, Incorporated STC Holly S. Company The following SIU members have retired on pension: DEEP SEA Baltimore Persing G. Ordansa Duluth John J. McGreevy Houston James R. Andolsek Norfolk Brantley L. Fowler Clinton M. Webb Philadelphia Paul Warhola St. Louis Howard J. Basley Seattle Alfred D. Allen Gerald Elegan Donald Murray GREAT LAKES William S. Gregel Steuart Transportation Company Taylor Marine Towing, Incorporated Textron Marine Systems The American Ship Building Company The Baker-Whiteley Towing Company The Great Lakes Towing Company The Jonathan Corporation Todd Shipyards Corporation Totem Ocean Trailer Express Trailer Marine Transport Corporation Transportation Institute United States Lines, Incorporated Waterman Steamship Corporation Western Towing Company Support SPAD �In Houston, SIU Hosts Conference on Drug Abuse When more than 300 deaths occur each year as a result of abuse of alcohol and drugs by workers-as they do in Texas-then something has to be done. When 18,000 of the 22,000 people serving probation for misdemeanor crimes in one Texas county are found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs or driving while intoxicated, then something has to be done. When Texas state taxpayers absorb a $13 billion annual loss in productivity due to alcohol and drug abuse, then something has to be done. That something came in the form of a substance abuse seminar sponsored by the West Gulf Ports Council in late June. Entitled "Labor-ManagementCommunity: Partners Against Drug Abuse," the seminar was held in the Houston SIU hiring hall and was attended by more than 95 persons, in- eluding a broad range of civic leaders. SIU Vice President Joe Sacco delivered the opening remarks at the seminar, which also attracted specialists in a number of fields who talked about the dangers of alcoholism and drug addiction. Included in that group was Rick Reismann, director of the Seafarers Addictions Rehabilitation Center. One of the subjects addressed was that of drug testing. While many arguments can be made against these tests, the Operating Engineers Local 450 announced its willingness to undergo pre-employment drug tests last September when nearly one-third of the South Texas local' s members were out of work. And the program appears to be working well for them. Drug-related deaths and disturbances also caused C.S. Bellows Construction Corp. of Houston to begin testing its employees a year ago, also with success. A lot more must be done, of course, to get to the heart of the substance abuse problem in this country and to get labor and management working together with the community. This seminar was a good start. ARC Director Rick Reismann addresses the West Gulf Ports Council seminar during a discussion of labor-management responses to the problem of drug and alcohol abuse. DRllGt; KILLi' IF YOU llAVE A DRUG PROBLEM,6ET 1-/EZPf CAL.L YOUR PORIAGe;Vr ORCON7:4CT YOUR UNION AlP/N£°Yfl:JINT. PO/rNoWJ7 re You Missing Important Mail? We want to make sure that you receive your copy of the LOG each month and other important mail such as W-2 Forms, Union Mail and Welfare Bulletins. To accomplish this, please use the address form on this page to update your home address. 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 in the special address form printed on this page and send it to: SIU & UIW of N.A. Address Correction Department 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, Maryland 20746-9971 Your home address is your permanent address, and this is where all official Union documents, W-2 Forms, and the LOG will be mailed. ---------------------~-------------------------------------Date: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ PLEASE PRINT HOME ADDRESS Social Security No. Phone No. ( Area Code Your Full Name City Apt. or Box# Street Book Number 0 SIU 0 UIW State 0 Pensioner ZIP Other-------- UIW Place of E m p l o y m e n t - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This will be my permanent address for all official Union malllngs. This address should remain In the Union file unless otherwise changed by me personally. (Signed)------------------ -----------------------------------------------------------J Krinsky amed Merchant School Superintendent Paul L. Krinsky was named superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy last month. A 1950 graduate of the academy, Krinsky has served as its deputy superintendent since April 1985 and holds the rank of rear admiral in the United States Maritime Service. Krinsky succeeds Rear Admiral Thomas A. King who became superintendent in 1980 and retired July 3. Following his graduation from the academy, Krinsky served as an officer aboard U.S.-flag passenger ships, including the SS United States. He also served on active duty in the U.S. Navy for three years. In 1958 Krinsky returned to the academy as an assistant professor. Since that time, he has held increasingly responsible positions at the academy, including director of admissions, assistant academic dean and assistant superintendent for academic affairs. In addition to his degree from the academy, Krinsky earned an MA in education from New York University and an MBA from Adelphi University. He has been awarded the U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal for Meritorious Service and has been recognized by the academy's alumni association for his outstanding professional accomplishments. August 1987 I LOG I 27 �CL L NP -Company/Lakes -Lakes -Non Priority Directory of Ports Dispatchers Report for Great Lakes JULY 1-31, 1987 *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP 18 6 DECK DEPARTMENT 0 37 19 0 7 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 0 23 6 0 6 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 19 3 0 28 ENTRY DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 Port Algonac .............. . .... 0 Port Algonac ................... 9 0 Port Algonac ................... 0 Port Algonac ................... 0 8 Frank Drozak, President Joe DiGlorgio, Secretary Leon Hall, Vice President Angus "Reel" Campbell, Vice President Mike Sacco, Vice President Joe Sacco, Vice President George McCartney, Vice President Roy A. Mercer, Vice President Steve Edney, Vice President **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP 8 2 2 4 HEADQUARTERS 5 3 18 8 0 Totals All Departments ........ 0 61 22 79 0 28 0 *"Total Registered" means the number of men who actually registered for shipping at the port last month. **"Registered on the Beach" means the total number of men registered at the port at the end of last month . 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, Md. 20746 (301) 899-0675 ALGONAC, Mich. 520 St. Clair River Dr. 48001 (313) 794-4988 BALTIMORE, Md. 1216 E. Baltimore St. 21202 (301) 327-4900 CLEVELAND, Ohio Dispatchers Report for Deep Sea JULY 1-31, 1987 Port New York ............... Philadelphia .............. Baltimore ............... Norfolk .. ............... Mobile .......... ... .. .. New Orleans ............. Jacksonville .............. San Francisco ............. Wilmington .......... ... . Seattle ................. Puerto Rico .......... .... Honolulu .............. .. Houston ................ St. Louis ................ Piney Point .............. Totals ................. Port New York ........... . ... Philadelphia ............ .. Baltimore ............... Norfolk ................. Mobile ................. New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacksonville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Francisco ............. Wilmington .............. Seattle ................. Puerto Rico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Honolulu ................ Houston ..... ... ........ St. Louis ................ Piney Point .............. Totals ................. Port New York ............... Philadelphia .............. Baltimore ............... Norfolk ................. Mobile ................. New Orleans .... .... ..... Jacksonville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Francisco ............. Wilmington ............ .. Seattle ...... . .......... Puerto Rico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Honolulu ................ Houston ................ St. Louis ............. ... Piney Point .............. Totals ................. *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class B Class C TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C Trip Reliefs 5443 Ridge Rd. 44129 (216) 845-1100 **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C DECK DEPARTMENT 52 6 8 15 10 40 36 27 22 35 13 13 33 0 1 311 6 2 4 4 3 5 14 5 4 7 2 10 9 0 4 79 3 0 0 5 3 3 4 14 8 2 0 11 0 0 0 53 48 8 6 13 18 27 33 20 15 29 10 11 33 0 2 7 2 3 3 5 1 13 8 4 7 1 10 9 0 1 273 74 3 0 0 4 2 1 2 6 1 0 0 10 2 0 0 31 8 2 1 2 0 4 6 2 5 12 3 8 2 0 1 93 3 14 18 13 83 43 60 34 61 24 13 63 0 1 19 4 5 7 5 8 14 9 10 10 2 14 11 0 7 0 0 0 3 2 6 7 18 10 2 1 4 0 0 0 56 523 125 53 2 1 0 4 0 5 3 2 4 1 0 7 3 0 1 33 65 5 6 10 14 45 47 35 24 46 10 3 40 0 1 14 86 0 0 0 2 0 4 2 4 2 0 0 8 0 0 0 22 49 1 9 6 5 34 20 8 2 1 0 0 4 8 86 20 35 6 14 26 0 7 4 8 1 17 1 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 9 0 2 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 22 3 7 7 8 30 20 11 4 21 8 4 22 0 196 6 2 2 3 2 9 5 3 2 9 1 11 4 0 1 60 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 6 0 1 0 13 1 0 0 25 169 16 0 4 2 8 17 13 36 19 25 8 0 1 0 0 1 6 6 2 7 0 22 0 0 6 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 6 0 1 0 21 0 0 3 14 1 1 4 8 10 13 26 11 18 2 4 10 0 0 26 4 5 5 6 32 31 16 9 25 7 6 22 0 2 5 1 2 6 1 9 4 3 4 4 1 13 2 0 2 2 57 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 5 0 2 0 12 2 0 0 23 351 5 3 2 5 7 10 8 4 10 2 10 4 0 2 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 4 3 13 0 3 163 59 35 122 7 0 1 1 0 1 3 4 2 6 0 21 1 0 1 48 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 10 0 2 1 0 4 1 10 8 6 2 76 2 0 1 0 3 292 48 5 8 13 6 18 12 24 21 20 14 114 9 0 13 15 2 1 9 6 43 6 21 16 11 1 172 6 0 12 0 45 2 3 9 0 28 13 86 22 39 15 6 24 0 0 212 1,484 610 432 3 0 0 5 4 12 3 16 1 1 1 157 3 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 166 Totals All Departments ...... 36 12 26 12 6 13 0 0 7 13 10 13 11 15 6 107 6 0 13 10 0 1 7 5 20 3 14 4 4 0 177 2 0 8 13 2 2 5 2 9 6 16 7 15 4 9 8 0 0 98 172 216 836 442 368 662 351 297 22 t 1 8 0 20 9 23 4 7 9 244 255 16 2 7 1 6 13 13 8 3 14 4 73 6 0 6 325 636 Cooke St. 96813 (808) 523-5434 HOUSTON, Tex. 1221 Pierce St. 77002 (713) 659-5152 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. 3315 Liberty St. 32206 (904) 353-0987 JERSEY CITY, N.J. 99 Montgomery St. 07302 (201) 435-9424 MOBILE, Ala. 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy. 36605 (205) 478-0916 NEW BEDFORD, Mass. 50 Union St. 02740 (617) 997-5404 NEW ORLEANS, La. 630 Jackson Ave. 70130 (504) 529-7546 NEW YORK, N.Y. 675 4 Ave., Brooklyn 11232 (718) 499-6600 NORFOLK, Va. 115 Third St. 23510 (804) 622-1892 PHILADELPHIA, Pa. 2604 S. 4 St. 19148 (215) 336-3818 0 ENTRY DEPARTMENT Port New York ........ .. ..... Philadelphia ... . . . . . . . . . . . Baltimore ...... ......... Norfolk ................. Mobile ................. New Orleans ............. Jacksonville .............. San Francisco ............. Wilmington ....... ....... Seattle ................. Puerto Rico .............. Honolulu ................ Houston ............. ... St. Louis . .. .. ........... Piney Point . ........... .. Totals ................. HONOLULU, Hawaii 19 36 318 705 Medical Arts Building 55802 (218) 722-4110 0 74 123 27 9 DULUTH, Minn. PINEY POINT, Md. St. Mary's County 2067 4 (301) 994-0010 SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. 350 Fremont St. 94105 (415) 543-5855 SANTURCE, P.R. 1057 Fernandez Juncos St. Stop 16 00907 (809) 725-6960 SEATTLE, Wash. 2505 1 Ave. 98121 (206) 441-1960 321 *"Total Registered" means the number of men who actually registered for shipping at the port last month. **"Registered on the Beach " means the total number of men registered at the port at the end of last month. ST. LOUIS, Mo. 4581 Gravois Ave. 63116 (314) 752-6500 WILMINGTON, Calif. Shipping in the month of July was up from the month of June. A total of 1,522 jobs were shipped on SIU-contracted deep sea vessels. Of the 1,522 jobs shipped, 662 jobs or about 43 percent were taken by "A" seniority members. The rest were filled by "B" and "C" seniority people. A total of 212 trip relief jobs were shipped. Since the trip relief program began on April 1, 1982, a total of 5,604 jobs have been shipped. 28 I LOG I August 1987 510 N. Broad Ave. 90744 (213) 549-4000 �= Safeguard Your Shipping Rights T O SAFEGUARD your rights and the shipping rights of all SIU members, there are certain requirements that must be followed. These requirements are spelled out in the Shipping Rules, and they are there so that the rights of all members will be protected and furthered fairly and impartially. DU ES Your current quarter Union dues must be paid at the time you register. RELIEF JOBS/REGISTERING When you are relieved, you must re-register for your job within 48 hours by reporting to the sm Union hall. RELIEF JOBS/CONTACT WITH UNION It is your responsibility to keep in contact with the Port Agent at the port in which you are registered. RELIEF JOBS/SHIPPING It is your responsibility to claim your job from the hiring hall shipping board no later than one day before the ship's scheduled arrival. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS KNOW YOUR RIGHTS 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 you feel any member or officer is attempting to deprive you of any constitutional right or obligation by any methods such as dealing with charges. trials. etc., as well as all other details. then the member so affected should immediately notify headquarters. F 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 three months, which are to be submitted to the membership by the Secretary-Treasurer. A quarterly finance committee of rank and file members, elected by the membership, makes examination each quarter of 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. Your shipping rights and seniority are protected exclusively by the contracts between the Union and the employers. Get to know your shipping rights. Copies of these contracts are posted and available in all Union halls. If you feel there has been any violation of your shipping or seniority rights as contained in the contracts between the Union and the employers, notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified mail, return receipt requested. ~he proper address for this is: Angus "Red" Campbell Chairman, Seafarers Appeals Board 5201 Autb Way and Britannia Way Prince Georges County Camp Springs, Md. 20746 Full copies of contracts as referred to are available to you 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 you work and live aboard your ship or boat. Know your contract rights, as well as your obligations, such as filing for OT on the proper sheets and in the proper manner. If, at any time, any SIU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS 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 and national or geographic origin. If any member feels that he is denied the equal rights to which he is entitled. he should notify Union headquarters. 11111111m11rn1111111n11111111111111un11111unu111un111111111111111n1111111n11111un11111un1111 patrolman or other Union official. in your opinion, fails to protect your contract rights properly. contact the nearest SIU port agent. EDITORIAL POLICY - THE LOG. The Log has traditionally refrained from publishing any article serving the political purposes of any individual in the Union, officer or memher. It has als~ 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 Log policy is vested in an editorial hoard 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 should not have been required to make such payment. this should immediately he reported to 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. SP AD supports and contributes to political candidates for elective office. All contributions are voluntary. No contrihution may be solicited or received because of force. joh discrimination, financial reprisal. or .t hreat 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. notify the Seafarers Union or SPAD hy certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for investigation and appropriate action and refund. if involuntary. Support SPAD to protect and further your economic, political and social interests. and American trade union concepts. If at any time a member feels that any of the above rights have been violated, or that he has been denied his constitutional right of ~ to Union records or infonnation, he should immediately notify SIU President Frank Drozak at Headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The ad~ is 5201 Auth Way and Britannia Way, Prince Georges County, Camp Springs, Md. 20746. August 1987 I LOG I 29 ..,._ - �•~aest of Shjps lleetjnas GUS DARNELL (Ocean Ships), June 21-Chairman Louis Diesso, Educational Director Jimmie Nicholson, Deck Delegate Charles Whitehead, Engine Delegate J. August, Steward Delegate Tom Barrett. No disputed OT. The crew thanked the ship's chairman for his help at the cookouts and for buying and installing a basketball backboard and ping-pong tabl~all on his own time. Elections were held aboard ship in which a new chairman (Charles Whitehead), a new secretary (Elston Tensley) and a new deck delegate (Jim Higgins) were voted in. On June 10, the Gus Darnell was engaged in a rescue mission of a sinking Malaysian vessel. Seventeen of the 20 victims were saved. Next port: Singapore. LNG LEO (Energy Transportation Corp.), June 14--Chairman Luther V. Myrex, Secretary H. Jones, Educational Director Roy C. McCauley, Engine Delegate Keith J. Amos, Steward Delegate Albert A. Fretta. No beefs or disputed OT. There is $33 in the ship's fund. The chairman spoke about the importance of attending upgrading courses at Piney Point. He noted that many different courses are now being offered and advised members to read the LOG to keep up with what's current at the school and in the maritime industry. He also stressed the need to continue contributing to SPAD to "help keep us working." It was suggested that the Union check into the movie problem: the same movies are being put onboard each voyage. A check also should be made of the shields and filters used for chipping. The ones onboard are not very good. There is an extra dryer on the Leo. It was suggested that it be put in use for the crew. A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for the good meals and clean messhalls. Members were reminded that there is no smoking in the messhall during meals. It was also mentioned that if members eat in the rec room, they should remember to return dishes and silverware to the galley. Next ports: Himeji, Japan; Arun, Indonesia, and Tobata, Japan. OVERSEAS ALICE (Maritime Overseas), June 21-Chairman Steven W. Copeland, Secretary C. Loper Jr., Educational Director M.W. Roberson. No beefs or disputed OT reported. There is $150 in the ship's treasury. The chairman reminded the crew of the benefits of upgrading at Piney Point. It's going to take qualified seafarers to keep our military-contracted ships, he said, and only by upgrading can our members attain the necessary skills. The Overseas Alice now has a three-man steward department. It will take a little while to work everything out to satisfaction with this reduced manning. Until then, the crew's patience and cooperation would be appreciated. The educational director stressed the importance of contributing to SPAD. President Drozak should know that he has the backing of the SIU membership. And ..• ··: }·'''.,.:·. ..-.>~:· ., ~::}·"' __. W. Marsh, AB, scatters the cremated remains of Brother Melvin Francis Libby off the Overseas Harriette. 30 I LOG I August 1987 - only by donating to SPAD can the members help him "protect our jobs and benefits." Night lunch and fruit are at a premiumbut a problem has arisen in that it is all being eaten by the gangway watch at night rather than being saved for the crew. Next port: Subic Bay, P.I. OVERSEAS HARRIETTE (Maritime Overseas), June 28--Chairman R. Bradford, Secretary W. Evans, Educational Director Engine Delegate J.W. Badgett, Deck Delegate Harold Sebring, Steward Delegate C.E. Colston. No beefs or disputed OT reported. The bosun advised all "B" book members to take advantage of the upgrading opportunities at Piney Point. He also noted that the captain was not yet sure if the vessel had another charter lined up. On Friday, June 19, the cremated remains of Brother Melvin Francis Libby were put to sea by his Union brothers and officers aboard the Overseas Harriette (see photo on this page). Brother Libby, who joined the SIU in 1948 in the port of Norfolk and sailed as AB and bosun, retired Nov. 1, 1984. At the time of his death, he was a resident of Galveston, Texas. "The prayers of his beloved friend, Sally Oliver, and all of his friends go with him on his final voyage." A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done. OVERSEAS JUNEAU (Maritime Overseas), June 21-Chairman Errol Pak, Secretary W. Wroten, Educational Director J. Fair. No disputed OT. There was a beef in the steward department regarding the elimination of the 1830 hr. and 0530 hr. launch. The steward department must catch the 0330 hr. launch to get to work on time and then must wait for the 2000 hr. launch to get ashore. Communications were received from headquarters in response to the members' questions about the SMU. A tape is being prepared to explain the SMU. It will be sent to all ships and Union halls. A letter also was received clarifying a number of beefs. The chairman is completing his relief job. He thanked the crew for their cooperation and reminded members that the SIU is in better shape than other maritime unions. One third of the merchant fleet is under SIU contract. And while some contracts may be preferable to others, all "A" books can still sail without any difficulty. A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for the good food and service. Next port: San Francisco, Calif. PATRIOT (Ocean Carriers), June 7Chairman Jack Southerland, Secretary Jennifer K. Jim, Steward Delegate Manuel Castro. No disputed OT reported. Crew-members believe that a lot of repairs are needed to make working conditions safer aboard the Patriot. One specific problem onboard the ship is the water. It was felt that the water in the tanks should be drained and fresh water brought in from Bahrain. A number of crewmembers are being sent to the doctor complaining of sour stomachs due to the water. Another problem is the mail. Some crewmembers have not received mait for five months-and letters being sent out from the ship have not been received at the other end. Also mentioned was the fact that the crewmembers of the Patriot feel they should be compensated for traveling in a war zone. The USNS Stark was the Patriot's escort recently (three days before the USNS Stark was attacked). Members believe that they should be told they are entering a war zone and be offered the option of remaining aboard ship or being sent home. The steward department was given a vote of thanks for a fine job. Next port: Manila, P.I. PUERTO RICO (Puerto Rico Marine), June 14--Chairman Thomas D. Seager, Secretary J. Colts, Deck Delegate Jack Rhodes. No beefs or disputed OT. The chairman informed members of the 2 per- cent wage increase for the next three years. A memorandum of understanding was posted on the bulletin board for everyone to read. A vote of thanks was given to the chief cook who is getting off in Puerto Rico this trip. "We are all going to miss him and his cooking." SAM HOUSTON (Waterman), June 7-Chairman James E. Davis, Secretary G. T. Aquino, Educational Director L. Acosta, Steward Delegate Ralph Edmonds. No beefs or disputed OT recorded. The ship's fund is building; there is now about $100. Plans are being made to purchase a VCR to record movies and events of interest aboard ship when enough money is accrued. The bosun talked about the Navy ships and the need for qualified men to secure and hold onto these jobs. He also reminded crewmembers of the importance of donating to SPAD. The steward mentioned to all hands that an election year is close at hand and that now is the time to search for the politicians who intend to support a strong and healthy maritime policy. "We must at all cost get together as . a strong voting block to elect these men." A suggestion was made that consideration be given to the idea that when a seaman has reached 65 years of age and is vested with 1O years service in the SIU, he be allowed to retire with a base amount to increase with each year of service until the age of 65. The steward thanked members of the crew who helped kee·p the messroom and pantry clean. The steward department, in turn, was given a vote of thanks for their fine work. One minute of silence was observed in memory of our departed brothers and sisters. Next port of payoff: Norfolk, Va. SEA-LAND PIONEER (Sea-Land Service), June 28--Chairman Bob O'Rourke, Secretary Nancy S. Heyden, Deck Delegate Luis A Malave, Engine Delegate Bennie L. Spencer. No beefs or disputed OT. A message was received from headquarters stating that a settlement was reached with Sea-Land resulting in a 2 percent wage increase. The chairman commended the crew for a good voyage. Some questions were brought up concerning the extent of work a cadet is allowed to perform on deck and at what point a crewmember starts getting paid when he has to fly out for a job. The patrolman will shed some light on these questions at payoff. A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done. Next port: Elizabeth N.J. the Union for getting a new contract, especially "because I don't think that anybody wants to strike -this late in- the game." Members also were urged to attend upgrading courses at Piney Point for their own job security. Fresh vegetables will be put onboard in Port...,Everglades. A new refrigerator is needed in the messhall. The one presently aboard ship has never worked properly. An ice cream box would also be a nice addition since the refrigerator in the messhall will not keep butter or milk cold. The steward department was given a vote of thanks for a job well done. Next port: Port Everglades, Fla. WESTWARD VENTURE (IOM), June 28--Chairman George S. Vanover. Secretary Donald Frounfelter, Educational Director John Ross, Deck Delegate Michael Willis, Engine Delegate Joseph "Red" Kreb, Steward Delegate William M. Sharp. Some disputed OT was reported in the deck department. A motion was made to use $40 of the fund to buy blank tapes to record movies for the crew's library. There is currently $122 in the ship's fund. Additional ways to increase the fund was discussed. _ A memorandum and a letter were received from headquarters in reference to the new contract. A vote of confidence and thanks was given to the steward department for their efficient service and fine meals. Next port: Anchorage, Alaska. Official ship minutes also were received from the following vessels: ADONIS AMBASSADOR ARCH ON ATLANTIC SPIRIT AURORA CONSTITUTION INGER LAWRENCE H. GIANELLA MOUNT VERNON VICTORY OAKLAND OMI COLUMBIA OVERSEAS MARILYN OVERSEAS NATALIE PANAMA PFC EUGENE A. OBREGON SAN JUAN SEA-LAND ADVENTURER SEA-LAND ENDURANCE SEA-LAND EXPLORER SEA-LAND EXPRESS SEA-LAND LEADER SEA-LAND INDEPENDENCE SEA-LAND INNOVATOR SENATOR USNS BARTLETT Personals MC&S Reunion SEA·LAND PRODUCER (Sea-Land Service), June 28--Chairman Harry M. Fisher, Secretary C. C. Holling Ill, Educational Director P. Thomas, Deck Delegate S. Collins. No disputed OT reported. The Producer will pay off in New Orleans this voyage. A patrolman is expected aboard and will answer all questions at that time. The secretary expressed his gratitude to Port There will be an MC&S Reunion at Doyle Park, Santa Rosa, Calif.Sept. 13, 1987-12 noon 'til ?BYOB-Pot Luck-Bring pictures! Date Deep Sea Lakes, Inland Waters Piney Point .............. Tuesday, September 8 ................ 10:30 a.m. New York ............... Tuesday, September 8 ................ 10:30 a.m. Philadelphia .............. Wednesday, September 9 .............. 10:30 a.m. Baltimore ................ Thursday, September 10 ............... 10:30 a.m. Norfolk ................. Thursday, September lO ............... 10:30 a.m. Jacksonville .............. Thursday, September 10 ............... 10:30 a.m . Algonac ................. Friday, September 11 ................. 10:30 a.m. Houston ................. Monday, September 14 ................ 10:30 a.m. New Orleans ............. Tuesday, September 15 ................ 10:30 a.m. Mobile .................. Wednesday, September 16 ............. 10:30 a.m. San Francisco ............ Thursday, September 17 ............... 10:30 a.m. Wilmington .............. Monday, September 21 ... . ............ 10:30 a.m. Seattle .................. Friday, September 25 ................. 10:30 a.m. San Juan ................ Thursday, September lO ............... 10:30 a.m. St. Louis ................ Friday, September 18 ................. 10:30 a.m. Honolulu ................ Thursday, September 17 ............... 10: 30 a. m. Duluth .................. Wednesday, September 16 ............. 10:30 a.m. Jersey City ............... Wednesday, September 23 ............. 10:30 a.m. New Bedford ............. Tuesday, September 22 ................ 10:30 a.m. �'Thanks For the Help ... ' I would like to thank all of the people at the Seafarers Welfare Plan office for all of the help they have given to me and my husband, Antonio Dos Santos. He is a diabetic and has a great deal of trouble with his eyesight as well as other problems. Through the years, the people at our Union have been wonderful. I don't know what I would have done with this help from the SIU. Once again, thank you. ....,...:..rs To The ~ Editor Mrs. Antonio Dos Santos 'Concern for Pensioners . . .' 'Proud of the Union . . . ' Because I am receiving my pension and supplemental checks without any problem, it's now my turn to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of you who take time to see that we pensioners get our checks no matter where we are. This all goes to one basic concept: your concern. I want to thank the Seafarers Welfare Plan office and those employees that helped expedite my claims with regards to the benefits due on behalf of my husband.... I want to thank you for helping me and also for sending me condolences. My late husband was so proud of the Union-and so am I. Very respectfully yours, (Mrs.) Placid.a D. Viloria Houston, Texas Sincerely, Marco L. Crespo Cuenca, Ecuador Washington R e p o r t - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (continued from Page 32.) made possible the mass exodus of American shipping companies overseas. One of the primary reasons behind the decision to grant EUSC vessels War Risk Insurance was the historically close ties between the United States and the countries of Panama, Liberia and Honduras. Yet , like Nicaragua and Iran, which were also considered to be "client" states of the United States, there's trouble in paradise . Between them, Panam · e · account y o all American-owned but foreign-flagged vessels that are classified as being under "Effective U.S. Control." The question arise : will these vessels be available to the United States in case of an emergency? Trouble in Liberia There is great internal opposition to the present ruler of Liberia, Sgt. Samuel Doe. While the United States is on record as supporting democratic reforms , many opposition figures still re ent the United States because of the abuses of the Americo-Liberian elite that once ruled Liberia. Up until 1980, Liberia had been ruled by the descendants of American slaves who returned to Africa. They constituted roughly 1 percent of the total population of that country. When Sgt. Doe staged a coup in 1980, he pledged to maintain close ties to the United States despite his differences with the previous regime. The human rights abuses of the AmericoLiberian elite have not faded from people's minds. Moreover, Liberians of native and American descent alike remember this country's segregationist past. Trouble in Panama Despite its potential for trouble, discontent in Liberia remains below the boiling point, thoughjust barely. Every day, however, brings the people of Panama closer to civil war. There is widespread discontent with General Manuel Noriega (called cara de pifia, or pineapple face, by his countrymen), who took control of the country in 1980. Human rights violations are widespread. What's worse, Noriega is putting his political henchmen in positions of authority in the Panama Canal, which is just starting to revert to Panamanian control. And unlike Marcos of the Philippines and Chun of Korea, he is not susceptible to American pressure. When the United States ambassador protested these human rights violations, Noriega pointedly met with the Cuban ambassador and decried ' 'American interference.'' Sewage Sludge A bill requiring that vessels used to transport. sewage sludge products be built in the United States was passed by voice vote in the House of Representatives. The bill, H.R. 82, was introduced by Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-N. Y.) after a Customs Service judge ruled that the transportation of ewage sludge to a deep water dumpsite was not subject to the provisions of the Jones Act. In response to objections raised by operators who had relied upon the Coast Guard ruling when deciding to build four waste carrying vessels in foreign shipyards, a grandfather clause was added that would exempt those four vessels from the domestic shipbuilding requirements of the act. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate. Trade By a veto-proof 71-27 margin, the Senate passed a trade bill aimed at restoring America's competitive edge. The Senate bill is generally considered to be less stringent than its House counterpart, H.R. 3, which was passed earlier this year. Still, President Reagan has threatened to veto the legislation if it isn't watered down to suit his tastes. Both the House and the Senate bills contain provisions giving the Federal Maritime Commission tools to counter unfair maritime trade practices, but the Senate bill is more limited in scope. Like H.R. 3, the Senate bill contains a provision which calls for the negotiation of trade agreements that would allow U.S. companies to transport autos to the United States from countries that export 50,000 or more vehicles to the U.S. each year. Differences in the two bills will have to be ironed out in joint conference. Canadian Free Trade Talks Two hundred-thirteen members of the House of Representatives have agreed to co-sponsor legislation introduced by Rep. Walter B. Jones (D-N.C.), chairman of the House Merchant Marine Committee, which calls upon Congress and the administration to reject a Canadian government proposal to open up the domestic commerce of the United States to Canadian vessels. Representatives from the U.S. and Canadian governments are meeting to iron out a ''free trade'' pact which would eliminate most, if not all, so-called barriers to "free trade." President Reagan has put these negotiations under the ''fast-track authority,'' which means that if both parties reach an agreement before Oct. 5, then Congress cannot amend the agreement. All it can do is to vote the treaty up or down. Maritime is reportedly high on the list of topics being discussed. What the Canadians seek is a "North American Jones Act.'' Yet most maritime officials believe that generous Canadian support to its maritime industry, coupled with favorable exchange rates, could further depress an already crippled industry. "The Jones Act remains the cornerstone of this nation's maritime policy," said SIU Lobbyist Frank Pecquex. ''To weaken it is to invite disaster." Breaking the Strikebusters The SIU is supporting enactment of H .R. 285, a bill which would prohibit nonimmigrant aliens from working on American ships or aircraft when American workers are striking. There is a loophole in current law which effectively allows U.S. companies to employ foreign nationals on their ships and airplanes to break up a strike. Passage of this legislation would, for example, protect the rights of American and resident alien fishermen. Unregulated Fishing Vessels Two interrelated problems plague the American fishing industry: safety and insurance. In an effort to revive this badly-depressed industry, the SIU is supporting enactment of H.R. 1841 and H.R. 1836 with modifications, which seek to impose mandatory safety features on virtually all unregulated fishing vessels. Although they take different approaches, both bills recognize that there are serious problems confronting this nation's fishermen. Both bills seek to increase the availability of liability coverage by upgrading the level of safety onboard America's fishing vessels. August 1987 I LOG I 31 - �I l Seafarers International Union of North America, AFL-CIO Washington Report While Washington didn't exactly grind to a halt last month, most people had their t. v. sets and radios tuned in on the Iran-contra hearings. There were visible reminders everywhere that something out of the ordinary had occurred. For one thing, "Ollie North" haircuts and t-shirts became popular among the young conservative set. Persian Gull - The Iran-contra hearings wound up earlier this month. Events in the Persian Gulf, which had almost been forgotten in the shuffle, returned to the forefront with a vengence. In scenes eerily reminiscent of 1979, Iranian militants marched and chanted in the streets of Tehran. And once again, the United States, which has spent hundreds of billions of dollars beefing up its defense budget so that it can procure the most advanced weapon money can buy, was being humiliated because its conventional military capability is woefully inadequate. The first of the reftagged Kuwaiti tankers, the Bridgeton, was hit by a mine. While no one claimed responsibility for the incident, most military experts believe that the mine had been planted by Iran. Ironically, the United States has no minesweepers in the immediate area. And the minesweepers that it does have back in the States are all of World War II vintage. New ones are on order, but they have not yet been built. Special helicopters were scheduled to be ''rushed" (the operation was expected to take several weeks) from the United States to the Persian Gulf to enhance this country's mines weeping capability in that area. Still, the helicopters were a less-than-ideal alternative to ocean-borne minesweepers. For one thing, without landing rights in a nearby country, these helicopters are vulnerable to attack. And unfortunately, no country in the Persian Gulf will grant the United States landing rights, not even Kuwait, whose ships we are supposed to be protecting. Thatcher Says No The administration's Persian Gulf policy has proven to be extremely controversial. Both the Senate and the House voted to delay the reflagging though by margins that were too small to sustain a veto. And Great Britain, which was the only European country to support to the United States when it bombed Libya, graciously, but emphatically, turned down the administration's request for minesweepers (Great Britain has the world's most modern). Said one unnamed British official, "We don't want to be dragged into a maritime Vietnam." ''The recent course of events raises serious questions about the wisdom of allowing our sealift capability to fall below a certain point," said SIU President Frank Drozak. "For instance, it doesn't take too much imagination to figure out how our NATO allies would respond if we asked them to provide us with sealift support in case Israel were attacked. 32 I LOG I August 1987 August 1987 Legislative, Administrative and Regulatory Happenings "If the West Europeans, who have a vested interest in keeping the sealanes of the Persian Gulf open, can refuse to provide the United States with badly-needed minesweepers during an international emergency of this magnitude, they would almost certainly refuse to help resupply Israel. ''Short of a Soviet attack on Western Europe," said Drozak, "is there any scenario under which our NATO allies would back up the United States with anything more than polite words? And ifthere isn't, how credible is our sealift capability in theaters outside Western Europe? "For years," said Drozak, "defense planners have said that America's sealift capability could be augmented by "EUSC" and NATO vessels. Yet increasingly, that seems more like wishful thinking than anything else." Drozak Letter In a letter to The New York Times, Drozak outlined an alternative policy to the one now being pursued by the Reagan administration. ''Congress is caught between two unacceptable choices," he wrote. "It can allow the reflagging policy to proceed despite its flaws and dangers. Alternatively, if it stops the reflagging, it risks undermining the president by creating an impression of withdrawal from the Persian Gulf, which would provide a major opportunity for the Russians. 'There is another option that accomplishes [American objectives in the area], while avoiding the tilt to Kuwait and Iraq, thereby reducing the risk of provoking Iran and making the United States a belligerent. That is to charter genuine United States-flag vessels with United States crews, of which there are an ample number available, to both Kuwait and Iran, to Iraq and to any country in the region. ·This would be an even-handed policy. The U.S. tankers and U.S. Navy protecting them would be strictly neutral. This option would guarantee freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, leave no vacuum for the Russians and help stop the tanker war, thus containing the Iraq-Iran conflict." Coast Guard Authorizations The House passed a $2.8 billion Coast Guard authorizations bill that could have important ramifications for the maritime industry. While the House defeated an amendment by Rep. Charles Bennet (D-Fla.) to prohibit the redocumentation of the 11 Kuwaiti tankers, it did pass by a 222-184 vote an amendment that would delay the reflagging 90 days or until Sept. 30, 1987. While that vote was seen as being largely symbolic, a potentially important amendment offered by Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-N.Y.) was attached to the legislation. Biaggi's amendment would require that all officers and unlicensed seamen on U .S.-ftag vessels be U.S. citizens-regardless of the port of departure. This, in effect, overturns the Coast Guard's interpretation of a 19th century maritime law which allowed the reflagging to occur in the first place. Another amendment, offered by Rep. Rob- ert W. Davis (R-Mich.), requires that radio officers serving on U .S.-flag vessels be U.S. citizens. The Coast Guard authorizations bill also contains a "Buy American" provision offered by Rep. James A. Traficante Jr. (D-Ohio), which would prohibit any Coast Guard vessel, and any major component of the hull or superstructure of a Coast Guard vessel, from being built in a foreign shipyard. It also sets a 50 percent U.S.-made minimum for components. Veterans' Benefits Finally, good news for our old timers who served in World War II. A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that the secretary of the Air Force used "vague, unstated and inconsistent" criteria in denying veterans' benefits to merchant mariners who served in that conflict. "Although Congress gave the secretary discretion in adopting appropriate legislation," said Judge Louis F. Oberdorfer, "it assuredly did not license the secretary to publish one set of criteria and apply another.'' A quarter of a million civilian merchant seamen sailed during World War II, of which approximately 90,000 are still alive. During the war, these people suffered the second highest casualty rate, after the Marines. Since 1977, 14 of 64 groups that applied for active military service status have had their applications approved. According to Judge Oberdorfer, merchant seamen met many of the same criteria that those groups met. The secretary of the Air Force, said Oberdorfer, tried to differentiate seamen from these groups on the basis of criteria not mentioned in Section 401 of the 1977 law authorizing the Department of Defense to evaluate requests for military benefits. ''By making decisions based on unpublished criteria," said the judge, "the secretary frustrated the purpose of the implementation of the regulations and denied plaintiffs a fiar opportunity to present their case.'' Judge Oberdorfer ordered the parties to file a supplemental memoranda by Aug. 5, "addressing more fully what remedy, if any, is appropriate in light of the conclusions stated Trouble in Paradise Few people outside the maritime industry fully appreciate why the SIU and other maritime unions were so concerned by the reflagging of the Kuwaiti tankers. The following quote from a story by Journal of Commerce reporter Chris Dupin puts the matter into proper perspective: "A highly regulated industry that often bemoans the lack of a coherent maritime policy, shipping is quick to exploit quirks in laws and regulations.'' The most notorious of these "quirks" was the "Effective U.S. Control Doctrine (EUSC)." After World War II, the United States offered War Risk Insurance to American-owned vessels registered under the Panamanian, Liberian and Honduran flags. This (Continued on Page 31.) � 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 1980-1989 Description An account of the resource Volumes XLII-LI of the Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Hall Maritime Library Microfilm 1939-1993; Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. 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 August 1987 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES SEA-LAND’S NEW D-7 SAILS ON ALASKA RUN CHARTER OF U.S. SHIPS COULD SOLVE GULF PROBLEM DOD WRONG IN DENIAL COURT UPHOLDS SIU PLANS IN SONAT, DIXIE PENSION CASE LET THEM RENT WHOLE TANKERS, NOT JUST FLAGS T-AGOS CREW SLAMS REFLAGGING TRADE TALKS DRAW FIRE FROM U.S. MARITIME INDUSTRY REACTION MIXED TO NEW OPERATING SUBSIDY PLAN MTSN FAULTS YUKON SAFETY VET FIGHT BRINGS ALL SEAMEN TOGETHER THE FALLS OF CLYDE: A LITTLE TASTE OF HISTORY STEAMBOATIN’ 1987 MISSISSIPPI QUEEN U.S., CHINA SIGN RESCUE PACT SIU, MTD HOST BOY SCOUTS IN LABOR EDUCATION PROGRAM A PROUD HISTORY SHLSS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS REFLETIONS ON 20 YEARS AT THE SHLSS LA STOPOVER FOR COLUMBIA USNS MERCY COMES HOME TRADE TALKS THREATEN JONES ACT IN HOUSTON, SIU HOSTS CONFERENCE ON DRUG ABUSE THE SIU IN WASHINGTON PERSIAN GULF DROZAK LATTER VETERANS’ BENEFITS THATCHER SAYS NO COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATIONS TROUBLE IN PARADISE 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 8/1/1987 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. 49, No, 8 1987 Periodicals Seafarers Log