http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/ba2532ac70b5014475a648d7760ab466.pdf 3437d8fc630e133c068d22615330edd3 PDF Text Text Official Publication of the Seafarers International Union• Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District• AFL·CIO Vol. so, No. I January 1988 U.S. Ships Must Have U.S. Crews Kuwait Loophole Closed by New Citizenship Law Legislation which would strengthen American citizenship requirements onboard U.S.-flag vessels and promote the American fishing industry has been signed into law. The legislation, H.R. 2598, marked an important victory for the maritime industry. ''This and getting the maritime industry exempted from the provisions of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement have to be considered the high points of the year,'' said Legislative Director Frank Pecquex. The legislation (its official title is the Commercial Fishing Anti-Reflagging Act of 1987) would prohibit foreign- built fishing vessels from being redocumented under the American registry. It also would require owners of U.S. fishing vessels to build or rebuild in U.S. shipyards. Most important to fishermen and seamen, however, is that the bill would require vessels registered in the United States to be manned by American seamen. This would extend to all vessels in the American-flag merchant marine, not just to fishing boats. The U.S. -manning provisions contained in the bill would go a long way toward closing loopholes in existing laws which made it possible for 11 SIU's New Overseas Joyce Page 5 Kuwaiti ships redocumented under the American flag to be manned by foreign crews. By reflagging these vessels, the administration opened up a potentially dangerous loophole in the law. The administration contended that since the 11 Kuwaiti tankers were crewed overseas and had not yet hit an American port, existing manning requirements mandating that threequarters of the crew be American citizens or resident aliens could be waived. Of course, the law allowing the waiver was written in the 19th century, long before the advent of air travel. But while technology had changed, the law remained on the books. The problem with the interpretation was that there exist certain kinds of American-flag activity where the vessels do not necessarily have to hit an American port. And through bitter, first-hand experience, the maritime industry has learned that where loopholes exist, they will be exploited. Under the terms of the legislation, the government still retains flexibility in waiving citizenship requirements. Yet the chances that manning requirements would be routinely flouted have diminished greatly as a result of this legislation. H.R. 2598 actually improves upon existing law by requiring 100 percent of the licensed crew and 75 percent of the unlicensed crew to be American citizens or resident aliens. In addition, it requires that a majority interest of the ownership in U .S.-flag fishing vessels be composed of American citizens. The legislation held the promise of creating several hundred American jobs in the Pacific Coast fishing industry. In addition, there was some speculation in Washington, D.C. that American crews would be recruited for the 11 Kuwaiti tankers. "If that happens," said one SIU official, "then it would be a matter of available skilled mariners capable of crewing these vessels. And that's where our training program in Piney Point and our attempts to build a large manpower pool would give us an advantage." Passage of the legislation marked one more instance where the maritime industry was able to mount a united front. It had been able to mount a united lobbying effort on the Canadian Free Trade issue, and it is attempting to do the same thing in regards to legislation on the Arctic National Wild Refuge oil issue. "In the past, congressional critics of the maritime industry have complained about the industry's inability to rise above the collective differences of its constituents," said Frank Drozak, president of the Seafarers International Union. "The industry's backto-back wins on Canada Free Trade and H.R. 2598 may mark a turning point in our efforts on Capitol Hill.'' WW II Seamen Win Vets Case New Drug Rules Ready The Coast Guard issued a final rule, effective Jan. 13, 1988, setting standards and establishing rules designed to monitor and control alcohol and drug use in both commercial and recreational vessels. For the past two years, various groups-including the SIU-have worked with the Coast Guard to establish the new guidelines. Originally the rules included two provisions the Union strongly opposed-the responsibility of other crewmembers to inform on intoxicated persons or lose their seamen's papers and to report to the ship's master their own prescription drug use. Both of these provisions were deleted from the final rule. Also, the original proposal did not include provisions for rehabilitation. That is now included. Following are some of the guidelines of the new rule. • application to all crewmembers, whether on duty or not, since each crewmember has safety-related responsibilities, including emergency duties; • prohibition from assuming duties within four hours of consuming alcohol; • establishment of .04 percent blood alcohol concentration, similar to standards adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration; • determination of intoxication based on personal observation or chemical test by a law enforcement officer or a marine employer; The Defense Department has granted World War II U.S. Merchant seamen who sailed between Dec. 7, 1941 and August 15, 1945 veterans' status. The ruling came Jan. 20 as the LOG went to press. The action ends an eight-year court struggle and 43-year fight for merchant seamen who served during the war. There is no current estimate of how many American merchant sailor could benefit by the ruling. Several years ago the government estimated about 90,000 of the more than 250,000 seamen who served were still alive. "The honor and recognition these men deserve is so, so long overdue. They sailed, they fought and they died, just like other American servicemen," said SIU president Frank Drozak. Last year a federal judge ordered the government to reconsider its original denial of veterans' status, saying it had acted arbitrarily in denying veterans' status. An attorney for the three seamen who brought the court case said the surviving merchant sailors could be eligible for medical care, loans and pensions through the Veterans Administration. At presstime application forms were being sent to SIU ports for eligible seamen. Contact your port agent for details. The next issue of the LOG will carry a full report on the case. • refusal to submit to a chemical test request by a law enforcement officer based on reasonable cause is admissable in evidence in any administrative proceeding and the individual will be presumed to be intoxicatedif individual refuses the marine employer's request, evidence of the refusal is admissible in evidence in any (Continued on Page 21.) �President's Report by Frank Drozak Last year, like every other one under the Reagan administration, was difficult for the maritime industry and the men and women who make their living at sea, and on the Lakes and nvers. But just when it seemed as if 1987 was going to be chalked up as another year of dismal decline, the sun broke through. In less than two months-thanks to a lot of hard work by people in this Union and other parts of the maritime community-we achieved significant victories: The removal of the maritime provisions from the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, and the new U.S. citizen manning requirements for U.S.-flag vessels, were the biggest wins for us since the 1985 farm bill. The odd thing about both those issues was that once again the maritime community was forced to take on the administration. In the past, some administrations ignored us or didn't understand us, but seldom did they attack us. It's a sad commentary when the maritime industry, including workers, shipowners and shipbuilders, have to band together to fend off attacks and avoid crippling cutbacks. During the past several years we have seen government support for maritime stripped to the bone. Yet at the same time most military planners agreed with our warnings about the decline of the U.S.-flag private merchant fleet. It's no secret that our sealift capabilities are inadequate and that they will continue to shrink. If only a handful of maritime unions or ship operators were saying that, then some might think it was only selfish special interests that were motivating the industry. But that is not the case. Congressmen and senators of both parties have called for a strengthening of the U.S. merchant fleet. A special presidencomm1ss1on tially-appointed warned of the dire consequences to our military posture ifthe U.S.-flagfleet was allowed to shrink any further. Planners in the Pentagon have expressed concern. Despite the reasoned warnings from experts in global military planning, the response from the administration was to allow 11 U.S.-flag (on paper only) tankers sail without U.S. crews and to haul what was left of the maritime industry up to the sacrificial altar in so-called free trade talks with Canada. Very simply, if they had opened up America's Jones Act trade to other countries, we would have been finished. Our victories on those two issues do show that we have a pretty fair amount of support outside the White House. Political pressure from Capitol Hill was instrumental on both issues. We need more friends. We need more people who understand the importance of the merchant marine. We have the chance this-yearto put somebody in the White House who won't turn his back on the U.S.-flag merchant marine. We want the chance to put men and women in the House and Senate who will see that a private, American merchant fleet is an asset to this country. As the year goes on, we will begin examining the presidential candidates and those running for House and Senate seats. We will give our support when they give us a commitment. The SIU will need the help of every member in this election year. Our SPAD donations are one of our biggest weapons. It really does mean job security. As the campaigns gear up, we also will need volunteers in every port for political work. So be ready to donate your time, and continue to contribute to SPAD. You will be helping yourself and your union. Not all of our battles are political. Last year, like so many years, we fought to find work for our membership. While a lot of people in this industry cry and moan about the declining merchant fleet, they don't do much. The SIU has been providing experienced and trained people for hundreds of jobs under military contracts. The SIU has gained more than 1,000 military jobs. We win that work because we have the people who can do that work. A Seafarer's job has changed so much in the past several years. It will continue to do so. As you have read in a series of articles on manning trends, your work will be different in the years to come. That is why the SIU and the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School stress training and skills. We are trying to stay a step ahead of the industry. Last year hundreds of you took advantage of the courses at the school and it paid off. In the years to come those new skills will protect your job security. Last year was a significant year for the Seafarers Maritime Union. I know the SMU has generated some controversy throughout the maritime community, and even within the SIU. But to put it bluntly, the SMU means jobs and that's our business. Seafarers now have a much better chance of climbing through ranks and improving themselves because of the SMU. No one is ever going to force anyone to sail SMU, but those who do will be helping themselves. Through the years, the SIU has been very active in the international labor movement. We have been very supportive of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). As many of you know, merchant seamen from many countries sail under horrible conditions. The ITF and the SIU want to correct that. Last year the SIU joined several other organizations in helping the crew of a Greek-flag ship, the Skyranger, win back pay and correct unsanitary and unsafe conditions on their ship. We will continue to get involved. The SIU wants to raise the standards for all seafarers. * * A~ * Finally, I want to thank each and every one of you for the support you have given me and the SIU during the past year. I always know I can count on the membership of this Union to come together and work together when things need to get done. We would not have been nearly as successful without the unity you all bring to the SIU. We will ·need that kind of bond for the upcoming year and for years after. We want to remain the leading maritime union in this country. c Pull cation of e Seafarers n emat on Un on of orth Ame ca At c G • La es and In and Waters District Ja uary 988 * Vo 50 o 1 -r.IO Executive Board Frank Drozak President Charles Svenson Editor Mike Hall Managing Editor Max Hall Deborah Greene Associate Editor Associate Editor Carla Tomaszewski Contributing Editor 2 I LOG I January 1988 <9 " 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 additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, Md. 20746. �Lessons from Canada Trade Pact Unified Maritime Industry Was Key in Victory " Sometimes it seems as if the people in this industry wait until they get their backs pushed against the wall before they come together and fight back." That's what one maritime insider said after an almost six-month battle to keep the U.S. merchant marine from being gored by the recently signed U.S./Canada Free Trade Agreement. When word leaked out late last spring that trade negotiators from both countries were willing to open almost all of America's maritime programs to Canadian ship operators, shock, then outrage, spread throughout the community. But like the 1985 cargo preference battle over the farm bill, maritime unions, ship operators, shipbuilders, politicians and just about anyone remotely connected to the industry put aside their normal differences to save their backsides-which once again were firmly pressed to the wall. What spurred them to action was the possible sight of the Canadian maple leaf flag fluttering from the stems of tankers steaming south from Valdez with Alaskan oil-north from Norfolk with coal to Boston--0r pushing barges of grain down the Mississippi River. Sen. John Breaux At the time, negotiators were considering a "North American Jones Act." The cornerstone for the U.S.flag domestic fleet is the Jones Act, which reserves all coastwide trading for U .S.-flag ships. Because Jones Act ship operators receive no subsidy, the act is the only support they receive from the government. If the coastwide trade had been opened to Canadians, maritime leaders were convinced they would be unable to compete. Canada has several more programs to help its ship operators than the U.S. does. Construction subsidies, tax breaks, and the right to employ low cost non-Canadian crewmembers give the Canadians a large cost advantage. An example is found on the Great Lakes where U.S. ships carry only about 5 percent of the cross trade between the two countries. Three other factors were frightening U.S. interests. The first was the proposal on the table to open up any future expansion of U.S. promotional programs, such as cargo preference or operating subsidies, to Canadian ships. In effect, that would have shut out U .S.-ftag ships because of the cost factor. The second was the recent decision by the Reagan administration to allow the reflagging of 11 Kuwaiti tankers without a U.S. crew aboard. There were fears that action could set a precedent allowing U.S.-flag ships to sail with few, if any, Americans aboard. Finally, under the terms of trade, navigation and friendship treaties that the U.S. has with 37 other nations, the door would have been opened for those countries' participation in the same trade. At the SIUNA convention in August, SIU President Frank Drozak and SIU of Canada President Roman Gralewicz began to lay the groundwork to bring maritime together on both sides of the border to fight the proposals. Private maritime interests began to come together. More than 120 maritime unions, ship operators, builders and other groups formed a coalition to begin pressuring the Reagan administration. The goal was simple-remove all the maritime proposals from the trade agreement. While the goal was simple, the battle was not. Because the proposed treaty was under so-called "fast track" authority , whatever was eventually agreed to by the negotiators could only be voted on by the Senate as a whole packagenot section by section. At the time, it seemed unlikely the entire agreement, which enjoyed a fair amount of support for its other areas, could be blocked because of its maritime provisions. But, with maritime allie on Capitol Hill and the unusually united maritime industry applying pressure, there was some hope that the maritime provisions could be blocked. A letter by the coalition, grown to 200 organizations, to every senator and representative helped line up support. ''This agreement trades away the maritime industry for advantages in other commercial sectors . . . that bear no relation to national defense, and it gives no assurance whatsoever that Canadian vessels and shipyards will fulfill U.S. defense requirements,'' the coalition wrote. An appeal to President Reagan and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney went out from the SIU's Drozak and SIU of Canada's Gralewicz. The two labor leaders warned of the dire consequences to both countries' national security if the maritime sections of the agreement were kept. "The critical problem [dwindling sealift for defense] will grow more serious if U.S. and Canadian maritime policies are sacrificed. This decline in the maritime industry's ability to serve as a national security asset is not limited to the United States. Canadianflag operators also have been crippled by a similar lack of support by government agencies and presently are unable to meet Canada's sealift needs. ''The framework of a free trade agreement is not the proper forum to fashion well-crafted maritime policies adequate to fulfill changing national requirements," the two wrote. On the House side of Capitol Hill, If U.S. Jones Act trade had been opened to the Canadians, American takers like the American Republic would more than likely have been tied up for good. Coastwise and river trade would have suffered too. Rep. Walter B. Jones (D-N.C.), chairman of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, began gathering support from members in an effort to prevent the administration from going ahead with their dangerous maritime action. But despite the coalition's urging Rep. Walter B. Jones and the SIU's activity, word came that the final trade agreement contained the maritime sections all feared. That did not stop efforts to halt approval of those sections. Jones was able to gather the majority of representatives in a resolution to remove the issues from the final treaty. While only the Senate would vote on the final agreement, such massive House opposition was felt by the White House. In the Senate, which must ratify all treaties, a majority of senators had signed on with Sen. John Breaux (DLa.), chairman of the Senate Merchant Marine Subcommittee, in a resolution opposing the maritime provisions. In addition, an effort was under way to open the proposed agreement to a debate on the maritime sections. The Senate Rules Committee backed Breaux and the House Rules Committee expressed similar concerns. The White House feared if the agreement was opened, opposition to other portions of the agreement could bog down ratification. In December, word finally came from the negotiating table. The two sides had met again and revised the agreement. The maritime proposals were eliminated. "Over the past months, we've had to mount what can only be called an educational campaign to the those who see the maritime industry as only ships," Jones said. The campaign worked because of the strong leadership from the SIU, other maritime unions and companies and the maritime industry's allies on Capitol Hill. The united front presented by all involved was enough to make the White House back down, according to The New York Times. "Mr. Breaux's objection had to be met because with the powerful maritime industry behind him, he could have opened up the bill," the Times reported in a piece on the agreement. ''Maybe we can learn a lesson here,'' Drozak said. "If we bring all our resources together we have a much better chance of winning than when all of us are going in different directions. The 1985 farm bill and now this treaty are great examples of what a unified maritime industry can do." The treaty was signed in early January and is expected to be voted on by the Senate by midyear. January 1988 I LOG I 3 �Manning Trends-Crews Shrink, Duties Change This is the third in a series of commentaries on evolving concepts of manning and shipboard productivity. Last month we examined the 1971 "Stanwick Report" and its impact on today's radically different manning requirements. In this article we will take a look at a study that was made during the mid-1980s which resulted in some startlingly new shipboard manning concepts. Early in 1985, a study program was begun under a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Maritime Administration and Pacific Gulf Marine Inc. to examine new watchstanding and ''maintenance department" concepts. Participating in the 19-month-long study were the U.S. Coast Guard, the Seafarers International Union, and District 2 Marine Engineers Beneficial Association/American Maritime The SIU-contracted American Eagle was the site of a manning efficiency study. Senate Backs /LO Actions The Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave its approval to two longpending conventions of the International Labor Organization, a first step toward ratification by the Senate, which last adopted an ILO standard in 1946. The full Senate is expected to take up the measures in January. ILO Convention 144, which requires consultation on ILO matters at least once a year by the government, worker and employer groups of each country, was approved in a 15-3 vote. Convention 147, which requires nations to set minimum labor standards for seagoing ships under their jurisdiction, was passed unanimously. ILO conventions are treaties establishing minimum world standards for working conditions and worker rights. They are shaped by government, worker and employer delegates under the ILO's unique tripartite structure and are submitted to member nations for ratification only after a two-thirds vote of an ILO conference. The United States has one of the worst ratification records of the more than 120 nations that belong to the ILO. It has ratified just seven of the 162 conventions-one minor procedural standard and the six maritime conventions. AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland in testimony last October urged rati- fication of the two conventions, and noted that the United States has been complying with Convention 144 through its participation in the regular ILO meetings held since the measure was adopted by the United Nations agency in 1976. Kirkland endorsed the concern expressed by President Reagan when he submitted the two conventions to the Senate for ratification. Reagan wrote, "We are vulnerable to criticism when we seek to take others to task for failing to adhere to instruments we ourselves have not ratified.'' At that same hearing, SIU testimony urged ratification of Convention 147, stressing that even minimal standards would provide protection ''from unscrupulous shipowners who engage seafarers from countries with subsistence economies at very low wage rates.'' Ratification of the maritime convention would be "a first step in a long journey'' to eradicate crew abuse and lack of safety standards, the union said. The convention requires enforcement of maritime laws or regulations covering safety standards, including competency, hours of work and manning, along with standards for social security protections and shipboard conditions of employment and living arrangements for crew members. Sea-Land Buys 5 New Ships Sea-Land has purchased five former United States Lines ships and has been given permission to scrap six World War II-vintage vessels. The new ships will be used on a West Coast, Hawaii, Asia run. They represent a 42 percent increase in the line's cargo capacity in the Pacific. The former USL ships (the company declared bankruptcy in 1986) are not 4 I LOG I January 1988 the giant econoships which can carry 4,258 TEU s. Those ships have been purchased by a group of banks at bankruptcy auctions. They may be leased soon according to industry insiders. The six Sea-Land ships set for scrapping are: the Boston, Galveston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Pedro and St. Louis. Officers. The purpose of the project was to explore ways to improve the productivity of U .S.-flag merchant ships ''through organizational, procedural and manpower improvements both ashore and at sea." Although not stated, it was a continuation of and an update of the "Stanwick Report" which was published 15 years earlier. Like the ''Stanwick Report,'' the conclusions of this study called for basic changes in the use of manpower at sea. This project took it a step further: some of the proposed changes were to be tested and monitored at sea with the cooperation of SIU and MEBA-District 2. Early in 1985, during a total of 30 voyage days aboard the Ml V American Eagle and the M/V American Condor, a consultant group observed and evaluated the activities and efficiency of the crews in their traditional three-department, three-watch systems. From its survey, the project team proposed a reorganized manning structure to include a "maintenance department'' consisting of seven unlicensed dayworkers from the deck, engine and steward departments who would be routinely responsible for shipwide maintenance duties, under the supervision of the chief engineer. Under this system, three ABs would stand normal at-sea navigation watches, while three other ABs, together with two QMEDs, one general utility/deck-engine and one steward assistant would form the maintenance crew. Both shoreside management and shipboard maintenance were to be evaluated for efficiency. The report concluded that one of the keys to more efficient shipboard maintenance was ''cross-departmental utilization of personnel,'' which was one of the basic proposals of the ''Stanwick Report.'' Training was emphasized as crucial to the success of any reorganized manning system. This would involve upgrading and training so that unlicensed crewmembers could work in a cross-departmental structure. It would also require shipboard training for both licensed and unlicensed personnel to prepare them for expanded management and supervisory responsibilities. The project team which undertook this study-Pacific Gulf, MARAD and the Coast Guardmet often in Washington, D.C. and at Pacific Gulf headquarters in New Orleans through late 1986. They reviewed and evaluated a number of surveys of on-shore management and administrative policies as well as shipboard work habits. Both SIU and MEBA-District 2 were consulted and kept advised of the project and its interim conclusions. Earlier, in December 1985, a meeting was held at SIU headquarters in Camp Springs, Md. during which Pacific Gulf and MARAD sought the formal approval of SIU and MEBA-District 2 for implementation of the maintenance department concept on a trial basis aboard the MN American Eagle and the MN American Condor. A wide range of manning issues were discussed. These included setting up a permanent job program, setting guidelines for training and upgrading, cross-utilization of unlicensed crew, rotating ABs between deck and maintenance departments, and establishing procedures for advancement to higher positions through experience and training. While the unions were favorable to the overall proposals for manning reorganization on the two PGM vessels ''as an experiment,'' approval was withheld pending the outcome of U.S. Coast Guard hearings on manning regulations which could have an impact on manning throughout the industry. Meanwhile, the project group studied the manning structures of foreign-flag ships and concluded that the use of ''general purpose crews'' was becoming the accepted practice throughout the maritime world. * * * In February 1987, a final report on ''Shipboard Productivity Methods" was issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is a three-volume work examining in great detail ship productivity, ship operations, manpower, training, productivity methods, ship/shore work/maintenance systems and personnel organization. The bottom line? The maritime industry as we knew it even 10 years ago no longer exists. Technical and 9perational changes have overtaken most of maritime labor despite the stubborn resistance of some of maritime labor's leadership. What was predicted in the "Stanwick Report" 17 years ago is already here: smaller and bettertrained crews, cross-utilization of manpower, and emphasis on underway maintenance of ships, their structures, equipment and systems. It is a tribute not only to the leadership, but especially to the membership of the SIU that we have been open and responsive to these changes. . SUPPORT SPAD �First Run for Overseas Joyce SIU's New Car Carrier Makes Stop in Houston On the inside it looks like a massive parking garage and from the outside, well ... The Overseas Joyce (Maritime Overseas) will never be mistaken for a sleek liner, but this 635-foot vessel is a thing of beauty to the SIU. It is the first U .S.-flag and SIU-crewed car carrier to call in the U.S. The Joyce, with a 12-man crew, can carry 5,300 cars and may be the first of several U.S. ships taking part in the lucrative Japan to U.S. auto trade. The Joyce is scheduled to make 60-day round trips from Japan to Gulf and East Coast ports. When the Overseas Joyce docked in Houston, it was the first time a SIU-contracted ship carried Japanese cars to America. SIU Vice President Red Campbell (left) and Martime Overseas Port Captain Johnson observe the hydraulic deck lift on the Joyce. Reports are that the three-man steward department is working well. Pictured above are Chief Cook Travis Crow, Steward Robert Firth and SA Mostafa Mostafa. Campbell, Bosun R. Bradford and Houston Port Agent Dean Corgey take a break on deck. Here are Bosun Bradford and SIU VP Joe Sacco on deck. Corgey (left) and members of the Joyce's deck department. January 1988 I LOG I 5 �In its monthly series of interviews and reports, "PROFILES" will highlight key government officials instrumental in shaping national and maritime policy. profiles Sen. Harry Reid Rep. Jim Jontz S T EN. Harry Reid (D-N ev.) represents a state whose economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism but whose politics are rooted in conservative traditions and philosophy. The junior senator from Nevada was born and raised in that state. In 1959 he received an associate degree in science from Southern Utah State College, and two years later earned a bachelor of science degree from Utah State University. Reid also studied at the George Washington School of Law where he received his law degree in 1964. He was admitted to the Nevada State Bar in 1963-one year before graduation. Sen. Reid's political career began immediately upon graduation from law school, first as Henderson City Attorney and then as a member of the Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees. He expanded his involvement into state government when he served in the Nevada Assembly. In 1970 Reid, then only 29 years old, was elected to a four-year term as the youngest lieutenant governor in Nevada history. In 1974, a strong Democratic year, Reid opposed Paul Laxalt in a run for the U.S. Senate. The Reid-Laxalt race was conducted under the shadow of Watergate. But in spite of that, Laxalt scored a narrow victory (625 votes). In 1975 Reid sought to rebound with a campaign for mayor of Las Vegas, but again he lost by a narrow margin. Redistricting in 1981 created a House seat for Las Vegas separate from the rest of Nevada, and Reid announced his congressional campaign earlywinning strong support from party regulars, labor, and business and professional groups. He faced Peggy Cavnar, Sen. Harry Reid a former state assemblywoman and won with 58 percent of the vote. In a 1984 rematch, Reid again won, this time with the advantage of incumbency. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the first district of Nevada, Reid served on the Committee on Science and Technology and on the Select Committee on Aging. He was the first Nevadan in nearly l 00 years to hold membership on the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Reid also served as a Regional Whip during his two terms in Congress. In 1986 Reid was elected to represent Nevada in the U.S. Senate. Here he serves on the Appropriations Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Special Committee on Aging. As a senator in the lOOth Congress, Reid is a member of the Helsinki Commission, the United States Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, the Arms Control and Foreign Policy Caucus, the Environmental and Energy Study Conference and the California Democratic Congressional Delegation. Nominations Invited for Seamanship Trophy Nominations will be accepted beginning Jan. 1 for the 1988 American Merchant Marine Seamanship Trophy. The trophy is awarded-though not necessarily every year-on behalf of the maritime industry to U.S. citizens for deeds which exemplify the highest traditions of seamanship and maritime skills demonstrated in the immediate past calendar year. The trophy was last given in 1986 to Capt. James E. Bise and the crew of the integrated tug-barge Baltimore for their rescue of survivors of two foundering vessels in hurricane conditions. Nominees for the 1988 Seamanship Trophy must be individual U.S. citizens who have performed feats of distinguished seamanship while aboard a civilian-crewed U .S.-flag vessel, yacht or other small craft during calendar year 1988. ''Distinguished seamanship,'' as de6 I LOG I January 1988 fined by the Select Committee, comprises an act representing the highest standards of professional competence at sea in the presence of extreme peril to life and/or property, or under adverse and severe weather conditions. Nominations should include the following information: Name of the candidate; vessel and owner; and date, time, place of incident and weather conditions. If possible, an abstract or photocopy of the ship's log, eyewitness reports, Coast Guard reports, newspapers accounts and other pertinent supporting documents should accompany the nomination. All nominations for the 1988 award must be received by March l, 1988. They should be addressed to: Rear Adm. Paul L. Krinsky American Merchant Marine Seamanship Trophy U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Kings Point, N. Y. 11024-1699 HE fifth district of Indiana, in the northwest part of the state, extends most of the way across northern Indiana from the suburbs of Gary to the factory town of Marion and the much smaller town of North Manchester. It includes distinct political worlds that share one common element-they vote Republican. That is, until Jim Jontz (D-Ind.) came along. At the age of 22, just a year after graduating from Indiana University, Jontz was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives by beating its majority leader by two votes. He won re-election to the House four times, always from Republican districts, and then beat the odds again when he won a seat in the Indiana State Senate in 1984. The issues he focused on dealt with environmental protection, health concerns, utility reform and "people issues' '-children, the elderly, the disabled. The Democrat from Brookston also compiled one of the best attendance records in the history of the Indiana General Assembly, never missing a day of legislative service in 12 years and missing only three out of more than 6,500 recorded votes from 1976 through 1984. With the retirement of Republican Rep. Elwood "Bud" Hillis in 1986, Jim Jontz became the first Democrat to represent Indiana's 5th district since 1960. The aggressive politician said the secret of his winning in Republican areas is preaching a philosophy of helping the average citizen. And he practices what he preaches by return- Rep. Jim Jontz ing to his district as often as possible, holding town meetings and participating in a weekly phone session where he takes calls from constituents "to maintain direct contact with the district." Jontz is the only Indiana congressman on the House Agriculture Committee which he sought because of the vast farming areas in his district. He also serves on the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Rep. Jontz joined with 28 of his colleagues in cosponsoring H.R. 1425, the Family Farm Act of 1987. He is also involved in legislation to improve the GI Bill of Rights. Jontz called passage of the permanent peacetime GI Bill an important accomplishment, but said "there are a number of ways the program can be improved to insure that additional qualified individuals choose to participate.'' -----Personals----Craig Haelson Olive Oil is my girl. Sincerely, Popeye. P .S. Please eat your spinach. Benjamin Porter Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Benjamin Porter, who sailed as a galleyman onboard the SS Walter Rice in 1978, please contact Todd Johnson, 6054 Laurel St., Apt. B, New Orleans, La. 70118. Thomas I. Walker Please contact Mrs. Pauley. In Florida, call 1-800-342-2074. Outside Florida, call 1-904-398-4600. ~aymond Grant Please contact Cynthia re. your daughter Porchia. Tel. 1-212-6278509. Pay Off on Spirit of Texas The crew of the Spirit of Texas paid off in New Orleans recently. They are (1. to r.) ABS. Wagerik, AB Wayne Pigsers, AB A. Lanes, Chief Cook G. Triguaro, AB Tommy Benton, QMED C. Langley, SIU Patrolman Nick Celona, Wiper D. Lovejoy, QMED G. Madroa and Bosun Burt "Blackie" Hamback. �1987 Busy Political Year brings SIU Major Victories on Candian Trade and U.S. Crews 1987, the seventh year of the Reagan administration, was marked once again by efforts to hold our ground in the face of continuing anti-maritime actions. While politics played a major role in the SIU's activity last year (see the Washington Report, page 24), people, events and ships made the news. Following is a look at 1987 from the pages of the Seafarers LOG. Trade is put at the top of the SIU' s legislative agenda for the year. Joining other unions and groups in an effort to establish , fair trade policies and reduce the $170 billion trade deficit, SIU President Frank Drozak says, ''U.S. maritime has suffered from a variety of unfair trade restrictions . . . which virtually shut out U.S.-flag vessels in foreign trade. We have to eliminate these unfair foreign trade practices.'' Other important legislative areas include U.S.-flag participation in the auto carriage trade , protection of Alaskan oil export ban, subsidy reform and other areas. JANUARY The first hint of what's in store for the maritime industry comes from the figures in the Reagan budget. Most maritime programs are frozen at pre- from the Interstate Commerce Commission. The move puts together SeaLand' s 47 ships with CSX's railroads, barge lines and trucking companies. After years ofleading the fight against alcoholism, the SIU's Alcoholic Rehabilitation Center adds the curse of drug abuse to its treatments. The Addictions Rehabilitation Center ''maintains our tradition of Seafarers helping Seafarers," Drozak says. An Atlantic storm claims 21 lives when a Filipino ship capsizes off Cape AB Jay Thomas sailed on the Pollux (Bay Tankers) during Operation Reforger '87. AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland (right) presents SIU President Frank Drozak with the George Meany Memorial at the SIUNA convention. vious levels or slightly reduced. One bright spot, money to pay increased P.L. 480 cargo costs is included following the previous year's agreement to raise the U.S. -flag share of that cargo. One major difference on Capitol Hill as the New Year starts, the Democrats take control of the Senate as the 1OOth session begins. After 40 years of service to the maritime labor movement, SIU Executive Vice President Ed Turner retires. . . Hearings begin on a December explosion in Piney Point at the Steuart Petroleum depot which killed four men, including SIU tankerman Glen Ponder . . . The Japanese announce plans to test new crewless ships. The robot ships wowd be manned only when near shore, when small crews would be helicoptered to the ships . . . Details of late December accidents which claimed the lives of 30 British, Icelandic and Greek sailors are reported. One ship ran aground in clear weather, while heavy seas were blamed in the other two sinkings . . . The ashes of Frank Go mar, 81, former MC&S assistant secretary/treasurer, are scattered east of Oahu Jan. 3. FEBRUARY A federal judge rules that the CDS payback program, which the SIU strongly opposed, is unlawful. The Department of Transportation began the program to allow subsidized tankers into the domestic Alaskan oil trade. Warned that more than a dozen tankers and 800 seamen would be out of work, the DOT went ahead anyway. The judge gives the DOT until June 15 to revise the program. SIU Executive Vice President Ed Turner retired last year. May, N .J. and an American fishing boat sinks off the North Carolina coast. A daring rescue attempt by a U.S. Navy submarine saves one man from the freighter, but is called off when the sub comes close to swamping in the heavy seas. SIU civil service mariners crew the first of two new hospital ships, the (Continued on Page 8.) Charles B. Heyman is named new counsel for the SIU. He replaces Howard Schulman who retired ... Dr. Joseph A. San Filippo is appointed SIU Medical Director ... Longtime LOG staffer Ray Bourdius retires and returns to his beloved New York . . . United States Lines, which declared bankruptcy in late 1986, announces plans to sell some of its ships in hopes of returning to business. MARCH A House bill to reserve a percentage of the $10 billion a year auto import trade for U.S. -flag ships picks up Democratic and Republican support. ''While the U.S. public pays for that cost, the U .S.-flag fleet is shut out of the market. This will give us a fair shot at the business," Drozak says. In Bal Harbour, Fla., the Maritime Trades Department (MTD) forges an ''Agenda for Progress'' which calls for national commitment in the area of health care, education, training and jobs for American workers. "It is imperative that our fourth arm of defense, the U.S.-flag merchant marine, be injected with new life and vigor,'' an MTD statement reads. Three presidential candidatesRichard Gephardt, Gary Hart and Joe Eiden-address the meeting. Resolutions covering the Jones Act, national defense and the merchant marine, Great Lakes maritime industry, shipbuilding, fishing and other areas, pass with overwhelming support of the delegates. The merger between Sea-Land, the largest SIU-contracted company, and the massive transportation conglomerate CSX Corp. receives approval DEU Jim August (left) and messman Charles Bryant get a chance for a little oneon-one during the Gus Darnell's (Ocean Ships) run to the South Pole. January 1988 I LOG I 7 �1987 (Continued from Page 7.) USNS Mercy, as it sails on a fourmonth training and humanitarian mission. Steve Leslie, longtime ally of the SIU and president of Local 25 of the Operating Engineers, dies in New Jersey. He was an MTD executive board charter member and MTD vice president. AB Larry Stogner sailed on the Sea-Land Galveston's last run. The Galveston was built in 1944. APRIL The U.S.-flag share of P.L. 480 cargo jumps to 70 percent under a compromise worked out in the 1985 farm bill. Several trade and maritime bills move out of committee in the House and Senate, including bills which would penalize countries for shipping practices which discriminate against U.S.-flag carriers and one which would require bilateral trade agreements with some nations. It's spring on the Great Lakes as the annual tradition of fitout begins. Hundreds of Lakers get dozens of large ore, cement and other carriers ready for another season. "We may well witness the demise of the U.S. -flag merchant fleet and the nation's ability to deliver the required sealift in wartime . . . the key is cargo. Given cargo, our U.S. merchant marine will rebuild iteself,'' SIU President Frank Drozak tells the presidentially-appointed Commision on Merchant Marine and Defense. The commission listens to representatives from several maritime labor unions as it continues hearings on the merchant marine and its ability, or inability, to meet national defense needs. All witnesses agree that the shrinking fleet and dwindling manpower pool pose serious problems if a national emergency should occur. Drozak also called for strong en8 I LOG I January 1988 forcement of the Jones Act, its extension to 200 miles offshore, stiffer cargo preference enforcement, tax incentives and several other items. Optimisim dwindles as a June 15 deadline approaches for a new contract between the SIU and the American Maritime Association. Both standard freightship and tanker agreements expire June 15. Demanding substantial rollbacks, the AMA' s stance results in the membership's approval of a strike if no agreement can be reached. The State Department and the Coast Guard announce a plan to reflag 11 Kuwaiti tankers under the U.S. flag, but with only an American captain aboard each ship. The SIU says the action is "contrary to the intent of Congress and dangerous to our national security." U.S. maritime law requires that 75 percent of the unlicensed crew and I00 percent of the licensed officers be U.S. citizens. An obscure, 100-year-old loophole in the law is used by the government to justify its plans. Two active Seafarers and four dependents win $55 ,000 in scholarships as the result of the Charlie Logan Scholarship program. The Department of Transportation issues new rules, which include provisions for CDS paybacks on oil tankers. Earlier a federal judge ordered the new regulations after the SIU and other groups argued that CDS paybacks are contrary to maritime law. Maritime turns its efforts to Capitol Hill where the DOT appropriations bill prohibits the department from using any of its money for the payback scheme. A House-passed trade bill contains several SIU-backed sections, including automobile carriage, Alaskan oil export restrictions, unfair shipping practices. The administration takes a strong stand against granting veterans' status to World War II seamen. The next day Reagan issues an annual Maritime Day proclamation praising merchant seamen's sacrifice in wars. "Pretty words and medals are nice, but to deny veterans' status to old seamen one day and then praise their bravery and mourn their deaths the next, smacks of either ignorance or hypocrisy,'' an editorial in the LOG states. JUNE Armed with a strike vote, SIU negotiators meet with AMA represen- When the Filipino crew of the Greek-flag ship Skyranger struck over lack of fresh water, adequate food, poor safety conditions and unpaid wages, the SIU and other unions involved in the International Transport Workers Federation went to bat for the crew. The conditions were corrected. On the Pollux, the SIU steward department kept the crew well fed. The department includes Chief Steward Marvin St. George, Chief Cook Ike John, Third Cook Howard Ward, GSU Ralph Palmer and BR April Martin. �- - - ............ ---------------------~---~----------------------- panies to pay U.S. taxes. Cynical hypocrisy at work. Free trade talks between the U.S. and Canada begin to concern U.S. maritime groups. Word leaks out that the Jones Act will be opened to Canadian ship operators. Several other key maritime laws are reported "on the table'' between negotiators for the two countries. The SIU holds its annual Sealift Conference at Piney Point. The problems and red tape of the Request for Proposal process (RFP) draws heated response from participants. Some companies interested in bidding for government ship work spend $50,000 to $600,000 just to prepare the bids and come away empty handed thanks to unclear and changing regulations. The process is so complicated, the RFPs so detailed, SIU Vice President Red Campbell quips, "I don't need to own barbells. I pick up RFPs to stay in shape." The National Maritime Union celebrates its 50th birthday ... ILA President Teddy Gleason retires. He began working on the New York City docks in 1915 and was ILA president for 24 years ... E. B. McAuley, who held several important SIU posts from 1946 until his retirement, dies. He was 63. maintaining the international' s record of protecting the job security of its members. The SIU and the SIU of Canada appeal to the president and the Candian prime minister to remove all maritime issues from the free trade talks between the two countries. SIU's Frank Drozak and SIU of Canada's Roman Gralewicz tell the two leaders that the AUGUST tatives and hammer out a new threeyear contract. After months of standing pat on giveback demands, the AMA backs down. "We retained our work jurisdiction, which is extremely important. On top of that we got the same 2 percent per year wage increase the officers got, and the vacation remains the same,·· SIU Vice President Red Campbell says. The administration slows down its efforts to refiag Kuwaiti tankers and provide them with U.S. Navy protection. Serious opposition from various groups mounts. The Journal of Commerce opposes the action in a stronglyworded editorial and the International Transport Workers Federation condemns the move. More than $2 million in back pay and benefits is awarded to 27 SIU boatmen. A federa1 judge upholds the NLRB' s decision that the Baltimore towing company, Baker-Whiteley, tried to circumvent its contract with the SIU by establishing a new company and tossing the 27 boatmen out of work. JULY In an unusual display of maritime unity, leaders of several unions appear before the House Merchant Marine Subcommittee to testify against the Kuwaiti tanker reftagging. The SIU, the NMU, MM&P, MEBA-2 and the Radio Officers Union testify against the reftagging and lack of crew citizenship requirements. While the reftagging debate goes on, leaders of a run-away-flag group of shippers (Federation of American Controlled Shipping) pleads for U.S. Navy protection in the Middle East. Claiming they pay U.S. taxes, the group says it deserves the protection. At the same time, F ACS is asking Congress to overturn last year's tax reform bill which requires the com- A federal judge in Washington rules the U.S. government was wrong in denying veterans' benefits to World War II merchant seamen. The judge said the Civilian/Military Service review Board did not follow its own guidelines in denying the benefits. He did not order the government to grant benefits but asked both sides in the case to work out an agreement, if possible. SIU President Frank Drozak urges the government to offer ''genuine U.S. tankers with U.S. crews" to Kuwait or any other Mid-East country to charter. Kuwait continues to refiag its ships one-by-one with only a U.S. captain. More than 120 maritime companies and groups (including the SIU) write to every member of the House and Senate urging that maritime issues be taken off the table in U. S ./Canada trade negotiations. The issues would open almost all U.S. maritime markets to Canadian ship operators. On the Hill, 213 House and Senate members cosponsor resolutions to keep maritime out of any agreement. A new operating subsidy plan submitted by the administration draws luke warm response from industry . . . The National Transportation Safety Board rules that an Oct. 28, 1986 explosion aboard the Ogden Yukon was the result of several safety problems. The blast killed four crewmen, including one SIU member . . . Boy Scouts from 13 states spend two weeks at Piney Point as guests of the SIU and MTD. When the OM/ Columbia tied up in Los Angeles, AB Robert Pagan had a chance to visit with his wife Lee. maritime industries of both countries are ''being needlessly placed in jeopardy." The NMU and MEBA-1 announce they have made plans to merge into one union. The new union will have a licensed and unlicensed division. About a year prior to the announcement, the SIU and NMU held a series of merger talks that eventually broke off. I. W. Abel, a founder and former president of the United Steelworkers of America, dies. The son of a blacksmith, he served three terms as president ... Civil rights activitist Bayard Rustin, 75, dies in New York. His life was a "commitment to peace, human dignity and social justice," AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland says. (Continued on Page 10.) SEPTEMBER Launch pilot John Zeroes was busy last year in the Norfolk-Newport News area, working for the SIU-contracted Virginia Launch Service. Three hundred delegates from the SIUNA's 18 affiliated unions meet in Piney Point for their Triennial Convention. The representatives of 80,000 workers vote to study restructuring the SIUNA with the goal of streamlining operations, reducing costs and SIU Port Agent Kennett Mangram boards the Sea-Land Express for a pay-off in Elizabeth, N.J. January 1988 I LOG I 9 �87 (Continued from Page 9.) OCTOB R Morris Weisberger, one of the last links to the early U.S. seamen's movement, dies in California. He was 80. Weisberger began sailing with the SUP in 1926. He replaced the legendary Harry Lundeberg as leader of the SUP in 1957. The Reagan administration announces that it has completed a free trade agreement with Canada. Despite strong opposition from the maritime industry and both political parties, the tentative agreement opens U.S. maritime programs to Canada. If approved, Canadians could take part in any future expansion of U.S. maritime promotional programs, including the Jones Act, P.L. 480 cargo and others. Both the House and Senate are ready to fight the maritime portions of the treaty. The first SIU-crewed car carrier sails from Japan to the U .S. The Overseas Joyce carries 5,300 Toyotas and will call on Baltimore, New York and Boston during its 60-day round trip. In a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the SIU, along with several other organizations , urges Congress to adopt International Labor Organization resolutions to protect merchant seamen worldwide. The resolutions would set minimum standards and mainly benefit third world sailors. In Norfolk, Baltimore and Philadelphia, 300 SIU boatmen for McAllister Brothers Towing and Curtis Bay take to the picket line when contract talks stall in all three cities. NOVEMBER The Commission on Merchant Marine and Defense issues its first ''findings'' report after a series of hearings. Not surprisingly, it notes that if the decline of the U.S.-ftag merchant fleet and the skilled manpower pool continues, the U.S. will not be able to meet its sealift defense needs. ''A major government effort is urgently required, indeed overdue,'' the report says. The Maritime Trades Department holds its biennial convention in Florida. MTD and SIU President Frank Drozak appoints a special committee to develop a unified legislative program '"which will effectively confront the common problems that affect all workers in American industry today.'' The strike against McAllister and Curtis Bay towing companies continues. Rallies and picket activity in Norfolk, Baltimore and Philadelphia increase. After 43 years of service , the Sea- Land Galveston, a World War II vintage C-4, makes her last run from Alaska. DECE B R After months of pressure, the administration backs down and removes all maritime provisions from a free trade agreement with Canada. With the majority of senators and representatives lined up against the proposal and the possibility of holding up the entire agreement, negotiators from both sides finally back down. Delegates from the Seafarers Maritime Union hold their first convention. The new top-to-bottom union ''represents a real opportunity,'' says SIU President Frank Drozak. Contracts with Curtis Bay Towing Co. in Baltimore and Philadelphia are reached, but Boatmen in Baltimore refuse to return to work, and in Philadelphia they file suit against the Union. The strike against McAllister continues. Ken Hudspeth worked the rivers last year aboard the Joey Choti.n (Orgulf). ~~:/;:. : SIU Vice President George McCartney represented the SIU during Maritime Day services aboard the Jeremia.h O'Brien in San Francisco. Marad Administrator John Gaughan and SIU lobbyist Liz DeMato confer during a break at a House hearing. Seafarers in Honolulu volunteered their services to move the historic schooner the Falls of Clyde. The ship is 109 years old and the last four-masted square-rigged merchant ship afloat. Richmond Collins (left), relief chief cook, and Chief Cook Bradford Mack were aboard the Thompson Pass last year. Algonac Port Agent Jack Allen (center) checks books and clinic cards during the Great Lakes fitout. SIU boatmen aboard the tug Arthur S were called on to help in salvage efforts after the Pacbaroness, a Liberian ore freighter, was struck in collision. But the damage was so severe, the Pacbaroness went down off the coast of California. 10 I LOG I January 1988 QMED James "Tidewater" Tyson" shipped out last year aboard the Stonewall Jackson. �f.'·'.- =·-;.., ..·.";.:":·:.-:·.... ·.:..:.· ·''·,- .,.;;;,,. . .. . L-~~ Pensioners The SIU-crewed Admiral Semmes (Crescent Towing) went into dry dock in Mobile, Ala. recently for a few repairs. At the left are Engineer Clyde Graves and Patrolman Jeff Libby on the stern of the Semmes. Below, yard workers paint and scrape the tug. Union Sweets for ' Union Valentines • ...._,, Union Label and Service Tradea Depertment, Af'L-C:IO ;j~ •'harge/dredgel Dry Docked in Mobile More than 100 professional tugboat crewmen remain on strike against Curtis Bay Towing of Virginia and McAllister Brothers in the port of Norfolk. "We'd love to see this thing settled. But that would take some honest, good-faith bargaining. We have yet to see that from either company,'' said SIU President Frank Drozak. The striking boatmen walked off the job in Norfolk last October when both companies refused to bargain in good faith with the SIU. The companies' demands for massive concessions and their refusal to bargain over the terms of the contracts caused the strike, Drozak said. Various unfair labor practice and bad faith bargaining charges have been filed by the SIU with the National Labor Relations Board . But the NLRB has not issued any decisions on those charges. ...•··.·.···= :·•. ~m'¢:::~~~=~ 1 tug/tow '~ es Norfolk Beef Continues-No Word From NLRB ~~: The following Inland members have retired on pension: Baltimore Edward A. Kokoszka Tony Rossi Houston Joseph C. Kilpatrick Jacksonville George M. Davis Sr. Callie Landrum New Orleans Bryant J. LeBlanc Sr. Norfolk David H. Gibbs Elmer E. Miller William L. Owens Philadelphia James Clark Roger A. Gares Walter L. Schroeder St. Louis Ed Smith Dispatchers Report for Inland Waters DECEMBER 1-31, 1987 Port New York ..... . . ..... . .. ......... . Philadelphia ... . .. .. . ... . . .. .. ..... Baltimore ..... .. ..... .. .......... . Norfolk .. . . . .... . . . . ... ......... . Mobile .. . ... . .. .. . ... . . . . . ... . .. . New Orleans .. . . ... . . .. .... .... . .. . Jacksonville .. . . . ... .. .. .... . .. . .. . San Frar.~isco ... ........ .......... . 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 .. . . .. ...... .. . .. ... . . . . .. . *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class 8 Class C 0 1 6 38 0 2 4 0 5 0 0 2 19 0 0 77 0 0 0 16 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 10 0 0 30 0 2 0 11 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 13 0 0 31 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 0 0 14 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 0 15 0 0 3 0 0 0 DECK DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 6 0 4 36 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 8 19 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 26 1 Port New York ............. . ..... . ..... Philadelphia ....................... Baltimore . . .... . ........ . . . . .. .... Norfolk . .. ....... . . .. .. . . . . . ... . . Mobile . . ........ . ... . .. . . . ....... New Orleans ....... . ............... Jacksonville San Francisco : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Wilmington ........ . ............... Seattle . .. .. .. . ........ . ..... . .... Puerto Rico . . ... .. . . ... .... . ...... Houston ....... . ... . . . ... ... ... . . . Algonac .. . ... .. ... . .... . . .. . . .. . . St. Louis . . ..... . ................. Piney Point ........... . ............ Totals .... . ... . . . .. ... . .. .. . . .. .. 20 10 1 Totals All Departments ........ . ....... 127 55 28 0 0 0 10 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class 8 Class C 58 10 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 18 0 0 4 0 0 0 **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C 0 0 4 68 0 0 3 0 46 0 0 3 28 1 0 0 0 0 21 0 1 1 0 11 0 0 0 16 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 1 27 153 54 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 0 0 0 0 28 0 0 2 22 0 0 0 0 0 12 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 73 27 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 2 0 37 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 8 0 1 0 0 20 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 5 1 0 56 36 73 26 27 282 117 0 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 . January 1988 I LOG I 11 �Area Vice Presidents' Report by V.P. Leon Hall T HE SIU was in the forefront in the battle to enact H.R. 2598, which was recently signed into law by President Reagan. It is a badly needed first step in the formulation of a national policy to promote the American fishing industry. The legislation will have an immediate impact on West Coast fishing. In addition, by tightening up American manning and ownership requirements, it will improve the job security of fishermen back East. Three years ago, the SIU was able to reorganize a large portion of the New Bedford fishermen, who were represented by the Teamsters. Among other things, we promised to make the formulation of a national fishing policy a top priority of our organization, and to improve conditions in the region. It has been a hard three years, but we have lived up to our word. In 1986 we called a strike against the Seafood Producers Association. Like many other labor disputes, the matter finally wound up in the courts. Over the past month or so we have been narrowing some of our differences with that organization, and are going over some final proposals they submitted. We still have to resolve our problems with the independents, and with the Teamsters, who are in control of the old Atlantic Fishermen's pension and welfare funds. Henry Francois, the port agent in New Bedford, is an experienced fisherman with strong ties to the industry and the community. He played an invaluable role in the organizing drive. As a former boatowner, he knows firsthand the problems facing the industry. Our legislative department in Washington is monitoring legislation concerning liability insurance and vessel safety, both of which are serious problems in this region. Finding a common position that is acceptable to fishermen, boatowners, seafood processors and the insurance industry has so far been impossible, but we are working closely with such people as Gerry Studds to see if it can't be done. The issues confronting the fishing industry are part of a larger problem of survival facing all maritime-related industries in this nation. We've been willing to work on many different levels-in New Bedford, the West Coast, Geneva (where the ILO convenes) and in the halls of Congress to make things better for our members. It has been a tough struggle to reach this point, and to some people, the pace is disheartening. But there is no alternative to solidarity, hard work and patience. 12 I LOG I January 1988 0 by V.P. Joe Sacco R Campbell and I paid a visit to the Overseas Joyce when she stopped off in Houston a short while ago. The vessel received considerable attention in the press because it was carrying the first shipment of Toyotas ever to be transported from Japan to the Gulf of Mexico on board a U.S. flag vessel. The vessel, which is owned by OSG Car Carriers, Inc., received considerable praise from industry experts and from the SIU crew. The exterior of the vessel couldn't be uglier: with its pushed-in sides, it brings to mind a bulldog's face. But the inside is something else: it comes as close to perfection as you can get. The interior is designed to maximize productivity. Everything is where it should be: if a QMED or an AB has to reach for a tool, it is on the wall, within easy access. The 625-foot vessel, capable of carrying up to 5,300 vehicles , would probably not have been registered under the American flag if this Union and other organizations in the maritime industry had not worked long and hard to draw attention to the discrimination that exists in the lucrative auto carrier trade between the United States and Japan. Quite frankly, the Japanese government was trying to throw a bone to the Americans in order to stave off further legislation. We are willing to take the bone, which means jobs for our members, but we are still working hard to see that more is done in this area. The administration, however, is quite content with the bone. That is one reason why we have emphasized our political action program. On one level, at least, the depression in the maritime industry is a political problem. We have an administration in power that just doesn't think it has to promote the maritime industry. But maritime is important to the Japanese, and to the Koreans, who are fast becoming one of the world's leading economic powers. Both nations view shipping as an integral part of their distribution and marketing networks. Yet standing onboard the Japanesemade, Japanese-designed Overseas Joyce, I had to admit that unfair trade is only part of the problem. The people who designed and built this ship are committed to excellence. They refuse to accept second-rate standards. If Americans are to compete against a country like this, then they are going to have to develop new habits. Luckily, this is one Union that emphasizes training and upgrading. We ED do it even though some of our shipowners forget what they are selling: service. Companies like McAllister and Curtis Bay are willing to put inexperienced, unskilled crews onboard their multi-million dollar investments. In effect, they are betting that shippers don't care about the quality of service they receive. In the short run this will look good on the ledger. But in the long run it will produce drastically lowered safety standards in the transportation industry, which will inevitably result in a loss of consumer confidence. This is what happened in the airline industry, and it is happening in the tug and barge industry as well. Yet there are other companies which plan for the long run. They know that maximum efficiency can only be achieved in an atmosphere of trust and honesty. For in the final analysis, why should workers upgrade their skills if they don't have a stake in a company, if they know at the first possible moment management will renege on its commitments? There just isn't any place for shoddiness in today's maritime industry, not in the quality of training, the attitude of the workers or in the ethics of management. Government Se ice by V. P. Buck Mercer V OLUMES of important information have been written about the dangers to one's health caused by drugs and alcohol. In addition, there have been, and are ongoing programs sponsored by government, management and labor that are designed to help employees return to a productive drugfree or alcohol-free life. While the problem is nationwide, our concern is for American seamen in general and MSCPAC seamen in particular. The SIU does not condone the use of drugs by its members at any time. Nor does the SIU excuse the use of alcohol aboard ship. The fact that shipboard work is hazardous, to say the least, and that safety is always a paramount issue is reason enough for management as well as labor to eliminate the problem. When a sailor is spaced-out on drugs or gassed-up on booze while on duty, he/she is definitely a menace and a threat to the remainder of the crew. The professional seamen go aboard ship to do a job and do not want to work or live alongside a shipmate who has no regard for personal safety or proper shipboard decorum. There is an opportunity for MSCPAC marine employees who are addicted to drugs or alcohol to clean up their act. MSCPAC has in place the Civilian Employee Assistance Program (CEAP) designed to help their employees with a variety of problems-drugs and alcohol included. Any or all MSCPAC seamen with these problems should take full advantage of this program for the survival of their health and their job. It is a known fact that drugs and alcohol are all too often found aboard MSCPAC ships. Why wait until the ax falls and you lose your job before you seek help. DO IT NOW. s by V. P. George McCartney I last month's column, I gave a brief rundown on the early history of the maritime industry. By 1950, the SIU-AGLIWD had become a leading voice on the waterfront. This marked quite a turnaround. Until Paul Hall came along in 1944, the East Coast had been the weak link in the AFL seamen's movement. The West Coast and the Great Lakes had long been centers oflabor activity. The first permanent maritime union, the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, was formed on the Great Lakes in 1875. The West Coast, meanwhile, produced such outstanding leaders as Andrew Furuseth and ''the two Harry's'' -Harry Lundeberg and Harry Bridges. East Coast seamen did not have that kind of tradition. Competition from the railroads and such maritime powers as Germany and the United Kingdom had a depressing effect on wages and working conditions. Shipowners in this region were fairly successful in capitalizing on their employees' differences (i.e., exploiting racial tensions). Conditions for East Coast seamen, like those of all maritime workers, deteriorated-· markedly after World War I. Throughoutthe'20sand'30s,fringe groups like the Wobblies and the Communists were able to cultivate substantial followings on the waterfront by handing out food and second-hand clothes to down-and-out sailors. They often held social ''gatherings'' within short distances of the waterfront. One such group, the Communistdominated Marine Workers Industrial Union, played an important role in the development of the modern maritime industry. When disaffection with the now-defunct International Seamen's Union reached a peak, it provided a focal point for many East Coast seamen. It wasn't until Joe Curran called a sitdown strike on the SS California in 1936 that the East Coast maritime industry produced a labor leader of national stature. Within a year, Curran was able to build a national seamen's (Continued on Page 17.) N �sea-Land seminar: Better Meat for the Fleet! very important first"; that's how Jim Mann, Sea-Land's fleet commissary administrator, described the three-day port stewards seminar held at Piney Point Dec. 2-4, 1987. Mr. Mann organized the meeting to bring together vessel managers, port stewards, captains and marine managers in order to discuss a number of topics which, in the end, will upgrade the quality of food on Sea-Land's ships, while still maintaining cost efficiency. With captains, managers and others in attendance, in addition to the port stewards, Mr. Mann hoped to give management a better understanding of the problems which the port stewards face. Mr. Mann's association with the SHLSS goes back to 1972 when he graduated from the steward department. As an upgrader, he eventually became a chief steward, and during this time put in seven years sea time. With the help of a Charlie Logan A scholarship awarded by the SIU, Mr. Mann sent himself through a hotel and restaurant administration program at Cornell University. It was through Cornell that he invited Professor Stephen Mutkoski to give a major presentation at the seminar on meat science and management. Presentations also were given by representatives of the George A. Hormel Co. and the Del Pero Mondon Meat Co. Other subjects discussed were management aboard ship, computer applications, yield and quality concept in food services, cost monitoring, purchasing function and the competitive bid system. Mr. Mann spoke enthusiastically about Sea-Land's recent reorganization in upper management. He stated that Sea-Land's new parent corporation, CSX, is dedicated to accentuating teamwork, to being more peopleoriented and less authoritarian. This new openness and willingness to lis- .. :::· · {:ft:•~ Seminar participants listen attentively as Professor Stephen Mutkoski (standing) of Cornell University lectures about cost analysis on brand specification of beef, pork, veal and lamb. On the far right is Jim Mann, seminar organizer and Sea-Land's fleet commissary administrator. ten, Jim feels, will go far in helping Sea-Land to operate more efficiently. The SHLSS will use the conference's directives as guidelines in training chief stewards in up-to-date methods, ideas, and menu-planning, with a long-term·goal of producing an entirely new steward training manual. SIU official Carl Peth offered use of the SHLSS's fine video taping facility to produce training videos on the new methods discussed. Reflecting on the successful threeday conference, Jim Mann felt a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in bringing together representatives from such diverse groups-labor, management and educators, and having them work together for the benefit of all concerned. fl~J) Classification Information The QMED-Any Rating course is 12 weeks long. The subject breakdown is: Weeks 1,2 Generals/Pumpman Weeks 3,4 Machinist Weeks 5,6,7,8 - Electrician/Deck Engineer Weeks 9, 10 Refrigeration Weeks 11, 12 Junior Engineer THE TEN (10) SPECIALTY COURSES ARE: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Automation-4 wks. Marine Electrical Maint.-10 wks. Variable Speed D.C. Drives-6 wks. Refrigeration Systems Maint. & Op.-6 wks. Welding-4 wks. Pumproom Maint & Operations-7 wks. Diesel Engine Technology-6 wks. Hydraulics-4 wks. Electro-Hydraulics-6 wks. Refrigerated Container Adv. Maint.-6 wks. THE CLASSIFICATION STEPS ARE: 1. 4th Class QMED--SHLSS QMED certificate or Coast Guard QMEDAny Rating 2. 3rd Class QMED--QMED with 2 or 3 SHLSS specialty courses 3. 2nd Class QMED--QMED with 4 or 5 SHLSS specialty courses 4. 1st Class QMED--QMED with 6 or more SHLSS specialty courses ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 1. All SHLSS specialty course certificates will be retroactive to the dates obtained. Example: If a member completed a class in 1977, it will count. 2. No more than two (2) specialty courses can be taken consecutively. A member needs "onthe-job" experience to go along with the theory. 3. A test for certification will be given, if the member can show evidence of a class (es) taken elsewhere. 4. Any member with an Engineer's License will be classified as a 1st Class QMED. 5. Any member with more than two (2) years of discharges from a day workingjob will be able to take a practical test in lieu of the specialty course. Example: A member with three (3) years Chief Pumpman discharges can take the Pumproom Maintenance and Operations test, instead of the course. If he/she passes the test, he/she will receive the certificate. January 1988 I LOG I 13 �SHLSS comings & Goings Visitors Retired Bidding farewell to the happy retiree, SHLSS Vice President Ken Conklin presents a plaque to Laymond Tucker, recognizing his 12 years as culinary director at SHLSS. Guests from St. Mary's Nursing Home enjoyed a festive day at SHLSS-including a holiday dinner and Christmas presents. The end of 1987 saw the retirement of Abe Easter, ship handling simulator manager. Here he is being presented with a plaque by SHLSS Vice President Ken Conklin for his 11 years of service. SHLSS course Graduates HARRY LUNDEBERG LIFEBOAT ..... ___ ----;:::z;,,., 42~ :::.-~ Lifeboat Class #419 (Nov. 1987): Thomas Foulke, Enoch Elliott, Grant Lureman, Eric Rodgers, Brett Lammers, James Clifton, Timothy Jasmin, Terrence Rose, Michael Askins, Eric Johnson, Wardell Brown, Carmine Barbati, Todd Diaz, Scott Horn, James Williams, Anthony Amendolia. Celestial Navigation (Dec. 3, 1987): Front row (I. to r.) Miguel A. Rodriguez, Cheryl Burgess (computer operator, simulator building). Second row (I. to r.): Jim Brown (instructor), Christopher Fennell, Francis Adams, B. Murphy. ''-----...:::.... .. Lifeboat Class #420 (Nov. 23, 1987): First row (I. to r.) Aaron Aragon, Margaret Reidsema, Vikki Van Buren, James Gannon, Mark W. Dumas, Noel Lau, Roy Rivera. Second row (I. to r.): Zachary Ridgley, John Rodgers, Adam Robbs, Erick Kelynack, Glenn Tate, Oscar Lopez. QMED (Dec. 7, 1987): First row, kneeling (I. tor.) Charlie K. Umali, Gebar Ogbe, Tony Ripoll, Chris Doyle, Bob Hamil. Second row (I. tor.) John Coates, Cary Pratts, Joe Michel, Ben Conway, Jans Kogler, Ahmed Ahmed, Lowell Miller. Third row: Willie Howard, N. Nate, T. McArdle, Aldo Santiago, Bruce Wayne, Bernie Hutching, Ron Haines, Val Carpi. Radar Clas (Dec. 15, 1987): Front row (I. to r.) Milan Fehir, Robert Wiles, Herb Cowant, Ed Boyer. Second row: Jim Brown (instructor), Carlton Richardson, Jeffrey R. Simenstad. ~­ ~ Upgrader Lifeboat (Dec. 23, 1987): Ben Cusic, left, (instructor) and Robert Art Parker. 14 I LOG I January 1988 Electro-Hydraulic Course (Dec. 17, 1987): Front row (I. tor.) Tony Mohammed, EMl Ray Jenkins. Second row (I. to r.) Robert Caldwell, UTl Dennis (Chic) Brown, Dan Mitchell. Radar Renewal (Dec. 7, 1987): Carson Jordon (left) and Atho Gugliotta. �1988 p ra Course Schedu e ! Programs Geared to Improve Job Skills And Promote U.S. Maritime Industry February - June 1988 The following is the current course schedule for February 1988 - June 1988 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 Eduration courses; All Department ,courses and Recertification Programs. // Inland Boatmen and deep sea Seafarers who are preparing to upgrade i ! are advised to enroll for class as early as ~ble. 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. Steward Upgrading Courses Check-In Date Course Adult Education Courses Check-In Completion Course Date Date For students who wish to apply for the GED, ESL, or ABE classes in 1988, the courses will be six weeks in length and offered on the following dates: High School Equivalency (GED) February 29 May 2 July 5 August 29 October 31 April 11 June 13 August 15 October 10 December 12 Adult Basic Education (ABE) & English as a Second Language (ESL) February 29 May 2 July 5 August 29 October 31 April.9 June 10 August13 October 7 December 10 The Developmental Studies Class (DVS) will be offered one week prior to some of the upgrading classes. Developmental Studies (DVS) April11 April 15 (Offered prior to the Third Mate & Original Second Mates Course) ABE/ESL Lifeboat Preparation Course February 15 June 6 March 4 June 24 This Three week course is an Introduction to Lifeboat and is designed to help seafarers prepare themselves for the regular Lifeboat course which is scheduled immediately after this course. This class will benefit those seafarers who have difficulty reading, seafarers whose first language is not English, and seafarers who have been out of school for a long time. Completion Date Assistant Cook Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office for starting date)* Cook and Baker Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office for starting date)* Chief Cook Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office for starting date)* Chief Steward Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office for starting date)* College Programs Scheduled for 1988 Check-In Course Date Associates in Arts or Certificate Program March 21 May 23 August 8 October 17 Completion Date May 13 July 15 September 30 December 9 *All students in the Steward Program will have 2 weeks of Sealift familiarization at the end of their regular course. Deck Upgrading Courses Check-In Date Course Completion Date Able Seaman Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office for starting date)* First Class Pilot (Organized self study) Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office for starting date) Celestial Naviga ion February 29 June 27 April 1 July 29 Radar April4 April15 Radar Refresher/Renewal Open-ended, 3 days (Contact Admissions Office for starting date.) Radar Recertification Open-ended, 1 day (Contact Admissions Office for starting date) Third Mate & Original Second Mate April 18 Lifeboat February 8 February 19 Mareh7 Mareh18 April4 April 15 May 2 May 13 June 10 May 30 June 27 July 1 Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office for starting dale) Sealift Operations & Maint. LNG - Self Study Safety Course June 24 (This course is not offered as a separate course, but may be taken while attending any of the regularly scheduled courses.) *Upon completion of course must take Sealift Operations & Maintenance. Engine Upgrading Courses Course QMED *Sealift Operations & Maint. Pumproom Maint. & Operations *Sealift Operations & Maint. Pumproom Maint. & Operations *Sea lift Operations & Ma int. Refrigerated Containers-Advanced Mainl *Sealift Operations & Maint. Variable Speed DC Drives * Sealift Operations & Maint. Welding Sealift Operations & Maint. Welding *Sealift Operations & Maint. Diesel Engine Technology *Sealift Operations & Maint. Electro-Hydraulic Systems *Sealift Operations & Maint. Hydraulics * Sealift Operations & Maint. Third Asst. Engineer & Original Second Asst. Engineer Steam or Motor Check-In Completion Date Date April 4 June 23 July 5 July 15 March 11 February 1 March 14 March 25 April 29 March 21 May 13 May2 April 1 February 22 April 4 April 15 March 14 April 22 April 25 May6 March 14 April 8 April 22 April 11 April 18 May 13 May27 May 16 April 18 May 27 June 10 May30 June 17 May9 July 1 June 20 July 1 June 6 July 5 July 15 Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office for Starting Date) *All students in the Engine Department will have 2 weeks of Sealift Familiarization at the end of their regular course. January 1988 I LOG I 15 �Apply Now-for an SHLSS Upgrading Course ········································································································································~ Seat are rs Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship Upgrading Application If the following information is not filled out completely your application will not be processed. Book#_ _ _ _ _ Seniority_ _ _ _ _ Department _ _ _ __ Social Security# Home Port _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Veteran of U.S. Armed Forces D Yes D No Endorsement(s) or License(s) Now Held ______"_J _ _ _' _' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Are you a graduate of the SHLSS Trainee Program: D Yes . Trainee Program: From _______ to (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 Available for Training ___________ Primary Language Spoken - - - - - - - - - - - I Am interested in the Following Course(s) Checked Below or Indicated Here if Not Listed ENGINE DECK D AB/Seallft D Towboat Operator Inland D Celestial Navigation D Master Inspected Towing Vessel D 1st Class Piiot (organized self study) D Third Mate D Radar Observer Unlimited ALL DEPARTMENTS D Welding O Llfeboatman (Must be taken with another course) No transportation will be paid unless you present original receipts and successfully complete the course. STEWARD D FOWT D QMED-Any Rating D Variable Speed DC Drive Systems (Marine Electronics) D Marine Electrlcal Maintenance O Pumproom Maintenance & Operation D Automation O Refrigeration Systems Maintenance & Operations O Diesel Engine Technology 0 Assistant Engineer/Chief Engineer Un Inspected Motor Vessel O Orglnal 3rd/2nd Assistant Engineer Steam or Motor 0 Refrigerated Containers Advanced Maintenance D Hydraulics O Electro-Hydraulic Systems D Assistant Cook Utlllty D Cook and Baker 0 Chief Cook D Chief Steward D Towboat Inland Cook COLLEGE PROGRAM O Associates In Arts Degree D Certificate Programs ADULT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT D Adult Basic Education (ABE) O High School Equlvalency Program (GED) D Developmental Studies (DVS) D English as a Second Language (ESL) O ABE/ESL Lifeboat Preparation You must list, or supply evidence of, sufficient time to qualify yourself for the course(s) you are requesting. A COPY of your clinic card must be submitted with this application. The Admissions Office WILL NOT schedule until this is received. VESSEL RATING HELD DATE SHIPPED DATE OF DISCHARGE SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ DATE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Seafarers Harry Lundeberg Upgrading Center, Piney Point, MD. 20674 16 I LOG I January 1988 �(Continued from Page 12.) organization that spanned the entire country and represented unlicensed seamen in all three departments: steward, deck and engine. It was a remarkable achievement. The NMU that Joe Curran founded had many things to commend it. It was in the forefront in the fight for racial equality. It was successful in signing up large numbers of previously unorganized seamen. Curran himself was a dynamic figure who inspired confidence and loyalty. In retrospect, the NMU had one insurmountable flaw which would not be resolved until 1949. Many of its officials-Jack Lawrenson, Blackie Meyers, Ferdinand Smith-were members of the Communist party. So were the first few editors of its newspaper and a substantial portion of its staff. Harry Lundeberg, head of the SUP and the founder of the A&G District, believed very strongly that any Communist presence on the waterfront would spell trouble for American seamen. He felt ·that once an economic recovery began, ''big business'' would try to regain the political clout it had lost by trying to discredit the entire labor movement just because a small number of its members and officials were affiliated with the Communist party. This was exactly what happen d. Even before the end orld War II, American b · ssmen were trying to pa· a trade unionists with a red brush. This, of course, was just the opposite of the truth; by providing workers with a mechanism for effective political action, organized labor had bolstered democracy in this country at a time when it was facing one of its most serious challenges-the breakdown of the capitalist market sy tern. Of the two major national labor organizations, the American Federation of Labor was by far the most vigorous in its opposition to Communist participation in the trade union movement. Some of the language used by APL leaders verged on red-baiting. Still, the left-leaning CIO unions (of which the NMU was one) gave as good as they got. While the West Coast Sailors and the SIU LOG may have labelled Curran, Harry Bridges and John L. Lewis "Communist stooges," the NMU Pilot referred to Lundeberg as a "goon." Even if their rhetoric was excessive, I believe that APL leaders like Lundeberg and George Meany saw right to the heart of an important historical fact. If the labor movement was to remain a viable force in America, it had to be like Caesar's wife, above reproach, especially on this one issue. During the '20s, American business, which was riding high on a temporary wave of speculatory prosperity, had beaten the labor movement into the ground by raising the spector of a "Bolshevik Revolution" in this country. Given half a chance, AFL leaders believed that management would use this "issue" to divert attention from substandard wages, benefits and working conditions. Anti-communism in America declined in the wake of the stock market crash. Communism even achieved a Area Vice Presidents' Report certain aura of fashionability after Russia and the United States joined forces to defeat a common enemy, Nazi Germany. But once the war ended, and American and Russian troops found themselves staring at each other in the center of Europe, the political climate started to change. Labor's opponents made good use of these developments. By playing on the public's growing fear of Communism and a widespread irritation over the spate of post-war strikes, "big business'' was able to persuade Congress to enact the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. Taft-Hartley was a disastrous piece of legislation whose effects are still being felt today. During recent years, tug and barge companies have used provisions in the act, especially those dealing with secondary boycotts and supervisory personnel, to break unions. The writing on the wall, which had seemed so clear to APL leaders like Lundeberg and Meany from the beginning, began to appear to Joe Curran around 1946 when he started to take tentative steps to distance himself from the Communists who dominated his executive council. Curran and the party engaged in a delicate three-year minuet which ended in a political free-for-all at the NMU's 1949 convention. In a dramatic showdown, the delegates voted to expel the Communists from the NMU. While the amendment failed to receive the necessary two-thirds vote to make the expulsion official, the power of the Communist-backed faction was effectively destroyed. Over the next few years, hundreds of card-carrying members of the Communist party were driven from the NMU. Some were hard-core organizers: others, political innocents who had been caught up in the tide of history. Many had been with the NMU from the start and had no life outside the union they helped build. The NMU was able to weather this period because it had a near-lock on the lucrative passenger vessel industry. Still, this internal power struggle certainly made things easier for the A&G District, which had grown by leaps and bounds after Paul Hall took control. Paul Hall was elected port agent of New York in 1944. He consolidated his position within the A&G by successfully bringing such companies as Isthmian and Cities Service under the SIU banner. Most people in the industry had assumed both were impossible to organize, though many had tried. During those drives, Hall assembled a close-knit ''team,'' the first of many. This diverse group of people-seamen such as Lindsey Williams, Sonny Simmons, Al Kerr, Cal Tanner, Bull Shepherd and Joe Algina, and staffmembers like Herb Brand, Rose Siegel and Sy Miller-would have followed him anywhere, over a cliff if he had asked. In his youth, Hall had been an amateur boxer. He was also a Civil War buff who, in his spare time, read accounts of Robert E. Lee's military exploits. Like many other great leaders, Hall felt free to borrow from the ideas of his competitors. He emulated the NMU in the areas where it was strongestsocialjustice, political action-and tried to learn from its mistakes. Much has been written and spoken about the genius of Paul Hall, but he once told me that he lived by one principle alone: never make a commitment you can't keep; never desert a friend in his hour of need. At times, the principle was impossible to live up to, but Hall did. It occasionally resulted in bad press (though usually not; Murray Kempton, this country's leading labor journalist, referred to Hall's ''outrageous'' but "glorious" principle in a moving tribute written after Hall died in 1980). The most famous example of this occurred when Watergate was nearing its tragic conclusion. Hall was the only member of the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO to vote against impeaching Richard Nixon. Why? Because Nixon was responsible for passage of the most important maritime bill of the post-war era, the Merchant Marine Act of 1970. During Watergate, Richard Nixon experienced first-hand something everyone on the waterfront already knew. Anyone who threw his lot with Paul Hall or the SIU could count on Hall's support. Like all great strategies, this one rested on a simple premise: no matter who you are, or how powerful you may become, there comes a time in everyone's life when you need a friend who just can't be scared off. Great La e ver V.P. Mike Sacco I recently came across a few historical documents: government pamphlets that were distributed during World War II, as well as a magazine edited in 1944 by SIU historian John Bunker. Leafing through the magazine, The SIU At War, I soon came across a familiar name: Rex Dickey. As many of you old-timers out there know, Rex Dickey was a long-time SIU official who worked out of the port of Baltimore. He was a friend of mine. He died last year. Dickey, like many other SIU members of his generation, served in World War II. A ship that he sailed on was hit by a Nazi torpedo. Bunker wrote about Dickey's harrowing ordeal in the magazine I came across. "After trying without success to unshackle two P. T. boats,'' wrote Bunker, ''[Rex Dickey and his shipmates] had to jump into the sea." Bunker quoted Dickey at length. "We didn't have far to swim [to get to the raft]," said Dickey, "but ... we were soaked clear through. The water was cold and the wind made us feel like cakes of ice .. "It took a lot of energy just to hang onto the raft. Some of those seas would smash us like a ton of bricks. Often they'd hit us when we were not expecting it and nearly throw us off.'' "[Dickey and the other survivors] were ... thirsty," wrote Bunker, "but the water beakers had either broken from the pounding or from rot and there was no water. When it sprinkled a little during the day [the men] caught some rain drops on an oar and licked the water with their tongues. There were rations on the raft but they didn't dare eat for fear of becoming more thirsty.'' Ultimately, Rex Dickey and his shipmates were rescued. They were the lucky ones. Thousands of seamen died; only the U.S. Marines had a higher casualty rate. Despite their sacrifices, most American seamen who served during World War II have been denied veterans' status, even through 14 other nonmilitary groups have been accorded that honor. Last July, a federal judge overturned a ruling by the Department of Defense which denied veterans' status to American seamen who served in World War II. He said that the DOD used arbitrary and irrelevant guidelines in reaching its decision. A final resolution of that case is still pending. (See page 1.) Right after I looked over John Bunker's book, I glanced at a pamphlet put out by the U.S. Maritime Service during· World War II. Though carefully preserved, it was starting to yellow. It read as follows: "The U.S. Maritime Service is a training organization administered for the U.S. Maritime Commission by the U.S. Coast Guard. To meet the pressing and increasing need for trained _ seamen in the American Merchant Marine, the Maritime Service is expanding its training program and now offers to young men of good character, who are eligible, a special course in training with pay to fit them for a career at sea . . . A high standard of discipline will be maintained. "Enrollment in the Maritime Service Commission is for seven months as apprentice seamen at $21 a month ... The training course will normally include two months at a training station and four months aboard a training ship. ''Men who desire to take advantage of this opportunity to receive training should submit their applications to: U.S. Maritime Service, Washington, D.C." Ads such as this one played an important role in determining the history of the SIU. Many of our most dedicated members, people like SIU V. P. Red Campbell and Lou Cirignano, a former instructor at Piney Point and now a member of the Passaic, N.J. School Board, entered the Union by chance. During the war, they were assigned to SIU-contracted vessels upon completion of their training in centers run by the Maritime Serv(Continued on Page 23.) .. January 1988ILOGI11 �AMERICAN EAGLE (Pacific Gulf Marine), November 22-Chairman S. Krawczynski, Secretary N. Johnson. Some disputed rate time was reported in the steward department. The ship is sch~duled to pay off in Bayonne, N.J. and move on to Charleston, S.C. before heading back to Holland. A motion was made for the Union to reduce the age of retirement from 65 to 62 to be in line with the retirement age for Social Security. Next port: Bayonne, N.J. BORINQUEN (Puerto Rico Marine), December 6--Chairman Benaia Berberena, Secretary Cassie B. Carter, Educational Director A. Quinn, Steward Delegate Joseph P. Simonetti. No disputed OT, but clarification is needed in the engine department regarding a day's pay. Rumor has it that the Borinquen will lay up in the Jacksonville, Fla. shipyard Dec. 22, but no definite word has been given. Everybody is doing a good job aboard ship, especially with the reduction in crew. A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done and for a great Thanksgiving Day dinner. Next port: Elizabeth, N.J . MY COURIER (Ocean Carriers), November 1S-Chairman P. Pinkham, Secretary Rudolph Spingat, Educational Director Markus Serl is, Deck Delegate Vance Sanderson, Steward Delegate Albert Westbrook. No beefs or disputed OT reported. The steward assistant was taken off ship at the last minute for medical reasons, and it was not possible to replace him. So the steward department sailed short for 39 days-and was given a vote of thanks for all the hard work they put in. Of note is the fact that the MV Courier was the first American tanker to pass through the Persian Gulf in the last seven years. Next port: Bahrain (with expected payoff in Kuwait). INGER (Sea-Lift Inc.), November 15Chairman Stanley J. Jandora, Secretary Robert S. Hess. No disputed OT reported but the deck department has requested rate clarification from the boarding patrolman. Members were advised to get all supplies at this time because no slop chest will be ordered due to high prices. Fans and cots have been ordered, and a repairman is expected to come aboard in Hawaii to fix the air conditioning. The secretary informed members about the upgrading opportunities at Piney Point and urged that they take advantage of the educational courses. He also reminded crewmembers that he has all forms (dental, medical, vacation, etc.). The bosun asked everyone to check portholes for leakage. Next port: Hawaii. LAWRENCE H. GIANELLA (Ocean Ships Inc.), November 2-Chairman Pete Hulsebosch, Secretary Dana Paradise, Educational Director Mark Ruhl, Engine Delegate Earl Owens, Steward Delegate Walter L. Mosley, Deck Delegate David Clements. No beefs or disputed OT. There is $17 in the ship's fund. Twenty dollars was spent to purchase two basketballs for the ship, and an arrival pool was suggested to help build the fund. The chairman urged all members with enough time to upgrade. "Our Union school has much to offer, so take advantage of it." The secretary reminded crewmembers that all applications are available from him. Everyone should also be sure that the Union has their correct address. All departments appear to be running smoothly. The shelves which were requested at the last meeting for the laundry rooms have been installed, and there are no complaints to speak of. A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done. Next port: Japan. PANAMA (Sea-Land), November 16---Chairman Paul Turner, Secretary Jonny Cruz, Deck Delegate Malip Osman, Engine Delegate Gary Doyen, Steward Delegate Dimas Rodriguez. No beefs or disputed OT reported. The chief mate is entrusted 18 I LOG I January 1988 with the ship's movie fund money. The Panama will lay up in December. The chairman discussed the fact that shipping is still going downhill. In order to prepare yourself for whatever job comes up, he stressed the importance of upgrading at Piney Point. "This way, whatever comes, you will be ready." The secretary said that he was in Piney Point during the summer and was impressed with the way the school has grown. There are many more programs available that can help you be secure in your future-especially the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. The educational director urged members to help support SPAD. It not only helps get people in office who are sympathetic to the maritime industry but it also helps in getting better safety laws passed. A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for making the trip a good one-especially at meal hours. The steward, in turn, thanked the crew for helping keep the ship clean. Next port: Elizabeth, N.J. An Expression of Thanks We want to express our thanks to Captain and Mrs. Benjamin Moore and to the entire crew of the MN Aurora. on voyage #24 for their help and kindness when I had a stroke aboard the ship while in port in Haifa, Israel. Yours very sincerely, Seafarer and Mrs. Aden Ezell Jr. Mobile, .Ala. PAUL BUCK (Ocean Ships Inc.), November 3~hairman Richard Parrish, Secretary Kris Hopkins, Educational Director Frederick C. Harris, Deck Delegate Robert H. Clifford, Engine Delegate Kelly L. Mayo, Steward Delegate Curtis Brodnax. No disputed OT. There is $232 in the ship's fund, and arrival pools have had 100 percent participation. The company has been notified that the Paul Buck will need a patrolman at payoff. The pumpman stressed the importance of upgrading at Piney Point. He explained how the school is one of the best maritime training facilities in the country and that all eligible members should take advantage of it. "It is there for everyone's gain. " The crew feels they should be able to register or reclaim their jobs in any SIU port. A question was also raised as to whether QMEDs will receive additional money with the dropping of the 2nd · assistant engineer. Another item brought up was either to see a decrease in the SIU dues or have the wages brought up to present-day pay scales. The ship's chairman asked everyone to please letter all tapes as you use them as to the type of movie it is (C =comedy, H =horror, etc.). A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for "the fine chow and pleasantness all the way around." One minute of silence was observed in memory of our departed brothers and sisters. "The crew of the Paul Buck wishes all of their brothers and sisters a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year." Next port: New York. PFC EUGENE A. OBREGON (Waterman), December 12-Chairman Henry Bouganim, Secretary Paul L. Hunt. No beefs reported. The bosun thanked the crew for the hard work performed during the voyage and for leaving an extra clean ship for the relief crew. He reminded all members of the benefits of upgrading their skills at Piney Point. The secretary gave his thanks to the crew and officers for all their cooperation during the voyage. "Things seem to go much smoother when everyone works together. " A collection was taken up for Mr. Lowe, chief cook on the 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo, who died in the hospital in Roosevelt Roads, P.R. He will be missed by all, "and our sympathy goes to his family." Crewmembers aboard the Obregon also write; "We would like to have it noted that all ships in our squadron feel sorrow for the loss of Mr. Lowe. He was a friend to all of his shipmates and will be greatly missed by those who knew him and worked with him. " A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for the good food. Next Port: Panama City. STAR OF TEXAS (Seahawk Management), December 6--Chairman Gene Paschall, Secretary E. Dale, Educational Director Paul L. Painter. No beefs or disputed OT reported. The chairman noted that it has been a very good trip, thanks to the cooperation of all members. Everyone was asked to clean their rooms for the next crewmember and to return all dirty linen. A motion was made to have all vacation time count toward retirement (and retirement only). This motion will be sent to Vice President "Red" Campbell and the Negotiating Committee. A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done, especially for the delicious Thanksgiving Day dinner. Next port: Philadelphia, Pa. CHARLESTON (Apex Marine), December 18-Chairman C. J. Spielmann, Secretary Rudy De Boissiere, Educational Director C. G. Hall. No beefs or disputed OT. The chairman reminded all crewmembers to see the Union patrolman at payoff. He also stressed the importance of contributing to SPAD. "Our jobs are at stake." The educational director noted that it's important for members to upgrade. "Go to Piney Point and get in on everything that's new. Don't be left behind." A vote of thanks was given to the bosun and deck gang for cleaning up the ship, and a special vote of thanks went to Chief Steward Rudy De Boissiere and Chief Cook Darryl Goggins for "the best in feeding of all the SIU ships." The engine department also got a vote of thanks for being "the best in the SIU." The crew of the Charleston wishes the whole ship a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. "And to our Union president, vice presidents, officers, staff and the LOG: God bless you all." One minute of silence was observed in memory of our departed brothers and sisters. Next port: Providence, aboard the Virgo, according to the chairman, with the exception of Thomas Brooks who signed off in Bontang because of an injury to his foot. The crewmembers aboard wish him a speedy recovery. The educational director encouraged everyone who wants to upgrade at Piney Point to submit an application when they have the required sea time. He also reminded all those who are not familiar with LNG vessels that there are video tapes onboard provided by the company. The steward department thanked the deck department for washing the evening dishes, and a vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done. "The crewmembers whould like to wish the Union officials a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year." OVERSEAS ALICE (Maritime Overseas), December 6--Chairman Steve Copeland, Secretary C. Loper Jr., Educational Director M.W. Roberson, Steward Delegate Jim Hatfield. No beefs, although some disputed OT was reported in the deck department. There is $150 in the ship's treasury. The chairman took up a collection for the victims of typhoon Nina. By making a small donation, "it will let our host country and the military know that we as members of the SIU have compassion for those who are more unfortunate." The secretary thanked the crew for their help in taking care of the new equipment aboard ship. And the educational director asked that the crew help bring any unsafe problems to his attention. "With your help we can keep this a safe ship." A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done. " Keep up the good work." One minute of silence was stood in memory of our departed brothers and sisters. Next port: Subic Bay, P.I. Official ships minutes also were received from the following vessels: ALTAIR LNG AQUARIUS BEAVER STATE 1ST l T. JACK LUMMUS OMI CHARGER OMI COLUMBIA PFC WILLIAM 8. BAUGH PONCE PRIDE OF TEXAS PUERTO RICO SEA-LAND DEVELOPER SEA-LAID ECONOMY SEA-WO EXPLORER SEA-LAID EXPRESS SEA-W I NOVATOR EA·WD LEADER SEA·LAID MARINER SEA-LAID PACER SAN JUAN STONEWALL JACKSON SUGARISLAJIDER A.I. LNG VIRGO (Energy Transportation Corp.), December 13-Chairman B.K. Nuchols, Secretary David Pappas, Educational Director M.B. Goins, Deck Delegate B.B. Darley, Engine Delegate I.E. Salomons, Steward Delegate U. Nurdjaja. No beefs or disputed OT. Due to the success of the pilot pool, there is now $177 in the ship's fund. Everything is running smoothly Monthly Membership Meetings Port Date Deep Sea Lakes, Inland Waters Piney Point .............. Monday, February 8 .......... .. ...... 10:30 a.m. New York ............... Tuesday, February 9 ................ . . 10:30 a.m. Philadelphia . . ....... .. ... Wednesday, February 10 .............. 10:30 a.m. Baltimore . . ..... . ........ Thursday, February 11 . . ....... . ...... 10:30 a.m. Norfolk .. . .............. Thursday , February 11 . . ....... . .. . ... 10:30 a.m. Jacksonville .............. Thursday , February 11 ...... . ......... 10:30 a.m. Algonac ................. Friday, February 12 ... . ....... .. ..... 10:30 a.m. Houston .......... . ...... Tuesday, February 16 .. . .............. 10:30 a.m. New Orleans ............. Tuesday, February 16 .. . .... .. ........ 10:30 a.m. Mobile .................. Wednesday, February 17 ....... . ...... 10:30 a.m. San Francisco ............ Thursday, February 18 . . .............. 10:30 a.m. Wilmington ...... . ....... Monday, February 22 ................. 10:30 a.m. Seattle . ................. Friday, February 26 ........... . ...... 10:30 a.m. San Juan ............ . ... Thursday, February 11 . . ...... .... .... 10:30 a.m. St. Louis ................ Friday, February 19 ....... . .......... 10:30 a.m. Honolulu ................ Thursday , February 18 .... .. ... . ...... 10:30 a.m. Duluth . .... . ............ Wednesday, February 17 ....... . ... . .. 10:30 a.m. Jersey City ............... Wednesday, February 24 ....... . ...... 10:30 a.m. New Bedford . . ...........Tuesday , February 23 .......... . .. . ... 10:30 a.m. �Green Wave Carries Space Wings by Bob Borden, PAO, MSCPAC Sometime in the early 1990s, a space shuttle now known as Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105 will blast off from Florida's Cape Canaveral and travel at a speed of 17 ,500 miles per hour high above the earth on a scientific mission for the United States. At the present time, however, the unnamed spacecraft is simply a conglomeration of sophiscated parts waiting to be assembled by engineers and technicians at the Rockwell International Corp. in Palmdale, Calif. Rockwell is the prime contractor to build the space shuttle aircraft for NASA. One of the most important sections for OV 105 arrived in Southern California Dec. 21 aboard the Military Sealift Command chartered ship, MV Green Wave. Carefully packaged in separate steel mesh containers mea wide uring 59-feet long and 28were the aircraft .;h wings, multi· ems made by the Grummillion d erospace Corp. in Bethpage, N.Y. \ billion space telescope built by Lockheed Corp. will be put aboard the Green Wave in Oakland for the voyage to Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it will eventually be lifted into a 373-mile orbit above the earth. ''In terms of the general cargo we normally carry on here, there's nothing like the space items to get you all stirred up," said the Green Wave's enthusiastic master, Capt. Peter Stalkus. "It's exciting to know that when these items are in space, we played a small role in helping them get there.'' The last time MSC transported such wings was in 1982 when the chartered ship Transcolumbia delivered them to Los Angeles for the space shuttle Discovery. The MSC-chartered ship, the Green Wave, unloads space shuttle wings in the port of Los Angeles, Calif. USNS Andrew J. Higgens Joins MSCPAC Fleet A few hours after the ship arrived on berth in Los Angeles, a barge crane carefully hoisted the first 50,000-pound crate from the Green Wave and gently placed it on a specially-built truck dolly positioned on the pier. After the se ing was off the ship, Rock- well transpo officials waited un- til late in the evening t a convoy escorted by the California way Patrol to Palmdale about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles. ''The sea and highway trips are the most delicate p~ rt of the operation," said Dennis Glaze, manager of Rockwell's traffic and transportation division. ''The wings work fine when you're traveling in space, but they're not used to being transported by ships or trucks.'' Glaze praised the Green Wave's role with the space wings, noting that months of careful planning went as scheduled. ''This ship has really simplified the movement of the wings,'' said Glaze, pointing to the vessel's 80foot hydraulic hatch which easily accepted the load taken on in Bayonne, N .J. "It only takes a few minutes to open the holds to begin operations and to secure them when you're done. We're very happy with the ship." Ever since the MSC-chartered ship came to the attention of NASA officials, space agency personnel have kept in contact with MSC. The shuttle's wings were the first space items carried by the Green Wave-but they won't be the last. In May, the Green Wave has been selected to transport the single most expensive item ever carried aboard an MSC ship. The $1.5 The USNS Andrew J. Higgens (TAO 190) is the latest acquisition to the MSCPAC nucleus fleet. Of new construction, the Higgens was recently completed at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans and can boast of all the latest technology in loading and discharging her underway liquid cargo. Crewmembers aboard the Higgens are pleased with the fine single quarters-as well as recreation, lounge areas and beautiful mess facilities. There is, however, some apprehension about the small store rooms and laundry facilities. The Higgens has a total of 96 crewmembers and officers in addition to a military department of one officer and 20 enlisted men. The new vessel is undergoing a shakedown phase before being deployed on her assigned mission. January 1988 I LOG I 19 �Going for the Big one on the Assertive On a recent voyage aboard the USNS Asserrive, the fish were biting. But at one point, crewmembers caught a little more than they barga~ned for-a fishing net became caught in the prop, and the task of breaking loose was not an easy one. Thanks to Chief Steward Kimberly Allen for sending us these photos. Helping pull the fishing net from the prop involved team effort. From the left are Jim Morgan, AB; Mike Bautista, steward assistant; Kirk Paulo, OS; Bill Silva, engine utility, and Tom Addison, bosun. ~~H~Jf ~ii~ "The albacore are running," said Third Mate Scott Carter (left) who believed he had the winning catch, but Al Garry, RCA tech, reveals the prime catch of the trip. " Waiting for the big one" are Tom Addison, bosun, and Mike Deluze, OS. Aboard the SS Ponce During a fire boat drill aboard the SS Ponce (Puerto Rico Marine) are Paulino Flores, bosun; Angel L. Soto, DEU; Algarin Gregorio, AB; Jose M. Gorge, MSS; Kenneth Blair, AB, and Stephen Bulford, AB. 20 I LOG I January 1988 And what happens to all these tasty morsels? They're prepared by Chief Steward Kimberly Allen for a delicious feast. �New Drug Rules (Continued from Page 1.) administrative proceeding [however, wi11 not be presumed to be intoxicated]; • marine employer's determination of reasonable cause should be based on the observation of two persons, when practicable; • consumption of a legal prescription or non-prescription drug is permissible as long as it does not cause intoxication; • personnel entitled to seek rehabilitation prior to being subject to a proceeding to suspend or revoke license, certificate of registry or merchant mariner's documents; and • liable to a civil penalty to the U.S. government of not more than $1,000 or fined not more than $5 ,000, imprisoned for not more than one year, or both. Pensioners The following SIU members have retired on pension: DEEP SEA Houston Frank A. Nigro Mobile Terrill G. Clark Hubert H. House Henry W. Roberts William J. Tarrant New Orleans Alex Alexander GREAT LAKES Sylvester Monardo New York Algonac Frank Adkins John F. Higgins Joseph R. Turner Brooklyn Norfolk Timothy H . Burke Clarence M. Houchins Jack E. Long Kenneth R. Winters Philadelphia Edward F. Garrity San Francisco William A. Barnes Carl G. Tebell Deaths The SIU has been notified of the deaths of the following members. Roger A. Andrulis Casado Antonio (Gloucester Fisherman) Leon Krawcyk Stanley Lechowitz Jr. Fahar Maswarat Olle E. Johannisson Jasper C. Storms (Inland) Frederick Tonucie Santurce Jose Cubano Joe Spak Seattle Salvator J. Alpedo Thomas A. Martineau Wilmington Arne Bockman THE BOOZER; I ONE DRINK /6' I I TCJO MANy; ANO A 7HOLl8ANO DRINKS ARE NOT ?#OU'6h' <SET HELP I TO f' TODAY CVNTACT YOUR PORT AGENT OR YOUR UNl()N AT P/NeYPP/NT. DO/Tf , KNOW YOUR RIGHTS 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. The proper address for this is: Angus "Red" Campbell Chairman, Seafarers Appeals Board 5201 Auth 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 OUR 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 hy any methods such as dealing with charges. trials. etc., as well as all other details. then the member so affected should immediately notify headquarters. FINANCIAL REPORTS. The constitution of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District makes provision for safeguarding the membership's money an ·on finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by Public Accountants every three months, which are to be su . d to the membership by the Secretary-Treasurer. A quarte nance committee of rank and file members, elected by the e ership , makes examination each quarter of the finances of t e 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 hy a majority of the trustees. All trust fund financial records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds. 0 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. 11111111m111 1111111n1111111n1111111nuuu1111111111n11111111111111111t1111111111111u1111111111n1111 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 member. It has also 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. SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for elective office. All contributions are voluntary. No contribution may be solicited or received ~ecause of force. job discrimination, financial reprisal. or threat of such conduct, or as a condition of membership in the Union or of employment. If a contribution is made by reason of the above improper conduct. notify the Seafarers Union or SPAD by certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for investigation and appropriate action and refund. if involuntary. Support SP AD 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 bas been denied his constitutional right of access to Union records or infonnatioo, he should immediately notify SIU President Frank Drozak at Headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The address is 5201 Autb Way and Britannia Way, Prince Georges County, Camp Springs, Md. 20746. January 1988 I LOG I 21 �Cl L NP -Company/lakes -Lakes -Non Priority Directory of Ports Dispatchers Report for Great Lakes DEC. 1-31, 1987 *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP Port Algonac ................... 0 9 TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP 3 DECK DEPARTMENT 0 23 17 0 8 0 0 4 0 Port Algonac ................... 0 7 2 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 17 0 8 Port Algonac ................... 0 5 2 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 2 9 0 6 2 9 ENTRY DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 8 6 26 8 Port Algonac ................... 5 0 Frank Drozak, President Joe DIGiorgio, Secretary Leon Hall, Vice President Angus "Red" 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 Totals All Departments ........ 26 16 49 0 27 0 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. HEADQUARTERS 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, Md. 20746 (301) 899-0675 ALGONAC, Mich. 520 St. Clair River Dr. 48001 (313) 794-4988 BALTl MORE, Md. 1216 E. Baltimore St. 21202 (301) 327-4900 Dispatchers Report for Deep Sea DECEMBER 1-31, 1987 *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class B Class C Port New York . . ... .. ....... . Philadelphia .. . . . .. . . . ... . Baltimore ... . ..... . .. . . . Norfolk .. .. .......... . .. Mobile . . .. . ...... .... . . New Orleans . ....... . .... Jacksonville . . ............ San Francisco .. . .. .. . .. ... Wilmington ........ . .... . Seattle . . . . .. .. ... . . . .. . Puerto Rico .. ... .. .. . .... Honolulu . . . .... . . . ..... . Houston . ....... .. . .. .. . St. Louis . ........... . ... Piney Point . ... . . ...... . . 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 ..... . ... .. .... . . 70 2 11 14 14 49 37 41 30 49 33 8 50 0 0 15 5 6 4 4 4 9 19 9 9 2 9 9 0 3 4 1 0 8 4 4 4 20 7 4 0 5 3 0 2 TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C 49 6 8 9 10 32 17 28 19 37 17 3 28 0 0 DECK DEPARTMENT 11 4 3 1 6 0 4 7 5 4 7 3 8 1 11 13 6 6 4 6 2 0 14 5 5 2 0 0 1 2 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 7 1 0 0 2 0 4 0 5 0 4 1 1 1 6 9 5 2 8 0 0 0 3 10 5 t 0 0 0 0 408 107 66 263 33 3 3 12 6 26 9 0 4 4 4 8 8 10 5 1 2 0 0 1 0 1 3 14 0 0 0 8 10 3 0 0 1 0 1 19 3 8 6 5 16 10 21 12 21 8 3 16 0 1 25 35 18 32 15 4 28 0 0 10 89 52 240 74 33 149 16 2 5 4 10 17 13 46 11 26 6 7 17 0 1 6 1 2 1 2 0 9 7 1 9 0 18 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 10 2 1 1 27 2 0 0 18 0 1 1 9 15 6 28 9 15 3 3 7 0 0 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 0 5 8 0 3 11 1 0 0 17 26 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 0 2 5 0 11 3 19 8 14 5 3 9 0 0 ENTRY DEPARTMENT 13 6 2 1 4 0 2 4 1 2 5 7 3 4 10 20 10 3 16 2 6 0 76 127 3 2 0 0 1 0 181 58 49 115 Port New York .. . ............ Philadelphia ... . ......... . Baltimore . . .. . .......... Norfolk . ........ . . . . . .. . Mobile ... . .. .. . ... . . ... New Orleans ............. Jacksonville .. . ... . . . . . . . . San Francisco . . . . ... ..... . Wilmington .... . . . .. . .... Seattle . .. .. .. . .. .. .... . Puerto Rico . . . . . ... ...... Honolulu .. .. ... . . .. ... . . Houston ... . .... . . .. . ... St. Louis ..... . .· ...... .. . Piney Point ... . ... .. ..... Totals .. ... . .. . ........ 174 212 230 89 Totals All Departments .. ... . 1,003 451 378 616 24 4 2 7 2 18 9 36 13 30 13 4 12 0 0 17 3 8 7 4 17 7 13 14 20 7 81 10 0 4 10 1 0 5 8 14 8 29 9 4 0 135 6 0 1 50 43 25 41 152 178 334 296 Trip Reliefs 17 1 4 3 1 10 7 8 9 10 3 5 11 0 1 **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C 91 3 13 28 14 64 54 63 34 63 30 8 64 0 1 90 530 11 1 3 0 0 4 4 2 6 9 4 6 55 4 6 11 7 6 46 34 21 37 16 6 38 0 1 10 0 0 16 4 6 7 3 6 14 14 6 4 2 14 10 0 5 111 5 1 3 7 5 8 11 9 5 6 1 12 1 0 3 3 1 0 4 0 5 5 11 6 3 0 1 2 0 0 41 2 1 0 2 0 2 2 8 2 0 0 2 1 0 1 60 328 77 23 3 0 0 0 1 10 2 11 6 15 1 57 1 0 0 29 2 9 5 4 23 24 70 17 37 6 9 27 0 1 8 0 2 2 2 0 8 15 3 4 1 24 1 0 2 0 0 2 0 1 5 9 2 0 1 24 3 0 0 0 107 263 72 47 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 52 5 4 8 4 33 17 60 18 48 16 5 18 0 0 28 7 8 21 10 30 16 23 15 27 10 102 13 0 4 9 2 0 10 7 31 8 29 14 9 3 147 4 0 2 0 288 314 275 257 1,409 574 386 *" Total Registered " means the number of men who actually reg istered 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. Shipping in the month of December was up from the month of November. A total of 1,503 jobs were shipped on SIU-contracted deep sea vessels. Of the 1,503 jobs shipped, 616 jobs or about 41 percent were taken by "A" seniority members. The rest were filled by "B" and "C" seniority people. A total of 257 trip relief jobs were shipped. Since the trip relief program began on April 1, 1982, a total of 6,627 jobs have been shipped. 22 I LOG I January 1988 CLEVELAND, Ohio 5443 Ridge Rd. 44129 (216) 845-1100 DULUTH, Minn. 705 Medical Arts Building 55802 (218) 722-4110 HONOLULU, Hawaii 636 Cooke St. 96813 (808) 523-5434 HOUSTON, Tex. 1221 Pierce St. 77002 (713) 659-5152 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. 3315 Liberty (904) JERSEY CITY, N.J. 99 Montgomery (201) St. 32206 353-0987 St. 07302 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 PINEY POINT, Md. St. Mary's County 20674 (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 ST. LOUIS, Mo. 4581 Gravois Ave. 63116 (314) 752-6500 WILMINGTON, Calif. 510 N. Broad Ave. 90744 (213) 549-4000 �Editorial The Lost Fleet Those of us in the maritime industry frequently complain that most of the nation does not understand the need or the purpose of a strong, U .S.-flag, private merchant fleet. The following editorial from the San Francisco Chronicle shows that at least someone outside the industry is paying attention. Letters To The Editor 'It's There When You Need It ... ' I have been a member of the SIU for more than 42 years. I haven't had to use the Welfare Plan very much over those years. But in May of this year, I had to have a complete hip replacement. The Plan took care of all the bills with no problems at all, for which I am very grateful. Thanks so much for all the help. James C. Oliver La Porte, Texas 'In Sympathy . . .' In response to the printing in the November issue of the LOG of "The Ship's Cat: Final Dispatch," I would like to convey my sympathies to the M/V Ranger. You see, I was an OS aboard the Ranger at the time. .After a two-month stint in Diego Garcia, I cared for the white cat we brought aboard from the atoll. In our first port o'call (Greec ad an affair with a black tom and consequently six ki were born in the midship locker. Only one survived, w · ook care of. .After losing the white mother in Carter . ., it's good to hear that after three years she was still ard. And it was really tragic to hear of how she met her death in the unfamiliar surroundings of a street in Subic Bay, Philippines. I'm sure she just froze in the middle of the road, unaware or unaccustomed to that hunk of steel bearing down on her. By printing these articles in the LOG, it shows that the Union and us seamen have a heart. Good-bye, Howard; you'll be missed. I would also like to convey my sympathies to the family of Willy Lee Smith (chief cook) whom we lost at sea enroute to Greece. He'll be in a ers and thoughts every day-a great shipmate. Bosun Charles J. Spielmann IT Charleston Area Vice Presidents' (Continued from Page 17.) ices Commission. It was a matter of fate: they could have just as easily been assigned to SUP- or NMU-contracted vessels. While they were in these centers, these "apprentice seamen" were under the supervision of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard officials. Cirignano' s experiences during the war were not uncommon. His first assignment was onboard a ship which had just come in from London. After leaving Brooklyn, the vessel went straight to Europe where it became part of a convoy providing strategic sealift to our armed forces during the invasion of Normandy. Cirignano and his shipmates, who included SIU Vice President Red Campbell and Marty Breithoff, the late port official from Houston, sailed for seven straight months without any letup. Many members of the crew were like Cirignano: impressionable teenagers right out of high school who found themselves in the position of being one Nazi torpedo away from death. And unlike their counterparts eport in the Army, they were unarmed and virtually defenseless. Ironically, shortly after the federal judge ruled against the Department of Defense, the American Legion (over the objections of some of its local chapters) said that it would lobby against granting American seamen veterans' status if asked to take a position. One veteran was so angry at this that he wrote a letter to the editor of a newsletter published by the Texas Chapter of the American Legion. After stating that he owed his life to seamen who transported supplies and ammunition overseas during World War II, he made the following observation: not every veteran of World War II saw action. Many were stationed in the States or behind the lines. Yet every seaman who sailed was a potential victim of Nazi U-boats. After the war, seamen like Rex Dickey and Marty Breithoff were ineligible to receive the benefits that the government ladled out to the veterans: educational benefits under the G.I. bill, generous pensions (if he worked It is not all that long ago that big white freighters with a seahorse-shaped "S" on their funnels used to arrive regularly under the Golden Gate Bridge from exotic ports . They were vessels of the States Steamship Company returning to their home port of San Francisco. They could be found along the waterfront not far from vessels whose funnels were distinguished by the California bear, the symbol of the fleet of Pacific Far East Lines. Both fleets are mere memories now. We bring up the disappearance of familiar funnels because our memory has been jolted by a recent report by the President's Commission on Merchant Marine and Defense. It is a sobering report that prompts much more than nostalgia. In effect, this devastating document says, the United States has ceased to be a power of great consequence on the merchant sea lanes of the world. PFEL and States Steamship are only two of the casualties of the last two decades. We cite them because they were once of substantial importance to the local economy. In 1970, the commission reports, States operated 13 vessels; it went bankrupt in 1978. Also in 1970, PFEL operated 13 ve sels. But eight years later, it also had been placed in receivership and is no longer operating. The two local companies were by no means isolated examples of what has happened to the American merchant marine. In 1970, a fleet of 434 commercial vessels operated under the American flag in foreign freight (nontanker) trade. Today, that figure has shrunk to 92 vessels operated by major companies. The sea-going workforce has shown similar decline. In 1970, more than 69,000 Americans were employed filling 34,000 sailing billets Gobs). Today, the commission said, some 29,000 seamen compete for about 11,000 billets. The commission draws an obvious conclusion: it right, a veteran could accumulate two pensions), free medical attention at V .A. hospitals. Seamen received no recognition of the contributions they had made to the war effort. And when they reached retirement age, the period of life when they needed medical attention the most, the government closed the USPHS hospital system without making any kind of attempt to find out if seamen who served in World War II would have some kind of medical coverage. The bottom line to all this, as it always is in the United States, is power. Veterans number in the tens of millions; seamen, in the tens of thousands. At this very moment, there is talk of creating a new cabinet department Ships withdrawn from the ready reserve or ships newly constructed will be useless unless skilled, experienced deck officers, engine-room personnel, radio operators and seamen of a number of other demanding skills are available to take those ships to sea. Recent developments have worsened this situation as viewed from a national-security point of view. In the last six years alone, the number of active U.S. mariners has declined by some 40 percent, the commission said. And approximately 50 percent of the mariners who remain are 50 years of age or older. Skills are disappearing as this workforce ages. This is particularly true of the skills required to operate some of the vessels, similarly showing signs of age, that make up the bulk of the reserve fleet. The manpower problem is compounded at both ends of the age spectrum. Entry of young people, those 20 to 25 years old, is down by 80 percent since 1980. Shipbuilding is also in decline: By the end of this year, U.S. shipyards will not have a single commercial vessel under construction. * * * From a defense point of view, the outlook is bleak. By the turn of the century, says the president's commission, the United States "will not be able to meet the requirements of its national security.'' The country has a proud merchant marine tradition. For more than two centuries, American ships have been familiar in the ports of the world. The tradition is a proud one, from the clipper ships sailing to China to the Liberty ships which played such an important role in World War II. But today, the commission reports, American ships carry only about 4 percent '* of the nation's foreign commerce. The commission has drawn a grim picture, a sobering picture, which we think cries out for attention and, of course, for additional resources. Northern Californians, quite obviously, have a special interest in the future of the merchant marine-if the nation is to h·a ve one. If it does not have a future , it will be at the nation's peril. of Veterans Affairs. Privately, almost everyone on Capitol Hill thinks it is a bad idea. But they are supporting it publicly because it is good politics. What bothers me about all this is the hypocrisy. The American Legion says veterans deserve preferential treatment (i.e., a separate cabinet position) because of the sacrifices they made on behalf of this country. Yet what about the courage and sacrifices of seamen like Rex Dickey, Red Campbell, Marty Breithoff'? Rex Dickey and Marty Breithoff are now dead: it's too late to honor their sacrifices. But Lou Cirignano, Red Campbell and thousands of other seamen are still living. They dodged Nazi torpedos so that this country could remain free. When do they get the recognition that's due them? January 1988 I LOG I 23 ... �Seafarers International Union of North America, AFL-CIO EDITOR'S NOTE: Max Hall, LOG associate editor and Washington columnist, takes a look at 1987 and the politics and legislation which affected the maritime industry. by Max Hall For both maritime and the country, 1987 proved to be one of the strangest years on record. It was as if someone had turned out the lights in a crowded auditorium and yelled "fire!" No one was seriously hurt by the ensuing chaos, but then again, neither was anyone helped. There was a lot of activity in 1987, but after all was said and done, there was no real movement. The stock market rose to dizzying heights, crashed and then recovered some. The same thing happened to the Reagan administration, except in reverse. Its political standing reached a low point during the Iran-Contra hearings. Yet once Admiral Poindexter said that the buck stopped with him, the administration was able to minimize the political damage. And even if Reagan no longer was the "Great Communicator,'' he could still pull an occasional rabbit out of his political hat, like the INF treaty he and Russian leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed at the end of the year to limit intermediate nuclear weapons. Time for Tough Choices .. More than anything, 1987 was the year that the band stopped playing and Americans began to realize that they had to make some hard choices concerning their political and economic future. It was also the year that some nasty long-term trends started to affect those Americans in positions of power. It was one thing to write about or engineer a corporate takeover, it was another thing to lose your job as a result of one, as a growing number of people on Wall Street and in the media found out (CBS News fired 200 members of its staff). Congress tried to add a bit of stability to the year by repeating its longestablished pattern of waiting until the final minutes of the session to pass an authorizations bill and by putting off action on important issues such as trade reform and meaningful deficit reduction. To be fair, it was not really the fault of Congress. Congress, as we were constantly reminded during this 200th anniversary year of the American Constitution, was more than just 535 talented, ambitious but all-toohuman legislators; it was "we the people." The real trouble was with the 230 million flag-waving, God-fearing Americans who wanted a resolution to the vexing problems facing this country, but who were perfectly content to leave it up to someone else to make the sacrifices that were needed to restore competitiveness to America. 24 I LOG I January 1988 January 1988 Maritime on Defensive The SIU' s legislative staff produced some brilliant victories during the year concerning the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and citizenship requirements onboard American-flag vessels. Yet Frank Pecquex, the dean of the department, pretty much summed up the feeling of everyone when he said that he felt oddly let down. Most of the Union's time was spent putting out fires that others, mainly the administration, had set. With the industry always on the defensive, there was precious little time left over to fashion a coherent legislative program that would stimulate shipping. The most frustrating part was that while the administration wouldn't do anything to help the industry, it still had the power to inflict damage. Too Little, Too Late The state of the industry remained a major cause of alarm, but there was little agreement on what should be done to turn things around. The industry-labor as well as management--could not come up with a united stand on what to do about replacing the subsidy liner program, though there was widespread agreement on the merits of the administration's program. This could be summed up in four words: too little, too late. The administration had procrastinated on this issue, even though the number of American-flag ships continued to decline at a rate of 5 to 10 percent a year. The industry was still reeling from the effects of U.S. Lines' decision to file for bankruptcy the year before. Meanwhile, it had to cope with farreaching changes that were transforming its very essence. Maritime became less of a separate industry and more of a cog in an increasingly interdependent transportation network. Intermodalism became the industry's new buzz-word as companies like Sea-Land and APL wed their port facilities to their rail and trucking lines. Military Work Grows With the decline of the commercial sector, those committed to survival had to concentrate their efforts on signing up military work contracted out to private companies. The SIU led the way with 58 new vessels representing 700 new jobs. Yet even in this area, which many people felt represented the industry's one hope for survival, things were complicated by the way that the Military Sealift Command (MSC) conducted its Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Concern among industry experts reached a crisis level after the MSC put out an RFP on a hospital ship, only to declare itself the low bidder. Legislative, Administrative and Regulatory Happenings As Marine Transport Lines (MTL), an NMU-contracted company, noted iri its appeal of the award, the MSC had used questionable methods in determining its costs. For one thing, said MTL, the MSC was the only bidder not to include cost projections for the captain's billet. MSC said if private companies wanted to include the cost of that in their bid, fine, but they weren't required to do so. MTL said that MSC did not bother making this vital piece of information available to the public. "Why would we increase our cost projections if we didn't have to?" asked one industry official, who noted that it took several years to prepare a bid and that the cost of doing so sometimes approached $600,000. No Help from Reagan Maritime's experiences with the hospital ship bid was just one example of why iqdustry officials had trouble believing that the administration was truly serious about doing anything to revive the American-flag merchant marine. There was a widespread perception that the administration wasn't being on the up-and-up, and that it wouldn't be terribly concerned if the industry were to quietly expire. Throughout the year, there were numerous occasions for the administration to assert its commitment to the industry, but it failed to do so. The most obvious chance occurred when the first half of the long-awaited report of the Merchant Marine/Defense Commission was finally released. It stated that the national security of the United States was being jeopardized by the unrelenting deterioration of the American-flag merchant marine. In other words, the hundreds of billions of dollars that the country was spending on the defense budget would be wasted unless this country had a reliable way of transporting its troops and ammunition overseas. Oops, Wrong War Former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski alluded to this development on the Today Show. He pointed to a recently released study which stated that the United States had prepared itself for the wrong war. Brzezinski said that the major threat to the United States was not a nuclear attack by the Russians, but from regional conflicts involving countries like Iran and Nicaragua. Our conventional military capability, he said, would be the determining factor in an altercation with one of these countries, and it had been allowed to deteriorate. The Department of Defense had to relearn an important lesson about conventional weaponry when the United States became entangled in the Persian Gulf War. Despite this nation's costly and sophisticated naval equipment, the Navy was initially unable to offer protection to 11 reflagged Kuwaiti tankers because it did not have a minesweeper. Rubber BoatS The sight of Iranian revolutionaries holding the American Navy at bay with rubber boats and World War II vintage bombs did little to instill confidence in this nation's military buildup and helped to put the recently-negotiated INF Treaty in its proper perspective. The Persian Gulf War also underscored the institutional struggle between the executive and legislative branches (which has made resolution of many national problems all but impossible) by producing a heated debate over the proper interpretation of the War Powers Act. The maritime industry took no stand on this issue, leaving it to the administration and Congress to iron out their differences. Yet it was quite vocal in its hostility to the administration's decision to waive citizenship requirements onboard these vessels. This concern produced something rare in the industry: unity. By the end of the year, the maritime industry was able to persuade Congress to enact legislation closing up this loophole (H.R. 2598). Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-N.Y.) was instrumental in the initial stage of the fight to establish citizenship requirements. For many people in the industry one of the most telling point in the year came after Congress passed H.R. 2598. Representatives from the State Department and Department of Defense noted that this would upset the "deal we made with the Kuwaitis." Earlier that year, after the reflagging had been announced, a bitter and angry House Merchant Marine Committee had questioned administration officials about this very issue. It was told that ''no consideration'' had been made of t!ie economic impact of the reflagging. The administration had merely pointed out existing loopholes in the law, they said, and it was up to the Kuwaitis and the chartering company to decide what they would do about them. If there was any good news, it was that the war in the Persian Gulf never reached a crisis point, though at several times during the year it threatened to do so. That was not the case with the trade deficit, which continued to set record highs. Even though Congress and the administration had promised to make trade their "number one priority," no trade bill was passed. At the end of the year, the new Japanese prime minister paid a visit to the United States. Like Yasu Nakasone, his immediate predecessor, he promised action to open up Japanese markets to American goods. But the Americans had to be patient, he said. To many people, it sounded pretty much like the same old song. � 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 January 1988 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES KUWAIT LOOPHOLE CLOSED BY NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW NEW DRUG RULES READY WWII SEAMEN WIN VETS CASE UNIFIED MARITIME INDUSTRY WAS KEY IN VICTORY MANNING TRENDS-CREWS SHRINK, DUTIES CHANGE SENATE BACKS ILO ACTIONS SEA-LAND BUYS 5 NEW SHIPS SIU’S NEW CAR CARRIER MAKES STOP IN HOUSTON NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR SEAMANSHIP TROPHY 1987 BUSY POLITICAL YEAR BRINGS SIU MAJOR VICTORIES ON CANADIAN TRADE AND U.S. CREWS SEA-LAND SEMINAR: BETTER MEAT FOR THE FLEET! GREEN WAVE CARRIES SPACE WINGS USNS ANDREW J. HIGGENS JOINS SPCPAC FLEET GOING FOR THE BIG ONE ON THE ASSERTIVE THE SIU IN WASHINGTON MARITIME ON DEFENSIVE TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE NO HELP FROM REAGAN RUBBER BOATS MILITARY WORK GROWS OOPS, WRONG WAR 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 1/1/1988 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. 50, No. 1 1988 Periodicals Seafarers Log