http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/b35a5b82ecca3098952a33f42c02dc16.pdf 8234d7943396e9073804f03e62daf0e9 PDF Text Text SIU Appeals to State on Tanker Crew Waiver The SIU has appealed directly to Secretary of State George Shultz in an effort to rescind a crewing waiver for 11 reflagged former Kuwaiti tankers. Also, five maritime unions filed suit in federal court seeking to have the crewing waiver overturned. The ships have been a continuing source of controversy since they were reftagged last year but were not required to carry American crewmen, except for the captain and radio officer. In January, Congress passed, and President Reagan signed a bill which required Amer- and not had a chance to respond to the letter. ican crewmen on all U.S. ships. But under the claim of ''national security,'' those crewing requirements were waived by the U.S. government. Last month at the AFL-CIO Executive Board meeting, SIU President Frank Drozak meet briefly with Shultz who was there to speak before the board. The secretary requested that Drozak prepare a letter outlining the Union's position on the waiver. A three-page letter was prepared and sent to Shultz late last month. The secretary has been overseas ''I outlined what our position has been all along and that the waiver goes against the intent of Congress. I stressed that using American seamen does more for national security than does employing foreigners on U.S. ships. We are hoping that Secretary Shultz would begin a review process which could eventually rescind the waiver," Drozak said. In the suit, the unions are arguing that the Department of Transpor- tation and the Coast Guard acted in direct violation of law in granting the waiver. The suit asks that the waiver be rescinded and that the DOT be enjoined from taking similiar action in the future. Drozak said the SIU supports whatever action is needed to fight the crewing situation on the Kuwaiti ships. He added that the SIU decided to explore other avenues of action besides the courts. The unions involved in the suit are the NMU, NMEBA, MM&P, SUP and MFOW. A hearing on the suit is set for March 29. Official Publication of the Seafarers International Union • Atlantic, Gull, Lakes and Inland Waters District • AFL·CIO Vol. so, No. J March 1988 Uttle Surprise in FY 89 Budget Maritime Programs Remain at Last Year's Level The administration submitted a trillion dollar budget to Congress for fiscal year 1989 which left funding for maritime programs at essentially the same levels that they were last year. The administration has requested $471.5 million for maritime programs. On paper, this represents a $334 million increase over last year. Roughly two-thirds of that increase can be traced to the administration's decision to change the way it was submitting its request for operating differential subsidies. Most of the rest of the increase was a bookkeeping change: programs which had been handled under different appropriations bills were now being submitted under this one. The administration based its budget projections for maritime on the assumption that its plan to reform the liner subsidy program would be approved. Yet there has been little movement on the administration's plan, and many maritime officials believed that Congress would not get around to dealing with this vitally important issue before it adjourned. John Gaughan, head of the Maritime Administration, told the House Ap- Scholarships April 15 is the application deadline for Charlie Logan Scholarships. Active Seafarers are encouraged to apply as well as dependents of Seafarers. See January and February LOGs for details. Send applications to: Seafarers Welfare Plan c/o Charlie Logan Scholarship 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, Md. 20746 propriations Subcommittee that $248.9 million had been set aside to liquidate existing operating differential subsidies, and that $72.92 million should be set aside for grant agreements to bring in new operators under subsidy. No provisions were contained for new ship financing guarantees. That met with widespread criticism from industry officials. There was reduced funding for the P.L. 480 program, and for the Coast Guard, whose budget is contained in a different category. Shortly after the administration made public the provisions of the budget, Navy Secretary James Webb resigned in protest. He said that the budget would make it impossible to go ahead with plans to build a 600 ship Navy. Controversy also surrounded funding levels for the Coast Guard. Unless budget cuts were restored, said Coast Guard Commander Paul Yost, the Coast Guard would have to severely curtail its "search and seizure" drug raids and close Coast Guard facilities around the country. The administration came down on the side of the Maritime Administration in granting it authority over the Reserve Fleet. The Navy had contested that authority, and the issue had aroused considerable attention in maritime circles. In testimony before the House Merchant Marine Committee, Gaughan noted that the administration planned to continue providing funds for five state maritime academies, but only if they agreed to share training vessels and accept the administration's proposal that all graduates of federally supported maritime schools accept a Naval Reserve commitment. "'It is said that no news is good news,'' said Frank Pecquex, director of the SIU's Department of Legislation. ''That may well be the case with the administration's Fiscal Year 1989 budget. ''The best that can be said is that it contains no surprises, but it is the latest chapter in seven years of official neglect.' ' SIU President Frank Drozak said (Continued on Page 4.) Thomas R. Donahue, AFL-CIO secretary/treasurer addresses the Maritime Trades Department. Legislative goals and ways to revitalize the U.S. merchant marine topped the agenda. With Donahue are (L-R) MTD President Frank Drozak, MTD Secretary/Treasurer Jean lngrao and MTD National Field Coordinator Frank Pecquex. See pages 5-7 for details. I side: . Manning Standards Examined SIU Firms Win 42 RRF Ships Brother to Brother Inland News_ Government Services I 1 Page 3 Page 4 Page 8 Pages 9 & 10 Pages 18 & 19 �President's Report by Frank Drozak During the past few election years, politics has become more and more like a massively-produced sporting event. The networks drench the airwaves with 15-second clips of candidates. Newspapers run hundreds of column inches on the latest polls and trends, and the candidates themselves throw slick video-like commercials at viewers. Sometimes with all that noise and visual assault, messages get lost. How much can a candidate say in a 15-second sound-bite or half-minute commercial? The recent primaries and caucuses in some 20 states March 8 was in danger of becoming more like a made-for-television movie than an important step in the election process. But as the election neared, a trend developed-the problems of America's working men and women became a popular theme. Sometimes it was hard to figure out where the various candidates stood on the issues by just watching the news, but a careful reading of the papers and political analysis showed that issues were getting an airing. Issues that concern all American workers. Unemployment, underemployment, the prohibitive cost of housing and medical care, education, drugs, job training andjob security are all issues that affect all Americans, regardless of political ideology. I believe those are the issues which will decide the 1988 elections. Americans are worried. While unemployment figures have dropped in the past few years, so have the number of people working at well-paid industrial jobs. People know this country cannot continue to pile up the budget deficit at the rate the Reagan administration has. They also know this country cannot sit idly by and watch its manufacturing base sold piece by piece overseas. The results from Super Tuesday seem to have narrowed the Democratic field to three and the GOP to one. All three of the major Democratic candidates have appealed to the vast working class. While the details of their messages vary, they know that working men and women will decide the election on the issues important to them. When it comes time for the SIU to endorse a candidate, it will be only after careful study. Like all unions in the AFL-CIO, we are concerned with how the candidates stand on labor's main issues. We are also very concerned about where they stand on maritime issues. Two of the areas we will be looking at are: Rebuilding the U.S. merchant marine-It's no secret our vital industry needs help. The recent report and recommendations from the president's Commission on Merchant Marine and Defense is a good place to start. The role of the merchant marine in this country's defense posture must be reaffirmed. We cannot allow the merchant fleet's role to be farmed out to low-wage foreign countries, like so many American companies have done with their plants. The bottom line is not cost, it is efficiency, competitiveness and the ability to fulfill the defense role. its traditional large-scale involvement in the election. We have a reputation as a union that can be counted on to tum out the vote and the volunteers. That's where each and every one of you comes in. Volunteer your time and your effort, not just in the presidential race but in the contests in your own home town. Candidates for the House and Senate and for state offices are important to you and the Union. Check with your port agents and field reps. They will have a line on the best ways you can help your Union and yourself. More so than most industries, our job security is tied to politics and national policy. Another eight years of being ignored or attacked could very well mean the death of the U.S.-fiag merchant marine. We cannot let that happen. We are not simply talking about dollars, we need leadership and we need a president with the attitude that the merchant marine is important. An important question for the candidates will be where they stand on the Defense Commission report. Fair Trade, Not Free TradeThe trade policies of the last eight years have led to the biggest trade deficit this country has ever seen. But as long as U.S. trade policy allows American products and American companies to be shut out of markets and tariffed to death, little will improve. We have to trade with the rest of the world. But they must trade with us too. The candidate we support must support a reasonable and sound fair trade program. Between now and the November election, the SIU will gear up for SIU's Fay Honored SIUNA Vice President John Fay (right) was honored in Philadelphia for his contributions and help to the Deborah Hospital Heart and Lung Center. Fay received the Humanitarian Award from Jeffrey Gloss, associate chairman of the hospital's executive board. Off1aal Pubhcat1on o1 the Seafarers International Uruon of Vol 50, No 3 North Amenca, Atlanbc, Gutt, Lakes and Inland Wa ers D1stnct March 1988 i: "' 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 March 1988 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) i~ published monthly by Seafarers International Union, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District. AFL-CIO, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, Md. 20746, Tel. 89906~~· Sec?nd-class postage paid at M.S.C. Prince Georges, Md. 20790-9998 and at additional ma1hng offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the LOG, 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs Md. 20746. ' ' �Manning Standards Examined by Maritime Panel More than 30 labor, management and government representatives met in a day-long session earlier this menth to discuss ways to establish more "effective manning" regulations. ''We're trying to find an area where labor, the shipowners and government might be able to work something out,'' said SIU President Frank Drozak. The meeting was the result of an earlier get-together last fall at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N. Y. Some participants expressed concern that new manning regulations would reduce the number of crew- members onboard ships, Coast Guard Admiral J.W. Kime said, "We're not talking about taking people off, we 're talking about how to use them better.'' He also said the agency's manning standards are designed only for safety and that crew size on any ship is up to collective bargaining between the various unions and shipowners. Most participants agreed on the need to update manning standards, but few agreed on exactly how to go about it. There was discussion about ''crossutilization'' using a qualified crewmember in both the engine and deck departments. There also was discus- SIU President Frank Dro7.ak makes his opening remarks at the conference. Coast Guard Adm. J.W. Kime Oeft) and SIU presidential assistant Mike Neumann take notes. SUP President Whitey Disley makes a point during the manning conference. With him are SIU Vice President George McCartney (left) and MFOW President Paul Dempster. sion of automation and watchstanding requirements. The goal of the committee, co-chaired by Drozak, is to design manning standards which could be implemented either through legislation or regulatory reform. A smaller committee was appointed to study the issue in more detail and try to find areas of agreement between the varied parties. Unions which took part in the meeting included the SIU, NMU, MM&P, MEBA-1, MFOW and SUP. APL, Matson, Arco, Exxon and Sea-Land sent representatives, and members of Marad and the Coast Guard attended. Andrew Boyle, SIU or Canada vice president, was an observer at the conference. Members Need Modern Rotary System SIU Studies Ways to Improve Shipping & Registration The SIU is undertaking a study to examine ways to improve the rotary shipping system. The aim is to expand job opportunities for SIU members in all ports, and to make registration and shipping procedures easier for the membership. In a report to the membership last month, SIU Vice President Angus "Red,. Campbell said that ''while nothing has been done to change our system, somewhere down the line changes are going to have to be made." The idea for taking a new look at registration and shipping procedures developed during meetings with members attending upgrading programs at the SHLSS. During these past four years, SIU President Frank Drozak met with Bosons and Stewards in .Recertification Programs as well as members in other upgrading programs to get their ideas on how to improve membership services. One area which received a great deal of comment was an idea to establish a national registration and shipping procedure. Out of these SIU Ally Is Top 'Italian' Long-time SIU friend and supporter (center) Joe Avara, Ret. Baltimore Police Col., was honored recently when he took command as the national president of the Sons or Italy. With him are SIU Headquarters Rep. Frank Paladino and Baltimore Port Agent Robert Pomerlane. discussions came a general agreement that some kind of national rotary shipping system might better serve the needs of our membership. A national registration system would improve the rotary job guarantees, and would expandjob opportunities to members in all ports. President Drozak is urging members to write to him with comments on the concept of a national shipping and registration system, or any other system which will safeguard and improve the rotary shipping system. Members are asked to address their comments to: Frank Drozak, President Seafarers International Union 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, Md. 20746 Committee Approves Bill To Beef Up Fishing Boat Safety A new fishing vessel safety bill was approved by the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee last month that will raise safety standards for U.S. fishing boats. But part of the bill dealing with liability and injury compensation standards was delayed for future action. H.R. 1841, The Commercial Fishing Industry Safety and Compensation Act, sets new standards for vessel safety. Introduced by Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.), chairman of the subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment, H.R. 1841 would require the largest population of fishing boats, documented vessels (those over five net tons) or !hose which have more than 16 people onboard, to carry at least one EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), life boats or rafts sufficient to accommodate all onboard, one exposure/survival suit per crewman, radio equipment which allows the boat to communicate with the Coast Guard, certain navigation equipment including charts and compass, and first aid supplies. New vessels carrying more than 16 crewmen would face even stiffer requirements including radars, bilge alarms, and fire fighting equipment. The Coast Guard is also directed to develop stability standards for new vessels and for those whose physical characteristics are substantially altered in a way which affects the vessel's operating stability. The Coast Guard is also given two years to develop a proposal for the possible licensing of vessel operators. The bill would, for the first time, require the inspection of fish processing vessels. As explained by Committee Chairman Walter B. Jones (D-N. C.), a sponsor of -the bill, the committee's decision to proceed with the markup of Title II, the safety provisions, and delay markup of the liability Title was driven by two facts: "We must make it very clear that this committee is on record supporting safety legislation and that safety legislation is going to be (Continued on Page 4.) March 1988 I LOG I 3 �SIU Wins Big Share of RRF Contracts-42 Ships SIU contracted companies garnered the lion's share of the contracts awarded by the MSC to the private sector for the maintenance of 71 vessels in the Ready Reserve Force. SIU-contracted companies will maintain 42 of the vessels over the next five years. "This represents literally hundreds of potential jobs for SIU members,'' said SIU Vice President Angus "Red" Campbell. The ships make up the Navy's fleet of emergency use vessels which would be broken out in case of a national emergency requiring the use of U.S. forces and troops overseas. The announcement had been held up while the dispute between the Navy and the Maritime Administration over who would handle these vessels was resolved. The administration finally found in favor of Marad. In addition to the new awards, nine other ships will be crewed by SIU members under the terms of a previous agreement. Interocean Management will operate six crane ships in the RRF, and Crowley Maritime Inc. will operate three T-1 tankers. What follows is a list of the awards to SIU-contracted companies: • American Overseas Marine Corp., Quincy, Mass., 12 ships, $1.9 million. • Interocean Management Corp., Philadelphia, eight, $1.6 million. • OMI Corp., New York City, eight, $1.2 million. • International Marine Carriers, Mineola, N.Y., four, $914,475. • American President Lines Ltd., Oakland, Calif., 10, $1.2 million. (Steward Department only) Cooking on the Arctic ·Washington Report The Overseas Arctic crew got some fine holiday cooking from Chief Cook A. Fachini (left) and Steward Assistant G. Wheeler. Right Fachini shows off his roasted turkey. Uttle Change in Maritime Budget (Continued from Page 1.) that the administration's budget meant that many important questions would have to be put on the back burner. Commenting on Webb's resignation, Drozak said that the controversy concerning the budget underscored the fact that the military had to get the most out of the money it was spending. "It is no longer possible," said Drozak, "for federal agencies like the MSC to underestimate their true costs when making Request for Proposal (RFP) bids. Private-sector maritime companies must be utilized if this country is to maintain an adequate sealift capability.'' Also of interest to maritime was the $62 million in debt authority set aside for Ocean Freight Differential payments to the Department of Agriculture for the added cost of carrying additional cargo reserved for U.S.-ftag vessels as a result of the compromise reached concerning the P .L. 480 program under the Food Security Act of 1985. Pensioners The following SIU members have retired on pension: DEEPSEA Baltimore Samuel Powell Duluth Stephen P. Kolek Houston Lester W. LeClair Jacksonville Samuel S. Brown Clifton Jordan John J. Kruse Mobile Edward L. Collins New Orleans Tadeusz Zielinski 4 I LOG I March 1988 New York Donald Ash Thomas Maga Reginald E. Melville Bernard Romanoff Santurce John A. Speer Seattle Gordon E. Bradford Wesley T. Christianson Robert E. Hommel Edgar Sharp Wilmington Robert E. Ladd · Kenneth H. Roberts (Continued from Page 24.) that he and the administration opposed any new shipbuilding program, and companies should be allowed to build foreign and still receive operating subsidies. ''We recognize the trade-off here; if we are going to make it possible for U.S. companies to compete, we have to reduce their capital and operating costs," he said. Drug Testing DOT' s Burnley has introduced a farreaching and controversial program concerning the testing of all airline personnel. The program has important ramifications for the maritime industry because Burnley has said that it would be applied to workers in other transportation sectors, including maritime, trucking and bus. ''The rules for maritime workers and truck and bus drivers are likely to include random testing, some regularly scheduled periodic tests, and special tests after accidents, rule violations, and upon a reasonable suspicion that a worker has used drugs,'' said The Journal of Commerce. Fishing Safety Bill Advances (Continued from Page 3.) enacted by this Congress'' and second, "There is still no consensus as to how to write Title I." The committee also approved H.R. 1260, the National Seabed Hard Minerals Act, introduced by Mike Lowry (D-Wash.), chairman of the Oceanography Subcommittee. The bill establishes a regime for the exploration and commercial recovery of hard mineral resources found in the seabed within our 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The committee adopted two amendments to the bill: by Robert Davis (RMich.), requiring mining vessels to be not only U .S.-ftag but U .S.-built; and by Patricia Saiki (R-Hawaii) to increase the flexibility of criteria used to determine if a state is "affected" by mining activities and therefore eligible to share in the revenues derived from those activities. Two amendments were offered and defeated: by Norman Shumway (RCalif.) that would have eliminated the federal-state dispute settlement section of the bill; and by Jack Fields (RTexas) that would have eliminated the requirement that an "affected state" have an approved Coastal Zone Management program to receive certain bonus revenues. The committee also approved two bills dealing with merchant marine veterans. H.R. 1430, introduced by Mario Biaggi (D-N. Y.) authorizes decorations and medals for service in the merchant marine; and H.R. 2032, introduced by Glenn Anderson (D-Calif.), authorizes the conveyance of the vessel Lane Victory from the National Defense Reserve Fleet to a nonprofit group for use as a merchant marine memorial. �Denounces U.S. Flag Sell-Out Maritime Trades Department Sets '88 Legislative Goals Bal Harbour, Fla.-The Reagan administration's decision to waive U .S.-citizen crew requirements on 11 Kuwaiti tankers carrying the American flag for protection in the Persian Gulf was unanimously condemned by the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department which met last month to set legislative priorities for 1988. The waiver was granted by the Coast Guard Feb. 9 at the request of the Defense Department and drew a sharp protest from MTD President Frank Drozak. He said the move would do "immeasurable harm to the maritime industry's continuing effort to meet the national security role that Congress has established" for the American-flag merchant marine. The MTD executive board gave ''unanimous consent" to the department's officers to "explore every legal and legislative avenue open to us to reverse this arbitrary administration slap at the intent of Congress." Drozak said the resolution on refiagging had the support of all of the seagoing unions, including those not affiliated with the MTD. Besides the Seafarers, the list includes the National Maritime Union, Marine Engineers, Masters, Mates & Pilots and Radio Officers. Congress had sought to close a loophole that allowed reflagged Kuwaiti ships to avoid compliance with a law requiring that ships flying the American flag carry U.S. crews. President Reagan approved the legislation last month, but Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci found a new loophole. He claimed that use of foreign seamen on American-flag ships serves a national defense interest. * * * In an address to the board, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Thomas R. Donahue reviewed developments since the federation's 1987 convention and legislative prospects in the current session of Congress on such key labor-supported measures as the Omnibus Trade Bill. The trade measure was among the legislative priorities discussed by the MTD board, along with development of oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, preserving the integrity of the Jones Act, shipbuilding, safety and health, social security, minimum wage, Medicare, and recommendations of the Commission on Merchant Marine & Defense aimed at reviving the nation's sealift capability. The board meeting also hailed the recent success of maritime unions, working through the AFL-CIO Ad Hoc Maritime Committee, in the eight-year battle to persuade the Department of Defense to grant veterans' status to seamen who sailed with the merchant marine during World War II. The meeting also noted that the department had succeeded in getting transportation removed from the U.S. -Canada Free Trade Agreement and in enacting the Fishing Vessel Anti-Refiagging Act. * * * The MTD vowed to make use of its extensive grassroots political action network of port councils during this year's primaries and national elections. MTD Secretary-Treasurer Jean F. lngrao welcomed a new affiliate to the department, the Steelworkers, and USWA Vice President George Becker was named to the executive board. Also named to the board was Carpenters President Sigurd Lucassen, who succeeds his predecessor, Patrick J. Campbell. Members of Congress addressing the board included Sen. Howell Heflin (D-Ala.), Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), Rep. Joe Moakley (D-Mass.) and Rep. Gerry Sikorski (D-Minn.). Speakers from the AFL-CIO staff included Department Directors Rudy Oswald, economic research; John Perkins, COPE; Bert Seidman, occupational safety, health and social security, and Robert McGlotten, legislation. SIU Assumes Leadership Role c SIU Executive Vice President Mike Sacco urged the members of the Executive Council of the Maritime Trades Department to make trade their top priority. MTD Presid~nt Frank Drozak chaired the two-day session, which established the department's legislative agenda for the upcoming year. SIU President Frank Drozak, left, and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) urged Congress to enact legislation permitting the development and exploration of oil products found in the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR). Election Year 1988 The maritime industry is one of the most regulated sectors of the American economy. Additionally, the complex web of maritime laws, subsidies and policies have made the fate of maritime highly reactive to decisions made at the federal level. All of the maritime trades, and indeed the entire economy, are affected by government policy making. Fortunately, workers in the maritime trades have been among the most outspoken in promoting the causes of economic and social justice. In recent years, their collective voice has been amplified through the MTD's Grass Roots Political Program. Through it, we have achieved significant victories. De~pite consistent anti-labor policies implemented by the present administration, we have actively supported and secured election to office men and women who share our beliefs and represent our hopes. An essential key to our success has been the broad involvement of the 26 port maritime councils throughout the United States, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Their officers have joined with field representatives and the membership of affiliated unions to make a real difference at the local, state and national levels. We must, however, guard against the complacency that often accompanies success. The 1988 elections offer unprecedented opportunities for securing major gains for American workers. The entire U.S. House of Representatives, one-third of the U.S. Senate, state legislatures and city councils, and most importantly, the next administration must be selected. Our future and our children's futures are at stake. The MTD urges all affiliated unions and their respective memberships to fully participate in our nation's political process. March 1988 I LOG I 5 �The National Economy During the past several years, the U.S. economy has experienced record trade imbalances, an unprecedented string of budget deficits, unemployment rates stuck at historically high levels during a period of expansion, and wave after wave of mergers, hostile take-overs, and manipulations of the financial markets. This economic turmoil was further exacerbated by the Oct. 19, 1987 stock market crash which literally erased $1 trillion worth of stock values in one hectic trading session. Black Monday, as the crash has now been labeled, and the unhealthy and unsound state of the nation's economy is largely man-made, the result of seven years of supplyside Reaganomics. More than investors were jolted by the Wall Street tremor. The huge plunge and the market's subsequent uncertainly sent shock waves through the public at large as well, undermining what little confidence still remained in the immediate future of the economy and of Reaganomics per se. In fact, the administration's accuracy as both an economic forecaster and reporter has been proved highly dubious. The causes of the recent crash are neither trivial nor transient, arising from the strains and imbalances in the American economy precipitated by national economic policies which are based on a naive attachment to free-market ideology. The American people are indeed paying the piper for the administration's inability to reduce the huge budget and trade deficits. Seven years ago, the newly installed Reagan administration inaugurated the most dramatic economic package in decades. Two years later, our economy was limping out of the deepest recession since the Depression with millions of Americans out of work, failed businesses, decreased industrial production and social programs established to care for the needy victimized by the ruthless budget ax. At the same time, the Reagan administration granted tax breaks for corporations and wealthy individuals and promoted huge increases in the defense budget during a period of declining government revenues. The next several years witnessed a modest recovery to the economy and the administration claimed success for the decline in inflation and interest rates. On this count, Reaganomics outperformed even its own promises. In February 1981, the administration foresaw a 4.9 percent inflation rate by 1986. In fact inflation dropped below 5 percent several years ago. But, the rapid relief from inflation cannot be credited to sound economic policy. On the contrary, the rapid decline in inflation can be directly attributed to the staggering unemployment levels which hit this nation during the early eighties. In other words, the jobs of American workers were sacrificed so that the Reagan administration could claim a victory in its battle against inflation. Still, the administration persists in its belief that jobs are plentiful. True, total employment expanded by 10.5 million jobs between 1980 and 1986, which sounds good until one realizes that the U.S. economy generated 12.5 million new jobs in the previous six years. In February 1981, the Reagan administration foresaw a falling unemployment rate that would average 6.6 percent over the coming six years and dip to 5 .6 percent by 1986. In fact, unemployment has averaged 8.1 percent during the Reagan years and has yet to touch 6.6 percent. The unemployment picture is further blemished by the huge trade deficits resulting from this administration's simplistic and blind devotion to free-market economic theory regardless of its cost in human misery 6 I LOG I March 1988 Domestic Cruise Industry and deprivation. Economists estimate that America loses some 22 ,500 jobs for every $1 million in imports that enter the domestic market. Since Reagan came to office, more than two million good paying factory jobs have been washed away by the rising import tide. Furthermore, the original Reagan economic plan promised a budget surplus of $30 billion by fiscal year 1986, despite massive tax cuts and an upsurge in defense spending. The administration was going to accomplish this through strong economic growth and by paring government spending. In reality, however, the budget deficit mushroomed to just under $200 billion in 1987 while the trade deficit has reached approximately $175 billion-a new national record. Thus the projected economic boom heralded by the administration's economic idealogues never materialized. The stock market may recover somewhat and perhaps the message behind its tumultuous plunge in late October will be heeded. Certainly, supplyside Reaganomics have encouraged Americans to spend too much, to import too much, to live beyond its means by relying on foreigners to finance its massive budget and trade deficits. But no nation can continue to successfully consume more than it produces, to spend more than its output, or to pile up international debt on which interest must be paid without heading for a painful adjustment. The bill is now coming due. Inevitably, America's standard of living will suffer unless its economic national policy is vigorously addressed and repaired. The nature of the required repairs will include a smaller federal deficit, perhaps lower consumption by Americans, lower trade deficits, lower interest rates and more investment in American industries and American workers. The MTD believes that it is imperative for the seven years of free spending and heavy borrowing of the Reagan administration to stop. National policymakers must begin to provide responsible economic leadership. The stock market plunge is only a warning of the damage to come if national decisionmakers return to business as usual. The clock is still running, the game is not yet over. With fundamental and far-reaching changes to prevailing economic practices, the scorecard can be changed to reflect a winning and healthy national economy. The AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department has consistently supported the development of a cruise vessel industry in the United States. To this end, the Maritime Trades Department: 1. shall initiate and support an effort which requires cruise vessel operators who homeport vessels in the United States or who do substantial business in the United States: a) to construct in a United States shipyard any replacements or additional vessels for operation in the U.S. cruise trade and that all nonemergency repairs and maintenance on cruise vessels involved in such trade shall be performed in an American shipyard; and b) a percentage of the crew aboard all foreign flag vessels involved in the U.S. cruise trade shall be citizens of the United States. 2. shall initiate and support an effort which eliminates factors that impede the expansion and operation of U.S. flag cruise vessels in the domestic trades, including but not limited to regulations which allow "cruises to nowhere"; that allow foreign vessels to spend more than 24 hours in a U.S. port; and that allow a foreign vessel to merely touch a foreign port to satisfy domestic shipping restrictions. This effort shall also explore incentives for U.S. construction and operation of domestic cruise vessels, including but not limited to the greater availability and utilization of the Title XI loan guarantee program; and conforming restrictions on the utilization of shipboard gambling devices between U.S. and foreign-flag cruise vessels. Shipbuilding Industry The Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO, in recognition of the nation's shipyard crisis, supports the following initiatives: 1. The development and support for legislation requiring federal funding of the Construction Differential Subsidy Program (CDS) at sufficient levels to fulfill existing and future building needs of U.S.-flag vessels operators. 2. Reaffirmation of the Maritime Trades Department's commitment and support for existing maritime policy requiring subsidized vessel operators to construct new vessels in U.S. shipyards, manned by U.S. citizen crews. AFL-CIO Pledges Support to Maritime .//:: -~~ / ~ ,( /~/ ,: ; S 1 v~ /'f.......< • ....__ """ AFf L. .:....; ;.. COPE Director John Perkins outlined organized labor's political strategy for the upcoming year. Robert McGlotten, director of the AFL-CIO's Department of Legislation, urged all trade unionists to become involved on a grassroots level. ""--..~ r~~--~---. ~.-, ~ ·~, .. \.'\ :0 \ t··~.:"").\ ~ \\ .. ., ' ' ~~\ "-4 (·"Of<··( " I 1! ' ...... Rudy Oswald, director of Economic Research for the AFL-CIO, went over the Reagan administration's sorry economic record. �International Trade lnteniational Affairs International trade and its effect on America's economy has been a major concern for the country. This concern has been aroused by a stream of recordbreaking trade deficits which have resulted in the United States becoming the largest debtor nation in the world. Also, the stock market crash that the United States experienced last fall was accompanied by similar crashes in all of the international stock exchanges, and was partly attributable to America's poor international trade position. Accompanying the stock crash and the tremendous trade deficits is the reality that America is mortgaging its future prosperity to maintain present standards of living. Increasing awareness of this problem resulted in omnibus trade legislation being passed by both Houses of Congress. This legislation is designed to assist America in weathering the current trade crisis and prospering in future years. It will help improve America's technical proficiency, aid those workers harmed by international trade, and spur the administration to reach agreements with our trading partners in order to eliminate the unfair trade practices that have led to the decline of many U.S. industries. Reinvestment in America through better and more efficient plants and equipment, and increased training of workers are essential steps towards America's future prosperity. America's economic output has lagged in comparison with many of the countries now heavily engaged in international trade. This is due primarily to the lack of investment made in America. Instead of investing in new plants and job training, investors have spent money in countless merger and acquisition schemes that leave a few people extraordinarily wealthy. In contrast, the newly merged corporation is often left with an enormous debt burden requiring the sale of assets and the laying off of workers. This reduces the company's ability to compete in the future. During these times of trade deficits, many companies have also lost their domestic markets to foreign imports; worker layoffs and plant shutdowns result. Sometimes the layoff is temporary; all too often, however, the job loss is permanent. Workers who lost their jobs because of unmanageable international trade deficits need the financial assistance to live during the time it takes to find a new job, to retrain or to relocate. The omnibus trade legislation pending before the Congress contains provisions that would help to provide those workers with trade adjustment assistance and necessary retraining. One of the International Labor Organization's (ILO) major functions is the formulation and adoption ofinternational labor standards through International Conventions and Recommendations. A feature of major significance is that an International Convention, following ratification by an individual nation is a binding international treaty. Therefore, among the nations which have ratified various ILO Conventions, there has been created a recognized body of international law affecting trade union freedom, human rights, race and sex discrimination, unemployment, and conditions of employment. Recommendations adopted by ILO member nations provide guidance on national legislation, policy and practice. Since 1919, more than 300 Conventions and Recommendations have been adopted. They encompass a very broad spectrum of general and specific matters ranging from freedom of association to crew accommodations onboard ships. In recent years, actions in the United States and a number of European countries demonstrate the possibility that enforcement of international standards of work conditions can be achieved. In 1982, maritime officials of 14 European nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding endorsing the principle of Port State Control under which each signatory nation accepts the responsibility for enforcing internationally-accepted standards of shipboard operation regardless of the flag of registry and the maritime practice of that registry. Among the International Conventions included in the European governments Memorandum of Understanding is the ILO Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention #147. This Convention requires ratifying nations to comply with 11 additional ILO Conventions. These deal with minimum age of seafarers; medical care and sickness benefits; prevention of accidents; crew accommodations; food and catering for crews; officer competency certificates; seamen's articles of agreement; repatriation of seamen; freedom of association; and the right to organize and bargain collectively. In July 1985 the Secretariat for the 14 European nations which signed the Memorandum of Understanding reported that 20 percent of all ships entering their ports were inspected for compliance with the requirements of the applicable Conventions. That Third Annual Report of the Secretariat stated that 428 ships, equaling 5 .5 percent of all ships inspected were detained or delayed because of deficiencies in safety conditions or minimum crew standards for food, - -. Trade Deficit & Jobs Are Common Concerns lJA W President Owen Bieber said that the Canada Free Trade Agreement should be repudiated. Andrew Boyle, Executive VicePresident for the SIU of Canada, praised the ability of seamen north and south of the border to work in close alliance. Jack Otero, vice-president of the Brotherhood of Railroad and Airline Clerks, chaired an important meeting concerning the International Labor Organization. accommodations or work hours. In 1987, ILO Convention 147 was sent to the United States Senate by the Executive Branch of the government with a favorable recommendation for ratification. Public hearings before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations were held in 1987. On Feb. 1, 1988, the United States Senate ratified the Convention by a vote of 84-0. With this action of the Senate exists the necessary legal authority to permit the United States government to take effective action against all sub-standard ships which enter U.S. ports regardless of flag of registry. This would include authority to detain ships which violate minimum standards regarding working conditions and treatment of crewmembers. In summary, there is some reason for optimism that in the near future, effective action can be taken to improve workers' standards on a very broad range of conditions in the international work place of the sea. The internationally adopted and recognized standards include the fundamental workers' rights of freedom of association and to organize and bargain collectively, as well as a number of conditions of work and living onboard ships. On an even broader front, the AFL-CIO has taken steps to direct the focus of the U.S. government to internationally recognized workers' rights in a number of developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In June of 1987, the Federation and several of its affiliates submitted petitions to the U.S. trade representative to withdraw duty-free benefits on imports from specified countries with long-standing, repressive labor policies. The petitions were filed under the provisions of the Trade and Tariff Act of 1984 which authorizes the president to withdraw special tariff benefits available to a large number (140) of developing countries, if any such country is not ''taking steps to afford internationally recognized workers rights'' to its workers. The statute specifically includes 1) the right of association; 2) the right to organize and bargain collectively; 3) the prohibition against the use of any form of forced or compulsory labor; 4) the prohibition against the employment of children under a minimum age; and 5) the provision of acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. All of these workers' rights and standards are founded on a number of ILO Conventions. · In 1986 the administration did take some actions making trade benefits dependent upon foreign nations policies toward workers' rights and allowing trade unions to exist and function. Nicaragua and Romania lost their benefits and Paraguay's benefits were suspended. On Dec. 24, 1987, the United States trade representative suspended Chile from the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program based on practices by the government of Chile relating to violations of internationally recognized workers' rights. As a result of this action, Chilean exports to the United States will no longer receive duty-free status under the GSP program. Trade rights and workers' rights are also linked in the programs of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Caribbean Basin Initiative. Vigorous enforcement of these laws of the United States which recognize the applicable ILO Convention can and will elevate workers' standards around the world. It will also remove any competitive advantage which the goods and services of a country may enjoy through the repression of workers. March 1988 I LOG I 7 �From One Brotherhood to Another Seafarer Finds His Calling Away from the Sea By MIKE HALL Cliff Renard was pretty typical of a lot of young men who started shipping out in 1967. The high school dropout from St. Mary's, Pa. was working in San Diego as the war in Vietnam was escalating and a steady stream of ships sailed from the West Coast to Southeast Asia. He had left the Barnabite Community, a Catholic order of priests and brothers in Youngstown, N.Y. He had shelved his dreams of becoming a priest. ''A good friend of mine got me a job in San Diego as a baker. I worked there about a year, and one of the guys I worked with used to ship out as a purser. He told me, 'Cliff, why don't you go on up to Wilmington. I hear the MC&S (Marine Cooks & Stewards) needs bakers.' "I went up there and they told me what I had to do to get my seamen's papers, and about four months later I shipped out on the Lurline,'' the now 48-year-old Renard recalled. That was the start of more than a dozen years sailing, interspaced with a stint as a longhaul trucker and several years of onshore baking jobs. It was also the beginning of a long road back to where he had started in Youngstown with the Barnabites. Last summer, 20 years after he left, Renard took his vows and become Brother Cliff M. Renard, C.R.S.P. Onboard the Santa Maria in the late 1970s, Renar d puts the finishing touches on a Dutch apple pie. It was a little more than three years ago when Brother Cliff sold most of his belongings and began his training with the Bamabites. Along with the religious training he received during his apostlement and novitiate years, he also earned the high school degree he didn't get two decades ago. Now, Renard is attending Niagara University studying computer science and business administration. He will use those skills in administrative work with the order and will also teach. His new religious vocation is a long way from his first job on Matson' s Lurline, then a passenger ship running from the West Coast to Hawaii. "I gradually worked my way up into the bakery. Became third baker and then moved up to second baker on the [President] Cleveland (APL). I was only a C-card then but sailed several trips on the Monterey as third and then first baker. Eventually I became the pastry chef," he said. By then, "The priesthood had completely dropped by the wayside. Sailing was going to be my career. I still had my religious direction in my life. But I didn't really show it or push. Like they say, 'Never talk politics or religion','' Renard said. But his religious beliefs did have some outlet aboard the ships. The passenger ships always carried chaplains aboard for the guests who wished to attend services, and Renard helped serve at the Masses. After dozens of trips aboard the Matson passenger vessels and some APL ships, Renard found himself on something a lot less glamorous , an old Victory ship headed for Vietnam. "I sailed on several old Victories for the MSC, " he said . He even made the switch from the clean confines of the gallery to the engine room as a member of the black gang. "I sailed as a wiper on the Arnold. I got enough time to get my oiler's endorsement. I wanted to see if I could do it,'' Renard explained. As the war in Vietnam began to wind down, he decided to see if he could find work ashore. "I got my Class I license and started driving a semi across country. I guess I like the Brother Renard is pictured above (center) shortly after taking his vows with the Barnabite Order. With him are the Very Rev. Anthony Bianco (left), Provincial of the Order, and the Rev. John Ducette, Diocesan Director of the Apostleship of the Sea. 8 I LOG I March 1988 challenge of learning new things.'' But he discovered that he liked life at sea better than life behind the wheel. Luckily, after about a year of gearjammin', an old friend and MC&S patrolman, Gentry Moore, called. "He said they needed a pastry chef on the old Prudential Line's M-ships. I made a number of trips to South · America on all four of the M-ships, '' he said. Those combination passenger/ freighters carried about 70-100 passengers each. Renard became a fixture aboard those vessels. He said he had a pretty good thing going for him at the time. He'd make a run or two to South America, come home to San Jose, Calif. and take two or three weeks off. If he couldn't get a ship or just wanted to spend some time ashore, his bakery skills always got him a job on the beach. It was during one of those stretches that Renard became very active in his San Jose parish. He became a Eucharist minister, a lay person who is allowed to give communion when a priest is not available, such as onboard a ship. Even though he was performing the Eucharist on the ship, Renard never made the effort to "push" his religion on his shipmates. Gentry Moore recalled that while many knewofRenard's devotion, 'LHe was an all around regular guy. Maybe sometimes we'd try not to cuss around him or something.'' Renard described himself as somewhat of a "loner" onboard. Both in Vietnam and South America, while some shipmates pursued some of the more typical shoreside pleasures, he often visited orphanages, sometimes with purloined stores from the ships for the kids there. After many years at sea, and like so many other seafarers in the late 1970s, Renard became the victim of a rapidly shrinking merchant marine. Prudential laid up the M-ships , and he came ashore for the last time. He got a job as a baker with the Safeway chain of stores and began to become more active in his San Jose parish. "I became a volunteer there, and my pastor told me if I kept working at it I could become a deacon,'' he said. As part of his volunteer work, Renard took care of an elderly priest who was suffering from terminal cancer. "He told me, 'Someday, you're going back to the brotherhood'.'' During his time in San Jose, Renard attended several religious retreats, and just before he died, the elderly priest once again told him he was going back to the seminary. "I guess he knew what he was talking about," Renard said. In 1983 he headed back to upstate New York and the Barnabite Fathers, the last leg of a journey that began when he was a young boy. He says he enjoyed the years he spent at sea, " But I'm truly happy now." His connection with the sea isn't completely cut. A priest who knew Renard created this massive meringue masterpiece for a special buffet aboard the old passenger ship Monterey in 1977. Renard when he shipped out introduced the newly ordained brother to the Port Chaplain of Buffalo. That Lake Erie port is a stop for several dozen deepsea ships each year and even more Great Lakes vessels. The Port Chaplain offered Renard the post of associate chaplain there. Along with his duties at the Barnabite' s Lady of Fatima Shrine, just a few miles up the road from Buffalo , Brother Cliff will still keep in touch with the men and women of the sea. He said all those years of sailing have left a mark on him , and even today small things can trigger a memory or a feeling. ' •Sometimes when I meditate I can hear a truck engine or start putting sounds together and can imagine the sound of the engine room. Or if you're in one of those big parking garages, with all the noise from a lot of cars and the vibrations as the floor shakes a bit. It feel.s like being on a ship." While the sea may have called to Brother Cliff Renard for all those years, it wasn't until he put the sea behind that he found his calling. �nan ews 'Joe Ax' Turns BO in New Orleans Earl J. Schmitt, a former Louisiana state representative, turned newsman for the day when several friends honored old time Boatman Joe Rauch on his 80th birthday. Below is Schmitt's dispatch from the Crescent City. It was Saturday, December 19, that a few "old timers" quietly met in the office of Cooper-Smith (formerly Crescent Towing Company) on the company barge on the Mississippi River in New Orleans. The 10 men met to surprise Joe Rauch on his 80th birthday. Joe is much better known as ••Joe Ax' ' and has been working on the river for more than 60 years. His friends , who paid tribute to him, dated back to the W. G. Coyle Company many years ago. Although Joe carried numerous licenses to operate vessels of large tonnage, he always preferred to be a deckhand. He was a most humorous person and taught many seamen the art of the trade. A large number of his protegees are now in the various pilot associations. The party included ice cream and cake. Included in the group (pictured at the right) were: Arthur Kulp, superintendent of the firm; Milton Rodriguex, retired engineer; "Joe Ax"; Gerald Huber, Crescent River Pilot, whose deceased father, Captain Stanley Huber, a former river pilot who worked with Joe; Raymond Hughes, retired deckhand and former SIU shop steward; Captain Vic Wright and Earl Zinc , former Coyle employees ; Captain Gus LeBlanc, retiree of Crescent who also worked with Joe while at Coyle; and former State Representative Earl J. Schmitt and his son, Al, presently with Crescent, who is missing from the picture. Pensioners The following Inland members have retired on pension: Baltimore Edward Covacevich Leon J. Mach Sr. Hugh L. Stewart Jr. New York Jerry Intonti (RMR) Norfolk Russell Hubbard Philadelphia Omar R. Collins Arthur Miller Personals Howard Hailey Please get in touch with some people in Houston, Texas. Bobby Gene McMichael Please send your sister your new address. Write to June Renfrow, 139 Meadowpark Dr., Hattiesburg, MS 39401, or call collect (601) 5820675. Roy C. Lundquist Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Roy C. Lundquist-please get in touch with Price Willoughby, 1650 Iron Springs, Rd., Fairfield, PA 17320. Joe "Ax" Rauch (seated, third from left) celebrates his 80th birthday in New Orleans. Rauch spent more than 60 years working on the rivers. Dispatchers Report for Inland Waters FEBRUARY 1-29, 1988 *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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston ................ . ....... . . Algonac . .. . . .... .. . .. ... ........ . St. Louis . . . ...... . ...... . .... . .. . Piney Point . .. . .. ... ...... ... .... . . Totals .. ... . ... . .. . . ....... . ... . . Port New York .. . .............. ....... . Philadelphia ................ . . .... . Baltimore ............... . . .. . .. . . . Norfolk ... . .................... . . Mobile ........ . ............. . .. . . New Orleans ............... ....... . Jacksonville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Francisco .. . ............. ..... . Wilmington . .. ... . .. . ........ . .. .. . Seattle .. ... . . . ~ . ............ .... . Puerto Rico ... . ................. . . Houston ... ...... .. . .. . ...... . .. . . Algonac ........................ . . St. Louis ............... . ..... ... . Piney Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Totals . . .. .. . .. ....... . ......... . Totals All Departments ....... . . . .. .. . . **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C DECK DEPARTMENT 0 2 6 35 0 0 5 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 6 29 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 28 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 0 0 16 7 4 0 1 0 71 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 12 26 44 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Port New York ......... . . . . ..... ..... . . Philadelphia .... . .. .... .......... . . Baltimore ..... . ... . . .. ... . ....... . Norfolk .......... .. . ... . ... .. ... . Mobile ....... .. .. ...... ......... . New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacksonville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Francisco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wilmington .... . .. ..... . . ....... .. . Seattle ............ . . . ........ ... . Puerto Rico ...... . . ......... .. . . . . Houston ... .. .... .. .. . ....... .... . Algonac ............. . ... .. ...... . St. Louis ......... . .... .. . . ...... . Piney Point ....... ..... ... . ...... . . Totals .................. . ....... . TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C 0 19 0 0 40 232 0 0 0 31 3 0 146 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 37 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 50 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 57 1 0 21 76 0 0 3 0 48 0 0 21 0 40 4 0 0 0 54 0 58 7 1 0 0 0 3 4 0 0 49 5 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 0 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 28 6 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 3 108 35 0 0 0 6 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 33 0 30 0 0 0 37 1 0 0 127 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 10 0 0 15 0 9 0 0 0 24 0 0 58 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 23 11 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 47 0 0 5 251 28 3 0 15 0 4 0 5 0 41 0 0 0 16 0 0 94 48 114 62 46 453 0 0 16 5 0 0 0 0 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. March 1988 I LOG I 9 �profiles In its monthly series of interviews and reports, "PROFILES" will highlight key government officials instrumental in shaping national and maritime policy. Rep. Owen B. Pickett Rep. Kweisi Mfume V C IRGINIA'S second district is composed of adjacent, yet politically different, cities: the fast-growing residential and resort municipality of Virginia Beach and the unionized port city of Norfolk. Virginia Beach is one of the state's prime strongholds of conservatism while Norfolk has been one of the few bastions of liberalism within Virginia. Owen B. Pickett (DVa.) was elected in 1986 to represent this district. The freshman congressman was educated in the public schools of Hanover Country, Va., received a B.S. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a law degree from the University of Richmond. Pickett's election to Congress followed a public career spanning more than 15 years. He served eight terms in the Virginia House of Delegates ( 1972-86), two years as the chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party and four years as the chairman of the Second Congressional District Democratic Committee. During his years as a member of the House of Delegates, Pickett served on numerous committees and commissions, including the House Appropriations Committee. An attorney and certified public accountant, Pickett was the senior partner in a law firm prior to his election to Congress. He also is a member of the Virginia State Bar, Virginia Bar Association, American Bar Association, Virginia Beach Bar Association, Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts and the Hampton Roads Maritime Association. The second district is heavily dependent on the massive concentration of naval installations, shipbuilders and Rep. Owen B. Pickett shipping firms in the Hampton Roads harbor area, which ranks first in export tonnage among the nation's Atlantic ports. It is no surprise, then that Pickett, during his first term, requested and received assignment to the Armed Services Committee and the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee. Rep. Pickett has stated, "It is important for strategic and economic reasons to have a strong U.S. merchant fleet,'' but acknowledges the fact that the world economy does not function in a way that allows U.S. shipbuilders to compete successfully with foreign shipbuilders who enjoy significant subsidies and other benefits from their governments. He also has said that the United States "can live with temporary imbalances in our commerce, but we cannot for one moment back away from our commitment to defend this nation . . . Where I come from, it is axiomatic that a strong defense and a strong merchant marine go hand in hand.'' Picket has stressed that the United States must decide as a nation whether it needs a militarily ready, commercially viable merchant marine. "If we decide yes, as I believe we should, then we must establish and pursue a national merchant marine policy to achieve this goal.'' ONGRESSMAN Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) was elected to the lOOth Congress from the seventh congressional district in Baltimore. Anchored in inner-city Baltimore, the seventh district is overwhelmingly Democratic and overwhelmingly black. But the seventh also spreads west from the downtown area, past tenement neighborhoods that were Jewish before World War II, then turned black in the 1950s, on to neat row houses owned by Baltimore's black middle class. The district also includes gentrified areas inhabited by white liberals, as well as the Johns Hopkins University community and the adjacent liberal academic enclaves, racially mixed working-class neighborhoods as well as a large Social Security complex with its many federal workers, mainly white and Democratic. Mfume is a magna cum laude graduate of Morgan State University, where he later taught political science and communications classes, and holds a masters degree in liberal arts from the Johns Hopkins University, where he concentrated in International Studies and Foreign Relations. As a young man, the Baltimore native adopted his African name which means ''conquering son of kings.'' He made the change official in 1979 upon entering public life as a candidate for the Baltimore City Council, on which he served for eight years. Mfume won some important legislative victories in the council, including a bill requiring the city to divest itself of investments in companies doing business in South Africa and legisla- Rep. Kweisi Mfume tion enhancing minority business in the areas of bonding and set asides. In the first month of his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Mfume was elected treasurer of the Congressional Black Caucus and deputy whip of the freshman Democratic class. He serves on two important committees: the powerful Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee and the Small Business Committee. Within those committees, he was appointed to three banking subcommittees: Housing and Community Development, Economic Stabilization, and International Development. He also serves on two Small Business subcommittees: Minority Enterprise and Exports, and Tourism and Special Problems. Additionally, Mfume was appointed to the Select Committee on Hunger. The freshman congressman brings with him to the l OOth Congress a solid reputation as an articulate, forthright advocate for his constituency, and he hopes to continue the tradition of advocacy on behalf of the people of Maryland's seventh district. Inland News In Wilmington, N.C., three dozen SIU Boatmen recently agreed to a contract extension at Cape Fear Towing. Above, SIU Rep. Frank Paladino (left) and Norfolk Port Agent Jim Martin (second from left), met with some of the Cape Fear Boatmen earlier this month to discuss the extension. 10 I LOG I March 1988 Three of the six Cape Fear tugs at their Wilmington dock. �Justice for Merchant seamen M ore than 40 years overdue, and welcomed with a great, albeit bitter, collective sigh from United States merchant seamen, recognition has finally been granted by the U.S. Defense Department of their heroic contribution to the war effort from 1941 to 1945. At last, they are to be counted as veterans. Many critics of this move may ask, "What's all this fuss about, for just a few meager benefits, a flag, and a headstone in some military cemetery?'· Its ultimate meaning is much more than that. It is the final acknowledgement of the merchant seamen's brave and tireless contributions to the Allied victory of World War II. Having lost over 5,600 lives in the conflict, theirs is probably the most valiant chapter written in the history of warfare at sea. Even before the U.S. had officially entered the war, American ships were taking a beating out at sea, during which time the Neutrality Act of 1939 was in force. The German U-boats were taking a terrible toll of unarmed U.S. merchant ships in the Atlantic. President Roosevelt, in declaring that the nation was dealing with modem pirates who destroyed defenseless ships without warning, convinced Congress in October 1941 to repeal anicle 6 of the Neutrality Act which banned the arming of U.S. merchant vessels. And so began the merchant marine' s total involvement in the Allied defense effort. In effect, merchant seamen's duty was tantamount to military service. They received special military training, could be ordered "to such ports and places in any part of the world as may be ordered by the U.S. government,'' had their shore leave regulated and discipline for misconduct supervised by military authorities. Seamen were even subjected to court martial if they refused to serve. Their dangerous mission of service under the aegis of the War Shipping Administration was transporting Anny and Navy cargoes all over the globe. This included not only materiel but men also-a great majority of the seven million soldiers were carried overseas on merchant ships. The more dangerous duty was taken on the old slow vessels built before and during World War I which proved to be easy targets. In both these and the newly built Liberty ships of the American Victory Fleet, the U.S. merchant marine hauled everything from guns, planes, tanks, and ambulances to fuel oil, gasoline, stoves for Iceland, powdered eggs and milk for British and Russian chilcjren to medicine, games and mail for the fighting men in every outpost of democracy in the world. In order to protect themselves from the prowling Nazi U-boats, Allied supply ships traveled in convoys, averaging 25 ships. The merchant ships, in addition to having Navy gunnery crews onboard, were protected by four Navy corvettes and two destroyer escorts which patrolled several miles outside the main group. The typical convoy included mostly cargo ships carrying raw materials, tanks, planes, equipment and ammunitiion, seven tankers and maybe two troop ships. When the war was over, Admiral Karl Donitz (head of the German submarine arm) wrote, ''The German submarine campaign was wrecked by the introduction of the convoy system.'' (See box below.) Naturally, wartime involvement of the merchant marine meant union involvement. Of the 22 seamen's unions that existed in the United States around 1942, only seven had truly strong contractural management-labor agreements, among which was the SIU. Before the war, Harry Lundeberg, who headed the SIU and the SUP, SIU veteran seamen-I. to r.: Bierney Kazmierski, Arthur Gilliland, Mario Carrasco, Sven Regner, Albert Coles. s: .u~· S. MERCHANT MARINE Rt~(lil··h>.r <II .111111r 11e.11rt1~·1 l· ~ &nplo,q111e11 I Serrlce Qf/iee IJnr Shippi11,f} 1ltlminirln11io11 had a two-masted training schooner made fast to a deck in San Francisco. He trained there and later trained hundreds of young men who went into the deep-water ships as able-bodied seamen. According to the wartime Maritime Commission, his training schooner boatswains turned out a good sailor. By 1943, several thousand of his membership had already made the Arctic run to the Russian Siberian ports of Murmansk and Archangel carrying lend-lease cargoes of explosives and military supplies. (See article, 'Gallant Ship.') Included in this group of SIU members are several retirees now living at the SHLSS Mongelli Training and Recreation Center who eagerly agreed to tell us about their wartime experiences. Most of them were mere teenagers when they signed up with the union to go to sea and serve their nation, but they fulfilled a man-sized responsibility. Bierney Kazmierski first joined the powerful NMU in 1943 as a 17-yearold in Detroit, Mich. However, he was turned off by the heavily socialistic philosophy espoused by the union. Even though Russia was an ally, public sentiment negatively branded the NMU as "red" and "revolutionary." And so, "Ski" went to the SIU hiring hall in Detroit to sign up. He recalls seeing the union officer throwing the old NMU books, one after another, into a large wastebasket. His first wartime assignment was aboard the American Liberty ship, the John P. Poe, out of New York. The convoy system was worked out to perfection by that time, but even so, "Ski" saw two ships behind him in his group picked off by U-boats on their way to Scotland. From Dover, England they became part of the largest, most complex naval operation in history-carrying supplies to the troops at Omaha Beach, Normandy on DDay, June 6, 1944. Throughout the entire trip, "Ski's" duty was to load 20mm shells for the Navy gun crews onboard. His second trip on the Felix Grundy (Continued on Next Page.) March 1988ILOGI11 �JUSTICE FOR SEAMEN (Continued from Page 11.) took him to Antwerp, Belgium when the Battle of the Bulge began on Dec. 16, 1944, his 18th birthday. His convoy was right in the middle of ' 'buzz bomb alley,'' and they had the German V-1 rockets landing all around them. Hauling "blockbuster" bombs to Bristol, England, bringing hundreds of German POW's back to the States, towing disabled troop ships and a coal freighter which had caught fire-" Ski" went through it all with a professionalism forged under fire. Albert Coles had actually been aboard a Liberty ship at the time it was sunk. The S.S. Benjamin Harrison had left Norfolk in 1943 andjoined up with a large 36-ship convoy out of New York on the North African route through to the Mediterranean. She was loaded with munitions, food, machinery and a deck load of tanks and trucks, and carried a merchant crew of 43 men and a Navy Armed Guard of 29. As a 19-year-old on his very first trip, Albert tasted the bitter dregs of the war early on, when his ship was torpedoed on the evening of March 16 about 150 miles northeast of the Azores. The ship was struck in #5 hold on the starboard side. Later, luckily, two other torpedoes missed. After the first hit, a number of crew abandoned ship by jumping overboard. Albert remembers them getting off two lifeboats. In the confusion, the #4 lifeboat flipped over while being lowered, throwing its occupants into the sea. Albert was among the 69 survivors, 66 of whom were picked up by one of the faster ships in the convoy-the S.S. Alan A. Dalewhich ]anded in Oran, Algeria on March 24. Having been shipped back home on an Army transport, Albert was given 30 days leave and , unperturbed , he shipped back out on another mission. His wartime service earned him three medals; the Merchant Marine Combat medal, the Atlantic Warzone medal , and the Mediterranean Warzone medal. Both Mario Carrasco and Arthur Gilliland worked the waters around East and South Africa during the war. Arthur entered the SIU late in the war and saw little action. Mario's first Liberty ship duty was aboard the S.S. Abraham Baldwin in 1942 as a wiper and oiler. This time period marked the most treacherous in terms of U.S. merchant vessels sunk by the enemy. He served aboard a number of other Liberty ships, transporting ammunition, bombs, and troops, and worked his way up to able seaman and bosun. Mario decried the pitiful level (in terms of number of ships) to which our merchant marine has shrunk and compared it with the poor state of readiness the U.S. was at right before World War II. "We could put more seamen to work today, simply by upkeeping the old ships in the reserve/ mothball fleet. If a war would come now, there is no way our merchant marine could meet the demand for service." All the veterans to whom we talked expressed bitterness towards a government which refused to recognize their wartime service for all of 43 years. "Too little, too late" seemed to be the feelings expressed by these brave seamen who, we must not forget, also served our Armed Forces during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. President Roosevelt compared ''the beleaguered men of the merchant marine" with our soldiers, sailors and pilots. They carried out "a vital part in this global war.'' America now says "thank you" to our veteran merchant seamen who risked their lives for freedom and democracy . _,,.-..,-.-.,. J J • u J J .J ..-. . . . . With her guns blazing and her crew constantly on watch, the Moultrie accounted for eight enemy planes downed and scored hits on a dozen more. In addition, on the last day of battle, an enemy submarine launched four torpedoes at Moultrie. Skillful gunning exploded one of the torpedoes in the water and the three others sank out of sight. Through the days of constant attack, her crew labored to protect what the Navy stated was "a valuable cargo for an allied nation,'' 12 I LOG I March 1988 A Hied triumph in the Atlantic had to depend on the men who determined how all the ships, planes and technology could best be organized and utilized. Problems arose due to the widely divergent ways in which the British and the Americans traditionally ran their navies. This lack of coordination had caused a number of convoy disasters in 1942. So deeply concerned were Roosevelt and Churchill about this that they called a full-dress conference in Washington of their military chiefs in 1943. There, proposals were rejected for a unified Allied antisubmarine command, and instead was set up three co-equal commands: American, British and Canadian-each running its own show, using its own procedures. The formula was the brainchild of Admiral Ernest J. King, commanderin-chief of the U.S. Navy. By clearly delineating spheres of responsibility, Admiral King's solution markedly improved relations within the Allied camp. King himself, soon after the D.C. conference, set up a curious entity which he named the Tenth Fleet. It was a fleet which never went to sea: it had no ships, only shore-based sailors and comparatively few officers, among whom was King as commander. The Tenth Fleet's purpose was to transform the American antisubmarine effort into a paragon of efficiency by deciding convoy routes, allocating escort groups, serving as a clearinghouse for U-boat information and correlating antisubmarine research and materiel development. Admiral King's flagship was the S. Y. Dauntless which is now docked at the SHLSS marina in Piney Point. Much of this high level planning for the sea war of 1942-45 was done aboard this vessel at her berth in the Washington Navy Yard, and during cruises on the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. v..-. Stamp from the colledion of veteran seaman Bierney Kazmierski one of Ou I t was a rough ''baptism by fire" that greeted the S.S. William Moultrie on her maiden voyage to Murmansk, Russia. The Liberty ship, operated by Seas Shipping Co., with an SIU crew aboard, was part of a large convoy that came under nearly constant attack for a week in September 1942. King of the convoys ... S.S. WILLIAM MOULTRIELiberty Ship, Emergency Cargo Vessel and after the battle the Moultrie reached port with her cargo intact. A grateful nation recognized the heroism of the men of the Moultrie by presenting them with a unit citation, making the ship for all time one of the merchant marine' s gallery of "Gallant Ships." The SIU remembers those who gave their lives during World War II with a set of bronze tablets located in the entrance lobby of the Paul Hall Library. The names of the individual seamen are inscribed there along with a tribute from their union brothers. These men helped to man the nation's cargo carriers long before there were guns and convoys to protect them. They were inspired by that sense of patriotism and p~de of profession which has characterized the maritime industry and its merchant seamen time and again throughout the nation's history. Wall display in the Paul Hall Maritime Museum at Piney Point honoring the S.S. William Moultrie. �SHLSS course oraduates Advanced Refrigeration Class Left to Right: Eric Malzkuhn (Instructor), B. Hutching, J. Orr, Howard Evans, Carson Jordan, Perry Boyd, Jan Thompson, Clayton Everett, David Dinan. Upgrader Lifeboat Class Left to Right: Jon P. Dillon, Sam Johnson, Keith Blowers, Tom Hocking, Jino Robles, Robert Petko, Ben Cusic (Instructor). Welding Class Left to Right: John Beaushaw, Mike Weaver, Ken Glaser, Mike Keogh, Kirk D. Bushell, Bill Foley (Instructor). Trainee Lifeboat Class #423 First rnw Left to Right: Ronnie Fore, David Gibson, Norbert Young, Enrique Sanabria, Edwin Noel Casiano Jr., Michael Penkwitz, Greyson C. Brantley. Second row: Gary W. Gillette, William Dixon, Raul Iglesias, Donald 0. Routly, Troy Fleming, Kevin Cooper, Kenneth Whitfield, Derek Varnado, Johnny Carroll. Third row: Ben Cusic (Instructor), Reginald Cuffee, Kevin Jackson, Horace L. Cooper Jr., Dennis K. Clay, Karl M. Friedrich. Recertified Stewards Kneeling Left to Right: George Pino, Nazareth Battle, R.G. Connolly; Second row L. to R.: Leonard Lelonek, Pedro J. Laboy, Earl Gray, Sr.; Third row L. to R.: George White Jr., Raymond L. Jones, Ivan Zuluaga, Ruben Padilla. College Program Students Left to Right: John Thompson, Tim Fitzgerald, Michael Presser, Jeffrey McPherson, Brian Krus. Marine Electrical Maints. Class First row Left to Right: Charles Pomraning, Gregorio Madera, David Veldkamp; Second row: Ronald Lawrence (Canadian), Timothy Van Pelt. Canadian Chief Cooks First row Left to Right: Lucette Lanleigne, Linda Brunet, Dya Letchuk, Darlene Crocker; Second row L. to R.: Siobhan McDowall, Charles Dupuis, Guy Tardif, John Daley, Gloria Nardilli, Bertram Dyal. · 1~ . Canadian Able Seaman First row Left to Right: Pierre Rousseau, Harvey Irmscher, Percy Ford, Doug Duffield, Themistokli Protoulis; Second row L. to R.: Gilles Andre, Ron Alto, Gerard Walker, Dan Scott, George La Roche, Gary McVannel. March 1988ILOGI13 �Engine Upgrading Courses 1988 Upgrading Course Schedule Programs Geared to Improve Job Skills And Promote U.S. Maritime Industry April - June 1988 The following is the current course schedule for April 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 Education courses; All Department courses and Recertification Programs. Inland Boatmen and deep sea Seafarers who are preparing to upgrade are advised to enroll for class ~ early ~ pcmible. 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. Course QMED •Seal/ft Operations & Malnt. Check-In Date Aprll 4 July 5 Completion Date June 23 July 15 Weld Ing •Seal/ft Operations & Malnt. Aprll 18 May 16 May 13 May27 Dlesel Engine Technology • Sealift Operations & Msint. Aprll 18 May30 May 27 June 10 Electro-Hydraullc Systems • Sealift Operations & Maint. May9 June 20 June 17 July 1 Hydraullca • Seallft Operations & Maint. June 6 July 5 July 1 July 15 Third Asst. Engineer & Original Second Asst. Engineer Steam or Motor Open4Rded (Contact Admissions Office for Starting Date) *All students In the Engine Department wlll have 2 weeks of Seallft Famlllarlzatlon at the end of their regular course. Recertification Programs Course Steward Recertification Deck Upgrading Courses Check-In Date Course Completion Date Able Seaman Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office for starting date)* First Class Piiot (Organized self study) Open-ended (Contact Admissions Office tor stanlng date) Radar April4 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 Aprll 18 June 24 Lifeboat April4 May 2 May30 June 27 April15 May 13 June10 July 1 April 15 Seallft Operations & Maint. Open-ended {Contact Admissions Office for starting date) LNG - (This course Is not offered as a separate course, but may be taken while attending any of the regularly scheduled courses.) Self Study Safety Course · Bosuns Recertification 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)* *All students in the Steward Program will have 2 weeks of Seallf& familiarization at the end of their regular course. 14 I LOG I March 1988 June 6 October 7 High School Equlvalency (GED) May 2 July 5 August 29 October 31 June 13 August 15 October 1O December 12 Adult Basic Education (ABE) & English as a second Language (ESL) May 2 July 5 August 29 October 31 June 10 August 13 October 7 December 10 The Developmental Studies Class (DVS) will be offered one week prior to some of the upgrading classes. Apn111 Apn11s (Offered prior to the Third Mate & Original Second Mates Course) ABE/ESL Lifeboat Preparation Course Check-In Date April 25 September 26 Check·ln 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: Developmental Studies (DVS) Course Completion Date August 1 December 7 Adult Education Courses *Upon completion of course must take Seallft Operations It Maintenance. Steward Upgrading Courses Check-In Date July 5 November 2 June 6 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. College Programs Scheduled Check-In Date Course Associates in Arts or Certificate Program May 23 August 8 October 17 fo~ 1988 Completion Date July 15 September 30 December 9 �......................................................................................................................................... Seafare rs Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship Upgrading Application Name (Last) Date of Birth (Middle) (first) Address Mo./Day/Year (Street) (City) (State) Deep Sea Member 0 Telephone (Zip Code) Inland Waters Member O (Area Code) Lakes Member 0 Pacific O If the following imformation 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 O No Endorsement(s) or License(s) Now Held _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ No D (if yes, fill in below) Are you a graduate of the SHLSS Trainee Program: D Yes Trainee Program: From _______ to Last grade of schooling completed _ _ _ __ (dates attended) No D (if yes, fill in below) Have you attended any SHLSS Upgrading Courses: D Yes Course(s) Taken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Do you hold a letter of completion for Lifeboat: D Yes No D Firefighting: o Yes No o 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 0 AB/S.allft D Towboat Operator Inland o ca1aat1a1 Navigation D Master lns.,.cted Towing Vessel o 1st Class Piiot (organized self study) D Third Mate 0 Radar Observer Unlimited ALL DEPARTMENTS llfeboatman (Must be taken with another course) No transportation will be paid unless you present original receipts and successfully complete the course. D FOWT D QMED-Any Rating D Variable Speed DC Drive Systems (Marine Electronics) D Marine Electrical Maintenance D Pumproom Maintenance & Operation D Automation D Refrigeration Systems Maintenance 6 Operations . Diesel Engine Technology O Assistant Engineer/Chief Engineer Un Inspected Motor Vessel D Orglnal 3rd/2nd Assistant Engineer Steam or Motor 0 Refrigerated Containers Advanced Maintenance 0 Hydraulics D Electro-Hydraulic Systems o 0 Weldlng o STEWARD ENGINE DECK D Assistant Cook Utility 0 Cook and Baker o Chief Cook D Chief Steward D Towboat Inland Cook COLLEGE PROGRAM D Associates In Arts Degree D Certificate Programs ADULT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT 0 Adult Basic Education (ABE) D High School Equivalency Program (GED) 0 Developmental Studies (DVS) D English as a Second Language (ESL) D ABE/ESL Lifeboat Preparation With this application COPIES of your discharges must be submitted showing sufficient time to qualify yourself for the course(s) requested. You must also submit a COPY of the first page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, as well as, a COPY of your clinic card. The Admissions Office WILL NOT schedule until this is received . VESSEL RATING HELD DATE SHIPPED DATE OF DISCHARGE DATE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: .................,..~:;::;.a;;:m-.......\ --.....-.-.-••-••~~~~?-!~ •••••••••••••••::.:~~~:~~-~:~~.:~.n.~;.~:~~-~-~?::.~~~?.~:~:;!~!.~~:'!.~~~~~~-~-~~~-~~:~ March 1988 I LOG I 15 �Area Vice Presidents' Report East Coast by V.P. Leon Hall I have been involved in the maritime industry for nearly 50 years now, and rarely have I seen it in such a state of turmoil. In every port along the East Coasi, tug and barge workers have to battle an anti-labor bias in the NLRB. They are not alone: this is a trend that affects all transportation workers. Workers at Eastern Airlines are gearing up for a possible strike sometime this summer. This administration has allowed Frank Lorenzo to strip that once-proud carrier of its most lucrative assets. Things have become so bad that people are afraid to fly Eastern. Maritime companies like SONAT Marine pioneered this kind of behavior years earlier when they stripped the lucrative Green fleet (IOT) of its most lucrative contracts, equipment and workers. We in the maritime industry make a mistake when we view ourselves as some isolated industry. What happens to seamen soon happens to workers in other sectors of the American economy. Under the old rules of the game, pre-deregulation and pre-Reagan, consumers did not have to worry if their plane would reach its final destination in one piece. Tug and barge workers did not have to worry about their pension rights and safety. This is no longer the case. There is a new spirit in this country. After seven years of bashing Washington D.C., people are beginning to realize that the federal government can play a useful role in protecting the common good. Regulation is not necessarily a bad thing. Timely government action can make quite a difference. We in the SIU are working on a grassroots level to protect the interests of our members. As I reported in my column, SIUNA Vice President Jack Caffey is working through the New York State Fed to develop state programs for retired workers. The purpose of this is to take up some of the slack left by cuts in the federal budget. The SIU has done some revolutionary work in this area. Any retired member who qualifies can move to the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. In New York, where rents can reach $1,000 a month for a studio apartment, this is an important benefit. Make no mistake about it: life can become hell for an older person, especially in New York where drugs and crime are a daily part of life. This is behind our decision to relocate our Brooklyn hall to Jersey City. We are scheduled to move there before the end of this year. The Brooklyn hall was only three blocks away from a methadone clinic. 16 I LOG I March 1988 Many of our members were being harassed and even attacked. One of our members was murdered. The new hall will be in a relatively crime-free area. More important, it is within easy access of the Jersey docks and is on the PATH line. The Brooklyn hall has been my home for nearly 30 years. It will be hard to leave. But we have to think about the safety of our membership. The new hall will be cheaper to run, which means that we will have more resources to spend on membership services. closely with such regionally based organizations as the Great Lakes Task Force on important long-term projects to help the maritime industry up here. We have been monitoring an interim congressional report: the Great Lakes Connecting Channels and Harbor Study, which was completed by the Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1985. The interim report recommended that a large replacement lock be constructed in the North Canal at the St. Mary's Falls Canal in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on the site of the existing Davis and Sabin locks. The report is under review at the Office of Chief Engineers in Washington, D.C. The Soo locks are a vital link in the shipments of iron ore, coal, grain and other bulk commodities between Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Navigation System. Any administration serious about improving the economy of the Great Lakes region would have to come up with a plan to renovate these locks. Great Lakes by V.P. Mike Sacco O ne of maritime's great pleasures is fit-out on the Great Lakes. It's a gradual process. Winter starts to recede; the ice begins to melt. Pretty soon, our members are scraping, painting and doing all sorts of things to get the Great Lakes fleet ready for action. So far , 17 vessels have already been fitted-out. That includes four vessels owned by American Steamship Company, one by Medusa Cement and one by Inland Lakes Management. In its own way, fit-out is a beautiful sight. Instead of flowers and trees coming back to life after a long winter's sleep, you have a resurrection of the basic components of America's mighty industrial machine'. ships, dredging equipment, skilled maritime workers. The only sad thing about this year's fit-out is the state of the Great Lakes fleet: there has been a large decline in the number of American-flag vessels up here. Less than 3 percent of the commerce carried between Canada and the United States is carried on American-flag vessels. Part of the decline of the Americanflag merchant marine can be tied to a general deterioration of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the various locks and channels up here. The Reagan administration has tried to tie any improvements in the infrastructure up here to the imposition of user fees. But we in the SIU have argued that this would make the Great Lakes maritime industry less competitive. The SIU has been working with our allies on Capitol Hill to do something about the decline of this vital industry. On March 17, we will be attending a special meeting of the Commission on Merchant Marine and Defense, where Dr. Alan Cameron, the executive director of the group, will discuss how the commission's findings and recommendations relate specifically to the Great Lakes maritime industry. In addition, we have been working Gulf Coast by V.P. Joe Sarco S HIPPING in the Gulf has rebounded a bit from last year. There has been an across-the-board improvement in all segments of the maritime industry. SIU members have garnered a share of this new work, thanks to the military contracts we have been able to pick up. In addition, we have been working hard to maintain the work that we already have. Our contract with Crescent Ship Docking is set to expire in April. We will be meeting with the company in a few weeks to iron out a new contract. Corpus Christi has been chosen as the home port for the Navy battleship Lexington. One of our companies, G&H Ship Docking, helped dock the battleship when it reached port. We have been actively involved in Super Tuesday. Texas is one of the most valued prizes: whoever wins here has a good shot at gaining the nomination. Two candidates for the Democratic nomination spoke at our Union hall. Thanks to the active involvement of this Union, SIU members had a chance to meet Richard Gephardt and Jesse Jackson. We received substantial media coverage. CBS News correspondant Leslie Stahl was at our Union hall, and so were other major t. v. reporters. Both Jackson and Gephardt talked about the failure of the Reagan administration to fashion a coherent policy on trade. Both were dynamic; both were well-informed. We've also had contact with the Dukakis campaign and have been involved in numerous statewide elections. Paul Hall, the late president of this Union, said it best when he said, "Politics is Porkchops." For seamen, there can be no true job security without grassroots action. West Coast by V. P. George McCartney T HE maritime industry is one of the most competitive in the world. Rivalries are a daily fact of our existence. Behind the colorlul sea stories, the graceful pictures of historic ships and the romantic allure of the ocean is a dog-eat-dog world that knows only one thing: the bottom line. It's the kind of industry where American companies can wax poetic about patriotism and democracy, and then reflag their vessels overseas in dictatorships like Panama to avoid paying American taxes or meeting American wage and safety standards. And it's also the kind of industry where long-standing relationships can evaporate overnight if there's a chance to make a quick buck: witness this Union's experiences with SONAT Marine. After U.S. Lines filed for bankruptcy last year, the surviving American-flag companies wasted no time in bidding for that company's 12 econships. Sea-Land, an SIU-contracted company, recently was awarded those vessels. As a result, it became the largest surviving American-flag carrier, and our members gained 144 new jobs. Even in its most stable periods, maritime is boom and bust. This, too, has a way of exacerbating differences. When you know that cold times are ahead, then it's hard not to look out for number one. Not all· of the beefs and rivalries have produced bad results. Our own Union, the A&G District, was born out of the rivalry that existed between the Sailors Union of the Pacific and the National Maritime Union. The SUP was an AFL union, the NMU a CIO one. In many of our early organizing beefs, we had to go head-on against the NMU. This was true in the forties with Isthmian and it continued throughout the fifties with the American Coal and other such beefs. Yet despite their intense rivalries, the major maritime unions often were able to overcome their differences and work towards a common goal. The most outstanding example of this came in 1959 when SIU President Paul Hall and NMU President Joe Curran established the International Maritime Workers Union in order to sign up workers onboard flag-of-convenience ships. (Continued on Page 21.) �Safeguard Your Shipping Rights .J;:j \ , ~ /" '1 .J ... ~-J'_J.-=:::. .D- - T O SAFEGUARD your rights and the shipping rights of all SIU members, there are certain requirements that must be followed. These requirements are spelled out in the Shipping Rules, and they are there so that the rights of all members will be protected and furthered fairly and impartially. DUES Your current quarter Union dues must be paid at the time you register. RELIEF JOBS/REGISTERING When you are relieved, you must re-register for your job within 48 hours by reporting to the SIU Union hall. RELIEF JOBS/CONTACT WITH UNION It is your responsibility to keep in contact with the Port Agent at the port in which you are registered. RELIEF JOBS/SHIPPING It is your responsibility to claim your job from the hiring hall shipping board no later than one day before the ship's scheduled arrival. KNOW YOUR RIGHT KNOW YOUR RIGHTS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGA· TIONS. Copies of the SIU constitution are available in Fl ANCIAL REPORTS. The constitution of the SIU Atlantic. Gulf. Lakes and Inland Waters District makes specific provision for safeguarding the membership 's money and Union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by Certified Public Accountants every three months, which are to be submitted to the membership by the Secretary-Treasurer. A quarterly finance committee of rank and file members, elected by the membership, makes examination each quarter of the finances of the Union and reports fully their findings and recommendations. Member!> 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. SHIPPING RIGHTS. Your shipping rights and seniority are protected exclusively hy 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. T.he 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 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS 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. 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 .. memher feels that he is denied the equal right to which he is entitled. he should notify Union headquarters. 11111111m11lft1111111n1111111111111111n1111111n11111un1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 patrolman or other Union offbal. in your opinion. fails to protect your contract rights properly, contact the nearest SIU port agent. EDITORIAL POLICY - THE LOG. The Log has traditionally refrained from publishing any article serving the political purposes of any individual in the Union, officer or memher. It has 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 responsihility 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. ln 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 heen 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 contrihution may be solicited or received because of force. joh 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 hy certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for investigation and appropriate action and refund. if involuntary. Support SPAD to protect and further your economic, political and social interests. aml. American trade union concepts. If at any time a member feels that any of the above rights have been violated, or that he has been denied his constitutional right of ~ to Union records or infonnation, he should immediately notify SIU President Frank Drozak at Headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The ad~ is 5201 Autb Way and Britannia Way, Prince Georges County, Camp Springs, Md. 20746. March 1988ILOGI 17 �Cape Ducato Participates in Team Spirit 88 by Bob Borden, PAO, MSCPAC Inactive for almost two years while laid up at a berth in Los Angeles, the M/V Cape Ducato was broken out of the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) in late February to participate in the annual Team Spirit exercise staged in Korea. Among other objectives, the exercise stresses the U. S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of South Korea against external aggression. Sealift has traditionally played a strong role in Team Spirit since the exercise first began in 1976, and several MSC ships will participate in the event this year. The Cape Ducato, though, is the only ship from the RRF to be tested in Team Spirit 88. For the past 21 months, the 680-foot vessel hasn't left the harbor in Los Angeles. She's sat idle at her berth, sealed off and dehumidified to minimize deterioration. Under a contract with the Maritime Administration, Barber Ship Management, lnc.-the former oper- ator of the Cape Ducato--has had a two-man maintenance team go aboard the ship five days a week to make daily rounds, check the dehumidifying equipment and assist government regulatory bodies with inspections. But daily checks on idle won't necessarily guarantee that they are ready to go on short notice. "That"s why I was amazed we got the Cape Ducato going so well," said the master of the ship, Capt. Charles T. Shaw, after the vessel returned from a successful 24-hour sea trial. ''Two years of inactivity for a ship can be harmful. A modem ship is a very complicated piece of machinery. It" s unusual if you can even get a ship underway in five days when it hasn't been used for such a long period of time." Not only was the Cape Ducato set to sail after five days; she was also fully crewed and loaded with subsistence items and spare parts for her 75day role with the Team Spirit exercise. The ship easily took on her initial Team Spirit cargo of 250 trucks, tractors, tankers and containers the day before she set sail on her Pacific voyage. ''It was like a circus when we broke her out,'' said Capt. Shaw, a veteran of several exercises with Military Sealift Command. "The ship was crawling with shipyard workers unsealing the vessel. We were trying to get dishes washed so we could eat our first meal. It was a madhouse but we got the ship out on time. We always do it on time." With a little bit of help from their friends, of course. In this case, the friend is the ship's agent for Marad, Barber Ship Management, Inc., of New York. Barber has a contract with Marad 1 18 I LOG I March 1988 The MN Cape Ducato on berth at Terminal Island, Los Angeles, for her initial loadout of Team Spirit 88 cargo. to maintain nine RO/RO ships in the RRF. In most cases, the two members of the maintenance teams that are assigned to each of the nine Marad ships will be part of the ship's crew when the vessels are broken out for exercises. "They know the ship and they'll be responsible for subsequent operations of the vessel," says Barber's operations manager, Kevin P. McMonagle. ''The officers are experienced with these particular ships and their knowledge is invaluable when the ships are brought into service for Military Sealift Command.'' The company also gives more responsibility to the crew to run the ship. The navigator, for example, orders all charts and publications for his job. The third mate is responsible for ordering all medical supplies and safety equipment. "We back the master and chief engineer in the decisions they make and the actions they take,'' says McMonagle. "We support them as much as they support us in the office. The whole operation is a team effort to give Military Sealift Command a satisfactory product they can use.'' Barber also keeps a number of con- sultants around to train American ship engineers on the intricacies of the foreign-built diesel engines that power the vessels. Among the nine ships Barber manages for Marad, there are three different classes of vessels-and even within a class, the ships are unique. ''The people at Barber are very good at this," says Capt. Shaw. "They've built up a team that has really brought our engineers up to speed on all aspects of the ships. There's something to be said about the people who, despite ship differences and short timeframes, manage to get the vessel ready." How ready the ships crew will be in the future worries McMonagle. Despite all the training his company offers, he says it's hard to keep a steady corps of knowledgeable officers for the ships because RRF ships are used so seldom. "We've been lucky in the past," he says. "We can't always guarantee, though, that we'll be able to keep experienced persons sailing aboard these ships. There's a shortage of qualified diesel engineers in this country. We 're trying our best to keep our American crews trained and we've done a good job so far. I just hope we can keep them in the future." [Note: the unlicensed crew aboard this ship are SIU members.] Profile of a Mariner: Lorenzo Ligon If you're an MSCPAC storekeeper and you like a challenge, Lorenzo Ligon thinks you'd probably love the USNS Higgins. "This is a great ship to be on for someone in supply,'' says the yeoman-storekeeper. "We've had to start from scratch to build up our own supply system. It seems like everyone on the ship has their special supply needs right now.'' Born and raised in Mobile, Ala., Ligon was a political science major at Grambling College in Louisiana for three years before he left school to enlist in the Navy in 1972. He spent the next six years in the Navy as a ship's serviceman aboard a fleet oiler, an ammunition ship and a cruiser. "It was a love-hate relationship when I was in the Navy," recalls Ligon, now 36. "Looking back, though, I really enjoyed it. It was a ball. I made six back-to-back Mediterranean cruises in the six years I was in the Navy." It was the sea life and travel that eventually led Ligon to MSCPAC. Now, sometimes to his regret, he can't break the habit of going to sea. "I wish I could get it out of my blood but I can't," he admits. "Even when I'm home for a while, I start thinking about the sea. I guess I just love it. I like the idea than I can get away." Initially a utilityman with MSCPAC for two years, Ligon made the transfer to YN-SK in 1982, then served a oneyear tour aboard the supply ship USNS Spica. "I think all YN-SKs should spend some time on that ship," says Ligon. "Spica's supply department is completely Navy, so it's an enlightening experience. We worked side-byside with the Navy supply people. I had to think like a Navy storekeeper, not as an MSC storekeeper.'' Aboard the Higgins, Ligon is together with supply personnel he worked with before aboard other MSCPAC ships. "I've been with the supply officer about a year now and that's been a great experience. The group of guys I'm with now have all been together before. You need a strong team on these ships and we all get along with each other and work together well.'' And the ship itself? "I enjoy it. It's better than anything else we have in the fleet right now," says Ligon. "I think it's going to be a good ship to ride. And I believe a lot of store- Lorenzo Ligon, yeoman/storekeeper keepers will want to be on this ship in the future.'' As far as his own future is concerned, Ligon has mixed feelings. He wants to keep sailing, but he also wants to go back to college for one year to complete his undergraduate degree. "It's a confusing situation, I know," said Ligon, trying to put his thoughts in order. ''I guess something will work out. I just don't want to go through life saying, 'I wish I would have'." �MSCPAC Shore Staffers Go to Sea by Bob Borden, PAO, MSCPAC For a few days in January, 11 MSCPAC shore personnel got a taste oflife at sea when they rode the USNS Mercy from Oakland to Portland, Ore., where the ship is undergoing a 71-day yard period at Northwest Marine Iron Works. The group departed the vessel with wobbly legs but firm convictions that the brief voyage will help them do their shore jobs better. "Everyone aboard ship has been courteous, helpful and nice," said Rita McNally of the comptroller's office, who, like most of her fellow workers, had never been to sea. "Now that we've seen how the other half lives, it's easier to understand their problems and frustrations.'' "The trip's given me some insights on what is required to properly man the positions aboard ship," said Tony Haro, head of the MSCPAC marine placement and receiving branch ... You can't help but be impressed with the quality of seamanship, ship handling and support services we've seen on the Mercy." The idea of sending supply, comptroller and personnel department employees aboard the Mercy on her coastal voyage to Portland originated with the ship's master, Capt. Richard Hosey, who wanted the shore staff to learn first-hand what it's like to work aboard a ship at sea. "Sometimes, the people ashore doing the detailing of mariners to ships are not familiar with the jobs those mariners will be doing aboard vessels," said Hosey after the Mercy was berthed in Portland. "It's important that they see the consequence of their actions.'' During a tour of the Mercy's engineering spaces, First Assistant Engineer Joe Watts led the group on a watch route that is normally followed by a junior third engineer. Climbing up and down stairways over a wide area, the shore group visited only three of the six service areas that are checked by the junior engineer before they stopped to catch their breath. There was a lesson to be learned here and Watts told the visitors what it was. ''A man can be fit for duty,'' he said slowly, ''but not fit for duty aboard this ship. When you're on watch, you've got to be able to climb normal ladders and vertical ladders. You can't fake your way out of this job." Linda Jones, a personnel staffing assistant who places unlicensed engineers aboard MSCPAC ships, got the message. "The stairs and ladders on the Mercy are difficult to climb," said Jones , relaxing in the crew's lounge. AB Bob Escue was at the helm when MSCPAC staff personnel took a tour of the USNS Mercy's bridge. "If an unlicensed engineer isn't prepared to do what we just went through, I wouldn't send the person to this ship." As the last of the 11 shore personnel departed his ship, Capt. Hosey hoped their brief voyage wouldn't be their last. "Every time an MSCPAC ship goes up and down the West Coast, we should try to include some shore staff on the trip," he suggested. "When they get out of their environment and see us in ours, the experience will help them support the fleet much better.'' USNS Regulus To Return in May Tolliver Is a Vet-At Last A military truck is hoisted aboard the USNS Regulus during Team Spirit loading activities at Tacoma, Wash. The Regulus is one of two Fast Sealift ships crewed by SIU members to participate in the annual exercise staged in Korea. The ships will return to the United States in May to discharge Team Spirit cargo before heading back to the East and Gulf coasts. Alertness is the K_ey to Vessel Safety Tolliver with his seaman's papers: the long wait is over. by Bob Borden, PAO, MSCPAC It's been a long wait-more than 40 years-but Theodore Tolliver is finally going to be recognized for his U. S. merchant marine service during World War II. When the Secretary of the Air Force recently signed a document approving World War II merchant mariners for Veterans Administration benefits, Tolliver, an able seaman with MSCPAC, learned he was eligible to receive a discharge certificate from the Armed Foces and any benefits he deserved by virtue of his maritime war service. Tolliver was 16 when he joined the merchant marine in 1943. After at- tending a maritime school on Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California, he headed for the Pacific war theatre aboard a converted tanker. By the time the war ended two years later. Tolliver had served aboard merchant ships that were hunted by submarines, shelled by surface warships and attacked by ,enemy airplanes. ''So many of the fellows I went to sea with gave up their lives aboard the merchant ships," recalled Tolliver, 61. "The merchant ships were the backbone of the supply effort to win the war. The people who served on them deserve their overdue recognition.'' Merchant ships and their vital cargo were prize targets during World War II. More than 6,000 American merchant seamen died during the war, and their casualty rate is believed to equal that of the Marine Corps. There were about 200,000 U .S. merchant mariners during World War II and most of them came under the control of the War Shipping Administration, which in effect nationalized America's merchant fleet. Merchant mariners were dispatched to combat zones where they fired weapons and gathered intelligence. Yet, despite their impressive record during the war, they were not treated as servicemen. When the conflict ended, the civilian mariners were not entitled to any postwar benefits given to those who served in the armed forces. In his files, Tolliver has copies of letters he and a former shipmate wrote to congressmen and senators seeking their assistance to recognize the contributions of World War II mariners while both men served aboard USNS Taluga several years ago. It was a struggle to achieve the recognition but Tolliver was pleased when the recent decision by the Secretary of the Air Force was announced. •'I doubt if there are that many mariners who are still around today who will benefit from this,'' said Tolliver. "It's too late for me to enjoy most of the benefits the veterans received. But for most of us, all we wanted was the recognition due us for the service we performed for our country. I'm not bitter. I'm actually pleased it finally happened. ljust wish it didn't have to take 40 years to do it." March 1988/LOG/19 �LNG ARIES (Energy Transportation Corp.), January 24-Chairman Robert Schwarz, Secretary Doyle E. Cornelius, Educational Director Paul Olson, Deck Delegate Eugene Bousson, Engine Delegate Brenda Murray-Dye, Steward Delegate Henry Daniels. No beefs or disputed OT reported. There is $250.11 in the ship's fund. The chairman discussed the importance of upgrading at Piney Point and of contributing to SPAD. On Jan. 24, Capt. Daniel Spence conducted services for Joel K. Lodor, a former OS. Brother Lodor served onboard the LNG Aries from May 1982 to Nov. 1982. At the request of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Lodor of Maryland, his ashes were committed to the sea. A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done this voyage. COURIER (Ocean Carriers), February 14-Chairman A. Pinkham, Secretary A. Spingat, Educational Director W. Hescip, Deck Delegate Joseph Mercier, Engine Delegate Terrance Reed, Steward Delegate Jerome Jordan. No beefs or disputed OT. Everything is running smoothly aboard the Courier. Members would still like information on war zone bonuses. This vessel is on a run from Kuwait to pick up oil to refuel our Navy ships. It was the first American tanker with a full American crew to pass through the Persian Gulf since the war started in that area. "Everybody is hoping that we will go on another run for a change." A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done. GUS DARNELL (Ocean Carriers), January 2-Chairman William Lough, Secretary James Price, Education Director Ross Hardy. No beefs or disputed OT. This is voyage 30-31-32 for the Gus Darnell, and payoff will be in Bahrain upon arrival. The bosun thanked the steward department for a job well done. He advised members not to let jobs hang on the board just because a ship is not going where you want to go. "A job is a job, pay is pay." He also stressed the importance of donating to SPAD. The bosun said it was a good, safe trip to Antarctica and back to Bahrain-a very interesting voyage. "In the Persian Gulf we saw the Bahrain and United States Navy go into action. we don't get a. war bonus, but we do get hazardous duty pay of $4 a day per war. We went all over southeastern Australia. Several of us rented cars and even an airplaM, and we were all well received. Antarctica was a place we'll never forget. Going through the packed ice was awesome. We did get around somewhat, but nobody made it to the South Pole, unfortunately. The trip home was in heavy seas. We lost our foremast in the furious fifties. The captain made a video of the trip, and all hands will get a copy of a memorable trip." OMI MISSOURI (OMI Corp.), January 31-Chairman Carl Francum, Secretary Jonathan White, Engine Delegate C. Jefferson, Steward Delegate David Bond. No beefs or disputed OT in the deck and steward departments. In the engine department, however, it appears that the engineers are doing QMED's work at night without asking the QMEDs if they wanted to work overtime. QMEDs were advised to write down the times that work is being done by the engineers, and this will be given to the patrolman at payoff. Some members of the crew suggested that the pension increase each year or that an annual cost of living adjustment be added. Next port: Tampa, Fla. OVERSEAS ALASKA (Maritime Overseas), February 21-Chairman John Furr, Secretary Carl Woodward. No beefs or disputed OT reported. A sad note: Raymondo Gomez, DEU, was lost at sea while working on deck. A search continued all day but was futile. The captain stated that an investigation will be conducted upon arrival in port. Payoff will also occur at that 20 I LOG I March 1988 time, but the ship will not be cleared until the investigation has been completed. A monetary collection is being taken from the officers and the crew. It will be mailed to Gomez's widow in memory of a shipmate and fellow seaman. OVERSEAS HARRIETTE (Maritime Overseas Corp.), January 24-Chairman Leon T. Jekot, Secretary E. Hoitt, Deck Delegate John Roe, Engine Delegate Walter Fey, Steward Delegate Gregory Keene. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Minutes of the last meeting (Dec. 13, 1987) were read and accepted without any alterations. The chairman announced a possible layup, but said that no details were as yet available. He also noted that there is no definite section in the new contract about awaiting transit. The Overseas Harriette awaited transit for three days with no shore leave. There was launch service on a regular basis to all other ships in the vicinity, but none for the Harriette. The secretary has all Union forms available at this time gate William Cribbs. Everything is running smoothly with no beefs or disputed OT. Bosun McCollom spoke to the members about the advantages of taking courses at Piney Point to upgrade their QMED status. He also suggested taking the sea.lift training since "that is where the jobs are going to be." As more and more ships leave the industry, other military ships are coming in. Brother Velandra reports that several good men are leaving for vacation after this trip and expressed the hope that they will return. "Brother Alicea in the steward department will be hard to replace." Capt. T. Brown came down and gave a talk to the members on the proposed new food plan Sea-Land is starting. A newsletter will be sent to all Sea-Land Ships, keeping them informed about the situations as they arise. "Mr. E. Young states he has not seen such a happy ship as this in a long time. His belly smiles all the time, and the key word in all departments is cooperation. Let's keep things going as they are and bring Brother Young back again." Next port: Port Everglades, Fla. SPIRIT OF TEXAS (Sea.hawk Management), February 5-Chairman Bert Hanback, Secretary Paul Stubblefield. Some disputed OT was reported in both the deck and engine departments. A message was The S.S. Marymar, one ofsix converted c.4 class troopships of the SIU-contracted Calmar Steamship Co., is seen here as she completed sea trials on the Chesapeake Bay in the late 1940s. Calmar is gone, and so are ratings such as carpenter, watertender, evaporator maintenance, deck maintenance and plumber. and has offered to help fill them out for any member in need of assistance. It was requested that the LOG go back to including photographs in its "final departures" section. Most seamen recognize another seaman by face, not always by name. Another request made was that members be compensated for extra work done on watch, other than their regular duties. Members would also like to have the Union look into the matter of the crew's TV antenna or lack thereof. Chief Cook Terry White commends the crew for being so cooperative. And a vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done "even though the department is running short." sent to Houston requesting a patrolman for the payoff to answer additional items regarding overtime and work performed by the deck department. A vote of thanks was given to the steward department for a job well done. "Other than rain, sun, rain, sun and other conditions, the trip was not too awfully bad. Good harmony and cooperation existed among the crew for the entire trip. It was definitely a trip to be remem· bered ... It is always nice for a trip to end, whether good or bad." A motion was made to put pictures of the final departures and retired brothers and sisters back in the LOG. "You can remember faces, but not the names." LNG TAURUS (Energy Transportation Corp.), January 24--Chairman Robert J. Callahan, Secretary Robert H. Forshee, Deck Delegate Robbyson H. Suy, Engine Delegate Kevin W. Conklin, Steward Delegate Francis E. Ostendarp. No beefs or disputed OT reported. There is $955 in the ship's fund. Capt. Sjokvist addressed the membership in order to explain the new W-4 forms. The captain is getting off this trip and took this opportunity to thank the SIU crew for their efficient and professional work. He was given a hearty round of applause. The bosun then went over the new contract and expressed his appreciation for the efforts that went into it on the part of the Union officers. He also stressed the importance of contributing to SPAD and to the benefits of upgrading your skills at Piney Point. A sincere vote of thanks was given to the steward department for the excellent food and the homey feeling during the holidays. Next port: Bontang, Indonesia. ULTRASEA (American Maritime Trans.), January 25-Chairman Robert R. Newby, Secretary E. Hagger. Some disputed OT was reported in all three departments pertaining to the Martin Luther King holiday. There is $74 in the ship's fund. A new VCR was purchased with money from the fund. The chairman said it was a very good trip. The educational director advised all eligible members to upgrade their skills at Piney Point. A motion was made and seconded that employees be sent home at company expense when there is a death in their immediate family. Also requested for the crew was a new ice box for the messhall. A vote of thanks was given to the steward for "the best of food and the holiday spread, and for the birthday party and birthday cakes." Official ships minutes also were received from the following vessels: BEAVER STATE 1st LT. J. LUMMUS INGER MATEJ KOCAIC OVERSEAS CHICAGO PANAMA PONCE PFC EUGENE A. OBREGON PVT HARRY FISHER Monthly Membership M~etings SEA·LAND TRADER (Sea-Land Service), January 1~hairman Anthony J. Palino, Secretary James A. Jones, Educational Director Dan Kinghorn. There is $350 in the ship's treasury. The chairman noted that the Sea-Land Trader is supposed to be automated, "but it is not, yet." While the number of crewmembers is right for an automated ship, there are some problems. There is no refrigerator/freezer, only one coffee maker for two messhalls, no VCR for the crew and not enough keys onboard for the lounge and messhalls. A microwave oven and meat slicer are needed as well. There were also some problems regarding the lack of stores following a brief lay-up. It was believed that the food in the cafeteria in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where the crew had to eat while in port, was not up to Western standards. And members had to pay for their own food with their own money. A vote of praise was given to the steward department. Next port: Long Beach, Calif. SEA-LAND VENTURE (Sea-Land Service), January 31-Chairman John McCollom, Secretary David W. Velandra, Deck Delegate Tommy Joe Pell, Engine Dele- RANGER SEA-LAND ECONOMY SEA-LAND ENDURANCE SEA-LAND EXPRESS SEA-LAND PACIFIC SEA-LAND PRODUCER STUYVESANT USNS ASSERTIVE Port Date Deep Sea Lakes, Inland Waters Piney Point .............. Monday, April 4 ..................... 10:30 a.m. New York ............... Tuesday, April 5 ..................... 10:30 a.m. Philadelphia .............. Wednesday, April 6 .................. 10:30 a.m. Baltimore ................ Thursday, April 7 .................... 10:30 a.m. Norfolk ................. Thursday, April 7 .................... 10:30 a.m. Jacksonville .............. Thursday, April 7 .................... 10:30 a.m. Algonac ................. Friday, April 8 ...................... 10:30 a.m. Houston ................. Monday, April 11 .................... 10:30 a.m. New Orleans ............. Tuesday, April 12 .................... 10:30 a.m. Mobile .................. Wednesday, April 13 .................. 10:30 a.m. San Francisco ............ Thursday, April 14 ................... 10:30 a.m. Wilmington .......... ,c • • • Monday, April 18 .................... 10: 30 a. m. Seattle .................. Friday, April 22 ...................... 10:30a.m. San Juan ................ Thursday, April 7 .................... 10:30 a.m. St. Louis ................ Friday, April 15 ...................... 10:30 a.m. Honolulu ................ Thursday, April 14 ................... 10:30 a.m. Duluth .................. Wednesday, April 13 .................. 10:30 a.m. Jersey City ............... Wednesday, April 20 .................. 10:30 a.m. New Bedford ............. Tuesday, April 19 .................... 10:30 a.m. �Vice Presidents (Continued from Page 16.) Much has been made of the personal rivalries of the various maritime heads-Joe Curran vs. Paul Hall, Harry Lundeberg vs. Harry Bridges. But behind most of these rivalries lay one thing: job security for their members. The rivalry between Harry Lundebert and Harry Bridges was legendary. Yet in a sense, much of the bad feeling between the two was a result of conflicting jurisdictional claims between seamen and longshoremen. The rivalry between longshoremen and deckhands dates back more than 100 years. There were countless disputes over which group of workers had jurisidiction over the loading and unloading of cargo. There were even divisions among deckhands who sailed onboard schooners and steamships. While the SUP dates its existence to 1885, it didn't take its modern name until 1892, when the Coast Seamen's Union and the Steamshipmen's Union merged into one organization. Technological advances and the demise of the schooner vessel rendered their differences moot. Early maritime unions were created along regional and craft lines. Increasingly, however, jurisdictional disputes in the maritime industry have arisen between licensed and unlicensed seamen. In the '50s and early '60s, for example, the NMU created the Brotherhood of Marine Officers. The SIUAGLIWD supported the MM&P and National-MEBA in their dispute against the NMU. Our members even walked picket lines on their behalf. The maritime industry is a little like the Middle East: today' s friend may be tomorrow's enemy. During the Vietnam War, the SIU and District 1 were at loggerheads over an apprentice engineer's rating that District 1 wanted to have placed onboard their vessels. We forced Delta to have these ratings removed; in the process , we protected the job security of our key personnel in the engine room , mainly the QMEDs. Still, no matter how intricate or byzantine relations between the various maritime organizations may get, it is impossible to write a history about the industry without mentioning them all . There would .be no Harry Lundeberg without Harry Bridges , and no Paul Hall without Joe Curran. The SIU-AGLIWD , for example, owes its existence to the generous support that SUP officials like Harry Lundeberg and Morris Weisberger gave us during our early years. West Coast seamen like Bill Armstrong, Ed Turner, Joe Goren and Whitey Seacrest hit the bricks in many of our most important beefs. Turner, who headed the Marine Cooks and Stewards, even engineered a merger between his organization and the A&G District. Of course the help was always reciprocal. In October 1950, when the West Coast Longshoremen' s union launched an attack against the Sailor's Union of the Pacific, the SIU-AGLIWD stood behind the SUP 100 percent. And after the Marine Cooks and Stewards were ousted from the CIO for being dominated by the Communist Party, the SIU-AGLIWD supported the SUP' s drive to sign the MCS as an SIUNA affiliate. Harry Lundeberg and Ed Turner led the drive for the SIUNA, and the MCS was restored to democratic control. Government Services by V.P. Buck Mercer M ERCHANT seamen who plied their trade during World War II and were fortunate enough to have lived through the rigors of that conflict, have finally and at long last been granted veterans' status. Not only does this apply to commercial sailors but also to those who sailed with the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service. Of course, there are certain procedures that must be accomplished before gaining veterans• status and they are outlined on page three of the LOG (February 1988). The reason for this article is to alert MSCPAC marine personnel who qualify for veterans' benefits and note that it will make a difference where your employment with MSCPAC is concerned. Whether or not all veterans' benefits will be accorded is not yet known, but they could include (I) 5point veterans preference, (2) Retention rights, (3) Tenure group, (4) Medical care, (5) Guaranteed home loans, (6) Burial benefit, and the protection of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Of particular importance is the fact that those who do qualify will be entitled to the services of the MSPB. This means that under the appeal procedure an adverse action would be heard by the MSPB rather than the same agency that brought the adverse action. On Jan. 13, 1988, a meeting with Fleet Preservation Servicers (FPS) was held on site at the Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, Calif., at which a number of issues were discussed that needed resolution. On Feb. 5, 1988, a meeting with management was scheduled with Fleet Superintendent Walter Jaffee to discuss and resolve complaints that had been voiced at the meeting with FPS on Jan. 13. In attendance at the meeting were SIU Representative Raleigh G. Minix , Asst. SIU Fleet Representative Toes Moala, who furnished valuable input regarding fleet morale and on-site working conditions, and SIU Representative Roy "Buck" Mercer. The meeting was constructive and all complaints were discussed and resolved. Management has already made a major improvement to the parking area which is much appreciated by the crew. FMC Chief Appointed Edward J. Philbin was appointed acting chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission last month. Philbin replaces Edward V. Hickey who died in January. Philbin, an FMC commissioner, previously held the post of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reserve Affairs at the Department of Defense. He also was a law professor at San Diego State University. ------Deaths-----The SIU has been notified of the deaths of the following members and pensioners. Chester Anti Ladislas Baldonade Edward Brown Harry Burton Leslie Bryant Jr. Roger Coleman Laurence Mays Lowell M. Moody Edward Murphy Juan Wilfredo Pagan Leslie E. Roberts Tito Ross John Smith Fred 0. Sullins Charles Connell David Donovan Paul Dunbar Leroy V. Hansen Thomas Joynes Randy Kusminski Laurence McCullough James McLamore Carlos artinez Clarence Maudrie Ted Wilkosh Edward J. Wright ou Missing Important Mail? We want to make sure that you receive your copy of the LOG each month and other important mail such as W-2 Forms, Union Mail and Welfare Bulletins. To accomplish this, please use the address form on this page to update your home address. If you are getting more than one copy of the LOG delivered to you, if you have changed your address, or if your name or address is misprinted or incomplete, please fill in the special address form printed on this page and send it to: Your home address is your permanent address, and this is where all official Union documents, W-2 Forms, and the LOG will be mailed. SIU & UIW of N.A. Address Correction Department 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, Maryland 20746-9971 --~---------------------------~---------------~------------Date: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ PLEASE PRINT HOME ADDRESS Social Security No. Phone No. ( Area Code Your Full Name Apt. or Box# Street Book Number O SIU City D UIW State D Pensioner ZIP Other-------- UIW Place of E m p l o y m e n t - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This will be my permanent address for all official Union mailings. This address should remain In the Union file unless otherwise changed by me personally. (Signed)----------------- -----------------------------------------------------------~ March 1988 I LOG I 21 �CL -Company/Lakes l -Lakes NP Directory of Ports Dispatchers Report for Great Lakes -Non PrioritY FEB. 1-29, 1988 "TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP Port Frank Drozak, President **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP Joe DiGiorgio, Secretary Leon Hall, Vice President Angus "Red" Campbell, Vice President Mike Sacco, Vice President Joe Sacco, Vice President DECK DEPARTMENT Algonac ................... Port Algonac ................... 0 6 0 5 0 0 35 2 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 27 0 0 10 0 0 49 8 0 0 121 11 0 16 0 Port 0 George McCartney, Vice President Roy A. Mercer, Vice President Steve Edney, Vice President STEWARD DEPARTMENT Algonac ................... 0 Port 0 0 HEADQUARTERS ENTRY DEPARTMENT Algonac ................... 0 15 6 0 Totals All Departments ........ 0 42 9 0 0 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, Md. 20746 (301) 899-0675 *"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. ALGONAC, Mich. 520 St. Clair River Dr. 48001 (313) 794-4988 BALTIMORE, Md. 1216 E. Baltimore St. 21202 (301 ) 327-4900 Dispatchers Report for Deep Sea FEBRUARY 1-29, 1988 *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 ................. 37 3 7 6 4 8 1 7 6 3 TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C 2 0 0 3 4 34 2 3 9 9 34 8 6 30 17 36 22 31 6 10 10 10 7 1 8 3 11 2 3 0 7 0 1 0 2 0 2 2 15 20 20 29 12 7 31 45 2 223 12 23 239 5 86 0 Port New York ............... Philadelphia ...... ........ Baltimore ............... Norfolk ................. Mobile ................. New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacksonville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Francisco .. .. ......... Wilmington .............. Seattle ................. Puerto Rico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Honolulu ................ Houston ... ... .......... St. Louis ................ Pinet Point .............. Tota s ................. 24 1 6 4 8 5 0 1 3 2 17 5 19 13 21 6 4 15 0 6 6 3 5 1 13 3 0 3 15 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 6 1 2 0 11 2 0 0 28 1 3 4 3 23 18 16 11 13 4 5 159 52 26 19 0 4 151 19 5 1 14 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 7 Pon New York ............... Philadelphia .............. Baltimore ............... Norfolk ................. Mobile ................. New Orleans ............. Jacksonville ........ . . ... . San Francisco ......... .... Wilmington .............. Seattle ................. Puerto Rico .............. Honolulu ................ Houston ................ St. Louis ................ Piney Point .............. Totals ................. 2 1 2 1 10 15 8 0 42 12 19 2 5 9 0 2 146 4 3 6 1 7 0 21 2 0 6 58 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 19 0 0 1 28 Port New York .............. . Philadelphia .............. Baltimore ............... Norfolk .... ............. Mobile ................. New Orleans ............. Jacksonville .............. San Francisco ............. Wilmington .............. Seattle ............... . . Puerto Rico .............. Honolulu ..... ........... Houston ................ St. Louis ................ Piney Point .............. Totals ................. 102 164 214 Totals All Departments .... .. 646 360 313 18 0 13 4 7 4 3 8 3 22 15 4 2 10 8 3 6 0 0 4 4 9 10 7 13 4 72 8 0 5 2 4 1 7 5 0 2 51 7 12 10 2 7 0 0 0 1 1 7 6 8 72 559 2 0 0 11 1 0 0 21 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 3 1 0 0 0 1 4 5 1 0 1 5 25 4 16 3 9 8 0 2 113 39 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 5 1 0 0 2 0 4 1 1 0 7 1 4 0 4 4 1 10 1 150 67 9 10 3 2 1 2 2 20 5 19 3 0 DECK DEPARTMENT 8 2 1 0 2 0 8 4 2 2 9 5 6 3 6 9 5 7 4 1 2 0 6 4 6 1 0 0 2 1 2 1 3 0 12 0 0 5 32 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 1 0 0 13 1 0 4 26 ENTRY DEPARTMENT 11 3 1 1 5 0 4 2 4 0 9 11 4 5 13 3 7 1 6 1 4 0 63 100 1 3 0 0 2 0 127 137 277 223 Tr~ Relies 10 2 1 2 1 12 4 11 6 6 2 12 2 0 0 71 7 0 0 2 0 1 **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C 91 2 11 22 7 69 56 63 31 62 29 6 56 0 0 15 2 9 7 6 8 16 14 11 8 1 10 4 0 2 505 113 49 2 11 9 6 9 0 1 7 3 11 2 1 0 2 5 2 4 10 4 5 0 7 1 0 1 44 , 2 0 0 0 2 3 0 48 35 35 18 42 13 29 311 82 26 7 9 0 3 1 0 3 0 1 6 4 5 33 2 4 3 7 35 18 81 22 36 3 5 88 2 0 6 20 0 0 0 5 8 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 3 0 5 32 0 3 10 8 6 6 2 14 2 0 6 8 10 2 8 0 33 4 0 7 123 272 88 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 47 30 4 8 3 7 11 9 4 32 9 68 21 9 24 14 26 18 24 6 0 0 0 0 0 38 0 0 0 0 6 19 7 18 82 15 0 279 280 223 1,367 563 2 2 5 2 2 0 8 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 22 0 0 0 29 12 2 2 5 8 31 6 33 11 8 0 178 5 0 1 302 401 *"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 . Shipping in the month of February was down from the month of January. A total of 1,282 jobs were shipped on SIU-contracted deep sea vessels. Of the 1,282 jobs shipped, 559 jobs or about 44 percent were taken by "A" seniority members. The rest were filled by "B" and "C" seniority people. A total of 223 trip relief jobs were shipped. Since the trip relief program began on April 1, 1982, a total of 7,022 jobs have been shipped. 22 I LOG I March 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 JACKSO VILLE, Fla. 3315 Liberty St. 32206 (904) 353-0987 JERSEY CITY, N.J. 99 Montgomery St. 07302 (201) 435-9424 MOBILE, Ala. 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy. 36605 (205) 478-0916 NEW BEDFORD, Mass. 50 Union St. 02740 (617) 997-5404 NEW ORLEA S, 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 �Letters To The Bditor Was a Rational " • • • The Injustice Crime ... " Recently veterans rights were approved for the merchant marine of World War II, and I wish to commend the SIU, the greatest union on earth, for the long fight against opposition like the American Legion. Few Americans have knowledge of our role in the war. The injustice was a national crime against American seamen who were 100 percent volunteers. In 1942 and 1943 our Navy was limited and we sailed many times without an escort. We slept with our clothes on never knowing when we would be torpeodoed. On every ship we were assigned to a gun station. One ship I will never forget is the SIU Liberty ship the Paul Hamilton. I bid for a job on that ship in the New York hall in 1944, but lost out. I was in the same convoy with the Paul Hamilton off Algiers on April 20, 1944. The record should show that the SS Paul Hamilton suffered the worst disaster of any merchant ship in World War IL An ammunition ship with 604 American troops aboard, plus a merchant crew and a Naval armed guard, the Paul Hamilton was sunk by a German plane. There were no survivors. The bombs touched 01! the ammunition it wa.a carrying. I Viewed thls sad event while aboard the SB Joshua, Ba.rtlett. OUr starbo d guns fired at the German pla.n.e which sank the Paul amilton. But a British gunboat, the Colombo, running near our stern brought it down. My point in bringing this up is that our sm brothers who went down with the ship were at their assigned gun stations. Remember the American Legion called our men draft dodgers, when most of their members had to be drafted and escorted to ca.mp. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said "Damn the torpedoes" because he knew the real men would deliver. Due to inJuries aboard ship, I had to retire in 1955, costing me thouaanas of dollars 1n medical bills. The VA hospital is now a blessing. Peter Salvo McKeesport, Pa. Book #24342 "Cal Tanner and I Were Shipmates • • • ,, I have read with great interest the articles in the LOG about the beginning of the SIU and its progress. Being a charter member, I would naturally want to know one's opinion on the history of our union. Leaving the Navy I joined the ISU. Cal Tanner and I were shipmates on an old Hog Island Delta Line ship when the ISU went under. Cal left for Tampa, I stayed in New Orleans. Delta Lines and Waterman Steam Ship Companies assured us that as long as we could crew their ships, they would recognize us and their contract with the ISU. We had. a tough go, the NMU was breathing down our neck, making it hard for any seaman not belonging to their union. You could look for a. dumping if caught by their beef squad leaving or returning to their ship. We were losing men every day. Some quit sailing but the majority went over to the NMU. We were still using our ISU books, but we knew we had to have a name to give us a little recognition. We got together with the Longshoremen in New Orleans and asked them to let us call our Union the ILA. They agreed and this took some of the pressure off us. Our Brothers on the East Coast were holding their own, and things were looking better when we got the word that if we could raise the money, Harry Lundeberg and the SUP would get us a charter. Years later when I was a New York patrolman I was sent to Washington with John Hawk, the secretary treasurer. In the hotel dining room on the morning we were leaving to return to New York, I asked Harry, "When you agreed to get the SIU a charter, did you honestly believe that handful of seamen with their few ships could raise the money?" His answer and I quote, "There never was a doubt in my mind that bunch of guys like these who were fighting for their livelihood would fail." It was hard, and as I look back today I wonder what kept the men fighting when it was so easy to just walk into any NMU hall, throw your ISU book on the counter and get a NMU work permit. But they hung on. AB the ships paid off, the men were asked to give what they could afford, wasn't a hell of a. lot with the wages $72.50 and $62.60 and under. But at last that day arrived after being ISU, ILA (which was never officially recognized) and the Eastern & Gulf Sailors Association, we had a union and a charter. Now we had to start organizing. There were a lot of good men who helped to get the charter, but it seemed that they were forgotten when the officials were sent to administer our new union. Men were sent from the West Coast to run the ports. Men some of us had never heard of. Like M. Biggs who was sent to New Orleans as representative. He signed the first agreement with Delta Line and Waterman and one hell of a job he did. The overtime agreement called for the overtime to start one hour after the seaman was called night or day. Watches could be broken on arrival and set one hour before sa.ili.ng. There was a lot of other clauses that were all for the company. When some of us beefed and asked Biggs why our aggreement was so much different than the SUP, he said, ''You see the SIU is a three department union so we had to give some things in some of the departments to get some things in other departments." Now I could not see where that made sense and told him so. He lasted one year in New Orleans, never went back to the coast, went to Florida, got in the real estate business. The shipping rules were all in favor of the mother union. The SUP had the same shipping rights in our hall as we did, but we did not have this right on their ships. If a job wasn't taken on the third call an SIU man could take it, but had to get off at the end of the voyage or payoff. AB you stated in your report, in 1944 Paul Hall came along. And things started to change. Any man who worked for Paul will tell you he lived every day for the SID. Many a night the lights burned late on Beaver Street. There would be a memo on the Patrolman's Board on the third floor at least three times a week. All patrolmen not on a payoff remained after the hall closed for a meeting. As you stated, Paul organized a close-knit team and seamen who you named would have followed him anywhere, over a cliff if he had asked. You said it mildly; they would have followed him to hell if needed. The reason Paul had the respect of the men who went down the line with him was that he would never ask a man to do something he wouldn't do. He couldn't stand excuses for something that should have been done, and expected the elected officials to see that the SIU came first and every seaman got first class representation. Fraternally yours, L.S. Johnny Johnston Brandon, 118 IT 1$ DUMB •• GET ~ELP! KICK THE DRU6 HABIT/ CONTACT YOUR PORT AGENT OR YOUR UNION. IF YOU SNIFF /T. .. IF YOU SMOKE IT ••• IF YOU 5H007 IT •• ~ March 1988 I LOG I 23 �We had a tough go, the NMU was breathing down our neck, making it hard for any seaman not belonging to their union. You could look for a dumping if caught by their beef squad leaving or returning to ·L etters To The Editor "• • • The Injustice Was a National Crime ... " Recently veterans rights were approved for the merchant marine of World War II, and I wish to commend the SIU, the greatest union on earth, for the long fight against opposition like the American Legion. Few Americans have knowledge of our role in the war. The injustice was a national crime against American seamen who were 100 percent volunteers. In 1942 and 1943 our Navy was limited a.nd we sailed many times without an escort. We slept with our clothes on never knowing when we would be torpeodoed. On evecy ship we were assigned to a gun station. One ship I Will never forget is the SIU Liberty ship the Paul Hamilton. I bid for a job on that ship in the New York hall in 1944, but lost out. I was in the same convoy With the Paul Hamilton off Algiers on April 20, 1944. The record should show that the SS Paul Hamilton suffered the worst disaster of any meroha.nt ship in World War IL An ammunition ship with 504 American troops aboard, plus a merchant crew and a Naval armed guard, the Paul Hamilton was sunk by a German plane. There were no survivors. The bombs touched o"ff the ammunition it wa.a carrying. I Viewed this sad event while aboard the SS Joshua Ba.rtlett. Our starboard guns fired at the German plane which sank the Paul amilton. But a British gunboat, the Colombo, running near our stern brought it down. My point in bringing this up is that our SIU brothers who went down With the ship were at their assigned gun stations. Remember the American Legion called our men draft dodgers, when most of their members had to be drafted and escorted to camp. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said "Damn the torpedoes" because he knew the real men would deliver. to inJuries aboard ship, I had to retire in 1955, costing me thousands of dollars in medical bills. The VA hospital is now a blessing. Peter Salvo McKeesport, Pa. Book #24342 "Cal Tanner and I Were Shipmates • • • I have read with great interest the articles in the LOG about the beg1nn1ng of the SID and its progress. Being a charter member, I would naturally want to know one's opinion on the histocy of our union. Leaving the Navy I joined the ISU. Cal Tanner and I were shipmates on an old Hog Island Delta Line ship when the ISU went under. Cal lefi for Tampa, I stayed in New Orleans. Delta Lines and Waterman Steam Ship Companies assured us that as long as we could crew their ships, they would recognize us and their contract with the ISU. their ship. We were losing men every day. Some quit sailing but the majority went over to the NMU. We were still using our ISU books, but we knew we had to have a name to give us a little recognition. We got together With the Longshoremen in New Orleans and asked them to let us call our Union the ILA. They agreed and this took some of the pressure off us. Our Brothers on the East Coast were holding their own, and things were looking better when we got the word that if we could raise the money, Harcy Lundeberg and the SUP would get us a charter. Years later when I was a New York patrolman I was sent to Washington with John Hawk, the secretary treasurer. In the hotel dining room on the morning we were leaving to return to New York, I asked Harcy, "When you agreed to get the SIU a charter, did you honestly believe that handful of seamen with their few ships could raise the money?" His answer a.nd I quote, "There never was a doubt in my mind that bunch of guys like these who were fighting for their livelihood would fail." It was hard, and as I look back today I wonder what kept the men fighting when it was so easy to just walk into any NMU hall, throw your !SU book on the counter and get a NMU work permit. But they hung on. As the ships paid off, the men were asked to give what they could afford, wasn't a hell of a lot with the wages $72.50 and $52.50 and under. But at last that day arrived after being ISU, ILA (which was never officially recognized) and the Eastern & Gulf Sailors Association, we had a union and a charter. Now we had to start organizing. There were a lot of good men who helped to get the charter, but it seemed that they were forgotten when the officials were sent to administer our new union. Men were sent from the West Coast to run the ports. Men some of us had never heard of. Like M. Biggs who was sent to New Orleans as representative. He signed the first agreement with Delta Line and Waterman and one hell of a job he did. The overtime agreement called for the overtime to start one hour a.tter the seaman was called night or day. Watches could be broken on arrival and set one hour before sailing. There was a lot of other clauses that were all for the company. When some of us beefed and asked Biggs why our aggreement was so much different than the SUP, he said, "You see the SIU is a three department union so we had to give some things in some of the departments to get some things in other departments." Now I could not see where that made sense and told him so. He lasted one year in New Orleans, never went back to the coast, went to Florida, got in the rea.l estate business. The shipping rules were all in favor of the mother union. The SUP had the same shipping rights in our hall as we did, but we did not have this right on their ships. If a job wasn't taken on the third call an SID man could take it, but had to get off at the end of the voyage or payoff. AB you stated in your report, in 1944 Paul Hall came along. And things started to change. Any man who worked for Paul Will tell you he lived every day for the SID. Many a night the lights burned late on Beaver Street. There would be a memo on the Patrolmen's Board on the third floor at least three times a week. All patrolmen not on a payoff remained after the hall closed for a meeting. As you stated, Paul organized a close-knit team and seamen who you named would have followed him anywhere, over a cliff if he had asked. You said it mildly; they would have followed him to hell if needed. The reason Paul had the respect of the men who went down the line with him was that he would never ask a man to do something he wouldn't do. He couldn't stand excuses for something that should have been done, and expected the elected officials to see that the SIU came first and evecy seaman got first class representation. Fraternally yours, L.S. Johnny Johnston Brandon, MS IT 1$ DUMB •• GET ~ELP! K CKTHE ORU6 HABIT/ CONTACT YOUR PORT AGENT OR YOUR UNION. IF YOU SNIFF /T. .. II=' YOU S'MOKE IT ... IF YOU 5H007 IT ••• March 1988 I LOG I 23 � 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 March 1988 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES SIU APPEALS TO STATE ON TANKER CREW WAIVER MARIITME PROGRAMS REMAIN AT LAST YEAR’S LEVEL MANNING STANDARDS EXAMINED BY MARITIME PANEL SIU STUDIES WAYS TO IMPROVE SHIPPING AND REGISTRATION COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL TO BEEF UP FISHING BOAT SAFETY SIU WINS BIG SHARE OF RRF CONTRACTS- 42 SHIPS MARITIME TRADES DEPARTMENT SETS ’88 LEGISTLATIVE GOALS ELECTION YEAR 1988 THE NATIONAL ECONOMY DOMESTIC CRUISE INDUSTRY SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY INTERNATIONAL TRADE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS SEAFARER FINDS HIS CALLING AWAY FROM THE SEA ‘JOE AX’ TURNS 80 IN NEW ORLEANS JUSTICE FOR MERCHANT SEAMEN KING OF THE CONVOYS ONE OF OUR GALLANT SHIPS CAPE DUCATO PARTICIPATES IN TEAM SPIRIT 88 PROFILE OF A MARINER: LORENZO LIGON MSCPAC SHORE STAFFERS GO TO SEA USNS REGULUS TO RETURN IN MAY ALERTNESS IS THE KEY TO VESSEL SAFETY FMC CHIEF APPOINTED 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 3/1/1988 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. 3 1988 Periodicals Seafarers Log