Seafarers Log: Vol. 53 No. 5 (1991-05-01)

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SSAFARiRS LOG

Presidenfs Report
Fast Track, Fast Deal

There is a major struggle under way in the nation's capital that de­
serves the attention and understanding of every Seafarer. It is over an
issue that often sounds so complicated and complex that many Ameri­
cans tend to ignore it. The issue is the so-called free trade agreement
which the Bush administration is seeking to negotiate with Mexico. An

agreement of this sort ultimately would have to be sub­
mitted to the Congress for approval. That would mean
that Congress could debate and amend the provisions of
whatever the executive branch negotiates with Mexico.
The administration desperately wants to avoid any pub­
lic airing or debate on what finally comes out of the
U.S.-Mexico trade talks.

Michael Sacco

So the administration is pushing first to get Congress
to agree to a "fast track" procedure in dealing with any
free trade agreement that is worked out with Mexico.

"Fast track" means the administration would have the authority to negoti­
ate an agreement that would then go to Congress, which would only be
able to vote "yes' or "no
debate and no amendments.

on the whole package. There would be limited

More Runaway Operations

Not a bad setup for those U.S. corporations that would profit hand­
somely from a free trade deal with Mexico that has as its goal the elimi­
nation of U.S. tariffs. They would thus be able to switch their American
plants to Mexico, where the minimum wage is 59 cents an hour, and typi­
cal wages run about $27 a week, and ship the products back to the U.S.
for sale to the American consumer, leaving U.S. workers high and dry
and making ghost towns of many America communities.

Supporting the administration's push for the U.S.-Mexico free trade
agreement—and the fast track approach—is a big hunk of American in­
dustry, which is the principal beneficiary. Against the fast track scheme
is the trade union movement, led by the AFL-CIO, along with farmers,
environmentalists, the textile industry and others.

It doesn't take much to understand why Big Business in this country
would be drooling over the chance to move operations south of the bor­
der for peanut pay scales and sub-standard conditions and then market
their products back north for big U.S. dollars. Fatter profits and less re­
sponsibility.

Do They Really Know?

As the battle rages over this issue, we are barraged with sermons from
newspaper editorial writers, the professional economists and college pro­
fessors—many of whom often act as paid consultants to industry—and
the Bush administration telling us how free trade with Mexico will mean
more good jobs for Americans, how we'll all be better off if we forget
our own immediate interests. Or as President Bush put it the other day,
"Someone ought to ask the opponents of fast track why they oppose pros­
perity in Mexico?"

We don't oppose prosperity in Mexico at all. We don't think the way
to help low-paid Mexican workers is through exporting American jobs.
As AFT^-CIO Secretary Treasurer Thomas Donahue has stressed, free
trade would "have a significant downward effect on U.S. wage levels, as
domestic companies sought to cut costs in order to compete with 60 cents
an hour labor. No matter how productive, U.S. workers caimot compete
with labor costs of less than one dollar an hour."

If the administration. Big Business and the other advocates of a U.S.­
Mexican free trade agreement were at all driven by a concern for the
Mexican workers, they might ponder the advice of AFL-CIO President
Lane Kirkland who has pointed out: "The fact is that trade is good for
workers on both sides of the border only when it is carried out side-by-
side with minimum standards on wages, benefits, safety and the environ­
ment. Without them, it only serves as a vehicle for capital to locate where
labor is cheap and government governs least... "

Let the People Decide

Explaining why the AFL-CIO is against the fast track approach, Kirk­
land called for "a full airing of views so that the American people can de­
cide for themselves whether this agreement is in their long-term interests.
Undoubtedly, they will see it for what it is—a golden opportunity for the
rich to get richer at the expense of the working poor."

We Seafarers, who decades ago observed the results of operators re­
placing the American flag on their vessels with those of runaway regis­
tries that permitted the exploitation of polyglot crews, know where we
stand. No one can dispute the fact that over the years the practice was
harmful to the United States and to the seamen whose exploitation it al­
lowed. That is why our Washington apparatus is working full blast in sup­
port of the AFL-CIO position.

Hall Lecturer Cites Heett
Fer 'Endurittg' Ship Pellcy

Making the Maritime Adminis­
tration an independent agency and
effectively using bilateral and mul­
tilateral cargo sharing agreements
with America's trading partners are
among the steps that can be taken
immediately to invigorate the U.S.
merchant marine, according to a
noted transportation management
and economics scholar.

Delivering the 1991 Paul Hall
Memorial Lecture, which was enti­
tled "In Search of an Enduring Mar­
itime Policy," Dr. Clinton M.
Whitehurst Jr., Clemson University
professor emeritus, also called for
an operating subsidy program with
less restrictions and allowance of
construction subsidies for certain
ships participating in cargo sharing
agreements and those built for ser­
vice in the non-contiguous Jones
Act trades.

The Paul Hall Memorial Lec­
tures, named for the late president of
the Seafarers Intemational Union,
are supported through an endow­
ment established in 1987 at the Uni­
versity of Southern California
(USC) as a means to honor distin­
guished contributors to the marine
transportation field and provide a
forum for their views.

Pointing to the lack of under­
standing of the maritime industry in
the general public and the tepid sup­
port for the shipping sector on the
part of policy-makers. Dr.
Whitehurst, who made his remarks
at the Second Intemational Sympo­
sium on Coastal Ocean Space Utili­
zation last month in Long Beach,
Calif., said this "fall from grace" had
its roots in a number of factors.

He noted "the loss of an effective
maritime advocate in Washington,
an industry slow to incorporate ad­
vances in maritime technology, ever
higher vessel operating and building
costs, continual warfare between
ship operators and shipbuilders over
the last decade."

JHe accused the maritime industry

In introducing the speaker, Herbert
Brand, chairman of the Paul Hall Memo­
rial Committee, told the audience of Dr.
Whitehurst's. association with the late
SlUNA president. Seated at right is Dr.
Donald 0. Keech, director of (JSC's Han­
cock Institute for Marine Studies.

Volume S3, Number 5

The 1991 Paul Hall Memorial Lecturer,
Dr. Clinton M. Whitehurst, said U.S.
shipping needs an independent gov­
ernment advocate.

of having "circled the wagons." The
maritime sector has "settled into a
defensive mode. One that opts to
react rather than act," Dr
Whitehurst said. He challenged the
industry to become bullish in pro­
moting itself. "Who here could not
adequately defend a $250 million

See page 14 for full text of remarks.

annual maritime appropriation in
contrast to our multi-billion farm in­
come stabilization program."

He noted "for the price of one
BIB bomber, 84 U.S.-flag ships op­
erating under ODS agreements
could be kept at sea for one year."

Herbert Brand, who is chairman
of the Paul Hall Memorial Commit­
tee, presented Dr. Whitehurst with
an etching in glass of a likeness of
the late SIU president.

Brand, who serves as chairman of
the Transportation Institute, an or­
ganization representing American
marine transportation companies,
said the USC endowment was estab­
lished "in memory of the charis­
matic, dynamic and forceful
president" of the SIUs"who was re­
spected by all segments of marine
transportation."

Paul Hall "was a unifying force in
what had been, and continues to be,
a fractious industry of many diversi­
fied interests," Brand said. He noted
the endowment was established
after Paul Hall's death in 1980
through contributions from many
friends and associates who felt
strongly that Paul Hall should be
memorialized.

Copies of Dr. Whitehurst's re­
marks, available in booklet form,
can be obtained by writing to Her­
bert Brand, Chairman, Paul Hall
Memorial Committee, c/o Trans­
portation Institute, 5201 Auth Way,
Camp Springs, Md. 20746.

Moy 1991

The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 0160-2047) is published
monthly by the Seafarers Intemational Union; Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201
Auth Way; Camp Springs, Md. 20746. Telephone (301)
899-0675. Second-class postage paid at MSC Prince
Georges, Md. 20790-9998 and at additional mailing of­
fices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Seafar­
ers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, Md. 20746.

Communications Department Director and Editor, Jessica
Smith; Associate Editors, Daniel Duncan and Max Hall;
Associate Editor/Production, Deborah Greene, Art Direc­
tor, Bill Brewer.

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Ships Without a Country

Flag-Dodgers Make Their Own Rules
The plight of crews manning flag-of-convenience vessels has not improved over the years. As a matter of

fact, standards have continued to deteriorate.

a group of nations stepping over
each other with offers of greater
discounts on tonnage and registra­
tion fees, each promising less gov­
ernment interference.

The flag-of-convenience ship­
owner's freedom from any na­
tion's laws is assisted by the as­
signing of different portions of the
operation to a variety of countries.
For example, a ship may be owned
by a Japanese company, normally
registered in Panama, but bare­
boat chartered under the Vanuatu
flag, with crewmembers, some
hired by a Filipino manning agent,
from the Phillipines, Germany, In­
dia and Pakistan, carrying goods
between Europe and the U.S.

The plethora of bargain-base­
ment runaway ship registries and
absence of any international en­
forcement mechanisms has cre­
ated a climate of lawlessness in

Reports from seamen on runaway-flag ships Indicate
deception—^the so-called manning agencies—are using
Examples cited by these seamen include a ship without
substitute pipes for toilets and voyages where food is
or meats. The seamen
on runaway-flag ships
report incidents of
double bookkeeping—the practice
of pretending to pay wages based
on a world trade union rate but in
fact paying salaries that are less
than half of that amount. And the
list of abuses goes on.

Many manning agencies take
advantage of seamen seeking to
leave the less-than-desireable con­
ditions of their native lands, of­
fering jobs on runaway-flag ships
but not without a catch—some of
these manning agencies sell the
shipboard posts for the equivalent
of $500 U.S. dollars.

The irony here is that one of the
original arguments advanced by
the proponents of runaway-flag
shipping was that the flag-of-con-
venience system would provide an
opportunity to advance the stand­
ards of the world's seamen.

Typical of this view was a state­
ment made by Erling D. Naess, a
leading proponent of runaway
shipping and a spokesman for flag-
of-convenience operators. Naess
said it this way: ". . . in return
for freedom from bureaucratic
controls and oppressive taxation,
the Free Flags should lead the
world in the achievement of max­
imum well-being for those whose
lonesome occupation it is to man
the ships ... It is the responsible
of the Free Flag shipowner, within
his field of competitive ability, to
study and provide for the seamen
such material well-being and per­
sonal safety that no member of
the ITF, or the ITF itself, can
possibly make use of the 'sub­
standard' argument."

Naess made these remarks in
his 1972 book "The Great Pan-
LibHon Controversy; the Fight
Over the Flags of Shipping."

What Naess held out as a pro­
phesy just is not so. In fact, the
opposite has occurred and the run­
away registries have driven safety
standards and shipboard working
conditions to their lowest common
denominator, compounding abuses
rather than alleviating them.

that flag-of-convenience operators and their partners in
every trick imaginable to exploit their crewmembers.
working heads in which the crew was ordered to
scarce—in many cases meals include no vegetables

the shipping community. The past
few years have seen ship owners
brazenly violating international and
national standards of safety pro­
cedures and decency toward
crewmembers.

Violations Abound
Tactics designed to avoid any

responsibility have reached new
heights. Ship owners openly talk
of switching flags on a vessel at a
moment's notice while it sails the
high seas. The International
Transport Workers Federation
(ITF), the organization which
brings together unions represent­
ing railroad, trucking, airline and
maritime workers, has even dis­
covered the presence of a fake flag
on three ships.

While the world's seafarers have
always been dogged by a wide
range of ship owner efforts to

impose low wages and low stand­
ards, in today's climate of disorder
these violations of humane work­
ing conditions are practiced with
a vengeance.

The few checks on the rampant
mistreatment of seamen are, for
the most part, in the traditional
maritime nations that have main­
tained fleets in which the unions
of those countries established de­
cent wages and working condi­
tions for the seamen of those ships.
Additionally, these seafarers'
unions have worked to raise the
standards of seamen working out­
side the pale of that protection.

Additionally, the ITF has or­
ganized a worldwide flag-of-con-
venience drive to raise the stand­
ard of living for seamen employed
on runaway vessels. An interna­
tional contract calling for an av-

Continued on page 9

Convei^m Amends SlUNA 'Jurisdiction' Ciause

Breakdown of Standards

Today, exploitation is the name
of the game. The international
shipping community is increas­
ingly using so-called flags-of-con-
venience to escape wages, con­
ditions and standards of traditional
maritime nations, thereby increas­
ing the abuses directed towards
the seamen who sail on runaway
ships, many of whom are unable
to protect themselves.

The proliferation of push-cart
operations masquerading as ship
registries allows the ship owner
to select a flag for his vessels from

Delegates to the Seafarers In­
ternational Union of North Amer­
ica (SIUNA) special convention
held last month passed a consti­
tutional amendment which assures
the union's geographic jurisdiction
beyond the waters and land fron­
tiers of the United States and Can­
ada and their territories.

The delegates voted to delete
the reference to North America
which appeared in the union's
constitution in the article regard­
ing name, membership and juris­
diction. The SIUNA's constitu­
tion sets no geographic limits for
affiliated unions, which primarily
represent seamen, fishermen, ma­
rine related industry workers, can­
nery and other factory employees,
and workers in the service and
government sectors.

In addressing the importance of
the convention action, SIUNA
President Michael Sacco—who
also serves as head of the union's
affiliated SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters District—said
the action was necessary in to­
day's climate where companies,
regardless of industry, are not
bound by national' boundaries.

Sacco noted how business is
free to run away from the high
safety, health and inspection
standards and decent wage levels
of industrialized countries, thereby
exploiting individuals and coun­
tries that were not in a position to
help themselves.

"In looking at the runaway
problem today—in shipping and
every other sector in which we
represent workers—and in devis­
ing strategies to combat the run­

aways, we must make sure our
international union has every tool
necessary to wage battle," he said.

Roman Gralewicz, president of
the SIU of Canada, pointed out
that runaway industries are not a
phenomenon of the United States.
He cited instances of Canadian
companies transferring operations
to lesser developed nations.

Sacco characterized the orga­
nization's move as an addition to
the union's "arsenal of weapons"
that could be used to protect its
members and working people gen­
erally. "That is not to say the
weapon will be used. Sometimes
just having the weapon means you
never have to use it. But some­
times events demand that you use
it. Either way, this international
will be ready to meet the chal­
lenges of the '90s and the next
century," he concluded.

Among the SIUNA's affiliates
are the Sailors Uriion of the Pa­

cific; the Marine Firemen, Oilers
and Watertenders; the Fisher­
men's Union of America; the In­
ternational Union of Petroleum
and Industrial Workers; Canadian
Marine Officers, and the United
Industrial Workers.

Marine Staff Officers, Pacific District
Secretary Treasurer Brandon Tynan
presents the report of the constitution
committee.

Looking over the SIUNA's constitution are Steve Edney (left), national director
of the United Industrial Workers and Joe Francisco, business representative
of the Fishermen's Union of America.

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MEBA/NMU Continues to Muzzle Sea-Going Members;
Cafeteria Workers Are Used to Offset Voice of Seamen

The conspiracy of District 1
MEBA/NMU President C.B.
' 'Gene" DeFries and Louis Parise,
unlicensed section chairman, to
deny the union's sea-going mem­
bers a voice in their own affairs has
moved ahead a notch with the sud­
den creation within the organiza­
tion of a new division made up
primarily of cafeteria workers.

The scheme to use the NMU's
12,000 shore-based members,
most of whom work in military
base chow halls, by taking them
out of the unlicensed division and
establishing a new division is re­
garded as a device to smother the
union's sea-going membership
and thus assure the DeFries/Parise
axis of absolute control over all
issues affecting seamen's welfare.

A District 1 MEBA/NMU com­
munication announced that the
vote to give the chow hall workers
their own division carried over­
whelmingly. What was not an­
nounced was a report circulating
^ound the nation's waterfront that
only 800 or so of the 12,000 shore-
based workers actually voted.

Additionally, official District 1
MEBA/NMU channels failed to
indicate that the union's sea-going
members — both licensed and un­
licensed — were excluded from
the referendum vote, which took
place around March 18 to April 18.

The direct result of the estab­
lishment of the new Industrial,
Technical and Professional Em­
ployees (ITPE) Division within
District 1 MEBA/NMU is a change
in the delegate composition to the
organization's March 1992 con­
vention where the union's presi­
dent and other top officers will be
elected.

District Convention Is Key
Maritime industry observers

note that because of the manner in
which District 1 MEBA/NMU was
structured by the architects of the
so-called merger between District
1 MEBA and the NMU in 1988,
power within the organization is
largely concentrated in the officers
elected at the district convention.

The willingness of DeFries and
Parise to hand over to cafeteria
workers the balance of power
within District 1 MEBA/NMU and
to eradicate seamen as guardians of
their own destiny appears to have
its origins in a desire to control the
district convention.

DeFries/Parise control of the
district convention was rendered a
big blow at the end of 1990 when
rank-and-file engineers — organ­
ized under the auspices of a group
called the MAD Committee —
challenged and beat the DeFries-
associated slate of incumbent offi­
cers and delegates to the district
convention.

Each division sends delegates to
the District 1 MEBA/NMU con­
vention. When the MAD group
won the great majority of licenced
division delegates, the district only
had two divisions. The creation of
the ITPE division now results in
three divisions attending the dis­
trict convention.

In the District 1 MEBA/NMU

official press release on the vote,
no mention was made regarding
the consequences of the new divi­
sion on the voting blocs at the
union's district convention. In­
stead the press release talked of the
effect of the new division in a Na­
tional MEBA convention.

Deceiving the Members '
Sea-going MEBA and NMU

members recognize a cover-up
when they see one, commented
one engineer. "DeFries and PariSe
talk about the National MEBA
convention but everyone knows
the real issue is how the ITPE divi­
sion will change the votes at the
District 1 convention," he said.
"Whoever wins at the district level
will have the votes at the National
MEBA convention. But the district
convention comes first."

In addition, maritime industry
observers note it is within the dis­
tricts of National MEBA that the
real power lies. The districts col­
lect dues, negotiate the contracts
and set their own policies. To
prove the point, one maritime in­
dustry observer said evidence of
this fact could be found in a look at
where the money is.

In loutine financial reports that
all unions file with the Department
of Labor, District 1 MEBA/NMU
reported a 1989 income of

$16,079,852 of which $8,798,324
was dues monies. For the same pe­
riod, National MEBA, to which
District 1 MEBA/NMU, District 2
MEBA-AMO and District 3
(ROU) are affiliated, reported
$1,155,285 in income.

Similarly, in 1989 District 1
MEBA/NMU had $8,604,006 in
total assets, while National MEBA
had $85,714.

Seamen Vow to Fight
According to all reports along

the waterfront, the attempt to de­
stroy the integrity of a seamen's
Union has been met with mounting •
disgust for the DeFries/Parise team
and further aroused the rank-and-
file seamen.

"This has got to be the most
vicious attempt to kill free trade
unionism that we have seen," it
was stated by one NMU member.
"I've been all over the world, I've
seen Commies do this kind of
thing, but I never thought I'd see it
in America — and in my own
union at that."

Licensed division members
registered a strong protest against
the maneuver to dilute the
seamen's vote. Voting in March
membership meetings, MEBA
members overwhelmingly passed
a resolution—by a vote of 311 for,
4 against and 2 abstentions—stat-

$W, Unions Seek te Block
Job-Export Trade Deals

With the export of thousands of
American jobs at stake, the SIU is
urging members of Congress to
prevent a two-year extension of
"fast track" legislative authority
that could give the Bush adminis­
tration unbridled authority to cre­
ate a U.S.-Mexico, as well as a
North American, free trade agree­
ment.

The SIU is working with the
AFL-CIO (the federation of trade
unions in the United States), envi­
ronmentalists, farmers and others
to urge either the House of Repre­
sentatives or the Senate to block the
fast track process by a June 1 dead­
line.

Five years ago. Congress ap­
proved the special legislative au-
thority which allows the
administration to negotiate a trade
agreernent with one or several na­
tions, then present the completed
package to Congress for either a
flat approval or rejection vote with­
out amendment.

The original intent of the fast
track legislation was to allow the
Reagan, then Bush, administra­
tions to negotiate in good faith at
the General Agreement Trade and
Tariffs (GATT) talks, the interna­
tional trade accord involving more
than 100 counties. The GATT ne­
gotiations stalled last December
after four years of meetings. The
Bush administration has told Con­
gress no countiy will trust the ne­
gotiators if Congress can override
any agreement. Thus, it is seeking
the two-year extension.

However, the administration

complicated the fast track vote by
announcing last year it wanted to
create a Mexican free trade agree­
ment similar to the one negotiated
with Canada five years ago.

While the bilateral trade talks
with Mexico have not begun, the
Bush administration is not saying
precisely what would be covered in
such a deal, thus alarming any U.S.
industry that could be affected in­
cluding maritime.

The Jones Act, the 1920 law
which limits cargo carried between
two U.S. ports to be shipped only
by U.S.-flag bottoms, could be
dealt away. The SIU worked with
other U.S.-flag maritime interests
to exclude the shipping from the
1986 U.S.-Canada free trade pact.

Trade unions belonging to the
AFL-CIO have demonstrated
countless jobs have been lost to the
maquiladora system, where U.S.
components are shipped to newly
built, hi-tech factories in the area
just south of the U.S.-Mexico bor­
der for assembly and then are re­
turned to the U.S. for sale.

A major reason American busi-'
ness looks very favorably at a
Mexican fi-ee trade agreement is
the difference in the average wages
between U.S. and Mexican work­
ers. The U.S. average hourly wage
is $13.85 while Mexico features a
$1.99 average hourly rate. While
the U.S. minimum wage recently
increased to $4.25 an hour, the dol­
lar equivalent for the Mexican
minimum wage is a mere $0.59 an
hour.

ing that the "licensed division op­
poses any split in the unlicensed
division which will adversely im­
pact the licensed division's voting
strength at the district convention."

One MEBA engineer summed
up the shore-based worker division
as a ploy. "Basically," he said,
"the union's democratic and rep­
resentative process is being oblit­
erated simply to preserve the
power of a few guys.'' He said that
those clasping onto power were the
very same individuals whose lead­
ership had been rejected by the
union's membership in last year's
licensed division elections.

War Bonus
Approved for
Gulf Seamen

SIU crewmembers who served
within the Persian Gulf war zone
are eligible to receive a war bonus
of 100 percent, according to the
Military Sealift Command (MSG).

Angus "Red" Campbell, SIU
vice president for collective bar­
gaining, announced he had re­
ceived word from MSG that those
vessels operating in the Persian
Gulf west of 53 degrees east longi­
tude between the start of U.S. fight­
ing on January 17 and the formal
cease-fire on April 11 would be
eligible.

Those U.S.-flag vessels listed in
the MSG memo include the Ready
Reserve Force fleet, MSG-con-
tracted vessels, MSG chartered and
operating-contract ships effective
during the war. (The bonus also
applies to civilian-crewed
MSGPAG vessels manned by
members of the SIU's Government
Services Division.)

To collect the bonus, Campbell
said members should make copies
of their discharges to use as proof
of dates the Seafarer sailed in the
war zone. Those copies should be
sent to the marine operations man­
ager of the company operating the
vessel and not to the SIU.

MSG stated the war bonus "is
payable for any day or portion of a
day in this zone, continuing until
one day after the vessel passes east
of the zone."

MSG also announced harbor at­
tack and vessel attack bonuses have
been approved for ships in the war
zone.' 'In circumstances where war
bonuses are applicable, $4(K) is
payable to each crewmember
aboard a ship in a harbor which is
attacked (in MSG's determina­
tion)," said an MSG notice.

Campbell emphasized MSG will
determine what constitutes a harbor
attack. "Just because the sirens
wailed and protective suits had to
be worn does not mean MSG will
call it a harbor attack," he said. The
union vice president noted the
MSG harbor attack bonus excludes
vessels docked in Israeli ports
when SCUD missiles attacked.

As no SIU vessels were hit dur­
ing the war, Campbell said the ves­
sel attack bonus would not apply to
union-contracted ships.

A,/



• - - - " •• -

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MAY 1991
••.-'••. r\-. • • :•*,- V-

SlU Umes Presidential Action to Bolster U.S. Fleet
If the United States is to revi­

talize its merchant marine, the
administration must stop uttering
words and start taking action, said
the SIU's director of congres­
sional and governmental affairs at
an April 23 congressional hearing
on the nation's sealift capability.

In testimony before the House
Subcommittee on Merchant Ma­
rine, Terry Turner, speaking on
behalf of the SIU's president, Mi­
chael Sacco, pointed out that the
administration speaks on "mari­

time matters with two voices."
"On the one hand, it asks for a

dependable merchant marine to
send into harm's way, as with the
Persian Gulf war. On the other
hand, it waives without justifica­
tion the Jones Act during a draw­
down of the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve necessitated by that war,"
Turner told the congressmen.

Waiving Maritime Laws

Another example of the White
House's undercutting of its own

professed support for U.S. ship­
ping is the administration's energy
policy calling for a defense petro­
leum reserve in which cabotage,
cargo preference and other laws
which serve to bolster the Amer­
ican-flag fleet would be waived,
said Turner.

The SIU representative called
on the president to use the upcom­
ing national Maritime Day, ob­
served every year on May 22, to
"issue an executive order man­
dating federal agencies to fully

comply with maritime statutes."
Among the other points pre­

sented by the SIU were:

Disley Re-elected Head of Marine Firemen
MFOW Vice President ^Whitey\Shoup Announces Retirement

In union-wide balloting, Henry
"Whitey" Disley was re-elected
to the position of president of the
Marine Firemen, Oilers, Water-
tenders and Wipers Association
(MFOW), the West Coast-based
affiliate of the SIUNA that pri­
marily represents unlicensed en­
gine department seamen.

Also re-elected were five other
incumbent union officials:

Treasurer Joel E. McCrum,
Headquarters Port Agent Bobby
Iwata, Branch Agents Robert G.

in Liverpool, England, first shipped
in 1941 aboard the Dutch-flag MV
Alioth. Within days, the vessel
was torpedoed off the coast of
West Africa and the young Disley
spent II days in a lifeboat before
reaching Sierra Leone. His second
ship participated in the invasion
of North Africa and his third was
engaged in supplying the invasion
of Sicily.

After WWII, Disley took up
residence in the United States. He
shipped from the West Coast in
the MFOW first as an oiler and
later as a reefer engineer. In 1964
he came ashore after his election
to the headquarters business agent
post. He became an MFOW vice
president in 1969 and succeeded
Harry Jorgensen as president of^
the union in 1974.

Shoup Will Miss Members

Henry "Whitey" Disley, who is pictured
at an MID executive board meeting
held earlier this year, recently vyas re­
elected to a two-year term as president
of the SlUNA-affiliated MFOW.

Not seeking re-election was
MFOW Vice President B.C.
"Whitey" Shoup, who officially
resigned from the position of vice
president. In this past round of
voting in the MFOW,. the vice

president post was not among those
on the ballot by virtue of previous
membership action which elimi­
nated the job for economic rea­
sons.

Brother Shoup joined the MFOW
in 1945 and served as temporary
business agent for the union on
several occasions between 1959
and 1968. In 1969 Shoup was
elected San Francisco business
agent, a position he held until 1974
when he was elected by the MFOW
membership to the post of vice
president.

In reporting on Shoup's retire­
ment to the March MFOW head­
quarters meeting, Disley said,
"Brother Shoup wishes me to ex­
press his appreciation for the sup­
port he has received from the rank-
and-file membership over the years.
He considered it a great honor
being an elected official of the
union and having the opportunity
to serve the membership."

Disley added, "On behalf of the
entire membership, I extend our
best wishes to 'Whitey' and his
family for a long, happy and healthy
retirement."

• The U.S. government should
open the way for American par­
ticipation in the lucrative passen­
ger ship trades thereby ensuring
adequate troop transport capacity.
Turner noted that during Opera­
tion Desert Shield and Desert
Storm, the Department of Defense
spent $31 million to charter a Brit­
ish-flag cruise ship.
• Efforts by Congress to extend

veterans benefits and tax breaks
to merchant seamen serving in a
combat zone during a war should
be made into law. Both licensed
and unlicensed personnel should
be afforded re-employment rights
if such seamen leave jobs to sail
in a conflict.
• A merchant marine reserve is

better than no initiative at all.
However, a more effective. solu­
tion to our sealift needs would be
a fully active commercial fleet.

The hearing was one in a series
that is being held under the aus­
pices of the House subcommittee
on merchant marine chaired by
Walter B. Jones (D-N.C.). In his
opening statement, Jones indi­
cated the subcommittee "will ex­
amine the state of our nation's
sealift capabilities and the need to
improve our commercial merchant
marine to support our sealift."

The subcommittee chairman said
the panel will hear from adminis­
tration and maritime union rep­
resentatives in April and vessel
operators, shipyard spokesmen and
longshore labor officials in May.
During June, the subcommittee
will begin hearings on maritime
promotional policies.

To date the panel has heard from
maritime union representatives and
spokesmen from the military and
the Maritime Administration.

Kimball in Seattle, Sol Ayoob in
Wilmington and Marvin "Lucky"
Honig in Honolulu. The six offi­
cers ran unopposed in an election
conducted by secret mail ballot.

Brother Disley and the other
officials will serve for the 1991-
1992 term. Since 1974, the MFOW
membership has elected Disley to
serve as the union's president.

Disley Shipped In WWII

Disley, who was born and raised

n

TRAMSCOM Chief Johnson Citos SIU
Thanks Soafarors During Inspection

's War Efforts;
of Union's Schooi

The head of the U.S. Transpor­
tation Command visited the Sea­
farers Harry Lundeberg School of
Seamanship to inspect the training
facility and to thank the members
and manpower office for their work
in crewing merchant vessels for
Operation Desert Shield and Op­

eration Desert Storm.
"We want to thank all of you

for the great work you have done,"
Air Force General Hansford T.
Johnson told members of the re­
certified bosun course and other
classes at the school as well as the
manpower staff.

"At the very beginning—on a
moment's notice—we pulled
everything together and broke out
17 fully manned and loaded ships
in just five days. We appreciate
all your efforts. Many said it would
not work, but it did work because
of you. Many thanks."

Continued Cooperation

General Hansford T. Johnson talks with members of the Lundeberg School
diesel engine technology class during his recent tour of the facility.

Johnson's tour of the facilities
at the Lundeberg School included
stops at the Paul Hall Library and
Maritime Museum, the shiphan-
dling simulator, the Hagglund crane
used in sealift training, vocational
classrooms and workshops. He
met with both trainees and up-
graders throughout the day.

The general told the members,
"The future looks bright for the
U.S. merchant marine." Referring
to SIU President Michael Sacco,
who accompanied Johnson on the
visit, the general added, "We have
a definite commitment to work
together to help the merchant ma­
rine work better."

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St. Louis Port Council Holds Award Ceremony

Breaux, Johnson, Trumka and Dunne Are Honored
A U.S. senator, a 4-star general,

an international trade union pres­
ident and a construction company
chairman of the board were hon­
ored by the Greater St. Louis Area
and Vicinity Port Council at its
annual dinner last month.

Senator John Breaux (D-La.)
received the Able Helmsman
Award for his support of the U.S.-
flag merchant marine in Washing­
ton. Air Force General Hansford
T. Johnson was recognized for his
agency's performance in coordi­
nating the transport of materiel in
the Persian Gulf effort. Richard
L. Trumka, president of the United
Mine Workers (UMWA), was
named Labor Man of the Year.
Thomas P. Dunne, chairman of
ithe board and C.E.O. of Fred
Weber, Inc. was proclaimed Busi­
nessman of the Year.

eral Johnson, SIU President Mi­
chael Sacco praised the chief of
the U-S. Transportation Com­
mand for his "outstanding job of
moving equipment from the United
States and Europe to the theater
of operation so our troops could
fire their guns."

Johnson noted the effort could

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The Men and Women of the

SEAFARERS
INTERNATIONAL

UNION

FOB CONTINUED OUTSTANDtNC SUPPORT
TO OUR NATION AND TO THE

UNITED STATB TRANSPORTATION COMMAND
DURING OPERATIONS

DESERT SHIELD, DESERT 5TORH AND DESERT SORTIE.

YOU HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY
PROUDLY AND WELL

A CRAIHUL AMBUCAN

tlAMFOaOT.JOIM<m.CeNUAI.llSAr
OMIMNDCR IN CHIir

SIU President Michael Sacco presents General Hansford T. Johnson with a
piaque thanking the men and woman of the U.S. Transportation Command for
their role in the Persian Gulf war.

The U.S. Transportation Command
thanked the SIU for its effort during
the Persian Gulf war through this plaque
presented at the event.

Thomas P. Dunne prepares his re­
marks before being introduced as the
Businessman of the Year.

St. Louis Port Council President Rich­
ard Mantia (seated) confers with Tony
Sacco, SIU assistant vice president,
during the dinner.

In accepting his ship's wheel,
Breaux announced the fight of the
1990s facing Congress and the
White House is the rebuilding of
the U.S.-flag merchant fleet.

' 'The challenge is if we are going
to have an American merchant
fleet that serves us in commercial
times and that is available to serve
us in times of conflict," the chair­
man of the Senate Merchant Ma­
rine Committee told the audience.

Breaux vowed he would fight in
Congress to address the need and
remedy the problem.

In presenting a plaque to Gen-

not have been accomplished with­
out the help of American compa­
nies and their workers. "When it
was time to move the force, we
had a few airplanes, we had no
military people to sail our ships
and we owned eight ships," he
said.

"No ship was delayed waiting
for a crewmember. You and we,
together, made it work. I salute
each and every one of you." After
his remarks, Johnson presented
Sacco with a plaque from the
Transportation Command for the
SIU in appreciation of the union
efforts to crew ships during the
Persian Gulf effort.

Trumka thanked the group for
recognizing his union members
through him for the award. He
rallied the members of the audi­
ence to urge their congressional
representatives to pass the worker

Senator John Breaux proclaims the
challenge of the 1990s Is the rebuilding
of the U.S.-flag merchant marine.

replacement (scab) bill being de­
bated in both houses.

Trumka, who has been presi­
dent of the UMWA since 1982,
led his union back into the AFL-
CIO, the federation of trade unions
in the United States, in 1989. Un­
der his leadership, the UMWA
successfully waged a 10-month
strike against Pittston Coal Com­
pany for better health and retire­
ment benefits for the members,
their families and union retirees.

Dunne was noted for his solid
standing in the labor, business and
political communities in St. Louis.
Under his leadership, Fred We­
ber, Inc. has worked closely with
organized labor and the building
trades.

Richard Trumka listens to a speech
being made at the St. Louis Port Coun­
cil awards ceremony.

The 1965 graduate of Washing­
ton University began his career at
Fred Weber in that same year as
a field engineer. Dunne was elected
president, chairman of the board
and C.E.O. of the firm in 1980.

Missouri River Barge Traffic
Hampered by Drought, Flows

An ongoing drought in the high plains has shortened the Missouri River
shipping season, delaying by a week the official April 1 opening of the
waterway to commercial transport lines. In addition, the Army Corp of
Engineers has announced that the agency will release only minimal reser­
voir flows.

4 i ^
Senate Panel Favors Enactment
Of 4 Maritime Int'l Conventions

The Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate recommended enact­
ment by the frill Senate of four maritime-related international conventions
of the Iritemational Maritime Organization. For the United States to be a
party to these conventions, they must be ratified by the Senate. The treaties
cover universally accepted standards for training and qualifying seamen,
regulations regarding the waterbome transport of harmful substances in
packages and restructuring of the system of surveys and certification
outlined in the 1988 protocols to the International Convention for the Safety
of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Convention on Load Lines
aCLL).

New Orleans Pays Off in San Francisco
While the vessel docked In San Francisco, Seafarers aboard the Overseas
New Orleans hold a union meeting. Pictured above are (from left) OS R.
Hemandez; San Frandsco Port Agent Nick Celona; Bosun Frank Cottongin;
Pumpman J. Oberson; GSU Leroy Jenkins; OS Craig Treadweli, Chief Cook
George Lee; Wiper Eron Hall and (sitting) OS Louis Diaz.



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MAY 1991

Bmm, Hopkins Tate OmHHH&P ffe/ni;
Court, Labor Dm't Certify Eieetkm

The federal district court,after a
long delay, has certified the victory
of Catain Timothy A. Brown as
head of the International Organi­
zation of Masters, Mates and Pilots
(MM&P). The court order, issued
April 5, was coupled with a Labor
Department certification of the
election.

In February it was announced
by the Labor Department, which
supervised the election, that Brown
had won the vote for the presi­
dent's post in a 90-day balloting
period by a tally of 2,489 to incum­
bent Robert Lowen's 2,079. Sim­
ilarly, Captain James W. Hopkins
out-polled the MM«S:P's incumbent
secretary-treasurer, Elwood Kyser,
by a vote of 2,426 to 2,106.

Immediately after the upset vote
had been announced, Lowen,
Kyser and other MM&P general
executive board members at­
tempted to prevent Brown and
Hopkins from moving into the
union's two top jobs by filing a
series of allegations concerning
the election.

While the government agency
looked into these charges, thereby
holding up the certification of
Brown and Hopkins, the defeated
Lowen continued to operate as
the union's president.

In the affidavit of the Labor

Department representative sub­
mitted to the federal district court,
the director of the agency's office
responsible for handling matters
concerning union elections stated
that he had found "no violation"
of the law "which may have af­
fected the outcome of the elec­
tion."

Maritime industry observers re­
ported that while Brown and Hop­
kins awaited the certification of
the election by the Labor Depart­
ment, Lowen is reported to have
instigated a number of actions de­
signed to hang on to power despite
the repudiation of his leadership
by the MM&P members.

Among these actions—which
were characterized as "shenani­
gans" by one MM&P member—
was a resolution adopted by the
union's general executive board
to appoint Lowen to a position of
membership group liaison officer
and director of organizing.

Additionally, Lowen was re­
ported to have rushed a lump sum
buy-out plan through the MM&P's
pension fund trustee meeting in
late February. It is reported that the
Lowen plan would make the lump
sum buy-out available to himself
and Kyser and a very small group
of MM&P pensioners. Brown, in
a communication to MM&P mem­

bers, said he and Hopkins had re­
quested that the pension plan
trustees first resolve if the fund was
financially able to sustain a buy­
out program and, if it could, make
it available to all pensioners with
62 years of age and 25 years of
service or 60 years of age with 30
years of service.

The Brown/Hopkins election was
the culmination of a race that had
its roots in the 1988 campaign for
the MM&P's officers. The ballot­
ing which ended earlier this year
was, in effect, a rerun of the 1988
election which a Baltimore-based
federal district court judge found
to be riddled with "fraud of sig­
nificant proportions."

Judge Marvin J. Garbis held that
the manner in which the 1988
MM&P election was conducted
violated the union's constitution
and federal law. Among the find­
ings of the court were indications
of stolen ballots, ballots forged by
Lowen supporters and failure of
the union to mail election notices
to all members.

Brown and Hopkins, in both the
1988 election and in its rerun Ver­
sion in 1990, ran on a reform-
minded platform. The challengers
cited the poor investment deci­
sions made by the MM&P and the
loss of jobs during Lowen's watch.

New Wage Scale and Retro-Pay in Place
For Sill Gov't Services Division Members

Seafarers in the SIU's Govern­
ment Services Division sailing
aboard Military Sealift Command
Pacific (MSCPAC) are due an in­
crease in all wage-related pay, SIU
Vice President Government Serv­
ices Roy "Buck" Mercer an­
nounced last month.
. The revision of the "Pacific

Schedule of Wages for MSCPAC
Ships" recently issued by
MSCPAC civilian personnel offi­
cer A.J. Qatsha said the date
of implementation of the new
pay rates will be May 1, 1991.
However, the document went
on to say that the pay increases
are retroactive to October 1, 1990,
the effective date of the revised

schedule.
Checks for the retroactive pay

accumulated between October 1
and April 30 will be issued soon
by MSCPAC.

Vice President Mercer asks that
all members sailing in the Govern­
ment Services Division—which
was formerly known as the Mili­
tary Sea Transport Union (MSTU)
before it merged with the SIU's
Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters Division—advise the
union's office in San Francisco of
the correct mailing address for
back-pay checks.

Mercer adds that those mem­
bers who wish to pick up their
checks in person should notify the

union office or MSCPAC's per­
sonnel office of their intentions.

The increase reflects a 3.6 per­
cent increase to all wage-related
pay for all MSCPAC civilian mar­
iners sailing in unlicensed capac­
ities in the deck, engine and stew­
ard departments.

Mercer said the union is in the
process of printing up the new
wage scale in poster format. This
will be distributed shortly to all
MSCPAC ships with SIU civilian
personnel aboard. Members who
would like a copy of the poster
can contact the union's govern­
ment services division office at
350 Fremont Street, San Fran­
cisco, Calif. 94105; (415)861-3400.

Retired MFOW Pres.
Dies at Age 69

Harry Jorgensen, former presi­
dent of the SIUNA-affiliated Ma­
rine Firemen, Oilers, Waterten-
ders and Wipers Association
(MFOW), suffered a fatal heart
attack March 23,1991 in his home­
town of San Pablo, Calif. He was
69 years old.

Shortly after his birth in Den­
mark, he and his family moved to
San Francisco where his father
worked as a longshoreman. Jor­
gensen joined the MFOW in Oc­
tober 1942 as a fireman/waterten-
der.

He was remembered as being a
strict enforcer and follower of the
union contract when he sailed. In
the early 1950s during the Mc­
Carthy era, he was accused of
being a Communist-sympathizer
and had his shipping document
taken away. He was cleared of the
charge by the FBI more than 18
months later.

Jorgensen first came ashore in
1949 to work as a temporary agent
in the port of New Orleans. In the
1960s he served as business agent
and port agent in Seattle and San
Francisco before being elected vice
president in 1968.

The black-gang member was
elected president of the MFOW in
1969. He held the post until 1974
when he became the administrator
of the MFOW-PMA Welfare Fund.

George McCartney, SIU vice
president for the west coast, re­
membered Jorgensen as a stauch
trade unionist. "His priorities were
membership first, last and al­
ways," McCartney said.

Joi^ensen is survived by a niece,
Janeen Kehl.

SlU'Cmwed Delia Queen Is Fitted with New Double Hull
The SlU-crewed steamboat

Delta Queen became one of the
latest vessels to employ double
hull technology when it began sail­
ing this season along the Missis­
sippi and Ohio rivers.

The 64-year-old vessel was fit­
ted with an outer hull during the
winter offseason at a Mississippi
shipyard. The new layer of skin
widens the steamboat's water-
plane area and raises its paddle-
wheel by 30 inches which will
make it more efficient.

The double hull was installed
during a 13-week period so the
Delta Queen could resume its nor­
mal cruise schedule in March. The

new outer hull, which is 250 feet
in length, was made of eight 40-
foot prefabricated modules of V»-
% inch steel with four on each
side of the keel.

The original hull, made of 5/16
inch steel, was raised to allow
space between it and the new hull.
This created 36 inches of space
between the old and new hulls
which will be used for buoyancy,
fuel storage and potable water.

The double-hull design allows
the paddlewheel to return to its
normal position in the water. Be­
fore such additions as air condi­
tioning, large generators and re­
frigerated storage added so much

weight, the wheel was 24 to 30
inches below its normal waterline.

The steamboat was designated

a national historic landmark in
1989. It began operations in Cali­
fornia in 1927.

The Delta Queen Is lowered into its new double hull at a Pearlington, Miss,
shipyard earlier this year.

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Good Seamanship Skills Save Two Fishermen
Two fishermen owe their lives

to an alert SIU helmsman aboard
the SS Buyer who spotted the pair
floating in the Atlantic Ocean off
the coast of North Carolina.

AB Ray Tate noticed the two
50 miles off the coast of North
Carolina hours after their fishing
vessel caught fire and sank. Tate
and the whole crew of the Buyer
were thanked and praised for the
fine work they performed in rescu­
ing Carl Snow and Michael Kemp
on February 18.

Admirals Praise Crew
Navy Vice Admiral Francis

Donovan, commander of the Mili­
tary Sealift Command, wired the
crew: "Your prompt actions and
professional execution of your du-
ties in rescuing the two
crewmembers of the Fish Witch
are noted with pleasure. Since the
boat was not due in port for several
days and because neither a distress
signal nor an (emergency) trans­
mission were made, it is certain
that both survivors owe their lives
to your alert watch, perseverance
and seamanship skills. Well
done!"

Coast Guard Vice Admiral Paul
A. Welling added; "Had it not been
for the vigilance of the Buyer's
crew, these two men would most
certainly have been lost to the sea.
The eagemess and persistence of
the Buyer's crew to assist fellow
mariners in distress is highly com­
mendable."

(Steward Baker Tobe Dansley
Jr. and Chief Cook Lloyd T.
Palmer provided the Seafarers
LOG with photographs and details
of the dramatic rescue.)

Fishermen Adrift
An early morning fire starting in

the wheelhouse of the fishing ves­
sel spread quickly, causing fisher­
men Snow and Kemp, in life
jackets, to jump overboard without
being able to call for help. After
drifting for more than six hours, the
pair was spotted 250 yards off the
port beam by AB Tate at 11:20 a.m.

While orders were given to turn
the vessel around, all hands were
posted on deck as lookouts. Bosun
James Blanchard prepared rescue
equipment as the galley gang read­
ied two spare rooms with blankets
and food for the fishermen.

Following the turnaround, OS
Steve Arnold rediscovered the
pair 500 yards off the port beam.
The ship maneuvered alongside,
but the fishermen were unable to
place the safety harness around
their bodies. Third Mate Gregory
Musk dove into the water to assist
the pair in the rescue. They were
aboard ship by 12:45 p.m.

Cook Palmer told the Seafarers
LOG, "The crew was really glad
we were able to rescue them. Tliey
were in pretty good shape except
for being cold and wet from being
in the water for hours."

Crewmembers aboard the SS Buyer attend to two rescued fishermen plucked from
the Atlantic Ocean east of North Carolina.

fishermen said they were ready to
give up had the Buyer sailed past.

The Coast Guard was notified of
the rescue operation as it pro­
ceeded. The crew wrapped the two
in blankets and treated them for
hypothermia. Less than an hour
after being plucked from the sea, a
Marine Corps helicopter hovered
over the Buyer and loaded the fish­
ermen to take Snow and Kemp to
a shoreside hospital where they
were treated and released.

Third Mate Gregory Musk pushes
fisherman Michael Kemp up to the
pilot's ladder during a rescue by the
RRFshlp.

Ready to Give Up
Once onboard the Buyer, Snow

and Kemp thanked the crew for
spotting and saving them. Palmer
reported the fishermen as saying
"three or four other vessels had
gone past them without seeing
them." According to Dansley, the

Crew Worked Together
Palmer said the crew did an ex­

cellent job of working together to
save the fishermen, especially in
relocating them after turning
around. Captain H. B. Kuykendall
also praised his crew for its effort,
then added, "I can only hope that
should I fall overboard, men such
as you will be on hand to help me."

The Buyer, a Ready Reserve
Force vessel activated for the Per­
sian Gulf war and operated by OMI
Corporation, resumed its course
for Rota, Spain.

Seafarers on Buyer
Besides Tate, Arnold,

Blanchard, Dansley and Palmer,
other Seafarers serving aboard the
Buyer were ABs Brad Seibel,
Tom Henderson, Howard
Blanks, Russell Haynes and

Stonewall Jackson Accident Under Investigation
The first draft of the investiga­

tive report concerning the Febru­
ary 9 fire aboard the Stonewall
Jackson which claimed six lives,
including three SIU members, is
expected to be completed before
the middle of May.

Commander David Miller, the
U.S. Coast Guard investigator in
charge of the case, told the Seafar­
ers LOG late last month he was
working on the report after in­
specting the Waterman vessel
and speaking with its
crewmembers.

Mum About Blame
The Coast Guard investigator

said he could not reveal details of
his investigation as it was "ongo­
ing." When asked about published
reports that human error would be
cited against one of the deceased
members. Miller responded, "It is
possible, but I would not say if it is
or isn't. That is one of the many
situations we are looking at."

Miller, who works in the Coast

Guard's Honolulu marine safety
office, stated once his report is
written, its conclusion and recom­
mendations would be reviewed by
other branches of the agency be­
fore it is released to the public.
That was verified by Lt. Com­
mander Chuck McMahon of the
Washington, D.C. office who said
such a review is standard proce­
dure. McMahon noted those Coast
Guard departments affected by the
recommendations must be able to
review the document before it is
published.

Prompt Review Expected
Miller said the review process

should be "prompt." He expected
the report to become public by
early summer 1991. "Many people
are anxious to see it," he added.

The Stonewall Jackson was
towed to Colombo, Sri Lanka after
the fire, which took the lives of SIU
black-gang members QMED Ed­
mund Clayton, QMED Prince
Wescott and Wiper Henry

Hyman. The ship was sailing past
the south coast of India on its reg­
ular run between the U.S. gulf
coast and the Mideast, India and
Southeast Asia when the accident
occurred.

Accident Details
According to Miller, the fire

started when lubricating oil in the
engine's turbogenerator escaped
through a loose cap on a oil-strain­
ing device. The oil presumably
contacted a hot surface and ignited.
Deadly fumes filled the engine-
room. The turbogenerator auto­
matically shut itself off, cutting the
power to the vessel's ventilation
system. The six engineroom mem­
bers then died of carbon monoxide
poisoning or smoke inhalation or
both.

The accident is considered the
worst disaster to strike a U.S.-flag
merchant vessel since the Marine
Electric sank off the coast of Vir­
ginia in 1983, claiming 31 mer­
chant mariners.

Glenn Johnson; OS Raymond
Watts; Electrician James
Demouy; UDEs William Cassel
and J. C. Burnett; Oilers Joseph
Billotto, Percy Payton and Verbu
Nix; DEUs Bruce Barber and
Carl Turner; Assistant Cook
Ronnie Mixson; and Steward As­
sistants Jessie Andrews, James
Smithy Don Glover, Roderic
Coleman, Quitman Young and
Stanley Baggett.

• - J

Michael Kemp Is airlifted from the deck
of the Buyer by a Marine helicopter
following a rescue at sea.

Steward assistants Jessie Andrews
(standing) and Roderic Coleman
check on fisherman Carl Snow shortly
after he was brought on deck.

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•••••ISip"-

RtHmway-Fbg SMis A/bke Their Own ffv/es
Continued from page 3
erage wage of $871 per month for
an AB has been developed, and
the ITF aggressively pursues run­
away operators to become signa­
tories to this collective bargaining
agreement.

With the world minimum wage
rate for seafarers set by the Inter­
national Labor Organization at $276
per month for an AB, an ITF
contract elevates the employment
conditions for seamen working un­
der its jurisdiction.

But outside of these efforts are
many of the world's ship owners
who conspire with runaway regis­
tries, manning agencies and in some
cases even governments to secure
the lowest-paid and most docile
seafarers and to avoid union con­
tracts covering crewmembers.

Americans Start Trend

There are some American ship
owners among this ilk. In fact,
American ship owners were among
the first of the industrialized world
to transfer tonnage to flag-of-con-
venience registries, starting with
a trickle in the '20s and '30s and
becoming particularly acute after
WWII.

As a means of escaping U.S.
wage standards and working con­
ditions, government-enforced
safety regulations and inspections
and other aspects of good corpo­
rate citizenship, many American
ship owners transferred vessels to
the flags of Panama, Liberia and
Honduras. Here, the biggest of­
fenders were the major oil com­
panies with their considerable
tanker fleets. The flight of Amer­
ican ship owners to runaway re­
gistries was followed in varying
degrees by operators from other
traditional maritime nations, in
particular many European fleets.

Second Registry Sham

Today, European ship owners
continue to move tonnage to flag-
of-convenience registries and to
so-called second registries. The
concept of a second registry was
begun in Norway. In effect, it is
a ship registry scheme offering
runaway benefits while allowing
the label, or flag, of a traditional
maritime nation.

From the original three flag-of-
convenience registries — Panama,
Liberia and Honduras—there are
now more than 16 nations offering
their own hot dog stands for ship
operators. Among the flags for sale
are those of Antigua and Barbuda,
Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Is­
lands, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Hondu­
ras, Kerguelen, Lebanon, Liberia,
Malta, Netherland Antilles, Pan­
ama, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and
Vanuatu.

Second registry options include
the Norwegian International Ship
Register (NIS), Denmark's DIS,
Germany's GIS, the Isle of Man
for United Kingdom ship owners
and Luxembourg for Belgian op­
erators.

Revenue Generator

It is the nature of a runaway
registry to be a cash cow for an

impoverished nation, selling a flag
for contributions to their treasury.
In the case of Liberia, money from
its ship registry contributes be­
tween 12 to 15 percent of the
nation's budget.

The office of the trade minister
in the Washington, D.C.-based
Embassy of Cyprus estimates its
ship registry generates $5.5 million
in direct fees and taxes and $100
in secondary activity such as legal
and management operations. The
Panamanian ship registry, known
as "Secnaves," pulled in $45 mil­
lion in 1986, $41 million in 1987
and $38 million in 1988, according
to "Seatrade Business Review,"
July/August 1989 edition.

Dependent on this income, each
flag-of-convenience nation at­
tempts to out-do the other in luring
ship owners to their registry.

Propping Up Despots

It is interesting to note that very
few of the runaway flag registries
are based in truly democratic
countries. Instead, these havens
from civilized standards are based
in nations among which are some
of the world's most brutal regimes
and corrupt governments.

The U.S. State Department told
Congress that in Liberia, the flag-
of-convenience registry boasting
the most tonnage of any in the
world, there were "extensive hu­
man rights violations."

Many European nations have Insti­
tuted their own flag-of-convenience
registries. The only difference be­
tween a Nonvegian second registry
ship, such as the one pictured above,
and a runaway-flag operation is that
one wears the veneer of a traditional
maritime nation.

Civil warfare racking Liberia,
which led to the execution of the
nation's former president, Samuel
Doe, has brought about mass kill­
ings, torture and mutilation of un­
armed civilians. Additionally, basic
freedoms have been denied the
Liberian people, and those who
have protested the inhumane ac­
tions by the rebel forces have been
thrown in prison.

In the fighting, all of Liberia's
banks and national reserves have
been looted, impoverishing the na­
tion. This raises the question of
into whose hands will the ship
registry-generated funds fall?

Other nations sporting ship re­
gistries also are suspect of human

ITF Definition of a Fiag-of Convenience Registry
The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). in its 1974-enacted policy
regarding runaway-flag vessels, issued the following definition: "Where beneficial
ownership and control of a vess ! vessel is found to lie elsewhere than in the country
of the flag the vessel is flying, the vessel is considered as sailing under a flag
of convenience."
The ITF designates fiag-of-convenience registries by examining a set of criteria
developed by the British Committee of Inquiry in 1970. These factors are known by I
as the "Rochdale Criteria" and contain the following points:
• The country allows non-citizens to own and control vessels.
• Access to and transfer from the registry is easy.
• Taxes on shipping income are low or non-existent.
• The country of registration does not need the shipping tonnage for its own
purposes but is keen to earn the tonnage fees.
• Manning by non-nationals is freely permitted.
• The country lacks the power (or the willingness) to impose national or
international regulations on 'its' shipowners.

SOURCE: International Transport Workers Federation Seafarers' Bulletin; No.
4,1989, page 46.

rights abuses. Honduran officials
have been cited by Amnesty In­
ternational for murder, cover-up,
corruption, torture and disappear­
ances of trade unionists, students
and human rights monitors.

Singapore's government is us­
ing a so-called Internal Security
Act to restrict peaceful political
expression and has unfairly im­
prisoned, restricted and intimi­
dated its citizens from expressing
their views on political issues ac­
cording to Asia Watch.

In the Bahamas there has been
extensive documentation of high-
level official corruption in connec­
tion with narcotics trafficking.

Bottom-of-the-Barrel Wages

With runaway-flag ship owners
devoid of any national allegiance,
they are free to shop around for
crewmembers. Often this practice
leads to taking advantage of indi­
viduals from poverty stricken na­
tions weighed down with heavy
unemployment where wages are
at rock bottom. Take for example
Sri Lanka, where a laborer can
expect to earn the equivalent of
16 U.S. cents per hour. Or, con­
sider the Burmese, Indian or Pak­
istani workers who earn on aver­
age between $I .50 and $2.60 a day
(measured in U.S. dollars at cur­
rent exchange rates).

This exploitable market for ma-

Typically, the runaway vessel's own­
ers have no connection to the country
where the ship is registered. Pictured
above is a Maltese-flag bulk carrier
managed by a Greece-based com­
pany.

• -i-.

rine labor has become one of the
perceived so-called benefits be­
hind the massive movement on
the part of ship owners to the
runaway flags.

Manning Agents in Cahoots

The other half of the problem
in the runaway-flag scheme is the
use of unsavory hiring practices
reminiscent of the old crimp sys^
tem found in the United States at
the turn of the century.

Continued on page 12

... And the List Is Still Growing
Fiag^of-Oinvmience Ftf^M

Antigua and Barbuda
eahatnas
Bermuda
Cayman Islands
Cyprus
Gibraltar

Horrduras
Kerguelen

Lei
Liberia
Malta V

Netherland
Antilles

Panama
Sri Lanka
St. Vincent
Vanuatu

£
(status depends on dwmer^jp M from the flag counby and agreements

' "He to that country's unions)
IS) Lkiited Kingdom (Isle of Man)
DIS) Luxembourg (for Be^an ships)
GtS)

Denmark
Gerrnany

tfong Kong
Partial FOC Registries

Phili^'nes (foreign-owned ships bareboat gartered to Phiiippines'
Singapore (foreign-owned ships without ITF-approved agreements

Note: Ships registered in these countries which can demonstrate that they are
genuinely owned in that country are not treated by the ITF as flag-of-convenience
vessels. Similarly, ships from countries not on the list will be treated as runaway-
flag ve^ls if the ITP receives information that they are beneficially owned in
another country.

SOURCE; Intemational Transport Workers Federation Seafarers' Bulletin; No.
4,1989, page 46.

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Great Lakes vessels sometimes
have to make do with what nature
provides when they have to dock at
a small inlet to offload or load
cargo.

S^uch is the case of the Richard
Reiss when it calls on Fairport Har­
bor, Ohio where the Grand River
empties into Lake Erie. Along ei­
ther side of the inlet are piles of
rock, salt and ore that have been
deposited there by ships like the
Reiss.

While the Erie Sand Steamship
Company vessel sails along the
lower Great Lakes, its SIU
crewmembers often have to work
at locations with little more than
concrete bollards or bits. Deck­
hands swing out on a landing boom
to the shore to take the lead ropes
to tie up the vessel for offloading.

In Fairport Harbor, the waters
around the dock are so shallow the
Reiss cannot pull along the shore.
Crewmembers use a ladder from
the conveyor boom to get on and
off the ship.

Wheelsmen at both ends of the
vessel keep watch on the lines to
adjust the location of the ship for
offloading and to keep it from
drifting onto the riverbank.

In the belly of the ship, the con-
veyormen and gatemen make sure
the ship's conveyor belts are
offloading the cargo evenly and
swiftly. On the topside, deckhands
stand ready to clean any holds im­
peding the offloading.;

The whole process of offloading
or loading takes a matter of hours,
then the ship is on its way to an­
other port. Seafarers serving on the
Reiss say they like the ship because
they don't see the same places con­
stantly. "It never gets boring on
here," AB Wheelsman Larry En­
glish, a Florida resident when not
sailing, told a reporter for the Sea­
farers LOG.

The vessel used to be known as
the Richard J. Reiss before its cap­
tain realized the name had 13 let­
ters, bad luck on the Lakes. But its
former name does not seem to
haunt it. "She's a good ship," said
Deckhand Ed Leonard. "I enjoy
working on her."

While other deckhands work from
the shore, Deckhand Mousa
Salas balances the boom ladder AB Watchman Nasser Alshakd-
for Seafarers to get on and off the Wiper Musleh Mushin reaches for a hammer from the 317 keeps an eye on shore opera-
Relss. englneroom tool board. t'ons from the stern of the Reiss.

Conveyorman Norm Guild pushes the buttons to start the boom conveyor belt.

Deckhand Ahmed All Shohatee grabs
a line to tie up the vessel.

Deckhands Mousa Salas (left) and Ed
Leonard share a joke before cleaning
a cargo hold.

The Richard Reiss enters Fairport Harbor on the northeast Ohio coast.
Second Cook All Ahmed offers a
crewmember some pecan pie.

Porter Saleh Ahmed Saeed prepares
potatoes for the crew's dinner.

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MAY 1991

Lurline Black-Gang Visited
Who was more surprised—the

bull-calf that found himself unex­
pectedly in the Lurline's hot and
noisy engineroom or the third as­
sistant engineer and the watch ju­
nior engineer at the console who
turned around at some point and
saw an intruder that looked like a
"cow"?

The 500-lb. breeding bull-calf's
adventure began when he wiggled
himself out of the confines of his
container on the deck of the Mat-
son ship while en route from Ha­
waii to Oakland last month.

Originally "Bob," as he was
called by those aboard the con­
verted Puerto Rico Marine ro/ro
ship, was part of a gang of four
breeding bulls that found their way
to freedom. But his three compan­
ions were quickly caught, and Bob
was on his own.

Wandering through the ship.
Bob made it down the ramps,
squeezed through a hatch and
found himself right in the middle
of what must have seemed like
bull-calf hell—the vessel's en-
gineroom.

Once inside the engineroom.
Bob slid down a ladder with a 50
degree incline which brought him
to the generator level.

BuU-Calf Leaves Mark
In a fashion characteristic of

frightened cattle. Bob relieved
himself, thoroughly distributing
liquid and solid excrement around
the engineroom.

"The Marine Fireman," the
newspaper of the SIUNA-affili-
ated MFOW, which represented
the unlicensed black-gang crew oh
the Lurline, reported that this cre­
ated "the first time in Matson's his­
tory that wipers put in for penalty
time for cleaning up cow dung in
the engineroom!"

Shocked Engineers
Of course. Bob was not the only

living being to be surprised by his
presence in the engineroom.

Imagine the shock of the unsus­
pecting crewmember who first
learned of Bob's presence when
the bull-calf nudged him from be­
hind. The engineer on watch told
Nick Celona, the SIU's boarding

patrolman, that when the bull-calf
came strolling past the main con­
sole, he must have jumped 10 feet!
Jacob Calcaterra, the MFOW
member on watch, said as far as he
knew, this was a first.

While a terrified Bob en­
trenched himself in a storeroom
area, crewmembers tackled the
problem of extricating the un-
budgeable bull-calf from the en­
gineroom. By removing a section
of the bulkhead, and forcefully
pushing at one of Bob's ends and
pulling the other, Lurline
crewmembers moved Bob to an
adjacent ro/ro space. Next, Bob
was driven to the main deck in a
truck that backed into the area. Bob
then was placed safely in a cargo
net and hoisted with the main
winch back into his trailer with his
fellow animals.

A 500-lb. bull-calf appears stunned at
having found himself in the Lurline's
engineroom.

Worse for the Wear
Both the Lurline and Bob

needed some repairs after this ad­
venture. Bob, while visiting the en­
gineroom, caused a generator to
blow when his kicking busted the

lube oil line, blacking out the ship.
On the other hand, the bull-calf,
after bumping and banging around
and going into near shock at finding
himself in the engineroom, required
veterinary attention.

Seafarer Falls Back on Irish Heritage to Save His Life

Safely back home In the United States,
Michael Marr recounts his harrowing
experience in Aqaba, Jordan.

One day after turning 42 years
old, SIU member Michael Marr
called on every bit of experience he
had gathered in order to save his
own life in Aqaba, Jordan.

Marr was sailing as a steward
assistant aboard the Cape Comet
when it made an unscheduled stop
October 26 in the port at the north-
em end of the Gulf of Aqaba, near
the southem entrance to the Suez
Canal. The Ready Reserve Force
vessel was on its way back to the
United States after offloading in
Ad Damman, Saudi Arabia.

Marr received permission to go
into town October 27, his birthday.
He hired a cab driver at the gate
who quickly became his tour
guide. The evening went without a
hitch and the cabbie said he would
wait for Marr the next evening.

The Trouble Begins
Once again, Marr got shore

leave, met the cabbie outside the
gate and went back into town. Ev­
erything went fine until the pair
drove back to the dock.

'"Hie guard told us to report to
gate 2," Marr recalled. "The ship

was docked at gate 1.1 could see it
right there and told him so. He said
to go to gate 2.

"My cab driver knew something
was wrong when we got to gate 2.
He got into a fistfight with three
men and yelled for me to 'Go!
Run!' They grabbed me and took
me into the guardhouse."

Marr was held against his will
for more than three hours. He said
only one of the three spoke English
and kept asking him why he was
against Iraq, why he was helping
the Americans and what cargo was
aboard the ship. Although the trio
was unarmed, Marr could see peo­
ple with machine guns outside. All
of them were within sight of the
port guards who seemed oblivious
to the whole incident.

The galley gang member did the
only thing he could think of: he fell
back on his Irish-American heri­
tage and immediately began speak­
ing in an Irish brogue.

"I kept using words like 'Aye'
and answered each of their ques­
tions with a question. I remember
listening to the way Irish people
talk and they always answer a
question with a question. When
they asked me why I was working
for the Americans, I kept telling
them, 'I have to feed my family,
don't you know?'

Troud of Heritage'
"I'm very proud of my Irish her­

itage, but I never thought I would
have to use it the way I did that
night."

Marr had followed his captain's
advice and carried only his shore
pass as identification. He did not
cany his wallet, passport or any­
thing else that would mark him as
an American citizen. The bachelor
invented an Irish family when he
was kidnapped. He told the captors
there Were no jobs in Ireland and
he did not want his children to
starve, so he started sailing.

After promising that he would
sign ofiF as soon as the vessel got
back to America and he would re­

turn to Ireland, the trio let Marr go.
Freed By Captors

He hightailed it straight to the
Cape Comet and woke up the cap­
tain at 12:30 a.m. to tell him the
story. The captain called the port
agent who brought a Jordanian
army officer with him to the vessel.
"Captain Mohammed [of Jordan's
army] drove me throughout the
port looking for them," Marr
stated. "He kept saying they would
go to prison." No one had seen a
filing and the three captors never
were found.

No Other Incidents
During the day of the 29th, Cap­

tain Pierce of the Cape Comet or­
dered the RRF vessel to be
anchored away from the dock for
safety reasons. Captain Moham­
med returned to the ship in his pri­
vate launch and assured the crew
they would be safe to visit Aqaba
that night. He told Marr, "If any­
thing happens to you, he (the port
agent) will go to prison. All of the
army in Aqaba Imow of the inci­
dent and they will protect the

Americans."
Captain Mohammed personally

escorted Marr to town where he
met the cab driver. "He almost
started crying," Marr recounted.
"Both of his eyes were black. He
kept saying he was so happy to see
I was fine and that he tried to fight
for me. I told him I appreciated it
and would send him some cow­
boy boots when I got back to
Texas."

The Cape Comet left on October
30. No other crewmember endured
the harrowing ordeal that Marr en­
countered.

Months after living through the
experience, Marr admitted he was
"shaking like leaf as he thought
about it. Even his voice had begun
to crack.

Marr stayed on the Cape Comet
for a second, less eventful voyage
to Saudi Arabia before signing off
in Jacksonville, Fla. in January. He
said his immediate goal is to get
settled in his new house in Santa
Fe, Texas and upgrade at the
Lundeberg School as soon as pos­
sible.

Upgrading Can Open Doors

AB Maryyn Chester (third from left) says upgrading his skills is the key to
earninj
Brian
Spradlin,

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Continued from page 9
Increasingly, governments and

manning agencies are conspiring
with ship owners and runaway
registries to "sell" their seamen.
According to ITF" inspectors, it is
common for seamen on runaway
vessels to pay up to $500 to a
manning agency for a seafaring
job.

A seaman aboard a Cyprus-
flagged vessel reported that a
crewing agent in the Phillippines
was pocketing close to half of his
pay. It seems the manning agency
had worked a deal with the Greek
owners to have the seaman's pay
sent to their company. The amount
the seaman was making—before
the agency took its cut—was $220
per month in base pay and $133
in overtime.

Typical of a manning agency's
propoganda is the text from a
promotional brochure of an outfit
named Novelty Shipping & Trad­
ing Co. based in Piraeus, Greece.
This particular manning agency
was urging the use of Pakistanis
as shipboard labor contracted
through Novelty. "Low- wage
Pakistani seamen . . . should be

considered the best choice be­
tween Asian nationals. They are
hard workers, obedients,
tames. . .and do not drink as their
religion forbids it."

In addition, the brochure stated,
the Pakistanis would be a bargain
because their government forbids
them from suing ship operators in
any dispute over wages and work­
ing conditions.

Another tactic employed by
governments in cahoots with this
system of exploitation, is to de­
mand a portion of the seaman's
wages be sent directly to the man­
ning agency or the national treas­
ury itself. Additionally, the Burma
government has ruled it illegal for
a seaman to keep any pay received
as a result of an action involving
the ITF.

The Soviet Union is selling its
seamen in order to bring an infu­
sion of hard currency into the
troubled economy of the giant na­
tion. The country's merchant ma­
rine ministry peddles Soviet sea­
men, charges its clients in hard
currency and pays Soviet seafar­
ers in rubles—a currency of little
value.

These days the runaway-flag
system is fraught with abuse of
internationally-accepted stand­
ards and chock full of incidents of
exploitation of the seamen who
crew these ships.

Rackets are Rampant

Double bookkeeping, withhold­
ing wages for months, having sea­
men sign papers in languages they
do not understand, and threaten­
ing seamen with retribution from
their own governments are but a
few examples of the kind of dis­
regard for crewmembers that
characterizes runaway-flag oper­
ations.

With the tempo of abuse speed­
ing up and the proliferation of
runaway registries, violations of
seamen's working and living con­
ditions become harder to monitor
and catch.

There are some who ask what
is wrong with this system. At the
outset, as the world makes strides
to elevate human conditions, the
runaway-flag system has a ten­
dency to reduce standards on a
worldwide basis to their lowest

point. The system drags down,
rather than raises up, standards of
living and business conditions.

Standards Must Be Lifted

It is the objective of the SIU to
oppose such a cheapening of hu­
man life and corporate behavior.
The union, along with its brother
and sister seafarers' organizations
throughout the world, is dedicated
to lifting up the conditions of all
maritime workers.

The ITF is trying its damdest
to elevate the working condi­
tions for seamen on flag-of-con-
venience ships. Despite these ef­
forts, there is much left undone,
and this is a challenge to the civ­
ilized shipping community.

In a world the president of the
United States has proclaimed as
being ready for a "new order,"
when societies around the globe
are seeking to dismantle govern­
ment systems of tyranny, it seems
particularly incongruous that in
the shipping sector a device should
continue which, in effect, allows
the exploitation of those who are
ill-prepared to protect themselves.

Seafarers Show Solidarity with Israeii Sea Officers Union
The SIU extended the "broth­

erhood of the sea" to members of
the Israeli Sea Officers Union last
month who were protesting the
policy of Zim Israel Navigation
Co. to abandon the Israeli flag and
transfer its vessels to flag-of-con-
venience registries.

The Israeli licensed officers union
spokesman, Eli Romano, noted
that Zim increasingly has em­
ployed fewer Israeli seamen. He
estimates that Zim's operation in­
cludes only 25 or so Israeli-flagged
ships. The remainder of Zim's ves­
sels, which are either owned or
chartered by the company, are
being transferred to the registries
of Liberia, Hong Kong and Sin­
gapore.

The union's members on the
Zim Besor, which is registered in
Liberia, struck early in April while
docked in New Orleans. The Be-
sor's eight officers stopped their
strike after the union received an

order from the Israeli court. How­
ever, the union indicated it would
continue to fight against Zim's
flagging-out tactics.

Upon learning of the Israeli Sea
Officers Union beef with Zim, the
Seafarers moved to demonstrate
its support of a fellow seamen's
union, which is—like the SIU—
an affiliate of the International
Transport Workers Federation
(ITF).

Seafarers met members of the
Israeli union in Port Elizabeth,
N.J. and Savannah, Ga. in order
to show support in the event of a
strike against two of Zim's con­
tainer ships. For the time being,
the Israeli Sea Officers decided not
to conduct a strike but to continue
discussions with the Company.

The Haifa-based Zim, with a
fleet of some 90 ships and 250
ports-of-call, is one of the world's
largest shipping companies.

In Savannah, Ga. SIU member Joe Boevink is flanked by Chief Steward Jack
Biton (left) and Second Mate Hanock Feigenlaum, both Israeli seamen sailina
aboard Zim vessels.

Joining Israeli Sea Officers Union representative Eli Romano (second from
left) in Elizabeth, N.J. are SIU members (left to right) Adolf Strawinski, Edd
Morris, Don Presley, Edward Doruth and Bobby Gorbea.

Seaf^rs arrive in Savannah to show solidarity with members of the Israeli
Sea Officers Union who are protesting Zim's policy of flagging-out its vessels
and replacing Israeli crewmembers.

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MAY 1991

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Whitehurst: U.S. Ships Key to National Interests, U.S. Maritime Sector Must Go On Offensive

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Dr. Clinton H. Whitehurst Jr., professor emeritus at
Clemson University and senior fellow of the school's Strom
Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs, de­
livered the 1991 Paul Hall Memorial Lecture at the Inter­
national Symposium on Coastal Ocean Space Utilization
last month in Long Beach, Calif.

The lecture is one in a series begun in 1987 by the Paul
Hall Memorial Endowment at the University of Southern
California. The endowment was established shortly after
SlU President Paul Hall died in 1980 by friends and asso­
ciates in organized labor and the maritime industry.

Dr. Whitehurst got his doctorate in economics from the
University of Virginia after serving as a shipboard radio
officer and in the U.S. Army. He joined the U.S. Naval
Reserve in 1957 and was posted in naval intelligence as­
signments. In I960 Dr. Whitehurst became a faculty mem­
ber at Clemson University. He is the retired chairman of the
institution's department of industrial management and
chairman of its engineering management faculty.

Respected for his work in the field of transportation.
management and economics. Dr. Whitehurst has served as
an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute of
Public Policy Research and as a consultant to various
government agencies, the Congress and the Republic of
China, among others.

The text of Dr. Whitehurst's lecture, entitled "In Search
df an Enduring Maritime Policy," follows.

Several years ago, a very popular album by the well
known British recording star, Roger Whittaker, was re­
leased in the United States.' One of the songs in this album
was entitled "Why." The recurring refrain line was, "Will
the last word ever spoken be why—why. Will the last word
ever spoken be why?" That is the question posed this
afternoon but in a maritime context. Will the last word ever
spoken over a dying maritime industry be—why?

Before addressing that question and the follow-on ques­
tion of what, if anything, can be done, it is first necessary to
define the term maritime industry and then describe the
present day-to-day conditions under which the industry
operates. As to a definition:

The maritime industry discussed here is composed
only of those components which can be considered
essential to our national security in the context of a
defense policy that has as a central element power
projection and the forward deployment of American
armed forces.
It may be that control of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers

and the Great Lakes would be vital were we invaded by
Canada and/or Mexico. And the concept of power projec­
tion and forward deployment of forces would certainly be
a contradiction in terms should the United States retreat into
a fortress America. I believe, however, these scenarios are
unlikely and am willing to leave a discussion of the rivers
and Great Lakes maritime interests and their place in our
national well- being to others more qualified. The emphasis
here will be on U.S.-flag, citizen-crewed, ocew shipping
and U.S. shipyards that build and repair ocean-going mer­
chant and naval tonnage.

A port infrastructure able to handle a rapid throughput
of the necessary logistical support for deployed forces is
taken as a given.

'Power projection and forward de­
ployment of American forces to
insure security of U.S. vital inter­
ests has been established policy...'

Power projection and forward deployment of American
forces to insure the security of U.S. vital interests has been
established policy at least since the end of World War II. In
essence, the concept means that if our national interests can
be protected by deploying American power rather than
making a stand on Long Island, the Delmarva Peninsula or
along the California coast, then that is a better way to go. It
is a policy, however, that requires a strong maritime posture
as an essential prerequisite.

Now to a brief description of the day-to-day conditions
under which U.S.-flag shipping and shipyards operate in
peacetime. They are fairly straightforwaid.

(I) Ocean shipping and shipyards are, and always have
been, relatively small contributors to our peacetime national
product. And since small numbers in terms of employment
and output are generally less important to politicians, a

continuing strong case must be made for spending taxpayer
dollars on things maritime.

(2) Foreign trade, as a contributor to America's gross
national product, is small compared to many countries in
the world. In the 1980s, exports and imports averaged about
10 percent of GNP. The United States is not a nation that is
critically dependent on its foreign trade even though the
dollar amounts involved are quite large. Notwithstanding,
however, the relatively small portion of GNP accounted for
by foreign trade, the United States, as a nation, is still at one
end of the largest collection of trading routes in the world.
Its power as a sovereign nation to influence what happens
to trade, and the means of conducting trade on these routes,
is enormous.

(3) The role of ships and shipyards as essential compo­
nents of our national security posture is not well understood
or appreciated by a majority in Congress or by many of
those in the executive branch responsible for fashioning and
implementing a maritime policy. This is something the
maritime industry is loathe to admit since, from their point
of view, the case is self evident. I suggest that whatever
monies have been appropriated and whatever programs put
in place in support of shipping and shipyards over the past
35 years are better explained, though not entirely, by log
rolling and pork barrel politics than by an administration, or
a majority in Congress, acting in the belief that ships and
shipyards are critical variables in the national defense equa­
tion.

(4) Nor is the role of shipyards and ships relative to our
national defense posture well understood by the general
public. What they do know is that the industry is subsidized.
What they do not know is how relatively few tax dollars are
involved. What they perceive is a high wage industry and
woefully inefficient compared to its foreign competition.
What they do not know is that marked improvements in
competitiveness have been, and are being made. For exam­
ple, absent government subsidies, 'American shipyards are
generally competitive with their European counterparts.

'Historically, the maritime com­
munity has been made up of a co­
alition whose members, as often
as not, have conflicting goals.'

(5) Historically, the maritime community has been made
up of a coalition whose members, as often as not, have
conflicting goals. The seagoing and shipyard unions have
their agenda, as do the ship operators and shipyards, as do
the Military Sealift Command, naval shipyards and seaport
interests. TTie present, long-ruiuiing battle between ship
operators and shipyards over operators receiving operating
difierential subsidies on foreign-built ships, is not the first
time, nor will it be the last, that coalition members disagree
over a particular maritime program. The thing too often
forgotten is that coalition members have more in common
than not.

In time of war, conditions under which U.S.-flag ships
and shipyards operate are understood well by the general
public, bureaucrats and the Congress and need no retelling
here.

The remainder of my remarks will be a review of the
major causes of the maritime industry's fall from grace, as
I see them, and some reflections and recommendations with
respect to a future maritime policy.

As to causes, not necessarily in order of importance:
• Loss ofan effective maritime advocate in Washington.
• An industry slow to incorporate advances in maritime

technology.
• Ever higher vessel operating and building costs.
• Continual warfare between ship operators and ship­

builders over the last decade.
• A maritime industry that has circled the wagons; one

that has settled into a defensive mode; one that opts to react
rather than act.

• A maritime industry that allowed opponents to choose
national defense scenarios, that is, rationalize the role of
merchant ships in time of national emergency or conflict.

Some comments on these causes in more detail include:
In 1950 the Maritime Commission, charged under the

Merchant Marine Act of 1936 with overall responsibility
for the well being of America's maritime industry, was
abolished as an independent agency and became part of the -
Etepartment of Commerce. A reorganization in 1961 created
an independent ocean shipping regulatory agency, the Fed­

eral Maritime Commission, and left the promotion of the
industry to a Maritime Administration still within the De­
partment of Commerce.

'The price for an irresponsible in­
dustry in this period was exacted
in the 1970s and '80s as the long
term decline...accelerated.'

In 1966 Congress rejected including the Maritime Ad­
ministration into the newly created Department of Trans­
portation. In tum, in 1968, President Johnson pocket vetoed
a bill recreating an independent Maritime Administration.
And as we all know, in 1981 the Maritime Administration
did become a part of the Department of Transportation. The
responsible agency administrator was demoted from an
Assistant Secretary of Commerce to an agency head, among
many, within DOT. It might be noted that the Department
of Commerce cared less about the transfer and was probably
happy to be rid of an irksome responsibility.

In 1968 the question of who speaks for the maritime
community came to a head when the Acting Maritime
Administrator refused to testify before the House Subcom­
mittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries on the grounds
that the president had designated another in the administra­
tion to testify on a pending maritime bill. This at a time when
the Maritime Administrator was an Assistant Secretary of
Commerce. Twenty-two years later another Maritime Ad­
ministrator failed to have cargo reservation included as part
of a comprehensive U.S.-Soviet Union maritime agreement.
Pressures from the Department of Commerce, the Depart­
ment of State and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representa­
tive were simply too great.

Pick a date, but at some time in the past, the maritime
industry lost an effective voice in Washington.

Notwithstanding all of the American innovations and
contributions to maritime technology, the LASH, contain-
erships and the world's first nuclear powered merchant ship,
to name several, U.S.-flag operators were slow to adopt the
cost-saving technologies that couiited most—diesel power
plants, the automated bridge and the automated engine
room, all of which reduced crew size and costs.

Nor were American shipyards all that innovative. They
went happily on building ships, at higher and higher costs,
using techniques long since abandoned by foreign compet­
itors.

If the maritime industry was slow off the mark in tech­
nology application, management and maritime unions con­
tributed little in the way of making American ships
internationally competitive in the quarter century following
World War II. Maritime wages outran wages in other sec­
tors of the economy while crew sizes and work rules in
shipyards added to costs with no increase in productivity.
There was some symmetry, however. Shipyards turned out
ships built with excess labor that in tum were operated by
excessive crews. Remember though, it takes two to tango.
Management acquiesced at every step along the way. In
brief, the operating differential subsidy and the constraction
differential subsidy concept were heavily abused in the
1950s, '60s and early '70s. And in those cases where sub­
sidies were not available to the ship operator, the alternative
was to build in foreign yards and operate under foreign
flags. The price of an irresponsible industry in this period
was exacted in the 1970s and '80s as the long term decline
of the U.S.-flag fleet accelerated. The highest price exacted,
however, was an intangible which did not show up on any
financial statement. It was loss of public support.

In 1977 the Maritime Administration allowed large tank­
ers built with CDS monies to participate in the movement
of Alaska cmde oil to the lower 48 states. The rationale was
that given aperiodic shortage of Jones Act tankers, granting
waivers (up to six months in a 12-month period) to CDS
built tankers, was logical. Logical as such might seem, in
the long mn it pitted the traditional Jones Act operators
against tanker operators engaged in foreign commerce.

In 1981 when the Reagan administration ended funding
for CDS builds and opened a window for ODS liner opera­
tors to build foreign, the result was easy to foresee: a
continuing conflict between liner operators and the ship­
yards. Aside from the build-foreign issue^ skirmishes also
took place with respect to registering foreign-built ships
under the American flag and allowing them to participate
in the protected Jones Act trades. One of the most visible
battles was the 1983-84 fight to reflag the foreign-built

Cunard Princess and Cunard Countess and employ them in
the cruise trades. Shipyard opposition prevented the enact­
ment of the necessary legislation. To date, divisions within
the industry have forestalled action on a number of bills to
update the ODS program.

Since 1975 when cargo reservation for American-flag
tankers was vetoed by President Ford, and later in 1977
defeated in Congress, the maritime industry has settled into
a react rather than act mode. When maritime subsidies have
been attacked in Congress, in the press, by OMB, individual
members of the Federal Maritime Commission and just
about everyone else, the response, as often as not, has been
timid, if not apologetic. The proven notion that attack is
sometimes the best defense was all but forgotten. Who here
could not defend adequately a $250 million annual maritime
appropriation in contrast to our multi-billion farm income
stabilization program, specifically the one billion dollar
plus indirect subsidy given a few thousand American sugar
producers; or defend maritime tax dollar expenditures When
viewed alongside multi-billion dollar cost overruns and
cancellations in defense contracts; or justify in terms of
costs and benefits our billions for international development
and humanitarian assistance?

Consider some tradeoffs. For the price of one B1B bomber,
84 U.S.-flag ships operating under ODS agreements could be
kept at sea for one year, or keeping the same number of ships
at sea for two years in lieu of reactivating just one battleship; or
ten 1650 TFEU containerships could be built under a 35 percent
CDS program instead of one SSN-688 attack submarine.^

In terms of taxpayer dollar outlays, a modest ODS and
CDS program can be defended if the will is there as can
bilateral cargo sharing and unilateral cargo reservation pro­
grams. However, when cargo reservation or bilateral agree­
ments are discussed, it is the exporter and importer that
dominate the debate. Seldom mentioned is that a 10 percent
share of U.S. bulk imports and exports could keep 50 ships
at sea, approximately the amount of merchant tonnage taken
from the ready reserve force (NDRF) in support of Desert
Shield and Desert Storm. It also might be noted that it is far
from clear that cargo sharing arrangements on the order of
10-20 percent reservation for American ships would signif­
icantly increase the landed cost of our imports and exports.

Maritime decision makers have allowed opponents to
choose scenarios which make a case for relying entirely on
foreign-flag, foreign-crewed ships in a national emergency.
It has been a long time since the Battle of the North Atlantic
and those early days in 1942 when the east coast was
silhouetted with burning merchant ships. No question then
about the need for U.S.-flag merchant ships and seamen.
But it has been 45 years since the United States fought a war
at sea, and the public forgets. With no losses at sea, it is not
difficult to make a case for chartering low cost, foreign-flag
shipping to support essentially land wars such as Korea and
Vietnam. No ship losses—^no problem. But as history con­
tinually shows us, the unexpected does occur, and nothing
is that certain. Consider just this one scenario. Mainland
China decides to blockade or invade Taiwan as a means of
forcing unification of the two Chinas.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the stated policy of the
United States is "to declare that peace and stability in the
area are in the political, security and economic interests of
the United States, and are matters of international concern
(and) to consider any effort to determine the future of
Taiwan by other than jjeaceful means, including boycotts or
embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the Western
Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States."

'Seldom mentioned is that a 10
percent share of U.S. bulk im­
ports and exports could keep 50
ships at sea...'

Now consider the recently reported statement by Chien
Wei-chang, vice chairman of Peking's Political Consulta­
tive Conference. He said that delaying talks on the reunifi­
cation of the two Chinas is only one of three factors that
might trigger an invasion of Taiwan. The other two are a
Taiwan independence movement and foreign interference
in Taiwan's internal affairs.

Assuming the United States honors its commitment to
Taiwan should Mainland China attempt to forcefully unite
the two Chinas, it will be a sea war with a vengeance.
Imagine in this scenario Philippine, Hong Kong, Malaysian,
Indonesian^ Panamanian or any other foreign-crewed ship
running an air-sea blockade such as imposed by Nazi Ger­

many upon Britain after the fall of France in 1940. While
some might argue we would never commit forces in defense
of Taiwan, they had best remember we had no commitment
at all to liberate Kuwait.

Wars on the oceans are not a thing of the past. The
possibilities are real and must be prepared for. In such
conflicts an adequate and active U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed
merchant marine willing to sail in harm's way is not an
option among several for the United States, it is the only
option.

Now some reflections and recommendations, all the time
realizing that they were not etched in stone and handed
down from on high. Nonetheless they represent some 45
years experience with the maritime world and, in my view,
logical in terms of the points made this afternoon..

• Reestablish an independent Maritime Commission as
specified in the original Merchant Marine Act of 1936. The
new agency would include responsibility for promotion of
the U.S. maritime industry, defined to include ocean ship­
ping, major shipyards and seaports. Regulatory functions of
the present Federal Maritime Commission would be a part
of a reconstituted Maritime Commission and would be
limited to guaranteeing fair play for American-flag ships
engaged in international trade and enforcing bilateral and
multilateral cargo-sharing agreements to which the United
States is signatory.

• The option of negotiating bilateral/multilateral cargo
sharing agreements with our bulk trading partners as a
means of insuring a designated amount of U.S.-flag tonnage
in these trades should be unambiguously enacted into law.
The tonnage needed to maintain an adequate shipbuilding
mobilization base and the tonnage needed to insure suffi­
cient logistical support for deployed forces in time of emer­
gency would determine the amount (percent) of cargo
reserved for U.S.-flag shipping. There would be no operat­
ing subsidies for this shipping.

'...bilateral/multilateral cargo
sharing agreements with our bulk
trading partners...should be un-
ambiguously enacted into law'

Those questioning the bilateral approach in international
transport might note that bilateral agreements are the rule in
international aviation and that this approach hardly has hurt
American-flag carriers in the international movement of air
passengers and cargo in spite of significantly higher Amer­
ican wages. And if there are additional costs imposed on the
public by a cargo reservation policy, the cost would, in
general, be spread over the population as a whole, which is
precisely how any national defense expenditure should be
borne.

• A new ODS program for liner shipping would include
complete freedom of action with respect to trade routes and
the general employment of the vessel. Inactive ODS vessels
would be maintained at government expense in a "quick
breakout" status, ODS payments would resume when the
vessel returned to active service. Liner firms would have the
option of building foreign and receiving an operating sub­
sidy.

• Tankers, bulk carriers and combination vessels partic­
ipating in bilateral/multilateral cargo-sharing agreements
would be eligible for CDS and built in U.S. shipyards.
Vessels built for service in the non-contiguous Jones Act
trades (Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and
Pacific territories) would be eligible for CDS. Building for
the U.S.-foreign bulk trades, off-shore Jones Act trades and
Navy buildin^repair work would be the underpinning for a
shipyard mobilization base.

With respect to building bulk carriers, it is not unreason­
able to assume that U.S. shipyards could build world class
bulk carriers with a 35 percent construction subsidy. Coop­
eration between seagoing unions respecting crew size, the
Navy with respect to national defense features, our best
naval architects with respect to design, ships built in series,
and shipyard management and labor bringing it all together,
is an attainable goal.

• Naval shipyards would be privatized. At a time of
record federal deficits, high cost defense options cannot be
defended when there are acceptable, lower cost, alternatives
available.

• The United States must be the lead player in establish­
ing universal safety of life at sea regulations with respect to
vessel operation and construction. The American position
would be both firm and flexible. Firm with respect to
insisting on reasonable and proven standards; flexible in not
insisting on present U.S. requirements. Once agreements
are in place, the operative word will be enforcement—be­
ginning with uncompromising enforcement on U.S. trade
routes.

• Jones Act restrictions would be limited to U.S.-flag,
U.S.-built ships employed in the non-contiguous trades. The
single requirement for U.S. coastal, intercoastal and Great
Lakes shipping would be majority U.S. citizen ownership—
nothing more.

'In no case should the United
States drift into a nationalized
merchant marine.'

• The role of the Military Sealift Command with respect
to all aspects of commercial ocean shipping would be
reviewed with the view in mind of sunsetting the agency or
that part dealing with commercial shipping activities. The
burden of proof would be on those arguing the essentiality
of the MSG, not on the U.S.-flag carriers. In no case should
the United States drift into a nationalized merchant marine.
It might be noted that when naval auxiliaries are added to
vessels in the NDRF and RRF, maritime prepositioned
ships, the eight SL-7's and the Military Sealift Command's
titled and controlled fleet, a significant part of our merchant
marine is already government owned, i.e., nationalized.

• The original concept of a national defense featiue, as
envisioned in the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, would
become the policy of the Maritime Administration (Mari­
time Commission) and the Department of Defense. In brief,
that policy is one in which a merchant vessel is designed,
first and foremost, to meet the demands of trade. The
concept of a ship designed for "all reasons," an idea period­
ically put forward by MSG, Congress and the Maritime
Administration, should finally be put to rest. No one is that
sure of what the demands of trade will be 10 or even five
years down the line. An internationally competitive mer­
chant vessel must be just that and nothing more.

The purpose of an NDF will be only to make a commer­
cial vessel more suitable as a logistics support vessel in time
of war or national emergency, not to provide a naval or
military auxiliary operating in the guise of a merchant ship.

• In 1980 then candidate Reagan made his oft-quoted
promise with respect to turning over to commercial ship
operators a portion of the responsibility for operating and
crewing naval auxiliaries. That proposaJ was made over 10
years ago. Two years ago Congress recognized World War
II merchant seamen as being deserving of full veteran status.
It should not take another 43 years for the Navy to recognize
the loyalty and dedication of the citizen mariner and use him
to the fullest extent possible.

In conclusion, I would like to explicitly make two points
that have been implicitly made throughout my remarks this
afternoon. They are:

National defense expenditures are not an exclusive line
item in the Pentagon's budget. Treating federal expendi­
tures in support of our maritime industry as defense dollars
is both justified and logical. While no one questions the
primacy of military control of merchant shipping and other
maritime assets in a national emergency, the record is quite
clear that a privately owned and operated U.S.-flag mer­
chant marine and privately operated shipyards are the best
way to insure that the necessary maritime assets are in place
and ready to go in time of conflict.

The second point is that cargo comes before ships. For
the past decade most proposals to stop the hemorrhaging of
maritime assets have concentrated on ships, seemingly as­
suming that cargo would be there to support those ships. It
is a case of the cart before the horse and must be recognized
as such. If there are, in fact, other, more cost-effective
options besides bilateral/multilateral cargo sharing agree­
ments, they should be made explicit. The time for waffling
on the cargo issue is long past.

In 1937 a blue ribbon panel considered ways to imple­
ment America's new maritime policy as set forth in the
Merchant Marine Act of 1936. They concluded:

"We are about to start again, not in a riot of enthusiasm,
not with an expenditure of billions, but with a carefully
planned program that gives due regard to the factors
of need, method, and cost. Therein, we believe, lies
our hope for the future of the American merchant
marine."
Not a word of that statement need be changed now some

54 years later.

Roger Whittaker, In Concert, RCA Records, New York, NY.
4 In 1989, $220.4 million in ODS was accrued on 84 U.S.-flag ships

(60 liners and 24 bulk carriers). One BIB bomber cost $270.4 million.
Reactivating one Iowa class baUleship cost $440.8 million. The cost of a
1650 TFEU containership built without subsidy in a U.S. yard in 1990 was
$129 million. One SSN-688 submarine cost $456 million.

^ Taiwan Rctof/o/is Act, Section 2(b) 4,6.
* At present Virgin Islands ate not under Jones Act cabotage restric­

tions. . ^

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SBAFARBRS LOG

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Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
CL—Company/Lakes L—Lakes NP—Non Priority

MAR. 16-APR. 15, 1991 *TOTAL REGISTERED TOTAL SHIPPED "REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups All Groups All Groups

Class CL Class L Class NP Class CL Class L Class NP Class CL Class L Class NP

Port
L.AIgonac

Port

DECK DEPARTMENT
0 0 38

ENGINE DEPARTMENT

Port
Algpnac.

STEWARD DEPARTMENT
^4 4 0 ' 7 0 0

>>.« T ._ .. *

Port ENTRY DEPARTMENT

Totals Ail Departments 0 54 15 0 63 0 0 138 36

*"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.

Dispatchers' Report for iniand Waters
MARCH 16-APRIL 15, 1991

*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups

Class A Class B Class C

TOTAL SHIPPED
AU Groups

Class A Class B Class C

DECK DEPARTMENT

••REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups

Class A Class B Class C

l:|Sew:Y^
Philadelphi
Baltimbrd
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
*W|MP.
San Francisco
Wilmington ?
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Houston

^ Algonac'
St. Louis
Piney Point
Totals

Port
"'New York

0
0
Q 0
0 0
0 0

•pi-

0 0 t
0 0 0
0 0 0

Philadelphia rt jsgs;
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans

•Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington .
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Houston

"Algoiiac
St. Louis
Piney Point
Totals

STEWARD DEPARTMENT

0 JI 0 0
,0 0 0 0

0
0
0

Totals All Departments 77 30 34 30 1 4 237 85 35
•"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.

^mrs laMnaHettal
Union DimctoiY

President
Michael Sacco

y Secretary-Treasurer . ^
John Fay ,

t 7 Executive Vice President 'v '
Joseph Sacco

Vice President Collective Bargaining
Angus "Red" Gampbell

Vice President West Coast
, George McCartney

Vice President Government Services
Roy A. "Buds" Mercer

Vice l^esident Atlantic Coast
JackCafBey

Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters
f Byron Kelley

Vice President Gulf Coast
Dean Coigey

HEADQUARTERS
5201 Auth Way : U

Camp Springs, MD 20746
(301) 899-0675

ALGONAC ^
520 St. Clair River Dr.

Algonac, Ml 48001
(313) 794-4988
BALTIMORE

1216 E. Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21202

(301)327-4900
DULUTH

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70S Medical Arts Building
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Duluth, MN 55802
(218)722A110
HONOLULU

606 Kalihi Street '
Honolulu, HI 96819

(808)845-5222
PP HOUSTON
P 1221 Pierce St.

Houston, TX 77002
(713) 659-5152

JACKSONVILLE
P 3315 Liberty §t.
Jacksonville, FL 32206

(904) 353-0987
JERSEY CITY

.99 Montgomery St.
Jersey City, NJ 07J02

(201) 435-9424
MOBILE

1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy.
Mobile; AL 36605

(205) 478-0916
NEW BEDFORD

50 Union St.
New Bedford, MA 02740

(508) 997-5404
•P- • NEWOIlLEANS^P

630 Jackson Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70130

(504) 529-7546
NEW YORK .

675 Fourth Ave. '1\- < -
Brooklyn, NY 11232

(718) 499-6600
NORFOLK

115 Third St.
Norfolk. VA 23510

(804)622-1892
PHILADELPHIA

2604 S. 4 St.
Philadelphia, PA 19148 ,

(215) 336-3818 p
PINEY POINT

St. Mary's County
Piney Point, MD 20674

(301) 994-0010
SAN FRANCISCO
350 Fremont St.

San Francisco, CA 94105 P-
(415)543-5855 •:

Government Services Division
(415) 861-3400 , P,
SANTURCE

1057 Fernandez Juncos St. ; •
Stop 16 -

Santurce, PR 00907 .
(809) 721-4033

P ' \ ^
2505 First Ave.

Seattle, WA 98121 ?
(206)441-1960P^

. ST. LOUIS
4581 Gravois Ave. ?

St. Louis, MO 63116
(314) 752-6500

WILMINGTON
510 N. Broad Ave.

Wilmington, CA 90744
(213) 549-4000

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mm 17

Bosun George Cruz Killed In Accident Along Dock
Recertified Bosun. George L.

Cruz was fatally injured April I in
the Saudi Arabian port of Ad Dam-
man when the finger lift he was
driving lost its brakes and flipped
on top of him.

The 35-year-old crewmember
aboard the Cape Hudson managed
to steer the hoist from two other
crewmembers before the fatal ac­
cident, according to a report sub­
mitted to the Seafarers LOG by
Ship's Chairman Kevin Hare, Sec­
retary Humberto Ortiz and AB Ben
Ahakueio.

Cruz was bringing the finger lift
down the ship's ramp from the
weather deck when the brakes
gave out. The report noted the
vehicle raced out of control com­
ing down the ramp to the dock. It
threw OSs Bob Bridger and Gene
Perez to one side before making a
90 degree spin and flipping on top
of Cruz.

Bosun George Cruz

Bosun Was Pinned

Bridger and Perez—both of
whom were injured—and other
crewmembers were unable to free
the bosun until military equipment
arrived. Cruz was taken by heli­
copter to an Army Emergency
Hospital where he passed away
during surgery.

Cape Hudson crewmembers held
a memorial service for the bosun
where was remembered as "a
wonderful person. [He] was a
sweetheart of a guy with a pleasant
personality, soft spoken and al­
ways smilinjg. He was well liked
by his shipmates and will be deeply
missed."

Cruz shipped primarily from the
union hall in his native Brooklyn,

N.Y. Port Agent Kermett Man-
gram said Cruz was very involved
in all union activities taking place
around the port. "He always
wanted to know what he could do
to help," Mangram recalled.

Cruz graduated from the Sea­
farers Harry Lundeberg School of
Seamanship in December 1972.
Notes from several of his instruc­
tors stated he was a good student
and hard worker who had the
makings of a good mariner.

Believed In Upgrading

The deck department member
returned to Piney Point several
times to upgrade with his last visit
being the fall 1990 bosun recerti-
fication class. Upon his graduation
in November, he told members he
"was very proud to be a member
of this union. Keep going because
we are family."

Cruz is survived by his wife.
Ana Marie, three daughters and a
son.

Finance Committee at Work
The SlU finance committee, made up of rank-and-file Seafarers elected by the
membership, met last month to review the union's records for the year. Seated
around the table from top left are Pete Loik, bosun; Allan Rogers, bosun; John
Fay, SlU secretary-treasurer; Tom Doran, chief electrician (who was elected
chairman of the committee); Charlie Clausen, QMED; Joe Pomraning, QMED,
and Terry Bader, master sailirig on NATCO vessels.

Personal
Thomas Curley, who has been

an SIU member for 19 years,
now, unfortunately, finds himself
in the McNeil Island State prison.

He wants to say hello to all
his brothers and sisters in the
Seafarers Union and would enjoy
hearing from anyone who would

care to write.
Any seafarer who would like

to correspond with Brother Cur­
ley may write him at the follow­
ing address:

Thomas Curley—963375
P.O. Box 1000
Steilacoom, WA 98388

AB Jim McHugh (left) and Cook Louise
Martin senred with Bosun George Cruz
aboard the Cape Hudson.

AB Ben Ahakueio (center), sur­
rounded by Messman Steve Martin
(left) and Steward Assistant Ramon
de la Paz, provided the Seafarers LOG
with photographs from the Cape Hud­
son crewmember's sen/ice for Cruz.

Above from left. Cape Hudson crew­
members AB Guillermo Quinones,
Steward Assistant Ramon de la Paz
and Chief Steward Humberto Ortiz
return from George Cruz's memorial
service.

In photo at right, George Cruz listens
to an instructor during the bosun re-
certification course at Piney Point last
fall.

USNS Wilkes Crew Celebrates Pusan Arrival
After taking part in the Operation Desert Shield buildup, SIU crewmembers
from the USNS Wilkes get ready for some shore time in Pusan, South
Korea. Black-gang members in the top photo are (left to right) GUDE
Joshua Georgiades, OMU Dennis Riley, QMED Donald Smith, OMU
Edward Rynberg, First Asst. Engineer George Farris, Third Asst. Engineer
David Browning and Second Asst. Engineer George Jacang. Rallying
around the flag are ABs Christopher Regan, John O'Neal and Michael
Thomas, OS Dwyen Ringbauer and Chief Steward Ben Henderson, who
supplied the photographs.

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inquiring
Question: What would you like
to see the government do to as­
sist the U.S.-flag merchant ma­
rine?
(Asked of SIU members at the
union hall in Jacksonville, Fla.)

Tom Harris,
QMED—l
would like to
see more subsi­
dies and cargo
preference.
They should
put some kind

of restriction on foreign-flag ves­
sels so U.S. ships can compete
with them.
Steve Walters,
Inland Engi­
neer—^Trade re­
strictions and
cargo prefer­
ence. With trade
restrictions, it
would open up
more cargo for U.S. bottoms.

Charles White­
head, Able Bod­
ied Seaman—
would like to
see them give
us more cargo
for our ships
which in tum

would give us more jobs.
Frank Rakas
Chief Steward-
More jobs and
more ships. I've
seen the decline
of the U.S.-flag
merchant ma­
rine since 1945
and wish Congress would do
something to stop it.

MarkDe-
Palma, Able
Bodied Sea­
man—^That's a
tough one.
More ships and
more jobs.
They should ex­

pand the Ready Reserve Force
fleet and keep it up.

SOFARCRS IJOG

Calvin Ste­
phens, Able
Bodied Sea­
man—^For one
thing, congress­
men should be
more interested
than they have
been and get a few more ships.
They should find out the mer­
chant marine is as needed as the
military.

Jose A. Tobio,
Able Bodied
Seaman—I
have asked
many times for
more ships.
When they need
us, they call us

the fourth arm of defense. When
they don't need us, they put us in
the garbage and call us bums.
Antionette
King, Steward
Assistant—
Give us plenty
of ships and
give us plenty
of good jobs.
We need to
keep the ships going.

Dave New­
man, Bosunr-
would like to
see the Public
Health Service
return to assist
all the merchant
seamen. That's

the most they could do for us.
Eric Bain,
QMED—Give
it more support
and find out
more about what
the merchant
marine is all
about It doesn't
seem like they know what we do.

Valentin
Martinez,
OMU—Re­
open the Public
Health centers.
Work with us
and remember
us in peace.

-I

Seafarers Welfare Plan Notice
COBRA: Continuation Health Coverage

Seafarers or their dependents who have lost eligibility for health
care coverage under the rules and regulations of the Seafarers Wel­
fare Plan, may be eligible to purchase, at a premium, welfare cover­
age directly from the plan.

Seafarers who have lost their eligibility for plan coverage must
notify the plan office immediately to find out whether or not they or
their dependents may elect to continue benefits under this program.

To obtain more information about this program. Seafarers may
call the membership services office at: 1-800-CLAIMS-4 (1-800-
252-4674) or may write to:

COBRA Program
Seafarers Welfare Plan
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.

(The April 1989 edition of the Seafarers LOG contains a com­
plete description of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconcilia­
tion Act—^r COBRA—program.)

Know Your Rights
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The

constitution of the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters Dis­
trict makes specific provision for
safeguarding the membership's
money and Union finances. The con­
stitution requires a detailed audit by
Certified Public Accountants every
year, which is to be submitted to the
membership by the Secretary-Trea­
surer. A yearly finance committee of
rank-and-file members, elected by
the membership, makes examina­
tion each year of the finances of the
Union and reports fully their find­
ings and recommendations. Mem­
bers of this committee may make
dissenting reports, specific recom-

- ihendations and separate findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds

of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District are adminis­
tered in accordance with the provis­
ions of various trust fund
agreements. All these agreements
specify that the trustees in charge of
these funds shall equally consist of
Union and management representa­
tives and their alternates. All expen­
ditures and disbursements of tmst
funds are made only upon approval
by a majority of the trustees. All trust
fund financial records are available
at the headquarters of the various
trust funds.

SHIPPING RIGHTS. A
member's shipping rights and se­
niority are protected exclusively by
contracts between the Union and the
employers. Members should get to
know their shipping rights. Copies
of these contracts are posted and
available in all Union halls . If mem­
bers believe there have been viola­
tions of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the Union and the employ­
ers, they should notify the Seafarers
Appeals Board by certified mail, re-
tum receipt requested. The proper
address for this is:

Angus "Red" Campbell,
Chairman

Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Auth Way

Camp Springs, Md. 20746

Full copies of contracts as re­
ferred to are available to members at
all times, either by writing directly
to the Union or to the Seafarers Ap­
peals Board.

CONTRACTS. Copies of all
SIU contracts are available in all SIU
halls. These contracts specify the
wages and conditions under which
an SIU member works and lives
aboard a ship or boat. Members
should know their contract rights, as
well as their obligations, such as fil­
ing for overtime (OT) on the proper
sheets and in the proper manner. If,
at any time, a member believes that
an SIU patrolman or other Union
official fails to protect their contrac­
tual rights properly, they should con­
tact the nearest SIU port agent.

EDITORIAL POLICY—THE
SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers
LOG traditionally has refrained
from publishing any article serving
the political purposes of any individ­
ual in the Union, officer or member.
It also has refrained from publishing
articles deemed harmful to the
Union or its collective membership.
This established policy has been re­
affirmed by membership action at
the September 1960 meetings in all
constitutional ports. The responsi­
bility for Seafarers LOG policy is
vested in an editorial board which
consists of the Executive Board of
the Union. Hie Executive Board

may delegate, from among its rpks,
one individual to carry out this re­
sponsibility.

PAYMENT OF MONIES. No
monies are to be paid to anyone in
any official capacity in the SIU un­
less an official Union receipt is given
for same. Under no circumstances
should any member pay any money
for any reason unless he is given
such receipt. In the event anyone
attempts to require any such pay­
ment be made without supplying a
receipt, or if a member is required to
make a payment and is given an of­
ficial receipt, but feels that he should
not have been required to make such
payment, this should immediately be
reported to Union headquarters.

CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS.
Copies of the SIU constitution are
available in all Union halls. All
members should obtain copies of
this constitution so as to familiarize
themselves with its contents. Any
time a member feels any other mem­
ber or officer is attempting to de­
prive him of any constitutional right
or obligation by any methods such as
dealing with charges, trials, etc., as
well as all other details, the member
so affected should immediately no­
tify headquarters.

EQUAL RIGHTS. All members
are guaranteed equal rights in em­
ployment and as members of the
SIU. These rights are clearly set
forth in the SIU constitution and in
the contracts which the Union has
negotiated with the employers. Con­
sequently, no member may be dis­
criminated against because of race,
creed, color, sex and national or geo­
graphic origin. If any member feels
that he is denied the equal rights to
which he is entitled, he should notify
Union headquarters.

SEAFARERS POLITICAL
ACTIVITY DONATION—
SPAD. SPAD is a separate segre­
gated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and purposes in­
cluding, but not limited to, further­
ing the political, social and
economic interests of maritime
workers, the preservation and fur­
thering of the American Merchant
Marine with improved employment
opportunities for seamen and boat­
men and the advancement of trade
union concepts. In connection with
such objects, SPAD supports and
contributes to political candidates
for elective office. All contributions
are voluntary. No contribution may
be solicited or received because of
force, job discrimination, financial
reprisal, or threat of such conduct, or
as a condition of membership in the
Union or of employment. If a contri­
bution is made by reason of the
above improper conduct, the mem­
ber should notify the Seafarers
Union or SPAD by certified mail
within 30 days of the contribution
for investigation and appropriate ac­
tion and refund, if involuntary. A
member should support SPAD to
protect and further his economic, po­
litical and social interests, and
American trade imion concepts.

If at any time a member feels that
any of the above rights have been
violated, or that he has been de­
nied his constitutional right of ac­
cess to Union records or
information, he should immedi­
ately notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested.
The address is 52(H Auth Way,
Camp Springs, Md. 20746.

' '/'l., ''i

•'.1;



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MAY 1991

The Seafarers Pension Flan an­
nounces the retirement of 15

members this month. Ten of those
signing off sailed in the deep sea di­
vision while two belonged to the in­
land division and three sailed on
Great Lakes ships.

Deck department member Fred
A. Serrahn has been a member
longer than any of the others to re­
tire. Brother Serrahn joined the Sea­
farers in 1944.

At 71, galley gang member Wil­
liam Mitchell is the oldest of the
new pensioners. He celebrated his
birthday in March.

Brief biographical sketches of
these and the other new pensioners
follow:

DEEP SEA

HAYWOOD S.
BUTLER, 66,
joined the Seafar­
ers in May 1972
in the port of
Jacksonville, Fla.
The Florida na­
tive sailed in the

engine department. He upgraded to
QMED at the Lundeberg School in
1985.' Brother Butler has retired to
Merritt Island, Fla.

JOSE GONZA­
LEZ, 65, joined
the SIU in 1955
in the port of
New York. Bom
in Spain, he
shipped in the
deck department.
Brother Gonzalez became a
fied bosun at the Lundeberg
in 1974. He calls Brooklyn,
home.

recerti-
School
N.Y.

JOSEPH F. KALATA, 64, joined
the union in 1954 in the port of Nor­
folk, Va. The native of Maryland
served in the Air Force from 1944 to
1946. Brother Kalata sailed in the
deck department. His last vessel was
the Puerto Rico Marine Carolina. He
resides in Baltimore.

WILLIAM A.
MITCHELL,
71, joined the
Seafarers i
in the port of
Norfolk, Va. He
was bom in
South Carolina

and served in the Navy from 1938 to
1961. Brother Mitchell shipped as a
chief cook before he retired to Ches­
apeake, Md.

ANTHONY
PALING, 63,
joined the SIU in
1950 in the port
of New York.
The New Jersey
native served in
the Navy from
1943 to 1946. He upgraded to recer­
tified bosun in 1974 at the
Lundeberg School. Brother Palino
lives in Garfield, N.J.

To Our New Pensioners
... Thanks for a Job Well Done

Each month in the Seafarers LOG, the names of SIU members who re­
cently have become pensioners appear with a brief biographical
sketch. These men and women have served the maritime industry well,
and the SIU and all their union brothers and sisters wish them happi­
ness and health in the days ahead.

•
MACKG.
RICE, 65, joined
the union in 1969
in the port of
New York. Bom
in Mississippi, he
served in the
Navy from 1944

to 1946. Brother Rice was a member
of the galley gang. He calls Balti­
more home.

KENNETH G.
SANFORD, 65,
joined the Seafar­
ers in 1955 in the
port of New
York. The Navy
veteran was bom
in Texas. Brother
Sanford sailed in the engine depart­
ment. He also is a member of Dis­
trict 2-MEBA. He resides in Kinder, ,
La.

FRED A.
SERRAHN, 64,
joined the SIU in
1944 in the port
of New York.
The Wisconsin
native sailed in
the deck depart­

ment. Brother Serrahn last shipped
as an able bodied seaman aboard the
Sea-Land Newark Bay. He lives in
Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

GEORGE F.
STROPICH, 66,
joined the union
in March 1947 in
the port of Gal­
veston, Texas.
Bom in Michi­
gan, he upgraded
his engine department rating to
QMED in 1975 at the Lundeberg
School. Brother Stropich has retired
to Houston, Texas.

JASPER TATE,
60, joined the
Seafarers in 1955
in the port of
Houston. The na­
tive of Louisiana
shipped in the
black-gang.

Brother Tate's last vessel before re­
tiring to Lake Charles, La. was the
OMl Charger.

INLAND

MELVING.
MOORE, 67,
joined the SIU in
1962 in the port
of Houston. He
was bom in
Michigan and
served in the
Army from 1946 to 1947. Boatman
Moore sailed as an AB for G&H

Towing. He calls Corpus Christi,
Texas home.

STUART STE­
VENS, 62,
joined the union
in 1971 in the
port of New Or­
leans. The native
of Florida sailed
as a tugboat cap­

tain. He resides in New Orleans.

GREAT LAKES

CLARENCE ELDER, 63, joined
the Seafarers in 1956 in the port of
Norfolk, Va. Bom in South Caro­
lina, he has shipped for many years
as a QMED aboard the St. Clair;
He lives in Spartanburg, S.C.

GEORGE
PIERCE, 62,
joined the SIU in
1952 in the port
of Detroit. The
New York native
sailed as a con-
veyorman
aboard the Sam Laud. He resides in
Reno, Nevada.

ROBERT J.
RADZIESKI,
65, joined the
union in 1951 in
his native Cleve­
land. He sailed
as a porter
aboard the Paul

Townsend. Brother Radzieski still
calls Cleveland home.

CORRECTION

ARTHUR
BECK
The wrong photo­
graph was pub­
lished with the
biography of
deep sea member
Arthur Beck on
the pensioners' page in the April
1991 issue of the Seafarers LOG.
This is pensioner Arthur Beck.

Soviet Emhassf Has Large Backlog
Of Requests for Murman^ Run Medal

The government of the Soviet
Union has been inundated with
requests for the commemorative
medals it is issuing to U.S. mer­
chant mariners who sailed in the
convoy runs to Murmansk during
World War II. Consequently, it is
running behind in processing the
applications. The Soviets simply
were not prepared for the large
numbers of requests pouring into
the office, according to Nickolay
Parshenko, first secretary and
consul of the USSR embassy.

Seafarer veterans of the Mur­
mansk Run who already have ap­
plied for the Soviet medal can
expect a wait of many months be­
fore they will receive word from
the Soviet embassy.

Processing Time Is Lengthy

The process is further compli­
cated by the procedures utilized by
the Soviets for processing the re­
quests. Some of the work is done
in the Soviet Union, thereby in­
creasing the processing time.

The medals, which originally
were available only to U.S. mili­
tary personnel, have been designed
to thank those who put their lives
on the line to help the Soviet Union
during the conflict and to offer a
token of friendship from the USSR
to the United States.

Those eligible WWII veterans
who have not yet applied for the
medal may do so by submitting a
written request to the Soviet Con­
sulate Office in Washington, D.C.
In this request, the seaman must
provide documentation of service
in World War II and, specifically.

evidence of having sailed on ves­
sels engaged in the convoy(s) to
Murmansk.

Send Complete Information

In order to enable the Soviet
Consulate to begin processing a
request for the commemorative
medal, the following information
is required: (1) the merchant ma­
rine veteran's fiill name and cur­
rent mailing address; (2) a full
copy of the merchant marine
veteran's DD Form 214, "Certifi­
cate of Release or Discharge from
Active Duty'^ (which became
available to them when they
gained veterans status in 1988);
and (3) a list of the name(s) of the
vessel(s) that the veteran sailed
on during the convoys to Mur­
mansk.

The written request, as well as
the information above, should be
sent to: Mr. Nickolay Parshenko,
First Secretary and Consul, USSR
Embassy Consular Division, 1825
Phelps Place, NW, Washington,
D.C. 20008.

The Soviet government also
will accept applications that in­
clude all of the above-mentioned
items submitted by the next of kin
for a deceased seaman. Any ques­
tions concerning the issuance of
the medal should be sent to the
above address.

If an eligible veteran has al­
ready applied for the medal, but
has not yet received it, patience
is requested. The backlog is
great, but the SIU has been as­
sured that all applications will
be processed.

If •¥

3

I: •:

:



20 SEAFARCRS LOG

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" •.•••J /">-'i'/' .• • ••

'5-5 —

Steel Ships and Iron Men DIARY OF A VOYAGE
BY FATHER SINCLAIR OUBRE

Father Sinclair Ouhre is Port Chap­
lain in Beaumont, Texas and an SIU
member. He sails during his time off.
During his last trip—aboard an ocean­
going tug pulling a 450foot-long barge
of trailer trucks—he jotted down his
thoughts regarding the voyage and the
profession of seafaring.

Father Sinclair Oubre cooks the meals
on the tug and washes up after them.

Day 1
I had begun my vacation after the

last Mass at St. Jude's on Sunday, and
it was time to put back into service my
Z-card that had for too long gathered
dust in my drawer.

I had grown up in Port Arthur,
Texas, and had watched the great fleets
of Texaco and Gulf sail past the town. I
had the opportunity to get a taste of
what it meant to be at sea when I was in
college seminary. During the summers
of 1978 and 1979,1 sailed as ordinary
seaman for a supply boat and as the
saloon messman on a coastwise tanker.
The memories of watching the foam
break before the bow while Ae dolphins
played just ahead was something that
called me back... to leave the comfort
of the rectory and again journey to the
sea.

I gathered my things and, with my
parents to drive my car back to Port
Arthur, I set out for the Seafarers' hall
in Houston to take care of necessary
paperwork and then on to Galveston
and the Todd Shipyard.

Immediately on boarding the ship, I
met Tim the steward. I introduced my­
self and he said once I had completed
getting my things aboard to come and
eat supper. We had lasagna and spin­
ach. The first day of this adventure
ended with visions of Popeye and his
spinach.

Day 2
It was a little hard to get to sleep last

night. I found myself excited and anx­
ious over how I would do. When morn­
ing came I showered and got to the
galley for breakfast. Two eggs, ham and
an English muffin made up die morning
repast. The coffee was not Seaport dark
roast, but it was hot and strong.

After breakfast the steward set me
up with my task for the day and for the
rest of the week. I will be soogeying the
walls, ceilings and floors on all the
decks.

I started in the chief mate's room. I
worked on it for nine hours. It was not
that he was dirty but rather it was a job
that had not been done in quite a while.
I spent another two hours washing
down the port side passageway. With
that complete, I was finished both phys­
ically and for the day.

llie thing that became apparent to
me today was the importance of silence.

I don't remember if it was that way 11
years ago on the Guadeloupe, or if I
have gotten older and realize that it is
better to listen and watch rather than try
to talk and entertain.

Days
Today I continued washing down

the bulkheads on the fourth deck. I fin­
ished the radio room, the starboard jjas-
sageway, the cross passageway and
began working on the stairwell from the
bridge. My feet hurt, my back is sore.
Progress is occurring but it seems so
slow.

Word among the crew is that we will
be back in the water on Friday. That will
be good. The air conditioning will work
better, and there will be that feeling that
we will be going soon.

Day 4
The day began with much excite­

ment. Word was that we would be out
of drydock by tomorrow, then move to
Pier 36 and continue the overhaul.

At lunch the excitement turned to
confusion. Word spread among the
crew that the company had lost the
cargo, had cancelled the mates and en­
gineers that they had ordered and were
going to sign off the crew.

The ABs managed to get placed on
the China Seal which needed three
ABs. The ordinary seamen, the bosun
and the pumpman will stay and con­
tinue to do overhaul work. I was called
to the captain's office and told that I
would be leaving for Lake Charles to
join Crowley Towing's deep sea-going
tugs as their cook.

My travels will now take me to
Houston tomorrow morning, then on to
Port Arthur/Beaumont where I will re­
stock my cigar box, wash my clothes
and check on the mail, and then I head
to Lake Charles for a 2000 hour board­
ing.

Days
I was to be the cook on the El Falcon

Grande which was due in at 10:00 that
evening. When she passed the point, it
was 11:45 p.m. When she was finally
tied to the dock it was 12:30, but it was
1:30 a.m. before we could finally get
aboard and stow our gear. Bedtime
came for me at 2:30 a.m. with the
knowledge that in only one hour I was
to rise to face the morning rush.

Days
What actually occurred was that I

was the only member of the crew who
was up for breakfast. Everyone else was
smart enough to stay in bed. I put every­
thing away and went back to bed. Two
hours later it was time to rise for the
preparation of lunch.

Lunch went well. I was nervous be­
cause I wanted to please the crew and
run a professional galley. After lunch, I
cleared everything away and went back
to bed. This process was continued after
supper. It was only after lunch on the
second day that I began to feel OK.

Day?
Life aboard ship has a timeless qual­

ity about it. After a while, it is hard to
know if I am preparing lunch or supper
and was it this morning that we got on
our way or was it yesterday?

So far, I have done five meals. The
crew seems appreciative.

Today, the seas have picked up a
little. I saw my first marine life. While
standing on the bow after supper, out
jumps a flying fish and flies ahead of
the tug for 10 seconds.

Day 9
This evening we will celebrate the

passing of the Yucatan Peninsula with
a Mexican dinner. It will consist of

tacos, nachos and whatever else I can
find in the storeroom that can have
south-of-the-border flavor. If someone
prefers something else, I have some
pork from yesterday and I will make
kebabs with it.

Day 10
We had sailed through a lot of rolling

seas yesterday, but by evening I had
thought they were over for a while.
Then on waking this morning they were
back again. The idea of spending the
next 20 days trying to think of new
things to cook, rolling in the galley
while things are falling out of the
freezer each time I open it and the long
days standing at the sink washing up
after the meals seem to be less interest­
ing than it was five days ago. Yet, this
evening I feel reinvigorated and ready
to continue.

Day 11
It is now Thursday evening and we

are still rocking and rolling along. The
captain has said that we will be in Pan­
ama Saturday evening. When we arrive,
it will be the same schedule for me, but
for the rest of the crew, they will be
occupied with off-loading and loading
duties.

Day 13
The swells became worse and con­

tinued until we reached Panama at 1400
today. It was very frustrating this morn­
ing. I was trying to cook oatmeal. The
swells came, the pot slid and I pro­
ceeded to drench the stove top with
water. There was a pop, a hiss and then
this eerie glow from beneath the burn­
ers. I had so hoped that I had fried out
the top of the stove then it would be
sandwiches for the rest of the trip, but
that was not to be. I do believe that I am
now down to two burners. This new
situation will make cooking a bit more
creative and call for more planning on
my part.

We are about 10 miles south of the
mouth of the canal. When we were
coming in the captain pointed it out to
me. There is not a community immedi­
ately adjacent to here. It is necessary to
take a cab about six miles to the town.
That does not sound too appealing for
me at this time.

It is interesting to sit and listen to the
stories and places that my fellow crew­
men have been to. There is a noncha­
lance about the telling. There is no need
to elaborate on the stories because
someone else has already been there
and can verify what they are saying.
Yet, what would be an adventure for the
average person is just a way of life for
the seafarers.

Panamanian Customs arrived with
five people. They worked quickly and
efficiently and were finished in less
than twenty minutes. I wonder, though,
if the complimentary cigarettes and
Coca Colas had any affect on the effi­
ciency.

Day 14
Today was Sunday. We will be get­

ting underway for Costa Rica in a few
hours. Everything must be ready by that
time.

As I aim with individual members of
the crew more, I learn more about their
lives and their wounds. Each man is
strong and capable in his task, real pro­
fessionals.

Day 15
Yesterday evening, we arrived off

the coast of Costa Rica. We were not
able to enter the port of Limon because
of the swells that were up to nine feet in
height and because at 7:00 p.m. the
dock workers went on strike. The swells
made my life as a cook challenging to

say the least. Each time the helmsman
would give the hard rudder to start to
circle around, I would know of it imme­
diately because everything in the
kitchen would start to slide and keep
sliding.

At 1800 hours we started our ap­
proach into the harbor. The pilot boat
came alongside and dropped off the
pilot, and one of our ABs hopped
aboard so that he could be taken back to
the barge. It is at times like these that
the seaman makes his money.

Day 18
We left Limon at 10:30 a.m. on the

24th of July. It was a feeling of melan­
choly among the crew. It had been a
stay of only 12 hours.

I have come to know the moral di­
lemma of the maritime cook. That is
what to do with all the leftovers. This
may not sound like a great problem, but
aboard ship, there is not enough storage
space to hold the leftovers until they can
be used again.

Things became exciting this evening
when #2 generator went down. The en­
gineers immediately raced to the engine
room and started the #1 generator and
power \yas restored.

Day 19
The seas have been just marvelous

all day. It is hard to tell if we are at sea.
There is only the most imperceptible
roll and light breeze. A day such as this
makes going to sea a pleasure and not
work.

After supper, I went out on deck and
to my surprise, my friends the flying
fish were joined today by a pack of
dolphins. It was wonderful to watch
them play in groups of three and four
along the port side of the tug and just
heady of the bow.

Day 22
On Day 20 we arrived in Guatemala.

After supper, I went out on deck and
watched as we slowly entered and ma­
neuvered into dock. This took about
two hours, but was easy because of the
open area of the port. We had planned
to stop in Honduras first, but our routing
was changed and we went straight to
Santa Tomas. It was a short stay. On our
return, it was straight to bed ^cause I
had breakfast in four hours to prepare.

This short stay illustrates another
difficulty in the sailor's life. We had
sailed for three full days and were look­
ing for a little time to shop, take care of
personal business and see the town.
This was not to be. The cargo had been
handled quickly and efficiently and we
were ready to go. A sailor's life is dic­
tated by the cargo. When it is ready, he
must be ready.

Since we left the Port of Cortez, the
seas have been marvelous. The last few
days make all the sloshing and rolling
worthwhile. As one of the ABs said, if
it was always this good, everybody
would want to come out and be a sea­
man.

Day 23
Lo and behold, just as I thought that

I had only to record our arrival in Lake
Charles, we go and get boarded by the
Coast Guard. I was asleep when the AB
came and woke me saying that the
Coast Guard was coming onboard and
to stay off the deck and assemble in the
galley. In a few minutes, a young en­
listed man came into the galley and
watched us as a group of guardsmen
began searching the tug. It all lasted an
hour and forty-five minutes. They
searched our rooms, looked over our
Z-cards and asked about the structure
of the vessel. When they were satis-

Cpntinued on page 25

. fx-.' • 7>'M-



MAY 1991 2J

•
•• •:--M!;: •/ '!-
'l^ft

! f *

OS K. Davis and OS G. Learson go to
work at the stern of the Diamond State.

Steward F. Abinks prepares a roast for
the evening meal aboard the vessel.

From Christmas at sea, to 42
days in Saudi waters close enough
to see and hear Patriot missiles
being fired, to 21 days of ship con­
finement while pierside—these
were among the experiences of the
SIU crew aboard the Diamond State
during the RRF ship's run to the
Persian Gulf. The Diamond State's
escapades were chronicled by the
vessel's bosun, Gerald Corelli, in
a letter to Joseph Sacco, the union's
executive vice president, and to the
Seafarers LOG.

The voyage started out peace­
fully enough in November, several
months before the outbreak of war.
The Interocean Management ship
crewed up in New Orleans and, fol­
lowing successful sea trials, sailed
on to Charleston, S.C. for a load of
military cargo. Christmas was cele­
brated at sea. The steward depart­
ment did a great job with the
Christmas dinner—enough to make
the members almost forget they
couldn't be home for the holidays,
reported Brother Corelli.

The vessel unloaded in Saudi
Arabia on January 11 and shifted
to anchorage right outside the har­
bor where it remained for 42
days—almost the entire length
of the war. From that vantage
point, the crewmembers were
close enough to see and hear Pa­
triot missiles being fired on sev­
eral occasions.

Just before the cease-fire, the Di­

amond State moved pierside, where
it remained for 21 days. During this
time the crew was not allowed to
leave the pier. Food, stores and slop
chest supplies ran low, but every­
one pitched in to do their part, ac­
cording to Corelli, who included
the photographs on this page with
his letter.

"The engine department kept the
ship moving and, at the same time,
battled numerous problems with
drinking water, drains, heat and air
conditioning," Corelli noted. "The
deck department took every oppor­
tunity to clean and paint the ship
and keep the all-important cranes
ready for immediate use. And the
steward department kept the crew
going by serving good, hot meals on
time, even when stores ran low. All
the officers have been a great help
to the crew. We were blessed to
have been able to put together a
crew such as this."

The end of March found the
Diamond State in the United Arab
Emirates for stores and a well-de-
served shore leave. Then on to
Germany or back to the United
States.

"We hope the American people
can now see the importance of the
merchant marine in wars of the
world," concluded Corelli. "They
need us, and we hope they will help
us build the U.S. merchant marine
back to full strength."

Nourishing, hot food is being cooked
up by Chief Cook Inez Billizone.

E. Bussel, FOWT, and S. Sparks, GSU,
pose for Bosun Corelli's camera.

Black qanq members J. Harris, M. Campbell and GSUs Robert Worrel and Nancy Bosun Corelli pictur^ while Electrician J. RaiWe, FOm R. Bullard and GSU E.
J. Webster take a brief break from work. Carmadelle pose for a photo. on shore leave in Dubai. Rodriguez pictured in the Diamond State screw mess.

FOWT S. Brooks takes a break from his engineroom
duties aboard the Diamond State.

A. Howard, AB; T. Moran, FOWT, and D. Volluz, DEU, ABs J. Collins and E. Lee never run short of work onboard
take a quick coffee break aboard the Diamond State, the Interocean Management vessel.

Sitting around the table are, from the left, J. Hasson, chief
mate; M. Ribera, chief engineer; J.Martin, deck cadet;
N. Early, deck cadet, and E. Terkanian, 1st assistant

— t engineer. Martin and Early are from the USNS Comet and
There's always some work to be done aboard Third Assistant Engineer QMED R. Parker is ready for came aboard the Diamond State to set up a volley ball
ship, say ABs L. Gardmemal and Fred Domingo. P. Ezekiel poses for a photo, the ship's fire and boat drill. game and barbecue.

.• rr L-AV-.M

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v •'.•/>'

22 SUFAREKS LOG

BeaefttsConferenees
To Begin Uiis Month

Beginning May 13 in Houston
and continuing throughout the year
in each union hall, conferences
have been set up for Seafarers, pen­
sioners and their families to be­
come famiiar with the benefits
available to them through the
union and its various plans.

Leading the conference work­
shops will be officials and staff
members from the Seafarers health
plan, pension plan and vacation
plan. The sessions have been set up
to coincide with the union's
monthly membership meetings to
give as many Seafarers as possible
an opportunity to participate.

Those attending the confer­
ences will have an opportunity to
ask questions, make suggestions
and gather data regarding the ben­
efits provided them by the various
plans. Among the items to be re­
viewed under the health plan, for
example, are hospitalization, sur­
gical procedures, major medical
coverage, out-patient service,
doctor's visits, maternity benefits,
prescription drugs, den^ and op­
tical care, as well as alcohol and
substance abuse rehabilitation.

Workshop leaders also will in­
form conference participants about
the SIU's scholarship program.
The various forms used by Seafar­
ers will be discussed, and all kinds
of informational material will be
handed out to those attending the
workshops.

The sessions are open to all Sea­
farers, SlU pensioners and family
members. A schedule of confer­
ences is listed below. It is sug­
gested, however, that those
individuals who wish to participate
contact their union halls to obtain
more information.

I Houston .

Mobile

New York

Monday,
May 13
Wednesday^
May 15
Tuesday,
June 4
Thursday,
Jime 6
Friday,
June 14
Wednesday,
July 10
Thursday,
July 18
Monday,
July 22
Friday,
July 26
Thursday,
Augusts
Tuesday,
September 10
Friday,
September 13
Thurdsay,
October 10
Thursday,
November 7
Friday,
December 6

* Note change in Seattle date
frcHn |^\dous editicni of LOG^

^Norfolk

tSt. Louis

Philadelphia

San Francisco

Wilmington

Seattle*

Baltimore

New Orleans

Honolulu

Jacksonville

San Juan

Algonac

Seafarers: More Skills Means Higher Pay
The Lundeberg School offers

Seafarers the opportunity to upgrade
their skills and achieve higher ship­
board ratings. Higher ratings in
each department provide Seafarers
with increased earning potential.

The following chart can be used
by Seafarers to determine eligibil­
ity for courses offered at the
Lundeberg School. Also, refer to
page 27 for the dates courses are
offered.

For further information, talk
with the union's patrolmen who
meet the ships or any port official.
Additionally, Seafarers may call
the Admissions Office of the
Lundeberg School.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR UPGRADING SEAFARERS

To use the chart, Seafarers should locate their department on the left In the next column Is a listing of the basic Group I
and II ratings available at the school. On the right are the requirements Seafarers should meet before applying to the school.

DEPT. POSITION REQUIREMENTS

D
E

C
K


Able
Seaman

12 months seatime
as an ordinary seaman

or 8 months seatime and
graduated from Lundeberg
School entry program.

E
N

G
IN

E


QMED Hold a FOWT endorsement
and have a minimum of 6
months seatime in a rating.

E
N

G
IN

E


FOWT Normal color vision, 20/200 vision in both eyes corrected to
20/50 in both eyes, passed USCG approved physical examination

and

6 months seatime as wiper or 3 months seatime and graduated from
Lundeberg School entry program.

Chief
Steward

2 years seatime with rating of chief cook
or higher

or 8 months seatime as cook/baker, 4 months
seatime as cfiief cook and hold Lundeberg
School certificates of completion for each
program

or 3 years seatime in rating above 3rd cook
or assistant cook

• V' • •

or 4 months seatime as 3rd cook or assistant
cook or higher, 6 months seatime as
cook/baker or higher, 4 months seatime as
chief cook and hold Lundeberg School
certificate of completion for each program

S
T

E
W

A
R

D


or 9 months seatime as 3rd cook or assis­
tant cook or higher, 4 months seatime as
cook/baker or higher, 4 months seatime
as chief cook and hold Lundeberg School
certificates of completion for cool^baker
and chief cook programs

or 9 months seatime as 3rd cook or assistant
cook or higher, 9 months seatime as
cook/baker or higher and 4 months sea­
time as chief cook and hold Lundeberg
School certificate of completion for
chief cook program.

Chief
Cook

1 year seatime in steward department
with 4 months as cooK/baker

or 1 year seatime as steward assistant after
completing Lundeberg School cook/baker
program.

or 4 months seatime as cook/baker and hold
certificate of completion from Lundeberg
School cook/baker program

CookJ
Baker

3 months seatime as 3rd cook or assis­
tant cook and hold Lundeberg School
certificate of completion

or 12 months seatime at any rating In
steward department.

or 6 months seatime in steward department
and hold certificate of completion for
Lundeberg School entry rating program

Assistant
Cook
Utility

6 months seatime in steward departinent or 3 months seatime in steward department
and graduated Lundeberg School entry rat­
ing program.

Make Plans Now for a Summer Vacation at Pinoy Point
SIU members and their families

who are now trying to figure out
where to spend their summer vaca­
tion might consider the Seafarers
Training & Recreation Center in
Piney Point, Md., part of the SIU's
Harry Lundeberg School of Sea­
manship.

Besides the comfortable accom­
modations for the whole family,
there is plenty to do at Piney
Point—from fishing and boating to

$40.40per day. An additional fee of
$9.45 per day is charged for the
Seafarer's spouse and for each child
(there is no charge for children
under the age of 12). This price

-%< —

includes all meals.
Send the completed application

form to Seafarers Training & Rec­
reation Center, Piney Point, MD
20674 or call (301) 994-0010.

SEAFARERS TRAINING & RECREATION CENTER
Reservation Information

5/91

j Name:

i SS#:
I Address: .

Book#:

tennis and swimming to working
out in the health spa. I

The ideal location of the school } Telephone #:
also allows for day trips throughout
historic southem Maryland and the
Washington, D.C. metropolitan area,
using the school as a home base.

A vacation stay at the Lundeberg
School is limited to two weeks per
family. The cost per member is

J Number in party / ages of children, If applicable: _____
I Date of arrival: 1 st choice 2nd choice.

3rd choice
I Stay is limited to two weeks.
• Date of Departure:
I



MAY 1991

. :•, J

Digest of Ships Meetings
The Seafarers LOG attempts to print as many digests of union shipboard minutes

as possible. On occasion, because of space limitations, some will l>e omitted.
Ships minutes are reviewed by the union's contract department. Those

issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union
upon receipt of the ships minutes.

OVERSEAS JOYCE (Maritime Over­
seas), January 22 — Chairman R. Brad­
ford, Secretary S.R. Hamilton Jr.,
Educational Director Brian Connell,
Steward Delegate Pablo Alvarez. Pay­
off expected January 27 in Long Beach,
Calif. All merhbers reminded not to
leave vessel until reliefs arrive. LOGs re­
ceived. No disputed OT reported. Vote
of thanks given for the fine meals, espe­
cially for Christmas Eve and cookouts.
Bosun asked all crewmembers to remem­
ber the New Jersey and Boston Seamen's
missions during the holiday season.

ITS PHILADELPHIA (Sheridan Trans­
portation), January 27 — Chairman V.T.
Nielsen, Secretary G.C. Bamman, Edu­
cational Director James Carnell, Stew­
ard Delegate All Hydera. No beefs or
disputed OT. Vote of thanks to steward
department for job well done. Next port:
St. Croix.

AUSTRAL LIGHTNING ilOM), Febru­
ary 17 — Chairman W.L. Tillman, Sec­
retary A.L. Saucier, Educational
Director W.D. Barrineau. No disputed
OT. Donation made to Toys-for-Tots on
behalf of crewmembers.

CAPE CANAVERAL (Amsea), Febru­
ary 26 — Chairman Charles Parks, Sec­
retary F. Costango, Educational
Director Robert Caldwell. Vessel look­
ing good, thanks to cooperation of crew.
Secretary noted new refrigerators pur­
chased and installed in crew messroom
and microwave to be connected. Check
LOGs for upgrading schedules; all mem­
bers should upgrade. Will take on fuel in
Wilmington, N.C. and ammo in Sunny
Point. Members were asked to work to­
gether to make this a good ship and trip.

CAPE CATOCHE (Amsea), February
16 — Chairman Don Truax, Secretary
K. A. Hopkins, Educational Director Al
Parker, Deck Delegate Warren
Gilliard, Engine Delegate Fred
Caltiabano, Steward Delegate Kenneth
Johnson. Chairman spoke with mem­
bers about chemical warfare training
they had received and urged them to
familiarize themselves with attack sta­
tion bill. He said chief mate still had tape
on how to don chemical suit for those in­
terested. Secretary told crew about water
rationing in Saudi Arabia because of oil
slick, but plenty of bottled drinking
water would be provided. He thanked 4-
8 watch for making coffee for galley
gang in mornings and helping to keep
crew niiess clean at night. Educational di­
rector urged members to upgrade at
Lundeberg School. Treasurer listed $170
in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Crew advised company still
waiting to hear if war bonus would be
paid. Crew asked to donate to charity in
memory of second mate's father who
had passed away. Crew thanked steward
department for great chow and for doing
its part to keep ship clean.

C>IP£CLE>l/7(OMI Corp.), February
10 — Chairman Carlos H. Canales, Sec­
retary Michael Pooler, Educational Di­
rector H. C. Chancey, Deck Delegate
Edgar Townsend, Engine Delegate
Mark Stewart, Steward Delegate
Karrem Allah. Chairman stated a type­
writer, not a TV, had been purchased for
ship. Secretary and treasurer noted $409
in movie fund. Educational director
urged members to be prepared in case of
attack and to wear long sleeve shirts.
Deck delegate reported disputed OT and
need for suggestion box aboard ship. No
beefs or disputed OT reported by engine
and steward delegates.

CAPE CLEAR (OMl Corp.), February
24 — Chairman Carlos Canales, Secre­
tary Michael Poole. Typewriter was pur­
chased in Germany; waiting to buy TV.
$409 in movie fund. Crewmembers were
asked to be considerate of fellow
crevvmembers—keep air conditioning
boundaries closed, take care of ice ma­
chine and use old VCR as much as possi­
ble so as not to wear down the new one.
Supply of kits needed onboard. Crew ad­
vised to beware of pirates when crossing
Straits of Malacca. Information requested
on imminent danger pay and bonuses while
in Saudi Arabia. Next port: Singapore.

CAPE FLATTERY (IMC), February 17
— Chairman Robert J. Dennis, Secre­
tary William Perry, Educational Direc­
tor James Tyson. No disputed OT.

CAPE MENDOCINO (OMl Corp.),
February 3 — Chairman O. Ipsen, Secre­
tary C. Scott. Chairman noted disputed
OT in all three departments. He asked
members to keep noise down when in
rooms and passageway. Crew noted bad
smell coming from drains. Crew asked
company to check on chemical warfare
equipment and union to check on bonus
pay for hauling ammunition. Next port:
Jacksonville, Fla.

CAPE METEOR (lOM), February 3 —
Chairman B. Williams, Secretary D.
Velandra, Educational Director K. Bld-
dle. Bosun reminded members to be
alert at all times while transiting Suez
Canal during Desert Storm and help mili­
tary as much as possible. No disputed
OT. Suggestion made for OSs to stand
watches. The experience will make them
better ABs. Special thanks given to stew­
ard department.

GALVESTON BAY (Sea-Land Ser­
vice), February 24 — Chairman D. Man-
son. Secretary R. Hicks, Educational
Director, Paul M. Titus. No disputed
OT or beefs reported.

GOLDEN MONARCH (Apex Marine),
February 11 — Chairman K.
Koutourask, Secretary J. Gonzalez, Ed­
ucational Director J. Negron. Chairman
told crew vessel would be in port for two
or three days. He said the voyage had
gone well with no problems. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Steward dele­
gate noted all was running smoothly.
Galley gang thanked for job well done.

HUMACAO (Puerto Rico Marine), Feb­
ruary 17 — Chairman L. Rodrlgues,
Secretary H. Gallckl, Educational Direc­
tor W. Turner, Steward Delegate D.
Herrera. No disputed OT or beefs re­
ported. Everything running smoothly,
Problem reported in San Juan with
longshoremen iising messhall and eating
the night lunch.

/7B AfOS/LE (Sheridan Transporta­
tion), February 3 — Chairman Fred Jen­
sen, Secretary G. Lee. Chairman asked
contracts department for information re­
garding reliefs. Treasurer listed $35 in
ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT re­
ported.

ITS NEW YORK (Sheridan Transporta­
tion), February 24 — Chairman S.C.
Harrington, Secretary D.A. Brown.
LOGs received. Beef reported in engine
department for turning DEU for butter-
worthing. Vote of thanks to steward de­
partment. Minute of silence observed for
departed brothers and sisters. Next port:
Staten Island, N.Y.

L/SE/?7ySr>l/? (Liberty Maritime),
February 9 — Chairman Ray E. t'ood.

23

Secretary Vincent Sanchez Jr., Educa­
tional Director J. HIpollto, Steward Del­
egate Stanley Parada. Letter written to
headquarters requesting clarification of
OT in deck and steward departments. No
disputed beefs. Vote of thanks given to
steward department for good food and
service. Request made to turn off radio
during meal hours. Next port:
Misushima, Japan. Ship will remain at
anchor, launch will be available.

LIBERTY WA VE (Liberty Maritime),
February 24 — Chairman Mark S. Dow­
ney, Secretary Donald E. McGraw. No
disputed OT or other beefs. Motion
made to change AB day workers to AB
maintenance. New VCR and up-to-date
movies requested.

LNG ARIES (ETC), February 17 —
Chairman Luther Myrex, Secretary
Dana Paradise, Educational Direc­
tor/Engine Delegate Randy McKlnzle,
Deck Delegate James K. Walker, Stew­
ard Delegate Rafael Cardenas. Chair­
man noted Christmas card sent by
headquarters in early December arrived
in late January. He said new contracts
were received and distributed and asked
members to leave contracts aboard ship.
He reminded members to donate to
SPAD. Secretary thanked crew for sepa­
rating trash and asked them to remove
lids from jars before throwing them
away. Educational director advised mem­
bers to upgrade at Piney Point. Treasurer
announced $811 in ship's fund. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Crew asked
union services department for retirement ,
booklets and contracts department for
one on shipping rules. Members thanked
steward department for pool parties and
job well done. Next ports: Himeji, Japan
and Bontang, Indonesia.

LNG C>lP/?/CO/?A/(ETC), February
17 — Chairman B. K. Knuckols, Secre­
tary J. P. Emidy, Educational Director
Walter Klmhrough. Secretary said cor­
respondence from headquarters about
passing of Louis Gracla was posted on
bulletin board. He thanked crew for keep­
ing mess and lounge clean and orderly.
Educational director urged members
with time to upgrade at Lundeberg
School. Treasurer announced $455 in
ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT re­
ported. Steward department thanked for
fine meals and service. Crew expressed
hope war would end soon. Members con­
gratulated Bosun Billy Nuckols and AB
William O'Brien on their upcoming re­
tirements, wished them good luck and
said they would be missed. Next
ports: Osaka, Japan and Bontang, In­
donesia.

MA YAGUEZ(Puerto Rico Marine),
February 3 — Chairman A. Rogers, Sec­
retary Jose Ross. Chairman announced
ship would pay off February 8 in Jack­
sonville, Fla. No beefs or disputed OT re­
ported. Vote of thanks given to steward
department for job well done.

MOKU PAHU (Pacific Gulf Marine),
February 24 (197 Chairman Pete Lolk,
Secretary J. Pratt, Educational Director
D. Mitchell. Chairman encouraged all
members to upgrade. Vessel possibly
headed for shipyard for about 45 days.
No beefs or disputed overtime reported.
Fan needed in crew mess. Vote of thanks
to steward department, especially for the
cookouts. Bosun thanked all members
for helping keep messhall and rooms
clean.

NEDLLOYD HOLLAND (Sea-Land
Service), February 17 — Chairman
Freddie Goethe, Secretary Joseph
Speller, Educational Director Dan
Bush, Engine Delegate C. Jefferson,
Steward Delegate Karen Fletcher.
Chairman reminded crewmembers to up­
grade at Lundeberg School and donate to
SPAD. Treasurer listed $43 in ship's
fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. .

NEWARK BA Y (Sea-Land Service),
February 4 — Chairman John Frazler,
Secretary V. Wallen, Deck Delegate
William Lowry, Engine Delegate Mi­
chael Brennan, Steward E>elegate Je­
rome A. Johnson. Steward delegate
reported disputed OT. Deck and engine

delegates reported no beefs or disputed
OT. Next port: Houston.

OMl CHARGER (OMl Corp.), Febru­
ary 21 — Chairman F.R. Schwarz, Sec­
retary N. Johnson, Educational Director
W. Yarber. Special thanks and luck to
all men and women involved in the Pers­
ian Gulf runs. No disputed OT. Request
the mailing of more LOGS. Next port:
Port Everglades, Fla.

OMl HUDSON (OMl Corp.), February
24 — Chairman Leon Jekot, Secretary
J. Rivera, Deck Delegate Paul W.
Adams, Engine Delegate Ronald Wil­
liams, Steward Delegate Ernest Polk.
Chairman noted no launch available De­
cember 17 and 18 while in Port Ever­
glades, Fla. He announced vessel would
pay off in New York. He reminded mem­
bers to use their spare time wisely by up­
grading at Piney Point. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Thanks given to
galley gang, especially GSU Elsa A.
Marker, for job well done. Steward de­
partment thanked crew for keeping mess
room clean. Next ports: New York, Wil­
mington, N.C., Charleston, S.C. and Sa­
vannah, Ga.

Heading for the Persian Gulf
AB Eddie Townsend, left, and Bosun
Carlos Canalas help crew the Cape
Clear as it heads for the Persian Gulf.

OMl MISSOURI (Vulcan Carriers), Feb­
ruary 17 — Chairman C. Francum, Sec­
retary C.M. Davalle. No Ijeefs or
disputed OT. All members reminded to
upgrade. Vote of thanks toiSteward de­
partment and radio operator, Ron Dole,
for assistance in letting the crew receive
VCR tapes all during voyage and up­
dates by newsletter of situation in Pers­
ian Gulf.

OMl WILLAMETTE (OMl Corp.), Feb­
ruary 3 — Chairman Clarence Pryor,
Secretary Robert L. Scott Sr., Educa­
tional Director F. V. Vogler. Chairman
announced payoff set for February 6 in
Louisiana, then vessel to go back to
Texas. He urged members to keep hands
off TV and antenna or no one will be
able to watch it. Secretary urged mem­
bers to be their best by going to
Lundeberg School. No beefs or disputed
OT reported. Crew thanked steward de­
partment for good food and fine salad
bar.

OVERSEAS ALASKA (Maritime
Overseas), February 3 — Chairman Rob­
ert Wilson, Secret^ C. Woodward,
Educational Director J. Quinter. Deck
delegate reported beef. Engine and stew­
ard delegates reported no beefs or dis­
puted OT. Members said there were
problems with room temperatures. Crew
reminded to clean rooms when leaving
ship.

PATRIOT (Vulcan Carriers), February
17 — Chairman Charles Hill, Secretary
T. Splngat, Educational Director L.P.
Cope, Steward Delegate Joanne
Knight. No disputed OT. Everything
running smoothly. Mail service is poor.
Communications—telex, phone—need
to be improved in case of emergency at
home. Concern expressed regarding pay­
ment of war bonus. Vote of thanks to
steward department.

Continued on page 24

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Ships Digests

Continued from page 23

PONCE (Puerto Rico Marine), February
10 — Chairman Donald Wagner, Secre­
tary Rafael Evans. Chairman said every­
thing was running fine. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Some crewmembeis
requested survival suits be kept in rooms.
Steward department was thanked for job
well done.

RALEIGH BA Y (Sea-Land Service),
February 24 Chairman Howard C.
Knox, Secretary H. Johnson, Educa­
tional Director K. Katsalis, Deck Dele­
gate Robert Bakeman, Engine Delegate
Frederick Tierney, Steward Delegate
Alfred L. DeSimone. No beefs or dis­
puted OT reported. Vote of thanks given
to galley gang. Next port: Elizabeth, N.J.

RANGER (Vulcan Carriers), February
19 — Chairman Calvin M. Miles, Secre­
tary Roger D. Linasan, Educational Di­
rector Mick Vacca. Chairman said crew
had questions about war zone bonus. He
noted crew unable to send telex asking
for reliefs. Secretary said crew was good-
working one. Educational director urged
members to upgrade at Finey Point. Trea­
surer listed $56 in ship's fund. Crew re­
minded to stay quiet at night and return
dirty mugs and glasses to pantry.

ROVER (V ulcan Carriers), February 3
— Chairman D. Ellette, Secretary E.
Harris, Educational Director Arthur
Baredian, Deck Delegate Carl Town-
son. Engine Delegate G. Thompson,
Steward Delegate R. Royals. Chairman
has asked captain to inform steward
when extra personnel will be aboard ves­
sel. He asked contracts department for
explanation of term "permanent employ­
ees" found in agreement with Vulcan
Carriers and when war zone bonus
would be paid. Crew urged to upgrade at
Lundebeig School. Treasurer list^ $204
in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT re­
ported Crew asked contracts department
to consider retirement after 15 years at sea
and age 55. Crew requested adapter be pur­
chased so tapes bought in Dubai can be
played in VCR. Crew reminded not to
walk around passageway in just a towel as
women are aboard. Members asked to be
more considerate of others' clothes in laun­
dry room, rewind films when finished
viewing them and retum tapes borrowed
from crew's lounge.

SEA-LAND ANCHORAGE (Sea-Land
Service), February 13 — Chairman Rob­
ert Y. Wood, Secretary Aubrey Geting,
Educational Director Kevin Bertel, Deck
Etelegate Stephen Ackley, Engine Dele­
gate William Pinkham, Steward E>elegate
William Bryley. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Crew asked why SIU communi­
cations come through company envelopes
rather than straight to vessel.

SEA-LAND CRUSADER (Sea-Land
Service), February 3 — Chairman J. A.
Osorio, Secretary N. Andrews, Educa­
tional Director O. N. Bermeo, Deck Del­
egate Jesse Fountain, Engine Delegate
Rafael Duran, Steward Delegate Frank
Sirignano. No beefs or disputed OT re­
ported. Next ports: Jacksonville, Fla.,
San Juan and Elizabeth, N.J.

SEA-LAND DEFENDER (Sea-Land
Service), February 19 — Chairman
Luigi Alleluia, Secretary John J. Al-
amar. Educational Director R.
Gumanas. Secretary reported trip went
very well. He thanked crew for keeping
quarters clean. Steward delegate reported
beef. No beefs or disputed OT reported
by deck and engine delegates.

SEA-LAND ENTERPRISE (Sea-Land
Service), February 17 — Chairman Elex
Cary Jr., Secretary Lourice Martin,
Deck Delegate Bob Richardson. Chair­
man thanked crew for good trip. Secre­
tary thanked bosun and crew for their
cooperation. He called crew tops in
union. No beefs or disputed OT reported.

SEA-LAND EXPRESS (Sea-Land Ser­
vice), February 26 — Chairman J.M.
Ard, Secretary J.L. Johnson, Educa­
tional Director John D. Kelly. No beefs
reported. Deck department would like
more guards on the gangway when over­
seas. Some disputed OT in engine depart­
ment reported.

SEA-LAND INNOVA TOR (Sea-Land
Service), February 24 — Chairman
Claude J. Dockery, Secretary Jose M.
Bayani, Educational Director M.
Soldierer, Deck Delegate H. Bentz, En­
gine Delegate C. Barbati, Steward Dele­
gate G. Sallee. Chairman noted
everything went all right on trip. Secre­
tary thanked members for keeping ship
clean. No beefs or disputed OT reported.
Next port: Long Beach, Calif.

SEA-LAND INTEGRITY (Sea-Land
Service), February 3 — Chairman B. R.
Hobbs, Secretary N. Evans, Educational
Director A. O. Cuevas, Deck Delegate
J. Scheck, Engine Delegate V. Limon,
Steward Delegate J. O'Reilly. Chairman
announced payoff scheduled for Hous­
ton February 4. He said all was running
smoothly. He reminded members to do­
nate to SPAD and say a prayer for those
serving in Persian Gulf. Educational di­
rector urged members to return movies.
No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew
asked company for new TV antenna. Gal­
ley gang thanked for job well done. Next
port: Houston.

SEA-LAND ILE DE FRANCE (Sea-
Land Service), February 10 — Chairman
John C. Green, Secretary E. Doffoh,
Educational Director E. Bain, Deck Del­
egate Michael Masek, Engine Delegate
Donald Cox, Steward Delegate R. Hair-
ston. Chairman and secretary said all
went smoothly. Treasurer noted $75 in
ship's fund. Engine delegate reported
beef. Deck and steward delegates reported
no beefs or disputed OT. Crew requested
new VCR from company. Steward depart­
ment thanked for good job. Next ports:
Boston and Elizabeth, N.J.

SEA-LAND PERFORMANCE (Sea-
Land Service), February 12 — Chairman
Robert Newby, Secretary Edward Por­
ter, Educational Director Paul Thomas,
Engine Delegate Silvio Reyes. Chairman
announced vessel would pay off in Hous­
ton. He said c^tain thanked crew for being
safety ccmscious during trip. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Crew thanked
steward department for good food.

SEA-LAND PRODUCER (Sea-Land
Service), February 12 — Chairman Jack

Painting the House
Bosun Errol Pak gets a good grip with one hand as he paints the house aboard the
Overseas Juneau with the other.

Edwards, Secretary Jennifer K. Jim,
Deck Delegate T. Smith, Engine Dele­
gate Michael Veigel. Chairman stated
vessel would pay off at 1300 on Febru­
ary 11 in Long Beach, Calif. Educational
director urged members to upgrade at
Piney Point. Treaurer announced $90
used to purchase radio and $260 used to
purchase 80 movies. Engine delegate re­
ported disputed OT. No beefs or dis­
puted OT reported by deck and steward
delegates. Crew received communication
about shipping rules change for reliefs.
Members reminded to clean up after
themselves. Next ports: Long Beach,
Oakland, Calif, and Honolulu.

SEA-LAND QUALITY (Sea-Land Ser­
vice), February 3 — Chairman C.
James, Secretary Gabriel Bonafont,
Deck Delegate Charles Quales, Steward
Delegate Floyd Payton. Chairman noted
all was running smoothly. He announced
ship would lay up in Rotterdam for en­
gine repairs. Secretary also stated every­
thing was okay on ship. Educational
director reported on safety meeting
aboard ship. Treasurer listed $120 in
ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT re­
ported. Crew thanked company for in­
stalling new TV sets. Members asked for
front-end loading washer and ice boxes
in rooms. They noted VCR needs clean­
ing. Galley gang thanked for Super job.
Next port: Elizabeth, N.J.

WRIGHT (Amsea), February 20 —-
Chairman Michael Wittenberg, Secre­
tary Ivan Capowski, Educational Direcc-
tor William MacDulloch. Statement
read concerning no available reliefs. No
communications received from headquar­
ters. Telegram sent to headquarters re­
garding reliefs, war bonus and port
defense and security (alarm not sounded
during last missile attack). No disputed
OT.

AMERICAN HERITAGE (Apex Ma- •
rine), March 9 — Chairman Clyde
Smith, Secretary A. Holland, Educa­
tional Director, W. Robenson. All .
crewmembers reminded to clean rooms
before departing. No beefs or disputed
OT. Next port: St. Croix.

CAPE CLEAR (OMl), March 3 —
Chairman Carlos H. Canales, Secretary
M. Poole, Steward Delegate Antionette
V. King. Ship heading back to Singa­
pore. $409 in movie fund. Mail service
very poor for past couple months.

CHAUVENET(MSO), March 1 —
Chairman J.P.' Focardi, Secretary V.
Barnhart, Educational Director A. Matbs.
Chairman reported vessel is looking much
better. Job well done by all departments.
New trash compactor onboard—^members
reminded to separate trash. Games to be
picked up next time in port $400 in ship's
fund. R. Hatt donated $100 and L. Sivak
(Navo) $20. All members encouraged to
upgrade. Chief mate planning party next
time in port. Ship's fiind will not be used;
all will chip in $ lO or $20. Mail service has
been poor; no packages coming through.
Expecting new movies.

FALCON DUCHESS (Seahawk Man­
agement), March 7 — Secretary C.
Jones. Crewmembers reminded not to
leave vessel until patrolman arrives.
Poor mail service reported. Vessel pay­
ing off in Corpus Christi, Texas.

GOPHER STATE (lOM), March 7 —
Chairman J. Stout, Secretary A. De-
laney. Educational Director J. Emidy.
No communications received from head­
quarters. Awaiting information on war
bonuses. No disputed OT. Restriction to
ship beef to be settled. $250 in ship's
fund. Twenty kilos of jumbo shrimp pur­
chased, $106 still remains in fund.

ITS BALTIMORE (Sheridan Transpor­
tation), March 3 — Chairman J. Rogers,
Secretary A. Hagan, Educational Direc­
tor E. Macum. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Two new TVs received. Vote
of thanks to steward department for ex­
cellent food. Next port: St. Croix.

LIBERTY STAR (Liberty Maritime),
March 9 — Chairman Ray E. Tood, Sec­
retary Vincent Sanches, Educational Di­

rector J. Hipolito. Received answer
from headquarters on clarification of OT
beefs in deck and steward departments.
Vote of thanks to steward department for
fine job. The next port is in Japan.
Crewmembers advised things are very ex­
pensive there. A haircut can cost $25.92.

OMl CHAMPION (OMI Corp.), March
3 — Secretary O.A. Roberts, Muca-
tional Director A.B. Francisco; no chair­
man elected. Mail service is very slow;
no communications received from head­
quarters. Crew is great. All members en­
couraged to upgrade. Disputed OT in
deck department to be discussed at pay­
off. New VCR needed. Ladders lead­
ing to pump to be painted yellow for
safety.

OMl WILLAMETTE (OMl Corp.),
March 3 — Chairman C. Pryor, Secre­
tary Robert Scott, Educational Director
J. Bagett. New VCR received. Disputed
OT in deck department to be handled at
payoff. No other beefs reported. Vote of
thanks to steward department. All mem­
bers encouraged to upgrade and not to
forget the old members. Thanks given to
the LOG. Next port: Long Beach, Calif.

SEA-LAND CONSUMER (Sea-Land
Service), March 3 — Chairman W.
Mortier, Secretary G. D'Ambrosio, Ed­
ucational Director N. Lindsey. Still wait­
ing for new furniture. Bosun gave vote
of thanks to steward department and
whole crew for a job well done during
long and strenuous trip. Importance of
upgrading was stressed by educational di­
rector. $143.59 in ship's fund. Some dis­
puted OT reported in deck and steward
departments. All complaints to be han­
dled at payoff in Jacksonville.

SEA-LAND ENTERPRISE (Sea-Land
Service), March 3 — Chairman Elex Cary
Jr., Secretary L. Martin Sr., Educational
Director J. Ortiz. No disputed beefs or OT
reported. Vessel possibly laying up.

SEA-LAND EXPLORER (Sea-Land
Service), March 2 — Chairman Ted A.
Tolentino, Secretary S. Ghani, Educa­
tional Director Robert E. Blackwell. Very
good trip. No disputed OT or other
beefs. Steward department thanked for
good chow.

SEA-LAND INTEGRITY (Sea -Land Ser­
vice), March 10 — Chairman B.R.
Hobbs, Secretary P. Labo/, Educational
Director A. Cuevas. No beefs'or dis­
puted OT. Vote of thanks to steward de­
partment. Payoff will take place in next
port: Elizabeth, N.J.

SEA-LAND MARINER (Sea Land Ser­
vice), March 10 — Chairman A.R. McC-
ree. Secretary P.P. Lopez, Educational
Director G.R. Speckman. Vessel being
retiled. $98 in ship's fund. Educational
director reminded all crewmembers who
wish to upgrade to see patrolman at pay­
off. Next port: Tacoma, Wash.

SEA-LAND PACIFIC (Sea-Land Ser­
vice), March 4 — Chairman Oscar C.
Wiley, Secret^ D. Spangler. Steam
table broken for several months. No
beefs or disputed OT. LOGs received.
An additional washing machine is
needed. Dirty dishes should not be left in
the lounge area—^help the GSU and wiper
keep the area clean. Thanks given to stew­
ard department, especially Chief Cook B.
Rombach, for cookouts and salad bar.

SEA-LAND PRODUCER (Sea-Land
Service), March 10 — Chairman J. Ed­
ward, Secretary J. Jim, Electrician J.
King. Crewmembers reminded to up­
grade. $30 in ship's fund; $60 used to
purchase radio for crew messhall. No dis­
puted OT. Telex received regarding trip
off and reliefs. Steward department
given a vote of thanks for good service.

SEALIFTPACIFIC (IMC), March 5 —
Chairman Ferdinand Gongora, Secre­
tary Bill Collins. Waiting for clarifica­
tion from headquarters of Martin Luther
King Day holiday. $190 in movie fund.
Thanks to all who donated. No disputed
OT or beefs. Steward asked crew to retum ;
all dishes and silverware to galley. Mail
service has greatly improved.

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Final
EDWARD M. AUBUCHON
Pensioner Edward M. Au-
buchon, 65, passed away Feb­
ruary 1. Bom in Missouri, he
joined the Marine Cooks and
Stewards in 1953 in the port of
San Francisco. Brother Au-
buchon retired in June 1972
from the union before it
merged with the AGLIWD.

MANUEL BARWELL-
CENTENO
Pensioner Manuel Barwell-
Centeno, 68, succumbed to
heart failure on February 3. He
Joined the Marine Cooks and
Stewards in 1952 in the port of
San Francisco. Brother
Barwell-Centeno started draw­
ing his pension in April 1969
before the MCS merged with
the AGLIWD.

WILLIARD BLUMEN

Pensioner
Williard
Blumen,
73, died
of heart
failure
March
13. The
New

York native Joined the Seafar­
ers in 1955 in the port of New
York. He sailed in the deck de­
partment before retiring in
1969. Brother Blumen was bur­
ied in Voschell Memorial Gar­
dens in Baltimore.

MICHAEL N. ESCHENKO
Pensioner
Michael
N. Es-
chenko,
75,
passed
away
March
24. The

galley gang member was bom
in Michigan. Eschenko Joined
the SIU in 1947 in the port of
New York. He started collect­
ing his pension in November
1982.

JOHN FARRAND
Pensioner John Farrand, 80,
died April 1. A native of En­
gland, he Joined the union in
December 1946 in the port of
Boston. Brother Farrand sailed
in the engine department. He
retired in May 1968.

EUAL GRANGER
Pensioner
Eual
Granger,
75,
passed
away in
Lake
Charles,
La. on

March 21. He was bom in
Mamou, La. Brother Granger
Joined the Seafarers in April
1955 in the port of Lake
Charles, La. He shipped in the
engine departrnent until his re­
tirement in March 1981. He
was buried March 23 in Lake
Charles' Consolata Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife,
Sadie.

JOSEPH J. HARRISON
Pensioner Joseph J. Harrison,
91. died March 5. The Ala­

bama native was a charter
member of the SIU, having
Joined the union in December
1938 in the port of Baltimore.
Brother Harrison sailed in the
deck department. He started
collecting his pension in Febru­
ary 1975.

EDWARD M. JAMIESON
JR.

Pensioner
Edward
M. Jamie-,
son, 60,
suffered a
fatal heart
attack
March
10. Bom

in Massachusetts, he Joined the
Marine Cooks and Stewards in
1970 in the port of San Fran­
cisco. Brother Jamieson trans­
ferred his membership to the
SIU when the MCS merged
with the AGLIWD in 1978. He
retired in December 1990. His
remains were scattered at sea.

EUGENE R. JENKINS
Pensioner Eugene R. Jenkins,
79, died of respiratory failure
November 7. The native of
Washington Joined the Marine
Cooks and Stewards in 1959 in
Santa Rosa, Calif. He began
collecting his pension in Febru­
ary 1973. Brother Jenkins was
buried in the Linden (Calif.)
Cemetery.

FRED D. LEWIS
Pensioner
Fred D.
Lewis, ,
84,
passed
away in a
New
York hos­
pital Janu­

ary 22. Bom in Barbados, he
Joined the SIU in 1945 in the
port of Mobile, Ala. He
shipped in the steward depart­
ment. Brother Lewis began
drawing his pension in 1976.
He was buried January 25 in
Frederick Douglass Cemeteiy
in Staten Island, N.Y.

RALPH McD ARIES
Pensioner
Ralph
Mc-
Daries,
76, died
March 11
in Jack­
sonville,
Fla.The

native of Buncomb County,
N.C. Joined the union in May
1958 in the port of New York.
He sailed in the galley gang
until he retired in August 1979.
Brother McDaries was buried
in Green Pine Cemetery in Nas­
sau County, Fla. His wife, Flor­
ence, survives him.

GONZALO RODRIGUEZ
Pensioner
Gonzalo
Rodriguez,
79, died
March 14
in a
Santurce,
P.R. hos­
pital. He

was bom in Ciales, P.R. and
joined the SIU in September
1947 in the port of Philadel­
phia. Brother Rodriguez was a

black-gang member. He started
collecting his pension in July
1977. He was buried in the
Cemeterio de la Capital in Rio
Piedras, P.R. He is survived by
his wife, Esther.

WILLIAM W.
MONTGOMERY
Pensioner William W. Mont­
gomery, 65, passed away
March 29. Bom in Iowa, he
Joined the Seafarers in 1968 in
the port of Houston. A member
of the deck department.
Brother Montgomery retired in
June 1990.

FRANCISCO SOLIS

Pensioner
Francisco
Solis, 77,
passed
away Feb-
mary 27
in Baya-
mon, P.R.
The na­

tive of Arroyo, P.R. Joined the
union in May 1945 in the port
of New York. Brother Solis
shipped in the deck depart­
ment. He retired in 1968.

CLARENCE B. TROY

Pensioner
Clarence
B. Troy,
81, died
March 7.
Bom in
Michi­
gan, he
Joined the

Seafarers in March 1969 in the
port of New York. Brother
Troy sailed in the deck depart­
ment until he began receiving
his pension in August 1983.

JOSE VELAZQUEZ
Pensioner
Jose
Velazquez,
81, suc­
cumbed
to respira­
tory fail­
ure
March

27. A native of Ponce, P.R., he
Joined the SIU in June 1942 in
the port of New York. Brother
Velazquez sailed in the galley
gang before retiring as a chief
steward in July 1971. He was
buried in Woodlawn Cemetery
in Tampa, Fla. His wife. Car­
men, survives him.

JOHN A. WAITH
Pensioner
John A.
Waith,
75,
passed
away Jan­
uary 24.
The New
York

state native Joined the union in
February 1941 in the port of
New York. Brother Waith
shipped in the steward depart­
ment before his retirement in
February 1981.

JAM M. WONG
Pensioner Jam M. Wong, 86,
died of heart failure March 3.
He was bom in China. Brother
Wong was a member of the
Marine Cooks and Stewards. ^
He retired in 1973, prior to the
union's merger with the
AGLIWD.

WILLIAM OSTENDORF
Pensioner
William
Os-
tendorf,
68, suf­
fered a
fatal heart
attack
March

19. The Maryland native
Joined the Seafarers in 1956 in
the port of Baltimore. He
sailed as a tugboat captain be­
fore retiring in January 1981.
Boatman Ostendorf was buried
March 22 in Baltimore's St.
Stanislaus Cemetery. He is sur­
vived by his wife, Agnes.

GREAT LAKES
RICHARD C. GRAHAM
Richard Graham, 49, suc­
cumbed to cancer March 11.
Bom in Michigan, he served in
the Marine Corps from 1954 to
1956. Brother Graham Joined
the SIU in October 1962 in the
port of Frankfort, Mich. He
worked as an engineer for
Mackinac Island Ferry Lines
and was an active member at
the time of his death. He is sur­
vived by his wife. Donna, and
seven daughters.

FAUNTLEROY ROMMEL
Pensioner Fauntleroy Rommel,
87, died of cancer March 11. A
native of Clare, Mich., he Joined
the union in December 1953 in
the pal of Elberta, Mich. Brother
Rommel sailed in the engine de­
partment aboarcl car ferries be­
fore he retired in August 1968.
He was buried in the Blaine
Township (Mich.) Cemetery.

CORRECTION
An incorrect obituary con-
ceming deep sea member
George Bames was published
in last month's Seafarers
LOG. The corrected biograph­
ical sketch is printed below.

GEORGE BARNES
Pensioner
George
Bames,
63, suf­
fered a
fatal heart
attack
February
12. The

Philadelphia native served in
the Marines from 1944 to 1946.
Brother Bames Joined the SIU
in May 1951 in the port of Gal­
veston, Texas. He shipped in
the deck department until his re­
tirement in August 1986.

Diary of a Voyage
Continued from page 20

fied that we had no contra­
band, they left and then
boarded the barge. At that
point, I retumed to bed. I un­
derstand that they finally left
and we got back underway at
about 1:30 a.m.

For me it was only one
more note in this whole adven­
ture. For some of the crew­
men, it was an agitation,
especially since they could not
accompany the searchers as
they scurried in each of our
rooms. l ean say now, though,
that I have seen first hand that
the Coast Guard is involved in
drug interdiction on the high
seas.

Day 24
I spent most of the day try­

ing to catch up on the sleep
that I lost when we were
boarded. It was 12:30 a.m.
when I returned to bed and at
3:30 a.m. I was up again for
breakfast. Only the two ABs
who were on watch came. The
other crewmembers chose to
sleep as late as possible before
their watch began.

This evening I began taking
inventoiy of our storeroom in
preparation for ordering stores
when we arrive in Lake
Charles. I did a little tonight
and I will finish it tomorrow.

Day 25
I saw the first sign that we

were nearing home today—
the drilling rigs. The first ones
to be seen are huge. Standing
in over 800 feet of water and
rising 80 or more feet out of
the water, they stand as bea­
cons welcoming us back to our
country. They stand alone,
doing their work in a silent and

unseen world so that many
people can benefit.

One of the marked changes
that has occurred along this
voyage has been the light of
day. When we began it would
begin to become dark around
8:00 p.m. By the time we made
Panama, it was dark by 7:00.
One can really notice the lati­
tudinal differences in the
length of days as we have
sailed almost due north-south
and back.

We should pick up the 30-
mile buoy around 6:00 a.m.
tomorrow, then dock in Lake
Charles around noon. When
we get there, it will be business
as usual. The ABs will work
quickly and efficiently to get
the barge to dock and thi&n se­
cure it in place. After that, they
will tether the lines of El Fal­
con Grande to the dock and
this voyage will be completed.
It has been done so many times
that the miracle of the achieve­
ment is missed by all who par­
ticipate in it.

We have travelled from
Louisiana to the equator and
back in 20 days. We have vis­
ited three ports and have
moved tons of cargo. The en­
gines have done their duty and
propelled us the distance with­
out complaint. The crew has
stood their watches, cooked
the meals and handled any dif­
ficulties that arose. In all, it is
something to celebrate. But
there won't be any band or
congratulations on our return.
There are only new orders,
new sailing times, quick turn
arounds and hurried efforts to
get everything ready to do it all
again.

If the seamen had time,
maybe they would be able to
stop and reflect on the
herculean effort and accom­
plishments they perform. In­
stead, it is just another run,
another day, another watch.

,V : •

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26 SEAFARERS LOG

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Lundeberg School Bnduates Eight Classes

Trainee Lifeboat Class 470—Graduating from trainee iifeboat class 470
are (from left, kneeling) Larry Carranza, Rodney Edmands Jr., Mike Cullum, Tim
Perkins, Timothy Green, Eric Dangerfield, Angel Pereira, (second row) Francisco
Sarinana, Jason Trickett, Kelly Henderson, Jack Mills, Shane Cassidy, Thomas
Orzechowski Jr., Robert Harris, Barbara Clucas, Paul Pagano, Matthew Wilcox,
James Guhn, Ben Cusic (instructor), (third row) Steven Williams, Kyron Bickham
and James Speer.

Trainee Lifeboat Class 471—-Recently graduating from trainee lifeboat
class 471 are (from left, kneeling) Brian Smith, Tina Montney, Kevin Shinn, Raul
Padro, Richard Riley, Kevin TwifOfd, David Colucci, (second row) Buddy Miller,
William Gordon, Bo Baxter, Scott Pack, Karmell Crawford, Levelle Sears, Kevin
Mitchell, Troy Solomon, Charles Allred, Jon Benson, Paul Hayes, Stan Garnett,
Robert Rogers and Joe Braden.

Marine Electronics Technician—Upgrading their engine department
ratings are (from left) Robert Wroblewski Jr., Gary Hughes, Marsha Mullis, Russ
Levin (instructor), Steve Roberts and Charles Lofton.

Tankerman-—Graduates of the tankerman class receiving their endorsements
this month are (from ieft) Jim Shaffer (instructor), Reinaldo Rivera, Efrain Morales,
Edward Hernandez, Claude Sankey, (second row) Juan Diaz, Pablo Navarro, Louis
Ferrer and Rafael Pujals.

QMED- -Completing their instruction as Qualified Members of the Engine
Department are (from ieft, kneeling) Blair Greene, Paul Duffany, Dean Truax, Mann
Aroon, Todd Christensen, (second row) Douglas Rumball, Vince Larimer, Ronald
Celious, Andre Carriere, (third row) Angeio Persica, Kevin Hall, C.A. Long, T.W.
Preston, Thomas Flynn, Daniel Crean, Jorge Bonelli, (fourth row) Calesta Saunders,
O'Dell Parmley, James Green, Gilbert Millsap and Barney Kane (instructor).

Upgraders Lifeboat—These members learned about emergency drills,
basic compass navigation and use of ail lifeboat and iife raft equipment. They are
(from left) Willard Martin, Robert Varnadore, David McCarthy, Antonio Delgado and
Jim Moore (instructor).

Limited Mates—Graduates of the limited mates course are (from left) Robert
Foltz III, Casey Taylor (instructor), Donald Somers and Gordon Cherup.

Engine Technology—Earning their certification in diesei engine
ly are (from left, sitting John Smith, Frank Sessa, (standing) Philip

Diesel
technology
Pardovich, Brett Lammers, Curtis Jackson, Mark Dumas, Eric Bain and John
Wiegman (instructor).

k'p" •• •,
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m mmm COURSC saimu
m

The foUowing is the current course schedule for June-October 1991 at
the Seafarers Harry Xundeberg School of Seamanship. All programs are
geared to iniprove job skills of SIU members and to promote the American
maritime industry.

The course schedule may change to reflect the membership's and
industry s needs as well as the national emergency mobdiZatioh in the
Persian Cruif.

Course

Detk llfgnding Courts
Check-In
Date

Coinn^eUon
Date

Able Seaman Julys
September 2
October 28

August 16
October II
December 6

Check-In
Date

Cbrnffletioh
Date

CHI Spilt Prevention &
Containment <1 wei^:

June 24 June 28
Augji^ 5 August 9
September 16 September 30
October 28 November 1

Upon completion, the Sealift Operations course must be taken.

ISt^ij/Ufignd Courses
Course

Check-In
Date

Completion
Date

All students must take the Oil Spill Prevention and Containment class prior ,
to the Sealift Operations and Maintenance course.
Lifeboatman

'f ' ^ vr

!V
Ship Handling

Radar Observer Unlimited

Inland Deck Licenses
Celestial Navigation
Third Mate

June 10
June 24
Julys
July 22
Augusts
August 19
September 2
iSeptember 16
September 30
October 14
October 28
June 24
August 19
September 30
October 28
Julys
September 2
October 21
September 30
July 15
September 2

June 21
Julys
July 19
August 2
August 16
August 30
September 13
September 27
October 11
October 2S
November 8
Julys
August 30
October ll
November 8
July 12
September 6
Novemlter 8 C
December6 •
August 2
December 13

rSifsi

, e- •<.'

r

'i

• •
Upon completion, the Sealift Operations course must be taken.
Tankerman August 19 ill#

SHISS Cdhge Program SAeMt br 1991
PUIX 8-weeR Sessions June 3 July 26 :

August 12
October 21

October 4
Deceittbeir 13

Course

lleidriWtaHm^
Check-In

• Date ;
Completion
Date

Steward Recertification
Bosun Recertification

June 3
September 30

Julys
November 4

Assistant Cook, Cook and Baker, All open-ended (contact admissions
Chief Cook, Chief Steward . office for starting dates)
Upon completion, all students will take a Sealift Familiarization class.

Eag'me Upgtadb^ Courses
Check-In
Date

Completion
Date

QME&-Any Rating September 30 December 20
Plreman^Waterteader and Qil^ S^tember2 October 11 ;
Ad students must take the Oil Spill Prevention arid Containment class.
Punifaoom Maintenance & Operations
Miarlna Electro

iRA^intion
Maintenance & Orations

Marine Electronics Teclmician
Electro-Hydraulics
Basic Electronics
Hydiaulics

September 30
Augusts
October 14

November 8
September 27
December 6 *• ••-SI

Refrigerated Containers Maintenance
Wdding
Deep Sea/Inland Engineers
Assistant Engineer (Deep Sea & Inland)
All students in the Engine Departmerit will have a two-week Sealff:
Earifidiarizntiort class at the end of their regular course.

August 19
September 30
June 10
September 2
June 10
July 22
July 8
September 30
October 7
October 4

September 27
December 20
July 19
September 27
July 5
August 16
August 2 ^
October 2S
December 13
December 13

, / —
•;: , • -V.

1991 Adult education Sdiedule
Course

Check-In
Date

Comj^etion
Date

High School Equivalency (GED)

Adult Basic Education (ABE)

English as a Second Language (£^)

ABE/ESL Lifeboat Preparation Course

July 29
'October 28
July 29
October 28
July 29
September 29
October 28
June 17

September 13
December 6
September 13
December 6
September 13
October 18
December 6
July 12

UPGRADING APPIICAWN
Name.

(Last) (First) (Middle)
Date of Birth.

Mo./Day/Year

Address.
(Street)

Telephoned L.
(City) (State) (Zip Code) (Area Code)

Deep Sea Member • Lakes Member • Inland Waters Member • Pacific •
If the following information is not filled out completely your
application will not be processed.

Social Security #_

Seniority

Book #.

Department-

U.S. Citizen: • Yes • No Home Port.

Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held

Are you a graduate of the SHLSS trainee program? • Yes • No

If yes, which program: from to

With this application COPIES of your discharges must be submitted
showing sufficient time to qualify yourself for the course(s) requested.
You also must submit a COPY of each of the following: the first page of
your union book indicating your department and seniority, your clinic
card and the front and back of your Lundeberg School identification
card listing the course(s) you have taken and completed. The Admissions
Office WILL NOT schedule you until all of the above are received.

RATING
HELD VESSEL

DATE
SHIPPED

DATE OF
DISCHARGE

SIGNATURE.. DATE.

I am interested in the following
course(s) checked below or
indicated here if not listed

Last grade of school completed.
(dales attended)

Have you attended any SHLSS upgrading courses? • Yes • No

If yes, course(s) taken_

Have you taken any SHLSS Sealift Operations courses? • Yes • No
If yes, how many weeks have you completed?
Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Life Boatman Endorsement?
• Yes • No Firefighting: • Yes • No CPR: • Yes Q No

Date available for training — ^ —

Primary language spoken ^ —r •:

DECK
• AB/Sealift
• Isl Class Pilot
• Third Mate
• Radar Observer Unlimited
• Master Inspected Towing

Vessel
• Towboat Operator Inland
• Celestial Navigation
• Simulator Course

Q Marine Electrical
Maintenance

Q Pumproom Maintenance &
Operation

• Refrigeration Systems
Maintenance & Operation

• Diesel Engine Technology
• Assistant Engineer/Chief

Engineer Motor Vessel
• Original 3rd Engineer Steam

or Motor
• Refrigerated Containers

Advanced Maintenance
• Electro-Hydraulic Systems
• Automation
• Hydraulics
• Marine Electronics

Technician

ALL DEPARTMENTS

• Welding
• Lifeboatman (Must be taken

with another course)

ADULT EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT

ENGINE
STEWARD

• Adult Basic Education (ABE)
• High School Equivalency

Program (GED)
• Developmental Studies (DVS)
n English as a Second

Language (ESL)
• ABE/ESL Lifeboat

Preparation

• •I*-'

>

••'•5
v| •>
T

f •

, I

• FOWT
• QMED—Any Rating
• Variable Speed DC Drive

Systems (Marine Electronics)

• Assistant Cook Utility
• Cook and Baker
• Chief Cook
• Chief Steward
• Towboat Inland Cook

COLLEGE PROGRAM

G Associates in Arts Degree
G Certificate Programs

No IransporUtlon wM be paid unless you present original rtceipte and successfuDy complete the course.
RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Seafarers Harry Lundeberg Upgrading Center. Piney Point. MD. 20674

5191

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SEAEUOEMBS
St

Volume 53, Number 5 May 1991

Learn to Earn
Seafarers can upgrade their ship­
board skiiis and thereby increase
their earning power by taking
courses at the union's Lundeberg
School. See page 22 for eligibility
requirements.

Great Lakes Pensioner Builds Award-Winning Model Ships

Pensioner Helge Anderson lifts up the bridge and deck of the Irene A. model he built
to show its working steam engine.

As a child, Helge Anderson
used to gaze across Lake Erie from
his northeast Ohio home and won­
der what life would be like if he
worked on the Great L^es. He
built models of the ships he saw
sailing past the coast and floated
them along the shore with his
friends.

Today, Anderson reminisces
about his career as an SIU member
sailing for Great Lakes Towing.
And he still builds models that he
can float along the shore of Lake
Erie near his native Conneaut,
Ohio home.

The 70-year-old deck depart­
ment pensioner constructs a vari­
ety of tugboats, passenger ships
and oldtime man-of-wars not just

for himself but for others.
Anderson's a ward-winning ves­
sels are on display in various mar­
itime museums in the area, and one
finely detailed tugboat sits in the
headquarters lobby of Great Lakes
Towing in Cleveland. Some of his
work has been valued at $10,000.

"I've been making models since
I was a kid," Anderson recently
told a reporter from the Seafarers
LOG. "But I started getting serious
about it in 1972."

The living room of Anderson's
home is filled with ships and tug­
boats of numerable sizes and
shapes. Tugboats, on which he
shipped for 20 years with the tow­
ing company, are so detailed that
even mops hang in their proper

Help Locate This Missing ChiitI
The National Center for Miss­

ing and Exploited Children is
seeking the help of Seafarers in
locating young Lailaa Ahmed
Aboseid.

Missing and Exploited Children at
(800) 843-5678 or the Tempe Po­
lice Department Missing Persons
Unit at (602) 350-8306.

The child was abducted by her
non-custodial father, Ahmed Mo­
hammed Aboseid, April 12,1990,
when she was three years old. A
warrant has been issued for the
man's arrest.

Lailaa Aboseid, who lives in
Tempe, Ariz., was 3 feet tall, had
brown eyes and brown hair and
weighed 40 pounds at the time of
her disappearance. Anyone with
information about the child should
contact the National Center for Lailaa Ahmed Atmseld

places. The larger models feature
sliding doors on the bridge, steer­
ing sticks and throttles in their
proper locations and dimensions.

Several of Anderson's tugboats
do more than just float. "Some you
can play with," he noted. One, the
Idaho, has a radio controlled engine
inside of it so he can run it offshore.
Another tugboat, the Irene A., has a
miniature operating steam engine.
"It is complete with a pipe to puff
smoke," he pointed out.

Anderson's home does have a
garage which he has converted to
his work area. Above the door that
normally would be used for a vehi­
cle hangs a sign "Shipyard."

Inside is a complete woodwork­
ing shop with band and table
saws, hammers, files, rasps, nails,
bolts, scales and paint. On one
table is a 1781 man-of-war
named the Rattlesnake, with a
mast rising more than a foot
above the deck. The 20-gun sloop
sailed on the Great Lakes during
the early 18()0s.

Anderson uses instructions
from kits, like the one he is follow­
ing for the Rattlesnake, for some of
his models, but adds his own re­
finements to the vessels to make

them more realistic. On his finely
detailed vessels, he may add to
fo'c'sles by building bunks, add­
ing a stove or painting items on the
walls. He has some of the minute
items, such as a steering stick or
throttle, supplied from a modeling
company.

For the newer vessels, he will
use company blueprints and scale
them to the size he is planning to
build. The wood Anderson uses for
hulls is sugar pine. He also uses a
lot of basswood to finish his ves­
sels. He can complete a vessel in
approximately eight weeks, de­
pending on the size and detail of
the ship.

Algonac Patrolman Tim Kelley
said Anderson and his models are
well known across the Lakes.
"Many members, including me,
would love to own one of Helge's
ships," Kelley stated. "We are
amazed at how detailed he makes
them. You feel you can get right
aboard and start sailing them."

Anderson retired from active
sailing in January 1989. His career
also included stints as a commer­
cial fisherman and salt-water niar-
iner, but he always preferred
sailing on Lakers.

The life of the same Great Lakes Towing tugboat Louisiana is shown as it now
appears as a diesel-powered vessel (left) and as it looked when it first sailed on the
Lakes when it was steam-driven.

The man-of-war Rattlesnake is under construction in Helge Anderson's "shipyard,"
a garage converted into a workshop.

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