http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/46273620b4e6cb4c6a1fc6f80f0d6e96.pdf 0f7b805a6eeb07c8d6b4b43da42baab5 PDF Text Text SIUJs Decade of Progress ___ Pages11-14 Congress Receives Bills -To Strengthen U.S. Fleet Sealifl Enhancement Act Aims to Make Merchant Fleet More Globally Competitive Page3 Even on the Lakes?/ Cleveland Paper Reveals Runaway-Flag Scandal Citizens along the Great Lakes recently discovered their waters are no different from any other international shipping lane when the Cleveland Plain Dealer exposed the dangers of runaway-flag shipping taking place on America's "North Coast." Page 5 lll'll!Nt SllAW J PIAIX DEAi.Eii PllOTOCRAPllEll Captain Stavros Fotlnos or the Evangelos tells a crew member to e:xpll!in bow good the conditions on the ship are.. Ships of Shame Cargo crew to start court battle Sailors -fr, go without pay, food Complaints bring help from union for sailors By MICHAELO'MALLEY A diS()Ute about low pay, bad food and filthy conditions on a Sleet-hauling ship in Cleveland harbor yesterday sparked a fax and phone feud in four countries on three continents. Following claims by 13 Filipino crewmen that they are not being properly paid, members of the Seafarers International Union b<>i!rded the ship Evangelos, labor agreement to make such From porr to porr 1he Slories are passed alon . Starvin :;allors ea1rng raw, undi- llOADW.HICKllAH/l'IAlll DEAL£&PHOrooaAl'llEK . . Don Thornton of the Seafarers International Union, left, talks to Filipino sailors about conditions and pay on a foreign ship docked in Cleveland yesterday. Local union officials which IS ow~d by a Greek com- threatened to detain the ship and stop it from unloading until ~~~~tt~t~~ :::i ~~ti;n':J certain demands by the sailors were met. visits, confronted the captain, sa ·o the would detain tile shi stop unloading the ship's cargo and refuse to untie dock lines it Piraeus, Greece, faxed paperwork to the London-based Inter- Reach . . . -Voting Begins on Agreement . SIU-NMU Merger On ASAf Contract ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Page2 Beck Notice Page6 �President's Report Reflecting on the Decade I have just reviewed the center spread for this month's issue of the Seafarers LOG. It is hard to believe what we have accomplished in the last 10 years. While some of you started sailing this decade and have helped us in our efforts to revitalize the U.S.-flag merchant fleet, many others have been very involved throughout their entire seagoing careers. Recall where we were in January 1990. Outside of our membership and some others Michael Sacco within the industry, very few thought there would be a continued need for the commercial fleet for economic and national security purposes when we started the 21st century. We knew better. The Persian Gulf War demonstrated why America has depended on its merchant mariners since this country's founding. Seafarers and members of other maritime unions answered the nation's call, making sure no ship loaded with materiel for our troops in the Middle East sailed short. Those who thought others could handle the job discovered foreign-flag owners and crews who balked at delivering needed goods into a war zone. Reawakened by the war effort, military planners and politicians alike realized action had to taken not just to preserve but strengthen the U.S.-flag fleet. You did your part. Not only did you sail the ships, but you and your families registered and voted, wrote letters, made phone calls and talked with neighbors, friends and elected officials to let them know America needs its merchant fleet. That is why the Maritime Security Program became law. That is why U.S.-flag tankers carry Alaska North Slope crude oil overseas. That is why more than half the members of the House of Representatives signed a resolution stating the Jones Act should be preserved. That is why the U.S.-Flag Cruise Ship Pilot Project was enacted, paving the way for construction in an American yard of new deep sea passenger ships. That is why dredging is taking place in ports around the country, especially New Y~)fk/New Jersey, to prepare for the ships of the next century. And that is why month after month for more than a year, we have been able to report on the new vessels-tankers, RO/ROs, prepositioning, tugs, car carriers-Seafarers are crewing or will crew in the very near future, all proudly flying Old Glory. Brothers and sisters, this isn't bragging. It's fact! The most important thing to remember is that none of this could have been done without you. You have demonstrated your faith in your union by doing the best job possible each day on your vessels. You make it very easy for representatives of this union to speak on your behalf on Capitol Hill and in other settings. Without the day-in, day-out efforts you perform on the high seas, the Great Lakes and the inland waterways, the U.S.-flag fleet would have been nothing more than a ghost ship. But we knew better, have done better and will continue to get better! As we enter this holiday season, we have so much for which to be thankful, not the least of which is a vibrant, growing U.S.-flag fleet. If the last 10 years are any indication of what the future may bring, I can't wait to get started. To all Seafarers aboard their vessels, to all Seafarers at home with their families and to all SIU retirees who have helped make this the greatest maritime union, may you have a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year! Volume 61, Number 12 December 1999 The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 899- 0675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland 20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746. Communications Director, Daniel Duncan; Managing Editor, Jordan Biscardo; Associate Editor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative Support, Jeanne Textor. Copyright © 1999 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD All Rights Reserved. 2 Seafarers LOG Voting Starts in Proposed Merger of SIU and #MU Voting begins this month on whether the SIU will proceed with full merger talks with the National Maritime Union. As reported in the October and November issues of the Seafarers LOG, balloting is scheduled for December 1, 1999 to January 31, 2000. Voting takes place in all SIU halls between 9 a.m. and noon local time, Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. Seafarers also may request an absentee ballot by following the instructions printed in the October issue of the LOG. Additionally, those instructions are available via the union's web site (www.seafarers.org, in the LOG section, October issue). The current vote will determine whether the SIU membership wants this merger and, if approved, gives the union's executive board permission to continue with the merger talks. (A similar election is taking place at the same time in the NMU.) If the two unions' memberships vote to proceed, then specific details of the merger will be addressed by SIU and NMU officials serving on the merger committee. Next, Seafarers would vote during the November-December 2000 general election whether to approve needed constitutional changes such as adding vice presidents and the NMU in the union's name. (NMU members are not eligible to vote in the gen- eral election because the merger would not be completed by then.) After the general election, a third vote would take place for SIU members to approve or reject many of the specific terms of the merger. Before that vote, SIU members would be given detailed information on what the merger would mean and what changes would occur. The date for that voting has not been determined. Therefore, the proposed merger involves a three-step voting process. That procedure is explained in detail in a recent letter mailed from the SIU executive board to each member. Copies of the letter also have been distributed aboard ship by patrolmen and are available in union halls. The letter mentions that some Seafarers have asked whether a merger will allow an NMU member to use his seniority to beat the SIU member out of a job. "No! The shipping rules will continue to apply," the letter states. "Seafarers will maintain priority aboard ships currently sailing under an SIU contract. The same would apply to NMU members aboard vessels presently under contract to the NMU." Similarly, the merger committee has studied the 1978 merger involving the SIU and the Marine Cooks & Stewards, and will follow that precedent to keep the SIU and NMU pension, welfare and vacation funds separate. Should the merger be approved, however, the training and hiring hall funds probably would be combined. OS/Gateman Rick Hedrick (above photo, aboard the Presque Isle) and Cook Kay Nelson (below, on the /TB McKee Sons) are enthusiastic about the proposed merger. SIU Pensioners to Get $500 Year-End Bonus Eligible SIU pensioners will receive a year-end bonus check of $500 this month. The Seafarers Pension Plan Board of Trustees recently approved the payment after union representatives to the group recommended the bonus. This bonus check will be sent to all SIU pensioners who currently receive monthly benefit checks for normal, early normal or disability pensions from the Seafarers Pension Plan. The Board of Trustees, composed of representa- tives from the SIU and its contracted companies, decided to issue the bonus after reviewing the plan's successful investment performance. More information about the bonus or the pension plan in general may be obtained by contacting any union hall or by calling a plan representative at l800-CLAIMS4. Members and pensioners also may write to the plan at 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Breakthrough at Avondale Union, Company Agree to Resolve Long Battle About Representation On the heels of Litton Industries' purchase of Avondale (La.) Shipyard, the AFL-CIO Metal Trades Department last month announced a breakthrough in the bitter six-year fight about union representation at Avondale. The company has agreed to adopt neutrality regarding such representation, and will recognize the union based on a majority of Avondale's 4,000 employees signing petitions for membership. A neutral arbitrator will certify that a majority of the employees have signed the petitions. The union and the shipyard signed an agreement on November 2 aimed at reaching an amicable conclusion to what has been a nasty fight. Workers at Avondale voted in 1993 to join a union, but the prior owners used every stalling tactic imaginable to evade that election's outcome. Avondale was purchased for $529 million by Litton Industries in a transaction that closed last August. Litton's Ship Systems consists of Avondale Shipyard and Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. where the Metal Trades Department has held representation rights for more than 10,000 workers since 1940. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney commended all concerned with the new agreement between Avondale and the union. "I applaud Litton Industries' and Avondale's high-road decision to respect these workers' right to a free choice to improve their lives through a union," Sweeney stated. The Metal Trades Department said the agreement "puts the issue back in the hands of Avondale's workers" and "sets up ground rules for assessing the level of support for union representation. The agreement sets out a process under which the union can obtain evidence that it represents a majority of the employees, which will be submitted to a neutral third party for certification. The pact outlines procedures for avoiding the acrimony that characterized the campaign from the time it started in June 1993." Please be advised that SIU headquarters and all SIU hiring halls will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2000 for the obseNance of Martin Luther King Jr. 's birthday (unless an emergency arises). Normal business hours will resume the following workday. December . -1999 �Sealif t Enhancement Act Seeks Fair Competition For American-Flag Fleet Maritime Tax Laws Would Change To Help Provide Level Playing Field Citing the U.S. merchant marine's key role in America's national and economic securityand the unfair competition from unscrupulous runaway-flag ship operators-Senator John Breaux (D-La.) last month introduced the National Security Sealift Enhancement Act of 1999 (S. 1858). Reps. Jim McCrery (R-La.) and William Jefferson (D-La.) introduced similar legislation in the House (H.R. 3225). The SIU strongly supports the bills, which may receive hearings in the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, respectively, early next year. "The introduction of these measures shows that members of Congress are looking ahead and trying to find ways to make the U.S.-flag fleet stronger and more competitive in the next century," said SIU President Michael Sacco. Other U.S. maritime unions, ship operators and shipbuilding associations also voiced their backing, as did the widely respected former Maritime Administrator, Vice Admiral Albert J. Herberger. As its name indicates, the legislation is intended to strengthen the U.S. fleet, which in tum will boost the economy and fortify national security. One provision of the Sealift Enhancement Act would extend to U.S. mariners the existing income tax exclusion for Americans working abroad. Other elements of the bill also focus on equitable changes in different sections of U.S. tax policy. "This legislation is designed to provide a tax environment for U.S.-flag carriers that more closely approaches the favorable treatment provided by other maritime nations to their own merchant fleets," Breaux stated. "I am not proposing to exempt U.S.-flag vessel owners from U.S. income taxes, [but rather to] alleviate the tax burden on the U.S.-flag fleet. "The U.S.-flag merchant marine is an invaluable asset to the economic and national security of this country," he continued. "The Congress must take aggressive action to preserve our fleet of U.S.-flag vessels, while creating incentives for new, modem ships to be registered under the U.S. flag." The bill has five main provisions. One expands the Capital Construction Fund with the aim of increasing revenue available SIU Crews MIV Fisher SIU members recently crewed the prepositioning ship MIV Major Bernard F Fisher as the vessel prepared to start a fiveyear assignment for the U.S. Sealift Military Command (MSC). Seafarers and SIU officials took part in the vessel's christening October 15 in Sunny Point, N.C. The former Sea Fox was renamed in honor of retired U.S. Air Force Col. Bernard F. Fisher, a Medal of Honor recipient who attended the ceremony. The 652-foot Fisher is operated by Sealift, Inc. for MSC, whose fleet also includes a different vessel with a similar name, the USNS Fisher. It will preposi- tion materiel for the Air Force in Diego Garcia. The ship's namesake received the medal for actions in Vietnam in 1966. The then-major rescued a downed airman from a Special Forces camp under attack by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. MSC noted, "While directing his own air cover, Maj. Fisher landed his A-lE/H aircraft, taxied almost the full length of a debrislittered runway, and despite withering ground fire, rescued the downed pilot and gained enough speed to lift off and fly to safety." The Fisher has a beam of 105 feet and a top sailing speed of 19 knots. It is a combination container and roll-on/roll-off ship. One year after MSC awarded a time charter contract for the vessel , SIU members crewed the renamed Major Bernard F. Fisher as the ship readied for its first prepositioning assignment. December 1999 for domestic shipbuilding. Another allows "the owner of any U.S.-flag vessel engaged in the international trade of the U.S. to fully deduct that vessel in the year in which the vessel is acquired and documented under the U.S. flag." Breaux pointed out that many foreign-flag shipowners and operators already "are totally exempt from income taxation," and this provision therefore will help the U.S.-flag fleet "to be internationally competitive." The provision known as the "seamen's wage exclusion" is "consistent with the current policies and objectives of section 911 of the Internal Revenue Code. It extends the foreign earned income exclusion to American merchant mariners by changing the definition of 'foreign country' to incJude a principal place of employment aboard a commercial vessel operating outside the United States, and amending the foreign residence test to include work aboard a vessel." Other components of the legislation include "alternative minimum tax relief' on shipping income-again consistent with foreign regulations-and expanding the expense deductions stemming from conferences or other meetings on American-flag cruise ships. "These provisions will help level the playing field for U.S. shipping and provide incentives that will stimulate growth in the industry," observed Rep. Je:fferson. Rep. McCrery stated, "U.S.based liner companies are subject to significantly higher taxes than their foreign-based counterparts .... Strengthening the economic viability and competitiveness of United States-flag vessel operations requires us to adapt the tax regime governing our merchant marine to the realities of today's international shipping environment." Both McCrery and Breaux recalled the words of General Colin Powell following the Persian Gulf War in 1991. At that time, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "Our [nation's] strategy requires us to be able to project power quickly and effectively across the oceans to deal with the crisis we couldn't avoid or predict. Sealift will be critical to fulfilling this strategic requirement .... In war, merchant seamen have long served with valor and distinction by carrying the critical supplies and equipment to our troops in faraway lands. In peacetime, the merchant marine has another vital rolecontributing to our economic security by linking us to our trading partners around the world and providing the foundation for our ocean commerce." In announcing his support for the Sealift Enhancement Act, Herberger said, "If the United States is to maintain a strong merchant fleet-supporting our economy and our armed forces--our U.S.-flag companies and our American merchant mariners must have U.S. tax treatment that reflects the realities of international competition." Speaking on behalf of a coalition of U.S.-flag ocean carriers, Sea-Land Service Vice President Peter Finnerty noted that the bill "recognizes the unique nature of the U.S.-flag fleet, operating in trades." the world cargo American mariners and companies compete in a market littered with tax-exempt foreign companies, he said. Pictured from the top: Senator John Breaux (D-La.) and Reps. William Jefferson (D-La.) and Jim McCrery (R-La.) last month launched legislation intended to boost national security by strengthening the U.S. merchant marine. SIU Maintains Jobs on 6 LNG Vessels MarAd 'Reluctantly' Approves Rejlagging The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd), while emphasizing that its decision "should not be taken as a precedent for any other situation," on November 3 conditionally approved the transfer of PRONAV's fleet of eight liquefied natural gas vessels to foreign registry. Maritime Administrator Clyde Hart said he "reluctantly" issued the ruling and also stressed that a key condition to the approval "helps to ensure the continued availability of American mariners for commercial operations and military readiness." He noted that all the unlicensed jobs for six of the ships will be held by American seafarers for the next five years, "providing stability and employment for hundreds of skilled mariners." He also pointed out, "Any further changes in ownership, registry or operation under foreign authority may be made only with the Maritime Administration's approval." The schedule for reflagging the eight ships to the Marshall Islands has not been announced. Seafarers will continue sailing aboard six of the vessels- the LNG Capricorn, LNG Taurus, LNG Libra, LNG Gemini, LNG Leo and LNG Virgo. As reported in the September issue of the Seafarers LOG, the economic provisions (including benefits) of the SIU's Standard Tanker Agreement will apply to those ships once the reflagging takes place. The other two vessels will carry foreign crews. After the ruling, SIU President Michael Sacco stated, "While we are extremely disappointed by the decision announced by the Maritime Administration to allow the reflagging of the PRONAV LNG-vessel fleet, the Seafarers International Union is obligated to honor its contractual coillil)itments to crew these vessels. The Seafarers aboard these vessels will continue to perform their duties in the same professional, dedicated and safe manner as they always have." It was only after painstaking analysis that the union decided to accept continued employment on the reflagged ships. In a detailed memo sent in August by the SIU contracts department to Seafarers aboard the LNG ships, the union stated, "When weighed against the alternatives, the final decision was based on the ultimate benefit to our members and their families. The application of the Standard Tanker Agreement wages and benefits will, for the first time, [apply] American labor standards on foreign-flag ships. The Agreement is no less than that which is accepted by U.S.-flag SIU-contracted tanker companies. It maintains our benefits and will provide jobs and job security for five more years while preserving our severance agreement." The union also noted that SIU's crewing of the LNG ships will help provide a continued manpower pool of trained American mariners for U.S. national defense purposes. Moreover, the memo points out that the LNG crews recently faced the unexpected prospect of all eight ships reflagging relatively quickly-which would have left the SIU crews without any opportunity for continued employment on those vessels. (The written communication quickly was followed by SIU Vice President Government Services Kermett Mangram meeting with SIU crews aboard the LNG vessels to answer any other questions.) Seafarers LOG 3 �i----------------------------------------------------------------~~~~~-~ -- ~~ - SIU President Michael Sacco poses with crew members aboard the Sea-Land Patriot. Kneeling is AB Robert Pesulima. Standing from the left are BREC Bobby Garcia, Wilmington (Calif.) Port Agent John Cox, Sacco, AB Alfonso Garcia, QMED Jesse Manard, Wilmington Safety Director Frank Gill Jr., AB Maximo Lugtu and GUDE Jose Gamboa. Crews Welcome Sacco to Their Ships Right: Aboard the El Yunque are Jacksonville (Fla.) Port Agent Tony McQuay, Wiper Pedro Gago, BREC Michael Eaton, SIU President Michael Sacco, OMU Ramon Collazo and AB Blair Baker. Working on dinner for the SeaLand Patriot crew is Chief Cook James Boss. SIU President Michael Sacco has maintained a busy schedule, meeting as many SIU members as possible during his recent travels. From Port Everglades, Fla. to Long Beach, Calif., he has climbed gangways to inform Seafarers about what is happening in the union and to answer questions they may have concerning benefits, contract and the proposed merger to bring the NMU into the SIU. On this page are some of the many Seafarers who have welcomed him aboard their vessels. SIU President Michael Sacco (left} welcomes AB Rudy Hernandez to a union meeting aboard the Sea-Land Patriot. Also participating in the meeting in which members asked questions about the proposed NMU merger into the SIU are (from the left) BREC Bobby Garcia, QMED Jesse Manard, SA Orlando Pizzaro, AB Robert Pesulima and SREC Daniel Payne. The Sea-Land Long Beach (Calif.) crane maintenance unit greets SIU President Michael Sacco. From the left are Seafarers Allen Pasik Jr.. Wilmington Port Agent John Cox, Sacco, Van X. Phan, Daran Ragucci, Kimo Togiai, Jim Dryden and Wilmington Safety Director Frank Gill Jr. c SIU President Michael Sacco (left) updates crew members aboard the El Yunque on the latest happenings in the union. QMED Ron Haines (standing) meets SIU President Michael Sacco aboard the Sea-Land Patriot. SIU President Michael Sacco (right) answers a question about the SIU-NMU merger with Crowley boatmen (from left) AB Dave Verschoor, AB Dragi K. Odak and Eng. Bob Bouton. Left: Welcoming SIU President Michael Sacco (second from left) to the Sea-Land Patriot are (from left) AB Matt Bevac, Wilmington (Calif.) Port Agent John Cox and QMED Jesse Manard. West Coast Unions Reach 6-Year Agreement with ASM Offering lunch to Wilmington Port Agent John Cox (left) is Third Cook Neil Ball of the Lihue. 4 Seafarers LOG The galley gang of Matson's Lihue greets the SIU president. From the left are BR Nunu Randle, President Michael Sacco, Chief Steward Skip Polzine and Chief Cook Willie Madison. The SIU's Pacific District unions have reached an agreement with American Ship Management (ASM) for a new six-year contract. The pact is retroactive to July 1 and includes a pay raise in each of the six years covered by the contract. The SIU Pacific District is composed of SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District members in the galley, the Sailors' Union of the Pacific for the unlicensed deck department and the Marine Firemen's Union providing unlicensed crews in the engine room. ASM was created after American President Lines was purchased by Singapore-based NOL in 1997. ASM operates the former APL U.S .-flag fleet. Negotiations took place throughout the fall before the agreement was reached in late October. The ratification process involving members from the three unions covered by the new pact still was taking place as the Seafarers LOG went to press. December 1999 �Runaway-Flag Crew's Plight Captures Newspaper's Attention Thanks to a series of articles published by Ohio's largest daily newspaper, Great Lakes residents discovered runaway-flag shipping with its inherent problems of little to no pay, poor working conditions and lack of food could be found in their ports. Michael O'Malley, a reporter for the Plain Dealer, alerted readers to the plight of the Filipino crew aboard a Greek-owned, Panamanian-flagged cargo ship delivering foreign-produced steel to Cleveland, known for its steel mills. O'Malley worked with SIU member Don Thornton, a Great Lakes inspector for the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), and Jim Given, an SIU of Canada representative who performs the ITF task in his country, as they attempted to gain back pay, food, clean linens and other items for 12 crew members aboard the Evangelos this fall. (The ITF is a London-based global organization of transport unions. The SIU is a member.) The crew sought help from the ITF when the ship arrived in Cleveland in October. The ITF inspectors took O'Malley with them to document their discussion with the ship's Greek captain. The reporter heard crew members state they had no bread or juice, just water, yet "the captain eats grapes and ice cream." Longshoremen, who originally notified the newspaper of the conditions on the ship, threatened to stop offloading and keep the vessel tied up until provisions arrived. Thornton and Given verified food and clean linens were brought aboard, but had to accept assurances from the ship's owners and the manning company that the crew's money-more than $100,000 in back pay-had been sent to their families. They also were faxed paperwork claiming to show the mariners' pay had been sent to their families in the Philippines, which later proved to be false. The ship set sail for Thunder Bay, Ontario to load grain for Morocco. When the inspectors uncovered that the promised pay still had not been delivered to either the crew or their families, they met the loaded ship in the Welland Canal. The captain refused to allow the newspaper reporter aboard, then forced a crew member to tell him everything was fine as the vessel passed through a lock. The Plain Dealer published a frontpage full-color photo of the anguished mariner with the captain right behind him in its Sunday, October 24 edition. Thornton and Given spoke with the crew member and several others when they boarded. They were told the captain ordered the mariners to say those things as well as sign papers stating they had been paid if they wanted to continue sailing. The crew added they still were not being fed properly. Nine crew members signed powers of attorney requesting the ship be arrested for breech of its ITF contract when the Evangelos arrived in Montreal. Unfortunately, by the time the vessel reached the Canadian port, the crew members rescinded their call for the ship's arrest. Without it, Canadian officials were helpless. Thornton and Given speculated that the crew and/or their families had been intimidated with a possible threat of blacklisting being used. The ship left for Morocco with a spokesperson for the ITF in London vowing to monitor the ship's actions. Not only did the newspaper publicize the Evangelos situation with photographs and articles, it also featured the plight of other runaway-flag crews in the frontpage story of October 24 under the headline "Ships of Shame." O'Malley told the Seafarers LOG the articles generated many telephone calls from readers unaware these conditions existed on vessels sailing the Great Lakes. The stories dealt with situations around the world to show the Evangelos was not an isolated incident. Photo credit: Roadell Hickman/Plain Dealer SIU member and ITF inspector Don Thornton (left) learns more about the problems aboard the Evangelos from crew members shortly after the vessel docked in Cleveland. Bad News Keeps Oozing From Runaway-Flag Ship Passengers on Carnival Cruise's ill-fated Tropicale recently learned the hard way that jiggling the handle sometimes isn't enough. The runaway-flag vessel's first voyage since a shipboard fue left passengers stranded at sea for four days ended early, because of a clogged sewage system. As a result of the inoperable commodes, the more than 1,000 passengers were flown from Mexico to Tampa. The Liberian-flag Tropicale had undergone three weeks of repairs and safety inspections before sailing in late October, approximately one month after a shipboard fire had left passengers adrift in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. Coast Guard inspectors reportedly discovered problems with the ship's plumbing and directed the company to fix them. The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the September shipboard fue as well as the crew's reaction to it. December 1999 The Filipino-crewed , Panamanian-flagged, Greek-owned Evangelos offloads foreign-made steel in Cleveland. Crew members told ITF inspectors they had received no pay for several months, had no food aboard when they came to Ohio and suffered with poor working conditions. AFL-CIO President: WTO Talks Must Address Workers' Rights As representatives of the 134 member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) readied for meetings in Seattle from November 30 through December 3, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said America's working families are mobilizing to ensure their voices are heard. In a speech November 19 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Sweeney described plans for a massive pro-worker rally November 30 in Seattle, involving "tens of thousands of working men and women and their families from across America and countries across the world. We will be joined by 200 international union leaders representing over 135 million workers from more than 100 countries. "We will call upon the delegates to the World Trade Organization to address workers' rights and human rights as well as environmental and consumer protections in the rules that govern the global economy-demands that are supported by workers from Argentina to South Korea, from South Africa to the Czech Republic, tens of millions of workers from developing as well as developed countries." The WTO meeting will launch global negotiations to further open markets in goods, services and agricultural trade as well as review some current trade rules. The head of America's federation of trade unions, to which the SIU is affiliated, stated the WTO "must incorporate rules to enforce workers' rights and environmental and consumer protections, and compliance should be required of any new member. Every worker deserves protection of basic human rights-prohibitions against child labor, slave labor and discrimination, and the freedom to join together with others in a union." He noted that as the WTO considers admitting China-notorious for child labor and other worker abuse-"editorials pose a choice between free trade and protectionism, between engaging China and isolating it, between embracing the global market and turning our backs on it. Opponents are being dismissed as part of the past, and as obstacles to the prosperous future of the new economy. "This is nonsense. The debate isn't about free trade or protection, engagement or isolation. We all know we 're part of a global ITF Goes to Bat For Scared Crew The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has stepped in to assist crew members aboard the foreign-flag bulk carrier Karteria some two months after a horrific explosion on the vessel left two dead and another mariner paralyzed with severe bums. The ITF (to which the SIU is affiliated) recently reported that the Maltese-flagged ship was carrying cargo-possibly iron oxide fines- across the Atlantic Ocean in late August when explosions occurred inside two of the holds. One Filipino crew member instantly died, while another passed away a few hours later due to burns. A third crew member, Jing Caringal, survived but sustained a broken back and major bums. According to the ITF, the Karteria diverted to the Azores and underwent temporary repairs. ITF representatives discovered Caringal awaiting repatriation to the Philippines in a hospital in the Azores where he could not be diagnosed or treated due to the severity of his injuries and the lack of facilities at the hospital. After the ITF intervention, Caringal was taken by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney tells a National Press Club audience that the WTO must incorporate rules to enforce workers' rights and environmental and consumer protections. economy. And we're so engaged that we're already running a $60 billion trade deficit with China. "The real debate is not over whether to be part of the global economy, but over what are the rules for that economy and who makes them-not whether to engage China, but what are the terms of that engagement, and whose values are to be represented." air ambulance to Stoke Mandeville hospital in England where still was undergoing treatment as this issue of the Seafarers LOG went to press. Meanwhile, the vessel proceeded from the Azores to its intended discharge port, Antwerp. "The crew are increasingly concerned for their own safety," noted the ITF in a news release. "Having suffered the trauma of the explosion and witnessing the loss of and serious injury to three colleagues, they are stranded on board a vessel containing an unstable cargo, which . . . continues to emit explosive quantities of hydrogen gas. In addition, conditions on board are becoming increasingly difficult. There is no hot water and no laundry facilities for the crew." David Cockroft, ITF general secretary, said it is "unacceptable to leave (the crew) on board in these conditions for this length of time. It seems to us that, yet again, the safety of the crew is secondary to the financial concerns of the owners and its P & I club." Cockroft pointed out another concern. Both the shipowner-Karteria Shipping Limited-and the vessel recently were issued ISM documents of compliance and safety management certificates, yet "were apparently unprepared for this emergency." As part of the federation's ongoing campaign against substandard shipping, the ITF is representing Caringal in seeking compensation for his injuries. Seafarers LOG 5 �Post-Hurricane Cleanup on Humacao Among the SIU-crewed vessels impacted by Hurricane Floyd earlier this year was the Humacao, operated by Navieras NPR. As reported in last month's issue of the Seafarers LOG, the ship survived Floyd's full force on September 15 and 16, approximately 150 miles from Jacksonville, Fla. Despite the 60- foot seas, 100-mph winds, 45-degree rolls and a shipboard fire, there somehow were no serious injuries. The vessel sustained significant damage, however, leading to cleanup efforts (pictured here) when it finally arrived in San Juan, P.R. Pictured above (from left) are AB Terry McKee, Recertified Bosun David Murray, SIU Port Agent Victor Nunez and Engine Utility Anthony Rosa. In photo at right are AB Julio Matos and AB Roberto Feliciano. At left, a damaged container is removed from deck. "We're pretty lucky we survived," Murray said. SIL Independence Sives Independence To Boaters Out of Sas in the Bahamas Running out of gas, while unpleasant, usually is just inconvenient. In a car, anyway. For eight people in a small pleasure boat in the Bahamas, it might have proven fatal. But the SIU-crewed Sea-Land Independence aided the stranded group, which had been adrift for two days without food or water after their 18-foot boat exhausted its fuel. According to a letter from the Sea-Land Independence recently received by the Seafarers LOG, the rescue took place in May. With the vessel sailing off the south coast of Grand Bahama island, AB John Habib and Third Officer John Marcin sighted the small white boat approximately two miles off the starboard bow. One passenger was waving a white cloth. The Sea-Land Independence maneuvered alongside the boat and secured lines. At the same time, the ship contacted a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in the area. The letter notes that although the pleasure boaters were famished, they did not require medical attention. Since the Coast Guard vessel would arrive shortly, the Sea-Land ship lowered plenty of food and water to the grateful survivors, but didn't bring them aboard. Soon, the cutter Manitou relieved the Independence, and the SIU-crewed ship proceeded toward Panama. A half-hour later, the Coast Guard confirmed that all survivors safely came aboard. New Carissa Beached for Winter For residents of Coos Bay, Ore., the runaway-flag freighter New Carissa simply won't go away. At least not all of it. According to press reports, the beached stem section of the vessel-which ran aground in February-will remain on the sand until spring. Rough seas postponed the most recent attempts to remove the rusting, 120-foot section. In late October, salvage crews abandoned a three-week operation to tow the wreckage out to sea, according to the Associated Press. The Panamanian-flag, Japanese-owned New Carissa went aground February 4, spilling 70,000 gallons of heavy bunker fuel. Extraordinary measures were taken to ignite the remaining oil (and thereby prevent it from spilling), and the 639-foot vessel resultantly split. Shortly thereafter, the bow section broke loose from its tow and drifted ashore 80 miles north. It later was towed again and sunk by a U.S. Navy torpedo. Notice to Employees Covered by Union Agreements Regulated Under the National Labor Relations Act The Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD assists employees by representing them in all aspects of their employment and work aboard vessels which sail deep sea, on the Great Lakes and inland waters throughout the country. For the most part, the union spends a majority of its financial resources on collective bargaining activities and employee representation services. In addition to these expenditures, the union also spends resources on a variety of other efforts such as organizing, publications, political activities, international affairs and community services. All of these services advance the interests of the union and its membership. This annual notice is required by law and is sent to advise employees represented by the Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD about their rights and obligations concerning payment of union dues. This notice contains information which will allow you to understand the advantages and benefits of being a union member in good standing. It also will provide you with detailed information as to how to become an agency fee payor. An agency fee payor is an employee who is not a member of the union but who meets his or her financial obligation by making agency fee payments. With this information, you will be able to make an informed decision about your status with the Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD. 1. Benefits of union membership - While non-members do receive material benefits from a union presence in their workplace, there are significant benefits to retaining full membership in the union. Among the many benefits and opportunities available to a member of the Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD is the right to attend union meetings, the right to vote for candidates for union office and the right to run for union office. Members also have the right to participate in the development of contract proposals and participate in contract ratification and strike votes. Members also may play a role in the development and formulation of union policies. 2. Cost of union membership - In addition to working dues, to belong to the union as a full book member the cost is $300.00 (three hundred dollars) per year or $75.00 (seventy-five dollars) per quarter. Working dues amount to 5 percent of the gross amount an employee receives for vacation benefits and are paid when the member files a vacation application. 3. Agency fee payors - Employees who choose not to become union members may become agency fee payors. As a condition of employment, in states which permit such arrange- 6 Seafarers LOG ments, individuals are obligated to make payments to the union in the form of an agency fee. The fee these employees pay is to support the core representational services that the union provides. These services are those related to the collective bargaining process, contract administration and grievance adjustments. Examples of these activities include but are not limited to, the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the enforcement and administration of collective bargaining agreements and meetings with employers and employees. Union services also include representation of employees during disciplinary meetings, grievance and arbitration proceedings, National Labor Relations Board hearings and court litigation. Employees who pay agency fees are not required to pay for expenses not germane to the collective bargaining process. Examples of these expenses would be expenses required as a result of community service, legislative activities and political affairs. 4. Amount of agency fee - As noted above, dues objectors may pay a fee which represents the costs of expenses related to those supporting costs germane to the collective bargaining process. After review of all expenses during the 1998 calendar year, the fee cost associated with this representation amounts to 65.43 percent of the dues amount. This means that the agency fee based upon the dues would be $196.29 (one hundred ninetysix dollars and twenty-nine cents) for the applicable year. An appropriate reduction also will be calculated for working dues. This amount applies to the 2000 calendar year. This means that any individual who wishes to elect to pay agency fees and submits a letter between December 1, 1999 and November 30, 2000 will have this calculation applied to their 2000 dues payments which may still be owed to the union. As noted below, however, to continue to receive the agency fee reduction effective January 2001, your objection must be received by December 1, 2000. A report which delineates chargeable and non-chargeable expenses is available to you free of charge. You may receive a copy of this report by writing to: Secretary-Treasurer, Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, Maryland 20746. This report is based upon an audited financial report of the union's expenses during 1998. Please note that as the chargeable and non-chargeable expenses may change each year, the agency fee amount may also fluctuate each year. Individuals who are entitled to pay agency fees and wish to pay fees rather than dues, must elect this option each year by filing an objection in accordance with the procedure noted below. 5. Filing of objections - If you choose to object to paying dues, an objection must be filed annually. To receive the deduction beginning in January of each year, you must file by the beginning of December in the prior year. An employee may file an objection at any time during the year, however, the reduction will apply only prospectively and only until December 31 of that calendar year. Reductions in dues will not be applied retroactively. As noted above, each year the amount of the dues reduction may change based upon an auditor's report from a previous year. The objection must be sent in writing to: Agency Fee Payor Objection Administration, Secretary-Treasurer's Office, Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, Maryland 20746. 6. Filing a challenge - Upon receiving the notice of calculation of the chargeable expenditures related to core representation activities, an objector shall have 45 days to submit a challenge with the Secretary-Treasurer's office if he or she believes that the calculation of chargeable activities is incorrect. Every person who wishes to object to the calculation of chargeable expenses has a legal right to file such an objection. 7. Appeal procedure- Upon receiving the challenge(s) at the end of the 45-day period, the union will consolidate all appeals and submit them to an independent arbitrator. The presentation to the arbitrator will be either in writing or at a hearing. The method of the arbitration will be determined by the arbitrator. If a hearing is held, any objector who does not wish to attend may submit his/her views in writing by the date of the hearing. If a hearing is not held, the arbitrator will set the dates by which all written submissions will be received . The costs of the arbitration shall be borne by the union. Individuals submitting challenges will be responsible for all the costs associated with presenting their appeal. The union will have the burden of justifying its calculations. The SIU works very hard to ensure that all of its members receive the best representation possible. On behalf of all the SIU officers and employees, I would like to thank you for your continuing support. Sincerely, David Heindel, Secretary-Treasurer December 1999 �On-Site Course Helps Seafarers Meet STCW Chapter VI Regs The Paul Hall Center has often taken its safety courses "on the road." Instructors from the school have taught water survival and fire fighting classes to Seafarers in different ports across the country, including aboard the Delta Queen Steamboat Company vessels in New Orleans, and American Hawaii Cruises' SS Independence in Honolulu. One of the course participants leaves the emergency locker en route to the "fire." A recent training opportunity in Maui was a first, however, in that the entire curriculum needed for meeting the requirements of STCW Chapter VI (Basic Safety Training) was taught at one time. Paul Hall Center instructors Rick Redmond and Ben Cusic conducted the course components, consisting of personal survival techniques, fire fighting and fire prevention, elementary first aid and personal safety/social responsibility. The SS Independence sails into the port of Honolulu for one day each week, but it spends two days in Maui, which allowed 20 upgrading Seafarers plenty of time to receive practical instruction in water safety and survival techniques in that ship's luxury pool. Classroom instruction was held at Maui Community College, part of the University of Hawaii. Redmond, who taught the fire fighting segment, obtained the necessary permits for setting a fire that produced smoke, so students had the added benefit of dealing with a true fire and not merely a simulation. Having successfully completed the STCW basic safety course, students pose for a group shot at Maui Community College. Rick Redmond (far left) and Ben Cusic (far right, kneeling), instructors at the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md., conducted the on-site training. Certificates of course completion were earned by Amy Mazurek, Shannon Rabago, Ricardo Sebastian, Stephen Warren II, Ronald Whitfield, Alejo Fabia Jr., Soriano Grande, Angelito Pertubal, Emo Aulelava, Adele Williams, Laverne Berasis, Maile McWilliams, Joseph Brooks, Cynthia Robello, Leonicio Casamina Jr., Jerwin Ablao, Allan Acasio, Joachim Buetzer, Byron Hall and Ronald Wade. All Seafarers who sailed prior to August 1, 1998 must have documented evidence of Chapter VI compliance by February 1, 2002. Those who began sailing after August 1, 1998 should already have fulfilled the requirements. AOTOS Awards to duMoulin, TRANSCOM Richard duMoulin, chairman and CEO of Marine Transport Lines (MTL), and U.S. Air Force General Charles T. Robertson, Jr., commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, received the annual Admiral of the Ocean Sea (AOTOS) award on November 5 in New York. The prestigious award is sponsored by the United Seamen's Service. MTL is the parent company of SIU-contracted Intrepid Ship Management, while TRANSCOM is the largest single user of U.S.-flag vessels (with many SIU-crewed ships among them). Above (from left): SIU President Michael Sacco, U.S. Maritime Administrator Clyde Hart and (far right) U.S. Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) congratulate duMoulin. At right (from left): Gen. Robertson celebrates with Sacco and Sea-Land Service President and CEO John Clancey. Maersk-Sealand Taps Los Angeles For New Terminal Maers~-SeaLand will be the sole user of a massive new container terminal being built at the Port of Los Angeles, the company announced on October 28. The Pier 400 terminal will occupy 484 acres December 1999 Members of the emergency squad on board the SS Independence don the proper equipment for a fire drill conducted while the vessel was at anchor in Kana, Hawaii. Gopher State Receives Bravo Zulu upon expected completion in 2003, although some of its sections will open as early as late 2001. The cost of the Pier 400 project is $794 million, which includes $466 for the container terminal facilities and infrastructure and $328 million for two stages of a major dredging and landfill program. The facility reportedly will include at least 16 shore-side cranes and will work as many as six vessels at once. City officials said that the 25-year lease between the port and the company will bolster the local economy, bringing thousands of good jobs and billions of dollars in new investment. SIU members as well as officers and military personnel aboard the Gopher State recently were congratulated by U.S. Navy Admiral Harry M. Highfill for their accomplishments during Operation Crocodile 99 in Gladstone, Australia. During the exercise, Seafarers worked with more than 5,000 active duty and reserve U.S. service members as well as Navy, Marine and Coast Guard personnel. Altogether, they moved more than 600 pieces of critical cargo ashore and safely conducted complex operations at sea and ashore. "Each and every one of you should be proud of your accomplishments during this exercise," the admiral stated. "You completed an operation that no other country in the world could have accomplished, and you did it safely and with style." He continued, "As a team, you showed our allies our impressive capabilities as a nation and our great nature as individuals. Again, congratulations to all for a job extremely well done." The Gopher State is a prepositioning ship owned by MarAd and operated by Interocean Ugland Management Corp. It has been stationed in Guam for the past several years, always at the ready to sail in support and defense of the United States and her military forces. Seafarers LOG 7 �SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR MCS SUPPLEMENTARY PENSION PLAN SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR SEAFARERS VACARON PUii This is a summary of the annual report of the MCS Supplementary Pension Plan, El N 51-6097856 for the year ended January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). This is a summary of the annual report of the Seafarers Vacation Plan, EIN 13-5602047, Plan No. 503, for the period January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Basic Financial Statement Benefits under the plan are provided by the Trust. Plan expenses were $877,410. These expenses included $198,880 in administrative expenses and $678,530 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 1,553 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits. The value of plan assets after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $11,512,065 as of December 31, 1998, compared to $11,589,292 as of January 1, 1998. During the plan year, the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of $(77,227). This decrease includes unrealized appreciation in the value of the plan assets; that is, the difference between the current value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of any assets acquired during the year. The plan had a total income of $800, 183 including realized gains of $239, 712 from the sale of assets and earnings from investments of $560,471. Minimum Funding Standards An actuary's statements show that enough money was contributed to the plan to keep it funded in accordance with the minimum funding standards of ERISA. Your Rights to AddHlonal Information Your have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: 1. an accountant's report; 2. assets held for investment; 3. actuarial information regarding the funding of the plan; 4. service provider and trustee information; and 5. reportable transactions. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of Mr. Lou Delma who is the plan administrator, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746, (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $2.20 for the full annual report, or $.10 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan (Trustees of the MCS Supplementary Pension Plan, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746) and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, N-5638, Pension and Welfare Benefit Administration, Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20210. SlllJMARY AllNUAL REPORT FOR SEAFARERS l'EllSION TRUST This is a summary of the annual report for the Seafarers Pension Trust, EIN 13-6100329, Plan No. 001, for the period January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Basic Financial Statement Benefits under the plan are provided through a trust fund. Plan expenses were $34,447,742. These expenses included $5,165,016 in administrative expenses and $29,282,726 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 24, 192 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits. The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $578,646,134 as of December 31, 1998, compared to $562,498,325 as of January 1, 1998. During the plan year, the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $16, 147,809. This increase includes unrealized appreciation and depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan had a total income of $50,595,551 including employer contributions of $6,004,371, realized gains of $31,288,778 from the sale of assets, and earnings from investments of $13,301,966. Minimum Funding Standards An actuary's statement shows that enough money was contributed to the plan to keep it funded in accordance with the minimum funding standards of ERISA. Your Rights To Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: 1. an accountant's report; 2. assets held for investment; 3. service provider and trustee information; 4. transactions in excess of 5 percent of plan assets; and 5. actuarial information regarding the funding of the plan. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call Board of Trustees Seafarers Pension Trust, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746, (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $3.40 for the full annual report, or 10 cents per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, O.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, N-5638, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20210. 8 Seafarers LOG Basic Financial Statement The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $28,541,567 as of December 31, 1998, compared to $26, 146,074 as of January 1, 1998. During the plan year, the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $2,395,493. This increase includes unrealized appreciation and depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. During the plan year, the plan had a total income of $39, 776,560 including employer contributions of $38, 157,696, realized gains of $162,334 from the sale of assets, and earnings from investments of $1,456,530. Plan expenses were $37,381,067. These expenses included $4,026,033 in administrative expenses and $33,355,034 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. Your Rights To AddHional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: 1. an accountant's report; 2. assets held for investment; 3. transactions in excess of 5 percent of plan assets; and 4. service provider and trustee information. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call Board of Trustees Seafarers Vacation Fund, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746, (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $1.70 for the full annual report, or 10 cents per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan (Board of Trustees Seafarers Vacation Fund, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746) and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, N-5638, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20210. SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR GREAT LAKES TUG & DREDGE PENSION PUii This is a summary of the annual report for the Great Lakes Tug & Dredge Pension Plan, EIN 13-1953878, Plan No. 003, for the period January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Basic Financial Statement Benefits under the plan are provided through a trust fund. Plan expenses were $1,397,982. These expenses included $201,945 in administrative expenses and $1, 196,037 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 592 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits. The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $25,004,-173 as of December 31, 1998, compared to $24,527,804 as of January 1, 1998. During the plan year, the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $476,669. This increase includes unrealized appreciation and depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan had a total income of $1,874,651 including employer contributions of $232,063, realized gains of $550,523 from the sale of assets, and earnings from investments of $1,092,065. Minimum Funding Standards An actuary's statement shows that enough money was contributed to the plan to keep it funded in accordance with the minimum funding standards of ERISA. 2000 - Your Rights To AddHional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: 1. an accountant's report; 2. assets held for investment; 3. service provider and trustee information: 4. transactions in excess of 5 percent of plan assets; and 5. actuarial information regarding the funding of the plan. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call Board of Trustees of Great Lakes Tug & Dredge Pension Plan, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746, (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $1 .80 for the full annual report, or 10 cents per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan (Board of Trustees of Great Lakes Tug & Dredge Pension Plan, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746) and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, N5638, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. A Year of Personal Commitment So much has and continues to be written about the coming year-2000. On the one hand, it's just a new year; on the other hand, it's the beginning of a new decade . . . a new century . . . a new millennium. Seafarers, their spouses and dependent children can truly make 2000 a memorable beginning by applying for one of seven scholarships being awarded by the Seafarers Welfare Plan in May of next year. Three of the scholarships are reserved for SIV members. One is in the amount of $15,000 for study at a four-year college or university. The other two are for $6,000 each and are intended as two-year awards for study at a post-secondary vocational school or community college. Four scholarships are awarded in the amount of $15,000 to the spouses and dependent children of Seafarers. The first step is to send away for the 2000 SIV Scholarship Program booklet (see form at right). Once the scholarship booklet has been received, applicants should check the eligibility information to make sure that certain conditions are met. Since the completed application form (and other required paperwork) is due no later than April 15, 2000, applicants should start collecting the necessary documents as soon as possible. These include transcripts and certificates of graduation, letters of recom- me-ndation, a photograph and certified copy of birth certificate. Also, arrangements should be made to take the SAT or ACT tests by February. Filling out the coupon below is the first step toward pursuing your hopes, dreams and goals for a higher level of education. Make the year 2000 special-in more ways than one. r--------------------------------------------------, lease send me the 2000 SIU Scholarship Program booklet P which contains eligibility information, procedures for applying and a copy of the application form. Name Mariner's Social Security Number Street Address ------------------~ City, State, Zip Code Telephone Number This application is for: D Self D Dependent Mail this completed form to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Welfare Plan, 12199 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746 L--------------------------------------------------~ December 1999 �He Sb.oats, He Scores! Retired Bosun Revives Hockey Passion Retired Bosun Peter Loik has spent much of his life on water, in one form or another. He enjoyed a prosperous, 44-year career with the SIU before retiring in 1991. Sandwiched around his sea time is a hockey calling that began when Loik was a toddler and now sees him competing in "over-70" tournaments throughout North America. That's a long time between shifts, eh? "When I started walking, I started skating," recalls the Saskatchewan, Canada native, who now resides in Baltimore. Left: Retired Bosun Peter Loik helped lead his over-70 team to first place in a recent ice hockey tournament in Vancouver. Philly Teamsters Win Strike, Thank Sealarers for Support Members of Teamsters Local 463 in Philadelphia recently won their strike against Wawa Dairies, thanks in part to widespread backing from fellow trade unionists. SIU members repeatedly joined Teamsters on the picket line, demonstrating their support. Other union members from as far as New York and Virginia also showed their encouragement. There are approximately 3,200 members of Local 463, some 280 of whom were on strike against Wawa. After the 11-day action, members in October ratified a new contract that included wage and benefit increases while eliminating all of the givebacks proposed by the company. In a letter addressed to the SIU executive board and the entire SIU membership, Local 463 Secretary-Trea'surer Robert Ryder stated, "Your support during our strike made the difference for our members and their families. When Wawa was confronted by the show of solidarity from unions across the tri-state area, they came back to the table and negotiated a fair agreement for our members. This would not have been possible without your help. "I want you and your members to know that you can always count on the support of this Local." Picketing in behalf of striking Teamsters in Philadelphia are (from left) OS Lafe Fraley, SIU Representative Joe Mieluchowski, AB John Gallagher and AB Michael Maronski. This demonstration took place in early October. Seafarers show their support for Teamsters Local 463 as a television cameraman covers the demonstration outside a Wawa facility in Philadelphia. ATTENTION ALL SEAFARERS Check Your Z-Card; Your Job May Be at Stake Merchant Ma rain er 's Documen t Must Be Renewed According to a law that took effect in 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard requires all merchant mariners to renew their merchant mariner's documents (z-cards) in order to continue sailing. All mariners MUST possess a renewed z-card in order to sail aboard U.S.-flag vessels by the end of 1999. That means as of January 1, 2000, all active z-cards must have been issued no earlier than January 1, 1995. You may renew your z-card beginning one year before its expiration date. No merchant mariner is allowed to ship with an expired document. (Mariners may renew their z-cards up to one year after the expiration date. However, mariners lose December 1999 their endorsements if they renew beyond that one-year extension.) The expiration date is five years to the day after the card was issued. Z-cards list the expiration date in two different locations: (1) near the mariner's photo on the front and (2) near the mariner's fingerprint on the back. For those z-cards without an expiration date, the date of issuance is located on the back of the document beside the fingerprint. However, any z-cards that do not have an expiration date printed on them will be void as of January 1, 2000. If you have any questions concerning the status of your z-card, contact your port agent or patrolman. "But I went to sea when I was 19, and didn't play hockey again for 50 years. I just got back into it a couple years ago." Playing in nearby Laurel, Md., Loik revived his hockey skills and then put them to good use in a recent tournament in Vancouver. His team (the Crawlers) placed first out of 10 squads in the division for players ages 70 and older. Loik, 73, played center, scoring a goal with two assists in the championship game. But he seems more proud of losing a tooth earlier in the tournament. "That made me feel like I'd been christened," he recalls. From the rink to the sea and back, Loik says he's always felt at home. He played for successful junior league and semi-pro hockey teams as a teenager before trading his sweater and skates for coveralls and work boots. "I guess I was a little wild in those days, and didn't really know what I wanted to do," Loik says. "I was looking for work, and I'm just glad I found the merchant marine. With the SIU, I had a reputable job with good money coming in. It was hard work, but if you did your job, there were no problems. It was a good fit. "Plus in those days, ships would stay in port for days or a week. You really got to see the world." Asked about his fondest seafaring memories, the recertified bosun describes a 1985 voyage aboard the Long Lines. "We laid the first fiber-optic cable in the world, in the Canary Islands. That was special." He also mentions helping with construction of the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School in Piney Point, Md., which opened in 1967; and his grandson, Gerard Quinn, winning a Seafarers Welfare Plan scholarship two years ago. (Quinn attends college in New York.) "The union has done a lot for the members," states Loik, who frequently upgraded at the school. "I enjoyed sailing for the SIU, and my family was well taken care of." Even in retirement, Loik maintains an active interest in the union. He usually drops in at the Baltimore hall each week, and occasionally attends membership meetings there and in Piney Point. He also attended the ceremonial opening of the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School last summer. "You just can't get that 'ship talk' with neighbors," Loik chuckles. "With guys who are Seafarers, you can always communicate, catch up on the latest news and people's whereabouts." Likewise, he plans to keep honing his reborn puck prowess-although the tournaments largely are luck-of-the-draw. There are very few over-70 squads in North America, Loik explains, so individual players from throughout the continent are matched up on-site to form temporary teams. Loik's fortune worked well in the Vancouver tournament in September. His team included Toronto Maple Leafs 1946 rookie of the year Howie Meeker (perhaps more commonly known among younger hockey fans as the longtime voice of Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts). "After 50 years of not being on skates, it was a big change from climbing ladders and walking decks," Loik says. "But it's been great, and now I'm looking forward to more tournaments." Steward Kamer Cooks Up Better Life witb. tb.e Union When Mohamed Kamer immigrated to the United States 14 years ago, about the only thing he brought with him from his native Egypt was his ability to cook. Today, the 39-year-old Seafarer is upgrading at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education to become a chief steward. In between has been a tremendous ride from the lowest ranks of the restaurant world to where he is today. "I started at the bottom," he told a reporter for the Seafarers LOG recently. "I was a line cook." Since then, he has worked his way up as well as graduated from New York Chefs School in Manhattan. Not only has he learned the skills and techniques needed to survive in his field, he also has owned several restaurants in New York. In fact, he discovered the SIU through the clientele of his last business, a seafood restaurant in Brooklyn's Bay Ridge. "My customers were Seafarers. They told me all about what they did and talked me into it." Kamer sold his business and started sailing as a second baker and chief baker in 1997 aboard the SS Independence. While he enjoyed the work, he did notice quite a difference between operating a restaurant for himself and cooking aboard ship for others. "I have to follow the directions I am given," the galMohamed Kamer works in the Paul ley gang member Hall Center's culinary institute to stated. "The menu upgrade his galley skills. is already prepared and we have to follow what we have been given. There is very little opportunity to be creative, unless there is a special birthday or other event." Despite the change in both working and living situations, Kamer admits, "I love to sail." Even when he is not aboard ship, the Brooklynbased member can be found in the kitchen. During the last four summers, he has taken a month off from sailing to work with the same family in the mountains of upstate New York when they gather for their annual vacation. Kamer was selected by the family because of his high grades at the Manhattan school. He prepares the menus, does the shopping and cooks for as many as 30 people. He said he really enjoys doing this because it allows him to work on new dishes, especially seafood. Another benefit is he can take his daughter with him so they can spend time together. An American citizen for 10 years, Kamer plans to continue his career with the SIU. "This has been very good for me." Seafarers LOG 9 �To all my shipmates, retired and active, in the Gov't. Services Division (MSCPAC) A To all Seafarers and families Holiday greetings and best wishes to you and yours. God bless. Felix P Amara Sr. To Becky Sleeper Happiest of holidays and peace and prosperity in the coming year for you, your family and your staff. Our "Orgulf Angel" is still tops!! Nancy Avery and y our Orgulf members To Orgulf cooks Happy holidays! May all our crews be merry and the rivers all run smooth. And ban appetit! Nancy Ave1y To "Uncle Mel" Merry Christmas! At this time of new beginnings, I wish you all smooth seas and peace. Nancy Avery To Bosun Jeremiah Harrington and all SIU members Merry Christmas and a very happy, prosperous New Year. Smooth sailing. Pete M Amper JB3 To Carmine Barbati Your family loves you always. We miss you tremendously. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Lots of hugs and kisses 2 U. Happy birthday ol' man of mine! RoseMary, Jim and Rachel Barbati To Tricia Gerlach and the Bull family Have a happy holiday season and Happy New Year in 2000. Merry Christmas. Jeffery Bull c T b.e h.oliJ&y greetings ap;peari11g on th.is pa.ge were written girls, finally we are getting more female recertified stewards. Sometimes it takes a woman to add the right touch to make it all come together. Good luck and happy sailing, Donna DeCesare To Lanette Lopez and Paul Sending you this holiday greeting with much happiness for you. Congratulations on your engagement and may your first Christmas together be one to always remember. Mele Kalikimaka. Donna DeCesare & Johnny To my old shipmates Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Jimmie Dies JF Christmas is a special time of the year. And we wish you were here. We love you. There's no Christmas without you. (Happy birthday.) Van, Nita and Rodd Coleman To Vanessa, Lovenita and Rodderick Coleman Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I love you all and miss you very much. Xmas is just not Xmas without the ones you love. Roderick Coleman JO) To Judy Chester, Ruti DeMont, Lanette·Lopez and Susan Taylor-Moe Wishing all my sisters the best during this holiday season and always. Congratulations 10 Seafarers LOG To friends and family To Phil Kleinebreil Alive and kick'n! With continued growth, strength and faith, may we all share these holidays in spirit as we have together over all the years. Blair (Humes) Best wishes to you and your family over the holidays and into the new year. David Ling To all active and retired members of the best union in the world JK_ To Amir Kasim To Debra Loureiro Best wishes and happiness this holiday season. Always thinking of you . . .. J. Carlos Loureiro To Joel Lechel and Anthony I am so happy that you Sabattini and their families will be home this Christmas Best wishes and happiness and for the new year 2000. this holiday season. Have a This holiday will be full of great 2000 !!! joy and happi----J Carlos ness. Let the G "Remember When ... " Ernest Gibbons To Seafarers & their families Bless you and all your families always. Domingo Gordian To Monica Guffey To the love of my life, that I couldn't live without, sorry I can't be home. You're always with me! Happy holidays, babe. Love ya' T.J Guffey To all SIU members I would like to wish all the members a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Happy holidays to all! T.J Guffey JHl To Lee Hardman Merry Christmas, daddy. I love you! Kailan Hardman To my brothers and sisters at sea and on the beach Best wishes on Christmas, the New Year, the new century and the new millennium. Filiberto Moreira To all former shipmates and their families Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Jimmy Moye T'was the LOG before Christmas to Nancy's surprise/ A message from Steve greeted her eyes .../Merry Christmas, Nancy, way down in Ole Miss./Merry Christmas, Nancy, I blow you a kiss ... Steve "The Kid" Nelson Clockwise from the top: Van, Ntta and Rodd Coleman; Capt. Louis F. Flade; Roderick Coleman; Amir and trma Kasim; Sandra. Alexander and Alicia Panko; Tom Tobias and Lester Moore. year. My best wishes also to all SIU members and their families. With love from your wife, Irma Kasim JL To all Seafarers I wish you all a joyful Xmas and a happy, healthy and safe New Year. Jean LaCorte To dad, mom, grandma, Mark and Leo Although I'm spending another holiday season out at sea, I want you to know that I think of you each and every day! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I look forward to "seaing" you soon. Love always, Jeff Lagana To Kasandra and Harper Merry Christmas and we're going to have a very merry New Year. The Christmas holidays are a special time for us. The lights are bright and the tree will be up with presentsand then our special presents in January and April. Love, your husband and daddy, Joel Lechel To the crew and officers on the Sea-Land Producer I want to say: very happy holidays to a great bunch of guys and gals and an excellent bunch of people to sail with. Feliz Navidad, and Happy New Year. Bosun Joel Lechel To Seafarers around the world To Judy E. McBurney Best wishes for the holiday season. You are my favorite people. May God bless you all. Hubert "Red" House Merry Christmas and a Happy ew Year to Judy and the kids and puppy Lewis and Boo and Kitty and Moxie and Tori and Cody Boy and Kelly and Darrin and Stephanie and David. Miss y'all. Love y'all. See y'all soon. Guy (Richard L. Lewis) I wish you all a great holiday. Willard Huggins To Elsa Moreira and my beloved children Laurie, Marquita, Vanessa, Zinzi and Al'Rashid To Nancy Avery We pray that God will bless you with goodness and happiness, great memories and the gifts of His perfect love. Hazel Jr. (Hayes) and Doretha Johnson To my shipmates and Capt. Murphy A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! William Morris Jr. N Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Wishing you safe voyages in 2000 and forever. Les and Mike Freeburn To all members To Roderick Coleman Merry Christmas and welcome to the Year 2000. Thanks for your help-and thanks to Janice in the Houston hall. Lester J Moore To the SIU membership To Jose F. Castillo Dad, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We love and miss you so much. Your loving kids, Anthony, Junior and Audrey Cerame To the Seafarers Welfare Plan Happy holidays to you and your family. Enjoyed our trip this summer. We will have to do it again. David Ling Merry Christmas to you and your family. Les and Mike Freeburn Peace and greetings this holiday season. May you sail with bountiful joy and always find safe harbors. Much love always, Richard J Fuller To Augusto B. Cerame To Donald S. Ling Thanks for your endearing "crazy nuts" love that makes me feel as special as you are in my life! Never far away, Love Blair (Humes) To Jesse Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. Remember all the Christmases we shared as a family. Love you all. Your loving family, Mom (Charlotte E. Canion), Beverly, Tommy, Marylee, Bruce and Rob Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I love and miss you so much. Also, thanks for everything. Your loving wife, Sandra Cerame To Lesa Arnold I wish you the best this holiday season. Have a prosperous and healthy New Year. Stand up for your union, and use Piney Point to upgrade. Capt. Louis F. Flade To beloved brothers and sisters of the SIU, SUP, MC&S and MFOW To Augusto B. Cerame Se11.f11,re1•s, pensioners, friends 11.nJ la.m.- To all current and retired SIU members To William G. Rackley, Vilma and Tommy Lee Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We wish you were home with us. We love you very much. Your family (Maricela, Maria, Jose, Glenn and Mama Castillo) bi ' ily members. Ti1ey a.re lislertl in 11.lphabetical order by the name of tlu~ inJiviJua sending tl1e inessage. T lie Seafarers LOG joins vitb those appearing below in extending se11.son's greeetings to all. To Mrs. Virginia L. Ollivierre Season's greetings to my wonderful wife, Virginia. The most precious things in life are found in a good wife. I love you so much. Roger S. Ollivierre Ml To Rod "Bronco" Matsuura Honey, I just wanna tell you that I honestly love you with all my heart. Happy holidays. Your wife, Helen (Matsuura) To the deck, navigation and engine departments on the Mississippi Queen I would like to extend holiday greetings to all of you and your families. I hope you enjoy your upcoming time off during layup. Have a great 2000 sailing season. Robert Mclemore JP> To all my shipmates in MSC Oakland I wish all of you best wishes for a safe holiday season. I am well and kicking. Fair winds to all of you. Edward Palmer To Sandra, Alexander and Alicia Panko Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. You guys are always on my mind. Have a nice holiday. I will be home soon. Dasril Panko To Neng, Eric and Ryan Peck Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! James D. Rae To Bill Romig Happy holidays! Thank you for all you do for us all year! You are the greatest dad and husband. We love you! Kori, Curtis and Jacob Romig To G. Jane Hullsiek Sanchez Merry Christmas, catwoman. Hope you have a purrfect Christmas holiday. Thanks for the joy and happiness you have given me. Your Juan and only, Juan D. Sanchez To all Seafarers and shoreside personnel Yuletide greetings and a salute to the best maritime union worldwide. Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Siddons To my son, Matthew Thomas Sjaastad I love you, son, and hope to see you soon. Dad (Arthur N. Sjaastad) To John G. Katsos Season's greetings to you, the keeper of the light (aka Lighthouse John). Thank you. Arthur Sjaastad (aka Turtle) To all Railroad Marine and deep sea members A very merry, healthy and happy holiday to all. [P.S. W. Hinko, call (516) 781-4385.] Orrin "O.D. "Smith and family 1~ To Mike, George, Jack, Carl and Bill Have a very Merry Xmas. And to our future brothers and sisters at Piney Point, welcome aboard. Thomas Tobias To the Andrew Furuseth class of '69, upgraders of '73 and '81, and trainees in the basic engine class of '73 Merry Xmas Thomas Tobias To all my SIU brothers and sisters at sea, on shore and abroad Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. Thomas Tobias To Howard Yaekel Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Mac (Tom McNellis) Happy holidays to my wonderful wife, Neng, and my sons Eric and Ryan. The past lives we've spent together can't compare to this one. Michael Peck To Kathy Parent Happy holiday, my love. It's so wonderful to have you home for all three holidays. Together forever i the best holiday gift you can give me. God bless. Love, Lucy Yaekel To all Seafarers and their families To all active seamen To Mary and Craig Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Mac (Tom McNellis) To my wife, Hattie Merry Xmas, a prosperous New Year. God bless you. Your husband, A. Minors To SIU officials and members, especially at the NY hall Season's greetings to all. God bless you all. A. Minors To PRMMI shoregang Merry Christmas. God bless you all. A. Minors To my friend and retired member James Robinson Merry Xmas and a prosperous ew Year. A. Minors To /TB Groton officers and crew Merry Christmas to all of you. I'm happy to be working with you guys on Christmas Day, and I'm looking fonvard to working with you again. You make me feel good. Chief Cook Joel Molinas Have a wonderful millennium. Michael Peck To Dawn and Jared Pinkham Merry Christmas to my loving wife and wonderful son. I miss you both very much and I can't wait to see you again. Love, Mark Pinkham JR~ To Vilma and Tommy Lee Rackley I would like to wish my wife and son a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in the year 2000. Bill Rackley To mom, Marylee, Bruce, Bob, Beverly and Tom From the Philippines, I would like to wish my family a great New Year and a Merry Christmas. William, Vilma and Tommy Lee Rackley God bless. Lucy Yaekel To all my brothers and sisters I used to sail and loved every day of life. Then I got hurt. It has been eight years since I last sailed, and I miss it and all the good people very much. Best wishes for a very happy and healthy holiday season. Have a good year. Sy Yaras MlJisc To the Sea Monkeys Group We wish you a joyous season as we all continue on our voyage to a happy destiny. Bo G. and Bill W To Mike Gramer Merry Christmas sweetheart. I hope you have a great Christmas and New Year. The kids and I will keep you in our hearts and prayers. We miss you! Brenda December 1999 �HE LAST 1O YEARS have seen tremendous change affecting all Americans. For instance, many people-not just major businesses-in 1990 were realizing how effective overnight delivery services were in transmitting documents. Then came the fax machine, making overnight too slow. Now, items are transmitted in seconds via email. Encyclopedias have given way to the internet. Friendly personal service from your local bank teller-even your local bank-has been replaced by pay-for-service cash machines operated by major multi-state financial institutions. Cellular phones are everywhere and young people do not understand where the term "dial the telephone" came from. Minivans and sport utility vehicles have replaced station wagons as the choice for family transportation. The Saturn has become one of the major nameplates on highways while the Plymouth is being eliminated. Even the United States currency has been redesigned. Yes, no one entering the 1990s could have foreseen the many, many transformations that would occur in just a decade. The same is true for the SIU and the U.S.-flag merchant fleet. As new 1990 calendars were being hung, some truly believed Old Glory would not be seen on the high seas when the year 2000 arrived. An American merchant fleet was an anachronism. Let someone else move the goods. But events in the Middle East changed that thinking. The vital role played by Seafarers and the rest of the U.S. merchant marine in supplying troops during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm set in motion a sea of change. New ships-especially prepositioning vessels-would be needed for future crises. Well-trained American mariners would have to crew them because the armed forces discovered some of their materiel was delayed when foreign crews refused to sail into a war zone. Militarily useful U.S.-flag commercial vessels and their crews so proved their worth that Congress with the Bush and Clinton administrations worked for five years on legislation to revitalize the fleet. The U.S.-flag tanker fleet was rejuvenated when legislation allowed the export of Alaska North Slope crude oil while new double-hulled tankers, built in a unionized U.S. yard, began sailing in the Jones Act trade. The deep sea fleet was not the only place where change occurred. New inland tugs and barges provided additional jobs for Seafarers. The American Queen joined the Delta Queen Steamboat Company fleet of paddlewheelers, while the Columbia Queen sets sail next year. The U.S.-flag cruise industry came back to life thanks to American Classic Voyages. Two new deep sea passenger ships are being built by union workers and will begin sailing early in the next decade. Joining them will be five 225-passenger coastal cruise ships, the first of which will cast off in 2000. And the decade ended with members of the SIU and National Maritime Union voting whether the NMU should be merged into the Seafarers. Obviously, those cries about the demise of the U.S.-flag merchant fleet are only a bad memory. With all this change, there has been one constant. The main priority of the SIU has been job security for its members. "We dedicated ourselves to one thing," noted SIU President Michael Sacco. "That was making sure Seafarers had safe, good-paying jobs. That was our priority in 1990 and it remains our priority going into the 21st century." Many other events have taken place during these 10 years that have changed the lives of Seafarers and their families. On the next four pages, the Seafarers LOG recalls some of the issues, actions and people that have guided this voyage during the decade of the 1990s. HE DECADE OPENS with the SIU expressing its concern over an annual report issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation that all but dismissed the presence of a U.S.-flag merchant fleet. In a column published in the April 1990 edition of the Seafarers LOG, SIU President Michael Sacco states, "There can be no mistaking now that the Department of Transportation hasn't the slightest intention of making any serious creative effort to reverse the decline of the American-flag shipping industry .... Aside from some - - - - • acknowledgement that maritime is vital to the national security and some vague references to the need for shipping reform so that it can improve its competitive position, the statement of policy gave not the slightest sign of encouragement." At the same time, multi-national agribusinesses with their runaway-flag fleets lobby Congress to eliminate cargo preference laws. Then, a Middle Eastern event changes everything. Iraq invades Kuwait. American forces are ordered to Saudi Arabia to serve in a multinational force designed to remove the aggressors. The Ready Reserve Force fleet joins with MSC prepositioning ships and U.S.-flag commercial vessels to supply troops with tanks, ammunition, food and other materiel. Seafarers come out of retirement and union halls stay open around the clock to ensure no U.S.-flag vessel sails short. During this period, SIU Secretary-Treasurer Joe DiGiorgio retires and John Fay is named by the executive board to take his place. Byron Kelley becomes vice president for the lakes and inland waters and Dean Corgey moves up to Gulf Coast vice president. Brother DiGiorgio passes away at year's end. The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School upgrades its curriculum with an advanced fire fighting course. While 1990 wraps up with the supply effort continuing, Seafarers also crew the first of three new AT&T cable ships: the Global Sentinel. . - - - - - . AYS INTO THE NEW YEAR, Operation Desert Shield gives way to Operation Desert Storm. Allied bombs rain on Iraq for several weeks before the ground invasion overruns Iraqi forces. The Persian Gulf War lasts 43 days. The U.S.-flag fleet is praised by military and government officials who review how each element of the build-up and combat performed. The head of the armed forces' logistics deployment calls the industry "the bedrock of America's defense transportation system. In the past six months, we have asked a great deal from America's maritime unions and you have responded by giving us everything we have asked for and more," adds General Hansford T. Johnson, who oversees the U.S. Transportation Command. Seafarers proudly march with America's armed forces in Washington, D.C.'s national victory parade. Further reviews during the year cite the need for a strong U.S.-flag fleet. After saluting the work done by the merchant marine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell, tells the Senate, "Our nation's sealift capability needs improvement." By the end of the year, the SIU and other maritime unions jointly call for action to revitalize the U.S.-flag fleet. (Earlier, these unions start the push to keep maritime out of the world trade talks, known as GATT.) The union opens a new hall in Honolulu and initiates a series of conferences around the country to educate members about the union's benefit programs. The training center in Piney Point, Md. is named in memory of the late SIU president who oversaw its creation: the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education. The first vessel that will be covered by a Seafarers Entertainment and Allied Trades Union contract-the Alton Be/le-begins sailing. SIU President Michael Sacco is elected to the AFL-CIO executive council. The U.S. Coast Guard announces it intends to charge mariners for their z-cards and to implement a renewal program for the documents. December 1999 1991 SeafanNS LOG 11 �Decade of Progress CTION BEGINS ON WHAT will eventually become the Maritime Security Program. A Pentagon study cites the need for more sealift capability based on its analysis of the Persian Gulf War. Then, Transportation Secretary Andrew Card presents during a Senate Merchant Marine Subcommittee hearing the Bush administration's plan for a seven-year effort to help fund the U.S.-flag fleet. The maritime unions praise the proposal: "American maritime labor, the industry and Congress 1992 have demonstrated a willingness to work for a revival of a U.S.-flag shipping capability. With the addition of administration support to the equation, we are hopeful that what once looked to be a formidable task now has become a reachable goal." Congress takes no further action on the measure before it adjourns. Seafarers climb the gangway on the first new U.S.-flag containership built since 1987, Matson's R.J. Pfeiffer. The SIUcrewed Pride of Texas becomes the first U.S.-flag vessel to sail into Lithuania since 1939. "Red" Campbell steps down as contracts vice president. Augie Tellez replaces him. Retired Atlantic Coast Vice President Leon Hall passes away. President Bush signs legislation allowing gaming aboard U.S.-flag deep sea vessels. Delta Queen Steamboat Company announces plans to build a new paddlewheel vessel to ply the Mississippi and its tributaries. In the wake of the Coast Guard's new regulation governing benzene exposure, the Paul Hall Center offers classes to protect Seafarers. The Persian Gulf sealift operation wraps up, but vessels start sailing with supplies to Somalia. HE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION shows its interest in a maritime revitalization program within its first days in office. 1993 New Transportation Secretary Federico Pena calls representatives from maritime labor and industry together in Washington, D.C. to learn more about the needs of the U.S.-flag fleet. Former merchant mariner and retired Navy Vice Admiral Albert Herberger, who had served as deputy chief of TRANSCOM, is nominated to head the Maritime Administration. The White House sends legislation for a 10-year program to Capitol Hill. It is well received by the bipartisan leadership of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee. The package makes its way through the House and passes 34 7-65. As the effort to enact revitalization grows, American President Lines and Sea-Land Service ask MarAd to allow the reflagging of 20 vessels. The SIU, with the other maritime unions, fights this request. Workers at the Avondale (la.) Shipyard begin a six-year battle to gain a union contract by voting almost 2-1 for representation. The UIW-contracted Queen Mary reopens after a year-long battle in Long Beach, Calif. Delta Queen Steamboat Company purchases American Hawaii Cruises, which operates the SIU-crewed SS independence and SS Constitution. The two companies will comprise American Classic Voyages. SIU Government Services Division members crew the Navy's first SWATHdesign T-AGOS vessel. Under the new standard freightship and tanker agreements ratified by the membership, medical coverage is extended to dependents and the pension cap is lifted. Tom Fay replaces Ken Conklin, who retired as vice president for the Paul Hall Center. Retired Gulf Coast Vice President Lindsey Williams passes away. International trade representatives agree to exclude maritime from GATT. HE YEAR STARTS WITH President Clinton becoming the first sitting chief executive to tour the Paul Hall Center. After Transportation Secretary Federico Pena tells the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department that the administration has included funds for maritime revitalization in its Fiscal Year 1995 budget, the White House sends a revised 10-year initiative to Congress. AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland, a former merchant officer, announces the unions' support: "Labor as a whole embraces the administration's maritime security program as an impor- 1994 tant step toward the revitalization of the American merchant marine." The House passes the measure 294-122. However, it is blocked in the Senate by farm-state legislators. The White House vows to bring the measure back in the next Congress. Because of the lack of a program, APL flags out its six new C-11 containerships and Sea-Land asks to reflag five of its vessels (which is granted in early 1995). The SIU and other maritime unions call for the repeal of the 21-year export ban of Alaska North Slope crude oil as long as the petroleum is carried by U.S.-flag tankers. Boatmen aboard E.N. Bisso tugs in New Orleans vote 45 to 27 for SIU representation. The effort to gain a contract begins. The Brooklyn union hall moves a block to its new location. The Paul Hall Center launches a series of EPA-approved refrigeration certification classes around the ports. It revises its steward department curriculum and purchases new vessels for hands-on training. SIU-crewed vessels return from Somalia and receive praise for their work, while other ships assist U.S. forces deployed to return democracy to Haiti. In national elections, the GOP gains control of Congress for the first time in 40 years. 12 Seafarers LOG December 1999 �HE NEW CONGRESS disbands the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee while merging the Senate Merchant Marine Subcommittee with one on surface transportation. 1995 However, the effort to gain maritime revitalization continues to push forward. The administration reintroduces its legislation. Senate Majority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.), the son of a union shipyard worker, tells the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department: "I want a U.S.-flag fleet, manned by American crews, and U.S. ships built by American labor." The bill goes to the Senate after the House approves it in a bipartisan voice vote. A measure to end the export ban of Alaska North Slope crude oil makes its way through Congress. SIU President Michael Sacco tells a Senate subcommittee many U.S.-flag tankers are tied up or scheduled for scrapping, thus keeping American mariners from sailing and keeping their skills sharp. He noted America's economic circumstances had changed since the 1970s when the ban went into effect. In May, the Senate approves lifting the ban 74-25. The House clears a different version in July 324-77. A conference committee irons out the differences. Congress again approves lifting the ban and President Clinton signs the measure on November 28. New jobs for Seafarers are gained. The American Queen is christened. Maersk brings two foreign-flag RO/ROs into the U.S. registry and reconfigures them as prepositioning vessels. Penn Maritime adds an ITB to its fleet. And five former Maersk foreign-flag vessels are earmarked to become Army prepositioning ships. The SIU-crewed Cape Race breaks out to assist U.N. efforts in Bosnia. The Paul Hall Center dedicates part of its Harry Lundeberg School facility as the Thomas 8. Crowley Sr. Campus for Higher Learning. The union opens a hall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Center Vice President Tom Fay succumbs to cancer. John Sweeney is elected president of the AFL-CIO. ARAD ANNOUNCES A SERIES of double-hulled Double Eagle tankers will be built at unionized Newport News (Va.) Shipbuilding. Construction funding comes from a Title XI shipbuilding loan guarantee. These are the first tankers to be built in an American yard since the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 became law. Laid-up tankers begin sailing with SIU crews to move Alaska North Slope crude oil. Maritrans launches another ITB and the Paul Hall Center develops inland tankermen courses. Action moves to the Senate for a maritime revitalization program. The head of TRANSCOM, General Robert Rutherford, calls for its passage. In July, Trent Lott (R-Miss.) becomes Senate Majority Leader when Bob Dole (R-Kansas) resigns to run for president. Two months later, the legislation is debated by the full Senate where it passes 88-10. On October 8, President Clinton signs the measure enacting the Maritime Security Program, which will provide funds for 1O years for approximately 50 militarily useful U.S.-flag vessels. It is the first major piece of maritime legislation enacted since 1970. MarAd announces the first contract awards in December. 1996 The celebration was tempered by the unexpected loss of SIU Executive Vice President Joseph Sacco to a heart attack. In other developments, SIU Secretary-Treasurer John Fay becomes chairman of the ITF Seafarers' Section. A new hall in Tacoma opens. Members are urged to acquire STCW certificates. The new standard freightship and tanker agreements expand medical benefits and create a money purchase pension plan. The Jones Act fight continues. More than 70 flag officers inform Congress of the need for the nation's freight cabo- CLINTON SIGNS SHIP BILL tage law. Seafarers and their families travel from North Carolina to attend a congressional hearing on the subject and meet with their representatives. I ~~, - Finally, MSC Pacific Fleet vessels are deployed in the Persian Gulf because of Iraqi attacks on the Kurds. 10-Year Program Salls Through Senate with Bipartisan Support December 1999 Seafarers LOG 13 �Decade of Progress EEPING UP WITH THE ever-changing needs of the industry, the Paul Hall Center continues its efforts to meet and exceed what is required of American mariners. The facility starts issuing training record books which will allow Seafarers to show their compliance with international safety and training regulations without having to carry all kinds of papers. The facility revamps its syllabus for beginning mariners. The new nine-month unlicensed appren- - - - - tice program continues hands-on and classroom training at Piney Point but allows students to work for three months aboard U.S.-flag ships to learn more about the trade. 1997 The center also begins anti-terrorist training for members upgrading in government vessels courses. Enemies of the Jones Act renew their assault on the freight cabotage law. However, a bipartisan resolution supporting the act is introduced in the House of Representatives early in the session. By fall, more than half the members of the House have signed on as co-sponsors, effectively killing any action against the Jones Act. The executive board names John Fay executive vice president for the union, while Dave Heindel becomes secretary-treasurer. George McCartney retires as West Coast vice president. The board chooses Nick Marrone as his successor. A new SIU hall opens in Anchorage, Alaska. The SIU launches its web site. Seafarers continue to gain additional jobs as new tugs and vessels-including four reflagged Maersk containerships-come under contract. Bisso boatmen ratify the company's first union contract in its 117-year history. President Clinton signs legislation that includes the U.S.-Flag Cruise Ship Pilot Project, which provides funding to assist in new passenger ship development. NOL announces the purchase of APL which brings four C-11s to the U.S. registry. Tyco acquires the AT&T cable ship fleet. Efforts are announced to convert the mothballed Philadelphia Naval Yard into a commercial shipbuilding facility. ._,,__"' Things Right Place Right Time ~'· ~.~ R~ht ALKS AIMED AT A POSSIBLE AFFILIATION of the National Maritime Union into the SIUNA are announced during the NMU's convention, held in March at the Paul Hall Center. The effort culminates on December 10 when SIUNA President Michael Sacco and NMU President Rene Lioeanjie sign the document, thus bringing all the nation's major unlicensed maritime unions within the same organization. Seafarers sail to the Persian Gulf again to supply American and allied forces as Iraq once more rattles its sword. The delivery effort is praised by TRANSCOM while the president of the U.S. Navy League calls for more support for the U.S.-flag merchant fleet. Delta Queen Steamboat Co.mpany announces its intention to build five 225-passenger coastal cruise ships. They would sail along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Northwest coasts with the first coming on line by 2000. In testimony before Congress, the SIU talks favorably about the prospects for expanding the U.S.-flag cruise fleet. Senator John Breaux (Ola.) introduces legislation to help rebuild that fleet. The Clinton administration announces approval for dredging to begin in the port of New York/New Jersey so it can handle proposed deeper draft commercial vessels. The first two Double Eagle tankers-the Cape Lookout Shoals and Nantucket Shoals-set sail, joining other new ships in providing more job opportunities for Seafarers. SIU pensioners benefit when a new prescription drug program is initiated. Steel dumping by foreign nations adversely affects Seafarers working on the Great Lakes. The sailing season ends early after an extended run of record-setting years. Veterans Day takes on new meaning for merchant mariners who sailed between August 16, 1945 and December 31, 1946 as President Clinton signs into law an extension of World War II veterans' status for these Americans. The dates now coincide with all other veterans of that era. XPANSION OF THE U.S. PASSENGER SHIP FLEET becomes more of a reality when the president of American Classic Voyages and the president of Ingalls Shipbuilding sign a contract in the U.S. Capitol to build two 1,900-passenger vessels for the Hawaiian trades. Construction was made possible through the passage of the U.S.-Flag Cruise Ship Pilot Project of 1997. Later in the year, American Classic Voyages announces the new ships will become part of a subsidiary .__ _ _• which will resurrect the United States Lines name. The company purchases the Nieuw Amsterdam, will reflag and upgrade it, and rename the ship the MS Patriot when it starts sailing around Hawaii late next year. Another subsidiary, Delta Queen Steamboat Company, releases its plans to offer paddlewheel service in the Pacific Northwest aboard the Columbia Queen. While all of these represent new job opportunities for Seafarers, SIU members climb the gangways to new car carriers, the Green Dale and the Tanabata, as well as other new vessels. SIU-crewed vessels continue to supply U.S. troops stationed in the Persian Gulf and the Balkans. The Paul Hall Center opens the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School, providing a world-class facility for classroom and hands-on instruction minutes from the main Piney Point campus. Roy "Buck" Mercer retires as government services vice president. Kermett Mangram is named to replace him. Don Nolan becomes vice president of the Paul Hall Center. The union opens a new hall to serve the membership in New Orleans while the facility in Norfolk gets a facelift. Following talks throughout the year, a proposed merger to bring the NMU within the ranks of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District is announced in September. The year ends with members of both unions voting to see if the talks should proceed. 14 Seafarers LOS 1999 New Ships For Seafarers! To Come Al Sea December 1999 �Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea OCTOBER 16 - NOVEMBER 15, 1999 *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class B Class C TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C Totals **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C DECK DEPARTMENT Port New York Philadelphia Baltimore Norfolk Mobile New Orleans Jacksonville San Francisco Wilmington Seattle Puerto Rico Honolulu Houston St. Louis Piney Point Algonac Trip Reliefs 23 11 6 8 3 2 3 10 14 23 36 12 5 6 29 6 17 6 8 5 26 24 6 12 26 5 6 11 17 5 13 1 2 2 249 122 5 8 2 6 5 2 2 10 1 2 1l 4 7 5 7 44 20 2 7 9 23 23 19 4 4 0 2 9 8 25 2 21 17 24 8 8 19 4 2 4 68 181 6 7 8 2 2 11 8 3 6 1 12 6 9 3 2 6 5 7 2 3 12 3 0 2 7 2 3 2 86 58 5 6 10 2 9 4 1 68 22 23 61 41 45 43 13 15 37 3 2 2 393 8 6 15 31 9 20 11 4 12 20 3 3 1 186 9 3 5 9 7 12 3 18 7 0 6 January & February 2000 Membership Meetings Deep Sea, Lakes, Inland Waters Piney Point ............. Monday: January 3, February 7 Algonac .................. Friday: January 7, February J 1 Baltimore ................ Thursday: January 6, February 10 Duluth ..................... Wedne day: January 12, February 16 Honolulu .... ............. Friday: January 14, February 18 Houston .................. Monday: January 10, February 14 Jacksonville ............ Thursday: January 6, February IO Jersey City .............. Wednesday: January 19, February 23 Mobile .................... Wednesday: January 12, February 16 11 4 New Bedford .......... Tuesday: January 18, February 22 2 New Orleans ........ ... Tuesday: January 11, February 15 4 New York. .... ........... Tuesday: January 4, February 8 101 Norfolk ................... Thursday: January 6, February 10 Port New York Philadelphia Baltimore Norfolk Mobile New Orleans Jacksonville San Francisco Wilmington Seattle Puerto Rico Honolulu Houston St. Louis Piney Point Algonac Totals 15 4 5 4 8 4 1 6 5 4 8 20 12 8 10 11 5 4 24 3 2 0 9 8 5 6 3 8 9 0 3 5 0 4 2 0 4 2 1 6 7 1 5 5 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 4 1 9 6 3 3 6 4 2 5 8 2 6 10 14 4 4 9 2 0 1 4 0 7 5 6 5 6 3 2 4 14 1 0 2 3 0 3 5 I 3 0 1 2 2 2 6 8 10 32 21 16 18 8 9 25 2 3 1 7 7 2 3 1 6 2 3 3 3 l 2 0 129 86 46 92 64 41 12 7 0 7 4 13 14 22 14 17 2 7 12 2 0 0 133 5 1 5 4 4 I 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 45 16 98 7 1 25 2 13 5 0 1 5 11 0 1 8 9 1 3 22 1 0 0 30 5 2 12 5 1 9 7 13 19 9 11 12 4 8 IO 2 5 0 186 128 21 6 2 10 8 15 12 1 4 0 Totals 0 2 0 2 2 8 7 2 4 2 5 3 2 1 8 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 5 I 0 Totals Totals All Departments 1 0 2 4 2 7 6 6 4 3 6 15 12 15 13 3 0 0 1 0 0 4 1 1 0 8 9 5 1 2 2 1 8 2 0 7 6 0 4 6 2 1 2 48 I 0 2 0 36 29 40 24 2 10 3 15 12 1 3 0 3 2 3 4 5 9 4 1 7 3 3 0 3 1 1 0 1 4 0 0 0 12 38 221 0 90 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 28 33 0 3 3 3 22 12 2 11 17 3 12 9 4 10 17 31 25 10 24 4 38 19 0 0 1 7 1 0 0 St. Louis ................. Friday: January 14, February 18 Tacoma ................... Friday: January 21, February 25 Wilmington ............... Tuesday: January 18*, February 22* (*changes created by Martin Lutherc King Jr. s birthday and Presidents Day holidays) Each port's meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. Personals TO MY FELLOW BROTHERS OF THE SEA Arthur N. Sjaastad, who sailed as an AB from the port of Houston, is presently incarcerated and would love to hear from some of his former shipmates. His address is TDCJ-ID #681264, Estelle Unit, Foscil K-2205, Huntsville, Texas 77340. THOMAS CHIN 27 2 14 16 3 4 0 2 San Juan .................. Thursday: January 6, February LO Please contact Cyd Reagan, c/o Sylvia Westbrook, P.O. Box 1150, Mt. View, Hawaii 96771; or telephone (808) 968-6492. 6 1 Preventive Medicine in Tacoma 0 ENTRY DEPARTMENT Port New York Philadelphia Baltimore Norfolk Mobile New Orleans Jacksonville San Francisco Wilmington Seattle Puerto Rico Honolulu Houston St. Louis Piney Point Algonac 5 2 San Francisco ......... Thursday: January 13, February 17 3 Port New York Philadelphia Baltimore Norfolk Mobile New Orleans Jacksonville San Francisco Wilmington Seattle Puerto Rico Honolulu Houston St. Louis Piney Point Algonac Philadelphia ............ Wednesday: January 5, February 9 1 0 4 3 I 6 7 6 3 8 12 6 3 13 20 6 17 5 11 3 6 4 2 l 0 2 4 1 5 19 0 0 7 5 8 5 9 11 13 1 19 30 86 1 12 4 0 0 0 0 6 2 0 6 l 0 0 48 158 170 27 0 2 2 106 559 411 300 398 292 5 14 4 9 0 1 9 8 4 4 6 11 13 11 7 l 8 13 3 51 3 0 19 0 0 143 0 87 243 235 254 136 887 647 411 13 5 104 10 0 Seafarers in the Tacoma, Wash. area lined up at the SIU hall for their annual flu shot on October 22. Among those taking the inoculation were (above) Recertified Steward Henry Jones and (below) SA Kaid Adam. Administering the shots is RN JoAnn Kauffman. 11 2 *"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port. **"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port. December 1999 Seafarers LOG 15 �Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes Seafarers lntemational Union Directory OCTOBER 16 - Mid1ael Sac® · President CL - John Fay . Executive Vice President Augustin TeUez Vice President Contracts Jack Caffey Vice President Atlantic Coast Byron Kelley Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters Dean Corgey Vice President Gulf Coast Nicholas J. Marrone . Vice President West Coast Kermett Mangram Vice President Government Services .. HEADQUARTERS 520 l Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746 (301) 899-0675 ALGONAC 520 St. Clair River Dr. Algonac, MI 48001 (810) 794-4988 ANCHORAGE 721 Sesame St., # IC Anchorage, AK 99503 (907) 561-4988 Port Algonac Port Algonac Port Algonac Port Algonac HOUSTON 1221 Pierce St. Houston, TX 77002 (713) 659-5152 JACKSONVILLE 3315 Liberty St. Jacksonville, FL 32206 (904) 353-0987 JERSEY CITY 99 Montgomery St. Jersey City, NJ 07302 (201) 435-9424 MOBILE 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy. Mobile, AL 36605 (334) 478-0916 NEW BEDFORD 48 Union St. New Bedford, MA 02740 (508) 997-5404 NEW ORLEANS 3911 Lapalco Blvd. Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 328-7545 NEW YORK 635 Fourth Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11232 (718) 499-6600 NORFOLK 115 Third St. Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-1892 PHILADELPHIA 2604 S. 4 St. Philadelphia, PA 19148 {215) 336-3818 PINEY POINT P.O. Box 75 Piney Point, MD 20674 (301) 994-0010 PORT EVERGLADES 1221 S. Andrews Ave. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 522-7984 SAN FRANCISCO 350 Fremont St. San Francisco, CA 94105 ( 415) 543-5855 Government Services Division (415) 861-3400 SANTURCE 1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Stop 16'l2 Santurce, PR 00907 (787) 721-4033 < ST. LOUIS 4581 Gravois Ave. St. Louis, MO 63116 (314) 752-6500 TACOMA 3411 South Union Ave. Tacoma, WA 98409 (253) 272-7774 WILMINGTON 510 N. Broad Ave. Wilmington, CA 90744 (310) 549-4000 16 Seafarers LOG 29 21 0 18 17 0 7 12 0 24 19 Non Priority TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP DECK DEPARTMENT 0 15 7 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 7 8 0 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 4 0 6 ENTRY DEPARTMENT 7 0 12 0 11 9 0 2 2 0 2 6 0 12 13 30 Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters OCTOBER 16 *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class B Class C DULUTH HONOLULU 606 Kalihi St. Honolulu, HI 96819 (808) 845-5222 0 NP - 0 27 39 27 Totals All Depts 0 78 69 0 *"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port. **"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port. BALTIMORE 1216 E. Baltimore St. Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 327-4900 705 Medical Arts Building Duluth, MN 55802 (218) 722-4110 L-Lakes Company/Lakes *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP Da\'id Heindel Secretary-Treasurer NOVEMBER 15, 1999 Region Atlantic Coast Gulf Coast Lakes, Inland Waters West Coast Totals Region Atlantic Coast Gulf Coast Lakes, Inland Waters West Coast Totals Region Atlantic Coast Gulf Coast Lakes, Inland Waters West Coast Totals 0 1 0 0 40 0 1 0 0 42 0 3 0 4 7 0 0 0 0 0 25 1 26 0 0 1 0 0 15 1 16 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 NOVEMBER 15, 1999 TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C DECK DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 20 0 2 6 3 5 28 3 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 1 0 11 0 1 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 20 8 29 0 0 0 2 2 0 23 38 0 0 15 2 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 11 1 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals All Depts 84 0 9 43 3 7 58 2 *"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port. **"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port. 15 0 0 0 0 2 2 41 PIC-FROM-THE-PAST This photo was sent to the Seafarers LOG by pensioner Ewing "Ed" Rihn of Franklinton, La. The picture was taken aboard the Waterman ship Mirabeau B. Yamar on a trip to Trieste in 1947. The vessel crewed in New Orleans and paid off in Baltimore. Standing (from the left) are Joe Huber, Chad Galt, Red Smith, Bill Grega! and Ed Rihn. Bosun Tom Freeman is kneeling at left. Rihn, 75, joined the SIU in 1944 in the port of Galveston and graduated from the bosun recertification program in 1973. He won the Seafarers Safety Poster Contest of 1960-61 . Before retiring in 1984, Rihn worked with the Delta Steamship Lines shoregang in New Orleans. December 1999 �- - - - -- - - - - - - - -...._.-~....-ri__.,.....,.________ _ _ _ ___ -·-- Welcome Ashore Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-.flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead. hree recertified bosuns and one recertified steward are among the 19 Seafarers announcing their retirements this month. Representing more than 130 years of active union membership, Recertified Bosuns Kenneth W. Craft, Ronald W. Dailey and Neil D. Matthey and Recertified Steward Harold Fielder are graduates of the highest level of training available to members in the deck and steward departments, respectively, at the Sill's training school in Piney Point, Md. Including the four recertified graduates, 14 of the retiring Seafarers sailed in the deep sea division, four shipped on inland vessels, and one plied the Great Lakes. Nine of the retiring pensioners sailed in the deck department, eight worked in the steward department and two shipped in the engine department. On this page, the Seafarers LOG presents brief biographical accounts of the retiring Seafarers. T DEEP SEA ABDULR. ABDO, 67, began his career with the Seafarers in 1967 in the port of San Francisco. His first ship was the Halcyon Panther. Born in Arabia, he worked in the steward department. Brother Abdo last sailed in 1996 aboard the President Chester B. Arthur, an American President Lines vessel. He has retired to San Francisco. RITA M. BALLARD, 60, joined the Marine Cooks & Stewards (MC&S) in 1965 in the port of San Francisco, first sailing aboard Matson Navigation Co. 's Lurline. A member of the steward department, Sister Ballard last sailed aboard the SS Independence, an American Hawaii Cruises vessel. Born in Switzerland, she makes her home in Santa Rosa, Calif. KENNETH W.CRAFT, 59, started his career with the SIU in 1969 in the port of Seattle. His first ship was the Raleigh, operated by Crest Overseas Shipping Co. Born in North Dakota, he sailed in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the Sill's school in Piney Point, Md., where he graduated from the bosun recertification program in 1984. Prior to retirement, Brother Craft sailed aboard the Sea-Land Innovator. From 1957 to 1963, he served in the U.S. Navy. He has retired to Winter- haven, Calif. RONALDW. DAILEY, 66, began his career with the Seafarers in 1977 from the port of Tampa, Fla., sailing in the inland division aboard the Dixie Prag- December 1999 ress. The deck department member later transferred to deep sea vessels. Brother Dailey frequently upgraded his skills at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md., where he graduated from the bosun recertification program in 1992. The Ohio native served in the U.S. Navy from 1950 to 1954 and served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1964. Prior to retirement, he sailed aboard the Newark Bay, a Sea-Land Service vessel. Jacksonville, Fla. is where he calls home. ARLIE A. DILLARD, 65, started sailing with the SIU in 1962 in the port of Houston. His first ship was the Cathy, operated by Sea Transport Co. A native of Texas, he worked in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship in Piney Point, Md. Brother Dillard last sailed in 1980 aboard the Overseas Anchor. He has retired to Houston. HAROLDH. FIELDER, 65, first sailed with the Seafarers in 1952 from the port of Mobile, Ala. A native of Alabama, he graduated from the Andrew Furuseth Training School in 1958 and upgraded at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School in Piney Point, Md., where he graduated from the steward recertification program in 1980. The steward department member last sailed in 1989 aboard the Sea-Land Crusader. Brother Fielder makes his home in Mobile. HERBERT HOLLINGS, 65, started sailing with the Seafarers in 1951 aboard the Afoundria. A native of Mobile, Ala., he worked in the steward department, last sailing as a chief cook aboard the Sgt. William R. Button, an American Overseas Marine Corp. vessel. Brother Hollings makes his home in Mobile. MARCOSC. LEGASPI, 64, graduated from the MC&S training school in 1963 and joined the union in the port of San Francisco. His first ship was the President Wilson, an American President Lines vessel. Prior to retiring, he worked on the Mokihana, operated by Matson Navigation Co. Brother Legaspi calls San .---...........=------,Francisco home. THOMAS MARTINEZ, 79, began his career with the Seafarers in ~-~~-~ 1945 in the port of Philadelphia. Born in Ecuador, he sailed in the engine department and upgraded his skills at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education. He last sailed aboard the USNS Able, operated by Maersk Line, Ltd. He makes his home in Philadelphia. NEILD. MATTHEY, 70, first sailed with the SIU in 1947, aboard the Marine Phoenix. Born in California, the U.S. Navy veteran worked in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the union's school in Piney Point, Md., where he graduated from the bosun recertification program in 1976. Prior to retirement, he worked aboard the Equality State, an Interocean Ugland Management Corp. vessel. Brother Matthey has retired to La Marque, Texas. NEWTON RADER, 61, graduated from the MC&S training school in Santa Rosa, Calif. in 1961. Born in the Philippines, he became a U.S. citizen. Brother Rader worked in the steward department, last sailing aboard the President Grant, an American Ship Management vessel. He calls San Pedro, Calif. home. ANASTACIO SERENO, 68, began his career with the MC&S in 1972 from the port of San Francisco, after graduating from the MC&S training school in Santa Rosa, Calif. His first ship was the Achilles, operated by Newport Tankers Corp. Brother Sereno worked in the steward department, last sailing aboard the Manukai, a Matson Navigation Co. vessel. A native of the Philippines, he has retired to Milpitas, Calif. RAY F. SIMS, 65, first sailed with the Seafarers in 1969 in the port of New York aboard the Seatrain Florida. Born in Tennessee, he worked in the engine department and upgraded his skills at the union 's school in Piney Point, Md. From 1952 to 1957, he served in the U.S. Navy. Brother Sims last sailed in 1992 aboard the Overseas Juneau. He calls San Francisco home. ANTONIOB. TREVINO, 65, joined the SIU in 1968 in the port of New Orleans. Brother Trevino was a member of the deck department. Born in Honduras, he last sailed in 1983 aboard the Cove Sailor, operated by Cove Shipping. He makes his home in Dallas. INLAND BETTYC. ADAMS, 63, started her career with the Seafarers in 1985. Born in Illinois, she worked in the steward department. Sister Adams sailed primarily aboard Orgulf Transport Co. vessels. She has retired to Effmgham, Ill. ALBERTB. CHURCIIlLL, 63, joined the SIU in 1952. The Texas native sailed as a captain, primarily aboard vessels operated by G&H Towing Co. Boatman Churchill makes his home in League City, Texas. BILLYM. MARE LL, 60, first sailed with the Seafarers in 1959 aboard deep sea vessel Chiwawa, operated by Interocean Management. He later transferred to the inland division, working in the deck department and upgrading his skills at the union's school in Piney Point, Md. Prior to retiring, he sailed aboard the Maritrans tug Columbia. Boatman Marell calls Middleburg, Fla. home. CARLK. MOOR, 71, joined the SIU in 1976 in the port of Norfolk, Va. Born in Tennessee, he sailed in the deck department and graduated from the towboat scholarship program in 1979 at the union's school in Piney Point, Md. During his career, he continued to upgrade his skills at the school. He last sailed aboard the Falcon, an Allied Towing Co. vessel. From 1948 to 1967, he served in the U.S. Navy. Boatman Moor has retired to Norfolk. GREAT LAKES AHMEDS. SHAIBI, 65, began his career with the Seafarers in 1970 in Detroit. His first ship was the Harris N. Snyder. A native of Yemen, he became a U.S. citizen in 1974. Brother Shaibi worked in the deck department, last sailing aboard the Medusa Challenger, operated by Cement Transit. He makes his home in Dearborn, Mich. strong belief in independence is also the longterm goal of America during this current ener1950 gy crisis.... The SIU Atlantic and Guff District became the Vice President and former House Minority first seamen's union to negotiate a companyLeader Gerald R. Ford (R-Mlch.) outlined for financed Welfare Plan m==============================~ the delegates of the for its members. This SIUNA convention was established in an what he feels will be agreement signed with his responsibility in nine contracted his new post as steamship companies on America's 4oth vice December 28. president. Although the companies will make all the contributions to the wel1990 fare fund, the agreement provides for joint An additional breakout of Seafarers will crew administration by a committee representing another 13 ships from the government's the union and the steamship companies. Ready Reserve Force ( RRF) fleet which has Under the terms of the contract each compabeen activated by the military to support the ny will contribute into a common fund, the massive deployment of supplies and equipment sum of 2 5 cents per day for each man to the Persian Gulf.... employed aboard its vessels. As part of the massive logistical effort supplying Operation Desert Shield, the most recently 1973 deployed RRF ships will carry heavy vehicles Addressing a standing-room only audience at and other materiel for the soon-to-be the SIUNA convention, President Richard M. 430,000 American military personnel Nixon stressed that the Seafarers' traditionally assigned to duty in the Persian Gulf. Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG THI 0 T 'N SIU HJ TO Y Seafarers LOG 17 �,f f DEEP SEA RONALD J. ADRIAN! Ronald J. Adriani, 59, passed away August 26. He began sailing with the Seafarers in 1980. Born in Connecticut, he started out in the steward department and later transferred to the deck department. Brother Adriani upgraded his skills at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School in Piney Point, Md. From 1958 to 1961, he served in the U.S. Army. He was a resident of Friday Harbor, Wash. . _ __ _ _ _ ____J JOSE CIRO A. ALVARADO Pensioner Jose Ciro A. Alvarado, 76, died October 11. Born in Mexico, he started his career with the SIU in 1951 in Galveston, Texas. His first ship was the Republic. During his career, he worked in the engine department, last sailing aboard the Spirit of Texas, a Titan Navigation vessel. Brother Alvarado made his home in Dickinson, Texas and retired in June 1986. PAULL. BAKER Pensioner Paul L. Baker, 72, passed away October 10. A native of Ohio, he joined the Marine Cooks & Stewards (MC&S) in 1952 in the port of San Francisco. Brother Baker sailed in the steward department and began receiving his pension in November 1984. From 1945 to 1946, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a resident of San Francisco. SERVANDO J. CANALES Pensioner Servando J. Canales, 66, died October 16. Brother Canales began sailing with the Seafarers in 1948 in the port of New Orleans. A native of Louisiana, he worked in the deck department as a bosun. He last sailed in 1976 aboard the Mayaguez, operated by Puerto Rico Marine Management. A resident of Metairie, La., he retired in January 1998. BIAGIO DiMENTO Pensioner Biagio DiMento, 77, passed away August 26, 1998. Born in Pennsylvania, he started his career with the SIU in 1963 in the port of Philadelphia. During his career, he worked in all three departments, last sailing in 197 5 in the deck department aboard the Samuel Chase, operated by Waterman Steamship Corp. Brother DiMento lived in the Philippines and started receiving his pension in June 1989. HARVEY E. FAIRBURN Pensioner Harvey E. Fairburn, 81 , died October 6. He began his career 18 Seafarers LOG with the Seafarers in 1946. The Louisiana native sailed in the engine department and started receiving his pension lot!!!:il:.........1~.-.'""--.-....L_-11 in October 1976. Brother Fairburn was a resident of Fort Worth, Texas. GEORGE E. FRIES Pensioner George E. Fries, i\ 55, passed away :~~' October 10. Born in New York, be graduated from the entry level training pro~mi!~11...-_jPSi\'(/j gram at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School in 1965 and joined the SIU in the port of Wilmington, Calif Brother Fries worked in the deck department, last sailing as a bosun aboard the Sea-Land Innovator. A resident of Paramount, Calif., he retired in November 1998. ·= fR JACK GOTTLIEB Pensioner Jack Gottlieb, 92, died August 17. Brother Gottlieb was a member of the MC&S. He sailed in the steward department and started receiving his pension in October 1970. Brother Gottlieb was a resident of Boston. EUGENE R. HALL Pensioner Eugene R. Hall, 85, passed away September 11. A native of Ohio, he joined the Seafarers in 1944 in the port of '-''----"--:>..---L..J~ Norfolk, Va. He sailed in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the SIU's training school in Piney Point, Md. During his career, he was active in union organizing drives. Prior to retiring in September 197 5, he worked aboard the Sea-Land Anchorage. Brother Hall made his home in Sea Level, N.C. CARY V. HAYWOOD Pensioner Cary V. Haywood, 68, died September 21. He first sailed with the SIU in 1947 aboard the Half Knot. Brother Haywood worked in the deck department, last sailing aboard the Flickertail State, operated by Interocean Management. From 1948 to 1952, the Virginia native served in the U.S. Air Force. Brother Haywood was a resident of Virginia Beach, Va. and began receiving his pension in December 1995. CHARLES H. HURLBURT Pensioner Charles H. Hurlburt, 69, passed away August 17. Born in New ~ York, he joined the Seafarers in 1952, sailing ~~"'-3flii.;Jl...;..iL....::...J1UiL.J aboard the Sultana, operated by Nicholson Steamship Co. Brother Hurlburt worked in the steward department. Prior to retiring in February 1991 , he sailed aboard the Newark Bay, a Sea-Land Service vessel. From 1947 to 1951 , he served in the U.S. Navy. Galveston, Texas was his home. ARTHUR R. McCREE -._~;;;;;;jjjj.---t Pensioner Arthur R. Mccree, 71, died September 26. Brother McCree began 1 · his career with the SIU in 1952 "--......,.--...;;;;;;;;;....j from the port of L-::===========~ San Francisco. Born in South Africa, he worked in the deck department, last sailing aboard the Westward Venture, operated by Interocean Management. He was a resident of Federal Way, Wash. and started receiving his pension in September 1996. 1 COOPER H. McMILLIN Pensioner Cooper H. McMillin, 86, passed away September 25. A native of Missouri, he started his sailing career with the Seafarers in 1966 aboard the Oberlin Victory. Brother McMillin worked in the steward department, last sailing as a chief cook aboard the Sea-Land Philadelphia. A resident of Caldwell, Idaho, he retired in April 1984. ERNEST E. MULIERI Pensioner Ernest E. Mulieri, 80, died September 3. Born in Boston, he first sailed with the SIU in 1947 in the port of Baltimore. Brother Mulieri worked in the engine department and upgraded his skills to a licensed officer in 1966. A veteran of World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946. He made his home in Salem, Mass. and began receiving his pension in September 1983. ARON B. NEDDIO Pensioner Aron B. Neddie, 84, passed away October 17. Brother Neddie was a member of the MC&S. He sailed in the steward department and retired in September 1973. He made his home in New Orleans. VIRGINIA M. PENA Virginia M. Pena, 65, died September 15. She joined the MC&S in 1961. Sister Pena worked in the steward department, last sailing in 1989 aboard the President Harrison, an American President Line vessel. Seattle was her home. ALFREDO RIOS _.....,.....__, Pensioner Alfredo Rios, 77, passed away September 14. A native of Puerto Rico, he began his career with the Sea'-'-----""-.n.u:-~.......... farers in 1943 from the port of New York. He worked as a member of the engine department. Prior to retiring in June 1985, he sailed aboard a Sea-Land Service vessel. Brother Rios made his home in Brooklyn, N .Y. CHARLESW. ROSENBERGER Charles W. Rosenberger, 73, died September 6. Born in Iowa, he started his career with the SIU in 1970, sailing aboard the Rose City, a Sea- Land Service vessel. Brother Rosenberger sailed in the engine department and upgraded frequently at the SIU's training school in Piney Point, Md. From 1948 to 1969, he served in the U.S. Navy. He last sailed in 1989 aboard the Rover, operated by Ocean Carriers. San Francisco was his home. MATTHEW X. RYAN Matthew X. Ryan, 34, passed away September 14. He graduated from the entry-level training program at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School in 1988 and joined the SIU in Piney, Point, Md. His first ship was the Sea-Land Commitment. The New Jersey native sailed in the engine department and upgraded at the school. Brother Ryan last sailed aboard the Osprey. He made his home in Washington, Maine. DAVID R. SUMULONG Pensioner David R. Sumulong, 85, died August 29. Brother Sumulong began sailing with the SIU in 1949 from the port of New York. Born in the Philippines, he sailed as a member of the steward department. Prior to retiring in October 1975, he worked aboard the Transcolumbia, operated by Hudson Waterways Corp. He was a resident of the Philippines. RALPH H. TAYLOR Pensioner Ralph H. Taylor, 94, passed away ,, September 19. A charter member of the Seafarers, he joined the union in November 1938 in the port of Mobile, Ala. The Alabama native sailed in the steward department. During his career, he was active in union affairs and organizing drives. A resident of Mobile, he began receiving his pension in April 1973. MANUEL A. TONGSON Pensioner Manuel A. Tongson, 97, died September 25. Born in the Philippines, he joined the MC&S in 1943, first sailing aboard the Aleutian. Brother Tongson worked in the steward department. He signed off the Great Falls Victory prior to retiring in August 1968. He was a resident of Seattle. ERNEST A. TRADER Pensioner Ernest A. Trader, 71 , passed away September 27. A native of North Carolina, he started his career with the ...............1•111:1:•LI~ Seafarers in 1947 in the port of Norfolk, Va. His first ship was the John Gibbon. He sailed as a member of the deck department. From 1955 to 1957, he served in the U.S. Navy. Brother Trader last worked in the inland division aboard a Steuart Transportation Co. vessel. A resident of Havelock, N.C ., he began receiving his pension in January 1993. ~ INLAND WILMER P. GASTON Pensioner Wilmer P. Gaston, 81, died October 3. A native of Texas, he joined the SIU in 1963 in Port Arthur, Texas. Starting out in the deck department, he later transferred to the engine department. Prior to retiring in June 1982, he worked aboard a Sabine Towing & Transportation Co. vessel. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1945. Boatman Gaston made his home in Nederland, Texas. JAMES T. MALONE Pensioner James T. < Malone, 74, , passed away October 3. He " began his career ,- with the Seafarers in 1953 • in the port of ............._--" Mobile, Ala. The Alabama native worked in the engine department, last sailing as a chief engineer. Boatman Malone sailed primarily aboard vessels operated by Crescent Towing and Salvage Co. A resident of Mobile, he started receiving his pension in December 1987. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the U.S. Army. ROBERT F. SCHWATKA Pensioner Robert F. Scbwatka, 71, died October 1. Born in Maryland, he began sailing with the SIU in 1956 from the port of Baltimore. Boatman Schwatka worked as a chief engineer and started receiving his pension in June 1984. He was a resident of Monkton, Md. RICHARD A. TANNER Pensioner Richard A. Tanner, 76, passed away September 14. Boatman Tanner first sailed with the Seafarers in 1973. Born in Massachusetts, he worked in the deck department, sailing primarily aboard Sheridan Transportation Co. vessels. In 1993, he was honored by the United Seamen's Service for his role in the rescue of a badly burned mariner in Tampa Bay. Prior to retiring in January 1994, he signed off the Ocean Star. He made his home in Tampa, Fla. GREAT LAKES STEVEN KOCAK Pensioner Steven Kocak, 87, passed away September 11. He started his career with the Seafarers in 1960 in the port of Detroit. His .____..'--"---~---' first ship was the Diamond Alkali. The Ohio native worked in the engine department, last sailing aboard the Saginaw Bay . Both first and last ships were operated by American Steamship Co. Boatman Kocak was a resident of Toledo, Ohio. He started receiving his pension in April 1977. December 1999 �Jhe $11;1fartJ~J06 atte11]pls to print as many digests of union shipboard inliluteg as possible. On occasion, because of space limitations~ some will be omitted. Ships minutes first are reviewed by the union's contract department. Those issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union upon receipt of the ships' minutes. The minutes are then forwarded to the Seafarers LOG for publication. COURIER (Intrepid Ship Mgmt.), June 2-Chairman Gabriel I. Bonefont, Secretary Eva M. Myers, Educational Director Rikk Parker, Deck Delegate John Gilliam. Butterworth wages resolved from last meeting. Chairman announced payoff in Marcus Hook, Pa. June 4. All's well aboard ship with no accidents, beefs or disputed OT. Crew reminded that education means higher wages and that upgrading facilities at Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. available to all members in good standing. Bosun also encouraged everyone to contribute to SPAD: "In the long run, you will gain." Educational director echoed bosun's urging of crew members to attend upgrading classes. Treasurer announced $1,400 in ship's fund. Vote of thanks given to steward department "for their endless effort to please." Next ports: Marcus Hook; Hog Island, Pa.; Paulsboro, N.J. MAYAGUEZ (Navieras NPR), June 24-Chairman Al Caulder, Secretary Richard K. Ward, Educational Director Michael C. Martykan, Engine Delegate Michael S. McClinton. Couch from crew lounge removed in l>hiladelphia last month. Crew waiting for its repair or replacement. Secretary stressed importance of upgrading skills at Piney Point. Educational director asked that unsafe conditions be reported: "Safety first." He also reminded crew to keep on top ofSTCW requirements. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made for receipt of vacation check after 60 days or completion of relief period. Also requested change in pension rules where if a Seafarer acquires 20 years of sea service or 7,300 days, he or she can retire with full pension (similar to military air traffic controllers and other unions). Suggestions to be sent to contracts department. Crew members expressed concern about recent random drug test conducted by San Juan customs agents. Unlike traditional drug testing, individually chemically treated cloth was used for sampling on hands. Samples placed in ordinary mail envelopes containing each person's name. Concern is with possible contamination, tampering, identity checks and verification. Steward department doing fine job, and ship camaraderie is excellent. Next port: Jacksonville, Fla. HMINANTUCKETSHOALS (illM), July 30-Chairman James A. Jowera, Secretary Lonnie W. Jones, Educational Director Hanable Smith Jr., Deck Delegate Roderick Coleman, Engine Delegate Milton Israel, Steward Delegate Ron Davis. Chairman stressed need to work together aboard vessel. Any problems should be taken to department head first. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Next port: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. CLEVELAND (Sealift Inc.), September 12-Chairman David J. Garoutte, Secretary Miguel E. Vinca, Educational Director Guadalupe A. Campbell, Deck Delegate Nick Jocce, Steward Delegate Julio C. Arzu. Chairman reported good trip. Everyone working well together. Crew December 1999 received new TV and VCR. Discharge in port of Mombasa, Kenya went smoothly. First port back in U.S. scheduled to be Lake Charles, La. Sanitary inspection due after fire and boat drill. Everyone getting off ship should have room ready for next person. Educational director urged crew members to upgrade at Piney Point and get endorsements necessary to continue sailing. Treasurer announced $160 in ship's fund which will be used to purchase new movies. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Several items requested, including new furniture for TV lounge, place to exercise (gym) and repair to starboard gangway. Vote of thanks given to steward department for good food. HM/ BRETON REEF (IUM), September 30-Chairman Victor Beata, Secretary Josef Wouthuyzen, Educational Director Charles W. Thompson Jr., Deck Delegate Kenneth G. Boone, Steward Delegate Randy A. Stephens. Chairman noted smooth voyage with no beefs or disputed OT. He stated captain will reimburse crew members for movies purchased. Educational director reminded crew of necessity of applying for TRBs. Clarification requested in engine department on penalty time for cleaning closed spaces. Suggestion made to improve shipboard gym. Everyone asked to help keep ship living areas clean. Thanks given to steward department for job well done. Next ports: New York and Philadelphia. HUMACAO (Navieras NPR), September 12-Chairman David Murray, Secretary Janet Price, Educational Director Angel Hernandez, Deck Delegate William G. Rackley, Engine Delegate Anthony Rosa, Steward Delegate Samuel A. Sotomayor. Chairman told crew members of letter of understanding which states that as long as steward department has four men, no one will get paid extra for cleaning own fo'c'sle. He also noted new washing machine installed and bid received for fixing tiles. Crew now awaiting approval of bid by company as well as transportation from ship to gate in Jacksonville. Until tile repairs are completed, crew will be inconvenienced for about a week-"but it will be well worth it," according to bosun. Everyone asked to save wooden boxes and bread boxes for bosun. Secretary asked crew to be aware of stevedores in house and call captain if if any are seen. Messhalls should be kept locked while in port. Educational director urged crew to upgrade skills at Piney Point as often as possible and to get STCW endorsements. Treasurer announced $50 in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Vote of thanks given to steward department for cleanliness and great menus. Suggestion made to ask welfare plan for dependents' prescription coverage. Next ports: Jacksonville, Fla. and San Juan, P.R. LTC CALVIN P. TITUS (Osprey), September 27Chairman Robert B. F. Lindsay Jr., Secretary Steven Dickson, Educational Director Richard D. Hannon, Deck Delegate Thomas Gagnon, Steward Delegate Richard Garcea. Chairman noted ship at berth in Apra Harbor, Guam until next trip to Saipan in October. New fumitw-e for lounge requisitioned last month and cable hook-up for TV in budget for next year. Educational director urged members to upgrade at Paul Hall Center and take full advantage of facilities there. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Parts of recent LOG read, including proposed merger of SIU and NMU and passing of former AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland. Everyone reminded to have rooms clean upon departure from ship. Request made to improve transportation for crew and officers since shuttle service not dependable. NEWARK SAY(Sea-Land Service), September 12-Chairman Calvain A. James, Secretary Gwendolyn Shinholster, Educational Director Michael Las Dulce, Deck Delegate Keith D. O'Bryan, Engine Delegate Gerardo Moreno, Steward Delegate Charles N. Ratcliff. Chairman announced payoff in Jacksonville upon arrival. He also reminded crew to observe safety practices on deck. Secretary noted collection to be sent to Bosun Pete Sanchez's family and thanked officers and crew for contributions. Brother Sanchez passed away aboard ship. Educational director reminded crew members of importance of upgrading and need for STCW endorsements required to sail after February 1, 2002. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Clarification requested regarding day's pay in lieu of day off. Vote of thanks given to steward department for good meals and keeping ship clean. Radio and VCR in need of repair, and new dryer requested for crew laundry room. OOCL INNOVATION (Sea-Land Service), September 19-Secretary Edward Dunn, Deck Delegate Oscar Lopez, Engine Delegate Owen Duffy. Secretary thanked crew for keeping ship clean. Educational director urged members to attend upgrading courses at Piney Point. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made to request contracts department to look into getting vacation check every 90 days and having pension raises retroactive for members in retirement. Prescription drug plan also requested. New toasters needed in both messhalls. Next port: Portsmouth, Va. RICHARD G. MATTHIESEN (Ocean Shipholding Inc.), September 12-Chairman Donald C. Coggins, Secretary Lovell McElroy Sr., Educational Director Kelly Mayo, Deck Delegate Robert Hayes, Engine Delegate Gilbert Tedder, Steward Delegate Evan Verveniotis. Educational director stressed importance of upgrading skills at Paul Hall Center and getting STCW endorsements. Treasurer announced $110 in ship's fund. No disputed OT reported. Beef noted by steward delegate. Everyone reminded to help keep ship in tip-top condition by cleaning dryer vents and having rooms ready for replacements. Vessel heading to Greece and Italy. ROVER (Intrepid Ship Mgmt.), September 12-Chairman Russell F. Barrack Jr., Secretary Juan B. Gonzalez, Educational Director Clyde D. Smith, Deck Delegate Terrence P. Kane, Steward Delegate Leoncio Castro. Chairman stated clarification received from VP Contracts Augie Tellez regarding OT rates for tank cleaning. He said everything running smoothly. Payoff expected September 17 in Portland, Ore. Educational director urged crew members to upgrade at Piney Point and keep up-to-date on TRBs, z- card renewals and STCW endorsements. Treasurer announced captain holds $1,700 belonging to ship's fund. Whoever goes ashore for movies or games should provide captain with receipt for reimbursement. Some disputed OT reported in deck and steward departments. Suggestion made for contracts department to look into lowering eligibility requirements for vacation. Vote of thanks given Captain and chief mated thanked everyone for job well done. Ship passed Coast Guard and ABS inspections with no problems. Chairman noted crew has not received economic price adjustment for this year but other two Waterman ships have. He also reminded members about union's new fire fighting school. Educational director stressed need to get STCW endorsements. Crew Oh, to Be in England The Gopher State and its crew were in Southampton, England this past spring. The prepositioning vessel then returned to Guam, where it remains on stand-by alert, ready to sail at a moment's notice to provide ammunition, stores, vehicles and other material needed by American ground forces in times of rapid deployment. In this photo, the captain and some of the ship's crew take time out in London to pose in front of that city's famous tower. to steward department for great food and clean ship. SEA-LAND EXPEDITION (SeaLand Service), September 12Chairman Frank Lyle, Secretary Edgar Vazquez, Educational Director Oswald Bermeo. Everything running smoothly with no beefs or disputed OT, according to secretary. Educational director advised crew members to take opportunity to upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center. Chairman read president's report from LOG regarding SIU and NMU members upgrading side by side at Piney Point. Crew sorry to hear about death of former AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland. Next port: Elizabeth, N.J. SEA-LAND PRODUCER (SeaLand Service), September 12Chairman Joel A. Lechel, Secretary David A. Cunningham, Educational Director Christopher M. Devonish, Deck Delegate William D. Brinson Jr., Engine Delegate Victor Sapp, Steward Delegate Clifford B. Elliot. Chairman reported payoff and loading of stores to take place September 14 in Jacksonville. He reminded everyone of hurricane season and to secure room TVs and stereos. Bungee cords available for anyone needing them. Educational director advised members to check STCW certificates and z-cards to make sure they have not expired. Treasurer announced $100 remaining in ship's fund. Crew voted to use assets to get satellite system working. Disputed OT reported in all three departments. Discussion held regarding articles in LOG including new ships, jobs and proposed merger between Sill and NMU. Suggestion made and sent to contracts department regarding lowering amount of sea time required to receive full pension. Second ice machine requested since vessel operates in tropics and current machine cannot keep up with demand. Bosun thanked steward department for job well done. Crew remembered late Steward Beau James. Next ports: Jacksonville and San Juan, P.R. SGT MATEJ KOCAK (Waterman Steamship), September 19-Chairman Angelo Urti, Secretary Lonnie Gamble Jr., Educational Director Jerald Graham, Deck Delegate Robert A. Hudas, Engine Delegate Robert C. Hines Jr., Steward Delegate Clarence Robinson. members have until end of year to take advantage of U.S. Coast Guard relaxed assessment period. No beefs or disputed OT reported. President's report from LOG read regarding SIU-NMU merger. Suggestion made and sent to headquarters regarding payment of prescription drugs for dependents. Steward department given vote of thanks for outstanding job. Next port: Rota, Spain. COAST RANGE (Crowley Petroleum Transport), October 4-Chairman Gregory A. Agren, Secretary Lanette A. Lopez, Educational Director E. Olson, Engine Delegate Giuseppe Ciciulla, Steward Delegate Robert W. Gilliam. Chairman read president's report from LOG regarding SIU-NMU merger. Educational director stressed importance of upgrading skills at Paul Hall Center and reading monthly LOGtwo ways to keep abreast of union activities. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Steward department given vote of thanks for job well done. Next port: Portland, Ore. LNG TAURUS (Pronav Ship Mgmt.), October 3-Chairman Daniel Marcus, Secretary Judi L. Chester, Educational Director Curtis Jackson, Deck Delegate John Ray, Engine Delegate John Orr, Steward Delegate Ben Opaon. Chairman thanked all departments for working well together, and steward thanked deck and engine departments for keeping galley equipment and storerooms organized. Educational director reminded everyone to take opportunity to attend classes at Paul Hall Center, especially new fire fighting complex. Treasurer announced $561 in ship's fund. Will look into purchase and installation of satellite dish. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Report read concerning SIU-NMU merger. Crew expressed mixed feelings. Main concerns have to do with seniority issues and competition for jobs. Secretary informed them that thousands of jobs will become available in next few years because of new ships coming under SIU contract. Thanks given to VP Gov't Services Kermett Mangram for visiting vessel to inform crew of reflagging changes that may occur. Bosun thanked steward department for excellent work: "Food has been so good that we'll all have to buy a new set of larger clothes when we get home!" Next ports: Nagoya, Japan; Bontang, Indonesia; Tobata, Japan. Seafarers LOG 19 �SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR SEAFARERS WELFARE FUND AND SUBSIDIARY Letters to the Editor (Editors note: the Seafarers LOG reserves the right to edit letters for grammar as well as space provisions without changing the writer s intent. The LOG welcomes letters from members, pensioners, their families and shipmates and will publish them on a timely basis.) Proud Veterans Keep WWII Facts Straight (The following letter was first published in The Daily News, McKeesport, Pa. , October 11, 1999.) A recent fact sheet from the national headquarters of the American Merchant Marine Veterans, which revealed the newest casualty figures of World War II, included the following statistics: Merchant Marine - 1 in 29, Marines - 1 in 34, Navy - 1 in 114. Many people tried to make us feel cheap and like secondrate citizens, but no more. We are proud veterans and our group had the highest casualty rate of any of the armed services. Do these sound like figures we should be embarrassed about? And remember, we all volunteered in a declared war. I also sent copies of the report to the national and state VFW headquarters to educate them on World War II history. In the year 2000, I will have two chapters in a book on untold stories of World War II that should shock most Americans out of their drawers. Peter Salvo McKeesport, Pa. Happy With New Contract To all involved in negotiating the new ASM agreement: On behalf of my SIU brothon board the APL Philippines and myself, I extend a vote of thanks to the SIU negotiating team and ASM management for the wage increase. The whole economic package increase for the life of the agreement was a big boost to crew morale. Special thanks to SIU President Mike Sacco, Vice President West Coast Nick Marrone and the rest of the SIU Executive Board. We support your hard work and your fighting dedication for improving the lives of SIU merchant mariners and their families by continuing to add more jobs and the opportunity to upgrade skills to ensure success of its members, like providing STCW training to help protect the U.S. merchant fleet from foreign encroachment. This is truly an ex citing time as our membership continues to grow and with more jobs on the way! Also, the maritime industry needs more innovative companies like ASM. Keep getting those contracts! We as U.S. merchant mariners will support the politicians who help preserve and add more stars-and-stripes flags atop the growing number of merchant vessels around the world. Jim Wilson, Chief Steward APL Philippines ers ·Know Your Rights FINANCIAL REPORTS. The constitution of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District makes specific provision for safeguarding the membership's money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by certified public accountants every year, which is to be submitted to the membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee of rank-and-file members, elected by the membership, each year examines the finances of the union and reports fully their findings and recommendations. Members of this committee may make dissenting reports, specific recommendations and separate findings. TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District are administered in accordance with the provisions of various trust fund agreements. All these agreements specify that the trustees in charge of these funds shall equally consist of union and management representatives and their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust funds are made only upon approval by a majority of the trustees. All trust fund financial records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds. SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member's shipping rights and seniority are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the employers. Members should get to know their shipping rights. Copies of these contracts are posted and available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority rights as contained in the contracts between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified mail, return receipt requested. The proper address for this is: Augustin Tellez, Chairman Seafarers Appeals Board 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746 Full copies of contracts as referred to are available to members at all times, either by writing directly to the union or to the Seafarers Appeals Board. CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU contracts are available in all SIU halls. These contracts specify the wages and condi- 20 Seafarers LOG This is a summary of the annual report of the Seafarers Welfare Fund and Subsidiary, EIN 13-5557534, Plan No. 501, for the period January 1, 1998 through December 31 , 1998. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Basic Financial Statement The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan , was $27,483,633 as of December 31 , 1998, compared to $23,785,749 as of January 1, 1998. During the plan year, the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $3,697,884. This increase includes unrealized appreciation and depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is. the difference between the value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. During the plan year, the plan had a total income of $46,730,099 including employer contributions of $44,645,526, realized gains of $272,933 from the sale of assets, and earnings from investments of $1,755,158. Plan expenses were $43,032,215. These expenses included $5,193,485 in administrative expenses and $37,838,730 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. Your Rights to Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR SEAFARERS MONEY PURCHASE PENSION PLAN This is a summary of the annual report for the Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan, EIN 52-1994914, Plan No. 001 ,. for the period January 1, 1998 through December 31 , 1998. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Basic Financial Statement Benefits under the plan are provided through a trust fund . Plan expenses were $124,872. These expenses included $100,964 in administrative expenses and $23,908 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 5, 140 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year. The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan , was $3,961,403 as of December 31, 1998, compared to $2,018 ,318 as of January 1, 1998. During the plan year, the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $1 ,943,085. This increase includes unrealized appreciation and depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan had a total income of $2,067,957 including employer contributions of $1 ,724,794, employee contributions of $13,442, realized gains of $75,638 from the sale of assets, and earnings from investments of $254,083. Your Rights to Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual below are included in that report: 1. an accountant's report; 2. service provider and trustee information; 3. assets held for investment; and 4. transactions in excess of 5 percent of plan assets. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call Board of Trustees Seafarers Welfare Fund, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746-4211 , (301) 8990675 . The charge to cover copying costs will be $1.40 for the full annual report, or 10 cents per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan (Board of Trustees Seafarers Welfare Fund, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746-4211) and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, N-5638, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W. , Washington, DC 20210. report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: 1. an accountant's report; 2. assets held for investment; 3. transactions in excess of 5 percent of plan assets; and 4. service provider and trustee information. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call Board of Trustees Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746, (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $1.40 for the full annual report, or 10 cents per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part f hat report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the d of annual report at the main office of the p Trustees Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan, Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746) and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. , or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, N-5638, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration , U.S. Department of Labor. 200 Constitution Avenue. N.W .. Washington, DC 20210. · tions under which an SIU member works and lives aboard a ship or boat. Members should know their contract rights, as well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper sheets and in the proper manner. If, at any time, a member believes that an SIU patrolman or other union official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she should contact the nearest SIU port agent. EDITORIAL POLICY - THE SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers LOG traditionally has refrained from publishing any article serving the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to the union or its collective membership. This established policy has been reaffirmed by membership action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The responsibility for Seafarers LOG policy is vested in an editorial board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from among its ranks, one individual to carry out this responsibility. PAYMENT OF MONIES. No monies are to be paid to anyone in any official capacity in the SIU unless an official union receipt is given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any money for any reason unless he is given such receipt. In the event anyone attempts to require any such payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is required to make a payment and is given an official receipt, but feels that he or she should not have been required to make such payment, this should immediately be reported to union headquarters. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of the SIU constitution are available in all union halls. All members should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a member feels any other member or officer is attempting to deprive him or her of any constitutional right or obligation by any methods, such as dealing with charges, trials, etc., as well as all other details, the member so affected should immediately notify headquarters. EQUAL RIGHTS. All members are guaranteed equal rights in employment and as members of the SIU. These rights are clearly set forth in the SIU constitution and in the contracts which the union has negotiated with the employers. Consequently, no member may be discriminated against because of race, creed, color, sex, national or geographic origin. If any member feels that he or she is denied the equal rights to which he or she is entitled, the member should notify union headquarters. SEAFARERS POLITICAL ACTIVITY DONATION SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to further its objects and purposes including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering of the American merchant marine with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen and the advancement of trade union concepts. In connection with such objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for elective office. All contributions are voluntary. No contribution may be solicited or received because of force, job discrimination, financial reprisal, or threat of such conduct, or as a condition of membership in the union or of employment. If a contribution is made by reason of the above improper conduct, the member should notify the Seafarers International Union or SPAD by certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for investigation and appropriate action and refund, if involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his or her economic, political and social interests, and American trade union concepts. NOTIFYING THE UNION-If at any time a member feels that any of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been denied the constitutional right of access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael Sacco at headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The address is: Michael Sacco, President Seafarers International Union 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746. December 1999 �SEAFARERS PAUL HALL CENTER 2000 UPGRADING COURSE SCHEDULE The following is the schedule for classes for the first few months of 2000 at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. All programs are geared to improve the job skills of Seafarers and to promote the American maritime industry. Please note that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the maritime industry and-in times of conflict-the nation's security. Students attending any of these classes should check in the Saturday before their course's start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the morning of the start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reservations should be made for Saturday. Seafarers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at the Paul Hall Center may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010. Deck Upgrading Courses Course Start Date Date of Completion Able Seaman January 24 February 21 February 18 March 17 Able Seaman - Inland January 24 February 11 Lifeboatman January 10 February 1 January 21 (pre-AB) Feb. 19 (pre-AB) Radar January 17 March 6 January 28 March 17 Automatic Radar Plotting Aids* (ARPA) (*must have radar unlimited) January 10 January 31 January 14 February 4 Safety Specialty Courses Course Start Date Date of Completion Tanker Familiarization/ Assistant Cargo (DL)* January 10 February 7 March 6 January 28 February 25 March 24 Basic Firefighting January 17 February 28 January 21 March 3 Advanced Firefighting January IO February 14 March 6 January 21 February 25 March 17 Government Vessels January 31 February 28 February 18 March 17 STCW Basic Safety (refresher) February 7 March 6 February 11 March 10 Tankerman (PIC) Barge* January 24 March 13 January 28 March 17 February 28 March 3 February 28 March 3 (*must have basicfirefighting) (*must have basic fire fighting) LNG Familiarization* (*must have advanced fire fighting) Oil Spill Containment Academic Department Courses Engine Upgrading Courses Course Start Date Date of Completion Fireman/Watertender & Oiler January 10 February 18 QMED January 24 April 14 Basic Electronics January 10 January 28 Mari e Electronics Technician I January 31 February 18 Welding January 10 February 14 January 28 March3 General education and college courses are available as needed. In addition, basic vocational support program courses are offered throughout the year, one week prior to the AB, QMED, FOWT, Third Mate, Tanker Assistant and Water Survival courses. An introduction to computers course will be self-study. The January edition of the Seafarers LOG will contain a complete .guide of all the upgrading courses available to Seafarers in the Steward Upgrading Courses Course Start Date Galley Operations/ Advanced Galley Operations (Every week) Certified Chief Cook/ Chief Steward (Every other week) January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 February 7, 14, 21, 28 March 6, 13, 20, 27 January 10, 24 February 7, 21 March 6, 20 __~ _____________________________________ _ :'.\_ With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty (120) days sea time for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it is Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and QMED applicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard fee of $280 with their apvlication. The pavment should be made with a money order onlv. payable to LMSS. UPGRADING APPLICATION COURSE BEGIN END DATE DATE Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Deep Sea Member D Date of Birth - - - -- - - - Lakes Member D Inland Waters Member D If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be processed. Social Security# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Seniority _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Department _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ U.S. Citizen: Yes D No D Home Port Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ LAST VESSEL: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Rating: _ _ __ Date On: _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ Date Off: Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program? D Yes DNo If yes, c l a s s # - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses? D Yes DNo If yes, course(s) taken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ D No Firefighting: D Yes D No CPR: D Yes D No Primary language spoken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - December 1999 NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ifyou present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point. RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, Admissions Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189. Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement? D Yes SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ DATE The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission, access or treatment of students in its programs or activities. 12199 Seafarers LOG 21 �Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes Power Plant Maintenance - Graduating from power plant maintenance course on October 22 are (from left, first row) William Kelley, Timothy Horger, Thomas Keseru, Gonzie Knott, (second row) Joseph Grandinetti, Steve Stepanski, Ursel Barber, Lawrence Rose and Eric Malzkuhn (instructor). Tankerman (PIC) Barge - Marking completion of the tankerman (PIC) barge class on October 22 are (from left, seated) Mohamed Hossain, Daniel Gishy, Mark Wain, Walter Loveless, (second row) Michael Mayo, Patrick David, Mitch Oakley (instructor) and Bill Pratley. Galley Operations - Finishing one of the required two-week modules in the galley operations curriculum are (from left, kneeling) Robert Valentine, Saundra Leonard, Ty Heller, Vicente Ordonez, Arsenio Gusilator Jr., (standing) Chef/Instructor Ed White, John Stephen, Edgardo Ong, Jeffrey Badua, Abdellalif Benjouhra, Charles Carrol, Mark Wertanen and Gregorio Bernardez. Marine Electrical Maintenance - SIU members completing the marine electrical maintenace course on October 29 are (from left) Carl Montoya, Sjarifudin Noor, Nathan Hollander, Abdulrub Atiah, Angel Hernandez, Gregory Johns, Steven Hoskins, Pompey Alegado, Jeffrey Levie and Mark Jones (instructor). Government Vessels With instructor Stan Beck (far left, standing) are students who completed the government vessels course on October 15. From the left (kneeling) are Artemio Rivera, Waseem Dhalai, Benjamin Mathews, Kenji Hoffman, Benign Padaoan, Maximo Loto Jr., (standing) Beck, Rodney Jimenez, Deion Nguyen, Sean Ryan, Ali Naser, Abdulsalem Mohamed, Stephen Hill, Sammy Montana and Marcial Avila. 22 Seafarers LOG December 1999 �Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes Able Seaman Receiving their certificates for completion of the AB class on October 29 are (from left, seated at first table) Wincell Hightower Jr., Bobby Brown, Michael Watkins Sr., Louis Creekmur, (second table) Russell Shaw Jr., Leroy Reed, Julian Lacuesta Jr., Fadehl Saleh, (third table) Todd Conley, Virgilio Managbanag, Carlos Arauz, (standing) Bernabe Pelingon (instructor), William Bruce, Velly Marquez, Simeon Rivas, Khaled Munasser, Richard Pepper and Francisco Harry. Government Vessels - With instructor Stan Beck (far lright) are some of the students who completed the government vessels course on September 3. Included on the class roster are (in no particular order) Jose Clatter, Juan Ortiz, Arzu Secuindino, Charles Mann, Ted Hale, Christine Short, Kathryn Rivera, Dan Eglund, A. Allen, Greg Gallagher, Allan Bright, Pat Gibson, Eric Bridges, Michael Skinto, Liana McKinney, Tania Simunovich, Syed Mehdi, Herbert Daniels, Jeffrey Badua, Abdellalif Banjouhra, Reuben Brown, William Schuppman, John Eaton, Harold Lewis, Duane Reeder, Willard Bell, Rally Espiritu and Hector Guity. QMED - Completing their QMED training on December 3 are (in alphabetical order) Pantala Allee, Servando Canales Jr., Stanley Castro, Jonathan Driggers, Paul Duquette, Mike Kifle, John Leiter, Tran Luu, Keith Manzano, Thaddeus Pisarek, Jeffrey Roddy, Mark Roman, Dwight Ward and Taylor Watson. (Note: not all the students are in the photograph). The class, ta_µght by Barney Kane, was a challenging one for the upgraders, with a large volume of material and a very technical subject matter. Tanker Assistant Cargo (DL)- Upgrading Seafarers complete the tanker assistant cargo (DL) course on October 15. Included in the photo are (in no particular order) Spencer Moxley Sr., Alvin Martin, Willie Howard Ill, Linda Barber, Mohamed Bidar, William Meyer, Jose Vazquez, Elmo Davis, Edward O'Reilly, Mohamed Hossain, Mott Arnold, Gary Lamb and Nestor Agcaoili. Their instructor, Jim Shafer, is standing in the rear (center). Able Seaman - Instructor Tom Gilliland looks over students as they work toward completion of the AB curriculum on October 29. Registered in the class were David Roof, Jonathan Morgan, Pernell Fulford, Timothy Barker, Matthew Bjerk, Bryon Baker, Jonathan Paul, Gregory Pratt, Peri Drew, Ondongee Pegram, Joseph Weller, Timothy Fernandez, Terry Gilliland, Gregory Hendryx, Shelby Rankin, Anthony Lowman, Russell Williams and George Barbour. The same students completed the basic fire fighting class (right) with instructor Rick Redmond on October 15. FOWT - Graduating from the FOWT course on November 19 are (from left, first row) James Tyson, Ahmed Sharif, Anthony Jordan, John Millward, Jean Horne, Frank Patrick Jr., Phillip Johnson Sr., Adel Gabel, Timothy Bixby, (second row) Kanin Bennett, Michael Blue Jr., Michael Joel, Charles Sadler, Adriano Coutinho, Erik Haik, John Petushin, Justin Seybert, Gregory Cherry, Natalie Rivas, Eric Nelson, Charles Jones, Sylvester Crawford, (third row) Keith Kowaleski, Charles Jensen, John Conn, Eddie Pittman, Noel Encarnacion, Scott Lucero, Timothy Graham, Daniel Tapley, (fourth row) William Hayes and Vincent Hupp-Time. December 1999 Seafarers LOG 23 �F m.snf.... •'I I I Volume 61 Number 12 December 1999 Summary Annual Reports MCS Pension Plan • p. 8 Seafarers Pension Plan • p. 8 I Great Lakes Tug Be Dredge Pension Plan - p. 8 Seafarers Vacation Plan - p. 8 Seafarers Welfare Plan • p. 20 Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan · p. 20 The U.S. Great Lakes fleet is on the move from midMarch until late January, when the locks at Sault St. Marie, Mich. close for the frigid winter. While iron ore, stone and coal remain the chief cargoes, otherslike cement, salt, grain, liquid bulk products and sand-round out the diversity of loads carried by the efficient lakers. The photos on this page show some of the hard-working crew members and their activites aboard three Great Lakes vessels crewed by SIU members-American Steamship Company's Buffalo and American Republic, and Southdown Cement's Southdown Challenger. With a strong demand for the delivery of stone throughout the Lakes, the Buffalo shows no signs of slowing down. The Southdown Challenger's hull and deck recently got a fresh coat of paint in Milwaukee, and the pilot house was recarpeted. At left, the vessel is on her way to the Southdown cement plant in Charlevoix for a new load. Second Cook Darrell Bays, Buffalo Bosun (and master wood-worker) Levi Sanford, Southdown Challenger OS Eric Corwin, AB Eugene Repko, QMED David Cameron, OS Musid Musleh, American Republic Right: Wiper Abdul Saeed, Buffalo Above: QMED Brian Gelaude, Buffalo Left: Watchman Paul Bird, Southdown Challenger Below: Bosun Boyd Messer, Buffalo Deckhand Michael Cushman, Southdown Challenger 24 Seafarers LOG June 1999 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Seafarers Log Issues 1990-1999 Description An account of the resource Volumes LII-LXI Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Hall Maritime Library Microfilm 1939-1993; Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource December 1999 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES VOTING STARTS IN PROPOSED MERGER OF SIU AND NMU SIU PENSIONERS TO GET $500 YEAR-END BONUS UNION, COMPANY AGREE TO RESOLVE LONG BATTLE ABOUT REPRESENTATION SEALIFT ENHANCEMENT ACT SEEKS FAIR COMPETITION FOR AMERICAN-FLAG FLEET MARITIME TAX LAWS WOULD CHANGE TO HELP PROVIDE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD SIU CREWS M/V FISHER SIU MAINTAINS JOBS ON 6 LNG VESSELS MARAD ‘RELUCTANTLU’ APPROVES REFLAGGING CREW WELCOMES SACCO TO THEIR SHIPS WEST COAST UNIONS REACH 6-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH ASM RUNAWAY-FLAG CREW’S PLIGHT CAPTURES NEWSPAPER’S ATTENTION AFL-CIO PRESIDENT: WTO TALKS MUST ADDRESS WORKERS’ RIGHTS ITF GOES TO BAT FOR SCARED CREW BAD NEWS KEEPS OOZING FROM RUNAWAY-FLAG SHIP S/L INDEPENDENCE GIVES INDEPENDENCE TO BOATERS OUT OF GAS IN THE BAHAMAS NEW CARISSA BEACHED FOR WINTER MAERSK-SEALAND TAPS LOS ANGELES FOR NEW TERMINAL HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES! RETIRED BOSUN REVIVES HOCKEY PASSION PHILLY TEAMSTERS WIN STRIKE, THANK SEAFARERS FOR SUPPORT STEWARD KAMER COOKS UP BETTER LIFE WITH THE UNION LAKE VESSELS SAIL INTO 2000 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 12/01/1999 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newsprint Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Vol. 61, No. 12 1999 Periodicals Seafarers Log