-
http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/9cfe61e5a2b85e39d7590e44b271995f.pdf
9d603b6d8fe9cb9b729963be32404c90
PDF Text
Text
Volume 62, Number 3
March 2000
'
•
verw e min
Back-Full Merger Talks
Members of the SIU tallying
committee sort ballots last
month at union headquarters in
Camp Springs, Md. Pictured
from left are OMU Decarlo
Harris, Chief Steward Donald
Mann and Recertified Bosun
Dan Marcus. In separate votes,
members of the two unions
approved continuation of the
process that began last year to
bring the NMU into the SIU.
Page 3.
MTD Board Sets Goals
For Stronger U.S. Fleet
Lakes Activities Abound
Labor, Industry and Government Officials
Promote New Ships, More Jobs, Modern Ports
Talking about construction plans for
new U.S.-flag passenger vessels are
(from left) Jerry St.
Pe', chief operating
officer for Litton's
shipbuilding division;
SIU and Maritime
Trades Department
President Michael
Sacco; and House
Democratic Whip
David Bonior.
Pages 3, 4, 5.
This year's layup included the successful
rescue of one Seafarer and a dockworker caught in icy waters, plus an on-site
hazmat course for SIU members at
Luedtke Engineering. To ready for tying
up for the winter, crew members like
QMED Jennifer Cronin (pictured aboard
the American Republic) thoroughly
secured their vessels. Page 7.
�President's Report
The Vision Ahead
Last month, we got a clear vision of what the future will hold for our union and our
industry.
During a seven-day stretch in mid-February at the Maritime
Trades Department, AFL-CIO winter executive board meeting, shipping industry representatives announced the status of several major
vessel construction projects, and the SIU and NMU reported mem. bers of bo~h unions voted overwhelmingly to proceed with bringing
the NMU mto the Seafarers. These two events show the positive
steps being taken to continue the strengthening of the U.S.-flag fleet.
Among the speakers at the MTD meeting were Jerry St. Pe', chief
.
operating officer for Litton Shipbuilding, and Stan Barer, CEO and
Michael Sacco co-chairman of Saltchuck Resources. Both oversee projects of
tremendous importance to the SIU and the industry.
Litton is building the two passenger vessels ordered by SIU-contracted American
Classic Voyages for its Hawaii trade. The ships will sail under the U.S. Lines banner.
St. Pe' informed the MTD board the shipyard will begin cutting steel in July. He
added the company is on schedule to deliver the first 1,900-passenger ship by January
2003, with the other to come a year later.
It's hard to believe that only one year ago the contract to build these new vessels
was signed within the U.S. Capitol. In a matter of months, we will see the actual construction taking place.
Barer spoke on how important his company considers the Jones Act. Saltchuck so
firmly believes in the freight cabotage law that it signed a contract late last year to
build in an American yard the first two commercial U.S.-flag RO/ROs in 10 years.
These vessels witl sail for a Saltchuck affiliate, Totem Ocean Trailer Express
(TOTE)~ which has an SIU contract. He noted his company is setting the example for
other U.S.-flag carriers to follow.
That's at least four new ships coming on line during this decade. Four very important ships that will be crewed by Seafarers.
They are the latest proof that all the hard work during the 1990s is paying off. All
the phone calls, letters and visits to elected officials advising them why we need a
strong U.S.-flag fleet made a difference. All the votes for pro-maritime candidates, no
matter what party, helped secure the Jones Act and allowed passage of the Maritime
Security Act, which is taking us into the 21st century.
For more than a year, the Seafarers LOG has run story after story about the new
ships, tugs, barges and dredges that Seafarers are or will be crewing. They show that
revitalization has begun.
That was an important part of the MTD meetings last month. Another important
issue addressed by the group was, "Where do we go from here?"
Retired Maritime Administrator Albert Herberger set the stage with his insight. He
stated the U.S.-flag fleet will remain a vital component in the nation's defense for the
foreseeable future.
He called on all elements of the U.S.-flag industry to continue to work as one
because that is when Congress and the White House pay attention. He urged modernizing the nation's port facilities, including channel dredging so the larger vessels can navigate America's harbors.
Herberger discussed a future in which domestic shipping works with surface transportation networks to relieve stress on the nation's highways and railroads. Such a
vision would mean new ships-thus new jobs for Seafarers- within the Jones Act
trade.
Yes, the future looks bright. But, there is much that still has to be done.
This leads me into the other vision for the future--the proposed merger of the NMU
into the sru.
I appreciate your confidence as shown by your votes for this important effort. I realize for some of you this was a difficult ballot to cast. As many of you know, resources
were drained and blood was spilled over the years as our two unions fought for the
same jobs. I still have a few lumps on my head from those days.
But times change.
The U.S.-flag fleet is moving forward, and we must continue to move with it. New
ships are being built. New jobs are being created. We cannot be tied to the ways of the
past.
As I have said many times, we have to commit our resources to bringing these new
jobs to all of our members. We cannot afford to be deterred.
We have seen members from both unions studying side-by-side in upgrading classes
at the Paul Hall Center. Both unions worked together to implement the agreement with
the Alaska Tanker Company. Now, both unions can continue the work toward the merger-and a stronger U.S.-flag merchant fleet.
We are at the threshold of tremendous opportunities within the maritime industry. We
have worked hard to get to this point. And that hard work will not have been in vain.
ITF Campaign Vessel
Concludes World Tour
Pitfalls of Runaway-Flag Shipping
Revealed to Nearly 750,000 Visitors
The International Transport
Workers' Federation (ITF) campaign ship Global Mariner last
month finished its world tour,
docking in London after an ambitious 20-month voyage.
Beginning July 1, 1998, the
Global Mariner called on 86
ports in 51 countries as part of the
ITF's campaign against runawayflag shipping, also called flag-ofconvenience (FOC) shipping.
Almost 750,000 visitors toured
the vessel's exhibition-a mesmerizing demonstration of the
risky and often inhuman nature of
runway-flag operations.
"Many of the visitors, including transport and labor ministers
and other leading politicians,
were shocked to see the level of
exploitation and abuse endemic
in the world of shipping," the ITF
said in reviewing the Global
Mariners voyage.
SIU members visited the ship
when it came to the East and Gulf
coasts in 1998 and the Pacific
coast last year. They and the other
guests experienced what the ITF
described as the Global Mariners
"giant images, videos, computer
games and animation that tell
true-life stories of seafarers working in appalling conditions.
Poorly paid or unpaid, under-fed,
sometimes injured and often
abandoned overseas with no
money to get home, the catalogue
of abuse and exploitation has
been an eye-opener to thousands
who thought life at sea was a
romantic adventure."
Based in London, the ITF comprises more than 500 unions from
approximately 130 countries.
The ITF has fought against
runaway-flag shipping for 51
years, and the SIU has aided that
campaign virtually since its start.
In FOC shipping, a vessel
owner (often from a traditional
maritime nation) registers his
ship in a non-traditional country
such as Liberia, Panama, Belize,
Vanuatu and others. This is done
to avoid his home nation's laws
involving safety, wages, taxes
and more.
Crews for these runaway-flag
Volume 62, Number 3
March 2000
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 © 2000 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.
2
Seafarers LOG
The Global Mariner (above and below) recently completed a 20-month voyage to 51 countries as part of the
ITF's campaign to educate people about the exploitation of mariners aboard flag-of-convenience vessels.
ships typically come from still
other nations (like Indonesia, the
Philippines and Sri Lanka) where
they receive a minimum of training, if any at all. The crews often
are refused wages for months at a
time and receive substandard
food allotments, among other
problems.
While the Global Mariners
world tour spotlighted numerous
cases of abuse in runaway-flag
shipping, publicity wasn't the
journey's only benefit. The federation reported that in France,
Portugal, Chile, Canada, Russia
and Africa "the ship encountered
(and the ITF subsequently aided)
crews abandoned and relying for
their survival on the kindness of
locals. In the Philippines the
ship's visit increased pressure on
the government and manning
agencies to stop the practice of
'blacklisting' seafarers who dare
to complain about ill-treatment-denying them future
work ....
"The 20-month voyage was
eventful in other ways too--early
on. The ITF, long a staunch critic
of unreliable shipowners, received some lessons itself in the
realities of shipboard industrial
relations. Despite the excellent
union negotiated wages and con-
ditions offered to the (mainly
British) crew, it proved harder
than expected to recruit and retain
seafarers who were both technically qualified and committed to
the cause of global trade unionism."
The ITF also reported a wide
variance in the number of visitors
per port, ranging from "less than
1,000 to a staggering 70,000 in
the port of Karachi. In smaller
ports the impact was usually
much greater than in large cities.
In Dutch Harbor, Alaska, 25 percent of the population went on
board. Among the most enthusiastic visitors were schoolchildren~ many of them experiencing
their first taste not only of life at
sea but also of the role which
trade unions can play in defending workers' rights."
The vessel may be converted
into a training ship or resold into
the commercial market.
Man:h2000
�SIU, N•U Back •erger Talks
By overwhelming majorities, members of the Seafarers
International Union Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters District (SIU), and members of the National Maritime
Union (NMU) have approved a referendum to proceed with merging the two unions.
"This is a great step forward
SIU members approved the
resolution with 86 percent voting for the SIU. I congratulate our
in favor of full merger talks for membership," said SIU President
bringing the NMU into the SIU. Michael Sacco. "In the long run,
Balloting took place from a merger ~f the NMU into the
December 1, 1999 through ~benefit the entire U.S.flag fleet."
January 31, 2000.
"We are very pleased with the
A similar election took place
at the same time in the NMU, faith shown by our members to
where 93 percent of those voting continue this process," stated
NMU President Rene Lioeanjie.
approved the resolution.
The complete report of the "We look forward to continuing
SIU tallying committee-a group the effort toward a merger."
As indicated in several recent
composed of six rank-and-file
members elected by their peers at issues of the Seafarers LOG and
the February membership meet- in communications from the SIU
ing in Piney Point, Md.-will be executive board to the memberavailable at this month's member- ship, based on the first votes, the
ship meetings and will be posted SIU and NMU officials serving
in the SIU halls. Serving on the on the merger committee will
committee were Oiler Thomas address specific details of the
Burns, OMV Decarlo Harris, merger. (The committee first met
AB Jeff Lagana, Recertified in June 1999 to examine whether
Bosun Dan Marcus, Chief a merger will be feasible and benSteward Donald Mann and SA eficial to members of both
unions.)
James Simms.
Members Cite Added Strength
As Key Benefit of Unification
SIU members from coast to coast said they approved full merger
talks between the SIU and the NMU because they see such unification as strengthening all concerned.
"It'll make us a stronger union," said Recertified Bosun Larry
Zepeda, a 29-year Seafarer, at the SIU hall in Houston. "I was
always for it. I think we should have done it way back."
An SIU member since 1974, QMED Darrell Camp (also at the
Houston hall) stated, "It makes sense for unlicensed personnel to be
in one union instead of two or three."
Seafarers further indicated through their votes that the need to
focus on the U.S.-flag fleet's survival and growth outweighs the
often contentious history between the SIU and NMU.
"We're stronger as one than as two," noted QMED Bob Oppel at
the Baltimore hall. "I've been in the union since 1968 and I've
always talked about a merger. We'll have more leverage when we
negotiate contracts."
Bosun Joseph Moore, contacted at the New Orleans hall, agreed.
"We've been competing for these contracts for as long as I can
remember, and the companies play the unions against each other.
With a merger, they can't run back and forth between the unions, trying to get it lower and lower. That's why I think it's a great thing,"
said Moore, who joined the SIU in 1963.
At the hall in Wilmington, Calif., QMED Stanley Golden and
Bosun Frank Hedge each expressed support for the proposed merger.
"The more ships you have, the more members you take in, the
more control you have," explained Golden, who joined the union in
1991.
"I'm for it all the way," said Hedge, a Seafarer since 1986. "In
fact, get all mariners into one union is how I feel. It'll strengthen us,
being under one umbrella."
In Jacksonville, Chief Cook Michael A. Harris pointed out the
proposed merger is proceeding under the safety of a three-step voting process. He also mentioned that the shipping rules will continue
to apply, with Seafarers maintaining priority aboard ships currently
sailing under an SIU contract.
"Plus with one union, we'll have more ships and we can keep all
the scabs from trying to take our jobs," added Harris, who joined the
Seafarers in 1979.
Other members reiterated the potential benefits of merging the
NMU into the SIU.
"It should help our union out, make it stronger," declared AB
Phillip Milam at the hall in Norfolk, Va. "I think it'll give us more
ships, more opportunities and different kinds of ships."
QMED Alan Nelson in Baltimore said the merger "is good for us.
With one union, the companies won't be able to split us. And we're
not going to lose any jobs, so it's perfect."
Nelson, who joined the SIU in 1968, added, "The union's only as
strong as the weakest link, and the weakest link has been that split
with the other (unlicensed) union."
In New Orleans, 35-year Seafarer Frank Kraemer cited "eliminating the competition and sticking together'' as positive aspects of
an SIU-NMU merger.
"It should help new people starting out in this industry," the
QMED stated. "Over the long haul, it's a good idea."
March 2000
Next, SIU members will vote
during the November-December
SIU 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 SIU
general election because the
merger will not be complete by
then.
After the general election, a
third vote will take place for SIU
members to approve or reject
many of the specific terms of the
merger. Before that vote, SIU
members will be given detailed
information on what the merger
would mean and what changes
would occur.
The process contemplated is
similar to the one implemented
during 1977-78 when the Marine
Cooks & Stewards merged into
the SIU.
Members of the tallying committee meet with SIU Secretary-Treasurer
David Heindel (center) after last month's membership meeting in Piney
Point, Md. Pictured from left are OMU Decarlo Harris, Chief Steward
Donald Mann, AB Jeff Lagana, Heindel, Oiler Thomas Burns,
Recertified Bosun Dan Marcus and SA James Simms.
New Ships, Modern Ports, Stronger Fleet
Are Goals Stressed at MTD Board Meeting
With new ships and port modernization plans on the drawing
board, speakers at the winter
meeting of the Maritime Trades
Department, AFL-CIO (MTD)
executive board outlined a broadbased agenda for the U.S.-flag
merchant fleet in the new century.
Board members, who come
from the 30 unions and 23 port
maritime councils that compose
the MTD, heard from government representatives, shipping
executives, union officials and
legislators. The board approved a
series of policy statements on
such subjects as cabotage, shipbuilding, dredging, ocean shipping regulations and labor issues
when it met February 10 and 11.
MTD President Michael Sacco
set the tone for the two-day meeting in New Orleans in his opening remarks.
Sacco, who also serves as SIU
president, told the board members and guests, "We've worked
together to make sure every
Congress and every administration understands the importance
of having a strong U.S.-flag
sealift capability.
"We're going to keep working
together to increase domestic
shipbuilding, both in the commercial and military sectors. I'm talking about American-flag ships
carrying American crews, built in
unionized American yards!
"We'll keep fighting to maintain the Jones Act and other laws
that protect the interests of working families. And we'll continue
to seek new labor laws that give
workers a fair and reasonable system when they consider union
representation."
New Ships Update
Of particular interest to many
in the room were progress reports
on two U.S.-flag passenger vessels and two U.S.-flag rollon/roll-off ships announced last
year.
Jerry St. Pe', who as executive
vice president of Litton Industries
oversees its shipbuilding division, announced the first steel
would be cut for the SIU-contracted American Classic Voyages' U.S. Lines passenger ships
Saltchuck Co-Chair and CEO Stan Barer tells MTD President Michael
Sacco and the rest of the MTD executive board that his company is taking the lead by building two new RO/ROs for the Jones Act trade.
in July. He noted delivery of the
first ship is set for January 2003
with the second coming a year
later.
Saltchuck Resources Cochairman and CEO Stan Barer
said his company showed its
commitment to U.S.-flag shipping and the Jones Act when its
SIU-contracted Totem Ocean
Trailer Express (TOTE) affiliate
signed a contract to build two
commercial RO/ROs late last
year.
"I hope what we're doing
gives confidence to other operators to do the same," Barer stated.
Looking Ahead
Setting forth a vision that others could follow was retired
Maritime Administrator Albert
Herberger, who called on the U.S.
government to work with the
U.S.-flag industry to devise a
maritime policy.
"When you consider this
nation a maritime nation, the
greatest trading nation in the
world, an economic giant by
every measure with a highly successful maritime industry in
peace and war, with a significant
national security need that requires strong operating companies, dedicated professional maritime labor with experience, skills
and high standards in the operating unions, in the shipyards, in
the ports and terminals, in the
longshoremen ranks- to have
this off-again, on-again policy
pattern is contrary to common
sense," Herberger declared.
He outlined areas where
growth can take place domestically and internationally. (See
story on page 5.)
AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney .·noted how everyone
benefits when labor and management work together. He congratulated the workers at nearby
Avondale Shipyard for sticking
together during their six-year
fight to gain union recognition.
He also saluted St. Pe' and Litton
Industries for their efforts to
bring labor peace to the Louisiana
yard after acquiring Avondale last
year.
Continued Support
House Democratic Whip
David Bonior (D-Mich.)-as
well as House colleagues William
Jefferson (D-La.), Nick Rahall
(D-W.Va.) and Robert Weygand
(D-R.I.}-recommitted their support for the U.S.-flag fleet.
Bonior, the second highest
ranking Democrat in the U.S.
House of Representatives, pointed out "the Jones Act is in our
national interest" and called port
modernization "one of the best,
single investments this country
can make."
Continued on page 4
Seafarers LOS
3
�Avondale Focuses Unions' Resolve to
Fight for Better Working Conditions
AFL-CIO Pres. Sweeney Reminds MTD Board
Of Value in Grassroots Campaign Efforts
The recent union recognition
for Avondale (La.) Shipyard
workers highlighted the discussion of labor issues before the
Maritime Trades Department,
AFL-CIO (MTD) winter executive board meeting in New
Orleans last month.
Words of encouragement came
from AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney, elected officials and others during the two-day meeting.
"I congratulate you on your
long overdue win at Avondale,"
stated Sweeney. "So many of the
people in this room fought so
long and so hard for that tremendous victory."
In 1993, Avondale workers
voted by a 3-to-2 margin to be
organized. However, executives
at the privately owned shipyard
did everything they could to
evade the outcome.
Litton Industries purchased
the yard in August 1999. Three
months later, the AFL-CIO Metal
Trades Department and the new
shipyard management signed an
agreement to end the strife. Litton
also owns the unionized shipyard
in Pascaguola, Miss., where the
two new SIU-crewed U.S. Lines
passenger ships will be built.
Sweeney recognized the head
of Litton's shipbuilding division,
Jerry St. Pe', and thanked him for
his efforts in bringing peace to
Avondale.
"Labor and management-we
can build stronger lives, stronger
companies, stronger communities
and, most important, stronger
ships," the head of the national
labor federation added.
The president of the Louisiana
AFL-CIO, John "Red" Bourg,
also thanked those who helped
the Avondale workers during
their struggle.
He noted the fight to gain a
union at the Louisiana yard began
30 years ago.
"We would not have won it
without the support of the AFLCIO around the country. I want to
thank you for what you have done
for us and the mariners," Bourg
said.
Sweeney did not limit himself
to the subject of Avondale. He
reminded the board members that
2000 is an important election year
in which a new president, the full
House of Representatives and
one-third of the Senate will be
elected.
He said early predictions show
anti-labor forces may outspend
unions by a 15-to-l ratio during
MTD Speakers Stress Goals
For U.S.-Flag Industry
Continued from page 3
The vice commandant of the
U.S. Coast Guard, Vice Admiral
James Card, noted all predictions
he has seen call for America's
trade with other nations to grow
substantially.
"This inevitable growth means
we need to be very serious about
preserving America's maritime
strength while refining and
enforcing safety and environmental standards," Card said.
this year's balloting cycle to get
their candidates elected.
"These guys are terrified, terrified of the progress we've been
making," Sweeney stated.
He pointed out that some of the
issues for which trade unions will
be fighting in this election are fair
trade policies, better public
schools, securing Medicare and
Social Security, affordable health
care for all and labor law reform.
He added the AFL-CIO gets
its power "from engaging and
mobilizing our rank-and-file
members-the people who make
this country what it is. And getting them to hold elected officials
accountable every day. That's
what I see us doing, and it makes
me hopeful."
One of those elected officials,
Louisiana State Sen. Michael
Robichaux, thanked the MTD
board for the grassroots efforts
their members have performed to
elect him.
He said he views the battle for
better working conditions as
being between "sweaters and nonsweaters"-people who sweat on
the job as opposed to those who
work in plush offices and have
others do their duties.
"We need to insist in some
Hal Creel, chairman of the
Federal Maritime Commission,
added, "One of the commission's
mandates is to encourage the
development of an economically
sound U.S.-flag liner fleet capable of meeting national security
needs."
The member unions of the
MTD, of which the SIU is one,
represent approximately 8 million workers.
4
Seafarers LOG
ITF's Jon Whitlow
way, shape, manner or form that
they [the sweaters] receive decent
wages and improved wages!"
declared Robichaux.
Also pointing out the need for
better wages and working conditions, but in this case for the
world's mariners, was Jon
Whitlow, the assistant secretary of
the
International
Transport
Workers' Federation's (ITF)
Seafarers' and Fisheries' Sections.
He reminded the board of the
work performed by the ITF during the last 51 years to fight runaway-flag shipping "to try to protect those crews."
Whitlow noted the cruise ship
industry is one of the biggest
challenges, but recent stories
about breakdowns, fires, pollution and other unpleasant conditions have brought these ships
under public scrutiny.
"It is about time the cruise
ship industry is brought to task,"
Whitlow added.
The MTD is made up of 30
unions and 23 port maritime
councils in the U.S. and Canada.
Its member unions represent
around 8 million workers. SIU
President Michael Sacco also
serves as MTD president.
Procedure for SIU Absentee Ballots
Crowley Seafarers
Approve Contract
Seafarers employed by Crowley Towing and
Transportation recently approved a four-year contract that includes numerous gains.
Among the agreement's highlights is a new medical benefit: prescription coverage for dependents.
The pact also calls for wage increases, additional
optical benefits, amplified pension credits, additional vacation benefits, an increased death benefit and
contract language making it easier to advance one's
rating.
With Crowley having recently commenced operations in San Diego, the contract was appended to
include that area. This means new employment
opportunities for Seafarers in Southern California.
The agreement also stipulates that the union and
Crowley jointly will develop galley training for the
company's new four-person tractor tugs.
Retroactive to July 1, 1999, the contract covers
members who also are part of Crowley's operations
in Jacksonville, Fla.; Lake Charles, La.; Philadelphia; San Diego; and Wilmington, Calif.
"We've always made good money, and these new
benefits put it right over the top," said Nicholas
Conway, who served on the negotiating committee.
Also representing the SIU during a pair of weeklong bargaining meetings in Piney Point, Md. were
Seafarers Wayne Berry, David Verschoor, Peter
Albano, Robert August Sr., Rick Cristofano,
Darrel Koonce Jr. and James Adaway along with
SIU Assistant VP Contracts George Tricker,
Wilmington Port Agent John Cox, Jacksonville Port
Agent Tony McQuay and Philadelphia Port Agent
Joe Soresi.
La. AFL-CIO Pres. Red Bourg
Collecting contract suggestion forms and meeting
with Seafarers at the Crowley facilities in Wilmington,
Calif. is SIU Asst. VP Contracts George Tricker.
Pictured with him are members (from left) George
Cox, Tom Humphry, Mike Stravers, John Tipich, Bob
Bouton, Bruno Kameta, Dragi Odak and Mike
Restivo.
When Crowley
recently began
operations in
San Diego,
Engine Utility
Jasper McGrit
(left) and
Captain William
Stevens (pictured aboard
the tug
Spartan) helped
ensure a
smooth and
safe start.
Elections for the SIU Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District are scheduled for later
this year. As in past SIU election
years, a comprehensive guide
will be published in the Seafarers
LOG prior to the balloting.
In the case of members eligible to vote who believe they will
be at sea during the November 1
through December 31, 2000 voting period, absentee ballots will
be available.
The SIU constitution ensures
that members who are eligible to
vote and who find themselves in
this situation may vote. Procedures are established in the SIU
constitution to safeguard the
secret ballot election, including
the absentee ballot process.
Here is the procedure to follow when requesting an absentee ballot:
1. Make the request in writing to
the SIU office of the secretary-treasurer, 5201 Auth
Way, Camp Springs, MD
20746.
2. Include in the request the correct address where the
absentee ballot should be
mailed.
3. Send the request for an
absentee ballot by registered
or certified mail.
4. The registered or certified
mail envelope must be postmarked no later than mid-
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
night, November 15, 2000
and must be received at 5201
Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD
207 46
no
later
than
November 25, 2000.
The secretary-treasurer, after
confirming eligibility, will send
by registered mail, return
receipt requested, to the
address designated in the
request, a ballot, together
with an envelope marked
"Ballot" and a mailing envelope no later than November
30, 2000.
Upon receiving the ballot and
envelope, vote by marking the
ballot. After voting the ballot,
place the ballot in the envelope marked "Ballot." Do not
write on the "Ballot" envelope.
Place the envelope marked
"Ballot" in the mailing envelope which is imprinted with
the mailing address of the
bank depository where all
ballots are sent.
Sign the mailing envelope on
the first line of the upper lefthand corner. Print name and
book number on the second
line. The mailing envelope is
self-addressed and stamped.
The mailing envelope must
be postmarked no later than
midnight December 31 , 2000
and received by the bank
depository no later than
January 5, 2001.
Man:h2000
�1
)
MTD Board Hears Plans to Promote U.S.-Flag Fleet
Herberger, Barer Outline Their Ideas for Moving Industry into the New Century
The former head of the U.S.
Maritime Administration and a
top executive of a U.S.-flag shipping company presented their
visions for the future of the U.S.flag commercial fleet when they
spoke before the Maritime Trades
Department, AFL-CIO (MTD)
executive board last month in
New Orleans.
Vice Admiral Albert Herberger (USN-retired) served as
the Maritime Administrator from
1993 to 1997. During his term, he
worked with the U.S.-flag industry to steer the Maritime Security
Program through Congress and
the Clinton administration. He
rejuvenated the Title XI Shipbuilding Loan Guarantee Program, which helped domestic
shipyards convert from military
to commercial construction. He
was instrumental in the development of the Voluntary Intermodal
Sealift Agreement (VISA),
which ensured that the nation's
intermodal transportation systems be available to the military
in times of emergency or crisis.
Herberger began his maritime
career as a merchant ship officer
Ret. Maritime Administrator Albert
Herberger lays out his plans for
strengthening the U.S.-flag fleet
in the new century during his
address to the MTD executive
board.
after graduating from the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy. He
joined the Navy and served 32
years-including a tour as deputy
commander-in-chief of the U.S.
Transportation Comman4 which
oversees the logistics for all U.S.
armed forces worldwide---before
retiring in 1990.
In opening his address,
Herberger reminded the executive board that America always
has been a maritime nation, but
the U.S.-flag industry has ebbed
and flowed depending on the
immediate needs of the country.
He called on government leaders
to work with the maritime industry to develop a policy that would
make America a stronger commercial maritime power.
"The question of investment
in new ships must be the key to
any policy initiative," Herberger
stated.
"The U.S. maritime industry
will continue to play a significant
role in the nation's economic
growth if corrective action is
taken. Both international and
domestic fleets along with revitalized ports and waterways can
be vital components of our transportation system and indispensable elements of our national
security capability."
He noted, "The industry's
challenges and opportunities are
many, but must be aggressively
pursued."
In order to move forward,
Herberger said three things need
to be done:
"There must be, one, commercial development and investment
in new services and shipping
opportunities which will, in turn,
bring additional mariner jobs,
new shipbuilding and port operations;
"Two, a strong partnership
with the Defense Department to
fulfill the ever-critical national
security requirements; and
"Three, hold the line against
changes to U.S. cabotage and
trade laws."
He pointed out changing patterns involving trade, new technological developments and increased marketplace demands in
the U.S. and around the world
will create opportunities for
waterborne transportation.
One particular change he sees
happening is the increased use of
domestic and coastwise shipping
as the nation's railways and highways become more congested.
"I see waterborne transport of
trucks, freight, automobiles and
passengers in a complementary
Legislators Real firm Support for Merchant Shipping
Four members of Congress told the
Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO
(MTD) executive board that the U.S.-flag
fleet continues to have strong support on
Capitol Hill.
Speaking before the group during its
winter meeting February 10 and 11 in New
Orleans were House Democratic Whip
David Bonior (D-Mich.) and Reps. William
Jefferson (D--La.), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.)
and Robert Weygand (D-R.I.).
Boni or, the House of Representatives'
second highest ranking Democrat, started
his address by thanking the board members
for all that they have done to support him
and other pro-maritime, pro-labor legislators.
"Thank you for standing with me
through all my toughest battles.
"But, let me thank you for something
else, too. Thank you for standing up and
speaking out for an America that a lot of
people in Washington find it easy to ignore
these days. I'm talking about the America
that works with its hands," he said.
"I'm not talking about folks you'd find
pushing paper in some plush office tower,
but the men and women on board lakers
hauling taconite pellets through port towns
with names like Algonac.
"It's the longshoremen who bust their
backs every day moving cargo in Boston,
New York, Baltimore and right here in New
Orleans. It's the engineers living in a world
where it always smells like diesel fuel ...
men and women who've made the world's
sea lanes their home."
Bonior called a U.S. flag flying from a
vessel "the only guarantee there is that ship
is properly maintained with a trained, professional crew."
He added the Jones Act is in America's
economic and defense interests.
Commitment, Modernization, Funding
In welcoming the board members to his
home district, Jefferson also affirmed his
commitment to the Jones Act.
"I will continue to support the Jones Act
and will work with you to fight off any
effort to undermine it."
He pointed out that every member of the
March2000
Rep. Robert Weygand
Rep. Nick Rahall
Louisiana delegation signed the resolution
supporting the freight cabotage law during
the previous Congress.
Jefferson updated the board on legislation he introduced in the House with Rep.
Jim McCrery (R--La.) to make the U.S.--flag
fleet more competitive internationally-the
National Security Sealift Enhancement Act
(H.R. 3225).
Jefferson said part of the decline in U.S.flag shipping overseas is due to the industry
being overburdened with taxes. H.R. 3225
-and its companion in the Senate, S.
1858-would allow the owner of a U.S.flag vessel operating in international trade
to fully deduct that vessel in the year in
which it was acquired and documented
under the American flag. The measure
would extend an existing income tax exclusion for Americans working overseas to
U.S. mariners. It also would include alternative minimum tax relief on shipping
income and expand the expense deductions
coming from conferences or other meetings
aboard U.S.-flag vessels.
"We came to the conclusion it is time for
Congress to act in this important area and it
is time for Congress to act now to level the
playing field," declared the Louisiana representative.
Rahall told the MTD board action needs
to be taken to modernize America's ports.
Rep. William Jefferson
"We have a national interest in maintaining and improving these navigational channels," noted the West Virginia official.
"Maintaining a strong U.S.-flag merchant
marine is critical to our nation's economic
and security requirements. That is something I've always supported in my 24 years
in Congress," Rahall remarked.
Weygand reminded the audience his
home state of Rhode Island has a history of
shipbuilding. He proclaimed the cutbacks in
funds for ship construction during the 1970s
and 1980s "devastating."
He called on Congress to fully fund the
Title XI shipbuilding loan guarantee program because of the success shown during
the 1990s in constructing double-hull
tankers and other vessels.
"We believe it is important that we have
the money to rebuild our fleet, to build new
ships, because by doing that, not only do we
have a better port, a better facility, better
ships to come into there, we have a better
environment. A good clean environment
with good clean jobs-high-paying
jobs-is what we want and that's what we
must strive for," Weygand stated.
The MTD executive board is made up of
officials from its 30 unions, including the
SIU, and 23 port maritime councils. The
unions in the MTD represent approximately
8 million workers.
partnership with trucking and
railroads-not an open competition."
He urged the maritime interests in the audience to maintain
the nation's freight and passenger
cabotage laws. He called for a
renewed effort to rebuild the
nation's ports and their infrastructures. He reminded everyone that the U.S.--flag fleet continues to be and will remain vital
to the national security. He called
for maintaining cargo preference
laws.
Finally, Herberger urged the
nation's lawmakers to review the
tax laws that affect the merchant
fleet.
"The bottom line is U.S. companies need policy changes to
stay alive. The tax burden-the
U.S. tax environment under
which the American shipowner
must compete, but from which
foreign competitors are largely
exempt- impacts the day-to--day
operation competitiveness and
the ability to acquire new
replacement tonnage for the
American fleet."
Following up on Herberger's
theme of looking ahead was Stan
Barer, co-chairman and CEO of
Saltchuck Resources.
Barer announced the company
is determined to prepare for the
new century by building the first
two commercial roll-on/roll-off
vessels for the Jones Act trade in
10 years for its SIU-contracted
affiliate Totem Ocean Trailer
Express (TOTE).
"The way to win on the Jones
Act is simply build because if
you make the investment, I don't
think Congress is going to take it
away from you," Barer told the
MTD executive board.
He noted the nation's cabotage
laws (of which the Jones Act is
one) are part of a "four-legged
stool" that supports American
domestic transportation systems
and its workers. He said any
effort that would take away just
one of those legs would affect all
others, which include rail, trucks
and airlines.
"If you change the Jones Act
and said you can bring in foreign
labor and foreign ships immune
from taxation, immune from
labor laws, immune from the
civil rights laws-you just come
in and do the work in America
and take your money home,
what's a trucker going to say?
You will upset the balance here."
He stated the trucking companies would succumb to thirdworld wages and workers, then
the railroads, followed by the airlines.
"This would wipe out millions
of workers!
"Is there something wrong
with employing our own workers
inside our own country?! I want
U.S. citizens working for me!"
Barer declared.
He added labor and management have to work together to
keep the industry moving forward.
The MTD is composed of 30
unions and 23 maritime port
councils in the U.S. and Canada.
The unions within the MTD represent approximately 8 million
workers.
Seafarers LOG
5
�---- -
~
-- ----~ ----
- - -
--
--
Home on the (Gun) Range
Petersburg Crew Keeps Terrorism in Crosshairs;
Course Aims at Strengthening National Defense
Since its chartering in 1938,
the SIU continually has cooperated with American shipowners
and the U.S. military to help
ensure a strong national defense.
Seafarers on the USNS
Petersburg recently displayed
such teamwork again when they
participated in anti-terrorism
firearms training in Guam.
Overseen by the U.S. Military
Sealift Command (MSC), the
training took place at a gun range
on the island's U.S. Naval base.
The Petersburg crew is far
in more training with U.S.
Marines.
AB J.J. Arnold provided the
photos accompanying this story.
Under the professional instruction of U.S. Navy personnel, SIU crew
members from the Petersburg take aim with 9 millimeter handguns (top
photo) and M-14 rifles (below).
from alone in learning the safe
operation of handguns and rifles.
All of the MSC ships stationed in
Guam (many of which are SIUcrewed) are provided with this
anti-terrorism training. The
course is offered four to six times
per year, depending on the availability of the gun range.
Meanwhile, the Petersburg
was scheduled to travel to
Okinawa last month and take part
Recertified Bosun Peter Funk
(right) is ready for the start of the
course in Guam.
Above: Operating the stores
crane is AB Carlos Thomas.
Left: Back aboard ship, AB Miles
Copeland loads stores.
ABs Roman Genetiano and Eddie Ponteres, part of the Petersburg
crew, help with loading stores.
Quick Response Douses Fire
Aboard Sea-Land Developer
The captain of the SIU-crewed
Sea-Land Developer credited all
hands for a timely, effective
response in extinguishing a shipboard fire January 14.
Captain Robert Lamb provided the following account. No
injuries were reported.
"The Sea-Land Developer
arrived in Long Beach (Calif.) on
January 14 in the early morning
hours. After a very hectic day of
ABS safety inspections, she
sailed at 1830, taking departure at
the pilot station at 2130. The
entire crew was looking forward
to the long, peaceful trip to
Balboa down the Mexican coast.
"Two hours later the chief
engineer called me to say he had
an economizer fire. I went immediately to the bridge to find
flames shooting 10 feet out of the
stack!
"We rang the general alarm for
emergency stations at 2248.
While the chief mate assessed the
situation with the engineers,
Bosun Dana Cella and two other
men were fully suited in turnout
gear and ready to apply boundary
cooling by 2300. He reported in
at that time and I informed him to
6
Seafarers LOG
You Towed My Battleship!
stand by.
"The chief engineer and I had
by then decided to use the fixed
C02 system for the economizer (a
device that pre-heats fuel or
water for greater efficiency m
'This proficiency
. . . is a tribute to
the training that is
given to each
member of the
SIU.'
-
Capt. Robert Lamb
engineering plants). This had the
effect of knocking down the
flames and the stack was now
clear.
"It was determined that the
boundary cooling was not necessary because the fire did not
appear to be in danger of spreading. Charged hoses were left in
place, a fire watch was set, and the
crew stood down at about 0100.
"At 0600 on January 15, a second set of bottles was rigged
from the main bank to the economizer co 2 station, no small feat
by any means. Before we were
towed back to the dock and
applying C02 from a tank truck
on the pier, this evolution was
accomplished three times and
C02 was released four times into
the economizer.
"Throughout this period the
crew handled themselves in the
best traditions of the sea. Their
performance was exemplary and
is commended.
"In addition to Dana Cella, the
unlicensed crew consisted of ABs
Eric Lund, George Mazzola,
Robert
Crooks,
Thomas
Arnold and David Cordero,
Electrician Gary Dahl, QMED
Keith Manzano, DEU Jose
Garcia, Chief Steward Ruben
Casin, Chief Cook John
Gehring and GSU Ali Ghalib.
"Once again this proficiency
in the ability to act in dangerous
circumstances is a tribute to the
training that is given to each
member of the SIU. It is indeed a
pleasure sailing with such professionals."
SIU tugboat crews played a key role last year in a Veterans' Day
celebration in Philadelphia. SIU-crewed boats from Crowley and
Moran moved the battleship USS New Jersey along the Delaware
River as part of the ceremonies. Seafarers from the McAllister fleet
also were on hand. Above, SIU members (from left) Deckhand
Dave MacCollister, Deckhand Wallace Duffield and Mate Robert
Van Blunk aboard the Iona McA/ister join in the festivities.
Meanwhile, the Grace Moran (directly below) and the Explorer
(bottom) team up.
Man:h2000
�Luedtke Crews Complete
On-Site Hazmat Training
Great Lakes Crews Eye Fitout
AMERICAN MARIN£
OS Mohamed Mohsin
Safety gear comes in various sizes and varieties, as shown by (from
left) Luedtke foreman Shannon Jensen, AB Dale Leonard and QMED
Ed Carlson.
Preparing for a spring assignment that likely will involve the
dredging lllld transport of contaminated substances, SIU members employed by Luedtke
Engineering recently completed
a 40-hour course on hazardous
waste operations and emergency
response.
Mark Jones, an instructor at
the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime
Training
and
Education in Piney Point, Md.,
conducted the class January 31Febroary 4 in Frankfurt, Mich.
(near Luedtke's offices).
"All the guys thought it was a
good course," noted Captain
Marty Szekely. "For about half
of us, the hazmat training was
completely new material. I'll tell
you one thing, that instructor was
A-1. He was right to the point
and he made everything clear."
In addition to Szekely, the
other SIU members who completed the class were Ken
Glaser, John Shaski, Bert
Adams, Dale Leonard, Charlie
Wallace, Les Morr, William
West, Rieb Arnold, Kevin
Hollenbeck, Ed Carlson, Lorry
Wilcox. Jason Beyette, Randy
Johnson, Joe Kane, Jim Rider,
Larry Hilton, Don Mills, Mike
Niehus and Albert Cropek.
Luedtke officials and a few
members of the International
Union of Operating Engineers
also completed the class.
"Everything came together
quite well," said Jones. "It was
cold and snowing all week, but
everyone in the class showed up
every day. There was a lot of
effort put into it."
Jones and the students covered numerous topics, including
terminology, rights and responsibilities, personal protective
equipment,
decontamination
operations, field survey instruments and sampling, medical
surveillance, first aid and CPR
and more. The class ended with
an exam.
The Paul Hall Center routinely offers on-site training to meet
the unique needs of Seafarers
throughout the country.
QMED Ed Carlson
dons a safety suit
in class, aided by
Captain Marty
Szekely.
Seafarers are asked to keep in
touch with the SIU halls in
Algonac, Mich. or Duluth,
Minn. this month as Great
Lakes fitout information
becomes available.
Meanwhile, these photos provide a glance back at the
1999 season-one in which
U.S.-flag ships transported
nearly 116 million tons of
cargo on the Lakes.
Captain Kenny Glaser
Kurt R. Luedtke
Bosun Tim Johnson
Chief Steward Kris Setterington
Buffalo
Iglehart
Unlicensed Apprentice Steven
Cook, Kinsman Independent
Lakes Seafarers Make Icy Rescue
Left: Instructor
Mark Jones (left)
and Captain Les
Morr demonstrate
using protective
equipment.
Below: Students
covered many
subjects in the 40hour course,
which blended
classroom instruction with
hands-on training.
March2000
American Mariner
Crew members on the Southdown Challenger
began the new year with an unusual pier-side rescue
in Ferrysburg, Mich.
AB John Vegh, trying to aid a dockworker who
had fallen through ice between a tug and barge
notch, suffered a separated shoulder during the
January 1 nighttime episode.
Deckhand Michael Cushman helped lead a
group that pulled Vegh from the frigid water. The
dockworker, Bruce Groeneveld, also assisted after
he was retrieved.
The incident began as the Southdown Challenger, a freighter hauling cement, went to tie up.
"We didn't have a clear dock because of the tug
and barge, so extra people were sent out to help us,"
recalled Vegh. "One of the (shoreside) workers went
up on the barge to catch a heaving line. There's a
notch cut out for the tug to attach to it. All the ones
I'd seen have a railing or some other barrier around
it, but this one didn't-just a notch cut out in the
deck.
"The tug was in there, but there was probably 20
feet of open area," he continued. "It was very dark,
and the shadow from the bow of the tug on the barge
made it look like no gap.
"I heard somebody yell, 'Help, I'm in the water!'
I followed this guy's footsteps in the snow, jumped
down on the barge, took three steps and fell on top
of him. I couldn't even tell there was a [gap] there."
With Vegh unable to swim due to his injury, and
Groeneveld powerless to help him under the circumstances, Groeneveld crawled onto an ice floe,
J~·-
After a mishap while
trying to aid a dockworker who fell into icy
water, AB John Vegh
(left photo) got help
from Southdown Challenger shipmates, including
Deckhand Michael Cushman (right and inset).
from where he was pulled onto the deck.
Meanwhile, Cushman retrieved a ladder and
positioned it so that he, Grueneveld and another person could reach Vegh (who was wearing a lifejacket).
"I'm not sure exactly how long it took. Probably
eight minutes, but that was long enough because it
was cold," said Vegh, who added that he and
Groeneveld have kept in touch since then.
Seafarers LOG
7
�r
1st Group from Guam
Heads to Piney Point
10 Slated for Apprentice Program
Ten people from Guam are scheduled to enroll
this month in the Paul Hall Center 's unlicensed
apprentice program.
They are the first Guamanians to begin the threephase curriculum since the signing late last year of
a cooperative agreement between the Piney Point,
Md.-based school, the SIU and the government of
the U.S . territory. That pact calls for establishment
of a recruitment system aimed at boosting Guamanians' enrollment in the unlicensed apprentice program. It is structured the same as the one in which
Alaska has participated since 1997.
In mid-January. as many as 1,000 residents of
Guam attended a seminar on the island about the
entry-level trn.ining. Representatives from the Paul
Hall Center described the program in depth and met
throughout the day with prospective applicants.
Guam Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez (who along
with several other Guam officials extensively toured
the Paul Hall Center in late December) attended the
seminar. Speaking to local reporters, he described
the Paul Hall Center as "state-of-the-art" and said
the unlicensed apprentice program is a good fit for
"people who are committed to a drug-free workplace and challenging work to find a responsible
place in society."
Guam is the westernmost United States territory,
situated between Hawaii and the Philippines in the
Western Pacific. Its population last year was
approximately 163,000.
The unlicensed apprentice program blends classroom instruction and hands-on training, including a
90-day stint aboard U.S.-flag merchant vessels.
Upon graduation, the Seafarer is shipped out to
work as either an ordinary seaman, wiper or steward
assistant.
SIU crew members from the USNS Petersburg enthusiastically volunteered to help spread the word about
the apprentice program during off-time. The ship was stationed in Guam during the seminar but has since
sailed to Okinawa (see story, page 6).
In these three
photos, interested
residents of Guam
learn more about
the Paul Hall
Center's entry-level
training program.
Chatting during a break at the mid-January seminar are (from left)
Chief Steward George J. Borromeo (who provided the photos accompanying this story), Guam Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez and Paul Hall
Center VP Don Nolan.
SIU Supports ILA at Dredging Rally
Seafarers participated in a
late-January rally and public
hearing in Fort Monmouth, N.J.
concerning a proposed dredging
project at the port of New York/
New Jersey.
SIU members joined with an
estimated 2,200 fellow trade
unionists, most of them members
of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), in urging public officials to support
dredging of terminals at Brooklyn
and Queens, N.Y. Failure to do
so, they warned, will threaten
hundreds of thousands of local
jobs and damage the economy.
At issue is whether or not the
mud samples from the terminals
contained unacceptable toxicity
levels. Apparently, at least one
environmental group thinks so.
and hyperbole."
A high-ranking port official
stated at the hearing that the
Army Corps of Engineers itself
has acknowledged that mud samples from Brooklyn and Queens
met the "clean" standard. The
official further asserted that the
samples satisfy the 1997 accord
overseen by Vice President Al
Gore and signed by the Army,
two federal agencies and environmental groups to restrict an old
dump site to categorically clean
material.
During the January hearing,
Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)
stated that those who support
dredging "care just as much about
the environment as anyone else.
We understand that water quality
and habitat are important, but
180,000 jobs and a $20 billion
economy generated by the port
also are important."
Two weeks following the
hearing, ILA Executive Vice
President Al Cernadas addressed
the winter executive board meeting of the Maritime Trades
Department, AFL-CIO.
He
thanked the MTD board for passing a statement to allow the needed dredging to get started so large
commercial vessels may continue
to call on the port.
Paul Hall
Center VP
Don Nolan is
interviewed by
Stephanie
Lum for a
local television
station, KUAM
Channel 8.
Others are challenging the
project based on a questionable
interpretation of other rules governing the dumping of dredged
material.
As an official from the New
York Shipping Association put it,
environmental "extremists want
to bring the shipping industry to
its knees" by using "scare tactics
B Seafarers LOG
AB J.J. Arnold (right) answers a question about the shipboard training.
SIU members join thousands of fellow trade unionists at a public hearing in Fort Monmouth, N.J. addressing a dredging project for the port
of New York/New Jersey.
March2000
�Crew members on the El Yunque had a
special guest recently, when the vessel
carried the Ringling Brothers Circus
from Jacksonville, Fla. to San Juan, P.R.
Posing with one of the elephants are
AB Carlos Suazo. AB Ron Mena. SA
Blair Baker, DEU John Cooper and
Bosun Luis Ramirez.
Douglas
Burch,
steward/
baker on
board the
USNS Cape
Isabel, prepares a
tasty meal
for the crew.
The vessel
is on ROS
status in the
old Long
Beach
(Calif.)
naval shipyard .
From the left are Chief Cook
Mariano Norales, AB Carlos
Parilla, AB Thomas Lasater and
SA Elston Yumateo.
i
WITH THE SIU
The Sea-Land Expedition is loaded up and
ready to go. From the left are AB John
Alberti, Electrician Joe Corr and AB George
Darley.
The crew aboard :
the /TB Groton
enjoyed a cookout, which was
prepared with
pride by Chief
Steward Charlie
Roldan (left) and
Chief Cook Joel
Molinas.
Right: San
Juan Port
Agent Victor
Nunez (left)
shows unlicensed
apprentice
Brett Parkins
around the
SIU hall.
Participating in a membership meeting aboard the USNS
Pathfinder in San Juan are San Juan Port Agent Victor Nunez,
GVAs Richard Jensen, Jonathan Gibson and Celso Ordonez,
Chief Cook Francisco Aguillar, Storekeepers Gary Hanson and
Luther Jesord, ABs John Soares, Rafael Lopez and Kenneth
Gross, OSs Victor Velez and Joseph Gierbolini, Oilers Oswaldo
Lopez and Bryce
Gritten and
QMEDThomas
Hooper.
Second
Pumpman
Mario
Cruzat is
ready to
go ashore.
His vessel , the
Overseas
Ohio, was
at the
moorings
in El
Segundo,
Calif.
The entire unlicensed crew on the USNS Dahl poses for a group shot
while the vessel was in a San Diego, Calif. shipyard.
Man:h2000
When the Sea-Land Expedition was in Elizabeth,
N.J. recently, steward department members Tom
Vanyi (left) and Charlie DiCanio show it takes
teamwork to get the job done.
Seafarers LOG
9
�CelebraJing a New Year
On tb.e El Yunque
While much of the rest of the world was getting
ready to celebrate the year 2000 in excessive fashion, crew members aboard the El Yunque also took
note of the new year, but in their usual, professional manner.
The vessel, operated by Interocean Ugland
Management Co. spent New Year's eve at sea,
heading for a payoff in San Juan on January 2.
Members of the engine department on
the El Yunque include (from left) DEU
Orlando Herrera, OMU Hiawatha J.
Williams and Oiler Reginald Abrams.
Chief Cook Joey Gallo (left) and Recertified Steward Louis Nicoud
111 are a great team aboard the Sea-Land Liberator. Here, they
pose on deck as the vessel navigates the Panama Canal.
East Coast Meets West Coast
Aboard Sea-Land Liberator
Steward Dept. Team Stresses Education
Along with Fine Food and Service
Ready to usher in the new year are deck
department members (from left) AB Blair C.
Baker, OS Pedro C. Gago, Bosun Luis
Ramirez, AB Carson Jordan and (kneeling)
AB/Ship's Chairman Paul J. LaTorre.
Delicious, home-style meals are prepared and
served by (from left) Chief Steward Milton
Yournett, SA Charles B. Collier Jr. and Chief
Cook David Camacho.
A real sense of camaraderie is evident among the El Yunque's
crew members, including AB Ronald Mena, OS Pedro C.
Gago, Chief Steward Milton Yournett, Chief Cook David
Camacho, AB Blair C. Baker, Oiler Hiawatha J. Williams,
Bosun Luis Ramirez, AB Carson Jordan, SA Charles B. Collier
Jr. and DEU Orlando Herrera.
When Recertified Steward Louis Nicoud III from Las Vegas
met up with Chief Cook Joey Gallo from Brooklyn aboard the
Sea-Land Liberator, everything fell into place.
The two professionally trained chefs were of one mindset: a
commitment to provide a superior level of service to the unlicensed crew and officers. Everything from daily meetings on
menu development to an emphasis on sanitation went toward
fulfilling that goal.
Both men also believe in professional development as the
key to a thriving U.S. merchant marine, and stress to their fellow crew members that upgrading their skills at the Paul Hall
Center is the way to go.
Nicoud, a 19-year member of the SIU and graduate of the
union's entry-level training program at Piney Point, emphasizes
a clean galley and house, galley economy, fine food and service
and a sense of humor. According to his shipmate Gallo, Nicoud
(who has completed the steward recertification program at
Piney Point-the highest curriculum available to members of
the steward department) is a quality-driven food service professional with a flair for marketing, which is reflected in his menu
text and design.
Gallo has been a member of the SIU for 10 years. A professional chef and Culinary Institute graduate, the former U.S.
Marine Corps cook/baker has the philosophy, "If we can do it in
a restaurant, we can do it on a ship."
Menu diversity and preparation are Gallo's strong points, and
he is a stalwart proponent of the Paul Hall Center. He has
upgraded to certified steward and hopes to attend the union's
recertification program as well. He also plans to enroll at
Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey to complete
requirements for a bachelor's degree in hospitality management.
Nicoud and Gallo are almost like a bicoastal vaudeville act,
always seeking to surprise, entertain and please their audiences.
Whether it comes in the form of high quality international cuisine or a simple good morning, the two Seafarers are always on
the job-living and working the credo, "Brotherhood of the Sea."
HoHday Highlights .tram tb.e PresidentJachon
Those crew members who found themselves aboard the
President Jackson on Thanksgiving and Christmas days
were in for something special.
Mary Lou Lopez, assistant cook/utility and steward
department delegate on the vessel, noted that the President
Jackson was in the Far East. "Being it was the last
Thanksgiving and Christmas before the new millennium,"
she wrote in a letter accompanying these photos, "we went
the extra mile."
Clockwise from left: Nothing says Christmas like festive
decorations-and freshly baked cookies, brought into the
crew lounge by Assistant Cook/Utility Mary Lou Lopez.
Ron Peterson, chief mate aboard the President Jackson,
is the first crew member to sample the elegant Christmas
appetizers. Just to make sure the Thanksgiving Day
treats are as delicious as they look, Recertified Steward
Terry Allen and Assistant Cook/Utility Mary Lou Lopez do
a quick taste-test. An assortment of pies and cakes
topped off a perfect Christmas dinner.
10
Seafarers LOG
Man:h2000
�he seafaring life agreed with Matt
Harrison from the moment he joined
he SIU in 1982.
"It's the best thing that ever happened to
me. I've gone around the world because of the
SIU," stated the 38-year-old AB.
Harrison graduated from the trainee program at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School
in Piney Point, Md. A few years into his sail-
71
ing career, he took up photography-expressly
to "capture the feel of shipping," he recalled.
"I didn't have any background with photography, but it interested me," he continued.
"I started for artistic reasons. but it was all
trial and error. As the years went by, I got better."
Approximately eight years of flashbulbs
Man:h2000
and film fulfilled the AB 's pictorial aspirations. He sold his camera gear in the mid1990s.
But during his time behind the lens,
Harrison accumulated a compelling collection
of photos, with subjects such as shipmates,
vessels and foreign lands.
And although he's had his fill of taking
pictures, he's eager to continue sailing.
"I wanted to see the world, and that's why I
joined the union," noted Harrison, who most
recently sailed aboard the Northern Lights. "It
was either Piney Point or join the (military)
service, but I'm glad I ended up with the SIU.
"(SIU President) Mike Sacco got me started, I met him at the school. To me, we're family. That brotherhood means a lot."
Seafarers LOG
11
�Seafarers Crew New
The delivery ceremony featured a tribute to the vessel's namesake, Cpl. Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. Taking part
in the service are (from left) AB Johnny Birdwell, AB Omar Muhammad, SIU Port Agent John Cox, Misty Elk
(Red Clt>ud's grMddeughter). OS Lenerd Madison and Recertified Bosun David Parl<.
U
e new year began with new SIU jobs, as
Seafarers crewed the USNS Red Cloud in
San Diego.
A Watson-class vessel assigned to the U.S.
Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC), the
Red Cloud began its inaugural voyage in
January, shortly after delivery.
For the union, the 950-foot ship represents
job opportunities. But it also signifies a commitment by the U.S. government to a strong
American sealift capability. The Red Cloud is
part of a 19-ship program (14 new builds, five
conversions) designed to ensure sufficient U.S.
sealift resources.
Built at the National Steel and Shipbuilding
Company (NASSCO), the Red Cloud joins
MSC's prepositioning fleet. Vessels in that armada are fully loaded with U.S. military supplies
and equipment and are stationed near potential
areas of conflict around
•
fc I,
the world. Their
tanks, tractor-trailers and high-mobility military
vehicles, just to name a few.
Like the others in its class, the Red Cloud
includes 390,000 square feet of cargo space. It is
named in memory of Army Cpl. Mitchell Red
Cloud Jr. ( 1925-1950), a posthumous recipient
of the Medal of Honor.
Red Cloud perished from enemy fire while
defending a ridge in front of his company command post in Korea in 1950. "His heroic actions
prevented his company from being overrun,"
noted the U.S. Navy in a press release.
The first SIU crew aboard the USNS Red
Cloud consisted of Recertified Bosun David
Park, ABs Omar Muhammad, Thomas
Ellington, Andre Frazier, Edward Miller and
Johnny Birdwell, OSs Jerry Fanning, Lenard
Madison and Willie Harrington, QMEDs
Timothy Pillsworth, Sylvester Crawford,
Nunzio Ciciulla, Anthony McNeil,
Dwight Ward and Michael
Gott, Storekeeper Alex
Davis, Steward/Baker
Christopher
Hale, Chief
Cook
Bernardo
Jordan and
SAs
Claudia
Kamm eyer and
Tanja
Pfizenmaier.
A walk through the engine room
shows all the latest equipment.
12
Seafarers LOG
Man:h2000
�Prepositioning Ship
Crew members take a short break in the galley.
Greeting a visitor is the watchstanding AB, Edward Miller.
SAs Tanja PHzenmaier (left) and Claudia Kammeyer sign on for
the Red Cloud's first voyage.
A specially decorated cake helps
mark delivery ceremonies for the
new MSC-operated vessel.
USNS Red Cloud
By the numbers
Length: 950'
Beam: 105'-9"
Displacement
at design draft: 62,700 tons
Cargo area: 393,000 sq. feet
Design speed: 24 knots
Miscellaneous
Berthing, living, mess, recreation and office
spaces for as many as 13 officers and 32 unlicensed personnel. Similar facilities available for
'supercargo crew' of 50 military personnel.
Additional features include leisure and community
facilities, hospital complex, laundry and workshops.
Propulsion plant
Two GE LM-2500 gas turbines with an output of
32,000 BHP each
Two 24' -0" controllable pitch propellers - 95 RPM
at full power
Man:h2000
12,500 KW total ship's service generating capability
2,000 KW emergency generating capacity
Cargo system & equipment
Self-sustaining roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) capabilities
Self-sustaining lift-on/lift-off (LO/LO) capabilities
Centerline stern slewing ramp
Port and starboard sideport ramp system
Two single pedestal twin cranes
Cargo hatches in three holds
All RO/RO decks fixed
Combination of fixed and hinged RO/RO ramps
Special features
Environmental control for cargo holds
Foam firefighting and de-watering system for
cargo holds
Bow thruster units
List control system
Source: NASSCO
The ship's delivery ceremony kept the steward department busy and in
good spirits. Pictured from left to right are Steward/Baker Chris Hale,
Chief Cook Bernardo Jordan and SA Claudia Kammeyer.
Seafarers LOB
13
�-
Port Agent Anthony McQuay (center) congratulates certified chief cooks Jimmie Reddick (left) and Willie Grant
for their hard work in preparing the holiday fare.
More than 100 Seafarers and their families and friends
gathered at the festively decorated Jacksonville hall last
December 22 for a memorable holiday party.
Port Agent Anthony McQuay set the tone for the celebration in his welcoming remarks, which were then followed by a delicious luncheon.
Certified Chief Cooks Jimmie Reddick and Willie Grant
took advantage of the hall's full galley to prepare the meal,
while messmen Almus Allen and Brian Wilder assisted in
helping serve the holiday fare, consisting of everything from
turkey and ham with all the trimmings to an endless variety
of freshly baked pies and cakes.
The photos of the party on this page were taken by
Patrolman Bryan Powell and Recertified Bosun Roan
Lightfoot.
Enjoying the festivities are (from left) Retired Bosun
Paul Butterworth, Port Secretary Karen Shuford, Mrs.
Butterworth and Carolyn Shuford.
IP®rn! ®i!J]~®mwfillil@ M@~ &.b@ Ifil®Ifil®~~
>
•
>J
'
I
'•'•·
•
,·,
Left:
Messmen
Alm us
Allen (left)
and Brian
Wilder
help serve
lunch to
Seafarers
and their
guests.
Partaking in good food and holiday cheer at the Jacksonville party are
(from left) ABs Rubin Mitchell, Lydell Grant and Charles Whitehead.
The party at the Jacksonville hall helps (from left) AB James
Blitch, Recertified Bosun Roan Lightfoot and QEE Angel
Hernandez get in the holiday spirit.
Bosun John Micklos (left) gets a chance to
share in the festive occasion with AB Tom
Gruber and his wife.
Having a great time are (from left) OMU
Stephanie Brown, DENU Jerry Miller and Mrs.
Charles Whitehead.
Patrolman Harmando Salazar (left) welcomes retired Recertified Bosun Billy
Darley to the Jacksonville hall.
Right: It's all
smiles at the table
of (from right)
OMU Ramon
Calazo, his wife
and their niece
Stephanie.
AB Tom Driggers (left) and his wife enjoy a soda and some
good conversation with AB John Gatton.
Posing for a photo during the festivities are (from left)
Patrolman Harmando Salazar, Port Agent Anthony
McQuay, Crowley VP of Labor Relations Mike DePrisco
and Patrolman Bryan Powell.
14
Seafarers LOS
Retired Recertified Steward Joe Miller (left) reminisces about "the good old days" and the bright future
of the SIU with retired SA Frank Sirignano.
Port Agent Anthony McQuay and his family enjoy the culinary delights served at the holiday luncheon.
llarch 2000
�Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
JANUARY 16 -
FEBRUARY 15, 2000
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Class A Class B Class C
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San . Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
32
5
4
15
19
18
34
31
26
26
6
10
Houston
26
St. Louis
3
0
· Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
Port
Ne~~\Tork
P~iladelphia
Baltnnf.?re
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
JackSonville
San Francisco
_ Wih;nington ""
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals
3
23
4
8
2
3
5
1
7
5
12
1
7
2
6
11
12
4
12
3
14
5
3
30
10
3
8
5
14
5
13
15
11
9
12
5
10
20
1
4
5
6
5
6
3
3
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
H6
137
8
10
6
2
10
3
5
0
5
3
13
8
7
2
3
2
1
3
11
3
l9
1
11
9
3
14
13
4
3
4
7
2
3
8
z
.,. .. 5
10
12
3
15
5
9
19
4
9
3
5
2
3
125
0
106
0
16
7
3
3
2
8
17
2
7
9
13
41
14
9
18
4
ll
46
9
5
17
5
13
1
1
10
53
9
25
9 .... .1 -.. .
3
u
4
()
4
88
1
418
0
173
3
16
0
0
·3
15
·- '3
10
3
11
5
14
0
5
3
21
8
6
12
6
4
0
15
3
3
6
0
98
1
1
2
0
2
1
5
11
19
14
24
14
15
15
10
11
29
2 ·
3
San Francisco ......... Thursday: April 13, May 18
San Juan ..................Thursday: April 6, May 11
4
3
55
2
St Louis ................. Friday: April 14, May 19
Tacoma ................... Friday: April 21, May 26
Wilmington ...............Monday: April 17, May 22
Each port's meeting starts at 10:30 a.m.
3
5
1
0
8
9
11
2
4
2
EKOWDOFFOH
26
4
7
4
4
0
2
6
13
IO
10
17
6
7
3
2
2
2
0
9
2
0
2
0
0
15
0
24
100
16
0
l
9
2
10
14
3
0
1
0
1
4
0
1
6
3
11
5
0
2
7r
0
0
54
47
37
30
3
24
20
TERRY GILLILAND
2
3
Please get in touch with Pammy Gilliland at 21168
Winding Way, Lexington Park, MD 20653; or call (240)
728-0777.
5
0
5
7
0
9
2
1
2
0
0
0
263
59
27
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
16
7
0
0
0
5
0
41
35
0
0
2
1
9
3
8
12
29
1
7
0
2
15
1
11
17
13
68
8
1
3
6
I
8
3
10
1
0
0
34
0
0
2
6
189
308
3
6
9
0
38
4
St. Louis
0
Piney Point
Algonac
0
0
36
5
I
139
205
39
0
119
558
420
344
464
354
2
8
6
7
115
0
0
19
0
0
0
3
4
15
0
I
11
0
5
0
0
10
17
8
11
16
20
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
12
1
24
17
25
3
38
18
l
12
5
ESTEBAN B. LUKE
Please contact Reyna Roman at P.O. Box 216,
Hampton Bays, NY 11946; or telephone (631) 3691682.
Job Call in the New Orleans Hall
13
20
11
11
18
8
86
13
3
10
22
0
0
0
0
0
75
247
258
185
949
606
437
*"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.
William Coffy (Bob Louis ' nephew) saw your picture
in the February LOG and would like to hear from you.
Please call him at (973) 485-3487.
1
0
42
Personals
JAMES ROY AMBROSE
44
0
6
3
0
9
0
0
2
7
-PhlladeJpbia.. :......... Wedn~day: Apn1 5, May 10
11
2
12
14
New York ............... :Tue§day; April 4, May 9
1
2
4
17
New Orleans ...........Tuesday: April 11, May 16
2
30
0
0
5
0
2
1
12
New Bedford ..... :.... Tuesday; April 18, May 23
6
4
0
71
0
2
4
0
2
0
6
7
3
10
2
4
0
1
3
3
8
3
10
0
4
0
141
0
Mobile .................... Wednesday: April 12, May 17
Please contct Tammy Ambrose Bullock at 2703 South
Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, VA 23322; or call (757)
421-7233 or FAX (757) 421-4320.
6
7
0
3
8
5
10
14
Jersey City ..............Wednesday: April 19, May 24
2
0
5
0
Jacksonville ............Thursday: April 6, May l l
9
0
1
Houston .................. Monday: April I0, May 15
29
3
25
Honolulu ................. Friday: April 14, May 19
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
11
3.
1
3
0
3
0
Duluth ..................... Wednesday: April 12, May 17
193
3
4
0
38
9
2
Baltimore ................ Thursday: April 6, May 11
~No~folk ..........~.'. ...... Thursday~_April 6, May 11
2
4
4
1
4
Algonac .................. Friday: April 7, May 12
53
0
121
12
0
5
6
3
March20DO
17
1
6
7
Piney Point ............ Monday: April 3, May 8
4
0
127
1
0
4
0
0
37
4
3
2
2
6
1
s
2
0
l9
15
Totals All
Departments
4
1
0
9
8
8
l
5
0
2
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Totals
8
14
22
22
3
60
24
26
59
41
2
14
7
2
2
13
55
lO
7
12
6
2
18
5
6
16
6
0
2
6
16
9
3
4
3
6
~
6
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmington
Seattle
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
16
8
12
10
·-
8
Port
New York
2
4
204
14
10
18
Totals
12
7
9
5
3
2
U2
9
19
8
Jacksonville
Piney Point
Algonac
Class A Class B Class C
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
4
2
3
Houston
St. Louis
21
18
30
4
12
19
1
78
0
Port
New York
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
DECK DEPARTMENT
Port
New York
Trip
Reliefs
April & May 2 •
Memlletship Meetings
Deep Sea, Lakes, Inland Waters
0
These three Seafarers were spotted recently in the New
Orleans hall waiting for a job call. From the left are Chief
Cook Gerardo Frederick, DEU Cirilo S. Centeno and
Chief Cook Pedro Ramos.
Seafarers LOS
15
�Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
Seafarers International Union
Dlridory
JANUARY 16 -
Michael Sac<:o
President
CL -
John Fay
Executive Vice President
David Heindel
Secretary-Treasurer
Augustin Tellez
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
"
....
- lttADQtJAl'UERS
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
(~01)
89M675
ALGONAC
520 St. Clair Rivt:r Dr.
-
Algonac, MI 48001
Company/Lakes
*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
0
23
14
0
4
0
0
4
5
0
11
15
FEBRUARY 15, 2000
L-Lakes
NP -
Non Priority
TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
2
8
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
4
0
STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0
1
3
ENTRY DEPARTMENT
o·
6
I
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class CL Class L Class NP
0
21
6
0
5
2
0
3
4
0
_9_
9
Totals All Depts
42
34
0
0
8
17
0
38
*'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.
21
(810) 794-4988
ANCHORAGE
SQoam~ St.J if l C
721
Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
Anchorage~ AK 99503
(907) ~61-4988
JANUARY 16 -
BALTIMORE
FEBRUARY 15, 2000
1216 E. Baltimore St
*TOTAL REGISTERED
AU Groups
Class A Class B Class C
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 327-4900
DULUTH
705 Medical Arts Building
Duluth, MN 55802.
(11~) 12~-4110
HONOLULU
0
606 Kalihi St
Honolulu, HI 968 i9
(808) 845"'.?222
3
,.·'
JACKSONVILLE
3315 Liberty St.
JacksonviIJe, FL 32206
(904} 353-0987
JEllSEY CITY
,,,
,.•.• , •• ,,.,, "'· c:,,,. 9~l M'ontgom~efY-·.St,.j\: ..... ,_, ., .,. . ,. ""''". . . ,. . . . ,.
Jersey City, NJ 01302
(201) 435-9424
''" MOBILE
i64o Datiphin1stand.P~.
Mobile, AL 36605
(334) 478-0916
NEW BEDFORD
48 Union -St.
New Bedford1 MA 02740
(508) 997-5404
NEW ORLEANS
3911 upalco Blvd.
Harvey, LA 70058
(sp.t) 3,28-7545
NEW YORK
635 Fourth Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718) 499-6600
NORFOLK
115 Third St.
Norfolk,. VA 23510
aA<l Waters
0
2
5
West Coast
Totals
Region
Atlantic Coast
0
Gulf Coast
0
~~' f!ll~{i }Va~~t . ::''·Q
West Coast
0
Totals
0
Region
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Lakes, Inland Waters 0
West Coast
0
Totals
0
0
1
. ~L
0
6
10
8
1
0
10
3
4
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0
1
1
**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
DECK DEPARTMENT
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
TOTAL SIDPPED
All Groups
Class A Class B Class C
0
0
0
6
8
·O
1
16
2
28
0
1
·~ ~-_ ~:o ,;"
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
Totals All Depts
10
9
5
3
10
3
5
3
*"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.
29
PIG-FROM-THE-PAST
(757) 622-1892
PHILADELPHIA
2604S.4St.
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 336-3818
PINEY J>OINT
P.O. Box 75
Piney Point1 MD 2067:f
(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%
Santurce, PR 00907
-
(787) 721-4033
ST.WUIS
4581 Gravois Ave.
St Louis, MO 63116
(314) 752-6500
TACOMA
3411 South Union Ave.
Tacoma, "\NA 98409
(253) 272-7774
WILMINGTON
510 N. Broad Ave.
Wilmington. CA 90744
(310) 549-4000
16
Seafarers LOG
This copy of an old
photo was sent to the
Seafarers LOG by John
E. Helman of Fremantle,
Western Australia.
It was taken August
15, 1944 aboard the SS
Edwin L. Godkin. The
Luckenbach Lines vessel was offloading allied
equipment for the war
effort in St. Tropez in the
south of France.
AB Helman (standing
center) identifies his
shipmates
as
"AB
Charles Lucas from
Queens, N.Y., Felix (a
carpenter) from Baltimore, Md. and AB
Frenchy Cyr from Maine."
Now 80, Helman still
enjoys reading the Seafarers LOG and wonders
where his old shipmates
are today.
Man:h2000
�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.
nland Captain John E. Long is
among the 14 Seafarers announcing their retirements this
month.
Representing 38 years of active
union membership, Brother Long
graduated from the towboat operator program offered at the
Seafarers
Harry
Lundeberg
School in Piney Point, Md. This
program was designed to prepare
qualified mariners for licenses
under U.S. Coast Guard regulations requiring such documentation for all operators of uninspected towboats and tugboats.
Jncluding Brother Long, four
of the retirees navigated the inland
waterways and l 0 sailed in the
deep sea division.
Six of the retiring pensioners
were members of the steward
department, five shipped in the
engine department, and three
worked in the deck department
This month's pensioners are
scattered across the country: five
have retired to the East Coast,
three make their homes in the Gulf
states, three live on the West
Coast, two reside in the Midwest
and one person calls Puerto Rico
home.
On this page, the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of this month's pensioners.
I
DEEP SEA
HAMEEDK.
ALI, 63, started his career
with the
Seafarers in
1970 in the
port of San
Francisco. His
first ship was
the San Francisco, a Sea-Land
Service vessel. Born in Yemen,
he worked in the steward department and upgraded his skills at
the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School in Piney Point, Md. Prior
to retiring, he sailed aboard the
Sea-Land Atlantic. Brother Ali
makes his home in New York.
ERNESTOR.
AVILA, 65,
joined the SIU
in 1973, first
sailing in the
inland division
aboard a G&H
Towing Co.
vessel. He
later transferred to deep sea vessels. A native of Honduras, he
sailed in the steward department.
Brother Avila last worked aboard
the Sea-Land Endurance.
Hawthorne, Calif. is where he
calls home.
WILLIAM
H.
BRIMIIALL,
65, joined the
Seafarers in
1967 in the
port of
Philadelphia.
His first ship
was the Vantage Venture, operated by Vancor Steamship Co. Born
in California, he sailed in the
engine department and upgraded
his skills at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School. From 1953 to
1956, he served in the U.S. Army.
March2000
Brother Brimhall last sailed in
1982 aboard the Overseas
Juneau. He has retired to Santa
Rosa, Calif.
CHARLESH. .--~-=-~--,
DAVIS, 65,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1966.
His first ship
was the Ocean
Cloud, operated by Ocean
Ore Carriers. The Ohio native
sailed in the deck department and
upgraded his skills at the SIU's
training school in Piney Point,
Md. Prior to retiring, h worked
aboard the SP5 Eric G. Gibson, a
Maersk Line Ltd. vessel. Brother
Davis makes his home in
Jacksonville, Fla.
VIRGILIO
GALDOS, 65,
joined the
Marine Cooks
& Stewards
(MC&S) in
1962 in the
port of San
Francisco.
Born in Ecuador, he became a
U.S. citizen. Brother Galdos
worked in the steward department, last sailing aboard the
Lurline, a Matson Navigation Co.
vessel. He has retired to
Cloverdale, Calif.
JOE
HARRIS, 61,
graduated
from the
Andrew
Furuseth
Training
School in 1964
and joined the
Seafarers in the port of Norfolk,
Va. His first ship was the
Bradford Is land, operated by
Cities Service Oil Co. He worked
in the engine department and
upgraded frequently at the SIU's
training school in Piney Point,
Md. The Alabama native served
in the U.S. Anny from 1956 to
1958. Brother Harris last sailed
aboard the Guayama, an NPR,
Inc. vessel. Jacksonville, Fla. is
where he calls home.
LLOYDT.
PALMER, 67,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1987
from the port
of Mobile,
Ala. He first
sailed aboard
the USNS Dutton. The Alabama
native worked in the steward
department as a chief cook.
Brother Palmer last sailed aboard
the Newark Bay, a Sea-Land
Service vessel. From 1953 to
1955, he served in the U.S. Army.
He makes his home in Mobile.
DONALDE.
PETERSON,
65, joined the
SIU in 1978 in
the port of
New Orleans
after a 20-year
career in the
U.S. Navy.
Brother Peterson's first SIU ship
was the Sea-Land Economy. Born
in Minnesota, he sailed in the
engine department as a chief electrician. Prior to retiring, he
worked aboard the Sgt. Matej
Kocak, a Waterman Steamship
Corp. vessel. He has retired to
Foley, Ala.
VIRGILIO
RIVERA, 62,
first sailed
with the SIU
in 1972 aboard
the Longview
Victory. The
Puerto Rico
native worked
in the steward department and
frequently upgraded at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education in Piney
Point, Md. He last sailed as a
chief cook aboard the Sea-Land
Hawaii. Brother Rivera makes his
home in Vega ~aja, P.R.
JACKA.
SINGLE-
CHARLES
M. GAUTIER, 63, began
sailing with
the Seafarers
in 1965 from
the port of
Norfolk, Va. A
native of
North Carolina, he worked in the
deck department. Boatman
Gautier last sailed as a barge captain in 1984 aboard a Maritrans
vessel. He has retired to Mt.
Olive, N.C.
JOHNE.
LONG, 60,
joined the sru
in 1961 in the
•"
port of New
Orleans. The
Louisiana
native sailed in
the deck department and upgraded at the Seafarers Harry
Lundeberg School, where he
completed the towboat operator
course in 1973. Prior to retiring,
he sailed as a captain aboard a
Crescent Towing & Salvage Co.
vessel. New Orleans is where he
calls home.
STELLAM.
PAYNE, 62,
started her
career with the
SIUin 1986 in
the port of St.
Louis. Born in
Missouri, she
worked in the
steward department Sister Payne
last sailed aboard a vessel operated by Midland Enterprises,
Orgulf Division. She makes her
home in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
Worth 1, 000 Words
TARY, 62,
joined the
Seafarers in
1967, first
sailing aboard
the Burbank
Victory. Born
in Oregon, he worked in the
engine department and upgraded
at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education.
From 1954 to 1961, he served in
the U.S. Navy. Brother Singletary
last worked aboard the Cape
Trinity. Santa Fe, Texas is where
he calls home.
INLAND
GEORGE W. DIXON, 62, started his career with the SIU in
1964 in the port of Philadelphia.
He worked in the engine department. The Pennsylvania native
served in the U.S. Army from
1956 to 1959. Prior to retiring, he
worked aboard an Interstate Oil
Co. vessel. Boatman Dixon
makes his home in Philadelphia.
SIU retirees Eddie Craddock and Jerry Brown recently stopped by
the hall in Mobile, Ala. to check out the growing collection of
framed photos of SIU-contracted ships. While there on January 24,
they chatted with SIU Port Agent Ed Kelly and others. Pictured
from left to right are Kelly, Brown, Craddock, retiree Clarence
Pryor, QMED Hannable Smith and retiree Jerry Carl.
Reprinted from past issues of the Sea(arers LOG
aboard SIU ships before January 1, 1955 or
had not shipped r~gularly during the peri·
1941
ods to cover classes A and B received a "C"
More than 2,500 members of the Atlantic
rating. ln the future, seamen with "A" ratings
and Gulf District participated in the election of will receive preference over the other two catofficers of the SIU, Atlantic & Gulf District
egories for job calls and the "B" rated seamen
for 1941. This was
rr.=:========~====================::::;:n will receive preference
the first election conover ''C" men.
ducted since the two
districts were amalga1963
mated into the one
The SIU will represent
district. The election
the crew of the new
covered the Atlantic
cable ship SS Long
District representative,
Lines. Crewmen have
the Gulf District reprebeen flown to
sentative, and port agents and patrolmen in all Hamburg, Germany to sail the ship, the
ports from Boston to Texas City and including world's largest cable ship, out of the shipyard
where she was built and take her on sea trials.
San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Her initial job will be to complete an all cable
1955
underwater network throughout the
The membership of the Seafarers International Caribbean, connecting Florida, Jamaica,
Union, Atlantic & Gulf District, ratified a
Panama and South American points. Since
newly negotiated contract clause establishing a there is no other large cable ship sailing under
seniority hiring provision with contracted com- the U.S.-flag, the SIU negotiated a special
panies. The new hiring system involves three
manning scale to cover the crew. When the
classes of seniority. Men sailing before
ship arrives in the United States, SIU crew
December 31, 1950 got" A" ratings; men
members will take part in a training period for
sailing regularly since January 1, 1951 were
several weeks to prepare them for cable laying
rated class "8'' and men who had no time
operations.
who
1HlS MO " TH
lN SlU HISTORY
Seafarers LOS
17
�DEEP SEA
HARRY JESSE BARRICK
Pensioner Harry
Jesse Barrick,
75 , passed away
December 23,
1999. Born in
Washington, he
joined the
Marine Cooks
& Stewards
~~__J (MC&S) in
1956 in the port of San Francisco.
Brother Barrick worked in the steward department, last sailing aboard
the Kauai, a Matson Navigation Co.
vessel. He was a resident of Bullhead City, Ariz. and started receiving his pension in February 1987.
HOWARD G. BRADSHAW
tification program in 1982. Prior to
retiring in October 1984, he sailed
aboard the Golden Monarch, operated by Westchester Marine. He was a
resident of Savannah.
retiring in
November 1987,
he sailed aboard
the Inger, operated by
Reynolds Metal
Co. He made
his home in Galveston, Texas.
ROBERT JAMES MAIELLO
Robert James
Maiello, 53,
passed away
December 22,
1999. Born in
New York, he
first sailed with
the SIU in
1989, aboard
_ ____, the USNS
Harkness. The steward department
member upgraded his skills to chief
steward at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education in
Piney Point, Md. Brother Maiello
last worh!d aboard the JQb Stuart.
Wilmington, N.C. was his home.
Pensioner Edward Charles Ryan, 72,
passed away December 14, 1999.
Born in Oregon, he started his career
with the Seafarers in 1964. He first
sailed aboard the Yorkmar, operated
by Calmar Steamship Corp. Brother
Ryan worked in the engine department, last sailing aboard the Philadelphia, a Sea-Land Service vessel.
A resident of Seattle, he began receiving his pension in August 1992.
EDWARD CHARLES RYAN
Pensioner
Howard Gilbert
Bradshaw, 68,
ctiea January 2.
He fust sailed
with the Sea·
farers in 19 51
as a member of
the engine
department. The
Virginia native upgraded his skills at
the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School in Piney Point, Md. From
1948 to 1951, he served in the U.S.
Air Force. Brother Bradshaw last
sailed aboard the Charleston, a
Westchester Marine vessel. A resident of Chesapeake, Va., he retired
in August 1990.
JAMES LUDWIG MILLER
GEORGE A. SILVA
Pensioner
James Ludwig
Miller, 79, died
December 22,
1999. A native
of Washington,
he joined the
MC&S in 1942.
· Brother Miller
worked in the
steward department, last sailing on
the President Grant, an American
President Lines vessel. A resident of
Oregon City, Ore., he began receiving his pension in April 1991.
, . - - - - - - - - . Pensioner
George A.
Silva, 74, died
December 5,
1999. A native
of Massachusetts, he began
sailing with the
SIU in 1952
from the port of
Boston. Brother Silva worked in the
engine department, last sailing
aboard the ITB Jacksonville. During
his career, he was active in union
organizing drives. The Sykesville,
Md. resident retired in August 1986.
DAVID BRONSTEIN
JOSEPH P. PETRUSEWICZ
Pensioner David
Bronstein, 70,
passed away
January 16,
1997. He started
his career with
the SIU in 1965
in the port of
Houston. His
first ship was
the Henry, operated by American
Bullc Carriers. During his career, he
sailed in the steward department and
upgraded at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md., where
he graduated from the steward recertification program in 1981. Prior to
retiring in September 1991, he sailed
aboard the Cape Hudson. The Texas
native served in the U.S. Army from
1944 to 1946. Brother Bronstein
lived in Houston.
Pensioner Joseph P. Petrusewicz, 67,
passed away December 20, 1999. He
started his career with the Seafarers
in 1951. His first ship was the Ann
Marie, operated by A.H. Bull
Steamship Co. The Massachusetts
native worked in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School.
During his career, he was active in
union organizing drives. Prior to
retiring in December 1989, Brother
Petrusewicz sailed aboard the Falcon
Princess, operated by Seahawk Management. Quincy, Mass. was his home.
DANIEL JOE CHERRY
Pensioner
Daniel Joe
Cherry, 84, died
December 30,
1999. Brother
Cherry began
sailing with the
Seafarers in
1943 from the
port of Tampa,
Fla. Born in Florida, he worked in
the engine department and upgraded
at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School. He last sailed aboard the
Bayamon, operated by Puerto Rico
Marine Management. A resident of
Baltimore, he began receiving his
pension in May 1984.
THOMAS C. HANKINS
Pensioner
Thomas
Cranston
Hankins, 70,
passed away
December 21,
1999. A native
of Florida, he
· joined the SIU
* ' in 1945 in
Savannah, Ga. Brother Hankins
sailed in the steward department and
upgraded at the SIU's training
school in Piney Point, Md., where
he graduated from the steward recer-
18
Seafarers LOB
RUDOLFO "RUDY"
RAMIREZ
Pensioner
Rudolfo
"Rudy"
Ramirez, 73
died December
24, 1999. A
native of Texas,
he joined the
SIU in 1967 in
the port of
Houston. Brother Ramirez worked
in the steward department and upgraded bis skills at the SIU's training school in Piney Point, Md. His
last ship was the Sea-Land Consumer. A resident of Houston, he
began receiving his pension in
December 1991.
JOSEPH RAPOZA
Pensioner
Joseph Rapoza,
82, passed
away November 29, 1999.
Born in Hawaii,
he joined the
MC&S in 1953
in the port of
Seattle. Brother
Rapoza sailed in the steward department and started receiving his pension in January 1980. He was a resident of Lynwood, Wash.
JOHN W. RIELLY
Pensioner John W. Rielly, 77, died
November 25, 1999. Brother Rielly
began his SIU career in 1943 from
the port of New York. The Minnesota
native worked in the steward depart-
ERIK P. SMITH
Pensioner Erik
P. Smith, 79,
passed away
November 18,
1999. He joined
the Seafarers in
1959 in the port
of Philadelphia.
Born in Finland, he worked
in the engine department and
upgraded his skills at the Seafarers
Harry Lundeberg School. Prior to
retiring in August 1985, he sailed
aboard the Pittsburgh, a Sea-Land
Service vessel. He made his home in
Lantana, Fla.
WILLIAM C. SMITH
Pensioner William C. Smith, 93,
passed away June 1, 1999. Brother
Smith was a member of the MC&S,
and a resident of Daly City, Calif.
He started receiving his pension in
February 1973.
JAMES STATHIS
Pensioner James Stathis, 73, died
March 1, 1997. Brother Stathis
began sailing with the SIU in 1953.
His first ship was the Dorothy, operated by A.H. Bull Steamship Co.
The New York native sailed as a
member of the deck department.
During his career, he was active in
union organizing drives and attended
an education conference in 1970 at
the SIU's training school in Piney
Point, Md. From 1943 to 1946, he
served in the U.S. Army. Prior to
retiring in June 1988, he worked
aboard the Sea-Land Endurance.
Brother Stathis was a resident of
San Francisco.
NICHOLAS SWOKLA
Pensioner
Nicholas
Swokla, 73,
passed away
November 10,
1999. Born in
Connecticut, he
joined the
Seafarers in
' - - - - = - - " " " ' ' - - - - ' 1946 in the port
of San Francisco. Brother Swokla
sailed in the deck department and
started receiving his pension in
December 1982. He was a resident
of Hayward, Calif. -
PERCY THOMPSON
Pensioner Percy
Thompson, 94,
died November
30, 1999.
Brother
Thompson first
sailed with the
SIU in 1947
from the port of
New Orleans.
The Louisiana native worked in the
steward department and upgraded
his skills at the SIU's training school
in Piney Point, Md. A resident of
New Orleans, he retired in October
1972.
RAYMOND
J. VAUGHT
Pensioner
· Raymond J.
Vaught, 80,
passed away
October 10,
1999. A native
of California,
he joined the
MC&S in 1952 in the port of San
Francisco. He sailed in the steward
department and upgraded his skills
at the MC&S training school. He
last worked aboard the Manu/ani, a
Matson Navigation Co. vessel.
Brother Vaught made his home in
Sacramento, Calif. He began receiving his pension in February 1984.
RONALD E. WARRIOR
Ronald E.
Warrior, 48,
died December
4, 1999. He
began his career
with the Seafarers in 1991
in the port of
Seattle. Born in
Oklahoma, he
sailed in the deck department. From
1969 to 1971, he served in the U.S.
Navy. Brother Warrior was a resident of Federal Way, Wash.
VAN WHITNEY
Pensioner Van
Whitney, 78,
passed away
November 9,
1999. Born in
Trinidad, he
started his
career with the
SIU in 1944 in
the port of New
York. His first ship was the Del Sud.
Brother Whitney sailed in the engine
department and upgraded bis skills
at the SIU's training school in Piney
Point, Md. During his career, he was
active in union organizing drives. A
resident of St. Petersburg, Fla., he
began receiving his pension in
January 1978.
INLAND
PIDLIP E. AYERS
Pensioner Philip
E. Ayers, 63,
passed away
December 26,
1999. Born in
North Carolina,
he first sailed
with the
Seafarers in
1961. Boatman
Ayers worked in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School,
where he graduated from the towboat operator program in 1973. A
resident of Mullica Hill, NJ., he
began receiving his pension in
December 1998. From 1955 to 1959,
he served in the U.S. Air Force.
ERNEST FELIX FABRE
Pensioner
Ernest Felix
Fabre, 79, died
December 16,
1999. He started his career
with the SIU in
1953 in the port
of New Orleans.
A native of
Louisiana, he worked in the engine
department, last sailing as a chief
engineer aboard a vessel operated by
Dixie Carriers. Boatman Fabre
began receiving his pension in 1983.
He was a resident of Harvey, La.
JAMES THOMAS GASKILL
Pensioner
James Thomas
Gaskill, 86,
passed away
December 26,
1999. A native
of North
Carolina, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1957 in the port of Philadelphia.
Boatman Gaskill sailed as a tugboat
captain and retired in December
1975. Arapahoe, N.C. was his home.
DERWOOD D. KENT
Pensioner
Derwood
Downing Kent,
84, died
December 25,
1999. Boatman
Kent began
sailing with the
SIU in 1957
from the port of
Baltimore. The Virginia native
worked as a chief engineer. A resident
of Round Rock, Texas, he started
receiving his pension in May 1979.
GREAT LAKES
THOMAS HOLT FORG
Pensioner
Thomas Holt
Forgrave, 85,
passed away
January 9.
Brother Forgrave joined the
Seafarers in
1961 in Sault
Ste. Marie,
Mich., where he made his home. He
sailed in the deck department and
began receiving his pension in 1976.
MICHAEL J. MARTINAC
Pensioner
Michael John
Martinac, 80,
died January
15. Born in
Michigan, he
started his
career with the
SIU in 1957 in
the port of
Duluth, Minn. Brother Martinac
worked in the deck department, last
sailing aboard the Adam E. Cornelius, operated by American Steamship Co. A resident of Gladstone,
Mich., he started receiving his pension in February 1982.
RAILROAD MARINE
OTTO CONRAD SCHWARZ
Pensioner Otto
Conrad
Schwarz, &7,
passed away
December 18,
1999. A native
of New Jersey,
he joined the
Seafarers in
1963 in the port
of New York. Brother Schwarz
sailed in the deck department and
retired in January 1975. He was a
resident of Hoboken, NJ.
March 2000
�Digest of Shipboard
Union Meetings
The Seafarers LOG attempts ta print as many digests of union shipboard
minutes as possible. On occasion, because of space
limitations, some will be omitted.
Sh/ps_1piiifttis first are reviewed by the union's- contract department.
Thoss fss{jes tei/uiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union
l)/itfif. · to/the ships' minutes. The minutes are then forwarded
·: !o.the Seafarers LOG for publication.
MAERSK ARIZONA (Maersk
Lines, Ltd.). November 29Chairman Scott A. Heginbotham,
Secretary Joseph S. Henby,
Educational Director David W.
King, Deck Dekgate Joseph
LeBeau, Engine Delegate Ricky
Carter, Steward Delegate
Rayford Nixon. Meeting held
while at anchor in Gdansk, Poland.
Chairman stated vessel probably
not entering drydock next day as
planned. Deck watches set. Secretary
noted lack of stores, including
milk. Every effort being made to
obtain supplies in Gdansk.
Educational director stressed
upgrading program at Paul Hall
Center in Piney Point, Md.
Treasurer announced $20 in ship's
fund. Beefs reported in deck and
steward departments. Chairman
read communications on EPA
wage adjustment and led discussion on impending NMU merger.
He urged all members to vote.
Clarification requested on reliefs
after 120 days while outside continental U.S.
SEA-LAND ENTERPRISE
(CSX), November 19--Chairman
Hayden W. Gifford, Secretary
Franchesca
ose, Educational
Director Ray L. Chapman.
Chairmah noted portside gangway
motor fixed and crew did great job
in annual Coast Guard inspection
in Oakland, Calif. He informed all
crew members ·o f importance of
being aware of all existing emergency procedures regarding safety
of vessels and crew members
while at sea and ashore. Secretary
encouraged everyone to take
advantage of new fire fighting
school in Piney Point and keep in
mind importance of participating
in safety meetings and fire and
boat drills. Educational director
urged crew to upgrade at Paul Hall
Center and make sure fire fighting
endorsements are up-to-date. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Vessel going on new run to Russia.
All hands advised to bring warm
clothing.
STONEWALL JACKSON
(Waterman Steamship Corp.),
November 21--Chairman Carl T.
Lineberry, Secretary Claude C.
Hollings III, Educational Director
Michael L. Mefferd, Deck
Delegate Larry Martin, Engine
Delegate Dennis C. Bennett,
Steward Delegate Thomas G.
Mccurdy. Chairman announced
arrival in Morehead City, N.C. on
Thanksgiving and then to payoff in
New Orleans. Of two washing
machines ordered, one arrived.
Educational director reminded
crew members to obtain TRBs,
upgrade skills at Piney Point and
contribute to SPAD. Some disputed OT reported in engine department. No beefs noted by all three
delegates. Steward department
given vote of thanks on job well
done.
AMERICAN MERLIN (Osprey
Acomarit Ship Mgmt.), December
11--Chairman James R. Wilson,
Secretary Darryl K. Goggins,
Educational Director Jeffrey L.
Murray, Deck Delegate Robert
E. Thompson Ill, Steward
Delegate Ambrosio Fachini.
Chairman informed crew of ship's
arrival at sea buoy in Orange,
March2000
Texas and stated vessel would
probably go in on low tide with
some ballast changes. Educational
director recommended members
take advantage of course offerings
at Paul Hall Center. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Clarification
requested on issue of missing seaman's wages pertaining to deck
department. Wholehearted thanks
given to Chief Steward Goggins
and his gang for job well done.
CAPt= JACOEJ (American
Overseas Marine Corp.),
December 13-Chairman Robert
W. Johnson, Secretary Salvatore
E. Torneo. Chairman asked mem-
bers to read communications
regarding SIU-NMU merger.
Secretary stated SIU President
Mike Sacco's view on merger, urging each member to think long and
hard about direction of our union
and this industry as we head into
next century and how this union
can only build a brighter future for
all. Educational director stressed
union's school in Piney Point
offers training and potential to better each member. Treasurer
announced $220 in ship's fund.
Request made to assign specific
area for smoking in crew lounge.
Voyage made with Royal Overseas
Police Officers to reconnoiter
outer islands of Chagos
Archipelago (in Indian Ocean).
Several crew members ferried
ashore to islands that not many
people have ever visited.
GALVESTON BAY (U.S. Ship
Mgmt.), December 12--Chairman
James E. Davis, Secretary Hasan
A. Rahman, Educational Director
Robert H. Brown Jr., Deck
Delegate Charles B. Collins,
Engine Delegate Randell G.
Porter. Chairman reminded crew
members to check z-cards for
renewal date. Educational director
noted importance of SPAD contributions, especially with upcoming
presidential election. He also
advised crew of courses available
at Paul Hall Center for compliance
with STCW. Treasurer announced
$110 in ship's fund. Some disputed
OT reported in steward department. Suggestions made and forwarded to headquarters for 100
percent health care coverage for
Seafarers and for option of buying
seatime with vacation pay. Food
reefer containers don't work properly and should be replaced. Vote
of thanks given to steward department for wonderful Thanksgiving
Day dinner. Next ports: Houston
and Jacksonville.
LNG ARIES (PRONAV),
December 27--Chairman Jack J.
Cooper, Secretary Robert A.
Brown, Educational Director
Allen W. Scott, Deck Delegate
Angel L. Perez, Engine Delegate
Paul P. Pagano, Steward Delegate
William F. Smalley. Chairman
noted good crew and said he
enjoyed sailing with them.
Discussion held about reflagging
of LNG fleet. SIU Rep. Steve Ruiz
visited ship December 13 to
answer questions about reflagging
issue. Secretary reminded crew
members to continue jobs in same
professional manner as always.
Educational director urged everyone to upgrade as much as possi-
ble. Treasurer announced $1,905
in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Communications
from headquarters read and posted
in crew messhall. Suggestion made
and forwarded to contracts department to include dependents in current prescription plan and to give
ID cards to members and dependents similar to those issued by
other insurance carriers. Vote of
thanks given to steward department for fine holiday meals.
MAERSK TENNESSEE (U.S.
Ship Mgmt.), December 26Chairman James J. Keevan,
Secretary Dwight E. Wuerth,
Educational Director Peter G.
Murtagh, Engine Delegate
Herbert Daniels, Steward
Delegate John Q. Lee. Chairman
announced payoff in Charleston,
S.C. and led discussion of possible
SIU-NMU merger. He noted new
dishwasher installed and old gym
equipment repaired. Still awaiting
new exercise equipment and repair
of galley exhaust fan. Secretary
thanked crew for helping keep ship
clean. Educational director urged
members to upgrade at Paul Hall
Center. Forms available aboard
ship. He also reminded those getting off in Charleston to have
TRBs signed. Treasurer announced
$171 in ship's fund. No beefs or
disputed OT reported. Clarification
requested on pay increase and contract changes due to MaerskSeaLand merger. Crew also
requested improved allotment distribution, comfortable coveralls for
tropical climates and replenishment or purchase of first aid kits
for control room. Helmsman asked
for wheel reliefs when necessary.
After payoff in Charleston, ship
heading to Freeport, Bahamas.
OVERSEAS JOYCE (OSG),
December 7--Chairman John
O'Ferrell, Secretary James E.
Willey, Educational Director
Antonio N. Libo-on, Deck
Delegate amon uimba,
Steward Delegate Russell B.
Beyschau. Payoff scheduled for
December 12 in Portland, Ore. No
beefs or disputed OT reported by
department delegates. Bosun gave
vote of thanks to steward department for job well done, especially
Thanksgiving Day meals.
Following payoff in Portland, ship
heading to Long Beach, Calif. and
Japan.
OVERSEAS MARILYN (OSG),
December 10--Chairman Marco
A. Galliano, Secretary Carlos
Sierra, Deck Delegate Don
Ackerman, Engine Delegate
Conrado D. Martinez, Steward
Delegate Pablo Alvarez.
Chairman announced payoff upon
arrival in Portland, Ore. After fast
turnaround, vessel headed to
Indonesia. He thanked deck
department for very good job on
long trip and to rest of crew for
smooth voyage. No beefs or disputed OT reported. President's
report from LOG read pertaining
to SIU-NMU merger. Crew
requested additional information.
Suggestion made and forwarded to
contracts department to extend
prescription coverage for dependents. All crew members' mattresses need to be checked and
replaced if necessary. Request also
made for sheets and blankets that
fit bunks.
SEA-LAND INTEGRITY (U.S.
Ship Mgmt.), December 19Chairman Domingo Leon Jr.,
Secretary Nick Andrews,
Educational Director Clive A.
Steward. Chairman requested
specifications for shortwave radio
for crew lounge. He noted no
beefs or disputed OT this voyage
and stated voyage was pleasant
and crew well-trained. Educational
director urged members to take
advantage of upgrading courses at
Piney Point. Treasurer announced
$20 in ship's fund. Communications received from headquarters
regarding possible merger of SIU
and NMU. Suggestions made and
forwarded to contracts department
to raise maintenance and cure
according to cost of living,
upgrade medical benefits and
continue to keep skills sharp by
upgrading at Piney Point. No beefs
or disputed OT reported.
Suggestion made and forwarded to
headquarters to have board of
trustees look into raising pension
and equalize vacation days for
members aboard all SIU-contract-
Liberty in Israel
Recertified Bosun
Cesar A. Gutierrez
(far right) recently
sent these photos
taken aboard the
MN Liberty Wave
in December. The
ship was headed
for Haifa, Israel.
Joining the bosun
on deck are AB
Burlin Pinion (left)
and AB Jim
Nixon. Pictured
below are AB
Lester Hoffman
(left) and Pinion
(in bosun's chair).
extend them to dependents and
have all pension and welfare contributions made by company forwarded to seafarers upon retiring.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department for good job. Final
thought from crew: "With the millennium knocking at our door, may
all our brothers near and far have a
healthy and prosperous new beginning. The future is ours."
SEA-LAND PACIFIC (CSX),
December 25--Chairman
Dominic L. Brunamonti,
Secretary Robert P. Mosley,
Educational Director Carmine
Barbati, Deck Delegate Theodore
E. Doi, Engine Delegate Gregory
Howard, Steward Delegate Cecil
R. Husted. Chairman recommended crew members read report
about SIU-NMU merger in
Seafarers LOG, keep informed of
contract and contribute to SPAD.
He also suggested everyone be
ready for customs and immigration
- on arrival in U.S. Secretary
reminded crew to take advantage
of upgrading and educational benefits of Paul Hall Center.
Educational director spoke of complying with STCW, attending
courses at Piney Point, if necessary. Treasurer announced $110 in
cook-out fund and $170 in movie
fund. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. On order are two VCRs
and a dryer. Crew members
reminded that lounge and messroom are no-smoking areas.
Question raised as to lack of unlicensed apprentices aboard ship.
Most recent one was almost a year
ago. Vote of thanks given to steward and his crew and to Captain
Smith for wonderful Christmas
party. Next ports: Oakland, Calif.;
Hawaii, Guam and Hong Kong.
SEA-LAND PERFORMANCE
(U.S. Ship Mgmt.), December
12--Chairman Jimmie L. Scheck,
Secretary Irwin J. Rousseau,
Engine Delegate Darrell C.
McDonald, Steward Delegate
Larry Bachelor. Chairman
stressed safety while on deck and
in house. He also led discussion of
possible SIU-NMU merger.
Secretary noted importance of contributing to SPAD. Educational
director advised crew members to
ed ships. Since Maersk bought
Sea-Land, clarification requested
on whether Maersk also participates in money purchase pension
plan. Hats off to steward department for great job. Next port:
Jacksonville.
SEA-LAND RELIANCE (CSX),
December 27--Chairrnan Lance
X. Zollner, Secretary Rang V.
Nguyen, Educational Director
Benny A. Orosco, Deck Delegate
Norman Adler, Engine Delegate
William E. Cassel, Steward
Delegate Thomas M. Curley.
Chairman stated vessel in shipyard
in Pusan, South Korea. Crew to be
laid off December 31 for three
weeks. He reminded crew members to register to get jobs back.
Educational director stressed need
for everyone to upgrade skills at
Paul Hall Center and contribute to
SPAD. Some beefs reported in
deck department; no beefs or disputed OT noted by engine or steward department delegates. Requests
made for new TV and antenna for
crew lounge. Vote of thanks given
to steward department for great
Christmas dinner.
LNG LEO (PRONAV), January
2--Chairman Woodrow Shelton
Jr., Secretary Amy K. Rippel,
Educational Director Michael L.
Brown, Deck Delegate Raphael
S. Vargas, Engine Delegate
Endang Abidin, Steward Delegate
Claudell Blakely Jr. Chairman
spoke about shipboard visit by SIU
Rep. Steve Ruiz, who answered
questions about proposed SIUNMU merger. He noted importance of sending in absentee ballots in order to be counted.
Educational director reminded
crew to take advantage of upgrading courses at Paul Hall Center.
With potential for many new jobs
in upcoming years, everyone
should be ready. Treasurer
announced $346 in ship's funds.
All communications read and posted regarding merger and MarAd's
decision to reflag LNGs. Steward
department given thanks for hard
work during holidays and for
preparation of extra special meals
for officers and crew. Next port:
Nagoya, Japan.
Seafarers LOS
19
. ;I
�1941: The Defense of Wake &land by J. Melford Smith
Pensioner
James
M.
Smith joined
the SIU in
Baltimore as a
charter member, first sailing aboard the
SS Cornelia
(Bull Line) in 1939. Previously,
he served in the U.S. Marine
Corps.
He sailed during World War II
the Korean conflict and Vietnam,
accumulating 30 years' sea time
with the SIU and the American
Maritime Officers.
This article describes events
preceding the attack on Pearl
Harbor.
T
he Hindus call it karma. In
the west they call it fate. In
the Marines we called it
just plain dumb luck:_
At one time or another, everyone who has been in combat has
probably thought about it "Why
me? Why was I spared when so
many of the people I knew were
either killed in action or wounded?"
.
Call it karma, fate or whatever-whether or not you become a
casualty seems largely to depend
on a decision you made sometime
in the past.
In the summer of 1941, I was
working at Kaneohe on the windward side of Oahu. I was an electrician for the "Contractors,
Pacific Naval Air Bases," a consortium of construction companies that were building air bases
in Hawaii, Midway, Johnston,
Palmyra and far to the westward,
Wake Island.
When we started at Kaneohe
there was nothing there but sand
and coral. In three months beginning in May we put up barracks, a
mess hall, a hospital building and
finished the runway and the No. l
hangar. During our lunch breaks Auto~atic Rifleman) in the 1st ner to which she was accustomed.
the talk was about the war in Bn. 5t Marines at Quantico, Va.
How true.
Europe and how long it would be
Around the middle of October,
Several of the married men I
before we were in it.
worked with decided to go since the diplomatic negotiations with
I had been sailing with the SIU they needed the extra money. Japan reached an impasse and the
for two years since being dis- Against all my Marine training war tension grew. I was wiring up
charged as a corporal from the (never volunteer for anything!), I the pumps along the runway that
Marine Corp and wa enjoying practically had decided to go with were to be used for fueling the
my work ashore, especially since them. However, Aunt Grace and aircraft when another SIU seaI was living with my
man, Oneal "Sparky"
Aunt Grace and her .-------------------~ Sykes, who was working
mother in Lanikai, just
with the plumbing gang,
five mile from my job.
joined me for lunch.
Aunt Grace, a retired
As we sat in the sunschool teacher, had inshine on the edge of a
troduced me to a lovely
refueling pit eating our
Chinese-American girl
sandwiches, Sparky said,
whom I considered very
"You know, this place is
- \\ .
I
exotic and romantic.
going to get clobbered
! \
I
-.
Being just 22, I was
pretty soon."
looking for romance and
I said, "I've been
a possible Jong-term
thinking the same thing.
I
relationship. It didn't
What do you say we get
l
d
hurt that her father was a
the hell out of here?" We
//
very wealthy businessboth knew that if anyman and had just bought
thing happened we
her a new Oldsmobile
would probably
be
while I was still driving
frozen in our jobs.
an old clunker. Our
We didn't waste any
wages were barely adetime. That weekend we
quate but our standard of
got our final paychecks
living was gradually
and registered at the
improving after the long
union hall in Honolulu
dark years of the
for shipping. The followDepression.
ing week we were on a
In September 1941,
Waterman Line ship
the superintendent of ~-~--~-------~~---~ heading for Panama and
construction a ked for The raising of the U.S. flag at Wake Island in 1945. the Gulf port of Mobile,
volunteers to go out to
Ala. As we steamed out
Wake Island to rush that
of the harbor toward
base to completion. They wanted my girlfriend were being very Diamond Head, it was early
carpenters, plumbers and electri- persuasive in insisting that I evening.
cians and the pay would be time- should stay and finish the job at
Looking back at the area
and-a-half, "seven tens" (seven Kaneohe.
where Hickam Field and Pearl
days a week, 10 hours a day). To
I decided to stay on Oahu for Harbor were located, an anti-airus "wire-jerkers," that sounded the time being. Since she had craft battery was having firing
like big money!
talked me into staying, I ugge t- practice. The shells were bursting
I knew that Maj. James P.S. ed to my beautiful Chinese girl- high in the air against the backDevereux had just taken over as friend that because we got along drop of the Koolau range in a
commanding officer of the so well, we should think about prophetic farewell salute.
Marine Detachment on Wake. He getting married. Much to my chaIt was only six weeks later on,
had been my battalion CO when I grin, she laughed and said that I December 7, that the Japanese
was a BAR man (Browning could not support her in the man- attacked. The base at Kaneohe
~\
,.
. I -\
,'\.
i
There are
Thousands of
Reasons to Apply
for an SllJ
Scholarship . . . .
\
... anywhere between
6,000 and 15,000, to be
exact. For these are the
dollar amounts of individual scholarships being
awarded this year to
Seafarers and their
dependents.
In all, seven scholarships are being offered by
the Seafarers Welfare
Plan. One Seafarer will be
eligible to receive a
$15,000 grant for use at a
four-year institution of
higher learning. Two
other Seafarers will have
r---------------------------------------------------------------------.,
I
I
I
please send me the 2000 SIU Scholarship Program booklet which contains eligibility information,
procedures for applying and a copy of the application form.
I
I
I
: Name - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I'
I
Mariner's Social Security Number _ _ __ _ __ __ _ __ _ ________
I
<
I
: Street Address
II City,
Deadline
State, Zip Code _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
April15,2000isthe
date by which all completed applications for this
year's scholarships must
be mailed.
Some of the items that
I
: Telephone Number
1
1
This application is for: D Self
D Dependent
I
I
I
Mail this completed form to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Welfare Plan,
5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746
3100
the opportunity to be
awarded $6,000 grants
for use toward two years
of study at a community
college or vocational
school.
The remaining four
scholarships will be presented to the spouses and
dependent children of SIU
members. Each of these
$15,000 awards is for use
at a four-year college or
university.
Because the Welfare
Plan receives many applications for the scholarships, it is often quite difficult to determine the
seven recipients. Therefore, all applicants should
fill out the application
form as thoroughly as
possible and provide all
the requested information
by the due date.
was hit hard, and the next day
Wake Island was attacked. Major
Devereux and his Marines put up
a magnificent fight until December 23, causing the enemy more
than 381 dead and many wounded. They sank two ships and shot
down seven planes, but with no
reinforcements or supplies, the
end was inevitable.
The surviving Marines and
Navy personnel and some of the
construction crews (70 were
killed and 12 wounded) were sent
to POW camps in China and
Japan, though five Marines were
beheaded on board the Nitta
Maru, chosen at random from the
survivors_ Nearly 100 of the construction men, electricians,
plumbers, carpenters, plus the
foreman of each group, were kept
on the island as slave labor for the
Japanese military. Rear Admiral
Shigematsu Sakaibara was the
officer commanding.
By October of the following
year, the work on the island was
completed. At that time the men
were marched down to the beach
in formation and machine-gunned
to death_
The U.S. recovered Wake
Island after the Japanese surrender in 1945. For his atrocity,
RADM. Sakaibara was hanged as
a war criminal.
Although the U.S. merchant
marine suffered a higher rate of
casualties than any of the services
except the Marine Corps in that
war, where I served during the
battles of Guadalcanal, Saipan,
Guam and Linguyan Gul , the
defense of Wake Island is one
operation that I'm glad I missed!
J. Melford "Jim" Smith,
Ch.Engr. USMM (Ret.)
(Major Devereux was awarded
the Navy Cross for his leadership
of the Marines at Wake Island.)
need to accompany the
written application form
are transcripts and certificates of graduation, letters of recommendation,
scores from college
entrance examination
tests, a photograph of the
applicant and a certified
copy of the applicant's
birth certificate.
Also, those who have
previously applied for a
Seafarers Welfare Plan
scholarship and were not
selected are encouraged
to apply again this year,
provided they still meet all
the requirements. (Eligibility requirements are
spelled out in a booklet
which also contains an
application form. To
receive a copy of this
booklet, fill out the
coupon below and mail it
to the Seafarers Welfare
Plan. The program booklets also are available at
the SIU halls.)
April 15 is only one
month away! But there
still is time to send in your
application. Good luck!
1
L.------------ -----------------------------------------------------------J
20
Seafarers LOG
Mart:h20DO
�Letters to the EdhOr
Artlcl• in LOG
Venore. After 58 years as an old ore
line stiff, I'd heard this story in
almost the same language. "Come
closer, identify yourself." Rugged old
tub took four or five to do her in.
I was on the new SS Lenore and
SS Fe/tore in deck maintenance,
F.W.T., etc. But my favorite was the
SS Mangore, ex-SS Oremar. For 13
months, we were armed with two 30caliber land-based machine guns,
which only the crew rnessrnan knew
how to operate. From March 1942
until November 1942, we were armed
in Belfast with a 4-inch off an old
American four-stack destroyer, which
was useless against high level and
dive bombers off the Norwegian
coast The 20-millimeter were 60
rounds per drum with tension put
carefully on them while loading them
with various rounds of tracer and
armor piercing shells.
The latest edition of the LOG was
great~ even saw an old shipmate of
mine, Jimmy Tucker.
Bring• Back Memories
Jack Gardner
I was surprised by the accuracy of
the story on the sinking of the SS
New
(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.)
Jan. LOG Great;
Keep It Up
I always enjoy reading the LOG
and finding out about what's going on
in the union. The latest [January]
issue was great. I especially liked all
the old-timers' stories of their early
days in the union.
I would appreciate more of the
same as well as human interest stories
about members and their experiences
at sea.
Willard C. Thayer
St. Petenburg7 Fla.
c
)Is
Orlean~,
La.
Labor Briefs
UFCW Wins at Wal-Mart
'Fair' Vote Postponed
The AFL-CIO last month
reported that 12 employees at
Wal-Mart's Jacksonville, Texas
"Supercenter's" meat department
"stood up to the company's
intense anti-union campaign and
became tbe fi st employees at the
wor 's largest retailer to join a
union, voting to become members
of Food and Commercial Workers
Local 540."
UFCW President Douglas H.
Dority called it "the vote heard
'round the world," adding, "This
victory could open the floodgates
ent-up worker frustration at
the a
·ve treatment, low pay
and lousy benefits at Wal-Mart."
The U.S. House of Representatives has postponed indefinitely consideration of the Fair
Access to Indemnity and Reimbursement Act, which threatens to
ruin the enforcement powers of
the National Labor Relations
Board and the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
by requiring the agencies to pay
fees and expenses of companies
that win any administrative or judicial proceedings before them.
According to published reports, anti-worker representatives
did not have enough votes to pass
the bill.
An'N: SEAFARERS
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.
SIDPPING 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 conditions under which an SIU member works and
lives aboard a ship or boat. Members should know their
contract rights, as well as their obligations, such as 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 Sru President
Michael Sacco at headquarters by certified mail, return
receipt requested. The address is:
Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union
520 l A'-:lth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.
Are You Receiving All Your Important Mail?
In order to ensure that each
active SIU member and pensioner
receives a copy of the Seafarers
LOG every month-as well as
other important mail such as W-2
forms, pension and health insurance checks and bulletins or
notices- a correct home address
must be on file with the union.
If you have moved recently or
feel that you are not getting your
union mail, please use the form
on this page to update your home
address.
Your home address is your
permanent address, and this is
where all official union documents will be mailed (unless otherwise specified).
If you are getting more than
one copy of the LOG delivered to
you, if you have changed your
address, or if your name or
address is misprinted or incomplete, please fill out the form and
send it to:
Seafarers International Union
Address Correction Dept.
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746
r---------------------------------------------------,
HOME ADDRESS FORM
3100
(Please Print)
Name:
Phone No.:---'-~~---'-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Address:
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Social Security No.:
D Active SIU
/ ____ I _ _ __
Book No.:
D Pensioner
D Other
This will be my permanent address for all official union mailings.
This address should remain in the union file unless otherwise changed by me personally.
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
L---------------------------------------------------~
Seafarers LOS
21
-- .-
�Paul Hall Center Graduating Classes
HAZMAT -
Basic Fire F. ghting -
Seafarers working aboard the Mississippi Queen and Delta
Queen steamboats recently graduated from a basic fire fighting class at the Joseph
Secco Fire Fighting School. Presenting them with their certificates of course completion
are Steve Ruiz (far left) and Paul Hall Center Health and Safety Director Jim Hanson (far
right) . Th@ stud@nts ar@ (in no particular ord@r) Sigmund Tomczak, Johnny Speed, Mike
Swigert. Ronnie Jackson. Charles Meers and Michael Knighton_
Advanced Fire Fighting - Graduating from the advanced fire fighting course on
January 21 are (from left, first row) Robert Hagood, Robert Flesey, James Donohue, (second row) Frank Bakun, Mario Cruzat, John Miller, (third row) Robert Bell, Bernard
Hutching, Rick Redmond (instructor), (fourth row) John Schafer, Roman Kasparyan, Monty
Smith, (fifth row) Charles Thompson, Johnny Johnston and Robert DesMarteau.
Boatmen sailing aboard Luedtke Engineering Co. vessels recently participated in an on-site hazardous materials class. They are (in no particular order) James
Holtrey, Shannon Jensen, William Frary, Tim Kibby, Mike Schmeltzer, Kenneth Glaser,
John Shaski Jr., Bert Adams, Dale Leonard, Charles Wallace, Lester Morr, William West,
Richard Arnold, Kevin Hollenbeck, Edward Carlson, Lorry Wilcox, Jason Beyette, Randall
Johnson, Joseph Kane, James Rider, Martin Seekley and Larry Hilton. Completing their
HAZMET recertification are Don Mills, Tom Zatkovic, G_ Lamerson, Mike Niehus and
Albert Cropek.
Basic Electronics -
Completing the basic electronics course on January 28 are
(from left) Mohamed Alsinai, Jay Linx, Douglas Felton and George Collier. Their instructor, not shown, is Russ Levin.
Radar Observer Earning their radar
observer endorsement
recently are (first row)
Joseph Riccio, (from left)
Mingta Yuen, Ben Shupp,
Marc Liebig, Jerome
Wong, Daniel Marino and
Lance Armstrong. Their
instructor, Mike Smith, is
standing.
Phase 3, Unlicensed Apprentice Program- Completing the third phase of their unlicensed apprentice program are (kneeling, from left) Robert Parker, Reggie Donaldson, Tyler Laffitte Jr., Brandon Scalzo, Bobby
Ellis Jr., Jason Dew, Europa Tuivaiti, (standing) Erik Nappier, Shannon Bonefont, Adam Williams, Steven Cook,
David Green, Blaine Harkins, Keolamauloahawaiiloa Mowat, Kenneth Jones and Romel Holland.
22
Seafarers LOS
March 2000
�SEAFARERS PAUL HALL CENTER
2000 UPGRADING COURSE SCHEDULE
Safety Specialty Courses
The following is the schedule for classes pegirining between March through
June 2000 at file Paul:.HallCentetfor Marithne.Trafuing and Education in Piney
are geared to hnprove the job skills of Seafarers and to
Point, Md. All
promote the American maritime industry.
Please npie that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the rnembet$bip; the maritime industry and-in times of conflict-the nation's security.
Stuae]its attending any of these classes should check in the Saturday before
their coufse's $tart date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the
morning of the start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reserva-
programs
nons shi>uld be made for Saturday.
Seafar~.rs .who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at
Course
Start Date
Date of Completion
Tanker Familiarization/
Assistant Cargo (DL)*
March6
Apri13
March24
Mayl
May29
May19
June 16
March27
April24
March31
April 28
May26
(*must have basic fire fighting)
Basic Fire Fighting
April 21
May22
April 3
March 17
April 14
May29
June9
March6
Advanced Fire Fighting
the Paul Hall Center may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010.
April 14
Marcb27
Government Vessels
Deck Upgrading Courses
May26
May8
. MaY: 22
Date of Completion
Start Date
April 3
s1'cw Bisif Safety (refresher).
,., ................ ; ................ .
..·.·..
;:;:'
.;.
... :..~. .
.
. .
May I
June9
March10
March30
April 7
Mafch6
March 27
April 3
March 20
March 17
April 17
.: April 7
.J: .. :May 26
March24
Academic Department Courses
. ~neral educatio~ and. ~:9:P~~ :~()!f.l.;S~S . ?.r~11v11il~ble as needed. In addltion, ·
·. basic vo~a(ional support ptograni CPU~ a17e 9tlered throughout the year,
one week prior .to .the AB, QMED, FOWT~ Thlr4~:M~!~, Tanker Assistant
and Water Survival courses. An introduction to com.pot~~ 4.19~r~, will be
self-study~ .•
April3
June 12
May12
July 21 ·
March 13
April 17
May22
March 31
Mays
June9
Ma 1;5~,....,,,..,-..,~--
Steward Upgrading Courses
Start Date
Galley Operations/
Advanced Galley Operations
(Every week)
Certified Chief Cook/Chief Steward
(Every other week)
March 6, 13, 20, 27
April J,, 10, 17, 24
May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
March6, 20
April 3', 17
May 1, 15, 29
----~ -- -- - --- - ---- ---------·----- ---- --- - --- ------- ------- - ----- --- - ----- --·- -- ------- -- --------- -- -- --- ---- - ------ -- -- -- - ---- -- --- -- -- ----- ----With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
( 120) days seatime 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 awlication. The pavment should be made with a money order onlv.
payable to LMSS.
UPGRADING APPLICATION
COURSE
Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Deep Sea Member
D
Lakes Member
BEGIN
END
DATE
DATE
Date of Birth _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
D
Inland Waters Member
D
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed.
Social Security#_________ Book# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Seniority _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Department _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
U.S. Citizen:
Yes
D
No
D
Home Port
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
LAST VESSEL: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Rating: _ _ __
Date On: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?
D Yes
D
No
If yes, class# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?
D Yes
D
No
If yes, course(s) taken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?
D Yes 0
No
Firefighting:
D
Yes
D
No
CPR:
D
Yes
D
Date Off:
SIGNATURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ DATE
NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only if you
present original receipts and successfally complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.
REI'URN COMPI.ETED APPUCATION 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.
No
Primary language spoken _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Man:h2000
Seafarers LOS
23
�Volume 62
Number 3
March 2000
Attention Seafaren:
One month remains until the April
15 deadline for scholarship
applications. See page 20 for
additional information.
Mike Dillard, Newport News Shipbuilding
The HM/ Ambrose Channel, crewed by SIU members since its launch early last year, features individual pumps and valves for each tank, controlled from a central location.
Ambrose Channel Makes 1st NY Harbor Call
SIU-Crewed 'Double Eagle' Enters Second Year of Operation
The
SIU-crewed
HMJ
Ambrose Channel last month
made its first visit to the port of
New York/New Jersey. The "double eagle" tanker traversed its
namesake to deliver 155,000 barrels of diesel oil from a refinery
in Baton Rouge, La.
Operated
by
Interocean
Ugland Management for H vi de
Marine, the Ambrose Channel is
part of a new five-ship fleet
crewed by Seafarers. The other
double-eagle tankers are the HMI
Diamond Shoals, HM/ Cape
Lookout Shoals, HM/ Nantucket
Shoals and the HM/ Brenton
Reef
All were constructed at unionized Newport News (Va.) Shipbuilding. They were built with
double hulls to comply with the
Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
The Ambrose Channel entered
service in February 1999. Named
after on old U.S. Coast Guard
light ship, it can carry a wide
variety of chemica products in
14 specially coated tanks.
HMI Ambrose Channel
Length: 619'-09"
Beam: 105'-08"
Speed: 16 knots
Cargo capacity:
341,459 gross barrels
Tanks: 7 pairs of tanks port
and starboard
SIU members sailing aboard the Ambrose Channel when the photos on
this page were taken included the following: Recertified Bosun Carmine
Bova ABs Walter Taulman, Bartow Bridges, Patrick Rankin, Maurice
Hetri~k and Reginald Watkins, QMED Peter Joseph, OMUs Hilario
Martinez, Charles Jones and Jamie Hernandez, Chief Steward Lonnie
Jones, Chief Cook Obencio Espinoza and GVA Juan Rochez. The photos
were submitted by SIU Wilmington (Calif.) Port Agent John Cox.
�
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 2000-2009
Description
An account of the resource
Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present, Seafarers Log Digital Copies
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Seafarers International Union of North America
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
March 2000
Description
An account of the resource
HEADLINES
ITF CAMPAIGN VESSEL CONCLUDES WORLD TOUR
SIU, NMU BACK MERGER TALKS
NEW SHIPS, MODERN PORTS, STRONGER FLEET ARE GOALS STRESSED AT MTD BOARD MEETING
AVONDALE FOCUSES UNIONS’ RESOLVE TO FIGHT FOR BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS
AFL-CIO PRES. SWEENEY REMINDS MTD BOARD OF VALUE IN GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN EFFORTS
CROWLEY SEAFARERS APPROVE CONTRACT
MTD BOARD HEARS PLAN TO PROMOTE U.S.-FLAG FLEET
LEGISLATORS REAFFIRM SUPPORT FOR MERCHANT SHIPPING
HOME ON THE (GUN) RANGE
PETERSBURG CREW KEEPS TERRORISM IN CROSSHAIRS; COURSE AIMS AT STRENGTHENING NATIONAL DEFENSE
QUICK RESPONSE DOUSES FIRE ABOARD SEA-LAND DEVELOPER
LUEDTKE CREWS COMPLETE ON-SITE HAZMAT TRAINING
LAKES SEAFARERS MAKE ICY RESCUE
1ST GROUP FROM GUAM HEADS TO PINEY POINT
SIU SUPPORTS ILA AT DREDGING RALLY
A SEAFARERS SCRAPBOOK
AB MATT HARRISON AIMS LENS AT SHIPPING AND SIGHTS
RED CLOUD ROLLS IN
SEAFARERS CREW NEW PREPOSITION SHIP
1941: THE DEFENSE OF WAKE ISLAND BY J. MELFORD SMITH
AMBROSE CHANNEL MAKES 1ST NY HARBOR CALL
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
03/01/2000
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. 62, No. 3
2000
Periodicals
Seafarers Log