http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/b3048482ebffd0e9c4d228130e6522fd.pdf f8a8e72f96fba873118d3fbd0781c6bb PDF Text Text Volume 68, Number 3 March 2006 Seafarers Are Thanked For Gulf Relief Efforts SIU members recently were recognized during a ceremony for their key roles in hurricane relief efforts in New Orleans. More than 500 Seafarers sailed in the relief mission following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Among those honored by the U.S. Maritime Administration and the Port of New Orleans were (left photo) Chief Steward Eddie Taylor, pictured aboard the Cape Kennedy enthusiastically serving a hot breakfast to Mary Sandolph and Chico Morales of MarAd’s Central Region; and steward department members from the Empire State (below left, from left) Chief Cook Rodwell Thompson, Steward/Baker Habib Boualem, SA Wanda Kelly, SA Edward Dorsey, Steward/Baker Christopher Amigable and Assistant Cook M. Zawkari. Page 3. As they have done throughout Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, Seafarers continue delivering the goods for U.S. troops. At least 11 SIU-crewed ships remain mobilized for OIF, not including vessels from the SIU’s Government Services Division, which also are involved in the mission. Others are sailing in support of Enduring Freedom. Below, the combat stores ship USNS Niagara Falls delivers stores to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan Feb. 5 in the South China Sea. The carrier was on its maiden deployment for the war on terror. SIU Members (Still) Deliver For U.S. Troops A U.S. Marine in Kuwait waits for a truck to roll off the ramp of the SIU-crewed USNS Bellatrix during troop rotations in Iraq. Pages 10-11. 9th T-AKE Ship Ordered Page 3 Lykes Motivator Honored Page 4 Memorial Funds Established Page 4 Questions Surround Ferry Disaster Page 5 �President’s Report Ferry Disaster’s Lessons Reading some of the first news reports about the sinking of the Panamanian-flag ferry Al Salam Boccaccio 98 last month in the Red Sea, I kept hoping that the articles were wrong. The disaster itself, which looks to have claimed more than 1,000 lives, is bad enough. But the circumstances, which include unofficial allegations of incompetence by crew members and abandonment by the captain, make it even worse. Investigations on this scale typically take a long time, and that’s to be expected when you consider Michael Sacco not only the scope of the disaster but also the potential liability. It will take time before all the facts are known. Still, the earliest media coverage of the Feb. 3 sinking near Egypt included some very disturbing points. Passengers said they not only weren’t assisted by the crew, in some cases they actually were told either to remove their life jackets or not to bother putting them on in the first place. This was despite the fact that the ferry was on fire and taking on water. Survivors also said that the captain didn’t attempt to return the ferry to shore even after the fire started. They claimed that the captain and crew “just went off in the lifeboats and left us.” We may never know about this, as the captain is among the missing. However, one of the ship’s officers said that the crew’s inability to handle firefighting operations caused the sinking. Again because of the nature of the investigation, it still isn’t clear whether any of the crew members had undergone safety training. But it seems safe to say that no matter their backgrounds, they couldn’t have handled the shipboard emergency any worse. Can you imagine an American crew reacting like that? Can you imagine U.S. mariners not knowing how to handle a fire and then running away while innocent passengers were left on their own? The SIU doesn’t work that way. The U.S. Merchant Marine as a whole doesn’t operate that way. I often describe our membership as the best-trained mariners in the world. That’s not just a catch-phrase, it’s the truth. We’re held to a higher standard when it comes to shipboard safety. We exceed a lot of the government’s requirements anyway, through many of the safety courses offered at our affiliated school in Piney Point, Maryland. Accidents happen. They can happen to anyone. But in this business there’s simply no excuse for not being prepared. That’s especially true on a passenger vessel of any kind. On that note, I remain proud of the mandatory safety training offered at the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point for all of the crew members heading to the SIU-contracted NCL America ships. The school provides U.S. Coast Guard-certified safety training that includes lifeboat, crowd control, fire fighting, first aid, CPR and much more. And if you don’t pass the course, you don’t set foot on those ships. The rest of our membership also is committed to safety. Thousands upon thousands of Seafarers have completed STCW Basic Safety Training at the Paul Hall Center. They and others routinely execute shipboard fire and boat drills and other safety exercises designed to help ensure that if an emergency arises, they’ll react with speed and efficiency. If all foreign-flag crews consistently were held to the same high standards as we are in the U.S., our industry would be a lot safer. In part, that’s why our union always has been active in the International Transport Workers’ Federation—an organization dedicated to protecting transportation employees all over the world. At its core, the ITF is about doing the right thing. It’s about treating people fairly and promoting safety and productivity for the benefit of all concerned. The SIU remains fully on board with the ITF’s goals, and that’s why it was so sickening to read about the Al Salam Boccaccio 98. In this day and age, with the safety training that’s available and the sophisticated shipboard equipment that can help save lives, a disaster like this one shouldn’t occur. Through our unwavering commitment to safety for all mariners around the globe, we’ll do everything possible to help make sure it never happens again. Volume 68, Number 3 March 2006 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/NMU, AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 8990675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland 20790-9998. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Managing Editor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor, Jim Guthrie; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative Support, Misty Dobry. Copyright © 2006 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD All Rights Reserved. 2 Seafarers LOG ITF Inspectors Team Up, Secure Back Pay for Crew The multinational crew of the Panamanian-flag gambling ship Island Casino recently received more than $81,000 in back pay, thanks to the work of inspectors from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). SIU ITF Inspector Tony Sacco and fellow inspector Enrique Lozano (based in Mexico) late last year answered a call for assistance from mariners aboard the gaming vessel, which normally sails around the Caribbean Islands. The crew hadn’t been paid since mid-October and was concerned that they wouldn’t be paid at all. After initial attempts failed to secure the back wages, Sacco prepared to have the ship arrested in early January. The Island Casino’s Jacksonville, Fla.-based owner then paid the total amount due to the mariners (a crew that included Filipinos, Mexicans and Americans). “The crew was very happy that the ITF delivered,” Sacco noted. “We also assisted in rectifying a shortage of food and water on the ship.” The SIU is an ITF affiliate and actively has supported the federation’s efforts for decades—most prominently the ITF campaign against so-called flags of convenience (FOCs), but also including global outreach for crews facing any unfair treatment. In 2004 (the most recent year for which complete data is available), ITF inspectors worldwide recovered $25.1 million in back pay for mariners. SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel serves as vice chairman of the ITF’s Seafarers’ Section. He recently participated in the successful meetings of the international shipowners’ Joint Negotiation Group, which bargained for a contract covering 55,000 mariners on more than 3,200 vessels. The ITF itself was founded in 1896 and now consists of more than 600 transport trade unions in 137 countries. ITF member unions represent more than five million workers. A flag of convenience ship is one that flies the flag of a country other than the country of ownership. According to the ITF, cheap registration fees, low or no taxes and freedom to employ cheap labor are the motivating factors behind a shipowner’s decision to “flag out.” On its web site, the federation notes, “The ITF takes into account the degree to which foreign-owned vessels are registered and fly the country flag, as well as the following additional criteria, when declaring a register an FOC: The ability and willingness of the flag state to enforce international minimum social standards on its vessels, including respect for basic human and trade union rights, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining with bona fide trade unions; the social record as determined by the degree of ratification and enforcement of ILO Conventions and Recommenda- tions; and the safety and environmental record as revealed by the ratification and enforcement of IMO Conventions and revealed by port state control inspections, deficiencies and detentions.” The ITF believes there should be a genuine link between the real owner of a vessel and the flag the vessel flies, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). There is no genuine link in the case of FOC registries. Some of these registers have poor safety and training standards and place no restriction on the nationality of the crew. Sometimes, because of language differences, seafarers can’t communicate effectively with each other, putting safety and the efficient operation of the ship at risk. “Once a ship is registered under an FOC, many shipowners then recruit the cheapest labor they can find, pay minimal wages and cut costs by lowering standards of living and working conditions for the crew,” the ITF notes. “Globalization has helped to fuel this rush to the bottom. In an increasingly fierce competitive shipping market, each new FOC is forced to promote itself by offering the lowest possible fees and the minimum of regulation. In the same way, ship owners are forced to look for the cheapest and least regulated ways of running their vessels in order to compete, and FOCs provide the solution.” In the long run, the federation aims to eliminate the FOC system and establish “a regulatory framework for the shipping industry.” Meanwhile, the ITF will continue to “attack sub-standard shipping and seek ITF acceptable standards on all ships irrespective of flag, using all the political, industrial and legal means at the ITF’s disposal; protect and enhance the conditions of employment of maritime workers and to ensure that all maritime workers, regardless of color, nationality, sex, race or creed, are protected from exploitation by their employers and those acting on their behalf; (and) individually strengthen affiliated unions, in all aspects, so as to ensure the provision and delivery of a greater degree of solidarity in the campaign.” ITF’s Seafarers’ Trust Celebrates 25 Years of Helping Mariners The Seafarers’ Trust, the ITF’s non-political charity arm which exists solely to improve seafarers’ welfare, reached its 25th anniversary on Jan. 18. Since its founding in 1981, the Seafarers’ Trust has donated $120 million to good causes, according to the federation. In a news release, the ITF noted that the 2,250 projects sponsored by the Trust in that time include 144 grants for new seafarers’ centers and mission facilities, 482 grants for the refurbishment and rebuilding of existing facilities for seafarers, and helping to supply more than 1,000 minibuses that take mariners from remote docksides to missions, accommodation, health centers and visitor attractions. The Trust also sponsors the World Maritime University in Malmo, the Seafarers’ International Research Centre in Cardiff, the International Seafarers’ Assistance Network, and the Seafarers’ Health Information Programme. It has funded groundbreaking work in ship-to-shore communications and mariners’ health. Tom Holmer, administrative officer of the Seafarers’ Trust, explained, “We’re delighted to reach our silver jubilee, proud of what has been achieved—often alongside outstanding partners such as the Mission to Seafarers, the Apostleship of the Sea and others— and mindful of the continuing struggle to improve seafarers’ lot.” Chris York, national director of the Apostleship of the Sea, commented, “The Apostleship of the Sea worldwide offers many congratulations and sincere thanks to the ITF Seafarers’ Trust for their work for seafarers’ welfare over the last 25 years. The generosity and farsightedness of the Trust has helped maintain many small endeavors in maritime welfare whilst promoting more and more cooperative and ecumenical ventures, thus making the outreach of the Apostleship of the Sea and our colleagues in the International Christian Maritime Association more and more effective over time. We look forward to the continued and vital support of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust in future years.” Natalie Wiseman, International Shipping Federation secretary, said, “The Trust has been an active partner over the last 10 years in the International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare, alongside government bodies, religious organizations, the ISF and the ILO. In this capacity it has helped to provide sport, health and welfare provision for seafarers.” Holmer concluded, “There can be no better time than now to set our priorities for the coming years. This will include a new emphasis on taking welfare services closer to seafarers on board ship. As turnaround times have reduced we have seen the need for the accommodation we used to fund shrunk. We need to be getting out there, meeting seafarers and finding out what they need.” The Seafarers’ Trust is funded by the profits from the investments of the ITF Welfare Fund, as well as the profits from its own Trust fund. It is dedicated to the support of seafarers’ spiritual, moral and physical wellbeing, irrespective of nationality or religion. March 2006 �Seafarers Honored for Relief Efforts MarAd Approves Medals for ‘Outstanding Achievement’ Members of the SIU’s deep sea and inland divisions were among those honored Jan. 30 during a ceremony jointly sponsored by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) and the Port of New Orleans. The event, which took place in New Orleans, recognized individuals and organizations for their relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina last summer. Approximately 100 people, including a half-dozen Seafarers and SIU New Orleans Port Agent Steve Judd, participated in the ceremony. “It was a good turnout and good recognition, for sure,” said Seafarer Raymond Schwartz, who sails as a captain with Crescent Towing, one of the companies commended at the event. “A lot has been done to get the port back up and running.” A spokesperson for the port of New Orleans said that as of early February, the port was operating at about 80 percent of capacity. “The ceremony was fantastic,” said Chief Steward Eddie Taylor, who has worked aboard the Cape Kennedy throughout the relief operations. “It was a good feeling, recognizing everybody that had a part in the recovery, no matter how big or small. Give the port and everyone else who had a hand in the ceremony praise for doing it.” “What struck me during the ceremony was the appreciation for so much cooperation and productivity under very difficult and unique circumstances,” Judd said. “After the hurricane, things could have fallen apart very easily, but it didn’t happen. Everybody found a way to make it work.” Seafarers sailed aboard at least 14 vessels that were involved in Katrina relief operations, whether the ships already were in the area when the hurricane struck or were activated later. SIU boatmen from Crescent Towing played crucial and immediate roles throughout the port, particularly during the storm’s immediate aftermath. Those mariners and others were recognized at the ceremony by featured speakers including John Jamian, acting administrator of MarAd; Gary LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans; and Rear Admiral Robert Duncan, commander of the Eighth U.S. Coast Guard District and commander of the agency’s Maritime Defense Command Eight, which is based in New Orleans. Seafarers received certificates of appreciation, and MarAd also announced that it has approved the awarding of the Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement to the crews and operating companies of the agency’s ships that supported recovery efforts from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement was established in 2002, and is awarded to members of the maritime industry who have “given extraordinarily valuable contributions to the merchant marine,” according to the agency. “The men and women who crewed and operated these ships provided relief and care to the Gulf Coast at a critical time, and they have brought great honor and distinction to the U.S. Merchant Marine,” said Jamian. “They moved quickly into the stricken area and provided food and shelter for thousands of rescue and recovery workers, and demonstrated the extraordinary capability of the U.S. Merchant Marine 9th T-AKE Ship Ordered Members of the SIU’s Government Services Division received good news when General Dynamics NASSCO announced it has received a $317 million Navy contract to build a ninth T-AKE dry cargo/ammunition ship. The San Diego-based shipyard made the announcement Jan. 31. The Seafarers-contracted T-AKE vessels are a new class of combat logistics force ships also known as the Lewis and Clark class. Nine of the ships have been ordered through NASSCO and there are options for three additional vessels. According to the shipyard, the first T-AKE, the USNS Lewis and Clark, was launched in May 2005. The second T-AKE, the USNS Sacagawea, is in full-rate production and will be launched on May 23, 2006. Construction on the third T-AKE, to be named the USNS Alan Shepard in honor of the first American in space, began last September. The T-AKEs are 689 feet in length and 105.6 feet in beam, with a design draft of 29.9 feet. The ships can carry almost 7,000 metric tons of dry cargo and ammunition and 23,500 barrels of marine diesel fuel. The vessels will provide logistic support in port and at sea. They will transfer cargo—ammunition, food, fuel, repair parts, and expendable supplies and other materiel—to station ships and other naval forces at sea. The first ship in the T-AKE class, the USNS Lewis and Clark, was christened in May 2005. March 2006 and industry to respond in a crisis.” Designated recipients are crews and officers of six Seafarers-contracted ships from MarAd’s Ready Reserve Force: Cape Kennedy, Cape Knox, Cape Vincent, Diamond State, Equality State and Wright; three training ships from state maritime academies: State of Maine, Empire State and Sirius; and one other ship from MarAd’s National Defense Reserve Fleet, Texas Clipper II. The management companies are Keystone Shipping, Pacific Gulf Marine, Inter- ocean American Shipping, Ocean Shipholdings, and Crowley Liner Services. Schwartz was among the first on the scene even before the storm hit. After reassuring his family that he was determined to work through the hurricane along with his fellow SIU boatmen, he noted an odd feeling while driving from a New Orleans suburb into the city. “People were evacuating by the thousands. I felt weird—I was basically the only one on the road heading south.” Nevertheless, although Schwartz and his wife now joke about it, his commitment (and, undoubtedly, those of his fellow members) caused some concern among family members before the storm. “Like I told them, it’s what we do. Otherwise the maritime industry —the maritime family—will suffer more losses. We’re in the business to prevent problems from happening. A lot of people don’t understand that.” Schwartz helped secure the SIU-crewed RRF ships Cape Kennedy and Cape Knox throughout the hurricane. Those vessels later served as bases for hundreds of relief workers. Chief Cook Credits Fellow Members On Empire State Chief Cook Sal Ahmed recently wrote to the Seafarers LOG to commend his fellow steward department members aboard the Empire State. That vessel played a very active role during Hurricane Katrina relief operations in New Orleans, beginning shortly after the storm through late January. “I believe the entire crew are heroes for their response to the call, and for their effort in helping feed thousands of the victims in New Orleans,” Ahmed said. “They deserve two thumbs up. The U.S. Maritime Administration also recognized our help by giving a certificate of appreciation to every crew member aboard our vessel.” Ahmed particularly offered congratulations and appreciation to the entire steward department for putting together special meals throughout the holidays. Among the SIU members sailing in the galley gang during that time were Steward/Bakers Lovie Perez, Habib Boualem and Christopher Amigable; Chief Cooks Frederick Saffo, Clarence Mack, Adele Williams, Lashanda Brown, Archie Gerald and Rodwell Thompson; Cook/Bakers Mike Watts and Theodore Smith; Assistant Cooks Florentino Caballero, German Oliva, Julia Williams, M. Alzawkari and Abdulla Quaraish; and Steward Assistants Edward Dorsey, Angel Bernardez, Wanda Kelly, Simeon Eligio, Mohammed Yahya, Majed Alsharif, and Wadeea Alnasafi. Chief Cook Archie Gerald Right: Assistant Cook Julia Williams, SA Wanda Kelly Pictured from left to right on the Empire State are SA Majed Alsharif, SA Simeon Eligio, Assistant Cook Abdulla Quaraish, SA Mohammed Yahya, and Assistant Cooks German Oliva and Florentino Caballero. SAs Angel Bernardez and Edward Dorsey Cook/Bakers Theodore Smith and Mike Watts Seafarers LOG 3 �Lykes Motivator Honored for Rescue The crew and captain of the Seafarers-contracted Lykes Motivator on Feb. 4 were the recipients of the American Merchant Marine Seamanship Trophy for their role in rescuing three mariners from stormy seas. Capt. Richard Johnson and the Motivator’s crew displayed superior seamanship last year when they saved the lives of three Swedish sailors whose sailboat had foundered in the stormy Atlantic seas. Seafarers aboard the Motivator during the rescue were: Bosun James McRevy; ABs Michael Weber, John Saturday, Jerome Williams, Richard O’Brien and Brett Sunderland; Electrician Chavalier Maycock; MEMAC Alcido Lopes; Wiper Willie Clemmons; Chief Steward Walter Darensbourg; Chief Cook Francisco Da Cruz and GSU Clifton Washington. The Seamanship Trophy, which recognizes extraordinary seafaring skills by American mariners, was presented during a luncheon at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. SIU Vice President Atlantic Coast Joseph Soresi and SIU Brooklyn Patrolman Joseph Baselice accepted the award on behalf of the union. Vice Adm. Joseph D. Stewart, Merchant Marine Academy superintendent, and Capt. Warren Leback, chairman, American Merchant Marine Museum and a former U.S. Maritime Administrator, presented the award to Soresi and Baselice. On March 29, 2005, the Lykes Motivator was returning from its regular run to Europe when it received a message from the U.S. Coast Guard to change course and come to the assistance of a sailing vessel that was reportedly sinking. The sailboat needing assistance was the 37-foot Aurora, which had set out from Bermuda bound for the Azores Maritrans Establishes 3 Memorial Funds Article Recognizes Co.’s Quick Response SIU-contracted Maritrans on Jan. 24 announced that the company has established memorial funds in honor of each of the three crew members who lost their lives at sea when the tug Valour sank off the coast of North Carolina. The memorial funds are as follows: Ron Emory Memorial Fund c/o Citizens Bank 652 North DuPont Highway Milford, DE 19963 Fred Brenner Memorial Fund c/o Wachovia Bank Martin Plaza Financial Center 1442 Martin Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21220 Richard Smoot Memorial Fund c/o Fifth Third Bank 1008 Oak Street Kenova, WV 25530 For those interested in contributing to these memorial funds, checks may be mailed directly to the accounts listed above. Alternatively, any donations that are received by Maritrans at 302 Knights Run Ave, Suite 1200, Tampa, FL 33602, will be sent to the specified memorial fund account. In the absence of a specific designation, funds will be equally distributed to the three memorial accounts. (Please contact Jennifer Waldman of Maritrans at (813) 209-0686 with any questions regarding the memorial funds.) The SIU in late January made contributions to each of the three funds. The Valour sank on Jan. 18 in severe weather. Longtime Seafarer Emory (sailing as an AB/tankerman), former SIU member Brenner (chief mate) and Smoot (chief engineer) perished, while six others survived. The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the tragedy, which 4 Seafarers LOG struck during the pre-dawn hours off the coast of Cape Fear, N.C. Meanwhile, a detailed article in the Feb. 5 edition of the newspaper St. Petersburg Times credited Maritrans both for its response to the accident and for its overall safety record. Writer Steve Huettel pointed out that the accident “marked the company’s first deaths since 1988 and the only loss of a tug in its 78-year history.” He further noted that the same day of the sinking, the company flew survivors’ relatives to Wilmington, N.C. so they could meet with the crew members. The SIU also quickly dispatched an official to Wilmington who helped console the survivors. Additionally, Seafarers-contracted Cape Fear towing brought the survivors to shore and also assisted in the successful recovery of the Valour’s barge, which had separated from the tug during the storm. “When rescued crew members reached shore, each was handed a cell phone and $750 cash to replace clothes and belongings lost on the Valour,” Huettel wrote. “Maritrans dispatched grief counselors not only for families and survivors but to crews of its 16 vessels and workers at offices in Tampa and Philadelphia. The company flew executives, survivors and their spouses to all three funerals.” The writer also observed that Maritrans Chief Executive Jonathan Whitworth—whose own father died in a marine accident when Whitworth was 14— “ached to tell families the fate of their loved ones. But he insisted on waiting to talk with the captain of the Valour aboard a tug that rescued most of the crew,” because of lessons learned from the West Virginia mine tragedy earlier that same month when family members mistakenly were told that most of the trapped workers survived. with three Swedish sailors aboard. Bad weather damaged the Aurora’s mast and gravely limited the boat’s ability to maneuver. The Aurora began to take on water, and its crew sent out a distress signal. About five hours later, lookouts aboard the Lykes Motivator spotted the foundering sailboat some 218 miles northwest of Bermuda. The sailboat was listing badly on its starboard side, still taking on water. When the endangered sailors spotted the Motivator, they managed to lower a small rubber dinghy into the stormy seas, which were reportedly running at 12-15 feet with winds squalling in excess of 30 knots. They first began to shuttle some of their personal gear to the Lykes Motivator, which Captain Johnson had maneuvered into position to provide leeward protection for the dinghy. The gear was winched aboard the cargo ship by its crew. After the last run between vessels, however, the dinghy nearly capsized, tossing one of the Swedish sailors into the rough waters. He soon drifted aft of the Motivator, whose crew swiftly responded to the peril and SIU VP Atlantic Coast Joe Soresi (second from left) and SIU Brooklyn Patrolman Joe Baselice (third from left) accept the 2005 American Merchant Marine Seamanship Trophy on behalf of the captain and crew of the Seafarers-contracted Lykes Motivator. The award was presented Feb. 4 during a luncheon at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. Making the presentation were former U.S. Maritime Administrator Capt. Warren Leback (left) and Vice Adm. Joseph Stewart (right), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy superintendent. retrieved him using the ship’s crane with a rescue basket attached to its line. The other two mariners, who managed to stay in their dinghy, subsequently were retrieved without further incident. After the three sailors safely CIVMAR Notice: Retiring Abroad The union’s Government Services Division understands that as CIVMARS consider retirement, some may be interested in retiring and living abroad. For those CIVMARS who are eligible for Social Security benefits during retirement, it is important to plan carefully. While there are many locations to which the Social Security Administration will send your check, there are some countries where Social Security will not provide this benefit to Americans living abroad. This is a complicated topic and should be considered watchfully. Details are contained in a booklet titled “Your payments while you are outside the United States,” which may be obtained from your local Social Security office or by visiting www.SocialSecurity.gov. That web site also contains details about this issue. were aboard, examined and attended to, the Lykes Motivator resumed its course for the U.S. As it departed the area, the Aurora’s mast was seen being ripped completely off, and the sailboat soon succumbed to the sea. The swift and professional actions of the captain and crew of Lykes Motivator undoubtedly prevented the likely loss of human life. The Academy administers the selection process for awarding the American Merchant Marine Seamanship Trophy. The trophy, an ornate sterling silver cup, is on permanent display at the American Merchant Marine Museum on the Academy’s Long Island campus. Winners receive a plaque representing the trophy. SIU/UIW Official Robert O’Keefe Dies at 76 With 26 years of service as a union official, Robert L. O’Keefe of River Vale N.J., passed away Jan. 23 of respiratory failure. He was 76. O’Keefe began working in the SIU claims department at the Brooklyn hall in 1960, where he was the supervisor of former SIU Plans Administrator Lou Delma. “He was a good boss, a really great guy to work for,” said Delma, who then reminisced that he was sometimes playfully fearful of O’Keefe, who would come into the office following a weekend and show Delma some of the wrestling moves his young sons had taught him. Later on, in the late ’70s, when O’Keefe was working as a representative of the United Industrial Workers (UIW), an affiliate of the SIU, Delma and he used to travel to some of the contracted shops including Paulsen Wire and Rope or one of the other shops in Pennsylvania. “It was 4 a.m. when we started driving,” Delma said, “in the middle of an ice storm. But Bob kept going.” UIW National Director John Spadaro, who worked closely with O’Keefe on medical claims issues as well as contract negoti- ations for the Atlantic region, remembers O’Keefe’s good outlook on life. “If you were feeling down, he knew how to raise your spirits,” Spadaro said. “He’d start his day with ‘top o’ the morning to you.’ He was always so positive.” O’Keefe played an important role in negotiating the contracts for the old Hussman Refrigeration Co. (now Victory), where Spadaro was working at the time. When Spadaro later came on as a UIW rep in 1985, he and O’Keefe sat side by side at many negotiation sessions. “It was always a pleasure working with him,” Spadaro continued. “He will be sadly missed by me and all those who knew him.” O’Keefe, who was an assistant vice president of the UIW, retired in 1986. “He lived and breathed union business,” said one of his sons, Dennis O’Keefe, “and loved telling stories of the people he worked with and the beefs he participated in.” His wife, Evangeline, predeceased him. Surviving are his children Brian R. O’Keefe of Denver, Col.; Michael P. O’Keefe of Westwood, N.J.; Patrice M. Archambault (and her This photo of Asst. VP Robert O’Keefe was taken at the UIW 7th quadrennial convention in Piney Point, Md. in 1985. husband, Roy) of Wilmington, N.C.; Dennis P. O’Keefe (and his wife, Karen) of Boiling Springs, S.C.; Karen E. Hilla (and her husband, Daniel) of Wilmington, D.C.; Timothy P. O’Keefe of Arlington, Va; and eight grandchildren. Following a funeral liturgy at the Church of St. Andrew in Westwood, N.J. on Jan. 27, interment took place at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, N.J. Contributions in his memory may be sent to St. Andrews Human Concerns, 120 Washington Ave., Westwood, NJ 07675. March 2006 �Ferry Passengers Were ‘Abandoned’ More than 1,000 Dead or Missing in Red Sea Disaster More than 1,000 people are dead or missing following the Feb. 3 sinking of the Panamanian-flagged Egyptian ferry Al Salam Boccaccio 98 in the Red Sea. Although the official cause of the disaster had not been determined as of press time for the Seafarers LOG, more than a few sources have reported that a fire in the vessel’s hold coupled with the crew’s inability to extinguish it were the likely culprits. News reports indicated that passengers accused the captain and crew of negligence, saying the captain abandoned ship before ensuring the passengers had left. They also asserted that crew members prevented them from donning life jackets and didn’t assist them into lifeboats. (The captain is among the missing.) One survivor told the Gold Coast Bulletin, “We were wearing life jackets but the crew told us there was nothing wrong and ordered us to take them off. They took the life jackets away. When the boat started to sink, the captain took a lifeboat and left.” Another survivor said the captain was the first to leave the sinking vessel, and the crew of roughly 100 “just went off in the lifeboats and left us.” Built in 1970, the 11,800-gt vessel on Feb. 2 departed Dhuba, Saudi Arabia and was steaming to a port in Safaga, Egypt when the tragedy occurred. It was carrying 1,450 people, most of whom were Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia. The remaining passengers were said to be pilgrims returning from Mecca. Coastal stations last had con- tact with the ship at around 10 p.m. the same evening and did not receive any SOS from the crew. Al Salam Boccaccio 98 later disappeared off radar screens near the Saudi coast and never made its 3 a.m. docking time at Safaga. Survivors of the incident have alleged that the disaster was caused by a fire breaking out below decks. According to Lloyds List, witnesses reported that fire erupted about 90 minutes into the vessel’s overnight journey. It is not clear where the fire started or its size. Some say it began in the car deck, while others claim it ignited in the engine room. Some survivors have suggested that the ship was engulfed in smoke and passengers were running onto the decks wearing life jackets and begging the crew to turn the vessel around and return to Saudi Arabia. The captain, survivors said, made no attempt to return to shore, opting instead to continue on to Egypt while the crew tackled the flames. The surviving third officer on the ship, Rani Kamal, told the Arabic news channel Al-Arabiya that “…the ferry sank because of firefighting operations. Water flooded the garage [car deck] ... and it pooled on one side. Then the water increased and increased until the ship listed sharply,” he said. The ferry apparently was owned and operated by Cairobased Al-Salam Maritime Transport, although at least one news source claims that Panama-based Pacific Sunlight Marine Inc. is the official owner. According a British expert on fighting ship fires who spoke on condition of anonymity, in the kind of rough weather the Al Salam Boccaccio 98 experienced before it went down, it would only take two or three inches of water on the deck to set off what is called a Free Surface Effect. A Free Surface Effect is a phenomenon whereby a small amount of water inside the vessel starts slopping from side to side, making the ship rock. Even a small amount of water sloshing back and forth below decks can seriously affect a ship’s stability. As the vessel rolls, the water pours to one side, which moves the ship’s center of gravity. If this moves beyond a critical point, the ship cannot right itself and will overturn. Returning to the issue of the fire, the expert said that although methods for fighting ship fires could vary according to the sophistication of the vessel— ranging from the use of inert gas to douse flames to hoses and hand-held extinguishers—ships nonetheless obviously should be equipped with the means to put out a fire. This is especially important on ships such as the Al Salam Boccaccio 98, a rollon/roll-off (RO/RO) vessel with a large open space for cars, where fires can easily spread. Another expert said that the ferry’s chances of surviving were reduced by modifications made in the 1980s, when two more passenger decks were added. The vast majority of the ship was standing out of the water, with little below the surface to keep it stable. Compounding the problem were the high winds, Health Care Costs Affect Everyone The AFL-CIO and other groups that fight to protect workers’ rights continue calling attention to the nation’s health care crisis. Among other efforts, the federation recently launched a state-level campaign to promote good, affordable health care for all Americans. As part of the campaign, the AFL-CIO pointed out the fact that the United States spends almost twice as large a share of its economy on health as other rich countries do, yet 46 million Americans —one in six— go without health insurance. This is one issue that will continue to be watched closely by all sectors of business, whether public or private, including those in the automotive sector. General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. indicate that soaring health care costs have contributed to the financial crises that are forcing them to close plants and lay off thousands of workers. Ford spent $3.1 billion in 2004 on health care, and the company expects that expense to have reached $3.5 billion in 2005. GM is expected to have spent $5.6 billion on health care in 2005, which covers slightly more than 1 million people. The United Auto Workers and Ford have reached a tentative March 2006 agreement to reduce Ford’s health care costs—similar to the deal they struck last October with GM—by shifting more of the health care expenses to workers and retirees. Under GM’s pact, active workers will forgo future pay raises and retirees will pay higher out-of-pocket costs to help GM reduce health costs that the company says represent $1,500 for every vehicle it builds. Ford’s health care deal with the UAW is expected to be much the same. The UAW now will move to DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group, which also has requested relief from rising health care costs for its workers and retirees. The UAW’s Chrysler Council decided to move forward with negotiations once talks with Ford were concluded. Other unions all across the country are in similar circumstances as they prepare to negotiate labor contracts. In Passaic County, N.J., for example, the county is entering into negotiations with 11 of its 22 employee unions, representing more than half the county’s workers. “Negotiating with the unions on health costs is going to be one of the big savings,” said the chairman of the county budget committee. No one seems to be immune from these escalating expenditures. Some of the 9.2 million beneficiaries of the Military Health System (MHS)—which includes active duty and retired military employees—may face an increase in out-of-pocket expenses for health care based on proposals being considered by the administration. Details were expected to announced at a later date. Whatever the specific situation, health care—as the public has known it in the past—is basically gone. The days of having full benefits, medical and dental, with no worry of co-pays or prescription drug costs, are no longer. Polls now indicate that health care is consistently a top issue of concern for U.S. citizens. A 2005 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed nearly 40 percent of Americans were “very worried” about paying more for medical care and health insurance. Six out of 10 worry about going bankrupt because of a major illness. And between the years 2000 and 2005, health insurance premiums rose 73 percent while workers’ income increased only 15 percent. which may have further tipped the vessel. Officials from the protection and indemnity club that will pay compensation claims on those who lost their lives say the vessel had more than enough lifesaving equipment on board. According to news reports, the Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association said it ordered a full condition survey on the vessel early last year and found the Al Salam Boccaccio 98 fully complied with all safety equipment requirements; that management and training was satisfactory; and that the owners had properly carried out and completed all necessary maintenance. However, according to further reports, the Italian firm that certified the ship’s seaworthiness is facing prosecution in France for allegedly failing to carry out proper checks on the Maltese-flagged tanker Erika which broke up off the coast of France six years ago. One of the Al Salam Boccaccio 98’s sister ships sank in the Red Sea last October after a collision with a Cypriot tanker. In a related development, a ferry captain several days following the tragedy said he refused to help the Al Salam Boccaccio 98 in order to protect his own passengers. Salah Jomaa told Egypt’s Al- Ahram daily that the crew of the stricken ship asked for help, but he steered clear to avoid a “second catastrophe.” “I [made] the decision not to turn around to protect the lives of the 1,800 passengers on board,” he said. Jomaa said that the Al Salam Boccaccio 98 had radioed his vessel, the Saint Catherine, asking him to turn around and mount a rescue effort. However, he said he was afraid that doing so would result in the sinking of his own vessel, “especially as the weather conditions were bad and the waves high.” Jomaa said he warned all other ships in the area of the impending disaster and requested that they come to help. Help, however never came. According to several sources, the rescue effort was not launched until seven hours after the Al Salam Boccaccio 98 sank. Angry relatives of passengers killed during the ocean tragedy on Feb. 3—frustrated by the lack of information about their loved ones—attacked the offices of the vessel’s owners. A mob broke into Al-Salam Maritime’s offices in Safaga and began throwing the facility’s contents onto the street. They destroyed furniture and attacked a fire engine before riot police used tear gas to restore order. ILO Weighs Maritime Standards The International Labor Organization last month examined a draft convention on maritime labor standards which, if adopted, would “represent the most sweeping and comprehensive global legal instrument ever forged regarding the world’s shipowners, seafarers and maritime nations,” the ILO said in a news release. The 10th maritime session of the ILO’s International Labor Conference was scheduled for Feb. 7-23 in Geneva (ending after the deadline for this issue of the Seafarers LOG). Such maritime sessions are conducted every 10 years, while the ILO’s annual labor conference meets every year. Delegates elected Jean-Marc Schindler, director-general for Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Tourism and the Sea, France, as president of the Conference. Dierk Lindemann (on behalf of employers) of Germany, Brian Orrell (representing workers) of the United Kingdom and Tatsuya Teranishi (governments) of Japan were elected vice presidents of the conference. Delegates were to consider a new, single “framework convention” on maritime labor standards that consolidates and updates more than 65 international maritime labor standards adopted since the ILO was founded in 1919. In his speech to the assembly, Schindler characterized the meeting as “a new and unique event in the history of this organization” and said the convention marked “the first attempt to create the global instrument for a specific sector of industry.” He also referred to the two major principles of the convention: allowing signatory governments discretion as to the way in which they implement the seafarers’ rights, but setting out firm obligations on governments to respect those rights—backed up by a detailed enforcement system. ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said the convention “would be an effective, modern and global response for a truly global industry. This is a major step forward in assuring better protection of workers, a level playing field for shipowners and an effective instrument for governments in providing decent conditions to seafarers. In sum, greater clarity, productivity, safety and security for all.” According to Somavia, the maritime session “seeks to ensure the relevance of ILO standards in this era of the globalization of production and work” and “may provide the impetus and support for similar innovative and balanced approaches in other areas.” Some 1,000 participants representing governments, workers and employers from 100 of the ILO’s 178 member states were set to discuss the draft convention, with voting expected on the closing day. Each member country has the right to send four delegates to the conference: two from government and one each representing workers and employers, each of whom may speak and vote independently. Seafarers LOG 5 �Survivor AB Gerard Costello (pictured last year during a safety exercise in Baltimore) battled through four-plus years of cancer treatments. AB Costello Credits Health Plan For Helping Him Beat Cancer Seafarer Gerard Costello had more than enough to worry about beginning in 2002 when he was diagnosed with a rare and most serious form of cancer. Through that struggle, he not only appreciated the treatment afforded him through the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan (SHBP), he drew strength and comfort from it. Lately, the news couldn’t be much better for Costello, who sails as an AB. During the January membership meeting in Piney Point, Md., he announced that his cancer is in remission— and also showed that he hasn’t lost his sense of humor. “Initially I was given three months to live,” Costello, 44, said at the meeting. “My wife and children are grateful now, to some degree.” Following the meeting, and also in a recent letter to SIU President Michael Sacco, Costello recalled that he has suffered through treatments for eight tumors. “I only have one At the January membership meeting in Piney Point, Seafarer Gerard Costello (center) shared the good news that his cancer is in remission. With him after the meeting are (from left) SIU Baltimore Port Agent Dennis Metz, SIU VP Atlantic Coast Joseph Soresi, Seafarers Plans Administrator Maggie Bowen, SIU Executive VP Augie Tellez, SIU VP Contracts George Tricker and SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel. left, but this time they’re calling it stable,” he said. “It’s been almost a year since I’ve grown another tumor. They had been coming every three months, like clockwork.” While not minimizing his struggle, Costello was liberal with his praise for the SHBP and the union. “The mental and physical hardships that accompany such treatments for cancer have put a strain on my family for over four years,” he said. “The benefits and support I have received from the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan and the unwavering support from the Baltimore hall have been immeasurable in their level of professionalism in any and all situations and areas of concern. “As for the medical plan, the SIU alone has provided the absolute highest level of medical expertise in the field of cancer,” continued Costello, who joined the union in 1997 after previously sailing as a CIVMAR with the U.S. Military Sealift Command. “I have survived in large part by taking comfort in the fact that the medical plan provided the best of a knowledgeable and skilled team of doctors. For the services and support afforded me by the outstanding staff of our medical plan, and by my Port Agent Dennis Metz and the staff Union Membership Grows For the first time in six years, the number of people belonging to unions increased in 2005. The quantity of American workers holding membership in labor unions last year rose by 213,000 to 15.7 million, according to figures released Jan. 20 by the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in its annual report. It was the first hike in the organized labor work force numbers since 1999. The bureau also said the median weekly earnings of full-time union members was about 29 percent more than nonunion workers’ pay and that union members’ pay rose by 2.6 percent last year, compared with only 1.6 percent for nonunion workers. The news of the membership increase was welcomed by the 53-union, 9 million-member AFLCIO, the country’s largest labor federation. Reacting to the BLS report, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney in a prepared statement said, “The AFL-CIO is pleased that the 2005 union membership numbers, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today, show a significant increase of 213,000 union members in the last year … reversing a trend of decline in recent years as good union jobs disappeared. In a political climate that’s hostile to workers’ rights, these numbers illustrate the extraordinary will of workers to gain a voice on the job despite enormous obstacles.... “But despite glimmers of hope, conditions for America’s workers are still bleak,” he continued. “As growth in the ‘McJobs’ economy and downsized pensions make unions even more important to workers, too few workers can exercise their choice to have a voice at work. Nearly five times as many workers—57 percent—say they would join a union tomorrow as the percentage that actually has union representation. The AFL-CIO renews its call for Congress to recognize the will of America’s workers to gain a voice on the job, and restore workers’ freedom to form unions by passing the Employee Free Choice Act without delay.” 6 Seafarers LOG Despite the increase in overall membership numbers last year, labor’s share of the total workforce in 2005 was unchanged at 12.5 percent. The number of union members grew at the same rate as the number of all wage and salary workers, including managers and executives who under federal labor law are not eligible for union membership. The majority of last year’s increase was in the government arena, especially at the state and local level, where union worker membership rolls grew by 163,000 to 7.4 million workers. The union share of public sector workers edged up to 36.5 percent from 36.4 percent, the BLS said. In the private sector, the percentage of union members slipped to 7.8 percent in 2005 from 7.9 percent, even though the number of union members grew by 50,000 to 8.3 million. The most union-dense states were New York (26.1 percent), Hawaii (25.8 percent), Alaska (22.8 percent), Michigan and New Jersey (20.5 percent each). States with the thinnest union presence in their workforces were South Carolina (2.3 percent), North Carolina (2.9 percent), Arkansas and Virginia (3.3 percent each) and Utah (3.9 percent). Also reflected in the report was the changing face of the American labor movement, which has become more female and minority and less male and white in the last 20 years. Last year’s growth was entirely among women union members, whose numbers grew by 222,000. The percentage of female union members rose to 11.3 percent in 2005 from 11.1 percent, while male union membership declined to 13.5 percent of workers from 13.8 percent. In 1983, the bureau said the percentage of male union members was 10 percentage points higher than female union members. Although white workers made up the bulk of union members with 12.5 million, the union membership rate among black workers was highest at 15.1 percent, compared with 12.2 percent for white workers and 10.4 percent for Hispanic workers. of the Baltimore hall whose care and assistance to both myself and my family have been invaluable throughout this extreme time of distress, I cannot thank them enough.” Costello concluded with a word of credit for SIU President Sacco: “Your tireless efforts to secure the best possible medical care for the membership of our great union—in a time of health insurance crisis in America—is indeed a testament to your leadership and care for this organization and its members. As I write you this letter, I am continually improving…. I will forever be indebted and grateful…. this organization saved my life.” This isn’t the first time Costello faced a life-and-death struggle. During the mid-1980s, while working as a CIVMAR, he was washed overboard approximately 500 miles north of the Azores. He survived even though it was mid-December and the water “was kind of chilly,” Costello recalled. “He is an inspiration,” Metz said. “When he walks into the union hall, he always has a smile on his face. Even when he was given three months to live, you wouldn’t have known it.” Articles Expose Tactics Of FOC Cruise Line Miami-based Carnival Corp. is the world’s largest cruise vacation company. The travel giant commands more than half the world’s cruise business through 12 subsidiaries, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise, Holland American and Cunard Line. The lion’s share of this business is conducted from North American points of embarkation, including Miami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral and Tampa in Florida; Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif.; New York; Galveston, Texas; New Orleans, Seattle and others. In 2004, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 8.12 million passengers boarded cruise vessels in the United States for international destinations. Carnival’s 2004 profits were a cool $1.85 billion. And while much of the company’s success directly can be attributed to management and marketing, recent news articles suggest that an equal if not greater portion must be credited to other factors—relaxed U.S. tax laws and the recruitment of inexpensive labor from poor world nations are among the most prominent. Because Carnival’s vessels are registered under the flags of a foreign nation (Panama), it is exempt from American labor laws. Additionally, it is free of some environmental regulations and can avoid paying corporate income taxes in the U.S. In 2004, Carnival reportedly paid taxes only on revenues from Princess and Holland America’s sales of U.S. hotel and tour packages. This payment amounted to $47 million or a mere 2 percent of Carnival’s net income. Deep sea SIU member Kevin W. Conklin recently brought a series of articles to the attention of the Seafarers LOG that addressed these issues. Published by Brevard County, Fla.’s Florida Today, the pieces among other things provided many behind-the-scenes insights on how the runaway-flag cruise ship business operates. Especially noteworthy were points made relative to the plight of Carnival’s shipboard employees. Through their words and photos, Florida Today journalist John A. Torres and photographer Craig Rubadoux told the uncompromising human story about how sacrifice and hope go handin-hand with exploitation and despair. When vacationers board any of Carnival’s 21 cruise vessels, they encounter accommodations comparable to those one might expect to find in a high-class hotel. Behind the scenes of these plush settings and red carpet treatment, however, is an overworked and vastly underpaid crew. Although extremely diversified, no American mariners can be found among their ranks. The crew is completely international and hails mainly from developing countries—upwards of 100 different nationalities round out a typical Carnival vessel crew. Many among those who comprise the company’s workforce (33,000 shipboard employees across its 21-ship fleet and another 3,500 employees at shore side offices in Miami and Miramar in Florida, and Flay and Colorado Springs, Colo.) spend long stretches of time away from their loved ones. The crew members’ objective is a simple one: attempting to care for their families and preventing them from experiencing the sting which accompanies poverty. Ross A. Klein, a university professor and author of “Death by Chocolate: What You Must Know Before Taking a Cruise,” last year published “High Seas, Low Pay Working on Cruise Ships,” an article which closely scrutinizes the cruise industry. Klein has taken 30 cruises since 1992 and is keenly aware of the Continued on page 7 March 2006 �Federal Funds Allocated for Port Security More than $2 billion has been allocated for port security across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the White House’s fiscal year 2007 budget request. Overall, the request calls for $58.3 billion for the DHS, a 6 percent or $3.4 billon increase over FY 2006. The $2 billionplus portion that was earmarked for port security primarily is for Coast Guard port security activities such as Maritime Safety and Security Teams and harbor patrols. In addition, ports are among the infrastructure assets protected through DHS Targeted Infrastructure Protection (TIP) grants. Taken as a whole, the budget How FOC Cruise Ships Operate Continued from page 6 plight of cruise crew members. “The reality for many cruise-ship workers is certainly not carefree, nor fun,” he wrote. “While the working conditions for officers, cruise staff, and those working in the shops and casinos are adequate, if not good, the experience of those working in the dining room, cleaning rooms, in the galley, and below deck is quite different. “These workers are often paid substandard wages, have marginal accommodations, survive on inadequate food, and live under a system that is rife with abuse and uncertainty,” he said. Carnival crew members— who may be, for example, cooks, stewards, electricians or laundry workers—work up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week for 10 months at a time for salaries as low as $75 a month. That’s why many of them depend on tips from passengers for the lion’s share of their income. The company provides medical care for employees on board ship, but often it’s minimal. Workers who are injured or become sick can find themselves out of a job with little money and no further medical benefits. Aside from the foregoing conditions, other practices also are rampant aboard Carnival vessels. According to Klein, “Carnival Cruise Line requires workers who interact with passengers to pay a $50 deposit for their uniforms. According to the International Transport Workers’ Federation, some companies charge employees a ‘security bond’ of up to $750, supposedly to stop desertion or to cover the consequent U.S. immigrationservice fine a company gets charged. The bond can extend the amount of work time a worker spends just covering expenses to six out of the eight or 10 months on board.” Klein also says, “Cruise lines have typically restricted the ability of workers to engage in collective action by hiring staff from multiple countries, and from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In those few cases where workers have joined together, they have met with harsh resistance from the companies.” March 2006 provides $2.7 billion for the Coast Guard’s homeland security programs, a 16 percent increase over the 2006 level. This request includes $1.8 billion for ports, waterways, and coastal security. The FY ’07 request of $668 million in homeland security grants to states is less than the FY ’06 enacted level, but, according to the Office of Management and Budget, “these programs’ effectiveness will be sustained by continuing to allocate funds based on risk and threat, and ensuring that states and localities are targeting their funds to the priorities identified in the National Preparedness Goal.” Two officials representing America’s public seaports weighed in on the FY ’07 budget request. Kurt Nagle, president and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and Bernard Groseclose, president and CEO of the South Carolina State Ports Authority, appeared at the National Press Club Feb. 7. They suggested that similar to last year, the president’s 2007 budget proposal recommends lumping the security infrastructure needs of seaports with those of trains, trucks, buses and other public transit into a new and consolidated Targeted Infrastructure Protection program. “The federal share of the seaport facility security funding partnership needs to be increased, not reprogrammed and diluted,” said Nagle. “Another top federal priority should be to adequately fund the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to keep the nation’s deep-draft channel maintenance projects on schedule. Simply put, we believe all authorized channel projects with positive benefit-cost ratios should be maintained at their authorized project depths.” Nagle noted that the economy, safety and national defense of the United States depend largely on how well the country can protect its seaports and ensure deep- draft shipping access to them. He said that although airports, first responders and research and development centers receive most of the federal attention and funding for security and terrorism prevention, seaports—which support 5 million jobs and annually handle $2 trillion worth of cargo and more than 8 million cruise ship passengers—remain largely under-funded at the federal level. As a result, they must divert limited port resources to pay for enhanced security, often at the cost of improving their facilities to handle fast-growing trade volumes. Elsewhere, the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in late January conducted a field hearing on the National Strategy for Maritime Security. The purpose of the hearing, held in Camden, N.J., was to continue oversight of federal programs intended to enhance security in the maritime domain. U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Craig Bone and Mark O. Hatfield Jr. of the Transportation Security Administration testified that maritime security encompasses threats from all criminal or hostile acts and involves collection of information relating to all aspects of maritime activities. William Boles, director of security at the Port of Wilmington, Del., testified regarding the challenges and successes of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. Lisa Himber, vice president, Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, testified regarding disconnects in development of the National Strategy and in the port security grant program, among other things. Dr. Scott Glenn, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, testified about the possible use of compact high frequency radar to enhance maritime domain awareness. Ford Announces Massive Job Cuts Management’s Failure Leads to ‘Disappointing and Devastating News’ Ford Motor Co. in late January announced what it described as a sweeping restructuring plan that would shut down 14 factories, eliminate as many as 30,000 jobs and hopefully tackle its declining market share and rising costs that led to robust losses in its North American operations. The restructuring—which officials say will restore profitability by 2008—is Ford’s second in four years and comes in the wake of a major overhaul by General Motors Corp., which plans to cut 30,000 workers by 2008 and close all or part of 12 plants. Under Ford’s first plan, the company closed five plants and cut 35,000 jobs, but its North American operations failed to turn around. Overall, the U.S. auto industry in the past five years has shed 200,000 jobs, or 15 percent of its workforce. “The restructuring plan announced by Ford is extremely disappointing and devastating news for the many thousands of hard-working men and women who have devoted their working lives to Ford,” Ron Gettelfinger, president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), said in a statement released shortly after Ford went public with its restructuring plans. “The impacted hourly and salaried workers find themselves facing uncertain futures because of senior management’s failure to halt Ford’s sliding market share. “The announcement has further left a cloud hanging over the entire workforce because of pending future announcements of additional facilities to be closed at some point in the future,” said the union president. He said the job cuts and future announcements of plant closures still are being discussed with the second-biggest U.S. auto maker and warned, “Certainly, today’s announcement will only make the 2007 negotiations all the more difficult and all the more important.” The union said it would seek to strictly enforce job security agreements that exist with Ford. Gettelfinger said that Ford’s latest plan, like its predecessor in 2002, concentrated on cutting capacity when “the focus should instead be on striving to gain market share in this competitive market by offering consumers innovative and appealing products.” Under the company’s existing contract with the UAW, workers at the idled plants will continue to get most of their pay and benefits until a new contract is negotiated next year. The UAW already has granted historic concessions to Ford and GM that would allow the automakers to cut their multibillion-dollar health care costs. The most recent agreement, which raises drug co-payments for active workers and establishes monthly premiums for retirees, was ratified by a slim 51 percent majority at Ford and 61 percent at GM. “Today’s announcement by Ford Motor Company is tragic for the employees who have invested their lives in Ford and devastating for all working people,” observed AFLCIO President John Sweeney. “For decades, autoworkers have defined what it means to have a middle class job in America. The evisceration of good, middle class jobs is the single biggest crisis facing our nation today. “That’s why we are organizing as never before to demand the attention and action it will take to restore respect for work and workers in this country,” he continued. “Thank goodness the Ford employees have a strong union to give them a voice and a place at the table to ensure their needs are addressed in this difficult situation.” The federation president added, “Workers cannot and should not be expected to bear the burden of the competitive pressures on the auto industry. Instead of trying to shrink its way to profitability, Ford should innovate— developing new products and technologies to regain market dominance. “Our elected officials also have a role to play,” Sweeney concluded. “Now is the time to enact a national health plan that will provide the affordable, quality health care working families need, while helping companies compete in the global marketplace.” Canadian Auto Workers President Buzz Hargrove described the cuts as “a shocking, painful blow.” One plant in Canada is on the closure list. The Canadian union already has negotiated 1,100 job cuts at Ford, including the closure of a Windsor casting plant in 2007, during a collective bargaining session earlier this year. The agreement also discussed the possibility that Ford’s Essex engine facility in Windsor would end production of an older V6 engine, along with efforts to replace it with a new-generation model by 2008. Analysts warn that the Ford and GM cuts will ripple through the economy because the auto industry supports so many other jobs— those producing steel, rubber, glass, electron- ics and other auto parts, for example. The relatively high wages of auto workers, combined with good health and pension benefits, also fuel local spending, which supports retail jobs. As a result, economists estimate that every 100 U.S. auto industry jobs support 460 other jobs, a relatively high “multiplier effect” compared with other industries. “These cuts are a painful last resort, and I’m deeply mindful of their impact,” Chairman and Chief Executive Bill Ford said in announcing Ford’s new job cuts. According to Ford Americas President Mark Fields, the architect of the plan, the following facilities initially have been targeted for closure: „ The Ford assembly factory St. Louis, where approximately 1,900 union members are employed. This facility, which builds the Ford Explorer and a similar Mercury SUV, will cease operations during the first quarter of this year. This plant was on the chopping block four years ago, in a previous Ford restructuring announcement. „ An assembly plant near Atlanta will close at the end of this year. The facility builds large sedans and employs more than 1,800 hourly workers. „ The Wixom, Mich. assembly plant is slated for closure during the second quarter of 2007. It employs 2,600 workers who build the Lincoln LS, the Lincoln Town Car and the Ford Thunderbird. „ Other plants to be idled and eventually closed through 2008 are Batavia Transmission in Ohio and Windsor Casting in Ontario. Ford later this year will choose two more plants to be idled. The company also will reduce production to one shift at its St. Thomas assembly plant in Ontario. All of the plant closings and job cuts are scheduled to be completed by 2012. Besides the facilities named during January’s restructuring announcement, analysts also have predicted that assembly plants in St. Paul, Minn. and Cuautitlan, Mexico could be at risk for closure because of the products they make. Ford said that in addition to the job cuts and plant closures, it plans to achieve $6 billion in material cost savings by 2010 as part of its restructuring. Seafarers LOG 7 �Meeting recently at the SIU hall in Houston are (from left) SIU President Michael Sacco, Capt. Rodney Nix of G&H Towing Co. and SIU VP Dean Corgey. The Industrial Challenger shifted from the Bahamian flag to the U.S. flag in 2002 and last year was renamed the Ocean Atlas. Still crewed by Seafarers, the 393-foot heavy lift vessel is operated by Pacific-Gulf Marine and is enrolled in the new Maritime Security Program (MSP). MSP ships contribute to the operation of a commercial U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed fleet engaged in the international trade, thus ensuring the government’s access to these critical assets during times of war or national emergency. At Sea and Ashore with the SIU Left: The heavy lift vessel Blue Marlin enters Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with the Sea Based X-Band Radar (SBX) aboard after completing a 15,000-mile journey from Corpus Christi, Texas. The SBX, which will undergo maintenance in Pearl Harbor, is one-of-a-kind within the SIU-contracted fleet. Part of a U.S. operation called ground-based midcourse defense (GMD), the radar it carries is designed to intercept and destroy long-range ballistic missiles aimed at the United States. The SBX will eventually make its home port in Adak, Alaska in the Aleutian Islands. SIU VP West Coast Nick Marrone (left) chats with Robert Redford at a mid-November fundraising event in San Francisco for Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Redford spoke to the group about the importance of participating in and maintaining special interest coalitions to protect workers’ rights in California. Left: Ceremonies for the Alaskan Legend took place Nov. 12 at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. The fourth Alaska-class tanker will transport cargo from Alaska to the West Coast and is set to debut mid-year. Santa (Recertified Bosun Tim Burke) made the rounds aboard the Adam E. Cornelius over the Christmas holiday. Above, he visits with OS Mohamed Ali; below, he shares a chuckle with AB/Wheelsman Dan Bryant; and below right, he charts a course with Capt. Steve Draper. The smaller photo shows him without his red suit. Special thanks from the bosun and crew of the SS Cleveland were given to Chief Steward Christina Mateer (center) and her galley gang. At left is GSU Justin Burgess; at right is GSU Terry Lane. Over the busy holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving and going through Christmas and New Year’s, she kept the holiday spirits high, decorating both the officers’ and crew mess halls with her personal touches—followed by some delicious meals—all with a big smile. Even the menus (see inset) were prepared with care. 8 Seafarers LOG March 2006 �Dispatchers’ Report for Deep Sea April & May 2006 Membership Meetings JANUARY 16 — FEBRUARY 13, 2006 *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class B Class C Port Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico San Francisco St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington Totals Port Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico San Francisco St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington Totals Port Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico San Francisco St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington Totals Port Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico San Francisco St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington Totals Totals All Departments 0 0 7 9 3 8 31 23 0 11 11 35 9 2 2 5 20 1 36 28 4 10 4 21 6 3 25 21 2 7 13 19 14 5 4 3 12 8 31 27 1 2 1 7 1 2 19 8 0 4 3 16 9 0 1 2 3 2 15 5 TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C 1 0 4 4 0 5 27 17 0 14 7 17 5 3 0 6 19 2 21 25 241 239 101 177 1 0 4 5 1 9 10 15 1 5 5 13 9 1 1 3 11 1 15 11 0 1 4 7 4 5 8 18 1 4 4 6 12 5 2 3 5 3 11 4 4 1 1 5 0 2 6 5 0 0 0 11 3 0 2 2 3 2 5 10 1 0 6 3 1 8 13 5 0 5 4 11 5 1 1 4 6 0 13 8 121 107 62 0 0 2 3 2 7 13 11 0 5 7 19 7 4 2 0 21 1 16 27 1 0 0 2 1 8 6 12 0 7 2 8 14 0 2 2 4 0 6 5 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 5 0 0 1 5 5 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 Trip Reliefs DECK DEPARTMENT 2 6 5 13 3 5 16 22 0 5 3 8 9 2 10 6 9 3 20 17 164 2 2 0 4 0 1 3 1 2 4 2 11 6 0 0 1 4 2 5 8 58 1 0 4 5 0 0 25 14 0 2 6 12 2 0 0 3 9 2 11 8 104 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 95 0 1 3 3 2 3 4 9 0 0 2 4 7 1 1 2 4 0 7 8 61 1 0 0 3 0 3 8 5 0 1 0 8 2 0 1 2 3 0 2 6 45 0 0 2 2 0 1 7 1 0 1 6 7 1 1 2 3 6 0 18 5 63 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 0 3 3 1 8 14 8 0 6 5 8 5 1 5 2 17 0 15 10 147 80 30 111 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 5 1 0 0 0 4 0 7 0 0 2 2 8 0 7 13 16 0 4 4 22 8 0 7 0 9 1 15 4 3 3 1 10 2 2 16 12 0 4 4 18 9 0 31 0 9 1 7 8 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 0 0 1 6 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 2 0 0 4 0 4 4 4 1 2 1 2 5 0 1 1 4 0 4 6 45 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 5 4 0 0 0 1 1 4 3 22 ENTRY DEPARTMENT 0 1 2 5 0 5 7 6 0 3 1 11 1 0 11 1 3 0 6 3 1 3 1 2 0 1 1 6 0 0 6 5 2 1 21 0 2 0 7 4 0 0 1 2 0 2 5 4 1 2 2 9 5 0 1 0 7 0 10 7 **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C 4 0 12 17 4 15 59 45 1 21 20 74 23 8 2 14 33 1 62 42 4 3 3 8 1 3 38 12 2 4 10 20 13 2 1 2 5 3 24 12 457 398 170 1 0 6 7 0 13 25 35 1 14 11 23 8 6 4 5 17 2 17 17 0 4 7 14 4 7 16 31 1 10 12 15 20 7 1 3 12 4 22 14 4 1 2 8 1 2 9 11 0 1 1 14 7 1 1 0 6 2 9 14 212 204 94 0 0 3 4 1 16 27 30 1 12 13 44 13 5 3 0 40 2 26 52 0 0 2 11 1 13 9 14 0 7 7 12 17 1 2 1 6 0 13 12 0 0 1 2 1 1 7 9 0 1 4 5 7 0 0 0 1 2 6 4 58 292 128 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 6 4 0 1 4 8 0 0 0 2 11 0 12 1 0 3 3 12 1 9 33 27 0 13 10 56 16 0 3 5 18 1 29 12 5 9 3 16 3 11 39 31 0 5 4 58 21 0 22 0 17 3 22 18 22 122 140 22 66 63 0 52 251 287 531 548 333 405 336 188 225 1,013 981 602 *“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. March 2006 5 10 8 30 7 6 45 37 3 14 18 38 27 8 5 10 15 11 52 49 Piney Point .............Monday: April 3, May 8 Algonac ..................Friday: April 7, May 12 Baltimore ................Thursday: April 6, May 11 Boston.....................Friday: April 7, May 12 Guam ......................Thursday: April 20, May 25 Honolulu .................Friday: April 14, May 19 Houston ..................Monday: April 10, May 15 Jacksonville ............Thursday: April 6, May 11 Joliet .......................Thursday: April 13, May 18 Mobile ....................Wednesday: April 12, May 17 New Orleans ...........Tuesday: April 11, May 16 New York................Tuesday: April 4, May 9 Norfolk ...................Thursday: April 6, May 11 Philadelphia ............Wednesday: April 5, May 10 Port Everglades.......Thursday: April 13, May 18 San Francisco .........Thursday: April 13, May 18 San Juan..................Thursday: April 6, May 11 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. Personals SANFORD “CHUCK” KLAVANO Please contact Larry Helfrich at (206) 440-0470. Help Locate Pensioners The Seafarers Plans office is attempting to locate nine SIU pensioners who were affected by the hurricanes in the Gulf region last year. They are: Silverio Arana, Rosemary Davis, Jorge Giraud, Herbert Hebert, Mandred Herman, Rodolfo Lopez, Hildebrando Mendoza, Charles Stanford and Robert Thomas. Anyone who can reach any of these individuals is asked to request that they contact the Plans office toll-free at 800-252-4674, option 4. Inland Career Opportunities: Immediate Job Openings The SIU has immediate openings in the inland division. Interested individuals who possess either a 1,600ton master’s license (with near coastal or ocean endorsements) along with an Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch (OICNW) STCW certificate; or a designated duty engineer (DDE) 5,000 hp or greater license are encouraged to contact Bart Rogers at the union’s manpower office at (301) 994-0010, extension 5317 for additional information. Congratulations to the Casugays This month AB Josefino (Jerry) Almoro Casugay and his wife, Erlinda, are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Casugay, who has been an SIU member since 1968, currently is working aboard the Intrepid; Erlinda is a pre-K teacher in the Vallejo (Calif.) school district. The couple have five children and six grandchildren. Seafarers LOG 9 �U.S. Marine Corps vehicles are unloaded from the USNS Bellatrix in Kuwait. The USNS Soderman is one of more than 100 SIU-crewed ships that have supported U.S. troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The R vesse rolling for t Infant the glo At Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, the USNS Red Cloud off-loads coalition combat equipment and supplies after returning from deployment in Iraq early last year. The vessel is still sailing in support of OIF. Pictured from left to right are the Seafarers-crewed USNS Fisher, USNS Benavidez and USNS Bob Hope, each of which has been a part of OIF. Seafarers Proudly Serve as Part of America A heavy-duty bulldozer rolls off the Northern Lights during an offload of U.S. Army military vehicles while pier-side in Karachi, Pakistan. The combat stores ship USNS Niagara Falls and the fast combat support ship USNS Rainer (out of view) conduct replenishments with the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan last month. Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk monitor refueling hoses from the underway replenishment oiler USNS Walter S. Diehl. 10 Seafarers LOG As U.S. troops continue carrying out Seafarers remain on the job wherever and women in America’s armed forces. As of early February, SIU members w OIF. Those ships included the USNS Ben USNS Mendonca (operated by AMSEA); (Maersk Line, Limited); the Westward Ven and the Cape Douglas (Crowley). Seafarers unfailingly have answered th the present. At the height of OIF’s sealift on the move, carrying materiel and military 2,000 SIU members sailed aboard those ve That type of support for U.S. troops not earliest days. In fact, it was during Wo Eisenhower first referred to the U.S. Merc Whether serving in OIF, Operation En needed, today’s Seafarers uphold that lega Editor’s note: Most of the photos accom Navy’s U.S. Military Sealift Command. So during earlier phases of OIF. Boxes are moved during a replenishment at sea involving the USNS Niagara Falls and the USS Ronald Reagan. March 2006 �Ready Reserve Force el Cape Taylor loads g stock in late January he U.S. Army’s 4th ry Division in support of obal war on terrorism. The USNS Pomeroy takes part in cargo operations for OIF. Pictured in the Republic of Korea, the USNS Watson is ready to load an M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle—along with lots of other materiel. A U.S. Marine Corps High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) bound for Iraq is off-loaded from the USNS Altair in Ash-Shu’aibah, Kuwait. a’s Civilian mariners aboard the combat stores ship USNS Concord prepare pallets to be transferred to the fast combat stores ship USNS Rainier during a replenishment at sea. their assignments in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), d whenever needed, steadfastly supporting the men and ere sailing aboard no fewer than 11 vessels involved in avidez, USNS Bob Hope, USNS Fisher, USNS Seay and the USNS Pomeroy, USNS Red Cloud and USNS Sisler nture and Independence (Interocean American Shipping); e call for OIF from the first activations in 2003 through component, more than 100 Seafarers-crewed ships were y personnel to key locations. During that time, more than essels. t only isn’t new for the SIU, but dates back to the union’s rld War II that both President Roosevelt and General chant Marine as America’s “fourth arm of defense.” nduring Freedom or any other mission in which they’re acy. mpanying this story are courtesy of the U.S. Navy or the ome were taken earlier this year, while others were taken March 2006 A Seahawk helicopter picks up cargo pendants from the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan during a vertical replenishment with the MSC combat stores ship USNS Niagara Falls. Seafarers LOG 11 �Seafarers International Union Directory NMU Monthly Shipping & Registration Report JANUARY 16 — FEBRUARY 13, 2006 Michael Sacco, President TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Group I Group II Group III Augustin Tellez, Executive Vice President David Heindel, Secretary-Treasurer George Tricker, Vice President Contracts Tom Orzechowski, Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters Dean Corgey, Vice President Gulf Coast Nicholas J. Marrone, Vice President West Coast Joseph T. Soresi, Vice President Atlantic Coast Kermett Mangram, Vice President Government Services René Lioeanjie, Vice President at Large Charles Stewart, Vice President at Large HEADQUARTERS 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746 (301) 899-0675 ALGONAC 520 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI 48001 (810) 794-4988 ANCHORAGE 721 Sesame St., #1C, Anchorage, AK 99503 (907) 561-4988 BALTIMORE 2315 Essex St., Baltimore, MD 21224 (410) 327-4900 BOSTON Marine Industrial Park/EDIC 27 Drydock Ave., Boston, MA 02210 (617) 261-0790 GUAM P.O. Box 315242, Tamuning, Guam 96931-5242 Cliffline Office Ctr., Bldg. B, Suite 103 422 West O’Brien Dr., Hagatna, Guam 96931 (671) 477-1350 HONOLULU 606 Kalihi St., Honolulu, HI 96819 (808) 845-5222 HOUSTON 1221 Pierce St., Houston, TX 77002 (713) 659-5152 JACKSONVILLE 3315 Liberty St., Jacksonville, FL 32206 (904) 353-0987 JOLIET 10 East Clinton St., Joliet, IL 60432 (815) 723-8002 MOBILE 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605 (251) 478-0916 NEW ORLEANS 3911 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 328-7545 NEW YORK 635 Fourth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11232 (718) 499-6600 Government Services Division: (718) 832-8767 NORFOLK 115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-1892 PHILADELPHIA 2604 S. 4 St., Philadelphia, PA 19148 (215) 336-3818 PINEY POINT P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674 (301) 994-0010 PORT EVERGLADES 1221 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 522-7984 SAN FRANCISCO 350 Fremont St., San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 543-5855 Government Services Division: (415) 861-3400 SANTURCE 1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Stop 16 Santurce, PR 00907 (787) 721-4033 ST. LOUIS/ALTON 4581 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116 (314) 752-6500 TACOMA 3411 South Union Ave., Tacoma, WA 98409 (253) 272-7774 WILMINGTON 510 N. Broad Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744 (310) 549-4000 12 Seafarers LOG TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Group I Group II Group III Port Trip Reliefs REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Group I Group II Group III DECK DEPARTMENT Boston Houston Jacksonville New Orleans New York Norfolk Tacoma Wilmington Totals 11 12 2 5 9 1 0 4 44 1 4 3 4 10 0 0 0 22 2 1 3 2 0 1 2 0 11 3 12 2 2 10 0 0 4 33 Port 0 3 1 0 4 0 0 0 8 0 2 3 2 0 1 2 0 10 0 3 1 1 6 1 1 1 14 19 36 5 15 42 2 1 3 123 10 11 2 7 17 0 1 2 50 3 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 10 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 1 7 6 12 3 5 20 0 0 5 51 1 7 3 6 11 0 1 0 29 1 2 3 7 0 0 0 0 13 ENGINE DEPARTMENT Boston Houston Jacksonville New Orleans New York Norfolk Tacoma Wilmington Totals 2 5 2 2 8 0 0 2 21 0 4 0 0 6 0 0 0 10 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 2 6 Port 1 7 5 0 1 0 0 1 15 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 5 STEWARD DEPARTMENT Boston Houston Jacksonville New Orleans New York Norfolk Tacoma Wilmington Totals 6 4 1 1 1 0 0 1 14 1 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 6 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 6 3 3 3 2 8 0 0 1 20 0 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 5 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 6 0 2 1 0 2 1 0 0 6 7 15 4 2 9 1 0 0 38 4 2 1 1 12 1 0 0 21 0 1 3 5 0 1 0 0 10 Totals All Departments 79 38 23 68 16 21 27 212 100 33 PIC-FROM-THE-PAST This photo was sent to the Seafarers LOG by Pensioner Mack D. Brendle of Bastrop, La. It is a picture from the early ’50s of “Babe” Torrey and Mack Brendle aboard the Irene Star (one of the U.S. merchant ships that sailed into the war zone during the Korean conflict). The vessel was at anchorage in Instanbul, Turkey at the time. In a note accompany the photo, Brendle notes that Torrey was the deck engineer aboard ship; Brendle was the bosun. Torrey later passed away. Brother Brendle, who is a veteran of the U.S. Navy in World War II, joined the SIU in the port of Lake Charles, LA in 1955. He attended the Piney Point (Md.) Crews Conference in 1972 and graduated from the bosun recertification program at the unionaffiliated school in September 1974. Born in Bastrop, Brendle, now 78, retired from the union in 1979. If anyone has a vintage union-related photograph he or she would like to share with the LOG readership, please send it to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Photographs will be returned, if so requested. March 2006 �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. DEEP SEA RONALD DEWITT, 60, joined the SIU in 1968. Brother Dewitt was a member of the steward department, initially sailing aboard the Afoundria. The New Jersey native upgraded his skills at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. in 1995, 1998 and again in 2001. Prior to retiring, he shipped on the Horizon Kodiak. Brother Dewitt makes his home in Seattle. PETER FRIED, 55, was born in New York. He started sailing with the Seafarers in 1972, working in both the inland and deep sea divisions. Brother Fried, who shipped in the engine department, was a frequent upgrader at the unionaffiliated school in Piney Point, Md. Brother Fried calls Howell, N.J. home. JERRY GANT, 51, became a Seafarer in 1975 in Piney Point, Md. Brother Gant first shipped on the USNS Maumee. The steward department member, who hails from Jacksonville, Fla., upgraded his skills on numerous occasions at the Piney Point school. He last went to sea aboard the Guayama. Brother Gant is a resident of his native state. ROBERT HAGOOD JR., 56, joined the SIU in 1968. Brother Hagood was born in Columbus, Miss. and worked as a member of the deck department. His first ship was the Van Horizon. Brother Hagood upgraded his skills often at the maritime training center in Piney Point, Md. and completed the bosun recertification course there in 1980. He now lives in Kingman, Ariz. Brother Hagood last sailed aboad the Maj. Stephen W. Pless. LESTER HOFFMAN, 62, began sailing with the Seafarers in 1967. Brother Hoffman’s first voyage was aboard Hudson Waterway’s TransChamp. Born in Louisiana, he shipped as a member of the deck department, most recently on board the USNS Algol. Brother Hoffman makes his home in Bay City, Mich. CARL MERRITT JR., 70, embarked on his seafaring career March 2006 in 1967 in Baltimore, Md. Brother Merritt was born in North Carolina and worked in the engine department. His initial voyage was on the Bradford Island. Brother Merritt attended classes at the Paul Hall Center on four separate occasions. He calls Baltimore, Md. home. ROBERT MUNROE, 65, hails from Ludlow, Mass. Brother Munroe became an SIU member in 1961. His first ship was the Cantigny; his last was the LNG Taurus. Brother Munroe sailed in the deck department. He upgraded his skills in 1979 and 1980 at the union-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. Brother Munroe lives in Springfield, Mass. JOSEPH SMITH, 66, joined the ranks of the SIU in 1962, initially shipping aboard Waterman Steamship Corporation vessels. Brother Smith was born in North Carolina. The steward department member upgraded his skills twice at the Piney Point training center. Prior to his retirement, Brother Smith worked on the Ascension. He is a resident of Stockton, Calif. RAY WILKES, 65, started sailing with the SIU in 1991. Brother Wilkes first sailed aboard the USNS Tenacious. He shipped in the deck department and upgraded his skills frequently at the maritime training facility in Piney Point, Md. Brother Wilkes last worked on the USNS Stalwart. He makes his home in Pensacola, Fla. INLAND ROBERT ALBURTUS, 68, was born in New Jersey. He joined the Seafarers in 1987 and worked primarily aboard vessels operated by Port Imperial Ferry Corp. Boatman Alburtus shipped in the deck department. He currently resides in Toms River, N.J. MICHAEL DOWNEY, 62, began sailing with the union in 1979. Boatman Downey first worked aboard Mariner Towing Company vessels. He upgraded his seafaring skills on three occasions at the union-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. Born in Ontario, Canada, Boatman Downey now calls Madeira Beach, Fla. home. BILLY PEPPERS, 62, donned the SIU colors in 1977. Boatman Peppers’ first ship was the Seabulk Tanker; he most recently sailed aboard a Higman Barge Lines vessel. A native of Tennessee, Boatman Peppers is a resident of Beaumont, Texas. Editor’s Note: The following brothers and sister, all former members of the National Maritime Union (NMU) and participants in the NMU Pension Trust, recently went on pension. RAFAEL AVILES, 59, joined the NMU in 1979. Born in Las Piedras, P.R., Brother Aviles began sailing from the port of San Pedro, Calif. His most recent trip was aboard the Cape Hudson. CONSTANTIN BACZU, 68, hails from Romania. Brother Baczu became an NMU member in 1963 in Tampa, Fla. The steward department mariner first shipped on the Canterbury Leader. Prior to retiring, Brother Baczu worked aboard the Amoco Virginia. KERRY BUSH, 64, began his seafaring career in 1969, first sailing from the port of Mobile, Ala. on board the Texaco North Carolina. He is a native of Honduras. Brother Bush most recently worked aboard the Lykes Navigator. DAVIS CHISHOLM, 65, embarked on his NMU career in 1969 in Houston. Brother Chisholm was born in Grand Cayman. His first voyage was on the Gulf Spray. Brother Chisholm was a member of the engine department. ESTELLA CRAWFORD, 65, was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. Sister Crawford joined the union in 1981. Her first ship was Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG. 1947 The Seafarers International Union forged ahead in gains for seamen recently by signing a pact with seven steamship companies providing for a 6 percent wage increase for all hands. The new agreements supplement those signed on October 23, 1946. The new contracts were overwhelmingly ratified by the membership in regular meetings held on Wednesday, March 12. They include Alcoa, South Atlantic, Eastern, Seas Shipping, Bull, Baltimore Insular and Smith and Johnson lines. The 6 percent wage increase is retroactive to January 1, 1947. the Texaco Wisconsin. In 2001, Sister Crawford attended classes at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. Her most recent trip to sea was aboard the Kenai. JAMES VON HAESLER, 60, started shipping with the NMU in 1980 from the port of San Francisco, Calif. Brother Von Haesler’s earliest journey was on the Mallory Lykes. The engine department member was born in California. In addition to the individuals listed above, the following NMU pensioners retired on the dates indicated. NAME AGE EDP Clark, Lester 70 Feb. 1 Robinson, Verna 65 Jan. 1 Rogers, Herbert 69 Jan. 1 by members of the SIU. The eight former Sea-Land ships are stationed around the country and are designed to move heavy military equipment such as tanks and other supplies in rapid deployment. The ships have a top speed of 33 knots and are powered by steam turbine engines…. The conversion included installation of several decks for vehicle and cargo storage, a flight deck with helicopter landing platform, two side ports with hinged platforms and a portable ramp, and twin cranes fore and aft. This Month In SIU History 1962 Preliminary planning for a brand new union hall and shipping center for Seafarers in the vast Hampton Roads area has begun. The new construction would further the SIU’s continuing building program in all ports. A Norfolk facility would add another important link to the network of new halls developed on the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf during recent years. Announcement of the planned construction follows the formal opening of a new building in Houston this month. 1986 The eighth and final former SL-7, the USNS Pollux, converted for the Navy’s TAK-R Fast Sealift Ship program, was dedicated at Avondale Shipyard in March. These fastest cargo ships in the nation’s fleet are all manned 1991 The SIU-crewed integrated tug-barge Frances Hammer received a commendation from the U.S. Navy for being the first merchant vessel to enter liberated Kuwait City despite the fact the harbor area was not free of mines and other potential hazards. U.S. Navy Captain R.A. Crooks of the Military Sealift Command commended the crew for its efforts. “Your support to the Military Sealift Command and other military personnel assigned to the port area was outstanding,” Crooks wrote the vessel on March 20 after its one-week stay from March 11 to March 17. “By allowing these personnel to utilize your facilities, they were able to keep their equipment fully operational despite the hazardous environmental conditions that threatened to curtail harbor clearance operations.” The Ocean Shipholding vessel was sent to Kuwait’s capital city to deliver 120,000 barrels of water for the citizens and allied forces there. Seafarers LOG 13 �Final Departures DEEP SEA KASMOIN AMAT Pensioner Kasmoin Amat, 84, passed away Aug. 4. Brother Amat became an SIU member in 1957 in New York. He was born in the Philippines and sailed in the deck department. Brother Amat’s first ship was the Steel Age; his last was the LNG Aries. He retired in 1970 and made his home in New York. WILLIAM BOLLING Brother William Bolling, 51, died July 12. Brother Bolling began working with the Seafarers in 1976 in New Orleans. His first voyage was aboard a Dravo Basic Materials Co. vessel. Brother Bolling shipped in both the inland and deep sea divisions. The deck department member was born in Louisiana. Brother Bolling’s last ship was the Liberty Wave. WILLIAM CASSEL Pensioner William Cassel, 67, passed away July 15. Brother Cassel joined the union in 1987 in New York. He initially sailed aboard the USNS Dutton in the engine department. Brother Cassel was born in Indiana and lived in Edwards, Miss. He most recently shipped on the Green Mountain State. Brother Cassel began collecting his pension in 2003. HWO CHEN Pensioner Hwo Chen, 86, died July 27. Brother Chen was born in China. He started sailing with the MC&S (Marine Cooks & Stewards) in 1959 in the port of San Francisco. Prior to retiring in 1979, Brother Chen worked aboard the Santa Mariana in the steward department. He was a resident of San Francisco. CHRISTIAN CHRISTENSEN Pensioner Christian Christensen, 89, passed away May 6. Brother Christensen joined the SIU in 1947, first sailing in the deck department of a Terminal Steamship Co. vessel. Brother Christensen went on pension in 1999 after sailing on the Endurance. He resided in Fremont, Calif. BURTON CHURCHILL Pensioner Burton Churchill, 79, died June 18. Brother Churchill began his seafaring career in 1967, first sailing aboard the Henry. A native of Illinois, Brother Churchill was a member of the deck department. His last voyage was on the Pride of Texas. Brother Churchill started receiving compensation for his retirement in 1991. He lived in Slidell, La. LORENZO FORGERON Pensioner Lorenzo Forgeron, 78, passed away Sept. 28. Brother Forgeron became an SIU member in 14 Seafarers LOG 1952 after serving in the U.S. Navy. The Canadian-born mariner shipped in the deck department. Brother Forgeron’s first vessel was operated by Pocahontas Steamship Co. He began his retirement in 1994 and called Seattle home. BENNY FRATELLO Pensioner Benny Fratello, 89, died July 13. Brother Fratello began shipping with the MC&S in the port of San Francisco. He was born in Los Angeles and worked as a member of the steward department. Brother Fratello started collecting his pension in 1969. He made his home in Jonesboro, Ark. ROBERT HUNTER Pensioner Robert Hunter, 76, passed away May 21. Brother Hunter launched his seafaring career in 1972, sailing from the port of San Francisco. He worked primarily aboard ships operated by American President Lines such as the President Truman and the President Adams. Brother Hunter retired in 1995. He was a resident of New Waverly, Texas. ROBERT HYER Pensioner Robert Hyer, 82, died June 16. Brother Hyer joined the SIU ranks in 1942 in New York. The Pennsylvania native first shipped aboard a Terminal Steamship Co. vessel as a member of the deck department. Brother Hyer’s last voyage was on the Newark. He went on pension in 1985. Mill Creek, Wash. was his home. WILLIAM JONES Pensioner William Jones, 86, passed away July 13. Brother Jones was a native of Kentucky who began shipping with the Seafarers in 1966 in the port of Houston. His first vessel was the Kyska. Brother Jones worked in the deck department, last sailing on the Westward Venture. Brother Jones began receiving his retirement stipends in 1990. He resided in Seattle. CURTIS KLAFERT Brother Curtis Klafert, 46, died July 12. Born in Illinois, he joined the SIU in 1977 in Piney Point, Md. A member of the deck department, Brother Klafert first shipped aboard the Overseas Natalie. He last sailed on the Kopaa. DAVID MESSICK Brother David Messick, 63, passed away May 26. He became a Seafarer in 1978 in New Orleans. Brother Messick was a Texas native. He first worked aboard the Overseas Natalie in the deck department. Brother Messick’s last ship was the Sandy Bay. ERNEST MONEYMAKER Pensioner Ernest Moneymaker, 81, died June 24. Brother Moneymaker joined the SIU in 1969 in the port of San Francisco. He sailed primarily on vessels operated by Sea-Land Services, including the Los Angeles and the Galveston. Brother Moneymaker was born in Tennessee. He made his home in Thailand and started collecting his pension in 1989. SALVADOR O’NEILL Pensioner Salvador O’Neill, 79, passed away June 20. Brother O’Neill joined the ranks of the SIU in 1978 in New York. The Puerto Rico-born mariner shipped in the steward department. Brother O’Neill first sailed aboard the Santa Mariana. Before retiring in 1987, he worked on the Borinquen. Brother O’Neill resided in Bronx, N.Y. CHARLES SMITH JR. Brother Charles Smith Jr., 58, passed away July 14. He launched his seafaring career in 1978 in the port of San Francisco. Brother Smith first shipped aboard the Santa Magdalena. The steward department member was born in California and last worked aboard a vessel operated by Matson Navigation. STANFORD SMITH SR. Pensioner Ricardo Pacheco, 68, died July 7. Brother Pacheco became a Seafarer in 1960. He began sailing aboard vessels operated by Tankers and Tramps Corporation as a member of the engine department. Brother Pacheco was born in Puerto Rico. He last shipped on the Nuevo San Juan. Brother Pacheco retired in 1990 and lived in Ponce, P.R. Pensioner Stanford Smith Sr., 91, died Aug. 13. Born in Louisiana, Brother Smith was a charter member of the SIU, having joined in 1938 in New Orleans. He first sailed aboard a Delta Steamship Lines vessel, working in the steward department; his last voyage was on the Carolina. In 1979, he retired and settled in his native state. STANLEY PALFREY JOSEPH SNYDER RICARDO PACHECO Pensioner Stanley Palfrey, 80, passed away May 15. Brother Palfrey embarked on his SIU career in 1951. His first vessel was the Steel Flyer. Brother Palfrey was born in Louisiana and worked as a member of the engine department. His most recent voyage was aboard the Sam Houston. In 1991, Brother Palfrey retired and settled in Amite, La. HENRY PERKINSON Pensioner Henry Perkinson, 75, died April 12. Brother Perkinson began sailing with the Seafarers in 1953 on the Abibua. The Houston native worked in the deck department. Before retiring in 1988, Brother Perkinson sailed aboard the Senator. He called Crosby, Texas home. OLIVER PITFIELD Pensioner Oliver Pitfield, 80, passed away May 21. Brother Pitfield was born in Biloxi, Miss. He joined the SIU in 1965, initially sailing on the OMI Missouri. Brother Pitfield shipped in the deck department. His last ship was the Seabulk Power. The U.S. Navy veteran went on pension in 1990 and made his home in Houston. LLOYD RICHARDSON Pensioner Lloyd Richardson, 84, died Oct. 27. Brother Richardson donned the SIU colors in 1944 in the port of Norfolk, Va., first sailing on the Golden City. Brother Richardson worked as a member of the deck department. His last ship was the Eric G. Gibson. Brother Richardson, who was born in Richmond, Va., called Sea Level, N.C. home. He started receiving compensation for his retirement in 1986. Pensioner Joseph Snyder, 93, passed away June 26. Brother Snyder joined the union in 1946. His first ship was the Steel Vendor. Brother Snyder, who was born in Pennsylvania, was a member of the deck department. He last sailed on board a Waterman Steamship Corporation vessel. Brother Snyder began collecting his retirement pay in 1978. He lived in Oceanside, Calif. JOSEF STEPHAN Pensioner Josef Stephan, 74, died July 4. Brother Stephan became a member of the MC&S in 1961 in the port of San Francisco. He shipped in the steward department aboard such ships as the Santa Maria and the Independence. Brother Stephan was born in Germany. He retired in 1990 and made his home in Walnut Grove, Calif. FELIX VALENTIN Pensioner Felix Valentin, 73, passed away July 11. Brother Valentin started sailing with the SIU in 1969. The deck department member was born in New York. Brother Valentin last sailed on the Santa Juan. He went on pension in 1997 and resided in Magna, Utah. LAMBERT WALDROP Pensioner Lambert Waldrop, 70, died May 29. Brother Waldrop joined the SIU in 1953, first shipping as a member of the steward department aboard the Alcoa Polaris. Brother Waldrop was born in Florida. Prior to retiring in 1989, he worked on the President Taylor. Brother Waldrop lived in his native state. JAMES WELCH Pensioner James Welch, 89, passed away July 5. Brother Welch joined the SIU in 1951 in New York. His first voyage was aboard the Steel Rover. Born in Maine, Brother Welch was a member of the engine department. He last sailed on the Borinquen. Brother Welch, who was a resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., started receiving his pension in 1990. INLAND SIBI LeBLANC Pensioner Sibi LeBlanc, 80, died Oct. 7. Boatman LeBlanc was born in Abbeville, La. He sailed primarily aboard Moran Towing Co. vessels in the deck department. Boatman LeBlanc retired in 1987. He called Port Arthur, Texas home. OLAF ROSE Pensioner Olaf Rose, 85, passed away April 2. Boatman Rose, who was born in Kentucky, embarked on his career with the union in 1957 in the port of Philadelphia. He worked primarily aboard C.G. Willis Inc. vessels. Boatman Rose settled in Bayboro, N.C. and went on pension in 1983. GREAT LAKES RAYMOND BUZWAH Pensioner Raymond Buzwah, 77, died July 7. Brother Buzwah began sailing with the SIU in 1962, joining in Detroit, Mich. The steward department member first worked on board the Overseas Joyce. Before retiring in 1992, Brother Buzwah shipped aboard the William Roesch. He made his home in Ontario, Canada. PAUL WERYNSKI Pensioner Paul Werynski, 77, passed away April 2. Brother Werynski began his seafaring career in 1960 after serving in the U.S. Army. He worked primarily aboard American Steamship Company vessels, sailing as a member of the steward department. Brother Werynski was born in Toledo, Ohio and retired in 1982. He still called Ohio home. Editor’s Note: The following brothers, all former members of the National Maritime Union (NMU) and participants in the NMU Pension Trust, have passed away. NAME AGE DOD Abraham, Willie 91 Dec. 25 Archbold, Alfredo 75 Nov. 29 Barahona, Alberto 94 Dec. 29 Barron, James 78 Jan. 1 Brown, George 78 Jan. 28 Cases, Antonio 67 Dec. 22 Castro, Maximo 86 Jan. 14 Chavez, Frank 92 Dec. 22 Cheknas, Gus 93 Nov. 21 Cisneros, Rudolpho 52 Dec. 13 Davidson, Ralph 82 Dec. 7 Davis, James 85 Dec. 31 Fanchi, Amerigo 90 Dec. 14 Gani, Mohamed 86 Jan. 2 Gonzalez, Herminio 90 Jan. 20 March 2006 �Digest of Shipboard Union Meetings The Seafarers LOG attempts to print as many digests of union shipboard minutes as possible. On occassion, because of space limitations, some will be omitted. Ships minutes first are reviewed by the uniion’s contract department. Those issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union upon receipt of the ships’ minutes. The minutes are then forwarded to the Seafarers LOG for publicatiion. CHEMICAL PIONEER (USS Transport), Dec. 1—Chairman Elkanah B. Ladia, Secretary Hazel Johnson Jr., Educational Director Michael S. Kirby, Deck Delegate Carl T. Motley, Engine Delegate Antonio F. Simon, Steward Delegate Erik Marlowe. Chairman posted President Sacco’s report from Seafarers LOG for everyone to read. Educational director led discussion on options for obtaining prescription medication and studied contract issues. Treasurer stated $550 in ship’s fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Chairman spoke to crew concerning conduct to and from vessel and about need to set time for each watch to go ashore and return. Seafarers requested increase in food budget for 28-man crew. Special thanks given to Chief Steward Johnson, Chief Cook Marlowe, and SA John Damphier. Crew also thanked Capt. Timothy Delong for job well done. Next port: Bayonne, N.J. CLEVELAND (Sealift Inc.), Dec. 26—Chairman Fareed A. Khan, Secretary Christina A. Mateer, Educational Director Terry Lane, Deck Delegate Kenneth A. Abrahamson, Steward Delegate Terry Love. Bosun noted that he and captain were very pleased with Seafarers in all departments. Secretary reported excellent trip and expressed gratitude to crew members for working hard. Educational director urged mariners to upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew requested new chairs in crew lounge and repair of ice machine and washing machine. Vote of thanks given to steward department for great barbecue, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. Next ports: Houston and Galveston, Texas. DILIGENCE (Maritrans), Dec. 28 —Chairman Michael E. Brown, Secretary Mary L. Smith, Engine Delegate Patrick D. Carroll Jr., Steward Delegate John Bennett. Chairman discussed communications sent to headquarters and Houston hall pertaining to draws. Secretary thanked all hands for helping maintain cleanliness of ship. No beefs; disputed OT reported in steward department. Suggestions were made regarding new contract, particularly with respect to wages, pensions, vacation, e-mail, slop chest and postal service. JEAN ANNE (Interocean American Shipping), Dec. 18— Chairman Daniel Davenport, Secretary Samuel P. Sinclair, Deck Delegate Robert W. Knowlton, Engine Delegate Louis A. Punch, Steward Delegate Ingra L. Maddox. Chairman asked all members to pass along questions, comments or beefs directly to delegates, so they can be addressed properly. Crew thanked Steward Sinclair for providing gourmet entrees and extraordinary baked breads and pastries. Secretary requested clarification March 2006 about grandfather clause pertaining to initiation dues. Steward delegate reported morale is excellent with arrival of new steward. “Quite simply, he’s the best.” Next port: Hawaii. OVERSEAS MARILYN (OSG Ship Management), Dec. 24— Chairman Marco A. Galliano, Secretary Obencio M. Espinoza, Deck Delegate Donald R. Seafarers LOG. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members looking into possibility of getting satellite dish for TV. Two bikes were purchased for crew use. All mariners were encouraged to upgrade seafaring skills at Piney Point school. Next port: Galveston, Texas. ALASKAN FRONTIER (Alaskan Tankers), Jan. 8—Chairman Timothy D. Koebel, Secretary Donnell Lewis, Educational Director Leland O. Peterson, Deck Delegate Manuel Espinoza, Steward Delegate Randy Proctor. Chairman notified crew members of last chance to submit suggestions for upcoming contract negotiations. He announced new satellite dish expected in Long Beach, Calif. and updated them on status of computer to be installed in crew lounge. No beefs or disputed OT reported. President’s report from LOG read at meeting regarding passing of John Fay. Crew dis- cational opportunities available at union-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Information requested about cost of living increases in pension benefits. Next port: Oakland, Calif. LIBERTY EAGLE (Liberty Maritime), Jan. 15—Chairman Jimmie L. Scheck, Secretary Pablo C. Alvarez, Educational Director Ronald A. Garber. Chairman announced Jan. 23 payoff following meeting with patrolman. Secretary discussed the importance of contributing to SPAD. Educational director urged crew members to renew seamen’s documents in timely manner and take advantage of educational opportunities available at Piney Point facility. No beefs; disputed OT reported in engine department. Letter from headquarters read and posted for everyone to read. Recommendations made regarding medical and pension benefits as PETERSBURG (Interocean American Shipping), Jan. 12— Chairman James T. Martin, Secretary Oscar R. Angeles, Educational Director Jeffry P. Stuart, Deck Delegate Noel R. Camacho, Steward Delegate Michael C. Munoz. Educational director suggested members check their college credits while upgrading at Piney Point school. AB Chris Dionio voted in as new ship’s treasurer. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew warned to be careful in laundry room during painting process. During a recent stopover in Puerto Rico, Seafarers aboard the El Yunque include (clockwise from top left) ABs Adrian Surrillo-Diaz and Ruben Gonzales; Chief Cook Juan Vallejo-Hernandez; the crew following payoff meeting; and UMM Argelio Perez-Borroto. WILSON (Sealift Inc.), Dec. 23— Chairman Andrew Jones, Secretary Robyn A. Anderson, Deck Delegate James M. Wray, Engine Delegate Nicholas K. Doffoh, Steward Delegate Edward J. Aguigui. Chairman read president’s report from the cussed negotiations of 2001 contract, which was partly was dedicated to attaining enhanced health benefits. They expressed thoughts on negotiating new contract. Bosun asked shipmates to close house doors softly, particularly during working hours and at night. Steward department was thanked for fine cuisine. Next ports: Valdez, Alaska; Long Beach, Calif. HORIZON CONSUMER (Horizon Lines), Jan. 8— Chairman Lawrence L. Kunc, Secretary Roger D. Linasan, Educational Director Thomas M. Flynn, Deck Delegate Khaled Munassar, Steward Delegate Reynaldo Recarte. Chairman announced Jan. 17 payoff in Oakland, Calif. Next foreign trip will possibly take them to China shipyard for three weeks. Secretary thanked crew for good trip and for helping keep ship clean. Educational director encouraged mariners to take advantage of edu- OCEAN ATLAS (Pacific Gulf Marine), Jan. 27—Chairman Maurice D. Hetrick, Secretary André Zene, Educational Director Allen D. Parker, Deck Delegate Donald A. Stickens, Steward Delegate Leroy Jenkins. Educational director encouraged mariners to enhance skills at seafarers-affiliated training facility in Piney Point, Md. No beefs or disputed OT reported. All departments expressed gratitude to union for helping bring ships on South American run under U.S. flag. OVERSEAS JOYCE (OSG Ship Management), Jan. 29—Chairman Roger C. Tupas, Secretary Ronald P. Drew, Educational Director Norman A. Arquillano, Steward Delegate Jack A. Hart Jr. Chairman announced Feb. 4 payoff in Newark, N.J. Educational director advised everyone to attend Piney Point school to upgrade skills necessary to remain competitive. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Request made for new washer and dryer along with new stereo for crew lounge. Crew members complimented steward department for job well done, especially chief cook for his extra efforts. Next port: Jacksonville, Fla. Aboard the SIU-Crewed El Yunque Ackerman, Steward Delegate Cirilo S. Centeno. Chairman announced payoff Jan. 3 upon arrival in Houston. He reported good trip with great food, thanks to hard work by steward department. He reminded crew members to separate plastic items from other trash. Secretary thanked mariners for helping keep lounge and mess hall clean and asked them to tidy up rooms and leave fresh linen for next person. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Bosun talked about president’s report from Seafarers LOG. Vote of thanks given to steward department for fantastic Thanksgiving and Christmas Day meals. for safe trip and for helping keep ship clean. Secretary reminded crew members to straighten up rooms and leave new linen for next person. Educational director advised members to start renewal process early on z-cards. He also talked about upgrading skills at Paul Hall Center. Captain now in charge of video library. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestions for new contract made regarding expanded medical coverage. well as purchase of computer for crew. Vote of thanks give to ship’s crew for smooth trip to and from Djibouti. Next port: Galveston, Texas. LIBERTY STAR (Liberty Maritime), Jan. 15—Chairman Michael R. Hester, Secretary James Tucker. Chairman announced Jan. 22 payoff upon arrival in Long View, Wash. Educational director encouraged Seafarers to attend classes at Paul Hall Center. No beefs; disputed OT reported in steward department. All mariners departing vessel were asked to clean rooms for next person. Vote of thanks given to steward department for job well done. MAERSK GEORGIA (Maersk Line Limited), Jan. 2—Secretary Franklyn D. Cordero, Educational Director Michael A. Scinto, Steward Delegate Melvin W. Hite. Chairman thanked all departments QUALITY (Maersk Line Limited), Jan. 22—Chairman Konstantinos Prokovas, Secretary Ekow Doffoh, Educational Director Brian J. Sengelaub, Steward Delegate Eddy D. Rustandi. Chairman announced Jan. 30 payoff in Elizabeth, N.J. and was happy to report safe trip with no accidents or injuries. Educational director reminded everyone to take advantage of educational opportunities available at union-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. He stressed importance of contributing to SPAD and thanked steward department for “truly remarkable meals.” No beefs or disputed OT reported. Electrician requested spare parts for vacuum cleaner. Recommendations made regarding medical, dental and pension benefits. Next port: Norfolk, Va. USNS BRUCE HEEZEN (Horizon Lines), Jan. 29— Chairman Franz C. Eder, Secretary Edgardo H. Ong, Educational Director Robert P. Rosa. Secretary led discussion on safety procedures aboard vessels. Educational director talked about training courses available at Paul Hall center. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Bosun clarified questions pertaining to prescription benefits and pension plan. Seafarers LOG 15 �Aboard the Steel Rover in 1948 Know Your Rights Editor’s note: Brother Bart Misuraca of Brooklyn, N.Y. contributed an article in the Sept. 3, 1948 of the Seafarers LOG and thought current readers of the paper might enjoy reading it, too, and seeing how shipboard life has changed. Originally titled “Girls and Gripes Highlight Steel Rover’s Far East Run,” it is reprinted here. You have asked for stories and photos for the LOG, so I’m going to give you as much detail as I can to go with this picture of our trip to India aboard the Steel Rover. We left New York with a swell bunch of SIU men. Nearly the entire crew had full-books with plenty of experience, so when we secured ship, everything went along smoothly—even got a compliment from the chief mate on a job well done. It sure looked like a good start for a trip. When we got to Port Said, there was martial law ashore, and everyone was required to remain aboard. But as usual, the bumboats came along side with their watered whiskey Our next stop was Karachi, India, where those of us who were looking forward to going ashore for a nice cool drink were badly disappointed. We found stench and filth and unpleasant conditions all around. I might add a warning to SIU men hitting this port—stay away from the native Indian town. We have one crew member in bad shape now because he wandered in there. Changes Came We dropped anchor in Bombay next, and the mate changed his attitude. Things were run bell to bell, so we changed the name of the ship to the SS Steel Slavery. When we finally tied up after a week, all hell broke loose. Our famous captain, “Schooner Guy” Barnhard, started throwing logs at us till it got as hot as the Chicago fire. But the crew kept up the SIU spirit by seeing to it that the ship remained in good shape. Bombay had its pleasant side for us, too—let’s talk about that. There were wine, women and song. And I mean good wine. An Italian ship tied up alongside, so I and a wiper, who understands the lingo, went aboard and traded cigarettes [for wine]. All went smoothly until the utility man got gassed up until he felt like superman—someone then laid him out on the deck for a nice long sleep. Then we have a character whom we call Flash Gordon— you’ll hear more about him when the ship hits New York. This phony claims he has been going to sea for 20 years, but he still doesn’t know the bow from the stern. To top it off, he is the mate’s boy and a great reporter —if you know what I mean. He plays pirate on lookout and imagines he sees submarines. He would swear on a stack of bibles that the Rock of Gibraltar is in the Indian Ocean, and he thinks there is a rabbit aboard ship. So stand by with a straight jacket when we get back. The DM fell in love with a sweet looking Anglo-Indian gal, who stood on the pier crying her eyes out as we pulled out. We had a tough time holding Don from jumping overboard after her. Love leaves sweet sorrows. The crew’s pantryman from the Bronx probably rates the title of the ship’s great lover. He can’t resist the temptation of beautiful women. He caught a nice cold. Well I guess I have covered most everything, but you will hear from me with more news from Calcutta, for I hear all the girls are moving from Bombay to Calcutta to meet the boys of the Steel Rover. I’m going to rig a lantern at the gangway later on. — Bart Misuraca FINANCIAL REPORTS. The Constitution of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District/NMU 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/NMU are administered in accordance with the provisions of various trust fund agreements. All these agreements specify that the trustees in charge of these funds shall equally consist of union and management representatives and their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust funds are made only upon approval by a majority of the trustees. All trust fund financial records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds. SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member’s shipping rights and seniority are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the employers. Members should get to know their shipping rights. Copies of these contracts are posted and available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority rights as contained in the contracts between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified mail, return receipt requested. The proper address for this is: Augustin Tellez, Chairman Seafarers Appeals Board 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746 Full copies of contracts as referred to are available to members at all times, either by writing directly to the union or to the Seafarers Appeals Board. Are You Receiving All Your Important Mail? In order to help 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 or e-mail corrections to kclements@seafarers.org HOME ADDRESS FORM (Please Print) Name: ___________________________________________________________________ Phone No.: ________________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Social Security No.: ________ / ________ / ________ † Active SIU † Pensioner Book No.: ________________ † 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. 3/06 16 Seafarers LOG 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 SIU President Michael Sacco at headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The address is: Michael Sacco, President Seafarers International Union 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746. March 2006 �SEAFARERS PAUL HALL CENTER UPGRADING COURSE SCHEDULE The following is the schedule of courses at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. for March through June of 2006. All programs are geared to improve the job skills of Seafarers and to promote the American maritime industry. Please note that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the maritime industry and—in times of conflict—the nation’s security. Students attending any of these classes should check in the Saturday before their course’s start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the morning of the start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reservations should be made for Saturday. Seafarers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at the Paul Hall Center may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010. Deck Upgrading Courses Start Date Date of Completion Able Seaman March 6 April 17 May 29 March 31 May 12 June 23 Automatic Radar Plotting Aids* (ARPA) (*must have radar unlimited) April 17 April 21 Lifeboatman/Water Survival April 3 May 15 April 14 June 2 Radar April 3 April 14 Radar Renewal (one day) April 24 Course Junior Engineer April 3 June 23 Welding March 20 May 8 April 7 May 26 Recertification Bosun April 10 May 8 Safety Specialty Courses Start Date Date of Completion Basic Safety Training - AB March 13 April 10 March 17 April 14 Basic Safety Training - FOWT March 27 March 31 Fast Rescue Boat March 20 March 24 Government Vessels - FOWT April 3 May 15 June 26 April 7 May 19 June 30 Tankerman Familiarization/ Assistant Cargo (DL)* April 3 June 5 April 14 June 16 Course (*must have basic fire fighting) Academic Department Courses General education and college courses are available as needed. In addition, basic vocational support program courses are offered throughout the year, two weeks prior to the beginning of a vocational course. An introduction to computers course will be self-study. Steward Upgrading Courses Galley Operations/Advanced Galley Operations modules start every week. Certified Chief Cook/Chief Steward classes start every other week beginning March 6, 2006. Engine Upgrading Courses Course Basic Auxiliary Planning Ops FOWT Start Date Date of Completion March 27 May 22 June 16 July 14 March 27 May 22 May 19 July 22 UPGRADE AT THE PAUL HALL CENTER � UPGRADING APPLICATION Name ________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Telephone _________________________ Deep Sea Member † Lakes Member Date of Birth ______________________ † Inland Waters Member † If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be processed. Social Security # ______________________ Book # _________________________ Seniority _____________________________ Department _____________________ U.S. Citizen: Yes † No † Home Port _____________________________ 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 OL, AB, JE and Tanker Assistant (DL) applicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard fee of $140 with their application. The payment should be made with a money order only, payable to LMSS. COURSE BEGIN DATE END DATE ____________________________ _______________ _______________ ____________________________ _______________ _______________ ____________________________ _______________ _______________ ____________________________ _______________ _______________ ____________________________ _______________ _______________ ____________________________ _______________ _______________ Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _____________________________________ LAST VESSEL: _____________________________________ Rating: ___________ _____________________________________________________________________ Date On: ___________________________ Date Off: ________________________ Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program? † Yes † No If yes, class # __________________________________________________________ Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses? † Yes † No If yes, course(s) taken ___________________________________________________ Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement? † Yes † No Firefighting: † Yes † No CPR: † Yes † No Primary language spoken ________________________________________________ March 2006 SIGNATURE __________________________________ DATE ________________ NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only if you present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point. RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, Admissions Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189. The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission, access or treatment of students in its programs or activities. 3/06 Seafarers LOG 17 �Paul Hall Center Classes Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 670 — Graduating from the water survival class are unlicensed apprentices from class 670. They are (in alphabetical order) AlexStephen Amarra, Jayson Cottrille, Abner Diaz-Torres, Eddie Flood, Ernest Frank III, Sean Fox, Timothy Hetz, Maxine Howard, Michael Lais, Gil Lawrence, Ceresa Moreno, Shawn Orr, Dennis Rivard, Reylan Tendido, Stephon Thompson, Joseph Daniel and Akia Wilcox. Able Seaman — Receiving certificates for completion of the AB class ending Dec. 9 are (in alphabetical order) Chris Bryan, Richard Cannady, Gordon Grant, Steven Hurden, Ramsey Ingram, Mark Keblis, Perry King, Louis Kramm, Kenny Potts, Anthony Roca, Patrick Ryan, Perry Schroff and Kenneth Williams. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Their instructor, Bernabe Pelingon, stands at far right. Bridge Resource Management— The six MTLX boatmen who recently completed this course are (in no specific order) John Emmel, Patrick O’Brien, Joshua Ellis, Glen McCann, Michael Tarbox and Scott Murdock. Not pictured are MTLX staff member Igor Loch Jr. and instructor Herb Walling. FOWT — Graduating from this course Nov. 11 are (in alphabetical order) Troy Davis, Elvin Ellis Jr., Herman Fleischman, Brandon Granger, Cynthia Harris, Michael Hill, Davis Kelch, Joshua Lampke, John McIntosh, Jonathan Miller, Robert Ott, James Perkins, Stephen Riccobene, Jonathan Scurry, Scott Spilman, Steben Torres, Bon Vannaxay, Ron Westerfield and Matthew Wright. Welding — Under the instruction of Buzzy Andrews (center, back row) are students who completed the welding course Nov. 11. They are (in no specific order) Geoffrey James, Kenneth Lockhart and Romel Reyes. HAZWOPER — MTLX boatmen who completed the HAZWOPER course Nov. 11 are (in no specific order) John Emmel, John Leslie, Michael Maibaum, Jerry Bishop, Michael Tarbox, Scott Murdock, Mike Wiley, Scott Libby, Jeff Maszk, Marc Aikin, Vincent Whitehair, Patrick O’Brien, Joshua Ellis, David DeBruler, Robert Reeder, Jay O’Crotty, Edwin Schlink, Ken Stanton, James Suomela, Glen McCann and Kevin O’Leary. Their instructor, Jim Shaffer, is at far left. Computer Lab Classes Any student who has registered for a class and finds—for whatever reason—that he or she cannot attend, please inform the admissions department so that Holding their certificates of achievement for courses recently completed in the computer lab are (from left) Christopher Mosley, Geoffrey James and Musid Musleh. With them (at right) is their instructor, Rick Prucha. 18 Seafarers LOG another student may take that place. Fast Rescue Boat — Nov. 4 was graduation day for MTLX boatmen in the fast rescue boat course. They are (in alphabetical order) John Lesie, Scott Libby, Michael Maibaum, Jay O’Crotty, Kevin O’Leary, Robert Reeder, Edwin Schlink and Mike Wiley. Their instructor, Tony Sevilla, is seated at left. March 2006 �Paul Hall Center Classes Tankerman (PIC) Barge — The MTLX boatmen who took this course ending Nov. 18 are (in no specific order) Edwin Schlink, John Emmel, James Suomela, Robert Bouron, Ken Stanton, Michael Tarbox, Joshua Ellis, Kevin O’Leary, Scott Libby, Igor Loch Jr., Jason Loch, Vincent Whitehair, Glen McCann, Mike Wiley Patrick O’Brien, Scott Murdock, John Leslie, Robert Reeder, Jay O’Crotty and Michael Maibaum. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Their instructor, Mitch Oakley, is at far left. Marine Electrical Maintenance Refresher — John Bonifas (right) worked with instructor Jay Henderson to complete the marine electrical maintenance refresher course Nov. 11. Lifeboatman/Water Survival — Nov. 11 graduates of this class include (in alphabetical order) Daniel Anderson, Rafael Borja, Christopher Bryan, Richard Cannady, David Grasso, Regie Ignacio, Michael Jarvi, Michael Morita, Christopher Mosley and Musid Musleh. Their instructor, Bernabe Pelingon, is at far left. Safety — Boatmen from Express Marine completed the damage control portion of the safety class Nov. 4. They are (in no specific order) Frederick Register, Billy Sawyer Sr., Ronnie Fulcher, Wiliam Edwards, Roland Mason Jr., James Dixon Sr., James Dixon Jr., Donald Stutzbach, Pierre Daigle, Dennis Gaskill Jr., Gil Pruitt, Ernest Ross, Christopher Blake Jr., Foster Watts, Robert Perosse, Leslie Anderson and Oswald Smithwick. Marine Electrical Maintenance Refresher — Working their way through this refresher course, which ended Dec. 9, are (in alphabetical order) Greg Alvarez, Sergio Ayala, Edward Fore, Wayne Gonsalves, Kenneth Lockhart, Randolph Patterson and Pedro Santiago. Their instructor, Jay Henderson, is at left, back row. Specially Trained OS — Tony Sevilla Specially Trained OS — Graduates of the STOS course ending Oct. 7 include (in no specific order) De’Aris Henry, William Clifton, John Burns, Glenard Chaney Jr., Robert Hardesty, Nicole Geideman, Robert James, Daryl Alvin, David Anderson, Mark Bickham, Terrance Dunn, Sylvan Harris and Fermin Baltazar. Their instructor, Stacey Harris, stands fourth from right. Specially Trained OS — Graduates of the STOS course ending Dec. 16 include (in no specific order) Norman Lucas II, Fausto Aranda, Mohamed Mosed, Dominic Gilmartin, Isaac Garrido, Richard Kight, Daniel Manning, George Marshall, Agustin Manzo, Anthony Anderson, Christopher Bean, Ken Ada, Chris Cain and Alex Banky. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Their instructor was Stacey Harris (not pictured). March 2006 (far left) was the instructor for the STOS class ending Dec. 16. The students are (in no specific order) Dean Bettis, Philip Smith, Carlos Ramirez, Gabe Williamson, Jacob Kamp, Ivan Zapata, Ryan Scott and Garrett Phillips. Specially Trained OS — Alaskan fishermen who received their STOS certificates of completion Dec. 16 are (in no specific order) Bruce Dunbar, Jorel Zellweger, Patrick Langdon, Douglas Sams, Stephen Snapp, James Brigherti, Carolina Crenna, Brett Lange, Mark Nugent, William Richmond, Kevin Anderson and SIU member Edgar Elegino. Their instructor, Tony Sevilla, is standing at far left. Seafarers LOG 19 �Volume 68, Number 3 March 2006 Upgrading at the Paul Hall Center Take advantage of the upgrading courses available at the Paul Hall Center. See page 17 for a schedulee of upcoming classes. Sh h ip p boo arr d T raa in n in n g FFocuses occ uss ess on n Sa a fee tyy Shipboard Training Safety Using the wheelhouse aboard the SIUcrewed Cape Washington as their classroom, Seafarers from the Cape Washington and Cape Wrath (docked side-by-side in the port of Baltimore) met for several days earlier this year for a safety training session conducted by representatives from Crowley Maritime Corporation. Noting that all accidents can be prevented and that everyone is responsible for safety, Charles F. Nalen, vice president, environmental, safety, quality assurance at Crowley, and Capt. Margaret M. Reasoner, senior port captain at Crowley, led the job safety seminar. A number of well designed handouts guided the lectures, starting with Crowley’s safety policy and then going through various hazards, controls, concerns and requirements for those working on deck, in the galley, handling dry cargo or performing engineering or petroleum Seafarers from the SIU-crewed Cape Washington and Cape Wrath join union and company officials for a shipboard safety training session conducted by Crowley personnel. operations. Information also was presented on operations in extreme heat and cold conditions and the necessary personal protective equipment required in each case. McKinley Jones, recertified steward aboard the Cape Washington, said “I found the training to be very educational—with some good safety tips. I didn’t know about different ways to step across objects, and I plan to carry what I learned back to my family—beyond shipboard life—and into everyday life.” Bosun Rick James agreed. “The course was very effective in learning about safety operations at sea and was very beneficial to the crew in general.” One of the handouts pertained to incident investigation—to determine the real root causes of an undesired event that results in injury to people, damage to property or the environment, or loss of service. Another was a job safety analysis handbook, which is designed to improve the safety of all personnel and provide Crowley employees with guidance on how to apply job safety analysis in the day-to-day conduct of assigned jobs. Effective communication also was stressed as a way to promote the health, safety and security of all employees. Training such as this, in addition to the safety courses available at the union-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md., help make SIU members the besttrained mariners in the world. If we think accidents will happen— they will happen. Safety training can help prevent accidents in all activities aboard ship like the ones shown at left and below. Everyone is responsible for safety. Gathering for a group shot following the training program are Seafarers from the Cape Washington and Cape Wrath, along with SIU Baltimore Port Agent Dennis Metz (third from right) and Crowley VP Charles Nalen. The shipboard safety training session was conducted by Capt. Margaret M. Reasoner (left) and Crowley VP Charles F. Nalen (above) aboard the Cape Washington. All accidents can be prevented. The training seminar was conducted aboard the SIU-crewed Cape Washington (right), which is docked in Baltimore alongside the Cape Wrath. � 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 Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 2006 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES ITF INSPECTORS TEAM UP, SECURE BACK PAY FOR CREW ITF’S SEAFARERS’ TRUST CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF HELPING MARINERS SEAFARERS HONORED FOR RELIEF EFFORTS MARAD APPROVES MEDALS FOR ‘OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT’ CHIEF COOK CREDITS FELLOW MEMBERS ON EMPIRE STATE 9TH T-AKE SHIP ORDERED LYKES MOTIVATOR HONORED FOR RESCUE MARITRANS ESTABLISHES 3 MEMORIAL FUNDS SIU/UIW OFFICIAL ROBERT O’KEEFE DIES AT 76 FERRY PASSENGERS WERE ‘ABANDONED’ MORE THAN 1, 000 DEAD OR MISSING IN RED SEA DISASTER ILO WEIGHS MARITIME STANDARDS HEALTH CARE COSTS AFFECT EVERYONE AB COSTELLO CREDITS HEALTH PLAN FOR HELPING HIM BEAT CANCER ARTICLES EXPOSE TACTICS OF FOC CRUISE LINE UNION MEMBERSHIP GROWS FEDERAL FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR PORT SECURITY FORD ANNOUNCES MASSIVE JOB CUTS MANAGEMENT’S FAILURE LEADS TO ‘DISSAPOINTING AND DEVASTATING NEWS’ SEAFARERS PROUDLY SERVE AS AMERICA’S FOURTH ARM OF DEFENSE ABOARD THE STEEL ROVER IN 1948 SHIPBOARD TRAINING FOCUSES ON SAFETY Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seafarers Log Digital Copies 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 03/01/2006 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. 68, No. 3 2006 Periodicals Seafarers Log