http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/122a9f50d2e37ef116533a370068d626.pdf 1e5ff5432e3583d43c86257648d1134b PDF Text Text 41545_P01-5_7_14_18_19x:1545p00 3/27/2007 3:20 PM Page 1 Overseas Shipholding Orders 3 New ATBs Page 3 Volume 69, Number 4 April 2007 MTD Spotlights Progress, Opportunities U.S. Military Officials Emphasize Solid Backing for American-Flag Fleet The Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO executive board meetings took place March 1-2 in Las Vegas. Representatives from Congress, the administration, the military, the maritime industry and the labor movement addressed the board on a wide range of key topics, including the importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine and House passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Pictured at the meetings, clockwise from upper left are: U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (left) with SIU VP Gulf Coast Dean Corgey; U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and MTD President Michael Sacco (who also is president of the SIU); some of the board members and guests; and Gen. Norton Schwartz, commander, U.S. Transportation Command and MTD President Sacco. Coverage begins on page 3 and continues on pages 11-14. Paul Hall Center Adds Liquefied Gas Simulator SIU-Crewed Cape Washington Saluted for Latest Mission The SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education has added a state-of-the-art liquefied gas (LG) cargo simulator. The simulator offers comprehensive training in LG familiarization, LG specialization and LG safety. Below, instructor Jim Shaffer (standing) helps student Nicholas Bridges use the simulator. Page 6. Following a recent deployment supporting American troops in Iraq, the Cape Washington early last month arrived in snowy Baltimore. QMED George Murphy (below right) was among the crew members commended by the U.S. Maritime Administration for their service. The ship is operated by SIU-contracted Crowley Liner Services. Page 24 (back page). TWIC Fees Published House Passes EFCA Page 2 Page 5 WWII Remembrance Page 10 �41545_P01-5_7_14_18_19x:2007-March 3/27/2007 2:15 PM Page 2 TSA Publishes TWIC Fees President’s Report Working for Working Families Both at the Maritime Trades Department executive board meetings last month and the AFL-CIO executive council meetings that followed, I joined with many other union presidents and other labor officials in helping re-focus and define the key goals of our movement. This is a constant, necessary exercise that helps ensure we’re all on the same page. On the surface, it usually involves routine procedures like adopting resolutions or passing policy statements. But those declarations are just the tip of the iceberg. They’re summaries that reflect detailed plans and deep commitments by our Michael Sacco unions, our state federations and central labor councils and other bodies dedicated to improving the way of life enjoyed by working families. Taking part in those meetings, it can be a lot to digest. Whether we’re tackling maritime issues like the Jones Act and the Maritime Security Program, or broader subjects such as health care and the right organize, it is important work that requires serious attention, planning and action. Nevertheless, a couple of the newest statements that jumped out at me were ones that covered the basics. One was an MTD statement about “outsourcing.” When we first heard that term many years ago, it probably didn’t hold much meaning. Today, of course, we know it’s a dirty word. Outsourcing is a tricky way of describing job losses, lower wages and disappearing benefits. It means class warfare as companies send good middle-class jobs overseas, all in the name of greater profits for CEOs and stockholders. In part, outsourcing explains why we hear rosy reports about the overall economy, while at the same time struggling homeowners try to decide between paying their electric bill and refilling their prescriptions. Outsourcing has cost millions of middle-class workers the livelihood for which they trained. Many of the first factory workers caught up in outsourcing went back to school for new jobs they were told are better suited for the global economy. They took classes to learn about computers and new work in that field. They were part of the high-tech boom of the mid- and late 1990s. Then a not-so-funny thing happened. Companies discovered that those jobs could be outsourced, too. And what advice is being given to those who have been outsourced a second time? Get over losing your job and train for one in the new global economy. It’s a grim picture but not one totally without hope. For instance, you may have read or heard about the fact that when America West completed its takeover of US Airways, the new company’s top officials realized that outsourced overseas call centers weren’t getting the job done. They reversed course and re-opened a call center in North Carolina. The MTD-affiliated Communications Workers represented the workers at the original call center and that union once again represents those women and men. The company noted it may cost more to pay the American workers, but it cost less overall because the job was done right the first time. At the risk of saying, “We told you so,” they could have saved themselves a lot of time and money by listening to those of us in the trade union movement in the first place. Sending jobs overseas to take advantage of workers in lands without labor laws is penny-wise but pound-foolish. Beyond that, it’s morally bankrupt. As we said in our MTD statement, “The great American and Canadian economies were built on the back of the middle class. These working men and women made the cars, appliances, clothing and other goods the world craved. It should be no different today. Companies deserve to make a profit, but the middle class deserves to reap their share of the rewards. They should not be cast aside as an expendable cost of business. They should be respected for what they can and do bring to a company’s bottom line.” In that same vein, the AFL-CIO executive council adopted a six-point plan to promote domestic job creation and keeping good jobs at home. Our position included that good-paying jobs with adequate health care and retirement benefits shouldn’t merely be goals—they should be realities in today’s America. We can get there by promoting true partnerships between labor, management and government. We can get there by ensuring that workers enjoy the fundamental freedom to join unions and by holding corporations accountable for their actions under our laws and standards. We can get there by protecting workers’ rights in all trade agreements and by rebuilding our manufacturing base. We can get there by providing important public services to all Americans, especially education for our children and care for those most in need. We can and will get there through solidarity and hard work. It’s a tall order, but I have no doubt the labor movement is up to the task. Volume 69, Number 4 The Federal Register dated March 20, 2007 includes a rule from the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration spelling out user fees for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential. The standard fee will be $137.50. The reduced fee for applicants who have completed a “prior comparable threat assessment” is $105.25. The text of the rule appears below. Mariners with a current z-card/merchant mariner document are eligible for the reduced-fee TWIC, but those individuals should note that such a credential may not be valid for the full five years. Rather, it will expire when the “threat assessment” on the z-card/merchant mariner document expires, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Mariners will have the option of applying for a standard-fee TWIC, which would be valid for five years. In other TWIC news, the SIU is scheduled to host a meeting in early April at its headquarters building in Camp Springs, Md. involving the TWIC contractor, other maritime unions and other affected parties. The first part of the TWIC program itself was set to launch late last month, despite a lag in information on applying for the credential. Mariners will be required to carry a TWIC by September 2008. In the meantime a valid z-card along with a second form of identification will be considered as meeting the requirements of the TWIC program. For the latest information, visit the TSA’s TWIC web site at www.tsa.gov/twic and the Coast Guard web site http://homeport.uscg.mil/. Additionally, the union continues to post updates at www.seafarers.org, normally in the “Heard at Headquarters” and Seafarers LOG sections. Seafarers also are encouraged to check with their port agent from time to time for updates. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Transportation Security Administration ACTION: Rule. SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Coast Each year, in accordance with the SIU Constitution, rank-andfile Seafarers are elected by their fellow members to serve on a financial committee. The group is tasked with examining the union’s finances for the prior calendar year and then formally reporting its findings to the SIU secretary-treasurer. Subsequently, the committee’s report is read in all ports at the union’s monthly membership meetings and presented for membership approval. The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org 2 Seafarers LOG SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Background The Department of Homeland Security, through TSA and the U.S. Coast Guard, published a final rule on January 25, 2007 that establishes requirements for merchant mariners and workers who need unescorted access to secure areas of maritime facilities and vessels. These individuals must successfully complete a security threat assessment conducted by TSA and hold a TWIC that TSA issues in order to enter secure areas without escort. As required by sec. 520 of the 2004 DHS Appropriations Act, Pub. L. 108–90, TSA must collect user fees to cover the costs of implementing the TWIC program, including the cost to enroll all applicants, complete security threat assessments, provide an appeal and waiver process, and issue biometric credentials. Continued on page 14 Rank-and-File Financial Committee Approves Union’s Records for 2006 April 2007 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 © 2007 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD All Rights Reserved. Guard, published a final rule on January 25, 2007 that establishes requirements for merchant mariners and workers who need unescorted access to secure areas of maritime facilities and vessels. These individuals must successfully complete a security threat assessment conducted by TSA and hold a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) in order to enter secure areas without escort. As required by statute, all TWIC applicants must pay a user fee to cover TSA’s costs to enroll applicants, complete security threat assessments, and issue biometric credentials. With this notice, we announce the user fees as follows: The total standard fee for a TWIC applicant is $137.25 and the reduced fee for applicants who have completed a prior comparable threat assessment is $105.25. DATES: Effective March 20, 2007. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Beyer, Office of the Chief Counsel, TSA–2, Transportation Security Administration, 601 South 12th Street, Arlington, VA 22202–4220; telephone (571) 227–2657; facsimile (571) 227–1380; e-mail Christine.Beyer@dhs.gov. Last month, seven Seafarers fulfilled this constitutional mandate by reviewing the SIU’s financial records for the year 2006. The committee found those records in good order. Serving on the committee were ABs Jerry Costello, Kim M. Brown, Nick Milosevic and Chris Nardone, QMED/Electrician Dave Sexton and Stewards Jerome Davis and Samuel Raines. “We did a thorough review and found everything in good shape,” said Costello, who chaired the committee. “The committee consisted of a good group of rank-and-file members and they all did very well.” In its report, the committee wrote, “We find that the Headquarters of the Union is taking all steps possible to safeguard Union funds and to see that the disbursements of the Union are in accordance with the authority delegated to them and that, at the same time, there is a striving effort to increase day-to-day efficiency of our operation.” The committee worked at SIU headquarters during the first full week of March. Article X, Section 14-c of the SIU Constitution spells out the duties of the annual financial committee as well as rules and procedures for electing the committee. At right, members who served on the financial committee are pictured with SIU officials last month at union headquarters. Standing from left are Assistant VP Ambrose Cucinotta, AB Nick Milosevic, AB Kim M. Brown, AB Jerry Costello, Recertified Steward Jerome Davis, QMED/ Electrician Dave Sexton, Steward/Baker Samuel Raines, AB Chris Nardone and SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel. In photo above, committee members near the end of their review. April 2007 �41545_P01-5_7_14_18_19x:2007-March 3/27/2007 2:16 PM Page 3 U.S. Fleet’s Importance, Labor’s Vitality in Focus at MTD Meetings Buoyed by strong words of support from guest speakers and news that the U.S. House of Representatives had passed a key labor-backed bill, the Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO executive board meetings March 1-2 in Las Vegas were characterized by great energy and wellfounded optimism. Representatives from Congress, the administration, the military, the maritime industry and the labor movement addressed the board. Most discussed the U.S. Merchant Marine’s ongoing role in bolstering national and economic security. Many talked about grassroots political action and how it has helped put the labor movement in better position to promote a pro-worker agenda. Additionally, the guest speakers and MTD President Michael Sacco, who also serves as president of the SIU, examined other important topics including promoting U.S.-flag LNG vessels See pages 11-14 for full coverage of the MTD meetings and U.S. crews; the U.S. Maritime Security Program; domestic shipbuilding; the Transportation Worker Identification Card program and its related Merchant Mariner Qualification Credential initiative; port dredging; infrastructure development; container taxes; keeping good jobs in the U.S.; MTD President Michael Sacco (right) welcomes AFL-CIO SecretaryTreasurer Richard Trumka. Good News Comes in Threes: OSG Orders Jones Act ATBs The unprecedented Jones Act fleet expansion by SIUcontracted Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG), which commenced in April 2005, continues full speed ahead with the recent announcement of additional vessel orders. The New York-headquartered conglomerate on March 6 announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to build three new articulated tug barges (ATBs) for service in the Jones Act market. Each of the new ATBs will boast a 290,000-barrel capacity and be connected to a different 12,000 horsepower tugboat. The units carry individual price tags of $90 million and are slated for delivery from late 2009 through late 2010. Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Inc., in Mobile, Ala. will build the tugboats while its affiliated company, Florida’s Tampa Bay Shipbuilding & Repair Company, will construct the barges. These latest vessel orders come on the heels of, and in addition to, previous orders for three new 335,000-barrel April 2007 ATBs by OSG. Those vessels, which will come from the same builders, will be delivered this year and into 2008. Additionally, OSG officials in February announced that they had signed an agreement in principle under which Aker Philadelphia Shipyard will construct up to six additional Veteran-Class product tankers. This agreement calls for three ships, includes options for three more and came in the wake of a 2005 agreement which had Aker building 10 Veteran-Class OSG tankers with deliveries to be complete in 2010. OSG’s diversified U.S.-flag fleet offers unique, flexible benefits to customers who require different transport options within the U.S. Jones Act market. According to OSG, the three new ATBs will add 148,200 deadweight tons to the company’s U.S.-flag fleet. Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. is one of the largest publicly traded tanker companies in the world. the Employee Free Choice Act (passed in the House on March 1); support for U.S. troops; trade agreement standards; cabotage laws and more. The MTD consists of 24 international unions (including the SIU) and 19 port maritime councils in the United States and Canada representing approximately 5.5 million working men and women. In order of appearance, the following people addressed the executive board: U.S. Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton; Gen. Norton Schwartz, commander, U.S. Transportation Command; Alaska Tanker Co. President and CEO Anil Mathur; Lake Carriers’ Association President James Weakley; U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Devon Brennan; U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (DMiss.); AFL-CIO SecretaryTreasurer Richard Trumka; Lt. Gen. Robert Dail, director, Defense Logistics Agency; U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (DHawaii); and U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.). In his opening remarks, Sacco pointed to orders for new U.S.flag ships to be constructed in Philadelphia and San Diego, U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley mixed in some humorous comments along with serious remarks about labor-backed candidates and their responsibilities to advance the interests of America’s working families. MTD President Michael Sacco is seated at right. respectively, as representative of the progress than can be made by MTD affiliates working together. “That’s what I call great news,” he said, while also acknowledging there have been some rough spots along the way. “Union workers building unioncrewed, American-owned, American-flag ships.” SIU Executive VP Augie Tellez (right) is pictured with Lt. Gen. Robert Dail, director of the Defense Logistics Agency. Powell, Ware Appointed To SIU Assistant VP Slots Two SIU officials recently were selected for appointment to the office of assistant vice president. They are Archie Ware, formerly the port agent in Jacksonville, Fla., and Bryan Powell, who previously worked as port agent in Tacoma, Wash. Ware was appointed to the post of SIU assistant vice president for contracts and contracts enforcement while Powell was named SIU assistant vice president of the West Coast. Ware replaces the late Brother Steve Judd who passed away in March 2006; Powell fills the slot vacated by former Asst. VP West Coast Don Anderson who retired in October. Ware embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1978, joining in the port of New York. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native sailed in all three shipboard departments but eventually chose the deck department, earning his AB ticket in 1982. He completed bosun recertification at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in 1994. Prior to assuming duties as port agent in Jacksonville in 2005, he served in the same capacities at the ports of Houston and San Francisco. “I would like to thank the Bryan Powell Archie Ware entire union membership for everything they have done for me and my family over the years,” Ware said. “I consider everyone in the SIU as my family.” Powell launched his career with the SIU in late 1993 in the port of Piney Point, Md. After graduating from the unlicensed apprentice program at the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center, Powell was ready to experience life at sea. His initial years were spent in the engine department; he later moved into the steward department where he sailed for the next six years. During this time, Powell advanced to the rating of steward/baker and in 1999 decided to upgrade his skills at the Paul Hall Center. It was at that junc- ture that he came ashore to work as a union official. Since that time, Powell has worked as a union representative in various ports, including headquarters, Piney Point, Houston, Jacksonville and Wilmington. In 2002, he was appointed port agent in Tacoma. He remained in that post until being tapped for appointment to his current position. “I was honored to receive this appointment, and greatly appreciate the confidence and support I have received from President Mike Sacco, the executive board and the membership,” Powell said. “It is an honor to serve the union.” Powell is working on the completion of his MBA degree from the University of Phoenix. Seafarers LOG 3 �41545_P01-5_7_14_18_19:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:30 PM Page 4 SIU’s Vincenzo Appointed To State Labor Committee SIU Safety Director Joe Vincenzo recently was appointed to the Washington State Labor Council’s Education, Training and Apprenticeship Committee. Vincenzo, based at the SIU hall in Tacoma, Wash., is scheduled to serve a three-year term on the committee ending Dec. 31, 2009. The council is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. The committee meets quarterly, in conjunction with Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council meetings in various locations around the state. The committee concentrates on public and vocational education and statewide apprenticeship programs. Vincenzo started sailing with the SIU in 1991 in the port of Honolulu as a member of the engine department. His first vessel was the cruise ship Constitution. He sailed with American Hawaii Cruises until June 1995 when he returned to the University of Massachusetts in Boston. After completing his bache- SIU Tacoma Safety Director Joe Vincenzo lor’s degree, Vincenzo worked as a legal manager for a few years before returning to sea in 2000. He most recently sailed as a QMED aboard ASMEA’s Jack Lummus, then came ashore in 2003 to work for the union. The Washington State Labor Council represents and provides services for hundreds of local unions and trade councils throughout Washington state. Its core programs are legislative advocacy, political action, communications and media relations, and assistance with organizing campaigns. Notice Anthrax Immunization Program Resumption On March 7, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a memo directing the immediate resumption of the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program. The SIU has been informed that, effective immediately, the U.S. Military Sealift Command is resuming anthrax immunizations for personnel embarked on MSC vessels, including civilian and contract mariners, until further notice. Seafarers are advised to check with their port agent for additional information. Retired Matson President Mulholland Dies at 65 Charles Bradley Mulholland III, 65, former president and chief executive officer of Seafarers-contracted Matson Navigation Co., died Feb. 20 in Oakland, Calif., from complications of cancer. He was 65. “Brad Mulholland had a remarkable career with Matson,” said James Andrasick, president and CEO of Matson, who succeeded Mulholland. “His achievements were impressive and far-reaching. Equally impressive, Brad had a warm, personable style that touched everyone he knew. He was always ready and eager to share his vast knowledge of our industry and he had a natural gift as a teacher and mentor.” Mulholland was respected and liked by SIU officials and members who knew him. He was a fourth-generation Californian and was known as C.B. or Brad. 4 Seafarers LOG He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Seal Beach, Calif. After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, the selfproclaimed “surf bum” went to work at Matson’s offices in Wilmington, Calif. as an assistant booking clerk. Mulholland rose through the ranks of the San Francisco-based shipping line and was promoted to head of the freight division in 1979. He became president of the company’s terminal subsidiary in 1986. Some four years later in 1990, Mulholland was named president of Matson; he became CEO in 1992. By the time he retired in 2004 Mulholland was executive vice president of Alexander and Baldwin (A&B), Matson’s parent company based in Honolulu. He later was board vice chairman of Matson SIU members and officers aboard the LTC John U.D. Page are pictured with a plaque signifying the “Constant Care Award” for safe operations. SIU-Crewed Page Honored Crew Recognized for Consistently Safe Operations The SIU-crewed LTC John U.D. Page recently was recognized for its outstanding record of safe operations. The Page is part of the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command fleet and is operated by Seafarerscontracted Maersk Line, Limited (MLL), which is based in Norfolk, Va. The honor, the “Constant Care Award,” was established last year to recognize vessels within the MLL fleet that have operated for at least five years without a lost time accident (LTA). According to the company, the award is named after part of a 1946 quote from Maersk founder A.P. Moller, who said, “No loss should hit us which can be avoided with constant care.” It also serves to focus ongoing attention on safety. Maersk reported that on Jan. 28, 2007, the award formally was presented to the Page by Port Engineer Pablito Pakingan while the vessel was at anchor in Diego Garcia, British East Indian Ocean Territory. Captain Kurt Breitfeller, the ship’s master, accepted the award on behalf of the vessel’s crew and officers. The captain challenged his crew to move forward with this safety culture and instill it on each and every vessel on which they serve in the future, according to a written communications from Navigation as well as a director of both companies. Mulholland’s career was marked with new and innovative initiatives, including pioneering the concept of ocean carriers leasing and managing their own terminals to improve shipping services. Matson moved to an “open-top” configuration of its ships during Mulholland’s tenure as a senior executive, according to Honolulu’s Pacific Business News, and the company’s intermodal division, today called Matson Integrated Logistics, was nurtured under his management. “Customers today want more than shipping,” Mulholland told the publication during a 2002 interview when Matson’s logistics operation expanded. “This gives our customers more reasons to use us. It also gives us another chance to make money.” In 1999, he led a joint venture between Matson and Stevedoring Services of America (SSA Marine), a marine terminal operator and stevedore company. The company combined port operations on the West Coast and con- The LTC John U.D. Page the company. The Page is one of two ammunition ships operated by Maersk for MSC. Of course, other Seafarers who sailed aboard the Page during the previous five years also share in the credit, but those on board the vessel when the award was presented were: Bosun Jerry Sobieraj, ABs Eugene Evans, Oleg Pankratov, Jeffrey Pearce, Stephen Snapp, Steve Wilson, Russell Luther and Timothy Heil, QMEDs Carlos Perez and Kevin McArdell, QMED/Electrician Ronnie Day, Steward/Baker Joseph Jones, Chief Cook Gary Ramirez and GUDEs Saeed Alahmadi and Anthony Moore. tinues to be successful today. “He was passionate about Matson and his service to Hawaii,” said Jon Hemingway, chief executive officer of SSA Marine, who has been friends with Mulholland for 16 years. “He was a progressive thinker and a change agent in his industry and company.” Mulholland also exuded integrity, and was straightforward and honest throughout his career, Hemingway said, adding that Mulholland always treated co-workers and service providers with respect, no matter what position they held. In 1996, Mulholland received the Admiral of the Ocean Sea Award from the United Seamen’s Service. He also served as an industry spokesman on key issues such as the Jones Act and the U.S. Merchant Marine’s importance to national and economic security. Mulholland was a lifetime member of the National Defense Transportation Association and served on the boards of the Pacific Maritime Association, the Brad Mulholland was respected throughout the maritime industry. San Francisco Bay Area Council and the National Maritime Museum Association in San Francisco. He also served for 10 years on the Mainland Distribution Committee of the A&B Foundation, the company’s charitable giving arm. Mulholland is survived by his wife, Leslie, and two grown children, Sara and Mark. Funeral services were private. April 2007 �41545_P01-5_7_14_18_19:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:30 PM Page 5 House Passes Employee Free Choice Act The U.S. House of Representatives, following more than five hours of historic debate, on March 1 passed H.R. 800, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The act requires employers to recognize a union when a majority of workers sign up for representation—a procedure that would eliminate many of the delays and illegal employer abuses that routinely happen in the current union election process. The EFCA also increases the penalties for employers who violate worker rights and provides for the arbitration of first contracts if the employer and union fail to reach agreement after a year of bargaining. The measure passed by a margin of 241-185 with bipartisan support. Labor leaders and congressional supporters hailed the vote as the most important labor law reform legislation in 70 years, an answer to the declining fortunes of middle-class workers and the growing income divide. AFLCIO President John Sweeney said the House vote “…marks a momentous turning point in the growing movement to restore our nation’s middle class. Today, the voices of tens of millions of working people who deserve the right to make a free choice to bargain for a better life have been heard and heeded on Capitol Hill. Because of today’s vote, the future looks a little brighter to all Americans who have watched corporations celebrate record profits, but have themselves been shut out of the party, left with stagnant wages and facing soaring costs. “A union card is the single best ticket into the middle class and, thanks to the Employee Free Choice Act, working people may finally have the chance to be part of a union,” the AFL-CIO president concluded. “Congress today has recognized that collective bargaining is critical in this democracy as it is in every other democracy around FINAL NOTICE Economic Pride Adjustments Crew members employed aboard the vessels named below at any time during the specified dates may be due an Economic Price Adjustment (EPA), as per stipulations in the respective agreements with the ship operators which existed at that time. To verify employment, please forward copies of discharges or pay vouchers to the contracts department at the union’s headquarters: 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Members writing to the contracts department should include their current address. Upon receipt of the employment verification, monies due, if any, will be processed and sent to the address specified in the letter mailed to the contracts department. Please note that the dates listed below—from the late 1980s—are correct. The union published multiple notices concerning the EPA beginning in 1989 and received responses from many but not all eligible crew members. AMSEA MV 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez January 1, 1987-December 31, 1989 MV 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo PFC Dwayne T. Williams MV Jack Lummus MV William R. Button January 1, 1988-December 31, 1989 MAERSK MV 1st Lt. Alex Bonnyman MV PVT Harry Fisher MV Cpl. Louis Hauge Jr. MV PFC William Baugh MV PFC James Anderson January 1, 1988-December 31, 1989 OCEAN SHIPHOLDING MV Paul Buck MV Samuel Cobb 1987, 1988 and up to March 31, 1989 MV Gus Darnell January 1, 1989-March 31, 1989 MV Lawrence Gianella MV Richard Matthiesen 1988 and up to March 31, 1989 WATERMAN Sgt. Matej Kocak Pfc. Eugene Obregon Maj. Stephen W. Pless January 1, 1989-December 31, 1989 Please note this is the final notice that will appear and any outstanding claims must be received by June 30, 2007 to be evaluated. April 2007 the world,” said Larry Cohen, chair of the AFL-CIO Executive Council Committee on Organizing. Cohen, who also is president of the Communications Workers of America, continued, “Passage today of the Employee Free Choice Act by the House of Representative is a first step toward restoring the core of the preamble of the National Labor Relations Act passed 70 years ago that commits our government to promote collective bargaining in the workplace, not an endless legal battle with management declaring war on their own employees.” “The Employee Free Choice Act puts democracy back in the workplace so the decision to join a union can be made by the workers the union would represent,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (DCalif.) told colleagues. “This is the standard right that we routinely demand for workers around the world. We should accept no less a standard here in America.” The EFCA has strong bipartisan support with 233 co-sponsors. Some House members made it clear that the purpose of the bill was not pro-union or pro-business, but pro-worker. During the debate on the House floor, House Speaker Pelosi said, “Democrats believe we must make our economy fairer. We took the first step in our first 100 hours, with a strong bipartisan vote to increase the minimum wage. And today, we take the next step, with a strong bipartisan vote to ensure that America’s working families have the right to organize. “The right to organize means a better future for them, and for all of us,” Pelosi continued. “It means a future that is economically and socially just, a future where the workplace is safe, a future where our retirement is secure. Many of the benefits all workers enjoy today . . . are the result of the struggles of organized labor. Their victories have not just benefited union workers, but all workers. Unions have helped make America the most prosperous, most productive nation in the world, with a vibrant middle class so essential to our democracy.” A large segment of America’s business community attacked the bill and lobbied heavily against it. Some called it the “Employee Intimidation Act” and others falsely claimed that the EFCA would eliminate the secret ballot provision that’s currently in place. Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.), who worked for 13 years in a gar- ment factory, called the allegations a smokescreen. The real issue, he said, is whether workers can have the opportunity to improve their lives and the future for their children. “I would not be here today as a member of the United States Congress if it were not for my union,” he said. “My union helped me send my kids to college. It helped me buy a house…. But sadly more and more Americans are seeing these opportunities slip away.” The EFCA is a key priority for working families. The AFL-CIO sent more than 5 million e-mail messages to online activists on the Employee Free Choice Act. During a week of action, workers in more than 100 cities met with members of Congress and community leaders to push for passage of the act. Actions included conferences, worker roundtables, rallies and other gatherings, with workers and union and community leaders meeting with at least 130 members of Congress. The legislation now will move to the U.S. Senate where it faces an uncertain future. U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) said he will introduce the bill in the Senate soon, where it will likely face a filibuster. Chaotic Runaway-Flag Saga Reinforces ITF’s Effectiveness The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is worth its weight—if not significantly more—in gold for mariners around the world. That point was driven home once again in February when ITF inspectors in England successfully brought an end to a tense and potentially hostile situation by negotiating the payment of back wages owed crewmen aboard the Merchant Brilliant. The Latvian-owned, Jamaican-registered RO/RO vessel on Feb. 20 was arrested in Belfast, Ireland when ITF inspectors discovered that the vessel owners had failed to make good on a previous payment of more than $150,000 that in December 2006 had been ordered by the Irish Court. The chain of events that followed this discovery would keep many in the worldwide maritime community anxious if not outright jittery for the next several days. While in port, crew members claimed they were owed $200,000 in back pay and sought assistance from the ITF. Irish ITF Inspectors Ken Fleming and Bill Anderson dispatched to the vessel in hopes of negotiating a speedy settlement. The resulting talks between the ITF and the owners of the vessel, ADG Ship Management SIA, ended in dispute. ADG insisted that the previous wages already had been paid while the federation argued otherwise. Norfolk Lines, the company that had chartered the Merchant Brilliant for its freight services, intervened and requested that the crew continue its voyage despite not having being paid. Under protest, the crew—a combination of 20 Russians and Latvians— agreed to leave the Belfast area and sail the vessel to Heysham, England on condition that Fleming and Anderson accompanied them. Upon its arrival at Heysham, however, Norfolk Lines took the Merchant Brilliant off of charter and completely disassociated itself with ADG. Consequently, the harbor master insisted that the Merchant Brilliant leave port to make way for other vessels. After complying with the harbor master’s directives and sailing some three miles out from port, the vessel anchored. Talks then resumed between the ITF inspectors and two owner-appointed Russian representatives. On two occasions, the discussions again proved fruitless. At that juncture, according to reports, 10 of the crew members barricaded themselves into a room after the Russian representatives made threats against them, their homes and families. ITF Inspectors Fleming and Anderson joined the crew, one source said, feeling that their presence might help protect them. An agreement on the back wage issue finally was reached at around noon the following day (Feb. 21), but the promised cash was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, while negotiations had been ongoing, seven of the crew had thrown in the towel, stating that they had had enough. According to Fleming, they were mainly the most recently hired, were owed less and largely were putting on acts because of a mixture of the intimidation to which they had been subjected and their belief that the company was never going to pay them, regardless of what they promised. The remaining crew members were told that if they wanted to get paid, they’d have to return to Belfast, not Heysham where they were first told to collect it. They were then told that another vessel would fetch their money and that it would be in Heysham. Finally, they were told that the owners would return the following day and pay up themselves. Fleming, however, discovered that the owners a day earlier already had remitted the money and further that it was aboard the Merchant Brilliant. Despite its less-than-stellar record of keeping promises in the past, ADG on the afternoon of Feb. 22 finally made good on its obligation and paid the crew members their wages. It took place while the Merchant Brilliant was en route to port in Heysham. Fleming, who witnessed the payoff, said, “This is the first major step in settling this ugly dispute and putting it behind us. The next step is to get all the crew members on their way home.” The crew was flown to Russia on Feb. 23 aboard flights arranged by the ITF. Most of them departed England during the early morning hours; one flew out at around 2 p.m. “This case is over,” said Fleming. “The crew is safe and homeward bound.” According to the British Rail Maritime and Transport Union, a similar dispute arose with ADG in November 2006. The Merchant Brilliant’s sister ship, the Merchant Bravery, was detained in Dublin by the Irish High Court until arrears were paid to the crew. Crew members involved in that episode, however, told ITF inspectors that they were later forced to give the money back. The Merchant Bravery no longer operates in Irish waters. Seafarers LOG 5 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24x:2007-March 3/27/2007 2:20 PM Page 6 Training Director Eglinton Retires Duties Greatly Evolved During 34 Years in Piney Point When Bill Eglinton first drove to the SIU-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. for a job interview, he pulled off the road twice to call and ask if he’d missed the turnoff. He was told to keep driving south. That happened in early 1973, shortly before Eglinton became an instructor at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education (then known as the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship). Since then, the school has grown tremendously—and, for better or worse, many of the pastoral areas nearby have given way to development. One could say Eglinton’s duties underwent an even more radical expansion and change since those first days as an instructor. Between then and his official retirement last month, he became a respected and wellknown representative for U.S. mariners on numerous high-level domestic and international maritime bodies. At the school, he most recently served as director of training—a position he filled since 1980. His commitment to the union, school and industry in general didn’t end upon his retirement. With mariners facing (among other upcoming challenges) the new TWIC and merchant mariner credential programs, Eglinton will remain available for freelance assignments—a development sincerely appreciated by SIU officials. “Bill’s always been a good guy and done a good job, but I Newly retired Director of Training Bill Eglinton says his fondest memories “are from teaching. I truly loved it.” think what really needs to be said is that his duties went far beyond being a vocational director,” stated Paul Hall Center Vice President Don Nolan, who worked with Eglinton for 34 years. “When you think of all those acronyms—MERPAC, NMSAC, ITF and many others —you get an idea of how much he has meant to the school and the union, because he’s served on all of them. We wish him the best, but he’s really not going away. No one could fill those shoes.” SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel often worked with Eglinton on international maritime matters. “He was very instrumental in STCW negotiations, protecting our seafarers during those talks,” Heindel recalled. “He did a great job of educating not only our member- QMEDs Receive Full Books During the February membership meeting in Piney Point, Md., QMEDs Scott Spilman and Antoine Rainey received their full union books. In photo above, SIU Executive VP Augie Tellez administers the oath to Spilman (left) and Rainey. Pictured in the group photo below are (from left) VP Contracts George Tricker, President Michael Sacco, Spilman, Rainey, SecretaryTreasurer David Heindel, Tellez and VP Atlantic Coast Joseph Soresi. ship but the U.S. public in general about compliance. Bill also played a big role looking out for U.S. mariners right after 9/11. Of course, he helped many Seafarers upgrade their skills throughout the years.” Assistant Director of Training J.C. Wiegman pointed to the school’s progress under Eglinton as evidence of his effectiveness. “The accomplishments are many, from tanker safety programs to the TRB (training record book, which Eglinton developed) and the implementation of STCW,” Wiegman noted. “In between regulatory requirements, there were cruise ships and militarycontracted company needs that were met, plus inland programs. The school upgraded by adding a fire fighting facility, full mission bridge simulation, engine room simulation and supporting programs just to name a few of his many achievements as director of training. I wish him fair winds and following seas.” Born in Claremont, N.H., Eglinton graduated from the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School in 1972 and later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1983. Since 1991, he has served as a member of U.S. delegations to International Maritime Organization meetings conducted in London. He was appointed by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to serve on the Coast Guard’s Maritime and Homeland Security task group. He also has authored marine engineering books. A retired member of the U.S. Naval Reserves, Eglinton continues serving on working groups with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Security Advisory Committee and (separately) Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC), among other endeavors. At the Paul Hall Center, he was instrumental in the school’s obtaining degree-granting status (associate’s degrees in nautical science and marine engineering, respectively). He also developed or assisted in putting together the School Adds Liquefied Gas Simulator A cutting-edge liquefied gas (LG) cargo simulator has been installed at the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education. Developed by Transas, a highly regarded company, the simulator offers comprehensive training in LG familiarization, LG specialization and LG safety. “The simulator is a competency- and assessmentbased training system,” noted J.C. Wiegman, assistant director of training at the Paul Hall Center, which is located in Piney Point, Md. “What this means for students is they will learn or hone the ability to load and unload a vessel with liquid gas cargo. This simulator has a lot of features. It’ll help them with system alignment, cargo-pump operation, loading and discharge alignment, the ballast system, inert gas system and all the auxiliary systems necessary to complete the evolution, whatever the operation may be. It also will help students understand the volatility of the cargo.” The LG simulator’s components are wide-ranging but thorough. For instance, there is a segment covering load-control systems with sub-categories as follows: trim, draft, heel and stability; shearing force; bending moment calculation; cargo and ballast-level calculation; oil temperature effect on ullage (unfilled space in a container of liquid); and trend operation. When utilizing the simulator to study cargo plan The simulator, developed by Transas, incorporates all the newest technology. 6 Seafarers LOG center’s curriculums for LNG ships, welding, refrigeration, diesel and third assistant engineer, to name but a few. “My most cherished memories are from teaching,” Eglinton said. “I truly loved it. Watching students suddenly get that ‘Bingo! I got it!’ look on their faces cannot be replaced by any other line of work.” Reflecting on his career, Eglinton mentioned many challenges and some daunting tasks. But there were lighthearted moments, too. His funniest experience took place in the early 1990s while teaching crowd control aboard an American Hawaii Cruises vessel. “I went aboard in Portland, Ore. and had five days to instruct the unlicensed crew—two classes of 25 per day,” he remembered. “On the last day, I walked into the auditorium and there were only about 16 people seated for the class. I did all the lectures first and then started the roleplaying—how to handle drunken passengers, hysterical parents looking for their children, etc. “When I asked for a volunteer to role-play an inebriated passenger, immediately there were 16 falling-down-drunk students in front of me. I then asked for someone to be a distraught parent, and promptly had 16 people giving Academy Award performances. They suddenly stopped upon seeing my bewildered look, as I’m looking around for the Candid Camera, and laughingly explained that they were the ship’s entertainment crew: actors, actresses, singers, band members. Yeah, they got me!” Instructor Jim Shaffer (standing) assists student Mervin Cruzat on the new liquefied gas simulator. overviews, students also will learn about cargo operations planning, cargo type control, cargo data control and alarms in abnormal situations. Additional topics that will be taught by using the simulator include the following (among others): Ballast system (ballast operation, gravity flow, flow animation and valve dynamics); after-peak part of cargo system (discharge, loading, pump activity, striping pumps and emergency procedures); terminal connections (discharge, loading, flow animation, terminal connection, berth, cargo type selection and emergency procedures); inert gas plant (inert gas generation; gas cooling, drying and blowing; gas freeing operation and auxiliary operation); inert gas distribution line (tank inerting, in-tank atmosphere control, and pressure breaker operation); load control system (shearing force, bending moment calculation, cargo and ballast level calculation, oil temperature effect on ullage, and trend operation); cargo plan overview (cargo operations planning, cargo type control, cargo data control, and alarm in abnormal situations); and forepick part of cargo system (discharge, loading, flow animation, pump activity, striping pumps and emergency procedures). Current Paul Hall Center classes that can take advantage of the new simulator include tankerman assistant-LG and tankerman-PIC-LG. April 2007 �41545_P01-5_7_14_18_19x:1545p00 3/27/2007 2:18 PM Page 7 SIU Stewards’ Recipe for Success Features Hard Work, Persistence been sailing for 26 years and has gone around the world twice. “I want to personally thank the SIU and the school for giving me this opportunity to come and attend the recertification course,” he said. “I’d like to give a special thanks to President Michael Sacco and the staff around him for the hard work they do. Without them we would not be as strong as we are now. To continue to be strong, we have to perform our jobs as professional sailors. “To the trainees,” he concluded, “always do your part and learn to work together as a team. Without teamwork you will fail.” Wehr joined the SIU in 1992 and was a member of trainee class 502. “At that time, I was far away from home and looking for something different to do,” said Wehr, whose home port is Jacksonville, Fla. “After grading from Piney Point, they flew me to Singapore. To say the least, it opened my eyes to the true scope of the world around me.” He then offered his gratitude for his training experience. “This is a tremendous facility. Only through dedication, hard work and loyalty would it stand the test of time. So thanks to all who year in and out make this school the crowning jewel of the SIU.” After telling the trainees how fortunate he was to have had someone to teach him about the inner workings of the steward department and the history of the SIU, Wehr advised them that productivity on the job was key. “The bottom line is getting the job done, professionally and efficiently,” he said. “Effectively doing your jobs reflects well on our work force and our union. The steward recertification course, like most of the other classes offered at the Paul Hall Center, blends hands-on training with classroom instruction. Topics and training components include communications, computer lab, first aid and CPR, fire fighting, small arms training, sanitation, international maritime conventions and much more. As the students approached the culmination of their training, they met with representatives of the union’s various departments at headquarters, including the contracts department, Seafarers Plans and others. They also toured Washington, D.C. and visited the AFL-CIO and the Maritime Trades Department. Vernon Wallen Lewis Johansen Allan Bright Jimmie Reddick Graduates Credit Union, School for Facilitating Advancement Hard work, persistence and sacrifice all were key ingredients extolled by the union’s eight newest recertified stewards as they formulated their individual recipes for advancement up the food preparation and galley supervision ladder. Each of them reached their respective culinary apexes in the union last month when they graduated from the steward recertification course at the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. Stewards Allan Bright, Jerome Davis, Lewis Johansen, Mohamed Kamer, Jimmie Reddick, Vernon Wallen, Daniel Wehr and Emmanuel Zephyr each completed the program, a four-week curriculum considered top instruction for mariners in the steward department. Five of the eight briefly shared their experiences, respective backgrounds and perspectives on the class with rank-andfile members, upgraders and unlicensed apprentices during remarks at the March SIU membership meeting in Piney Point. The remaining three (Kramer, Reddick and Wallen) departed early and were not available to offer comments. While their details varied, each of the stewards expressed appreciation for how the union not only helped them find their niche, but also enabled them to earn a good living and provide for their families. They also credited the school for helping them advance in their ratings. Davis, who hails from New York, was the first to address those in attendance. “I began my Daniel Wehr Recertified stewards and SIU officials gather for photo at union headquarters in mid-February. Pictured from left to right are Vernon Wallen, Allan Bright, Jerome Davis, Jimmie Reddick, SIU President Michael Sacco, Emmanuel Zephyr, Mohamed Kamer, Daniel Wehr, Lewis Johansen, SIU VP Rene Lioeanjie and SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel. career in 1977 in Brooklyn with the former NMU,” he said. Davis, who still sails out of the port of New York, has upgraded at the school on two previous occasions. Leadership and its value was the single most important thing he learned from the course, he told fellow members. He also said the course enhanced his appreciation for discipline, teamwork and hard work. “Setting a good example for others is always important in our chosen profession,” Davis said. “And I think it’s important to take time out to share your life experiences with others, especially with unlicensed apprentices and upgraders. “I’ve seen a lot of my childhood friends fall by the wayside over the years,” he said, “I don’t want that to happen to any of you.” Davis concluded his remarks by thanking the SIU and NMU for keeping him “safe, out of trouble and (from) becoming a victim of the mean city streets” over the years. Davis also thanked SIU President Michael Sacco and his staff for recognizing “the importance of getting young as well as older people involved in a profession that yields great opportunities for a lifetime.” Bright joined the union 30 years ago in St Louis and graduated from trainee class 235. Stewards hone their skills at the Paul Hall Center’s culinary lab April 2007 “The SIU has been good to me over the years,” said Bright. “I have ups and down in my life, but knew I could always depend on the SIU to be there for me and get me a job. During my career, I have been on a lot of different ships from the old tankers to the most modern vessels in the fleet. “This whole experience of upgrading has been very educational to me,” Bright continued. “Everything from learning how contracts work to going to Washington D.C. and to headquarters to learn how SPAD works was very interesting.” Addressing the trainees, Bright said, “Things have changed a lot since I came into the union, but the demands are much the same. When you go out there, work hard, ask questions, have fun, save your money and donate to SPAD because it gets us jobs.” The SIU is the second career at sea for Johansen, whose home port is Tacoma, Wash. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he joined the union in 1991 in Seattle, Wash. “One of the careers is still going on and I hope it continues for a very long time,” he said. Johansen thanked the entire Paul Hall Center staff for his upgrading experience and what he learned. “My knowledge has been greatly enhanced and I will always value the things you taught me.” Johansen sent a special thanks to his wife and daughter, and to his son who is serving in Iraq. He concluded by asking all present to keep the people of New Orleans and the armed forces in Iraq in their prayers. Zephyr launched his career as a merchant mariner with NMU. “I think the merger of the NMU into the SIU was the best thing that ever happened to us,” he said. “Everything is much better now and the union is stronger. Zephyr, who sails out of Wilmington, Calif., said he has Seafarers LOG 7 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24x:1545p0 3/27/2007 2:25 PM Page 8 Government Services Division States Case in Hotel Dispute On Feb. 15 and 16, an arbitration hearing between the SIU Government Services Division and Military Sealift Fleet Support Command took place at the SIU hall in Norfolk, Va. The hearing signaled a continuation of union efforts to help ensure that CIVMARS aren’t required to stay in substandard hotels selected by MSC. Consistent with the normal schedule in arbitration hearings, a ruling isn’t expected until later this spring or summer. “This hearing was an example of the consistent hard work and dedication on the part of the SIU in looking after and aggressively defending the best interests of Government Services Division mariners,” said Bosun’s Mate William Bushey, who participated in the hearing. The following individuals also represented the union at the hearing: Assistant Vice President Government Services Chester Wheeler, SIU Tacoma Safety Director Joe Vincenzo, Patrolman Maurice Cokes, AB Denise Seaman and Union Counsel Deborah Kleinberg. Vice President Government Services Kermett Mangram assisted in the preparation for this matter. CIVMARS typically have to perform certain shoreside functions required by the agency as they rotate on and off ships. During those periods and as they get ready to accept a shipboard assignment, CIVMARS are required to stay at hotels selected Retired NMU President Shannon Wall Dies at 87 Shannon J. Wall, retired president of the National Maritime Union (NMU), passed away Feb. 2 at his home in Sequim, Wash. due to natural causes. He was 87. Wall served as NMU president from 1973 until his retirement in 1990. He was the union’s second president, succeeding Joseph Curran. In addition to advocating for a strong U.S.-flag fleet, he was very active in the long, ultimately successful fight to secure veterans’ status for U.S. mariners who sailed in World War II. “I worked with Shannon since 1959 and he was a personal friend,” noted SIU Vice President at Large René Lioeanjie, who served as president of the NMU from 1997 until that organization merged into the SIU’s Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District in 2001. “We started organizing in the federal service after President Kennedy signed the order allowing civil servants to join unions (in 1962). We also organized elsewhere.” Additionally, Lioeanjie recalled frequently working with Wall under the auspices of the International Transport Workers’ Federation. “He was a good person to Shannon J. Wall in 1987 work with,” Lioeanjie added. “Shannon was very suave, refined and intelligent. He always used to say, ‘I forgive but I don’t forget.’ I never heard him shouting or cursing…. We went all over the world together.” SIU Vice President at Large Charles Stewart, also an NMU official when the unions merged, worked with Wall from 1954 until Wall’s retirement. “For the most part he kept to himself, but he was intelligent and was respected,” Stewart said. “He knew what he was doing. He was responsible for by MSC. The dispute centers on the agency signing an agreement with a particular hotel in Norfolk. The union charged that the hotel posed substantial health and safety risks to the hundreds of civil service mariners who stayed there at any time during the period from Oct. 1, 2005 to Jan. 18, 2007. Some of those mariners had to stay at the hotel for up to eight weeks. During the hearing, the union noted, “The substantial hours worked aboard a vessel, the high operational tempo that CIVMARS must meet, the stress of the job, limited opportunities for liberty and long stretches of isolation all contribute to the need for CIVMARS to be in top physical many of our organizing campaigns, especially with the Military Sea Transportation Service” (the forerunner to today’s Military Sealift Command). Newspaper accounts of Wall’s life credited him with being politically active on behalf of the U.S. Merchant Marine. Among many other activities, he served on a high-level commission appointed by President Reagan to study and report on the merchant marine’s role in national defense. He also chaired the AFL-CIO Maritime Committee. Wall sailed as a mariner during World War II. He came ashore in 1951 to work as an NMU patrolman in San Francisco. He moved up through the ranks, including stops in San Pedro, Calif., Baltimore and New Jersey, and was elected the union’s national vice president in 1958. He was elected secretary-treasurer in 1966. As president, he was a driving force in the NMU’s controversial merger with District 1/MEBA in 1988. That merger was dissolved in 1993. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Lucy; two sons, Sean and Kevin; a daughter, Maureen Hope Wall; and three grandchildren. The family asks that memorials be sent to the United Seamen’s Service, 635 Fourth Ave., Ground Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Promoting SIU, Maritime The union recently participated in the ninth annual maritime career day in Seattle sponsored by the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center. SIU Representative Ryan Palmer (above) manned the SIU booth as upwards of 1,000 guests visited the center, located on the city’s central waterfront. Some of those guests are pictured at left. In photo above, left, Rich Berkowitz (left), director of the Pacific Coast office of the Transportation Institute, shares a discussion about U.S.-flag maritime employment opportunities with Odyssey Career Day participants. 8 Seafarers LOG Working together in preparation for the mid-February hearing in Norfolk are (seated, from left) VP Government Services Kermett Mangram, Assistant VP Chester Wheeler, Safety Director Joe Vincenzo, (standing) Bosun’s Mate William Bushey, Union Counsel Deborah Kleinberg, Patrolman Maurice Cokes and AB Denise Seaman. and mental condition prior to leaving for an assignment on a vessel. These are just some of the important reasons that the hotel assignment can make such a difference in personnel readiness.” The union charged that the hotel in question—the Days Inn Military Circle on Chambers Street in Norfolk—posed numerous health and safety problems, including reports of bedbugs, roaches and rats, rooms with mold, unsanitary housekeeping practices and unsafe surroundings. The union is requesting the arbitrator award a monetary remedy for CIVMARS required to stay at the Days Inn Military Circle. As of mid-March, as a result of the advocacy efforts of the union and East Coast CIVMARS, MSC has contracted with new hotels in Norfolk and New Jersey. East Coast CIVMARS will now be assigned to clean, safe and suitable hotels. Those lodgings meet the same standards as the hotels which house West Coast CIVMARS—a major union goal which has now been accomplished. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John L. Beeman The USNS Ericsson (right), crewed by members of the SIU Government Services Division, awaits the guided missile destroyer USS Hopper for an underway replenishment last September in the Pacific Ocean. The Ericsson recently earned an environmental award from MSC. USNS Ericsson CIVMARS Earn Environmental Award Members of the SIU Government Services Division sailing aboard the USNS John Ericsson helped earn an environmental award from the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC), the agency announced in late February. Ericsson crew members earned a 2006 Environmental Quality Small Ship award, noted Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Mullen. The 678-foot ship—recently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii—was crewed by 81 civil service mariners and a military detachment of 23 active-duty Navy sailors. The vessel’s crew was cited for its work in preventing pollution, ensuring readiness in responding to environmental issues, conserving resources and complying with environmental regulations. While the ship voluntarily met standards stricter than required by the Navy, it also ensured that each mariner received special training in environmental management; used environmentally friendly chemicals; and conducted monthly spill drills. As a result, in two years, the Ericsson transferred almost 82 million gallons of fuel in 353 separate fuelings at sea without a significant mishap. The Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Awards recognize ships, installations and individuals or teams for their environmental stewardship. As a result of this selection, the USNS Ericsson will compete in the Secretary of the Navy Environmental Awards, according to MSC. In a message to crew members, Mullen extended his personal congratulations and noted the winners “have demonstrated that our Navy has among the finest environmental programs in the world.” The award is scheduled to be presented at a ceremony in June in Washington, D.C. The USNS Ericsson is one of 14 fleet replenishment oilers that provide fuel to Navy combat ships and jet fuel for aircraft aboard aircraft carriers. April 2007 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24x:1545p0 3/27/2007 2:39 PM Page 9 Maritime Labor Mourns Loss of Tal Simpkins Talmage E. “Tal” Simpkins, who spent more than 50 years promoting both U.S. maritime labor and the entire seafaring community, died March 11 at Fairfax (Va.) Hospital due to injuries sustained in an auto accident the previous month. He was 79. Simpkins served the industry in many capacities, including as an official with the National Maritime Union beginning in 1970. At the time of his death, he was in his 18th year as president of United Seamen’s Service, an organization that provides health, welfare and recreational services to American and international mariners at eight overseas ports. In 2006, he had retired from his position as executive vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based Labor Management Maritime Committee. He also served for many years as the director of the AFLCIO Maritime Committee. SIU Vice President at Large René Lioeanjie (president of the NMU from 1997 until that organization merged into the SIU in 2001) remembered Simpkins as a versatile official with a penchant for organizing campaigns. He particularly cited Simpkins’ strong work in Panama, where he was instrumental in advancing workers’ rights. “He was a great person, and his death is a shock to me,” said Lioeanjie. “He was very wellknown and well-respected in Panama and throughout the rest of our industry. He was always supportive. My condolences go out to his family.” “He was a wonderful man who cared deeply about the maritime industry,” said SIU Government Services Representative Kate Hunt. “He was USNS Shugart Delivers Experimental Navy Ship The SIU-crewed USNS Shughart was diverted from its routine supply mission in early February to help the Navy’s Office of Force Transformation in moving the Stiletto, its experimental “M-ship,” from San Diego to Norfolk, Va. Designed and built by the Pentagon’s Office of Force Transformation to test the way riverine and coastal operations are conducted, the Stiletto is the first and largest carbon fiber ship built in the United States. The ship’s M-shape and lightweight hull give it the air of a stealth aircraft and make it ideal for navigating shallow waters to detect mines and support special operations missions. Since its launch in January 2005, the Stiletto has participated in joint military training off the coast of California. At 88 feet long and weighing 60 tons, the experimental trimaran is considered too small to make a transoceanic journey on its own power, so the Shughart’s cranes lowered the Stiletto onto specially designed steel supports that had previously been welded to the deck of the Military Sealift Command’s large, mediumspeed, roll-on/roll-off (LMSR) vessel. The supports were capped with soft wood to cradle the hull of the Stiletto during its transport over the ocean and through the Panama Canal. The complex operation also required that the Military Sealift Command build a spreader bar to link the Shughart’s two on-board cranes, which, working as a pair, allowed them to lift more than the 50-ton limit each crane could hoist on its own. “It’s exciting to do something that hasn’t been done before,” said Capt. Albert Earl Bergeron, the ship’s civilian master, as the piggy-backed ship departed Feb. 5 for Norfolk. “Our number one mission was to do the lift safely without causing any damage to the hull.” The USNS Shughart is one of 19 LMSRs owned and operated by the Military Sealift Command to provide afloat prepositioning of equipment and supplies in strategic areas around the world. there for some of the early fights and responsible for a lot of the positive legislation for the guys in the government fleet. Tal was around for a long time, and he truly helped advance the rights of American merchant seamen.” SIU Vice President at Large Charlie Stewart stated, “I hold Mr. Simpkins in the highest esteem. He was a good friend and a loyal part of our organization. He came there when things were rough, and he did an excellent job. He was a great guy—very helpful, very good for us.” John Bowers, president of the International Longshoreman’s Association, said, “Tal Simpkins generously gave of his expertise, time and true dedication to maritime labor during his half-century of commitment to the benefit of our industry. His voice in Washington will be missed as will his leadership of United Seamen’s Service during difficult years of transition.” A native of Goreville, Ill., Simpkins attended school in Illinois and in 1945 enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. After completing basic training at Parris Island, S.C., he received a fleet appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1946, and was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps on November 26, 1947 He enrolled at the University of Maryland in 1948, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1952. Upon graduation, he worked in advertising Tal Simpkins is pictured in early 2006 attending MTD executive board meetings in San Diego. SIU VP René Lioeanjie is seated at his immediate right; SIU VP Charlie Stewart is at far left. and insurance, until joining the AFL-CIO Maritime Committee in 1956 In 2002, Simpkins was awarded a special United Seamen’s Service Admiral of the Ocean Sea Award (AOTOS) in recognition of his dedicated career benefiting American seafaring labor. In addition to his long commitment to USS, Simpkins served on the Military Sealift Command’s National Defense Executive Reserve Unit; was a member of the U.S. Labor Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations and Trade Policy; was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve on the National Advisory Council on Continuing Education; and was a member of the U.S. delegation to the International Load Line Convention in 1966. He also was active on many local government boards in Prince George’s County, Md. for many years. Tal Simpkins is survived by his wife, Heidi. He was preceded in death in 1996 by his first wife, Irene Ann, whom he married in 1947. They had one son, Talmage E. Simpkins, Jr. (Buddy). In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be sent to United Seamen’s Service, 635 Fourth Ave., Ground floor, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Meeting with Political Allies in Austin SIU Vice President Gulf Coast Dean Corgey recently traveled to Austin to attend the Texas AFL-CIO legislative meeting and reception. He also visited the state Capitol to discuss maritime issues. The legislature is currently in session until the end of May. With Corgey (at left in the two photos at left) are (top photo) Rodney Ellis (D), senator for the district in which the union hall is located and a good friend of the SIU, and (bottom photo) Senator John Whitmire (D), dean of the state Senate and an avid union supporter. Directly below with Corgey is Representative Alma Allen (D) of Houston, a great friend of labor. Although the operation was quite complex, it took just a little more than 90 minutes to move the experimental Navy ship from the water onto the deck of the SIU-crewed Shughart. April 2007 Seafarers LOG 9 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24qxp:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:38 PM Page 10 Recollections of the Merchant Marine in World War II Editor’s note: Retired Seafarer Albert Stimac was born and raised in northern Minnesota in an area north of Duluth known as the Iron Range. During World War II, workers in that region supplied more than 600,000 tons of iron ore for the war effort. Stimac grew up around unions, thanks in part to the National Labor Relations Act, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935. Stimac worked one season in the open-pit iron ore mines but was injured. He subsequently joined a friend headed toward the West Coast, where he secured employment at Boeing in a unionized pattern-makers shop. Stimac was too young to join the U.S. Armed Forces when the war broke out, so he went to the Pearl Harbor Navy shipyard and worked in the pattern-making department there for a year. He didn’t weigh enough to get into the service at first—but finally succeeded in shipping out. This is the first installment of his experiences in the merchant marine. They are the best recollections of his training and sea time from the end of 1943 to late 1945, so any inaccuracies in the details need not be brought to his attention. simple triple expansion steam engine. We never seemed to tie in what we learned on one piece to the complete operation of an engine room. When we started, we were informed that we would see it all come together in four, five or six weeks. It all depended on the person we were. Amazingly enough, they were right. Boy, was I proud when it hit me one day how everything worked together. In between learning one’s chosen job, we had to get in shape physically. It was always marching briskly or double-timing in. We only had to jump off the edge of the pool with all this gear on. To demonstrate how safe it was, one of the instructors climbed up 30 feet to the rafters and jumped in feet first. This was to build up our confidence. It was still quite a shock to your mental abilities even when you only had to jump off three feet at poolside. The scary part was when the splash sent a trickle of water from around your neck into the suit and down your body. The last test that we had to pass was jumping feet first off a 20-foot tower. The 1943 – Training I came home from a year in Pearl Harbor weighing 122 pounds. The draft board thought I had tuberculosis and let me stay home for three months to gain weight. No success. On the ship back to the States from Pearl Harbor, however, I had met a deckhand from the Merchant Marine who also was from Minnesota. I had no stomach for the Navy after living in Honolulu for a year. I knew I would be in big trouble if I had to go into the military. Too free-spirited and could see a lot of futility in that kind of living. I was interested in the Merchant Marine way of life with more freedom, independent living and really contributing to the war effort to defeat Germany and Japan. I went down to Duluth, Minn. while recuperating at home and found the Merchant Marine recruiting office. But I couldn’t get up to 132 pounds to be accepted. Since one got weighed with just his shorts on, the recruiter told me to pick up all my clothes and follow him to the next room. On the way, he stopped by a desk. He said his hands were full and would I carry some documents for him that were on the desk. When we got to the room, he turned and said, “Let’s weigh you one more time to make sure.” Sure enough, with all my clothes and the documents I was holding, I weighed well over 132. I was on my way to the Merchant Marine Academy in Sheepshead Bay, New York City! In basic training, one had three choices. Topside or deck as a deckhand; kitchen detail as a messman; and engine room below deck, referred to as “the black gang.” I chose the black gang because I would be sheltered from the weather. I didn’t know a thing about how a ship was provided with machinery to push it through the water. We were divided into groups of 32 or so men. We all learned how to put our left foot forward at the same time. After a couple weeks of marching four to six times a day, we got pretty good and started to take pride in our group. We liked showing off some of the more complex marching maneuvers we had mastered. The first time I saw a real triple expansion steam engine that was set up for training really amazed me. I thought, I’ll never get through this course. I was amazed with the unique system that was set up to train us. It was all piece training. You were given lessons and instructions on a piecemeal basis, whether it was on pumps, pipes, steam, boilers, oiling generators or understanding this 10 Seafarers LOG This old photo was taken of Albert Stimac on a trip from France to New York in rough weather. The ship was riding high with no cargo, only seawater for ballast—and the ship made only four miles in 24 hours. wherever we went. A most funny but satisfying experience was getting nine guys into a lifeboat—a big heavy wooden one with 12 oars. There were four guys on each side and one standing up on the stern giving directions and holding an oar for steering. You learn fast how to work together and forget your problems. Fortunately, we practiced in a calm bay from a dock. But in January or February, that sea water still is really cold when splashed on you or running down your arm. If we thought this was bad, we were surprised to be loaded on a ship one morning and taken out as far as the entrance to the bay. Out there, we could feel the wind and waves. On our abandon ship drill, we had to lower the lifeboat ourselves and climb down a net rope into the boat while it moved up and down in the waves. We had a pretty good crew and didn’t have too many problems. There were a few who lost control and were swept out to open waters. They would get towed back in the captain’s launch. It was a very wet trip if the seas were heavy. A couple guys standing on the stern got swept overboard and had to be rescued. They ended up in sick bay. This happened because rowers on one side were ordered to row and the other side had to hold their oars. All this while they were pulling with all their weight to turn the boat in the opposite direction. This made a temporary catapult out of the steering oar. If you kept hanging on to the oar or didn’t change your stance, over the side you went. Our last major hurdle to pass before we could get approved to ship out took place in the pool. We had to know how to swim. That was easy for me. Then they gave us lifesaving suits—very heavy rubber outfits that encased your entire body with just your head exposed—but not completely! You had a hood that came up and was tied to cover all of your head except your face. The suit weighed about 20 or 25 pounds. First you put on all your clothes. Then a life jacket. And then you had to try and get into the suit and zip it up. The reason for all the clothing was the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. Even with all this gear, you had to be rescued within 15 minutes or so if you fell exact form was with a life jacket on, you held your arms firmly folded against the life jacket. You also firmly held the jacket right next to your chin and had to be in that position when you jumped. If you didn’t hold on tight to the jacket, you would go right through it when you hit the water. It took all I could do to complete this test. There were always one or two in a group of 50 or so who would get to the top of the platform and then refuse to jump. But there were a couple big, husky lifeguards who tossed you off if you didn’t. Our training lasted three months. Then they found a berth for me on an old rust bucket. I went on as a fireman-watertender at $90 per month. (We got double pay in a war zone; half pay in a semi-war zone.) First Trip My first trip was to Trinidad to pick up bauxite ore used to make aluminum. We carried wheat and flour and other basic goods. We sailed down the East Coast and then over to Trinidad to Port of Spain. This ship was a real rust bucket. The engine was one of the first low-pressure turbines. The throttle was stuck and only opened so far. So we had to tie down the pop-off valves on the boilers and get another 20 or 30 pounds of steam to go faster. When we did that, we put bigger tips on the oil burners to get a hotter fire for more steam. Our next problem was not to have the stacks smoke because submarines would be able to spot us. The only problem was that the air fan could not blow enough air to burn clean, and we left a trail of black smoke you could see for 15 miles. We were running with two other rust buckets and, if lucky and wide open, we could make 8 or 9 knots. Being the youngest and last guy on board just before they sailed, I got the top bunk and worst watch. The 12-4, 4 on and 8 off. We had just left the East Coast off the Carolinas, and I was napping after supper so I could stay awake on my night 124 watch. I heard a knock on the door and said “Come in.” I was very surprised to see an officer there. I later found out it was the captain. He told me not to get off the bunk but that he had something to tell me. “Don’t get excited, but look out the porthole and you’ll see a submarine sailing along with the three of us.” I looked out and there was a submarine out there going parallel with us. I could see it very plainly. The captain told me to get my survival gear ready and put on my life jacket. He left. I did put on my life jacket and went back to sleep. I later learned that all the rest of the crew was made up of old-timers and I was the only one out on his first trip. Nobody bothered to talk or associate with me up until that time. I guess that because I didn’t panic and went back to sleep, I was OK. At least after that, they would say hi or comment on the sea or the weather or something. The thing that struck me about Trinidad was the culture and lifestyle. Almost like in the movies. Tropical isle, English in charge and blacks unloading the cargo. The utter poverty struck me the most. One English officer with his riding crop tucked under his arm controlled the whole loading area. The black crews were made up of eight men and they unloaded each hold. They had a leader for each group. When it was time to eat, the leader would hand out food that he had scavenged from our garbage cans. One area spilled a 50-pound sack of flour. It split open and some flour was on the deck. The first mate got the OK to let the workers on the ship have it to bring home. Instead of taking it home, they ate it raw . . . all the time looking about to see if the English officer was around. They would not try to take any home or sneak it off in their clothes. Of course, that would be hard to do as they all wore shorts of some kind and no shirts. We bought new Levi pants to give them, and they would cut the legs off and tie a string around them. Then they would toss them over the side and let the sea water make them look old. The trip back to New York was uneventful. It was a short trip, so $90 a month didn’t amount to very much for a six-week trip. Once we were paid off and left the ship, we used all our own money for living, room, board and travel, as well as clothes, etc., so I grabbed the first ship I could sign on for. I joined a union for seamen called the Seafarers International Union, SIU. When you wanted to ship out, you went to the union hall and signed in. With that, you received a card with your name and date on it. This would specify how long you were ashore since you were last on a ship. When you wanted to ship out, you went to the union hall and looked at the “board.” This was a large black slate board like you had in school. In chalk, there were a number of ships listed that were looking for specific vacancies for qualified men on their ship. They were listed in three categories: Mess—cooks, dishwashers, etc.; Deckhands—men who worked on deck; and the Black Gang—firemen/watertenders, oilers and junior engineers. They usually called jobs on the hour, but if badly needed, jobs were called continually. When they read off a job you wanted for the job class you could perform, you went up to the counter and tossed in your card. If you had been on shore the longest, you got the first pick. You were then informed where the ship was docked and the pier number. The black gang had non-officers from the union. There would be three of each class—three firemen/watertenders, three oilers and sometimes three junior engineers. It would all depend on the type of ship you picked out. Brother Stimac’s wartime recollections will continue in a future edition of the Seafarers LOG. April 2007 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24x:1545p0 3/27/2007 2:44 PM Page 11 MTD Executive Board Meeting Military Leaders: U.S. Mariners Crucial to Defense Capabilities Gen. Schwartz, Lt. Gen. Dail Reaffirm Value of U.S.-Flag Fleet The heads of the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), respectively, recently made strong statements reflecting their appreciation for the U.S. Merchant Marine’s key role in national security. Gen. Norton Schwartz, commander, TRANSCOM, and Lt. Gen. Robert Dail, who’s in charge of the DLA, addressed the MTD executive board meetings in Las Vegas. Schwartz spoke on March 1 and Dail offered remarks the next day. Both men made it clear that America’s reliance on sealift isn’t about to change, including dependence on civilian mariners. “It’s all about chartering the direct course to deliver military power in the quickest, most efficient, most businesslike manner wherever and whenever the nation calls on us to serve,” stated Schwartz. “I’m taking no chances at all by telling you that we’re going to continue to depend on you—all of you—to make that projection of American power possible. The vast majority of how we get things done is through sealift.” Dail said that when it comes to sealift, U.S. maritime labor is “absolutely critical to that capability. The work that you have done with the Maritime Security Program, the Jones Act and many of the other national security programs in the maritime industry have given us this capability. We need to continue our commitment between government, labor and industry to underscore this capability, make sure it doesn’t get put on the back burner, and make sure it’s there for us tomorrow.” Dollars and Sense General Schwartz cited practical economic reasons why maintaining a strong U.S. fleet makes sense for the country. “We are counting on you to continue to play this very important role, and we know you’ll always be our shipmates.” —Gen. Norton Schwartz April 2007 combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 has moved via U.S.-flag sealift. “Our alliance is constant and “Every rank-andfile member of your Maritime Trades Department membership has a deep love of country.” —Lt. Gen. Robert Dail Gen. Norton Schwartz credits the U.S. Merchant Marine for its efficiency and reliability. While the need for adequate sealift capability is a given, so too is the desire to achieve that goal efficiently. For example, he noted that 10 U.S.-flag military support ships were underway on missions that very day—seven from the commercial sector, three from the government-owned fleet, all crewed by civilian mariners. “A good way to get our minds around what this implies is that only about 21 percent of the shipping that we use is owned by the U.S. government,” Schwartz explained. “The other 79 percent is present in U.S. flags in American commerce. I think the ships that you sail aboard clearly represent one of the most costeffective of expenditures people have figured out how to make in government.” He pointed to the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP) and its related Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) as a prime illustration. If the government were tasked with replicating the vessels and infrastructure now available to the military via the MSP and VISA, it literally would cost tens of billions of dollars, Schwartz stated. Instead, those programs function for a fraction of that cost, and they help ensure the continued existence of a well-trained pool of reliable U.S. mariners along with dozens of privately owned, militarily useful American-flag ships. “The truth of the matter is that in many ways you can do business much better than we can in government and that’s why the teamwork here is so very important and why a fully funded Maritime Security Program is important to the defense community,” he said. Additionally, Schwartz pointed out that more than 90 percent of the materiel that has entered we’re all pulling on the same rope,” he concluded. “The bottom line I hope you will carry away from this is that we are much about being accountable. We are certainly interested in Lt. Gen. Robert Dail (left) is pictured with MTD and SIU President Michael Sacco immediately after addressing the executive board. investing in you as partners in America’s maritime strength. We are counting on you to continue to play this very important role, and we know you’ll always be our shipmates.” Answering the Call Dail noted that he formerly served as deputy commander at TRANSCOM and has long been acquainted with the maritime Continued on page 14 Congressional Reps Point to Free Choice Act, 2006 Elections as Proof of Labor’s Vitality Fair Treatment for Maritime Workers Vowed Three members of Congress spoke at the MTD executive board meetings, and while each representative took a unique approach, they all highlighted the importance of unions and the power of solidarity in addition to expressing support for maritime. Addressing the board March 2 were (in order) U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.). ‘A Friend in Washington’ Rep. Thompson chairs the House Homeland Security Committee. He emphasized his gratitude to the union movement for its consistent support. “I would not be in Congress had it not been for the working men and women of this country,” he stated. “For that, I thank you and I’ll never ever forget you…. You have a friend in Washington.” He spoke about several important maritime matters, including a frank assessment of the myriad regulations affecting workers who must access ports as part of their jobs. “With port security, we plan to fix it but we plan to do it right,” he commented. “With respect to the TWIC card, sooner or later we’ll get it right. We’ll roll out some things to get it right, but I want you to help us get it right. My door is open. We now have a committee that will work with people with respect to what the problems are.” Thompson said that when it comes to American-flag vessels, “you’re preaching to the choir, U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (right) showed up early and took in some of the meeting. He’s pictured here with SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel. MTD and SIU President Michael Sacco (right) welcomes U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson to the meetings. whether it’s LNG facilities coming on line and the fact that many of those people ought to be Continued on page 14 Many audience members thanked U.S. Rep. Shelly Berkley (left) for her remarks, including SIU Philadelphia Port Agent Joe Mieluchowski. Seafarers LOG 11 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24x:1545p0 3/27/2007 3:23 PM Page 12 MTD Executive Board Meeting Maritime Administrator Discusses Agency Reorganization, New Opportunities for U.S. Seafarers In his first formal address to the MTD executive board, U.S. Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton—who began serving in that position last summer —wasted no time candidly describing several very newsworthy developments involving the agency. Connaughton spoke to the board March 1, within a few days of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters having approved a reorganization of the Maritime Administration (MarAd). “It’s the first reorganization of our agency in 50 years,” noted Connaughton, a veteran of both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard as well as a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. As part of the restructuring, MarAd this month was scheduled to move into new offices near the Washington Navy Yard. “What that reorganization will entail is essentially focusing on four main areas,” Connaughton said. “The first area is to deal with some of these broader transportation and infrastructure problems at our ports. I think everyone understands that we’re facing greater congestion and we’re facing issues on infrastructure investment, and MarAd needs to play a much stronger role in doing that. “The second area is getting more involved in helping industry deal with the issues of environmental safety and security compliance challenges because right now I think everyone understands that these issues are looming larger and larger for our industry and for our nation,” he continued. “We have a lot of regulatory agencies but we don’t have that many that are out trying to help people get through some of these hurdles and that is what we are going to be focusing on.” He said a third area of focus “is a traditional MarAd function,” namely supporting the U.S. military through the utilization of a strong U.S. Merchant Marine. The fourth endeavor involves efforts to improve an oftenrepeated frustration within the maritime community. “The one area that we really need to focus on is promoting the American industry,” Connaughton asserted. “All of our promotional programs are essentially stand-alone, and the question is how do we get them to work better together— whether it’s supporting shipyards, supporting operators, supporting our labor and training programs, U.S. Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton or whether it’s out there doing more work on the Jones Act-compliance issues. “So what were going to be doing is actually consolidating and placing all these programs into one office with one leader whose job it is to go out and advance the American industry and make all our promotional programs work better together. A part of that will be for the first time we’re going to have a workforce development program and we’re going to work very closely with you all…. The issue is for us, what can we do as a government agency to help in the development of the workforce so we make sure that the younger people end up joining our industries and making sure that they end up having a career?” Another key topic Connaughton addressed is the burgeoning liquefied natural gas (LNG) trades. He pointed out that MarAd is responsible for the licensing of offshore LNG facilities, and that in 2006 Congress “provided some statutory provisions that ask that we include consideration of whether they are Americans or not Americans involved in these operations in us actually issuing licenses. It was not a mandatory requirement that Americans be brought on board the vessels, but [the provisions asked] us to take that into consideration.” Since then, he said, MarAd has received commitments from several LNG applicants who will utilize crews consisting—at minimum—of 25 percent American mariners. “They’ve also agreed that 10 percent of the vessels they charter in—even if they don’t own them—will be Americans as well.” He mentioned that the agency opened a Federal Register docket on this issue to ask for comments “and we had over 1,000 comments come in, with 99.9 percent being very supportive of this effort.” (Both the SIU and MTD submitted comments.) Subsequently, MarAd conducted meetings with maritime training facilities including the Paul Hall Center to start or continue developing LNG curriculums and career paths. Turning his attention toward the Jones Act (which mandates that domestic waterborne commerce takes place on vessels crewed, owned, built and flagged American), Connaughton said the longstanding law offers a “great opportunity” for the Department of Transportation to ease highway and rail congestion. “We’ve identified some carriers that will expand the use of the waterways to take trucks off the road and actually start to see more coastwise trades in the future,” he stated. “What’s interesting about this is that the trucking industry is very supportive because they’re having some difficulties because of all this congestion. And we think this is a great growth opportunity for the (maritime) industry in the future, and so we’re very much encouraged by it.” He concluded by emphasizing the importance of maintaining strong domestic shipbuilding and ship repair capabilities “for commercial and for military reasons.” Trumka: Political Action Vital for Workers AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka covered many topics when addressing the MTD executive board March 2 in Las Vegas, but he particularly emphasized the importance of political action for America’s working families. Trumka spoke to the board one day after the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA)—legislation that would restore fairness in the process whereby workers may choose union representation. “The first thing I want to do is thank everybody in this room that worked hard to get that done and make it possible,” Trumka said while addressing an audience of approximately 200 people, including presidents of MTDaffiliated unions—among them SIU President Michael Sacco, who also is president of the MTD. “It’s the first time since the fall elections that we’ve been able to flex our muscles just a little bit. We swamped the House of Representatives with phone calls, with faxes, with e-mails, with our shining faces, and we hosted events in 93 cities last week with members of Congress who showed up.” 12 Seafarers LOG AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka Trumka described the grassroots action leading to House passage of the EFCA as a “federation-wide effort with all of our affiliates involved.” But he also said that those activities marked both a continuation of labor’s efforts prior to last year’s elections as well as a portent of the continuous exertion needed leading up to Election Day 2008. “It makes the work that we have to do over the next two years even more important,” Trumka declared. “If we don’t shore up our working family majority in the House and the Senate … then these guys are going to finish wrecking what was the strongest economy in the history of the world. And that is just inexcusable.” He candidly pointed out that after the most recent AFL-CIO convention (summer 2005), “when several of our largest unions disaffiliated, people began whispering about the future of the labor movement. They began to question whether we could get it all together for the most important election that working people have faced in probably the last three or four decades. “Not only did we get it together, not only did we win back the House and the Senate, but we won all six of the state minimumwage initiatives that we sponsored. We took back control of six state legislatures and we won some very tough governors’ races.” Trumka mentioned that although the disaffiliations hurt, the unions remaining the AFLCIO “wasted no time crying crocodile tears. We made the adjustments that had to be made. We initiated a solidarity charter program that brought 2,600 locals of the disaffiliated unions back into our state and local organizations, and we took off running with the most aggressive, well-financed off-year political program that the labor movement has ever had.” The education and mobilization efforts worked. Trumka told the audience that the weekend before last year’s elections, more than 300,000 union volunteers went door-to-door in their neighborhoods to help get out the vote. Additionally, one of every four voters at the polls came from a union household, and 75 percent of them voted for labor-endorsed candidates. “We put down our marker once again as the most powerful single organization in the pro-worker political movement,” he said. The federation secretary-treasurer also shared a compelling personal story reflecting the fact that advancing a pro-worker agenda is far more than a statistical exercise. In May 2006, Trumka said, his son brought home a number of teammates from his college football team for a visit. While working through the daunting logistics of helping prepare breakfast for all those football players, Trumka looked up at them and was struck by “that special sparkle that they have in their eye because they really don’t know what’s about to hit them when they go out the door (after graduation). I’m looking through the door at them—all 14 of them—and I started thinking that my generation isn’t leaving them an America that had the same kind of opportunity as the America that we walked into when we came out of school or came out of the service. And I made up my mind that day that every single minute of the rest of my life I was going to work to change the policies of this country so that that generation can have the same type of America that we did. Not stagnating wages but wages that are growing because productivity is growing and you’ve earned part of the pot. Not 46 million people without health care, but everybody having health care and having a better chance at life. Knowing that I was going to do better than my dad, and my dad did better than my grandpap who came here on a boat…. “I look forward to that fight for that next generation and the generation that’s coming. They deserve better than what is in front of them if we do nothing.” April 2007 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24x:1545p0 3/27/2007 3:23 PM Page 13 MTD Executive Board Meeting LCA President Urges Government Action on Lakes Dredging Crisis As Seafarers prepared to start another sailing season on the Great Lakes, the head of the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) updated the MTD executive board on the growing dredging crisis in that region. If left unchecked by the federal government, the dredging problem will hinder the economic development of an entire region and threaten countless transportation and manufacturing jobs, said James Weakley, president of both the LCA and the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF). The LCA is composed of U.S.-flag shipping companies operating primarily on the Great Lakes, while the GLMTF is an association of maritime organizations, including several MTD affiliates, dedicated to preserving the integrity of the Jones Act while advancing policies aimed at strengthening the Great Lakes maritime industry. Modernizing Great Lakes ports to make them more competitive or even just preserving their long-term viability has proven difficult given the reflexive hostility of some environmental groups. According to Weakley, these organizations fail to realize that without economic advancement, “we cannot make progress on the environment.” Both the LCA and GLMTF are committed to ensuring the viability of the Great Lakes maritime and manufacturing industries. In an era of globalization, these industries, Weakley asserted, “are the last vestige of goodpaying jobs. And good-paying jobs depend on transportation efficiency.” Globalization and the failure of many environmental organizations to understand the importance of economic development are only two components of the crisis affecting the Great Lakes maritime industry. The third one ATC President Stresses Safety, Partnership Anil Mathur, president and CEO of SIU-contracted Alaska Tanker Company (left), told the MTD executive board that a big reason for ATC’s outstanding safety record is its partnership with maritime labor. Mathur presented SIU President Michael Sacco and MEBA President Ron Davis with plaques commemorating ATC’s recent achievement of five years without a losttime injury anywhere throughout its fleet. “This company is a lot stronger for that partnership,” he stated. is the failure of the federal government to provide the region with a fair share of investment. Part of the problem, he noted, is due to the historical cycle of water levels. Until a decade ago, water levels remained high. This allowed the federal government to ignore port modernization; many dollars that should have gone to Great Lakes dredging projects went to other regions and other modes of transportation. When water levels began to plummet, the government didn’t adjust its capital investment strategy. “I believe our transportation policy favors our land-based modes,” Weakley said. “You can just look at the money where that goes, and our river-based systems. Not that those are necessarily bad things, but I think it puts our business at a disadvantage and it also ignores some of the economics and physics that should promote our marine transportation modes.” The result is that many Great Lakes ships have been forced to sail lighter than fully loaded, which creates an unhealthy economic environment. That means even before they sail, U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes begin with one strike against them. One needs only to look at the following statistics to know what is at stake. The Great Lakes region generates: 70 percent of all domestic steel manufacturing; 70 percent of all North American automobile manufacturing; and 55 percent of all heavy manufacturing. All in all, the Great Lakes region annually generates 200 million tons of cargo. Weakley asked executive Lake Carriers’ Association President James Weakley board members and guests to contact their elected officials and educate them about the fact that waterborne transportation is extremely effective. For instance, one Great Lakes shipload is equal to 700 railroad cars. It takes 2,800 trucks to carry that same amount of cargo. The bottom line is that the Great Lakes region gets shortchanged, he noted. Congress needs to set aside an additional $300 million just to restore Great Lakes channels to autho- rized dimensions that have been mandated. Putting the dredging crisis in context, Weakley stressed, “It’s about jobs. Transportation is about jobs.” Weakley also relayed this quote from late last year by U.S. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), a longtime supporter of the U.S.flag fleet: “It is incomprehensible to me that ships that depart our Minnesota harbors cannot carry full loads of iron ore and low-sulphur coal because the Army Corps of Engineers does not get enough money to maintain the system. This waterway is too important a part of the national transportation infrastructure to be treated like a poor relation. In the next Congress, I will do everything in my power to bring our fair share of federal dollars back to the Great Lakes.” Weakley added, “I happen to believe that those people that have walked away from the manufacturing sector in America are making a tremendous mistake. We won World War II with our manufacturing might, and we’re going to win this war on terrorism with our manufacturing might.” USCG’s Brennan Tackles TWIC Questions It’s probably no overstatement to suggest U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Devon Brennan (right) took on one of the more daunting challenges during the MTD meetings – namely, answering questions from the audience about the Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) program and its related Merchant Mariner Qualification Credential (MMC) initiative. After his formal presentation, Brennan gamely responded to numerous questions and reminded board members and guests that additional, updated information may be found on the internet at www.tsa.gov/twic and http://homeport.uscg.mil/ MTD Board Continues Pro-Worker, Pro-Maritime Agenda The Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO consists of 24 international unions (including the SIU) and 19 port maritime councils in the United States and Canada representing approximately 5.5 million working men and women. The MTD executive board met March 1-2 in Las Vegas, where board members and guests addressed many key issues that affect the maritime community and all working families. The articles on pages 11-14 are based on remarks and policy statements presented at the meetings. These two photos show some of the guests. April 2007 Seafarers LOG 13 �41545_P01-5_7_14_18_19:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:30 PM Page 14 MTD Executive Board Meeting Military Leaders Laud U.S. Merchant Marine Continued from page 11 industry’s role in U.S. national and economic security. He further stated that the labor movement is “critical to our efforts here in the Department of Defense.” Looking back at the merchant marine’s role throughout history, he recalled, “Eisenhower, Truman, Roosevelt— they’ve all accurately described the contributions that you make to our national defense. ‘Irreplaceable’ was their term. Post-World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Balkans, the first Desert Storm, Desert Shield, then the Persian Gulf. You were there. You made us a success. You were our partner. We could trust you with the very livelihood that our troops needed to conduct the business that the national leaders told us to do. “And since 9/11, maritime and other affiliated memberships have been active in helping us protect our great American life, helping us execute the global war on terror,” he continued. “You’ve also helped us to respond in our greatest role—in our greatest character—and that is our response to natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.” Dail called attention to the fact that many trade unionists have answered their nation’s call not only as part of the fourth arm of defense, but through military service. He described them as “great patriots,” noting they have served and continue serving in reserve forces and in the National Guard. “They have deployed overseas. They have seen action. They have served to a very high standard of honor. They have bravely and courageously served their nation. And I thank you for making it so important of a value for the men and women that serve in your ranks that they would want to serve their country in uniform. One thing I have come to know as I have been with you over these several years is that that every rank-and-file member of your Maritime Trades Department membership has a deep love of country. And it’s underscored every time I meet one of them as I move around and go out across the world.” Dail said he has seen firsthand the materiel delivered to U.S. troops overseas that moved by ship, and those sights helped reinforce his belief that America’s maritime capabilities “are critical to our national defense and security. I have seen the trust and confidence that is built between our nation and our Congressional Reps Support Unionism Continued from page 11 American…. At a minimum, you can’t just come to our shores without respecting our workers and the fact that we do good jobs, too.” He described the U.S. maritime industry as “vital to our homeland security,” and vowed that supporters in Congress won’t “let people legislate your members out of business. If you have hard-working people who work every day and have been working that way for a long time, we’re not interested in pushing them out now under the guise of homeland security.” Thompson concluded by noting his “100 percent” voting record in support of labor and added, “I’ll continue to do that…. We have an opportunity to do good. The public voted for it in November. Now it’s our job to carry it out. I look forward to doing that with your help.” ‘Just a Start’ Rep. Abercrombie is chairman of the House Armed Forces Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces. He said that passage of the Employee Free Choice Act in the House a day earlier came about because union members helped elect pro-worker legislators in November 2006. When the bill was approved, “What I thought to myself was, this is just a start,” Abercrombie stated. “This is the first chance that we’ve had in years to be able to actually organize workers and not have them intimidated and shoved around, fired, kicked to the side, smashed under. Yesterday was tangible proof to all the membership and their families that if they get together, they all register, they all vote, we can win.” He emphasized that for working families, political elections should center on critical issues and who will stand up for workers’ interests. “This is about the working men and women of this country and whether they’re going to have their health care, whether they’re going to have their wages and benefits, whether they’re going to have their retirement, whether everything that they worked for is going to be undermined, whether everything that the American labor movement has stood for is going to be compromised,” he stated. Abercrombie assured the board that labor-backed candidates will not forget that support, and also noted the strong turnout at the polls by union families. “We proved in November 2006 that we can win when we stick together. We proved that even though the number of working people organized is at its lowest point, that we’re on our way up, and that the voting demographics are double what the population demographics are when it comes to voting,” he said. “When we double up in the labor movement, we win.” Lastly, he stressed unity as a key to progress. “You’ve got to have organized labor and somebody looking out for you collectively to make sure that the individual doesn’t get done in,” Abercrombie said. “That’s what the Maritime Trades Department is about. It’s a collective endeavor—all of us pulling together.” When the promise of a better job in California surfaced, the family packed all their belongings into a U-Haul connected to their car and started traveling west. Along the way, “we decided we would stop in Las Vegas for the night. We never left.” In part, that’s because her father joined a culinary union through which he secured employment as a waiter at the old Sands Hotel. Union representation made all the difference, Berkley said. “On a waiter’s salary in a union town, my dad made enough money to put a roof over our head. We bought a home, we developed roots in this community, and we belonged here. So he put a roof over our head, food on the table, clothes on our back and two daughters through college and law school. That’s not so bad on a waiter’s salary. And the only reason he was able to do that was because of a strong union in a union town.” Fast-forward the previous day’s debate The Union Difference As stated in the final rule, the fee is made up of three segments: Enrollment Segment; Full Card Production/Security Threat Assessment Segment; and FBI Segment. Most applicants will pay the Standard TWIC Fee, which includes all three segments. However, applicants who have completed a comparable threat assessment, such as the threat assessment TSA conducts on commercial drivers with a hazardous materials endorsement, will pay the Reduced TWIC Fee. These applicants are not charged for the FBI Segment and pay a reduced fee for the Full Card Production/Security Threat Assessment Segment. In the preamble of the final rule, we discussed the potential range of fees that would be charged for each Segment but did not publish specific fees for each Segment in the final rule text because the contract for enrollment and card production services was not finalized at that time. We explained that when the contract was executed and final fee amounts determined, we would publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing them. TSA has executed the contract for TWIC enrollment and card production and, with this notice, announces the final fee amounts. Rep. Berkley serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. She related a personal story that reflects how union jobs help sustain an economically healthy middle class—long considered the backbone of the economy, but currently at risk. Berkley recalled that some 43 years earlier, her father worked as a waiter in upstate New York. His job offered no medical insurance or other benefits and didn’t pay well. “What he made that night was what we spent the next day,” she said. Notice: Hurricane Relief Benefit for Pensioners In September 2005, in the immediate aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a subcommittee of the Seafarers Pension Plan authorized SIU pensioners to apply for a one-time payment of $750 for hurricane relief. Because applications for this benefit have virtually ceased, the Plan Trustees have decided to accept applications only until April 30, 2007. Applications received after that date will be denied. As noted in an earlier communication to the union halls, SIU officials who have eligible pensioners in their respective port areas may encourage them to apply before April 30. If they have already received the benefit, they are not entitled to apply again. 14 Seafarers LOG troops, knowing that wherever they are, we will deliver the goods to them and we will get them there and bring them home.” He concluded, “We all in the military leadership have a strong commitment to labor, government and industry relations, forming a capability that is second to none. Thank you for your leadership, your friendship and your commitment to the partnership.” on the Employee Free Choice Act, and it was clear to Berkley that workers deserve a fair chance to choose union representation. “When I talk about the labor movement and the unions that are sticking up for working men and women across this great country of ours, I think of my dad,” she said. “I think of him making a living and I think of him wanting a piece of the American dream for his children. That is not asking too much. “I have never heard a union member, certainly not my father, begrudge the bosses of the corporations their money,” she added. “All he wanted for his family was good job security, decent wages, good benefits, good health care and to be able to take his family on vacation a couple times a year. That, my friends, is what the union movement represents to me. The very foundation upon which this country was formed—a strong working class country of middle class Americans that do the right thing, care about their families, care about their communities, care about this country, and help build it and will continue to help it grow through the generations to come.” TSA Publishes TWIC Fees Continued from page 2 The Enrollment Segment fee is $43.25, the Full Card Production/Security Threat Assessment Segment fee is $72, and the FBI Segment fee is $22. Therefore, the total Standard TWIC Fee is $137.25 ($43.25 + 72 + 22). For applicants who have completed a prior comparable threat assessment, there is no FBI Segment fee and the Card Production/Security Threat Assessment Segment fee is $62. Therefore, the total Reduced TWIC Fee is $105.25 ($43.25 + 62). As stated in the final rule, the fee for a replacement credential is $36, but we do not believe that amount adequately funds TSA’s card replacement costs. Our calculations indicate that $60 is the correct amount for card replacement costs and invited comment on that issue. The comment period for increasing the card replacement fee closed on February 26, 2007. We will examine all comments received and determine the final card replacement fee. We will amend the rule text to include all of the fees discussed in this notice and the card replacement fee, so that they will appear in the Code of Federal Regulations, at 49 CFR 1572, subpart F, Fees for Security Threat Assessments for Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). April 2007 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24qxp:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:40 PM Page 15 Dispatchers’ Report for Deep Sea May & June 2007 Membership Meetings FEBRUARY 16 — MARCH 15, 2007 *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 Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington Totals Totals Totals **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C 2 1 1 9 2 3 11 5 1 1 3 7 10 3 0 0 2 1 7 7 1 1 6 11 0 9 33 29 0 10 7 28 6 11 2 0 7 2 23 29 1 3 5 11 5 2 18 15 3 8 6 14 13 7 1 6 4 5 22 17 2 0 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0 4 8 5 2 1 0 0 0 8 7 0 0 3 5 1 0 12 19 0 2 7 10 4 5 1 1 3 0 13 9 4 1 10 14 2 12 66 50 1 20 26 78 24 40 5 0 13 4 62 48 9 10 9 23 6 14 52 40 3 14 19 40 28 20 5 17 15 9 55 29 2 4 1 11 2 2 14 11 3 2 4 22 15 4 1 0 3 1 16 12 270 276 76 215 166 45 95 480 417 130 0 0 2 4 0 8 17 20 1 10 4 15 8 4 1 2 0 1 13 9 1 2 5 5 0 5 9 16 1 7 3 8 11 11 1 3 2 3 17 10 2 0 1 1 0 0 4 1 0 0 1 0 2 4 1 0 0 2 3 4 119 120 26 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 0 0 2 5 0 5 14 17 0 3 4 11 5 8 2 1 0 0 15 10 1 1 3 6 0 3 11 10 0 5 2 5 11 4 1 1 2 1 9 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 3 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 5 1 1 1 0 0 1 7 10 0 0 2 6 1 2 3 0 0 0 13 6 1 0 7 9 0 16 26 31 2 13 10 33 12 12 1 2 2 1 17 16 1 1 8 6 3 7 19 30 2 6 8 17 13 19 1 3 7 5 32 13 2 0 2 4 0 1 8 2 0 2 2 2 3 5 1 0 0 3 6 8 102 86 20 54 211 201 51 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 0 2 8 1 4 22 12 0 5 7 17 5 23 1 1 1 2 11 17 0 0 1 6 2 4 10 16 0 7 6 2 11 3 0 1 4 1 9 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 3 0 4 3 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 139 88 18 Port 1 0 1 1 1 5 17 9 1 4 5 16 6 14 0 2 1 0 13 18 1 0 1 4 0 4 2 4 0 5 1 7 9 3 0 0 1 0 5 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 5 6 0 3 2 9 3 6 0 1 0 0 4 2 1 0 5 12 2 9 39 24 0 11 12 32 8 46 3 3 2 2 21 36 1 0 3 9 3 11 14 26 0 6 10 4 15 5 1 2 4 1 11 16 1 0 0 2 0 0 8 3 0 3 1 4 3 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 115 51 13 44 268 142 30 Baltimore..............Thursday: May 10, June 7 Boston ..................Friday: May 11, June 8 Guam ....................Thursday: May 24, June 21 Honolulu...............Friday: May 18, June 15 Houston ................Monday: May 14, June 11 Jacksonville ..........Thursday: May 10, June 7 Joliet .....................Thursday: May 17, June 14 Mobile ..................Wednesday: May 16, June 13 New Orleans.........Tuesday: May 15, June 12 New York .............Tuesday: May 8, June 5 Norfolk .................Thursday: May 10, June 7 Oakland ................Thursday: May 17, June 14 Philadelphia..........Wednesday: May 9, June 6 Port Everglades ....Thursday: May 17, June 14 San Juan ...............Thursday: May 10, June 7 St. Louis ...............Friday: May 18, June 15 Tacoma .................Friday: May 25, June 22 Wilmington...........Monday: May 21, June 18 Each port’s meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. Personals LOOKING FOR CONTACTS Edward Soltesz is hoping to hear from anyone who sailed with his cousin, Steven Sheros, or who shipped aboard a Luckenbach Steamship Company vessel in the spring of 1946. You may call Soltesz at (419) 627-8200 or write him at 409 52nd Street, Sandusky, OH 44870. RAY ROBINSON (formerly of Florida) Please contact Ms. Elyse Walters, your daughter. She has been trying to get in touch with you. Her address is 5620 Rushmere Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464; telephone (757) 479-9512 or (757) 724-3976 (cell). Attention Seafarers: ENTRY DEPARTMENT Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 2 0 0 0 12 0 5 0 0 0 0 5 0 2 2 5 5 1 8 14 15 1 4 5 43 11 14 1 28 1 1 17 10 5 0 0 4 0 9 8 13 1 3 3 18 10 12 4 18 2 0 7 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 1 3 0 2 5 18 8 0 1 1 14 6 4 0 8 2 0 9 11 1 0 1 2 0 6 4 7 0 1 1 5 10 1 1 9 1 0 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 10 5 0 2 3 17 0 7 0 0 0 0 6 1 5 3 4 11 4 13 34 33 1 7 8 68 17 25 1 25 3 1 24 19 8 1 1 14 0 12 23 21 2 7 5 31 20 21 3 16 1 0 13 14 Totals 33 188 121 17 93 60 0 55 306 213 561 672 241 449 396 138 193 1,014 1,066 424 Totals All Departments Piney Point ...........Monday: May 7, June 4 Algonac ................Friday: May 11, June 8 DECK DEPARTMENT 6 7 8 16 4 3 36 26 2 12 11 21 23 11 4 22 7 5 34 18 Port Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington Trip Reliefs 2 0 8 6 1 3 42 32 1 12 11 35 19 24 4 0 7 3 33 27 Port Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C *“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. April 2007 Seafarers LOG 15 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24qxp:2007-March 3/23/2007 Seafarers International Union Directory Michael Sacco, President 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., Suite 101B 422 West O’Brien Dr., Hagatna, Guam 96910 (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 2:40 PM Page 16 World War II Liberty Ship to Set Sail in August The SS John W. Brown, one of only two World War II-era Liberty ships still in operation, is slated in August to sail from its home port in Baltimore to New England on a series of six-hour day cruises. Additionally, it will hold open houses in three ports in Maine and Massachusetts. (The Jeremiah O’Brien in San Francisco is the other Liberty ship still sailing.) With an all-volunteer crew (ranging in age from the 20s to the 80s—none of whom ever sailed on the Brown but some who sailed on other Liberty ships during the war), the 441-foot operating museum ship will carry up to 730 passengers as it departs Baltimore Aug. 11 on its “Yankee Adventure Voyage” and returns home Aug. 30. In between, the Liberty ship will stop at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne (on the Cape Cod Canal); Portland, Maine; and Boston. Whether in port or at sea, history lessons are a large part of the self-guided ship tours. Michael J. Schneider, chairman of Project Liberty Ship, Inc., will narrate the trip and preside over the “Living History” cruise atmosphere from his background as a commander of a U.S. Navy frigate and officer on three Navy submarines. (He also does watches as a fireman/watertender in the ship’s engine room.) Capt. George L. Maier is master of the vessel and is a professional deck officer who made 89 roundtrip crossings of the North Atlantic on passenger and cargo ships of the United States Line. The chief engineer is DeLacy L. Cook who sailed on U.S. Line ships in the engine room in all theaters of operation in World War II. It won’t be all narration of historical events during the course of the six cruises. There will be re-enactments: of Army troops, President Roosevelt, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and Abbott and Costello, as well as a Glenn Miller-style band and singing groups that will highlight some of the classic Big Band music of the ’40s. Friendly planes such as a vintage P-51 fighter will chase a Messerschmitt or other Restored to steaming condition in 1991, the World War II Liberty ship SS John W. Brown is scheduled to sail from Baltimore to New England in mid-August. The vessel is crewed entirely by volunteers. replica enemy airplane hired to fly over the deck. The biggest thrill for passengers, however, may just be the knowledge that they are steaming along on a real wartime ship powered by its original triple-expansion steam engine and No 2 diesel fuel oil. During the early years of World War II, enemy U-boats, aircraft and mines seriously crippled the Allied cause by sinking a huge number of merchant ships carrying vital military equipment, supplies and troops. In order to build ships faster than the enemy could sink them, the United States, under the leadership of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, organized an emergency shipbuilding program which, between 1941 and 1945 produced more than 2,700 Liberty ships. The Brown was built in Baltimore in 1942. About 200 of these Liberty ships were lost in the war to the enemy, weather, error or faulty construction. Many sailed commercially after the war. Some-sixty-five years later, only the John W. Brown survives as an operating ship on the East Coast. The crew and other dues-paying mem- bers of Project Liberty Ship own the nonprofit vessel, named for John Brown, the man who helped establish Local 4 of the Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. After being rescued in 1988 from a Virginia maritime graveyard by a group of Maryland seamen, the Brown has been on more than 70 voyages since being made ready to sail once again in 1991, including a summer-long tour in 2000 of Lakes Ontario and Erie and the St. Laurence River. The ship’s home is Pier One, Clinton Street in Baltimore. Project Liberty Ship is a non-profit, taxexempt, volunteer organization formed in 1978 to preserve the vessel. To find out more about this cruise (and others), or to become a member or make a contribution toward the preservation of the John W. Brown—write to Project Liberty Ship, Box 25846, Highlandtown Station, Baltimore, MD 2122-0546, or check out their Web site at www.liberty-ship.com. PICS-FROM-THE-PAST NEW YORK 635 Fourth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11232 (718) 499-6600 Government Services Division: (718) 499-6600 NORFOLK 115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-1892 OAKLAND 1121 7th St., Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 444-2360 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 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 16 Seafarers LOG These photos were sent to the Seafarers LOG by Leon Jekot of Jefferson City, Tenn. The one on the left was taken in 1969 when he was the bosun’s mate aboard the Long Lines on a cable-laying operation. “When the cable we carried and laid ran out,” Jekot wrote in a note accompanying the photos, “it was buoyed off, to be picked up later when we had more cable.” Someone had to be lowered over the side onto the buoy to retrieve it. “No one spoke up. It looked like fun...so I said I’d go. What made it interesting was the fact that when the ship pulled away and left me on that buoy, it brought home the reality of being alone, really alone, on that object in the middle of the ocean, not to mention the enormous size of the fish underneath it. I couldn’t believe I did it. Everything turned out all right and we finished the lay, but it was an experience I won’t forget.” The other photo was taken in 1965 aboard the SS Suzanne, a C2 freighter carrying a load of flour to Syria. Jekot was an AB on that vessel. “It’s a type of ship one doesn’t see or work aboard anymore,” he stated. “With all the rigging, I thought it would be interesting to have some of the sailors of today see what we had to work with back then. Things that sailors don’t do much of anymore, like rigging and splicing the lines and wires for the gear, and what I was doing that day in port: cleaning the chain locker. It turned out to be a real nasty mess after we left. The flour got wet, and it took up to a week to clean it off the ship. It was everywhere.” April 2007 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24qxp:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:41 PM Page 17 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 ANGEL ANGLERO, 62, began his seafaring career in 1987 in Puerto Rico. Brother Anglero first sailed on the Osprey. He was born in Mayaguez, P.R. On two occasions, Brother Anglero attended classes at the SIU-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. He shipped in the engine department in both the deep sea and inland divisions. Brother Anglero’s most recent voyage was aboard the Horizon Fairbanks. He makes his home in Carolina, P.R. GEORGE BARBER, 62, is a New York native. Brother Barber joined the SIU in 1966. He initially shipped in the Great Lakes division on the Red Arrow, but most of his seafaring career was spent in the deep sea division. He last sailed on the Comet. Brother Barber upgraded his skills at the Piney Point school in 1983 and 2000. He lives in San Diego. EDMUND ERDT, 68, became an SIU member in 2001. Brother Erdt sailed primarily aboard Seabulk Tanker vessels in the engine department. His first ship was the Seabulk Trader; his last was the Seabulk Mariner. Brother Erdt, who was born in Poland, calls Williamsville, N.Y. home. TONY GONZALEZ, 47, began his seafaring career in 1980. Brother Gonzalez first sailed on an El Paso Southern Tanker Company vessel. He upgraded on numerous occasions at the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. Brother Gonzalez, who was born in New York, worked as a member of the engine department. His most recent voyage was aboard the San Juan. Brother Gonzalez is settled in Puerto Rico. JOHN KONETES, 61, joined the union in 1964. Brother Konetes initially worked aboard the Steel Advocate. The deck department member was born in North Carolina. In 1995 and 2003, Brother Konetes upgraded at the SIU-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. He most recently shipped on the Cape Lambert. Brother Konetes is a resident of Wilmington, N.C. ALLEN LEWIS SR., 65, joined the SIU in 1958. Brother Lewis’s first voyage was aboard the Export Leader. He was born in Pennsylvania and sailed in the deck department. Brother Lewis most recently worked on the Montpelier Victory. He makes his home in Jacksonville, Fla. April 2007 JOSE LIND, 62, began sailing with the SIU in 1978. Brother Lind’s first voyage was aboard the Overseas Alaska. He was born in Puerto Rico and worked in the deck department. Brother Lind enhanced his seafaring skills at the Piney Point school in 2000 and 2003. His most recent trip to sea was on the Horizon Crusader. Brother Lind lives in Yabucoa, P.R. ROBERT PABON, 66, became a Seafarer in 1991 in the port of Jacksonville, Fla. Brother Pabon upgraded his skills in 1997 and 2000 at the SIU-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. He sailed primarily aboard Interocean American Shipping vessels, including the Cape Fear and the El Morro. Brother Pabon, who was born in New York, calls Jacksonville home. DENNIS WHALEN, 65, embarked on his seafaring career in 1969. Brother Whalen first shipped aboard the Cape Washington in the engine department. The Yonkers, N.Y. native last sailed on the Philadelphia. He now resides in Portland, Ore. Boatman Golden’s first trip to sea was aboard a Plymouth Towing Company vessel. Born in Wilmington, N.C., he most recently sailed aboard an Interstate Oil Transportation vessel. He now lives in Grantsboro, N.C. DONALD LASH, 62, joined the SIU in 1999. Boatman Lash shipped primarily aboard vessels operated by Allied Transportation Company. The deck department member attended the Paul Hall Center in 2002 to upgrade his skills. Boatman Lash makes his home in Murrells Inlet, S.C. LEVY LAWRENCE JR., 62, began his seafaring career in 1979. He sailed primarily on vessels operated by Allied Transportation Company. Born in North Carolina, Boatman Lawrence upgraded his seafaring skills in 1997 and 2002. He makes his home in Norfolk, Va. WILLIAM McDONALD, 57, joined the SIU in 1969. Boatman McDonald shipped primarily aboard vessels operated by Cape Fear Towing. He took advantage of the educational opportunities available at the Seafarers-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. in 2001 and 2002. Boatman McDonald continues to reside in his native state of North Carolina. ALBERT SCHMITT, 58, is a native of Louisiana. Boatman Schmitt became an SIU member in 1967 in the port of New Orleans. He attended classes on numerous occasions at the Piney Point school. During his seafaring career, Boatman Schmitt worked primarily aboard Crescent Towing and Salvage Company vessels. He continues to live in Louisiana. RAYMOND SIMMONS JR., 62, embarked on his SIU career in 1970. Boatman Simmons first sailed aboard a National Marine Services vessel. The Texas-born mariner most recently worked aboard the Seabulk Tanker. Boatman Simmons is a resident of Kirbyville, Texas. DELMAS TYLER JR, 62, joined the SIU in 1987. Boatman Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG. DARRYL WHITE, 51, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. Brother White joined the SIU in 1978, first sailing on the Cove Leader. He was a frequent upgrader at the unionaffiliated school in Piney Point, Md. Brother White, who sailed in the engine department, last shipped aboard the USNS Bob Hope. He makes his home in Norfolk, Va. DWIGHT WUERTH, 55, joined the SIU ranks in 1978 in the port of San Francisco. Brother Wuerth enhanced his skills often at the Paul Hall Center. His first trip to sea was on the Santa Mercedes. Brother Wuerth was born in Florida and shipped as a member of the steward department. Prior to retiring, he worked aboard the Overseas New Orleans. Brother Wuerth continues to make his home in Florida. INLAND GEORGE DAVIS, 62, started his seafaring career in 1983. Boatman Davis’s first voyage was on a Steuart Transportation Company vessel. In 1993 and 1997, he attended the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. to upgrade his skills. Boatman Davis was born in North Carolina. He last sailed aboard a Maritrans Operating Company vessel. Boatman Davis is a resident of Davis, N.C. BENDERS GOLDEN, 62, became a union member in 1970. 1953 With just three days to go to strike deadline, the Cities Service Oil Company yielded completely to all SIU demands and signed the standard SIU tanker agreement, retroactive to January 1, 1953. The contract was signed on Friday, April 17, a few hours after the Seafarers LOG came out with news about the SIU’s full strike preparations and pledges of support received from shore-side Cities Service unions such as the Lake Charles Metal Trades Council, AFL, representing Cities Service employees at the Lake Charles refinery and the Louisiana State Federation of Labor. The refusal of the membership and the union negotiating committee to accept anything less than a full settlement paid off after several weeks of negotiations at which the company unsuccessfully argued for special treatment. Tyler was born in Maryland and worked in the deck department. He sailed primarily aboard vessels operated by the Association of Maryland Pilots. Boatman Tyler calls Crisfield, Md. home. BENJAMIN WHALEY, 62, was born in South Carolina. Boatman Whaley began sailing with the SIU in 1976 from the port of Houston. He worked primarily aboard Marine Contracting and Towing Company vessels. Boatman Whaley settled in Wadmalaw Island, S.C. THOMAS ZEHNER, 66, joined the SIU in 2001 in the port of Mobile, Ala. Boatman Zehner initially sailed aboard Crowley Towing and Transportation Company vessels. The deck department member, who was born in New Orleans, now makes his home in Pensacola, Fla. GREAT LAKES LEONARD KAUTI, 65, began sailing with the SIU in 1987, first working on the Charles E. Wilson. Brother Kauti, who was born in Wisconsin, attended classes at the Paul Hall Center in 2002. Brother Kauti most recently sailed aboard the Indiana Harbor. He is a resident of Superior, Wis. fleet, would not only pay dividends to the government in the form of lower cargo preference costs, but would restore our tramp fleet to a position in which, even while carrying cargo at lower rates, it could operate profitably.” 1980 Members of the SIU joined picket lines in San Francisco recently, to show solidarity with unions striking local TV station KRON. Local unions belonging to the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) have been on strike for nearly three months, seeking improved wages and working conditions. The management of the TV station had publicly claimed that the striking unions did not have the support of organized labor in San Francisco. The SIU’s response was to publicly demonstrate that the IBEW and AFTRA certainly did have labor’s support by joining the picket line. This Month In SIU History 1965 The Seafarers International Union of North America told a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee recently that the cost to the government of shipping government-generated cargoes could be substantially reduced by building new Americanflag bulk carriers which would be able to carry these cargoes at low rates and still operate gainfully. “We believe,” said the SIU in a written statement to the Subcommittee on Federal Procurement and Regulation, “that a vigorous and affirmative policy by the government, to facilitate the construction of a new bulk carrier 1997 In an endeavor described by the U.S. Coast Guard as “an extraordinary display of seamanship” and a “nearly impossible rescue,” the SIU-crewed Sea Wolf saved six people stuck in a disabled sailboat, despite 30-foot seas and 50-knot winds. The rescue happened April 2, approximately 280 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., where the containership maneuvered alongside the 34-foot sloop Allegra and helped its passengers to safety. Seafarers LOG 17 �41545_P01-5_7_14_18_19:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:31 PM Page 18 Final Departures DEEP SEA RAYMOND FASSLER Pensioner Raymond Fassler, 80, passed away Aug. 26. Brother Fassler joined the union in 1978 in the port of San Francisco. He first sailed on the Santa Maria as a member of the steward department. Brother Fassler was born in California. Prior to retiring in 1992, he worked aboard the Overseas Juneau. Brother Fassler made his home in Huntington Beach, Calif. SHERMAN JONES Pensioner Sherman Jones, 75, died Aug. 13. Brother Jones began his career with the Marine Cooks & Stewards (MC&S) in 1958 in the port of San Francisco. The steward department member called Oakland, Calif. home. Brother Jones started collecting his retirement in 1980. ELI KRALICH Pensioner Eli Kralich, 84, passed away Aug. 8. Brother Kralich became a Seafarer in 1966. He first sailed aboard the Brigham Victory. Brother Kralich was a deck department member. His last voyage was aboard the Beaver State. Brother Kralich resided in his native state of Pennsylvania. He went on pension in 1987. PHILIP MAECHLING Pensioner Philip Maechling, 77, died Sept. 19. Brother Maechling was born in New Orleans. He began his seafaring career in 1947 on a Delta Steamship Lines vessel. Brother Maechling worked in the deck department. His concluding journey was aboard the Edward Rutledge. Brother Maechling settled in Louisiana. He began receiving compensation for his retirement in 1981. RICHARD MANALO Brother Richard Manalo, 62, passed away Aug. 5. He joined the SIU in 1988 initially sailing on the USNS Triumph. Brother Manalo, who was born in the Philippines, sailed in the steward department. His last ship was the Overseas Ohio. Brother Manalo made his home in Shoreline, Wash. EFRAIN MARTINEZ Pensioner Efrain Martinez, 82, died August 30. Brother Martinez started his seafaring career with the MC&S in the port of San Francisco. He shipped as a member of the steward department. Brother Martinez continued to live in his native Puerto Rico. He retired in 1974. TIBURCIO RAGUINDIN Pensioner Tiburcio Raguindin, 87, passed away Aug. 22. Brother Raguindin embarked on his SIU career in 1967. His first voyage was aboard a vessel operated by Hudson Waterways Corporation. Brother Raguindin, who was born in the Philippines, sailed in the engine department. His final voyage was aboard the 18 Seafarers LOG Overseas Washington. Brother Raguindin became a pensioner in 1984 and settled in Carson, Calif. and settled there. Boatman Feagin began collecting his pension in 1982. WILBUR HAUGHWOUT BERNARD ROMBACH Pensioner Bernard Rombach, 72, died Aug. 22. Brother Rombach began his seafaring career in 1969 in the port of San Francisco. His first ship was the Santa Magdalena; his last was the President Truman. Brother Rombach worked in the steward department. Born in Germany, he called San Francisco home. Brother Rombach started receiving his retirement pay in 1996. Boatman Wilbur Haughwout, 62, died Aug. 18. He started shipping with the union in 1960. Boatman Haughwout was born in Elizabeth, N.J. He began his seafaring career working on a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad of New York vessel. Boatman Haughwout most recently sailed on a vessel operated by New York Dock Railway Company. He made Simpsonville, N.C. home. WALTER HENRY ELMOOR STEWART Pensioner Elmoor Stewart, 72, passed away July 3. Brother Stewart joined the union in 1959 in the port of San Francisco. His first voyage was on the Del Mar. Brother Stewart was a member of the engine department. Before retiring in 1959, he shipped out on the Endurance. Brother Stewart was a resident of San Francisco. INLAND EDWARD CLINE Pensioner Edward Cline, 77, died Aug. 12. Boatman Cline joined the SIU in 1967, initially working aboard a Tangier Marine Transportation vessel. He last sailed on an Interstate Oil Transportation Company vessel. Boatman Cline, who was born in Ohio, resided in Baltimore. He went on pension in 1991. ALVIN COOLEY Pensioner Alvin Cooley, 82, passed away July 3. Boatman Cooley was born in Mississippi. He first sailed with Colle Towing Company as a member of the deck department. Boatman Cooley’s last voyage was aboard a National Marine Service vessel. He began collecting his retirement stipends in 1989. Boatman Cooley made his home in Leakesville, Miss. RAYMOND DABNEY Pensioner Raymond Dabney, 82, died July 23. Boatman Dabney joined the union in 1956 in the port of Baltimore. He worked primarily aboard vessels operated by Charles H. Harper and Associates. Boatman Dabney was born in Virginia. The deck department member went on pension in 1982. He lived in Barhamsville, Va. BERRY FEAGIN Pensioner Berry Feagin, 88, passed away June 21. Boatman Feagin became an SIU member in 1964. He first sailed aboard a vessel operated by Inland Tugs in the engine department. Boatman Feagin last worked aboard a Southern Ohio Towing vessel. He was born in Paducah, Ky. Pensioner Walter Henry, 81, passed away July 29. Boatman Henry was born in Ohio. He embarked on his seafaring career in 1979 initially working aboard a Dixie Carriers vessel. Boatman Henry sailed in both the inland and deep sea divisions. His most recent voyage was on the USNS Altair. Boatman Henry started receiving compensation for his retirement in 1991. He lived in Sealy, Texas. NEWMAN JONES Pensioner Newman Jones, 85, died July 9. Boatman Jones began sailing with the SIU in 1970 in the port of Philadelphia. He worked primarily aboard vessels operated by Gellenthin Barge Lines. Boatman Jones was a Virginia native. The Parksley, Va. resident retired in 1984. FLOYD LOLLEY Pensioner Floyd Lolley, 77, passed away July 31. Boatman Lolley joined the Seafarers in 1973. He worked primarily aboard Dravo Basic Materials Company vessels. Boatman Lolley was born in Alabama. He went on pension in 1992. Chickasaw, Ala. was home to Boatman Lolley. HOWARD OCHS Pensioner Howard Ochs, 85, died July 23. Boatman Ochs began his seafaring career in 1956 in the port of Baltimore. Born in Maryland, Boatman Ochs worked primarily aboard Moran Towing of Maryland vessels. He became a pensioner in 1982. Boatman Ochs was a resident of Glen Burnie, Md. ily aboard Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company vessels. Boatman Powell was born in North Carolina. The deck department member went on pension in 1980. Boatman Powell made his home in Hampton, Va. CARMELO SALAMAN Pensioner Carmelo Salaman, 67, died Aug. 2. Boatman Salaman was born in Puerto Rico, which is also where he joined the union in 1976. He sailed primarily on vessels operated by Crowley Towing and Transportation of San Juan. Boatman Salaman was a member of the steward department. He began collecting his pension in 2000 and lived in Bayamon, P.R. JOHN YOUNG Pensioner John Young, 75, passed away July 30. Boatman Young joined the SIU in 1953, first sailing aboard an Alcoa Steamship vessel. He was a Mississippi native. Prior to his retirement in 1993, Boatman Young shipped aboard a Dravo Basic Materials Company vessel. He resided in Mobile, Ala. GREAT LAKES SAID ALTAIRI Pensioner Said Altairi, 74, died July 8. Brother Altairi, who was born in Yemen, launched his seafaring career in 1967. Brother Altairi sailed in both the Great Lakes and inland divisions. The deck department member’s first ship was the American Seaocean. Brother Altairi last worked aboard the Bob-Lo Island. He went on pension in 1997 and called Dearborn, Mich. home. Pensioner Paul Powell, 81, passed away Oct. 22. Boatman Powell joined the SIU in 1960. He worked primar- 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. VERN ARMSTRONG Pensioner Vern Armstrong, 89, passed away June 23. Brother Armstrong joined the NMU in 1949 in the port of San Francisco. He worked in all three departments during his seafaring career. Brother Armstrong was born in San Diego, Calif. Before retiring in 1975, he sailed aboard the Export Freedom. SAMUEL CABERRA Pensioner Samuel Caberra, 77, died June 1. Brother Caberra was born in Puerto Rico. He joined the NMU in 1960 initially shipping from the port of New York. Brother Caberra’s first ship was the American Scout. The steward department member retired in 1987. JAMES CHEATHAM SR. Pensioner James Cheatham Sr., 77, passed away June 26. Brother Cheatham became an NMU member in 1965 in Seattle, Wash. His first ship was the Texaco Delaware. Brother Cheatham shipped in the engine department. He last sailed aboard the American Trader. Brother Cheatham began collecting his pension in 1987. JOHN FITZGERALD Pensioner John Fitzgerald, 71, passed away Aug. 14. Brother Fitzgerald became a member of the SIU in 1967. He initially worked aboard a vessel operated by Peter Kiewit Sons. Brother Fitzgerald sailed in the deck department. His last voyage was aboard a Luedtke Engineering vessel. Brother Fitzgerald was a resident of Chicago, Ill. He started receiving his retirement compensation in 1996. ALI HUBABI PAUL POWELL vessels as a member of the steward department. Brother Hubabi, who settled in Sanaa, Yemen, retired in 1996. Pensioner Ali Hubabi, 74, died June 21. Brother Hubabi started sailing with the SIU in 1963 in the port of Duluth, Minn. He worked primarily aboard Great Lakes Associates VICTORIO CORRALES Pensioner Victorio Corrales, 85, died June 3. Brother Corrales joined the NMU in 1945. He was born in Costa Rica and sailed in the engine department. Brother Corrales’ last voyage was on the Gulf Merchant. He retired in 1983. ROSARIO RANNO Pensioner Rosario Ranno, 82, passed away June 13. Brother Ranno joined the NMU in 1944, first sailing from the port of New York. The steward department member, who was born in Middletown, Conn., last sailed aboard the Christopher Lykes. He went on pension in 1979. April 2007 �41545_P01-5_7_14_18_19:2007-March 3/23/2007 4:41 PM Page 19 Digest of Shipboard Union Meetings The Seafarers LOG attempts to print as many digests of union shipboard minutes as possible. On occasion, because of space limitations, some will be omitted. Ships minutes first are reviewed by the union’s contract department. Those issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union upon receipt of the ships’ minutes. The minutes are then forwarded to the Seafarers LOG for publication. CHARLESTON (U.S.S. Transport), Feb. 25—Chairman Elkanah B. Ladia, Secretary Michael M. Amador, Deck Delegate Eddie Major, Engine Delegate Philip Diego. Chairman encouraged all members to attend SIU meetings, whether at sea or ashore. They are the proper time to addresses any beefs. Educational director recommended mariners upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. and check to make sure that all required shipping documents are current. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made to increase pension benefits and modify prescription coverage. Next port: Houston. CHEMICAL TRADER (Intrepid Personnel & Provisioning), Feb. 25—Chairman Raymond A. Tate, Secretary Rocel C. Alvarez, Educational Director Troy D. Banks, Deck Delegate Francis C. Johnson, Engine Delegate Lebindra B. Mahavaj, Steward Delegate Manes Sainvil. Chairman announced Feb. 28 payoff in Tampa, Fla. He thanked crew for another safe voyage—790 days without a lost-time incident. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Clarification requested on which holidays are observed. Vote of thanks given to steward department. Crew members voted to have HBO put back in line-up of satellite stations. HARRIETTE (Sealift), Feb. 4— Chairman Sean M. Ryan, Secretary George Quinn, Educational Director Joseph M. Tuata. Chairman stated ship to discharge cargo in New Orleans and then pay off in Houston. He thanked crew for enjoyable voyage. Educational director encouraged members to upgrade frequently at union-affiliated school in Piney Point. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Thanks given to steward department for their hard work. Next port: Durban, South Africa. HORIZON ANCHORAGE (Horizon Lines), Feb. 4— Chairman Daniel W. Seagle, Secretary Amanda F. Suncin, Educational Director Brian S. Leach, Deck Delegate Frank Bermudez, Steward Delegate Joel P. Crow. Chairman announced Feb. 5 payoff at sea and docking two days later in Tacoma, Wash. Secretary advised Seafarers to upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center and urged them to contribute to SPAD, which in turn helps our union leaders fight for better ships and jobs. Educational director reminded crew members to check document expiration dates. No beefs or disputed OT reported. President’s report from January Seafarers LOG read and discussed. Crew expressed appreciation for strong union leaders. HORIZON HAWAII (Horizon Lines), Feb. 7—Chairman Antonio M. Mercado, Secretary Carlos H. Sanchez, Educational April 2007 Director Roy S. Frett Jr., Deck Delegate Isaac Vega, Engine Delegate Keithley Andrew, Steward Delegate George R. Salazar. Chairman announced Feb. 9 payoff at sea and thanked all departments for working well together. He asked crew to have union books and dues ready for boarding patrolman in port of Jacksonville. Secretary thanked deck department and bosun for great job painting main deck. room. Vote of thanks given to entire steward department. HORIZON PACIFIC (Horizon Lines), Feb. 20—Chairman Rufino J. Giray, Secretary Robert P. Mosley, Educational Director Irwin Rousseau, Deck Delegate Julius C. Udan, Engine Delegate Ali Hussin, Steward Delegate Thomas C. Ferrell. Bosun stressed importance of contributing to SPAD and how it benefits the membership. He also urged members to check in with customs/immigration before leaving ship and make sure to stop by the union hall to re-register. Those getting off should leave room neat and supplied with clean linen for next person. Secretary led discussion on new TWIC card and informed Seafarers of on-line site. He also talked about upgrading at Paul Hall Center and of keeping all documents current. Treasurer stated $341.26 in cook-out fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. President’s report in Seafarers this month. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Chairman read and discussed presidents report from latest Seafarers LOG.. Members requested new lamp shades and artwork for common areas and rooms. Crew thanked steward department for job well done. Next ports: Tacoma; Oakland, Calif. HORIZON TRADER (Horizon Lines), Feb. 4—Chairman Gregorio C. Cudal, Secretary Kevin M. Dougherty, Educational Director Joseph H. Brown, Engine Delegate Mohamed M. Abdulla, Steward Delegate Sam K. Rashid. Bosun announced payoff at sea prior to arrival in Oakland, Calif. He informed members of increase in union dues and days of seatime required to keep benefits. Educational director recommended eligible members attend school in Piney Point for recertification. Treasurer stated $700 in crew fund; some money was spent to buy bench press. It was suggested to save toward cost Cape Jacob Seafarers Recognized Two SIU members recently received commendations for their good work aboard Matson’s Cape Jacob. They are SAs David Mohamed (center in photo above left) and Bruce Davidson (second from right in photo above right). According to the company, Mohamed received Matson’s “Inspiration Award” for his outstanding contribution to the vessel’s steward department. “David is a hard worker who demonstrates exceptional thoughtfulness and consideration towards the rest of the crew,” a Matson official noted in a communication to the Seafarers LOG. That same individual said of Davidson, who was named “Steward of the Quarter,” “Bruce is a hard worker and gives special attention to maintaining a safe work environment aboard the ship.” Both Seafarers are pictured with Capt. Tom Stapleton (left) and Capt. Morgan McManus (far right). Chief Steward Jane Altieri is at far left in the photo that includes Davidson. The vessel (right) is part of the RRF but is activated for duty with MSC’s prepositioning program. Educational director encouraged mariners to check out wide variety of courses offered at Piney Point school. He also reminded them to keep documents current or chance losing out on a job. Renewals often take a long time, so Seafarers should start the process well in advance. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestions made regarding medical benefit requirements and raising pension benefit. LOG was read and discussed. Crew thanked President Sacco and his staff for their hard work. Steward department was thanked for great menus and cook-outs. Captain congratulated Seafarers for good job on sanitary inspection. All crew members were asked to keep noise down while watchstanders are resting. Next ports: Tacoma, Wash.; Oakland, Calif.; Hawaii; Guam; Hong Kong. HORIZON KODIAK (Horizon Lines), Feb. 11—Chairman Christopher K. Pompel, Secretary Wanda J. Glinke, Educational Director Brian J. Sengelaub, Deck Delegate Robert H. Brown, Engine Delegate Ralph D. Thomas, Steward Delegate Thomas M. Kelly. Chairman announced Feb. 11 payoff at sea with arrival in Tacoma three days later. He reminded crew to wear hard hats and safety vests on deck while in port. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew members were asked to be considerate of others and not slam doors in laundry HORIZON SPIRIT (Horizon Lines), Feb. 15—Chairman Howard W. Gibbs, Secretary Scott A. Opsahl, Educational Director Robert L. Stafford, Deck Delegate Rene V. Rafer, Engine Delegate Gordon L Hiltbruner. Chairman announced Feb. 17 payoff in Tacoma, Wash. He informed crew of DVD storage space in steward’s office. Secretary expressed gratitude to fellow crew members for helping keep pantry and mess hall clean. Educational director advised Seafarers to check expiration dates on all necessary documents needed to ship. Treasurer stated $30 in ship’s fund of satellite TV system. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Computer monitor was broken during heavy seas; new one to be installed and secured shortly. It was noted that crew lounge does not have TV reception in port. Steward assistant requested everyone put dirty linen in proper bags and not store personal food in crew mess reefer (use refrigerators in rooms). Next ports: Oakland and Los Angeles, Calif.; Honolulu. LIBERTY SPIRIT (Liberty Maritime), Feb. 4—Chairman Jimmie L. Scheck, Secretary Randy A. Stephen, Educational Director David M. Tillman, Deck Delegate Ronald Owens, Steward Delegate Andres L. Caballero. Chairman thanked crew members for safe, smooth voyage and announced Feb. 7 payoff in Portland, Ore. Secretary advised members to keep up with changes in dues amounts and benefit requirements. He informed them he has application forms for all benefits, including medical, dental and vacation. Educational director discussed importance of keeping track of expiration dates on required shipping documents. He also encouraged crew to upgrade ratings whenever possible. Beef reported in deck department; no disputed OT in all three departments. Request made for new washer and dryer as well as new mattresses for crew rooms. Chairman thanked all departments for performing their jobs very well and completing another successful voyage. MAERSK VERMONT (Maersk Line Limited), Feb. 3—Chairman James L. Joyce Jr., Secretary Robert J. Bostick, Educational Director Michael T. Gaciala. Chairman led discussion about importance of SPAD. Educational director recommend all members improve job performance by attending classes at Paul Hall Center whenever possible. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew suggested having vacation checks sent to their homes or deposited directly into their bank accounts. Clarification requested on restriction to ship in Haifa. Vote of thanks given to steward department for being a good feeder. Suggestions given as to improvements in ship’s gym and increase in pension payments. Next ports: New York; Norfolk, Va.; Savannah, Ga. USNS FRED STOCKHAM (Keystone Shipping), Feb. 9— Chairman Andy Barrows, Secretary Robert L. Easley, Educational Director Robert A. Ott, Steward Delegate Vernon S. Thibodeaux. Chairman requested clarification on tour of duty aboard the Stockham as well as manning scale for steward department. Secretary urged Seafarers to upgrade whenever possible at SIUaffiliated school. Educational director advised crew members to stay informed about new TWIC cards and other information. Treasurer stated $3,000 in ship’s fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members would like copy of written evaluation of ship given by Keystone. Crew also requested new mattresses, books, movies and lounge. Next port: Guam. HORIZON RELIANCE (Horizon Lines), March 4—Chairman Douglas Buchanan, Secretary Paula S. Kaleikini, Educational Director Randy D. Clark, Engine Delegate Erwin C. Udan. Chairman announced payoff at sea en route to Tacoma, Wash. He informed crew they will have rough weather most of the way home and asked them to secure everything. Secretary reported new refrigerator for mess hall scheduled to arrive in Tacoma. Educational director thanked both apprentices for working so hard during their time aboard vessel. Treasurer stated $1,000 in ship’s fund. Next ports: Tacoma, Wash.; Oakland, Calif.; Honolulu; Guam. MAERSK NEVADA (Maersk Line Limited), March 3—Chairman Thomas W. Grosskurth, Secretary Dulip Sookhiram, Educational Director Albert Riollano, Engine Delegate Andy F. Iliscupidez. Chairman congratulated crew on no lost3-time injuries and advised them to check expiration dates on all required shipping documents. Educational director urged all mariners to take advantage of educational opportunities available at Piney Point school. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Steward department given vote of thanks for excellent food. Next port: New York. Seafarers LOG 19 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24qxp:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:42 PM Page 20 For Your Maritime Reading Pleasure . . . A number of books recently have been published or reprinted that may appeal to Seafarers and others interested in the seafaring life. Good Shipmates “Good Shipmates, The Restoration of the Liberty Ship John W. Brown, Volume Two: 19952006.” Written by Ernest F. Imhoff with a foreword by Russell Baker (Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist), this is the second volume of history written by the former Baltimore Sun editor and current volunteer on the Liberty ship John W. Brown. Through more than 200 interviews with fellow volunteers on the ship, Imhoff captures their adventures and life lessons in a colorful mosaic of hard work, volunteerism, camaraderie and inspiration. In the process, he carries the reader along on a fascinating voyage, one that describes veterans and others who ignore broken and diseased backs, knees, hips and eyes, and work with never-say-die spirits to help save a piece of American history. The John W. Brown is one of only two remaining Liberty ships of the 2,710 that were built during World War II. It still operates and sails today as a living history museum, a tribute to the American know-how that won the war, and to the “good shipmates” that brought that spirit to their ship, preserving a special part of history for generations to come. Good Shipmates runs 416 pages with more than 100 illustrations and sell for $24.95. Available from your local book store or directly from the publisher, The Glencannon Press, P.O. Box 1428 El Cerrito, CA 94530; tel. (800) 711-8985. A Careless Word “A Careless Word . . . A Needless Sinking.” This is the 8th reprinting of this book, written by Capt. Arthur R. Moore. The book is a treasure of reference material—a documented account, under one cover, of the catastrophic losses suffered by the American-flag Merchant Marine, both in ships and personnel, during World War II. It is a valuable research tool for anyone interested in the American Merchant Marine and the wartime service and sacrifice of our seamen. Capt. Moore has devoted more than 30 years gathering data pertaining to the very important and vital role played by the U.S. Merchant Marine in winning the war. They were a critical part of the “bridge of ships” that supplied our military forces worldwide. It is the story of the valiant seamen and Navy gunners who served and died without recognition and the ships on which they sailed. The names of lost seamen are recorded by vessel along with, in many cases, a photo of their ship and details of the battle action. Additional illustrations bring the magnitude of this tragedy to light. The Dennis A. Roland Chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans has produced a limited number of this 8th printing. Copies of the large, fivepound volume are offered at a cost of $85 (plus $5 shipping and handling). Quotes for multiples copies and foreign delivery may be obtained from: American Merchant Marine Veterans—Dennis A. Roland Chapter, P.O. Box 306, Midland Park, NJ 07432. At All Costs “At All Costs: How a Crippled Ship and Two Merchant Mariners Turned the Tide of World War II,” written by Sam Moses, published by Random House. This book tells the story of Operation Pedestal, a supply convoy sent to rescue the strategically important island of Malta from surrender to the Axis forces during World War II. It specifically focuses on two American merchant seamen, Fred Larsen and Francis “Lonnie” Dales, who helped repair the anti-aircraft gun on a crippled oil tanker (and its cargo of 13,000 tons of fuel) in the middle of the Mediterranean and led a handful of men in fighting off enemy planes for days. Operation Pedestal involved 14 merchant vessels guarded by 64 warships. Thirteen ships were lost and approximately 350 men were killed. The actions of these two young men earned them the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal “for heroism above and byond the call of duty.” Although both men have since died, Moses talked to their widows and, among other resources, also listened to a taped interview with Larsen about the operation that had been recorded by a Newark chapter of the merchant marine. As of mid-March, the book was available on amazon.com for $17. Life of a Bluenose “Life of a Bluenose” is the first published book written by SIU member Robert Gary Haller. At just 15 pages long, it is an autobiographical account of Haller’s seafaring career, starting with his arrival as a 16-year-old for training at the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. Haller proudly recognizes the contributions of his family in the Merchant Marine and in service to their country. His three older brothers (Chuck, Joe and John) had gone through the school; his younger brother Mike also joined up. His father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. The title comes from the “Bluenose Certificate” which is awarded to someone crossing the Arctic Circle for the first time. The book is dedicated to his brother Chuck who died at the age of 46. His ashes are buried beneath a plaque at the school in honor of his 30 years in the Merchant Marine. The book is published by Dorrance Publishing, (412) 288-4543. It sells for $8. 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 4/07 (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. 20 Seafarers LOG Know Your Rights 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. 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. April 2007 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24qxp:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:42 PM Page 21 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 most of 2007. 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. Junior Engineer July 16 September 7 Machinist June 18 July 9 July 6 July 27 Marine Electrician September 24 November 16 Pumpman* July 9 July 30 July 20 August 10 Refrigeration Engineer April 23 June 1 Advanced Refrigerated Container May 21 June 15 Welding April 9 May 7 June 11 August 6 October 1 October 29 April 27 May 25 June 29 August 24 October 19 November 16 (*must have tankerman familiarization/ assistant cargo (DL) AND machinist) Deck Upgrading Courses Course Start Date Date of Completion Able Seaman April 16 May 28 July 9 August 20 October 1 May 11 June 22 August 3 September 14 October 26 Automatic Radar Plotting Aids* (ARPA) (*must have radar unlimited) June 18 October 22 June 22 October 26 Celestial Navigation July 9 GMDSS Lifeboatman/Water Survival Safety Specialty Courses Course Start Date Date of Completion Advanced Fire Fighting April 16 July 9 April 27 July 20 Fast Rescue Boat May 21 June 25 July 23 August 27 May 25 June 29 July 27 August 31 August 3 Basic Safety Training Classes are conducted weekly August 13 August 24 Government Vessels April 2 May 14 June 25 August 6 September 17 October 29 April 13 May 25 July 6 August 17 September 28 November 9 May 28 June 25 July 16 August 6 September 17 November 5 June 1 June 29 July 20 August 10 September 21 November 9 Medical Care Provider Radar June 4 October 8 June 15 October 19 April 30 July 23 May 4 July 27 Radar Renewal (one day) June 25 October 29 Tankerman Familiarization/ Assistant Cargo (DL)* April 2 June 4 September 24 November 26 April 13 June 15 October 5 December 7 June 4 August 13 June 8 August 17 (*must have basic fire fighting) Tankerman (PIC) Barge* Steward Upgrading Courses (*must have basic fire fighting) Galley Operations/Advanced Galley Operations modules start every week. Certified Chief Cook/Chief Steward classes start every other week beginning April 2, 2007. Recertification Bosun April 9 October 8 May 7 November 5 Steward July 9 August 6 Engine Upgrading Courses Course Start Date Date of Completion Basic Auxiliary Plant Ops May 21 July 16 September 10 June 15 August 10 October 5 FOWT April 23 June 18 August 13 October 8 May 18 July 13 September 7 November 2 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. UPGRADING APPLICATION Name ________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Telephone _________________________ Date of Birth ______________________ With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twentyfive (125) 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. BEGIN DATE COURSE END DATE ____________________________ _______________ _______________ ____________________________ _______________ _______________ ____________________________ _______________ _______________ ____________________________ _______________ _______________ Seniority _____________________________ Department _____________________ ____________________________ _______________ _______________ U.S. Citizen: ____________________________ _______________ _______________ Deep Sea Member Lakes Member Inland Waters Member If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be processed. Social Security # ______________________ Book # _________________________ Yes No Home Port _____________________________ Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _____________________________________ LAST VESSEL: _____________________________________ Rating: ___________ _____________________________________________________________________ Date On: ___________________________ Date Off: ________________________ Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program? Yes No If yes, class # __________________________________________________________ Yes Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses? 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 ________________________________________________ April 2007 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. 4/07 Seafarers LOG 21 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24x:1545p0 3/27/2007 3:13 PM Page 22 Paul Hall Center Classes AB — Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 683 — Graduating from the water survival course are unlicensed apprentices from class 683. They include (in alphabetical order) Fernando Abuan, Francis Brown, Ja’Quaral Carroll, Lawrence Cormier, Peter Dudoit III, Timothy Foster, Andrew Fung, Dominic Gordon, Quince Harrington, Paul Hart, Edward Kelly, Joel Marcano-Lopez Sr., Terrell McMillian, Hussein Mohsen, Renard Murphy, Charles Naze, Tashara Newton, Johnnie Owens Jr., Rodney Payne, Kenneth Sumner, Bradley Wade, Teena Werner, Lee Weygandt and Phillip Ziegert. (Note: not all are pictured.) Receiving certificates for completion of the AB course Feb. 16 are (in no specific order) David Anderson, Shawana Mills, Stephen McGruder, Jeffry Cesvet, Jesse Willard, Thomas Jarrett, Richard Moore, Jeremy Finley, Timothy Kauble, Christopher Vincenzo, Patrick Tucker, Wayne Altoonian, Richard Kight, Brendan O’Brien, John Galatioto, Christopher Bryant, Ryan Scott and Annie Walker. Their instructor, Bernabe Pelingon, is at far right. Advanced Fire Fighting — Government Vessels — Upgrading Seafarers who completed the government vessels course Feb. 23 are (in no specific order) James Callahan, William Burdette, Juan Bernal-Helices, Dorkucho Tanihu, Towfiek Ahmed, Glenn Davis, Patrick Tucker, Richard Moore and Pete Hernandez. Their instructor (not pictured) was Mark Cates. Academic — Rahul Bagchi recently completed two collegelevel courses at the Piney Point school: College mathematics II (Math 102) and American government (POL 101). Bagchi, who ships in the engine department, is the recipient of the 2006 SIU threeyear college scholarship. He has been accepted by the State University of New York Maritime College in the Facilities (Stationary) Engineering Program and expects to start school in New York in the fall. We wish him the best of luck in using this scholarship to further his maritime career. With him in the photo are instructors Peggy Densford (left) and Rick Prucha. Graduating from the advanced fire fighting course Feb. 16 are (in no specific order) Robert Kirk, Cameron Miller, Joseph Murphy, Milton Walters, Anthony Pacely Jr. and Shawn Waring. Their instructor (not pictured) was Mark Cates. Welding — Under the instruction of Buzzy Andrews (center, back row) are March 2 graduates (in alphabetical order) Jaime Colon, Abdulwali Eljahmi, Jason Femminineo, Joseph Krajnik, Yaser Mohamed, Timothy Reiman and Michael Sinclair. Computer Lab Classes With instructor Rick Prucha, standing in each photo, are students who recently completed computer classes at the Paul Hall Center. Showing their certificates of achievement are (from left) Seafarers Domingo Leon Jr.; Rahul Bagchi and Steve McGruder; and unlicensed apprentice Andres Nunez. 22 Seafarers LOG April 2007 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24x:1545p0 3/27/2007 3:13 PM Page 23 Paul Hall Center Classes Coastal Navigation — Students in the Mates Program recently completed coastal navigation as well as the cargo handling and the stability courses. They are (in no specific order) Adam Emanuel, Robert Stone, Philip Wright, David Lane II, Darrel Konce, Clyde McNatt, Joey Lupton, Jay Templet, Scott Chew, Kesse Kesse and James Raney. Their instructor, Mike Smith, is at far right. Tankerman (PIC) Barge — With instructor Herb Walling (back row, second from right) are Feb. 23 graduates of the tankerman (PIC) barge course. Included are (in no specific order) Lawrence Lewis, Robert Sandman, Owen Gallagher, Joel Patzer, Christopher Vincenzo, Shawn Waring, Roy Carey, Grant Fedukovich, Donald Autery and Reynaldo Bangcob. Specially Trained OS — Two STOS classes that graduated Feb. 23 are pictured here. They include (in alphabetical order) Abdo Ahmed, Paul Amato, Brian Awde, Justin Beal, Cameron Benson, Ja’Quaral Carroll, Lawrence Cormier, William Cruz, Pedro DeJesus, Jarrod Fluitt, Philip Gallagher, Clayton Lupton, James Luttrell, Ryan McElroy, Renard Murphy, Sadeq Nasser, Johnnie Owens Jr., Rolando Salamat, Terrance Shinn, Stefra Strauser, Steven Szymanski, Eric Thomas, Teena Werner, Jake Wheeler and Phillip Ziegert. Their instructors were Stacey Harris (fourth from right) and Stan Beck (far right). Tanker Familiarization/Assistant Cargo (DL) — Upgrading Seafarers who completed this course Feb. 23 are (in no specific order) John Groom, Gary Hirsch, Jeffery Martin, Vincent Hamm, Laurent Abad, Mario Ferrer, Arthur Quinney III, Thaddeus Jalvia, Roger Steel, Thomas McClintock and Shane Mackey. Their instructor, Jim Shaffer, is at far right. Lifeboatman/Water Survival — Upgrading ABs who graduated from the lifeboatman/water survival course March 2 are (in no specific order) Kevin Stehlik, Rolando Salamat, James Orlanda, Joselito Beof, Nicasio Arzu, German Guity, Durlas Ruiz, Chris Christensen, James Donohue, Joseph Brown, Fermin Baltazar, Ernest Bohannon, Corsino Dacruz, Jose Garcia, Charles Bennett, Juan Ortiz and Michael Moody. STCW — NCL, March 8: Corrina Grover, James Hackl, Constance Hall, Reshan Hart, William Hildebrandt, Lauren Hollenstein, Orale Hood, Jeffrey Hubert, Arnold Impat, David Ingram, Bryan Iseli, Derric Johnson, Matthew Johnson, Lamar Jordan, Chelsey Key, Jayce Kielich, Jennifer Kliegl, Jessica Laing, Manuel Lazar Jr., Meryl Levine, Gregory Lindesay and Bryan Mash. April 2007 STCW — NCL, March 8: Fazli Azizi, Zachary Balstars, Jan-Ember Bartolome, Ashley Black, Oreatha Bowman, Jaonte Boyd, Leslie Britts, David Brodowski, Marcialyn Camacho, Keiana Carter, Bentley Cherry, Larry Cuestas, Emiliano DeJesus Jr., Corelle DeChane, Sterling Ellis, Mathias Enderle III, Emily Entley, Kimika Frater, Andrea Fusco and Angel Garcia-Edie. Seafarers LOG 23 �41545_P6_8-13_15-17_20-24qxp:2007-March 3/23/2007 2:44 PM Page 24 Volume 69, Number 4 April 2007 Upgrading at the Paul Hall Center Take advantage of the upgrading courses available at the Paul Hall Center. See page 21 for a schedule of upcoming classes. RRF Ship Returns from Middle East Mission Cape Washington Completes Most Recent Deployment in OIF The SIU-crewed Cape Washington, part of the RRF, successfully completed a recent mission supporting American troops in Iraq. Cape Washington QMED/ Electrician Eric Mentzer proudly displays his full union book, which he received last month. T he SIU-crewed Cape Washington recently returned from a deployment supporting U.S. troops in Iraq. The vessel, operated by Crowley Liner Services, arrived in Baltimore in early March. Representatives from the U.S. Maritime Administration came aboard and issued medals and certificates to Seafarers for their service. The Cape Washington is part of the Ready Reserve Force (RRF), a fleet of civilian-crewed ships owned by the Maritime Administration. At least 40 RRF ships have participated in missions supporting U.S. troops in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. A roll-on/roll-off ship, the Cape Washington is 697 feet long, with a beam of 105 feet, 11 inches and a draft of 38 feet. The ship’s speed is listed at 14.9 knots. The vessel has been activated multiple times during Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom. When they aren’t deployed, RRF vessels typically are kept pier-side in reduced operating status, with a skeleton crew on board. The mariners monitor operating systems and help ensure that the ships are ready for smooth acti- AB Mrimri Farah (left) and GVA Michael Alghafeili, like their fellow crew members from the Cape Washington, received U.S. Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medals and corresponding certificates from the U.S. Maritime Administration after finishing the deployment. vation whenever the call is received. Various RRF ships have different activation periods—anywhere from four to 20 days, although they normally are ready to mobilize ahead of schedule. The Cape Washington has a five-day activation period. Upon activation, RRF ships come under the operational control of the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command. The agency notes that RRF vessels “normally are maintained at ports close to potential military load-out sites on U.S. coasts….” In addition to mobilizations for current and recent missions in the Middle East, RRF ships historically have been very active in many types of deployments including humanitarian efforts. Among other voyages, RRF ships—many of them crewed by SIU members—were activated in the 1990s for the Persian Gulf War; for humanitarian efforts in Somalia and Central America; to support United Nations and NATO actions in Bosnia; and for Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti. The photos on this page were taken March 7 in Baltimore. GVA Jaqueline Elsworth Chief Steward McKinley Jones SA Jose Ramos Some of the Seafarers and officers from the Cape Washington are pictured in the crew mess. Right: QMED Justin Van Pelt QMED George Murphy � 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 April 2007 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES TSA PUBLISHES TWIC FEES RANK-AND-FILE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE APPROVES UNION’S RECORDS FOR 2006 U.S. FLEET’S IMPORTANCE, LABOR’S VITALITY IN FOCUS AT MTD MEETINGS GOOD NEWS COMES IN THREES: OSG ORDERS JONES ACT ATBS POWELL, WARE APPOINTED TO SIU ASSISTANT VP SLOTS SIU’S VINCENZO APPOINTED TO STATE LABOR COMMITTEE SIU-CREWED PAGE HONORED RETIRED MATSON PRESIDENT MULHOLLAND DIES AT 65 HOUSE PASSES EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT CHAOTIC RUNAWAY-FLAG SAGA REINFORCES ITF’S EFFECTIVENESS TRAINING DIRECTOR EGLINTON RETIRES DUTIES GREATLY EVOLVED DURING 34 YEARS IN PINEY POINT SCHOOL ADDS LIQUEFIED GAS SIMULATOR SIU STEWARDS’ RECIPE FOR SUCCESS FEATURES HARD WORK, PERSISTENCE GOVERNMENT SERVICES DIVISION STATES CASE IN HOTEL DISPUTE RETIRED NMU PRESIDENT SHANNON WALL DIES AT 87 USNS ERICSSON CIVMARS EARN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD MARITIME LABOR MOURNS LOSS OF TAL SIMPKINS USNS SHUGART DELIVERS EXPERIMENTAL NAVY SHIP RECOLLECTIONS OF THE MERCHANT MARINE IN WORLD WAR II MTD EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MILITARY LEADERS: U.S. MARINERS CRUCIAL TO DEFENSE CAPABILITIES GEN. SCHWARTZ, LT. GEN. DAIL REAFFIRM VALUE OF U.S.-FLAG FLEET CONGRESSIONAL REPS POINT TO FREE CHOICE ACT, 2006 ELECTIONS AS PROOF OF LABORS’ VITALITY MARITIME ADMINISTRATOR DISCUSSES AGENCY REORGANIZATION, NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR U.S. SEAFARERS TRUMKA: POLITICAL ACTION VITAL FOR WORKERS LCA PRESIDENT URGES GOVERNMENT ACTION ON LAKES DREDGING CRISIS WORLD WAR II LIBERTY SHIP TO SET SAIL IN AUGUST RRF SHIP RETURNS FROM MIDDLE EAST MISSION 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 04/01/2007 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. 69, No. 4 2007 Periodicals Seafarers Log