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NOVEMBER 2020
VOLUME 82, NO. 11
O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E S E A F A R E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L U N I O N AT L A N T I C , G U L F, L A K E S A N D I N L A N D W AT E R S , A F L- C I O
Safe Operation
Paul Hall Center Maintains Momentum After Reopening
Thanks to extensive precautions
and teamwork, the SIU-affiliated
school in Piney Point, Maryland,
has enjoyed a safe and successful run since reopening in early
August. Above, mask-wearing
apprentices march across campus of the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education on Oct. 14. Other photos
show some signage along with
a free-standing, no-contact thermometer and hand-sanitizing
station. Page 3.
Support for Jones Act
Page 5
SIU Election Info.
Page 6
Flu-Shot Notice
Page 9
�President’s Report
Success in Piney Point
The successful reopening of our affiliated school in Piney
Point, Maryland, is a great example of hard work, teamwork
and dedication paying dividends. From a distance, it may look
easy, but it took a substantial amount of planning and ongoing
commitment to get the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training
and Education back up and running a few months ago. Read
about it elsewhere in this edition of the LOG.
Credit goes to our school officials and staff members – and
especially to the students, who’ve respected the unique circumstances. You’ve made all the difference and while everyone
understands there are no guarantees with this pandemic, I know
that everything reasonably possible is being done to ensure that
the school stays open and safe.
It’s crucial that the Paul Hall Center remains available to
offer upgrading opportunities and entry-level training to mariners who sail under the Stars-n-Stripes. Our industry is vital to
U.S. national, economic and homeland security, which is why
our members are deemed “essential workers.” Caution and circumstances basically demanded that the school close for a few
months this summer, but with the right safety protocols having
benn put in place, it was time to reopen.
To everyone at the school, keep up the good work and remember that even though we’re all tired of the pandemic, it
will end.
Jones Act Support
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the
Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which included a
key amendment emphasizing the enforcement of the Jones Act.
Introduced by maritime stalwart Rep. John Garamendi (DCalifornia), the provision helps ensure protection of America’s
freight cabotage law in potential new areas of work.
There is an ongoing misinformation campaign attacking
the Jones Act, but the facts are that this law has looked out for
our country’s bests interests for a century. It helps maintain
hundreds of thousands of American jobs. It contributes billions of dollars to our economy each year. It helps safeguard
our ports and waterways. In short, it does exactly what it was
meant to do, which is why it consistently enjoys bipartisan
backing.
Thanksgiving in a Different Light
One of the documented (and very weird) effects of the lifestyle changes brought about because of precautions taken due
to the novel coronavirus is that it sometimes causes one day or
week or month to feel indistinguishable from another. However, you are not misreading the sentiment when I wish every
Seafarer and SIU retiree and your families a Happy Thanksgiving. (Yes, it really is November.)
Maybe the only good offshoot of the pandemic is that it
sometimes has given people more chances to spend time with
their families. That’s not always the case for Seafarers, who’ve
kept working throughout the year, but I hope those of you who
are home for the holidays get to appreciate your loved ones.
For those of you at sea, thank you for your dedication.
I also extend my sincerest wishes for a happy, safe and
healthy holiday to our armed forces and their families. The entire SIU appreciates your service and we’re proud to stand (and
sail) with you as part of America’s fourth arm of defense.
Thousands of Mariners Stuck at Sea
As Crew Change Crisis Continues
Some 400,000 foreign mariners from across the
globe are stranded on ships, continuing to work but
unable to be relieved, in a deepening crew change
crisis which threatens trade and maritime safety, according to the International Maritime Organization
(IMO).
SIU officials, in particular Secretary-Treasurer
David Heindel, continue working closely with the
IMO, the International Labor Organization (ILO)
and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to find an effective solution to this everexpanding crisis which has worldwide implications.
(Heindel chairs the ITF Seafarers’ Section.) They
are doing so in partnership with the International
Chamber of Shipping.
“It is not acceptable that some countries have
withdrawn shore leave for seafarers or began restricting the number of people allowed to enter their
borders each day,” Heindel recently stated. “Those
countries that rely on maritime trade, like Australia
and Russia, must start pulling their weight on this
issue.”
During a Sept. 24 high-level event during the
United Nations General Assembly (UN), Capt.
Hedi Marzougui, who was in command of a vessel between Dec. 2019 and May 2020, appealed to
governments to take action allowing mariners to
come home.
“Not knowing when or if we will be returning
home brings a severe mental toll on my crew and
myself,” Marzougui said. “I would encourage each
and every one of you to think of how you would
feel, if you had to work every day, for 12 hours,
with no weekends, without seeing your loved ones,
and trapped at sea. Now add that you have to do
that with no idea of when you will be repatriated.”
The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on travel
and transit have severely impacted on seafarers.
Despite multiple pleas to governments to designate
them as essential key workers and to facilitate their
travel, the number of foreign mariners whose contracts have been extended by several months continues to increase. Some crews have now been at
sea for 17 months without a break, well beyond the
11-month limit set out in the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC). Besides the 400,000 seafarers stuck
at sea, another 400,000 are unable to join ships, the
IMO reported.
This threatens the fundamentals of ship safety
standards which the IMO has worked to develop
over six decades, IMO Secretary-General Kitack
Lim told participants in the recent online event,
which brought together leaders from major global
businesses, the maritime industry, government, the
UN and labor unions.
“Overly fatigued and mentally exhausted seafarers are being asked to continue to operate ships,”
Lim said. “On more than 60,000 cargo ships which
continue to deliver vital goods, foods and medicines, ship safety is hanging in the balance, just
as seafarers’ lives are being made impossible. The
safety of navigation is in peril.”
Lim restated his plea to governments: “Action
is needed – and is needed now. We all depend on
seafarers. They should not be the collateral victims
in this pandemic. Seafarers deliver for us – and now
we need to deliver for them.”
In a statement read aloud during the event, to
mark World Maritime Day 2020, UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres reiterated his concern
for stranded mariners. He renewed his appeal to
governments “to address their plight by formally
designating seafarers and other marine personnel
as ‘key workers,’ ensuring safe crew changes and
implementing the protocols developed by UN agencies, as well as the International Chamber of Shipping and the ITF, allowing stranded seafarers to be
repatriated and others to join ships.”
In a letter issued to the UN Secretary General,
the CEOs of 30 Consumer Goods Forum companies, including Unilever and Danone, have called
on governments to designate seafarers as “key
workers” and raised strong human rights concerns,
stating in part that “the situation has also inadvertently created a modern form of forced labor.”
Unilever’s Chief Supply Chain Officer Marc
Engel said COVID-safe crew changes were needed
without delay. “When the ships stop, so does everything else. We are now close to an entirely avoidable breaking point which could ripple out through
the economy. Even a temporary interruption could
push companies and countries over the edge,” he
said.
Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and executive director of
the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, encouraged businesses
to call on governments to end labor abuses that seafarers are suffering, noting that the Ten Principles
of the UN Global Compact represent pillars of
responsible business which “are connected to the
humanitarian, economic and safety crisis unfolding
on our seas.”
Both Guy Platten, secretary-general of the International Chamber of Shipping and Stephen Cotton,
general secretary of the ITF called on governments
to intervene to end the crew change crisis, warning the numbers of seafarers impacted would only
continue to increase without coordinated action by
governments.
ILO Director General Guy Ryder called on governments to implement urgent and pragmatic solutions that fully respect seafarers’ rights. “Seafarers
are exhausted and simply cannot continue working
on board indefinitely,” Ryder said.
Transport and maritime ministers from Canada,
France, Kenya, Panama and the Philippines also
addressed the virtual event. They urged other governments to join them in designating seafarers as
essential workers, implementing measures for safe
crew changes and facilitating COVID-safe transit
for mariners.
The meeting was convened by the UN Global
Compact, the International Maritime Organization
and the International Labor Organization, in collaboration with the International Chamber of Shipping and the ITF.
O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E S E A F A R E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L U N I O N AT L A N T I C , G U L F, L A K E S A N D I N L A N D W AT E R S , A F L- C I O
Volume 82 Number 11
November 2020
The SIU online: www.seafarers.org
The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the
Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters,
AFL-CIO; 5201 Capital Gateway Drive; Camp Springs, MD 20746.
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2 Seafarers LOG
Foreign mariners around the world have struggled to get reliefs.
November 2020
�Students and instructors quickly adapted to the school’s updated safety protocols. Above, upgraders study meteorology. At bottom left, mariners examine equipment at the fire
fighting campus. Below right, steward department upgraders hone their craft.
Planning, Teamwork Result in Successful Reopening
Paul Hall Center Safely Navigates Unprecedented Challenges
Virtually no part of life in 2020 has been
spared from the ongoing uncertainties stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the
SIU-affiliated school in Piney Point, Maryland, is no exception.
Nevertheless, the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education (PHC) successfully reopened in early August and, as of
mid-October, was operating without a single
case of the novel coronavirus reported among
any students or staff.
The global pandemic ensures that every
strategy nowadays comes with caveats, but
the school is succeeding thanks to a combination of exhaustive planning, teamwork and
commitment.
“We had more staff meetings here from
May to August than in the prior three years
combined,” said Tom Orzechowski, PHC
acting vice president. (The school was closed
for most of the summer.) “We’re bringing in
students from all over the country, and some
of them are getting off ships that have been all
over the world. So, we spent a lot of time refining plans to reopen as safely and pragmatically as possible.”
PHC Director of Vocational Training
Priscilla Labanowski said that all concerned
deserve credit, but she’s particularly appreciative of how the upgraders and apprentices
have adapted to the safety protocols.
“The students have been very understanding and cooperative. They’ve actually been
phenomenal,” she said.
Orzechowski said “buy-in” has been the
key ingredient for the smooth reopening. “People understand it’s serious, and the mariners
have behaved as true professionals,” he stated.
Students and instructors interviewed for
this article all said they feel safe at the school.
They were candid about the inconveniences
associated with the safety protocols, but all
stated that such adjustments are simply part of
the 2020 landscape.
The list of changes isn’t short. The PHC
is operating at around 50 percent student
capacity, and the upgraders and apprentices
November 2020
aren’t permitted to leave campus. They’re
also required to self-quarantine for two
weeks prior to travelling to Piney Point.
Meal times have been staggered, and there’s
a three-person limit at each cafeteria table.
Masks are mandatory throughout the campus
and classrooms; hand-sanitizing stations
and social-distance markings are prevalent.
No-touch thermometers also are stationed
throughout the school. Class times also are
staggered. Staff members regularly and extensively clean all classrooms, common areas
and equipment.
“I can’t say it’s fun being restricted to the
base, but it’s not like there’s anything to really
go and do outside,” said AB David Brusco,
who is upgrading to third mate. “I feel safe.
My advice to anyone coming to the school
is, bring entertainment. Bring a computer,
bring movies, bring a gaming console. Also
enjoy the exercise room” (which is open with
capacity limits).
Winding Down
Reopening was a sizeable task, but
Orzechowski pointed out that “winding down
is also part of the story.”
The school was packed with apprentices
and upgraders when the pandemic struck
early in 2020. Those students were given the
option to leave school without any penalty,
or stay and finish their respective classes.
Around that same time, the PHC cancelled
the remaining schedule for the year (new
courses were added later).
Labanowski said the school is still working with students who’d started classes before
the pandemic, in order to help them complete
the coursework. She also noted that PHC has
instituted some online-learning components
that help reduce classroom time, and commended the Coast Guard’s National Maritime
Center for being very timely when reviewing
and approving the modified curriculum.
RJ Johnson, a steward department instructor, thinks the protocols are working.
“Everything’s good,” he said. “I feel safe
because of all the stuff we did to get everybody here. We’ve done all the protocols,
above and beyond what the health department
wanted. We’ve got our guidelines and I’m
happy with it.”
He said the students seem to feel comfortable, and they’re consistently conscientious
about “wearing a mask and social distancing
when we can. We have an added sense of
responsibility as instructors but we’re still
teaching, and it’s a good relationship between
the students and staff.”
Deck instructor Peter Luhn said wearing a
mask “is the only difference I feel. We’re taking precautions and I feel safe. The students
aren’t allowed to leave the campus and the instructors are following our protocols. Nobody
wants to be out of work, so I don’t think anyone’s taking chances to bring the coronavirus
in. I think the whole staff is doing what needs
to be done.”
He added that many students seem to have
developed camaraderie as they face the challenges together.
“We’re trying to make the best of the situation and I think it’s running smoothly,” Luhn
said.
Bill Dodd, an engine department instructor, said there was adjustment period at first
both among students and staff, but people
quickly adapted.
“This is my first time having to teach with
a mask and/or face shield, and it was kind of
disorienting,” he recalled. “But I understand
the policies, and it’s still conducive to learning
and being able to get the information across to
the students…. I’ve always felt safe.”
No Hesitation
SA Keshyra Brinkley originally was supposed to take the galley operations course in
July. She’s sensitive to the pandemic’s seriousness, but didn’t waver about travelling to
Piney Point at the next chance.
“As soon as the school opened, I immediately took the opportunity,” she said. “I need
this class. I wear my mask and try to keep my
distance, but at the same time try to be handson and learn. I want to give people their personal space, and I do feel safe.”
Bosun Diego Barbosa (like his classmate
Brusco) had been at the school in February,
upgrading to third mate.
He said the biggest differences upon returning to campus include “not being able
to have your family come and visit and not
being able to leave the campus. But I follow
the rules and try to comply with whatever
needs to be done. I feel very safe.”
He added this advice to future upgraders:
“The mail system is your best bet in getting
goods delivered. That’s your lifeline.”
Looking Ahead
Orzechowski said the safety protocols will
remain in place at least through the end of this
year (likely longer).
“We’re currently discussing what next
year’s schedule will look like, based on
membership and industry needs,” he said.
“We’ll always proceed with safety and caution, and be ready to react to what may be a
second wave of this virus or any other type of
outbreak. Right now, we’re doing well. We’d
like to keep it that way but we have protocols
ready in case anything happens.”
He also reiterated his appreciation for how
Seafarers have adapted to the “new normal.”
“The membership has responded as true
professionals and in outstanding fashion,”
Orzechowski said. “They understand the
sanctity of the campus, what upgrading
means to them and to the industry. The companies are respectful of that, also. We have a
need to train mariners and a responsibility to
crew ships, plus a responsibility to offer opportunities to train and increase their earning
potential.”
Finally, there’s the question asked by
many: What about Mooney’s Pub, a Piney
Point staple?
Orzechowski replied, “We’ve limited time
and created additional space. People can still
be social but respect space and health.”
Seafarers LOG 3
�Safety directors log on for a virtual meeting.
SIU Safety Team Meets for Virtual Summit
Every year, SIU Safety Directors and
other team members from various ports
gather to share knowledge and experience, as well as receive information
about the latest safety trends and regulations from SIU and Paul Hall Center
officials. This year, however, the safety
team met virtually, through three days of
video conferences with subject matter
experts, members of the SIU Executive
Board and other presenters.
The safety team included Ben Anderson (from the port of Tacoma, Washington), Amber Akana (Honolulu), Osvaldo
Ramos (Jersey City, New Jersey),
Andre MacCray (Philadelphia), Kevin
Marchand (Fort Lauderdale, Florida),
Kevin Sykes (Houston), Gerret Jarman
(Algonac, Michigan), Joseph Koncul
(Jacksonville, Florida), Nick Marrone
II (Oakland, California), Shane Sterry
(Baltimore), Anthony Houston (Norfolk,
Virginia), James Brown (New Orleans)
and Gordon Godel (Wilmington, California).
Topics covered included SIU election
information, COVID-19 policies, and
updates to the curriculum and recruiting
efforts of the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and Education (PHC). The meetings would ordinarily be conducted at the PHC, but due
to current health concerns, every member of the safety team joined the video
conference from their respective hiring
hall offices – or their own homes.
Presentations were led by SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel, Vice President of Contracts George Tricker, Vice
President Great Lakes and PHC Acting
Vice President Tom Orzechowski, Vocational Director Wayne Johnson Jr.,
Seafarers Plans Administrator Maggie
Bowen, PHC Vice President Bart Rogers, and SIU Plans Medical Director Dr.
Eric Shaub.
Orzechowski, who acted as this year’s
virtual host, said, “Although we’re used
to seeing each other face to face for these
conferences, with the current national
health crisis, we decided to meet virtually.
I was very pleased with the digital platform, as well as the level of participation
from the members of the safety team.”
Orzechowski also praised the safety
directors and added, “We covered everything virtually that we would have covered in person. That said, we do hope we
will be able to hold next year’s meeting
in person.”
“I thought it went well,’ said Johnson. “In our current situation, I think
we adapted and overcame the techni-
cal challenges in order to have the best
possible meetings. I think we delivered
some useful information, and I think we
got some good feedback and meaningful
discussions out of it. Overall, I think it
went as well as we could have hoped.”
MacCray said, “It was a little different this year, obviously, but I think
it was a good experience. It was nice
being able to go home at the end of the
day, as opposed to having to travel for
the meetings. Overall, I don’t think it
ended up being much different than it
would have been in person. We all still
came away with new and useful information, and I think the whole thing went
very smoothly. I think everyone, especially Wayne (Johnson), did a great job
in adapting to the new way we had to do
business. Hopefully we can get back to
business as usual soon.”
Maersk Achieves
Safety Milestone
SIU-contracted Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) recently celebrated a significant safety milestone.
As of Sept. 12, 2020, the company’s entire internationally trading “blue” fleet had gone 12 months without a single lost-time incident (defined as necessitating
an injured mariner to miss a day’s work for recovery).
“This is a major achievement and credit goes to all
concerned,” stated SIU Executive Vice President Augie
Tellez. “I’m especially proud of our SIU crews, of
course, and would point out that this is the result of a
sustained partnership focused on creating an effective
safety culture. We’ve all worked together to make it a
reality.”
MLL announced the milestone as part of its annual
“Global Safety Day.” In a related communication to
the vessels, MLL Vice President Ed Hanley noted, “We
greatly appreciate and applaud the authentic safety leadership and robust safety culture you have established on
board, enabling such a momentous achievement…. On
behalf of your shore-side support teams, congratulations
and thank you!”
4 Seafarers LOG
SIU members (including those aboard the Maersk Kensington) played a big role in helping vessel operator Maersk
Line, Limited maintain safe operations leading up to a Sept. 12 benchmark.
MLL President and CEO Bill Woodhour stated,
“Congratulations to all on reaching this milestone. It
is truly impressive and rewarding as it means every-
one ends the day in as good of shape as they started it.
Knock on some wood, and let’s see how we can add
another year to this!”
November 2020
�House Passes ‘Clean Economy Jobs’ Bill
Legislation Includes Jones Act Enforcement Provisions
A new bill passed in late September
by the U.S. House of Representatives includes a key amendment supporting America’s freight cabotage law.
The amendment supporting the Jones
Act was introduced by U.S. Rep. John
Garamendi (D-California) to the Clean
Economy Jobs and Innovation Act (H.R.
4447). The House on Sept. 24 passed the
bill, 220-185.
According to news reports, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
is backing a similar bill in that chamber
and hopes to conference it with the House
bill after Election Day – though almost
any current legislation faces an uncertain
future.
There is no doubt Garamendi continues
to stand up for the U.S. Merchant Marine,
as seen once again in his amendment,
which clarifies that the Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act, a 1953 law governing
offshore mineral and energy development,
applies to lease sales for non-fossil fuel en-
ergy sources such as wind power, hydrokinetic, or ocean thermal energy conversion.
The amendment will enforce Jones Act
requirements for all offshore renewable
energy production and strengthen our domestic maritime industry.
“Offshore wind development will play
a critical role in our nation’s transition to a
clean energy economy,” Garamendi said.
“Demand for offshore wind development
in federal waters is strong, and Congress
must act to ensure this burgeoning industry abides by federal laws and regulations
including the Jones Act so we have the
strongest possible labor and environmental protections.
“My common-sense amendment simply
clarifies that all existing requirements that
govern offshore oil and natural gas extraction also apply to renewables,” he added.
“This will enable our domestic maritime
industry to support the renewable energy
industry and provide a critical economic
stimulus for our nation.”
The congressman further noted that the
Jones Act supports approximately 650,000
American jobs while contributing almost
$100 billion in yearly economic impact.
The 100-year-old law, considered a staple
of U.S. national, economic and homeland
security, requires that cargo moving between domestic ports be carried on vessels
that are built, crewed, flagged and owned
American.
Garamendi also stated, “I commend
Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-California), chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and
Mineral Resources, for his support as the
amendment’s cosponsor and Energy and
Commerce Committee Chairman Frank
Pallone’s (D-New Jersey) leadership in
crafting the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act.”
Garamendi served as Deputy Secretary
of the Interior during the Clinton Administration and was the top Democrat on
the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard
and Maritime Transportation from 20132018.
U.S. Rep. John Garamendi
(D-California)
U.S. Rep Wittman Shares View:
‘America is a Maritime Nation’
Congress Expresses Strong
Bipartisan Support For Creation
Of U.S. Tanker Security Fleet
Longtime maritime backer U.S. Rep. Rob Witt- and an aggressive maritime militia with over 100
man (R-Virginia) recently penned an op-ed urging purpose-built ships,” Wittman wrote. “The Chinese
the reinvigoration of the nation’s maritime capa- Communist Party has used this naval advantage to
destabilize the Indo-Pacific area, intimidating rebilities.
While most of the congressman’s writing focused gional nations and militarizing the South China Sea
on the U.S. Navy, he also said, “America must re- in violation of international law.
“Perhaps even more alarming than the rapid
member its role as the world’s preeminent maritime
nation, and reinvigorate not just our Navy and Ma- modernization and expansion of the Chinese Navy
rine Corps but our shipbuilding and maritime indus- are the advances of the Chinese shipbuilding industry,” he added. “The DOD report notes that ‘China
tries. Our country’s future depends upon it.”
The piece ran under the headline, “America is is the top ship-producing nation in the world by
a maritime nation, and we need to start acting like tonnage and is increasing its shipbuilding capacity
and capability for all naval classes.’ In the event of
it.”
Wittman, who is the ranking member on the a conflict with China, there is an increasing probability that China would be
Seapower and Projection
able to repair and build both
Forces Subcommittee in the
commercial and naval ships at
House, began, “The United
a pace that would far outpace
States has always been a marithe United States. America is
time nation. It is the foundation
simply no longer positioned
of our economy and security.
to be the ‘arsenal of democStrategists from Thucydides to
racy.’”
Mahan reveal a timeless truth –
The congressman believes,
that a prosperous and enduring
however, that American milimaritime nation depends on
tary leaders “are starting to
an intertwined combination of
wake up to this stark new rerobust commercial access, inality. Last week, Secretary of
ternational relations and naval
Defense Mark Esper commitpower.”
ted to significant increases in
He continued, “These elespending for Navy shipbuildments of national power have
ing and readiness. This is an
only grown more essential in
important step, but it should
our globally connected, modern
be just the beginning.”
world. Since the end of World
Earlier this year, Wittman
War II, American naval power
circulated an article he wrote
has been the guarantor of free
calling for revitalizing and
global commerce, the engine
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman
maintaining the U.S. Ready
that drives the modern econ(R-Virginia)
Reserve Force (RRF), in adomy. Unfortunately, the United
dition to taking other steps to
States is slowly ceding its role
boost U.S.-flag sealift.
as the leader for freedom of the
In that article, Wittman pointed out, “Comseas and global commerce. If dramatic action is not
taken, we risk surrendering the sea and the modern pounding the problem of inadequate numbers,
economy to an authoritarian regime whose disdain many ships in our logistics fleet are already past
for freedom and international norms could become due for replacement. The average age of the ships
in the Ready Reserve Force, which constitute the
the defining characteristic of the 21st century.”
Wittman then pointed to a U.S. Department of majority of our nation’s surge sealift capability, is
Defense (DOD) report to Congress on Chinese 45 years. That is more than double the age at which
military developments. The report’s conclusions most commercial cargo ships are retired and the
fleet is showing its age…. While the Department
“should alarm our nation and its allies,” he said.
In particular, the DOD noted that People’s Re- of Defense is investing heavily in technology to
public of China boasts the world’s largest navy (ap- compete in a new era of great power competition, it
proximately 350 ships and submarines). The U.S. has given short shrift to its ability to transport and
Navy’s battle force was below 300 ships as of early sustain forces. Our continued lack of investment in
logistics will reduce the effectiveness of our mari2020, according to the report.
“In addition to the world’s largest navy, China time forces in combat but, more worrying, is the
also has a Coast Guard with over 130 patrols ships debilitating effect it will have on our land forces.”
The conference agreement for the Fiscal Year 2021 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) almost certainly won’t be
finalized until after Election Day, but dozens of members of
Congress have spoken out for the completed bill to include provisions for a new U.S. Tanker Security Program.
Such an arrangement would be similar to the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP), which ensures availability of
American-flagged, U.S.-crewed dry cargo ships to our armed
forces in times of need. U.S. military leaders in recent years
have expressed a pressing need for access to Americanflagged tankers.
With that in mind, 34 members of Congress in mid-September sent a bipartisan letter to Chairman of the Senate
Armed Services Committee James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed
(D-Rhode Island), Chairman of the House Armed Services
Committee Adam Smith (D-Washington), and House Armed
Services Committee Ranking Member Mac Thornberry (RTexas).
“As you work to finalize a conference agreement on the
NDAA, we write to convey our strong support for retaining
section 3511 of H.R. 6395, the William M. Thornberry National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021,” they wrote.
“This provision would authorize the establishment of a tanker
security program comprised of ten privately owned, militarily
useful U.S.-flag product tankers crewed by licensed and unlicensed American merchant mariners.
“We are deeply concerned about the decline in the number of militarily useful commercial vessels operating under
the U.S. flag and, consequently, in the number of trained and
qualified American merchant mariners available to crew the
vessels needed by the Department of Defense to protect America’s interests and to support American troops deployed around
the world,” the letter continued. “A tanker security program
as passed in H.R. 6395 would begin to rectify this situation,
adding additional commercial vessels to the U.S.-flag fleet and
creating new jobs for American mariners. This program, modeled after the successful and cost-efficient Maritime Security
Program, represents an important maritime policy initiative not
only for the maritime workforce but for our nation’s commercial sealift readiness capability.”
The writers pointed out that Lt. Gen. John Broadmeadow (USMC), while serving last year as deputy commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, told Congress
“a 10-tanker program will be a welcome start to begin
to address the gap in U.S.-flagged bulk fuel delivery.”
The September letter concluded, “Establishing a tanker security
fleet would begin to reduce our military’s reliance on foreignflag vessels by ensuring that a greater portion of the fuel needed
by the Department of Defense is transported by American mariners on U.S.-flag vessels. It would not promote or expand the
production of petroleum products but would instead begin to
end America’s almost total reliance on foreign flag-of-convenience vessels to meet the energy needs of the Department of
Defense at sea and around the world.”
November 2020
Seafarers LOG 5
�Voting for 2020 Union Election Began Nov. 1
Voting started Nov. 1 for the election
of officers for the Seafarers International
Union Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland
Waters. SIU members will be able to cast
secret ballots at union halls or by mail
through Dec. 31, 2020.
Seafarers eligible to vote in this election
to determine union officials for the 20212024 term are full-book members in good
standing. This eligibility criteria is spelled
out in the union’s governing document, the
constitution. Additionally, and as previously reported, while the constitution itself
has not been modified, some of the procedures for the election have been adjusted
due to the pandemic. Those changes are
aimed at facilitating participation and promoting safety. They were approved first by
the SIU Executive Board and subsequently
by rank-and-file Seafarers during the September membership meetings.
The ballot lists the names of all qualified candidates as determined by the credentials committee, a group made up of six
rank-and-file Seafarers who reviewed the
nominating petitions of all SIU members
seeking office in this district-wide election. A sample of this ballot was published
in last month’s LOG. The credentials committee report, which was prepared Aug. 17
and submitted to the membership at the
September monthly meetings, indicated
27 candidates had qualified to run for 25
positions. (The committee’s report was
published in the September 2020 Seafarers
LOG.) Subsequently, the union determined that 27 candidates were qualified.
This finding was approved by rank-andfile voting at the September membership
meetings.
The 25 posts for which Seafarers will
cast their ballots are president, executive
vice president, secretary-treasurer, six vice
presidents, six assistant vice presidents and
10 port agents.
20 Polling Places
The election is being conducted by mail
ballot as provided by the union’s constitution. Secret ballots, accompanied by envelopes marked “Ballot” and postage-paid
envelopes printed with the address of the
bank depository where the ballots are kept
until submitted to the tallying committee,
will be available to full-book members in
good standing at 20 union halls around
the country. (See list of voting locations
on this page.) Again because of the pandemic, significant efforts also will be made
to bring ballots to SIU-crewed ships when-
Union Constitution Has Provision
Which Allows Eligible Members
To Vote Using Absentee Ballots
Elections for the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes
and Inland Waters started Nov. 1.
As previously reported, the SIU Constitution provides that eligible members can vote
by absentee ballot if they are on a vessel or in
a hospital during the voting period. However,
following recent actions by the union’s executive board as well as rank-and-file members,
for this election, anyone desiring to vote by
absentee ballot may do so.
The constitution specifies that absenteeballot requests should be made by registered
or certified mail; but, for this election, such
requests may be sent by regular mail (which
won’t require members to leave their homes
to go to a post office).
If, however, any member sends a request
for an absentee ballot by regular mail, that
member is asked to wait five or more days
to allow the request to be delivered, and then
call the office of SIU Secretary-Treasurer
David Heindel to verify the request has been
received.
Procedures are established in the SIU constitution to safeguard the secret-ballot election, including the absentee ballot process.
Here is the procedure to follow when requesting an absentee ballot:
1. Make the request in writing to the SIU
office of the secretary-treasurer, 5201 Capital
Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746.
2. Include in the request the correct ad-
6 Seafarers LOG
dress where the absentee ballot should be
mailed.
3. Send the request for an absentee ballot.
4. The request must be received at headquarters by 12 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2020.
5. The secretary-treasurer, after confirming eligibility, will send by registered mail,
return receipt requested, to the address designated in the request, a ballot, together with
an envelope marked “Ballot” and a mailing
envelope. Absentee ballots will be mailed out
as soon as possible after receiving requests.
In no event will an absentee ballot be mailed
out later than Dec. 4.
6. Upon receiving the ballot and envelope, vote by marking the ballot. After voting the ballot, place the ballot in the envelope
marked “Ballot.” Do not write on the “Ballot” envelope.
7. Place the envelope marked “Ballot” in
the mailing envelope which is imprinted with
the mailing address of the bank depository
where all ballots are sent.
8. Sign the mailing envelope on the first
line of the upper left-hand corner. Print
name and book number on the second line.
The mailing envelope is self-addressed and
stamped.
9. The mailing envelope must be postmarked no later than midnight, Dec. 31,
2020 and received by the bank depository
no later than Jan. 5, 2021.
ever reasonably viable.
Eligible Seafarers may pick up their
ballots and envelopes marked “Ballot” and
mailing envelopes at these halls between 9
a.m. and 3 p.m., Mondays through Fridays,
and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, except legal holidays, from Nov. 1 to Dec.
31.
Each member must present his or her
book to the port agent or the agent’s designated representative when receiving the
ballot, the envelope marked “Ballot” and
the mailing envelope. When the Seafarer
receives the ballot and envelopes, his or
her book will be marked with the word
“Voted” and the date.
If a member does not present his or her
book, or if there is a question in regard to his
or her eligibility to vote, the Seafarer will
receive a mailing envelope of a different
color marked with the word “Challenged.”
His or her book will be stamped with the
words “Voted Challenge” and the date.
The SIU Constitution provides for absentee voting procedures that normally only
apply to members who are at sea or have extenuating circumstances during the election
period. This year, however, all Seafarers
eligible to vote in the union’s election may
opt to vote by absentee ballot (see related
information elsewhere on this page).
Full-book members in good standing who prefer to vote by absentee ballot
should direct a request for the ballot to the
union’s secretary-treasurer at SIU headquarters: 5201 Capital Gateway Drive,
Camp Springs, MD 20746. Such requests
must be received at headquarters by 12
p.m. on Dec. 1, 2020.
Secret Ballots
Once the Seafarer has received his or
her ballot and envelopes, he or she marks
the ballot for the candidates of his or her
choice and puts it in the envelope marked
“Ballot.” This envelope is sealed by the
member and then dispatched in the mail
(or given to the port agent or patrolman if
voting aboard ship, though members also
can opt to mail it themselves). These steps
ensure the integrity of the secret ballot process.
The union’s constitution, in Article
XIII, details the procedures for voting in
union elections.
All ballots will be counted by the
rank-and-file committee consisting of
two members elected from each of the
union’s constitutional ports. These committee members will be elected in December. They will convene in early
January 2021.
Notice of 2020 Election
For Election of 2021-2024 Officers
Seafarers International Union of North America
Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes & Inland Waters
Elections will be conducted by secret mail ballot.
Ballots may be obtained at the following locations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (local
time), Mondays through Fridays and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, excluding
holidays, during the voting period. The voting period shall commence Nov. 1, 2020
and shall continue through Dec. 31, 2020.
Voting Locations
ALGONAC
520 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI 48001
ANCHORAGE
721 Sesame Street, Suite 1C, Anchorage, AK 99503
BALTIMORE
2315 Essex St., Baltimore, MD 21224
FT. LAUDERDALE
1221 South Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
GUAM
Cliffline Office Ctr., Suite 103B,
422 West O’Brien Dr., Hagatna, Guam 96910
HONOLULU
606 Kalihi St., Honolulu, HI 96819
HOUSTON
625 N. York St., Houston, TX 77003
JACKSONVILLE
5100 Belfort Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256
JOLIET
10 East Clinton, Joliet, IL 60432
MOBILE
1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy., Mobile, AL 36605
NEW ORLEANS
3911 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058
JERSEY CITY
104 Broadway, Jersey City, NJ 07306
NORFOLK
115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510
OAKLAND
1121 7th St., Oakland, CA 94607
PHILADELPHIA
2604 South Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19148
PINEY POINT
Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship,
Piney Point, MD 20674
PUERTO RICO
659 Hill Side St., Summit Hills
San Juan, PR 00920
ST. LOUIS
4581 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116
TACOMA
3411 South Union St., Tacoma, WA 98409
WILMINGTON
510 North Broad Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744
November 2020
�Rev. David Rider (left) and artist Chad Light stand on either side of the new memorial, which contains a recovered life ring from the El Faro.
TOTE Honors El Faro Crew With Ceremony
Seafarers-contracted TOTE Maritime on Oct. 1,
conducted a “Celebration of Life” ceremony for the
families of the crew of the El Faro tragedy. This year’s
ceremony took place at the park at Dame’s Point in
Jacksonville, Florida, and was livestreamed to those
who wished to observe the fifth anniversary of the accident.
The memorial began with the sounding of a ship’s
horn, followed by an introduction by Rev. David Rider
from the Seamen’s Church Institute. After the presentation of the colors by members of the U.S. Coast
Guard, the national anthem was sung by Chad Light,
who originally sculpted the El Faro lighthouse memorial at Dame’s Point.
Rider then recognized some of those who were in
virtual attendance. Representing the SIU were Executive Vice President Augie Tellez, Gulf Coast Vice
President Dean Corgey and Port Agent Ashley Nelson.
Representing the AMO were President Paul Doell and
Vice Presidents Dan Robichaux and Dave Weathers.
Rider remarked on the uniqueness of this ceremony,
saying, “Though we cannot embrace one another in a
traditional way, I hope life is going well for you on
this special day.” He then read the names of those lost
in the accident, with a ship’s bell sounded for each lost
crew member.
A new addition to the memorial park was unveiled
as part of the ceremony, revealing a monument created with the recovered life ring from the doomed
vessel. The life ring was discovered on Cat Island in
the Bahamas following the sinking, after which it was
donated to family members of an El Faro crew member, Deb and Robin Roberts, who wished for it to be
displayed for all to see. The monument also carries an
engraved plaque, which reads, “This original life ring
from the El Faro was gifted to the family and friends
of the crew in memory of the 33 lives lost but who
remain with us forever in our hearts.”
Rider then unveiled a new painting of the lighthouse sculpture, of which copies will be delivered by
TOTE to each of the families of those lost.
In a statement posted to their website, the AMO
(an affiliate of the Seafarers International Union of
North America) said, “Today, we remain comforted
by the certainty that the El Faro officer and crew
complement worked as one against terrible odds, and
that they did so with focus, not fear, each faithful
to the traditions of courage and character that have
distinguished American merchant mariners in all
economic and defense services since the Revolution.
Today, we hold warm thoughts for the survivors of
these El Faro mariners – parents, spouses, children
and fiancés. These equally extraordinary men and
women helped each other endure the nearly weeklong
search for the ship while gathered at the SIU hall in
Jacksonville, bracing for the daily updates from the
U.S. Coast Guard – may we all live by their collective example.”
November 2020
The ceremony included a reading of each crew member’s name.
Seafarers LOG 7
�‘The SIU Took Me when Nobody Else Would’
Retired Port Agent Kenny Quickly Found a Home with Union
Fifty years have passed since Georg Kenny joined the
SIU, but he doesn’t need prompts to recall his feelings
from that time.
“I was down on my luck, and a few guys in the
neighborhood (in Brooklyn, New York) were merchant
seamen,” Kenny said. “Two were SIU members and one
was NMU. They kept encouraging me to join the industry. ‘You’ll fit right in,’ they told me.”
They were right.
“After the arduous torment of being a C-card, I finally
got out (on a ship),” Kenny remembered. “I was the galley boy on the Robin Gray and I thought I was a rich
man, making all of $450 a month. From the moment I
got on board (April 28, 1970), I was hooked and I never
looked back.”
Kenny, 74, recently retired from his post as the SIU
port agent in Norfolk, Virginia. He had sailed off and on
throughout the 1970s, then consistently from 1980 until
coming ashore to work for the union in 2000 (he became
a recertified steward in 1991).
“Georg has always looked out for the interest of the
Seafarer, whether at sea or ashore as an official,” said
SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel. “His soft touch
was always effective in his representation. If that failed
to convince a company, he could filibuster for hours to
gain the upper hand. I wish him well in his retirement.”
SIU Vice President Atlantic Coast Joseph Soresi said,
“Georg is a great guy and he’s always there for the members and the union. He’s very dedicated and although this
is a big loss, I wish him all the best in retirement.”
SIU Vice President Contracts George Tricker playfully said Kenny’s verbal stamina served the union well
during negotiations, and added, “He dedicated his life to
the SIU, and will be missed.”
Kenny’s overarching memories of his decades with
the union always include his sobriety – something he
candidly discusses because he wants to help others and
because of his gratitude.
“It’s like the SIU took me when nobody else would,”
he said. “In simplest form, the Seafarers took me as I
was. There came a point where I realized my life was
totally unmanageable.”
While upgrading at the union-affiliated school in
Piney Point, Maryland, Kenny had a chance meeting with someone who took him to his first Alcoholics
Anonymous meeting. “That turned into a 12-week rehab
(at the school’s addictions rehabilitation center, often
called the ARC or the farm),” Kenny remembered. “If it
weren’t for the farm, I don’t think I’d be alive, let alone
clean and sober for the past 35 years.”
Tough Transition
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Kenny is equally forthcoming about his transition period from shipboard life to
patrolman. After finally relenting to the longstanding
and oft-repeated invitation from then-SIU Vice President
Kermett Mangram, he reacted to the conclusion of his
first day on the new job by exclaiming, “What was I
thinking?!”
Nevertheless, he adjusted and came to love the job.
And he cites becoming a port agent in 2001 as “one of
the proudest moments of my career.”
Working as a union official often meant involvement
in central labor councils, the state AFL-CIO and the local
port council in addition to SIU-specific work.
“At one time it felt as if I was wearing 11 different
hats, but it’s because of the SIU that I found the labor
movement,” Kenny noted. “Everything I have is all because of the SIU.”
He also found time to assist fellow Seafarers who
struggled with substance-abuse issues, and views those
interactions as part of the reason he was drawn to shoreside work.
“Nobody bats 1.000 but I’m glad to have had the opportunity to help a lot people,” he said.
Looking Ahead
Kenny and his wife (a former Seafarer who sailed for
about 10 years) plan to remain in the Norfolk area, and
he aims to complete his bachelor’s degree.
Asked about the timing of his retirement, he answered,
“When members would come to the hall and file their
retirement papers, they’d often say they just woke up one
morning and realized it was time. That’s where I am – no
Georg Kenny (left) is pictured with U.S. Rep. Bennie
Thompson (D-Mississippi) at a Maritime Trades Department meeting in 2019.
regrets, it’s just time. You might say I’m in the last chapters of my book, and I plan to make the most of it. If nothing else, it’ll give me more opportunities to get back into
the recovery meetings (with greater frequency).”
He clarified that his health is “excellent,” and added his
thanks to the union’s executive board and personnel in the
admissions, claims, academic and manpower offices “for
teaching me what I needed to know in order to do the job.”
His advice for anyone considering becoming a mariner?
“Fill out the application for the apprentice program
now,” he immediately replied. “Just do it. You’ll never
regret it, and remember that the more you learn, the more
you’re going to earn.”
Spotlight on Mariner Health
Whooping Cough Poses
Dangers to All Age Groups
Editor’s note: This article was provided by
the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan Medical Department.
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly
contagious respiratory tract infection that is
caused by the bacteria Bordetella Pertussis.
When someone coughs or sneezes, tiny
germ droplets are sprayed into the air. These
droplets can be breathed into the lungs of individuals who are standing near the vicinity of
the person who coughed or sneezed. If successfully transferred, the disease is usually marked
by the victim developing a severe hacking
cough followed by a high-pitched intake of
breath that some say sounds like “whoop.”
When someone becomes infected with
whooping cough, it usually takes about seven
to 10 days for signs and symptoms to appear. These can be mild at first and mimic
the symptoms of a common cold including a
runny nose, nasal congestion, red watery eyes,
a fever and a cough.
After a week or so, the symptoms can
worsen. The person may develop thick mucus
inside their airways, causing uncontrollable
coughing. This can provoke vomiting, extreme fatigue, and possibly end with a highpitched whoop-like sound during the infected
individual’s next breath of air.
Sometimes, however, people do not develop the characteristic cough. In the case of
infants, for example, they may just appear to
be struggling to breathe with no cough at all.
8 Seafarers LOG
Prior to the age of vaccine injections,
whooping cough was considered a childhood
disease. In the United States, it primarily affects children who are too young to have completed their full series of vaccinations. The
illness can also affect teenagers and adults
who may not have completed their own series
of vaccines or whose immunity has failed.
Deaths due to pertussis are rare but most
commonly are seen in infants. For this reason, it is vital that pregnant women and others who are in close contact with an infant be
vaccinated.
It should be pointed out that the whooping cough vaccines that individuals may have
received as children eventually wear off. As
a result, some teenagers and adults could be
left susceptible to the infection during an
outbreak. Infants who are younger than 12
months and who are unvaccinated, or have
not received the full series of shots, are at the
highest risk for developing this disease.
For teenagers and adults, the complications from developing pertussis include: dehydration, bruised or cracked ribs, abdominal
hernias, and broken blood vessels in the skin
or the white of the eyes. Among infants, pneumonia, slowed or stopped breathing, dehydration or weight loss, and seizures may occur.
To prevent this disease, everyone is encouraged to get the pertussis vaccine. The
vaccine can be administered in combination
with tetanus and diphtheria shots as ordered
by doctors or health department officials.
Healthy Recipe
Herbed Balsamic Chicken
Servings 24
2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 2/3 tablespoons honey
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil, minced fine
¼ cup fresh chives, minced
4 cloves garlic clove, minced
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper,
ground
24 whole chicken thighs without skin
2 2/3 tablespoons lemon zest
Preparation
Whisk together all ingredients
except chicken. In a bowl, toss
chicken with 1/3 cup vinegar
mixture; let stand 10 minutes.
Grill chicken, over medium
heat until a thermometer reads
165 degrees, 6-8 minutes per
side. Drizzle with remaining vinegar
mixture before serving.
changes: 0 grain (starch); 2 lean meat;
0 vegetable; 0 fruit; 1 ½ fat; 0 other
carbohydrates.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (excluding unknown
items): 154 calories; 9g fat (55.2%
calories from fat): 14g protein; 4g
carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber;
57mg cholesterol; 295mg sodium. Ex-
Editor’s note: The foregoing recipe
was provided by Chef Robert “RJ”
Johnson of the of the Paul Hall
Center for Maritime Training and
Education’s Lundeberg School of
Seamanship.
November 2020
�Full Books in New Orleans
Dispatchers’ Report for Deep Sea
“Total Registered” and “Total Shipped” data is cumulative from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15. “Registered on the Beach” data is as of Oct. 15.
Congratulations to AB Barry Briggs (left) and Chief Steward Gizelle Jones (center) on receiving their full books.
They’re pictured at the New Orleans membership meeting in October. Safety Director James Brown is at right.
Precautionary Measure Calls
For Seafarers to Receive Flu Shots
In accordance with Seafarers Appeals Board (SAB) Action 480,
and as a precautionary measure due to the continuing COVID-19
pandemic, mariners will be required to get an influenza immunization
(commonly called the flu shot) before sailing or visiting the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education. (This
SAB, titled “Coronavirus Protocols,” took effect in March 2020.)
Effective December 1, all members who plan to sail on a deep-sea
vessel, as well as anyone planning to attend any upgrading classes at
the Paul Hall Center, will have to provide documentation that shows
they have received a flu shot in the past 90 days. This decision was
made jointly between the union and their contracted employers.
Failure to comply with this requirement will result in that mariner
being unable to sail and/or attend upgrading classes at the Paul Hall
Center until they receive the immunization. For more information,
contact your local port agent.
Note to Our Readers
Without exception, anyone entering an SIU hiring hall or signing
onto a vessel has passed a number of safety protocols, often including
testing for COVID-19, two-week quarantines, and verifying healthrelated items on a questionnaire. For that reason, not everyone you
see pictured in the LOG is wearing a mask. In addition, in many
cases, people have briefly removed their masks only long enough
to snap a quick photo. We cannot stress enough the importance of
following all safety protocols for your protection and the protection
of those around you
November & December
Membership Meetings
Piney Point...........................Monday: November 2, December 7
Algonac..................................Friday: November 6 , December 11
Baltimore...........................Thursday: November 5, December 10
Guam................................Thursday: November 19, December 24
Honolulu..............................Friday: November 13, December 18
Houston..............................Monday: November 9, December 14
Jacksonville....................Thursday: November 5, December 10
Joliet...................................Thursday: November 12, December 17
Mobile..........*Thursday: November 12, Wednesday: December 16
Total Registered
Total Shipped
Port
All Groups
A
B
C
Algonac
Anchorage
Baltimore
Fort Lauderdale
Guam
Harvey
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
Jersey City
Joliet
Mobile
Norfolk
Oakland
Philadelphia
Piney Point
Puerto Rico
Tacoma
St. Louis
Wilmington
TOTALS
19
4
6
12
3
12
5
31
38
26
1
7
22
14
1
1
8
21
0
16
247
8
3
3
14
0
3
1
16
21
12
1
1
15
4
2
2
8
7
0
13
134
Algonac
Anchorage
Baltimore
Fort Lauderdale
Guam
Harvey
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
Jersey City
Joliet
Mobile
Norfolk
Oakland
Philadelphia
Piney Point
Puerto Rico
Tacoma
St. Louis
Wilmington
TOTALS
4
0
6
7
0
2
2
5
19
9
3
1
15
5
3
0
0
9
0
11
101
Algonac
Anchorage
Baltimore
Fort Lauderdale
Guam
Harvey
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
Jersey City
Joliet
Mobile
Norfolk
Oakland
Philadelphia
Piney Point
Puerto Rico
Tacoma
St. Louis
Wilmington
TOTALS
0
0
0
6
0
4
1
4
2
3
2
5
8
1
1
4
1
5
1
3
57
Deck Department
21
5
1
2
3
5
22
5
2
1
9
4
4
3
27
13
22
22
18
12
2
0
2
3
19
12
8
1
2
1
1
0
2
3
13
7
2
0
13
9
193
108
C
Trip
Reliefs
1
0
0
2
0
1
0
6
3
0
0
4
5
0
1
4
2
3
1
1
37
1
0
5
5
0
3
3
7
17
6
2
4
16
2
0
1
1
8
1
6
88
3
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
15
Engine Department
8
2
1
0
1
2
5
5
0
0
2
1
3
3
8
5
15
15
8
4
2
1
1
2
12
12
5
1
2
3
1
2
1
2
6
6
0
1
7
3
88
70
7
0
2
9
1
8
4
13
18
4
0
0
18
13
2
2
3
12
4
20
140
0
1
2
5
1
2
0
6
11
1
0
2
12
6
1
1
6
2
0
9
68
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
0
2
0
1
9
Algonac
Anchorage
Baltimore
Fort Lauderdale
Guam
Harvey
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
Jersey City
Joliet
Mobile
Norfolk
Oakland
Philadelphia
Piney Point
Puerto Rico
Tacoma
St. Louis
Wilmington
TOTALS
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
2
2
1
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
3
0
1
12
9
1
2
4
3
2
2
9
20
16
2
0
15
8
3
0
1
13
1
12
123
11
2
0
2
1
0
2
9
35
7
4
3
26
3
0
3
2
6
0
4
120
GRAND TOTAL:
500
413
201
New Orleans.........................Tuesday: November 10, December 15
Jersey City............................Tuesday: November 3, December 8
Norfolk...............................*Friday: November 6, December 11
Oakland..........................Thursday: November 12, December 17
Philadelphia................Wednesday: November 4, December 9
Port Everglades...............Thursday: November 12, December 17
San Juan........................Thursday: November 5, December 10
St. Louis................................Friday: November 13, December 18
Tacoma................Friday: November 20, *Monday: December 28
Wilmington...........................Monday: November 16, December 21
*Mobile change due to Veterans Day observance. Effective as
of September 2, Norfolk changed meeting date from Thursday
after first Sunday to Friday after first Sunday. Tacoma change
due to Christmas Day observance.
Each port’s meeting starts at 10:30 a.m
November 2020
All Groups
A
B
Registered on Beach
A
All Groups
B
C
1
1
5
16
0
4
1
19
18
13
0
1
9
4
0
5
3
10
0
7
119
20
4
7
35
6
13
10
74
63
51
2
14
29
24
5
2
10
44
0
45
458
11
4
3
23
0
6
2
34
32
17
2
3
18
4
4
3
4
12
2
22
206
0
2
0
6
0
5
1
8
8
7
3
5
10
3
0
1
1
6
1
5
74
2
0
0
1
1
3
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
12
2
0
1
2
0
2
3
4
6
3
0
0
5
3
1
0
1
3
0
3
39
5
1
6
11
0
5
14
22
33
17
2
5
22
12
2
1
4
15
3
28
208
1
0
4
12
0
5
6
12
31
11
1
8
28
3
0
2
4
12
4
10
154
2
0
0
1
0
1
1
2
1
0
2
0
5
3
0
0
0
3
0
1
22
Steward Department
6
0
0
1
0
0
5
2
0
0
1
3
2
0
4
4
9
7
7
0
0
0
0
0
13
8
6
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
9
1
0
0
10
5
76
38
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
7
1
0
0
3
0
2
2
3
8
1
0
0
8
5
0
1
1
2
0
4
41
7
0
3
10
1
11
8
35
32
9
0
3
22
20
3
4
3
17
4
38
230
0
0
2
8
1
1
1
12
15
1
0
3
23
9
0
4
6
2
1
12
101
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
4
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
1
3
0
1
16
Entry Department
0
12
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
2
0
0
2
6
1
15
0
5
0
1
1
1
0
11
1
5
1
1
0
3
0
0
3
9
1
0
1
9
12
82
10
0
0
1
0
0
1
6
11
1
1
0
11
3
0
5
0
4
0
3
57
4
0
2
1
0
0
0
4
7
2
0
0
5
1
0
0
0
1
0
2
29
1
1
0
1
0
0
2
6
5
4
0
0
1
3
0
0
0
6
0
2
32
13
3
3
9
3
4
5
18
27
22
2
0
24
16
2
0
1
13
2
26
193
9
4
0
6
1
2
3
15
56
15
5
5
32
6
0
8
2
17
0
9
195
113
228
928
654
307
369
298
Seafarers LOG 9
�ABOARD OCEAN GIANT – Steward/Baker Pauline Crespo submitted these snapshots from the Waterman-operated vessel, taken en route to
Sudan. The crew requested a turkey dinner and was accommodated. ACU Eduardo Pascua is pictured at the far left, while the Seafaring selfie in
the center includes Bosun Alfred Polk (right) and Crespo.
At Sea and Ashore with the SIU
ABOARD USNS FISHER – Thanks to
vessel master Capt. Jennifer L. Senner
(SIU hawsepiper) for these snapshots
from the U.S. Marine Management
vessel in Pearl Harbor, where it is supporting U.S. Army operations. In photo
at left above, Bosun Algernon Reed
and AB Shermal Morris enjoy a meal.
Chief Steward Diane Light and Chief
Cook Tania Ramirez-Diego (photo
above at right) pose in galley while AB
Rommel Martinez-Arriola (photo at immediate left) gets lunch. AB Rolando
Pangan and OS Abdellah Airayashi
welcome personnel aboard. in the
photo at right.
FULL BOOK IN MOBILE – QE4 Robert Pendarvis (standing) is
sworn in for his full B-book during a special meeting Sept. 23 at the
hall in Mobile, Alabama.
10 Seafarers LOG
B-BOOK IN OAKLAND – Chief Cook Janelle Harper is sworn in at the hiring hall for her full B-seniority book
during the September membership meeting. She most recently sailed aboard the SSG Edward Carter (Sealift).
November 2020
�At Sea and Ashore with the SIU
ABOARD SAFMARINE NGAMI – The SIU-crewed ship (operated by
Maersk Line, Limited) departs Qatar this past summer.
FULL BOOK IN HOUSTON – AB Steven
Hicks takes the oath and receives his full
B-book at the hiring hall
B-BOOK IN ALGONAC – GUDE Abdulwali Suwaileh displays his
newly acquired full B-book at the hiring hall.
FULL BOOK IN ALOHA STATE – OMU Ryan
Manlapit receives his full B-book at the hiring
hall in Honolulu.
November 2020
PHILANTHROPY IN TACOMA – Undeterred by the pandemic, shore gang Lead Bosun Stephen Ackley
kicks off this year’s Santa’s Castle toy drive at the hiring hall, benefitting American military families. Ackley
typically is the first one to donate every year.
A-BOOK ON LAKES – Chief Cook Holly Norick displays her newly
acquired A-book aboard the Burns Harbor (American Steamship) on
Sept. 29. She started sailing with the SIU in 2013.
BURIAL AT SEA – These photos are from a ceremony aboard the Perla Del Caribe (TOTE) honoring the memory of AB Jonathan
Rivera-Rodriguez, who passed away July 31 at age 37 (he was involved in an automobile accident). He joined the SIU in 2009.
“Jonathan, aka ‘Cross-Fit,’ was an outstanding union brother, hard worker and a pleasure to be around,” said SIU Jacksonville Port
Agent Ashley Nelson. “He will be greatly missed.”
Seafarers LOG 11
�Seafarers International
Union Directory
Inquiring Seafarer
Michael Sacco, President
Augustin Tellez, Executive Vice President
George Tricker, Vice President Contracts
This month’s question was answered by students at the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center in Piney Point,
Maryland.
Tom Orzechowski,
Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters
Question: Why did you get into the maritime industry?
David Heindel, Secretary-Treasurer
Dean Corgey, Vice President Gulf Coast
Nicholas J. Marrone, Vice President West Coast
Joseph T. Soresi, Vice President Atlantic Coast
Kate Hunt, Vice President Government Services
HEADQUARTERS
5201 Capital Gateway Drive
Camp Springs, MD 20746 (301) 899-0675
ALGONAC
520 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI 48001
(810) 794-4988
Eric Greenawalt
Chief Cook
I joined the SIU to become part
of the Brotherhood of the Sea, and
to be a part of something larger
than myself. Being a part of the
steward department on a ship, and
being able to lift my shipmates’
spirits with some good food, that
makes my day a little brighter.
Sergio Centeno
Bosun
Job security, job stability and the
ability to learn new skills I can pass on
to the next generation. The maritime
industry has been here a long time, and
will be here for a long time to come. To
my brothers and sisters, keep training
and upgrade often.
Terry Evins
Bosun
It seemed like an interesting
job, and it let me continue to do
the same things I did in the Navy.
Same jobs, same type of work, and
I’m still sailing the world. The SIU
has always been a friend to me.
Johnathan Williams
Chief Cook
I wanted to experience new and different things in life. The travel portion
of the job was appealing to me, as well
as the ability to upgrade my skills. I really appreciate that my career path is
laid out for me, and if I follow it, I will
better myself and my life.
Christopher Hinton
Oiler
I became a mariner for the
change in lifestyle. I was working temp jobs, but sailing has provided a better life for me and my
daughter. The SIU saved my life,
literally, and helps me provide for
my family. The SIU has always
kept their promise to me, so I keep
coming back.
Deon Greenidge
Chief Cook
I’m a fourth-generation merchant
mariner. My uncle is still sailing after
37 years, so it’s in my blood. I started
at entry level, and I’m going to retire
a merchant mariner. I love this union;
I think it’s Grade A. And when people
complain, I’m quick to tell them how
good they have it.
ANCHORAGE
721 Sesame St., #1C, Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 561-4988
BALTIMORE
2315 Essex St., Baltimore, MD 21224
(410) 327-4900
GUAM
P.O. Box 3328, Hagatna, Guam 96932
Cliffline Office Ctr. Bldg., Suite 103B
422 West O’Brien Dr., Hagatna, Guam 96910
(671) 477-1350
HONOLULU
606 Kalihi St., Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 845-5222
HOUSTON
625 N. York St., Houston, TX 77003
(713) 659-5152
JACKSONVILLE
5100 Belfort Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 281-2622
JERSEY CITY
104 Broadway, Jersey City, NJ 07306
(201) 434-6000
JOLIET
10 East Clinton St., Joliet, IL 60432
(815) 723-8002
MOBILE
1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605
(251) 478-0916
Pic From The Past
NEW ORLEANS
3911 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058
(504) 328-7545
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
45353 St. George’s Avenue, Piney Point, MD
20674
(301) 994-0010
PORT EVERGLADES
1221 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 522-7984
SAN JUAN
659 Hill Side St., Summit Hills
San Juan, PR 00920
(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
This photo first ran in the Aug. 24, 1945 LOG. The original caption: “Specimen rope board is being explained to two admiring SIU
men by Warren Wymon who made it for the New York hall. On display in New York on the recreation deck, the board contains
such fancy creations as a wheel, anchor, propeller, splices, sizings, whippings and the more essential knots used aboard ship.
Across the top of the board is the word ‘Seafarers’ spelled out in fancy braid.”
WILMINGTON
510 N. Broad Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744
(310) 549-4000
If anyone has a vintage union-related photograph he or she would like to share with other Seafarers LOG readers, please send it to the
Seafarers LOG, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Photographs will be returned, if so requested. High-resolution digital
images may be sent to webmaster@seafarers.org
12 Seafarers LOG
November 2020
�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
MAURICIO ARRIOLA
Brother Mauricio Arriola, 65,
joined the Seafarers International
Union in 1997,
initially sailing
on the Independence. He sailed
in the steward
department and
upgraded at
the Piney Point
school on multiple occasions.
Brother Arriola
most recently sailed on the Ocean
Globe. He makes his home in the
Bronx, New York.
RANDOLPH BOLLING
Brother Randolph Bolling, 65,
signed on with
the SIU in 1972.
A member of the
deck department,
he upgraded at
the Paul Hall
Center on several occasions.
Brother Bolling’s
first vessel was
the Warrior; his
last, the Honor. He calls Slidell,
Louisiana, home.
RONALD CELIOUS
Brother Ronald Celious, 66,
started sailing with the union in
1974 when he shipped on the Keva
Ideal. A member of the engine department, he upgraded often at the
Piney Point school. Brother Celious last sailed on the Jack Lummus and settled in the Northern
Mariana Islands.
WILLIE CLEMMONS
Brother Willie Clemmons, 65, embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 2001. He initially sailed
on the Cape Taylor and upgraded
at the Paul Hall Center within his
first year of membership. Brother
Clemmons worked in all three departments. He most recently sailed
aboard the USNS Pollux and lives
in Houston.
DEBORAH GIBSON
Sister Deborah Gibson, 67, signed
on with the SIU in 1990 when she
shipped on the
William R. Button. She was a
steward department member
and upgraded
often at the Piney
Point school.
Sister Gibson’s
final vessel was
the Franklin J.
Phillips. She makes her home in
Semmes, Alabama.
JONATHAN GIBSON
Brother Jonathan Gibson, 65,
joined the Seafarers International
Union in 1996. A steward department member, he upgraded at
the Paul Hall Center on numer-
November 2020
ous occasions.
Brother Gibson’s first vessel
was the Little
Hales; his last,
the USNS Watkins. He settled
in Semmes, Alabama.
ALEXANDER GLEBOV
Brother Alexander Glebov, 68,
began his career with the SIU in
2005, initially
sailing aboard
the Green Lake.
He was a member of the deck
department
and upgraded
at the Piney
Point school on
several occasions. Brother
Glebov most recently shipped on
the Maersk Sentosa. He makes his
home in Brooklyn, New York.
1978. He shipped in the steward
department and upgraded at the
union-affiliated Piney Point school
on multiple occasions. Brother
McDermott’s first vessel was the
El Paso Southern; his most recent,
the Texas. He settled in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania.
ISMAIL MONASSAR
Brother Ismail Monassar, 65,
joined the union
in 1979. A steward department
member, he first
sailed aboard
the Maryland.
Brother Monassar most recently
shipped aboard
the Matsonia and
makes his home
in Dearborn, Michigan.
CARLOS OLASCOAGA
Brother Ricardo Hernandez, 66,
started sailing with the Seafarers in 2001. He first sailed on the
USNS Curtiss and shipped in the
deck department. Brother Hernandez upgraded at the Paul Hall Center in 2002 and last worked aboard
the Horizon Pacific. He lives in
Anaheim, California.
Brother Carlos Olascoaga, 72,
began sailing
with the SIU in
1979. He shipped
in the steward
department, sailing first aboard
the Montpelier
Victory. Brother
Olascoaga last
sailed on the
Ocean Grand.
He lives in Puerto Rico.
ANTONIO MARTINEZ
LORENZO RIDDICK
Brother Antonio Martinez, 66,
joined the union in 1994 when
he shipped on the Independence.
He sailed in all three departments
and upgraded at the Piney Point
school on numerous occasions.
Brother Martinez’s last vessel was
the Liberty Eagle. He is a Houston
resident.
Brother Lorenzo Riddick, 65,
signed on with
the union in
1996, initially
sailing with
Moran Towing
of Maryland.
He was a deck
department
member and last
shipped aboard
the Pride of
Hawaii. Brother Riddick is a Baltimore resident.
RICARDO HERNANDEZ
BENJAMIN MATTHEWS
Brother Benjamin Matthews,
65, began shipping with the SIU
in 2003, initially sailing on the
USNS Dahl. A steward department
member, he upgraded at the Paul
Hall Center on multiple occasions.
Brother Matthews last shipped
aboard the Observation Island. He
makes his home in Portsmouth,
Virginia.
CHRISTOPHER MAYE
Brother Christopher Maye, 60,
signed on with the Seafarers in 1987
when he sailed
on the USNS
Antares. Brother
Maye was a member of the steward
department and
upgraded at
the Piney Point
school in 1989.
He most recently
sailed on the
USNS John Glenn and resides in
Oklahoma.
MICHAEL MCDERMOTT
Brother Michael McDermott,
65, donned the SIU colors in
HIPOLITA ROCHES
Sister Hipolita Roches, 65,
donned the SIU colors in 2003,
first sailing
aboard the
USNS Fisher.
She worked
in the engine
department and
upgraded at
the Piney Point
school on several occasions.
Sister Roches
most recently shipped on the Mississippi Enterprise. She makes
her home in Miami.
FRANK SENA
Brother Frank Sena, 69, started
shipping with the Seafarers in
2001, initially sailing aboard the
Groton. He sailed in the deck department and upgraded at the Paul
Hall Center on multiple occasions.
Brother Sena last sailed on the
Empire State. He resides in San
Pedro, California.
THOMAS SCHULTZ
Brother Thomas Schultz, 65, embarked on his career with the SIU
in 1975 when he
sailed aboard the
Thomas Lynch.
He worked in the
deck department
and upgraded at
the Piney Point
school in 1979.
Brother Schultz
last shipped on
the Elizabeth.
He calls Riverhead, New York,
home.
STANLEY SMITH
Brother Stanley Smith, 66, began
his career with the Seafarers
International
Union in 2003.
He sailed in
the steward
department,
and upgraded
at the Paul Hall
Center in 2005.
Brother Smith’s
first vessel was
the USNS Pathfinder; his last, the Liberty Pride.
He lives in Charleston, South
Carolina.
GREAT LAKES
JEFFERY JOHNSON
Brother Jeffery Johnson, 62,
began shipping with the union
in 1977, first sailing on the J.A.
Kling. The deck department
member upgraded his skills at the
Paul Hall Center in 1987. Brother
Johnson’s final vessel was the
Sam Laud. He resides in Ossineke, Michigan.
JOHN KERNOHAN
Brother John Kernohan, 62,
joined the SIU
in 1978 when
he sailed aboard
the A. Guthrie.
He upgraded
at the Piney
Point school on
numerous occasions and was
a deck department member. Brother Kernohan
concluded his career with Upper
Lakes Barge Lines. He settled in
Lorain, Ohio.
DIRK VANENKEVORT
Brother Dirk VanEnkevort, 64,
signed on with
the Seafarers in
1979, initially
shipping on the
Buckeye. He
sailed in the
deck department
and upgraded
at the Paul
Hall Center in
1982. Brother VanEnkevort was
last employed by Upper Lakes
Towing. He lives in Marquette,
Michigan.
INLAND
ROBERT JEFFREY
Brother Robert Jeffrey, 71, became a member of the SIU in
2001, first working for McAllister Towing of Philadelphia. He
sailed in the deck department and
was most recently employed by
Tugz Company. Brother Jeffrey
calls New Port Richey, Florida,
home.
RUSTY LAFRAGE
Brother Rusty
LaFrage, 59,
started his career with the
Seafarers in
1979. He sailed
in the engine
department and
upgraded at
the Piney Point
school in 1981.
Brother LaFrage worked for
G&H Towing during his entire
career. He lives in Dickinson,
Texas.
HOWARD MORGENSTERN
Brother Howard Morgenstern,
64, joined the union in 1983. He
sailed in the engine department
and was employed by New York
Cross Harbor Railroad for the
duration of his career. Brother
Morgenstern resides in Brooklyn,
New York.
DANIEL MORRIS
Brother Daniel Morris, 65, donned
the SIU colors in 1986. A deck
department member, he sailed
with Crowley
Towing and
Transportation
for the majority of his career.
Brother Morris
makes his home
in Laurel Fork,
Virginia.
ARSEN PERHAT
Brother Arsen Perhat, 58, began
shipping with the SIU in 1999
when he worked
for American
Marine Corporation. He
upgraded often
at the Paul Hall
Center and was
a member of the
engine department. Brother
Perhat concluded his career with
Crowley Towing and Transportation. He is a resident of San
Pedro, California.
JOSE RIVERA RODRIGUEZ
Brother Jose Rivera Rodriguez,
62, signed on with the Seafarers
International Union in 1979. He
sailed in the deck department and
worked for Crowley Puerto Rico
Services for his entire career.
Brother Rivera Rodriguez lives
in Puerto Rico.
Seafarers LOG 13
�Final
Departures
DEEP SEA
JOHN BULAWAN
Pensioner John Bulawan, 78, died
August 30. He signed on with the
union in 1974
and was a steward department
member. Brother
Bulawan first
shipped aboard
the Santa Mercedes. He last
sailed on the RJ
Pfeiffer before
going on pension
in 2010. Brother Bulawan was a Las
Vegas resident.
JOHN DAVIS
Pensioner John Davis, 71, passed
away September 18. He began his
career with the SIU in 2005, initially
sailing aboard the Atlantic Forest.
Brother Davis was a member of
the deck department and concluded
his career on the Green Ridge. He
became a pensioner in 2016 and resided in Sun City, Arizona.
JULIO DELGADO
Pensioner Julio
Delgado, 94,
died September
23. He joined the
Seafarers in 1947
and first sailed
on a Sinclair Oil
vessel. Brother
Delgado was a
deck department
member. He last
shipped on the Caguas and retired
in 1988. Brother Delgado lived in
Puerto Rico.
WAYNE DRIGGERS
Pensioner Wayne
Driggers, 75,
passed away
September 8. He
donned the SIU
colors in 1977
when he shipped
on the Charleston. Brother
Driggers sailed in
the deck department, most recently aboard the Alliance St. Louis.
He settled in Jacksonville, Florida.
MARTIN GLOVER
Brother Martin Glover, 42, died
July 6. He joined the union in 2019
and sailed in the deck department.
Brother Glover sailed both first and
last aboard the Decisive. He lived in
Jacksonville, Florida, his birthplace.
GLORIA JAUDON
Pensioner Gloria Jaudon, 74, passed
away September
1. She signed on
with the Seafarers in 1994, first
working for West
Bank Riverboat
Services. Sister
Jaudon sailed
in the both the
steward and deck
departments.
She most recently sailed aboard
the Delaware Trader and retired in
14 Seafarers LOG
2012. Sister Jaudon made her home
in New Orleans.
ROBERT LLOYD
Brother Robert Lloyd, 48, died July
5. He joined the Seafarers International Union in 2010, when he sailed
on the APL Agate. Brother Lloyd
sailed in the steward department,
most recently aboard the Overseas
Martinez. He resided in Chesapeake,
Virginia.
JOSEPH MCGAULEY
Pensioner Joseph McGauley, 82,
passed away August 4. He signed on
with the union in 1963 when he was
employed with Hedge Haven Farms,
and subsequently made numerous
trips on Waterman vessels. Brother
McGauley worked in the engine
department. He last sailed on the
Cove Liberty and went on pension in
2003. Brother McGauley settled in
Pocono Lake, Pennsylvania.
JONATHAN RIVERA-RODRIGUEZ
Brother Jonathan Rivera-Rodriguez,
37, died July 31. Born in Puerto
Rico, he started his career with the
SIU in 2009. Brother Rivera-Rodriguez was a deck department member and first sailed aboard the Pride
of America. He last shipped aboard
the Isla Bella and was a resident of
Orlando, Florida.
EUSEBIO RODRIGUEZ
Pensioner Eusebio Rodriguez, 86,
passed away September 29. He
became a member of the union in
1955, initially sailing aboard the Fort
Hoskins. Brother Rodriguez sailed in
the deck department. He last shipped
aboard the Panama before becoming
a pensioner in 1988. Brother Rodriguez lived in Puerto Rico.
JERSON TORO
Pensioner Jerson Toro, 88, died
September 8. He joined the union
in 1984 and first
sailed aboard
the Manukai.
Brother Toro
primarily worked
in the steward
department. He
concluded his
career aboard the
Overseas Harriette and went on
pension in 1997. Brother Toro made
his home in Jersey City, New Jersey.
KENNETH WELLS
Pensioner Kenneth Wells, 58, passed
away September 20. He signed on
with the SIU in
1991 and first
sailed aboard the
Eugene A. Obregon. Brother
Wells was a member of the engine
department and
last sailed on the
American Liberty.
He became a pensioner in 2019 and called Jacksonville, North Carolina, home.
OSCAR WILEY
Pensioner Oscar Wiley, 81, died
September 10.
He embarked on
his career with
the SIU in 1967
when he sailed
aboard the Steel
Voyager. Brother
Wiley sailed in
the deck department and last
shipped on the
USNS Chesapeake. He retired in
1998 and resided in Oakland, California.
OSCAR WILLIAMS
Pensioner Oscar Williams, 90,
passed away August 9. He began
shipping with the
Seafarers International Union
in 1968, initially
sailing aboard
a Hudson Waterways vessel.
Brother Williams
sailed in both the
engine and deck
departments and
last sailed on the Overseas Alice. He
went on pension in 1994 and lived
in Richmond, California.
INLAND
KEVIN BRADY
Pensioner Kevin Brady, 70, died
August 21. He embarked on his career with the SIU in 1973. Brother
Brady first worked for Norfolk,
Baltimore and Carolina Lines, Inc.,
and sailed in the deck department.
He most recently sailed with Penn
Maritime and became a pensioner
in 2012. Brother Brady resided in
Eagle, Idaho.
CLARENCE JENNETTE
Pensioner Clarence Jennette, 77,
died August 29.
He signed on
with the SIU
in 1976 when
he worked for
Interstate Oil.
Brother Jennette
shipped in both
the steward and
deck departments
and was last employed by OSG Ship Management.
He went on pension in 2004 and
resided in Hernando, Florida.
EMILIO MACLARA
Pensioner Emilio MacLara, 96, died
August 6. He embarked on his career with the SIU in 1988. Brother
MacLara worked in the deck department. He was employed by Crowley
Puerto Rico until his retirement in
1995. Brother MacLara resided in
Puerto Rico.
JOHN MAXEY
Pensioner John Maxey, 82, passed
away June 13. He signed on with
the Seafarers in 1978. A deck department member, Brother Maxey
was employed by Moran Towing of
Texas for the duration of his career.
He went on pension in 2002 and
lived in Nederland, Texas.
JACK PARKINS
Pensioner Jack Parkins, 74, died October 4. He became a member of the
union in 2000. Brother Parkins was
a steward department member and
worked for Allied Transportation for
his entire career. He retired in 2009
and made his home in McGuffey,
Ohio.
CHARLES CHAMBERLAIN
MICHAEL SISTARE
Pensioner Charles Chamberlain, 75,
passed away April
17. He signed on
with the Seafarers
in 1963. Brother
Chamberlain was
first employed by
Taylor Marine.
He last worked
with McAllister
Towing of Philadelphia and went
on pension in 2006. Brother Chamberlain lived in Haddon Heights,
New Jersey.
Pensioner Michael Sistare, 66,
passed away September 22. He
joined the SIU
in 1977, initially
sailing with
Marine Contracting and Towing.
Brother Sistare
sailed in the deck
department and
remained with
the same company until his retirement in 2015. He was a resident
of Ravenel, South Carolina.
WILLIAM COFIELD
CHARLES TELLER
Pensioner William Cofield, 75,
died September 1. He joined the
SIU in 1990 and sailed in the deck
department. Brother Cofield was
employed by G&H Towing for his
entire career. He retired in 2003 and
was a resident of Corpus Christi,
Texas.
Pensioner Charles Teller, 77, died
August 22. He
began sailing with
the union in 1973
when he worked
for G&H Towing.
A deck department
member, Brother
Teller last shipped
with Tampa Tugs.
He became a pensioner in 2005 and
settled in Santa Fe, Texas.
BRYAN DALHEIM
Brother Bryan Dalheim, 47, passed
away August 9. He began sailing
with the union in 2004 when he
worked for Virginia Pilot Corporation. A deck department member,
Brother Dalheim remained with
the same company for his entire
career. He lived in Poquoson, Virginia.
Salvage. Brother Walker shipped in
the engine department and was employed with the same company for
the duration of his career. He went
on pension in 2018 and resided in
Abita, Louisiana.
NMU
LOUIS DOMINGUEZ
Pensioner Louis Dominguez, 91,
passed away August 21. Born in
New York City, he sailed with the
NMU prior to the 2001 NMU/SIU
merger. Brother Dominguez became
a pensioner 1969 and made his
home in Stratford, Connecticut.
HERBERT O’NEAL
Pensioner Herbert O’Neal, 79, died
September 2. He was an NMU
member prior to the 2001 NMU/SIU
merger. Brother O’Neal retired in
1998 and lived in Charleston, South
Carolina.
GLENROY REID
Pensioner Glenroy Reid, 80, passed
away July 20. He joined the union
during the SIU/NMU merger in
2001. Brother Reid sailed in both
the engine and deck departments.
He last sailed on the Atlantic before
going on pension in 2008. Brother
Reid was a Houston resident.
SAMUEL SMITH
Pensioner Samuel Smith, 85, passed
away September 4. He sailed with
the NMU prior to the 2001 NMU/
SIU merger. Brother Smith became
a pensioner 1985. He made his
home in Jacksonville, Florida, his
birthplace.
In addition to the foregoing individuals, the following union members
have also passed away. Insufficient
information was available to develop summaries of their respective
careers.
NAME
Barre, Clarence
Bodden, Kirby
Bush, Iverson
Culpepper, John
Davis, William
Dumas, Robert
Gabriel, Adolph
Garcia, Marcelino
Gomes, Peter
Krauklis, John
Neveaux, Ernest
Olivencia, Juan
Russele, George
Singleton, Albert
Smalls, Leon
AGE
91
93
96
90
87
91
95
90
92
93
84
101
75
78
76
DOD
09/12/2020
09/29/2020
08/23/2020
09/30/2020
07/16/2020
10/03/2020
07/14/2020
08/26/2020
09/20/2020
09/10/2020
09/23/2020
09/21/2020
07/14/2020
08/29/2020
08/13/2020
DAVID WALKER
Pensioner David Walker, 68, passed
away September 21. He signed
on with the SIU in 1978 when he
worked for Crescent Towing and
November 2020
�Digest of Shipboard
Union Meetings
MYKONOS (Overseas Shipholding Group), May 14 – Chairman
Albert Mensah, Secretary Maili
Wang, Educational Director
Kenneth Cabrera, Engine Delegate Hector Guity, Steward
Delegate Wilmer Alvarez. Crew
reviewed old business including
topics of Wi-Fi and safety pay
owed to all crew members. No
beefs or disputed OT reported.
Crew reviewed communications
about COVID-19 and talked
about establishing safety policies
for all members on board.
OVERSEAS TAMPA (Overseas
Shipholding Group), August 14 –
Chairman Rudy Harjanto, Educational Director Darryl Bence,
Engine Delegate Ghadir Sarkis.
Abundance of new ships coming
in by Crowley, OSG and Maersk
that will expand the business
and create more jobs for SIU
members. Chairman thanked all
departments for a job well done
and reminded crew to check their
documents. More information
can be found on the union and
NMC websites, respectively.
Educational director encouraged
members to take advantage of
the upgrading opportunities at
the Paul Hall Center. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Crew
requests Wi-Fi, new linens and
new mattresses. Crew asked for
different options for desserts.
Next port: Lake Charles, Louisiana.
JEAN ANNE (Pasha), August
30 – Chairman Thomas Johnson, Secretary Samuel Sinclair,
Educational Director Stephen
Roberts, Deck Delegate Mohamed Saleh, Engine Delegate
Yahya Mohamed. Crew got in-
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.
ternet access at sea but technical
complications arose. Members
seek clarification on testing for
COVID-19 when ashore at their
residence. Company pays for
hotel and meals if necessary
when testing. Crew asked for
more guidance on how to get
recertified and who may apply.
Members requested less days
of service for full retirement
benefits and ask for a lesser frequency of physicals. No beefs
or disputed OT reported. Vote
of thanks to the steward department for a job well done. Crew
requested cigarettes in slop
chest because they are unable
to go ashore to buy more due to
COVID-19 restrictions.
MOHAWK (JM Ship, LLC),
September 6 – Chairman
Paul Brown, Secretary Alan
Bartley, Educational Director
Andres Nunez-Rochez, Deck
Delegate Andrew Bennett,
Engine Delegate Gary Longmire. Members discussed getting better workout equipment
on board. Ship due to arrive at
Port Hueneme, California, on
Wednesday, Sept. 9. Most crew
will be relieved on the day of
arrival. Chairman advised crew
to be safe while in port and to
be cautious of overhead loads
coming and going. Secretary
thanked crew for keeping the
mess hall clean and for other
departments pitching in and assisting the steward department.
Educational director reminded
members to check their documents for renewal and be sure
to renew documents early as
possible. He encouraged crew
to upgrade at the Piney Point
school. Disputed OT reported
Job Well Done Aboard Isla Bella
SIU steward department personnel aboard the Isla Bella (TOTE) received high praise from vessel master Capt. Andrew Mayher, who submitted this photo. Pictured from left are Chief Cook Adalberto Colon
Rosa, Steward/Baker Jose Norales and SA Simone Smith.
in deck and engine departments
due to ship restriction. Crew
went over communications
and numerous items related to
COVID-19 from union. Members ask for better flights when
joining the ship and increase in
pension benefits. Wi-Fi needs
to be reinstated aboard vessel.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department for a job well done.
Crew would like company
to send books and movies to
ship. Members would like new
refrigerators for rooms that
currently don’t have them, new
mattresses and a bigger selection of items in the slop chest.
Parts needed for showers in
rooms. Next port: Hueneme,
California.
Know Your Rights
FINANCIAL REPORTS. The Constitution of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District makes specific provision
for safeguarding the membership’s money
and union finances. The constitution requires
a detailed audit by certified public accountants every year, which is to be submitted to
the membership by the secretary-treasurer.
A yearly finance committee of rank-and-file
members, elected by the membership, each
year examines the finances of the union and
reports fully their findings and recommendations. Members of this committee may make
dissenting reports, specific recommendations
and separate findings.
TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds of the SIU
Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District are administered in accordance with the
provisions of various trust fund agreements.
All these agreements specify that the trustees
in charge of these funds shall equally consist
of union and management representatives and
their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust funds are made only upon approval by a majority of the trustees. All trust
fund financial records are available at the
headquarters of the various trust funds.
SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member’s shipping rights and seniority are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and
the employers. Members should get to know
their shipping rights. Copies of these contracts
are posted and available in all union halls. If
members believe there have been violations of
their shipping or seniority rights as contained
in the contracts between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified mail, return receipt
November 2020
requested. The proper address for this is:
Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board
5201 Capital Gateway Drive
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 Capital Gateway Drive
Camp Springs, MD 20746
Seafarers LOG 15
�Paul Hall Center Classes
The following is a list of courses that currently are scheduled to be held at the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Maryland
during the next several months. More courses may be added. Course additions and
cancellations are subject to change due to COVID-19 protocols. All programs are
geared toward improving the job skills of Seafarers and promoting the American
maritime industry.
Seafarers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at the
Paul Hall Center may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010.
Title of Start Date of
Course Date Completion
Deck Department Upgrading Courses
UPGRADING APPLICATION
Name_________________________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Telephone (Home)_________________________ (Cell)_________________________
Date of Birth___________________________________________________________________
Deep Sea Member o Lakes Member o
Inland Waters Member o
If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be processed.
Social Security #_______________________ Book #__________________________________
Seniority_____________________________ Department_____________________________
Home Port____________________________________________________________________
E-mail_______________________________________________________________________
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program? o Yes o No
If yes, class # and dates attended___________________________________________________
Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses? oYes o No
_____________________________________________________________________________
With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty-five
(125) days seatime for the previous year, MMC, TWIC, front page of your book including your
department and seniority and qualifying sea time for the course if it is Coast Guard tested.
Must have a valid SHBP clinic through course date.
I authorize the Paul Hall Center to release any of the information contained in this application, or any of the supporting documentation that I have or will submit with this application
to related organizations, for the purpose of better servicing my needs and helping me to apply
for any benefits which might become due to me.
AB to Mate Modules
Module dates vary throughout the year. Once accepted, students will be advised of
dates. Classes are only open to students in AB to Mate program and modules must be
taken in order.
Module 5 November 10 November 20
Module 6 November 23 December 18
Steward Department Upgrading Courses
Galley Operations
November 16
December 11
Certified Chief Cook
November 16
December 18
COURSE
____________________________
____________________________
START
DATE
_______________
_______________
DATE OF
COMPLETION
________________________
________________________
____________________________
_______________
________________________
____________________________
_______________
________________________
____________________________
_______________
________________________
____________________________
_______________
________________________
LAST VESSEL: ___________________________________ Rating: ____________________
Date On: _______________________________ Date Off:____________________________
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. Not all classes are
reimbursable. 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, or 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.
11/20
Enemy Exacts Heavy Toll on Convoy PQ-17
Continued from Page 20
tacks, and the Samuel Chase made it in only after a raging
fight in which bombs snapped all the steam lines to the main
engine and auxiliaries, and the fighting ship was taken in
tow by a corvette, her guns still barking defiance to the Nazi
bombers.
Only eleven ships out of PQ-17 made it through to Russia; among them being the American ships Ironclad, Samuel
Chase, Benjamin Harrison (all SIU), Silver Sword, Winston
Salem, Bellingham (SIU) and Troubador.
They had survived by pitting courage and determination
against great odds in one of the most bitterly fought battles
of World War II.
Freighters At The Front
Oran, Casablanca, Avola, Gela, Salerno, Anzio, Guadalcanal, Normandy, Leyte, Okinawa…
Memorable places these, stepping stones on the long
road to victory – the invasion points where the tide of battle
finally turned and then, surging forward on the flood, engulfed the Axis in a deluge of men and materiel as the Allies
marched inexorably toward Rome, Berlin and Tokyo.
SIU ships made these and other beachheads along with
the assault troops and the landing craft, and the names of
the far-flung battle shores became as familiar to Seafarers as
the names of towns back in New York, Indiana, Nebraska or
Texas.
One of many SIU freighters at the beachheads was the
SS Jonathan Grout, a Liberty operated by the Mississippi
Shipping Company, which helped carry British troops from
Alexandria for the invasion of Sicily in the morning of May
10, 1943.
Peaceful Sicily
It was an idyllic day as the Jonathan Grout approached
the hill-fringed Sicilian shore, and were it not for the firing
of monitors and destroyers, for bits of wrecked gliders and
dead paratroops bobbing grotesquely about in the placid
tide, the war would have seemed a thousand miles away.
But the summer calm was broken that afternoon, when
Stuka divebombers came roaring down onto the invasion
fleet with sirens screaming in their noses as they dived, a
wailing cry that was intended to strike terror in the hearts of
16 Seafarers LOG
the gunners below.
Gunners on the Jonathan Grout and other ships weren’t
impressed, however. The three-inch bow guns on the Liberties, the oerlikons and the bofors threw so much steel into
the sky that the divebombers didn’t make a single hit.
The enemy didn’t give up – not by a long shot, they
didn’t. They launched 50 raids against the anchorage at
Avola during the next five days.
Armed guard and merchant crewmen slept at the guns,
while the British stevedores unloaded bombs, canned gasoline, trucks, tanks, food, and the myriad other implements
of war, knocking off only when the sirens moaned the approach of more raiders and the lights of the anchored ships
blinked off.
On the afternoon of July11, three flights of high-level
bombers – 15 in all – swept over the convoy so high that
it was futile to fire the 20 millimeters. The bombs left the
belly of the droning raiders like tiny, shimmery pinpoints of
light.
A navy gunner on the nearby Liberty ship Colin Kelly
wrote, “The stark of terror of the sight is indescribable.”
Nick of Time Escape
The first salvo shook the Jonathan Grout as though she
had been rammed, but all were near misses, partly because
the bridge signaled the engine room for “full ahead” and,
moving from a dead stop, the ammunition-laden vessel scurried away from the falling bombs in the nick of time. Not so
lucky was a Dutch ship, hit by bombs and sunk nearby.
Third Mate Wonson of the Colin Kelly sang “Praise the
Lord and Pass the ammunition” as hot shrapnel bounced off
the deck plates and hissed in the water overside.
When hot shell fragments started a fire amid gasoline
tins in a forward hold of the Jonathan Grout, two ABs instantly climbed into the hold and just put it out.
Just before noon on July 13, without any air raid warning, a pair of Stukas dropped over the mountains that lined
the bay, and plummeted onto the anchorage with their engines cut out.
Lookouts saw them too late. So sudden and so silent
was the attack that not a shell was fired at them till they had
blown their target to pieces and were skipping safely back to
their bases.
A convoy en route to Russia fights in the North Atlantic in July 1942. An enemy plane, hit by anti-aircraft fire, crashes into
a U.S. merchant vessel, causing her to explode. The vessel at right is turning to avoid the conflagration. (Official U.S.
Navy Photo)
November 2020
�Paul Hall Center Classes
UA to AS-D – Graduated September 11 (above, in alphabetical order): Dominick Bach, Andre Barbary Jr., Badr Bouziane, Susha Dore, Dakota Guthrie, Steven McKelvey, Samuel
Schwimmer, Jonathan Silva, Oliver Vickers, Daniel Wood and Danielle Woodward.
Electronic Navigation – Graduated September 11 (above, in alphabetical order): Diego Fernando Barbosa, David Brusco, Carlo Mateo Gentile, Jerome Luckett, Ahmed Mohamed
Mohamed Eissa, Jorge A. Salas Santos and Anthony Dwight Sanchez Villarrubia.
Basic Training Revalidation – Graduated September 4 (above, in alphabetical order): Ion Irimia, Maximo Lacayo Mena, Anecito Taladua Limboy, Ricky McClenton, Allan Tadle Oculam,
Lance Spain, Carlos Velasquez, Michael Wees, Johnathan Williams and Ameen Abdo Yahya.
November 2020
Seafarers LOG 17
�Paul Hall Center Classes
Junior Engineering Plant Management – Graduated October 2 (above, in alphabetical order): Joshua Nino Bonita, Nicolas Brailsford, Ashley Burke, Carlos Guzman, Daryl Hicks,
Christopher Hinton and Wordell Prescott. Their instructor, William Dodd, is at the far left.
Basic Training (Basic Firefighting) – Graduated October 2 (above, in alphabetical order): Gunnar Anderson, Juan Barquera, Ramesh Chawaria, Kevin Cottrell, Gregory Davis, Darryl
Dewitt, Gerald Flowers, Jasmin Franklin, Eric Greenawalt, Curtis Jasa, Jevon Lowery, Sarah Superman, Brian Tait and Tinesha Travis.
Basic Training Revalidation – Graduated September 18 (above, in alphabetical order): William Born, William Churney, Donita Dowdell, Terry Fowler, Sanjay Gupta, Marvin James,
Michael Joel, Brett Tiedeman and John Walsh. (Note: Not all are pictured.)
18 Seafarers LOG
November 2020
�Paul Hall Center Classes
Chief Steward – Graduated September 11 (above, in alphabetical order): Mohsen Ali Mohammed Al-Adani, Ryan Marquez Gallano, Bryan Nystrom, Luis Enrique Santiago Sotero and Ian Schluder. (Note: Not all are pictured.)
Chief Steward Special – Joshua Hinton, above,
completed his requirements and graduated from
this course October 2.
Certified Chief Cook (Module 5) – Graduated September 4 (above, in alphabetical order): Virnabeth Tomo Cano, Jada Gay, Janelle Harper, Joseph Huls, Marcel Jubert, Nadzeya
Mikhailovna Kuptsova, Diane MacDonald, William Johan Otero Munoz, Latrel Ross and Kendra Williams.
Chief Cook Assessment Program – Graduated September 4 (above, in alphabetical order): Naulka Persian Caines, Hussein Abdul Hussein, Tony Jenkins, Paul Newman and Glen
Ward.
November 2020
Seafarers LOG 19
�VOLUME 82, NO. 11
NOVEMBER 2020
El Faro
Remembrance
Page 7
O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E S E A F A R E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L U N I O N AT L A N T I C , G U L F, L A K E S A N D I N L A N D W AT E R S , A F L- C I O
‘One of the Most Bitterly Fought Battles’
Editor’s note: This is the seventh installment from a 1951 booklet titled “The
Seafarers in World War II.” Penned by
the late SIU historian John Bunker, the
publication recapped SIU members’service
in the War. More than 1,200 SIU members
lost their lives to wartime service in the
U.S. Merchant Marine. Earlier segments
are available on the SIU website and in
print beginning with the May 2020 edition
of the LOG. (We are tentatively planning
to post a PDF of the entire booklet on the
SIU website once all of the text has been
published here.) This one picks up as Bunker describes the infamous Convoy PQ-17.
The first few paragraphs also appeared in
the October LOG but are included here for
continuity.
One of the most dramatic and yet tragic
episodes of the war at sea involved Convoy
PQ-17, better known as among SIU seamen
as the “Fourth of July” Convoy to north
Russia.
Seamen of the Seafarers International
Union and its affiliate, the Sailors Union of
the Pacific, have very personal interest in
this convoy, because they manned most of
the 20 American freighters in the 33-ship
fleet.
PQ-17 was heavily protected when it left
Reykjavik on June 27, 1942. For convoy
patrol and defense there was a heavy task
force consisting of destroyers, sloops, corvettes, two “ack ack” ships, several armed
trawlers, three rescue vessels and two British submarines that hoped for a chance to
torpedo any big German men o’ war that
might be lured out to attack the fleet.
Heavy escorts included the cruisers HMS
London, HMS Norfolk, USS Wichita, and
USS Tuscaloosa.
Covering the convoy’s flank about 100
miles to the east was another battle fleet,
numbering the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious, British battleship Duke of York, USS
Washington (battleship), several cruisers
and numerous destroyers.
Quick Attacks
Soon after leaving Iceland, PQ-17 was
spotted by a Nazi Blohm and Voss patrol
plane that kept a constant vigil over the
convoy’s course, directing subs and planes
to the attack.
In the early morning of July 4, a doughty
Heinkel defied the escort, darted through
a bank of mist, and torpedoed the Liberty
ship Christopher Newport (Calmar) with its
9,000 tons of war supplies.
That afternoon a flight of 25 torpedocarrying Heinkels attacked from astern and
braved a hail of anti-aircraft fire to sink
the freighters Navarino (Br.) and William
Hooper (Am.) and hit the Russian tanker
Azerbaidjan, which, however, did not sink
and rejoined the fleet. Another “tin fish”
missed the SIU-manned Bellingham by a
few feet.
Gordon Small, seaman on the Ironclad,
recounts how the bombers plowed right up
through the convoy lanes against terrific
fire, losing their torpedoes and firing at the
ships with their machine guns.
A plane passed so close to the Ironclad
they could see the face of the pilot and the
gunner. Bullets from the old Browning .50s
on the Ironclad seemed to bounce off the
bombers like hail on a tin roof.
This was dramatic and costly evidence
that the Germans intended to stop Convoy
PQ-17 from delivering its 188,000 tons
of freight to the Russians. But, despite the
warning, the convoy commodore signaled
this message to his merchantmen at 8:30 on
the evening of July 4:
“Scatter fanwise and proceed independently to destination at utmost speed.”
Three ships had already been lost despite
The covering forces of the PQ-17 Convoy (British and American ships) are shown at anchor in the harbor at Hvalfjord, Iceland, May
1942. (U.S. Navy photo)
the heavy naval escort. Now the merchantmen were to be left “on their own” with
no more than .30- and .50-caliber machine
guns and a few three-inch guns for defense!
The order had come from London. Only
the armed trawlers, several corvettes and the
three rescue ships were left with the freighters and they hurried off independently at top
speed.
When the cruisers and destroyers dashed
away the Bellingham was close behind the
little rescue ship Rathlin. Not intending to
be completely deserted if he could help it,
Captain Mortenson told Chief Engineer
Saltsman to “give us every bit of steam you
can squeeze out of those boilers.”
The watch below really produced, and
the Bellingham stuck right on the tail of the
annoyed Rathlin despite its repeated signals
to “get away.”
The Bellingham turned up 14 knots in its
hour of desperate need and made it safely
into Archangel after numerous adventures,
still in company with the rescue ship.
When the convoy scattered, the old
Ironclad was alongside the Panamanian
freighter Troubador, which trailed a continual column of heavy smoke from her coalburning fires, and near the Silver Sword.
The little British armed trawler Ayershire
steamed up and said, bravely enough, that
she would “convoy” them to Nova Zembla.
The only escort ship with “guts” enough to
stay by the deserted merchantmen was this
one-time fisherman.
Under escort of the doughty Ayershire,
the Silver Sword and Ironclad spent three
days in heavy pack ice, which protected
them from subs; arrived safely in Nova
Zembla and, later, made it through to Russia.
First ship to go down after the convoy
scattered was the SS Carlton, torpedoed in
the deep tanks. Her survivors were picked
up by a German seaplane and submarine
and others rowed to the coast of Norway.
After being taken prisoner, they also survived the torpedoing of a German prisonerof-war transport.
Next to get it was the Matson Company’s SUP-manned Honomu. She went down
in 10 minutes with 19 of her crew.
Heavy Ship Toll
Soon after, the SIU-manned Pan Kraft
was attacked by three Junkers 88s and set
afire, her 5,000 tons of bombers and air-
plane parts lost amid the mists of the icy
Arctic.
In succession went the British freighters Empire Byron, Earlston, and River
Afton. A gift for Hitler they were! Unescorted and lightly armed merchantmen
against powerful bombers and U-boats!
The American freighter Peter Kerr gallantly fought off 7 torpedo planes with four
machine guns, but the unequal contest was
soon ended and this brave ship also went to
the bottom.
About the same time the SS Washington
edged along an ice pack in company with
the Bolton Castle (Br.) and the Paulus Potter (Dutch).
Nine Junkers dive bombers attacked,
blowing up the Bolton Castle and sinking
the Washington after many near misses had
caused her to leak like a sieve. Later, they
got the Paulus Potter, too.
The SS Olopana (another Matson, SUP
ship) hove by and offered to pick up the
Washington survivors, who were pulling toward Nova Zembla amid gusts of snow and
big chunks of drift ice.
“No,” they shouted. “You’ll only get
sunk, too.”
And sunk the Olopana was – only a few
hours later.
Pan-Atlantic Dies
Survivors from these ships then pulled
through freezing weather to the mountainous coasts of bleak Nova Zembla where,
after “celebrating” over a feast of duck and
sea gull soup, they were picked up by the
SS Empire Tide and other assorted vessels
that had made it there to take shelter under
the cliffs.
An epic fight against overwhelming
odds, meanwhile was waged by the SIUmanned Pan Atlantic, a Waterman ship
which had an armament of four .50 caliber
machine guns.
“Nineteen of the merchant crew and
seven Navy gunners were killed while defending this ship,” says the official Navy
report about the Pan Atlantic.
They stuck by their guns even while
a Junkers dropped its lethal load on them
from a height of only 4,000 feet – safe beyond machine gun fire.
The bombs exploded in the cargo,
knocked the foremast on top of the wheelhouse, and severed the ship completely just
forward of the bridge. She filled and quickly
sank with a very valuable cargo of oil stills,
aluminum, nickel, food, tanks and cordite.
Courageous Crews
Shortly after the Pan Atlantic went
down, a sub torpedoed the SIU-manned
Alcoa Ranger and the Hartlebury (Br.),
many of whose crew froze to death trying to
reach Nova Zembla.
The Liberty ship Daniel Morgan shot
down two dive bombers before a sub got
her. It took three torpedoes to sink the Liberty Ship John Witherspoon, whose men
were picked up after a daring decision by
Captain John Thevik of the SS El Capitan
(Pan.), to stop his ship for the rescue, even
though a sub was close behind at the time.
By the 7th of July, Convoy PQ-17 had
lost 18 ships. Almost 100,000 tons of war
cargoes had been sent to the bottom of the
Arctic and the Barents Sea, to be lost forever.
It was on the 7th, incidentally, that the
plucky Bellingham was hit by a torpedo
which did not explode, although the concussion blew out the lights and knocked the
watch off their feet.
The SIU-manned Ironclad of the Waterman Company, the Troubador and the Silver
Sword and the trawler Ayrshire ran into
thick pack ice, then hit on the happy idea
of painting their hulls white and covering
as much as the topsiders as possible with
sheets and blankets.
Trick Succeeds
This camouflage helped them to evade
attack in getting to Nova Zembla and, finally, to the White Sea.
Several other freighters of the convoy
made it safely to Nova Zembla, where they
joined some escort vessels to steam the last
lap without further loss, arriving in Archangel July 25.
Another segment of the ill-fated fleet had
made the dash from Nova Zembla toward
Cape Kanin on July 7, accompanied by corvettes and armed trawlers.
Included were the freighters Hoosier,
Ocean Freedom (Br.), Benjamin Harrison
(Calmar) and El Capitan (Pan.). They were
later joined by the Liberty ship Samuel
Chase (SUP).
The Hoosier and El Capitan were sunk
short of their destination in violent air atContinued on Page16
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Dublin Core
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Title
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Seafarers Log Issues 2020-present
Description
An account of the resource
Volumes LXXXII of the Seafarers Log and beyond
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Seafarers International Union of North America
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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November 2020
Description
An account of the resource
Headlines:
THOUSANDS OF MARINERS STUCK AT SEA AS CREW CHANGE CRISIS CONTINUES
PLANNING, TEAMWORK RESULT IN SUCCESSSFUL REOPENING
SIU SAFETY TEAM MEETS FOR VIRTUAL SUMMIT
MAERSK ACHIEVES SAFETY MILESTONE
HOUSE PASSES 'CLEAN ECONOMY JOBS' BILL
U.S. REP WITTMAN SHARES VIEW: 'AMERICA IS A MARITIME NATION'
CONGRESS EXPRESSES STRONG BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR CREATION OF U.S. TANKER SECURITY FLEET
TOTE HONORS EL FARO CREW WITH CEREMONY
'THE SIU TOOK ME WHEN NOBODY ELSE WOULD'
WHOOPING COUGH POSES DANGERS TO ALL AGE GROUPS
Creator
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Seafarers Log
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Seafarers Log Digital Copies
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Seafarers International Union of North America
Date
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11/1/2020
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Newsprint
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Vol. 82, No. 11