http://seafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/46c7801b77adc946f839cd7fd2b5ae16.pdf 4f2830119a423d9e3861b0615c95c6c1 PDF Text Text DECEMBER 2020 VOLUME 82, NO. 12 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 Season’s Greetings 2021 Meeting Dates Page 4 Beck Notice Page 5 Summary Annual Reports Page 6 �President’s Report More Jones Act Support It seems fitting to close out 2020 with a word about the Jones Act, which marked its centennial this past summer. As you’ll see elsewhere in this edition, America’s freight cabotage law is still making headlines – most recently in the form of support from members of Congress and from the Navy League of the United States. While I never take anything for granted, I’m confident that the Jones Act will continue enjoying strong bipartisan support in the new year (and beyond). This law has never been more important to U.S. national, economic and homeland security. It protects our shipbuilding capability, safeguards our coasts and waterways, and helps maintain a pool of well-trained, reliable, U.S.-citizen mariners who will be available to sail on military support ships in times of need. The Jones Act has endured because it is extremely sound policy. Nevertheless, we’re always on the lookout for attacks against it, and we also invest time and energy educating new legislators about the law’s significant value. We’ll continue on that path. Cargo Preference While it’s sometimes overlooked in maritime discussions, cargo preference is another crucial component of our industry’s foundation. Cargo preference is an economic boon for our country that doesn’t cost the taxpayers a dime. In brief, cargo preference programs require shippers to use U.S.flag vessels to move specified government-impelled, ocean-borne goods. The most often cited program is PL-480, otherwise known as Food for Peace. Enacted in 1954, Food for Peace ships Americangrown food, dry goods and other commodities aboard U.S.-crewed, U.S.-flag ships to countries with dire nutritional needs. Those packages, marked “USAID from the American people,” help nourish those at risk of starvation while spreading a message of goodwill to the most impoverished countries on Earth. That is not the only such law, though. The Cargo Preference Act of 1904 dictates that 100 percent of military cargo be shipped aboard U.S.-flag vessels; and Public Resolution 17 from 1934 states all cargo generated by the U.S. Export-Import Bank must be carried aboard U.S.-flag ships unless granted a waiver by the U.S. Maritime Administration. As we turn the calendar to 2021, the SIU will continue to advocate for the expansion of the nation’s current cargo preference laws, and to ensure that American mariners keep working aboard U.S.flag ships around the world. Happy Holidays While we all are still dealing with the global pandemic, I’m hopeful that everyone throughout the SIU will be able to count our blessings during the winter holidays. One thing I’m very grateful for is the incredible professionalism of Seafarers in 2020. You have truly risen to the occasion and fulfilled your mission as essential workers. You have demonstrated flexibility, dedication and sacrifice in order to help keep commerce flowing and to support our armed forces. You certainly answered the call during the turbo activations this summer, and I’m proud of you. This dedication extends to our affiliated school in Piney Point, Maryland, which reopened in early August. Everyone at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education has met the moment and done what needs to be done in order to safely, successfully run classes for upgraders and apprentices. It’s not easy but it’s vital, and everyone at the school – staff and students alike – deserves credit for getting the job done. Keep the faith, brothers and sisters. Better days are ahead. 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 12 December 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. Telephone (301) 899-0675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland 20790-9998. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Assistant Communications Director & Managing Editor/ Production, Jim Guthrie; Assistant Editor, Nick Merrill; Photographer, Harry Gieske; Administrative Support, Jenny Stokes; Content Curator, Mark Clements. Copyright © 2020 Seafarers International Union, AGLIW. All Rights Reserved. The Seafarers International Union engaged an environmentally friendly printer for the production of this newspaper. Gov’t Expert Calls for Stronger Sealift Lexington Institute Exec. Spells Out Path for Boosting U.S. Fleet The Lexington Institute generally wants government to butt out, but when it comes to U.S.-flag sealift capacity, the stakes are too high for inaction. That was one conclusion among several penned by Lexington Institute Chief Operating Officer Loren Thompson in a recent article for Forbes. Thompson examined a new Defense Department plan for remaking the U.S. Navy and stated that while much of the Battle Force 2045 strategy likely won’t come to fruition, “there are some elements within the plan that do not require heavy lifting to accomplish, because their cost is modest and bipartisan support already exists. Sealift – the capacity to move U.S. military supplies to foreign conflicts expeditiously – is one such element.” Thompson said he anticipates limits on future Defense spending because of a “fiscal hangover” from the COVID-19 pandemic. He also stated that Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s plan “is so imposing – nearly a dozen new ship classes, half of them unmanned – that it would be challenging to implement even in normal times.” Throwing more support behind civilian-crewed military support ships is very achievable, however, according to Thompson. “The nation’s sealift fleet, which would carry 90% of supplies in wartime, has been decaying for decades,” he wrote. “That partly reflects the low priority assigned to the mission, and partly reflects the decline of the U.S. commercial shipping industry. With fewer than 200 U.S.-flagged vessels engaged in international commerce, there just isn’t much slack in the system if U.S. forces need to be surged overseas in an emergency. “The Navy’s current assets consist of 15 prepositioned supply ships anchored overseas near potential trouble spots, plus an additional 15 ‘surge’ vessels maintained in a reduced state of readiness,” he continued. “These ships are operated by commercial companies under the supervision of the Military Sealift Command, and are designed so that military vehicles and supplies can be driven directly into cargo holds rather than needing to be lifted or broken down.” But that only offers approximately half of the capacity needed “to lift the Army and other services to a major war,” Thompson explained. “To secure the remainder, [the armed forces] must turn to the Transportation Department, specifically the Ready Reserve Fleet (RRF) maintained by the Maritime Administration, and to the private merchant marine.” Thompson then explained the mission and condition of the RRF (which contains 46 former commercial ships) as well as the 60 privately owned, civilian-crewed vessels in the U.S. Maritime Security Program. “There are all sorts of problems with mobilizing this diverse menagerie of vessels,” Thompson said. “The entire sealift fleet is aging and its availability will become increasingly problematic in future years. This challenge has been recognized for years, and explains why Secretary Esper explicitly cited the need to modernize sealift assets in his October 6 discussion of Battle Force 2045. “The problem with Esper’s broader vision is that it requires so much money for so many initiatives that sealift would have to fight every year for funding against missions that have stronger constituencies,” Thompson continued. “However, viewed in isolation it is not a particularly expensive activity. The Congressional Budget Office estimated in 2019 that it would only cost a little over $1 billion per year going forward to recapitalize and operate the sealift fleet. That represents 2-3 hours of federal spending at current rates. So, whatever the fate of Battle Force 2045, sealift is an eminently fixable challenge. The Navy’s three-pronged approach, disclosed in 2018, is to extend the service life of the most modern vessels in the Ready Reserve Fleet, buy second-hand foreign commercial ships for modification, and build a new class of auxiliary vessels in domestic shipyards.” The latter undertaking, named the Common Hull Auxiliary Multi-Mission Platform (CHAMP), “would provide both new sealift and various other support vessels the fleet requires, but the initiative was rebuffed by the White House Budget Office in preparing the 2021 budget submission due to high per-vessel costs,” Thompson said. “Congress has already begun funding the life-extensions of the Ready Reserve Fleet and purchase of used foreign ships. The Navy is not ready to give up on CHAMP, because it meets multiple service requirements and would produce sealift assets superior to what can be obtained by the other two parts of its strategy. The service probably will prevail in the end, because there is bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for building new sealift vessels to commercial specifications in the nation’s shipyards.” He concluded, “The unanswered question is whether the sealift mission can stay afloat now that Secretary Esper has called into question virtually every facet of the Navy’s long-term shipbuilding plan. The political landscape is in such disarray that congressional champions will have to protect sealift from becoming a bill-payer for bigger, more visible missions. Time will tell whether those champions come forward. However, there is a bottom line to the sealift story that military planners would do well to heed: If you can’t get to the fight on time, then you are probably going to lose the war.” Thompson was deputy director of the Securities Studies Program at Georgetown University. He has taught at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and holds doctoral and master’s degrees in government from Georgetown. The Lexington Institute is a non-profit entity whose mission statement in part says that the organization “believes in limiting the role of the federal government to those functions explicitly stated or implicitly defined by the Constitution. The Institute therefore actively opposes the unnecessary intrusion of the federal government into the commerce and culture of the nation, and strives to find nongovernmental, market-based solutions to publicpolicy challenges. We believe a dynamic private sector is the greatest engine for social progress and economic prosperity…. By promoting America’s ability to project power around the globe we not only defend the homeland of democracy, but also sustain the international stability in which other free-market democracies can thrive.” Seafarers Help Stranded Boaters Seafarers recently came to the aid of stranded boaters in the Pacific, approximately 150 miles off the California coast. Chief Steward Samuel Sinclair provided this photo from the MV Jean Anne (Pasha Hawaii) along with the following notes: “The boat was drifting at sea for days and was spotted by 3rd Mate Jim Marren. The captain notified the U.S. Coast Guard. Our ship made a Williamson turn and we maneuvered to allow the distressed boat to drift up alongside. ABs threw mooring line to the castaways in order to secure them. After roping down much-needed water and provisions, the Jean Anne waited until the Mexican coast guard came to take over responsibility. The people in the boat were Mexican citizens trying to gain access to the U.S. Their motor gave out, resulting in the boat drifting aimlessly in the Pacific. The SIU crew professionally performed duties in this humanitarian rescue.” The SIU crew included Bosun Thomas Johnson (who was instrumental in securing the smaller boat to the Jean Anne), AB Shaif Alomary, AB Samuel Lampshire, AB Mohamed Saleh, QE4 Yahya Mohamed, QEE Stephen Roberts, GVA Ahmed Ahmed, GVA Abdulla Saleh, Chief Steward Samuel Sinclair and Chief Cook Tammy Bingisser. Reversed to White Reversed to White 2 Seafarers LOG December 2020 �Navy League Highlights Importance of Jones Act The Navy League of the United States has released a new report titled, “China’s Use of Maritime for Global Power Demands a Strong Commitment to American Maritime,” which outlines and reinforces the importance of the maritime industry and in particular the Jones Act. As stated in the introduction of the report, “America has been guided by the waterborne trades and the laws of maritime commerce since its founding. Shipbuilding and the generations of mariners in the shipping trades are pillars of our maritime and naval heritage. In that spirit, Americans have always gone to great lengths to protect the nation’s ports and sea lanes. Early on, American merchants abided by Navigation Acts fashioned by the English government to protect British Colonial interests. Today, American maritime law and the commercial maritime trades are informed by a set of laws, including the Jones Act.” The report detailed the current state of the U.S.-flag fleet, saying, “U.S. maritime stakeholders are well aware of the challenges America faces in shipbuilding and in global shipping. The U.S. has seen a sharp decline in its international maritime fleet, whereby less than 200 U.S.-flagged vessels are represented in an oceangoing cargo fleet of more than 41,000 ships. The U.S. trails 16 countries in shipbuilding by a disparate proportion. In 2019, China ranked highest with 1,291 oceangoing ships under construction, while Japan and South Korea were the next largest shipbuilders but with each having roughly half of that number of vessels in production. The U.S. was building only eight oceangoing vessels in 2019. “In a comprehensive 2020 study by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, ‘Strengthening the U.S. Defense Maritime Industrial Base: A Plan to Improve Maritime Industry’s Contribution to National Security,’ the Jones Act is described as guarding ‘against the ability of China … to take over shipping to U.S. territories and to gain local influence during peacetime, only to threaten or deny shipping to CONUS [contiguous United States] during a crisis or conflict’,” the report continued. “China’s goals, beyond creating jobs and expanding its economy, are aimed at dominating the shipping industry and world trade. Through its state-owned enterprises, China has, in the past two decades, managed to dominate the world’s core maritime industries, namely shipbuilding, majority ownership of oceangoing commercial ships and ownership or part ownership of marine terminals at key ports on strategically important trade lanes. China The SIU-crewed Overseas Houston (OSG) sails in the Jones Act trade. can shape global trade to its liking in times of peace and, in times of conflict, leverage an overwhelming advantage in global maritime logistics built up primarily at the expense of U.S. importers.” The American Maritime Partnership, to which the SIU is affiliated, issued the following statement concerning the report: “This study by the Navy League raises important questions about China’s ambition to dominate the global maritime supply chain. It requires a thoughtful policy response from the United States, including a renewed commitment to a robust American maritime industry, which is critical to our national security.” Additionally, the Shipbuilders Council of America issued the following statement: “The U.S. Navy League’s latest report on China’s strategy to advance global maritime dominance confirms what American shipbuilders have witnessed for decades which is Beijing funneling hundreds of billions into its shipbuilding programs to manipulate world markets and strengthen the country’s power on land and sea. While China will not rest in this pursuit, it is even more critical that we continue to build and repair the U.S. commercial and military fleets to bolster the American economy and protect domestic and national security.” Ocean Gladiator Flags In The Navy League of the United States is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating citizens about the importance of sea power to U.S. national security and to supporting the men and women of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine and their families. CIVMARS At Work Both of these vessels (pictured Oct. 12 in the Atlantic Ocean) are crewed by CIVMARS from the SIU Government Services Division. The fast combat support ship USNS Supply (right) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with the hospital ship USNS Comfort. The Comfort is on an 11-week medical support mission to Central and South America as part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Devin Alexondra Lowe) Legislators Speak Up for U.S. Freight Cabotage Law SIU members are sailing aboard the recently reflagged Ocean Gladiator (operated by Waterman), a replacement ship for the Ocean Globe. Pictured this summer in Turkey, the Ocean Gladiator was built in 2010 and is 544 feet long. (Photo by Cengiz Tokgöz) December 2020 Three members of Congress are calling upon the respective chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to make sure the Jones Act provisions for “offshore oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf also apply to offshore wind development.” Signed by U.S. Reps. Elaine Luria (DVirginia), John Garamendi (D-California) and Alan S. Lowenthal (D-California), the Oct. 27 letter was sent to U.S. Sens. James Inhofe (ROklahoma), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), the committee’s ranking member, as well as U.S. Reps. Adam Smith (D-Washington), chair of the House Armed Service Committee, and Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), that committee’s ranking member. “Congress clearly intended federal law to apply to the exploration, development, production, transportation and transmission of any form of energy resources under OCSLA [the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act],” the trio wrote. “We urge you to clarify that lease sales for energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf from non-minerals are indeed subject to U.S. jurisdiction, including federal laws affording labor and environmental protections. Indeed, these same federal laws including the Jones Act currently apply to offshore oil and gas development under OSCLA.” They concluded by noting, “The Jones Act ensures a level of maritime capability that is critical to our national security.” The Jones Act requires that cargo moving from one domestic port to another domestic port must be carried aboard a U.S.-crewed, U.S.built, U.S.-owned, U.S.-flagged vessel. The law is considered vital to U.S. national, economic and homeland security. It was enacted in 1920 with those goals in mind. Seafarers LOG 3 �Voting Continues in SIU’s 2020 Election Voting started last month and will continue through Dec. 31 in the election of officers of the SIU’s Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters. Balloting is taking place at 20 SIU halls across the country. Full-book SIU members in good standing are eligible to vote in the election, which will determine union officers for the 20212024 term. Seafarers may obtain their ballots from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Mondays through Fridays (except legal holidays), and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays (again except legal holidays) until Dec. 31. The ballot includes the list of candidates seeking the posts of president, executive vice president, secretary-treasurer, six vice presidents, six assistant vice presidents and 10 port agents (for a total of 25 positions). Only two of the positions have more than one candidate running; those positions are highlighted on the ballot. At the union halls, a member in good standing (upon presenting his or her book) is given a ballot and two envelopes. After his or her selection is marked, the ballot is folded and placed inside an envelope marked “ballot.” That envelope then is sealed inside a postage-paid envelope bearing the mailing address of the bank depository where ballots are kept until submitted to the union tallying committee. The rank-and-file tallying committee, consisting of two members from each of the union’s constitutional ports, will be elected in December. They will convene in early January and will tabulate and announce the election results. Article XIII of the union’s constitution spells out the procedures by which an election will be conducted. The entire text of Article XIII, along with a sample ballot, a list of voting locations and other related information appears on Pages 6-10 of the October 2020 issue of the Seafarers LOG. Additionally, a notice of the election was mailed in October to all members at their last known address, with a list of all voting locations as well as a sample of the official ballot. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, extra steps are being taken to help ensure member participation in the election. These modifications have been extensively reported in the LOG, on the SIU website and at the monthly membership meetings. They include (for this election only) easing the absentee-ballot procedures, expanding the hours for ballot pickup, and having union representatives bring ballots to SIU-crewed ves- sels whenever reasonably possible. As part of the latter development, SIU representatives are undergoing COVID-19 testing every two weeks, and any representative visiting a ship must show proof of a recent negative test. The first two votes are cast in Jacksonville, Florida, (photo at top left) by Recertified Steward Breon Lucas and Bosun Gerald Alford. GUDE Michael Cruz (photo above) seals his ballot at the hiring hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico while members line up to vote (photo at bottom left) in Oakland, California, on Nov. 2. SIU Patrolman Adrian Fraccarolli is at right. For more photos of SIU members voting in the union election, see Page 8. Union Membership Meeting Dates for 2021 Port Traditional Date January February March April Piney Point Monday after first Sunday 4 8 8 5 Jersey City Tuesday after first Sunday 5 9 9 Philadelphia Wednesday after first Sunday 6 10 Baltimore Thursday after first Sunday 7 Jacksonville Thursday after first Sunday San Juan May June July August September October November December 3 7 6 2 7 4 8 6 6 4 8 6 3 7 5 9 7 10 7 5 9 7 4 8 6 10 8 11 11 8 6 10 8 5 9 7 12 9 7 11 11 8 6 10 8 5 9 7 12 9 Thursday after first Sunday 7 11 11 8 6 10 8 5 9 7 12 9 Algonac Friday after first Sunday 8 12 12 9 7 11 9 6 10 8 12 10 Norfolk Friday after first Sunday 8 12 12 9 7 11 9 6 10 8 12 10 Houston Monday after second Sunday 11 16 15 12 10 14 12 9 13 12 15 13 New Orleans Tuesday after second Sunday 12 16 16 13 11 15 13 10 14 12 16 14 Mobile Wednesday after second Sunday 13 17 17 14 12 16 14 11 15 13 17 15 Oakland Thursday after second Sunday 14 18 18 15 13 17 15 12 16 14 18 16 Port Everglades Thursday after second Sunday 14 18 18 15 13 17 15 12 16 14 18 16 Joliet Thursday after second Sunday 14 18 18 15 13 17 15 12 16 14 18 16 St. Louis Friday after second Sunday 15 19 19 16 14 18 16 13 17 15 19 17 Honolulu Friday after second Sunday 15 19 19 16 14 18 16 13 17 15 19 17 Wilmington Monday after third Sunday 19 22 22 19 17 21 19 16 20 18 22 20 Guam Thursday after third Sunday 21 25 25 22 20 24 22 19 23 21 26 23 Tacoma Friday after third Sunday 22 26 26 23 21 25 23 20 24 22 26 27 Dates appearing in bold indicate that meetings are being held on other than traditional meeting dates. The reasons for the changes at affected ports, respectively, are as follows: nPiney Point change in July created by Independence Day Observance Jacksonville & San Juan changes in November created by Veterans Day Observance nHouston change in October created by Columbus Day Observance nGuam change in November created by Thanksgiving Observance nBaltimore, nPiney Point change in September created by Labor Day Observance change in February created by President’s Day Observance nWilmington change in January created by Martin Luther King Day Observance nTacoma change in December created by Christmas Observance nHouston Meetings at each port start at 10:30 a.m. 4 Seafarers LOG December 2020 �SIU Pitches in With ‘BookWaves’ Outreach AFT Spearheads Philanthropic Project to Give Student Assistance A coalition including the SIU, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), SIU-contracted Crowley, Matson and TOTE (respectively), non-profit organizations and other groups has teamed up to eventually deliver more than 100,000 free books to students in Puerto Rico, Guam and Alaska. The AFT, the Transportation Institute (TI) (representing U.S.-flag vessel operators) and the organization First Book in particular spearheaded the launch of the outreach known as BookWaves. Together, all participants are uniting to assist students and families during the COVID-19 crisis. TI Chairman and President Jim Henry said, “Reading books to children helps stimulate their imagination and expands their ability to understand the world, and that’s why the Transportation Institute – with its maritime members Crowley and TOTE – are dedicated and proud to work with teachers to donate and ship thousands of books to young students to help make our future stronger.” AFT President Randi Weingarten said, “We’re doing our part to help students and their families – regardless of their geography or demography – have what they need to learn. Our hope is that BookWaves will provide books to help them navigate this difficult time and prioritize one of the most fundamental things we can all do together: read.” BookWaves is supported by SIU-contracted operators Crowley, Matson, and TOTE, as well as trucking company Convoy and other local air and ground transportation companies that have donated their expertise and services to ship tens of thousands of books across land and sea to remote communities in need of books. The AFT, TI and Pi Beta Phi Foundation provided financial support to secure books from First Book; while the AFT and the SIU helped with title selection and providing onthe-ground coordination of sorting and distribution. At press time, the first wave of 3,000 bilingual and Spanish STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) books have been distributed, at a socially distant outdoor event at the Manuel A. Perez Residencial in San Juan, with more distributions to follow in the late fall and winter across Alaska, Guam and Puerto Rico. “Hearing of the hard work the AFT and First Book have been doing over the years to bring millions of books to students in need inspired our organization to marshal With containers of books in the foreground, volunters team up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. the resources of the U.S.-flag maritime industry and our logistics partners to help Americans in far-flung communities that rely on our shipping services have better access to books and inspire a lifelong love of reading and learning,” said Rich Berkowitz, the Transportation Institute’s vice president of Pacific Coast Operations. Crowley donated the shipping of 3,000 STEM books in Spanish, bilingual and English titles and is committed to shipping another 30,000 books to Puerto Rico. The Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico is spearheading the effort to distribute books, as well as partnering with the SIU to create maritime collections in high schools to support career and technical education. “This is a great initiative, which truly will have a positive impact for the students. A book in the hands of a child or young person is an opportunity for the develop- Beck Notice The Seafarers International Union, AGLIW assists employees by representing them in all aspects of their employment and work aboard vessels which sail deep sea, on the Great Lakes and inland waters throughout the country. For the most part, the union spends a majority of its financial resources on collective bargaining activities and employee representation services. In addition to these expenditures, the union also spends resources on a variety of other efforts such as organizing, publications, political activities, international affairs and community services. All of these services advance the interests of the union and its membership. This annual notice is required by law and is sent to advise employees represented by the Seafarers International Union, AGLIW about their rights and obligations concerning payment of union dues. This notice contains information which will allow you to understand the advantages and benefits of being a union member in good standing. It also will provide you with detailed information as to how to become an agency fee payor. An agency fee payor is an employee who is not a member of the union but who meets his or her financial obligation by making agency fee payments. With this information, you will be able to make an informed decision about your status with the Seafarers International Union, AGLIW. 1. Benefits of union membership — While nonmembers do receive material benefits from a union presence in their workplace, there are significant benefits to retaining full membership in the union. Among the many benefits and opportunities available to a member of the Seafarers International Union, AGLIW are the right to attend union meetings, the right to vote for candidates for union office and the right to run for union office. Members also have the right to participate in the development of contract proposals and participate in contract ratification and strike votes. Members also may play a December 2020 ment of language, comprehension, reading and their upbringing as a human being,” said Elba L. Aponte Santos, president of the Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico. “We are grateful for this collaboration to bring highquality books, which are so important for students and teachers of Puerto Rico.” “Working in partnership with the Transportation Institute, including Crowley and TOTE, as well as the teachers of our young students in Puerto Rico, we will create a pathway of knowledge that enables these students to learn, grow and seek out the career ladders that are offered in the maritime industry and other opportunities,” said SIU Port Agent Amancio Crespo. “Bringing more than 100,000 free books to students Continued on Page 7 Notice to Employees Covered by Union Agreements Regulated Under the National Labor Relations Act role in the development and formulation of union policies. 2. Cost of union membership — In addition to working dues, to belong to the union as a full book member the cost is $500.00 (five hundred dollars) per year or $125.00 (one hundred twenty-five dollars) per quarter. Working dues amount to 5 percent of the gross amount an employee receives for vacation benefits and are paid when the member files a vacation application. 3. Agency fee payors — Employees who choose not to become union members may become agency fee payors. As a condition of employment, in states which permit such arrangements, individuals are obligated to make payments to the union in the form of an agency fee. The fee these employees pay is to support the core representational services that the union provides. These services are those related to the collective bargaining process, contract administration and grievance adjustments. Examples of these activities include but are not limited to, the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the enforcement and administration of collective bargaining agreements and meetings with employers and employees. Union services also include representation of employees during disciplinary meetings, grievance and arbitration proceedings, National Labor Relations Board hearings and court litigation. Employees who pay agency fees are not required to pay for expenses not germane to the collective bargaining process. Examples of these expenses would be expenses required as a result of community service, legislative activities and political affairs. 4. Amount of agency fee — As noted above, dues objectors may pay a fee which represents the costs of expenses related to those supporting costs germane to the collective bargaining process. After review of all expenses during the 2019 calendar year, the fee cost associated with this representa- tion amounts to 79.84 percent of the dues amount. This means that the agency fee based upon the dues would be $399.20 (three hundred ninety-nine dollars and twenty cents) for the applicable year. An appropriate reduction also will be calculated for working dues. This amount applies to the 2021calendar year. This means that any individual who wishes to elect to pay agency fees and submits a letter between December 1, 2020 and November 30, 2021 will have this calculation applied to their 2021 dues payments which may still be owed to the union. As noted below, however, to continue to receive the agency fee reduction effective January 2022, your objection must be received by December 1, 2021. A report which delineates chargeable and nonchargeable expenses is available to you free of charge. You may receive a copy of this report by writing to: Secretary-Treasurer, Seafarers International Union, AGLIW, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746. This report is based upon an audited financial report of the union’s expenses during 2019. Please note that as the chargeable and nonchargeable expenses may change each year, the agency fee amount may also fluctuate each year. Individuals who are entitled to pay agency fees and wish to pay fees rather than dues, must elect this option each year by filing an objection in accordance with the procedure noted below. 5. Filing of objections — If you choose to object to paying dues, an objection must be filed annually. To receive the deduction beginning in January of each year, you must file by the beginning of December in the prior year. An employee may file an objection at any time during the year, however, the reduction will apply only prospectively and only until December 31 of that calendar year. Reductions in dues will not be applied retroactively. As noted above, each year the amount of the dues reduction may change based upon an auditor’s report from a previous year. The objection must be sent in writing to: Agency Fee Payor Objection Administration, Secretary-Treasurer’s Office, Seafarers International Union, AGLIW, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746. 6. Filing a challenge — Upon receiving the notice of calculation of the chargeable expenditures related to core representation activities, an objector shall have 45 days to submit a challenge with the Secretary-Treasurer’s office if he or she believes that the calculation of chargeable activities is incorrect. Every person who wishes to object to the calculation of chargeable expenses has a legal right to file such an objection. 7. Appeal procedure — Upon receiving the challenge(s) at the end of the 45-day period, the union will consolidate all appeals and submit them to an independent arbitrator. The presentation to the arbitrator will be either in writing or at a hearing. The method of the arbitration will be determined by the arbitrator. If a hearing is held, any objector who does not wish to attend may submit his/her views in writing by the date of the hearing. If a hearing is not held, the arbitrator will set the dates by which all written submissions will be received. The costs of the arbitration shall be borne by the union. Individuals submitting challenges will be responsible for all the costs associated with presenting their appeal. The union will have the burden of justifying its calculations. The SIU works very hard to ensure that all of its members receive the best representation possible. On behalf of all the SIU officers and employees, I would like to thank you for your continuing support. Sincerely, David Heindel Secretary-Treasurer Seafarers LOG 5 �Summary Annual Report for Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan This is a summary of the annual report for the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan, (Employer Identification No.13-5557534, Plan No. 501) for the period January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The Board of Trustees of the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan has committed itself to pay all claims incurred under the terms of the Plan. Basic Financial Statement The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $239,118,635 as of December 31, 2019 compared to $184,235,622 as of January 1, 2019. During the plan year the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $54,883,013. This increase includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year, or the cost of assets acquired during the year. During the plan year, the plan had total income of $145,766,909, including employer contributions of $124,764,974, employee contributions of $499,600, realized gains of $2,754,248 from the sale of assets and earnings from investments of $17,093,981 and other income of $654,106. Plan expenses were $90,883,896. These expenses included $13,990,253 in administrative expenses and $76,893,643 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. Your Rights to Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: n An accountant’s report; n Financial information and information on payments to service providers; n Assets held for investment; and n Transactions in excess of 5 percent of the plan assets. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of: Margaret Bowen, Administrator, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746, (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $7.50 for the full report, or $0.25 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan: Plan Office, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Public Disclosure Room, Summary Annual Report for Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan This is a summary of the annual report for the Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan, (Employer Identification No. 52-1994914, Plan No. 001) for the period January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Basic Financial Statement Benefits under the plan are provided by a trust. Plan expenses were $11,709,598. These expenses included $1,156,654 in administrative expenses and $10,552,944 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 15,492 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year. The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $143,294,725 as of December 31, 2019 compared to $126,965,662 as of January 1, 2019. During the plan year the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $16,329,063. This increase includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year, or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan had total income of $28,038,661, including employer contributions of $9,976,372, employee contributions of $139,493, gains of $1,484,830 from the sale of assets, earnings from investments of $16,429,643 and other income of $8,323. Your Rights to Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: n An accountant’s report; n Financial information and information on payments to service providers; n Assets held for investment; n Transactions in excess of 5 percent of the plan assets; n Insurance information including sales commissions paid by insurance carriers; and n Information regarding any common or collective trust, pooled separate accounts, master trusts or 103-12 investment entities in which the plan participates. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of: Margaret R. Bowen, Administrator, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746, (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $7.75 for the full report, or $0.25 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan: Plan Office, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Public Disclosure Room, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite N-1513, Washington, D.C. 20210. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) (PRA), no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Department notes that a Federal agency cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it is approved by OMB under the PRA, and displays a currently valid OMB control number, and the public is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3507. Also, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3512. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average less than one minute per notice (approximately 3 hours and 11 minutes per plan). Interested parties are encouraged to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attention: Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-1301, Washington, DC 20210 or email DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1210-0040. OMB Control Number 1210-0040 (expires 06/30/2022) Basic Financial Statement The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $28,942,105 as of December 31, 2019 compared to $23,993,376 as of January 1, 2019. During the plan year the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $4,948,729. This increase includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year, or the cost of assets acquired during the year. During the plan year, the plan had total income of $76,163,973, including employer contributions of $72,463,639, realized gains of $795,151 from the sale of assets, earnings from investments of $2,772,164 and other income of $133,019. Plan expenses were $71,215,244. These expenses included $6,325,984 in administrative expenses and $64,889,260 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. Your Rights to Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: n An accountant’s report; n Financial information and information on payments to service providers; n Assets held for investment; and n Transactions in excess of 5 percent of the plan assets To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of: Margaret Bowen, Administrator, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746, (301) 899-0675 The charge to cover copying costs will be $15.75 for the full report, or $0.25 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full 6 Seafarers LOG Paperwork Reduction Act Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) (PRA), no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Department notes that a Federal agency cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it is approved by OMB under the PRA, and displays a currently valid OMB control number, and the public is not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3507. Also, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3512. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average less than one minute per notice (approximately 3 hours and 11 minutes per plan). Interested parties are encouraged to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attention: Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-1301, Washington, DC 20210 or email DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@ dol.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1210-0040. OMB Control Number 1210-0040 (expires 06/30/2022) Summary Annual Report For Seafarers International Union AGLIW 401(k) Plan This is a summary of the annual report for the Seafarers International Union AGLIW 401(k) Plan, (Employer Identification No. 261527179, Plan No. 002) for the period January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Basic Financial Statement Benefits under the plan are provided by a trust. Plan expenses were $3,143,079. These expenses included $79,910 in administrative expenses, $2,900,613 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries and $162,556 in other expenses. A total of 14,613 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits. The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $46,556,626 as of December 31, 2019 compared to $35,788,111 as of January 1, 2019. During the plan year the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $10,768,515. This increase includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year, or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan had total income of $13,911,594, including employee contributions of $5,938,148, other contributions of $414,023, and earnings from investments of $7,560,338 and other losses of $915. Your Rights to Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: n An accountant’s report; Financial Information and information on payments to service providers; n Assets held for investment; n Schedule of delinquent participant contributions; n Insurance information including sales commissions paid by insurance carriers. annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan: Plan Office, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Public Disclosure Room, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite N-1513, Washington, D.C. 20210. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of: Margaret Bowen, Plan Administrator, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746 (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $11.75 for the full report, or $0.25 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan: Plan Office, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Public Disclosure Room, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite N-1513, Washington, D.C. 20210. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) (PRA), no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Department notes that a Federal agency cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it is approved by OMB under the PRA, and displays a currently valid OMB control number, and the public is not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3507. Also, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3512. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average less than one minute per notice (approximately 3 hours and 11 minutes per plan). Interested parties are encouraged to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attention: Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-1301, Washington, DC 20210 or email DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1210-0040. OMB Control Number 1210-0040 (expires 06/30/2022) Paperwork Reduction Act Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) (PRA), no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Department notes that a Federal agency cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it is approved by OMB under the PRA, and displays a currently valid OMB control number, and the public is not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3507. Also, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3512. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average less than one minute per notice (approximately 3 hours and 11 minutes per plan). Interested parties are encouraged to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attention: Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-1301, Washington, DC 20210 or email DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1210-0040. OMB Control Number 1210-0040 (expires 06/30/2022) Summary Annual Report for Seafarers Vacation Plan This is a summary of the annual report for the Seafarers Vacation Plan, (Employer Identification No. 13-5602047, Plan No. 503) for the period January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite N-1513, Washington, D.C. 20210. December 2020 �Coalition Comes to Aid of Students Continued from Page 5 and families in need is never easy, but doing it during a worldwide pandemic is almost impossible,” said AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus. “We never could have gotten these books to kids without the generosity, tenacity and collaborative ‘can-do’ spirit of the U.S.-flagged shipping companies Crowley, Matson and TOTE as well as the Seafarers International Union members. Thank you so much for the essential work you do – day in, day out – to provide a stable and vital lifeline of resources to American communities and families.” In Guam, more than 40,000 books have been delivered from the East Coast by Convoy and then shipped across the Pacific Ocean by Matson Navigation. Volunteers from the Guam Federation of Teachers (GFT) and SIU will distribute the books to pre-K through 12th-grade public school students and families as soon as island lockdown restrictions are relaxed. “Our members are so excited to have so many and such great books to provide to our students,” said GFT President Tim Fedenko. “We are eager to start handing out books as soon as possible to support student achievement and to help build the sense of community that can be hard to create while doing remote learning.” “Crowley is proud and honored to support the education of children on the island through the donated transportation of 33,000 books as part of the BookWaves coalition initiative,” said Crowley Logistics Vice President, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, Salvador Menoyo. “As the longest-serving U.S. shipping line serving Puerto Rico, Crowley’s team is dedicated to serving our friends and neighbors on the island. Supporting Puerto Rico’s youths is a natural part of our unending commitment.” TOTE Puerto Rico General Manager and Vice President of Caribbean Services Eduardo Pagan said, “While COVID-19 has changed our world and deeply impacted the education system, today’s delivery of tens of thousands of books by First Book, AMPR, the Transportation Institute and many others demonstrates that our entire community – on and off the island – is dedicated to providing students in Puerto Rico the tools and resources they need to advance their education. This donation is the first of many to come and TOTE is proud to be a partner in this initiative that will help shape the future for Puerto Rico’s young people and create a positive and lasting impact in our communities.” As the coalition focuses on remote and rural communities in Alaska, nearly 40,000 books were slated for delivery in November with an emphasis on STEM and books with Indigenous characters, including “Molly of Denali,” based on the popular PBS animated show. BookWaves is working with Alaska Marine Lines, Alaska Communications, Northern Air Cargo, Ryanair, TOTE, AFT affiliates in Alaska, and Alaskan Indigenous organizations to deliver books to as many rural and remote communities as possible. According to Berkowitz, “The broader effort led to a special partnership between the Alaska fishing philanthropic organization AFIRM and Western Alaskan Community Development Quota Program villages to provide access to books for their local youth. Kids from Atka to Naknek to Diomede will have an opportunity to select their own high-quality books.” Along with the books, the AFT is providing bookplates for kids to write their names inside their books to give them a sense of ownership and pride. In Puerto Rico, materials are in Spanish and English; in Guam, bilingual English-Chamorro bookmarks include reading tips for parents on how to help their children become strong readers; and blank journals will be provided for students in Alaska, Guam and Puerto Rico so students have an opportunity to express themselves and write their own stories. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an existing crisis in education, especially for children in poverty. We cannot allow them to slide further behind while they are isolated without books and educational resources – essentially locked out of learning,” said Kyle Zimmer, president, CEO and co-founder of First Book. “We are so grateful that the BookWaves coalition understands the gravity of this problem and is working with us to help the kids in greatest need. This innovative collaboration is helping to engage some of our country’s most vulnerable children at a time when they need that support the most.” U.S. Department of Justice Announces Charges Against Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy Editor’s note: The following news release was issued by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia on Oct. 26. 4 Individuals Charged in $200K Coast Guard Credentialing Scheme NORFOLK, Va. – Four individuals have been charged for their respective roles in a conspiracy to sell phony Coast Guard merchant mariner credentials in Norfolk. According to allegations in the unsealed indictment, Lamont Godfrey, 42, of Portsmouth, Eugene Johnson, 45, of Norfolk, Shunmanique Willis, 43, of Texas, and Alonzo Williams, 45, of Louisiana, acted in concert to create counterfeit certificates from the Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy (MAMA) and sell them to merchant mariners for a profit. The MAMA is a private state-ofthe-art maritime training center, offering mariners over 100 U.S. Coast Guard approved deck and engineering courses needed for merchant mariners to hold various positions on merchant vessels. Godfrey worked for the MAMA as the school’s Chief Administrator. According to the indictment, Godfrey used this position to create fake MAMA course certificates for mariners who had never taken the MAMA courses, in exchange for thousands of dollars in payments. The mariners would receive the fake certificates along with instructions on how to load them in the Coast Guard systems and be credited with a fraudulent Coast Guard qualification. Johnson, Willis, and Williams worked with Godfrey as brokers to find additional mariners willing to buy the fake certificates. In exchange for their efforts, Johnson, Willis, and Williams all received a cut of the illicit proceeds from the scheme. In total, the conspiracy netted over $200,000 in profits from the production of these counterfeit MAMA certificates and involved over 150 mariners purchasing fraudulent qualifications. Godfrey, Johnson, Willis, and Williams are charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, they face a mandatory minimum of two years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Marty J. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Chesapeake Region, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky is prosecuting the case. 2021 Health and Benefits Plan Scholarship Program Scholarships totalling $132,000 are available under the Seafarers’ 2021 Health and Benefits Plan Scholarship Program. The grants are available to Seafarers and their dependents looking to continue their education. Allocations for each category will be as follows: Seafarers Scholarships Dependents Scholarships Three scholarships designated for active Seafarers: Five scholarships designated for dependents: n One $20,000 offering for a four-year course of study at an accredited college or university n Two scholarships ($6,000 each) for Seafarers interested in pursuing two-year courses of study at a community college or vocational school n A total of five scholarships, each worth $20,000, are being offered to dependents (spouses included) to attend four-year courses of study at accredited colleges or universities. Dependents and spouses of active as well as retired Seafarers may apply. To take advantage of these opportunities, clip, complete and mail the form below, or visit www.seafarers.org, go to the Member Benefits tab, navigate to the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan menu and select Scholarship Booklet (PDF). Although the booklet says 2016, all information is still current for the 2021 SHBP Scholarships. Please send me the 2021 SHBP Scholarship Program Booklet which contains eligibility information, procedures for applying and a copy of the application form. Name................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Street Address.................................................................................................................................................................................................... City, State, Zip Code......................................................................................................................................................................................... Telephone Number ( ) ................................................................................................................................................................................. This application is for: ❏ Self ❏ Dependent Mail this completed form to: Scholarship Program, Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746 December 2020 12/20 Seafarers LOG 7 �Seafarers Cast Ballots As reported on page 4, SIU members continue voting in the union’s election for officers. These photos were taken in early November, at the start of the balloting period. GUDE Darrell Whitaker (left) is sworn in by Patrolman Eddie Pittman at the Jacksonville, Florida, hall prior to voting. Chief Cook Jonathan Perez casts his ballot in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Recertified Bosun James Blitch votes at the hiring hall in Jacksonville, Florida. AB Ruziell Bautista (left) arrives at the hall in Jacksonville, Florida, to cast his ballot. He’s being Members line up to vote in Jacksonville, Florida. sworn in by Safety Director Joseph Koncul. From left, ABM Janaro Jackson, Recertified Steward Kimberly Strate and Recertified Bosun Donley Johnson prepare to vote aboard the Taino (Crowley) in Jacksonville, Florida. SIU Port Agent Ashley Nelson is at right. SIU representatives must show a negative, recent COVID-19 test result before boarding the ships for balloting. 8 Seafarers LOG Chief Steward Jatniel Aguilera puts the finishing touches on his envelopes at the hall in Puerto Rico. Immediately prior to voting, GUDE Wayne Gomilion (left) is sworn in by Patrolman Eddie Pittman at the hall in Jacksonville, Florida. December 2020 �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. Correction In the November LOG, we listed the wrong department for new SIU pensioner Christopher Maye. Brother Maye, who joined the union in 1987, sailed in the deck department. December 2020 & January 2021 Membership Meetings Piney Point...............................Monday: December 7, January 4 Algonac..................................Friday: December 11, January 8 Baltimore...........................Thursday: December 10, January 7 Guam................................Thursday: December 24, January 21 Honolulu..............................Friday: December 18, January 15 Houston..............................Monday: December 14, January 11 Jacksonville....................Thursday: December 10, January 7 Joliet...................................Thursday: December 17, January 14 Mobile..........Wednesday: December 16, January 13 New Orleans.........................Tuesday: December 15, January 12 Jersey City............................Tuesday: December 8, January 5 Norfolk...............................*Friday: December 11, January 8 Oakland..........................Thursday: December 17, January 14 Philadelphia................Wednesday: December 9, January 6 Port Everglades...............Thursday: December 17, January 14 San Juan........................Thursday: December 10, January 7 St. Louis................................Friday: December 18, January 15 Tacoma................*Monday: December 28, Friday: January 22 Wilmington...........................Monday: December 21, January 19 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 ATTENTION SEAFARERS Contribute To The Seafarers Political Activities Donation SPAD Works For You. SPAD December 2020 Dispatchers’ Report for Deep Sea “Total Registered” and “Total Shipped” data is cumulative from Oct.10-Nov. 9. “Registered on the Beach” data is as of Nov. 9. Total Registered All Groups B Total Shipped C Trip Reliefs 2 1 1 1 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 4 4 1 1 3 0 2 1 1 32 Engine Department 3 2 0 0 2 2 4 4 0 0 3 1 6 3 9 6 13 12 6 6 1 1 1 1 7 12 6 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 6 0 2 7 3 74 63 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 14 16 1 2 6 4 1 2 9 23 8 2 0 14 11 3 0 1 4 0 18 125 10 2 2 1 3 1 4 7 27 5 5 2 15 4 1 7 3 13 2 8 122 361 208 C A All Groups B C 3 2 2 10 0 4 1 18 20 7 1 3 11 7 0 4 5 11 0 8 117 24 3 6 25 4 14 9 71 62 41 2 14 34 24 6 1 16 41 0 45 442 9 2 0 14 0 8 3 23 34 18 3 4 16 5 4 4 6 8 1 19 181 0 1 2 6 0 5 1 6 6 4 3 3 10 2 0 1 2 6 1 5 66 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 9 0 0 2 2 0 3 4 6 8 2 0 1 8 3 0 0 1 6 0 4 50 2 0 6 9 0 2 8 20 27 16 3 3 14 10 3 2 10 15 3 18 171 1 0 5 13 0 7 1 11 27 8 1 6 24 6 1 3 2 7 1 15 139 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 4 0 0 1 0 5 3 0 0 0 2 0 4 24 Steward Department 3 0 0 0 1 0 5 3 1 0 6 1 6 1 14 4 7 4 3 1 1 0 2 0 10 8 5 2 0 1 0 1 0 3 7 2 2 0 15 5 88 36 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 2 0 1 4 0 3 4 4 6 2 1 1 10 5 0 0 0 4 0 7 54 8 0 3 15 1 8 10 22 32 9 1 3 19 19 2 5 4 16 4 37 218 2 0 3 10 0 1 2 9 14 1 0 4 20 8 0 3 7 0 1 18 103 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 1 3 0 1 19 Entry Department 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 6 0 1 0 4 2 1 2 4 2 14 1 8 0 0 1 0 0 6 1 6 0 2 1 1 0 0 5 3 0 1 2 7 17 74 6 0 0 3 1 1 4 4 37 5 2 0 10 1 0 5 1 5 0 5 90 6 1 2 4 0 1 0 0 12 7 1 0 5 2 1 4 0 3 1 4 54 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 8 3 3 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 4 0 3 31 17 1 2 8 4 2 3 13 39 19 2 0 26 19 2 0 2 13 1 34 207 10 6 2 4 1 1 4 15 35 8 5 5 29 5 1 5 3 21 2 9 171 138 275 862 630 280 A All Groups B Registered on Beach Port A 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 16 1 3 8 2 8 5 34 23 23 1 10 17 15 5 2 11 18 0 30 232 7 0 0 2 0 7 2 12 21 13 4 3 5 5 0 1 7 4 1 8 102 2 0 3 1 0 5 0 6 4 3 0 4 6 1 1 3 1 5 2 4 52 Deck Department 9 9 3 2 2 3 13 8 0 0 7 5 4 0 31 17 20 19 20 7 1 3 4 3 15 4 9 1 3 0 4 0 4 3 14 7 0 1 22 10 185 102 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 5 3 0 3 7 11 7 11 2 1 5 6 2 1 6 7 2 5 84 1 0 4 7 0 3 0 8 11 4 1 0 10 5 1 1 1 5 1 11 74 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 3 0 3 20 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 2 0 2 13 1 5 7 10 18 5 2 2 11 9 0 2 1 6 2 16 114 2 0 1 4 0 2 2 2 8 1 0 2 12 4 1 2 4 1 0 12 60 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 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 5 0 3 23 GRAND TOTAL: 453 364 275 Seafarers LOG 9 �At Sea and Ashore with the SIU CELEBRATING 52-YEAR CAREER – Shipmates aboard the USNS Victorious (Crowley Maritime) recently surprised AB Richard “Blue” Hindson with tokens of appreciation as he transitions to retirement. Hindson, who sailed for 52 years, received (among other goodies) a United States flag that was flown during his final voyage, plus a group photo that will be framed and a plaque that reads, “Fair Wind and Following Seas, Much Love From The Crew of USNS Victorious T-AGOS 19.” Hindson is pictured at left in photo at left, with vessel master Capt. Horatiu Vintila, and is standing in the middle of the group photo at right. ABOARD USNS ALGOL – These snapshots from the recent activation of the Ocean Duchess-operated ship were provided by Recertified Bosun Ritche Acuman. Pictured in the photo above are: OS Matthew Sutterer, BREC Ritche Acuman, AB Jape Geonzon, OS Martin Jakob, AB Eric Williams, AB Richard Grubbs, AB Alexander Bermudez, OS Emmanuel Nuez, and AB Daniel Fields. BREC Ritche Acuman, AB Richard Grubbs, AB Daniel Fields 10 Seafarers LOG AB Alexander Bermudez, OS Emmanuel Nuez December 2020 �GRASSROOTS ACTION – Ready to help get out the vote for pro-maritime, pro-worker candidates in Honolulu are (from left) SIU Port Agent Hazel Galbiso, Administrative Assistant Shureen Yatchmenoff and Safety Director Amber Akana. BOOKS GALORE IN JACKSONVILLE – Pictured at the Oct. 8 membership meeting (all are B seniorities receiving full membership) are (from left) AB Ronald McCray, GUDE Terence Tripp, and SAs Stacy Davis, Melaethon Silas and Latara Rengifo. At Sea and Ashore with the SIU A-BOOK IN HOUSTON – AB Dennis Mariveles (left) receives his A-seniority book at the hiring hall. He’s pictured with Patrolman Kelly Krick (wearing a Corpus Christi Hooks jersey, the Hooks being a minor-league affiliate of the Astros). B-BOOKS IN SAN JUAN – Receiving their books at the hiring all are (photo at left) QE4 Jose Alicea (left, with SIU Port Agent Amancio Crespo) and QMED James Sanchez (right in photo at right, also with Crespo). December 2020 A-BOOK IN LAUDERDALE – Chief Steward Prasert Mastrototaro displays her newly acquired A-seniority book at the hiring hall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. FULL BOOKS AT WATCO – Seafarers Scott Smith Jr. (photo at left) and Sean Wannamaker (right in photo at right, with SIU Patrolman Edwin Ruiz Jr.) recently received their full B-books. Smith is pictured at the Watco Marine Transfer Station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, while Wannamaker and Ruiz are pictured at company facilities in Brooklyn, New York. Seafarers LOG 11 �Seafarers International Union Directory Inquiring Seafarer Michael Sacco, President Augustin Tellez, Executive Vice President David Heindel, Secretary-Treasurer George Tricker, Vice President Contracts Tom Orzechowski, Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters This month’s question was answered by upgraders at the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, located in Piney Point, Maryland. Question: Any plans for 2021? 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 Wordell Prescott Oiler I plan to ship out, and sail for as many days as I can. I’ve been taking classes at the Paul Hall Center so that, when I get back out there, I’m making more money and I’m able to sail on more types of ships. Brian Smith QMED I think I’m going to go back to sailing on the Lakes, and work out there for a bit. Or maybe get on a Maersk or Crowley ship; I’ve always enjoyed sailing on those in the past. Ahmed Mohamed Mohamed Eissa AB To get my license, keep upgrading and moving on up. They’ve really been taking care of us here at the school while I’ve been upgrading. Carleton Jenkins GUDE Get back out on the water and run it up. I also plan to start investing in real estate, and get a couple of properties to use as my first investments. 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 Thedford Jones OMU Mostly going to ship out and get on some new and different vessels. I shipped out on some LNG ships earlier this year, and that was a good experience. I would ideally like to get back on one of those. 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 Quandell Freeman Steward Assistant I’m just ready to get out there and sail again. I’m also saving up to buy a house next year. The pandemic hasn’t really affected me much, because I would have been upgrading here at Piney Point anyway. MOBILE 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605 (251) 478-0916 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 P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674 (301) 994-0010 PORT EVERGLADES 1221 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 522-7984 Pic From The Past Locomotives are loaded onto the SIU-crewed Robin Gray (Moore-McCormack Lines) April 15, 1960 at the pier on 22nd Street in Brooklyn, New York. 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 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 December 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 JOHN BLUITT Brother John Bluitt, 65, began sailing with the Seafarers in 1971 when he shipped aboard the Newark. He was a deck department member and last sailed aboard the Little Hales. Brother Bluitt is a resident of New Port Richey, Florida. ROBERT CANDO Brother Robert Cando, 66, donned the SIU colors in 1990, first sailing aboard the Cape Ann. He worked in the deck department and upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Cando most recently shipped on the William R. Button. He makes his home in Newport News, Virginia. MARCO GUITY Brother Marco Guity, 62, signed on with the union in 1989 when he sailed aboard the Independence. A steward department member, he upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Guity’s final vessel was the Garden State. He is a Houston resident. JEFFREY KASS Brother Jeffrey Kass, 67, began his career with the SIU in 1974, initially shipping on the Ft. Hoskins. He sailed in the deck department and upgraded on several occasions at the Piney Point school. Brother Kass last shipped on the Philadelphia. He resides in Canada. HOLLY KEAR Sister Holly Kear, 65, embarked on her career with the Seafarers in 1992. She upgraded her skills at the Paul Hall Center in 2001 and was a member of the steward department. Sister Kear sailed both first and last aboard the Independence. She makes her home in Norwalk, Connecticut. WILFRED LAMBEY Brother Wilfred Lambey, 65, began shipping with the union in 1993, initially sailing on the Independence. A steward department member, he upgraded at the union-affiliated Piney Point school on multiple occasions. Brother Lambey last shipped aboard the Seabulk Challenge. He lives in Houston. December 2020 PAULO LEITE DANIEL TICER ALLAN WIRGAU Brother Paulo Leite, 63, joined the SIU in 2001 and first sailed on the Cape Jacob. He was a member of the deck department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Leite most recently sailed aboard the Maersk Saratoga. He lives in Hazlet, New Jersey. Brother Daniel Ticer, 68, embarked on his career with the SIU in 1980 when he sailed aboard the Point Judy. He worked in the deck department and upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Ticer last shipped on the Horizon Pacific. He calls Manteca, California, home. Brother Allan Wirgau, 65, donned the SIU colors in 1973, initially sailing aboard the J.A.W. Iglehart. He shipped in the engine department, most recently aboard the Paul H. Townsend. Brother Wirgau settled in Alpena, Michigan. JAMES PATRICK Brother James Patrick, 65, signed on with the SIU in 1990 when he shipped aboard the Del Monte. He sailed in the deck department and concluded his career aboard the Eugene A. Obregon. Brother Patrick settled in Stuart, Florida. JAMES ZAVATSKY Brother James Zavatsky, 65, began his career with the SIU in 1997. He sailed in the steward department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Zavatsky’ s first vessel was the USNS Stalwart; his last, the USNS Pathfinder. He lives in Mesquite, Nevada. GREAT LAKES MICHAEL LABAR MIKHAIL PINCHEVSKIY Brother Mikhail Pinchevskiy, 69, began sailing with the SIU in 2000. Shipping as a deck department member, his first vessel was the Global Mariner. Brother Pinchevskiy upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions. He last sailed aboard the Resolve and makes his home in Hallandale Beach, Florida. CARY PRATTS Brother Cary Pratts, 64, started shipping with the Seafarers in 1979, initially sailing aboard the Point Judy. He sailed in the engine department and upgraded often at the Paul Hall Center. Brother Pratts last sailed on the Overseas Anacortes. He resides in Slidell, Louisiana. PABLO ROCHEZ Brother Pablo Rochez, 65, donned the SIU colors in 2001. His first vessel was the Maersk Maryland and he sailed in the deck department. Brother Rochez upgraded on numerous occasions at the Piney Point school. He most recently sailed aboard the Maersk Denver and settled in the Bronx, New York. AHMED SUWAILEH Brother Ahmed Suwaileh, 65, joined the union in 1991 when he shipped on the Defender. He sailed in all three departments and concluded his career aboard the Puget Sound. Brother Suwaileh makes his home in Dearborn, Michigan. Brother Michael Labar, 65, joined the SIU in 1989 when he shipped on the H. Lee White. He upgraded at the Piney Point school in 1991 and primarily sailed in the engine department. Brother Labar’s final vessel was the Indiana Harbor. He makes his home in Manistique, Michigan. CHARLES LARSON Brother Charles Larson, 65, began shipping with the union in 1998, first sailing on the Indiana Harbor. The deck department member’s final vessel was the Presque Isle. Brother Larson resides in El Mirage, Arizona. DOYLE LING Brother Doyle Ling, 65, signed on with the Seafarers in 1977. He sailed as a deck department member and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on several occasions. Brother Ling’s first vessel was the St. Claire; his last, the Walter J. McCarthy. He settled in Avoca, Michigan. MARK ROBERTSON Brother Mark Robertson, 65, embarked on his career with the SIU in 1973 when he shipped aboard the Lewis G. Harriman. He was a deck department member and last sailed on the Overseas Juneau. Brother Robertson makes his home in Alpena, Michigan. TIMOTHY ZIEMKE Brother Timothy Ziemke, 69, began sailing with the Seafarers in 1972. Sailing in both the deck and engine departments, he worked with Erie Navigation and sailed aboard the JR Emery for the majority of his career. Brother Ziemke lives in Sandusky, Ohio. INLAND DONALD ANDERSON Brother Donald Anderson, 70, started shipping with the union in 1970 when he was employed by Inland Tugs. He last worked for Eagle Marine Industries and makes his home in Groves, Texas. KENNETH ARNOLD Brother Kenneth Arnold, 62, became a member of the SIU in 1996, first working for Crowley. He sailed in the deck department and remained with the same company for the duration of his career. Brother Arnold calls Runnemede, New Jersey, home. LAWRENCE HENSLEY Brother Lawrence Hensley, 65, embarked on his career with the SIU in 1978 when he worked for Southern Ohio Towing. A deck department member, he upgraded his skills at the Paul Hall Center in 1979. Brother Hensley last worked for Interstate Oil. He is a resident of Seaford, Delaware. WILLIAM LENFESTEY Brother William Lenfestey, 67, started his career with the Seafarers in 2002, initially sailing on the Sound Reliance. He sailed in the deck department and upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Lenfestey most recently sailed aboard the Legend. He lives in Spring Hill, Florida. KJELL LIADAL Brother Kjell Liadal, 65, joined the union in 1998. Sailing in the deck department, he was first employed by Crowley Towing and Transportation. Brother Liadal upgraded often at the Paul Hall Center. He last worked for Penn Maritime and resides in Orange Park, Florida. VINCENT LORMAND Brother Vincent Lormand, 64, signed on with the union in 2004. He was an engine department member and shipped with Crowley Towing & Transportation for the duration of his career. Brother Lormand lives in Cecilia, Louisiana. WAYNE PETERS Brother Wayne Peters, 62, donned the SIU colors in 1980. A deck department member, he sailed with Crowley Towing and Transportation for his entire career. Brother Peters upgraded his skills at the Piney Point school on numerous occasions. He makes his home in Panama City, Florida. FELIX PRIETO QUINONES Brother Felix Prieto Quinones, 62, began shipping with the SIU in 1977 when he worked for Crowley Puerto Rico Services. He was a member of the deck department and concluded his career with Puerto Rico Towing & Barge. Brother Prieto Quinones is a Puerto Rico resident. WILLIAM RACETTE Brother William Racette, 64, joined the SIU in 1977, initially working with Northeast Towing. He was an engine department member and upgraded on several occasions at the Piney Point school. Brother Racette most recently sailed with Crowley Towing and Transportation. He resides in Como, North Carolina. RANDY WATSON Brother Randy Watson, 60, signed on with the union in 1978 when he worked for Interstate Oil. He sailed in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the unionaffiliated Paul Hall Center on numerous occasions. Brother Watson last worked for OSG Ship Management. He lives in Greenville, North Carolina. LOUIS WATTIGNEY Brother Louis Wattigney, 63, became a member of the SIU in 1978. A deck department member, he worked for Crescent Towing and Salvage for his entire career. Brother Wattigney calls Belle Chasse, Louisiana, home. Seafarers LOG 13 �Final Departures DEEP SEA GREGORIO ALGARIN Pensioner Gregorio Algarin, 74, died September 15. He signed on with the union in 1976 and was a deck department member. Brother Algarin first shipped with Crowley Puerto Rico Services. He last sailed on the Expedition before going on pension in 2001. Brother Algarin was a Puerto Rico resident. September 22. He donned the SIU colors in 1969, initially sailing aboard the Reiss Brothers. Brother Mondeci sailed in all three departments and concluded his career aboard the Fredericksburg. He went on pension in 2013 and was a New York resident. GEORGE NICHOLSON Pensioner Jaber Ali, 81, passed away November 1. He began his career with the SIU in 1969 when he shipped on the Elizabeth. Brother Ali was a member of the steward department and last sailed on the Lurline. He became a pensioner in 2009 and made his home in San Francisco. Pensioner George Nicholson, 92, passed away March 5. He embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1966, initially shipping on the Steel Design. A steward department member, Brother Nicholson was last employed by Michigan Tankers. He began collecting his pension in 1993 and settled in Chicago. ROBERT COLEMAN MICHAEL NOBLE JABER ALI Brother Robert Coleman, 57, died September 25. He started shipping with the SIU in 1988 when he worked with G&H Towing. A deck department member, Brother Coleman most recently sailed aboard the Brenton Reef. He lived in Houston. STEVE FABRITSIS Pensioner Steve Fabritsis, 76, passed away October 29. He joined the Seafarers International Union in 1972, initially sailing aboard the Bradford Island. Brother Fabritsis was a member of the deck department and last shipped on the Philadelphia Express. He became a pensioner in 2009 and settled in Galena Park, Texas. EDWARD MARTIN Pensioner Edward Martin, 93, died November 5. Signing on with the union in 1963, he was first employed by Isco Inc. Brother Martin sailed in the steward department and last worked as a Sealand Port Steward. He went on pension in 1993 and resided in Freehold, New Jersey. JOSEPH MELE Pensioner Joseph Mele, 69, passed away October 17. He began sailing with the SIU in 1969 when he sailed aboard the Longview Victory. Brother Mele was a deck department member and most recently shipped on the Horizon Hawaii. He retired in 2008 and lived in Puerto Rico. VICTOR MONDECI Pensioner Victor Mondeci, 78, died 14 Seafarers LOG Pensioner Michael Noble, 68, died September 11. He began his career with the SIU in 1971, initially sailing aboard the Rose City. Brother Noble was a member of the deck department and concluded his career on the Intrepid. He became a pensioner in 2008 and resided in San Francisco. KIRK PIPER Pensioner Kirk Piper, 66, passed away October 6. He signed on with the union in 1976 and first sailed aboard the Zapata Ranger. Brother Piper sailed in the deck department and concluded his career aboard the Westward Venture. He began collecting his pension in 2019 and made his home in Excelsior, Minnesota. ROBERTO QUELIZA Pensioner Roberto Queliza, 71, passed away September 10. He joined the Seafarers in 1991 and first sailed on the Independence. Brother Queliza was a deck department member. He last shipped on the Horizon Pacific and retired in 2015. Brother Queliza lived in Alameda, California. CHANCIE RANSOM Pensioner Chancie Ransom, 76, died October 20. He signed on with the union in 1997 and was a steward department member. Brother Ransom first sailed aboard the Perseverance. He continued to sail on the same vessel until retiring in 2010. Brother Ransom settled in Clayton, North Carolina. MARTIN RODRIGUEZ Pensioner Martin Rodriguez, 84, passed away October 26. He first sailed with the NMU prior to the 2001 SIU/NMU Merger. Brother Rodriguez was a deck department member. He last sailed aboard the Alliance Richmond in 2014 and settled in Port Arthur, Texas. RICHARD THOMAS Pensioner Richard Thomas, 83, passed away October 16. He joined the union in 1977 and first shipped aboard the Sequehanna. A member of the deck department, Brother Thomas last sailed on the Rover. He retired in 2002 and made his home in Temple, Texas. FRANK THOMPSON Pensioner Frank Thompson, 76, died October 25. He became a member of the SIU in 1991 when he shipped on the Sealift Mediterranean. Brother Thompson was a deck department member. He last sailed on the Maersk Memphis and retired in 2015. Brother Thompson resided in Jacksonville, Florida. PETER TUSA Pensioner Peter Tusa, 72, passed away October 15. He signed on with the SIU in 1984. Brother Tusa was a deck department member and first shipped on the Independence. He concluded his career aboard the Jack Lummus and became a pensioner in 2013. Brother Tusa lived in Moriches, New York. MICHAEL VAUGHAN Brother Michael Vaughan, 63, died July 28. He donned the SIU colors in 2012 when he shipped on the President Jackson. Brother Vaughan primarily worked in the steward department and most recently sailed on the Maersk Idaho. He resided in Norfolk, Virginia. ANGEL VELEZ Pensioner Angel Velez, 82, passed away October 8. He embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1973, initially sailing on the Warrior. Brother Velez primarily sailed in the deck department and last shipped aboard the Crusader. He became a pensioner in 2002 and made his home in Puerto Rico. JERRY WEIDLE Brother Jerry Weidle, 81, died June 27. He joined the union in 1978 and sailed in the steward department. Brother Weidle’s first vessel was the Santa Mariana; his last the Santa Maria. He lived in Redwood City, California. INLAND CHARLES BARNES Brother Charles Barnes, 59, passed away September 20. He joined the Seafarers in 1987 and sailed in both the deck and engine departments. Brother Barnes worked with G&H Towing for his entire career. He lived in Rockport, Texas. HARRY BRYAN Pensioner Harry Bryan, 82, died October 9. A deck department member, he signed on with the SIU in 1996. Brother Bryan was employed by Crowley for his entire career and retired in 2003. He was a resident of Edgewater, Florida. JAMES CAIN Pensioner James Cain, 93, passed away October 30. He signed on with the union in 1965 when he was employed by Meyle Towing. A deck department member, Brother Cain last shipped with McAllister Towing of Philadelphia. He began collecting his pension in 1991 and lived in Glenolden, Pennsylvania. CLYDE ELLISON Pensioner Clyde Ellison, 94, passed away October 13. He joined the union in 1974 when he worked for Mariner Towing. Brother Ellison sailed in the deck department and concluded his career with Crowley Towing and Transportation. He went on pension in 1990 and settled in Patterson, North Carolina. BORNIE HOBBS Pensioner Bornie Hobbs, 79, died September 6. He embarked on his career with the SIU in 1976. Brother Hobbs first worked for National Marine Service and was a member of the deck department. He last sailed with HVIDE Marine, and became a pensioner in 2002. Brother Hobbs resided in Foley, Alabama. DEAN MARCUS Pensioner Dean Marcus, 84, passed away September 17. He joined the Seafarers in 1976, first working for Moran Towing of Texas. A member of the deck department, Brother Marcus last worked for National Marine Service. He went on pension in 1998 and called Port Lavaca, Texas, home. was a resident of Pamplico, South Carolina. BERNARD MOOD Pensioner Bernard Mood, 72, passed away October 11. He donned the SIU colors in 1979, initially sailing aboard the Sugar Island. Brother Mood was a deck department member. He last worked for Great Lakes Dredge and Dock before retiring in 2009. Brother Mood lived in Meadville, Pennsylvania. EDWARD O’CONNELL Pensioner Edward O’Connell, 75, died October 26. He signed on with the union in 1991, and his first vessel was the Relentless. Brother O’Connell worked in the deck department and most recently shipped aboard the Integrity. He retired in 2018 and called Beaufort, South Carolina, home. STEPHEN STRUVE Pensioner Stephen Struve, 79, died October 17. He joined the union in 1994. Brother Struve primarily sailed in the steward department and worked for Orgulf Transport for the duration of his career. He became a pensioner in 2003 and made his home in Florence, Kentucky. NMU 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 AGE Alfaro, Albert 94 Bourque, Beverly 77 Casson, Paul 63 Cunningham, A. 96 Dyer, Cleveland 102 English, Julius 92 Gibson, Joe 91 Green, James 75 Johnson, Lawrence 90 Kozak, Anthony 89 Massiah, Winston 91 Mgreos, Juan 86 O’Malley, Brian 71 Perry, Edward 79 Vanase, John 80 Woolford, Merrick 88 Yahya, Saleh 90 Zepeda, Rene 76 DOD 10/10/2020 11/02/2020 09/25/2020 10/22/2020 11/03/2020 10/10/2020 11/01/2020 10/31/2020 10/24/2020 10/06/2020 10/16/2020 09/07/2020 10/24/2020 11/04/2020 08/26/2020 10/19/2020 10/14/2020 07/22/2020 ANTHONY MCNEIL Brother Anthony McNeil, 52, died September 12. He signed on with the union in 1999 when he shipped aboard the Cape Lookout Shoals. Brother McNeil sailed in the engine department. He was most recently employed by Penn Maritime and December 2020 �Digest of Shipboard Union Meetings PRESQUE ISLE (Key Lakes II, Inc.), March 29 – Chairman Tony Sivola, Secretary Hazza Hussein, Educational Director Roderick Thomas. New gym equipment on ship. Chairman reviewed list of COVID-19 symptoms to be aware of and advised members to regularly monitor their health. He encouraged crew to report any illnesses early on and to practice social distancing. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members discussed Article IX and suspension of certain shipping rules. Self-restricting to ship may help to avoid virus exposure. New soda and rowing machines ordered for ship. AMERICAN SPIRIT (American Steamship), April 11 – Chairman Paul Gohs, Secretary Khaled Alasaadi, Educational Director Michael Kruse. Chairman discussed marine safety information bulletins and COVID-19 updates that may affect mariner documents and/or shipping rules. He informed members of SIU headquarters address change (only the street name changed). Educational director announced temporary closure of Piney Point school and went over STCW renewal requirements. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew requested more reliable Wi-Fi service and discussed adding internet availability to future contracts. Members requested amendment for insurance coverage as some may be unable to put in required time due to coronavirus. Crew was reminded to wash hands often. BURNS HARBOR (American Steamship), April 26 – Chairman Foaad Saleh, Secretary Holly Norick, Educational Director Ben Skuban. Members were advised to upgrade once school reopens and to keep credentials current. Crew discussed Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan scholarships and reviewed latest news on COVID-19. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members were reminded to wash hands frequently and encouraged to vote. Crew requested new TVs in rooms and better Wi-Fi. WALTER J. MCCARTHY (Armstrong Steamship), April 26 – Chairman Waleed Mohsin, Secretary Theophil Igielski, Educational Director Abdulwali Suwaileh, Deck Delegate Jaber Jaber. Crew talked about upgrading courses at the Piney Point school and the global coronavirus pandemic. Chairman reminded members to stay away from union halls if they show symptoms of the virus and to contact union for any questions about the school. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew working together and staying safe. PRESQUE ISLE (Key Lakes II, Inc.), May 3 – Chairman Tony Sivola, Secretary Hazza Hussein, Educational Director Roderick Thomas. Restrictions to ship due to COVID-19. Union modified shipping rules for the month of April, as a precaution. Educational director reminded members to cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing and to wash hands regularly with soap and hot water. Deck delegate thanked steward department for a job well done. Crew pledged to take extra steps to ensure safety while promoting maximum participation in upcoming elections. Members want captain to ease restrictions on going up the street. Crew was instructed to continue to wear masks and to report any occurring symptoms of illness immediately. AMERICAN MARINER (American Steamship), June 2 – Chairman Scott Krajniak, Secretary Daniel Kane, Educational Director Robert Crosby, Engine Delegate Michael Lau. Chairman encouraged crew to vote in both national and union elections. He reminded members to register within 72 hours at the union hall after completing their tour. Chairman complimented galley crew for doing an outstanding job. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Next port: Superior, Wisconsin. PRESQUE ISLE (Key Lakes II, Inc.), June 21 – Chairman Tony Sivola, Secretary Hazza Hussein. Chairman reminded crew of upcoming elections and encouraged everyone to vote. Educational director urged members to check all documents for expiration dates and to upgrade at Piney Point whenever possible. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Steward delegate gave special thanks to second cook for a job 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. well done. Crew was advised to wash hands often, wear masks and continue practicing safety precautions. INDIANA HARBOR (American Steamship), June 25 – Chairman Jeremy Shenett, Secretary Saleh Saleh, Educational Director Peter Morrison Jr., Deck Delegate Abdullah Algalham, Steward Delegate David Warner. Chairman reiterated the importance of wearing masks and washing hands during pandemic. Members discussed questions regarding new contract and possibility of manpower changes. Secretary reminded crew to make sure they allow plenty of time to renew credentials. Educational director recommended members upgrade at the union-affiliated Piney Point school. Deck delegate encouraged crew to stay safe and work together. Members were reminded to leave clean rooms for oncoming crew. Next port: Duluth, Minnesota. BURNS HARBOR (American Steamship), August 16 – Chairman Paul Gohs, Secretary Bernard Lawes, Educational Director Mohamed Ahmed. Crew reviewed August Seafarers LOG and discussed merger of American Steamship Company and Rand Logistics, Inc. Members went over new SHLSS COVID-19 safety precautions and were reminded of upcoming union elections. Educational director recommended crew upgrade at Piney Point. He discussed BST renewal and explained how to renew as early as six months in advance, with no lost time on new MMC. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew voiced concerns over contract renewal with American Steamship. Chairman warned of ongoing rumors and urged members to wait for facts to be released once negotiations conclude. As members of a union, crew was reminded of hardships they must sometimes face to ensure the good of all, especially when negotiations are taking place during a pandemic. Members feel that all should have the ability to work both Lakes and Deep-Sea division if and when necessary. MOHAWK (JM Ship, LLC.), October 4 – Chairman Timothy Kauble, Secretary Alan Bartley, Educational Aboard Matson Anchorage – Recertified Bosun Shawn Strand submitted these photos from the vessel in its namesake port: Anchorage, Alaska. “We parted a mooring wire” on Oct. 25, the bosun reported. “The boys were called out. We had that wire spliced and back on the dock in an hour. They did an awesome job!” In the photos are Strand (immediate right) and (directly below, from left) ABs Abdul Ahmed and Rudy Monopolio. The damaged wire is shown at middle right while the finished product appears below it. . Director Andres Nunez-Rochez, Deck Delegate Ibrahim Fisek, Engine Delegate Gary Longmire Jr. Chairman asked crew to restow workout equipment after use due to rough seas. Rooms to be inspected for oncoming crew. Chairman informed crew of AB relief upon arrival at Long Beach, October 7. No reliefs yet for 2 QMEDs and Steward. Secretary thanked crew for keeping mess hall clean. Educational director told everyone to check their documents and to renew them early. He encouraged members to upgrade at the Piney Point school. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew reviewed October LOG and numerous items from the union related to COVID-19. Members would like better flights when joining the ship. Crew asked for clarification of duties for anchor watch by ABs. Steward department was asked to do officer’s rooms, though it has never been done before and is not stated in the contract. Chairman spoke to captain after meeting about room sanitary inspections for departing crew. New mattresses needed in rooms. Members are not permitted to smoke in rooms and if caught, can be terminated by captain. Next port: Long Beach, California. Spotlight on Mariner Health Polio Poses Threats to Some Travelers Polio (Poliomyelitis) is a contagious viral illness that can cause nerve injury leading to paralysis, shortness of breath, and on rare occasions, death. The last case of polio that occurred naturally in the United States was in 1979. Despite a worldwide effort to wipe out the disease, the polio virus continues to affect children and adults in parts of Asia and Africa. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises individuals to take precautions to protect themselves from the illness, especially if they are traveling to locations that are considered highrisk. Adults who are traveling to these areas, and who had the polio vaccine administered as a child, should get a booster shot of inactivated polio virus vaccine (IPV). This will boost their immunity for a lifetime. It’s important to remember that people must complete the entire series of the polio vaccinations in order to be completely immunized. Polio can be transmitted through direct contact with someone infected with the virus or through contaminated food and water. The polio virus December 2020 lives in the throats and the intestines of people who are infected. People carrying the virus can spread it for weeks in their stools/feces. A person who is exposed to the polio virus potentially could exhibit one or more of the following symptoms: paralysis, fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, fatigue, back pain, neck pain, pain in the arms or legs, and muscle weakness. Contracting the most serious form of the disease is rare, but possible. In such instances, individuals could exhibit all or some of the foregoing symptoms and also develop loss of reflexes, floppy limbs, difficulty breathing, and intolerance to cold temperatures. Everyone is advised to see their doctor if they suspect any possibly link to a polio exposure. Treatments for polio are mostly supportive in nature and consist of bed rest, pain medications, antispasmodic drugs to relax muscles, portable ventilators to help with breathing, and physical therapy along with braces to help with walking. Everyone is advised to get their vaccinations and booster shots as instructed in order to build up their immunity. Seared Salmon With Strawberry Basil Relish Servings: 24 24 whole salmon fillet ¼ cup smart balance 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1 tablespoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground 5 cups fresh strawberries, chopped 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup fresh basil leaf, chopped ¼ cup honey ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground Preparation Brush fillets with melted butter; sprinkle with granulated garlic salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets, skin side up, in batches if necessary; cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork. In a bowl, toss strawberries with basil, honey salt, and pepper. Serve salmon with relish. Nutrition Information Per serving (excluding unknown items): 218 calories; 6g fat (25.4% calories from fat); 34g protein; 5g carbohydrate; 1g dietary fiber; 88mg cholesterol; 428mg sodium. Exchanges: 0 grain (starch); 5 lean meat; 0 fruit; 0 fat; 0 other carbohydrates. 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. Seafarers LOG 15 �Union Member Rights, Officer Responsibilities Under The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act Notice/Reminders About SIU Text Message Alerts The union occasionally sends text messages to Seafarers (and others) who have signed up for such alerts. Those texts contain information relevant to members’ careers, including important news about the SIU, its contracted companies and the industry as a whole. The messages may include alerts about open jobs, information about grassroots campaigns, and other time-sensitive bulletins. The SIU does not charge for this service, but there may be costs associated with receiving messages, depending on an individual’s phone-service plan that they have with their provider. People can unsubscribe from SIU text alerts at any time, simply by texting the word STOP to 97779. To sign up for the alerts, text the word JOIN to 97779. Terms and Conditions By signing up for this service, you acknowledge that you understand there may be costs associated with the receipt by you of such text messages depending on the cell phone service plan that you have with your provider. You are providing your cell phone number and your consent to use it for these purposes with the understanding that your cell phone number will not be distributed to anyone else without your express consent and that this service will not at any time be used for the purpose of distributing campaign materials for official elections for union office. The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) guarantees certain rights to union members and imposes certain responsibilities on union officers. The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) enforces many LMRDA provisions while other provisions, such as the bill of rights, may only be enforced by union members through private suit in Federal court. Union Member Rights Bill of Rights - Union members have: nEqual rights to participate in union activities nFreedom of speech and assembly nVoice in setting rates of dues, fees, and assessments nProtection of the right to sue nSafeguards against improper discipline Copies of Collective Bargaining Agreements: Union members and nonunion employees have the right to receive or inspect copies of collective bargaining agreements. Reports: Unions are required to file an initial information report (Form LM-1), copies of constitutions and bylaws, and an annual financial report (Form LM-2/3/4) with OLMS. Unions must make the reports available to members and permit members to examine supporting records for just cause. The reports are public information and copies are available from OLMS. Officer Elections: Union members have the right to: nNominate candidates for office nRun for office nCast a secret ballot nProtest the conduct of an election Officer Removal: Local union members have the right to an adequate procedure for the removal of an elected officer guilty of serious misconduct. Trusteeships: Unions may only be placed in trusteeship by a parent body for the reasons specified in the LMRDA. Prohibition Against Certain Discipline: A union or any of its officials may not fine, expel, or otherwise discipline a member for exercising any LMRDA right. Prohibition Against Violence: No one may use or threaten to use force or violence to interfere with a union member in the exercise of LMRDA rights. Union Officer Responsibilities Financial Safeguards: Union officers have a duty to manage the funds and property of the union solely for the benefit of the union and its members in accordance with the union’s constitution and bylaws. Union officers or employees who embezzle or steal union funds or other assets commit a Federal crime punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment. Bonding: Union officers or employees who handle union funds or property must be bonded to provide protection against losses if their union has property and annual financial receipts which exceed $5,000. Labor Organization Reports: Union officers must: nFile an initial information report (Form LM-1) and annual financial reports (Forms LM-2/3/4) with OLMS. nRetain the records necessary to verify the reports for at least five years. Officer Reports: Union officers and employees must file reports concerning any loans and benefits received from, or certain financial interests in, employers whose employees their unions represent and businesses that deal with their unions. Officer Elections: Unions must: nConduct elections for officers of national unions or intermediary districts at least every four years by secret ballot. nConduct regular elections in accordance with their constitution and bylaws and preserve all records for one year. nMail a notice of election to every member at least 15 days prior to the election. nComply with a candidate’s request to distribute campaign material. nNot use union funds or resources to promote any candidate (nor may employer funds or resources be used). nPermit candidates to have election observers. nAllow candidates to inspect the union’s membership list once within 30 days prior to the election. Restrictions on Holding Office: A person convicted of certain crimes may not serve as a union officer, employee, or other representative of a union for up to 13 years. Loans: A union may not have outstanding loans to any one officer or employee that in total exceed $2,000 at any time. Fines: A union may not pay the fine of any officer or employee convicted of any willful violation of the LMRDA. Note: The above is only a summary of the LMRDA. Full text of the Act, which comprises Sections 401531 of Title 29 of the United States Code, may be found in many public libraries, or by writing the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Room N-5616, Washington, DC 20210, or on the internet at www. dol.gov 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 16 Seafarers LOG 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. December 2020 �Paul Hall Center Upgrading Course Information 2021 Course Dates Coming Soon Numerous Paul Hall Center course dates for 2021 will be published in the next edition of the Seafarers LOG. Individuals also are encouraged to check the SIU website for the latest updates to the Paul Hall Center schedule. Class dates are prominently listed in the “Training and Careers” section. 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. 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. 12/20 Paul Hall Center Classes RFPNW (Phase III) – Graduated October 16 (above, in alphabetical order): Jorge Alamo Pagan, Lexter A. Alfaro-Rivera, Rhiannon Buttrum, Peter Festa III, Joel Frederick, Stephen Fretwell, Steven Gray, Joseph Horton, Stephen Jarrell, Oscar Krowicki, John Sadia, Melvin Singletary, Raul Soto, Blake Stollenwerck, Desmond Unutoa and Herbert Weiss. Upon the completion of their training, each plans to work in the deck departments of SIU-contracted vessels. December 2020 Seafarers LOG 17 �Paul Hall Center Classes Terrestrial & Coastal Navigation – Graduated October 6 (above, in alphabetical order): Diego Fernando Barbosa, David Brusco, Carlo Mateo Gentile, Jerome Luckett, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamed Eissa, Chenequa Moet Rodriguez, Jorge A. Salas Santos and Anthony Dwight Sanchez Villarrubia. Mark Buyes, their instructor, is at the far right. ECDIS – Graduated October 23 (above, in alphabetical order): Diego Fernando Barbosa, David Brusco, Carlo Mateo Gentile, Brian Guiry, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamed Eissa, Chenequa Moet Rodriguez and Jorge A. Salas Santos. Class instructor Patrick Schoenberger is at the far left. Government Vessels – Graduated October 9 (above, in alphabetical order): Juan Barquera, Gregory Davis, Gerald Flowers, Jasmin Franklin, Eric Greenawalt, Deon Greenidge, Curtis Jasa, Jevon Lowery, Sarah Superman, Brian Tait and Tinesha Travis. (Note: Not all are pictured.) 18 Seafarers LOG December 2020 �Paul Hall Center Classes Government Vessels – Graduated October 9 (photo at left, in alphabetical order): Sergio Centeno, Joseph Clairmont Jr., Larry Clayton, Terry Evins, Deon Green, Fredrick Hall, Donald McBride Jr., and James Pierce. Certified Chief Cook (Module 6) – Graduated October 9 (above, in alphabetical order): Wilfredo Ramos Silva, Nathalie Bernice Reyes-Ortiz, James Scott, Annie Walker, Michael Wees and Johnathan Williams. Galley Ops – Graduated October 23 (photo at left, in alphabetical order): Keshyra Brinkley, Briana Davis, Eric Amauris Rivas-Martinez, Reinaldo Rivera, Johanns Rivera-Rivera and Ammar Saleh Sailan. December 2020 Seafarers LOG 19 �VOLUME 82, NO. 12 DECEMBER 2020 Text “Join” to 97779 To Sign Up for SIU Text Alerts 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 SIU Members Valiantly Served in WWII Editor’s note: This is the eighth 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 in Sicily as Bunker continues describing the infamous Convoy PQ-17 before shifting to D-Day. The first plane dropped two bombs into an open hold full of ammunition on the Liberty ship Timothy Pickering (SUP), which had arrived at the anchorage only a few hours before and was still crowded with troops. There was a blinding explosion. Tongues of flame roared out of the stricken ship a thousand feet into the air, followed by whirling clouds of smoke. It may have been red-hot hull plates from the exploding Liberty, or bombs dropped by the second Stuka, but a tanker nearby was set afire and exploded in a flaming holocaust soon after. In a few minutes both ships were nothing but twisted, shattered masses of steel, resting on the bottom with only their masts protruding above the surface. Of the 192 crewmen and British troops on the Timothy Pickering, only about a dozen survived. Two-Time Loser The attack had lasted only a minute at the most. Another Liberty that saw exciting action in Italian waters was the James W. Marshall (SUP). Arriving at Salerno just two days after the invasion, she was hit and set afire by a 250pound bomb that smashed through the bridge and wounded several men at the guns. The fire was quickly extinguished by quick action on the part of the crew, and she continued discharging her ammunition, guns, trucks and gasoline. Two days later she was hit again, this time by a heavy bomb that went through the top deck of the ship into the main deck before exploding among GIs who had taken refuge in the messroom. And thrilling tales aplenty can be told by the men who took supplies to 5th Army troops holding the beach at bloody Anzio. For months, the British and Americans had held a costly strip of beach and marshland 30 miles south of Rome, and all the while they were supplied by merchant ships for whom “destination Anzio” also meant “destination front line.” The SIU-manned Liberty ship Lawton B. Evans had 4,000 tons of gasoline and ammunition in her holds when she arrived at “Peter Beach,” Anzio, from Naples on January 22, 1944. No sooner had she dropped the hook than the Germans opened up on her with long-range artillery. Shells hit within 50 feet of the ship and shrapnel peppered the decks like BB shot. Captain Harry Ryan “up anchored” as soon as steam could be turned on the windlass, and they sought a safer spot. But the Germans got their range again and shells splashed too close for comfort. It was “up anchor” again … a game of hide and seek which went on for most of the day. During the next four days, gunners and crewmen ran to battle stations time after time, for one air attack was quickly followed by another, and between raids the Germans plopped big shells onto the anchorage. The grind of the anchor chain through the hawse pipes lent a mournful accompaniment to the drone of airplanes and the whistle of shells – they called them “Whistling Williams.” It was on the 29th of January that the Germans tried out the radio-controlled glider bomb on the ships at Anzio. The USS Philadelphia and two freighters were victims during the first attack of this kind. Three Bombers Down Through it all the Lawton B. Evans proved herself a fighting ship, fit to battle with the best of them. When Stukas and Junkers attacked the anchorage, her gunners knocked one of the Junkers down with 20-millimeter fire, then blew a divebomber to pieces with the three-inch fifty on the bow. Two days later they bagged another divebomber that got too near their guns. On the same day, the Lawton’s gunners blasted a glider bomb out of the sky before it could do any damage, and followed that up by obliterating still another divebomber. A carburetor from the plane landed on the Lawton’s deck and was kept as a souvenir. It was fortunate that the Lawton’s gunners did shoot well, for soon after the blowing up of the glider bomb, another of these strange missiles hit the Liberty ship Samuel Huntington, setting it afire and causing an explosion that rent the ship apart. Long will SIU crews remember the shuttle Old SIU Friends There was the old Kofresi of the Island trade (named after a Puerto Rican rum, she was); the West Nilus, Illinoian, Kentuckian, Alcoa Leader, Pennsylvanian and Robin Gray. Three SIU Liberties were among the breakwater ships, too: The Matt W. Ransom, Benjamin Contee, and James W. Marshall. All of them had seen thrilling action and were consigned to “operation scuttle” as unfit for further service. The Marshall (SUP) had been bombed and gutted by fire at Salerno. The Matt Ransom had been torpedoed and then brought into port by the heroic action of her crew. And the Benjamin Contee, while sailing in the role of a prison ship in the Mediterranean, was torpedoed by a bomber with large loss of life among Italian POWs. Heads-Up Action Quick action on the part of her Skipper and merchant crew calmed the panic among hundreds of rioting troops; kept the tragedy from Thousands of SIU and SUP members helped the Allies at Normandy before, during and after D-Day in 1944. run to “bloody Anzio.” They Made the Beachheads So well-known and so often told is the story of the Normandy invasion in 1944 that there is no point in describing that tremendous operation here. Thousands of SIU-SUP seamen took part in the initial beachhead operations and in the vital line of supply that followed, from D-Day till the German surrender. These men had a part in landing the 2,500,00 troops, the half-million trucks and tanks, the 17,000,000 tons of ammunition and supplies that were put ashore at the beachheads in Hitler’s “fortress Europe” during the first 109 days after D-Day. The flow of material was almost beyond comprehension! Seafarers Volunteered Many Seafarers were also among the 1,000 merchant seamen who volunteered to sail to the Normandy beaches the 32 American merchant ships that were scuttled to make the emergency breakwater – the “miracle harbor” along the Normandy coast. As they steamed their breakwater fleet from British ports on the eve of invasion, theirs was a most hazardous task, for everyone expected the coast of France to erupt in a hell of flame and shell as soon as the ships were sighted by the Germans. That this did not happen to the extent that it was anticipated did not detract one whit from the courage of the seamen who volunteered for this extremely dangerous operation. Among these sunken ships at the Normandy beachhead were a number of well-known-toold-timers-ships that had been sailed along the ocean sea lanes for many years by men of the SIU and the SUP. becoming a disaster of huge proportions. Seafarers have vivid memories of the shuttle run which operated after D-Day between the United Kingdom and Normandy and, later, to French and Belgian ports. Some 150 ships, mostly Liberties, were assigned this monotonous and far from placid service by the War Shipping Administration, plodding back and forth between England and the continent, trip after trip, and month after month. “Channel ferries” the crews called them. A few hit mines, like the SIU-manned Colin Kelly, and ended their careers for good in the English Channel and the channel ports. SIU ships braved the buzzbomb barrage with supplies for the port of Antwerp, where at times a buzzbomb fell on the city and its environs every ten minutes. ‘Swarm of Bees’ Seafarers will recall seeing those eerie, crewless missiles sailing through the sky over Belgium, trailing flame from their tails and droning like a huge swarm of bees while ackack tried to knock them down. When the droning stopped it was time to “hit the ditches,” for the buzzbomb was on its way to earth. The SIU-manned SS Bayou Chico was the second ship up the canal into the old city of Ghent in Belgium, and was cheered by the populace as she steamed along the waterway with her holds full of Army supplies. It was in the Pacific – land of the kamikaze – that SIU and SUP ships experienced some of the hardest and most costly fighting of the war at sea, as Japanese bases fell before the northward advance of American troops from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. Innumerable were the instances of heroism and high courage as Seafarers took their ships up the long, battle-scarred Pacific from island to island and beachhead to beachhead. In February of 1942, the SS Admiral Halstead (SUP) earned a citation unique among merchant ships, when six of her crew received the Distinguished Service Medal of the merchant marine for defending their ship with two machine guns against heavy assaults by Japanese bombers. The Admiral Halstead was the only ship of 12 in Port Darwin to escape being sunk, discharging her cargo of gasoline and ammunition for Australian troops, and escaping the Japanese to participate in more Pacific action. In August of 1943, the Japanese were flushed from New Georgia in the Solomon’s and Army troops re-took the Aleutians. Then came the four-day bloody battle at Tarawa, followed by invasions at Kwajalein in the Marshalls, at New Britain and Hollandia. By July of 1944, Saipan and Tinian had been won, followed shortly by another victory at Peleliu. Then came the biggest show yet, staged in this amphibious war, as a seaborne juggernaut of 600 ships bypassed hundreds of miles of enemy-held territory and landed on the eastern side of Leyte Island in the Philippines. SIU ships were up front here, as usual, fighting with guns and guts as the Japanese pounded the beachhead with everything they could muster. Kamikazes Make Appearance It was at Leyte that the Japanese launched the strangest weapon ever used in war – the “Kamikaze” or “divine wind,” the one-way bomber flown by suicide pilots willing to sacrifice themselves as human bombs in an attempt to win the war for Nippon. An early victim of the kamikaze was the SS Thomas Nelson, a Calmar Liberty hit off Dulag in Leyte Bay while still crowded with some 630 Army troops and loaded with gasoline and ammunition. Her gunners blasted a suicide plane which made a run at the ship but the Japanese hit his target, nonetheless, his two exploding bombs turning the freighter into an inferno of flame, with 213 soldiers killed, wounded, or missing. Gunners of the Liberty ship Matthew P. Deady (SUP) bagged two Japanese planes at Leyte, but the ship was bombed and set afire with considerable loss of life among soldiers and crew. In December of 1944, a convoy of ammunition-laden ships, including the Liberty John Burke, was attacked by kamikazes. One hit the Burke square on, blowing her up with the loss of every man aboard. Not a bit of wreckage was left to mark her place in the convoy. Another SUP-manned Liberty, the Lewis L. Dyche, was hit by a kamikaze in January 1945, at Mangarin Bay during the Mindoro invasion. She, too, was obliterated. There were no survivors. And so it went in almost countless dramatic actions that cannot possibly all be recorded here. It was in the invasion of Leyte that the Liberty ship Adoniram Judson won a special niche for herself in the annals of the war, by not only delivering vital landing mats and 3,000 barrels of high-octane aviation gasoline for the captured airfield at Tacloban, but by providing the principal air protection there for several days. Gallant Ships For this the “Ad” Judson was honored by the U.S. Maritime Commission in being named a Gallant Ship of the merchant marine, a distinction accorded only a few ships throughout the war. Another Gallant Ship was the SS Marcus Daly (SUP). This Liberty and her crew won a commendation from General Douglas MacArthur for shooting down at least three Japanese bombers, and for defending the docks at Leyte with her guns. Despite her fire-spitting Oerlikons, and the accurate shot from the flaming three-inch fifty on her bow, a kamikaze smashed onto the Marcus Daly on Christmas Day 1944, blasting huge holes in the deck and sides and ripping the steel plating of the ship like paper, while flames shot high in the air and jagged pieces of steel showered the area in a deadly hail. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Seafarers Log Issues 2020-present Description An account of the resource Volumes LXXXII of the Seafarers Log and beyond Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource December 2020 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES: GOV'T EXPERTS CALL FOR STRONGER SEALIFT NAVY LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF JONES ACT LEGISLATORS SPEAK UP FOR U.S. FREIGHT CABOTAGE LAW VOTING CONTINUES IN SIU'S ELECTION SIU PITCHES IN WITH 'BOOKWAVES' OUTREACH POLIO POSES THREATS TO SOME TRAVELERS Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seafarers Log Digital Copies Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 12/1/2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newsprint Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Vol. 82, No. 12