Seafarers Log: Vol. 61 No. 5 (1999-05-01)

Family-Friendly

SIU members and their families on

April 8 celebrated the grand open­

ing of the SIU's new union hall in

the New Orleans suburb of Harvey,

La. (pictured above). The building,

located at 3911 Lapalco Blvd.,

drew very positive reactions from

the approximately 250 in atten­

dance. Seafarers particularly

praised the new hall's accessibility,

cleanliness and layout. Joining the

festivities were (left photo, from left

to right) SIU VP Contracts Augie

Tellez, QMED Clarence Scott, SIU

President Michael Sacco,

Recertified Bosun Teddy Bush and

his wife, Kathy, AB Lee Selico and

his wife, Edwina, and Teddy and

Kathy's sons, Isaac and Morocco

(front). Pages 3, 9.

a I Opens
In New Orleans

Lakes Seafarers
Kick Off Season
Though still impacted by foreign steel dumping (see page 2), the Great Lakes sail­
ing season is in full swing. Among the Seafarers crewing vessels on the Lakes are
Deckhand Mohamed Mohsin (left photo, aboard the American Mariner) and AB
Jeff Johnson (right, on the Sam Laud). Page 7.

Maritime Unions Reaffirm Readiness
________________________________ ~Page3

NMU Members Praise Paul Hall Center

NMU upgrader Owen Carr thanks SIU President Michael Sacco for the hospitality he and
other NMU members have received since beginning clas5es at the Paul Hall Center. NMU
members started taking classes at the center last month as part of the affiliation of the
National Maritime Union with the SIUNA. Between them are NMU President Rene
Lioeanjie and NMU upgrader Fahd Yahya. Page 4

Fire Fighting School Opens This Month
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Page24



[ President's Report
Looking Ahead

Preparing for the future is more than a slogan in the SIU. It's our
way of life.

As this decade nears its end, the groundwork we laid during the
1990s already is paying off for a vibrant beginning
to the next century.

Our primary focus has been jobs, and being
able to handle the influx of Seafarers to crew the
new liner ships, tankers, passenger vessels and tug­
boats that have been-and will be-coming under
SIU contracts.

The latest example of planning ahead and being
prepared came last month when the new hiring hall

Michael Sacco for New Orleans opened its doors.
This beautiful, newly refurbished facility, locat­

ed in the West Bank suburb of Harvey, shows the commitment the
SIU has made to meet the challenges of the next century. The inviting
atmosphere in the hall will encourage members to bring their families
when they come to the hall. There is plenty of on-site parking-a
need cited by many members who had shipped out of the old hall.

This is the fourth new facility to open since 1994 when the
Brooklyn hall moved down the street to its present location. In 1995,
the SIU moved into its new location in Fort Lauderdale. The follow­
ing year, the Seattle hall transferred to Tacoma to be closer to the
port. Since then, we also have renovated the Norfolk hall and are
working on our Wtlmington site.

But the SIU does not intend to stop there. We look forward to
announcing soon new facilities for Seafarers who sail out of
Baltimore and Puerto Rico.

All of this has been done with the members and their needs in
mind

Regarding jobs, what could be more exciting than the passenger
ships that were announced last month in the LOG?!

The contract signed in the U.S. Capitol between American Classic
Voyages and Ingalls Shipyard is dynamic proof of the revitalization
of the U.S.-flag commercial fleet, a campaign the SIU has been lead­
ing throughout the 1990s. The early work paid off with the passage of
the Maritime Security Program in 1996. Now we are witnessing how
that faith in the U.S. merchant fleet is expanding.

In that same April issue of the LOG which announced the passen­
ger ships, we saw Seafarers crew a new Double Eagle tanker, a series
of tractor tugs and a roll-on/roll-off vessel.

During the last half of this decade, SIU members have climbed the
gangways to a great many ships, including the new fleet of military
prepositioning vessels.

And there is more to come.
Not only is there one more Double Eagle tanker due out of the

shipyard, but SIU-contracted Delta Queen Steamboat Co. plans to
launch the first in its fleet of coastal passenger ships sometime next
year.

As always, Seafarers will be prepared for these jobs aboard the
new vessels thanks to the upgrading program at the Paul Hall
Center's Lundeberg School of Seamanship.

The school's staff constantly is improving the curriculum to make
sure SIU members receive the latest information and can work with
the newest technologies when they return to their vessels.

The school also has been the industry leader in providing oil spill
prevention and containment classes, developing the Coast Guard­
accepted training record book and offering approved STCW self-cer­
tification courses.

Later this month, the center will open the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety School, the most up-to-date training facility in
the world for learning how to battle shipboard blazes. Once again,
Seafarers will benefit thanks to the union's and the school's commit­
ment to the future.

Now, one more group of American mariners will benefit. We are
pleased to welcome the members of the National Maritime Union,
who began taking classes at the center last month. They have been
very impressed with the facilities and with all the SIU members they
have met.

During a recent visit to the school with NMU President Rene
Lioeanjie, several NMU members pulled us aside to say they have
never been treated better at any of the other training schools they
have attended as they have at the Lundeberg School.

I thank the staff of the school and the Seafarers who are upgrading
for welcoming our NMU brothers and sisters.

Volume 61, Number 5 May 1999

~T6

The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org

The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published month­
ly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf:
Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth
Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 899-
0675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland
20790-9998 and at additional offices. POS1MASTER:
Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth
Way Camp Springs, MD 20746.

Communications Director, Daniel Duncan; Managing
Editor, Jordan Biscardo; Associate Editor/Production,
Deborah A. Hirtes; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative
Support, Jeanne Textor.
Copyright <O 1999 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD
All Rights Reserved.

2 Seafarers LOG

Big News Comes. in Threes
For Avondale, Newport News
OSHA Fines New Orleans Yard;
Steelworkers Strike in Virginia;
General Dynamics Bid Rejected

There were three major devel­
opments last month concerning
New Orleans-based Avondale
Industries and Newport News
(Va.) Shipbuilding.

The most recent occurred
April 15, when the Department of
Defense announced its opposition
to General Dynamics Corp. 's pro­
posed $2 billion acquisition of the
Virginia shipyard. The company
immediately halted its bid, clear­
ing the way for a previously
planned merger between Newport
News and Avondale.

The other stories concerned
$537,000 in new fines levied
against Avondale by the Occu­
pational Health and Safety
Administration (OSHA) for near­
ly 500 "serious and willful" haz­
ardous conditions at the shipyard;
and a strike by members of the
United Steelworkers of America
(USWA) at Newport News.

AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney applauded the Penta­
gon's decision opposing the
General Dynamics acquisition,
but quickly pointed out the need
to correct those other issues at the
respective yards.

Rejecting the General Dyn­
amics takeover "appears to be
based on sound judgment and on a
thorough examination of the long­
term implications of such a deal to
America's shipbuilding workers,
the economy and our nation's
defense," stated Sweeney, who
heads the national federation of
trade unions.

He also said that the resultant
likelihood of a Newport News­
Avondale merger means ''the U.S.
Navy should do an immediate and
thorough investigation at
Avondale, a major U.S. Navy and
Coast Guard vessel supplier.
Avondale routinely ignores feder­
al laws and battles federal agen­
cies which aim to protect workers
at the shipyard .... Yet even in the
face of federal scrutiny, Avondale
is recalcitrant, refusing either to
acknowledge its wrongdoing or to
follow OSHA's orders to make its
shipyard safer."

The fine against Avondale
announced by OSHA on April 5
was the second-largest in Ameri­
can shipbuilding history. OSHA
cited Avondale for 473 separate
instances of unsafe working con­
ditions.

These include 266 instances of
"willful" violations concerning
uncovered manholes, unsafe scaf­
folding, unguarded high work
areas, and improperly installed
anchorage points to support
workers when they work at great
heights.

A "willful" violation is the
most serious of OSHA's cate­
gories. It means that the company
knew about the safety problem,
knew it was a violation, and yet
did nothing about it.

OSHA fined Avondale
$70,000--the maximum penalty
-for each of the four broad cate­
gories of willful violations.

Seven workers have died at

Avondale since 1990, three of
whom fell down manholes or
from great heights. Avondale's
death rate is three times higher
than other shipyards with major
Navy contracts.

Avondale Industries has re­
ceived $32 billion in Navy con­
tracts since 1993. That year, the
workers voted to form a union to
make the shipyard safer, to bring
their wages and benefits up to par
with those of other shipyard work­
ers, and to earn respect on the job.

In response, the company
waged war on its workers-a fed­
eral judge found that Avondale
broke the law more than I 00
times during the union campaign
and illegally fired 28 workers.
Avondale has refused for nearly
six years to abide by their work­
ers' choice and negotiate with the
union, thus continuing a pattern
of resistance to federal laws pro­
tecting workers.

Meanwhile, at Newport News,
9,200 Steelworkers went on strike
April 5. The key issues are hourly
wages and pension benefits.

"We've bent over backward so
much, our head's almost touching
the ground," said the president of
USWA Local 8888, Arnold
Outlaw. "There's not much fur­
ther we can go."

Sweeney pointed out that
Newport News "just announced
first quarter profits of $18 million
on top of the $66 million profit for
1998. In addition, the company
has access to a $150 million pen­
sion surplus. Given the compa­
ny's fmancial success after years
of wage freezes and worker con­
cessions, the time has come for
fair treatment for workers at
Newport News."

Steel Dumping Bill Advances to Senate
House Passes Legislation to Curb Illegal Imports

With strong bipartisan support, the House of
Representatives on March 17 approved legislation
designed to curb record levels of illegal steel imports
that are wiping out American jobs. By a vote of 289-
141, the House passed the Steel Import Limitation bill
(H.R. 975), then sent it to the Senate. Consideration
of the bill in the Senate may occur this month.

The SIU strongly supports the measure and
encourages Seafarers and their families to contact
their senators and ask them to pass it. (The SIU web
site, http://www.seafarers.org, includes links to
Senate email addresses. To contact the Senate by
telephone, dial 1-202-224-3121.)

Seafarers on the Great Lakes have felt the impact
of dumped foreign steel since last year. As foreign
nations in the midst of economic crises illegally sold
their product to the U.S. at below production costs (a
practice known as dumping), prices became
depressed throughout this nation.

That, in turn, slashed American steel companies'
income and forced massive layoffs. Altogether, more
than 10,000 U.S. steelworkers have been laid off or
have lost their jobs because of this crisis.

It also meant reduced cargo movement on the
Great Lakes, because many of those materials are
used in steel production. Hence, last year's sailing
season prematurely ended, and this year's kicked off
later than expected.

Statistics tell part of the story:
• Last year, steel imports from Japan more than

doubled, while imports from South Korea were up
90 percent.

• Imports from Japan, Russia and Brazil current­
ly account for more than 25 percent of U.S. sales of
hot-rolled steel-up from only 4.3 percent in 1995.

• The dumping drove down U.S. steel compa­
nies, income by 60 percent for the first half of last
year.

In publicizing the problem, the United
Steelworkers of America (USWA) pointed out that
other countries limit steel imports with deterrents

such as government quotas and mill-to-mill agree­
ments. The U.S. does not use such methods, leaving
the nation vulnerable to dumping.

After the House passed H.R. 975, USWA
President George Becker commented, "The
Congress of the United States not only opened up
their eyes to what was happening, they opened up
their hearts for the workers and their families and the
community ..... We're on to the Senate, and we're
going to go at it with the same intensity, the same fer­
vor that we went with this one."

The Steelworkers, backed by the AFL-CIO,
pushed the bill for a year and a half.

The Steel Import Limitation bill directs the
President to impose quotas, tariff surcharges, or
negotiate enforceable voluntary export restraint
agreements in order to ensure that the volume of
imported steel products during any month does not
exceed the average volume of imported steel for the
36-month period preceding July 1997. It also directs
the secretaries of the treasury and of commerce to
implement a program for administering and enforc­
ing the restraints on such imports.

Additionally, the legislation authorizes the cus­
toms service to refuse entry into the U.S. customs
territory for a three-year period any steel products
that exceed their allowable levels.

The bill also directs the secretary of commerce to
establish and implement a steel import notification
and monitoring program. It requires anyone who
intends to import steel products into the United
States to first obtain an import notification certifi­
cate; sets forth certificate requirements; and directs
the secretary of comme~ to publish on a. weekly
basis through the Internet certain information
obtained from steel import notification certificate
applications regarding imported ·steel, including
country of origin, the port of entry, quantity, value of
steel imported, single producer or exporter countries,
and whether such imports are entered into a bonded
warehouse or foreign trade zone.

May 1999



Maritime Unions Reaffirm Support
For American Forces in Balkans
Military Plots Strategy for Possible Sealift Campaign in Eastern Europe

As military planners design
strategies for possibly bringing
supply ships to Mediterranean
ports in Eastern Europe, the pres­
idents of the nation's maritime
unions have reminded President
Clinton the U.S. merchant marine
stands ready to help in the
Yugoslavia/Kosovo conflict if
and when it is called out.

merchant marine, we want you to
know that we stand ready to serve
our nation in any way we can to
assist American and NATO forces
in the current military and human­
itarian crisis in the Balkans.

policy of the United States. Our
merchant marine and our loyal
and dedicated mariners are once
again willing and able to serve, as
we have served since our nation
was formed."

division of the U.S. Tranportation
Command which handles logis­
tics for American armed forces,
discussed this problem when he
met with the Washington, D.C.
Propeller Club on April 14. Mjr. Gen. Mario Montero, head of

the U.S. Military Traffic
Management Command, tells the
Washington, D.C. Propeller Club
that America's sealift is a ieam
effort" between the military and
commercial fleets.

Joining SIUNA President
Michael Sacco in a letter of sup­
port addressed to the White House
shortly after the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization {NATO)
bombing campaign began in late
March were National Maritime
Union President Rene Lioeanjie;
Masters, Mates and Pilots
President Timothy Brown; Marine
Engineers' Beneficial Association
President Lawrence O'Toole; and
American Maritime Officers
President Michael McKay.

"The men and women of the
American Merchant Marine are
'standing by' awaiting orders to
supply NATO forces in the
Balkans, and they are also avail­
able to bring humanitarian aid to
the displaced people of the
Balkan peninsula."

The letter concluded by
reminding the president of the
loyalty and dependability of
American mariners during previ­
ous conflicts.

"The history of the supply
effort which supported our troops
during Operation Desert Stonn
has demonstrated that the
American Merchant Marine can
be relied upon to assist the
Commander in Chief in the exe­
cution of the military and foreign

The NATO campaign began in
late March as an effort to stop the
ethnic cleansing of Albanians in
the Yugoslav province of Kosovo
by troops loyal to Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic.
The daily bombing raids, which
have included U.S. military air­
craft, created a massive refugee
situation in the neighboring coun­
tries of Albania and Macedonia.

While trying to provide food,
clothing and temporary shelters
for the refugees, NATO and pri­
vate relief organizations have
been devising plans for relocating
the thousands upon thousands of
people fleeing Kosovo until the
fighting stops.

U.S. Army Major General
Mario Montero Jr. informed the
audience that military and civilian
personnel already are in Italy
examining port facilities in that
nation and nearby Greece in case
sealift is activated for humanitari­
an or military re-supply needs.

He noted his command looks
"at handling sustainment supplies
and refugee relief supplies."

Montero pointed out that in the
wake of the Persian Gulf War, the
U.S. government and military
found it "too costly" to store
materiel in "lots of iron piles all
over the world." He added that is
why the armed forces are using
prepositioning ships (crewed by
Seafarers), located around the
world and ready to sail to a hot

spot at a moment's notice, to
deliver the goods that are needed
at the time they are required.

The general also thanked the
representatives from the U.S.-flag
shipping industry present for being
a vital part of the command's capa­
bility to respond to an emergency.
He broke down America's sealift as
being "one-third active [vessels],
one-third reserve and one-third our
industry partners. It's a team effort
to respond. Without you, we could
not do the nation's bidding."

The maritime union presidents
told Clinton, "On behalf of the
men and women of America's

The head of the U.S. Military
Traffic Management Command, a

New Orleans SIU Hall
Opens to Rave Reviews
Seafarers Applaud Facility's Layout & Location

Seafarers are utilizing
the new SIU hall in the
New Orleans area, follow­
ing its grand opening on
April 8.

Located at 3911 La­
palco Blvd. in Harvey, La.,
the facility debuted to pos­
itive reviews.

"It's a clean building in
a nicer neighborhood­
definitely an upgrade,"
stated AB Vic DiGiorgio,
one of approximately 250
people who attended the
ceremonial opening. "It's
easily accessible, right off
the interstate, and the area
for job call is nice. Plus, it
has a big parking lot"

Captain Tim Gegen­
heimer also cited the plen­
tiful parking spaces as a
welcome improvement.

"It's better all the way
around. Personally, I live
just 10 minutes away,
which is great. The new
hall has plenty of parking,
it's in a quiet neighbor­
hood and the building's
layout is good."

Among those attending
the opening were active
and retired Seafarers and
their families; officials
from SIU-contracted com­
panies; local political rep­
resentatives; SIU officials,
and others. In a brief
address, SIU President
Michael Sacco said that the
new hall is another exam­
ple of the union moving in
the right direction.

"The SIU purchased
this building and modified
it to meet the member­
ship's needs. We're con­
stantly looking toward the
future," he noted.

As with the SIU hall in
Tacoma, Wash. and Fort

May 1999

Purchased last year and refurbished to better serve the
membership, the SIU's New Orleans-area hall opened
for business in April.

Lauderdale, Fla., the
Harvey facility is a refur­
bished bank. Its features
include a counter and ship­
ping board, two offices, a
small conference room, a
lobby area used for mem­
bership meetings, new
restroom facilities (built to
Americans with Disabili­
ties Act standards), an area
for members and guests to
enjoy coffee or other re­
freshments, and vending
machines (which weren't
available at the old hall on
Jackson Ave., and from
which the union takes no
profit whatsoever).

There is at least one
other notable item: an win­
dow etched in tribute to
Joseph Sacco, SIU execu-

The hall features an
etched-glass tribute to the
late SIU VP Joe Sacco,
bearing the words, "The
Brotherhood Lives.•

tive vice president who
passed away in 1996.
Known to all as Joey, he
worked for many years in
the SIU's Gulf Coast
Region.

More photos of the New
Orleans hall grand
opening on page 9.

The window bears the
SIU logo with the words,
"The Brotherhood Lives
-In Memory of Joe
Sacco."

"You knew that when
you were with Joey, you
had his full attention," said
SIU New Orleans Port
Agent Steve Judd, who
thought of the window.
"He was always there for
everyone in this union,
always supportive without
being asked. This is just a
small way for others to
remember him."

As for the hall itself,
Judd reported that all con­
cerned are enjoying it.

"It seems to have
instilled a sense of pride,"
he explained. "The fact that
it's practically brand new,
it's clean and it's in a safe
place all adds up. The lay­
out is much more function­
al than the old hall, also."

SMPPP Statements Sent to Seafarers
Members Give Thumbs-Up to Revised Format

Annual statements from the Seafarers
Money Purchase Pension Plan (SMPPP)
recently were sent to participating SIU
members.

According to telephone records main­
tained by the firm that manages the plan,
Seafarers are responding favorably to the
statement's revised layout. The form, issued
in March, has been rearranged for greater
clarity.

The SMPPP originated in the 1996 stan­
dard freightship and tanker agreements, and
subsequently has been included in some
other SIU contracts (all of which were rati­
fied by the membership). Approved by the
Internal Revenue Service, the SMPPP is an
individual interest-earning investment
account funded by a daily contribution made
by an SIU-contracted company on behalf of
a Seafarer who is working for that employer.
SIU members also may make voluntary con­
tributions to their respective accounts
through a vacation plan deduction.

The SMPPP is completely separate from
a member's wage-related pension. Under the
SMPPP, a Seafarer is immediately vested
from the first day money is received on
behalf of employees. Unlike the Seafarers
Pension Plan, there is no minimum amount

of seatime needed to receive the money from
an SMPPP account.

The annual statement includes the fol­
lowing information: member's name,
address and social security number (which is
also the participant's account number); date
of mailing; the opening balance for 1998
(which was the year-end 1997 closing bal­
ance); contributions received on member's
behalf for payrolls received through
December 31, 1998 (listed individually and
in total); interest earned and administrative
expenses charged; any payouts made to the
member in 1998; and the closing balance for
1998 (which will appear as the opening bal­
ance on next year's annual statement).

Seafarers wiJJ be able to colJect the funds
within their SMPPP accounts by reaching
retirement age, becoming totally and perma­
nently disabled, or leaving the industry.

However, the SMPPP was designed to
encourage members to use it as retirement
savings.

For more information, Seafarers may call
toll-free 1-800-485-3703. SMPPP facts also
are posted on the SIU's web site at
http://www.seafarers.org/log/archive/may97
s6.htmJ.

SEAFARERS MONEY PURCHASE PENSION PLAN

April 1, 1999

c/o Basil Castrovinci Associates Inc.
323.5 Kennedy Boulevard

Jersey City, New Jersey 07306
(800) 485-3703 (201) 963-9600

JOHN DOE Social Security Number: 123-45-6789
123 SMITH STREET
ANYTOWN, TX 12345

Summarized below is the status of your Money Purchase Pension Plan Individual Account as of 12131/98

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT STATEMENT

BALANCE IN YOUR ACCOUNT AS OF: 12/31197

CONTRIBtmONS RECEIVED ON YOUR BEHALF FOR YEAR ENDING. 1998

YOUR SHARE OF 1998 INVESTMENT INCOME:

LESS 1998 ADMINIS1RATIVE FEE:

LESS ANY PAYOUT(S) YOU HA VE RECEIVED:

BALANCE IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT AS OF 12/31198

DETAIL TRANSACTIONS FOR 1998
Emolover Period From Period To
SEALAND 01/01/1998 01/31/1998

SEALAND 02/01/ 1998 02/28/1998 I

SE ALAND 03/01/ 1998 03/3 1/ 1998
I

SE ALAND 06/01/ 1998 06/30/1998

SE ALAND 07/01/ 1998 07/31/1998

SE ALAND 08/01/ 1998 08/31/1998

Total

EMPWYER VOLUNTARY

$622.18

$325.78

$103.28

-$25.83

$0.00

$1025.41

Days Contribution
31.00 1 ~
28.oo l $50.12

31.oo l $5.5.49

Jo .oo l S53.20

31.00 1 $55.49

31.00 $55.49

182.oo l $325.28

S0.00

S0.00

S0.00

S0.00

S0.00

$0.00

This sample statement shows the revised format as well as various information that is
included on the annual form.

Seafarers LOii 3



'Eternal Flame' Selected for Burn Building Name
Steward Poggio/i's Submission Chosen from More than 175 Names Offered in Contest

The SS Eternal Flame will
become the name of the burn
building at the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety School when
the facility opens later this month.

After studying and sorting
through the more than 175 entries
submitted by 69 active and retired
Seafarers, the judges selected
Eternal Flame as a tribute to the
late SIU executive vice president

for whom the school is named.
Although two Seafarers sub­

mitted Eternal Flame, under the
rules published in the February
and March Seafarers LOG, the
grand prize winner would be the
entry postmarked with the earliest
date.

That honor went to Recertified
Steward Carl T. Poggioli of
Honolulu. His entry was dated

w~•

F • t01<.

~01,t$T"Oo,) ... "~~

L-------~~;:~~~

Above are some of the letters submitted in the name the -Vessar con­
test, including the winning entry from Recertified Steward Carl T.
Poggioli of Honolulu.

March 15. Brother Poggioli will
receive a ship's wheel and has
been invited to christen the ''ves­
sel', when the school opens on
May 18.

SIU Pensioner William
"Flattop" KoOowitz of Brooklyn
submitted the other Eternal Flame
entry. His offering was marked
March 24. He will receive an SIU
jacket.

Don Nolan, vice president for
the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School, served as one of the four
judges. He said the crew had a
very difficult time selecting a win­
ner and consolation awards
because of the many fine entries.

(The other judges included Jim
Hanson, the center's director of
health and safety; SIU Com­
munications Director Daniel
Duncan; and Seafarers LOG
Managing Editor Jordan Biscardo.)

Three other "vessel" names
were selected for the runner-up
awards. They were the Endless
Flame, the Flashpoint and the
Vulcan. All members who submit­
ted these names will receive SIU
jackets.

Offering the Endless Flame
was Recertified Steward Ronald
R. Muoli of Baltimore.

Three members submitted
Flashpoint". AB Robert Bakeman

SIU Pres. Michael Sacco shows NMU Pres. Rene Lioeanjie the "engine
room• in the burn building-to be named SS Eternal Flame-at the
Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School.

of Brooksville, Maine; Retiree
Anthony J. Novak of New
Orleans; and Captain William F.
Palmer of Conroe, Texas.

Retiree James D. Howison of
Seattle entered the Vulcan.

During the two months of the
contest, entries came from all over
the country. Deep sea, inland and
Great Lakes members presented a
wide arrangement of nfU]les.

Some of them wanted to
include Sacco in the name of the
bum building "vessel." Variations
included Smokey Joe, Joseph
Sacco Fire Extinguishers, Joseph
Sacco Hot Spot and The Pride of
Joe Sacco.

Other entries included the
word "fire" in their submissions.
Among those were Fire Drake,
Fire Snuffer and Fireball.

Several of the entries remem­
bered late SIU officials as well as
ships upon which they sailed.

"With so many great sugges­
tions, it took some time to go
through all of them and narrow
the entries down to a few," Nolan
said. "We thank everyone who
participated because they provid­
ed some very creative names."

See page 24 for an update on
the fire fighting school

construction.

NMU Members Praise Upgrading at Paul Hall Center
The first members of the

SIUNA-affiliated National Mari­
time Union to upgrade at the Paul
Hall Center for Maritime
Training and Education in Piney
Point, Md. have nothing but
praise for the facilities and the
Seafarers they have met there.

The adjectives "wonderful',
and "unbelievable" were heard
over and over again when SIU
President Michael Sacco escorted
NMU President Rene Lioeanjie as
he met with upgraders at the center
on April 16.

"I did not expect anything like
this," NMU galley gang upgrader
Bienvendio Pagan told Lioeanjie,
who made an unannounced visit
to the facility. "Everyone has
been friendly and very coopera­
tive. This is nothing like any of
the other training schools rve
been to."

"They treat you right," added
NMU member Owen Carr, who is
taking the able bodied seaman
course. "The instructors take the
time and make sure you under­
stand."

NMU Pres. Rene Lioeanjie {far left) listens to NMU steward upgrader
Alba Ayala. Also taking part in the conversation (from her left) are
upgrader Bienvendio Pagan, Paul Hall Center Chef Romeo Lupinacci,
SIU Pres. Michael Sacco, upgrader Dulip Sookhiram and NMU VP
Charles Stewart.

NMU AB upgraders meet wrtn tne ~IU ana NMU presidents at Piney
Point. From the left are Owen Carr, NMU Pres. Rene Lioeanjie, SIU
Pres. Michael Sacco, Fahd Yahya, Abdul Hassan, AFL-CIO Maritime
Committee Executive Director Tai Simpkins, Ernesto Evangelista, Laura
Cash-Santos, Casimiro Garza and NMU VP Charles Stewart.

4 Seafarers LOG

The NMU members also
thanked Sacco for all the courte­
sies they have received during
their training.

"We are treating the NMU
members no different than
Seafarers," Sacco noted. "They
are finding out what it is like for a
training facility to respect them as
the professionals they are."

Lioeanjie stated he was very
pleased with what he was hearing
from the NMU members.

"They didn't know what to
expect when they came here. We
tried to tell them based on our
past visits, but everything is
working out better than any of us
could imagine," the NMU presi­
dent said.

Don Nolan, vice president for
the Center's Luneberg School,
told Sacco and Lioeanjie of one
incident between individual SIU
and NMU upgraders attending the

SIU President Michael Sacco points out some of the features of the
Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School to NMU President Rene
Lioeanjie (left) and Vtee President Charles Stewart.

STCW Basic Safety class. The
two were paired as roommates.
Before the first day was over,
they had become friends and
made plans to study together as
well as work with one another.

Before leaving Piney Point,

Lioeanjie along with NMU Vice
President Charles Stewart and
AFL-CIO Maritime Committee's
Executive Director Tai Simpkins
toured the Joseph Sacco Fire
Fighting and Safety School, which
is scheduled to open this month.

NMU members taking the STCW Basic Safety class last month were the first to graduate from the Paul Hall
Center. They upgraded with Seafarers, who are designated with SIU after their names. From the left are (front
row) Instructor Rick Redmond, Fahd Yahya, Edison lnumen, Alfred Acheanpong, Bernabe Pelingon (SIU),
Garrick Slack, (second row) Philip Diego {SIU), Unity Bosdick, Ignacio Blanco, Anthony Perry, Mario Marcial,
Vemall Marshall, Clifford Lacon, (back row) Heath Darrel, Don Hubbard, lsoline Major (SIU), Eric Tart and
Mark Zlfcak.

May1999



NY Unionists: Save Local Maritime Jobs
Rally Urges Retention of Sea-Land, Maersk Business;
Carriers Considering Bids for Northeastern Operations

More than 1,000 trade union­
ists rallied April 12 outside New
York's World Trade Center to
urge preservation of thousands of
local maritime-related jobs by
retaining business from Sea-Land
Service and Maersk Line.

Two dozen SIU members par­
ticipated in the demonstration,
which was organized by the New
York-based International Long­
shoremen's Association (ILA).
The boisterous event was intend­
ed to spur New York Governor
George Pataki and New Jersey
Governor Christine Todd Whit­
man to extend a successful port
lease bid to the two shipping
companies.

Sea-Land and Maersk, which
share vessels, containers, tenni­
nals and other assets, account for
a substantial amount of cargo vol­
wne in the port of New York and

·New Jersey. They are considering
a new lease proposal from that
port as well as competitive bids
from Baltimore and Halifax,
Nova Scotia to relocate much of
their northeastern waterborne
commerce. Each of the proposed
leases is believed to be for at least
25 years.

A decision may be announced
sometime this month.

ILA President John Bowers
stated that the potential relocation
of the carriers' northeastern hub
"jeopardizes more than 3,500
longshore jobs in this region.
Everyone in this region should be
concerned about the potential loss
of jobs. Not just longshore jobs,
but tens of thousands of other
jobs related to the movement of
cargo into and out of this port."

Prior to the rally, Bowers also
told Pataki and Whitman that he
believed "negotiations between
New York and New Jersey
regarding issues unrelated to the
Sea-Land and Maersk negotia­
tions" repeatedly had delayed the
port's proposal during a recent
three-month period, thus increas­
ing the likelihood that another
port would snatch the business.

Whitman attended the April 12
event and subsequently extended
a tentative offer to the companies,
even though it ultimately requires
Pataki's approval because the port
is jointly operated. Press reports
indicate that Whitman's proposal
is approximately $120 million in
state incentives.

Meanwhile, Maryland officials
reportedly have offered to con­
struct a $200 million, 330-acre
marine terminal in Baltimore if its
bid is successful. An April 14
article by Robert Little of the
Baltimore Sun indicated that the
state also has promised to
improve Baltimore's railroad
access--currently perceived by
some as a shortcoming, and no
small factor considering that Sea­
Land is owned by rail giant CSX
Corp.

The estimated 750,000 ship­
ping containers annually handled
by the bid winner would triple
Baltimore's cargo volwne.

Halifax reportedly has bid on a
lesser volume of the companies'
business.

Shortly after receiving
Whitman's proposal, Sea-Land
and Maersk, which have had
some joint operations since 1995,
said they will not comment on
their decision while they review
the bids. However, a Sea-Land
official reportedly described the
New York-New Jersey bid as
"competitive," while a Maersk
spokesman indicated a desire for
a fairly expeditious decision.

- -
SIU members and officials were among the more than 1,000 trade
unionists taking part in the April 12 rally outside New York's World
Trade Center. The demonstration was aimed at saving local maritime
jobs that would be impacted by a potential relocation of Sea-Land and
Maersk terminal business. Among the Seafarers at the rally (photo
below) were SIU Representatives Jack Caffey Jr. (far left) and Jack
Sheehan, SIU member Charles DiCanio and SIU Vice President
Atlantic Coast Jack Caffey (far right).

MERPAC Continues Crafting Suggested STCW Standards
REC Restructuring Delayed at Least 2 Years

The U.S. Coast Guard's
Merchant Marine Personnel
Advisory Committee (MERPAC)
last month delved further into
developing national perfonnance
measures for evaluating mariner
competence in accordance with
the amended STCW convention.

Meeting April 1 at Coast
Guard headquarters in Washing­
ton, D.C., the group emphasized
the need to ensure that all mariner
demonstrations of competency in
an STCW category titled "basic
safety training" are evaluated
using uniform minimwn guide­
lines.

"Some of these standards will
be established quickly, while oth­
ers will take longer," noted Bill
Eglinton, MERPAC chairman and
director of vocational education at
the Paul Hall Center's Lundeberg
School, located in Piney Point,
Md. "In any case, the United
States will set the standard inter­
nationally for mariner training. By
February 1, 2002 (the final imple­
mentation date for the STCW
amendments), only the best train­
ing schools will remain."

Also at the meeting, Coast
Guard officials reported that a
lack of funding has slowed the
planned restructuring of its
regional examination centers
(RECs ). The agency still intends
to proceed with privatizing cer­
tain aspects of licensing and doc­
wnentation; but the RECs likely
will remain in their current state
for at least two more years.

As its name indicates, MER­
PAC provides advice to the Coast
Guard concerning merchant
marine personnel matters such as
training standards, certification
and fitness. The volunteer group
includes representatives from
throughout the industry-labor,
management and government.
AB Sinclair Oubre is a member.

In addition to the committee

May 1999

members, more than 100 volun­
teers answered a recent Coast
Guard call for input on developing
the national performance measures
for evaluating mariner compe­
tence. (The request was published
in the Federal Register on
Februacy 12.) Together, they are
working toward an early Year 2000
deadline for submitting a written
response to the agency's concur­
rent request for performance­
measure suggestions. (They plan
to have a draft by July 1.)

"It boils down to making sure
that the standards established in
the STCW amendments (as enact­
ed by signatory nations) are real­
istic and fair," stated Oubre, who
heads a MERPAC working group
focused on ratings forming part of
a navigational watch. "As U.S.
merchant mariners constantly are
being pounded about being inter­
nationally competitive, what will
keep us that way is our quality of
training and professionalism. No
amount of money can replace a
rating who is qualified and well­
trained.

"However, it will be up to the
regulatory agencies like the Coast
Guard to make sure that unquali­
fied employees are barred from
foreign-flag ships."

STCW is the abbreviation for
International Convention on
Standards of Training, Certifi­
cation and Watchkeeping for
mariners. The original STCW
convention took place in 1978,
with the U.S. signing on in 1991.

The convention was amended
in 1995, as 132 countries (includ­
ing the U.S.) signed on. Some of
those amendments took effect in
1997, with others still awaiting
implementation.

The basic aim of STCW is set­
ting minimum international quali­
fications for masters, officers and
watchkeeping personnel on deep
sea merchant ships. STCW does

not apply to mariners on inland
merchant vessels, but does apply
to mariners on domestic voyages
if the vessel operates beyond the
boundary line.

As noted in the Federal
Register, the 1995 STCW amend-

ments require that candidates for
certification must establish their
competence in a wide range of
subjects, depending on the func­
tions they perform and their ship­
board responsibilities. The
amendments include standards of

competence in the form of tables
that identify areas of knowledge,
understanding and proficiency,
which must be demonstrated, and
describe general criteria for
assessing whether an individual
meets the standards.

DOT Nears Full Y2K Compliance
A top official at the U.S. Department of

Transportation (OOn told Congress last month that
the department is nearing full "year 2000" compli­
ance for its hundreds of "mission-critical systems,"
including those operated by the U.S. Maritime
Administration.

DOT Deputy Secretary Mort Downey, a strong
advocate of the U.S. merchant marine, informed a
special Senate committee on Y2K that approximate­
ly 90 percent of the vital systems within the depart­
ment's various administrations have been updated
for Y2K.

He also stated that DOT officials are working
with international organizations and foreign govern­
ments to help bring about Y2K readiness in the mar­
itime and aviation industries.

Sometimes referred to as the millennium bug,
Y2K has become common parlance for describing
potential technological problems associated with the
turn of the century. The dilemma involves computer
equipment-found in everything from ships and air­
planes to VCRs and coffee makers-that may mis­
read 2000 as 1900 due to programming that only
accounts for a single century.

It is a multi-billion dollar, worldwide issue made
more complex by inevitable interfaces between
compliant and non-compliant systems.

Despite the daunting task, Downey told the
Senate committee that he is "fully confident that all
of DOT's vital computer systems will effectively
make the transition on January 1, 2000 .... Every
mission-critical system at DOT will be repaired,
replaced or retired by the 2000 deadline. Period."

He reported that nwnerous DOT administrations
already have achieved full Y2K compliance for their
respective vital systems, among them the Maritime
Administration, the St. Lawrence Seaway Develop­
ment Corporation, the Surface Transportation Board
and others.

"The only systems projected to be completed
after June are six systems which belong to the U.S.
Coast Guard," Downey added on April 14. "The
Coast Guard has completed work on 84 percent ( 62
of 74) of its mission-critical systems. Due to com-

plicated logistics and weather conditions in Alaska,
the Coast Guard has scheduled completion of its
final system, the Valdez Vessel Traffic System, in
October 1999 although it now appears that the exist­
ing Valdez system will be remedied much sooner.
The Coast Guard will do all it can to improve on this
schedule, and the commandant has assured me that
the Coast Guard will accomplish its Y2K mission
well before the end of the year."

The deputy secretary also acknowledged that the
shipping and aviation fields face particularly diffi­
cult predicaments because of their international
characteristics.

"There is a larger potential for international fail­
ures, adversely affecting our own domestic and
cross-border operations," he explained. "We contin­
ue to meet with foreign representatives in order to
cooperate on Y2K issues. Secretary (Rodney) Slater
raised the Y2K readiness issue with his European
counterparts during meetings in Germany, Belgiwn
and England during the last week of March and ear­
lier in the year with Western Hemisphere and
African transportation ministers. Last week, we met
with representatives of the Japanese Ministry of
Transport, who reported on good progress being
made in their country."

Meanwhile, as reported in the March issue of the
Seafarers LOG, management information systems
personnel at SIU headquarters have made substan­
tial progress in ensuring that the union's communi­
cations and record-keeping mechanisms are Y2K
compliant.

The medical claims system became compliant
late last year, as did the phone systems at headquar­
ters, at all SIU halls and at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education, located in Piney
Point, Md.

The clinic system (used to track physical exami­
nations and drug-test data for the membership) was
Y2K compliant when it was completed in 1992.

Additionally, the Seafarers Welfare Plan,
Seafarers Pension Plan and union plans and
accounting departments are using Y2K compliant
software.

Seafarers LOG 5



Upgrader Praises Academic Department,
Encourages Seat arers to Pursue Education

Editor ~ note: Recertified
Steward Georg Kenny is working
toward his associate s degree
through the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Edu­
cation. As part of those studies,
he recently completed a political
science class at the school in
Piney Point, Md He met the gov­
ernor of his home state, West
Virginia s Cecil Underwood, dur­
ing that class and subsequently
submitted the following article to
the Seafarers LOG.

Prior to taking the Paul Hall
Center's political science course,
I had little interest in politics. I
hadn't bothered reading the

Constitution of our great nation.
The Bill of Rights, which guaran­
tees basic freedoms, was un­
known tome.

I also was generally distrustful
of politicians.

My outlook has changed for
the better, after working with the
academic department at the cen­
ter's Harry Lundeberg School of
Seamanship.

Today, I have a better under­
standing of how government
works. I've seen it in action by
attending seminars in Washing­
ton, D.C. on matters of national
interest (specifically, Y2K).

A visit with Governor Cecil
Underwood of my home state of

Culinary Instructor Batten
Wins Prestigious Award
Chef Commends Seafarers for Progress

Jack Batten, a culinary instruc­
tor at the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Educa­
tion, recently received the "Chef
of the Year" award from the
Nation's Capital Chef's Asso­
ciation.

The award is considered the
most prestigious one issued by
the volunteer association, a phil­
anthropic group which includes
about 500 members-among
them chefs, culinary educators,
students, distributors and suppli­
ers.

"My wife owns half of this
award," Batten stated. "She does
so much work in the charitable
events and other activities of the
association." Included among
those events is an annual culinary
arts salon in Washington, D.C.
conducted by Batten and his wife,
Janet, in conjunction with another
industry affair. Instructor Jack Batten credits

steward department Seafarers
with enthusiastically pursuing
their upgrading courses.

West Virginia allowed me to tell
him about the Seafarers Inter­
national Union. I explained to the
governor about the continuous
educational opportunities and
employment and the major med­
ical and pension benefits that the
SIU can offer to residents of that
state.

My studies also included
meeting Dr. Sam Tully, West
Virginia's chief technological
officer, and field trips to county
commissioner meetings in
Leonardtown, Md. that raised my
awareness of local issues. I also
commend my instructor, Peggy
Densford, for helping me under­
stand the complexity of govern­
ment and respect the efforts of its
participants.

In addition to the political sci­
ence course, I recently studied
English literature with Joan Miles.
She, too, is a gifted instructor.

Recertified Steward Georg Kenny (left) presents an SIU jacket to West
Virginia Governor Cecil Underwood on March 25. Brother Kenny
recently completed the political science course at the Paul Hall Center.

I was a high school dropout.
Today, I aspire to obtain a college
degree. I am very, very grateful to
the Seafarers International Union
for initiating and maintaining our
school. But, most of all, for
encouraging Seafarers to further
their education by participating in
the various academic programs
available at Piney Point.

Over the years, I have heard

many seamen express regret for
not pursuing their education. They
would say there wasn't enough
time or that they were too old.

These are erroneous thoughts.
The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship and its
academic department always
have the time for you. As the say­
ing goes, "It's never too late to
learn."

Training Vessel Osprey Upgraded

The MV Osprey, a training boat berthed at the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md., recently underwent
refurbishment designed to enhance the school's unlicensed apprentice curriculum as well as certain
upgrading courses that comply with the STCW convention. Formerly a U.S. Navy patrol boat, the
Osprey earlier this year passed its Coast Guard inspection, thereby opening the door for students
(including those pictured above) to conduct on-board training exercises with the boat underway. The
Osprey's features include Furuno and Ratheon radars, plus a global positioning system. Its training
uses include firefighting, steering, line-handling, navigation, rudder and steering commands and more.

When contacted by the
Seafarers LOG for a story about
the trophy, Batten steered the
conversation to his work with
SIU members upgrading at the
Paul Hall Center's Harry Lunde­
berg School of Seamanship,
located in Piney Point, Md.

"Teaching is what I enjoy most
about the food business," noted
Batten, an American Culinary
Federation certified executive
chef and chef instructor at two
Maryland community colleges.
"In the SIU, it's neat that the
mariners want to keep themselves
upgraded and taught."

Lakes Seafarers Complete
On-Site Diesel Engine Course

Batten believes that, as public
awareness of various aspects of
nutrition have increased-involv­
ing everything from food content
to calorie counts, and food prepa­
ration to sanitation-and culinary
equipment has improved, so too
have Seafarers in the steward
department become more profi­
cient at their work.

"We have students today who
are doing things that, 20 years
ago, only executive chefs did,'' he
explained. "Nutrition and health
is a big issue now, whereas you
never heard about it 10 or 15
years ago. Today, people want to
eat well."

Batten added that the field
constantly offers new lessons and
challenges. "I've been doing this
for 30 years, and I still learn
something every day."

6 Seafarers LOG

Seven Seafarers sailing in the
Great Lakes division recently
completed an on-site diesel
engine technology class conduct­
ed by the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Edu­
cation.

The four-day course took place
in Cleveland aboard the Great
Lakes Towing Co. boat Ohio. SIU
members who successfully fin­
ished the class were Lonnee
Aakeberg, Cary Gimpel and his
father, Don Gimpel, Grant Hult,
Dave Plunkett, Gary Rutenbar
and Tim Zbin.

Instructors Ron Oyer and Bill

Saul utilized the Ohio ~ engines
for hands-on training. Classroom
instruction also was included in
the class, which took place March
9-12.

Among the topics were diesel
engine theory; two- and four­
stroke cycle operating principles;
and the construction, operation,
maintenance, repair and trou­
bleshooting of diesel engines.

"The school was glad to
accommodate Great Lakes
Towing's request for this class,''
noted Saul. "All of the partici­
pants were great students and
actively took part in the course."

Students including Lonnee Aakeberg (above, left) and Don Gimpel ben­
efited from using Great Lakes Towing machinery (pictured at left) dur­
ing the practical training segments. The four-day diesel engine course
took place aboard the tugboat Ohio (bottom photo).

May1999



Watchman Leonard Thomas
American Mariner

Wiper Hamid Hizam
American Republic

AB Gerald Bollinger
St.John

Watchman Joseph Hance
American Mariner

May 1999

Deckhand Jason Stone (left) and AB John Spezia
Tugboat Montana

QMED Kassem Abdulla
American Mariner

Deckhand Robert Jewell
American Mariner

AB Robert Petko
St.John

ASC

Second Cook Raymond Maynard
Sam Laud

Watchman David Gapske
Sam Laud

QMED Tom Tucker
American Mariner

Porter Mohamed Yahya
Sam laud

Wiper Matt Posten
American Mariner

Porter Y. Kaid
American Republic

Seafarers LOG 7



Sea-I.and Consumer Galley
Just Like Mom's Kitchen

One of the most difficult aspects of being a merchant mariner
during a holiday is spending it away from the family.

But on the Sea-Land Consumer, as on many SIU-crewed ves­
sels, fellow crew members are the family, and the ship's galley
talces the place of mom's kitchen-from which come many of the
traditional holiday favorites.

After a selection of appetizers, Christmas dinner aboard the
Sea-Land Service vessel started with homemade split pea soup
and went on to roast tom turkey with cornbread dressing and
giblet gravy, roast prime rib of beef au jus, and baked glazed
Virginia ham. Vegetables included mashed potatoes, acorn squash,
peas and carrots and cranberry sauce.

The desserts, too many to list, included Boston cream pie,
balced Alaska, apple pie and creme caramel.

In the March issue, the Seafare rs WG ran a feature on the
Sea-Land Consumer and some of the notable meals served aboard
that containership. Since then, additional photos have been
received, which are printed on this page.

Chief Cook William
"Bill" Pitt and

Assistant Cook
Rachel Cutler­

Washington work
very hard to make

each holiday a
memorable one.

ABs Phil. Harmon (left) and Steve Ledermann enjoy a festive meal together.

ABs Bennie Spencer (left) and Larry Bradley (right) are appre­
ciative of all the work Assistant Cook Rachel Cutler-Washington
has done to make the holidays special.

B Seafarers LOG

The little touches-a decorated Christmas tree and a table-top dancing Santa-help crew mem­
bers aboard the Sea-Land Consumer get into the spirit of the season.

Even the control room, where DEU John Cooper is working, has its own decorations.

Enjoying the holiday fare is one aspect to spending Christmas at
sea, but there's never a lack of work to be done. ABs Larry Bradley
(left) and Phil Harmon get out the paint brushes to spruce up the
containership before its arrival in Houston.

May 1999



DEU Pedro Ramos, SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez,
Retiree Mario Zelaya

DEU Florencio Bermudez, AB Gregory Hickman, AB Bernard Blunt,
SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez

QMED Rogers Bankston,
SIU VP Gulf Coast Dean

Corgey

Captain Thomas White and
wife, Stacey

SIU Exec. VP John Fay,
Retiree Charlie Corrente

•• , 1999

AB Lee Selico, his wife, Edwina, and SIU
President Michael Sacco

AB Joe Labeau, DEU
Charles Gray

\
Chief Steward Joe Birke and wife, Delores SIU Pres. Michael Sacco, Retiree Ray Cuccia

Sights from Grand Opening of New Orleans Hall

ELCOME TO OUR NEW HOME

The photos on this page provide a sampling of the grand opening last month of the SIU's new union hall
in Harvey, La. More photos from the event will be published in the next issue of the Seafarers LOG.
Identifications are listed from left to right unless otherwise noted. Very special thanks to Barbara
Brouillette-Perez and Jessica Smith for providing the photos.

I
Retiree Duke Duet and his wife, Maggie, AB Dave

Messik, Retiree Beau James
SIU Sec.-Treasurer David Heindel, Retiree

Charlie Corrente, Steward department
member Dustin Heindel.

SIU Pres. Michael Sacco, Retiree
Louie Babin

AB Dave Collins, Retired SIU Port Agent
Joe Perez, AB Charlie Touzet

SIU Rep. Chris Westbrook, guest Kim Gray, SIU Rep. James
Brown, secretary Narcille Barbe, SIU VP Gulf Coast Dean

Corgey, New Orleans Port Agent Steve Judd and wife, Nancy,
secretary Barabara Vicknair

AB Vic DiGiorgio, SIU VP Gulf Coast Dean Corgey, Deckhand Herbert Hebert,
Captain Tim Gegenheimer, Deckhand Alfred DiGregoria, Engineer Willie Judd

SealarelS LOG 9

-



Monthly Hawaiian Luaus
Fann Solid Base for
S-L Enterprise Pride

Beneath a banner reading, "Thanks, Omar,
we'll miss you," Chief Cook Mohamed Omar
(above) shows off his good-bye cake while
SA Romeo Mansala (right) attends to the grill.

A "happy steward department means a happy ship,"
according to Franchesca Rose, recertified steward
aboard the Sea-Land Enterprise. And much of that sense
of well-being can be derived from pride in one's job and
the great training offered to SIU members at the
Lundeberg School in Piney Point, Md., she said.

The photographs on this page, sent to the Seafarers
WG by Rose, were taken during a shipboard barbecue
to say "Aloha and Mahala" to Chief Cook Mohamed
Omar, who had finished his rotation aboard the Sea­
Land Service vessel.

.~

The unlicensed crew and officers alike sing the praises of their chief cook. From the left are Chief Engineer
Dave McNeil, Chief Cook Mohamed Omar and Captain Tom McKay Jr.

Recertified Steward Franchesa Rose (right) meets her mother,
Judith Hopfe, at the Honolulu airport. Mrs. Hopfe supplies leis
and flowers from the family farm for the shipboard barbecues
aboard the Sea-Land Enterprise.

"We just want to let you all know that if you ever get
Brother Omar on your ship, consider yourselves
blessed. For he is a man filled with lots of knowledge,
talent, creativity, devotion to his job-and his fine
gourmet cooking," wrote Rose on behalf of the ship's
crew and officers.

"We also want to thank our steward utility, Romeo
Mansala, for all his hard work. He does a wonderful
job," continued Rose, "and the crew appreciates his fine
efforts."

The three-person steward department aboard the Sea­
Land Enterprise plans a barbecue every trip, if not for a
special event like the good-bye to Omar, then just to
keep morale high. Rose said she makes many of the
Hawaiian-style dishes one would find at a typical
luau-kalua pig, laulau, lomi salmon, sashimi, poke,
opihi, poi and coconut pudding. "Some will try the
food, some won't dare," noted the steward, "but we have
a great selection for everyone."

Since the vessel stops in Honolulu, the flowers and
garlands for the luaus come from Rose's family's farm.
Her mother and father pick the blossoms, make the leis
and ensure the items arrive aboard ship before it
departs-and she extended much appreciation to them
as well.

Luau delicacies (left) and desserts (above) are both
beautifully prepared and arranged by the galley gang,
using many of the skills acquired at steward depart­
ment upgrading courses at the Lundeberg School in
Piney Point, Md. The departing Omar (left) is given a rousing "Aloha and Mahalo" by

AB Abdulhamid F. Musaed.

10 Seataren LOG May1999



I
Students Rally Against Sweatshop Labor

Reminiscent of the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations of the 1960s
and the anti-apartheid movement in the early '80s, college and univer­
sity students are again showing their force-this time by protesting the
use of sweatshops in the making of sweatshirts, caps, coffee mugs and
other gear bearing their school logos.

Student groups at more than 20 institutions, including Duke, New
Hampshire, Georgetown, Princeton, Wisconsin and Michigan, are
staging sit-ins, rallies and other forms of protest to call on their admin­
istrations to adopt a policy to ensure that licensed apparel is produced
in factories that pay workers a living wage and do not exploit children.

The protests are directed at university-contracted apparel compa­
nies, asking that they disclose the names and addresses of the factories
with whom they do business. In the past couple years, students on a
number of campuses began pressuring their administrations to adopt a
code intended to guarantee that items bearing their school logos would
not be made in sweatshops. The code they are advocating would
require disclosure of factory locations and allow inspections of the
sites. It also would include provisions against forced labor, child labor
and unsafe working conditions.

Most apparel companies assert that sweatshop labor is not used in
the production of the items found in college bookstores. But many
companies do not disclose the locations of their factories, and their
claims cannot be verified independently, the activists say.

"It's important for us to know where the factories are because then
people will be able to monitor them to make sure they're not sweat­
shops," said one Duke senior.

Some colleges and universities have responded to the student pres­
sure by agreeing to require monitors and adopt measures intended to
remedy sweatshop conditions. Seventeen of the institutions, including
Harvard, Yale and Duke, last month announced they would join a new
factory-monitoring group, the Fair Labor Association, which has
established a code of conduct for apparel producers in addition to pro­
viding measures for monitoring plants for violations. Duke University
adopted the nation's strictest code which, in addition to disclosure of
factories' nanies and addresses, also includes requirements for a living
wage.

Port of NY/NJ to Remain Competitive
A long-awaited dredging contract was awarded by the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers last month to deepen the channel into the port of
New York/New Jersey.

The $23.6 million deal-the first of eight construction contracts in
a $750 million roject-was awarded to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock
Co. to unclog the Kill van Kull channel, which is only 40 feet deep,
between the major container terminals on Newark Bay and the Atlantic
Ocean.

Because the large, newer containerships need at least 45 feet to
safely navigate harbors on the East Coast, it was feared that Baltimore,
with its 50-foot channel would cause the New York/New Jersey port to
lose up to 60 percent of its container cargo if the Kill van Kull chan­
nel were not dredged. The port is now attempting to convince Maersk
Line and Sea-Land Service, Inc., two of its largest carriers, not to flee
to Baltimore to build a new terminal.

"This deepening project ensures that our port will remain competi­
tive and meet the needs of our customers well into the next century,"
stated Lillian Borrone, port commerce director at the East Coast's
largest containerport.

The actual work to dredge the channel-to be started following the
submission of a safety plan-involves the digging and ocean disposal
of nearly 500,000 cubic yards of material by September 6, 2000.

Former SIU Official
Jack Bluitt Dead at 72

John "Jack" Joseph Bluitt
died at his home in New Port
Richey, Fla., Wednesday, March
17. He was 72.

Born in New York in 1926,
Bluitt was only in his teens
when he joined the SIU in 1943.
He started helping out behind
the service counter in the New
York hall, and began sailing in
the deck department as an OS,
working his way up to bosun.

The 42-year SIU veteran
came ashore as a union official
in 1958 and was sent by SIU
President Paul Hall to the Great
Lakes region in 1961 as a
patrolman in Detroit to work
with Fred Famen, the headquar­
ters representative there. (The
port later moved to Algonac,
Mich., where Bluitt was port
agent and headquarters repre­
sentative from 1975 until his
retirement in 1985.)

During the Vietnam War,
Jack (as the New York dispatch­
er) would spend many a day
from 6:00 a.m. until midnight
making sure SIU-contracted

ships destined for Vietnam were
properly crewed, according to
Red Campbell, retired contracts
vice president.

Vice President Great Lakes
Byron Kelley, who succeeded
Bluitt in Algonac, liked him
very much. "It can truly be
said," Kelley stated, "that Jack
was the kind of guy who devot­
ed his entire life to the welfare
of the SIU members."

Known for his ability to
communicate with members,
Bluitt was just as comfortable
before government panels as in
1977 when he testified before a
congressional committee on the
state of Great Lakes shipping
and what should be done to
improve the working conditions
of boatmen in that area.

SIU pensioner Peter Drews,
who knew Bluitt for 42 years,
both in New York and Algonac,
counted him among his best
friends. Drews retired from the
SIU in 1986 and gave up dri­
ving in 1988. He said that for 11
years, like clockwork each

Brother Donnelly Gets Final Wish

On December 20, 1998 at 12:45 p.m., the ashes of Brother
Harry B. Donnelly were scattered from the fantail of the
Green Island by the ship's master, Jay W.B. Frank, and
Bosun Calvin Miles (in photo at right) outside the Strait of
Gibraltar. In attendance were many of the Waterman ship's
crew (above), representing all departments in both the
licensed and unlicensed ratings. Bosun Miles asked for a
minute of silence, and the flag was lowered to half staff.
Master Frank noted that the ashes -Were respectfully con­
signed to the brine that is common to all of us who ply the
seas. He is, therefore, still among us and now has eternal
peace in perpetual communications with his brothers of the
sea:

Jack Bluitt

Wednesday, Bluitt would drive
the 20 miles from his home in
New Port Richey to Dunedin
(near Clearwater) to pick him
up, and the two would go fish­
ing or to antique shows or the
racetrack.

For almost two years, the
two of them also visited another
retired SIU member, J.R.
O'Brien, in a nursing home,
and "Jack would give him a lot
of attention," Drews remi­
nisced.

Jack Bluitt was buried in
West Hampton, L.I., next to his
wife, Julia, and son Brian. He is
survived by eight children and
five grandchildren.

•

American llictory Will Be Museum 'Living Wage' in New Jersey

Editor :SO note: Retired Re­
certified Bosun Andrew Boney
recently contacted the Seafarers
LOG with information for this
story.

Retired mariners in Tampa,
Fla. and Hampton, Va. are team­
ing up to restore the mothballed
American Victory and convert it

into a museum.
Built in 1945, the American

Victory has been part of the U.S.
Reserve Fleet on Vrrginia's James
River following the Vietnam War.
Formerly crewed by SIU mem­
bers, the vessel was one of more
than 500 Victory · ships that
debuted near the end of World War

The American V1etory, once crewed by SIU members, is being con­
verted into a museum that will be berthed in Tampa, Fla.

•ay1999

II. During Vietnam, it was operat­
ed by Hudson Waterways Corp.

Now, a non-profit group in
Tampa endeavors to tum it into a
museum that will be berthed next
to the Florida Aquarium. The
organization, known as The
Victory Ship, Inc., took posses­
sion of the ship via an act of
Congress. They since have begun
an ambitious fund-raising cam­
paign for the transportation and
conversion of the ship.

According to press reports,
plans call for the American
Victory to feature interactive dis­
plays recreating aircraft attacks
and counter-measures, among
other scenarios.

A spokesman for the organiza­
tion told The Virginian-Pilot
newspaper, "I hope visitors will
walk away and say, 'You know, I
never knew that people of such
great valor served our country."'

For additional information,
contact The Victory Ship, Inc. at
(813) 228-8766.

Earlier this year, the Hudson County (N.J.) Board of Freeholders
adopted an SIU-backed •nving wage" ordinance that will boost pay
and benefits for hundreds of workers in the county. The ordinance
mandates that in new contracts (as well as renewals of current
agreements), workers at private firl1\S staffing county buildings will
receive at least 150 percent of the federal minimum wage. It further
requires such companies to provide health and vacation benefits.
The ordinance primarily impacts security guards and janitors.
Pictured above (from left), commemorating this action, are SIU
Representative Ed Pulver, who serves as president of the Hudson
County Central Labor Council; Pete Busacca, secretary-treasurer
of the council; and Bill O'Dea, a government official who proposed
the ordinance.

Seafarers LOii 11



McALLISTER

Jacob Bryan, port engineer at McAllister, sailed with
the SIU from 1959 to 1984.

Deep Sea,
Inland
Seafarers
Are Active in
'Charm City'

Throughout the port of Baltimore,

SIU members are a visible part of

the work force.

During a typical day last month, a
reporter from the Seafarers LOG

found Seafarers manning tugboats

and military-contracted ships as well
as assisting in the refurbishment of a

newly contracted surveillance vessel.

SIU-contracted inland companies

Moran and McAllister have offices
in 'Charm City,' as does

Transoceanic Cable Ship Co., a Tyco

subsidiary that operates Seafarers­

crewed vessels including the Global

Link, Global Mariner, Global
Sentinel, Charles Brown and Long
Lines. Other Seafarers-crewed deep

sea ships also are among the vessels

that load and off-load in Baltimore.
The port itself is enjoying an

upswing in general cargo, including

strong showings this year in roll­

on/roll-off cargoes, containers,
breakbulk and forest products.

The photos on these two pages

were shot April 13.

For Chief Engineer Terry Faulkner, pictured aboard Exhibiting teamwork on deck are DEU Rich Allen (left) and Bosun Tom Moore.
the Brian A. McAllister, the SIU is a family affair. His
son Keith sails as an AB with the union.

A Seafarer for 23 years, Buzz Fenn is a familiar face Checking a fuse box is QMED/ Chief Steward Harry Galdeira QMED Bill MacCulloch enjoys
at the McAllister dock in Baltimore. Electrician John Miller. readies another fine meal. a brief coffee break.

12 Seafarers LOG

AB Holly Schaper is part of
crew helping refurbish the
lance ship.

MORAN TUGS :

. .. /

May 1999



\ TOR

the SIU

CAPE WRATH

Cleaning carbon out of a turbo is DEU Dave
Page.

Troubleshooting a telephone surveil- Chief Engineer Chuck Holmes (left), an SIU hawsepiper, says QMED Rob
Scott and the other Seafarers aboard the vessel are doing a good job. QMED Teddy Wallace records an entry in the engine room. Electrician Lenny Bonarek.

Mar 1999

Aboard the Hawkins Point, Deckhand Dayvien
Johnson (left photo) and Engineer Gary Lavinder
head to an evening assignment.

Engineer Bill Epps (right) greets former Seafarer
Manuel San Pedro.

CAPE JOHNSON

Deckhand Wally Lin­
dley reports to the tug
Cape Romain.

Untying a line on the
Hawkins Point is Deck­
hand Calvin Johnson.

Primed for the next job is
Engineer Kenny Hudgins.

Pictured from left to right are QMED/Electrician Taylor Clear, GUDE Decarlo Harris and Bosun John Toomey.

CAPE WASHINGTON

Forming part of the ROS crew are (from left) Electrician Steven Kafka, GUDE Walter Lupo and
Bosun Rick James, joined by SIU Baltimore Port Agent Dennis Metz.

Seafarers LOG 13



- T ired of the hustle
and bustle of city
streets, jam-packed

shopping malls and stuffy
community parks? Dread
spending your summer vaca­
tion at a crowded beach
resort or camping ground?
Then this year tum your sights
to Piney Point, Md., home of
the Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and
Education.

Ideally situated on the
banks of the St. George's
Creek, all the ingredients for a
fun-filled vacation can be
found on the grounds or
within driving distance of the
center. Entertaining day trips
throughout historic southern
Maryland and the Washing­
ton, D.C. metropolitan area
can fill time between fishing
trips or tennis matches right
on the center's facilities.

The Paul Hall Center, which
houses the largest training
facility for deep sea mer­
chant seafarers and inland
waterways boatmen in the
United States, is composed
of a number of administrative
and educational buildings as
well as a library and maritime
museum and a six-story train­
ing and recreation center on
more than 60 acres of water­
front property. A number of
the rooms in the training and
recreation center are set
aside during the summer
months for vacationing SIU
members and their families.

The rooms are comfortable
and well equipped, and in
the lobby is the Sea Chest,
where personal items, maga-

zines, snacks and SIU sou­
venirs are sold. Your stay at
Piney Point, which can last up
to two weeks per family, also
includes three delicious
meals each day.

At the center are a picnic
area with grills and tables,
outdoor tennis and basketball
courts, an Olympic-size
swimming pool, a health spa
(including Nautilus, free
weights, universal gym, sauna
and steamroom) and plenty
of space for walks or jogs on
the beautifully landscaped
grounds.

This peaceful setting pro­
vides the opportunity for
both water and land-based
expeditions. The center has a
marina where vacationers
may take a boat out for the
day to sail around the region
or look for a good fishing
spot. With 400 miles of
waterline surrounding St.
Mary's County, waterborne
activities are abundant.

The school's marina also
serves as the home of the
Nianitou, the last pleasure
vessel owned by President
John F. Kennedy. The vessel

r--------------------------------------------------------------------------------,
SEAFARERS TRAINING & RECREATION CENTER

Vacation Reservation Information

Name: ----------------------------
Social Security number: _________ Book number: _______ _

Address: ___________________________ _

Telephone number: ------------------------
Number in party I ages of children, if applicable: _____________ _

Date of arrival: 1st choice: 2nd choice: __ _ 3rd choice: __ _

(Stay is limited to a maximum of two weeks)
Date of departure: ________ _

Send this completed application to the Seafarers Training & Recreation Center,
P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674. 5199

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------~
14 Seafarers LOG

was restored in 1990 by SIU
pensioners. Across the
grounds is the Paul Hall
Library and Maritime
Museum. The library contains
more than 17 ,000 volumes on
maritime and labor history,
while the museum features a
collection of ship models,
historical nautical instruments
and union memorabilia.

One does not have to ven­
ture too far outside the gates
of the Paul Hall Center to get
a sense of history. St. Mary's
County was the first propri­
etary colony in America, the
first colony to practice reli­
gious tolerance, the first
colony to have peaceful rela­
tions with the native Indians,
the first Maryland capital and
the first place a request for
the women's right to vote
was recorded.

History aside, there are
plenty of other attractions in
Southern Maryland­
seafood festivals, art exhibi­
tions, antique and craft
shows, country auctions,
concerts and theatre produc­
tions.

But if you crave more than
the easy southern Maryland
way of life, you could ven­
ture into the metropolitan
area of Washington, D.C,­
less than a two-hour drive
from the Paul Hall Center.

The Capitol, White House
and Supreme Court all offer
daily tours. A favorite for
many families is a tour of the
FBI headquarters as well as a

UNION MEMBER VACATION
RATES

A vacation stay at the Lundeberg
School is limited to two weeks per
family.

Member
Spouse
Child

$40.00/day
10.00/day
10.00/day

Note: There is no charge for chil­
dren 11 years of age or younger.
The prices listed above include all
meals.

visit to the U.S. treasury's
printing site, where one can
actually watch the nation's
paper currency being made.

The Smithsonian Institution
holds hundreds of exhibits
(all free) and provides hours
of fun for the entire family.
Among the Smithsonian
museums are those for natur­
al history, American history,
and the most popular-the
National Air and Space
Museum.

One of the best of its kind
is the Washington National
Zoo. Hundreds of rare ani­
mals live in their natural habi­
tats, including the rare panda
bear.

There are many more
sights to behold in the area.
The Jefferson, Washington
and Lincoln memorials each
has its unique surroundings
and places to rest and share
a picnic lunch. Paddle boats
also may be rented by the
hour-a fun way to get a
look at life in Washington.

Arlington and Alexandria,
Va. are also well worth a visit
(National Cemetery, the
Pentagon, Mt. Vernon). Or
you can catch an Orioles'
ball game at Camden Yards in
Baltimore.

It will take more than a
day-or even a weekend
~to see some of the more
famous landmarks and attrac­
tions in the area. But by using
the Paul Hall Center as an
affordable base from which
to plan your vacation days,
what you do and don't do is
entirely up to you.

To take advantage of this
unique benefit to SIU mem­
bers and their families, send
in your reservation form now.

go fishing. • •

May1999



Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea
MARCH 16 - APRIL 15, 1999

*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups

Class A Class B Class C

Port
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Mobile
New Orleans
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Wilmingt~n
Tacoma
Puerto Rico
Honolulu
Houston
St. Louis
Piney Point
Algonac
Totals

Port

23
10
6

18
15
16
35
18
30
27
11
7

33
1
4
0

254

New York 13
Philadelphia 4
Baltimore 6
Norfolk 7
Mobile 7
New Orleans 8
Jacksonville 21
San Francisco 8
Wilmington 12
Tacoma 13
Puerto Rico 6
Honolulu 4
Houston 14
St. Louis 3
Piney Point 7
Algonac 0
Totals 133

Port
New York 13
Philadelphia 2
Baltimore 0
Norfolk 6
Mobile 4
New Orleans 3
Jacksonville 24
San Francisco 26
Wilmington 21
Tacoma 19
Puerto Rico
Honolulu 8
Houston 7
St. Louis 1
Piney Point 3
Algonac 0
Totals 138

Port
New York 7
Philadelphia 0
Baltimore 0
Norfolk 0
Mobile 1
New Orleans 2
Jacksonville 7
San Francisco 9
Wilmington 6
Tacoma 8
Puerto Rico 6
Honolulu 4
Houston 2
St Louis 0
Piney Point 0
Algonac 0
Totals 52

Totals All
Departments 577

16
9
4
9
8

16
20
14
8
8
3
4

15
2
2
1

139

7
3
1
7
2
7

17
6
s

10
4
8
6
2
4
0

89

8
2
0

10
3

10
10
s
1
3
l
7
1
2
4
1

68

29
2
2

12
9

13
21
18
8

8
2

10
4
6

12
3
3

11
2
2

10
4
5
0

83

1
0
3
2
3
2
5
1
3

1
5
1
0

0
29

l
0
1
1
0
3
0

1
0
0
7
1
1
0
0

17

8
4
5
9
l
7

12
5
5

14 3
2 2

35 75
12 12
3 0

14 12
0 0

194 160

490 289

TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups

Class A Class B Class C

DECK DEPARTMENT

Trip
Reliefs

**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups

Oass A Class B Class C

-·-----~·

13 13 7
S 4 I
3 5 0

12
5

17
28
16
21
27
8
6

26
2
1
0

190

4
2
8

IO
6
7

II
2
6

12
2
5
1

98

12
3
2
4
4
6
4
7
2
8
2
2
0

64

ENGINE DEPARTMENT
10

1
s
6

13
4
9
7

12
12
2
8

20
0
2
0

111

7
3
3
6
2
3

12
6
9
6
1
4
4
1
0
0

67

2
l
2
3
3
2
s
2
2

1
3
2
0
3
0

32

11
0
1
3
0
3

II
7
8

11
4
3

12
0
l
0

7S

2
2

7
0
4
0
2
4
7
3
0
0
4
l
0
0

31

STEWARD DEPARTMENT
6 5 2 0
2 0 0 3
2 0 0 0
2
4
5

14
18
13
20

1
9

14
l
0
0

111

6
3
5
2
3
2
2
0
6
1
I
2
0

38

2
1
1
1
0
1
0
0

13
0
0
0
0

21

ENTRY DEPARTMENT

2
4
6
s
7
0
2
2
0
0
0

33

62
9
6

29
25
31
58
38
49
49
18
10
46

1
5
0

436

25
s
4

10
11
13
34
16
15
22
10
7

20
3
6
0

201

24
8
6

20
14
20
21
26
18
12
4
9

19
1
3
0

205

11
6
s

11
4
9

24
9

10
9
6

11
13
3
7
0

138

19 J3
3 2

2
14 14
9 3
6 14

37 13
40 10
31 6
33 3

2 3
18 10
15 2

l 1
7 6
0

236 103

------~-

4
0
0
3

0
2
3
6
3

20 6
l 2
2 4

II
5
3

13
9
6

7
0
3
6
0
5

11 11 3
2 0 4
4 22 60

6 3
0 0 0
0 8 9
0 0 0

39 117 112

451 320 229

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

139

9 60
0 4
0 2 ··--· - --------
1 19

15
8 15

12 27
10 28
10 17
10
8
7
4
0
0
0

80

953

21
4

44
20

5
16
0

297

743

12
4
2
7
4

11
17
2

11
8
0
4
7
3
5
0

97

4
0
2
2
1
5
2
2
4
3
1
6
3
0
1
0

36

0
0
1
3
0
3
s
1
s
0
0
8
2
1
0
0

29

29
7
2

15
2

11
17
s

11
3
6

96
22
0

14

241

403

*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.

May 1999

June & July 1999
lfemllersllip Meetings

Deep Sea, Lakes, Inland W~

Piney Point ............. Monday: June 7; Tuesday: July 6*
(•change creoled by Independence [)(ry holiday)

Algonac .................. Friday: June 11, July 9

Baltimore ............•... Thursday: June 10, July 8

Dulutb ..................... Wednesday: June 16, July 14

Honolulu •..•.......•..... Friday; June 18, July 16

Houston .................. Monday: June 14, July 12

Jacksonville ............ Thursday: June 10, July 8

Jersey City .............. Wednesday: June 23, July 21

Mobile •••••m•·•· ........ Wednesday: June 16, July 14

New Bedford .......... Tuesday~ June 22, July 20

New Orleans ........... Tuesday: June 15, July 13

New York ................ Tuesday: June 8, July 6

Norfolk ................... Thursday: June 10, July 8

Philadelphia ............ Wednesday: June 9, July 7

San Francisco ......... Thursday: June 17, July 15

San Juan .................. Thursday: June 10, July 8

St. Louis ................. Friday: June 18, July 16

Tacoma ................... Friday: June 25, July 23

Wilmington ............. Monday: June 21, July 19

Each port's meeting starts st 10:30 a.m.

Personals

EDDIE BURKE

It has been a long time since Alan and Jackie
Martyn have heard from you. Please write them at
P.O. Box 6507, Los Osos, CA 93412; or telephone
(805) 528-0229.

Keeping on Top of Deck Duties

Cesar
Gutierrez,
bosun aboard
the Liberty
Star, tackles a
wire-splicing
job while the
Liberty
Maritime vessel
is en route to
Haifa, Israel.

Cl L06-A-RHmlMS ...

--111111111
River of Love
by George Buisson

A woman is like a river,
shes soft but powerful at the same time.
Treat her right and she will keep you afloat at a
steady stream.
Such as a river, she has her ups and downs, but faith­
ful and reliable like the mighty Mississippi.
Like a river, she cannot be dammed or controlled,
she must be let free to flow at her own speed and
course.
But such as a river, she is the source of all life.

AB George Buisson wrote this poem in 1991 while work­
ing on the MN Advantage during the Persian Gulf war.

Seafarers LOG 15



-

Sealare1S lnfematlonal llnlon
Dlret:IOIY
Michael Sacco

President

John Fay
Executive Vice President

David Heindd
Se~retaly-Treasurer

Augustin Tellez
Vice President Contracts

Jack CafTey
Vice President Atlantic Coast

Byron Kelley
Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters

Dean Corgey
Vice President Gulf Coa.51

Nicholas J. Marrone
Vice President West Coast

Kennett Mangnm
Vice President Government Services .. ..

HEADQUARTERS
520 l Auth Way

Camp Springs, MD 20746
(30 I) 899--0615

ALGONAC
520 St. Clair River Dr.
Algonac, MI 4800 l

(810) 794-4988

ANCHORAGE
721 Sesame St, #tC

.Anchorage.AK 99503
(907) 561-4988

BALTIMORE
1216 E. Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21202

(410) 327-4900

DULUTH
705 Medical Arts Building

Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 722-4110

HONOLULU
606 Kalihi St

Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 845-5222

HOUSTON
1221 Pierce St.

Houston, TX 77002
(713) 659-5152

JACKSONVILLE
3315 Liberty St

Jacksonville, FL 32206
(904) 353-0987

JERSEY CITY
99 Montgomery St

Jersey City, NJ 07302
(20 l) 435-9424

MOBILE
1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy.

Mobile, AL 36605
(334) 478-0916

NEW BEDFORD
48 Union St.

New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-5404

NEW ORLEANS
3911 Lapalco Blvd.
Harvey, LA 70058

(504) 321'-7545

NEW YORK
635 Fourth Ave.

Brooklyn, NY I I 232
(718) 499-6600

NORFOLK
l JS Third St

Norfolk, VA 23510
(7 57) 622-1892

Pill.ADELPHIA
2604 s. 4 St.

Philadelphia, PA t 9148
(215) 336-3818

PINEY POINT
P.O. Box 15

Piney Point, MD 20674
(30 t) 994-0010

PORT EVERGLADES
1221 S. Andrews Ave.

Ft Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 522-7984

SAN FRANCISCO
350 Fremont St.

San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-5855

Government Services Division
(415) 861-3400

SANTURCE
1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Stop 16~

Santurce, PR 00907
(787) 721-4033

ST.LOUIS
4581 Gravois Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63116
(314) 752-6500

TACOMA
3411 South Union Ave.

Tacoma. WA 98409
(253) 272-7774

WILMINGTON
510 N. Broad Ave.

Wilmington, CA 90744
(310) 549-4000

16 Seafarers LOG

Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes
MARCH 16 - APRIL 15, 1999

CL - Company/Lakes L - Lakes NP - Non Priority

*TOTAL REGISTERED · TOTAL SHIPPED **REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups All Groups All Groups

Class CL Class L Class NP Class CL Class L Class NP Class CL Class L Class NP

DECK DEPARTMENT
0 23 9 0 7 0 0 16 9

ENGINE DEPARTMENT
0 13 2 0 5 I 0 8

Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac
Port
Algonac

STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0 10 3 0 3 I 0 7 2

ENTRY DEPARTMENT
0 19 28 0 4 2 0 15 26

Totals All Depts 0 65 42 0 19 4 0 46 38
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.

Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters
MARCH 16 - APRIL 15, 1999

*TOTAL REGISTERED
All Groups

Class A Class B Class C

Region
Atlantic Coast 0 0 0
Gulf Coast 2 2 7
Lakes, Inland Waters 45 0 0
West Coast 3 I 6
Totals so 3 13
Region
Atlantic Coast 0 0 0
Gulf Coast 0 0 0
Lakes, Inland Waters 19 0 0
West Coast 0 0 0
Totals 19 0 0
Region
Atlantic Coast 0 0 0
Gulf Coast 0 0 0
Lakes, Inland Waters 21 0 0
West Coast 0 0 0
Totals 21 0 0

TOTAL SHIPPED
All Groups

Class A Class B Class .C

DECK DEPARTMENT
0 0 0
0 1 3
6 0 0
7 0

13 1 4
ENGINE DEPARTMENT

0 0 0
0 0 0
2 0 0
0 0 0
2 0 0

**REGISTERED ON BEACH
All Groups

Class A Class B Class C

0
3

39
9

51

0
1

17
0

18

0
2
0
I
3

0
0
0
0
0

0
20
0

16
36

0
1
0
0
1

STEWARD DEPARTMENT
0 0 0
0 0 . 0
4 0 0
0 0 2
4 0 2

0
0

17
0

17

0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
3
3

Totals All Depts 90 3 13 19 1 6 86 3 40
*"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.
**"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.

PI C-FROM-THE-PAST
This photo was sent to the Seafarers LOG by

Third Mate/AB Keith W. Finnerty of Baltimore, who
has been an SIU member since 1984.

The picture is of his father, Bosun Thomas C.
Finnerty (left) and a shipmate (whose name he
can't remember except that he was from Boston). It
was taken while ashore in LeHavre, France shortly
after World War 11.

The elder Finnerty was an SIU member from 1943
until 1958. He recently became eligible for an
Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Coast Guard for
service in the U.S. Merchant Marine during WWI I. He
also received medals for all three war zones
(Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean) as well as the
Combat Ribbon for action under fire.

Additionally, the Russian government sent him a
medal for his participation in the dangerous runs to
Murmansk during the war.

Now 76 years old, Thomas Finnerty still reads
every issue of the Seafarers LOG.

If anyone has a vintage union-related photograph
he or she would like to share with the LOG reader­
ship, it should be sent to the Seafarers LOG, 5201
Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Photographs
will be returned, if so requested.

May1999



J
oining the growing number of
SIU pensioners this month are
a total of 21 members who

have retired after many voyages
on the world's oceans, waterways
and lakes.

Eleven of those signing off
their ships for the last time sailed
in the deck department, seven
shipped in the engine department
and three were members of the
steward department.

Among those joining the ranks
of the retirees, eight served in the
U.S. military-three each in the
Army and Navy, and one each in
the Air Force and Marine Corps.

This month's pensioners are
scattered across the country:
seven from the Midwest, five in
the Gulf states, four on the West
Coast, three in Puerto Rico and
two on the East Coast.

On this page, the Seafarers
LOG presents brief biographical
accounts of this month's pension­
ers.

DEEP SEA
ALOA
AGOSTINO,
71, started her
career with the
Marine Cooks
& Stewards
(MC&S) in
1961 in the
port of Los

Angeles, before that union
merged with the SIU's Atlantic,
Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters
District (AGLIWD). Sister
Agostino last sailed aboard the
USNS Soderman as a member of
the steward department. Born in
Wisconsin, she has retired to
Corono Del Mar, Calif.

MIGUELA.
ALICEA,47,
began sailing
with the
Seafarers in
1975 from the
port of New
York aboard
the Azalea
City. A native of Puerto Rico, he
sailed in the engine department
and upgraded his skills at the
Lundeberg School in Piney Point,
Md. From 1968 to 1971, he
served in the U.S. Army. He
makes his home in Caguas, P.R.

CLARENCE
E.ANDER­
SON, 55,
graduated
from the
Andrew
Furuseth
Training

School in 1963 and joined the
SIU in the port of Baltimore. His
first ship was the John C., operat­
ed by Atlantic Carriers. A native
of Kentucky, he sailed in the
engine department. Brother
Anderson last sailed aboard the
Sea-Land Newark and makes his
home in Adrian, W. Va. From
1965 to 1967, he served in the
U.S. Army.

KASSIM A. HARHARA, 52,
began sailing with the Seafarers
in 1970 from the port of San
Francisco aboard the Overseas
Dinny. During his career, he

May 1999

worked in all
three depart­
ments, last
sailing in the
steward
department
aboard the
Sea-Land
Independence.
Born in Yemen, he has retired to
Seattle.

TOMASA.
PEARCE,65,
first sailed
with the SIU
in 1966. Born
in Mexico, he
worked in the
de.ck depart­

...____......____..~~ ment. Brother
Pearce last sailed aboard the
Zapata Ranger. He makes his
home in Boulder City, Nev.

WILLIAMS.
TANN0,66,
started his
career with the
MC&Sin
1968, before
that union
merged with
the SIU's
AGLIWD, sailing aboard the
Monterey. The steward depart­
ment member upgraded his skills
at the MC&S training school in
Santa Rosa, Calif. Brother Tanno
last sailed in 1996 aboard the
Cape Isabel, an American
President Lines vessel. From
1955 to 1957, he served in the
U.S. Navy. Born in Hawaii, he
has retired to Los Angeles.

RUBEN A.
VELEZ SR.,
53, graduated
from the
Lundeberg
School's entry
level training
program in
1967 and

joined the Seafarers in the port of
New York. His first ship was Our
Lady of Peace. Starting out in the
de.ck department, he later trans­
ferred to the engine department
and upgraded frequently at the
Lundeberg School. Brother Velez
last sailed aboard the Sea-Land
Consumer. The Puerto Rico native
calls San Juan home.

FREDERICK
V. VOGLER,
55, started his
career with the
SIU in 1967 in
the port of San
Francisco sail­
ing aboard the
Longview
Victory. The California native
worked in the engine department
and frequently upgraded at the
Lundeberg School. He last sailed
aboard the Sea-Land Innovator.
From 1960 to 1964, he served in
the U.S. Navy. Brother Vogler has
retired to Chino, Calif.

GEORGE A. WILLIAMS, 53,
graduated from the Lundeberg
School's entry level training pro­
gram in 1967 and joined the
Seafarers in the port of New York.
Born in Puerto Rico, he sailed in
the engine department and

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.

upgraded his
skills at the
Lunde berg
School.
Brother
Williams last
sailed aboard
an NPR Inc.
vessel. He

makes his home in Carolina, P.R.

INLAND

THOMASM.
ASTON SR.,
61, first sailed
with the
Seafarers in
1962.The
Mississippi
native was a
member of the ~=-...;"-'-'-'
engine department. During his
career, he worked primarily for
Dravo Basic Materials. Boatman
Aston makes his home in Bourg,
La.

JOHND.
BROOKS,62,
began sailing
with the SIU
in 1975 from
the port of
Norfolk, Va.
Boatman
Brooks

worked in the deck department
and upgraded his skills at the
Lundeberg School. He last sailed
aboard a Crowley Towing &
Transportation vessel. From 1954
to 1958, he served in the U.S.
Navy. Born in Ohio, he has
retired to Dundas, Va.

STEWART
G.CORRY,
67, joined the
Seafarers in
1957 in the
port of
Houston. The
Texas native
worked in the
de.ck department, last sailing as a
captain aboard a G&H Towing
Co. vessel. Boatman Corry makes
his home in Houston.

ROBERTW.
DAWSEY, 66,
first sailed
with the SIU
in 1987.
Boatman
Dawsey
worked as a
captain, sail­

ing primarily aboard vessels oper­
ated by McAllister Towing. His
last boat was the Mark
McAllister. A native of
Mississippi, he resides in
Pearlington.

HENRY L. NEWKIRK, 64,
began his career with the
Seafarers in 1970 in the port of
Norfolk, Va. He started out in the
deck department and later trans­
ferred to the engine department.
Boatman Newkirk last sailed in
1982 aboard the Estelle Stone. A
native of North Carolina, he
resides in Wilmington.

WILLIAM H. RUSSELL, 62,
began sailing with the Seafarers
in 1954 from the port of New
Orleans. Boatman Russell worked

in the de.ck department, last sail­
ing as a mate aboard the
Resolute, operated by Dixie
Carriers. A native of Louisiana,
he makes his home in Metairie.
From 1959 to 1961, he served in
the U.S. Army.

BOBBYR.
SIMMONS,
55, first sailed
with the SIU
in 1967 in the
port of
Houston. Born
in Texas, he
started out in
the steward department and later
transferred to the deck depart­
ment. Boatman Simmons last
sailed aboard a Crowley Towing
& Transportation Co. vessel. He
has retired to Land O'Lakes, Fla.

GREAT LAKES
LEONARD
L.
BARNARD,
68, first sailed
with the Sea­
farers in 1965.
Brother Bar­
nard worked
in the engine

department, last sailing aboard
the Buffalo, operated by American
Steamship Co. The Michigan
native served in the U.S. Air
Force from 1950 to 1952. He has
retired to Benzonia, Mich.

EDWARDG.
FIKE, 62,
began his
career with the
SIU in 1952.
The Ohio
native started
out in the
engine depart­
ment and later transferred to the

de.ck department. He last sailed
aboard the Virginia, a Great Lakes
Towing Co. vessel. Brother Fike
resides in Parma, Ohio.

MELVINR.
-···-· KIRCHOFF,
.: .. ,.· 57, joined the
;\ Seafarers in
fa 1963 in the

·=:; port of Alpena,
.,.,. Mich. Brother

Kirchoff
worked in the

deck department, sailing primari­
ly aboard vessels operated by
Inland Lakes Management. He
last sailed aboard the Paul H.
Townsend. The Michigan native
makes his home in Posen.

JULIAN C.
MARTIN, 65,
began sailing
with the SIU
in 1959 from
the port of
Detroit. Born
in Pennsyl­
vania, he
sailed in the deck department as a
mate. Brother Martin last sailed in
1977 aboard the J.A. Kling, oper­
ated by American Steamship Co.
He has retired to Saginaw, Mich.

AHMED A.
SHOHATEE,
58, started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1970 in the
port of Detroit.
Born in
Yemen, he

began working in the engine
department and later transferred
to the de.ck department. Brother
Shohatee last sailed aboard the
Richard J. Reiss operated by Erie
Sand Steamship Co. He makes his
home in Detroit.

Thanks Given to Obregon Crew
The captain and crew of the PFC
Eugene A. Obregon recently
were sent letters of appreciation
from the U.S. Navy for the out­
standing support the maritime
prepositioning vessel provided
the Navy during exercise
Dynamic Mix '98. The galley
gang (right) is comprised of
(from left, standing) SA Jorge
Mora, Chief Steward Patrick
Helton, Chief Cook Rudolph ....... ~........_ ____ _:._ _ _..L... _ __.~

Xatruch, SA Edita Miguel, SA Arnulfo Lacayo, (kneeling) Asst. Cook/Utility
Mauricio Castro and SA Saleh Mohamed. (SA Mary Jones is not pictured.)

l•~rf6ii'S~r=l!!Bf7T!,~--I Members of the f! deck department
(left) during

-..--..-...4 Dynamic Mix '98
are (standing)
Bosun Henry
Bouganim, (from
left, kneeling) ABs
William Michael,
Gregory Hickman,
Henry Sondie,
Charles Frisella
and Arthur Reed.
In the engine de­
partment of the

•r::::;lli~~~~=• Waterman Steam­
ship Corp. vessel

~Ni~,~--JiiliiillR (bottom) are (from
left: QMEDs
Maximo Dising and
Robert Farmer,
DEU Jose
Bermudez, and
QMEDs Ronald
Lukacs and James
Brock.

Seafarers LOG 17

-

-



DEEP SEA

CAYETANO B. AGONY
Pensioner Cayetano B. Agony, 92,
passed away December 18, 1998. A
native of the Philippine Islands, he
started his career with the Marine
Cooks and Stewards (MC&S) in
1944 in the port of San Francisco,
before that union merged with the
SIU's Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and
Inland Waters District (AGLIWD).
Brother Agony's first ship was the
Cape Isabel, and prior to his retire­
ment in January 1971, he signed off
the Idaho. He was a resident of San
Jose, Calif.

JOHN L. ARVANITES
Pensioner John
L. Arvanites,
65, died
February 3.
Born in Greece,
he joined the
Seafarers in
1959 in the port
of New York.

======:::::..::i Brother
Arvanites sailed in the steward
department and upgraded his skills at
the Lundeberg School in Piney,
Point, Md. His first ship was the
Orion Comet and he last sailed
aboard the Overseas Philadelphia. A
resident of Houston, he began
receiving his pension in July 1998.

RAYMOND V. BAKER
Pensioner
RaymondV.
Baker, 68,
passed away
February 8. He
first sailed with
the SIU in 1948
aboard the
Powder River, a
Cities Service

tanker. Brother Baker worked in the
engine department, last sailing aboard
the Ogden Leader. From 1954 to
1956, he served in the U.S. Army.
Brother Baker was a resident of
Houston. He retired in August 1995.

ERVIN BRADLEY
·· Pensioner Ervin

Bradley, 78,
died February
7. Brother
Bradley started
his career with
the Seafarers in
1941 in the port
of Mobile, Ala.

'--~=:::====;___JBorninSouth

Carolina, he sailed as a member of
the steward department. He lived in
Mobile and began receiving his pen­
sion in May 1982.

DICK T. BRINKLEY
Dick T. Brinkley, 59, passed away in
February. Born in Texas, he began
sailing with the SIU in 1980 from
the port of Wilmington, Calif.
Brother Brinkley started out in the
inland division and later transferred
to deep sea vessels. He sailed in the
deck department and upgraded his
skills at the Lundeberg School. From
1957 to 1968, he served in the U.S.
Navy. Brother Brinkley was a resi­
dent of Los Angeles.

ROBERT A. BUTLER
Pensioner
Robert A.
Butler, 76, died
February 12. A
native of
Arkansas, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1947 in the port
of New Orleans.

Brother Butler sailed in the deck
department and began receiving his
pension in June 1977. He served in
the U.S. Navy from 1940 to 1946.
He was a resident of New Orleans.

18 Seafarers LOG

JAi SUNG CHAR
Pensioner Jai Sung Char, 80, passed
away January 22. Born in Hawaii, he
joined the MC&S in 1951 in the port
of Los Angeles, before that union
merged with the SIU's AGLIWD.
Prior to his retirement in February
1984, he sailed aboard the Maui,
operated by Matson Navigation.
Brother Char was a resident of
Honolulu.

JOHN N. CHIORRA
===== Pensioner John

N. Chiorra, 80,
died February
23. He started
his career with
the Seafarers in
1944 in the port
of New York.
Born in West
Virginia, he

sailed in the steward department.
Brother Chiarra was a veteran of
World War II, having served in the
U.S. Army from 1942 to 1943. A
resident of Allentown, Pa., he began
receiving his pension in March 1969.

THOMAS WOODROW
DICKENS

Pensioner
Thomas
Woodrow
Dickens, 82,

_ ·= ·,...••·• passed away
March 8.
Brother Dickens
began sailing
with the SIU in
1941 from the

port of New Orleans. The Mississippi
native sailed in the steward depart­
ment and retired in June 1978. He
was a resident of Hammond, La.

ROBERT W~ FERRANDIZ
r-::::::::.::::~:::-::7~:-=::--t Pensioner

Robert W.
Ferrandiz, 73,
died March 6.

\ . He joined the
·' Seafarers in

1947 in the port
of New York.
The Empire
State native

sailed in the steward department and
upgraded at the Lundeberg School,
where he graduated from the steward
recertification program in 1982. A
resident of Las Vegas, he started
receiving his pension in April 1987.

EDWARD F. GARRITY
Pensioner
Edward F.
Garrity, 76,
passed away
February 13. A
native of Penn­
sylvania, he
began sailing
with the SIU in
1953 from the

port of New York. He worked as a
member of the deck department.
During World War II, he served in
the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945.
Brother Garrity was a resident of
Philadelphia and retired in December
1987.

LEWIS J. "CURLY"
GOODWIN
-----=-------. Pensioner

Lewis J.
"Curly"
Goodwin, 83,
died May 27,
1998. Brother
Goodwin joined
the Seafarers in
1941 in the port

~====== of New York.
Born in Maine, he sailed in the deck
department and began receiving his
pension in May 1970. From 1934 to
1939, he served in the U.S. Navy. He
was a resident of Portland, Maine.

CLARENCE V. HENRY
Pensioner
Clarence V.
Henry, 71,
passed away
February 27. He
was a heavy­
weight boxing
contender prior
to joining the

~==~ MC&S in 1957,
before that union merged with the
SIU's AGLIWD. His first ship was
the Matsonia, operated by Matson
Navigation Co. During his seafaring
career, he was active in union organ­
izing drives. From 1945 to 1946, he
served in the U.S. military. Brother
Henry was a resident of Harbor City,
Calif. He retired in 1983.

GEORGE C. HOFFMAN
Pensioner
George C.
Hoffman, 81,
passed away
February 13. A
native of
Louisiana, he
started his
career with the

=== Seafarers in
1941 in the port of New Orleans. He
sailed in the deck department and
began receiving his pension in
September 1979. From 1938 to 1941,
Brother Hoffman served in the U.S.
Marine Corps. He was a resident of
New Orleans.

MARTIN M. ITURRINO
======:="'1 Pensioner

Martin M.
lturrino, 87,
died February
16. Born in
Puerto Rico, he
joined the SIU
in 1946 in the
port of New

=.;.;,._,;,==York. Brother
Iturrino worked in the steward
department and retired in December
1976. During his career, he was
active in union organizing drives. He
was a resident of Alexandria, Va.

DOROTHY KEMISH
Pensioner Dorothy Kemish, 74,
passed away January 26. Sister
Kemish started her career with the
MC&S in 1957 in the port of San
Francisco, before that union merged
with the SIU's AGLIWD. Her first
ship was the Mariposa. Born in
England, she was a resident of Santa
Rosa, Calif. and began receiving her
pension in June 1978.

MELECIO T. LLACUNA
Pensioner Melecio T. Llacuna, 85,
died January l 0. He joined the
MC&S in 1943, before that union
merged with the SIU's AGLIWD.
Born in the Philippine Islands,
Brother Llacuna made his home in
San Francisco. He retired in 1978.

EDWARD J. LOFLIN
Pensioner
Edward J. Lof­
lin, 82, passed
away January
18. Brother
Loflin started
his career with
the Seafarers in
1947 in the port
of New York,

sailing aboard the Alcoa Corsair.
During his career, he sailed in both
the steward and engine departments.
The Mississippi native began receiv­
ing his pension in October 1981. He
was a resident of Sea Level, N.C.

JOSEPH E. LUJAN
Pensioner Joseph E. Lujan, 78, died"
March 17. Born in New Mexico, he
joined the SIU in 1951 in the port of
San Francisco. His first ship was the
Greeley Victory. Brother Lujan sailed

in the deck
department and
retired in April
1987. A veteran
of World War II,
he served in the
U.S. Army from
1942 to 1945.
Brother Lujan
made his home

in Los Molinos, Calif.

ROBERT 0. LYONS
Pensioner Robert 0. Lyons, 80,
passed away February 14. Brother
Lyons joined the MC&S in 1950 in
the port of San Francisco, before that
union merged with the SIU's AGLI­
WD. A native of Illinois and a resi­
dent of Berkeley, Calif., he began
receiving his pension in December
1980. He was a veteran of World
War II, having served in the U.S.
military from 1941 to 1945.

MARION M. MARTIN JR.
Pensioner
Marion M.
Martin Jr., 78,
died recently. A
native of
Virginia, he
began sailing
with the SIU in
1948 from the

'---====:....__.=_J port of New
York. Brother Martin sailed as a
member of the deck department.
During World War II, he served in
the U.S. Army from 1941to1943. A
resident of Pearlington, Miss., he
retired in October 1978.

JEANNIE EKIMOTO
MEDINA
Pensioner Jeannie Ekimoto Medina,
82, passed away January 13. A
native of California and a resident of
San Francisco, she joined the MC&S
in 1953 in the port of San Francisco,
before that union merged with the
SIU's AGLIWD. Sister Medina's
first ship was the President
Cleveland. Prior to her retirement in
October 1976, she worked aboard
the Mariposa.

RAYMOND A. MILLY
Pensioner Raymond A. Milly, 87,
died January I. Brother Milly began
sailing with the MC&S in 1956
aboard the Lurline, operated by
Matson Navigation, before that
union merged with the SIU's AGLI­
WD. A resident of San Francisco, he
started receiving his pension in June
1973.

DELMAR B. MISSIMER
Pensioner
Delmar B.
Missimer, 73,
passed away
February 1. He
started his
career with the
Seafarers in
1952 in the
port of New

York. Brother Missimer sailed in
the deck department. A veteran of
World War II, he served in the U.S.
Navy from 1943 to 1946. He was a
resident of New Orleans, retiring in
May 1986.

JOSEPH PASZEK
Pensioner
Joseph Paszek,
79, died
February 15.
Born in Poland,
Brother Paszek
began his care;er
with the SIU in
1947 in the port

=~__;:;;=::...c..=== of New York.
He was a member of the engine
department. During World War II, he
sailed in the merchant marine and
was decorated by President Truman
for heroism. A resident of Marlboro,

N.J., he began receiving his pension
in October -1982.

WILLIAM M. ''DUKE"
PEARSON

Pensioner
William M.
"Duke"
·Pearson, 81,
passed away
November 7,
1998. Born in
Georgia, he
joined the

======..:.=:..:.i MC&S in 1948,
before that union merged with the
SIU's AGLIWD. During World War
II, he served in the U.S. Army.
Brother Pearson came ashore in 1972
to work at the MC&S training school
in Santa Rosa, Calif. A resident of
Waianae, Hawaii, he began receiving
his pension in September 1975.

KENNETH G. PETERSON
Pensioner
Kenneth G.
Peterson, 64,
died February
10. He first
sailed with the
Seafarers in
1966 aboard the
Duke Victory.

=======..i The Michigan
native sailed in the engine depart­
ment and upgraded his skills at the
Lundeberg School. Brother Peterson
last sailed aboard the Westward
Venture, an lnterocean Management
Corp. vessel. A resident of Hancock,
Mich., he retired in January 1996.

INLAND

CHARLES A. CHINN
Pensioner
Charles A.
Chinn, 71,
passed away
March J 2. Born
in Tennessee, he
joined the
Seafarers in
1980 in the port

==~==== of New Orleans.
Boatman Chinn sailed in the engine
department and began receiving his
pension in May 1995. From 1946 to
1949, he served in the U.S. Army.
He was a resident of Memphis, Tenn.

GREAT LAKES
GEORGE H. SYLVESTER

Pensioner
George H.
Sylvester, 86,
died December
15, 1998. He
joined the SIU
in 1954 in the
port of Alpena,
Mich. Brother
Sylvester

worked in the steward department,
sailing primarily aboard the S. T.
Crapo and the J. W Boardman, operat­
ed by Huron Portland Cement Co. A
resident of Port Richey, Aa., he began
receiving his pension in July J 983.

RAILROAD MARINE

JOSEPH BOLMARICH
Pensioner Joseph Bolmarich, 92,
passed away February 28. Born in
Austria, he joined the SIU in 1960 in
the port of New York. Brother
Bolmarich sailed as a deckhand and
worked primarily for the marine
division of the New York Central
Railroad Co. He was a resident of
Brick, NJ. and began receiving his
pension in May 1971.

EDUARDO SACCONE
Pensioner Eduardo Saccone, 94,
passed away February 13. Brother
Saccone joined the SIU in J 960 in
the port of New York. He sailed as a
deckhand and retired in February
1970. Born in Italy, he was a resi­
dent of East Northport, N.Y.

May 1999



Ships lllJqutes first are rsvlewsd by the union's contract depattrnent.
Those Issues requiring attention or resolution are addmssed by the union

upon receipt of the ships' minutes. The minutes are then forwarded
to the Seafarers LOG tor publication.

/TB PHILADELPHIA (Sheridan
Transportation), December 30-­
Chairman Edwin Rivera,
Secretary Robert Wilcox,
Educational Director Rashawn
Richardson, Deck Delegate
Walter Harris, Engine Delegate
Teki Williams, Steward Delegate
Mohamed M. Hussein. Chairman
reported all well aboard ship with
no beefs or disputed ITT. Secretary
thanked crew members for efforts
in keeping house and mess decks
clean. President's Report from lat­
est Seafarers LOG read and dis­
cussed. Also talked about ITF and
need to expose runaway-flag ship­
ping. Steward department thanked
for great holiday meals. Next
ports: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and
Corpus Christi, Texas.

OOCL INSPIRATION (Sea-Land
Service), December 17-Chairman
Neftali Santana, Secretary Ekow
Doffoh, Educational Director
Clarence R. Langford. Director
met with chief mate to establish
guidelines for getting TRBs signed
off by January 1, 1999. Mate
agreed to sign booklets. No beefs
or disputed ITT reported. Next port:
Jacksonville, Fla.

SEA-LAND INNOVATOR (Sea­
Land Service )-December 13-
Chairman John Stout, Secretary
Jose M. Bayani, Educational
Director Mark Serlis, Deck
Delegate Salvadore a are,
Engine Delegate Robert A. Rush,
Steward Delegate Lovie Diaz.
Chairman stated this was last trip
to Caribbean and TRBs should be
signed by December 31. Those
getting off should clean cabins,
leave keys behind and keep all
doors locked while ship in port.
New VCR will be brought aboard
in Long Beach, Calif. He also
reminded crew members of impor­
tance of contributing to SPAD.
Secretary thanked chairman, ABs
and engine department for job well
done preparing for ship inspection.
Educational director urged
Seafarers to upgrade skills at
Lundeberg School in Piney Point,
Md. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Back door locks fixed on
01-02 level. Fumigation needed to
rid ship of unwanted pests.

CAPT. STEVEN L. BENNETT
(Sealift, lnc.)-January 26-
Chairman Samuel Brunch,
Secretary Ronald Lupinacci, Deck
Del gate Lee Kruger, Engine
Delegate Edward Lewis, Steward
Delegate Enrique Agosto.
Chairman reviewed previous min­
utes and described positive mea­
sures being taken. Repairs to fur­
nishings completed, new mattresses
ordered and gym now operational.
Secretary stressed importance of
upgrading at Paul Hall Center.
Crew should be aware of mandato­
ry classes needed to continue sail­
ing. No beefs or disputed ITT
reported. Clarification of OT
requested, including explanation in
detail of regular and premium ar
listed by hours and amounts. AB
requested new vacuum cleaner for
crew deck.

COAST RANGE (Crowley
Petroleum)-January 31-
Chairman John Mossbarger,
Secretary Cynthia Caster,
Educational Director Alex
Resendez III, Steward Delegate

May 1999

Robert W. Gilliam. Chairman
reminded crew members to renew
STCW by taking signed TRBs and
one photo to Coast Guard before
2002. Secretary noted payoff today
and reminded crew of upgrading
opportunities at Piney Point. He
also mentioned new fire fighting
school being built there. No beefs
or disputed ar reported.

COURIER (Intrepid Ship Man­
agement), January 27-Chairman
Charles Foley, Secretary Eva
Myers, Educational Director Rikk
Parker, Deck Delegate Joseph
Carrillo, Engine Delegate Thomas
V. Hastings, Steward Delegate
Antonio Martinez. Chairman
announced payoff January 30. He'll
try to get completion of tour forms
from boarding patrolman. New TV
antenna purchased. Treasurer stated
$600 in ship's fund. Suggestion
made to purchase movies with part
of money. No beefs or disputed ar
reported. Next port: Beaumont,
Texas.

/TB NEW YORK (Sheridan
Transportation), January 28-
Chairman Stephen Argay,
Secretary Michael Hammock,
Educational Director John K.
Bimpong, Steward Delegate
Erasmo Guevara. Chairman
happy to announce all well aboard
vessel with no accidents and all
departments working well together.
Secretary echoed sentiments,
adding everyone has done good
job. Educational director stressed
that Lundeberg School is one ben­
efit for Seafarers-so take advan­
tage of it. No beefs or disputed ITT
reported. New antenna needed and
ordered, hopefully in time for
Super Bowl. In discussing recent
LOG, crew members pleased to
hear about new passenger ship in
Hawaii. They are also looking for­
ward to completion of new fire
fighting facility in Piney Point.
Vote of thanks given to steward
department. Next port: New York.

JEB STUART (Waterman
Steamship), January 22-
Chairman Thomas R. Temple,
Secretary Stephen W. Roth,
Educational Director Michael
Scinto, Deck Delegate Desiree M.
Crockett, Engine Delegate El­
Sayed Mohamed, Steward
Delegate Tommie Marshall.
Chairman reminded crew that any­
one may call a meeting aboard
ship. Secretary noted steward
department's food budget is only
$8 per day, so not to waste food or
cabin stores. Educational director
reminded everyone to watch expi­
ration dates on all endorsements.
Also noted Seafarers must have
STCW to sail in future and encour­
aged everyone to take advantage of
fine facilites at Piney Point. No
beefs or disputed ar reported. All
members asked to consider request
to contracts department to have 3
percent wage increase applied
toward increased insurance bene­
fits (dental, medical) and to think
about how they wish to vote. New
VCR to be purchased for crew
lounge. Next port: Diego Garcia.

LIBERTY STAR (Liberty
Maritime), January 24-Chairman
Cesar A. Gutierrez, Secretary
Norman Evans, Educational
Director John R. Parkhurst, Deck
Delegate Willie Chestnutt, Engine

Delegate Charles.E. Bibbs,
Steward Delegate Donald Sneed.
Chairman noted that after leaving
Haifa, Israel, vessel will enter
shipyard in Lisbon, Spain for
about five days. He also stated
three new ships coming out this
year, so lots of jobs should be
available. He reminded crew mem­
bers to apply for TRB and upgrade
whenever possible. Educational
director asked that all movies be
returned to library before arrival in
Haifa. No beefs or disputed OT
reported. Steward department
given vote of thanks.

OSPREY (Osprey-Acomarit Ship
Management)-January 24-
Chairman Robert M. Wiles,
Secretary Steve Dickson,
Educational Director Tesfaye
Gebregziabher, Deck Delegate
Duane Costello, Engine Delegate
John W. Robinson Jr. Chairman
noted despite arduous voyage, all
departments performed very well.
New computer chips installed in
dishwashers to minimize leaks.
Educational director stressed
importance of applying for TRB
and upgrading at Paul Hall Center.
He added that if English is not first
language, Lundeberg School can
help. Treasurer announced $65 in
ship's fund. No beefs or disputed
ar reported in deck and steward
departments. Engine delegate stat­
ed amount owed DEU rectified.
Discussion held on efforts of
Global Mariner to aid ITF in
exposing devious practices of flags
of convenience. Thanks given to
steward department for keeping
crew well fed. Thanks also given
to entire crew for maintaining area
in good, clean condition. Next
port: Wilmington, Calif.

OVERSEAS JOYCE (OSG Ship
Management), January 31-
Chairman J. R. Wilson, Secretary
James E. Willey, Educational
Director Keith Manzano, Deck
Delegate M. Napier, Steward
Delegate Carmelo De a Cruz.
Chairman reminded everyone to
read Seafarer LOG. Information
contained will help keep Seafarers
updated on latest changes in
inudstry and new regulations that
affect their ability to earn a living
working on deep sea ships.
Educational director suggested
everyone plan on returning to
Lundeberg School to upgrade
skills for better job performance.
No beefs or disputed ITT reported.
Thanks given to steward depart­
ment for job well done. Crew
thanked union for money purchase
pension plan. Bosun said ship is
best feeder in long time. Next
ports: Portland, Ore.; Long Beach,
Calif.; and Japan.

SEA-LAND INDEPENDENCE
(Sea-Land Service), January 31-
Chairman John T. Baker, Secretary
Joseph S. Smith, Educational
Director Randall Firestine, Deck
Delegate Bill Burke, Engine
Delegate Jeffrey Levie, Steward
Delegate Carlito Navarro. Chair­
man received telex reply from con­
tracts department regarding disput­
ed ar. Bosun encouraged crew to
donate to SPAD. Educational direc­
tor reminded crew members to take
advantage of facilities at Piney
Point to upgrade and fine-tune
skills. Crew members aboard ship
collected $300 to donate to
Seamans Mission in Charleston,
S.C. toward construction of sea­
men's club there. They also want to
start ship's fund for purchase of
movies. Disputed OT reported in
all three departments regarding
restriction to ship in Italy. Thanks
given to steward department for
"always going that extra mile."
Crew of Sea-Land Independence
enjoying change in runs-"the
Mediterranean is great." Next ports:
Elizabeth, N.J.; Charleston, S.C.,
Freeport, Bahamas; and Miami,
Fla.

SEA-LAND INNOVATOR (Sea­
Land Service), January 24-
Chainnan John Stout, Secretary
John J. Alamar, Educational
Director Mark Serlis, Deck
Delegate Kenneth W. Craft.
Chairman reminded crew members
to lock recreation and coffee
rooms while in port. All hands
should apply for STCW endorse­
ment. Steward flown home from
Yokohama, Japan; new steward

SEA-LAND PATRIOT (Sea-Land
Service), January 4--Chairman
Shawn Evans, Secretary Robert
Miller, Educational Director Ron
Belcher, Deck Deleage Mitchell
Santana, Engine Delegate Horst
G. Baetjer, Steward Delegate
Ernst Polk. Chairman thanked
crew for good trip and reminded
everyone to take care in disposal of
garbage-no aerosol cans in trash

Deck Department On the Job

~

In the port of San Juan, P.R., AB Ron Mena (left) and Bosun Luis
Ramirez start the work that needs to be done on the deck of the El
Yunque. The RO/RO vessel is operated by lnterocean Ugland
Management for Sea Star Line.

replaced in Pusan, South Korea.
Educational director urged Sea­
farers to attend Lundeberg School
and upgrade job skills. No beefs or
disputed ar reported. Suggestion
made and sent to contracts depart­
ment to change vacation plan from
120 to 90 days; also to have opti­
cal and dental plans upgraded to
100 percent coverage for active
members.

SEA-LAND LIBERATOR (Sea­
Land Service), January 17-
Chairman Milton F. Caballero,
Secretary Guillermo F. Thomas,
Educational Dirctor Elwyn L.
Ford, Engine Delegate Joseph I.
Laguana, Steward Delegate
Charles T. Powers. Chairman
reported vessel returning to 42-day
run following 19-day period in
shipyard. E-mail received regard­
ing NMU affiliation with SIU.
Educational director advised crew
members to take time to upgrade
skills at Lundeberg School. Some
ar disputed in deck and steward
departments, and clarification
requested on delayed sailing due to
bad weather. VCR and rewinder
need to be repaired or replaced.
Also need replacement of mattress­
es for all unlicensed crew rooms as
soon as possible. Next port:
Oakland, Calif.

SEA-LAND NAVIGATOR (Sea­
Land Service), January 31-
Chairman Werner Becher,
Secretary Richard Riley,
Educational Director Daniel Dean,
Deck Delegate Josefino A.
Casugay, Engine Delegate James
Spranza, Steward Delegate
William K. Moe. Chairman
announced arrival and payoff on
February 5 in Tacoma, Wash.
While in port, crew members
asked to keep doors locked.
Departing members should make
sure cabins left clean with new set
of linens for next person.
Educational director stressed need
to upgrade at Paul Hall Center to
advance in maritime industry. He
also thanked crew for donations to
movie fund. No beefs or disputed
ar reported. Discussion held
based on President's Report in
Seafarers LOG regarding Global
Mariner exhibit and threat of run­
away-flag shipping. Request made
for plastic insurance card to be
issued for doctors' visits. Vote of
thanks given to steward department
and chief cook.

and no plastic items overboard.
Educational director noted benefits
of upgrading skills at Piney Point.
Communications received from
headquarters regarding affiliation
of NMU with SIU. Vote of thanks
given to steward department for
excellent holiday meals.

WESTWARD VENTURE (IUM),
January IO-Chairman Jeffrey H.
Kass, Secretary Michael F.
Meany, Educational Director
Patrick Scott, Deck Delegate
Fadel N. Saleh, Steward Delegate
Vicki Habenicht. Chairman wel­
comed unlicensed apprentice Josh
Davenport aboard ship. He noted
safety is everyone's job and to take
time to listen to supervisors on
safety matters. "We must all work
together on this." He mentioned
talk of possible trip to China and
advised crew to be sure to have
TRB when registering. He also
stressed importance of contribut­
ing to SPAD. Steward new aboard
ship. Said he will make every
effort to do job and keep within
contract on food matters, but noted
company food budget per man per
day is below industry standards
and might be reason for high
turnover in steward department.
He stated he would keep union
apprised of situation and noted
captain understands problem and
is working with him. No beefs or
disputed ar reported. Suggestion
to have only two job calls a day-
10 a.m. and 1 p.m.-will be for­
warded to headquarters. Crew
members asked to keep noise
down in passageways and respect
shipmates off watch who are try­
ing to sleep.

GUS DARNELL (OSI), February
1--Chairman Salvatore Ciciulla,
Secretary Bob Easley, Educational
Director William H. Day, Steward
Delegate Arthur Medeiros.
Chairman led discussion on diffi­
culty getting reliefs for bosun,
ABs, chief cook, steward and
pumpman. Secretary reminded
crew members of need to keep
TRB up-to-date. Educational direc­
tor advised Seafarers to use
Lundeberg School facility as much
as possible for upgrading and
additional education. Several beefs
brought up in all departments.
Bosun and crew thanked steward
department for excellent job.

Seafarers LOG 19

....



-

....
Seafarers celebrating Thanksgiving Day at the
union hall in San Juan, P.R. are (from left) AB
Rafael Franco, DEU Jose Canales, DEU
Sabino Pacheco, Pensioner Guillermo
Grajales, Chief Cook George Koulouris, OMU
Reinaldo Roman, AB Jay Patrick and SA Angel
O'Neill.

As the Guayama sails into the port of
Jacksonville, AB Rodriquez Gonzales (left),
Bosun Raymond Gorju (center) and AB Timothy
Jackson have their photo snapped.

Practicing his marlinespike seamanship, Bosun Bernardo Cruz splices
mooring lines for the cable ship Charles L. Brown in St. Thomas, USVI.
(photo by Kathy Chester)

OMU Daniel Campbell (left photo), who is
the engine department delegate on the El
Morro, makes a safety check during his
8-12 watch in San Juan, P.R. At right,
DEU Jerry Diaz and Steward/Baker Mike
Davalie load stores aboard the Gus W.
Darnell in Pt. Loma, Calif.

AB Hector Sanchez receives his SIU book from SIU Representative
Amancio Crespo at the San Juan, P.R. hall.

In the port of San Juan, P.R., crew members aboard the Guayama are
ready for a payoff. From the left are AB Ray Johnson, Wiper Cecil Edwrads,
AB Timothy Jackson, Bosun Raymond Gorju, AB Rodriquez Gonzales,
Third Engineer James Spell and OMU Peter Cooley.

Taking a break at the Sea-Land docks in San Juan, P.R. are (from left) Crane
Maintenance Engineers Bobby Colantti, Billy Bland, Tony Mohammed, Ray Prim,
Bosun Luis Perez, SIU Port Agent Steve Ruiz, AB Juan Lopez, Crane
Maintenance Engineer William Turner, AB Tony Rodriguez, Crane Maintenance
Engineer Carlos Marcial and SIU Patrolman Victor R. Nunez.

20 Seafarers LOG

Snow and ice cover the decks of the Sea-Land
Trader as AB Robert Natividad (left) and Bosun
Jerry Borucki load cargo in Valdez bound for
Hawaii.

While in the port
of San Juan,
P.R., Guayama
crew members
participate in a
boat drill.

On board the Sea-Land Spirit,
Chief Cook Mike Robles makes a
pot of soup for lunch.

Ready to work on the Sea-Land cranes in San Juan,
P.R. are (from left) Crane Maintenance Engineers
Tony Rosa and William "Bill" Turner and Engineer
Don Col6n.

DEU Louis Gattuso checks out
the galley of the USNS Sisler
while in the San Diego shipyard.

May 1999



Letters to the Editor
(Editors note: the Sea/ arers

LOG reserves the right to edit let­
ters for grammar as well as space
provisions without changing the
writer s intent. The LOG wel­
comes letters from members, pen­
sioners, their families and ship­
mates and will publish them on a
timely bas is.)

Giving Recognition
Where It Is Due

The photograph at right is of
Jimmy S. Nishikiori. Born and
raised in Yokomaha, Japan, he has
a wife, Ritsuko, and a daughter,
Kaneko.

Mr. Nishikiori has worked with
the Yokohama Seamans Club for
close to 40 years. During that
time, he has been a friend to all
seamen and has been instrumental
in making sure they got back to
the right dock at the right time.

In addition to his duties as a
waiter, he gives advice on where
to go for good local food, what to
see and how to use the local bus
service, among other things.

He is a good friend to the SIU,
and most of us "China Coasters"
know him quite well.

After twenty years of sailing, I
realize that no one has ever
thanked him or given him any
recognition for his service to
those of us out here on this west
coast, so I hope he will see this
letter in the Seafarers LOG and
know that ·all of us who pass
through "Yoko" on our ships rec­
ognize and appreciate his diligent
service.
Rec. Bosun James D. Rader
Oakland, Calif.

All Seafarers Deserve
Respectful Treatment

In the February Seafarers
LOG, the featured subject was
runaway-flag ships and the prob-

0 CALENDAR
-0
0
~ May ,.
(l!f Asian/Padftc
~""°"1111~ American Heritage

Month

1 Mary Harris "Mother" Jones was
born in 1830. The renowned la­

bor organizer, who lived to be 100,
said, "I live in the United States, but
I do not know exactly where. My
address is wherever there is a fight
against oppression. My address is
like my shoes; it travels with me. I
abide where there is a fight against
wrong."

1 In 1888, 19 machinists at the
East Tennessee, Virginia, and

Georgia Railroad assembled in a
locomotive pit to decide what to do
about a wage cut. They voted to
form a union, which became the
International Association of Machin­
ists.

1 May Day, or International Work­
ers' Day, which commemorates

the historical struggle of working
people around the world.

3 In 1886, at the height of the
movement for the eight-hour

day, police opened fire in a crowd of

May '1999

Jimmy S. Nishikiori

terns that they both cause and
endure.

We aboard the SS Osprey
recently encountered a glaring
example in the port of Bourgas,
Bulgaria. We were tied up in front
of a small ship which we took no
real notice of at the time. As our
cargo was unloaded, we found out
that the crew of the vessel Olga J
had been abandoned by her own­
ers for more than five months and
had been without pay for 11
months.

The crew was from Ghana and
had been subsisting on the charity
of other vessels. They could not
leave the terminal and had no
resources whatsoever. Imagine
being so far from home, not
knowing where your next meal
will come from, and no contact
with your family.

These men are seafarers, risk­
ing their lives every day so that
obligations can be fulfilled, yet
they are deserted in a foreign port,
all alone.

We sent them food, money and
a message of goodwill. Then we
were on our way.

How long will they be there?
We want to know that they made
it home safely to their loved ones.

workers participating in a general
strike at McCormick Harvester Co.
in Chicago. Four workers were killed,
and anarchists called a public rally
the following day at Haymarket
Square to protest the police brutal­
ity. As the peaceful protest drew to
a close, a bomb was thrown into the
police line. One officer was killed
and several were wounded. Police
responded by firing into the crowd,
killing one and wounding many. The
incident kicked off an intensive cam­
paign against labor leaders and other
activists, and eight anarchists were
later framed for the bombing.

A1A

16 In 1938, the U.S. Supreme
Court issued the Mackay

decision permitting employers to
permanently replace striking work­
ers. Employers used this weapon
against striking workers sparingly
until the 1980s, when its use in­
creased under the influence of the
Reagan Administration's antiunion
policies.

18 In 1917, the Amalgamated
Meat Cutters and Butcher

Workmen initiated a huge organiz­
ing campaign in packinghouses
across the U.S. that brought mem­
bership from 6,500to100,000 two
years later.

19 In 1942, the Steel Workers
Organizing Committeefonnally

We care aboout our brothers of
the sea. We care that these men
should be treated with the dignity
and respect which they deserve.
We care.
Steve Dickson, Chief Steward
Robert Lindsay, Bosun
(on behalf of the crew of the
SS Osprey)

(Editor s note: The crew of the
SS Osprey received a letter of
thanks from the crew of the Olga
J "for your kindness by offering
us with some food items. . . . We
highly appreciate the offer and
hope this will help us live for
some time, and we pray for
almighty God to help you and
your crews for your voyage.)

SIU Pension Is
No Laughing Matter

When my husband, Richard
Heikus, and I opted for the retire­
ment plan that would provide the
widow with a small monthly
income, we chuckled about it
because the amount seemed so
small. Well, this widow is not liv­
ing on the income we had at that
time, and my pension check at
Christmas, in particular, was a
godsend.

Richard married late in life,
but he was a wonderful husband.
For a kid from Cleveland, sea­
manship provided a life that
allowed him to see some of the
world and make some good
friends.

I miss him, and reading the
Seafarers LOG gives me pleasure.
Thank you.
Darlene Heikus
Yakima, Wash.

MAY22,1999

HONORING OUR NATION'S
MARITIME HERITAGE.

became the United Steelworkers of
America (USWA).

25 In 1886, Philip Murray was
born in in Blantyre, Scotland.

He was the USWA's founding presi­
dent and head of the Congress of
Industrial Organizations from 1940
until his death in 1952.

26 Henry Ford's opposition to
collective bargaining was in

evidence on this day in 1937, when
company goons attacked United
Auto Workers (UAW) organizers at
the "Battle of the Overpass" outside
of the River Rouge plant. Though
General Motors and Chrysler signed
collective bargaining agreements
with the UAW in 1937, Ford held out
until 1942.

27 In 1959, delegates of the In­
surance Agent's International

Union and the Insurance Workers
of America, having ratified the
merger agreement at their respec­
tive conventions, convened as del­
egates of the merged union, the
Insurance Workers International
Union. The 15,000-member union
merged with the United Food and
Commercial Workers in 1983.

28 In 1835, the Ladies Shoe
Binders Society was formed

in New York.

30 Anniversary of the Memorial
Day massacre at Chicago's

Republic Steel plant in 1937. Police
attacked strikers, killing seven,
wounding 100.

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 accoun­
tants every year, which is to be sub­
mitted to the membership by the
secretary-treasurer. A yearly
finance committee of rank-and-file
members, elected by the member­
ship, each year examines the
finances of the union and reports
fully their findings and recommen­
dations. Members of this commit­
tee may make dissenting reports,
specific recommendations and sep­
arate 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 repre­
sentatives 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 head­
quarters of the various trust funds.

SHIPPING RIGHTS. A mem­
ber's shipping rights and seniority
are protected exclusively by con­
tracts 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 mem­
bers believe there have been viola­
tions of their shipping or seniority
rights as contained in the contracts
between the union and the employ­
ers, they should notify the
Seafarers Appeals Board by certi­
fied mail, return receipt requested.
The proper address for this is:

Augustin Tellez, Chairman
Seafarers Appeals Board

5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746

FuJI copies of contracts as
referred to are available to mem­
bers 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 aJI
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 con­
tract rights, as well as their obliga­
tions, 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 indi­
vidual in the union, officer or mem­
ber. It also has refrained from pub­
lishing articles deemed harmful to
the union or its collective member­
ship. This established policy has
been reaffirmed by membership
action at the September 1960 meet­
ings in aJI constitutional ports. The
responsibility for Sea/ are rs LOG
policy is vested in an editorial
board which consists of the execu­
tive board of the union. The execu­
tive 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 circum­
stances 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 report­
ed 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 consti­
tution so as to familiarize them­
selves 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 segre­
gated fund. Its proceeds are used to
further its objects and purposes
including, but not limited to, fur­
thering the political, social and eco­
nomic interests of maritime work­
ers, the preservation and furthering
of the American merchant marine
with improved employment oppor­
tunities for seamen and boatmen
and the advancement of trade union
concepts. In connection with such
objects, SPAD supports and con­
tributes 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 sup­
port 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 vio­
lated, or that he or she has been
denied the constitutional right of
access to union records or informa­
tion, the member should immedi­
!ltely notify SIU President Michael
Sacco at headquarters by certified
mail, return receipt requested. The
address is:

Michael Sacco, President
Seafarers International Union

5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs, MD 20746.

Seafarers LOB 2'1

-

-



1 -- -.
I

Lundeberg School Graduating Classes

Water Survival Class - Completing the water survival class on March 5 are (from
left, first row) Ben Cusic (instructor), Jerome North, Otis Reynolds, John Alba, Chris Mills,
Miguel Collazo, Christopher Daniels, Melvin Hill, (second row) Steven Cook, Joshua Weir,

-. Nestor Montoya, Antonio Washington, Shantonn Fowler, Emani Viii, James Brasher,
Rebecca Gayton and Randy Senatore.

.-

FOWT Prep-Seafarers successfully completing the FOWf Prep course December
11 are (from left, front row) Robert Manning, Dominic Osboro, Lauro Delim, Tony Barnes,
Alex Diaz, Allan Hinkle, Jose Blanco, Nicanor Amores, (second row) Erik Owen, Aaron
Tomilson, Gregory Shields, Harry Flambures, Ernesto Datuin, Nar DelaCru, Armando
Lucin and Mark Jones (instructor).

Galley Operations- Earning their certificates in March for completion of the galley
operations course are (from left) Adam Saleh, Marcus Nicholas, Louis Morris, Gloria
DeTiege, Anitra McLeod and Maria Aulisio (assistant instructor).

QMED-Graduating on April 16 from the QMED course are (from left, kneeling)
Michael McGlone, Justin Valencia, Bryce Cutler, Glenn O'Leary, (second row) Randy
Pearson, Gene Wheelis, Marijan Masnov, John Gamache and Michael Seyler. Their
instructor was Barney Kane.

22 Seafarers LOG

Government Vessels - Earning their government vessels endorsement last
December are (from left, kneeling) Jennifer Cronin, William Maggio, Robert Racanelli,
Dawn Williams, (second row) Mark McNabb, Thomas Cyrus, Liberto Viray, Eric Lund,
Clyde Plunkett, Mark Cates (instructor), Walter Seals, (third row) Scott Seiler, Erik Haik,
Drew Brown, Edward Adams, Ignatius Muzich, John Conn and Steve Cluff Jr.

Government Vessels - Upgrading graduates of the government vessels course on
February 19 are (from left, front row) Randy Diaz, Peggy Wilson, Mary Bado, Kimberly
Mendonca, Keithen Pugh, Noel Corrales, Michael Blue Jr., Mark Cates (instructor),
Carlton Dorrance, Charles Larson, (second row) Kanin Bennett, Shaun Bonefont,
Christopher Birich, Nathaniel Salter, Levy Calzado, Charles Jensen, Yazid Muhammad,
(on left forklift) Antoine Robinson and (on right forklift) Jean Horne .

...... \\
"·

Government Vessels - Successfully completing the government vessels class, also
in March, are Mark Cates (instructor), Keith Mcintosh, Carlos Perez. Regina Terry, Ibarra
Mangaya, Don Burlingame, Marvyn Chester, Kathie Newkirk, Kenneth Gamer, Lupe
Campbell, Antonio Perez, Ronald Wilson, Leocadio Colon, Rommel Artis and Ron Oyer
(instructor).

Able Seaman - Upgraders graduating from the AB class February 19 are (from left)
Jeffrey Ferris, Patrick Cleveland, Eden Latta, Darren Parker, Peter Seifert, Cynthia
Schlegel, Stanley Howard, Abedon Lujan, Rommel Artis, Leray Leasure, Randy Senatore,
Richard Gathers, Randy Powell, Miles Janecka and Tom Gilliland (instructor).

Basic Firefighting-Receiving their certificates for completing the basic firefighting
course February 5 are (from left, first row) Anthony Hammett (instructor), Lincoln Fraser,
Julita Crodua, Connie Gaines, Bob Bell, Pat Coppola, (second row) Thor Waagsbo, Paul
Eich, Chris Hendrix, Roman Kasparyan, John Peden and Ken Johnson.

May1999



LUNDEBER6 SCHOOL
1999 UPGRADING COURSE SCHEDULE

The following is the schedule for classes for the next few months at the Seafarers
Harty LundeP-erg School of Seamanship, located at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime
Tra~ and Education in Piney Point, Md. All programs are geared to improve the job
skills .. ofSeafarers and to promote the American maritime industry.

Please note that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the
maritime industry and-in times of conflict-the nation's security.

Students attending any of these classes should check in the Saturd41 before their
course's start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the morning of the
start dates.

Seafarers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at the
Lundeberg School may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010.

Deck Upgrading Courses

Course

Able Seaman

Radar Observer/Unlimited

Radar Recertification (one day)

Automatic Radar Plotting Aids
(ARPA)

Start Date

June28

June7
July 12

May7
June 18
July23

MaylO
Junell

Engine Upgrading Colll'Ses

Course Start Date

Fireman/Watertender & Oiler May3
August9

QMED May3
September 13

Diesel Engine Technology May3

Power Plant Maintenance Jnnr. 28
September 17

g June 14

Steward Upgrading Courses

Galle Operations/
Advanced Galley Operations
(Every week, starting Ja~ 11)

Certified Chief Cook/
Chief Steward
(Every othel' week, startllig Jan. 11)

Start Date

May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
June 7, 14, 21, 28
July 5, 12, 19, 26

May 3, 17, 31
June 14, 28
July 12, 26

Date of Completion

August6

June 18
July 23

May14
June2S

Date of Completion

June 11
September 17

Julyl3
December3

Junel

August6
Novembers

July 9

Ret:ertlflt:atlon l'lograms

Course Start Date

LNG Recertirtcation MaylO

SaftllJ Specialty Courses

Course

Tanker Familiari7.ation/
Assistant Cargo (DL)

Basic Firefighting

Advanced Firerighting

Government Vessels

Lifeboatm.an/Water Survival

STCW Basic Safety (refresher)

Tankerman (PIC) Barge

Start Date

MaytO
June7
August2

May3

MaylO
May31

MaytO

Mayl7
May24
July 12

Mayl8

June 14

Julyll

May24

June21
July 1l
Julyl6

MaylO

Course

Academia Department Courses
Start Date

General Education Courses May3

Date of Completion

May27

Date of Departure

May29
June26
August20

May7

Mayl4
June4

May29

June4
June 11

July 30

May29
June 25
July23

May28

June25
July 16
July 30

May14

Date of Completion

JunelO

In addition, basic vocational support program courses are offered throughout the
year, one week prior to the AB, QMED, FOWT, Third Mate, Tanker Assistant
and Water Survival courses. An introduction to computers course will be self­
study.

Additional courses are being added to the Lundeberg
School curriculum for the second half of the year. They

will be listed In the June 1999 Issue of the LOG.

--~--------------------------------------
UPGRADING APPLICATION

Name _________________________ _

Address
------------------------~

Telephone Date of Birth ________ _

Deep Sea Member D Lakes Member D Inland Waters Member D

If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be
processed

Social Security# _________ Book# _________ _

Seniority ____________ Department ________ _

U.S. Citizen: Yes D No 0 Home Port ------------
Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held ______________ _

Are you a graduate of the SHLSS trainee program? D Yes D No

Ifyes, class# ______________________ _

Have you attended any SHLSS upgrading courses? D Yes D No

If yes, course(s) taken--------------------­

Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?

D Yes D No Firefighting: D Yes D No CPR: D Yes D No

Primary language spoken -------------------

May '1999

With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty
(120) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date
your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indi­
cating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatin;1e for the course if it is
Coast Guard tested. AU FOJf7: AB and QMED qppllcants must submit a U.S. Coqst Guard
''" el $135 with their qpplicqtion, The pqyment should be llUllk with a mono order only.
pqyable to LM$S.

COURSE
BEGIN
DATE

END
DATE

LAST VESSEL:------------- Rating: ___ _

Date On: Date Off: -----------
SIGNA1URE DATE

-------------~

NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only if you
present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions,
contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.

RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Lundeberg School of Seamanship, Admissions
Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189. 5199

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 quali­
fied. of any race. nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission. access
or treatment of students in its programs or activities.

Seafarers LOii 23



Fire Fighting School i'
Opens This Month

Escape to Piney Point
lhe Plal Hall Center can pnvlde SIU
emben and their &mUla with .U the

Ingredients for• memonble 19111mer
ncatJ.. Pl8a JMr esc8pe te PlaeJ Point

toUy. lee Pll• 14 for *'8111.

Mark Dickinson of the lntemational Transport Workers• Federation (center) recently checked on the
progress of the fire fighting and safety school. Updating him are (from left) Bill Eglinton, director of voca­
tional education at the Paul Hall Center; Jimmy Hanson. director of health and safety; Don Nolan. vice pres­
ident of the school; and John Mason of American Service Technology, Inc.

The fire fighting building
(above) features a two­
level engine room (below)
and shaft alley with bub­
bling water that simulates
bilge fires. It also includes
various types of ship­
board doors. hatches and
ladders (left).

The Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and
Education this month will unveil an addition that is
enormous both in its size and its probable impact
on Seafarers' training.

The ceremonial opening of the Joseph Sacco
Fire Fighting and Safety School is slated for May
18, with classes commencing shortly thereafter.

Located on school property near the Paul Hall
Center in Piney Point, Md., the new complex will
host courses for upgrading and entry-level
Seafarers. Basic and advanced fire fighting, first
aid and CPR, damage control, water survival and
confined-space safety are among the classes that
will be taught there.

''It's difficult to overstate how valuable this new
facility will be for Seafarers," noted Jimmy
Hanson, longtime director of health and safety at
the Paul Hall Center. "It's one-of-a-kind in terms of
specifically being designed for mariner fire fighting
and safety training."

Built through the financial backing of the
International Transport Workers' Federation, the
fire fighting and safety school will replicate condi­
tions found aboard all types of vessels, from deep
sea ships to inland tugs and barges. It will include
two classrooms; a two-story mare building with
moveable walls and props; a damage-control room
with water flow and a recessed floor; a water sur­
vival trainer; a main fire fighting building designed
like a ship; a compressor room where students will

sors; an area where upgraders will practice using
and refilling portable fire extinguishers; outdoor
pads connected to propane lines, and more.

Overall, the campus-named after former SIU
Executive Vice President Joseph Sacco, who passed
away in 1996--will feature the most modern, envi­
ronmentally and hygienically safe equipment

Next month's issue of the Seafarers LOG will
include detailed coverage of the ceremonial open-
ing, plus a closer I school's many fea-
tures.

' ':{~,:~~.,.
The maze building looks fairly ordi om outside;
but, inside is a well-det · story facility that will
challenge even the most experienced upgrader. It
features numerous props, four separate entrances,
ladders cut at the same angle as those aboard ship,
and moveable walls which allow varying simulations.

learn to take air samples :a•~~ .. -;;;!!'~\ ~~~~~~~~~~:~~;;~== and service compres- iii ·

~~~-~..IL-·­
The bUilding aoove wm nouse two classrooms that feature television monitors connected to
computers utilized by instructors. It also encompasses a damage-control room; shower and
bathroom facilities; rooms for working with compressors and portable fire extinguishers; and
(right) a water survival trainer.


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