http://www.seafarerslog.org/archives_old/files/original/9f37b434770e753a3760faa1830d598c.PDF 0a0b381c43af056e52af7f054a3222a6 PDF Text Text •• OfFKIAl ORGAN OF THI SEAFARERS IMTERNATtONAL UNION • ATlAWnC GUIF. LAKES AND INUNP WATERS MSTRIG • AFL-CIO Volume 55, Number If A?.' ' In 67-30 Vote, Senate Beats Back Attack On Seamen's Wages c/jyi.TT-ir" CO Sim y)»-«73 •-< -HaQ CO ID 21 CO Vi ^momcr 0-ir-'-H I -s. Seafarer Thomas Correll steadies the pilot lad­ der aboard the ITB New York for a Cuban refugee found adrift in the Caribbean, The SIUcrewed vessel recently performed two rescues, which are described in a story on page 28. . coir ^ D n CD 1-NJ r»s: CO (TO 3*0 O T|j> - -o Sim • .•••: -Mr..-;-' • • -. ^ • Page 3 Lends a Helping Hand • J: O v^j>r) Pag :• :>;;A November 1993 AFL-nO FigMs To Nix NAFTA . •V Amtrak Disaster Points Up Noed For Tighter iniand Safety Regs J i: i. Page 2 Victims of Vietnam Biast Memoriaiized A monument honoring the seven merchant mariners whb died when a mine struck their vessel as it carried rnilitary cargo on the Saigon River is unveiled by Henry Disley (left), president of the SlU-affiliated Marine Fireman's Union. He is joined by Baton Rouge Victory sunlwors BR Toll Alston (center) and AS Milton Hendrick. The monument, located on San Francisco's waterfront, is the first of its kind to honor mariners who lost their lives during the Southeast Asia conflict. Story on page 6. The North American Export Grain Association, the big advocate for foreign shippirig, refuses to admit ties to multinational interests. Story on page 5. . •/•fwK '-i- ^ ' • M>, �2 HOyEMRERim SEi^ARERS LOG President's Report AnrinkObi^ Spol^Ms Heed For Touaha'Maud SaMf Itegs Who Is Looking ^ After the Taxpayers? 7-"-'••• t3i?7 • ': ; N; 'MlifedfSi'.' • AP/Wide World Photos Amtrak's Sunset L/m/fed derailed approximately eight minutes after one of the tugboat MVMauvilla's barges slammed into the Big Bayou Canot Bridae near Mobile. Ala., killing 47 people. see story below.) SIU National Director o Governmental Relations Terry Continued on page 25 Documented Seamen Train Derailment on Bridge Are Safer Tied to the Strike of a Tow Workers, Study Shows On October 12, repre­ given before the subcommittee as sentatives from the National well as from various news reports The contrasting difference in Transportation Safety Board, the since the time of the crash. Na­ the total number of accidents due United States Coast Guard, tional Transportation Safety to human error between U.S.-flag Federal Railroad Administration, Board (NTSB) officials are cur­ deep sea ships or Great Lakes ves­ Amtrak, Seafarers Intemational rently investigating all aspects o sels or tugs and towboats con­ Union and-American Waterways the Amtrak derailment and results What's Really Behind firms the need to have all Operators, testified before theSub­ of the investigation will be an­ crewmembers meet basic require­ The Rhetoric? committee on Coast Guard and nounced to the public in early ments of the United States Coast In the House of Representatives yet another farm-state legislator Navigation concerning the events 1994. the government agency Guard, has found another way to take a shot at the nation's maritime policy. The MV Mauvilla, owned by surrounding the September 22 He says something like this: Just move funding for the transport of crash of Amtrak's passenger Warrior & Gulf Navigation Com­ responsible for marine safety. Data cited in a recent article in food aid cargoes from the Department of Agriculture to the Depart­ train—the Sunset Limited. The pany of Chickasaw, Ala., and its ment of Transportation or the Department of Defense. By law, govern­ disaster also prompted the subcom­ six barges, loaded with coke, coal the Mobile Press Register reveals ment-donated food cargo is purchased and shipped with Department mittee to c^ on the officials to and woodchips, were headed up that more than four times per of Agriculture monies. address safety regulations of the the Mobile River, bound for Tus­ day—1,600 times a year—^barges This scheme is just another way the giant agricultural interests inland tug and barge iiidustry. caloosa, Ala., in heavy fog. With are involved in an accident. There were 11,586 accidents involving hope to increase their subsidy from the U.S. government. The huge The description below is Continued on page 25 tank and freight barges between commodity traders believe that if the Department of Agriculture were gathered from the testimonies 1983 and 1989 and statistics show relieved of the transportation costs, it ultimately would result in a big­ that 2,418 bridges were struck by ger subsidy for the agriculture groups. commercial marine vessels be­ This is not the real issue anyway. In any case it is the American tween 1981 and 1990. taxpayer who is footing the bill. That is what is the most galling about this attempt to try and make another government agency pick up the These astounding figures tab for the movement of Department of Agriculture cargo. The giant demonstrate that the safety of agricultural corporations act like the Department of Agriculture each and every person who works monies are their own personal cash, reserved for them alone. There ap­ on a tug or tow is at stake, as is the pears to be no sense that this is a government agency sustained by all safety of those who live in coastal The United States Maritime dustry," the coalition said in an communities and who use the the American people in the national interest. Insofar as maintaining an American farm sector or an American merchant marine is concerned, Coalition has urged President October letter sent to all con­ water or related bridges. Clinton and every member of gressmen and to other elected of­ it has consistently been the policy of the United States that having a The SIU has studied data con­ vital agricultural sector and a strong shipping capability are in the na­ Congress to support a bill ficials. The bill "is the result of tained in the Coast Guard's designed to revitalize the U.S.- many months of work, delibera­ database on casualties and marine tional interest. That being the case, whatever sacrifices America flag merchant fleet. makes in order to support domestic farming and U.S. shipping are tion and compromise. Immediate accidents (CASMAIN) in an ef­ H.R. 2151, the Maritime and positive action is necessary fort to determine the safety record paid for by American taxpayers overall. The government monies that Security and Competitiveness because if a program is not put in of the inland maritime industry. support these programs should hardly be considered the personal ac­ Act of 1993, scheduled for a floor place soon, many vessels will The union found that within the counts of giant grain companies, many of which are foreign-owned. Finally, what is particularly ludicrous about the entire effort by vote in the House during the first leave the American flag forever." inland field, human error is more the agricultural commodity dealers to sack the nation's cargo week of November,"will result in The coalition, which formed in likely to account for an accident preference laws is that these groups are direct beneficiaries of U.S. cost savings to the U.S. Govern­ September, represents citizen than in either the Great Lakes or government subsidies that amount to some $70 billion a year. By ment, substantial deregulation to groups and all parts of the deep sea areas. comparison, government subsidies to the American merchant marine improve intemational competi­ maritime industiy in the U.S. It While the Mobile Press tiveness of vessels operating includes patriotic groups; Register examined tank and do not even show up on the screen. under the U.S. flag, and a strong, reight-barge accidents, the CAS­ more efficient maritime inContinued on page 9 MAIN data studied by the SIU Who Stands To Gain? bcused on tugs and tows which What aU of us must bear in mind is that the battle over American are becoming equally dangerous maritime pblicy is a battle about money and profits. The billion-dollar Volume 55. Number 11 November 1993 1 o operate on the nation's increas­ giant grain dealing companies and their spokesmen in Congress do ingly crowded waterways. not have as their main goal changing the wages of American seamen The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 0160-2047) is published In the period from the late or restracturing the budgets of several U.S. government agencies. monthly by the Seafarers Intemational Union; Atlantic, 1970s through mid-1991, of the (And I want to make it clear that I am saying "world's giant grain Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO- 5201 accidents recorded by the U.Sdealers" because in no way do American family farmers benefit from Springs. Md. 20746. Telephone (301) Coast Guard involving tugs and the maneuvers of these international commodity dealers.) 899-0675. Second-class postage paid at MSG Prince tows, the leading cause was at­ This fight is a fight about money—money that the multi-billion Georges, Md. 20790-9998 and at additional mailing tributed to human factors by 58 dollar agribusiness and agricultural commodity dealers believe should offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the )ercent. In contrast, on Great be in their pockets. On the other side, it is a matter of the nation's in­ Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way. Camp Springs, Md. ^akes vessels, human factors ac­ terest and its absolute need to have a shipping capability, maintained zU74o. counted for 36 percent of the ac­ for virtually peanuts in the scope of the overall U.S. government / Communications Departmeitt Director and Editor Jes­ cidents; similarly on deep sea budget, that stands ready to serve both in times of peace and war. sica Smith; Managing Editor, Daniel Duncan; Asswiate vessels human factors resulted in This is what should be borne in mind when you hear all the false Editors,/ordon Biscardo and Cortina Christensen; As­ 31 percent of the accidents. On claims of the spokesmen of the world grain dealers. Remember who sociate Editor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Art, Bill is behind the words and who stands to gain. Brower. Continued on page 25 U.S.-Flag CoaliSon Urges CongresSf President to Back Maritime Program t'•; f-'- Last month in a debate in Congress a farm-state senator attacked American merchant seamen as being overpaid. He alleged that American seamen are making a fortune from tax­ payer monies. The senator, who has long been an opponent of U.S. shipping, would have been far more can­ did and honest in his argument if he had gotten right down and said, "I don't want to see U.S.flag ships and cargo preference and the Jones Act because there are more profits for the giant grain dealers and their foreign ships with a U.S. fleet and those laws being around." This statement Michael Sacco would more accurately reflect the farm-state senator's ultimate aim. It seems as if the senator were really serious about the misuse of tax funds, he would not level his guns at the American seaman who is simply an American citizen, skilled in his or her craft, who is paid a decent wage reflecting the civilized and developed nation from which he comes. Instead the farm-state senator would be leveling his guns at the giant grain traders who, according to recent articles in TTie New York Times, are raking in billions of dollars of taxpayer monies under the guise of helping increase the level of exports of American farm products. The New York Times articles (October 10, 11, 12) point out that family farmers are not benefitting from all the export subsidies. It is the giant grain companies, many of them foreign-owned, which are getting rich off taxpayer dollars. The articles further point out.that the huge agriculture groups engage in some very shady practices in the process of wheeling and dealing with the Department of Agriculture and the Agency for International Development. So billions of tax­ payer dollars are lost in schemes that border on the illegal. This seems like an area that a farm-state senator should examine very closely. With family farmers throughout the nation taking a beat­ ing it bears investigation why the very programs that are supposed to help the American farm and rural communities are actually enriching only a very select group of multi-billion dollar international com­ modity companies. Citing the recent Amtrak dis­ aster which stemmed from an ac­ cident involving a tug/tow, the SIU, elected officials and various government agencies stressed the need for improved safety regula­ tions governing navigation on the nation's inland waterways. They made their case at an October 12 hearing before the House Sub­ committee on Coast Guard and Navigation, following the Sep­ tember 22 -derailment of Amtrak's Sunset Limited. The passenger train went off track and plunged into the water after a barge pushed by a tugboat, called the MV Mauvilla, rammed into an Alabama bridge causing the tracks to shift over three feet out of place. The shift ih rail alignment resulted in the derail­ ment that caused the worst train disaster in Amtrak's history and claimed the lives of 47 people. (For a more detailed account of the derailment of the Sunset Limited \ '•y �•r C. • ' NOVEMBER 1993 SEAFARERS LOG 3 Looking for Cheap Labor — Go NAFTA AFL-tM Fi^hs To Mx NAFTA Organized labor continues to of proclamation by the prime lead the battle against the minister had not been taken. proposed North American Free Chretien, who will become the Trade Agreement (NAFTA)— new prime minister, said duririg potentially devastating pact the campaign that he wanted to which Congress is scheduled to renogotiate portions Of NAFTA vote on later this month. in order to protect Canadian The AFL-CIO, the national workers and jobs. The Clinton ad­ federation of trade unions, recent­ ministration reportedly is con­ ly began a multi-media campaign sidering imposing trade focusing on key congressional restrictions on Canadian wheat districts throughout the country exported to the U.S. if Chretien and warning that NAFTA would demands new talks.) cost hundreds of thousands of Citing NAFTA's Dangers U.S. jobs. This campaign is Labor has plenty of company designed to counter the efforts of in its opposition to Ae agreement, NAFTA proponents (U.S. multi­ which, would encourage busi­ national corporations and the nesses to take advantage of Mexican government) who have Mexico's cheap labor and lax en­ spent $50 million in advertising and lobbying to push for the vironmental laws. Elected offi­ YES YOU CAN flawed trade deal oiiginally cials, economists and some negotiated by the Bush ad­ business leaders have joined trade unionists in stating that they are ministration. where labor costs average in favor of genuinely fair trade And you rould save over The House of Representatives under $1 an hour, including $15,000 a yeat per worker; is expected to vote on NAFTA, but are against NAFTA because it benefits. Far; far less than in if yoti had an offshore pro­ the Far East And Utss thait duction plant here. which would eliminate tariffs is a severely flawed proposal CBI, Central America and So if you want to see how (and the billions of dollars in which would hurt working even less than the rest of well you or your plant man­ Mexico agers can live here wliile . revenue which they account for) families in all three countries The employee turnover making your company more between the U.S., Mexico and directly affected by it. rate is less than 5% a yeac competitive in world mar­ We're only •ItiO miles and "We can and must do better kets. call for a fiee video Canada, sometime before 90 minutes by air from the tour of the State of Yucatan than this NAFTA," House Thanksgiving. A close vote is ex­ U.S. at 70S-295-I793. Majority Leader Richard pected. When the US. is too expensive and the Far East too hx, (At press time, Canada's im­ Gephardt (D-Mo.) told delegates "%s You Can In lUcatan." mediate position on NAFTA was in October at the AFL-CIO con­ Cknvrnment of the State of Yucatan. Mexico. Department of Industrial and Commeicial Deivlopment unclear due to the decisive vic­ vention in San Francisco. Gephardt pointed out that during Advertisements like these which ran in national business journals tories in late October of Jean the 1980s, real wages of Mexican Chretien and other members of demonstrate that passage of NAFTA will mean a loss of job to that country's Liberal Party in workers dropped by 30 percent— American workers. ^ederal elections. Previously, even though their productivity Canada's Parliament had ap- rose by 35 percent. "If Mexican wages CM't come jroved NAFTA; but the fin^ step YUCmN up, there won't be any money in the hands of Mexican workers to buy the products that we hope freer trade would allow them to buy," he added. "If Mexican wages do not go up, the compul­ sion of our companies to go there to get the benefit of that very lowwage labor will be overwhelm­ ing." Senator Harris Wofford (DPa.) recently told an audience of union members in Pittsburgh that NAFTA "is not fair to American workers, families or com­ munities. Free trade? Yes. Ex­ panded trade? Yes. But fair trade it has to be, and NAFTA does not add up to fair trade." The costs of an enacted NAFTA would be felt in both the short and long term, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Thomas Donahue recently told the Senate Labor Committee. Donahue said Continued on page 4 MTD Tackles Trade Pact The Maritime Trades Department (MTD) joined with the AFL-CIO in urging Con­ gress to reject the North American Free Trade Agree­ ment (NAFTA). Delegates to the MTD's biennial convention also called for maritime revitalization legislation and national health care reform. Coverage of the convention can be found on pages 13-16. Senate Repels Attack On Seamen's Wages Explosion Aboard OMI Charger Cargo Preference Foes Try New Tactic Kills Seafarer, 2 in Riding Crew H e?: ^ By a margin of 67 to 30, the his col­ leagues. "He Senate turned back another effort Officials from the U.S. Coast works ap­ Guard and the National Transpor­ by farm-belt legislators to attack proximately tation Safety Board (NTSB) are the U.S.-flag merchant marine. The latest strike was in the six months a continuing their investigation of a year. That is severe explosion which took place form of an amendment, offered his pay, six October 9 aboard the OMI Charger by longtime cargo preference foe months, near the Houston Ship Channel. Senator Charles Grassley (Rabout lowa) which would have limited The blast, apparently sparked $35,000, by a welding torch, resulted in the Sen. Inouye the pay level received by mem­ $40,000 a deaths of three crewmembers, in­ bers of the merchant marine when transporting materiel for the U.S. year; not $44,O0O a month." cluding 56-year-old SIU member armed forces, to the Fiscal Year Rejects Argument Milton "Willie" Williams (see 1994 Defense Department ap­ When one of Grassley's allies. epapate story). Keith Kelly and propriations bill. Senator Hank Brown (R-Colo.), lo^f Boutwell, two members of The Senate moved to table the described cargo preference as an International Marine Services, legislation, a procedural step that "looting the taxpayer to pay for a nc. riding crew, also died from effectively killed the amendment, program that does not work," In­ the explosion, which took place after a spirited debate on the floor ouye noted all nations have cargo around 8 p.m. near one of the of the chamber on October 21. world's busiest waterways. preference laws. Grassley stated the reason he The Charger's other 27 crewEvery country with a fleet has was submitting the amendment a cargo preference law," he said members were rescued almost was because he found it "incon­ in response. "If you want to buy immediately by a passing oil rig ceivable that a U.S.-flag cook oil from Saudi Arabia, can we supply boat. Most of the crewcosts more than the captain of a send our ships there? No way. members were treated at Galves­ U.S. Navy ship." You put it on a Saudi Arabian ton hospitals and released. Only Senator Daniel Inouye (D- vesse . Do we send our ships to one, another member of the riding Hawaii) countered Grassley by pick up Toyotas and Hondas and crew, remained hospitalized for noting if clothing and housing al­ Acuras? The Japanese send their more than one night, due to lowances, meals and health care ships over. That is their law." second-degree bums to his face. are considered, the annual com­ Fifteen other boats, including Mikulski Sounds Support pensation for a private goes from several SlU-crewed tugs, arrived In introducing the amend­ a base salary of $9,777 to $15,621 near the Charger shortly after the and for a lieutenant from $18,727 ment, Grassley also called into explosion and tried to contain the question the patriotism of U.S. to $34,000. fire, which blazed for more than "The real master's pay is not merchant mariners, stating "some five hours. The explosion repor­ $44,000 (as Grassley claimed). seafarers would not serve during tedly was felt as far as four miles His base pay according to the the Persian Gulf war." "I believe that when it comes away. A far less severe blast took Maritime Administration is place about one hour after the first $3,350 per month," Inouye told Continued on page 6 explosion. No time frame has been set for investigators to announce the of­ ficial cause of the accident, a Coast Guard spokesiman recently told the Seafarers LOG. How­ ever, officials have acknow­ ledged that Kelly and Boutwell were welding in one of the tanker's below-deck cargo holds at the time of the initial explosion. Officials initially were conContinued on page 6 SIU Victim of Blast Mourned by Union Seafarers mourned the death of fellow SIU member Milton "Willie" Williams and two riding crewmembers who perished in a massive explosion aboard the OMI Charger last month near the Houston Ship Channel. Brother Williams, 56, was sailing as a QMED/pumpman at the time of the accident. He reportedly died from internal in­ juries after being struck by a ladder which was propelled by the force of the explosion. A funeral was held at Com­ munity Funeral Chapels in Beaumont, Texas, and Brother Williams was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery, also in Beaumont. SIU President Michael Sacco, in behalf of all union members, officials and staff, ex­ tended sincere condolences to Milton "Willie" Williams Brother Williams' widow, Pat, and their six children. "This was a tragic, tragic incident. It's hard to find words to adequately ex­ press our deep sense of loss and Continued on page 6 IML: "tv.' ; �4 NOVEMRER1993 SEAFARERS LOG BaWe Heats Up to Defeat NAFTA for the consequences to workers ment" under the maquiladora pro­ Continuedfrom page 3 gram brought no gains for and their communities." that, in addition to transferring as Mexican workers. Like NAFTA, Similarly, economists many as half-a-million U.S. jobs Timothy Koechlin and Mahrene the maquiladora program does to south of the border, NAFTA not allow for enforcement of such Larudee have concluded that would lead to lost tariff revenues basic worker rights as the right to NAFTA would lead to a crippling "estimated to cost $2.5 billion loss of investment in the U.S. bargain collectively, the right to over the first five years of the strike and the right to freely as­ "NAFTA's net effect by the year agreement." The cleanup of the sociate. "It didn't take into ac­ 2000 [would be] a diversion of environmental destruction in count that wages in Mexico are investment from the United Mexico would cost at least $20 States to Mexico of as much as ndt set by negotiation, but are set billion more, he said. $53 billion, a decline in U.S. by government boards that vir­ The views of many employment of up to 500,000 tually dictate what the wages will economists were summed up by jobs and a cumulative loss in U.S. be," Gephardt said. David Ranney, director of the wage income of as much As a result, Mexican ma­ as $320 Center for Urban Economic billion," they wrote. quiladora plants—at which many Development at the University of workers earn as little as 50 cents Mexicans Also Lose Illinois, who has spent the past an hour—have doubled in the Speaking at the convention, two years studying the impact of past 10 years as U.S. companies transnational corporations on Gephardt cautioned that it is not relocate their factories to posi­ employment in Chicago and the only American workers who tions along the U.S.-Mexican rest of Illinois, as well as policy stand to suffer from an enacted border. Thousands of Mexican implications of that impact. In a NAFTA. While U.S. jobs would maquiladora workers live in letter to the Chicago Tribune, be lost, and wages for remaining nearby slums, in housing made Ranney said, "NAFTA is not real­ U.S. jobs inevitably would be from scrap wood and cardboard, ly a 'free trade' agreement at all. driven downward, Mexico's with no electricity or running It gives supranational corpora­ workers also should be wary of water. tions a blank check to move their the agreement. As proof, he noted that the NAFTA would mean more of operations wherever and i when­ ever they please, without regard one-way free trade arrange­ the same, Gephardt warned. Save American JobsTell Congress 'No' to NAFTA Seafarers and their, families are urged to contact their repre­ sentatives and senators in Washington to vote against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Later this month, the House of Representatives is expected to cast its first vote on the trade pact which would open the door for American companies to move their factories and plants to the low wages and poor occupational health and environmental standards found in Mexico. Big business and the Mexican government have been waging a rf 1 campaign : nnnnracc •/-« naSS NAFTA. well-financed to persuade Congress to pi Their television advertisements have claimed the United States would gain jobs if the treaty was approved. However, national business trade magazines have carried ads like those seen on page 3 that tell American businesses to uproot their factories and plants and move south of the border to take ad­ vantage of the poorer working conditions in Mexico. Passage of NAFTA would mean the loss of hundreds of thousands of American jobs. The way to keep this from happening is for all Americans to contact their representatives and senators. Members of the House of Representatives can be reached by writing; The Honorable (name of representative) United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 To send a letter to a senator, write: The Honorable (name of senator) United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 , f;.: . V ,. y Pro-Worker Course Set By AFL-CIO Delegates I--., Delegates to the AFL-CIO convention heard about worker concems from (left to right) President Bill Clinton, House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, Rep. William Clay and Labor Secretary Robert Reich. Trade unionists get their point across during an anti-NAFTA rally in San Francisco held last month. Unions Press 'Work Tax' Suit <-:'•>* . •'*, • " Pretrial activities are continu­ ing in a lawsuit filed by the SIU, four other maritime labor unions and five individual mariners against the U.S. Coast Guard and the secretary of transportation to stop collecting fees on merchant marine documents (z-cards) and marine licenses. Last month, lawyers for the unions and mariners, known as the plaintiffs, filed what is known as a motion for summary judg­ ment in a federal court in Washington. The government's response is due early this month, then the maritime side will have one more opportunity for rebut­ tal. (The government previously filed its motion for summary judgment in late August.) Summary judgment is a proce­ dure used when all facts in a case Can be gathered on paper and wit­ nesses are not needed to testify in a trial in order for the judge to make a decision. A lawsuit chal­ lenging an administrative regula­ tion, such as the work tax, usually is resolved this way. Federal Judge Oberdorfer may issue final ruling as soon as early next year, although it may take longer. The suit originally was filed on Tax Day, April 15, in the U.S. District Court for the District of gress can pass a tax and the legis­ Columbia. It claims that the lative body cannot transfer that charging of fees for z-cards is un­ authority to another branch of the constitutional and amounts to a government: "The Coast Guard's "work tax," because mariners are license and document fees should unable to work without docu­ be set aside because they seek to ments. Moreover, the plaintiffs recover from individual merchant charge that the fees were calcu­ seamen and boatmen regulatory lated incorrectly by the federal costs that should be bome by the agency. public at large. Indeed, the licens­ The other unions joining the ing and documenting program Seafarers in the lawsuit are the has historically and expressly National Maritime Union/Dis­ been recognized as being in the trict 4; District No. 1-Pacific public interest. Charging in­ Coast District Marine Engineers dividual mariners for these benefits Beneficial Association; the amounts, as a constitutional matter, American Maritime Officers, to imposing an impermissible District 2 MEBA; and the Inter­ agency-initiated tax on them," national Organization of Masters, says the unions' court filing. Mates & Pilots. The Sailors' The user fee originated in the Union of the Pacific and the 1990 Omnibus Budget Recon­ Marine Firemen's Union, both af­ ciliation Act. filiated with the Seafarers, also The reason for removing the have joined in the fight. century-old ban on collecting fees Anthony Primeaux, William on merchant documents was to H. Mulcahy, John Paul Hoskins, raise money to reduce the nation's James C. Oliver and Perry O. budget deficiL which further indi­ Lawrence are the individual mariners who are plaintiffs cates the measure is a tax. against the Coast Guard and The fees, which the Depart­ Transportation Secretary ment pf Transportation began Federico Pena. collecting in April, range from In their motion for summary $35 for a duplicate z-card, license judgment, the unions and or certificate of registry to $272 mariners argue that only Con­ for an upper level license. 7-V / Delegates to the 20th Biennial than this NAFTA," Gephardt told AFL-CIO Convention renewed the delegates. He noted the treaty their call for the defeat of the did not take into account the fact North American Free Trade that wages in Mexico are set by Agreement (NAFTA) despite as­ government boards and not surances from President Bill through negotiations with Clinton that "I would never workers and management. knowingly do anything to cost an "If Mexican wages can't come American a job." up, there won't be any money in Trade unionists attending the the hands of Mexican workers to four-day meeting, held October buy products that we hope freer 4-7 in San Francisco, also trade would allow them to buy," pledged to fight for health care Gephardt added. reform, striker replacement legis­ To show White House support lation, maritime revitalization with labor. Labor Secretary Robert and a variety of other issues that Reich announced the Clinton affect the working people of administration's support for striker America and their families. replacement legislation. "What In addressing the meeting on its gotxi is the right to strike if a com­ opening day, Clinton said, "The pany can gut it by hiring replace­ most important thing to me today is ment workers?" Reich asked. "It that you know that this administra­ makes a mockery of a system pf tion shares your values and your collective bargaining. We have hopes and your dreams and the in­ got to plug that loophole." terests of your children." As a sponsor of striker replace­ ment legislation in the House, Help for Health Care Representative William Clay (DThe president called on labor Mo.) told the convention, "The to help pass comprehensive pendulum has swung so far in health care reform. He said he favor of business that labor laws wants the American people to are not protecting the rights of have "health care access whether workers to organize. The bedrock they're working or unemployed, whether they work for a little of collective bargaining is and al­ ways will be the right to strike." business or a big one." He noted passage of health Support U.S.-Flag Fleet care reform is a crucial step In approving the report of the needed to prepare America for the AFL-CIO executive council, challenges of the next century. delegates announced their sup­ While acknowledging labor's port for revitalization of the U.S.difference with him on NAFTA, flag merchant fleet. The report Clinton said he supports the treaty noted a variety of initiatives are because it will lead to better trade needed, including adoption of a for America in the future. federal program to enhance vessel . The president's argument for operating capabilities in interna­ NAFTA was rejected by several tional commerce and development speakers including House Majority of a national cargo policy to effi­ Le^r Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.). ciently move both government and "We can and must do better conunercial cargoes. / / / I �1993 SEAFARERS LQf^ Giant ffini/fi Lobby Balks At Revealhig For^gn Ties 5 (l^wnr The organization which serves as the chief propagandist for foreign-flag oriented grain interests is loath to divulge the foreign ownership of many of its member companies and their ties to foreign-flag shipping. The North American Export Grain As­ change between Rep. Helen Delich Bentley and sociation (NAEGA), headed by Steven A. Mr. McCoy below.) McCoy, is comprised of some 40 cor­ The evidence indicates that NAEGA, which McCoy describes as "simply a trade association," has members with links to powerful trading houses of Japan, France, Italy, Australia, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Canada. NAEGA's groups are often among the largest, most powerful corpora­ tions of those nations. The interests and holdings of these companies include hundreds of foreign-flag ships, most of them operating under runaway flags. The use of runaway flags allows shipowners to register their vessels with a nation that operates a ship registry as a cash generation measure. These Disclosed by Other Sources nations, in exchange for selling the use of their flag Despite information on NAEGA's foreign ties on the stem of a vessel, offer shipowners little or being available through a few public sources, no regulation in the area of manning requirements. NAEGA's spokesman will not name names, even Continued on page 7 when pressed by a member of Congress. (See ex­ porate groups, of which close to half are ultimately owned by foreign parent companies. Many of these corporate giants have shipping subsidiaries or af­ filiated companies with shipping interests—^the vast majority of such under foreign-flag. These facts however are not publicly stated by the organization itself. This information is gleaned from government filings of the organization and material available in business publications. (See box on page 7.) Pattern of Abuse, Corruption By Giant Agri Groups Uncovorod Food Exporters Reap Benefits of Cozy Relations With Agriculture Pep't and Development Agency The billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars spent every year to make American food commodities competitive with foreign-grown Slic^cur wheat, com and other products have fattened the coffers of a few giant corporations and have done Reaps Profit, little to increase the export of U.S. agricultural products. The New u to Help ;i AbtaaPhgueProi MONDAY ExportM ofAgTKuhuml FmducitiJ-^ York Times revealed in a series df OCTOBER 11 three articles by two reporters 1993 SUNDAY who conducted an extensive in­ OCTOBER 10 vestigation into the dealings of 1993 the Department of Agriculture. The $40 billion spent to in­ crease American agricultural ex­ Billions of taxpayer dollars spent on subsidies to up exports of ports "has instead enriched American food products are ineffective and, in many cases, misused. small group of multinational cor­ The New York Times reported in a series of three articles. porations while doing little to ex­ Agriculture refused to adopt such pand the American share of the year, while pushing for increases a ban. The New York Times in the $70 billion plus per year world's agricultural markets, reporters discovered. said the authors of the articles, U.S. government subsidy to Gov't Looks the Other Way which appeared on October 10, agriculture. The reporters found that a No Holds Barred 11 and 12. revolving door relationship with The New York Times articles Written by Dean Baquet and Diana B. Henriques, the articles detail a number of cases in which officials of the USDA, the Agen­ document how much of the profit giant agriculture interests have cy for Intemational Development amassed by the giant grain inter­ engaged in illegal and unethical (AID), the arm of the U.S. State ests has come from circumvent­ transactions involving U.S. Department which coordinates ing regulations, unethical moves govemment food aid programs. aid to developing nations, and and, in some cases, illegal ac­ The abuses range from using U.S. giant agribusiness groups government funds to bribe fostered abuses. tivities. foreign officials to spending tax­ The articles cited the case of payer monies to establish the USDA general counsel who in Enemies of Shipping The huge agribusiness groups profitable distribution monopo­ 1988 argued against barring com­ panies caught in infractions relat­ and govemment agencies named lies. ing to department programs from 'The Agriculture Department in the article are among the lead­ ing opponents of U.S. shipping continues to give billions of dol­ future participation in the laws. (See article on the North lars of business to politically agency's contracts. That same of­ American Export Grain Associa­ powerful agricultural companies ficial left govemment and today that have been caught rigging represents large exporters of tion above.) bids, fixing prices and defrauding agricultural products, said the Traditionally, these interests, Govemment programs," the ar­ reporters. while advocating the purchase A memorandum from a and use of U.S.-produced agricul­ ticle states. Department of Agriculture offi­ The reporters also found that tural products for govemment aid programs, have opposed the use the U.S. Department of Agricul­ cial to the govemment's Office of of American-flag vessels to ture (USDA) was loath to dis­ Management and Budget ob­ deliver the donated cargoes. The cipline or prosecute the violators. tained by the newspaper said his giant agribusiness lobby attacks While other govemment agencies agency did not want to adopt such the govemment monies used to prohibit contracts with com- a strict requirement because contract U.S. ships, funds that lanies that have broken U.S. laws Continued on page 7 generally amount to millions a or regulations, the Department of . 1- I Grain's McCoy Evades Congressional Queries The mouthpiece of the giant grain exporters, Steven A. McCoy, who attacks cargo preference iaws and U.S.-flag shipping generaiiy, has consistently refused to reveal the true make-up of his organization, euphemistically known as the North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA). While several members of Congress have attempted to discern the somewhat foreign character of NAEGA's membership and their ties to foreign-flag shipping, McCoy has engaged in evasive tactics. Here is an excerpt of an appearance by McCoy before the Congress. It should be noted that as of October 28 the requests for information made to McCoy last June had not been answered, according to congressional staff. Before the Subcommittee on Merchant Marine June 23,1993. Mrs. Heien Delich Bentiey (R-Md.). ... Mr. McCoy, at the agriculture appropriations hearing last week you stated you represented a little as­ sociation. It is my understanding that NAEGA, has about 40 members, inciuding all of the biggest multinational grain houses and some of the biggest companies in the world. The largest grain houses are owned by some of the richest peopie around the worid. Do any of the companies beionging to your organization have foreign parent companies? Mr. McCoy. Ali of the companies that are members of NAEGA by the by-laws of NAEGA are required to be U.S. incorporated companies. Mrs. Bentley. That is not what I asked. I asked you whether they have foreign parent companies. IcCoy. Yes. Some of the companies have affiiiations with foreign Mr. Mc companies. Mrs. Bentiey. Ail of them? Mr. McCoy. No not all of them. Mrs. Bentley. 50 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent? Mr. I^Coy. It yyouid be difficult to say. Mrs. Bentley. itle\ Come on, Mr. McCoy. Mr. McCoy. Weil, it is difficult to say. I would say that some do, some don't, and it depends on how you defined it. Mrs. Bentiey. What countries are involved in the foreign parent com­ panies? Mr. McCoy. Weil, a multinational company typically might include within its organizationMrs. Bentley. I asked—are they Japan, Switzerland, Italy and Canada? Mr. McCoy. I beg your pardon? Mrs. Bentley. Are they Japan, Switzerland, Italy and Canada? Mr. McCoy. There is a possibility of connections in those countries. Mrs. Bentley. Do those foreign interests benefit from foreign aid paid for by American taxpayers? Mr. McCoy. No, not at ali. Mrs. Bentley. They don't from the grain subsidies they receive? Mr. McCoy, No. Mrs. Bentiey. They do not benefit? Mr. McCoy. No. Mrs. Bentiey. Mr. McCoy, think of what you are saying. j.Thefc Mr. McCoy. I am saying exactly wh&t I just said. No. The foreign interests don't benefit. The beneficiary, if there is any beneficiary as far as a grain company is concerned, would be a U.S. incorporated affiliate. Mrs. Bentiey. Controlled andowned by the foreign parent company, Mr. McCoy. Mr. McCoy. I am sorry. It is irrelevant who would control or own a company. Mrs. Bentley. Come on, Mr. McCoy, let's not play Tiddley Winks. Is NAEGA required to register as a lobbyist for foreign companies under the Foreign Agent Registration Act? Mr. McCoy. No, we are not. Mrs. Bentiey. But you have ail these multinational companies. Mr. McCoy. As I say, the compariies who are a member of NAEGA are members by virtue of their U.S. incorporated status. Mrs. Bentiey. Do any of your members own foreign flag vessels? Mr. McCoy. I don't know. Mrs. Bentiey. Come on, Mr. McCoy. Mr. McCoy. I am sorry. I don't know. I don't know. I would assume that some would but frankly it has never been an issue that Ihave been intensely interested in. Mrs. Bentley. I would like an answer for that and I would like a specific answer for that, the numbers and who. Mr. McCoy, i would be happy to do my best to provide that. Mrs. Bentiey. And with that, some! of the foreign aid that is paid for the cargo carried on these vessels means that your association companies also benefit from the American taxpayers' dollar. Mr. McCoy. I will do the best I can to provide any information you request. •'.f •f. ••i.i •. >•' - ••• 'W �6 ROVEMRER1993 SEAFARERS LOG Seafarer Among Casualties in Houston Channoi ExpiTOion Continued from page 3 cemed about a possible fuel spill (the Charger's holds were empty, but its own bunker supply was 365,000 gallons). However, the vessel's fuel was transferred to a barge without incident, thereby ending the threat of pollution. The 660-foot ship was re­ floated near the channel several days after the accident. Owned by OMI Corp. of New York, the Charger was at anchor when the explosion took place. Accident Remembered Bosun Eugene Beverly had just taken a seat in the crew mess hall when he heard a noise which seemed a thousand times louder than thunder. He felt the ship con­ tort as if it had been twisted in the hands of a giant. "It was a terrible explosion. You had to be there to understand just how serious it was," said Beverly, 59, who was not injured. "My first thought was that there would be a chain reaction of ex­ plosions, because I knew we weren't gas-free." The officers and crewmembers reacted quickly, and within a few minutes the survivors gathered on the stern. ABs Chuck Collins and Jimmie Scheck car­ ried Williams there; Beverly and others knew that two other men had been working in the tank and could not possibly have survived. "Considering the situation, I was very proud of how the men conducted themselves," the bosun said. "They were very or­ derly. Keep in mind, this was a hell of an experience." Rescue Boat Waiting The Charger quickly sank in about 40 feet of water, which ac­ tually facilitated the rescue. "Right after the explosion, we took about a 25-degree list to port," Beverly recalled."Once we hit bot­ tom, the stem was almost even with the water,so we practically stepped off the ship right onto the crew boat (the Tim McCalt)." He added that, although he and the other crewmembers are trying to put the incident behind them, "To be honest, I don't think you ever completely forget something like this." The Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office in Galveston and the NTSB, an independent federal agency, concluded a joint hearing on the accident last month but will issue separate reports once the in­ vestigation is over. According to published reports, this incident marked one of more than two dozen empty-tank ex­ plosions worldwide in the past seven years—accidents which AP Photo/Rick Bowmer The 660-foot gasoline tanker OM! Charger\\es with a giant hole in its side as a result of an explosion and fire that occurred October 9 near the mouth of the Houston Ship Channel close to Galveston, Texas. The cause of the blast, which killed three crewmembers, is under investigation. have resulted in 30 fatalities. The Charger had been in a shipyard for one month prior to the accident and was preparing to take on a cargo of gas in Texas City. The SIU members who were on board during the accident were Beverly, Williams, Collins, Scheck, ABs Daniel Hebior, Clemente Rocha and Kevin Hamilton, Pumpman Jack Singletary, OMUs Eldridge Smith, Daniel Campbell and Andy Lopez, GUDE Darryl Brown, Chief Steward Neville Johnson, Chief Cook Ambrosio Fachini and SA Arthur Reeves. Union Mourns Loss of QMEO Killed in OMI Charger Blast In 1975, the chief engineer of the SS Shenandoah summed up sympathy," Sacco stated. "We Brother Williams' work habits in will miss Willie, and we share his a letter of recommendation which read in part: "Williams was able family's grief." to work cooperatively with 'A Good Union Member' several different mates and en­ Brother Williams "was a good gineers. His attitude is very good. guy, very well-liked and very He is the type of man needed professional. He knew his job," aboard ships I would recom­ said SIU Port Agent Jim McGee. mend him for the engine depart­ "I knew Willie for many years. ment of any ship and would He always made an effort to teach be happy to have him in the young guys. He was a good always my department again." union member." SIU officials and members Brother Williams graduated from the port of Houston ex­ who said, "The use of the from the Lundeberg School in American-flag ship actually 1969, after serving a four-year tended the union's heartfelt sad­ saves the Defense Department stint in the Marine Corps. A na­ ness to Brother Williams' family money because the alternative tive of the U.S. Virgin Islands, he immediately after the accident would be for the Defense Depart­ first sailed as a wiper aboard the and throughout the following weeks. Father Sinclair Oubre, a ment to establish its own fleet to Sea-Land Galveston'm 1969. Catholic priest who also sails as cany this cargo." He later sailed aboard an AB, gave a prayer service for Senator Dianne Feinstein (ID- Isthmian Lines ships, and in 1974 Calif.) emphasized the economic he upgraded to QMED at the Lun­ Brother Williams at the October membership meeting in Houston. and military importance of the deberg School. He also conducted a mass in U.S.-flag merchant fleet. "The Bosun Eugene Beverly, who merchant marine, in peacetime, sailed with Williams off and on memoiy of Brother Williams on plays an important role in the since the mid-1970s, was aboard October 20. economies of coastal states such as the Charger when the explosion Additional condolences may Califomia and has far-reaching im­ took place. "I don't believe you be sent to Pat Williams and Fami­ pacts on states that produce the could find a better shipmate" than ly, c/o Seafarers International cargo carried by these fleets," she Williams, said Beverly. "He was Union, 1221 Pierce St., Houston, said. TX 77002. a fine person." Continued from page 3 Senators Defeat Attack on Wages Continued from page 3 to transporting supplies and other materiel that that should go under an American flag, staffed by American seamen who are not only cost-effective but have an ethic of patriotism," Senator Bar­ bara Mikulski (D-Md.) responded. The senator quoted the head of the U.S. Transportation Com­ mand, which oversees the move­ ment of equipment within the military, during the Persian Gulf conflict as saying unlike foreign vessels no American ship was delayed for the lack of a crew. ii sP:;";!:-. Si.'v-••• V-' Recalling a recent Senate debate, she said, "If American people are reluctant to put their troops under a foreign com­ mander, why would they want to put their materiel and supplies under a foreign-flag ship?" John Breaux (D-La.), the chairman of the Senate Merchant Marine Subcommittee, pointed out Grassley's "amendment would do away with the cargo preference program for military cargo. Adding that cargo preference laws and the presence of the U.S.flag merchant fleet saves the Defense Department money was Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), Lost Vietnam Mariners Honorecl By San Francisco Monument Years of struggle against veterans' groups and bureaucratic red tape came to an end last month when a concrete monument honoring seven merchant mariners—including five mem­ bers of the SIUNA-affiliated Marine Firemen's Union (MFU)—who lost their lives in Vietnam was unveiled on the San Francisco waterfront., The ceremony on October 3 was the culmination of seven years of work by the MFU and Califomia state Senator Milton Marks to have these Americans honored with the others who died during the war in southeast Asia. The seven—Chief Electrician Raymond G. Barrett, Second Electrician Earl T. Erickson, Oiler James W. McBride, Wiper Timothy A. Riordan Jr., FiremanAVatertender Robert J. Rowe, First Assistant Engineer John A. Bishop and Second Assistarit Engineer Charles B. Rummel—were killed aboard the Baton Rouge Victory when the ship struck a mine as it was sailing in the Long Tao channel of the Saigon River on August 23,1966. "This caps a longtime effort to honor the crew of the Baton Rouge Victory," stated Henry "Whitey" Disley, president of the MFU. "We were opposed by memorial and veterans affairs commissions who claimed they shouldn't be included in their monuments because they weren't members of the armed forces. But they gave the ultimate sacrifice and we , are here to honor ^d remember them." Disley, who spearheaded the campaign for the monument, described during the ceremony the problems the union and its sup­ porters overcame to honor the mariners. He noted original plans called for the seven names to be added to the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C. but that was turned down because the mariners were not part of the armed forces. The same reasoning was used when an attempt to add the names to the Califomia inemorial was refused. When a separate memorial plaque for the state monument was suggested, Califomia Gover­ nor George Deukmejian vetoed it. Then after the present design was submitted for a location on the state capital lawn, the monu­ ment was declared oversized and plans should be resubmitted. Instead, the San Francisco Port Commission approved the monu­ ment and offered a location on the Embarcadaro that overlooks San Francisco Bay. "Here with great pride through the efforts of the unions and their allies, people can pause and read of a sacrifice by merchant mariners," said James Herman, president of the port commission and past president of the Intemational Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union. "It is sad and tragic we had to engage in such a struggle to honor those who went down to the sea on the Baton Rouge Victory," Herman added. "Their loyalty to country was second to none." Jack Henning, executive secretary-treasurer of the Califor­ nia Labor Federation, said no greater tribute could be paid to the memory of the seven than "the Henry "Whitey" Disley (left) joins former Baton Rouge Victory crew­ members Bedroom Steward Toll Alston (center) and AB Milton Hendrick in unveiling the monument to seven merchant mariners who died on the ship in Vietnam. restoration of the U.S.-flag mer­ chant marine. There is no proof war will never visit us again. We must build our merchant marine not only for defense, but also for restoration of our economy." The concrete monument stands four feet high and eight feet wide. It features a bronze relief portrait of the vessel on the right and a description of the sink­ ing of the ship with the seven victims' names on the left. The base is inscribed with the words, "American merchant seamen who made the supreme sacrifice." More than 100 people attended the ceremony including former Baton Rouge Victory crewmem­ bers and family members of those who died in the explosion. Others participating in the un­ veiling included Rear Admiral Thomas J. Patterson, Monsignor John P. Heaney, Captain Frank Johnson of MarAd and Sen. Marks. : r-— �•V -V'.. ••f;. • : -v: '-y-m- NOVEMBER 1993 SEAFARERS LOG AnH U.S.-Flag Ship Gim^ I^M-Lphietl on Awtetan Ties lax safety standards and very favorable tax treat­ ment. Among the world's most popular runaway registers are Panama, Liberia, Vanuatu and Norway among others. (While Norway at one time was a traditional maritime nation, operating national-flag vessels crewed by Norwegian seamen and account­ able to Norway, Ae nation now operates a so-callec second register which lifts the requirements as­ sociated with a national flag register and offers runaway-flag like benefits for shipowners.) Runaway-flag ships, which by their very nature are running away from the higher standards and taxes of traditional maritime nations, have a track record of exploiting, abusing, even enslaving crewmembers, a history of avoiding legal authorities of Who's for Subsidies? any nation, particularly to escape from safety prac­ NAEGA advocates using American taxpayer tices, inspections and other practices which add to money to support bargain basement runaway ship­ the cost of an operation. ping, attacking the American shipping industry, In addition to having a runaway-flag com­ ponent, many NAEGA members operate in the which competes with fleets of other nations sub­ billions of dollars of revenue a year category. And sidized by their governments directly and indirectly a good share of the NAEGA members are trading and with fleets subsidized in a round-about-manner houses, not farmers or farm groups, but traders of by allowing them no ties to any nation through the device of runaway flags. commodities, including oil, metals, and other Ironically, NAEGA does not believe what is products. good for the goose is good for the gander. The organ Congress is Still Waiting for the giant export grain lobby does not advocate As it stands now, two House subcommittees are using U.S. government monies to purchase the awaiting information from NAEGA on its foreign cheaper wheat and com available on the world ties. The requests for this data were made in hear­ market—the very low cost wheat and com on ings on June 17 by a member of the House Foreign which is based the rationale for subsidizing Agriculture and Hunger Subcommittee and on June American grain and food product exports. 23 by a member of the House Subcommittee on The grain group instead stands fully behind Merchant Marine. govemment subsidies for exported agricultural In questioning by representatives at these hear­ products. Much of this is done through a subsidy ings, McCoy feigned lack of knowledge in regard process known as the Export Enhancement Pro­ to the area of foreign ownership and foreign ship gram (EE?) which provides the difference to ex­ links and said he would provide the information. porting companies of the higher cost U.S. product Inquiries made to the staff of each panel revealed and the foreign-produced product selling at a lower that as of October 28, no such material from rate on the world market. NAEGA had been received by either subcommit­ According to press reports, NAEGA members tee. NAEGA is largely known on Capitol Hill and in have profited mightily from the EEF program. federal agencies for its attempts to eliminate the law Since its inception in 1985 up to the end of 1991, of the nation which states that 75 percent of U.S. NAEGA member Cargill, Inc. received $800 mil­ government food aid cargoes must be carried on lion in EE? bonuses, NAEGA member Continental Grain took in $702 million. NAEGA's FrenchU.S.-flag vessels. owned Louis Dreyfus Corp. has received some NAEGA, in addition to working to abolish the $590 million and two Fermzzi companies collected law, known as cargo preference, continually seeks close to $320 million. Holland's Bunge, also a exemptions of the ship-American policy for various NAEGA member, was awarded $132 million, grain cargoes destined for recipient nations. At one among others. time or another, NAEGA has sought cargo preference exemptions for cargoes going to Poland, "We maintain the Export Enhancement Pro­ the Soviet Union, most recently Russia, among gram as a means to maintain our competitiveness others. vis-a-vis the European Community and conse­ Good for Grain Sellers quently so long as [European Community] sub­ Without the requirement to ship on American sidies exist, so too also will our subsidies," said vessels, McCoy believes more grain can be sold, an VIcCoy. NYT: Export Food Aid Abused Continued from page 5 USDA's relationships on food aid contracts "are, by their nature, very close, and usually coopera­ tive, as opposed to 'arms-length' procurement-type relationships." Farmers Not Benefitting companies profited. Four cor­ porations received nearly $1.4 billion, or more than 60 percent, of the $2.3 billion in subsidies dispensed through the Export En­ hancement program, the most generous program, in its first four years," stated the articles. The Export Enhancement Program (EEP) provides a subsidy to the seller of the grain or other product that amounts to the difference be­ tween the U.S. price and the world price. The agricultural export programs of the U^|ed States now favor big corpor^ons, many of which are foreign owned. The New York Times found. "[T]here is little propf that farmers Reprints Available benefit[t]ed from the buildup in A political scientist inter­ export assistance," noted the viewed by The New York Times articles' authors. journalists, Robert,Paarlberg of "[T]here is evidence that big Wellesley College and the Har­ -7' • ./• ^ ^ Foreign Ties of NAEGA Member Groups A partial list follows of the ultimate foreign ownership offhe NAEGA member companies as well as the flag-state of the vessels operated or controlled by NAEGA member companies, their parents and related subsidiaries. It is likely that this list is by no means complete as large commercial interests such as the ones named here generally try to keep information such as this out of the public eye. act that would further increase the massive subsidy of taxpayer monies going to agricultural interests NAEGA Members, (now at more than $70 billion per year). Directors, Officers Responding to an inquiry from Congressman Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) at the June 17 House Bunge Corporation Foreign Agriculture and Hunger Subcommittee Mitsui Grain Corp. hearing, McCoy stated why, from his perspective, foreign shipping is a "more suitable" alternative to U.S.-flag ships. "In general, the foreign vessel would be more suitable because it would be cheaper, and so there­ fore the customer (a foreign country) could maxi­ mize his opportunity to import grain, if that is his purpose," McCoy said. He added, "[The customer] Con Agra Grain Corp. can buy more grain if he pays less on transporta­ Cargill, Inc. tion." Continental Grain, Inc. . Continued from page 5 / V"- Nation of Ultimate Ownership/Control Flag States Of Ships The Netherlands Y Japan Japariy Panama Vanuatu Hong Kong Liberia Singapore Myanmar (Burma) Cyprus Marshall Islands . V Liberia Mexico Antigua & Barbuda Panama Cyprus India Liberia ' ~ r' ' Archer Daniels Midland Co. Ireland J. Aron & Company Louis Dreyfus Corporation France Tradigrain, Inc. Switzerland France Philippines Liberia Hong Kong The Andersons Central States Enterprises Elders Grain, Inc. Australia |v Alliance Grain, Inc. Central Soya Company, Inc. Italy Feruzzi USA, Inc. Italy " Interstate Grain Corp. • Italy Bahamas Cyprus Panama Italgrani USA, Inc. Italy Maple Leaf Mills Inc. Canada Mitsubishi International Corp. Japan Japan Panama Philippines • / Liberia Pasternak Baum & Co., Inc. James Richardson & Sons, Ltd Canada SGS Control Services, Inc. Switzerland Tidewater Grain Company Marubeni America Corporation Japan Oriac International Canada Richco Grain Ltd Switzerland Panama . Cayman Islands Liberia Japan Liberia Panama Singapore Nonvay (1) Greece United Kingdom Spantrade, Inc. Toymenka (America) Inc. Japan Woodhouse Corporation United Kingdom C. Itoh & Co. (America) Inc. Japan Zen^Noh Unico American Corp. Japan vard Center for International Af­ Alabama State Docks fairs, noted that the export sub­ Gamac Grain Company sidies were ineffective. "In the Alfred C. Toepfer European (2) case of wheat, for example, the- International Inc. government could provide a I sranicorp, Inc. France greater benefit to wheat farmers Union Equity Coop. Exchange at lower cost to the taxpayers if it ^ort of Corpus Christi simply purchased the surplus wheat and burned it," Paarlberg told the paper. Reprints of these articles, printed with permission of The New York Times, are available from the Seafarers LOG office. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy should address a request to the Seafarers LOG-, 5201 Auth Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. 7 Singapore (1) Ships fly the flag of Norway but are registered with the nation's second registry, a device which allows the shipowner flag-of-convenience-like terms with the label of a traditional mar[fime nation. (2) Toepfer is a amalgam of cooperatives in Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, France and the United states. Source; NAEGA's membership, directors and officers are reported on NAEGA's An­ nual Report for Foreign and Domestic Corporations, filed with the Govemment of the District of Columbia. Foreign ownership data is collected from business peri­ odicals, newspaper reports and business directories. Ties to ships operated under foreign registries is compiled from directories, articles in periodicals from around the world and govemment filings. •f.M • �8 MOVEMRER1993 SEAFARERSLOG a-,' -^fS' A The Caribbean Responder l)egins boom-laying operations during a recent drill off St. Croix. m-0 :' Releasing the lines on the Borinquen is AB Jorge L. Borges. I# n AB Jose Guevara fights rain as he prepares to toss lines onto the Borinquen. Lending a hand as the Crowley tug ties up is Engineer Carlos Rodriguez. " J.-. To be prepared in the event an oil spill ever occurs, SIIJ crewmembers aboard Crowley tug­ boats are practicing containment procedures with fellow Seafarers on board the CanT^ftean Responder. ... Santurce Port Agent Steve Ruiz joined the crew of the tug Borinquen in a drill off St. Croix in September. "The session went very well," Ruiz told the Seafarers LOG. "The crews worked very well with each other and all learned from the experience." The Caribbean Responder, one of 16 Marine Spill Response Corporation vessels located along the U.S. coastline as well as Hawaii and St. Croix, served as the lead vessel in the prac­ tice—the same position it would hold in a real accident. The Crowley tugs, along with the Hess I Marine's Limetree Bay, crewed by members of | the SIU of Puerto Rico, assisted in laying booms and capturing the imaginary oil. The tug Dorac/o assists the Caribbean Responder Ruiz noted such drills will take place on a during the oil spill drill. reguiar basis to keep Seafarers up-to-date on containment techniques. SlU-crewed tugboats work with the Caribbean Responder to stretch containment booms. LEI^: Standing by on the BorinlA quen to take a line from a Responder assist boat are (left to right) AB Jorge Borges, AB Jose Guevara and Engineer Carlos Rodriguez. RIGHT: Capt. Hector A Ayala (white shirt) 3^-- - aligns the Dorado as Engineer Alfredo Gon­ zalez (left), OS Angel Sanchez and AB Felix Guilar stand by. ' The crew of the CaribbeanResponderincludes (from left, seated) Oiler Marc Aloisio, Asst. Eng. Gary M. Stetson, Cook Richard Griffith, (standing) AB Elizabeth A. Mark, Taking part m the drill Mate Bruce Fizell, Mate Mark C. Patterson and Captain o"]. James Clifford. Heading for the Dorado galley is Cook Carmelo Feliciano. Capt. Manuel Quinones handles Borin­ quen papery/ork. Monitoring from the Bor/nquenbridge is Mate Kevin Foss. Borinquen crewmembers grab a quick cup of soup prepared by Cook Jose Nunez. �. vv.' • •a;?'-; •'. •••" NOVEMBER 1993 SEAFARERS LOG 9 A National Health Problem IB Precautionary Memures to Be InsBtuted by SIU til ifl^ In order to protect the safety and health of union members and their families, the Seafarers Inter­ national Union—Atlantic.Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District and the Seafarers Welfare Plan are instituting a new program to tackle what is becoming a nation­ al health problem—the reemergence of tuberculosis (TB). The Seafarers program, which will begin in January 1994, is designed to accumulate data in order to research effects on Seafarers of the now more prevelant disease. The program will also, through a painless skin test, identify if Seafarers have been exposed to TB. The goal of the Seafarers program is to protect its members from the dis­ ease by testing for the unlikely event of some exposure to TB germs. We are basically beginning this TB control program to deter­ mine if tuberculosis is a problem for Seafarers and if so to imple­ ment a program to diagnose and control the disease," Dr. Kenneth Miller, director of the Seafarers Welfare Plan medical depart­ ment, told a reporter from the Seafarers LOG. reported tuberculosis in the ease, such as clothing, bedding, the size of a pencil eraser or big­ United States than would have toilet seats, showers, glasses, ger appears on the arm where the occurred had the incidence of TB eating materials or any other tuberculin was placed. This continued declining a^ it did items they have touched. means that the person may have through 1985. Most people who breathe in been exposed and may require TB had largely been the bacteria do not become in­ treatment to avoid getting the full eliminated in the U.S. due to im­ fected when exposed to TB. Of disease at a later time. This provements in living conditions those who do, most do not and effective dmg care. Where it develop the active disease but the preventive treatment takes at least had once been the leading cause germs can lie dormant in the cells six months to a year to kill all the of death in the U.S., after 1900TB lining the lungs where the body tuberculosis germs. A person may The Disease Returns steadily declined as a terminal ill­ may store them. The body's im­ continue to have TB bacteria in Tuberculosis, inactive for a ness and fewer and fewer cases mune system traps the bacteria his or her body unless eliminated number of years in the United were reported. with special germ fighters. From with the proper medication. States, is on the rise once again. this point on, a lifelong balance Importance for Seafarers Reasons for Return Since 1985, the number of between the infection and the "Because Seafarers live in There are many reasons for reported cases of TB has in­ human body's defense against the close quarters and deal with the this change according to the Na­ creased. The Centers for Disease infection continues. An in­ Control and Prevention (CDC), a tional Institute of Allergy and In­ dividual who has dormant TB same people day in and day out for many months at a time, the federal agency involved in re­ fectious Diseases (NIAID), bacteria in his or her lungs is not SIU determined that this TB re­ federal health agency involved in search for the control and preven­ contagious. Only those with ac­ tion of diseases, has estimated the research and development of tive TB who remain untreated are search and control program is necessary. In 1995, we will ex­ that from 1985 through 1991 guidelines for treatment of infec­ capable of infecting others. amine the information collected tious diseases. there were 39,000 mpre cases of and determine if tuberculosis is of importance of Test Causes cited by the agency for significant concern for TB's revival include the emer­ "TB screening is necessary to Seafarers," noted Dr. Miller. gence of drag-resistant strains of determine if an individual has The program will require that the organism causing the disease, been exposed to the tuberculosis increased immigration to the U.S. germ. Only ten percent of those Seafarers participate in the of people from countries with a exposed will become infected screening program at the time of high incidence of the disease, and with the full blown disease while their annual medical examina­ The Clinton administration last month unveiled a program in­ transmission among persons in in most other cases the germs tion. The TB screening will con­ tended to assist U.S. shipyards in converting from defense to com­ crowded living environments. remain dormant in the cells. If we sist of a simple questionnaire mercial work. It includes a plan to seek elimination of shipyard Researchers also state that the find out that a person has been (which will include such questions subsidies worldwide. current resurgence of the disease exposed, it is very treatable with The program would provide for $3 billion in ship construction can be attributed to the growth of existing antibiotics and may as age, place of birth and places of through loan guarantees, and a five-year conversion program to fund poverty and homelessness and an prevent any chance of active travel, as well as family and per­ research and development projects in domestic shipyards. In addi­ increase in numbers of peole con­ tuberculosis developing," ex­ sonal history of tuberculosis) and the painless TB skin test. tion, federal agencies would eliminate unnecessary regulations and gregating in one dweUing, such as plained Dr. Miller. would enhance export promotion and marketing. SIU Takes the Lead prisons, shelters and nursing Miller noted it is important to The White House report, entitled "Strengthening America's homes. The SIU medical department understand that TB germs are not Shipyards: A Plan for Competing in the Intemational Market," cites is moving rapidly to deal with any transmitted through casual con­ What is Tuberculosis? statistics from the Maritime Administration (MarAd) that estimate potential threat the member­ TB is a disease spread by tact. A person must be in close ship through to 7,300 to 9,900 large, ocean-going ships will be built for the intema­ precautionary tional commercial market between 1992 and 2001, with most of the germs called tubercle bacilli (a contact for a long period of time measures such as the skin test, work taking place after 1996. "The administration's five-part plan is species of rod-shaped bacteria) with an infected individual to be­ early detection and treatment as intended to assist efforts already underway within the industry to that can float in the air. The germs come affected by the germ. He well as the collection of data to compete internationally^" the report says. "It is a transitional pro­ are spread if a person infected stressed that even in this case, better analyze any trends or cir­ gram, consistent with federal assistance to other industries seelang with TB of the lungs coughs or only 10 percent will go on to cumstances relating to Seafarers sneezes into the air. The TB bac­ develop active tuberculosis. to convert from defense to civilian markets." and the disease. The report was completed and approved by the president in teria are so tiny that they dry out "It is very important for To Determine Infection response to part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 1993. and float on air currents for long Seafarers to participate in the TB A painless skin test on the arm Legislation for the actions called for in the report will be submitted periods in an enclosed space. is the only way to tell if a person control screening program so that to the appropriate committees of Cohgress. According to the American las been exposed to the germs we can determine if tuberculosis Following are titles and summaries of each part of the plan: Lung Association, a private associated with tuberculosis. A is a significant problem for bur Ensuring Fair International Competition. The U.S. govemment health organization that provides small needle is used to put a test­ membership. In doing so, we can has drafted and submitted a comprehensive proposal to end foreign general information to the public be active in identifying and con­ shipbuilding subsidies, effective January 1,1995, to the Organization on issues of respiratoiy health, ing material, called tuberculin, trolling TB exposure before for Economic and Cooperative Development. "Subsidies provided tuberculosis is predominantly an under the skin. In 48-72 hours, the serious infections develop," by foreign governments to their shipbuilding industries, which artifi­ airbome disease. TB germs are test on the forearm is examined to Miller concluded. cially lower prices, must be ended so that there is a tmly level playing not likely to be transmitted determine if there is a reaction to Future issues of the Seafarers field on which to compete," states the report. LOG will continue to report on through personal items belonging the disease. (Since the Reagan administration eliminated funding for the con- to those individuals with the dis­ The test is positive if a bump the Seafarers TB program. stmction differential subsidy [CDS] in 1981, fewer than a dozen ocean-going, commercial ships vessels have been built in U.S. yards. CDS underwrote the difference between the price of U.S.-built and foreign-built ships. When the differential rose, so did the average subsidy.) Improving Competitiveness. The Department of Defense, through its Advanced Research Projects Agency, will share the costs Continued from page 2 Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.), bureaucratic reasons wish to dis­ of industry-initiated research and development projects by matching chairman of the committee, has pose of the American merchant funds from the industry for such work. indicated the committee will offer marine and rely entirely on Eliminating Unnecessary Government Regulation. All govem­ citizens' organizations; shipping an amendment when H.R. 2151 is foreign-flag companies, vessels, ment agencies will review and revise or eliminate any regulations companies active in ocean-going. on the floor. The amendment will ai)d mariners. Daily our industry that "impose unnecessary burdens on the shipbuilding industry." The Great Lakes and domestic com­ include "an overall 10-year is bombarded with contradictory report lists as "major activities" the standardization of international merce; maritimii^ unions repre­ authorization level, which we ex­ messages from Administration construction standards by the U.S. Coast Guard, acquisition reform senting seamen and boatmen; and pect to be in line with the sources. . . . Opponents of the within the Department of Defense, and updating Occupational Safety shipyards. Concemed about ef­ administration's views," Studds U.S.-flag fleet within the Ad­ forts by others to open domestic and Health Administration standards. recently told the Journal of Com­ ministration have been permitted Financing Ship Sales Through title XI Loan Guarantees. Title commerce to foreign interests, merce. to propose the termination of XI currently provides U.S. buyers of ships built in U.S. yards with the coalition is seeking a U.S. U.S.-flag preference for govem­ Meanwhile, in the wake of at­ loan guarantees. The program calls for continuation of those guaran­ maritime policy consistent with tacks on domestic shipping laws, ment cargoes and to demand that tees, plus extending similar coverage to foreign buyers, in order to the interests of the nation. and in the absence to date of a support for a new program for one Unanimous Support encourage foreign carriers to build in U.S. yards. maritime policy proposal from segment of the industry be paid (Under Title XI, U.S. buyers of American-built vessels may obtain H.R. 2151, reported unani­ the White House, the United for by terminating a totally unre­ guarantees for long-term loans at fixed rates, for as much as 75 mously to the full House by the States Maritime Coalition has lated program that largely percent of the loan amount.) Merchant Marine and Fisheries urged President Clinton to reaf­ benefits another segment of the Assisting Intemational Marketing. The report indicates that ex­ Committee, would provide U.S.- firm his commitment to the con­ U.S. fleet. Either proposal would isting organizations such as the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, flag vessel owners annual pay­ tinued existence of a strong, lead, without question, to the American embassy personnel and MarAd will be used to assist U.S. ments of $2.1 million per year, competitive maritime industry in destmction of the fleet and the shipyards in their intemational marketing efforts and "to facilitate per vessel during a 10-year period the U.S. United States maritime industry." cooperative arrangements and alliances between U.S. and foreign for ships enrolled in a maritime A recent letter from the coali­ The coalition's letter con­ security fleet. The bill also calls tion to the president read in part: cludes, "We strongly urge that the yards." The report's annex notes that several independent sources agree for other payments to assist "Yoqr commitment is being cburse you have chosen— that demand for new vessels in the '90s will result mostly from the American shipyards in competing deliberately undercut by Ad­ reforming, revitalizing, and need to replace existing vessels, rather than from increased trade in commercial markets with ministration officials who for rebuilding the U.S. fleet—be foreign yards. volume. philosophical, budgetary and corhmunicated clearly." /• White House Announces II.S. Shipyard Support •i: Congress, President Urged to Back Legislation for Maritime Revitaiization • \ -'^ ••I''; »'• • M;: .-T " �10 NOVEMRER1993 SEAFARERS LOG Luedtke and Zenith Seafarers Ratify New Three-Year Accord SWMS.. Great Lakes Seafarers who sail aboard Luedtke Engineering and Zenith Dredge vessels recent­ ly ratified a new three-year con­ tract with the companies. The new pacts, which took ef­ fect September 20, include yearly wage increases throughout the life of the contract as well as expanded medical benefit coverage. The agreement also maintains all benefits achieved in previous collective bargain­ ing agreements. Seafarers ratified the new con­ tract by casting votes on their ves­ sels and at various job sites throughout the Great Lakes region. The SlU-crewed vessels are responsible for dredge and marine construction work along the lakes. A total of six negotiating ses­ spring and summer. sions were held in Frankfort, Luedtke Engineering is based Mich., Erie, Pa., Green Bay, Wis. in Frankfort and Zenith Dredge is and Algonac, Mich, during the from Duluth, Minn. Discussing the new SIU contract for licensed personnal aboard the Alton Belle Casino are (left to right) Captain John Mosele, First Mate Dave Wendle, Captain Ralph Hawkins, Relief Mate Carl Hinner Jr. and Relief Captain Jerry Wendle. A Luedtke Engineeering dredge sails along the Cuyahoga River. QMED Greg Eastwood Goes Country While some crewmembers may read books or write letters during their off-duty time aboard ship, a New Jersey Seafarer has found a special way to express his feelings when he is away from family and friends. QMED Greg Eastwood passes these in-be­ tween times by writing lyrics to later accompany music. "About half of my music is written while I am aboard a ship. There are many ways to pass the time while at sea, arid there is also a lot of time to think. Different people do different things, but I happen to write my thoughts down and put them into songs," the 36-year old mariner told a reporter from the Seafarers LOG. Switches from Rock to Country Eastwood began singing rock-and-roll ap­ proximately 14 years ago, but in the late '80s he decided it was not the musical route he wanted to take. "I couldn't find a place in rock-and-roll so I switched to country. It comes more naturally for me, and in the past few years I have found that people agree," he said. After serving several years in the U.S. Navy and briefly working as a roofing and siding sub­ contractor, he joined the SIU in 1990 in the port of Philadelphia and continued to advance his musical ambitions while at sea and on shore. "I already had my merchant mariner docu­ ment, so I thought I'd look into getting Work on a ship. Fortunately it came through. I love the travel and the great opportunities offered by the SIU to advance and educate myself. The things that I have learned because of the union will always benefit me," said Eastwood. QMED Greg Eastwood has performed for trainees and upgraders at Piney Point as well as for fellow crewmembers while at sea. . ' • . •/. In 1991 he upgraded to oiler at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship in Piney Point, Md., and in 1992 he returned for the QMED course. While advancing his skills, he performed for the trainees in the school's auditorium. "It is a great place, and they all really seemed to like my music," the QMED recalled. By Popular Request On all of the ships Eastwood has sailed, he has become a popular fixture of music and fellow­ ship. Many times crewmembers have asked him to play; some have even provided suggestions for new songs. He has written songs about sailing and the sea, but most of his music is created from heart-felt emotions. "I don't just sit down and write a song; I must be experiencing some type of an emotion and go on my very individual feelings. Singing is a type of therapy for me where something inside needs to get out and be heard. For me that voice comes out in my music," he said. More and more people began to tell Eastwood that he had legitimate talent as a singer and musician. "I thought that maybe it was time I put something together. I had people tell me I was good, but they were just ordinary people like my friends and family. I wanted to see if others in the general public thought so," he said. "I must say that my crewmembers at sea did inspire me to reach higher. They really enjoyed my music while on the ship," Eastwood added. He decided to make a demonstration tape and send it out to people in the music industry begin­ ning with local radio stations. He noted he is making connections, and a small radio station (WNJC 1360 AM) near his Turnersville, N.J. home currently plays a few of his songs. "I also sent a tape to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville record company in New Orleans and told him I was a sailor in the SIU. Hopefully I will hear something soon. I figured if I ship out, I will be able to see how the response goes," Eastwood noted. He also said he met some people at a bluegrass festival this summer who are send­ ing his tape to Sony Records. Inspired by the Seafaring Life The words of Eastwood's songs speak of saying goodbye and feelings of loneliness. One of his songs in particular, "Another Goodbye" recalls the heartfelt feelings the Seafarer ex­ periences as he says goodbye to his children before signing on a ship. "Time at sea inspired me to begin writing, and there is something sad about a lot of my songs. I guess it comes from having so much time to think about my three young boys who I am so far away from while at sea," Eastwood noted. He recently signed off the OMI Willamette after a three-month voyage to Odessa, Ukraine. "Writing and singing is a labor of love for me, and I will always have my guitar and singing as a way to vent my feelings, even if I never get any further in the big music industry," he concluded. Eastwood said he plans to continue writing while at sea and recording while on shore. •. . •' Alton Belle Officers Ammnre Contract Officers aboard theA/ton Belle by the Seafarers. They approved 11 Riverboat Casino in Alton, III. a contract later in the year after [lave approved a three-year con­ forming a bargaining committee tract that provides wage increases, which negotiated the pact. The original Alton Belle, which improved working conditions and was designed to look like an oldbetter vacation benefits. The new pact covers the cap­ fashioned Mississippi paddlewheel tains, mates and chief engineers riverboat, was taken out of service who, earlier in the year, organized when the Alton Belle 11 arrived in themselves and elected to be rep­ town in June of this year. resented by the Seafarers. The Alton Belle II docks at the Representatives for the union SlU-crewed A/ton Landing, a twoand the company held four deck barge featuring the Piasa negotiating sessions in Alton and House restaurant, buffet and bar for Detroit. Delegates to the talks passengers to use before and after from the newly organized officers cruises. It also includes a snackbar, included Captain Ralph Haw­ cocktail lounge, gift shops and kins and Chief Engineer Jack guest services. Norris. The riverboat cruise takes 90 The SIU already represents minutes as the vessel sails six other crewmembers aboard the miles up the Mississippi River riverboat casino. Deckhands, along the Illinois shoreline, then food and beverage service returns to Alton, which is located employees, galley workers, ticket 20 miles north of St. Louis. salespeople, reservationists, Th& Alton Belle His fitted with housekeepers, cashiers and main­ 650 slot machines, including tenance workers organized in video poker and video keno, 29 1991 when the Alton Belle went blackjack tables, four craps into service. Those members of tables, two roulette wheels and the crew chose to be represented one Big Six wheel. G&H Pact Endorsed SIU boatmen sailing aboard G&H tugboats along the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico have overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract with the com­ pany. Effective October I, the agree­ ment covers improvements in pension benefits as well as ex­ panded health coverage. The boatmen also will receive a wage increase each of the three years covered by the contract. Outpatient medical care, which is available to spouses and dependants of Seafarers who crew the G&H tugboats, has been greatly expanded by the new ac­ cord. A total of 28 G&H company tugs that work the Houston, Gal­ veston, Freeport and Corpus Christi areas are covered by the new pact. Representatives for the SIU and the Texas-based company held 10 negotiating sessions in both Houston and Galveston beginning late this summer. Delegates to the talks included Captain Rob Arthur, Chief En­ gineer D. Dorsett, and AB Ray Keith representing the Houston, Galveston and Freeport crew­ members and Captain Randy Yeager representing Corpus Christi members. Voting by SIU members took place aboard vessels in Houston, Galveston and Freeport and on a dock in Corpus Christi. The SlU-crewed tugboats do general harbor work and assist various types of tankers, containerships, general cargo and freightships into or out of ports in the Texas Gulf area. The Juno is one of the SlU-crewed G&H tugs covered by the new three-year agreement. . \ I I •r I • I Li �••-M: mmmER ma SEAFARERS L06 11 Assessing Industry Needs, inland Greup Plans Ceurses Representatives from inland your eyes. The smoke is non-toxic mitting some of the required companies last month met with and non-irritating, but it allows us paperwork. Alioto also reminded SIU officials at the Paul Hall Cen­ to practice emergency response the officials that the school's ter for Maritime Training and under realistic conditions." trainee program is available to in­ Education in Piney Point, Md. for Cummings also mentioned, as land members. an in-depth discussion of the an example of the school's ability Director of Vocational Educa­ industry's training needs, as well and willingness to work with tion Jim Shaffer discussed and dis­ as a review of the curriculum SlU-contracted companies, the tributed information on Coast available for Seafarers sailing on training provided for employees Guard regulations, a report on tugs and tows. The meeting was aboard the Delta Queen and the revisions to the Standards of Train­ part of an ongoing effort that Mississippi Queen, two passenger ing, Certification and Watchkeepbegan last year to fine-tune the riverboats operated by the Delta ing Convention of the United Paul Hall Center's Lundeberg As part of an ongoing effort to ensure Inland members' training needs CJueen Steamboat Co. Several Nations International Maritime Or­ met, company officials confer with representatives of the SIU and School curriculum for inland are times each year, Cummings and ganization (which eventually will the Paul Hall Center. boatmen. Instructor John Smith conduct effect training requirem^ts in die The group, which included a Familiarization; General Plant hazmat programs exceed the new firefighting and first aid courses U.S.), outlines of the school's oil representative from the U.S. Maintenance; Diesel Engine requirements set forth by DOT. while the vessels are sailing. spill and hazmat courses, a sample Coast Guard, also touched on the Maintenance; Electrical Main­ (See page 28 of the October 1993 "letter of service" required from 'Invaluable Training' state of the maritime industry in tenance; Hydraulics; Welding; issue of the Seafarers LOG for companies prior to members' taking general and the formation of the and Able Bodied Seaman/ details about the new rule.) "It's invaluable," said David Coast Guaid exams and more. United States Maritime Coali­ Tankerman. Also available are a Instructor Byran Cummings Kish, a vice president of the com­ Additionally, the group tion, a diverse organization which variety of hazardous materials discussed existing and plann^ pany. "The fact that our people reviewed the minutes of the In­ is countering efforts to allow (hazmat) classes, from an 8-hour safety courses. He explained the train with the equipment they land Advisory Board Subcom­ foreign interests to enter the familiarization course to a 48- use of state-of-the-art training would use in an emergency is a mittee meeting from last March. hour "Incident Conimahdef equipment such as a smoke bonus." domestic shipping trades. Companies represented at the The inland group also was ad­ meeting include Maritrans, Ex­ "We have some battles ahead, course which teaches a student machine "that would fill up this but we are very optimistic," SIU how to coordinate all aspects of a (conference) room in about two dressed by Director of Admis­ press Marine, Delta Queen, Great Executive Vice President Joseph hazardous materials cleanup. minutes, to the point where you sions Dan Alioto, who reviewed Lakes Towing, Marine Towing Stan Latka of Express Marine, wouldn't be able to see your hand admissions procedures, including and Transportation, Moran Ser­ Sacco said in opening the October 20 meeting."We are looking to the Inc. was one of several repre­ even if you held it six inches from Coast Guard deadlines for sub­ vice Corp. and Allied Towing. future, and we will continue to pro­ sentatives who conveyed their vide top-notch training for our satisfaction with the special cour­ members, whether they sail inland, ses conducted at the Paul Hall deep sea or on the Great Lakes." Center. "It has really worked out During the past year, the Lun­ well, and we appreciate deberg School has provided spe­ everyone's help," he said. cial courses for hundreds of Everyone at the school has been inland members who are terrific, and our employees Six Seafarers who sail aboarc Seafarers while at the same time Qne of Glover's classmates, employed by the companies rep­ benefit from the training." Maritrans tugboats in the accommodating their work George Davis, earned his "Whenever we have a training Philadelphia area recently schedules. resented at the recent meeting. tankerman's endorsement earlier Such courses are designed with need, the school is very respon­ upgraded to an able-bodied seaman "It was very beneficial,"stated this year after completing another careful consideration of each sive and they get the job done in (AB) rating by completing a spe­ specially designed course at the company's unique needs and of very little time," added John cial course at the Paul Hall Center Frank Glover, 26. 'The rules-of- Paul Hall Center. 'To be honest, I the-road section was outstanding. Burns of Maritrans, Inc. "This has members' work schedules. for Maritime Training and Educa­ I know I'll be in the wheelhouse, was a little hesitant about coming While emphasizing that jrovided our employees with a tion in Piney Point, Md. so I have to understand the here the first time. But after I saw flexibility, instractors presented )roader skill base, which only can The three-week course in­ (navigation) signals and defini­ how things are done here, I really outlines of the courses available help them and us down the road." cluded classroom and hands-on tions and recognize the shapes of looked forward to coming back," to the inland industry. They said the 48-year-old Davis. New Hazmat Reg training in deck seamanship, different boats." answered questions and ex­ Bill Eglinton, director of cargo handling, navigation, An SIU member for the past 10 changed ideas with the company Glover joined the SIU tworepresentatives in attendance quality assurance at the Paul Hall lifeboat operations, firefighting and-a-half years ago, when he years, Davis sails aboard the tug regarding scheduling, class size Center, reviewed a new Depart­ and other emergency procedures, first began working for Maritrans. Roanoke. He described the train­ ment of Transportation (DOT) plus the study of various U.S. The AB course marked his first ing available at the Lundeberg and content and more. regulation which affects training Coast Guard regulations. All courses include plenty of time studying at the Seafarers School as "interesting and very requirements for individuals in­ hands-on training. Those avail­ The course, taught by Jim Harry Lundeberg School of thorough. It's one thing to read able include Limited License I, II volved in hazmat transportation. Brown, was designed to meet the Seamanship, and he was not dis­ rules on your own, but in these and III; Engine Room He said the Lundeberg School's training needs of Maritrans appointed. "I would recommend classes you get so much more to anybody who enters this in­ detail. The practical training is dustry, you need to come here," great, too." Joining Davis and Glover in said Glover, who works aboard the tug Voyager II. "I had heard completing the course were Rod­ good things about the school, and ney Bennett, Lonnie Merrell, it was even better than I expected. Michael Morrissey and Jeffrey Seafarers who sail aboard work 20 or so piers assisting the without traveling around the "One of the things 1 really like Swain. Moran Towing tugboats on the vessels. "It makes for quite a busy Maryland, Delaware and Virginia Maritrans operates 35 tugs and Delaware River put in many hard day," said Jim Malone, an SIU peninsula. The tugs occasionally is they teach you what you need 45 barges, as well as several oil to know now, but they also teach hours towing, shifting and dock­ representative from the port of do shifting work in the Baltimore you things that will harbor as well. help you later terminals, on the Eastern ing vessels safely into the port of Philadelphia, who also supplied The union represents the in your career. This school has a Seaboard and in the Gulf of the pictures accompanying this Philadelphia. mates and deckhands who sail lot to offer." Mexico. The SlU-crewed tugs are respon­ article. aboard the five tugs out of the port Although most of the SIUsible for general harbor work and use their 1800 to 3700 horsepower en­ crewed Moran tugs are assigned of Philadelphia. They are the tug­ Expressly for Express Marine gines to bring tankers, container- to and stay in the Delaware River, boats Carolyn, Reedy Point, Cape ships, general cargo and fmit vessels some are^alled upon to assist ves- May, Hawkins Point and Grace in and out of their individual piers. sels to the Chesapeake and Moran. The machinists who wofk Due to the many various car­ Delaware Canal where the ships in the Moran shop on shore are goes coming into port, the tugs can sail to the Chesapeake harbor also SIU members. Tk'aining Deemed 'Beneficial' By Hiaritrans SIU Boatmen •rMyi • y.U--y- Shifting and Docking Vessels Create Busy Schedule for SlU-Crewed Tugs V •• . . /• After assisting a contalnership to Preparing the Grace Aforan for a SIU Machinist Bill Burow is its pier. Deckhand Louis Reves day on the Delaware River is responsible for performing repairs tidSuptheReeofyPo/nf. Deckhand Joe Chupka. aboard the Moran tugs. '• t %y Seafarers from Express Marine who completed a special shiphandling course at the Lundeberg School on August 27 are (from left) Gil Pruitt, Jake Karaczynski (instructor). Mack Keech and James Pruitt. Express Marine, based in Pennsauken, N.J., operates five tugs and barges that move coal up and down the East Coast. vA»ii.sjiwJS ' Jy- yyi /•. y kkf. •• �12 mV£MB£R 1993 XAFARBtSUIG Navy's Grocery Store Home Afters^B Years in PaciflG ^•r:'. ,7'.- Mi.i ->.••• Members of the SIU's Government Services Division returned the USNS Spica to its home port of Oakland, Calif, for the supply ship's first trip to the continental United States in eight years. The docking was marked with a ceremony involving Military Sealift Command offi­ cials, union representatives and the families of crewmemhers. The Spica, which among its many details provided stores to U.S. Navy vessels during Opera­ tion Desert Shield/Desert Stom, was recognized in a pierside ceremony for its efforts in the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf as well as along the East African coast. Taking part in the welcoming celebration were Roy "Buck" Mercer, SIU vice president for government services, and Vince Coss, a union representative. The Government Services Division represents un­ licensed crewmemhers aboard the Spica and the other vessels in the Military Sealift CommandPacific Heet (MSCPAC). Joined Fleet in 1981 The supply ship became part of MSCPAC in 1981. The vessel was designed to be a floating grocery store thatresupplies other ships while they are at sea. Since oining the fleets the Spica has earned a reputation of "doing a good job and being on time for all assignments," according to Cap­ tain Leroy Gill Jr., the ship's original master. The ship and its crew received praise from the chairman of the House Armed Services Commit­ tee. Captain L.M. Pivonka, MSCPAC commander,read a let­ ter from U.S. Representative Ron Dellums (D-Calif.), whose dis­ trict includes the Oakland Naval Supply Station: "It's my pleasure to say 'Well done' to the captain and crew of the USNS Spica. "Its legacy in the Pacific Fleet has led to the Navy's decision to turn additional military supply ships over to the Military Sealift Command," Dellums added. "USNS Spica has proven you can have an effective defense at less Meeting with some of the famiiy memtters and MSCPAC emptpyees who cost to the government." to Oakland, Calif, are (center left) SIU Representative Vince Coss and (center right) SIU Vice President Government Services Roy "Buck" Mercer. Thanked for Support Captain Dan O'Brien, who and see in person many of the serves as the Spied's master, paid people who have given Spica tribute to all who had been in-' their total support the past several volved in the Spica's successful years," O'Brien noted. deployment, "The ship has al­ The vessel remained in Oak­ ways had an outstanding crew, it's always received great support land for less than a week before from MSCPAC headquarters and sailing to a commercial San the families the crew leaves be­ Diego shipyard where it is under­ hind have always given the ship going an overhaul. The supply ship is expected to return to active their utmost support. "It's nice to return to Oakland duty early in 1994. William Handelsman Dies at 75, Former MSTU Organlilng Official William D. Handelsman, a former official with the forerun­ ner of the SIU's Government Services Division, passed away August 27. He was 75 years old. hers by not hindering the free flow of information. The drive paid off in 1964 when an agreement—the first in­ volving the MSTS in the Pacific— was reached. It covered two Honolulu-based missile ships, the Longview and Sunnyvale, as well as four large passenger ships. The pact also enabled the union to bargain for the men who are civil service employees on most issues other than wages. "In his organizing efforts, Handelsman left no stone Un­ turned. He was truly a legend in his own time," SIU Vice Presi­ dent Government Services Roy The USNS Spica, crowed by members of the SIU's Government "Buck" Mercer told a reporter Services Division, passes the Oakland-Bay Bridge on its first trip home in eight years. from the Seafarers LOG. U.S. Combat Supply Ship Mars Begins New Life William D. Handelsman When the USNS Mars sailed into Guam in September, the supply ship carried notonly a new name but also a new look. The ship had sailed out of the Western Pacific last year as" the USS Mars. It carried a military crew of 440 sailors. In February, the vessel was turned over to the Military Sealift CommandPacific Fleet (MSCPAC) and it underwent a four-month overhaul in a commercial San Diego shipyard. When the ship was ready to sail again, it carried a much smaller crew—137 civil service mariners whose unlicensed mem­ bers are represented by the SIU's Government Services Division Brother Handelsman joined the Marine Cooks and Stewards (MCS) in 1937 and sailed through World War 11 as a member of die steward department. He even­ tually became director of or­ The USNS Mars prepares to sail on its first voyage as a civilian-crewed supply vessel. ganizing for the Military Sea Transport Union (MSTU) of the operating forces at sea with Pacific for the next two years. It and 37 Navy personnel. Seafarers Intemational Union of Yet, only the name and crew refrigerated stores, dry will operate out of Guam. North America (SIUNA), now size changed. Its mission provisions, technical spare parts, The Military Sea Transport known as the Government Ser­ remained the same: provide general stores, fleet freight and Service—the predecessor of the vices Division. He retired in 1967. mail. When the Mars ^t sail with Military Sealift Command In 1962, Handelsman began an MSCPAC, it carried a supply load (MSC)—began operating in 1949 organizing effort by the MSTU to of 43,000 separate line items. as the single ocean transporta­ represent the unlicensed personnel The Mars is the first of several tion manager for the Defense for the Military Sea Transport Ser­ Navy combat stores ships that Department. vice of the Pacific, now known as will be turned over to MSCPAC In the early 1970s, the Navy the Military Sealift Commandduring the next few years. A study started turning over older NavyPacific Fleet (MSCPAC). conducted by the Center for crewed fleet oilers to MSC. The efforts to organize were a Naval Analysis in 1990 compared Presently, the command operates direct result of the signing of a Navy costs against civilian man­ new and old fleet oilers, supply 1962 executive order by Presi­ ning costs of selected auxiliary ships, fleet tugs, cable and mis­ dent John F. Kennedy. The law ships and showed potential sile-tracking vessels, hospital set forth a managerial-labor rela­ savings of $10 million annually ships, dry cargo vessels and an tions program between the when MSCPAC operated vessels ammunition ship. Approximately civilian crews on the non-com­ like the Mar^. Soon to be part of 120 vessels compose the MSC batant military ships and the the MSCPAC fleet will be the fleet of which 25 are in the Pacific Navy officers on board. The in­ USS San Jose and USS Niagara Fleet and crewed by the SIU^s tent of the order was for Navy Government Services Division management to cooperate with Capt. L.M. Pivonka, commander of MSCPAC, addresses the crew of Falls. The USNS Mars is scheduled members. MSC ships are as­ labor unions who were trying to the USNS Mars—including members of the SIU's Government Ser­ to be deployed in the Western signed ^ound the world. organize the civilian crewmem­ vices Division—before the vessel sailed for Guam. �Nmnai»BER1993 ••, .' ', ;i SEAFAWISLOB 13 •;' .? • . Delegates representing 42 trade unions and 28 port councils from the U.S. and Canada fill the meeting hail for the 20th Biennial Maritime Trades Department Convention. lUW Laum^ws Grassroots Effort to Kem U.S. Fleet Keep the American flag flying on the high seas was a theme of the biennial convention of the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department (MTD), held last month in San Francisco. Delegates to the two-day meeting took home with them in­ formation on a grassroots effort to pass U.S.-flag merchant marine revitalization legislation offered in the U.S. House of Repre­ sentatives. The packages con­ tained a briefing on the bills before Congress, ideas for writin letters to the White House anid Capitol Hill and a fact sheet on both maritime industry review commissions, one recommended by Vice President A1 Gore's Na tional Performance Review (NPR) and the other being con sidered in legislation offered by Senator Ernest Hollings (D-S.C. and Representative William Lipinski (D-Ill.). Convention Supports Clinton Health Reform Delegates to the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department (MTD) Biennial Convention were reminded that the 50-year fight for health care reform has just started with the introduction of a legislative package to Con­ gress by the Clinton administra­ tion. "There is no doubt that this is one of those rare and wonderful moments when someone carrying our message, the message 1^" •,•31^1 that we've Coming from 42 trade unions and 28 port councils that make up the MTD, the delegates listened to speeches from elected officials as well as representatives of the maritime industry and organized labor calling on the Clinton ad­ ministration and Congress to work with the U.S.-flag fleet. Fronts for Foreigners After pointing out that Mexico has hired 70 different American public relations, attorney and consulting firms to advance the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) through Congress, MTD President Michael Sacco told the conven­ tion, "We in maritime know these San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan tells delegates to the MTD con­ firms only too well. These firms vention that economies of cities like his depend greatly on the jobs front for foreign interests, and in and senrices that are provided by the U.S.-flag merchant fleet. our case, foreign shipping inter­ ests which are drooling over U.S. registries 20 of their vessels. of the leaked material and only maritime trades. Then, an advance copy of called for a commission to review "These are foreign companies that cannot wait to replace U.S. Gore's NPR feport on maritime the government's policy toward ships with foreign-owned, was leaked to the media in the merchant marine with limited foreign-operated, foreign-built August. The document, loaded participation from those directly and foreign-crewed vessels, most with references and quotes from involved in the industry. Members of Congress ad­ of them to be operated under foreign-flag interests, called for the elimination of cargo dressing the convention stressed runaway-flag registers," Sacco preference, the Jones Act and their support for the U.S.-flag added. merchant fleet and their willing­ other legislation which affects the In May, Representative Gerry ness to fight for it. U.S.-flag fleet. Studds (D-Mass.), chairman of "For over 200 years, America Congressional Support the House Merchant Marine and has been a maritime nation," Rep­ Fisheries Committee, introduced The leaked report led to resentative David Bonior (Da series of bills designed to revi­ Hollings' and Lipinski's legisla­ the third ranking talize the U.S.-flag merchant tion calling for a commission to Mich.), Democrat in the House, told the fleet. However, two of the look into the need of the U.S.-flag convention. "If we abandon that nation's largest carriers, Sea- fleet as it pertains to national great tradition now to save a few Land and American President security. But when the NPR was Lines, announced in June their released in September, its Continued on page 16 intention to transfer to foreign maritime section contained none during a joint session of Congress on September 22. In the weeks that followed, the First Lady ap­ peared before various committees in both the House of Repre­ sentatives and the Senate. On Oc­ tober 27, the White House offeree the actual legislation for the pro­ gram to Congress. As outlined before Congress, the plan would provide insurance for all Americans, require all employers to provide health in­ surance for their employees, es­ tablish and enforce through federal or state government cost l ll*' P'oned, often limits on private sector health in­ alone, has surance premiums as well as doc­ suddenly got­ tor and hospital fee limits, ten center prohibit health insurance firms stage and cer­ from refusing to insure an ap­ Gerald Shea tainly wowed plicant because of the all the individual's health condition and politicians in simplify paperwork. "The package that the presi­ Congress," said Gerald Shea, who as head of the AFL-CIO dent has put forward is really Employee Benefits Depahment is comprehenspearheading organized labor's sive one. efforts to pass such legislation. Shea told the Shea told the delegates, com­ convention. posed of members and officials "This is not a from 42 trade unions and 28 port bare bones councils, that he had been work­ package, it's ing regularly with Hillary Rod­ not a basic ham Clinton, the First Lady, and package, it's Jack Otero her staff as she presented the not a mini­ administration's plans to con- mum pack­ ressional panels. "Certainly age, it's not a safety net kind of when you look back to the post- arrangement; this is a comprehen­ World War II period to Harry sive package of benefits." Truman's days, the vast majority Strong Opposition of Americans believed that na­ The delegates were reminded tional health reform was pos­ that despite the fact polls show a sible," Shea said. "But no one majority of Americans favor since Harry Truman has had the adoption of a national health care conviction and the sincerity and policy, opposition to it will be the drive to get this done that Bill strong in Congress. Clinton does." Tom Donahue, AFL-CIO Commitment Is Strong secretary-treasurer, pointed out That conviction was reiterated that groups claiming to represent ay Jack Otero, a former AFL-CIO vice president who now serves as small business already are stating an undersecretary at the Depart­ their interests will be hurt by the ment of Labor in the Clinton ad­ Clinton package. But, he said, ministration. "We believe that we those who say they stand for small must provide proper health care business really do not. As MTD Vice President Willie Zenga listens, MTD or all Americans," Otero said. ^resident Michael Sacco urges delegates to defeat President Clinton presented Continued on page 16 he North American Free Trade Agreement. the outline of his health care plan 9 ' . ^• r; MTD SpaUights NAFTA's Many Flaws, Congressmen Nolo Dangers of Pact •" • 'T' , . • ' •! L V • If enacted, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would destroy U.S. jobs and wages, erode the American standard of living and lead to further exploitation of Mexican workers. Those were some of the points about NAFTA voiced last month by officials representing the 42 unions of the Maritime Trades Department (MTD), as well as by several congressmen who spoke at the MTD's biennial convention in San Francisco. Delegates to the convention passed a resolution calling on the Clinton administration to abandon NAFTA, a so-called free trade deal originally negotiated by the Bush administration. Congress is scheduled to cast its first vote on NAFTA on November 17. The SIU and the entire labor movement vigorously oppose NAFTA because its enactment would mean job losses for hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens. NAFTA also would open the door for abuse of workers' rights and severe damage to the environment. Organized labor is not alone. Reports on television and in newspapers indicate that opposi­ tion to the trade deal is growing as citizens b^ome increasingly aware of NAFTA's details. This is in spite of the fact that pro-NAFTA forces have •i' i:. K. % Continued on page 16 .• J'jf- • / /• 7.I �• ..-•. •VK-> 7 i'-'• --r :'-: - • '; > / 7 ;v • . ' •; i -i' ,-• ,7 ;;; 7'': •7--'':• , •rV--:'y -,;J.*-|-;---»'*^!'-"j^.-ii:.'.-^ii- / 14 H0¥EMRER1993 SEAFARERS LOG ROEEMRERIOOS SEAFARERS LOG 15 P-v-'' Robert Baynes, Plumbers Asst. to President - -M .- 77'i-^7 .' V;.. epresenting 42 trade unions and 28 R port councils, delegates to the 1993 Maritime Trades Department biennial 'v'-' Louie Bravo, Laborers Vice President convention gathered in San Francisco last month to take action on issues affecting union workers and their families. Delegates during the two-day meeting called for the defeat of the North American Free Trade Agreement, revitalization of the U.S.-flag merchant fleet, passage by Congress of legislation to reform health care and to end permanent replacement of striking workers, support for striking coal miners and much more. Speakers at the event included Robert B. McMillen, president of Totem Ocean Trailer Express; U.S. Representatives David Bonior CDMich.), Neil Abercrombie CDHawaii), Elizabeth Purse CD-Ore.) and Tom Lantos CD-Calif.); Labor Undersecretary Jack Otero and representatives from the AFL-CIO, including Secretary-Treasurer Tom Donahue, Legislative Director Robert McGlotten, Employee Benefits Director Gerald Shea and Political Director Richard Walsh, Pictured on these two pages are some of the delegates, speakers and observers who took part in the MTD convention proceedings. Inhn l^allw PracirTant anH Ed Panarello, Jack Caffey, SlU Vice Pres., and! New York MTD Sec.-Treas Ed Cleary, N.Y. AFL-CIO Pres. ' Jerome Joseph, AMO Exec. Vice Pres. Martin Byrne, Ironworkers Assistant to President Jim Norwood, Laborers Sec.-Treas., and Sigurd Lucassen, Carpenters President George McCartney, SlU Vice Pres.^ and H. "Whitey" Disley, MFU President Gunnar Lundeberg, SUP President, and Roy "Buck" Mercer, SlU Vice Pres. George Becker, Steelworkers Vice Pres. I arm riamnootf Car> Rnmnn C^ra\(^w\n7. Rto\/A PrlnAV IIIW Natl Dimntnr AHH Douglas Couttee, UFCW Intl. Vice Pres. Ruben Wheatly, Vice Pres.; Benny Holland, Gen. Vice Pres. and John Baker, Vice Pres., ILA Timothy Brown, President; James Hopkins, Sec.Treas. and Paul Nielsen West Coast V.P., MM&P Traac Gordon Ward, District 1-PCD MEBA Pres. Vera Catalli, Distillery Workers Sec.-Treas. and Guy DeVito. GCIU Sec.-Treas. Dominic Martell, Plasterers President Michel Desjardins, SlU of Canada Sec.-Treas. Ande Abbott, Boilermakers Director Fran Poltier, Paperworkers Vice President William Lucy, AFSCME Sec.-Treas. . , .•;S •. Frank Pecquex, MTD Exec. Sec.-Treas. Ed Modney, Frank Martino, SlU Asst. Sec.-Treas. (Ret.) ICWU President John O'Gara, Gen. Vice Pres., and Joseph Cordery, Gilbert Shepherd, Organizing Dir., and Jimmy Herbert Schiffman, Intl. Vice Pres., HERE Intl. Vice Pres., Glass Molders Rankin, Intl. Vice Pres., Glass Molders James Hatfield, President, and Frank Carter, Sec.-Treas., Glass Molders Willie Baker, UFCW Political Director Charles Marciante, New Jersey AFL-CIO Pres. Robert McKay, AMO Sec.-Treas. Robert Scardelletti, TCU President ./ • s*wi,, Richard Cordtz, SEIU Sec.-Treas, John Bowers, ILA President Ed House, IAM Vice Pres. George Kourpias, IA^^ President Angus "Red" Campbell, SlU Vice Pres. (Ret.) and Angelo Russo, ICWU (Ret.) Joseph Sacco, SlU Exec. Vice Pres. Tom Gleason, Counsel, and Richard Hughes, Gen. Vice Pres., ILA Earl Simpson and Maury Sjoquist, Pres. Canadian Merchant Serv. Guild Bonnie Riley and Frances Brown, MTD Administrative Staff Tom Kelly, Vice Pres., and ^ Michael McKay, President, AMO i£ ,(• • - ,7 :/// '71 \ • • :• :• •; I' '7; V, . • '/7; .-i.' ' * !• Dean Corgey, SlU Vice President • • •: ' A. �• L- 16 HOREMRER1993 SOFARERSLOG MTD Calls for All-Oiit Effort to Back Floet carry its own goods and its own will open up their domestic trades through resolutions to- defeat people in peacetime and in war," if we do, I am not at all surprised," NAFTA as it stahds before Con­ he continued. "Of course they gress, work with the administra­ dollars in the short term, we're Lantos stated. As a mem­ will. U.S. operators would gain tion to pass a national health care going to hurt this nation for ber of both the right to sail from Antwerp to policy and support striker re­ decades to come. We can't afford placement legislation that would the House Ghent in Bel­ that. do away with companies' hiring Merchant gium or Bar­ "We've got to keep our mer­ scabs while the regular workers Marine and celona to Alchant marine strong," Bonior conduct a legal strike. in Fisheries geciras added. "This is a national security Committee Spain. issue." and the Representative Elizabeth "For that, Hons we would Furse (D-Ore.) said, "I am astonished at the people in this Rep. Abercromble Armed Ser- sacrifice jobs vices Com­ in country who the mittee, Representative Neil Hawaii, Rep. Bonior think that international Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) noted, Alaska, trade can "What we want to do is redefine Puerto Rico and Great Lakes grow or na- national security to mean that the trade? The answer is no!" Continued from page 13 have health care," McGlotten t i o n a 1 economic security of the people stated. "And I'm saying that's "The National Federation of Urge Administration's Help defense can of the United States is the primary something that we shouldn't do, In calling on the Clinton ad­ Independent Businessmen is very and that's something that we can­ be strong foundation for our national without the security. And in order to do that, ministration and Congress to busy on this one and they will not do, and certainly you can Bep. Furse. means to we must have a vibrant merchant develop a U.S.-flag merchant continue to be," Donahue noted. make sure that we will not do it "They con­ fleet revitalization program, the — transport marine." MTD delegates urged dirough a tinue to bleed by giving your support (to the goods or military supplies on our Questions Sincerity own ships. I insist thk [fellow about small health care policy)." Joining the call that America resolution that such a package in­ members of Congress] under­ needs a strong U.S.-flag merchant clude a program that would en­ business and Congressional Advocates vessel operating stand that our first line of defense marine and the laws to keep it so hance how they're capabilities essential for the is our maritime industry." going to be was Robert Delegates also heard words of maintenance of the AmericanB. McMillen, hurt by this, support for the program from Sealift and Security flag vessels in international com­ as they claim members of Congress. The chairman of the House In­ president and merce. chief execu­ they're hurt ternational Security Subcommit­ Tom Donahue "I will be in the trenches with tive officer of by every tee, Representative Tom Lantos The delegates sought the ad­ the president and with Hillary other piece of (D-Calif.), asked, "Can you for­ Totem Ocean ministration to keep maritime out get about our sealift capability at Trailer Ex­ of NAFTA and the international governmental legislation that's (Clinton) as we deal with the press. a time when from Bosnia to trade talks taking place for the designed to make things a little phony arguments and the shabby He noted excuses of the people who have Somalia to General Agreement on Tariffs better for people." the Jones Act, RoberLMcMillen only squeezed this system of Cambodia and Trade, adopt a national cargo He continued that factories a 1920 law — health care delivery in seeing to it there is turpolicy to efficiently move both and shops with hundreds of which specifies that only U.S.that every single American— b u 1e n ce government and commercial built, U.S.-crewed and U.S.- freight, fully enforce existing employees cannot claim to be man, woman and child—as a mat­ today in more registered vessels can carry cargo cargo preference laws and issue smdl businesses. "If we're talk­ ter of birth right will have quality, than two between two domestic ports, "is an executive order proclaiming ing about the hairdresser, if we're decent medical care," Repre­ dozen places similar to cabotage laws which the White House's support as an talking about the dry cleaner, sentative Tom Lantos (D-Cdif.) on this exist in virtually every maritime essential ingredient in maritime that's a small businessman," told the convention. planet? nation in the world," McMillen policy and clarify the Gambling Donahue stated. "There is Rep. Lantos advised the delegates. no great na­ Ship Act to give potential Defines Small Business Foiidw Hawaii's Example tion that No Other maritime country in operators of U.S.-flag cruise ves­ If we're talking about someRepresentative Neil doesn't have an industrial base, the world has comparable off­ sels the assurances needed to in­ )ody with 300 employees, that's Abercrombie and there is no great nation that shore or inland water trades. vest in U.S.-flag corporations. doesn't have its own capacity to When I am told other countries Delegates also pledged not a small businessman. That's a (D-Hawaii)' )ig business. Two hundred, a said opposi- , lundred, those are big businesses tion to a na­ with huge payrolls. So, we ought tional health to strip that away, and in the care policy course of the health care debate I can be over­ Abercrombie also explained standards yet," Donahue con­ Continued from page 13 hink we can get a benefit of come by folpoured tens of millions of dollars that Arnerica's current trade tinued. "History tells us that [U.S. trying to make people understand lowing into public-relations and advertis­ surplus with Mexico is mislead­ business] has gone down and ex­ a little more about what is small Hawaii's ex­ Bob McGlotten ing campaigns in favor of the ing. He argued that when pro- ploited Mexican workers, defiled business." ample. He NAFTA forces point to that the environment and done it all to pact. Continuing with the theme said trade "NAFTA supporters are con-, surplus as a reason to follow the advantage of the American through with the trade pact, corporation." that others want trade unionists unionists led the way in support­ veniently ignoring the simple "What they are talking about are MTD President Michael through their contracts to con- ing legislation that gave the truths because they know that if components for maquiladoras Sacco described NAFTA as "a inue paying high health care Aloha State employer-mandated the public knows all the facts, the that will be shipped back to us, get-rich-quick scheme for those rates to cover the costs of those health care coverage in 1974. agreement will crash," House rather than consumer goods for at the top. NAFTA hands over without was Robert McGlotten, Majority Whip David Bonior (D'We've had it for 20 years," America's industrial and AFL-CIO legislative director. Mich.) told the MTD delegates. Mexican people. the congressman announced. In other words, the surplus is manufacturing Jobs to Mexico. It "Mexico has lax environmental There are a number of And we've had it because we in capital goods, not consumer drives down the American stand­ laws, no health and safety laws, a people who are still looking for lad a labor organization that un­ goods. The U.S. is shipping ard of living for the majority of coiruptJudicial system, a minimum us to pay the freight for machinery south to expand the derstood the welfare of our own people who live and work in the wage of 58 cents an hour . . . Just everybody else who doesn't people is what is at stake here." capacity of Mexico's low-wage United States." beckoning American companies to factories to produce consumer move south of the border." goods for sale back in the U.S. Dangers of Runaways Exposed Bonior and others pointed out that Mexico has spared no ex­ Side Agreements Fail pense in hiring lobbyists to sell During last year's presidential NAFTA in the U.S. "They tell us election, Clinton vowed not to NAFTA would help Mexican support NAFTA until it included workers buy our products. Ask side agreements protecting yourself, how are they supposed workers' rights and the environ­ to buy American cars when a ment. week's wages barely will allow His administration negotiated them to buy a set of spark plugs," such agreements, which were said Bonior. "NAFTA is nothing presented recently by U.S. Trade more than a Job-stealing, work- Representative Mickey Kantor. exploiting, community-destroy­ But the side deals "don't im­ ing agreement, and we are going prove the agreement a bit," stated to defeat it!" AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Misleading Trade Surplus Thomas Donahue at the MTD Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D- convention. "It's not good for us, Hawaii) warned thatenactment of and it's not good for Mexicans. "We're being told that if only NAFTA would bring immediate harm to the U.S. cities near we have more American invest­ MTD delegates passed a resolution pointing out that the absence of a strong U.S. fleet would result Mexico's border. "Los Angeles, ment in Mexico, it will raise their in increased marine traffic in U.S. waters of runaway-flag ships. Here, they watch a video on the lack Long Beach and San Diego will living standards. Well, it hasn't of safety procedures aboard runaway-flag vessels worldwide. done a thing to raise their living be a wasteland," he said. Continued from page 13 Labor Support Given For Health Reform Congressmen Warn of NAFTA Dangers �• • ^ 'i SEAFARERS UK imEMBER 1993 Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea SEPTEMBER 16 — OCTOBER 15,1993 TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C •TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class B Class C ••REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A QassB Class C Trip Reliefs DECK DEPARTMENT Port 18 57 57 3 14 New York 18 29 29 8 22 8 5 12 0 Philadelphia 4 2 6 1 1 2 3 20 5 2 11 1 Baltimore 3 17 3 5 0 35 5 20 13 1 Norfolk 18 2 12 11 5 3 25 22 20 18 15 10 3 Mobile 1 39 43 16 2 19 8 21 New Orleans 22 3 29 46 9 51 5: 3 11 23 6 Jacksonville 21 29 59 0 8 49 10 12 ^.17. San Francisco 32 22 34 34 15 0 17 11 Wilmington 20 21 36 9 45 0 7 21 13 23 27 8 Seattle 6 9 11 4 3 6 0 6 6 5 Puerto Rico 26 14 11 2 2 8 5 Honolulu 8 14 ' 3 51 15 35 1-2 - : 6 30 Houston 41 7 27 BII 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 St Louis 11 0 1 0 1 Piney Point •'TIP 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Algonac 132 465 390 66 18 193 58 172 226 283 Totals ENGINE DEPARTMENT Port 5 43 46 9 14 New York • Qjsm. 25 •; ,t 4 3 : 7 0 . : 0 3 4 1 Philadelphia • a-l'' 16 ^IP2,: , 12 4 7 1 o 2/1' .1paltimore .••:\9::P;,I 16 8 9 3 5 4 • ' 12 5 13 4 Norfolk 17 2 14 3 0 7 11 1 11 8 Mobile 22 12 28 0 3 6 17 8 15 New Orleans 12 4 ¥1; 44 26 r-i 3" 13 2 11 24 -P'P"2'3' • Jacksonville 16 - • 5 39 28 1 • 10 4 4 16 San Francisco 20 11 :--vl:3:; 15 WM:'' 0 .9 C..P,6.: 4 18 Wilmington 15 23 2 24 1 5 10 12 1 16 17 Seattle 3 8 1 3 1 3 5 4 1 5 Puerto Rico 11 8 21 4 8 2 1 3 11 5 Honolulu ^.••' 3 •• 28 24 1 :IP512 17 13 Hpiistoh 21 •p3'\i:pi 0 . 0 0 0 1 1 St Loiiis •• 0 2 17 2:^¥i-:.. 0 0 0 0 0 Piney Point ' -IP,. •|.vlOP:i 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Algonac 326 74 248 37 19 111 106 43 190 Totals 159 STEWARD DEPARTMENT Port 0 29 22 0 ...PPITS-^^'. • 4 12 New York 4 •:::;-P 0 -..Pll 0 1 1 1 Philadelphia 0 0 4 1 •:.3'-p 0 2 0 Baltimore 0 18 12 3 2 4 5 1 9 6 Norfolk 3 12 10 2 1 2 6 1 4 3 Mobile 16 2 15 2 0 3 8 1 8 New Orleans 7 •1,-1 ,• 16 2 18 1 0 4 2 Jacksonville 10 • 6P 2 21 72 11 0 , 9 25 2 16 San Francisco 38 ,, 1 19 0 13 . 2 7 : 0 Wilmington 13 13 3 41 4 3 10 3 6 19 Seattle 0 6 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 Puerto Rico 27 34 22 36 10 18 8 16 18 15 Honolulu 1 13 19 3 0 16 1 9 16 Houston 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 . iMn 1 St Louis :-p-po-" 1 13 4 0 : 1 2 , 0 4 Piney Point 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Algonac 46 204 268 79 15 54 114 28 108 152 Totals ENTRY DEPARTMENT Port 37 89 0 . . 21 25 9 11 41 12 New York 5 7 2 0 2 • 0 1 3 3 2 Philadelphia 0 8 3 0 0 3 0 0 6 2 Baltimore 13 38 8 0 14 4 2 6 18 4 Norfolk 0 30 3 0 0 14 1 . 0 10 2 Mobile 17 40 16 0 6 10 4 6 18 New Orleans 9 11 37 3 0 1 4 •••- 5 5 18 5 Jacksonville 24 51 22 0 0 6 8 5 26 San Francisco 10 12 32 11 0 0 11 • ,4 • 4 18 3 WUmington 8 36 12 0 0 11 7 3 27 9 Seattle 10 15 10 0 0 2 . 2 0 5 3 Puerto Rico 164 86 10 0 67 41 6 95 55 7 Honolulu 7 26 3 0 6 1 3 5 19 3 Houston 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 St. Louis 2 41 1 0 1 17 1 1 33 2 Piney Point 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 Algonac 536 312 125 0 81 169 52 144 300 73 Totals Totals All 564 1,031 1,531 182 133 527 444 273 610 881 • • •'% • lOtai Kegisicrcu UlCOlia UIC uutm/wi ...W.. .... J—O— .. w j ri . .U •• 'Registered on the Beach" means the total number of men registered at th9 port at the end of last month. A total of I486 jobs were shipped on SIUH»ntracted dc^p sea vessels. Of toe 1.286jobs sh'PlM. Jobs or about 34 percent were taken by "A" seniority members. The rest were fdled by B airi C semon^ people. From September^ to October 15,1993, a total of 182 trip reUef jobs were shipped. Since the tnp relief program began on April 1,1982, a total of 19,676 jobs have been shipped. December1993 & January 1994 Membership Meetings Deep Sea, Lakes, Inland Wa^rs Piney Point Monday: December 6; Tuesday, January 4 New York Tuesday: December 7, January 4 Philadelphia Wednesday: December 8, January 5 Baltimore Thursday: December 9, January 6 Norfolk. Thursday: December 9, January 6 Jacksonville Thursday: December 9, January 6 Algonac Friday: December 10, January 7 Houston IP Monday: December 13, January 10 New Orleans ' Tuesday: December 14, January 11 pl| Mobile Wednesday: December 15, January 12 • San Francisco Thursday: December 16, January 13 Wilmington Monday: December 20; Tuesday, January 18* * changed by Martin LudterlQng BirAday holiday Seattle Friday: December 24, January 21 San Juan P. , Thursday: December 9, January 6 PP St.Louls Friday: December 17, January 14 Honoluiu Friday: December 17, January 14 Duluth Wednesday: December 15, January 12 Jersey City Wednesday: December 22, January 19 New Bedford Tuesday: December 21, January 18 Each ports met^g starts at 10:3Ciajn. Personals FORMER SHIPMATES OF VAN E. WARFIELD Following a number of heart attacks. Van E. Warfield, who sailed as bosun from 1946 to 1957, is pretty much home-bound. He mis­ ses his sailing days and would like to hear from some of his old seafaring buddies. Van E. Warfield can be reached at 4902 Anntana Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21206. .-.I ••|;P • P., 3" 'ipP Notices UPCOMING REUNION PLANNED >OR CBI VETERANS Veterans who served in China, Burma and India (CBI) in World War II are invited to a reunion, September 3-8, 1994 in Baltimore, Md. This 47th annual reunion is being or­ ganized by the China-Burma-India Veterans Association, which has more than 7,000 mem­ bers. All CBI veterans are asked to send their name, address and phone number to Homer C. Cooper, 145 Pendleton Drive, Athens, OA 30606 to receive information about the reunion. Be sure to include the name of the CBI unit and locations served overseas. Those unable to attend the Baltimore reunion are asked to contact the association in order to receive information about future national and local programs. ' J.- i 17 • /:• ' I - f T: . '••••- ' "• - \ S" •fP' • •' ^ .t.r? . fiSti �18 HOVEUBER1993 XAFAWtSUK Dispatchers' Report for Great Lakes Seafarers International Union Directory SEPTEMBER 16 — OCTOBER 15,1993 CL—Company/Lakes L—^Lakes NF—Non Priority Michael Sacco President John Fay Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Sacco Executive Vice President Augustin Tellez Vice President Collective Bargaining •TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP DECK DEPARTMENT 0 33 13 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 0 15 b STEWARD DEPARimNT 0 8 1 ENTRY DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 George McCartney Vice President West Go 'oast Roy A. "Buck" Mercer Vice President Government Services Jack Caffey Vice President Atlantic Coast Byron Kelley Vice President Lakes and Iihland Waters Dean Coreey Vice President Gulf Coast HEADQUARTERS 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746 (301) 899-0675 ALGONAC 520 St. Clair River Dr. Algonac, MI 48001 (313)794-4988 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 (201) 435-9424 MOBILE 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy. Mobile, AL 36605 (205)478-0916 NEW BEDFORD 48 Union St. New Bedford, MA 02740 (508) 997-5404 NEW ORLEANS 630 Jackson Ave. New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 529-7546 NEW YORK 675 Fourth Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11232 (718)499-6600 NORFOLK 115 Third St. Norfolk, VA 23510 (804)622-1892 PHILADELPHIA ••REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class CL Class L Class NP 0 15 4 0 27 7 b 7 0 19 Totals All Departments 0 72 21 0 56 17 0 68 * "Total Registered" means the number of men who actually registered for shipping at the port last month. ** "Registered on the Beach" means the total number of men registered at the port at the end of last month. .• i 14 26 Dispatchers' Report for Inland Waters • '•. legion SEPTEMBER 16 — OCTOBER 15,1993 •TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class B Class C Totals All Departments TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Cla^ C ••REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C PECKhEPARt^ Atlantic Coast 0 0 6 Gulf Coast 10 0 16 Lakes & Inland Waters, 23 0 West Coast 0 2 21 Totals 0 41 37 Region •i.;7 • . , lb#"'.. Atlantic Coast 1 Gulf Coast 2 0 1 Lakes & Inland Waters jteLU .•••7:7a 14 West Coast 0 0 6 Totals 17 0 1 Region .V- J-;. Atlantic Coast 0 0 Gulf Coast 0 1 7 774 ,, Lakes & Inland Waters t' 0 ...... 0 ^ West Coast 0 -0 Totals 5 1 9 63 1 3 0 0 40 1 0 8 15 12 34 100 0 58 4 116 0 66 93 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 . •2 0 0 0 9 0 0 30 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 2 0 ^ • 7 1 0 4 1 0 3 8 11 47 128 0 74 134 2 0 1 3 0 27 0 70 97 '"""'b"""" 1 7;;i,„o.::7 0 2 0 1 2 0 0 2 1 2 0 7 0 5 12 7 111 : ^7 :()••• ''m- * "Total Registered" means the number of men who actually registered for shipping at the port last month. ** "Registered on the Beach" means the total number of men registered at the port at the end of last month. ^re You Missing Important Mail? In order to ensure that each active member and pensioner receives a copy of the Seafarers LOG each month—as well as other important mail such as W-2 forms, pension and welfare checks and bulletins or notices—your correct home address must be on file with the union. If you have moved recently or feel 9604 S 4 Ct Philadelphia,'PA 19148 (215) 336-3818 PINEY POINT P.O. Box 75 Piney Point, MD 20674 (301) 994-0010 PORT EVERGLADES 2 West Dixie Highway Dania, FL 33004 (305)921-5661 SAN FRANCISCO 350 Fremont St. San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 543-5855 Government Services Division (415) 861-3400 SANTURCE 1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave, Stop 161^ Santurce, PR 00907 (809)721-4033 SEATTLE 2505 First Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 (206)441-1960 ST. LOUIS 4581 Gravois Ave. St. Louis, MO 63116 (314)752-6500 WILMINGTON 510 N. Broad Ave. Imingh CA 90744 Wilmington, (310) 549-4000 / /• / TOTAL SHIPPED Ail Groups QassCL Class L Class NP ; HOME ADDRESS that you are not getting your union mail, please use the form on this page to up­ date your home address. Your home address is your permanent address, and this is where all official union documents will be mailed (unless otherwise specified). If you are getting more than one copy of the LOG delivered to you, if you have changed your address, or if your name or address is misprinted or incomplete, please complete the form and send it to: Seafarers International Union Address Correction Department 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746 (PLEASE PRINT) November 1993 I Name. Address I Social Security No. Book No. I Phone No. Active SlU Pensioner Other This will be my permanent address for aii officiai union maiiings. This address shouid remailin in the union fiie uniess otherwise changed by me personaiiy. •' • • ' /'•'i 'f\ (Signed). 7 'I. r/ �NO¥EMBER 1993 SEAFARERS LOG 19 To Our New Pensioners Thanks for a Job Well Done ranks of SIU pensioners Brother Enrique upgraded fre­ increased by two Seafarers last quently at Piney Point. He month. Brother Enrique Gil retired to Meath, Ireland. ended a 24-year career on the ANGELO deep seas while Recertified ROMERO, Bosun Angelo Romero retired 67, joined to shore after sailing the world's the SIU in waterways for 36 years. Brief 1957 in the biographical sketches of port of brothers Gil and Romero fol­ New York. low. A native of Puerto Rico, he completed the DEEP SEA bosun recertificatioh course at ENRIQUE GIL, 66, joined the the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg Seafarers in 1969 in the port of School of Seamanship in 1983. New York. Bom in the Philip­ Brother Romero resides in pines, he sailed as a bosun. Brooklyn, N.Y. The Crew^s Pride Evident Aboard Pres. Jackson Ready to serve another crewmember i,s Chief Cook Steven Sun Scrambling eggs for breakfast is Chief Steward Mohamed Sani. Galley Gang Provides *Toucli of Home' On Board LNG Virgo When sailing halfway around the world, anything that can be SA Paul Russell handles the dish­ done to make Seafarers feel at washing chores on the LNG Virgo. home is appreciated. That is the goal of the steward department on board the LNG Virgo. Led by Steward/Baker Zein Ackman, the galley gang tries to make every meal special for fel­ low crewniembers. "They do a great job on here," Bosun Jack Rhodes told SIU Representative Sal Aquia, who provided the Seafarers LOG with the photographs from the ship. "Through their cooking, they provide a touch of home while we are aboard ship." Catching lunch before returning to his Ackman praised his fellow deck chores is AB Harry Massa. steward department members— Chief Cook Henry Daniels and Steward Assistants Vem Andrews, Paul Russell and Wil­ liam Smalley—for all their hard work. "We do our best to take care of the crew and answer their requests however we can," noted the steward. Among the special touches provided by the galley gang are holiday cookouts, birthday cakes and fresh seafood whenever pos­ sible. "The food on board was fantastic," noted Aquia. The LNG Virgo carries li­ quified natural gas from refineries in Indonesia to ports in Japan. The vessel is operated by Energy Transportation Corpora- Part of the crew that brought the President Jackson out of the shipyard in 1988 is Assistant Cook George Whiting, who said he likes to return to the vessel whenever he can. 1?/^:/' y^i.|r'- V0g>.-v When Assistant Cook George Whiting first climbed the yS.wrt^fr?m^^ s^'yard^n'" 988^^^ I Jackson trom the snipyara m i y»», ne Knew me snip wouia | I r:>>!''''^''-V>TT'. be special, but he did not realize how special. "The first ship1 was on had six people to a room, six lockers for our gear, two sinks and a common bathroom for all of us to share," recalled the galley gang member who began sailing with the Marine Cooks and Stewards 25 years ago. "This ship was something else." The President Jackson, the newest U.S.-flag vessel in the American President Lines (AFL) fleet, features separate quarters for all crewmembers, a gymnasium with a variety of workout equipment, a swimming pool and a large library of videotapes and books. A tour of the vessel reveals the Presi­ dent Jackson is spotless from the engineroom to the galley to the bridge. "Everyone takes pride in her, from the captain on down," Whiting told a reporter for the Seafarers LOG. "1 try to catch a job on her whenever possible." Seafarers crew the containership's steward department while unlicensed members of the Sailors' Union of the Pacific man the deck department, and the Marine Firemen's Union provides engine department personnel. The President Jackson sails every 35 days from the port of Oakland, \^alll. Calif, lU to Yokohama Kobe, Japan; VjaKianU, I UKUllallla and anu ivuuc, japau, Kaohsiung, Rosario prepares to ^ delicious meal. SA Bill Smalley relaxes in the Bosun Jack Rhodes (right) has nothing but crew oraise for for CS anri his hi.s crew. rrew crew lounoe lounge between between meals. meals. praise CS Zein Zein Ar^kman Ackman and ' 1 >• '' •. .'I'. •' m Taiwan; and Hong Kong before returning to San Pedro, Calif. soup and sandwich makes a tasty and filling lunch for and Oakland. I AB Mike Presser. \ mm QMED Randy McKinzie checks out the menu board while in the galley. J x:,- "i • y..'' '.si -•i-.rTT t; �V- 20 N0VEMSER1993 SEAFARERS LOG Crew Agrees: Altair Has Camaraderie, Teamwork Bosun Larry Ambrous says total support from the union, and the best part alwut being aboard I plan to be a member for a long the [/SNS Altair is working with time," said the 33-year-old an outstanding crew. "Honestly, former boiler technician, who you couldn't hand-pick a better also is from Norfolk. Langley agrees with Ambrous ROS (Reduced Operational about morale aboard the Altair, Status) crew than the one we have which is operated by Bay here," Ambrous recently told a Tankers. "We're like a family on reporter from the Seafarers LOG. this ship. Everyone gets along, "They are all excellent people and and the food is fantastic!" good workers, and they always The camaraderie extends be­ want to do a good job." Ambrous is a native of Nor­ tween both the officers and the folk, Va., where the Altair has unlicensed personnel, says AB been in port for the past several Gary Kypke. "The whole time Wiper Ricky Langley says he is months. The bosun, who joined I've worked on this ship, everyone planning to upgrade his skills. the SIU in 1967, notes that he and has worked together well." several other Seafarers from the Chief Electrician Pete Stein Norfolk area have enjoyed work­ echoed those sentiments when he ing so close to home this year said, "I think we have terrific aboard the 50,0(X)-ton fast sealift people here, people who are hard­ vessel. working and easy to work with. However, earlier this year the And I have to commend (Chief Altair ventured quite far from the Cook) Keith Mayer and Virginia port. Manned by a full (Steward/Baker) Emilio Cor­ crew, the vessel provided logistical dova, who really put out great support during Operation Restore food." Hope in Mogadishu, Somalia. Another of the Norfolk area While Ambrous has been a residents. Deck Engineer member of the SIU for many Michael Phillips, has served years. Wiper Ricky Langley is aboard the ship-for several Bosun Larry Ambrous has been a more of a newcomer, having months. "I like the crew, I like my Seafarer since 1967. joined three years ago. But it did work and I enjoy being so close to not take long for the union to home," he stated. from a high-speed containership make a good impression on Mayer also voiced satisfaction into a naval vessel. The conver­ Langley, who signed on the A/totr widi life aboard the Altair, but sion included changing the last April. "I feel I have received added that he plans to upgrade stowage for 35-foot containers to soon at the SIU's Paul Hall Cen­ multi-deck vehicle stowage with ter for Maritime Training and access ramps amidship on both Education in Piney Point, Md. "I sides. upgraded to chief cook last year, and I'm getting ready to go back." The Altair was built 20 years ago. Taken over by the U.S. Navy in 1981, the vessel was converted Chief Cook Keith Mayer prepares lunch for the crew. The USNS Altair, a fast sealift ship, is based in Norfolk, Va. Chief Electrician Pete Stein, Bosun Larry Ambrous, Patrolman David "Scrap Iron" Jones and Deck Engineer Michael Phillips meet in the galley of the USNS Altair. There's plenty to do on deck for Signing a patrolman's report Is AB Gary Kypke. Chief Electrician Pete Stein. Painting on on the deck of the USNS Altair \s AB Philip Perry. Seafarer Boats Sweep Contest of New Bedford Fleet Blessing ••-It '•t-J'if r-A.. 4 'If SlU-crewed fishing boats won first, second and third places in the annual "Best-Dressed Ves­ sel Contest," which is one of the events at the annual seafood fes­ tival at the New Bedford, Mass. State Pier. Winning the first prize of $500 was the FV Cowboy, owned and captained by Firminio V. Pereira; second place (and $250) went to the Praia Da Torreira, w;hose captain and owner is Manuel Marquinhos; while the Luso American I, captained and owned by Jose Fanguelro, garnered $175 for third-place honors. Each crew also was awarded a plaque. SIU Port Agent Henri Fran­ cois said the August festival fea­ tured beautiful weather and a good turnout. It was broadcast live by a local radio station as it is considered a celebration of the fishing industry and its impor­ tance to New Bedford. The family-oriented event featured eight local bands and other entertainers, children's rides. fireworks, demonstrations by two Coast Guard cutters, vendors selling memorabilia, speeches from local dignitaries, and of course plenty of fresh seafood, as well as other cuisine. (The fish and scallops served at the festival were offloaded each morning.) The best-dressed vessel con­ test was followed by blessings from three local clergymen. Celebrates Industry The contest is a kind of waterborne parade for which crews spruce up their boats and crea­ tively decorate them. In all, hundreds of Seafarers and th^ir families from the New Bedford area took part in the three-day festival, which was highlighted by the 24th annual Also participating in the Blessing of the Fleet was the SlU-crewed The SlU-crewed Cowboy won first place in the "Best-Dressed Blessing of the Fleet. Portugal, one of more than a dozen SIU boats at the event. Vessel Contest," part of the three-day festival in New Bedford. . /: �NOVEMBER 1993 9EAFARERSL0G Digest of Ships Meetings The Seafarers LOG attempts to print as many digests of union shiptmard minutes as possible. On occasion, tmrmu^ of space limitations, some will be omitted. Ships minutes first are reviewed by the union's contract departmen. Those Issues lequlring attention or resolution are addressed by the union upon receipt of the ships minutes. The minutes are then for­ warded to the Seafarers LOG. GREEN ISLAND{Waterman Steam ship), July 10—Chairman S. Reed, Secretary J. Reid, Educational Direc­ tor J. Laratta. Chairman posted notice from headquarters regarding contract extension. No beefs or dis­ puted OT reported. Crewmembers asked contracts department to look into additional group term life in­ surance coverage. Crew noted problems with slop chest inventory, company draws and replacement of mattresses. Discussion held on newspaper reports concerning in­ crease of pirate activity in waters near Singapore. M SEA-LAND INTEGRITY (SeaLand Service), July 25—Chairman Jose Ross, Secretary Pedro Laboy, Educational Director Dennis Baker, Engine Delegate W.B. McCants. Secretary asked contracts department to look into pension improvements and benefit increases for members. job well done. Crew reported TV and radio antenna need repair. LIBERTY SUN (Liberty Maritime), August 29—Chairman Jerry Borucki, Secretary F. Washington Sr., Educational Director Gerald Cooper, Deck Delegate Kenneth Moore. Chairman reminded mem­ bers to upgrade at Piney Point and clean rooms and refrigerators before signing off. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Seafarers LOGs received on board ship. Crew reported deck in mess hall and serving area needs repair, and steward department reported refrigerator in mess hall needs repair. Chairman reminded crewmembers to walk cautiously on decks during slippery conditions. Bosun gave vote of Aanks to entire crew for job well done. LNG AQUARIUS (ETC), August 22—Chairman Carlos Pineda, Secretary F. Robertson, Educational SEA-LAND LIBERATOR (SeaDirector W. Fey, Deck Delegate Land Service), July 25—Chairman Bohhy Branham, Engine Delegate Charles Herrera, Secretary G. Wesley Wise, Steward Delegate Thomas, Educational Director E.L. Marty Buck. Chairman explained Ford. Secretary reported good trip. functions of new VCR to crewmem­ Educational director reconunended bers and reminded them to use care­ members pay attention to upgrading fully. He announced Executive Vice schedules at Lundeberg School and President Joseph Sacco and SIU Rep­ current union business. Deck delegate resentative Sal Aquia will meet ship announced beefs will be discussed in Japan to discuss and answer ques­ with boarding patrolman. Steward tions concerning new contract. Educa­ delegate reported good trip without tional director urged members to beefs or disputed OT. No beefs or dis­ upgrade at Lundeberg School. No puted OT reported by engine brofs or disputed OT reported. Cap­ delegate. Next port: Oakland, Calif. tain attended union meeting upon re­ quest of bosun to discuss ETC issues SEA-LAND MARINER (Sea-Land with crewmembers. Chairman Service), July 17—Secretary Mark reminded crew to keep noise down. Scardino, Educational Director Gene Crew gave vote of thanks to galley Speckman, Deck Delegate Arnold gang for job well done and baking of Lopez. Secretary reported on SIU fresh pastries. President Michael Sacco's visit to LNG AQUARIUS(ETC), August Seattle to discuss contract extension and negotiations. Educational director 31—Chairman Carlos Pineda, Secretary F. Robertson, Educational urged members to donate to SPAD Director W. Fey, Deck Delegate and upgrade at Paul Hall Center. Bohhy Branham, Engine Delegate Treasurer stated $120 in ship's movie Wesley Wise, Steward Delegate fund and announced movies are pur­ Marty Buck. Chairman reported chased every tour. Engine delegate smooth sailing this tour with crew reported beef. No beefs or disputed looking forward to Executive Vice OT reported by deck or steward delegates. Electrician asked crewPresident Joseph Sacco's visit No members not to leave exit doors beefs or disputed OT reported. Chair­ open. Crew asked contracts depart­ man reminded crewmembers to keep noise down in crew lounge and not to ment for additional information regarding contract negotiations. Next smoke in crew mess hall during meal hours. port: Rotterdam. Jp-. Delegate Larry Conklin. Chairman announced possible visit from SIU of­ ficial to discuss new contract. Secretary said all members awaiting news concerning contract and en­ couraged eligible crewmembers to upgrade at Piney Point No beefs or dis­ puted OT reported. Seafarers LOGs distributed. Chairman and crew dis­ cussed excellent meals being prepared by steward department and gave galley gang special note of thanks. Crew asked additional items be stored in slop chest for extra long trips. Next port: Nagoya, Japan.^ keep tidy at all times. Next port: Jack­ sonville, Fla. OVERSEAS NEW ORLEANS (Maritime Overseas), August 31— Chairman M. Zepeda, Secretary M. Flores, Educational Director J. Czonan. Secretary advised new mem­ bers to upgrade sldlls at Paul Hall Center. Crew expressed get well wishes to Chief Cook O. Espinoza who signed off in Port Arthur, Texas. Educational director urged members to upgrade at Piney Point to improve skills. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew asked contracts department for update on contract negotiations. Crew reported apprecia- QQCL INNOVATION (Sea-Land Service), August 15—Chairman John Bertolino, Secretary Edward Collins, Educational Director Harry Messick, Deck Delegate Douglas Hodges, Engine Delegate Peter Hausmann, Steward Delegate Felix Camacho. Chairman announced payoff in Elizabeth, N.J. He reported crew waiting for more news concern­ ing new Contract. Secretary advised members to upgrade skills at Lun­ deberg School. Treasurer announced $70 in ship's fund. No beefs or dis­ puted OT reported. Crew gave vote of thanks to galley gang for job well done. Next port: Boston. 21 fund used to repair antenna. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew asked contracts department for additional in­ formation regarding new contract. Crew gave vote of thanks to steward department for great food and job well done. Next port: Elizabeth, N.J. SEA-LAND EXPEDITION(SeaLand Service), August 29—Chair­ man Joseph Mele, Secretary E. Vazquez, Educational Director D. Beeman, Steward Delegate Alonzo Belcher. Chairman reported every­ thing running smoothly. Secretary reported smooth sailing and announced he is going on vacation. Educational director stressed importance of upgrade S-L Explorer Crew Stays Up-to-Date OMI DYNACHEM(Om), August 15—Chairman Larry Kunc, Secretary Steven Wagner, Education al Director Derrick Bums, Deck Delegate Juan Castillo, Engine Delegate Adrian Davis, Steward Delegate P.R. Mena. Chairman dis­ cussed new policy regarding facial hair and remind^ crewmembers beards are not allowed. Chairman announced payoff at first port in California. He reported crewmembers waiting for con­ tract news. Treasurer reported $150 in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew asked contracts depart­ ment to look into increased dental benefits. Chairman announced tour will include two docks in Los Angeles, three in San Francisco and two in Washington. Crew gave vote of thanks to steward department and reported smooth sailing in all departments. Next port: Los Angeles. Catching up on all the latest union news during a recent shipboard meeting aboard the Sea-Land Explorer in the port of Long Beach, Calif, are (from left) AS George Fries, Patrolman Robert Scrivens, Bosun Jack Edwards, AB G. Milabo Jr. and AB Anthony Sabatini. tion for good meals by steward department, and chairman reminded members to keep mess hall and crew lounge clean since vessel is crewmembers' home while at sea. OVERSEAS PHILADELPHIA (Maritime Overseas), August 1— Chaiman T. J. Olvany, Secretary G.C. Bamman, Educational Director R.P. Curly, Deck Delegate Robert Pachew, Engine Delegate C. Allen, Steward Delegate A. Aggazzali. Chairman suggested new contract should read "he or she" when desig­ nating SIU members. He announced payoff date. Educational director urged members to upgrade skills at Paul Hall Center. No beefs or dis­ puted OT reported. Chairman noted two-month contract extension. Crew asked contracts department to look into increase in pension and medical benefits. Crew reported ice machine not working. Next port: Baytown, Texas. OMI MISSOURI(Vulcan Carriers), August 15^—Chairman Cesar Gutier­ rez, Secretary Clyde Kreiss, Deck Delegate Randolf BoUins, Engine Delegate Grant Shuinan, Steward Delegate Ahdul Aziz. Chairman an­ nounced next port in US. Gulf. Treasurer reported $60 in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT rqrorted. Crew asked contracts department to look into increased dental and optical benefits. ing at Lundeberg School. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew gave vote of thanks to galley gang for job well done. SEA-LAND INDEPENDENCE (Sea-Land Service), August 22— Chairman Lee Selico, Secretary P. Schulz Secretary encouraged mem­ bers to upgrade at Paul Hall Center. Educational director reported various new movies aboard ship. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew gave vote of thanks to galley gang for job well done. SEA-LAND PATO/Or (Sea-Land Service), August 14—Chairman R. Garcia, Secretary J. Russell, Educa­ tional Director J. Hagner, Deck Delegate Mark Lance, Engine Delegate Leonardo Papa. Chairman asked crewmembers to write their OMI WILLAMETTE (OMI), August congressional representatives to ex­ 1—Chairman K.P. Amat, Secretary press concern regarding Sea-Land's K.D. Jones, Educational Director J. sail under and APL's efforts to Badgett. Chairman announced foreign flag. Educational director an­ payoff in Beaumont, Texas and RALEIGH BA Y (Sea-Land Service), nounced Piney Point classes posted reported patrolman will come aboard August 22—Chairman David Mur­ on crew deck and advised crewmem­ and update crew on new contract. ray, Secretary Edward Porter, bers to take advantage of Lundeberg Secretary urged members to donate to Steward Delegate Johny Bolton. No School to further knowledge and in­ SPAD and upgrade skills at Paul Hall beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew crease job security. No beefs or dis­ Center. No beefs or disputed OT requested new tape rewinder for crew puted OT reported. Chairman said t/LTfl4/lt4X(Sealift Inc.), July 18— LNG LEG (ETC), August 27— reported. Crew thanked galley gang lounge and gave vote of thanks to vessel had received mail concerning Chairman R. Van Brunt, Secretary for job well done and requested new Chairman Robert Schwarz, contract extension and Sea-Land steward department for job well Joseph Birke, Deck Delegate James Secretary Henry Jones Jr., Educa­ mattresses. filing for foreign flag posted on bul­ done. Rollman, Engine Delegate Eddie tional Director Mark Glinka, Engine letin board. Chairman noted crew has Major, Steward Delegate Malcolm Delegate I.E. Salomons, Steward OVERSEAS ALICE (Maritime SAM HOUSTON (Waterman Steam­ kept ship very clean and neat and Holmes. Chairman announced infor­ Delegate Amy Ripple. Chairman an­ Overseas), August 14—Chairman remind^ crewmembers to leave ship), August 8—Chairman Bobby mation concerning next tour not yet nounced Executive Vice President fames Jawers, Secretary Paul Stuh- Riddick, Secretary C, Rooks. Crew room keys in room if signing off. available. Disputed OT reported by .(oseph Sacco and SIU Representative defleld. Educational Director WJ. Next port: Oakland, Calif. asked contracts department for up­ engine delegate. No beefs or disputed Sal Aquia will board vessel in letty. Chairman announced twodate on contract negotiations. Crew OT reported by deck or steward SEA-LAND QUALITY(Sea-Land Simeji, Japan on August 29. He month contract extension. Secretary new washing machine. No delegates. Crew asked contracts reported new three-year contract will reminded crewmembers to have clean requesteddisputed Service), August 1—Chairman Car­ OT reported. Next beefs or department to look into shipping be explained at that time and asked mine Bova, Secretary T.Smith, linen in rooms for replacements. port: New Orleans. rules for working in cargo holds. crewmembers to write questions Educational Director H.C. Chancey, Educational director urged members Crew requested new chairs and VCR down that they would like answered. Deck Delegate W. Dillon, Engine to upgrade skills at Piney Point as SEA-LAND CRUSADER (Seafor crew lounge and thanked galley Delegate Ed Trester, Steward often as possible. Deck delegate Secretary read minutes of last meet­ ^d Service), August 25—Chair­ gang for job well done. Next port: Delegate Elsa Matter. Chairman an­ ing. Educational director stressed im­ reported disputed OT. No beefs or man A. Hernandez, Secretary N. New Orleans. nounced payoff in Charleston, S.C. disputed OT reported by engine or portance of upgrading at Paul Hall Andrews, Educational Director Bersteward delegates. Center. He reminded members of neo Oswald, Steward Delegate Ben- Secretary reported minutes to last FRANCES HAMMER (OCCI), meeting posted on bulletin board. necessity of upgrading skills. amjn Corpus. No beefs or disputed August 29—Chairman J. Konetes, Educational director urged members Treasurer stated $1,000 in ship's fund OVERSEAS JOYCE (Maritime OT reported. Crew requested comOverseas), August 22—Chairman Secretary J. Price, Educational Direc­ and $40 in SIU communications to upgrade skills at Lundeberg )any provide more stores for Uchard Bradford, Secretary James tor T. Jacohsen. Chairman an­ School. No beefs or disputed OT fund. No beefs or disputed OT voyages. Next port: San Juan. I jladney. Educational Director P. nounced new refrigerators received reported. Chairman reminded crew to reported. Chairman advised crew­ 'agan. Steward Delegate James for crewmembers' rooms. He keep recreation room clean and take members to keep recreation room SEA-LAND DISCOVERY (SeaWadsworth. Chairman encouraged reported transportation time to ship trash to level three. Crew requested clean and respect shipmates by keepLand Service), August 15—Chair­ crewmembers to read company con­ now. being paid by company. He said two new lounge chairs and rug for ng noise down on deck. Crew gave man A. Trikoglou, Secretary J. tract upon boarding ship. Secretary the next port is Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. vote of thanks to steward department crew lounge. Chairman reported Colls, Educational Director Sam reminded crew to rewind videotapes Secretary requested all garbage be recreation room to be sprayed when for cookouts and delicious food. before retuming to library. Education­ ^egron. Deck Delegate E.Ortega, separated in properly marked cans. ship docks in Houston. Engine Delegate J. Guaris, Steward al director urged members to attend Pumpman reminded crewmembers to LNG LIBRA (ETC), August 8— Delegate A. Colon. Chairman an­ SEA-LAND RELIANCE (Sea-Land Lundeberg School for upgrading. No Chairman Monte Pereira, Secretary keep benzene tests and passports up nounced payoff and reported water Service), August 23—Chairman R. beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew Dana Cunningham, Educational to date. Treasurer reported in cooler machine broken. Secretary reported Seafarers LOGs received. Director John Wong, Deck Delegate ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT Chairman reminded crewmembers to asked cooperation from crew to keep . Bellinger, Engine Delegate reported. Crew noted Seafarers LOGs Continued on page 22 decks clean. Treasurer said ship's ean rooms before signing off and received. Crew thanked galley gang for Thomas Neuwiiler, Steward •) t , I r ' I . I .• A: �22 NOyEHIIBER 1993 SEAFARERS LOG Ships Digest in Guam. Steward department reported shortage of stores during voyage. SEAUFT ATLANTIC (IMC), August 22—Chairman Carlos McGonagle, Secretaty-Julio Loureiro, Secretary J.Savoie, Deck Roman, Deck Delegate E. Udan, En­ Delegate Doug Lawton, Engine gine Delegate Leon Fountain, Delegate A. Jones, Steward Delegate Steward Delegate Lito Acosta. Chair­ Neville Monteith. Chairman en­ man reminded crewmembers to use couraged crew to continue to keep safety on deck and separate plastics lounge and crew mess areas clean. in next port. He discussed importance Crew sent condolences to OS Har­ of SPAD for job security and en­ vey Ramos and his family for the couraged members to upgrade at Paul passing of his father, SIU member Hall Center. Education^ director Daniel Garcia, who was sailing urged members to upgrade skills at aboard the Liberty Spirit. Secretary Piney Point and donate to SPAD. No reported captain notified company of beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew stores needed on vessel. No beefs or gave special vote of tha^ to Recer­ disputed OT reported. Crew gave tified Steward Roman and Chief Cook vote of thanks to galley gang for ex­ Acosta for good diiuier on Paul Hall's cellent job. Next port: Norfolk, Va. birthday. Next port: Tacoma, Wash. SEALIFT MEDITERRANEAN SEA-LAND SP/ff/r (Sea-Land Ser­ (IMC), August 8—Chairman vice), August 29—Chairman Richard Houghton, Secretary B. Howard Gibbs, Secretary L. Mesger, Educational Director H, Mc­ Leionek, Educational Director Brian Allister, Engine Delegate Robert Connell, Deck Delegate Romeo Maurer, Steward Delegate Micbael Lugtu, Engine Delegate Ramon Pooler Educational director Lirag, Steward Delegate Joe Tuck­ reminded members to upgrade skills er. Educational director advised all at Piney Point. Deck delegate members to upgrade at Lundeberg reported clothing allowance not being School. Treasurer reported $410 in paid by company. No beefs or dis­ ship's fiind. No beefs or disputed OT puted OT reported. Crew reported reported. Crew asked contracts chairs and tiles in crew mess need ' department for updated contract repair. Chairman announced video news. Next port: Oakland, Calif. library locked after 5 p.m. Crew re­ quested first aid kits. SEA-LAND TACOMA (Sea-Land Service), August 18—Chairman ULTRASEA (Sealift Inc.), August Joseph Artis, Secretary Ralph 20—Chairman A. Noble, Engine Alexander, Educationd Director R. Delegate Raymond Cuccia, Steward Clock, Deck Delegate Don Rico, En­ Delegate Joseph Patrick. Chairman gine Delegate Welton Weaver, announced payoff and thanked crew Steward Delegate William Wples. for job well done. Galley gang given Chairman aimounced van service vote of appreciation for great bar­ while in port. No beefs or disputed becue. No beefs or disputed OT OT reported. Crew discussed keeping reported. Chairman reported crew slop chest going. Chairman requested dryer to be repaired in New Orleans. crewmembers separate plastic from GUAYAMA (Puerto Rico Marine), trash and keep ashtrays empty in September 14—Chairman G. Kidd, crew lounge area. Crew gave vote of Secretary R. Evans, Educational thanks to steward department for Director Scott Speedy. Crew good food and keeping ship clean. reported Seafarers LOGs received in Next port: Tacoma, Wash. San Juan with information concern­ SEA-LAND TRADER (Sea-Laad ing new contract. No beefs or dis­ Service), August 11—Chairman MJ. puted OT reported. Chairman Willis, Secretary J.L. Johnson, reminded crew doors should be lock­ Educational Director M.Sabin, Deck ed in all ports. Crew gave vote of Delegate George Vukmir, Engine thanks to steward department for fine Delegate R. Swanson. Chairman job and keeping crew well fed. reported everything running smooth­ TB GROTON (Sheridan Transporta­ ly. Educational director urged mem­ tion), September 1—Chairman Neil bers to attend Lundeberg School Hatthey, Secretary Marvin upgrading courses. Treasurer reported $355 in movie fund. No Jeloatch, Educational Director A. b^fs or disputed OT reported. Crew Alexakis, Deck Delegate Brian gave galley gang round of applause Fountain, Steward Delegate for fine service. Crew ipport^ Michael Hammock. Chairman an­ socializing with crewmembers from nounced payoff and thanked crew­ Sealift Arctic while at Seaman's Club members for nice voyage. He also Continued from page 21 It's Union Time urged members to read Seafarers LOG to keep updated on union news and to donate to SPAD. Secretary ex­ tended vote of thanks to crewmem­ bers for keeping mess room clean. Educational director advised mem­ bers to upgrade skills at Lundeberg School. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew gave vote of thanks to Steward Deloatch and Chief Cook Hammock for always serving deli­ cious freshly baked pastries and cookies. Next port: Stapleton, N.Y. LNG LIBRA (ETC), September 5— Chairman Monte Pereara, Secretary Dana Cunningham, Educational Director John Wong, Engine Delegate Thomas Neuwiller, Steward Delegate Laurence Conklin. Chairman reported magazines now being delivered on time, and cap­ tain agreed to open slop chest twice during long trips south. He an­ nounced Executive Vice President Joseph Sacco will board vessel in Himeji, Japan to discuss new con­ tract. Secretary asked members sign­ ing off to leave rooms neat and ready for replacements. Educational direc­ tor reminded members to take time to upgrade at Paul Hall Center while ashore. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew reported crew lounge furniture needs to be replaced. Crew discussed purchase of new books. Crew gave vote of thanks to galley gang for good work. NUEVO SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico Marine), September 6—Chairman WJ. Card, Secretary R. Fagan, Educational Director Charles Gal­ lagher, Deck Delegate J. Passapera, Engine Delegate J. Williams Jr., Steward Delegate Gary Lackey. Chairman reported all operations run­ ning smoothly. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew reported good trip with vote of thanks to Chief Cook Lackey for good meals. OMI CHARGER (OMl), September 6—chairman E.R. Beverly, Secretary Neville Johnson, Educa­ tional Director Milton Israel. Chair­ man announced ship headed for dry dock in Mobile, Ala. with payoff upon arrival. He reported ship will be in shipyard for 20 to 30 days. Secretary reminded crewmembers to strip bunk, empty all trash cans and leave room clean for next occupant. Educational director encouraged members to upgrade skills at Piney Point. No beefs or disputed OT reported. HOPE/? (Vulcan Carriers), Septem­ ber 5—Chairman James Blanchard, Secretary E. Harris, Educational Director T.L. Thompson, Deck Delegate Spencer Lyle, Engine Delegate Sergio Pasilong, Steward Delegate Ronald Jones. Chairman announced ship scheduled for layup in Port Arthur, Texas. He thanked crewmembers for job well done. Secretary encouraged members to take advantage of Lundeberg School. Educational director urged members to think safety first. No beefs or dis­ puted OT reported. Crewmembers asked contracts department to look into quick medical claim payments and increased vessel manning. Crew requested they be allowed to stay on ship while in shipyard. They gave vote of thanks to galley gang for job well done, and chairman thanked en­ tire crew for being good shipmates and getting along well. Crew re­ quested new chairs and couch for crew lounge. Crew also requested new chairs for crew njess. SEA-LAND ACHIEVER (Sea-Land Service), September 5—Chairman Paul Lewis, Secretary Felipe Orlanda. Chairman reported on his call to headquarters concerning new contract He was informed that new pact in­ cludes no reduction in crew and an in­ crease in wages. Tifeasurer reported $60 in movie fund. Deck delegate rqxxted disputed OT. No beefs or disputed OT rqiorted by engine or steward delegates. Next port Norfolk, Va. Crewmembers attend a union meetina on board the Overseas New ipman (3. Orleans. They are drom left, front row) AB P. Giorgilli, Pumpnr Daley, (back row) DEU F. Auguilar, Steward D. Brown and SA M. Guity. ./.• ' V A •7' SEA-LAND ANCHORAGE (SeaLand Service), September 16—Chair­ man Garry Walker, Secretary J. Wright, Educational Director Mar­ vin Wells, Deck Delegate Jusuf Djuned, Engine Delegate Moses Shaibi, Steward Delegate William Bryley. Chairman announced payoff upon arrival in port. No beefs or dis­ puted OT reported. Crew gave vote of thanks to steward department for job well done and asked contracts department for clarification on sec­ tions of new agreement. Next port: Tacoma, Wash. SEA-LAND CHALLENGER (SeaLand Service), September 5—Chair­ man Jose Rodriguez, Secretary H. Scypes, Educational Director Ronald Smith, Deck Delegate Pedro Tor­ res, Engine Delegate Abby Aragones, Steward Delegate J.R. Salazar. Chairman reported crew waiting for details on new contract from SIU headquarters. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew thanked galley gang for Labor Day meal. SEA-LAND DISCOVERY (SeaLand Service), September 12—Chair­ man N. Sala, Secretary Jose Colls, Educational Director A. Negrdn, Deck Delegate Edwin Ortega, En­ gine Delegate J. Guaris, Steward Delegate A. Colon. Chairman an­ nounced patrolman boarding vessel at next port for payoff and contract results. Secretary reported 10 Cuban refugees rescued off coast of Florida were taken by crew to San Juan where immigration officers took them into custody. He reported they were well fed by Chief Steward Colls, Chief Cook Dimas Rodriguez and GSU Colon. Crewmembers reported they also supplied refugees with dry clothing. No beefs or dismted OT reported. Chairman an­ nounced ship begining 21-day round trips starting this voyage upon leav­ ing Elizabeth, N.J. Crew gave vote of. thanks to galley gang for good job. Chief Steward Colls supplied Seafarers LOG with photos of Cuban rescue. SEA-LAND EXPLORER (SeaLand Service), September 12—Chair­ man Jack Kingsley, Secretary W. Burdette, Educational Director C. Dunn, Deck Delegate G. Fries, Enpne lielegate D.M. Parker, Steward Delegate J.James. Chairman an­ nounced he received word of new threeyear contract He reported new agreement itKludes three percent raise the first year thrai four percent the second and diird years on base pay. He reported contract is yet to be ra^ed. No jeefs or disputed OT reported. Crew reported Secfarers LOGs received. Next xxt Long Beach, Calif. Dansalan, Deck Delegate Julius Udan, Engine Delegate David Bland, Steward Delegate Johnnie McCree. Chaiman announced addi­ tional contract extension to Septem­ ber 14 and encouraged members to One Big Texan During a union meeting on the Overseas New Orleans, OS Dana "Willy" May discusses the need for larger survival suits with Recertified Bosun Sonny Pinkham. Brother May checks in at 6 feet 10 inches> 270 pounds. donate to SPAD. He reminded crew­ members to keep quarters, crew lounge and laundry room clean. Educational director advised mem­ bers to upgrade at Lundeberg School. Treasurer reported $225 in ship's fund and $120 in movie fund. He also noted five new movies pur­ chased. Deck delegate reported dis­ puted OT. No beefs or disputed OT reported by engine or steward delegate. Crew reported Seafarers LOGs received. Bosun thanked steward department for great cookout. He reminded engineroom members to clean up before coming to mess hall to eat. He gave vote of thanks to entire crew. Crew observed moment of silence in memory of the late SIU president, Paul Hall. Next port: Tacoma, Wash. SEA-LAND TRADER (Sea-Land Service), September 16—Chairman M. Willis, Secretary F. Sison, Educa­ tional Director M. Sahin. Chairman reported no more news concerning contract. Treasurer announced $355 in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew requested fan in galley, and chief engineer requested smaller refrigerator for crew lounge. Crew gave vote of thanks to galley gang. Next port Tacoma, Wash. SEA-LAND VOYAGER (Sea-Land Service), September 5—Chairman T. Murphy, Secretary L. Lightfoot, Educational Director B. Landis, Deck Delegate M.Sorenson, Engine Delegate R.Surrick, Steward Delegate A. Hasan. Chairman an­ nounced port agent to meet vessel upon arrival in port on September 12. He noted Captain Saivelle com­ mended crew after inspection of en­ tire ship. Educational director thanked deck department for pointing out safety hazards. No beefs or dis­ puted OT reported. Seattle Port Agent Bob Hall to meet vessel upon arrival for vote on new contract Crew gave vote of thanks to steward department for job well done. Next port: Tacoma, Wash. SEA-LAND FREEDOM(Sea-Land Service), September 6—Chairman Ivan Bradley, Secretary J. Cbaney, education Delegate A. Horn, Engine Delegate Chris Compton, Steward Delegate Kenneth Lee. Chairman reported crew received July issues of eafarers LOG in Hong Kong and August issue in Egypt. He discussed newspaper article concerning Seaand's application to re-flag vessels, klucation director advised crewmemIjers to use safety belt when stripping gangway on departures. Treasurer reported $100 in movie fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. En­ SGT. MATEJ KOCAK(Waterman gine delegate said a barbecue grill Steamship), Septembers—Chairman will be built on vessel. Apjelo Urit, Secretary L. Gamble, SEA-LAND HAWAII (Sea Land Educational Director D. Peterson, Service), September 1 l—Chairman R. Deck Delegate Glen Rogers, Engine Santos, Secretary J.S, Smith, Educa­ Delegate John Langley, Steward tional Director J.L. Rogers, Engine Delegate Antonio Prizmik. Chair­ Delegate Paul Whalen. Chairman man amiounced payoff in Belfast, urged members to upgrade skiUs at Maine and departure date for Scotland, Paul Hall Center. Beefs reported by Denmark, Spain and St. Thomas. deck, engine and steward delegates. Crew report^ looking forward to trip. 4o disputed OT reported. Crew asked Educational director urged all mem­ for improvements in night lunch and bers to up^de at Piney Point No cold drinks in port Crew also re­ beefs or disputed OT reported. quested fresh milk in Japan. Steward delegate asked crewmembers to keep crew lounge clean. Crew gave SEA-LAND PACIFIC(Sea-Land vote of thanks to deck and engine Service), Septembers—Chairman departments for job well done and .«tbar Reck, Secretary G.M. Bron- steward department for good food. son. Educational Director Juanito Next port: Kirkcaldy, Scotland. �' ' •; . • Y' NOVEMBER 1993 SEAFARERS LOG SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR GREAT LAKES TUG AND DREDGE PENSION PLAN This is a summary of the annual report of Great Lakes Tug and Dredge Pension Plan, BIN 13-1953878, for the year ended December31,1992. The annual report has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). BASIC FINANCIAL STATEMENT Benefits under the plan are provided by the Trust. Plan expenses were $881,035. These expenses included $159,680 in administrative expenses and $721,355 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 568 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits. The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $17,565,141 as of December 31,1992 compared to $17,097,845 as of January 1,1992. During the plan year, the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $467,296. This increase included unredized appreciation (depreciation) in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the current value of assets at the beginning of the year plus the cost of any assets acquired during the year less the current value of assets at the end of the year. The plan had a total income of $1,348,331, including employer contributions of $259,041, employee contributions of $111,379, gain of $14,447 from the sale of assets, and earnings from investments of $963,464, MINIMUM FUNDING STANDARDS An actuary's statement shows that enough money was contributed to the plan to keep it funded in accordance with the minimum funding standards of ERISA. YOUR RIGHTS TOADDITtONAL INFORMATION You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof on request. The items listed below are included in that report: 1. An accountant's report; 2. Assets held for investment; 3. Actuarial information regarding the funding of the plan; 4. Transactions in excess of 5 percent of plan assets; and 5. Service provider and Trustee information. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of Mr. Nicholas J. Marrone, who is the plan administrator, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746; (301) 899-0675. The charge to cover copying costs will be $2.10 for the full annual report, or $.10 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan, and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses and accompanying notes of the plan, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the aimual report at the main office of the plan at 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746, and at the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department of Labor should be addressed to: Public Disclosure, Room N5507, Pension and Welfare Benefit Programs, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20210. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION In accordance with Department of Labor regulations, the net realized gain of $14,447 as shown above, is computed on the "market-to-market basis"—^the difference between the sale price and market value of an asset as of January 1, 1992; or if the asset was both acquired and disposed of within the plan year, it is the difference between the purchase and sale price. Included in the net appreciation (depreciation) in fair value of investments of ($76,030) as shown in the financial statements is $948,386 of net realized gain which is the difference between the sales price and the original cost of the assets. LOG-A-RHYTHM Of Ships and Men (American) by David Glover Who says there are no more dinosaurs left? I'm telling you that is not true. Not tyrannosaurs or triceratops, But U.S.-ftag ships and their crew. The American Merchant Marine is a trade Of which you may not have heard. Since it's vital to our great nation's defense. This ignorance is quite absurd. The merchant seaman conjures up visions Of an ignorant ward of the courts; An unkempt, uncouth and drunken lout Whose sole interest is bedroom sports! In truth the American sailor today Is highly trained, competent, smart. Trade is vital to the economy's health. Of which shipping plays a large part. A sailor must always be ready to fix Any problems like breakdowns and more. He cannot expect to receive any help Or assistance from people ashore. A professional doing his job, he's aware Of the danger to life, should he fail. He does this despite his image at home "What a choice — go to sea or to jail." Imagine the state of our deficit if Our sailors quit going to sea. Our exports would stop, our country become No longer the "Land of the Free." Desert Storm could not have succeeded without Our courageous Merchant Marine. For foreign-flag ships and seamen refused To carry our goods to the scene! Now American sailors are losing their jobs To flags of convenience unfurled. And U.S.-ftag ships — those brave dinosaurs Will become extinct 'round the world. (David Glover sails as a second mate aboard the SS LNG Virgo, an Energy Transportation Corpora­ tion vessel whose crew is composed of members of the SIU and District 1^MEBA.) 23 Know Your Rights FINANCIAL REPORTS. The PAYMENT OF MONIES. No constitution of the SIU Atlantic, monies are to be paid to anyone in any Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters Dis­ official capacity in the SIU unless an trict makes specific provision for official union receipt is given for safeguarding the membership's same. Under no circpmstandes money and union finances. The should any member pay any money constitution requires a detailed for any reason unless he is given such audit by certified public account­ receipt In the event anyone attempts ants every year, which is to be sub­ to require any such payment be made mitted to the membership by the without supplying a receipt, or if a secretaiy-tneasurer. A yearly fmance member is required to make a pay­ committee of rank-and-file mem­ ment and is givrai an official receipt, bers, elected by the membership, but feels that he or she should not each year examines the finances of have been required to make such pay­ the union and reports fully their find­ ment, this should imm^ately be ings and recommendations. Mem­ reported to union headquarters. bers of this committee may make CONSTITUTIONAL dissenting reports, specific recom­ RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. mendations and separate findings. Copies of the SIU constitution are TRUST FUNDS. All trust av^able in all union halls. All mem­ funds of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, bers should obtain copies of this conLakes and Inland Waters District stitution so as to familiarize are administered in accordance themselves with its contents. Any with the provisions of various trust time a member feels any other mem­ fund agreements. All these agree­ ber or officer is attempting to deprive ments specify that the trustees in him or her of any constitutional right charge of these funds shall equally or obligation by any methods, such as consist of unipn and management dealing with charges, trials, etc., as representatives and their alternates. well as all othar details, the member All expenditures and disburse­ so affected should immediately ments of trust funds are made only notify headquarters. upon approval by a majority of the EQUAL RIGHTS. All mem­ tnistees. All trust fund financial bers are guaranteed equal rights in records are available at the head­ employment and as members of the quarters of the various trust funds. SIU. Ibese rights are clearly set SHIPPING RIGHTS. A forth in the SIU constitution and in member's shipping rights and the contracts which the union has seniority are protected exclusively negotiated with the employers. by contracts between the union and Consequently, no member may be the employers. Members should get discriminated against because of to know their shipping rights. race, creed, color, seX, national or Copies of these contracts are posted geographic origin. If any member and available in all union halls. If feels that he or she is denied the members believe there have been equal rights to which he or she is violations of their shipping or entitled, the member should notify seniority rights as contained in the union headquarters. contracts between the union and the SEAFARERS POLITICAL employers, they should notify the ACTIVITY DONATION — Seafarers Appeals Board by cer­ SPAD. SPAD is a separate tified mail, return receipt requested. segregated fund. Its proceeds are The proper address for this is: used to further its objects and pur­ Augustin Tellez, Chairman poses including, but not limited to, Seafarers Appeals Board frrthering the political, social and 5201 Auth Way economic interests of maritime Camp Springs, MD 20746 workers, the preservation and fur­ Full copies of contracts as referred thering of the American merchant to are av^able to members at all marine with improved employment times, either by writing directly to the opportunities for seamen and boat­ union or to Ae Seafarers Appeals men and the advancement of trade Board. union concepts. In connection with CONTRACTS. Copies of aU such objects, SPAD supports and SIU contracts are available in all SIU contributes to political candidates halls. These contracts specify the for elective office. All contribu­ wages and conditions undo- which an tions are voluntary. No contribu­ SIU member works and lives aboard tion may be solicited or received a ship or boat. Members should know because of force, job discrimina­ their contract tights, as well as then- tion, financial reprisal, or threat of obligations, such as filing for over­ such conduct, or as a condition of time (OT) on the proper sheets and in membership in the union or of the proper manner. If, at any time, a employment. If a contribution is member believes that an SIU patrol­ made by reason of the above im­ man or other union official fails to proper conduct, the member should protect their contractual rights notify the Seafarers International properly, he or she should contact the Union or SPAD by certified mail nearest SIU port agent within 30 days of the contribution EDITORIAL POLICY — for investigation and appropriate THE SEAFARERS LOG. The action and refund, if involuntary. Seafarers LOG traditionally has A member should support SPAD refrained fixrm publishing any ar­ to protect and further his or her ticle serving the political purposes economic, political and social in­ of any individual in the union, of­ terests, and American trade union ficer or member. It also has concepts. refrained from publishing articles If at any time a member feels deemed harmful to the union or its that any of the above rights have collective membership. This estab­ been violated, or that he or she has lished policy has been reaffirmed been denied the constitutional right by membership action at the Sep­ of access to union records or infor­ tember 1960 meetings in all con­ mation, the member should imme­ stitutional ports. The diately notify SIU President responsibility for Seafarers LOG Michael Sacco at headquarters by policy is vested in an editorial certified mail, return receipt re­ board which consists of the ex­ quested. The address is: ecutive board of the union. The Michael Sacco, President executive board may delegate, Seafarers International Union from among its ranks,, one in­ 5201 Auth Way dividual to carry out this respon­ Camp Springs, MD 20746. sibility. "-.i �24 MOVEMBER1993 XAFJUtERSLOB '•w . Final Departures DEEP SEA NICHOLAS BECK Pensioner Nicholas Beck, 73, passed away August 28. Bom in Ger­ many, he joined the Seafarers in 1949 in the port of New York. He sailed as a bosun. Brother Beck upgraded at the Lundebeig School in Hney Point, Md. in 1981. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945. Brother Beck retired in January 1982. JUAN BERNARD Juan Bernard, 70, died September 15. A Puerto Rico native, he joined the Marine Cooks and Stewards in 1964 in the port of San Francisco, before that union merged with the Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District (AGLIWD). Brother Bernard's last ship was the SS Maui, a Matson vessel. FRANK BRAZELL Pensioner Frank Brazell, 70, passed away Septem­ ber 7. Bom in Georgia, he joined the union in 1944 in the port of New York. Brother Brazell sailed as a QMED. He upgraded at Piney Point in 1976. Brother Brazell served in the U.S. Army from 1940 to 1941. He began receiving his pension in November 1979. JOSEPH CAISON Pensioner Joseph Caison, 66, died September 20. A native of Shallott, N.C., he joined the SIU in 1969 in the port of Norfolk, Va. Brother Caison sailed in the steward depart­ ment. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1962. Brother Caison retired in Febmary 1986. HENZEKIAH DONOVAN Pensioner Henzekiah Donovan, 86, passed away September 24. A British West Indies native, he joined the Seafarers in 1945 in the port of New York. Brother Donovan sailed as a cook/baker. He began receiving his pension in September 1969. LUTHER GADSON Pensioner Luther Gadson, 68, died September 28. Bom in Round, SC., he joined the union in 1947 in the port of Baltimore. Brother Gadson sailed in the stew­ ard department He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945. Brother Gadson retired in Febmary 1981. ROBERT MCCAULEY Robert McCauley, 59, passed away August 22. A native of Teaneck, N.J., he joined the SIU in 1963 in the port of Baltimore. Brother McCauley sailed in the deck department. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1955. REIDAR NIELSEN Pensioner Reidar Niel­ sen, 72, died August 27. A Norway na­ tive, he joined the Seafarers in 1953 in the port of New York. Brother Nielsen sailed in the engine depart­ ment. He began receiving his pen­ sion in August 1986. JERI PATTERSON Jeri Patterson, 63, passed away July 27. She joined the Marine Cooks and Stewards in her native Los Angeles before that union merged with the AGLIWD. JOHN PROCTOR Pensioner John Proctor, 85, died August 10. An Oklahoma native, he joined the Marine Cooks and Stewards in 1950 in the port of San Francisco. Brother Proctor retired in July 1970. Port Arthur, Texas. Before retiring. Boatman McDonald sailed as a chief engineer. He retired in 1969. ELIAS WATSON Elias Watson, 72, passed away August 16. Bom in New York, he joined the Marine Cooks and Stewards in San Francisco before that union merged with the AGLIWD. INLAND CHARLES BEDELL Pensioner Charles Bedell, 68, passed away August 2. He joined the union in 1943 in his native New York. Boatman Bedell sailed in the steward depart­ ment. He upgraded at the Lundeberg School in 1978. Boatman Bedell retired in May 1987. JESSE MCDONALD Pensioner Jesse Mc­ Donald, 88, passed away April 8. Bom in Jackson, Ala., he joined the SIU in 1964 in the port of HENRY GRIGGS Henry Griggs, 66, died September 20. Bom in Tampa, Fla., he joined the Seafarers in 1975 in the port of Norfolk, Va. Boatman Griggs sailed in the steward department., He served in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1965. LOUIS WILLIS JR. Louis Willis Jr., 35, died September 1. A native of Orange, Texas, he joined the Seafarers in 1989 in the port of Hous­ ton. Brother Willis sailed as a tankerman. He last worked aboard Higman Towing vessels. ATLANTIC FISHERMAN SEBASUANOSERIO Pensioner Sebastiano Serio, 87, died September 28. A native of Milwaukee, Wis., he joined the SIU in 1961 in the port of Gloucester, Mass. Brother Serio retired in March 1973. GREAT LAKES CHESTER PATTON Chester Patton, 65, died July 14. A na­ tive of Bed­ ford, Ind., he joined the union in 1957 in the port of Detroit. Brother Patton sailed most recently as a conveyorman. He upgraded at Piney Point in 1980. Brother Patton served in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1953; GEORGE PELLMAN George Pellman, 55, passed away August 28. Bom in Mil­ waukee, Wis., he joined the Seafarers in 1972 in the port of Chicago. He sailed in the steward department. Brother Pellman served in the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1953. FRANK ROBERTSON Pensioner Frank Robertson, 88, passed away August 26. Bom in Scotland, he joined the Seafarers in 1955 in the port of New York. Brother Robertson sailed as a cook/baker. He began receiving his pension in October 1975. ERNESTO RUIZ Pensioner Emesto Ruiz, 72, died Sep­ tember 26. A native of Puer­ to Rico, he joined the SIU in 1955 in the port of Baltimore. Brother Ruiz sailed in the steward department. He retired in June 1985. WALKER WILSON Pensioner Walker Wil­ son, 67, passed away September 24. Bom in Alabama, he joined the union in 1944 in the port of Slorfolk, Va. Brother Wilson sailed in the steward department. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954. Brother Wilson began receiving his pension in June 1985. RICHARD WORLEY Pensioner Richard Worley, 59, died September 18. A native of Pensacola, Fla., he joined the SIU in Mobile, Ala. in 1958. Brother Worley sailed as a firemanwatertender and AB. He retired in April 1978. it& I.. I'ni A S Seafarers Seholarships: A Beaeon of Opportunity The Seafarers Scholarship Program is accepting applications for the 1994 school year. Five months may seem like a long time from now. Winter will have come and gone and the new year will be well on its way. But five months is really not all that much time when it comes to completing a scholarship ap­ plication for one of seven awards that will be given to three Seafarers and four dependents of SIU members. Completing the application form, itself, is not very diifficult. What will take more time, how­ ever, is gathering all the other necessary paperwork. This in­ cludes an autobiographical state­ ment, photograph, certified copy of birth certificate, high school transcript and certification of graduation or official copy of high school equivalency scores, col­ lege transcripts, letters of refer­ ence and SAT or ACT results. Schools often are very slow in handling transcript requests, so applicants must be sure to submit their requests to those institutions as soon as possible. Applicants also should sign up for the ACT or SAT exam and start thinking about who to ask to write letters of recommendation for them. Once all the paperwork has been completed and the applica­ tion form is fill^ out, the entire package should be sent to the Seafarers Welfare Plan on or before April 15,1993. With costs of college educa­ tion rising each year, the SIU scholarship is one SIU benefit that can help members and their families realize their educational dreams. Of the seven scholarships that will be awaraded in 1994, three are reserved for SIU members (one in the amount of $15,000 for a four-year scholarship to a col­ lege or university, and two $6,000 two-year scholarships for study at a vocational school or community college). The other four scholar­ ships will be awarded to spouses and dependent children of Seafarers. Each of these four is a $15,000 stipend for study at a four-year college or university. Eligibility requirements for Seafarers and their spouses and unmarried dependents are spelled out in a booklet which contains an application form. To receive a booklet, fill out the coupon below and mail it to the Seafarers Wel­ fare Plan. I please send me the 1994 SIU Scholarship Program booklet ' • which contains eligibility information, procedures for applyI ing and the application form. I Name, Book Number I Address. City, State, Zip Code. Telephone Number. This application is for: CD Self CD Dependent Mail this completedform to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Welfare Plan, 5201 Auth Way. Camp Springs. MD 20746. ./ / / y : / •/ •u 11/93 �NOVEMBER 1993 SEAFARERS LOG 25 Case Made fiw Stmnger hilai^ Regs Continued from page 2 Turner urged the congressional panel to enact legislation to en­ sure the safety of inland water­ ways. The SIU supports a bill, known as H.R. 1915, which would require a Coast Guard-is­ sued merchant mariner document for all men and women sailing aboard inland vessels of more than five gross tons. Similar legis­ lation passed the House last year, but Congress adjourned before the Senate could complete action on the measure. "For the last two years, the SIU has insisted that a potential for catastrophe exists on the nation's inland waterways. No longer is this prophetic; the Sun­ set Limited has made it all too real," noted Turner. Closing the Loophole The SIU presses Congress to pass legislation requiring the Coast Guard to issue merchant marine documents to boatmen, a move that would insure the safety of crewmembers and coastal communities. There is a loophole in current law that exempts a vast majority of individuals working on inland water vessels from holding Coast Guard-issued merchant mariner documents—no matter what the tonnage of the boat. Presently, crewmembers sail­ ing on inland towing and harbor towing vessels as well as ocean and harbor tugs of less than 100 gross tons—which is the vast majority of tugs and tows, many having engines with horsepower in the tens of thousands, some pulling more than 50 barges at a time—are not required to hold merchant mariner documents. Merchant mariner documents encourage safety practices on the part of seamen because if he or she is found in violation of federal law the document can immedi­ ately be revoked by the Coast Guard. In addition, Ae applicant must meet minimum criteria before obtaining a merchant mariner document. "Unlike seamen in the deep sea sector, crews employed on tugs, tows, barges, and offshore supply vessels on the inland waterways are not required to hold mariner documents as a basis for employment," Turner told the subcommittee. "If these individuals were in­ deed required by statute to obtain these documents, the Coast Guard would have the authority to revoke or suspend the documents for cause, thereby precluding unfit mariners from employment in this or any other commercial maritime sector," he noted. "Without Some form of fun­ damental entry-level document there is no " ay the Coast Guarc canprevf i the reemployment o undocumented workers who cause accidents. It is that simple. Turner added. In relation to the Sunset Limited crash, only two of the four crewmembers aboard the towboat that allegedly causec the derailment of the passenger train, had a merchant mariner document issued by the Coast Guard. Congress Takes Action "Although all four crewmem­ bers are charged with navigating responsibilities and must work together as a team, the captain and pilot are the only members of the crew who are required to hole Coast Guard licenses. Neither deckhand was documented, nor are they required to be. As result, their work habits and per­ sonal history are not subject to the same scrutiny by the Coast Guard as those mariners who are required to hold documents or licenses as a basis for employ­ ment," the legislative director pointed out to the congressmen In his testimony, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral James Card told the subcommitt^ that, other than the radar and a radio, the MV Mauvilla carried no chart, com- Study Finds Seamen with Documents Not Likeiy to Be Cause of Accidents Continued from page 2 ^ • y'. pass or other navigational tools. The Coast Guard official noted that such equipment is not required either by die law or Coast Guard regulations. Towboats are required only to have a VHF radio, a whistle, bell and position light "It seems to me that whistles and bells aren't going to do it, said the chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Navigation, Billy Tauzin (D-La.). SIU National Director of Immediately following the Governmental Relations, Terry hearing, Tauzin drew up legisla­ Turner urged the Subcommittee tion to ensure that all towing ves­ on Coast Guard and Navigation to sels are equipped with the proper require merchant mariner navigational tools. On October documentation for all seamen 14, he introduced H.R. 3282, The sailing on the inland waterways. Towing Vessel Navigational Safety Act of 1993. Federico Pena, ordered an intense TTie legislation requires that and complete review of Coast all towing vessels which operate Guard regulation and oversight of on inland waterways have marine the inland marine transportation charts, navigational publications, system to be completed by a compass, a radar and a December. fathometer. TTie bill will also en­ The Coast Guard will review sure that licensed towboat the adequacy and effectiveness of operators can demonstrate manning requirements for proficiency using these tools. operators of uninspected towing Joining Tauzin in support of vessels; the history of incidents H.R. 3282, the chairman of the involving operators of House Merchant Marine and uninspected towing vessels; and, Fisheries Committee, Repre­ the adequacy of the requirements sentative Gerry Studds (D- for reporting of marine casualties Mass.), stated that further and hazardous conditions involv­ legislative action must be taken to ing vessels and the adequacy of ensure complete inland waterway the penalties for failure to report safety. such accidents. There are more "We must leara from the hor­ than 5,000 tugs and towboats in ror that occurred in Mobile," he the U.S.-flag fleet and close to said. "It is incomprehensible that 3,300 of those operate on the anyone operating any vessel of nation's rivers and lakes, which any size would not have a chart on make up 25,777 miles of board or be unable to differentiate navigable rivers. between the radar images of a H.R. 1915, as introduced by barge and a bridge. We must take Rep. Gerry Studds early this fall a good hard look at navigational as well as H.R. 3282, introduced procedures on our increasingly by Rep. Tauzin have been crowded inland waters and at presented to the subcommittee manning and licensing require­ and await mark-up. ments on inland towboats. We Once approved by the subcom­ must close all loopholes and fill mittee it goes on to the full House aU the gaps we find." Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, who after delibera­ DOT to Do a Study As a result of the tragic derail­ tion will send the legislation to ment of the Sunset Limited, the House for debate and vote. If Secretary of Transportation passed, it goes to the Senate. dividuals on these vessels are Guard, "human factors" include documepted and thus will have some of the following categories Great Lakes and deep sea vessels been subjected to a record check bypass of available safety the most likely cause of an acci­ of the National Driver Register, devices, inattention to duty, in­ dent was problems related to the which releases information re­ toxication—alcohol/drugs, cal­ vessels. In the graph below, lated to any driving offense per­ culated risk, carelessness, error in tugs/tows include all such vessels taining to alcohol. The applicant judgement, lack of knowledge, less than 300 gross tons. Lakes is also subject to a Federal Bureau lack of training, lack of ex­ ships are those vessels over of Investigation (FBI) check and perience, operator error, fatigue, 10,000 gross tons, self-propelled, review of criminal records as well stress, physical impairment, which have been involved in an as verification of U.S. citizenship psychological impairment, accident on one of the five Great or evidence from INS of lawful failure to comply with rules or Lakes. Finally, ocean-going ves­ entry and permanent residence in regulations, inadequate super­ sels are all selfr propel led vessels the country. In addition, the vision, failure to follow the rules over 14,999 gross tons and which mariner must take an oath to ad­ of the road. are one of the following types of here to all applicable federal The Coast Guard's data vessels: Container, Rbll-on/Roll- laws; provide proof of employ­ reveals that the most likely reason off, LASH, Ore-Bulk-Oil, liquid ment in the industry or evidence for an accident involving a deep or dry bulker, or oil, gas or chemi­ of military service; renew docu­ sea ship or Great Lakes vessel is Continued from page 2 cal tankers. ment every five years and com­ a problem with the vessel itself. The primary distinction be­ pletion 60-90 days of seatime. To As defined by the agency, "vessel visibility severely limited, the tween the seamen employed obtain an advanced rating, a problems" are those factors re­ pilot began looking for a tie-off aboard tugs and towboats in the seaman must pass a Coast Guard lated to the material or equipment on the east side of the river. By inland sector and those working examination indicating proficien­ of the ship or boat that cause lugging the east side of the aboard vessels on the Great Lakes cy and knowledge. trouble, but which are not related Mobile River, the pilot uninten­ and oceans, is the great majority The Coast Guard's data base to improper maintenance. Ex­ tionally entered the Big Bayou of crewmembers on marine indicates that human factors are amples are inadequate equip­ Canot, where barge traffic is equipment in the rivers and lakes the primary cause of accidents in­ ment; inadequate stability; prohibited. are not documented by the United volving tugs and tows. Converse­ inadequate horsepower; failed On the radar screen, the pilot States Coast Guard. ly, on deep sea. ships and Great materials, such as electrical, saw an object extending across die Crewmembers aboard deep Lakes vessels, the human factor mechanical and structural items. waterway and mistakenly thought The percentage of accidents the object was a tied-up tug and sea and Great Lakes ships are sub­ only accounted for roughly one caused by forces of nature was third of all accidents ject to rigorous alcohol and drug similar among all three classifica­ ow. The Mauvilla headed toward As defined by the Coast testing procedures. All in­ tions of vessels. "Environmental the object intending to ask permis­ Factors" are considered by the sion to tie-up alongside. Coast Guard to be adverse The deckhand who was LEADING CAUSES OF MARINE ACCIDENTS weather conditions, adverse cur­ scheduled to be on watch was in BY VESSEL TYPE FROM LATE 1970s THROUGH MID-1991 rent or sea conditions, debris, suc- the galley below when the tow U.S. FLAG INLAND TUGmiWS, GREAT LAKES & OCEAN-GOING VESSELS tion bank, ice, submerged struck the bridge causing a sec­ m HUMAN FACTORS objects, unmaintained channels, tion of the railroad bridge to be PERCENTAGE VESSEL PROBLEMS among others. OFTOTAL cnocked 41 inches out of align­ •1 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS The SIU concluded that the ment. The shift left a bridge girder ACCIDENTS 5o<^ FOR THE evidence proves that seamen in the path of the oncoming train THREE 40% with merchant mariner docu­ and a spokesperson for the Na­ LEADING ments have a better safety tional Transportation Safety CAUSES ^ record and are less susceptible Joard reported that it was this 20% to injury and death than men and women working aboard tugs that caused Amtrak's Sunset and tows who do not meet the Limited to plunge into the bayou. The question of how much LAKE VESSELS OCEAN VESSELS standards the Coast Guard re­ TUGfrOW time elapsed from the slamming quires of all mariners. Investigation Continues Of Amtrak Deraiiment m '4'"'" of the bridge to the derailment is still under investigation. Safety board officials have said that the train wreck occurred about eight minutes after the bridge was rammed. The towboat pilot told the authorities that he thought that he was still in the Mobile River, when in reality he was lost in the fog in the Big Bayou Canot. The reported position was one mile from the actual accident. U.S. Coast Guard Rear Ad­ miral James Card testified that had the operator known how to use his radar aboard the tugboat MV Mauvilla, he would not have mistaken a railroad bridge for a barge and headed for it in the nonnavigable waterway. The committee was also told that, other than the radar and a radio, the towboat carried no chart, compass or other naviga­ tional tools. The Coast Guard of­ ficial noted that such equipment is not required either by the law or Coast Guard regulations. Towboats are required only to have a VHF radio, a whistle, bell and position light. ..'tr 'V~. . A'; .'.H • �26 SEAFARERS LOG MOVEMRER1993 •'' i-'V'-1 Lundeberg School Graduating Classes Trainee LlfeboatClass515—Graduatingfromtraineelifeboatcte^515are(fromleft.kneeling) Ben Cusic (instructor). Ricardo Ribeiro. Marcus Nicholas. Lionel! Royer. Enc Airline. lOrk Bryan, (second row) Jayson Agana. Trent Williams. Raymond Negron, Malachy Mu vey. Austm Garginer. Gregory Thomas, (third row) William Keith Crawford. Anthony Crummell, Marvin Johnson^ John Douglas Flangan. Anthony McDanniel and David Pedigo Jr. Advanced Firefighting—Upgrading members completing the advanced firefighting course are Bruce Perry. (from left, kneeling) Sidney Skinner. Daniel Vich. LeRoy Isaacson. Richard Tankersley. B Stephen Bishop, (standing) Byran Cummings (instructor). Sue Corliss. Jason Myers. Daniel Hughes. Sam Johnson. Douglas Jones. Paula Woodside. Olgierd Becker. Darrell Peterson, John McGonagle. George Taylor Jr.. Robert Corbett. John O'Connell. Paul Van Hollebeke. Michael Stravers. (third row) Richard Ziegler and Allen Shaw Hydraulics—Completing the hydraulics course on August 19 are (from left, kneeling) Robert Gaglioti. John Parkhurst. Sellers Brooks, (second row) Steven Hoskins. John Penrose. Kelly Davis. Larry Phil^t and Bill Foley (instructor). Upgraders Lifeboat—Upgrading graduates of the Septemtier 8 liteboat class are (from left, kneeling) Kenneth Getter. Jamie Watson. (second row) Omar Muhammad, George Vitello.Saundra Leonard. John Bayard III. Casey Taylor (instructor), (third row) Denis Picciuolo. Scott sweeney, Carl Parker. Carolyn MerrifiekJ. Paul Guzman and Bassirou jg. Diesel Engine—Receiving certification in diesel engine tech­ nology are (from left, kneeling) Keeper Brown. John Nelson. Beckett Young HI. (second row) John Wiegman (instructor). Paul Patterson. Michael Martykan. Richard Mollis and Lawrence Rose. Not shown are William Smith and Jorge Bonnelli. Sealift-Crane Maintenance—Graduating from the September 8 sealift-crane maintenance class are (from left, kneeling) Dale Kirsch Jr.. James Duffy. Kevin Upgraders Lifeboat—Ben Cusic (left) instructed Young, (second row) Michael Struve. Jack Green. Daniel Rick Gray and Jason Collins, members of the upgraders Brady and Jeff Swanson (instructor). lifeboat class that graduated August 23. Shiphandling—^Working their way up the deck department ratings are (from left) Jake Karaczynski (in­ structor). Allen Shaw. Mary Watson and Gregg Carlson. >*.' ' /-l •• • •"< ...jr,;- •••' . �SSWUfERS UW 27 imEmEiims mrrugiaiw LOIMIEBEfffi SGMML ^^-1994 imnUUHHG COURSE Sf^EDlHI nKdadalf-In Bosun Recertificatioii Steward Re<»rtlfiation - .. . ^ is the course schedule for fnr classes r^lasses heginning beeinninc between Decemb the following SJ^SHfrrS change to reflect the n^s of the membership, the industry and-in times of conllict-the nation s security. Completioh Check-In Date Date Course _ January 31 March 11 ^^^S^^uaetheOSSpmPrevenaonandConuU^ ' -• SIdphandling Radar Certification . Cd^tial Navigation .^iSiniis UiirdMate Bohrse Oil SpiU Prevention and Containment tjyii^ifdinan • , Basic^^dvanced Fire Fighting Inland Basic/Advanced Fire Fighting Operations & Maihtenance Limited License, Part 1 Limited License,Part 2 Limited License, Part 3 QMED-Any Rating Fireman/Watertender and Oiler Diesel Engine Technology Rtfrigeration Maint. & Operations Welding PumproomMaintu&Openi^ Marine Electrical Maintena^ Refrig. Cdntitiners-Adi^ceti Basic Electronics Marine Electronic Technician I Marine Electronic Technician U Check-In Date Completion Date February 14 March 14 February 18 March 18 December 6 January 3 January 17 January 31 January 25 March 15 January 17 December 17 January 14 January 28 February 11 February 4 March 25 January 22 January 3 February 21 March 21 January 17 April 11 :January 31 April 25 February 14 May 9 f li-:; i {<i Deep Sea Member• CnmpletionDate, January 3 January 3 May 9 February 21 January 1 Ma«*di21 January 3 March 28 May 2 February M May 2 Januarys Fdl»ruary2 March 1 March 25 February 11 June 17 Mardil8 February 11 April29 January 28:) Aprtt22 June 10 April22 June lO January 31 February 28 March 31 Virfff* Erfiicatftwi S^iBdiriB , ' •' . 1 I " ^ English as a Second Language (E5L) Developmental Stupes . , January 28, March 18 Aprill5 January 28 April 22 February 11 May6 February 25 May 20 12 weeks - open-ended adi^ion 6 weeks - open-ended adn^ion 6 weeks - open-ended admission January 10 January 17 Mareh7 'Mm March 14 MarchJl MatdiZS JanuarylO March4 time tounion book indicating :ard listing urn «ceiv«l SHOT^B (Street) (State) Check-In (Madle) (Fusi) Address (Qly) Compietion^te ga-^SStaottCABE) -DateofBhth (Ust) c^^v.ln The foUowing courses ^Ei^Simaaoil. Sohool.net.sccoutecttheadm.ss.ousoffl.^toe,^^^ UPGRADING APPLICATION Name. May 2 MOarch 7 agimllMnMnwComw jMuary28 March 25 January 14 February 18 March 11 February 11 May 6 Januaiy 17 March 14 January 10 February 14 March 7 January 3 March 28 April 19 March 28 January 31 ^ VESSEL _ Telephone _X(Area Code) (Zip Code) MemberO DISCHAKGE _ Inland Wa.® MemberD PacBc Lakes DATE. ^Mowing./—.no,ytt.don, be processed. Social Security SIGNATURE. Book#__ — I am interested in the f?U°wi^ ^our8e{s)checkedbelowormdicaled here if not listed Department Seniority acnwjiiij ^ nv« • No Home Port. U.S. Citizen; LJ i—' EndotsementCs) or Liceose(s) now held • Yes Are you a graduate of the SHLSS trainee program? DNO to. If yes, which program: from Last grade of school completed ^ ^ Have you attended any SHLSS upgradrng courses. • Ves ,fyes.course(s)taken^^----^^ If yes, course(s) taken Have you taken any SHLSS Sealitt pe DNO DNO ! If yes, how many weeks have you com^^^ Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guar i • Yes •No' FirefightingiDYes UN Date available for training Primary language spoken [jYes • No DhCK AB/Sealift 1st Class Pilot Third Mate Radar Observer Unlimited Master Inspected Towing Vessel • Towboat OperatorInland • Olestial Navigation • Simulator Course • • • • • — ENOINE • FOWT • QMED-Any Rating • Variable S^UC^e Speed DC Drive Systems (MarineElectromcs) • Marine Bectiical Maintenance • PumpipomMMntenanceft Operation • Refrigeration Systems Maintenance &Operation • Diesel Engine Technology • AssistantEngjnew/Chief Engineer Motor Vessel • Original 3rd Engineer Steam or Motor • RcftigeratedContainers Advanced Maintenance • Electro-HydrauUcSystems Q Automation • Hydraulics • Marine Electronics Technician • • • • • p • ALL DEPARTMENT • Welding • Lifeboatman (must taken wifli another course) • oa Spill Prevention & Containment • Basic/Advanced * Fire Fighting • Sealift " ADULTEDUCATION DEPARTMENT • Adult Basic Education (ABE) • High School Equivalency Program (GED) • Developmental Studies (DVS) • English as a Second Language (ESL) • ABE/ESL Lifeboat . Preparation STEWARD Assistant Cook Utility Cook and Baker " COLLEGE PROGRAM ChiefCook • Associate in Alts Degree Chief Steward Towboat Inland Inland Cook Towboat COOK . th^iMter only ITyooprewitorigliial receiptsand «i«ariliny ..i- �SEAEUCERS SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT A copy of the Summary Annual Report for.the Great Lakes fug and Dredge Plan is printed on page 23. November 1993 Volume 55, Number 11 'iiii: Crewmembers of the ITB New York must have experienced deja vu during a recent trip from Hous­ ton to the U.S. Virgin Islands. ! The SlU-contracted vessel ex­ ecuted two rescues in four days, both involving Cuban refugees, AB Robert Seaman reported in a letter to \hc Seafarers LOG. On September 24, the New York picked up four men about 45 miles northeast of Havana. They had been drifting in a 14-foot plastic rowboat, without food and with lit­ tle drinking water left. The Cubans had no life jackets, and their only navigational tool was a pocket compass. Bosun Mario Romero and Cap­ tain Cyrus Brewster, who both speak Spanish, learned from the refugees that they had started with five men in the boat. "But they only got about two miles out and one of them jumped into the water and started back for shore," wrote Seaman, who also provided the photos accompanying this story. The crew of the New York retrieved the Cubans without inci­ dent. Steward Richard Hicks and Four men adrift In a 14-foot plastic rowboat are picked up by thecrew ot the ItB New York. Chief Cook Gregory Johnson gave the men food and beverages.Two of the Cubans did not have shirts, so Seaman and Chief Engineer Olivette gave them T-shirts. "Let's just say the food went fast," Seaman said. "After four days, you can im­ agine how hungry they were." He added, "The whole crew of , the New York helped out in one way or another. This was an all-hands operation." The Coast Guard cutter Padre picked up the Cubans a little while later. They were taken to Key West, Fla. where they had preliminary in­ terviews with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The men then were turned over to a local, volunteer organization called the Transit Center for Cuban Refugees. They will have a full hearing with the INS at a later date. Here We Go Again Three crewmembers prepare the ladder so that a U.S. border patrol boat can pick up the survivors of the second rescue. From left are Pumpman Richard Natoll, DEU Thomas Correll and Bosun Mario Romero. The New York had made it to the Mona Passage, off the coast of the Dominican Republic, by the morn­ ing of September 27. That is when AB Ronald Paradise sighted a small boat occupied by two Cubans (one male, one female). Two Cubans take tfie line that I pulls their small craft alongside i the ITB New York. 'if * • _-!:i •• -- Crewmembers of the integrated tug-barge shot a line to the small crrft, then pulled the boat alongside the New York and secured it. Again the refugees were brought aboard without complications. They were fed by the steward department, then took showers and borrowed some clean clothing while their gar­ ments were washed. "They said they bought the boat from a Cuban soldier and they were lucky to get away," Seaman reported. "They had left with four tanks of gas, and they were almost out." A U.S. border patrol boat picked up the dno, and the New York again resumed its voyage. It was not clear how or why the two Cubans wound up in the Mona Passage. These incidents "delayed our trip, but it's always good to help those in need," concluded Seaman. "In both cases, the Cubans might have been in trouble if we hadn't seen them." SIU members aboard the New York during these events were Bosun Romero, ABs Seaman, Paradise and Gary Nagel, QMED Richard Natoli and DEU Thomas Correli. fr ml: The first four Cubans to be rescued are flanked by Bosun Mario Romero (left) and AB Robert Seaman, who provided the LOG with the photos accompanying this article. Tl Bosun Mario Romero talks to the duo, now safely aboard the In- || tegrated tug-barge. I Help Locate This Missing Chiid The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has asked the Seafarers International Union to assist them in locating Jake Wayne Brabson. » ^ "A Jake Wayne Brabson •.P>. . Missing from New Castle, Pa. since June 21, 1989, when he was two years old, Jake Brabson was abducted by his non-custodial mother, Debra Lee Brabson (alias Debra Johns). A felony warrent has been issued in her name. At the time of his abduc­ tion, the blonde-haired, blueeyed boy was 3 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 40 pounds Anyone having information on the whereabouts of Je^ke Wayne Brabson should tact the National Cenfc/r fo^ Missing and Exploited Children at (800) 843-5678 or the Miss­ ing Persons Unit of the Pennsyl­ vania State Police at (412) 658-1671. liil: � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Seafarers Log Issues 1990-1999 Description An account of the resource Volumes LII-LXI Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Hall Maritime Library Microfilm 1939-1993; Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Document A resource containing textual data. 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Title A name given to the resource November 1993 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES AMTRAK DIASTER SPOTLIGHTS NEED FOR TOUGHER INALND SAFETY REGS TRAIN DERAILMENT ON BRIDGE TIED TO THE STROKE OF A TOW U.S.-FLAG COALITION URGES CONGRESS, PRESIDENT TO BACK MARITIME PROGRAM DOCUMENTED SEAMEN ARE BETTER WORKERS, STUDY SHOWS AFL-CIO FIGHTS TO NIX NAFTA SENATE REPELS ATTACK ON SEAMEN’S WAGES EXPLOSION ABOARD OMI CHARGER KILLS SEAFARER, 2 IN RIDING CREW SIU VICTIM OF BLAST MOURNED BY UNION UNIONS PRESS ‘WORK TAX’ SUIT PRO-WORKER COURSE SET BY AFL-CIO DELEGATES GIANT GRAIN LOBBY BALKS AT REVEALING FOREIGN TIES PATTERN OF ABUSE, CORRUPTION BY GIANT AGRI GROUPS UNCOVERED LOST VIETNAM MARINERS HONORED BY SAN FRANCISCO MONUMENT ANTI U.S.-FLAG SHIP GROUP TIGHT-LIPPED ON FOREIGN TIES NYT: EXPORT FOOD AID ABUSED SEAFARERS PRACTICE SPILL CONTAINMENT TB PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO BE INSTITUTED BY SIU WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES U.S. SHIPYARD SUPPORT CONGRESS, PRESIDENT URGED TO BACK LEGISLATION FOR MARITIME REVITALIZATION LUEDTKE AND ZENITH SEAFAERS RATIFY NEW THREE-YEAR ACCORD G&H PACT ENDORSED ALTON BELLE OFFICERS APPROVE CONTRACT ASSESSING INDUSTRY NEEDS, INLAND GROUP PLANS COURSES TRAINING DEEMED ‘BENEFICIAL’ BY MARITRANS SIU BOATMEN SHIFTING AND DOCKING VESSELS CREATE BUSY SCHEDULE FOR SIU-CREWED TUGS NAVY’S GROCERY STORE HOME AFTER 8 YEARS IN PACIFIC WILLIAM HANDELSMAN DIES AT 75, FORMER MSTU ORGANIZING OFFICIAL U.S. COMBAT SUPPLY SHIP MARS BEGINS NEW LIFE MTD LAUNCHES GRASSROOTS EFFORT TO KEEP U.S. FLEET CONVENTION SUPPORTS CLINTON HEALTH REFORM MTD SPOTLIGHTS NAFTA’S MANY FLAWS, CONGRESSMEN NOTE DANGERS OF PACT UNIONISTS TAKE ACTION 1993 MTD CONVENTION CREW’S PRIDE EVIDENT ABOARD PRES. JACSKSON GALLEY GANG PROVIDES ‘TOUCH OF HOME’ ON BOARD LNG VIRGO CREW AGREES: ALTAIR HAS CAMARADERIE, TEAMWORK SEAFARERS BOATS SWEEP CONTEST OF NEW BEDFORD FLEET BLESSING INVESTIGATION CONTINUES OF AMTRAK DERAILMENT ITB NEW YORK RESCUES CUBAN REFUGEES Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Hall Maritime Library Microfilm 1939-1993 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 11/01/1993 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newsprint Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Vol. 55, No. 11 1993 Periodicals Seafarers Log