http://www.seafarerslog.org/archives_old/files/original/ef27764d6bcfb21135c0c8a82364b3a9.pdf e4b9e02fd101b5d346d6e033b3aee77c PDF Text Text Volume 64, Number 6 June 2002 ... ',_lMI~ ... ~'pj.. ,. ~~~r-----l~-""'~l.l.a.L.1.L-..-::::;.....a.~~~~~~~~~~~~-L~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-. 111 I , Delaware North Companies Inc. on May 4 purchased (from left) the highly regarded American Queen, Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen. The famed steamboats, idle since shortly after September 11, will remain based in New Orleans. A contract between the SIU and the com- r---__... pany was being finalized as this issue of the LOG went to press. Page 3. Seafarers Head to Annapolis, Md. as Townsend Kicks Off Campaign aryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (center) last month announced her bid for governor during a rally in Annapolis, Md. She aims to become the state's first female governor. Joining her are Paul Hall Center students Richard Moore Jr. and Lakindra Williams. For more photos, see page 5. National c-T9~tit! Igo Maritime Day 2002 The SIU participated in National Maritime Day memorial ceremonies May 22 in Washington , D.C. Four days earlier, the union took part in a more informal gathering-"Maritime Night at the Ballpark," a minor league baseball game in nearby Bowie, Md . sponsored by the U.S. Maritime Administration. Pictured on the field during the National Anthem are (from left) U.S. Department of Transportation Chief of Staff John Flaherty; U.S. Maritime Administrator Capt. William Schubert; Paul Hall Center Unlicensed Apprentices Patrick O'Donnell, Richard Moore Jr., Joshua Robinson, Michael Hall and Francis Dundas; U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara and SIU Pres. Michael Sacco. Pages 12-13. �r-- 1 I I I I Port Security Efforts ·Continue President's Report I I I I New Bills Introduced; Credentialing Program Launched I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I i I a1mmeasurable Contributions' Of all the comments made on National Maritime Day about our merchant marine, none was more persuasive than this segment of President Bush's official proclamation: "Today, the men and women of the United States Merchant Marine and thousands of other workers in our Nation's maritime industry continue to make immeasurable contributions to our economic strength and our ongoing efforts to build a more peaceful world. We must ensure our maritime system can meet the challenges of the 21 • Michael Sacco century." That kind of insight from the chief executive bodes well for the prospects of success in our ongoing battle to strengthen the U.S. fleet. As Seafarers know, it's a big challenge, to say the least. But it's also one which surely depends in part upon strong support from the president-support that naturally should follow such clear recognition of America's ongoing reliance on its mariners. As with practically every other ceremony that has taken place since September 11, this year's National Maritime Day observances had a different feel. As a nation, we have awakened to many realities about our strengths and shortcomings. That awakening slowly but surely includes an increased understanding and appreciation of what the United States Merchant Marine means to this great country. And that insight begins with a history that goes back much further than eight months. It dates back to the very beginning of this nation. From Revolutionary times through the World Wars and Desert Storm, right through to the present, the merchant marine has been a bedrock of America's national and economic security. Of particular note is our performance during World War II. The younger people in our industry may not know that during those years the U.S. fleet pulled off the greatest sealift operation in history. By delivering the goods, usually under the most difficult of circumstances, our mariners made victory possible. It has been said before, but it's worth repeating: Our brave mariners suffered an enormous casualty rate, second only to that of the Marine Corps. It was during that period the merchant marine truly earned its title as the fourth arm of defense. We lived up to that billing again in Korea and Vietnam and, more recently, during the Persian Gulf War. Clearly, history has shown that we inevitably will be called upon again. In fact, even today we are playing a role in the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom. That's one reason why I know that our greatest moments aren't in the past. The devastation of September 11 spurred a new, overdue resolve to seriously commit to strengthening our defense capabilities. Much of that commitment, of course, centers around homeland security, but it also involves taking a hard look at what America needs to sustain its forces overseas in an extended fight. At a time when our security is under intense examination, it should be obvious that no plan is complete without a genuine requirement to revitalize our fleet. That must include, among other steps, immediate enactment of an extended and expanded Maritime Security Program. It must include fair treatment of U.S. mariners and U.S.-flag ship operators by our own government. It must include unwavering support for our cargo preference and cabotage laws. And it absolutely must include steadfast investment in the civilian-crewed fleets and programs overseen by the U.S. Military Sealift Command. History has proven again and again that we cannot and must not rely solely on the good will of other nations to aid us, whether in times of war or peace. As America moves forward in the postSeptember 11 era: let us not lose sight of what ~he merchant marine · has meant to our nation. Most importantly, let us never subject ourselves to the unthinkable danger that quickly would follow the disappearance of the American flag from the high seas. 1 Volume 64, Number 6 June 2002 The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org The Seafarers LOG (ISSN l 086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District/NMU, AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 899-0675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland 20790-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746. Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Managing Editor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor, Jim Guthrie; Art, Bill Brower, Administrative Support, Jeanne Textor. Copyright © 2002 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD All Rights Reserved. 2 Seafarers LOG The enduring port security concerns of experts nationwide are addressed in new legislation recently introduced by Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) and Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine. The Ship, Seafarer and Container Security Act (S.2329), unveiled April 25, promises better information about shipping and shipping threats, improved tracking of vessels and security of the nation's maritime environment. Those are subjects of apprehension among leading authorities in their quest to craft an all-inclusive and effective port security package. "Port security is one of the most important concerns facing the transportation industry, and one of the most difficult and least understood vulnerabilities to the American economy," Sen. Breaux said in introducing the bill. "Since September 11, I have toured ports and held field hearings, and I've learned we have a lot or work to do to make our ports safer. This Congress must pass a united, comprehensive federal plan to improve security at our seaports where passenger and freight transportation security remain serious issues." Key provisions of the Ship, Seafarer and Container Security Act will: • Require certain vessels to carry transponders to transmit and track their positions so the Coast Guard can track U.S. and foreign vessels. • Require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to negotiate an international agreement in two years or submit legislation to congress to identify mariners with a uniform identification system, provide greater transparency of the ownership of ship registration to track vessel ownership, and mandate stronger standards for marine containers. • Require DOT to better assess the risks posed by certain vessels and ensure enforcement of security zones. Sen. Breaux intends to have the bill's provisions incorporated into any House-Senate conference report on seaport security. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee currently is considering the legislation. Security Administration-acting under a series of congressional mandates to improve security and provide increased safety for the traveling public-launched a widereaching credentialing program. Akey segment of this undertaking is to ensure that only authorized workers (all personnel whose duties require unescorted access to secure areas of the transportation system) are permitted entry into secure transportation areas. The program is designed to establish a standardized transportation worker identification card (TWIC) that is universally recognized and accepted across the entire transportation sector. The credential would protect personal privacy, and be used locally within the facility infrastructure to meet multiple levels of secure access requirements. Generally, the SIU endorses the proposed concept of one standard~ ized, universally recognized and accepted credential for all maritime transportation workers in the form of a "smart card," which meets multiple levels of secure access. A smart card is a credit card-sized device that contains multiple technologies including an integrated circuit chip and one or more of the following: magnetic stripe, bar codes, photo identification, encryption and authentication, biometrics, or a non-contact radio frequency transmitter. The SIU currently is actively involved in the decision-making process that will impact the specifics of TWIC implementation. DOT Credentlaffng Program In other developments, the U.S. Department of Transportation's newly created Transportation The U.S. Customs Service, with its electronic cargo processing systems has the most knowledge about cargo, aircraft and vessels entering and leaving the U,nited States at ports of entry. Vessel movements at ports are controlled through documents filed with the Customs Service. In a closely related area, the Coast Guard is continuing to press the International Maritime Organization to adopt strict new international security standards. Among the proposals submitted recently to the IMO's Marine Safety Council is a seafarer identification card. The U.S. is proposing that these cards include digital photograph, holder 's signature, issuing authority, proof of nationality, positive identification of the mariner's qualifications, permission to enter other countries, and biometric templates (non-invasive physical attributes such as fingerprints, face, voice, etc. that can be used to uniquely identify an individual). Mariners, Cargo Denied Port Entry Meanwhile~ven before Congress enacts new port security measures-security concerns already are resulting in mariners and cargo being denied entry to U.S. ports. The Coast Guard and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), using the authority they already possess, are turning away vessels with suspicious cargo and refusing crew members shore leave. The Coast Guard also is persistent in its effort to persuade the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to adopt sweeping new international port security requirements. In a recent episode, the Coast Guard prevented a French vessel from oftloading container cargo Continued on page 5 Photo by James R. Tourtellotte Scholarship Committee Selects 10 Winners . I The Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan has arship. They are Allison Kelly Barra, daughter of announced this year's SIU scholarship recipients. inland member Louis D. Barra; Brian M. Bragg, son Selected by a panel of professional educators last of William E. Bragg; Arleen B. Cayan, daughter of month were five Seafarers and five Dencio A. Cayan; Brittany N. }·;,'For a moft ln-depth /ook Stropich, daughter of Steve L. dependents of SIU members-for a total monetary value of $130,000. at each ot,:the scholarship Stropich; and Christopher A. Urti, In past years, Seafarers were eliwinne{S~ see page~- · son of Angelo J. Urti. :c.2, .,., . This year's selection committee, gible for three of the scholarships --0ne four-year, $20,000 award and meeting in San Francisco, was two $6,000 stipends for a two-year course of study at appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Seafarers a college or vocational school. This year, however, Health and Benefits Plan. The panel was composed of the following scholnone of the applicants qualified for the four-year scholarship. The scholarship committee instead ars and academicians: Dr. Michael Glaser, St. Mary's awarded three additional two-year grants, for a total College of Maryland; Dr. Gayle A. Olson, University of five. of New Orleans; Dr. Henry Toutain of Gustavus The Seafarers selected for the 2002 scholarships Adolphus College in Minnesota; Dr. Trevor are Mark A. Dyer, Pamela C. Monaco, Samuel Carpenter, Charles County (Md.) Community Garrett, Jeanette Montgomery and Fernando D. College; Dr. Charles Lyons Jr., American Association Mesa. of Colleges and Universities; Father David A. Additionally, five dependents of SIU members Boileau, Ph.D., Loyola University; and Dr. Keith were selected to receive a $20,000, four-year schol- Schlender, Medical College of Ohio. June2002 �Delaware North Acquires 3 •queens• When a company with 25,000 employees and $1.6 billion in annual revenue shows up at an auction, one would expect a strong bid. Delaware North Companies Inc. delivered such an offer May 4, purchasing the famous Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen and American Queen for a reported $80 million. Delaware North also bought the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. brand name, and strongly indicated that it will keep Delta Queen's traditional operations in place. That includes basing the steamboats in New Orleans, along with their reservation and sales center. Delaware North also "plans to interview and retain the majority of the operation's em- The American Queen (top), Mississippi Queen (middle) and Delta Queen have new owners following last month's auction. ployees." "We were very impressed with the local management and talent," said Dennis Szefel, president of Delaware North Companies Hospitality and Entertainment Group. "Our hope is that we can preserve this operation's most valuable resource- its employees. Their knowledge of the rivers and the company's history, along with the exceptional skill it takes to operate these vessels, is incredibly important to the ongoing success of these operations." A spokeswoman for Delaware North told reporters that the company in other acquisitions normally has kept more than 90 percent of the employees. The SIU is optimistic about reaching a contract with the purchaser; a tentative agreement appeared imminent late last month. The purchase itself also must be :finalized, but federal regulatory approval was expected by the end of May. Seafarers already are sailing aboard the Mississippi Queen , which had a schedule in place even before the auction. The boat, operating on bankruptcy court :financing until Delaware North formally is approved as the new owner, began sailing May 7. Headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y., Delaware North was a surprise bidder for the steamboats. According to press reports, seven bidders participated in the auction, including Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., Waveland Investments, and Uniworld, which operates Global River Cruises in Europe. Delaware North's winning bid reportedly includes an undisclosed amount to be paid to creditors and more than $4 7 million to the U.S. Maritime Administration for loans it made to build the American Queen. The new owner already is a major player in the hospitality, travel, entertainment and food service industries. Delaware North has seven independent divisions whose ventures include -among many other high-profile businesses- operating Boston's FleetCenter, hotels in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, the Grand Hotel near the Grand Canyon, and "recreational hospitality services" at Niagara Falls Sate Park and the Kennedy Space Center. The company's chairman owns the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins, a franchise with a long and rich history. The Delta Queen has a prestigious history of its own- it is a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1926, the boat is 285 feet long and can accommodate 174 guests. The Mississippi Queen is 382 feet long and capacity for 422 passengers, while the 418-foot American Queen can carry 436 guests. The vessels' routes vary in length and destination, but include historic journeys along the upper and lower Mississippi River as well as along the Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Delta Queen's parent company, American Classic Voyages, is reorganizing following the economic fallout of September 11 . Newest LMSR Christened Seafarers-Crewed Soderman Joins MSC Fleet More SIU jobs came on line recently with the christening of the U. S. Military Sealift Command's newest large, mediumpeed. roll-on1roll-off hip, the od mz ·1. ~~~i!i!-t--+he vessel was launched April MSC in 1997. In 200 1, it was transferred to the Maritime Prepositioning Force to preposition U.S. Marine Corps equipment at ea. The ves el was renamed US1 S Gunn ery Sgt. Fred W. Stockham in honor of a Marine 26 during a ceremony at the Corps Medal of Honor recipient. ational S eel and Shipbuilding Co. . CO) in San Diego. The nev e t SIU-crewed member of the MSC fleet is named for Medal of Honor recipient Anny Pfc. William A. Soderman (19121980). The widow of the ship 's namesake, Virginia Soderman, served as sponsor during the ceremony and broke a bottle of champagne across the bow to formally name the ship. Also participating in the ceremony were Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.), who delivered the ceremony's principal address, and Kristina Carson Fletcher, niece of the ship's namesake, who served as matron of honor. President Harry Truman presented Soderman the Medal of Honor during a ceremony at the White House on Oct. 12, 1945 for his bravery in Belgium during World War II. The christening marked the econd time a sealift ship has u ed the Soderman name. The :first Soderman was a commercial container ship that was converted to an LMSR and delivered to The new Soderman will strategically preposition Army equipment, including vehicles and supplies, at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The Soderman is designed to transport helicopters, tanks and other wheeled and tracked military vehicles. It will have a cargo carrying capacity exceeding 394,000 square feet. The ship is 950 feet long, has a beam of 106 feet and will displace about 63 ,000 tons when fully loaded. The Soderman, equipped with two 32,000 horsepower gas tur- bine engines, is capable of sustaining speeds of up to 24 knots. The Soderman is one of the final pieces of a 22-ship fleet mandated by a Pentagon study following the Persian Gulf War that called fo r strengthening America's sealift capabilities. The USNS Soderman's nighttime launch in San Diego, accompanied by fireworks, signaled new SIU jobs and stronger sealift capabilities. Left: The USNS Pomeroy, T-AKR 316, is a sister ship to the recently christened USNS Soderman. Aside from hull number (the USNS Soderman is T-AKR-17), both vessels are identical in appearance and have the same capabilities. ITF Comes Through Again, Secures Back Pay for Crew The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) in late April secured nearly $89,000 in back pay for Filipino crew members of the Malta-flagged tanker Bregen. SIU ITF Inspector Scott Brady handled the case, which unfolded April 21-24 aboard the vessel in Freeport, Bahamas. He discov- ered that the ship operator, Tsakos Shipping and Trading (based in Greece), wasn't honoring the terms of the ITF contract that covers the Bregen. The crew included several Greeks, a Cypriot and a Russian in addition to Filipinos, but only the latter were owed back pay. After investigating, Brady spent Please be advised that SIU headquarters and all SIU hiring Halls will be closed ThWS,{Jf;J,Y, July 4, 2002 for the observance of ,, Independence Day (unless an emergency arises). Normal busi.. ness hours will resume the following wot;kday. ,,,:;~.,,,<!~:: June2002 Thankful crew members from the Bregen received their back wages, thanks to assistance from the ITF. two days demanding that the company pay up. "They ultimately concurred with my :findings and paid back wages on board the Bregen of $43,078 and, in accordance with the crew's instruction, wired $45,900 to ITF headquarters in London for distribution to the crew upon their request," Brady noted. The ITF, based in London and founded in 1886, is an alliance of 594 transportation-related trade unions in 136 countries, representing approximately 5 million workers. The SIU is an ITF affiliate. For decades , the ITF has waged a campaign against runaway flags, also known as flags of convenience or FOCs. That campaign, ardent1y backed by the SIU, has resulted in better working and living conditions for mariners of all nationalities. "Without the ITF insisting on regulations aboard runaway-flag ships through collective bargaining agreements, there wouldn't be any protection for thousands of mariners around the world," Brady stated. The federation, in describing its campaign, noted, "Standardization of working conditions is the ultimate goal, and trade unions play a crucial role in achieving this. When national regulation can be so easily undermined by any successful company with branch offices in other countries, international trade unionism is essential. Without it, working conditions will inevitably plummet." Seafarers LOG 3 �Tug Liberty to the Rescue Only with training and repetition can the response to a situation become instinctive. Such was the case recently at Big Stone Anchorage in the Delaware Bay. Like many tankers and oilers, the OM! Sacramento (formerly an SIU-contracted ship, now registered under foreign flag) was coming up the Delaware River too heavy for the 40-foot channel. The Maritrans tug Liberty, which works in combination with the barge Maritrans 300 to lighter crude, was on hand to help in the lightering operation that would then enable the Sacramento to continue upriver. Unfortunately, as the Sacramento s chief mate climbed down the Jacob's Ladder to check the ship's draft, he lost his footing, fell into the water and started drifting downstream. Without a moment's hesitation, the crew aboard the tug Liberty responded instinctively to their training and released one of the tug 's rescue boats to retrieve the wet and embarrassed-but otherwise unharmed-mariner. Maritrans CEO Steve VanDyke (center) joined crew members on board the tug Liberty to congratulate them on their quick thinking in the rescue of a fallen mariner. From the left are Mate Jim Jennings, Assistant Engineer Rod Hood, AB/Tankerman Glenn Naundorf, VanDyke, AB/Tankerman Edmund "Big Ed" Putro and Captain Rich Adams. Pension Plan Issues Check No. 1 Million Cruise-Ship Recruitment Scam Confirmed After ITF Warnings Following warnings from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), a cruise ship recruitment scheme -which has taken more than half-a-million dollars from at least l 0,000 Kenyan job seekers-has been confirmed as an elaborate fraud by the Kenyan government. The move came after the ITF warned that the cruise ship industry could not support the jobs offered by a shady United Arab Emirates-based company, Al Najat Marine Shipping. In mid-May, the federation published the following statement: "The ITF is issuing a worldwide alert to mariners' unions and other organizations to look out for the company, and to report any further moneyfor-jobs schemes. Al Najat Marine Shipping had commissioned five Nairobibased agencies to recruit 50,000 staff for cruise ships, but applicants were asked to pay at least US$58 each for a ' medical examination.' At least 10,000 Kenyans are known to have paid up." Speaking in Nairobi last month, ITF General Secretary David Cockroft warned ministers the scheme "looked like a racket, ,,,,, \ ,,, \ '~ \ an illegal scam. There is simply no possibility that these jobs are out there," he said. Following government investigations, Kenyan authorities on May 16 confirmed the scheme was fraudulent, and halted recruitment by the company's agents. According to the ITF, even before the industry downturn following the Sept. 11 attacks, the number of jobs available on cruise ships would be far less than what Al Najat Marine Shipping portrayed. The ITF contacted the Kenyan government in July 2001 with concerns about the company. According to a Moroccan newspaper report, Al Najat Marine Shipping also has attempted to recruit 20,000 cruise ship workers there. Le Matin reported that thousands of people had signed up for the scheme, paying at least $100 dollars each. In the past, the ITF has successfully assisted the prosecution of companies involved in similar scams in Belgium and Canada. "The ITF warns job seekers not to pay money for jobs, to make sure jobs really exist, and to seek advice from a trade union if at all suspicious," the federation noted. ATTENTION SEAFARERS: ' /11 _., --- ,//,, ~-...... ~ " --::, SIU Retiree Samuel "Hoot" Gibson didn't immediately know it, but he recently became part of the union's history when he received the one-millionth check issued by the Seafarers Pension Plan. "It says a lot about the strength of the pension plan, and I know they've been mighty good to me," declared Gibson, 75, who lives in Gilbertown, Ala. "I have had numerous medical expenses--doctor, hospital and prescription drugs-and the SIU has always been there for me. My monthly retirement checks and the bonuses I have received are all a godsend." The Seafarers Pension Plan is based at SIU headquarters in Camp Springs, Md. Check No. 1 million was issued in April. Gibson joined the union in 1951 and sailed in the deep sea division until 1981. He often worked aboard Alcoa passenger ships, and also sailed for Waterman, Bloomfield and others. The Alabama nati esail d in the ngin department, including numerous voyages ;, I SIU Pensioner Samuel "Hoot" Gibson, pictured recently (left) and in the early 1950s (right) in April received the one-millionth check issued by the Seafarers Pension Plan. as an electrician or FOWT. He joined the merchant marine because "back when I started, there was nothing to do around here. And then I couldn't quit after staying with it for so many years." Gibson attends the Christmas dinner each year at the SIU hall in Mobile, Ala. as well as other functions involving retired Seafarers. "I would like to add that the last bonus check, for $1 ,000, came just in the nick of time for expenses that were unforeseen," h n ju b. SIU." Townsend Announces Bid for Governor Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsen~ (top photo, f~ont row, next to. SIU Baltimore Port Agent Dennis Metz) on May 5 kicked off her bid for governor with a rally in Annapolis, Md. She aims to become the state's first female governor. Mo~e than 1,000 people, including U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.),. ~ov. P.a~ris Glendening and dozens of students from the Paul Hall Center fc;>r Mant1me Training and Education (based in Piney Point, Md.) attended the gathering at the Maryland State House. CQNrf/11/!£ "la 1il£ SE~~A~E~9 POL.ITICA'ACTION OONAT\ON 4 Seafaren LOG June2002 �Labor Condemns Court Decision Opening U.S. to Mexican Trucks An eleventh-hour legal attempt by groups looking to keep U.S. highways safe by preventing the government from ending the moratorium on Mexican truck border-crossings has been derailed by a federal appeals court in San Francisco. The 9th U.S. Court of Appeals on May 2 denied the request by an alliance of environmental, consumer and labor organizations, which one day earlier sued the Department of Transportation. The group's lawsuit hoped to stop the federal government from implementing regulations for the operation of Mexican trucks in the United States. It also sought an injunction that would have required the administration to conduct an environmental impact statement so that key public health concerns about these vehi- cles could be fully addressed before they were allowed throughout the country. The litigation- filed just two days before the new guidelines were scheduled to go into effect on May 3- alleged that the Department of Transportation did not conduct a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impacts of the Mexican trucks when it made its recommendations earlier this year. The regulations at issuewhich outline safety and operational prerequisites-had to be in place before the president could lift the 1982 moratorium that bans Mexican trucks from the United States. As reported last year in the Seafarers LOG, Mexican trucks were promised full access to U.S. highways under the so-called UN Security Council Calls for 'Transparent' Liberian Ship Registry The United Nations Security Council during its May 6 meeting in New York called on the government of Liberia to institute a "transparent and internationally verifiable audit regime" to ensure that revenues gained from its runaway-flag shipping registry and timber indu try are u ed for legitt ial. rnm· nttanan and opment purposes. The council's decision also repeated a request that the govrnm nt e tabli h an effecti e C rt1ficate of Origin regime for Liberian rough diamonds that is transparent and internationally verifiable. Finally, the council requested that all UN-member states, in particular arms-exporting countries, exercise the highest degree of responsibility in small arms and light weapons transactions to prevent illegal diversion and re-export, in order to stern the leakage of weapons to illegal markets in the region. A panel of UN experts-to be established in three months by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan- will conduct a followup assessment mission to Liberia and neighboring states to investigate and report on compliance with the resolution demands. 10lations, as well as any potential economic. humanitarian and cial impacts of the resolution, al o will be reported .. The foregoing demands were mp nents of the UN's unanim u I) adopted resolution that nd d already existing sancn agai n t the West African n-including an arms em1ha1r~n1 0. a travel ban on a large r of government officials me in the nation's maritime •. and a prohibition on the rt f it rough diamondsther 12 months. The sanc:i. r in tituted last year in n t Liberia's support for olutionary United Front in neighboring Sierra ria recei es an estimated illi n in revenue each year i maritime registry; about i fly the Liberian flag. A UN panel last year reported that Liberia has used funds raised by the U.S.-based Liberia International Ship and Corporate Register (LISCR}-which operates the maritime register on the government's behalf- to finance arms and weapons transport and other anctions-bu ting acti itie . During th ame time frame, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) claimed that revenue from the registry funded pre ident Charles Taylor ' brutal war against Sierra Leone. Transparency of ownership has been a core demand of the United States in the continuing international debate over beefing up maritime security. And although it has stirred sometimesaggressive objections from ship owner groups and a number of delegations to the International Maritime Organization, it still has considerable backing, especially in the United Kingdom. "The clock is ticking for the Liberian register and it should have had its last chance," said Jon Whitlow in response to the UN's decision to extend the sanctions. Whitlow is secretary of the ITF's Seafarers, Fisheries and Inland Navigation Section. "Those who hoped it would somehow emerge looking pure and innocent from the murderous mire of the Liberian state have been made to look at best naive and at worst complicit," Whitlow continued. "The UN's call for the Liberian flag to make its dealings transparent is particularly significant. It means the Security Council accepts that funds have been used for criminal purposes. Common decency surely demands that ship owners ' flag off' and wash their hands of this tainted operation." The UN has given the Liberian government three months to establish and implement auditing procedures for the revenue it receives from its maritime and corporate registry to ensure it is spent on legitimate (social, humanitarian or development) purposes. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of 1994. The U.S. did not meet the March 8, 2000 NAFTA-imposed deadline for opening all U.S. roads to Mexican trucks, but U.S. transportation officials since have been working toward a solution for the impasse. The regulations being challenged in the coalition's litigation are the result of U.S. officials' new policy regarding the trucks. The plaintiffs in the suitPublic Citizen, the Environmental Law Foundation, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the California Federation of Labor AFL-CIO and the California Trucking Association - say the trucks are not clean enough to enter the country and will dramatically increase U.S. air pollution because: • At least 30,000 Mexicodomiciled diesel trucks are set to enter this year, including many Port Security Continued from page 2 that was mislabeled and considered to be dangerous to the port. The containers were deemed "misdeclared and in substandard condition." The ship was ordered out of port where it anchored before departing for a foreign destination. In an April 8 move, the INS announced that it would no longer grant isa \ ai ers or shore lea e to any crew members who did possess valid U.S. visas. Under the procedural shift- made without a change in its formal policythe fNS will detain crew members on board their vessels if they arrive in the U.S. without valid visas. In instances where seamen claim medical emergencies in order to gain shore leave, the fNS would review requests on a caseby-case basis. Published reports say some vessel owners already are experiencing detention of crews aboard ships making U.S. port calls. The INS unequivocally has declined to adopt a uniform policy to administer these actions, stating instead that detention decisions have been left to local INS authorities. In a parallel development, which came after several foreign crew members jumped ship in Norfolk, Va., the INS told ship operators not to lower their gangways until INS agents were present. This policy change was instituted to prevent such incidents in the future. Other ship operators have been required to provide armed guards to stop crew members without visas from leaving vessels. not Security Scanning Device Elsewhere, U.S. Customs officers in Seattle have implemented a new system that makes inspecting the interior of a cargo shipping container as simple as gazing at a computer monitor. According to published reports, the mobile gamma-ray scanning device reveals the contents- cargo, weapons and even people-inside the quarter-inch thick steel walls of a shipping container. The system became operational in Seattle in early April; Tacoma is expected to go on line with units in the near future. It has older, pre- 1944 trucks that are the most egregious polluters. • Within 10 years, diesel emissions from U.S. trucks will be dramatically reduced due to new engine and fuel standards; no legislation is pending in Mexico to require Mexico-domiciled trucks to meet the same or even similar standards. • Trucks from Mexico may not be covered from a settlement that requires U.S. trucks to remove "defeat devices" which enable them to test clean at inspection sites but run dirty on the open road. "Trucks that cross our border from Mexico must meet U.S. emissions standards," said James P. Hoffa, Teamsters general president. "Unless these standards are met, we should not allow these trucks to further pollute the air we breathe." Currently, Mexico does not have strict controls on diesel emissions. According to the Teamsters, Mexico-domiciled diesel trucks already have dramatically increased air pollution in the western border states. Diesel and its component chemi- cals have been linked to cancer, birth defects and asthma, a Teamsters news release said. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, in a prepared statement following the court's decision, voiced his strong displeasure with the judge's ruling. "The decision by the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals to allow Mexican trucks to operate on U.S. roads--even though the trucks do not meet U.S. emissions standards-places a higher value on corporate rights than on the safety and well-being of the American people," he said. "It is appalling that Mexican trucks will be allowed to emit dangerous pollutants on our roadways, exposing our communities and families to increased health hazards, even though U.S. law attempts to protect citizens by limiting emissions from our own trucks," the labor president continued. "Last year, the Department of Transportation said that Mexican trucks operating on U.S. soil must meet all U.S. standards. We believe these standards include laws regarding emissions, as well as labor laws and safety standards." been operational at truck crossings along the country's southern borders for two years. An estimated 1.3 million shipping containers transit the port of Seattle annually. This unit can scan 11 containers per hour compared to the time it takes inspectors to check one unit. Nationwide, the Customs Service has more than 20 systems deployed. meetings with officials from the transportation community, the new security requirements went into effect May 1. They are based on three levels of risk, with measures growing in intensity as the security risk increases. Level 1 - The threat of an unlawful act against terminals and vessels is considered possible, but not likely. Level 2 - Intelligence indicates that terrorist activities in the area are likely. Level 3 - An unlawful act is considered imminent and intelligence indicates terrorists have chosen specific targets. The Coast Guard has outlined specific security measures that must be followed at each level. Terminal operators are charged with implementing the measures as appropriate. When the Seafarers LOG went to press, the captain of the port (COP) had Southern California facilities under a Level 1 alert. Under this level, every person entering the terminal must have business to conduct at the facility and show valid identification cards. Further, all packages and vehicles entering or exiting the terminal area are subject to inspection. On a random basis, five percent of the vehicles are subject to search. More measures are required should the COP call a Level 2 alert. Terminal representatives would be required to escort all contractors, vendors and visitors to their destinations inside the facility. Ten percent of vehicles randomly would be subject to search. In Level 3, all deliveries to vessels must be inspected. In addition, all ship stores must be screened for explosives, and explosive-sniffing dogs must sweep the terminal prior to the arrival of a vessel, as well as other security measures. Port Terrorism Prevention Act In another congressional move, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) on April 30 introduced the Port Terrorism Prevention Act of 2002 (S . 2426). This measure- intended to beef up security at all U.S. ports-would provide $150 million during fiscal year 2003 to acquire at least 100 mobile scanning devices; $50 million annually during fiscal years 2003 through 2007 for research and development grants, and $500,000 for a government report to Congress covering automated scanning systems used by the U.S. Customs Service. Under the measure, manifest discrepancies would be eradicated by granting the Customs Service the authority to fine parties (from $10,000 to $20,000 per violation) for failing to correct manifest entries. Additionally, certain merchandise descriptions such as "freight of all kinds," "hazardous not otherwise specified" and "said to contain" would be barred from use. Security at California Ports The Coast Guard has put new security guidelines into place covering marine terminals in Southern California and the vessels and trucks calling at the facilities. The ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Port Hueneme are affected. Announced in January after the Coast Guard held a number of Contract Reminder Beginning June 16, under terms of the standard freightship and tanker agreements, members with 3,000 or more days of sea time will receive pension credits for their vacation benefits. For instance, if a Seafarer sails on a tanker where he receives 15 days of vacation per month, and that individual works eight months a year, then he will receive pension eligibility for 360 days. Also, members can include their vacation benefit when determining annual earnings upon which the wage-related pension is calculated. This leads to a larger pension. Seafarers LOS 5 �Article Cites Manpower Crisis Facing U.S. Merchant Marine An article in the May issue of Sea Power magazine warns that the United States would be hardpressed to satisfy armed forces' sealift requirements in the event of a full-scale conflict. The piece also quotes several prominent maritime authorities who emphasized the importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine. The article was written by Robert Little, a Baltimore Sun reporter who authored similar pieces last summer which were carried on the Sun s front page. Sea Power is published by the Navy League of the United States. In the magazine, Little notes that more than 95 percent of the materiel needed by U.S. troops for a normal overseas military mission must be transported by ship. "Sealift remains essential to combat success in virtually any large military operation carried out by U.S. personnel in a foreign theater," he writes. "Smaller regional campaigns, Like the war in Afghanistan, can be supported to a considerable extent by airlift, but aircraft simply cannot carry the huge tonnages of supplies and equipment necessary to sustain a large invading or occupying force like the one amassed during Operation Desert Shield. "The largest airplane in the U.S. Air Force inventory, a C-5 Galaxy, can carry only two Ml-Al Abrams tanks, for example, because of the immense weight of the tanks. A cargo ship could carry ten or 20 times as many tanks, and thousands of tons of other military supplies and equipment as well." U.S. Air Force Gen. Charles "Tony" Robertson Jr. (ret), former head of the U.S. Transportation Command, says the nation "needs a fairly robust, certainly healthy U.S.-flag fleet to do the [Department of Defense's] business. When a crisis occurs-I mean a real knockdown, drag-out crisis-for the country to rely on foreign-flag carriers is something we would not want to do." Similarly, Capt. William Schubert, head of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd), says that the U.S. fleet's status "is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed right now-today. We don't have time to postpone this issue any longer, or there could be some very serious consequences. I am not very comfortable right now that we have the ability to respond to an emergency." The article examines U.S. sealift assets and many of the challenges facing the industry. For instance, Rear Adm. David Brewer, commander of the U.S. Military Sealift Command, notes that STCW requirements could impact "the surge fleet during a largescale activation." Strikingly absent from the otherwise fairly comprehensive critique was an assessment of runawayflag shipping and its impact on the U.S. fleet. Runaway flags, a sort of waterborne version of NAFTA, unquestionably have harmed not only the U.S. Merchant Marine but also the fleets of many other nations. The writer does point out that the U.S. "has always relied on civilian merchant mariners to move its military supplies and equipment overseas in time of war." Finally, the piece mentions several potential steps for boosting the American-flag fleet. Among them are creating a merchant marine reserve; developing an emergency plan for training and certifying retired and inactive mariners; and initiating various changes at maritime training institutions. Schubert concludes that the challengers are "a real wake-up call that shows how important the U.S.-flag Merchant Marine is to our national defense." GMDSS Still Going Strong The Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, based in Piney Point, Md., offers a 70-hour GMDSS course that is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. The school began offering the course in February 2001. The class utilizes state-of-the-art training tools, as shown in these photos. GMDSS stands for global maritime distress and safety system. Under amendments to the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), all cargo ships and passenger vessels greater than 300 gross tons that sail on international voyages must be fitted with GMDSS equipment. Reminder for Government Operations Employees Working for NOAA, Army Corps of Engineers, MSC The "open season" for the Thrift Savings Plan runs from May 15 through July 31. Now is the time to increase or decrease your amount of contributions to the different plans. It pays to contribute as much to the thrift plan as you can afford. This year you can con- base pay. If you contribute money, your agency (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/NOAA, Army Corps of Engineers or Military Sealift Command) will make matching contributions up to a certain amount. These additional agency contributions can really tribute up to 11 percent of your boost the value of your retire- salary. Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) participants can contribute up to 6 percent of your salary. In the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), the agency will make an automatic contribution of 1 percent of your ment plan-it's like giving yourself a raise in your pension. That's especially true if you contribute the most you can afford each year and keep your money invested throughout your career. Money in the Thrift Savings Union, MSC Agree on Position Conversions The union's government services division recently reached an agreement with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) to implement an expansion of the existing AB positions aboard its Civmar-crewed vessels. This will increase the number of ordinary seamen positions and reduce the number of steward utilitymen slots. Changes to this program will affect job opportunities and working conditions for Civmars in the deck and steward departments. MSC is experiencing a severe shortage of ABs in its East Coast fleet and a moderate shortfall on the West Coast. This program will require changes to the manning scales of most PMl vessels. As these changes are introduced, more AB billets will open, affording an opportunity for steward utilities to apply for work in AB positions. The union is very supportive of all upgrading opportunities provided through this position conversion program, and encourages those Civmars who are interested in a future in the deck department to make application for transfer. At the same time, the union is concerned about the possible impact to working conditions for remaining 6 Seafal'fllS LOS personnel in the steward department and the overall impact to food service and sanitation due to the manning adjustment. These concerns were raised in bargaining sessions with MSC management representatives. As a result of these talks, the union signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the command which calls for a joint monitoring of the AB/OS-conversion program and its impact aboard MSC ships. The parties will convene within 45 days of implementation to examine input and feedback from the captains and the chief stewards about any changes in working conditions. The union urges all chief stewards (east and west coasts) to keep your union representatives informed about the program's effect on the steward department. Stewards may send their comments to: ci vmarsu pport@seafarers.org. This email address is set to receive comments about detailing issues and reports regarding the conversion program. Please file any grievances through your ship's chairman. Civmars generally will not receive responses to messages sent to this address. Plan may be invested and transferred between five funds. The Government Securities or G fund, the Common Stock Index Investment or C Fund, the Fixed Income Investment or F fund, the Small Capitalization Stock Index Investment or S Fund, and the International Stock Index or I fund. Planning for your financial well-being at retirement is important. Take the time to learn about your retirement benefits. Information for FERS and CSRS programs can be obtained from the Afloat Personnel Management Center or at www.tsp.gov. Notice to Civmars Re: Force Protection Duties Recently, the union has received several messages from Civmars. nutfytrYQ us that they have received orders to perform security duties outside the vessel. These duties have included riding a launch boat, riding a security boat to patrol around the vessel, standing on the pier for ID check, and standing at port entry points away from the vessel to check vehicles and passenger identifications. The union has notified MSC that Civmars should not be required to perform these types of force protection assignments, nor should they be asked to perform these assignments on a voluntary basis. This type of force protection assignment should be performed by military personnel or other personnel working at the direction of the military. These duties are outside the scope of work normally performed by Civmars. Civmars are not adequately prepared to perform these assignments, and these duties place Civmars in positions which pose uncertain risks. If you receive an assignment of this type, please contact your ship's chairman, who should notify the union. We will try to resolve these situations at the lowest operational level to ensure MSC continues to meet its mission requirements and that mariners will not be required to perform these types of duties. Port Council Honors Sen. Carnahan The St. Louis Port Council of the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department last month saluted U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan (D-Mo.) (pictured with SIU and MTD Pres. Michael Sacco) during its annual banquet. This year's event took place May 11 in St. Louis. Sacco presented the port council's "Able Helmsman" award to Carnahan, who is the first woman in Missouri history to serve in the Senate. He described her as "someone who has demonstrated a firm, effective commitment to the people she represents. It's very simple: Senator Carnahan supports the goals of organized labor." June2002 �Bosuns: Individually and Together, Seafarers Must Get the Job Done The maritime industry has its complexities, from high-tech equipment to often-voluminous regulations and beyond. Last month, however, the union's newest class of recertified bosuns spelled out some nutsand-bolts truths that are vital not only to the SIU but also, one could argue, to the entire U.S. fleet. Addressing fellow members and unlicensed apprentices during the May membership meeting in Piney Point, Md., the dozen "recertifieds" shared their views on the union's effectiveness and how each individual member must play a role in that success. They also described the importance of different componentspolitical action, training, job performance, contract negotiations, representation in the U.S. and abroad, to name a few. Completing the four-week course at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education were Abdulla Alwaseem, (from the port of Wilmington, Calif.), Mark Billiot (Norfolk, Va.), Ralph Broadway (Baltimore), Dave Coleman (Mobile, Ala.), Thomas Gruber (Jacksonville, Fla.), Frank Hedge (Wilmington, Calif.), Joseph Olson (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Ricardo Quinones (Santurce, P.R.), Omaha Redda Houston), Francisco Sousa a·., ic a I Watson (Tacoma, Wash.) and Jay White (Houston). The coursewhich blends classroom training, hands-on instruction and conferences with representatives of the union's various departments-is considered the top curriculum for deck-department Seafarers. Early Lesson White, who joined the union after what he described as a disappointing stint aboard oil-patch workboats, recalled a message he heard in 1987 aboard his first SIU ship. "My bosun told me the SIU is all about a fair day's wage for a fair day's work. If we didn't get the work done, we would lose the contracts. I have never forgotten that," he said. "Remember, the ships do not exist to give us a free ride around the world and a paycheck," White continued. "The companies invest in the ships to do a job. The SIU invests in us to maintain the FROM PINEY POINT TO THE WHITE HOUSE-The SIU's newest recertified bosuns spent most of the four-week course on the campus of the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. Above, they're pictured with SIU officials right after the May membership meeting at the school. At left, the class included meetings at AFL-CIO headquarters-and a quick stop across the street for this photo at the White House. Graduating from the course (and pictured in both photos) were Abdulla Alwaseem, Mark Billiot, Ralph Broadway, Dave Coleman, Thomas Gruber, Frank Hedge, Joseph Olson, Ricardo Quinones, Omaha Redda , Francisco Sousa, Michael Watson and Jay White. ships and get them from point A to point B. When everyone does a good job, everyone looks good. That's when we get a little extra time off in port or maybe make a little extra money. When everyone does his share, this also gives Mr. (Augie) Tellez and his staff power at the bargaining table. When we don't do our job, we get no extras, we are weak and our union representatives have to go to the table with excuses." Billiot said he was heartened to learn more about "all the hard work that goes into keeping the American flag flying on the ships we have. And I'd have to say my overall experience at Piney Point has been great, starting as a trainee in 1988. It seems as though every couple of years, some new regulation is introduced and new training is needed for us as Seafarers to maintain our ability to sail. The school puts a great deal of effort in keeping up with and staying ahead of the changes, and adding classes." Political Action, Opportunities For Mobile resident Coleman, brushing up on the U.S. maritime industry's heavily regulated makeup-a condition which demands political activity as a matter of continued existenceproved especially worthwhile. "SPAD dollars keep the union wheels turning," he stated, referring to the SIU's voluntary political action fund. "I used to think, 'Oh well, I'll just sign and contribute to SPAD,' but I didn't fully understand its importance. Those dollars are fighting for our survival, from the White House to a small town in Alabama." Alwaseem encouraged his fellow Seafarers to "always remember it is very important to donate to SPAD to support our political activity.... I enjoy being a seaman and I'm very proud to be a member of the SIU, which is the strongest maritime union in the world. I thank the union officials, past and present, for all the hard work that they put forward to make this a true union." Broadway reported that since graduating as a trainee nearly 20 years ago, "I've always been able to find work through the union halls, and SPAD is a major component. It keeps our jobs secure." Sousa and Hedge both touted the opportunities they've found through the union and the school. "I have sailed non-union and with other unions. No one offers the opportunities to advance my career that the SIU offers," declared Sousa. Hedge has been a member of five different unions. "The SIU is the only union that has helped me advance within my industry," he pointed out. "I've always appreciated what our officials do for the membership and the industry. As for the school, it's all positive. SIU members have everything to gain by upgrading." Redda said he is living proof of the chances to better oneself. "I joined the union 20 years ago. Before that, I used to ride two buses to go and work for less than $4 an hour," he remembered. "Today, I have a beautiful wife and kids and all that goes with it. Damn right I'm a union man!" Redda added that the Paul Hall Center "is state of the art. Whatever training is called for in any department, it's offered here. I would recommend upgrading to all SIU members." Safety Training Watson half-jokingly said he found at least one drawback to staying at the school. "I had an excellent experience at Piney Point. I gained a lot of weight and acquired new know ledge and skills," he noted. Like most of his classmates, Watson is a frequent upgrader. He also is a veteran of two shipboard fires (Aleutian Developer and Liberty Bell) and therefore has an acute appreciation of the acclaimed Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School, which is part of the Paul Hall Center. "I believe that you can't get enough practice. Hands-on training is the key part in -fire fighting," Watson said. "The Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School was excellent, as was the computer lab." Next Generation A number of the bosuns offered guidance and encouragement to the unlicensed apprentices in the audience. "Study at the school, and listen to your supervisors on the ship," said Quinones. "And remember, the only stupid question is the one not asked." "Ask questions and learn," agreed Olson. "You can better your education and job opportunities by taking advantage of what's offered at this school." Gruber suggested that the newest Seafarers can choose from two paths. "You can either attend the school of hard knocks, or the one here before you. The things here at Piney Point will make your life easier." Hands-on training is a big part of most Paul Hall Center courses, including recertification. Honing their skills are (from left) Frank Hedge, Omaha Redda, Mark Billiot (at wheel) with Paul Hall staff member Jack Russell, Francisco Sousa and Joseph Olson. June2002 Seafarers LOG 7 �Guilty Pleas Entered In Pollution Case Involving FOG Ship A ship manager based in Piraeus, Greece and a 56-year-old chief engineer pleaded guilty last month in a New York federal court to falsifying a runaway-flag ship's log to hide the dumping of oil into the ocean. The sentencing hearing for Ionia Management and Christos Kostakis was scheduled for May 24, too late for this edition of the Seafarers LOG. The company may be fined up to $500,000; the mariner faces possible fines and up to five years in jail. The case has been described as one of several recent episodes in which U.S. authorities, unable to penalize those responsible for dumping oil in international waters, instead seek their prosecution for lying in the logs, once the ship reaches the U.S. In a joint announcement issued May 7, the U.S. attorney for New York's Eastern District-along with officials from the Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency and FBI - noted that the Bahamian- More Pollution tor. An oil-water separator requires regular maintenance, cleaning, and replacement of filters." Federal law requires that vessels document use of the oilwater separator, discharges of processed water and disposal of oily water. The ship's chief engineer is responsible for operating flagged tanker Alkyon, operated the oil-water separator and mainby Ionia, "like other large ships taining and recording information produces waste oil from opera- in the oil record book. The government announcetion of its engineering machinery. ment further noted that on Jan. 8, Much of this waste oil accumulates in the bottom, or bilges, of the Alkyon was en route to New ships ' engine rooms. During rou- York Harbor when its shipping tine operations, ships accumulate agent made a routine request for too much oily bilge water to carry the U.S. Coast Guard to inspect from port to port. Because waste the tanker upon its arrival. The oil is an environmental hazard, inspection, which took place off the Alkyon, like other similar Staten Island, "established that ships, is equipped with a pollu- piping had been manipulated so tion-prevention device known as that the Alkyon s oil-water sepaan oil-water separator. An oil- rator could be bypassed, and that water separator processes a ship's oily bilge water had been disoily bilge water by separating charged directly into the sea .... water containing no more than 15 When a Coast Guard officer parts of oil per million and dis- asked crew members if they used a 'bypass pipe' to evade the oilcharging that water overboard. water separator, Chief Engineer "When an oil-water separator Kostakis produced a pipe and detects water containing more than 15 parts of oil per million, an stated that it was used only for alarm sounds and the oily water emergencies." An inspection of the ship's oil is prevented from being discharged overboard. The oil record book revealed false residue produced by the oil-water entries. Kostakis, a Greek, separator is stored aboard the waived indictment and pled ship for proper disposal in port, guilty to knowingly and willfully or is burned in a ships' incinera- making the bogus accounts . Ionia pled guilty to the same charge. As part of the plea agreement, the parties will recommend to the sentencing judge that the total fine imposed be payable to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a charitable and nonprofit corporation established by members who are material wit- Congress to promote and connesses. The 623-foot Cygnus is serve U.S. environmental reowned by Feng Lee Maritime sources. Additionally, Ionia will Corp. of Panama City and is reimburse the government for its operated by Fujitran Corp. of expenses incurred in prosecuting the case, estimated to be $35,000. Japan. Finally, Ionia must provide the According to press reports, Coast Guard and EPA inspectors Coast Guard with a compliance on April 10 boarded the Cygnus checklist for the "proper care and in Portland and determined that disposal of oily waste" no later the ship's waste oil recovery sys- than four days before any of its tem had been bypassed. They had ships arrives at any port in the received an email from a former United States. The checklist crew member that reportedly requires the company to certify included images of the discon- that each arriving ship has been nected ship's manifold attached properly processing and disposing of its waste oil. to a hose that drains overboard. EPA Charges 2 Engineers from Panamanian-Flagged Car Carrier Two engineers from the Panamanian-flagged car carrier Cygnus have been charged with making false statements in the ship's oil record book. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, they allegedly recorded that waste oil was burned in the ship's incinerator when, instead, it was being discharged into the ocean. The mariners-Chief Engineer Pyeong Gab Jeong and First Engineer Duk Jo Jeong, both Koreans- in late April were ordered to remain in Portland, Ore., as were four other crew OMU Cortes' Ashes Committed to the Deep Above: Chief Mate Robin Espinosa (left) and Capt. Peter Sarandinaki prepare to scatter the ashes of Brother Cortes. Below: officers and crew read from Psalm 107: 23-31. B Seafarers LOG As his ashes were being scattered over the Atlantic Ocean, the officers and crew of the CSX Discovery bid a final farewell to their fellow Brother of the Sea, Heriberto Cortes. Capt. Peter Sarandinaki, in a note to Cortes' widow, Teresa, wrote that Sunday, April 7, at 10 a.m., while steaming off the East Coast of the United States, "the ship's main engine was placed on slow ahead and the crew assembled for a memorial service on the fantail." Tributes of remembrance were voiced by Steward Jonny Cruz, SA Erasmo Guevara and QMED/ Electrician Roy Frett. Readings from the old and new testaments followed, after which all hands were joined together in reciting The Lord's Prayer. "We then had a moment of sil- Retired Ohio Legislator Casey Jones Dies at 86 Casey C. Jones, who supported legislation to assist Great Lakes mariners, passed away April 2 in Springfield Township, Ohio, after a nearly yearlong illness. He was 86. Jones, a Democratic state representative for 25 years who retired in 1995, had been active in the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department's Toledo Port Council for many years. He helped enact a bill to extend unemployment benefits to those who worked on lake freighters. Jones also sponsored bills that tackled issues such as migrant labor, literacy, education about minority cultures, sickle cell anemia, crime victims and more. A native of Princeton, Ky. , he once played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters and the Toledo entry in what became the National Basketball Association. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) said Jones' sports background "brought that spirit Casey C. Jones Sr. 1915 - 2002 of teamwork and camaraderie to the political process. He had a way of carrying himself that people were always comfortable with." He is survived by his wife of 38 years, two sons, four daughters, 17 grandchildren and a number of great-grandchildren. Funeral services took place in Toledo. Prison Sentence Delivered In Alien Smuggling Suit When four illegal immigrants from China died aboard a Japanese cargo ship bound for Seattle in January 2000, it illustrated the ongoing problem of foreign-flag vessels serving as conduits for smuggling people into the U.S. Last month, a Chinese man-who himself snuck into the country five years ago-was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in coordinating the attempted illegal immigration of 18 other Chinese nationals. Chao Kang Lin, 31 , was sentenced in Seattle on May 9. Two other con pirators already had been convicted an entenced t horter terms. While the case of the Japanese-flag Cape May hardly is uniquethe vessel was one of at least 15 found along the West Coast that year with Chinese civilians concealed in containers-the fatalities drew widespread attention. Altogether, 18 people hid in a 40-foot container aboard the Cape May for a 10-day voyage from Hong Kong to Seattle. They paid anywhere from $38,000 to more than $40,000 apiece for the transportation. U.S. immigration officials who had been alerted to the scheme opened the container in Seattle. They found conditions described in press and government reports as horrific and torturous. The bodies of three dead men were stacked in the container's rear; a fourth man died later. They died from starvation and dehydration caused by seasickness. The survivors, cramped and short on stores, endured a predictably brutal, dark journey. News reports stated that, according to newly unsealed court documents, U.S. authorities have connected the Cape May incident and several other smuggling maneuvers to a pair of Chinese "triad" crime operations. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Lin traveled to Seattle to meet the aliens upon their arrival and arrange their transportation to New York City. While awaiting the connection, he was contacted by a China-based alien smuggler (commonly called a snakehead) who told Lin to check the local newspaper for a report on the deaths. Reminder: SIUINMU Reciprocity Steward Jonny Cruz (right) and Captain Sarandinaki participate in the memorial service for OMU Heriberto Cortes. ence," Sarandinaki continued, "as Heriberto's ashes were slowly scattered in the wake of the ship, accompanied by a final farewell salute of three prolonged blasts on the ship's whistle." Cortes, 48, joined the union in 1971. He sailed as an OMU and died March 12 while working aboard the CSX Producer. As reported in previous issues, the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan (SHBP) is operating a pilot program with the NMU Welfare Plan which is intended to benefit Seafarers. When the NMU merged into the SIU, one union was created. However, in accordance with the merger agreement, the benefits plans of each union (as they previously existed) remain separate. In the case of the health plans, eligible members who before the merger were covered by the SIU plan, continue to receive coverage under that plan. Similarly, eligible members who were covered by the NMU still are with that plan. The six-month pilot program (which ends in July) essentially gives full credit for sea time toward members' health-benefits eligibility, re- gardless of which plan they are covered by. As long as a member has enough sea time to qualify for health benefits, it doesn't matter if that time was accumulated on SIU- or former NMU-contracted ships, or a combination of both. The member gets credit toward eligibility under his or her plan. The pilot program will be reviewed by trustees after its expiration. Additionally, the Seafarers Vacation Plan and the Seafarers Pension Plan have announced reciprocal agreements with their NMU counterparts. Those agreements fundamentally allow members to receive credit toward their pension and vacation benefits based on their total days worked, even if their sea time is divided between companies that are signatory to the plans. June2002 �Ten Scholarships Awarded to Seafarers, Dependents Forty-nine years after awarding its first scholarships, the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan program is still going strong. In 1953, four full college scholarships were given out in the amount of $1,500 each, for a total of $6,000. Today, $130,000 is beingI SEAFARERS Mark A. Dyer Pamela C. Monaco Samuel Garrett Jeanette Montgomery Fernando D. Mesa June2002 divided up between the ten 2002 scholarship recipients- both Seafarers and their dependents. On this page are brief descriptions of the backgrounds and educational goals of the 10 college-bound students. been sailing in that department ever since, always taking advantage of opportunities to advance his skills at the Paul Hall Center. Garrett's long-range educational goal is to complete a twoDeep sea member Mark A. year program in criminal justice, Dyer, 34, began sailing in 1989 leading to an AS degree, at at the urging of his younger Florida Community College in brother Aaron. Upon arriving at Jacksonville. He would like to his first ship, the USNS Rigel, he use his new legal skills in workwas surprised by Aaron and ing on behalf of the SIU memanother brother, Jeff, who were bership in both the legal and waiting for him at the top of the political arenas. Jeanette M. Montgomery, gangway. Jeff worked in the deck department and Aaron 36, joined the SIU in 1988 in the worked in the steward depart- port of Honolulu. She worked on ment. (Another brother, Lance, board the SS Independence for a also sails.) year-and-a-half before returning Dyer, who lives in Newport, to San Francisco to attend colN.C., sails as a chief steward. He lege. But her funds were diminhas received many compliments ishing quickly. She began attendand praises for his dedication ing classes at the Paul Hall and professionalism in the galley Center, and by the time she was (especially his fresh-baked finished, she had completed the donuts) and for his strong inter- cook/baker, chief cook and est in the welfare and morale of lifeboat classes and then started his fellow crew members. to sail deep sea out of the port of His brother Aaron passed Seattle. away at the age of 20, and Dyer, Montgomery has returned to in winning this scholarship and the Piney Point school over the continuing his education, is years, eventually completing the keeping a promise he made to his steward recertification course in younger brother to better himself March 2000. in his chosen occupation--culiHaving attended college part nary arts and sciences. He has time since 1996, Montgomery is already begun studies at Johnson now ready to take on a new chal& Wales University in Norfolk, lenge in the field of medicine. Va., where he has been on the She plans to attend college full dean's list, and will continue time in Bellevue, Wash. and then with that program. go on to graduate school at the Pamela Monaco, 44, graduUniversity of Washington to ated from the SIU's entry-level complete a degree in clinical training program in 1978. In nursing. 1980, she upgraded to a rating of Since graduating from high AB and has been sailing in the school in 1979, Fernando D. deck department for the past 24 Mesa, 41, hasn't stopped workyears. ing-trying everything from In 1992, Monaco graduated salesman, file clerk, receptionist, from a vocational nursing program and received her vocation- waiter, cook and machinist to al nursing license. For the past help his parents with the expensnine years, while continuing to es of raising a large family. It sail, she also has worked part wasn't until 1994, when he time as a nurse in the home began working aboard the SS health care field and has contin- Independence and SS Constitution that he felt he had found ued her nursing studies. The resident of Shasta, Calif. his career. He returned to Piney hopes to receive an associates Point a number of times over the degree in nursing and a regis- years to upgrade his skills. Sailing as a DEU, most tered nursing license at Shasta College in Redding, Calif. and recently on the Chemical Trader, "to use these skills and qualifica- Mesa has been singled out as a tions to provide a positive true asset on the vessel. He impact into the nursing profes- received a certificate of appreciation for his excellent work sion in my community." Although her goals are aboard that ship. "His duties focused on the nursing profes- require him to work in all three sion, Monaco has no plans to departments," the ship's master disregard her seafaring career. noted. "His effort is 100 percent She says she has enjoyed her in all three areas and excels in all career as an AB and has "always three areas." Mesa now has the time to appreciated the respect and supreturn to his education. He has port given to me by my SIU applied to West Kissimmee brothers and sisters." Community College and OrSamuel Garrett, 40, has lando Community College in been a member of the SIU for 13 Orlando, Fla. with the hopes of years. He started working in the steward department, but follow- earning a diploma in social coming a voyage during the Gulf munications. His goal is to War aboard the Cape Etna as an become a journalist or TV news emergency wiper, the engine reporter- and, one day, to write he has department is where he feels books-something most comfortable, and he has always dreamed of doing. Five scholarships were awarded this year to Seafarers, each in the amount of $6,000 for study at a two-year college or vocational school. Five $20,000 scholarships were awarded to five dependents of SIU members. Eighteen year-old Allison Barra is graduating this month from Coral Springs High School in Coral Springs, Fla. She is the daughter of Linda and Louis Barra, an inland tugboat captain who joined the SIU in 1979. She hopes to major in pre-law at Georgetown University. Brian Bragg believes aeronautical engineering is in his future. The 17-year-old son of Jo Anne and William Bragg Jr., a chief steward most recently working aboard the Express (USSM), is graduating this month from Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, Wash. He would like to pursue his aeronautical engineering interests at the University of Washington in Seattle or at Stanford University. Arleen B. Cayan, 19, graduated two years ago from Carson High School in Carson, Calif. and has been taking courses at several colleges, not really sure of what she wanted to do. But after a stimulating Calculus II course, she discovered her love for teaching math, and plans to be a math professor, completing her studies at the University of San Diego. She is the daughter of Anselma and Dencio Cayan, a 2"d pumpman and SIU member since 1992. The compassion Brittany Nicole Stropich received from others while she was in recovery from an eating disorder ignited her personal desire to help people. To that end, she has chosen nursing as her career. The 18-year-old daughter of Diane and AB Steve Stropich (an SIU member since 1981) is graduating this month from Escanaba Senior High School in Escanaba, Mich. She plans to continue her studies at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. 11, Ever since age Christopher A. Urti knew he wanted to be a doctor. This knowledge helped him design his academics and extracurricular activities toward the medical profession. Urti is the son of Claudette and Angelo Urti, a recertified bosun who joined the SIU in 1965. The 18-year-old Urti graduated from Hammond High School in Hammond, La. last year and has been attending Southeastern Louisiana University in that city. Next fall, he will transfer to Louisiana State to continue his pre-med studies. Urti applied for the scholarship last year but was not one of the selected five. That makes this year's winner especially thankful-and should be noted by other applicants not to give up at something they really want. DEPENDENTS Allison K. Barra Brian M. Bragg Brittany N. Stropich Christopher A Urti Seafarers LOB 9 �Around the Port of San Francisco Everybody had a job to do when the Consumer (CSX Lines) put into the port of Oakland, Calif. recently. Clockwise (from top): OMU Jasper Brown and 1s1 Assistant Engineer Michael Romano work in the engine room; Bosun Larry Kunc overhauls the stores crane; and Chief Cook Frank Sison begins preparations for lunch. These giant cranes are a recent addition to the port of Oakland and are designed to accommodate the newest generation of container ships. They can each lift 65 long tons at one time and can reach 201 feet over a ship, hoisting at a speed of 230 feet per minute and with a capacity to load more than 30 cargo containers in an hour. .Letters to the Editor (Editors note: the Seafarers LOG reserves the right to edit letters for grammar as well as space provisions without changing the writers intent. The LOG welcomes letters from members, pensioners, their families and shipmates and will publish them on a timely basis.) Memory (Shipping) Lane I sailed in the SIU in the 1960s, joining the union in 1960 in Brooklyn. My father also was a union brother from the Second World War until 1966 or so. His name was Carl R. Johnson, and he sailed as bosun and deck maintenance. We moved to Seattle in 1961 and shipped from there, from then on. I started as a wiper, and sailed mostly later as fireman/watertender and oiler. Now I feel somewhat like my dad-he started out on square riggers and then went on to steamships, and I sailed on steamships which are now as "antique" as the sailing ships he was on as a young man, as I understand it. In 1968 I left the sea to attend Seattle Community College to learn how to be a computer programmer, which is how I made my Jiving until I retired in 1998. If any of my old shipmates happen to read this, I would be happy to hear from them. I sailed on various Waterman and SeaLand ships from Seattle, as well as other companies' ships that have long been scrapped. One ship in particular I should like to know about is the SS Young America, a C2 owned by Waterman that was named for the schoolchildren of the United States who bought war stamps and bonds during World War II. (The Young America, now the SS Wright, was converted in 10 Seafarers LOB Galveston, Texas in 1986 and currently serves the U.S. Military Sealift Command as an aviation maintenance logistics vessel.) John R. Johnson P.O. Box 681 Hilo, Hawaii 96721-0681 .. )It Coincidence & Thanks I want to give my thanks to our late SIU President Paul Hall and now to our President Mike Sacco, who is doing a wonderful job. I'm grateful for the bonus and I appreciate all of our SIU brothers and sisters who are helpful to me and an other retired Seafarers. I sailed as bosun on the SeaLand ships, running between Puerto Rico and Cuba for many years after World War II. In retirement, I have noticed an interesting coincidence. When I retired, I purchased a house in my hometown. I live on East 56th Street-between Cuba Street and Puerto Rico Street. Charles W. Jordan Savannah, Ga. Short & Sweet: Thanks Thank you so much for the extra bonus. It will really help Nicky Hunt Philadelphia, Pa. .. )It From Sea to Market I felt the need to tell my story so that other brothers who face similar situations can have a point of reference. Sometimes life at sea can be very lonely, and because one is so involved with work, the only thing we have available to keep in touch with the world is our Seafarers LOG .... I joined the Seafarers Union over 11 years ago. I saw it as the opportunity of a lifetime, to continue my travels around the world while being surrounded by something I truly enjoyed: food. The year was 1989 and I had just returned from a three-year program with the United States Peace Corps in the Philippines. I worked as a volunteer with farmers of remote areas to help improve food crop yields while promoting conservation ... . Hawaii was my first port o' call. A friend, seeing my economic negative flow, suggested the merchant marine would be my way out of the jam. He even arranged for me to stay with a Filipino family in Hawaii while I learned the ropes of becoming a merchant seaman. I was hired to be a "chef trainee" on the white ships. It didn't take me long to realize I was experiencing something people would pay thousands of dollars to experience, and for others it would be just a lifetime's dream. I learned with as much eagerness as possible. I also worked overtime every chance I was given .... My house, which I had purchased as an investment before going to the Philippines-and had almost lost because of lack of employment- was once again mine to keep. I was caught up with the payments. I managed to work 120 days in two consecutive years, within a period of just eight months. Then I went home for a week and continued to Piney Point to upgrade. Upon completion, I sailed continuously, upgrading regularly and never straying far from my goals. As my kids grew and become more aware that their father didn't have a conventional job, they started questioning the need for me being away from them. It's the eternal question of a family man who also happens to be a seaman and truly enjoys what he does for a living. How do you maintain that high standard ofliving? How do you cope with not being able to go to the places your neighbors can only dream about? I explained the consequences of not being able to sail for eight months out of the year. My daughter triumphantly suggested, "Dad, since you love food so much, why not work at the Burger King around the comer?" Visions of automated burger machines flashed through my mind, like bad dreams. With the blessing of our elders and the support of friends and the Fil-Am Association (in which we have been very active since moving to Florida), The AsianAmerican Market was born on Dec. 15, 2001. ... We provide items such as foods that many ethnic groups know from their homelands, spices, music, movies, etc. But most of all, a friendly service the old-fashioned way, which is all but lost in the modem world. Owning our own business is one of the most challenging and daring things we have done as a family. And even though there is certain clout and status as a business proprietor, there also are many uncertainties. Small enterprises usually own the owners, not the other way around. My practical self tells me I will not be able to stop shipping anytime soon, even though I would scale down the months I ship out in a year. My visionary self tells me the market only will g t bigger and b r. During the first week of January, I went to Piney Point to complete my STCW training. I figured I might as well be ready to comply and keep up with the times . . . . Life at sea is not for everyone, but if that is your choice, to the newcomer I advise you to cherish every moment and place. Consider yourself lucky and open your mind to the new experiences. Have fun, but plan for a secure future. The Asian-American Market, I hope, will serve as an anchor in the central east coast of Florida to any Seafarer in the vicinity. If you happen to be near Exit 70 on Interstate 95 and something smells like pancit or crispy lumpias, it probably is coming from our shop, which is located about a block away from the interstate at 6165 Babcock Street. Stop by, say hello and have a cup of coffee on us. Victor I. Jimenez Palm Bay, Fla. Seafarer Victor Jimenez (back row, wearing cap) is helped by family and friends in welcoming former Philippine Senator Nikki Coseteng (at Victor's immediate right) for a book signing at The Asian-American Market. Also pictured are Luz Cook, Alana-Antonio Rivera, Brian Doberk, Kevin Jimenez, Marina Harris, Lisa Jimenez, Melynn Jimenez, Josie Good and Krystal Cook. June2002 �At Sea and Ashore Crew members aboard the Overseas Juneau gather for a group shot in Portland, Ore. before departing for Pakistan. It reportedly will be the Maritime Overseas Corp. vessel's last voyage before being scrapped in mid-June. At right, the crew loads deck and engine stores aboard the grain carrier for the trip. It's all smiles following a payoff on the Endurance in Elizabeth, N.J. In photo above are (from left) Steward William Biondie, Steward Fernando Gonzalez, AB Abdalla Gaafar, Chief Cook Banjamin Brooks and SIU Rep Oscar Lopez . In photo at right are (from left) Bosun Raphael James, SIU Rep Joe Mieluchowski and GVA Faez Almallahee. Left: Loading stores on board the Consumer (CSX) on the West Coast are shoregang members Nunu Randel, George Pino, Steve Biles, Gene Aruta and Kevin Copper. En route to Bombay, India last December aboard the Green Island are (photo above left) DEU Brandon Malone and (above right, from left) Bosun Cesar A. Gutierrez, who sent these photos to the LOG, and AB Yamira Colon. This was the first trip for Malone and the last trip for the Waterman Steamship Corp. vessel, which was scheduled for the scrapyard . Right: Jason Schoenstein, with help from a forklift, assist in the loading operation. Above: SIU Assistant VP Donnie Anderson (left) reads the annual financial report at the April membership meeting in the port of Tacoma, Wash. while Port Agent Bryan Powell (center) and Union Rep Tre Dixon look on . Below: Seafarers crowd the Tacoma hall for the monthly membership meeting. June2002 To help the crew members aboard the Maj. Stephen W Pless feel more at home on Easter Sunday, Chief Cook Linda McPhetridge and Assistant Cook Fred Gilbert (below) designed and baked a bunny cake (inset). The photos were sent to the LOG by Chief Steward Douglas A. Hundshamer. Seafarers LOii 11 �uring ceremonies in Washington, D.C., representatives of Congress, the administration and the military on May 22-National Maritime Daycited the U.S. Merchant Marine's many accomplishments and sacrifices throughout history. The merchant marine's con- D Hunter further stated that in place of the thousands of ships that previously were flagged American, we now have far fewer. "And we see nations like Liberia using flagging dollars, flagging fees that companies that used to flag American are paying into that dictatorship, into terrorist groups and of the maritime community for and patriotic. "Tl keynote speaker during the thereafter, "Comfort sailed past into terrorist operations. We their immediate, heroic Merchant Marin memorial service at the the smoldering remains of the see in the shipbuilding base a response to the September 11 that is good and Washington Navy Yard. World Trade Center into New very small number attacks on America. Five about our great n He painted a vivid portrait York." Once there, the crew of shipbuilders with mariners received plaques for said. of the partnership enjoyed by 17 ,000 meals and provided the ability to build Although she MSC and the U.S. Merchant 500-plus medical consultaships in the event we service to their country during periods of war and struggle: part in any of th Marine. He also reflected on tions, and processed 4,000-plus had to surge and activities, Secret the integral part that • Thomas R. Gibson on mobilize quickly of all merchant marine behalf Elaine L. Chao j merchant mariners could only build a veterans of World War II, ident in recogniz have played in small number of • J. Robert Lunney, repreAmerica's security of merchant mari ships. senting all merchant mariners and prosperity. United States. "T "So I think what who served during the Korean "For more than our history, mere we have to do now War, have played a cri half a century, is to resolve to • Capt. John Trimmer for serving this grea Military Sealift rebuild this indusall merchant mariners who Their contributio Command has benetry," Hunter said. He served during the Vietnam fited from the pronomic strength a pointed out that he War, fessionalism and their role in Ame recently had met expertise of • Retired SIU Bosun efforts to achiev with prominent leadRowland "Snake" Williams America's merchant peaceful world a ers in the maritime representing all merchant able." mariners," the admicommunity remariners who answered the ral said. "Whenever, presenting merchant U.S. Maritime Administrator Persian call during the Gulf wherever-if duty mariners and shipCapt. William Schubert War, and called, they delivbuilders and ship• Capt. James Parese, who ered. They're still pers. "We have put of the represented all segments delivering today, tinuing importance to U.S. together a game plan," he said, maritime community for their aboard more than U.S. Navy Rear Adm. David Brewer, national and economic security "and I hope that in the next six 110 Military Sealift commander, U.S. Military Sealift Command instant reaction to the needs of also was emphasized throughto seven months -and in the fellow citizens in New York on Command ships out the 70th annual National next year that follows in September 11. Parese, now a every day, around the world." pounds of laundry for more Maritime Day. Congress-we can really do of MEBA, is a gradumember Adm. Brewer said 65 perthan 2,500 firemen, police offiThe U.S. Maritime Adminwhat it takes to honor our merate of the Paul Hall Center for cent of his command's 8,600 cers and relief workers who istration (MarAd), the U .S. chant mariners. And that is to Maritime Training and Eduemployees are mariners servhad stationed themselves at Military Sealift Command resolve that we flag American; cation. ing at sea. Further, he pointed ground zero. (MSC) and the Washington that we have thousands and out that MSC is the largest Admiral Brewer concluded chapter of the Propeller Club thousands [of ships] that are ariti e Day L eon employer of U.S. merchant his remarks by describing the sponsored the separate events. flagged American, manned U.S. Rep. Don Young (Rmariners in the world. U.S. Merchant Marine as resSIU members and officials American and serving on Alaska) was scheduled to "We depend on them every olute, hard-working, dedicated attended all three observances. American-built ships." deliver the keynote addres day to meet the mission The showing of a series of during the Propeller Club's MarAd Memorial requirements of the best ocean short film clips followed Maritime Day Memorial transportation system in the The MarAd event, which Hunter's remarks. Each depictLuncheon, which took place at world," he continued. "We at took place at the U.S. Navy ed various contributions made the Capitol. Because the conof all our MSC are proud Memorial, expanded on the by merchant mariners during gressman was involved in a mariners, so it is fitting that agency's traditional National our nation's conflicts. Also pressing legislative matter, today is set aside to express the Maritime Day ceremony to presented was a piece that however, he was unable to great debt of gratitude we owe honor "living maritime heroes" showed the myriad actions attend. to the dedicated men and as well as merchant mariners taken in the aftermath of In the congressman's stead, women of the U.S. Merchant who lost their lives in service September 11. Our commercial maritime tradition dates back Rebecca Dye briefly addressed Marine. to the nation. At the conclusion of each to play an important role today, moving passenge those in attendance. Focusing "I'm proud to pay tribute Maritime Administrator videotape presentation, a ing our citizens to the world. on a matter that's at the top of today to the U.S. Merchant Capt. William Schubert hosted plaque was given to an individMerchant mariners have served America with everyone's agenda in the marMarine, especially those who the service, which highlighted ual who represented the mercially at critical moments. Before World War II. ff itime community, Dye stated have given their lives at sea in the accomplishments of Ameri- chant marine for the time rying vital supplies to Europe. During that war, rn that the U.S. House of Represervice to our nation,'' the ca's mariners in past times of lost to attack, and more than 6,000 merchant mari frame and events previously sentatives' Port Security Bill, admiral continued. "But harm's conflict and during the immea vital role in the Korean Conflict, especially int reflected upon. Surviving merH.R.3983, is scheduled for way is not always associated diate aftermath of September Meredith Victory. During the Vietnam War, ship chant marine veterans of World action as soon as Congress with war." of the supplies used by our Armed Forces. Many 11. War II were honored, as were reconvenes following the The admiral then cited sevfire. In fact, the SS Mayaguez incident involved th U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter those who supported America's Memorial Day recess. eral recent incidents in which chant ship SS Mayaguez. (R-Calif.), chairman of the military services during the mariners made the ultimate More recently, during the Persian Gulf War, me MSC Service Merchant Marine Panel of the Korean, Vietnam and Persian sacrifice while in the service of operation since D-Day. And after the tragic ana Armed Services Committee, Gulf conflicts. Recognition Rear Adm. David Brewer, their country. mariners and midshipmen from the United Sta· s was the event's principal also was afforded all segments MSC commander, was the sonnel and equipment and moved food and sup· Ii He also recalled giving speaker. After reflecting on rescue operations and helped save many lives. the order to sail the hospital the history of the U.S. Today, the men and women of the United ta ship USNS Comfort on Merchant Marine and the workers in our Nation's maritime industry con 1u September 11. The vessel, roles mariners have played economic strength and our ongoing efforts to t 1 typically maintained in during times of war, the maritime system can meet the challenges of the 1' reduced operating status, is congressman offered, "I ble within the next 20 years, a viable maritim n crewed by members of the think it's important to reflect global economy. SIU's Government Services on where we are today, Accordingly, my Administration is working itl Division. because the best way we can labor, and environmental groups to ensure tha o "Within hours of the call salute all those who have option that complements our overland transporLti to action, 83 of our dedicatserved in the maritime In recognition of the importance of the U.S. \1e ed merchant mariners (22 industry is to take action. " tion, approved on May 20, 1933, as amended, has more than required) reported Comparing current and Maritime Day," and has authorized and reque t d to the bow of Comfort," the past maritime resources, tion calling for its appropriate observance. admiral shared, "answering Hunter said, "We had thouNOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUS H the call of freedom, just as sands of ships during those hereby proclaim May 22, 2002, as National Mariti1 their predecessors answered days to carry thousands and States to celebrate this observance and to displa_ th the call during attacks on thousands of Americans. We in their communities. I also request that all ship s America from the had the ability to build that day. The U.S. Maritime Administration's ceremony included tributes to mariners Revolutionary War to Desert dozens and dozens-if not IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto who sailed during World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm. Retired year of our Lord two thousand two and of the Ir e hundreds and hundreds-of SIU Bosun Rowland "Snake" Williams (second from left} represented Storm." He noted that the mariners from the Persian Gulf War. He is joined by (from left) U.S. Maritime two hundred and twenty-sixth. ships during a given year. Administrator Capt. William Schubert, SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez and Comfort was ready to sail in We had an enormous force Williams' wife, Doris. less than 24 hours. Soon of merchant mariners." By the President of the U 12 Seafarers LOG June2002 �1e U .S. ~embodies all holesome tion," he id not take oregoing ry of Labor ined the presng the service ners to the hroughout ant mariners ical role in country. s to our ecoe great, and ·ca 's ongoing a more e 1mmeasurRebecca Dye, representing U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) t we (in Congress) can realMarAd gave plaques to mariners who served the nation in times of war and struggle and who symbolized all U.S. mariners from their respective eras. The honorees were Thomas Gibson, retired SIU Bosun Rowland "Snake" Williams, J. Robert Lunney, Capt. John Trimmer and Capt. James Parese, an SIU hawsepiper. it takes to honor our merners. And that is to resolve -U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) ime Day 2002 ited States of America o the founding of our Nation, and it continues and freight, protecting our freedom, and linkdistinction throughout our history, but espeey made dangerous and difficult voyages carre than 700 United States merchant ships were ers lost their lives. Merchant mariners played e rescue of 14,000 Korean civilians by the SS rewed by civilian seamen carried 95 percent f these ships sailed into combat zones under capture of mariners from the American mer- Photo courtesy of MSC U.S. Navy Rear Adm. David Brewer, commander of MSC, and the Honorable Gordon R. England, the Secretary of the Navy, toss a wreath into the Anacostia River in honor of fallen mariners during Military Sealift Command's National Maritime Day memorial service May 22 at the Washington Navy Yard. Right: Rear Adm. Brewer (at podium), the featured speaker at MSC's event, strongly stated, "The U.S. Merchant Marine embodies all that is good and wholesome about our country." Below: The SIU and the Paul Hall Center were well-represented throughout the day. Pictured at the Washington Navy Yard prior to MSC's memorial service are SIU officials and students from the school in Piney Point, Md. chant mariners were vital to the largest sealift ks of September 11, professional merchant Merchant Marine Academy transported pers to lower Manhattan. Their efforts enhanced es Merchant Marine and thousands of other e to make immeasurable contributions to our a more peaceful world. We must ensure our century. As cargo volume is expected to doutwork will help our country compete in our government agencies, the shipping industry, r waterways remain a sound transportation n network. chant Marine, the Congress, by joint resoluesignated May 22 of each year as "National hat the President issue an annual proclamaresident of the United States of America, do e Day. I call upon the people of the United flag of the United States at their homes and iling under the American flag dress ship on y hand this twenty-first day of May, in the endence of the United States of America the George W. Bush June2002 Seafarers LOG 13 �Paul Hall Center's 'Nune Noreen' Retires Neel and her husband, Edward, are pictured immediately following her recent retirement ceremony. For more than two decades, Noreen Neel-a member of the SIU-affiliated United Industrial Workers (UIW)-has provided health care, medical counsel and a sympathetic ear to people associated with the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. This chapter in the native Washingtonian's life now, however, is closed. The health care professional-also known as the school nurse and more affectionately as ''Nurse Noreen"- hung up her stethoscope, blood pressure cuff and the various other implements of her profession for the last time. She retired May 10 following 22-plus years of dedicated service. "I definitely will miss being here and my association with the Seafarers," shared the softspoken registered nurse, who received her formal training at St. Agnes Hospital School of Nursing in Baltimore. "They are all very interesting, colorful people who have such fascinating stories to tell. You can't be around them for this length of time and not miss them." Although she has seen patients from all segments of the training school's population-upgraders, families of upgraders, staff employees, ARC residents and others-during her tenure, she will miss the Take the Family on Vacation to Piney Point UNION MEMBER VACATION RATES A vacation stay at the Paul Hall Center is limited to two weeks per family. Member $40.00/day Spouse $10.00/day Child $10.00/day Note: There is no charge for children 11 years of age or younger. The prices listed above include all meals but do not include tax. This summer, treat yourself and your family to an unforgettable vacation. Everything you could ask for in a summer holiday can be found at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. This benefit, unique to Seafarers, offers comfortable accommodations, three meals each day and lots of opportunities for activities that will please every member of the family-for up to two weeks-and all at very reasonable rates (see box at left). Swimming, boating, fishing and playing tennis are but a few of the options available within the center complex. For those who wish to venture farther afield, the choices are endless. Piney Point is just a little more than an hour's drive to any number of exciting destinations in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area (which includes Arlington and Alexandria, Va. and Baltimore and Annapolis, Md.}-museums, ballparks, historical sights, craft shows, concerts and much, much more. Send the completed application form (below) to the address listed and be able to look back on a memorable 2002 summer vacation spent with your family. trainees most. "For many of them, coming here for training is their first time away from home, and I think of them as my children," the mother of five and grandmother of nine said. "I'll miss them." Neel began working parttime at the school in 1979. "At that point, I was employed parttime at St. Mary's Nursing Home," she said. "I had been there four years and previously worked at St. Mary's Hospital for three years. When the job came open here, Ken Conklin encouraged me to come aboard. Soon, the position was expanded to a full-time job and I've been here ever since." Conklin was the commandant of trainees who later became vice president of the school. Neel has worked Monday through Friday during her entire tenure at the school, but was never more than a phone call away on weekends and evenings if needed. Although she has no way of knowing how many people she has seen, assessed, treated or referred over the years, she estimates she was seeing on average 125 patients per week depending on the time of year. "I see patients with a variety of ailments," she said. "The most common are upper respiratory infections, but we also encounter high blood pressure as well as diabetes. Then of course there are the minor injuries such as cuts and abrasions .... I assess patients when they come in and treat them according to protocol ( estab- lished medical directives). If they are suffering from conditions that we can't treat here, then we refer them to a doctor." Additionally, Neel drew blood to be sent out to labs, gathered specimens for analysis and administered immunization vaccines during her career at the school. She conducted smoking cessations programs for people who were interested in kicking the habit as well as blood pressure screenings and diabetes screenings. She organized blood drives, trained designated employees in blood-borne pathogens and was responsible for the flu vaccine program. In addition, she taught first aid, CPR and health-risk awareness. After all that activity, walking away isn't easy. "Retiring was a very difficult decision for me," Neel said, "because I really enjoy what I'm doing and love to help people." As far as the union is concerned, Neel says she has no regrets about joining up when the school became a UIW shop more than 20 years ago. "For me, the union has been great, especially in view of the health benefits we enjoy," she said. "I don't think you can go anywhere else and get benefits comparable to those we receive in the UIW-you don't have to contribute to the plan and you only pay $100 per year deductible. The plan pays 100 percent of reasonable and customary charges .... I definitely would recommend and encourage anyone who is concerned about job security and improving their quality of life to join a union." PAUL HALL CENTER TRAINING & RECREATION CENTER Vacation Reservation Information Name: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- Socia I Security number: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Book number: Address: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- The Honorable (Name) United States Senate Washington , DC 20510 Telephone number: Number in party I ages of children, if applicable: Date of arrival: 1st choice: 2nd choice: _ __ (Stay is limited to a maximum of two weeks) 3rd choice: _ __ Send this completed application to the Seafarers Training & Recreation Center P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075. Seafarers LOG The Honorable (Name) United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 web site (www.seafarers.org) provides links to those sites and to the White House under our "legislation" section. When writing to members of Congress, whether via letter or e-mail, remember to be concise. State your purpose, be factual and explain how legislation probably will impact you and others. If writing about a specific bill, include its name and number (House bills begin with H.R., Senate bills with S.). Date of departure: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 14 Crew members occasionally ask the Seafarers LOG to publish mailing addresses for U.S. Senators and Congressmen. Here they are: 6/02 Additionally, most members of Congress may be contacted by e-mail. To locate an address, go to www.senate.gov or www.house.gov. The SIU's Also be sure to inclue your name and return address. The telephone number for the Capitol switchboard is (202) 224-3121. June2002 �Dispatchers' Report for Deep Sea APRIL 16 - MAY 15, 2002 *TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Class A Class B Class C TOTAL SHIPPED All Groups Class A Class B Class C Port Algonac Baltimore Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico San Francisco St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington Totals 1 10 3 0 2 5 2 20 l 0 18 13 7 6 15 7 4 5 3 6 1 6 11 13 29 13 41 24 8 5 14 26 17 11 20 2 13 3 11 IO 11 15 4 1 7 5 1 0 26 261 170 114 0 3 0 1 3 194 106 so 111 ENGINE DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 1 12 7 19 4 13 2 l 4 12 2 4 4 35 33 9 17 2 20 57 0 4 1 5 12 16 2 4 1 0 0 5 0 1 0 2 0 Port 0 0 5 2 9 0 2 4 5 1 2 1 0 0 6 0 2 3 2 4 6 14 1 3 7 3 1 10 4 0 4 0 0 151 49 29 114 Al,gonac 0 Baltimore Quant Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico San Francisco St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington 2 0 6 1 2 Totals Totals All Departments 5 0 3 5 2 19 0 16 4 0 0 14 26 1 1 0 9 25 12 15 0 3 1 0 4 5 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 4 37 0 0 0 7 1 7 10 33 0 41 37 I 8 63 267 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 5 3 11 26 9 0 20 1 3 0 3 7 385 31 0 1 512 5 0 7 Port Everglades ....... Thursday: July 18, August 15 18 9 San Francisco .........Thursday: July 18, August 15 San Juan ..................Thursday; July) 1, August 8 0 1 9 6 15 2 2 4 2 1 1 1 3 3 0 58 0 l 0 2 2 12 35 67 3 17 48 10 50 4 2 6 5 2 3 1 5 41 14 29 13 2 59 0 0 4 5 0 0 1 6 5 25 8 63 23 2 0 9 29 7 17 0 5 0 0 37 44 4 0 0 7 13 15 31 0 5 8 5 1 22 20 St. Louis .................Friday: July 19, Augustl6 Savannah ................ Friday: July 12, August 9 Tacoma ...................Friday: July 26, August 23 Wilmington ...............Monday: July 22 Tuesday: August 20* *(change created l>y Paul Hall birthday holiday) Each port's meeting stal'ls at 10:30 a.m. Personal IO 7 83 DAUGHTER OF STEPHEN J. LESLIE William Vogler is trying to contact the daughter ofthe late MTD Vice President Stephen J Leslie. Vogler may be reached at 194 Willow St., Johnson City, NY; telephone (607) 766-9631. In Honor of the Sept. 11 Rescue Workers AB/Mate Vincent W. Thompson of Westwego, La. sent these photos to the LOG. Below is Joseph 'Philly Joe' Kolodziejski, a former SIU member who , once sailed on the Texaco _ Providence and who has just begun a 24,000 mile canoe trip (expected to take about 5 years) in honor of the Sept. 11 rescue workers. He hopes to make it to Michigan by October, return to Texas for the winter, and start rowing again in the spring-up to Alaska and down to the Panama Canal. 18 3 3 1 7 6 16 107 72 0 76 325 416 414 321 155 217 965 849 788 *"Total Registered" means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port. **"Registered on Beach" means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port. June2002 Philadelphia ............ Wednesday: July 10, August 7 0 0 0 0 10 New York ................ Tuesday: July 9, August 6 4 3 0 7 New Orleans ...........Tuesday: July 16, August 13 12 100 27 New Bedford ..........Tuesday: July 23, August 20 Norfolk ................... Thursday: July 11, August 8 174 21 Jacksonville ............Thursday: July 11, August 8 5 18 18 19 0 6 Houston .................. Monday: July 15, August 12 Mobile .................... Wednesday: July 17, August 14 2 1 15 8 3 Honolulu .................Friday: July 19, August 16 31 2 7 8 10 0 577 10 3 6 5 1 12 205 10 18 16 5 6 12 2 182 5 IO 16 1 14 33 8 7 17 4 8 l 39 8 0 3 26 15 16 13 185 0 1 4 0 12 ENTRY DEPARTMENT 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 28 9 3 0 13 I 4 Port 15 0 3 10 0 0 11 4 7 4 2 3 9 90 71 21 43 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 3 0 3 7 3 0 7 l 21 2 14 16 0 0 0 1 2 7 1 10 12 Duluth ..................... Wednesday: July 17, August 14 Jersey City .............. Wednesday: July 24, August 21 1 0 6 Boston..................... Friday: July 12, August 9 7 l JI Baltimore ................Thursday: July 11, August 8 7 22 2 1 3 11 9 14 3 6 2 1 4 6 4 40 214 2 12 6 8 8 417 3 0 0 1 0 0 21 28 267 11 11 13 2 30 27 10 111 8 31 51 42 0 9 26 5 23 4 5 6 6 6 5 37 0 1 10 4 13 0 19 11 6 0 5 17 4 1 5 6 0 8 0 1l 8 2 1 5 0 4 6 18 I San Francisco St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington 5 18 4 5 0 Puerto Rico_,, Totals 0 1 2 11 9 21 12 16 27 5 4 48 0 11 2 3 11 4 2 2 25 1 19 25 5 23 3 11 18 2 2 11 8 60 20 0 12 5 3 4 16 5 12 9 27 45 13 20 0 6 0 5 6 4 35 3 21 1 6 17 10 9 7 8 Algonac Baltimore Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico San Francisco St. Louis Tacoma Wilmington 2 6 17 4 6 4 1 16 8 12 3 17 44 12 33 19 23 2 0 5 5 4 0 6 21 3 0 15 Algonac .................. Friday: July 12, August 9 1 2 4 0 6 12 15 l 0 Piney Point ............. Monday: July 8, August 5 0 10 4 Port Algonac Baltimore Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Philadelphia Piney Point 5 **REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Class A Class B Class C 0 6 3 14 21 2 DECK DEPARTMENT 1 2 23 30 8 15 17 5 18 13 Trip Reliefs July & August 2002 Membership Meetings Deep Sea, Lakes, Inland Waters Above, posing aboard the tug Ocean Venture, are (from left) Thompson, Kolodziejski and AB George Owen. Seafarers LOG 15 �1'1'1'111 Monthly Shipping A Registration Report APRIL2002 Michael Sac~; President TOTAL REGISTERED All Groups Group I Group II Group III John Fay; Execut'We Vice Pre~ide11t · David Heindel, Secll!tary· Treasurer TOTAL SIDPPED All Groups Group I Group II Group III Trip Reliefs REGISTERED ON BEACH All Groups Group I Group II Group III ~~gustio T~ fice/Jre.sident Contracts Toni Orzechowski, Pice President Lakes and Inland Waters Dean Corgey, Vice President Gulf Coast Nicholas J. Marrone, l'ice President West Coast .Joseph T. Sor.esi, Vice Presidem Atlantic Coast Kermett Mangram, Jlice President Government Services . Rene Lioeanjie, Vice President at large .. Charles Stewart, Vice President at Large HEADQUARTERS 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746 (301) 899-0675 Port DECK DEPARTMENT Boston Houston Harvey, LA 7 IO 2 New York Norfolk San Pedro 16 Savannah 2 4 2 8 Tacoma 51 Totals 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 13 0 5 1 0 4 3 29 0 I 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 12 2 7 4 l3 12 48 2 5 4 11 2 22 12 3 114 0 6 0 11 0 2 28 0 5 '} 0 47 10 0 5 1 5 0 0 1 0 12 ALGONAC 520 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI 48001 (810) 794-4988 ALTON 325 Market St., Suite B, Alton, IL 62002 (618) 462-3456 ANCHORAGE 72 (Sesame St., # 1C, Anchorage, AK 99503 (907) 561-4988 BALTIMORE 2315 Essex St., Baltimore, MD 21224 (410) 327-4900 BOSTON 520 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA 02127 {6 l 7) 269-7877 DULUTH 124 w. Superior St., Suite 705, Duluth, MN 55802 (218) 722-4110 GUAM 1>.Q. Box 23127. Barrigada, Guam 96921 "' 125 Sunny Plaza, Suite 301-E Tun Jesp~ Crisostomo St., Tamuning, Guam 96.9 l l ''" . ' / (671) 647-1350 HONOLULU 606 Kalihi.St., Hon~lull), ttt. ,96819 ,, (808) S4if?l22 , , 't ' HOUSTON c ;~· 1221 Pierce St, Houston, TX 77002 Port ENGINE DEPARTMENT Boston Houston 5 0 5 Harvey, LA 1 New York Norfolk San Pedro 5 0 1 0 1 0 6 0 3 5 Savannah Tacoma 31 Totals 3 _2 . ·-~-"·"-~~"' . 3 0 0 0 -0 3 6 0 u 2 0 3 3 Port Boston ,. 19 0 0 ff . 0 0 0 3 3 1 2 0 0 ..... ,.P 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 22 0 0 7 0 1 10 0 6 18 6 14 0 2 1 0 86 33 19 3 16 0 0 7 14 18 36 5 24 1 32 5 5 STEWARD DEPARTMENT 0 HoustQU;;,,,,, Harvey, LA 0 • ·~ 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 Norfolk ] 0 San Pedro Savannah Tacoma Totals 2 0 1 0 0 0 9 2 6 New York 0 0 0 2 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 6 0 38 2 9 0 7 13 6 (713) 659-5152 JACKSONVILLE 33J5 Liberty St., Jacksonville, FL 32206 (904) 353-0987 JERSEY CITY 99 Montgomery St., Jersey City, NJ 07302 (201) 435-9424 MOBILE J 640 Dauphin fSland P~. Mobil~; AL 36605 (251) 478-0916 ,, NEW BEDFORD 48 Union St.. New Bedford, MA 02740 (508) 997-5404 ENTRY DEPARTMENT Port Boston Houston Harvey, LA New York Norfolk San Pedro Savannah 0 5 2 2 4 0 6 0 4 7 0- 0 0 0 1 0 q' Q .._...,....,_ .___..... 1 2 1 4 0 -...,,......,_,_.-.~···~s, 0 12 21 13 0 5 103 34 21 61 Tacoma Totals 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 2 6 41 0 4 36 18 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2 19 0 15 5 0 1 0 25 3 47 63 146 4 13 113 2 100 301 223 151 NEW ORLEANS 3911 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 328-7545 NEW YORK Totals All Departments 635 Fourth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11232 (718) 499-6600 NORFOLK 115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-1892 PJJILADELPHJA 2604 S. 4 St., Philadelphia, PA 19148 (215) 336-3818 PINEYPOJNT P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674 (301) 994..0010 PORT EVERGLADES 1221 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 522- 7984 SAN FRANCISCO 350 Fremont St., San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 543-5855 Government Services Division: (415) 861-3400 SANTURCE l 057 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Stop 16 Santurce. PR 00907 (787) 721-4033 ST. LOUIS 4581 Gravois Ave., St. Louis. MO 63116 (314) 752-6500 SAVANNAH 2220 Bull St., Savannah, GA 31401 (912) 238-4958 TACOMA 3411 South Union Ave., Tacoma, WA 98409 (253) 272-7774 WILMINGTON SlON. Broad Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744 (310) 549.-4000 16 Seafarers LOB PIC-FROM-THE-PAST This photo was sent to the Seafarers LOG by Pensioner Richard E. McAll of Saraland, Ala. It was taken in 1959 aboard the passenger ship Alcoa Cavalier. From the left are crew members Sam McDonald, Eddie Gonzales, Richard McAll, George Dean, Joe Gallo, Jim Patterson and Homer Ringo. McAll, now 73, began sailing in 1947. He worked in all three departments. His first ship was the Raphael Semmes, operated by Waterman Steamship Corp. Before retiring in 1986, he sailed aboard the cable ship Long Lines. A new generation of the McAll bloodline continues the seafaring tradition. Joshua Cooper, now an unlicensed apprentice in class 626 at the Paul Hall Center, is McAll's grandson. If anyone has a vintage union-related photograph he or she would like to share with the LOG readership, it should be sent to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Photographs will be returned, if so requested. June2002 �• Welcome Ashore Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead. T wo captains and one recertified steward are among the 19 Seafarers announcing their retirements this month. Captains Edward T. Bethel and Jerry K. Champion worked at the helms of inland vessels for a combined total of 40 years, while Chief Steward James A. Wright completed the highest level of training available to members who sail in the steward department. Including Wright, eight of the retirees sailed in the deep sea division. Seven others, including Bethel and Champion, navigated the inland waterways, while the remaining four plied the Great Lakes. Seven of the retirees worked in the deck department, seven more shipped in the engine department and the remaining five sailed in the steward department. On this page, the Seafarers LOG presents brief biographical accounts of the retiring Seafarers. DEEP SEA FINN JAKOBSEN, 71,joined the Seafarers in 1973 in the port of New Orleans. Born in Norway, Brother Jakobsen worked in both the deep sea and inland divisions as a member of the deck department. He last sailed aboard Waterman Steamship Corp. 's Green Island. He makes his home in Bogalusa, La. RALPHF. MORGAN, 70, began his SIU career in 1992 in Seattle. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1952 to 1966. Brother Morgan first sailed aboard American Hawaii Cruises' SS Independence. The Massachusetts-born mariner worked in the steward department and upgraded his skills at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship in 1995 and 1996. Brother Morgan last sailed on the SeaLand Enterprise. He makes his home in Pahrump. Nev. DEMITRIOS PAPAIOANNOU, 73 , was born in Greece. He started his career with the Seafarers in 1972 in the port of New York. Brother Papaioannou first shipped aboard the President Pierce. The steward department member was a frequent upgrader at the Seafarers training school. He last went to sea aboard the Sea-Land Expedition. Brother Papaioannou is a resident of Eagle Springs, N.C. JAMEST. PRATHER, 69, started his SIU career in 1990 in the port of Norfolk, Va. Brother Prather is a retired U.S. Navy veteran with more than 30 years in uniform. He first sailed for the SIU aboard June2002 Seahawk Management's Falcon Champion. Born in Florida, he shipped in the deck department as a bosun. Brother Prather upgraded his skills at Piney Point in 1997. He last worked aboard the Lawrence Gianella, an Ocean Ships, Inc. vessel. Virginia Beach, Va. is his home. The Pennsylvania native shipped in the deck department as a captain. Boatman Bethel upgraded his skills at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship in Piney Point, Md. in 1993. He last worked on a Moran Towing Co. vessel. Boatman Bethel is a resident of Elkins Park, Penn. GENARO RIVERA, 62, joined the Seafarers in 1962 in the port of New York. Born in Puerto Rico, the steward department member last went to sea on the Sea-Land Challenger. Brother Rivera lives in his native commonwealth in the city of Yauco. JOHN J. BROWN, 62, hails from Maryland. He began his career with the Seafarers in 1962 in the L-~-~~_J port of Baltimore. Boatman Brown is veteran of the U.S. Army, serving from 1963 to 1965. He first sailed aboard a Maritrans Operating Co. vessel. The engine department member enhanced his skills at the Seafarers training school in 1998. Pasadena, Md. is his home. ROBERT RUFFNER, 61, hails from Virginia. He started his career with the SIU in 1971 in the port of New York. Brother Ruffner worked in the deep sea as well as inland divisions. He first sailed aboard the Robin Locksley, a MooreMcCormack Lines vessel. Brother Ruffner shipped in the deck department and enhanced his skills at the Seafarers training school in 1997. He last went to sea on the LNG Taurus. Brother Ruffner lives in Jacksonville, Fla. ANGELM. VELEZ, 63, was born in Puerto Rico. He started his SID career in 1973 in the port of New York. Brother Velez worked in all three departments and upgraded his skills at the Seafarers training school. Brother Velez lives in his native commonwealth in Ponce. JAMES A. WRIGHT, 61, began his career with the Seafarers in 1967 in San Francisco. Brother ll!!:..=..11----l Wright served in the U.S. Navy from 1957 to 1961. The California-born mariner first worked for the SIU aboard the Selma Victory. A member of the steward department, Brother Wright completed steward recertification training at Piney Point in 1981. He last worked aboard the Sea-Land Anchorage. Brother Wright calls Gig Harbor, Wash. home. INLAND EDWARDT. BETHEL, 63 , joined the Seafarers in 1962 in the port of Philadelphia. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. JERRYK. CHAMPION, 65 , began his SIU career in 1968 in the port of Norfolk, Va. Boatman Champion was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army after serving from 1954 to 1957. Born in Cleveland County, N.C., the deck department member sailed as a captain, working primarily aboard vessels operated by Stone Towing Line. Boatman Champion calls Wilmington, N.C. home. ARTHUR DIAMOND, 66, was born in Cook County, Ill. He joined the Seafarers in 1996 in the port of Houston. Boatman Diamond spent the majority of his career working aboard vessels operated by G&H Towing Co. The engine department member upgraded his skills in Piney Point in 1994. Boatman Diamond lives in Hitchcock, Texas. NOLEY LEE HARVELL, 63, joined the SIU in 1993 in the port of Norfolk, Va. Boatman Harvell is a retired member of the U.S. Coast Guard, having served from 1958 to 1981. The deck department member was born in Lenior City, N.C. and worked primarily aboard Allied Towing vessels. He upgraded his skills at the Seafarers training school in 1998. Boatman Harvell is a resident of Bayboro, N.C. MILTON L. SHECKELLS, 63, began his career with the Seafarers in 1976 in the port of Baltimore. The Maryland-born mariner worked in the deck department, sailing primarily aboard vessels operated by Moran Towing of Maryland. Boatman Sheckells makes his home in Baltimore. PHILLIPT. YEOMANS, 62, joined the Seafarers in 1990. Boatman Yeomans was born in North Carolina and first shipped for the SID aboard a Maritrans vessel. He worked in the steward as well as deck departments and was a frequent upgrader at the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship in Piney Point, Md. Boatman Yeomans is a resident of Harkers Island, N.C. home. GREAT LAKES KASSEM S. ABDULLA, 65, started his SIU career in 1966 in Detroit. Brother Abdulla first sailed on Buckeye Steamship Co. 's Buck Monitor. Born in Yemen, he worked in the engine department. His last voyage was aboard the American Mariner, an American Steamship Co. vessel. Brother Abdulla lives in Dearborn, Mich. l ALAWIA. ELZAHIRI, 65, started his SID career in 1965 in Detroit. Brother Alzahiri first shipped aboard American Steamship Co. 's Reiss Brothers. The engine department member last worked aboard the Southdown Challenger, a Cement Transit Co. vessel. Brother Elzahiri was born in Arabia, but now calls Buffalo, N.Y. home. ABDUL SAEED, 61, started his career with the Seafarers in 1966 in Detroit. Born in Yemen, Brother Saeed worked in both the engine and deck departments. He sailed primarily aboard vessels operated by American Steamship Co., including the American Seaocean and the Buffalo. Brother Saeed calls Dearborn, Mich. home. HAMID SHOHATEE, 65, began his career with the Seafarers in 1966 in Detroit. Born in Arabia, Brother Shohatee worked in both the deck and engine departments. His initial SIU voyage was aboard the Reiss Brothers. Brother Shohatee last worked aboard the William Roesch, a Pringle Transit Co. vessel. He is a resident of Detroit. four years of college or university training in the field of their choice. The award of 1946 five scholarships this year was made on The SIU pulled a complete work stoppage the basis of a new ruling by the trustees of on all ships on June 6 to force the the Seafarers Welfare Plan, setting aside a steamship companies to negotiate for new fifth scholarship agreements. As a rr.::=============================;;;i annually for a result of the stopSeafarer. page, negotiations commenced with 1966 the operators on Seatrain Lines is in Tuesday, June 11. the early stages of Among other things, an expansion pro· the union was seekgram that will add eight newer, larger and ing establishment of a 40-hour work faster container ships to the Seatrain fleet. week. The new ships are converted "Mission" 1956 type vessels and will be used on the Four Seafarers and the daughter of a Seatrain routes operated for MSTS, to Seafarer have been selected by the board and from Puerto Rico. The company also of university administrators as winners of plans to expand its ports of call, construct new shore facilities, and increase existing the 1956 Seafarers Scholarship awards. facilities. The total cost of the new ship Each will receive a $6,000 Andrew conversions is $30 million. Furuseth Memorial Scholarship to cover Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG THIS MOl'ITH IN SIU HISTORY Seafarers LOB f7 �DEEP SEA GEORGE BRUER Pensioner George Bruer, 68, died March 30. Brother Bruer began his career with the Seafarers in 1959 in the port of New York. A native of Hamburg, Germany, he was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Brother Bruer first shipped aboard the Steel Artisan in the deck department. He last sailed on Interocean Management's El Yunque. Brother Bruer began receiving his pension in 1999 and lived in Indian Harbor Beach, Fla. WILLOUGHBY BYRD Pensioner Willoughby Byrd, 77, passed away March 16. Born in Richton, Miss. , he started his SIU career in 1955 in the port of Mobile, Ala. Brother Byrd served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1944 and first sailed under the SIU colors aboard Isco 's Steel Maker. The deck department member sailed as a bosun and last went to sea on Puerto Rico Marine Management's Carolina. Brother Byrd started receiving retirement stipends in 1994. He made his home in Mobile. NEAL CAIRNS Brother Neal Cairns, 75, died Nov. 12. He started his career with the Seafarers in 1944 in the port of New York. The New Jersey ~ native was a veteran of the U.S. Army. A member of the steward department, Brother Cairns belonged to the Dennis A. Rolland Chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans in New Jersey. He lived in his native state in Toms River. NATHANIEL CLARK Pensioner Nathaniel Clark, 76, died Feb. 12. Brother Clark started his career with the Marine Cooks and Stewards (MC&S). Born in Ft. Worth, Texas, the steward department member began collecting compensation for his retirement in 1975. Seattle was his home. ,........."'""'""...,....,...~_,......,.,., MOSES COLEMAN Pensioner Moses Coleman, 84, passed away March 26. The Alabama native started his career with the Seafarers in 1942 in the port of Mobile, Ala. His first vessel was the Alcoa Polaris, operated by Alcoa Steamship Co. The steward department member last worked aboard Waterman Steamship Corp. 's John Penn. Brother Coleman started receiving pension stipends in 1988. He lived in his native state TURE DAHLSTROM Pensioner Ture Dahlstrom, 96, died March 22. -· Brother Dahlstrom started his career with the MC&S.Bornin Sweden, he worked in the ~-----~ 18 Seafarers LOG steward department. Brother Dahlstrom started receiving stipends for his pension in 1972. He was a resident of Concord, Calif. the steward department and began drawing retirement stipends in 1971. Brother Ho called San Francisco home. JOSEPH DALLAS ANDREW HOLLAND Brother Joseph Dallas, 60, passed away Jan. 22. Born in Hungary, he joined the Seafarers in 1979 in Seattle. His initial voyage was aboard the Inger, a Reynolds Metal Co. vessel. A member of the deck department, Brother Dallas last worked aboard the Sea-Land Patriot. He made his home in San Francisco. Pensioner Andrew Holland, 75, passed away Jan. 4. Brother Holland joined the Seafarers in 1977 in the port of Philadelphia. Born in Connecticut, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945. Brother Holland initially sailed for the SIU on the Sea-Land Adventurer. The deck department member last went to sea aboard the LNG Gemini. Brother Holland started receiving his pension in 1991 and resided in Chesapeake City, Md. FRANCISCO DEDOMENICIS Pensioner Francisco Dedomenicis, 78, died Jan. 30. Brother Dedomenicis started his career with the Seafarers in 1944 in the port of New York. He first shipped aboard Delta Steamship Lines' Del Sud. A native of New York, he worked in the deck department and sailed as a bosun. Brother Dedomenicis last went to sea on the Sea-Land Economy. In 1986, he started drawing payments for his retirement. Brother Dedomenicis was a resident of Lake Charles, La. STANLEY DUDA Pensioner Stanley Duda, 82, passed away April 3. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he started his career with the Seafarers in 1941 in the port .___--"'"'.....__ ___.. of New York. Brother Duda's initial sea voyage was aboard Isco's Steel Seafarer. The deck department member started receiving his pension in 1979. He called Newton, N.J. home. JOSEPH FARIAS Pensioner Joseph Farias, 79, died Jan. 26. Brother Farias started his career with the MC&S in San Francisco. The steward department member began collecting compensation for his retirement in 1978. Brother Farias was a resident of Seattle. PAUL HOLLOWAY Pensioner Paul Holloway, 75, died Jan. 11 . Born in North Carolina, he started his SIU career in 1953 in the port of New York. Brother Holloway was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served from 1943 to 1946. His first SIU voyage was aboard the French Creek, an Interocean Management vessel. The deck department member last shipped on the Sea-Land Long Beach. Brother Holloway began collecting retirement compensation in 1989 and made his home in Charlotte, N.C. SAMUEL HONG Pensioner Samuel Hong, 60, died Jan 14. Brother Hong began his career with the MC&S in 1968 in the port of Wilmington, Calif. Born in Los Angeles, the steward department member last shipped on Matson Navigation Co. 's Maui. He started receiving his pension in 1982 and lived in Gardena, Calif. DAVID KELLEY Pensioner David Kelley, 76, passed away Nov. 12. Brother Kelley joined the SIU in 1967 in the port of Wilmington, Calif. The U.S. Navy veteran first sailed for the Seafarers on the Brigham Victory, a Bloomfield Steamship Co. vessel. Born in California, Brother Kelley sailed in the engine department and last went to sea on the Sea-Land Patriot. He began collecting retirement compensation in 1993 and made his home in West Covina, Calif. ANARGYROS KORIZIS Pensioner Howard Fong, 79, passed away Feb. 11. Brother Fong " began his career with the MC&S. Born in China, he lllfl•!I.~ shipped in the steward department. Brother Fong started receiving his pension in 1977 and made his home in Westminister, Calif. Pensioner Anargyros Korizis, 79, died Jan. 3. He started his SIU career in 1969 in the port of Seattle. Brother Korizis first went to sea on the Sabine, a Ship Operators Corp. vessel. Born in Seattle, he sailed in the deck department and last worked aboard the Sea-Land Panama. Brother Korizis started receiving his pension in 1987. He was a resident of New York. IUPINGHO MARGARET KOWALSKI HOWARD FONG Pensioner Iu Ping Ho, 79, died Feb. 18. The Hong Kong-born mariner started his career with the MC&S in San Francisco. He worked in l Pensioner Margaret Kowalski, 80, passed away Dec. 16. Sister Kowalski started her career with the SIU in 1978 in San Francisco. The Michigan-born mariner first sailed on the Santa Maria, operated by Delta Steamship Lines. A steward department member, she last worked on the USNS Silas Bent. Sister Kowalski began collecting retirement compensation in 1987 and lived in San Francisco. PHILLIP LAGAPA Pensioner Phillip Lagapa, 82, died March 23. Born in the Philippines, Brother Lagapa started his career with the MC&S. He '--------~ worked in the steward department and started receiving his pension in 1968. Brother Lagapa was a resident of Livermore, Calif. JAMES LINN Pensioner James Linn, 83, passed away Jan. 22. He started his career with the Seafarers in 1966 in the port of Norfolk, Va. Brother Linn was a retired veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served from 1944 to 1965. His first ship was the Sea Scope, an Alpine Geographic Associates vessel. The Ohio-born mariner sailed in the engine department. He last worked aboard Interocean Management 's Keystone State. Brother Linn began receiving compensation for his retirement in 1984. .--------~ LEONIDES LOPEZ Pensioner Leonides Lopez, 82, died March 27. Brother Lopez began his SIU career in 1943 in the port of New York. Born in Puerto Rico, Brother Lopez worked in the steward department and last sailed aboard the Sea-Land Trader. He started receiving stipends for his retirement in 1979 and called Riverbank, Calif. home. DON MARTIN Brother Don Martin, 51, passed away Jan 11. He joined the Seafarers in 1987 in the port of New Orleans. Brother Martin first went to sea aboard the USNS Algol. The Louisiana-born mariner worked in the deck department. His final voyage was aboard the Lt. Col Calvin P Titus. Brother Martin lived in New Orleans. GUILLERMO MARTINEZ Pensioner Guillermo Martinez, 76, died March 29. Born in Dallas, he started his career with the Seafarers in 1953 in the port of New Orleans. An engine department member, Brother Martinez first worked aboard Waterman Steamship Corp. 's Kyska. His last voyage was on the Overseas Washington. Brother Martinez lived in Mission, Texas and started collecting retirement compensation in 1987. DON McKINNEY Pensioner Don McKinney, 74, died April 10. The Blair, W. Va . native joined the Seafarers in 1961 in Detroit. Brother McKinney was a military veteran, having served in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force. The deck department member last worked on the LNG Libra. Brother McKinney started receiving his pension in 1991. He made his home in Temperance, Mich. 'l'r"'C~~""'=-, Pensioner Everett Moss, 82, died March 25. Brother Moss started his career with the MC&S in 1957 in the port of Wilmington, Calif. The Harrisburg, Ark-born mariner served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1944. He worked in the steward department and first shipped aboard Delta Steamship 's Santa Maria . Brother Moss last worked on the Santa Magdelena, another Delta Steamship vessel. He started receiving his pension in 1984 and lived in his native state. JULIO PAMINIANO Pensioner Julio Paminiano, 74, passed away Jan. 21. He joined the Seafarers in 1965 in the port of New York. Brother .___ _.........,............~___., Paminiano was born in the Philippines. He shipped in the engine department, last working aboard the Sea-Land Liberator. He started collecting retirement compensation in 1998 and was a resident of San Fra i CHARLES POLK Pensioner Charles Polk, 60, died Feb. 2. Brother Polk began his career with the SIU in 1964 in the port of Mobile, Ala. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1959 to 1962. The Alabama native worked in both the inland and deep sea divisions, first sailing aboard the Steel Chemist. Brother Polk worked in the engine department and last sailed on Waterman Steamship Corp. 's Green Island. He began receiving his pension in 1998. Grand Bay, Ala. was his home. CECIL RUSH Pensioner Cecil Rush, 80, passed away March 2. Born in Grenada, Brother Rush joined the SIU in 1955 in the port of New York. He started collecting compensation for his retirement in 1984 and lived in New York. PEDRO SANCHEZ Pensioner Pedro Sanchez, 79, died Jan. 9. Brother Sanchez started his career with the Seafarers in 1943 in the port of New York. .___ __.,...:.....;..,_ ___..The steward department member was born in Puerto Rico. Brother Sanchez began receiving retirement stipends in 1984. He resided in his native commonwealth. June2002 �• Digest of Sllipboard Union Meetings The Seafarers LOG attempts to print as many digests of union shipboard minutes as possible. On occasion, because of space limitations, some will be omitted. Ships minutes first are reviewed by the union's contract department. Those issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union upon receipt of the ships' minutes. The minutes are then forwarded to the Seafarers LOG tor publication. ANCHORAGE (CSX Lines), March 17-Chairman Dan P. Fleehearty, Secretary Amanda F. Suncin, Educational Director William M. Pinkham, Deck Delegate Basil D. Stolen, Engine Delegate Alan L. Hansen, Steward Delegate Patrick C. Conlon. Chairman announced payoff March 20 in Tacoma, Wash. Everybody asked to help keep lounge and laundry room clean. Educational director urged crew members to take advantage of upgrading courses offered at Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. Some issues expressed by steward delegate regarding overtime. All communications posted on board for everyone to read. Those members living on 02 deck asked that crew keep noise from TV and laundry room down at night. Thanks given to steward department for job well done. Next ports: Tacoma; Anchorage and Kodiak, Alaska. CONSUMER (CSX Lines), March 24-Chairman Mauro G. Gutierrez, Secretary Terry L. Allen, Educational Director Paul D. Hanley, Deck Delegate Robert Richardson, Steward Delegate Eric Van Benthuysen. Chairman announced payoff shortly after arrival in Oakland Calif. He advised each crew -fi-i:ne;m.t:J~lQ.,W&.1~ union book 1 reacfy for patro man:·l-Ie also expressed thanks to chief electrical for repairing washing machine. Secretary thanked crew for help keeping ship house clean. He reminded everyone of importance of contributing to SPAD and stressed safety aboard ship at all times. Educational director asked members to make sure all shipping documents are up to date. He also talked about upgrading opportunities at Paul Hall Center and that "everything is there for you to improve your career." No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made to change chemical used for cleaning burners to less hazardous kind. Vote of thanks given to SIU President Mike Sacco and his staff for the great job they're doing and to the steward department for delicious meals, especially cookouts. Next ports: Oakland and Long Beach, Calif.; Honolulu. ENDURANCE (USSM), March 3-Chairman Romeo L. Lugtu, Secretary Russell B. Beyschau, Educational Director Tesfaye Gebregziabher, Deck Delegate Walter 0. Weaver, Engine Delegate Jam es F. Sieger. Chairman reported good trip with payoff on arrival in Long Beach, Calif. He wished departing crew a safe flight and good vacation. He also encouraged crew members to keep up with latest developments in maritime industry by upgrading at Piney Point and contributing to SPAD. Secretary noted this was the best trip ever and thanked crew for great teamwork. He stated that new furniture for crew mess and lounge are on order. Treasurer noted $550 in ship's fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made to exchange movies for newer ones. Steward department June2002 given vote of thanks for job well done. ENTERPRISE (CSX Lines), March 10-Chairman Gregory A. Agren, Secretary Franchesca D. Rose, Educational Director Dann G. Manthei, Deck Delegate John Zimmerman, Engine Delegate Billy Hillard, Steward Delegate Mark Cabasag. Secretary requested computer as well as new mattresses for crew. Educational director noted STCW deadline passed. He reminded crew to take advantage of Paul Hall Center and talked about requirements to sail in new engine ratings. Treasurer stated $60 left in ship's fund after purchasing 24 videos. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Information requested by crew on time allowed to work on 35-day runs. Is it 4 on and 2 off? Or 3 on and 2 off? Or 2 on and 1 off? Crew members taking time off were advised to make sure they are properly relieved before getting off ship. Requests made for new TV and VCR. Vote of thanks given to steward depart.c-. d · llY , espec1a ment .c-.lOr great 100 nk · 1th th e b arbecues. Specia a s · t o deck and engme · dep artgiven c. th · h 1 · ments lOr eu e Pm sett.mg up bar becue gn·11s. Con doIences sent . Ed a and h.is to AB B ernard mo c. il Qn ti.. f h. ...........~...___. li.e los~s...::.0~~1 lam /TB PHILADELPHIA (Sheridan . ) M h 31 Transpo rtat ton , arc Chairman John R. Nichols, Secretary Veronika K. Cardenas, Educational Director Jose Ramirez, Deck Delegate Frederick C. Meier, Steward Delegate Mohamed S. Mosa. Meeting was held enroute to Panama Canal from San Francisco. Chairman informed crew that ship is going back to its old run-Houston to Port Everglades, Fla. Secretary noted need for ships' minutes and crew list forms. Educational director welcomed new crew members and informed them that 60-days' discharge is good for collecting vacation benefits. He also noted STCW training classes continue at Piney Point school and anyone not in compliance should apply asap. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Clarification requested on whether Panama Canal zone is under coastwise or foreign articles. Next port: Houston. INTEGRITY (Maritrans), March 2-Chairman Ronald L. Paradise, Secretary Andrew A. Austin, Educational Director John A. Bennifield, Deck Delegate Alfred Mcintyre Jr., Steward Delegate James F. Whalen. Chairman thanked crew for working well together for an enjoyable trip. He advised ABs of need to get tankerman assistant endorsement recorded on TRBs. Educational director stressed importance of upgrading skills at Paul Hall Center. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Suggestion made that contracts department help company obtain permission for crew to go ashore in Marcus Hook and Hog Island. Crew members realize some changes may be due to security issues, but an escort in and out of the areas would be appreciated, as was done in the past. Vote of thanks to Chief Steward Hayes Johnson for great job making sure those on watch are fed early without having to rush. Next port: Philadelphia, Pa. KODIAK (CSX Lines), March 22-Chairman Garry D. Walker, Secretary Blair D. Hum es, Educational Director Alfonso D. Bombita Jr., Deck Delegate Thomas B. Schroeder, Engine Delegate Glenn A. Snow, Steward Delegate Sam Kassem. Chairman announced vessel to pay off March 27 in Tacoma, Wash. There will be blanket relief for crew that day. He stressed need to check in with boarding patrolman and pay dues on time in order to remain covered for benefits. Crew members reminded to keep noise down inside house structure since those off watch or on rest periods may be trying to sleep. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Clarification requested on STCW renewal regulations as well as information about the sale of CSX now or at any time in the future. Crew laundry is temporarily down to one washing machine, so everyone asked to use extra care. Steward department thanked for efforts of excellence in all areas. doors of opportunity and are open to all Seafarers. Treasurer announced $269 in ship's fund. No disputed OT reported; beef noted in deck department. Clarification requested on paid transportation home after completing voyage overseas. Member voiced concern about everyone helping clean and maintain laundry room and other common areas. Next ports: San Francisco, San Diego and Concord, Calif.; Diego Garcia. OVERSEAS NEW YORK (ATC), March 16-Chairman panies to stop restriction to ship for American crews while in American ports. Also suggested compensation for major inconvenience this is causing-there are no slop chests on coastwise tankers and members can't get to post office to mail checks home. Members also requested use of ship's e-mail, perhaps putting spare computer in steward's office for crew use. Thanks given to deck department for nice paint job to house, to engine department for prompt repairs and to steward department for fine job. Next port: Marcus Hook, Pa. Arriving in San Francisco LIBERATOR (USSM), March 12-Chairman Joel G. Miller, Secretary James E. Harper, Deck Delegate Todd J. Homer, During docking operations in the port of San Francisco, crew memEngine Delegate Mario B. bers aboard the USNS Mt. Washington (inset) grab the lines to tie Cruzat. Chairman emphasized up the IUM vessel. importance of being on high alert, with safety in mind at all times. Secretary added that with Christopher J. Kicey, Secretary RICHARD G MATTHIESEN USA at war against terrorism, Nancy S. Heyden, Educational (Ocean Ships), March 24Director Edward H. Self, Deck Seafarers must do their part to Chairman Dana Naze, Secretary Delegate Albert Balatico. ensure safety of crew mem bers Raymond L. Jones, Educational Chairman announced payoff when vesse ls trave1overseas. Be Director Kelly L. Mayo, Deck · March 17. Orders for upcoming a1ert an d report anyth.mg susp1Delegate Kyle Bailey, Engine · d · 1 d. trip are to go to berth 121 in c1ous. E ucationa Irector Delegate Gilbert F. Tedder Jr. · on new Long Beach, Calif., discharge requeste d c1an·fi1cat1on Chairman announced payoff · Iar1y conc.emm.g · -4--.:t:''=:--=-r.:-..r:,::n:=~--:.-:-:r.:=t::==---t-M~rt"':h--'r+<-irr6uam. half the cargo, go to anchor and contrac.t,..pad;J..c.u He· noted . · N b f: d. en go o e o isc arge ro tary shippmg. 0 ee s or isrest of cargo. Bosun thanked that amount of days required to puted OT reported. Trip relief · .c-. kin file for vacation benefits has issues were cleared by Wilmingentire crew lOr wor g as a ton Port Agent John Cox at union team, getting along and helping been reduced to 60. Educational each other in true SIU style. He director advised crew members ~~lif~ext port: Long Beach, asked that individuals not use applying for upgrading courses outside doors on B deck at night at Piney Point get applications in LNG LIBRA (Pronav), March and early morning if ladder can early. No beefs or disputed OT 24------Chairman Daniel S. be used. Secretary thanked bosun reported. Suggestion made to Marcus, Secretary John A. for pushing to get long overdue increase vacation days for Ocean Pulughi, Educational Director repairs done to rooms and Ships' vessels to 15 days per Kevin W. Conklin, Engine thanked those making the repairs. month. Crew members asked to Delegate Riley N. Donahue Ill, He also stated that common areas help keep designated smoking Steward Delegate Roderick L. are being kept much cleaner and area clean and to keep noise Clay. Chairman thanked crew for thanked crew for their efforts. down after 1830 when people are cooperation during tour. SecreEducational director stressed trying to sleep. Recommendation tary asked that anyone needing a need to support union. He made to have union meeting new mattress let him know; six reminded them of educational once a month instead of just new ones arriving with next 180facilities available at Paul Hall before payoff. Vote of thanks day stores. Educational director Center and to keep all shipping given to steward department for urged mariners to upgrade at certificates up to date. No beefs excellent meals. Next ports: union school as often as possible. or disputed OT reported. Steward Kwajalein Atoll (Marshall Treasurer noted DVD players department thanked for good Islands); Yosu, South Korea. were purchased and installed in food. Any additional room repairs both lounges. No beefs or disputshould be noted on new repair SMT CHEMICAL TRADER ed OT reported. Bosun led dislist. (Intrepid Ship Mgmt.), March cussion on Maritime Security 31-Chairman Charles R. Program. Microwave oven on PERSEVERANCE (Maritrans), Davis, Secretary Alexander order for galley. With satellite March 3-Chairman Thomas W. Banky III, Educational Director system broken, question raised as Lasater• Secretary Catherine M. Larry F. Phillips, Engine to whether daily news service can Hays, Educational Director Alex Delegate Carlos Ventura, be offered to crew. Vote of thanks Korotun, Deck Delegate David Steward Delegate Cesar A. given to steward department for Harvey, Engine Delegate Milton Avila. Chairman announced paygood food. Next port: Bontang, Israel, Steward Delegate off April 2 in Houston, Texas. · ·d C Indonesia. Chancie Ransom. Chairman Vi cited need for written clarificaesse1 now carrymg aci · rew MAERSK ARIZONA (Maersk tion regarding new contract, members warned about dangers Lines Ltd.), March 23especially pertaining to meal involved in handling this cargo Chairman Scott A. hours, penalty meal hours and and advised to use safety gear, Heginbotham, Secretary Lovell union delegate hours. He especially when connecting McElroy, Educational Director announced payoff March 6 on hoses. Secretary noted satellite arrival in Houston, Texas and system now up and running. William J. Ryan, Deck Delegate Leroy Reed, Engine Delegate stated written notification of Every room eventually will have William P. Wakeman, Steward restriction to ship has been postits own line. Educational director Delegate Glenn T. Toledo. ed. He said he had spoken to port urged crew members to take Chairman informed departing captain about problems with advantage of upgrading courses crew members to clean rooms timely allotments. Chairman available at Paul Hall Center. and take new person through advised crew members to keep Treasurer stated $125 in ship's items on ship's checkoff sheet. on top of expiration dates on sail- fund. Some beefs reported by Educational director stated that ing documents and upgrade skills steward delegate due to compenadvancement in maritime field at Piney Point. No beefs or dissation for extra riders aboard. "is up to you and you alone." The puted OT reported. Request for Next ports: Savannah, Ga.; facilities at Piney Point are the union to intervene and get comBaltimore; New York. Seafarers LOB 19 �l J11ion t~lus ' (~ar l{e111als 1~rogra111 l_ _, Save on Car Rentals When You Avis AWD#B723700 Choose Avis Budget BCD#V816100 1-800-698-5685 1-800-455-2848 or Budget Discounts vary depending on type of rental, lime of year, and rental location. Call for rates and reservations and be sure to use the union discount number. www.unionprivilege.org SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR SIU l'ACIFIC lllSTRICT PENSION PLAN This is a summary of the annual report for SIU Pacific District Pension Plan 94·6061923 for the fiscal year ended July j 1,2001. The annual report bas been filed with the Pension and Welfare Benefit Administtati-0n, as requited under the Employee Retirement fncome Security act of 1974 (ERISA). Baslt: FlaandaJ StaltJmBnl Benefits under the plan are provided by the Trust. Plan expenses were $13,828,897. These expenses included $1~124P0,.1 in administtative expenses and $12,704,136 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 4.496 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits. The value of the plan assets. after subtracting liabilities of the plan. was $144,818.531 as ofJuly 31, 2001, compared to $144,055,342 as of July 3 l, 2000. During tbe plan year, the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of$763,l 89. This increase includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of plan assets* that is the difference between the value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the begin!ting of the year or tbe cost of assets acqufred during the year. The plan had a total income of $14,592,086, including :emplqyer 'eontributions of $31,1&9, and earnings from investments of $14,469,427, and other income of $91~470. Mlnlmulll Ffim'!lnl standards An actuary's statement sbows that enough muney was confri_l_)'iited to the plan t<> keep it funded in accordance with the mini~ mum futlding standards of BRISA. · YOllt Rights to Additional lllfonnallon You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof. on reqtlest The items listed below are included in that report: 1. An auditor's report; 2. Financial information and infonnation on payments to service providers; 3. Assets held for investment; 4. Transactions in e11:cess of 5 percent of plan assets; and 5. Actuarial information regarding the funding of the plan. To obtain a copy of thee..full annual report, or any part tberedf; write or call the office of the administrator at SW Pacific District Pemion}'IaU.1422 Market Street, san Francisco, CA 94102. The tbarge to co r copying costs will b 9.50 for the full annual report, or $0.25 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets aod liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying .notes will be included as part of that report. Th~, charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copy,ing ,~f these portions of tbe report because these trrtions are furnished without.,eharge. . . , ·. "" . . , . -- . . You al$o have the legally protected right to examine the annual r~pott at the maii:J, office ofthe plan, 1422 Market&~e;t1'.:San Francisco, CA 94 I02 and the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington:> D.C .• or to obtaiµ a copy from the U.S. Departinent of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to Public Disclosure Room. R:-0om N5638, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200n Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20210. SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR SIU PACIFIC II/STRICT SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS PLAN, INC. This is a summary of the annual report of the SIU Pacific District Supplemental Benefits Plan, loc. EIN 94-1431246 for the year ended July 31, 2001. The annual report has been filed with the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). SIU Pacific District Supplemental Benefits Fund, loc. has committed itself to pay all supplemental benefits. Basic Rnanclal Statemenls The value of the plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan was $2,918,099 as of July 31, 2001, compared to $3,191,777 as of July 31, 2000. During the plan year, the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of $273,678. During the plan year, the plan bad a total income of $6,956,215, including employer contributions of $6,771 ,090, earnings from investments of$6,771,792, and other income of$1,925. Plan expenses were $7,229,893. These expenses included $458,101 in administrative expenses, and $6,771,792 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. Your Rights to Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report. I. An auditor 's report; 2. Financial information and information on payments to service providers; .'.! - 3. Assets held for investment; and 4. Transactions in excess of 5 percent of plan assets. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of SIU Pacific District Supplemental Benefits Plan, Inc., at 1422 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, telephone number (415) 437-6832 . The charge to cover copying costs will be $2.25 for the full annual report, or $0.25 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and the accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of t.l-ie plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and the accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan at 1422 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N5638, Pension and Welfare Benefit Administration, U.S . Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, .W., Washington, DC 20210 . Know Your Rights FINANCIAL REPORTS. The Constitution of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District makes specific provision for safeguarding the membership's money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by certified public accountants every year, which is to be submitted to the membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee of rank-and-file members, elected by the membership, each year examines the finances of the union and reports fully their findings and recommendations. Members of this committee may make dissenting reports, specific recommendations and separate findings. TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District are administered in accordance with the provisions of various trust fund agreements. All these agreements specify that the trustees in charge of these funds shall equally consist of union and management representatives and their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust funds are made only upon approval by a majority of the trustees. All trust fund financial records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds . SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member 's shipping rights and seniority are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the employers. Members should get to know their shipping rights . Copies of these contracts are posted and available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority rights as contained in the contracts between the union and the employers, -they should notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified mail, return receipt requested. The proper address for this is: Augustin Tellez, Chairman Seafarers Appeals Board 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746 Full copies of contracts as referred to are available to members at all times, either by writing directly to the union or to the Seafarers Appeals Board. CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU contracts are available in all SIU halls. These contracts specify the wages and conditions under which an SIU member works and lives aboard a ship or boat. Members should know their contract rights, as well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper sheets and in the proper manner. If, at any time, a member believes that an SIU patrolman or other union official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she should contact the nearest SIU port agent. EDITORIAL POLICY - THE SEAFARERS L OG. The Seafarers LOG traditionally has refrained from publishing any article serving the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to the union or its collective membership. This established policy has been reaffirmed by membership action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The responsibility for Seafarers LOG policy is vested in an editorial board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from among its ranks, one individual to carry out this responsibility. PAYMENT OF MO NIES. No 20 Seafarers LOG monies are to be paid to anyone in any official capacity in the SIU unless an official union receipt is given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any money for any reason unless he is given such receipt. In the event anyone attempts to require any such payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is required to make a payment and is given an official receipt, but feels that he or she should not have been required to make such payment, this should immediately be reported to union headquarters. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of the SIU Constitution are available in all union halls. All members should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a member feels any other member or officer is attempting to deprive him or her of any constitutional right or obligation by any methods, such as dealing with charges, trials, etc., as well as all other details, the member so affected should immediately notify headquarters. EQUAL RIGHTS. All members are guaranteed equal rights in employment and as members of the SIU. These rights are clearly set forth in the SIU Constitution and in the contracts which the union has negotiated with the employers. Consequently, no member may be discriminated against because of race, creed, color, sex, national or geographic origin. If any member feels that he or she is denied the equal rights to which he or she is entitled, the member should notify union headquarters. SEAFARERS POLITICAL ACTIVITY DONATION SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to further its objects and purposes including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering of the American merchant marine with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen and the advancement of trade union concepts. In connection with such objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for elective office. All contributions are voluntary. No contribution may be solicited or received because of force, job discrimination, financial reprisal, or threat of such conduct, or as a condition of membership in the union or of employment. If a contribution is made by reason of the above improper conduct, the member should notify the Seafarers International Union or SPAD by certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for investigation and appropriate action and refund, if involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his or her economic, political and social interests, and American trade union concepts. NOTIFYING THE UNION-If at any time a member feels that any of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been denied the constitutional right of access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael Sacco at headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The address is: Michael Sacco, President Seafarers International Union 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746. June2002 �Recertification The following is the sched~t~'~''()~, c0:~r~e~; at th~'' raul<ffatl Center for . Maritime Training and Education P!pey ~:<:>:¢t~ lv((f.1r9in !une through December 2002. All pro~ grams are geared to impJ:'OVtLthe.jdb skills of,Seafarers and to promote the American maritime inQ.ustry. · Please note thatthis schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the maritime industry aM-in times of conflict-the nation's security. Student$ ·atte,nding any of these classes should check in the Saturday before their course's<start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the morning of the in start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reservations should be made for Saturdaj. . .Se~farers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at the Paul H~ll Qenter may call the adtnissfons office at (301) 994-0010. Engine Upgrading Courses Course Arrival Date Date of Completion Oiler September 16 Novemberll October 25 December 20 QMED - Junior Engineer September 30 December20 Welding June IO July t August 19 September 23 October 21 November18 June 28 July 19 September 6 October 3 Novembers December6 Deck Upgrading Courses Automatic Radar Plotting Aids* (*ltlll$t hilve radar unlimited) Bridge Resource Management (BRM)- Inland November 1 August2 October 7 July8 Arrival Date Date of Completion Marine Elect.deal M3intenance I June17 July 26 September 30 October 28 October25 November22 Engine Utility (EU) June 16 October 20 November 25 July 12 November 15 December 20 June 24 July 15 August 19 September 23 October 14 June 28 July 19 August 23 September 27 October 18 July 1 September 30 October 21 November 11 December9 July5 October4 October25 November 15 December13 Safety Specialty Courses Course Arrival Date Date of Completion Advanced Firefighting Government Vessels October7 December2 September 23 October 18 December13 October 11 Tanker Familiarization! As~istant Cargo (DL)* July 15 December 2 Joly 26 December 13 August 12 October21 August 16 October 25 (*must. have basic fire fighting) · Bridge Resontce Management ~ _,_ Unlimited* . ·T ankerman (PIC) Barge* (*'must have basic fire fighting) July 19 October18 November lS December 13 June 14 July 15 July 19 ugust 19 September 30 August 23 October4 November 1 , Octeber28 June 14 ,J~.!.~ ,~2 ..> September ·27· November 15 "December 20 Academic Department Courses ·Ga~~~ q~era~ons/Advanced Galley Operations modules star! every ~ ·.~,e~funing ·Januaf;y 7! Ce~?fied Chief Cook/Chief Steward classes start every other week beginitmg January 7. &.';.,;. .. j,f":,;;:;:..... _ + __ • _ •• •_ . . _, ••.....;· , •....;. • ._ • ..;:..; •• •....; · - · ._.:::..,, _ __ - • - · -·-·-. - • - • -·-·-. - ---------------------------~ Address Q~Dt FOWT; Third Mate, Tanker Assistant and Water Survival courses. An introduction to computers course will be self-study. • -· -·- ·-. - UPGRADING APPLICATION Name General ;aucatipn ~od co!lege courses are available as needed. In addition, basic vocational snpp()rt program c9ul'Ses . are offered throughout the year, one week prior to the AB, - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - · -· - .._ . - COURSE Telephone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Deep Sea Member D Date of Birth Lakes Member D ·· ·- · - · - . - •- •- ·-·-· - ·· - ·· - · -"· - . - • - · - ··- ··- . - -· - ·-~. - • - • -·- ·- With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty (120) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date your class starts, US MMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, and qualifying sea time for the course if it is Coast Guard tested. All FOWT. AB and QMED applicants must submit a U.S. Coast Guard fee of $280 with their aoolication. The pavment should be made with a monev order only. payable to LMSS. BEGIN END DATE DATE - - - - - -- - - - Inland Waters Member D If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be processed. Social Security# _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ Seniority _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ U.S. Citizen: Yes D No D Department _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Home Port Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program? DYes DNo If yes, class# _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses? DYes DNo If yes, course(s) taken _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement? D Yes 0 No Firefighting: Primary language spoken June2002 0 Yes 0 No CPR: 0 Yes DNo LAST VESSEL: _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ Rating: _ _ __ Date On: - - - - - - - -- - - - Date Off: SIGNATURE - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - DATE NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only ify ou present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point. RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, Admissions Office, PO. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189. The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission, access or treatment of students in its programs or activities. 6102 Seafarers LOB 21 �Paul Hall Center Classes Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 625 - Unlicensed apprentices who graduated from class 625 are (from left) Robert Grable, Autumn Kippen, William Ray Jr., Harold Gerber 11, Trevor Cohn, Shareef Dahlan and Ahsha Staiger. .- Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 626 - Completing the water survival course are unlicensed apprentices from class 626. They are (from left, front row) Trevon Mobley, Rasheem Moye, Paul Riley Jr., Earl Wright, George Velez-Rivera, Justin Bowe, (second row) Masteredseed Paletaoga, James Dewey, John Stephenson, Cameron Selby, Jorel Lewis, Zerek Selby, Joseph Whitmore and Joshua Cooper. Government VesseJs- Graduating from the government vessels course recently are (in no particular order) Martha Leon, Harlan Hulst, Ronnie Jackson, Douglas Speer, Gary Toomer, Norman Hook, John Daunoras, Daniel Samson , Abdulla Ali, Nicholas Manessiotis, Dustin Gallop, Ryan Nichols and Felipe Zepeda. Upgraders Water Survival - ·- Uw.aders Water SurvwaI- Upgrading SIU members who completed the water survival course March 29 are (from left, kneeling) Betty Thompson , Kasem Ali, Saeed Shaibi, (standing) Christopher Sykes, Juan Poblete, Rick Worthington , James Brockington and Munassar Ahmed. Upgrad ing Seafarers who successfully compl g t _ ed the water survival course March 29 under the instruction of Bernabe Pelingon (far right) are (in no particular order) Richard Blackman, Kenneth Lattin, James Logan , Michael Gallagher, Dale Suiter II , Louis Scull II , Rusty Norman, Celso Cayetano David, Zaid Muthala, Uriel Ross, Kreg Stiebben, Deocadio Romney, Rafael Concepcion, Wellington Furment, Jerry Maya Jr., Michael Jalbert, Lionel Lee, Fernando Oyao, Allan Oyao, Robert Steiner, Segundo Soriano and Julio Soriano. WeldingGraduating from the welding class April 19 are (from left, front row) Adam Noor, Sammy Montana, Donna Sylvia, (second row) Darrell McDonald, Franklin Lind, Buzzy Andrews (instructor), Gregory Poer and Robert Pinkard II. Not pictured is Azeem Modak. Any student who has registered for a class and finds-for whatever reason-that he or she cannot attend, please inform the admissions department so that another student may take that place. Computer Lab Classes ... Tanker Familiarization/Assistant Cargo (DL) - Recent graduates of the computer lab at the Paul Hall Center pose with their certificates. From the left (seated) are William Mcintyre, Robert Goodson and Robert Hinckley Jr. In the back are Jermaine Williams, Rick Prucha (instructor) and Lee Gulley. 22 Seafal'el'S LOS Earning their graduation certificates for completion of the tanker familiarization/assistant cargo (DL) course April 12 are (in no specific order) Richard Wilson , Robet Feltus Jr., Jason Varner, Thomas Swayne Jr. , Jason Roate , James McDonald, Jerry Fanning, Steven Wooden , Christin Cross, Anthony Hoy, Lakeisha Parker, Jacob LeBeouf, Adel Ahmed, Tyrone Hyman Jr., Chance Chong, Jesse Solangon, Peter Nagowski, John Stewart, Louis Simmons Jr., Travis Robben, Sam Kramer, Eugene Bedard and Margarete Carey. June2002 �Paul Hall Center Classes Luis Cruz, Brian Cushing, Charles Davis, Hugo Dermody, Carlos Dominguez, Nathan Fidinger, William Fogarty, Michael Galbraith, Thomas Gately, Eric George, Kenneth Holly, Michele Hopper, Austin Howard, Lloyd Ingram, Morris Jeff, Nels Johnson, Gregory Garib, Adam Emanuel, Andrezej Furmanowski, Vladimir Salamon and Douglas Hundshamer. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Basic Safety Training Classes Larry Reed, Laura Reed, Jerma·ne Robinson, Luis Saddy, Rudy Santos, William , y or, arold Thomas, Tele Togiai, Willie Toomer, Philip Turner, Thomas Walker, Mark Ward, Albert Washington, Walter White, Kimberly Withers, Jaime Allen and Henry Wells. Franklin Lind, Christopher Lyle, Gilberto Marcial, Eric Nelson, James Neuner, Jeffrey Parkin, Nathaniel Rivera, Jason Roate, Miguelita Salada, Jose Sepulveda, Justin VanPelt, Richard Wilson, Roy Zanca, Wilfredo Zuniga and Albert Wambach. Tonya Johnson, Ousmane Ka, John Kasbarian, Brian Kimbrough, Michael Mahoney, Elmo Malacas, Tony Mohamed, Phillip Morris, Mothana Mothana, Ryan Neathery, Dennis Nelson, Michael Nerychel, Luis Nunez, Timothy O'Brien, Mousid Omar, Timothy Price, Susan Rafferty and Kamin Raji. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Ahmed Abdelnaga, August Awong, Jerry Carter, Charles Chubb, Robert Clemons, Dan Delrosario, James Dunne, Luis Escobar, Luis Gonzalez, Daniel Haegele, Philip Hatcher, Thomas Howell, Jasper Jackson, Reginald Johnson, Donald Langman, Donald Lash and Patrick Lavin. (Note: Not all are pictured.) --- ."' Timothy Lewis, Patricio Libre, Aguilio Llorente, Michael Lockhart, Anthony Lopes, James MacMeekin V, Charles Martinez, Richard Matthews, Wilbert Miles, Simon Perez, Francis Quebedeaux, Jeff Radcliffe-Nelson, Jose Ramos, Nathaniel Ramos, Jaime Reanos, Rafael Suris, Martin Mallek, Richard Thomas, Betty Thompson, Victor Torres, Stanley Washington, Richard Wilson, Peter Woodward, Robert Young, Joseph Tier Ill and Robert Woods. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Mohamed Abdelwahab, Atik Almontaser, Donald Autrey, Bienvenido Badillo, Wayne Ballard, Bernard Beof, Stephen Bird, Kenneth Bluitt, Tony Brooks, William Brown, Gary Carter, Virgilio Casildo, Kendall Chadwick, Bernard Clark, Timothy Chestnut, Valery Daniels, Joseph Dunnam, Trevorous Ellison, Sean Farra, Jerry Frizzell, Joseph Grandinetti, Stephen Hammelman, Leslie Hollowell, Norman Hook, Robert Hoppenwoth, Travis Hosea and Thomas Foster. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Josue Iglesia, Daniel Kanzler, Thomas Kilbride, William Kovacs, Peter Koucky, Floyd Larson, David Lund, Donald Mann, David Martz, Gualberto Mirador, John Morrison, Ali Munasser, Melvin Nichols, Matthew Posten, Rafael Rios, David Rivera, Higold Schultze, Christopher Shields, Michael Thomas, James Tran, Anthony Valery, Michael Warren, William Welch, Derek Yates, Isaac Spencer, Octavianus Pariama and Justin Van Pelt. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Seafarers LOS 23 �SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORTS SIU Pacific District Pension Plan and SIU Pacific District Supplemental Benefits Fund, Inc. -page20 Seafarers DeHver During Major Seal.iB Exercise Merchant Marine's Vital Defense Role Highlighted Throughout 'Native Atlas' Seafarers-crewed ships recently helped make a major military exercise successful. SIU members-along with about 2,500 U.S. troops- participated in ''Native Atlas 2002" near the U.S. Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. The $22 million operation, which began in late March and lasted until midApril, is structured for participants to rehearse the logistics of supplying armed forces in areas without functional ports or piers--or in nations where U.S . troops are denied use of a port. Sustaining American forces overseas is a key role of the U.S. Merchant Marine. Among the Seafarers-crewed vessels taking part Pictured on the Cape Mohican are OSs Terry lgot, Editho Barraca and Napoleon Nazareno. A transporter is visible behind them, ready to move cargo. - in the drill near San Diego were the Cape Mohican, Mount Washington, Keystone State, Maersk Arizona, USNS Gilliland and USNS Seay. Materiel was loaded and unloaded from those vessels at a temporary pier that was built for the exercise; the cargo then was trucked from Camp Pendleton to a desert location. Exact freight totals have not been released, but the gear moved during Native Atlas included combat vehicles, containers, food, inert ammunition and much more. Fuel transfers were simulated with an estimated 2 million gallons of water. Bosun S.R. Garay sailed aboard the Cape Mohican during the training. ''New security measures were evident with barges moored along the offshore side of the ships' hulls to prevent another Cole incident," he observed. "In addition, there were patrol boats on station, a floating perimeter boom, and at night Navy swimmers were in the water." Garay, who sent some of the photos accompanying this story to the LOG, noted that the Cape Mohican is a "Seabee" barge clipper. It is the U.S. Military Sealift Command's (MSC 's) only heavy lift ship. "Causeway sections, powered barges, LCM-8s and other equipment are loaded on three full-length decks and taken to stowage positions by transporters," he explained. He added that both the ship and crew "performed to the highest standards of the SIU and the merchant marine during Native Atlas. It was a pleasure to work with this crew." Native Atlas involved, among others, MSC, the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), the Maritime Administration, the Coast Guard, and the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Members of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade, based at Fort Stewart in Georgia, flew in for the exercise. Similar training is conducted annually under different names. This one was run by the U.S. Central Command, the military authority responsible for U.S. combat forces from the Hom of Africa to Central Asia. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Seafarers Log Issues 2000-2009 Description An account of the resource Volumes LXII-LXXI of the Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present, Seafarers Log Digital Copies Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource June 2002 Description An account of the resource Headlines: PORT SECURITY EFFORTS CONTINUE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE SELECTS 10 WINNERS DELAWARE NORTH ACQUIRES 3 'QUEENS' NEWEST LMSR CHRISTENED ITF COMES THROUGH AGAIN, SECURES BACK PAY FOR CREW TUG LIBERTY TO THE RESCUE CRUISE-SHIP RECRUITMENT SCAM CONFIRMED AFTER ITF WARNINGS PENSION PLAN ISSUES CHECK NO. 1 MILLION LABOR CONDEMNS COURT DECISION OPENING U.S. TO MEXICANTRUCKS UN SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR 'TRANSPARENT' LIBERIAN SHIP REGISTRY ARTICLE CITES MANPOWER CRISIS FACING U.S. MERCHANT MARINE REMINDER FOR GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR NOAA, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, MSC UNION, MSC AGREE ON POSITION CONVERSION BOSUNS: INDIVIDUALLY AND TOGETHER, SEAFARERS MUST GET THE JOB DONE GUILTY PLEAS ENTERED IN POLLUTION CASE INVOLVING FOC SHIP RETIRED OHIO LEGISLATOR CASEY JONES DIES AT 86 PRISON SENTENCE DELIVERED IN ALIEN SMUGGLING SUIT EPA CHARGES 2 ENGINEERS FROM PANAMANIAN-FLAGGED CAR CARRIER OMU CORTES' ASHES COMMITTED TO THE DEEP TEN SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO SEAFARERS, DEPENDENTS AROUND THE PORT OF SAN FRANCISCO SEAFARERS AT SEA AND ASHORE NATIONAL MARITIME DAY - MAY 22, 2002 MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD IN THE HALLS OF CONGRESS SEAFARERS DELIVER DURING MAJOR SEALIFT EXERCISE Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seafarers Log Scanned Issues 1984-1988, 1994-Present 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 6/1/2002 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. 64, No. 6 2002 Periodicals Seafarers Log