http://www.seafarerslog.org/archives_old/files/original/ae18fa6211357c847492c707f3ee8139.pdf 041f0198cf6a91107fad1d4ee91bcd3a PDF Text Text 65262_Seafarers_X2:JUNE 2011 6/27/2011 7:02 PM Page 1 Volume 73, Number 7 July 2011 SIU-Crewed Pacific Tracker Supports Crucial Missile Defense Agency Test SIU members sailing aboard the Pacific Tracker (photo below at bottom) recently backed a vital, successful test conducted by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Seafarers on board the Interocean American Shipping-operated vessel during the mission included John Steeber (left in photo immediately below) and Patrick Devlin (right). Pages 12-13. NOAA Crews Ratify Contract Following nearly two years of negotiations, a new contract is in place covering ships operating under the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The five-year pact covers members of the SIU Government Services Division who sail aboard NOAA’s 19 vessels, including the Bell Shimada (below). Pictured at the signing in early May, which took place at NOAA facilities in Norfolk, Va., (from left in photo above) are: NOAA Administrative Officer Jamie Johnson, NOAA Labor and Employee Relations Advisor Cecilia Collins, NOAA Director of Marine Operations Capt. (Rear Adm. Select) Michael S. Devany, NOAA Labor Relations Specialist Dale North, SIU VP Government Services Kermett Mangram, NOAA Cmdr. Karl Mangels, SIU Government Services Representative Kate Hunt and NOAA Program Specialist Sharon Wilgus. Members approved the contract earlier this year. Page 4. State Department Hosts Maritime Security Forum Page 5 Seafarers-Affiliated AMO Opens New HQ The American Maritime Officers (AMO), an affiliate of the Seafarers International Union of North America, dedicated the union’s new headquarters building (above right) June 7 in Dania Beach, Fla. SIU President Michael Sacco (second from left in group photo) was a guest speaker at the ceremonial opening. Also on hand to help mark the occasion were (from left) AMO Secretary-Treasurer Jose Leonard, U.S. Somali Piracy News Pages 2, 5 Maritime Administrator David Matsuda, U.S. Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), MSC Commander Rear Adm. Mark Buzby, AMO National President Tom Bethel, Dania Beach City Commissioner Walter Duke, Seventh District Coast Guard Commander Rear Adm. William Baumgartner and AMO Plans Co-Chairman Anthony Naccarato. Page 6. Penn Maritime Pact Approved Page 2 Mariners Saluted on ‘Forever’ Stamps Page 8 �65262_Seafarers_X:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:47 PM Page 2 President’s Report Piracy, Continued More than two years have passed since the infamous attempted takeover by pirates of the SIU-crewed Maersk Alabama. Piracy wasn’t a new problem when the Alabama saga unfolded in April 2009, but for many people outside the maritime industry, it marked the first time they truly became aware of the crisis. Much has changed since then, but Somali piracy itself arguably remains the top issue facing our industry around the globe. Attacks are increasing in a huge region that includes parts of the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden. Violence against mariners aboard captured vessels also is growing. Per-ship ransom amounts are up. This month’s LOG includes several articles about piracy, and I encourage the membership to read them. We post regular updates about this topic on our web Michael Sacco site as well, in addition to providing news at the monthly membership meetings. For many years, the SIU has been very active in the battle to protect not only our own Seafarers but mariners around the world. To that end, we continue to work with other maritime unions, the U.S. Coast Guard, the State Department, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and others. And we have made some progress beyond simply getting people to listen. Despite the increase in the number of attacks, fewer vessels are being boarded and captured. Many if not most vessels sailing in the high-risk areas successfully have implemented anti-piracy measures. Some carry armed security details, whether hired from the private sector or (depending on the cargo) provided by the military. It is very much worth noting that no ship carrying armed personnel has been captured. Our position hasn’t changed from day one: We believe that the respective flag states should provide shipboard security. In fact, we also assert that flag states immediately should adopt legislation that enables each nation to prosecute and, if appropriate, imprison pirates. On that note, I should add that the flag-of-convenience (FOC) or runaway-flag registries aren’t lifting a finger to help fight this battle. They remind me of employees in so-called right-to-work states who enjoy the benefits of a union contract but refuse to do their fair share by paying union dues. In this case, the runaway-flag ships are protected as much as possible by the traditional maritime states, but the FOC countries themselves aren’t helping. It’s time for that to change. Solving this problem is going to require continued and expanded multinational efforts, and it will continue to involve public and private resources. It’s a complex situation, and the pirates – better described as waterborne terrorists, really – make it more so by rapidly adapting to many of the industry’s counter-measures. The ITF put it succinctly last month in a Seafarers’ Section resolution that read in part: “No seafarers should have to risk their lives for their job.” That’s really the bottom line, and it underscores the importance of governments not losing sight of the fact that the victims of these attacks are mariners and their families – real people, not just statistics on a chart somewhere. As U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Kevin Cook put it last month at a maritime security forum hosted by the State Department, “When we talk about vessels being hijacked, we’re really talking about the crews.” To help reinforce that point, the Save Our Seafarers campaign – extensively promoted here, on the SIU web site and at our hiring halls – is spotlighting individual mariners who’ve been attacked by pirates. Hopefully, their stories will spur more action to end this scourge, as will a recent report by a group named Oceans Beyond Piracy. Among other startling insights, the report stated that in 2010, more than 1,000 mariners were taken hostage by pirates (see story on page 5). I’ve cited this comparison before, but it remains the best one I’ve read or heard when it comes to putting this battle into perspective: Imagine a report documenting the capture of 1,000 airline passengers and flight-crew personnel. Would the world let that happen? Quite obviously, the answer is no, and the immediate conclusion should be that mariners deserve the same protections as any other workers. The Ready Reserve Force ship Cape May (above) was one of many SIU-crewed vessels honored at the annual Chamber of Shipping of America luncheon. Union-Contracted Companies Recognized for Safe Operations Numerous SIU-contacted companies garnered well-earned recognition at this year’s Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) safety awards luncheon, which took place June 2 in New Orleans. As in past years, some awards were given for specific incidents while others were presented for prolonged operations (at least two years) without a mariner involved in a lost-time injury. Nearly 200 individuals representing more than 70 companies and crews attended the 53rd annual program. Joseph Cox, CSA president, stated, “We have been holding these annual award ceremonies since 1958. For that initial year, we honored six vessels having a total of 12 years’ operation with no lost-time incidents. This year, we gave awards to 1,288 vessels that operated 7,284 years without a lost-time incident. This extraordinary record is directly attributable to the professionalism of our seafarers and the dedication of shore-based company personnel to safe operation.” He added, “CSA’s involvement in safety is longstanding. We continue to represent the industry, domestically and internationally, on safety issues encompassing every facet of ship operations. It is, therefore, only fitting that an industry so focused on safety, publicly recognizes the skills and dedication of the women and men who are responsible for actions in keeping with the highest traditions of the sea – aid to those in peril.” The CSA’s members include 33 U.S.-based companies (many of them SIU-contracted) that own, operate or charter oceangoing tankers, containerships, and other merchant vessels engaged in both the domestic and international trades. The association also represents other entities that maintain a commercial interest in the operation of such oceangoing vessels. Among the companies recognized in June were Alaska Tanker Company, Crescent Towing, Crowley Marine Services, Crowley Maritime Corporation, Crowley Petroleum Services, Crowley Puerto Rico Services, Crowley Technical Management, E.N. Bisso and Son., Farrell Lines, American Overseas CSA President Joseph Cox credits mariners and shore-side support personnel for promoting safety. (Photo courtesy of Barry Champagne Photography) Marine, Higman Barge Lines, Horizon Lines, Interocean American Shipping, Keystone Shipping, Maersk Line, Limited, Marine Transport Lines, Moran Towing, Ocean Shipholdings, and OSG Ship Management. Also earning safety awards were Sea Star Line, Seabulk Tankers, Seabulk Towing, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, USS Vessel Management, and the U.S. Maritime Administration. Each received an honor known as the Jones F. Devlin Award. CSA Citations of Merit were presented to the SIU-crewed Horizon Producer (Horizon Lines) and the Overseas Maremar (OSG), while a letter of commendation went to the Seafarers-crewed Cape May (Ocean Shipholdings). Penn Maritime Contract Approved Volume 73, Number 7 July 2011 The SIU online: www.seafarers.org The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District/NMU, AFLCIO; 5201 Auth Way; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 899-0675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland 20790-9998. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Managing Editor/Production, Jim Guthrie; Assistant Editor, Paddy Lehane; Photographer, Mike Hickey; Administrative Support, Misty Dobry. Copyright © 2011 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWD. All Rights Reserved. The Seafarers International Union engaged an environmentally friendly printer for the production of this newspaper. Reversed to White Reversed to White 2 Seafarers LOG Seafarers recently approved a new contract with Penn Maritime by a large margin. The contract, which is valid until 2015, maintains benefits for the mariners, boosts wages and features other gains. More than 100 SIU members are covered by the new agreement. “I’m pleased with the negotiations and am very happy to have been a part of them,” said SIU Vice President Atlantic Coast Joseph Soresi, who led the SIU negotiating committee. “Everyone involved was cordial and worked very hard for a mutually beneficial contract. I believe that’s what we came up with.” The contract maintains Core Plus health benefits, which is the premiere health care plan available through the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan. The agreement also guarantees pay raises over the next four years, as well as an increase in longevity pay for longtime employees. The pact also stipulates an increase in food and gear allowances, and calls for the addition of step-children to death-in-the-family considerations. In addition to Soresi, other members of the SIU delegation included Brooklyn hall Patrolman Mark von Siegel, Engineer Jeff Ryzda, Mate John Harvard, and AB Teddy Crockett. On the company side, Penn Maritime was represented by Jim Sweeney and Tom Elkowitz. With the economic troubles facing the nation, and particularly working people, some entered the negoti- ations with a glass-half-empty mentality. However, due to strong leadership from the SIU and the consistently excellent work provided by the SIU members aboard Penn’s vessels, the negotiations resulted in welcome progress. “I’ve been in the union for 31 years and this is the ninth contract I’ve negotiated,” said Crockett. “This one was different and it’s all due to the economy. This is an important contract. We were prepared for anything, but we ended up with some big gains.” Crockett chocks up the beneficial contract to the hard work of the union’s officials, including Soresi and President Michael Sacco, as well as the support and hard work from others involved with the negotiations. The gains that the committee secured on behalf of their fellow mariners have the future looking a bit brighter for Crockett and other Penn Maritime workers. “I feel good about the future,” said Crockett. “We’re in a bit of a quandary now, with the economy and the wars and all. Fortunately, we’ve got a great union. We’re faring a lot better than most these days. Everybody’s making some sacrifices, but we’ve got outstanding leadership. I can’t stress that enough.” Penn Maritime operates 16 tugs and 18 doublehulled heated ocean tank barges. The company is the largest coastal transporter of heated asphalt products. July 2011 �65262_Seafarers_X:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 9:35 PM Page 3 Congressmen Express Strong Support for Jones Act Hearing Examines Ways to Create more Jobs in U.S. Maritime Industry Members of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation recently described the Jones Act – one of America’s most important maritime laws – as critical to the national, economic and homeland security needs of the United States. SIU Executive Vice President Augie Tellez testified at the subcommittee’s June 14 hearing, most of which focused on America’s maritime transportation system (MTS) and its capacity to create jobs, facilitate commerce and help the U.S. maintain and increase its exports. In addition to the MTS, panelists and members of the subcommittee discussed other issues that directly involve the maritime industry, including several programs that have come under attack in recent months. Chairman Frank LoBiondo (RN.J.), after pointing out that the Jones Act requires that cargo moving between domestic ports be carried aboard ships that are crewed, flagged, owned and built American, stated the law is “something I strongly support. I hear rumors from time to time about ideas or suggestions that can be advanced, either legislatively or otherwise, that would dramatically change or weaken the Jones Act. I can assure you that as chair of this committee, I’ll do everything in my power not to allow that to happen. “As we focus our efforts on ways to maximize the (maritime transportation) system’s potential, it is imperative that the policies we develop promote the transportation of goods on American ships, built in American shipyards, and operated by American mariners,” LoBiondo continued. In addition to the effects that the Jones Act and other pro-maritime legislation have on the national economy, certain state-level economies would be in dire straits without the protections afforded to American workers and companies. “I just want to note, for the record, that in Hawaii, Jones Act activities provide 23,000 jobs, just in Hawaii, and approximately $1.1 billion in wages and benefits to Hawaii’s economy,” said U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the subcommittee. “I’m a strong supporter of that act.” U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack (RMinn.) said that as a retired Navy captain, “I understand the importance of a maritime industry and how important it is to have a U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed vessel ensuring that when we do have to go over the horizon we have the proper assets to do it; with the proper people that have been trained in a way that we need to make sure they’ll be able to carry the flag when rubber starts hitting the road. So I highly support U.S.-flag vessels and U.S. Jones Act, as well.” Panelist Mike Roberts, who is a senior vice president of SIU-contracted Crowley, thanked the committee for its support of the Jones Act and mentioned its paramount importance to his company. “This fundamental maritime law provides important national security, homeland security and economic security benefits to our nation,” Roberts stated. “This subcommittee’s support for the Jones Act is greatly appreciated.” In addition to Tellez and Roberts, others testifying before the subcommittee were Maritime Administrator David Matsuda, Chamber of Shipping of America President and CEO Joseph Cox, and John Mohr, executive director of the Port of Everett, Wash. Each of the men on the panel gave brief summaries of their submitted remarks and answered questions by members of Congress on the maritime industry and the important role it plays in our economic and national security. The MTS is made up of 25,000 miles of channels, the Great Lakes, and over 3,700 terminals around the country. In addition, the MTS includes nearly 175,000 miles of railways, more than 45,000 miles of interstate highways, and over 1,400 intermodal connections. Due to its reach, the MTS is a key aspect of the nation’s economy. “The commerce which moves on the MTS fuels the economy,” said Rep. LoBiondo. “Approximately 99 percent of the volume of overseas trade enters or leaves the country by water. The movement of cargo and associated activities add more than $649 billion annually to U.S. gross domestic product, sustains more than 13 million jobs and contributes over $212 billion in annual federal state local taxes. Domestic shipping alone is responsible for 500,000 American jobs and $100 billion in annual economic output.” U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (DWash.), ranking member of the subcommittee, looked to the future to provide solid justification for fully funding the MTS today. Larsen’s district, which encompasses some of the most important ports on the West Coast, has an understandable interest in ensuring that the MTS and other programs are fully funded and defended by lawmakers. “The overarching reality is that our economic future and the MTS are closely intertwined,” said Larsen. “To think that our economy can fully recover and grow if we fail to invest in this critical infrastructure is both unrealistic and shortsighted. We must summon the will to invest in the system or we risk choking off the very conduit that makes our economy hum, that drives job creation, and that ensures the U.S. market remains preeminent in global trade.” Matsuda emphasized the economic importance of the MTS and touted its proven job-producing capabilities. “The MTS accommodates 78 percent of U.S. exports and imports by weight and 48 percent by value,” Matsuda told the subcommittee. “In addition to supporting the needs of Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R.-N.J.) Augie Tellez SIU Exec. VP Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) U.S. exporters and industry, it is an important source of employment in its own right. The MTS supports millions of American jobs, facilitates trade, and moves people and goods in a safe, cost-effective, and energy-efficient manner.” While there have been calls both within and outside of the industry for more laws that will enable the U.S. Merchant Marine to continue to thrive, there are several long-standing laws that need sustained implementation. Tellez encouraged the committee members to continue enforcing laws that are already on the books, including the Jones Act, cargo preference laws and the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP). Enforcing existing enacted laws would strengthen the industry and would subsequently strengthen the economy as a whole. “We must ensure that our U.S.flag merchant fleet remains strong and viable in the international and domestic trades,” said Tellez. “It is only by defending our existing programs, reducing the regulatory burden on our operators, ensuring the tax system is fair and competitive internationally, seeking opportunities to expand the industry both internationally and domestically and maintaining the key gov- ernment programs that keep the fleet afloat that we will be able to create jobs and increase U.S. exports.” Tellez pointed out that it would stimulate the national economy if more U.S.-produced cargo were shipped on American-flagged, American-crewed vessels. “The U.S. Merchant Marine is effective in that our reliability and performance are second-to-none, particularly when it comes to productivity and safety,” Tellez said. “For too long, we have allowed foreign competitors to undercut the American-flag fleet and our ship operators. This foreign competition is often supported by generous tax regimes, little or no-cost health care, and tax exempt wages for foreign seafarers by a number of foreign governments that make the international playing field far from even.” Another issue that was raised was cargo preference and food aid, both of which are of great importance to maritime industry workers. With budget cuts involving food aid and other cargo financed through the Export-Import Bank, Tellez made it clear to members of the committee that cutting funds for those programs would have disastrous effects on U.S. Merchant Mariners. “When it’s all said and done, the various maritime industry programs are fine, but we must not overlook one other imperative point,” said Tellez. “Namely, our industry’s lifeblood is cargo. Cargo cures practically every ill. That’s what keeps us afloat.” While the present laws have beneficial effects on the U.S. economy and its worker pool, Tellez and others believe that the future is dependent on a stronger Americanflag fleet. “Maritime labor believes that we as a nation have to think and plan long-term, and such planning absolutely must include maintaining a strong American-flag fleet and a reliable pool of U.S. shipboard manpower,” said Tellez. “Ideally, we’ll reach a point where shippers look first for ways to use the U.S. vessels, rather than having to be convinced.” Tellez concluded, “I respectfully urge continued support of the Maritime Security Program, the Jones Act and cargo preference laws, and I further ask that any and all reasonable steps be taken in order to further encourage the maintenance and growth of the American-flag fleet and the U.S. Merchant Marine.” Seafarers-Crewed Hospital Ship Comfort Continues Humanitarian Mission The union-crewed hospital ship USNS Comfort is shown anchored off San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, on June 17. Manned in the unlicensed slots by members of the SIU Government Services Division, the Comfort at press time was on its fifth country stop during Continuing Promise 2011, a five-month humanitarian assistance mission to the Caribbean, Central and South America that began in April. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kim Williams) July 2011 Seafarers LOG 3 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:19 AM Page 4 Mariners Approve New NOAA Contract SIU Members Ratify 5-Year Agreement Covering 19 Ships Following negotiations and related meetings spanning nearly two years, members of the SIU Government Services Division overwhelmingly have approved a new five-year contract covering the 19 vessels in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fleet. “It has been a long and time-consuming effort and we are extremely grateful for the patience of the membership and the dedication of the negotiation committee members as we worked through the bargaining process,” stated SIU Vice President Government Services Kermett Mangram. He added that the old contract had not been modified for many years. Negotiations for an updated agreement started in June 2009. “We are confident this new agreement will provide both labor and management with clear guidance and understanding of existing work rules and detail new terms and conditions between the parties,” Mangram said. Among those playing key roles for the union during negotiations and throughout the ratification process were members Tom Sherman, Margret Collins, Herbert Hazwell, Tonya Watson and Dave Fare and officials Mangram, Representative Kate Hunt and SIU Tacoma Port Agent Joe Vincenzo. Hunt on the East Coast and Vincenzo on the West Coast visited each of the 16 active NOAA ships throughout March; they explained key elements of the new pact and oversaw the voting procedure. The pact officially was executed by the union and NOAA on SIU VP Government Services Kermett Mangram (left) and Capt. (Rear Adm. select) Michael Devany, NOAA director of Marine Operations, chat following the contract signing. Squadron One Commander Praises Merchant Mariners The new commander of the U.S. Military Sealift Command’s Prepositioning Ship Squadron One recently commended the efforts of Seafarers and others associated with the squadron, which consists of four SIU-contracted ships. “The merchant mariners in Bobo, Obregon, Wheat and Sisler, along with the staff, are proud Americans who bring impressive capability to distant shores. They are a winning team, and I am honored to join them,” stated Navy Capt. Ricks W. Polk. Polk relieved Navy Capt. Michael F. Ott June 16 in a ceremony aboard squadron flagship USNS 2ND LT John P. Bobo. The ceremony took place while the Seafarerscrewed Bobo was underway in the Baltic Sea near the coast of Estonia. MPS Squadron One is a forward-deployed group of four government-owned ships: the Bobo (operated by AMSEA), the USNS PFC Eugene A. Obregon (Waterman), the USNS LCPL Roy M. Wheat (Keystone) and the USNS Sisler (Ocean Shipholdings).The squadron strategically prepositions cargo and supplies at sea in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and Baltic seas, enabling rapid delivery to shore where needed, according to MSC. The commander of MPS Squadron One has tactical command and control of all four ships in the squadron and is embarked aboard the Bobo. In addition to the civilian mariners serving aboard the vessels, the squadron staff has approximately a dozen military personnel. Polk, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., was commissioned through the limited duty officer program in 1986. He most recently served as commander, Afloat Training Group Middle Pacific. His previous duty stations afloat include battleship USS New Jersey, frigate USS Jarrett and on the staff of commander, Destroyer Squadron 21. After attending the Air Command and Staff College and the Armed Forces Staff 4 Seafarers LOG The new agreement covers 19 vessels including the Bell Shimada (above). May 5. (Two other NOAA ships have been acquired by the agency but haven’t started sailing, while another is laid up.) Vincenzo pointed out that during the ratification process, 20 additional mariners joined the union – a move he described as “a testament both to their understanding of the value of unionism and the collective bargaining process within the public sector and to their desire to form and do the work of ships’ committees.” He and Hunt both noted that the union relied heavily on private-sector maritime standards contained in the SIU’s Standard Freightship Agreement in drafting the provisions of the new NOAA contract. In addition, the union incorporated many of the ideas and proposals submitted by the crews sailing aboard NOAA vessels. “What the members will discover is not a radically new document, but instead an agreement which provides clearer language and addresses the true nature of the work performed by the NOAA membership,” said Hunt. (She added that because these crews are federal employees, wages and benefits weren’t covered in the negotiations. The mariners enjoy the same wages and benefits as other government workers.) Contract highlights include strengthened standards and jurisdiction language that protects mariners’ positions on the NOAA vessels; clarification on temporary promotions; enhanced training opportunities, including the utilization of the Seafarers-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education; and a simplified grievance and arbitration process. The new agreement also preserves all areas of work recognized in the standard contract as penalty work; adds new language, based on suggestions from members, providing payment when performing stand-by diving duties; boosts safety standards; eliminates outdated work-clothing language and provides reimbursement for safety shoes; and includes a new “special watch” schedule recognizing the true operating nature of many NOAA vessels, especially the fishery ships. Another notable change concerns deck department rules for watchstanders. The union has agreed that an AB assigned to the bridge may be sent below to perform mission-related duties as long as they are paid at the deck utility (DU) rate. If the AB is only receiving the AB(W) rate and is sent below to work, they would continue to receive penalty pay. In accordance with current Coast Guard regulations, the union also agreed that an OS can be assigned as helmsman or lookout, as long as they are fully trained and certified. “We appreciate the efforts of all who participated in this very important project, including the management members of the NOAA negotiating team,” Hunt stated. “They demonstrated great resolve and patience throughout our talks and we appreciate the joint efforts in took to achieve this agreement.” College, Polk assumed command of mine countermeasures ship USS Warrior. He also commanded frigate USS Ingraham. Ashore, Polk has served at Atlantic Undersea Test Evaluation Center Andros Island, Bahamas, and as director of training, executive officer and commanding officer at the Mine Warfare Training Center, Ingleside, Texas. He has also served at the U.S. Naval Academy. Ott’s next assignment is commander of Assault Craft Unit Four in Little Creek, Va. Mariners from the SIU-crewed USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (pictured last year in Souda Bay, Crete) were among those credited by the new commander of MSC Prepositioning Ship Squadron One. (U.S. Navy photo By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class John Martinez) July 2011 �65262_Seafarers_X4:JUNE 2011 6/28/2011 5:47 PM Page 5 State Dept. Group Examines Maritime Security A collaborative group representing various segments of the maritime industry met June 15 at the U.S. State Department to discuss security concerns facing the commercial and military sectors worldwide. Representatives of the SIU and the Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO were among the 100-plus audience members. Sponsors of the day-long event included SIUcontracted companies Maersk Line, Limited (MLL); American Roll-On/Roll-Off Carrier (ARC); and APL Shipping. The group itself is named the Overseas Security Advisory Council’s (OSAC) Maritime Security Work Group, self-described as a partnership among the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, OSAC and the U.S. private sector “formed to promote safety and security for American entities with business activities operating in the maritime sector.” More than 5,500 organizations are “constituents” of the parent group, OSAC, including businesses, universities, faith-based groups and others. Among the featured speakers at the midJune gathering were Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek, deputy commander of the U.S. Transportation Command; Rear Adm. Kevin Cook, U.S. Coast Guard director, prevention policy; Ed Hanley, MLL vice president of labor relations; Patrick Callahan, MLL director of health, safety, security, environment and quality; Fred Finger, ARC vice president and general manager of operations; and Charles Dragonette of the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Intelligence. The meeting featured seven individual presentations, a panel discussion and numerous questions from the audience. Piracy proved prominent in many of the talks, but other issues were addressed including port security, container scanning, programs that are vital to the American-flag fleet, social unrest overseas, ter- rorism, and regulatory and procedural issues that apply to threat response. Harnitchek provided an overview of TRANSCOM and cited the “very strong partnership we have with the (U.S.) commercial industry.” He emphasized the fiscal advantages of relying on the commercial sector for sealift and other support, noting “it would cost our government a fortune” to maintain equivalent assets, including shipboard personnel. Harnitchek said he is concerned that reductions in U.S. preference cargo may lead to a dangerous decrease in U.S.-flag tonnage available to support our armed forces. He said government money spent helping maintain U.S. ships “is money well-spent.” He added that in TRANSCOM’s dealings with the private sector, “There is a colossal bond of trust that goes beyond the contract.” Callahan stated that while U.S. and other vessels have improved their respective antipiracy measures, “the root cause is not being addressed.” He said that among many other preventive steps, Maersk has conducted antipiracy exercises with the military, but while those drills have been beneficial there is no apparent long-term solution to the attacks. During the panel discussion, Bobbie Neal, State Department counter-piracy and maritime security officer, described piracy as “becoming more organized and more violent.” Cook pointed out that the U.S. has anywhere from four to seven U.S. ships in the high-risk areas in and near the Indian Ocean, but “combatting piracy is a shared responsibility. We need international participation, and assistance needs to become more compulsory.” He added that U.S.-flag shipowners and operators have done a good job providing feedback and assistance in fighting against piracy. Finger said ARC believes that “arming vessels is the way to go, but it must be done properly and with safeguards.” He said that from a Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek, deputy commander of TRANSCOM, says “there is a colossal bond of trust that goes beyond the contract” in the agency’s dealings with the commercial U.S. maritime industry. safety standpoint, he worries more about certain port calls than pirate attacks, pointing to a recent stop by an American-flag ship in Karachi, Pakistan, the week Osama bin Laden was killed, as an example. That stop proved uneventful but tense. Hanley said he sees a need for bilateral agreements protecting owners, carriers and See Group, Page 9 Vatican Urges Prompt Response Experts Release New Report To Problems Created by Piracy On ‘Human Cost’ of Piracy The Vatican, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and its leader Pope Benedict XVI, has not shied away from taking positions on issues dealing with the rights and safety of workers. In late May, the Church continued that trend by bringing much-needed publicity to the dangers facing mariners around the world. The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants, the Vatican council responsible for carrying out the Pope’s programs dealing with seafarers and others who spend their lives on the move, released a memo calling on the world to pay attention to the threat of piracy. “Recent reports in the media, about the plight of seafarers seized by pirates, have placed the tragic reality of piracy into the spotlight once more,” said the memo. The Apostleship of the Sea, a Pontifical council that deals with maritime issues, noted in a recent meeting that piracy has spiraled out of control and attacks reached an unprecedented peak last year. The council also pointed out that attacks this year show no signs of decreasing in intensity or violence. The Vatican pointed out that while most of the attacks take place in a particular region, the problems created by piracy are shared by the global community. “Even though the majority of attacks were recorded off the coast of Somalia, as a matter of fact, piracy remains a worldwide challenge that requires a global response, as the illusion of easy and immediate money has also attracted the interest of international criminal organizations,” according to the memo. And while much attention has been put on the effect on commerce, the Vatican continued, a smaller amount of attention has been given to the men and women who sail the dangerous seas. “The maritime world has responded by adopting several measures to protect vessels and their cargoes,” said the Vatican. “Unfortunately, little attention is given to the seafarers and particularly to their families during and especially after the hijacking, leaving to the shipping company the responsibility to care for the people involved, according to the July 2011 situations and their nationalities.” In response, the council issued an appeal to various communities in an effort to remember and attempt to alleviate the suffering of hijacked seafarers and their families in times of crisis. The organization’s message in part reads as follows: To the Governments and international organizations, to promptly activate the appropriate channels to safely bring homes the sequestered seafarers and to find solutions to this problem, given that it is necessary to intervene on the real causes of the phenomenon, such as unfairness in the distribution of goods between countries and the exploitation of natural resources. To the ship owners, to adopt preventive measures to ensure the safety not only of the vessels and their cargoes, but also of the seafarers. In the tragic case of a hijacking, to assume an attitude of attention and support for the families of seized people and offer immediate assistance in order to reduce the longterm traumatic effects. To all the hijacked seafarers, not to lose the hope that they will be soon reunited with their loved ones and to remain strong in their faith. To them the Apostleship of the Sea would like to express its complete solidarity. To the families of the hijacked seafarers, not to hesitate to contact the Stella Maris Centers for assistance and support. In these tragic circumstances, these Centers more than ever can be a safe port and a beacon of hope. The seafarers should know that the chaplains and volunteers of the Apostleship of the Sea are at their side to face these long days and months of uncertainty and fear. To the pirates, to cease their criminal activities and recognize the deep pain they are causing to seafarers (and their families) and to treat them with respect and humanity. The Apostleship of the Sea concluded by reiterating its willingness and desire to cooperate with the parties involved to provide whatever support is needed, whether psychological or spiritual, to affected seafarers and their families. Year 2010 Goes Down As One of Most Violent Periods on Record A study sponsored by the Oceans Beyond Piracy Project, a group composed of experts in the maritime field, has brought more attention to the rising incidences of violence against seafarers from around the globe. The report, titled “The Human Cost of Somali Piracy,” was released June 6 at Chatham House in London. The Oceans Beyond Piracy Project revealed many disturbing statistics about piracy in 2010, which is known as one of the most violent on record. During the course of 2010, for example, 4,185 seafarers were attacked with firearms and/or rocket propelled grenades (RPGs); 342 were forced to stave off attacks in reinforced citadels on board. More than 1,000 seafarers were taken hostage by pirates in 2010 alone. Some were used by the pirates as human shields to avoid capture by navies and law enforcement. With these numerous affronts to the security of men and women just trying to do their jobs, the study expresses alarm about the lack of public awareness and concern for the fate of the world’s mariners. The study notes, “The economic cost of piracy is now wellknown, but it makes clear that the extent of the human cost is much less well-known and understood. Thousands of seafarers have been subjected to gunfire, beatings, extended periods of confinement and, in some cases, torture in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden at the hands of their captors.” This lack of public knowledge can be attributed to several factors, including, at times, an absence of reporting in the media and the subsequent undervaluing of the situation’s severity by most people outside of the maritime community. “There is very little reporting of the personal violence against seafarers in the waters off Somalia,” said Kaija Hurlburt, the lead researcher for the study. “We have found strong evidence that over a third of the seafarers that were held in 2010 were abused, and the trend is looking more ominous this year. The lack of reporting prevents the true cost from being understood by the public.” The potentially catastrophic economic implications of continued Somali piracy are well-documented, according to Oceans Beyond Piracy. It’s clear that ransoms, route changes, security teams, and other defensive measures come at a significant price, not only to the ship operators, but to the global economy as well, the organization points out. Some studies estimate that more than 40 percent of the world’s oil travels through pirate-infested waters. The danger to the men and women who sail the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, and other waters where Somali pirates wreak havoc, on the other hand, is comparably unknown. The study serves as a bleak reminder that more than just goods are at stake; the lives of thousands of seafarers are hanging in the balance. As one shipping company executive put it, “Somali piracy has a tendency to be discussed in economic terms, but the real issue is the untold misery and trauma imposed on our colleagues at sea and their relatives by the Somali criminals. We should be very concerned about the lack of concerted action by the global community in dealing forcefully with this problem.” Anyone interested in reading the latest report for themselves my obtain a copy in PDF format by goig on-line and visiting www.oceansbeyondpiracy.org Seafarers LOG 5 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:19 AM Page 6 On hand to help mark the occasion were (from left) AMO Secretary-Treasurer José Leonard (who oversaw the construction project), SIU President Michael Sacco, U.S. Maritime Administrator David Matsuda, U.S. Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), MSC Commander Rear Adm. Mark Buzby, AMO National President Tom Bethel, Dania Beach City Commissioner Walter Duke, Seventh District Coast Guard Commander Rear Adm. William Baumgartner and AMO Plans Co-Chairman Anthony Naccarato. The new building is shown directly above. AMO Celebrates New Headquarters Building The Seafarers-affiliated American Maritime Officers (AMO) on June 7 dedicated the union’s new headquarters building in Dania Beach, Fla., with a ceremony featuring military, government, labor and business leaders. Guest speakers included SIU President Michael Sacco; Rear Adm. Mark Buzby, commander, U.S. Military Sealift Command; U.S. Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.); U.S. Maritime Administrator David Matsuda; Seventh Coast Guard District Commander Rear Adm. William Baumgartner; President of AMO Service and Co-Chairman of AMO Plans Anthony Naccarato; and Dania Beach City Commissioner Walter Duke. Sacco recalled an era many years ago when both the SIU and the AMO had headquarters and training facilities in Brooklyn, N.Y. He then stated that when he looks at the new facility in Dania Beach, “I see a tribute to (AMO National President) Tom Bethel’s leadership, and a gorgeous reflection of AMO’s progress and success. This development is going to benefit rank-and-file AMO members for many, many years to come. “Certainly, the whole executive board deserves credit, too,” he added. “You pulled together and worked together, and look what you’ve been able to accomplish.” The SIU president also touched on the outstanding working relationship the Seafarers and AMO have enjoyed for many years. “The relationship remains great to this day, and I’m proud to point out that AMO has been affiliated with the Seafarers International Union of North America for the last seven years,” Sacco stated. Bethel thanked the AMO membership “for guiding our union to this long-overdue milestone. I dedicate this extraordinary building to these extraordinary seagoing men and women.” (The facility’s construction was approved by members in union-wide balloting.) Reporting on the ceremony, AMO described the new, state-of-the-art build- ing as its first true headquarters. It will house several departments including dispatch, member services, accounting and editorial along with union administration. Previously, the union operated from three (and occasionally four) separate locations in Dania Beach. “This building is a much more accurate reflection of what American Maritime Officers is as a professional organization of singular stature,” Bethel added. “Ours is the nation’s largest and strongest union of merchant marine officers, and this building is a far more fitting symbol of the excellence identified so closely and so commonly with American Maritime Officers.” Mariners Honored Across U.S. Seafarers and SIU officials recently took part in several National Maritime Day ceremonies, beginning with the annual events hosted in Washington, D.C., on May 19. Those ceremonies were covered in the June edition of the LOG; pictured here are some of the other participants at memorials in (respectively) Virginia, Texas and California. NORFOLK, VA. – A number of Seafarers joined hundreds of fellow CALISTOGA, CALIF. – SIU Asst. VP Government Services Chet Wheeler (left in photo above, with U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif.) was a guest speaker at a Memorial Day remembrance that included tributes to the U.S. Merchant Marine. Seafarers are highlighted by one of the monuments (photo at immediate right) at Logvy Park, where the event took place May 30. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – The Liberty ship SS Jeremiah O’Brien hosted its traditional memori- al on Maritime Day itself, May 22. SIU VP West Coast Nick Marrone (left in photo above, with MFOW VP Bill O’Brien) helped honor those mariners who made the ultimate sacrifice. Some 1,235 SIU members gave their lives in World War II, a conflict that often is the focal point of National Maritime Day ceremonies. 6 Seafarers LOG attendees May 20 as MSC Commander Rear Adm. Mark Buzby delivered the keynote address. Several SIU members were featured in a video presentation titled “It’s More than a Job: Every Voyage has a Purpose,” in which they shared their experiences and views about the merchant marine’s value to U.S. national and economic security. Pictured from left to right are (back row) Recertified Steward Army Joe Leake, SIU Hawsepiper/3rd Asst. Engineer Brad Neathery, SIU Port Agent Georg Kenny and his wife, Maureen Kenny (former SIU chief cook). Brad’s children, Alyssa and Michael, are in front. Army Joe and Brad were featured in the video, as were Seafarers AB David Freeman, Recertified Bosun Robert Lindsay and Steward/Baker Angela Robinson. GALVESTON, TEXAS – With the SIU-crewed tug Lexie M (G&H Towing) in the background at Pier 22, SIU VP Gulf Coast Dean Corgey and others delivered remarks. Among those on hand May 20 were SIU Port Agent Mike Russo (second from right), AMO National Executive Board member Dave Weathers (right) and MEBA Houston Branch Agent Dana Woodruff (third from right). July 2011 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:19 AM Page 7 CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR MARITIME – SIU Exec. VP Augie Tellez (left) in late May attended a reception for U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) (center) in Washington, D.C. The gathering was hosted by the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association; MEBA Chief of Staff Bill Doyle is at right. Rep. King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, expressed his ongoing support for maritime labor, the Jones Act and the U.S. Maritime Security Program. REMEMBERING BROTHER ESCOTO – Mariners aboard the Sealand Meteor on June 5 conducted a memorial service for retiree Antonio Escoto, who passed away in late April at age 73. The former engine department member’s ashes were scattered at sea in position 49-50N/014-02W, noted Capt. Peter J. Parise, the vessel’s master. Some of the attendees are pictured above. The service included prayers and a reading of Psalm 23 by the captain. Recertified Bosun Stephen Kastel and Electrician Christopher Earhart represented the SIU during the remembrance. At Sea & Ashore With the SIU HONORING MARINERS’ SERVICE – A new veterans’ memor- ial has been built in Cedar Park, Texas (photos at left and directly above), which specifically honors members of the U.S. Merchant Marine, as well as members of the armed forces, for their service and dedication to the nation during times of war. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Memorial Day 2011. The completed project, including a large monument, is expected to be revealed and dedicated in a ceremony this November. More information is available at the web site www.cpvetmemorial.org. SOLIDARITY IN D.C. – Seafarers participated in a rally June 7 in Washington, D.C., backing National Nurses United (photos above and below). Prior to the demonstration, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told the nurses, “Together, we’re going to build up our working families and return America to prosperity the only way it’s ever been done–by working people standing shoulder-to-shoulder and fighting for what’s right, and we won’t be quiet until we win!” More than 1,000 union members and other supporters participated in the rally. The NNU is proposing a “Main Street Contract for the American People” which the union describes as “a program for rebuilding American communities with jobs, health care, education, and other urgent needs, funded through a fair tax policy targeted at those on Wall Street who created the economic crisis.” July 2011 PRESENTATIONS IN OAKLAND – Patrolman Nick Marrone II recently presented SA Mahr Mused (right in photo above) with his full-seniority B-book at the union hall in Oakland, Calif. Mused’s most recent vessel was the USNS 1st LT Jack Lummus. In the other photo, Marrone greets AB Joseph Barnes, who received his A-book last year. FULL BOOK IN HOUSTON – Port Agent Mike Russo (right) congratulates AB Joe Zavala, who recently received his full union book at the union hall in Houston. Seafarers LOG 7 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:19 AM Page 8 New Stamps Honor U.S. Merchant Mariners Creations Highlight Four Vessels That Helped Mark Mariner History The U.S. Postal Service will salute the U.S. Merchant Marine (USMM) July 28 by issuing a set of four forever stamps during a dedication ceremony at the United Sates Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. The dedication will take place at 11:30 a.m., at the academy campus’ Ackerman Auditorium, which is located at 300 Steamboat Rd. The event will be free and open to the public. Designed to honor the USMM throughout its rich history, the four stamps will feature four vessel types which historically have been used by merchant mariners in the service of their country: ■ A clipper ship modeled after the Sovereign of the Seas, launched in 1852; ■ An auxiliary steamship, based on the ships of the Collins Line; ■ A World War II Liberty Ship; and ■ A container ship, based on Seafarerscontracted Matson Line’s R.J. Pfeiffer. Illustrator Dennis Lyall of Norwalk, Conn., created the stamps under the art direction of Phil Jordan of Falls Church, Va. The following history on the four vessel types depicted on the stamps was provided by the U.S. Postal Service. Clipper Ships The clipper ship, noted maritime historian Benjamin Labaree, was “a unique American contribution to the glory of seafaring.” Hundreds of “Yankee” clippers, noted for their streamlined shape and majestic cloud of square-rigged sails, were built from the 1840s through the 1850s. Their heyday arrived with the California Gold Rush of 1849, which hastened the need for faster sailing ships to take prospectors and supplies out West. In 1851, the fastest of the clipper ships, the Flying Cloud, sailed the 13,000-plus miles from New York around Cape Horn to San Francisco in a record 89 days. Clippers also boosted the trade in tea, bringing it fresh from China to England and America. Clipper ships eventually lost their dominance to the more dependable steamship, which had greater cargo capacity and could sail on regular schedules. But during the time they “flashed their splendor around the world,” as Samuel Eliot Morison has written, clippers embodied the poetry of the seas. Auxiliary Steamships In the mid-nineteenth century, steampowered ships competed with clipper and other sailing ships for transatlantic mail and passenger service. In America the most magnificent of these were the four large wooden-hulled, sidewheel steamships—the Atlantic, Baltic, Pacific, and Arctic—that were built by New York entrepreneur Edward K. Collins in the 1840s. Like many steamships of the time, they included back-up or auxiliary sailing rigs to supplement their powerful engines. The elegant, 280-foot ships of the “Collins Line”—the ocean liners of their day—were notable for both speed and cargo-carrying capacity. They provided service between New York and Liverpool in the 1850s and set numerous transatlantic speed records before rising costs helped bring an end to their business. Liberty Ships During World War I, the United States learned how to mass-produce merchant ships. But the nation remained without a settled policy for maintaining a modern merchant marine to meet its economic and defense needs until 1936, when legislation established the U.S. Maritime Commission and empowered the U.S. Merchant Marine to serve as a naval auxiliary unit. The Commission immediately began increasing the size of the country’s merchant fleet and shortly before America’s entry into World War II ordered the production of plain but sturdy cargo vessels called Liberty ships. Over the next four years, the United States produced more than 2,700 Liberty ships – “the most impressive single page in the history of the American shipbuilding industry,” according to historian Allan Nevins. Liberty ships served in all theaters of war and sustained the Allied forces with a steady supply of food and war materiel. These ships were manned by members of the U.S. Merchant Marine, including thousands of SIU members, whose sacrifices, though less heralded than those of U.S. Navy crewmen, were no less critical to the war effort. our local stores. “In 2006 alone,” according to a maritime history exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution, “about 18 million containers stuffed with cargoes of all sorts were sent on more than 200 million trips by sea, rail, and road to places around the world.” Container ships were pioneered in the 1950s by Malcolm McLean, a trucking operator from North Carolina. McLean’s idea was to eliminate multiple handling costs by standardizing the shape of a container so that it could be easily moved between different modes of transportation: truck, rail, and ship. Intermodal transportation took hold and created efficiencies that transformed the global economy. By the end of the twentieth century, container ships carried nearly all of the world’s manufactured goods and exemplified the modern merchant marine. Container Ships Without the container ship the global economy as we know it would be impossible. These ships, each loaded with thousands of containers measuring either 20 or 40 feet in length, carry virtually all the products and materials that end up in MFOW Official Salutes Work Of SIU Stewards Longtime Union Rep Sheehan Retires Distinguished Career Comes To End After Nearly 50 Years After 47 years of service to the SIU, its members, and the port of New York, Jack Sheehan announced his retirement this June. Sheehan served the SIU in various capacities over nearly five decades, most recently as patrolman for the Brooklyn hall. “I have known Jack all my working career and I’ve never met a more dedicated individual to this membership,” said SIU Vice President Atlantic Coast Joseph Soresi. “I wish him the best in his future endeavors.” Joining Sheehan (second from left) at the Brooklyn hall to celebrate his career are (from left) Seafarer John Natoli, VP Atlantic Coast Joseph Soresi and Seafarer Eddie Vasquez. 8 Seafarers LOG Sheehan was hired in 1964 as a claims supervisor in New York. In 1980, he transferred to the manpower office, also in the New York hall. Two years later, he served as a representative for the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan (then named the Seafarers Welfare Plan). He became a union representative in 1985. In 1991, Sheehan was called upon to serve as the SIU safety director in New York, a position he filled for nearly 17 years. During his many years of service, Sheehan has seen the industry evolve and has assisted multiple generations of Seafarers with their needs. Sheehan’s contributions and unwavering devotion to his union and its members has made a lasting impact on the union’s leadership and rank-and-file members alike. Port Agent Robert Selzer, himself an SIU member and employee for 47 years, spent most of his career working alongside Sheehan in the Brooklyn hall. “I worked with Jack Sheehan for the past 47 years,” said Selzer. “Not only was he my colleague, but he was a friend as well. Jack is a person of integrity and ability in his work.” Selzer, too, commends Sheehan for his devotion to the union and his hard work on behalf of the members. “I always notice and admired the fact that Jack truly cared about the members he represented,” Selzer continued. “I wish him a happy retirement.” SIU Government Services Division Representative Kate Hunt expressed similar sentiments. “Jack was a pleasure to work with every day,” Hunt said. “He’s a real gentleman and is very well-respected by the SIU membership. He will be greatly missed in the Port of New York. He’s a good Irishman and a great shipmate.” When asked to reflect on nearly five decades of working for the union, Sheehan remained true to his reputation as an SIU devotee through-and-through. “It was my pleasure to work at the SIU and with the membership,” said Sheehan. “Through the years I met some really great people. I will miss all of them.” Bill O’Brien, vice president of the Seafarers-affiliated Marine Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers Association (MFOW), recently saluted the work of SIU steward department personnel. In a late-May email to stewards aboard SIU Pacific District vessels, O’Brien wrote, “The Seafarer stewards and cooks are honest, hard-working, dedicated, well-trained and talented individuals. They work long hours under adverse conditions to prepare healthy and well-balanced and delicious meals. They strive to maintain a safe, clean and healthy environment for their shipmates, and they never complain.” He added, “Your efforts are vital to the success of every voyage on every ship. I believe that in my heart.” O’Brien was following up on a very brief, less flattering comment he’d written earlier this year as part of an annual report published in the MFOW newspaper. SIU Vice President West Coast Nick Marrone said, “I’m sure at one time or another, everyone has said or written something that simply didn’t come out as intended. In this case, Bill quickly and sincerely reached out to our steward department personnel to set the record straight, and I think he deserves credit for doing so.” July 2011 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:19 AM Page 9 Gathering at the union hall are (from left) AB Victor Kistanov, Paul Hall Center VP Don Nolan, AB Slavi Zahariev (back), SA Rossitza Zahariev, Exec. VP Augie Tellez, Steward/Baker Rocel Alvarez, Recertified Bosun Burkley Cooper, QMED Rudy Miller, AB Franklin Estupinan, OMU Rafael Comesana, President Michael Sacco, AB Eugenio Lopez and Port Agent Kris Hopkins. Pictured from left are (front row) SA Marvin Davis, OS Marques Johnson, Paul Hall Center VP Don Nolan, SIU President Michael Sacco, (back) Chief Cook Kenneth Kelly, OMU Charles Searfass, OS Richard Swirtz, Recertified Bosun Joe Caruso and AB William Yurick. HQ Officials, School VP Meet Seafarers in Florida SIU President Michael Sacco, Executive Vice President Augie Tellez and Paul Hall Center Vice President Don Nolan recently met with SIU members both at the union hall in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and aboard the new OSG tanker Overseas Tampa. The informal gatherings took place June 8, one day after the Seafarers-affiliated American Maritime Officers dedicated their new headquarters building in Dania Beach. Although the get-togethers were casual, the officials updated members on contract news, political efforts and shipbuilding issues. As previously reported, the Overseas Tampa was delivered in late April by Aker Philadelphia Shipyard. Thanks to Port Agent Kris Hopkins for providing the photos on this page Sharing a laugh in the crew mess are (from left) Recertified Bosun Joe Caruso, SIU President Michael Sacco and OS Richard Swirtz. The double-hulled tanker Overseas Tampa is one of the newest additions to the SIU-crewed fleet. Chief Cook Kenneth Kelly, President Sacco Seafarers Franklin Estupinan (left) and Rudy Miller (center) hear the latest union news from SIU President Michael Sacco. President Sacco, Recertified Steward George Monseur Pumpman Scott Fuller, President Sacco, Recertified Bosun Joe Caruso, VP Nolan Group Discusses Security Concerns Continued from Page 5 mariners “if crews have to defend themselves overseas. These are our brothers and sisters on board – American citizens.” He also suggested ramping up training in hostage survival techniques and called for “a clear order to disable pirate mother ships.” More than one speaker pointed out that no ship with an armed security team has been overtaken by pirates. Among the other speakers were representatives of the U.S. Maritime Administration; Carnival Corporation; the Coast Guard’s Global Maritime Operational Threat Response Coordination Center; the Government Accountability Office; Holland America; and the Office of Naval Research. July 2011 One of the meeting’s highlights was a panel discussion featuring Coast Guard Rear Adm. Kevin Cook, executives from SIU-contracted companies and others. Seafarers LOG 9 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:20 AM Page 10 Debunking Myths: Editor’s note: The following item is the final part of an article that ran in the June 2011 edition of the Seafarers LOG. Material contained in the piece was extracted from “In the Public Interest: Debunking the Myths about Government, Government Workers, and Unions,” a publication produced by the New York-based Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies and some of its affiliated agencies. MYTH # 3 Public sector unions are too powerful. Public sector unions are the problem. Through political contributions, these unions control federal, state, and local governments and set their agendas. Corrupt union bosses wield enormous power and force politicians to toe their line. Unions are bankrupting our government. REALITY ■ Workers join unions because they want a better life. Like everyone else, they want dignity, fair pay, benefits, and a voice in the workplace. Workers achieve these goals more effectively by joining together than by acting individually. ■ Union leaders are elected by their members. Some are great leaders, some are not. Some are strong and forceful, others not so much. And sometimes there is corruption in the labor movement. The Radical Right likes to characterize all union leaders as union “bosses,” but most are hard working people who make significant sacrifices and devote their lives to fighting for social justice. As long as elections are fair—and the overwhelming majority are—then union leaders are the democratically elected representatives of working people. ■ There is no evidence that unions are bankrupting government. For instance, in Texas, where unionization rates are low, the government is facing a catastrophic deficit. In New York, where unionization rates are high, the deficit is lower. ■ Texas has followed the Radical Right prescription for tax cuts, deregulation, and resistance to unions as a path to economic prosperity and a balanced budget—a strategy that has clearly failed. ■ Unions do make a difference. (LOG editor’s note: Government data consistently shows that union members earn more than unrepresented workers.) ■ Higher union wages are good for all workers. Unions keep wage levels up for everyone. When public sector unions succeed in defending decent wages and benefits for their members, they set a benchmark and help maintain wage and benefit standards for all workers. ■ Public sector unions do have a degree of political power—and that’s good. Union power leads to better jobs, higher wages, a safer workplace, a bigger middle class and a stronger economy. Unions’ political power comes directly from the members through their small, but pooled political contributions and through their direct involvement in the democratic and electoral process. It also comes from communities that rely on—and fight for—public services. ■ Collective bargaining in the public sector is good for workers and for government. Not only do workers win decent wages through collective bargaining, they win fair and consistent work rules and are protected from job discrimination and unsafe working conditions. Collective bargaining also insulates employees from politics and patronage, reducing government corruption. ■ When public sector unions fight to protect their members’ jobs, they are also fighting to protect our communities and vital public services. Unions are the first—and often last—line of defense for public education, health care, Medicare, public safety and other important social needs. ■ At the same time, public sector unions are not as strong as the Radical Right makes 10 Seafarers LOG them out to be; they have fewer bargaining rights than private sector workers. And most don’t have the right to strike. ■ Right wing and employer attacks on unions over the past 30 years have severely weakened unions-especially in the private sector. ■ Employment in state and local government has fallen by 4,000,000 since 2008. And, in the first year of the Obama Administration, government employment has declined by more than 300,000—that is, 300,000 fewer teachers, police officers, firefighters, school bus drivers, etc. Radical Right politicians want more public employee heads on the chopping block and they would like to eliminate public sector unions altogether. ■ It’s not that unions are too powerful; it’s that Corporate America is too powerful. Our nation’s economy is dominated by huge conglomerates with revenues larger than many countries. Yet these corporations exist solely to maximize the profits of the shareholders—and to concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few who run them. What’s more, most of the companies we consider to be “American” are really global enterprises. They move jobs around the world in search of the lowest wages, shift revenues offshore to avoid paying taxes, and care little about the lives and communities of U.S. workers. They squeeze out family businesses, distort our economic priorities, and wreak havoc on our economy with financial speculation. ■ These companies can shape public policy to serve their interests. With their enormous campaign contributions to candidates from both major parties and their extensive lobbying, they call the shots on most policy issues. ■ Big corporations also have a strangle hold on the major media. They shape how we view the world, what we crave (that is, buy), and who we blame for our social and economic ills. Ownership and control of the media is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few mega corporations that control most of the TV networks, cable channels, movie studios, newspapers, magazines, and publishing houses. ■ Workers and unions are up against powerful adversaries that have enormous resources (including the media) at their disposal. That’s why attacks on unions have been so effective. A BETTER PLAN Strengthen unions to raise the standards for all workers and provide a counterweight to the interests of corporations and the wealthy. A democratic society needs stronger—not weaker—unions. MYTH # 4 Public pensions are too generous. Pension plans are draining the public coffers and sending our federal, state, and municipal governments into a budgetary tailspin. Working people end up paying taxes to support retirement benefits they only wish the could have. Public employees are retiring in luxury. REALITY ■ Most public sector workers have modest incomes and modest pensions. On average, state and municipal workers earn less than $45,000 per year and when they retire receive a pension of approximately $19,000 per year. The average annual benefit for all public retirees (including federal employees) is $22,780. This hardly affords them a life of luxury. ■ Some reforms clearly need to be made – for example, closing loopholes that allow some workers to spike their final salaries in order to get higher retirement benefits. The Radical Right, however, is using extreme cases to generalize about all public sector workers and arguing for drastic cuts in workers’ pensions and in all areas of gov- Public Sector Union Workers Don’t Deserve ‘Negative Rep’ They Get ernment spending. These cuts would have a devastating impact on workers and communities. ■ Everyone should have enough to live on at the end of a long work life—whether through adequate Social Security benefits or through a pension. The American Dream promises a decent retirement for those who work hard and play by the rules. Pensions not only provide economic security for workers in their later years, they are engines of economic growth, curtail poverty, and help maintain the economic stability of seniors and the communities they live in. ■ Since many public workers are not covered by Social Security, government is not contributing 6.25 percent of their pay into the Social Security fund as private employers would. For these workers, their pension is the only source of retirement income. ■ Taxpayers only pay 14 percent of public workers’ retirement costs. Most pension money comes from worker’s own contributions to the plan and returns on investment. ■ Pension expenses amount to only 3.8 percent of all noncapital spending by state and local governments. ■ Public workers still rely mostly on pension plans (called “defined benefit plans”) that pool investments, are managed by professionals, and spread risks widely over many years. Most private sector plans have either been eliminated, diluted, or changed to 401(k) plans that require participants to make their own investment decisions and bear the risk of bad investments. These 401(k) plans put all the risk and more of the cost onto the backs of individual workers. And they carry fees that can decimate long term returns. Retirees can and do outlive their 401(k) assets. Only onein-five private sector workers are still covered by “defined benefit plans” –and only one-in–eight non-unionized workers have this kind of plan. ■ Now there’s a push to shift public sector pension plans to 401(k) s – or to eliminate them altogether. ■ Pension funds in both the private and public sectors often leave workers in poor financial straits. So does Social Security, with the average retiree receiving only $1,178 a month. ■ The Radical Right is whipping up resentment among private sector workers by exaggerating government workers’ wages and benefits and by encouraging what Wharton Economics Professor Olivia Mitchell calls “pension envy.” This campaign is fostering tensions between workers, between neighbors, and between parents and teachers. The end result is a “race to the bottom” that leaves all workers with little income security. ■ Until the 2008 crash, most public pensions were well funded. But the deep financial downturn of 2008 and 2009—spurred by Wall Street’s recklessness—caused significant losses for pension funds. ■ Most state and local governments have lost between 10 to 20 percent of their rev- enues during the past two or three years. Many of these governments missed payments they were required to make under their collective bargaining agreements (under these agreements, workers gave up part of their salary increases in exchange for promised pension contributions.) Rather than paying into the pension funds as they were supposed to, some of these governments used the money to give tax breaks to special interests. Now they are complaining about having to pay the pension money back and using budget deficits as an excuse to cut pensions permanently. ■ The Radical Right often exaggerates the problems facing public pension funds to build the case for eliminating them altogether. But most of these funds are not at imminent risk of default and have years to recover the value they lost during the recession. ■ Controversy over pension funds also diverts attention from the bonuses and golden parachutes given to the CEOs and Wall Street executives who caused the economic A BETTER PLAN meltdown and budget crisis in the first place. Improve pensions for all workers and restore defined benefit plans as the standard for pensions. Rather than cutting Social Security, improve it so that all retirees can have a decent standard of living. MYTH # 5 Government is too focused on the poor. The government provides services mainly for the poor, which is after all only a small percentage of all Americans. Our tax dollars are going to help everyone but ourselves. The poor are already getting more than they should. REALITY ■ Protecting the poor and poor communities is important—and most industrialized democracies do a better job of it than does the United States. They recognize that providing a safety net is not only the right thing to do, but ensures a stable civil society. Partly because we do so little to help people get back on their feet, poverty in America is both significant and persistent. ■ Only 15 cents of every federal tax dollar goes to helping low income families. Most of our tax dollars go to the military, Social Security, and Medicare (which is mostly for seniors). ■ Cuts in public services will disproportionally affect the most vulnerable—the poor, the elderly, the disabled. Women and people of color—who are more likely poor—are hit the hardest. ■ One way or another, we all depend on services we get from federal, state, and local government: public schools and colleges; Continued on next page July 2011 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:20 AM Page 11 Report Separates Facts From Fiction About Public Sector Union Workers Continued from Page 10 police and fire protection; mass transportation; roads, highways, and bridges; garbage collection; libraries and parks; health research; national defense and security—not to mention safe food, safe water, and safe buildings. ■ And when the bottom falls out for middle class families, government support provides a critical safety net. ■ At the same time, many of the services the middle class depends on are being defunded. Some services have been eliminated, others are being provided at increased costs. From 1980 to 2010, funding for higher education, for example, has declined as a proportion of the federal budget by 45 percent: it’s no wonder that college tuition has increased so dramatically. During that same period, funding for research and general education as a proportion of the federal budget decreased by 50 percent. ■ It’s not the poor who are getting too much attention from public officials; rather it’s the wealthy and corporate benefactors who finance their political campaigns who do best at the public trough. A BETTER PLAN Government should preserve equal opportunity for all. It should be a “great equalizer” that prevents extreme concentrations of wealth, power and privilege. MYTH #6 Government imposes too many regulations. The government interferes too much in the economy and is strangling private enterprise. Excessive governmental regulation inhibits competition, stifles innovation, impedes start-ups, and kills jobs. There are too many controls on industry and business. REALITY ■ Everyone wants to eliminate outdated or useless rules—and simplify overly complex ones. That’s precisely why the call to deregulate is so popular with the Radical Right and why they can easily score points by ridiculing one or two truly absurd regulations. But rallying people to support a major rollback of government regulations is dangerous. ■ Many industry regulations and regulatory agencies were created during the New Deal to prevent a repeat of the Great Depression. The Reagan administration set off a tidal wave of deregulation aimed at “reducing the role of government” and abolishing any rules that might “impede the market.” The tidal wave continued under both Republican and Democratic administrations, helped along by huge campaign contributions from corporations and the wealthy. ■ One industry that was deregulated was the banking industry. ■ Proponents of deregulation argue that it encourages competition. Initially, it often does. But that usually means a downward spiral for workers and their communities. Deregulated companies compete by laying off workers, reducing wages, taking shortcuts on safety, and eliminating less profitable services. As companies go out of business—or are bought out or merged—the field narrows and a few large companies come to dominate the industry. Free now from government restrictions, these goliaths often find it profitable to collude with their competitors. They raise prices, add fees, and further reduce services to less profitable markets. The airline industry is a case study of this destructive spiral. ■ While scrapping rules that protect consumers has yielded huge profits for companies, it has had a devastating impact on working people and the economy. Financial deregulation led to a reckless gambling spree on Wall Street that has cost millions of people their savings and their homes. An estimated 25 percent of homeowners today are “underwater”—that is, they owe more money on their mortgages than their houses are actually worth. More than six million families have lost their homes to foreclosures since 2007 and an equal number of families are at risk of foreclosure. ■ Once banking rules were gutted, investment bankers were free to sell their complex financial products, which later became known as “toxic assets.” The spread of these bad debts across the globe helped plunge nations into a financial meltdown. The cost to taxpayers in the U.S. was nearly a half trillion dollars. As one analyst put it, “Goldman Sachs, the investment house, sold poison to unwitting customers—financial [products] deliberately designed to fail. Sure enough, they failed, but they also helped poison the entire system.” ■ The “Greed is Good” culture of Wall Street serves a handful of people who make a lot of money—not by producing useful goods or providing important services, but by collecting huge fees for manipulating money in ways that endanger the economy. ■ The Radical Right touts “the magic of the free market,” a market economy that supposedly thrives because it is unfettered by government interference. By interfer- Summary Annual Report for SIU Pacific District Seafarers Medical Center Fund This is a summary of the annual report of the SIU Pacific District Seafarers Medical Center Fund, EIN 94-2430964 for the year ended June 30, 2010. The annual report has been filed with the Department of Labor, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Benefits under the plan are provided by the SIU Pacific District Seafarers Medical Center Fund, a trust fund. Basic Financial Statement The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $(124,844) as of June 30, 2010, compared to $(138,607) as of July 1, 2009. During the plan year the plan experienced an increase in its net assets of $13,763. During the plan year, the plan had total income of $549,884, including employer contributions of $538,589, earnings from investments of $51 and other income of $11,244. Plan expenses were $536,121. These expenses included $150,363 in administrative expenses, and $385,558 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: ■ An accountant’s report; ■ Financial information and information on payments to service providers; and July 2011 ■ Assets held for investment. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the office of SIU Pacific District Seafarers’ Medical Center Fund, 730 Harrison St., Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94107, (415) 392-3611. The charge to cover copying costs will be $2.25 for the full annual report, or $.25 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan, at 730 Harrison Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94107, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, DC 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, N1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20210. ence, they mean regulations that protect consumers, workers, and communities. But most (though not all) proponents of the “free market” were strikingly silent when it came to protecting huge corporations—like Citibank, AIG, and JP Morgan Chase—from market losses during the financial crisis they helped to create. ■ The Radical Right insists that deregulation will increase competition and create jobs. But sweeping deregulation unleashed Wall Street greed that ended up being the biggest job killer since the Great Depression. A BETTER PLAN Re-establish and strengthen government regulations that protect consumers, workers, and the environment from profit hungry corporations. MYTH # 7 Liberal tax and spend policies have created deficits and debts that are too big. Our taxes are too high and our government is sending too much money. Taxes are simply strangling our economy. And our government is nearly bankrupt. Thanks to liberal politicians and their ever-expanding social programs, our nation is in big trouble. REALITY ■ A number of factors have contributed to the nation’s debt and the budget deficit including: the collapse of the financial and housing markets which sparked a recession and caused a loss of jobs and tax revenues; the rising cost of the goods and services that the government purchases and provides; and tax breaks for the wealthy which have reduced government revenues. ■ No one wants to saddle future generations with unmanageable debt. And no one wants to pay more taxes than they have to— especially in this tough economy. But while the Radical Right is quick to denounce the federal debt and trumpet fiscal responsibility, they are happy to add to the nation’s debt by providing tax breaks for the wealthy and tax loopholes for corporations. ■ The Radical Right argues that cutting taxes for the rich means they will spend more of their money—increasing consumption and improving the economy. While middle and lower income families may spend their tax savings on goods and services they need, there is little evidence that the rich will spend the extra money in ways that will boost the economy. The Radical Right also argues that cutting taxes for corporations means they will make more money and hire more people. But Corporate America is just as likely to invest savings abroad and create jobs elsewhere. Radical Right tax policies are outright gifts to the wealthy and to Corporate America that reduce public revenues and exacerbate the financial crisis. ■ But the financial crisis provides the Radical Right with what one conservative columnist called a “golden opportunity”—a chance to undermine unions and defund social programs. In New Jersey, for example, Governor Chris Christie vilified public sector workers—teachers especially—and used the budget deficit as an excuse to both cut programs ad to stop paying money the state owes to the employee pension fund. These strategies are having a devastating impact on middle and lower income workers, their families, and their communities. ■ It’s not simply that government debt and deficits are too big, it’s that the revenues that come into government coffers from corporations and the wealthy are too small. There are plenty of services that government should be providing, but simply can’t because the most privileged in society just aren’t paying their fair share. A BETTER PLAN Increase revenues by returning to a more progressive tax structure—like the one we had before the Radical Right began to dismantle it. Summary Annual Report for SIU Pacific District Supplemental Benefits Fund, Inc. This is a summary of the annual report of the SIU Pacific District Supplemental Benefits Fund, Inc., EIN 94-1431246 for the year ended July 31, 2010. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Benefits under the Plan are provided by the SIU Pacific District Supplemental Benefits Fund, Inc., a Trust Fund. Basic Financial Statement The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $94,919 as July 31, 2010, compared to $427,754 as of August 1, 2009. During the plan year the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of $332,835. This decrease includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. During the plan year, the plan had total income of $7,990,099, which included employer contributions of $7,977,512, realized losses of $6,792 from the sale of assets, and earnings from investments of $19,379. Plan expenses were $8,322,934. These expenses included $425,382 in administrative expenses and $7,897,552 in benefits paid to participants. 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: ■ An accountant’s report; ■ Financial information and information on payments to service providers; ■ Assets held for investment; and ■ Transactions in excess of 5% 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 Fund, Inc., at 730 Harrison Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94107, telephone number (415) 764-4990. The charge to cover copying costs will be $4.00 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 accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan at 730 Harrison Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94107, and at the U. S. Department of Labor in Washington, DC, 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 N1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N. W., Washington, D.C. 20210. Seafarers LOG 11 �65262_Seafarers_X2:JUNE 2011 6/27/2011 7:02 PM Page 12 The recent mission proved a reunion of sorts for a number of mariners who in 2010 had sailed together aboard the Collector. Those crew members, pictured from left to right earlier this year on the SS Pacific Tracker, are OMU Jo MDR Duane Akers, AB John O’Connell, AB Warner James, Chief Cook Albert Hermoso, SA Patty Johansen, CM J SA Thomas (Mike) Curley, QMED Patrick Devlin, SA Armando Amante, OS Jack Corn, SA Orlando Makiling and GU Souza. T Pacific Tracker Assists in Key Mis GUDE Michael Souza, Bosun John Mossbarger OMU Amber Fisher uses a sandblaster. OMU Ali Mohamed lends a hand at the drill press. 12 Seafarers LOG he SIU-crewed Pacific Tracker earlier this year supported an important test successfully conducted by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). A mid-April report by the MDA stated that agency personnel along with U.S. Navy sailors aboard the destroyer USS O’Kane and soldiers from the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command operating from the 613th Air and Space Operations Center at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, “successfully conducted a flight test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) element of the nation’s Ballistic Missile Defense System, resulting in the intercept of a separating ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean. This successful test demonstrated the capability of the first phase of the European Phased Adaptive Approach announced by the President in September 2009.” This marked the United States’ first test of a sea-based defense against longer-range weapons of a particular type, according to agency and news reports. Earlier tests involved shorter-range targets. Operated by Interocean American Shipping, the Pacific Tracker did its part for the exercise, conducted in the pre-dawn hours of April 15. The test involved launching an intermediate-range ballistic missile target from the Marshall Islands, roughly 2,300 miles southwest of Hawaii. Just 11 minutes after the target was launched, the O’Kane destroyed it. (Official video footage of the exercise, dubbed FTM-15, is posted on YouTube.) “We were a team, and you could really feel it aboard the ship,” said OMU John Steeber, who provided the photos accompanying this story. “I’ve been on a number of similar mis- sions and w themselves this particul this last one The MDA challenging intercept ag (range 1,864 The Seafarers-crewed Pacific Tracker is operated by Interoce 2nd Cook Gregory Blaylock July 2011 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 r aboard the MV Pacific are OMU John Steeber, ansen, CM Jerry Smith, ling and GUDE Michael 6/24/2011 8:20 AM Page 13 QMED Patrick Devlin, 1st AE/SIU Hawsepiper Jeffrey Yarmola, OMU Ali Mohammed, OMU John Steeber Missile Defense Agency Test sions and while everyone always handles themselves professionally, due to the nature of this particular voyage the pride and effort on this last one were outstanding.” The MDA described the test as “the most challenging to date, as it was the first … intercept against an intermediate-range target (range 1,864 to 3,418 miles) and the first … engagement relying on remote tracking data.” FTM-15 was the 21st successful intercept, in 25 attempts, for the Aegis BMD program since flight testing began in 2002, according to the agency. The Pacific Tracker previously sailed for the U.S. Military Sealift Command as the SS Beaver State. d by Interocean American Shipping. SA Thomas (Mike) Curley July 2011 SA Patricia Johansen, Chief Steward Lewis Johansen SA Orlando Makiling, SA Armando Amante OMU John Steeber (left) and QMED Patrick Devlin work on brackets for a new tool board. Seafarers LOG 13 �65262_Seafarers_X2:JUNE 2011 6/27/2011 7:07 PM Page 14 Editor’s note: This is the eighth and final installment in a series written by Edward T. Woods, a U.S. Merchant Marine veteran of World War II who sailed in the engine and steward departments. Previous entries were published off and on beginning with the September 2010 edition of the LOG. Woods turns 84 this month; he was 16 when he shipped out aboard the S/S Horseshoe in 1944. The most recent installment of his story (published in the June edition) ended in 1946, while Woods was in Germany as a crew member from the U.S. Army Transport ship Edmund B. Alexander. A t Christmastime 1946, about eight members of the crew each gave a few packs of American cigarettes to a local German family that we had befriended during our stay. They traded the cigarettes for a live rabbit, potatoes, a green vegetable, bread, a butter substitute and bottles of local bootleg whiskey that the family told us was similar to Kummel. The old-timers said it was nothing like the prewar Kummel that was known and enjoyed throughout all Europe. Since we had provided the means, we were invited to their Christmas Eve dinner. I had never eaten rabbit and was hesitant, but I did, and it proved tasty. The lady of the house had made boiled potatoes and delicious gravy. It was a satisfying and an agreeable dinner. The family youngsters had set up a live Christmas tree in the living room and decorated it with burning candles. An old lady, the family grandma, kept trying to tell me something about the tree that I couldn’t understand. Later in the evening, as we were all singing O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, the German Christmas tree song, my sleeve caught on fire as my arm brushed against the lighted candles. At this, the old lady shouted something to me, which the kids translated as that she had warned me about there being thirteen candles on the tree, a sure sign of bad luck. I guess the superstition regarding the number thirteen was known worldwide. Following a few rounds of drinks, the Americans began singing, O Deutschland, O Deutschland ünter Alles, a parody on O Deutschland, O Deutschland über Alles, the German national anthem, changing “Germany over all” to “Germany under all.” Obviously, we thought it was a big laugh until two German policemen came to the door and told us the song was forbidden to be sung in any form since the end of hostilities. We were still teenagers and what may not be politically correct today was hilarious to us at the time. The Alexander, originally a coal burner, had been converted to oil in the early months of World War II. In the engine room area, there were huge rooms that had once stored coal, now empty, cleaned and painted. They proved to be convenient places for dice and card playing. Both big and small games went on day and night. The ship’s masters at arms, whose job was to police the ship and stop gambling, never went down into the engine room. One older member of the steward department, a true entrepreneur, set up a table with chairs in a small side room, provided fresh decks of cards, poker chips and brought sandwiches and coffee in from the galley. He took a quarter out of each hand dealt over the entire time of play. It was called “cutting the game.” Everyone seemed satisfied with the arrangement; at least no one complained. I am confident he went home the biggest winner at the end of the voyage. I had exceptionally good luck playing poker the few weeks before Christmas. I won a few big pots and I was able to send a $500 money order home to my mother as a Christmas present. Mother was working at the Hotel Barclay in New York and had become dissatisfied with her job. She later wrote to tell me that she was so pleased with the present that she quit her job. In 1946, $500 was about 15 weeks’ pay. She had wanted a reason to stay home, as she was concerned about my youngest sister, Jane being alone in our apartment. Jane was eight years old at the time…. When we left Germany to return to the States, there were a lot of sad goodbyes from our German friends and promises made to keep in touch. We were back in New York but a few days when we were ordered to Reykjavik, Iceland, to pick up the last remaining American troops still deployed there. I was disappointed that there was no 14 Seafarers LOG The Ed Woods Story – A Teenager In World War II Ed Woods and his wife, Jackie, visit a World War II memorial in St. Bernard Parish, La. “It’s a beautiful memorial,” Ed said. “I was pleased to see the merchant marine honored on an equal basis with the other services.” shore leave, as I had never expected to visit Iceland and, in all probability, would never go there again. We anchored off shore for a night and the next day the troops were carried out to the Alexander on lighters. From Iceland, we went to St. Johns, Newfoundland, and dropped off most of the troops. Why we carried American Army troops from Iceland to Newfoundland, Canada, in early 1947, I don’t know; the war was over. Back in New York, I learned that Walter Winchell, Westbrook Pegler and other influential newspaper columnists of that era, and who also had national radio audiences, had spread untrue stories about merchant seamen. They called us communists, drunks and strikers that had refused to unload ships at Guadalcanal and, unbelievably, also called us draft dodgers. (Sixteen-year-old draft dodgers?) Winchell and the newspapers that carried these stories lost the libel suits filed against them, and were forced by the court to apologize, print retractions, and to pay damages. Unfortunately, the myth that mariners refused to unload ships in Guadalcanal persists even today. I have no idea why Winchell and Pegler reported these lies. Every man I met aboard a merchant ship during World War II had a reason for being there and not in other branches of the military, most commonly disabilities that prevented them from enlisting or being drafted, or being overage or underage. If there were any shirkers or draft dodgers going to sea at that time, I never met them and not a one of the people I sailed with ever hesitated to man a gun against the enemy. After a short vacation, I decided to go the marine engineering school at Sheepshead Bay, N.Y. I had sailed as a fireman/water tender and oiler but didn’t have the official endorsement. After a month at school, I passed the exams, received my endorsements and obtained a fireman/water tender’s job on a brand new Victory ship, the S/S Pierre Victory on July 17, 1947 and sailed to Antwerp and Rotterdam. When I returned to New York, due to a National Maritime Union policy, I was forced to leave the ship. I was able to get a fireman/water tender’s job with on the ESSO Rochester for a short time until that too was sold to foreign investors. The Rochester only made coastwise trips: Boston, Baltimore and ports in Texas. By 1948, it became difficult for me to get a berth on a ship, mainly because I was not a member of any seafarer’s union (though it wasn’t for lack of interest). My ships had been handled by the Wet Ink/Standard Oil Company under the supervision of the U.S. Navy and I was never given an opportunity to join a union. At the end of the war, when I tried to join, I was told the “books were filled.” Most of our merchant fleet was tied up in graveyards or had been sold to foreigners for pennies on the dollar. I wanted to go back to sea but it proved impossible to get with any company. Our tankers and other ships were being sold to foreign interests. I was desperate for a job and, fortunately, I heard of job openings in Korea for marine engine personnel. My old friend Phil Marshal and I filed applications, we were accepted, and within a few days we were en route by plane to Seoul, Korea. The flight took two weeks from Fairfield, California, to Gimpo Airport in Seoul. We flew in a two-engine plane that made numerous refueling stops: Hawaii, Johnson Island, Kwajalein Island, Guam, Manila, Tokyo and lastly Seoul. Our stop in Tokyo lasted for 10 days and gave us ample time to tour the city…. I took note of how much of the city had been burned down and not yet rebuilt. When we were ready to leave for Seoul on a smaller Army plane, we were told we would be required to wear parachutes. A Japanese man came out and in broken English said he would instruct us in the use of parachutes. I didn’t like this procedure. To me, it had been only a short time before that he and his buddies wanted to blow me out of the water and now he was going to tell me how to jump out of a plane if necessary. An American army sergeant in charge of the boarding assured me that all was in order and it was safe to follow the man’s instructions. We were listed as Department of the Army Civilians (DACS) and given grades equal to our yearly pay. We were equal to U.S. Army first lieutenants and were assigned to BOQs. We were pleased with the designation, having lived in cramped quarters aboard ships. There were other benefits available: the use of officers clubs and bars, and we were entitled to buy a monthly liquor ration. The U.S. military would purchase the liquor tax-free, which made it very inexpensive, for resale to military officers and DACS. For $5, we could buy a bottle of scotch, a bottle of rye, two bottles of wine, and a case of beer. I much preferred the beer and would exchange my liquor with the scotch and whiskey drinkers for their cases of beer. In between, I could buy beer and whiskey at the officers club for about ten cents a drink. American personnel were asked to serve as monitors in a free Korean election that resulted in Syngman Rhee being elected the first president of the new republic. I met Rhee and his Australian wife during a brief ceremony in Pusan when the U.S. Army turned over a former Japanese destroyer to him for use by his new government. The day before the transfer, the U.S. military officers and the DACs were invited to enjoy a sea cruise before the ship was officially given to the Korean government. I don’t know who footed the bill but there was plenty of good food and drink available. Some of the army officers had brought their Korean house girls along for the ride and everybody had a good time. The next day, however, it was announced by the commanding officer of the area, a full colonel, that the employment of house girls was forbidden from that day forward and if domestic help was needed by American or allied personnel it was to be limited to male employees…. I spent my first three months working in Pusan on the south coast of Korea teaching Koreans the fundamentals of operating a floating electrical power barge. They were quick to learn and I transferred to Seoul, the capital and largest Korean city. I became a boiler inspector for the U.S. State Department. My job was to examine the boilers in designated buildings that were being considered for use by our government. I had the use of a small truck, a driver, four laborers and a translator. How the translator ever got his job was beyond me. I knew but a few words in Korean but it was more words than he knew in English. We found that talking in pigeon English was best for communicating, although many times it was difficult to give instructions to my crew…. I had signed a year’s contract to work in Korea, which would have kept me there until April 1949. However, by Thanksgiving 1948, the United States government decided to send home as many civilians as could be spared. It was no surprise; the Russian-controlled North Korea had been causing problems since the end of hostilities with Japan and most of us sensed that a war with North Korea was inevitable. I returned to the States as a passenger on a United States Army transport that stopped for two days in Okinawa. I went ashore and saw the many changes that had taken place since my previous visit in 1945. The wreckage and the sunken ships were gone and the port had a pristine look. There were no signs of the typhoon that had caused so much damage on my visit three years earlier. My ship arrived in San Francisco on Christmas Eve 1948. Those of us who had never before sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge followed the custom and threw coins in the water for the good luck it was sure to bring. A man whom I had made friends with in Korea, and whose home was in San Francisco, made arrangements for a few of us to stay at a local hotel until after the Christmas weekend. That afternoon, Christmas Eve, he treated us to dinner at the famous Top of the Mark restaurant. Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay was pointed out to us. At first, the island had a majestic appearance until I realized it was a federal prison holding the most serious offenders…. I found it difficult to settle down home in New York and tried various jobs until February 3, 1950 when I married Jackie. However, that will be another story at another time. It was Sunday, June 25, 1950. Jackie and I had just sat down for breakfast when it was announced over the radio that North Korea had invaded South Korea. I wasn’t surprised; in fact, I had expected North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union, to attempt a takeover of all Korea much earlier…. It pained me to hear that the North Korean army was finding it so easy to march south down the peninsula, overcoming what was described as light resistance by the small number of American forces on duty there. I had made friends with many of the younger Army enlisted men, serving with the 24th Corps, during my stay in the Seoul area and I feared for their safety. Many of them were teenagers and had never been in a war. At the end of World War II, I had earned and been issued a document called a Certificate of Continuous Service. End Notes See Mariner, Page 20 July 2011 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:21 AM Page 15 Dispatchers’ Report for Deep Sea May 16, 2011 - June 15, 2011 According to the report, the Port of New York and New Jersey (above) was one of the nation’s busier stops in 2010. (Photo courtesy American Association of Port Authorities.) MarAd Report Says U.S. Port Calls Grew in 2010 The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration in mid-June released a report showing that more oceangoing vessels are calling on U.S. ports. Such stops or port calls increased by 13 percent in 2010 following an eight percent decline in 2009, according to the agency. “Oceangoing vessel calls reflect waterborne trade between the United States and countries around the world, and are a measure of import, export and domestic ocean shipments,” MarAd said in announcing the report. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood viewed the increase as an indication of economic recovery. “Although challenges remain, this encouraging rebound in oceangoing vessels is a sign that President Obama’s economic policies are working,” LaHood said. “We’re committed to supporting policies that will build on this momentum so that the maritime industry will continue to grow and create American jobs.” According to the report, titled “Vessel Calls Snapshot, 2010,” some 7,579 oceangoing vessels made 62,747 calls at U.S. ports last year. Of the 2010 calls 35 percent were by tankers carrying oil and gas used to power vehicles and heat homes; 31 percent were by containerships carrying general export and import cargo for markets around the U.S. and the world; 17 percent were by dry bulk vessels carrying iron, coal and grain for export; nine percent were by rollon/roll-off vessels carrying vehicles for import and export; and six percent were by general cargo ships. In addition, the report shows that tanker operators are replacing single-hull vessels with new, greener double-hull ships. In 2010, 97 percent of the tanker calls were by double-hull vessels, up from 78 percent five years earlier. “As our economy recovers, maritime can play even more of a key role in the affordable, efficient and environmentally sustainable transportation of goods, both within our borders and across oceans,” said U.S. Maritime Administrator David Matsuda. The 24-page report is available online, in PDF format, on the MarAd web site: www.marad.dot.gov. It summarizes and highlights vessel calls for U.S. ports by coast and vessel type, age, size, global vessel calls, and top 10 U.S. port calls. August & September 2011 Membership Meetings Piney Point................Monday: August 8, *Tuesday: September 6 Algonac ......................................Friday: August 12, September 9 Baltimore.................................Thursday: August 11, September 8 Guam.....................................Thursday: August 25, September 22 Honolulu ...................................Friday: August 19, September 16 Houston....................................Monday: August 15, September 12 Jacksonville.............................Thursday: August 11, September 8 Joliet......................................Thursday: August 18, September 15 Mobile................................Wednesday: August 17, September 14 New Orleans.................................Tuesday: August 16, September 13 New York....................................Tuesday: August 9, September 6 Norfolk....................................Thursday: August 11, September 8 Oakland .................................Thursday: August 18, September 15 Philadelphia..........................Wednesday: August 10, September 7 Port Everglades .....................Thursday: August 18, September 15 San Juan..................................Thursday: August 11, September 8 St. Louis ....................................Friday: August 19, September 16 Tacoma......................................Friday: August 26, September 23 Wilmington..................................Monday: August 22, September 19 * Piney Point change created by Labor Day holiday Each port’s meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. July 2011 Port Total Registered All Groups A B C Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS 20 1 6 16 4 7 46 42 1 15 13 51 17 27 5 0 9 38 4 29 351 8 3 4 8 1 8 17 30 7 6 7 18 23 15 1 1 9 17 2 25 210 Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS 2 0 3 14 3 7 24 13 3 4 7 13 11 11 4 0 4 16 3 11 153 6 1 3 7 0 3 11 19 3 4 2 9 17 9 5 2 5 13 1 13 133 Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS 2 0 5 14 1 15 24 12 3 5 6 19 13 17 3 5 1 6 2 25 178 2 0 3 6 1 1 5 5 2 0 2 9 14 5 1 3 2 3 3 3 70 Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Joliet Mobile New Orleans New York Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTAL 1 0 1 0 0 0 6 2 1 0 2 6 0 4 0 0 0 4 0 5 32 11 1 2 9 0 3 23 21 2 7 2 29 23 17 3 5 3 18 1 11 191 GRAND TOTAL: 714 604 Total Shipped All Groups A B C Trip Reliefs 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 12 1 1 2 9 0 3 27 20 0 2 5 22 6 14 2 0 4 19 0 18 155 18 1 8 24 7 11 87 58 3 19 19 85 32 43 11 4 12 53 3 69 567 7 6 9 22 6 11 42 38 5 11 12 34 36 24 7 4 14 31 2 34 355 2 0 1 3 0 1 4 3 3 1 2 4 7 2 0 0 0 7 1 8 49 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 2 2 0 1 6 7 0 2 5 10 6 5 2 0 1 9 0 6 65 2 0 7 18 4 14 29 32 4 13 7 26 20 12 2 0 8 24 2 20 244 2 2 8 12 1 9 21 37 1 7 4 19 34 12 5 3 11 20 3 29 240 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 1 3 4 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 20 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 0 0 0 4 0 0 6 10 0 2 2 13 6 8 1 0 1 5 1 9 68 2 0 7 12 3 20 34 29 1 5 7 37 19 34 1 3 2 31 2 50 299 2 0 4 5 3 3 11 10 2 1 3 12 21 4 2 1 4 4 2 3 97 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 9 2 0 0 1 0 3 1 3 0 1 0 1 4 3 1 34 0 0 0 3 57 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 0 1 6 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 24 2 0 2 0 0 4 6 5 0 1 2 18 0 5 0 0 0 13 0 11 69 15 2 3 15 2 12 28 39 2 10 3 58 37 26 3 5 3 24 2 48 337 27 2 3 10 1 5 11 24 4 3 10 15 47 13 5 6 5 14 1 29 235 Deck Department 2 10 8 0 1 2 3 3 5 1 14 4 0 4 2 1 7 6 6 39 16 4 23 24 1 2 3 1 9 5 1 14 3 3 36 14 5 11 13 2 27 10 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 9 6 2 33 15 1 4 1 3 27 21 36 273 161 Engine Department 0 4 6 0 0 2 0 1 6 0 6 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 5 14 10 2 8 8 0 1 3 0 6 1 1 7 2 2 10 11 0 9 11 1 7 7 0 3 3 0 1 0 0 2 1 11 1 6 0 1 1 2 11 9 14 99 96 Steward Department 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 11 3 1 1 0 0 4 2 0 17 3 2 13 1 0 2 1 0 6 2 2 5 1 1 20 4 1 10 7 1 16 4 0 3 0 0 2 2 0 3 2 0 14 3 0 1 3 0 16 2 8 148 42 Entry Department 12 1 8 1 0 2 2 0 1 3 0 6 0 0 0 8 0 4 8 6 8 8 2 15 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 2 2 9 1 26 11 0 15 9 2 8 2 0 0 29 0 4 4 1 1 7 6 6 0 0 1 4 5 7 119 27 116 177 547 415 79 312 Registered on Beach All Groups A B C 1,179 1,029 313 Seafarers LOG 15 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:21 AM Page 16 Inquiring Seafarer Seafarers International Union Directory Michael Sacco, President Augustin Tellez, Executive Vice President David Heindel, Secretary-Treasurer George Tricker, Vice President Contracts Tom Orzechowski, Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters Dean Corgey, Vice President Gulf Coast Nicholas J. Marrone, Vice President West Coast Joseph T. Soresi, Vice President Atlantic Coast Kermett Mangram, Vice President Government Services HEADQUARTERS 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746 (301) 899-0675 ALGONAC 520 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI 48001 (810) 794-4988 ANCHORAGE 721 Sesame St., #1C, Anchorage, AK 99503 (907) 561-4988 BALTIMORE 2315 Essex St., Baltimore, MD 21224 (410) 327-4900 GUAM P.O. Box 3328, Hagatna, Guam 96932 Cliffline Office Ctr. Bldg., Suite 103B 422 West O’Brien Dr., Hagatna, Guam 96910 (671) 477-1350 HONOLULU 606 Kalihi St., Honolulu, HI 96819 (808) 845-5222 HOUSTON 1221 Pierce St., Houston, TX 77002 (713) 659-5152 JACKSONVILLE 5100 Belfort Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32256 (904) 281-2622 JOLIET 10 East Clinton St., Joliet, IL 60432 (815) 723-8002 MOBILE 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605 (251) 478-0916 Editor’s note: This month’s question was answered by members at the hall in Brooklyn, N.Y. Question: What is your favorite port that you’ve visited? William Harrison Oiler I would say that Rota, Spain, is my favorite port that I’ve ever been to as a Seafarer. The reason I liked the port is because it had scenery that was incredible. The culture was welcoming and embracing. I also went to the beach while I was there and it was very clean and very well maintained. The food in Spain was amazing, especially the bread they served. I would recommend Rota to any Seafarer as a destination they must experience. There’s a military base as well, so you can do shopping without going into town. It has all the perks you need. Jesus Colomer Sanchez GUDE My favorite port is Cancun, Mexico. The people there are really friendly and really nice. The area is beautiful, with white, sandy beaches. Also, the food is delicious. Earl Powers AB The Port of New York/New Jersey is actually my favorite port. I regularly ship from here and I’m always glad to be back. The people who work here at the port are, to me, what makes it so great. Jeremy Paschke AB Pics-From-The-Past My favorite port, without a doubt, was one I hit on my last ship, the M/V Green Cove. The port was Melbourne, Australia. I was only there for one day but I absolutely loved everything about my time in Melbourne. We hit port on Boxer Day, the day after Christmas, which is a big holiday down under. The vibrancy, energy, and civility of the crowded streets were a very welcome sight after over two weeks at sea. Australians are a great people and have built an awesome city that they can be proud of. I can’t wait to go back. Terry N. Arbuah AB My favorite port is the port of New York/New Jersey because I’ve lived here for so long and I love it. When I’m returning home and I see the Statue of Liberty, I always clap. Phillip Ayotte Electrician My favorite port is Haifa, Israel. In the spring of 2006, while sailing relief on the Maersk Nebraska, we docked the evening before the anniversary of Israel’s founding. All the longshoremen knocked off at 1800 and didn’t resume work until 2200 the next day. I hired a guide and we visited all the sites in Israel, including the great church in Nazareth, the holy sites in Canaan and Galilee, and the Jordan River. I went swimming in the Dead Sea, which is a very unique experience. The water is so dense, your body floats and you can’t drown. I’ve visited a lot of places in my years working and that area has an energy unlike any other. I plan to travel there on vacation with my beautiful wife sometime in the future. NEW ORLEANS 3911 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 328-7545 NEW YORK 635 Fourth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11232 (718) 499-6600 Government Services Division: (718) 499-6600 NORFOLK 115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-1892 OAKLAND 1121 7th St., Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 444-2360 PHILADELPHIA 2604 S. 4 St., Philadelphia, PA 19148 (215) 336-3818 PINEY POINT P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674 (301) 994-0010 PORT EVERGLADES 1221 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 522-7984 SANTURCE 1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Stop 16 Santurce, PR 00907 (787) 721-4033 ST. LOUIS/ALTON 4581 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116 (314) 752-6500 TACOMA 3411 South Union Ave., Tacoma, WA 98409 (253) 272-7774 WILMINGTON 510 N. Broad Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744 (310) 549-4000 Mariners from Isthmian’s George M Bibb are pictured June 27, 1946 at Staten Island, New York’s Pier 5 shortly after the vessel paid off. At the time, Isthmian crews were choosing between eventual winner SIU, another union, or no representation as they cast votes in a National Labor Relations Board-certified election. This Isthmian fleet included more than 3,000 unlicensed jobs. If anyone has a vintage union-related photograph he or she would like to share with other Seafarers LOG readers, please send it to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Photographs will be returned, if so requested. High-resolution digital images may be sent to webmaster@seafarers.org 16 Seafarers LOG July 2011 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:21 AM Page 17 Welcome Ashore Each month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead. DEEP SEA AMADO ABANIEL Brother Amado Abaniel, 70, began sailing with the union in 1980, originally on a Delta Steamship vessel. He attended classes on numerous occasions at the Piney Point school. Brother Abaniel was a member of the deck department. He last worked aboard the Overseas Long Beach. Brother Abaniel resides in Long Beach, Calif. FRANCISCO BRAVO Brother Francisco Bravo, 65, became an SIU member in 1999 while in the port of New York. His initial voyage was on the USNS Yano; his last was aboard the USNS Denebola. Brother Bravo sailed in the deck department. He enhanced his skills in 2001 at the union-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. Brother Bravo lives in Baltimore. EMILIO CORDOVA Brother Emilio Cordova, 65, joined the union in 1986. He was born in Chile and worked as a member of the steward department. On three occasions, Brother Cordova upgraded at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. One of his first trips with the SIU was on the USNS Denebola. Brother Cordova most recently shipped aboard the President Adams. He calls New York home. EVARISTO CRUZ Brother Evaristo Cruz, 65, became a Seafarer in 1978. His first ship was the Mayaguez. Brother Cruz was born in Puerto Rico and worked in the deck department. He last sailed aboard the Expedition. Brother Cruz is a resident of Yabucoa, P.R. LUIS DAVILA Brother Luis Davila, 65, donned the SIU colors in 1978. He originally sailed on the Humacao as a member of the steward department. Brother Davila is a native of Puerto Rico. His final trip was aboard the El Yunque. Brother Davila makes his home in Barceloneta, P.R. July 2011 MILTON FLYNN Brother Milton Flynn, 66, joined the Seafarers in 2000 while in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. On three occasions, Brother Flynn took advantage of educational opportunities available at the SIUaffiliated school in Maryland. He was first employed on the USNS Dahl. Brother Flynn, a member of the deck department, most recently worked aboard the Calvin P. Titus. He resides in Pompano Beach, Fla. RAYMOND FRIEDLER Brother Raymond Friedler, 65, signed on with the SIU in 1967. The engine department member’s initial voyage was on Waterman Steamship’s Fanwood. Brother Friedler’s final trip to sea was aboard the Stuyvesant. He lives in Pacifica, Calif. CARSON JORDAN Brother Carson Jordan, 60, became an SIU member in 1972. He first sailed on the Bradford Island. Brother Jordan, a member of the deck department, frequently upgraded at the unionaffiliated Paul Hall Center. He most recently shipped aboard the Green Bay. Brother Jordan calls Jacksonville, Fla., home. SAMUEL WASHINGTON Brother Samuel Washington, 74, was born in Green Cove Springs, Fla. He began his career with the Seafarers in 2000 while in the port of Norfolk, Va. Brother Washington was originally employed on the USNS Effective. The steward department member’s final voyage was aboard the USNS Watkins. Brother Washington settled in Norfolk. ROOSEVELT WILLIAMS Brother Roosevelt Williams, 70, started his SIU career in 2000. He sailed in the engine department. Brother Williams completed a number of training components at the SIUaffiliated school in Piney Point, Md. His most recent trip to sea was aboard the El Faro. Brother Williams is a resident of San Antonio, Texas. INLAND CARLTON BRICKHOUSE Brother Carlton Brickhouse, 62, began sailing with the union in 1967. His earliest trip was with Moran Towing of Virginia. Brother Brickhouse attended classes in 1967 at the Piney Point school (the year the facility opened). His final vessel was operated by McAllister Towing of Virginia. Brother Brickhouse resides in Chesapeake, Va. HILTON FOSTER Brother Hilton Foster, 55, became an SIU member 1980. Brother Foster primarily worked aboard Express Marine Inc. vessels. He was born in North Carolina. Brother Foster was a steward department member. He often upgraded his seafaring abilities at the Paul Hall Center. Brother Foster makes his home in Aurora, N.C. DESO HRBOKA Brother Deso Hrboka, 60, joined the union in 1984 while in Wilmington, Calif. He was born in Croatia and shipped in the engine department. Brother Hrboka took advantage of educational opportunities available at the SIU-affiliated school in Maryland on two occasions. He was employed with Crowley Towing & Transportation of Wilmington for the duration of his career. Brother Hrboka lives in Ventura, Calif. STEVEN WILLIAMS Brother Steven Williams, 58, began his seafaring profession in 1973. He worked in both the deep sea and inland divisions. Brother Williams initially sailed on the Cove Navigator. He was born in Jacksonville, Fla., and sailed in the engine department. Brother Williams most recently worked with Crowley Towing & Transportation of Jacksonville. He frequently enhanced his skills at the union-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. Brother Williams continues to reside in Jacksonville. GREAT LAKES LARRY ENGLISH Brother Larry English, 65, donned the SIU colors in 1967. The Florida native originally shipped aboard the Redland. In 2002, Brother English attended classes at the Piney Point school. His final ship was the Richard J. Reiss. Brother English, who sailed in the deck department, calls Greenville, Fla., home. This Month In SIU History Editor’s note: The following items are reprinted from previous editions of the Seafarers LOG. 1940 In a surprise move on July 27, 260 SIU members who manned the ships of the New Bedford, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamship Line went on a four-day strike for increased wages and emerged victorious. After intervention by the governor of Massachusetts, which resulted in the settlement, they agreed that their demands for increases of $10 per month in wages and 10 cents per hour could be submitted to an impartial board for settlement. The company also agreed to reinstate all strikers without discrimination. Despite company threats, the strike was 100 percent effective. 1953 Every ship in the SIU fleet was provided with a 50-book library under a new program inaugurated by the union through the efforts of the Seafarers LOG office. Distribution of the new libraries will be handled by the SIU Sea Chest, which has facilities in all major port cities. The placing of books aboard SIU vessels meets a long-felt need for reading material to enliven long voyages, and provides the many avid readers on board SIU vessels with a large selection to choose from. 1966 Earl Shepard, vice president in charge of the Atlantic Coast, has been assigned the responsibility of meeting SIU Atlantic and Gulf Coast manpower needs. The Vietnam War has put great pressure on the existing SIU manpower, but the SIU has always provided enough men to man the needed ships. The SIU, through its extensive upgrading programs, is able to provide a pool of manpower to meet sudden crises, such as the Vietnam call-up. The breakout of vessels from the reserve fleet has meant that more jobs are available to SIU men and the union has effectively filled them. 2000 Baltimore-area SIU members enthusiastically endorsed the opening of the union’s newest hall – a completely refurbished facility that opened July 1. Located at 2315 Essex Street, the Baltimore building is the second new SIU hall to open this year and the sixth since 1994. This is the third location for the SIU in Baltimore. From 1939 to 1954, the Baltimore hall was located on North Gay Street. The hall on East Baltimore Street opened in November 1954. Seafarers LOG 17 �65262_Seafarers_X:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:47 PM Page 18 Final Departures DEEP SEA GLENN BERTRAND Brother Glenn Bertrand, 53, passed away January 16. Brother Bertrand first donned the SIU colors in 1975. He initially shipped aboard the Long Lines. Brother Bertrand, who sailed in the steward department, was born in Houston. He last worked on the Westward Venture. Brother Bertrand made his home in Pearland, Texas. WILLIE BUTTS Pensioner Willie Butts, 70, died January 21. Brother Butts first donned the SIU colors in 1968. He initially shipped aboard a vessel operated by Victory Carriers Inc. Brother Butts sailed in the engine department. Prior to his retirement in 1992, he worked on the Liberty Sea. Brother Butts was a resident of Roanoke, Ala. ROBERT DEHLBOM Pensioner Robert Dehlbom, 73, passed away February 1. Brother Dehlbom became an SIU member in 1967. His first trip was with Columbia Steamship Company. Brother Dehlbom sailed in the engine department. His last trip was aboard the Great Land. Brother Dehlbom called Chewelah, Wash. home. JOSEPH KOEBERLE Brother Joseph Koeberle, 61, died February 10. He signed on with the Seafarers in 1990. Brother Koeberle, a member of the deck department, first sailed on the USNS Denebola. His final ship was the Eugene A. Obregon. Brother Koeberle resided in Franklinville, N.J. CALVIN LANGLEY Pensioner Calvin Langley, 82, passed away January 23. Brother Langley joined the Seafarers in 1968. He was initially employed on the Western Comet. Brother Langley was a member of the engine department. He was born in Mississippi. Brother Langley’s last voyage was aboard the Discovery. He went on pension in 1993 and lived in Mobile, Ala. PAUL LEE Pensioner Paul Lee, 86, died January 11. Brother Lee was born 18 Seafarers LOG in China. He started sailing with the union in 1951 while in the port of Wilmington, Calif. Brother Lee, a member of the deck department, first worked with A.H. Bull Steamship Company. Prior to retiring in 1985, he made a last trip aboard the Santa Magdelena. Brother Lee was a resident of Daly City, Calif. BENJAMIN MAGLIANO Brother Benjamin Magliano, 41, passed away January 30. He started sailing with the union in 1990. Brother Magliano’s earliest trip was aboard the USNS Denebola. The engine department member’s last ship was the Commitment. Brother Magliano was a resident of Pasadena, Md. PANAGIOTIS MYKONIATIS Pensioner Panagiotis Mykoniatis, 85, died January 17. Brother Mykoniatis signed on with the SIU in 1966. His earliest trip was aboard the Meridian Victory. Brother Mykoniatis, who sailed in the engine department, last worked on the Robert E. Lee. He was born in Greece. Brother Mykoniatis began receiving his pension in 1990 and continued to reside in his native Greece. ORA RHOADES Pensioner Ora Rhoades, 83, passed away January 4. He first donned the SIU colors in 1944. Brother Rhoades initially sailed with A.H. Bull Steamship Company. He was a member of the deck department. Brother Rhoades’ final voyage was on the Long Island. He started collecting his retirement compensation in 1993 and made his home in Steuben, Maine. DENNIS SWORDS Brother Dennis Swords, 59, died December 25. Brother Swords joined the union in 1991. He originally shipped aboard the Austral Lightning. Brother Swords was born in Mobile, Ala. He worked in the engine department and most recently sailed on the Freedom. Brother Swords was a resident of Metairie, La. INLAND WILLIAM BURGESS Pensioner William Burgess, 70, passed away February 6. Brother Burgess was born in Mill Spring, N.C. He began shipping with the SIU in 1970. Brother Burgess first sailed with Steuart Transportation Company. Before his retirement in 1996, he worked aboard a Chesapeake & Delaware Towing vessel. Brother Burgess became a pensioner in 1996 and made his home in Fort Pierce, Fla. FRANK CAMPOS Brother Frank Campos, 48, died January 31. He started his seafaring career in 2002. Brother Campos initially sailed in the engine department aboard a vessel operated by Penn Maritime Inc. He last shipped aboard the Courage. Brother Campos lived in Kyle, Texas. RICHARD MASON Pensioner Richard Mason, 74, passed away February 16. Brother Mason became an SIU member in 1961. He was first employed with Marine Towing & Transportation. Brother Mason was born in Mt. Vernon, Md. His final trip was on an Interstate Oil Transport Company vessel. Brother Mason went on pension in 1999 and called Salisbury, Md., home. SIDNEY PELAS Pensioner Sidney Pelas, 72, died Dec. 21, 2010. Brother Pelas signed on with the SIU in 1971. The deck department member shipped aboard vessels operated by Dixie Carriers for the duration of his career. Brother Pelas became a pensioner in 2000. He was a resident of Buras, La. JOSEPH SANTULLI Brother Joseph Santulli, 53, passed away January 11. Brother Santulli was born in Philadelphia. He began working with the union in 1996 while in the port of Philadelphia. Brother Santulli primarily worked with Crowley Liner Services. He lived in Williamston, N.J. JACK THOMAS Pensioner Jack Thomas, 83, died January 29. Brother Thomas first donned the SIU colors in 1976. He initially shipped aboard a vessel operated by McAllister Towing of Virginia. Brother Thomas was born in Georgia. Prior to his retirement in 1993, he worked with Steuart Transportation Company. Brother Thomas made his home in Savannah, Ga. GREAT LAKES RAYMOND KLEIN Pensioner Raymond Klein, 83, passed away Feb. 5. Brother Klein began sailing with the union in 1960. A native of Posen, Mich., he sailed in the deck and engine departments. He first worked on an American Steamship Company vessel. Brother Klein’s final trip was aboard the St. Clair. He settled in Stuart, Fla. Editor’s note: The following brothers, all former members of the National Maritime Union (NMU), have passed away. NATIONAL MARITIME UNION JONATHAN CARROL Pensioner Jonathan Carroll, 90, passed away February 2. Brother Carroll was born in Alabama. He retired in 1969 and resided in Spanish Fort, Ala. EDUARDO CASTRO Pensioner Eduardo Castro, 85, died January 23. Brother Castro, a native of Puerto Rico, became a pensioner in 1967. He called New York home. LEO CHEEK Pensioner Leo Cheek, 79, passed away February 11. Brother Cheek was born in North Carolina. He went on pension in 1986. Brother Cheek settled in Norfolk, Va. GILBERTO COTTO Pensioner Gilberto Cotto, 80, died January 30. The Puerto Rico-born mariner became a pensioner in 1988. Brother Cotto was a resident of Philadelphia. LUIS DAVINSON Pensioner Luis Davinson, 82, passed away January 26. Brother Davinson was a native of Chile. He started collecting his retirement compensation in 1988. Brother Davinson lived in Fairview Borough, N.J. CLARENCE FERGUSON Pensioner Clarence Ferguson, 83, died Dec. 15, 2010. Brother Ferguson was born in Virginia. He went on pension in 1967 and called Virginia Beach, Va., home. JOHN McCHRISTIAN Pensioner John McChristian, 82, passed away January 29. Brother McChristian was a native of Texas. He retired in 1989. Brother McChristian made his home in Galveston, Texas. WILLIAM MOORE Pensioner William Moore, 85, died December 19. Brother Moore was born in Sedgwick, Kan. He became a pensioner in 1971. Brother Moore settled in Durham, N.C. LOUIS NOEL Pensioner Louis Noel, 93, passed away January 31. Brother Noel was a Grand Coteau, La., native. He started collecting his retirement compensation in 1981. Brother Noel continued to live in Louisiana. FRANK PETTIES Pensioner Frank Petties, 84, died January 23. Brother Petties, a native of Marshall, Texas, went on pension in 1988. He was still a resident of Marshall, Texas. JEROME POPE Pensioner Jerome Pope, 70, passed away January 28. Brother Pope was born in North Carolina. He began receiving his pension in 2005. Brother Pope lived in North Charleston, S.C. JOSEPH ROBERTS Pensioner Joseph Roberts, 88, died January 4. Born in the West Indies, he became a pensioner in 1984. Brother Roberts was a resident of Coral Springs, Fla. JAMES STEVENS Pensioner James Stevens, 75, passed away January 18. Brother Stevens was a Mississippi native. He retired in 1991. Brother Stevens made his home in Wilmer, Ala. JOHN STOUT Pensioner John Stout, 81, died January 25. Brother Stout was born in Ashland, Pa. He went on pension in 1987. Brother Stout settled in Gloucester Township, N.J. TEOFILO VELEZ Pensioner Teofilo Velez, 83, passed away December 27. Brother Velez, a native of Cayey, P.R., started collecting his retirement compensation in 1992. He called Brooklyn, N.Y., home. PONCIANO VITALES Pensioner Ponciano Vitales, 97, died February 5. Brother Vitales was born in the Philippines. He began receiving his pension in 1975. Brother Vitales resided in San Jose, Calif. July 2011 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:21 AM Page 19 Digest of Shipboard Union Meetings ALLIANCE BEAUMONT (Maersk Line, Limited), April 17 – Chairman Thomas P. Banks, Secretary Charles A. Brooks, Educational Director Robert L. Stafford, Deck Delegate Glen A. Rogers. Chairman asked those departing vessel to leave rooms clean for next mariners. Educational director suggested Seafarers take advantage of Maersk safety course available at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. Treasurer reported $1,100 in ship’s fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Recommendation was made to increase pension amounts and lower sea time requirements. Crew thanked steward department for a job well done. Requests were made for a new dryer, DVD player and movies. DEPENDABLE (Transoceanic Cable Ship Company), April 3 – Chairman Sanyboy Whiting, Secretary Emmanuel F. Laureta, Educational Director Vladimir G. Tkachev, Deck Delegate Donivan McCants, Engine Delegate Cecilio Bango. Chairman reviewed ship’s itinerary. Secretary expressed gratitude for crew’s help keeping ship clean. Educational director urged members to enhance their skills, which can lead to better opportunities and advancement. No beefs or disputed OT reported. It was noted that ship’s fund had a $2,700 balance. Suggestion was made to purchase a new ping pong table. (AMSEA), April 11 – Chairman Kreg D. Stiebben, Secretary Meili W. Seegers, Educational Director Donald D. Williams, Deck Delegate Chad Rudisill, Engine Delegate Fontanos Ellison, Steward Delegate Gennadiy Dragunov. Bosun discussed AMSEA policies concerning fraternization, drugs, alcohol and general safety. Secretary looking into modifying dinner hours. Educational director advised everyone to upgrade at the SIU-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members would like new video equipment in the crew lounge. Next port: Saipan. USNS DEWAYNE T. WILLIAMS The Seafarers LOG attempts to print as many digests of union shipboard minutes as possible. On occasion, because of space limitations, some will be omitted. Ships’ minutes first are reviewed by the union’s contract department. Those issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union upon receipt of the ships’ minutes. The minutes are then forwarded to the Seafarers LOG for publication. Steward Serves Succulent Sushi Recertified Steward John Huyett (above) regularly serves up an assortment of sushi rolls for fellow mariners aboard the Alaskan Explorer. “Sushi has always intrigued me,” Huyett wrote in an email to the LOG. So he bought a sushi-making set, read about the procedures and “started to assemble what was needed for a successful venture. I started out slow, making the ever-popular California roll. After I got comfortable with that one, I expanded my horizons with a couple of my own inventions – the Mediterranean chicken and the vegan rolls. One day, I was at a sushi restaurant and happened to see the chef making nigiri or hand rolls. It wasn’t long before I added shrimp nigiri to my repertoire. I later added the salmon and spicy tuna rolls.” Now, mariners line up for “Sushi Saturdays” aboard the vessel, featuring platters of freshly rolled sushi stacked and ready for enjoyment. Huyett added, “It has become a distinguishing mark here on the Alaskan Explorer. Aboard this ship, this is how we roll!” HORIZON HUNTER (Horizon Lines), April 10 – Chairman Loren E. Watson, Secretary Jennifer K. Jim, Educational Director Morris A. Jeff, Deck Delegate Ryan Legario, Engine Delegate Mohammad Siddiq, Steward Delegate Romeo Manasala. Chairman reported payoff at sea on April 16 and reminded members to check OT and pre-payoff documents. He asked them to leave a clean set of linen for arriving crew. Crew members were notified that they could renew mariner credentials a year in advance. Secretary read communications pertaining to trip tour scenarios aboard PEX, TP1 run vessels. Mariners were advised to check sailing board prior to leaving ship. Educational director advised all mariners to attend classes at the SIU-affiliated training center in Piney Point, Md. Treasurer informed crew that fish was purchased in Guam and that there was $1,400 in ship’s fund. Beef reported in the deck department concerning off-time; no disputed OT. Chairman suggested that all mariners read President Mike Sacco’s report in the Seafarers LOG to stay informed on new events within the union. Recommendations were made regarding upcoming contract negotiations. Vote of thanks was given to the steward department for good food. Next ports: Oakland, Calif. and Long Beach, Calif. HORIZON TIGER (Horizon Lines), April 24 – Chairman Lawrence Kunc, Secretary Terry L. Allen, Educational Director Paul P. Pagano, Deck Delegate Norman Taylor, Engine Delegate Lonnie Carter. Bosun announced payoff upon arrival in Wilmington, Calif., on May 1. He thanked his fellow CIVMARS Deliver The dry cargo/ammo ship USNS Robert E. Peary (right), crewed in the unlicensed positions by members of the SIU Government Services Division, delivers supplies to the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan May 25 in the Mediterranean Sea. The Peary is one of the U.S. Military Sealift Command’s T-AKE vessels. The Bataan is the command ship of a group conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Julio Rivera) July 2011 mariners for a safe voyage. Secretary informed crew that a new microwave for mess hall is to be purchased and asked seamen departing vessel to clean their rooms and get fresh linen. Educational director reiterated the need to renew documents in a timely manner and advised all mariners to enhance skills at the union-affiliated training center in Piney Point, Md. Disputed OT reported in deck department; no beefs. Suggestion was made to improve vision and dental plans and also increase vacation days. Requests were made for new mattresses and speakers for crew lounge. Next ports: Wilmington, Calif. and Oakland, Calif. MAERSK VIRGINIA (Maersk Line, Limited), April 3 – Chairman Roberto A. Contreras, Secretary Hugh E. Wildermuth, Educational Director Donald M. Christian, Deck Delegate Damon Lobel, Engine Delegate Christopher Sykes, Steward Delegate Simone Solomon. Chairman stated payoff to take place in Newark, N.J. on April 4. Secretary thanked fellow mariners for a safe trip. He also expressed gratitude for their help in keeping vessel clean and galley equipment repaired. Educational director encouraged mariners to upgrade at Paul Hall Center. Ship’s fund contains $2,000. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew made numerous recommendations about next contract and various benefits plans. Next port: Newark, N.J. OVERSEAS ANACORTES (OSG), April 5 – Chairman Felsher Beasley, Secretary Dana A. Paradise, Educational Director Cary G. Pratts. Chairman praised all departments for their good work. He urged mariners to check out www.seafarers.org or the union’s Facebook fan page for current information regarding the maritime industry. Members were advised to stay up-to-date on all necessary seafaring documents. Secretary stated forms were available upon request. Educational director reminded crew to get their time in and take advantage of upgrading at Piney Point. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Discussion was held pertaining to new washing machine operation. Crew would like coffee machine to be replaced in crew mess hall. Next port: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. PELICAN STATE (Crowley), April 24 – Chairman Raymond A. Tate, Secretary Milton M. Yournett, Educational Director Oscar Garcia, Deck Delegate Byron Graham. Chairman notified crew members that payoff would take place May 2 in San Francisco. Secretary reminded Seafarers to keep their documents updated and accurate. Educational director advised everyone to upgrade at the union-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md. Treasurer reported $3,000 in ship’s fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Vote of thanks was given to the steward department for their hard work. Next port: San Francisco. (Crowley), April 24 – Chairman Timothy J. Jackson, Secretary Stanley Krystosiak, Educational Director Louis A. Santiago, Deck Delegate Charles Mull, Engine Delegate Phillip Niles. Bosun advised everyone to upgrade at the SIU-affiliated school in Piney Point, Md., and make sure they stay up-to-date on their TWIC and MMD/MMC. Secretary reported a smooth trip. No beefs or disputed OT reported. President’s report from Seafarers LOG was read. Suggestions were made regarding pension benefits and bosun recertification class. All departments were thanked for jobs well done. PHILADELPHIA EXPRESS Seafarers LOG 19 �65262_Seafarers_X2:JUNE 2011 6/27/2011 7:07 PM Page 20 Mariner Reminisces Career With Fondness, Pride Continued from Page 14 It acknowledged that I had served honorably in the U.S. Merchant Marine for a given amount of time during the war. Its purpose was to exempt the mariner from any consideration in the military draft. I had never expected to have any need for it. However, in 1950, I was told that the exemption only applied to the draft laws of 1940; this was 1950, and a new draft law had been enacted. I was obligated to report to an induction center where I was given a physical examination and intelligence tests. I was not happy about this turn of events. I felt and truly believed that I had done my share six years earlier and wanted to spend my life in peace with my wife. I was accepted for service and told to prepare myself for induction. The war was waging in Korea and an officer recruiter told me that I would be offered a rating, as they needed men who knew something about Korea, especially since I was familiar with the three important cities: Seoul, Pusan and Inchon. It sounded interesting, but I was not looking forward to returning to Korea. In 1948, when I left there, Korea was attempting to recover from 35 years of Japanese occupation. I found its customs and lifestyles to be primitive compared to American standards. For one, I never got used to being in a vehicle on a narrow road behind honey wagons on a hot, sunny, dusty day. The stench was overwhelming. (Honey wagons collected and carried fertilizer made from human and animal waste.) On the day I was to be inducted, however, I learned that married men with or expecting children were excused from military service. I applied for and was granted an exemption. Our Eddie Jr. was due the following March. The drafting of World War II Merchant Seamen veterans in the 1950s was typical of how we were treated at the end of hostilities. No veterans’ benefits whatsoever, no medical treatment at the Marine hospitals for service-connected disabilities after 60 days, and being informed our wartime service did not count and that we were eligible to be drafted into the armed forces. If President Roosevelt had not died prematurely, benefits would have been given to us. FDR is on record requesting recognition for the contributions made by the U.S. Merchant Marine to the winning of WW II. Sadly, he died just before he was to sign the orders. A few months later, my younger brother John was drafted and was soon positioned at the front lines in Korea. My other younger brother, Jimmy, John’s twin, was exempt from service because he too was married and had a son, James Jr. Years later, in October 1968, James Jr., my nephew and Godchild was killed in action in Vietnam. Except for the petty officers, most of the gunners I sailed with in World War II were teenagers and at sea for the first time following basic training in boot camp. Each time we reached a new port, four or five of the gunners would be sent ashore and replacements would come aboard. At each port, the Navy would also put a different, seasoned Navy petty officer on board to teach the younger sailors Navy lore FINANCIAL REPORTS. The Constitution of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District/NMU 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/NMU 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 20 Seafarers LOG and basic seamanship. One time it would be a rated gunner’s mate and another time a rated bosun. The merchant crew would be invited to the classes. I attended when I could, I enjoyed it and I learned some valuable knot tying and splicing…. The majority of my shipmates during World War II were also teenagers, while the rest were old-timers in their upper fifties and sixties who had been seamen for most of their lives. I sailed with but a few middle-aged sailors, as ablebodied men in that age bracket had been drafted into the armed forces. I enlisted at age 16 and was 17 years old for most of the year I spent sailing the Pacific. The old-timers all had tales to tell about their experiences during the first years of the war. They had been torpedoed, bombed, and rescued out of lifeboats. One elderly oiler showed me three discharges all stamped Discharged at Sea. Three of his ships had been torpedoed and sunk. He had been picked up from lifeboats in the North Atlantic three times in three years. When a seaman finished a voyage and signed off a ship, he was issued a Certificate of Discharge that showed the date he had first signed on and the date he signed off. It also listed his position aboard ship and whether the voyage had been foreign. If his ship was sunk at sea, his pay stopped immediately and later, when he was able to obtain a Certificate of Discharge, it would be stamped Discharged at Sea…. In the evenings after supper, crew members would gather aft on the aft deck under the 5”38-gun turret and exchange stories. After a few weeks aboard ship, I could begin to tell which crew member embellished his tales and which crew member stuck to the facts. We all enjoyed listening to our second mate, the navigation officer, an elderly and friendly gentleman. He had been born and raised in Germany and had sailed in the German merchant navy before the First World War. He had served on the German liner Amerika. He told us that the Amerika had been the first ship to report icebergs to the Titanic in 1912. They transmitted the report by using their new Marconi radio. Unfortunately, the Titanic kept up speed, ignored the warning, hit an iceberg and went down in history as one of the most famous sea disasters. Our chief cook also had tales to tell. He had sailed to Murmansk, Russia, in one of the ill-fated convoys. His ship, although battered and bruised from enemy fire, was one of the few to make it to the Russian port of Archangel. The ship was forced to stay there for nine months, as it was known that a German battleship was waiting for them to leave port. Cookie, as he was called, did not have any good word for the Russians. He said that they treated him and his fellow crew members more like the enemy instead of the good Samaritans who had carried supplies from America to them under the most hazardous conditions. Most of the Russian dockworkers were women and had been forbidden to talk with them. No fraternizing whosoever with Russian women or men. Americans were also restricted in their travel Kn ow Y o u r R i gh t s 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 LOG. The Seafarers LOG traditionally has refrained from publishing any article serving the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to the union or its collective membership. This established policy has been reaffirmed by membership action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The responsibility for Seafarers LOG policy is vested in an editorial board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from among its ranks, one individual to carry out this responsibility. throughout the city and were subject to arrest if found outside the preset boundaries. Cookie’s captain was hesitant to use the ship’s fuel for generating electricity and heat, as he knew it would be needed for the return voyage. He requested the port authorities to allow the ship to draw electricity from a Russian power line and was refused. It was a long and very cold nine months. While there were times during the war when I had concern for my safety, I would gladly do it again. When I first went to sea, I was a 16-year-old inner-city kid who had never left the New York area. There was a slogan, “Join the Navy and see the world.” Well, I couldn’t join the Navy but I did join the U.S. Merchant Marine and I did get to see the world…. Thinking back to that era, I believe the excitement, the thrill, of visiting an exotic port lessened my fear of being blown to smithereens by a Jap or German submarine. The old-timers were always ready to remind us that it was foolish to worry about what could happen because, if it did, it would be all over in a matter of seconds. They had witnessed other tankers hit by torpedoes. There would be a loud explosion, followed by a dark cloud of smoke and then nothing. Maybe a little froth on the water for a few seconds. “In all likelihood, the crew didn’t feel a thing.” As the years passed by, I was very fortunate – my ship dropped anchor in lagoons and tied up at piers in islands and countries that as a little boy I had only read and dreamed of visiting when reading back issues of National Geographic magazine. Each port that I visited, small or big, gave me a feeling of accomplishment. I went to England, Ireland, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Panama, French Morocco, Spain, Gibraltar, the Bahamian Islands, Korea, Japan, the Philippine Islands, Okinawa, the Marshall Islands, Admiralty Islands, Caroline Islands, New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. This sense of satisfaction probably explains why I and the other teenage mariners who returned safely home at the end of World War II didn’t fight back when we were told we were not veterans and were not entitled to any benefits. Hey, we were still only 17 or 18 years old. We had the whole world in front of us. There was a popular song from that era – I’ll Get By – and that’s what we believed. In most states, if not all, 16-year-old kids are required to go to school. If they enlisted in the merchant marine in 1944, as their country asked them to, they must have quit school. “High School dropouts,” they’re called today. Someone, somewhere, should have said, “We owe these kids something. At the very least, let’s help them finish high school.” But no one did. We can sail any ocean, cross any river, give us the goods and we’ll deliver. Damn the submarines, we’re the men of the Merchant Marine. Ed Woods Atlanta, Georgia PAYMENT OF MONIES. No monies are to be paid to anyone in any official capacity in the SIU unless an official union receipt is given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any money for any reason unless he is given such receipt. In the event anyone attempts to require any such payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is required to make a payment and is given an official receipt, but feels that he or she should not have been required to make such payment, this should immediately be reported to union headquarters. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of the SIU Constitution are available in all union halls. All members should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a member feels any other member or officer is attempting to deprive him or her of any constitutional right or obligation by any methods, such as dealing with charges, trials, etc., as well as all other details, the member so affected should immediately notify headquarters. EQUAL RIGHTS. All members are guaranteed equal rights in employment and as members of the SIU. These rights are clearly set forth in the SIU Constitution and in the contracts which the union has negotiated with the employers. Consequently, no member may be discriminated against because of race, creed, color, sex, national or geographic origin. If any member feels that he or she is denied the equal rights to which he or she is entitled, the member should notify union headquarters. SEAFARERS POLITICAL ACTIVITY DONATION — SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to further its objects and purposes including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering of the American merchant marine with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen and the advancement of trade union concepts. In connection with such objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for elective office. All contributions are voluntary. No contribution may be solicited or received because of force, job discrimination, financial reprisal, or threat of such conduct, or as a condition of membership in the union or of employment. If a contribution is made by reason of the above improper conduct, the member should notify the Seafarers International Union or SPAD by certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for investigation and appropriate action and refund, if involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his or her economic, political and social interests, and American trade union concepts. NOTIFYING THE UNION — If at any time a member feels that any of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been denied the constitutional right of access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael Sacco at headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The address is: Michael Sacco, President Seafarers International Union 5201 Auth Way July 2011 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:21 AM Page 21 Paul Hall Center Upgrading Course Schedule The following is the schedule of courses at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md., for the next few months. All programs are geared to improving the job skills of Seafarers and to promoting the American maritime industry. Please note that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the membership, the maritime industry and—in times of conflict—the nation’s security. Students attending any of these classes should check in the Saturday before their course’s start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the morning of the start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reservations should be made for Saturday. Seafarers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at the Paul Hall Center may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010. Title of Course Start Date Date of Completion Marine Electrician July 16 September 9 Title of Course ARPA August 26 November 7 July 22 November 18 August 26 September 9 July 23 August 20 STOS August 5 September 2 August 27 Radar renewal (one day) September 9 September 7 September 7 Radar Observer August 6 August 19 Tank Barge PIC October 8 October 14 Tanker Asst. Cargo DL BAPO FOWT July 23 August 5 Engine Department July 23 September 17 August 19 October 14 August 20 September 16 UPGRADING APPLICATION Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Telephone (Home)_________________________ (Cell)_________________________ Date of Birth ______________________________________________________________ Deep Sea Member ❏ Lakes Member ❏ Inland Waters Member ❏ If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be processed. Social Security #_______________________ Book # ____________________________ Seniority_____________________________ Department______________________ Home Port_____________________________________________________________ E-mail________________________________________________________________ Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program? ❏ Yes ❏ No Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses? ❏ Yes ❏ No If yes, class # ______________________________________________________________ If yes, course(s) taken_____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ July 2011 Steward Department July 9 October 8 Galley Operations/Advanced Galley Operations These modules start every Monday. August 27 Lifeboat July 9 October 1 August 12 October 28 August 20 GMDSS Welding July 16 October 1 July 16 November 12 Fast Rescue Boats July 30 Chief Steward October 15 ECDIS Machinist Date of Completion August 20 Bosun Recertification August 20 Start Date Deck Department Able Seaman Junior Engineer October 14 August 19 July 29 October 21 August 19 November 18 Chief Cook These modules start every other week. The most recent class began June 27. Advanced Firefighting Basic Firefighting/STCW Safety Upgrading Courses September 17 July 16 September 10 Government Vessels August 13 Medical Care Provider October 1 MSC Readiness Refresher Vessel Security Officer NOTICE: July 30 October 15 September 30 July 22 September 16 August 19 October 7 August 5 October 18 NMC Web Site is Vital Resource for Mariners The National Maritime Center (NMC), the licensing authority for the U.S. Coast Guard, offers a comprehensive web site covering mariner credentialing, medical guidelines and much more. The site features a wide range of applications and forms, deck- and engine-department exam information, lists of Coast Guardapproved courses and more. Seafarers are encouraged to check out the site at:http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/ Mariners may call the NMC at 1888-IASKNMC (1-888-427-5662). Operational hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. (The NMC is closed for all federal holidays.) Various email forms also are available through the NMC web site. With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twentyfive (125) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the date your class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back or relevant pages of merchant mariner credential, front page of your union book indicating your department and seniority, qualifying seatime for the course if it is Coast Guard tested, 1995 STCW Certificate, valid SHBP Clinic Card and TWIC. COURSE ____________________________ START DATE _______________ ____________________________ _______________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ DATE OF COMPLETION _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ LAST VESSEL: __________________________________Rating: ______________ Date On: ___________________________ Date Off:________________________ SIGNATURE ________________________________ DATE___________________ NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only if you present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point. Not all classes are reimbursable.Return completed application to: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education Admissions Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189. The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, 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. 7/11 Seafarers LOG 21 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:22 AM Page 22 Paul Hall Center Classes Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 745 – Eleven Phase 1 unli- censed apprentices and two upgraders completed this 60-hour course April 15. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Vince Adolph, Jason Allen, Chivon Arnold, Lakisha Barnes, Valerio Bellezze, Daniel Coffman, Marc Costley, John Cragin, Priscilla Greene, Christopher Hughes, David Leader, Wadhah Mukbel and Adam Repko. Class Instructor Ben Cusic is at the far right. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Able Seaman – Twenty-one upgraders completed their requirements in the course April 29. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Shawn Bising, Matthew Caradimos, Curtis Church, Anthony Green Jr., Jonathan Green, Daniel Harris, Ricky Howard, Brandon Hubble, Ryan Landers, Kenneth LeDeoux, Curtis Lee II, Cory Mulligan, Shoal Nervo, Justin Pierce, Zachary Pollman, Ricky Rivera Martinez, Gavin Scott, Corey Shanley, Shaun Spencer, Stephen Warren II and Gary Youman. Bernabe Pelingon, their instructor is at the far right. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Government Vessels – Fifteen upgraders completed their training in this course April 29. Those graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Arkady Bichevsky, Daniel Coffman, John Coleman, Mark Hoffman, Peter Hokenson, Thomas Humpherys III, Hussein Hussein, Edgardo Ines, Ralph Kirby, Wadhah Mukbel, John Nersten, Angelo Schiraldi, Moses Scott IV, Peter Solis and Jose Torres. Tom Truitt, their instructor, is at the far left. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Government Vessels – Thirteen upgraders graduated from this course April 8. Completing their requirements and receiving certificates (above, in alphabetical order) were: Frank Battaglia, David Chance, Ricardo Dayrit, Lamont Faulks, Rosemary Glover, Korey Jackson, Ricky Langley, Carlton McMiller, John Noel, Gary Ramirez, Salah Saleh, Robert Scrivens and Kevin Youman. Class instructor Tom Truitt is sixth from the left. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Junior Engineer – Twenty four Seafarers completed the upgrading of their skills in this course April 29. Graduating and receiving certificates left, in alphabetical order) were: Talib Aekins, Antuan Barnes, Lennart Bergstrom, Michael Blue, Apolinario Calacal, Mario Dela Cruz, Virgilio Demegillo, Van Dixon, Ralph Garner, Mohsen Hubair, Brian Jackson, DeWayne Jacobs, Eric Martin, Frederick Nyarko, Vincente Ordonez, Robert Orloff III, Robert Rocanelli, Arthur Shaw, Amido Sindac, Peter Solis, Donato Surell, Scott Thompson, John White and Jimmie Williams. (Note: Not all are pictured.) BST – Sixteen Seafarers completed their training in this course April 11. Graduating (right, in alphabetical order) were: Magdy Balat, David Chance, Daniel Conzo, Hussein Hussein, Donald Irvine, Charles James, Thomas Moore, Paul Narro, Roger Nesbeth, Jimmy Ocot, Costica Oprisoru, Randall Rodgers, Peter Solis, Deralle Watson, Gregory White, and Alexander Young. Class Instructors Joe Zienda and Wayne Johnson are second from the left and at the far right respectively. 22 Seafarers LOG July 2011 �65252_Seafarers:JUNE 2011 6/24/2011 8:22 AM Page 23 Paul Hall Center Classes BAPO – Seventeen individuals, upgraders and Phase III unlicensed apprentices, completed this course April 29. Those graduating (left, in alphabetical order) were: Abdullah Alamri, Adam Bucalo, Edgar Castillo, Anthony Dell’Aquila, Joseph Griggs, Ross Halsted, Joshue Hammons, David Kabasinskas, Matthew Maynard, Antonio McAdams, Ronilo Monares, Amelia Ocampo, Michael Page, Dhahabi Quraish, Samuel Shuebrooks, Zachrey Stevenson and Samir Tarsha. Class Instructor Jay Henderson is at the far right. Advanced Refrigeration Container Maintenance – Twelve upgraders finished their requirements in the course May 6. Graduating and receiving certificates (above, in alphabetical order) were: Dennis Adjetey, Robin Bourgeois, Corey Downing, Joie Flesner, Joseph Grandinetti, Jeffrey Levie, Antoine Rainey, Rene Rosario, Trent Sterling, Jessie Turner, Philandar Walton and Richard Wright. Jay Henderson, their instructor, is at the far right. ARPA – Nine Seafarers completed this course April 29. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Reuben Brown, John Cappucci, Nicole Geideman, Gary Hirsch, Adel Irani, Enchantress Johnson, Karen Laycock, Raymond Maldonado and James Pearson. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Watchkeeping – Seven upgraders completed their training in this course Feb. 25. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Ray Adams Jr., Ron Boatwright Sr., Dominique Calvy, William Davis Jr., Dustin Marks, Felix Nunez and Hector Oritz. Joe Curtis, their instructor, is at the left. BST (HAWAII) - The following individuals (above, in no particular order) completed this course April 30 at the Seafarers Training Facility in Barbers Point, Hawaii: Robert Gonzalez, Rae Aguilera, Ryan Brady, Justin Challenger, Aretta Davis, Maximus Fuminaya, Preston Hadley, Matthew Hill, Olivia Kardos, Kevin Knight, Timothy Konick, Christopher Pahnlick, Hannah Perry, Brittany Samuels, Micah Stanton and Sylvia Taylor. July 2011 Specially Trained Ordinary Seaman – Seventeen individuals finished this course March 4. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Matthew Baptist, Robert Bryson III, Jeremy Cooke, Melissa Gooch, Marques Johnson, William Kane, Robert Mackey, David Marquez, Terry Mattison, Saleh Mohamed, Meree Mused, Bryan Page, Roman Pauley, Jonathan Scalsky, William Smith, Richard Swirtz and Robert Tlalka. Class Instructor Tom Truitt is at the far right. BST (HAWAII) - Nine individuals completed their training in this course May 7 at the Seafarers Hawaii-based training facility. Graduating (above, in no particular oder) were: Nancy Barnett, James Haywood, Stephanie Hernandez, Brianna Hernon, Corey Lowe, Patrick Mulligan, Cynthia Nieto, Katherine Pacifico and Michael Tompkins. Seafarers LOG 23 �65262_Seafarers_X2:JUNE 2011 6/27/2011 7:02 PM Page 24 Volume 73, Number 7 July 2011 Students Excel at Paul Hall Center Public Employees: Myths vs. Realities Pages 10-11 An early June stop at the SIU-affiliated Paul tices at the Piney Point, Md.-based campus. The Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education photos on this page were taken June 6-7 at the revealed the vibrancy of upgraders and appren- center. CROWLEY CREWS COMPLETE TRAINING – A number of Seafarers employed by Crowley took part in a two-day safety refresher course blending hands-on training and classroom instruction. Several of those mariners are shown in photos at left, right and immediately below. Successfully completing the class were Seafarers Raymond Petterson, John Figging, Anthony Willis, Susie Crawford, Robert Stone, Conrado Abinuman, Gregory Rivera, Delmas Price, Trevor Fouhey, Ronnie Boatwright, Todd Smith, Wesley Carey Jr., Paul Stanford, Ray Adams, Michael Morgan, Richard Salter, Jorge Solomon, David Massey and Scott Fletcher. FULL BOOKS PRESENTED – Seafarers Pamela Wilson (second from right) and Mayra Gines (third from right) received their full union books before the June membership meeting. The steward department members gathered with officials for this photo immediately after taking the union oath. Standing left to right are SIU VP Government Services Division Kermett Mangram, Philadelphia Port Agent Joe Baselice, Exec. VP Augie Tellez, Sec.-Treasurer David Heindel, President Michael Sacco, Gines, Wilson and VP Contracts George Tricker. SIGN OF DEDICATION – When Unlicensed Apprentice Joseph Dasteel (Class 744) saw an out- door sign for the UA program near the training and recreation center that he thought could be improved, he spoke up. When his offer to spend off-time tackling the project was accepted, he devoted hours to it and eventually finished the final strokes. After jokingly agreeing with a reporter’s lighthearted suggestion that the lesson is never to volunteer, Dasteel stated, “I was glad to have the opportunity to do something positive for the school.” EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT – Members Ray Fugit (fourth from left) and Kevin Stewart (third from right) each received a high school diploma prior to the membership meeting. They earned the diplomas through the academic department’s state-approved program. Congratulating them are (from left) VP Government Services Kermett Mangram, Port Agent Joe Baselice, President Michael Sacco, VP Contracts George Tricker, Exec. VP Augie Tellez and Sec.-Treasurer David Heindel. � 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 2010-2019 Description An account of the resource Volumes LXXII-LXXXI of the Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seafarers Log Digital Copies Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-2019 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 July 2011 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES SIU-CREWED PACIFIC TRACKER SUPPORTS CRUCIAL MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY TEST STATE DEPARTMENT HOSTS MARITIME SECURITY FORUM SEAFARERS-AFFILIATED AMO OPENS NEW HQ UNION-CONTRACTED COMPANIES RECOGNIZED FOR SAFE OPERATIONS PENN MARITIME CONTRACT APPROVED CONGRESSMAN EXPRESS STRONG SUPPORT FOR JONES ACT SEAFARERS-CREWED HOSPITAL SHIP COMFORT CONTINUES HUMANITARIAN MISSION MARINERS APPROVE NEW NOAA CONTRACT SIU MEMBERS RATIFY 5-YEAR AGREEMENT COVERING 19 SHIPS SQUADRON ONE COMMANDER PRAISES MERCHANT MARINERS STATE DEPT. GROUP EXAMINES MARITIME SECURITY VATICAN URGES PROMPT RESPONSE TO PROBLEMS CREATED BY PIRACY EXPERTS RELEASE NEW REPORT ON ‘HUMAN COST’ OF PIRACY YEAR 2010 GOES DOWN AS ONE OF MOST VIOLENT PERIODS ON RECORD AMO CELEBRATES NEW HEADQUARTERS BUILDING MARINERS HONORED ACROSS U.S. NEW STAMPS HONOR U.S. MERCHANT MARINERS CREATIONS HIGHLIGHT FOUR VESSELS THAT HELPED MARK MARINER HISTORY LONGTIME UNION REP SHEEHAN RETIRES HQ OFFICIALS, SCHOOL VP MEET SEAFARERS IN FLORIDA PACIFIC TRACKER ASSISTS IN KEY MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY TEST MARAD REPORT SAYS U.S. PORT CALLS GREW IN 2010 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seafarers Log Digital Copies Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 07/01/2011 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. 73, No. 7 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log 2011 Periodicals Seafarers Log