http://www.seafarerslog.org/archives_old/files/original/18275a9e3444a8310d3e8681d2de9dfa.pdf 955364d3003ddf0bf5cc440cb099e607 PDF Text Text F E B R U2016 ARY 2014 MARCH V OVOLUME L U M E 78 76 o NNO. O . 32 More Progress for Jones Act Fleet New SIU-Crewed Vessels Boost National, Economic Security Several milestones have been reached this year in new-build programs that are bringing state-of-the-art tonnage into the Seafarers-contracted Jones Act fleet. The LNG-powered containership Perla Del Caribe, left, has been delivered to TOTE Maritime, while Crowley Maritime recently christened the tanker Texas, below. Also, Philly Shipyard announced it has started construction on the first product tanker in a four-vessel order for American Petroleum Tankers. (Texas photo by John Curdy, Perla Del Caribe photo courtesy General Dynamics NASSCO) Pages 3, 20. MTD Speakers Send Message Strong Sealift Capability Vital for America Several guest speakers at the winter meeting of the Maritime Trades Department executive board stressed the ongoing need for the U.S. to maintain a vibrant American-flag fleet with strong sealift capability. No one delivered that message more powerfully than Maj. Gen. Giovanni Tuck of the U.S. Transportation Command, pictured with MTD/SIU President Michael Sacco in photo at immediate left. Rank-and-file Seafarers attended the two-day gathering Feb. 18-19 in San Diego, as did representatives from virtually every segment of the maritime industry. Many of the SIU members are pictured in the wide photo below, with SIU officials. The remaining photo shows SIU Asst. VP Nick Celona ringing a bell that was part of a memorial ceremony for the El Faro crew. Pages 7-11. General McDew Backs Mariners Page 2 MSC Commander Visits Piney Point Page 3 Union Membership Steady Page 4 �President’s Report SIU Continues Progress Our union is off to a strong start this year, both at sea and ashore. One of the most exciting developments for us is an upcoming move to a new union hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We’re on pace to make that move this summer, and I know it’s something many Seafarers and their families are looking forward to. Later in the year, we’re planning to open a new hall in Houston – another move that shows we’re heading in the right direction. We’re also continuing with improvements at our affiliated school in Piney Point, Maryland. Most of that refurbishment was finished a year ago, but we’re continuing to upgrade the facilities at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, both Michael Sacco inside the classrooms and outdoors on the main campus. Shipping has been very good lately, with plenty of jobs on the board. I’ve said this periodically in recent years and it’s still true today: A Seafarer may not always get to choose the exact ship or run he or she wants, but any member who wants to work can find a job. As always, the more you upgrade, the more options you’ll have. My confidence in our future is reinforced when I look at all the new tonnage entering the SIU-contracted fleet. This month alone, we’re reporting on three separate new-build programs that will help keep Seafarers employed. This month’s LOG also features coverage of the recent meeting of the Maritime Trades Department executive board. I was especially glad that a number of rank-and-file SIU members were able to attend that meeting in San Diego, to see what it’s all about. And what it’s all about, brothers and sisters, is my favorite four-letter word: JOBS. If you’ve never been to an MTD meeting or never really read our articles about those gatherings, I could understand if it all kind of looked the same. But those meetings are crucial for our union and for the others that make up the MTD. One of the consistent highlights is the supportive remarks made by guest speakers, and that was the case again last month. When you have a high-ranking military officer, congressmen, the president of the AFL-CIO and others vowing to support the U.S. Merchant Marine, it carries a lot of weight. It puts them on record and it lets us know we can count on them when we fight to protect the Jones Act, the Maritime Security Program, cargo preference and other laws and programs that boost our industry. None of this happens by accident. Not the new halls, not the new ships, not the steady work or the school upgrades or the high-level support from the military and government. By no means am I saying the SIU should take all the credit, but we’ve pulled our weight and then some, and we’re able to do that because of effective leadership and because of your solid support of my administration. Our continuity is a huge strength, and so is the steady, reliable professionalism of SIU members in every segment of the industry. When I and the other union officials are pushing for Jones Act support, or helping secure new tonnage, or working on a new contract, we always point back to the same thing: you, the rank-and-file member. Your outstanding work is what gives confidence to the military officer, the ship operator, the congressman or senator who’s being asked to support cargo preference or some other pro-U.S.-flag program. I’m excited and energized by our strong start in 2016, and I’m looking forward to our continued progress. FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 76 Volume 78, Number 3 o NO. 2 March 2016 The SIU online: www.seafarers.org The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthly by the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters, AFL-CIO; 5201 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, Nick Merrill; Photographer, Harry Gieske; Administrative Support, Misty Dobry; Content Curator, Mark Clements. Copyright © 2016 Seafarers International Union, AGLIW. 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 31913_LOG_X.indd 2 SIU-Contracted Companies To Operate 48 NDRF Vessels The job security of Seafarers got a boost with the U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) recent announcement of newly awarded operating agreements for 48 National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) vessels. SIU members will fill all of the unlicensed positions on 38 of those ships; on the remaining 10, Seafarers will sail in the steward department. All but two of the vessels are part of the Ready Reserve Force (RRF), which is a subset of the NDRF. The others support Missile Defense Agency missions. “These awards are a credit to the professionalism of both the SIU membership and Seafarerscontracted companies,” stated SIU Vice President Contracts George Tricker. “The RRF program has faced some challenges due to budget cuts, but overall, the new agreements are fantastic news for the SIU.” The contracts are for four years, and they include options for an additional four. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the agreements – with a total value of $1.96 billion – on Jan. 22 “Since 1946, National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels have facilitated U.S. strategic sealift, natural disaster response, and humanitarian operations all around the world,” said Foxx. “From supporting our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and providing humanitarian support for Haiti, to supporting the United Nation’s at-sea neutralization of Syria’s chemical weapons – this fleet reliably, economically, and efficiently advances U.S. contributions to global peace and prosperity.” The agreements apply to the following companies and ships: Crowley (4 ships): Cape Washington, Cape Wrath, Curtiss, Wright; Keystone (11): Cape Edmont, Cape Ducato, Cape Decision, Cape Douglas, Cape Diamond, Cape Domingo, Cape Kennedy, Cape Knox, Cape Race, Cape Ray, Cape Rise; Matson (3): Cape Henry, Cape Hudson, Cape Horn; Ocean Duchess (8): Cape May, Cape Mohican, Cape Intrepid, Cape Inscription, Cape Isabel, Cape Island, Algol, Capella; Pacific-Gulf Marine (6): Gem State, Grand Canyon State, Keystone State, Flickertail State, Go- pher State, Cornhusker State; Patriot (7): Cape Texas, Cape Taylor, Cape Trinity, Cape Vincent, Cape Victory, GTS Adm. William Callaghan, Cape Orlando; Tote (9): Altair, Bellatrix, Denebola, Pollux, Regulus, Antares, Petersburg, Pacific Collector, Pacific Tracker. In its formal announcement, MARAD noted, “The contracts were awarded to companies that offered the best value to the government. These seven companies are responsible for maintaining the ships in good mechanical condition and ensuring that crews are available to operate them when needed.” The agency also pointed out that RRF ships have been activated hundreds of times since the advents of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. “The U.S. Merchant Marine and National Defense Reserve Fleet play a crucial role in our nation’s security,” said Maritime Administrator Chip Jaenichen. “These contract awards will allow our commercial maritime companies to continue providing top-notch support to our troops who are stationed or deployed around the world.” Commanding Officer of USTRANSCOM Strongly Supports U.S. Merchant Marine The commander of the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) left no doubt that he believes America must maintain a strong U.S. Merchant Marine. Gen. Darren W. McDew wrote an op-ed earlier this year that first was published in The Virginian-Pilot newspaper and shortly thereafter was picked up by various websites. McDew is in charge of the agency that oversees global transportation for the Defense Department. Headlined “Losing Our Sea Legs,” the general’s article begins with an admiring recap of the U.S. airlift and sealift efforts during the Persian Gulf War (the latter an undertaking greatly aided by SIU members). McDew said the mobilization “represented the ultimate show of national resolve in the face of aggression.” He continued, “We all remember the news clips showing helicopters rolling off massive airplanes, but as a career Air Force offcer, I must tell you the reality is almost 95 percent of all cargo went by ship. The mere five percent moved by air required near full mobilization of commercial industry and maxed out our military airlift fleets. Indeed, sealift transported more than 2.1 million tons of cargo, which included everything from 2,000 main battle tanks to millions of Meals Ready to Eat.” While acknowledging that many people deserve recognition for U.S. success in that war, McDew wrote that the favorable outcome “was due in large part to the 10,000 U.S. mariners who sped 220 shiploads of decisive U.S. combat power throughout the buildup known as Operation Desert Shield. Without those mariners and vessels, our ability to project decisive force and demonstrate our national resolve would have been a mere fraction of what was required to ensure the swift victory the world witnessed. Simply put, moving an army of decisive size and power can only be accomplished by sea.” But the general’s op-ed wasn’t merely a history lesson. In fact, one of his main points was that the U.S. may not currently be able to duplicate its sealift performance from the Persian Gulf War – a development he described as shocking and unacceptable. “As a country, we have collectively worked to maintain a strong maritime industry that supports our needs,” McDew observed. “From enacting the Cargo Preference Acts of 1904 and 1954 to the Jones Act of 1920, and from a 1989 National Security Directive to the Maritime Security Act of 1996, we have sought to delay the day when U.S. national security interests could no longer be supported by a U.S. mariner base springing from our commercial sealift industry. “In the 1950s, there were more than 1,000 U.S. ships engaged in international trade,” he continued. “Each of these vessels employed and trained a pool of U.S. mariners we could rely on in a time of war to sail our forces to the fight. Today, there are only 78.” Predictably, he said, there has been a corresponding decline in the number of American civilian mariners. This puts the nation at risk, the general stated, because “the mariners who move international trade and those who transport wartime cargo come from the same dwin- Gen. Darren W. McDew Commander, USTRANSCOM dling pool of U.S. mariners. If that U.S. mariner base gets too small, we will have to rely on other countries to deploy our combat power.” After describing some of the current unrest around the globe, McDew wrote, “As a military professional and senior leader, I think about and plan for what the future may hold, and I would tell you we must prepare for the real possibility we will not enjoy the uncontested seas and broad international support experienced in 1991. If either of those possibilities becomes reality, and if we remain committed to responding to security incidents around the globe, the only way of guaranteeing we decisively meet our national objectives is with U.S. ships operated by U.S. mariners.” The full article is widely available online. Union Encourages Seafarers to Register, Vote Seafarers are strongly encouraged to vote on Election Day (or by absentee ballot during the election period). Detailed information about voter registration is available online at: https:// www.usa.gov/register-to-vote Via that website, depending on one’s state of residence, a visitor can either register directly online (23 states offer online registration) or complete the National Mail Voter Registration Form and then print, sign and mail it to the address listed under the user’s state in the individual “State Instructions.” The website also includes information about voter eligibility, voting by absentee ballot, finding local election offices and much more. March 2016 2/26/2016 4:02:05 PM �Perla Del Caribe Bunkered, Delivered The world’s second liquefied natural gas-powered (LNG) containership, the Perla Del Caribe, was delivered to SIU-contracted TOTE Maritime on Jan. 22. General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the vessel for service in the Jones Act trade between Jacksonville, Florida, and Puerto Rico, where it joins its SIUcrewed sister ship Isla Bella. SIU President Michael Sacco remarked, “The new Marlin Class vessels that TOTE operates are the first of their kind, and have set the bar for cutting-edge efficiency and very low emissions. These ships – the Perla Del Caribe and the Isla Bella – are the future, and they’re in good hands with SIU mariners on board.” “The Perla Del Caribe and the Isla Bella exemplify Anthony Chiarello (left), president and CEO, TOTE Maritime takes delivery of the Perla Del Caribe from Kevin Graney, VP and general manager at General Dynamics NASSCO. (Photo courtesy TOTE) world-leading, innovative technologies being used to build oceangoing ships that are cost-effective, friendly to the environment and offer a competitive edge,” said Kevin Graney, vice president and general manager at General Dynamics NASSCO, a union shipyard. He added, “NASSCO shipbuilders are proud to have successfully built the world’s very first LNGpowered containerships.” TOTE successfully bunkered the ship on Dec. 11, with bunkering services provided by the Californiabased company Clean Energy as well as Baker Hughes and Envent during a 48-hour period at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. The Perla Del Caribe received 210,000 gallons of LNG, which is nearly double the amount bunkered for the Isla Bella. “It has been a pleasure working with the men and women of NASSCO over the last three years to bring the Marlin Class from concept to reality,” noted Anthony Chiarello, president and CEO of TOTE. “The Isla Bella is already serving the people and communities of Puerto Rico and we are excited to introduce the Perla Del Caribe into the trade next month.” The two 764-foot-long containerships will be the largest dry cargo ships powered by liquefied natural gas, making them the cleanest cargo-carrying ships in the world, according to TOTE and the shipyard. This groundbreaking green ship technology dramatically decreases emissions and increases fuel efficiency when compared to conventionally powered ships – the equivalent of removing nearly 16,000 automobiles from the road. The Jones Act ensures that all trade between do- The Perla Del Caribe is pictured during its christening in mestic ports is carried out on vessels that are U.S.- San Diego. (Photo courtesy NASSCO) crewed, built, operated and owned. It also accounts for almost a half-million jobs in the U.S. while generating more than $100 billion in total annual economic ships and currently has seven commercial vessels in output. its backlog scheduled to be delivered this year and in Since 2005, NASSCO has delivered 12 commercial 2017. School Hosts MSC Commander The SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education (PHC) welcomed Rear Adm. T.K. Shannon (fourth from left in group photo), commander of the U.S. Military Sealift Command, and other Navy personnel for a tour on Feb. 2. Pictured from left to right in the group photo at the Piney Point, Maryland, school are Seafarers Plans Administrator Maggie Bowen, PHC Asst. VP/Manpower Director Bart Rogers, Lt. Patricia Greene, Rear Adm. Shannon, Lt. Cmdr. Colin Kennedy, SIU Exec. VP Augie Tellez, PHC Director of Vocational Training and Education Priscilla Labanowski, SIU VP Tom Orzechowski and Capt. Paul Stader. In the photo at the immediate right, Rear Adm. Shannon greets student Raheem West in a classroom. March 2016 Philly Shipyard Lays Keel For First of 4 APT Vessels Philly Shipyard in late January announced that it has started construction on the first product tanker in a four-vessel order for American Petroleum Tankers (APT), a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan. All four of these Jones Act-eligible ships will carry SIU mariners. “These new ships will be a great addition to the SIU fleet,” said SIU Vice President Contracts George Tricker. “Philly Shipyard, which is a union facility, produces some of the finest Jones Act vessels in the nation, and I know the SIU crews will do outstanding work aboard these cutting-edge tankers.” Each 600-foot long vessel will be able to transport 50,000 tons of crude oil or refined petroleum products. The four vessels are expected to be delivered beginning later this year and in 2017, at which times they will be entered into the Jones Act trade. The Jones Act is a vital maritime law that pumps billions of dollars into the U.S. economy while helping sustain nearly 500,000 American jobs. Steinar Nerbovik, Philly Shipyard’s president and CEO, remarked on Jan. 27, “Today marks our twenty-fifth keel laying celebration and I couldn’t be more proud of the 1,200 men and women of Philly Shipyard for their unyielding pride and passion that continues to bring all of our vessels to life.” Keeping with long held shipbuilding tradition, coins were placed on one of the keel blocks before the 650-ton unit was lowered into place in the dry dock. Representatives and guests from Philly Shipyard, Kinder Morgan and the United States Coast Guard were in attendance to place the coins as a sign of good fortune and safe travels. “This is an exciting day for Kinder Morgan. We look forward to taking delivery of this state-of-theart vessel at the end of 2016,” said Robert Kurz, vice president of Kinder Morgan Terminals and president of APT. The Tier II vessels are based on a Hyundai Mipo Dockyards design, which incorporates numerous fuel efficiency features, flexible cargo capability and the latest regulatory requirements, according to Philly Shipyard. The vessels will be constructed with consideration for the use of LNG for propulsion in the future. Philly Shipyard is also building two 50,000 dwt product tankers for SIU-contracted Crowley Maritime Corp. with planned deliveries during 2016, as well as two 3,600 TEU containerships – also to be crewed by Seafarers – for Matson Navigation with planned deliveries in 2018. Seafarers LOG 3 �America’s Union Membership Rate Stays Steady The nation’s union membership rate— the percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions—was 11.1 percent in 2015, unchanged from 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported January 28. The number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions, at 14.8 million in 2015, was little different from 2014. In 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, the union membership rate was 20.1 percent, and there were 17.7 million union workers. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez, following the release of the union membership report, issued the following statement: “With today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report, we are reminded again that the labor movement continues to be one of the most powerful forces for strengthening the middle class and providing economic stability, for members and non-members alike. “Median weekly earnings of full-time union workers ($980) were more than 25 percent higher than those of non-union workers ($776) in 2015. That’s not pocket change – it comes to more than $10,000 per year. That goes a long way toward writing the mortgage check, paying down the car loan, or even just keeping the kids in snow boots. And, that doesn’t even account for the superior benefits, safer workplaces and other advantages that come with union representation. “Plus, strong unions empower all working people, putting upward pressure on wages and labor standards throughout the economy. After all, you don’t need a union card to have benefitted from the advent of the weekend. “So we all have skin in the game when unions are threatened and collective bargaining rights come under attack. When a larger percentage of workers belong to unions, the middle class grows and thrives. But research shows that a decline in union membership over roughly the last four decades is responsible for one-third of the growth in wage inequality among men and one-fifth of the growth in wage inequality among women. “The Obama administration continues to push back against these attacks, exploring avenues for strengthening the right to organize and new strategies for giving workers greater voice on the job. We believe this essential to building an economy that works for everyone. “We’ve made a dramatic turnaround in the last seven years – from a devastating recession to the highest levels of job growth since the late 1990s. But, there is still unfinished business. We must do more to ensure that all working families can share in the fruits of this recovery.” Data on union membership are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 eligible households that obtains information on employment and unemployment among the nation’s civilian non-institutional population age 16 and over. According to the 2015 statistics: n Public-sector workers had a union membership rate (35.2 percent) more than five times higher than that of private-sector workers (6.7 percent). n Workers in protective service occupations and in education, training, and library occupations had the highest unionization rates (36.3 percent and 35.5 percent, respectively). n Men continued to have a slightly higher union membership rate (11.5 percent) than women (10.6 percent). n Black workers were more likely to be union members than were White, Asian, or Hispanic workers. n Median weekly earnings of unrepresented workers ($776) were 79 percent of earnings for workers who were union members ($980). n Among states, New York continued to have the highest union membership rate (24.7 percent). In addition to the foregoing, the new BLS figures also showed that unions made surprising gains in a region where labor faces some of its biggest legal and political obstacles to organizing: the U.S. South. In the 13 Southern states, the number of workers belonging to unions grew from 2.2 million in 2014, or 5.2 percent of the workforce, to 2.4 million by the end of 2015, or 5.5 percent of Southern workers. Eight Southern Region states gained union members, including four states that ranked in the top 10 nationally for growth in union membership: West Virginia (which rose from 11.6 to 12.4 percent, a .8 point increase), Mississippi (a 1.8 point increase), Florida and North Carolina (1.1 point increases). North Carolina’s rising unionization rate, which brings the state’s total number of union members up to 123,000, or 3 percent of the workforce, lifted it out of its position last year as the country’s least-unionized state. The bottom position among Southern states, as well as nationwide, now belongs to South Carolina, where the union membership rate stands at 2.1 percent. AMP Chairman Fires Back, Union Mourns Passing of Gen. Cassidy Demands Full Retraction Of Erroneous Jones Act Report The leading coalition for the U.S. domestic maritime industry has issued a blistering response to a massively flawed report that attacks the Jones Act. In late January, the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), to which the SIU is affiliated, posted and circulated a statement “in response to the sheer number of factual errors in the recent report published by the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure’s (Aii) – Jones Act: Protectionism v. Global Trade.” “The publication is littered with fabrications intended to mislead policymakers and we demand a retraction of the report,” said Tom Allegretti, chairman of AMP.  “It is shocking that a nonprofit organization led by former senior members of the U.S. military would produce such a factually inaccurate report and take such a myopic view of an important national security issue. They have failed to even acknowledge the fact that the U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, multiple four-star generals leading USTRANSCOM, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Secretary of Transportation, national security experts in the Congress, and many others have all stressed how critical the Jones Act is to national security.” The AMP chairman also suggested that the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure should do a better job of checking basic facts before issuing its publications. AMP seeks to set the record straight by correcting more than a dozen factual errors presented in the Aii report, including the following: CLAIM: There are “about six dozen Jones Act-qualified vessels” in operation. (Page 2 of report) FACT: There are approximately 40,000 vessels in the Jones Act fleet. CLAIM: According to the report, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has estimated that the Jones Act costs the nation $656 million annually. (Page 4) FACT: In truth, the ITC has completely backed away from that estimate (made in 2002) and now says it cannot calculate the cost of the Jones Act, if any. 4 Seafarers LOG The ITC changed its position after the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed the ITC’s findings and called them “uncertain,” “undeterminable,” “incomplete,” and “unverifiable.” CLAIM: The report asserts the GAO has found that “the price per gallon of gasoline [in Puerto Rico] is 15 cents per gallon higher … than it would be in the absence of Jones Act requirements.” (Page 6) FACT: Actually, the GAO found there was no way to estimate a “cost” of the Jones Act, if any, because it was impossible to know which American domestic commerce laws would be applied to foreign shipping companies if the Jones Act were repealed. The 15 cent figure cited by Aii exists nowhere in the GAO report. CLAIM: Aii says “foreign ships must avoid [non-contiguous states and territories] if the continental U.S. is their ultimate destination.” (Page 3) FACT: This claim is flatly wrong. The Jones Act only pertains to the movement of domestic cargo between domestic ports. A foreign ship coming from a foreign port may drop off foreign origin cargo at non-contiguous states and territories even if the continental United States is the ultimate destination. CLAIM: Aii reports it costs many more times to crew an American ship than a foreign ship. (Page 1) FACT: This argument is deceptive, comparing apples to oranges. Foreign ships are not required to meet U.S. wage standards and can pay their crews third world wages and benefits (and frequently do). (A recent New York Times story described waiters on a foreign cruise vessel as “paid $50 a month plus tips and no benefits.”) Of course, American shipping companies pay more for their American crews just as any American domestic industry pays higher labor costs than their competitors in third world industries. CLAIM: The report says the Jones Act requires foreign shippers to bring (Continued on Page 6) He may not be a household name to the younger members of today’s U.S. Merchant Marine, but Gen. Duane Cassidy played a gigantic role in keeping the industry alive during the 1980s and 1990s. The retired Air Force general – who served as the first commanding officer of the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) beginning in 1987 – passed away Feb. 8 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was 82 and had been bat- Cassidy is pictured during his active-duty days (above left) and tling cancer. more recently, while working with the NDTA. “General Cassidy was a man of honor and integrity,” said three decades.” SIU President Michael Sacco. “He was A native of suburban Pittsburgh, Casa tremendous leader, a true patriot and sidy retired from the Air Force Sept. 30, a respected friend. He was also a strong, 1989, after serving for more than 35 years. effective advocate for the American mari- He flew both bombers and cargo aircraft time industry.” (accumulating more than 8,000 flying SIU Executive Vice President Augie hours) before moving up the chain of comTellez said that despite Cassidy’s pow- mand. His military decorations and awards erful stature, “He was also just a down- include the Distinguished Service Medal, to-earth, nice guy. He was a mentor to Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Demany and motivator to all who heard him fense Meritorious Service Medal, Merispeak in public or in private counsel. At torious Service Medal with two oak leaf USTRANSCOM he was the driving force clusters, and the Air Medal. in getting all of his components to work Even after retiring, he continued to suptogether for the good of our ultimate cus- port America’s defense readiness, both as tomer: the guy in the foxhole putting his a board member with the National Defense life on the line.” Transportation Association (NDTA) and Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II, current as chairman of the board of officers of the commander of the U.S. Air Mobility Com- Airlift/Tanker Association, among other mand, called Cassidy “a pioneer. He will endeavors. Through it all, he remained an be greatly missed for years to come, but his outspoken backer of the U.S. Merchant legacy will certainly live on.” Marine. The current leader of USTRANSCOM, A loving father and husband, Cassidy Gen. Darren McDew, stated, “General is survived by his wife Rosalie, daughters Duane Cassidy will be remembered as a Diane and Susan, sons Mike and Patrick, husband, father, grandfather, friend to all, and their families, including eight grandand the man who built our great command. children and one great-granddaughter. He was an exceptionally rare leader, an of“Our Air Force family mourns the passficer whose legacy continues to influence ing of General Cassidy – an American nearly every decision we undertake in the Airman, decorated war hero, and legendDepartment of Defense’s transportation, ary architect of Air Force transportation,” distribution, and sustainment enterprises. said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Without his intuitive vision, particularly A. Welsh III. “Not only did he prove his his deep understanding of the importance worth in combat, he showed his heart in of enhancing our organic transportation countless humanitarian missions around capabilities with the strength and depth of the globe. Although we can no longer swap American industry, our nation would cer- war stories with him, we know General tainly not have achieved the successes we Cassidy will guard and guide the ones who have realized in war and peace over the last fly, both now, and forevermore.” March 2016 �Important Notice to Seafarers: STCW Basic Training and MMCs When renewing your merchant mariner credential, be sure to check the document beforehand to see if you have Basic Safety Training or Basic Training. On the international page of your MMC, (normally page 4), if you have the Basic Safety Training/Basic Training endorsement there will be Roman numerals. VI/1 means your MMC is endorsed with Basic Training. Some MMCs only contain the Roman numeral while others show VI/1 and the wording Basic Training. (The wording was added beginning in October 2012, initially saying Basic Safety Training and now Basic Training). Entry level and steward department mariners are encouraged to be especially vigilant in making sure they hold the BT (VI-1) endorsement on their MMC. If you do not have BST/ BT, you should apply for the endorsement by completing the Coast Guard application (free of charge). This endorsement is still renewable via sea service until the end of 2016. Beginning in January 2017, in order to renew a merchant mariner credential with an STCW Basic Training endorsement (VI/1), an applicant must show proof of having completed a Coast Guard-approved BT class within the last five years. This does not mean that all mariners must complete such a course by January 2017. For instance, anyone renewing their MMC this year (provided they’re already STCW-compliant) would have until their next renewal (as late as 2021) to complete an approved BT class. It also doesn’t mean that the credential itself or the BT-specific component of the credential somehow becomes invalid in January 2017. In fact, until January 2017, STCW Basic Training itself is still renewable via sea service (at least one year of sea time in the last five years). However, there is some urgency for mariners whose MMCs expire in 2017. When applying to renew those credentials, in order to meet the new BT requirements, individuals will have to show proof of having completed an approved class within the previous five years. Because BT has been renewable via sea service for many years, there may be a large number of mariners who haven’t taken the formal class in quite some time. More information about STCW requirements is available from the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center (admissions office) and on the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center website: http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/ March & April Membership Meetings Piney Point.......................................Monday: March 7, April 4 Dispatchers’ Report for Deep Sea January 16, 2016 - February 15, 2016 Port Total Registered All Groups A B C Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Harvey Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Jersey City Joliet Mobile Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS Deck Department 12 6 1 2 0 0 0 46 24 1 2 3 0 1 1 0 1 2 2 1 5 3 0 3 5 0 3 3 4 1 14 8 1 19 10 1 4 23 11 4 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 5 5 0 12 1 0 17 1 0 3 19 3 1 5 2 1 3 0 0 1 19 6 1 57 20 1 37 16 3 16 129 16 4 40 21 3 24 8 2 11 76 27 5 42 15 0 28 8 2 12 76 21 1 5 1 0 2 1 0 0 11 3 1 9 2 1 5 1 0 1 17 7 1 22 15 1 14 13 1 2 37 20 2 14 9 1 11 2 0 4 29 15 2 5 2 0 6 1 2 1 10 5 0 3 1 0 3 0 0 1 2 3 0 7 3 1 7 1 0 1 10 4 1 31 6 2 26 3 2 9 59 13 2 3 0 1 1 1 1 0 4 1 0 33 8 1 26 4 0 5 67 23 5 323 129 15 235 77 14 75 644 213 33 Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Harvey Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Jersey City Joliet Mobile Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS Engine Department 6 3 0 0 0 0 1 13 12 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 4 0 5 3 0 3 2 4 0 7 7 0 6 2 0 1 17 9 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 5 2 0 6 5 0 6 2 0 1 21 9 1 25 6 0 16 5 0 8 57 16 1 19 21 3 16 9 2 3 44 21 2 9 9 3 9 7 0 5 20 14 4 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 6 4 0 3 4 0 1 5 0 0 10 4 1 7 12 0 6 9 0 5 22 19 1 6 6 0 7 5 0 5 14 6 0 2 3 0 3 2 0 0 2 3 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 3 15 0 13 10 0 10 5 0 3 33 18 0 2 1 0 3 0 0 1 3 2 0 10 6 0 9 2 0 3 20 17 0 122 104 6 102 60 2 39 293 178 11 Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Harvey Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Jersey City Joliet Mobile Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS Steward Department 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 8 1 0 5 0 0 1 18 3 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 4 1 2 3 1 0 3 5 1 2 13 2 1 12 0 1 4 22 2 0 19 4 0 12 5 0 7 42 7 0 16 6 1 8 7 0 4 37 6 3 12 6 0 10 0 0 3 19 9 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 1 0 4 1 0 2 0 1 0 4 2 0 17 6 2 14 7 2 10 26 11 2 23 4 0 16 1 0 6 36 9 2 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 4 2 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 10 0 15 2 0 15 1 1 5 24 2 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 13 3 2 12 1 0 4 33 5 2 152 41 9 119 27 5 49 289 76 14 Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Harvey Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Jersey City Joliet Mobile Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS Entry Department 2 15 1 1 0 0 0 7 33 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 2 1 0 2 2 0 1 5 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 3 0 0 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 4 1 2 1 8 6 3 12 3 1 10 1 2 8 16 10 4 9 11 0 4 9 2 7 24 16 2 12 3 2 4 0 0 6 31 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 18 2 0 11 3 1 0 23 9 2 11 2 1 6 1 0 3 20 7 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 1 0 4 8 3 3 5 0 0 5 13 16 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 9 8 1 7 4 1 13 27 16 25 111 39 13 61 22 9 59 214 96 GRAND TOTAL: 622 385 69 469 225 43 172 1,285 681 154 Algonac...............................................Friday: March 11, April 9 Baltimore........................................Thursday: March 10, April 7 Guam.............................................Thursday: March 24, April 21 Honolulu..........................................Friday: March 18, April 15 Houston.............................................Monday: March 14, April 11 Jacksonville....................................Thursday: March 10, April 7 Joliet..............................................Thursday: March 17, April 14 Mobile.......................................Wednesday: March 16, April 13 New Orleans....................................Tuesday: March 15, April 12 Jersey City..........................................Tuesday: March 8, April 5 Norfolk...........................................Thursday: March 10, April 7 Oakland........................................Thursday: March 17, April 14 Philadelphia.................................Wednesday: March 9, April 6 Port Everglades.............................Thursday: March 17, April 14 San Juan........................................Thursday: March 10, April 7 St. Louis............................................Friday: March 18, April 15 Tacoma..............................................Friday: March 25, April 22 Wilmington.......................................Monday: March 21, April 18 Each port’s meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. March 2016 Total Shipped All Groups Trip A B C Reliefs Registered on Beach All Groups A B C Seafarers LOG 5 �NTSB Plans Launch of Second AMP Issues Contradictions Mission to Find El Faro’s VDR To Flawed Jones Act Report The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Feb. 11 that it would launch a second expedition to search for evidence in its investigation of the loss of the Seafarers-crewed cargo ship El Faro, which sank in the Atlantic during a hurricane on Oct. 1, 2015. According to the NTSB announcement, “A key objective of the upcoming mission, which is expected to begin in April and last about two weeks, is to locate the voyage data recorder (VDR) and to provide investigators with a more extensive and detailed survey of the shipwreck. The exact launch date will be announced later.” “The voyage data recorder may hold vital information about the challenges encountered by the crew in trying to save the ship,” said NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart. “Getting that information could be very helpful to our investigation.” All 33 individuals aboard the El Faro perished. They included 17 SIU members, 11 shipmates from the Seafarers-affiliated American Maritime Officers, and five Polish nationals. The 790-foot ship was located in about 15,000 feet of water near the Bahamas on Oct. 31. Over the next few weeks the ship and the debris field were documented with a video camera mounted on a remotely operated vehicle. Video revealed that the navigation bridge structure and the deck below it had separated from the ship. The missing structure included the mast and its base where the VDR was mounted. Neither the mast nor the VDR was found in the vicinity of the navigation bridge structure. The initial search mission was completed on Nov. 15. “After reviewing the data and video from the initial search, investigators shared findings with NTSB senior leadership who determined that a return mission … was warranted,” the agency noted. Editor’s note: A U.S. Coast Guard public Marine Board of Investigation hearing in Jacksonville, Florida, concerning the El Faro ended too late for inclusion in this issue of the LOG. A subsequent hearing has been announced but the dates haven’t been determined. NMC Makes Significant Changes To Mariner User Fee Webpage The Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center issued the following update on Feb. 5. This same notice is posted (with several related links) in the News section of the SIU website. On Feb. 5, 2016, Pay.gov released a significant update to the Merchant Mariner User Fee Payment webpage. The National Maritime Center (NMC) initiated this update to streamline and simplify the fee payment process as part of a continued effort to better serve the maritime community. Changes to the Pay.gov online fee page include: n A single-page layout where all fees are now selected and calculated on the same page n Updated endorsement names to reflect the fee schedule published in the Code of Federal Regulations (46 CFR 10.219) n An option to select the fee(s) for both officer and rating endorsements. The system will automatically calculate the appropriate fee in accordance with the regulation n An option to pay required exam and/ or issuance fees at a later date n A link to the NMC Live Chat has been added to the fee page, allowing users with questions to connect quickly with an NMC customer service agent for answers during normal business hours. Determining which evaluation and examination fees to pay can be complicated. To ensure you select the correct application and exam fee, please visit the NMC webpage (uscg.mil/nmc) for detailed information. You may also contact the NMC via Live Chat, email (iasknmc@uscg.mil), or by phone. As many refunds are issued for exams that were never taken, you may elect to wait until you have been approved to test before paying your exam fee. This may prevent you from having to request a refund, which can take several weeks to process. The NMC is continuously working to improve the mariner credentialing experience based on feedback provided by the Merchant Mariner community and industry. The new Pay.gov NMC user fee page should reduce the number of payment errors and refunds. Continued from Page 4 their goods to the mainland U.S. “where products are then offloaded and reloaded onto expensive vessels to be transported to [places like Hawaii and Puerto Rico] at substantially higher cost to consumers.” (Page 1) FACT: This claim is completely wrong. There is no requirement under the Jones Act, or anywhere else, that foreign shippers bypass the islands and reload their cargo on mainland vessels. Foreign shipping companies can deliver foreign origin cargo directly to Hawaii and Puerto Rico and they do regularly. In fact, nearly two-thirds of the vessels calling on Puerto Rico are foreign. CLAIM: The report states “it is not uncommon for foreign vessels to travel between Alaska and California, making a quick stop in British Columbia… This allows a vessel that does not meet Jones Act standards to avoid a waiver and still transport goods between U.S. ports.” (Page 5) FACT: Incorrect. Such a movement would be illegal. It is false that it commonly occurs or that the Jones Act (or any other law) encourages such a move. CLAIM: Aii describes the Jones Act shipping industry as “unchallenged by competition with no incentive to innovate.” (Page 7) FACT: The domestic maritime industry faces intense competition among itself, foreign shipping companies, railroads, pipelines, trucks, and airlines. The result is a highly innovative fleet that, with 40,000 vessels and an estimated 500,000 related jobs, is the envy of the world. The domestic fleet is a world leader in innovation, from the invention of the shipping container—called the invention that “made the boom in global trade possible”—to the recent construction of the world’s first LNG-powered containerships. CLAIM: The report quotes a “Patrick Holland” for the facts that Virgin Islands was exempted from the Jones Act in 1992 and “predictably the costs of shipping goods to the Virgin Islands from the mainland is now nearly half that of shipping to Puerto Rico.” (Page 6) FACT: The report does not provide any basis for these statements, and there does not appear to be any study or information of any kind backing up the data. (The report does not even explain who Patrick Holland is.) The statement that the Virgin Islands’ shipping costs is half as much is simply not true. Also, the Virgin Islands were exempted in 1936, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, not 1992. CLAIM: Aii claims that as result of the Jones Act and the lack of competition, “the [U.S.] cargo fleet has slowly deteriorated.” (Page 1) FACT: The American domestic fleet is 40,000 vessels strong and is the envy of the world. Over the last several years, the fleet has enjoyed a shipbuilding renaissance—the most significant in a generation. It is also highly innovative, e.g., creating the first self-unloading bulk carriers and the first LNG-powered containerships. This error probably represents confusion by the report writers with the U.S.-flag international fleet, which has decreased over the years for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with the Jones Act. CLAIM: The report cites as fact a 2010 University of Puerto Rico study “which concluded that the island economy loses approximately $537 million annually as a result of the Jones Act.” (Page 6) FACT: The report did not mention that a 2013 GAO study—by all accounts the most detailed study of the Jones Act ever conducted in Puerto Rico or anywhere else—directly contradicted this by saying such an estimate was not possible. CLAIM: Aii takes the novel position that “the complexity of the issue alone should encourage revision [of the Jones Act].” (Page 6) FACT: The Jones Act is not complex. Life without the Jones Act would be far more complex, as the Lexington Institute’s Dr. Daniel Goure noted, saying “[w] ere the Jones Act not in existence, DHS would be confronted with the difficult and very costly task of monitoring, regulating, and overseeing all foreign-controlled, foreign-crewed vessels in internal U.S. waters.” That would undoubtedly be complex. U.S. Coast Guard Posts Requirements to Report Hazards, Illnesses WHO Declares Zika Virus Global Public Health Emergency Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the Zika virus as a global public health emergency. This has prompted questions from the maritime industry regarding reporting requirements for any vessel’s crew members or passengers who may be exhibiting symptoms of the Zika virus. Vessel and facility representatives are reminded by the U.S. Coast Guard of the following requirements to report hazardous conditions and illnesses: n Under 42 C.F.R. § 71.21, vessel representatives are reminded that they are required to report sick or deceased crew or passengers within the last 15 days to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). n Also, under 33 C.F.R. § 160.216, the owner, agent, master, operator, or person in charge of a vessel is required 6 Seafarers LOG to immediately notify the nearest Coast Guard Sector whenever there is a hazardous condition aboard the vessel. While the presence of a person with Zika-like symptoms does not by itself constitute a hazardous condition, vessel operators should report suspected cases or other unusual circumstances whenever they are in doubt. The captain of the port should ensure that any parties making a report of this nature are informed of their obligation to notify the CDC. The White House has requested $1.8 billion from Congress to combat the Zika virus, for mosquito control, training programs and laboratory capacity to test for the virus. In a statement, the White House reported, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 50 laboratoryconfirmed cases among U.S. travelers from December 2015 - February 5, 2016. As spring and summer approach, bringing with them larger and more active mosquito populations, we must be fully prepared to mitigate and quickly address local transmission within the continental U.S., particularly in the Southern United States.” Some key points to remember concerning Zika: n Zika is a virus that is spread by mosquitoes; the virus may be spread via blood transfusions, sexual contact, and from mother to child in the womb. Most people who get Zika will not have any symptoms. n Those who do get symptoms will generally have a fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), and, occasionally, muscle pain and/or a headache. It is uncommon for people infected with the Zika virus to require hospitalization, and deaths are rare. n There is no specific treatment or vaccine for Zika. Recommended supportive care is rest, hydration, and pain/ fever management with acetaminophen (i.e., Tylenol). n Take preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites. The mosquitoes that transmit the Zika virus bite mostly during the daytime. Cover exposed skin and use insect repellent. (Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months of age). CDC information on insect repellent and recommendations for preventing mosquito bites can be found at http:// wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/avoid-bugbites Visit the News section of the SIU website for related posts from the Coast Guard and the WHO. March 2016 �2016 Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO Executive Board Meeting, February 18-19, San Diego, California ‘You’re Critical to our National Strength’ TRANSCOM Officer Cites Reliance on U.S.-Flag Sealift A high-ranking officer from the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) recently said U.S. Merchant Mariners are vital to the nation’s military operations. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Giovanni Tuck, USTRANSCOM director, operations and plans, addressed the executive board of the Maritime Trades Department (MTD) Feb. 19 in San Diego. In addition to praising the performance and reliability of civilian mariners, he expressed solid support for the Jones Act, the Maritime Security Program (MSP) and its related Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA). Tuck also stated that his agency is actively promoting programs that boost American-flag sealift. “The U.S. Transportation Command’s commander’s top priority is to ensure our nation maintains the capability to take the fight to the enemy,” Tuck stated. “This capability is solidly grounded in our ability to crew U.S. ships with U.S. mariners. “The bottom line is we trust you, and our nation’s leaders trust you to carry our military men and women and their equipment anywhere in the world, across contested seas and at a moment’s notice,” he continued. “The question I have is, our combat forces are ready – but are we?” That question didn’t involve individual willingness, but rather, sufficient numbers of mariners and U.S.-flag bottoms. “We’re definitely concerned,” Tuck said. “As that supply of U.S.-flag vessels and American mariners slowly ebbs, we are faced with a tough situation. Which other nation will project American combat power if we can no longer project it for ourselves? That is a fundamental question that we really have to have answered.” With that in mind, Tuck stated, “I’m going to keep championing that we need to put things on (commercial) ships…. We need the power of sealift and the mariners that deliver it to keep that anytime, anywhere promise we make to the American people. “We have a significant goal in common: a strong and healthy national maritime industry,” he added. “Your commitment to our nation’s maritime strength has led to legislation that ensures we are growing our own fleet rather than financing” foreign builds. Tuck said the Jones Act “contributes to a robust domestic maritime industry. It helps uphold the U.S. industrial shipyard base and an infrastructure to construct, repair and overhaul U.S. ships. The Jones Act requirement for U.S.-built and U.S.crewed vessels provides additional capacity and trained merchant mariners that can also crew our reserve fleet whenever needed.” He also said the MSP and VISA programs are crucial. “Access to commercial sealift capacity is critical to meeting the nation’s requirements,” Tuck said. “There is strength in unity. Simply put, we can’t do this without you.” He mentioned recent speeches by Gen. Darren McDew, USTRANSCOM’s commanding officer. Anyone who heard those remarks would “know the command is acutely aware of the importance of the U.S. maritime community and all you represent,” Tuck said. “While we can deliver the first combat vehicle quickly by air, we need sealift to deliver a combat brigade.” Tuck also stressed that the need for strong sealift capacity isn’t hypothetical. “The world we live in is dangerous – not just in the past or in the future, but today,” he stated. For example, he said the “strategic lift necessary to respond to a crisis in Korea would rival the incredible volume we moved in support of Desert Shield. All the while, we are reducing our global footprint, which of course increases our strategic lift requirements. We are facing an increasingly contested global commons, which complicates strategic lift. “All these factors and others point to a need to increase our sealift capacity rather than watch it dwindle,” he continued. “So what’s next? TRANSCOM will continue to engage our nation’s leaders where readiness gaps are concerned, not just because it’s our mission to be ready but because we are called. And we are called on the other end Federation Speakers Address Apprenticeships The MTD meeting included a joint address from Jane McDonald (second from right), assistant to AFLCIO President Richard Trumka, and Dan Marshall (second from left), executive director of the federation’s Working for America Institute. They are pictured with MTD/SIU President Michael Sacco (right) and Operating Engineers President James Callahan. McDonald and Marshall discussed workforce development through Department of Labor grants, including apprenticeship initiatives. “The bottom line is, we want to make sure the Department of Labor understands that apprenticeship programs work best when they are carried out through labor-management partnerships and are directly linked to a job,” McDonald stated. March 2016 Maj. Gen. Giovanni Tuck Director, Operations and Plans U.S. Transportation Command of that line, as a joint task force commander, with a critical and often immediate need. If we’re going to remain ready to answer that call, we must evaluate our sealift capacity with open eyes.” Briefly reflecting on a distinguished career that included prior work at USTRANSCOM, Tuck said he was impressed with what he saw and heard during the two-day MTD meeting. “One huge takeaway that I got from being here is how well you all work with each other,” he noted, pointing out that people from most if not all segments of the industry were present. “I’m very charged up by that, because I don’t know many other organizations like this. People come because they really want to do right by their workforce and right by the mission that’s laid out before them.” He compared his return to TRANSCOM, including the related work with the MTD and its affiliates, to “being back with family.” “Our command has always and will always depend on America’s Merchant Marine,” he concluded. “Thank you for your continued commitment to our nation’s defense. You’re so critical to our national strength and USTRANSCOM’s ability to accomplish its mission. When there is a fight to be had, you take the fight to the enemy. You ensure our commanders on the ground have what they need to achieve national objectives. There is strength in unity. Together, we deliver.” ITC Generates Big Returns Michael Stotz, president of the AFL-CIO Investment Trust Corporation (ITC), addresses the MTD executive board on the first day of their winter meeting. “My goal is to ensure that union dollars, when invested, create union jobs,” Stotz summarized before presenting the board with an impressive portfolio of the ITC’s current projects and projected returns. Funds served by the ITC have more than $10 billion in total assets, according to their website (http://aflcio-itc.com/). Seafarers LOG 7 �2016 Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO Executive Board Meeting, February 18-19, San Diego, California Shipyard Exec. Sees Bright Future for NASSCO Various New Builds Support Jones Act Trade, U.S. Military Operations Bringing with him examples of recent success, a union shipyard executive spoke to the Maritime Trades Department executive board on the positive benefits of working more closely with your employees, and how such cohesion can lead to greater productivity. “I’m here to talk to you about the ships at NASSCO, and I’m here, more importantly, to talk to you about the people at NASSCO and what our great workforce is up to,” said Kevin Mooney, vice president of programs and supply chain management at General Dynamics NASSCO, during his presentation to the MTD board Feb. 18. The gathering took place in San Diego, close to the shipyard (which employs union members). Mooney began with a presentation about the latest containerships – built for SIUcontracted TOTE Maritime – and ECO tankers, which are being constructed for Seafarers-contracted American Petroleum Tankers and SEACOR. All of those vessels represent the latest innovations in efficiency and emissions-reduction, making them among the most environmentally friendly ships in the world, he said. After mentioning that NASSCO also operates ship repair facilities all over the country, Mooney presented a video of the SIU-crewed expeditionary transfer dock USNS Montford Point (ESD-1), formerly known as a mobile landing platform, during the ship’s military testing. The 784-foot vessel supports U.S. Military Sealift Command operations and is capable of launching landing-craft vehicles from up to 25 miles away from shore. He then thanked MTD President Michael Sacco (who also serves as president of the SIU) and the maritime community for their support of the ESD program. “We couldn’t build ships for the Navy, we wouldn’t get these contracts without your support,” Mooney said. “Last year, in April, Mike Kevin Mooney Vice President, Programs and Supply Chain Management General Dynamics NASSCO [Sacco] wrote some letters to the chairpersons of the Appropriations Committee in both the House and the Senate, which helped us secure the necessary funding for the fourth ship of that class. Mike, thank you.” Turning from the ships that have been recently built, Mooney discussed the potential new builds of the near future. NASSCO is currently bidding on a variety of vessels, he said. Currently, though, NASSCO is what Mooney described as a “tanker factory. U.S. Maritime Industry Harbors Plan For ‘Knockout’ in Trade Agreements Likening the decades-long fight to a boxing match, a guest speaker at the Maritime Trades Department executive board meeting said the U.S. maritime industry continues winning rounds but is still looking for a Donald O’Hare Trade Consultant 8 Seafarers LOG knockout punch when it comes to excluding maritime from trade agreements. Donald O’Hare, a trade consultant who formerly served as a Sea-Land executive and a vice president of the World Shipping Council, said in his Feb. 18 address that trade negotiations “can be really boring, as long as the negotiators’ target is on someone else’s back. But when you notice that there is suddenly a target on your back, things change.” O’Hare spoke from experience. He has served as an industry advisor to U.S. government delegations to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the UN Commission on International Trade Law, the World Trade Organization and numerous other bilateral negotiations. He provided a detailed history of how the maritime industry “became entangled in the trade process in the first place” before addressing current negotiations. O’Hare credited the efforts of MTD/SIU President Michael Sacco and SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel for helping secure a number of wins for American-flag shipping and U.S. crews throughout the years. (Heindel serves on the U.S. Secretary of Labor’s Trade Advisory Committee.) O’Hare offered some history on a Geneva-based organization called the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT, the name of both the body and its related pacts), formed after World War II. The U.S. maritime industry stayed out of GATT until the mid-1980s. “Long story short, at 3 a.m. on the last night of the 11-year negotiation (in 1986), Starting in December, we delivered the first of our eight tankers, and they’ll all be delivered by the middle of next year,” he noted. “So that’s eight tankers going through the yard in a period of 18 months. It is the most rapid buildup, and also the busiest production rate, ever in the history of NASSCO.” That first ship, the LNG conversionready Independence, will be operated by SIU-contracted Seabulk Tankers. The next two will also be built for Seabulk, and all eight will sail in the Jones Act trade. Mooney also talked about the influx of a last-minute proposed trade-off between U.S. maritime services and European Union movie quotas was considered,” O’Hare recalled. “You heard correctly: An agreement to bring both U.S. maritime services and the European film industry into the GATT liberalization process. An unlikely deal that almost came about. A series of last-second, very high-level U.S government phone calls put an end to it. We can thank President Sacco for putting that process in motion that night. But it showed us how precarious the trade process can be. So we won round one – but not by knockout.” He continued, “More recently, we dealt with the so called Doha Round of the World Trade Organization trade talks. Since its start in 2001, thanks to the efforts of the United States Maritime Coalition and the American Maritime Partnership, continuing pressure by Congress and the Maritime Administration and a better understanding of the importance of our industry by the U.S. trade representative, foreign efforts to drag maritime services back into the trade process have been unsuccessful. We won round two of our trade fight, but still no knockout.” Turning to other battles, O’Hare discussed the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP, which includes more than 5,500 pages), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA). The TTIP is “of more immediate concern,” he stated. “It is a bilateral negotiation between the United States and the European Union with multiple chapters…. There is considerable pressure from the European side to include maritime transport services which, as of now, has been resisted by the U.S. side. However, European shipowners and shipyards see this as an opportunity to make inroads into some U.S. domestic ship- mechanics this build schedule required, and how NASSCO applied lessons they had learned from previous periods of rapid training and employee hiring. “In the past, when we did this 10 years ago, people in human resources would do a very quick screening, we’d bring in the applicants and we’d throw them over to the school,” he recalled. “It was okay, but attrition was high. This time, we said, ‘All right, we’re going to be a little more careful. We’re going to screen them more, have people from operations – the people who are actually going to work with them, on the deck plates – they’re going to do the screening and indoctrination.’ And the training program was going to be more targeted to be more effective to the actual work they were going to do in the yard.” The new training program involved Mooney visiting the school for every new class of employees. He would then lay out a verbal contract with the newly hired individuals, asking for three things: show up on time, work hard and have a good attitude. He then says he told the trainees that NASSCO would take care of, “the rest,” and that he’d elaborate on that point at graduation. When each class graduated, he’d lay out the other side of that pact for them, stating that management owed them: a safe workplace, a fair wage, respect, tools and training to succeed, opportunity for growth, and recognition for a job well done The results of those changes to their training program included a reduction in the attrition rate by 35 percent, more cooperation and collaboration between various other workers and operations staff, and quicker promotions. Mooney concluded his presentation with a video of the recent christening of the Isla Bella. The SIU-crewed vessel, which was sponsored by Michael Sacco’s wife, Sophie, is the world’s first LNG-powered containership. ping markets. Their three specific targets are feeder services, dredging and the use of European-built vessels in certain domestic services such as offshore supply and the potential offshore wind energy market.” However, strong U.S. efforts both at home and abroad to protect American-flag ships and U.S. mariners are ongoing. O’Hare quoted from a U.S. Maritime Coalition letter (the SIU is an affiliate) that summarized the industry’s collective position: “The industry – carriers, shipyards and seafarers – has a simple message: It strongly opposes the inclusion of maritime matters in trade agreements because it is detrimental to the United States’ national defense and economic interest. Recognizing the negative impact to the United States, the USTR and every administration worked to ensure maritime matters were not included in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), or any regional or bilateral trade agreements. Our laws and regulations are clear and transparent. Our international trades are liberalized, as evidenced by the fact that roughly 97 percent of international trade with the United States occurs on foreign-flag vessels. We do not believe it is desirable, appropriate, or necessary to include maritime matters in the TTIP or any other trade agreement context.” O’Hare said the U.S. maritime industry has been heard “loud and clear. I know the MTD and its affiliates, under the leadership of President Sacco and (MTD Executive Secretary-Treasurer) Dan Duncan – along with the carriers, shipyards and others in the coalition will continue to provide a unified voice in defense of our industry. “This ongoing maritime trade fight may finally be over this year or more likely next,” he concluded. “And hopefully this time by knockout.” March 2016 �2016 Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO Executive Board Meeting, February 18-19, San Diego, California Congressmen Reaffirm Support For U.S. Mariners Their respective years in Congress contrast greatly, but the two U.S. representatives who recently addressed the Maritime Trades Department executive board both voiced enthusiastic support for America’s working families and for the U.S. Merchant Marine. U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) kicked off the two-day gathering Feb. 18, while U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) was the final guest speaker the next day. Veasey has served in Congress since 2013; Hoyer is in his thirty-sixth year in office. Veasey said that as a member of the House U.S. Representative Marc Veasey Armed Services Commit(D-Texas) tee, “I have learned firsthand about the support our [military] needs to respond tional and economic security, and said he is to evolving national security threats. Since proud to support it. In addition to ensuring the founding of the United States, civilian the availability of privately operated, milimariners have been at the forefront of the tarily useful vessels, the program “also ennation’s economy and security…. Today sures that well-trained American Merchant the U.S.-flag fleet still performs a critical Mariners are available to serve as crew,” he and vital role for our nation.” noted. A member of the Congressional MariTurning his attention to the labor movetime Caucus, Veasey said many Americans ment, Veasey stated, “Our nation’s unions may not realize the importance of the marihave done tremendous work to ensure the time industry and the impact it has on their economic security of the maritime industry. daily lives. “But we depend on the quality Unions have a long tradition of champiof our docks, our shipping industry and the oning better working conditions for their talents of our workers in the maritime inmembers and work to ensure that our workdustry,” he said. “If we want our country to ers are fairly compensated…. I salute our continue to prosper, our maritime industry unions for all the work they have done and must continue to thrive.” continue to do to keep our economy thrivVeasey explained how the U.S. Mariing.” time Security Program (MSP) benefits naHoyer’s district includes Piney Point, that the proliferation of part-time jobs across the nation, while convenient in some circumstances, leaves workers with “greater uncertainty about their future.” “There’s a direct correlation: As we see union membership shrink, people are less well-off,” Hoyer stated. “As I see it, the election this November boils down to [one] question,” he continued. “Will we elect leaders who will help our workers and their families navigate the profound changes taking place in our economy, or will we elect those who tell U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer them, ‘You’re on your (D-Maryland) own.’?” He said pro-worker legislators “believe Maryland – home of the SIU-affiliated we’re in this together. That’s what unionPaul Hall Center for Maritime Training and ism is all about – the theory that a single Education. He called the school “one of voice can be easily ignored, but if you add the great training centers in our country,” 10 voices, or 100 or 1,000 they will not and and also offered condolences to family and friends of the El Faro’s final crew, many of cannot be ignored.” Hoyer said he still believes bipartisanwhom had trained in Piney Point. ship is possible, and was reflected in last A longtime friend of both the SIU and the MTD, Hoyer said maritime is “an indus- year’s reauthorization of the U.S. ExportImport Bank. Gridlock in Congress has try which is absolutely critical to our counlargely been caused by a small group of try’s strength. We need to keep it strong.” He also saluted the “courage and dedica- political extremists, he said. Additionally, he said he is still promottion America’s maritime workers demoning his “Make it in America” agenda. The strate every day.” program was launched in 2010 to promote Shifting to workers’ rights, Hoyer said job growth, wage growth and a revitalizathe upcoming elections are “a great chaltion of U.S. manufacturing. lenge and turning point” for America’s “All people in America do better when working families. He said he encourages all working people do better,” he concluded. eligible workers to join unions, and noted Former Ohio Congresswoman Highlights Vast Importance Of Great Lakes Transportation The final speaker on the first day of the Maritime Trades Department executive board meetings, Betty Sutton, was proud to list her numerous ties to the labor movement. “Before I was a member of Congress from northeast Ohio, I was the daughter of Boilermaker,” she stated. “I was the sister of an Ohio Steelworker, the sister of a teacher, the wife of a union leader and firefighter and the aunt of a United Food and Commercial Worker, and I was a union-side labor lawyer. That’s who I am.” As the Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, Sutton is now closer than ever to the issues that the maritime community faces on a daily basis. In a room full of industry leaders, she was quick to welcome a group in particular: “It’s good to see some of our (vessel) operators here today, because industry is a big part of the maritime family, and we’re in this together.” That theme of togetherness would carry on throughout her speech. “My connection to the AFL-CIO and the affiliates of the MTD is longstanding,” Sutton said. “It won’t surprise you that, as the Seaway Administrator, I remain very appreciative of all the work that you and your members do, and the contributions that you make to the vitality of maritime commerce in our nation.” Sutton also relayed her hope that the maritime industry could receive more widespread recognition for their actions. “Most people don’t think about how things move through our transportation system, how that March 2016 bowl of cereal ends up on their breakfast table, or how that salt ends up on the roadways,” she said. “Now, coming from Ohio, we’ve seen some salt. But they sure would miss it if it wasn’t there, and chances are that salt came on a ship through the Great Lakes.” The former Congresswoman also highlighted the economic value of the maritime industry. “If you look more broadly at the impact of our nation’s coastal seaports, since 2007 the total number of jobs supported by cargo moving via the nation’s coastal seaports increased from 13.3 million jobs to 23.1 million jobs,” she said. “The total economic value of the nation’s coastal ports increased from $3.2 trillion in 2007 to $4.6 trillion in 2014. That is significant.” But the economic impact of maritime trade is not just felt in coastal states with bustling seaports. As Sutton said, “Every state in the United States depends on maritime trade, and the growth in port activity requires strong connections to our inland markets… The maritime cycle supports jobs from many different industries and modes [of transportation] throughout the nation, not just in the port areas. So maritime is a critical economic driver, and it’s worth noting that marine shipping is the most environmentally efficient mode of transportation. Maritime can move cargo cheaper, greener and faster.” “At the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, we’re working to focus attention, certainly on increasing maritime through the Great Lakes and Betty Sutton Administrator, Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation through the Seaway, but also at increasing maritime in general,” she noted, explaining the economic and infrastructure importance of the Seaway. “The Great Lakes Seaway System extends from the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence in the Atlantic to the twin ports of Duluth and Superior – over 2,300 miles. Just to give you an idea of how complicated the governance can be in a system like this, a vessel transiting the Seaway crosses the international border 27 times, making binational cooperation an imperative. And we work very hard with our Canadian counterparts to make sure that the transit experience is seamless for our users.” Sutton was also quick to point out the relative size and importance of trade along the Great Lakes. “If you took the water in the Great Lakes and spread it over the continental United States, it would cover the U.S. in nine-and-a-half feet of water… The lakes are a coast, the fourth sea coast as sometimes they’re referred to, and we need to get the word out. The Great Lakes region also represents the third largest economy in the world. If the eight Great Lakes states and the two Canadian provinces were a country, we would be the third largest economy, behind the U.S. and China.” She concluded by advocating for everyone to take a public, visible stand for maritime. “Your commitment to keeping this industry strong is what drives all of those economic impacts that I mentioned earlier,” she said. “I want to extend my personal thanks to all of you, who have done so much to elevate the maritime industry.... We must all be ambassadors for maritime. Maritime matters. You matter, and your members matter.” Seafarers LOG 9 �2016 Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO Executive Board Meeting, February 18-19, San Diego, California MTD at a Glance Robert Scardelletti President TCU Eric Dean President Iron Workers Gunnar Lundeberg President SUP Anthony Poplawski President MFOW David Heindel Secretary-Treasurer SIU The Maritime Trades Department is a constitutionally mandated department of the AFL-CIO. It was formed in 1946, and its 21 affiliates include the SIU. Altogether, those unions represent more than 5 million members. The MTD also features 21 port maritime councils. SIU President Michael Sacco also serves as MTD president, a post to which he most recently was re-elected in 2013. The coverage on pages 7-11 reflects some of the happenings at this year’s MTD executive board meeting, which took place Feb. 18-19 in San Diego, California. Check out the MTD’s website (maritimetrades.org) for additional information about the department. Ron Krochmalny President Michigan Port Council Joseph Sellers General President SMART MTD President Michael Sacco sounds the gavel officially opening the 2016 MTD Executive Board Meeting in San Diego, California. Jim Given President SIU of Canada Mark Spano President Novelty Workers Paul Doell President AMO Daniel Duncan Secretary-Treasurer MTD James Callahan President Operating Engineers Augie Tellez Executive VP SIU Nick Marrone VP West Coast SIU Tommy Orzechowski VP Great Lakes SIU Dean Corgey VP Gulf Coast SIU Kermett Mangram VP, Govt. Services SIU Joseph Soresi VP Atlantic Coast SIU George Tricker VP Contracts SIU Sito Pantoja General VP Machnists Ron Kloos National VP TCU Warren Fairley VP Boilermakers Daniel Kane Secretary-Treasurer Mine Workers Catina Sicoli Secretary-Treasurer SIU of Canada Joseph Condo International VP TCU Bernie Hostein Asst. to President Steelworkers Jerry Abell VP, Greater South Florida PMC David Kolbe Political /Legislative Representative Iron Workers Brian Bryant Asst. to VP Machinists Steve Bertelli Secretary-Treasurer Bakery Workers 10 Seafarers LOG March 2016 �2016 Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO Executive Board Meeting, February 18-19, San Diego, California Trumka Credits MTD, Expresses Optimism For Promoting Wage Growth, Workers’ Rights AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka never fails to energize a crowd, and he was the perfect speaker to kick off the second day of the Maritime Trade Department’s executive board meeting on Feb. 19. After being introduced with a story by longtime friend MTD President Michael Sacco, Trumka began by thanking him for his contributions to the labor movement: “You’re a great friend, a great leader, and I just want to say thanks for what you do for working people every single day.” Trumka addressed the crowd of MTD officials and guests, thanking them for demonstrating the power of cooperation in the labor movement. He then took a moment to say a few words about the departed brothers and sisters who worked aboard the El Faro. “The deaths of these 33 brave women and men – 28 members of the Seafarers and the American Maritime Officers and five Polish nationals – reminds us of the perilous nature of navigating the world’s oceans,” Trumka stated. “Soon, on April 28, in recognition of Workers Memorial Day, we’ll remember the crew of El Faro, and those who died on the job, or from diseases and injuries after a lifetime of work. “Remembering is important, but we also have to do everything in our power to improve workplace safety,” he continued, “because as Mother Jones once said, ‘Mourn the dead, and then fight like hell for the living.’ And right now, brothers and sisters, there’s nothing more important than sticking together and fighting like hell for our members and workers out there every single day, because we’re under attack.” That fight was the main topic of Trumka’s speech, as he detailed the current state of workers’ rights. He described the grassroots movement to raise wages and improve worker protections and called on individual unions to lead by example. Richard Trumka President, AFL-CIO Trumka then described how the working class is under attack, using the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, as an example, but not an exception. “America has hundreds of places like Flint,” he said. “Many in our state of Pennsylvania, in Appalachia, in West Virginia, in Ohio, all around this country there are places just like Flint. Every single day, they are suffering and being hurt because of deliberate policies that have been adopted. They can call it austerity, they can call it whatever they want, but it’s causing pain on people.” As for a way to fight back, the answer is right in front of us, says Trumka: “We have to stand together. And we have to raise wages. Benjamin Franklin said the rule of solidarity is pretty simple: Either we hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately.” Trumka then turned to a familiar topic: the AFL-CIO’s Raising Wages campaign. He discussed the various wins experienced in the labor movement in 2015, even including some non-union workplaces that benefited from labor’s activism. But the campaign is about much more than just increasing the minimum wage, he said: “It’s about basic dignity and basic fairness, about policies that lift us all up, together.” That theme of solidarity continued as he began to talk about the maritime community, saying, “That’s why we support the Maritime Security Program and the Jones Act – so that every vessel travelling between U.S. ports is built, and owned, and crewed by Americans. The Jones Act is key for American security and, quite frankly, for the American economy.” After briefly touching on the AFL-CIO’s decision to refrain from nominating a presidential candidate until after the primaries, he emphasized how critical the upcoming election will be for the working class, and not just in the presidential race, but at every level of government. With the recent death of Antonin Scalia, there is also a new opening on the Supreme Court, to which Trumka responded, “America has a chance for a new mainstream majority on our nation’s highest court, which would mean hope for responsible rulings on a raft of cases.” The AFL-CIO, much like the SIU, is a bipartisan organization, with allies on both sides of the aisle. As Trumka described, “The AFLCIO is not a tool of any political party, or any politician. We’re a federation built entirely on working people, and our only fidelity is to our members and the working families across America.” He concluded, “So Mike (Sacco), as always, the Maritime Trades will lead the way. You know about service, you embody sacrifice, you practice solidarity…. Brothers and sisters, I want to tell you one more time how proud I am to be here with you, because you know how to win for America’s hard-working families. You’ve done it many, many times. And you’ll keep doing it, and I know you will. When we stand together, we win together…. America remains the wealthiest nation in world history, at our wealthiest time in history. We can support middle-class jobs and succeed. That’s what America is all about.” Fischer: Veterans Deserve More Than Just Lip Service The head of the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council delivered his message with great passion, but he said the organization’s vital mission is actually very basic: improving the lives of veterans and working people, who are one and the same. Will Fischer, the council’s executive director, addressed the Maritime Trades Department executive board Feb. 19 in San Diego. Anyone expecting an ordinary speech based on Fischer’s unimposing physical appearance got a pleasant jolt as the U.S. Marine Corps Veteran fired up the crowd and drew several standing ovations. Fischer began by asking all military veterans in the audience of 200 or so to stand, then requested a show of hands from everyone whose family included a veteran. The point immediately became clear: Nearly everyone at the meeting either had worn the uniform or had a family member who served. “The working class and the veteran class are one,” Fischer stated. “When you’re talking to an audience of people who work, you’re talking to an audience of people who served. When you see folks fighting for and defending our rights on the job here at home, very often those same folks already tasted battle and fought to defend our rights overseas.” With that in mind, the Union Veterans Council aims “to show that the issues facing veterans and those facing the working class aren’t independent of each other,” Fischer continued. “Our mission is to mobilize so March 2016 that when someone takes off their uniform that they have access to a good job; to advocate so that when someone takes off their uniform that they are able to access the health care we earned – health care delivered through a strong, fully funded and staffed VA.” Not to be overlooked is the council’s additional goal of organizing “so that when someone takes off their uniform and goes to work that they’re carrying with them basic dignity and respect and the ability to collectively bargain for a fair reward for the job they do,” Fischer stated. While those aims all seem plainly unobjectionable, Fischer said political support for veterans often amounts to nothing more than lip service. Drawing in the audience even further with a quick series of questions, he asserted that it’s anything but “pro-veteran” to undermine the Jones Act, support bad trade deals that kill American jobs, and take credit for hiring veterans but then pay them substandard wages. “And yet these are the actions that are taken by some of those who claim so loudly to be pro-veteran,” Fischer said. “The same folks who sent me and many of you to every corner of the world to protect and fight for our nation’s future, and now that they’re finished with us they do whatever they can to prevent us from having a future of our own. They’re the same stock who build fortunes from the sweat of another’s body and the same flag-wrapped parasites who are more than willing to fight wars until the last drop Will Fischer Executive Director, AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council of someone else’s blood is spilled.” He then delved into the council’s ongoing efforts to help ensure smooth proceedings at the Veterans Administration. Fischer also reminded everyone about the importance of grassroots political action. “We have a unique opportunity to shape the way we – and others – talk about the trade union movement, our legislative battles, and politics,” he declared. “When you go on a congressional visit, if you’re talking to a politician, if you’re organizing a new worker…. After this conference, when you go back home, let folks know about the Union Veterans Council and encourage them to sign up to push our movement forward. “The movement that’s successful is the movement that hasn’t forgotten its mission,” he continued. “To the veterans: We’re veter- ans because we answered the call and fought to protect our nation’s future. But now we must organize to expel those who prey upon us from office. We must organize and meet our enemies in the streets here just as we once met our enemies abroad – meet them and yank from their blood-stained hands what is rightfully ours. We must organize to fight a new war – a war for our voice and for our dignity and for our future.” He concluded, “Together, sisters and brothers, we can toss off the chains economic slavery just as we once tossed off our flak jackets following an evening patrol. But we must organize. And if we do this, then not only will we fight together, we’ll win together.” To join the Union Veterans Council and for more information, visit: http://unionveterans.org/ Seafarers LOG 11 �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 1730 Jefferson St., Houston, TX 77003 (713) 659-5152 JACKSONVILLE 5100 Belfort Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32256 (904) 281-2622 Inquiring Seafarer This month’s question was answered at the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Maryland. Question: Who is your early pick to win Super Bowl 51? Brian Fountain Recertified Bosun “I sail out of the Port of Baltimore. I pick the Ravens to be the winners of Super Bowl 51.” Matthew Alexander OS “My home port is Oakland, California. I pick the Oakland Raiders because I believe they will improve next year. They are good in all phases of the game including a good quarterback, a good defense and good special teams. I just wish they would make up their minds when it comes to a head coach. They change coaches all of the time. Go Silver and Black!” Lionel Rivas Bosun “I sail out of the port of Houston. Next year’s Super Bowl Champions will be the Houston Texans. We’ll have a better team next year and it is my hope that they’ll get all the way to the top.” JERSEY CITY 104 Broadway, Jersey City, NJ 07306 (201) 434-6000 JOLIET 10 East Clinton St., Joliet, IL 60432 (815) 723-8002 MOBILE 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605 (251) 478-0916 Albert Bharrat AB Tankerman “My home port is Norfolk, Virginia. I think the Carolina Panthers will win the Super Bowl next year. I believe that they will play better next year simply because I have faith in them. Faith is the key.” Benjamin Stanley QMED “I sail out of Philadelphia and I say that the Eagles will win Super Bowl 51. I pick them because we have restructured our team. We’ve got a better quarterback, a new coach and we’ve gotten younger compared to the rest of the league. All of this translates into a winning combination.” Joel Gonzales AB “I am home ported in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I pick the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl next year. I say this because they absolutely have to get better; they cannot continue to get beat up like they did last year late in the season. During the past season, it was like they swam and swam, but once they got close to shore they just gave out and died. They can’t do that again next year.” Pic-From-The-Past NEW ORLEANS 3911 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 328-7545 NORFOLK 115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-1892 OAKLAND 1121 7th St., Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 444-2360 PHILADELPHIA 2604 S. 4 St., Philadelphia, PA 19148 (215) 336-3818 PINEY POINT P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674 (301) 994-0010 PORT EVERGLADES 1221 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 522-7984 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 Taken in late 1952, this photo includes U.S. Senator Pat McCarran (standing at center, in coat and tie) aboard the SIU-crewed Del Norte. He was a passenger on an outward-bound leg of a South American voyage, according to the accompanying write-up in the LOG. The senator also “had high praise for the union and its gains in the last few years.” Shown left to right are: Razor Nassar, George Gorfinkle, Joe Mendoza, Monk Kelly, Mrs. Chopin, Sen. McCarran, an unidentified Seafarer, Hugh Dick, Lawrence Wessel, ship’s delegate, and Jim Long. 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 12 Seafarers LOG March 2016 �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 RASHID ALI Brother Rashid Ali, 69, joined the SIU in 1977. His first trip was aboard the Cove Navigator. Brother Ali sailed in the engine department. He upgraded often at the maritime training center in Piney Point, Maryland. Brother Ali last worked on the USNS Fisher. He calls Floral Park, New York, home. DARLENE CHERRY Sister Darlene Cherry, 65, became a union member in 1992. She initially worked on the USNS Independence. Sister Cherry attended classes in 2001 at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Maryland. She sailed in the steward department. Sister Cherry’s most recent voyage was aboard the Cape Intrepid. She makes her home in Palm Coast, Florida. ENRIQUE CRESPO Brother Enrique Crespo, 65, donned the SIU colors in 1972. He originally sailed on the LaSalle as a member of the steward department. Brother Crespo was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He last worked on the Commitment in the deck department. Brother Crespo continues to live in Puerto Rico. CARLOS DOMINGUEZ Brother Carlos Dominguez, 65, started sailing with the union in 1991. His first trip was aboard the Constellation. Brother Dominguez attended classes at the SIUaffiliated school in Maryland. The engine department member’s most recent vessel was the Maersk Atlanta. Brother Dominguez is a resident of Brooklyn, New York. ELHUSSIENY ELNAGGAR Brother Elhussieny Elnaggar, 65, became a Seafarer in 1991. He initially worked aboard the Independence. Brother Elnaggar enhanced his skills in 2003 at the Piney Point school. He sailed in the steward department and most recently shipped on the USNS Bob Hope. Brother Elnaggar resides in Egypt. LARRY EWING Brother Larry Ewing, 65, joined the SIU ranks in 1969. He originally sailed on the Joplin Victory. Brother Ewing was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and shipped in the steward department. He upgraded March 2016 frequently at the Seafarersaffiliated school in southern Maryland. Brother Ewing’s most recent ship was the Maersk Detroit. He calls Leesburg, Florida, home. RAFAEL GONZALEZ Brother Rafael Gonzalez, 63, started sailing with the SIU in 2001 when the NMU merged into the Seafarers International Union. He upgraded in 2002 at the maritime training center in Piney Point, Maryland. A member of the deck department, Brother Gonzalez last shipped aboard the Sgt. William R. Button. He lives in Bronx, New York. PATRICK MCCARTHY Brother Patrick McCarthy, 66, began sailing with the union in 1990. He was first employed on the USNS Indomitable. Brother McCarthy enhanced his skills on two occasions at the Paul Hall Center. The deck department member most recently worked aboard the LNG Taurus. Brother McCarthy makes his home in Blaine, Washington. shipping with the Seafarers in 1969. His first vessel was the Transerie. Brother Ohler, who sailed in both the engine and steward departments, enhanced his skills on two occasions at the Piney Point school. His most recent voyage was aboard the Pacific. Brother Ohler lives in Seffner, Florida. Brother Randolph Pacheco, 62, became a Seafarer in 2001 when the NMU merged into the SIU. The engine department member’s most recent vessel was the Liberty Eagle. Brother Pacheco was born in New York and makes his home in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. WILLIAM PITT JOE TOWNSEND Brother William Pitt, 66, signed on with the SIU in 1969. His first trip was on the Steel Traveler. Brother Pitt attended classes in 1969 at the Paul Hall Center. The steward department member most recently worked on the Stonewall Jackson. Brother Pitt resides in Portsmouth, Virginia. Brother Joe Townsend, 65, signed on with the SIU in 1971. He was first employed on the Robin Trent as a member of the steward department. Brother Townsend attended classes in 1981 at the maritime training center in Piney Point, Maryland. He last shipped aboard the USNS Antares. Brother Townsend is a resident of Jacksonville, Florida. ANTON POPESCU Brother Rossel Mena, 65, signed on with the SIU in 1983. His first trip was with Delta Queen Steamship Company, as a member of the steward department. In 1995, Brother Mena took advantage of educational opportunities available at the maritime training center in Piney Point, Maryland. He most recently sailed aboard the Paul Buck. Brother Mena is a native of Honduras and now resides in Bronx, New York. Brother Anton Popescu, 65, joined the union in 1997. He first shipped on the USNS Yano. Brother Popescu was born in Tulcea, Romania, and worked in the engine department. He upgraded numerous times at the union-affiliated school in Piney Point, Maryland. Brother Popescu last sailed aboard the Ocean Grand. He calls Newark, Delaware, home. AMERICO MONTEIRO Brother Rafael Prim Sanchez, 65, first donned the SIU colors in 1990. He initially sailed in the inland division with Crowley Puerto Rico. Brother Prim Sanchez upgraded frequently at the Piney Point school. The engine department member last sailed aboard the San Juan. Brother Prim Sanchez makes his home in Puerto Rico. LUIS MORALES Brother Luis Morales, 57, joined the union in 1975. His first ship was the Oakland; his most recent, the Alliance St. Louis. Brother Morales worked in the deck department. He is a resident of Jacksonville, Florida. ROBERT OHLER Brother Robert Ohler, 65, began JAMES SLOAN Brother James Sloan, 69, started his seafaring career in 1999. He initially worked aboard the Green Dale. Brother Sloan sailed as a member of the engine department. He upgraded on two occasions at the union-affiliated school in Piney Point, Maryland. Brother Sloan’s most recent trip was on the USNS Wright. He has retired to Royersford, Pennsylvania. RANDOLPH PACHECO ROSSEL MENA Brother Americo Monteiro, 61, became an SIU member in 2001 during the SIU/ NMU merger. The deck department member’s most recent ship was the Energy Enterprise. Brother Monteiro calls Pawtucket, Rhode Island, home. Leo. Brother Ruggiero enhanced his skills often at the Paul Hall Center. His final ship was the USNS Denebola. The steward department member makes his home in East Bangor, Pennsylvania. RAFAEL PRIM SANCHEZ TERRY REYNOLDS Brother Terry Reynolds, 65, became a union member in 1979. He was first employed on the Golden Endeavor. A member of the deck department, Brother Reynolds most recently worked aboard the Horizon Hunter. He resides in Sebring, Florida. MICHAEL RUGGIERO Brother Michael Ruggiero, 65, began shipping with the SIU in 1980. His first trip was on the LNG JONATHAN WEAVER Brother Jonathan Weaver, 66, joined the SIU in 1991. He originally worked on the Sea Lion. Brother Weaver upgraded in 1997 and 2001 at the Piney Point school. A member of the deck department, he most recently sailed aboard the Overseas Cascade. He calls Lewistown, Pennsylvania, home. INLAND STEPHEN CORNWELL Brother Stephen Cornwell, 62, began shipping with the union in 1979. He first worked with G&H Towing. Brother Cornwell was born in Washington, District of Columbia, and sailed in the deck department. His last trip was aboard a Moran Towing of Maryland vessel. Brother Cornwell settled in Bridgeton, North Carolina. TOMMY DAVIS Brother Tommy Davis, 62, first donned the SIU colors in 1970. He originally shipped in the seep sea division on the Steel Navigator. Brother Davis enhanced his skills in 1970 at the Paul Hall Center. His final ship was the Dodge Island. Brother Davis, who sailed in the deck department, calls Pascagoula, Mississippi, home. KEVIN GUGLIOTTA Brother Kevin Gugliotta, 62, started shipping with the union in 1970. He mainly sailed aboard vessels operated by Moran Towing of Maryland. Brother Gugliotta was born in Maryland and now makes his home in Estero, Florida. CONSTANTIN IORDACHE Brother Constantin Iordache, 64, became a union member in 1993 in the port of Philadelphia. He was primarily employed with Moran Towing of Philadelphia and sailed in the deck department. Brother Iordache frequently enhanced his skills in Piney Point, Maryland. He is a resident of Warminster, Pennsylvania. ROBERT MORGAN Brother Robert Morgan, 62, joined the SIU ranks in 1973. He initially sailed with Interstate Oil Transport Company. Brother Morgan was born in New Jersey. He last shipped with OSG Ship Management. Brother Morgan now resides in Las Vegas. MELBOURNE SMITH Brother Melbourne Smith, 65, signed on with the union in 1989. He first worked with Express Marine Inc. Brother Smith upgraded his skills on two occasions at the Paul Hall Center. A member of the deck department, he most recently sailed with Crowley Towing of Jacksonville. Brother Smith calls Plymouth, North Carolina, home. LEONIDAS VLATTAS Brother Leonidas Vlattas, 60, began his SIU career in 1974. He initially sailed with Steuart Transportation Company. Brother Vlattas worked in the deck department. He attended classes in 1997 and 2001 at the Seafarers-affiliated school in Piney Point, Maryland. Brother Vlattas’ last trip was with OSG Ship Management. He is a resident of New Port Richey, Florida. Seafarers LOG 13 �Final Departures DEEP SEA THURMAN BARNES Pensioner Thurman Barnes, 80, died October 23. Born in North Carolina, Brother Barnes initially worked on the Cape Catoche in 1967. He shipped as a member of the deck department. Prior to his retirement in 1994, Brother Barnes sailed aboard the Newark. He made his home in Chesapeake, Virginia. AUDREY BROWN Pensioner Audrey Brown, 51, passed away September 29. She joined the SIU in 1990, originally sailing on the USNS Wyman. Sister Brown was born in New Orleans and shipped in the steward department. She last sailed aboard the Houston. Sister Brown went on pension in 2015 and called Cantonment, Florida, home. ROGER BUENCONSEJO Pensioner Roger Buenconsejo, 73, died October 6. He started shipping with the Seafarers in 1993 in San Francisco. Brother Buenconsejo initially worked on the Producer; his final ship was the Blue Bayou. He became a pensioner in 2008 and lived in Texas. FRANK COTTONGIN Pensioner Frank Cottongin, 80, passed away October 10. He started shipping with the Seafarers in 1971. Brother Cottongin first sailed aboard the Almena. The Louisiana native was a deck department member. Brother Cottongin’s final ship was the Overseas Marilyn. He went on pension in 1996 and settled in Kirbyville, Texas. ISMAIL HARIRI Pensioner Ismail Hariri, 80, died October 11. Brother Hariri joined the SIU in 1980. The Yemen native originally sailed on the Santa Adela. Brother Hariri last sailed aboard the North Star. A member of the steward department, he started collecting his retirement compensation in 2000. 14 Seafarers LOG Brother Hariri was a resident of Sallis, Mississippi. MYRON HEALMAN Brother Myron Healman, 90, passed away August 21. He began sailing with the union in 1978. Brother Healman first shipped on the Santa Magdelena. He was born in California and worked in the steward department. Brother Healman’s final voyage was on the Santa Mariana. He made his home in San Francisco. WALTER KAULBACK Pensioner Walter Kaulback, 88, died September 8. Born in Pennsylvania, he donned the SIU colors in 1977. Brother Kaulback initially worked in the inland division with Allied Towing. He was a deck department member. Prior to his retirement in 1995, Brother Kaulback worked aboard the OMI Wabash. He called Alabama home. VICTOR OJEA Pensioner Victor Ojea, 85, passed away October 25. He signed on with the union in 1971. Brother Ojea’s first ship was the Bienville; his last was the Producer. He sailed in both the steward and deck departments. Brother Ojea began collecting his pension in 1997. He lived in Brooklyn, New York. EDUARDO PEREIRA Pensioner Eduardo Pereira, 81, died October 15. Brother Pereira started sailing with the SIU in 1970. He was originally employed aboard Waterman’s Fair Port. Brother Pereira was born in Brazil and sailed in all three departments. He last shipped on the USNS Pollux. Brother Pereira retired in 2004 and resided in Greenville, South Carolina. PHILMORE PHILLIPS Brother Philmore Phillips, 92, passed away September 19. He became a Seafarer in 1979 while in the port of San Francisco. Brother Phillips’ first trip was aboard the Santa Mariana. He sailed in the steward department, most recently on the Bay Ridge. Brother Phillips was born in Texas and settled in California. INLAND LEONARD CHARLES Pensioner Leonard Charles, 97, died October 6. Brother Charles signed on with the SIU in 1977. He mainly sailed with Crowley Towing of Puerto Rico. Brother Charles was an engine department member. He started collecting his retirement pay in 1989. Brother Charles was a resident of Puerto Rico. PETER DEPEDER Pensioner Peter Depeder, 66, passed away October 2. Born in Illinois, Brother Depeder began sailing with the SIU in 1978. He was initially employed with Gulf Canal Line. Brother Depeder worked in the deck department. He last sailed on a Moran Towing of Philadelphia vessel. Brother Depeder became a pensioner in 2011 and continued to live in Illinois. BENNIE DIZE Pensioner Bennie Dize, 83, died September 22. He signed on with the union in 1974. Brother Dize originally shipped with Moran Towing of Virginia. Before his retirement in 1994, the deck department member worked on an Atlantic Towing Company vessel. Brother Dize was born in Onancock, Virginia and made his home in Florida. JACK FILLINGIM Pensioner Jack Fillingim, 80, passed away October 23. He joined the SIU in 1951 in the port of Mobile, Alabama. Brother Fillingim first worked in the deep sea division aboard the Alcoa Ranger. His final trip was with Crescent Towing of Mobile. The deck department member began receiving his pension in 1987. He lived in Alabama. EDGAR HARRISON Pensioner Edgar Harrison, 81, died October 20. He started shipping with the union in 1961. Brother Harrison’s first vessel was operated by Wheeling Steel Corporation. The Virginia native last worked with Mariner Towing Company. Brother Harrison retired in 1996 and lived in North Prince George, Virginia. ANTHONY LANIER Pensioner Anthony Lanier, 73, passed away October 17. He began his union career in 1994. Brother Lanier primarily sailed with Westbank Riverboat Services. He was a member of the engine department. Brother Lanier went on pension in 2006 and settled in his native state, Louisiana. WILLIAM RUSHON Pensioner William Rushon, 67, died September 30. Brother Rushon became an SIU member in 1996. He was employed with Crowley for the duration of his career. Brother Rushon was born in Philadelphia. He started collecting his retirement compensation in 2009. Brother Rushon was a resident of New Castle, Delaware. JIMMY WILLIS JR. Brother Jimmy Willis Jr., 53, passed away August 17. He joined the union in 2002. Brother Willis mainly shipped with Allied Transportation Company in the engine department. He was born in North Carolina. Brother Willis made his home in Atlantic, North Carolina. GREAT LAKES ROSS GOWANS Pensioner Ross Gowans, 91, died September 1. He donned the SIU colors in 1960. Brother Gowans primarily sailed with American Steamship Company. He worked in the deck department. Brother Gowans lived in Michigan. NATIONAL MARITIME UNION LEON BANKS Pensioner Leon Banks, 86, passed away October 31. The Texas native retired in 1998. Brother Banks called Galveston, Texas, home. WILLIAM BARNES Pensioner William Barnes, 70, died October 17. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Brother Barnes started receiving his pension in 2003. He settled in Sequim, Washington. AUDBREY BOWLES Pensioner Audbrey Bowles, 95, passed away October 21. He was born in Portland, Maine, and became a pensioner in 1991. Brother Bowles continued to reside in Portland. ALLAN GEORGE Pensioner Allan George, 81 died August 1. Brother George was a native of Louisiana. He began collecting his retirement pay in 1998. Brother George was a resident of Galveston, Texas. JAMES HASTINGS Pensioner James Hastings, 88, passed away November 15. He was born in London. Brother Hastings retired in 1982. He called East Sussex, England, home. WILBUR HYATT Pensioner Wilbur Hyatt, 88, passed away August 31. The Washington native went on pension in 1983. Brother Hyatt lived in Huffman, Texas. EDWARD KAY Pensioner Edward Kay, 105, died September 30. Brother Kay was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. He started receiving compensation for his retirement in 1972 and made his home in North Yorkshire. JOHN LASTRAPPE Pensioner John Lastrappe, 87, passed away October 3. The Louisiana native became a pensioner in 1998. Brother Lastrappe called Compton, California, home. JUAN MELENDEZ Pensioner Juan Melendez, 79, died October 18. Brother Melendez was born in Puerto Rico. He went on pension in 1998 and continued to live in Puerto Rico. LOUIS RODRIGUEZ Pensioner Louis Rodriguez, 91, passed away October 30. He was a native Puerto Rico. Brother Rodriguez retired in 1985 and continued to make his home in Puerto Rico. RODOLFO ROSAS Pensioner Rodolfo Rosas, 88, died October 25. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Brother Rosas became a pensioner in 1992. He settled in Crystal City, Texas. CALVIN WALLACE Pensioner Calvin Wallace, 90, passed away October 22. Brother Wallace was born in Maryland. He started collecting his retirement pay in 1981. Brother Wallace lived in Baltimore. WALTER WHITE Pensioner Walter White, 84, died August 23. The Manor, Texas, native retired in 1990. He called Brooklyn, New York, home. Name Age Bozan, David 92 Braswell, Ralph 90 Eljahmi, Mohssen 83 Hoffman, Alton 91 Jordan, James 90 Kelley, Emma 84 Klopp, Donald 76 Latorre, Amado 88 McCullough, Charles 91 Navarro, Francisco 96 Ravelo, Jose 91 Riego, Rossell 92 Simmons, Samuel 92 Yafai, Salih 86 DOD Aug 19 Aug 6 Aug 19 Sept 28 Sept 28 Aug 26 Aug. 26 Sept 6 Sept 20 Sept 12 Sept 26 Sept 3 Aug 17 Sept 24 March 2016 �Digest of Shipboard Union Meetings MAERSK KENTUCKY (Maersk Line, Limited), November 16 – Chairman William M. Richards, Secretary Sheltia D. Wright, Educational Director Kareim T. Wright, Steward Delegate Jose Burgos. Bosun thanked crew members for working hard during voyage and reminded mariners to keep rooms clean. Educational director recommended training at the Piney Point school. No beefs or disputed OT reported. It was reported that new microwave and washing machine would be received soon. Still need a new computer. Members thanked steward department for great food. MAERSK MEMPHIS (Maersk Line, Limited), November 7 – Chairman Keller E. Gilyard, Secretary Kenneth A. Hagan, Educational Director Daniel F. Dean, Deck Delegate Damon Lobel, Engine Delegate Charles Toliver. Secretary urged mariners to keep an eye on expiration dates of necessary seafaring documents. Educational director encouraged mariners to be prepared to take any courses needed for Basic Safety Training and STCW endorsements. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Request was made for new mattresses for crew rooms. Suggestions were made regarding pension and vacation benefits. Crew discussed El Faro tragedy. It is a grim reminder that going to sea is a dangerous occupation and tragic situations could happen to any vessel. Crew members are keeping families of the departed in their thoughts and prayers. Next ports: Elizabeth, New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; and Charleston, South Carolina. HORIZON ANCHORAGE (Horizon Lines), December 8 – Chairman Daniel W. Seagle, Secretary Dennis D. Skretta, Educational Director Vladmir Babenko, Engine Delegate John Groom, Steward Delegate Gary Loftin. Chairman went over ship’s itinerary. He reminded crew to use the correct washer and dryer. Educational director advised mariners to take advantage of upgrading opportunities available at the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Maryland. He also urged members to donate to SPAD (Seafarers Political Activity Donation). Treasurer reported $1,000 in ship’s fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Some crew members requested new mattresses. Recommendation was made to increase dental benefits. Next ports: Tacoma, Washington and Anchorage, Alaska. ISLA BELLA (TOTE), December 28 – Chairman Timothy B. Fogg, Secretary Robert E. Wilcox, Educational Director John E. McKay, Deck Delegate Tavell Love, Engine Delegate Jermaine Love, Steward Delegate Sheilla Daguio. Chairman thanked mariners for being professional. Secretary thanked crew for working well together and helping keep ship clean. Educational director talked about STCW and BST requirements. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Request was made for new books, movies and to install Direct TV. Suggestions were made regarding vacation benefits. A vote of thanks was given to entire crew for working well together and March 2016 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. Seafarers Support Our Troops The SIU-crewed USNS Bob Hope (left in photo at right center) and USNS John Glenn (right in same photo) late last year worked with members of the U.S. Marine Corps and the Seabees during offshore operations near Oceanside, California. Third Mate John J. Arnold, an SIU hawsepiper and trainee graduate, submitted these photos showing some of the equipment and activities. An overhead shot of Yokohama fenders is located at bottom right while the photo directly below shows crew members assembling one of the fenders. The photo at the immediate right features some of the hardware needed for ramp operations. The Bob Hope is operated by AMSEA while the John Glenn is operated by Ocean Shipholdings. their professionalism. Next ports: Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico. MAERSK CHICAGO (Maersk Line, Limited), December 26 – Chairman Mohamed S. Ahmed, Secretary Hugh E. Wildermuth, Educational Director Donna J. Sylvia, Deck Delegate John Walsh, Steward Delegate Charles Davis. Chairman announced payoff on December 28 in Newark, New Jersey. He expressed his gratitude for a great voyage. Secretary thanked crew for their help and for working safely. Educational director recommended training at the Piney Point school; check Seafarers LOG for upcoming course dates. Treasurer stated $4,800 in ship’s fund. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members would like new mattresses for entire crew. Vote of thanks given to galley gang. MAERSK PITTSBURGH (Maersk Line, Limited), December 3 – Chairman Konstantinos Prokovas, Secretary Darryl K. Goggins, Educational Director Jan Morawski, Deck Delegate Frank Vogler, Steward Delegate Alba Ayala. Bosun thanked crew for a smooth, safe voyage and urged them to donate to families of El Faro crew members. Secretary reminded mariners to leave cabins clean and supplied with fresh linen for reliefs. Educational director encouraged everyone to keep all necessary seafaring documents current and went over procedures to access member portal. He also suggested members upgrade at the Paul Hall Center. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Vote of thanks was given to the steward department. Next ports: Norfolk, Virginia and Savannah, Georgia. NORTH STAR (TOTE), December 28 – Chairman Tar Ahmed, Secretary Scott A. Opsahl, Educational Director William C. Mogg, Deck Delegate Mott Arnold, Engine Delegate Jan Haidir, Steward Delegate Rudy Oliva. Chairman reminded crew to make sure all outside doors and equipment are secure due to winter storms. Secretary asked members to wipe their feet on rugs and clean up any spills to prevent falls. Educational director advised mariners to enhance skills at maritime training center in Piney Point, Maryland and pay attention to expiration dates of documents. Members were reminded to empty pockets before washing clothes to avoid damaging the washer and dryer. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Everyone congratulated Tar Ahmed for getting his Bosun Recertification. Crew thanked steward department for great holiday spread. Recommendation was made pertaining to dental plan. Next port: Tacoma, Washington. SEABULK ARTIC (Seabulk Tankers), December 20 – Chairman Virgilio E. Rosalas, Secretary Mayra E. Gines, Educational Director Reginald R. Hunter. Chairman advised all members to update their credentials in a timely manner and contribute to SPAD. Secretary informed crew that fresh vegetables and dairy products will be received every 15 days. Mariners were encouraged to visit Piney Point school whenever possible. No beefs or disputed OT reported. New mattresses and pillows were requested for crew. Next port: Corpus Christi, Texas. USNS PATHFINDER (USMMI), December 27 – Chairman Kelly J. Doyle, Secretary Donnell Lewis, Educational Director Gary D. Williams, Deck Delegate Antonio Watson. Chairman discussed ship’s itinerary including transit through the Panama Canal. Ship’s van will be available for crew use. Educational director urged members to enhance skills at union-affiliated school. No beefs or disputed OT reported. PDF copy of current Seafarers LOG is available on shipboard shared drive. Mariners held memorial for El Faro crew members. Seafarers LOG 15 �Letters to the Editor Advice Based on Experience Dear SIU Brothers and Sisters: Thank you SIU! Early last year I took a major step in my life and I retired. I started shipping late in life after a full career in construction safety and project management. I thought I had done it all, but not until I started shipping with SIU did I realize I had returned to my true calling. I had served on aircraft carriers in the Navy during Vietnam and always wanted to return to sea. Thanks to the SIU I was able to work steady from 2001 until 2015. I upgraded each time I qualified and soon found myself as a chief cook and then chief steward. I enjoyed each and every assignment and looked forward to the next. Before I joined SIU I had no retirement, as a result of changing companies often, and had no pension plan in place. I decided not to let that happen again and took advantage of the Seafarers Money Purchase Plan and saved as much as I could each voyage. Before I knew it I was able to purchase my dream home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. As I continued to ship I kept saving more Retiree Pete Williams says he is reaping the benefits of saving money. money and before long I had achieved my goal: more money coming in than going out each and every month and a few good, solid investments in the bank. What more could anyone ask for? Am I that special? No, I just made a conscious effort to save everything I could, and not to spend needlessly. Without the SIU I never could have done it. So I say to all my shipmates, “Save while you can, invest in the Seafarers Money Purchase Plan and pay off all those debts.” If you don’t do it while you’re working you won’t be able to retire without significant monetary worries. Upgrade each chance you get, work steady and make it a goal to save as much as you can each month. Good luck to all. I’m livin’ the dream, and so can you! Pete Williams Gatlinburg, Tennessee Never Forget Role Of WWII Mariners Editor’s note: The writer sailed in World War II and is a contributor to the book, “Torpedoed for Life: World War II Combat Veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine.” The book is available on Amazon. When World War II started, the U.S. Merchant Marine was called on by President Roosevelt to help supply our troops that were fighting around the world. They were in every invasion from North Africa, Europe, and to the far reaches of the Pacific with the much-needed supplies. The casualty rate was the highest of any service with one in 26 paying the ultimate price, with hundreds of ships sunk, sending these seamen to a watery grave. American shipyards were building vessels in record numbers, and men were needed to man them. The men came from all walks of life, from age 16 to 66, all volunteers. Maritime training stations sprung up around the country. The largest one was at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, New York. Trainees were taught the skills of seamanship in rapid order, and found themselves Letters may be edited for conciseness and clarity. Submissions may be mailed to 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746 or e-mailed to webmaster@seafarers.org. on a ship at sea two weeks later. Every ship that left port with a cargo of bombs, trucks, fuel, and other supplies was in a combat zone as soon as they cleared the harbor to join a convoy. German U-boats were waiting in wolf packs sending many of these ships to a watery grave. In particular, 1942 was a dreadful year for the U.S. Merchant Marine. Records show that some 400 ships were sunk or damaged with heavy loss of life. The war ended after America dropped the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Japan unconditionally surrendered on August 15, 1945. After the war the U.S. Merchant Marine was called on to bring our troops and supplies home from around the world. On a lighter note, many of our troops fell in love while stationed overseas. Mariners brought back war brides, some with babies. The victorious troops returned home to a grateful nation and made the adjustment to civilian life. To help them, President Roosevelt and Congress enacted the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as The G.I. Bill. This bill was without a doubt one of the largest economic boons in American history. It gave job preference, low-cost home loans, health benefits and a college education to the troops after the war. At one time, college G.I. enrollment exceeded 50 percent. This introduced engineers, doctors, lawyers, and other skilled professionals back into society. President Roosevelt wanted to include the U.S. Merchant Marine veterans under the G.I. Bill, but he died before the war ended. His recommendation died with him. Over the years the U.S. Merchant Marine became the forgotten service. It was not until 1988, after a court battle, that they received a watered-down G.I. Bill benefit. This meant as veterans they could be buried in a national cemetery, or accepted in a VA nursing home. Then in 2005 a bill was introduced (The Belated Thank You To The Merchant Marine Of World War II Act) that would provide a small monthly pension to the 8,000 remaining merchant seamen to help them in their retirement years. Their average age, in 2005, was 82. This bill would make up Ed Trester is pictured in 1944 on weekend leave from training at Sheepshead Bay. for, in a small way, all the lifetime benefits never given to these veterans under the original G.I. Bill. (Editor’s note: Despite widespread support in Congress, the legislation, which has been reintroduced as recently as last year, never has been enacted.) Today the average age of the 4,400 seamen still living is 93. The bill still remains dormant in Congress after thousands and thousands of letters, phone calls, and contacts from families and friends of these veterans. Most of the WWII U.S. Merchant Marine veterans either perished during the war or died over the years waiting for the government to correct this injustice. Ed Trester St. Augustine, Florida Know Your Rights 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 are administered in accordance with the provisions of various trust fund agreements. All these agreements specify that the trustees in charge of these funds shall equally consist of union and management representatives and their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust funds are made only upon approval by a majority of the trustees. All trust fund financial records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds. SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member’s shipping rights and seniority are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the employers. Members should get to know their shipping rights. Copies of these contracts are posted and available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority rights as contained in the contracts between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified mail, return receipt requested. The proper address for this is: 16 Seafarers LOG 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 Sea­ farers LOG policy is vested in an editorial board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from among its ranks, one individual to carry out this responsibility. PAYMENT OF MONIES. No monies are to be paid to anyone in any official capacity in the SIU unless an official union receipt is given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any money for any reason unless he is given such receipt. In the event anyone attempts to require any such payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is required to make a payment and is given an official receipt, but feels that he or she should not have been required to make such payment, this should immediately be reported to union headquarters. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of the SIU Constitution are available in all union halls. All members should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a member feels any other member or officer is attempting to deprive him or her of any constitutional right or obligation by any methods, such as dealing with charges, trials, etc., as well as all other details, the member so affected should immediately notify headquarters. EQUAL RIGHTS. All members are guaranteed equal rights in employment and as members of the SIU. These rights are clearly set forth in the SIU Constitution and in the contracts which the union has negotiated with the employers. Conse­q uently, no member may be discriminated against because of race, creed, color, sex, national or geographic origin. If any member feels that he or she is denied the equal rights to which he or she is entitled, the member should notify union headquarters. SEAFARERS POLITICAL ACTIVITY DONATION — SPAD. SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to further its objects and purposes including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering of the American merchant marine with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen and the advancement of trade union concepts. In connection with such objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for elective office. All contributions are voluntary. No contribution may be solicited or received because of force, job discrimination, financial reprisal, or threat of such conduct, or as a condition of membership in the union or of employment. If a contribution is made by reason of the above improper conduct, the member should notify the Seafarers International Union or SPAD by certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for investigation and appropriate action and refund, if involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his or her economic, political and social interests, and American trade union concepts. NOTIFYING THE UNION. If at any time a member feels that any of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been denied the constitutional right of access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael Sacco at headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The address is: Michael Sacco, President Seafarers International Union 5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, MD 20746 March 2016 �Paul Hall Center Upgrading Course Information The following is a schedule of courses at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Maryland, for the next several months. All programs are geared toward improving the job skills of Seafarers and promoting the American maritime industry. 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 Start Date of Course Date Completion Title of Start Date of Course Date Completion Marine Refer Tech April 2 *Must be taken with ME or have electrician endorsed on MMC. Gap Closing Courses Engineroom Resource Management April 30 May 6 May 14 May 20 June 4 June 10 June 18 June 24 Leadership and Managerial Skills May 7 May 13 June 25 July 1 MEECE March 26 April 1 May 21 May 27 June 11 June 17 June 25 July 1 Deck Department Upgrading Courses Able Seafarer Deck April 30 May 27 June 18 July 15 AB to Mate Modules Module dates vary throughout the year. Stu- dents will be advised of dates once accepted. Advanced Meteorology June 11 June 17 Advanced Shiphandling May 28 June 3 Advanced Stability May 14 May 27 ARPA June 18 June 24 Bosun Recertification July 16 August 8 ECDIS April 2 April 8 June 4 June 10 Fast Rescue Boat May 28 June 3 GMDSS May 21 June 3 Lifeboat April 9 April 22 May 7 May 20 June 4 June 17 Radar Observer June 4 June 17 Engine Department Upgrading Courses Advanced Refer Containers May 28 June 24 FOWT June 18 July 15 Junior Engineer April 23 June 17 Welding March 26 April 15 April 30 May 20 June 11 July 1 Steward Department Courses Advanced Galley Ops April 23 May 20 June 18 July 15 Certified Chief Cook Modules run every other week. Most recent class started February 27. Chief Steward May 21 July 1 Galley Ops March 26 April 22 May 21 June 17 July 16 August 12 ServSafe June 4 June 10 Steward Recertification Name_________________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Telephone (Home)_________________________ (Cell)_________________________ Date of Birth___________________________________________________________________ Deep Sea Member o Lakes Member o Inland Waters Member o If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be processed. Social Security #_______________________ Book #__________________________________ Seniority_____________________________ Department_____________________________ Home Port____________________________________________________________________ E-mail_______________________________________________________________________ Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program? o Yes o No If yes, class # and dates attended___________________________________________________ Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses? oYes o No _____________________________________________________________________________ With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty-five (125) days seatime for the previous year, MMC, TWIC, front page of your book including your department and seniority and qualifying sea time for the course if it is Coast Guard tested. Must have a valid SHBP clinic through course date. I authorize the Paul Hall Center to release any of the information contained in this application, or any of the supporting documentation that I have or will submit with this application to related organizations, for the purpose of better servicing my needs and helping me to apply for any benefits which might become due to me. March 2016 March 12 April 4 Safety Upgrading Courses Basic Low Flash Point Fuel Ops March 19 March 25 April 30 May 6 Basic Training w/16hr FF March 19 March 25 April 16 April 22 May 7 May 13 May 14 May 20 June 11 June 17 Combined Basic/Advanced Firefighting March 14 March 18 April 9 April 15 May 7 May 13 June 4 June 10 Government Vessels April 2 April 8 April 16 April 22 May 21 May 27 June 18 June 24 Medical Care Provider March 19 March 25 April 16 April 22 May 14 May 20 Tank Barge - DL June 18 June 24 Tank Ship Familiarization - DL/LG BAPO March 26 April 22 May 21 June 17 Tank Ship Familiarization - LG UPGRADING APPLICATION May 13 May 21 June 3 March 26 April 1 COURSE ____________________________ ____________________________ START DATE _______________ _______________ DATE OF COMPLETION ________________________ ________________________ ____________________________ _______________ ________________________ ____________________________ _______________ ________________________ ____________________________ _______________ ________________________ ____________________________ _______________ ________________________ LAST VESSEL: ___________________________________ Rating: ____________________ Date On: _______________________________ Date Off:____________________________ SIGNATURE ____________________________________ DATE______________________ NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only if you present original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any questions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point. Not all classes are reimbursable. Return completed application to: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education Admissions Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189. The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, or any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission, access or treatment of students in its programs or activities. 3/16 Seafarers LOG 17 �Paul Hall Center Classes Water Survival Class #807 – Twelve Phase I apprentices completed this course January 29. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: John Abernathy, Alexander Ayers, Norma Baucan, Toby Blunt, Christian Cruz, Gabriel Freeman, Antonio Holmes, Tarrell Jones, Todd Pryor, Mark Richardson, Alan Squier and John Zimmerman. Tank Ship Familiarization DL/LG – Eleven Phase III apprentices finished this course January 22. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Zachary Ballard, Phillip Best, Mark Bolin, Darla Ferranti, Bryan Hardison, Matthew Hinton, Sterling Kirk, Adam Laliberte, Anthony Martone, Jesse Trevino and Jordan Walton. Upon the completion of their training, each plans to sail in the deck department aboard SIU-contracted vessels. (Note: Not all are pictured) Tank Ship Familiarization DL/LG – Four Phase III apprentices, each of whom plans to work in the steward department upon the completion of their training, completed their requirements in this course January 22. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Mark Espinosa, Ronnie Kincaid, Ian Schluder and Ajee Smith. Water Survival (Upgraders) – The following Seafarers (above, in alphabetical order) graduated from this course January 29: Juan Helices, Miguel Angel Ruiz, Karen Thomasson and Jome Gayo Zerna. Class instructor Tom Truitt is at the far left. Tank Ship Familiarization DL/LG – The following Phase III apprentices (above, in alphabetical order) graduated from this course January 22: Mark Feldhaus, Justin Foran, Kenneth Kincaid, Walter Lent, Isaac Nugen and Tad Van. Each plans to work in the engine department of SIU-contracted vessels upon the completion of their training. MEECE – Eight upgraders finished this course January 29. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Keith Adamson, Roderick Frazier, Alexander Georgiadis, Clint Haylock, Kirkland Hogle, Lawrence Ledet, Rodney McCaslin and Keith Pontes. Class instructors Ken Barnett and Jay Henderson are at the far left and far right, respectively. Basic Low Flash Point Fuel Operations – The following upgraders (above, in alphabetical order) graduated from this course January 29: Junior Augustin, Paulin Augustin, Gloria Baker, Anjwar Brooks, Corey Covington, Jerome Culbreth Jr., Darryl Goggins, Nathan Graddick, Lorenzo Hall Jr., Deitre Jackson, Donley Johnson, Roland Johnson, Damien Law, Breon Lucas, Henry Marchant, William Mulcahy, Isaac Newsome Jr., Tracey Newsome, Patricia Placek, Randy Slue, Simone Solomon and Samir Khalil Tarsha. (Note: Not all are pictured.) 18 Seafarers LOG RFPNW – Two Seafarers completed this course January 29. Graduating were Clifford Christopher (above, center) and Matthew Alexander (right). Their instructor, Bernabe Pelingon, is at left. March 2016 �Paul Hall Center Classes Basic Training (Firefighting) – The following Seafarers (left, in alphabetical order) graduated from this course January 29: Mark Adams, Ronald Boatwright Sr., Tiburicio Valeriano Garcia, Joel Harris, Angel Hernandez, Timothy Koebel, Calvin Miles, German Nunez, Dean Parks, Lionel Rivas and Durlas Ruiz. Class instructors Wayne Johnson Jr., and John Thomas are at the far left and far right, respectively. Basic Training (Firefighting) – Seventeen upgraders (above, in alphabetical order) graduated from this course January 8: Andrew Beach, Gabriel Dadzie, Hilario David, Mario Firme Jr., Charles Foley, Juan Helices, Corey Hornig, Eric Lyons, James McCormick, James McLeod, Vladislav Pitsenko, Miguel Angel Ruiz, Melvin Smith Sr., Ralph Thomas, Karen Thomasson, Kevin White and Jome Zerna. UA to FOWT – Fifteen apprentices finished this course January 15. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Michael Banks, Nathan Bryant, Alejandro Cintron Perez, Christopher Edwards, Steven Gedrich, Anthony Henry, Charles Packer, James Pascocello, Rodney Passapera, Jophrey Pelingon, Dylan Sapp, Phillip Sharp, Hermano Sillon, Jeffery Thomas and Gabriel Waiwaiole. Class instructor John Wiegman III is in the back row at the far right. Leadership & Managerial Skills – The following upgraders (above, in alphabetical order) completed this course January 22: Greg Allman, Daniel Anderson, Eugene Arcand, Eric Baggs, Yosluvy Baro Laza, James Bradford, Charlie Carlson, Johnny Carraway, Michael Daniels, Ward Davis, Kyle Dougherty, Scott Ellis, Derek Gauron, Clint Haylock, Kenneth Johnson, Parran Keane, Steven Konjoian, Mark Laskowski, Timothy Parish, Charles Pate, Brian Sellers and Foster Watts Jr. Class instructor Ken Barnett is in the front row at the far right. ECDIS – Eight upgraders (above, in alphabetical order) graduated from this course January 15: Eric Baggs, Johnny Carraway, Ward Davis, Derek Gauron, John Gorman Jr., Benjamin Hodge, Steven Konjoian, and Thomas Martin III. Class instructor Patrick Schoenberger is at the far left. Engine Room Resource Management – The following individuals (above, in alphabetical order) graduated from this course January 29: Ryan Armstrong, Matthew Methot, Timothy Parish and Brian Sellers. March 2016 Engine Room Resource Management – The following individuals (above, in alphabetical order) graduated from this course January 8: Michael Boidock, Alvin Hansley, Zachary Lindsey and Mark Miles. Freddie Toedtemeier, their instructor, is at the left. Engine Room Resource Management – Four upgraders finished this course January 15. Graduating (above, in alphabetical order) were: Yosluvy Baro Laza, Clint Haylock, Piotr Kwiatkowski and Charles Pate. Their instructor, Freddie Toedtemeier, is at the left. Chief Steward - Steward department members Robert Greenwood (left) and Gizelle Jones completed this course January 15. Engine Room Resource Management – Two Seafarers completed this course January 22. Graduating were Alexander Georgiadis (above, center) and Roderick Frazier, right. Instructor Freddie Toedtemeier is at left. Galley Ops - Finishing this course January 29 were Martin Warren (left), Mohamed Ali Noman (center), and Dennison Dizon. Seafarers LOG 19 �VOLUME V O L U M E78 76 MARCH F E B R U A2016 RY 2014 o NNO. O. 3 2 Text the Word “Join” To 97779 to Sign Up For Alerts from the SIU Crowley Maritime Christens Second of Four LNG-Ready Tankers T The new tanker (photo at top) is 600 feet long. (Photo by John Curdy) In the photo above, Doris Evans, sponsor of the Texas, breaks the ceremonial bottle of champagne on the deck of the new tanker. he SIU-crewed fleet continued to add state-ofthe-art tonnage when Crowley Maritime Corp. recently christened the second of four new, Jones Act product tankers – the Texas – at the South Florida Petroleum Terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship will be utilized in the U.S. coastal trade transporting crude oil or refined petroleum products. “Crowley welcomes this industry-defining, LNGready vessel into service,” said Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum services. “Not only will this be a high-performance vessel capable of meeting or exceeding our customers’ petroleum transportation needs within the U.S.-coastwise trade, it will do so in a way that is more environmentally friendly than those that have come before her.” The 50,000 dead-weight-ton (dwt), 330,000-barrel-capacity Texas joins sister ship Ohio, which was christened by Crowley in November, as the first tankers to receive the American Bureau of Shipping’s (ABS) LNG-Ready Level 1 approval, meaning Crowley has the option to convert the tanker to liquefied natural gas for propulsion in the future. A small group including representatives from SeaRiver Maritime, the vessel’s charterer, gathered Feb. 4 to watch as Doris Evans, wife of Eric Evans, vice president, planning for Crowley’s petroleum services group, Members of the SIU and the Seafarers-affiliated American Maritime Officers (AMO) help celebrate the christening. performed the time-honored tradition of christening the vessel by breaking a ceremonial bottle of champagne across its hull. The Texas was constructed by Philly Shipyard (formerly known as Aker Philadelphia Shipyard), with construction management services provided by Crowley’s Seattle-based, naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary Jensen Maritime. Two additional product tankers are being built by Philly Shipyard for Crowley and have planned deliveries later this year. All four ships are sailing or will eventually sail in the Jones Act trade. The Jones Act, the nation’s freight cabotage law which has been in place since 1920, has long been supported by elected officials from both political parties as well as the military because of its economic and national security benefits to the country. The build requirement supports thousands of good-paying, middleclass jobs and without it America’s strategic readiness would be harmed. The first SIU crew on the Texas included Bosun Burkley Cooper, ABs Delsreal Williams, Julio Lima, Brandon Albro, Wayne Bell and Ashward Rankin, QMED/ Pumpman Furman Watson, OMU Greg Alvarez, Oiler George Pobee, Chief Steward Josue Iglesia, Chief Cook Antajuan Beasley and SA Abdulla Quaraish. � 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 March 2016 Description An account of the resource HEADLINES SIU-CONTRACTED COMPANIES TO OPERATE 48 NDRF VESSELS COMMANDING OFFICERS OF USTRANSCOM STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE UNION ENCOURAGES SEAFARERS TO REGISTER, VOTE PERLA DEL CARIBE BUNKERED, DELIVERED PHILLY SHIPYARD LAYS KEEL FOR FIRST 4 OF APT VESSELS AMERICA’S UNION MEMBERSHIP RATE STAYS STEADY AMP CHAIRMAN FIRES BACK, DEMANDS FULL RETRACTION OF ERRONEOUS JONES ACT REPORT UNION MOURNS PASSING OF GEN. CASSIDY IMPORTANT NOTICE TO SEAFARERS: STCW BASIC TRAINING AND MMCS NTSB PLANS LAUNCH OF SECOND MISSION TO FIND EL FARO’S VDR AMP ISSUES CONTRADICTIONS TO FLAWED JONES ACT REPORT NMC MAKES SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO MARINER USER FEE WEBPAGE WHO DECLARES SIKA VIRUS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY ‘YOU’RE CRITICAL TO OUR NATIONAL STRENGTH’ TRANSCOM OFFICER CITES RELIANCE ON U.S.-FLAG SEALIFT SHIPYARD EXEC. SEES BRIGHT FUTURE FOR NASSCO U.S. MARITIME INDUSTRY HARBORS PLAN FOR ‘KNOCKOUT’ IN TRADE AGREEMENTS CONGRESSMEN REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR U.S. MARINERS FORMER OHIO CONGRESSWOMAN HIGHLIGHTS VAST IMPORTANCE OF GREAT LAKES TRANSPORTATION TRUMKA CREDITS MTD, EXPRESSES OPTIMISM FOR PROMOTING WAGE GROWTH, WORKERS’ RIGHTS FISCHER: VETERANS DESERVE MORE THAN JUST LIP SERVICE CROWLEY MARITIME CHRISTENS SECOND OF FOUR LNG-READY TANKERS Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seafarers Log Digital Copies Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 03/01/2016 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. 78, No. 3