http://www.seafarerslog.org/archives_old/files/original/5c94f3f2faa28a13426244181749052d.pdf 734ec2862bc7753558856a6f583b2217 PDF Text Text SEPTEMBER 2020 VOLUME 82, NO. 9 O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E S E A F A R E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L U N I O N AT L A N T I C , G U L F, L A K E S A N D I N L A N D W AT E R S , A F L- C I O Back to (New) Normal School Reopens, Membership Meetings Resume The global COVID-19 pandemic appears far from over, but Seafarers continue adapting to changes brought on by the crisis. With numerous precautions in place, the SIU in August resumed its monthly membership meetings (the first ones since March). Demonstrating their social-distancing prowess and face coverings at a few of the hiring halls are Seafarers in (photo above) Jacksonville, Florida; (below, right) Oakland, California; and (lower right) Mobile, Alabama. Piney Point, Maryland is the site of the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, which restarted classes the first week of August. Students are pictured that week in a classroom (immediately below) and a simulator (remaining photo). Page 3. Remembering John Lewis Page 4 SIU Election News Pages 6, 8 SHBP Awards Scholarships Page 7 �President’s Report Election Day Approaches I don’t have to tell you that Nov. 3 isn’t far off. Make sure you’re registered to vote, and, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, you may want to consider absentee balloting this time around. Of course, many of our members utilize absentee or early voting because they’re at sea on Election Day, so this is nothing new to us. It’s easy to find useful information online, but feel free to contact your port agent if you need assistance. For anyone who’s new to the SIU, you should know that we support candidates – at all levels of government – who support maritime and who support workers’ rights, regardless of political party. Republican, Democrat, Independent – none of that matters to the SIU. What matters is that candidates commit to backing the U.S. Merchant Marine, and then follow through once in office. As we enter the teeth of election season, stay informed – and remain civil with each other. You can disagree with someone about an issue, but remember that we’re in this together and we all want what’s best for this great nation. Support From ‘Last Frontier’ Speaking of the consequences of elections, the United States maritime industry has enjoyed a long history of solid support from Alaska’s members of Congress, and that tradition is alive and well today. The Jones Act fleet is Alaska’s interstate highway. It’s what connects the 49th State with the mainland of the United States. And much like the freeway system and waterways we use in the lower 48, our American-flag ships and U.S. crews deliver the goods that Alaska needs while bringing some of the state’s natural resources to the mainland. Seafarers undoubtedly know about Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) and U.S. Rep. Don Young (R), both of whom have long track records backing the U.S. Merchant Marine. Murkowski’s father, the late Frank Murkowski, served Alaska as a governor and U.S. Senator, and also was a friend of the industry. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) isn’t exactly a newcomer, having been in office since 2015, but he is the newest member of the Alaska delegation. Sen. Sullivan is very much carrying on the tradition of great maritime support from Alaska, in the same spirit as the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R), one of the union’s all-time friends. That is why the SIU, along with three other maritime unions (AMO, MM&P and MEBA), recently endorsed his re-election. In our joint letter, we noted Sullivan’s “strong, consistent support for America’s maritime industry and your vigorous and persistent efforts in behalf of America’s maritime workforce. Your work in Congress to achieve a fully funded Maritime Security Program; to ensure full enforcement of America’s U.S.-flag cargo preference shipping requirements; and to preserve our nation’s coastwise shipping laws have helped ensure that our nation has the U.S.-flag commercial sealift readiness capability and the American mariners needed by the Department of Defense to support American troops and America’s interests overseas.” We further wrote: “You have been a leader in Congress working to increase the number of commercial vessels operating under the U.S.-flag and to increase the shipboard employment opportunities for American mariners. Absent such action, we as a nation will not only experience the continued outsourcing of American maritime jobs to the benefit of foreign maritime personnel but will also be forced to entrust a greater portion of the requisite commercial sealift readiness capability needed by the Department of Defense, along with the safety and supply of American troops, to foreign flag-of-convenience vessels and their foreign citizen crews. Without your continued efforts, our country will not have the necessary commercial U.S.-flag sealift capability it needs and American troops deployed overseas would be dangerously dependent on foreign vessels and foreign crews to bring them the supplies, equipment and materiel they need to do their job on behalf of the American people.” Sullivan has demonstrated a clear and unwavering commitment to the American maritime industry and the American maritime worker. O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E S E A F A R E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L U N I O N AT L A N T I C , G U L F, L A K E S A N D I N L A N D W AT E R S , A F L- C I O Volume 82 Number 9 Maritime Administrator Mark Buzby (left) and Navy League VP Jonathan Kaskin advocate for the U.S. Merchant Marine during a recent online conference. Officials from Navy League, MARAD Call for Additional U.S.-Flag Tonnage Weighing the potential long-range effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. security, two maritime experts said the country desperately needs to bolster its commercial fleet and the corresponding manpower pool. U.S. Maritime Administrator Mark Buzby and Navy League of the United States National Vice President for Legislative Affairs Jonathan Kaskin both emphasized those goals during a mid-July online event named “NatSec 2020: Coronavirus and Beyond,” cosponsored by the Navy League, the Association of the United States Army, and Government Matters (a multi-platform news program). The sessions examined “the long-term impact of the pandemic on the business of government in the national security community.” Kaskin said the U.S. especially needs greater sealift capacity and additional tankers in an era of “great power competition,” especially for a potential conflict in the Pacific. The former Navy logistics officer A prominent legislator from “The Last Frontier” recently received a major maritime honor. The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipyard industry, honored U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) with the SCA Maritime Leadership Award on June 30. The award is given annually “to national leaders who demonstrate exemplary dedication and support of the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry,” according to the council. Sullivan took office in 2015. Among other assignments, he currently serves on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; and the Senate Armed 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 Capital Gateway Drive; 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 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, Maryland 20746. Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; Assistant Communications Director, Managing Editor/ Production, Jim Guthrie; Assistant Editor, Nick Merrill; Photographer, Harry Gieske; Administrative Support, Jenny Stokes; Content Curator, Mark Clements. Copyright © 2020 Seafarers International Union, AGLIW. All Rights Reserved. The Seafarers International Union engaged an environmentally friendly printer for the production of this newspaper. 2 Seafarers LOG benefit from an increase in commercial vessels rather than reserve-status ships (since the vessels themselves would have greater readiness and in turn would facilitate larger numbers of trained crews). Kaskin advocated expansion of the U.S. Maritime Security Program and also supported an administration proposal to create a similar structure for tankers. He said only a half-dozen American-flag internationally-trading tankers are available for use by the military, and three of those are already leased by the Navy for current operations. “The requirement that U.S. Transportation Command has shown – and earlier studies have shown – is that we need more than 78 tankers,” he said. “Adding 10 is not going to be sufficient. So, what we really need to do is find ways of utilizing the tankers that we have in the domestic fleet – the Jones Act [ships] – to be able to support wartime operations.” Shipbuilders Council Honors Sen. Sullivan September 2020 Reversed to White Reversed to White stated, “We in the Navy League would like to advocate for a much larger U.S. Merchant Marine in order to support the tenets of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which says that we should have a [merchant] fleet large enough to support not only our domestic trade but a portion of our international trade to be able to maintain our commerce at all time in peace and war. I don’t think we have adequate capability in both areas right now.” He added that the “fleet itself just needs to grow.” Buzby, former commander of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, agreed. “We need more ships,” he said, adding that a strong case may be made for adding upwards of 50 more vessels. The maritime administrator also called attention to a shortage of civilian mariners that threatens the nation’s ability to successfully executive a sustained sealift operation. Partly with that in mind, he said the country would U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) Services Committee. “Throughout his entire career, Sen. Sullivan has long recognized the critical role shipping, shipbuilding and repair have across the entire U.S. economy and especially in his home state of Alaska. His experienced voice has championed and advanced our industry, the backbone of economic and national security, in unprecedented ways. The more than 650,000 men and women of the domestic maritime industry honor him today for his service, commitment and unwavering leadership,” said Matthew Paxton, president of the SCA. Sullivan has been a maritime champion from his first days in office. Additionally, earlier this year he joined with six other Republican senators in formally urging President Trump to fully support the Jones Act. In a letter to Trump, those senators wrote in part, “Unfortunately, opponents of the Jones Act have used the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to attempt to undermine existing law. There is absolutely no connection between the Jones Act and COVID-19. In fact, the law has helped produce the types of vessels and qualified mariners necessary to support a variety of crisis response operations. If anything, the Administration and Congress should look for ways to strengthen the Jones Act.” During the recent markup for the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Sullivan helped secure language authorizing $21.3 billion for the construction of new U.S. Navy submarines, amphibious ships, destroyers, and other vessels. Last year, he authored and led the two-year reauthorization of the U.S. Coast Guard. “I want to thank SCA President Matthew Paxton, the SCA board and all of SCA’s members for this prestigious honor and for your work advocating on behalf of a robust shipyard industrial base,” said Sullivan. “From authorizing the first new icebreakers in a generation, $21 billion this coming fiscal year in defense shipbuilding, and the intent to reach a 355-ship Navy, we are renewing America’s command of the high seas, and the men and women of our shipbuilding sector will be crucial to bringing that goal to fruition. I’m glad to be a part of this collaborative effort that strengthens our national security, supports a stronger economy and thousands of jobs, including many in the great maritime state of Alaska.” Sullivan was presented the Maritime Champion Award virtually during the SCA annual meeting in Washington, D.C. SCA members constitute the shipyard industrial base that builds, repairs, maintains and modernizes U.S. Navy ships and craft, U.S. Coast Guard vessels of all sizes, as well as vessels for other U.S. government agencies. In addition, SCA members build, repair and service America’s fleet of commercial vessels. The Council represents 40 companies that own and operate more than 82 shipyards, with facilities on all three U.S. coasts, the Great Lakes, the inland waterways system, Alaska and Hawaii. The SCA also represents 87 partner members that provide goods and services to the shipyard industry. September 2020 �COVID-19 PANDEMIC The Paul Hall Center reopened for classes in early August and also hosted a membership meeting. Union Meetings Resume, School Reopens Coronavirus Claims Life of SIU Member Vaughan Editor’s note: SIU members are encouraged to regularly check the union’s website for the latest union-specific news about the pandemic. There is a prominent COVID-19 section on the home page. Members also may sign up for text alerts by texting the word “join” (without the quotation marks) to 97779. The SIU and its affiliated school in Piney Point, Maryland, recently reached some milestones for 2020 – occasions that wouldn’t warrant much mention in non-pandemic times but which now signal progress. The union in August resumed its monthly membership meetings, underscored by numerous safety precautions at the hiring halls. Because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, meetings hadn’t been conducted since March. Similarly, the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education (PHC) resumed classes the first week of August, following a summer hiatus (see pages 18-19). Extensive safety measures are in place at the school, and the first couple of weeks after reopening have proven encouraging. While those developments offered a boost to many attendees and a partial return to some normalcy, the coronavirus remains a worldwide crisis. By mid-August, there were upwards of 22 million cases worldwide, including more than 5.4 million in the United States. The virus had claimed nearly 775,000 lives around the world, including almost 170,000 in the U.S. Virus Claims Union Member One of those victims was GUDE Michael Vaughan, 63, who died July 28 after being stricken with COVID19. He had sailed with SIU since 2012, most recently aboard a Maersk vessel, and is believed to be the first active Seafarer to perish from the virus. In a message to SIU crews throughout the Maersk fleet, SIU President Michael Sacco wrote, “On behalf of the union’s executive board, I extend our deepest and most sincere sympathies to the family, friends and shipmates of our fallen brother, GUDE Michael Vaughan. Many of you have heard me say over the years that I think of our organization as a family. In that spirit, this is a particularly difficult time for all concerned…. We all need to remain extremely vigilant and cautious as the scourge of COVID-19 continues. That is one way we can honor Michael Vaughan’s memory.” Meanwhile, Sacco in late July joined with MM&P President Don Marcus and MEBA President Marshall Ainley in sending a letter to the commanding officer of the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC), Rear Adm. Michael Wettlaufer. The presidents voiced strong concerns about the agency’s months-long “gangways up” order on vessels crewed by federally employed CIVMARS (including members of the SIU Government Services Division), along with the July 22 suicide of Third Officer Jonathon J. Morris, 34, aboard the USNS Amelia Earhart. That letter reads in part, “We are writing to you today to communicate our ongoing and increasingly grave concerns regarding the mental health and well-being of MSC’s CIVMARs. Many of the CIVMARS are members of our respective Unions and they share their thoughts and concerns with us on a regular basis. There is growing anger, frustration and despair throughout the fleet. People have a breaking point and many of these crewmembers are nearing it. “The recent tragedy aboard the USNS Amelia Earhart speaks for itself,” the letter continues. “The actual cause of this mariner’s actions may never be known, however, the ongoing and selective ‘Gangways Up’ restrictions may have, in some part, contributed to this unnecessary and senseless act. We are genuinely worried that if restrictions are not eased, the likelihood of shipboard emotional instability will increase. Further, the stress-related fatigue caused by the ‘Gangways Up’ restrictions could lead to safety and mission degradation and operational mishaps. “Couple the disparate nature of the Gangways-Up policy with the continuing crisis of overdue reliefs and you have potentially worse disasters waiting to happen on MSC vessels all over the world,” the union presidents added. “Waiting in-excess of 90 days for relief in some cases is contributing to the escalating anxiety and tensions aboard ships. The current situation is taking a terrible toll on the families of these GUDE Michael Vaughan is believed to be the first active SIU member to perish as a result of COVID-19. mariners as well. The CIVMARS feel unsupported and abandoned.” The correspondence concluded with a request for “your direct intervention and assistance.” Precautions, Adjustments In an effort to promote safety at the hiring halls and at the PHC, many safeguards are in place. These include reconfiguring meeting areas, classrooms and dining facilities to promote distancing. Clear plastic dividers have been installed, along with hand-sanitizing stations. Floor markings are in place to make it easy to identify six-foot distances. Meal times at the school are being staggered, and face coverings are required at the PHC and at the halls. Another adjustment took place prior to when the Able Seafarer-Deck class resumed in Piney Point. Students completed two weeks of authorized course- Continued on Page 16 Note to Our Readers While maintaining distance, members listen to reports during the monthly meeting in New Orleans. September 2020 Without exception, anyone entering an SIU hiring hall or signing onto a vessel has passed a number of safety protocols, often including testing for COVID-19, two-week quarantines, and verifying health-related items on a questionnaire. For that reason, not everyone you see pictured in the LOG is wearing a mask. In addition, in many cases, people have briefly removed their masks only long enough to snap a quick photo. We cannot stress enough the importance of following all safety protocols for your protection and the protection of those around you. Seafarers LOG 3 �In photo at right, the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) addresses attendees May 14, 2019 during the keel laying for his namesake ship, USNS John Lewis, Military Sealift Command’s newest fleet replenishment oiler, during ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO Shipyard in San Diego. (Military Sealift Command photo) A General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company rendering of the vessel is pictured above. Workers’ Rights, U.S. Maritime Champion U.S. Rep. John Lewis Passes Away at 80 U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia), an acclaimed civil rights leader/activist and a champion of the U.S. Maritime industry, died July 17 at age 80. The son of sharecroppers and an apostle of nonviolence, the late congressman on Dec. 29, 2019 announced that he had Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer and vowed to fight it with the same passion with which he had battled racial injustice. “I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life,” he said. SIU Executive Vice President Augie Tellez, during the union’s August membership meeting at the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Maryland, reminded the audience that in addition to being a stalwart for workers’ rights, Lewis also consistently backed the U.S. Merchant Marine. “He was a man with a capital ‘m’ and he was in our corner from day one,” Tellez stated. Bolstering Tellez’s sentiments re- garding Lewis’ contributions to the U.S. Maritime industry was SIU Senior Political Consultant Terry Turner. “He (Congressman Lewis) was a 100% pro-vote on all Maritime Security Program, Jones Act, and Cargo Preference legislation that we tracked over the last 20 years,” Turner said. “Going forward, his leadership and support for maritime issues will be greatly missed.” The late congressman’s backing of U.S. Maritime and advocacy for human rights did not go unnoticed in America’s civilian community nor in U.S. government circles including the Department of Defense. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, during a January 6, 2016 ship-naming ceremony at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C., announced that the first ship of the next generation of fleet replenishment oilers (T-AO 205) would be named the USNS John Lewis after the civil rights movement hero. “As the first of its class, the future USNS John Lewis will play a vital role in the mission of our Navy and Marine Corps while also forging a new path in fleet replenishment,” said Mabus at the event. “Naming this ship after John Lewis is a fitting tribute to a man who has, from his youth, been at the forefront of progressive social and human rights movements in the U.S., directly shaping both the past and future of our nation.” The new vessel, one of six new T-AO 205 fleet oilers for the U.S. Navy, is being built by the General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California. Construction commenced in 2018; the vessel is expected to be delivered later this year. The future USNS John Lewis will be operated by the U.S. Military Sealift Command and provide underway replenishment of fuel and stores to U.S. Navy ships at sea and jet fuel for aircraft assigned to aircraft carriers. Its crew will include CIVMARS from the SIU Government Services Division. “T-AO 205 will, for decades to come, serve as a visible symbol of the freedoms Representative Lewis holds dear, and his example will live on in the steel of that ship and in all those who will serve aboard her,” said Mabus. The late congressman’s involvement in the civil rights movement started while he was still a young man, when he organized sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1961, he participated in the “Freedom Rides,” challenging segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South. In 1963, Lewis was named chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee where he was responsible for organizing student activism challenging segregation. Congressman Lewis was also a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in 1963. He nearly lost his life more than 50 years ago on “Bloody Sunday” (March 7, 1965) when he was beaten by police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge while attempting to lead more than 600 peaceful voting rights protestors in Selma, Alabama. SIU Jobs Stay Secure Aboard Empire State Seafarers will continue sailing aboard the Jones Act-qualified tanker Empire State following a recent contract award by the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC). The agency in late July announced that American Petroleum Tankers has secured a new agreement consisting of “one 12-month firm period, three one-year options and one 11-month option period…. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed by July 2025.” SIU members have been part of the Empire State crew since the ship began sailing in summer 2010. It’s a union-built vessel, constructed at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego. The ship, which transports petroleum products for the Department of Defense, is 600 feet long, has a beam of 105 feet and can sail at 14.5 knots. 4 Seafarers LOG File photo of SIU-crewed Empire State September 2020 �Comprehensive Jones Act Study Finds No Effect on Cost of Living in Hawaii Report Also Reveals Ocean Freight Rates Declined Since 2008 Economists from Boston-based Reeve & Associates (Reeve) and Hawaii-based TZ Economics have released a joint report, “The Impact of the Jones Act on Hawaii,” that concluded the Jones Act has no significant impact on the cost of living in Hawaii. In addition, the report found that freight rates in the U.S. Mainland-Hawaii trade lane have declined in real terms over the last 10 years, while the Jones Act has delivered positive and substantial economic contributions, including job creation, new infrastructure investments, and a reliable pipeline for critical consumer and industrial goods moving to and from the Islands. In this comprehensive report, the authors analyzed the economic impact of the Jones Act – a critical economic and national security law that ensures goods transported from U.S. point to U.S. point be carried on vessels that are American crewed, built, and owned – and conducted a thorough market-based study to consider the impact of the law to the cost of goods. Moreover, the report analyzed the impact on consumers by evaluating the competitiveness of freight rates in the United States/Hawaii market, the quality of service provided by the Jones Act carriers, and the impact of the carriers’ freight rates, relative to the prices of goods shipped between the U.S. Mainland and Hawaii. “There has been a lot of contention regarding whether the Jones Act negatively affects Hawaii’s cost of living,” said John Reeve, the principal in Reeve & Associates and the lead economist on the study. “The findings of our study indicate that the Jones Act has no appreciable impact on Hawaii’s cost of living, and that Jones Act carriers provide immense benefits to consumers and business owners, while delivering reliable, high frequency and fast transit services at healthy and competitive rates.” “Our findings based on various indicators show that higher living costs – partly the premium assigned to the desirabil- ity of living in Hawaii – reflect housing costs, not the cost of consumer products relative to the U.S. Mainland,” said Paul Brewbaker, the principal of TZ Economics. “The findings of this exhaustive study regarding the economic impact of Jones Act-related transportation costs in Hawaii are clear – the Jones Act does not drive up the cost of living in Hawaii. American shipping companies operating under the Jones Act provide an efficient and reliable pipeline for consumer and industrial goods moving to and from the Islands,” said Mike Roberts, president of the American Maritime Partnership (to which the SIU is affiliated). “Waiving the Jones Act would replace American mariners and ships with foreign ships and mariners, threaten Hawaii’s supply chain, and degrade Hawaii’s and our nation’s security – yet produce no cost of living benefit to Hawaii residents.” This report is a follow-on in a series of studies being conducted by Reeve and Associates and its partners analyzing the comparative cost of goods in non-contiguous territories of the United States and the U.S. Mainland, and the impact, if any, of the Jones Act. In summary, the findings include: The Jones Act does not impact the cost of living in Hawaii. n A study of 200 consumer goods purchased from major retailers such as Costco, Home Depot, Target and Walmart found no significant difference in the price. Some 142 out of 200 items (71%) were precisely the same in stores in Hawaii as they were in California. In some cases, retail prices of goods were cheaper in Hawaii. The study found that while Hawaii does have a high cost of living, that cost is primarily driven by housing expenses and other factors, not the type of consumer goods carried to Hawaii by Jones Act carriers. Over a 10-year period, Jones Act carriers’ ‘Any Attack on Jones Act Is An Attack on The People of Hawaii’ SIU President Michael Sacco was among those forcefully speaking in favor of the Jones Act following recent attempts to undermine the crucial law. “At their core, there is nothing new about recent, erroneous attacks against America’s freight cabotage law, commonly known as the Jones Act,” Sacco stated in a web post on Aug. 6. “This century-old law has endured because it always has been – and still remains today – vital to United States national, economic and homeland security. “Jones Act opponents typically resort to the same old, worn-out, losing playbook when they go after this critical maritime law,” he continued. “That’s been the case again lately, first with the posting of an easily and quickly debunked study about the law’s alleged impact on Hawaii, and then with attempts to chip away at components of the Jones Act.” The union president said that from his view, “any attack on the Jones Act is a direct attack on the people of Hawaii and on the U.S. as a whole. This September 2020 law helps support more than 653,000 American jobs while protecting the security of our rivers and waterways…. There are many good reasons why 91 countries around the world maintain some form of cabotage law. There are many good reasons why the Jones Act has been American policy for a century. There are many good reasons why the Jones Act consistently enjoys strong bipartisan support from Congress and the White House and solid backing from our top military leaders.” Sacco concluded, “Without the Jones Act, the American-flag merchant fleet would be wiped out, as would the pool of U.S. citizen mariners who crew our commercial and military-support vessels. In turn, our country would face monumental security risks as foreignflag vessels and boats and foreign crews had free reign on our rivers, waterways and coastlines. The Jones Act was exceptionally sound policy when it was enacted in June 1920. Today, it’s arguably more important than ever, and I’m proud to support it.” rates have declined in real terms for essential ocean shipping. n The study shows that freight rates in the Mainland-Hawaii trade have declined in real terms when considering the cost of inflation, while benchmarks such as overall U.S. inflation and intercity truckload prices have increased substantially (28%). This freight rate decline is despite a 50% increase in wharfage charges for port/terminal improvements. The large majority of the expenses of moving cargo between the U.S. Mainland and Hawaii are completely unaffected by the Jones Act. If foreign-flag carriers were allowed to operate in the domestic trades, the costs of any foreign-flag vessel would rise substantially due to required compliance with other U.S. laws, including tax and labor laws. n The study found that only a third of the total costs of a Jones Act carrier moving freight between the Mainland and Hawaii are affected by the Jones Act (crew and vessel capital costs). If the Jones Act was to be waived for Hawaii, the costs of any foreign-flag vessel operated in that U.S. domestic trade would rise substantially as it would have to comply with U.S. tax, labor, and employee protection laws apart from the Jones Act that would virtually negate any cost advantage provided by foreign registry. Jones Act carriers are dedicated to Hawaii’s specific needs for high frequency and fast transit to deliver consumer goods to the Hawaiian Islands. Eliminating the Jones Act could undermine priority, frequency, and speed. n Three U.S.-flagged carriers with a fleet of 20 combined vessels, specifically designed to accommodate the needs of Hawaii transportation commerce, currently provide regular scheduled shipping services between the U.S. Mainland and Hawaii. Due to intense and healthy competition, freight rates have declined in real terms while carriers have increased capacity with modern, custom-designed vessels. Jones Act carriers have introduced five new U.S. vessels, as well as three more on the way in the fourth quarter of 2020. According to the study, with these most recent additions, there is more than ample capacity to meet the needs of Hawaii families and businesses. In fact, Jones Act carriers have increased capacity by 22% since 2015 with the addition of new vessels. The level of available capacity in the market naturally drives healthy price competition. American shipping companies are invested in Hawaii, providing more than $2 billion in transportation technology customized for the Hawaii market, such as new ships, terminals, and equipment. n These new vessels are highly fuelefficient, environmentally friendly and contribute to reduced sulfur emissions. Hawaii residents also benefit from improvements to terminals, including the addition of new infrastructure such as gantry cranes. Jones Act carriers play a critical role in support of U.S. national security, while meeting the needs of military personnel and their families who comprise nearly 10% of Hawaii’s population. n Jones Act carriers provide a reserve force of well-trained seafarers who in times of national emergency can crew reserve sealift vessels, while ensuring the U.S. does not need to rely on foreign carriers to move people and military assets. Around 9.6% of Hawaii’s population is U.S. military personnel and their families. Jones Act carriers ship a high proportion of personal effects (vehicles and household goods) that are needed for those families. The Jones Act industry supports 13,000 jobs for Hawaii families. n The Jones Act delivers $787 million in annual workforce income and $3.3 billion economic impact to the local economy. Port Council Strongly Defends Vital American Maritime Law The Maritime Trades Department (MTD) recently helped set the record straight concerning a vital maritime law. A constitutional department of the AFL-CIO, the MTD on Aug. 6 posted a statement saying it “joins with the Hawaii Ports Maritime Council (PMC) to counter the misleading report issued by U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and U.S. Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) dismissing the value and benefits of the Jones Act to the citizens and businesses of the Aloha State. “This is just another attempt to mislead and misinform the people of our state on the importance of the Jones Act,” stated PMC President Randy Swindell. “This was yet another rehashing of mistruths whose only purpose is to confuse.” “We know what the Jones Act means – good jobs as well as economic and national security for Hawaii and the United States,” added PMC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Hazel Galbiso, who is the SIU port agent in Honolulu. The report, released in July, attempted to explain why Hawaii would be better off being served by foreign- crewed, foreign-owned commercial vessels rather than the dedicated fleet of 20 U.S-flagged, U.S.-owned, U.S.-built and U.S.-crewed ships that provide regularly scheduled service to the islands. The Jones Act is America’s cabotage law, which means cargo moved from one U.S. port to another U.S. port must be carried aboard ships that follow the nation’s labor and safety standards. The Jones Act celebrated its 100th anniversary in June. It constantly comes under attack from foreign-flag interests hiding behind the sails of “economic savings” while ignoring what eliminating the law would cost American workers and interests. “The Jones Act provides job creation and economic opportunities for the people of Hawaii,” stated MTD President Michael Sacco, who also is president of the SIU. “In these stressful and trying times, why would anyone want to eliminate good-paying American jobs?” The Jones Act is responsible for approximately 13,000 jobs in Hawaii, providing $787 million in annual workforce income and a $3.3 billion economic impact. Seafarers LOG 5 �Credentials Approved for Candidates to 25 Union Offices REPORT OF CREDENTIALS COMMIT TEE ON CANDIDATES FOR 2020 ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR TERM 2021-2024 SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA-ATL ANTIC, GULF, L AKES AND INL AND WATERS We, the undersigned members of the Credentials Committee, were duly elected at a Special Meeting held at HeadquartersPort of Piney Point on August 14, 2020. We have examined the credentials of candidates for elective office or job in the Seafarers International Union of North America-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters for the years 2021-2024, in accordance with Article XI, Section 1, and submit the following report. Your Committee qualified or disqualified those members who submitted for office based upon the Union Constitution, particularly those provisions contained in Articles XII and XIII. The applicable constitutional provisions are as follows: ARTICLE XII Qualifications for Of ficers, Assistant VicePresidents, Port Agents, and Other Elective Jobs Section 1. Any member of the Union is eligible to be a candidate for, and hold, any office or the job of Assistant Vice-President, or Port Agent provided: (a) He has at least three (3) years of seatime in an unlicensed capacity aboard an American-flag merchant vessel or vessels. In computing time, time spent in the employ of the Union, its subsidiaries and its affiliates, or in any employment at the Union’s direction, shall count the same as seatime. Union records, Welfare Plan records and/or company records can be used to determine eligibility; and (b) He has been a full book member in continuous good standing in the Union for at least three (3) years immediately prior to his nomination; and (c) He has at least one hundred (100) days of seatime, in an unlicensed capacity, aboard an American-flag vessel or vessels covered by contract with this Union or one hundred (100) days of employment with, or in any office or job of, the Union, its subsidiaries and its affiliates, or in any employment at the Union’s direction or a combination of these, between January 1 and the time of nomination in the election year, except if such seatime is wholly aboard such merchant vessels operating solely upon the Great Lakes or, if such seatime is wholly aboard tugboats, towboats or dredges and contractual employment thereon is for fixed days with equal amount of days off, he shall have at least sixty-five (65) days of such seatime instead of the foregoing one hundred (100) days; and (d) He is a citizen of the United States of America; and (e) He is not disqualified by law. He is not receiving a pension from this Union’s Pension Fund, if any, or from a UnionManagement Fund, to which Fund this Union is a party or from a company under contract with this Union; unless such individual commenced receiving a pension benefit from any such fund by virtue of having reached the age of 70½. (f) He has not sailed in a licensed capacity aboard an American flag merchant vessel or vessels within twenty-four (24) consecutive months immediately prior to the opening of nominations. Section 2. All candidates for, and holders of, other elective jobs not specified in the preceding sections shall be full book members of the Union. Section 3. All candidates for, and holders of, elective offices and jobs, whether elected or appointed in accordance with this Constitution, shall maintain full book memberships in good standing. ARTICLE XIII Election for Of ficers, Assistant Vice-Presidents, and Port Agents Section 1. Nominations. Except as provided in Section 2(b) of this Article, any full book member may submit his name for nomination for any office, or the job of Assistant Vice-President, or Port Agent, by delivering or causing to be delivered in person, to the office of the Secretary-Treasurer at Headquarters, or sending a letter addressed to the Credentials Committee, in care of the SecretaryTreasurer at the address of Headquarters. This letter shall be dated and shall contain the following: (a) The name of the candidate. (b) His home address and mailing address. (c) His book number. 6 Seafarers LOG (d) The title of the office or other job for which he is a candidate, including the name of the Port in the event the position sought is that of Port Agent. (e) Proof of citizenship. (f) Proof of seatime and/or employment as required for candidates. (g) In the event the member is on a vessel, he shall notify the Credentials Committee what vessel he is on. This shall be done also if he ships subsequent to forwarding his credentials. (h) Annexing a certificate in the following form, signed and dated by the proposed nominee: I HEREBY CERTIFY that during the past thirteen (13) years I have not been convicted of, or served any part of a prison term resulting from a conviction for robbery, bribery, extortion, embezzlement, grand larceny, burglary, arson, violation of narcotics laws, murder, rape, assault with intent to kill, assault which inflicts grievous bodily injury, or violation of Title II or III of the Landrum Griffin Act, or conspiracy to commit such crimes. In addition, I certify that I support the Constitution of the United States of America, its institutions and form of government.” Dated Signature of Member Book No._________ Printed forms of the certificate shall be made available to nominees. Where a nominee cannot truthfully execute such a certificate, but is, in fact, legally eligible for an office or job by reason of the restoration of civil rights originally revoked by such conviction or a favorable determination by the Board of Parole of the United States Department of Justice, he shall, in lieu of the foregoing certificate, furnish a complete signed statement of the facts of his case together with true copies of the documents supporting his statement. Any full book member may nominate any other full book member in which event such full book member so nominated shall comply with the provisions of this Article as they are set forth herein relating to the submission of credentials. By reason of the above self nomination provision the responsibility, if any, for notifying a nominee of his nomination to office shall be that of the nominator. All documents required herein must reach Headquarters no earlier than July 15 and no later than August 15 of the election year. The Secretary-Treasurer is charged with safekeeping of these letters and shall turn them over to the Credentials Committee upon the latter’s request. In order to ascertain the meaning of the term “member in good standing” which is used in Article XII, Subsection 1(b), the Committee referred to Article XXIV, Section 9 of our Constitution which reads as follows: Section 9. The term “member in good standing” shall mean a member whose monetary obligations to the Union are not in arrears for thirty (30) days or more, or who is not under suspension or expulsion effective in accordance with this Constitution. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, the term “member” shall mean a member in good standing. Your Committee sought guidance from the Union’s General Counsel through the Secretary-Treasurer as to whether this section would apply to a member who is unable to pay dues because of employment aboard an American flag merchant vessel as stated in Article III, Section 3(e). Your Committee was advised that, in keeping with past practice and constitutional interpretation, the same thirty (30) day grace period should be applied in these situations. Accordingly, when a member who is working on foreign articles leaves the vessel, the dues for the applicable quarter must be paid within thirty (30) days from the date of discharge in order to maintain good standing. Your committee was also advised that the Union’s executive board, due to the existence of the COVID 19 pandemic which made it difficult earlier this year for some people to secure employment and for others to end employment aboard a vessel due to limited crew change options, eased this requirement somewhat to allow members who were otherwise eligible to run for office to be able to maintain their continuous good standing. Your committee noted that all relevant information concerning this executive board action was widely disseminated to the membership and your committee fully approves of their actions. Your Committee also referred to Article XXIV, Section 13 for the definition of the term “seatime”. This section reads as follows: Section 13. The term “seatime” shall include employment upon any navigable waters, days of employment in a contracted employer unit represented by the Union or time spent in the employ of the Union or one of the Union’s direct affiliates as an elected or appointed representative. We also noted in Article XXIV, Section 14, the meaning of the term “in an unlicensed capacity aboard an American-flag merchant vessel or vessels.” This portion of the Constitution reads as follows: Section 14. The term “in an unlicensed capacity aboard an American-flag merchant vessel or vessels” shall include persons employed in an unlicensed or licensed capacity aboard dredges, tugboats, towboats and similar vessels used to tow, propel, or push barges or other conveyances or assist merchant vessels in docking or undocking, or persons otherwise employed in a contracted employer unit represented by the Union. After full and careful deliberations, the Committee made its decisions and sent appropriate notification to candidates. The ultimate decisions of this Committee are later set forth. In arriving at these ultimate decisions, the Committee was most concerned with carrying out a stated principle of our Union which is that “every qualified member shall have the right to nominate himself for, and, if elected or appointed, to hold office in this Union.” In connection with the foregoing, we have also consulted with the SecretaryTreasurer who, under our Constitution, has the obligation to ensure appropriate election procedures as legally required (Article XIII, Section 7). Our Secretary-Treasurer has further consulted with the Union’s Counsel as to the law applicable in Union nominations and elections. The following is a complete listing of all members who submitted their credentials to the Committee. Their names and the office or job for which they submitted such credentials are listed in the order in which this Committee feels they should be placed on the general ballot, that is, in alphabetical order under the office or job for which they run, and that the Ports, following the Headquarters offices, beginning with Piney Point, be arranged on the ballot geographically, as has been done in the past. After each member’s name and book number is his/her qualification or disqualification, followed by the reason for that decision. CHARGE OF CONTRACTS AND CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT Patrick A. Vandegrift, V-488 Qualified Credentials in order ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE ATL ANTIC COAST Nicholas A. Celona, C-1578 Qualified Credentials in order ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE GULF COAST Kris A. Hopkins, H-1658 Qualified Credentials in order ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE WEST COAST Bryan D. Powell, P-1987 Qualified Credentials in order ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE SOUTHERN REGION, GREAT L AKES AND INL AND WATERS Michael Russo, R-5772 Qualified Credentials in order ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF GOVERNMENT SERV ICES AND FISHING INDUSTRIES Joe Vincenzo, V-518 Qualified Credentials in order PINEY POINT PORT AGENT Mark von Siegel, V-612 Qualified Credentials in order NEW JERSEY PORT AGENT Raymond Henderson, H-1907 Qualified Credentials in order PHIL ADELPHIA PORT AGENT Joseph T. Baselice, B-2795 Qualified Credentials in order BALTIMORE PORT AGENT John Paul Hoskins, H-1630 Qualified Credentials in order MOBILE PORT AGENT Jimmy White, W-1600 Qualified Credentials in order NEW ORLEANS PORT AGENT Chris Westbrook, W-5787 Qualified Credentials in order HOUSTON PORT AGENT Joe Zavala, Z-5049 Qualified Credentials in order OAKL AND PORT AGENT Nicholas J. Marrone II, M-3537 Qualified Credentials in order PRESIDENT Michael J. Sacco, S-1288 Qualified Credentials in order ST. LOUIS PORT AGENT Chad Partridge, P-2057 Qualified Credentials in order EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Michael D. Murphy, M-2483 Qualified Credentials in order Lisa Sottile, S-2948 Qualified Credentials in order Augustin “Augie” Tellez, T-764 Qualified Credentials in order DETROIT-ALGONAC PORT AGENT Todd R. Brdak, B-2684 Qualified Credentials in order SECRETARY-TREASURER David W. Heindel, H-1443 Qualified Credentials in order Your committee also reviewed the credentials that were submitted by the following two individuals. V ICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF CONTRACTS AND CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT George Tricker, T-919 Qualified Credentials in order Gilbert Tito Allende Jr, A-1678 nominated himself for Port Agent of Puerto Rico, and V ICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE ATL ANTIC COAST Joseph T. Soresi, S-2658 Qualified Credentials in order V ICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE GULF COAST Dean E. Corgey, C-5727 Qualified Credentials in order V ICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE WEST COAST Nicholas J. Marrone, M-2308 Qualified Credentials in order V ICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE SOUTHERN REGION, GREAT L AKES AND_INL AND WATERS Thomas Orzechowski, Jr, O-601 Qualified Credentials in order V ICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF GOV ERNMENT SERVICES AND FISHING INDUSTRIES Kathleen A. Hunt, H-15000 Qualified Credentials in order ASSISTANT V ICE-PRESIDENT IN David Stephens, S-3414 nominated himself for Port Agent of Jacksonville. Your committee, based on that fact that neither of these positions are constitutional positions for which a person can run for office, disqualified both of these individuals and did not feel the need to review any additional information concerning their eligibility. The Committee points out that in the President’s Pre-Balloting Report which published in the May SEAFARERS LOG and posted to the Seafarers website, the exact offices and jobs for which nominations were to be made was set forth. Your committee understood that, in prior election years, this report would have been presented to the membership at a regular membership meeting, but, again, due to the current COVID 19 pandemic, some membership meetings had to be cancelled to protect everyone’s health and safety. Your committee believes that all the relevant information was communicated extensively. In compliance with Article XIII, Section 2(b) of our Constitution, and in an attempt Continued on Page 8 September 2020 �SHBP Awards $132,000 in Scholarships The Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan’s 2020 Scholarship Committee on Aug. 10 bestowed scholarships totaling $132,000 upon nine individuals – in the process helping to chart their respective courses toward higher education degrees. Two active Seafarers and seven dependents were selected by the committee to receive funds to offset costs associated with pursuing degrees at accredited two- and four-year colleges. Tapped for the active Seafarer awards ($6,000 each) were QE3 Raibonne Charles and Chief Cook Craig Wooten. These mariners will pursue two-year degrees. Receiving four-year scholarships totaling $20,000 each were dependents: Collins Agyeman, Pearl Dingzon, Iman Meawad, Alexis Skipper and Angelica Barroga. Claiming $10,000 awards to pursue two-year courses of study were Matthew Ortiz and Marissa Peterson. Raibonne Charles Inland QE3 Raibonne Charles hails from Portland, Maine. He signed on with the union in 2016 and was a member of Paul Hall Center Class 809. A 2007 graduate of Windham High School in Windham, Maine, Charles was a well-rounded student. In addition to serving as president of his class, he was a member of the student council. In the athletic arena, he demonstrated versatility by participating in football, basketball and track and field. Charles was a church youth leader and volunteered numerous hours working in an area soup kitchen. He also assisted residents of a Maine veterans home where he was involved in impact mentoring. Following high school, Charles accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Maine. He earned his degree in forestry while again making his mark on the gridiron as a standout defensive lineman. Charles’ accomplishments on the field did not go unnoticed, and not long after graduation, he was offered a contract to play professional football in the Arena Football League. He played three seasons as a linebacker with the Richmond (Virginia) Raiders. “In April 2015, I walked away from the game of football forever,” he said in his scholarship application package. “I knew I needed a career that provided stability and would give me the ability to provide.” At that juncture, Charles began revisiting interests from childhood. “As a young boy, the maritime industry was my first interest,” he said. “I have many fond memories of sitting on my veranda in Grenada and standing in the Portland harbor watching ships come in and out. Often, I was left wondering where did these ships come from and where will they go….” Charles said his interest in shipping probably was the result of his childhood environment. “Both of my childhood homes were heavily reliant on the maritime industry,” he shared in his application package. “The most influential person in my life was a seafarer…. The first seafarer I knew was my father.” No surprise then, that Charles chose maritime as his career going forward following his days in the Arena Football League. “After some further research, I realized that this (maritime industry) is what I wanted to do. In January of 2016, I boarded a plane to Baltimore (en route to Piney Point) and my life was never the same,” he said. While in the apprentice program, Charles says he not only learned about seamanship, but many other things as well. “I learned how important it is to have properly trained seamen sailing under the American Flag…. The American Maritime Industry is not only good for America, it’s good for the world.” He will use his scholarship to pursue courses which will help pave his way toward obtaining his third assistant engineer’s license. He has applied for admission to the Maritime Professional Training school in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and the Mid Atlantic September 2020 Maritime Academy in Norfolk, Virginia. Chief Cook Craig Wooten Deep Sea Chief Cook Craig Wooten joined the union in 2016 after completing the apprentice program in Piney Point. A Georgia native, he is a 2010 graduate of Valdosta, Georgia’s Lowndes High School. Since his days as an apprentice, Wooten has returned to the Southern Maryland-based Paul Hall Center on numerous occasions to enhance his skills. Most recently, in 2019 he attended the school for firefighting and STCW training. “This year, I reach the ripe age of 28 and I wonder if I’m reaching my full potential,” Wooten shared in his scholarship application package. “Discovering the union (SIU) has propelled my life in such a dramatic way, but I still hunger for progression.” Advancement, including financial, educational, spiritual and physical, are all areas in his life that he is extremely passionate about, he added. “Before I joined the SIU, I was a broke college dropout searching for a way out.” In this stage of his life, he is looking to change that narrative and “leave a legacy worth remembering. To not only be a successful steward, but also a college grad.” His ultimate goal is to complement his work skills with higher education in order to become a successful businessman. “Studying some form of business is my biggest interest,” he said. “I want to be the CEO of a successful company one day.” Wooten already has completed 60 credits toward his degree at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, Georgia. He hopes to realize his dream by completing the requirements for his bachelor’s degree in the very near future. He has applied for admission to the University of Miami, Hebron Technical Institute and Florida Barber Academy. He plans to focus his efforts in business and/or barbering. Collins Agyeman Collings Agyeman is the son of Deep Sea AB Collins Agyeman (and mother Esther, a care provider) who sails aboard the Intrepid Personnel and Provisioning-operated Pennsylvania. He has one sibling. Agyeman hails from Texas and is a 2020 graduate of YES Prep Boys School in Houston. During his high school tenure, he posted an overall 4.05 GPA and was involved in a host of athletic and non-athletic student activities. In the athletic arena, he was a member of the track and field as well as cross country teams. His non-athletic pursuits included the school debate team, academic decathlon team, Cavaliers for Christ and the YES Black Brotherhood. Agyeman served as lead drummer at Love in Christ Church and held leadership positions in several high school organizations, including president of this senior class. He regularly volunteered his time at Houston’s Westchase Health and Rehabilitation Center where he assisted the elderly and mentally impaired. Agyeman worked as a policy analyst, field intern and high school ambassador for the Raj Salhotra Campaign for the Houston City Council At Large. Finally, he was a teaching fellow for Breakthrough Houston. In this position, he taught rising high school juniors and sophomores effective strategies to improve scores on SAT tests. He has applied for admission to Vanderbilt University, Rice University and Emory University. Agyeman will pursue a degree in Political Science. Pearl Dingzon Pearl Dingzon is the daughter of Deep Sea ABG Julian Dingzon (and mother Nelia, a homemaker), who sails aboard the Decisive. She has five siblings. A 2020 graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, she posted an overall 4.61 GPA. Dingzon was a member of her school’s badminton squad and was active in a number of non-athletic activities. Included were the German Club, Gardening Club and the MERIT Health Leadership Academy. She was also the CEO, Youth Leadership Advisory Council. She has applied for admission to John Hopkins University, University of Maryland College Park, and Stevenson University. Dingzon plans to major in pre-med and psychology. Iman Meawad Iman Meawad is the daughter of Inland GUDE Kamal Meawad (and mother Howaida, a homemaker), who sails with WATCO. She has three siblings. Meawad hails from Staten Island, New York, and is a 2020 graduate of Susan E. Wagner High School. She ranked 107 in her class which numbered 768 students and posted a 4.68 overall GPA. She participated in her school’s Helping Hands and SAT Clubs. Additionally, Meawad served as a peer trainer and youth action member of New York City’s Citizens Committee for Children. After graduating from college as a registered nurse, she plans on becoming a nurse practitioner. Once she has realized that goal, she hopes to continue her education in nursing, ultimately specializing in mental health. Meawad has applied for admission to New York University, Hunter College and the College of Staten Island. Alexis Skipper Alexis Skipper is a 2020 graduate of St. Augustine High School and hails from St. Augustine, Florida. She’s the daughter of Inland Ordinary Seaman Norman Skipper Jr. (and mother Helen, a self-employed travel agent) who works with Crowley Towing and Transportation. She has four siblings. Skipper posted a 3.57 overall GPA at St. Augustine High and was a member of the tennis team. She also was a member of the National Honor Society and an all-star cheerleader. Additionally, she was a member of the school chorus and participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Happening and New Beginnings retreats. Highly involved in church and civic activities, Skipper held office as head of music, youth delegate, communications director and junior weekend advisor. She was also a counselor and leader in her community’s Vacation Bible School. Skipper plans to pursue a career in nursing. She has applied for admission to Florida State University, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida. Angelica Barroga Angelica Barroga is the daughter of Deep Sea Chief Cook Domingo Barroga Jr. (and mother, Adelia, a drug store shift supervisor), who sails aboard Maersk Line, Limited’s Maersk Denver. She has two siblings. A 2020 graduate of Moanalua High School in Honolulu, Barroga accumulated an overall 3.83 GPA. She ranked 85th in her class which boasted 504 students. She participated in her school’s Judo, Leo and Science Clubs and was a member of the marching band color guard. Barroga also took part in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Academic Bowl. She was treasurer of her freshman class and Flight Leader of her school’s JROTC Golf Flight Element. An active participant in affairs that directly affected her community, she devoted countless hours volunteering. Included were such undertakings as Feed the Homeless, the Salvation Army Thanksgiving Lunch and Toys for Tots. Barroga was a frequent helper at elementary school fun fairs and music festivals. She has applied for admission to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Grand Canyon University and Chaminade University. Barroga plans to study the health science and ultimately realize a career in nursing. Matthew Ortiz Matthew Ortiz hails from Saint Johns, Florida. He is the son of Inland DEU Ruben Ortiz (and mother, Miriam, a school clerk), who works aboard vessels operated by Crowley Towing. He has two sisters. A 2019 graduate of Creekside High School, Ortiz ranked 78th in his class which numbered 569 students. He posted a 4.31 overall GPA. Ortiz participated in cross country and track and field and was active in a host of non-athletic activities and societies including the National Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma, Rho Kappa and the Catholic Student Union Economics Club. Ortiz dedicated many volunteer hours at the Dreams Come True Club, the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the Engineering Academy-St. Johns Housing Partner. He is enrolled at Florida State University where he already has completed 15 credits towards his bachelor’s degree. Ortiz is studying political science and economics. Ultimately, he hopes attend law school. Marissa Peterson Marissa Peterson is from Pooler, Georgia. She is the daughter of Inland Deckhand James Peterson Jr. (and mother, Michelle, a homemaker), who sails with Crescent Towing. A 2014 graduate of Windsor Forest High School, Peterson achieved a 4.0 overall GPA. She participated in her school’s concert and marching bands and was a member of both the Spanish Honor Society and National Honor Society. Peterson was extremely active in her community, volunteering her time at a host of organizations. She attended the College of Coastal Georgia from 2015-2017, along the way earning 41 credits. Over the past five years, Peterson has been self-employed as a child care provider for multiple organizations. She is a childbirth education doula, birth and bereavement doula and postpartum doula Peterson currently attends Georgia Southern University and has already earned 67 credits towards her degree. She is majoring in nursing. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she plans to continue her education, ultimately earning her master’s degree in nursing-midwifery. Seafarers LOG 7 �Committee Certifies Candidates’ Election Credentials Continued from Page 6 to give every nominee every consideration and to try to prevent any disqualifications by this Committee, William Lima, of the Credentials Committee, remained at the entrance of the Headquarters building of the Union until midnight of Saturday, August 15, 2020, to receive any credentials that might have been delivered by hand after the closing of business hours by the Union. All credentials received as of August 15, 2020 have been furnished to the Committee in good order. All credentials have been examined in strict accordance with the Constitution. Any defect in the credentials disposed of by the Committee has been the sole responsibility of the sender and no person adversely affected by such defect has denied this to the Committee. Dated: August 17, 2020 Timothy Pillsworth, P-1872 Chairman Earl Castain, C-1931 William Lima, L-15003 Donald Lumpkins, L-1414 Executive Board Aims to Boost Access To Absentee Ballots for SIU Election During the September membership meetings, Seafarers will be presented with actions by the union’s executive board aimed at facilitating access to absentee ballots for this year’s SIU election. The board approved these modifications in light of the global COVID19 pandemic. The SIU Constitution provides that eligible members can vote by absentee ballot if they are on a vessel or in a hospital during the voting period. For this election, the board proposes that anyone desiring to vote by absentee ballot be allowed to do so. While the constitution specifies that absentee-ballot requests should be made by registered or certified mail, for this election, the board proposes that such requests may be sent by regular mail (which wouldn’t require mem- bers to leave their homes to go to a post office). If, however, any member sends a request for an absentee ballot by regular mail, that member is asked to wait five or more days to allow the request to be delivered, and then call the office of SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel to verify the request has been received. Additionally, the constitution specifies that absentee ballot requests must be received at headquarters by 12 p.m. on Nov. 10 of the election year. Again because of the pandemic, and in an effort to enable full participation in this election, the board has proposed extending this deadline to 12 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2020 (meaning all absentee ballot requests would need to be received at headquarters by this new deadline date). The next item that the board has acted Karl Mayhew, M-15018 Luis Santiago Sotero, S-3456 Supplement to report: After the completion of our work and the signing of our report, your committee was asked to reconvene via conference call on August 18, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. We were advised that another credential was received at headquarters on August 17, 2020. The credential was submitted by Lisa Sottile to nominate herself for the position of Port Agent of St. Louis. Article XIII of the Constitution provides that all credentials must upon involves in-person voting hours. The constitution provides that voting at the hiring halls shall take place between 9 a.m. and noon, Mondays through Saturdays during the voting period. For this election, due to social distancing restrictions and limits on the number of people who can be present at a hiring hall any one time, the board proposes extending the in-person voting hours until 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. This would allow members to come in and vote between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. The last issue undertaken by the SIU Executive Board pertaining to this election was a proposal to allow ballots to be brought by a union representative to a vessel that is in a U.S. port and that is within a 50-mile radius of a hiring hall or to other locations within the same radius where a ship’s crew might be congregating. If a vessel is beyond the 50mile radius, reasonable efforts will be made to try to deliver ballots; but, this would depend arrive at headquarters no later than August 15 of the election year. Notwithstanding that, your committee was provided with evidence indicating that Lisa Sottile’s credential arrived at the local post office on August 14 via overnight service; however, it was not delivered to the headquarters building until August 17. Your committee believes that sister Sottile should not be penalized by the delivery delay. Your committee, after reviewing her credentials has determined that she is qualified to run for the office of Port Agent of St. Louis, Missouri. on the actual distance and the availability of union representatives. (Also, if a vessel is one that the port routinely services and is beyond the 50-mile radius, ballots can be brought to that vessel during the routine servicing.) Due to restriction-to-ship issues, the board understood that it might be difficult for members desiring to vote in person to leave a vessel and come to a hiring hall. This proposed solution would help that situation. When ballots are brought to a vessel, members will have the opportunity to vote and arrangements will be made for them to do so in a secret fashion. All of these actions were carried out to help counter the effects of this pandemic and to try to ensure full membership participation in the SIU election. Again, they will be presented to the membership during the September meetings. Step-by-step instructions for requesting and submitting an absentee ballot will be posted on the SIU website and published in next month’s LOG. Spotlight on Mariner Health 2020 Flu Season Signals Start Of Critical Period for Everyone Editor’s note: This article was provided by the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan Medical Department. The 2020-2021 Flu Season is rapidly approaching and now is the time for everyone to begin formulating strategies to mitigate the condition as much as possible. Specifically, everyone 6 months and older (or those caring for them) should begin planning on getting vaccinated in order to reduce the overall burden of respiratory illness, protect vulnerable populations, and decrease burden on the healthcare system. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), between 39 million and 56 million people were sickened with the flu during last year’s flu season, which ran from Oct. 1, 2019 to April 4, 2020. This resulted in between 18-26 million medical visits and 410,000 to 740,000 hospitalizations. The CDC estimated that there were at least 24,00062,000 deaths related to the flu during the 20192020 season. While anyone can get sick from the flu, some individuals are at higher risk than others. Included in this category are people 65 or older, those who have chronic medical issues/conditions, the very young, and pregnant women. The signs and symptoms for flu usually arrive suddenly. Some of the symptoms that an individual who has contracted the illness may exhibit include: fever or chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, tiredness. Some may also may have diarrhea or vomiting. Most people who get the flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks. Some, however, may develop complications such as pneumonia, severe sinus and ear infections, heart problems, encephalitis of the brain, and sepsis. Everyone should be aware that there are many different types of flu viruses and that they are constantly changing. For this reason, the composition of the flu vaccines for the U.S. is reviewed annually and updated as needed in order to match the flu viruses that are circulating. Flu vaccines protect against the three or four 8 Seafarers LOG viruses that researchers decide will be most common for that particular year. This illustrates the importance of everyone getting their annual flu shots. Simply put, these injections are a last line of defense when it comes to combating the complications caused by the flu virus. In this vein, September and October would be a good time to get the flu vaccine. Doing so during this period will give individuals protection through the winter months when the flu is most active. It is vitally important for essential workers, and persons at increased risk for severe illness, to get the flu shot yearly. For many Seafarers, flu shots are mandatory, both aboard military vessels and many commercial ships. Everyone should be aware that COVID-19 cases continue to increase throughout the country. With the seasonal flu season just around the corner, both illnesses could run rampant simultaneously. Such a situation undoubtedly could pose real challenges for the general public, essential workers and health officials. However, systems are in place to protect the population from COVID. Wearing face masks, practicing good hygiene and social distancing, avoiding group gatherings and other indoor activities, working from home, and virtual learning for schoolchildren are some of the measures which thus far have yielded favorable results. The presence of the COVID-19 Pandemic means that it’s more important than ever for everyone to get flu shots this year. The flu weakens individuals’ bodies to the point that they become more susceptible to the coronavirus, thus putting them at added risks. It should also be pointed out that it is possible to have the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. Such a scenario obviously decreases one’s chance of survival and should be avoided at all costs. The other point to remember is that there is still no vaccine available for COVID-19, so prevention of its spread currently is our only line of defense against it. Everyone is advised to stay as healthy as possible and get all immunizations as required, especially the yearly flu shot. Healthy Recipe Grilled Pineapple Chimichurri Chicken Servings 24 3 whole red bell peppers, halved and seeded 12 slices fresh pineapple, ½” thick sliced 4 cups cilantro leaves, whole 4 cups parsley sprigs ½ cup lime juice 1 ½ cups canola oil 1 ½ cups teriyaki sauce ½ cup fresh ginger root, minced 9 pounds chicken breast, 6 oz each ¾ cup green onion, chopped 1 ½ cups macadamia nuts Preparation Place pepper and pineapple on an oiled grill rack over medium heat; grill, covered, until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes per side. For chimichurri, place cilantro, parsley and lime juice in a food processor; pulse until herbs are finely chopped. Continue processing while slowly adding oil. Chop grilled pepper and pineapple; stir into herb mixture. Mix teriyaki sauce and ginger. Place chicken on an oiled grill rack over medium heat; grill, covered, until a thermometer reads 165 degrees F, 5-7 minutes per side. Brush with some of the teriyaki mixture during the last 4 minutes. Brush chicken with remaining teriyaki mixture before serving. If desired, serve with couscous. Top with chimichurri green onions and macadamia nuts. Nutrition Information Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 551 calories; 33g fat (53.2% calories from fat); 31g protein; 35g carbohydrate; 4g dietary fiber; 87 mg cholesterol; 781 md sodium. Exchanges: 0 grain (starch); 4 lean meat; 1 vegetable; 2 fruit; 4 fat. Editor’s note: The foregoing recipe was provided by Chef Robert “RJ” Johnson of the of the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education’s Lundeberg School of Seamanship. September 2020 �Mariners Answered Call During WWII Dispatchers’ Report for Deep Sea “Total Registered” and “Total Shipped” data is cumulative from July 16-August 15. “Registered on the Beach” data is as of August 15. Continued from Page 20 Superhuman Sacrifice It would have been exhausting work even for a man who had not already spent the entire night in the water, much less for this seaman who had consumed so much of his strength so that others of the crew could live till rescue arrived. When a line was finally thrown to Alm himself, he was almost too exhausted to secure it around his own waist. It seemed like hours before he could summon up sufficient strength to secure the knot and wave for them to haul him aboard. All this time Captain Brown kept his ship within a few feet of the castaways, but Alm was too weak now to help himself and when the Bury edged closer to try and swing him aboard, he was hit several times by the side of the ship. Once, he went down, choking with water, but the sea could not claim such a man as this and they fished him finally onto the deck, bruised, bleeding and covered with oil – exhausted to the point of semi-consciousness, but still very much alive. After they gave him a shot of brandy he passed out “like a light.” Gustave Alm was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal of the merchant marine. Wrote the Bury’s Captain Brown to the United States Maritime Commission: “I feel honored to have played a part in the rescue of a man with such spirit. He is a true American.” Total Registered Port All Groups A B Total Shipped C All Groups A B Registered on Beach C Trip Reliefs A All Groups B C To MacArthur on Bataan It was at Brisbane, Australia, in January of 1942 that several Army officers came board the SS Coast Farmer and informed Captain John A. Mattson that his ship was to be loaded immediately with a “very important” cargo of war supplies, and that he and his crew were to hurry them north with the utmost speed. Notice to SIU Pensioners Eligible For Health Benefits from SHBP A new Summary Plan Description (SPD) is available at http:// www.seafarers.org. This document describes your health benefits as a pensioner, and replaces the previous version, which was issued in 2015. The Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan (SHBP) will send a printed version to all pensioners eligible for health benefits from the SHBP in the near future. To access the online version, look under the “About” menu, then go to “Benefit Plans” and then to “Health and Benefits Plan.” The PDF document is linked in the upper-right part of the page. September & October Membership Meetings Those attending membership meetings are reminded to bring face coverings. Safety protocols are in place at the halls and will remain in effect during the meetings. Seafarers are urged to check the SIU website and/or check with their hiring halls to verify that the membership meetings listed here are still happening. Piney Point.............*Tuesday: September 8, Monday: October 5 Algonac.....................................Friday: September 11, October 9 Baltimore..............................Thursday: September 10, October 8 Guam..................................Thursday: September 24, October 22 Honolulu................................Friday: September 18, October 16 Houston..................Monday: September 14, *Tuesday: October 13 Jacksonville......................Thursday: September 10, October 8 Joliet.....................................Thursday: September 17, October 15 Mobile.............................Wednesday: September 16, October 14 New Orleans............................Tuesday: September 15, October 13 Jersey City...............................Tuesday: September 8, October 6 Norfolk..................................Thursday: September 10, October 8 Oakland.............................Thursday: September 17, October 15 Philadelphia...................Wednesday: September 9, October 7 Port Everglades..................Thursday: September 17, October 15 San Juan............................Thursday: September 10, October 8 St. Louis......................................Friday: September 18, October 16 Tacoma................................Friday: September 25, October 23 Wilmington.....................Monday: September 21, October 19 *Piney Point change due to Labor Day Holiday; Houston change due to Columbus Day observance Each port’s meeting starts at 10:30 a.m September 2020 Seafarers LOG 9 �At Sea and Ashore with the SIU RETIREE GIVES BACK TO COMMUNITY – Retired Recertified Steward Shawn Fujiwara has produced and donated hundreds of face coverings in the Pacific Northwest since the start of the pandemic. “Feels good to give back,” he noted. ABOARD CS DECISIVE – In the photo above, Seafarers are pictured aboard the SubCom vessel in Newington, New Hampshire, where they loaded cable for a big project along the west coast of South America. The photo at the immediate right features Recertified Bosun Lovell Smith (left) and his son, AB Jamel Smith. The bosun reported excellent work by the deck gang and said they “rose to the occasion and did an outstanding job.” ABOARD PRESIDENT CLEVELAND – Pictured from left to right aboard the APL ship are SIU Oakland Patrolman Adrian Fraccarolli, ACU Tuliga Fuega, Recertified Steward Joseph Welle and Chief Cook Rey Chang. Photo was taken July 24 in Oakland. 10 Seafarers LOG September 2020 �PELICAN STATE SEAFARERS – Pictured following a dockside union meeting in Martinez, California, are QMED Jose Bonita, Apprentice Julian Rubbo, AB Casey Coddington and Recertified Bosun Sanjay Gupta. The vessel is operated by Intrepid Personnel and Provisioning. ABOARD PERLA DEL CARIBE – “New Orleans Night” was a hit aboard the TOTE vessel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The menu featured snow crab legs, chicken cracklings, shrimp boil, corn on the cob, red potatoes, fresh green beans, and corn bread. Pictured from left are Chief Cook Steven Lopez and Chief Steward Ingrid Ortiz. At Sea and Ashore with the SIU BOOKS GALORE IN MICHIGAN – Pictured at the hiring hall in Algonac are (above, from left to right) Gateman Wisam Mesleh, GUDE Fadel Mohamed, Chief Cook Katherine Anderson and SA Abdul Ali. The first three aforementioned Seafarers received their respective full B-books, while Ali got his probationary book. He and Mohamed are both second-generation SIU members. FULL BOOK IN HOUSTON – AB Elvin Ruiz is sworn in July 22 at the hiring hall. FULL BOOK IN OAKLAND – Chief Cook Bryan Nystrom receives his full book at the hiring hall in late July. B-BOOK IN HAWAII – OS John Kaleiopu receives his full B-book. He’s pictured at the Honolulu hall. B-BOOK IN MOBILE – AB Dominique Glover is pictured with his full B-book at the hiring hall in Alabama. A-BOOK IN SAN JUAN – QEE Edwin Velez displays his newly acquired A-seniority book at the hiring hall in Puerto Rico. “I’m very proud of my union and thankful for all of the training they have provided, along with the jobs and opportunities for growth,” Velez said. September 2020 WELCOME ASHORE IN HOUSTON – Recertified Bosun Donald Clotter (photo at immediate left) picks up his first pension check at the hiring hall. ANCHORAGE IN KODIAK – In addition to his seafaring skills, AB Chris Linsley knows a thing or two about drone photography. He took this shot of the Matson Anchorage in Kodiak, Alaska, in late May. Seafarers LOG 11 �Inquiring Seafarer Seafarers International Union Directory Michael Sacco, President Augustin Tellez, Executive Vice President George Tricker, Vice President Contracts This month’s question was answered by upgraders at the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Maryland. Tom Orzechowski, Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters Question: What are some things you’re looking forward to whenever the pandemic finally ends? David Heindel, Secretary-Treasurer Dean Corgey, Vice President Gulf Coast Nicholas J. Marrone, Vice President West Coast Joseph T. Soresi, Vice President Atlantic Coast Kate Hunt, Vice President Government Services HEADQUARTERS 5201 Capital Gateway Drive 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 625 N. York St., Houston, TX 77003 (713) 659-5152 JACKSONVILLE 5100 Belfort Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32256 (904) 281-2622 JERSEY CITY 104 Broadway, Jersey City, NJ 07306 (201) 434-6000 JOLIET 10 East Clinton St., Joliet, IL 60432 (815) 723-8002 Willie Smith AB I’m looking forward to a return to normalcy overall, including the travel I’ve missed out on, and planning a vacation. I love to fish and probably will charter a boat for the first time. But right now, I’m excited about getting my first job as a civilian mariner. I just finished a career in the Navy. Diane MacDonald Chief Cook I’m very hopeful that, as a global community, we can all remember that we’re in the same boat – pun intended. It’s an exciting time to watch this transformation through crisis. My training at Piney Point has helped prepare me to work safely through this pandemic. As a side note, please remember to support your local businesses. Juan Chevalier AB Watching some baseball with my family, including my father, who recently retired from the SIU. He sailed for 40 years and had 11,000 days at sea. He was an AB with Crowley. I’m looking forward to eventually travelling to the Dominican Republic, but it’s on lockdown right now. William Otero Chief Cook I can’t wait to get back to work, and get my kids back in school. It’s been hard not being out there. I want to get back to sailing and seeing the world, and get back to making money to support my family. But I do think all my training has prepared me, and the union has done their part to keep me safe during this period. Teva Kurth AB Life has actually been kind of going the same for me, just working and spending time with family. I do look forward to not having the burden of knowing I might come home with something and get the family sick, no matter how careful I’ve been. But I live pretty simply. Hussein Nasser Recertified Chief Cook I can’t wait to see my wife and kid back home. I hope we can collectively learn to keep our distance from other people a little more, and take all the lessons we’ve learned through this pandemic into the future. MOBILE 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605 (251) 478-0916 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 45353 St. George’s Avenue, Piney Point, MD 20674 (301) 994-0010 PORT EVERGLADES 1221 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 522-7984 SAN JUAN 659 Hill Side St., Summit Hills San Juan, PR 00920 (787) 721-4033 Pic From The Past This undated photo was submitted by Retired SIU Steward Assistant Trinidad Nieves who sailed with the union from 1967 to 2005. The photo shows Nieves honing his skills on the 350-Caliber Machine Gun. He was aboard the USNS Fisher as it made its way to the Persian Gulf. 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 12 Seafarers LOG 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 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Photographs will be returned, if so requested. High-resolution digital images may be sent to webmaster@seafarers.org September 2020 �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 ALI ALZOKARI Brother Ali Alzokari, 65, joined the Seafarers International Union in 2000, initially sailing on the McDonnell. He primarily sailed in the steward department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center in 2005. Brother Alzokari most recently sailed on the Maersk Atlanta. He makes his home in Vallejo, California. PATRICK BAKER Brother Patrick Baker, 65, started sailing with the union in 1976 when he shipped on the Erna Elizabeth. A member of the deck department, he upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions. Brother Baker last sailed on the Liberty Wave and settled in Panama City, Florida. OLIVER BOHANNON Brother Oliver Bohannon, 72, embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1991 when he sailed on the USNS Capable. He upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions and was a deck department member. Brother Bohannon’s final vessel was the Energy Enterprise. He lives in Barberton, Ohio. VASIL CHOLAKOVSKI Brother Vasil Cholakovski, 67, began his career with the SIU in 2008, initially sailing aboard the Dependable. He was a member of the engine department and upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Cholakovski most recently shipped on the Maersk Columbus. He makes his home in Issaquah, Washington. DONALD CLOTTER KEVIN DOUGHERTY Brother Kevin Dougherty, 65, joined the union in 1983. A steward department member, he first sailed aboard the Independence. Brother Dougherty upgraded his skills at the Paul Hall Center on numerous occasions. He most recently shipped aboard the Horizon Pacific and makes his home in Princeville, Hawaii. JOSEPH EMIDY Brother Joseph Emidy, 61, began sailing with the SIU in 1980. He shipped in the steward department and upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Emidy’s first vessel was the El Paso Southern; his most recent, the Oregon. He settled in Blackstone, Massachusetts. DAVID FRIDSTROM Brother David Fridstrom, 65, signed on with the union in 2001, initially sailing on the Richard G. Matthiesen. He upgraded at the Paul Hall Center within his first year and was a member of the deck department. Brother Fridstrom’ s final vessel was the Maersk Kinloss. He resides in San Diego. DAVID GARRETT Brother David Garrett, 65, donned the SIU colors in 2003. He first sailed aboard the Abby G and worked in the engine department. Brother Garrett most recently shipped on the SBX. He makes his home in Bali. LAURO MANGAHAS Brother Donald Clotter, 67, joined the union in 1990 when he shipped on the Independence. A deck department member, he upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Clotter’s last vessel was the Overseas Texas City. He is a Houston resident. Brother Lauro Mangahas, 65, started shipping with the Seafarers in 1993, initially sailing aboard the President Van Buren. He sailed in all three departments and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Mangahas last sailed on the Cape Inscription. He resides in the Philippines. JULES DELGADO DONALD MCGRAW Brother Jules Delgado, 66, donned the SIU colors in 2001. He shipped in the deck department and upgraded at the union-affiliated Piney Point school on multiple occasions. Brother Delgado’s first vessel was the Lykes Explorer; his most recent, the Green Ridge. He settled in Daytona Beach, Florida. September 2020 Brother Donald McGraw, 65, embarked on his career with the SIU in 1989 when he sailed aboard the USNS H.H. Hess. He primarily worked in the deck department and upgraded at the Piney Point school on numerous occasions. Brother McGraw last shipped on the Cape Kennedy. He calls Avondale, Louisiana, home. ROBERT RICHARDSON Brother Robert Richardson, 66, started shipping with the SIU in 1976, initially aboard a Waterman Steamship vessel. He sailed in the deck department and upgraded his skills on multiple occasions at the Paul Hall Center. He last sailed aboard the Horizon Reliance and settled in Springfield, Illinois. barked on his career with the SIU in 1980, initially sailing aboard the Brooklyn. A deck department member, he upgraded at the union-affiliated Paul Hall Center on several occasions. Brother Schwedland’s final vessel was the Walter J. McCarthy. He calls St. Petersburg, Florida, home. MARK RUHL JON WATSON Brother Mark Ruhl, 65, joined the SIU in 1974. An engine department member, he first sailed aboard the Yukon. Brother Ruhl upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. He concluded his career on the Cape Washington and resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Brother Jon Watson, 65, joined the union in 1976 when he shipped on the J.S. Young. He was a deck department member and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on numerous occasions. Brother Watson’s final vessel was the Indiana Harbor. He calls South Lyon, Michigan, home. OVIDIO SANTOS Brother Ovidio Santos, 65, signed on with the union in 2001. He upgraded often at the Piney Point school and sailed in the deck department. Brother Santos’ first vessel was the Energy Enterprise; his last, the Maersk Kinloss. He is a resident of New Bedford, Massachusetts. GREAT LAKES GERALD ANDERSON Brother Gerald Anderson, 65, joined the SIU in 1979 when he sailed with American Steamship. He upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on numerous occasions and was an engine department member. Brother Anderson’s final vessel was the John Boland. He lives in Watertown, South Dakota. DANIEL BREYER Brother Daniel Breyer, 65, became a member of the SIU in 2001. He was a deck department member and first sailed aboard the Gemini. Brother Breyer upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions. He last sailed on the St. Clair and makes his home in Sun City, Arizona. RICHARD GAUTHIER Brother Richard Gauthier, 63, began sailing with the Seafarers in 1993. He sailed in both the deck and steward departments and upgraded at the Piney Point school in 1997. Brother Gauthier first worked for Upper Lakes Barge Lines. He most recently shipped on the Joyce L. VanEnkevort and resides in Bark River, Michigan. STEVE SCHWEDLAND Brother Steve Schwedland, 66, em- INLAND MARK BURGER Brother Mark Burger, 65, signed on with the Seafarers in 1981. A deck department member, he upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions. Brother Burger was employed by Moran Towing of Texas for the duration of his career. He lives in Germania, New Jersey. DANIEL CRONAN Brother Daniel Cronan, 66, donned the SIU colors in 1998 when he shipped with Penn Maritime. He sailed in both the deck and engine departments. Brother Cronan upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. He last sailed aboard the Integrity and makes his home in Wakefield, Rhode Island. STEPHEN GARDINER Brother Stephen Gardiner, 59, began his career with the Seafarers in 1979, initially sailing aboard the Overseas Washington. He was a member of the deck department and upgraded at the union-affiliated Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Gardiner’s final vessel was the Achievement. He settled in Norwood, Pennsylvania. JIMMY LIPSCOMB Brother Jimmy Lipscomb, 62, joined the SIU in 1979, initially working with G&H Towing. He sailed in the engine department and concluded his career aboard the Vision. Brother Lipscomb is a resident of Santa Fe, Texas. TIMOTHY MACRURY Brother Timothy Macrury, 65, embarked on his career with the union in 1976, initially working for H&M Lake Transport. He sailed in both the steward and deck departments and upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Macrury was last employed by OLS Transport. He settled in Port Huron, Michigan. THOMAS PAYTOSH Brother Thomas Paytosh, 59, signed on with the Seafarers union in 2000, initially sailing with Riverboat Services. He was an engine department member and upgraded often at the Paul Hall Center. Brother Paytosh most recently shipped on the Courage. He resides in Bonita Springs, Florida. MICHAEL STRAVERS Brother Michael Stravers, 62, started shipping with the union in 1978 when he sailed aboard the Capricorn. He upgraded often at the Piney Point school and shipped in both the deck and engine departments. Brother Stravers last sailed with Crowley Towing and Transportation. He settled in Normandy Park, Washington. TERRY TRACY Brother Terry Tracy, 68, donned the SIU colors in 1993. He was employed by G&H Towing for his entire career. Brother Tracy was a deck department member. He lives in Dickinson, Texas. BRYAN WYNN Brother Bryan Wynn, 62, joined the SIU in 2007 when he worked for Starlight Marine Services. He sailed in both the engine and deck departments and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center in 2010. Brother Wynn continued to work for the same company for the duration of his career. He makes his home in Prunedale, California. MARK GODBOLD Brother Mark Godbold, 66, started sailing with the union in 1996 when he worked for Westbank Riverboat Services. He was a deck department member and upgraded at the Piney Point school in 2001. Brother Godbold last shipped on the Padre Island. He calls Slidell, Louisiana, home. Seafarers LOG 13 �Final Departures DEEP SEA THOMAS ARNOLD Pensioner Thomas Arnold, 84, died June 24. He signed on with the SIU in 1969 and first shipped on the Sabine. Brother Arnold was a member of the deck department. He concluded his career on the Hawaii and became a pensioner in 2001. Brother Arnold resided in Ringgold, Georgia. SANG BAE Pensioner Sang Bae, 84, passed away July 4. He joined the SIU in 1983. Brother Bae first sailed aboard the Independence. He primarily sailed in the steward department, and last shipped on the Galveston Bay. Brother Bae retired in 2000. He was a resident of Bensalem, Pennsylvania. MARTHA BYE Sister Martha Bye, 60, died May 10. She signed on with the Seafarers in 2000; her first vessel was the USNS Prevail. Sister Bye worked in the steward department. She most recently sailed aboard the Ocean Trader and made her home in Clarksville, Indiana. CHARLES CLACKLEY Pensioner Charles Clackley, 77, passed away July 15. He joined the union in 1990 when he shipped aboard the Eugene A. Obregon. Brother Clackley was an engine department member and last sailed on the USNS Stockham. He went on pension in 2006 and settled in Panama City Beach, Florida. RONALD GORDON Pensioner Ronald Gordon, 66, died June 27. He joined the SIU in 1980 and first sailed on the Santa Mercedes. Brother Gordon was an engine department member. He last shipped aboard the Overseas Philadelphia before going on pension in 2009. Brother Gordon was a resident of Mobile, Alabama. RONALD HUYETT Pensioner Ronald Huyett, 78, has passed away. He became a member of the union in 1989, initially sailing aboard the Anders. Brother Huyett sailed in the deck department. He last 14 Seafarers LOG shipped aboard the El Yunque before becoming a pensioner in 2010. Brother Huyett lived in Seattle. LESLIE KLEIN Pensioner Leslie Klein, 74, died July 6. He embarked on his career with the SIU in 1999 when he sailed aboard the Overseas Joyce. Brother Klein primarily sailed in the deck department and last shipped on the Horizon Tacoma. He retired in 2011 and resided in Poulsbo, Washington. MILDRED LAND Sister Mildred Land, 94, has passed away. A Texas native, she began shipping with the Seafarers International Union in 1978. Sister Land sailed in the steward department and was employed with States Steamship for the duration of her career. She resided in Benicia, California. ROBERT MCGONAGLE Pensioner Robert McGonagle, 88, died June 14. He joined the SIU in 1955 and first sailed aboard a Veritas Steamship vessel. A deck department member, Brother McGonagle last sailed aboard the Independence in 1993. He became a pensioner the same year and settled in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. PAUL MCMAHON CHARLES SPENCE Pensioner Charles Spence, 76, passed away July 7. He embarked on his career with the union in 1973, initially sailing aboard the Kinsman Enterprise. Brother Spence primarily sailed in the deck department and last shipped aboard the Overseas New York. He became a pensioner in 2009 and called La Quinta, California, home. LINTON TAYLOR Pensioner Linton Taylor, 82, died May 9. He joined the Seafarers in 1969 and first shipped aboard the Steel Scientist. Brother Taylor was a member of the steward department and concluded his career aboard the Cape Breton. He went on pension in 2014 and lived in Seattle. GEORGE WILLIAMSON Pensioner George Williamson, 94, passed away July 24. He signed on with the SIU in 1951, initially sailing on a Victory Carriers ship. Brother Williamson was an engine department member. He last shipped on the Overseas Ulla and retired in 1982. Brother Williamson made his home in Mobile, Alabama. INLAND RUPERT CARTER Pensioner Paul McMahon, 86, passed away April 15. He joined the SIU in 1964 and sailed in the deck department. Brother McMahon’s first vessel was the Steel Direct; his last, the Endurance. He retired in 1999 and was a resident of Las Vegas. Pensioner Rupert Carter, 70, died June 2. He was born in Cumberland, North Carolina, and embarked on his career with the SIU in 1969. Brother Carter sailed in the deck department. He worked for the Association of Maryland Pilots until his retirement in 2012. Brother Carter resided in Parkton, North Carolina. PAUL MOSS JAMES DONNELLY Brother Paul Moss, 57, died May 9. He began sailing with the union in 1987, when he shipped aboard the Cape Horn. Brother Moss primarily worked in the deck department, most recently aboard the Ocean Crescent. He was a Houston resident. WILLIAM SIMMONS Pensioner William Simmons, 68, died July 27. He donned the SIU colors in 1970 when he worked for Hvide Marine. Brother Simmons shipped in the steward department. He last sailed on the Yorktown Express and retired in 2014. Brother Simmons made his home in Call, Texas. Pensioner James Donnelly, 81, has passed away. He signed on with the Seafarers in 1962. Brother Donnelly first worked for G&H Towing. He concluded his career with the same company and went on pension in 2002. Brother Donnelly lived in Houston. JULIA HILL Pensioner Julia Hill, 66, died May 12. She began sailing with the union in 1988 when she worked for Delta Queen Steamboat Company. A steward department member, Sister Hill last shipped aboard the American Queen. She became a pensioner in 2015 and settled in Flint, Michigan. JOHN JACKSON Brother John Jackson, 56, passed away June 19. He signed on with the Seafarers International Union in 1994 when he worked for Crowley Towing and Transportation. Brother Jackson primarily shipped in the deck department and was employed with the same company for the duration of his career. He resided in Jacksonville, Florida, his birthplace. JOSEPH LEWIS Pensioner Joseph Lewis, 91, died August 2. He joined the union in 1959 and sailed with Chesapeake & Ohio Railway for the duration of his career. Brother Lewis became a pensioner in 1988 lived in Grimstead, Virginia. JOHN O’NEILL Pensioner John O’Neill, 80, passed away June 28. He joined the union in 1996 and worked for Crowley until his retirement in 2006. Brother O’Neill lived in Springfield, Pennsylvania. ROBERT PALMER Pensioner Robert Palmer, 67, died July 31. He signed on with SIU in 1998 and sailed in the deck department. Brother Palmer was employed by G&H Towing for his entire career. He retired in 2017 and made his home in Rockport, Texas. JOHN PRIMEAUX Pensioner John Primeaux, 83, passed away August 1. He embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1986. A deck department member, Brother Primeaux worked with Higman Barge Lines for the duration of his career. He became a pensioner in 2005 and settled in Kaplan, Louisiana. died July 28. He joined the SIU in 1967 and first sailed aboard the Eagle Voyage. Brother Springfield was a steward department member. He was last employed by OSG Ship Management before becoming a pensioner in 1996. Brother Springfield lived in Vineland, New Jersey. ROBERT TRIGG Pensioner Robert Trigg, 77, passed away July 2. He started sailing with the SIU in 1987. Brother Trigg first shipped aboard the USNS Lynch and sailed in the deck department. He concluded his career working on the Sugar Island and went on pension in 2004. Brother Trigg resided in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. NMU LINCOLN RICH Pensioner Lincoln Rich, 82, died July 3. He was an NMU member before the 2001 NMU/SIU merger. Brother Rich sailed in the deck department and last shipped aboard the Mormac Sun. He retired in 2003 and settled in Miami. In addition to the foregoing individuals, the following union members have also passed away. Insufficient information was available to develop summaries of their respective careers. NAME AGE Benson, Vernon 90 Chavez, Raul 95 Clayton, Mc 90 Dairo, Leo 92 Ferguson, Sarah 94 Filer, Eddie 83 Foster, David 87 Gilbert, Jack 90 Guzman, Robinson 90 Henderson, John 92 Jackson, Donald 94 Kerlin, Derwood 83 Passos, Regina 91 Pino, Ricardo 99 DOD 07/16/2020 07/03/2020 06/27/2020 06/27/2020 07/23/2020 06/29/2020 02/17/2020 06/11/2020 07/03/2020 05/23/2020 07/24/2020 06/22/2020 04/14/2020 08/05/2020 SILAS SAM Brother Silas Sam, 58, passed away June 15. He signed on with the SIU in 1999 and first sailed aboard the Overseas Joyce. Brother Sam was a deck department member and most recently shipped on the Courage. He lived in Rosharon, Texas. HARRY SPRINGFIELD Pensioner Harry Springfield, 91, September 2020 �Digest of Shipboard Union Meetings WEST VIRGINIA (Intrepid Personnel & Provisioning), March 28 – Chairman John Cedeno, Secretary Milton Yournett, Educational Director Scott Fuller, Deck Delegate Juberto Perez, Engine Delegate Jose Smith, Steward Delegate Wilma Jackson. Chairman recommended members enroll in vacation direct deposit and sign up for SIU text alerts. Bosun has ordered games for crew to use during off time. Due to pandemic, linen will no longer be sent ashore for cleaning. Crew was instructed on related overtime protocols. Educational director informed crew that Paul Hall Center is no longer taking applications until further notice. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Bosun has deck department disinfecting house at least twice a day and instructed crew to follow six-feet social distancing guidelines. Deck tools are sanitized before and after each use. Toaster on order for crew. Members requested 401K match and an increase in paid vacation to 20 for 30. Crew would like base wages and OT to be paid to any member who gets infected with COVID-19 while employed aboard any vessel. Vote of thanks given to steward department for keeping a cheerful and positive attitude during meal hours and for an overall job well done with food. WEST VIRGINIA (Intrepid Personnel & Provisioning), May 25 – Chairman John 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. Cedeno, Secretary Milton Yournett, Educational Director Yuri Oliveros, Deck Delegate Michael Sedita, Engine Delegate Rudolph Miller. Crew was instructed to keep work tools clean and sanitize deck twice daily. Members were also reminded to keep a six feet social distance. Chairman explained the process for writing in restriction to vessel while in port. He encouraged members to enroll in vacation direct deposit. Two brand new sets of linen being offered to each crew member. Secretary reminded crew to wash old linens before turning them in. Educational director will follow up every two weeks with updates for Piney Point classes. OT dispute reported by each delegate for ship restriction. Bosun to call next port hiring hall to address dispute. Members requested new mattresses and new toaster for crew. Members expressed concerns with room inspections conducted by captain without presence of bosun and chief steward. Crew would like to see a 401K match program and an increase in monthly vacation days. Next port: New Jersey. EVERGREEN STATE (Intrepid Personnel & Provisioning), May 31 – Chairman Martin Baker, Secretary Jose Clotter, Educational Director Dennis Blake. Crew members not receiving pay vouchers on time or at payout. Bosun informed union officials of pay voucher issue. Steward department thanked for a job well done. Educational director encouraged members to continue to upgrade. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members asked for retirement requirements to change from minimum age to actual years served. New treadmill and elliptical needed for gym. MAERSK MONTANA (Maersk Line, Limited), June 1 – Chairman Tecumseh Williams, Secretary James Cameron, Educational Director Eddie Almodovar. Chairman advised members to upgrade at the Paul Hall Center and be prepared to take whatever course necessary for basic safety training and STCW endorsement. Secretary thanked crew for helping with keeping the house clean. Educational director reminded members to pay close attention to expiration dates on credentials and prepare for renewals well in advance. He thanked steward department for a job well done. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members were encouraged to read the LOG, especially the President’s Report. Crew requested increases in health benefits. Members would like vacation pay to be 25 for 30. LIBERTY PROMISE (Liberty Maritime), June 21 – Chairman Scott Snodgrass, Secretary Robert Davis, Educational Director Maurice Ayuso, Deck Delegate Dennis Mariveles, Steward Delegate Michelle Taylor. Concerns voiced about having only one washer and dryer for crew and lack of hot water for coffee machine. Questions raised about members not being compensated for ship restriction while officers reportedly are being paid. Chairman announced payoff in Charleston and plans to contact SIU to have port agent meet the ship to discuss complaints. Vote of thanks given to crew for keeping inside house clean and to ABs for working together when docking and undocking. Secretary has vacation applications, beneficiary cards and medical forms available. He advised members to read the board for communications from SIU. Educational director urged crew to check document dates and Coast Guard application statuses. He advised members to upgrade at Piney Point when classes resume. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Old business items still apply and have not been resolved. Crew should have access to satellite phone and be able to purchase phone cards. Poor Wi-Fi service reported on ship. Members feel that Wi-Fi availability should be free and not ten dollars a week. Crew requests a visit from port agent. They thanked chief cook for buying snacks from slop chest and putting them out for crew. Members were reminded to not let doors slam and to check on port shuttle to seamen’s club. Next port: Charleston, South Carolina. MAERSK PITTSBURGH (Maersk Line, Limited), July 12 – Chairman Domingo Leon, Secretary Darryl Goggins, Educational Director Jan Morawski, Deck Delegate Randolph Jemmott, Steward Delegate Israel Coronel. Bosun thanked crew for a safe voyage and advised everyone to be careful on their time off during the pandemic. Secretary reminded members to be sure to leave clean rooms when getting off ship. Educational director encouraged members to upgrade their skills at the Paul Hall Center. He provided instructions for going on website and for inquiring about sea time. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew requested a raise in pension and vacation days. Members would like physicals be required only once per year. Next port: Charleston, South Carolina. MAERSK IOWA (Maersk Line, Limited), July 17 – Chairman Egidio Ferreira. Chairman went over President’s Column from latest edition of Seafarers LOG and recommended members upgrade at union-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, located in Piney Point, Maryland. He advised crew to follow safety guidelines and to wear masks and gloves. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members gave thanks to headquarters and all workers that continue to work through the pandemic. Know Your Rights FINANCIAL REPORTS. The Constitution of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District makes specific provision for safeguarding the membership’s money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by certified public accountants every year, which is to be submitted to the membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee of rank-and-file members, elected by the membership, each year examines the finances of the union and reports fully their findings and recommendations. The annual financial committee will be elected during the September 8 Headquarters Membership Meeting to review the 2019 records. Members of this committee may make dissenting reports, specific recommendations and separate findings. TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District are administered in accordance with the provisions of various trust fund agreements. All these agreements specify that the trustees in charge of these funds shall equally consist of union and management representatives and their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust funds are made only upon approval by a majority of the trustees. All trust fund financial records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds. SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member’s shipping rights and seniority are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the employers. Members should get to know their shipping rights. Copies of these contracts are posted and available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority rights as contained in the contracts between the union and the employers, September 2020 they should notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified mail, return receipt requested. The proper address for this is: Augustin Tellez, Chairman Seafarers Appeals Board 5201 Capital Gateway Drive Camp Springs, MD 20746 Full copies of contracts as referred to are available to members at all times, either by writing directly to the union or to the Seafarers Appeals Board. CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIU contracts are available in all SIU halls. These contracts specify the wages and conditions under which an SIU member works and lives aboard a ship or boat. Members should know their contract rights, as well as their obligations, such as filing for overtime (OT) on the proper sheets and in the proper manner. If, at any time, a member believes that an SIU patrolman or other union official fails to protect their contractual rights properly, he or she should contact the nearest SIU port agent. EDITORIAL POLICY — THE SEAFARERS LOG. The Seafarers LOG traditionally has refrained from publishing any article serving the political purposes of any individual in the union, officer or member. It also has refrained from publishing articles deemed harmful to the union or its collective membership. This established policy has been reaffirmed by membership action at the September 1960 meetings in all constitutional ports. The responsibility for Seafarers LOG policy is vested in an editorial board which consists of the executive board of the union. The executive board may delegate, from among its ranks, one individual to carry out this responsibility. PAYMENT OF MONIES. No monies are to be paid to anyone in any official capacity in the SIU unless an official union receipt is given for same. Under no circumstances should any member pay any money for any reason unless he is given such receipt. In the event anyone attempts to require any such payment be made without supplying a receipt, or if a member is required to make a payment and is given an official receipt, but feels that he or she should not have been required to make such payment, this should immediately be reported to union headquarters. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies of the SIU Constitution are available in all union halls. All members should obtain copies of this constitution so as to familiarize themselves with its contents. Any time a member feels any other member or officer is attempting to deprive him or her of any constitutional right or obligation by any methods, such as dealing with charges, trials, etc., as well as all other details, the member so affected should immediately notify headquarters. EQUAL RIGHTS. All members are guaranteed equal rights in employment and as members of the SIU. These rights are clearly set forth in the SIU Constitution and in the contracts which the union has negotiated with the employers. Consequently, no member may be discriminated against because of race, creed, color, sex, national or geographic origin. If any member feels that he or she is denied the equal rights to which he or she is entitled, the member should notify union headquarters. SEAFARERS POLITICAL ACTIVITY DONATION (SPAD). SPAD is a separate segregated fund. Its proceeds are used to further its objects and purposes including, but not limited to, furthering the political, social and economic interests of maritime workers, the preservation and furthering of the American merchant marine with improved employment opportunities for seamen and boatmen and the advancement of trade union concepts. In connection with such objects, SPAD supports and contributes to political candidates for elective office. All contributions are voluntary. No contribution may be solicited or received because of force, job discrimination, financial reprisal, or threat of such conduct, or as a condition of membership in the union or of employment. If a contribution is made by reason of the above improper conduct, the member should notify the Seafarers International Union or SPAD by certified mail within 30 days of the contribution for investigation and appropriate action and refund, if involuntary. A member should support SPAD to protect and further his or her economic, political and social interests, and American trade union concepts. NOTIFYING THE UNION — If at any time a member feels that any of the above rights have been violated, or that he or she has been denied the constitutional right of access to union records or information, the member should immediately notify SIU President Michael Sacco at headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The address is: Michael Sacco, President Seafarers International Union 5201 Capital Gateway Drive Camp Springs, MD 20746 Seafarers LOG 15 �CIVMAR-Crewed USNS Yukon Conducts Arabian Sea Rescue The USNS Yukon may have made history on Aug. 7 by performing a rescue in the Arabian Sea. While there’s nothing new about American-flag ships aiding fellow mariners, this particular operation included a component unique to 2020: social distancing. The Yukon’s crew includes members of the SIU Government Services Division. According to news reports, the Yukon received notification that the dhow Wadi Karan was adrift and required assistance. The Wadi Karan had experienced engine failure 10 days earlier, and the crew had run out of food and water. After assessing the situation, the Yukon’s crew provided them with food and water, and they remained on station until naval forces from nearby Oman arrived to provide further assistance. Throughout the rescue, the Yukon’s crew maintained social distancing, including following face covering requirements, in order to prevent the possible transmission of COVID-19 between the two crews. “The duty to help each other when in need is something that all mariners share, civilian and military alike,” said Navy Capt. Michael O’Driscoll, commander of Task Force 53, to which the Yukon is assigned. “The sailors and civilian mariners aboard MSC ships are trained and ready to answer this call whenever possible.” Safety in San Juan Sailors aboard a rigid hull inflatable boat assigned to the USNS Yukon transit from the distressed motor vessel Wadi Karan after rendering assistance in the Arabian Sea. (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy) Coast Guard Announces Some REC Reopenings The U.S. Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center circulated the following announcement in midAugust. Reopening of RECs Honolulu & Houston and MU San Juan ABs Jorge Soler and Jonamie Encarnacion are pictured aboard TOTE’s Perla Del Caribe in mid-August, during a safety drill. The National Maritime Center (NMC) is reopening Regional Examination Centers (RECs) Honolulu and Houston, and Monitoring Unit (MU) San Juan for limited examination services beginning Monday, August 24, 2020. Additionally, REC Juneau and MU Ketchikan reopened on August 17, 2020. Mariners seeking to schedule examinations may do so by calling the appropriate phone number or contacting the appropriate e-mail address: REC Houston – rechoustonexam@uscg.mil REC Honolulu – rechonolulu@uscg.mil MU San Juan – (787) 729-2368 REC Juneau – recjun@uscg.mil MU Ketchikan – (907) 225-4496 (extension #3) Examination appointment request e-mails should include the applicant’s name, mariner reference number, requested testing date(s), phone number, and a copy of their Approved to Test Letter(s). Examination services will be by appointment only. No walk-in appointments are available, and all other application customer service functions will continue to be handled remotely. Mariners will be subject to COVID-19 screening questions and temperature checks. Mariners experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea), will not be permitted to enter the REC/MU and will need to reschedule their appointment. Mariners are required to wear a face covering at all times. Those who refuse to wear a face covering, or who remove face coverings during exams, will be dismissed and could be subject to examination module failure. Persons with documented health issues which prevent them from wearing face coverings must notify the REC/MU when scheduling an appointment. Mariners should bring their own #2 pencils, a non-programmable calculator, and plotting equipment. No other personal belongings are allowed in the facility. All counter service appointments and hand delivery of applications remain suspended. The Customer Service Center remains open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. Please reach our call center at 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662) and IASKNMC@ uscg.mil. The NMC will announce future REC/ MU openings shortly. Union Activities Return to Edited Version of Normalcy Continued from Page 3 work online prior to arriving at the PHC, and they came away impressed with the process. “It was a great experience,” said AB Willie Smith. “I learned a lot and I’m glad the school was able to pull it off. That was my first time doing an online class, and it was awesome.” AB Juan Chevalier said it also was a new expe- 16 Seafarers LOG rience for him. “I had to buy a laptop, but the whole process was really nice. It all turned out good,” he said. AB Teva Kurth saw the online interaction as part of a bigger picture since the pandemic began. “It was pretty good, and I’m really happy the union did what they could to keep us working and get us where we need to be,” he said. “I’m very grateful.” Training (photo directly above) resumes at the unionaffiliated Paul Hall Center in early August. In the photo at left, Seafarers in Houston spread out and mask up for the August membership meeting. September 2020 �Paul Hall Center Classes The following is a list of courses that currently are scheduled to be held at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Maryland during the next several months. More courses may be added. Course additions and cancellations are subject to change due to COVID-19 protocols. 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 Course Start Date Date of Completion Deck Department Upgrading Courses Able Seafarer Deck (online lecture) October 5 October 19 October 16 October 23 Module 3 September 7 September 11 Module 4 September 15 September 21 October 12 September 18 October 09 October 16 Module 5 October 19 October 26 November 2 November 4 November 10 October 23 October 30 November 3 November 6 November 20 Module 6 November 23 December 18 AB to Mate Modules Module dates vary throughout the year. Once accepted, students will be advised of dates. Classes are only open to students in AB to Mate program and modules must be taken in order. Engine Department Upgrading Courses FOWT October 19 November 13 Junior Engineer September 21 October 26 November 13 December 18 Steward Department Upgrading Courses Galley Operations September 28 November 16 October 23 December 11 Certified Chief Cook September 7 October 12 November 16 October 9 November 13 December 18 Safety/Open Upgrading Courses Basic Training Revalidation September 11 September 14 September 18 September 11 September 14 September 18 UPGRADING APPLICATION 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. September 2020 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. 9/20 Seafarers LOG 17 �School’s In! Classes Resume In Piney Point Students recently returned to the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education (PHC) for classes that resumed Aug. 3. The Piney Point, Maryland school had temporarily halted all courses due to the pandemic. Numerous safeguards are in place at the PHC and its Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. Social distancing is required throughout the campus, as are face coverings. Hand-sanitizing stations are in place, along with floor markings to help people remain six feet apart whenever possible. Meal times are being staggered so that students and staff have ample room in the dining areas. For now, students are required to remain on campus for the duration of their respective classes. They also must complete a comprehensive medical questionnaire before arrival. The original course schedule for 2020 has been scrapped, but many new classes are underway, and more are being scheduled. Check the SIU website for the latest updates; course dates also are printed on page 17 of this edition of the LOG. The school reopened for classes in early August. Signage and sanitizing stations help keep students and employees protected. Deck department upgraders pause for a snapshot aboard the training vessel Freedom Star. 18 Seafarers LOG September 2020 �Upgraders take part in the one-day BT Revalidation class. Hands-on training remains a prominent part of the coursework at the Paul Hall Center, including during this Able Seafarer-Deck class. Steward-department upgraders spend some time in the classroom. Food preparation has never been safer at the school, thanks in part to extra sanitary gear. Simulator training is a key component of many Paul Hall Center classes. Mariners sharpen their skills during a helicopter fire fighting exercise. Meal times are staggered to help ensure ample room for social distancing. September 2020 Editor’s note: The photos on this page, as well as those on the previous one, were taken during the initial resumption of classes at the union-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, located in Piney Point, Maryland. The Paul Hall Center includes the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School, located on a nearby campus. Seafarers LOG 19 �VOLUME 82, NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2020 Text “Join” to 97779 To Sign Up for SIU Text Alerts O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E S E A F A R E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L U N I O N AT L A N T I C , G U L F, L A K E S A N D I N L A N D W AT E R S , A F L- C I O Heroic Seafarers Delivered in WWII Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment from a 1951 booklet titled “The Seafarers in World War II.” Penned by the late SIU historian John Bunker, the publication recapped SIU members’ service in the War. More than 1,200 SIU members lost their lives to wartime service in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Earlier installments are available on the SIU website and in print beginning with the May 2020 edition of the LOG. This one picks up with Bunker describing some of the travails of SIU-crewed ships in 1942, including the Waterman vessel SS Beauregard, which spent nearly an entire year on consecutive overseas voyages before returning to the United States. On those ships in the 1942 convoys which had guncrews, the Navy personnel was seldom more than 10 or 12 men at the most, and their armament was usually of popgun caliber. The SIU-manned Alcoa Banner sailed to Russia in convoy PQ-16, being defended by a prodigious battery of five .30-caliber machine guns and a Navy guncrew of two men! This convoy had plenty of use for guns, too, for it was attacked 25 times en route from Iceland. Among the ships it lost was the SIU-crewed Alamar, sunk about the same time as the SS Syros, which blew up when a torpedo nosed into its load of TNT. Massmar Hits Mine En route back from Russia, the Massmar (SIU) struck a mine, along with the John Randolph and the Heffron. Men of this convoy will always be grateful for the heroic work of the French corvette Roselys, which rescued 180 men from sinking ships. There were many other SIU ships on the run to Russia – ships like the Alcoa Rambler, Alcoa Cadet, Topa Topa, and the old Bayou Chico – which saw action aplenty, but it is not possible here to do honor to them all, though they all richly deserve to be equally well remembered. Whatever the ship, their crews shared alike the hazards of this Arctic run and, while 1942 was the peak year for losses in ships and men, there were casualties right up into 1945, with some of the heaviest attacks being launched by the Germans in this last year of the war. The return trip from Russia was hardly less arduous than the run north; for a sunk ship, as far as the Nazis were concerned, meant one less bottom for supplying the Russians, and they let no opportunities go by to bag ships homeward bound from the White Sea. Such was the fate of the SS Puerto Rican (SIU-SUP), which had delivered her freight and was headed back for Iceland early in 1943, with 3,500 tons of ore under hatches. She lost the convoy in a violent storm on March 6, and by the night of March 9 the gales had not abated. The Puerto Rican was proceeding alone against bitter cold wind and freezing spray when, at 10 p.m., she was hit. Loaded deep with ore, the ship sank so fast that there was no chance to launch the boats. Perhaps they couldn’t have launched anyway, for the davits were coated with ice. There wasn’t much chance of a man surviving in such weather, but those who were afloat after the ship went down clung to pieces of wreckage. Several of them climbed aboard a liferaft; others clung to the icy keel of an upturned lifeboat which had been torn form the davits. It was an epic of pure, raw courage by men who would not give up. Bitter-Enders By morning, Bob Howard and George Reilly, ABs, several gunners, AB Robert Kale, an Englishman, Joe Disange and Fireman August Wallenhaupt were still fighting the huge seas and the cold – fighting to live, though there seemed no chance of their ever being found. But courage alone, even for men brave as these, was not enough. One by one they were swept away by the battering seas, till, after two days, only two of them were left. One was dead, frozen with a death grip on the pitching liferaft. The other, Fireman Wallenhaupt, clung to life with a superhuman tenacity. And a miracle (for surely in that wild, tumbling ocean swept by snow squalls and curtained by spray, a miracle it was) rewarded this courageous seaman for his fight. The British destroyer St. Elistin, making a final sweep of the area in its search for the lost Puerto Rican, sighted the raft and its brave occupant. He alone survived his ship – one of many that never came back from the Russian run. Heroes All “A hero,” said the poet Rupert Hughes, “is a man plus.” There were many heroes among men of the SIU during World War II – men who accomplished feats of self-sacrifice; who did acts of courage beyond the ordinary call of duty. Just before midnight, when the 8 to 12 Oiler had called the watch, and the Third Assistant was making the last notation in the engineroom log, a torpedo hit the Angelina amidships, blowing up the starboard boiler, flooding the engine spaces, and putting out all the lights as the dynamos sputter to a stop. The Angelina was soon abandoned, and 43 of the crew crowded into one lifeboat, which threatened momentarily to be smashed against the sinking hulk as they tried to get away. Captain W. S. Goodman and the gunnery officer climbed over the side onto a raft, for the lifeboat was already too full and could not hold them all. Overwhelming Sea Somehow the boat pushed off from the ship without being crushed or capsized, but hardly had the men taken a dozen good pulls at the oars, before the boat broached and a huge comber rolled down onto them The rescue ship Bury and a corvette had responded to the Angelina’s SOS and had picked up the men on the raft before midnight; but it was not until dawn that they spotted the lifeboat, by now with only a handful of survivors still clinging to the grab rails on the bottom. While the corvette dumped oil to windward of the boat, Captain L. E. Brown of the Bury maneuvered his little vessel within a line’s throw of the capsized craft. Captain Brown counted five men on the wallowing lifeboat, but what amazed him was the superhuman exhibit of dogged stamina and courage by one of those sea-beaten five: Gustave Alm, the carpenter. One man would be washed off and then another, but each time this man Alm, by feats of great courage and strength managed to haul them back aboard the lifeboat’s bottom. Precision Seamanship While the rescue ship pitched and rolled, Survivors from an unidentified Allied merchant ship man a lifeboat after their vessel was torpedoed by German submarines in early 1942. There were men such as ABs Tom Crawford and Joseph Squires of the freighter Maiden Creek. They stayed behind on the Maiden Creek to tend the falls and get the lifeboats away when this Waterman ship foundered off Block Island in December of 1942, losing their lives for the safety of their shipmates. And there were men like Seafarer Per Lykke, whose able boathandling that night, through huge waves and gale winds, won from the Navy a commendation for “extraordinary courage and seamanship.” Those who survived owed their lives to Lykke. And not to be forgotten are the seven sailors who manned a lifeboat from the SS John Howard Payne (SUP), risking their lives in dangerous seas to rescue men from an Army bomber forced down in the Pacific. Count as heroes, too, those merchant crew – T. Meredith (SUP) [who] rescued exhausted survivors from the sinking transport Cape San Juan, (and) men who jumped overboard from the SS Edwin. Or the crewmen who manned a gun on the SS Joseph Pulitzer for four days and nights at Gela, Sicily, when the regular Navy gunners were all wounded by a bomb. Yes, they were heroes, these and many more. But if anywhere in the annals of World War II there was “a man plus” it was silent Gustave Alm, carpenter of the SIUmanned steamship Angelina of the Bull Line. Huge seas that were 35 feet high and ran 300 feet from crest to crest had separated the ship from a west-bound convoy from England on the 17th of October, 1942. with the suddenness of a fast express. They saw the mountain of water momentarily just before it hit. “Lookout,” someone yelled, “here’s where we swim.” Rolling hard over, the boat teetered for a moment and then capsized. When the churning comber had swept on, fewer than half of the original 45 still groped for a hold on the upturned craft. For a while they talked a little to each other, calling out names of their shipmates to find out who had been lost. But conversation was brief, for the sea was drubbing them unmercifully. Several men left the boat and swam back to the half-submerged Angelina, hoping to climb aboard and await rescue, but a second torpedo hit the freighter just as they neared its side, sinking the ship and drawing the swimmers down with her as she sank. Back on the upturned lifeboat some of the cold, numbed survivors despaired of rescue but it was Gustave Alm, the carpenter, who urged them to hang on. Indomitable Spirit “Don’t give up,” he kept saying. “Don’t give up. There’s always a chance. Hang on. Hang on a while longer.” During the grueling hours of the night, a destroyer passed within a stone’s throw but no one on the warship saw them or heard their desperate cries. It was then that one of the gunners gave up and drifted away from the boat, but Gus Alm struck out against the pounding seas and hauled the boy back. Captain Brown managed to get alongside the capsized boat. It was a precarious moment – a time for faultless thinking, for a miscue at the wheel or a roll of the Bury at the wrong moment and the survivors in the water would be crushed by the plunging vessel. But Captain Brown knew his ship, and on the lifeboat, Gus Alm summoned up what seemed to be superhuman determination and courage. When they threw him a line from the Bury, he stretched out an arm to get it. Twice the line was thrown and twice it missed, but on the third try Alm grabbed the vital strands of hemp and made them fast around one of the holdrods. Minutes counted now. It was obvious that Alm, strong as he was, could not take care of his battered shipmates much longer. As the big carpenter held one exhausted man on the grab rails, another one was swept off. He would have been lost had not the Bury, with Captain Brown at the helm, darted up so close to the struggling seaman that one of the vessel’s crew reached over the side, grabbed his lifejacket, and dragged him aboard on the crest of a sea. His half-conscious companions being too weak even to know what was transpiring, Alm caught [all the] lines that were thrown to him, securing each one in turn around the chest of a shipmate and freeing the man from his hold on the boat when the Bury was ready to pull him in. Continued on Page 9 � 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 2020-present Description An account of the resource Volumes LXXXII of the Seafarers Log and beyond Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 2020 Description An account of the resource Headlines: OFFICIALS FROM NAVY LEAGUE, MARAD CALL FOR ADDITIONAL U.S. FLAG TONNAGE SHIPBUILDERS COUNCIL HONORS SEN. SULLIVAN UNION MEETINGS RESUME, SCHOOL REOPENS WORKERS' RIGHTS, U.S. MARITIME CHAMPION U.S. REP JOHN LEWIS PASSES AWAY AT 80 SIU JOBS STAY SECURE ABOARD EMPIRE STATE COMPREHENSIVE JONES ACT STUDY FINDS NO EFFECT ON COST OF LIVING IN HAWAII ANY ATTACK ON THE JONES ACT IS AN ATTACK ON THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII PORT COUNCIL STRONGLY DEFENDS VITAL AMERICAN MARITIME LAW CREDENTIALS APPROVED FOR CANDIDATES TO 25 UNION OFFICES SHBP AWARDS $132,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS EXECUTIVE BOARD AIMS TO BOOST ACCESS TO ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR SIU ELECTION 2020 FLU SEASON SIGNALS START OF CRITICAL PERIOD FOR EVERYONE SCHOOL'S IN! 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 September 1, 2020 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 82, No. 9