http://www.seafarerslog.org/archives_old/files/original/5d630accf228c98e35f85160b723e778.pdf 1143b9dbe0f8384968e41d980fe2aa44 PDF Text Text MARCH 2021 VOLUME 83, NO. 3 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 ‘The President Will Continue to be A Strong Advocate for the Jones Act’ Executive Order Reaffirms Support Page 3 President Joe Biden (right) on Jan. 25 signed an action titled, “Executive Order on Ensuring the Future Is Made in All of America by All of America’s Workers,” commonly referred to as Buy American. Significantly, the order specifies support for the Jones Act, a crucial maritime law that helps maintain approximately 650,000 American jobs. A screen capture of the online version of the order is directly below. Page 3 President Joe Biden Remembering John Sweeney The labor movement mourns the passing of AFL-CIO President Emeritus John Sweeney, who died Feb. 1 at age 86. Sweeney (right) is pictured at a Maritime Trades Department convention in 2009. “John Sweeney was a legend, plain and simple,” said AFLCIO President Richard Trumka. “He was guided into unionism by his Catholic faith, and not a single day passed by when he didn’t put the needs of working people first. John viewed his leadership as a spiritual calling, a divine act of solidarity in a world plagued by distance and division. He used work as a way to apply his values, consistently exhibiting grit over flash and pursuing progress instead of posturing.” Page 5. Final Installment: The Seafarers in World War II Last May, the LOG began reprinting full segments of John Bunker’s “The Seafarers in World War II,” recapping the heroic service of SIU members. Turn to the back page for the last section of Bunker’s historic piece. Pictured directly below is the ill-fated, SIU-crewed Henry Bacon. Seafarers Volunteer In Puerto Rico A coalition including the SIU, AFT, SIU-contracted companies and other groups has joined together to deliver tens of thousands of free books to students in Puerto Rico, Guam and Alaska. Last month, SIU volunteers (including those pictured above) unloaded more than 6,000 books from Crowley at the hiring hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico. See Page 6 for additional photos. ‘Workers First Agenda’ Page 4 COVID-19 Vaccine News Page 6 �President’s Report Union is Strength The government’s annual report on union membership in the United States didn’t necessarily include any big surprises. Published each year by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the most recent document showed a decline in overall union membership (undoubtedly caused at least in part by the pandemic) and an increase in the percentage of workers belonging to unions. That’s because more unrepresented workers were laid off when the pandemic hit (naturally, since there are more non-union workers). We report on the specific numbers elsewhere in this edition, but a couple of items jump out at me. One, union members continue to earn more money on average and enjoy better benefits than their unrepresented counterparts. This has been the case with every report for as long as I can remember. Michael Sacco But, secondly, the overall number of union members would be a lot higher if there weren’t so much illegal interference in many organizing campaigns. Reliable polling from the last few years has shown historically high, favorable views of organized labor. Most people would join a union if given a chance. Yet the membership numbers basically fluctuate only a little from year to year, sometimes increasing, sometimes declining. The remedy is contained in legislation recently reintroduced in both the House and Senate. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act aims to level the playing field in representation elections. The reason our country needs this bill is because our labor laws have slowly but steadily eroded over many decades. It has become the norm for employers to get away with bending or breaking the rules during organizing campaigns, to the point where it’s blatantly unfair to the employees. This isn’t about forcing people to join a union, because no one wants that. But workers should have a fair chance to decide for themselves, free from threats by the company, free from captive-audience meetings, and free from retribution by the employer. We have a real opportunity to get this legislation passed, and the AFL-CIO has identified it as a top priority. President Biden, a selfproclaimed “union guy” whom we’ve worked with for many years, supports the bill. As a topic, labor-law reform probably sounds boring. What’s important, though, is the results it will generate: better wages, safer workplaces, and a stronger voice for all workers. This is long overdue, and the SIU will do our part to help make it happen. More on Vaccines As we all continue learning about COVID-19 vaccines, I’m repeating a message from last month, for anyone who missed it. There is no doubt the vaccines are effective, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of questions about them. Will we be advised to take them every year? Will they protect against all the different strains of the virus? Like I said, there’s no shortage of questions. But the vaccines approved by our government work, and that’s why I’ve been signed up and ready to get my shots for a while. I have no personal hesitation whatsoever. The SIU will take a sensible, fair approach as vaccines become more readily available. We will respect individual rights while also taking the most prudent steps to protect you, your shipmates and your families. Meanwhile, keep your guard up and follow the safety protocols that probably are becoming second nature by now. I’ve been saying for almost a year, we’ll get through this pandemic together. We’re getting closer and we’ve got to stay vigilant. 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 83 Number 3 March 2021 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, MD 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 © 2021 Seafarers International Union, AGLIW. All Rights Reserved. The Seafarers International Union engaged an environmentally friendly printer for the production of this newspaper. Reversed to White Reversed to White 2 Seafarers LOG Strong Maritime Support Evident in House Hearing Panelists: Prioritize Mariners for Vaccination While the subject matter is complicated, the upshot from a recent House hearing is crystal clear: America relies on a strong U.S. Merchant Marine, and with that in mind, the industry deserves prioritization during the pandemic. Many other pro-maritime comments were voiced Feb. 9 during a hearing titled, “State of the U.S. Maritime Industry: Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The hearing was conducted by the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Several House members were present in the hearing room in the nation’s capital, while others participated remotely, as did the panelists. Testifying were Crowley Maritime Senior Vice President Mike Roberts, on behalf of the American Maritime Partnership (AMP, to which the SIU is affiliated); Jim Patti, president of Maritime Institute for Research And Industrial Development, on behalf of USA Maritime (also an SIU affiliate); Mario Cordero, chairman of the board of directors, American Association of Port Authorities; Ben Bordelon, chairman of the Shipbuilders Council of America; Lauren K. Brand, president of the National Association of Waterfront Employers; and Del Wilkins, president, Illinois Marine Towing. In respective opening statements, U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), chair of the full committee, and U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-California), subcommittee chairman, expressed unwavering support for the industry. DeFazio stated, “In the year since the virus was first detected in the United States, the maritime industry has endured significant hardships and has experienced substantial impacts to business. It is vitally important that this committee understand how the pandemic has affected the reliability and efficiency of our maritime industry and its workers, the gaps that still exist in protecting the workforce from the virus, the lessons that have been learned from the federal government’s response to the pandemic so far, and potential next steps to better protect the maritime industry and workforce from COVID-19 and any future public health crisis we may confront…. “The situation is complicated by the fact that certain portions of the industry were not faring well before the pandemic,” he continued. “The internationally trading fleet for instance, has shrunk to a paltry 85 vessels and carries less than 1.5% of the goods entering and exiting our ports. Without a robust U.S.-flag maritime industry, we would not have the mariners needed go to war or supply our internationally deployed members of the military…. The economy cannot recover without a working maritime supply chain.” Carbajal briefly reviewed the key components of American-flag shipping and then added his support for the nation’s freight cabotage law. “The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 or Jones Act safeguards our country and economy and provides guaranteed work to American mer- U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-California) chant mariners; ensuring government and civilian goods, people and equipment are carried by U.S.flagged ships and U.S. citizens,” he said. “In my district, which encompasses Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, and portions of Ventura County, maritime and seafaring is an essential way of life.” He also noted that throughout the pandemic, vessel operators “have had to shoulder the burden of the increased costs of new safety measures, acquiring protective gear and complying with public health measures while other industries have received federal assistance. Requests for assistance have gone unanswered while demand on our ports and cargo carrying U.S. fleet only increases as American commerce increases. I applaud President Biden for affirming support for the Jones Act; the industry needs strong federal support in order to weather this storm.” Roberts, speaking for the coalition that represents all segments of the domestic maritime industry, mentioned that the Jones Act supports around 650,000 American jobs while contributing $150 billion each year to the nation’s economy. “The reason we have a Jones Act can be encompassed in one word – security,” Roberts stated. “The coastwise laws of the U.S. are essential to the continued economic security of the U.S. transportation system and to the maintenance of a U.S.-flag fleet to support that system. The Jones Act ensures that American mariners are constantly on the watch on our inland waterways, promoting homeland security. And finally, the Jones Act is critical to ensuring that our country has both the mariners and the sealift capacity to go to war, which is essential to our national security. “The value of the Jones Act is even clearer during this pandemic,” he continued. “As can be seen by the breakdown of the supply chain for basic medical goods at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, America cannot be wholly dependent on foreign countries for our basic needs. The Jones Act ensures that America will have the ability to transport our own goods by water and a defense industrial base that is not hamstrung by unfair foreign competition. Today’s domestic U.S.-flag fleet has proven its capabilities to meet the demands of the pandemic, and our mariners have risen to the call of their essential worker status.” Roberts said that while American mariners and vessels will continue to deliver, “there is more the government can do to support America’s maritime frontline workers to help keep them safe and able to keep domestic supply chains intact.” He said the emergence of the offshore wind industry holds great promise for American-flag shipping, and then pivoted to China’s investment in maritime. “China’s shipping and shipbuilding industries have experienced dramatic growth in recent years, fueled by its export economy and extraordinary support from the Chinese government,” Roberts noted. “The result is a Chinese commercial maritime industry that puts U.S. national security interests at risk both in peacetime and in the event of conflict. Americans have learned during the pandemic that depending on China for face masks and other critical supplies is not in our country’s best interest. America must develop a thoughtful and effective policy response to China’s maritime ambitions. A growing number of experts and scholars have begun to do this, and have found, among other things, that the starting place for such a policy is to reinforce and expand support for the American domestic maritime industry and the Jones Act.” Roberts said in regard to the pandemic, the most important step requested by the industry as a whole is “to prioritize mariners for the COVID-19 vaccination and, in the interim, ensure that mariners have access to rapid testing. We were grateful that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recognized the importance of the maritime industry and ensured that maritime workers were broadly covered as part of the critical infrastructure guidance released in March. That recognition allowed the industry to continue operating but did nothing to help reduce the risk of coronavirus exposure while continuing the work. We also appreciate very much that Federal Maritime Commissioners Maffei and Bentzel recently urged the Biden Administration to priContinued on Page 9 March 2021 �President Biden Specifies Jones Act In ‘Buy American’ Executive Order Administration Commits to Investing in U.S. Workers, Companies Only in office for six days, President Joe Biden confirmed his career-long support for the Jones Act by specifically including the nation’s freight cabotage law in his “Buy American” executive order. Issued Jan. 25, the order states: “Reiterates the President’s strong support for the Jones Act. The President will continue to be a strong advocate for the Jones Act and its mandate that only U.S.-flag vessels carry cargo between U.S. ports, which supports American production and America’s workers. With the signing of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, the Jones Act has also been affirmed as an opportunity to invest in America’s workers as we build offshore renewable energy, in line with the President’s goals to build our clean energy future here in America.” SIU President Michael Sacco applauded Biden’s recognition of the importance of the Jones Act so early in his administration. “The Jones Act provides family-supporting, quality jobs to not just mariners but all kinds of American workers in the 50 states and Puerto Rico,” stated Sacco. “President Biden stood up for American mariners as a U.S. senator and as vice president. He knows we deliver the goods around the country and the world.” The executive order calls for federal dollars to be spent on goods made by American workers using domestic content. It also attempts to close loopholes that have allowed jobs and production to be shipped out of the country. The Jones Act helps maintain nearly 650,000 American jobs across all U.S. 50 states and territories, and contributes $154 billion to the nation’s economic growth annually. Long backed by broad bipartisan majorities in Congress and top U.S. national security officials – including in a “Sense of Congress” in the recently enacted National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – the Jones Act promotes the maintenance of the nation’s vitally important maritime industrial base, ensuring that American jobs are not shipped overseas and that defense capabilities and readiness aren’t outsourced to foreign nations. “While it is no surprise that the Biden Administration supports critical American industries such as American maritime, this order is an extremely important and timely statement of the administration’s policy,” said American Maritime Partnership (AMP) President Mike Roberts. “With this order, American maritime will have greater confidence for the next several years to make investments in American vessels and maritime infrastructure while furthering environmental stewardship, efficiency and support of our homeland and national security objectives. We are very grateful for the administration’s support.” In an announcement the day the directive was signed, the White House said in part, “With this order, President Biden is ensuring that when the federal government spends taxpayer dollars, they are spent on Americanmade goods…. This Executive Order fulfills President Biden’s promise to make Buy American real and close loopholes that allow companies to offshore production and jobs while still qualifying for domestic preferences. BLS Data Shows Union Job Security New data on unionization from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that in 2020, 15.9 million workers in the United States were represented by a union, a decline of 444,000 from 2019. However, while unionization levels dropped in 2020, unionization rates rose because union workers have seen less job loss than non-union workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the BLS summary of the data, “The union membership rate March 2021 “President Biden’s executive action will ensure that the federal government is investing taxpayer dollars in American businesses – both small and large. These investments will help create well-paid, union jobs, and build our economy back better so that everybody has a fair shot at the middle class. They will buy from all of America – including minority entrepreneurs and businesses in every region in our country. And, they will support the manufacturing capabilities and technology needed to build a clean energy future and strengthen our national security, and give our workers and companies the tools they need to compete globally for decades to come.” Reaction throughout the U.S. maritime industry was quick and overwhelmingly positive. American Maritime Officers National President Paul Doell stated, “The Jones Act is in and of itself the ideal example of ‘Buy American’ in principle and in practice.” “We applaud President Biden and his administration for moving aggressively to grow the U.S. maritime industry. Working together, we will put America on a road to recovery and prosperity,” said Tom Crowley, chairman and CEO of SIU-contracted Crowley Maritime Corporation. “The Jones Act is one of the nation’s strongest ‘Buy American’ laws and when you support it, you support American maritime jobs, and the entire American maritime industry, which is a critical component of our national economy and security,” said Richard Balzano, CEO, Dredging Contractors of America. Capt. Don Marcus, president of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, said, “We enthusiastically applaud this decision by President Biden to reaffirm his support for the Jones Act as a component of his administration’s commitment to strong Buy America policies. His expression of support sends a clear message that the domestic maritime industry and the thousands of union men and women who build and operate these vessels are critical to the economic and military security of our nation.” “The White House has taken unprecedented action that supports the Great Lakes economy and homeland security. This executive order creates jobs and protects the pilot light of the nation’s manufacturing base, which is the Great Lakes maritime industry,” said Jim Weakley, president, Lake Carriers’ Association. “The Biden Administration’s strong support for the Jones Act recognizes the cornerstone of our American maritime policy, which has worked for over a century in strengthening our national and economic security,” said Adam Vokac, president, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association. “Speaking for the 2,000 essential workers at Matson, who have worked through uncertainty and the daily realities of a pandemic to ensure that our most remote American communities and military installations in Hawaii, Alaska and Guam receive uninterrupted delivery of the food and supplies they need to sustain everyday life, hearing this support from the White House means a lot,” said Matt Cox, chairman and CEO of for women increased by 0.8 percentage point to 10.5 percent, and the rate for men was up by 0.2 percentage point to 11.0 percent. The large declines in nonunion employment among both men and women put upward pressure on their union membership rates.” The yearly study also found, once again, that union members on average earned more money and enjoyed better benefits than their unrepresented counterparts. Nonunion workers had median weekly earnings that were 84 percent of earnings for workers who were union members ($958 versus $1,144). In the private sector, eight million workers were represented by a union SIU President Michael Sacco (right) greets then-United States Vice President Joe Biden in early 2009, at a meeting of the AFL-CIO Executive Council. Seafarers-contracted Matson, Inc. “We applaud ‘Buy American’ as it recognizes our U.S. maritime workers who are committed to serving and securing our nation’s critical supply chains,” said George W. Pasha IV of SIU-contracted Pasha Hawaii and The Pasha Group. “President Biden’s quick, decisive action in supporting the Jones Act during his first week in office demonstrates his strong commitment to the 650,000 Americans working in the domestic maritime industry,” said James L. Henry, chairman, Transportation Institute. “The swift issuance of this executive order emphasizing ‘Buy American’ is an affirmation of President Biden’s longstanding support of policies that promote the domestic maritime industry. We applaud this recognition of the important role our industry plays in supporting American jobs, contributing to the growth of our nation’s economy and meeting the needs of those we reliably serve,” said Tim Nolan, president and CEO of Seafarers-contracted in 2020, a decline of 544,000. The biggest losses were in leisure and hospitality (-177,000) and manufacturing (-134,000). In the public sector, 7.9 million workers were represented by a union in 2020, an increase of 100,000. The increase was entirely among state government workers. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka stated, “In 2020, America saw working people in a new light, as the true engines of our economy and the trusted servants who can carry us through a crisis. While last year was filled with unemployment and economic pain because of a deadly pandemic and the incompetent federal response to it, union density rose. We believe this increase TOTE, LLC. The order begins, “The dollars the federal government spends on goods and services are a powerful tool to support American workers and manufacturers. Contracting alone accounts for nearly $600 billion in federal spending. Federal law requires government agencies to give preferences to American firms, however, these preferences have not always been implemented consistently or effectively. And, some of these requirements, which shape how the government preferences domestic goods and services in what it buys, have not been substantially updated since 1954, during the Eisenhower Administration. It is long overdue that the U.S. government utilizes the full force of current domestic preferences to support America’s workers and businesses, strengthening our economy, workers, and communities across the country. The President is taking action to reset the U.S. government’s longstanding approach to domestic preferences to create an approach that will remain durable for years to come and grow quality, union jobs….” is part of a national groundswell. The popularity of unions is at 65%, one of the highest marks in a half-century, and research shows that more than 60 million workers would vote to join a union today if given the chance. The inauguration of President Joe Biden, who showed on his first day he is willing to fight for working people’s safety and to get union busters out of government, presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to finally create an environment where what workers desire truly drives union density. And that requires passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act so that our labor laws support and protect the freedom to form a union.” Seafarers LOG 3 �Trumka: Workers First Agenda Will Build Sustainable Economy, Stronger Democracy Editor’s note: AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on January 12 held a press call to introduce the Workers First Agenda to fight back against COVID-19 and build an economy that puts more power and prosperity into the hands of working people. The federation president also discussed the role the labor movement has in preserving democracy in the aftermath of the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, incited by President Trump. Following are his remarks in their entirety. “I’m excited to talk about our Workers First Agenda, but I want to start with a few words about what happened in Washington last week. And in particular, why it matters to working people. “The future of America’s labor movement is intertwined with the fate of democracy. Our democracy is not promised on a piece of paper. It’s up to us. It lives in us. It’s personal for us. “Unions both thrive on and contribute to democracy. “What happened at the Capitol was the result of many things. Economic and political systems failing to serve the majority of working people. The Electoral College being so arcane that a president and members of Congress thought they could manipulate the rules to steal an election. Fear. Hate. Disinformation. Conspiracies. And yes, white supremacy. “If striking workers stormed the Capitol, tactical teams would have been deployed in seconds. And if people of color had crossed the barricades, a massacre would have followed. “Last week was a new low for the outgoing administration. An administration that has driven America to the brink of depression and civil war. Americans are shocked, but we should not be surprised. And we cannot give a pass to a president responsible for sedition. “That is why the AFL-CIO’s general board called on President Trump to resign or to be removed from office. He incited this insurrection. He pushed judges and lawmakers to overturn democratic election results. He knew exactly what he was doing. “There was no voter fraud—we all know that. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz know that. Even Trump knows that. Trump is outraged because Black and Brown Americans voted, and their votes counted. In cities like Atlanta and Detroit and Philadelphia, Americans of all creeds and colors voted against Trump and for a Workers First Agenda. “An agenda that has newfound momentum with last week’s victories in Georgia. “A pro-worker House. A pro-worker Senate. And the most pro-worker president since Lyndon Johnson. What a great opportunity. And what a great responsibility. “Today, we are unveiling the Workers First Agenda. It is bold, comprehensive and exactly what America needs to meet this moment of pain and uncertainty. “At the center of this agenda is the PRO Act—Protecting the Right to Organize. This worker empowerment legislation would allow millions to freely and fairly form a union. So we can raise wages and expand health care. So we can make workplaces safer and retirement more secure. So we through bold, structural change. As part of that change, he suggested that the administration start with the following five priorities: Worker Empowerment Because stronger unions are essential to addressing the multiple crises facing America, we will urge the new administration to have a plan ready on Day One to enact the PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act; create an interagency task force on collective bargaining; and rescind executive orders undermining collective bargaining. Richard Trumka President , AFL-CIO can expand opportunities for women, immigrants, people of color and the LGBTQ community. “The PRO Act is more than labor law reform legislation. It’s an economic stimulus bill. It’s a civil rights package. So we are going to fight like hell to pass it. An MIT study shows that more than 60 million Americans would join a union today if they could. And that number has increased during this pandemic. “No American should ever have to choose between our health and a paycheck. That is why workers’ safety is another priority of our agenda. We will never get this pandemic under control if we cannot protect working people. That starts with emergency COVID19 OSHA and MSHA standards so we can protect workers from this virus. We must also expand access to free vaccines and rapid testing, and ensure an adequate supply of PPE by executive order and through the Defense Production Act. And it is long past time to guarantee paid sick days, paid family leave and child care for all working people. None of this is controversial—just common sense. More than 325,000 Americans are dead. “Worker safety is how we begin to beat the virus. Investment in good jobs—union jobs—and infrastructure built by union workers is how we start to recover from it. Strengthening worker power and rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure is at the core of Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. These promises resonate with our members, especially after Trump promised us the moon and gave us the shaft. It is time to invest trillions of dollars—that’s trillions with a T—to rebuild our roads, bridges, schools and energy systems with union wages and standards. “And as we start to rebuild, we must remember that any hope for recovery is impos- Bill Aims for Fairness In Organizing Drives The PRO Act is back. Viewed as the most pro-worker labor law legislation in more than 85 years, the bill formally was introduced Feb. 4 by House and Senate Democratic leaders. The House passed the same bill (Protecting the Right to Organize Act) during the prior Congress, but the Senate never conducted a hearing on it. President Biden tweeted his support for the legislation, which would overturn 4 Seafarers LOG decades of anti-worker court and National Labor Relations Board rulings, and make organizing, winning elections and bargaining first contracts easier and fairer for employees. It would also increase fines for corporate labor law-breaking, make court orders against violators easier to obtain, and void the labor law provision that approves so-called “right to work” laws. The PRO Act is organized labor’s top priority, after coronavirus economic aid, in sible without equity. That is why racial justice is a key component of this agenda. Structural racial inequity exists in nearly every facet of our country. Our workplaces, our health care system, our criminal justice system. This has always been true but never been clearer. It’s why the incoming administration should appoint a racial equity czar. We need someone dedicated to leading an interagency task force that directly addresses racial injustice in all the places it exists. “And we need to rebuild the safety net for everyone who lives and works here. That means economic security for everybody. Health care security. Retirement security. Food and housing security. This will never be a reality if we don’t strengthen Social Security or shore up multiemployer pensions. If we don’t lower prescription drug prices and lower the Medicare eligibility age to 50. If we don’t strengthen existing health care protections or rebuild the broken unemployment system. “Look, none of this will be easy, but all of it is necessary. When Americans casted their ballots in this seminal election, this is what they voted for. This is why working people poured our blood, sweat and tears into this campaign season. We did it to win a Workers First Agenda. “I started working in the mines as a teenager and have been a union member ever since. America’s labor movement has never been more united than we are today. “In one week and one day, Joe Biden will be inaugurated. We are ready to work with him every day that follows. To heal our country. To empower working people. And to build a sustainable economy and a stronger democracy for generations to come.” Trumka urged the Biden administration and Congress to seize this opportunity to transform the lives of working people the new Biden-Harris administration and the Democratic-run Congress. “Every American deserves the dignity and respect that comes with the right to union organize and collectively bargain,” Biden tweeted. “The policy of our government is to encourage union organizing, and employers should ensure their workers have a free and fair choice to join a union.” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka hailed the measure’s introduction, while warning Democrats it’s time to back up their words with deeds and pass it. He added workers would mobilize for support. “We will make our case in every state and every congressional district, to elected leaders across the political spectrum,” Trumka said. “But make no mistake, this is a test for Democrats. After decades of disappointment, it’s time for the party of FDR to finish what he started.” Worker Safety and the Pandemic The most immediate focus of 2021 will be bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control, starting by guaranteeing access for all workers to free vaccines and rapid testing; issuing emergency COVID-19 standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Mine Safety and Health Administration; signing an executive order under the Defense Production Act to ensure adequate supply of personal protective equipment; and ensuring paid sick days, paid family leave and child care for all workers. Good Jobs and Public Investment The first order of legislative business in 2021 will be the next COVID-19 bill, which must include $1 trillion in flexible grants for state and local governments. But we must begin now to focus on “building back better,” starting with a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure package and federal labor standards and domestic sourcing requirements for clean energy projects. Other priorities for promoting good jobs include rescinding the Trump Labor Department’s anti-worker regulations; raising labor standards for all jobs supported by federal funding; eradicating workplace discrimination; reforming Wall Street; making the global economy work for working people; building a more just immigration system; increasing public investment; and making the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes. Racial Justice and Democracy The racial justice crisis is intimately connected to the ongoing public health and economic crises. We will urge the administration to appoint a “racial equity czar” to lead an interagency task force to survey and address the structural racial equity issues in jobs, health care, criminal justice and policing that have become more apparent during the ongoing COVID-19 crises. The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol also underscored the pressing need for racial justice and democracy reform. Economic Security We will urge Congress and the new administration to address America’s continuing economic security crisis by providing pension funding relief; increasing Social Security benefits across the board; reducing prescription drug prices; lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 50; creating a public option; strengthening the Affordable Care Act; rebuilding the unemployment insurance system; and establishing postal banking. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-New York) and House Education and Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) promptly jumped on board after Senate Labor Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Washington) unveiled the PRO Act. Retired Americans Executive Director Richard Fiesta noted, “Employers are now routinely denying workers their basic right to join with co-workers for fairness on the job, and the ability to negotiate for better pay and benefits has eroded. It is no surprise that more and more Americans feel squeezed financially and are afraid that a secure retirement is out of reach. We must update labor laws so everyone can safely organize and join a union.” Neither Murray nor Scott set hearing dates for the legislation. March 2021 �AFL-CIO President Emeritus Sweeney Dies AFL-CIO President Emeritus John Sweeney, who led an era of transformative change in America’s labor movement, passed away Feb. 1 at age 86. “I had the honor and privilege of working closely with John Sweeney during his leadership of the AFL-CIO,” said President Joe Biden. “Time and again over the many years of our friendship, I saw how lifting up the rights, voices, and dignity of working Americans was more than a job to him. It was a sacred mission. It was a calling. “The work he led, from the factory floors of the garment workers early in his career to the highest corridors of power as a national labor leader, embodied the vital role that unions play in delivering greater wages and benefits for working people – union and nonunion alike,” Biden added. “May God bless John Sweeney, a giant of the American labor movement, and a good man.” Sweeney was one of four children born to Irish immigrants in a working-class Bronx neighborhood shortly after the Great Depression. His parents, James and Agnes Sweeney, worked as a bus driver and a domestic worker, respectively. Sweeney always understood the struggles and the pride of working people. “John Sweeney was a legend, plain and simple,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “He was guided into unionism by his Catholic faith, and not a single day passed by when he didn’t put the needs of working people first. John viewed his leadership as a spiritual calling, a divine act of solidarity in a world plagued by distance and division. He used work as a way to apply his values, consistently exhibiting grit over flash and pursuing progress instead of posturing.” “John was very dedicated to improving the lives of working people,” said SIU President Michael Sacco, a fellow New Yorker and longtime friend. “He came from a humble background and rose to the top of the labor movement. But he never, never forgot where he came from. “John was right at home on a shop floor, in a union meeting or at the White House. His priority always was the workers and their families,” Sacco added. “We both came up through the ranks – in tough times and good. He was always the same person and a great leader. We shall miss him deeply.” Sweeney was a member of the SIUaffiliated Maritime Trades Department (MTD) Executive Board while president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) from 1984 until his election to lead the AFL-CIO in 1995. He addressed MTD conventions in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2009. President Obama awarded Sweeney the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010. Former President Bill Clinton called Sweeney “a force for inclusion and activism.” Sweeney was interested in politics from childhood. His mother took him to see Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s funeral train. He often spoke about his father’s loyalty to his union, the Transport Workers Union (TWU), and its colorful president, Mike Quill, with a sense of what it did for his family. Sweeney met his wife, Maureen Power, while working on a political campaign. He ran for and was elected Democratic district leader and volunteered for John Kennedy’s presidential campaign. But it was in the labor movement where it all came together for him. As a young man, Sweeney held jobs as a grave-digger and building porter while studying economics at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, where he joined a union for the first time. Sweeney was exposed to Catholic social teaching from an early age, including the Xavier Labor Biden Taps Pro-Worker Nominees For Pair of Key Cabinet Positions The new administration’s cabinet is taking shape, and it includes pro-maritime, pro-worker nominees. On Jan. 8, then-President-elect Joe Biden chose Boston Mayor and former president of the Laborers Union Local 223 Marty Walsh as his U.S. Labor Secretary. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement, “Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will be an exceptional labor secretary for the same reason he was an outstanding mayor: He carried the tools. As a longtime union member, Walsh knows that collective bargaining is essential to building back better by combating inequality, beating COVID-19 and expanding opportunities for immigrants, women and people of color. He will have the ear of the White House, the cabinet and Congress as we work to increase union density and create a stronger, fairer America. From the Boston Building and Construction Trades Council to the Massachusetts State House to the mayor’s office to his own personal journey … Marty Walsh has always been a fighter who understands the power of working people standing together for a better life.” According to Biden, “Marty understands, like I do, that the middle class built this country and unions built the middle class. He sees how union workers have been holding this country together during this crisis.” During his confirmation hearing, Walsh told senators that he grew up in a union family, and the health insurance his father had through the union paid for Walsh’s medical care through a bout with childhood lymphoma and helping him beat alcoholism. The experience “informs my deep beliefs in the mission of the Labor Department” and the value of unions, he said. Walsh stated, “We can defend workers’ March 2021 rights, we can strengthen collective bargaining. We can grow union membership. We can create millions of good-paying jobs with investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and in high-tech manufacturing, along with the workforce training to help get those people into those good jobs.” If confirmed, the former mayor is the first union cardholder serving as U.S. Labor Secretary in approximately 50 years. On Dec. 13, Biden announced his nomination for U.S. Secretary of Transportation as former Mayor Pete Buttigieg. “Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better,” Biden said in the announcement. “I trust Mayor Pete to lead this work with focus, decency, and a bold vision – he will bring people together to get big things done.... We selected Pete for transportation because the department is at the intersection of some of our most ambitious plans.” Buttigieg accepted the nomination, saying, “Americans shouldn’t settle for less than our peers in the developed world when it comes to our roads and bridges, railways, and transit systems. The U.S. should lead the way, and in this administration, we will.” He was confirmed in February. Buttigieg quickly went on record with praise for the Jones Act during his confirmation hearing, saying in response to a question from Sen. Maria Cantwell (DWashington), “I share your support for the Jones Act. It is so important to a maritime industry that creates hundreds of thousands of jobs and the shipbuilding industry here in the United States.” Buttigieg was confirmed by the Senate in a bipartisan 86-13 vote on Feb. 2. At press time, Walsh’s nomination has not yet been acted upon by the Senate. While a Maritime Administrator has School, whose head was the inspiration for the priest in the film “On the Waterfront.” He worked throughout his career to forge alliances between Catholic leaders and the labor movement. Sweeney took a position as a researcher with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, a predecessor to UNITE HERE. During this time, Sweeney connected with the Building Service Employees International Union, known today as the Service Employees International Union or SEIU. Sweeney worked his way up the ranks of Local 32B, winning election as president in 1976. He merged 32B, the union for male janitors, with 32J, the union of female janitors, in 1977, forming the powerful Local 32BJ – which now represents hundreds of thousands of building service workers throughout the East Coast. The merger got them a unified contract. As president of 32BJ, Sweeney led several successful citywide strikes, winning better wages, benefits and other contract improvements. This led to his election as SEIU international president in 1980. Sweeney transformed the SEIU – dedicating one-third of the union’s budget to new worker organizing and doubling its membership over the next decade. He focused on winning new collective bargaining for low-wage workers and was a champion for immigrant rights. In 1995, Sweeney led an insurgent campaign to capture the presidency of America’s labor federation, the AFL-CIO. Running on a New Voice ticket with United Mine Workers of America President Trumka and AFSCME International Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson (in the newly created position of executive vice president), paving the way for the first person of color in the federation’s highest ranks, Sweeney was swept into office on a promise of bold change and a recommitment to worker or- John Sweeney AFL-CIO President Emeritus ganizing. As president, Sweeney pushed the labor movement to become more diverse and take on issues of civil rights, racial justice and gender equality. He was deliberate about recruiting and supporting strong women as senior staff members, modeling diversity for the labor movement. Sweeney also built the AFL-CIO into a political powerhouse, electing pro-worker champions and fighting for union-friendly policies at all levels of government. He retired from the AFL-CIO in 2009 after nearly 60 years in the labor movement. He is survived by his wife, Maureen; their children, John and Patricia; a granddaughter, Kennedy; and sisters, Cathy Hammill and Peggy King. He is preceded in death by his brother, James Sweeney. yet to be nominated, Lucinda Lessley has been appointed to the position of Deputy Maritime Administrator, and is the Acting Administrator. Previously, Lessley worked in the House of Representatives for approximately 16 years. Most recently, she was Senior Investigator with the House Committee on Homeland Security. As stated in a joint letter from USA Maritime, a coalition of maritime community partners including the SIU, “We are extremely pleased with the appointment of Lucinda Lessley, who has a proven track record and extensive background in support of the U.S. maritime industry as a longtime professional staff member on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation. Throughout her career, Ms. Lessley has been a champion of the U.S.flag industry, just like her mentor the late Representative Elijah Cummings, a dear friend and outspoken advocate for the American mariner during his time in the United States Congress. The Maritime Administration is charged with the promotion of the U.S.-flag merchant marine, improving maritime infrastructure, and supporting our nation’s sealift capabilities for national security. As such, we are confident Ms. Lessley’s leadership will help ensure our nation has the U.S.-flag vessels and American mariners needed to provide the commercial sealift readiness capability relied upon by the Department of Defense and to enhance the military, economic and homeland security of the United States.” As of press time, President Biden’s confirmed cabinet members include Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Mayor Marty Walsh speaks at AFSCME’s 43rd International Convention in Boston on July 18, 2018 Pete Buttigieg Secretary of Transportation Seafarers LOG 5 �CDC Dubs COVID-19 Vaccines Safe, Effective Editor’s note: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently posted the following information. There will be no financial cost to eligible Seafarers or their dependents (anyone covered through the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan) for the administration of the vaccine. The vaccine itself is covered by the U.S. government. Claims for receiving the vaccine may be filed through either the member’s medical plan or (for those eligible for both medical and pharmacy coverage through the SHBP) his or her pharmacy benefit, whichever is more convenient. If the vaccine is received in Puerto Rico, the claim must be filed under the medical benefit. You can help stop the pandemic by getting a COVID-19 vaccine. To stop this pandemic, we need to use all our prevention tools. Vaccines are one of the most effective tools to protect your health and prevent disease. Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed (also called “immunity”). In the coming months, doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics will offer COVID-19 vaccine. Your doctor’s office or local pharmacy may have contacted you with information about their vaccine plans. If not, you can contact your state or local health department to find out when and where vaccines will be available in your community. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective The U.S. vaccine safety system makes sure that all vaccines are as safe as possible. Learn how the federal government is working to en- Members Approve Contract at Inland Lakes Management Seafarers recently ratified a new collective bargaining agreement that boosts wages while maintaining benefits. A four-year contract has been reached between the SIU and Inland Lakes Management, Inc. (ILM). ILM operates self-unloading bulk carriers which transport cement on the Great Lakes. The agreement provides for a substantial lump sum payment in year one, in lieu of wage increases, and significant wage increases in each of the pact’s three remaining years. The agreement maintains the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan and the Seafarers Pension Plan benefits at the top respective levels. The contract also maintains the current level of Seafarers Vacation Plan benefit, and the stipulations that facilitate training and upgrading at the SIU-affiliated school in Piney Point, Maryland. The SIU negotiating committee consisted of Assistant Vice President Bryan Powell and Port Agent Todd Brdak. The SIU membership employed by ILM unanimously ratified the contract. According to SIU Vice President Bryan Powell, “It took some time, but I’m happy to report that despite the challenges to the business and ILM in the past year, the company has worked hard with the union to hammer out a fair deal, maintaining all current benefits and providing a decent wage package and some enhancements.” sure the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. CDC has developed a new tool, vsafe, to help us quickly find any safety issues with COVID-19 vaccines. V-safe is a smartphone-based, after-vaccination health checker for people who receive COVID-19 vaccines. Download the v-safe app after you are vaccinated! Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Experts also think that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. These vaccines cannot give you the disease. COVID-19 vaccine will be free for you. The federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to people living in the United States. However, your vaccination provider may bill your insurance company, Medicaid, or Medicare for an administration fee. After COVID-19 vaccination, you may have some side effects. These are normal signs that your body is building protection. The side effects from COVID-19 vaccination may feel like flu and might even affect your ability to do daily activities. Most of these side effects should go away in a few days. You will still need to wear a mask and socially distance after getting each shot of the vaccine for now. As experts learn more about how COVID-19 vaccination may help reduce spread of the disease, CDC will continue to use the latest science to update the recommendations for protecting communities. Union-Contracted Companies Announce Venture Involving Offshore Wind Energy Two Seafarers-contracted companies recently announced a joint venture into a potentially burgeoning segment of the maritime industry. “Crowley and Watco are partnering to create a singlesource terminal and supply chain management solution to support the emerging offshore wind industry,” the companies said in a joint news release early last month. “With the growing number of wind projects planned for U.S. waters, the partnership brings together industry-leading project management and logistics experts who can provide a one-stop-shop for owners, operators, and local port authorities in support of the offshore wind industry.” SIU Vice President Contracts George Tricker stated, “Particularly in light of recent federal verification of the Jones Act applying to offshore wind farms, this announcement bodes well for the rankand-file membership. The potential is intriguing.” “This partnership will provide turnkey services for the offshore wind industry in the area of terminal management,” said Lynda Patterson, senior vice president of logistics for Watco. “Crowley and Watco will work together to leverage our respective expertise in logistics, project management, and energy support to create inno- vative solutions to meet full lifecycle project needs. “ The companies said they will collaborate to provide customized terminal design, project management, warehousing, logistics, supply chain management and equipment maintenance “through their commercial expertise and curated supply chain networks.” Crowley will provide its offshore logistics offerings through the utilization of its Jones Act-compliant fleet of vessels, engineering services and crossover expertise in oil and gas. This includes the design and operation of service operation vessels (SOVs), crew transfer vessels (CTVs), turbine maintenance, offshore substation repair and maintenance, and additional services necessary to sustain offshore wind energy operations. “Crowley and Watco are partnering to deliver safe, reliable, comprehensive lifecycle services for the offshore wind sector,” said Jeff Andreini, vice president, new energy division, Crowley. “We understand that wind power companies entering the U.S. market have big needs, including infrastructure and supply chain. We’ve engineered high performing equipment and logistics offerings to answer their needs, anchored by decades of experience to solve the challenges of both.” Seafarers Volunteer to Deliver Free Books in Puerto Rico As previously reported, a coalition including the SIU, the American Federation of Teachers, SIU-contracted Crowley, Matson and TOTE (respectively), non-profit organizations and other groups has teamed up to deliver more than 100,000 free books to students in Puerto Rico, Guam and Alaska. On Feb. 9, SIU volunteers (some are pictured below and at right) unloaded more than 6,000 bilingual STEM, SEL and pleasure-reading books from Crowley at the hiring hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The books are slated for delivery this month. Thanks to SIU Port Agent Amancio Crespo for the photos. 6 Seafarers LOG March 2021 �New Administration Releases Relief Funds for Puerto Rico The White House last month took steps to release more than $6 billion dollars in aid to Puerto Rico as part of its hurricane rebuilding and climate resilience efforts. According to multiple sources, the Biden Administration on Feb.1 announced it was moving forward with plans to disburse $1.3 billion in climate disaster-related aid to the U.S. territory from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The administration also has begun to loosen restrictions on an additional $4.9 billion approved just before former President Donald Trump left office. “Today … the administration is releasing $1.3 billion dollars in aid allocated by Congress to Puerto Rico that can be deployed to protect against future climate disasters,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a Feb. 2 press briefing. “In partnership with the Puerto Rico Department of Public Housing, the administration is also working to remove onerous restrictions put in place by the last administration on nearly $5 billion in additional funds,” she continued. Congress approved close to $60 billion in emergency funding for the island’s recovery and reconstruction after it was decimated by Hurricane Maria. That storm made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017, as a Category 4 storm with winds up to 155 mph. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration estimated damages in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands at $90 billion, making Maria one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. It’s estimated the storm killed about 3,000 people in Puerto Rico. Other storms and several earthquakes have compounded the damage in the years since. Close to four years later, however, less than half of the $60 billion Congressionally approved aid has actually reached Puerto Rico, with $40 billion remaining unspent. In a February interview with the Washington Post, Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said he asked senior White House officials to quickly disburse billions in hurricane disaster aid that had for years been held up by the Trump administration. Pierluisi said that he, during a recent Zoom call, urged Biden administration officials to lift strict restrictions on federal reconstruction aid that the Trump administration enacted in 2019. Democratic lawmakers in Florida and New York also encouraged President Biden to release the remaining funds to expedite the recovery effort, which has been further complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. Former President Trump and his administration frequently touted the amount of money allocated to Puerto Rico to assist with natural disaster recovery efforts. Trump himself regularly antagonized island leaders by repeatedly going after the mayor of San Juan and deriding the island as “one of the most corrupt places on Earth.” In addition, he previously questioned the death toll from the hurricane, claiming it was inflated to make him look bad. Biden’s presidential campaign website states that he will “ensure that Puerto Rico receives the federal disaster reconstruction funding that it urgently needs.” According to the White House website, Biden will not wait to address the current untenable situation in Puerto Rico, “which has resulted in the unequal treatment of the American citizens who call the island home. As President, Biden will create a federal working group for Puerto Rico which will report directly to the President to make sure Puerto Rico has the resources and technical assistance it needs not only to recover, but also to prosper. He will respect Puerto Rico and support the Island’s recovery and renewal, including by supporting a full recovery and infrastructure reconstruction to modern standards; investing in Puerto Rico’s future through economic development initiatives and support for families; providing relief from unsustainable debt; and expanding access to education and workforce development.” Notice Seafarers International Union AGLIW 401(k) Plan The Board of Trustees of the Seafarers International Union AGLIW 401(k) Plan recently took steps to reduce operational expenses and thereby increase participants’ respective bottom lines. The Trustees are legally obligated to protect Plan assets while acting in the best interests of participants. One of their duties is ensuring that fees or other expenses stemming from recordkeeping and investment management are reasonable, based on the level and quality of services provided to participants. Plan fees and expenses have been paid from investment returns, computed as a percentage referred to as the expense ratio. Empower (formerly Mass Mutual) is the Plan’s recordkeeper and Morgan Stanley is the investment advisor. Recently, the Trustees conducted what amounts to a form of due diligence (technical term: reliable and trustworthy benchmark process) comparing our fund to similar ones. After a comprehensive analysis, they determined that the Plan’s recordkeeping and management fees were higher than the benchmark. Armed with that knowledge, the Administrator (authorized by the Trustees) successfully negotiated fee reductions on behalf of both Morgan Stanley and Empower. In addition, the two vendors agreed to establish and fund an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Budget Account with the fee savings. This account provides the Plan another vehicle to pay Plan expenses. The account will be available to pay expenses which would otherwise be borne by participants as deductions from investment returns. These expenses include the cost of insurance, auditing fees and other administrative fees associated with maintaining the Plan. In approving the establishment of the ERISA Budget Account, the Trustees firmly believe that creating a fund to defray administrative costs is in participants’ best interest, because its funds will be available to pay costs that would otherwise be charged directly against the accounts of the participants. The Trustees approved the establishment of the ERISA Budget Account with the understanding that the account was to begin paying or reimbursing eligible expenses effective January 1, 2021. If you have questions regarding these changes or want investment advice, please contact our Morgan Stanley financial advisor team at 1-800-421-5127. Spotlight on Mariner Health Travelers Increase Risk of Catching Yellow Fever When Visiting Some Tropical Areas Editor’s note: This article was provided by the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan Medical Department. Yellow fever is a disease caused by a virus that is spread through the bite of an infected female mosquito. It affects humans, other primates, and other mosquitoes. This disease is common in the tropical areas of South America and Africa, but not in Asia. Its incubation period is about three to six days after the bite of an infected mosquito. Most cases only cause mild infections. In many cases, the symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, some muscular pains-especially in the back, and headaches. These symptoms can improve within 5 days. In about 15% of people with the illness, those who start to improve can see the fever come back and develop abdominal pains with the start of liver damage. Yellowing of the skin and eyes will also be manifested. The risk of bleeding and kidney problems can increase. While Yellow Fever cannot be cured, treatment can help. Further, it can be prevented through the use of vaccines. A safe and effective vaccine against this disease is the Yellow Fever Shot. March 2021 This vaccine has been around since the 1930’s and is recommended for people aged nine months or older. The Yellow Fever vaccine is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the French multinational pharmaceutical company Sanofi. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company in the world devoted entirely to vaccines and is one of four global producers of the yellow fever vaccine. It is the only company licensed in the United States that makes this vaccine for distribution. Anyone visiting the former areas should receive the Yellow Fever Injection about two to 10 weeks before traveling. The World Health Organization now states that a single dose of the vaccine is sufficient to confer lifelong immunity against the disease. Besides the vaccine, people are also encouraged to use insect repellents that contains DEET when outdoors in high-risk areas. Travelers are encouraged to wear proper clothing to reduce mosquito bites which normally takes place between dusk and dawn. Everyone is advised to plan ahead and take their vaccinations before traveling to any of the areas know to be at high risk for infections. Healthy Recipe Healthy Chicken Marsala Servings 24 Ingredients 24 whole 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 1/2 pounds button mushroom 4 tablespoons kosher salt 4 tablespoons Mrs. Dash seasoning 3/4 cup smart balance 11/8 cups extra virgin olive oil 3 cups marsala wine, separated 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine Preparation Season the chicken breasts with the kosher salt and Mrs. Dash In large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil. Add chicken, sauté 5-7 minutes on each side. (Cook the chicken in batches.) Melt smart balance and 4 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil together over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté. Add Marsala wine. Simmer until mushrooms are tender. Pour sauce over cooked chicken breasts and serve. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley Per serving (excluding unknown items): 247 Calories; 12g Fat (47.2% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 1020 mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat. (Recipe courtesy of Paul Hall Center’s Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship) Seafarers LOG 7 �Notice With Seafarers in Jacksonville How to Obtain IGF Endorsement SIU members are sworn in for their respective full books at the monthly meeting in Jacksonville, Florida in February. From left are SA Tracey Manuel, OS Amos Porter, AB Petronio Paragas, Chief Cook Brian Peralta and GUDE Nicholas Sampson. Another Push Made for Crew Changes A new global pledge signed by more than 300 maritime industry and human rights leaders aims to find and implement solutions for the ongoing international crew-change crisis. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF, to which the SIU is affiliated) announced the agreement (the Neptune Declaration) Jan. 26, and pointed out that signatories include major multinationals BP, Cargill, Rio Tinto and Shell. “Those who took up the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change today pledged to deliver on a shared responsibility to resolve a crisis which has seen hundreds of thousands of the world’s seafarers pushed into what amounts to forced labor,” the federation said in its announcement. ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton applauded the commitments of the 327 companies and organizations that signed the Neptune Declaration, an initiative led by the Global Maritime Forum. “The ITF welcomes the commitment from shipowners, charterers, investors, NGOs and industry groups in signing the Neptune Declaration, and now there is an expectation that words are turned into action,” said Cotton. “With the rise of new variants of COVID, we are sadly seeing governments backsliding and bringing in more restrictions. Right now is the time for every CEO, every board member, of every company that relies on global shipping, to demand that governments don’t forget the key workers driving their economies and unblock their borders to seafarers before this crisis gets worse.” He concluded, “Companies must now be held to account. This means no more charter parties with ‘no crew change’ clauses: Charterers must work with shipowners to facilitate crew changes. This means investors asking the companies they own and deal with, what the companies are doing to address the crisis. And this means asking why any company in the industry didn’t sign this declaration.” Signatories of the Neptune Declaration committed to act, including calling industry peers and governments to: recognize seafarers as key workers and give them priority access to COVID-19 vaccines; establish and implement “gold standard” health protocols based on existing best practices; increase collaboration between ship operators and charterers to facilitate crew changes; ensure air connectivity between key maritime hubs for seafarers. The entire agreement is available online on the SIU website (look in the news section). Two new merchant mariner credential (MMC) endorsements are available for Seafarers who have received training in the use of low flashpoint fuels. “Basic IGF” is for mariners with designated safety duties associated with the care, use or emergency response to the fuel on vessels subject to the IGF Code (in longhand, International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels). In general, this includes ratings and operational deck officers who may be standing watch while fueling evolutions are underway. “Advanced IGF” is for masters, engineering officers and all personnel with immediate responsibility for the care and use of fuels and fuel systems on vessels subject to the IGF Code. In general, the person who is designated as the PIC of the fuel transfer should have this training (CG-OES Policy Letter 01-15) in addition to the master, engineering officers and anyone else with the immediate responsibility. If a mariner has taken the Paul Hall Center/SHLSS course Basic Low Flash Point Fuel Ops (SHLSOS-805) (BLFPO) – or any BLFPO course – and has a course completion certificate, they can apply through the National Maritime Center website, or through a U.S. Coast Guard Regional Exam Center, to receive the IGF endorsement. If the International pages of a mariner’s MMC are endorsed with Basic (V/3-1) or Advanced (V/3-1) Liquefied Gas Tanker Cargo Operations, they are eligible to receive the Basic IGF Code Operations (V/31) endorsement. There is no fee or testing required. Simply navigate to https://www.dco. uscg.mil/national_maritime_center/ and follow the instructions. On the USCG application CG-719, Section II, under “requested Coast Guard credential – description of endorsement desired” request the following: BASIC IGF CODE OPERATIONS. Snug Harbor Still Assisting Retirees Charity Aids Mariners Nationwide in Home Communities Editor’s note: This article was submitted by the executive director of Sailors’ Snug Harbor. Statue of Captain Robert Richard Randall in Staten Island, New York 8 Seafarers LOG The Trustees of the Sailors’ Snug Harbor in the City of New York (SSH), one of the oldest secular charities in the United States, continues to help retired career mariners in financial need. They no longer operate a retirement home for mariners, but instead help mariners across the country in their home communities. SSH helps mariners live more comfortably by assisting them with their living expenses as well as helping them find other assistance and local services. SSH was incorporated in 1806 as the result of a bequest made by Captain Robert Richard Randall. Not much is known about Captain Randall. He spent much of his life managing the family shipping company. By far his most famous deed – and the one by which he is remembered today – occurred on June 1, 1801, when he signed his will. It is rumored that Alexander Hamilton helped Capt. Randall create his will days before his death. Captain Randall dictated that The Sailors’ Snug Harbor be created and maintained in perpetuity to support aged sailors. In 1833, SSH opened their first retirement home in Staten Island, New York. At its peak in the beginning of the twentieth century, more than 1,000 sailors were in residence together at the facility. The decades following, enrollment declined while costs to maintain the historic buildings to current codes rose. The facility was closed in 1976 and 105 mariners residing there moved to SSH’s newly built facility in Sea Level, North Carolina. SSH realized the majority of retired mariners in need of assistance did not want to move to Staten Island or Sea Level, but would rather stay in their home communities with their spouses, families and friends. In the early 1990s, SSH started to assist mariners in their home communities and gradually moved away from operating a retirement home. In 2005, the Sea Level home was sold. Today, SSH helps mariners across the country. In 2020, SSH assisted more than 350 mariners. This was the largest number of individuals assisted by SSH since the early 1950s. In 2015, SSH lowered its seatime requirement from 3,650 days at sea, to 2,555 days at sea and will now accept inland seatime to help meet this lowered requirement. The other requirements of the program are that the mariner must be 65 years of age or older. Younger mariners may apply if they are disabled. The last requirement is that an applicant must be able to show a need for financial assistance. Applicants with more than $50,000 in savings will not be eligible. The SSH website, www.thesailorssnugharbor.org, has a link to the program’s application. If you are interested in learning more about SSH, please contact the Trustees of the Sailors’ Snug Harbor in the City of New York toll-free at 1-888-257-5456 or (646) 465-8585, by fax at (212) 513-0243 or by email at info@thesailorssnugharbor.org March 2021 �Maritime Receives Strong Support During Feb. 9 Hearing in U.S. House Continued from Page 2 oritize mariners for vaccination and rapid testing, emphasizing the mariner’s critical role in moving medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and handling an unprecedented amount of consumer goods flowing into our nation’s ports. But that is not enough. It is past time that the federal and state government agencies having direct input and actual authority over mariner safety do likewise.” Patti spoke on behalf of a coalition whose members include shipping companies operating vessels in the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP). He said, “The development and implementation of programs and policies that support this fleet, enhance its economic viability and enable it to compete for a larger share of America’s foreign trade are extremely important to our ability to support the economic and military security of our country.” After quickly recapping the merchant marine’s role as America’s fourth arm of defense and then touching on the general state of the industry, Patti turned to the global COVID-19 crisis. “Since the onset of the pandemic, maritime labor and their U.S.-flag shipping companies have been working with each other as well as with a number of federal agencies and departments, including the Maritime Administration, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Transportation Command, the Department of State, the Federal Maritime Commission and others to put in place the measures that help protect the lives of American mariners and ensure that the essential economic and defense services provided by our industry remain available,” he stated. “The support given to our industry by these and other federal agencies is greatly appreciated. “While over the past 11 months safety practices and protocols have been developed and put in place within our industry there are still COVID-19 related issues that need to be resolved,” he continued. “Most importantly, while we clearly understand and appreciate that there are many segments of the American workforce who need expedited access to the COVID-19 vaccine, it is extremely important that American mariners and cadets working aboard Maritime Security Program vessels and other U.S.-flag vessels in the foreign trades receive such access. Otherwise, with the differences in vaccine administration procedures among the states, it may be months at the earliest before mariners receive a vaccine.” Patti then detailed why mariners should be prioritized, reiterating their status as essential workers and the nature of the work itself in supporting U.S. economic and national security. He proposed ways to attract and retain more shipboard manpower, including fully funding the newly created U.S. Tanker Security Fleet, enacted late last year. “This fleet will be comprised of 10 U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed product tankers to help reduce our military’s reliance on foreign-flag vessels by increasing the amount of fuel supplied and transported by American mariners on U.S.-flag commercial vessels, consistent with the priorities of our national defense,” he said. “The 10-vessel tanker fleet will provide an employment base for approximately 500 American merchant mariners, helping to address and alleviate the current maritime manpower shortage.” March & April Membership Meetings Piney Point........................................Monday: March 8, April 5 Algonac................................................Friday: March 12 , April 9 Baltimore........................................Thursday: March 11, April 8 Guam............................................Thursday: March 25, April 22 Honolulu.....................................Friday: March 19, April 16 Houston........................................Monday: March 15, April 12 Jacksonville......................................Thursday: March 11, April 8 Joliet.........................................Thursday: March 18, April 15 Mobile.....................................Wednesday: March 17, April 14 New Orleans.......................................Tuesday: March 16, April 13 Jersey City.............................................Tuesday: March 9, April 6 Norfolk................................................Friday: March 12, April 9 Oakland...........................................Thursday: March 18, April 15 Philadelphia....................................Wednesday: March 10, April 7 Port Everglades...........................Thursday: March 18, April 15 San Juan..............................................Thursday: March 11, April 8 St. Louis................................................Friday: March 19, April 16 Tacoma...............................................Friday: March 26, April 23 Wilmington...........................................Monday: March 22, April 19 Each port’s meeting starts at 10:30 a.m March 2021 Dispatchers’ Report for Deep Sea “Total Registered” and “Total Shipped” data is cumulative from Jan. 15 - Feb. 16. “Registered on the Beach” data is as of Feb. 16. Total Registered Total Shipped Port All Groups A B C Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Harvey Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Jersey City Joliet Mobile Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS 50 1 6 25 0 13 6 38 24 22 1 9 25 13 0 2 4 26 3 25 293 12 2 3 6 0 1 4 13 26 6 3 4 9 4 2 5 5 7 2 11 125 Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Harvey Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Jersey City Joliet Mobile Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS 11 1 1 7 1 3 7 11 12 8 1 4 19 3 2 1 1 8 1 9 111 Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Harvey Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Jersey City Joliet Mobile Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS All Groups A B Registered on Beach 4 1 1 2 0 1 0 6 7 2 3 2 6 1 1 1 0 1 1 3 43 Deck Department 2 1 0 2 4 1 23 5 2 1 9 3 8 3 35 15 23 14 10 8 1 0 6 1 10 7 8 3 2 3 0 0 7 6 23 2 1 0 22 9 196 84 C Trip Reliefs A All Groups B C 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 9 4 1 3 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 26 0 0 2 10 1 4 5 21 20 7 2 1 9 5 2 1 4 9 0 10 113 66 2 6 40 1 17 15 72 46 48 2 16 38 20 4 2 10 44 4 39 492 19 4 2 13 2 3 5 31 42 11 6 10 19 8 5 9 9 13 3 20 234 5 1 1 1 0 0 0 4 11 4 0 7 13 2 1 0 1 7 2 5 65 1 1 5 12 0 2 3 10 13 9 2 3 11 2 0 1 5 4 0 7 91 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 3 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 16 Engine Department 2 0 1 0 3 3 4 2 1 0 1 2 3 2 13 10 11 11 9 5 0 0 0 2 10 10 3 3 1 1 1 1 4 2 6 1 1 3 8 6 82 64 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 2 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 16 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 7 13 6 1 0 8 4 1 0 1 4 1 6 56 12 1 0 14 0 6 13 22 34 17 3 8 27 8 3 2 5 22 2 21 220 4 2 3 17 0 3 7 14 22 9 4 6 20 7 1 3 6 10 1 9 148 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 3 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 17 13 0 1 6 0 8 6 16 18 12 1 1 10 16 2 3 2 12 1 19 147 1 2 0 5 0 2 1 3 10 5 0 3 14 6 0 0 4 1 0 8 65 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 10 Steward Department 0 0 1 0 1 0 13 3 0 0 0 2 7 0 15 5 13 4 5 2 2 0 3 2 6 6 8 2 0 0 1 0 2 4 13 3 0 0 9 7 99 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 1 9 2 0 1 5 6 0 0 4 9 0 3 46 16 0 0 13 1 11 8 26 29 18 1 2 23 26 3 4 6 19 1 34 241 1 2 0 8 0 2 5 5 20 5 0 7 20 14 0 5 6 4 1 14 119 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 16 Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Harvey Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Jersey City Joliet Mobile Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington TOTALS 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 2 16 18 0 1 3 1 0 4 7 14 9 1 1 16 6 2 3 4 7 0 14 111 16 2 0 2 0 1 3 13 51 12 1 2 23 2 1 9 1 8 0 6 153 Entry Department 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 4 4 7 4 14 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 4 0 1 0 2 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 6 14 52 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 5 33 8 0 1 7 2 0 6 0 4 1 4 77 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 7 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 2 18 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 7 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 8 0 4 33 29 1 2 9 1 0 7 15 32 19 1 1 25 12 0 3 3 22 0 34 216 19 5 0 7 2 1 3 21 81 12 2 2 49 5 1 9 1 13 2 11 246 GRAND TOTAL: 567 392 222 122 233 986 717 344 391 240 Seafarers LOG 9 �ABOARD AMERICAN FREEDOM – Recertified Steward Brian Burchett submitted these snapshots from the Intrepid Personnel and Provisioning vessel in Alaska. In photo at far left, Bosun Jovan Williams supervises cargo transfer in Nikiski. As mentioned when sharing these images on the SIU Facebook page, the LOG extends genuine respect to anyone who can smile for the camera in sub-zero temperatures. That’s what is happening in photo at right, featuring Dayman Edgar Torres, AB Watch Yervin Goff and AB Dayman Osei Baffoe working mooring line pendants on the bow in Nikiski, at 10 below zero. Crew members rang in the new year by taking part in a union meeting Jan. 1. The large group photo (center) was taken immediately afterward. Burchett is third from left, in front. At Sea and Ashore with the SIU NEW TONNAGE – Matson’s new combination container/roll-on, roll-off vessel Matsonia makes its first call on Oakland, California, in mid-January. The group photo at right includes (from left) SIU Port Agent Nick Marrone II, Recertified Steward Nee Tran, ACU Ruben Siclot and Chief Cook Freddie Castro. BOOKS IN PUERTO RICO – In photo above, Chief Cook Esperanza Crespo (right) receives her full Bbook at the hiring hall in San Juan. Congratulating her is her brother – SIU Port Agent Amancio Crespo. In the photo below, AB Chenequa Rodriguez (right) picks up her A-seniority book. She is pictured with longtime friend Maria Gomez (office assistant). CAROLINA IN WISCONSIN – Deckhand Cary Gimpel is pictured in Superior, Wisconsin, after voting in the SIU election the day after Christmas. Behind him is the Great Lakes Towing boat North Carolina. 10 Seafarers LOG March 2021 �At Sea and Ashore with the SIU ANOTHER NEW SHIP – As previously reported, the union recently welcomed the flagin of the bulk carrier SLNC Severn, an outright addition to the union-contracted fleet. Argent Marine Operations provides the ship’s crewing for Schuyler Line Navigation Company. These photos, taken in mid-January in Ascension Island, feature the vessel itself, the crew, and (we’re not making this up) tracks left by green sea turtles. The SLNC Severn is in the background. ABOARD BURNS HARBOR – Recertified Bosun Foaad Saleh (photo at right) is pictured aboard the American Steamship Company vessel, as are shipmates (photos at left and bottom left, respectively) enjoying a Thanksgiving gathering. B-BOOK IN HOUSTON – Storekeeper Luddy Duffey (right) receives his full B-book. He’s pictured at the Houston hall with SIU Asst. VP Mike Russo. March 2021 Seafarers LOG 11 �Seafarers International Union Directory Inquiring Seafarer Michael Sacco, President Augustin Tellez, Executive Vice President George Tricker, Vice President Contracts This month’s question was answered by SIU members who served on the union’s election tallying committee which convened recently in Camp Springs, Maryland. Tom Orzechowski, Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters Question: What are some things you like about your job? 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 Trevor Manion QMED I love going to new ships – new experiences, meeting new people. I really love the time on and time off, meaning the lifestyle all around. It is a bummer being away from family, but then the time I get at home, every day is a Saturday. Riley Donahue III QMED Travel. That’s why I got started. I’ve been everywhere: China, Africa, Russia, South America. It’s probably easier to tell you where I haven’t been. I’m still always interested in wherever we’re heading. Patrick Coppola QMED I actually love the job. I started in 1983 and have gotten my sea time of six to eight months every year since. I enjoy meeting new people and the adventure of travelling. I’ve traveled around the world. I enjoy the hard work and the satisfaction at the end of the day when you’ve accomplished your tasks, whether they’re big or small. Kelvin Johnson AB At times, the best thing I like about my job is getting away from home. There is peace of mind you experience when you’re out at sea. And the money. Anthony Jacobson Recertified Steward Obviously, the money, and also the flexible lifestyle. Really, that’s what it is. I’ve imagined trying to work a normal job, and I get about five minutes into it and realize there’s no way I’m going to do that. Tyrell Thabit Recertified Steward It’s very rewarding in the sense that I have such a passion for it. I enjoy it and take a lot of pride in it. I love what I do. I’ve been in this life for 39 years. You can’t stay in anything that long if you don’t like it.. JOLIET 10 East Clinton St., Joliet, IL 60432 (815) 723-8002 MOBILE 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605 (251) 478-0916 Pic From The Past NEW ORLEANS 3911 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 328-7545 NORFOLK 115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-1892 OAKLAND 1121 7th St., Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 444-2360 PHILADELPHIA 2604 S. 4 St., Philadelphia, PA 19148 (215) 336-3818 PINEY POINT 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 ST. LOUIS/ALTON 4581 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116 (314) 752-6500 TACOMA 3411 South Union Ave., Tacoma, WA 98409 (253) 272-7774 Pensioner Trinidad Sanchez submitted this photo of fellow Seafarers Tito Chester Jr. (left) and Julio Reyes aboard the SeaLand Crusader in December 1993. WILMINGTON 510 N. Broad Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744 (310) 549-4001/4002 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 12 Seafarers LOG March 2021 �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 MOHAMED ABDELWAHAB Brother Mohamed Abdelwahab, 68, donned the SIU colors in 1992, initially sailing aboard the Frances Hammer. He sailed in all three departments and upgraded his skills at the Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Abdelwahab last shipped aboard the Maersk Atlanta. He makes his home in Minneapolis. MERCURION ABUAN Brother Mercurion Abuan, 66, joined the SIU in 1988 and first sailed aboard the Independence. A steward department member, he upgraded often at the Paul Hall Center. Brother Abuan last shipped on the Horizon Pacific. He resides in San Francisco. DAVID CAMPBELL Brother David Campbell, 65, became a member of the SIU in 1974 when he shipped with Steuart Transportation. He sailed in the deck department and upgraded at the Piney Point school on numerous occasions. Brother Campbell’s final vessel was the Liberty Passion. He settled in Jacksonville, Florida. MAURICIO CASTRO Brother Mauricio Castro, 65, started shipping with the Seafarers International Union in 1989, first sailing aboard the Independence. He sailed in the steward department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on several occasions. Brother Castro’s final vessel was the Overseas Martinez. He resides in Houston. ROSALIO CORDOVA Brother Rosalio Cordova, 66, joined the union in 2003 and first sailed on the Denali. He upgraded at the union-affiliated Piney Point school in 2010 and was an engine department member. Brother Cordova’s final vessel was the Jean Anne. He is a Las Vegas resident. MICHAEL DUPEE Brother Michael Dupee, 66, signed on with the union in 2001, initially sailing on the USNS Dahl. He primarily sailed as a storekeeper and also sometimes shipped in the en- March 2021 gine department. He upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Dupee most recently sailed on the USNS Maury. He lives in Newberry, Michigan. on with the union in 1977, initially working aboard the Ft. Hoskins. He sailed in all three departments and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on numerous occasions. Brother Powers concluded his career aboard the Pacific Collector and lives in St. Louis. DAVID KNUTSON Brother Wesley Smith, 67, joined the Seafarers International Union in 1992. He was a member of the steward department and upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions. Brother Smith’s first vessel was the Independence; his last, the USNS Fisher. He calls Conroe, Texas, home. Brother David Knutson, 66, began his career with the Seafarers in 1976 when he sailed on the Saginaw Bay. He sailed in the deck department and upgraded his skills at the Piney Point school in 2001. Brother Knutson last shipped on the USNS Red Cloud. He makes his home in Medford, Oregon. NATHANIEL LEARY Brother Nathaniel Leary, 61, became a member of the SIU in 1980. He upgraded often at the Paul Hall Center and was a deck department member. Brother Leary’s first vessel was the Cove Engineer; his last, the Honor. He lives in Green Cove Spring, Florida. YAHYA MOHSIN Brother Yahya Mohsin, 66, joined the SIU in 1992. He sailed in both the engine and steward departments and first shipped on the Global Sentinel. Brother Mohsin’s final vessel was the St. Clair. He is a resident of Melvindale, Michigan. MELVIN NICHOLS Brother Melvin Nichols, 58, signed on with the union in 1990, initially sailing on the Franklin J. Phillips. The deck department member upgraded at the Paul Hall Center in 2002. Brother Nichols most recently shipped on the Cape May. He lives in Newport News, Virginia. EARL OLSON Brother Earl Olson, 65, embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1987 when he shipped on the USNS Harkness. An engine department member, he upgraded his skills at the Piney Point school in 2010. Brother Olson last sailed aboard the USNS Curtiss. He settled in Kent, Washington. KEVIN PENROSE Brother Kevin Penrose, 62, joined the SIU in 1977. A deck department member, he upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions. Brother Penrose’s first vessel was the Adventurer; his last, the Alliance Fairfax. He calls Plant City, Florida, home. CHARLES POWERS Brother Charles Powers, 65, signed Point school on numerous occasions and was a member of the deck department. Brother Kane last shipped with Luedtke Engineering. He is a resident of Ashtabula, Ohio. WESLEY SMITH BOLESLAW SZATKOWSKI Brother Boleslaw Szatkowski, 68, began sailing with the Seafarers in 2008 when he shipped aboard the Global Patriot. He was an engine department member and upgraded at the union-affiliated Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Szatkowski last sailed aboard the Cape Kennedy and resides in Worcester, Massachusetts. WILLIAM THOMAS Brother William Thomas, 66, signed on with the SIU in 1978, initially sailing on the Panama. He was a member of the engine department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on several occasions. Brother Thomas last shipped on the John U.D. Page. He settled in Exmore, Virginia. CHARLES WHARTON Brother Charles Wharton, 63, donned the SIU colors in 1973, first sailing aboard the Eagle Traveler. He worked in the engine department and upgraded often at the Piney Point school. Brother Wharton most recently shipped on the Savannah. He makes his home in Pasadena, Maryland. GREAT LAKES AARON ADAMS Brother Aaron Adams, 65, began shipping with the Seafarers International Union in 1997 when he sailed with Luedtke Engineering. He was a member of the deck department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Adams remained with the same company for the duration of his career. He lives in Cadillac, Michigan. JOSEPH KANE Brother Joseph Kane, 62, embarked on his career with the SIU in 1977, initially sailing with Great Lakes Towing. He upgraded at the Piney LARRY WINN Brother Larry Winn, 65, joined the union in 1974 when he shipped on the Adam E. Cornelius. He primarily sailed in the engine department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center in 1980. Brother Winn’s final vessel was the American Mariner. He calls Fort Gratiot, Michigan, home. INLAND KEITH BENNETT Brother Keith Bennett, 63, began sailing with the SIU in 1978, initially working on the San Pedro. He was a deck department member and upgraded at the Piney Point school on numerous occasions. Brother Bennett’s final vessel was the Liberty Island. He makes his home in Sundance, Wyoming. GERALD DOMANGUE Brother Gerald Domangue, 62, signed on with the Seafarers in 1976. A member of the deck department, he worked for Crescent Towing and Salvage for his entire career. Brother Domangue lives in Diamondhead, Mississippi. DAVID DORRELL Brother David Dorrell, 66, started shipping with the union in 1979. He upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions and was a deck department member. Brother Dorrell worked for Higman Barge Lines for the majority of his career. He makes his home in Lumberton, Texas. LESTER LEDET Brother Lester Ledet, 65, joined the Seafarers International Union in 1974. He sailed in the deck department and worked for Crescent Towing and Salvage for the duration of his career. Brother Ledet resides in Gretna, Louisiana. CALVIN MASON Brother Calvin Mason, 64, embarked on his career with the SIU in 2001. He was a deck department member and upgraded at the Piney Point school in 2002. Brother Mason worked for Allied Transportation for his entire career. He lives in Mathews, Virginia. JOHN MCCRANIE Brother John McCranie, 68, donned the SIU colors in 2013, initially sailing aboard the Commitment. An engine department member, he upgraded often at the Paul Hall Center. Brother McCranie’s final vessel was the Courage. He calls Lake Wales, Florida, home. JEFFREY POTTER Brother Jeffrey Potter, 62, began his career with the Seafarers in 1991 when he worked for OSG Ship Management. He upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions and sailed in both the deck and engine departments. Brother Potter last sailed with Allied Transportation. He resides in Lowland, North Carolina. CURTIS REESE Brother Curtis Reese, 65, joined the SIU in 2003. An engine department member, he sailed with Cape Fear Towing for the duration of his career. Brother Reese lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. FRANK SESSA Brother Frank Sessa, 62, started sailing with the Seafarers International Union in 1982, when he sailed aboard the Overseas Vivian. He shipped in both the steward and deck departments and upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. Brother Sessa last shipped with OSG Ship Management. He makes his home in Land O’Lakes, Florida. LAWRENCE WILLIAMS Brother Lawrence Williams, 65, donned the SIU colors in 1997. He sailed in the deck department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Williams worked for Penn Maritime for the duration of his career. He resides in Odessa, Florida. ALAN WINSOR Brother Alan Winsor, 68, signed on with the union in 2010. He first sailed aboard the Pride and was a member of the deck department. Brother Winsor upgraded at the union-affiliated Piney Point school on numerous occasions. He last sailed on the Resolve and settled in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Seafarers LOG 13 �Final Departures DEEP SEA sided in Channelview, Texas. VICTOR ACEVEDO Pensioner Victor Acevedo, 78, died December 15. He signed on with the union in 1970 and was a steward department member. Brother Acevedo first shipped on the Steel Architect. He last sailed on the Maersk Virginia before going on pension in 2009. Brother Acevedo was a resident of Puerto Rico. HARRY CHAMPAGNE Pensioner Harry Champagne, 76, passed away January 7. He began shipping with the SIU in 1989 when he sailed aboard the Lawrence Gianella. Brother Champagne was a deck department member. His final vessel was the Calvin P. Titus and he retired in 2009. Brother Champagne lived in New Iberia, Louisiana. ABDUL AZIZ Pensioner Abdul Aziz, 83, passed away November 12. He began his career with the SIU in 1964. Brother Aziz’s first vessel was the Transeastern. He sailed in the steward department and last shipped on the Leader. Brother Aziz became a pensioner in 2002 and resided in Brooklyn, New York. DANIEL CONZO Pensioner Daniel Conzo, 68, died January 16. He donned the SIU colors in 1977, initially sailing aboard the C L Austin. Brother Conzo sailed in the deck department and concluded his career aboard the Maersk Memphis. He went on pension in 2017 and was a resident of Andover, Ohio. EDWARD BRINN Pensioner Edward Brinn, 84, died January 3. He started shipping with the SIU in 1961 when he sailed on the Achilles. A deck department member, Brother Brinn concluded his career on the Cornhusker State. He retired in 1992 and lived in Chesapeake, Virginia. JOSEPH CALLAGHAN Pensioner Joseph Callaghan, 75, passed away January 14. He joined the Seafarers International Union in 1968, initially sailing aboard the Sacramento. Brother Callaghan was a member of the engine department and last shipped on the Jack Lummus. He became a pensioner in 2011 and settled in the Philippines. EBERTO CASTRO Pensioner Eberto Castro, 69, died August 4. Signing on with the union in 1999, he first sailed on the Performance. Brother Castro was a deck department member and last worked aboard the Maersk Pittsburgh. He went on pension in 2018 and re- 14 Seafarers LOG FRANKLIN CRIM Brother Franklin Crim, 75, passed away November 30. Born in California, he embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1974. Brother Crim first sailed with State Steamship and was a member of the steward department. He last shipped on the Horizon Reliance and lived in Reno, Nevada. VIRGILIO DONGHIT Pensioner Virgilio Donghit, 78, died January 3. He began his career with the SIU in 1994 and initially sailed on the USNS Antares. Brother Donghit was a member of the steward department and concluded his career on the Mobile. He became a pensioner in 2009 and resided in Jacksonville, Florida. LAFE FRALEY Pensioner Lafe Fraley, 82, passed away December 23. He signed on with the union in 1999 and first worked on the Elizabeth. Brother Fraley sailed in the deck department and concluded his career aboard the Anders. He began collecting his pension in 2009 and made his home in Mansfield, Ohio. HAZAA GAHTAN Pensioner Hazaa Gahtan, 74, died August 15. He joined the Seafarers in 1990 and first sailed on the Liberty Wave. Brother Gahtan was an engine department member. He last shipped on the William R. Button and retired in 2010. Brother Gahtan lived in Brooklyn, New York. ANGEL GARCIA Pensioner Angel Garcia, 81, passed away December 21. He signed on with the union in 1959, initially sailing with Waterman Steamship. Brother Garcia worked in both the deck and engine departments. He last shipped on the Discovery and became a pensioner in 2005. He resided in Puerto Rico. SIYLAS GREEN Pensioner Siylas Green, 90, died December 24. He started sailing with the SIU in 1967 when he shipped on the Cosmos Trader. Brother Green was an engine department member and also worked on Shore Gangs. He was last employed by Sealand Manpower and retired in 1992. Brother Green called Antioch, California, home. ROBERT JOHNSON Pensioner Robert Johnson, 71, died December 20. He signed on with the union in 1969 and was a deck department member. Brother Johnson first shipped on the Boston. He last sailed on the USNS Fisher before going on pension in 2008. Brother Johnson was a resident of St. Augustine, Florida. VICTOR JONES Brother Victor Jones, 57, passed away November 30. Born in Louisiana, he began his career with the SIU in 2007. Brother Jones’ first vessel was the Mahi Mahi. He sailed in the steward department and most recently shipped on the Resolve. Brother Jones resided in Charlotte, North Carolina. ing aboard the William Baugh. Brother Martinez was a member of the deck department and last shipped on the Edward A. Carter, Jr. He resided in Guam. JUAN MARTINEZ Pensioner Juan Martinez, 68, died September 18. Signing on with the union in 2002, he first sailed on the Calvin P. Titus. Brother Martinez was a steward department member and last worked on the Terrapin Island. He went on pension in 2018 and settled in Jacksonville, Florida. WILLIAM NIHEM Pensioner William Nihem, 83, passed away January 12. He began shipping with the SIU in 1951 when he sailed with Sprogue Steamship. Brother Nihem was a steward department member. His final vessel was the Adventurer and he retired in 1982. Brother Nihem lived in Jacksonville, Florida. LARRY PHILLIPS Pensioner Larry Phillips, 71, died January 17. He donned the SIU colors in 1966, initially sailing aboard the Del Rio. Brother Phillips sailed in the engine department and concluded his career aboard the Coast Range. He went on pension in 2012 and was a resident of Lucedale, Mississippi. JUAN TORO Pensioner Juan Toro, 88, passed away January 10. He embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1970, initially shipping on the Jacksonville. Brother Toro sailed in both the deck and engine departments, most recently aboard the Innovation. He began collecting his pension in 1998 and settled in West New York, New Jersey. ROBERT LEYVA Pensioner Robert Leyva, 89, died October 25. He started shipping with the SIU in 1965 when he sailed on the Steel Architect. An engine department member, Brother Leyva concluded his career on the Patriot. He retired in 1992 and lived in Seattle. ROBERT WINDER Pensioner Robert Winder, 69, died December 8. He began his career with the SIU in 1972 and initially sailed aboard the National Defender. Brother Winder was a member of the deck department and concluded his career on the Patriot. He became a pensioner in 2003 and resided in Sevierville, Tennessee. JERALD MARTINEZ Brother Jerald Martinez, 44, passed away November 18. He joined the Seafarers International Union in 2001, initially sail- VASCO WORRELL Pensioner Vasco Worrell, 83, passed away January 21. He signed on with the union in 1968 when he sailed on the Arizpa. Brother Worrell sailed in the engine department and concluded his career on the Atlantic. He began collecting his pension in 2004 and made his home in Houston. INLAND DAVID CARTE Pensioner David Carte, 74, died December 18. A deck department member, he signed on with the SIU in 1995. Brother Carte was employed by Allied Transportation for his entire career and retired in 2012. He was a resident of Shallotte, North Carolina. DAVID WALBLOM Pensioner David Walblom, 80, passed away December 30. He joined the Seafarers in 1978 when he worked for Crowley Towing and Transportation. A member of the engine department, Brother Walblom worked with the same company for the majority of his career. He retired in 2003 and called Quartz Hill, California, home. NMU JOSE BERNARDEZ Pensioner Jose Bernardez, 70, died December 31. He was an NMU member before the 2001 NMU/SIU merger. Brother Bernardez sailed in the steward department and became a pensioner in 2016. He was a resident of Salem, Massachusetts. 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 Brown, Jacqueline Butcher, Enrico Daugherty, James Jackson, Ralph Martinez, Miguel Pando, William Rojas, Humberto 81 97 94 93 94 92 90 DOD 01/14/2021 12/02/2019 10/10/2020 11/20/2020 01/02/2021 01/18/2021 12/20/2020 March 2021 �Digest of Shipboard Union Meetings CHARLESTON EXPRESS (Marine Personnel & Provisioning), November 22 – Chairman Aaron Sills, Secretary Ronald Tarantino, Educational Director Alton Hickman. Crew reviewed recent communications. Chairman reminded members to vote in SIU election. Educational director encouraged members to upgrade at the Piney Point school and to check documents for expiration dates. He advised crew to renew documents ahead of time to help ensure ability to ship out. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew discussed requests for recent wage increase for Pacific Class vessels and also engaged in other contractrelated discussions. Members would like increases in vacation and pension benefits. Crew expressed concern about pilot refusing captain’s directive to wear a mask. Next port: Charleston, South Carolina. 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. vacation time (20 for 30 days) and a decrease in time required for retirement. Next port: New Orleans. MAERSK COLUMBUS (Maersk Line, Limited), January 10 – Chairman Ion Irimia, Secretary Earl Castain, Educational Director Jing Hui Huang, Engine Delegate Louis Valencia, Steward Delegate Cecil Husted. Members reviewed old business, including requests for more vacation days. Chairman thanked crew for a good trip. New TVs are in every room. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members requested fans in each room, new vacuum cleaner, more movies, cappuccino machine and a new deep freezer. MAERSK KINLOSS (Maersk Line, Limited) January 23 – Secretary Jasmine Garrett. One new transformer still needed on ship. Chairman reminded members to figure out timing for medication pickup prior to joining ship. Shoreside bosun asked to have payoff day before voyage ends. Patrolman is unable to come aboard ship due to ship restriction. Chairman encouraged crew to renew medical ahead of time and not wait until last minute. As long as members pass their physicals, they can sail without their white card. Food budget too low according to secretary’s report. Educational director urged crew to upgrade at Piney Point to guarantee more job opportunities. Members discussed various renewal extensions publicized by the Coast Guard and the SIU. Ship bonus used to purchase TVs, Blu Ray players, refrigerators and an electric kettle. No beefs or disputed OT reported. With the ongoing pandemic and pirate waters, cooks do not want to be forced to cook on the grill. Crew requested increase in vacation time, health benefits and pension benefits. Members asked for better blankets and the ability to get physicals done in other countries. Internet/Wi-Fi not working aboard ship, making restriction to ship especially hard on crew. Members requested fans for each room. Aboard Green Ridge Bosun Joseph Dupre shared these photos from the Central Gulf Lines vessel in Shuaiba, Kuwait. The pic at right includes (from left) Chief Steward James Gerry, Chief Cook Deon Greenidge and SA Andilisio Norales prepping dinner. The photo below features (also from left) AB Jesse Pinckney, Paul Hall Center Apprentice Kumasi Johnson, AB Jose Fernandez and Dupre “doing some greasing maintenance on side ramp wire.” SUNSHINE STATE (Intrepid Personnel & Provisioning), December 27 – Chairman Charles Hill, Secretary Manuel Daguio, Deck Delegate Daniel Harris, Engine Delegate Antonio Watson, Steward Delegate Michael Henry. Members are practicing social distance and things are going well among crew. Educational director reminded members to upgrade at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew requested an increase in Know Your Rights FINANCIAL REPORTS. The Constitution of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District makes specific provision for safeguarding the membership’s money and union finances. The constitution requires a detailed audit by certified public accountants every year, which is to be submitted to the membership by the secretary-treasurer. A yearly finance committee of rank-and-file members, elected by the membership, each year examines the finances of the union and reports fully their findings and recommendations. Members of this committee may make dissenting reports, specific recommendations and separate findings. TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District are administered in accordance with the provisions of various trust fund agreements. All these agreements specify that the trustees in charge of these funds shall equally consist of union and management representatives and their alternates. All expenditures and disbursements of trust funds are made only upon approval by a majority of the trustees. All trust fund financial records are available at the headquarters of the various trust funds. SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member’s shipping rights and seniority are protected exclusively by contracts between the union and the employers. Members should get to know their shipping rights. Copies of these contracts are posted and available in all union halls. If members believe there have been violations of their shipping or seniority rights as contained in the contracts between the union and the employers, they should notify the Seafarers Appeals Board by certified mail, return receipt March 2021 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 �3/21 16 Seafarers LOG March 2021 �Paul Hall Center Upgrading Course Dates 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 Gap Closing Courses MSC Storekeeper Basic March 22 April 9 MSC Supply Configuration Management April 12 May 7 Title of Course Start Date Date of Completion Government Vessels March 22 April 26 May 10 May 24 June 7 June 14 March 26 April 30 May 14 May 28 June 11 June 18 Tank Ship Familiarization DL May 10 July 5 May 14 July 9 Tank Ship Familiarization LG April 12 June 28 April 16 July 2 Deck Department Upgrading Courses Able Seafarer-Deck (online lecture) April 5 April 16 Able Seafarer-Deck (at Piney Point) April 19 April 23 Able Seafarer-Deck July 26 August 13 Engine Department Upgrading Courses Advanced Reefer Containers July 12 July 23 FOWT March 15 May 31 April 9 June 25 Junior Engineer March 29 May 31 May 21 July 23 Machinist May 3 May 21 Pumpman May 24 May 28 Welding April 19 May 7 Steward Department Upgrading Courses Galley Operations June 28 July 19 July 16 August 6 Certified Chief Cook April 5 May 10 June 14 May 7 June 11 July 16 Advanced Galley Operations May 31 June 25 Chief Steward May 3 May 28 Safety/Open Upgrading Courses Basic Training April 5 May 24 April 9 May 28 Basic Training Revalidation June 4 June 25 June 4 June 25 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. March 2021 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, Email:upgrading@seafarers.org Mail: 45353 St. George’s Ave., Piney Point, MD 20674 Fax: 301-994-2189. The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qualified, or any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission, access or treatment of students in its programs or activities. 3/21 Seafarers LOG 17 �Paul Hall Center Classes Apprentice Water Survival Class #865 – Graduated December 31 (above, in alphabetical order): John Farash, Kristopher Guthrie, Robert Hunnicutt, William Mainord Jr., Bryan Yomar Perez, Orlando Rosa Aguirre, Luis Francisco Soto Collazo, Ethan Stacy, Daniel Vanegas and Branden Williams. Basic Training (Chief Cook Assessment Program) – Graduated January 29 (above, in alphabetical order): Moises Francisco Izquierdo Roman, William Johnson, Ronnie Kincaid, Pavel Kremen and Steven Laubach. Important Notice To All Students 18 Seafarers LOG Students who have registered for classes at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, but later discover - for whatever reason - that they can’t attend, should inform the admissions department immediately so arrangements can be made to have other students take their places. March 2021 �Paul Hall Center Classes Certified Chief Cook – Graduated Dec.18 (above, in alphabetical order): Nathan Brailsford, Evelyn Cruz, William Davis, Keith Guthrie, Sheldon Mitchel, Esstonia Moore, Osmar Luis Ramos, Tamara Russ, Anthony Simpkins and Fikera Winfield. (Note: Not all are pictured.) Mariners’ Resolve Remains Resolute in Heat of Battle Continued from Page 20 At night there were terrific sandstorms and during the day the blinding sun. They might have died there on the sands of Rio del Oro and never been found if it hadn’t been, strangely enough, for a German submarine which had been sighted and depth charged by British patrol planes, not far offshore from the spot where they had landed just a few days before. On the 10th of May, five days after the weak and hungry men had beached their boat on the African coast, these planes were out searching for the U-boat and sighted the Denver’s men sprawled about on the sand. Not many hours later a patrol vessel came by and landed a party armed to the teeth with revolvers and rifles, for they thought the men from the Denver were survivors from the hunted U-boat. It is a tribute to the hardihood of these SIU men and the Navy armed guard gunners that all survived the ordeal and went back to sea after reaching the States some weeks later. The Fighting Henry Bacon No better finale to the story of SIU ships in World War II could be written than the epic account of the SS Henry Bacon, an SIU-manned Liberty operated by the South Atlantic Steamship Company. Cold were the Artic waters and forbidding was the sky when the Henry Bacon added its name to the list of valiant fighting freighters. Besides her crew, the Henry Bacon carried 19 Norwegian refugees as passengers, when she headed back toward Scotland after a voyage to Murmansk, North Russia, in the early winter of 1945. After leaving the White Sea, the Bacon had been in convoy, only to lose contact with it on the 19th of February because of heavy weather. She rejoined it on the 20th, then dropped out again two days later when trouble developed with the steering gear. A heavy gale was blowing, and Captain Alfred Carini radioed his plight to the convoy while the black gang worked on the steering mechanism. Contact Lost With this finally fixed, the Bacon proceeded, meeting up with more moderate seas. But, seeing no sign of her companions, Captain Carini then decided they March 2021 must have passed during the night as they hurried to rejoin the fleet. Having lost radio contact, and there being no response to his messages, he decided to turn back over his course for just one hour in the hope of picking up their companion ships. It was while doubling back on her wake that the Henry Bacon was suddenly attacked by a huge flight of 23 torpedo planes that pounced upon the lone Liberty almost as soon as the thundering roar of their engines was heard through the leaden sky, sending the crew running to battle stations. Twenty-three planes against one merchant ship! It was odds enough for a battleship or a cruiser. Many a big aircraft carrier that thought itself hard pressed in the Pacific thundered back at half as much opposition with a hundred times the firepower that this unattended freighter could muster for its defense there amid the bleak, rolling waters. There was not another ship around upon which to call for help. The bombers were Junkers 88s, coming in off the starboard bow in an extended, wing-to-wing formation no more than 30 feet above the jumbled wave tops. All Guns Working Every gun on the Bacon went into action as soon as the canvas covers could be jerked off the barrels, and the magazines clamped onto the breech of the 20-millimeters. The sky around the ship was pocked with shell bursts as the fighting merchantmen and the vessel’s armed guard drove off sally after sally by those audacious bombers that attacked simultaneously, one to a side, darting away through a hail of 20-millimeter shells. The gun on the bow boomed out at point blank range, blowing one bomber to pieces as it banked and exposed its belly to the Bacon’s forward gun. Another Nazi nosed into a wall of 20-millimeter fire and dived into the sea in flames. A third wobbled aimlessly over the waves with smoke pouring from his engine. He probably crashed into the steep, green seas soon after, but the crew had no time to worry about verifying their hits. When the Germans swooped down on the unaccompanied Bacon they probably were expecting an easy time of it. Three or four torpedoes and the laboring Liberty would sink beneath the waves, they no doubt thought. If they expected any resistance at all, they were certainly unprepared for the flame and fire of battle with which the men of the Bacon met this overpowering assault. More Ammunition The 20-millimeters stopped firing long enough only to load more ammunition, to change over-heated barrels. A bomber which tried to get in at the ship from dead ahead ran into a storm of this small shellfire and disintegrated into a thousand pieces, as tracers found the torpedo slung beneath the fuselage and blew up plane and occupants in a terrible explosion of steel and flaming debris. Torpedo after torpedo missed the ship when the pilots faltered in their aim in the face of such concentrated fire form this fighting Liberty. For 20 minutes the gunners of the Henry Bacon, standing side by side with the men of the merchant crew, held off this armada of Junkers bombers that had by now become so madly exasperated by the heroic defense of the ship that, once their torpedoes were wasted, they flew at her with machine guns blazing. But such a fleet of planes had only to persist, if nothing else, to be successful against one unescorted ship, and a torpedo finally hit the Henry Bacon on the starboard side in number-three hold, forward. When another tin fish found its mark soon after, Captain Carini ordered the ship to be abandoned. Not All Leave The fateful signal to “leave her” was sounded in long, solemn blasts from the whistle while the Junkers – about eight or nine fewer than when they had begun the fight – roared away from the scene toward to coast of Norway 200 miles to the east. The doughty Bacon had kept them in action longer than they wanted. With their gas getting low, they could find no satisfaction in winging around as this “bulldog” settled beneath the waves. The order form the Skipper was “passengers first” and, though two of the lifeboats had been smashed in high seas, the Norwegian refugees – men, women and children – were put safely over the side into the first boat launched, along with some of the merchant crew and Navy gunners. Into the second lifeboat went as many more as could be accommodated. It could not possibly hold them all, but still there was no rush for seats of safety. These SIU crewmen and their Navy comrades waited quietly as Third Mate Joseph Scott counted the regular crew assigned to the boat, and then called to the deck above for half a dozen more to climb down over the scramble nets and take their places between the thwarts. During this time Bosun Holcomb Lemmon was making what the survivors later described as “heroic efforts” to help his shipmates over the side into lifeboats and onto several life rafts which had been launched into the chilling waters. This done, he hurried about the sinking ship gathering boards to lash together as emergency rafts. The Henry Bacon was slowly sinking. Water was pouring into her holds. The black gang had left the engine room and all was deserted down below. Bit by bit the cold water rose higher around her rust-streaked side plates. One of the men assigned to a place in the Third Mate’s boat was Chief Engineer Donald Haviland, who climbed over the side into the bobbing craft only to decline his chance for rescue in favor of a young crewman. The Chief had already taken a seat in the boat when, looking up at the men still left on the Bacon’s deck, he saw among the forlorn group a youthful crewman staring down at those who were about to push away from the settling hulk. Deserting his own place on the boat, Mr. Haviland yelled to the lad to hurry down the net and take his chance for safety. So Long, Brothers “Hey, you,” he called. “You’re a young fellow. It won’t matter so much if I don’t get back.” As the Henry Bacon went down, the survivors in the lifeboats saw Chief Engineer Haviland leaning against the bulwarks with Bosun Holcomb Lemmon, as casually as though the ship was leaving the dock for another routine voyage. Captain Carini waved to them from the bridge and, as he did so, the Henry Bacon slid swiftly and quietly under the sea. A big wave rolled over the spot and soon only some floating board and crates marked where this gallant fighting freighter of the SIU had written such a glorious chapter into the annals of the American merchant service. Seafarers LOG 19 �MARCH 2021 VOLUME 83, NO. 3 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 Help Deliver Victory Editor’s note: This is the final 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 segments are available on the SIU website and in print beginning with the May 2020 edition of the LOG. A PDF of the entire booklet is on the SIU website (navigate to the “SIU and Maritime History Page” for that link). This last section picks up as the author describes the plight of crews who made it into lifeboats after their respective vessels were sunk. First up: mariners from the new Liberty ship SS James W. Denver, bound for North Africa on April 11, 1943 when it was torpedoed and sunk. They all looked around to see if the sub was going to surface and spray them with machine gun fire, for such a possibility was in the minds of all torpedoed men during the war. But the U-boat never showed itself – not even coming up for an inspection of its kill. Deck Engineer Dolar Stone tells about the 34-day odyssey taken by the 18 men in his boat after the survivors separated that night. “There was a little half-hearted joking at first,” he recalls, “but, all in all, it was a pretty solemn affair. We hated to lose our ship, and to see her go down without even having fired a shot in defense.” The Skipper gave them a course to steer, and told each boat to “hoist sail and get going.… The sooner we sail, the sooner we’ll land.” Dolar’s boat stepped its mast, hoisted the little red sail with which Liberty ship lifeboats were equipped, and set out for the east. Seas were making up fast under a sharpening wind, and they soon had to rig a sea anchor and heave-to before the waves. The other boats by this time were out of sight and they rode the sea alone, a tiny flotsam, so it seemed, on that huge expanse of darkening ocean and breaking white caps. A lifeboat in placid waters is anything but comfortable, and the keelless craft pitched, rolled and wallowed all that first night and for the day and night that followed, making all hands wet and miserably seasick. Just at dusk on the third night, the lookout stationed in the bow sighted a vague shape looming up ahead, and in the excitement of this discovery yelled, “Destroyer!” As soon as the lookout had sung out, Dolar lit the boat’s lantern and, standing up on the bow thwart with one hand on the mast, waved it back and forth as a signal, on the chance that the ship would see them, if indeed there was one up ahead. To better attract attention, each man switched on the little lights that were fastened to a pin and lanyard onto their lifejackets, hoping that the red glow would shine enough to be seen through the night. And then, before they realized what was happening, a shape loomed up directly in their path – the black hulk of a submarine. “It was a big one,” say Dolar, “and we were headed right for it.” While they watched the raider in amazement, the lifeboat grated against the submersible’s hull, sheering off just in time to keep from riding right onto the low flying deck. One of the U-boat’s officers shouted at them from the conning tower. “What ship are you from?” They knew it was no use to evade the query, for the Germans could inspect the lifeboat and find out anyway. “Denver,” they replied, “the James W. Denver.” The men on the conning tower had a good laugh over the fact and the SIU men guessed that this must have been the sub which sank them. “Well,” the German answered in good English, “so you lads are from one of those Liberty Ships.” The remark sounded sarcastic, but before the sub moved off into the darkness a sailor came down the deck to hand them a carton of cigarettes and from the bridge the officer shouted a course for them to steer. During the next hour they sighted two more U-boats, evidently part of a wolf pack. Rough Seas All hands continued to be seasick as the heavy weather persisted, and the lifeboat made more mileage up and down than it did toward the east. Rations got low after the first 12 days, crackers gave out, water was limited to three ounces a day per man and there was nothing left to eat but malted milk tablets. Three flying fish landed in the boat most opportunely and were cut up in equal parts to be eaten raw. It was not the first time that these airy fish helped to sustain torpedoed crews! On the night of May 11, the sea-tossed survivors saw moving lights some distance off. These immediately disappeared when the men shot flares. “Probably more subs,” Dolar believes. Just three days later, however, the long voyage ended. Spanish fishermen sighted the boat, picked them up and took them to La Aguera in the Canary Islands, from whence Survivors of the SS Alcoa Guide sinking are pictured on a lifeboat in April 1942. The ship sank off the coast of North Carolina after being attacked by a German submarine. An Allied tanker sinks in the Atlantic Ocean after being torpedoed by a German submarine, 1942. they later got passage back to the States by way of Cadiz. After the torpedoing, the Captain’s boat had set a course for the nearest land, which the Skipper figured to be Rio del Oro on the coast of Africa. For the first 12 days, things weren’t so bad. At least there were crackers to munch on and some of the sickeningly sweet pemmican which had been devised for lifeboat crews. But on the thirteenth day the food gave out and from then on it was nothing but water. Even at that, the water was limited to three ounces a day per man. The winds held strong, which was a blessing, but it also made life uncomfortable, throwing spray over them continually for each of the 25 days they were adrift. At night it was cold and, being thoroughly wet, they almost froze before the sun broke across the seas each morning. Captain Staley had a sextant but this was of no use without the necessary tables to go with it, so he relied on dead reckoning while the helmsmen steered with a compass between their legs. When the food ran out, the men became discouraged and from time to time some of them had to be restrained from jumping overboard, for they dreaded the prospect of becoming crazed from sun and salt spray. Every once in a while, someone struck up a song and they all joined in. When the water was doled out the Skipper would say, “It may be water now, but keep your spirits up and it’ll be juicy steaks one of these days.” The songs and the promise of steaks – it helped to buoy their spirits, make them forget somewhat the discomfort, the hunger and the monotony. Finally, they saw fish spawn in the water, a sure sign that they were coming into shallower depths. This was followed by gradual changing of the sea from blue to green as they entered the 100-fathom curve. Their hopes soared, for they knew now that the shore wasn’t too far off. On the 5th of May they sighted land and, with the wind still holding good, sailed right up on to the sands of Rio del Oro. By this time, none of them could walk and they tumbled out of the boat like so many cripples to crawl across the welcome sands on their hands and knees. For a while they exulted in the luxury of just being on dry land, but this joy was tempered when they discovered that all around them was a vast desert – nothing but dunes and endless sand. There was no habitation or sign of life anywhere-not even a tree. Continued on Page 19 Mariners load materiel into the hold of an unidentified cargo ship in New York Harbor, September 1944. � 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 March 2021 Description An account of the resource Headlines: STRONG MARITIME SUPPORT EVIDENT IN HOUSE HEARING PRESIDENT BIDEN SPECIFICES JONES ACT IN 'BUY AMERICAN' EXECUTIVE ORDER TRUMKA: WORKERS FIRST AGENDA WILL BUILD SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY, STRONGER DEMOCRACY BILL AIMS FOR FAIRNESS IN ORGANIZING DRIVES AFL-CIO PRESIDENT EMERITUS SWEENEY DIES BIDEN TAPS PRO-WORKER NOMINEES FOR PAIR OF KEY CABINET POSITIONS CDC DUBS COVID-19 VACCINES SAFE, EFFECTIVE UNION-CONTRACTED COMPANIES ANNOUNCE VENTURE INVOLVING OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY NEW ADMINISTRATION RELEASES RELIEF FUNDS FOR PUERTO RICO ANOTHER PUSH MADE FOR CREW CHANGES SNUG HARBOR STILL ASSISTING RETIREES HEROIC SEAFARERS HELP DELIVER VICTORY Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Hall Maritime Library Microfilm 1939-1993 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 03/01/2021 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. 83, No 3