http://www.seafarerslog.org/archives_old/files/original/7b5511e187c0b9a01c79efe2e86b66b9.pdf d34773b182e314a40f74bfdc02f5ae27 PDF Text Text SEAFARERS LOG JULY 2024 VOLUME 86, NO. 7 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION — ATLANTIC, GULF, LAKES AND INLAND WATERS, AFL-CIO SIU Celebrates National Maritime Day The union had a strong presence in the nation’s capital and elsewhere across the country for this year’s National Maritime Day observances. Above, SIU officials, Paul Hall Center apprentices, featured speakers and honored guests are pictured at Department of Transportation headquarters immediately following the agency’s annual ceremony on May 22. SIU President David Heindel (far left, front) was one of the speakers. Pages 12-14. Apprentices Participate in Memorial Day Observance The SIU and its affiliated school were invited to represent the U.S. Merchant Marine during the traditional Memorial Day gathering at Arlington (Virginia) National Cemetery. Four apprentices carried flags for the event; President Biden gave the keynote address. Pictured outside the amphitheater are (from left) Apprentices Eliot Randall, Avery Sneed, Evan Smith and Luis Sanchez. Page 24 (back page). VP Celona Passes Away The union is mourning the unexpected passing of SIU Vice President Government Services Nicholas Celona (above), a lifelong Seafarer. He died June 8, at age 65. Page 4. SIU ELECTION INFO. • PAGE 6 // SHBP SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED • PAGE 7 �President’s Report Honoring Our Mariners T hree recent ceremonies underscored both the importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine and our historic dependability. I’m proud to say that the SIU played a role in each of these stirring occasions – two in the U.S., the other overseas. In chronological order, the first of the events took place May 22 – National Maritime Day – at U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters in our nation’s capital. I had the honor of sharing the stage with other speakers including Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, TRANSCOM commanding officer General Jacqueline Van Ovost, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips, and Deputy Administrator Tamekia Flack. DOT David Heindel Secretary Pete Buttigieg also spoke via a recorded video. There were other National Maritime Day ceremonies across the country and elsewhere – each important in its own right – but I think it’s fair to say the DOT gathering usually holds special significance. This year’s iteration was an especially good day for our union and our affiliated school, the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education (PHC). Just prior to the ceremony, our new recruiting video was shown to the audience. During the event itself, PHC apprentices played formal roles; they and their classmates (23 apprentices altogether) repeatedly were recognized by the various speakers. The speeches themselves were anything but run-of-the-mill. Senator Kelly, a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate, spelled out a detailed strategy for boosting every component of American maritime (more on that below). General Van Ovost emphasized that the U.S. Merchant Marine is nothing short of indispensable for national security. Others covered our role in World War II; current challenges navigating the Red Sea; tangible support for the industry from the Biden administration; and more. Again, these weren’t platitudes. Collectively, the comments explained how the U.S. Merchant Marine has been an important part of our nation since the very beginning, and how we’re still crucial for national, economic and homeland security. Less than a week after National Maritime Day, PHC apprentices took part in the annual Memorial Day observance at Arlington (Virginia) National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington. They stood for the U.S. Merchant Marine of World War II – mariners who are recognized as veterans. They carried the respective flags of the United States; the U.S. Merchant Marine; the SIU; and the State of Maryland. Calling our participation at Arlington an honor would be an understatement. It’s a duly humbling and extremely worthwhile experience. The fact that President Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown were the featured speakers – and Vice President Harris was in attendance – says a lot about the event’s significance. Last but not least, the SIU co-sponsored a new memorial unveiled in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. With U.S. Merchant Marine World War II veterans in attendance, the monument was christened June 5 at Utah Beach – one part of an elaborate observance that again saw President Biden in attendance. Our older members already know this, but for those just joining the union, please be aware that SIU members were there in force at the original D-Day, carrying troops and materiel. As always, we delivered (but it took our country 40 years to deliver them veterans’ status). These moments should not be taken for granted. They arrived not because the calendar had slots for them, but rather because of the sacrifices of past generations, the commitment of today’s Seafarers, and our resolve to ensure that the United States very much remains a maritime nation. Key Legislation Around press time, we anticipated the introduction of the most comprehensive maritime revitalization legislation in decades. This bipartisan bill offers great promise to every segment of the industry. The SIU has been active in its crafting – merely the latest example of why we must always remain politically active. There’s never really a sure timeline for these sorts of bills, particularly during an election year, but maritime labor is hopeful. Keep an eye on our website for updates before the next issue of the LOG is published. Meanwhile, I thank all Seafarers who are pitching in for pro-maritime, pro-worker candidates this year, whether that’s via SPAD or block-walking, phone-banking or other outreach. Those efforts have never been more important. Remembering Our SIU Brother If you haven’t already done so, please take the time to read our coverage of SIU Vice President Nicholas Celona’s recent passing (page 4). Nick truly was one of a kind, and in all my years with this union, I never met anyone who loved the SIU more than he did. Nick was a true patriot and his enthusiasm for life was unsurpassed. He will be missed. Executive Board Promotes Vincenzo, Spain The SIU Executive Board has unanimously approved Joe Vincenzo as the union’s vice president for the Government Services Division, and Sam Spain as the assistant vice president for that sector. The board convened June 12 in Piney Point, Maryland. These moves happened in the aftermath of the untimely passing of SIU Vice President Government Services Nicholas Celona (see article, page 4). “Both Joe and Sam have my complete confidence,” said SIU President David Heindel. “They have long, solid records of outstanding service to the membership and they are the right people for these jobs.” Vincenzo is a U.S. Army veteran who first sailed with the SIU in 1991 as an engine-department member. He last sailed in 2003 as a QMED aboard the USNS 1st Lt Jack Lummus. Vincenzo has since served the union in various capacities including patrolman from 2003 to 2007 and Tacoma port agent from 2007 through 2019. He became the assistant vice president of the Government Services Division in 2019 and had remained Seafarers LOG Volume 86 Number 7 July 2024 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, AFLCIO; 5201 Capital Gateway Drive; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 899-0675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland 207909998. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746. Communications Director: Jordan Biscardo Assistant Communications Director: Nick Merrill Assistant Editor: Aja Neal Administrative Support: Jenny Stokes Copyright © 2024 Seafarers International Union, AGLIW. All Rights Reserved. The SIU engaged an environmentally friendly printer for the production of this newspaper. 2 • SEAFARERS LOG in that slot, representing civilian mariners in the federal sector including the Military Sealift Command, NOAA, the Army Corp of Engineers and the National Defense Reserve Fleet. Additionally, Vincenzo served as the UIW Alaska Region Representative, representing seafood process workers and fisheries observers. He also served as president of the South Puget Sound Port Council for four years. He said the highlight of his 30-plus years with the SIU was his service to the SS Jeremiah O’Brien in the capacity of oiler during the 50-year commemoration of D-Day, when the historic ship led the parade of vessels back to the beaches of Normandy in 1994. In 2007, Vincenzo spearheaded Tacoma’s philanthropic outreach partnering first with the United States Marine Corps and Toys for Tots and then with Joint Base Lewis McChord-based Santa’s Castle, a 501(c)(3) benefitting lower enlisted military personnel. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts. Vincenzo stated, “It is an honor and privilege to serve this great union of ours and its members in my new capacity as vice president of Government Services. I’m grateful for this opportunity to continue to work with a dedicated team of trade unionists, all of us, towards improved conditions of employment and work-life balance on behalf of our mariners.” He continued, “My time in the government sector began almost as soon as I came ashore in 2003, servicing NOAA, Army Corps of Engineers and MSC equipment and working with then-Vice President Kermett Mangram and his team. Early on, I participated in a number of arbitrations that centered on substandard habitability and I was able to be of service on a number of weighty issues ranging from health and safety to, again, habitability. I was also assigned to work with then-Fleet Representative Kate Hunt on the NOAA collective bargaining agreement, which needed a major overhaul. Later, as assistant vice president to then-Vice President Kate Hunt, I worked closely with SIU VP Joe Vincenzo SIU Asst. VP Sam Spain her and representatives from our sister unions on resolving the unprecedented issues that we all faced during the pandemic years, not least of which was the ‘Gangways Up’ order that restricted mariners to their various ships for the better part of one year.” He concluded, “As vice president, I will continue the work of my predecessors including our late, beloved brother and friend, Nicholas Celona by seeking out every opportunity to partner with various government agencies wherever and whenever possible to advance the interests of our mariners’ lives at sea.” Spain joined the SIU in 1990. He sailed for a dozen years, most recently as a chief steward, before coming ashore to work as a union representative. Spain has always been based in Norfolk, Virginia, and will remain so. “I took up the challenge of being a union representative because I knew I wanted to make a difference for the SIU and for unlicensed merchant seamen,” Spain said. “I’ve looked to continue giving CIVMARS the same high level of representation as past officials and that is certainly my plan moving forward. We also always want to build on the relationship between the SIU and the Military Sealift Command.” JULY 2024 �New Tonnage Enters APL Fleet The President John Quincy Adams is part of the U.S. Maritime Security Program. (Photo by @masahumi higa) S IU members are sailing aboard the newbuild President John Quincy Adams, the latest addition to the APL Marine Services fleet. The union represents steward-department crew members aboard the 836-foot-long containership, which is enrolled in the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP). The Adams is a replacement vessel for the President Truman. It’s also the first of what are expected to be at least seven new ships the company is rotating into its fleet to replace older tonnage. Most or all of those newbuilds are expected to begin sailing by the end of this year. The MSP was launched in 1996 as part of the Maritime Security Act signed by President Bill Clinton. Ever since then, the program has maintained bipartisan support. It fortifies the military’s sealift capability in times of war or emergency by providing the Department of Defense access to the current number of 60 U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed commercial vessels. Furthermore, this capability provided by the MSP comes at a significantly lower cost to taxpayers than creating a permanent fleet of reserve government vessels to match it. The MSP also does not jeopardize the country’s readiness by depending on foreign vessels, crews and shipping companies. The initial SIU steward department members sailing aboard the vessel included (from left) Recertified Steward John Huyett, Chief Cook Reynaldo Ricarte and ACU Abdullah Alasfor. Members Ratify Landmark Contract Seafarers employed by Penn Maritime recently approved a three-year contract featuring substantial wage increases and other gains. Of particular note, these members (more than 200) now are participants in the Seafarers Pension Plan. Penn was acquired by Kirby in 2012. Pictured from left in the larger group photo are Delegate John Harvard, SIU VP Joseph Soresi, SIU Asst. VP Mike Russo, SIU VP Dean Corgey, Delegate Michael Lyons and SIU Port Agent Joe Zavala. The other photo includes Zavala and Second Mate Marina Bartels. SIU Jobs Secure in OSG Transaction SIU-contracted Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) recently announced an agreement to be acquired by Saltchuk Resources. The transaction is subject to various regulatory approvals, but the union already has taken steps ensuring that all SIU shipboard jobs will be maintained. Saltchuk is the parent company of several organizations including SIU-contracted TOTE. “It will be business as usual for us,” said SIU Vice President Contracts George Tricker. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement that reflects our leading Jones Act business, longstanding customer relationships, and the value created by the OSG team over the past several years,” said Douglas D. Wheat, chairman of the OSG Board of Directors. JULY 2024 “Following Saltchuk’s indication of interest to buy the company at the end of January, the Board of Directors, with the assistance of external financial and legal advisors, undertook a review of the company’s financial and strategic alternatives, including remaining a publicly held company. As part of that review, the board conducted a comprehensive process in which it engaged with Saltchuk and approached and engaged with other potential transaction counterparties. Informed by its review and that process, the board firmly believes Saltchuk’s increased offer represents compelling value to, and is in the best interest of, our shareholders not affiliated with Saltchuk.” “We are excited to enter into this new chapter together with Saltchuk, which has been a significant shareholder of OSG over the past several years and has a close understanding of our business,” said OSG President and Chief Executive Officer Sam Norton. “Saltchuk’s operating companies have distinguished themselves in their respective segments, and this transaction partners us with an organization that shares our values and focus on customers. We are thrilled to soon join the Saltchuk family of companies.” Following the close of the transaction, OSG will operate as a standalone business unit within Saltchuk, becoming a member of its family of diversified freight transportation, marine service, and energy distribution companies. SEAFARERS LOG • 3 �SIU Vice President Celona Passes Away U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (center) was an SIU ally long before taking her current office. She served as California’s attorney general when this 2013 snapshot was taken at the annual Thanks- Pictured from left at a change-of-command ceremony in 2023 in Norfolk, Virginia, are then-SIU giving gathering hosted by the union in Oakland. Then-SIU Asst. VP Nicholas Celona is at right; SIU Representative Sam Spain, USTRANSCOM Commanding Officer Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, Alan Frosch (spouse of Gen. Van Ovost), SIU VP Nicholas Celona and SIU Asst. VP Joe Vincenzo. VP Nick Marrone is at left. W hen it came to his union and his country, lifelong Seafarer Nicholas Celona unfailingly demonstrated a genuine enthusiasm that was impossible to miss. Perpetually upbeat and motivated, Celona graduated from Paul Hall Center Trainee Class 229 in 1977, and he never left the union. He sailed until the early 1980s and then came ashore to work in various roles, most recently as the vice president of the SIU Government Services Division since 2021. Celona unexpectedly passed away June 8 at his home in suburban New Orleans, from natural causes. He was 65. Vice President Kamala Harris sent a condolence letter to Celona’s family that was read at his memorial service June 18 in New Orleans. Harris and Celona were longtime colleagues and friends, going back to her days as an elected official first for the city of San Francisco and later for the state of California. The letter reads in part, “Throughout his life, Mr. Celona was a dedicated community leader. I am grateful for his advocacy and commitment to our Nation’s merchant mariners through his work at the Seafarers International Union. As we enter a new era in the American labor movement, we stand on the shoulders of leaders like Mr. Celona – and we will continue to uphold his legacy to ensure that unions are strong and that workers’ voices and dignity are always respected.” Vice President Harris added, “I am particularly thankful for Mr. Celona’s friendship. His joyous spirit and generosity were gifts to those whose lives he touched, and he will be remembered for the light he brought to this world.” SIU President David Heindel stated, “Back in the early 1980s, Nick and I had the privilege of working together in the port of New Orleans, a time during which we forged a lifelong friendship. Nick was a rare individual, brimming with a huge heart and an unwavering love for life. His infectious enthusiasm and unadulterated bravado left an indelible mark on everyone he met. As we remember Nick, we celebrate SIU VP Nicholas Celona (right) and SIU VP George Tricker are pictured in mid-May in Piney Point, Maryland. (The background is a photo backdrop.) not only a dedicated seafarer but also a beloved father and friend who enriched our lives in countless ways. My deepest sympathies to his wife, Denise, and daughters Jennifer and Danielle.” SIU Executive Vice President Augie Tellez said, “Nick was a true SIU brother – always positive and upbeat. He was a great motivator and organizer wherever he dropped anchor, and he was loyal to the core. He was so proud of his family, and also was proud that he finally became a member of the SIU Executive Board. He will be sorely missed.” SIU Vice President Contracts George Tricker described Celona as “a true patriot. If you ever wanted to assemble an all-star team for a foxhole, Nick would be a first-rounder. Only his staunch support for the U.S. Merchant Marine and his undying affection for the SIU can rival his devotion to the flag. He was a character in every sense and will be missed and remembered always.” Joe Vincenzo, who succeeded Celona as vice president of the Government Services Division, stated, “We lost a friend and a colleague – what an inspiration he was to us all. Anyone who knew him knew that he loved life and he loved SIU. Nick was all heart, street smart and could read the room and his audience as well or better than anyone. He had a way of making you feel appreciated. He will be missed.” American Maritime Officers President Willie Barrere said, “Many AMO hawsepipers got to know Nick during their years sailing with the SIU, some from the very beginning of their careers. For all of us who have worked shoreside, Nick was a driving force and steadfast presence at many of the events and meetings that brought the U.S. seagoing labor community together to advance the cause of American mariners professionally and politically. He was a leader we had the pleasure of knowing and a man we mourn in his passing.” When he became an SIU vice president in 2021, Celona said, “My goals are to promote, protect and defend the U.S. Merchant Marine and the SIU Government Services Division, which in turn will help ensure our national security. We have to make sure that supplies get through to our troops.” Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Celona (who never lost the accent) graduated from Lafayette High School in 1976 and soon thereafter found a home with the SIU. After completing the trainee program, he sailed in the engine department until 1982, upgrading several times along the way (most recently to chief electrician). He sailed on vessels operated by Sea-Land, Maritime Overseas, Delta Line, American Hawaii Cruises, Bay Tankers and others. Celona worked as a patrolman in New Orleans from 1983-88 and was involved in multiple inland beefs. He spent 1989 serving as the port agent in Piney Point before what turned out to be a long-term move to the West Coast. Celona was the union’s San Francisco port agent from 1990-94; he became an assistant vice president in 1994. Among other activities, he served as a delegate on the San Francisco-Alameda Labor Council, secretary-treasurer of the local port council, and a governor-appointed member of the board of directors of the Cow Palace (a popular, multi-purpose arena in Daly City, California). Always politically active, Celona organized the union’s annual Thanksgiving gatherings in San Francisco and Oakland, which ran for 29 straight years before temporarily being derailed due to the pandemic. Those feasts evolved into a Who’s Who of politics, with regular appearances from Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, John Garamendi, Eric Swalwell, Jackie Spier and many others. Based on his extensive work with the military, Celona in 2002 was sworn in as an honorary U.S. Marine, a rarity. Celona (standing second from right) deeply respected the armed forces and included them in the long-running, annual Thanksgiving gatherings in San Francisco and Oakland. This photo is from the 2022 celebration and includes members of the 4th Marine Division, 23rd Regiment Color Guard along with SIU personnel. Celona came ashore to work for the union in the early 1980s. 4 4 •SEAFARERS SEAFARERSLOG LOG • OCTOBER 2023 JULY 2024 �Members Ratify American Steamship Contract SIU members on the Great Lakes have overwhelmingly ratified a new 10-year contract between the union and American Steamship Company (ASC). Highlights of the new agreement include: - A $2,500 ratification bonus paid to all employees working for the company at the time the contract was ratified; - A 6% across-the-board wage increase (with a 2% increase retroactively effective March 11, 2024, and another 4% increase retroactively effective April 15, 2024), and significant wage increases effective each subsequent year of the agreement which includes an annual cost-of-living escalator tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI); - Enhancements to the Seafarers Vacation Plan benefit with one additional day added in 2025 and one more additional day added in 2027; - Increases to Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan (SMPPP) benefit contributions over the life of the agreement, effective in 2025, 2027, and 2030; - Maintains Core-Plus (top level) coverage for health and pension benefits under the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan; - An enhanced and modernized grievance procedure. Chief Cook Holly Norick Burns Harbor Pictured aboard the Indiana Harbor are (from left) Bosun Jeremy Shenett, Patrolman Tyson Little, Patrolman Jason Brown, Wheelsman Seddik Ali, UIW VP Monte Burgett, AB Kassim Ghaleb, Conveyorman Deiab Mohamed, and AB/Wheelsman Zarko Vrbljanac. SIU Vice President Great Lakes and Inland Waters Bryan Powell stated, “This is a good contract, providing respectable wage increases and other enhancements for the crew members working for ASC. It provides long-term stability and predictability, and it should help attract and retain qualified mariners.” OS/Gateman Karrington Copeland Burns Harbor Chief Cook Nasser Abdulla American Spirit SIU Secretary-Treasurer Tom Orzechowski added, “Congratulations and a job well done by the Great Lakes negotiating team. It’s great to see the contracts moving forward and that they provide enhanced wages, vacation, SMPPP as well as keeping the top-tier medical coverage.” AB/Wheelsman Raymond Hotchkiss, SIU Algonac Patrolman Jason Brown American Spirit Pictured from left are SIU Patrolmen Monte Burgett and Tyson Little, and Wheelsman Abdulmoghni Said. SIU Officials Participate in Key Maritime Conference ITF Updates FOC List MARAD last September announced its selection SIU Vice President Bryan Powell and SIU Political Director Brian Schoeneman recently took part in a of the CNA “to conduct a study for the purpose of high-level conference at the Center for Naval Analy- informing a new national maritime strategy. CNA is ses (CNA) aimed at implementing a national maritime an independent, nonprofit Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) sponsored by the strategy. The gathering, co-sponsored by the Secretary of the Department of the Navy with expertise in researchNavy and the Maritime Administration (MARAD), took ing sealift needs for national security. This new place May 15-17 in Arlington, Virginia, just outside the national maritime strategy will be designed to posination’s capital. Participants included key maritime tion the U.S. maritime industry as a global leader for stakeholders from labor, government and indus- decades to come. Over the next year, CNA will engage with numerous try. They teamed public and private up to enhance a stakeholders in the collective undermaritime commustanding of what nity to complete the host organizathe study.” tions described as The agency “complex maritime further noted, domain issues,” “The National with a goal of ultiDefense Authorimately “offering zation Act of 2023 recommendations required MARAD on how to employ to select an FFRDC tools of maritime to identify the statecraft in a prikey elements and oritized fashion objectives it needs to create a more to develop a U.S. favorable domestic Pictured at the conference are (from left) AMO President Willie Barrere, SIU VP and international Bryan Powell, Transportation Institute VP Sara Fuentes, SIU Political Director Brian maritime strategy that will revitalize maritime environ- Schoeneman and AMO VP Jeff Richards. the U.S. merchant ment for advancing marine and our maritime industrial base to meet our America’s maritime power.” At various times during the conference, partici- Nation’s economic and national security needs. The pants heard from guest speakers; worked together study is not a strategy, but rather a tool that can be in breakout groups; and participated in open-session used to provide a comprehensive approach to identifying and prioritizing the elements for a strategy.” discussions. Two ship registries strongly associated with “dark fleet” transportation – Gabon and Eswatini – are the latest additions to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) flags of convenience (FOC) list. The additions are accompanied by the removal of Tonga from the 76-year-old list, bringing the total number of FOCs to 43, the ITF said in a recent announcement. The SIU is an ITF affiliate. “It’s a toxic industry – registering ships in countries where there is no regulation, no oversight and no accountability. It allows for exploitation and the abandonment of seafarers. The aim is to provide a shortcut for shipowners to generate money without necessarily complying with best practice risk mitigation and due diligence through regulatory accountability,” said ITF President Paddy Crumlin. According to the ITF, 50 percent of the world fleet is registered in FOC states. The top three contributors – Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands – alone account for more than 40 percent of the international fleet SIU President David Heindel, who also serves as the ITF Seafarers’ Section Chair, said, “The whole flags of convenience system is complex on purpose. The reasons for registering ships under flags of convenience is to avoid tax, avoid safety regulations, and circumvent labor standards and human rights. A genuine link between the ship and its registry is so important to be able to identify who is the real owner. Flag registers should not be allowed to operate as businesses using lower standards than traditional national registers. Until that’s stopped, seafarers’ rights will continue to be abused with impunity.” JULY 2024 SEAFARERS LOG • OCTOBER 2023 5 SEAFARERS LOG • 5 �Report of the Constitutional Committee We, the undersigned Constitutional Committee, were elected at a Special Meeting held in Piney Point on June 24, 2024, in accordance with Article XXV, Section 2 of our Constitution. We have had referred to us and studied proposed Constitutional Amendments contained in Resolutions submitted by our Executive Board. With the exception of one minor proposed amendment, these Resolutions, containing the proposed amendments, prior to their submission to us, were adopted by a majority vote of the membership. The provisions of these Resolutions, including their “WHEREAS” clauses, are contained in this report so that all members have available to them their full text for review and study at the same time that they read this, our Report and Recommendations. Whereas, the Executive Board of this Union met on January 31, 2024 for the purpose of discussing potential amendments to the constitution of this Union; and Whereas, after lengthy discussions, the Board members unanimously decided that since the constitution of this union has not been amended since 2013 and, that over the last ten years, there have been many changes in the industry, the labor movement, and this union which, in their opinion, warrant constitutional amendments, The Executive Board resolved to present the following potential amendments to the membership for their action. 1. To make our union’s constitution more inclusive, amend all places in the document where the current word used is linked to one gender such as “he” to “he or she”. 2. In a further effort to make the constitution more current and inclusive, replace the words “crimps and finks” with “manning agents” and add additional classifications to the existing list in the statement of principles against which discrimination will not be tolerated. The list would be amended to include: sexual orientation, national origin, disability and age. 3. Amend Article III, section 3 (e) to make it easier for members to stay in good standing if they are unable to timely pay dues while on an American flag vessel anywhere in the world and Amend Article III by adding a section 3 (f) to indicate that any member on check-off through an employer or the Seafarers Vacation Plan would automatically be in good standing. 4. Amend Article III, Section 1 to make it clear that probationary members enjoy certain rights of membership but not all the rights enjoyed by full book members. Your committee believes and is recommending that there is no need to amend this section of the constitution as the Union’s consistent practice has always been that probationary book members have the right to express themselves at membership meetings but do not have the right to vote at such meetings with the exception of contract ratifications. 5. Amend Article V, Section 1 (a). As there has not been an increase in dues since 2006, and to enable the union to continue servicing the membership at the level they have come to expect, raise the dues $25/ quarter effective the second quarter of 2025 and then raise it an additional $25/quarter on January 1, 2027. 6. Amend Article V, Section 2 for the same reasons as the proposed dues increase by raising the initiation fee paid by new members joining after January 1, 2025, by $500 and amend Article V section 2 to increase the service fee for the issuance of a full book by $15.00 7. Amend Article VI, Section 4 to make it easier for members to have their rights restored after retiring their books by paying one-quarter dues each year that the book is in retirement during the quarter when their book was retired. 8. Amend Article VIII. In a further effort to expand services for the Union’s membership and to help ensure that the union’s diversity and educational goals are met, add two new Vice President positions: a Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and a Vice President of Training and Education along with corresponding assistant Vice President positions and allow the new officers to serve as delegates to the union’s parent organization in accordance with the constitutional guidelines. 9. Amend Article X, Section 1 (j) to change the word “shall” to “may” in the constitutional section pertaining to the filling of union officer and representative positions by providing the president with sufficient time to properly fill a vacant office. 10. Amend Article X, Sections 5, 6, 8, 9, and 12 to make the titles of three existing Vice Presidents’ positions more in line with their actual work and the territory they serve by placing the Caribbean region under the Gulf Coast; remove the words “Southern Region and inland waters” from the territory of the Great Lakes Vice President and remove the words “fishing industries” from the responsibilities of the Government Services Vice President. 11. Amend Article X, Section 12. In keeping with current times, formally allow the executive board to hold meetings virtually to save costs when it is efficient to do so. 12. Amend Article XIII, Section 1 (g) to help individuals who wish to run for union office and are on a vessel during the period of nominations by allowing them to use an email address and to allow the credentials committee the right to reach out via email or expedited mail if it needs to reach a member with any questions. 13. Amend Article XIII, Section 2 (c) to clarify that any appeals to an action of the credentials committee need to be filed in time for such appeal to be acted upon by the membership at the regular membership meeting following the committee’s election and prior to the issuance of its report. 14. Amend Article XIII, Section 3 (a). In a further effort to engage the membership in union elections and proceedings, expand the voting period by one month to provide more time for members to vote (October through December) which would also entail moving the nominating period and the election and service of the credentials committee back one month to July of the election year. 15. Amend Article XII, Section 1 (c) by including vessels in ROS status among the types of vessels for which sixty-five (65) days of seatime is required rather than one hundred (100) days of seatime between January 1 and the time of nomination during an election year. This was suggested due to the possibility of starting the voting period in October which would entail moving the nominating period back by one month. Your committee acknowledges that this particular proposed amendment was not presented to the membership during the June membership meetings; however, we are recommending that it be included with all the other proposed amendments to help ensure that members who work on ROS vessels who wish to run for union office will be able to do so, assuming they satisfy all other eligibility requirements. 16. Amend Article XIII, Section 3 (a). In accordance with the wishes of the membership as expressed at membership meetings, make permanent the provision to allow ballots to be brought to vessels, subject to guidelines set by the executive board. 17. Amend Article XIII, Section 3 (a). Considering the proposal to expand the voting period by a month and bringing ballots to vessels, remove Saturday voting at union halls. 18. Amend Article XIII, Section 3 (e) to make it easier for members to vote absentee if incapacitated by illness or injury. 19. Amend Article XIII, Section 4 (b) to increase the tallying committee from 20 to 28 members due to the addition of four new constitutional ports and raise the committee’s quorum from 10 to 14 members. 20. Again, due to the addition of four new constitutional ports, increase the number of elected port agents by 4: 1 for Norfolk, 1 for Jacksonville, 1 for Long Beach, and 1 for Tacoma. 21. Amend Article XXIII to add the four new constitutional ports to the regular membership meeting schedule and move the date when the Algonac meeting is held to the Thursday in the week following its current meeting date. 22. Amend Article XVII. In keeping with current times, codify the Union’s ability to use social media to communicate with its members. 23. Allow the constitution to be amended to take care of non-substantive housekeeping, grammatical and spelling errors throughout the document; such as changing the word “contract” to “collective bargaining agreement”, changing the words “under an incapacity” to “incapacitated”, changing “in behalf” to “on behalf”, etc. Be it resolved that, if approved by a majority vote of the membership, the foregoing proposed amendments, with the exception of number 4, be placed on the ballot along with the election of officers for use during the upcoming election. We further recommend, if it is reasonably possible, that a copy of our Committee’s Report containing the proposed Resolutions and membership action taken to date, be printed in the Seafarers LOG, August 2024 issue, so that the membership will be kept abreast as to all facts and actions taken as of this time. In addition, we recommend that copies of such LOG issue, to the extent possible, be made available to the membership at all Union offices and Halls during the months of November and December 2024. Your Constitutional Committee wishes to thank the Union, its officers, representatives, members, and counsel for their cooperation and assistance during our deliberations and to assure all members that we believe the adoption of the proposed Resolutions will serve the needs of the Union and the membership. DATE: June 25, 2024 Fraternally submitted, Constitutional Committee 2024 SIU Election Absentee Voting Info Elections for the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters are scheduled for later this year. As in past SIU election years, a comprehensive guide will be published in the Seafarers LOG prior to the balloting. In the case of members eligible to vote who believe they will be at sea during the Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024 voting period or who otherwise think they will need absentee ballots, absentee ballots will be available. The SIU constitution ensures that members who are eligible to vote and who find themselves in this situation may vote. Procedures are established in the SIU constitution to safeguard the secret ballot election, including the absentee ballot process. Here is the procedure to follow when requesting an absentee ballot: 1. Make the request in writing to the SIU office of the secretary-treasurer, 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746. 2. Include in the request the correct address where the absentee ballot should be mailed. 3. Send the request for an absentee ballot by registered or certified mail. 4. The registered or certified mail envelope must be postmarked no later than midnight, Nov. 15, 2024 and must be received at 5201 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746 no later than Nov. 25, 2024. 5. The secretary-treasurer, after confirming eligibility, will send by registered mail, return receipt requested, to the address designated in the request, a ballot, together with an envelope marked “Ballot” 6 6 •SEAFARERS SEAFARERSLOG LOG • OCTOBER 2023 and a mailing envelope no later than Nov. 30, 2024. 6. Upon receiving the ballot and envelope, vote by marking the ballot. After voting the ballot, place the ballot in the envelope marked “Ballot.” Do not write on the “Ballot” envelope. 7. Place the envelope marked “Ballot” in the mailing envelope which is imprinted with the mailing address of the bank depository where all ballots are sent. 8. Sign the mailing envelope on the first line of the upper left-hand corner. Print name and book number on the second line. The mailing envelope is self-addressed and stamped. 9. The mailing envelope must be postmarked no later than midnight, Dec. 31, 2024 and received by the bank depository no later than Jan. 5, 2025. JULY 2024 �SHBP Scholarship Winners Awarded Total of $120,000 for Academic Pursuits One Seafarer and five SIU dependents/relatives have been awarded scholarships from the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan (SHBP) to pursue further education. Teachers from educational institutions across the country, both active and retired, were selected to serve on the SHBP Scholarship Committee, which convened in May. Together they chose Chief Steward Ashley Nguyen as the Seafarer winner. She will receive a $20,000 award ($5,000 for each of four years). The committee also selected Amelia Gohs, JJ Nicole Malunes, Troy Madrio, Teresito Reyes Jr., and Zaid Saleh as the Seafarer dependent winners. Each of these students will receive $20,000 total. The following profiles detail the ambitions and achievements of this year’s Charlie Logan Scholarship recipients. Ashley Nguyen SIU Connection: Nguyen is a Chief Steward who joined the union in 2016. Bio: Nguyen lives in California. She joined SIU as an apprentice and is now sailing as a chief steward. Her story with SIU began after earning her college degree, but working jobs that didn’t satisfy her or effectively utilize her diploma. Nguyen’s educational aspirations will allow her to work with individuals, couples, and families, with the aim of making a difference in their lives through therapy. She plans to use her degree alongside her own life experience managing anxiety to help normalize discussions about mental health in her community. Education: Nguyen graduated from California State University in 2010, where she studied Human Development with a concentration in counseling. She has applied to the University of Nevada Las Vegas, National University, and Touro University, where she plans to start a program in marriage and family therapy. Quotable: “Since graduating, I always said if I could redo school I would. I didn’t have the confidence then to put my degree to use. Now, as a more grown, confident adult, I changed my negative self-talk. I can redo school and I want to, which is why I am applying for the SIU scholarship program.… The SIU scholarship will give me a second chance at allowing me to do what I am truly passionate about, helping others who have struggled.” Amelia Gohs SIU Connection: Gohs is the daughter of Recertified Bosun Paul Gohs. Bio: Inspired by her family’s own medical history and her experience navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gohs aims to use her scholarship to become a driving force for encouraging people to incorporate preventative care methods into their lifestyles. The definition of a well-rounded high school student, Gohs participated in several team sports, joined the robotics club, held positions as secretary of the National Honor Society Caritas Chapter, and served three consecutive terms as vice president and later president of her student council. She also worked at A&W and at McDonald’s, where she honed her strong work ethic. Education: Gohs recently graduated from All Saints Catholic High School as salutatorian with a GPA of 4.18. During her high school years, she also completed three credits at Delta College as part of a dual enrollment program. She has applied to Grand Valley State University, Central Michigan University, and Saginaw JULY 2024 Valley State University, the latter of which she plans to attend to pursue her degree in Public Health. Quotable: “The community and web of friends I’ve grown with over the years has done so much for me, and the kindness of both friends and strangers alike is something I strive to give back. That is why I plan to attend Saginaw Valley State University and major in public health – so that I may one day benefit those around me, as to improve the quality of life for those in my community. Large-scale health issues can be hindered at the beginning, as long as there are those behind the scenes who are willing and wanting to prevent them. The opportunity for me to incorporate that idea into an actual career is a dream that I want to chase down and catch.” JJ Nicole Malunes SIU Connection: Malunes is the daughter of Bosun Arsenio Malunes Jr. Bio: After reading the “Percy Jackson” series as a young child, Malunes saw great parallels to Greek god Poseidon and her seafaring dad, “since both were fathers who left for extended periods of time to traverse the oceans.” Still, she shared her major milestones with him while he was away via her motion-detecting doorbell camera. Malunes’ interest in criminology/forensic psychology developed through watching Criminal Minds and true crime documentaries when she was a high school freshman during the onset of the COVID19 pandemic. Initially, she aspired to become a forensic anthropologist with the FBI, but after reading the biography of someone in that line of work, she instead decided that she could still satisfy her curiosities about the human brain by pursuing neuroscience. Education: Malunes graduated from Mayfair High School. She has applied to the University of California, California State University of Long Beach, and University of California Los Angeles. Quotable: “I have always idolized my father as Poseidon – undeniably strong, unwaveringly brave, endlessly inspiring – but I have only just begun to see myself in Percy Jackson: steadfastly loyal, passionately determined, wholeheartedly resilient; the son of Poseidon. Like the ocean itself, the potential for my future cannot be confined; it is limitless.” Troy Madrio SIU Connection: Madrio is the son of AB Roy A. Madrio. Bio: Madrio’s fascination with space and astronomy was piqued at a young age. Galvanized by a high school astronomy course that left him wanting more, he began independently studying astrophysics. Soon after, he became a regular volunteer at his school’s McCarthy Observatory, and founded his school’s Astronomy Club. He also has a passion for music. A “jack-of-allbrass,” he knows how to play the euphonium, the trombone, the French horn, and the tuba. Madrio intends to further explore the universe’s deepest mysteries at Cornell University for undergraduate study and eventually earn his masters and Ph.D. in order to become a researcher and professor. Education: Madrio graduated from New Milford High School. He has applied to Cornell University, Princeton University, Harvard University, and Columbia University. He plans to attend the former and double major in Astrophysical Sciences and Mathematical Computer Science. Quotable: “I explored the wave-particle duality of photons, the never-ending war between dark energy and gravity, the flavors of quarks, nuclear chromodynamics, stellar evolution, cosmology, Hawking radiation, and the time-dilating domain of relativity. The nuance and complexity of astrophysics never seemed to end, and I realized that I wanted nothing more than to explore this fractal of science for the rest of my life.” Teresito Reyes Jr. SIU Connection: Reyes Jr. is the son of Chief Cook Teresito Reyes Sr. Bio: Reyes Jr. describes himself as a timid, shy boy who was always encouraged by his mother to “dream big and aim high.” Emigrating to Hawaii from the Philippines at age 12 inspired him to break out of his shell and immerse himself wholeheartedly into a new culture and environment. When he moved again to California, he continued to cultivate a sense of belonging with his classmates and with a community of those who shared his Filipino heritage. During high school, Reyes Jr. played tennis, participated in art club, book club, and theater. He volunteered at FILCOM, the Filipino Community Center assisting with COVID vaccinations and testing and also served as a Health Academy Ambassador. Education: Reyes Jr. attended Governor Farrington Wallace High School for ninth and tenth grades, and Murrieta Valley High School for the remainder of his high school career. He participated in the IB Diploma program at Murrieta Valley. He plans to attend Mt. San Jacinto College and study nursing. Quotable: “I learned that as a leader, it matters not what one does for attention, but rather for the selfless benefit of others. Looking back, I’ve learned that experience, discipline, and an adventurous attitude will greatly benefit my passions as I dream big and aim high.” Zaid Saleh SIU Connection: Saleh is the son of SA Fahd Saleh. Bio: Saleh’s longstanding interest in cars and machines, persisting from his childhood, has led him to pursue a career in engineering post-high school. His academic studies and excellent performance in mathematics and physics have demonstrated his talent for the subjects as well as his strong problem-solving skills. Not only has Saleh graduated a year ahead of schedule, but he did so while also participating on soccer and basketball teams. His counselor denotes his goal-driven nature in her recommendation letter, saying that since he had been a freshman in high school, he had been planning his early graduation. Education: Saleh attended Homestead High School and is graduating after his junior year. He plans to study mechanical engineering at Purdue University. Quotable: “I am determined to make a positive impact through my work in mechanical engineering and I believe that receiving this scholarship will enable me to further my education and contribute innovative solutions in the field.” SEAFARERS LOG •SEAFARERS OCTOBER 2023 LOG • 7 7 �At Sea & Ashore with the SIU ON THE JOB IN SUNSHINE STATE – Longtime friends and SIU Bosuns Munassar Ahmed (left) and Greg Jackson are pictured in Jacksonville, Florida. STOPPING BY OAKLAND HALL – Recertified Bosun Antuan Webb (second from right) is pictured recently with his three sons, plus SIU VP Nick Marrone (second from left) and Port Agent Duane Akers. A-BOOK IN CALIFORNIA – AB Michael Adote (right) receives his A-seniority book. He’s pictured at the Wilmington hall with SIU Port Agent Gerret Jarman. ABOARD CAPE SHIPS ‒ These snapshots are from the May 9 servicing of the ROS Crowley vessels Cape Cortes (formerly the Freedom) and Cape Arundel (formerly the Honor) in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The IDs are from left in each photo, starting with the photo at far left: SB Demarius Jones, SIU Mobile Port Agent Jimmy White, Bosun Deontre Blount; Chief Cook Natasha Staton and Jones; SB Perry Martin and Chief Cook Deirick Coltrane; BREC Dave Coleman, White, ABM Jahn Boman, OS Armonie Lowe. ABOARD AMERICAN FREEDOM – Pictured on the Intrepid ship are (from left) Recertified Bosun Joshua Mensah and SIU Tacoma Patrolman Dennison Forsman. FULL BOOK IN GUAM – AB Angel Reyes (right) picks up his book at the hiring hall. He’s pictured with SIU Port Agent Victor Sahagon. 8 8 •SEAFARERS SEAFARERSLOG LOG • OCTOBER 2023 PRO-MARITIME CONGRESSMAN – SIU VP Atlantic Coast Joseph Soresi (left) is pictured with U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pennsylvania) at a recent fundraiser coinciding with a Phillies game. Boyle is a solid backer of the U.S. Merchant Marine. JULY 2024 �At Sea & Ashore with the SIU SOLIDARITY IN TEXAS – Safety ABOARD CAPE SABLE – Pictured from left aboard the Crowley ship in late May are SIU Norfolk Port Agent Mario Torrey, AB Vincent Williams, STOS Denzel Johnson, Bosun Leander Garrett and AB Jonathan Jones. WELCOME ASHORE IN TACOMA – Recertified Steward Dennis Skretta (left) receives his first pension check from SIU Port Agent Warren Asp at the hiring hall. Skretta started sailing with the SIU in 1978. Director Kevin Sykes recently attended the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists convention in Houston. He’s at right, with CBTU President Terry Melvin. BOOKS GALORE IN VIRGINIA – GUDE Tykeem Blowe-Warren (second from left in photo above, left) and GVA Lonnell Bell (second from right) receive their respective full books at the May membership meeting in Norfolk. They are pictured with SIU VP Atlantic Coast Joseph Soresi (right) and SIU Port Agent Mario Torrey (left). In the remaining photo, OMU Kevin Snowden (right) also obtains his full book. SIU Patrolman Josh Rawls is at left. ABOARD MAERSK MONTANA – Pictured from left aboard the ship are Bosun James Gregory, SIU Norfolk Patrolman Josh Rawls, and AB Cheryl Lee. THANKING LEGISLATOR – SIU Philadelphia Port Agent Joe Baselice (left) is pictured with promaritime U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-New Jersey) during a gathering in Cherry Hill. Baselice thanked the congressman for his consistent backing of the U.S. Merchant Marine. JULY 2024 MILESTONE IN HOUSTON – Chief Steward Claudia Mauricio-Brice (center) receives her A-seniority book at the Houston hall. She’s pictured with her husband, Jesus Montero (left), and SIU Patrolman J.B. Niday. WELCOME ASHORE IN JACKSONVILLE – Seafarer Peter Bondarenko (right), pictured at the hall with SIU Patrolman Brian Guiry, receives his first pension check. He most recently worked as a lead hull technician at Crowley. SOLIDARITY IN SAN JUAN ‒ The SIU had a strong turnout for International Workers Day/May Day in Puerto Rico on May 1. Heavy rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the thousands of attendees, who gathered to express support for workers’ rights. The SIU contingent included Asst. VP Amancio Crespo, Safety Director Ricky Rivera, STOS Abdiel Clinton, QMED Edwin Morales, and Steward/Baker Billy Joel Burgos-Burgos. SEAFARERS LOG •SEAFARERS OCTOBER 2023 9 LOG • 9 �At Sea & Ashore with the SIU AT THE SAN JUAN HALL – Pictured from left in each photo, starting at far left: Chief Cook Isis Vasquez obtains her full book from SIU Asst. VP Amancio Crespo; the assistant VP stands with Bosun Jorge Soler, proudly holding his A-seniority book that’s stamped “Certified to Sail Bosun”; Crespo, Steward/Baker Jesus Pacheco receiving his A-seniority book, Safety Director Ricky Rivera; and Chief Cook Victor Valentin receives his full book from Rivera. ABOARD POTOMAC EXPRESS ‒ Pictured from left aboard the Intrepid vessel in mid-May are Paul Hall Center Apprentice Caleb Rawls, SIU Norfolk Patrolman Josh Rawls (no relation), SIU Norfolk Port Agent Mario Torrey, Bosun Renaudo Pierce, and Paul Hall Center Apprentice Christopher Holmes. AN SIU FAMILY ‒ Pictured from left at the Jacksonville, Florida, hall are QEE Randy J. Slue, his brother Wiper Donald Slue (holding his newly acquired union book), and QEE Randy D. Slue (better known as Dad). The elder Randy expressed his appreciation for the union and the opportunities it has given him and his sons who are following in his path. ABOARD WEST VIRGINIA ‒ Seafarers are pictured on the Seabulk ship in the Pacific Northwest. From left: Steward/ Baker Armon Bailey, AB Dwuan Reed, SA Francisco Amada, Pumpman Scott Fuller, AB Marlon Ozaraga, Chief Cook Gil Serrano and AB Juberto Perez. FULL BOOK IN CHARM CITY ‒ QMED Mohamad ABOARD ATB – Pictured in Florida on the TOTE ATB Tortuga/Clean Everglades are (left to right, starting with photo at far left) AB Joseph Wattam, AB Justin Zlotucha, and First Asst. Engineer Jay Benyard. 10 •SEAFARERS 10 SEAFARERSLOG LOG • OCTOBER 2023 Kammoun (center) obtains his book. He’s pictured at the Baltimore hall with SIU Port Agent John Hoskins (left) and Safety Director Jose Argueta. SEAFARERS LOG • OCTOBER 2023 10 JULY 2024 �At Sea & Ashore with the SIU ABOARD USNS ALGOL – Deck department members are pictured on the Ocean Duchess ship in San Francisco prior to sailing. From left: AB Andre Nero, AB Jeremy Smoot, Recertified Bosun Ritche Acuman, AB Ibrahim Abubaker, GUDE Rodolfo Ludovice, AB Ed Copeland, AB Johncarlo Garibaldi, OS Abdelrahim Salih, Capt. Raymond Davis, OS Shamar Rhoden and OS Christian Jones. WELCOME ASHORE IN HOUSTON – Capt. Bruce Cram (center), who sailed with G&H Towing for 47 years, receives his first pension check at the hiring hall. He’s pictured with Patrolmen J.B. Niday (left) and Kirk Pegan. “This one is special to me because I trained under Capt. Cram as a new mate while at G&H,” Niday noted. REMEMBERING BOSUN BRANTLEY ‒ Mariners on the USNS Brittin (Pasha) attend a recent shipboard ceremony to honor the memory of Bosun Greyson Brantley, who passed away in January at age 54. They are pictured above with a floral wreath and his commemorative plaque. The remaining photo includes the shipboard plaque made to honor Brantley’s legacy and many years of service aboard the vessel. SIU New Orleans Patrolman George Owen, Brantley’s stepbrother, stated, “Grey would’ve been good at anything he would’ve done, but he was excellent at what he did. He was a sailor’s sailor. He had the ingenuity to come up with ways to solve problems and thought of things other bosuns didn’t.” Brantley began sailing with the SIU in 1988, at age 19. ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL – The turnout proved massive at a recent career fair in Essex County, New Jersey. Pictured at the SIU/Paul Hall Center table (above, right) are Port Agent Ray Henderson (left) and Patrolman James Bast. ABOARD GLOBAL SENTINEL – The two photos directly above were taken during a recent servicing aboard the SubCom vessel in Baltimore. The larger group photo includes steward department members along with Safety Director Jose Argueta (left) and Patrolman Shane Sterry (right). Bosun Devin Hoerr is in the center of the other photo, with Argueta (right) and Sterry (left). JULY 2024 SEAFARERS LOG •SEAFARERS OCTOBER 2023 LOG • 11 11 �SIU Observes National Maritime Day F rom coast to coast and in the U.S. territory of Guam, the SIU played a typically active role in this year’s National Maritime Day observances. Those respective ceremonies took place in Washington, D.C.; Houston; Port Arthur, Texas; Galveston, Texas; Norfolk, Virginia; and Guam. The union and its affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education (PHC) handled particularly noteworthy roles in this year’s National Maritime Day ceremony at U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) headquarters in the nation’s capital. SIU President David Heindel was a featured speaker at the May 22 gathering; PHC Apprentice Eliot Randall carried a ceremonial wreath, while fellow Apprentice Luis Sanchez rang the traditional “eight bells.” The union and the PHC had a strong turnout. In addition to the aforementioned individuals, attendees among the crowd of 200 or so included SIU Executive Vice President Augie Tellez, Secretary-Treasurer Tom Orzechowski, Assistant Vice President Pat Vandegrift, Political Director Brian Schoeneman, Trainee Commandant John Romer, and 21 other apprentices. The theme for this year’s event was “Navigating the Future: Safety First!” The featured speakers, in order of appearance, were Deputy Maritime Administrator Tamekia Flack; Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips; DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg (via a recorded video); Heindel; Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commanding officer of the U.S. Transportation Command; U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona). All of the speakers emphasized the critical importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine to America’s national, economic and homeland security. Near the end of the ceremony, World War II mariner Allen Johnson, who first shipped out at age 17, received several awards and medals for his service. He briefly addressed the crowd and also offered some remarks in a recently recorded video. During Heindel’s remarks, the SIU president thanked the administration, Congress, and military leaders for backing the U.S. maritime industry. Focusing on the theme, he stated, “Safety is always and must remain ‘Job 1,’ and for the SIU that starts in Attendees await the start of the Department of Transportation National Maritime Day ceremony at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Piney Point and at every one of our hiring halls, and days. And in all the years since then, one thing hasn’t continues through to every voyage and every ship- changed and never will: Give us the ships, give us the board safety drill, and is reinforced when a Seafarer cargo, and we’ll deliver.” Immediately before the ceremony, attendees returns to upgrade his or her rating or license. We also have our sights set on new fuels and new tech- watched the PHC’s new recruiting video, shown on nology that are on the horizon and which promise the in-house monitors. The event also included salutes to the late SIU to bring changes to shipboard life. We are actively working with the United Nations bodies as well as President Michael Sacco, who passed away late last others to help ensure that shipping’s response to the year. Flack saluted the U.S. Merchant Marine’s centuclimate emergency puts mariners and communities at the heart of the solution, always with an emphasis ries-old record of service to the nation, and expressed confidence in the industry’s ongoing reliability. on safety training, handling and operations.” “If history is any indicator of our future, we can be He later said that “we in the SIU are ever-mindful” of the sacrifices of World War II mariners (includ- assured that even when things get tough – and they ing the more than 1,235 SIU members who lost their will get tough – our national leadership, our marilives in the war effort), and that he sees a passion in time industry and our U.S. Merchant Mariners will today’s rank-and-file membership when it comes to answer the call to duty,” she said. Phillips said the merchant marine “must be mainupholding their role as part of America’s fourth arm tained, not merely as an instrument for commercial of defense. “They know that in times of crisis, our troops de- expansion but as a weapon for protection – the propend on them to deliver the material needed,” Hein- tection of American life and property…. Our maritime del said. “They will not let anything stop them from sector is a cornerstone of America’s economy and security, responsible for the safe transport of billions fulfilling that most-critical mission.” He concluded, “The U.S. Merchant Marine has of tons of cargo annually across our waterways and been a key part of this nation since America’s earliest carrying our DOD and other government and com- SIU President David Heindel addresses the crowd in the nation’s capital. Paul Hall Center Apprentices (from left) Luis Sanchez and Eliot Randall played Deputy Maritime Administrator Tamekia Flack unformal roles in the DOT event (sounding “eight bells” and carrying a memorial derscores the historic reliability and sacrifice of the wreath, respectively). nation’s mariners. Gen. Van Ovost greets Paul Hall Center apprentices after the DOT ceremony. 12 SEAFARERS LOG OCTOBER 2023 12 • SEAFARERS LOG • U.S. Rep. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) presents a detailed plan to revitalize the U.S. Merchant Marine. JULY 2024 �Four of the DOT featured speakers are pictured before the ceremony with World War II mariner Allen Johnson (center), who was honored during the formal gathering. From left are Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips, U.S. Transportation Command commanding officer Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, Johnson, U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, and SIU President David Heindel. (Photo courtesy DOT) mercial cargos internationally, entrusted to the very capable hands of American mariners.” During his video greeting, Buttigieg said mariners “are at the heart of America’s national security, our economic strength and our national character.” Van Ovost stated, “It is the dedication and expertise of our mariners that creates the backbone of our marine transportation system. So, thank you for your professionalism, your dedication and patriotism and service to our nation…. We are a maritime nation. We sailed the oceans to global prominence and it is imperative that we maintain our strength as a maritime nation today and into the future.” Del Toro noted, “Since the very beginning of the American Revolution, our U.S. Merchant Marine has been at the heart of our economic life and indispensable to not just our national security but our economic security in this country…. We must never forget that nearly 10,000 U.S. Merchant Mariners lost their lives in World War II – a higher casualty rate than any other service, including my own beloved Marine Corps.” Kelly, a former mariner whose father sailed in World War II, said, “As many of you know, the U.S. Merchant Marine and our maritime industry are incredibly important to me…. When I graduated from Kings Point in 1986, there were about 400 or so U.S.-flagged oceangoing ships. Today that number has fallen to about 80 ships operating in international commerce flying the U.S. flag. By the way, China has nearly 5,500. The reason for this change can almost entirely be attributed to policy decisions. They were decisions made by prior administrations and prior congresses.” He then explained the comprehensive, bipartisan maritime revitalization legislation he and others are crafting, with industry-wide input (including from the SIU). Additional photos from other National Maritime Day ceremonies on Page 14. Apprentices from the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education attend the National Maritime Day ceremony in the nation’s capital. (Photo courtesy DOT) Prior to the event in Washington, D.C., SIU Exec. VP Augie Tellez (left) chats with (from left) Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commanding officer of the U.S. Transportation Command, and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro. (Photo courtesy DOT) 13 SEAFARERS LOG • OCTOBER 2023 JULY 2024 SIU Exec. VP Augie Tellez (center, with hands folded) and SIU Secretary-Treasurer Tom Orzechowski (far right in the same row) help represent the union at the DOT commemoration. SIU Political Director Brian Schoeneman is at far right directly behind Orzechowski. A Proclamation on National Maritime Day, 2024 From the White House: Our Nation’s merchant mariners embody the highest aspirations of our democracy, always answering our country’s call with commitment and courage. Today, we honor their service and sacrifice. Together, we recommit to meeting our sacred obligation to care for them and their families. Unbreaking and unbending in their devotion to duty, our merchant mariners have stood for our Nation’s freedom and liberty throughout history – from delivering critical goods and troops to the battlefields of World War II to responding to devastating natural disasters around the world and shipping the goods and military cargo that keep our Nation safe and prosperous. Today, our merchant mariners are continuing this legacy of service, delivering humanitarian aid to people in need and transporting military equipment around the world. At the same time, merchant mariners are engines of our economy. They facilitate international trade and strengthen our supply chains by transporting billions of dollars of goods across oceans, seas, and waterways to the hands of American businesses and consumers. Our merchant mariners have always met the moment – and my Administration will always have their backs. That is why we are ensuring that ships traveling between United States ports are American-built, American-owned, and American-crewed by enforcing the Jones Act. This will not only support American shipbuilding but will also support good union jobs. Meanwhile, we have made historic investments in our Nation’s infrastructure, including rebuilding our ports so that they are safer, cleaner, and easier and more affordable to move through. We also recognize that our merchant mariners are strongest when they reflect the full diversity of our Nation. My Budget proposes $191 million for the United States Merchant Marine Academy to educate and train the next generation of seagoing officers and maritime leaders. Additionally, my Administration established Every Mariner Builds A Respectful Culture Standards to prevent sexual assault and harassment and to support survivors. Today, as we honor all that merchant mariners have done for our Nation, we also recognize the mariners who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. We owe these fallen heroes a debt of gratitude we can never fully repay. But our Nation will never forget their legacy and that of every mariner who has dared all, risked all, and given all for our Nation. The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 20, 1933, has designated May 22 of each year as “National Maritime Day” to commemorate the first transoceanic voyage by a steamship in 1819 by the S.S. Savannah. By this resolution, the Congress has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance. I also request that all ships sailing under the American flag dress ship on that day. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22, 2024, as National Maritime Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day and to celebrate the United States Merchant Marine and maritime industry with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth. JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR. SEAFARERS LOG •SEAFARERS OCTOBER 2023 13 LOG • 13 �Seafarers Celebrate National Maritime Day SIU Port Agent Victor Sahagon (right) took part in a National Maritime Day ceremony in Guam. He’s pictured with Norma R. Pillman from the Military Sealift Command. Personnel from the Coast Guard and the Navy also participated in the event. Pictured from left at the ceremony in Galveston, Texas, are Jay Wedman of MEBA, SIU Patrolman Kelly Krick and Kathleen Friel of AMO. The SIU-crewed Bay Towing tug Aubrey joins in the festivities in Galveston, Texas. SIU Oakland Port Agent Duane Akers teamed up with personnel from The Pasha Group for a “Careers in Maritime” event May 22 at San Rafael (California) High School. They addressed a packed room of students; he and the other speakers already have been invited back next year. The Norfolk, Virginia, ceremony took place aboard the battleship Wisconsin. Pictured from left are USSMI GM Travis Hansen, Virginia Maritime Association Senior VP Will Fediw, ITF Inspector Bobbi Shipley, SIU Port Agent Mario Torrey, and Hampton Roads Shipping Association President Jeremy Bridges. Pictured at the National Maritime Day luncheon hosted by the Houston chapter of the Kings Point Alumni Association are (from left, SIU members unless otherwise noted) Capt. Brandon Connor, Mate Miles Hallberg, Mate Amanda Ringo, Capt. Mark Kazin, SIU Port Agent Joe Zavala, SIU Patrolman J.B. Niday, Second Mate Cameron Schroeder, Harris County Board of Pilot Commissioners Chairman Reginald McKamie, Safety Director Kevin Sykes, and chapter President David McNeal. The annual National Maritime Day observance in Port Arthur, Texas, took place at the Seamen’s Memorial Equatorial Sundial. Teaming up for the 2024 iteration were the Stella Maris Diocese of Beaumont, the Port Arthur International Seafarers Center, the Port of Port Arthur, the Propeller Club Ports of the Sabine and Neches, and the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States. SIU member Fr. Sinclair Oubre (pictured at the podium) led the proceedings and asked CMDR Karima Hantal of the U.S. Coast Guard to read President Biden’s Maritime Day Proclamation. The crew of the pilot boat Port Arthur later placed a wreath in the Sabine Neches Waterway. After the service, the port sponsored a luncheon featuring remarks by Shelby Avant from MARAD. 14 •SEAFARERS 14 SEAFARERSLOG LOG • OCTOBER 2023 SEAFARERS LOG • OCTOBERJULY 2023 14 2024 �Dispatchers’ Report for Deep Sea “Total Registered” and “Total Shipped” data is cumulative from May 15 - June 16, 2024. “Registered on the Beach” data is as of June 17, 2024. Total Shipped All Groups A B C Registered on Beach All Groups A B C Port Total Registered All Groups A B C Algonac Anchorage Baltimore Fort Lauderdale Guam Harvey Honolulu Houston Jacksonville Jersey City Joliet Mobile Norfolk Oakland Philadelphia Piney Point Puerto Rico Tacoma St. Louis Wilmington 11 1 2 21 5 5 8 28 29 22 2 5 22 8 3 1 4 9 0 23 5 1 0 12 1 5 2 21 26 4 2 2 15 1 1 2 3 5 2 6 1 0 0 5 1 6 0 6 8 1 2 1 9 2 0 0 1 1 0 2 8 2 1 16 3 5 5 16 18 10 2 0 18 6 3 1 3 16 1 20 4 1 0 7 0 2 1 13 17 6 2 2 8 1 2 2 1 6 0 4 1 0 0 6 0 4 0 5 6 0 3 1 7 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 7 1 0 14 0 3 3 16 16 7 3 0 12 6 0 3 3 10 0 13 26 3 3 33 5 13 9 42 46 34 6 12 26 12 2 1 13 22 2 38 8 3 1 15 3 7 3 28 33 7 3 2 19 3 2 2 2 10 4 14 1 0 0 4 3 5 1 9 7 3 2 1 9 3 0 0 2 5 0 6 TOTAL 209 116 46 154 79 37 117 348 169 61 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 TOTAL 5 0 4 7 1 4 1 11 18 8 1 1 13 5 4 1 7 13 1 14 119 1 0 2 4 0 4 4 4 14 4 0 2 9 3 1 1 2 5 0 1 61 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 5 5 0 1 1 8 2 2 0 2 0 0 4 35 2 0 3 4 0 5 1 3 16 3 1 2 3 3 0 0 1 5 0 8 60 4 1 6 11 0 4 8 15 31 9 1 1 17 6 5 2 7 14 1 21 164 1 1 1 3 1 5 4 8 10 6 0 4 12 1 1 2 1 4 0 5 70 0 2 1 2 1 0 1 7 3 1 0 1 9 2 2 0 1 2 0 2 37 1 0 0 2 1 2 0 5 14 4 0 1 7 3 1 2 5 5 0 6 59 8 0 0 12 1 3 13 21 31 10 1 4 19 13 2 3 2 11 1 20 175 4 0 0 5 1 1 5 7 22 2 0 1 17 8 0 2 10 7 0 11 103 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 5 8 3 2 0 10 1 0 0 3 2 0 3 41 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 9 6 1 1 7 3 0 4 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 2 8 5 1 9 0 4 2 18 54 19 3 2 12 2 1 3 1 16 1 19 11 0 2 10 0 6 9 25 95 27 2 3 48 6 0 1 2 5 1 13 Trip Reliefs Deck Department Engine Department 6 0 3 4 1 3 2 9 10 5 0 2 9 3 0 0 5 9 1 10 82 1 1 2 4 0 2 1 3 15 2 2 0 7 4 0 3 2 7 1 1 58 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 4 0 1 0 4 3 0 1 1 2 0 4 25 Steward Department July & August Membership Meetings Piney Point Algonac Baltimore Guam Honolulu Monday: July 8, August 5 Friday: July 12, August 9 Thursday: July 11, August 8 Thursday: July 25, August 22 Friday: July 19, August 16 Houston Monday: July 15, August 12 Jacksonville Thursday: July 11, August 8 Joliet Thursday: July 18, August 15 Mobile New Orleans Jersey City Wednesday: July 17, August 14 Tuesday: July 16, August 13 Tuesday: July 9, August 6 Norfolk Friday: July 12, August 9 Oakland Thursday: July 18, August 15 Philadelphia Port Everglades San Juan Wednesday: July 10, August 7 Thursday: July 18, August 15 Thursday: July 11, August 8 St. Louis Friday: July 19, August 16 Tacoma Friday: July 26, August 23 Wilmington Monday: July 22, August 19 Each port’s meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. JULY 2024 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 TOTAL 4 0 0 7 1 3 7 12 18 6 1 3 11 9 4 4 2 5 1 7 105 0 0 0 5 1 3 2 2 16 1 0 2 14 5 0 2 8 5 0 6 72 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 6 2 1 0 5 1 0 2 3 1 0 2 30 3 0 0 3 1 5 4 9 10 12 1 2 8 6 4 3 4 3 1 10 89 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 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 7 1 3 7 0 3 1 13 35 12 0 1 7 3 1 4 1 10 0 10 12 1 2 12 0 4 8 13 54 9 2 4 31 8 0 8 1 3 0 12 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 3 0 4 16 3 0 0 12 1 0 1 5 4 1 6 60 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 3 6 0 1 0 3 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 21 Entry Department 2 0 2 2 0 1 3 9 19 4 0 1 7 4 0 1 0 5 0 8 6 1 3 9 0 1 3 7 35 8 2 3 23 8 1 9 0 4 1 11 TOTAL 9 119 184 6 68 135 39 16 180 266 GRAND TOTAL 442 368 295 331 265 218 275 703 522 405 SEAFARERS LOG •SEAFARERS OCTOBER 2023 15 LOG • 15 �SIU Directory Inquiring Seafarer David Heindel, President Augustin Tellez, Executive Vice President Tom Orzechowski, Secretary-Treasurer George Tricker, Vice President Contracts Dean Corgey, Vice President Gulf Coast Nicholas J. Marrone, Vice President West Coast Joseph T. Soresi, Vice President Atlantic Coast This month’s question was answered by students at the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Maryland. Question: Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled during your career as a Seafarer – or, where is somewhere that you’re looking forward to traveling to? Joe Vincenzo, Vice President Government Services Bryan Powell, Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters 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 Tracy Gray Wiper Randy Madrid Chief Cook My favorite place that I’ve traveled is Rota, Spain. It’s beautiful; I loved the scenery and the weather. The food was great, and so were the people. I had never been anywhere before and this was my first trip. After that was Crete, Greece and Souda Bay. Both beautiful places. I enjoyed traveling to Belgium and Germany. They were both nice places with nice people. I also loved going to Yokohama, Japan. In Japan, I got to experience the bullet train and I took it to Tokyo. They had a lot of luxury stores and everything there. Gerald Hyman Recertified Steward Ammar Sailan Chief Steward Panama is a beautiful country to visit and there’s so much to see there. I’d also like to travel to Australia someday. I hear they have a very nice port and they treat Americans well. I’d like to see the safari there, too. That’s easy: Maldives. I went there on a cable ship. I also enjoyed visiting the port in Gibraltar, Spain, near Algeria. The area we visited had the best museums and lot of ancient history. There were castles, and things like that. Jyheir Thompson Apprentice Ayman Elahi OS I’d like to travel to Tokyo one day. It looks like a nice place to visit and I’ve never been before. I did travel to Brazil for one night, though. I really enjoyed the scenery there. One day I want to travel to Venice in Italy. I want to ride in a gondola, drink wine, and try the food there. HOUSTON 625 N. York St., Houston, TX 77003 (713) 659-5152 JACKSONVILLE 5100 Belfort Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32256 (904) 281-2622 JERSEY CITY 104 Broadway, Jersey City, NJ 07306 (201) 434-6000 JOLIET 10 East Clinton St., Joliet, IL 60432 (815) 723-8002 MOBILE 1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605 (251) 478-0916 NEW ORLEANS 3911 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 328-7545 Pic from the Past NORFOLK 115 Third Street, 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 WILMINGTON 510 N. Broad Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744 (310) 549-4001/4002 The SIU-crewed Lawrence Gianella heads to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for the 2004 iteration of Operation Deep Freeze. SIU crews have supported the annual resupply mission for decades. 16 •SEAFARERS 16 SEAFARERSLOG LOG • OCTOBER 2023 JULY 2024 �Welcome Ashore! DEEP SEA KAID ADAM Brother Kaid Adam, 62, signed on with the Seafarers International Union in 1992, initially sailing aboard the Independence. He was a deck department member and also worked on shore gangs. Brother Adam upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions. He most recently worked with Matson Navigation Company of Alaska and makes his home in Fircrest, Washington. MAGDY BALAT Brother Magdy Balat, 65, started sailing with the SIU in 2005 and first worked on the Green Ridge. He shipped in the deck department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Balat last shipped on the Maersk Detroit. He resides in Brooklyn, New York. REY FARINAS Brother Rey Farinas, 67, joined the Union in 1989 and first sailed aboard the Independence. He upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions and sailed in the engine department. Brother Farinas last shipped aboard the Alaskan Explorer and settled in Waipahu, Hawaii. EDWARD GALBIS Brother Edward Galbis, 71, embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 2002 when he sailed on the USNS Mt. Washington. He shipped in the engine department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Galbis most recently sailed aboard the Ocean Gladiator. He lives in Norfolk, Virginia. WALTER GARCIA MARRERO Brother Walter Garcia Marrero, 65, signed on with the union in 1998. He first sailed aboard the USNS Pathfinder and worked in the engine department. Brother Garcia Marrero upgraded on several occasions at the union-affiliated Piney Point school. He last shipped on the USNS Capella and is a Houston resident. DAVID GRAVES Brother David Graves, 68, began his career with the Seafarers International Union in 1990, initially sailing aboard the USNS Algol. He worked in the deck department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Graves’ final vessel was the Seakay Valor. He resides in Houston. JULY 2024 We pay tribute to our brothers and sisters of the SIU who have recently retired. THANK YOU for a job well done and we wish you fair winds and following seas. GREAT LAKES JOHN GROOM Brother John Groom, 55, donned the SIU colors in 1991. He first sailed aboard the Independence and worked in the engine department. Brother Groom upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. He most recently sailed on the American Freedom and lives in Roy, Washington. MICHAEL FAUGHT Brother Michael Faught, 65, began sailing with the Seafarers International Union in 1978. He initially worked with Michigan Interstate Railway and was a steward department member. Brother Faught upgraded at the Piney Point school in 1981. He last shipped with Luedtke Engineering Company and lives in Manton, Michigan. IRENA JANSON NELS JOHNSON Sister Irena Janson, 69, began sailing with the Seafarers in 2002 and first worked aboard the Maersk Arizona. She upgraded on multiple occasions at the Paul Haul Center and shipped in the steward department. Sister Janson’s final vessel was the Pride. She makes her home in University Place, Washington. Brother Nels Johnson, 65, joined the SIU in 1977, first sailing aboard the Sharon. He was a deck department member and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Johnson last sailed aboard the American Spirit and settled in Arcadia, Michigan. PHILIP JOHNSON LLOYD LA BEACH Brother Philip Johnson, 66, embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1978. He was a deck department member and initially sailed aboard the Loc Bay. Brother Johnson last shipped on the St. John. He makes his home in Erie, Pennsylvania. Brother Lloyd La Beach, 70, joined the union in 1978 and first sailed with Crowley Towing and Transportation. He was a member of the deck department and upgraded at the Piney Point school on multiple occasions. Brother La Beach most recently shipped on the Pohang Pioneer. He resides El Paso, Texas. INLAND JOHN BERTRAND HARVEY OWENS Brother John Bertrand, 63, joined the SIU in 1986, first sailing with Crowley Towing and Transportation. Brother Bertrand was a deck department member and upgraded at the Piney Point school on several occasions. He last sailed with OSG Ship Management and resides in Winnie, Texas. Brother Harvey Owens, 68, started his career with the SIU in 2008, initially sailing aboard the Resolve. He shipped in the steward department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on multiple occasions. Brother Owens last sailed aboard the Legend. He lives in La Grange, North Carolina. CHARLES BRANCH DENNIS SKRETTA Brother Charles Branch, 62, started his career with the Seafarers in 1980. He sailed in the deck department and was employed with G&H Towing for the duration of his career. Brother Branch lives in League City, Texas. Brother Dennis Skretta, 68, became a member of the Seafarers International Union in 1978. He first worked on the Santa Mercedes and sailed in the steward department. Brother Skretta upgraded at the Piney Point school on numerous occasions. He last shipped on the Horizon Anchorage and resides in Seattle. STEPHEN EICKHORN Brother Stephen Eickhorn, 71, became a member of the union in 2003. A deck department member, he sailed with G&H Towing for the duration of his career. Brother Eickhorn calls Crystal Beach, Texas, home. GLENN SNOW Brother Glenn Snow, 69, became an SIU member in 1993. He was an engine department member and upgraded often at the Piney Point school. Brother Snow’s first vessel was the Independence; his last, the USNS Pollux. He makes his home in Beaumont, Texas. JAMES RODGERS Brother James Rodgers, 71, donned the SIU colors in 1978. A deck department member, he first sailed with HVIDE Marine. Brother Rodgers upgraded at the Paul Hall Center in 1981. He was last employed with OSG Ship Management and is a resident of Moorestown, New Jersey. AMANDA SUNCIN Sister Amanda Suncin, 71, embarked on her career with the Seafarers in 1981 when she shipped on the Santa Mariana. She sailed in the steward department and upgraded at the Paul Hall Center on numerous occasions. Sister Suncin’s final vessel was the Horizon Anchorage. She resides in Tacoma, Washington. JOSEPH RUBENS Brother Joseph Rubens, 66, became a member of the Seafarers International Union in 1988 when he worked for Crowley Towing and Transportation. A deck department member, Brother Rubens was employed with the same company for the duration of his career. He lives in Huntington Beach, California. SEAFARERS LOG •SEAFARERS OCTOBER 2023 LOG • 17 17 �Final Departures DEEP SEA BRAD BRUNETTE Pensioner Brad Brunette, 63, passed away March 17. He signed on with the Seafarers International Union in 1978 when he sailed aboard the Overseas Natalie. A deck department member, Brother Brunette last shipped aboard the Green Cove in 2012. He became a pensioner in 2023 and settled in Miami Beach, Florida. GEORGE CARTER Brother George Carter, 64, died January 16. He joined the union in 1985 and initially sailed aboard the Aries. Brother Carter worked in the steward department. He last sailed on the Liberty Sea in 1997. Brother Carter resided in Mobile, Alabama. MARVIN DAVIS Brother Marvin Davis, 63, passed away March 19. He started shipping with the SIU in 2001 when he sailed aboard the Courier. Brother Davis was a member of the steward department and most recently shipped on the Fisher. He was a Philadelphia resident. THOMAS GUTHRIE Pensioner Thomas Guthrie, 78, died March 31. He began his career with the Seafarers in 1991. Brother Guthrie first shipped on the USNS Capable and was a member of the steward department. He last sailed aboard the USNS Assertive and retired in 2010. Brother Guthrie resided in Henderson, North Carolina. THOMAS KLEINE Brother Thomas Kleine, 64, passed away March 14. He donned the SIU colors in 1989 and first shipped on the Independence. Brother Kleine was a steward department member and last sailed aboard the Marjorie C. He called Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, home. In solemn remembrance, we honor the legacies of these union members who have crossed the final bar. May they rest in peace. Pensioner Juan Rivas, 67, died March 30. He donned the SIU colors in 1970. A deck department member, Brother Rivas first shipped with Michigan Tankers Inc. He last sailed aboard the Liberty Eagle and became a pensioner in 2012. Brother Rivas lived in Highlands, Texas. VICTOR SOARES Pensioner Victor Soares, 71, passed away March 3. He signed on with the union in 2001 and first sailed aboard the Maersk Maryland. Brother Soares primarily sailed in the deck department. He last sailed aboard the Maersk Montana before retiring in 2015. Brother Soares lived in Paivas, Portugal. ALVIN THOMPSON Pensioner Alvin Thompson, 75, died April 1. He embarked on his career with the Seafarers in 1990 when he sailed on the Dewayne T. Williams. Brother Thompson was a member of the deck department and last sailed aboard the Pacific. He became a pensioner in 2014 and lived in San Antonio, Texas. GREAT LAKES WILLIAM TAYLOR Pensioner William Taylor, 90, passed away April 17. He signed on with the SIU in 1961 and was initially employed with Merritt Chapman and Scott. Brother Taylor last worked with Kiewit Eastern in 1984. He went on pension in 1995 and resided in Redwood, New York. AHMED MEFTAH Pensioner Ahmed Meftah, 81, died March 12. He signed on with the Seafarers International Union in 1967 when he sailed aboard the Trans Western. Brother Meftah worked in the steward department. He last sailed aboard the Santa Mariana and became a pensioner in 2008. Brother Meftah resided in San Francisco. LARRY REED Pensioner Larry Reed, 73, passed away April 7. He started sailing with the union in 1996, initially working aboard the Stonewall Jackson. Brother Reed sailed in the deck department and concluded his career aboard the William Baugh in 2002. He began collecting his pension in 2015 and made his home in New Orleans. NMU JUAN RIVAS INLAND LARRY DEWITT Brother Larry Dewitt, 64, died April 28. He started sailing with the SIU in 1993. Brother Dewitt worked in the deck department and first shipped with HVIDE Marine. He was last employed by G&H Towing and lived in Vidor, Texas. EDWARD WHILDEN Pensioner Edward Whilden, 74, died March 18. A deck department member, he signed on with the union in 1971. Brother Whilden first worked with Mariner Towing. He concluded his career with OSG Ship Management and became a pensioner in 2011. Brother Whilden lived in Ocala, Florida. 18 •SEAFARERS 18 SEAFARERSLOG LOG • OCTOBER 2023 HOWARD BROUSSARD Pensioner Howard Broussard, 101, passed away December 27. Brother Broussard sailed in the steward department. He last shipped on the Shirley Lykes and became a pensioner in 1988. Brother Broussard lived in Beaumont, Texas. WILMA LANDRY Pensioner Wilma Landry, 94, died April 5. Sister Landry was a steward department member and last sailed aboard the Chesapeake Trader. She began collecting her pension in 1995 and lived in Inez, Texas. OSCAR LEWIS Pensioner Oscar Lewis, 96, passed away March 25. He worked in the steward department and last shipped on the Green Harbor. Brother Lewis went on pension in 1983 and settled in New Orleans. ANTONIO OLVEIRA Pensioner Antonio Olveira, 91, died October 19. Brother Olveira was a deck department member. He last sailed on the Mormac Sun and retired in 1988. Brother Olveira lived in La Coruna, Spain. ALEXANDER RADETICH Pensioner Alexander Radetich, 94, passed away April 8. Brother Radetich sailed in the engine department. He concluded his career aboard the Argonaut and retired in 1994. Brother Radetich was a resident of Fanwood, New Jersey. ARTHUR SILVA Pensioner Arthur Silva, 95, died March 29. A steward department member, Brother Silva last shipped aboard the Chesapeake. He retired in 2002 and made his home in East Providence, Rhode Island. NICHOLAS TAMASHIMA Pensioner Nicholas Tamashima, 85, passed away March 16. Brother Tamashima sailed in the deck department. He last shipped aboard the Cape Orlando before becoming a pensioner in 1998. Brother Tamashima lived in San Francisco. GILBERT VASQUEZ Pensioner Gilbert Vasquez, 79, died April 13. Brother Vasquez worked in the deck department and last shipped on the Cape Horn. He went on pension in 2005 and settled in Goodyear, Arizona. JULY 2024 �Digest of Shipboard Union Meetings The Seafarers LOG attempts to print as many digests of union shipboard minutes as possible. On occasion, because of space limitations, some will be omitted. Ships’ minutes first are reviewed by the union’s contract department. Those issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union upon receipt of the ships’ minutes. The minutes are then forwarded to the Seafarers LOG for publication. ENDUR ANCE (TOTE Services, LLC), January 27 – Chairman Robert Hoppenworth, Secretary Michael Miller, Deck Delegate Shawanna Haynes, Steward Delegate Kejuan Stewart. Chairman advised crew to watch expiration dates on documents and to renew credentials early when possible. Educational director encouraged members to upgrade at the union-affiliated Piney Point school. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members were reminded to be cautious and not to post information about the ship on the internet. Crew held a special moment of silence for SIU President Emeritus Michael Sacco. Bosun reached out to engineers to fix broken dryer. Steward department was thanked for a job well done. ages and/or general lack of availability with internet connectivity and also expressed concern about lack of books and TV. Members reported issue with overflowing trash. New washer and dryer and new garbage disposal to be installed. MISSOURI EXPRESS (Marine Personnel & Provisioning), March 18 – Chairman Billy Hill, Secretary Avis Hawkins, Educational Director Jetaime Mays, Deck Delegate Milton Eligio Estrada, Steward Delegate Sonia Pabon Barreto. Chairman expressed his appreciation for everyone’s hard work maintaining and improving the vessel. Educational director provided information to those who want to upgrade at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education. Per steward delegate, SA is not receiving OT for cleaning extra rooms. Crew discussed out- GEORGE II (Sunrise Operations), April 28 – Chairman Glenn Christianson, Secretary Ian Schulder, Educational Director Elhassene Elkori, Steward Delegate Abrahem Elsawy. Chairman and secretary encouraged members to take LNG classes at the Paul Hall Center. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members would like the ability to file for vacation checks for any completed relief. TV service has been restored and crew is very happy with new Star Link Wi-Fi. INDEPENDENCE (TOTE Services, LLC), April 7 – Secretary Gerald Hyman, Educational Director Yves Nsuami, Deck Delegate Thami Boulabat. Chairman discussed merchant mariner credential renewals. Secretary encouraged members to upgrade at the Piney Point school. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew requested TVs in every room and new mattresses. Members asked for increases in vacation and pension benefits. US N S PAT H F I N D E R ( O ce a n Shipholdings Inc.), April 28 – Chairman Kelly Doyle, Educational Director Isaac Nugen, Deck Delegate Antonio Donald. Per chairman, ship out of drydock and getting full crew on or around June 15. Current crew should be leaving their hotel and back on the ship by June 17. Educational director encouraged crew to upgrade their skills often at the Piney Point school. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Chairs in crew mess are in the process of getting replaced and crew mess furniture is to be reupholstered. Educational director encouraged members to take breaks when they can and to stay on top of their documents. New dryer needed and refrigerators still needed in some rooms. Members requested new mattresses and for company to provide transportation to and from ship. Crew reviewed pay for restriction to ship and penalty pay for any work done during cargo watch. They asked for increases in vacation time and for two-hour callout when called for drug testing during off hours. Members also asked for reliefs to get tour of duty after 150 days. AMERICAN FREEDOM (Intrepid Personnel & Provisioning), May 12 – Chairman Joshua Mensah, Secretary Deitre Jackson, Educational Director Felix Garcia, Engine Delegate Ricardo Fuentes. Secretary urged members to upgrade their skills at the Piney Point school. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Members requested refrigerators in all rooms and increases in retirement pay. SEABULK TEXAS (Seabulk Crew Management), June 1 – Chairman Jovan Williams, Secretary Ronald Davis, Educational Director Ahmed Sennain, Deck Delegate Rolan Aguilar, Engine Delegate Santiago Ruiz, Steward Delegate Najeeb Ginah. Chairman asked crew to be patient while waiting for relief and reminded them to leave clean rooms for oncoming crew. He thanked everyone for working safely every single day. Members were instructed to wear closed-toe shoes during meal hours. Educational director urged crew to renew documents a year in advance, to upgrade at the Paul Hall Center as often as possible and to save up money for retirement. No beefs or disputed OT reported. Crew requested cost of living increases. SEAKAY VALOR (Keystone Shipping), May 26 – Chairman Billy Hill, Secretary Marlon Brown, Educational Director Kenneth Spivey, Deck Delegate Wilfredo Velez-Mendez, Engine Delegate Andilisio Castillo Norales. Chairman praised the steward department for fresh, hot meals and thanked ABs for a job well done. Know Your Rights FINANCIAL REPORTS. The Constitution of the SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters 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 JULY 2024 receipt requested. The proper address for this is: George Tricker, 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 David Heindel at headquarters by certified mail, return receipt requested. The address is: David Heindel, President Seafarers International Union 5201 Capital Gateway Drive Camp Springs, MD 20746 SEAFARERS LOG • OCTOBER 2023 19 SEAFARERS LOG • 19 �World War II Mariners Honored in Normandy The heroism of U.S. Merchant Mariners in World War II has been recognized with a new memorial overseas. On June 5 – one day prior to the eightieth anniversary of D-Day – representatives from the American Merchant Marine Veterans (AMMV), including some World War II mariners, helped unveil the new monument at Utah Beach in Normandy, France. The memorial, near the Lone Sailor monument and the Higgins Boat monument, honors the valor and sacrifice of U.S. Merchant Mariners whose actions supported military operations on June 6, 1944. On D-Day, the Allies’ armada and invasion forces landing in Normandy created the largest amphibious assault operation in the history of the world. The SIU and other maritime unions helped fund the new memorial; numerous SIU-crewed ships took part in the D-Day mission. In a related news release, the AMMV noted, “The Allies’ D-Day armada had about 7,000 ships, including 200 U.S. merchant ships that were operated by U.S. Merchant Mariners and U.S. Naval Armed Guard crews. The monument, enshrined on Utah Beach where U.S. troops landed, will display a quote from General Dwight D. Eisenhower, inscribed for all visitors to see. On 8 May 1945, Gen. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the European Theater, said: ‘Every man in this Allied command is quick to express his admiration for the loyalty, courage, and fortitude of the officers and men of the merchant marine. We count upon their efficiency and their utter devotion to duty as we do our own; they have never failed us yet and in all the struggles yet to come we know that they will never be deterred by any danger, hardship, or privation. When final victory is ours there is no organization that will share its credit more deservedly than the merchant marine.’” Participants at the unveiling ceremony included, Dave Yoho, a U.S. Merchant Marine World War II veteran; Charles de Vallavieille, mayor of Sainte-Marie-duMont, Normandy, France; Capt. Dru DiMattia, president of the AMMV; and Rita Cosby, award-winning journalist, news anchor, and author. The plaque for the monument, showing Gen. Eisenhower’s quote in English and French and the USMM Atlantic War Zone service medal, was designed by Ian Watts of the AMMV. “The U.S. Merchant Mariners’ heroic dedication to supply troops, ammunition, goods, and vehicles during D-Day enabled the Allies’ remarkable success for the invasion of the Normandy beaches,” DiMattia stated. “Reinforcement and resupply by U.S. merchant ships in the weeks after D-Day allowed the Allies to push forward into France, which began the end of Nazi conquest, terror, and oppression in wartorn Europe. The American Merchant Marine Veterans salute the U.S. Merchant Marine and all members of the Allies’ invasion forces who struck a mighty blow for freedom on D-Day. The new monument unveiled on Utah Beach is a fitting tribute to U.S. Merchant Mariners’ service and sacrifices. May their achievements on D-Day and during all of World War II never be forgotten!” The new memorial at Utah Beach is pictured prior to its unveiling (above, left) and then afterward. The inscription honors the U.S. Merchant Marine of World War II for their role in D-Day. New Contract Approved Seafarers at Crowley-Penn Terminals have unanimously ratified a new three-year contract. The pact features substantial annual wage increases, additional holidays and other gains. It also maintains top-level medical and pension benefits. Pictured from left at the facility in Eddystone, Pennsylvania are members Vernell Cornell, John Harvey, Chris Wiley, Dave Mendez and Dave Dicrecchio, SIU Philadelphia Port Agent Joe Baselice and members Devin Sem, Scott Musick and George Vazquez. DIA Report Details Effects of Houthi Attacks on Commercial Shipping The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in mid-June released a new report detailing how Houthi maritime attacks have affected international trade supported by an expansion of military capabilities with help from Iran. The report follows the DIA’s February report describing the Houthis’ use of Iranian missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct attacks in the Middle East. The Houthis have conducted dozens of attacks against commercial ships, and they have defied the United Nations and other international organizations that have called for an end to their maritime aggression, the DIA reported. In a related news release, the agency noted, “DIA assesses the Houthis continue to present a growing threat in the region, and their actions are detrimental to their goal to seek international legitimacy. The report details the harmful impacts of Houthi attacks on numerous countries, and major energy and shipping companies. These attacks have endangered crews, damaged regional security, impeded international humanitarian relief efforts, threatened freedom of navigation, and increased the cost and transit times for commercial shipping.” The agency added, “DIA has released the report as part of ongoing transparency efforts to enhance public understanding of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s mission and to provide insights into Department of Defense and national security issues.” The 12-page report is linked on the SIU website. Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) on June 20 reported that its forces “successfully destroyed four Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea, and two uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) over the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels." In a news release, USCENTCOM added, "It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to U.S. forces, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.” Also on June 20, the agency separately noted that its personnel supporting the mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, re-anchored the temporary pier to the beach in Gaza. The temporary pier "had been relocated to avoid forecasted high seas and to ensure the structural integrity of the pier and safety of our service members. At no time during this event did U.S. troops enter Gaza." ARC Adds Starlink to Entire U.S.-Flag Fleet SIU-contracted American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier (ARC) last month reported that the company “has added Starlink satellite internet technology to its entire American-flagged fleet to help mariners stay connected with loved ones while at sea.” “Our mariners are the most important asset we have,” said ARC President and CEO Eric Ebeling. “They put in long weeks at sea and make tremendous personal sacrifices in order to help our military partners move critical vehicles and materials to strategically important regions of the world. This new technology allows ARC’s crews to maintain contact with family and friends ashore while delivering for the American government.” “Wi-Fi has become a necessity for many mariners, rather than a luxury,” said a spokesperson for the SIU. “Improving seafarer quality of life is a priority and we are glad to see that ARC is making strides like adding Starlink to the ships they are working on.” Starlink, operated by SpaceX, leverages low-Earth orbit satellites to enable access to high-speed internet connections in remote areas, including aboard ships at sea. Adding this new ability “removes one of the main barriers to life at sea,” ARC noted. “It improves 20 •SEAFARERS 20 SEAFARERSLOG LOG • OCTOBER 2023 the quality of life for ARC’s mariners by enabling communication with loved ones, access to streamed movies, shows, and music, or downloadable e-books,” the company added in its news release. Starting in early 2023, ARC has been adding Starlink to its vessels one by one, finishing installation on its newest vessel, the M/V ARC Honor, in February of this year. In addition to supporting the wellness of mariners, the move to add Starlink across the entire ARC fleet will also improve security and communications aboard the vessels, the company stated. JULY 2024 �Paul Hall Center Upgrading Course Dates Printed below are dates for courses scheduled to take place at the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, located in Piney Point, Maryland. The QR code connects to a web page with the latest course dates (they may differ from what’s printed here, though in most cases the only changes are additions that haven’t yet made it into the LOG). Seafarers are welcome to contact the admissions office with questions about upgrading courses: (301) 899-0657, admissions@seafarers.org Title of Course Start Date Date of Completion Title of Course Start Date DECK DEPARTMENT UPGRADING COURSES Latest Course Dates Date of Completion SAFETY/OPEN UPGRADING COURSES Able Seafarer - Deck September 23 November 4 October 11 November 22 Fast Rescue Boat August 19 August 23 ENGINE DEPARTMENT UPGRADING COURSES Adv. Refer Containers August 26 September 6 Junior Engineer September 9 November 1 Machinist August 26 September 13 Pumpman September 16 September 20 RFPEW July 29 August 26 September 23 August 23 September 20 October 18 Welding July 15 August 19 September 23 October 28 August 2 September 6 October 11 November 15 FOWT September 23 October 18 Basic Training Revalidation August 12 August 16 September 23 September 27 October 28 August 12 August 16 September 23 September 27 October 28 Government Vessels August 5 September 9 September 30 October 7 August 9 September 13 October 4 October 11 MSC Storekeeper Basic August 12 August 30 MSC Supply Configuration Mgmt September 2 September 13 MSC Ship Clip September 16 September 27 Tanker Ship Familiarization - DL August 19 August 26 September 30 October 7 October 21 August 23 August 30 October 4 October 11 October 25 Tanker Ship Familiarization - LG August 12 September 2 September 23 September 30 August 16 September 6 September 27 October 4 STEWARD DEPARTMENT UPGRADING COURSES Certified Chief Cook July 15 August 19 September 23 August 16 September 20 October 25 ServSafe Management August 12 September 16 October 28 December 2 August 16 September 20 November 1 December 6 Advanced Galley Ops August 26 November 18 September 20 December 13 Chief Steward October 7 November 1 UPGRADING APPLICATION ____________________________ START DATE __________________ DATE OF COMPLETION ___________________________ ____________________________ __________________ ___________________________ ____________________________ __________________ ___________________________ ____________________________ __________________ ___________________________ If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be processed. ____________________________ __________________ ___________________________ Social Security #_________________________________ Book # ________________________ Seniority_______________________________________ Department ___________________ Home Port _____________________________________________________________________ E-mail ________________________________________________________________________ Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held ____________________________________________ Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program?  Yes  No If yes, class # and dates attended __________________________________________________ Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses?  Yes  No _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________ __________________ ___________________________ Name _________________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ Telephone (Home)______________________________ (Cell) ___________________________ Date of Birth ___________________________________________________________________  Deep Sea Member  Lakes Member  Inland Waters Member 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. JULY 2024 COURSE 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. SEAFARERS LOG •SEAFARERS OCTOBER 2023 LOG • 21 21 �Paul Hall Center Class Photos APPRENTICE WATER SURVIVAL CLASS #908 – Graduated April 26: Napoleon Butler, Brandon Cavitt, Shaun Chan, Frank Chen, Sean Colonnello, Jacob Elliott, Chidiadi Floyd, Josue Herrera Cruz, Tia Jackson, Kirill Massey, Kameran Mitchell, Jamaal Mixson Jr., Maxsim Ousmanov, Albert Proano, Eliot Randall, Chris Rodriguez, Luis Sanchez, Joshua Senquiz, Evan Smith, Avery Sneed, Walter Stockwell, Trevan Summitt and Luis Zayas Rios. ADV. REFER MAINTENANCE – Graduated May 17: Haeven Bautista, Christian Bryant, Aaron Ellis and Kyle Williamson. Instructor Mike Fay is at left. BASIC SHIPHANDLING – Graduated May 17: Carlton Banks, Joseph Bowen, Benigno Gonzales Jr., Jeffery Griffin, Josean Villarrubia, Derek Willis, Seamus Woods and Damon Zschoche. CERTIFIED CHIEF COOK (MODULE 4) – Graduated May 24 (above, both photos. Not all are pictured.): Harrold Gomez, Sarah Gross, Noah Hepburn, Sherman McClain Jr., Dan Monteclaro, Antwon Norris, Karrington Plummer Jr., Aaron Searcy, Asril Syarbaini, Armani Wells and Alexis Williams. CHIEF STEWARD – Graduated May 17 (not all are pictured): Jose Borja, Mark Brooks, Pauline Crespo Guillen, Supattara Inthapanti, Ronda Jackson, Anthony Parks and Ammar Sailan. 22 22 •SEAFARERS SEAFARERSLOG LOG • OCTOBER 2023 DECK OPERATIONS – Graduated May 3: Monica Burney, Reyes Gonzalez Jr., Carl Griffin III, Jalon Jones, Justice Marques Da Silva, Henry Middleton III and Ty-rrell Washington. JULY 2024 �Paul Hall Center Class Photos GOVERNMENT VESSELS – Graduated May 17 (not all are pictured): Nathaniel Balos, Hector Caballero, Anthony Caesar, Theodore Cash Jr., Quinsha Davis, Jordon Degraffenreidt, Torrin Frazier, Tracy Gray, Amos Howard, Khadjah Jones, Dexter Manahan, Anton McClendon, Chauncey Mitchell, Abdul-Majed Muther, Anthoine Nichols, Ashlle Norwood, Harry Phillip, Franklin Rodgers Sr., Alexander Rodriguez, Younis Saleh, Samuel Schwimmer and Rochelle Walker. MACHINIST – Graduated May 17: Nicolas Brailsford, Jarvis Carter, Ricardo Escorcia, Damon WELDING – Graduated April 26: Jevon David, Michael Hickey, Craig Lash II, Matthew RFPEW (PHASE 1) – Graduated May 3 (not all are pictured): Jose Abreu Jr., Raymond RFPEW (PHASE 3) – Graduated May 3: Brize Agbayani, Justin Brown, Elon Dancy-Mosley, Johnson and Wilfredo Lopez. Instructor Patrick Coppola is at the far right. Barnhart II, Boaventura Barros III, Wilson Bernardez, Tariq Mamudu, Samuel Penn, Chantanique Reid, Cristian Salazar and Collyn Swopes. McManus and Timothy Resultan. Instructor Chris Raley is at the far right. Jonathan Graham, Naylor Griffin-Taylor, Giveric Henderson, Tavon Spence and Cedric Wallace Jr. TANK SHIP FAMILIARIZATION (LG) – Above (not all are pictured): Mohsen Ahmed, Paris Belcher, Alfie Cicat, Kristara Colson, Deon Daniels, Terren Fields, Daniel Hanback, Jamar Harley, Norman Hook, Carlos Jones, Randy Madrid, Abdul-Majed Muther, Ashlle Norwood, Omar Ortega, Jose Outeiral, Ronaldo Quinones Perez, Nicoll Quinones-Rodriguez, Jaden Radcliff, Jalen Shuman, Tanesha Terrell, James Wynegar III, Yahia Yahia and Jerald Young. JULY 2024 SEAFARERS LOG •SEAFARERS OCTOBER 2023 LOG • 23 23 �JULY 2024 VOLUME 86, NO. 7 SEAFARERS LOG OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION — ATLANTIC, GULF, LAKES AND INLAND WATERS, AFL-CIO Apprentices Raise Standard at Arlington Ceremony Pictured shortly before the ceremony are (from left) SIU Asst. VP Pat Vandegrift, Paul Hall Center Apprentices Evan Smith, Avery Sneed, Luis Sanchez and Eliot Randall, and Paul Hall Center Trainee Commandant John Romer. Guests and participants gather for the 2024 Memorial Day ceremony in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser) T wo separate Memorial Day events in the nation’s capital included recognition for the U.S. Merchant Marine of World War II. The SIU and the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education (PHC) had the honor of participating in this year’s Memorial Day observance May 27 at Arlington National Cemetery. Later that day, representatives from the American Merchant Marine Veterans (AMMV) placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and then took part in the traditional parade in town. World War II mariner Dave Yoho served as a grand marshal. U.S. Merchant Mariners of World War II are recognized as veterans; no fewer than 1,235 SIU members lost their lives in the war. Memorial Day is a federal holiday and is the nation’s primary annual occasion for honoring veterans who died in service to their country. For this year’s event at Arlington, remarks were delivered by Paul Hall Center apprentices display the respective flags of the SIU, the U.S. Merchant Marine, the State of Maryland and the United States. President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown. Vice President Kamala Harris also attended the solemn gathering. PHC Apprentices Eliot Randall, Luis Sanchez, Evan Smith, and Avery Sneed served as flag bearers. They carried the respective flags for the U.S. Merchant Marine, the SIU, the United States, and the State of Maryland. “I really enjoyed seeing the scope of all the soldiers who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today,” Sanchez said. “It was an amazing experience I’ll never forget. It put into perspective how meaningful and respected Memorial Day is for the entire country.” Smith stated, “Being part of the Memorial Day service at Arlington National Cemetery was an awesome and unique experience. Presenting the American Flag for a presidential speech is a privilege that only comes with being part of a prestigious Paul Hall Center apprentices carry flags at the start of the event. and historic organization like the SIU. Attending such a special ceremony in the beautiful Arlington cemetery surrounded by so many decorated individuals reminded me of the important place merchant mariners and the history of the merchant marine has played not only in times of peace but also times of war. I’m very grateful to the SIU for giving me an opportunity to honor fallen sailors and giving me a chance to make my own mark on maritime history.” Randall noted, “The Memorial Day event was an honor to be a part of with an incredible team. I got the pleasure of meeting people all over the board, from veterans, family members of those lost, to individuals simply there to educate. This was an event that I am grateful I had the opportunity to be incorporated in and to honor the lives lost and carry on the tradition.” AMMV President Dru DiMattia said, “The SIU has done it again! Great representation of our fallen mariners who never made it home.” From left, President Joseph Biden, Vice President Kamala Karris, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, and Joint Task Force - National Capital Region and U.S. Army Military District of Washington Commanding General Maj. Gen. Trevor J. Bredenkamp participate in a Presidential Armed Forces Full Honors Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. This was part of the National Memorial Day Observance. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser) � 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 July 2024 Description An account of the resource EXECUTIVE BOARD PROMOTES VINCENZO, SPAIN NEW TONNAGE ENTERS APL FLEET MEMBERS RATIFY LANDMARK CONTRACT SIU JOBS SECURE IN OSG TRANSACTION SIU VICE PRESIDENT CELONA PASSES AWAY MEMBERS RATIFY AMERICAN STEAMSHIP CONTRACT SIU OFFICIALS PARTICIPATE IN KEY MARITIME CONFERENCE ITF UPDATES FOC LIST REPORT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEE 2024 SIU ELECTION ABSENTEE VOTING INFO SHBP SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS AWARDED TOTAL OF $120,000 FOR ACADEMIC PURSUITS SIU OBSERVES NATIONAL MARITIME DAY WWII MARINERS HONORED IN NORMANDY DIA REPORT DETAILS EFFECTS OF HOUTHI ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPPING ARC ADDS STARLINK TO ENTIRE U.S. -FLAG FLEET APPRENTICES RAISE STANDARD AT ARLINGTON CEREMONY Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seafarers Log Digital Copies Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 07/01/2024 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. 86, NO. 7 2024 Periodicals Seafarers Log