SIU members are sailing aboard three vessels formerly operated by OSG and now operated by Keystone under bareboat charters. Those vessels, which are owned by American Shipping Company, are the Overseas Los Angeles, the Overseas Texas City, and the Overseas New York. They’re covered by the SIU standard tanker agreement and they also have new names, as follows: The Los Angeles is now the Seakay Star; the Texas City is the Seakay Sky; and the New York is the Seakay Valor.
SIU Assistant Vice President Kris Hopkins led the union’s effort during the transition from OSG to Keystone, which wrapped up in December. He met with crew members several times in Tampa and stated the following: “It definitely was a challenging transition but we got it done, and any time we maintain jobs for the membership, it’s good news. We actually picked up some GUDE jobs, so it’s a win-win.”
SIU members may be aware that not only are those vessels union-crewed, they’re also unionbuilt. The tankers were constructed at Philly Shipyard, which is a union shop.
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