When the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) last month announced the award of a new five-year operating contract for eight LMSR vessels, Seafarers got a double dose of good news.First, SIU-contracted Maersk Line, Ltd. (based in Norfolk, Va.) won the award, meaning that Seafarers will crew the following ships for the next five years: USNS Watson, USNS Watkins, USNS Red Cloud, USNS Sisler, USNS Soderman, USNS Charlton, USNS Dahl and USNS Pomeroy.
Second, the contract covering those vessels (which takes effect next month) includes major increases in wages and benefits for the unlicensed crew. The gains were spelled out in a letter from SIU Vice President Contracts Augie Tellez to the ships’ chairmen in mid-August.
“The new contract substantially enhances the membership’s earning power as well as the benefits for them and their families,” Tellez said. “Another positive aspect to this agreement is that it should help our ability to recruit and retain the best-qualified mariners who are so essential to national security. The government got the best value for their dollar with this award, and they maintained continuity with proven entities—the SIU and Maersk Line, Ltd.”
Reaction from Seafarers will be printed in next month’s LOG.
Meanwhile, the new contract highlights include:
- Major increases in base wages for all ratings.
- Medical coverage increases to the premier “Plan G” level, which includes 100 percent (reasonable and customary) prescription coverage for Seafarers and their dependents, orthodontic care for members and their dependents, increases in the vision and death benefits, a new organ-transplant benefit and more.
- The new vacation benefit is 15 days for every 30 days worked.
- The new Seafarers Money Purchase Pension Plan benefit is five percent of the 56-hour base wage.
- Plan G allows members to count their vacation benefit days toward pension eligibility, pursuant to the rules of the plans. Plus, the dollar amounts of members’ vacation benefits will be considered base earnings for the purpose of calculating wage-related pensions. This means Seafarers need less sea time to qualify for a pension, while at the same time increasing the pension amount.
LMSR stands for large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off vessel. The ships covered under this contract (awarded Aug. 5) are Watson-class vessels which carry a third of all prepositioned U.S. Army equipment, according to MSC. Each of the vessels is 950 feet long, with a beam of 105 feet. Each is equipped with two 110-ton single pedestal twin cranes, making it possible to load and unload cargo where shoreside infrastructure is limited or nonexistent.
Additionally, each ship is equipped with six decks and a cargo-carrying capacity of about 393,000 square feet. As MSC put it, “Each ship can carry an entire U.S. Army Armor Task Force including 58 tanks and 48 other tracked vehicles, plus more than 900 trucks and other wheeled vehicles.”
Generally, these vessels are prepositioned in the Indian Ocean near Diego Garcia or in reduced operating status in U.S. ports. At press time, four were in Diego Garcia, two were in Charleston, S.C., one was in San Diego and another was at an undisclosed location.
When announcing the contract award, MSC stated, “The successful deployment of U.S. military forces depends on the ability to act quickly. In an unstable world where regional hostilities can break out at any time, Military Sealift Command’s prepositioning ships provide for a fast powerful military response by U.S. forces anywhere in the world.”
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