U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao strongly reaffirmed the administration's backing of the U.S.-flag fleet when she addressed the SIUNA convention Sept. 12 in Piney Point, Md. Chao also lauded the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education (which hosted the convention), and credited SIUNA President Michael Sacco for his key role in promoting the U.S. Merchant Marine.
"Recently, President Bush said that the Jones Act must be maintained," Chao noted. "The Jones Act is an essential element of U.S. policy that provides important economic and national security benefits to the nation, such as, among other things, maintenance of a labor base of skilled mariners.
"As Secretary of Labor, let me assure you that this administration is committed to maintaining a labor base of skilled mariners as well as working with the seafarers to recruit the next generation of mariners.... I know that when we recruit these individuals, the SIU will be there to provide them with the necessary training."
Chao said that President Bush's administration "is proud to call you partners in defending America's freedom and in strengthening America's economy.... It is because of your services that America sustains the strongest military force the world has ever known, and President Bush and his administration thank you for your strong sense of duty, patriotism and commitment."
She also commended U.S. mariners for their response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. "In light of chaos and confusion, the seafarers did what you've always done when your country needed you, you answered the call for help. Because of this union and other maritime trades, over 160,000 people were evacuated from lower Manhattan and returned safely to their loved ones. There was no time for planning—your members instinctively sprang into action. Whether it's ferrying victims away from danger or protecting our waterways, the merchant marine indeed [is] America's fourth arm of the national defense.
"I saw the spirit of sacrifice firsthand when I visited your fellow members in New Orleans and then joined a tour of the Bellatrix, an SIU-crewed vessel, where I was joined by (SIU Vice President Gulf Coast) Dean Corgey."
Emphasizing her open-door policy, Chao noted, "There are no gatekeepers at the Department of Labor. We speak with everyone and we're pushing the president's energy plan. It's a plan that's going to eliminate our nation's dependence on foreign oil. And we also want to create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs right here in America."
Turning to the issue of port security, she stated, "You know what it's like, you know what's needed because you understand what it's like on the high seas. You know the dangers, you know the risks and you know the solutions to keep America's ports and especially the shipping sector safe and productive. And this administration will need your input as new safeguards are created and implemented."
Chao said that the educational opportunities available at the Paul Hall Center "demonstrate the Seafarers' serious commitment to the highest standards of training. They have earned the admiration of government agencies and shipping companies from around the world. I know—I hear it all the time."
She recalled first meeting Sacco when she served as deputy maritime administrator. "He has always been a person that's welcoming of everyone. He always wanted to talk and listen and I really appreciated his friendship at a time when there were not very many women in the industry," Chao said. "His friendliness, his openness impressed me so deeply and I count myself as one of President Sacco's long time friends—a label that I wear very, very proudly."
Printer Friendly Page