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SIU ITF Inspectors Help Crews Collect
More than $550,000 in Back Wages

December 2002

It has been a busy and productive year for the SIU’s International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) inspectors, who have secured more than $550,000 in back pay for crews on runaway-flag vessels and other foreign-flag ships. In one recent case, ITF Inspector Arthur Petitpas and ITF Assistant Coordinator Enrico Esopa (both of the SIU) secured more than $138,000 in back wages for Croatian mariners aboard the Malta-flagged vessel MSC Zrin in early October. The crew hadn’t been paid in five months. Petitpas met with them aboard the ship in Baltimore and then in Newport News, Va., where he had the vessel arrested following repeated delays in paying the crew. A few hours later, the back pay arrived. In other recent cases involving SIU ITF inspectors: On a routine ship inspection in New Jersey, Esopa discovered that Filipino mariners on the Cyprus-flagged Panamax Luck were being paid less than what was called for in their contract. He contacted the company and demanded the crew be paid in full. Within a few days, the mariners had received more than $73,000 in back pay—all that was due them. In a similar case in mid-September, an inspector found that the crew of the Cyprus-flagged Olympia was being paid less than what’s called for in the ITF contract. He secured more than $14,000 on the crew’s behalf in Lake Charles, La. In Wilmington, Del., Petitpas secured more than $25,000 in back wages for the multinational crew of the Liberian-flagged Golden Bay. In Charleston, S.C., Tony Sacco received a call from an AB on the Bahamian-flagged Lancashire because of unpaid wages and lack of provisions. He went to the ship and quickly secured more than $6,600 in back pay for the crew and also ensured that proper provisions were ordered. “The network of ITF inspectors worldwide makes it harder for shipowners to take advantage of mariners, but the problem certainly continues,” observed Esopa. “If Seafarers hear of any problems on foreign ships, please advise any ITF inspector and you can be sure we’ll be there to help.” In addition to Esopa, Petitpas and Sacco, SIU Algonac, Mich. Port Agent Don Thornton and Florida-based Scott Brady are the union’s ITF inspectors.