Six seasoned Seafarers last month became the union’s newest recertified bosuns, following their completion of the month-long class at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md.
Addressing fellow members and SIU officials at last month’s membership meeting in Piney Point, the bosuns offered strong support for their union — along with even stronger encouragement to the unlicensed apprentices at the school.
Graduating from the Paul Hall Center’s top deck-department curriculum were Tony Beasley, Jim Bishop, Samuel Duah, Richard Lewis, Ken Steiner and Norman Tourtellot.
The course itself, like most others at the Paul Hall Center, blends practical training with classroom instruction. The bosuns completed fire fighting and other safety and health training; utilized the school’s state-of-the-art crane simulator; and helped apprentices with hands-on training aboard the Osprey. They also extensively reviewed the mechanics of contracts, met with SIU headquarters staff to brush up on the workings of the union’s communications department and those of the Seafarers Plans, and examined various international maritime conventions.
Among other activities, the Seafarers also completed computer training and reviewed various policies and procedures associated with the manpower, recruiting and admissions offices, respectively.
“This course will help us greatly on the ships,” said Steiner, a 1979 graduate of the trainee program and a frequent upgrader.
He noted the school’s progress and urged the apprentices to be good shipmates and also participate in union activities.
Steiner, a third-generation union member, also took note of the SIU’s history. “We all stand on the shoulders of giants — the men and women who came before us and led the way to better shipboard conditions, wages and benefits,” he stated. “We owe them a lot. The SIU is the greatest maritime union in the world and will only get better.”
Like Steiner, Beasley, whose son is an unlicensed apprentice, also graduated from the entry program in 1979. He found the computer training particularly helpful during the recertification class and credited all of the instructors “always getting better and doing a wonderful job, with patience and commitment.”
Beasley added that the SIU “changed my life by offering school programs for advancement in a field that I really enjoy. I will never give it up!”
He encouraged the apprentices to “work together as a team and do not delay asking questions. Stay involved with ship operations, safety meetings and current events with the SIU.”
Yet another 1979 Piney Point graduate, Bishop said he “found the information about union procedures and rules very useful. The trips we made to headquarters and the talks we had with SIU leadership were very enlightening. This is an important side of our union that some members never see, so I am going to do my best to pass along what I have learned.”
Duah, who joined the union in 1992 in New Orleans, said that this was his first time upgrading — but it won’t be his last.
“I hope everyone comes to the Paul Hall Center and experiences it,” he said. I love this place and I recommend it. The instructors are the best — friendly and good people.”
With a nod toward the apprentices, he noted, “There are a lot of opportunities in our organization where you can advance, but you must be willing to apply yourself.”
The longest-tenured Seafarer, Lewis, who joined in 1969 in New Orleans, said the union “helped me when I needed help. There were times when I was young that I had no job and no prospect of getting a job. The SIU was a godsend to me. It still is.”
Speaking from experience — he has upgraded more than a dozen times — Lewis told the apprentices, “The school is here for you, so take advantage of it. The SIU and Piney Point offer a real chance at a real life. Upgrade as often as you can. There is no limit to how far you can go with the SIU.”
He also advised, “If you have a problem on board the ship, take care of it down below. Stay out of the mate’s room. If you can’t take care of it on the ship, contact headquarters and they will take care of it. It’s their job. They do it well.”
Tourtellot, who signed on with the SIU in 1990 in San Francisco, said he enjoyed “learning how the union works at the highest levels. I will pass what I learned along to my fellow seamen.”
He also commended the school’s staff and instructors for helping him get the most out of his time in Piney Point.
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