The SIU last month welcomed the news that two of its contracted companies have been awarded operating agreements for 11 large, medium-speed, roll-on/ roll-off vessels (LMSRs).Seafarers-contracted American Overseas Marine Corporation (AMSEA) will be the new operator of nine LMSRs, including the seven Bob Hope-class ships and two converted vessels. SIU-contracted 3PSC, LLC will operate two other converted LMSRs. The U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) announced the bid awards in early September.
Seafarers originally were scheduled to begin crewing most of the ships starting this month and next month. However, Patriot Contract Services (the current operator) has protested the MSC award, thereby delaying the turnover.
A memo from the SIU was sent last month to the membership detailing the protest. Among other things, the memo points out that Patriot’s objection wasn’t unexpected. “The company is facing a loss of approximately 30 percent of their business,” the memo notes, “and not to protest would be commercially irresponsible…. This is standard operating procedure in this type of situation. The SIU will continue to monitor the situation and fully expect to man these ships when the General Accounting Office upholds the award to AMSEA.”
The operating agreements in effect are four years apiece; officially they are four one-year agreements renewable each year. The SIU will fill all unlicensed positions aboard the 11 ships.
Seafarers called the announcement of the award a major win for the SIU.
“I’m very happy about it,” said OMU Thomas Haskins, who joined the union 10 years ago. “It’s reassuring that things are still going in the right direction.”
“I think it’s excellent,” stated AB Mike Penkwitz, a Seafarer since 1988. “It creates a lot of jobs for our members. Those are going to be good ships, and the more ships we have, the better our security.”
Bosun’s Mate George Pino, a 30-year member of the SIU, declared that the awards are good news for MSC, too. “SIU members are highly trained, and we have access to one of the best maritime schools in the world,” he observed. “That comes through our union leadership.
“The announcement of more jobs for us is definitely a plus.”
Recertified Bosun George Khan, who joined the SIU in 1978, said the news of new jobs “most definitely is well-received, especially since we’re going with the good (health benefits) package. That’s big with me, the benefits. It’s more important than anything else.”
The Bop Hope ships are the USNS Benavidez, USNS Bob Hope, USNS Brittin, USNS Fisher, USNS Mendonca, USNS Pililaau and USNS Seay. AMSEA also will operate the USNS Shughart and USNS Yano, while 3PSC, LLC will operate the USNS Gordon and USNS Gilliland.
SIU President Michael Sacco said the awards are “great news for the membership and a big win for the entire union. When you gain new jobs on 11 ships, there’s every reason to feel good about it.”
SIU Vice President Contracts Augie Tellez said the awards “reflect in part the excellent work done by our rank-and-file membership throughout the years and in particular throughout Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. These 11 LMSRs will be in good hands with SIU crews.”
The Bob Hope ships were built at Avondale in New Orleans, with delivery dates ranging from 1998 to 2003. The Shughart and Yano were converted at NASSCO in San Diego, while the Gordon and Gilliland were converted at Newport News (Va.) Shipbuilding. The converted vessels formerly were containerships; all were delivered to MSC by late 1997.
MSC cites two key missions—prepositioning and surge sealift—for its LMSRs, including eight Seafarers-crewed Watson-class vessels. The ships vary in length from about 900 feet to approximately 950 feet.
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