The U.S. Merchant Marine received overwhelming support from high-ranking representatives of the military, Congress and the administration during the recent meetings of the Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO executive board in Las Vegas.Offering their solid backing of maritime labor were U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta; Gen. John Handy, commander, U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM); U.S. Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) and William Jefferson (D-La.); Acting U.S. Maritime Administrator John Jamian; Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Steven Blust; and Navy League of the United States President Sheila McNeill.
MTD President Michael Sacco chaired the meetings, which took place Feb. 24-25. He described the U.S. Merchant Marine’s role as the nation’s fourth arm of defense, and talked about the efforts of U.S. citizen seafarers in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and in tsunami relief actions.
“As many of you know, during the past three years, at least 20,000 union members have been called up as reservists in the war in Iraq,” Sacco observed. “At the same time, more than 4,000 members of our maritime unions have loaded and transported materiel to support our troops in the Persian Gulf. No matter our individual feelings about the political aspects of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I know that all of you join me in supporting our troops and particularly supporting our union brothers and sisters who are serving overseas.”
Secretary Mineta noted, “We are a maritime nation. And the maritime industry is essential to our economic strength, to our productivity, and to the creation of American jobs.”
He pointed out that the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP) “supports the war on terror by giving us the wherewithal to carry equipment and supplies to those charged with defending our freedom and expanding liberty. This program is one more important measure of the maritime industry’s vital importance to our economic and national security, and our commitment to addressing its needs.”
Mineta further pointed out that the MSP fleet later this year will expand to 60 ships from its current level of 47. “When the new MSP begins on October 1 of this year, it will bring greater opportunities and more jobs for U.S. citizens,” he said.
General Handy thanked everyone involved in the maritime industry for their efforts in supporting the movement of materiel in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He cited the vast amount of cargo moved during the past three-plus years for those missions: 2.2 million people since October 2001 and almost 4.6 million short tons by sea, not counting 57.1 million barrels of fuel.
Handy described the country’s union maritime workers as “incredible Americans” and said that they “stand tall and make you proud as Americans. We couldn’t do it without the incredible support of the nation’s unions.”
He noted that 85 percent of the tonnage moved by TRANSCOM goes by sea. “The contribution of our commercial partners and the people you represent is dramatic. We don’t get these jobs done without that very strong tie.”
The general further pointed out that the carrying capacity of one LMSR is equivalent to 420 C-17 airlifts. “That is incredible capability, and I wish every single American could understand and appreciate what this nation can do when we team together. But we can’t rest on those laurels. We need to modernize our shipping. We need to modernize our airlift capability.”
Berkley said the nation’s cabotage laws are “true national security. I am a supporter of the Jones Act, and I support the Maritime Security Program Fleet.”
Dicks echoed those sentiments, saying that the MSP “is the biggest bargain the government has. This is insurance that saves the government billions of dollars that would be required to build and maintain those ships.”
He also stated that the Ready Reserve Force is “an important part of our capability” and the Jones Act “remains the cornerstone of our maritime policy. I consider the Jones Act non-negotiable…. We have to have a strong merchant marine.”
Jefferson noted that he is a longtime supporter of the U.S. Merchant Marine and believes in “protecting and enhancing the U.S. fleet and providing needed jobs and security for hard-working Americans, for U.S. citizen merchant mariners.”
He pointed out that in the port of New Orleans, he sees firsthand the economic importance of the maritime industry. It accounts for $42 billion and 100,000 jobs in and around the region.
Jefferson said the tonnage tax which was signed into law last year is of “critical importance” to the industry. He noted that it will benefit U.S.-flag vessel owners and their employees. He was a leading proponent of the legislation.
Jamian said that through the years since World War II, some people forgot the history lessons that taught us the great value of the U.S. Merchant Marine. However, that began to change for the better during the first Persian Gulf War.
“Today, the importance of these mariners—represented by these labor organizations here in the room—is being reinforced every day in the war in Iraq. More than 8,000 mariners and thousands of longshoremen at our ports have made certain that equipment and supplies for our armed forces in the field arrive safely, where they are needed and when they are needed.”
He pointed out that the tragedy of September 11 also underscored the importance of maintaining a viable U.S. fleet. “I believe that we must have a strong U.S. Merchant Marine, crewed by Americans loyal to our nation’s interests, as they have always been, and ready to serve as they have always been.”
Jamian called the MSP, the Jones Act and cargo preference laws “the fundamental triad of our nation’s maritime policies,” and said that those programs are “proven essentials” which are critical to U.S. national and economic security.
Blust discussed the U.S. Merchant Marine’s history of supporting America’s national defense, from the country’s earliest days to the present. “The maritime trades are essential to helping support our country and guarantee our freedom. I thank all of you for your patriotic efforts,” he said.
McNeill noted, “The Navy League mission strongly supports the longstanding U.S. policy that a viable U.S. maritime industry is a critical part of our national defense and economic security. You can make the case that a viable U.S. maritime capability is more critical today than ever, in this uncertain world of global terrorism.
“The rationale for maintaining a commercial fleet under U.S. flag has always been grounded first and foremost in national security.”
She added, “The work of the maritime trades is a critical part of this nation’s industrial capacity. Without you, our troops would not have the means to get to the fight, or the equipment and supplies to win when they get there.”
She also stressed the need to keep ships on the cutting edge of technology, and praised U.S. mariners for their roles in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as well as tsunami relief.
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