In case anyone thought that last year’s order to build 10 new American-flag tankers in Philadelphia was a fluke, check out our lead story this month.SIU-contracted U.S. Shipping has ordered nine U.S.-flag tankers for construction in San Diego—an agreement which includes options for five additional ships.
The first order back in April 2005, by Seafarers-contracted Overseas Shipholding Group, was reported as the largest commercial tanker purchase in our nation’s history. And here we are, just over a year later, with a similarly large contract.
Brothers and sisters, I’m not saying it doesn’t get any better than this, but 19 ships ordered by SIU-contracted companies in a year-and-a-half is reason to reflect.
Of course, those aren’t the only new vessels either on order or recently delivered that are being crewed by SIU members. Last month the fourth Alaska-Class tanker was delivered—a vessel that will be operated by SIU-contracted Alaska Tanker Co. This month, the first of the 10 new OSG tankers is scheduled for float-out in Philadelphia. Construction recently began in San Diego on the fifth of 10 T-AKE ships, a fleet crewed by members of the SIU Government Services Division for the U.S. Military Sealift Command. And of course, a few months ago we welcomed the big, beautiful Pride of Hawaii to NCL America’s fleet of SIU-crewed cruise ships.
It’s impossible for me to look at those developments and feel anything but optimism for our union. It’s also impossible to view them without giving credit where it’s due—namely, to you, the rank-and-file Seafarer. Some of you have heard me say it before, but the truth is that companies wouldn’t invest in new ships if they weren’t extremely confident in having well-trained, reliable manpower for those vessels. When you think of the financial investment, not to mention the potential liabilities, that go along with building and operating new ships, it only makes sense that professional, safe, efficient crews are a must. (Companies also won’t invest without a stable set of laws and regulations, which the Seafarers Political Activity Donation or SPAD helps to ensure.) You are protecting the investment and delivering the goods.
You have proven yourselves time and time again throughout all segments of our industry, whether sailing on commercial tankers and containerships or Lakes self-unloaders or military support RO/ROs or tugboats or passenger ships or ATBs or any of the other vessels operating under SIU contract. Your work inspires confidence, and the proof is splashed all over our front page, month after month.
Of course, in this industry our work is never done. One of the key challenges we’re currently tackling involves the government-mandated Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and its associated Merchant Mariner Qualification Credential (MMC).
I addressed this subject in more detail last month, and a separate update also appears in this issue of the LOG, but let me just reemphasize that the SIU is sparing no resource in keeping up with, if not staying ahead of this development. We will do absolutely everything in our power to help make sure that U.S. mariners’ rights are protected and that we are treated fairly.
At the same time, we remain committed to working in cooperation with government and industry to help ensure proper shipboard and port security, as we have been throughout our history. We won’t always agree on every detail of how to best protect the people associated with our vessels and ports and port cities, but we are all on the same side. That’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked as we sort through the many particulars of the latest federal regulations to affect the U.S. Merchant Marine.
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