1942
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill offered his thanks and the thanks of the Royal Navy to the crews of two SIU-contracted ships that returned to New York after 11 months on the run to Russia. A commendation relayed by Admiral Emory S. Land, director of the War Shipping Administration, from the British Admiralty said in part, “Mr. Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, has particularly requested that he be associated with this message of congratulations…. I should like also to offer my congratulations to you and your crew for excellent work you all performed during this encounter, which is a great credit to the United States Merchant Marine.” The ships are unnamed for security reasons.1955
SIU negotiators recently won a 25 cents per man per day contribution from employers to expand health and safety benefits and raise vacation benefits. Coupled with wage increases under the contract, the vacation benefits will mean a boost in vacation pay for all Seafarers from the present $176 maximum to $244, effective November 15. The new agreement will also finance establishment of health and safety clinics in all ports so that Seafarers will be able to obtain medical care and obtain needed physical examinations.
1966
SIU-contracted companies will operate 10 of the 15 C-4 type reserve fleet troopships recently allocated by the government for conversion to break bulk dry cargo and heavy lift cargo ships for charter to the Military Sea Transportation Service to serve in the Vietnam sealift. Of the SIU-contracted companies named by the government, Isthmian Lines and Waterman Steamship were allocated three ships each, Hudson Waterways received two ships, and Consolidated Mariners and Bulk Transport received one ship each…. The recently released World War II-built toopships are 523-foot, 15,000-ton steamships with a rated speed of 17 knots.
1984
Another newly converted RO/RO ship has been added to the SIU-contracted Cpl. Louis J. Hauge, Jr., which is being operated by a privately owned company for the U.S. Military Sealift Command. This 755-foot long vessel is part of the U.S. military’s Maritime Prepositioning Ship (MPS) program…. During her conversion at Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s Sparrows Point Yard in Maryland, the ship was lengthened by a 157-foot mid-body section and was fitted with a semi-slewing stern ramp, side port doors and ramps, and three twin-tandem heavy-lift cranes.
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