The American Maritime Officers (AMO) recently announced that Thomas J. Bethel was elected by a unanimous vote of the union’s National Executive Committee to complete the four-year term of former AMO National President Michael McKay.McKay was re-elected as national president by the AMO membership in 2006. McKay resigned his position Jan. 8, 2007 after being convicted of multiple felonies in a federal trial.
Bethel was re-elected as AMO national executive vice president in the union’s 2006 election. The AMO National Executive Committee Jan. 8 designated Bethel by unanimous vote to complete McKay’s term, which began Jan. 1, 2007. AMO National Secretary-Treasurer Jose Leonard, AMO Great Lakes Vice President Daniel Smith, AMO Deep-Sea Vice President Joseph Gremelsbacker and AMO Vice President at Large Edward Kelly supported Bethel to serve as AMO national president.
Bethel vowed to work closely with rank-and-file AMO members to “right the ship” in the wake of the criminal case against McKay, the union reported in its monthly newspaper.
“I have every confidence in the AMO membership, and I want all AMO members to know with absolute certainty that they can have every confidence in me and in the new national executive board of our union,” Bethel said Jan. 8. “The membership’s trust in us will not be squandered.”
Michael McKay and his brother, former AMO National Secretary-Treasurer Robert McKay, were convicted of several felonies Jan. 5 in United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
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