The election of pro-maritime Sen. Barack Obama to the White House and the steady addition of new tonnage to the Seafarers-contracted fleet arguably stand out as the two top stories of 2008 where the union is concerned.Starting with the delivery of an ammunition ship in January of last year, the union gained no fewer than 18 vessels, ATBs and tugboats, not including 10 other ships that remained under the SIU banner after being either up for bid or for sale.
Other key stories directly involving Seafarers and SIU officials included the ratification of numerous contracts; continued backing of our troops in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom; growing support for the Employee Free Choice Act; international efforts to promote and protect mariners’ rights; and congressional appeals to boost inland waterways safety.
Additionally, the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education added new courses and opened a new conference center in addition to other accomplishments.
Shipboard and port security issues continued to challenge all concerned, perhaps most notably with the federally mandated Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. As it has done since long before the issuance of the final TWIC regulations, the union continued to support the goal of appropriate security measures while trying to help ensure fair treatment of U.S. mariners.
Following is a brief look back at these and other notable developments from 2008, a year in which the SIU observed its 70th anniversary.
New Vessels, New Jobs
The union welcomed significant new tonnage throughout the year, in various forms.
Four ammunition ships, known as T-AKE vessels and crewed by members of the SIU Government Services Division, were delivered. Those ships, built at NASSCO, are the USNS Byrd, USNS Peary, USNS Earhart and USNS Brashear.
NASSCO also continued construction on new tankers being built for U.S. Shipping Partners, the first of which is slated for delivery in 2009.
Maersk Line, Limited added three vessels (the Maersk Michigan, Alliance St. Louis and Alliance Norfolk) and also transferred two others (MV Phillips and MV Baugh) to its commercial fleet, which preserved SIU jobs.
APL Maritime added the containership APL Balboa to its American-flag fleet.
Crowley christened the ATBs Integrity and Courage.
Built at Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, the OSG tankers Overseas Texas City and Overseas New York were delivered. Construction on additional tankers in the Veteran-class series continued at the yard.
SIU-contracted Sealift, Inc. was awarded a contract to operate the HSV Swift, a prepositioning ship. Seafarers first sailed aboard the vessel late last year.
U.S. Shipping took delivery of the new ATBs Galveston and Brownsville.
American Roll-On/Roll-Off Carrier christened the Independence II, a car carrier.
G&H Towing began operating the new Z-drive tugboat Wesley A for Bay-Houston Towing.
Mariners aboard Hawaii Superferry’s new boat Alakai voted for SIU representation and approved a four-year contract.
After a challenging start, the ferry steadily gained in popularity with customers and received strongly favorable reviews.
The union also retained jobs on the eight Watson-class LMSRs, as Seafarers-contracted Ocean Ships, Inc. won the bid to operate those ships.
President-Elect Backs Industry
From coast to coast, Seafarers vigorously mobilized as part of an unprecedented get-out-the-vote campaign supporting the labor-backed team of Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Joe Biden.
Early in the presidential campaign, SIU President Michael Sacco reminded members that the union traditionally does not take party affiliation into consideration when deciding whether to endorse a candidate.
As he put it, “We’ve always had friends on both sides of the aisle, and we’ve always lived by the principle that we support those who support maritime.”
On that score, Sen. Obama couldn’t have spoken out more strongly in favor of the U.S. Merchant Marine. The senator sent a personal letter to President Sacco in which he expressed unreserved, detailed backing of American mariners and the programs that help keep the U.S.-flag fleet viable.
On a larger scale, both Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden possess solid records of supporting America’s working families, which made them a clear choice for endorsement by the AFL-CIO.
Without question, the federation and its member unions (including the SIU) delivered on Election Day. Post-election polling clearly showed that union voters delivered a critical bloc of support in swing states that helped propel Obama and other working-
family candidates to victory.
Contracts Approved
Despite the nation’s economic woes, the union secured contracts in 2008 that consistently increased wages and maintained benefits without sacrificing jobs. For example, three-year pacts were ratified at NY Waterway, Intrepid Personnel & Provisioning, Penn Maritime, Overseas Shipholding Group (inland), Petty’s Island and Starlight Marine. Additionally, Crowley boatmen approved a four-year contract while Matson crews gave the thumbs-up to a new five-year agreement.
Rescues, Recognition
Seafarers upheld the proud tradition of the “Brotherhood of the Sea” by handling several rescues. SIU members from the USNS Seay, USNS Sacagawea, Liberty Star, USNS Kanawha, Freedom Ferry and two NY Waterway ferries were among those
who helped save lives. Also, crew members from the Chemical Trader prevented a catastrophe by responding quickly and efficiently to a shipboard fire which occurred during a major offload in Tampa, Fla.
The USNS Grasp helped recover two downed Air Force jets, while the hospital ship USNS Mercy completed a four-month humanitarian mission overseas.
Seafarers and a number of SIU-contracted companies also received recognition for various safety efforts and rescues that had taken place in 2008 and 2007. The Horizon Falcon in particular was honored several times, including once by the International
Maritime Organization for a 2007 rescue.
Progress at School
The Paul Hall Center for the first time began offering online “distance learning” courses, and the feedback from students was quite positive.
The Piney Point, Md.-based school earned “gold star” recognition from its county for superior compliance to food safety standards. It also opened the Keystone Conference Center, housed in the Paul Hall Memorial Library.
The American Council on Education approved 26 Paul Hall Center courses for college credits, including 11 that either are new or previously hadn’t been submitted to ACE.
Military Support
Seafarers continued sailing aboard military support ships wherever and whenever needed. They transported important materiel including MRAPs, and also participated in various military exercises. Three
SIU-crewed ships assisted the Navy in intercepting and shooting down a satellite in the Pacific. CIVMARS from the USS Mount Whitney helped deliver aid to Georgia.
No matter the mission, their work didn’t go unnoticed. During meetings of the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department executive board, and later during National Maritime Day ceremonies, high-ranking military officers praised the U.S. Merchant Marine, calling the American-flag fleet nothing short of vital to national and economic security.
Other News
The union remained very active in supporting pro-labor and pro-maritime initiatives. SIU members helped gather one million signatures backing the Employee Free Choice Act – important legislation that would help restore fairness to the process of workers choosing whether or not to join unions.
The SIU expressed support for the marine highway initiative championed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and its Maritime Administration. Early in the year, a Defense bill was signed that successfully capped a four-year effort to protect CIVMARS’ rights to union representation. In the aftermath of a major oil spill on the Mississippi River (involving non-union companies), the SIU testified on Capitol Hill about the need for improved inland safety measures. Seafarers mobilized to help provide hurricane relief after Ike struck along the Gulf.
The Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan issued seven scholarships worth a combined $140,000 to members and dependents.
The Sealand Meteor became the first U.S.-flag merchant ship to call on the Port of Shimizu in Japan.
Although the deadline for mariners to obtain a TWIC was extended to April 2009, the program faced numerous difficulties even before ports were supposed to start enforcement.
SIU International Transport Workers’ Federation inspectors assisted foreign crews in recovering back wages and repatriation. The union continued its international work not only via the ITF but also through the International Maritime Organization and related entities.
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