New Tonnage a Highlight of 2011
January 2012
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In some ways, 2011 mirrored 2010 for the SIU when it came to persevering through a rocky economy. As in the previous year, the union in 2011 bucked the national trend by securing numerous collective bargaining agreements calling for wage increases while maintaining benefits. The SIU also welcomed new tonnage in the domestic and international commercial trades and in the military sector.
Concurrently, the union remained extremely active in the fight to preserve and build upon pillars of the industry, including the Jones Act, cargo preference and the Maritime Security Program. Cargo preference in particular was in the congressional crosshairs last year, as legislators scrambled to make massive budget cuts.
The SIU also continued working to combat piracy, an ongoing scourge that not only threatens individual safety but also a significant part of the world’s economy.
Seafarers remained active aboard U.S. military support ships, backing our troops wherever and whenever needed, including in Operation Enduring Freedom.
And, the union unveiled a major upgrade to its website.
Those and other newsworthy items are included in the following recap of 2011.
New/Retained Tonnage
Throughout the year, there was no shortage of new tonnage entering the SIU-crewed fleet. Similarly, the union retained jobs on a number of ships thanks to government operating agreements that were secured by Seafarers-contracted companies.
Very early in the year, Crescent Towing added the second in a series of three new Z-drive tugboats, the J.K. McLean.
In mid-February came a much-anticipated announcement covering eight fast sealift ships and two telemetry vessels, all of which remained with the SIU. Interocean American Shipping (IAS) won contracts for the Pacific Collector, Pacific Tracker, Altair and Bellatrix; Ocean Shipholdings was awarded the Algol and Capella; and Keystone Shipping became the operator of the Regulus, Pollux, Denebola and Antares.
Around the same time, Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines ordered a new roll-on/roll-off vessel that’s slated for delivery in 2012; and, the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) took delivery of the USNS Washington Chambers, the 11th in a series of 14 dry-cargo/ammunition ships (abbreviated as T-AKE) crewed in the unlicensed positions by members of the SIU Government Services Division.
April kicked off with MSC’s announcement that Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) won contracts to operate the prepositioning ships USNS Roy Wheat and USNS Fred Stockham. Two weeks later, the T-AKE USNS William McLean was delivered at NASSCO shipyard in San Diego (a facility that employs union workers). Before the month ended, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard – also a union-contracted yard – delivered the tanker Overseas Tampa to Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG).
Maersk was in the news again around mid-summer when the company won separate bids to operate five prepositioning ships (USNS Bobo, Button, Lopez, Lummus and Williams) and an ice-strengthened tanker (Maersk Peary).
In early August, Waterman Steamship won a separate bid to operate an “ice class” cargo ship – the MV Federal Patroller, which reflagged under the Stars and Stripes. Later that month, Crowley Maritime accepted the last articulated tug-barge (ATB) in its 650 series: the Vision/650-10.
In mid-September, the Navy christened the USNS Spearhead, which is the first of 10 high-speed vessels signaling job opportunities for SIU CIVMARS and private-sector Seafarers.
November brought more good news concerning shipboard jobs and job security as Maersk, in conjunction with Rickmers-Linie (America), launched two heavy-lift ships that reflagged American (Maersk Illinois and Maersk Texas), while Crowley christened its largest and fastest ATB – the Legacy/750-1, first in its class. Also, T-AKE 13, the USNS Medgar Evers, was christened in San Diego, and IAS received a new agreement to continue operating the SIU-crewed SBX-1.
The year wound down with news that Keystone would operate the prepositioning ships USNS Kocak, Obregon and Pless, once again signaling job retention for SIU members.
Contracts
New collective bargaining agreements were approved at numerous SIU-contracted companies, including NY Waterway, Penn Maritime, Starlight Marine, and Brusco Tug & Barge. Contracts also were reached at Great Lakes Towing, American Steamship, Key Lakes, Key Lakes II, Key Lakes IV, Port City Steamship, Port City Marine, Inland Lakes Management, and Erie Sand and Gravel. While the respective lengths and details vary, all of the pacts call for wage increases and maintain benefits.
In the Government Services Division, crews enthusiastically approved a five-year agreement with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) covering 19 ships, while significant progress continued in negotiations for the Civilian Marine Personnel Instruction (CMPI) 610.
Finally, Seafarers approved a one-year extension of the standard freightship and tanker agreements.
Rescues, Recognition, Support
SIU-contracted companies and individual Seafarers were recognized for safe operations, and union members also were involved in rescues at sea as well as planned humanitarian missions.
Performing rescues were the crews of the Horizon Producer, USNS John Ericsson and Sealand Comet. Many other SIU-crewed ships took part in military exercises, and CIVMAR-crewed vessels helped in the relief mission to tsunami-stricken Japan (Operation Tomodachi).
The USNS Comfort finished a five-month deployment called Continuing Promise, during which the hospital ship visited nine countries and provided medical assistance to nearly 70,000 people.
The U.S. Navy presented a safety award to the hybrid crew of the submarine tender Emory S. Land, while some two-dozen SIU-contracted companies earned safety recognition from the Chamber of Shipping of America.
Politics and Piracy
The union continued its efforts, both in U.S. and international forums, to reduce and ultimately eliminate the scourge of piracy. Political action is a key part of this ongoing struggle, as is the “Save Our Seafarers” campaign, launched early last year.
Joining with many allies from throughout the U.S. maritime industry, the union rallied to help prevent larger cuts to food aid, and also objected to controversial waivers of the Jones Act. The latter moves helped spur legislation aimed at ensuring that every reasonable effort is made to identify qualified, available American-flag tonnage.
Credible studies reinforced the importance of the Jones Act and cargo preference laws, while the second maritime industry “Sail-In” on Capitol Hill successfully delivered the industry’s message to new and long-serving legislators alike.
The SIU joined with other unions in blasting the maritime administrator for inexplicably accepting and releasing a report that the unions said undermined the agency’s very mission.
And, in a story largely associated with 2010 but which carried into January 2011, the non-partisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling confirmed (yet again) that the Jones Act did not prevent foreign vessels with the cleanup. (Editor’s note: Neither the report, nor many other credible statements and findings consistent with it, stopped a few publications from falsely blaming the Jones Act anyway, later in the year.)
Other Headlines
It was another very active year for the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center and its Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. Besides conducting classes year-round for upgraders and apprentices, the school hosted both an International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Women’s Leadership Conference, and the fortieth meeting of the school’s advisory board. It also added new equipment for the GMDSS course and continued working on a major waterfront restoration project, among other improvements.
In conjunction with the union, the school formally submitted comments on the Manila Amendments to the STCW Convention as well as on other subjects.
In June, the union launched a revamped version of www.seafarers.org featuring a members-only section with an array of information.
The Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan (SHBP) awarded $132,000 in scholarships to members and dependents.
Finally, the SIU remained active in national and international labor organizations, including the ITF and the AFL-CIO. Among many other activities, the union participated in a number of “We Are One” rallies across the country and also helped secure a major legislative victory on Election Day by assisting in the defeat the anti-worker Issue 2 in Ohio.
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