COVID

Seafarers are reminded that the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot in the union’s 2020 election was extended. Requests must be received at headquarters by Dec. 1, 2020. Contact your port agent for more information. ###

The hiring hall in Anchorage, Alaska, is closed until further notice, for precautionary reasons. SIU members who want to vote at the hall and who need a ballot are asked to contact the office of SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel at (301) 899-0675. Arrangements will be made to help you secure…

The hiring hall in Jacksonville, Florida, is closed until further notice, for precautionary reasons. Members can still conduct business with the hall via phone and email. The phone number is (904) 281-2622. We’ll post an update as soon as possible. ###

The U.S. Coast Guard has posted the following Marine Safety Information Bulletin, dated Sept. 30. The bulletin is linked on the agency's website HERE. For Seafarers, the two most significant changes are: Merchant Mariner Credentials National Endorsements: Under 46 USC Section 7507, Merchant Mariner Credentials may only be extended for…

The U.S. Coast Guard's National Maritime Center posted the following news item on Sept. 23. Both the headline and the link at the end of the notice go to a PDF version. COVID-19 Impacts to Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) Application Processing Times The National Maritime Center (NMC) continues to experience…

For precautionary reasons, the following hiring halls are closed until further notice: Philadelphia; Baltimore; and Jersey City, New Jersey. Those halls will be reachable by phone during normal business hours, and members can still conduct business with them. We will post an update as soon as possible, but anticipate the…

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 Editor’s note: The following is a recap of pandemic-related communications from the Coast Guard, National Maritime Center, and State Department that remain relevant to SIU members. Links to the original announcements are included. MMCs in Relation to TWIC From Marine Safety Information Bulletin Number 13-20,…

The U.S. Coast Guard recently posted the following Marine Safety Information Bulletin, available on the agency's website HERE. Seafarers are encouraged to read the section titled "Merchant Mariner Credentials." The key points from that section include the following: "For mariners already holding a MMC, if their TWIC expires, and their…

The following news release was issued by the National Maritime Center on September 1. Reopening of RECs Memphis, Miami, Long Beach, and Toledo The National Maritime Center (NMC) is reopening Regional Examination Centers (RECs) Memphis, Miami, Long Beach, and Toledo for limited examination services beginning Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Additionally,…

The U.S. Coast Guard recently announced numerous modifications pertaining to credentialing, course approvals and more. These changes are being implemented because of the pandemic. One of the most potentially significant developments for SIU members is as follows: If your current MMC with STCW endorsements expired or expires between March 1,…