Seafarers and SIU officials recently took part in ceremonies to help honor and preserve the memory of the El Faro’s final crew. Three gatherings happened in Florida: The Seafarers-affiliated American Maritime Officers (AMO) on Sept. 29 dedicated a memorial on the AMO Plans campus in Dania Beach. SIU-contracted TOTE on…
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For Recertified Bosun Carlos Loureiro, 1,000 words wouldn’t begin to cover the experiences he can recall when viewing an unexpectedly acquired photo of the Overseas New York and Alaskan Frontier. While the longtime Seafarer has sailed on many different vessels since joining the union in 1991, he has spent the majority of his career…
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Editor’s note: This article was penned by Rafael Alvarez, a writer and former SIU member based in Baltimore. Alvarez is also the son of a retired, longtime SIU member who sailed with the union for more than three decades. Anyone with information about long-lost mariner Harrison Worrell or the tug…
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U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Michigan) has been named 2018 Great Lakes Legislator of the Year by the largest labor/management coalition representing shipping on America’s Fourth Sea Coast. The award is presented annually by the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) to a legislator who has helped advance waterborne commerce on…
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In a recent article written by Daniel Goure, Ph.D., vice president at the Lexington Institute think tank, the U.S-flagged fleet received high praise for the crucial role the American maritime industry plays in the nation’s defense. In the article, Goure stated, “Support for a U.S.-flagged commercial sealift fleet is one…
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One of the U.S. maritime industry’s leading advocates recently received one of its most prestigious honors. U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-California) on Sept. 17 was presented with the American Maritime Partnership’s (AMP) annual Champion of Maritime Award. It’s the coalition’s top award, and is given “to a member of Congress…
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With representatives from 16 different international unions present – including the Seafarers – the Hampton Roads (Virginia) Port Council kicked off Labor Day weekend on Aug. 31 with a lunchtime questionand- answer session featuring U.S Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia). Iron Workers Local 79 hosted…
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SIU boatmen employed by Galveston, Texas-based G&H Towing have overwhelmingly approved a three-year contract featuring wage gains and other improvements. The pact, which also maintains benefits, covers more than 300 SIU members. Voting took place Sept. 1-5, and the agreement was approved by a 9:1 ratio. SIU Vice President Gulf…
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Canadian seafaring unions recently finalized an agreement with the Canadian government that secured cabotage rights for Canadian mariners aboard vessels flying any flag traversing that nation’s domestic waterways. Seafarers International Union of Canada President Jim Given said on Sept. 11, “Our victory is official!” Given, who serves as the Eastern…
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A tradition that began some 12 years ago for Tacoma, Washington-area SIU members remains very much alive and well today, as evidenced by the recent completion of another project with philanthropy at its core. Responding to the call of Paint Tacoma Beautiful, a crew of Seafarers (including family members and…