Seafarers Log
March 2016 The job security of Seafarers got a boost with the U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) recent announcement of newly awarded operating agreements for 48 National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) vessels. SIU members will fill all of the unlicensed positions on 38 of those ships; on the remaining 10, Seafarers…
Seafarers Log
March 2016 The SIU-crewed fleet continued to add state-ofthe- art tonnage when Crowley Maritime Corp. recently christened the second of four new, Jones Act product tankers – the Texas – at the South Florida Petroleum Terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship will be utilized in the U.S. coastal trade…
Seafarers Log
March 2016 A high-ranking officer from the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) recently said U.S. Merchant Mariners are vital to the nation’s military operations. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Giovanni Tuck, USTRANSCOM director, operations and plans, addressed the executive board of the Maritime Trades Department (MTD) Feb. 19 in San Diego.…
Seafarers Log
March 2016 The commander of the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) left no doubt that he believes America must maintain a strong U.S. Merchant Marine. Gen. Darren W. McDew wrote an op-ed earlier this year that first was published in The Virginian-Pilot newspaper and shortly thereafter was picked up by various…
Seafarers Log
March 2016 The world’s second liquefied natural gas-powered (LNG) containership, the Perla Del Caribe, was delivered to SIU-contracted TOTE Maritime on Jan. 22. General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the vessel for service in the Jones Act trade between Jacksonville, Florida, and Puerto Rico, where it joins its SIU-crewed sister ship Isla…
Seafarers Log
March 2016Our union is off to a strong start this year, both at sea and ashore. One of the most exciting developments for us is an upcoming move to a new union hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We’re on pace to make that move this summer, and I know…
Seafarers Log
March 2016 When renewing your merchant mariner credential, be sure to check the document beforehand to see if you have Basic Safety Training or Basic Training. On the international page of your MMC, (normally page 4), if you have the Basic Safety Training/Basic Training endorsement there will be Roman numerals.…
Seafarers Log
March 2016 Philly Shipyard in late January announced that it has started construction on the first product tanker in a four-vessel order for American Petroleum Tankers (APT), a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan. All four of these Jones Act-eligible ships will carry SIU mariners. “These new ships will be a great…
Seafarers Log
March 2016 Likening the decades-long fight to a boxing match, a guest speaker at the Maritime Trades Department executive board meeting said the U.S. maritime industry continues winning rounds but is still looking for a knockout punch when it comes to excluding maritime from trade agreements. Donald O’Hare, a trade…
Seafarers Log
March 2016 The head of the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council delivered his message with great passion, but he said the organization’s vital mission is actually very basic: improving the lives of veterans and working people, who are one and the same. Will Fischer, the council’s executive director, addressed the Maritime…