
New and Improved
In the very near future, Seafarers LOG readers will notice some changes to our official publication’s look. We are taking advantage of advancements in the printing industry to help improve our product while not appreciably adding to our costs.
Our format won’t be radically different (slightly smaller in size) but I’m confident you’ll agree that the fresh look is an improvement. We’re not cutting back on the amount of content, either. Stay tuned.
We regularly examine our methods of communication, and I believe it still makes sense for us to produce a monthly publication. When and if that changes, we won’t hesitate to adjust accordingly.
Meanwhile, for those who don’t know, we also have a solid online presence and we’ve offered a text-alert service for the last decade. In addition to our website (launched in 1997), we’re active on social media, including multi-platform posts every weekday and usually one day on the weekend. We also post every edition of the LOG online, going all the way back to the newspaper’s launch almost 85 years ago.
The printed page remains valuable and viable for the SIU in part because connectivity at sea is, shall we say, still evolving. There is no doubt it is improving, and both the union and our contracted operators are fully committed to maximizing availability. But there are technological limits (just as there are ashore) that result in stretches of no cell service or no Wi-Fi or both. That’s not to say that online reading and skimming the printed page is an either/or proposition, but, let’s face it, when your phone or tablet or laptop won’t connect, it’s good to have another option.
We also keep in touch with other unions about the most effective ways to stay in touch with rank-and-file members. What I’ve learned is that the organizations who abandoned their respective publications quickly regretted it. There may be an exception here or there, but the anecdotal evidence is solid.
Similarly, the feedback we receive from the membership – across all age groups – strongly supports maintaining a periodical.
Lastly and again for those who may not know, while the LOG first and foremost serves as a community newspaper, we also use it to spread the word to the outside world about your outstanding work, and about the union’s positions on maritime issues and workers’ rights. We do not skimp with our online efforts, but you can’t hand somebody a website. And if anyone doubts the effectiveness of direct mail, check your mailbox ahead of next year’s elections.
I’m excited about the LOG’s upcoming revamp and I welcome your feedback once you’ve seen the new look.
The SIU Turns 85
Next month marks 85 years since the Seafarers International Union received its charter. On a personal note, I am grateful to have been part of the organization for 50 of those years (and counting). We have a proud history and a bright future. Our members are second to none when it comes to professionalism, efficiency and (in my view) community-mindedness.
We have a world-class training center to keep up with the times. We have solid working relationships with our operators, and we have political strength that helps ensure support for the U.S. Merchant Marine from our military and at every level of government.
I am proud to be your president and I’m excited to continue working on your behalf.
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