Seafarers Log
Members of the SIU Government Services Division sailing aboard the USNS Patuxent helped perform two rescues just nine days apart earlier this year. The Patuxent, a fleet replenishment oiler, learned of a vessel in distress in the Gulf of Aden on June 7. The runway-flag commercial vessel Falcon Line had…
Seafarers Log
Instructors at the Joseph Sacco Fire Fighting and Safety School unexpectedly put their skills to the test when an upgrader recently suffered a medical emergency. AB Steven Hicks was in the process of returning his fire fighting gear to the bunkhouse on Aug. 6 when he began experiencing shortness of…
Seafarers Log
Chief Cook Norasith Noy Phetphommasouk (who goes by Noy) has taken a unique path to become a mariner, a journey he never intended to make. He’s grateful for how it’s working out, though. “I had no connection with the maritime industry before I joined the SIU,” Noy said. “None of…
Seafarers Log
The Cursed Mason’s Odyssey By Kevin McCagh, Retired SIU Electrician I was a cursed mason, struck down from a tower Reduced to a refugee as my words lost all power All I could utter was a meaningless babble So, I ran and I ran, hiding and living amongst the rabble…
Seafarers Log
Editor’s note: The Maritime Trades Department is a constitutionally mandated component of the AFL-CIO. SIU President Michael Sacco also serves as MTD president. The department’s quadrennial convention, originally scheduled for this year, has been bumped back to June 2022 due to the pandemic. This article originally ran as a three-part…
Seafarers Log
SIU members in the Pacific Northwest show no signs of letting up in their efforts to give back to the community. Most recently, SIU personnel teamed up for the union’s annual participation in Paint Tacoma-Pierce Beautiful, a regional philanthropic project that began in 1985. The union has been active with…
Seafarers Log
Whether you’re reading this column online or in print, you know that the entire labor movement is mourning the unexpected passing of our friend and leader, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. As someone who worked with and knew Rich since the 1970s, I want each of you to know that all…
Seafarers Log
The newest ship to enter the Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet was christened at General Dynamics NASSCO – a union shipyard – on July 17. The fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Lewis, which will carry CIVMARS from the SIU Government Services Division as part of its crew, was celebrated in…
Seafarers Log
An arbitrator on July 30 ruled in favor of the American Maritime Association’s (AMA) insistence that they can require all mariners sailing aboard the companies’ respective vessels be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The SIU challenged the AMA’s mandate by demanding expedited arbitration, primarily because they unilaterally imposed it rather than…
Seafarers Log
The union’s executive board has announced the appointments of two longtime officials to new positions following the recent retirement of SIU Vice President Government Services Kate Hunt (see story, page 6). Nicholas Celona succeeds Hunt as vice president, while Amancio Crespo fills Celona’s former spot as an assistant vice president.…