Organized 1885 Official Organ of the Sailors' Union of the Pacific Volume LXXV No. 7 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Friday, July 20, 2012 U.S. MERCHANT MARINE AMBUSHED Republican stealth attack slashes American cargo preference requirement for international food aid he U.S. maritime industry suffered a major set- on the nation’s economy or on jobs, $523 million in U.S. four would be Maritime Se- back on June 29, when a provision was added to national security.” household earnings and $2 bil- curity Program (MSP) en- Tthe highway bill (Surface Transportation Extension There was also no opportunity lion in U.S. economic output. rolled vessels, six would be Act of 2012—H.R. 4348) that slashed the statutory U.S.- for the Congressional Commit- Fully one-third of those positive non-MSP vessels; tees with jurisdiction over the flag share of international food aid cargo (P.L. 480/Food impacts will be eliminated by the • Loss of 2,000 direct and in- cargo preference statute to con- for Peace) from 75% to 50%. onerous provision. direct jobs; sider the proposal or vote on it. According to the Maritime The 500-page plus highway • Loss of 640 seagoing mari- was passed by the House but re- And there was no opportunity Administration, Section bill was in conference to recon- ner jobs. jected by the Senate months ago. for the Department of Defense 100124 will have the follow- cile differences between the Additionally, MarAd indi- “The attack on the cargo pref- —which has consistently sup- ing effects on the U.S.-flag House of Representatives and cated that the Congressional erence program and the U.S.- ported cargo preference as a merchant fleet: Senate versions, when the pro- flag merchant marine took place means to help maintain a mili- Budget Office estimate of $108 • Loss of 500,000 metric tons vision (Section 100124) was completely outside the rules and tarily useful U.S.-flag shipping million per year in savings does of preference cargo; added by the House Republican procedures that should govern capability — to express its not accurately reflect the cost of leadership at the last moment to Congressional actions,” said views. “America’s merchant • Loss of $90 million per year the repealed “Incremental Ocean “offset” the cost of federal fund- SUP President Gunnar marine and America’s maritime in revenue; Freight Differential,” which ing for highways and mass tran- Lundeberg. “There was no dis- workers deserve better,” • Loss of 16 U.S.-flag vessels, represents the difference in sit. The provision was lifted cussion about the impact that the Lundeberg said. including six bulk vessels U.S.-flag costs and foreign-flag from Congressman Paul Ryan’s reduction in U.S.-flag opera- The shipment of international and 10 liner (container) ves- (D-Wisconsin) budget bill that tions would have on the fleet, food aid supports 33,000 U.S. sels. Of the 10 liner vessels, continued on page 3 Human cost of Somali Piracy Updated report released A report highlighting latest details of the plight of seafarers at the hands of Somali pirates was released on June 22, at a press conference in London. The report, The Human Cost of Piracy 2011, was written jointly by Kaija Hurlburt of One Earth Fu- ture for its Oceans Beyond Piracy project and by the Interna- tional Maritime Bureau (IMB). The joint report is an update of the first report on the Human Cost of Piracy for 2010. This report includes a statistical analysis of the threats of vio- lence caused by acts of piracy as well as the first published findings collected as a result of the Declaration Condemning Acts of Violence Against Sea- farers. The Declaration, signed ini- tially in Washington in August last year by Liberia, the Marshall Islands, and Panama, and by the Bahamas in March Photo: Dave Connolly 2012, commits signatory states to submit reports to the IMB The SUP gang above in the APL Cyprine at Port Elizabeth, New Jersey at the Mahar Terminal on on the treatment of seafarers July 2. From left to right: AB Rex Simbre, STOS Lucy Bishop, AB and delegate Dustin Grobschmit, Periodicals’ postage paid at San Francisco, CA (USPS 675-180) held hostage. AB Chris Halberg, Bosun Robert Jones and AB Jennifer Corner. “Thousands are attacked for The Cyprine 65,475 gross ton containership was built by Samsung Shipbuilding Heavy Industries, financial gain without regard Co. Ltd. in Koje, South Korea, in 1997. The vessel is over 892 feet long with a breath of over 130 for the human cost to attain a and can make 24.5 knots. She can carry 5,020 20-foot containers including 350 reefer vans. The Cyprine is enrolled in the Maritime Security Program and operates off the East Coast in APL’s continued on page 7 Suez Express Service. Committee on Constitution Report: Page 4 ESU News: Pages 8 & 9 Washington & Hawai’i’s Endorsements: Page 11 Page 2 WEST COAST SAILORS Friday, July 20, 2012 Lawsuit asserts design flaws SUP Honor Roll Voluntary contributions from the membership to the following funds: caused Costa Concordia casualties Attorney calls cruiseships “floating coffins” Organization/ West Coast Carnival Cruise Lines faces a new lawsuit as a U.S. lawyer alleges that design General Fund Sailors flaws hampered evacuation from Costa Concordia. Mississippi-based John Eaves Marc Calairo.................. 100.00 said last month that Carnival, its architects and designers share some of the blame Tony Figueroa ................. 25.00 for the 30 possible deaths in the accident. “What makes me angriest is that the Franklin Haugen .............. 25.00 company has the audacity to refloat Costa Concordia, which we know was defec- tively designed,” he said. “We filed a claim against Carnival and against the archi- Armando Martinez ........... 25.00 Political Fund tects and designers for the propensity of Costa Concordia to roll and list, and Quentin Brown ................ 50.00 John Masterson in memory because of the maze effect within the vessel.” Marc Calairo.................. 100.00 of John “Ropeyarn” Eaves is seeking punitive damages from Carnival. “The industry has got so big Robin Colonas ................. 50.00 Anderson ..................... 50.00 that we are literally sending out floating coffins and that is why we must take Dave Connolly ................ 100.00 MEBA ........................... 25.00 action,” he said. Eaves also called the recently started efforts of salvage teams to George Cooney ................ 50.00 Rolando Mendoza ............ 10.00 refloat a vessel, put it back out into commerce, and put other families and other Steve Crute .................... 100.00 passengers in jeopardy.” Mike Dirksen .................. 50.00 Carnival already faces countless lawsuits from passengers and crew. Costa Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival directly responsible for Costa Concordia, has offered a Mike ElMobdy................. 20.00 Dues-Paying compensation package that offers uninjured passengers a lump sum of $14,460. Diane Ferrari ................. 100.00 Crew have also filed suit. Most recently a $200 million lawsuit was filed in New Mark Hargus ................. 100.00 Pensioners York Federal Court, on May 3, on behalf of four Hungarian musicians and dancers Walter Harris .................. 10.00 on board Costa Concordia. The lawsuit claims the performers are unable to work Noel Itsumaro.................. 20.00 Gordon Abbott Book #3785 after suffering physical and emotional injuries. Clifford Lopes ................. 10.00 Robert Copeland Book #4763 Costa Cruises has blamed the incident, which occurred on January 13, on the Gunnar Lundeberg ........... 50.00 Donald Cushing Book #4777 “significant human error” of the ship’s master, Francesco Schettino. Captain Schettino faces manslaughter charges in Italy, where a detailed investigation into the cause of Joe Mantanona ................ 10.00 Romaine Dudley Book #2593 the incident is ongoing. Iosif Markou ................... 50.00 Diane Ferrari Book #2251 Knud Jensen Book #3940 Toni Montoya .................. 20.00 John Jewett Book #4291 Dave Munroe in memory of QE2 to become Dubai floating hotel Kaj E. Kristensen Book #3120 Henry Johansen and Dubai purchased the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) cruiseship from Cunard Cruise Hannu Kurppa Book #3162 James Olds .................. 100.00 Line for $100 million in 2007. An official decision on what to do with the line has James K. Larsen Book #4055 Knut Rasmussen .............. 60.00 been decided on with plans to transform it into a floating hotel fitted with many of Duane Nash Book #2437 Rich Reed ....................... 50.00 the vessel’s original furnishings. John Perez Book #3810 Emmanuel Rezada ............ 50.00 The ship will remain in the downtown Port Rashid facility to serve as a tourist Alex Romo Book #3193 attraction alongside a projected maritime museum and an expanding cruiseship ter- Teo Rojas ....................... 50.00 Francisco Salvatierra Book #7498 minal complex. Greg Schauf .................... 40.00 James Savage Book #7488 The newly-announced plans are slightly different than initially proposed. Before Augusto Silva .................. 10.00 Ralph Senter Book #7323 Dubai’s economy took a turn for the worse, developers intended on carrying out an Gabriel Sipin ................... 30.00 David Shands Book #7483 extensive overhaul on the luxury liner and converting it into an exclusive hotel Mike Soper ..................... 50.00 docked by one of the sheikdom’s man-made islands. The chairman of Istithmar Peter Villanueva Book #0857 Richard Stinson ............... 10.00 World —the ship’s owner— said he expects the 300-room hotel to open within 18 William Sullivan .............. 30.00 months, according to the Washington Post. The company realized visitors want to see the QE2 as it originally looked, so does not expect to carry out major renova- Dan Ternura ................... 50.00 tions or remove fixtures still onboard. Daniel TinTun ................. 50.00 Since its arrival in November 2008, the fate of the ship has been the subject of Louis Urbano .................. 10.00 scrutiny.