See Paste 11 B*E<>WJ:iS6>SSUii«WSU':^SEiH7. OKirial publication of the SEAFARERS Internationa! Union • Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District^* AFL-CIO ^«ss?w5ls®®?ssay€Mi•ynv^.3" '...-''S-'S; •,^ R ,;.! V , ^4^! -,,i , • .' ,y%".' wmm' ROIRO Westward Vent are Energy Plan '•-M •-wj SlU PresideBt Paul Haif, serving as Ci^airiTia AFL-GIQ Ensfgy Gom^ mittee gets a preview of President Carter's energy plan for the country. The briefing included discussion on how the program would affect Ameripen i/-i workers, James Schlesinger, right, ehlef energy advisor to the President, also took part in the briefing. (See story page 5.) i Eif T'-rm J I V.U '-fV'. -.i "•-I'Vu u', Philadelphia^'•'VC?,*,* (See page 3.)QV page ll.; ./• -W;'^'.Z . -V'Sj^MS Qv .-T;- -•::,.•••• • . .' ." •;, • • •. •• •'• " r '-d ; Sitf TiTVr.V- See Cental Fold New River Contracts at Inland fugs^ABL seeSee Page 2 iftpi ;d;:^ av. Hail/Turner Meet on Proposed SiU-MC6tS Merger See Page 3 Boatmen OK Pacts at Inland Tugs, ABL SIU Boatmen at two Mississippi and in a year, his vacation benefit would be the Union's contracted tug, towboat ing goals for upcoming contract nego­ Ohio River towing outfits have over­ higher accordingly, and if he works and dredging companies into the Sea­ tiations with seven inland companies whelmingly accepted new three-year less than 240 days in a year, the benefit farers Vacation Plan one-by-one as operating on the rivers and the Gulf contracts, which among other things,, would be less accordingly. each company's contract comes up for Intracoastal Canal. The companies in­ establish the first Union-company Overall in the new contract, between renewal. clude Gulf Canal Lines, Inland Tugs- jointly administered vacation plan ever Canal Division, Sabine Canal and Har­ First Since Confab negotiated for Inland Boatmen work­ bor, Dixie Carriers, Marine Fueling, ing the nation's Western rivers. VMI jjKj The Inland Tugs and ABL contracts Slade Towing and National Marine. The new contracts, which also in­ are the first to be ratified since last Although members from ABL and clude substantial increases in wages, the new vacation benefit and increased month's Boatmen's Educational Con­ Inland Tugs-River Division were not a overtime, welfare benefits and other wages, the unlicensed member will ference at the Lundeberg School, which part of the Conference, many of the fringes, cover the licensed and un­ realize a raise in earnings of about 30 proposed industry-wide standardiza­ gains the SIU won for their contracts licensed crews of Inland Tugs-River percent, and the licensed members tion of collective bargaining agreements reflect the contract goals of the Union Division and the licensed crews of about a 40 percent raise over the life between the SIU and its contracted for the upcoming negotiations. American Barge Line, both of Jeffer- of the contract. towing companies. It is hoped that the contracts won this sonville, Ind. The contract for the un­ Also in the unlicensed area, the rat­ Delegates to this Conference, which year will be the basis for negotiating licensed- crews at ABL is not up for ings and wages of the probationary included rank-and-file Boatmen and standardized contracts for all Boatmen renewal until July 1977. deckhand and probationary cook have Union officials, also set forth bargain­ in the next few years. been raised to that of a full deckhand A member's eligibility to the new or cook, translating into an increase in vacation benefit is based totally on the earnings of about 50 percent for these Unemployment Eases to 7.3% number of days worked during the categories. year. The member becomes eligible to Industry-Wide Plan WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. number of adult workers who had been collect the benefit after accumulating at laid off due to the harsh wipter. least 90 days of employment. Winning vacation plans at Inland jobless rate last month eased somewhat According to the Labor Department, The amount of the vacation benefit Tugs-River Division and American to 7.3 percent from February's 7.5 per­ varies depending on the rating a man Barge Line is another big step forward cent, says the Labor Department here. more than 7-million U.S. workers were sails. For example, in the third year of in the SIU's overall program of esIaB- Since the country's unemployment without work last month. Rep. Richard the contracts (starting Dec. 31, 1978), lishing an industry-wide vacation plan rate still remains high, AFL-CIO Presi­ Boiling (D-Mo.) said that the 7.3 per­ and based on 240 days of employment for all SIU Boatmen. dent George Meany's comment was that cent unemploym.ent rate for March was that year, the vacation benefit for the The SIU broke the ice in this area the slight decline in joblessness "proved the same percentage recorded in May various ratings would be: last year when the Union won similar only that the horrible winter is over," 1976. • $933.60 for deckhands. vacation plans for East Coast Boatmen alluding to the higher unemployment Meanwhile, Congress has extended • $1065.60 for lead deckhands, working for Stcuart Transportation of caused by the severe cold and resultant the program of emergency jobless bene­ cooks, tankerman, utility engineers and Piney Point, Md. and Allied Towing of gas shortage in February. fits for those out of work more than 39 trainee engineers. Norfolk, Va. These vacation plans Meany holds that March's jobless weeks. A maximum of 13 additional • $1200 for assistant engineersfli- were the first jointly administered plans rate was actually 10 percent with 9.7- weeks instead of the former 26 extra censed). ever negotiated for Boatmen anywhere million of the nation's workers unem­ weeks will be available for the long- • $1334.40 for chief engineers (li­ in the inland waters industry. ployed. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta­ termed unemployed until Jan. 31, 1978 censed). The SIU's goal in the area of vaca­ tistics (BLS) attributes the decrease in as soon as President Carter signs the If a man works more than 240 days tion pay for Boatmen is to bring all of the jobless rate to the recall of a large measure. tragic thing is Congress had passed an identical bill last year but it was vetoed. However, this year 21 Congressmen switched their vote from support to oppo­ sition and the bill went down 217-205. In plain English, we have our wprk cut out for us if we expect to outflank the oil companies once again and get a cargo preference bill through Congress and signed into law. In addition to cargo preference, the SIU will be pushing very hard for Congressional approval of an all-American route for the Alaskan natural gas pipeline, as opposed to a Canadian route. The American route includes con­ struction of a gas pipeline to shadow the Alaska oil pipeline from the North Slope to the ice-free port of Valdez in southern Alaska. From there, the liquified gas would be transported in U.S.-flag LNG tankers to various points in the lower 48 states. In all, it could mean 750,000 man years of employment for U.S. workers in pipeline construction, LNG ship construction and on the ships themselves. 40 Years in Politics and That's a whole lot of work for Americans, but it could all be lost if Congress supports the Canadian route. Another issue that is heating up is what to do with the Alaskan oil when it Still Plugging starts flowing from the new pipeline later this year. The oil companies want a swap plan, which would include exportation of as much as half of this oil to You'd think that after nearly 40 years of working for progressive legislative Japan, to be offset by increased importation of Arab oil to the East Coast. The programs to better our industry and enhance the livelihoods of America's SIU will be working to ensure that virtually 100 percent of the Alaskan oil is merchant seamen, the increasingly important job of politics would become a used for domestic U.S. purposes as a logical first step in making the U.S. energy little easier for us. Well, that's a very nice thought, but believe me, it just doesn't independent. work that way. Also this year, the SIU will continue its fight to close the Virgin Islands loop­ In fact, as the SIU refined and expanded its political activities over the years, hole in the Jones Act. For many years, the oil companies have been circum­ our political opponents, which includes all kinds of groups from the oil com­ venting the use of U.S.-flag tankers by virtue of this outdated amendment. If we panies to the right wing "right-to-work" committee, have put more and more are successful on this issue, it could mean as many as 24 more ships for the time, energy and money into their own. U.S. tanker fleet. On top of this, the political issues themselves are becoming more and more The issues I have mentioned are just a few of the tougher ones we will be complicated as the most aggressive technological revolution in the history of tackling in the near future. Again, I do not believe we are biting off more than maritime creates new challenges and new changes in our industry every day. we can chew. On the contrary, I believe that the positive resolution of these and Despite all the technological and political changes, and the increased sophis­ other pressing maritime issues are attainable goals.