Wcs Jan 2003Color
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Organized 1885 Official Organ of the Sailors' Union of the Pacific Volume LXVI No. 1 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Friday, January 24, 2003 Matson confirms order Flag-of-convenience fleet linked for Manukai-class ships Matson Navigation Company has confirmed its purchase of two new 2,600 TEU containerships currently under the construction at to al Qaeda terrorist network Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyards by waiving a cancellation clause. U.S. intelligence officials have of which ask for almost no infor- the article. The contract for the vessels was signed in May 2002, but Matson identified approximately 15 mation from shipping firms that Although the 15 claimed they had the option to scuttle the deal as late as three months prior to ships around the world that they flag their vessel with them, were crewmen, when questioned delivery. believe are controlled by Osama according to the report. by U.S. and Italian officers, the The two diesel-powered ships will cost approximately $110 mil- bin Ladens al Qaeda. The Washington Post article captain said they knew nothing lion per ship and will be deployed in Matsons Hawaii service According to a page one ar- underscored the ease and the about seafaring, the article said. when construction is completed. The m/v Manukai is scheduled ticle in the December 31, 2002, lack of information that goes It was also reported that U.S. for delivery in mid-2003 and the second vessel in 2004. Washington Post, staff writer along with flag-of-convenience officials found tens of thou- Kvaerner is also building two other containerships in Philadel- John Mintz reports that intelli- shipping. sands of dollars, false docu- phia on speculation. It is not known whether Matson is interested gence experts said the vessels Belize allows companies to ments, maps of Italian cities and in these vessels. could be used by the terrorist register vessels online, for ex- evidence tying them to al Qaeda In other news regarding the Manukai, Matson has developed a network to ferry operatives, ample, and countries such as members in Europe, and con- new add-on section to its website (www.matson.com) entitled Birth bombs, money or commodities Comoros and St. Vincent and the cluded that they too, were pos- of a Ship which provides progress reports on the vessels con- over the high seas. Grenadines and even land- sibly on a terrorist mission. struction. Facilitated by flag-of-conve- locked Bolivia barely keep The Pakistanis were subse- nience registries, U.S. intelli- track of their ships, the article quently charged in Italy with gence agencies can lose track of said attributing the information conspiracy to engage in acts of ILWU ratifies contract with suspicious vessels which are to U.S. government officials. terrorism, the article said. continually given new fictitious THE AL QAEDA FORGED DIPLOMAS– Pacific Maritime Association names, re-painted or re-regis- CONNECTION KEY TO SEAFARING tered using invented corporate The article also quoted U.S. EMPLOYMENT By an overwhelming majority, members of the Longshore Divi- owners, all while plying the Navy officials saying that al The growing prospects of al sion of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union ratified oceans, the article said. a six-year collective bargaining agreement with the Pacific Mari- Qaeda has used one fleet of ships Qaeda terrorists infiltrating Flag-of-convenience countries, registered in the Pacific island crews and seizing ships time Association on January 22. Member companies of the PMA such as Panama and Liberia, of- took the same action. of Tonga to transport operatives prompted U.S. Navy and Coast fer shipowners from other coun- around the Mediterranean Sea. Guard intelligence experts to The struggle to achieve a contract had many milestones. After tries an easy way to register their examine student lists from hun- endless rounds of fruitless bargaining sessions, the PMA locked The al Qaeda firm, known as ships, with little or zero taxes, dreds of seafaring academies out the ILWU on the West Coast on September 27, accusing the Nova and incorporated in Dela- substandard safety, labor and en- around the world, according to Union of slowing down on the job. This employer strike finally ware and Romania, has for years vironmental standards compared engaged in smuggling illegal im- the report. led to President Bush to seek an injunction on October 8, under the to U.S. requirements, and with no migrants, according to the report Diplomas from these schools provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act to reopen the ports. During this meaningful restrictions on the which attributed the information are needed for work on most period, rallies in support of the ILWU were held up and down the nationality of crews. coast with the SUP as a full participant. to U.S. and Greek officials. The ships, and trade in fake certifi- As they scramble to keep tabs Washington Post article further cates is brisk in many port cit- Bargaining with the assistance of Federal Mediator Peter Hurtgen on the largely unregulated and quoted the officials as saying that ies, the article said. and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, the parties secretive global maritime indus- the al Qaeda string of vessels of- reached agreement on November 23. The ILWU Longshore cau- U.S. EXPANDS try, U.S. officials have no end of ten change their names and coun- SURVEILLANCE cus recommended the pact for membership vote on December 12, worries about how nautical ter- tries of registry. EFFORTS and balloting occurred from rorists could attack U.S. or al- In February of last year, eight In addition to using satellites, January 6 through January 13. lied ports or vessels, the article Pakistanis jumped off one of the surveillance planes and informa- Going into bargaining, the said quoting government offi- al Qaeda cargo ships, the tion provided by allied navies Union set three priorities: main- cials. They [government offi- Twillinger, at the port of Trieste, and overseas informants, U.S. in- tain its 100 percent employer cials] cite such scenarios as al Italy, after coming from Cairo, Second class postage paid at San Francisco, CA (USPS 675-180) telligence agencies are using paid health care benefits, in- Qaeda dispatching an explo- according to the article. U.S. large data bases to track cargo, crease pension benefits and win sives-packed speedboat to blow officials say they determined that ships and seafarers to search for jurisdiction over operating new a hole in the hull of a luxury the menwho lied about being anything out of the ordinary that technology. cruise ship sailing the Caribbean crewmen and carried false docu- The ILWU batted three for Sea or having terrorists posing ments and large sums of money FOCs linked to al Qaeda as crewmen commandeering a three on its main concerns, had been sent by al Qaeda, continued on page 9 ILWU President Jim Spinosa said. freighter carrying dangerous the report said. chemicals and slamming it into The contract guarantees medi- Another incident involving a harbor. SUP Halls to close for cal benefits for the next six years, PERILS OF FLAG-OF- another Nova-owned ship re- pension increases and gives the cently renamed the Sara oc- February holidays jurisdiction over port computer CONVENIENCE curred in August when its cap- technologythe issue that ig- SHIPPING tain radioed Italian maritime All SUP halls will be closed on nited the employer lockoutto U.S. intelligence officials are authorities informing them of Wednesday, February 12, 2003, the Union. preoccupied with the perils posed being forced by the ships owner and on Monday, February 17, in The contract says that the by thousands of merchant ships to take on 15 Pakistanis in observance of Lincolns and worldwide that are registered in Casablanca, Morocco, who were Washingtons Birthdays (Presi- ILWU flag-of-convenience nations some menacing his crew, according to dents Day), both of which are continued on page 3 contract holidays. ESU News: Pages 6 & 7 SUP Training Schedule: Page 8 Page 2 WEST COAST SAILORS Friday, January 24, 2003 SUPVoluntary contributions Honor from the membership to the Roll following funds: Organization/ Political Fund West Coast Sailors General Fund Abraham Acosta............... 25.00 James Meador ................. 40.00 Abraham Acosta............... 25.00 *In lieu of dues increase. James Bailey ................... 35.00 John Nannini ................... 25.00 John Bataeff .................... 20.00 Charles Bulmer ................ 25.00 Donald OHalloran ........... 20.00 Clyde Bell ....................... 20.00 Abraham Acosta............... 25.00 Alex Castillo .................... 15.00 Vince OHalloran ............ 100.00 L.L. Ray Brown ............... 24.24 Karl Andersen ................. 20.00 Ed Cochrane ................... 10.00 Teodulo Ochoa ................. 10.00 Richard Chung ................ 25.00 Jose Angeles .................... 20.00 Linda Cramp ................... 25.00 Doug Olney ..................... 10.00 Linda Cramp ................... 10.00 James Bailey ................... 40.00* Robert Darcy ................... 10.00 Carl Orange .................... 20.00 William DeBenedictis ........ 10.00 Charles Bulmer ................ 40.00* Jeff Evanhus.................... 25.00 Mike Orosz ..................... 30.00 James Fernandes .............. 25.00 Robert Burns ................... 20.00* Steve Foster ..................... 25.00 Jesper Pfeil ..................... 30.00 John Folcarelli ................. 20.00 William DeBenedictis ........ 30.00 Allen Gonzales ................. 10.00