Navy League Opposes Changes To
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Organized 1885 Official Organ of the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific Volume LXXVIII No. 9 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Friday, September 25, 2015 Pension benefit increase Save American jobs: Renew the agreed to by APL and Matson charter of the Export-Import Bank! n September 16, the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific, the Marine he failure by Congress China and Hungary. American Firemen’s Union and the Seafarers’ International Union-Ma- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to renew the charter of workers in Maine, New York, Orine Cooks, which comprise the SIU-Pacific District for collective the National Association of the Export-Import Bank South Carolina and Texas will purposes, proposed and successfully negotiated a pension increase T Manufacturers and the Business of the United States is costing suffer the job losses. for future and current retirees with APL Marine Services and Matson Roundtable are urging Congress American workers, including Navigation Company. Significantly, commodities to renew the charter for the Ex- American maritime workers, that would have shipped as a port-Import Bank so it can once For those participants of the SIU-Pacific District Pension Plan who jobs. result of Export-Import Bank again provide financing for the retire on or after July 1, 2015, the pension benefit will increase by This month General Electric financing must be carried in part sale of American products over- $75, for those who retire at age 60 or older with 25 years seatime with (GE) announced it is bidding in U.S.-flag vessels with Amer- seas. Supporters of Export-Im- pro-rata increases for participants with less than 25 years covered on $11 billion in power projects ican crews. This includes direct port Bank point to data which employment. The full breakdown of pension benefit increases will that have already received a loans of any amount, guarantees shows that in fiscal year 2014, be published in October’s West Coast Sailors. line of credit from the French above $20 million and products the bank provided $27.5 billion Members already on pension who retired at age 55 or older with export credit agency. With no with repayment periods of more worth of U.S. export financing, at least 20 years of qualifying time will receive a 2% increase to Export-Import Bank financing than seven years. supporting about 164,000 jobs their monthly benefit, retroactive to July 1. available, G.E. intends to move In addition to the SUP, U.S.- including jobs aboard U.S.-flag The Pension Plan office indicates that the benefit increase will 500 jobs overseas –400 to France flag shipping companies and vessels. be reflected in the November pension checks retroactive to July 1. with the remaining 100 jobs to the other maritime Unions, the continued on back page Consumers and lawmakers take steps to end forced labor in fishing ederal lawmakers, State De- begun trying to address the labor abuses by December. To the country was not making a reward companies that have Fpartment officials, fishing problem. Senator Richard Blu- better track conditions on board significant effort to combat the better policies in place to prevent and pet food companies, and menthal (D-Connecticut), pro- ships, it intended to significantly problem. “We want to bring to labor abuses. class-action lawyers are stepping posed legislation in August reduce the number of boats from the public’s attention the full Nestle’s Fancy Feast cat food up efforts to combat forced labor aimed at increasing transparency which it buys fish, company nature and scope of a $150 bil- was among several major brands at sea. and accountability in corporate officials said. “Thai Union is lion illicit trafficking industry,” of seafood-based pet food export- This month, a group of con- supply chains. The bill requires completely committed to eradi- Kerry said then. ed to the United States by Thai sumers filed a class-action law- larger companies to report in cating human trafficking in any In late September, the Senate Union, the investigation found. suit in California against Mars, their financial filings what they and every part of our supply Caucus to End Human Traffick- Some of the fish was processed accusing the company, among are doing to prevent the use of chain,” said Sasinan Allmand, a ing, chaired by Senator Blumen- by a subsidiary, Songkla Canning the biggest producers of sea- trafficked workers. company spokeswoman. thal and Senator Rob Portman Public Co., and was caught on food-based pet food in the world, Congresswoman Carolyn B. In late July, Secretary of State (R-Ohio), is scheduled to hold boats using forced labor. of failing to disclose its depen- Maloney (D-New York), who John Kerry announced his agen- a briefing about the problem of The two class-action lawsuits dence on forced labor. A similar introduced similar legislation in cy’s decision to keep Thailand forced labor in fishing. The panel filed in the Federal District Court lawsuit was filed in late August the House, sent a letter to the Na- on the lowest tier of the State plans to discuss ways that the for the Central District of Cali- against Nestle, also a major pro- tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Department rankings on hu- United States government might ducer of seafood-based pet food. Administration, or NOAA, which man trafficking, indicating that adjust its purchasing policy to continued on page 2 Several lawmakers have also monitors the oceans, urging the agency to focus not just on illegal fishing but also on preventing Navy League opposes changes “trafficking and slavery in the fishing industry. I am particularly concerned by the fact that traf- to Jones Act for Puerto Rico ficking and other human rights n a letter sent to the leadership “Exempting Puerto Rico from heavily on the impact on national abuses are part of the supply Iof Congress on September 9, the Jones Act would undermine security. GAO correctly noted chain for seafood that is imported the Navy League of the United national security. The U.S.- that ‘the military strategy of the into the U.S.,” she wrote. States addressed ranking mem- mainland-to-Puerto-Rico trade United States relies on the use In taking these steps, the bers of the House Armed Ser- is a major American non-contig- of commercial U.S.-flag ships lawyers and lawmakers cited a vices Committee urging them to uous shipping trade. Ironically, and crews and the availability recent New York Times series, oppose any changes to the Jones Puerto Rico soon will be served of a shipyard industrial base to “The Outlaw Ocean”, about law- Act in the event any legislation is some of the most modern, state- support national defense needs.’” lessness on the high seas. One of considered to assist Puerto Rico of-the-art vessels in the Ameri- The letter comes on the heels the articles focused on migrant during its economic crisis. can fleet. Exempting Puerto Rico of recent news reports that have boys and men who were sold The Navy League set the and changing the rules in the included statements by familiar onto fishing boats in the South record straight on false claims middle of the game would cause opponents of the U.S. Merchant China Sea, where they were held a ripple effect that would impact Periodicals’ postage paid at San Francisco, CA (USPS 675-180) postage paid at San Francisco, CA Periodicals’ by Jones Act opponents that the Marine that have sought to captive, sometimes for years. law and the maritime industry the entire American shipping capitalize on the debt crisis and Thai Union Frozen Products, is to blame for the Puerto Rican industry. “…the U.S. General undermine an industry that for Thailand’s largest seafood com- debt crisis. As the Navy League Accountability Office (GAO) re- decades has provided consistent pany, responded to the series by indicates in its letter, the Jones cently completed the most com- and reliable transport of goods to saying that it planned to audit Act is critical for the island’s prehensive study of the Jones Act the people of Puerto Rico, says all of its suppliers to check for national and economic security. in Puerto Rico ever and focused the League. SUP Committee on Candidates: Page 4 ESU News: Page 7 Patriot Contract Wages: Page 9 Page 2 WEST COAST SAILORS Friday, September 25, 2015 Overboard passenger dies A passenger aboard the Panama-flag Carnival Glory died after falling overboard SUP Honor Roll near the Honduran coast August 19. The ship was enroute to Grand Cayman when the Voluntary contributions from the membership to the following funds: incident occurred. Passengers told the crew twice they had seen the woman’s body in the water before they notified the emergency services onboard the vessel. Organization/ Political Fund It took the ship almost 45 minutes before the ship altered course after passengers Apolinario Aguirre in memory first reported her being overboard. The 65-year-old female victim was recovered the General Fund of Bill Berger. 100.00 following day. Leo Moore. 100.00 W. Aquino . 30.00 Other incidents in the foreign-flag cruise industry: In March, a 54-year-old man fell Dennis Belmonte in memory off the Carnival Glory off the Mexican coast. He was safely recovered. Last month, two passengers fell off the Cunard QM2 and the MSC Magnifica. And, a Royal Ca- of Bill Berger. 100.00 Dues-Paying ribbean Freedom of the Seas crewmember suffered first-degree burns after flames Reynaldo Clores . 10.00 sparked near the engine and spread to the deck. Pensioners Dave Connolly. 100.00 Gordon Abbott Book #3785 Jennifer Corner.