'X-^: •""'"-!• :r^. -A'-^ 'v^- '•-• '-'r^ - •-'. r-:--' •" •\", -f"'' , 66 Delegates Attend Crew Conference A •'i «IS.< • •• -A!# -1T mi .: I .5 - ,• OM I I /\ ! i, f 1 '•.-"S •-©•« <.v:> " . -<->5- i rnvmi^ . • • :?:l •' , s-irv*-.;i>;•• : Sixty-six delegates from deep sea ports around the country were elected tliis month to attend the SIU crew conference at the Lunde- i"; •<; I berg School. In New Yoric, some of that port's delegates (bottom photo) get ready to leave on a special bus from Headquarters. -A ).v.ri Clockwise from top left are delegates from the ports of: Houston; Philadelphia; ^n Francisco, and New Orleans. For names of deflates from all ports, see story on Page 3. • r- , " . .'Z'••.--L . '- r jc.- ''-••/t,; -r.:- MTD Affirms Strong Oil Bill Sui^porf U •vl! The AFL-CIO's Maritime Trades men's Association, and Jesse Calhoon, one of the worst economic crises in its men into the ranks of the unemployed; Department has again affirmed its president of the Marine Engineers Ben­ history. The U.S. maritime industry is • The laid-up tanker tonnage repre­ strong support for U.S. cargo prefer­ eficial Association were among those likewise beset by serious econotaic diffi­ sents one-third of the entire non-oil ence legislation which, the department who also spoke at the luncheon, at­ culties that pose a serious threat to the company or independently-owned U.S.- says, would give a much needed boost tended by over 380 representatives of very survival of America's merchant flag tanker fleet. If immediate action is to the sagging American maritime in­ labor. marine. While the entire industry is ex­ not taken, this total may reach 40 per­ dustry. The maritime statement issued by the periencing problems, the tanker seg­ cent of the independent fleet in a mat­ At a Washington luncheon entitled MTD dealt specifically with the de­ ment of the U.S. merchant marine has ter of wfeeks; "The Economic Crisis and Its Impact pressed state of the tanker market, and been hit the hardest. • The lack of employment for exist­ . on Maritime Workers" held earlier proposed steps that should be taken to • Presently 1.3 million tons of U.S.- ing U.S.-flag vessels has resulted in mas­ this month, the MTD issued a state­ alleviate the problem. It read in part; flag tankers are without work, forcing sive cutbacks in shipbuilding orders and ment calling upon the Ford Adminis­ •"The United States is in the midst of more than one thousand merchant sea­ Continued on Page 21 tration and the Congress "to recognize the unique plight of America's maritime industry and to act to strengthen this in­ dustry which is a vitally important eco­ nomic and national security resoiirce." Principal speaker at the affair was AFL-CIO President George Meany, who in a major address, called for a reshaping of U.S. foreign policy to halt a retreat to isolationism and bring forth a re-newed national commitment to human freedom. Meany, in a speech broadcast live by public raffio, called for an end to one­ sided detente with the Communist pow­ ers and Congress's pursuit of the "im­ possible dream" of isolationism, which he said has turned U.S. foreign policy into a "shambles." mk SIU and MTD President Paul Hall, AFL-CIO President George Meany addresses labor representatives at a Maritime Trades Department luncheon earlier Page Groton, assistant to the president this month. Seated behind Meany at the dais are (left to right): Page Groton, assistant to the president of the International of the International Brotherhood of Brotherhood of Boilermakers; Peter McGavin, executive secretary-treasurer of the MTD; Paul Hall, president of the Boilermakers, Thomas Gleason, presi­ SIU and MTD; Jesse Calhoon, president of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, and Thomas Gleason, president dent of the International Longshore­ of the International Longshoremen's Association. idential pocket-veto of the bill, although unfortunate, in no form takes away from the magnitude of our political victory over the multinational the oil companies which command the largest and richest lobby in Wash­ •••.J.;- ington, D.C. We have won some great victories—significant victories which have 'i-/' • ''f succeeded both in halting the decline of the U.S. maritime industry, and PRESIDENT'S U: v./ '• .'K .. ' ' — in putting it back on a true course to recovery. Still, these victories are only a beginning. And today, we in the SIU have reached an important crossroad both in our history as a Union and PaMijBaa in our history as an integral part of the American maritime industry. REPORT: We as Seafarers work in an industry that has fallen and is now rebuild­ ing—an industry that is going through a period of revolutionary change P/ney Point Conference in regard to technology—and an industry that has the potential to once again regain its former dominant role in global maritime capabilities. Yet, this can only happen if the Seafarer, as he has always done in the Rises to the Challenge past, continues to rise to meet the many challenges and problems of today In the early days of the Union we fought for arid won our rights as and the future. workers and our ri^ts as human beings. We won better wages, working con­ Presently at the special Seaforers Conference at the Lundeheig School, ditions and job security. We won pensions, vacations and welfare benefits for there are 66 rank-and-file SIU members, representative of our entire ourselves and our families. And as a result, we built a strong Union that has membership, woiidng side-by-side with SIU officials in a genuine atmos­ successfully responded to the needs of Seafarers throughout the years. phere of cooperation to map out a recommended plan of action for meet­ Yet, at the same time as we were struggling for our basic rights as ing these needs. seamen, profit-motivated business deals coupled with a conspicuous lack These men are taking a hard look at the evolution of our. industry; of decisive government action began to erode the strength of the U.S. where it stands today; and the direction it must move in the future to maritime industry. best suit our needs as professional Seafarers. Steadily, scores of American-flag ships were transferred from U.S. to They are studying our upcoming contract and will be recommending foreign-flag registry and re-crewed by low-paid, and in many cases, im­ changes that may be needed in it to better provide job and financial properly trained foreign seamen. By 1969, this steady erosion had gone security for the Seafarer and his family. so far that the U.S., once the foremost maritime power in the world, had - And they are studying our political and educational programs, our dropped to a disgraceful seventh place. Consequently, Seafarers and shipping rules, and Constitution, our pension, welfare and vacation plans. thousands of other American maritime workers suffered from the result­ In all of these areas, as well, the elected delegates to the conference will ing squeeze on job opportunities. be making recommendations for possible changes. And, in all their ac­ At this juncture, the SIU, in the same spirit as the early days, again tions they will be taking into consideration the true feelings and views of rose to meet this new challenge head on through aggressive political the "SIU membership, conveyed to them through personal contact with '• X.. • programs, strongly backed by the voluntary contributions of hundreds of fellow Seafarers aboard ship and in Union halls, and through the written Seafarers to the Union's political Fund—SPAD. suggestions of our members in the pre-conference questionnaires sent to We successfully spearheaded passage of the Merchant Marine Act of every member's home. .1970 which immediately injected new life into the UtS. shipbuilding in­ Most importantly though, these Seafarers will he making recommen­ dustry; and after only a few years on the books, the Act began providing dations for membership action that will benefit the greatest number of Seafarers with job opportunities aboard the new ships built under the Seafarers in the largest number of ways for the longest period of years. program. The 1970 Act will continue to pay off for Seafarers in this way This conference, a gathering of Seafarers working together, is a sig­ for years to come. - nificant beginning in the all-out cooperative effort that we in the SIU More recently, we successfully coordinated American labor's all-out must make if we are to achieve our goals of a continually better way of campaign for passage in the House and Senate of the Energy Transporta­ life for Seafarers and a better industry in which to work. tion Security Act which required that by 1977, 30 percent of all our This conference will prove to be the most important such meeting the nation's oil imports be carried on U.S.-flag tankers. The subsequent pres­ SIU has ever conducted. Change of address cards on Form 3579 should be sent to Seafarers International Union, Atiantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, AFL-CIO, 675 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11232. Published monthly. Second Class postage paid at Brooklyn, N. Y. Vol. XXXVII, No. 4. April 1975. Page 2 Seafarers Log Discuss Contract, Constitution, Plans 66 Elected Delegates Meeting at Conference Sixty-six delegates chosen from the each A&G deep sea port on Apr. 10-11. meet their full quota and, according to with SlU-contracted operators in rat­ membership are now meeting at a Based on shipping, registration and arrangements made prior to the elec­ ings above entry (seatime was consid­ Crews Conference in Piney Point, Md.