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"- ' 5- """ft' A??" " • ^' i>;,v :, Zr':::•:• :<K •:';v-V-r-J^'f v-^-' • • ,••••.•;; • ••••."••••• \.- •.•,•: < A:.V;I-. t.-''"^--4''-^: ••"..•;;^'.,V,.v- : '• .• . •- ••••••-•' '••;••••• -o'-f:•-, •• :«•,•. •:; '•'• •. '. - - i;?- ; " " "' .k.-^r'^.Z. ^ ,-• :..;.?;L : .1 - , . , . :.v. :..-V.V-.- ' " , h ' " , \M 8% MfllYon Ouf bf W6rk Unemployment at Highest in 34 Years Statutics relsased last month by the percent, the highest figure in 34 years. increase in unemployed was 362,000 for the month of May alone, Robert U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau This is an increase in the jobless workers above that of the April figure. A. Georgine, president of the AFL- of Labor Statistics reveal what most rate of three-tenths of one percent The 8.5 million figure of those out CIO Building and Construction Trades people looking for jobs already know from the previous month. The total of work, however, does not really Department, commented that workers —that unemployment has skyrocketed number of unemployed workers has reflect the true unemployment picture. in the industry "are being buried alive over the past few months to where now reached a staggering 8,538,000 As AFL-CIO President George Meany in the tuimel at the end of which the the U.S. jobless rate is now at 9.2 people, the most since July, 1940. The has recently pointed out, to that num Ford Administration professes to see ber you can add another 1.1 million a light." people who are discouraged and no "With more than one out of every INDEX longer looking for jobs, and another five building and construction workers 1.8 million people who usually work now jobless," Georgine declared, "we ^ HM Legislative News . SlU ships receive awards .Page 9 fulltime, but who are partially unem can't see any light, nor can we see Merchant Marine hearings Transcoiorado ployed, and you get a total figure of President Ford's logic." begin Page 5 commended Page 6 over 11 million people who are either The construction industry is not the Transportation Institute unemployed or underemployed. Continued on Page 23 head testifies at Shipping hearings Page 5 Dispatchers' Reports Page 18 Employment for the month of May Washington Activities .!... Page 8 Ships' Committees ... Page 4 actually increased, for the second - New Contract War risk insurance Page 6 Ships' Digests Page 28 month in a row, but because there was also a sharp rise in the total labor Printed In Special force, there was an increase in the jobless rate. Total employment rose July LOG Training and Upgrading to 84,402,000, an increase of 316,000, The entire texts of the new Union News but the entire labor force rose by Frelghtship and Tanker contracts New SlU contract Page 3 Upgrading class schedule, requirements and 678,000 to a total of 92,940,000. will be published in a special July President's Report Page 2 viliiie the overall economic picture issue of the Seaforers LOG. Membership meeting in application Pages 30-31 Seafarers participate in has been bleak, over 3,600,000 work-. This special edition will also in Mobile Page 22 ers have joined the unemployment Headquarters Notes Page 9 bosuns recertification dicate all of the revised sections^ and 'A' seniority ranks In the past nine months, some additions and other changes con upgrading Pages 10-11 Industries have been hit much harder General News dum others. For example, m the con tained in both contracts. GED requirements and These new contracts, which Crew of Mayaguez tell their application Pages 30-31 struction Industry the unemployment story Centerfold rate Is a whopping 21.8 percent, an took effect on June 16, 1975, will govern wages, overtime rates, Membership News all-time hlg^, and a figure more than Fit-out on the Great double that of a year ago. work rules and other working Lakes .Pages 12-13 New SlU pensioners Page 25 Final Departures Page 27 In noting the 2.5 percent increase conditions untU June 15 of 1978. Maritime Day in Mobile ... Page 6 in unemployed construction workers Security Act, through Congress last year and as far as the President's desk, but it was pocket-vetoed. We are back in Congress again this year with the legislation similar to the Energy Transportation Security Act, We will accept nothing less than a progressive program—a cargo preference program—that will guarantee long-term recovery for American-flag tanker operations and long-term job opportunities for American maritime workers. PRESIDENT'S Of equal legislative importance to the American merchant marine today is continued preservation of the Jones Act which for 55 years has provided unyielding protection to the job jurisdiction of American workers in the REPORT: carriage of domestic cargoes. Paul Hall In recent years, the multinational oil companies have led the way in increasing attacks on the Jones Act on many fronts. However, the com panies' ultimate goal in breaking the Jones Act is to bring in their foreign- f'i ' flag ships to carry Alaskan pipeline oil to U.S. ports in the lower 48 states. T' A Solid Base for the Under the Jones Act, 100 percent of all Alaskan oil destined for U.S. ports must be carried on U.S.-built, U.S.-flag vessels. So far, we have been extremely successful in blocking these busting Future attempts. However, only constant vigilance and continued legislative actions The long-term future of the United States maritime industry—^whether it on our part will keep the Jones Act and the job security of thousands of will continue to move ahead and revitalize or whether it will founder in American maritime workers intact. stagnation—depends in large part on the final and successful disposition of The third area of vital legislative importance to the U.S. maritime industry i - the SIU's fights in three very important legislative areas. today is a bill known as the Non-National Carrier Bill, which was recently i The most pressing problem facing the industry today and the jobs of the introduced in the U.S. Senate by Hawaii Senator Daniel K. Inouye. If enacted, i thousands of Americans employed in it is the depressed state of the American this necessary bill would help put America's berth line operators on a more tanker market. There are 31 U.S.-flag tankers now laid up with predictions competitive scale with third-flag carriers, who employ low paid, and in many from the Maritime Administration that this number could shortly rise to cases, improperly trained foreign seamen. The bill would stabilize competi I 40 imemployed tankers with an aggregate tonnage of 1.8 million dead tion by forcing third-flag carriers to set rates no lower than the lowest rate weight tons. charged by a U.S.-flag carrier or the national-flag carrier of America's trading Too many people in government attribute the depressed American tanker partner in a specific trade. - market to the general depression in the world market. But the simple fact is For years, the U.S. merchant marine has had to contend with the rate- that American tanker operators for years have had trouble finding long-term cutting practices of third-flag operators. But today, when third-flag carriers, employment for their ships. This is the real problem; at the present time the led by the Russian Far Eastern Shipping Co., are conducting unprecedented United States has no viable program to keep the vessels of its merchant campaigns to capture and control America's vast trades in import and export marine working and out of layup. cargoes, a measure such as the Inouye Bill is more important than ever. The . i 'The answer to this problem, though, is not a program such as providing SIU will be at the forefront of this important fight to keep U.S. berth line tax concessions to oil companies who use U.S.-flag ships in the carriage of operators in business and American Seafarers working. imported oil, because programs like this would only provide a short-term All three of these legislative goals are designed to give the American flurry in shipping and short-term relief to the U.S. tanker market. merchant marine a solid basis for long-term future growth. These kinds of The solution to the problem is a program of cargo preference—a program programs are what the U.S. maritime industry needs, and it is these kind of that would require 30 percent of the nation's oil imports to be carried on programs that the SIU will continue to fight for—programs that will provide American-built, American-manned, American-flag tankers. American maritime workers with the best possible job opportunities and job We succeeded in getting such a program, the Energy Transportation security guarantees for years to come. 'v" A"'---' Change of address cards on Form 3579 should be sent to Seafarers international Union, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and inland Waters District, AFL-CIO, 675 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn New York 11232. Published monthly. Second Class postage pa:d at Brooklyn, N. Y. Vol. XXXVII, No. 6, June 1975. Seafarers Log •• • New Siij Cofiiract Negdilated - 1; 1 ' : 1 Pay,Vacation, Pension, Increases Won '1' After intensive negotiations the SIU f reached a new three-year agreement with the Union's contracted operators providing for across-the-board wage in creases in each of the three years of the contract, and substantial increases in vacation, pension and welfare bene fits. The contract went into effect at fv i 12:01 a.m. on June 16, 1975 after a i wide consensus of the SIU membership 1 overwhelmingly ratified the contract at special Union meetings held at all SIU ii'! halls on Saturday, June 14, 1975.