SIU, NMU Begin Merger Talks in Piney Point DOD Backs Down In

Official Publication of the Seafarers International Union• Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District• AFL·CIO Vol. 48 No. 10 9ctober 1986 SUP and MFOW Attend as Observers SIU, NMU Begin Merger Talks in Piney Point A meeting of top officials of the month, SIU President Frank Drozak in Piney Point, Md., could last several the many advantages of a merger. Seafarers International Union and the and NMU President Shannon Wall months. Five officials from each union The issue of the merger has been National Maritime Union began Oct. held exploratory discussions and agreed are taking part. AFL-CIO President discussed aboard both SIU and NMU 20 to set up procedures for the even "in principle" on the "need and de- Lane Kirkland has designated two per ships and in the LOG and NMU Pilot. tual merger of the two major unli irability" of a merger. sonal representatives to aid and par The initial reaction from the member censed mariners unions. Earlier this The meetings, which are being held ticipate in the talks. ships appears to be favorable. At the Drozak said that representatives from headquarters member hip meeting in the Sailors Union of the Pacific and Piney Point earlier this month, the the Marine Firemen's Union have been SIU members gave Drozak a unani invited, too. He said representative mous vote to proceed with the merger from those two unions have the option talks. to come simply as observers to the The idea of a merger has been kicked talks or as active participants. around for many years. While several ' 'Shannon and I are both well aware joint projects between the two unions of the decades of rivalry between our were undertaken, merger plans never two unions. But we are both very got past the talking stage. Earlier this aware of the problems we face-fewer year Drozak proposed a meeting of all ships, fewer jobs, foreign competition maritime unions-licensed and unli and a hostile administration in the censed-to discuss the possibility of White House," Drozak aid. a merger. He described the initial meeting as While the initial propo al to include friendly and frank and said he and the licensed unions met with some Presidents of the four labor organizations representing unlicensed seamen in the U.S. were on deck as merger talks got under way. From left are Paul Dempster, Sailors Union of the Wall discussed the many difficult is resistance, the idea of one large unli Pacific; Shannon Wall, National Maritime Union; Frank Drozak, Seafarers International sues that must be resolved between censed union has fared better. Union, and Henry "Whitey" Disley, Marine Firemen, Oilers & Watertenders. the two unions. They also talked about (Continued on Page 24.) DOD Backs Down in Cargo Preference Battle The Department of Defense has munity. A new treaty between the the courts-which upheld Rainbow's be a precedent for similiar weakening backed down in its efforts to overturn U.S. and Iceland appears to have rights, the State Department-which of the 1904 Cargo Preference Act in the 1904 Military Cargo Preference brought the controversy to an end. wanted to accommodate Iceland be other trades; (2) the administration is Act (see Sept. LOG) following fierce The treaty will open up the U.S. cause of the importance of the U.S. committed to the overall integrity of opposition from the maritime com- military cargo trade to Icelandic ships base, and the maritime community the 1904 Act and (3) the treaty will be again, but State Department officials which wanted to protect the 1904 Act implemented in such a way that the insist that it will set no precedent for which provides a large amount of rev existing United States-flag service in Long Lines other military shipments around the enue for U .S.-flag ships. the Iceland trade would not be dis world. Under the 1904 Act, 100 per This summer the DOD proposed a advantaged as a result of the treaty.'' Crews in Norfolk cent of that cargo is reserved for U.S. new rule which would have slashed Those assurances appear to have Pages 12 & 13 ftag ships. Also, as part of the agree the U .S.-flag share of military cargo calmed the fears of Congress and the ment, the DOD has dropped its efforts to 50 percent, and even that percent indu try, and the treaty is expected to to gut the Act by allowing foreign-flag age was not guaranteed if the DOD meet with congressional approval. ships into any other· military ship found the freight rates "excessive." ments. That action mobilized maritime in U oder the terms of the treaty, the terests in the industry and on Capitol Inside: first 65 percent of the cargo will go to Hill. Legislation was introduced to the lowest bidder, regardless of flag. prevent the DOD from implementing The remaining 35 percent will go to new rules. Letters were sent from Re-Flagging Bill the lowest bidder of the other country. almost every maritime union and man Page 2 Only Iceland and the U.S. will be agement groups asking representa involved in the bidding. tives and senators to preserve the 1904 Navy, Tl Warn The flap began over a relatively Act. small amount of military cargo be The issue also became a hot political of Crew Shortage tween the U.S. and its airbase in item in Iceland, and the State Depart Page 3 Keflavik, Iceland. Icelandic hips car ment wanted to reach some sort of ried the hipments for more than 15 agreement because of the strategic Inland News years because no American company importance of the U.S. base there. Pages 5 & 6 offered service. In 1984 Rainbow Nav When the treaty wa announced igation, an American company, was there wa fear in some quarters that SHLSS formed and claimed right to the cargo it could et a precedent which would Pages 7-10 under the 1904 Act. It one ship, affect all military cargo hipments. Government It was a pretty short line for Steward charted from Marad, began carrying The administration assured the Sen As.sistant Mark Fuller as he waited for the the cargo, and the Icelandic ships were ate Commerce, Science and Tran - Services launch to take him to the cable ship Long shut out of the trade. portation Committee that (1) "the treaty Page 15 lines. The issue wound it way through would not be understood or appear to President's Report House OKs Passenger by Frank Drozak Ship Re-Flagging Bill The 99th session of Congress, which own when there are fewer than 400 The House of Representatives took the "substantially completed" re just ended, was one of the most pro vessels in the active deepsea fleet, and a major step in the effort to bolster quirement, a ship must have its keel ductive in recent memory. when manning is being cut? the U .S.-flag passenger fleet when it laid, have "firm and irrevocable" Far-reaching reforms were made in There are some hopeful signs. There approved a measure which could allow building commitments, and 50 percent the tax code and immigration policy. is a growing awareness of just how foreign-built cruise ships into the trade. of the vessel's total construction fi Sanctions were imposed against the important the A~erican-flag merchant The bill, S. 1935, which the Senate nancing must be spent or contracted government of South Africa. marine is to the defense of this coun approved earlier, passed by voice for. try. The Navy has just released a study vote. It could solve the impasse on " Everybody knows where the SIU Yet in one area, at least, the 99th noting that this country faces a severe the passenger ship issue which has stands. We have been trying to find a session of Congress came up consid shortage of skilled mariners. divided the maritime community for way to give U.S. operators a chance erably short. Very little was done to almost four years. The House did not to get into this multi-million dollar turn things around for this nation's Yet as long as the maritime industry substantially change the Senate ver cruise business. When you look at the severely depressed maritime industry. and maritime labor refuse to get their sion but did amend it, and a conference popularity of cruises and the money own houses in order, we will never This was not entirely the fault of between the two houses will be nec spent by Americans on foreign-flag get the opportunity to make produc the Congress. There were many ca essary before it is sent to the White ships, you know there has to be a tive use of this growing public percep pable senators and representatives who House for signature or veto. place for U .S.-flag interests," said tion. were willing to look into new and The bill gives U.S. shipyards until SIU President Frank Drozak. innovative ways of promoting the It is no accident that in those areas Sept. 1, 1988 to construct or "sub He also pointed out that a large American-flag merchant marine. But where the maritime industry was most stantially complete" or refurbish two cruise ship could generate about 1,000 they were frustrated at every turn by fragmented-i.e. , the passenger vessel ships. If that happens, then no foreign shipboard jobs. built ships will be allowed into the an industry which was unwilling to trade-little headway was made in If no U.S. building projects meet coastwise trade which is protected by present a united front.

Load more