MTD Leads New Fight for New Orleans PHS Biggest Tanker Of
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Vol. XXXIII, No. 9 September 1971 SEAFARERS - i OFfiCIAL ORGAN OF THC SEAFARERS mTERNATIONAL UNION • ATLANTIC. GULF. LAKES AND INLAND WATERS DISTRICT • AFL-ClO MTD Leads New Fight For New Orleans PHS See Page 3 o • o • o O ' o Seafarers Educational Conference See Page 4 i o "Ss : o. Annual Reports Of Pension, Welfare funds See Pages 28-30 J Biggest Tanker of All .S^e Page^MM Supertanker • I At Piney Point The crew of the first supertanker to be launched since passage of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970, the SlU-contracted Falcon Lady, visited the training facilities at the Harry Lundeberg School of Seaman ship. A 36-hour stopover at the Steuart Petroleum Co. terminal in Piney Point in late August to discharge the Falcon Lady's fuel cargo provided the touring op portunity for the Seafarers. Some 300,000 barrels of petroleum can be carried, aboard the 642-foot super tanker. The 37,000-ton vessel is one of four new ships planned by Falcon Carriers, the largest American- flag ships powered by diesel engine. The two 7,500 horsepower diesel engines of the Falcon Lady can reach a cruising speed of 17 knots. Scheduled for launching early next year are the Falcon Countess and the Falcon Princess. The Falcon Duchess is expected to be off the ways by October, 1972. Lundebeig Graduate John Cornett, left, assistant cook, breads fish steaks One of the newest crew members on the tanker is for the evening meal under the watchful eyes of Third Cook John Comett, a July, 1971 graduate of QMED Homer Starline, left, talks with Robert Collie Loper, chief cook and baker. Cornett grad the Lundeberg School. Sawin, 2nd assistant engineer, in the console room uated from the Harry Lundeberg School's third "I didn't realize it at the time, but all of the detail automated Falcon Lady, cook training program in July. that went into my training really comes in handy now," said the young seaman. He joined the ship in Carteret, N.J., immediately following his graduation. Chief Steward Conrad Gauthier, a Se^arer with more than 20 years experience in shipboard cooking, called Comett's addition to the department "a credit to the school and the thorough training they are re ceiving there." Upon discharging the cargo and touring the school, the Falcon Lady departed for the Virgin Islands where routine inspections were planned at St. Croix. The Caribbean voyage will be followed by deep-sea trials in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Change of address cards on Form 3579 should be sent to Seafarers International Union, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District, 675 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11232. Published monthly. Second Class postage paid at Washington, D.C. Page 2 Seafarers Log' New Orleans Facilify In Question MTD, SlU Lash Community Hospital Control Scheme Medical e}q)erts, organized with which the SIU is a£Bliated, pitals," he tcdd the {dannii^ lab(»r and community leaders said: group. voiced support for the continu . "It is our firm opinion that "However, this is not a mie- ation of Ae New Orleans Pub community takeover of the pub way pr(^x>sition," Moody said. lic Health Service Hospital lic Health Service Hospital in "The United States also has a under federal control at hear New Orleans can only result in very special interest in ade Rep. Robert L. Leggett (D-Calif.) greets a group of Harry ings in New Orleans, La. greatly increased costs to the quate health care for her sea Lundeberg School of Seamanship trainees who were in Wash The hearings were held by community In one form or men." ington to hear his address at an AFL-CIO Maritime Trades De the New Orleans Area Health another." He said that nearly all re partment luncheon. From the left are Michael Coyle, Desiderio Ramos, Joseph Seeber, Rep. Leggett, Paul SchwaUin and Rich Planning Council in response to Moody testified on behalf of turning ships carry seamen in ard Wotipka. a request of the U.S. Depart the MTD, the Greater New Or need (ff prompt attention and ment oi Health, Education and leans AFL-CIO, the Maritime that time pressure is increasing Welfare that tte council sug Council of Greater New Or because ci advancing maritime gest alternatives for the PHS leans, and die Seafarers Inter techmdogy. Cargo—Key to Survival facility to bring it under com national Union of North Amer "The availability <rf top- munity control. ica. quality medical care on a pri Dr. John Walsh, vice presi ority basis in Public Healtii Of Merchant Marine dent of Tulane University, said Traces Histoiy Service hospitsds has made die "Our general cargo fleet will l^ty whidi (^ers a "axnpar- that he fdt a federally-operated Moody traced the develop American merchant sailor the continue to decline de^ite the atively <^)ea-do(w aj^oadi to hospital was essential in New ment of PHS hospitals fr«n the healthiest and most productive Merchant Marine Act ai 1970" foreign trading." Orleans, but he added that Tu U.S. Marine Ho^itals in the in the world—qualities whose because there was no evidence On the other hand, Leg^t lane would be willing to take late 1700s to the present. preservation is vital to the ac that "cargoes for these vessels did welcome scnne tire ac over complete operation of the In 1969, Moody said, mer cess of the nation's expanding would materialize," Congress tions taken by the Departmoit current PHS hospital by 1975. chant seamen accounted for 52 maritime program and is of ex man Robert L. Leggett (D- of CcHnmerce: Testifying for organized la percent of the patient load at traordinary importance to the Calif.) warned. • Cmnmerce Sea:etai7 Mau bor, O. William Moody, ad the PHS hospitals. "Obviously great port city of New Orleans," Although the new maritime rice H. Stans' letter to 1,000 ministrator of the AFL-CIO American seamra have a very he said. legislation called for the con- the largest U.S. corpMatkxK Maritime Trades Department, special interest in these hos- Aside from the historical stnu^km ol 300 new ships, urging that they make more ex concept of a safe haven for Le^iett expressed his great fear tensive use of U.S. flag ship seamen. Moody said the Public for the fi^re of the fleet to ping. Health Service hospitals are reiMTesentatives of unions, mari • The estaUishment ot an Resolution Condemns Plan cheaper to operate than com time management and govern Office of Market Develc^nnent The Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO and the Greater munity-controlled hospitals and ment attending an AFLCIO within the Maritime Adminis New Orleans AFL-CIO Maritime Council joindy passed a that conversion would increase Maritime Trades Department tration. resolution condemning plans to convert the New Orleans cost to taxpayers. luncheon in Washington. "We « Formation of a new indus PuWic Health Service Hospital to community control. $40-a-day Diffaoioe planned the ^ps but not the In a resolution passed after the New Orleans Area try-labor-government group, He quoted Louisiana Senator cargoes," he said. the National Maritime Coimcil, Health Planning Council held hearings on the proposal, Allen Ellender's testimcmy be "The merchant marine looks the AFL-CIO groups urged HEW to "desist from its efforts to stimulate greater use ci fore the Senate Appropriations to the federal government as American merchant ships. to scrap the United States Public Health Service hospital Subcommittee on Labor, that its single laigest customer, and Leggett said he h(^d up system." ment of the PHS hospital sys ... the Department of De The groups also urged HEW to "proceed immediately to tem from the creation of the coming hearings scheduled by fense is the single largest pro the House Merchant Marine put into operation" a plan to construct a new PHS hospital average costs in the PHS hos curer merchant marine serv in New Orleans on a site to be provided by Tulane Univer pitals are as mudi as $40-a- and Fisheries CkHnmittee on the ices," he exfffained. But, he prc^lem oi securing cargoes fmr sity. The construction plan already has (xnigresskmad ap day less than in private hos add^ "Its piesOTt procure proval. pitals in pmt cities. Moody American vessels would pro ment policies have grei^y add duce some constructive results. And the council also urged that HEW not entertain any also cited staffing figures that ed . to the instability of U.S. plan to convert present PHS facilities to ccmununity use. how PHS hoiqatals require few The Congresanan said he shipping." Cargo pr^erence does not rely stddy on the out The group said they based their recommendations on er hands. laws presently call for a mini four factors: increased cost to taxpayers of community Moody said that in addition come oi the hearings but feds mum of 50 percent of govern that positive actions by the control; increased expense for the federal government; the to cost savings, the hospital ment cargo to be carried in hospital's contribution to medical training and a break benefits the New Orleans com Federd Maritime Commission U.S.-flag vessels. However, in and the Department oi Defense down in the priority now given merchant seamen, the hos munity dirough training pro actuality, U.S. shqis now carry pital's prime beneficiaries. would further oihanoe the m- grams and facilities a'^aUe much 1^ than 50 percent. provement oi the cargo situa nowhere else. FurthermcHe, <rf America's to tion. "There is a need for ac tal imports and exports, U.S.