House Transportation Committee Embraces MM&P-Backed Policies
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Vol. 47, No. 4 July - August 2011 The International Marine Division of ILA/AFL-CIO Official Voice of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots House Transportation Committee Embraces MM&P-Backed Policies MM&P Meets on Piracy With Government Officials MM&P United Inland Group Members Save Lives Coast Guard Medical Review Process Still Too Slow USNS Comfort on Humanitarian Mission NEWS BRIEFS Table of Contents The Master, Mate & Pilot (ISSN Vol. 47, No. 4 July-August 2011 0025-5033) is the official voice of the News Briefs 1 International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots It’s a first: maritime policy initiatives included in House Transportation (International Marine Division of the ILA), AFL-CIO. Committee policy proposals; MM&P officials,Maersk Alabama captain, © 2011 IOMMP. Published bimonthly at meet on piracy with top U.S. officials; United Inland Group members MM&P Headquarters, on Alaska Marine Highway System ferry MV Malaspina rescue injured 700 Maritime Blvd, Suite B, Linthicum Heights, MD hiker; crew of Black Ball ferry’s MV Coho save heart attack victim; our 21090-1953. members aboard USNS Comfort on five-month humanitarian mission; Phone: (410) 850-8700 E-mail: [email protected] new member MSO Paul Manning profiled on Federal Workers’ Alliance Internet: www.bridgedeck.org website. Periodicals postage paid at Linthicum Heights, MD, and additional offices. Washington Observer 10 POSTMASTER More challenges ahead for U.S.-flag maritime industry. Please send changes to: The Master, Mate & Pilot 700 Maritime Blvd, Suite B Linthicum Heights, MD News From MM&P Health and Benefit Plans 14 21090-1953 License insurance for Offshore and PMR members; changes in 401k Timothy A. Brown Chairman, Editorial Board investment options. Lisa Rosenthal Communications Director INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS Pensioners 18 Timothy A. Brown, President Don Marcus, Secretary-Treasurer News From MITAGS 19 VICE PRESIDENTS David H. Boatner, Offshore Pacific Meet Kelly Michielli, MITAGS new admissions coordinator; Wayne Farthing, Offshore Gulf congratulations Chief Mate/Master graduates! C. Michael Murray, United Inland George A. Quick, Pilots Steven Werse, Offshore Atlantic MM&P Directory 20 Cross’d the Final Bar 24 Thank you PCF Contributors 26 Printed on recycled paper using Check out our new PCF gifts! vegetable-based inks and 100% wind power. Vol. 47, No. 4 July - August 2011 The International Marine Division of ILA/AFL-CIO The Navy Jack is a symbol of resistance that dates back to About the Cover the American Revolution. In accordance with a resolution Civil Service mariners aboard made by the delegates to Official Voice of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots USNS Comfort are engaged in the 75th Convention of the a five-month humanitarian International Organization mission in Central and South of Masters, Mates & Pilots, House Transportation Committee Embraces MM&P-Backed Policies America and the Caribbean. every issue of The Master, MM&P Meets on Piracy With Government Officials MM&P United INland Group Members Save Lives Mate & Pilot includes a pho- Coast Guard Medical Review Process Still Too Slow — Photo Military Sealift Command USNS Comfort on Humanitarian Mission tograph of the historic flag. NEWS BRIEFS NEWS BRIEFS MM&P Officers, Maersk Alabama Captain At Government Anti-Piracy Conference Representatives of MM&P, the other maritime labor unions and Another participant, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense U.S.-flag shipping companies met with high-level U.S. govern- William Wechsler, noted that the use of armed security teams ment officials in June to discuss current anti-piracy efforts, has been “100 percent successful” in warding off pirate attacks. and in particular the effectiveness of armed, on-board security He said incentives for using armed security teams as a defense teams. measure should be developed. MM&P was represented by International President Tim Gen. McNabb announced during the course of the confer- Brown, International Secretary-Treasurer Don Marcus, ence that the government would reimburse the costs of security Pilots Group Vice President George Quick and Director of teams on all U.S.-flag vessels, regardless of speed or freeboard, Government Relations Klaus Luhta. Government partici- that carry DOD cargo in the designated pirate waters. Vice pants included U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Adm. Fox endorsed the use of armed security teams to protect USTRANSCOM Commander Gen. Duncan McNabb, Vice merchant ships, saying that it was preferable to adopt a proac- Adm. Mark Fox of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, tive stance—rather than a reactive one—in the battle to disrupt Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp, Maritime pirate activities. Participants in the conference agreed that the Administrator David Matsuda and representatives of the U.S. prosecution of captured pirates, and differences among the flag Department of State and the Department of Defense (DOD). states’ willingness to commit to anti-piracy strategies, remain Speakers at the conference noted that the level of violence, serious, ongoing challenges. the number of attacks, the geographic range of pirate activity The most discordant note in the conference was the state- and the sophistication of attacks are all increasing. ment made by Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro, that MM&P Capt. Larry Aasheim, master of the MV Maersk “the U.S. government will never be in a position to condone the Alabama, spoke to the assembly about the most recent attacks payment of ransom.” This position, which ignores the real- on the vessel. He praised the outstanding job done by the armed ity of the situation, was condemned by MM&P International security team aboard Maersk Alabama and stated that “if every President Tim Brown and Maersk Line Limited CEO John vessel had an armed security team, piracy wouldn’t be a lucra- Reinhart. tive business.” MM&P’s thanks go out to Capt. Aasheim for his excellent work in representing all U.S. and foreign mariners at the conference. MV Coho Crew Saves Heart Attack Victim Crewmembers aboard Black Ball Ferry’s MV Coho are being commended for assisting a passenger stricken by a heart attack mid-way through the 90-minute crossing from Victoria, B.C., to Port Angeles, Wash., on May 27. First on the scene were MV Coho crewmembers Ben Rowland and Brandon Melville. Through the use of CPR and an AED, they were able to keep the passenger alive for 45 minutes until arrival in Port Angeles, where they were relieved by paramedics. Ten days later, the passenger was able to walk out of the hospital. The paramed- ics and hospital staff credit Rowland and Melville for saving the passenger’s life. MM&P United Inland Group member Ben Rowland sails as second mate aboard the Coho. Brandon Melville, who sails as quartermaster, recently attended the Pacific Maritime Institute’s training course for ship medi- cal officers. Congratulations to all the professional mariners MV Coho Second Mate Ben Rowland and Quartermaster Brandon Melville are aboard MV Coho for a job well done! credited with saving the life of a passenger who suffered a heart attack aboard the vessel in May. The Master, Mate & Pilot - 1 - July - August 2011 NEWS BRIEFS Members of Key House Subcommittee Reiterate Support for Jones Act The movement of waterborne cargo sustains more than 13 mil- This is “something I strongly support,” LoBiondo said. “I hear lion jobs in the United States and contributes over $212 billion in rumors from time to time about ideas or suggestions that can be annual federal, state, and local taxes. These and other statistics advanced, either legislatively or otherwise, that would dramati- that demonstrate the importance of maritime to our nation’s cally change or weaken the Jones Act. I can assure you that as economy were discussed at a June 14 hearing of the House chair of this subcommittee, I’ll do everything in my power not to Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. allow that to happen.” Subcommittee Chair Frank LoBiondo called the hearing to review the state of the marine transportation system (MTS) and Also voicing support for the Jones Act was Minnesota explore ways to enhance it to create jobs, improve the flow of Congressman Chip Cravaack: “Being a retired Navy Captain, commerce and increase exports. I understand the importance of a maritime industry and how “The MTS is a vast resource that facilitates our robust mari- important it is to have a U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed vessel ensuring time commerce,” LoBiondo says. “Domestic shipping alone that when we do have to go over the horizon we have the proper is responsible for over half a million American jobs and $100 assets to do it; with the proper people that have been trained in billion in annual economic output. Ongoing maintenance and a way that we need to make sure they’ll be able to carry the flag improvements to the MTS are essential to any effort to create when rubber starts hitting the road. So I highly support U.S.-flag jobs and expand exports.” vessels and the Jones Act as well.” During the hearing, members of the subcommittee repeat- edly voiced support for the Jones Act, the body of U.S. maritime Rep. Mazie Hirono, a strong supporter of the U.S.-flag mari- law that requires that goods and passengers moving between two time industry, seized the opportunity to underline for the record points in the United States be carried only on U.S.-flagged, U.S.- the fact that in Hawaii, Jones Act activities provide 23,000 jobs crewed, U.S.-owned and U.S.-built vessels. and approximately $1.1 billion in wages and benefits. Coast Guard Medical Review Process Still Too Slow MM&P continues to receive complaints from members who say they are waiting an inordinate amount of time—much longer than under the previous system and much longer than mariners in many other countries—for the Coast Guard to review their medical evaluations.