-'A. - ' I -. ^ ". 'A ,* - T' V '••*' f^ - , flgagrogSpKi^ OFFigjtt OKGAH Of THE SEAFARER? IMTtRNATIONAL UMIOM • ATUNTIC GUlf, UKtS AND INiAND WATERS PKTRia • AFL-CIO Volume 54, Number 8 SlU Fishermen Rally To Save U.S. Industry •:0^'m r' "trM' • • d iny- 3H c u- d IT *VJ vC *N.U 00 z:o Oco »-< HH I F-JF-vO U<UJO z:ujoitir- <tcn^ec<*> to dHin tOZ'CV) W"" . co»- »- Q:>-tc/7UJ3: OF-t-ih- intial contingent of SlU fishermen join commercial flsher- tlons strangling the Industry and penalizing those who earn their M near and far to protest the rash of government regula- livelihoods on the sea. Several In Congress listened. Page 3. •01$ OC^O<>OC O<t00C5"^^jfymstoCrm DOT Ship Plan BUI EX'Fomgn Flag Ship Goes to Houset Senate . • Pages Page 2 •:li The First 40 Years • tir-S' • Pages 13-16 J''- .. sf:.- AUGUST1992 SEAFARBISLOG ':' •. 7": ilflSl; President's Report DOT SI# PUm BHIls A Winning Formuia same House, Sau^ Anniversaries provide us with an opportunity to review where we have The maritime reform initiative world trades, which were unveiled by been and to look ahead to where we are going. In this issue of the proposed by Secretary of Transpor­ Secretary Card at a Senate Subcom­ '' ' '' Seafarers LOG we look at the union's education program—from when it tation Andrew H. Card Jr. has been mittee on Merchant Marine hearing was first set in motion 40 years ago in 1952 to the highly introduced to Congress in the form of in June. sophisticated training operation of today which is based a House bill and a Senate bill. Included in Card's comprehensive in Piney Point, Md. In fact, it was 25 years ago, in 1967, On July 21, Representative Walter plan are measures to assist U.S. sMp that the Seafarers purchaseid the Piney Point facility with B. Jones (D-N.C.), chairman of the operators to acquire new tonnage as which all Seafarers are familiar. House Merchant Marine and well as a contingency retainer pro­ Whether it was at the Andrew Furuseth Training Fisheries Committee, submitted the gram which would provide up to 74 School, as it originally was named, or the Harry Lun- administration's package to his col­ commercial but militarily useful leagues in the form of H.R. 5627, U.S.-flag vessels with govemment deberg School of Seamanship, as it was renamed in payments not to exceed $2.5 million 1965, the Seafarers education program has provided this known as the "Maritime Reform Act Michael Sacco of 1992." Joining Rep. Jones in per ship for 1994 and 1995 and not,to nation with qualified, highly sldlled seafaring personnel. moving the bill were Congressmen exceed $2.33 million in 1996. The At the same time, it has given our membership a continuing opportunity to Robert W. Davis (R-Mich ), Jack legislation proposes that in 1997 the increase their earning power and job security. Fields (R-Texas) and Norman F. payment per ship not exceed $2.16 The Seafarers training program has assisted national sealift efforts, Lent (R-N.Y.), the ranking minority million, in 1998 $1.99 million, in from the Korean conflict to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, by member of the House Merchant 1999 $1.82 million and in 2(XX) $1.6 preparing hundreds of individuals to go to sea to meet the breakout of Marine and Fisheries Committee. million. The payments would be scores of ships serving the nation's security needs. The Seafarers training Contingency Retainer Program made at the beginning of each month in equal installments. program has ensured that SIU members are fully aware of and able to Two days later. Senator John work with new shipboard technology. Card, in submitting the proposed Breaux (D-La.), who heads the legislation, noted in a letter to Just as the needs of the industry and the ship operator have changed, so Senate entity concerned with has the curriculum of the union's school. The Seafarers education pro­ Speaker of the House Thomas S. maritime issues—the Subcommittee Foley (D-Wash.), that the contingen­ gram was bom during the Korean conflict, when the need for seamen was on Merchant Marine of the Com­ cy retainer program differs from the high and hundreds of mariners had to be trained and shipped quickly and merce Committee—introduced a operating differential subsidy (ODS) efficiently. During the Vietnam crisis, when a shortage of shipboard of­ similar bill, S. 3047. Senator Trent program now in place. The contin­ ficers threatened the nation's sealift effort, the union's school, in conjunc­ Lott (R-Miss.), the ranking minority gency retainer program envisioned tion with District 2 MEB A, assisted hundreds of Seafarers to prepare for member of the subcommittee, joined by the administration is not based on Breaux in moving the legislation. • I ••• their Coast Guard tests to obtain engine and deck licenses. As a result, wages. Additionally, operators will many military officers of the time hailed the performance of the school in Both pieces of legislation reflect be able to acquire vessels worldwide helping keep the nation's sealift operation going. the administration's recommenda­ and will be able to operate their ships tions designed to enhance the com­ •si . In the '70s, when U.S.-flag LNG ships were being built, the Harry Lun- petitiveness of U.S. shipping in the Continued on page 9 deberg School was training Seafarers in the properties of LNG, the han­ dling of the substance and in all aspects of operating an LNG-carrying ship. Example after example can be cited as to how the Seafarers training program prepared seamen for changes in the industry, and this is covered Eight Ship Union Officers Concur elsewhere in the paper. In each case, the union has worked to provide the American shipping industry with the best trained workforce possible and With Thrust off DOT iWaritime Pian has advanced the job security of Seafarers. Welcoming the administration's American ship operators to secure •;i '.i-^; The Future Holds Opportunities maritime policy reform initiative in­ new vessels and the contingency troduced in the form of a bill to the retainer program. Their statement That is why, after looking back, when I look ahead I see many oppor­ House by Congressman Walter B. noted that the agreements made tunities for Seafarers. I see those opportunities because the SIU is ready. Jones and to the Senate by Senator under such a program should have Through our school and our training program, we can meet any of the John Breaux, the presidents of eight "the full force of a contract between needs of our industry—whether it is training in oil spill prevention and unions representing maritime labor the govemment and the operator." containment, or in sealift operations critical to the U.S. military's opera­ called for its speedy enactment. The importance of this is that "the tions that have been contracted to the private sector, or in hotel and food The: union presidents, repre­ operator will know payments will be service skills that are key to a cmise ship company. senting both shipboard and dock made for each year covered by the The winning formula of providing the most highly skilled seamen in the workers, said in testimony submitted agreement." world to our contracted companies and providing a vehicle to the seaman July 24 to the House Subcommittee Mutual Objectives Advanced to become the best that he or she can be, has seen this union and its mem­ on Merchant Marine that H.R. 5627, as the administration's proposals in Proposals "to revise vessel ac­ bers through many rough storms that have hit the American merchant quisition, operation and tax policies marine. It also has prepared us for the booming times; when national legislative form have Iwen named, will increase the number of U.S.-flag so that United States ships are treated policy, national will or national security needs have caused a surge in ship­ ships and thereby expand employ­ more like those of their foreign com­ ping. ment opportunities for American petitors, without sacrificing impor­ A final note. This month, the union and Seafarers at sea observe a maritime workers in all segments of tant American environmentaL holiday on the anniversary of the birth of Paul Hall, who headed the the industry—shipboard, shoreside, economic and defense objectives" Seafarers from 1947 until his death in 1980. Last year the complex em­ and ship construction and repair. also are welcomed, said the union president's statement. bodying the Lundeberg School at Piney Point, Md. was named the Paul 'Full Force Of Contract' Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in his honor as he was a Citing the increase in domestic The joint statement—^signed by construction of vessels for the •i • ' :• vigorous advocate of educational opportunities for Seafarers who would Dave Arian, International Long­ coastwise and non-contiguous trades serve as skilled crews, second to none, on American ships in times of shoremen's and Warehousemen's due to availability of capital con­ peace and war. Not only did Paul Hall have the vision to found the Lun­ Union; John Bowers, International struction fund monies as called for in deberg School, but he had the drive to make it a reality. Longshoremen's Association; the legislation and other benefits to Timothy A. Brown, International Or­ the U.S. shipbuilding industry and its Volume 54. Number 8 August 1992 ganization of Masters, Mates & workers contained in the legislative pilots; Henry Disley, Marine package, the union officials' state­ The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 0160-2047) is published monthly by Bremen's Union; Gunnar Lun­ ment added, "We are extremely the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and deberg, Sailors' Union of the Pacific; pleased the administration's Inland Waters District; AFL-CIO; 5201 Auth Way; Camp laymond T.