OFFIClAl OKGAN OF THt SEAFARIRS INTCRNATIONAl UNION • ATiAlffIC GUIF, LAKIS AND INLAND WATIR5 DISTRIQ • AFKIO Volume 55, Number 5 May 1993 KORTE AMERICA 5201 way Maryland 20746 Seamen's camp springs, Maryxaa (301) 899-0675, 1/ ,nii.icrai8,D Unions ovraet. eth Floor rerry^fi^^- """ UOl) 332-7070, PACIFIC COAST Unite 444 Nortb Capitol suite 800 20001 Washington, D.c ) (202) 638-5355, ) DISTRICT ) MERICM) MI^IME Te Fight ) 2 west Dixie Work Tax' 700 Maritime BoulevardS"""' ty Linthicum Heights, Maryia BULLETIN—In a joint action, major seamen's (410) 850-8700, unions have filed suit in federal court against a Coast Guard-imposed tax on seamen's documents and licenses. The action was announced by the heads of the TOUTED 8TME8 COMT 6^ organizations: SlU President Michael Sacco; District No. 1 MEBA/NMU Unlicensed Division Chairman ilU "X Louis Parise; District No. 1-PCD, ME^A President and Gordon Ward; AMO District 2 MEBA President Raymond McKay and MM&P President Timothy Ifcfelfryf Sepa^ Brown. Two SlUNA Pacific District presidents— Transportation Gunnar Lundeberg of the SUP and Henry Disley of 400 seventn """jJjso, wasnington, D.O. ao the MFOW—also joined the action. Page 3. Defendants.ndanrs. -) TT1TP"""™^0^ ,.r,ius old prohibition on 1. congress reversed the ^centur^^^^^^^^ «» '""'"Z..', pu=". - :-.'i ri • • '•If ^ ° ^ or "OBRA 1990"). Act (the "1990 Budget ^..^^ast Thereafter, the United ^ >/v-W-v iiili •• X- t.: 2 SEAFMERSLOG MAY 1993 President's Report 1993 Paul Hall Lecture Gen, Cassidy Urges Speedy Action Unfair Taxation of Seamen In an effort to halt the charges the U.S. Coast Guard is now at­ tin a New U,S, Shipping Policy taching to seamen's documents and licenses, the Seafarers and the The United States has been too four other major seamen's unions filed a lawsuit against the agen­ long in bringing forth a program to cy in federal district court last month. The provide this nation the merchant Coast Guard put into effect on April 19 a marine it requires, charged retired scheme it concocted three years ago to make four-star Air Force General Duane seamen and boatmen pay for their Coast Guard H. Cassidy, who gave the 1993 Paul required documents and licenses. Hall Memorial Lecture. Basically, the government is charging the Gen. Cassidy, who is now a men and women who earn their living working senior vice president for CSX on U.S.-flag vessels a "work tax." It is not a Transportation, urged the ad­ practice in this democratic nation of ours to ministration, Congress and the in­ make a person pay for the privilege of going to dustry to work together to craft work. Yet, that is exactly what seamen and legislation for a U.S. shipping Michael Sacco boatmen have to do now because of these so- policy that will ensure a U.S.-flag called Coast Guard user fees. fleet on the high seas. He warned, It has taken the U.S. Coast Guard two years to implement their "If this call to action is not heard, if plan to charge fees for documents and licenses. The agency first we do not do this now, if there is no announced its intent to levy a fee in June 1991. The SIU raised im­ bill passed in the first year of the mediate and strong objections; so did thousands of individual new adminisratioil, then our seamen. The SIU filed a lawsuit stating the fees were in reality a government will have succeeded in tax and therefore unconstitutional and, on top of that, were deter­ doing what Hitler and the Third mined unscientifically—based on bad and inconsistent data. The Reich could not do, and that is to General Duane Cassidy called for cooperation between the ad­ judge assigned to the lawsuit would not hear the case. He said that sink the U.S. merchant marine...." ministration, Congress and the industry to develop a program to save since the so-called user fee on marine documents and licenses was Speaking to an audience of the U.S. fleet. just a proposal and no one had been actually hurt yet by the fee, some 150 representatives of the the matter was not ready for court review. While we did not get maritime industry, the administra- unswerving commitment to a U.S.- powerful U.S. merchant marine our day in court then, I believe the lawsuit, as well as the protests flag presence on the high seas would with its modern, competitive ships lodged with the Coast Guard, had the effect of delaying the im­ have had Paul's unqualified respect and skilled American crews." plementation of the scheme for more than a year. and admiration." Can't Count on Runaways Now thk the government has begun to implement this work tax The general retired after 36 years in the armed forces after serv­ Cassidy discounted the argu­ on seamen, we can have our day in court. The issue is so fun­ ment that vessels owned by damental, so critical, that the major unions in maritime repre­ ing as the first commander of the then newly established, globalU-S. Americans but registered in nations senting seamen have joined together in an effort to fight the work that fly a flag of convenience like tax, including District No. LMEBA/NMU Unlicensed Division, Transportation Command of the military. Brand said. From his posi­ Panama, Liberia bf Vanuatu could which represents the seamen of the former National Maritime be counted on to aid the United Union seamen; and three marine officers' unions—American tion as chief of the military's transport logistics arm. Gen. Cas­ States in a time of crisis. Maritime Officers, which is also known as District 2 Marine "Foreign-flagged ships may Engineers' Beneficial Association; District No. 1 -PCD Marine sidy "set the adrenaline flowing in the maritime industry's veins with mean that ownership and control Engineers' Beneficial Association and the International Organiza­ are no longer in U.S. hands, and the tion of Masters, Mates and Pilots (MM&P). his quick grasp of the plight of maritime and its effect on the na­ loyalties and availability of crew- House Subcommittee Fights for Fairness tional security. No one did more in members cannot be assured. This trying to move the White House to makes military access to these vital The House Subcommittee on Merchant Marine, chaired by Con­ resources—including related inter- gressman William Lipinski, recently brought about an end to the take positive action in support of a viable merchant marine," Brand modal systems—unpredictable. unfair shipping practices of Kuwait. This nation, over which the "I spent a full career as a military United States launched Operation Desert Shield, had promised In introducing General Cassidy, recalled. Cassidy referred in his lecture to man attempting to create predict­ U.S.-flag carriers access to cargoes needed for rebuilding the na­ Herbert Brand, chairman of the ability—the present situation un­ Paul Hall Memorial Committee, that period in his life when he first tion after the Gulf war. But it had reneged on the deal, putting all dermines all such training and praised the speaker's "determina­ became acquainted with the U.S.- the cargo on Kuwaiti ships. planning." Last year, Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley demanded tion, gutsiness and leadership." flag merchant fleet. the Kuwaiti government stop discriminating against U.S. shipping. "So here I was, an airman, a guy Proposed Changes tion. Congress and academia on This year. Congressman Lipinski and the House Merchant Marine with an airlift background, put in a Four years ago, while he still April 22 in Washington, D.C., Gen. and Fisheries Committee followed up by warning the Kuwaiti role that demarided a focus on headed the Transpor' ition Com­ government that if the situation did not change, the U.S. govern­ Cassidy said he was "using this sealift," he told the audience. "I mand, a member of the congres­ forum dedicated to the most ment could begin an investigation that could result in big fines for wrote letters. I made speeches. I sional committee asked Cassidy courageous labor leader in our Kuwaiti ships if discrimination against U.S. ships was proven. met the people who operate the whaf he would like to see done to time—Mr. Paul Hall" to issue "a Last month, in response, Kuwait announced that up to 50 per­ ships. I met the people who built the create a healthy merchant marine. call for action," a plan to "save"save the cent of the cargoes directed at rebuilding activities would be car­ ships. I spent time at the Harry Lun- The general told his audience that American merchant marine. ried by U.S.-flag ships. deberg School of Seamanship. his words back then ring true today. Congresswoman Bentley's work, the vigilance of Congressman Hall's Legacy "1 got a crash course in the mer­ Among the changes he sug­ Lipinski, the support of the members of the House Merchant In opening the session. Dr. chant marine and discovered what gested then and now were to reform Marine and Fisheries Committee and its subcommittees have Robert Friedheirn, director of the many people here already know: it U.S. tax policies that place a heavy meant cargo for U.S. ships and consequently jobs for American Sea Grant Program of the Univer­ gets in your blood. It gets in your burden on U.S.-flag carriers com­ seafarers. But more importantly, their continued efforts to revitalize sity of Southern California's Han­ blood because of the awesome con­ pared to foreign-flag operators, the American merchant marine serve the entire nation and the world.