new msp fleet expands to 60 vesselsseafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/8304fbe51a951f...volume...

Volume 67, Number 2 February 2005

SIU Election ResultsPage 3

Navy League PresidentNotes RRF’s Value

Page 4

Tax Tips for MarinersPages 12-13

60 Vessels Page 3New MSP Fleet Expands to

:

The hospital ship USNS Mercy, crewed

by members of the SIU’s Government

Services Division, was one of 14 ships

initially mobilized to help with relief fol-

lowing the devastating tsunami that

struck coastal communities in Sri Lanka,

Seafarers Still Deliver in Operation Iraqi FreedomSeafarers continue to back U.S. troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom by deliv-

ering vital materiel at key locations in the Middle East. Dozens of SIU-

crewed ships are engaged in OIF3, the latest sealift component of the war.

Pictured here are Seafarers and troops aboard the Cape Island in Kuwait.

They are (clockwise, from upper left) AB Alfred Martin; AB Mickey Earhart

and a U.S. Navy master at arms; crew members and officers including GVA

Shaun Castain, 3rd Mate Bobby Boone, AB Andy Martinez, Bosun Stephen

Castle, Chief Cook Tracy Stewart and a Navy instructor participating in

small arms practice; and GVA Abdo “Otto” Saleh, suiting up for hazmat

training. Pages 6-8.

Union, Seafarers-Crewed ShipsAid in Tsunami Relief Efforts

Thailand, Indonesia, India

and other Indian Ocean

nations. Pictured at right

is some of the damage in

Phuket. Page 2.

You Can Count on the SIU!

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

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2 Seafarers LOG February 2005

More JJob GGrowth

Last month’s news from the Maritime Administration announcingthe operating contract awards for the new U.S. Maritime Security

Program was a great moment for our union.The extended, expanded MSP helps ensure job

security for Seafarers for many years to come. Notonly that, it increases the number of shipboard jobopportunities available to SIU members.

In the bigger picture, the new MSP is good forAmerica. As anyone who truly understands theU.S. Merchant Marine will tell you, we are thenation’s fourth arm of defense. The United Statesis best served by a strong U.S.-flag commercialfleet and by the dedicated, well-trained U.S. crews

who man those vessels. The 10-year MSP that takes effect this fall isa vital step toward maintaining a capable American-flag fleet and apool of reliable, well-trained U.S. mariners.

As I said when the new MSP was signed into law a little over ayear ago, there is plenty of credit to go around. In fact there are toomany people and organizations to name here, but certainly I thankPresident Bush and his administration for not only recognizing theU.S. Merchant Marine’s importance, but also following through anddelivering a 60-ship fleet under the new MSP.

And I also thank you, the rank-and-file Seafarer. The supportyou’ve given me and the other SIU officials is gratifying and, moreimportantly, makes it easier to promote and protect the interests of allSeafarers. Along those same lines, your support of SPAD and theoutstanding work you perform every day aboard ship are importantparts of our recipe for success.

The new, 60-ship MSP fleet is something we can all be proud of.

Disaster aand AAid

Less than three weeks before the high of the MSP announcement,Seafarers joined with other people all over the world in sadly sharingthe horror of the tsunami that devastated Asian and African countriesright after Christmas, killing hundreds of thousands.

I don’t know if any of us can fully comprehend a loss that great.In many ways it’s impossible to understand.

And yet I also believe that the disaster’s aftermath once again hasbrought out the best in so many people, showing the good side ofhuman nature and what we’re capable of when we pull together.Certainly U.S. unions and union members have stepped up todonate record amounts of money to help the victims.

The SIU made a $10,000 donation, and SIU-crewed ships are aid-ing in relief efforts, as reported elsewhere on this page.

As of mid-January, I was aware of at least one Seafarer whounfortunately lost all of his possessions to the tsunami but whothankfully was safely at sea at that time. We will pass along news ofhow the disaster has impacted other members as it becomes avail-able.

Meanwhile, if you have the means to donate to one of the manyrelief funds, I hope you will consider doing so. See the “How YouCan Help” article on this page for more information.

My heartfelt prayers go out to all the victims and their families.

Crisis CContinues

From time to time in this space, I have written about the ongoinghealth care crisis in America. If it seems like I won’t get off the sub-ject, there’s a good reason: This crisis is a major threat to workingfamilies nationwide.

And it’s getting worse by the day.Right now about 45 million Americans have no health coverage at

all. Those who have insurance in many cases are paying more andmore to maintain their coverage. In other instances, people withinsurance are paying more for reduced benefits. It is happening allover the country.

This remains a giant problem, but the SIU is committed to helpingsolve it. We will continue working through the AFL-CIO to enact afair, workable health care solution for all concerned.

In addition to our efforts with the labor federation, health plansadministrators from the U.S. maritime unions have met a half-dozentimes over the past year and a half, sharing information and trying tofind ways to contain costs while still providing good coverage. Thosemeetings are a step in the right direction as we continue what inmany ways is literally a fight for our lives.

Michael Sacco

President ’s Report

The Seafarers LOG (ISSN 1086-4636) is published monthlyby the Seafarers International Union; Atlantic, Gulf, Lakesand Inland Waters District/NMU, AFL-CIO; 5201 AuthWay; Camp Springs, MD 20746. Telephone (301) 899-0675. Periodicals postage paid at Southern Maryland20790-9998. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to theSeafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746.

Communications Director, Jordan Biscardo; ManagingEditor/Production, Deborah A. Hirtes; Associate Editor, JimGuthrie; Art, Bill Brower; Administrative Support, MistyDobry.

Copyright © 2005 Seafarers International Union, AGLIWDAll Rights Reserved.


The SIU on line: www.seafarers.org

Union Donates for Tsunami ReliefSIU-Crewed Ships Mobilize for Humanitarian Mission

The SIU is actively supportinghumanitarian relief efforts for sur-vivors of the Dec. 26 earthquake andresulting tsunami that devastatedcoastal communities in Sri Lanka,Thailand, India, Indonesia and otherIndian Ocean nations.

The union last month donated$10,000 to the International RedCross for use in the devastated region.In addition, more than 100 SIU mem-bers—including some from the SIU’sGovernment Services Division—crewed 13 Military Sealift Commandvessels and one ship owned by theU.S. Maritime Administration (Mar-Ad). Collectively, these platformshave been directly involved in ferry-ing emergency personnel and a myri-ad of supplies to the distressed region.

Six of the 12 vessels that initiallywere involved in the relief missions—1st Lt. Jack Lummus, Maj. Stephen W. Pless, Cpl.Louis J. Hauge Jr., Pfc. James Anderson Jr., 1st Lt.Alex Bonnyman and USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin—are Maritime Prepositioning Ships. Part of MSC’sMaritime Prepositioning Ships Squadron Three,these vessels collectively were laden with enoughequipment and supplies to support 15,000 Marinesfor 30 days. The ships carried food, fuel, medicalsupplies, construction and road building equipment,electrical power generating equipment, airfield mat-ting and a Navy field hospital.

The squadron also has 43 Reverse OsmosisWater Purification Units, each of which is capableof producing 600 gallons of potable water per hourfrom sea water. Additionally, five of the ships arecapable of making 25,000 gallons of fresh watereach day using the ships’ evaporators. The ships canpump water from ship to shore from up to two milesaway using an Amphibious Bulk Liquid TransferSystem of floating hoses.

Two MSC fleet replenishment oilers—the USNSTippecanoe and USNS John Ericsson—were divert-ed to provide fuel to U.S. Navy ships in the tsunamirelief area. Two other supply ships—the combatstores ship USNS San Jose and the fast combat sup-port ship USNS Rainier—were sent to the area toprovide fuel and other supplies to Navy ships in thetheater and to activities ashore as needed.

Two MSC oceanographic ships also wereordered into the affected area to conduct hydro-

How You Can HelpAlthough the tsunami took place more than a

month ago, there remains much to be done to restorethe lives of the disaster’s survivors back to normal. Inaddition to the International Red Cross(http://www.icrc.org/eng, mailing address Inter-national Committee of the Red Cross,19 avenue de la Paix, CH 1202 Geneva), those wish-ing to make donations have many other options opento them.

The AFL-CIO American Center for InternationalLabor Solidarity (Solidarity Center) has established aTsunami Relief Fund to which unions and individualsmay donate. The center (www.solidaritycenter.org/) isa nonprofit organization that assists workers aroundthe world who are struggling to build democratic andindependent trade unions. Those interested in con-tributing to the relief fund should make out a checkmarked Tsunami Relief, payable to Solidarity CenterEducation Fund, and send it to: Tsunami Relief Fund,Solidarity Center, 1925 K Street, N.W., Suite 300,Washington, DC, 20006-1105.

Another organization that is accepting donations isthe U.S. Agency for International Development(USAID). The USAID is the U.S. government agencyresponsible for economic and humanitarian assis-tance around the world. Members of the agency workwith a host of organizations to provide assistance tothe victims of the earthquake and tsunami.

Those desiring to make donations should visit thecenter’s website at: www.usaid.gov/locations/-asia_near_east/tsunami/ngolist.html. A list of charitiesthat are providing assistance to people affected bythe earthquake and tsunamis can be found at thissite. Donations can be made to either of them viamail, phone, or through their web sites.

Editor’s note: Seafarer BobStenehjem, who sails from theport of Tacoma, Wash., was onvacation in Thailand when thetsunami struck there. He sent ane-mail to friends describing hisexperience that was excerpted ina Seattle newspaper and also isreprinted here, with his permis-sion.

I had a very rewarding butvery sad day. At the Patong hos-pital last night they said therewere a lot of injured foreigners soI started to go there on my motor-bike. But I passed the PhuketInternational Hospital and decid-ed to pull in there to see if theyneeded any help.

The lobby was chaos. I wentup to a long table full of phonesand people and asked what theyneeded. The people at the tablelooked overwhelmed. The ladyasked what languages I spoke,and I told her a little Spanish,fairly good American Sign

Language and English. She saidsit here and answer phones.

I had a list of 575 people whowere injured, listed by country. Ialso had a list of hundreds miss-ing, and there is a whole wall fullof photos of entire families, peo-ple from all over the world whoare missing and most likely dead.The list of the dead was at anoth-er table.

So I answered the phone andlooked up names of the peoplethe callers were looking for. Noneof the people they were lookingfor were there, and I gave themnumbers of other hospitals.

I met four or five other volun-teers at my table: a man fromGermany, a Swiss woman, anEnglish woman, a Swedish man.

A man from the Kuwait con-sulate office in Bangkok andanother from Bahrain’s werelooking for anybody from theircountries. They didn’t knowwhere all the hospitals were, so Itold them I was going to thePatong Hospital later and I wouldcheck the list of patients and theirhuge list of dead for any of theircountryman.

It turned out that there weren’tany at Patong, but there wereabout 65 unknown dead. The listof the dead included 160 nameswith countries listed. TwoAmericans, five Canadians, most

from Europe and many Thais.After two hours at the Phuket

International Hospital I wasbored, as not many people werecalling. Then I noticed a womanin her mid-30s who had been sit-ting with three kids in their teens.One daughter was in a wheelchairwith a very bloody bandage on alarge leg wound. The mother waspacing around, and I could tellshe was freaking out.

Then she came up to the tableand sort of lost it. Screaming, shesaid she needed someone tochange the bandages on herdaughter’s leg. A hospital womansaid the mother still had to dealwith her consul. Then the mother

Continued on page 10


Seafarer Bob Stenehjem pitchedin after the tsunami, helpingnumerous victims in Phuket.

This photo, taken by Seafarer Bob Stenehjem, shows some of thedevastation in Phuket, Thailand.

VacationingSeafarerLends HandIn Phuket

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February 2005 Seafarers LOG 3

SIU Gains 13 VesselsNew Maritime Security Program Features 60 Ships

The U.S. Maritime Administration lastmonth announced the names of the vesselsand operators for the new MaritimeSecurity Program (MSP)—and the noticecouldn’t have been better for the SIU.

The union gains 13 additional shipsunder the new MSP, which runs from 2005-2016. Overall, the updated MSP fleetincludes 60 vessels—an increase of 13ships compared to the MSP which expiresthis fall. Each of the 13 additions to theMSP fleet is operated by an SIU-contractedcompany.

The 47 Seafarers-crewed vessels alreadyenrolled in the MSP have been renewed forthe expanded, extended program.

“This is a tremendous gain for the mem-bership,” said SIU President MichaelSacco. “Bringing 13 additional ships intoour contracted fleet is fantastic news. Itmeans new jobs and job security forSeafarers.”

SIU Vice President Contracts Augie

Tellez said the new MSP as a whole “is awin-win situation. It improves our nationaldefense capabilities and it obviously booststhe employment opportunities of Seafarersfor at least the next 10 years.”

The 13 new MSP slots are assigned toOSG Shipholding Group (three ships),Central Gulf (one), Fidelio (ARC) (four),Liberty Global Logistics (one), Lykes Lines(two), and Patriot (two).

Overall, the awards are as follows, withthe company name followed by the vessels:APL Marine Services, Ltd.—APL Korea,APL Philippines, APL Singapore, APLThailand, President Adams, PresidentJackson, APL China, President Polk andPresident Truman.

Central Gulf Lines, Inc.—Green Cove,Green Point, Green Lake and HerculesLeader.

American Auto Carriers, Inc.—Liberty.Fidelio Limited Partnership—Patriot,

Freedom, Takasago, Resolve, Otello and

Aida.Farrell Lines Inc.—Chesapeake Bay,

Delaware Bay, Endeavor, Endurance andEnterprise.

Liberty Global Logistics, LLC—Splendid Ace.

Lykes Lines Limited, LLC—LykesNavigator, Lykes Discoverer, LykesLiberator, Lykes Motivator and TmmYucatan.

Maersk Line, Limited—Maersk Mis-souri, Maersk Virginia, Maersk Georgia,Maersk Carolina, Sealand Achiever, Sea-land Florida, Sealand Pride, SealandMotivator, Sealand Commitment, SealandAtlantic, Sealand Charger, Maersk Ala-bama, Sealand Lightning, Sealand Meteor,Maersk Arkansas, Sealand Intrepid, Sea-land Comet, Sealand Performance andSealand Quality.

OSG Shipholding Group, Inc.—Overseas Joyce, Maersk Rapier, MaerskRegent and Maersk Richmond.

Patriot Shipping, LLC—IndustrialChallenger and Industrial Chief.

Waterman Steamship Corporation—P&O Nedlloyd Vera Cruz, Atlantic Forest,Green Dale and P&O Nedlloyd BuenosAires.

The current MSP expires Sept. 30, 2005,with the new one beginning immediatelythereafter.

In announcing the awards, the MaritimeAdministration noted, “The MSP serves tomaintain an active, privately owned, U.S.-flag and U.S.-crewed liner fleet in interna-tional trade. This fleet also is available tosupport the Department of Defense sustain-ment in a contingency.”

The program was established throughthe Maritime Security Act of 1996. It helpsretain “a labor base of skilled Americanmariners who are available to crew the U.S.Government-owned strategic sealift fleet,as well as the U.S. commercial fleet, bothin peace and war,” the agency pointed out.

The SIU’s tallying committeerecently released its tabulation ofthe ballots cast by union membersin the voting for national officersof the Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes andInland Waters District/NMU aswell as two constitutional amend-ments. Voting took place Nov. 1 toDec. 31, 2004.

Composed of 20 Seafarers(two members elected from eachof the SIU’s 10 constitutionalhalls), the rank-and-file commit-tee certified the reelection ofMichael Sacco as president of theSIU; reelection of John Fay as theunion’s executive vice president;and reelection of David Heindelas secretary-treasurer. Each ofthose candidates was unopposed.

The tallying committee’sreport will be submitted forapproval by the membership atunion meetings next month(March).

The committee reported thateach of the two proposed constitu-tional amendments was approvedby overwhelming majorities. Theamendments concerned eligibilityrequirements for running forunion office, and the election ofthe credentials committee.

Similarly, neither of the twocontested races for office wasclose. The committee reported theelection of the following officers,

who will serve four-year terms(2005-2008):

� Michael Sacco, president;

� John Fay, executive vicepresident;

� David Heindel, secretary-treasurer;

� Augie Tellez, contracts andcontract enforcement vicepresident;

� Joseph Soresi, AtlanticCoast vice president;

� Dean Corgey, Gulf Coastvice president;

� Nick Marrone, West Coastvice president;

� Thomas Orzechowski,Southern Region, GreatLakes and inland watersvice president;

� Kermett Mangram,Government Services andfishing industries vice presi-dent;

� George Tricker, assistantvice president in charge ofcontracts and contractenforcement;

� Nick Celona, assistant vicepresident in charge of theAtlantic Coast;

� Ambrose Cucinotta, assis-tant vice president in chargeof the Gulf Coast;

� Don Anderson, assistant vicepresident in charge of theWest Coast;

� James McGee, assistant vicepresident in charge of theSouthern Region, GreatLakes and inland waters;

� Chester Wheeler, assistantvice president in charge ofGovernment Services andfishing industries;

� Edward “Edd” Morris,Piney Point port agent;

� Robert Selzer, New Yorkport agent;

� Joseph Mieluchowski,Philadelphia port agent;

� Georg Kenny, Baltimoreport agent;

� Ed Kelly, Mobile portagent;

� Steve Judd, New Orleansport agent;

� Tony McQuay, Houston portagent;

� Vince Coss, San Franciscoport agent;

� Becky Sleeper, St. Louisport agent;

� Don Thornton, Algonac portagent.

The committee met during theweek of Jan. 3 at the union’s head-quarters in Camp Springs, Md. toreceive the ballots from the bankwhere they were kept, count thevotes in the contested races andfor the amendments, and deter-

mine the status of void or chal-lenged ballots. (In accordancewith Article XIII of the union’sconstitution, unopposed candi-dates were considered elected totheir respective positions oncenominations closed and the mem-bership approved the report of thecredentials committee, which tookplace last fall.)

In concluding the report, thecommittee wrote, “All of themembers of the Committee wishto express their deep appreciationfor the cooperation and assistancegiven to us by the Union’s legaldepartment and its technical andclerical staff. Finally, the mem-bers of the Union TallyingCommittee wish to congratulatethe elected officers and jobhold-ers. We extend our best wishes forthe next four years. We hope thatyou will carry on the tradition ofour Union and advance thestrength of the maritime industry.”

The committee elected aschairman Recertified Bosun John

Cain, from the port of Houston.Cain said he was genuinelyimpressed with the committee’sdiligence. “Everyone workedvery hard throughout the weekand no one complained, despitesome long hours,” he stated.

Also serving on the committeewere Paul Weil and DonaldGraves from Piney Point, JamesGreenwood and James Beningfrom Algonac, Ed Tully andDawn Williams from Baltimore,Cain and Eddie Hall fromHouston, and Terry Smith andMarshall Turner from Mobile.

Rounding out the committeewere Ernest Hoitt and DavidMerida from New Orleans,Charles Welsh and TerryMouton from New York, JohnWozunk and Pat Farley fromPhiladelphia, Louella Sproul andRoger Reinke from San Fran-cisco, and Eric Hurt andMichael Gallagher from St.Louis.

Please be advised that SIU headquarters and all SIU

hiring halls will be closed on Monday, Feb. 21, 2005

for the observance of Presidents Day

(unless an emergency arises). Normal business

hours will resume the following workday.Members of the tallying committee met last month at SIU headquartersin Camp Springs, Md. to tabulate ballots cast by union members.

Members of the tallying committee are pictured immediately after finishing their work last month at unionheadquarters, along with SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel (far right) and SIU Assistant VP AmbroseCucinotta (standing second from left). Pictured from left to right are (front row) James Greenwood, ErnieHoitt, Louella Sproul, David Merida, James Bening, (standing) John Cain, Cucinotta, Ed Tully, John Wozunk,Charlie Welsh, Don Graves, Eddie Hall, Marshall Turner, Eric Hurt, Roger Reinke, Terry Mouton, Paul Weil,Terry Smith, Michael Gallagher, Dawn Williams, Pat Farley and Heindel.

Seafarers Approve Constitutional AmendmentsCommittee Announces Election Results;Michael Sacco Is Reelected President

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Paul Hall Center’s Eglinton Named toNational Maritime Security Committee

The U.S. Department ofHomeland Security last monthannounced the appointment ofindividuals to serve on theNational Maritime Security Ad-visory Committee. Bill Eglinton,director of training at the SIU-affiliated Paul Hall Center forMaritime Training and Educa-tion, was among those named tothe group.

“On behalf of Secretary Ridge,I am delighted to welcome theseadvisors to our team,” saidAdmiral Thomas H. Collins,commandant of the Coast Guard.“We look forward to workingwith the committee to continuestrengthening our efforts to pro-tect our ports and waterwayswhile keeping them open forcommerce.”

The advisory committee has

been established to provideadvice to the Department ofHomeland Security via the U.S.Coast Guard on matters such asnational maritime security strate-gy and policy, actions required tomeet current and future securitythreats, international cooperationon security issues, and securityconcerns of the maritime trans-portation industry as mandated bythe Maritime TransportationSecurity Act of 2002.

Members of the committeeare: Eglinton, who has extensiveexperience in domestic and inter-national forums pertaining to thetraining and certification ofmariners; Christopher LouisKoch, president & CEO, WorldShipping Council; Joseph H.Langjahr, vice president and gen-eral counsel, Foss Maritime

Company; Thomas E. Thompson,executive vice president, In-ternational Council of CruiseLines; and John C. Dragone, vicepresident, operating division,Maritrans Operating Company,L.P.

Also named to the committeewere Mary Frances Culnane,manager, San Francisco Bay AreaWater Transit Authority; BasilMaher, president and chief oper-ating officer, Maher Terminals;Charles Raymond, chairman,president, and CEO, HorizonLines; Alice K. Johnson, seniorsupervisor, PPG Industries, Inc.;Timothy J. Scott, global director,emergency services and security,The Dow Chemical Company;Mark Witten, senior regulatoryadvisor, Gulf of Mexico Deep-water Business Unit, Chev-

ronTexaco; and Robert R. Mer-hige, III, deputy executive direc-tor, Virginia Port Authority.

Rounding out the group areJeffery Wayne Monroe, directorof ports and transportation,Portland, Maine; Lisa Himber,vice president, Maritime Ex-change for the Delaware Riverand Bay; Wade M. Battles, man-aging director, Port of HoustonAuthority; John Hyde, securityand compliance director, MaerskSealand Inc.; James Stolpinski,president, Local 920, Inter-national Longshoremen’s Asso-ciation; David Halstead, chief,Florida Domestic SecurityPreparedness, Florida Depart-ment of Law Enforcement;Theodore Louis Mar, chief,marine safety branch, CaliforniaDepartment of Fish and Game;

and Victor Zaloom, professor andchair of industrial engineeringand director, engineering gradu-ate programs and Center for Portsand Waterways, Lamar Uni-versity.

MEBA, MM&PAnnounceElection Results

The Marine Engineers’ Bene-ficial Association (MEBA) andthe International Organization ofMasters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P)separately announced late lastyear the results of elections ofofficers for their respectiveunions.

MM&P reported that its mem-bers “elected incumbent Inter-

national President Tim Brown to afifth term of office. The election,conducted by a 90-day mail bal-lot, concluded on Monday, Dec.13 with the ballots counted thatsame day. All other incumbentMM&P officials were returned toserve another term of office.”

MEBA announced that itsmembers’ re-election of PresidentRon Davis is “the first re-electionof a MEBA president in twodecades…. All 14 candidates onDavis’ MEBATEAM II ticket alsoswept to victory following a 90-day referendum.”

Bill Eglinton, director of training,Paul Hall Center

Navy League President Praises Ready Reserve ForceMcNeill Sees Potential for Fleet’s Expanded Role as ‘National Asset’

Sheila M. McNeill, nationalpresident of the Navy League ofthe United States, offered strongsupport for the Ready ReserveForce (RRF) in a recent editorial.

Writing in the Navy League’smonthly magazine, SEAPOWER,McNeill described the RRF as “amajor element of our successes inrecent conflicts.” She also sug-gested that the RRF “could have abroader role as a multipurposenational asset able to serve addi-tional agencies with a variety ofmissions.”

Created in 1976, the RRF is akey element of U.S. strategicsealift, according to the U.S.Maritime Administration. The 59-vessel fleet “is specifically struc-tured to transport Army andMarine Corps unit equipment andinitial resupply for forces deploy-ing anywhere in the world duringthe critical period before ade-quate numbers of commerciallyavailable ships can be mar-shaled,” the agency noted.

In her column, McNeill saidthe RRF “is the nation’s premiersealift readiness program…. Thesuccessful operation of the RRFis a joint effort by governmentagencies and industry. The pro-gram is managed by the MaritimeAdministration to fulfill the re-quirements of the U.S. Trans-portation Command. The shipsare operated by commercial com-panies and crewed by civilianmerchant mariners. When activat-ed, they fall under the operationalcontrol of the Military SealiftCommand (MSC).

“That complex structure is nobarrier to success for the RRFships, which met or exceededmost operational goals duringIraqi Freedom,” McNeill contin-ued. “The RRF in 2004 has metits goal of 100 percent on-timeactivation, for example, andexceeded the goal that 95 percentof ships be fully capable whileworking for the MSC. The RRF’sachievement: 99 percent.”

She pointed out that the pro-gram is funded by the Navy andtherefore faces “tremendous com-petition for Navy funds. Thatmakes a multi-agency assessmentall the more vital. The RRF wascreated long before 9/11 as aDefense Department resource. Itcomprises highly capable ships

worth billions of dollars. Theycould be used in a variety ofinnovative ways to improve thesecurity of the United States dur-ing a terrorist alert, an actualattack or in the event of a naturaldisaster. For example, the Depart-ment of Homeland Securitymight utilize some as medicalplatforms for triage or emergencycare should there be anotherattack or disaster on the scale of9/11.”

As an example, McNeill point-ed out that the RRF includes 10crane ships “with unique capabil-ities.” They could be used to aug-ment Homeland Security efforts“to search suspect ships at sea orin a remote anchorage having noshoreside facilities. A crane shipand companion barge carriercould come alongside, offloadsome containers and move others,facilitating a rapid and effectivesearch of the huge container shipsthat ply the world’s oceans.”

She concluded, “The feasibili-ty of this approach should be care-fully assessed by the MaritimeAdministration and the depart-ments of Defense and HomelandSecurity before the RRF is dimin-ished further and its valuableassets are lost to the nation.”

The Navy League is the self-

described “only civilian organiza-tion dedicated to supporting thesea services – the U.S. Navy, U.S.Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guardand U.S.-Flag Merchant Marine.”

McNeill is the first woman toserve as president of the organiza-tion, which was founded in 1902.She was elected in 2003 and hasbeen a member since 1966.

Her official bio notes that shehas served “at every leadershiplevel including president of the

Camden-Kings Bay Council,Georgia state president andregion president for the SouthAtlantic Coast Region. Mostrecently, McNeill served as anational vice president responsi-ble for the organization’s legisla-tive affairs activities. While serv-ing in that position, she aggres-sively sought support on CapitolHill and made educating congres-sional members about the sea ser-vices her top priority.”

SIU VP Contracts Augie Tellez(center) presented theProspect Park YMCASeamen’s House 2004 Personof the Year award to EdwardR. Morgan (right), presidentand CEO of E-Ships. Joiningthem at the Dec. 8 event inNew York City is SIU VPAtlantic Coast Joseph Soresi.E-Ships participates in theU.S. Maritime SecurityProgram. The Seamen’sHouse is a charity that benefitsmariners and retirees.

Seamen’s House 2004 Awards

Sheila M. McNeill is nationalpresident of the Navy League ofthe United States.

RRF vessels including the SIU-crewed Cape Texas (foreground) andCape Taylor are good for America’s national and economic security.

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The administration last monthreleased the long-awaited Nation-al Security Presidential Directivewhich addresses port security.

According to the Congress-ional Information Bureau, thenew plan provides a strategydesigned to coordinate federal,state and local governmentalefforts with those of the privatesector ports aimed at securingcontainer cargoes, while main-taining surveillance over U.S. ter-ritorial waters.

The nine-page directive (titledMaritime Port Policy) mandatesthat the Department of HomelandSecurity develop—in coordina-tion with key maritime industrystakeholders—“minimum” feder-al standards for maritime recov-ery operations, as well as “com-prehensive” recovery standardsfor national infrastructure and aplan to complement those nation-al preparedness goals and stan-dards already set forth in a previ-ous national security directive.

According to sources withinthe Departments of Defense,State, Treasury, Interior, Com-merce and Transportation, eachalso will have roles in the recov-ery standards initiative. The needfor a policy regarding maritimerecovery has been emphasized byindustry leaders, who have saidrecently that they were still in thedark about who would be incharge at the ports in the event ofa terrorist attack.

Meanwhile, the House of Rep-resentatives on Jan. 4 approvedthe creation of a permanent stand-ing Committee on HomelandSecurity.

The move, described by someWashington insiders as the mostsweeping reorganization ofCongressional jurisdiction since1947, follows the 9/11 Com-mission’s recommendation thatboth the House and the Senateshould create “a single, principalpoint of oversight and review forhomeland security” across thefederal government. Whilefalling short of that sweeping rec-ommendation—which wouldinclude all aspects of immigra-tion, Coast Guard, FBI and intel-ligence—the change to the HouseRules established a committeewith primary jurisdiction overgovernment-wide counterterror-ism policy, and primary jurisdic-tion over the counterterrorismmission of the Department ofHomeland Security.

The new committee will haveby far the most significantresponsibility for homeland secu-rity policy of any committee inthe House or Senate. House rulessurrendering primary jurisdictionover homeland security to thenew Homeland Security Com-mittee on Jan. 4 were adopted bythe House of Representatives.

Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.), who served as chairmanof the Select Committee on

Homeland Security for the pasttwo years, and as a member of theHouse Leadership for the pastdecade, is expected to chair thenew committee

Elsewhere, Kurt Nagle onJan.3, while responding to recentnews coverage about major man-agement challenges facing theDHS, including the way thedepartment has handled its PortSecurity Grants Program, said thecriticism “misses the mark.”

Nagle is president of theAmerican Association of PortAuthorities (AAPA). Noting thatthe program’s biggest problem isa lack of money to assistAmerican seaports in paying forcritical security measures, Naglesaid, “Like airports, protectingour seaports against terrorismmust be a top priority and ashared responsibility between thefederal government, local publicports and private industry. The

federal government has mandatedsecurity enhancements for marinefacilities, but has yet to adequate-ly fund those mandates, creatinghuge financial burdens on portsthat have both security and eco-nomic consequences.”

Ports already are spendingmore than $3 billion annually oninfrastructure improvements andoperating expenses to keep pace

National Directive Addresses Port Security

U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) early last month intro-duced a bill before the 109th

Congress to amend title 46,United States Code, and title II ofthe Social Security Act.

The bill, H.R. 23, would pro-vide benefits to certain individu-als who served in the UnitedStates Merchant Marine (includ-ing the Army Transport Serviceand the Naval Transport Service)during World War II. Filner lastyear (Jan. 27, 2004) introducedthe same legislation before the108th Congress. That bill, num-bered H.R. 3729 and titled the“Belated Thank You to theMerchant Mariners of World WarII Act of 2004,” had more than150 cosponsors. The last major

action taken on it came July 27when the Veterans’ AffairsCommittee asked for executivecomment. No further action wastaken on the bill before the 108th

Congress adjourned last year, soFilner reintroduced it as H.R. 23before the new Congress whichconvened last month.

As reported earlier in theSeafarers LOG, H.R. 3729 amongother things called for compensa-tion of $1,000 per month for peo-ple in any service in harm’sway—including the U.S. Mer-chant Marine—during the periodfrom Dec. 5, 1941 through Dec.31, 1946, the same period as allother GI Bills. The bill also stipu-lated that any surviving wife of aqualified veteran also shall be eli-

gible to receive the same benefitas the veteran.

In official remarks to fellowmembers of Congress in 2004,Filner noted, World War IIMerchant Mariners suffered thesecond-highest casualty rate ofany of the branches of serviceswhile they delivered troops,tanks, food, airplanes, fuel andother needed supplies to everytheater of the war. Compared tothe large number of men andwomen serving in World War II,the numbers of merchantmariners were small, but theirchance of dying during servicewas extremely high. Enemyforces sank over 800 shipsbetween 1941 and 1944 alone.

Filner further pointed outmariners weren’t included in theGI Bill of Rights, whichCongress enacted in 1945. “Themerchant marine became the for-gotten service,” he said. “The factthat merchant seamen had bornearms during wartime in thedefense of their country did notseem to matter.”

Many WWII mariners finallyreceived veterans’ recognition in1988, along with access to whatFilner described as a “watered-down” GI Bill. It took another 10years to extend the cutoff date forrecognition of mariners as veter-ans so it matched the date utilizedby the military.

A member of the U.S. HouseCommittee on Veterans’ Affairs,Filner observed, “While it isimpossible to make up for over40 years of unpaid benefits, I pro-pose a bill that will acknowledgethe service of the veterans of theU.S. Merchant Marine and offercompensation for years and yearsof lost benefits. The average ageof (World War II) merchantmarine veterans is now 81. Manyhave outlived their savings. Amonthly benefit to compensatefor the loss of nearly a lifetime ofineligibility for the GI Bill wouldbe of comfort and would providesome measure of security for vet-erans of the U.S. MerchantMarine.”

The likelihood of opening theArctic National Wildlife Refuge’s(ANWR) coastal plain to oildrilling has improved in the wakeof the 2004 Presidential Elections.

Recent press reports andremarks by New Mexico SenatorPete Domenici indicate that theprobability for the passage of pro-drilling legislation is “lookingbetter than ever.” As reported ear-lier in the Seafarers LOG, open-ing the 1002 Area of the coastalplain to responsible oil develop-ment is part of President Bush’sNational Energy Plan. It is also apolicy that has a very reasonablechance of being supported by amajority of Congress.

Estimates vary, but openingthe coastal plain to safe drillingpotentially would create any-where from 250,000 to more than700,000 jobs, according to thepro-exploration coalition ArcticPower.

Senator Domenici has identi-fied drilling in the ANWR’snortheast corner as his first prior-ity for the upcoming congression-al session. Domenici is the topRepublican with authority overenergy matters. Almost immedi-ately after being re-elected to hisseat as chairman of the SenateEnergy and Natural ResourcesCommittee for the 109th Congresson Jan. 4, the senator issued apress release promoting his strat-egy for the 1.5 million-acrecoastal plain.

“This year will be a dynamicyear for the energy committee,”he said. “We are going to make a

push to develop our vast oilresources in the Arctic Refuge ina way that leaves the environmentpristine while stabilizing oilprices and enhancing our energyindependence.”

The senator continued, “Iexpect to receive instructions inthe Budget Resolution to reportANWR language to the BudgetCommittee by early May. I willfight on the Senate floor to keepthose instructions in the resolu-tion and will fight again to defendour legislation in the budget rec-onciliation vote later this year.

“I am pleased by the strongsupport for an energy billexpressed by the White Houseand the House of Repre-sentatives. I was pleased to seeSpeaker Dennis Hastert earliertoday reaffirm the House’s com-mitment to delivering an energybill the President this year.Energy will clearly be a priorityand we have already begun seri-ous discussions about how wewill proceed,” Domenici con-cluded.

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a member of Domenici’scommittee, also put ANWRdrilling at the top of her list afterbeing sworn into office Jan. 4.

U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) also was sworn intooffice Jan.4 after an election inwhich he faced no significantopposition. Young has servedAlaska in the House since a spe-cial election in 1973 and now isthe third highest-ranking Repub-lican. In 2001, he gained the

chairmanship of the HouseTransportation and InfrastructureCommittee.

Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who did not face re-elec-tion last year, has been chairmanof the Senate Commerce, Scienceand Transportation Committee,leaving his six-year chairmanshipof, but not his membership on,the Senate AppropriationsCommittee. Stevens has served inthe Senate since his appointmentin 1968.

Drilling in the area was

approved by the House ofRepresentatives during the pasttwo congressional sessions aspart of a national energy bill, butthe measure yielded to filibusterthreats in the Senate. Last yearthe Senate fell short by two votesto pass a comprehensive energybill including an ANWR provi-sion. Proponents of safe drillinghope that with the new wave offreshman senators, any ANWRlegislation will have an easiertime of making it to the presi-dent’s desk.

Safe Drilling in ANWRStill a Hot Topic in D.C.Policy Would Create Jobs

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski(R-Alaska)

U.S. Rep. Don Young(R-Alaska)

U.S. Senator Ted Stevens(R-Alaska)

U.S. Senator Pete Domenici(R-N.M.)

‘Belated Thank You’ LegislationReintroduced by U.S. Rep. Filner

U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.)


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aboard the cape ISLANDSEAFARERS SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

Seafarers aboard the Cape Islandspent the fall and early winter support-ing U.S. troops in Operation IraqiFreedom.

Operated by Crowley, the SIU-crewed vessel last fall departed Texascarrying Army materiel and made sub-sequent stops in Spain and Crete beforeoffloading in Kuwait. The ship broughtback some cargo from the Middle Eastto Texas by way of Richards Bay, SouthAfrica.

Thousands of SIU members havebacked U.S. armed forces throughoutthe various phases of OIF. During theall-out combat phase, more than 7,000American mariners sailed aboard hun-dreds of U.S.-flag ships in support of our troops. Theyexecuted what has been described by top government andmilitary leaders as the most efficient sealift operation inhistory.

That mission continues today, with dozens of U.S.-flagships and several thousand mariners mobilized for OIF3.

The Cape Island is part of the U.S. Ready ReserveForce (RRF). The roll-on/roll-off vessel is 685 feet longand has a beam of 102 feet. It can travel at 18.7 knots.

SIU members sailing aboard the Cape Island at variousjunctures last fall and this winter included Bosun StephenCastle; ABs Mickey Earhart, Ed Plarisan, FadhelMohammed, Desta Gebrai, Robert Ellis, FredShannon, Clifton Favorite, Andy Martinez, AlfredMartin, Peter Bean and Barry Ford; QMEDsAllen Ward, Clarence Scott, Ronnie Day, EricViera and James Donohue; QEE AntoineJennings; Electrician Robert Rush; GUDEJames Lewis; GVAs Reynaldo Downing,Daniel Gamboa, Shaun Castain and FelixGarcia; Chief Steward William Simmons;Chief Cook Tracy Stewart; and SAs ScottGardner, Abdulsalam Mohamed, ShabainHamid and Rafael Borja.

Special thanks to Third Mate Ed McDonnellfor providing thephotos on thispage as well asthose of theCape Island onpage 1.

The SIU-crewed Cape Island ispart of the Ready Reserve Force.

Participating in a fire drill are (from left) SA Abdulsalam Mohamed, ABPeter Bean and Chief Cook Tracy Stewart.

QMED James Donohue, QMED Ronnie Day3rd Asst. Geoff Grossenbach, AB Mickey Earhart,

QMED Eric Viera

SA Abdulsalam Mohamed, Chief StewardWilliam Simmons, GUDE James Lewis

Left: BosunStephenCastle

AB Clifton Favorite

Chief Cook Tracy Stewart

Above: AB Desta Gebrai,Electrician Robert Rush

Right: SA Shabain Hamid

Pictured in Texas is some of the materiel picked up and transport-ed by the Cape Island.

Scrubbing the cargo holdsare AB Andy Martinez (left)and GVA Shaun Castain.

Right:AB Alfred Martin

AB Andy Martinez

ABs Peter Bean and Ed Plarisan tend to the vesselin Kuwait.

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aboard the USNS WATKINSSEAFARERS support our troops

The USNS Watkins is one of the SIU-crewed ships that keeps the cargo moving insupport of Operation Iraqi Freedom 3 (OIF3).The large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off(LMSR) vessel has just completed its 13th

mission in the Middle East and is gettingready for the next voyage, according to Capt.Kurt Kleinschmidt, himself a former memberof the Seafarers International Union.

Operated by Maersk Line, Limited for theMilitary Sealift Command (MSC), the vesselstopped in Jacksonville, Fla. for supplies,training and a crew change before sailing toSavannah, Ga. and then to the Middle East.

For Seafarers, OIF3 is the continuation of apatriotic duty that began with pre-war mobi-lizations for the all-out combat phase of

Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Bosun HenryPeterson and the crew aboard the USNSWatkins understand the importance ofgetting the cargo to U.S. militaryforces in Iraq. Both BosunPeterson and AB GregBrunson have completedfive full rotations onboard the vessel andenjoy working withCaptain Kleinschmidt,who, they say, is very“crew-focused and creworiented.”

Peterson noted he islooking forward to theupcoming trip and is proud to

play an important part in supportingthe troops. Working with him in the deckdepartment during the last voyage wereBrunson, AB Zack Sullivan, AB Manuel Davis, AB JesusH. Olbes, OS Nieves Nunez and OS Matthew Nunez.(Davis, who came aboard the LMSR program as an OS, hassince upgraded at Piney Point and is now sailing as an AB.)

In preparation for the voyage, the steward department waskept very busy, according to Chief Steward Robert Ramirez.Ramirez, along with SA Jose Clotter and SA JustinoMartinez and Chief Cook Alisha Prucnal keep the chowline stocked at all times for the crew, supercargo and securityteams.

Rounding out the crew are members of the engine depart-ment: QMED/Electrician James Demouy, QMEDs EldonPalmer, Keith Kowaleski and Lloyd Marsh and WiperChristian Ladner.

Like most of the otherLMSRs, the USNS Watkins isnamed after a Medal of Honorrecipient. Army Master Sgt.

Travis E. Watkins(1920-1950) wasawarded the Medal ofHonor posthumouslyfor his gallant leader-ship when an over-whelming enemy forcebroke through and iso-lated 30 men from hisunit in Korea from Aug.31 to Sept. 3, 1950.

A non-combatantvessel, the USNSWatkins is the sixth inthe Watson class ofLMSRs. Its roll-on/roll-off design makes itideal for transporting

helicopters,tanks and other wheeled and tracked mili-

tary vehicles as well as combat servicesupport gear. The ship has approxi-

mately 390,000 square feet ofcargo carrying space. The USNS

Watkins is 950 feet in length,has a beam of 105.8 feet anddisplaces approximately62,000 long tons. The gas tur-bine-powered ship is able tosustain speeds of up to 24

knots.The photographs accompany-

ing this article were taken byCapt. Michael F. Finnigan, an SIU

hawsepiper. As captain aboard theUSNS Pomeroy, Finnigan recently sent

photos tothe LOG from that ves-

sel’s fifth trip in supportof OIF (see October2004 of the SeafarersLOG).

Bosun Henry Peterson, AB Manuel Davis, AB Greg Brunson andAB Jesus Olbes understand the importance of their mission.

Capt. Kurt Kleinschmidt and AB Zack Sullivankeep busy in the days before departure.

OS Nieves Nunez,SA Justino Martinez

Right: QMEDLloyd Marsh and

1st Asst. EngineerBaxter Hudson

(AMO) chatabout the upcom-

ing trip.

With decorations in place, the steward depart-ment is ready for the holidays. From the left areChief Cook Alisha Prucnal, SA JustinoMartinez, Chief Steward Robert Ramirez andSA Jose Clotter.

At left and below:The USNSWatkins was inJacksonville, Fla.for approximatelythree weeks forsupplies, trainingand a crewchange.

OS Matthew Nunez stands gangwaywatch aboard ship in Jacksonville.

Seafarers working inthe engine depart-ment aboard theRO/RO vesselinclude (from left)Electrician JamesDemouy, WiperChristian Ladnerand QMED EldonPalmer.

AB Manuel Davis and AB Jesus Olbes

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aboard the WESTWARD VENTURESEAFARERS SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

Holiday Festivities inThe Port of Norfolk

DEU John Cooper (right) poses with the U.S. Navy security guardsaboard the Westward Venture en route to Kuwait.

Army cargo headed for Kuwait is lined up at the docks in Corpus Christi, Texasfor loading onto the trailership.

The SIU-crewedWestward Venture recentlyloaded its cargo of militaryequipment and headed forKuwait in support of thewar effort in the MiddleEast.

John Cooper, who sailsas a DEU aboard the vessel,sent these photos to theLOG.

The Westward Venture isone of five TOTE trailer-ships operated by InteroceanUgland Management.

A trailer is loaded by crane onto the Westward Venture.Military cargo takes up all the deck space on the ship. Having reached its destination, the cargo is dis-

charged in Kuwait.

AB Mike Warren (left) gets together with retiredBosun Bobby Riddick (center) and AB BennieSpencer at the Norfolk holiday party.

Christmas Day came a week early atthe Norfolk, Va. hall, as more than 100Seafarers, pensioners, family membersand guests joined in on the festivitiesDec. 18.

The party was a time for rejoicing,reminiscing and enjoying a wonderfulholiday meal, catered bySteward/Baker Army

Joe Leake.Thanks to DEU John

Cooper for sending theLOG the photos accom-panying this feature.

SIU VP Kermett Mangram (left) and Norfolk PortAgent Georg Kenny chat with some of the SIU mem-bers and their guests.

OMU Hugh S. Woods

DEU JohnCooper (left)poses withJames Burke.Cooper sentthese photos tothe LOG.

Above: Tosha Taylor, Joyce Calhoun andDarryl Jackson. Below: AB Thomas Morganand his wife, Marie.

Christmas on the LNG Capricorn

The steward department on the LNG Capricorn really did them-selves proud in preparing a mouth-watering holiday meal for theirfellow crew members. From the left are Chief Steward DanaCunningham, SA Tommy Cyrus, Chief Cook Udjang Nurdjaja, SAEnno Kok and SA Syed Murtaza.

Steward/BakerArmy Joe Leakecatered the holi-day party.

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The International MaritimeOrganization’s (IMO) MaritimeSafety Committee from Dec.1-10conducted its 79th session at IMOheadquarters in London.

Security issues and bulk carri-er safety concerns dominated thecrammed agenda. Among otheritems, a highlight of the sessionwas the release of the updated

“white list” of countries that havefulfilled requirements set forth inthe provisions of the amendedInternational Convention onStandards of Training, Certifi-

cation and Watchkeeping(STCW) for Seafarers. Countriesappearing on the list have beenfound by the IMO to be fully andcompletely compliant withSTCW stipulations.

The IMO, however, advisedmaritime administrations, ship-owners, ship operators and man-agers, ship masters and other par-ties concerned that not all coun-tries appearing on the list provide

complete seafarer training; somemay only provide a limited rangeof schooling. The committee alsopointed out that since the updatedwhite list was not released untilDec. 10, mariners from some ofthe new countries on the list—forpractical reasons—might not yetpossess certificates with updatedSTCW endorsements. Countrieson the update white list are as fol-lows:

SEAFARERS APPEALS BOARD5201 Auth Way Camp Springs, Maryland 20746Action Number 426

Effective: December 9, 2004

The Seafarers Appeals Board acting under andpursuant to the Collective Bargaining Agreementbetween the Union and the various ContractedEmployers, hereby takes the following action.

WHEREAS, by prior action the Board has rec-ognized the need for appropriate Shipping Ruleadjustments to secure and maintain an adequatesupply of qualified and trained personnel aboardvarious U.S. flagged fleets; and

WHEREAS, the Union acknowledges theimportance proper manning plays in the successfuloperation of these vessels; and

WHEREAS, because of the recent military ves-sel activations the Shipping Rules need to beamended by allowing extended tours of duty forunlicensed personnel above entry rating to ensurethat every unlicensed billet is filled.

NOW THEREFORE, the Seafarers AppealsBoard acting under and pursuant to the CollectiveBargaining Agreement between the Union and var-ious Contracted Employers hereby amends andenforces the Shipping Rules to provide for the fol-lowing.

AMEND Rule 5 A. (14) (a) quoted below, shallbe modified by eliminating the maximum period ofemployment of one hundred twenty (120) days.

“The following specified ratings enumeratedin this subsection (a), possessing Class “A”seniority, upon completing a tour of dutyaboard a specified vessel of no less, or as closeto, seventy-five (75) days and no more, or asclose to, one hundred twenty (120) days, shallbe designated as having permanent status forsuch vessel and shall request a relief of no less,or as close to, thirty (30) and no more, or asclose to, sixty (60) days depending on the ves-sels schedule of operations, upon the vessel’sarrival at a port in the Continental UnitedStates or Puerto Rico or other mutually agreedto port. Subsequent tours aboard the vessel forpermanent personnel shall be between seven-ty-five (75) and one hundred twenty (120)days duration as agreed by the seaman and thecompany at time of their sign-on for each tour.Transportation expenses for the seamanrequesting a relief and the seaman providing arelief shall be borne by the Company.”

It is the intent of this amendment to allow foran unlimited amount of days allotted for tours ofduty. The maximum sixty (60) days off will still bein effect.

AMEND Rule 5 A. (14) (r) (2) and 5 A. (14) (t)(2) quoted below by eliminating the two-to-onetime off ratio and maximum period of employmentof one hundred twenty (120) days.

“During the specific period of employment,

their tours of duty shall be scheduled atapproximately a two-to-one employment ratiowith time on off no less, or as close to seven-ty-five (75) days and no more, or as close toone hundred twenty (120) days of employmentbetween periods of time off of no less, or asclose to thirty (30) days and no more, or asclose to sixty days (60) of time off. Workschedules may be modified subject to the ves-sel’s operational necessities, and as mutuallyagreed to between the Union and theCompany. Transportation expenses for the sea-man requesting a relief and the seaman pro-viding a relief shall be borne by theCompany.”

It is the intent of this amendment to allow foran unlimited amount of days allotted for tours ofduty. The maximum sixty (60) days off will still bein effect.

AMEND Rule 5 A. (14) (r) (4) and 5 A. (14) (t)(4) quoted below shall be eliminated.

Rule 5 A. (14) (r) (4)“Seamen possessing Class “B” employmentseniority employed above the Entry Levelaboard tanker class vessels in the domestictrades upon mutual consent may request arelief of forty-five (45) days upon completionof no less than ninety (90) days employment.”

Rule 5 A. (t) (4)“Seamen possessing Class “B” employmentseniority employed above the Entry Levelmay request a relief of forty-five (45) daysupon completion of no less than ninety (90)days of employment. Such relief will only beprovided in a domestic port and subject to thevessels operational necessities.”

It is the intent of this amendment to discontin-ue reliefs for seaman with “B” seniority employedabove Entry Rating.

AMEND Rule 10 A. “Special or EmergencyProvisions” as quoted below shall be fullyenforced.

“During any period of emergency, unlicensedseamen possessing Class “B” or “C” seniority,who are in the Entry Rating Department andwho have adequate seatime to make applica-tion for endorsement in Group II rating or rat-ings in the Deck or Engine Department andGroup II ratings in the Steward Department,shall not be registered for shipping unless theymake application for and expeditiously com-ply with the requisite rules to secure suchGroup II endorsement or endorsements in theDeck and Engine Departments and Group IIratings in the Steward Department in accor-dance with the training programs instituted atthe Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School ofSeamanship.”

The remainder of this section shall also remainin full force and effect.

This SAB action shall remain in full force andeffect until modified by future SAB action.

NoticeEditor’s note: The following SAB action was put in place to help ensure sufficient crewing of SIU-con-

tracted U.S. military support ships for Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Top MarAd Official ResignsU.S. Transportation Secretary

Norman Y. Mineta last monthannounced the resignation ofU.S. Maritime AdministratorCapt. William G. Schubert, effec-tive Feb. 12.

The deputy administrator ofthe Maritime Administration,John Jamian, will assume the roleof acting maritime administratorduring the White House selectionprocess for a new administrator.

According to the Trans-portation Department, Schubertplans to pursue private-sectoropportunities in his hometown,Houston.

Mineta praised Schubert’saccomplishments and service tothe nation during a three-yeartenure.

“Bill brought real-life mar-itime experiences directly to hisjob as administrator and he hasbeen a tremendous asset to thedepartment,” Mineta said. “Hewas a strong advocate of thenation’s vital maritime trans-portation system.”

Schubert managed a large-scale activation of the MaritimeAdministration’s Ready ReserveForce in support of OperationsIraqi Freedom and EnduringFreedom. He also negotiated amaritime agreement between theUnited States and China, Minetaadded.

SIU President Michael Saccodescribed Schubert as “a dedicat-ed fighter for the U.S.-flag mer-chant fleet.”

With the resignation of Capt.William Schubert (above) ashead of the U.S. Maritime Ad-ministration, John Jamian (below)assumes the role of acting mar-itime administrator.

Notice/ReminderTankerman Assistant DL Endorsement

Don’t let your tankerman assistant DL endorsement expire! If you

sail on tankers, you may renew your tankerman assistant DL

endorsement at a U.S. Coast Guard regional exam center (REC) by

showing your discharges from a tanker (reflecting a year of sea ser-

vice in the previous five years) and by showing a letter indicating

your involvement in two loadings or discharges.

If you haven’t sailed on tankers in the last five years, you must

successfully complete a Coast Guard-approved tanker assistant DL

course, such as the two-week curriculum offered at the Paul Hall

Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. in

order to secure the tankerman assistant DL endorsement.

Also, remember that in order to have the tankerman assistant DL

endorsement noted on an STCW certificate, that endorsement must

appear as current on the mariner’s z-card.

AlgeriaAntigua and Barbuda ArgentinaAustraliaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelgiumBelizeBrazilBrunei Darussalam BulgariaCanadaCape Verde ChileChina*Colombia

ComorosCôte d’Ivoire CroatiaCubaCyprusCzech Republic Democratic People.sRepublic of Korea Denmark**DominicaEcuadorEgyptEstoniaEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGeorgiaGermany

GhanaGreeceHondurasHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIrelandIslamic Republic of Iran ItalyIsraelJamaicaJapanJordanKiribatiKuwaitLatviaLebanonLiberia

LithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalaysiaMaldivesMaltaMarshall Islands MauritiusMexicoMicronesia (FederatedStates of) MoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNetherlands***New Zealand**** NigeriaNorwayPakistan

PanamaPapua New Guinea PeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of Korea RomaniaRussian Federation Saint Vincent and theGrenadinesSamoaSaudi Arabia SenegalSingaporeSlovak Republic SloveniaSolomon Islands

South Africa SpainSri Lanka SwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab Republic ThailandTonga Trinidad & Tobago Tunisia Turkey Tuvalu UkraineUnited Arab Emirates United Kingdom***** United Republic ofTanzania United States ofAmerica

UruguayVanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Yugoslavia

*Includes: Hong Kong,China (AssociateMember to the IMO)

**Includes: Faroe Islands(Associate Memberto the IMO)

***Includes: NetherlandsAntilles & Aruba

****Includes: The CookIslands

*****Includes: Isle ofMan, Bermuda,Cayman Islands,Gibraltar

IMO Issues Updated ‘White List’For STCW Convention Compliance

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Runaway-Flag Grounding in AlaskaTriggers Federal Investigation

with rapidly increasing worldtrade. Without adequate federalhelp for security enhancements,Nagle said that ports will beforced to spend money on securi-ty instead of capital improve-ments, likely resulting in a sys-tem unable to handle the expect-ed growth in trade volumes andcausing enormous impacts onAmerica’s economy.

“Ensuring adequate securityagainst terrorism is important forall ports, large and small,”remarked Nagle, reiterating hisposition that the problem is amatter of funding.

Ports handle 95 percent ofAmerica’s overseas cargoes andserve as departure points for anestimated 10 million cruise pas-sengers annually. They also helpenable deployment of U.S. mili-tary vessels, personnel and cargoto support U.S. troops overseas.

In another development, theGovernment AccountabilityOffice (GAO) in Decemberissued a report stating that betterplanning is needed to developand operate the maritime workeridentification card program.

The Maritime TransportationSecurity Act of 2002 (MTSA)requires the TransportationSecurity Administration (TSA) toissue a worker ID card that usesbiometrics to control access tosecure areas in ports and on

ships. The program is beingdelayed, in large part because:

� Officials had difficultyobtaining timely approval to pro-ceed with the prototype test;

� Extra time was required toidentify data to be collected for acost-benefit analysis; and

� Additional work wasrequired to assess card technolo-gies.

The agency still lacks anapproved comprehensive projectplan and has yet to identify eligi-bility requirements for the IDcard.

In the congressional arena,several maritime security-relatedbills last month were introduced:

� H.R. 91, introduced byRep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), would authorize theSecretary of Homeland Securityto make grants to first respon-ders, and for other purposes.

� H.R. 163, sponsored byRep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.), wouldamend title 46 USC, to direct theSecretary of Homeland Securityto carry out an empty shippingcontainer sealing pilot programto encourage shipping containerhandlers to seal empty boxesafter they have unpacked them,and for other purposes.

� H.R. 173, also introducedby Millender-McDonald, isintended to prevent and respondto terrorism and crime at orthrough ports.

Port Security AddressedContinued from page 5

graphic surveys of the ocean bot-tom where the 9.0 magnitudeearthquake occurred. The USNSMary Sears and the USNS JohnMcDonnell sailed from Sasebo,Japan.

The San Diego-based hospitalship USNS Mercy—crewed bymembers of the SIU’sGovernment Services Division—set sail Jan. 5 for the devastat-ed region.

The ship’s hospital facility ini-tially was staffed to support 250patient beds; however, that num-ber could be expanded up to1,000 with additional medicalstaff, if necessary. Equipment andsupplies were available on thevessel to treat a wide variety ofpatients from young children tothe elderly. The Mercy has 12

operating rooms, but the focus ofcare for its tsunami mission wason patients suffering from illnessor infection.

Also participating in the reliefeffort was the MarAd-owned andSIU-crewed auxiliary crane shipCornhusker State. A 610-footlong platform, the CornhuskerState is part of MarAd’s civilian-crewed Ready Reserve Force.

As of press time for theSeafarers LOG, the unofficialdeath toll from the tsunami hadsurpassed more than 226,000.Various government agencies’lists included death tolls of166,320 in Indonesia, 38,000 inSri Lanka, more than 5,300 inThailand and 16,383 in India.There had been 137 deathsrecorded in East Africa, 74 eachin Malaysia and the Maldives, 59in Burma and two in Bangladesh.

Merck Voluntarily Withdraws VIOXXBased on new safety data from a three-year clinical study, Merck &

Co., Inc., the manufacturer of VIOXX®, has elected to voluntarily with-

draw this product from the U.S. and worldwide market. Results from the

study show an increased risk for cardiovascular problems such as heart

attack and stroke in patients taking the drug compared to those taking a

placebo. All dosage strengths and formulations of the drug are affected

by this voluntary withdrawal.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which was informed of the

decision along with physicians and pharmacists, recommends that

patients who currently are taking VIOXX® contact their physicians to dis-

cuss discontinuing use of the product. A number of alternative medica-

tions are available and may be prescribed at that time.

Merck has established a program to directly reimburse all patients for

their unused VIOXX® tablets or oral suspension. Patients who return all

or any portion of their prescription in its original container in accordance

with the instructions from the National Notification Center will receive a

full refund of the price paid as reflected on their pharmacy receipt. You

may call the center at 1-800-805-9542. Upon calling, Merck will send you

a return kit that will include a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope and

instructions regarding how to send back your unused product.

Additional information regarding the withdrawal of VIOXX® may be

obtained from Merck at either 1-888-368-4699 or on the web at

www.merck.com or www.vioxx.com. The Food and Drug Administration

also has information available at 1-888-463-6332 or at

www.fda.gov/cder.

A preliminary criminal investigation into thegrounding last month of the cargo ship SelendangAyu in Alaska has been launched by federal agents.

According to The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, atleast one FBI agent and two Coast Guard criminalinvestigators—with an assist from an En-vironmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigator—are trying to determine whether criminal negli-gence contributed to the disaster, which resulted insix deaths and a major fuel oil spill. Salvage crewsare on the lookout for engineroom records that stillmight be aboard the rear end of the vessel, which asof mid-January was grounded on rocks and beingpounded by heavy seas.

As reported earlier in the Seafarer’s LOG, the72,000-ton runaway-flag bulk carrier, with crewmembers from India and the Philippines, on Dec. 8was transporting grain to the Far East but also wascarrying 470,000 gallons of its own fuel when thevessel ran aground. According to Coast Guard andnews reports, the ship lost power Dec. 7, but its cap-tain didn’t notify the U.S. Coast Guard for 13 hours.

Owned by Singapore-based IMC Group, theMalaysian-flag ship drifted in 35-foot seas and gust-ing winds up to 60 miles per hour. Most of the crewmembers were rescued via helicopter, but during asubsequent attempt to lift the remaining mariners,the helicopter crashed. The three helicopter crewmembers and a 24-year-old cadet from the shipwere rescued by another Coast Guard helicopter.Six mariners—none of whom was wearing a sur-vival suit—were not found.

The federal criminal investigation at hand is thethird inquiry focused on this catastrophe. TheNational Transportation Safety Board is also isinvestigating the grounding, and the Coast Guardhas appointed a board to investigate the helicoptercrash.

The Justice Department has prosecuted a numberof foreign-flag cargo shipowners and officers inAlaska, Washington and Oregon for illegal dis-

charge of oil. Several of the violations were broughtto the attention of the Coast Guard or theEnvironmental Protection Agency by companywhistle-blowers, and they involved attempts byshipowners to cover up oil discharges.

Prosecutions of illegal oil discharges are basedon the federal Clean Water Act, which can beenforced by EPA civil action and citizen lawsuits aswell as criminal prosecution. Prosecution isreserved for severe cases, according to environmen-tal organizations. The maximum penalty for a firstconviction for negligence is a year in prison and a$25,000 fine for each day of the violation.

freaked out big time.So I got up and asked her to sit

down with me and explain exact-ly what she needed. She said shewas Swedish, her children wereEnglish and the whole family waswashed out to sea about a two-hour drive north of Phuket. Theywere staying on the beach in abungalow that was sucked out tosea. Her husband had drowned;they found his body last night.

They had only the clothes ontheir backs. She said the Swedishofficials were telling her she hadto deal with the English. Herdaughter needed help, andnobody would give it. I calmedher down, got her some ice waterand told her to sit with her kids. Itold her I would do her yelling forher.

There was an embassy phonelist, and I called the English con-sulate and told them the story.They sent a very nice womanfrom the office in Bangkok. Shewas very helpful and said shewould take care of all the passportissues for both countries.

So that made my day rightthere. It was still so very sad, asher kids had the thousand-yardstare. In major shock.

I went back to my table andlooked at the patient list andwrote down room numbers to seewhat any of them needed.

One room I visited had awoman lying in bed, a daughterall bandaged up on a cot and a sonin a cast on another bed. Theywere from Norway, and it was thegirl’s 13th birthday. I asked themwhere they had been. Kamala Bay

north of Patong, walking on thebeach, when they were slammedup on the rocks and then draggedout to sea. They still have notfound their father. Mom startedcrying but neither child did. Theylooked numb. They have familymembers arriving tonight to takethem home.

I had seen a pizza place closeby so I asked if they would likeone. The birthday girl smiled. So Iwent and got them a big pizza andate it with them.

In the next room there werefour people from Switzerland.Dad and mom were in their 70s,and their son and his wife weremaybe in their 40s. The youngerwife was hurt the worst. She hadhad surgery on her legs. Her hus-band was bandaged up andbruised, as were mom and dad.

They were eating breakfast ablock off Patong Beach when thefirst wave hit and shoved themthrough the restaurant into thestreet. Then they were draggeddown the street when the wavewent back out to sea. Then the bigone came in.

They were all split up, swim-ming and trying to grab onto any-thing. The older man grabbedsomething but was shocked bysome electric wires. He still heldon, and Mom grabbed him. Theirchildren were slammed about ablock down the street, banginginto floating cars and motorbikes.

The son saw a boat, jumpedonto it and floated off. When thewater receded they all found eachother and carried the daughterdown the street and waited forhelp. An American doctor droveup in a huge Jeep and took them

to the hospital.I asked what they needed. All

their passports and money were ina safe in their hotel room, whichluckily was on the second floor.

I told them I would go andcheck it out. I found the hotel, andit was in the major damage zone.There was a guard at themakeshift gate, several over-turned cars on the grounds plusfurniture, etc. Totally full of junk.I found out all the safes were putin one room with a guard in front.We called the hospital, and theSwiss family was very glad toknow all their stuff was OK.

At the Patong hospital there’s ahuge tent set up with hundreds ofphones to call anywhere in theworld for free. A young couplefrom Germany came up to me andasked if I knew where they couldhelp. They were pre-med studentsand had just flown in fromGermany. They had not evenfound a room yet, and the firstplace they went was somewhereto help. I suggested PhuketInternational Hospital, as I hadheard earlier they needed bloodbadly but didn’t have enoughtrained people to draw it.

They said they could do that,so I got them the address and offthey went.

I guess disasters bring out thebest in people, and I saw it all day.I saw 40 to 50 tourists makingpiles of broken-up furniture anddestroyed boats. There are touristson the streets collecting moneyand clothes.

I fly out to Bangkok onThursday. Now I almost wish Iwas staying, as these people in thehospitals were so glad just to talkwith someone. I gave my card tomost of them, and I think I havesome e-mail friends for life.

Unified Command photo

This photo from Dec. 19 shows the bow and sternsections of the 378-foot runaway-flag freighterSelendang Ayu near Skan Bay.

SIU Supports Tsunami ReliefContinued from page 2

Continued from page 2

Seafarer Helps in Phuket

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What’s inIt for Me?Let’s face it: The work in our industry is getting more complicated all the time. Just think

about all the new things we’ve seen happen in the last few years . . .

� new Coast Guard regulations, including STCW requirements

� bigger and more sophisticated ships, boats, tugs and barges

� new requirements for ratings and licenses

If you’re going to have job security, you’ve got to keep up with the industry!

That’s what the Paul Hall Center is for—to give those of

us working in the deck, engine and steward departments the skills needed

to get ahead in our jobs and earn more money.

The Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training andEducation, located in Piney Point, Md., is thelargest training facility for unlicensed deep

sea merchant seafarers and inland waterwaysboatmen in the United States. Its program includes:

1Unlicensed ApprenticeProgram. This curriculum pro-vides men and women who

have no maritime experience withthe basic skills they will need toserve aboard U.S-flag ships or tugsand towboats. It builds manpowerfor our industry and helps marinersenjoy the benefits of union member-ship.

2Upgrading. The Paul HallCenter has courses for everyunlicensed rating in our indus-

try, plus a course of study for thosepursuing a license. The instructorsat the school work with each

mariner as an individual, so everystudent learns what he or she needsto know to get ahead. Upgrading atthe Paul Hall Center is an efficientway to help a seafarer get a betterjob, earn more money and have jobsecurity.

3Academic Education. It can bereally difficult to pass a CoastGuard exam if you have trouble

with reading or mathematics. Theacademic program at the Paul HallCenter helps students learn theseskills. You can even earn a highschool diploma or an associate ofapplied science degree.

Education is one way your union helps all Seafarers get a bigger piece of the pie—better jobs, more security,

better pay. To find out which courses currently are scheduled at the Paul Hall Center, turn to page 21.

EDUCATION:

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Step 1. Get all records together.

� Income Records. These include anyForms W-2, W-2G and 1099.

� Itemized deductions and tax credits.� Medical and dental payment records.� Real estate and personal property tax

receipts.� Interest payment records for items such

as a home mortgage or home equityloan.

� Records of payments for child care so anindividual could work.

Step 2. Get any forms, schedules or pub-lications necessary to assist in filing thereturn. IRS Publication 17 entitled “YourFederal Income Tax for Individuals” is themost comprehensive guide the agency hasissued this year. Most IRS offices and manylocal banks, post offices and libraries havepublications designed to provide individualswith information on correctly filing taxreturns. Also, you may access the IRS website at www.irs.gov for forms, instructionsand publications.

Step 3. Fill in the return.

Step 4. Check the return to make sure it iscorrect.

Step 5. Sign and date the return. Form1040 is not considered a valid return unlesssigned. A spouse must also sign if it is a jointreturn.

Step 6. Attach all required forms andschedules. Attach Copy B of Forms W-2,W-2G and 1099R to the front of the Form1040. Attach all other schedules and formsbehind Form 1040 in order of the attach-ment sequence number. If tax is owed,attach the payment to the front of Form1040 along with Form 1040-V (originalonly). Write name, address, phone number,Social Security number and form numberon your check or money order. Payment alsocan be made by credit card. You may useAmerican Express, Discover, Visa or Mastercards. To pay by credit card, call the toll-freenumber 1-800-272-9829 or 1-729-1040 orvisit websites www.officialpayments.com orwww.pay1040.com. There is a fee chargedbased on the amount you are paying.

Rounding Off to Whole Dollars:

Cents may be rounded off to the nearestwhole dollar on the tax return and sched-ules. To do so, raise amounts from 50 to 99

cents to the next dollar. For example, $1.39becomes $1 and $1.50 becomes $2.

Fast Refund:

Taxpayers are able to request directdeposit of their tax refunds by filling outlines 72b, 72c and 72d on their Form 1040.Line 72b is for the bank’s routing number.Line 72c indicates the type of account, andline 72d is the taxpayer’s account number atthe bank.

When tax returns are filed electronically,a refund will be received in about 3 weeks,or in 2 weeks if it is deposited directly intoa savings or checking account. For a charge,many professional tax return preparers offerelectronic filing in addition to their returnpreparation services. If an individual pre-pared his or her own return, a preparer ortransmitter in their area can file the returnelectronically. For a list of who can file a taxreturn electronically in any given area, callthe IRS toll-free number, 1-800-829-1040,and ask for the Electronic Filing Office.

A C

A C

Personal Exemption Amount: The deduc-tion for each exemption—for the individual,his or her spouse and dependents hasincreased to $3,100 per person. In 2004, theexemption deduction for high income tax-payers may be reduced or eliminated if theiradjusted gross income exceeds certainthreshold amounts. A child cannot claim anexemption on his or her return or qualify fora higher education credit if the child’s par-ents claim a dependency exemption for theirchild.

Standard Deduction Has Increased: The

standard deduction, or dollar amount thatreduces the amount that is taxed, hasincreased for most people (see box on thispage). Because of this increase, it may be toan individual’s benefit to take the standarddeduction this year even if that person hasitemized deductions in the past.

Personal Interest Deductions: For 2004,personal interest cannot be deducted.Personal interest includes interest on carloans, credit cards, personal loans and taxdeficiencies.

Interest on Secured Loans Deductible:Interest paid on mortgages or investments is100 percent deductible.

Union Dues Deduction: Union dues,including working dues, are deductible onlyif they exceed 2 percent of adjusted grossincome. If they do, only the portion over the2 percent is deductible. SPAD contributionshave never been deductible.

Club Dues Deduction: No deduction is per-mitted for club dues; however, dues paid toprofessional or public service organizationsare deductible for business reasons.

Deductions Subject to 2 Percent ofAdjusted Gross Income: These includeinvestment advisory fees, trustee’s adminis-trative fees, legal expenses that are paid toproduce taxable income, unreimbursedemployee expenses, safe deposit box rentaland tax preparation fees.

Deducting Work-Related Expenses:Expenses associated with a seaman’s workmay be considered tax deductible. However,no expense can be deducted for which a sea-man has been reimbursed by the employer.Travel to the union hall to register or travelto the union’s designated medical facility totake the required physical and drug tests areexamples of expenses which are work-relat-ed but not reimbursed by the company.Members of the galley crew may deduct thecosts of knives and other equipment theypersonally own but use when on a ship per-forming their work duties. The purchase ofwork-related clothing and other gear, aslong as it is truly for work and not paid forby the employer, are likely to be consideredtax-deductible.

Deducting Work-Related Car Expenses:Use of a personally-owned automobile inwork-related travel can result in deductibleexpenses. Two methods can be used to com-pute automobile expenses—either listing a

standard mileage rate or cost. On the tax return dyear, the IRS is acceptingrate of 37.5 cents per miven in 2004. Parking feeadded when using the staIf using actual expensesbe available on all operatithe vehicle, including itaxes, licenses, maintenaciation, gas, oil, tolls and

In either the standard mactual cost method ofexpenses, accurate recorThe IRS recommends kediary listing all expenseOnly work-related expenby an employer can be cl

Deducting Work-RelaTraveling: Workers in allowed a special rate on of $41 per day in the co$46 per day outside thOtherwise the IRS standais generally $31. In someand in Hawaii and Alaskaferently. Travel expensecan only be deducted ifone’s work and if they hbursed from any other so

There has been a rece(Johnson v. Comm. 1where a merchant seamadeduction for the full Mcourt ruled that in situatioprovided at no cost, the rate allowable as an itemlimited to $3 (in the conrates ranging from $1 to In lieu of these rates, to treceipts, a higher deductiallowed.

Limit on Itemized Deditemized deductions mayviduals earning more thaeral adjusted gross incomarried and filing separa

Earned Income Credearned income credit (Ecertain individuals who hand meet certain adjusthresholds. For tax year 2does not have to have a be eligible for this credit iare met. Different cred

D

This is the standard deduction chart for most people. If a taxpayer is 65 or older or blind,there are additional standard deductions ($950 for a married person or “spouse” or $1,200for an unmarried person). Note that the personal exemption deduction is $3,100.

Filing Status Standard Deduction

Single. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,850Married filing joint return or qualifying widow(er)

with dependent children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,700Married filing separate return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,850Head of household . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,150

General Information:1-800-829-1040 may be called for general information.

IRS staff answer questions 24 hours a day.

Publications:Call 1-800-829-3676 to order current and prior year

forms, instructions and publications.

Walk-In Help:IRS representatives are available in many IRS offices

around the country to help with tax questions that cannot beanswered easily by telephone. To find the location of an IRSoffice, look in the phone book under “United StatesGovernment, Internal Revenue Service.”

Telephone Help:The IRS is prepared to answer questions by phone.

Through the agency’s taxpayer information service, publi-cations covering all aspects of tax-filing can be ordered.

The federal Tele-Tax system has recorded tax informa-tion covering about 150 topics. 1-800-829-4477 is the IRS’sautomated Tele-Tax system. When calling from a touch tone

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Here are some of the changes that will take effect in 2004 and2005 from the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004, and theAmerican Job Creation Act of 2004:

TUITION AND FEE DEDUCTION — Individual may beable to deduct up to $4,000 if adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is notmore than $65,000 ($130,000 if married filing jointly), or deductup to $2,000 if AGI is higher than that limit but not more than$80,000 ($160,000 if married filing jointly).

CHILD TAX CREDIT — Taxpayers with a credit amountmore than their tax could get a refund of the difference, up to 10percent of the amount by which their 2004 taxable earned incomeexceeds $10,750. This percentage was raised to 15 percent for2004, meaning a larger refund for many of these taxpayers.

COMBAT PAY — Some military personnel receiving combatpay get larger tax credits because of two law changes. The newlaw counts excludable combat pay as income when figuring theChild Tax Credit and gives the taxpayer the option of counting orignoring combat pay as income when figuring the Earned IncomeTax Credit. Counting combat pay as income when calculatingthese credits does not change the exclusion of combat pay fromtaxable income.

SALES TAX DEDUCTION — Taxpayers who itemize deduc-tions will have a choice of claiming a state and local tax deductionfor either sales or income taxes on their 2004 and 2005 returns.The IRS will provide optional tables for use in determining thededuction amount, relieving taxpayers of the need to save receiptsthroughout the year. Sales taxes paid on motor vehicles and boatsmay be added to the table amount, but only up to the amount paidat the general sales tax rate. Taxpayers will check a box onSchedule A, Itemized Deductions, to indicate whether their deduc-tion is for sales or income taxes.

CLEAN FUEL VEHICLE DEDUCTION — Federal tax lawallows individuals to claim a deduction for the incremental cost ofbuying a motor vehicle that is propelled by a clean-burning fuel.The clean-burning fuel deduction is up to $2,000 for certifiedvehicles first put into service in 2004 and 2005. The one-timededuction must be taken in the year the vehicle is originally used.The IRS certified the Toyota Prius for model years 2001, 2002,2003, 2004 and 2005. The IRS also previously certified the HondaInsight for model years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and theHonda Civic Hybrid for model years 2003 and 2004.

DEDUCTION FOR DISCRIMINATION SUIT COSTS — Anew deduction is available for those who pay attorney’s fees andcourt costs in connection with discrimination suits. Taxpayers cantake the new deduction whether they itemize or not. The deduc-tion cannot exceed the amount included in income for the year onaccount of a judgment or settlement resulting from the discrimi-nation claim. Generally, personal legal expenses are notdeductible, but an employee who incurs legal expenses related todoing or keeping his job could deduct these expenses on ScheduleA as a miscellaneous itemized deduction. However, under TheAmerican Jobs Creation Act of 2004, an individual with legal feesand court costs arising from a discrimination suit may deduct thecosts directly from income on the front of the tax return; this isknown as an above-the-line deduction.

EARNED INCOME CREDIT — The maximum amount ofincome taxpayer can earn and still get the credit has increased.You may be able to take the credit if:� You have more than one qualifying child and you earned lessthan $34,458 ($35,458 if married filing jointly),� You have one qualifying child and you earned less than

$30,338 ($31,338 if married filing jointly), or� You do not have a qualifying child and you earned less than$11,490 ($12,490 if married filing jointly).

The maximum amount of investment income you can haveand still get the earned income credit has increased to $2,650.

STANDARD DEDUCTION AMOUNT INCREASED — Thestandard deduction for taxpayers who do not itemize deductionson Schedule A of Form 1040 is, in most cases, higher for 2004than it was for 2003. The amount depends on your filing status,whether you are 65 or older or blind, and whether an exemptioncan be claimed for you by another taxpayer. The basic standarddeduction amounts for 2004 are:� Head of household — $7,150� Married taxpayers filing jointly and

qualifying widow(er)s — $9,700� Married taxpayers filing separately — $4,850� Single — $4,850

EXEMPTION — The amount you can deduct for each exemp-tion has increased from $3,050 in 2003 to $3,100 in 2004. Youlose all or part of the benefit of your exemptions if your adjustedgross income is above a certain amount. The amount at which thephaseout begins depends on your filing status. For 2004, thephaseout begins at:� $107,025 for married persons filing separately,� $142,700 for single individuals,� $178,350 for heads of household, and� $214,050 for married persons filing jointly and qualifyingwidow(er)s with dependent children.

INCOME LIMITS INCREASED FOR HOPE AND LIFE-TIME LEARNING CREDITS — For 2004, the amount of yourHOPE or Lifetime Learning Credit is phased out (graduallyreduced) if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) isbetween $42,000 and $52,000 ($85,000 and $105,000 if you file ajoint return). You cannot claim an education credit if your MAGIis $52,000 or more ($105,000 or more if you file a joint return).

MODIFIED AGI LIMIT FOR TRADITIONAL IRA CON-TRIBUTIONS INCREASED — For 2004, if you are covered bya retirement plan at work, your deduction for contributions to atraditional IRA will be reduced (phased out) if your modifiedadjusted gross income (AGI) is:� More than $65,000 but less than $75,000 for a married couplefiling a joint return or a qualifying widow(er),� More than $45,000 but less than $55,000 for a single individ-ual or head of household, or� Less than $10,000 for a married individual filing a separatereturn.

STUDENT LOAN INTEREST DEDUCTION — Final regu-lations, issued May 7, 2004, changed the rules for deducting stu-dent loan interest. The changes apply to interest due and paid afterDecember 31, 1997, on qualified student loans. The 60-day safeharbor for disbursing loan proceeds used to pay qualified educa-tion expenses has been increased to 90 days before and 90 daysafter the academic period to which the expenses relate. The personlegally obligated to make interest payments on a student loan maybe able to deduct interest payments on that loan made by someoneelse (third party).

MAILING TAX RETURN — IRS has changed the filing loca-tion for several areas. If you received an envelope with your taxpackage, please use it. Otherwise, see Where do you file? on theback cover of the filing instructions.

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ate or determining actualturn due April 15 of thisepting a standard mileageer mile for all miles dri-ng fees and tolls can behe standard mileage rate.enses, information mustperating-related costs for

ding interest, insurance,ntenance, repairs, depre-ls and parking.

ard mileage rate or theod of determining carrecords should be kept.ds keeping a log book orpenses related to travel.expenses not reimbursedbe claimed.

Related Meals Whenrs in transportation arete on the meal allowancethe continental U.S. andde the continental U.S.standard meal allowancesome locations it is $42,

Alaska it is computed dif-penses, including meals,ted if directly related tohey have not been reim-her source.

recent tax court casem. 115 TC210[2000])eaman was denied a fullfull M & IE rates. Thetuations where meals aret, the incidental expensen itemized deduction is

he continental U.S.) and$1 to $53 in other areas.s, to the extent you haveeduction amount may be

d Deductions: In 2004,s may be limited for indi-re than $142,700 of fed-

income (or $71,350 ifeparately).

Credit: A refundabledit (EIC) is available towho have earned incomeadjusted gross incomeyear 2004, an individualave a qualifying child toredit if certain conditionscredit percentages and

phase-out percentages are provided based onthe taxpayer’s income level and the numberof qualifying children eligible, if any. Themaximum credit allowed is as follows:Taxpayers with income less than $11,450and no qualifying children—$390 maximumcredit; taxpayers with income less than$30,338 and with 1 qualifyingchild—$2,604 maximum credit; taxpayerswith income less than $34,450 and with 2 ormore qualifying children—$4,300 maxi-mum credit. If the earned income creditreduces the income tax liability below zero,a refund will be granted by the IRS.Taxpayers should use form 1040, scheduleEIC to see if they are eligible for the credit.

Dependent’s Social Security Number:

Each dependent must have a Social Securitynumber (SSN). Individuals may get an SSNfor their dependent by filing Form SS-5 withtheir local Social Security Administrationoffice or calling the Administration at 1-800-772-1213. It usually takes about two weeksto receive an SSN.

Child Child Credit: In 2004, taxpayerswho have a qualifying child who is a U.S.citizen and for whom the taxpayer mayclaim a dependency exemption and who isless than 17 years old, are entitled to thechild tax credit. The amount of the credit is$1,000 per child. The credit begins to phaseout when modified Adjusted Gross Income(AGI) reaches $110,000 for joint filers,$75,000 for single taxpayers or $55,000 formarried taxpayers filing separately.

Credit for Higher Education Tuition:Individuals may be able to take the “HOPE”credit for tuition and related expenses paidfor oneself, spouse or dependents to enrollat or attend an eligible educational institu-tion (i.e., college or graduate school orvocational training). The HOPE credit pro-vides a maximum allowable credit of $1,500per student for each of the first two years ofpostsecondary education. For qualifiedexpenses paid after January 1, 2002, taxpay-ers can take the “Lifetime Learning Credit,”that is a credit of 20 percent of qualifiedtuition expenses paid by the taxpayer forany year (after that date) the HOPE credit isnot claimed. This credit is not limited to thefirst two years of postsecondary education.Also, no credits are available for expensesof a student in any year that tax-free distrib-utions from an education IRA are used topay the student’s expenses. These credits

are subject to income limitations. Thephaseout of the credits begins for single tax-payers when modified AGI reaches$42,000, and completely phase out whenmodified AGI reaches $52,000. For joint fil-ers, the phaseout range is $85,000 to$105,000. The HOPE and LifetimeLearning Credit are not available to taxpay-ers married filing separately. In 2004, theLifetime Learning Credit will be $2,000.

Student Loan Interest: Taxpayers may beable to deduct up to $2,500 of interest paidfor qualified education expenses for oneself,spouse or dependents. The deduction isallowed in figuring adjusted gross income.

Individual Retirement Accounts:� Education IRAs—Taxpayers can con-

tribute up to $2,000 each year to anEducation IRA for a person under age18. The contribution is not deductible.Earnings on the contribution will be dis-tributed tax-free provided that they areused to pay the beneficiary’s postsec-ondary education expenses. However,the exclusion is not available for anyyear in which the HOPE credit or theLifetime Learning Credit is claimed.

� Roth IRAs—The maximum total year-ly contribution that can be made by anindividual to a Roth IRA is $3,000. RothIRAs are subject to income limits. Themaximum yearly contribution is phasedout for single taxpayers with anAdjusted Gross Income (AGI) between$95,000 and $110,000, for joint filerswith an AGI between $150,000 and$160,000, and for married filing sepa-rately with an AGI between $0 and$10,000. Although the contributions arenot deductible, the distributions may betax-free depending on when and whythey are made.

� Penalty-Free IRA Distributions —Theadditional 10 percent tax penalty on anearly distribution from an IRA may notapply if you pay higher educationexpenses for yourself, spouse or yourchildren or grandchildren. The taxpenalty also may not apply if you payexpenses related to the purchase of ahome by a first-time homebuyer. Only$10,000 during the individual’s lifetimemay be withdrawn without a penalty forthis purpose. Also, the tax penalty doesnot apply to distributions for an individ-ual’s disability, medical care, or to abeneficiary after death of the individual.

T I

Private Delivery Services: Tax returns andextensions can be mailed through privatedelivery services such as Airborne Express,DHL Worldwide Express, Federal Expressand United Parcel Service.

Forms of Payments: One can pay theInternal Revenue Service through creditcards, debit cards, charge cards, bank checkor money order.

R T K

Keep records of income (such as receipts),deductions (for example, canceled checks)and credits shown on the tax return, as wellas any worksheets used to figure them, untilthe statute of limitations runs out for thatreturn, usually 3 years from the date thereturn was due or filed, or 2 years from thedate the tax was paid, whichever is later.However, it is recommended that all recordsbe kept for about 6 years. Some recordsshould be kept even longer. For example,keep property records (your home, stocks)as long as they are needed to figure the basisof property.

Change of Address: If an individual haschanged his or her address from the one list-ed on that person’s last tax return, IRS Form8822 should be filled out and filed with theagency.

Death of a Taxpayer: If a taxpayer diedbefore filing a required return for 2004, thetaxpayer’s personal representative (andspouse, in the case of a joint return) mustfile and sign the return for that person. Apersonal representative can be an executor,administrator or anyone who is in charge ofthe taxpayer’s property.

II TT RR

In addition to wages, salaries, tips, unem-ployment compensation, capital gains, divi-dend payments and other income listed on

the federal tax return, the following kinds ofincome must be reported:

� Jones Act settlements for lost wages.

� Amounts received in place of wagesfrom accident and health plans (includ-ing sick pay and disability pensions) ifemployer paid for the policy.

� Life insurance proceeds from a policycashed in if the proceeds are more thanthe premium paid.

� Canceled debts

� State income tax refunds

� Rents

� Repayments

� Royalties

� Unemployment benefits

� Profits from corporations, partnerships,estates and trusts.

� Endowments.

� Original Issue Discount.

� Distributions from self-employed plans.

� Bartering income (fair-market value ofgoods or services received in return forservices).

� Tier 2 and supplemental annuities underthe Railroad Retirement Act.

� Lump-sum distributions.

� Gains from the sale or exchange (includ-ing barter) of real estate, securities,coins, gold, silver, gems or other proper-ty (capital gains).

� Accumulation distributions from trusts.

� Prizes and awards (contests, raffles, lot-tery and gambling winnings).

� Earned income from sources outside theUnited States.

� Director’s fees.

� Fees received as an executor or adminis-trator of an estate.

� Embezzled or other illegal income.

I

N B R

The following kinds of income do not needto be reported on the federal tax return:

� Benefits from government welfare pro-grams.

� Jones Act settlements for injuries, pain,suffering, medical costs.

� Maintenance and Cure.

� Workers’ compensation benefits, insur-ance, damages, etc. for injury or sick-ness.

� Disability retirement payments (andother benefits) paid by the Veterans’Administration.

� Child support.

� Gifts, money or other property inheritedor willed.

� Dividends on veterans’ life insurance.

� Life insurance proceeds received be-cause of a person’s death.

� Amounts received from insurance

because of loss of the use of a home dueto fire or other casualty to the extent theamounts were more than the cost of nor-mal expenses while living in the home.

� Certain amounts received as a scholar-ship.

A E

IRS Form 4868 can be used to ask for afour-month extension to file IRS Form1040A. An individual requesting an exten-sion is under no obligation to explain whythe additional time is needed. Filing of theform gives an individual until August 15,2005 to file his or her 2004 federal taxreturn. The IRS will contact the individualdirectly only if the request for an extensionis denied.

To extend the period of time in whichone can file a tax return, that individualmust correctly fill out Form 4868 and payall of the tax monies due.

If the filing of Form 4868 and the subse-quent four-month extension to file does notprovide the individual with enough time, heor she can then file Form 2688 until August15, 2005, known as “Application forAdditional Extension of Time to File U.S.Individual Income Tax Return.” Anotheroption open to the person seeking more timein which to file is to write a letter to the IRSstating the reason the extension is necessary.

An individual seeking an extension isadvised by the IRS to file Form 4868 beforefiling Form 2688.

Copies of Form 4868 are available bycalling the agency’s toll-free number whichis dedicated to tax form requests (800) 829-3676. Also, the form is available from allmain IRS branch offices and from the IRSweb site at www.irs.gov. And if a Seafarerfinds himself or herself overseas, he or shecan obtain the form from any U.S. embassyor consulate.

It is important to bear in mind that thefiling of Form 4868 requesting an exten-sion does not get one off the hook fromhaving to pay any taxes due. Form 4868,when sent in, must be accompanied by alltax monies due the U.S. government fromthe individual filing the extension.

n.

r

seSs

e.-

-se

phone, the number “9” will repeat the topic and the number“2” will cancel the topic. To listen to a directory of topicsafter the introductory message finishes, dial 123. You canalso check the status of your refund.

This telephone service is available 24 hours a day, 7 daysa week.

Personal Computer:Access the IRS’s internet web site at www.irs.gov to:

download forms, instructions and publications; see answersto frequently asked tax questions; search publications on-line by topic or keyword; figure your withholdingallowances using their W-4 calculator, check the status ofyour 2004 refund, send the IRS comments or requests forhelp via e-mail; and sign up to receive local and national taxnews by e-mail.

Send IRS Written Questions:Written questions regarding the tax returns can be sent

directly to an IRS District Director (listed on the tax form).Include a Social Security number with the letter.

S M P S I T

Federal law prohibits employers from withholding state and local taxes from the wagesof mariners working aboard U.S.-flag ships.

Specifically, the law [46 USCA 11108(11) ] provides that “no part of the wages due oraccruing to a master, officer or any other seaman who is a member of the crew on a vesselengaged in the foreign, coastwise, intercoastal, interstate or non-contiguous trade shall bewithheld pursuant to the provisions of the tax laws of any state, territory, possession or com-monwealth, or a subdivision of any of them, but nothing in this section shall prohibit anysuch withholding of the wages of any seaman who is employed in the coastwise tradebetween ports in the same state if such withholding is pursuant to a voluntary agreementbetween such seaman and his employer.”

The law, however, does not exempt seamen from paying state and local taxes. Mariners,just like any other citizens of any given state, must meet their obligations to the governmentof the area in which they live.

Each state has a set of criteria to determine whether an individual is a resident of thatstate. A seaman should check with a state tax office if he or she is unsure about residencystatus.

For example, in California during the early 1970s, a case before the California StateBoard of Equalization stated that a merchant seaman—despite the fact that he was on a shipfor 210 days of the year—was a resident of the state for tax purposes. The board took intoconsideration the fact that the seaman owned a home in California and maintained a bankaccount in a California-based bank.

Additionally, each state has established conditions under which non-residents of thatstate must pay a portion of state tax if such an individual earned income from a source basedin that state.

Many states allow a credit in the amount an individual must pay the state if that personhas already paid taxes in another state.

In 2000, President Clinton signed into law the bipartisan Transportation Worker TaxFairness Act, a measure aimed at providing “equitable treatment with respect to state andlocal income taxes for certain individuals who perform duties on vessels.”

The law, which took effect Nov. 9, 2000, stipulates that pilots and other mariners “whoperform regularly assigned duties while engaged as a master, officer or crewman on a ves-sel operating on the navigable waters of more than one State” shall be subject to stateincome tax only in his or her residential state.

If any questions arise regarding residency and state tax issues, mariners should tele-phone the taxpayer assistance office in the state in which they reside.

A T T

Should Seafarers find themselves over-seas and seeking IRS forms or assistance,U.S. embassies and consulates areequipped to provide some taxpayer-relat-ed services. At a minimum, IRS forms areavailable at all U.S. embassies and con-sulates located in: Berlin, Germany;Caracas, Venezuela; London, England;Mexico City, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas;Ottawa, Canada; Paris, France; Riyadh,Saudi Arabia; Rome, Italy; Sao Paulo,Brazil; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan.

I

Pg4,6_9,11_14,18,20,21,24.qxd 1/24/2005 8:36 PM


IMPORTANT NOTICE:SEAFARERS HEALTH AND BENEFITS PLAN —

COBRA NOTICEHEALTH CARE CONTINUATION

Under federal law, a participant and his or her dependents havethe right to elect to continue their Plan coverage in the event thatthey lose their eligibility. This right is granted by the ConsolidatedOmnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, better known as “COBRA.” TheCOBRA law allows a participant and his or her dependents to tem-porarily extend their benefits at group rates in certain circumstanceswhere coverage under the Plan would otherwise end.

A participant and his or her dependents have a right to choosethis continuation coverage if they lose their Plan coverage becausethe participant failed to meet the Plan’s seatime requirements. Inaddition, a participant and his or her dependents may have the rightto choose continuation coverage if the participant becomes a pen-sioner ineligible for medical benefits.

The participant’s dependents may also elect continuation cover-age if they lose coverage under the Plan as the result of the partic-ipant’s (1) death; (2) divorce; or (3) Medicare eligibility. A child canalso elect COBRA if as the result of his or her age, he or she is nolonger a dependent under the Plan rules.

If a member and his or her dependents feel that they may quali-fy, or if they would like more information concerning these rights,they should contact the Plan office at 5201 Auth Way, CampSprings, MD 20746. Since there are important deadlines that applyto COBRA, please contact the Plan as soon as possible to receivea full explanation of the participant’s rights and his or her depen-dents’ rights.

SEAFARERS BENEFIT PLANS NOTICE TO PARTICIPANTSKeep the Plan Informed of Your Address Changes

It is important that all participants remember to keep the Plan informed ofany change of address.

Update Your Beneficiary Designations

Keep your beneficiary designations up to date. In the event that your bene-ficiary predeceases you, you must submit a substitute designation.

Inform the Plan of Your Divorce

In order for your spouse to be eligible to receive continuation coverage(under COBRA) from the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan, you or yourspouse must inform the Plan at the time of your divorce. Please submit a copyof the divorce decree to the Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan.

Full-time College Students

If your dependent child is a full-time college student, you must submit a let-ter of attendance every semester in order for your child to be covered by theSeafarers Health and Benefits Plan.

Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan P.O. Box 380

Piney Point, MD 20674

Please send me the 2005 SIU Scholarship Program booklet which contains eligibility information,procedures for applying and a copy of the application form.

Name __________________________________________________________________

Mariner’s Social Security Number ____________________________________________

Street Address __________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code ______________________________________________________

Telephone Number________________________________________________________

This application is for: � Self � Dependent

Mail this completed form to Scholarship Program, Seafarers Health and Benefits Plan,

5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746. 2/05

ScholarshipDeadlineJust AAroundCorner

Two months remain until theApril 15 deadline for receipt of

scholarship applications fromSeafarers as well as from theirspouses and dependent childrenwho wish to continue their educa-tion at the college level beginningin the fall of 2005.

Three scholarships are beingset aside for SIU members—onefor $20,000 and two each for$6,000. Additionally, five grantswill be awarded to SIU spousesand dependents, each in the

amount of $20,000. Send away now for an applica-

tion booklet (fill out and mailcoupon below) or pick one up atany SIU hall.

Time is running out to takeadvantage of this generous bene-fit for 2005 provided by theSeafarers Health and BenefitsPlan.

Get your application in today;you have nothing to lose!

Aroundthe Portof San

Francisco

Kudos to Benavidez Galley Gang

A letter of appreciation was presented to the steward departmenton the SIU-crewed USNS Benavidez from the U.S. Navy person-nel who sailed on board the ship to Bahrain. From the left are SASammy Ward, Chief Steward Lonnie W. Jones, Chief Cook JohnNoel and SA Joel Ramos. The crew members were cited for their“outstanding support, dedication and professionalism” and fortheir “cooperation, support and contribution to our team and mis-sion. We appreciate the dedication of your department in keepingup the morale of our sailors. Thank you!”

Jones, who sent this photo to the Seafarers LOG, said his depart-ment gave the Navy personnel and crew members a big cookoutand was told that it was the best ever held aboard a ship.

The USNS Benavidez was the last of the Bob Hope-class shipsbuilt at Avondale in New Orleans. Seafarers-contracted AmericanOverseas Marine Corporation (AMSEA) is the operator of thelarge, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off (LMSR) vessel for the MilitarySealift Command.

MATSON MOKIHANA — Chief Cook James Boss (photo above right) prepares meatloaf for lunch aboardthe Matson Mokihana. In the left photo, he meets with other members of the steward department aboard thevessel: Chief Steward Patricia Geras (center) and ACU Sara Barahona.

MATSON MAUI — Working in the galley of the Matson Maui are (from left) Chief Steward Lovie Perez, ACUNasser Ali and Chief Cook Glenn Taan.

HORIZON SPIRIT— Paul Hanley is

chief electrician onthe Horizon Spirit.

Pg4,6_9,11_14,18,20,21,24.qxd 1/24/2005 8:10 PM


March & April 2005Membership Meetings

RUTH CLINTON

Please contact Barbara Gaffney at 101 Myrtle Ave.,Apt. 234, Staten Island, NY 10310-2052; or telephone(718) 727-4233.

DAVID FOLEYPlease contact Chris Lipnosky at (530) 587-4045.

Piney Point .............Monday: March 7, April 4

Algonac ..................Friday: March 11, April 8

Baltimore ................Thursday: March 10, April 7

Boston.....................Friday: March 11, April 8

Duluth .....................Wednesday: March 16, April 13

Guam ......................Thursday: March 24, April 21

Honolulu .................Friday: March 18, April 15

Houston ..................Monday: March 14, April 11

Jacksonville ............Thursday: March 10, April 7

Joliet .......................Thursday: March 17, April 14

Mobile ....................Wednesday: March 16, April 13

New Orleans ...........Tuesday: March 15, April 12

New York................Tuesday: March 8, April 5

Norfolk ...................Thursday: March 10, April 7

Philadelphia ............Wednesday: March 9, April 6

Port Everglades.......Thursday: March 17, April 14

San Francisco .........Thursday: March 17, April 14

San Juan..................Thursday: March 10, April 7

St. Louis..................Friday: March 18, April 15

Tacoma ...................Friday: March 25, April 22

Wilmington ...............Monday: March 21, April 18.................................

Each port’s meeting starts at 10:30 a.m.

Dispatchers’ Report for Deep SeaDECEMBER 16, 2004 — JANUARY 15, 2005

*TOTAL REGISTERED TOTAL SHIPPED **REGISTERED ON BEACH

All Groups All Groups Trip All Groups

Class A Class B Class C Class A Class B Class C Reliefs Class A Class B Class C

Port DECK DEPARTMENTAlgonac 2 1 0 1 1 0 1 4 2 1Anchorage 0 6 1 0 3 0 2 0 6 2Baltimore 8 7 0 6 3 0 1 8 7 0Guam 1 4 2 1 2 0 0 0 8 3Honolulu 13 11 3 7 8 2 6 14 14 3Houston 15 21 17 17 6 10 14 45 31 31Jacksonville 21 25 13 23 21 4 18 56 66 25Joliet 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0Mobile 13 10 7 9 4 5 1 18 16 7New Orleans 23 20 6 14 12 4 12 28 24 16New York 20 14 11 14 7 4 14 50 33 30Norfolk 13 26 1 14 23 4 2 23 28 3Philadelphia 3 4 2 2 2 1 2 6 8 2Piney Point 1 12 2 1 16 2 2 1 12 2Puerto Rico 16 6 0 5 5 0 6 20 11 1San Francisco 18 7 3 12 8 1 13 33 13 8St. Louis 1 2 1 2 1 0 2 0 8 3Tacoma 35 35 18 30 22 14 33 52 49 28Wilmington 20 17 8 11 13 7 13 41 34 24

Totals 223 229 96 169 157 59 142 399 371 189

Port ENGINE DEPARTMENTAlgonac 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 2 1 2Anchorage 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0Baltimore 5 2 1 4 2 1 3 5 6 1Guam 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0Honolulu 5 3 2 5 3 0 0 12 4 2Houston 9 11 7 7 11 5 5 19 13 10Jacksonville 21 17 8 16 14 5 14 34 39 16Joliet 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Mobile 5 5 2 3 2 1 3 11 5 3New Orleans 9 3 1 6 7 0 5 17 3 5New York 12 10 10 3 6 3 6 21 16 12Norfolk 4 11 6 6 9 0 2 9 17 9Philadelphia 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 5 5 1Piney Point 0 4 1 3 4 0 1 2 5 1Puerto Rico 3 4 1 0 1 2 3 10 4 0San Francisco 15 7 3 6 6 3 10 19 6 8St. Louis 1 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 1Tacoma 9 21 5 6 13 2 10 19 36 6Wilmington 8 4 4 3 9 3 2 18 17 9

Totals 111 108 56 71 93 27 65 204 182 86

Port STEWARD DEPARTMENTAlgonac 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0Anchorage 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Baltimore 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 1Guam 2 1 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 1Honolulu 5 1 1 6 2 0 3 17 4 2Houston 12 3 3 11 4 4 7 21 6 3Jacksonville 17 16 4 10 12 4 6 33 22 7Joliet 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0Mobile 9 5 0 5 3 0 2 11 5 1New Orleans 11 4 0 4 8 0 4 16 4 2New York 19 4 2 10 2 0 3 29 6 7Norfolk 7 13 3 6 4 2 4 13 19 7Philadelphia 3 1 0 1 1 0 1 5 1 0Piney Point 4 2 1 5 0 1 2 2 4 0Puerto Rico 2 3 0 1 1 0 1 3 4 1San Francisco 22 3 1 11 3 0 5 41 6 2St. Louis 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0Tacoma 16 5 1 11 2 1 10 33 7 7Wilmington 24 10 3 18 6 1 6 33 11 6

Totals 155 73 20 104 51 13 54 262 103 47

Port ENTRY DEPARTMENTAlgonac 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 8Anchorage 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 5Baltimore 0 8 1 0 2 0 0 0 7 2Guam 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 2 0Honolulu 5 5 8 0 4 0 0 9 11 15Houston 1 15 20 2 10 11 0 5 28 27Jacksonville 2 17 17 1 9 8 0 6 28 32Joliet 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0Mobile 0 6 1 0 1 0 0 1 14 4New Orleans 4 13 12 1 5 4 0 8 14 22New York 4 21 21 2 14 6 0 11 51 60Norfolk 1 7 15 0 5 9 0 1 14 19Philadelphia 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4Piney Point 0 10 50 0 12 14 0 0 8 45Puerto Rico 2 3 0 1 3 0 0 2 7 0San Francisco 3 16 6 2 6 4 0 6 23 15St. Louis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3Tacoma 6 13 15 3 6 7 0 10 31 33Wilmington 1 5 12 0 3 2 0 1 13 39

Totals 29 141 187 12 80 69 0 61 259 333

Totals AllDepartments 518 551 359 356 381 168 261 926 915 655

*“Total Registered” means the number of Seafarers who actually registered for shipping at the port.

**“Registered on Beach” means the total number of Seafarers registered at the port.

Personals

With Seafarers on the SBXSIU membersare workingaboard a semi-submersiblecraft known asthe SBX—anabbreviation forsea-based X-Band radar.These photoswere taken lastmonth alongthe Gulf Coast.At left, SIUTacoma Port

Agent Bryan Powell (third from left) meets with QMEDChris Schneider of Anchorage, Alaska while theSeafarer works in a pipe tunnel on the platform.Schneider said that working on a vessel that boostsU.S. national security “makes me feel patriotic.” Below,Powell meets with (from left) Recertified Steward PaulaKaleikini, Chief Cook Theresa Ballard and OS AmberMichel while waiting to load provisions. Kaleikini noted,“I know thiswill be chal-lenging andvery differentfrom whatany of ushave seenbefore, butwe will tack-le it with theenergy andprofessional-ism peopleexpect fromthe SIU!”

26225_Pg3,5,10,15_17,19.qxd 1/28/2005 6:24 PM


Seafarers International UnionDirectory

Michael Sacco, President

John Fay, Executive Vice President

David Heindel, Secretary-Treasurer

Augustin Tellez, Vice President Contracts

Tom Orzechowski,Vice President Lakes and Inland Waters

Dean Corgey, Vice President Gulf Coast

Nicholas J. Marrone, Vice President West Coast

Joseph T. Soresi, Vice President Atlantic Coast

Kermett Mangram,Vice President Government Services

René Lioeanjie, Vice President at Large

Charles Stewart, Vice President at Large

HEADQUARTERS

5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746

(301) 899-0675

ALGONAC

520 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI 48001

(810) 794-4988

ALTON

325 Market St., Suite B, Alton, IL 62002

(618) 462-3456

ANCHORAGE

721 Sesame St., #1C, Anchorage, AK 99503

(907) 561-4988

BALTIMORE

2315 Essex St., Baltimore, MD 21224

(410) 327-4900

BOSTON

Marine Industrial Park/EDIC

27 Drydock Ave., Boston, MA 02210

(617) 261-0790

DULUTH

324 W. Superior St., Suite 705, Duluth, MN 55802

(218) 722-4110

GUAM

P.O. Box 315242, Tamuning, Guam 96931-5242

125 Sunny Plaza, Suite 301-E

Tun Jesus Crisostomo St., Tamuning, Guam 96911

(671) 647-1350

HONOLULU

606 Kalihi St., Honolulu, HI 96819

(808) 845-5222

HOUSTON

1221 Pierce St., Houston, TX 77002

(713) 659-5152

JACKSONVILLE

3315 Liberty St., Jacksonville, FL 32206

(904) 353-0987

JOLIET

10 East Clinton St., Joliet, IL 60432

(815) 723-8002

MOBILE

1640 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605

(251) 478-0916

NEW ORLEANS

3911 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058

(504) 328-7545

NEW YORK

635 Fourth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11232

(718) 499-6600

Government Services Division: (718) 832-8767

NORFOLK

115 Third St., Norfolk, VA 23510

(757) 622-1892

PHILADELPHIA

2604 S. 4 St., Philadelphia, PA 19148

(215) 336-3818

PINEY POINT

P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674

(301) 994-0010

PORT EVERGLADES

1221 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316

(954) 522-7984

SAN FRANCISCO

350 Fremont St., San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 543-5855

Government Services Division: (415) 861-3400

SANTURCE

1057 Fernandez Juncos Ave., Stop 16

Santurce, PR 00907

(787) 721-4033

ST. LOUIS

4581 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116

(314) 752-6500

TACOMA

3411 South Union Ave., Tacoma, WA 98409

(253) 272-7774

WILMINGTON

510 N. Broad Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744

(310) 549-4000

NMU Monthly Shipping & Registration ReportDECEMBER 16, 2004 — JANUARY 15, 2005

TOTAL REGISTERED TOTAL SHIPPED REGISTERED ON BEACH

All Groups All Groups Trip All Groups

Group I Group II Group III Group I Group II Group III Reliefs Group I Group II Group III

Port DECK DEPARTMENT

Boston 7 1 0 5 2 0 1 5 0 0

Houston 10 0 11 12 0 8 7 31 4 26

Jacksonville 4 0 8 4 0 8 3 11 3 0

New Orleans 5 2 5 7 0 1 2 12 5 23

New York 12 3 5 11 4 4 10 39 8 1

Norfolk 2 0 2 0 0 2 1 6 2 0

Tacoma 0 0 4 1 0 4 1 1 0 4

Wilmington 4 2 0 5 1 0 1 9 5 0

Totals 44 8 35 45 7 27 26 114 27 54

Port ENGINE DEPARTMENT

Boston 3 1 0 0 2 0 0 4 1 0

Houston 3 1 2 3 0 4 3 9 2 16

Jacksonville 4 2 3 6 3 3 1 5 4 1

New Orleans 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 5 1 16

New York 3 1 1 9 0 1 3 11 2 0

Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1

Tacoma 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

Wilmington 2 1 0 5 1 0 0 9 2 3

Totals 16 6 7 26 6 8 8 47 13 38

Port STEWARD DEPARTMENT

Boston 5 1 0 3 1 0 0 4 0 0

Houston 2 1 6 4 1 3 0 8 5 19

Jacksonville 3 1 9 3 1 10 5 4 2 1

New Orleans 3 0 3 1 0 0 0 7 1 16

New York 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 9 10 0

Norfolk 0 0 5 1 0 5 2 2 0 1

Tacoma 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Wilmington 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1

Totals 16 4 25 12 4 20 9 39 19 39

Port ENTRY DEPARTMENT

Boston 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Houston 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Jacksonville 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

New Orleans 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

New York 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Tacoma 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Wilmington 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals All

Departments 76 18 67 83 17 55 43 200 59 131

PIC-FROM-THE-PASTThis photo was sent to the Seafarers LOG by George G.

Jamison of New Park, Pa. It was taken in Buenos Aires,

Argentina in November 1945.

Brother Jamison (left), John Manen of Houston, Texas

(center) and Dave Wagman of Red Lion, Pa. were part of

the engine department crew on the SIU-crewed Liberty ship

Stevenson Taylor. They signed on in Baltimore in June 1945

and had just delivered a load of Army supplies to Calcutta,

India when World War II was declared over. The ship sailed

to various ports before stopping in Buenos Aires, including

Le Havre, France, and then to a shipyard in Cardiff, Wales.

It wasn’t until February 1946 that the Stevenson Taylor final-

ly made it to New York for a payoff; it had been nearly six

months since any of the crew members had received mail.

Brother Jamison last sailed aboard Bull Line’s SS

Mae—from May 1949 until April 1955. He then left the sea

for a shoreside job and put his SIU book in retirement in

December 1956.

Jamison still receives the LOG and says he looks forward

to reading it each month.

If anyone has a vintage union-related photograph he or she

would like to share with the LOG readership, please send it to

the Seafarers LOG, 5201 Auth Way, Camp Springs, MD 20746.

Photographs will be returned, if so requested.

26225_Pg3,5,10,15_17,19.qxd 1/27/2005 4:41 PM


Welcome AshoreEach month, the Seafarers LOG pays tribute to the SIU members who have devoted their

working lives to sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways or

Great Lakes. Listed below are brief biographical sketches of those members who recently

retired from the union. The brothers and sisters of the SIU thank those members for a job

well done and wish them happiness and good health in the days ahead.

DEEP SEAJUANAYALA, 70,hails fromPuerto Rico.He joined theSIU in 1966 inNew York,first sailingaboard the

Summit. Brother Ayala worked inthe deck department and in 2000enhanced his skills at the PaulHall Center for Maritime Trainingand Education in Piney Point,Md. His last ship was theHorizon Challenger. BrotherAyala still calls Puerto Ricohome.

DAVID BAL-LARD, 56,joined theSeafarers in1968 in NewYork. Born inWest Virginia,BrotherBallard up-graded his skills at the union’saffiliated school on numerousoccasions. His first ship was theAnniston Victory; his last was theEl Yunque. Brother Ballard was amember of the engine departmentand currently resides in St. Pet-ersburg, Fla.

ALPHONSO HOLLAND, 61,embarked on his career with theSIU in 1965 in the port of Nor-folk, Va. Brother Holland firstsailed on the Ridgefield Victory asa member of the steward depart-ment. In 1990 he completed stew-ard recertification training at theSeafarers-affiliated school inPiney Point, Md. Prior to retiring,Brother Holland shipped on theUSNS Red Cloud. He continuesto live in his native Virginia.

FREDJENSEN, 65,became aSeafarer in1963 in theport of Wilm-ington, Calif.The deckdepartment

member was born in Denmarkand was a frequent upgrader atthe Paul Hall Center, completinghis bosun recertification trainingthere in 1980. A resident ofAlachua, Fla., he last worked onthe ITB Mobile.

ABDULMOHAMED,58, started hisseafaringcareer in 1966in Detroit,Mich. BrotherMohamed wasborn in Arabiaand shipped in the stewarddepartment. His first ship was theArizpa. Brother Mohamedimproved his skills in 2000 at theSIU-affiliated school in PineyPoint, Md. His last ship was theMahimahi, a Matson Navigationvessel. Brother Mohamed makeshis home in Garden Grove, Calif.

EMMETT NEATHERY, 59,began sailing with the SIU in1966 in the port of Houston. Bornin Kirkland, Wash., Brother

Neatheryupgraded hisskills at theunion’s affili-ated school inPiney Point,Md. Heworked in theengine depart-

ment in both the deep sea andinland divisions. Before retiring,Brother Neathery shipped on theUSNS Regulus. He lives in Reno,Nev.

JAMESPORTER, 55,first donnedthe SIU colorsin 1969 inPiney Point,Md. BrotherPorter’s firsttrip to sea wason the Robin Gray. The deckdepartment member completedbosun recertification training in1996 in Piney Point, Md. TheGeorgia-born mariner’s mostrecent voyage was aboard the ElYunque. Brother Porter resides inJacksonville, Fla.

JOHNTHOMAS,64, was bornin Pennsyl-vania andstarted his sea-faring careerin 1987 in theport of Hono-

lulu. Brother Thomas, whoworked in the engine department,enhanced his skills in 2000 at theSeafarers-affiliated school. Hisfirst vessel was the USNSAssertive; his last was the USNSEffective. Brother Thomas is aresident of Huntsville, Ala.

PETROSTRIANTAFI-LOS, 64,joined theranks of theSIU in 1969 inNew York, ini-tially sailingon the WesternClipper. Born in Greece, BrotherTriantafilos worked in the enginedepartment. He upgraded hisskills in 1970 and again in 1974at the Paul Hall Center. BrotherTriantafilos’ most recent voyagewas aboard the Mariner. He con-tinues to live in Greece.

ROBERTTRIGG, 62,started sailingwith the SIUin 1987 in theport ofMobile, Ala.Brother Triggsailed in both

the inland and deep sea divisions,first working aboard the USNSLynch. The deck departmentmember improved his skills in2001 at the union’s affiliatedschool in Piney Point, Md.Brother Trigg was born inLouisiana and now resides inOcean Springs, Miss. He lastwent to sea on the Sugar Island.

INLANDARTHUR KNUDSEN, 62,became a Seafarer in 1970 in the

port ofNorfolk, Va.BoatmanKnudsen pri-marily shippedaboard vesselsoperated byMcAllisterTowing ofVirginia. A native of New Jersey,he worked in the deck depart-ment. Boatman Knudsen upgrad-ed his skills in 1985 at theSeafarers-affiliated school inPiney Point, Md. He makes hishome in Boca Raton, Fla.

RICHARDMcEVOY,64, began hisseafaringcareer in 1973in the port ofJacksonville,Fla. BoatmanMcEvoy ini-

tially shipped on a Puget Soundvessel in the engine department.Born in Georgia, he upgradedoften at the Paul Hall Center.Boatman McEvoy most recentlysailed with Crowley Towing andTransportation of Jacksonville.He lives in his native state.

HERMAN MOONEY, 64,launched his SIU career in 1966in the port of Baltimore. BoatmanMooney shipped primarily onMoran Towing of Maryland ves-sels. The engine departmentmember enhanced his skills in1985 at the SIU-affiliated schoolin Piney Point, Md. BoatmanMooney was born in Baltimore,where he continues to reside.

GEORGEMOSICH, 62,started ship-ping with theunion in 1994in the port ofWilmington,Calif. Boat-man Mosichworked primarily aboard Crowley

Towing and Transportation ves-sels. The deck department mem-ber was born in San Pedro, Calif.and upgraded his skills on twooccasions at the Paul Hall Centerfor Maritime Training. BoatmanMosich lives in his native state.

GLENNNAUNDORF,55, joined theSIU in 1967 inthe port ofPhiladelphia.BoatmanNaundorfshipped in the

steward department. He attendedclasses at the Paul Hall Center inPiney Point, Md. in 2000 andagain in 2001. Prior to retiring,Boatman Naundorf worked onMaritrans Operating Co. vessels.

MICHAELSANDERS,55, hails fromHarlinton,Texas.BoatmanSanders joinedthe union in1966 in theport of Houston after serving inthe U.S. Marine Corps. He sailedin both the inland and deep seadivisions. Boatman Sanders was amember of the deck department,first shipping on G&H TowingCo. vessels. He enhanced hisskills on three occasions at theunion-affiliated school in PineyPoint, Md. Boatman Sandersresides in Overland Park, Kan.He last worked on the LNG Leo.

GREAT LAKES

ABDO ALQIRSH, 64, begansailing with the SIU in 1966 inDetroit, Mich. Brother Alqirshwas born in Arabia and workedin the steward department. Heshipped primarily aboardAmerican Steamship Co. vessels.

Brother Alqirsh is a resident ofDearborn, Mich.

LONNIEBROOKS,64, was bornin Michiganand joined theSIU in 1988in Detroit.BrotherBrooks first

sailed aboard the J.A.W. Iglehartin the engine department. His lasttrip was on the Saint Clair.Brother Brooks callsOkeechobee, Fla. home.

ATLANTIC FISHERMEN

NICHOLASPARISI, 61,Brother Parisistarted hiscareer with theAtlanticFishermen’sUnion, anaffiliate of theSIU before it merged with theAGLIWD in 1981. Born inMassachusetts, he is a U.S. Armyveteran and last worked aboardthe St. Nicholas. Brother Parisimakes his home in Gloucester,Mass.

Reprinted from past issues of the Seafarers LOG.

1947SIU Organizational Director Paul Hall announced

last week the signing of a closed shop contract

with the American Eastern Steamship

Corporation after a 60-day organizing campaign.

“In making this announcement,” Hall said, “full

credit should be given to

the SIU volunteer orga-

nizers who sailed aboard

American Eastern ships

and made possible the

signing of a contract for

this new company. The

fact that it took only 60

days to secure the agree-

ment gives proof to

another swell job of organizing done by the rank

and file Seafarer.”

1967Seafarers at regular monthly meetings in all con-

stitutional ports enthusiastically voted to endorse

and support the newly formed Maritime Defense

League. In approving the purposes of the new

organization, the membership called for maxi-

mum publicity in support of the League by all

Seafarers. The new organization is a voluntary

body set up to assure that maritime workers,

faced with legal problems or charges threatening

their personal liberties, are assured their funda-

mental American rights to counsel and other

assistance. Robert A. Matthews, SIU vice presi-

dent in charge of contracts and contract enforce-

ment, has been selected chairman of the Defense

League and offices have been established at One

Hanson Place in

Brooklyn, N.Y.

1987The U.S. Navy’s first

active hospital ship in 13

years, the USNS Mercy

(T-AH 19), departed

San Diego on Friday,

Feb. 27 for a four-

month training and humanitarian mission to the

republic of the Philippines. The purpose of the

deployment is to train Navy personnel in the

operation and support of the ship and its 1,000-

bed medical treatment facility during extended

operations in a remote area. The medical team

aboard the USNS Mercy during this deployment

will include civilian and military personnel.

The Mercy is one of two identical hospital ships

being converted for the Navy. A second ship,

the USNS Comfort, will be christened in May.

This Month

In SIU History

Editor’s Note: The followingbrothers, all former members ofthe National Maritime Union(NMU) and participants in theNMU Pension and Trust, recentlywent on pension.

Name Age EDP

Beof, Antonio 65 Jan. 1

DeCosta, Edward 65 Dec. 1

Erese, Cesar 65 Jan. 1

Ford, Thomas 61 Jan. 1

Hawes, Philip 58 Jan. 1

Jetson, James 50 Dec. 1

Marshall, James 64 Oct. 1

Philpot, James 65 Jan. 1

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Final DeparturesDEEP SEA

ALBERT BIRT

PensionerAlbert Birt, 84,passed awayNov. 8. BrotherBirt joined theSIU in 1941 inTampa, Fla. Hisfirst ship wasthe AlcoaCarrier. Born

in Hampton, Fla., Brother Birt was amember of the deck department. Hislast voyage was on the SandCaptain. Brother Birt began collect-ing his pension in 1968. He madehis home in Spring Hill, Fla.

HERMAN BUTTS

Brother Herman Butts, 47, died July15. He began sailing with the SIU in1970 in the port of Houston. BrotherButts was born in Mobile, Ala. Helast worked in the engine departmentaboard the Seabulk Challenger.Brother Butts was a resident ofTexas.

CHESTER COCHRAN

PensionerChesterCochran, 81,passed awayNov. 2. BrotherCochran joinedthe SIU in 1956in Detroit,Mich. Theengine depart-

ment member was born in Smoke-mont, N.C. Brother Cochran shippedin both the Great Lakes and deep seadivisions. He lived in his native stateand retired in 1979.

LEO DERSTLER

Pensioner LeoDerstler, 87,died Sept. 24.BrotherDerstler wasborn in Penn-sylvania andembarked onhis seafaringcareer in 1945

in the port of Mobile, Ala. His firstship was the Robin Gray, where heworked in the deck department; hislast ship was the Seattle. BrotherDerstler started receiving compensa-tion for his retirement in 1976. Hecalled Columbia, Pa. home.

DAVID DICKINSON

PensionerDavid Dickin-son, 77, passedaway Dec. 3.Brother Dickin-son startedshipping withthe SIU in 1952as a member ofthe deck

department. Brother Dickinson mostrecently shipped on WatermanSteamship Corp.’s John Penn. Hewas born in Alabama and resided inLeakesville, Miss. Brother Dickin-son retired in 1982.

BENNIE DRUMGOOLE

PensionerBennie Drum-goole, 69,passed awayNov. 25. Bornin Pine Bluff,Ark., BrotherDrumgoolejoined the SIUin 1968 in the

port of San Francisco. He sailed inthe engine department primarily onSea-Land Service vessels, including

the Adventurer and the Consumer.Brother Drumgoole was a veteran ofthe U.S. Navy. He retired in 1997and called Little Rock, Ark. home.

LEWIS GLANVILLE

PensionerLewis Glan-ville, 83, diedAugust 30.Brother Glan-ville firstdonned the SIUcolors in 1940in the port ofBaltimore. The

Virginia-born mariner shipped as amember of the engine department.Brother Glanville originally sailedon the Steel Seafarer. Before retiringin 1980, he worked on the Mont-pelier Victory. Brother Glanvillestarted receiving his pension in 1980and made his home in Seaford, Del.

DUDLEY GRANT

PensionerDudley Grant,77, passedaway Oct. 4.Brother Grantwas born in theWest Indies. Hebecame an SIUmember in1959 in New

York, initially shipping on the SantaMagdelena in the steward depart-ment. His final trip to sea wasaboard the President Chester B.Arthur. Brother Grant began collect-ing his retirement pay in 1993. SanFrancisco was his home.

ARK HO

Pensioner ArkHo, 88, diedSept. 12.Brother Hojoined theMarine Cooks& Stewards inthe port of SanFrancisco. Hewas born in

China and called Los Angeles home.Brother Ho began receiving his pen-sion in 1971.

CLIFFORD PERREIRA

PensionerCliffordPerreira, 81,passed awayOct. 19. BrotherPerreira startedhis seafaringcareer in 1959in San Fran-cisco, first

working on the Arizpa. Born inHawaii, he was a member of thedeck department. Brother Perreiramost recently went to sea aboard theOverseas Ohio. He resided inSebastopol, Calif. and went on pen-sion in 1994.

SALEH SALEH

Brother SalehSaleh, 64, diedOct. 20. Hebegan sailingwith theSeafarers in1992 in NewYork. BrotherSaleh’s firstvessel was the

Samuel L. Cobb; his last was theFranklin J. Phillips. The stewarddepartment member was born inYemen and lived there in the city ofSana’a.

JAMES SINEY

Pensioner James Siney, 84, passedaway Sept. 5. Brother Sineyembarked on his SIU career in 1958in the port of Baltimore. He was

born inMaryland andshipped as amember of theengine depart-ment. BrotherSiney was aveteran of boththe U.S. Armyand U.S. Navy.

He started receiving compensationfor his retirement in 1985 and calledRedondo Beach, Calif. home.

INLAND

GEORGE BALLEW

PensionerGeorge Ballew,75, died Nov.27. Born inVirginia,BoatmanBallew startedhis SIU careerin 1959 in theport of Norfolk,

Va. He was a member of the deckdepartment. Boatman Ballew madehis home in Hampton, Va. He retiredin 1989.

ROBERT HENDRIX

PensionerRobert Hendrix,67, passedaway Aug. 2.BoatmanHendrix beganhis seafaringcareer in 1968in the port ofNorfolk, Va.

after serving in the U.S. Army. Thesteward department member, whowas born in North Carolina, madehis home in Portsmouth, Va. Hewent on pension in 1990.

THOMAS PURSER

PensionerThomas Purser,79, died Sept.26. BoatmanPurser becamea Seafarer in1978 in the portof Mobile, Ala.The U.S. AirForce veteran

was born in Mississippi. BoatmanPurser shipped in the deck depart-ment. He began receiving his retire-ment stipends in 1990 and lived inhis native state.

Editor’s Note: The following broth-ers, all former members of theNational Maritime Union (NMU) andparticipants in the NMU PensionTrust, have passed away.

GABRIEL ACEVEDO

PensionerGabrielAcevedo, 91,died Nov. 24.BrotherAcevedo wasborn in SanAndres,Columbia andjoined the SIU

in 1945. His first ship was theWilson’s Creek. Brother Acevedowas a member of the engine depart-ment, last sailing on the SantaBarbara. He began receiving com-pensation for his retirement in 1976.

JAMIE AMAYA

Pensioner JamieAmaya, 88,passed awayNov. 30.Brother Amayajoined the NMUin 1941. Born inHonduras, heshipped in thesteward depart-

ment. Brother Amaya initially wentto sea aboard the African Star. Priorto retiring in 1970, he worked on theArgentina.

JAMES EVANS

PensionerJames Evans,73, died Nov. 6.Brother Evansjoined the NMUin 1967 inPhiladelphiaand worked inthe stewarddepartment. He

first sailed aboard the Sinclair Texas.Brother Evans was born in Phila-delphia and went on pension in 1987.

ALTON GARCIA

Pensioner AltonGarcia, 88,passed awayNov. 11.Brother Garciabecame a mem-ber of the NMUin 1939, firstshipping out ofNew York. His

initial voyage was on the Clyde.Brother Garcia, who was born inCuba, last sailed aboard the Brazil.He started receiving his retirementpay in 1970.

DAYMON GREGORY

PensionerDaymonGregory, 77,died Nov. 1.BrotherGregory joinedthe ranks of theNMU in 1944in Boston. Bornin West

Virginia, he worked in the deckdepartment. Brother Gregory’s firstvessel was the Will Rogers; his lastwas the African Meteor. He begancollecting his pension in 1965.

ALFRED HAMPTON

PensionerAlfredHampton, 80,passed awayOct. 21. Bornin Louisiana,BrotherHamptonlaunched hisseafaring career

in New Orleans. He first shipped onthe John M. Morehead. BrotherHampton, who last sailed on theNancy Lykes, started receivingstipends for his retirement in 1986.

JOSE HERNANDEZ

Pensioner JoseHernandez, 83,died Oct. 20.BrotherHernandezstarted hisNMU career in1957, first sail-ing from NewYork aboard the

Harpers Ferry. He was born inPuerto Rico and retired in 1982.

JOSEPH MATTHEWS

PensionerJosephMatthews, 91,passed awayNov. 5. BrotherMatthewsbegan sailingwith the NMUin 1945 fromthe port of San

Francisco. His first ship was thePocahontas, where he worked in thesteward department. Before retiring

in 1978, Brother Matthews went tosea aboard the Keystoner.

JAMES RICHARDSON

PensionerJames Richard-son, 84, diedNov. 27.BrotherRichardson wasborn in theWest Indies andbecame anNMU member

in 1947. His first voyage was on theGeorge W. Kendall. BrotherRichardson began receiving retire-ment compensation in 1984. A mem-ber of the engine department, he lastshipped aboard the Gulf Trader.

ROBERT SINGLETON

PensionerRobertSingleton, 81,passed awayNov. 17. Anative ofAlabama,BrotherSingleton joinedthe NMU in

1943 initially working on theDixiano. The engine departmentmember was last employed aboardthe Cibao. Brother Singleton wenton pension in 1970.

PETE STANDIFER

Pensioner PeteStandifer, 80,died Nov. 17.BrotherStandiferembarked onhis seafaringcareer in 1946.He was born inOklahoma and

most recently worked on the EdgarM. Queeny. Brother Standifer starteddrawing his pension in 1985.

AMADOR VANGA

PensionerAmador Vanga,92, passed awayOct. 23. BrotherVanga com-menced hiscareer with theNMU in 1965,initially sailingfrom New York.

He was born in Puerto Rico andworked in the steward department.Brother Vanga’s final voyage was onthe Atlantic.

Editor’s Note: The following brothers,all former members of the NationalMaritime Union (NMU) and partici-pants in the NMU Pension Trust, havepassed away.

Name Age DOD

Amento, Anthony 76 Oct. 31

Arespe, Arnulfo 82 Oct. 19

Astillero, Ramon 78 Oct. 19

Bergland, Albert 78 Nov. 17

Betancourt, Mario 91 Nov. 19

Camalich, Giorgio 75 Oct. 29

Cooper, Martin 72 Nov. 2

Espinoza, Alberto 98 Oct. 17

Ewens, Cecil 80 Oct. 25

Foster, Jonathan 92 July 01

Herrera, Antonio 89 Nov. 17

Holland, Willie 80 Nov. 5

Houghton, Edward 84 Nov. 16

King, Donald 73 Nov. 10

Lawrence, Gerald 80 Nov. 1

Mortley, Edward 85 Nov. 3

Olivares, Amadeo 63 Nov. 4

Peeler, Roy 84 Sept. 1

Proctor, Joseph 76 Nov. 1

Santiago, Luis 82 Nov. 7

Smith, James 83 Nov. 11

Sykes, Raymond 85 Aug. 18

Tarver, William 82 Oct. 12

Walker, Herman 79 Nov. 5

Walters, Paul 78 Nov. 25

White, John 80 Nov. 6

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EXPLORER (USSM), Nov. 21—Chairman Amado E. Abaniel,Secretary William R. Burdette,Educational Director Jimmy M.Robles, Engine Delegate CarlosM. Noriega, Steward DelegateAbdulla N. Jinah. Chairmanannounced arrival Nov. 27 in LosAngeles. He reported good trip andgreat food, thanks to stewarddepartment, and reminded crewmembers to separate bottles andcans from regular trash. He alsoasked departing mariners to leavekeys in rooms for next person.Educational director encouragedSeafarers to upgrade skills at thePaul Hall Center for MaritimeTraining and Education in PineyPoint, Md. Treasurer stated $254in ship’s fund. No beefs or disput-ed OT reported. Next ports: LosAngeles; Tacoma, Wash.

HORIZON TRADER (HorizonLines), Nov. 26—ChairmanMichael T. Sorensen, SecretaryKevin M. Dougherty, EducationalDirector Allen D. Parker, DeckDelegate Amante V. Gumiran,Engine Delegate J. Coleman,Steward Delegate Peter Schuetz.Chairman announced payoff Nov.27 after arrival in Tacoma, Wash.Educational director urged every-one to keep an eye on their docu-ments’ expiration dates and allowplenty of time for renewal process.Treasurer stated $557 in crewfund; $400 to be used for purchaseof new refrigerators. No beefsreported; some disputed OT notedin engine department. Requestmade for company to providemore movies on ship. Crew mem-bers said they all look forward toreceiving new videos, as it’s one ofthe few recreational activities dur-ing the many months at sea. Crewreported current phone systeminoperable at sea. Clarificationrequested on availability of over-time. Seafarers were asked to sepa-rate plastic items from regulartrash and rewind and returnmovies after use. Suggestion madeto improve dental plan and get asatellite system. Vote of thanksgiven to steward department forexcellent Thanksgiving Day meals.Next ports: Tacoma; Oakland,Calif.; Honolulu; Guam.

INDUSTRIAL CHALLENGER(Pacific Gulf Marine), Nov. 21—Chairman Shawn Williams,Secretary Ngol T. Allen,Educational Director Earl F.Ebbert, Deck Delegate WilburPantin, Engine DelegateCharlotte LeBlanc, StewardDelegate Gertrudis Arzu.

Educational director encouragedall crew members to attendSeafarers-affiliated school in PineyPoint, Md. because of new ISOand safety requirements and toimprove their job security. Nobeefs or disputed OT reported.Adequate deck department crew-ing needed in part due to heavyamount of work required on shipat sea and in port. Thanks given tosteward department for job welldone. Request made for drinkingfountains and better e-mail system.

INNOVATOR (USSM), Nov.21— Chairman Steve R. Kastel,Secretary Jose M. Bayani,Educational Director Chris L.Earhart, Deck Delegate James D.Morgan, Steward DelegateTammy M. Bingisser. Chairmanreported good trip and thanked alldepartments for working welltogether. He praised Chief CookTammy Bingisser for outstandingmeals. Secretary expressed grati-tude to crew for helping keep shipclean. Educational directorreminded Seafarers to keep docu-ments current. No beefs or disput-ed OT reported. Bosun read presi-dent’s report from Seafarers LOGand discussed communicationsreceived from SIU WilmingtonPort Agent John Cox. Suggestionmade to increase money purchasepension plan and pension benefitsand reduce time required for retire-ment. Next port: Los Angeles.

LTC JOHN U.D. PAGE (MaerskLine), Nov. 24—Chairman Jere-miah J. Harrington, SecretaryAbraham Mills, EducationalDirector Bobby L. Jones, DeckDelegate William Fielding,Engine Delegate Luis A. SotoAmadeo, Steward DelegateAngela Robertson. Chairman readvarious articles from NovemberSeafarers LOG. He thanked every-one for working so hard whilebeing away from family andfriends during holidays. Educa-tional director suggested crew toinform 1st asst. engineer about anyelectrical problems or repairsneeded and be aware of expirationdates on documents needed forshipping. No beefs or disputed OTreported. Recommendation madeto get additional help for SA andto improve retirement plan. Nextport: Diego Garcia.

LIBERATOR (USSM), Nov. 26—Chairman Daniel J. Teichman,Secretary Robert S. Davis,Educational Director Elwyn L.Ford, Engine Delegate Marc J.Poniatouski, Steward DelegateAndy N. Campollo. Chairman

advised Seafarers to read contractand be informed. Educationaldirector urged members to checkexpiration dates on documents andstart renewal process of MMDs atleast 6 months in advance. Nobeefs or disputed OT reported.Communications received fromheadquarters regarding reflagging.Everyone encouraged to read LOGfor information about union andmaritime industry. Crew advised toask questions at union meetingsand be knowledgeable of theirrights as Seafarers. Next port:Newark, N.J.

MAJ. BERNARD F. FISHER(Sealift Inc.) Nov. 28—ChairmanReuben M. Brown, SecretaryWalter R. Seals, EducationalDirector Troy L. Fleming, DeckDelegate Lorenzo Riddick,Engine Delegate Michael C.McNally, Steward DelegateVelonder L. Alford. Chairmanannounced payoff Nov. 30. Copiesof company’s safety policies hand-ed out to members as ship heads toDiego Garcia. Educational directorurged everyone to upgrade when-ever possible at Piney Point facili-ty. No beefs or disputed OT report-ed. Clarification requested onweekly pay rate for ship’s commit-tee and department delegates. Allcrew members now have roomkeys. Thanks given to crew forseparating plastic items from regu-lar trash. It was reported that e-mail is now available on boardship. Next port: Diego Garcia.

MIDNIGHT SUN (IUM), Nov.28—Chairman Fadel Saleh,Secretary Scott A. Opsahl,Educational Director ChristopherCunningham, Deck DelegateBrent R. Johnson, EngineDelegate Dennis S. Adjetey,Steward Delegate Nasser S.Hasson. Chairman reminded crewto be aware of ice forming ondeck. Those who requested a dayoff should wait until their reliefsshow up before leaving vessel.Secretary thanked everyone forhelping keep messhall and loungeclean. He asked them to cleanroom and leave fresh linen for nextperson. Educational directorencouraged members to enhancetheir skills at Paul Hall Center,contribute to SPAD for job securi-ty and check documents for expi-ration dates. No beefs or disputedOT reported. Vote of thanks givento steward department for fantasticThanksgiving Day spread. Nextports: Anchorage, Alaska; Tacoma,Wash.

USNS DAHL (Maersk Line), Nov.27—Chairman Walter L.Jeffords, Secretary James H.McLeod, Educational DirectorAlexander A. Zharkoff.Chairman encouraged crew mem-bers to be current on their dues. Henoted that LMSR/MSC contractsrequires crew members to renewbasic safety training (BST) everyfive years, regardless of CoastGuard rules. He thanked everyonefor helping maintain safety recordof ship (no accidents). Educationaldirector talked about importance ofupgrading skills at Paul HallCenter. Treasurer stated $1,138 inship’s fund. Crew voted to have t-shirts and hats made with Dahllogo to sell. No beefs or disputedOT reported. Thanks given to thesteward department for greatmeals, especially over Halloweenand Thanksgiving Day holidays.Next ports: Savannah, Ga.; SoudaBay, Crete.

VOYAGER (USSM), Nov. 21—Chairman Glenn R. Christianson,Secretary William P. McGee,Educational Director Samuel M.Addo, Deck Delegate Charles B.Collins, Steward Delegate RubenPadilla. Chairman noted handrailsmissing in various locations oncatwalk and advised othermariners to report items in need of

repair. Secretary advised everyonethat water problems have beensolved. Educational director spokeabout taking advantage of upgrad-ing benefits at Piney Point school.Treasurer stated $500 in ship’sfund. No beefs or disputed OTreported. Several suggestionsmade regarding union’s prescrip-tion plan, vacation checks andincreasing pension benefits.Members thanked steward depart-ment for great BBQs and meals.Next ports: Malaga, Spain; GioiaTauro, Italy; Newark, N.J.

DILIGENCE (Maritrans), Dec.26—Chairman Ronald L. Para-dise, Secretary Michael J.

Gramer, Educational DirectorRichard A. Huffman, EngineDelegate Patrick D. Carroll,Steward Delegate Harry J.Agatep. Chairman announced pay-off Dec. 29 upon arrival in NewOrleans, La. Ship will then loadfor Braintree, Mass., just south ofBoston. He recommended coldweather gear for deck departmentmembers. Educational directoremphasized importance of upgrad-ing at Paul Hall Center and notedthere are opportunities there foreveryone. No beefs or disputed OTreported. Chairman discussed SAB926 regarding crew rotation duringrecent military ship crew-up.Suggestions made regarding nextcontract. Gratitude expressed toSteward Gramer and Chief CookAgatep for delicious Christmasdinner. Thanks also given to SAShantay Joquin for her festivedecorations and Christmas spirit.Crew wished Conklin family allthe best. Through his hard workand dedication, Ken Conklintouched the lives of manySeafarers.

HORIZON ENTERPRISE(Horizon Lines), Dec. 12—Chair-man Roger J. Reinke, SecretaryJames N. Brockington, Educa-tional Director Michael J. Wells,Deck Delegate Gavino A.Octaviano, Engine DelegateCecilio A. Banga, StewardDelegate Alejo A. Fabia.Chairman announced payoff Dec.18 upon arrival in Tacoma, Wash.No shore leave will be given untilship clears customs and immigra-tion. Secretary asked crew toreturn all videos prior to arrival inTacoma and to clean room andprovide fresh linen for relief per-sonnel. Educational directoradvised members to take advantageof upgrading opportunities avail-able at school in Piney Point, Md.No beefs or disputed OT reported.Vote of thanks given to stewarddepartment for job well done andto Tacoma and Oakland shoregangsfor assistance in port. Next ports:Tacoma; Oakland; Honolulu;Guam.

HORIZON RELIANCE (HorizonLines), Dec. 19—Chairman LanceX. Zollner, Secretary Thomas M.

Wybo, Educational DirectorShawn L. Clark. Deck DelegateWilfredo G. Caidoy, StewardDelegate Bienvenido C. Badillo.Chairman announced payoff Dec.26. in Tacoma, Wash. At that timeship go port side for removal ofdamaged gangway. He asked crewmembers to be considerate of oth-ers when washing clothes at night,especially those items with metalbuckles or large snaps (they makea lot of noise). Secretary welcomedSIU trainees Linsey A. Knight andDanny L. Faidley aboard and totheir first shipboard meeting. Hetalked about shipboard proceduresfor settling problems. Steward pro-

vides repair list for any repairsneeded. Educational directorinformed crew passport fees arefree to seamen. Clarification fromheadquarters requested. Treasurerreported number of purchases sincelast meeting: gas for grill, sodas forBBQ, dart set, and surround-soundsystem. That leaves $589.45 inship’s fund. No beefs or disputedOT reported. Memo from head-quarters read and posted. Questionsraised about new prescription pro-gram. Bosun thanked stewarddepartment for outstanding job.Next port: Tacoma; Oakland,Calif.; Honolulu.

HORIZON SPIRIT (HorizonLines), Dec. 2—Chairman KennyA. Abrahamson, SecretaryCharles D. Washington, Educa-tional Director Paul D. Hanley,Deck Delegate David Garoutte,Engine Delegate Gordon L.Hiltbruner. Chairman informedcrew new VCR and DVD playerinstalled. Educational directorreminded crew members toupgrade at Paul Hall Center when-ever possible and keep all docu-ments current. Treasurer stated$320 in video fund. No beefs ordisputed OT reported. Crewthanked steward department forwonderful Thanksgiving dinner.Next ports: Tacoma, Wash.;Oakland, Calif.; Honolulu; Guam.

ITB JACKSONVILLE (USSTransport), Dec. 5—ChairmanJohn R. Lamprecht, SecretaryWarren G. Lombard, EducationalDirector Stanley M. Sporna, DeckDelegate Abedan P. Lujan,Engine Delegate Hassin Asumari,Steward Delegate Brad E.Stephenson. Chairman discussedamount of ship’s stores broughtaboard. Request made for status ofnew contract and pay increases. Nobeefs or disputed OT reported.Clarification requested on reim-bursement for travel to ship.Suggestion made to reevaluateresponsibilities of company andshore facilities to ensure crewmembers are able to leave premisesand not be restricted to ship.Request made for new blankets andbottled water. Good camaraderieamong crew was reported.

Digest of ShipboardUnion Meetings

The Seafarers LOG attempts to print as many digests of union shipboardminutes as possible. On occasion, because of space

limitations, some will be omitted.

Ships minutes first are reviewed by the union’s contract department.Those issues requiring attention or resolution are addressed by the union

upon receipt of the ships’ minutes. The minutes are then forwardedto the Seafarers LOG for publication.

Industrial Challenger Crew Gathers for Meeting

Following a union meeting aboard the Industrial Challenger,Bosun Shawn Williams (right) looks over the minutes, which willbe sent to the contracts department at headquarters. With him areACU Gertrudis Arzu (left) and Steward/Baker Ngol Allen.

Time to Talk Union

The union meeting aboard the Industrial Challenger was a time foreveryone to ask questions and be heard. From the left are GUDECharlotte LeBlanc, QMED/Electrician Earl Ebbert, AB SherwinFrank and AB John Grayson.

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FINANCIAL REPORTS. TheConstitution of the SIU Atlantic,Gulf, Lakes and Inland WatersDistrict/NMU makes specific provi-sion for safeguarding the member-ship’s money and union finances. Theconstitution requires a detailed auditby certified public accountants everyyear, which is to be submitted to themembership by the secretary-treasur-er. A yearly finance committee ofrank-and-file members, elected bythe membership, each year examinesthe finances of the union and reportsfully their findings and recommenda-tions. Members of this committeemay make dissenting reports, specificrecommendations and separate find-ings.

TRUST FUNDS. All trust funds ofthe SIU Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes andInland Waters District/NMU areadministered in accordance with theprovisions of various trust fundagreements. All these agreementsspecify that the trustees in charge ofthese funds shall equally consist ofunion and management representa-tives and their alternates. All expendi-tures and disbursements of trust fundsare made only upon approval by amajority of the trustees. All trust fundfinancial records are available at theheadquarters of the various trustfunds.

SHIPPING RIGHTS. A member’sshipping rights and seniority are pro-tected exclusively by contractsbetween the union and the employers.Members should get to know theirshipping rights. Copies of these con-tracts are posted and available in allunion halls. If members believe therehave been violations of their shippingor seniority rights as contained in thecontracts between the union and theemployers, they should notify theSeafarers Appeals Board by certifiedmail, return receipt requested. Theproper address for this is:

Augustin Tellez, ChairmanSeafarers Appeals Board

5201 Auth WayCamp Springs, MD 20746

Full copies of contracts as referredto are available to members at alltimes, either by writing directly to theunion or to the Seafarers AppealsBoard.

CONTRACTS. Copies of all SIUcontracts are available in all SIUhalls. These contracts specify thewages and conditions under which anSIU member works and lives aboarda ship or boat. Members should knowtheir contract rights, as well as theirobligations, such as filing for over-time (OT) on the proper sheets and inthe proper manner. If, at any time, amember believes that an SIU patrol-man or other union official fails toprotect their contractual rights prop-erly, he or she should contact thenearest SIU port agent.

EDITORIAL POLICY — THE

SEAFARERS LOG. The SeafarersLOG traditionally has refrained frompublishing any article serving thepolitical purposes of any individual inthe union, officer or member. It alsohas refrained from publishing articlesdeemed harmful to the union or itscollective membership. This estab-lished policy has been reaffirmed bymembership action at the September1960 meetings in all constitutionalports. The responsibility for Sea-farers LOG policy is vested in an edi-torial board which consists of theexecutive board of the union. Theexecutive board may delegate, fromamong its ranks, one individual tocarry out this responsibility.

PAYMENT OF MONIES. Nomonies are to be paid to anyone in

any official capacity in the SIU unlessan official union receipt is given forsame. Under no circumstances shouldany member pay any money for anyreason unless he is given such receipt.In the event anyone attempts torequire any such payment be madewithout supplying a receipt, or if amember is required to make a pay-ment and is given an official receipt,but feels that he or she should nothave been required to make such pay-ment, this should immediately bereported to union headquarters.

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

AND OBLIGATIONS. Copies ofthe SIU Constitution are available inall union halls. All members shouldobtain copies of this constitution soas to familiarize themselves with itscontents. Any time a member feelsany other member or officer isattempting to deprive him or her ofany constitutional right or obligationby any methods, such as dealing withcharges, trials, etc., as well as allother details, the member so affectedshould immediately notify headquar-ters.

EQUAL RIGHTS. All membersare guaranteed equal rights inemployment and as members of theSIU. These rights are clearly set forthin the SIU Constitution and in thecontracts which the union has negoti-ated with the employers. Conse-quently, no member may be discrimi-nated against because of race, creed,color, sex, national or geographic ori-gin.

If any member feels that he or she isdenied the equal rights to which he orshe is entitled, the member shouldnotify union headquarters.

SEAFARERS POLITICAL

ACTIVITY DONATION — SPAD.SPAD is a separate segregated fund.Its proceeds are used to further itsobjects and purposes including, butnot limited to, furthering the political,social and economic interests of mar-itime workers, the preservation andfurthering of the American merchantmarine with improved employmentopportunities for seamen and boat-men and the advancement of tradeunion concepts. In connection withsuch objects, SPAD supports andcontributes to political candidates forelective office. All contributions arevoluntary. No contribution may besolicited or received because of force,job discrimination, financial reprisal,or threat of such conduct, or as a con-dition of membership in the union orof employment. If a contribution ismade by reason of the above improp-er conduct, the member should notifythe Seafarers International Union orSPAD by certified mail within 30days of the contribution for investiga-tion and appropriate action andrefund, if involuntary. A membershould support SPAD to protect andfurther his or her economic, politicaland social interests, and Americantrade union concepts.

NOTIFYING THE UNION—If atany time a member feels that any ofthe above rights have been violated,or that he or she has been denied theconstitutional right of access to unionrecords or information, the membershould immediately notify SIUPresident Michael Sacco at headquar-ters by certified mail, return receiptrequested. The address is:

Michael Sacco, President

Seafarers International Union

5201 Auth Way

Camp Springs, MD 20746.

Know Your Rights

HOME ADDRESS FORM(Please Print)

Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Phone No.: ________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Social Security No.: ________ / ________ / ________ Book No.: ________________

� Active SIU � Pensioner � Other ____________________________________

This will be my permanent address for all official union mailings.This address should remain in the union file unless otherwise changed by me personally.

In order to help ensure that each active SIUmember and pensioner receives a copy of theSeafarers LOG every month—as well as otherimportant mail such as W-2 forms, pension andhealth insurance checks and bulletins or notices—acorrect home address must be on file with the union.

If you have moved recently or feel that you arenot getting your union mail, please use the form onthis page to update your home address.

Your home address is your permanent address,and this is where all official union documents will

be mailed (unless otherwise specified).If you are getting more than one copy of the LOG

delivered to you, if you have changed your address,or if your name or address is misprinted or incom-plete, please fill out the form and send it to:

Seafarers International UnionAddress Correction Dept.5201 Auth WayCamp Springs, MD 20746

or e-mail corrections to [email protected]

Are You Receiving All Your Important Mail?

2/05

Editor’s note: The Military SeaTransportation Service (MSTS) isthe forerunner to today’s MilitarySealift Command (MSC). Thisaccount of the organization waspublished in the Aug. 22, 1966shipboard newsletter, “TheWalker Report” aboard the USNSGeneral Nelson M. Walker.

In support of our nation’sdefense outposts in the Arctic, theMilitary Sea Transportation Ser-vice (MSTS) has sealifted morethan 5 million tons of cargo to theFar North since 1950.

This special mission, called“Operation Sealift for Security,”began in 1950 and reached itspeak during the 1955-57 opera-tions when MSTS launched themost gigantic logistic assault uponthe North polar region ever under-taken by land or aerial forces ofany nation.

Termed a logistic miracle bymany, this polar “assault” wasmade to supply men and materialsfor the construction of the DistantEarly Warning (DEW) radar sys-tem which, when completed,stretched across the entire Arcticfringe of North America.

During the three-year polarassault, despite encountering theworst ice conditions ever recordedin the Arctic, MSTS sealiftedmore than 1 million tons of cargoand building equipment, plus 10million barrels of petroleum prod-ucts to the DEW Line sites.

This victory over the hazardsof wind, ice and fog would nothave been possible without thebenefit of eight years’ experiencein polar logistics. MSTS beganArctic operations of a modestscale in 1950 when it began the“Seaborne Supply of the NorthEast Command” (SUNEC) in theLabrador/Greenland areas.

In 1951, over 50 MSTS-con-trolled ships in support of opera-tion “Blue Jay” transported mate-rials and personnel to build the AirForce Base at Thule, Greenland.Also at that time, the defense sitesat Baffin Island and Labradorwere established.

Since that time, MSTS has

been resupplying these basesannually.

One of the smallest, yet one ofthe most interesting, phases ofMSTS arctic operations is theresupply of the Pribilof Islands inthe Bering Sea. Each year, sup-plies are sealifted to the U.S. gov-ernment’s sealing stations on bar-ren St. George and St. Paulislands. The seal productsreturned to the States are worthmore than the material carried tothe Pribilofs.

In 1957, the long-sought-afterNorthwest Passage became a real-ity. Since the 1500s, man hassought a practical deep-draftwater passage across the top ofNorth America.

MSTS had to develop such apassage as a possible escape routefor MSTS ships, which found anice blockage across their normalroute out of the Arctic. Under thedirection of Vice Admiral John M.Will, USN, an MSTS task groupin 1957 charted such a route at thetop of North America’s mainland,through Bellot Strait and itsapproaches from the westwardthrough Rae, James Ross andFranklin straits.

In nine years, MSTS has suc-ceeded in opening the Arctic tosealift on a previously unheard ofscale. Through persistence,patience and sheer daring, MSTSmilitary and civilian crews have“cracked” the Arctic.

Throughout the DEW Linearea, “impassable” uncharged,ice-choked backwaters havebecome well-traveled supplyroutes. Forbidding shore sitesbarbed with fast ice and honey-combs of rocks have become massstaging areas for successful over-the-beach operations around theclock.

In 1958, the entire Arctic area

in Northern Alaska and WesternCanada was assigned as commer-cial shipping areas. Each year,thanks to the trail blazed byMSTS, commercial shipping isincreasing its role in the Arcticresupply operations.

Much of the credit for the suc-cess of the Arctic operations canbe attributed to the joint coopera-tion of the military and civilianpersonnel who combined forces toget the job done. Their skill andcourage in overcoming manychallenging problems is a tributeto the organizations they repre-sent. This includes the govern-ments of the U.S. and Canada, theNavy, Army, Coast Guard, Mer-chant Marine and segments of pri-vate industry.

The General Nelson M. Walkerwas first commissioned as theAdmiral H.T. Mayo in 1945. Thevessel transported troops betweenMarseilles, France and the U.S.and between Okinawa, Japan andthe U.S. In October 1945, the ves-sel participated in the first of four“Magic Carpet” voyages to Tokyoand Manila carrying replace-ments for battle-weary veteranswhom the vessel was to bring backhome. The final voyages werecompleted in March 1946. It wasrenamed the General Nelson M.Walker and in 1965 was trans-ferred to the Military SeaTransportation Service. The shipmade five cruises from SanFrancisco to Japan, Okinawa andVietnam. Following decommis-sioning and storage, the vesselwas transferred to the MaritimeAdministration in 1970 and laidup in the James River (Va.)berthing area. Just last month, theretired ship left the James Riverfor Brownsville, Texas, where itwill be dismantled.

A BriefHistory ofThe MSTS

The USNS General Nelson M. Walker had its own shipboard newslet-ter, from which the history of the MSTS is reprinted on this page. Builtin 1945, the vessel transferred to the MSTS in 1950 with the outbreakof hostilities in Korea. Just last month, the retired ship was being towedto Texas for dismantling.

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SEAFARERS PAUL HALL CENTERUPGRADING COURSE SCHEDULE

The following is the schedule of courses at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime

Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. through August 2005. All programs

are geared to improve the job skills of Seafarers and to promote the American

maritime industry.

Please note that this schedule may change to reflect the needs of the mem-

bership, the maritime industry and—in times of conflict—the nation’s security.

Students attending any of these classes should check in the Saturday before

their course’s start date. The courses listed here will begin promptly on the

morning of the start dates. For classes ending on a Friday, departure reserva-

tions should be made for Saturday.

Seafarers who have any questions regarding the upgrading courses offered at

the Paul Hall Center may call the admissions office at (301) 994-0010.

Deck Upgrading CoursesStart Date of

Course Date Completion

Able Seaman March 7 April 1

April 18 May 13

May 30 June 24

July 11 August 5

August 22 September 16

Automatic Radar Plotting Aids* April 18 April 22

(ARPA) (*must have radar unlimited) June 20 June 24

August 22 August 26

Bridge Resource Management May 9 May 13

(Unlimited)

Celestial Navigation March 14 April 8

May 16 June 10

July 18 August 11

GMDSS (Simulator) April 25 May 6

June 27 July 8


Lifeboatman/Water Survival April 4 April 15

May 16 May 27

June 27 July 8

August 8 August 19

Radar April 4 April 13

June 6 June 15

August 8 August 17

Radar Renewal (1 day): April 25, June 27, August 29

Steward Upgrading CoursesGalley Operations/Advanced Galley Operations modules start every week.Certified Chief Cook/Chief Steward classes start every other week beginning Feb.7, 2005.

Engine Upgrading CoursesStart Date of


FOWT March 28 May 20

June 20 August 11

Marine Electrician April 18 June 13

QMED - Jr. Engineer June 20 September 8

Welding March 21 April 8

April 11 April 29

May 9 May 27


Safety Specialty CoursesStart Date of


Advanced Fire Fighting* March 14 March 25

(*must have basic fire fighting) May 16 May 27

July 18 July 29

Fast Boat Rescue May 2 May 6

June 6 June 10

Government Vessels March 14 March 18

April 11 April 15

May 23 May 27

July 4 July 8

August 8 August 12

August 22 August 26

Medical Care Provider March 28 April 1

May 30 June 3

August 1 August 5

Tankerman Familiarization/ April 4 April 15

Assistant Cargo (DL)* June 6 June 17

(*must have basic fire fighting) August 1 August 11

Tankerman (PIC) Barge* June 27 July 1

(*must have basic fire fighting)

Academic Department CoursesGeneral education and college courses are available as needed. In addition, basic

vocational support program courses are offered throughout the year, one week

prior to the AB, QMED Junior Engineer, FOWT, Third Mate, Tanker Assistant

and Water Survival courses. An introduction to computers course will be self-study.

UPGRADING APPLICATIONName ________________________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Telephone _________________________ Date of Birth ______________________

Deep Sea Member � Lakes Member � Inland Waters Member �

If the following information is not filled out completely, your application will not be

processed.

Social Security # ______________________ Book # _________________________

Seniority _____________________________ Department _____________________

U.S. Citizen: Yes � No � Home Port _____________________________

Endorsement(s) or License(s) now held _____________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Are you a graduate of the SHLSS/PHC trainee program? � Yes � No

If yes, class # __________________________________________________________

Have you attended any SHLSS/PHC upgrading courses? � Yes � No

If yes, course(s) taken ___________________________________________________

Do you hold the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboatman Endorsement?

� Yes � No Firefighting: � Yes � No CPR: � Yes � No

Primary language spoken ________________________________________________

With this application, COPIES of the following must be sent: One hundred and twenty(120) days seatime for the previous year, one day in the last six months prior to the dateyour class starts, USMMD (z-card) front and back, front page of your union book indi-cating your department and seniority, and qualifying seatime for the course if it isCoast Guard tested. All OL, AB, JE and Tanker Assistant (DL) applicants must submit a U.S.Coast Guard fee of $140 with their application. The payment should be made with a moneyorder only, payable to LMSS.

BEGIN ENDCOURSE DATE DATE

____________________________ _______________ _______________

____________________________ _______________ _______________

____________________________ _______________ _______________

____________________________ _______________ _______________

____________________________ _______________ _______________

____________________________ _______________ _______________

LAST VESSEL: _____________________________________ Rating: ___________

Date On: ___________________________ Date Off: ________________________

SIGNATURE __________________________________ DATE ________________

NOTE: Transportation will be paid in accordance with the scheduling letter only if youpresent original receipts and successfully complete the course. If you have any ques-tions, contact your port agent before departing for Piney Point.

RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO: Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education,

Admissions Office, P.O. Box 75, Piney Point, MD 20674-0075; or fax to (301) 994-2189.

The Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training andEducation is a private, non-profit, equal opportunity institution and admits students, who are otherwise qual-ified, of any race, nationality or sex. The school complies with applicable laws with regard to admission,access or treatment of students in its programs or activities.

�

2/05

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P a u l H a l l C e n t e r C l a s s e s

Unlicensed Apprentice Water Survival Class 657 — Graduating from the water survivalclass are unlicensed apprentices from class 657 (in alphabetical order) Fausto Aranda, VincelBanks, Steven Cedres, Clifford Cronan, Wanda Davis, Aaron Dixon, Kenneth Fecher, Jeffery Griffin,Alexander Hill, Jason Jacobs, Edward Johnson, Timothy Littles, Ashley Lund, Michael Moerbeek,Billie Jo Munoz, Roy Nathan, Robert Noble, Garfield Persley Jr., Adam Ramey, Michael Rodriguez,Benny Samosan, William Sanchez, Scott Spillman, Ronald Westerfield and Ryan White.

Able Seaman — Receiving certificates for completion of the AB classending Dec. 3 are (in alphabetical order) Laurent Abad, Jeremy Abbott,Owen Gallagher, Melvin Gruelle, David Guthrie, Aidan Helt, ChristopherHodder, Forrest Hosier, Gregory Karr, Brian Manion, John Niday,Christopher Paul, Arthur Reeder, Arthur Rogers, Ramiro Rubio, GregoryScott, Hector Serrano, Douglas Shores and Ben Skuban.

Bridge Resource Management (BRM) — Graduating from thebridge resource management course Dec. 3 are (in alphabetical order) JaredBlavat, Ian Ferguson, Alexander Fyodorovykh, Donald McGraw, JerrySobieraj and Jerome Wong. At far left is Capt. Jack Russell. Their instructor,Brad Wheeler, is third from left.

Basic Auxiliary Plant Operations — Completing the basic aux-iliary plant operations course Dec. 12 are (in alphabetical order)upgraders Manuel Lata and Ryan Neathery and Phase III unlicensedapprentices Robin Bourgeois, Anthony Clark, Christopher Eide, ClarkHoward, Richard Murray, Maurice Perry and Adam Soto. Their instructor,John Cronan, is third from left.

FOWT — Graduates from the FOWT course Dec. 17 include (in alphabetical order) Damien Bautista,Dario Dizon, Kenneth Dyson, David Gulick Jr., Damien James, Peter Jensen, Yuriy Khitrenko, JoshuaKilbourn, Ryan Krom, Roger Nesbeth, Felix Osorio, Bruce Placido, Luis Roebuck, David Simpson, CurtisTobey, Bruce Zarobell and William Zobel. Their instructor, Eric Malzkuhn, is second from left.

Basic Auxiliary PlantOperations —Completing this course Nov.12 are (in alphabeticalorder) Seafarer Juan Belland unlicensed apprenticesErnesto Girau, JoshuaLampke, Jeremy Martinez,Robert Oliveto, DavidQuade, Jamal Ricks,Steben Torres and JervonaVorise. Their instructor,John Cronan, is at far left.

Computer Lab Classes

Instructor Rick Prucha (standing atfar right in both photos) congratulatesSIU members for their accomplish-ments in the computer lab.

In the photo at left are (seated, fromleft) Chris Chikwere and DanMarcus; standing is AbdulmoghniSaid.

In the photo at right are (seated,from left) Diane Lee House, William

Knorr and David Guthrie; standingare Art Rogers, Mel Orville and

Forrest Hoster.

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P a u l H a l l C e n t e r C l a s s e sJunior Engineer —Seafarers completing the

junior engineer courseDec. 17 are (in alphabeti-

cal order) ChristopherBounds, Joie Flesner,

Jeffrey McIntosh, NicholasMurgolo, Ashley Nelson,

Jason Powell, MarcoRodriquez, Joseph Sam,

Christopher Schneider,Demetrius Simmons,Randy Slue, Charles

Sneed and Paul Weil.Their instructor, Jay

Henderson, is at far right. Galley Ops — Working their way up in the galley departmentare (from the left) Abdul Hamid, Ed White (instructor), FrancesDvoroznak, Mario Rochez and Arlene Ringler (instructor).

Tanker Familiarization Assistant Cargo (DL) — Unlicensed traineesrecently completing this course are (in no specific order) Mark Keblis, Ron Whitlow,Perry Schroff, Teresa Ward, Cheryl Lynch, Scott Spilman, Ben Clark, Timothy Bauer,Anthony Bartley, Jerome Prince, James Ruffin, Frank Lewis, Thia Banks, WilliamWilson, Stephen Morris, Jonathan Ives, Ron Westerfield and Huey Napier. Their instruc-tor, Jim Shaffer, is at far right.

Tanker Familiarization Assistant Cargo (DL) — Another class of unli-censed trainees completing this course are Robert Morrison, Timothy Watson, Ali Saif,Tim Cullen, Frank Muellersman, Evan Werner, Brian Saba, Troy Davis, Joshua Smith,Andre Robinson, Samantha Murphy, Hector Ortiz, Ariel Lopez, Javier Ortiz, GeorgePhillips, Kenneth Williams, Stephen Cooper, Tony Fury, Tony Beasley, TedrickBlackstone and Paul Brown. Their instructor, Herb Walling, stands in the back at left.

STOS — Receiving their STOS certificates of completion Jan. 21 from instructorStacey Harris (far left) are (in no specific order) Melvin Mitchell, Wlodzimierz Arendt,Russell Sawyer, Ryan Johnson, Martin Rogers, Matthew Flickinger, Allan Coloyan,Matt Musslewhite, Jeremy Williams, Luke Bradley, Robert Hall, Jim Williamson andSteven Reiber.

Lifeboatman/Water Survival — With instructor Bernabe Pelingon (stand-ing second from right) are Jan. 21 graduates of the lifeboatman/water survivalcourse. In alphabetical order of Kyle Bloom, David Desrosiers, Dana Fischer, FelixGarcia, Brian Gauntt, Carlos Gay, Richard Otto, Jonas Robinson, Saul Suarez,Dana Thomas and Rick Worthington.

Specially Trained OS — Receiving their STOS certificates of completion Dec. 10 are (inalphabetical order) upgraders Marco Figueroa, Ronald Ramos and Abdulmoghni Said andPhase III unlicensed apprentices Michael Broadway, John Frey, William Hunt, ClevelandLewis, Sean Mitchell, James Nickerson, Norman Rodriguez, Derek Rye, Martin Simmons andNigel Williams.

Crowd Management Training Class #1 — Many of the studentscompleting this class also were in Class #1 of basic safety training. Above are(in no particular order) Tanya Lowe, Carlos Saflor, Arvilee Branch, William Kupa,Julie Fancois, Robyn Moors, Sherell Reis, Jonathan Williams, Dana Berney,Jacqueline Ortez, Kahainuk Lahens, Peter Winkley and Bobby Joe Harris.

Training in Hawaii

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O A 11

f S S —— 1

T —— T T f S

p 1 a 1

The U.S. MaritimeSecurity Program (MSP)fleet continued its recent

upgrade late last yearas SIU members

crewed up two newlyreflagged containerships

for WatermanSteamship Corp.: the

P&O Nedlloyd Veracruzand the P&O NedlloydBuenos Aires (pictured

at right in Houston).

The captain and crew of the newlyreflagged P&O Nedlloyd BuenosAires pose for a group picturebefore sailing from the port ofHouston.

Chief Cook Cesar Avilaand SA Faustino Castillo

have no trouble findingtheir way around the

galley of the Watermancontainership.

SIU members, along with their fami-lies and guests, were treated toThanksgiving dinner at the Houstonhall Nov. 24, 2004. Twelve turkeysas well as ham and the traditionalholiday trimmings were prepared bySeafarers to serve the nearly 150attendees.

Left: Retiree RalphMoore helps with thepreparations.

Right: This is just oneof the serving tablesladen with delicious

holiday fare.

AB Thomas Corrales enjoysthe dinner with his family.

Patrolman Kevin Marchand (left) andSeafarer Randy Stevens carve theturkeys.

Many Seafarersand family mem-bers volunteeredto help serve themeal.

The line was long—but it went quickly and waswell worth the wait. When the Liberty Eagle held a recent

payoff in the port of Houston, some ofthe crew posed for a group shot. They

are Chief Cook Marcial Avila, GUDEValerio Manaiza, Patrolman Michael

Russo, GUDE Leonel Montes, QMEDStephen Treece, Steward/Baker

Pablo Alvarez and departing ChiefCook Johnny Palencia.

Right: Included amongthose who joined in on

the holiday feast are(from left) Joe Clark,

Saundra Leonard,Francisco King, a guest

and Richard Henry.

Recertified StewardDonna DeCesare

John Zepeda is the recertifiedbosun aboard the Puget Sound.

These photos were taken aboardthe Puget Sound in October of lastyear when the ship—which formerlywas part of the ATC fleet and wasturned over to OSG—recrewed inthe port of Orange, Texas.

Chief PumpmanKenneth Spivey

AB Harvey Ramos


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new msp fleet expands to 60 vesselsseafarerslog.org/archives/files/original/8304fbe51a951f...volume...

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