Over 130
Years of History
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The great stern and side-wheeler
steamboats of the 1800s played a central role in the expansion and
development of the American heartland. Their service, carrying freight
and passengers on the great rivers and Great Lakes was invaluable to the
development of commerce for a still expanding nation. As romantic as
they seem from the late 20th century, they were fraught with danger.
Many of the early steamboats caught fire, suffered boiler explosions,
ran aground or sank. The drive for profits and markets meant that many
of them were poorly designed and constructed and operated by crew with
minimal training. Faced with intolerable working conditions, fires and
higher and higher boiler pressures creating deadly explosions; steamboat
engineers banded together. Important to the future of MEBA was the
formation in 1854 of the Buffalo Association of Engineers. This and
other Lake Associations played a leading role in the formation of the
Union and provided its major strength for the first 35 years. However,
it was soon evident that one-city associations were not enough to secure
better working conditions and properly licensed engineers.
In 1874, the Buffalo association began corresponding with other marine
engineer associations around the country. Ten delegates from Buffalo,
Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago and Baltimore met in Cleveland, Ohio and
held the first Convention of the National Marine Engineers Association
(the word Beneficial was added in 1883). Thus, on February 23, 1875, the
MEBA was established. Mr. Garret Dow of Buffalo, a key figure in
establishing the MEBA, was elected its first president.
The earliest efforts of the new association revolved around proper
enforcement of the Steamboat Act of 1871. The MEBA also worked towards
proper examination and licensing of engineers, and the abolition of
controversial license fees. It fought against the use of foreign
engineers on internal waters and summary revocations of licenses for
union activities and protests over safety.
In 1884, the US congress finally passed a shipping bill requiring all
officers of American vessels be US citizens. In 1896, a bill passed
granting engineers the legal standing of officer and prohibiting aliens
from obtaining officer's licenses.
From the beginning, MEBA has worked hard in Washington, DC for any and
all legislation that would enhance the maritime industry, maintain
professionalism at sea and protect its members from arbitrary and
detrimental policies. From the start, officers from MEBA have served
with distinction aboard vessels in all armed
conflicts fought by the US. At the end of WWI, MEBA had more than 22,000
members.
Under attack from the US Shipping Board, led by Admiral William S.
Benson, former Chief of Naval Operations, the seagoing unions were
forced into drastic cuts in wages. Manning scales were cut and overtime
without compensation was reimposed. By 1934, MEBA counted only 4,848
members. The Great Depression was upon the nation and times were
extremely hard for US seafarers. The US fleet had fallen well behind
other nations in amount, age and speed of tonnage.
To rescue what was left of the merchant fleet, Congress passed the
Merchant Marine Act in 1936, which set up a program of subsidies for
ship construction and operation. The program called for building up to
500 ships and committed the US government to a conscious policy of
government support for a merchant fleet.
In 1935, the National Labor Relations Board was revitalized and
collective bargaining became a cornerstone of public policy in
labor-management affairs. American labor began to gain strength again.
The advent of WWII changed the labor landscape dramatically. Throughout
the country, unions became well organized and supplied labor efficiently
by its end.
As before, at the end of a war, the governments on-again/off-again
interest in a merchant marine waned. After 1945, the US fleet went from
43,000 vessels to just 1,150 at the beginning of the Korean conflict.
The fleet has continued to decline to the point that today less than 2
1/2% of all cargo moving in and out of this country moves in American
bottoms.
After the war, and under the leadership of Presidents Herbert Dagget,
E.N. Altman, and Jesse Calhoon, as well as General Counsel, Lee
Pressman, the MEBA made impressive gains for its membership despite the
decline in the US shipping industry. Wages rose to be commensurate with
the responsibilities and skills of the work. Collective bargaining
agreements re-established the 40-hour shipboard work week, and produced
the industries highest rated pension and welfare plans. The union built
and acquired continuing funding for Diagnostic Centers. The union
founded the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School, the first joint
union-industry-training center. Through an organizing drive, MEBA
restored itself as a force on the Great Lakes. Also, MEBA became a
legislative force in Washington, successfully organizing support for the
Merchant Marine Act of 1970. Today MEBA is rebuilding and strengthening
its influence on Capitol Hill.
Regulatory change and international agreements are rapidly changing the
worldwide maritime picture. The MEBA recognizes the opportunities
brought by these changes and is committed to taking advantage of any
aspect of the industry that benefits our members.
This quote, from a commemorative epic of MEBA's first 120 years, may
best characterize MEBA's distinction "MEBA has survived 120 years of
battles-large and small, within the maritime industry and throughout the
world in the pursuit of justice. Through it all, the members have
remained true to the spirit of unity that brought them from a fledgling
profession to America's first maritime union. Today MEBA represents a
large and diverse mix of engineers and deck officers, experienced and
skilled in all types of commercial shipping. MEBA's expertise and proven
track record of readiness, safety and loyalty in answering America's
call to action are
unrivaled in the world. While the future is in question, one thing is
certain. The members of the Marine Engineer's Beneficial Association
will unceasingly fight to preserve America's fourth arm of defense -The
US Merchant Marine.
MEBA is over 128 years old, a proud achievement, symbolic of our
forebears and our own support and commitment to the ideals quoted
above. |
Copyright ©
1875-2009 Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association
Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure
Act (LMRDA) of 1959, As Amended
Disclaimer |
