MARINE ENGINEERS' BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION (AFL-CIO)
         "On Watch in Peace and War Since 1875"

MEBA TELEX TIMES       JULY 31, 2009

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 31

In this issue...
Matson Port Engineers' contract finalized...CIVMAR wage increase...Successful CMES e-Learning conference...We max out with a pre-approved, over-the-limit edition for preferred maritime cardholders that's everywhere you want to be. Put out a "fraud alert" on subprime, no-account newsletters that have a variable interest rate. Don't leave home without your balanced, platinum level visa for nautical news that's honored at locations worldwide. A credit to the industry, the Telex Times takes charge!

MATSON PORT ENGINEERS' PACT FINALIZED
Executive V.P. Mike Nizetich and his team of negotiators have closed on a new Port Engineers' agreement with Matson Navigation in a deal that was signed late Friday as the Telex Times went to press.

In late June, the parties finalized a new A3 master contract with Matson that was ratified by members at the July meetings. They also wrapped up a wage reopener for the CV2600 vessels. At that time, M.E.B.A. and Matson reached tentative agreement on the economics and conditions covering Matson's Port Engineers represented by M.E.B.A. but extended the contract to allow additional time to memorialize contract language.

The new agreement has been finalized and is being presented to the membership for a ratification vote during the August meetings next week. The pact runs through August 15, 2013 (retroactive to June 16, 2009) and will include 3% wage increases each June 16, commencing this year. Among other things, new language has been added to the contract that will strengthen the controls on compensatory time. The new agreement will also provide more flexibility for Port Engineers to use their earned vacation.

There will be a Port Engineer Money Purchase Benefit increase each June 16 during the contract term, commencing June 16, 2009. Port Engineers will earn two additional holidays under the Agreement and the contribution rates to the M.E.B.A. Training Plan, Joint Employment Committee and American Maritime Congress will receive significant boosts.

With assistance from M.E.B.A. Contracts Rep. Mark Gallagher and Chief Counsel Nils Djusberg, Executive V.P. Mike Nizetich's negotiating team included L.A. Branch Agent Larry Young and rank and file members Joe Schmitt, Mike Shea, Todd Simonse and Don McNichols.

WAGE INCREASE FOR M.E.B.A. CIVMARs
M.E.B.A. civilian mariners sailing aboard Military Sealift Command and NOAA vessels will receive a 4.15% boost to their base pay, overtime, penalty pay, and non-watchstanding rates. The increase is retroactive to July 1, 2009. CIVMAR wage adjustments are based on prevailing industry wages which include adjustments and increases negotiated in M.E.B.A. deep sea commercial contracts as well as other information, analysis and recommendations. MSC and the Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Management Service (DOD CPMS) approved the increases which Government Fleet Representative Randi Ciszewski and our Contracts Representative Mark Gallagher were able to justify.

SUCCESSFUL CMES E-LEARNING CONFERENCE WRAPS UP
An e-learning summit that drew a vast cross-section of maritime training principals at the Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School last week proved so successful that it will become an annual affair. The International Maritime e-Learning Conference was attended by every major stakeholder in distance learning - a technology for the 21st century that allows the online training of mariners. Last year, the Calhoon School established the first true Distance Learning system to be approved for training mariners when it received Coast Guard approval for its online STCW Crowd Management Course.

The conference was set up to further progress toward a more widespread use of this technology and to provide the industry with a better understanding of the complexities involved in getting course approval from the U.S. Coast Guard. This event was held from July 20-23 at the School and included participation of shipping company executives, maritime regulators, training administrators, and faculty from around the world.

Among many others, speakers included Acting Maritime Administrator James Caponiti who spoke about "The Looming Challenges Facing Maritime Educators;" Captain Art Sulzer who discussed how eLearning can benefit schools nationwide and the Coast Guard's Mayte Medina, who focused on International Maritime Organization training requirements for the future.

A website was set up for the event that includes symposium presentations and materials designed to help participants gain knowledge of the latest technologies behind delivering maritime training online. You can check out the site at http://conf09.cutwater.org.

CORCORAN MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULED FOR SEPT. 18
M.E.B.A. members will be supporting a fallen brother in September for the 8th annual Jay Corcoran Memorial Golf Tournament. Jay was a popular M.E.B.A. member for 22 years who sailed out of the West Coast. On September 11, 2001, he was on his way back to catch his ship, the APL THAILAND, when his airplane was hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center. Since then, a memorial golf tournament has been set up in his name to benefit Norwell, Massachusetts high school students. Norwell was Jay's hometown. The Foundation has awarded $230,000 in grants over the last eight years. This year's tournament takes place on September 18th at Bay Pointe Country Club in Onset, Massachusetts. You can sign up for the tournament and/or attend the dinner that evening. Members can also sponsor golf holes for the tournament at $100 apiece. To help support the event, organizers are asking for donations of goods or services for the raffle and silent auction that evening. The Jay Corcoran Memorial Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit organization, and donations are tax deductible.

Checks should be made payable to the Jay Corcoran Memorial Scholarship Foundation and mailed to Laura Lundstedt, 112 Pond View Dr., Kingston, MA 02364. For more information call Laura at (781) 585-3318, Tom Piepenbrink at (781) 585-2667 or M.E.B.A. Boston Union hall Rep. Bill Campbell at (617) 261-2338. Bill can be e-mailed at wcampbell@mebaunion.org.

PAY YOUR DUES!
Any member or applicant two or more years in arrears on their dues and/or service charges will be put under review by the District Investigating Committee (DIC) and WILL BE DROPPED from the membership or applicant rolls. If you are in arrears and desire to retain your membership or applicant status, you must contact Headquarters immediately to make payment on your arrearage to return to good standing.

MATSON'S PHIL GRILL RETIRES
The maritime community came together last week to thank Phil Grill who retired today after 29 years with Matson Navigation. Grill was Vice President of Government Relations for Matson. During the last 14 years, Phil also served as Chairman of the Maritime Cabotage Task Force. The MCTF is a labor/management coalition that promotes the Jones Act and other U.S. maritime cabotage laws in Washington. Under his MCTF leadership, three Administrations and eight Congresses have consistently supported the Jones Act and a strong U.S.-flag merchant marine.

Grill has long been recognized as an expert on maritime matters. Prior to joining Matson in 1980, he served for 5 years as Minority Staff Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. He has been Matson's Government Relations V.P. since 1986. M.E.B.A. officials were on hand at a D.C. event last week to thank Grill and wish him well.

DHS BEGINS SMALL VESSEL ATTACK PILOT PROGRAM
The U.S. Homeland Security Department has begun a pilot program to combat the threat of a small-vessel attack on the nation's ports according to an article by Global Security. DHS's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office has launched the West Coast Maritime Pilot effort, based in San Diego and Washington State's Puget Sound region. The program will deploy and evaluate radiation and nuclear detection equipment, to include human-portable and mobile, or boat-mounted, systems, Chris Inman, the detection office director for San Diego, told the publication. Program officials will develop a regional maritime concept of operations and provide naval-specific training on nuclear detection equipment, he said.

Bethann Rooney, manager of port security for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, sees a small-vessel attack as the greatest security risk facing the nation's ports today, according to the article. "For us, we've essentially got a single choke point that all deep draft vessels need to pass," she said during a July 10 panel discussion at the Center for National Policy. "If that choke point is compromised by a small vessel attack ... it will essentially shut down the entire port of New York and New Jersey." Rooney said even attacks of limited size can have serious consequences. She advocated that homeland security officials "move from strategies that have been written on a piece of paper and begin to implement the strategies we've identified, in this case to deal with the small-vessel security threat."

CSA ENVIRONMENTAL VESSEL AWARD NOMINATIONS
The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) announced that it is inviting companies to participate in the Environmental Achievement Award Program administered by CSA. "CSA's Board of Directors initiated this award program six years ago" said Joseph J. Cox, President of CSA. He continued "This is a great opportunity for owners and operators to recognize the accomplishments of their mariners and shore-side staff. While the public hear of instances when there are environmental problems, we want them to know that this industry has an excellent record of environmental accomplishment. We have seen a growing awareness of this program among the industry since we began. Last year, 873 vessels owned or operated by fifty-five companies received awards totaling 5,951 years of environmental excellent operation. This is a tremendous accomplishment by the industry and one that is not well known. We initiated these awards to let our seagoing and shore-side personnel know that we appreciate all they do as professional stewards of our marine environment. The award is available to all owners and operators, whether or not a CSA member. The Board encourages all vessel owners and operators to nominate their compliant vessels for this award." Vessels eligible as of 31 August 2009 will be accepted.

To be eligible for the award, a vessel must have for at least a two-year period:

- No reportable spills (a report of a "potential spill" is not disqualifying);
- No U.S. Coast Guard citations for violations of MARPOL;
- No port state citations for violations of MARPOL; and,
- No violations of state/local pollution regulations.

Vessels are eligible for awards beyond the initial two year period. Cox said that the vast majority of the vessels receiving awards last year were for performance beyond the initial two year qualifying period.

The awards are given to the recipients at a dinner ceremony in Washington, DC in the fall which is attended by high-level Coast Guard, Maritime Administration, EPA and other government agency personnel. Please log onto CSA's website www.knowships.org for all the details of the 2009 Environmental Achievement Awards, the dinner and hotel reservations. The deadline for submitting vessel entries is Friday, September 18, 2009.

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday, August 3 - Boston, Jacksonville, Seattle;
Tuesday, August 4 - Baltimore/Calhoon School (at CMES), Houston, San Francisco (Oakland);
Wednesday, August 5 - Charleston, New Orleans;
Thursday, August 6- L.A. (Wilmington), New York (New Jersey), Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, August 7 - Honolulu.

--------FINISHED WITH ENGINES---------