After a tough six-year battle, U.S. Department of Defense employees are celebrating a major victory after the 2010 Defense authorization congressional conference committee repealed the anti-worker National Security Personnel System (NSPS). NSPS implementation began in 2006, changing the way DOD civilians are hired, compensated, promoted, and rewarded. M.E.B.A. has been battling against many of the overreaching provisions of the NSPS since its enactment in 2003. The Union’s early work helped relax the most egregious NSPS regulations affecting our civilian mariners.

Created by the Bush administration, the NSPS took away Defense Department workers’ right to collective bargaining and personnel appeals. Yesterday’s action puts the final nail in the NSPS coffin, repealing the entire system. Workers had complained that the pay structure under the system is unfair and arbitrary.

Even the Defense Department’s own Defense Business Board, an independent advisory committee of private-sector business leaders, said the NSPS should be scrapped. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) introduced the language that repealed NSPS.

Rear Admiral Buzby is currently serving as deputy chief of staff for global force management and joint operations, N3/N5, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

M.E.B.A.-contracted Liberty Maritime Corporation needs Chiefs, 1st A/Es, and C/Ms for their Fleet of Bulk Carriers and new PCTCs. Resumes can be e-mailed to personnel@libertymar.com.  You can also fax them to (516) 488-8806.

They can be mailed to:

Nina Timonina, Personnel Manager
Liberty Maritime Corporation
1979 Marcus Avenue, Suite 200
Lake Success, NY 11042

Call Nina or Joe MacEwen (516) 488-8800 for more information.

AFL-CIO is stepping up their campaign to get health care reform moving in the halls of congress. They point out that every hour, another five people die because they don’t have health insurance. They encourage you to call your members of Congress toll free and demand that they support real health care reform NOW: 1-877-702-0976. Continuing, they say:

Now is the time for reform. All across the country, as a part of a nationwide call-in day, tens of thousands of activists like you are calling Congress and demanding real health care reform that:

• Controls costs.
• Holds insurance companies accountable.
• Includes a strong public health insurance option to lower costs and make sure everybody can get health care.
• Requires employers to pay their fair share.
• Does not add taxes or other costs for working families—we’re already paying too much.

Working together, we can make sure everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health care. Call and tell your senators and representative to support real health care reform:

1-877-702-0976. Insurance company lobbyists and the Chamber of Commerce are doing everything they can to slow down the process and ultimately kill reform. Don’t let them block reform. The time for waiting is done. We want quality and accessible health care for all now.

On October 7, the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted an oversight hearing on the Qualifications and Credentialing of Mariners. Committee Chair James L. Oberstar (D-MN) commended the Coast Guard for decreasing its credential net processing time from 55 days to 26 days and for eliminating its credential backlog. Subcommittee Chair Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) noted the importance of the credentialing process and expressed particular interest in the medical examination procedures. Rear Admiral Kevin Cook, Director of the Office of Prevention Policy, testified that improvements were made across a spectrum of issues. Additional staff was assigned, computer problems were resolved, and outreach efforts were broadened. (Source: Bryant Maritime Counseling).

Shipments of limestone from U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports were again weak in September. The trade totaled 2,983,855 net tons, a decrease of 21 percent compared to a year ago. September was down even more compared to the month’s 5-year average - 29 percent.

The blame for some of the erosion lies squarely with the dredging crisis. The largest limestone cargo loaded in September totaled 50,222 tons. If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was maintaining Great Lakes ports and waterways to their authorized depth, the vessel would have carried about 54,000 tons. The 3,800 tons of limestone left at the quarry thanks to the dredging crisis represents enough product to build 10 houses. For the year, the limestone trade stands at 16,351,880 tons, a decrease of 32.5 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments are 38.7 percent below the 5-year average for the first three quarters.

The Great Lakes iron trade remained in its now nearly year-long slump in September. Shipments from U.S. and Canadian ports totaled only 3,160,932 net tons, a decrease of 51.5 percent compared to a year ago. The trade fared only slightly better when compared to September’s 5-year average; shipments were off 49.1 percent.

Higher water levels did allow for several cargos of 67,000 tons or more, but even these top loads were testimony that the dredging crisis is ongoing. In the case of the iron ore trade, lack of adequate dredging throughout the system by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is trimming as much as 5,000 tons from the largest vessels’ payloads each trip.

For the year, the Lakes iron ore trade stands at 19,250,148 tons, a decrease of 57.8 percent compared to a year ago. The decrease is only slightly less when compared to the trade’s 5-year average for the January-September timeframe – 55.4 percent.

The Lake Carriers’ Association released the latest Great Lakes figures. LCA represents 18 American companies that operate 55 U.S.-Flag vessels on the Great Lakes including M.E.B.A.-contracted company Interlake Steamship.

Union Privilege, the AFL-CIO program that provides consumer benefits to union members and retirees, has announced a new scholarship and mentoring program. The Union Leaders of the Future Scholarship program is designed to help women and/or people of color become union leaders. The scholarship money provides training for union activists pursuing a career in union leadership. Further details are available at www.unionplus.org/diversity.

Offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation, the scholarship provides annual awards up to $3,000 to help future union leaders with the cost of continuing their education or training in order to pursue their union career goals and leadership skills.

There are two ways to qualify for the program: 1. Go to the website listed above and complete the Mentoring Program Application section at the end of the Scholarship Application. Send it in with your scholarship package. (This is an optional part of the Scholarship Application); or 2. Only apply for the mentoring program using the application in the green box found on the website.

Monday, Nov. 2 – Boston; Jacksonville; Seattle;
Tuesday, Nov. 3 – Baltimore/Calhoon School@CMES, Houston, San Francisco (Oakland);
Wednesday, Nov. 4 – Charleston, New Orleans;
Thursday, Nov. 5 – L.A. (Wilmington), New York (New Jersey), Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, Nov. 6 – Honolulu.