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

MEBA TELEX TIMES                          JUNE 09, 2006

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 23

In this issue...
POID positions created...MEBA-sponsored bill would remove at-sea repair loopholes...JAX hall is operational...M.O.S. is in effect...Aloha! On Hawaiian time, we hang loose on the Big Island in a hula edition and prepare for a news luau. Go get some macadamias, grab a cup of kona and catch a wave of maritime articles in a muumuu-sized issue. The Telex Times is the Big Kahuna!

SEVEN NEW POID POSITIONS CREATED FOR MEBA MEMBERS
As a result of a series of productive talks conducted with American President Lines Ltd., MEBA has secured APL recognition for seven new bargaining unit positions for our Professional Office & Industrial Division (POID) members in two locations. Following the recognition by APL, MEBA negotiated the terms and conditions of employment for the new jobs.

MEBA President Ron Davis worked with APL's V.P. of Labor Relations Bob Stephens to bring the new positions onboard while our POID Rep. Jennifer Novinger locked up favorable terms for the new bargaining unit members.

Two positions in the finance department, which have until now been management grade positions, were added to the POID roster in Oakland, CA. The management grade employees who held these two jobs will be joining our Union, and both were pleased with the sizeable raises in salary, more time off, and reduced health insurance premiums that they received in the very same position, just by joining our Union. POID Rep Jennifer Novinger was on hand in Oakland in May to fine-tune details and then make the announcements to the new members and the rest of the bargaining unit there. As expected, the rest of the unit welcomed the two new POID members with open arms.

APL has also agreed to create five new MEBA Customer Service Representative positions at the Denver facility. They will be highly skilled positions at Denver's top-level of pay (BU-9). These CSR's will be added due to the significant growth in Government Market cargo movements, and will have a broad geographic scope with respect to supporting the end customer. MEBA negotiated these positions to be posted within the next 2-3 weeks at which time more specific details on the scope of work and position descriptions will be available.

Novinger anticipates that Denver MEBA members in other positions will bid on and move into these new jobs, leaving 5 open slots in the local unit that will be filled with either successful candidates new to the MEBA or the "temporary" employees who have been working at APL amongst the MEBA members. Those employees have all expressed interest in becoming full time employees so that they can join our Union and increase their earnings and benefits.

MEBA President Ron Davis has been an ongoing participant in POID negotiations and has been involved in the last three contract cycles. He noted that he was pleased that our longtime shoreside unit "will be expanding in an industry where outsourcing and consolidation have threatened job security for those not protected under union contract."

SEN. LOTT INTRODUCES BILL TO REDUCE DUTIES ON WORK PERFORMED AT SEA
Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) recently introduced S. 3183, a bill sponsored by the MEBA and the American Maritime Congress. It seeks a legislative fix to unnecessary duties being placed on work completed by U.S. crews while their vessel is stationary in a foreign port. Called the ad valorem duty, it was originally conceived to provide an incentive for U.S. ship operators to have their vessels repaired in a U.S. shipyard by placing a 50% duty on repairs on a U.S.-flagship performed in a foreign shipyard. However, thanks to aggressive government interpretations of the statute, the ad valorem duty was broadened to include any repairs done outside of a U.S. shipyard, including work performed by the officers and unlicensed crew as part of their usual maintenance duties.

In 2004, MEBA and AMC were successful in working with Congress to remove the ad valorem tax on repairs performed by the crew while the vessel is underway, but through another aggressive interpretation, the federal government determined that the legislative language as written did not apply when the vessel was in a foreign port. As a result, under current federal guidelines, vessels are subject to the duty if repairs are completed while the vessel is in a foreign port - which results in a tax on the work performed by MEBA members that can only be done while the vessel is in port with the engines off.

The Lott bill, which was drafted in consultation with MEBA, AMC, and representatives of U.S. shipyards and shipbuilding unions, removes the ad valorem duty on any work that is done by the regular crew of the vessel on the high seas, in foreign waters, or in a foreign port. This bill will help to remove one more unnecessary cost to U.S. ship operators. MEBA and AMC have been working together in a combined effort to remove outdated and unnecessary federal regulations that make the U.S.-flag less competitive internationally.

JACKSONVILLE HALL UP AND RUNNING
Jacksonville Representative Tom Suneson has confirmed that our Union hall at its new location is up and running and fully operational. MEBA is sharing a hall with the MM&P at 349 E. 20th Street - the zip code there is 32206.  The phone and fax numbers as well as e-mail remain the same.

There was a good turnout at the final hall meeting at the old location and members thanked retiring Plans employee Joretta South for 40 years of service to the MEBA. Liz Pettit will be our new Plans Representative. She can be reached at the regular hall number.

M.O.S. GOES INTO EFFECT, MARAD THANKS MEBA FOR ASSISTANCE WITH TESTING
The Maritime Administration is encouraging members to participate in their new web-based "Mariner Outreach System" that will allow the agency to gauge the willingness of seafarers to sail during future contingencies. MarAd recently sent a letter of appreciation to the MEBA thanking the Union for our assistance in testing the new MOS. Before the official launch date, MarAd presented the new system to a test group at the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School in the auditorium. "The enthusiasm and support provide by (CMES Director) Joyce Matthews and the School staff (including Instructors Chuck Eser & Scott Conway) were directly responsible for the success of the testing. The input provided by the MEBA mariners was invaluable in helping us to create an accurate, user friendly system that will be valuable to U.S. mariners worldwide."

MarAd has noted that the MOS was created to improve the agency's ability to understand and communicate with U.S. merchant mariners. The system will allow mariners (who agree to participate) an opportunity to review their qualifications/sea service and provide additional updated contact information.

It should again be stressed that by signing up there is no commitment to participate in any future action but the program will allow the mariner to be contacted should such an emergency arise.
   
Mariners can access the system from anywhere in the world through a secure website at https://mos.marad.dot.gov. For further information on the MOS contact MarAd's Office of Sealift Support at (202) 366-3423.

NEWSPAPER CARRIES SPREAD ON MEBA SCHOOL MARITIME DAY
On June 7th, the Easton Star Democrat dedicated a full page spread in its "Life" section to the Maritime Day ceremony staged recently at MEBA's Merchant Marine Memorial on School grounds. In a nice write-up, along with quite a few photos, the paper detailed the ceremony conducted by Union and School officials that is planned to be an annual commemoration of mariners past.

Apparently the Star Democrat reporter took good notes. Many of the quotes delivered from the podium that day are reprinted. MEBA President Ron Davis lauded the critical role mariners play in support of our country. "At the forming of our country, the Merchant Marine was there," said Davis. "During a terrible war that nearly tore our nation in two, the Merchant Marine was there. Through two more wars that set the world on fire, and nearly a century of tension and global political posturing, the Merchant Marine was there. During depression and revolution, peace and war, good times and bad, the Merchant Marine remained an anchor upon which the American ship of state could always rely."

School Director Joyce Matthews was a featured speaker at the event as was Baltimore Branch Agent Bill Van Loo. You can hunt down the newspaper's coverage online at www.stardem.com or request that the Telex Times editor e-mail you a .pdf version as an attachment. Send that request to Marco at editor@d1meba.org.

HONOLULU HALL HONORS WARRIOR KING
MEBA's hall in Hawaii will be shuttered on Monday in honor of the greatest of Hawaiian kings. King Kamehameha I Day honors the chief of the Big Island district who, through conquest, united the eight major islands of Hawaii under his rule in the early 1800s. He was a wise and popular peacetime king as well who helped rebuild battle torn Hawaii while promoting trade and fostering the agriculture of what would become our 50th state. All hail Kamehameha!

JUNE 17 RALLY FOR 9/11 RESCUE & RECOVERY WORKERS
A rally planned for June 17th in New York City has been set up to call for a federal commitment to 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who were exposed to contaminants at ground zero. Union members and labor leaders will be joined by numerous elected officials, health and safety advocates, and community residents to demand a solid commitment to fund long-term health monitoring and treatment.

Come and make your voice matter!  You can help convince our government to "step up to the plate" and do what needs to be done for those who risked their lives at a time of immense sorrow and fear, and those who helped our communities and country recover and move forward.

Thousands of workers selflessly answered the call to help in the rescue and recovery efforts after New York's greatest tragedy on September 11th. While working tirelessly at the WTC site, they were exposed to toxic contaminants that jeopardized their health and safety.  Since that day, many have become seriously ill and others have died. 

The rally and press conference is scheduled for Saturday, June 17 from 11 am to 1:30 pm at the World Trade Center Site (Church Street, between Dey & Fulton). To participate and become a co-sponsor of the rally contact Suzy Ballantyne at (518) 436-8516.

UNION PLUS SAVES MONEY FOR MEMBERS
Your union membership has privileges and as a MEBA member or retiree you are eligible to take advantage of programs that will help you save money. MEBA is enrolled in most of the Union Plus benefit programs which provides union members and their families with valuable consumer benefits.

Union Plus was created by the AFL-CIO in 1986 to help unions recruit and retain members and to provide union members and their families with high-quality consumer benefits and services. No dues money goes into the development and operation of any of the programs which range from discounts on Automobile purchases to vacation tour discounts. Find out more at www.UnionPlus.org.

Did you know that your union membership gives you savings on union-made clothing?

Get 5 - 10% in clothing discounts when you shop with any of our three union-made merchants. Visit www.UnionPlus.org/Clothing to see the wide selection of sweatshop-free apparel from jeans, T-shirts and sweats to socks, dresses and pants. You can even save on gift certificates for your friends and family!

Did you know that you can show off your union membership by using personalized, Union Plus Union-Made Checks and return address labels?

Union-Made Checks and return address labels are a great reminder of union-member purchasing power to everyone who sees them. The checks and labels are competitively priced, union-printed and feature a pro-union message. Plus, you can opt to include your union's logo to really show off your union pride! Call 1-888-864-6625 or visit www.UnionPlus.org/Checks for more information!

Did you know Powell's Bookstore is the only union-organized, online bookstore?

Powell's Bookstore offers a huge selection of new and used books. Support the union by purchasing the latest bestsellers, audiocassettes, textbooks and more online at www.UnionPlus.org/Books.

Did you know that you can use your union connections to save money on music CDs?

What do you have in common with Aerosmith, Alanis Morisette and Faith Hill? They're all dues-paying union members - just like you. And now you can buy their music at union-member-only savings. The Union Plus Music Discount Club features more than 15,000 titles - without shipping charges! Pay only $9.99 each or buy two CDs, and get the third one free when you shop at www.UnionPlus.org/Music.

Did you know that Union Plus now offers a 25% union-member-only discount on online Consumer Reports subscriptions?

ConsumerReports.org is published by Consumers Union, which accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. Consumers Union is union organized, with testers and writers represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The Union Plus ConsumerReports.org 25% discount stands for credibility and consumer empowerment!

Did you know that your union membership makes car maintenance cheaper?

Cash in on the following Goodyear tire and service discounts just for being a union member:
. 18.95 oil, lube and filter services
. 5% off all Goodyear tires, including car tires, snow tires, all-terrain and more
. 10% service - including sale prices

Support your fellow union workers! Purchase quality union-made products and services at www.UnionPlus.org. Plus you get special discounts to help you
stretch your dollar further.

NEXT REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
Monday, July 3 - Boston, Seattle;
Wednesday, July 5 - Baltimore, Charleston, Houston, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Portland, San Francisco;
Thursday, July 8 - Los Angeles, New York, Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, July 9 - Honolulu.

CAA Reunion is June 30th-July 2, 2006. Plan accordingly and support the CAA!

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