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

MEBA TELEX TIMES                          JUNE 16, 2006

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 24

In this issue...
P.L. 480 money okayed...MEBA riding engineer agreement prolonged...MEBA ship in vessel rescue...CAA Reunion coming up...Off our rocker, we go loco in an unhinged, twisted edition that brings you a demented amount of news flakes from the maritime asylum. We're committed to bringing you a certifiable, newsletter-gone-haywire that you'll go nuts over. Crazy like a fox -- the Telex Times, there's a method to our madness!

EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL BILL INCLUDES P.L. 480 LANGUAGE
Yesterday, the President signed a $94.5 billion emergency supplemental funding bill that included $350 million for the PL-480 Title II Food for Peace program. The PL-480 program is a fundamental part of maritime's cargo preference laws. The Senate passed the conference report of HR 4939 earlier yesterday, and the House voted to approve the measure on June 13th. The bill has been working its way through Congress since February.

MEBA and the American Maritime Congress worked with a variety of members of the House and Senate in order to ensure that the funding for the Food for Peace program remained intact. Thanks to the efforts of a variety of members of Congress, especially Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), the funding was kept intact and at the same level as in the original House and Senate bills.

Included in the bill was $70.4 billion in funding for the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and foreign aid, $19.8 billion for efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and an additional $4.2 billion for a variety of other programs, including border security.

EXTENSION OF AGREEMENT FOR MEBA RIDING ENGINEERS
The Union has reached an extension to an agreement with E-Ships, Inc. to provide MEBA Riding Engineers as needed aboard the company's vessels. Atlantic Coast V.P. Don Keefe met with E-Ships President Ed Morgan recently to finalize the extension. The agreement will remain in effect through the length of the master contract - September 30, 2015.

Such engineers are put onboard the ships to perform maintenance and repair as needed. Riding engineers are assigned special M&R projects but not work that is normally performed by the vessels' engineers.

COAST GUARD ALCOHOL TESTING REGS GO INTO EFFECT
A new Coast Guard regulation revising alcohol testing requirements following serious at-sea incident goes into effect next week (June 20). The rule ensures that mariners or employees involved in a serious marine incident are tested for alcohol use within 2 hours of the occurrence of the incident as required under the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998. The rule also requires that most commercial vessels have alcohol testing devices on board, and authorizes the use of saliva as an acceptable specimen for testing. Some minor procedural changes were also made including a 32-hour time limit for collecting specimens for drug testing following a serious marine incident. Operators must comply with the regs by June 20, 2006.

MEBA-CREWED VESSEL ASSISTS IN RESCUE AT SEA
The USNS ARCTIC, with MEBA officers aboard, arrived in Virginia this week to drop off a rescued Scottish yachtsman after assisting in his rescue in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. On June 12, ARCTIC, a fast combat support ship operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command, was about 115 miles away from the 32-foot-long sailboat Tyree when its captain, William Glover, sent a distress message.  He stated that he was injured and in need of medical assistance. The Navy's guided-missile destroyer USS BULKELEY, located nearby, dispatched its helicopter for the rescue.  Due to the distance of the flight, the helicopter first landed on the ARCTIC to refuel before proceeding to the sailboat. The helicopter picked up the injured yachtsman using its hoist and rescue basket and then returned to the ARCTIC, where Glover was taken by stretcher to the ship's medical clinic for evaluation.

"After hearing initial reports from the flight crew of possible serious injuries, it was good to see that Glover's situation were far less critical. Other than being cold, wet and fatigued, Glover was found to be in relatively good shape," said ARCTIC's master, Jonathan Mellow. Since Glover had nothing but the tattered and wet clothing on his back, the ship's civilian mariner crew generously collected donations of clothing and money to tide him over until he could access his bank accounts.  ARCTIC arrived in Craney Island, Va., where it was determined that Glover did not need further medical attention.  A member of the British Consulate from Washington, D.C., met Mr. Glover to provide assistance.

Tyree was recently purchased in Florida, and Glover was single-handedly sailing the boat home to Scotland.  He had departed Bermuda en route to the Azores when he was injured aboard his sailboat in a fall.  Tyree was in good condition when Glover left, and he's contemplating the possibility of recovering her.

MEBA PARTICIPATES IN MARAD "OPEN SHIP" EVENT
The Maritime Administration hosted an "Open Ship" this past week aboard the Horizon Lines' Ready Reserve Force fleet vessel CAPE LAMBERT.  The open ship event in Wilmington, North Carolina was a follow up to a recent report issued by the Thurmond Institute of Clemson University.  That report studied the use of Ready Reserve Force vessels such as the CAPE  LAMBERT and CAPE LOBOS for hurricane relief.  Attendees to the open ship included representatives from MEBA and SIU as well as emergency managers from coastal states and other interested parties.  The timing was especially poignant as the remnants of tropical storm Alberto were heading up the Carolina coast. The Clemson report can be found at www.strom.clemson.edu (go to "What's Hot" and scroll down for "Hurricane Relief from the Sea"). 

MEBA has been active over the past few years in promoting the use of existing government vessels, some of which are slated to go into deep lay-up, for use in responding to domestic emergencies such as natural disasters and terrorism incidents.  Many of the vessels scheduled to go into deep lay-up are in excellent condition, but for budgetary reasons are being relegated to the boneyard.

MEBA REUNION IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
All available rooms have been claimed during the CAA Reunion coming up at the Calhoon School, but there is still time to sign up for the picnic and golf tournament. You may, however, request to be put on a standby list for rooms.

You can visit the CAA page accessed off the MEBA School's website at www.mebaschool.org to obtain more information. The Reunion takes place at the School from June 30th to July 2nd.

There are still spots left for golfers teeing off at the Friday tournament. The 9th CAA Golf Extravaganza is the first event in the weekend of activities. There is a 1 p.m. shotgun start for the tournament that takes place at the Easton Club located at Oxford Rd. and Rte. 322 in Easton, MD.

The Reunion marks the 40th anniversary of operations at the MEBA School. The MEBA Merchant Marine Memorial Foundation is holding a raffle to enable continued upgrades to the beautiful new memorial at the School. 1st prize will be a weekend at the Manor House for ten people, 2nd prize is $500, and 3rd prize is $250. Tickets cost $5 each or five for $20. The drawing will be held on July 1st during the CAA Reunion. Please see your local Union Hall or the School for additional information.

If you have any question as to your status, confirmation of payment, room, etc. please contact Hope Dyott via email at Dyott@mebaschool.org or by phone at 410-822-9600, ext. 301.

MATSON EARNS COAST GUARD ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
MEBA-contracted company Matson Navigation has been honored with the Coast Guard's 2006 Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Marine Environmental Award for Excellence. The Benkert Award was created to recognize outstanding achievements in marine environmental protection that go beyond mere compliance with industrial and regulatory standards. Matson was the only containership operator recognized in the 2006 award process, which is conducted every two years. Other recipients of the 2006 award include Dow Chemical, British Petroleum, Marathon Petroleum and Todd Shipyard. The formal awards presentation will take place on June 26 in San Diego.
 
Matson has had a zero discharge policy since 1993 and is still the only container vessel company that has such a program. In 2003, Matson's (MEBA-crewed) SS CHIEF GADAO became the first U.S.-flag container vessel certified to the American Bureau of Shipping's Safety, Quality and Environmental Management (SQE) program. All of Matson's vessels now have the SQE certification, which requires a documented environmental management
system focused on continuous improvement.

HOUSTON HALL CLOSED FOR JUNETEENTH
MEBA's Union hall in Houston will be closed on Monday in honor of the Texas holiday known as Emancipation Day or "Juneteenth," a holiday that commemorates African American freedom. Originating in Galveston, TX over 140 years ago, Juneteenth is a time for reflection and rejoicing.

MARAD TO SHED MORE SHIPS; RECYCLING  CONTRACT FOR 4 ANCIENT VESSELS
The Maritime Administration has announced that it has signed contracts for the disposal of four ships from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet at Benicia, CA, bringing to nine the number that have left the facility for recycling since October 2005.
           
The four ships are World War II-vintage Victory ships: HANNIBAL VICTORY, the BARNARD VICTORY, the OCCIDENTAL VICTORY and the SIOUX FALLS VICTORY.  "We continue to demonstrate our commitment to remove these obsolete ships from our fleet," said Acting Deputy Maritime Administrator Julie Nelson. 

Marine Metal, Inc., of Brownsville, TX, will dismantle the HANNIBAL VICTORY and the SIOUX FALLS VICTORY, under the terms of contracts each worth $978,698.  All Star Metals, Inc., also of Brownsville, will dismantle the BARNARD VICTORY for $1,202,949, and the OCCIDENTAL VICTORY for $1,191,987. The steel from all four ships will be recycled.
            
BLUST WILL LEAVE FMC
Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Steven R. Blust announced that he intends to leave the agency after the completion of his current term, once his replacement nominee has been confirmed by the Senate.  Mr. Blust has been serving as Chairman since joining the agency in August 2002.  His term officially ends on June 30, 2006.  Once he leaves the Commission, he plans to continue his career in the area of maritime trade. The Chairman, with his office located only a few blocks from the MEBA HQ, has been a good friend to the Union. 

"It has been my distinct honor and pleasure to serve the President, the Commission and its staff of dedicated civil servants, as well as our country and industry for nearly four years," Mr. Blust said.   "I believe that we at the FMC have helped contribute to the success of the international maritime industry by fostering fairness and efficiency in the U.S. maritime commerce."

JAX MEETING WILL BE ON JULY 6th (A THURSDAY)
The July 4th holiday is playing havoc with the regularly scheduled membership meetings that month. Because the holiday falls on a Tuesday, the Union halls that usually meet on Tuesdays shift their meeting to the next day (Wednesday, July 5). However, because Jacksonville Rep. Tom Suneson conducts both Jacksonville and Charleston meetings, the Jacksonville meeting has now been set for Thursday, July 6th while the Charleston meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 5th. Got all that? As a reminder, the Jacksonville hall will conduct its very first meeting at the new location: 349 E. 20th Street.

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

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

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