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

MEBA TELEX TIMES                          JUNE 30, 2006

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 26

In this issue...
MEBA CG bill ready for signature...DHS labor rules illegal...Leon Shapiro, Mike Fanfalone make final voyage...TWIC comment period approaches... Smackdown! In a hulked-up, steel cage edition, we flex our muscles and wrestle down the piledriving industry items of the week. Throwing our weight around, our MEBA/maritime news tag team bodyslams the competition and gets those hard-to-pin articles in a headlock. Take it to the mat with the "king of the ring." The Telex Times - it's no holds barred!

COAST GUARD BILL READY FOR PRESIDENT'S SIGNATURE
After nearly a year of work, Congress has finally passed the 2006 Coast Guard reauthorization bill (HR 889). The legislation moved quickly following negotiations between the House and Senate in late June that finally resolved the controversy over a wind farm off Cape Cod that was holding up final passage of the conference report.

The Senate adopted a concurrent resolution (S Con Res 103) that changed the H.R. 889 conference report to give the Coast Guard Commandant sole discretion in determining safety and security issues regarding the Cape Cod wind farm project.

The House passed a similar measure on June 26th, and the conference report was adopted in both the House and Senate on June 27th. The bill is expected to be signed by the President next week.

As reported previously in the Telex Times, the $8.9 billion authorization includes a variety of MEBA sponsored provisions, including sections providing incentives for LNG companies to use American officers and provisions to regulate the use of foreign riding gangs on US-flag vessels.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS ILLEGALITY OF DHS LABOR REGS
An Administration plan to rewrite personnel rules at the Department of Homeland Security illegally interferes with workers' collective bargaining rights, a federal appeals court ruled this week. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that allowing the Department to unilaterally break negotiated contracts is "plainly unlawful."

The appeals court decision sustains and expands an injunction issued in March by the Federal District Court that forbade DHS from implementing the labor-relations portion of its new personnel system. DHS had designed its new system to replace the current General Schedule (GS) civil service system.

In the ruling, the Court stated that "DHS's Final Rule defies the plain language of the [Homeland Security] Act, because it renders "collective bargaining" meaningless; and it is utterly unreasonable and thus impermissible, because it makes no sense on its own terms."

This is another win for the United DoD Workers Coalition, made up of 36 unions including MEBA. A smaller group of UDWC members, led by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), sued to block the implementation of the system.

AFGE also has filed a lawsuit regarding the Department of Defense's National Security Personnel Regulations (NSPS). "This decision should be a road map for the NSPS decision," AFGE General Counsel Mark Roth said. "In the NSPS case, Judge Sullivan relied heavily on Judge Collyer's earlier ruling and essentially enjoined the entire labor relations section of the NSPS. Additionally, everything that was found in our favor today also would apply to NSPS."

TWIC COMMENT DEADLINE APPROACHING; UNION REQUESTS EXTENSION
The deadline is looming for the public to comment on a series of Federal Register notices that will have a direct effect on the MEBA membership. In those notices, the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration seek public comment regarding the proposed consolidation of merchant mariner qualification credentials and the proposed Transportation Worker Identification Credential.

The public was given a 45-day period, which expires on Thursday, July 6, to comment on the sweeping rules. Given the scope of the proposed rules, MEBA, together with a number of other maritime labor unions, has requested an extension of time to allow interested parties sufficient time to prepare and file comments on this complex issue. Maritime labor feels strongly that the Coast Guard and Transportation Security Administration need the benefit of a full public review and consideration concerning these important issues affecting our membership. Regardless of whether an extension of the comment period is granted or not, MEBA will weigh in with its official position concerning the proposed regulations

LONGTIME MEBA OFFICIAL LEON SHAPIRO MAKES FINAL VOYAGE
Influential Union official Leon Shapiro died this week at the age of 84.

Leon wrapped up a 40-year seagoing and shoreside career in 1984 with the last 27 years spent as a Union official. He had joined the Union as an engineer in 1944 in MEBA Local 33 (New York) eventually winning office in the port. In 1965, he became District No. 1's Secretary-Treasurer and soon after the merger with the Pacific Coast District he was tapped as the D1-PCD MEBA Secretary-Treasurer in 1968. Under his career as an official serving under President Jesse Calhoon, Leon was effective in helping to realize many important MEBA programs and policies and was a warrior on behalf of strong cargo preference laws. He proved successful working with Congress in his efforts to help bring about legislation to help revive the industry.

Brother Shapiro stayed active in the industry following his retirement and even served as a consultant to the MEBA years after his 1984 retirement. A memorial service for Leon has yet to be announced. His family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Union's Good & Welfare Fund which benefits MEBA Gulf Coast hurricane victims among others.

CONNAUGHTON WILL BE TAPPED AS NEXT MARAD CHIEF
President Bush will nominate Sean T. Connaughton to be the next Maritime Administrator, it was revealed this week. The post has been vacant since February 2005 when Capt. William Schubert retired. Since then John Jamian served as MarAd head in an Acting capacity followed by MarAd Counsel Julie Nelson who took the reins on a temporary basis in May.

Connaughton currently works as a maritime and environmental attorney for Troutman Sanders LLP. He also serves as Chairman of (Virginia's) Prince William Board of County Supervisors. Prior to this, he worked as an Attorney at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott. Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Transportation Associate for the American Petroleum Institute. Connaughton received his bachelor's degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and his master's degree from Georgetown University. He went on to receive his JD from George Mason University.

"It's a great honor," Connaughton noted. "I never would have thought, 27 years ago, going into the Merchant Marine Academy, that I'd be offered this position. It is the highest position in my field."

In January 2006, Pres. Bush nominated DP World's David Sanborn to fill the vacancy. However, the firestorm over DP World's purchase of P&O's U.S. port operations created a furor that prompted Sanborn to ask that his nomination be withdrawn. The MarAd post requires Senate confirmation. A hearing has not yet been set for Connaughton but should be shortly.

FORMER PASS PRESIDENT FANFALONE, DEAD AT 57
The Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS) lost a great leader this week with the passing of Mike Fanfalone, a man who dedicated his life's work to improving the working conditions of FAA employees throughout the country, including systems specialists, flight inspection pilots and aviation safety inspectors.

He was one of the union's founders and served as national president of the organization for two three-year terms starting in 1997. PASS is an MEBA affiliate. "Mike Fanfalone has been a good friend to the MEBA through the years," President Ron Davis stated. "Members may remember him from his appearances at MEBA National Conventions. Our Union has worked together with him closely in the past and we were aware of his outstanding character. Eulogizing him a month short of his 58th birthday is a tragedy."

"Mike will be deeply missed by all who knew him," current PASS President Tom Brantley said. "His leadership and guidance have helped many of us over the years, and I can say with certainty that I am a better person for having known and worked with Mike. Please keep Mike's family and close friends in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with this tremendous loss."

Fanfalone began his career with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1975 as a radar specialist in Saginaw, Michigan. From 1977 to 1979, Fanfalone served as a radar display technician at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. He moved to Maryland in 1979 to become a radar specialist at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport's control tower. Before becoming PASS president, Fanfalone was the PASS National Employee Involvement Program Coordinator for eight years.

During the past 30 years, Fanfalone either volunteered for or was elected to serve in just about every union representative position from the local to the national level. He was a member of every bargaining team for Airway Facilities, and served as the chief negotiator for the union's current collective bargaining agreement. Under Fanfalone's leadership, PASS successfully negotiated a new approach for training the FAA technical workforce designed to significantly improve productivity, propel modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS), and provide meaningful job security for PASS members.

Services for Mike Fanfalone will be held on Monday, July 3, 10:00 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, 1800 Seton Drive, Crofton, Maryland 21114. Interment will follow immediately after Monday's funeral mass at Crownsville Veterans Cemetery, 1122 Sunrise Beach Road, Crownsville, Maryland 21032.

MEBA SCHOOL RELEASES 2007 COURSE SCHEDULE
The Calhoon MEBA Engineering School has released its 2007 course schedule. New in 2007 is a two-week Structural Welding course that is condensed from the standard four-week CMES welding program and emphasizes only the SMAW (manual stick welding) process. In addition, the Government Vessel Operations course has been approved by MSC as an acceptable alternative for their CMEO course. As a result of higher demand, the Small Arms and Marine Electric Propulsion / High Voltage Safety courses will have more offerings.

Course applications will be accepted via the School website (www.mebaschool.org) , U.S. mail, or fax (410) 822-7220 However, any applications should be sent in NO EARLIER THAN TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2005. Applications may be obtained at the website, MEBA Union halls, or by calling Registrar Shirley Shelton at (410) 822-9600, ext. 100.

WEST COAST HALLS CLOSED WEDNESDAY FOR "BLOODY THURSDAY"
MEBA Union halls on the West Coast will be closed on Wednesday to honor Bloody Thursday which falls on July 5th each year.

Bloody Thursday commemorates the 1934 labor action in San Francisco that climaxed in street fighting, clashes with police and bloodshed. That year, labor giant Harry Bridges led longshoremen on a two-month strike in their quest for better pay, as well as job protections. When strikebreakers began moving cargo off the docks, two days of ferocious street battles erupted as torrents of policemen were sent in to neutralize strikers. Hundreds were clubbed, hit with stones, tear-gassed and beaten and three longshoremen were killed as the riots came to a bloody end on July 5, 1934. Martial law was soon put into effect on the waterfront.

The San Francisco Labor Council soon upped the ante and called for a general strike that shut down the city for three days. The shipowners finally backed down and following federal arbitration, the longshore union (which would become the ILWU) won a coastwide contract, a union hiring hall, and key upgrades to their wages and conditions. Bloody Thursday laid the foundation for the rights that unions still enjoy today.

NEXT REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Please observe next week's meeting schedule carefully. Dates have been shifted to accommodate Independence Day as well as "Bloody Thursday."

Monday, July 3 - Boston, San Francisco, Seattle;
Wednesday, July 5 - Baltimore, Charleston, Houston, New Orleans;
Thursday, July 6 - Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New York, Norfolk,  Portland, Tampa;
Friday, July 7 - Honolulu.

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