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

MEBA TELEX TIMES               OCTOBER 06, 2006

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 40

In this issue...
Hapag-Lloyd to trade in newer MSP ships...Safeport, Defense bills clear conferences...Peters confirmed for DOT...Paper or plastic? We stock up on a grocery list of top shelf MEBA items for those in the market for news. Cart away an aisle-full of double-bagged maritime goods in store for you. Clip and save! Just hop in the express line and check-out a guaranteed fresh Telex Times. It's your one-stop shop!

HAPAG-LLOYD TO TRADE OUT OLDER MSP VESSELS IN MTL FLEET
Age restrictions on vessels sailing under Maritime Security Program vessels are prompting Hapag-Lloyd to trade out two MEBA-crewed vessels for newer ships currently sailing in the company's international fleet. Hapag-Lloyd has scheduled a re-flagging ceremony for the ST. LOUIS EXPRESS, a ship which has been sailing under the name CP YELLOWSTONE. It will assume the MSP chit currently held by the CP DISCOVERER. The MEBA permanent crew aboard the DISCOVERER is expected to board the (soon-to-be-renamed) ST. LOUIS EXPRESS in Brazil and sail the vessel to Houston. The rotary crew on the ship will be crewed off the board at the Houston hall. The renaming and reflagging ceremony is set for Oct. 23. The vessel is managed by MEBA-contracted Marine Personnel and Provisioning, also known as MTL. The ST. LOUIS EXPRESS is the sister ship of the PHILADELPHIA EXPRESS, another vessel in the MEBA/MTL fleet, both Charleston Express Class vessels. The 40,478 dwt vessels were constructed in 2003, can reach a top speed of 21.6 knots and are capable of carrying up to 3237 TEUs.

Under a similar arrangement, Hapag-Lloyd plans to remove another MSP vessel in its U.S. fleet, the CP LIBERATOR, and flag-in a newer ship. The name of the newer vessel had not been announced at press time but the changeover is expected to take place sometime in early November.

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE HASHES OUT SAFEPORT BILL
After a hectic conference between the House and the Senate, work was wrapped up on the Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of 2006 (SAFE Port Act) late on September 29th. The bill provides for a wide-raging array of programs and funding for port security, and included a number of provisions that were recommended to Congress by MEBA in regard to merchant mariner credentialing and the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).

The following recommendations made by MEBA President Ron Davis were adopted by the conference committee:

• The bill requires TSA and the Coast Guard to concurrently process applications for a TWIC and merchant mariner documents. This addresses a concern of the unions that the addition of the TWIC would lengthen the amount of time needed to get all of the requisite documents (both original and renewal) and would place an additional burden on the seafarer.
   
• The bill also ensures that any costs associated with the TWIC for merchant mariners are strictly for the actual card itself, not for the background check. This should significantly reduce the cost of the TWIC for merchant mariners who have completed background checks for their merchant mariner documents.
   
• The bill requires that all TWICs be issued to mariners holding valid merchant mariner documents on the date of enactment by January 1, 2009.
   
• The bill includes a provision that requires a study by the Government Accountability Office once the TSA has issued their final rule on TWIC implementation to ensure that the background check process for merchant mariners is not redundant.
   
• The bill sets a deadline for the issuance of a final regulation governing the TWIC program from the Coast Guard and TSA by January 1, 2007.

Overall, the conference report authorizes $400 million per year from 2007 through 2011 for port security grants, and includes $443 million for the container security initiative. It also requires the 22 largest ports to scan all incoming containers for nuclear and radiological weapons prior to January 1, 2008.

This represents a major win for maritime labor and the MEBA. MEBA has been working with DHS, the Coast Guard and Congress for over three years in the development and implementation of the TWIC for merchant mariners, and all of the mariner related measures included in this bill were driven by recommendations made by MEBA and maritime labor.

DEFENSE BILL CLEARS CONFERENCE
House and Senate conferees resolved their differences and agreed to a final conference report on HR 5122, the National Defense Authorization bill for 2007. Included in the $532.8 billion bill are a variety of maritime provisions, including the annual Maritime Administration Authorization.

Of the maritime provisions included in the Defense Authorization was a measure that would require the Secretary of Defense to establish acquisition guidelines. These guidelines would add a required criteria in the application process for the carriage of DoD cargo with US ship operators in the domestic and non-contiguous trades to repair their vessels in American shipyards as opposed to having the work done abroad. It also requires the Department of Defense to provide an annual report on the use of foreign shipyards by operators carrying DoD cargo.

The bill reauthorized the Maritime Administration, and increased its authorized funding level to $180 million. It also added a provision that would grant preference for the redistribution of slots in the Maritime Security Fleet Program (MSP) to Section 2 US citizen operators, and only allow the transfer of a slot to a non-Section 2 citizen operator in the event that there are no interested Section 2 operators with qualifying vessels available.

The legislation restricts the repair of Military Sealift Command and Ready Reserve Force vessels to US and US-territorial shipyards.

As has been previously reported in the Telex Times, MEBA has been working with Congressman Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) to ensure that prior to the Navy retiring any further vessels from the Ready Reserve Force, they review their sealift needs to ensure that those cuts will not have a negative impact on national security and defense sealift.

Included in the House version of HR 5122 was language that would have required a formal study to be completed before the RRF could be reduced below a level of 58 vessels. This language resulted in a number of discussions between maritime labor and USTRANSCOM, where our concerns regarding sealift capability were heard. As a result of the language included in the House passed bill, both MARAD and TRANSCOM are actively exploring a number of programs with the potential for new jobs.

The final version of the Defense Authorization included the following report language in leiu of the original Abercrombie amendment: "The conferees request that the U.S. Transportation Command advise the congressional defense committees prior to further reductions to the Ready Reserve Force and include plans for providing capacity to meet related readiness requirements."

PETERS CONFIRMED FOR DOT POST
Mary E. Peters was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and has been sworn in as the new Secretary of Transportation replacing Norman Mineta who retired some months ago. Peters has spent her career working on transportation issues in the private and public sectors, including leading both federal and state transportation agencies. She reportedly intends to tackle pressing challenges including fighting congestion across all modes of transportation, improving safety and addressing strains on traditional sources of transportation funding. Peters formerly led the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) from 2001 to 2005.

CONTINUED REMINDER ON OILY WATER AND RECORD BOOKS
All Officers are again reminded to make sure they are in compliance with all rules and regulations with respect to pumping of oily water and slops.

Officers must make sure they continue to keep accurate records in all Official Log Books including the Oil Record Book. All machinery that has the capacity to pump bilges and oily slops must be operating properly, including the oily water separator.

GREAT LAKES GROUP LAUDS OBERSTAR
Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-MN) has received the "Iron Man Award" from the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force. The award recognizes Rep. Oberstar's long commitment to healthy iron mining, steel and Great Lakes shipping industries.

"Since being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974, Congressman James L. Oberstar has promoted and protected America's iron mining, steel producing and Great Lakes shipping industries like none before him," said James H. I. Weakley, President of Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF), a broad-based labor/management coalition promoting shipping on the Great Lake and related industries. "Whenever an issue affects these vital industries, you can be certain that Congressman Oberstar will play a leading role in reaching a positive conclusion." MEBA, which represents Interlake Steamship Co., is part of the GLMTF.

"I am truly honored to receive this award," said the Congressman. "I consider every day I serve in the House as a privilege that bears great responsibility. While much has been accomplished to keep Great Lakes shipping safe and efficient, we face new challenges, in particular, restoring adequate funding for dredging Great Lakes ports and waterways. It is incomprehensible to me that the ships that depart our Minnesota harbors cannot carry full loads of iron ore and low-sulfur coal because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does not get enough money to maintain the system. This waterway is too important a part of the national transportation infrastructure to be treated like a poor relation. In the next Congress, I will do everything in my power to bring our fair share of Federal dredging dollars back to the Great Lakes."

NEXT REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday November 6 - Boston, San Francisco, Seattle;
Tuesday, November 7 - Baltimore, Houston, Jacksonville;
Wednesday, November 8 - Calhoon MEBA School, Charleston, New Orleans, Portland;
Thursday, November 9 - Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Norfolk, Tampa.
 

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