In this issue...
MOLA input welcomed.Update your info...IMB reports piracy drop...You can still buy a memorial brick..Shoot the moon! We stack the deck with a full house of industry items flush with the latest news in spades. Don't get lost in the shuffle by following suit with misdealing newsletters. We call their bluff, put those jokers in the discard pile and trump them with a winning maritime hand. Holding all the cards, the Telex Times is your ace in the hole!

M.E.B.A. TAKING INPUT TO FINETUNE MOLA PACT
M.E.B.A. and the MM&P recently announced that the presidents of the two unions signed the Merchant Officers' Labor Alliance (MOLA). The agreement will be sent to the respective memberships for a 75-day ratification vote via mail ballot.

The MOLA spells out a number of goals that M.E.B.A. and MM&P would like to pursue together in the spirit of strengthening the fraternal relationship between our unions. It sets out a governing structure and a method of ratifying actions by a joint board of M.E.B.A. and MM&P officials. We believe the MOLA will benefit the memberships of both unions.

The agreement is available for review at all M.E.B.A. union halls. It is also posted on the M.E.B.A. Hot! site accessed from the main page at http://www.meba.us.

M.E.B.A. is soliciting comments on the document prior to it being sent out for the 75-day referendum. Your input can help fine-tune or enhance the effectiveness of this historic agreement.

Comments can be e-mailed to mola@d1meba.org or, in the alternative, faxed to the attention of Secretary-Treasurer Bill Van Loo, at (202) 638-5369.

Because the parties had originally sought a mid-February mail date for the referendum, we are asking that members expedite the delivery of their comments on the MOLA so that we have them in hand by Friday, Feb. 16, 2007.

This announcement will also appear in the MM&P's Wheelhouse Weekly.

UPDATING YOUR CONTACT INFO MADE SLIGHTLY EASIER
Active and retired members who have recently moved should remember to forward their new contact information to Headquarters. Those members who have not received mailings from Headquarters such as the Marine Officer or other important information may want to log onto our website to clarify their address. An important referendum will be mailed out to the membership within a month and there could be difficulty forwarding it to those members with outdated addresses.

The M.E.B.A. Plans office in Baltimore and Headquarters databases are NOT linked and information updated with Plans will not be represented on the Headquarters mailing list if HQ has not been informed of the address change. However, now a copy of the Union Update Form that you fill out online will not only be sent to HQ - it will also be forwarded to the Plans office database administrator so that you can "kill two birds with one stone."

It is the responsibility of members, applicants and retirees to inform M.E.B.A. of any change in your contact information. We have facilitated the process with our easy update form sheet accessed online. Just visit our website at http://www.meba.us , go to the "Members Only" tab and hit the "Members Update" link that will lead you to the "Union Update Form." You can go to it directly by CLICKING HERE

Simply post your contact information into the appropriate slots. When the form is complete, hit "submit" and the "Form Confirmation" screen will pop up indicating that your information has been successfully forwarded.

MEMBERS LOOKING FOR WORK WITH ARMADA MAY BENEFIT FROM A CORRECT E-MAIL ADDRESS
We didn't intentionally give you an incorrect e-mail address in a Telex article soliciting resumes for design engineer positions. But a non-working e-mail address printed in last week's issue help stymie members seeking employment through Armada Companies for work on U.S. Navy construction projects.

Members with naval architectural and new construction experience will be the strongest candidates for the job. Employment would be in the Hampton Roads, VA area. Interested members can send resumes to James Freeman at his actual e-mail address which is James.Freeman@armadacompanies.com.

IMB REPORTS A DROP IN PIRACY
More reporting and greater awareness leading to increased government reaction is proving a successful strategy in the battle against piracy, says the International Maritime Bureau, an agency that monitors worldwide piracy. Attacks fell for the third year in a row according to the latest IMB annual report.

In 2006, there were 239 attacks on ships, compared to 276 in 2005 and 329 in 2004 says the annual report. This shows a systematic decline not witnessed at any time since IMB's Piracy Reporting Center began its analysis in 1991. This third consecutive fall in attacks has given birth to new optimism in the battle against piracy.

IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan said that "we have to keep up the pressure by encouraging more ships to report attacks, getting ever more accurate figures, and increasing awareness. The strategy is working and there are now signs the war against piracy can be won. We just have to keep doing what we have been doing," he adds.

Turning to the report for 2006, Captain Mukundan moved away from the headlines to some of the areas where he said there was still plenty of room for improvement and opportunities for the shipping industry and governments to make a difference. Urging continued action that could preserve the improved piracy situation in the Malacca Straits, he highlighted those areas of the world where a similar approach was needed. They include Indonesia, still the world's hottest piracy hotspot, Nigeria, Somalia, and the ports of Chittagong in Bangladesh and Santos in Brazil.

HELP HONOR FALLEN MARINERS WITH A MEMORIAL BRICK
The M.E.B.A. Merchant Marine Memorial Foundation will be placing the next order for memorial bricks on February 16, 2007. Anyone interested must complete and return a donation form and monies prior to this date. Please place your order now - donations are greatly needed for the maintenance of the park!!

For more information and to obtain the form please visit the School's website: http://www.mebaschool.org and click on. "What's New" or contact Jessica Milligan at (410) 822-9600 ext. 306 - email: memorial@mebaschool.org.

NEXT REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday February 5 - Boston, Seattle;
Tuesday, February 6 - Baltimore, Houston, Jacksonville, San Francisco;
Wednesday, February 7 - Calhoon M.E.B.A. School, Charleston, New Orleans, Portland;
Thursday, February 8 - Los Angeles, New York, Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, February 9 - Honolulu.