In this issue...
Deal for additional work on Great Lakes...Credentials Committee elected next week...Chenega extension...Yahtzee! In our weekly Operation, we Scrabble together a Mastermind issue of Perfection that will Clue you into a Twister of industry items. Sorry! -- But it's a Risk to roll the dice on the Balderdash in Taboo newsletters. Take a spin on a maritime Trivial Pursuit with our Brainteaser travel edition that will Boggle the Cranium. With a Monopoly on the news you need, the Telex Times is the name of the game!

M.E.B.A. ARRANGEMENT ON ADDITIONAL GREAT LAKES JOBS
M.E.B.A. President Ron Davis reached an agreement with Grand River Navigation (GRN) on a new contract that will go into effect July 1, 2007 and run through March 31, 2011. GRN is a Masters, Mates and Pilots (MM&P) contracted company that operates dry bulk carriers on the Great Lakes. When MM&P is unable to supply licensed engineers, M.E.B.A. will refer engineers to GRN through a referral agreement. This agreement differs from other pass-through arrangements in place between M.E.B.A. and MM&P in that although M.E.B.A. engineers will work under the same wage rates and working conditions that exist in the MM&P agreement, the contributions into the M.E.B.A. benefit plans are negotiated between M.E.B.A. and the Company.

Grand River Navigation owns/operates three bulk vessels Calumet, Manistee, Maumee and the articulated tug Invincible mated to the barge McKee Sons. The new Agreement, in addition to providing increased contributions to both the medical and training plan, provides for additional contributions to the Joint Employment Committee (JEC) and allows M.E.B.A. engineers to participate in the M.E.B.A. 401(k) plan with this employer. The Agreement was sent to the Union halls this week.

FORMER M.E.B.A. REP. AL CASTRO MAKES FINAL VOYAGE
Al Castro, a longtime M.E.B.A. member who also served as Representative at our office in Corpus Christi died yesterday in New Orleans at the age of 77.

Al shipped out with the M.E.B.A. for 30 years and was sailing as Chief Engineer at the time of his retirement in 1992. He later took over for Walter Beale at the Corpus Christi hall where he served for five years. Al stepped down from the post in 2005 for family reasons. Boby Lewis took over at the hall and later helped keep Brother Castro's spirits up after Al suffered a stroke last year.

Survivors include Al's sister Frances Medley and Al's brother Lou who also sailed as an engineer for years. A service has not yet been scheduled. You can contact the Houston Union hall for additional details.

MEMBERS WILL ELECT CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE AT JULY MEETINGS
A rank and file Credentials Committee, made up of five members in good standing will be elected at the regular July membership meetings next week. The Committee will go into session at M.E.B.A. Headquarters on Tuesday, July 10 at 9 a.m. and spend up to two days authenticating the qualifications of nominees for candidacy in the 2007 District No. 1-PCD M.E.B.A. election. According to the M.E.B.A. By-Laws, members of the Credentials Committee, including alternates, will be elected at five Union halls during the meetings. No officer or candidate for office or job is eligible for this committee. One member each will be elected at the meetings in New York, New Orleans and San Francisco. Alternates will be elected at the meetings in Baltimore and Houston.

Travel to D.C. will be arranged by Headquarters. The elected member should call Ann Holmes at Headquarters at (202) 638-5355 ext. 1658 immediately to discuss arrangements. Following completion of their work, the committee's report and the materials of the candidates will appear in a special election edition of the Marine Officer that will be mailed out to members, applicants and retirees in August. Union halls will also have a copy of the report and it will be published in the July 13 edition of the Telex Times.

ROLL-OVER KEEPS CHENEGA COVERED WHILE NEW DEAL GETS WORKED OUT
Executive V.P. Bud Jacque headed up a negotiating team that came to an agreement with the state of Alaska to keep our members covered aboard the high speed ferry Chenega while a longer term deal gets worked out. The Alaska Marine Highway System vessel is moving its homeport from Ketchikan to Cordova. The one year roll-over will allow negotiators more time to craft a new pact as new Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her administration gets acclimated. M.E.B.A. secured wage and wage-related increases and other gains for our members on the vessel in the meantime and are already setting up for September negotiations for a new three-year agreement. Bud was joined by Gulf Coast V.P. John McCurdy, Seattle Branch Agent Karol Kingery, San Francisco Patrolman Ed MacCormack and Juneau Representative Ben Goldrich on the bargaining team that arranged the one-year agreement. A number of rank and file members took part in the talks including Bob Seidman, Doug Wickre, David Barnes, "Tiny" Olson, Eric Downer, Jeff Donohue, Wayne Wilson and Gary Gilliland. AMHS members unanimously ratified the one-year roll-over.

NOTICE ON JULY MEETINGS & WEDNESDAY HOLIDAY
Many of next week's regular membership meetings have been shifted to alternate days due to the July 4 holiday which falls on Wednesday and Bloody Thursday, recognized by West Coast ports, which falls on Thursday. As a result, the Portland, Charleston, New Orleans and L.A. halls will hold meetings on alternate days. Check the meeting schedule that appears later in this issue.

M.E.B.A. halls and offices will obviously be closed for the July 4th holiday and West Coast ports will be shuttered again the following day for Bloody Thursday.

Bloody Thursday commemorates the longshoremen labor action led by Harry Bridges in San Francisco that culminated in street fighting and clashes with police. Hundreds were injured and three killed in the riots that came to a head on July 5, 1934. Following a general strike and federal intervention, the longshoremen won a coastwide contract, a union hiring hall, and various improvements to their wages and conditions.

M.E.B.A. would also like to extend our appreciation and thanks to the men and women in the Armed Forces, past and present, who have helped preserve this country's freedom. Many of our members, their friends and family have helped keep the Stars and Stripes waving proudly and continue to do so. Of course, the Fourth Arm of Defense - the Merchant Marine - should also again be commended for their integral role in keeping this country afloat as Uncle Sam turns 231.

COAST GUARD BILL REPORTED IN HOUSE
The Coast Guard Authorization bill for 2007 was introduced this week. In short order, the bill was approved by the subcommittee on Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation on Tuesday and was okayed by the full Transportation & Infrastructure committee by the end of the week. The bill contains a number of provisions that M.E.B.A. is actively tracking including sections on Transportation Worker Identification Credentials/Merchant Mariner Credentials, ballast water management, LNG and merchant mariner medical requirements. The Union will continue to work with the T&I Committee on the bill before its anticipated floor vote later in July.

DAUGHTER OF MEMBER WINS UNION PLUS SCHOLARSHIP MONEY
The daughter of M.E.B.A. member Joseph Ruch has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship courtesy of the AFL-CIO's Union Plus. 103 award winners were selected from a pool of 5,500 applicants based on academic ability, character, leadership and appreciation of labor.

Grace Ruch of Port Huron, MI said that her father "is part of a proud tradition that connects the steel and manufacturing industries of the Midwest. Some of my fondest memories are of my father coming home on shore leave, and going with him on his trips to the union headquarters. These visits made the union seem even more like part of our family. As I grew older I came to understand the important role the organization plays in protecting and fighting for the rights of the sailors, just as the parents of many of my classmates were aided by their own unions. To me, the freedom of union membership is a right of the same importance as those outlined by the founding fathers."

For her part, Grace would like to help shape our nation just as those founding fathers did. "I aspire to hold the position of U.S. senator," she says. "I feel it is important to take up the fight for the working class in my own lifetime."

Applications for next year's awards will be available in September 2007. To download the application at that time, visit www.UnionPlus.org/Scholarships. Applicants could also send a postcard with their name, return address, telephone number and international union name to: Union Plus Education Foundation, c/o Union Privilege, P.O. Box 34800, Washington, DC 20043-4800. The application deadline is January 31, 2008. Recipients of scholarships will be announced May 31, 2008. Due to the high volume of applications, only winners will receive notification.

SUPPORT FOR STRICTER SHIP EMISSION STANDARDS
Federal partners and the World Shipping Council have announced their support of a U.S. proposal to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) seeking more stringent emission limits for oceangoing ships. "The U.S. proposal would reduce harmful ship emissions, while ensuring the efficiency of marine transportation worldwide," said Bob Meyers, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "The World Shipping Council's support makes it an industry leader in working to provide clean air to people who live, work and play in or near the world's coasts and waterways."

The U.S. proposal, submitted to IMO earlier this year, is a series of amendments to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). The proposal would dramatically reduce air pollution from ships by establishing a new tier of performance-based standards for marine diesel engines on all vessels. It will also establish stringent emission requirements for ships that operate in coastal areas where air quality problems are acute.

EARLY RETURN RULES
At their June 2007 meeting, the Board of Trustees of the M.E.B.A. Vacation Plan determined that because of a shortage of personnel that a return to work prior to the end of a vacation period will not constitute an early return for which the early return days must be made up. This change to the Vacation Plan Rules and Regulations is effective July 1, 2007. As a result of this determination by the Trustees:

1. During this emergency, the Officer can choose whether or not he/she wants to make up the early return. A form letter to be used during this period can be obtained from the M.E.B.A. Plans Office. Please note that the Officer must choose whether or not to make up the early return days and the election at the bottom of the form must be signed by the Officer.

2. If the officer chooses not to make up the days, pension credits will be handled under the existing rules:

a. Only one (1) day of credit will be given for overlapping days of employment and vacation.

b. If needed, overlapping vacation wages will be used to make up the 3-year (or 5-year) period for high three (or five) years of wages.

3. The Officer's election whether or not to make up the days must be made no later than when the Officer next files for vacation. Vacation days and wages will be credited as always.

If you have any questions, please contact the M.E.B.A. Plans Office in Baltimore.

ONE MORE WEEK FOR T-SHIRT IDEAS
We are allowing one more week for members and retirees to forward their ideas to us for cool looking M.E.B.A. T-shirts. Some good suggestions were sent to us this week but we'd like to receive a few more in case members need a little more time to brainstorm.

If you have a zippy phrase fit for an M.E.B.A. shirt or a design in mind - let us know. Whoever comes up with the winning design or T-shirt text will receive at least five of the shirts in sizes of their choice. You can e-mail Marco (editor@d1meba.org)  with your suggestions.

NEXT REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday July 2 - Boston, Seattle;
Tuesday, July 3 - Baltimore, Houston, Jacksonville, Portland; San Francisco;
Thursday, July 5 - Charleston, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, July 6 - Honolulu, L.A.