In this issue...
Nomination Period ends -- candidates announced next week...Jobs with APL...Former 333 members may have money coming... Employee Free Choice Act news...We get our just desserts and treat you with a good humor newsletter sprinkled with a swirl of news and a maritime cherry on top. Don't go nuts over soft-serve, vanilla newsletters that give you brain freeze - we give those dairy queens a real licking! Giving you the scoop, we all scream for the tutti-frutti Telex Times Its the flavor of the month!

NOMINATION PERIOD IS CLOSED; CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE ELECTED; CANDIDATES FOR M.E.B.A. OFFICE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK
The nomination period for elected officials positions and national representatives in the 2007 District-wide election has officially come to a close. During the regular July membership meetings, a five-person rank and file Credentials Committee was elected. That group will assemble at M.E.B.A. Headquarters this Tuesday to authenticate the submitted nominations. According to the M.E.B.A. By-Laws, those members elected from New York, New Orleans and San Francisco will serve as members on the committee while alternates will join the committee from Baltimore and Houston. The elected members include: Ed Lee (New Orleans), Gregory Mansell (New York), Kevin Nichols (San Francisco), Dominic Walsh (Baltimore) and Carol Curtiss (Houston). Following completion of their work, the list of nominations will be published in the July 13 edition of the Telex Times. The report of the Credentials Committee 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 late August. That issue will also contain statements of the candidates as well as other key information relevant to the election. Ballots will be mailed to the membership on September 1 and members will have until late November to fill out the ballots and mail them to a depository in Washington D.C. where they will be collected by an Impartial Administrator and an elected Tally committee in early December.

Following the publication of the list candidates in next weeks issue, the M.E.B.A. Marine Officer and Telex Times publications will revert to the M.E.B.A. election season format that meets and far exceeds regulations stipulated by Section 401(g) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin"), 29 U.S.C. 481(g). At that point, the publications will refer to candidates for M.E.B.A. office only by position and not by name until the ballots have been tabulated on December 3, 2007.

APL C10 VESSELS TRANSITION TO NEW SERVICE; ENGINEERS NEEDED
APL Maritime will deploy three C10 class diesel containerships from the West Coast to East Coast to join the M/V PRESIDENT ADAMS in a new Suez Express Service. Vessels will transit eastbound through the Suez Canal stopping at a Middle Eastern port, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka (the exact schedule is being finalized by APL) before returning to several U.S. East Coast ports. Permanents, both Chiefs and 1st A/Es are needed. Engineers interested in being considered for employment aboard these vessels please provide résumé and work experience to the following address:

APL Maritime Ltd. - Human Resource Committee
Attn: Flossie Ruggiano, Crewing Manager
1111 Broadway, 2nd Floor
Oakland, CA 94607

MEMBERS, APPLICANTS FORMERLY AFFILIATED WITH LOCAL 333 MAY HAVE UNCLAIMED BENEFITS
M.E.B.A. members or applicants formerly associated with the United Marine Division, Local 333 of the International Longshoremen's Association may be entitled to certain benefits.

Local 333 represents unlicensed mariners working aboard a variety of vessels in New York Harbor. If you are a former member of Local 333 before you joined the M.E.B.A., you should contact our New York Representative, Joe Martucci, to see if you are owed annuity benefits. You can reach him at the New York/New Jersey hall at (201) 433-7700 or drop him an e-mail at jmartucci@d1meba.org.

H.R. 800 EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT
On Tuesday, June 26, 2007 Senate Republicans blocked the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) for the foreseeable future. Every Republican in the Senate except Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania voted against the cloture motion to end debate and allow the Senate to vote up or down on the EFCA. With Sen. Specters vote and full support from Democratic senators (save Tim Johnson of South Dakota who is recovering from an aneurism) there were 51 votes for the cloture motion on EFCA -- a majority but still short of the 60 votes needed.

EFCA would amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations and to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing drives. According to the AFL-CIO more than half of U.S. workers -- 60 million say they would join a union right now if they could, but last year alone more than 31,000 workers had their union rights violated by their employer. Twenty-two of the Republican Senators who voted against EFCA will be up for reelection in 2008.

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE TO PROBE CHARGES AGAINST USCG ADMINISTRATIVE COURT SYSTEM
Congress will investigate charges made that the judicial system is weighed against U.S. merchant mariners in favor of the Coast Guard in cases heard before administrative law judges. In a June 24, 2007 article, Baltimore Sun reporter Robert Little interviewed numerous  sources alleging that the U.S. Coast Guard administrative court system isnt merely tough on mariners but is stacked against them. The article detailed potential ethical breaches and possible violations of federal laws.

The Sun investigation made note of sworn statements from a judge who claimed that she was told to always rule in the Coast Guards favor. Littles article noted that the Coast Guard prevails or accepts a settlement 97 percent of the time far beyond the average for federal agencies.

Aides to Coast Guard Subcommittee Chair Elijah Cummings (D-MD) said last week that these charges in his hometown newspaper are a top priority for him. Cummings has called for a hearing to explore possible improprieties.

HELP GULF COAST PORTS HONOR AL CASTRO
The Houston and New Orleans Union halls passed the hat at the July membership meetings to help honor the memory of Al Castro, our former Representative in Corpus Christi who died last week. They hope to collect enough to buy a bench in honor of Al at the Merchant Marine Memorial on Calhoon School grounds. In order to meet that goal, they ask that members and retirees aid their effort. Al was a longtime member before he put in many years serving as an official. You can contact our Dispatcher at the Houston Hall, Erin Bertram, to help out on this tribute.

PURCHASE BENCHES & BRICKS FOR MEMORIAL PARK AT SCHOOL
The M.E.B.A. Merchant Marine Memorial Foundation (4MF) is looking for those people who would like to provide a suitable tribute for departed mariners at the Memorial Park located at the Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School. A memorial bench would be a lasting honor and a wonderful mark of respect to a loved one. A bench is a perfect vantage point to gaze around the park and reflect upon the contributions of mariners who have sailed into the sunset. Memorial bricks are also available. Engraved with the names of mariners, they are part of the retreat at the Park. The next order of bricks will be placed on August 20, 2007. Anyone wishing to purchase a brick must complete and return a donation form and monies prior to this date. You can purchase yours by contacting Jessica Milligan at (410) 822-9600 ext. 306. The e-mail address is memorial@mebaschool.org.  You can also get a donation form from the Schools website located at www.mebaschool.org and by clicking on What's New.

MARAD LIFTS SUSPENSION ON SCRAPPING BEAUMONT GHOST SHIPS
The federal government will soon resume the disposal of ships from the Beaumont Reserve Fleet, the Maritime Administration announced this week. A decision by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality opened the way for the federal action with its decision to permit hull cleaning of ships at the Beaumont Reserve Fleet.

Federal rules require MarAd to clean the hulls of ships prior to transport for disposal. Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton had suspended ship disposal activity at the three National Defense Reserve Fleet sites in Texas, Virginia, and California until agreement could be reached between state and federal officials on a process to clear and ultimately remove the vessels. An agreement with Virginia was reached earlier this year.

The State of Texas has made an important decision, one that makes the best environmental and economic sense for Texas and the nation, said Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton. Connaughton said his agency will resume the process of bidding on ship disposal contracts immediately.

NEXT REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday August 6 - Boston, Seattle;
Tuesday, August 7 - Baltimore, Houston, Jacksonville, San Francisco;
Wednesday, August 8 - Calhoon School, Charleston, New Orleans, Portland;
Thursday, August 9 - L.A., New York, Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, August 10 - Honolulu.