In this issue...
T-AGS jobs...Port engineer position...Mariner workforce hearing... TWIC news...On an Arctic news expedition, we break the ice and bundle up with a northbound, deep-freeze edition. Don't get snowed under by frigid weekly newsletters that leave you out in the cold. They're our polar opposites! Chill out as we go to the end of the earth to plant our maritime flag in a smooth sledding issue of glacial proportions. The Telex Times is on top of the world!

GOOD T-AGS JOBS AVAILABLE NOW FOR ACTIVE & RETIRED MEMBERS!
M.E.B.A. members and retirees have excellent opportunities to sail in the Horizon Lines T-AGS fleet. These are good jobs aboard Military Sealift Command Oceanographic Survey vessels. A couple of 1st Assistant Engineer jobs are available immediately.

Several Chief Engineers who are filing for retirement will create an additional need for Chiefs in the very near future. This is your chance! Retirees will also have a shot at these jobs!

Active and retired M.E.B.A. deck officers with a current license should get in contact with our Norfolk Representative and take advantage of this great opportunity! Call him at (757) 440-1820.

APL PORT ENGINEER NEEDED IN OAKLAND
There is an immediate opening for an M.E.B.A. technical superintendent (Port Engineer) in the Oakland, CA area with American President Lines. APL needs someone to schedule and coordinate vessel repair and maintenance for APL C11 class container ships. The company would prefer an applicant with Chief Engineer experience and/or port engineer experience.

A complete listing of job duties and other details can be obtained from M.E.B.A. officials in the Oakland Union hall. Those interested in the position can forward their resume to APL's Liner Technical Manager Frank Angelacci. He is located at 1111 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607; Phone: (510) 272-7926; Cell: (925) 766-5447; Email: Frank_Angelacci@aplmaritime.com 

COAST GUARD SUBCOMMITTEE HEARS TESTIMONY ON MARINER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE ISSUES
On Wednesday, October 17th, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee's Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee conducted a hearing on issues affecting the mariner workforce. The hearing covered topics related to education and training, STCW and other government regulations, and the problems raised by the diminishing number of merchant mariners. The subcommittee heard testimony from a wide array of industry and labor representatives.

M.E.B.A. worked with the rest of maritime labor to develop testimony for the record. Maritime labor had two representatives who spoke at the hearing - SIU Executive Vice President Augie Tellez for the unlicensed, and Mike Rodriguez of the MM&P representing licensed officers. Other witnesses included Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton and Coast Guard Rear Admiral Joel Whitehead.

M.E.B.A., along with the rest of maritime labor, is increasingly concerned with the criminalization of mariner conduct, increased training burdens placed on mariners, and the difficulties presented by overregulation of the industry. All of these issues were addressed at the hearing, along with labor's concerns regarding the Coast Guard's review of medical policy, and the struggles with the implementation of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. The testimony from the hearing is available on the Transportation Committee's website at http://www.house.gov/transportation.

MAILING LIST SET UP FOR NMC/LICENSING INFO
The U.S. Coast Guard has established a mailing list for persons interested in keeping up to date on developments at the National Maritime Center (NMC) and/or developments relating to U.S. merchant mariner licensing and documentation (MLD). Log onto the Web and visit http://cgls.uscg.mil/groups.php?ID=10. You will be asked to select the list(s) of interest, provide your e-mail address, and select a password.

CORPUS CHRISTI TWIC ENROLLMENT STARTS NEXT WEEK
On Nov. 1, port workers, longshoremen, truckers and others at the port of Corpus Christi, Texas will begin to enroll in the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. The program ensures that any individual who has unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities and vessels has received a thorough background check and is not a security threat.

Corpus Christi will be the second port in the country to begin enrollment and follows the Port of Wilmington, Del., which started on Oct. 16, 2007. Ten other ports will follow throughout the month of November as the nationwide program quickly expands to vet more than one million workers through the rest of 2007 and 2008.

Workers at the port of Corpus Christi can already begin to pre-enroll for TWIC. A link to the pre-enrollment Web site is available on the TSA website (www.tsa.gov). Pre-enrolling online speeds up the process by allowing workers to provide biographic information and schedule a time to complete the application process in person. This eliminates waiting at enrollment centers and reduces the time it takes to enroll each individual. More information on the TWIC program is available at www.tsa.gov and more information on port security is available at the U.S. Coast Guard's Homeport site at http://homeport.uscg.mil by clicking on the Maritime Security link.

MARAD's "WOMEN ON THE WATER" CONFERENCE IS A SUCCESS
The Maritime Administration and the Great Lakes Maritime Academy co-hosted the first annual "Women on the Water" conference in Traverse City, Mich., Oct. 18-20. The first-ever event brought together professional women in the maritime industry with female maritime cadets. The three-day conference served as forum to discuss some of the issues facing the maritime industry and, in particular, the role of women in that industry. The gathering also served as a networking opportunity for female cadets as well as for professional women within the maritime industry.

During the conference several of the panelists highlighted their individual areas of business and personal experiences hoping to encourage some of the cadets to seek employment opportunities with their respective companies.

Conference guests and panelists shared industry experiences and provided the cadets with insight and recommendations about becoming successful in an industry that is predominately staffed by men. The distinguished panel of successful women from the maritime industry included MarAd Deputy Administrator Julie Nelson, maritime advocate Gloria Tosi, congressional staffer Dabney Hegg and Capt. Deborah Dempsey who is the first woman to command a cargo ship on an international voyage.

Next year's "Women on the Water" conference is set for Galveston, Texas, Oct. 31-Nov. 01, 2008.

UNION PLUS HOTLINE FOR UNION HOMEOWNERS FACING MORTGAGE PROBLEMS
Responding to the urgent need for mortgage education and advice in a turbulent market, Union Plus is launching a homeowner education program that includes a Save My Home Hotline to help union members facing mortgage payment problems.

The AFL-CIO's Union Plus benefits program uses the combined buying power of America's union members to obtain top-quality goods and services at competitive prices.

A new national survey reveals that half of homeowners with ARMs admit they have no idea how their Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) resets, and nearly three-quarters do not know how much their monthly mortgage payments will increase when they do. The survey reveals that ARM holders are generally not concerned about mortgage payments until their rates reset. Then anxiety sets in as they realize their payments have risen substantially. Some 2.5 million homeowners will be facing the shock of higher payments when their ARMs reset before the end of the year.

Union Plus is stepping up with several initiatives to help homeowners and prospective homebuyers understand mortgages and how to take steps to protect themselves from foreclosure and financial ruin. The Union Plus Save My Home Hotline at 1-866-490-5361 will provide free, confidential advice from HUD-certified housing counselors. Face-to-face counseling is available at more than 100 local offices in 22 states and the District of Columbia.

Hotline counselors will help members to establish a budget, set financial priorities and explain all the strategies available to help them keep their home. Homeowners will receive a written "Homekeeper Action Plan" to follow. In addition, Union Plus Mortgage will offer a mortgage education program that includes an annual "Mortgage Checkup" to make sure that the mortgage that they hold is still in their best interest. To help members keep their home secure, the Mortgage Assistance Program helps Union Plus mortgage holders with interest free loans to pay their mortgages if they face financial hardship due to disability, strike, lockout or layoff. The program, the only one of its kind in the nation, has provided more than $3 million in mortgage assistance. Members can call 1-800-848-6466 for more information about Union Plus Mortgage.

For more information about the Union Plus Save My Home Hotline members can go to UnionPlus.org/SaveMyHome  or speak to a counselor directly by calling 1-866-490-5361 24-hours-a-day toll-free.

LOST SOME TOOLS? FEDEX FOUND THEM...
Federal Express has notified M.E.B.A. Headquarters that they have found a duffel bag with some tools in them, most likely belonging to an M.E.B.A. member. The shipper information was absent creating a mystery but a general M.E.B.A. business card pointed the way to us. If you lost the bag or know who did, please call or e-mail Marco, the M.E.B.A. Editor, and let him know. Provide some details so we know you are the owner. Call him at (202) 624-1668 or drop him an e-mail to editor@d1meba.org.

WHAT?!? YOU DON'T HAVE A BALLOT!?!
Members in good standing who have not yet received a ballot and want to vote in the upcoming District election still have time. Ballots for the District election were mailed to members' homes on Saturday, September 1. If you did not receive a ballot or if yours was lost or destroyed you need to contact the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and request a ballot in writing from: Kenneth Egger, American Arbitration Association, 230 South Broad Street, Floor 12, Philadelphia, PA 19102-4199. Phone No.: (800) 273-0726; Fax No.: (215) 985-0977, E-mail: eggerk@adr.org.  If the original ballot and duplicate ballot are both cast, neither will count. Address clarifications should also be forwarded to Headquarters and to the Plans Office.

Members have until November 30th to fill out their ballots and return them to a depository in Washington D.C. They will be collected by the Impartial Administrator and an elected rank and file tallying committee on December 3, 2007 and tabulated.

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