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

MEBA TELEX TIMES       DECEMBER 14, 2007

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 50

In this issue...
Help keep PVSA strong...Short Sea Shipping on Great Lakes... Latest TWIC Center openings...Ah so! Wok this way as we take you down to Chinatown and orient you with a gung-ho, imperial edition. Don't get Shanghai'd by lead-tainted, commie-leaning publications that make Chop Suey out of the news! We send them back to mama-san with a Great Wall of MSG-free industry items up the yin-yang. 1.3 billion people can't be wrong! Confucius say: an ancient Chinese secret - the Szechuan-style Telex Times is a maritime dynasty!

YOU CAN SUPPORT EFFORT TO KEEP PASSENGER VESSEL SERVICES ACT HONEST
M.E.B.A. is seeking member support for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposed interpretive ruling that guards the integrity of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. The Act prevents foreign-flagged vessels from transporting passengers directly between U.S. ports. In recent years, a bevy of foreign-flagged cruise ship lines have been defiling the PVSA by bringing passengers between the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii. The cruise lines instituted a quick stop at a Mexican port during the run which they believed would allow them to skirt the PVSA. However, Customs has issued a proposed interpretive ruling finding that this practice desecrates the PVSA and harms U.S. mariners serving in the Hawaiian coastwise trade. The agency has outlined a series of conditions that they say these foreign cruise lines should submit to as part of their West Coast-Hawaii itineraries that better serves the spirit of the law. Customs prescribes conditions such as longer port stops in Mexico and provisions for passengers to go ashore in the foreign port.

M.E.B.A. fully supports the Customs ruling and is asking members to urge Customs to immediately adopt the rule. A form letter has been sent to the M.E.B.A. Union halls and offices and was included in the December meeting packet. Please stop at your local Union hall to fill one out.

BILL CONTAINING GREAT LAKES SHORT SEA SHIPPING PROVISION NEARS CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL
An Energy bill containing a pro-maritime provision has met Senate approval and will next be put before the House for expected passage. H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is a $21 billion-plus bill aimed at providing greater energy independence and security. Section 1121 of the legislation provides for a new program to move cargo on the Great Lakes and along our sea coasts.

This Short Sea Transportation initiative would also help authorize loan guarantees of up to $2 billion to help marine operators and shippers construct a new class of cargo vessels suitable for short sea shipping. President Bush has announced that he will not veto the bill in its current form once put on his desk for his signature.

BUILDERS' LAWSUITS AGAINST M.E.B.A. TOSSED OUT BY JUDGE
As has been reported previously, M.E.B.A. is taking legal action against a number of individuals and companies involved in the demolition and renovation of the M.E.B.A. Oakland Hall. Some of those individuals and companies had filed cross-complaints against the M.E.B.A. This week, an Alameda County Superior Court judge dismissed those suits against the Union finding the allegations inconsistent and that certain necessary requirements were not met.

Last month there was a significant breakthrough in the case when one of the defendants admitted to breaching his fiduciary duty to the Union by acting against the interests of the M.E.B.A., and among other things, taking illicit profits at the expense of the Union; failing to adequately monitor the work performed to ensure that all work was performed correctly and competently; failing to disclose all relevant facts concerning the project to M.E.B.A.; and engaging in self-dealing. This same defendant also admitted to intentionally interfering with contractual relations by colluding with job site providers to prepare and submit false and fraudulent invoices to the Union. M.E.B.A.'s investigator has already turned up a number of instances of phony, forged and bogus bids.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Labor are continuing to investigate the Oakland Hall project for possible criminal and civil wrongdoing. M.E.B.A. fully supports these federal investigations while we pursue our litigation to seek justice and reclaim Members' monies.

LATEST SCHEDULE FOR TWIC ENROLLMENT CENTER OPENINGS
The Transportation Security Administration has put out its latest schedule for opening dates of Transportation Worker Identification Credential centers across the country.

Online pre-enrollment is helping to speed up the process for members needing a TWIC. You can get related information by visiting TSA's website at www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/twic/index.shtm.  Members can register online by creating a username and password which will allow you to pre-enroll. Once your information is entered online you need to schedule an appointment at one of the enrollment centers. This can be accomplished by calling the TWIC helpline at 866-347-8942.

It should be noted that the enrollment centers are still being established and there may not be one in your area at this time. Once your appointment has been scheduled, you will need to bring identification to the enrollment center and a form of payment. Your valid U.S. passport or MMD can be used for a single qualifying piece of identification.

The following centers have already been opened: Wilmington, DE; Corpus Christi, TX; Baton Rouge, LA; Tacoma, WA; Honolulu, HI; Oakland, CA; Beaumont, TX; Houston, TX; Providence, RI; Chicago, IL; Port Arthur, TX; Savannah, GA; Baltimore/Dundalk, MD; Minneapolis, MN; St. Paul, MN; Lake Charles, LA; Charleston, SC; Cleveland, OH; Detroit, MI; Port Fourchon, LA; Boston, MA; Brownsville, TX; Mobile, AL; Indiana Harbor, IN; Brunswick, GA; Long Beach, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Milwaukee, WI; Albany, NY; Philadelphia PA; Seattle, WA.

Tulsa, Oklahoma opens for TWIC enrollment today. Through the end of the year, the following locations join the list: December 20, 2007 - Joliet, IL; NY/NJ -Staten Island, NY; Peoria, IL; December 27, 2007 - Memphis, TN; NY/NJ- New York, NY; Wilmington, NC; December 28, 2007 - Buffalo, NY; Duluth-Superior, MN; Jacksonville, FL; New Orleans, LA; End of December 2007 - Hilo, HI; Kahului, Maui, HI; Kauai, HI; January 4, 2008 - NY/NJ - South Hackensack, NJ.

On January 4, 2008, South Hackensack, NJ will open. Beyond that, the list of locations that open their doors to TWIC enrollment between January and March 2008 include: American Samoa; Anacortes, WA; Ashtabula, OH; Bangor, ME; Bourne, MA; Cincinnati, OH; Everett, WA; Green Bay, WI; Guam; Gulfport, MS; Huntington, WV; International Falls, MN; Key West, FL; La Plata, MD; Lorain, OH; Louisville, KY; Marine City, MI; Miami, FL; Morehead City, NC; Muskegon, MI; Nashville, TN; New London, CT; Newport News, VA; Norfolk, VA; Ontonagon, MI; Oswego, NY; Palm Beach, FL; Panama City, FL; Pittsburgh, PA; Ponce, PR; Port Canaveral, FL; Port Everglades, FL; Portland, ME; Portland, OR; Richmond, CA; Saipan; Salisbury, MD; San Diego, CA; Sault Ste Marie, MI; S. Louisiana (La Place, LA); St. Ignace, MI; Tampa, FL; Texas City, TX; Toledo, OH; Traverse City, MI; Vicksburg, MS; Victoria, TX.

CALIFORNIA SENATORS REACT TO BUSAN SPILL WITH NEW LEGISLATION
California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein have introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at preventing oil spills like the one that resulted after the COSCO BUSAN struck a bridge piling on November 7th, spilling more than 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the San Francisco Bay.

The Boxer-Feinstein Maritime Emergency Prevention Act aims to improve the safety of ships in and around our nation's ports by strengthening the authority and the resources of the Coast Guard's Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). The co-sponsors hope this bill will ensure that the Coast Guard has the authority to order ships to change speed or course in an emergency or during hazardous conditions.

The measure also authorizes $20 million in funding for the Coast Guard to upgrade VTS technology, and would, where necessary, require pilots to have their own navigational laptop computers.

Boxer said, "If the Coast Guard VTS sees a ship like the COSCO BUSAN, headed in the wrong direction and traveling too fast, they should have the authority to intervene. We're talking about situations where seconds and minutes can make all of the difference in the world-there isn't time for second-guessing and ambiguity." Feinstein said, "This legislation makes it clear that the Coast Guard has the authority to intervene if a ship is in imminent danger or distress. Therefore, there is no doubt that the captain of a port can stop a ship in the event of an emergency."

Senators Boxer and Feinstein also introduced the Oil Spill Accountability Act, legislation designed to reduce the risk of oil spills and increase the incentive for making cargo ships safer. The Boxer-Feinstein legislation would raise the liability limits for cargo ships to the same level as oil tankers, providing new incentive to use double-hulled ships.

MARINE HOSE INDUSTRY BID RIGGING UNCOVERED
The Justice Department has brought down an independent consultant and two executives of a UK-based manufacturer of marine hose who conspired to rig bids, fix prices and allocate market shares of marine hose sold in the U.S. The consultant and two men who work for Dunlop Oil & Marine Ltd. pleaded guilty and have agreed to serve record-setting prison sentences. The plea agreements were filed this week in U.S. District Court in Houston.

As M.E.B.A. members well know, marine hose is a flexible rubber hose used to transfer oil between tankers and storage facilities. During the conspiracy, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of marine hose and related products were affected by the cartel worldwide. The victims of this conspiracy include companies involved in the off-shore extraction and/or transportation of petroleum products and the U.S. Department of Defense. Peter Whittle of PW Consulting (Oil & Marine) will serve 30 months in jail. The Dunlop officials were sentenced to 24 and 20 months in jail and all have been hit with substantial fines.

VACATION BENEFITS - 2007 YEAR END CLOSING
Apply for Vacation and Port Relief Benefits early to avoid the year-end rush.
- OUTPORTS: The deadline for issuing checks dated in 2007 in the Outport offices is Thursday, December 27, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

- BALTIMORE PLAN OFFICE: The deadline for issuing checks at the Plan Office in Baltimore is Thursday, December 27, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Any member who requires that his/her check be dated in 2007 must file before these deadlines. Remember, December 25, 2007 and January 1, 2008 are holidays and the outports and the Plan Office will be closed. It is always wise to plan ahead, so you may want to verify your specific outport holiday schedule with the plan office representative.

Split Your Vacation Payments Between 2007 and 2008 You can submit an Application for Vacation Pay prior to the end of the year and request that the payment of your vacation benefits be split. Two checks will be issued to you, one in 2007 and a second in 2008. The vacation benefits paid in this manner MUST be a continuous vacation period.

Please contact the Vacation Plan staff in Baltimore at 800-811-6322 or 410-547-9111 if you have any questions.

NEXT BRICK ORDER IS MONDAY
On Monday, the next order for memorial bricks for the M.E.B.A. Merchant Marine Memorial will be placed. Memorial bricks can be engraved with names of loved ones and are part of the retreat at the Merchant Marine Memorial Park located on School grounds in Easton, MD. The park is a tribute to fallen mariners.

The park is shaped like a 600-foot merchant vessel complete with 5-ton anchors, a ship's bell and a stern section with a six-bladed, 22-foot diameter bronze propeller. The Foundation just announced that it has named this "vessel" the SS MERCHANT MARINER.

You might also be interested in purchasing a memorial bench in honor of a departed 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. Anyone wishing to purchase a brick or bench must complete and return a donation form and monies before the next order date. Please continue to help the cause - donations are greatly needed for the maintenance of the park!

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

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday, January 7 - Boston, Seattle;
Tuesday, January 8 - Baltimore, Houston, Jacksonville; San Francisco
Wednesday, January 9 - Calhoon School, Charleston, New Orleans, Portland;
Thursday, January 10 - L.A., New York, Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, January 11 - Honolulu.

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