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

MEBA TELEX TIMES       DECEMBER 28, 2007

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 52

In this issue...
Jobs for members on HAYES & WATERS...300 members urge Customs to keep PVSA strong...Going to great lengths, we meter out a nautical mile of news as long as your arm. Keep your distance from hard-to-fathom newsletters that you shouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole! We cut them down to size, never give an inch and deliver the whole nine yards. The maritime ruler, the Telex Times is beyond measure!

NEW ADMINISTRATION TAKES OVER NEXT WEEK
Incoming President Don Keefe will take over the top spot at the M.E.B.A. after his swearing in on Tuesday and his team of experienced officials will be on duty at our Union halls and offices on Wednesday. Member services will continue uninterrupted and a smooth transition is expected. Best wishes and thanks go to those officials who will not be returning for another term.

Most M.E.B.A. halls and offices will be open on Monday, December 31 but will be shuttered on New Year's Day. We wish our active and retired members the very best as well as a safe and prosperous New Year!

JOBS FOR MEMBERS ABOARD HAYES AND WATERS
As noted last week, Patriot Contract Services has won a Military Sealift Command bid to operate Special Mission ships USNS HAYES and USNS WATERS.

Patriot is now accepting resumes for officer positions aboard the two ships. The anticipated turnover date for the WATERS is Jan 30th followed by the HAYES soon after. A secret security clearance is required for all officers prior to assignment to the ships, so early identification of all officer crewing is vital.

The resumes which should also list your most recent training should be sent by e-mail to john.howe@asmhq.com or faxed to him at (925) 296-2051.

The USNS WATERS is a Hydrographic Survey Ship built in 1993 that supports missile range instrumentation and submarine navigation research missions. The USNS HAYES, "the quietest research ship in the world," was converted into an Acoustic Research vessel in 1992.

MEMBERSHIP SENDS OVER 300 LETTERS SUPPORTING A STRONG PVSA
The M.E.B.A. membership has peppered the U.S. Customs & Border Protection with over 300 letters supporting the agency's recent interpretive rule supporting U.S. mariners in the Hawaii cruise ship trade. At the request of the Maritime Administration, Customs looked into whether the increasing numbers of foreign-flagged cruise lines in the Hawaii trade are undercutting the Passenger Vessel Services Act. The PVSA prevents foreign-flagged vessels from transporting passengers directly between U.S. ports.

The foreign-flagged cruise lines have been bringing passengers between the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii making a quick stop at a Mexican port. The Interpretive rule found that this practice flies in the face of the PVSA to the detriment of U.S. mariners serving in the trade. Customs 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. hailed the ruling and encouraged our membership to ask Customs to send comments to the agency in support of the ruling. A sample letter was sent to the M.E.B.A. Union halls and offices and was included in the December meeting packet. As mentioned, over 300 members, including the officers onboard all three U.S.-flag Norwegian Cruise Lines-America vessels, signed the letter or sent their own to Customs to be made part of the official docket.

Among other things, the suggested letter states that the foreign cruise lines in question are evading U.S. cabotage laws with these "sham port calls in Mexico" and that these actions "jeopardize American seafarer jobs and the continued operation of the nation's only three oceangoing U.S.-flag cruise ships." The letter urges immediate adoption of the rule.

In addition, M.E.B.A. Headquarters sent comments on behalf of the Union as a whole saying that the Customs ruling "addresses blatant abuses of the PVSA by some corporations who already take advantage of flags of convenience and foreign tax regimes to skirt their tax, labor and environmental obligations to the United States. M.E.B.A. is deeply concerned that if the foreign-flag cruise lines' behavior remains unchecked, it will result in the failure of the Hawaiian Cruise Ship initiative, which in turn, would irreparably harm the American Merchant Marine."

M.E.B.A. commented that foreign lines have taken a skewed interpretation of the PVSA in order take advantage of the U.S. market "while doing everything in their power to minimize their compliance with American tax, environmental, labor and maritime safety regulations."

These practices have already had the effect of damaging the competitiveness of the U.S.-flagged cruise ships in the Hawaii trade - the NCL America vessels. This has prompted NCL-A to announce plans to redeploy the PRIDE OF HAWAII into the international trades in early 2008. The M.E.B.A. comments conclude, that "it is critical that Customs move swiftly and not allow the foreign flag cruise lines to delay implementation. We have already lost one vessel because of their violations of the laws of the United States. We cannot afford to wait any longer."

A number of powerful Members of Congress have also joined forces with the M.E.B.A. on this issue sending their own comments to Customs strongly urging the agency to implement their interpretation. That letter was signed by the Chairman of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.); the Chairman of the T&I's Coast Guard Subcommittee Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.); the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Missouri) and the Armed Services' Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) as well as the Ranking Member of the Air and Land Forces Subcommittee Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.); and the Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee Rep. George Miller (D-CA). The letter was also signed by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), both influential members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The M.E.B.A. comments as well as the letter forwarded by the Members of Congress are available for viewing on the M.E.B.A.'s "Hot Site" accessed from www.meba.us.

CHRISTENING FOR NEXT T-AKE COMING UP
Expert M.E.B.A. officers are preparing for the christening of the latest vessel due to enter the Military Sealift Command fleet soon after its christening in early February. The USNS ROBERT E. PEARY (T-AKE 5) will have its ship ceremony on February 9, 2008 at San Diego's NASSCO shipyard. It is the fifth ship in the Lewis & Clark class ships that will be used by MSC to deliver food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions to Navy combat ships at sea. M.E.B.A. engineers will crew all of the T-AKEs. The yard will be constructing up to 16 of the ships if all options are exercised. The first four ships in the program, the USNS LEWIS AND CLARK, USNS SACAGAWEA, USNS ALAN SHEPARD and USNS RICHARD E. BYRD are already in service.

BUSAN PILOT SURRENDERS LICENSE; SHIP DEPARTS
After finally receiving Coast Guard permission to resume maritime commerce, the COSCO BUSAN, will sail away from California leaving a trail of lawsuits in its wake. The vessel struck a bridge piling on November 7th, spilling more than 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the San Francisco Bay. The first part of the investigation into the spill as well as the necessary repairs to the ship have been completed and all orders requiring the vessel to remain in San Francisco issued by the Captain of the Port have been lifted.

BUSAN Pilot John J. Cota's handed in his Merchant Marine Officer's license this week to the Coast Guard after the agency's request stemming from their belief that he is not physically competent to maintain it.

Upon review of Cota's federal license files following the incident, the Coast Guard discovered competency issues concerning his ability to safely serve under his federal license.

Under this procedure, the Coast Guard would not return the license until it receives satisfactory evidence that the mariner is considered fit for full duty without qualification.

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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