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

MEBA TELEX TIMES           APRIL 25, 2008

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 17

In this issue...
Maritime unions meet with Coast Guard...FRC issues report...CG Auth bill passed by House...Maersk/Waterman swap-out...In a perch-and-pounce, wise owl edition, we swoop down and sink our talons into the wide-eyed news of the week. We ruffle the feathers of swivel-headed, fly-by-night newsletters and clip the wings of those screeching, mouse-eating bird-brains. Come take flight with the pellet-spitting barn boss of newsletters that rules the roost. The Telex Times is a real hoot!

MARITIME UNIONS DISCUSS ITEMS OF INTEREST WITH COAST GUARD COMMANDANT
The top brass at Coast Guard entertained representatives from the maritime unions at a meeting on Tuesday in Washington D.C. attended by M.E.B.A. President Don Keefe. Also represented at the meeting were officials from MM&P, SIU, AMO, SUP, MFOW, ARA and IBU. Coast Guard officials at the meeting included Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety Rear Admiral Brian Salerno, Director of Prevention Policy Rear Admiral James Watson and Judge Advocate General Rear Admiral William Baumgartner.

A flurry of topics were covered with a particular emphasis on TWIC, marine inspectors, medical matters and shore leave issues at private ports.

Regarding TWIC, the agency is so far holding fast to the September 25th deadline despite various delays and the need for huge numbers of mariners to secure their credentials. In addition, electronic card readers for the TWICs will not be ready at that time which will relegate the TWIC cards to be essentially used as "flash passes" until the car reader technology is perfected. Coast Guard did pledge to bring the matter up over the next month and review the practicability of the deadline.

Regarding marine inspections, the Coast Guard is seeking ways to incorporate civilians as marine inspectors. This is a plan tailor-made for M.E.B.A. retirees who often are able to retire from shipping at a relatively young age but still seek opportunities closer to shore that tap their expertise.

The medical discussion centered on the unions' desire to alleviate the numerous physical examinations that mariners must undergo during the course of the year. In some cases, mariners could have to take up to five physicals in one year to satisfy company and Coast Guard demands among others.

Another issue discussed was the sometime restrictive shore leave practices of private terminals that can lead to mariners confined aboard ship. Some of these U.S. facilities have instituted cumbersome, inflexible access measures that have the practical effect of making it impossible for a crew member to leave and return to his ship while in port. It's an issue that mariner had hoped would be resolved with the implementation of the TWIC system. However, the Coast Guard asserted that it is a matter that both Coast Guard and the industry should work together on and appeal to local chambers of commerce and Captains Of The Port to apply pressure on these terminals.

Adm. Allen mentioned that he hopes to convene a special meeting in the near future, in communication with the maritime industry, that would include himself, USTRANSCOM'S Gen. Norton Schwartz and Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton in order to discuss important industry issues.

FRC WRAPS UP WORK, SIGNS OFF ON REPORT
A rank and file committee elected by members at the April meetings have wrapped up three days of work at M.E.B.A. Headquarters examining Union finances from calendar year 2007. The committee consisted of Claude Pfeffer (Baltimore), Travis Ellis (Houston), Ed Lee (New Orleans), Frank Dalrymple (New York/New Jersey), Christian Yuhas (Oakland/San Francisco) and Claudia Cimini (Seattle). Brother Ellis and Sister Cimini served as Committee co-chairpersons. Brother Christian Yuhas was randomly selected as the alternate and served as the Recording Secretary. The FRC signed off on a report that will be sent to each of the Union halls and voted upon at the regular monthly membership meetings in May.

MAERSK/WATERMAN COMPLETES LATEST MSP SWAP-OUT
M.E.B.A.-contracted Maersk Line, Ltd. and Waterman Steamship Co. have completed a round of Maritime Security Program vessel swap-outs that has lowered the age of the MSP fleet. Waterman removed the two oldest MSP vessels (M/V BUENOS AIRES and M/V SANTA CRUZ) from the program. Each vessel was built in 1984 and were grandfathered into the MSP program on the condition that they'd be replaced with newer tonnage by March 31, 2008. Waterman reached an agreement to bareboat charter the MAERSK ARKANSAS and MAERSK ALABAMA (both built in 1998) to replace the BUENOS AIRES and SANTA CRUZ. Both ARKANSAS and ALABAMA had ALREADY been operating in the MSP for Maersk. This prompted Maersk to bring in two newer vessels from its international fleet to fill the gap. The AGNETE MAERSK was renamed MAERSK ARIZONA and the CHRISTIAN MAERSK was renamed MAERSK CALIFORNIA and the vessels took the MSP chits formerly vacated by the ARKANSAS and ALABAMA.

The MAERSK CALIFORNIA was built in Odense, Denmark in 1992. It is a 1325 TEU containership, equipped with a Liebherr 45-ton gantry crane for self loading/unloading capability. It has a Mitsui B&W 8S50MC engine. The AGNETE MAERSK was built in China in 1998. It is an 1100 TEU, containership with a Hitachi B&W 7S50MC engine.

HOUSE APPROVES COAST GUARD BILL; WHITE HOUSE CONCERNED WITH LNG PROVISIONS
The House of Representatives passed an $8.4 billion Coast Guard Reauthorization bill this week by an overwhelming margin of 395-7. At the same time they addressed concerns from the Bush Administration about a provision governing LNG security. Last week, the White House expressed concerns about language in a Committee version of the bill that would require the Coast Guard to be responsible for security around LNG sites. Pres. Bush threatened a veto of H.R. 2830 should it reach his desk with the language intact saying that such a provision would, "divert finite Coast Guard assets from other high-priority missions."

House members embraced an amendment by Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH) which the Congressman said would assuage the White House concerns regarding the LNG provision. Specifically, his amendment would rewrite that provision by instead allowing the Coast Guard to accept state and local personnel and security assets provided to an LNG operator.

LaTourette's amendment passed by voice vote, signifying a lack of opposition in the House. It was not clear if the LaTourette amendment will satisfy the concerns expressed by the White House. The overwhelming margin, though, could be an indicator that the House has enough votes to override a possible veto if that situation arose.

Another LNG provision was tacked onto the bill by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.). It would permit the Department of Homeland Security to decide whether an LNG site is "unsuitable for marine traffic" and to inform federal energy regulators of that determination.

The bill also implements enforcement regulations for MARPOL Annex VI in U.S. waters. Internationally, Annex VI went into effect in May 2005 and provides strong regulatory language reducing ship emissions.

The House bill includes a provision improving the merchant mariner medical program by standardizing the training of medical examiners and the reporting of medical examinations in conjunction with the issuance and renewal of MMDs and licenses. The language offered by Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) specifically directs the Coast Guard to gather information that would help it assess the role that workload/fatigue and manning play in marine casualty causation.

Another amendment that passed would create a national standard on ballast water to avoid a patchwork of state laws. Rep. LaTourette inserted the provision that seeks to halt the spread of invasive species by 2015 by requiring the installation of technology meeting current International Maritime Organization ballast discharge standards by as early as next year. Ships would then be required to begin installing treatment equipment in 2012 to meet a more rigorous standard that is one hundred times more stringent than the international standard.

Another amendment by Mark Kirk (R-IL) gives the Coast Guard authority to take emergency response measures if vessels operating exclusively within the Great Lakes present the risk of spreading invasive species or infectious diseases.

The next port of call for the Coast Guard Authorization bill is the Senate.

HORIZON SURVEY SHIP CONCLUDES TRIP TO INDIA
The USNS BRUCE C. HEEZEN (T-AGS 64) wrapped up a five-day stop in India recently signifying the first visit by a Pathfinder-class hydrographic and oceanographic survey ship to that country. The HEEZEN is one of the seven Military Sealift Command oceanographic vessels, operated by Horizon Lines, that the M.E.B.A. crews. The ship embarks up to 27 scientists from the Naval Oceanographic Office to perform oceanographic and hydrographic survey operations.

The ship visited the port city of Goa on India's western coast to represent the U.S. at the 8th annual North Indian Ocean Hydrographic (NIHO) commission conference. The U.S. is a chartered associate member of NIHO, an intergovernmental hydrographic commission established in 2002, to help improve navigation in the south Asian area.

Officers from the Indian National Hydrographic School and representatives from participating nations' hydrographic offices took the opportunity to tour the ship, observe technical equipment up close, study static displays and survey charts, and exchange ideas.

U.S. Navy Captain John Cousins said, "Our visit to Goa is a great opportunity for the U.S. Navy to engage in detailed discussions about hydrography with our counterparts in India and other hydrographic offices in the north Indian Ocean region. International cooperation leads to improved nautical charts, safety at sea and commerce for all nations."

DEATH ON THE JOB: NEW AFL-CIO REPORT
The nation's workplace safety laws and penalties are too weak to effectively protect workers, according to a new AFL-CIO annual report: Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect. There were a total of 5,840 fatal workplace injuries in 2006, an increase from the year before, with significant increases in fatalities among Latino and foreign-born workers.

On average, 16 workers were fatally injured and another 11,200 workers were injured or made ill each day in 2006. These statistics do not include deaths from occupational diseases, which claim the lives of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 more workers each year.

This year's report examined job safety enforcement in cases of worker deaths, finding that the average national total penalty in fatality investigations was just $10,133. Delaware was the state with the lowest average penalties in fatality cases, with no penalties assessed, followed by Alaska with $750 in penalties per fatality case, and by Oregon, with $793. The report also found that Oregon continued to have the lowest average penalty for serious violations of the OSHA Act, at $292 per violation, followed by South Carolina at $363.

Alaska, Wyoming, and West Virginia had the highest rates of worker fatalities in the last year while New Hampshire and Rhode Island were tied for the best record of workplace safety. Twenty-nine states saw an increase in either the rate or number of fatalities between 2005 and 2006. The construction sector had the largest number of fatal work injuries (1,239, up from 1,192 in 2005), followed by transportation and warehousing (860), and agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (655). The mining industry also saw a sharp increase in fatalities, from 159 deaths reported in 2005 to 192 deaths reported in 2006.

The release of the Death on the Job report comes in advance of the 20th Workers Memorial Day, April 28th, which commemorates workers who were killed or injured in the past year. As part of the day of remembrance, community and union members from around the world will participate in hundreds of events to remember local workers and draw attention to the problem of unaddressed workplace hazards.

CAR & BIKE SHOW WILL BENEFIT MEMORIAL
The M.E.B.A. Merchant Marine Memorial Foundation is having a Car & Bike Show that will take place at the School on May 24, 2008 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. There will be raffles, food, live music, and trophies for winning contestants all for a $5 admission fee for those not entering a car or motorcycle in the show.

If you are showing in the event, there will be a $25 Registration Fee for a Car, $15 for a Motorcycle. All proceeds go to the M.E.B.A. Merchant Marine Memorial Foundation, Inc. to help with further maintenance on the Memorial. Registration begins at 10 am on that day with the judging beginning at noon. A band will rock out the show starting at 1 p.m. The Burn Out begins at 2 p.m. with the raffle and door prizes at 3 p.m. If you want to register or just plain donate - or need to ask about vending opportunities, please contact Jessica Milligan at (410) 822-9600, ext. 306 or jmilligan@mebaschool.org.  Checks should be payable to MMMMF, Inc, P.O. Box 2443, Easton, MD 21601. Visit the Memorial section of the School's website (www.mebaschool.org).

JAX MEETING DAY WILL SHIFT TO MONDAYS STARTING IN MAY
The Jacksonville Union hall will permanently change its regular membership meeting day from Tuesday to Monday beginning next month in May (Monday, May 5). The hour and location of the meetings will remain the same.

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

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