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

MEBA TELEX TIMES           JUNE 06, 2008

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 23

In this issue...
Exmar pact for new Excelerate LNG ships...M.E.B.A. is "Union of the Week"...MSC takes delivery of PEARY...U.S. could lose out on Arctic benefits...Getting the inside track, we grab the reins, dig in our heels and earn our spurs with an unbridled, triple-crown edition that comes at you full gallop. Don't pull up lame with blinder-wearing, one-trick pony newsletters that should be put out to pasture. Neigh! We put them down and make dog food out of those whipped nags as we send them to the glue factory. Giddy up! Coming straight from the horse's mouth, the thoroughbred Telex Times is back in the saddle again!

EXMAR LINES UP NEXT GENERATION LNG SHIPS FOR EXCELERATE; OPERATIONS BEGIN AT NORTHEAST DEEPWATER PORT
Exmar, the ship-owner/operator for M.E.B.A.-contracted Excelerate Energy, has finalized the longterm charter for a trio of next-generation LNG vessels that skilled M.E.B.A. officers will be crewing as soon as next year. The three ships, to be named EXQUISITE, EXPEDIENT and EXEMPLAR are being built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. These ships are all specially designed regasification vessels that take advantage of Excelerate's visionary Energy Bridge technology.

Excelerate's EBRV fleet is able to revaporize LNG onboard the ships so that it can be directly fed into natural gas pipelines. Excelerate's EBRVs deliver natural gas at specially designed offshore receiving facilities utilizing Submerged Turret Loading buoys that connect to a subsea pipeline for delivery to U.S. markets.

Recently, Excelerate took delivery of the LNG Regasification Vessel EXPLORER under a 25-year time charter. The vessel has several unique features that set it apart from the rest of the operating LNG fleet, including emissions control equipment that reduce NOx emissions by more than 95 percent during regas operations, and a heat recovery system that nearly eliminates the use  of seawater in the LNG vaporization process. The ship has cargo capacity of 150,900 cubic meters, is 291 meters in length and has a deadweight tonnage of 82,500 metric tons.

The addition of the EXPLORER brings Excelerate's fleet count to four LNGRVs (including EXCELSIOR, EXCELLENCE & EXCELERATE) and one conventional LNG carrier in service (EXCALIBUR); an additional vessel is under construction (EXPRESS) and slated for delivery in Spring 2009. As mentioned, the fleet will also be enhanced by the EXQUISITE, EXEMPLAR, and EXPEDIENT which are slated for delivery between the third quarter of 2009 and the second quarter of 2010.

The ability to transfer LNG ship to ship, at traditional offloading facilities or by on-board regasification directly into gas networks gives the company a competitive advantage over other LNG carriers allowing the ships to discharge their cargo without venturing into a land-based facility. Last month, M.E.B.A. and Excelerate delivered the first LNG cargo to Northeast Gateway Deepwater Port - the first new East Coast LNG facility in more than 30 years.

The EBRV ship EXCELLENCE was the first ship to call on the new Northeast Gateway Deepwater (NEG) LNG port which operates 18 miles east of Boston in Massachusetts Bay. The ship offloaded its LNG cargo into the existing HubLine natural gas pipeline system operated by Spectra Energy.

"This delivery is a milestone in efforts to bring a new, safe, clean, affordable energy source to the New England region in record time," said Rob Bryngelson, Excelerate Energy CEO. "During the course of this project it became extremely clear that our ship-board regasification technology is the quickest, least expensive and most environmentally responsible way to bring new natural gas supplies to markets."

Since introducing the concept of the NEG project in the summer of 2004, Excelerate Energy began the permitting process in June 2005 and received its license for the facility in May 2007. Construction began immediately upon receipt of the license and was completed in December 2007.

In addition to their ability to regasify LNG through its on board system, Excelerate Energy's vessels also retain their conventional LNG discharge capability, enabling the vessels to offload at standard land-based LNG terminals as well as into Excelerate Energy's proprietary receipt points around the world.

Aside from the Northeast Gateway Deepwater LNG Port, Excelerate also operates the Gulf Gateway Deepwater Port in the Gulf of Mexico about 116 miles south of Louisiana.

M.E.B.A. IS "UNION OF THE WEEK" - MEMBER PARTICIPATION NEEDED!
Click on www.YourThreeCents.com June 8-14 and go from there! M.E.B.A. has been selected as "Union of the Week," a prestigious honor extended by an online youth blog site. YourThreeCents.com was set up late last year by a few college graduates who were intent on creating a website where the passionate young Americans of "Generation Y" could exchange ideas to help make a positive impact on the country's future. Active and retired M.E.B.A. members are invited to log on and participate from June 8-14. As our members know, the unique services that our people provide are not well understood by the public at large and this is an opportunity for young Americans to better grasp the nuances of our labor union and maritime industry.

At the start of June, www.YourThreeCents.com began a new segment called "Union of the Week," that puts the valued voices of hard working union members at the forefront. Emphasizing one union per week, the site allows a spotlight to post input, ask and answer questions and let people know where you stand as mariners, union workers and Americans. Please be tasteful! The Amalgamated Transit Union is currently being featured until this Sunday when the M.E.B.A. takes over.

The site advertises itself as an independent, unedited voice for Generation Y that provides a "podium and outlet. Not bound by any political parties, this site has no loyalty left or right, capitalist or communist, white or black, Christian or Muslim. Its only agenda is to get Americans involved with its political future."

Visit www.YourThreeCents.com, log on and participate!

MSC TAKES DELIVERY OF LATEST M.E.B.A.-CREWED SHIP
The Military Sealift Command has taken delivery of the latest dry/cargo ammunition newbuild constructed by San Diego's NASSCO Shipyard. The USNS ROBERT E. PEARY is crewed up with M.E.B.A. officers on the engine level.

Named in honor of Navy Rear Adm. Robert E. Peary, leader of the first expedition to the North Pole, the ship is the fifth in the Lewis and Clark-class of underway replenishment ships with the designation T-AKE 5. The ships' primary mission is to deliver ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to the Navy's underway carrier and expeditionary strike groups allowing them to stay at sea for extended periods of time.

The T-AKEs will replace some of MSC's aging, single-mission ships such as Kilauea-class ammunition ships and Mars- and Sirius-class combat stores ships that are nearing the end of their service lives.

At the end of July, the 689-foot PEARY will go on a short 'shakedown cruise' where the vessel's crew will test a range of shipboard operations. By the end of the summer, PEARY will depart for its homeport in Norfolk, VA and soon after deploy on its first operational mission.

MURKOWSKI SAYS U.S. COULD MISS OUT ON ARCTIC BENEFITS
At an Arctic Transportation Conference this week in D.C. sponsored by the Maritime Administration, an Alaska Senator encouraged the U.S. to take certain steps to avoid getting shut out from important benefits offered by a section of the world no longer considered a frozen wasteland. The ongoing effects of global warming have sparked renewed interest in Arctic regions that are suddenly full of possibilities.

As the ice recedes, shipping routes are being explored in the Northern Sea Route, Northwest Passage, and even directly over the pole. Besides the transportation of goods, the melting Arctic is also offering great prospects for oil and gas exploration, tourism and research.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) spoke at the conference and enumerated the recent spate of international interest in the region. Since an ice-free route through the Northwest Passage opened up, the Canadians have moved ahead on plans for an Arctic military training facility and deepwater port on the Passage. A Russian team descended 13,000 feet to the seabed last summer and planted a Russian flag directly on the North Pole.

She pointed out that increasing access and high energy prices are driving the fever to tap into the Arctic's wealth - conservatively estimated to contain up to 25% of the world's remaining oil and gas reserves.

However, the U.S. could lose out if this country does not soon ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Recently, representatives of the five coastal states bordering the Arctic - Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the U.S. met in Ilulissat, Greenland and adopted a declaration of cooperation in the Arctic. The Declaration supports UNCLOS as the legal framework for governance in the Arctic. Russia has already submitted a claim that would grant them 460,000 square miles of the Arctic Ocean's bottom resources. Norway has also made a claim and Denmark and Canada are expected to follow soon after.

However, the U.S. has not ratified UNCLOS and will not be able to make a claim of its own until it does so.

Sen. Murkowski said, "I believe it is very important for the United States to be a party to this Treaty and be a player in the process, rather than an outsider hoping our interests are not damaged. Accession to the Convention would give current and future administrations both enhanced credibility and leverage in calling upon other nations to meet Convention responsibilities. According to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, if the United States were to become a party to the Treaty, we could lay claim to an area in the Arctic of about 450,000 square kilometers - or approximately the size of California. But if we do not become a party to the Treaty, our opportunity to make this claim, and have the international community respect it, diminishes considerably - as does our ability to prevent claims like Russia's from coming to fruition."

MARAD WORKING ON PACT TO TRANSFER LIBERTY SHIP TO GREECE
Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with representatives of the Government of Greece to pursue an agreement to transfer the World War II Liberty ship ARTHUR M. HUDDELL to the Greek government for use as a museum. It is currently moored in the James River Reserve Fleet site at Fort Eustis, Virginia. "It is great to be able to save a bit of history from both our nations," said Connaughton. "This ship is a symbol of the friendship as well as mutual maritime interests linking Greece and the United States."

American shipyards built 2,751 Liberty ships during World War II, in the largest shipbuilding effort in history. Liberty ships crewed by merchant mariners carried troops and military cargo all over the world. The building and sailing of the Liberty ships, and their successors, the Victory Ships, were overseen by the U.S. Maritime Commission and the War Shipping Agency, both predecessor agencies of today's Maritime Administration. After World War II, Greek shipowners purchased many Liberty ships to build up their fleet. The Greek merchant fleet is now the largest in the world.

The only two Liberty ships that are still in operation used to be part of MarAd's National Defense Reserve Fleet. The JOHN W. BROWN and the JEREMIAH O'BRIEN are still seaworthy and operating as museum ships.

STUDY SAYS MARINER SHORTAGE WILL WORSEN
A new study by Drewry Shipping Consultants has sounded the alarm that the shortage of seafarers will worsen in the years to come, with a record number of newbuildings coming on line while youngsters prefer to stay shoreside. The survey found that the shortage of officers needed for the shipping industry could rise to as much as 34,000 this year, and top 90,000 in 2012.

"This is set against an industry backcloth that has seen unprecedented growth in shipping over the last decade and set to grow by 40% with scrapping negligible," Drewry said in the report.

"Ramping up training is very much on the agenda, but can it catch up in time? The demand/supply gap could also increase the risk of personnel being promoted beyond their competency level," the survey found.

"This situation not only has serious commercial implications for owners and managers of shipping fleets, it raises both economic and political issues for major trading nations," the report said. "No crews mean no voyages and no deliveries of raw materials, vital commodities, and finished goods," noted the report.

"Supply chains could be severely disrupted and any business relying on just in time type processes will have to rethink and re-engineer before production grinds to a halt," it said.

The international consultants noted that shortfall in officers will prompt wages to rise by eight percent over the next two years, and noted that new supply sources for officers will need to be tapped, especially in Eastern Europe and Asia, as well as Africa and South America.

RETIRED MEMBERS LOOKING FOR WORK SHOULD TALK TO UNION HALL/PLANS
Retired members looking to return to maritime employment should take certain steps to ensure that their return to the workforce will not result in the suspension of benefits. Retirees should begin by talking to an M.E.B.A. official at the nearest Union hall. In addition, it is imperative to discuss the matter with someone at the M.E.B.A. Plan Office in Baltimore. A written request to Plan Trustees may be required to make this happen and to enable the return of necessary mariner documents. Retired members reentering the maritime workforce will likely need a TWIC card to pave the way. Again, your local M.E.B.A. official is there to help you.

There are certain types of work that do not require a written request to Plans such as work aboard an historic vessel run by a non-profit organization, work on non-profit ships providing humanitarian assistance and work on a fishing boat, touring boat, pilot launch, yacht or charter hire under 70 feet. However, make sure to talk to your Union hall and M.E.B.A. Plans to make sure!

NAVY VESSELS SAIL FROM BURMA AFTER AID IS REJECTED
The Navy's USS ESSEX Strike Group, is replenished by M.E.B.A.-crewed MSC support ships, have left the coast of Burma after that country's ruling military junta rejected U.S. offers for urgently needed humanitarian assistance. The Navy group had been positioned off the coast since May 13 with aid shortly after the devastating cyclone sent the death toll soaring toward 100,000. Over a million cyclone victims are still without food, water, shelter and medicine.

The M.E.B.A.-crewed Military Sealift Command vessels USNS CONCORD and USNS PECOS support the Essex battle group. The Navy vessels sent to the Burma coast had key equipment to be used in the relief effort such as heavy-lift helicopters, amphibious vehicles and water purification equipment.

Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Timothy J. Keating has reluctantly concluded that the Essex group and the U.S. Marine Corps 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) continue with their previously scheduled operational commitments and the Secretary of Defense approved the recommendation.

"Over the past three weeks we have made at least 15 attempts to convince the Burmese government to allow our ships, helicopters, and landing craft to provide additional disaster relief for the people of Burma, but they have refused us each and every time. It is time for the USS ESSEX group to move on to its next mission. However, we will leave several heavy lift aircraft in place in Thailand so as to continue to support international community efforts to deliver aid," Keating said. "Should the Burmese rulers have a change of heart and request our full assistance for their suffering people, we are prepared to help."

The Essex ships will now head to the coast of Thailand to backload their remaining helicopters and personnel on June 11.

"I am both saddened and frustrated to know that we have been in a position to help ease the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people and help mitigate further loss of life, but have been unable to do so because of the unrelenting position of the Burma military junta," Keating said.

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

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