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

MEBA TELEX TIMES           JULY 04, 2008

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 27

In this issue...
Great Lakes TWIC compliance dates...ILWU, PMA talks continue... Mario White sails into the sunset...M.E.B.A. reunion is a success... We proudly hail another banner edition as we hoist up the maritime flag and unfurl the latest star spangled items of interest. Properly dispose of tattered, half-staff weeklies that desecrate the news and leave you flapping in the breeze. Rally round, and pledge allegiance to our grand old newsletter...the gallantly streaming Telex Times comes through with flying colors!

CG, TSA ANNOUNCE TWIC COMPLIANCE DATES IN GREAT LAKES
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration have announced that Oct. 31, 2008 is the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program compliance date for owners and operators of facilities located within the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Zones of Buffalo, N.Y., Duluth, Minn., Detroit, Sault Ste. Marie, Wis., and Lake Michigan.

The newly announced compliance date is in addition to the Oct. 15, 2008, compliance date previously set for the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Zones of Boston, Northern New England and Southeastern New England.

The Coast Guard plans to announce those additional ports scheduled for the compliance phase of the TWIC program in coming weeks. Compliance will be phased in by Captain of the Port Zones between Oct. 15, 2008 and April 15, 2009, after which all ports must be in compliance and all credentialed mariners must be in possession of a TWIC.

A framework showing expected compliance dates by Captain of the Port Zone is available on the U.S. Coast Guard's Homeport Website at http://homeport.uscg.mil/twic.

Members are encouraged to enroll as soon as possible and can pre-enroll for their TWIC online at www.tsa.gov/twic.  Pre-enrollment speeds up the process by allowing workers to provide biographic information and to schedule a time to complete the application process in person. The pre-enrollment process reduces the time it takes to fully enroll in the TWIC program and eliminates waiting at enrollment centers.

Additional information can be found at http://homeport.uscg.mil/twic and www.tsa.gov/twic.

ILWU, PMA CONTINUE TALKS ON NEW DEAL
Their six-year West Coast waterfront labor agreement has expired, but negotiations between the ILWU and Pacific Maritime Association on a new contract continue beyond the deadline. The PMA represents cargo carriers, terminal operators and stevedores operating on the west coast. The union said that West Coast dockworkers will continue loading and unloading cargo to keep ports operating while the ILWU negotiating committee continues to meet with company officials on a new longshore and clerks agreement. The contract covering 26,000 West Coast dockworkers at 29 west coast ports in California, Oregon and Washington expired Tuesday, July 1st.

ILWU said that talks have been productive, with terms already reached on health care benefits. The sides will take a break for the July 4th weekend and resume negotiations on Monday. M.E.B.A. is supporting the ILWU in full as they seek a fair deal.

MARIO C. WHITE - FINISHED WITH ENGINES
Former M.E.B.A. union official Mario White steamed into the sunset on June 25, 2008 at the age of 57. Mario shipped out with the union on all types of vessels following his graduation from the Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School. He then went to work for the membership at our halls in San Francisco, Seattle and New Orleans. Mario's father, Clarence White, was also a longtime engineer sailing under the M.E.B.A. blue and gold.

In February 1984, after the retirement of Leon Shapiro, Mario was appointed as M.E.B.A. Secretary-Treasurer to fill out Leon's unexpired term. In the 1985 elections, Mario won a new term to that post. In 1987, he decided to return to the West Coast and was elected as M.E.B.A.'s Seattle Branch Agent succeeding Karl Landgrebe who won his own election to succeed White as Secretary-Treasurer. Mario served honorably until December 1990 when his term expired as Seattle Agent and he left union politics.

He is survived by his three children, Ryan, Nicholas, and Emily of Seattle, WA, mother Annette, brothers Craig and Paul, sister Robin, and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the American Diabetes Association at 1701 N. Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311

"YOUR THREE CENTS" ASKS UNION MEMBERS TO FILL OUT SHORT SURVEY
Members were busy clicking their keyboards recently during a seven-day period where the M.E.B.A. was named as "Union of the Week" by online blog site "YourThreeCents.com."

The site was set up by a group of "Generation Y" Americans to foster an exchange of ideas to help make a positive impact on the country's future. Input by active and retired members was strong during the week that took place June 8-14.

Recently, www.YourThreeCents.com began a new segment called "Union of the Week," that puts the valued voices of hardworking union members at the forefront. As part of the campaign, Yourthreecents is asking union members to fill out a quick online questionnaire that will help them better understand the views of working men and women in relationship to some of today's issues.

Website spokesperson Laura Neroulias pointed out that, "Yourthreecents.com is so proud to be the podium for union workers all over America and we are so honored to have the M.E.B.A. continuously voice on our site. We cannot wait to show America where these proud union members stand!" Please take five minutes and check out www.yourthreecents.com/index/survey.

M.E.B.A. REUNION IS A SUCCESS
Thanks to Mike Fanning and the Calhoon Alumni Association, the M.E.B.A. Reunion at the Calhoon School last weekend was a grand success. The golf tournament and subsequent all-day picnic was designed as more than just a reunion of Calhoon M.E.B.A School graduates - it is a chance for all members of the M.E.B.A. family to converge and enjoy a relaxing weekend together in high spirits.

Friday's golf outing at the Harbourtowne Resort in St. Michaels, MD was highly contested but a champion emerged after a tiebreaker. The 1st place squad was the four-man tandem of Dana Sweet, Jim Schroeder, Keith Christiansen and Andy Coleman. The 2nd place team also finished "8 under" but the tiebreaker - the team to finish the back nine with the lowest score - relegated Bob Smith, Bob Bannan, Jamie Latham and Pat Dasch to runner-up status.

The highest scoring team that embarrassed themselves and really stunk it up on the course consisted of Bill Hrubovcak, Rob Oberling, Rick Simonson and Henry Mitchell. Andy Coleman and Jamie Latham were winners on the "Longest Drive" holes. Dana Sweet and John Connell were the best on the "Closest to the Pin" holes. Thanks to everyone for a great weekend - see you next time!

MARAD ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR NDRF SITES
The Maritime Administration is asking for public comment on its Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment for the admittance, maintenance and disposal of vessels at the National Defense Reserve Fleet sites it operates. The Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment can be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov for the next 45 days.

"The Maritime Administration has taken a hard look at our National Defense Reserve Fleet program and we are confident that we can fulfill our statutory mission while at the same time ensuring the highest levels of environmental protection. With the step taken today, the Maritime Administration continues its leadership role in removing these ships in an appropriate fashion, and we look forward to receiving comments from the public," said Maritime Administration Sean Connaughton. The Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment includes options for cleaning and maintaining ships, and for setting standards for the condition of ships that enter the fleet in the future.

NANTUCKET SHIPWRECK MUSEUM REOPENS AFTER EXTENSIVE RENOVATION
Celebrating rescues and heroism at sea, the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum reopened this week following an extensive $3 million renovation. Drawing on its collection of over 5,000 objects - including period surfboats, beach carts, vintage photographs, and more - the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum features new exhibits and family-friendly programs appealing to all ages. Visitors to the newly expanded museum will immediately be engaged by the fascinating stories of people in peril at sea and those who risked their lives to rescue them.

Marshall, a friendly Newfoundland dog who was rescued along with 16 people at the island's Surfside Life-Saving Station in 1877, will serve as the museum's mascot. His real-life tale of animal rescue will unfold through captivating displays designed for younger visitors. Marshall's heroic rescue also has inspired a new children's book that is accompanied by an adorable plush toy, available through the museum's gift shop (Marshall: A Nantucket Sea Rescue).

"Considered a major hub along what was then a modern-day sea highway similar to I-95, Nantucket's shipping lanes once boasted over 1,200 boats per day - all navigating without the advantages of today's technology," said best-selling author Nathaniel Philbrick, founding director of the Egan Maritime Institute, which spearheaded fundraising for the museum. "Treacherous shoals and inclement weather led to over 700 shipwrecks in the surrounding waters, causing the area to be dubbed the 'graveyard of the Atlantic.'"

A long-time Nantucket resident, Philbrick is best known for such books as Mayflower, a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in History, and In the Heart of the Sea, winner of the 2000 National Book Award for Non-Fiction. Formerly known as the Nantucket Life-Saving Museum, the museum has been rechristened to better reflect the impact of shipwrecks on Nantucket and elsewhere in the fledging United States, when maritime travel was in its heyday. The ambitious renovation project was made possible by an 18-month capital campaign led by Egan Maritime, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the study and appreciation of Nantucket's maritime heritage.

The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum is located at 158 Polpis Road, just 3.5 miles from Nantucket Town. The museum and gift shop will stay open during working hours through Columbus Day, Monday, October 13, 2008. Hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 5 - 18, and free to children under 5, and also includes admission to Egan Maritime Institute exhibits at the historic Coffin School, located at 4 Winter Street in Nantucket Town. For more information call (508) 228-1885, or visit online at www.nantucketshipwreck.org.

HORIZON LAUNCHES GREEN INITIATIVE
M.E.B.A.-contracted Horizon Lines has announced a wide-ranging corporate environmental initiative called "Horizon Green." This initiative addresses four key areas: protection of the marine environment, reduction of transportation emissions, implementing a sustainable approach to logistics management, and introduction of a carbon offsets program. The company said it has launched Horizon Green to better understand and measure freight transportation's impact on the environment and to develop programs that incorporate increased environmental sensitivity and mitigation into Horizon's core operations.

"Horizon Lines is committed to protecting the environment and ensuring the safety and health of our associates and the public," said Chuck Raymond, Horizon chairman, president and CEO. "Horizon Green will focus our environmental effort across the entire Horizon Lines organization." Horizon Lines has established several programs in addition to compliance with the MARPOL Convention and with the ISM Code created by the International Maritime Organization, the company said. These programs include vessel management controls and audits, ballast water management, waste stream analyses, low sulfur diesel fuel usage and marine terminal pollution mitigation plans.

MEETING ON DRY CARGO RESIDUE ON GREAT LAKES
The Coast Guard has announced July public meetings to discuss their proposed rule on dry cargo residue discharges in the Great Lakes. The proposed rule would allow the continued discharge of certain nontoxic and non-hazardous bulk dry cargo residues in the Great Lakes. Existing prohibitions on discharges in certain areas would be continued, and additional sensitive and protected areas would be defined as no-discharge zones. Recordkeeping and reporting requirements would be imposed, and the voluntary use of measures to control residues would be encouraged.

The public meetings will be held in Duluth, MN on July 15, 2008 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Holiday Inn, 200 West First Street, phone 218-727-7492). Another meeting will be held in Cleveland, OH on July 17, 2008 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (The Forum Conference Center, One Cleveland Center, 1375 East Ninth Street. phone 216-241-6338). Attend if you can!

NEW ITF WEBSITE IS ONLINE LIFELINE
The ITF unveiled a major new resource for the world's seafarers when it launched a dedicated news, advice and support website with genuine world reach and accessibility for all users designed in from the beginning. The new site www.itfseafarers.org - the product of years of planning and eight months continuous work by a dedicated web team - directly responds to ITF and seafarers' mission-commissioned research that identified the need for new levels of electronic support for those working at sea. The ITF believes that the new site is unique: the only 'one stop shop' for seafarers anywhere, with any level of web access and computer fluency. It offers them information on their health, their pay and safety and includes features such as: Crew Talk message boards; advice and help; Ship Look-up Tool showing vessel agreements and other information; Inside the Issues briefing area; interactive polls; trade union contact details, and an ITF inspectors' blog.

ITF General Secretary David Cockroft commented: "www.itfseafarers.org is one of a kind, an easy to use, worldwide free service for seafarers designed to give them exactly what they've been asking for." The new site launches in English, the international seafarers' language, with Chinese, Russian and Spanish versions planned soon. It is designed to be intuitive and offers three different routes to information: by menu, by topic tabs and by quick links.

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. 

--------FINISHED WITH ENGINES---------