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

MEBA TELEX TIMES           JULY 11, 2008

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 28

In this issue...
HMT bill...HQ Legislative Dept. wants input...MARPOL (Vessel emissions) bill...STOCKHAM support in Philippines...Wage increase for M.E.B.A. Civmars...Using a little English, we get in the fast lane, throw maritime strikes and bowl you over with a ball busting edition. Don't end up in the gutter with three-fingered, fouling weeklies that miss the mark and can't spare the news you need. We set 'em up and knock 'em down as we talk turkey in an extra frame of industry items that's right up your alley. The kingpin of newsletters, the Telex Times is ready to roll!

HARBOR MAINTENANCE TAX EXEMPTION BILL INTRODUCED
On June 25th, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a bill (S. 3199) to exempt waterborne cargo from the current application of the Harbor Maintenance Tax. The bill is virtually identical to H.R. 1499, a bill introduced in the House by Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD). Under present practice, the HMT is imposed on cargo entering a U.S. port from an overseas market. The tax is assessed again on the same cargo when it moves by water on U.S.-flag vessels along our coasts to other American ports. This results in multiple taxation to vessels operated by many of our contracted companies - and it also represents an obstacle to the development of a successful short sea shipping system in this country.

M.E.B.A., along with several other maritime unions, drafted letters to thank the Senators who have already signed onto the bill as co-sponsors and to urge other Senators to join the effort. With movement on both sides of Congress and our ongoing Hill campaign to repeal the HMT, the next Congressional session looks very promising.

M.E.B.A. contracted company Horizon Lines and its President and CEO Chuck Raymond expressed strong support for the House and Senate bills. Horizon said that by removing barriers, "the legislation would encourage use of the fuel-efficient marine mode to move cargo along our nation's coasts, helping ease highway and rail congestion and the demand for imported oil."

"This is the bipartisan legislative progress we need to make coastwise shipping a reality in America," Raymond said. "New coastwise services will mean economic growth with less impact on the environment and job growth for maritime labor. We can use our existing marine infrastructure to mitigate highway congestion and improve the overall efficiency of our national transportation infrastructure for sustainable growth. America is looking for new initiatives to save fuel, improve efficiency and protect the environment. Coastwise shipping would help meet all those goals and an HMT exemption will help bring it into reality."

WAGE INCREASES FOR M.E.B.A. CIVMARS
M.E.B.A. civilian mariners sailing aboard Military Sealift Command Auxiliary and Special Mission ships will receive a 3.75% boost to their base pay, overtime and penalty pay rates (except as required by Public Law 110-161 of 26 Dec., '07 & 5 USC 5348). The increase is retroactive to January 1, 2008 for M.E.B.A. engineers sailing aboard MSC Dry Cargo vessels and July 1, 2008 for M.E.B.A. engineers sailing on Tanker vessels.

MSC wage adjustments are based on increases negotiated in M.E.B.A. deep sea commercial contracts. MSC and the Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Management Service (DOD CPMS) approved the increases for which our Union fought. Randi Ciszewski is M.E.B.A.'s Government Fleet Representative.

HQ LEGISLATIVE DEPT. WANTS TO HEAR FROM MEMBERS/RETIREES
With November's elections quickly approaching, M.E.B.A.'s Political & Legislative Representative at Headquarters, Quentin Hines, would like to gauge the thinking of active and retired members about Congressional races in your area. While we have many indicators and polls on each race, no report generated in Washington D.C. can represent your thoughts on each candidate. Your insight on the ground is key to our efforts in identifying and supporting policymakers that shape this industry. Please forward your thoughts to quentinh@d1meba.org.

PORT SECURITY BILL INTRODUCED
Four Senators recently introduced legislation that would tighten security at U.S. seaports with a number of measures. S. 3174, the Port Authority Implementation Act of 2008, was introduced by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). Based on the findings of a task force on port security established in 2006 by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the bill's most relevant provisions focus on Mandatory Container Security Standards, Designated Security Officials on Ships, Law Enforcement Authorization to Confiscate Falsified TWICs, Regional Response and Recovery Plans, TWIC Requirements for vessels at Anchorage and Standardized Risk Assessment Tools.

VESSEL EMISSIONS BILL PASSES
Congress has approved legislation that would authorize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard to issue enforcement regulations for Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships addressing vessel emissions. The convention is commonly known as the MARPOL international shipping treaty. The bill now goes to President Bush for his signature.

Annex VI is a global treaty that establishes emission limits for oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx) and other pollutants from vessels. The American Association of Port authorities, issued a statement elated with the legislation saying that, "Considering that emissions from oceangoing ships are predicted to grow by more than 70 percent over the next 15 years, it's imperative that meaningful and effective air emissions standards be adopted to improve air quality."

M.E.B.A.-CREWED SHIP PROVIDING SUPPORT AFTER PHILIPPINES FERRY DISASTER
M.E.B.A. deck and engine officers aboard the prepositioning vessel USNS GYSGT FRED W. STOCKHAM are on scene in the Philippines providing support after a horrific ferry disaster in June. The Military Sealift Command vessel managed by Keystone Shipping joined a number of Navy ships sent into the area to provide search and rescue and humanitarian assistance after the ferry M/V PRINCESS OF THE STARS sank. Weather conditions and the disclosure that the ferry had been carrying a toxic chemical cargo hampered rescue and recovery operations.

The vessel was bound from Manila for Cebu with more than 800 passengers and crew when it capsized and sank off the coast of Romblon on June 21 during the onslaught of typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen). The STOCKHAM was initially positioned three nautical miles off the partially submerged ferry. STOCKHAM's crew launched the RHIB boats and the boat crews assisted in the insertion of Navy divers for a wreck assessment dive. STOCKHAM's H-60S helicopters flew 34 hours of search and rescue locating vessels in need of assistance and carried out casualty transport of a typhoon victim from Burias Island to Romblon.

When Search and Rescue efforts shifted to humanitarian assistance, STOCKHAM repositioned off Panay Island. The Expeditionary Sea Combat Unit flew 36 hours supporting the USS RONALD REAGAN Strike group efforts on Panay. Water and rice were also distributed throughout the island to those areas most devastated by the Typhoon.

ILWU/PMA TALKS
There was no momentous news coming out of the contract talks this week between the ILWU and Pacific Maritime Association as the sides slog through another week of intensive negotiations. ILWU's six-year agreement expired last week but the West Coast dockworkers continue port operations as a new pact is worked out. Reportedly, terms have already been reached on health care benefits. After the weekend break, the sides plan to be back at the bargaining table on Monday.

Last Saturday, M.E.B.A. members and retirees joined hundreds of dockworkers in the San Francisco Bay area in honor of Bloody Thursday. Bloody Thursday commemorates the longshoremen labor action led by Harry Bridges that culminated in street fighting and clashes with police. Hundreds were injured and several killed in the riots that came to a head on July 5, 1934. Following a general strike and federal intervention, the longshoremen won a coastwide contract, a union hiring hall, and various improvements to their wages and conditions.

OIL DISCHARGE INDICTMENTS CONTINUE
A federal grand jury in Oakland, CA has leveled indictments on the owner, operator and Chief Engineer of the RIO GOLD, a 23,000 ton ocean-going cargo ship flagged in Malta for a number of charges including oil pollution. Greek owner Casilda Shipping, Greek operator Genesis Seatrading and the Greek Chief Engineer were hit with violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) including conspiracy, making false statements to the Coast Guard and the falsification of records. The criminal charges stem from the illegal discharge of oil and garbage into the ocean on several occasions prior to the RIO GOLD's call on the port of Oakland on May 26, 2008.

According to the indictment, the Ship's Chief Engineer ordered the manufacture and use of a "magic pipe" to bypass the anti-pollution equipment on the ship and ordered the crew to illegally discharge waste oil directly into the ocean. Additionally, in violation of APPS, crew members dumped two large plastic barrels into the ocean, one filled with oil sludge and the other filled with hydrochloric acid. To prevent the detection of these crimes, the defendants falsified the records that they were required to maintain concerning any discharge of oil and garbage, failed to note the illegal discharges, and falsely represented the use of pollution equipment and an incinerator to handle the waste.

The violations came to the attention of the Coast Guard after the RIO GOLD docked in Oakland on May 26th when four crew members volunteered concerns about the illegal activities. A subsequent inspection of the RIO GOLD uncovered the magic pipe disassembled and stored away.

IMB PIRACY REPORT SHOWS INCREASES
The most current piracy statistics and analysis released by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) indicates a recent spike of incidents, largely attributable to increased piracy activity off the Somali Coast, particularly in the Gulf of Aden. While the 114 total incidents reported in the first six months of 2008 is slightly less than the 126 reported in the corresponding period last year, acts of piracy conducted in 2008 are rising quarter by quarter. The number of incidents recorded in the second quarter of 2008 totaled 62, versus the 52 accounted for in the first quarter.

In the first six months of 2008, 71 vessels were boarded, 12 vessels were hijacked and 11 vessels were fired upon. A total of 190 crew members were taken hostage, six kidnapped, seven killed and another seven are missing, presumed dead.

IMB Director Captain Pottengal Mukundan stated: "The frequency and level of violence directed at seafarers is cause for alarm. The abduction of crew and the increasing use of automatic weapons remain unacceptable."

Africa remains a piracy flashpoint with the highest recorded number of second quarter incidents of piracy taking place in Somalia with 24 incidents, followed closely by 18 reported incidents in Nigeria.

KINGS POINT SUPERINTENDANT RETIRES; MARAD SEEKS REPLACEMENT
Vice Admiral Joseph D. Stewart, who has served as Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point for the past ten years, has announced his retirement from government service. VADM Stewart's career spanned over 44 years of public service to the United States as a Marine Corps officer and member of the civilian Senior Executive Service.

"Joe Stewart's impact on Kings Point will far outlast his tenure on campus," said Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton, a 1983 graduate of the Academy. "Vice Admiral Stewart and his wife Kathy have devoted their lives to the principles of liberty and freedom, and we are grateful for their years of dedication to our nation."

MarAd is in search of a new Superintendent. Pay starts at $114,468. The job comes with housing and with reserved seats at all Academy football games. If you're interested, the position is posted at www.usajobs.gov; the announcement number is MARAD-SES-2008-03. Applications for this post must be received by August 20, 2008.

MARAD SEEKS DIRECTORS IN HOUSTON/S.F. OFFICES
The Maritime Administration is searching for directors for its new Gateway Office in Houston and in San Francisco. The Gateway Offices provide the Maritime Administration with a day-to-day presence throughout the Marine Transportation System. The new offices will work with state and local authorities and a broad range of port, shipper and carrier stakeholders to cooperate on projects, identify federal and state funding, and work on environmental and community challenges in the ports and their intermodal connections. Both offices will provide interface with the cruise industry, as well as other segments of the maritime industry.

Motivated candidates with a background in the maritime industry, strong leadership, communication and management skills and a demonstrated ability to work with others are encouraged to apply. The official vacancy announcement can be found online at www.usajobs.gov, vacancy number MARAD.WR-2008-0010 (for the Houston job) and vacancy number MARAD.WR-2008-0011 (for San Francisco).

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday, August 4 - Boston, Jacksonville, Seattle;
Tuesday, August 5 - Baltimore, Houston, San Francisco;
Wednesday, August 6 - Calhoon School, Charleston, New Orleans, Portland;
Thursday, August 7 - L.A., New York, Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, August 8 - Honolulu. 

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