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

MEBA TELEX TIMES           SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 37

In this issue...
Houston hall prepares for Ike...Connaughton headed to FMC...New School travel policy in effect...CHENEGA crew rescues kayakers...We leave you agape with a tasteful, tongue-in-cheek edition with an oral-fixation that'll have you licking your chops. Don't gum up the works with toothless, hard-to-swallow competitors that stick in your craw. Those yawn-inducing canker-sores really blow! We shut their cake-holes, keep a stiff upper lip and feed your face with the latest jaw-dropping maritime word of mouth. The Telex Times will make you open up and say, "Ahhhhhhhhh!!"

HOUSTON HALL CLOSED UP AS IKE CLOSES IN
The Houston hall closed its doors on Thursday and remained shuttered today (9/12) as a precaution while Hurricane Ike bore down on the Texas coastline. As of press time, the storm was predicted to hit southwest of Galveston after midnight tonight in Saturday's early morning hours. Experts warned residents not to underestimate the strength of this massive hurricane with its effects likely to be felt for hundreds of miles. High water and whipping winds are threatening the entire Texas coastline, much of east Texas and parts of Louisiana. The Coast Guard was going into overdrive rescuing people trapped by the flooding that became more prevalent as Ike closed in. Many areas have been designated for mandatory evacuation including homes of members, retirees as well as staff and officials at our Houston hall. The area our hall is in was not slated for evacuation but officials have warned those in the surroundings to "hunker down." Residents around Galveston Island were told that they face "certain death" if they chose to stay.

Earlier in the week in anticipation of the storm, our Houston hall corralled additional crewmembers for the Ready Reserve Force fleet vessels in Beaumont - the CAPE VICTORY and CAPE VINCENT - as those ships made preparations to ride out the storm. The MAERSK NEVADA made final arrangements to meet the storm head on from its perch in the Port of Houston. The Port itself closed to incoming traffic early on Thursday and put a halt to outbound traffic later in the day. The LIBERTY EAGLE shipped out of there late in the week to beat the incoming weather. Several other vessels that had been due to sail into the area - including the HORIZON CHALLENGER, OVERSEAS PHILADELPHIA and SEALAND ACHIEVER - were in holding patterns watching the development of the storm before proceeding.

Our New Orleans Union hall was designated as the point of contact for all members and retirees who normally conduct their business in Houston. The Houston hall expects to reopen for business on Monday.

CONNAUGHTON HEADED TO FMC
The Bush Administration has given notice that it is nominating Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton for a five-year term to the Federal Maritime Commission. The White House further noted that it intends to designate him as Chairman of the five-member Commission following Connaughton's expected Senate confirmation. The FMC is an independent regulatory agency responsible for the regulation of oceanborne transportation in the foreign commerce of the U.S. The Commission has operated without a Chairman for two years and with only three Commissioners for the last few months.

Since taking over MarAd in August 2006, Connaughton has been aggressive in his promotion of short sea shipping and has helped pave the way for the return of U.S. mariners aboard LNG vessels around the world, among other things.

Elizabeth Megginson is the Acting Deputy Administrator who could presumably take over as Acting Administrator if and when Connaughton's FMC confirmation takes place. Megginson formerly served as Majority Chief Counsel to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for six years beginning in 2001. In 2007, she joined MarAd as Chief Counsel. This past June she was promoted to Acting Deputy Administrator while remaining Chief Counsel.

NEW PROCEDURES FOR MEMBERS TRAVELING TO M.E.B.A. SCHOOL GO INTO EFFECT
Among a series of changes made recently by the M.E.B.A. Benefit Plan Trustees are new procedures for members traveling to the Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School to attend classes. In a policy that went into effect on Sept. 1, 2008, all air travel to the School must be arranged through Egencia (formerly Expedia Corporate Travel) - a full-service travel management agency.

A similar policy was adopted for Plan participants traveling to M.E.B.A. Diagnostic Centers who must also arrange their air travel through Egencia effective October 1, 2008.

Although you can use Egencia to book flights for you and your dependents, remember that for travel to the School, reimbursements will only be made for your airline expenses. For travel to the M.E.B.A. Diagnostic Centers, reimbursement will only be made for your airline expenses and those of your eligible dependents.

Members traveling to the School or a Diagnostic Center must create an Egencia User Account for themselves and their dependents. Both M.E.B.A. Plans (www.mebaplans.org) and M.E.B.A. School (www.mebaschool.org) websites have links to the Egencia site to set up your new account. To go to the Egencia site directly to create a profile you can visit http://flymeba-register.org. Following the account setup, you can then make your necessary flight arrangements. The next time you log in using the username and password which you create, your information will be immediately available to you.

For additional details, you should refer to the notices mailed by the Plan Office and posted on the Plan's website, www.mebaplans.org, and the Plan's Newsletter, BenefitWatch. That information is also available from the School's website in the "What's New" section.

CHENEGA CREW SAVES KAYAKERS - SECOND RESCUE THIS YEAR
Members of the M.E.B.A.-crewed Alaska Marine Highway System ferry CHENEGA rescued four kayakers on Sunday afternoon in Passage Canal off the shores of Whittier, Alaska. CHENEGA's captain, Sam Daniels, said a radio call was relayed to CHENEGA at 2:33 p.m. requesting assistance to help four kayakers who were in distress. Within 11 minutes, CHENEGA's rescue boat was launched and speeding away from the 235-foot ferry to rescue the kayakers. By 2:50 p.m., coxswain Guy Beedle and his assistant Ian Russell had pulled the kayakers aboard the rescue boat and safely transported them to a nearby petroleum dock in the harbor where they were met by medical personnel. The kayakers were Anchorage residents that were surprised by weather conditions that developed more quickly than expected. Capt. Daniels said that, "Winds were around 30 knots and seas were about three feet." He said the Anchorage foursome encountered breaking waves that tossed them from their kayaks when weather conditions deteriorated. Earlier this year, CHENEGA's crew rescued three boaters whose vessel sank June 9 near Whittier.

REFLAG OF OVERSEAS AMBERMAR
M.E.B.A. has been informed by Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) that it intends to reflag the OVERSEAS AMBERMAR and return the Maritime Security Program contract back to the Maritime Administration. M.E.B.A. President Don Keefe met with the Maritime Administrator and strongly advocated for an M.E.B.A. employer to be awarded the vacated MSP contract. After reflagging, the AMBERMAR will be operated in the International Market by OSG (Athens) under Marshall Islands' registry. Further details will be forwarded to the membership upon availability.

TRANSCOM DEPLOYS CONTAINER SECURITY SYSTEM
The U.S. Transportation Command recently deployed a container security system which detects tampering and helps protect military container shipments moving from Afghanistan to Pakistan. USTRANSCOM introduced the CommerceGuard container security system, provided by GE Security, Inc., a business of GE Enterprise Solutions, to better protect its container shipments. The system provides shipment security throughout the supply chain.

USTRANSCOM contractors use CommerceGuard handheld readers at specific checkpoints in the supply chain to read container security devices on the command's containers. The devices report the security status of each container, alerting USTRANSCOM if doors have been opened without authorization. Logistics managers can use the data to determine when and where containers were opened. U.S. military personnel mount the container security devices inside the container doors when the containers are filled with supplies, then use a handheld reader to arm the devices for shipment.

2009 M.E.B.A. SCHOOL SCHEDULE DETAILED
As noted last week, the 2009 M.E.B.A. Calhoon Engineering School course schedule has been released. Registration is being split this year. Classes running from January - June, 2009 registration will begin on Saturday October 4, 2008. Classes running from July - December, 2009 registration will begin on April 6, 2009. Any applications for July - December classes received prior to April 6, 2009 will be disregarded with no notification to the applicant. Students can apply online or mail or fax a completed application to the School. Admission procedures and the new course application form are available on the School's website and can be accessed from the "What's New" section. The following is a list of the announced courses for 2009:

ADVANCED CARGO OPERATIONS
- (2-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
-March 2 - March 13; October 19 - October 30.
ADVANCED FIRE FIGHTING
- (1-Week Course - 16 students maximum)
- February 23 - February 27; March 23 - March 27; August 3 - August 7; November 30 - December 4.
ADVANCED METEOROLOGY
- (1-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
- April 13 - April 17; September 21 - September 25.
ADVANCED SHIPHANDLING
- (2-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
- February 2 - February 13; November 2 - November 13.
ADVANCED STABILITY
- (1-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
- February 23 - February 27; October 12 - October 16.
ADVANCED WATCHKEEPING
- (1-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
- March 16 - March 20; August 10 - August 14.
ADVANCED WELDING
- (2-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- December 7 - December 18.
ARPA
- (1-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
- March 2 - March 6.
BASIC SAFETY TRAINING
- (1-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- March 9 - March 13; June 15 - June 19.
BRM
- (1-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
- March 30 - April 3.
CONTAINER REFRIGERATION
- (2-Week Course - 10 students maximum)
- March 23 - April 3; June 1 - June 12; September 14 - September 25; November 30 - December 11.
DATA COMMUNICATIONS & NETWORKING
- (2-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- April 20 - May 1; July 27 - August 7; December 7 - December 18.
DIESEL ENGINEERING
- (6 -Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- February 2 - March 13; October 12 - November 20.
ECDIS
- (1-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
- February 2 - February 6; February 16 - February 20; July 27 - July 31.
ELECTRICAL TROUBLESHOOTING
- (2-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- March 2 - March 13; May 11 - May 22; September 14 - September 25; October 26 - November 6.
ELECTRICITY
- (4- Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- June 1 - June 26; August 3 - August 28.
ELECTRICITY REFRESHER
- (1-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- February 23 - February 27; May 4 - May 8; October 19 - October 23.
ENGINEROOM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
- (1-Week Course - 16 students maximum)
- March 30 - April 3; November 30 - December 4.
FAST RESCUE BOAT
- (1-Week Course - 8 students maximum)
- June 8 - June 12; June 22 - June 26; August 24 - August 28; September 28 - October 2.
GOVERNMENT VESSEL OPERATIONS (CMEO)
- (2-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- February 2 - February 13; April 13 - April 24; May 11 - May 22; August 10 - August 21; September 21 - October 2; November 9 - November 20.
HAZMAT
- (1-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- March 2 - March 6; March 30 - April 3; August 31 - September 4; October 19 - October 23.
INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
- (4-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- June 1 - June 26; October 26 - November 20.
INSTRUMENTATION
- (3-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- February 2 - February 20; August 17 - September 4.
MACHINE SHOP
- (4-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- April 13 - May 8; June 1 - June 26; August 10 - September 4.
MARINE ELECTRIC PROPULSION /HIGH VOLTAGE SAFETY
- (2-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- February 2 - February 13; May 11 - May 22; September 14 - September 25; November 30 - December 11.
MEDICAL CARE - PIC
- (2-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- May 11 - May 22; November 9 - November 20.
MEDICAL CARE PROVIDER
- (1-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- March 16 - March 20; June 1 - June 5; August 17 - August 21; October 26 - October 30.
OPERATING PRINCIPLES OF MARINE POWER PLANTS
- (1-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- June 1 - June 5; December 14 - December 18.
PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLERS
- (2-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- March 16 - March 27; May 11 - May 22; October 12 - October 23.
RADAR RE-CERTIFICATION
- (1-Day Course and Examination)
- Scheduled by Appointment.
REFRESHER TRAINING - ENGINEERING OFFICER
- (2-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- May 11 - May 22.
REFRIGERATION
- (4 -Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- April 13 - May 8.
SHIP MANAGEMENT - SAFETY MANAGEMENT
- (2-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
- April 20 - May 1; November 30 - December 11.
SHIP'S MANAGEMENT
- (1-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- June 8 - June 12; December 7 - December 11.
SMALL ARMS
- (1-Week Course - 10 students maximum)
- March 30 - April 3; April 27 - May 1; July 27 - July 31; August 31 - September 4; October 12 - October 16.
SMALL ARMS REQUALIFICATION
- (2-Evenings Course - 10 students maximum)
- Scheduled by Appointment.
STEAM ENGINEERING
- (6-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- April 13 - May 22; October 12 - November 20.
TANKSHIP -LNG
- (2-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- March 16 - March 27; August 10 - August 21.
TANKERMAN DL
- (1-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- April 27 - May 1; September 28 - October 2.
UPGRADING ENGINEER - MANAGEMENT LEVEL
- (5-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- July 27 - August 28.
VESSEL SECURITY OFFICER / CROWD & CRISIS MGMT
- (1-Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- May 4 - May 8; September 14 - September 18; November 2 - November 6.
VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS (Flashing Light)
- (1-day Course and Examination)
- Scheduled by Appointment.
VOYAGE PLANNING
- (1-Week Course - 6 students maximum)
- August 3 - August 7.
WELDING
- (4 -Week Course - 12 students maximum)
- February 2 - February 27; October 26 - November 20.

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday, October 6 - Boston, Jacksonville, Seattle;
Tuesday, October 7 - Baltimore, Houston, San Francisco;
Wednesday, October 8 - Calhoon School, Charleston, New Orleans, Portland;
Thursday, October 9 - L.A., New York, Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, October 10 - Honolulu. 

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