M.E.B.A. REPURCHASES LAND AROUND HQ BUILDING

We are pleased to announce that the M.E.B.A. Pension Trust, through its subsidiary, recently closed on a transaction to purchase the land underneath the Hall of the States (“HoS”) Building. As you may know, the Pension Trust sold the land around 12 years ago for liquidity purposes to pay pension benefits. The excess sale funds were invested and have performed well.  

This purchase reunites the HoS Building, already owned by the Pension Trust, with the land underneath the building into a single, unified real estate investment property. The HoS Building, located in a prime location footsteps from the United States Capitol Building, has tenants that include U.S. States, major media outlets, various government affairs and state-related organizations and, of course, M.E.B.A. Headquarters.

This transaction, completed with the advice and recommendations of the Pension Trust’s investment, legal, and other professional consultants, reflects and strengthens the strong present and future financial health of the Pension Trust. The combined asset is expected to have a higher valuation than the sum of the parts and will remain a critical part of the $1 Billion M.E.B.A. Pension Trust.

25 YEARS LATER: COMMEMORATING M.E.B.A. HEROES & COMRADES ON 9/11

Tomorrow marks 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight93 which crashed in suburban Pennsylvania. September 11^th of each year is designated as “Patriot Day” to serve as a remembrance of the lives lost on that September morning. Tomorrow, “all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the U.S. and interested organizations and individuals” are directed to lower flags to half-staff for the entire day.

Among those we lost on that dark day were M.E.B.A. brother John “Jay” Corcoran who boarded United Flight 175 to go back to his ship, the APLTHAILAND in L.A. Stephen Ward, the son of former M.E.B.A. President Gordon Ward, was working as a public accountant on the 101^st floor of Tower1 that day in New York City and was also taken too early.

After the towers came down and lower Manhattan was enveloped by a billowing plume of smoke and ash, more than 800 mariners in 150 vessels transported over 500,000 survivors from lower Manhattan across the harbor to safety. M.E.B.A. members helped effect relief and recovery operations during the aftermath of the attack. Mariners on the Staten Island Ferries navigated through an immense cloud of smoke and debris, transporting thousands to safety. Throughout the following weeks, they altered their schedules to accommodate the enormous saturation of emergency and medical services personnel and equipment which they transported with 24-hour-a-day availability. Members in New York Harbor also volunteered their off-hours to comb through the rubble, first in a rescue capacity and then in recovery. Members on the NYC Fireboats rushed to the scene and feverishly doused the escalating flames. Because the water mains in lower Manhattan were wrecked, the fireboat fleet was the only source of water for the first 72 hours. After the initial boatlift, members on the Army Corps of Engineers vessels and the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS COMFORT joined relief and recovery efforts using their skills to placate the misery.  A quarter-century later, we pause to honor those we lost and the M.E.B.A. members who continue to stand ready to serve when our country needs them most.

M.E.B.A. SECURES NEW UNION HALL IN LONG BEACH

M.E.B.A.is pleased to announce that the Union has purchased a new L.A. union hall in Long Beach California to replace our aging space in San Pedro. The new hall will be located at 628 E. Anaheim Street in Long Beach. Officials closed on the new property yesterday. M.E.B.A.’s L.A. Branch Agent Torey Zingales heads up the Union’s busiest hall.  Jacob LeBeouf is the Patrolman at the hall and Yvette Reed handles Dispatching duties.

The purchase represents a significant investment in the future of the M.E.B.A. and its members in Southern California. The new facility will provide a permanent home for Union operations in the L.A./Long Beach area while offering members amore accessible and comfortable location for conducting Union business. The building will undergo renovations to configure the space specifically for M.E.B.A. operations. Workers will carve out a conference room suitable for Union meetings, a dedicated dispatch area, office space and other areas designed to accommodate the day-to-day needs of the hall while providing members with a comfortable place to conduct business.

The location also offers several important advantages. The new hall is within areasonable driving distance of both Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) andLong Beach Airport, and it is only 20 minutes from the APM Terminal, thefurthest dock at the Port of Long Beach. The property provides easy access and,importantly, ample on-site parking for M.E.B.A. members. The location is alsoparticularly advantageous given an upcoming transportation challenge in thearea. The nearby Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro is expected to close assoon as November for approximately 16 months while it undergoes a majorupgrade. Because of the new hall’s location, the delays and traffic impactsassociated with the bridge closure should be minimized.

Renovation work will begin soon as plans are finalized, with the goal of having the new hall fully operational early next year.

The M.E.B.A. is excited about the opportunities this new facility will provide and looks forward to welcoming members to their new Union hall in Long Beach. The purchase ensures that the M.E.B.A. will have a modern, functional and strategically located facility to serve its members and support its operations for years to come.

CMES REMINDS MEMBERS TO CANCEL UNNEEDED COURSE REGISTRATIONS

The Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School is reminding members to cancel course registrations or standby-list requests as soon as they know they will be unable to attend. CMES has been receiving a growing number of cancellations shortly before classes begin, often after orientation paperwork has already been sent. Many cancellations result from members who are still aboard ship, taking a job or having a scheduling conflict with another obligation.

Advance notice is especially important for courses with limited enrollment. Last-minute cancellations can leave classes with too few students to run and prevent members on the standby list from filling available seats. Members who need to cancel a course are asked to notify the CMES Registrar at registrar@mebaschool.org as soon as possible.

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CLARIFICATION ON CMES SMALL ARMS WEAPON QUALIFICATION

The Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School (CMES) has received questions regarding which weapons members may qualify for through the school’s Small Arms course. Members have the opportunity to qualify on the weapons they will carry while serving aboard their Military Sealift Command vessel. The weapons available for qualification include:

• M9 pistols
• M18 pistols
• M14 rifles
• M4 rifles
• 12-gauge Mossberg     500 shotguns

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ADDITIONAL SPACE IN UPCOMING SHIPHANDLING COURSE

The Calhoon M.E.B.A.Engineering School announced that it has additional space available in its two-week Advanced Shiphandling class taking place from September 21 – October2.

Applications can be sent via the CMES website (www.mebaschool.org) or emailed to applications@mebaschool.org

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MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT DRIVES WAR-RISK CLAIMS TOWARD $2 BILLION

Marine insurers are facing nearly $2 billion in war-risk claims stemming from the escalating conflict in the Middle East, with more than 70 claims reportedly filed to date. The losses represent one of the most significant blows to the marine insurance market in recent years as attacks and security threats continue to disrupt commercial shipping. According to Lloyd’s List Law & Marine Insurance Editor David Osler, insurers could recover some of those losses through increased war-risk premium revenue. Even so, the claims are believed to rank among the marine sector’s largest losses in more than a decade, surpassed only by the insurance costs associated with the 2024 Baltimore bridge collapse. More than 72 attacks involving commercial ships have reportedly occurred since March.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a particular flashpoint, but the threat to shipping has expanded beyond the waterway to other routes throughout the region. Owners, operators and charterers are increasingly being forced to factor higher insurance premiums, additional security measures and potential route changes into voyage planning. In some cases, vessels may avoid high-risk areas altogether.

The financial consequences are not limited to ships that come under direct attack. Longer voyages, delays, added security expenses and sharply higher insurance costs can all raise the price of moving cargo, potentially putting upward pressure on freight rates and energy transportation costs. For crews, the situation presents an even more direct concern. Commercial vessels continue to operate in waters where military conflict and attacks on shipping pose an ongoing threat to the safety of mariners.

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VESSEL SIZES OUTPACE U.S. PORT RISK ASSESSMENTS

A Coast Guard Board of Inquiry report released September 4 found that federal risk-assessment tools for U.S. ports and waterways are underused and have not kept pace with larger vessels and increasing traffic. The inquiry followed the March 2024 DALI bridge disaster in Baltimore and examined risks at 10 ports. The Board identified deepwater channels, bridges and other critical infrastructure as major concerns, along with gaps in emergency response, salvage and oil-spill capabilities. The report also found that the Coast Guard lacks a unified policy for coordinating its various risk-assessment programs. Inconsistent methods, limited training and fragmented oversight have made it difficult to apply risk tools consistently. The Board concluded that while the Coast Guard has extensive risk-management capabilities, stronger governance, training and oversight are needed to protect an increasingly complex U.S. maritime transportation system.

MAERSK TO TRIAL ROTOR SAIL ON CONTAINER SHIP

Maersk has signed an agreement to install a wind-assisted rotor sail on one of its container ships, marking the carrier’s first trial into wind propulsion for its ocean fleet. The 115-foot sail, built by London-based Anemoi Marine Technologies, will be retrofitted onto one a 984-foot, 8,700-TEU Maersk Lima-class vessel, with installation set for mid-2027. The ship will pilot the technology on north and south Atlantic routes before moving into broader commercial service. Anemoi typically fits three to five rotor sails per vessel, with each unit estimated to save about one ton of fuel and three tons of CO₂ emissions daily.

Maersk framed the trial as part of a fuel-agnostic strategy to cut ocean emissions, alongside efforts to scale bio- and e-methanol, grow its dual-fuel fleet, and boost network and vessel efficiency. The move follows CMA CGM’s launch of the sail-assisted NEOLINER ORIGIN earlier this year, which calls at the Port of Baltimore. In 2025, Maersk added 10 dual-fuel methanol vessels and completed efficiency retrofits on 230 owned and 150 chartered ships. The company expects 25 dual-fuel vessels in service by 2027, with a longer-term goal of 25% of fleet capacity running on lower-emission fuels — part of its push toward net-zero emissions by 2040.

NEW LEADERSHIP AT PANAMA CANAL

Ilya Espino de Marotta was sworn in as the Panama Canal’s new Administrator earlier this week, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She succeeds Ricaurte Vásquez Morales and will serve a seven-year term through 2033. A Canal veteran of more than 40 years, Espino de Marotta joined the organization in 1985 as a marine engineer and later held positions in engineering, dredging, maritime operations and project development. She served as Executive Vice President for Engineering and Program Management during the Canal expansion that delivered the Neopanamax locks in 2016, became Deputy Administrator in 2019 and was named the Canal’s first Chief Sustainability Officer in 2024.

She takes the helm as the Canal faces renewed freshwater concerns following reduced rainfall and the threat of another extended dry period. The proposed $1.6billion Río Indio reservoir is central to the Canal’s long-term water strategy and is intended to secure water supplies for Canal operations and much of Panama’s population. Espino de Marotta will also oversee the Canal’s 2025–2035 strategic plan, which calls for expanding beyond toll revenue. Major projects include an energy corridor across the isthmus and new container terminals at Corozal and Telfers, aimed at increasing the Canal’s role as a global logistics and energy hub.

WORKERS’ RIGHTS GROUP LAUNCHES TOOLS TO EXPOSE UNION-BUSTING

LaborLab, a workers’ rights watchdog, is launching two free online tools designed to help workers identify and understand the consultants and law firms employers use to fight union organizing. The Union-Buster Search Tool compiles federal data on more than 800 consultants, 8,000 law firms and 21,000 attorneys, allowing workers to see their clients, fees, campaign histories and other information. A companion Cost Calculator estimates what employers spend fighting union campaigns, including both outside legal and consulting fees and the cost of employees’ time spent on anti-union activities.

LaborLab Executive Director Bob Funk said the tools will help workers, union staff and labor attorneys learn from previous organizing campaigns and better prepare for employers’ anti-union efforts. The group said the tools address a longstanding problem: although federal law requires disclosure of many employer relationships with union-avoidance consultants, the information has traditionally been scattered across difficult-to-search government databases.

Access the union-buster search tool here and the cost calculator here.

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NEXT MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS (All times are local)  

Friday, September 11 – Honolulu@1100

Monday, October 5 – Boston@1200; Seattle (Fife)@1300.

Tuesday, October 6 – CMES@1430; Charleston@1400; Houston@1315; Oakland@1230;Portland, Maine@1200.

Wednesday, October 7 – Jacksonville@1300; New Orleans@1315; Online HQ“Town Hall” Meeting@1300 (No Voting) – Register by emailing mebahq@mebaunion.org

Thursday, October 8 – L.A. (San Pedro)@1230; NY/NJ@1300; Norfolk@1300;Tampa@1300.

Friday, October 9 – Honolulu@1100

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