Teamwork and Solidarity at 81st Convention In the News: Maunalei ...

NEWS Briefs (CONTINUED)In launching the initiative, Seafarers’ Section AssistantSecretary John Bainbridge said the ITF was disappointedwith the way that existing regulations were being enforced,especially in light of the fact that more countries nowrecognize that fatigue is a significant factor in manymaritime accidents. The problem was highlighted by aMarine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) study inthe United Kingdom that pointed to flag-of-convenience(FOC) states’ authorization of low manning levels forcompetitive advantage as a major cause of accidents. Themost obvious examples of unrealistic manning leading tofatigue-related accidents are ships with a two-watch systemor a single watchstander on the bridge, Bainbridge said.Many companies are well aware of the problems causedby increased workloads for seafarers, he added. But far toomany flag states and shipping companies have ignoredthese negative pressures on the seafarer and determinemanning levels based solely on competitive considerations.Bainbridge asks affiliated unions to send the ITF details ofaccidents or injuries to seafarers in which fatigue is a factor.NS Savannah Again UnderwayOn August 15, 35 years after being taken out of service,NS Savannah once again had water moving under her keel.The 20-mile voyage under tow was the first step in a plan toget the 596 foot, 22,000 ton displacement ship “spruced up”after seven years in the Maritime Administration’s JamesRiver “Inactive Fleet” facility off Fort Eustis, Va. Tugs movedSavannah, a registered National Historic Landmark, toColonna Shipyard on the Elizabeth River in Norfolk. ThereNS Savannah, a registered National HistoricLandmark, is again underway.she will undergo a cleanup and repair on her topside decksand interior spaces before being moved to another yardfor the removal of her nuclear power plant. The fuel wasremoved when Savannah was inactivated.Designed by George Sharp Inc. and built in Camden,N.J., by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Savannahwas christened in 1959 and delivered to the MaritimeAdministration in 1962. Constructed under PresidentEisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” program as a demonstrationof the peacetime application of atomic energy, her sleeklines and gleaming white hull made her easily recognizable.Originally operated by States Marine Lines and then byAmerican Export Isbrandtsen Lines, the combinationpassenger/cargo ship traveled more than 450,000 milesduring her short nine years at sea. To go that distance, her20,000 shaft horsepower Babcock & Wilcox nuclear powerplant used just 163 pounds of uranium fuel. With a full crewof 110, Savannah could carry 60 passengers in 30 cabins, aswell as 10,000 tons of cargo in her six holds.Although the project was deemed a huge success inmany areas, her $2,000,000 per year operating subsidy madeher an easy target for cutbacks in government spending andshe was taken out of service in 1971. After spending 13 yearsas a waterfront exhibition in Charleston, S.C., Savannah wastowed to Baltimore, preserved for storage, and moved to theJames River facility in 1999.— Photo and text by Dave BerquistCourt Rules AgainstDepartment of HomelandSecurity in PersonnelSystem OverhaulAn appeals court has ruled against the Department ofHomeland Security (DHS) in a case that involves yet anotherattempt by the federal government to curb the collectivebargaining rights of its employees. The unanimous decision,by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia,upheld and broadened a lower court’s decision to strikedown significant portions of DHS’s new labor relationssystem. In confirming the decision of the lower court, thethree-judge panel ruled that the system as proposed byDHS would illegally curtail collective bargaining rightsfor employees by giving management the ability to cancel- 12 - September – October 2006 The Master, Mate & Pilot