Legal <strong>News</strong> (continued)Singleton, continued from page 25MM&P <strong>Convention</strong>, I received <strong>the</strong> NLRB’s decision in <strong>the</strong>ARTCO case. As we had expected, <strong>the</strong> NLRB reversed <strong>the</strong>judge’s findings <strong>and</strong> ruled th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> pilots were supervisorsbased on “<strong>the</strong>ir authority to responsibly direct <strong>and</strong> assignemployees.” The ramific<strong>at</strong>ions for MM&P may go beyond<strong>the</strong> simple facts of this decision. Although seemingly only<strong>the</strong> st<strong>at</strong>us of pilots on <strong>the</strong> river is <strong>at</strong> stake, virtually everymember of MM&P exercises some type of responsibilityor duty th<strong>at</strong> has been called “supervisory,” whe<strong>the</strong>r it isgiving simple direction or something more. If predictionsare correct, <strong>and</strong> I believe <strong>the</strong>m to be conserv<strong>at</strong>ive, morethan eight million workers whose jobs include even minor,incidental <strong>and</strong> occasional supervisory duties will beremoved from <strong>the</strong> protection of <strong>the</strong> NLRA by <strong>the</strong> Board’sruling in Kentucky River. Wh<strong>at</strong>’s more, an adverse rulingon <strong>the</strong> supervisory issue will make it easier for employersto resist unions’ <strong>at</strong>tempts to organize workers <strong>and</strong> longestablishedunions <strong>and</strong> collective bargaining rel<strong>at</strong>ionshipswill unravel as employers assert <strong>the</strong>y no longer have a dutyto recognize <strong>and</strong> bargain with unions. This may be especiallytrue in industries such as ours, where our licensed deckofficers perform supervisory-type duties when required.<strong>In</strong> fact, <strong>the</strong> same <strong>at</strong>torneys I tried <strong>the</strong> ARTCO case against<strong>and</strong> won, Jenner & Block out of Chicago, filed an amicus(or friend-of-<strong>the</strong>-court) brief in Oakwood Healthcare,ano<strong>the</strong>r supervisory case pending before <strong>the</strong> NLRB. <strong>In</strong><strong>the</strong>ir brief, <strong>the</strong>y cite <strong>the</strong> Brusco Tug & Barge decision, inwhich <strong>the</strong> Court had overturned a Board ruling th<strong>at</strong> pilotswere not supervisors. The Court found th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> pilots weresupervisors because <strong>the</strong>y assess a crew’s skills <strong>and</strong> abilities in<strong>the</strong> assignment of tasks. Many of <strong>the</strong> river bo<strong>at</strong> companiesfiled amicus briefs because <strong>the</strong>y want to shut <strong>the</strong> door onorganizing on <strong>the</strong> rivers forever. With <strong>the</strong> issuance of <strong>the</strong>ARTCO decision by <strong>the</strong> NLRB, it is likely th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> floodg<strong>at</strong>eof supervisory decisions is about to open.Many of you may not be aware th<strong>at</strong> MM&P Associ<strong>at</strong>eCounsel Gabriel Terrasa <strong>and</strong> I both started our legal careersas trial <strong>at</strong>torneys <strong>and</strong> prosecutors for <strong>the</strong> NLRB. To see <strong>the</strong>NLRB become such a pawn of corpor<strong>at</strong>e interests <strong>and</strong> soineffective in meeting its goals is deeply disturbing to bothof us. It’s as if we had found out th<strong>at</strong> one of our parents wasa criminal. I left <strong>the</strong> NLRB about 25 years ago when I felt Icould no longer work <strong>the</strong>re under Ronald Reagan <strong>and</strong> hewas like John Sweeney compared to Bush.MM&P <strong>In</strong>tern<strong>at</strong>ional Counsel John M. Singleton <strong>and</strong>Associ<strong>at</strong>e Counsel Gabriel A. Terrasa manage all <strong>the</strong> union’slegal affairs. The rest of Singleton’s report to <strong>the</strong> <strong>81st</strong> MM&P<strong>Convention</strong> will be published in upcoming editions of TheMaster, M<strong>at</strong>e & Pilot.Quick, continued from page 24intern<strong>at</strong>ional st<strong>and</strong>ards under ILO <strong>Convention</strong> 185. <strong>In</strong>addition, <strong>the</strong> TWIC <strong>and</strong> its access control regul<strong>at</strong>ions mustpreempt all st<strong>at</strong>e <strong>and</strong> local regul<strong>at</strong>ions. Our position isth<strong>at</strong> access control procedures using a TWIC should be assimple <strong>and</strong> uncomplic<strong>at</strong>ed as possible, <strong>and</strong> be limited todetermining if a worker holds an acceptable identity cardfor access control purposes. The system should evolve intoa more technologically advanced, m<strong>and</strong><strong>at</strong>ory system onlyafter experience is gained, <strong>and</strong> both hardware <strong>and</strong> softwareare tested <strong>and</strong> proven practical in actual service on avoluntary basis.The union <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r critics of <strong>the</strong> proposal as it wasoriginally published registered a significant victory recentlywhen Congress enacted legisl<strong>at</strong>ion requiring <strong>the</strong> TSA toh<strong>and</strong>le appeals of a denial of a TWIC via an administr<strong>at</strong>ivelaw judge process which removes final determin<strong>at</strong>ionfrom within <strong>the</strong> TSA <strong>and</strong> ensures due process. Originally<strong>the</strong> proposal provided only for appeals within <strong>the</strong> TSAby a higher level supervisor of <strong>the</strong> official who hadmade <strong>the</strong> initial determin<strong>at</strong>ion. We questioned whe<strong>the</strong>r<strong>the</strong>re is sufficient objectivity <strong>and</strong> due process protectionwhen appeals are h<strong>and</strong>led within <strong>the</strong> same agency’sorganiz<strong>at</strong>ional structure.<strong>In</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r victory, on Aug. 15, we were informedth<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> TSA <strong>and</strong> USCG would not require card readers<strong>at</strong> port facilities or on ships during <strong>the</strong> first phase of <strong>the</strong>implement<strong>at</strong>ion of <strong>the</strong> TWIC program, which will focus onbackground checks <strong>and</strong> issuance of TWIC cards. Any futurerequirements for card readers will be <strong>the</strong> subject of a newproposal <strong>and</strong> comment period.(Future installments in upcoming issues of The Master,M<strong>at</strong>e & Pilot will provide more inform<strong>at</strong>ion on <strong>the</strong> union’spolicy work in Washington, D.C., <strong>and</strong> around <strong>the</strong> world.)- 26 - September – October 2006 The Master, M<strong>at</strong>e & Pilot
Directory of MM&P Offices<strong>In</strong>tern<strong>at</strong>ional Headquarters700 Maritime BoulevardLinthicum Heights, MD 21090Phone: 410-850-8700Fax: 410-850-0973E-mail: iommp@bridgedeck.orgWebsite: www.bridgedeck.org<strong>In</strong>tern<strong>at</strong>ional OfficersTimothy A. Brown, PresidentExt. 17; e-mail: president@bridgedeck.orgGlen P. Banks, Secretary-TreasurerExt. 21; e-mail: sec-treas@bridgedeck.orgExecutive OfficesGeorge Quick, Vice PresidentPilot Membership GroupExt. 20; e-mail: gquick@bridgedeck.orgMike Rodriguez, Executive Assistant to <strong>the</strong> PresidentExt. 23; e-mail: mrodriguez@bridgedeck.orgRichard Plant, Director of Special ProjectsExt. 36; e-mail: rplant@bridgedeck.orgAudrey Scharmann, Executive SecretaryExt. 17; e-mail: ascharmann@bridgedeck.orgDiane Ch<strong>at</strong>ham, Executive SecretaryExt. 21; e-mail: dch<strong>at</strong>ham@bridgedeck.orgLegal DepartmentJohn Singleton, <strong>In</strong>tern<strong>at</strong>ional CounselExt. 19; e-mail: jsingleton@bridgedeck.orgGabriel Terrasa, Associ<strong>at</strong>e CounselExt. 45; e-mail: gterrasa@bridgedeck.orgCommunic<strong>at</strong>ions OfficeLisa Rosenthal, Communic<strong>at</strong>ions DirectorExt. 27; e-mail: communic<strong>at</strong>ions@bridgedeck.orgAccounting OfficeJohn Gorman, <strong>In</strong>tern<strong>at</strong>ional ComptrollerExt. 12; e-mail: jgorman@bridgedeck.orgGovernment Employees’ Membership GroupR<strong>and</strong>i Ciszewski, Represent<strong>at</strong>ive37 Edward Hart Dr., Jersey City, NJ 07305Phone: 732-248-8702; Fax: 201-433-7959E-mail: rciszewski@bridgedeck.orgDavid H. Bo<strong>at</strong>ner, West Coast ContactIOMM&P – Los Angeles/Long Beach533 N. Marine Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744-5527Phone: 310-834-7201; Fax: 310-834-6667E-mail: dbo<strong>at</strong>ner@bridgedeck.orgR<strong>and</strong>i Ciszewski, U.S. Navy Civil Service Pilots Represent<strong>at</strong>ive37 Edward Hart Dr., Jersey City, NJ 07305Phone: 732-248-8702; Fax: 201-433-7959E-mail: rciszewski@bridgedeck.orgOffshore Membership GroupRich May, Vice President-Atlantic PortsBob Groh, Vice President-Gulf PortsDon Marcus, Vice President-Pacific PortsBostonDan Cartmill, Dan Goggin, Represent<strong>at</strong>ivesHarbour Pointe East80 Everett Ave. – Suite 211, Chelsea, MA 02150Phone: 617-884-8680; Fax: 617-884-8438E-mail: boston@bridgedeck.orgCharlestonElise Silvers, Represent<strong>at</strong>ive1529 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., 1st FloorCharleston, SC 29407Phone: 843-766-3565; Fax: 843-766-6352E-mail: esilvers@bridgedeck.orgHonoluluR<strong>and</strong>y Swindell, Represent<strong>at</strong>ive707 Alakea St. - No. 212, Honolulu, HI 96813Phone: 808-523-8183; Fax: 808-538-3672E-mail: rswindell@bridgedeck.orgHoustonWayne Farthing, Agent-Gulf PortsNell Wilkerson, Represent<strong>at</strong>ive8150 S. Loop E. - Suite 207, Houston, TX 77017Phone: 713-649-8812; Fax: 713-649-6101E-mail: wfarthing@bridgedeck.org;nwilkerson@bridgedeck.orgJacksonvilleLiz Pettit, Represent<strong>at</strong>ive349 E. 20th St., Jacksonville, FL 32206Phone: 904-356-0041; Fax: 904-353-7413E-mail: lpettit@bridgedeck.orgThe Master, M<strong>at</strong>e & Pilot September – October 2006 - 27 -
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