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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

NEWS BriefsMM&P-Crewed USNS Apachein Rescue OperationsFleet ocean tug USNS Apache, with MM&P-licensed deckofficers on board, rescued seven fishermen whose canoeshad capsized off the coast of Liberia on Aug. 14. Onlyfive days earlier, Apache and her crew were involved in adramatic fire-fighting operation in the Port of Monrovia.“It’s not every day that we get to put out a serious fire or topluck drowning fishermen out of the water,” says CaptainCharles R. Rodríguez. “The crew’s response was superb.”Apache is operating in Monrovia in support ofCommander, Naval Forces Europe. Sailors in the ship’smobile diving salvage unit are conducting repairs on theport’s commercial pier and surveying the harbor as part of areconstruction effort.Apache was two nautical miles west of the harborentrance Aug. 14 when she came upon five men struggling inthe water next to a canoe. “Several of us saw the overturnedboat and people in the water around 2:45 p.m.,” Rodríguezsays. “I immediately called the chief mate to tell him to getout to the site as quickly as possible.”Deck officers of USNS Apache (back row, left to right):Captain Charles Rodríguez, Chief Mate Troy A. Bruemmer(front row, left to right) Second Officer Adel M. Desoukiand Third Officer Norman L. Chiu. “It’s not every daywe get to put out a serious fire or to pluck drowningfishermen out of the water,” Rodríguez says.When they got the call for help, Chief Mate TroyBruemmer and Able Seaman Jeremy Guyet were in theharbor aboard the ship’s rigid hull inflatable boat observingthe pier repair operation. “They were on scene picking thefirst of the five victims out of the water within ten minutes,”Rodríguez said. “They hauled the fishermen into the boat,Third Officer Norman Chiu and other members of thecrew of USNS Apache man hoses to quell the fire ragingaboard the commercial freighter MV Tahoma Reefer.huddled them together and covered them because theyappeared to be in the first stages of hypothermia.”Bruemmer and Guyet were en route to the port withthe five rescued men when they happened on two otherfishermen adrift. After getting them out of the water andinto the boat, the two crew members returned all seven mento dry land. “Once they warmed up after being delivered tothe port, they walked away unassisted,” Rodríguez said.For the crew of Apache, it was the second rescueoperation in five days, coming on the heels of a battle toput out a fire aboard the commercial freighter MV TahomaReefer. The crew members “were manning fire hoses andmonitors while we combated the fire aboard MV TahomaReefer,” the captain said. “Everyone knew what to do, andthey were anxious to assist in any way possible. But I mustadd, there were no heroics. We were all quite safe duringboth of these events. It was just a rewarding opportunity todo our jobs.”Horizon Lines VesselsWin Safety AwardThree Horizon Lines vessels received the prestigious DevlinAward for safe operations at a ceremony held in June. Thethree are the Horizon Producer, the Horizon Spirit and theHorizon Anchorage. The Devlin Awards are given by theChamber of Shipping to self-propelled merchant vesselsthat have operated for two full years or more without acrewmember losing a full turn at watch because of anoccupational injury.- - September – October 2006 The Master, Mate & Pilot
“All the permanent crew of the Producer take real pridein the way we do things operationally and safety-wise,” saidCaptain William Boyce. “It’s nice to see our hard work andefforts get recognized. It is a complete team effort: the keyis dedication to the details and having a happy ship with afine group of guys.” Boyce accepted the award on behalf ofthe crew of the Producer. Also in attendance at the awardsceremony were Captain Richard Klein, who accepted theaward on behalf of the crew of the Spirit, and Horizon Linesrepresentatives Wally Becker and Mike Bolhman.Maritime Labor Unitedon TWIC Card ProposalRepresentatives of MM&P, other maritime unions andindustry trade groups met Aug. 24 with congressionalstaffers to outline their concerns regarding theTransportation Workers Identification Credential, or“TWIC,” the ID card now under development at theDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS).MM&P Pilots Group Vice President George Quick,Special Projects Director Richard Plant and Steve Wines ofMIRAID represented the union at the meeting. Among therecommendations made by maritime labor:• The U.S. Coast Guard-issued Merchant Mariner Document(MMD) should be redesigned to include a biometricidentifier so as to be in compliance with the MaritimeSecurity Act and all relevant international conventions. TheMMD could then serve as a TWIC for merchant mariners,eliminating any need for a separate credential.• Merchant mariners who undergo the vetting process fora MMD should not be required to undergo a second,duplicative background check to obtain a TWIC fromDHS.• The MMD should preempt any local or state identificationrequirements and allow the holder unfettered access to U.S.terminals, ships and ports.• USCG-licensed officers should continue to be issued a“license” to display on board the vessel on which they aresailing.It was also suggested at the meeting that the USCG beauthorized to extend the duration of licenses and documentsautomatically if there are processing delays so that marinersin these situations can continue working. Another proposal:the introduction of quality control standards to allowCongress to monitor the USCG’s performance in the area oflicensing and documentation.Other unions represented at the meeting were theMarine Engineers’ Beneficial Association and the Seafarers’International Union. Also present were representatives of theAFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department and various industrygroups.Bars on Terminal Access StillPlague Seafarers, ShipownersMariners and shipowners report that limits on terminalaccess continue to interfere with the business of shippingand to compromise seafarers’ right to shore leave. SomeU.S. terminals now require that ships pay hundreds or eventhousands of dollars for private contractors’ security servicesshould any member of the crew or any visitor to the shipOne East Coast terminal is enforcinga policy of “no shore leave forU.S. citizens on U.S. ships.”require passage between the vessel and the terminal gate.One MM&P-contracted company reports it recentlyhad to pay $2,400 to private contractors for miscellaneous“security services” during a 24-hour stop at an East Coastterminal. A spokesman for the company reports anotherterminal at which the stated policy, conveyed to shipownersin writing, is “no shore leave for U.S. citizens on U.S. ships.”Some terminals will not allow crew change, “or we have todo it at anchor or on the outboard side, not at berth,” says aspokesman for another U.S. company.Worldwide, implementation of a universally accepted“Seafarers Identify Document (SID),” has practically stalled.So far only four countries have ratified the SID convention,which was formulated by the International LabourOrganisation (ILO) three years ago.The SID, developed in response to the events ofSept. 11, was to be an internationally verifiable biometricidentification of seafarers to allow shore access. But it seems“to have become lost in political apathy and national selfinterest,”according to an article published in the Aug. 11issue of Tradewinds. “The United States, which pushedfor a new, more secure form of identification, appears toThe Master, Mate & Pilot September – October 2006 - -
Page 1: Vol. 42, No. 5September -October 20
Page 4 and 5: from the PRESIDENT (continued)Inter
Page 6 and 7: company newsNew Matson Vessel Chris
Page 10 and 11: NEWS Briefs (CONTINUED)have turned
Page 12 and 13: NEWS Briefs (CONTINUED)requirement
Page 14 and 15: NEWS Briefs (CONTINUED)In launching
Page 16 and 17: Washington ObserverProgress on Key
Page 18 and 19: Masters, Mates & Pilots PlansAdmini
Page 20 and 21: The 81st MM&P ConventionUnity, Team
Page 22 and 23: The 81st MM&P ConventionMM&P United
Page 24 and 25: The 81st MM&P ConventionConstitutio
Page 26 and 27: International PerspectiveReport to
Page 28 and 29: Legal News (continued)Singleton, co
Page 30 and 31: Los Angeles/Long BeachDavid H. Boat
Page 32 and 33: Puget Sound PilotsCapt. Richard McC
Page 34 and 35: Cross’d the Final BarDewey C. Bol
Page 36 and 37: Make Your Voice Heardin WashingtonT
Page 38 and 39: PCF CONTRIBUTORSVOTE!Tuesday, Nov.
Page 40: frontback- 38 - September - October

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

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?