Strikes by American Maritime Officers against two major U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk vessel operators were recently averted at the deadlines when the companies agreed to the union's wage and benefit proposals.
The Coast Guard will soon require mariners working as first-class pilots aboard vessels greater than 1,600 gross registered tons, as well as mariners who "serve as" pilots on certain types of vessels greater than 1,600 GRT, to provide copies of their annual physical exams to the Coast Guard.
Shipments of dry-bulk cargo in U.S.-flagged vessels totaled 11.9 million net tons in September, an increase of 3.5 percent compared with the same period last year and a 6.6 percent improvement over the five-year average.
