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AMO To Man Six LNG Tankers
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An arbitrator's finding Dec. 13 cleared the way for AMO to help man six liquefied natural gas carriers for at least four years. The arbitrator ruled that Pronav Ship Management. can proceed with plans to re-flag the ships in the Marshall Islands and operate them in the Far East under AMO contract. The union and Pronav signed a collective bargaining agreement last August, and the transfer from U.S. to foreign registry was approved by the Maritime Administration on Nov. 3. "This is a revolutionary development," said AMO National President Michael R. McKay. "U.S. officers and crews will man foreign-flag ships under American labor and living standards in overseas markets." McKay added: "We would have preferred continued U.S. registry for the LNG tankers--no one wants to see the American flag come down from the stern of a merchant ship. But the alternative in this case was foreign registry with foreign nationals. Under the circumstances, the priority was to save American jobs, and AMO accomplished that." McKay said the agreement between AMO and Pronav is "a full-bodied labor contract that provides for top-dollar wage rates." Under the agreement, Pronav "will make full contributions to the AMO Medical, Pension, Vacation, Safety & Education, 401(k), and Money Purchase Benefit Plans for the AMO members it employs," McKay said. The contract also includes grievance and arbitration procedures and is fully enforceable in U.S. legal venues. AMO engine and deck officers have been "properly trained" for the LNG jobs, McKay noted. "We're ready to go, with full complements and relief personnel--AMO members want to sign on because they know it's a good deal." A full report and additional commentary will appear in the January 2000 issue of 'American Maritime Officer', the union's official publication. | |||
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