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Membership Makes Success Possible For Our Union |
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By MICHAEL R. McKAY | |
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This year neared an end in the same positive way it had begun--new vessels and new jobs for AMO. On Dec. 6, Totem Ocean Trailer Express announced that it will build two large roll-on/roll-off ships in the U.S. for domestic trade in the Pacific Northwest. The ships will be operated for TOTE by Interocean Ugland Management. Corp., or IUM, which employs our union in all licensed positions. IUM also operates the two roll-on/roll-off ships that were added to the AMO ocean-going fleet roster early in 1999. Those ships--'El Yunque' and 'El Morro'--provide shuttle service between Florida and Puerto Rico. The company also operates five newly built double-hulled product tankers, the last two of which--'Ambrose Channel' and 'Brenton Reef'--came on stream this year. The tankers carry commercial cargoes between domestic points and are equipped to provide military support services if necessary. Also new to the AMO fleet this year was the car carrier 'Tanabata', which was reflagged in the U.S. for operation by American V Ships Marine Ltd. LLC. The 'Tanabata' is the fourth car carrier manned by AMO, and it will join the 'Faust' and 'Fidelio' in the Maritime Security Program, which was authorized in the Maritime Security Act of 1996. Also enriching the AMO employment base were the freighter 'Ascension', operated by Sealift Inc., and the large, medium-speed roll-on/roll-off ship 'USNS Red Cloud', operated by Maersk Line Ltd. In a significant win for AMO, the operating charter for eight T-AGOR oceanographic vessels was re-awarded to Dyn Marine Services by the Navy's Military Sealift Command. Dyn Marine employs AMO engine, deck, and radio-electronics officers. On the Great Lakes, where AMO represents the engine and deck officers and stewards on nearly every dry bulk carrier and tanker, our union manned a new integrated tug-barge combination--the tug 'Dorothy Ann' and the barge 'Pathfinder', operated by a new unit of Interlake Steamship Co. Meanwhile, key personnel on five inland waters casino vessels voted for AMO representation, and more organizing is underway in that growing sector. Next year, AMO will man the cruise ship 'Patriot' under the U.S. flag. The ship--formerly the foreign-flag Nieuw Amsterdam of Holland America Line--was acquired by American Classic Voyages for operation alongside the classic 'S.S. Independence' in the Hawaiian Islands. AMO will also track the construction of two large ocean-going cruise ships ordered by American Classic Voyages from Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Ms. for Hawaiian service under AMO contract. The ships will be the first deep-sea cruise vessels built in the U.S. in nearly 50 years, and there is a good chance that American Classic will order more. Moreover, AMO in 2000 will man the passenger vessel 'Columbia Queen', which will be operated in Pacific Northwest cruise markets by Delta Queen Steamboat Co., a subsidiary of American Classic. A new American Classic unit, Delta Queen Coastal Cruise Line, will operate at least five vessels for East, West and Gulf Coast domestic cruises. The vessels are on order at Atlantic Marine In Jacksonville, Fla.--and AMO will man those vessels as they enter service. In a separate undertaking, a new venture called SeaAmerica Cruise Line will soon select a U.S. shipyard for the construction of up to three large ships for domestic cruises on the ocean and Gulf coasts, and AMO will provide the licensed officers for those vessels. One especially promising development is the rapid pace of FastShip, the forthcoming four-ship container line that will provide high-speed U.S.-flag service between the U.S. and Europe. The ships will be operated by IUM and manned by AMO. Many of the new jobs are dependent on continued enforcement of the 1920 Jones Act and the 1886 Passenger Vessel Service Act, the cabotage laws that reserve domestic cargo and cruise markets, respectively, for vessels owned, built, registered and manned in the U.S. Both laws are under persistent attack by powerful private interests and a handful of influential House and Senate members, but AMO has helped deepen the frustration of the laws' critics, who have failed to advance past the hopper with bills to roll back or repeal the cabotage requirements. Our Washington staff has worked long and hard on the issue, and the AMO Voluntary Political Action Fund has helped elect and re-elect lawmakers who understand the economic and national security merit of both the Jones Act and the PVSA, and who do not want the laws tampered with. The AMO Voluntary Political Action Fund has been acknowledged by such diverse publications as 'Congressional Quarterly' and The 'Wall Street Journal' as a powerhouse in the capital. Credit for that goes to AMO deep-sea, Great Lakes, and inland waters members who appreciate the connection between political participation and long-term job and benefit security. In fact, credit for every success enjoyed by AMO in its first 50 years is to be shared by AMO members,from the founding few to today's talented force. These men and women personify excellence and professionalism on the job at sea, and they reflect stability and consistency in an increasingly important industry. To AMO members and their families everywhere, my thanks and my best wishes for healthy, happy holidays and prosperous opportunity in the 21st Century. |
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