The Seafarers International Union of North America has asked the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations to impose punitive sanctions on the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association for asserting representation of the licensed officers aboard a Great Lakes tug-barge under American Maritime Officers contract.
U.S.-flagged vessels shipped about 109.7 million net tons of dry bulk cargo on the Great Lakes during 2006, an increase of 1.9 percent over the total for 2005 and a 6 percent gain over the five-year average mark. The slight improvement from 2005 to 2006 was attributed to better weather.
The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force this year will spread the Jones Act word among new federal lawmakers and their staffs, American Maritime Officers Great Lakes Vice President Dan Smith said Feb. 1.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee began work on the Water Resources Development Act under the leadership of Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN), who called the committee's first hearing of the 110th Congress to order Jan. 26.
