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| By MICHAEL R. McKAY | |
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The historic agreement that made American Maritime Officers an autonomous affiliate of the Seafarers International Union of North America in the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations was capped symbolically on March 12 when SIUNA President Mike Sacco presented AMO with the official SIUNA charter. Signed in November 2003, the SIUNA-AMO affiliation agreement restores a strong structural link forged in May 1949, when our union was chartered as the Brotherhood of Marine Engineers in the SIUNA family, 11 years after the SIUNA itself was chartered by the AFL. The BME arose at the hand of Paul Hall, serving at the time as secretary-treasurer of SIUNA's SIU Atlantic and Gulf District (known today as the SIU-Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District/NMU). Hall, a burly prizefighter who had shipped out with the SIU at age 15, vowed that the BME would "run their own affairs from start to finish, in a democratic fashion." Following the reconciliation and merger between the AFL and the CIO in 1955, Hall--who went on to serve as president of SIUNA, president of the SIU district union, and president of the Maritime Trades Department in the AFL-CIO--worked with newly elected AFL-CIO President George Meany to ease a merger between the BME (AFL) and locals of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (CIO). The new union was named MEBA Great Lakes District Local 101 until 1960, when MEBA consolidated its locals and the former BME became District 2 MEBA. Subsequent name changes occurred as our union's jurisdiction expanded and its membership grew. In 1994, AMO became an independent union when it withdrew from the National MEBA to protect its right to self-determination--an action authorized by the overwhelming vote of the AMO membership in a union-wide secret ballot referendum. Secession from the National MEBA was a practical response to an ultimately failed reorganization plan that would have tilted control of National MEBA from its three licensed seagoing district unions to unlicensed and shoreside membership blocs. The unfortunate but unavoidable consequence for our union was loss of AFL-CIO affiliation--National MEBA held the AFL-CIO charter for its district unions. AMO had no dispute with the AFL-CIO. The November 2003 SIUNA-AMO affiliation agreement restores AMO's standing in the labor federation--something we had worked for since withdrawing from the National MEBA. Thus, our union's deep sea, Great Lakes and inland waters jobs and collective bargaining agreements are protected against aggression by other unions. In addition, AMO is able to participate in all AFL-CIO and MTD activities at the national, state, regional and local levels. Under the SIUNA-AMO affiliation agreement, our union maintains the autonomy set for it by Hall. AMO will keep its own Constitution and By-Laws, shipping rules, job dispatch system, dues structure, treasury and other assets, contracts and benefit funds. We will conduct our own elections of officers. Another benefit is the opportunity to work even more closely with Mike Sacco, a labor leader faithful to the Paul Hall tradition, on legislation and other matters of mutual interest. The SIUNA-AMO affiliation agreement was preceded by another historic accord--the July 2003 cooperative agreement between AMO and the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots. The agreement ended a long jurisdictional dispute over ships and jobs that no longer existed, provides for a mutual manning pass-through that enables one union to help the other fill jobs when manpower shortages exist, and reaffirms the two unions' commitments to the tripartite agreement among AMO, the MMP and MEBA, which requires the three unions to provide uniform wage and benefit costs to employers bidding for specific Military Sealift Command and Maritime Administration ship operating charters. In sum, the AMO-MMP agreement provides for what the accord calls "a harmonious fraternal relationship" between two unions with a lot in common. The AMO-MMP agreement has already resulted in an unprecedented development--Captain Tim Brown, president of the MMP, and other MMP officials were guests of the executive board of AMO during the board's meetings, held the week of March 8 in conjunction with the quarterly meetings of the joint employer-union trustees of the AMO Plans. The dialogue between the AMO executive board and the MMP officials was frank, free and wide-ranging, and it did much to enhance mutual understanding and respect--which can only benefit both unions. |
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