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'A solid, resilient and resourceful union able to withstand challenge'
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American Maritime Officers remains "strong, vibrant and stable" under new leadership, AMO National President Thomas J. Bethel told top maritime labor officials Feb. 28.
Bethel delivered his upbeat message to Seafarers International Union President Michael Sacco, the SIU executive board and officials of the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department in a private session on the eve of the MTD's two-day winter meeting in Las Vegas. "I told them that AMO is alive, doing very well, and getting even better, despite the traumatic time our union had been through," Bethel said after the meeting. "I told them that, as the new national president of AMO, I am in a position to influence lasting, positive change -- not change for its own sake, but change with a real purpose. The obstacles to a more transparent union are no longer there." Bethel said he had reported on actions he and the national executive board of AMO had taken to "hasten recovery and reconciliation in AMO" following the felony conviction and resignation of former AMO National President Michael McKay in January 2007. "I also outlined forthcoming personnel and policy changes." Bethel continued: "The difficult experience that began with subpoenas served on AMO and the AMO Plans in June 2000 and ended with the convictions of four former AMO officials and one former AMO employee confirmed for me that AMO is a solid, resilient and resourceful union that can withstand any challenge. "Nearly seven years of crisis at the top did not diminish AMO's standing as the nation's largest, strongest and most secure union of licensed seafaring professionals. Nearly seven years of controversy did not cost AMO its remarkable and unequaled record of full employment, sound and growing membership benefit funds, and new opportunity in development and on the horizon. "I give significant credit for this to the AMO membership. These men and women do their important work each day and night routinely and consistently in a manner that brings lasting credit upon themselves as individuals and to AMO as a union. "This administration will provide all AMO members with every measure of respect and the certainty that union-wide job and benefit security is the principal focus. We will operate openly but securely, and we will be both responsive and responsible. "To these ends, I have set new standards of candor, communication, accessibility, accountability and trust, and I have insisted that every AMO official, representative and employee be guided by these values. I have encouraged dialogue, disagreement and debate -- I want every AMO member to feel free to speak up and speak out because I believe diversity of opinion provides the strongest safeguard against harmful complacency. "American Maritime Officers will no longer be defined by the disturbing events of the last several years, but by the traditionally strong character and keen judgment of the AMO membership and by the credibility of the AMO leadership. This administration has been at work for only three months, but we have already done much to demonstrate our commitment to new style and substance. We intend to do even more." Earlier, Bethel convened a conference in Washington with deep-sea employers. He updated the company representatives on recent and current developments in AMO. SIU and MTD President Michael Sacco joined the day-long session and reaffirmed the SIU's support of AMO and its new administration. "I was grateful for the confidence Mike expressed in me and the national executive board of our union," Bethel said after the conference. Also in February, Bethel chaired his first AMO national executive board meeting as national president. The board was joined by Sacco, SIU Executive Vice President Augie Tellez and SIU Secretary-Treasurer Dave Heindel and separately by Capt. Tim Brown, president of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots, for informal talks. |
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