The decision to call for a strike vote is one of the hardest I have to make as a union official. When it comes to preserving the wages, benefits and standards achieved by American Maritime Officers through long and intense battles over the years, it is a decision that must sometimes be faced.
Cargo loadings in U.S.-flagged Great Lakes vessels declined nearly 5 percent to 11.3 million net tons in June compared with the same period the previous year, and fell 3 percent compared with the five-year average mark.
