The AMO office in Traverse City, Mich. is open for business. Here, retired AMO Captain Mike Stuart, AMO Great Lakes Representative Pete Kinsey, AMO member Captain Alex Bergel and Great Lakes Maritime Academy Cadet Quint Long gathered at the new AMO Great Lakes office in Traverse City, Mich., to present the original velum plans for the first self-unloader, the S/S Hennepin. This drawing was loaned to AMO by the Bergel family. The American Maritime Officers office in Traverse City is located at 830 East Front Street, Suite 204.
AMO members underway on the Ocean Grand keeping everything running strong – Chief Engineer Patrick Devlin finishes charging the house AC unit, Second Assistant Engineer John Crum tests boiler water in the machine shop, and First A.E. Gavin Randall prepares birds for the crew.
The following bulletin was released by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The National Maritime Center (NMC) will begin issuing medical certificates electronically via e-mail effective Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
This enhancement improves delivery speed, reliability, and accessibility by providing mariners with immediate access to their certificates.
What’s Changing on April 1, 2026:
1. Medical certificate (no waiver) delivered via e-mail – standard delivery method.
- All new medical certificates that do not include a medical waiver will be delivered electronically to the mariner’s e-mail address on record as the standard method of issuance.
- Certificates must be signed to be valid. It is also recommended that mariners print and maintain a signed certificate for their use.
To help mariners during this transition, mariners should ensure their current e-mail address is included on the medical certificate application. An active and valid e-mail address is required to receive a medical certificate.
2. Didn’t receive your medical certificate post-launch?
- Mariners should first check the online status tool to confirm issuance status.
- If the certificate shows “Issued”, contact the NMC Customer Service Center to request the certificate be resent.
- Submission of an application or affidavit is not required to have a certificate resent.
3. Medical certificates with medical waivers (e-mail delivery coming soon).
- Electronic delivery for medical certificates that include waivers is currently in development and is expected to be available shortly after initial implementation.
- These certificates will continue to be handled under current processes until electronic delivery is implemented.
This improvement is designed to simplify the process, reduce wait times associated with mail delivery, and provide mariners faster, more reliable access to credentials needed for employment and compliance. For more information, visit the NMC website.
If you have any questions about any of the upcoming changes, contact the NMC Customer Service Center, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST, by using the NMC online chat system on the NMC website, , or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
We are committed to providing exceptional service and anticipate this change will improve access and convenience for the mariners we serve.
Sincerely,
Patrick A. Drayer
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard
Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection
PLEASE NOTE: As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains in a partial shutdown, the U.S. Coast Guard NMC continues to issue updates to mitigation efforts for Merchant Mariner Credentials and Medical Certificates. The details of these mitigation efforts and document validity extensions for National Endorsements (and Pilot for Medical Certificates), as well as requirements for extending International Endorsements and Medical Certificates, can be found in the latest bulletin issued March 19, 2026.
It is very important to keep in mind that, although you may qualify for an extension under the terms provided in the USCG’s latest bulletin, the decision to allow you to continue to sail and/or join a vessel on your “expired” certificate or credential is ultimately up to the company by which you are currently employed.
If the vessel you are assigned to gets underway or is expected to get underway in any capacity, whether coastwise or international, you MUST obtain an STCW dispensation letter, which can only be requested by the company by which you are currently employed.
The complete bulletin issued by the Coast Guard, including the required letter referenced below, can be downloaded from the AMO website.
Lapse in Appropriations and Government Shutdown UPDATE #2: Mitigation Efforts – Extensions
This update supersedes the information in Update #1 dated February 20, 2026.
Due to the government shutdown, the National Maritime Center (NMC) and all Regional Examination Centers (RECs) remain closed. Customer walk-in service at the RECs is suspended. Examinations and other REC appointments are cancelled. To mitigate the impact caused by the government shutdown, the NMC has implemented the following measures:
- The Application Submission Portal (ASAP) for submission of applications and supporting documentation remains active. Processing will resume once appropriations are restored.
- Merchant Mariner Credentials (National Endorsements only) and Medical Certificates (National and Pilot expiration dates only) that expire between January 1 and April 30, 2026, remain valid until June 30, 2026. Mariners who are actively working on expired credentials that meet the expiration criteria must carry the expired credential AND a copy of the attached letter while sailing under the authority of those credentials. The NMC will not issue separate or replacement MMCs or Medical Certificates reflecting the extension.
International Convention Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, for MMCs and Medical Certificates:
- MMCs: Pursuant to Article VIII, dispensations may be granted for continued service for mariners operating on endorsements that expired on or after January 1, 2026, provided a renewal application was submitted to the NMC and the employer applied to the Coast Guard for dispensation. STCW dispensations that are approved will expire up to August 31, 2026. Once the STCW dispensation letter is issued, mariners shall carry the letter AND a copy of this bulletin with the MMC. Requests for dispensation must be submitted with a subject line “STCW Dispensation” and must include the following information: ship name, IMO number, ship tonnage, mariner name, mariner reference number, capacity per STCW regulations, credential issuance and expiration dates, company name, company point of contact, and valid mariner e-mail address.
- Medical Certificates: In accordance with STCW Regulation I/9, when the STCW expiration date of a Medical Certificate occurs during a voyage, the certificate remains valid for 3 months from the expiration date.
- Additional information letters, approval to test letters, mariner training course completion certificates, and drug test letters that expire between February and April 2026, are extended until June 30, 2026. The NMC will not issue updated letters reflecting the extension.
- Qualified assessor and designated examiner certification letters and course approvals that expire between February and April 2026, are extended until June 30, 2026. The NMC will not issue updated certificates/letters reflecting the extension.
Mariner examinations:
- Mariners who began but did not complete all modules of an examination prior to February 13, 2026, may resume testing without penalty once the NMC reopens. Testing should be completed within 60 days of reopening. Contact the NMC regarding waivers due to sea service.
- 90-day retest periods are paused beginning on February 13, 2026, and will restart upon reopening. Contact the NMC regarding waivers due to sea service.
- For questions regarding credentialing issues related to National Defense, marine employers are advised to contact our Customer Service Center.
For updates on NMC and REC operating status, please monitor the NMC website. For questions, contact our Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system on the NMC website, , or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
The NMC understands the shutdown will affect our industry, customers and stakeholders, and we apologize for any potential inconvenience.
Sincerely,
Patrick A. Drayer
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard
Officer in Charge, Marine Inspections
The minutes for the regular monthly American Maritime Officers membership meeting held March 4 have been posted in the member section of the AMO website, which is accessible to active AMO members and applicants.
AMO members will need to click on the MEMBER LOGIN tab on the AMO website (LOGIN on mobile devices) and log into the member portal. Members and applicants using the updated AMO website for the first time will need to register a new account for the member portal, a link for which is featured on the MEMBER LOGIN page.
The following bulletin was released today by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The National Maritime Center (NMC) has resolved the technical difficulties affecting the Application Submission and Additional Information Portal (ASAP). The portal is now available, and mariners may resume submitting applications and documents.
For updates on system availability, NMC and REC operating status, please monitor the NMC website. For questions, contact our Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system on the NMC Website, , or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
The NMC appreciates your patience and understanding during the outage.
Sincerely,
Patrick A. Drayer
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard
Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection
The following bulletin was released today by the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center.
The National Maritime Center (NMC) is currently experiencing technical difficulties with the Application Submission Portal (ASAP). As a result, the NMC is unable to accept applications through the portal at this time.
No alternate application methods are currently available. Mariners should hold their application submissions until the portal is restored.
Our technical teams are actively working to resolve the issue; however, an estimated time for resolution is not yet available.
For updates on system availability, NMC and REC operating status, please monitor the NMC website. For questions, contact our Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system on the NMC Website, , or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
The NMC appreciates your patience and understanding as we work to restore full functionality.
Sincerely,
Patrick A. Drayer
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard
Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection
March 18, 2026
Washington, D.C. – A coalition of U.S. maritime labor organizations, including the American Maritime Officers; American Radio Association; International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots; Marine Firemen’s Union; Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association; Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO; Sailors’ Union of the Pacific; Seafarers International Union; and the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, today expressed alarm regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to issue a sweeping 60-day waiver of the Jones Act in the following statement:
“America’s maritime labor unions are deeply concerned about the Administration’s broad Jones Act waiver, which undermines our national security, weakens military readiness, and hands critical maritime work to foreign vessel operators. Jones Act waivers are intended to meet a strict legal standard and are traditionally granted only in narrow, clearly defined national security emergencies where U.S.-flag capacity is unavailable. Maritime labor has supported narrowly tailored Jones Act waivers in the past when they were obviously justified in the national interest, but this sweeping action does not meet that standard.
“At a time of heightened global instability where American sailors are being targeted in the Persian Gulf and surrounding areas, opening U.S. waterways to foreign adversaries through an expansive Jones Act waiver further jeopardizes America’s safety and security in open waters. Such action only permits more abuse of our nation’s cabotage laws and sends a damaging signal about the nation’s commitment to sustain a strong U.S. maritime industry and workforce.
“To be clear, this decision will not provide meaningful relief at the gas pump. It has been plainly shown that the primary driver of gasoline prices remains the global cost of crude oil, and multiple analyses demonstrate that domestic shipping accounts for less than one cent per gallon. Any marginal savings will not reach consumers but will instead reward foreign shipping interests at the expense of American workers.
“Maritime labor calls on the Administration to reverse course and work with stakeholders on real solutions that address energy costs without sacrificing American jobs, national security, or the long-term strength of the U.S. maritime industrial base.”
By Danny Robichaux
National Executive Vice President
AMO contracts provide AMO members sailing in multiple sectors with double-digit gains well above the Bloomberg Law reported 2025 first-year averages. This was achieved with approximately 28 weeks in Collective Bargaining sessions as well as weeks of preparations and documentation before and after negotiations.
American Maritime Officers members serving on the negotiating committee for the TOTE Orca Class contract included Chris Parks, Nick LeBlanc, Mark Daly, Mike Dusek, Brian O’Connell and Chris Woodward. With them are AMO Contract Analyst Chris Holmes and AMO National Executive Vice President Danny Robichaux.
I thank the AMO membership for providing information prior to negotiations to ensure improved contracts. I also extend my great appreciation to each member who stepped up to participate on AMO negotiating committees. The dedication shown by committee members while representing the officers of their respective fleets is crucial to the AMO membership and our collective bargaining process. Since my direct involvement in deep sea negotiations began in January 2019, we’ve prioritized efforts to increase the number and involvement of negotiating committee members, as well as to enhance the selection process within each fleet. These changes have brought improvements for our membership.
Over the past several years, we’ve experienced unprecedented changes affecting collective bargaining. Specifically, changes in manning and economics – with both spiking and receding over the last few years. Although reports vary depending on the source, making these percentages approximate, consumer price index (CPI) sources reported spiking annual rates of about 8 to 9 percent in 2022, dropping to about 2.7 percent reported for 2025.
Through it all, AMO has remained above the national averages reported by Bloomberg Law, the only source found tracking the data of negotiated union contract gains. As a first for AMO, a search for information for this article produced an AI result of first-year union contract gains that listed AMO as an exceptional “sector variation” of Bloomberg Law’s 2024 national average.
With our member committees contributing to our successes in these recent years, I also want to emphasize the deep financial and historical knowledge of AMO of Contract Analyst Chris Holmes, ensuring the integrity of our contracts. The work of our professional and experienced team, and the valuable input and participation of our member committees, combine to produce significant gains for AMO members at the table.
Bloomberg Law Report
On December 11, 2025, Bloomberg Law reported the following.
“First-year pay raises negotiated in 166 labor contracts ratified in Q3 2025 averaged 5.0 percent, down from the average of 5.5 percent for 183 contracts ratified in Q2,” according to the report.
American Maritime Officers members sailing on a deep-sea contract negotiated in 2025 received an average first-year increase of approximately 10.27 percent, as compared with Bloomberg Law’s reported first-year averages of 5.5 percent in the second quarter and 5 percent in the third quarter of 2025. AMO deep sea commercial contracts negotiated in 2025 provide total average pay increases of 20.12 percent over the life of a three-year agreement.
AMO members serving on the negotiating committee for the Maersk Line, Limited contract covering ships enrolled in the Maritime Security Program included Byron Gibson III, David Shellock and Matthew Patriquin. With them are Chris Holmes and Danny Robichaux.
AMO Government contracts arm’s length bargained in 2025 provided a first-year average increase of 11.26 percent.
AMO inland waters contracts negotiated in 2025 provided a first-year average wage increase of 10.56 percent and 19.11 percent over the 3-year term of the agreements. Items such as additional bonuses, holidays, overtime or PTO are not included in this calculation for inland waters.
There was only one Great Lakes contract negotiated in 2025. The various ratings averaged increases of 6 percent in the first year and 28.87 percent over the life of the five-year agreement. These averages do not include additional wages and benefits negotiated for winter work. For the first time, AMO successfully negotiated full contractual recognition for ship masters of a Great Lakes Company (Key Lakes).
AMO’s deep sea and Great Lakes averages are calculated based on wage and vacation pay increases. The averages above do not include many other contractual gains, such as additional turnover pay resulting from shorter rotations, pay for physicals and training, or other similar items that result in dollars on a member’s W-2 at the end of the year.
There are many additional improvements, which vary from contract to contract. All these increases add to the total labor cost we negotiate with the company and can include such things as door-to-door travel expenses, better airline tickets, annual bonuses and increased 401(k) matching contributions.
American Maritime Officers members serving on the negotiating committee for the American Petroleum Tankers fleet operated by Intrepid Personnel & Provisioning included Tim Paternoster, Jason Brown, Ben Hopkins and Edward Nichols. With them are Danny Robichaux and Chris Holmes. Negotiations on this agreement spanned several sessions over a period of months. Members not in the picture who participated in negotiations included Roy Kirkpatrick, Steve Moore, Cole Davis, Erv Curtis, Bryant Snyder, Damian Belanger, John Dentino, Derik Stubinski, James Hellum and Timothy Burke.
The Engineering Candidate Hawsepipe (TECH) Program is a comprehensive training program for those who want to pursue a career as a seagoing marine engineering officer onboard vessels operated under contract with American Maritime Officers.
The deadline for applications for the next TECH Program class is noon on June 1. The class will commence in September 2026. Interested personnel should complete the application process ASAP and submit it on the STAR Center website.
The TECH Program application can be found on the STAR Center website.
In conjunction with STAR Center, AMO – the largest union of U.S. Merchant Marine officers – is offering this program with the purpose of providing selected candidates with the opportunity to proceed on a marine engineering career path and help fill the projected shortage of marine engineers. The program targets those with an interest in the Merchant Marine and mentors them during intense training onboard ship and ashore.
The TECH program will take approximately two years to complete and alternates between classroom training and sea phases. Upon successful completion of the program, the individual commences career employment as a marine engineer with AMO.
The TECH program is sponsored by the American Maritime Officers Plans and is also approved for Veteran Affairs benefits. Please use the link to the STAR Center website for full information on the program.