M.E.B.A.’s ten founding fathers met in Cleveland Ohio on February 23, 1875 to form a united front to combat the oppressive and dangerous working conditions of the day. Boiler explosions aboard steamboats and pathetic working conditions coupled with measly paychecks spurred these trailblazers to unite for the protection of mariners. They were representatives of three Lakes associations, a river association and an ocean port – and over the next few days they would hammer out an amazingly cohesive Constitution for a national organization that would protect and advance their interests.

Contact our Cleveland Rep. Torey Zingales at the hall for specifics. You can reach him at (216) 579-6322 or by e-mail at szingales@mebaunion.org. 

The U.S. Maritime Coalition has announced the first ever Congressional "Sail-In" to take place on Capitol Hill on May 13, 2010. The Sail-In represents the American maritime industry's plan to bring together a diverse group of maritime professionals in an organized fashion to lobby Congress. The purpose is to increase Congressional awareness of the importance of America's maritime industry to the economic and national security of the United States, and to generate support for the programs and policies important to the survival and growth of the United States-flag merchant marine and to the jobs of American merchant mariners and America's maritime workforce.

The U.S. Maritime Coalition is a volunteer committee of representatives from the U.S. maritime industry, including the M.E.B.A., representing the U.S.-flagged merchant fleet, maritime labor unions and other maritime companies serving America.

"The maritime industry is the backbone of the American and global economy," said Vice Admiral Albert J. Herberger, USN (Ret.), former MarAd Administrator and former Deputy Commander-in-Chief for the U.S. Transportation Command. "We represent thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in investment and we are the critical connection to the global economy. We can't take it for granted that government understands the complex nature of the American maritime industry and the necessity of the U.S.-flagged merchant fleet."

The Sail-In is designed to mimic the idea of a fly-in, a tactic that many companies use to rally support. Hundreds of hard-working individuals from across the American maritime industry have been invited to Washington to participate. Individuals will be separated into teams and will see as many Members of Congress as possible in as many Congressional offices as possible throughout the day. The meetings will entail informing Congressional leaders of the American Maritime industry's importance to the economic and national security of the United States as well as the thousands of jobs created and maintained as a result of the industry.

Anyone who is interested is encouraged to visit http://www.maritimeindustrysailin.com in order to get information and register (at no cost) for the event.

M.E.B.A. Document Holders are now available for order at the M.E.B.A. online store. These faux-leather booklets are embossed with the M.E.B.A. logo. They can hold all your important shipping documents such as your group shipping book, membership books, MMDs, TWIC Cards, credit cards, etc.

This and other M.E.B.A. promotional products are easy to obtain with the addition of the new online shop. You can access it from our webpage www.mebaunion.org and click on the "Union Store" icon at top right. There are now eight items being offered for sale currently, including two kinds of t-shirts, logo hats and a steak knife set. The prices were set not to make a profit, but to help cover the cost of the item and offset online store expenses. The main goal of the store is to allow our members to obtain logo merchandise and display it proudly.

Members are encouraged to have their documents in order before showing up at their Union hall. Those who have recently upgraded their license should make sure that their STCW reflects the upgrade. Your license, passport and other important documents should be valid for at least six months from the time you begin working aboard ship. Your drug-free certificates have to be valid at least until the day you join your ship.

If flying with your documents on the way to a hall, double-check that you haven’t left any essential documents at home and make sure to keep your documents with you in your carry-on luggage. The primary documents you’ll need include your License, STCW, MMD, TWIC, Passport, Annual physical card, Drug free certificate, Group Card, Dues Receipt, proof of Return to Work Date and your 1% medical card.

In addition, proof of sea service (discharges for one year of sea time within the past five years) is also required.

Certain jobs require proof of Horizon or Maersk qualifications, benzene or your shot records. Some mariners have the new orange color Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC). That document combines your license, MMD and STCW together. If you have questions about your documents, direct them to your local hall.

Liberty Maritime is seeking résumés from Chief Engineers interested in sailing for the company. Interested individuals should send their particulars including a résumé via e-mail to personnel@libertymar.com.  You may also contact Nina Timonina at (516) 488-8800 with any specific questions about these opportunities.

M.E.B.A. members in good standing should have received a referendum mailed to their homes. A "yes" vote would amend M.E.B.A. shipping rules to create a true national shipping card. This would allow members to avoid having to transfer their shipping cards in or out of the M.E.B.A. Union halls when travelling between halls. A "no" vote would keep the current method of transferring in and out of M.E.B.A. Union halls when travelling between halls.

The referendum vote is being conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA). Ballots were mailed to members in good standing in the second week of December. The 90-day referendum began on December 15, 2009 and will conclude on March 15, 2010. If you did not receive a referendum ballot or if yours was lost or destroyed you need to contact the American Arbitration Association (AAA) immediately and request a ballot in writing from: Kenneth Egger, American Arbitration Association, 230 South Broad Street, Floor 12, Philadelphia, PA 19102-4199. Phone No.: (215) 731-2281; Fax No.: (215) 985-0977, E-mail: eggerk@adr.org. 

Monday, March 8 – Boston; Jacksonville; Seattle;
Tuesday, March 9 – Baltimore/Calhoon School@CMES, Houston, San Francisco (Oakland);
Wednesday, March 10 – Charleston, New Orleans;
Thursday, March 11 – L.A. (Wilmington), New York (New Jersey), Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, March 12 – Honolulu.