A six person rank and file Financial Review Committee was elected at April’s membership meetings which concluded this week. The Committee will assemble at M.E.B.A. Headquarters on April 19 to review Union finances from the 2009 calendar year. Committee members will include Tom Bands (Baltimore), Tim Smith (Houston), John Hasson (New Orleans), Mike Morrissey (New York/New Jersey), Patrick Anderson (San Francisco/Oakland) and Bob Seidman (Seattle).

The six members will travel to M.E.B.A. Headquarters in Washington D.C. on Sunday, April 18, 2010. The actual meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, April 19 in the Conference Room at M.E.B.A. Headquarters. It is anticipated that the business of the FRC will be completed by Wednesday, April 21 with travel home scheduled for Thursday, April 22.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled a new initiative to move more cargo on the water rather than on crowded U.S. highways. Under the "America’s Marine Highway" program, the Department’s Maritime Administration (MarAd) will help identify rivers and coastal routes that could carry cargo efficiently, bypassing congested roads around busy ports and reducing greenhouse gases.

"For too long, we’ve overlooked the economic and environmental benefits that our waterways and domestic seaports offer as a means of moving freight in this country," said Secretary LaHood, speaking to transportation professionals at the 7th Annual North American Marine Highways and Logistics Conference in Baltimore, MD. "Moving goods on the water has many advantages: It reduces air pollution. It can help reduce gridlock by getting trucks off our busy surface corridors."

Under the new regulation, regional transportation officials will be able to apply to have specific transportation corridors – and even individual projects—designated by the Department of Transportation as a marine highway if they meet certain criteria. Once designated, these projects will receive preferential treatment for any future federal assistance from the department or MarAd.

"There are many places in our country where expanded use of marine transportation just makes sense," said David Matsuda, Acting Administrator of the Maritime Administration. "It has so much potential to help our nation in many ways: reduced gridlock and greenhouse gases and more jobs for skilled mariners and shipbuilders."

The Marine Highway initiative stems from a 2007 law requiring the Secretary of Transportation to "establish a short sea transportation program and designate short sea transportation projects to mitigate surface congestion." Earlier this year, Secretary LaHood announced $58 million in grants for projects to support the start-up or expansion of Marine Highways services, awarded through the Department’s TIGER grants program. Congress has also set aside an additional $7 million in grants which MarAd will award later this year. The final rule, which is effective immediately, can be found on the MarAd website located at www.marad.dot.gov.

Through the vigilance of our M.E.B.A. team – also assisted by Chief Counsel Nils Djusberg in Washington D.C. – enough exertion was mustered to get those provisions confiscated from the final bill put before the Governor for signature. This battle was also joined by MM&P, ILWU and the IBU and was aided by the backing of the M.E.B.A. Political Action Fund. Though these measures were vanquished from the bill which addresses the management of ferry system costs, a Washington State lawmaker managed to tack on another appalling provision to the bill that went to the Governor eliminating ferry passes for employees, retirees, and family members at the end of the current collective bargaining agreements. The M.E.B.A. team realized their work was not done and an eruption of meetings and pointed phone conversations made sure that key lawmakers understood the despicable nature of this hastily scripted provision. This week, Governor Christine Gregoire signed the bill into law, but vetoed the offending section of the bill dealing with ferry passes. She noted that "the issuance of ferry passes is a subject of collective bargaining and should be dealt with as part of the overall compensation package at the bargaining table, not singled out in legislation for elimination."

Having weathered this storm and prevailed over those forces seeking to savage the working rights of our members sailing the ferries in Washington State, the M.E.B.A. team can breathe a sigh of relief -- for now. They remain on watch for when the next attack comes.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka had harsh words for the reckless profit-driven behavior of officials at the Massey mine in West Virginia which led to the deaths of at least 25 mine workers. The non-union mine has been cited for a record number of serious violations but through legal maneuvering and constant appeals (Massey is currently contesting 352 violations alleged against them) they have been able to avoid serious federal repercussions. The mine has been ordered evacuated 61 times since the start of 2009. Former employees have pointed out how management has created a system where employees fear the loss of their job should they report hazardous conditions. Trumka, himself a former miner, released the following statement:

The thoughts and prayers of America’s workers are with the families of those lost today at Performance Coal Company’s Upper Big Branch mine. We pray for the safe rescue of those still missing and for the safety of the courageous mine rescue team members. As a third-generation coal miner, I know too well the dangers these brave men and women face every day as they work to provide for their families. Forty years after the passage of the Coal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1969, mine safety has improved, but mining remains a dangerous occupation. Unfortunately, it has taken tragedies and miners’ deaths to get safety improvements.

However, this incident isn’t just a matter of happenstance, but rather the inevitable result of a profit-driven system and reckless corporate conduct. Many mining companies have given too little attention to safety over the years and too much to the bottom line. Massey Mine, and its CEO, Don Blankenship, have been cited for over 450 safety violations in this mine. Massey paid over $1 million in fines in the past year alone – and has failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars more in fines that it is contesting. Blankenship’s attitude towards workers is showcased in a memo addressing safety concerns in his mines. In the memo, he told his superintendents to put coal production first because, "[T]his memo is necessary only because we seem not to understand that the coal pays the bills."

While we are all discussing and recognizing these important issues today, we must be mindful to address them every day until all working people can go to jobs in safety. Strict enforcement of regulations by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the additional protections a union membership brings are key factors to improving worker safety, and we will work to achieve that goal. In the meantime, let’s continue to pray for the safety of the missing miners.

Rallies have been organized in three cities on the West Coast next Friday to support ILWU miners who have been locked out since late January.

The Rio Tinto Corporation locked out nearly 600 ILWU members at the company’s Borax mine and plant in Boron, California. ILWU says that Rio Tinto has a long and ugly history of disrespecting workers and communities here in the US and around the world. Though they made billions in profits in 2009, a recent investment has put them in debt which they are trying to erase by driving down working conditions of their employees.

There will be three pickets in support of this struggle on Friday, April 16 at the British Consulates in three cities:

Join them if you can, and show your solidarity!

However, applications will not be taken until May 1st for the Fall Semester. Any applications received prior to the beginning registration date will be disregarded with no notification to the applicant.

Monday, May 3 – Boston; Jacksonville; Seattle;
Tuesday, May 4 – Baltimore/Calhoon School@CMES, Houston, San Francisco (Oakland);
Wednesday, May 5 – Charleston, New Orleans;
Thursday, May 6 – L.A. (Wilmington), New York (New Jersey), Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, May 7 – Honolulu.