MARINE ENGINEERS' BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION (AFL-CIO)
         "On Watch in Peace and War Since 1875"

MEBA TELEX TIMES       JANUARY 23, 2009

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 4

In this issue...
New CBJ deal...LaHood confirmed...OVERSEAS BOSTON christened...We come to order and hold court with our written briefs that bring the news to justice. The jury is still out on frivolous, inadmissible newsletters full of hearsay that get on your case. They're a real trial to read! We rule them out of order, hold them in contempt, and satisfy the maritime burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Judge for yourself - the Telex Times lays down the law!

CBJ MEMBERSHIP RATIFIES NEW THREE-YEAR DEAL
M.E.B.A. members employed by the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) have enthusiastically ratified a newly negotiated three-year agreement. The approximately 250 M.E.B.A members in the CBJ toil on a wide range of jobs around the city including purchasing, clerks and as licensed utility employees.

The contract offers wage and medical boosts with a wage reopener built into the third year of the deal. With a timely negotiating process, the new contract kicks in right away.

Our Juneau Representative Ben Goldrich led the negotiating team that hammered out the new deal with the State of Alaska. He was joined by CBJ Shop Stewards Cort Franklin, Pete Frank, Tim Backus, Nicole Tragis, Eric Hodgson and Tom Listberger.

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY CONFIRMED
The U.S. Senate confirmed Ray LaHood yesterday as the next Transportation Secretary replacing Mary Peters.

LaHood, a Republican, appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for his nomination hearing on Wednesday. The full Senate approved his nomination in unanimous fashion yesterday.

The 63-year old LaHood formerly served in Congress representing Illinois since 1995 but did not stand for re-election in 2008. While in Congress, he gained a reputation for getting things done in a bipartisan manner. LaHood was sworn in today and went to work. The oath of office was administered by Linda Washington, Assistant Secretary for Administration, and took place before an audience of his new staff and members of the DOT transition team.

Ed Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), congratulated the new Secretary saying, "Americans should feel confident that the President has placed the nation's vast transportation system and infrastructure in the hands of a highly skilled and capable public servant with a distinguished record of service. Secretary LaHood inherits an enormous responsibility. Our transportation infrastructure is crumbling; the rights and jobs of transportation workers have been neglected and undermined; and the safety and security of the system are severely challenged. Through the economic recovery package and major authorization and spending bills, Secretary LaHood will oversee crucial transportation investments that will help revive the economy, put millions of Americans back to work, and lay to rest eight years of neglect and inaction that have harmed our national interest. We look forward to working with the President and Secretary LaHood to restore our transportation system as an engine of economic growth and job creation."

Although the confirmation hearing for Labor Secretary-designate Hilda Solis took place on January 9th, her nomination has not yet been put before the full Senate for a vote. Republicans have delayed the vote because of their concern with the nominee's strong support for labor unions and the Employee Free Choice Act. Howard Radzely, the Deputy Secretary of Labor, has assumed day-to-day duties at the Department until Elaine Chao's replacement is confirmed.

LATEST M.E.B.A.-CREWED TANKER CHRISTENED AT AKER
The OVERSEAS BOSTON, the latest U.S.-flag handysize product carrier to be built at Aker Philadelphia Shipyard was christened yesterday. The ship recently returned from its very successful sea trials which ensured that the new ship is well constructed and suitable for final delivery to OSG Shipping. M.E.B.A. President Don Keefe attended the ceremony and met with the M.E.B.A. crew including Chief Engineer Mark Myking. The ship will be chartered by OSG to Tesoro Corp. Marcia Lewis, wife of Tesoro Chief Operating Officer and Executive V.P. Everett Lewis is the vessel's "Godmother" and performed the christening ceremony. The MT-46 Veteran Class product tanker is 601 feet long, has a capacity of 338,365 bbl and a speed of about 15 knots at 90% Maximum Continuous Rating and 15% sea margin. It is due to go into operation next week on the West Coast.

FORMER M.E.B.A. SHIP SLATED FOR HALL OF FAME CEREMONY
On January 31st 2009, the SS TRANSGLOBE will be inducted into the National Maritime Hall of Fame and honored for heroic service in the Vietnam War and World War II. The Hall of Fame is part of the American Merchant Marine Museum on the campus of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, Long Island, NY. The Hall was established at the museum in 1982 as a way to bring recognition to the great people and ships of American maritime history.

M.E.B.A., MM&P and SIU mariners sailed on this historic vessel which was designed as a cargo ship for Lykes Brothers Steamship Company. The ship transported more than 200,000 passengers during World War II, including troops and casualties. It is best known for having completed seven convoy runs through the U-boat packs of the North Atlantic in 1944. It also took part in the D-Day invasion.

In 1946, the TRANSGLOBE was taken out of commission, only to be called back in 1960. It was converted into a roll-on, roll-off vessel. Between 1966 and 1972, the vessel delivered materiel to South Vietnam and took troops on coastal runs there. The ship and its crew compiled an impressive record during the Vietnam War, to the point that it was on the Viet Cong's "most wanted list." All former crew or others wishing to attend can do so by requesting an invitation from the Museum. To do so, send a check payable to "Melville Hall" and mailed to The American Merchant Marine Museum; U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; Kings Point New York 11024. The cost is $60.00 per person. There will be an open bar from noon to 1 p.m. followed by lunch. For further information call the Museum staff directly at (516) 773-5513.

T&I CHAIRMAN SEEKS SHORT SEA SHIPPING, TITLE XI FUNDING
The Maritime Trades Dept. (MTD) has reported that Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, believes that any forthcoming stimulus package should include at least $30 million for maritime projects. Half would go to the Title XI shipbuilding loan guarantee program, which provides low-cost capital to those who build in U.S. shipyards, and the other half to improving marine terminals so they could handle increased levels of waterborne commerce. As recent economic studies have indicated, coastal and inland shipping can play an important role in easing serious and growing congestion on America's rail and highway systems.

Rep. Oberstar also is readying plans for other transportation bills, including legislation to succeed SAFETEA-LU, landmark legislation that provided over $244 billion in surface transportation investment. The measure is set to expire September 30, 2009.

According to Rep. Oberstar, he hopes the new SAFETEA-LU bill will include funds to link ports with inland transportation. These kinds of provisions were excised from the current version.

If approved, the $15 million funding for Title XI would come after a $48 million allotment in the FY 2009 budget, the first such monies in four years.

GREEK-BASED OPERATOR OF SHIP PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSIFYING RECORDS
Pendulum Shipmanagement Inc. headquartered in Greece, has pleaded guilty to charges that it conspired with the crew of the cargo ship M/V QUANTUM to falsify the ship's Oil Record Book. U.S. District Judge Berle Schiller immediately sentenced the company to a $1.3 million fine, a $1,600 special assessment, three years of probation, and ordered the company to implement an Environmental Compliance Plan. The false entries and omissions in the Oil Record Book pertained to the improper management and disposal of oily waste and ballast containing an oily mixture by the ship.

Pendulum also falsified Ballast Water Reporting Forms that were provided to the Coast Guard and obstructed a Coast Guard Port State Control Inspection of the ship when it entered the port of Philadelphia. The record also states that around February 2008, the vessel's ballast system became contaminated with oil. Efforts to clean the ballast system resulted in further discharge of oil-contaminated ballast water directly into the ocean. In an effort to hide the contamination, the crew of the vessel installed a false hose into a ballast tank sounding tube that was closed at one end and filled with sea water to make it appear that the ballast tank contained clean water when, in fact, it was contaminated with fuel oil.

The Filipino Master and Chief Engineer face a maximum sentence of 11 years imprisonment, a three-year period of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment.

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT MEASURE WOULD ALSO ASSIST PORTS
Encouraging job creation and investment in transportation construction and repair, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Roger Wicker, (R-Miss.) have re-introduced the bipartisan "Build America Bonds" Act (S. 238). Build America Bonds would provide a one-time federal bonding program of $50 billion in additional funding for all types of transportation including roads, bridges, rail, mass transit, and ports. This funding would be in addition to the dollars states receive from the Federal Transportation Trust Fund. Authors of the legislation say it could create 2.5 million new jobs.

By providing $50 billion in additional Federal transportation funding, Build America Bonds would empower states to complete critical infrastructure projects. The resulting funds would be controlled by the states and could not be earmarked for Congressional pet projects. The Act ensures that money would be distributed in an equitable manner by requiring that each state receive at least 1 percent of the funds.

The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that for every $1 billion in new transportation funding nearly 47,500 jobs created and an estimated $5.7 billion in economic activity is generated. In addition to creating jobs and roughly $285 billion in economic activity, the $50 billion infusion of cash from Build America Bonds can be applied to projects on all modes of transportation including roads, rail, ports, waterways and transit.

MATSON WORKFORCE REDUCTION
Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., parent of Matson Navigation, has announced an expansion of ongoing cost reduction initiatives in response to an expected continued slowdown in economic activity.

"Ongoing initiatives to decrease our costs include workforce reductions, commencing with steps taken today to pare staffing by 10 percent at Matson Navigation Company, said W. Allen Doane, chairman and chief executive officer of A&B. "Other measures to be implemented over the coming months at various A&B business units include: elimination of salary increases; continued reductions in general and administrative expenses; and reductions in incentive award targets, profit sharing targets and workforce levels." Doane continued, "And while fourth quarter and full-year 2008 earnings are expected to be good, these and other proactive measures are necessary in view of the current economic climate."

Matson plans to reduce its non-union headcount by approximately 60 positions, augmenting position eliminations that resulted from hiring freezes adopted in 2007 and 2008. "Over the past several years, Matson has been diligently implementing cost reduction measures across the board, without undercutting the reliability of its service," said Matthew Cox, president of Matson Navigation Company. "We remain fully committed to delivering industry-leading ocean transportation services in all of our trade lanes, and the actions we are taking will be seamless to our customers. Measures involving employees are difficult; however, it is important that Matson realign its cost structure to current demand."

HORIZON NABS PLATINUM CARRIER AWARD
Horizon Lines, Inc. has been awarded the "2008 Platinum Carrier Award" by home improvement retailer Lowe's Companies Inc., based in Mooresville, N.C. Lowe's presented the Platinum Carrier Award, the company's highest honor for transportation providers, to Horizon Lines for providing 100% on-time service.

Scott Fernandez, Vice President, Coastwise Shipping and General Manager, Eastern Region Sales accepted on behalf of the carrier. "Despite challenging times in the transportation industry throughout 2008, we continued to deliver absolutely reliable service to Lowe's," Fernandez said. "It is a great and well-deserved honor for our staff to receive this award that recognizes their incredible spirit and passion for excellence in customer service."

This recognition marks the third consecutive year Horizon Lines has received the Platinum Carrier Award. Each year since 2001, Horizon Lines has earned Lowe's Outstanding Ocean Service Provider Award for consistently providing superior service in the U.S. domestic ocean trades to Alaska and Hawaii.

PAY YOUR DUES!
Any member or applicant two or more years in arrears on their dues and/or service charges will be put under review by the District Investigating Committee (DIC) and WILL BE DROPPED from the membership or applicant rolls. If you are in arrears and desire to retain your membership or applicant status, you must contact Headquarters immediately to make payment on your arrearage to return to good standing.

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Monday, February 2 - Boston, Jacksonville, Seattle;
Tuesday, February 3 - Baltimore, Houston, San Francisco;
Wednesday, February 4 - Calhoon School; Charleston, New Orleans, Portland;
Thursday, February 5 - L.A., New York, Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, February 6 - Honolulu.

--------FINISHED WITH ENGINES---------