Posted:
August 2, 2011
American Steamship Company, according to its own representatives, had licensed deck and engineering officers and stewards represented by American Maritime Officers go on strike with the company's best and final contract offer still in its pocket.
Now in its second day, the strike against American Steamship Company (ASC) has idled the company's entire active fleet of 14 bulk carriers on the Great Lakes. Three ASC ships have remained in lay up this season.
"It's obvious ASC is working some sort of union-busting strategy with its pathetic showing during contract negotiations and with its ongoing behavior," said AMO National President Tom Bethel.
"We asked them several times for their final offer in advance of the contract deadline," Bethel said. "The proposal they came back with was very far from reasonable. When 99 percent of AMO members working in the ASC fleet voted down their proposal, the company claimed it wasn't their best and final offer.
"Meanwhile, ASC let the contract expire and forced AMO officers and stewards to go on strike without presenting another proposal," Bethel said. "We've presented the reasonable and fair AMO pattern agreement to every other AMO-contracted operator on the Lakes. Every company has signed the agreement or a contract extension in good faith. None have expressed any problems or concerns with it except ASC.
"So we've asked ASC time and time again for its best and final offer," he said. "It has responded by playing games with the jobs of AMO members, the largest fleet of U.S.-flagged ships on the Lakes and its customers' cargo orders. This strike is the unfortunate but inevitable result of ASC's conduct."
Six months ago, AMO offered American Steamship Company the opportunity to be the first Great Lakes operator to negotiate a successor agreement to the existing contract, such that the agreement between AMO and ASC would have set the pattern for the Great Lakes fleet. ASC and its parent company, GATX, declined the opportunity.
Since that time, AMO has secured successor agreements and/or extensions with every other AMO-contracted employer on the Great Lakes. ASC and GATX would not even begin the negotiating process with AMO until two weeks ago.
"The company claims it wants to improve its 'competitive position' with this contract," Bethel said. "This from a company that has reported strong profits on its waterborne shipping division, repeatedly tried to bribe ASC captains into betraying their fellow officers and invested in a recruiting campaign to bring in scab labor to man its boats.
"All of this without adding a penny to the proposal that was voted down by AMO members or making a new offer," Bethel said.
"Today, American Maritime Partnership reported demand on the Lakes has increased to the point that 93 percent of available U.S.-flagged tonnage is in service," he said. "Yet, ASC now has 14 ships idled and has indicated publically its 'contingency plan' is to let them sit there. Obviously, it is not about ASC's 'competitive position' or its ability to make money.
"Prior to the expiration of the contract, ASC had some of its boats anchor so company representatives could go onboard to discuss - as they put it - the captains' economic future with the company," he said. "When the contract expired, ASC failed to provide transportation off the ships at anchor for the officers and stewards, and held them onboard while the union went on strike.
"Since then, AMO officers have secured the boats at the docks, and at every stage in this unfortunate series of events, have performed in a characteristic and extremely professional manner," Bethel said.
"We now have some idea of what to expect from ASC and GATX. AMO members are standing together and we are committed to getting a fair contract from a very unreasonable company."
American Steamship Company withholds final offer; AMO strike idles entire fleet
American Steamship Company, according to its own representatives, had licensed deck and engineering officers and stewards represented by American Maritime Officers go on strike with the company's best and final contract offer still in its pocket.
Now in its second day, the strike against American Steamship Company (ASC) has idled the company's entire active fleet of 14 bulk carriers on the Great Lakes. Three ASC ships have remained in lay up this season.
"It's obvious ASC is working some sort of union-busting strategy with its pathetic showing during contract negotiations and with its ongoing behavior," said AMO National President Tom Bethel.
"We asked them several times for their final offer in advance of the contract deadline," Bethel said. "The proposal they came back with was very far from reasonable. When 99 percent of AMO members working in the ASC fleet voted down their proposal, the company claimed it wasn't their best and final offer.
"Meanwhile, ASC let the contract expire and forced AMO officers and stewards to go on strike without presenting another proposal," Bethel said. "We've presented the reasonable and fair AMO pattern agreement to every other AMO-contracted operator on the Lakes. Every company has signed the agreement or a contract extension in good faith. None have expressed any problems or concerns with it except ASC.
"So we've asked ASC time and time again for its best and final offer," he said. "It has responded by playing games with the jobs of AMO members, the largest fleet of U.S.-flagged ships on the Lakes and its customers' cargo orders. This strike is the unfortunate but inevitable result of ASC's conduct."
Six months ago, AMO offered American Steamship Company the opportunity to be the first Great Lakes operator to negotiate a successor agreement to the existing contract, such that the agreement between AMO and ASC would have set the pattern for the Great Lakes fleet. ASC and its parent company, GATX, declined the opportunity.
Since that time, AMO has secured successor agreements and/or extensions with every other AMO-contracted employer on the Great Lakes. ASC and GATX would not even begin the negotiating process with AMO until two weeks ago.
"The company claims it wants to improve its 'competitive position' with this contract," Bethel said. "This from a company that has reported strong profits on its waterborne shipping division, repeatedly tried to bribe ASC captains into betraying their fellow officers and invested in a recruiting campaign to bring in scab labor to man its boats.
"All of this without adding a penny to the proposal that was voted down by AMO members or making a new offer," Bethel said.
"Today, American Maritime Partnership reported demand on the Lakes has increased to the point that 93 percent of available U.S.-flagged tonnage is in service," he said. "Yet, ASC now has 14 ships idled and has indicated publically its 'contingency plan' is to let them sit there. Obviously, it is not about ASC's 'competitive position' or its ability to make money.
"Prior to the expiration of the contract, ASC had some of its boats anchor so company representatives could go onboard to discuss - as they put it - the captains' economic future with the company," he said. "When the contract expired, ASC failed to provide transportation off the ships at anchor for the officers and stewards, and held them onboard while the union went on strike.
"Since then, AMO officers have secured the boats at the docks, and at every stage in this unfortunate series of events, have performed in a characteristic and extremely professional manner," Bethel said.
"We now have some idea of what to expect from ASC and GATX. AMO members are standing together and we are committed to getting a fair contract from a very unreasonable company."