Posted:
February 14, 2012
By Captain Mike Murphy
National Vice President, Government Relations
TransAtlantic Lines, LLC, owner and operator of three ships under U.S. Government contract, lost their Document of Compliance to operate vessels in December of last year. This was as a result of flagrant violations of proper safety procedures and poor ship maintenance. All of their vessels were immediately sent to port where they remain today. TAL's loss of their Document of Compliance is only the second time that a company's gross mismanagement has resulted in a removal since the International Safety Management Code went into effect in 1996.
The International Safety Management Code requires every operating company to hold a Document of Compliance. This document is a certification by a classification society, such as American Bureau of Shipping, and the U.S. Coast Guard that a company has a Safety Management System in place to competently operate ships under all conditions and to properly maintain their ships. The classification society, with oversight from the U.S. Coast Guard, in addition to auditing the company, also inspects and audits each of the company's ships to ensure that the company's Safety Management System is implemented and the vessel is being properly maintained. Each successfully inspected vessel then receives a Safety Management Certificate, which allows it to operate under the International Safety Management Code.
As soon as TAL lost their document, Military Sealift Command cancelled their contract to deliver petroleum to U.S. bases in the western Pacific since they were no longer a valid ship operator.
However, the U.S. Transportation Command's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, which has contracts with TAL to service the Azores and Ascension did not follow suit. They have allowed TAL to charter other U.S. flag vessels to meet their contract commitments. The fact that TAL still retains a contract with SDDC, even though they do not qualify as a ship operating company, has brought complaints from legitimate operators who can meet all terms of the contracts.
TransAtlantic Lines is owned by Gudmundur Kjaernested, an Icelandic citizen, and Brandon C. Rose, a U.S. citizen. The company is located in Greenwich, Connecticut. Mr. Kjaernested is also president of an Icelandic shipping company. TAL's owners have been rigorously non-union throughout its history. Their low wages, coupled with little or no benefit contributions, allow them to underbid all companies employing union seafarers on government contracts.
American Maritime Officers, through its Washington, D.C. office has been pursuing the names of officers serving on TAL's vessels through various agencies and using the Freedom of Information Act. Our rationale is that there are a limited number of unlimited licensed senior officers with an STCW endorsement and we know where nearly all of them work. Therefore, we believe they must be using officers either "moonlighting" or retired from one of the three officer unions. If TAL is able to use our active or retired members who are drawing benefits from their respective union, it is tantamount to the unions subsidizing a non-union company.
The three unions are actively reviewing all names obtained and any active or retired member caught working with TAL will be dealt with severely. American Maritime Officers has already expelled a member who was discovered working for TAL while on vacation.
TransAtlantic Lines has been operating a substandard shipping company and this fact has finally been reinforced by the actions of the American Bureau of Shipping and the U.S. Coast Guard. This should be a wake up call to companies that want to run a shoddy operation and exploit seafarers.
TransAtlantic Lines: Unsafe at Any Speed
By Captain Mike Murphy
National Vice President, Government Relations
TransAtlantic Lines, LLC, owner and operator of three ships under U.S. Government contract, lost their Document of Compliance to operate vessels in December of last year. This was as a result of flagrant violations of proper safety procedures and poor ship maintenance. All of their vessels were immediately sent to port where they remain today. TAL's loss of their Document of Compliance is only the second time that a company's gross mismanagement has resulted in a removal since the International Safety Management Code went into effect in 1996.
The International Safety Management Code requires every operating company to hold a Document of Compliance. This document is a certification by a classification society, such as American Bureau of Shipping, and the U.S. Coast Guard that a company has a Safety Management System in place to competently operate ships under all conditions and to properly maintain their ships. The classification society, with oversight from the U.S. Coast Guard, in addition to auditing the company, also inspects and audits each of the company's ships to ensure that the company's Safety Management System is implemented and the vessel is being properly maintained. Each successfully inspected vessel then receives a Safety Management Certificate, which allows it to operate under the International Safety Management Code.
As soon as TAL lost their document, Military Sealift Command cancelled their contract to deliver petroleum to U.S. bases in the western Pacific since they were no longer a valid ship operator.
However, the U.S. Transportation Command's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, which has contracts with TAL to service the Azores and Ascension did not follow suit. They have allowed TAL to charter other U.S. flag vessels to meet their contract commitments. The fact that TAL still retains a contract with SDDC, even though they do not qualify as a ship operating company, has brought complaints from legitimate operators who can meet all terms of the contracts.
TransAtlantic Lines is owned by Gudmundur Kjaernested, an Icelandic citizen, and Brandon C. Rose, a U.S. citizen. The company is located in Greenwich, Connecticut. Mr. Kjaernested is also president of an Icelandic shipping company. TAL's owners have been rigorously non-union throughout its history. Their low wages, coupled with little or no benefit contributions, allow them to underbid all companies employing union seafarers on government contracts.
American Maritime Officers, through its Washington, D.C. office has been pursuing the names of officers serving on TAL's vessels through various agencies and using the Freedom of Information Act. Our rationale is that there are a limited number of unlimited licensed senior officers with an STCW endorsement and we know where nearly all of them work. Therefore, we believe they must be using officers either "moonlighting" or retired from one of the three officer unions. If TAL is able to use our active or retired members who are drawing benefits from their respective union, it is tantamount to the unions subsidizing a non-union company.
The three unions are actively reviewing all names obtained and any active or retired member caught working with TAL will be dealt with severely. American Maritime Officers has already expelled a member who was discovered working for TAL while on vacation.
TransAtlantic Lines has been operating a substandard shipping company and this fact has finally been reinforced by the actions of the American Bureau of Shipping and the U.S. Coast Guard. This should be a wake up call to companies that want to run a shoddy operation and exploit seafarers.