Posted:
March 15, 2012
By Tom Bethel
National President
Officials, representatives and employees of American Maritime Officers have much more in common with the seagoing AMO membership than many might expect. The AMO administration and the AMO members working aboard deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters vessels have specific on-the-job responsibilities that complement each other for the good of everyone in our union.
In the administration, the common principal responsibility is pursuit of lasting job and benefit security for all AMO members and their families. This means doing what is necessary when it is necessary to sustain existing jobs in all trades and identifying potential opportunities for new employment.
This, in turn, requires collective bargaining, contract analysis, advanced planning at every level to the greatest possible extent, anticipating changing circumstances that could influence our union's course, cultivating business relationships and leads that could result in additional jobs for our union, interpreting industry trends, making informed judgments based on accurate information and reliable intelligence, and effective advocacy on behalf of the U.S. merchant fleet in Congress and in the Executive Branch.
At sea, AMO members are responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the vessels, which requires years of study, hands-on training, experience and demonstrated proficiency in specific seafaring disciplines. AMO members must earn their licenses from the U.S. Coast Guard - no easy feat - and upgrade and renew these licenses on their own time and at their own expense.
These AMO members must also undergo two-pronged vetting by federal agencies, keep fit to meet excessive health standards that are prerequisites to shipboard employment, comply with U.S. and international regulations, ensure vessel security in waters where pirates are known to prowl, prevent pollution, manage reams of paperwork and - most difficult of all - spend months away from home, family and friends.
The circumstances, challenges and consequences vary, but everyone in our union - whether working ashore for AMO or aboard a merchant vessel under AMO contract - does his or her job to the best of their ability. They make the right decisions at the right time for the right reasons, expanding upon a collective reputation for individual obligation and professional excellence that have made American Maritime Officers the nation's largest union of merchant marine officers.
AMO administrative personnel and seagoing AMO members also have specific shared responsibilities, including the timely payment of membership dues and initiation fees so that our union can operate efficiently and effectively, and support of the increasingly important American Maritime Officers Voluntary Political Action Fund - it is widely understood within AMO that every single seagoing job under the U.S. flag in every single domestic and international market is dependent upon what is done (or not done) in Congress.
This strong sense of individual responsibility is something everyone in AMO can be proud of. When we do our jobs well in the administration, and when AMO members do their jobs well at sea, we all win.
Of course, there are a few individuals who are content to do what their jobs require of them and little or nothing more. These individuals believe they have no duty to pay dues, even as they and their families benefit from the services our union provides. They do not contribute to the AMO Voluntary Political Action Fund, despite the fact that their jobs exist only because of a federal law or program. They are either unaware of or indifferent to the fact that, when they slack off, the rest of us have to make up for it.
But these individuals represent the exception, not the rule, in American Maritime Officers. Most everyone in our union understands that we - AMO officials, representatives and employees and AMO members at sea - are in this together. Most everyone understands that we each have an equal stake in AMO's continued success, and these are the men and women who make all things possible for American Maritime Officers.
As always, I welcome comments and questions from deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters AMO members. I can be reached on my cell at (202) 251-0349.
Individual responsibility a union-wide trait in AMO
By Tom Bethel
National President
Officials, representatives and employees of American Maritime Officers have much more in common with the seagoing AMO membership than many might expect. The AMO administration and the AMO members working aboard deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters vessels have specific on-the-job responsibilities that complement each other for the good of everyone in our union.
In the administration, the common principal responsibility is pursuit of lasting job and benefit security for all AMO members and their families. This means doing what is necessary when it is necessary to sustain existing jobs in all trades and identifying potential opportunities for new employment.
This, in turn, requires collective bargaining, contract analysis, advanced planning at every level to the greatest possible extent, anticipating changing circumstances that could influence our union's course, cultivating business relationships and leads that could result in additional jobs for our union, interpreting industry trends, making informed judgments based on accurate information and reliable intelligence, and effective advocacy on behalf of the U.S. merchant fleet in Congress and in the Executive Branch.
At sea, AMO members are responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the vessels, which requires years of study, hands-on training, experience and demonstrated proficiency in specific seafaring disciplines. AMO members must earn their licenses from the U.S. Coast Guard - no easy feat - and upgrade and renew these licenses on their own time and at their own expense.
These AMO members must also undergo two-pronged vetting by federal agencies, keep fit to meet excessive health standards that are prerequisites to shipboard employment, comply with U.S. and international regulations, ensure vessel security in waters where pirates are known to prowl, prevent pollution, manage reams of paperwork and - most difficult of all - spend months away from home, family and friends.
The circumstances, challenges and consequences vary, but everyone in our union - whether working ashore for AMO or aboard a merchant vessel under AMO contract - does his or her job to the best of their ability. They make the right decisions at the right time for the right reasons, expanding upon a collective reputation for individual obligation and professional excellence that have made American Maritime Officers the nation's largest union of merchant marine officers.
AMO administrative personnel and seagoing AMO members also have specific shared responsibilities, including the timely payment of membership dues and initiation fees so that our union can operate efficiently and effectively, and support of the increasingly important American Maritime Officers Voluntary Political Action Fund - it is widely understood within AMO that every single seagoing job under the U.S. flag in every single domestic and international market is dependent upon what is done (or not done) in Congress.
This strong sense of individual responsibility is something everyone in AMO can be proud of. When we do our jobs well in the administration, and when AMO members do their jobs well at sea, we all win.
Of course, there are a few individuals who are content to do what their jobs require of them and little or nothing more. These individuals believe they have no duty to pay dues, even as they and their families benefit from the services our union provides. They do not contribute to the AMO Voluntary Political Action Fund, despite the fact that their jobs exist only because of a federal law or program. They are either unaware of or indifferent to the fact that, when they slack off, the rest of us have to make up for it.
But these individuals represent the exception, not the rule, in American Maritime Officers. Most everyone in our union understands that we - AMO officials, representatives and employees and AMO members at sea - are in this together. Most everyone understands that we each have an equal stake in AMO's continued success, and these are the men and women who make all things possible for American Maritime Officers.
As always, I welcome comments and questions from deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters AMO members. I can be reached on my cell at (202) 251-0349.