Posted:
May 10, 2010
By Tom Bethel
National President
This month, American Maritime Officers welcomes the Endurance to U.S. registry and our union's deep-sea fleet roster. The roll-on/roll-off vessel - operated by Crowley Liner Services for American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier (ARC) - is the largest commercial ship of its kind and one of nine ARC car carriers manned by AMO in all licensed positions.
The Endurance follows the tanker Bro Hawaii, which in April was re-flagged by Maersk Line Limited for service in Asia, where it will carry fuel for the U.S. Department of Defense and commercial cargoes. The Bro Hawaii is the third U.S.-flagged tanker under AMO contract in the Maersk Line Limited fleet.
Earlier, the re-flagged containership Mohegan joined the Sealift Inc. fleet and began service in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean under Military Sealift Command charter. Sealift operates 11 additional ships for MSC or in the PL-480 food aid export trade.
Meanwhile, the containerships Balboa, APL Pearl, APL Cyprine, National Glory and Maersk Arkansas, the tankers Golden State, Pelican State and Sunshine State and the articulated tug-barges Freeport, Galveston, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and OSG Vision were operating in various domestic and overseas markets under the AMO banner. Additionally, the new Express Marine ATB, Freedom, is due to enter service this summer.
All of these vessels represent new jobs for our union. They also represent new employer contributions to the AMO benefit funds that serve every deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters family.
But our union's remarkable story of job and benefit security reaches well beyond these traditional trades and services, all of which are sustained for U.S.-flagged vessels by the Jones Act, the Maritime Security Program, the cargo preference laws and the funding of government shipping charters.
Under precedent-setting agreements with major energy transportation interests, members of American Maritime Officers are at work in key positions aboard several liquefied natural gas and oil tankers operating under international flags. These jobs also generate employer contributions to AMO Plans.
In addition, AMO members can plan careers that combine licensed time at sea with management positions ashore in the United States and overseas - with no loss of AMO benefits - under a separate groundbreaking agreement between our union and a maritime recruiting firm with worldwide contacts.
There are additional diverse opportunities in development for our union, but it is too early to discuss these publicly in specific detail. But I can disclose at this point that one initiative could lead quickly to jobs for qualified AMO members on deepwater drill ships in offshore energy exploration.
Of course, there are the occasional disappointments - for example, the award of a government charter to a vessel operating company that does not have a collective bargaining agreement with American Maritime Officers. But such setbacks actually make AMO more determined than ever to hold its place as the nation's largest, strongest and most stable union of merchant marine officers.
I have no doubt that AMO will remain in its premier position among the licensed unions, but I also understand that growth must be managed carefully.
To this end, I asked recently that AMO members refer unemployed U.S. merchant marine officers they know personally to our union for steady jobs. "Growth could get ahead of us in key areas," I said in our April 27 post on AMO Currents.
No one should interpret this to mean that American Maritime Officers cannot meet its current licensed manpower commitments in domestic and international trades. We can and we do.
But I anticipate a need for additional engine and deck officers at all levels as our union's job base widens - and that is an enviable position for AMO to be in.
Expanding AMO job base requires careful planning
By Tom Bethel
National President
This month, American Maritime Officers welcomes the Endurance to U.S. registry and our union's deep-sea fleet roster. The roll-on/roll-off vessel - operated by Crowley Liner Services for American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier (ARC) - is the largest commercial ship of its kind and one of nine ARC car carriers manned by AMO in all licensed positions.
The Endurance follows the tanker Bro Hawaii, which in April was re-flagged by Maersk Line Limited for service in Asia, where it will carry fuel for the U.S. Department of Defense and commercial cargoes. The Bro Hawaii is the third U.S.-flagged tanker under AMO contract in the Maersk Line Limited fleet.
Earlier, the re-flagged containership Mohegan joined the Sealift Inc. fleet and began service in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean under Military Sealift Command charter. Sealift operates 11 additional ships for MSC or in the PL-480 food aid export trade.
Meanwhile, the containerships Balboa, APL Pearl, APL Cyprine, National Glory and Maersk Arkansas, the tankers Golden State, Pelican State and Sunshine State and the articulated tug-barges Freeport, Galveston, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and OSG Vision were operating in various domestic and overseas markets under the AMO banner. Additionally, the new Express Marine ATB, Freedom, is due to enter service this summer.
All of these vessels represent new jobs for our union. They also represent new employer contributions to the AMO benefit funds that serve every deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters family.
But our union's remarkable story of job and benefit security reaches well beyond these traditional trades and services, all of which are sustained for U.S.-flagged vessels by the Jones Act, the Maritime Security Program, the cargo preference laws and the funding of government shipping charters.
Under precedent-setting agreements with major energy transportation interests, members of American Maritime Officers are at work in key positions aboard several liquefied natural gas and oil tankers operating under international flags. These jobs also generate employer contributions to AMO Plans.
In addition, AMO members can plan careers that combine licensed time at sea with management positions ashore in the United States and overseas - with no loss of AMO benefits - under a separate groundbreaking agreement between our union and a maritime recruiting firm with worldwide contacts.
There are additional diverse opportunities in development for our union, but it is too early to discuss these publicly in specific detail. But I can disclose at this point that one initiative could lead quickly to jobs for qualified AMO members on deepwater drill ships in offshore energy exploration.
Of course, there are the occasional disappointments - for example, the award of a government charter to a vessel operating company that does not have a collective bargaining agreement with American Maritime Officers. But such setbacks actually make AMO more determined than ever to hold its place as the nation's largest, strongest and most stable union of merchant marine officers.
I have no doubt that AMO will remain in its premier position among the licensed unions, but I also understand that growth must be managed carefully.
To this end, I asked recently that AMO members refer unemployed U.S. merchant marine officers they know personally to our union for steady jobs. "Growth could get ahead of us in key areas," I said in our April 27 post on AMO Currents.
No one should interpret this to mean that American Maritime Officers cannot meet its current licensed manpower commitments in domestic and international trades. We can and we do.
But I anticipate a need for additional engine and deck officers at all levels as our union's job base widens - and that is an enviable position for AMO to be in.