THE MASTERS, MATES AND PILOTS'
WHEELHOUSE WEEKLY

Bridging the Information Gap With E-News You Can Use

VOLUME 5. . . . . NUMBER 5. . . February 2, 2001

STORIES COVERED

ALSO

MM&P ACQUIRES A NEW VESSEL AND CONTRACT

Richard Plant, Director of Special Projects, reports that MM&P is
supplying three junior deck officers to the five-year old UK-flag vessel WAVE SENTINEL. This cable laying/repair vessel is operated by Global Marine Systems Limited, Chelmsford, England. The company has an office in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The MM&P contract to supply deck officers to this vessel, based in Baltimore, MD, will run for two years with the possibility of a one-year extension. The contract includes MM&P offshore benefits. Richard Plant has been working with Global Marine in reaching this contract since Sept. 2000.

Global Marine won a two-year cable repair contract by bidding against other cable laying/repair companies. The WAVE SENTINEL will have UK and MM&P deck officers, UK and MEBA engineers and SIU crew. It is expected, by years end, that not only the three junior deck officer positions will be manned by MM&P but the Chief Mate position as well.

Members interested in bidding on the 3rd mate relief job when needed for cable repair operations will need to acquire a UK Certificate of Equivalent Competency (CEC). Contact Richard Plant at rplant@bridgedeck.org for more info. It is reported that it takes approximately one month to receive this certificate which requires a USCG license, STCW-95 certification and costs approximately $80.

The WAVE SENTINEL arrived in Baltimore on Dec.15, 2000 and went directly into the Baltimore Marine Industries (BMI) Shipyard. She went on sea trials from Dec. 29 through Jan. 2 with 3 MM&P deck officers aboard - 2 permanent mates and 1 relief mate out of the New York union hall. At 0700 Thursday, Feb. 1, 2001, the vessel departed Baltimore on her first cable repair job - destination, the Caribbean. Her duration of this first voyage will be 3 to 4 weeks with a stop in the Bahamas.

Richard Plant is working diligently with Global Marine in hopes of expanding job opportunities for MM&P deck officers to be utilized aboard other Global Marine Systems Limited cable laying/repair vessels. Presently, Global Marine is interested in utilizing one additional Chief Mate aboard one of their other vessels and to have a Chief Mate aboard the WAVE SENTINEL, or her replacement, by November of this year.

In November of this year, it is planned that the WAVE SENTINEL will be replaced with a new build, presently under construction in Holland. The WAVE SENTINEL will then return to her responsibility of cable laying wherever assigned by the company. Congratulations to Richard Plant and to the MM&P officials who assisted on this latest contract acquisition.

MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly

NEW VESSEL CREWING FORM GOES INTO EFFECT FOR MM&P MEMBERS

At the first Offshore Advisory Committee (OAC) and General Executive Board (GEB) meeting of the new year held in Jan. 2001, it was discussed that a Vessel Crewing Questionnaire be created.   While mariners are awaiting their vacation check to be processed they are requested to fill out this form.

The form is to be utilized to collect information about ALL MM&P mariners regarding their level of qualifications acquired, desired and needed. This will allow MM&P to adequately train, bid on and provide manpower for potential future jobs.

It is asked that all MM&P members cooperate in filling out this form to allow an accurate database to be established. Forms are presently being printed and will be provided to all union halls early in Feb.

Any questions regarding this form should be directed to Richard Plant, Director of Special Projects at rplant@bridgedeck.org who will be maintaining this database
 

MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly

MM&P AIDS LOCKED-OUT MEBA MEMBERS

The MM&P is pleased to be able to step up to the plate and help out the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association as they deal with a job action in Port Everglades, FL. On Feb. 1, a MEBA bargaining unit of port engineers at GFC Crane Consulting in Port Everglades was locked out. Until the lockout, MEBA had been engaged in continuing negotiations for a successor contract with GFC to the one which ran from 1995 until its expiration in August 2000. GFC originally voluntarily recognized MEBA as the bargaining representative in 1993.

MM&P Offshore Gulf VP Capt. Robert Groh and Port Everglades Representative Duane Koran have instituted an "open door" policy for MEBA at the MM&P's Port Everglades Union Hall while they work to resolve this issue. MEBA's efforts, which include informational pickets, are being coordinated out of the Port Everglades Hall by MEBA's Jacksonville Representative, John Haarmann.

MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly

MM&P FILES COMPLAINT WITH NLRB IN SUPPORT OF OMU ORGANIZING

The MM&P has filed Unfair Labor Practice charges with the Regional Director of Region 15 of the National Labor Relations Board charging Guidry Brothers Towing Company with unfair labor practices in trying to block the organizing efforts of Offshore Mariners United (OMU).

The AFL-CIO affiliated OMU is a federation of five long-standing American maritime unions which include the MM&P. As previously reported in the Wheelhouse Weekly, the OMU has been engaged in a campaign to help offshore mariners in the Gulf region in Louisiana win union representation and become part of the movement to improve living and working standards for area mariners.

Recently, a majority of the 95 workers in the potential bargaining unit at Guidry Brothers Towing signed pledge cards stating their desire to be represented by the OMU. The company has refused and continues to refuse to recognize OMU as the collective bargaining agent.

The MM&P complaint to the NLRB details numerous occasions where the company or its agents have conducted anti-union activities that are in violation of the protections granted under the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the National Labor Relations Act.

The MM&P has also filed a letter of complaint with the LaFourche Parish Sheriff’s department for detaining and issuing summons to several persons involved in this effort who were conducting peaceful, lawful organizing activities.

MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly

FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS OF MM&P MEMBERS AT SEA WANTED

MITAGS is often the first glimpse into the rich seafaring heritage and merchant mariner way-of-life for many members of the general public who attend conferences and meetings at the facility. The memorabilia in the MITAGS maritime museum adequately covers past years, but it does little to show the vitality of the merchant mariner today.

As a result, MITAGS is creating a binder of “Sea Stories” by active sailing members to be placed in the individual resident rooms in response to the multitude of inquiries that we receive.

Sea Stories will be a collection of first-person accounts of critical situations at sea, Gulf War memoirs, humorous ports-of-call experiences, historic events you have witnessed, or exotic locations you have visited or inhabited.

Members wishing to contribute their short stories, excerpts from journals, audio recordings, and biographies can send them to A. Scalone by Email at: Ascalone@mitags.org; fax: (410) 691-1009 or US Mail at MITAGS, 5700 Hammonds Ferry Road, Linthicum Hts., MD  21090. Please include your contact info.
 

MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly

MITAGS ACADEMIC NOTES

Openings in classes over February and March are listed below.  Classes have been added in HAZ and SMA. Schedule through Dec. 2001 is on the MITAGS website.

MSC Classes

The next 4-day MSC Small Arms (SMA) courses at MITAGS will be Feb 12-15 and Mar 12-15. Remember that to maintain currency in Small Arms, you must take the course once a year. The Strategic Sealift Communications Course will be held at MITAGS April 2-6, 2001.

GMDSS License Renewal

There have been significant changes to the renewal process. Fee has increased to $50. Forms have been revised. You cannot apply for renewal prior to 90 days before expiration date. Check under GMDSS on the MITAGS website at: www.mitags.org for up-to-date forms and submission info.

CSE - Confined Space Entry

A program is being developed to cover requirements associated with CSE. As envisioned, training will be accomplished via seminar/s in the evening.

For additional MITAGS course info, please contact Mary Matlock at Voice: 443-989-3226 or e-mail: admissions@mitags.org.

MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly

PACIFIC NORTHWEST MARITIME INSTITUTE (PNMI) ACADEMIC NOTES

Classes with availability through February are as follows:
Note: The ECDIS course will meet the EINS (Electronic Integrated Navigation Systems) Standards. Course topics include the development of skills in validity of sensor data (including radar overlay), potential errors of interpretation, selecting operational settings and alarms for route monitoring, installation and correction of electronic charts, route planning and scheduling, navigational calculations, accessing ship's log and data playback functions, ARPA, and AIS and trial maneuver functions.
Download their entire schedule at: http://www.stcw95.com. The latest PNMI press releases are at: http://www.stcw95.com/press_releases.htm. For further info contact Gregg Trunnell at voice: 206 239-9965; fax: 206-441-2995; Email: info@stcw95.com.

MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly

MM&P MARKET WATCH AS OF 1-25 CLOSE

 DOW  10,983.63

+254.11 for the week 

  NASDAQ  2,782.79

+28.51 for the week 
 Vanguard 500 Index Fund
 126.88
+1.51 for the week
 Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund  
 28.06
+0.28 for the week
 Vanguard International Growth Fund
 19.01
+0.12  for the week
 Vanguard Morgan Growth Fund
 18.46
+0.18 for the week
 Vanguard Windsor II Fund
 27.29
+0.27 for the week
 Chase Growth Fund
 16.51
+0.01  for the week
 Fidelity Asset Manager
 17.10
+0.16 for the week
 Fidelity Growth and Income
 41.96
+0.32  for the week
 Fidelity Magellan Fund
 123.92
+0.96 for the week
 Spartan US Equity Index Fund
 47.00
-1.15  for the week

MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly

The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly is the official electronic newsletter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots, ILA, AFL-CIO, 700 Maritime Blvd., Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-1941. Phone: 410-850-8700; Fax: 410-850-0973; Email: iommp@bridgedeck.org. For further info contact John Peige at jpeige@bridgedeck.org. The Wheelhouse Weekly is sent via Email to MM&P-contracted vessels at sea, broadcast worldwide via FEC marine telex and is posted on our web page under "News" at: http://www.bridgedeck.org.

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