New jobs for AMO as Seabulk Tankers commences management of

Volume 44, Number 11
November 2014
New jobs for AMO as Seabulk Tankers
commences management of Eagle Ford
The American Maritime Officers
job base expanded in November as
Seabulk Tankers, Inc. commenced management of the oil tanker Eagle Ford
(formerly named the Kodiak) from
SeaRiver Maritime, Inc.
American Maritime Officers
members began manning the 125,000
dwt tanker in all licensed positions at
the beginning of November.
“The domestic energy boom continues to bring new jobs to the AMO
membership,” said AMO National
Executive Vice President Bob Kiefer.
“We’re excited to be working with
Seabulk Tankers aboard the Eagle Ford,
and with the ongoing expansion of the
AMO job base in U.S. domestic energy
transportation trades.”
At a length of approximately
825 feet, the double-hulled Eagle
Ford was built in 1978 and is expected to operate in the Jones Act trades in
the Gulf of Mexico.
Construction begins on Commitment Class
LNG-powered ConRo ships for Crowley
The following is excerpted from an
article released by Crowley October 22.
American Maritime Officers will represent
all licensed officers aboard the
Commitment Class ships.
(PASCAGOULA, Miss.: October,
22, 2014) — Today marked a historic
moment for Crowley as VT Halter
Marine, Inc., a subsidiary of VT Systems,
Inc., officially began construction on the
first of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)powered, combination container — RollOn/Roll-Off (ConRo) ships for Crowley
Maritime Corporation’s liner services
group. VT Halter Marine and Crowley
entered into a contract for the pair of ships
in November 2013 and construction began
with the first steel plate cutting in
Pascagoula, Miss., this morning.
“We have waited with great anticipation for the Commitment Class build pro-
gram to start,” said John Hourihan, senior
vice president and general manager, Puerto
Rico/Caribbean liner services. “These new
ships will embody superior technology and
construction and we are anxious to get them
into service for our partners in Puerto Rico.”
“VT Halter Marine is pleased and
excited to announce the first steel plate cut,
which launches the official start of construction for these new LNG ConRo ships.
These vessels signify how important the
Jones Act is to Americans employed in the
marine industry. We are most grateful for
Crowley’s continued confidence in VT
Halter Marine,” said Bill Skinner, CEO, VT
Halter Marine.
The Commitment Class ships have
been designed to maximize the carriage of
53-foot, 102-inch-wide containers, which
See Commitment Class ◆ Page 2
2014 AMO election: balloting, voting
eligibility information, requirements
AMO jobs secure in sale of Jones
Act tanker American Phoenix
Page 4: Ballots for the 2014 AMO Election for contested National
Offices on the National Executive Board were mailed to all AMO members and applicants August 29, 2014 by TrueBallot Inc., the independent
firm that administers AMO national elections and referendums.
Page 2: Mid Ocean Tanker Company has agreed to sell the American
Phoenix to Genesis Energy, L.P. The Jones Act tanker will continue to
be manned in all licensed positions by members of American Maritime
Officers after the transaction is completed.
Page 2: TOTE finalizes charter for LNG-powered ships
Copyright © 2014 American Maritime Officers
■
editorial@amo-union.org
2 • American Maritime Officer
November 2014
TOTE Shipholdings finalizes charter with Sea Star
Line for first LNG-powered containerships
The following article was released by
TOTE, Inc. American Maritime Officers
will represent all licensed officers aboard
the Marlin Class ships.
Jacksonville, FL/San Juan, Puerto
Rico — October 2, 2014: TOTE, Inc.
announced an agreement today between its
operating companies TOTE Shipholdings
Inc. and Sea Star Line LLC on the charter of
the two new Marlin Class vessels being
built by TOTE Shipholdings at NASSCO in
San Diego, CA.
The new Marlin Class ships will be
the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered containerships in the world and will
almost double the cargo capacity available
to Puerto Rico each week. These will be the
first ships with fifty-three-foot container
capacity under deck, expanding the services
that Sea Star Line is able to offer its cus-
tomers. The ships will also allow Sea Star
Line more cargo flexibility to meet the everchanging needs of Puerto Rico.
The Marlin Class vessels lead the
way in environmental responsibility.
“Improved technology and the use of
LNG result in tremendous emissions
reductions,” noted Ben Christian, Project
Manager at TOTE Shipholdings. “The
new Marlin Class will reduce particulate
matter by 98 percent, sulfur oxide emissions by 97 percent, carbon dioxide emissions by 72 percent and nitrous oxide
emissions by 60 percent.”
Tim Nolan, President of Sea Star
Line went on to add, “These ships will set
new standards for safety and reliability in
addition to their environmental benefits. We
are proud to be the first company to operate
LNG-powered containerships, which will
ensure a cleaner and safer environment for
the people of Jacksonville and Puerto Rico
as well as our employees.”
The first of the two ships, Hull 495,
will enter the Puerto Rico trade in the fourth
quarter of 2015 and the second ship, Hull
496, will enter the trade in the first quarter
of 2016.
AMO members asked to provide scanned copy of U.S.
Coast Guard Medical Certificate to AMO Dispatching
All members and applicants of
American Maritime Officers are asked to
provide a copy of their U.S. Coast Guard
Medical Certificate to the AMO
Dispatching Department.
The Medical Certificate contains
three expiration dates: STCW, National and
Pilot. For STCW certified officers, the
STCW endorsement on your Merchant
Mariner Credential will not be valid if the
STCW date on your Medical Certificate has
reached expiration.
AMO has developed and implemented an automated advisory feature for
Medical Certificates in the AMO
Dispatching system to send reminders by
AMO members attend meetings of
union’s National Executive Board,
AMO Plans Board of Trustees
e-mail to AMO members and applicants
advising of imminent Medical Certificate
expiration. Once scanned copies of
Medical Certificates are received, advisories will be issued based upon the dates
on each certificate.
A scanned copy of your Medical
Certificate can be uploaded securely to the
AMO jobs secure in sale of
tanker American Phoenix
Mid Ocean Tanker Company has
agreed to sell the Jones Act tanker
American Phoenix to Genesis Energy, L.P.
Phoenix Crew Management, LLC
will continue to provide crew management with Seabulk Tankers, Inc. provid-
ing continued technical management
services for the American Phoenix. The
ship will continue to be manned in all
licensed positions by members of
American Maritime Officers after the
transaction is completed.
Commitment Class
Crowley subsidiary Jensen Maritime, a
leading Seattle-based naval architecture
and marine engineering firm.
The Commitment Class Jones Act
ships will replace Crowley’s towed tripledeck barge fleet, which has served the
trade continuously and with distinction
since the early 1970s. These new ships,
which will be named El Coquí (ko-kee)
and Taíno (tahy-noh), will offer customers
fast ocean transit times, while accommodating the company’s diverse equipment
selection and cargo handling flexibility —
benefits customers have enjoyed for nearly 60 years. El Coquí and Taíno are scheduled for delivery in the second and fourth
quarter of 2017 respectively.
Continued from Page 1
American Maritime Officers members attending meetings of the AMO
National Executive Board and AMO Plans Board of Trustees in October at
AMO Headquarters included Scott Adolfi, Traian Coman, Dan Robichaux
and Al Stevens. With them here are AMO National Vice President,
Government Relations, Mike Murphy (left) and Seafarers International
Union President Michael Sacco, who made a presentation during a meeting of the AMO National Executive Board.
POSTMASTER—Send Address Changes To:
American Maritime Officers — ATTENTION: Member Services
P.O. Box 66
Dania Beach, FL 33004
AMO
Dispatching
system
at
https://securetransfer.amo-union.org.
Each AMO member and applicant can log
into the secure file transfer system with
his or her username and password for the
AMO Dispatching website. Scanned
copies can also be sent to the union via email to memberservices@amo-union.org.
offer the most cubic cargo capacity in the
trade. The ships will be 219.5 meters long,
32.3 meters wide (beam), have a deep draft
of 10 meters, and an approximate deadweight capacity of 26,500 metric tons.
Cargo capacity will be approximately
2,400 TEUs (20-foot-equivalent-units),
with additional space for nearly 400 vehicles in an enclosed Ro/Ro garage. The
main propulsion and auxiliary engines
will be fueled by environmentally friendly
LNG. The ship design is provided by
Wartsila Ship Design in conjunction with
American Maritime Officer
(USPS 316-920)
Official Publication of American Maritime Officers
601 S. Federal Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004
(954) 921-2221
Periodical Postage Paid at
Dania Beach, FL and Additional Mailing Offices
Published Monthly
ISO 9001:2008
Certificate #33975
November 2014
American Maritime Officer • 3
Important information regarding your
U.S. Coast Guard documents
By Mike Murphy
National Vice President, Government
Relations
Recent discussions with the National
Maritime Center and a polling of AMO
members reveal a need for greater awareness regarding current requirements pertaining to the documents we all need for
employment on ships, particularly in the
deep-sea sector.
First, however, I must preface my
remarks with a “heads-up” concerning processing times at the National Maritime
Center. Currently there is a significant backlog at the NMC and processing of upgrades
and renewals is taking as long as four
months. While NMC is working diligently
to reduce this, the upcoming implementation of the 2010 Manila Amendments to
STCW will probably cause extended processing times well into 2017.
Delayed issuance of documents
Recognizing the uncertainty of long
processing times, the Coast Guard has
changed their policy on “Delayed Issuance”
of documents.
Previously, we could submit our documents up to a year in advance when
renewing. This usually cost us time on the
old document unless a “Delayed Issuance”
was requested on the application. Then the
Coast Guard would hold the new document
until just before the old document expired.
The Delayed Issuance policy has
changed for the better. The renewal applica-
tion may only be submitted a maximum of
eight months in advance now, but the Coast
Guard will automatically issue the new document as soon as it is approved with an
effective date the day after the old document expires. This means we no longer
have to “burn” time on the old document. It
also means we will have to have two documents in our possession when making the
transition from one document to the other.
At the moment, I recommend submitting a routine application not less than four
months in advance of the expiration date. If
there are medical issues involved, you must
allow time for the medical processing, too.
However, recognizing that a delayed
issuance doesn’t cost time on your document anymore, a general policy of submitting eight months in advance would preclude worry about getting your document
renewed before its expiration date.
Medical Certificate
The second point of discussion is the
new Medical Certificate — and there seems
to be a considerable amount of misunderstanding regarding this document. These
certificates were first issued in January
2014 as part of the new STCW implementation. It is important that you have this document with you at all times on the ship as
the Coast Guard will be checking them. It is
even more important that you examine the
dates on the medical certificate closely. You
will find three expiration dates listed:
STCW, National and Pilot.
For STCW qualified officers, the
STCW expiration date governs the length of
time between physicals. This date “should
be” two years from the date of your last
physical, unless you have a medical waiver
that reduces the time. There were some
anomalies on the first issuance and the
Coast Guard adjusted some dates so they
didn’t expire immediately, but in the future,
all STCW expiration dates will be generated off the date of your last physical. Now,
for the most important point of this paragraph: YOUR MERCHANT MARINER
CREDENTIAL STCW ENDORSEMENT
IS NOT VALID IF YOUR MEDICAL
CERTIFICATE HAS EXPIRED.
The difficult part is that the tracking
of this date falls squarely on your shoulders.
AMO is building a tracking system so we
can provide a reminder six months in
advance, but right now it is completely
incumbent on the mariner to ensure they
have a current certificate at all times. I am
recommending that you start six months in
advance in order to get the physical, allow
time to work out any medical problems and
give NMC time to update and mail the new
certificate. This means the certificate is really only good for eighteen months. For those
of you required by your company to get an
annual physical, make sure the medical
provider fills out the Coast Guard medical
form (CG-719K), and make sure to submit
it annually. There is no cost to renew your
medical certificate.
For Great Lakes and inland waters
mariners, the problem is less complicated.
The National Expiration Date governs the
AMO participates in ITF’s 43rd Congress
American Maritime Officers participated in the International Transport
Workers’ Federation 43rd Congress,
which was held this year in August in
Sophia, Bulgaria. The Congress is the
ITF’s primary decision making event, at
which its affiliated trade unions set the
agenda for the next four years and elect
its executive board, president, vice presidents and general secretary.
Attending for AMO were the
AMO National President, AMO
National Vice
President,
Government
Relations, Mike
Murphy, and
AMO National
Assistant Vice
President
Christian Spain.
Murphy
serves as the chairman of the ITF Maritime
Safety Committee, and presented two
motions in support of seafarers —
Shipboard Workload, Fatigue and
Manning, and Fair Treatment of
Seafarers — both of which were unanimously adopted.
A new ITF General Secretary,
Stephen Cotton, was elected and ITF
President Paddy Crumlin was reelected.
Approximately 1,800 people,
including staff and participants from 371
trade unions in 116 countries, were registered to participate in the 43rd Congress.
validity of your document. This date should
be five years from the date of the last physical examination, unless a medical waiver is
issued for a shorter period of time.
For pilots, the period will be two
years, BUT each pilot is still required to
submit a physical every year.
STCW gap closing training
Earlier, I mentioned that the U.S.
Coast Guard is now implementing the 2010
Manila Amendments to the STCW. We
were supposed to have five years to meet
the new requirements starting January 1,
2012. Due to a number of factors — mostly
outside of the agency’s control — the Coast
Guard was unable to publish the governing
documents until December 24, 2013. The
net effect of the late implementation is a significant delay of our STAR Center training
courses, which now effectively begin
November 10, 2014, and run continuously
through 2016. This means that U.S.
mariners have only two years rather than
five to get the required training — we are
calling it STCW gap closing training — and
it must be completed and you must have the
endorsement on your credential prior to
December 31, 2016.
STAR Center is ramping up to 150
percent of the normal student load and can
accommodate all AMO officers for their
training. However, in order to do this, they
have to “level load” the courses. This means
you need to go as soon as possible and not
wait until the last minute because there may
not be room to accommodate a large rush in
2016. And, the most important point that I
haven’t discussed, and you probably
haven’t noticed on your document: ALL
CURRENT STCW ENDORSEMENTS
EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31, 2016,
UNLESS YOU COMPLETE STCW GAP
CLOSING TRAINING.
The take away here is that training
time is short — classes are filling quickly
and you have to allow time to apply to
NMC and receive a sticker for your
Merchant Mariner Credential in order to
have a valid STCW endorsement for sailing
deep-sea. Get your training done as soon as
possible or you may not be able to work
after the deadline.
I have discussed several important
issues here and I know that the changes can
be confusing and irritating. Both STAR
Center and your AMO officials are here to
help. Watch the STAR Center courses in the
AMO paper and online for guidance, and if
you aren’t clear on something, contact
STAR Center or call/e-mail me. My cell
phone number is listed in the paper and on
the AMO website.
AMO aboard tanker Pennsylvania in the Jones Act trades
American Maritime Officers members working aboard the Jones Act tanker
Pennsylvania in July, here in Corpus Christi, Texas, included Chief Engineer
Pete Davis, Captain Thomas Doane, Third Mate Rupert Hopkins, Chief Mate
Timothee Paternoster and Third Mate Nicole Kogel. With them is AMO
National Assistant Vice President Dave Weathers.
American Maritime Officers members working aboard the Jones Act tanker
Pennsylvania in July, here in Corpus Christi, Texas, included Second
Assistant Engineer Robert Shaughnessy and Chief Engineer Dave Leddy.
The Pennsylvania is operated by Intrepid Personnel and Provisioning and is
manned in all licensed positions by AMO.
November 2014
4 • American Maritime Officer
Ballots mailed for 2014 AMO Election for contested
National Offices; ballots must be received by the
Post Office by close of business December 1;
instructions for requesting a duplicate ballot
Ballots for the 2014 American
Maritime Officers Election for contested
National Offices on the National
Executive Board were mailed to all AMO
members and applicants August 29, 2014
by TrueBallot Inc., the independent firm
that has administered AMO national elections and referendums since 2007, and is
conducting this 90-day union-wide secret
ballot election.
TrueBallot has mailed a ballot to
each AMO member and applicant at the
address he or she has on file with the
union. AMO has provided TrueBallot with
a current mailing list of members to be
used for this purpose during this election,
as is done for each AMO national election
and referendum.
As with all AMO national elections
and referendums administered by
TrueBallot, the union itself is not mailing,
handling or processing any ballots in this
election.
Ballots must be received by the Post
Office no later than the close of business
Monday, December 1, 2014 in order to be
considered qualified under the AMO
National Constitution. As stated on the
back of each ballot: “Ballots shall be
mailed on August 29, 2014 and voting
shall thereupon commence and continue
through December 1, 2014 inclusive.”
AMO members who would like to
request a duplicate ballot be sent to an
address other than the one on file with the
union will need to contact Jack
Branthover, special assistant to the national president, and provide a complete alternate mailing address. Any request for a
duplicate ballot must be made in writing;
submitted by mail, e-mail or fax; must be
for a specific member or applicant; and
must specify the address where the duplicate ballot will need to be sent.
All requests should go to:
Jack Branthover
American Maritime Officers
601 South Federal Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004
Fax: (954) 926-5112
E-mail: jbranthover@amo-union.org
The union will provide alternate
addresses to TrueBallot Inc. for the mailing of duplicate ballots for AMO members
or applicants who submit written requests.
As provided in the AMO National
Constitution: “A member shall be entitled to write to the independent mailing
and balloting service, c/o National
Headquarters, for a duplicate Ballot and
receive same by mail provided he states
in his letter that he has not received his
ballot or that his ballot has been lost or
mutilated so that it can not be used. All
duplicate ballots shall be marked either
by color or serial number to identify
them as such. Duplicate ballots shall be
counted unless the original and duplicate ballots mailed to the member are
both cast, in which event neither shall
be counted. Each duplicate sent by the
independent mailing and balloting service shall be recorded on a list maintained by the independent mailing and
balloting service.”
Ballots have been mailed to all
AMO members and applicants, regardless of dues status. However, for each
member’s ballot to be counted in the
tally — which is scheduled for
December 8, 2014 — he or she must be
an AMO member in good standing and
his or her dues must be paid in full
through the end of the fourth quarter of
the calendar year (December 31, 2014)
no later than November 30, 2014.
As provided in the AMO National
Constitution: “In order for the member’s
ballot to be counted, the member must be
in good standing for the quarter in which
the ballot cast is to be counted, with such
standing established not later than
November 30th of the election year.”
As provided in the AMO National
2014 AMO Election: constitutional
guidelines for voting eligibility
The following is the text of a letter that was mailed in
August to all American Maritime Officers members and applicants at the address each has on file with the union.
Next month you will receive your ballot for casting a vote
in the 2014 AMO National Election, along with instructions on
how to properly fill out and return your ballot to the impartial
election administrator True Ballot, Inc. Under the guidelines for
voting eligibility in Article XI, Section 3 of the AMO National
Constitution, in order for a ballot to be counted a member of
AMO must be in good standing through the quarter in which the
ballot is to be counted, by no later than November 30 of the
election year.
If you are already member of AMO but have not yet paid
your membership dues for this entire year, you must do so by
November 30, 2014 for your ballot to be counted in the election. If you are unsure about whether you have made your 2014
dues payments or the amount you still owe, you may contact
AMO Member Services at 1-800-362-0513 extensions 1053 or
1054, or via email to: MemberServices@amo-union.org.
If you are an applicant for membership in AMO, in order
to receive a membership card and have your ballot counted in
the election, you need to complete the membership application
process by November 30, 2014. A completed membership
application, which can be obtained at the AMO website
www.amo-union.org or from Member Services, must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation from AMO members
in good standing, along with all required dues and initiation
fees. Please allow sufficient time for your membership application and payments to be processed before November 30.
Membership applications and the required payments are accepted by regular mail or electronically to AMO Member Services.
You may then confirm whether you are eligible to have your
ballot counted by contacting AMO Member Services at 1-800362-0513 extensions 1053 and 1054, or via email.
U.S Coast Guard’s
National Maritime
Center: Navigation
Rules and Regulations
Handbook published
Constitution, a member in good standing
is “a member whose dues are paid through
the current quarter and who is not under
suspension or sentence of expulsion as
provided by this Constitution.”
As provided in the AMO National
Constitution: “Voting shall thereupon
commence and continue through
December 1st inclusive. If December 1st
falls on a holiday, or a Sunday, balloting
shall end on the next succeeding business
day. Ballots received after December 1st
or the next succeeding business day shall
be disqualified.”
AMO National
Constitution
available on
AMO website,
from union
Headquarters
The American Maritime Officers
National Constitution was mailed to AMO
members at their home addresses and to
contracted vessels in the July edition of
American Maritime Officer. AMO members wishing to obtain additional copies of
the AMO National Constitution can acquire
them from AMO Headquarters upon
request. A digital copy of the AMO National
Constitution is available on the AMO website at www.amo-union.org.
No publicity
for candidates
So as not to give any candidate an
undue advantage in the AMO Election for
contested National Offices, neither the
names nor photographs of candidates,
whether incumbent or not, will be published
in articles in the union’s newspaper,
American Maritime Officer, or the union’s
online periodical, AMO Currents. In the
case of news stories that involve an incumbent who is a candidate, only the candidate’s title may be mentioned.
The U.S. Coast Guard recently published the Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook, replacing the former Navigation Rules International and Inland. The Handbook includes the International
Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) and the Inland Navigation Rules.
Other laws and regulations pertinent for mariners and waterway users are also included (e.g.,
Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Act and Vessel Traffic Services).
ALCOAST 411-14 introduces the Handbook and discusses issues such as requirements to carry:
www.uscg.mil/announcements/ALCOAST/411-14_ALCOAST.txt
The Navigation Rules and additional information regarding the new Handbook can be found online
at the U.S. Coast Guard’s Navigation Center website by selecting Nav Rules from the upper navigation bar:
www.navcen.uscg.gov
November 2014
American Maritime Officer • 5
IRS Increases Contribution Limit and Catch-Up
Contribution Limit for 401(k) Accounts for 2015
The Internal Revenue Service has increased the contribution limit and catch-up
contribution limit for individual 401(k) accounts for 2015. These changes will apply to
all participants of the American Maritime Officers 401(k) Plan.
401(k) Contributions: The contribution limit for an individual 401(k) account
will increase from the current level of $17,500 per year to $18,000 in 2015.
Catch-Up Contributions: The catch-up contribution limit for a 401(k) account
for an individual who will be age 50 or older in 2015 will increase from the current level
of $5,500 per year to $6,000 in 2015. As a result of these increases, individuals who will
be age 50 or older in 2015 may contribute a maximum of $24,000 to an individual
401(k) account in 2015.
AMO Plans participants with questions regarding the 401(k) Plan or their
contributions can contact our financial advisers, the Atlantic Group at Morgan
Stanley, at (800) 975-7061, or via e-mail: Larry.Goldstock@morganstanley.com.
Participants can also contact the Plan Office at (800) 348-6515 ext. 14, or via email: amo401k@amoplans.com.
To adjust contributions for 2015, or to establish a 401(k) account, download
the 2015 AMO 401(k) Plan Enrollment Form from the AMO Plans website:
www.amoplans.com/2015forms/401k/401k-EnrollmentForm2015.pdf.
STAR Center publishes guidance on STCW 2010 gap
closing training, deck and engineering upgrade
programs, STCW endorsement renewal requirements
STAR Center has published comprehensive guidance for meeting the requirements
of STCW 2010.
This information is available on the STAR Center website at:
www.star-center.com/stcw2010.html
In the new section of the STAR Center website, detailed guidance is available for
AMO deck and engineering officers on:
• STCW 2010 gap closing training requirements (deck and engine)
• New STAR Center STCW 2010 management level upgrade programs for chief
mate/master
• New STAR Center STCW 2010 management level upgrade programs for first
assistant engineer/chief engineer
• STCW 2010 renewal requirements for STCW endorsements
STAR Center has posted presentations online describing the gap closing requirements for different ratings. The presentations are available in a variety of formats on the
STAR Center website at: www.star-center.com/stcw2010presentation.html.
Also available on the STAR Center website is the 2015 schedule for STCW 2010
gap closing courses: www.star-center.com/forms/Schedule.stcw2015.pdf.
Available in this edition of American Maritime Officer, and on both the STAR
Center and American Maritime Officers websites, is the course schedule for November
2014 through June 2015, including the STCW 2010 gap closing course schedule.
As noted on the STAR Center website: Please remember that the information provided is our best interpretation of the rules — the U.S. Coast Guard is the sole authority for all license issues. If in doubt, please visit the U.S. Coast Guard’s National
Maritime Center website for definitive guidance.
U.S. Coast Guard: Ebola Virus Precautions – Update (Change 1)
The purpose of this Bulletin is to provide an update to the maritime industry with
respect to assessing Ebola risks and the responsibility of vessel/facility agents, owners,
masters, operators, Area Maritime Security Committee members, and persons to immediately report potential communicable disease hazards to the United States Coast Guard
(USCG) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The USCG continues to monitor the threat and work to prevent the possible
waterborne entry or spread of the virus via U.S. ports. An Ebola Crisis Action Team has
been stood up at USCG Headquarters and is conducting a comprehensive review of
USCG policy to provide clarifying guidance to port stakeholders, and they will release
additional guidance as necessary. Also, guidance from the CDC continues to evolve and
updates will be available at: www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola.
Timely reporting of suspected EVD incidents is paramount. Any suspected Ebola
case in the maritime environment will be considered a significant incident, so timely notification to the CDC and the USCG is vitally important, and will help ensure the most appropriate coordination between the CDC, USCG, and other federal, state and local agencies.
ditions are strongly recommended to report this to the Coast Guard.
• Vessel representatives are also reminded that they are required to report sick or
deceased crew or passengers within the last 15 days to the CDC under 42 C.F.R. § 71.21.
Regional CDC quarantine station points of contact can be found at:
Some key points to remember concerning Ebola:
•Symptoms include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea,
vomiting, abdominal (stomach) pain and unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising). Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but
the average is 8 to 10 days. More information can be found at:
www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html.
•Individuals could be infected if they came into contact with blood or body fluids
from someone who is infected with or have died from Ebola, sick wildlife, or meat products from an infected animal. Health care providers caring for individuals infected with
Ebola and individuals in close contact with an ill person are at the highest risk because
of the increased potential for prolonged contact with infected blood or body fluids.
•If you were in an area with an Ebola outbreak, you should follow the CDC
Guidance following any potential exposure and especially if you were in contact with
blood or body fluids, items that have come in contact with blood or body fluids, animals
or raw meat, or hospitals, where individuals infected with Ebola were being treated.
•The Coast Guard will continue to review all Notice of Arrivals to determine if a
vessel has visited any of the countries listed as, “Warning Level 3, Avoid Nonessential
Travel,” on the CDC’s Travelers’ Health, Travel Health Notices webpage
(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices) within its last five ports of call. As of this date,
the countries listed are Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia, but if the CDC modifies that
list, the Coast Guard will adjust its review accordingly. Also, local Coast Guard Sector
personnel may reach out to ship’s agents of those vessels that have visited one of these
countries, to affirm their understanding of the reporting requirements outlined in both
42 C.F.R. § 71.21 and 33 C.F.R. § 160.215.
•For vessels that have visited any of the countries listed in the CDC, “Warning
Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel,” webpage within its last five ports of call, a vessel’s owner or operator is highly encouraged to determine how long each individual
crew member has been on that vessel. This should include whether or not the crew
member visited any of the countries listed in the, “Warning Level 3, Avoid
Nonessential Travel,” webpage within the 21 days prior to embarkation. While this
information is not required under current Coast Guard regulations, having reliable
data available to document this history will help reassure the public and port stakeholders and facilitate cargo operations.
•It is recommended that local industry stakeholders, in collaboration with their
Coast Guard Captain of the Port do the following:
o Continue to review and be familiar with section 5310 Procedures for Vessel
Vessel/facility owner/operators, and local stakeholders, should be aware of the
following:
•Vessel representatives are reminded that 33 C.F.R. § 160.215 requires the owner,
agent, master, operator, or person in charge of a vessel to immediately notify the nearest Coast Guard Sector whenever there is a hazardous condition aboard the vessel. An
ill person on board, especially one displaying the symptoms listed above, may constitute a hazardous condition and should be reported. Facilities that encounter similar con-
www.cdc.gov/quarantine/QuarantineStationContactListFull.html
The required forms can be found at:
www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cargo/reporting-deaths-illness/index.html
and at:
www.cdc.gov/quarantine/maritime/federal-regulations-reporting-illness-deathships-destined-united-states.html
See USCG: Ebola Precautions ◆ Page 10
November 2014
6 • American Maritime Officer
Maritime Administrator Jaenichen: The Jones Act
moves industry and America’s economic prosperity
The following commentary was posted October 9 by Maritime Administrator
Paul “Chip” Jaenichen on the Department
of Transportation’s Fast Lane blog.
Our very first Congress singled out
the domestic U.S. Merchant Marine as
essential to our economy and national
defense. That is why, from the beginnings
of this nation, they took steps to secure the
U.S. Merchant Marine fleet from foreign
flag competition in coastwise domestic
maritime trade.
Senator Wesley L. Jones sponsored
the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 — better
known now as the Jones Act. For 94 years,
that law has remained the cornerstone of
U.S. maritime policy, a policy that was the
center of discussion at yesterday’s 2nd
Annual TradeWinds Jones Act Forum.
For example, supply boats, tankers
and tank barges are in high demand to move
shale oil — a new, abundant cargo source
— between American coastwise ports. As a
result, U.S. shipyards are experiencing the
greatest volume of shipbuilding activity in
more than three decades. Today, there are
over 30 large, self-propelled, ocean-going
Jones Act eligible tankers, articulated tugbarge units and container ships either under
construction or on order at U.S. shipyards.
The demand for Jones Act vessels is
supporting 117 shipyards actively building
ships as well as 200 shipyards currently
engaged in vessel maintenance and repair.
Additionally, our domestic shipbuilding
industry continues to modernize and maintain Federal vessels for the Navy, Coast
Guard, and National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration. In total, all of
this activity combined contributes more
than $36 billion to our national economy.
That’s why this Administration has
invested more than $150 million to increase
the competitiveness and efficiency of U.S.
shipyards through MARAD’s Small
Shipyard Grant program. We know that
increased production at our shipyards
means good, middle-class jobs for
Americans who not only build, but also
operate these vessels.
The United States became a maritime
power even before we became a nation, and
for over 230 years, marine transportation
has remained a top priority for the United
States. For this reason, this Administration
remains committed to the Jones Act, as all
administrations have since it was passed.
AMP chairman hails American maritime
surge, questions Jones Act critics
vides the certainty American companies
need to commit the capital that makes
this construction, and the jobs that go
with it, a reality.
“American maritime also remains
critical to protecting U.S. national and
homeland security, with American
mariners serving as eyes and ears on our
inland waterways and coastlines,”
Allegretti continued. “Given the value
American maritime brings to our country, it’s not surprising that the Jones Act
has consistently maintained solid bipartisan support from Congress, from the
administration, and from our nation’s
military leaders.”
Allegretti questioned the assumptions of out-of-the-mainstream Jones Act
critics, including the president of the
American Fuel and Petrochemical
Manufacturers (AFPM), who is on record
proposing the use of foreign-flag vessels
to move domestic crude oil and petrochemical products. Such action would
“undermine America’s national, economic
and homeland security,” Allegretti said.
Allegretti maintained that it is a
false comparison to equate replacing
American-built, American-owned, and
American-crewed vessels with foreignflag vessels to move domestic commerce
without taking into consideration that
domestic maritime companies comply
with U.S. laws and U.S. taxes to which
foreign-flag vessels would also be subject
if they operated in domestic waters.
“Comparing domestic shipping
rates to foreign shipping rates is comparing apples to oranges. American companies are subject to different, more expensive and extensive laws than foreign shipping companies. Once you start adding in
the cost of complying with U.S. regulations like wage and hour laws, immigration laws, and tax laws, suddenly the cost
differential between U.S. and foreign vessels starts to disappear,” said Allegretti.
“Further, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline at the pump attributable to
use of a Jones Act vessel is one cent or less
per gallon,” Allegretti continued. “That
makes it all the more perplexing why
some would propose changes that undermine America’s national, homeland and
economic security for such minor savings.
“At a time when we see one negative news story after another, it’s nice to
have some good news to reflect on — the
news of America’s domestic maritime
renaissance and the high-quality jobs it
provides for American citizens.”
The following is excerpted from an
article released October 8 by the
American Maritime Partnership, a coalition of which American Maritime Officers
Service is a member and which American
Maritime Officers supports.
NEW YORK — Tom Allegretti,
Chairman of the American Maritime
There, I joined maritime industry
experts and stakeholders in recognizing
that, while some sectors of America’s economy have seen operations and jobs shift to
countries abroad, this hasn’t been the case
for our maritime industry.
Instead, the Jones Act, which requires
that any cargoes being shipped by water
between U.S. ports be transported on a vessel owned by a U.S. company, crewed by
U.S. mariners, and manufactured in a U.S.
shipyard. That U.S. shipbuilding requirement has stimulated investment in the privately-owned U.S. companies that run shipyards and operate the vessels that employ
the best-trained crews and merchant
mariners in the world. So much so, employment opportunities for mariners to crew our
U.S.-flagged fleet are vast.
Partnership (AMP), the voice of the
domestic maritime industry, today highlighted the continued renaissance of the
nation’s maritime sector, particularly its
robust response to meet new water transportation demands created by the surge in
domestic energy production.
“The domestic maritime industry,
with the Jones Act as its statutory foundation, is investing heavily to meet the
transportation demands of a booming
energy economy,” Allegretti said. “We
are witnessing a new era of domestic vessel construction that is adding nearly 16
million barrels of inland and oceangoing
tank vessel capacity. The Jones Act pro-
Tug Eagle aids in rescue off of Florida coast
The crew of Seabulk Towing’s
tug Eagle assisted in the rescue of
Cuban migrants on Monday, October 27
after their raft had submerged in the
water near Sands Key.
Three men were pulled onboard
the Eagle during rescue efforts coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard. In
all, 11 people were saved. A member
of the Coast Guard rescue team was
lowered from a helicopter onto the
Eagle to evaluate the men brought
aboard the tug.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told
reporters the group was believed to have
been floating on the raft for several days
when it came apart Sunday night.
The tug Eagle is based in Port
Canaveral, Fla.
AMO aboard
Jones Act
tanker Florida
American Maritime Officers members working aboard the Jones Act
tanker Florida in September, here
in Corpus Christi, Texas, included
Tankerman PIC Observer Tevin
Freeman, Third Mate Kirby Alford,
Second Mate Luke Sunkler, Third
Mate Scott Skrzypczak and Chief
Mate Mike Stutevoss.
November 2014
American Maritime Officer • 7
Domestic industry recognizes Sen. McConnell,
Rep. Shuster as Champions of Maritime for 2014
Stephen Little, President and CEO of Paducah based Crounse Corporation presents the Champion of Maritime Award from the American Maritime Partnership
to Senator Mitch McConnell.
Presenting Rep. Bill Shuster (third from right) with the Champion of Maritime
Award were Ben Billings, Stephen Martinko, Dave Grzebinski; AMP Chairman
Thomas Allegretti, Barry Holliday and Matthew Paxton.
The American Maritime Partnership
has presented Senator Mitch McConnell
(R-KY) and Congressman Bill Shuster (RPA) with Champion of Maritime Awards
for 2014.
The American Maritime Partnership
(AMP) is a coalition of which American
Maritime Officers Service is a member
and which American Maritime Officers
supports.
Senator McConnell has consistently
supported the critical roles of the domestic
maritime industry and the Jones Act in U.S.
national, economic and homeland security.
He was presented with the award on
October 15.
“America’s maritime industry is
critical to our nation and to Kentucky,
which is home to over 13,000 maritime
jobs,” Sen. McConnell said. “As a longtime supporter of our inland waterways
tributor to our country’s national, economic
and homeland security.”
Kentucky ranks fifth in the nation in
per capita domestic maritime jobs, according to a recent study performed by
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the
Transportation Institute. The state’s 13,260
domestic maritime jobs pump more than
$2.7 billion annually into the Kentucky
economy and maritime worker income in
the state totals more than $720 million.
As the Chairman of the House
Transportation
and
Infrastructure
Committee, Rep. Shuster has led his colleagues in support of the domestic maritime industry.
“It is a great honor to be recognized
as a Champion of Maritime,” said Rep.
Shuster, who was presented with the award
in September. “This is a very exciting time
for American maritime — the surge in our
industry and the Commonwealth’s inland
waterways infrastructure, like Olmsted
Lock and Dam and Kentucky Lock, I was
proud to help guide the recent WRDA bill
through the Senate and into law this summer. I am honored to be named a
Champion of Maritime by the American
Maritime Partnership here in Paducah, the
heart of Kentucky’s inland waterways
industry, and I will continue to advocate
on behalf of Kentucky’s maritime jobs.”
“Senator McConnell knows firsthand the important role American maritime
and our inland waterways play in moving
freight into and out of our nation’s heartland,” said AMP Chairman Tom Allegretti.
“We are especially grateful for his strong
support of our industry’s role in the nation’s
multimodal transportation system and his
recognition of the Jones Act as the foundation of a bright, vibrant and essential con-
AMO aboard the
M/V Sam Laud
American Maritime Officers
members working aboard the
Sam Laud in August, here in
Duluth, Minn., included Third
Mate Keith Breyfogle and First
Mate Pandelis Dallas. AMO represents all licensed officers
aboard the American Steamship
Company vessel.
Above: American Maritime Officers members working aboard the Sam Laud in August, here in Duluth,
Minn., included Chief Engineer Steve Hess.
country’s energy production is helping drive
record levels of new vessel construction in
shipyards across the nation. I appreciate the
many benefits of the Jones Act and this
vibrant homegrown U.S. industry.”
“Chairman Shuster understands the
integral role that American maritime plays
in helping propel our nation’s economy as
the safest, most efficient, and environmentally friendly mode of freight transportation,” Allegretti said. “We especially appreciate his support of the Jones Act and his
recognition that American maritime is an
essential element of the nation’s multimodal
transportation system. We also commend
Chairman Shuster’s leadership in shepherding the Water Resources Reform and
Development Act into law, which will
greatly help to advance the reliability and
efficiency of America’s waterways transportation infrastructure.”
U.S.-flagged
lakers moved
350,000 tons
of cargo per
day during
September
U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighters
moved 10.6 million tons of cargo in
September, an average of 353,611 tons per
day, and an increase of 6.8 percent compared with a year ago. The September float
was also 9.1 percent better than the month’s
long-term average, the Lake Carriers’
Association reported.
Iron ore destined for the nation’s
steel mills totaled 5.4 million tons in
September, an increase of 13.8 percent
compared with last year. Coal cargoes
totaled 1.9 million tons, a decrease of 8.7
percent. Shipments of limestone increased
7.5 percent to 2.7 million tons.
For the year, U.S.-flag cargo movement stood at 60 million tons at the end of
September, a decrease of 5.5 percent compared to the same point in 2013. The industry has yet to fully recover from the staggering delays encountered in March and
April when heavy ice blanketed the Lakes.
November 2014
8 • American Maritime Officer
AMO Safety and Education Plan — Simulation, Training, Assessment & Research Center
(954) 920-3222 / (800) 942-3220 — 2 West Dixie Highway, Dania Beach, FL 33004
STCW 2010 Gap Closing Courses — Required by all existing STCW credentialed officers by 1 January 2017
Leadership & Management (required by ALL management level Deck
and Engine officers by 1 Jan 2017)
5 days
17 November
1, 8, 15 Dec.
5, 12, 19, 26
January
2, 9, 16, 23
February
2, 9, 16, 23
March
6, 13, 20, 27
April
4, 11, 18 May
1, 8, 15, 22, 29
June
Engine Room Resource Management — Classroom (Engineers)
(Required by ALL Engine officers by 1 Jan 2017)
5 days
3 November
1, 15 Dec.
5, 19 January
2, 16 February
2, 16 March
6, 20, April
4, 18 May
1, 15, 29 June
Management of Electrical, Electronic Controllers (Engineers) (Required
by ALL management level Engine officers by 1 Jan 2017)
5 days
10 November
8 December
12, 26 January
9, 23 February
9, 23 March
13, 27, April
11 May
8, 22 June
Leadership & Teamwork (Engineers) (Only required by those Engineers
who completed old ERM class)
1 day
22, 23 January
March 30, 31
28, 29 May
Basic Training & Advanced Fire Fighting Revalidation (Required by first
credential renewal AFTER 1 Jan 2017)
2 days
1 December
4 December
15 December
18 December
12, 15, January 2, 5 February
6, 9, 27, 30
April
8, 11, 22,25
June
EFA (Scheduled with Basic Training Revalidation BUT NOT REQUIRED
FOR STCW 2010)
1 day
3, 17 December 14 January
4 February
8, 29 April
10, 24 June
ABS NS5 Fleet Management Software
3 days
20 January
Advanced Fire Fighting
5 days
17 November
12 January
9 February
9 March
18 May
Basic Safety Training — All 4 modules must be completed within 12
months: Personal Safety Techniques (Mon/Tues — 1.5 days), Personal
Safety & Social Responsibility (Tues pm — .5 days), Elementary First Aid
(Wed — 1 day), Fire Fighting & Fire Prevention (Thurs/Fri — 2 days) — not
required. if Combined Basic & Adv. Fire Fighting completed within 12 months
5 days
8 December
26 January
2 March
1 June
Basic Safety Training — Refresher
3 days
12 November
10 December
28 January
4 March
3 June
Chemical Safety — Advanced
5 days
9 February
ECDIS
5 days
10 November
8 December
January 5
9 February
9 March
Environmental Awareness (includes Oily Water Separator)
3 days
5 January
26 May
Fast Rescue Boat
4 days
2 December
5 January
17 February
16 March
29 June
GMDSS — Requires after-hour homework
10 days
3 November
9 February
9 March
1 June
LNG Tankerman PIC
8 days
11 March
LNG Simulator Training — Enrollment priority in the LNG simulator course
is given to qualified member candidates for employment and/or observation
opportunities with AMO contracted LNG companies. In all cases successful
completion of the LNG PNC classroom course is prerequisite.
5 days
23 March
Proficiency in Survival Craft (Lifeboat)
4 days
20 January
23 February
23 March
26 May
Safety Officer Course
2 days
12 March
Tankerman PIC DL — Classroom
5 days
12 January
13 April
Tankerman PIC DL — Simulator
10 days
10 November
8 December
26 January
23 February
Tankerman PIC DL — Accelerated Program
10 days TBA
Train the Trainer
5 days
15 December
12 January
9 March
4 May
Train the Trainer — Simulator Instructors
5 days
Please call
Vessel/Company Security Officer — Includes Anti-Piracy
3 days
3 December
9 March
27 May
General Courses
27 April
20 April
11 May
11 May
15 June
Deck Courses
Advanced Bridge Resource Management — Meets STCW 2010
Leadership & Management gap closing requirements
5 days
3, 17 Nov.
15 December
Advanced Shiphandling for Masters — (No equivalency) Must have
sailed as Chief Mate Unlimited
5 days
10 November
2 March
Advanced Shiphandling for 3rd Mates — 60 days seatime equiv. for 3rd
Mates
10 days 1 December
Advanced Emergency Shiphandling — First Class Pilots, Great Lakes
5 days
Please Call
19, 26 January
9, 23 Feb.
(P.M.)
5 January
2 March
11 May
9 March
4 May
20 April
1 June
Bridge Resource Management Seminar
3 days
Please call
Dynamic Positioning — Basic
5 days
3 November
2 February
Dynamic Positioning — Advanced
5 days
1 December
18 May
Integrated Bridge System (IBS) / Prodded Propulsion Training
5 days
Please call
STCW Deck Officer Refresher — Great Lakes
3 days
Please call
TOAR (Towing Officer Assessment Record) — Third Mate (Unlimited or
Great Lakes) or 1600T Master License required AND OICNW required
5 days
Tug Training — ASD Assist (Azimuthing Stern Drive)
5 days
15 December
19 January
23 March
22 June
Engineering Courses
Advanced Slow Speed Diesel
10 days
16 March
Basic Electricity
10 days
2 February
Diesel Crossover
4 weeks
9 February
Gas Turbine Endorsement
10 days
8 December
High Voltage Safety Course (Classroom)
3 days
23 February
8 June
13 April
Hydraulics/ Pneumatics
5 days
2 March
Ocean Ranger Program
6 days
6 April
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
5 days
18 February
Refrigeration (Operational Level)
5 days
10 November
16 March
5 days
Refrigeration (Management Level)
17 November
23 March
4 weeks
12 January
1 June
Electronics (Management) — NEW
1 week
3 November
18 May
Instrumentation (Management) — NEW
10 days
5 January
Steam Endorsement
Welding & Metallurgy Skills & Practices — Open to eligible Chief Mates and Masters on a space available
basis. Interested participants should apply and will be confirmed 2 weeks prior to start date.
2 weeks
9 February
4 May
9 March
20, 27 April
11 May
1, 15, June
November 2014
American Maritime Officer • 9
Deck Upgrade - STCW 2010 - Management Level (NVIC 10-14)— If sea service or training towards management level (Chief Mate/Master) upgrade started ON OR AFTER 24 March 2014 you must adhere to
this new program of training. Completion of both required and optional courses listed below will include all Task Assessments required by NVIC 10-14 , providing ECDIS, GMDSS and ARPA have been previously completed.
Upgrade: Shiphandling at the Management Level
10 days
5 January
Upgrade: Advanced Meteorology — Requires after-hours homework
5 days
19 January
20 April
Advanced Stability
5 days
26 January
27 April
Search & Rescue
Management of Medical Care
6 April
2 1/2 days
2 February
4 May
1/2 day
4 February
6 May
Leadership & Management
5 days
9 February
11 May
Advanced Cargo — Optional for task sign-off
5 days
16 February
18 May
Marine Propulsion Plants — Optional for task sign-off
5 days
23 February
1 June
Advanced Celestial — Optional for task sign-off
5 days
2 March
25 May
Advanced Navigation — Optional for task sign-off
5 days
9 March
8 June
Deck Upgrade at the Management Level (Policy Letter 04-02) — This upgrade program is for those who started sea service or training towards management level (Chief Mate/Master) upgrade BEFORE 24
March 2014. Failure to complete by 31 December 2016 will most likely result in significant delays and additional training or assessment requirements. Successful completion of this program will satisfy the training requirements for
STCW certification as Master or Chief Mate on vessels of 500 or more gross tonnage (ITC) under previous. This program will complete ALL 53 Control Sheet assessments of the training requirements for STCW under policy letter
04-02. Course completion certificates and control sheets expire 12/31/16. Anyone using the previous regulations to upgrade in this manner must complete all requirements ,including USCG testing, by 12/31/16. Deck Management
Level gap closing training must also be completed by 12/31/16 in order for the new credential to valid after this date.
Celestial Navigation — Requires after-hour homework
5 days
1 December
2 March
25 May
Upgrade: Advanced Meteorology — Requires after-hour homework
5 days
15 December
19 January
20 April
Cargo Operations
9 days
11 November
2 February
4 May
Marine Propulsion Plants
5 days
3 November
15 December
23 February
Upgrade: Stability
5 days
8 December
26 January
27 April
Watchkeeping 1: BRM
3 days
3 December
23 March
17 June
Watchkeeping 2: COLREGS
5 days
8 December
26 March
22 June
Upgrade: Shiphandling at the Management Level
10 days
8 Dec. (P.M)
5 January
6 April
Shipboard Management
5 days
17 November
16 February
18 May
Upgrade: Advanced Navigation (includes Simulator)
5 days
10 November
9 March
8 June
ECDIS
5 days
17 November
16 March
15 June
CMEO for Junior Engineers
5 days
Please call
Basic CBR Defense
1 day
19 December
27 February
17 April
15 May
Damage Control
1 day
18 December
26 February
16 April
14 May
Heat Stress Afloat / Hearing Conservation Afloat
1 day
Please call
Helicopter Fire Fighting
1 day
11 November
27 January
3 March
2 June
Marine Environmental Programs (with CBRD)
1/2 day
19 December
27 February
17 April
15 May
Marine Sanitation Devices
1/2 day
29 May
Medical PIC Refresher — MSC approved
3 days
Please call
MSC Readiness Refresher — Must have completed full CBRD & DC once in
career
5 days
10 November
26 January
2 March
1 June
MSC Watchstander — BASIC — Once in career, SST grads grandfathered
2 days
4 December
12 February
26 March
18 June
MSC Watchstander — ADVANCED — Required for all SRF members
1 day
20 November
8 December
15 January
16 February
3 days
9 December
17 February
31 March
23 June
3 days
3, 10, 17 Nov.
1, 15 Dec.
12, 26 January
1/2 day
29 May
1 June
MSC Training Program
MSC Ship Reaction Force — Required every three years for SRF
members
Small Arms — Initial & Sustainment (Refresher) Training — Open to
members & applicants eligible for employment through AMO (w/in 1 year) or
MSC on MARAD contracted vessels. Remedial shoot will be afforded on
Day 4 for at least 1 weapon if passing score not attained. STCW
Endorsement required.
Water Sanitation Afloat
12, 30 March
30 April
29 May
22 June
9, 23 February
9, 23 March
13, 27 April
11, 26, May
15, 29 June
Medical Courses
Heat Stress Afloat / Hearing Conservation Afloat
1 day
Please call
Elementary First Aid — Prerequisite for MCP within preceding 12 months
1 day
2 December
6 January
24 February
7 April
12 May
29 June
Medical Care Provider — Prerequisite for MPIC within preceding 12
months. Please fax EFA certificate when registering
3 days
3 December
7 January
25 February
8 April
13 May
30 June
Medical PIC — Please fax MCP certificate when registering
5 days
8 December
12 January
2 March
13 April
18 May
Urinalysis Collector Training
1 day
3 November
1 December
23 February
9 March
11 May
Breath Alcohol Test (BAT) — Alco Sensors 3 and 4 only
1 day
4 November
10 March
Saliva Screening Test — QEDs only
1/2 day
5 November
11 March
Medical PIC Refresher — MSC approved
3 days
Please call
Radar Recertification
1 day
13 November
14 November
22, 23 January
30, 31 March
28, 29 May
Radar Recertification at Toledo Maritime Academy — Non-Resident
Training, apply to Student Services, Dania Beach
1 day
17 December
7 January
4 February
ARPA
4 days
Please call
Radar Recertification & ARPA
5 days
Please call
Original Radar Observer Unlimited
5 days
Please call
Radar Courses
Engine STCW / Original Engineer Training Routes — Engine STCW training routes are aimed at Great Lakes members wishing to transition to deep sea.
Original engineer training is available to members,
applicants and sponsored students seeking an original license.
Advanced Fire Fighting
5 days
12 January
18 May
Basic Safety Training
5 days
26 January
1 June
EFA/MCP
4 days
6 January
12 May
Proficiency in Survival Craft (Lifeboat)
4 days
20 January
26 May
Basic Electricity (original engineers only)
10 days
2 February
8 June
A/R
Please call
Original 3 A/E Preparation and Exams
NOTICE: AMO members planning to attend the union’s Center for Advanced Maritime Officers’ Training/STAR Center in Dania Beach, Florida—either to prepare for license upgrading or to undergo specialty training—are asked to call the
school to confirm course schedule and space availability in advance.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: The Center For Advanced Maritime Officers Training (CAMOT) and Simulation Training Assessment and Research Center (STAR), established under the auspices of the
American Maritime Officers Safety and Education Plan, admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin or sex to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the Center.
It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin or sex in administration of its educational policies, admission policies and other programs administered by the Center.
November 2014
10 • American Maritime Officer
AMO NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
DANIA BEACH, FL 33004
601 S. Federal Highway
(954) 921-2221
(800) 362-0513
Thomas J. Bethel, National President
tbethel@amo-union.org
José E. Leonard, National Secretary-Treasurer
(jleonard@amo-union.org)
Jack Branthover, Special Assistant to the National President
(jbranthover@amo-union.org)
FAX: (954) 926-5112
Joseph Z. Gremelsbacker, National Vice President, Deep Sea
(jgremelsbacker@amo-union.org)
Charles A. Murdock, National Vice President, Inland Waters
(cmurdock@amo-union.org)
Mobile: (954) 531-9977
FAX: (954) 367-1025
Dispatch: (800) 345-3410 / FAX: (954) 926-5126
Brendan Keller, Dispatcher (bkeller@amo-union.org)
Robert Anderson, Dispatcher (randerson@amo-union.org)
Member Services: Extension 1050 (memberservices@amo-union.org)
WASHINGTON, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20024
490 L’Enfant Plaza East SW, Suite 7204
(202) 479-1166
(800) 362-0513 ext. 7001
Thomas J. Bethel, National President
tbethel@amo-union.org
J. Michael Murphy, National Vice President, Government Relations
mmurphy@amo-union.org
Mobile: (202) 560-6889
T. Christian Spain, National Assistant Vice President, Government Relations
cspain@amo-union.org
Mobile: (202) 658-9635
John K. DeCrosta, Director of Political Affairs
jdecrosta@amo-union.org
Mobile: (202) 557-9190
FAX: (202) 479-1188
PORTS
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19113
2 International Plaza, Suite 336
Robert J. Kiefer, National Executive Vice President
(rkiefer@amo-union.org)
(800) 362-0513 ext. 4001
Mobile: (215) 859-1059
FAX: (610) 521-1301
Chris Holmes, Contract Analyst
(cholmes@amo‐union.org)
(800) 362‐0513 ext. 4002
Mobile: (856) 693‐0694
TOLEDO, OH 43604
The Melvin H. Pelfrey Building
One Maritime Plaza, Third Floor
(800) 221-9395
FAX: (419) 255-2350
John E. Clemons, National Vice President, Great Lakes
(johnclemons@amo-union.org)
Brian D. Krus, Senior National Assistant Vice President
(bkrus@amo-union.org)
Stan Barnes, National Representative
(wbarnes@amo-union.org)
Michelle Moffitt, Dispatcher (mmoffitt@amo-union.org)
GALVESTON, TX 77551
2724 61st Street, Suite B, PMB 192
David M. Weathers, National Assistant Vice President
(dweathers@amo-union.org)
(800) 362-0513 ext. 2001
Mobile: (409) 996-7362
FAX: (409) 737-4454
SAN FRANCISCO / OAKLAND, CA 94607
1121 7th Street, Second Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 444-5301 / (800) 362-0513 ext. 5001
Daniel E. Shea, National Assistant Vice President
(dshea@amo-union.org)
FAX: (954) 367-1064
UPDATE CREDENTIALS, DOCUMENTS, TRAINING RECORDS
Secure File Upload: https://securetransfer.amo-union.org/
(This link is available on the union and dispatching websites)
E-mail: memberservices@amo-union.org
Questions: (800) 362-0513 ext. 1050
STAR CENTER
STUDENT SERVICES/LODGING AND COURSE INFORMATION
2 West Dixie Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004
(954) 920-3222 ext. 201 / (800) 942-3220 ext. 201
Course Attendance Confirmation: (800) 942-3220 ext. 200
FAX: (954) 920-3140
24 Hours: (954) 920-3222 ext.7999
SERVICES
FINANCIAL ADVISERS: THE ATLANTIC GROUP AT MORGAN STANLEY
(800) 975-7061 / www.morganstanleyfa.com/theatlanticgroup
MEDICAL CLINIC
2 West Dixie Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004
(954) 927-5213
FAX: (954) 929-1415
AMO PLANS
2 West Dixie Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004
(800) 348-6515
FAX: (954) 922-7539
LEGAL
AMO Coast Guard Legal Aid
Program
Michael Reny
Mobile: (419) 346-1485
(419) 243-1105 / (888) 853-4662
MikeReny@BEX.NET
Joel Glanstein, General Counsel
David Glanstein
437 Madison Ave. 35th Floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 370-5100 / (954) 662-7407
FAX: (212) 697-6299
USCG: Ebola Precautions
Continued from Page 5
Quarantine and Isolation, and Section 5320 Procedures for security segregation of Vessels
in their Area Maritime Security Plan.
o Continue to review and be familiar with their Marine Transportation System
Recovery Plan.
o Consider conducting a table top exercise to plan and address items such as an evaluation of how to handle a vessel arrival with a suspected Ebola case (allow to berth?, keep
it at anchorage?, etc.), what steps need to be considered if a medical evacuation is needed,
and, possibly how a ship would be decontaminated in order to commence cargo transfers?
Please keep in mind that this is not an all inclusive list. These are just a couple examples to
start with. It is recommended that the COTP and local industry stakeholders go through
other scenarios as they see fit.
Lastly, the CDC has issued travel warnings and we strongly recommend that personnel traveling to those affected countries review travel alerts issued by the CDC prior to their
arrival. Travel alert information can be found at: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices.
Questions regarding this should be forwarded to the Coast Guard Office of
Commercial Vessel Compliance, Foreign and Offshore Vessel Division (CG-CVC-2) at
202-372-1218 or by email at CGCVC@uscg.mil. Port and Facility questions regarding this
MSIB should be forwarded to the Office of Port and Facility Compliance (CG-FAC) at 202372-1171/1107 or by email at CGFAC@uscg.mil.
Regular monthly membership meetings for AMO will be
held during the week following the first Sunday of every
month at 1 p.m. local time. Meetings will be held on
Monday at AMO National Headquarters (on Tuesday when
Monday is a contract holiday). The next meetings will take
place on the following dates:
AMO National Headquarters: December 8, January 5
November 2014
American Maritime Officer • 11
American Maritime Officers Agency Fee Policy
1. Any AMO represented non-member employee, whether publicly or privately employed who is subject to a union
security clause conditioning continued
employment on the payment of dues or
fees, has the right to become an objector
to expenditures not related to collective
bargaining, contract administration,
grievance adjustment or other chargeable
expenditures. A current AMO member
has the right to choose to become an
objector, but must assume non-member
status prior to filing an objection through
these procedures. An objector’s fees shall
be calculated in accordance with this
Policy.
2. To become an objector, an AMO
represented non-member employee shall
notify the AMO Secretary-Treasurer, 2
West Dixie Highway, Dania Beach,
Florida, in writing of his individual objection by mail postmarked during the month
of January each year. Such employees
desiring to object, but who were unable to
make timely objection because they were
not subject to an AMO union security
clause as of January, either because they
are a new employee or have recently chosen to assume non-member status, must
make an objection within thirty (30) days
after becoming subject to union security
obligations and receiving notice of these
procedures. The objection shall be signed
and shall contain the objector’s current
home address and AMO Union number, if
known. Objections may only be made by
individual employees: no petition objections will be honored. A person who wishes to continue an objection in a subsequent twelve (12) month period shall provide notice of objection each January in
the same manner.
3. The following categories of
expenditure are chargeable to the extent
permitted by law:
a. All expenses concerning the
negotiation of agreements, practices and
working conditions.
b. All expenses concerning the
administration of agreements, practices
and working conditions, including grievance handling, all activities related to
arbitration, and discussion with employees in the bargaining unit or employer
representatives regarding working conditions, benefits and contract rights.
c. Convention expenses and other
normal Union internal governance and
management expenses.
d. Social activities open to nonmembers and Union business meeting
expenses.
e. Publication expenses to the
extent coverage is related to chargeable
activities.
f. Expense of litigation before the
courts and administrative agencies related
to bargaining unit contract administration.
g. Expenses of lobbying for legislative, executive branch and administrative
agency representation on matters closely
related to the ratification or implementation of bargaining unit contracts and
working conditions.
h. All expenses for the education
and training of members, officers and
staff intended to prepare the participants
to better perform chargeable activities.
i. Other costs of group cohesion
and economic action, e.g., demonstration,
general strike activity, informational
picketing, etc.
j. An appropriate portion of overhead and administrative expenses.
4. Each December in the American
Maritime Officer, the AMO shall publish
these policies and procedures to provide
notice to AMO represented employees of
their right to object and the procedures for
objecting. The AMO shall also send a
copy of these policies and procedures to
each person who objected the previous
year to inform the person of his or her
right to renew the objection for the current year.
5. The AMO shall retain an independent auditor who shall submit an
annual report for the purpose of verifying
the percentage of expenditures that fall
within the categories specified in paragraph 3 above.
6. The fees paid by objectors shall
be handled as follows:
a. Objectors who pay fees by hand
shall pay an amount less the percentage of
dues and initiation fees ascribed by the
audit (described in #5 above) to nonchargeable activities. AMO shall place
said fee in an interest bearing account.
b. Objectors who are paying fees by
check-off shall continue to have a fee
equal to full AMO dues and initiation fee
checked off by the employer and transmitted to the AMO. The AMO shall place
its share of the fee in an interest bearing
escrow account and shall return the
admittedly nonchargeable share to the
objector.
c. Following completion of the
audit (described in #5 above) for a given
year, the AMO shall rebate to each given
objector an amount equal to such fees
held by the AMO in escrow which were
ascribed by the audit to nonchargeable
activities.
d. If an objector does not challenge
the validity of the audit pursuant to #8
below within the allotted time the fees
held in escrow shall become the property
of AMO. If a challenge is filed, the fees
held in escrow shall continue to be so
held until the challenge is resolved in
accord with the procedures referred to
below, at which time the fees shall be distributed in accord with said resolution.
e. Objectors filing objections in
January of 1999, in addition to paying
fees in the manner set forth for the above,
shall receive rebates from the AMO for
the year 1998, based upon the audits (see
#5 above) for the fiscal year ending in
1998, as they may be modified by the procedures set forth below.
7. The reports(s) of the independent
auditor(s) for the AMO shall be completed as soon as possible following the end
of the fiscal year. The report(s) shall
include verification of the major categories of Union expenses attributable to
chargeable and non-chargeable activities.
The AMO shall provide to all objecting
non-member bargaining unit employees
who are represented a copy of the auditor(s) report(s).
8. In the absence of an exclusive
statutory review procedure, each objector
may challenge the legal and arithmetical
bases of the calculations contained in the
independent auditor report(s) by filing an
appeal with the AMO SecretaryTreasurer, 2 West Dixie Highway, Dania
Beach, Florida, 33004, together with
notice to the President of AMO at 2 West
Dixie Highway, Dania Beach, Florida
33004. non-member challengers in bargaining units covered by the National
Labor Relations Act shall also have the
right to seek a determination of any issues
relating to these procedures by invoking
the jurisdiction of the National Labor
Relations Board. If such a challenger
chooses not to invoke the Board’s juris-
diction, or if the Board defers to the
appeal procedures, the non-member challenger’s appeal shall be filed exclusively
with the AMO Secretary-Treasurer postmarked no later than thirty (30) days after
the later of the following two dates: the
date the AMO Secretary-Treasurer has
forwarded a letter to the challenger
acknowledging receipt of the challenge or
the date the National Labor Relations
Board affirmatively declines to assert its
reviewing jurisdiction.
9. Except where State law provides
an exclusive statutory review procedure
or when a challenger proceeds before the
National Labor Relations Board, as set
forth in paragraph 8, all such challenges
received by the Union within the time
limits specified above shall be determined
by expeditious referral to an impartial
arbitrator appointed by the American
Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under
its rules for impartial determination of
Union fees as modified and approved by
the courts and these procedures. The
AMO will notify the AAA that challenges
of its fees, which have been received from
one or more individual employees, are to
be determined by an impartial administrator and will include the names and
addresses of the individuals who have
filed their appeals challenging the
Union’s fees and who should be notified
of the proceedings. Thereupon, in accordance with its rules, the AAA will appoint
the arbitrator to the case, notifying the
Union and the other participants.
a. All appeals shall be consolidated
and heard as soon as the AAA can schedule the arbitration. All procedures challenging the AMO’s fee determinations
shall take place in New York City, and the
parties shall be the appellants and the
AMO.
b. Each party to the arbitration shall
bear their own costs including, but not
limited to, attorney’s fees and expenses,
witness fees and expenses and travel
costs. The challengers shall have the
option of paying a pro-rated portion of the
arbitrator’s fees and expenses. The balance of the arbitrator’s fees and expenses
and all AMO fees and expenses shall be
paid by AMO.
c. Challengers may, at their
expense, be represented by counsel or
other representative of their choice.
Challengers need not appear at the hearing and shall be permitted to file written
statements with the arbitrator instead of
appearing. Such statements shall be filed
not later than the beginning of the hearing
before the arbitrator. Post-hearing statements may be filed in accordance with the
provisions of paragraph 9(g) below.
d. Fourteen (14) days prior to the
start of the arbitration, challengers shall
be provided with copies of all exhibits or
a list of all such exhibits intended to be
introduced at the arbitration by the Union
party and a list of all witnesses the Union
party intends to call, except for exhibits
and witnesses the Union party may introduce for rebuttal. Where a list of exhibits
has been provided, the challenger shall
have a right to receive copies of such
exhibits by making a written request for
them to the AMO Secretary-Treasurer.
Additionally, copies of all exhibits shall
be available to inspection and copying at
the hearing.
e. A court reporter shall make a
transcript of all proceedings before the
arbitrator. This transcript shall be the only
official record of the proceedings and
may be purchased by the challengers. If
challengers do not purchase a copy of the
transcript, a copy shall be available for
purposes of inspection by challengers at
the Union party’s headquarters during
normal business hours.
f. The arbitrator shall have control
over all procedural matters affecting the
arbitration in order to fulfill the dual
needs of an informed and an expeditious
arbitration. The arbitrator shall set forth in
the decision the legal and arithmetic bases
for the decision giving full consideration
to the legal requirements limiting the
amount objectors may be charged.
g. Each party to the arbitration shall
have the right to file a post-hearing statement within fifteen (15) days after both
parties have completed submission of
their cases at the hearing. Such statements
may not introduce new evidence nor discuss evidence not introduced in the arbitration. The arbitrator shall issue a decision within forty-five (45) days after the
final date for submission of post-hearing
statements or within such other reasonable period as is consistent with the AAA
rules and the requirements of law.
h. The decision of the arbitrator
shall be final and binding with respect to
all findings of fact supported by substantial evidence on the record considered as
a whole and on other findings legally permitted to be binding on all parties.
i. Upon receipt of the arbitrator’s
award, any adjustment in favor of the
challenger will be made from the escrow
account.
10. The provisions of this procedure
shall be considered legally separable.
Should any provision or portion thereof
be held contrary to law by a court, administrative agency, or an arbitrator, the
remaining provisions or portions thereof
shall continue to be legally effective and
binding. If, after consultation with the
officers on the AMO Executive
Committee, the President of the AMO
determines that modifications in this procedure are necessary to maintain its compliance with applicable law, such modifications may be made in accordance with
the Constitution of the AMO.
11. An objector shall have neither a
voice nor vote in the internal affairs of the
AMO which includes, inter alia, the ratification of a collective bargaining agreement, whether or not it covers his or her
employment.
12. The benefits of nonmembers in
an Agency Shop Agreement are such benefits as being eligible to receive the
American Maritime Officer, representation in grievances, grievance adjustment
and arbitration, and no other contract service benefits received by members of the
AMO. Such nonmembers shall not be
allowed attendance at union meetings, the
right to hold or run for any Union office
(elective or appointed), or any voting
rights within the Union unless and until
they have become members of this Union
in accordance with the provisions of the
AMO Constitution.
13. For purposes of job referral,
individuals choosing to become Agency
Fee payers shall have the same status
under the applicable Shipping Rules as an
applicant until such time as the Agency
Fee payer pays the total fair share equivalent of the initiation fee specified herein.
Use of the male gender in these procedures shall be deemed to include the
female gender.
ADOPTED by the AMO Executive Board
November 11, 1998
November 2014
12 • American Maritime Officer
Applications being accepted for TECH Program’s fourth session
AMO members encouraged to direct eligible candidates
toward rewarding careers as marine engineers
Applications for the fourth session
of The Engineering Candidate Hawsepipe
(TECH) Program are being accepted. The
application period will close April 6, 2015
and the next class is scheduled to commence in August 2015.
Information on the application process
is available on the STAR Center website:
www.star-center.com/techprogram/
techprogram.application_process.html
The third session of the TECH
The 16 original apprentice engineers participating in the first two sessions of the TECH program recently gathered at the
Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. AMO, working collaboratively with the Seafarers
International Union and the training divisions of the benefit plans of both unions, developed the TECH Program, which provides an accelerated pathway for entry-level mariners to advance to original third assistant engineers.
Program has been enrolled and is scheduled to commence in early 2015.
The TECH program is designed to
take qualified and motivated high school
graduates from unlicensed apprentice to
third assistant engineer, motor, with an
STCW endorsement, through approximately 30 months of classroom, laboratory and shipboard training.
American Maritime Officers, working collaboratively with the Seafarers
International Union and the training divisions of the benefit plans of both unions,
developed the TECH Program, which provides an accelerated pathway for entrylevel mariners to advance to original third
assistant engineers.
STAR Center, a division of the
AMO Safety & Education Plan, is working with the Harry Lundberg School of
Seamanship’s Paul Hall Center for
Maritime Training and Education in Piney
Point, Md. in the training and assessment
of TECH Program candidates.
Costs to candidates are minimal,
and cover medical exams, required credentials, passports, uniforms and other
incidental expenses. There are no tuition
or room-and-board fees. After an applying
candidate has been selected, all transportation costs incurred during the program are covered, provided the candidate
agrees to complete the program and sail as
a licensed engineer and member of AMO
upon completion.
More information about the program
is available on the STAR Center website:
www.star-center.com/techprogram/
techprogram.html