Chip Jaenichen, the acting head of the Maritime Administration (MarAd), told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that if he is made the permanent Maritime Administrator he intends to focus on identifying ways to revitalize the U.S. Merchant Marine.
West Coast Sailors
Matson Navigation Company announced on November 6, it has signed a contract to have Aker Philadelphia Shipyard build two new 3,600-TEU containerships.
Legislation signed on October 17, by President Obama to reopen and fund the federal government through January 15, 2014, included full funding for the MSP. The next battle for the U.S.-flag maritime industry is preserving Food for Peace.
Testifying before the USCG and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, former Maritime Administrator William Schubert said, ?Perhaps nothing is more important to the viability of the privately owned U.S. flag commercial fleet than adequate cargo preference enforcement. MarAd must substantially improve its cargo preference efforts to prevent a significant decrease in the number of vessels under U.S. flag.?
New legislation announced that will significantly strengthen American ports, including many in the Pacific Northwest.
The SUP, MFOW and SIU-Marine Cooks, which comprise the SIU-Pacific District, completed bargaining with Matson on June 29, after ten meetings including those covering the respective Unions? Work Rules and Maintenance Agreements.
The SUP, MFOW, SIU-A&G are bucking strong headwinds in bargaining with Matson Navigation Company. The agreement covering the company?s U.S.-flag fleet expires on June 30, as does the SUP and MFOW Maintenance Agreements. The SUP membership has authorized a strike against the company if an agreement is not reached.
Navy League urges congressional leaders to reject administration proposal to decimate Food for Peace
The drastic changes in the Food for Peace program proposed in President Obama?s fiscal year 2014 budget, prompted Bruce Butler, Executive Director of the Navy League of the United States to send a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R- Kentucky) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California).
Cash replaces Food for Peace eliminating U.S.-flag carriage of commodities overseas
Maritime industry, agricultural interests, members of Congress mobilize to defend program essential to American interests
Among the Union's objectives is "to support a journal which shall voice the sentiments of the seafaring class, and through its columns seek to maintain the knowledge of and interest in maritime affairs." The first issue of the West Coast Sailors, in June of 1937, noted that "Common sense, fearlessly applied, brings success to a Union."