The membership of the Sailors? Union gained additional work when the Maritime Administration on July 28, announced new contracts for vessels in the government?s Ready Reserve Force (RRF) fleet.
Resolving an issue that has haunted sailors aboard its ships for over a year, American President Lines, Ltd. notified its contracted seagoing Unions on July 13 that effective October 1, 2005, it would again be operating the APL U.S.-flag fleet directly through an affiliated company, APL Marine Services, Ltd.
In a coastwise vote held at Union Headquarters on June 17, and at the Seattle, Wilmington and Honolulu Branches on June 20, the membership of the Sailors? Union of the Pacific unanimously voted in favor of authorizing a strike against Matson Navigation Company?if necessary.
In a misguided and muddled opinion, Judge Martin Jenkins of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco on May 16, denied Patriot Contract Services? motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the transfer of SUP-crewed LMSR vessels to AMSEA.
The United States will come under new diplomatic pressure to ease, or surrender, its domestic shipping laws during forthcoming multilateral service trade negotiations.
In a bold move that blocks other companies from entering the Hawai?i container trade and continues its service to Guam, Matson Navigation Company announced that it has entered into cash-on-delivery purchase contracts for two new containerships.
A new carrier, OceanBlue Express, will enter the Hawai?i trade this year headed by C. Bradley Mulholland, former President and CEO of Matson Navigation.
The Maritime Administra tion on January 12, announced the awards of new Maritime Security Program (MSP) operating agreements that will go into effect on October 1, 2005.
An onerous rule promulgated by the U.S. Customs Service in 2001 which severely penalized U.S.-flag shipping, was overturned this month when President Bush signed the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Correction Act of 2004 (H.R. 4047)
On November 5, SUP member Tim Hill, who was bosun aboard the Shughart at the time of the fire, accepted a plaque on behalf of the crew.