Propeller Club of Northern California’s Maritime Day speakers cite threats to mariners & tariffs

As a result of the heightened immigration situation in the United States, “mariners are afraid of getting off their ships in the United States because they are worried, they might not be able to get back on,” according to Robert Wilkins, Executive Director, Seafarers’ Ministry of the Golden Gate.

On May 21^st, Wilkins spoke at the Propeller Club of Northern California (PCNC) Maritime Day luncheon at Scott’s Seafood, Oakland.

The event featured: Kristi McKenney, Executive Director, Port of Oakland, who welcomed the Propeller Club Maritime Day attendees and pledged continued collaboration with the Port's maritime stakeholders. There were concerns expressed about declines in cargo volumes and vessel calls at U.S. ports from: Demetrius Williams, President, International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 10; Jack Hedge, Vice President, Pasha Group; and Captain Ann McIntyre, Business Manager, S.F. Bar Pilots.

Nick Marrone, Vice President Seafarers International Union, provided a short history lesson when he recalled that U.S. mariners captured by the British during the War for Independence faced brutal imprisonment conditions that included many deaths.

Plight of Mariners

Wilkins said the plight of mariners is getting worse, not better: “For seafarers, these are very, very volatile times on a lot of different fronts. And seafarers feel that in a very, very unique and profound way. Primarily because they live and work maritime 24/7, live and work in the same place for months and months at a time, isolated away from their loved ones and under some pretty difficult circumstances. They conduct their work on behalf of all of us. I like to say that we all depend on seafarers.”

Wilkins said that recently, the International Labor Organization (ILO) convened groups of shipowners, seafarers, and governments “to monitor progress and lay out provisions for working conditions and rights of seafarers. Just recently, they met and made some agreements on several things that advance the welfare of seafarers, namely that seafarers should be granted shore leave, regardless of their status in terms of visas or the flag registry of their particular ships.” There are also supposed to be provisions for medical attention on ships; however, “There are … ships I have boarded … where there are not medical provisions and there are all kinds of injuries, small nagging injuries, and other kinds of medical things that take place. And there are no provisions for that.”

Surveys of mariners reflect tougher times. “There are several organizations in the world that ask seafarers how they are doing. The primary index for that is called the Seafarers Happiness Index, done by the Mission to Seafarers, supported by Northern Standard a great insurer. The most recent one for Q4 has some kind of depressing news ... The seafarers answer questions in 10 different categories about their life on board and work conditions, and so forth. So, on every single category in Q4, it went down.”

Wilkins said that Seafarers Ministry of the Golden Gate is a faith-based ecumenical group at the International Maritime Center: “We handle training and advocacy and other things that are separate from the actual onboard services that we provide to the seafarers. But it is this network of maritime welfare organizations throughout the world that provides ship visits to seafarers. We go on board ships just to have a welcoming face of hospitality and service. We go on board with snacks and various other kinds of things just to let them know that you are recognized, you are appreciated. We appreciate what you are doing, and we are here to be in support of you.’ We provide transportation in the event that they are able to get off to (go) shopping, to go sightseeing, and so forth.”

Shipping Downturns

Other presentations addressed the following:

Demetrius Williams, President of ILWU Local 10, expressed concerns about the impact of tariffs in slowing down longshore work loading and unloading ships but also impacting workers across the US. He said working people could be faced with paying higher prices for goods. The ILWU recently issued a statement condemning the imposition of tariffs as a tax on working people.

Williams also thanked the Propeller Club of Northern California for its efforts to open lines of communication between maritime stakeholders: “During the Covid shutdown the Propeller Club brought us all together to meet and greet (via Zoom presentations) and gave us an opportunity to see each other's face … we … got a chance to know the voices … behind the names. It is been a magnificent opportunity that the Propeller Club has done for all of us to come together as one. So, I just want to say how thankful the ILWU is.”

Jack Hedge, Vice President Pasha Group, a U.S. flag carrier that supplies Hawaii: “Tariffs obviously are having an impact. They are having an impact on the waterfront. One of the things that I think … we are a little bit concerned about in trying to get some clarity to, as we look to the future is our international relationships and the impact that is going have on things like tourism in Hawaii. That could have a dramatic impact … on the amount of cargo going to Hawaii if tourism is down. And a lot of Canadians go to Hawaii in the summertime, so that is something that we have got to worry about.” Canadian sentiment towards the Unted States has grown negative following recent threats by President Trump that he is considering taking over Canada.

Anne McIntyre, Business Manager, San Francisco Bar Pilots: “I wanted to start by thanking everybody that is here today from the Ports, the terminals, to labor and our bank that help the San Francisco Bar Pilots ... And that leads me to the next point: these are, … for the Bar Pilots unprecedented times. COVID was very challenging for us in terms of the reduction in the ship traffic and just the various unknowns. And just when we kind of felt we were recovering and coming back to a new normal, all this tariff and uncertainty surrounding regulations happens … It is making our business very, very unpredictable. And for a business that is essentially a public utility, what, our customers rely on (is) predictability and steadiness of rates. I think what I'd like to leave you with today is what I think is going to be most effective, is that we really work together as these large coalitions and groups to communicate the impacts that we are experiencing and the challenges that we see moving forward.”

Nick Marrone, Vice President Seafarers International Union, provided a short history recalling the sacrifices made by U.S. mariners captured by the British during the War for Independence. He said they faced brutal imprisonment conditions that included many deaths. Marrone, who is retiring and is a Propeller Club of Northern California Board member, was honored for his many years of service to the Club in a ceremony officiated by PCNC Vice President Ron Brown, Marketing Manager, Port of Oakland.

In his presentation Marrone recalled that during the Revolutionary War: “There were relatively few battle deaths in the continental military during the Revolutionary War, roughly about 6,824. However, there were 11,500 deaths among American merchant seamen authorized by Congress to crew privateers and raid enemy shipping. And this is before the Navy was around. The number does not include those who fell at sea. The figure represents mariners who died in captivity under horrendous conditions on British prison ships anchored on the Brooklyn waterfront in the New York Harbor... They died of starvation, disease and abuse. Their bodies dumped overboard or buried in shallow graves along the shoreline. They died by the thousands in inhumane conditions, in fires, they themselves set to end their misery rather than pledge allegiance to King George and serve in the British Navy. Truly the Minutemen of the sea, they died for the freedoms we enjoy today.”