Canada...selling out its sovereign flag ships and seamen!

Maritime News
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this is what you get when a nation signs trade deals selling out its own flag ships and seafarers…

[B]Leaders Fighting for Survival of Canadian Maritime Industry[/B]

S.I.U. of Canada Forms a Coalition with Canadian and World Transportation Unions

By MarEx September 04, 2014

The Canadian Maritime and Supply Chain Coalition held a press conference explaining their significant worries concerning the Canadian-European Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and the lack of transparency that our government has had when making this deal.

This free trade agreement will allow EU beneficially owned Flag of Convenience (FOC) vessels and so-called European National Flag to trade freely between Canadian ports without any restrictions on origin of the crew, or level of wage and working conditions. What we can be sure about is that this agreement will completely halt the Canadian maritime transport sector’s growth. Moreover, the communities and regions that depend on this industry will be destroyed. Once this agreement is in place, it will not take long before the rest of the Canadian transportation sectors are affected, including, air, road and rail.

“This agreement will have a severe negative impact on the Canadian Maritime Industry by opening domestic trade to foreign carriers, doing away with our Cabotage Laws,” said James Given, President, S.I.U. of Canada and Chair, Canadian Maritime and Supply Chain Coalition. “This is the most serious threat that we have ever faced in our industry.”

Points to consider:

>With no consultation process whatsoever, the government of Canada has unilaterally taken the decision to destroy the Canadian Shipping Industry with a trade agreement that will throw thousands of dedicated men and women out of work.

>Is Canada not a developed nation?

>How can we stand for FOC vessels to trade within Canadian domestic markets and not follow our most simple social standards?

>Are we ready to go backwards and promote unregulated shipping?

>What’s more, are we willing to allow FOC vessel’s, with no local knowledge, to freely sail within the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Great Lakes, and the coastal waters’ fragile ecosystem?

The Canadian Maritime and Supply Chain Coalition is working diligently with representatives from various transportation unions from around the globe to ensure that CETA is in no way successful in destroying the Canadian marine transportation industry and the logistics that will follow.

About the Canadian Maritime and Supply Chain Coalition: This coalition was formed in response to the detrimental effects that Canadian-European Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) will have on the Canadian maritime industry and the rest of the logistic chain. This coalition includes leaders from the following Unions from Canada and around the globe: UNIFOR, International Longshoremen’s Association, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Alliance du St-Laurent, Canadian Union of Public Employees- Dockers, United Steelworkers, Canadian Labour Congress, Teamsters Canada, International Transport Workers’ Federation, European Transport Workers’ Federation, BC Ferry and Marine Workers Union, International Association of Machinists, Maritime Union of Australia, AFL- CIO Maritime Trades Department.

Source: Seafarers’ International Union of Canada

it also shows why mariners need a voice!

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While I would never want to see anyone hurt or anything damaged, I do hope that they do have problems with this new policy. I say this because if they do not have any major problems those that are trying to kill the Jones Act here will jump on this as an example of how great it is and how much money is saved (which the consumer will never see, only the companies and shareholders will profit).

let’s all hope that this is a great failure!

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Funny, I know of a ship or two allegedly being re-flagged Canadian. Doesn’t make sense if this is happening.

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“This free trade agreement will allow EU beneficially owned Flag of Convenience (FOC) vessels and so-called European National Flag to trade freely between Canadian ports without any restrictions on origin of the crew, or level of wage and working conditions.”

That’s what the bastards want here. This is why I’m glad I’m old. They’ll get their wish one of these days, and you’ll see rust buckets with Liberian and Chinese flags running up and down the coast (more so than now). I hope they save enough pier space for all the detentions.

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Sadly, I’m not too surprised this is happening as there are a few supposed salties from Hong Kong and the Marshall Islands I’m seeing up here on the lakes a little too frequently.

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[QUOTE=TrainMan;143655]Sadly, I’m not too surprised this is happening as there are a few supposed salties from Hong Kong and the Marshall Islands I’m seeing up here on the lakes a little too frequently.[/QUOTE]

I’m interested in working up there. Do you like it? I thought I would apply to the non-union outfits. I am also in SIU

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I’m trying to think how to compare the lakes with NOAA for a QMED and the best I can think of is that on the lakes the boat keeps moving, meaning after we make a dock we’ll spend about half a day taking a load in or out of the holds and then go right back out to sea. Profits matter so jobs can be a bit more rushed than your used to if all you ever done is government work. The other thing is winter. It gets really cold on Lake Superior. The other lakes can be brutal as well, all much colder than Norfolk. For deckies (what I do) this means dealing with frozen equipment and ice and snow on the deck, a never ending battle. Winter is a weird love/hate thing with me: I feel invigorated by the cold, crisp air but there is nothing more miserable than being wet in 0 degree weather. Most guys who work deck on the lakes have had ice in their beards at some point. I like the people. I like the regular time off. I like that this is the closest I’ll get to tramping on an irregular route in this day and age. What may strike you as odd is how old the boats are up here. Some of them have been updated and feature all the modern amenities though there are still some steamers out there, some starting out life back in the 1940s.

To answer your one question as succinctly as possible: yes, I like it.

Now I have to segue back to C.Captain’s point at hand which means talking about (or should I say aboot) the Canadians. I plan on asking each Canadian ship I pass and find out what those guys think of this and if they feel like it means the end of their careers. I really hope not. I remember hanging out in a bar in Montreal last winter trying to keep pace with a bunch of Canadians groaning about their government selling out to corporate interests. Since I didn’t have any clue about what was sold, I just shook my head and carried on as nights do. This bit though, this bit about Canada throwing its mariners under the bus is reminding me of the conversations of that night.

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[QUOTE=TrainMan;143701]I’m trying to think how to compare the lakes with NOAA for a QMED and the best I can think of is that on the lakes the boat keeps moving, meaning after we make a dock we’ll spend about half a day taking a load in or out of the holds and then go right back out to sea. Profits matter so jobs can be a bit more rushed than your used to if all you ever done is government work. The other thing is winter. It gets really cold on Lake Superior. The other lakes can be brutal as well, all much colder than Norfolk. For deckies (what I do) this means dealing with frozen equipment and ice and snow on the deck, a never ending battle. Winter is a weird love/hate thing with me: I feel invigorated by the cold, crisp air but there is nothing more miserable than being wet in 0 degree weather. Most guys who work deck on the lakes have had ice in their beards at some point. I like the people. I like the regular time off. I like that this is the closest I’ll get to tramping on an irregular route in this day and age. What may strike you as odd is how old the boats are up here. Some of them have been updated and feature all the modern amenities though there are still some steamers out there, some starting out life back in the 1940s.

To answer your one question as succinctly as possible: yes, I like it.

Now I have to segue back to C.Captain’s point at hand which means talking about (or should I say aboot) the Canadians. I plan on asking each Canadian ship I pass and find out what those guys think of this and if they feel like it means the end of their careers. I really hope not. I remember hanging out in a bar in Montreal last winter trying to keep pace with a bunch of Canadians groaning about their government selling out to corporate interests. Since I didn’t have any clue about what was sold, I just shook my head and carried on as nights do. This bit though, this bit about Canada throwing its mariners under the bus is reminding me of the conversations of that night.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for all the info. Yeah, the bitter cold would be a big problem for me, but funny you should mention Norfolk- I live in the area, but I am usually working on a boat in the PNW. So it’s fog, fog,and more fog, with 50 degree summers, and cold rainy winters for me. Just got back and I’m not acclimated to the hot dregs of summer. (lol)

The nicest weather was in SF- unusually warm and sunny for them this time of year.

Keep us informed on the results of your polling.