This specifically only affects federal unions for certain sectors, however,
how soon before our maritime unions are in their sights? If not already? If you look at the articles, it’s not hard to see that some of the sectors affected are intertwined with the maritime industry.
Anyone heard anything from their union yet? Here’s a post from reddit:
from a guy in MEBA, allegedly, saying that their union VP is now going to spend their union dues on fighting this new order instead of contract negotiations.
I would imagine it impacts NOAA Fleet, MSC, and likely Army Corps of Engineers vessels at the very least. Could potentially have broader impacts however.
This also means workers lose protections against working condition violations and other unfair labor practices negotiated by the unions over the last 75 years. There is a lot more about unions than just pay.
Greetings, SIU, MEBA, MM&P Bargaining Unit Members,
On 27MAR25, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) to end collective bargaining with Federal unions representing DOD workers due to national security concerns. The EO directs agencies to follow an implementation process to terminate existing collective bargaining agreements (CBA).
We have NOT been notified by any of our federal employers that they have terminated our existing CBA. We retain recognition and will continue to represent our members well.
At no point in history have CIVMARS been excluded from the Federal Labor Relations Act or been precluded from union representation on the grounds that such representation poses a risk to national security. MSC’s primary function is to deliver cargo, not to perform “intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work” as set out in the EO.
We believe that the EO should not apply to CIVMARS since MSC engages in transportation and CIVMARS have never posed a risk to national security. On the contrary, dedicated CIVMARS who make daily sacrifices in support of our great nation have always supported our nation’s sealift functions while being represented by Unions.
Therefore, we intend to take whatever action is needed to maintain our Union recognition for our CIVMAR workforce. We will continue to keep you apprised of any status changes as we move forward.
Thank you for your support and please do not hesitate to contact us on any matter.
Fraternally,
Joe Vincenzo Craig Moran Randi Ciszewski
SIU MEBA MM&P
While I mostly agree with this, it’s not non-union members or those who don’t work for these organizations to decide. No more than it’s the authority of unionized workers to tell the Right-to-Work folks how to negotiate with their employers. Whatever Trump, the DoD & the unions work out is their business. It will be interesting to see if the union bosses, those the members pay to negotiate for them, bends a knee to Trumps policy disregarding the members wishes. Definitely wouldn’t be the first time Union Bosses went against the members in favor of the employers & politicians thats for sure.
About the legality & necessity of such an executive order. Over the course of my career & countless times on gCaptain forum I’ve heard, & repeated the mantra that merchant mariners & longshoremen are vital parts of national security. I’ve always thought we were. Negotiating, debating, accepting or refusing this executive order will tell us how much we actually believe that or not. The military can’t unionize or strike. In some instances law enforcement & medical professionals can’t strike. Are US Merchant Mariners less vital to national security than those professions? If so, to what degree, I don’t know? We’re probably less vital since we can easily get F.O.C ships/foriegn labor to supply our military if we absolutely had to while it’s harder to get competent mercenaries to wage wars for us. If it turns out Merchant Mariners are deemed to be vitality important to national security by the Trump Administration then the US Gov needs to come up off of some benefits & recognition for us IMO.
Well we know what Reagan did to the air traffic controllers and in some sense they’ve never truly recovered. It would be a shame if the same happened to mariners and longshoreman. Whether or not the Jones Act lives on and whatever form that may be in it won’t mean squat if at the same time US mariners, longshoreman, and shipyard workers eventually lose much of their labor protection under the law.
The 8th grade dropouts with 17 men doing a six man job, each making $200,000 a year, are long overdue for a 50% pay cut , plus Singapore and Rotterdam style automation of cargo handling.
That would make Jones Act short sea shipping takeoff.
This should come as no surprise to anyone that has read Project 2025 goals. It is clearly stated in this manifesto that public service unions must be banned. All federal agencies should report directly to the president not congress and the federal agencies must be staffed with loyalists to the president. It is part of their goal to have a Unitary Executive form of government. Where the executive alone runs the government. [some would call this an autocracy]
Anyone can access Project 2025 and follow along as their goals are realized. Much has been enacted already.
