Reflections on the Key Bridge tragedy

As we continue to wait for the union election process to play out, I wanted to point out a fundamental benefit of being organized and represented. The tragic consequences of the Key Bridge destruction in Baltimore will be felt for years, or longer, with lives lost and segments of cargo diverted to other ports - some of which will likely never return to Baltimore. We can all speculate on the cause of the collision, be it technical or human failure, bad fuel, or otherwise. I have no doubt, however, about one of the fundamental problems leading to this tragedy: The mariners onboard the vessel were not empowered to demand reasonable safety standards and reasonable supplies to allow them to run the vessel the way it was intended to run. Anyone that has reflagged a foreign ship into the U.S. can vouch for this first-hand.

Regardless of the actual end fault that caused the disaster, one thing is clear - the Indian mariners working for a Singaporean owned ship did not have the job security or authority to stop the ship from sailing. They may be the greatest mariners, they may have all the parts and materials they need (likely not, but let’s assume so anyway), but that cannot overcome what appears to be the biggest Achilles heel of the operation   -  the mariners were not in a position to raise safety concerns with the ship’s owner. If they did raise such safety concerns, they likely would be replaced and risk never being employed aboard ships again. They are continually put in a position to fail - to get the job done, no matter the risk, all for the sake of profits.

Even sailing non-union in the U.S., there is undue pressure from some companies to operate with what you have, not what you need. This includes pressure to return from vacation early, pressure to keep to the sailing schedule, and possibly bend a maintenance or work/rest log to make it work.

M.E.B.A. strongly wants our companies to be profitable and operate efficiently. Our support for this goal will only be given when safety is the number one priority.  We have and will continue to support our mariners insisting on safe operations and proper supplies.  That support includes, if absolutely necessary, situations where our mariners may decide a ship must not sail until it is safe.  

Join with the M.E.B.A. to ensure you are not only compensated the best in the industry, but that you also are protected when doing what is right for you and your shipmates. Let the M.E.B.A. fight to ensure your vessel and operations are safe, and that you always get home to your family.

In Solidarity,

Adam Vokac

President

Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association

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