US Investigation Leads Maersk to Change Reporting Policy for Employees
As part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor, Maersk Line Limited will change its safety reporting policies and compensate a seaman the company terminated after they reported safety concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard without first notifying their employer.The actions follow a three-day hearing in June 2024 where Maersk challenged the findings of a whistleblower investigation by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which found the company violated the employee’s rights under the federal Seaman’s Protection Act by retaliating against the
Blank Rome Welcomes Maritime Partner Luke Reid
to our Maritime group, but also greatly enhances the range of services we offer locally.”Reid has represented numerous maritime corporations and individuals in a variety of civil and criminal matters, including matters before the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other government enforcement and regulatory agencies. Since entering private practice in 2012, he has represented clients in some of the most significant marine casualties to have occurred under U.S. jurisdiction. He has
Maritime Employers: Working to Find Workers
, is a big help for an industrial sector looking for tens of thousands of smart and talented people. The Joint Office was asked: any similar federal agency efforts to help build the maritime workforce? Not yet – however, importantly, MARAD is planning to link maritime job opportunities with Department of Labor websites (more below).Maritime workforce managers might harbor just a bit of envy about the Joint Office push. After all, almost every maritime company’s website has a “join our team” link. Industry experts speak of a “retirement cliff,” a not-to-distant timepoint
MARAD’s Centers of Excellence: Addressing Maritime Workforce Needs and Preparing the Next Generation
and private nonprofit entities that offer one or more other structured experiential learning training programs for U.S. workers in the maritime industry, or entities sponsoring apprenticeship programs registered with the Office of Apprenticeship of the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor, may apply for a CoE designation as well.Although CoEs all support the maritime industry, every training program and educational facility does not necessarily prepare students for life as a mariner. According to Kumar, CoE programs prepare students for maritime industry careers both afloat
Apprenticeship Programs Are Key to the Future of Marine Welding
The philanthropic arm of AWS, the Foundation ensures the growth of the industry through career programs, scholarships, and grants to institutions that offer welding education and training.The AWS Foundation worked with two other organizations to create the program: Safal Partners, to whom the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) granted the right to lead its Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Center of Excellence, and Fastport, which is also a USDOL intermediary that supports employers with registered apprenticeships.“We’ve done a lot of the heavy lifting for employers by creating National
Crowley Hires Jadotte as SVP of Government Relations
Harrison, senior vice president and general counsel.Prior to his tenure with the Obama Administration and NASCAR, Jadotte was chief of staff to Representative Peter Deutsch (D-Fla.) and Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.). He also served in the Clinton Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor.“I am pleased to join Crowley and look forward to advancing the company’s best-in-class solutions for the U.S. maritime industry and beyond, including the company’s burgeoning energy, transportation and technology services,” said Jadotte.A Floridian, Jadotte holds a
PACCAR Winch Recognized for Commitment to Veterans
work environment for veterans. From community outreach to employee programs, the company is dedicated to recruiting, developing, and celebrating veterans.On November 10, PACCAR Winch was recognized as a recipient of the 2021 HIRE Vets Gold Medallion Award for the third year in a row from the U.S. Department of Labor. The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act (HIRE Vets Act) Medallion Program is the only federal award program that recognizes employers who successfully recruit, hire, and retain veterans.Recipients of the HIRE Vets Medallion Award have shown a commitment
Workforce Development: Apprenticeship Programs Help Build the Fleet
Harbor Naval Shipyard engineer Lauryn-Mae Pang has some advice for young people looking for a career: “Change it up!”She is a product of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard – Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY-IMF) Apprenticeship Training Program, which is certified by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered through a contract between Honolulu Community College. PHNSY’s 2019 class was its biggest ever, with 278 graduates. The 2020 class, the 100th anniversary of the program, had 208 graduates, bringing the total number of apprentices to 5,800 since the program began. Apprentices
Halter Marine Partners with Local College to Launch Apprenticeship Program
assigned to employee mentors to guide them throughout the program.“Halter Marine plans to begin new registered apprentices each fall for several years,” said Gayle Brown, MGCCC grants and special projects developer. “Additionally, six other crafts have been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor for Halter Marine to apprentice, so when the company is ready, the college will stand up those programs as well.”The demand for skilled labor is increasing in Mississippi, said Tonya Neely, director of the Mississippi Apprenticeship Program and Business Engagement for the Mississippi
COVE Internship Project Begins Despite COVID-19 Pandemic
to hit the ground running on their first day. The interns will be engaged in project-based Working Integrated Learning (WIL) by virtual means, a new reality in the current workplace.Funding for the Internship Program has been provided by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Department of Labor and Advanced Education (LAE). Both partners are interested in providing the entrepreneurs of the future the opportunity to apply their education in actual industry settings and as a result building the pipeline for future ocean tech companies in Nova Scotia.“This is a terrific opportunity
For Payroll Purposes, is Your Seaman Really a Seaman?
an employee is considered a seaman when two criteria are met: (1) An exempted seaman must be subject to the authority, direction and control of the vessel’s master; and (2) the exempted seaman’s service must be directed to assist the vessel as a means of transportation. Pursuant to the Department of Labor regulations, non-navigational work becomes “substantial” if it occupies more than 20 percent of the time worked by the employee during a work week. Courts look to the nature of the work that the employee performs and not the description of the position or the place where the job
Training Program Seeks to Develop Alaskan Shipbuilders
The employers leading Maritime Works are also investing in innovative programs to address a shortage of qualified Alaskan workers in seafood harvesting, processing and marine transportation. They are pooling industry dollars with public funds, and partnering with other stakeholders like the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the University of Alaska, Alaska Construction Academies, Alaska Native groups and others to strengthen the local workforce. Vigor said its employees are excited about the training: more than 50 employees registering in the first week. “My goal
Insights: USCG Can Suspend and Revoke Merchant Mariner Credentials
Law Judges appointed under 5 U.S.C. § 3105, which is part of the Administrative Procedure Act. This is called formal adjudication. There are approximately 1,700 Administrative Law Judges in the federal government with most being in the Social Security Administration, Medicare Appeals, and the Department of Labor. The Coast Guard is currently authorized 6 ALJs and one Chief Judge. The ALJs are located in New York, Baltimore, New Orleans, Galveston, Alameda, and Seattle. The Chief Judge is located at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. ALJs are required to follow the law and
US Awards Grant for Maritime Apprenticeships
sponsor several applicants each year. Seattle Central College, Seattle Maritime Academy, the Maritime Institute of Technology & Graduate Studies-Pacific Maritime Institute and the Workboat Academy have received a $5 million American Apprenticeship Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to help build a new apprenticeship program. Through the grant, more 150 engineers will be trained over the next five years, both in Seattle and Baltimore. The engineering program will mirror Workboat Academy's deck apprenticeship, now in its 10th year. Engineering cadets will
Navigation Systems Donation Supports Industry Training
and Logistics grant. The Institute houses WKCTC’s Logistics & Operations Management and Marine Technology programs. Students can earn an Associate in Applied Science degree in these programs, completely online. More than 700 students have received some of training since the U.S Department of Labor awarded the $2.7 million dollar grant to WKCTC in October 2013
US Ocean Economy Sees Large Growth -NOAA
consistent information that helps users understand and manage the diverse economic demands placed on the oceans and Great Lakes. NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management developed ENOW time-series data and other products using information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a sister agency of NOAA in the U.S. Department of Commerce
Dockworkers Union Leaders back West Coast Ports Labor Deal
A union caucus representing dockworkers at West Coast ports voted to recommend to its members a labor contract deal reached over months of negotiations that led to major disruptions to trans-Pacific trade, the U.S. Department of Labor said on Friday. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union reached a tentative five-year agreement with the Pacific Maritime Association, representing a group of shippers, on Feb. 20 with the help of a federal mediator and intervention by U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez. "With their vote to recommend ratification of the contract between shippers
