Perhaps you’ve noticed that three vessels owned by the American Steamship Company, the Saint Clair, the H Lee White, & the Walter McCarthy Jr. have arrived in Sturgeon Bay. The ships aren’t here on a goodwill visit or to have work done at Bay Shipbuilding. All of the vessels in the American Steamship Company’s fleet are either tied up or heading for layup because of a strike involving licensed deck & engineering officers & stewards represented by American Maritime Officers.
The previous contract expired at midnight Sunday. American Maritime Officers said about 99% of it’s membership rejected the company’s contract because it would have led to the loss of jobs & medical, retirement, & training benefits. American Steamship Company says it’s goal is to reach a fair & equitable agreement with licensed crew members that will allow it to remain competitive on the Great Lakes. However, if the labor situation remains unchanged, the company will not hesitate to bring in other officers in order to operate all of it’s vessels next year. Information on the impasse between the American Steamship Company & the American Maritime Officers was provided by the site http://www.boatnerd.com/.
