On behalf of the undersigned American maritime labor organizations, we are submitting these comments in response to the Maritime Workforce Working Group request for public input on the status of the U.S. merchant mariner workforce. Collectively, our unions represent the overwhelming majority of licensed and unlicensed American merchant mariners working aboard U.S.-flag commercial vessels engaged in all aspects of our nation’s foreign and domestic shipping trades, including all60 U.S.-flag vessels participating in the Maritime Security Program (MSP). We also represent all the civilian merchant mariners who man the U.S. Government’s fleet of surge vessels, including the Maritime Administration’s Ready Reserve Force (RRF) and the Military Sealift Command’s Reduced Operating Status (ROS) vessels. Read more. (
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