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AMO and Labor Day 2012
Founded by heroic merchant marine veterans of World War II and guided wisely by the late, legendary Paul Hall, American Maritime Officers was the first union to secure health and hospitalization, vacation and retirement benefits for licensed seagoing professionals. Ours was the first union to train its members to adapt and advance in a changing post-war American maritime industry.
Today, American Maritime Officers holds fast to the labor values of dignity, honor and principle and remains faithful to its founding mission - long-term job and benefit security for AMO members and their families everywhere.
AMO also stands as the largest union of U.S. merchant marine officers, the only one with real prospects of continued growth, stability and prosperity.
These truths testify to the character, integrity and practical sense of the seagoing men and women I am honored to represent as national president of American Maritime Officers. Focused exclusively on the important work they do at sea every day in every domestic and international trade, these AMO members are without question the very best of their class.
On this official holiday, most of the marine engineers and deck officers we represent in AMO are away from home, far from family and from friends. But they are in America's economic and national security service, and we are proud of them.
AMO members at sea are challenged by a dysfunctional Congress, and by an administration known to have rigged rules to avoid having to comply with the Jones Act in energy transactions and which remains opposed to their significant participation in the overseas shipment of cargoes financed by the federal government.
Despite these difficulties, seagoing AMO members remain committed to the jobs at hand and to each other. More than anything else, they want sustained opportunities - not only for themselves, but also for the next generation, the young, enthusiastic Americans seeking careers as licensed officers in the U.S. merchant marine.
On behalf of the national executive board and staff of American Maritime Officers, I salute the extraordinary seagoing men and women who are the face of AMO coast-to-coast and worldwide. Their labor reflects favorably and permanently upon everyone in our union and in our industry, and we are grateful to each and every one of them.
Tom Bethel
September 3, 2012
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