The new five-year labor agreement in effect February 8 between American Maritime Officers and American Steamship Co. provides significant wage increases, continued benefits under AMO Plans and job security for all engineers and mates on ASC's six 1,000-foot Great Lakes bulk carriers through tightened vessel sales and transfer language.

A side letter to this agreement calls for discussion of "matters of mutual interest pertaining to the Great Lakes bulk freight industry and the company's future business plans." AMO President Paul Doell and Rand Logistics Chief Executive Officer Dave Foster have agreed to meet within 60 days to begin talks centered on ASC's controversial bareboat charter of five smaller vessels to Grand River Navigation Co. Rand Logistics owns both American Steamship Co. and Grand River Navigation Co., which has a collective bargaining agreement with the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots.

"Our talks will focus on fair and honorable mitigation of the bareboat charter's harmful consequences for AMO, including the loss of 40 jobs on ASC's Class II and Class III vessels at the beginning of the 2021 Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway shipping season," Doell said.

"Foster and I spoke frequently by phone during contract settlement bargaining in Detroit early this month, and we had had two direct, civil exchanges over several hours on many matters last year," Doell continued. "Foster and I understand each other, and I believe mutual candor, good faith and diplomacy can result in a restored, lasting, positive and practical professional relationship between American Maritime Officers and American Steamship Co."

During the final round of collective bargaining in Detroit, AMO was represented by Executive Vice President Willie Barrere, Great Lakes Vice President John Clemons, Inland Waters Vice President Danny Robichaux and Contract Analyst Chris Holmes.

AMO was represented as well in Detroit by a four-member negotiating committee consisting of Engineers James Beland and John Crocker and Mates Reed Wilson and Alex Damer. Wilson and Damer replaced original committee members Ryan Miller and Morgan Miller, unrelated Mates who were unable to be in Detroit.

"We in the AMO administration thank these six AMO members for their extraordinary service during difficult but ultimately rewarding sessions in Cleveland and in Detroit," said Barrere. "These engineers and mates were present for and involved directly in every conversation and every strategic maneuver, and we are grateful for their input."

Clemons added: "These six engineers and mates reflected the courage and character of every Great Lakes vessel officer we are privileged to represent in AMO, and all AMO members employed on the ASC 'thousand footers' will appreciate what this committee helped achieve in their new contract."

The new AMO-ASC collective bargaining agreement provides wage increases of 4.50 percent and 3.25 percent in the first two years and 3.00 percent in each of the remaining three years through February 7, 2027.

The agreement also provides for continued employer contributions to AMO Plans, the benefit funds that serve all deep-sea, Great Lakes and inland waters AMO members and their families.

In a second side letter signed by ASC President Kevin McMonagle, the company pledged not to sell, transfer or bareboat charter any of the six vessels - the American Spirit, Burns Harbor, Indiana Harbor, Walter J. McCarthy, American Century and American Integrity. This letter also vowed to enforce the five-year collective bargaining agreement with AMO in the event of the sale "or other transfer of the ownership of ASC."

American Steamship Co. said that, if the company is sold at any point between now and February 7, 2027, the terms of the sale would include the requirement that the purchaser "assume and adopt" the AMO collective bargaining agreement and "continue to recognize the AMO as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of licensed engineers and licensed mates in the bargaining unit defined in Article 1 Section 1 of the CBA."

The company pledged "not to sell, transfer, or bareboat charter any of these six vessels" and acknowledged that this collective bargaining agreement "will continue in full force and effect in the event of the sale or other transfer of the ownership of ASC, whether by stock purchase, merger or otherwise directly or indirectly, or through the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of ASC during the term of the CBA."