Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (M.E.B.A.) members sailing in the Interlake Steamship fleet have ratified a new 12-year contract recently hammered out with the company.
The successor agreement to the original 10-year deal captures considerable wage hikes and locks up gains for vacation, medical, training and the Joint Employment Committee among other areas. It also ensures the security of a defined benefit pension plan for the M.E.B.A. membership. The pact covers 10 bulker vessels employing M.E.B.A. mates, engineers and stewards who are considered officers on the Great Lakes.
While contract talks are a give and take process, the results of the challenging negotiations netted the Union a solid contract that will ensure the viability and prosperity of the M.E.B.A. members sailing in the Interlake fleet for years to come.
For the ratification vote, mail ballots were sent to each of the M.E.B.A. members sailing in the fleet and hand delivered to the members aboard the vessels. Ballots were tabulated at the Cleveland Union hall with a rank and file presence overseeing the count. The new successor agreement will take effect on August 1, 2013.
The M.E.B.A., America’s oldest maritime labor union, supplies U.S. Coast Guard-licensed deck and engineering officers in both the U.S. domestic and international trades.