Document VG82MDXg3aqzVVG9Ek2wwq1r4

PUBLISHED BY THE MARINE DIVISION, HUMBLE OIL & REFINING COMPANY Vol. 7, No. 13 July 15, 1965 Job Security -- Retirement--Severance Pay We had a little bull session aboard a ship at Baytown a few days ago. The talk got around to security, which is a subject everyone seems to be interested in these days. It would be pretty safe to say that the founda tion of any employee's security is the security of the company he .works for. And a company's security depends upon efficient and profitable op erations. Who could feel much security if he were working for a companj' that was continually in the red? It was a labor leader (Samuel Gompers, wasn't it?) who said, "The greatest crime against the working man is a company that doesn't show a profit." Alright, the money for the paycheck comes from the income for services the company renders and the income must be sufficient to cover all expenses with something left over for the stock holders and something for future improvements or a "rainy day". That something for future improvements is very important. Take our own industry, for example. Fifteen years ago a shipowner with T2 tankers could do fairly well in the U. S. coastwise trade. Today he would be a high cost operator---so high, in fact, that his operation would be un attractive compared with the Colonial pipeline or a competitor like Humble, where costs have been reduced and more economical and efficient ships have been built. These newer, more efficient ships carry more bbls. of oil per man in the crew than T2s. This is increased productivity and out of it comes in creased wages. An AB with 10 years' service now earns $520 base pay per month plus 120 days' paid leave a year, compared with $318 and 90 days' paid leave in 1950. It's true that we need fewer men to meet our transportation require ments now than we did then but these men, as we said, are better paid. "That's fine for the men who still have jobs," you may say. "but what about those whose jobs have been eliminated or may be eliminated in the future?" Well, what would you do if you were respon sible for managing a fleet of tankers? Keep the small ships, the big crews, the high costs until your directors or stockholders told you to lay This is a patch-up of 2 photos of ships at the Baytown docks and though the pieces don't quite match, you can see that the Esso Scranton (foreground), our oldest and smallest ship, could easily fit on the deck of the Esso New Orleans, our newest and largest. In fact, the Esso Gloucester, partly visible behind the New Orleans, could fit there. It's 629'6", from the bow to the deck- EXX- M O R-006946 Captain Jack H. Morrell, of the Esso Newark (righf center), receives a "Columbia Encyclopedia'' from W. F. Robinson, head of the Operations Dept., who made the presentation June 29 on behalf of the American Merchant Marine Library Associa tion. The Newark was one of 3 vessels in the Fleet whose crew mem bers contributed more than $100 to the seagoing library in 1964. Men in the Newark did it again this year, too. Left to right are: Radio Officer Earle J. Schlarb; Leonard H. Earle, Employee Relations Supt. (Fleet Per sonnel); Chief Engineer J. J. McElboy; CM John F. Shayner; Chief Ste ward John R. Molosky,- Mr. Robin son; OS Albert Garcia; Third Mate Walter L. Parker; First Asst. Floward W. Menig,- Captain Morrell; Second Cook Oscar Garcia, and OM George M. Sanchez. On July 8 a "Columbia Encyclo pedia" was also presented to Cap tain James A. Mercer, of the Esso Chester, by A. Giallorenzi, Manager of the New York Branch Office. This award was earned by the Esso Jack sonville, which Captain Mercer com manded last year. up the fleet? Or would you cut costs, build more efficient ships and give the surplus men a better break on retirement and severance pay? No doubt you'd take the second course, just as our management has done. And what is a good break on retirement? Is $150 per month pension after 20 years' service good? Suppose you are 45 years old, have 20 years' service and retire on $150 per month. Can you live comfortably on that? Not unless your wife has a pretty good job or you have consider able other income or you want to be a beach comber. \'ou'd have to get another job. Even if you could make $450 per month you'd be making less with that and the $150 pension than an AB earning $520 plus about $100 per month overtime plus the Company's regular and additional Thrift Fund contributions. In fact, you would be a lot worse off. In 15 years you'd be 60 years old and still getting $150 a month pension. If you stayed in the Fleet until you were 60, you could retire with around S370 per month. And you would probably have a fatter Thrift Fund account which, if it was in stock or used to buy additional annui ties. could add another $50 or more to your monthly retirement income. What is a good break on severance pay? Under the provisions of Amendment No. 4, if a man who was making $520 a month and had 10 years' ser vice was laid off due to lack of work, he would receive $1,500 (one week's pay for each of the first 5 years and 1 (4 week's pay for the second 5) plus 6 months' pay of S3.120. That is. if he wanted the lump sum instead of working those 6 months. The total severance pay would be $4,620. If the man had . 20 years' service the severance pay would be $7,320 ($8,820 for 25 years)--and it also applies if severance is chosen instead of a demotion caused by a surplus. Is that bad? If all this discussion about job security, retire ment and severance pay makes some of you feel more insecure than ever, let us reassure you. During the past 5 years we have seen the number of ships in the Fleet reduced and we have had a reduction in crew complements. In those 5 vears--from July 1960 until now---the number of unlicensed men in the Company has been reduced by 384. That, you might say, is a pretty severe drop. But do you know that the 384-man reduction is an average of 6.4 men per month, over the 60 months, and 6 to 7 men per month was our normal attrition rate -- the average number of men who quit, die or retire. And throughout the 5-year period no regular employee was involuntarily laid off. Does it seem likely that we will be faced with anything worse than that in the forseeable future? No, it does not seem likely. Nursing Scholarships Extended The Teagle Foundation has extended the Walter C. Teagle Nursing Scholarship Program to include widows of annuitants and deceased employees of the Company and its affiliates while studying to become practical or registered nurses. Previously, scholarship aid under this Program was limited to employees, or sons or daughters of employees, annuitants or deceased employees. ESSO FLEET NEWS is published for the seagoing em ployees of the Marine Division, Humble Oil & Refining Co.: Joseph Andreae. General Manager; Sydney Wire, Assistant General Manager. TV. E. Gardner. Editor. Contributions and suggestions are invited and should be addressed to The Editor, Esso Fleet News. Humble Oil & Refining Co., P. O. Box 1512, Houston, Texas 77001. 'I EXX-MOR-006947 Another NLRB Election in the Fleet Once again Esso seamen will vote in a National Labor Relations Board-supervised election to choose a bargaining agent. This time it is the Inter national Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, of Pas saic. N. J., who have asked for such a vote. The New Jersey truckmen filed a petition with the NLRB office in Newark, N. J. on June 30, claim ing bargaining rights for some 725 unlicensed seamen aboard Company ships. This is tire first attempt by a shore workers' union to represent Esso seamen. On 4 previous occasions since 1941, outside hiring hall unions have sought recognition through NLRB elections in the Esso Fleet. All have failed. The last such election was held in 1960. On June 11 the North Jersey truck drivers' organization filed charges against the Company, claiming unfair labor practices. These charges were later withdrawn. TAFFRAIL TALK Captain J. G. Moffitt will return to the Marine Division as Manager of the Operations Dept, on Sept. 1 and W. F. Robinson will then return to his regular position as Manager of the Traffic Dept. S. B. Haas, who has been Traffic Manager, will be on a special assignment. Captain Moffitt has been on a loan assignment to Jersey's Transportation Coordination Dept, in New York since March 15, 1964. The Esso Dallas, which is due at an East Coast port next week from Rota, Spain and points east clear around the world, had a truly international list of stores when she was in the Orient. Captain Emil Wigh said they had bread from Japan, chicken from Denmark, U. S. coffee, fruit from Malaysia, New Zealand lamb, milk (canned) from Switzerland, fresh milk from Singapore, Canadian toilet paper, German pumpernickel (in cans), rice from Formosa, steaks from Australia and Ceylon tea. *** We mentioned a while back that Second Mate Patrick O'Donnell (ex-Esso Seattle) had his Master's license renewed in Yokohama but Cap tain Wigh wonders if anyone but himself has a license issued in Guam. ** * Polypropylene fabric seems destined soon to push fiberglass out of the boat building picture, according to the American Petroleum Institute. Not only is polypropylene fabric lighter, stronger and moredurable than spun and woven glass, but it isalso extremely low in cost. ** * Baltimore Lighthouse, first in the world to be nuclear powered, began its second year of opera tion on May 20. The Coast Guard has reported that the performance of the unit has been com pletely reliable and generally excellent. The 60-watt nuclear generator is 34%" high, 22" in diameter and weighs 4,600 lbs. including shield ing. It is designed to operate unattended for 10 years. There are no moving parts in the generator and nothing subject to mechanical failure. Heat from decaying fuel (20 lbs. of strontium titanate) is converted into electricity through 120 pairs of lead telluride thermocouples which surround the fuel. He who reigns within himself, and rules pas sions, desires, and fears, is more than a king. -- Milton W. F. Robinson, head of the Opera tions Dept, (left center) presents the Company's Certificate of Safety and the National Safety Council's pen nant to Captain Howard G. McCart ney, Master of the Esso Gloucester. The awards were made July 4 in recognition of a perfect safety re cord in 1964. Men in the Gloucester worked throughout the year without an accident resulting in lost time or sick leave. L. to r. in the photo are: Chief Mate Elnine W. Scott; First Asst. Edward P. Dolloff; Mr. Robinson; Radio Officer Robert V. Endres; MM/2P Francisco S. Rocha (on lad der); Chief Cook Antonio F. Gomes; Port Steward D. A. Hodges; OM Moses C. Niles; Captain McCartney; Second Cook John P. Gomes; Chief EXX-MOR-006948 Esso Chester approaching the Canal Railroad Bridge over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. It's a tight squeeze with a 30 turn in the bargain but the Chester's bow thruster can be a help. Esso Chester and the C & D Canal We showed the Esso Newark "threading the needle" ( squeezing through a bridge in Portland, Maine) in the Fleet News, April 22 and here w'e have the Esso Chester doing likewise, but with a twist, in the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. "The Chester has been utilizing the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on the run from Baltimore to New York after discharging asphalt at Balti more," Edward Crawford, Chief Mate and Master, said. "If the timing is perfect, we can leave the dock in Baltimore, transit the Canal, go down the Delaware River and up to New' York in 18 hrs. Going by way of Chesapeake Bay and Cape Henry takes 28 or 29 hrs. In addition to 10 or 11 hrs. saved, there are times when we can escape fog in lower Chesapeake Bay and the shorter distance via the Canal (266 vs. 417 miles) saves about 160 bbls. of fuel. "The Esso Chester is the largest type vessel presently permitted through the Canal. Regula tions limit a vessel's maximum length to 650' and the Chester is only 22' less than that. Also, for this type vessel, it is daylight transit only and one way traffic. Maximum draft permitted is 24' and we normally transit in ballast with about 14' fwd. and 22' aft. We find she handles ex ceptionally well in very close quarters. "The Baltimore Pilot takes the con from clear of dock to about VWd through the Canal ( to Chesa peake City), where the Delaware River Pilot boards and cons the rest of the way and on out the Delaware River to the breakwater. "The Canal is approx. 18 miles long and the transit takes about 2 hrs.. 20 min. as we must go at slow' and half speed due to an improvement project underway. It is our understanding that the Canal is undergoing a $90,000,000 widening and deepening program and speed is restricted due to dredges, etc. at work. "The closest squeeze is the Canal Railroad Bridge where the vessel passes through at very, very close quarters and at the same time nego tiates a 30 turn. A new section of Canal being Photos by Captain Edward Crawford She's through. This is where Master and Pilot exhale. cut at this point and a new railroad bridge will eliminate this hazard. It is supposed to be open for traffic about Dec. 1965. Another tight squeeze is the Reedy Point Railroad Bridge near the Dela ware River entrance to the Canal but this is a straightaway. "In the past 3 months," Captain Crawford con cluded, "the Esso Chester has transited the Canal 4 times with Captain James Mercer or myself as Master and so far we have made it without incident." WORDS OF THE WISE It isn't the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog, that counts! Harry Howell Here you see the entrance to the Esso Scranton's Ocean View Barber Shop, FWT Leo A. Roderick, Prop., com plete with sign and striped pole which is ''automated" (when the wind blows from the right quarter) by the little propeller at top. The tonsorial parlor, which also doubles as an en gineers' laundry, is equipped with a built-up chair, bulkhead mirror, shelves, popular magazines and toilet tissue to wrap around the customer's neck, ap proximating the practice of the most elite shoppes. The Ocean View enterprise was fitted out by Mr. Roderick and Third Asst. John J. Walsh on the Scran ton's recent voyage to Karachi and Chittagong. Mr. Walsh also endeared himself to the hearts of his shipmates by cleaning and oiling all the fans in the quarters. "In spite of there being no air conditioning except in the messrooms," Mr. Walsh said, "we had only a few uncomfort ably hot days. The Scranton is the best ship in the Fleet and they can send me back any time." EXX-MOR-006949