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Vol. 4, No. 20 PUBLISHED BY THE MARINE DIVISION, HUMBLE OIL & REFINING COMPANY October 18, 1962 ESA and Company Agree on Improved Severance Pay and Retirement Benefits Following several weeks of negotiations, the Esso Seamen's Association and the Company reached agreement, Oct. 12, on an improved schedule of severance payments for unlicensed seamen. Also agreed upon was a Special Voluntary Early Re tirement Program which wall be available to eligi ble unlicensed men. These changes are subject to ratification by members of the Association. With one exception, the severance pay for men with up to 10 years of continuous service is the same in the new schedule as in the 1960 ESACompany agreement. Men in this group wall re ceive one week's pay for each of the first five years' service and 1 Vs weeks' pay for each of the next five. The exception is that two additional weeks' pay in lieu of notice will be granted to employees who receive severance allowance. The ESA argued strongly for this proposal as the nature of our operations makes it impracticable to determine in advance exactly when surplus employees will be terminated. For employees terminated with over 10 years' service, the 1960 schedule continued the 1% weeks' pay for each year of service. The new rates are as follows: Years of Weeks of Pay Continuous Service Up to 10 years 1 week's pay for each year up to 5 years and IV2 week's pay for each year of the second 5. 11 through 15 12*4 weeks plus 2 weeks for each year of service in excess of 10 years. 16 through 20 2214 weeks plus 214 weeks for each year of service over 15 years. 21 through 25 35 weeks plus 3 weeks for each year of service over 20 years. 26 or more years 50 weeks plus 314 weeks for each year of service over 25 years. It is expected that in the forseeable future no men with more than 10 years' service will be laid off for lack of work. However, the higher severance allowances may come into play if an employee in a key rating* is to be demoted to a qualified! or entryt rating, or a man in a qualified rating is demoted to an entry rating. In these cases the employee may choose to terminate and take the severance allowance instead of accepting the de motion. To do this, though, he must notify the Company of his intention before Jan. 31, 1963. Another new provision, for which the ESA pressed strongly, is that if a man is notified by the Company that he is subject to lay-off, he will be assured of a minimum number of weeks of active duty after such notice, according to the following table: Years of Continuous Service 1 through 7 8 9 10 Number of Assured Weeks of Active Duty 10 12 14 16 An employee who has been notified of pending lay-off and who voluntarily leaves before the end of the active duty period in the table above, will receive a severance allowance based on his contin uous service. Special Early Retirement The second area of agreement between the Com pany and the ESA concerned a Special Voluntary Early Retirement Program. The Company is offer ing this generous (and costly) program to make it more attractive for older men to retire and thus require fewer lay-offs. For every man who accepts early retirement, one less employee wall have to be laid off. And. the program is attractive. For example: at age 62 a retiring employee will receive 96.4% of the amount he would receive if he were now1 65: at age 60 he will receive 91% and at age 55, `Key ratings are: Bos'n, Pumpman, MM/2nd Pumpman, Electrician, Machinist, Chief Cook and Second Cook. tQualified ratings are: Able Seaman, Deck Maintenanceman. Oiler and Fireman-Watertender. JEntry ratings are: Ordinary Seaman, Wiper, Messman and Utilitvman. u< os xx. ,?0 =: < 'a: ;oSx< --Is> :cx. h- t'-- ^> H 32 ! I 1 XZ u m EXX-MOR-007790 72%. These percentage figures compare with the regular early retirement percentages of normal retirement income of 76, 64 and 44%, respectively. To put it another way, the annuity income under the special program for a man 55 is slightly more than it would be if he were 61 years old and re tiring under the regular retirement plan. Again, the retirement annuity at age 60 in the special plan is the same as the 64-year figure in the regu lar program. To be eligible for the special early retirement, an employee must be at least 50 years old and have 15 or more years of credited service. In the near future all seagoing personnel who meet or exceed these qualifications will be furnished with a statement showing the early retirement income they will receive if they accept. June 30, 1963 is the deadline for retiring under this program. Changes in Working Rules The ESA and Company negotiators also agreed upon "Amendment No. 2" to the 1960 Agreement and this also is subject to ratification by the mem bership. The amendment includes the following- In all ports, sailing board and sailing time shall be posted within one hour after vessel docks, is moored or is anchored. Overtime shall be paid to a man using the paint spray gun and he shall be provided with coveralls. If a man assisting works in the vicinity of the spray gun at least half the time, he shall also receive overtime pay and be provided with coveralls. Maintenance and repair work beyond nor mal work schedule will not be required but may be done on an optional basis. When members of the Steward's Dept, are News From the Esso Scranton The Esso Scranton (Captain Earl E. Walker and Chief Engineer William L. Kelly) is now on her way back from India after delivering her second cargo of lube oils to that country this year. She left Baytown Aug. 25, arrived at Karachi on Sept. 27, Bombay the 30th, Calcutta, Oct. 10 and is due at Ras Tanura for a return cargo on Oct. 26. First Asst. Engineer Nils Vindenes sent a clip ping from The Indian Express about the ship being abandoned by tugs in a lock at the entrance to Alexandra Docks, Bombay. The tug men went on a "lightning strike" nine hours ahead of time, the newspaper reported, "as a protest against the alleged `highhandedness' of a dock-master while talking to a worker". The Scranton was delayed for 35 hours. The accompanying photographs were received Oct. 8 from Able Seaman Michael Sharik, III, who mailed them in Bombay on the 2nd. Kids are kids the world over. Mr. Sharik with a little waif who won the hearts of everyone on the ship. EXX-MOR-007791 required to do extra work or work longer hours because a vessel is shorthanded, the basic starting wages of absent employees shall be divided among the men who do the extra work. Memo to Prospective Annuitants It is possible for an employee who is going to retire to defer distribution of his Thrift Fund balance until the beginning of the year following his retirement. Such an election may result in tax savings because distribution of the Thrift Fund account will not occur in a year in which Company pay is also received. In order to take advantage of this provision, however, it is necessary to fill Out a REQUEST TO DEFER PAYMENT (Form TF-11) and have it on file with the Thrift Trustee at least six months before the retirement date. During those six months, the request cannot be cancelled. It may also be of interest to know the trans actions that are permitted and those not permitted during the period that the Thrift account is deferred. Transactions Permitted Stock Purchases on a single occasion basis only. Regular schedule purchases will be cancelled at termination of employment. Putting in Stock for Cash at current market value only. Change in Registration of Stock held in partici pant's name to Trustee name, if eligible. Sales of Stock -- any gains cannot be withdrawn. Transactions Not Permitted Loans will not be granted after termination of employment. Installment loans granted prior to such date will be continued until repaid or until the account is distributed. Installments are to be paid to the Trustee either monthly or in a lump sum amount. If the install ment (s) are not made as required, a delin quency interest charge of 50% of the interest rate in effect at the time the loan was granted, on the entire outstanding loan balance, will be made during the period of default. This is in addition to the regular interest charge. Insurance coverage, if any. will be continued ESSO FLEET NEWS is published for the seagoing em ployees of the Marine Division, Humble Oil & Refining Co.: J. D. Rogers, General Manager; Joseph Andreae, Assistant General Manager; Sydney Wire, Assistant Gen eral Manager. W. 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 1, Texas. Hector Marrero, Crew Messman in the Esso Chester, with two of the neat jewelry boxes he makes. The one on the left is of natural and stained fruit crate wood and the other (unfinished) is inlaid with burnt matchsticks. He has also made a jewelry box in the shape of a piano (grand, of course). Hector lives in Brooklyn, N. Y. with his wife, Carmen, and two sons, Marcus, aged 1 Vi and Alan, two months. until the loan is repaid or the account is distributed by the Trustee. Withdrawals of Cash and/or Stock Special Contributions Putting in Stock for Cash at exact tax basis Regular Schedule Stock Purchases No More Nursing Scholarships This Year Teagle Nursing Scholarship applications for students who enrolled and began their studies this fall can no longer be accepted. A large number of these scholarships have been awarded to the daugh ters of employees and annuitants, including some whose applications were received only recently, but it will be impossible to handle any more for this year, the first that Teagle Nursing Scholar ships have been available. Next year's candidates for these scholarships, for the term beginning in the fall of 1963, should sub mit their applications to their local offices in time for them to reach Humble's Houston headquarters offices no later than July 15. Nursing scholarships will not be granted to commence with the mid year term. mmmm WORDS OF THE WISE ummmm It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn't. --Martin Van Buren __ * __ He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper; but he is more excellent who can suit his temper to any circumstances.--David Hume RECENT RETIREMENTS mamma Messman Tremaine J. Busmen. Retirement is a time when you look forward and look back. The view ahead for Mr. Bushen includes a short pleasure trip or two and then to "settle down some place in this wonderful country and just en joy life". His look back saw "no regrets" for the nearly 23 years he spent in the fleet and "sincere thanks to the Company for all the things they have done for me". Born in Nova Scotia 65 years ago, Mr. Bushen served in the Canadian Army in the first World War and started his seagoing career in 1920. He shipped out with various companies until Jan. 26, 1940, when he joined the Esso Annapolis as Utilityman. From that date until his retirement Oct. 1, he had an unbroken service record, sailing as Messman and Utilityman. Mr. Bushen's last ship was the Esso Washington, which he left at Baltimore, Aug. 5 for his pre- The MIS-Adventures of J.sIB\E?#0NE mc fracture It's OK to work your head to the bone (we do it here in the office all the time) but not the fingers. J. Stumbleprone was working at the grinding wheel "when", the accident report stated, "the tip of his left thumb came into contact with it, causing abrasion." Rather neatly put, what? Rotating abrasive wheel -- thumb in contact -- ergo, abrasion, "a wearing away of the skin in small shreds by friction", as Webster's has it. Point is, why did thumb come in contact with the wheel? Attention diverted? Day- /-V dreaming? Careless? Negligent? You name it. And remind us to remind artist Hank Roesler to put safety glasses on Sfl McFracture the next time he draws him at the grinding wheel. Tsk Tsk. 1 S' ' * " || j|| j;| || j|| retirement paid leave. Crew members gave him a warm farewell plus a contribution. r -- - TAFFRAIL TALK -~ Arthur Danielsen, formerly Third Mate in the fleet, transferred to Butterworth System, Inc., Bayonne, N. J., on Oct. 1 as Assistant Head of their Customer Service Section. Mr. Danielsen started with the Company as Ordinary Seaman 16 years ago. For most of the past two years he has been on special assignments as a tank coating inspector. ** * The Esso Jamestown, afterdischarging atNew York, Oct. 18, is to proceed to Aruba to load a cargo for San Francisco. She will reload at Los Angeles for East Coast delivery. ** * James G. Key, Jr.,who sailed in the fleet for over 13 years, is now taking a training course to be an Esso service station manager in the Balti more area. His last ship wras the Esso Boston, which he left as Third Mate on March 24. OBITUARY , Harvey H. Long, 69, retired Radio Officer, died suddenly Oct. 8 in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where he had lived for a num ber of years. He is survived by his wife, Hazel. Mr. Long was among the pio neers in radio. He became a wireless operator in Great Lakes vessels in 1910 and later sailed in ocean-going ships. He also w'orked as a radio technician in Chicago and as a field engineer in various cities before he joined the Esso fleet in Sept. 1939. His Company service was continuous throughout World War II and until his retirement on March 1. 1958. Joseph F. Fitzgerald, 70, re tired Oiler, died in Staten Is land, N. Y. on Sept. 30. He is survived by his wife, Katherine, two daughters, three sons, four sisters and a brother. f. W":A- Mr. Fitzgerald served in the ifii fleet in Engine Dept, ratings from June 1944 until shortly after the end of World War II. He rejoined in Dec. 1946 and sailed, mostly as Oiler, until his retirement May 1, 1957. A resident of Stony Point, N. Y., he was a former railroad man and construction wnrker before going to sea in World War II in cargo ships, tankers and a tug. o< U2J k lo = os h ^J aLU < wE :> EZ LL XD a} U! K a. Cj EXX-MOR-007793