How did the crew of the Maersk Alabama, the freighter that was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, find the strength to make it through their hostage ordeal?
Alabama engineer John Cronan had a simple answer when NBC’s Today Show asked him that question on his return to the U.S.: “We’re union members. We stuck together, and we did our jobs.”
UPDATE (10AM): The AFL-CIO NOW blog has the union affiliations of the Alabama’s crew:
The eight licensed officers and engineers aboard the U.S.-flag vessel are members of either the Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) or Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), while the 12 unlicensed crew members are represented by the Seafarers (SIU). Cronan is a MEBA member and a Seafarers member.
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Kind of funny, you espouse the crew members for protecting the sovereinty of the ship,but you don't respect America's sovereign borders!
Posted by John Buck on May 9, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Posted on May 9, 2009 at 4:19 PM