International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots

International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots
Name	International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots
Founded	1888
Headquarters	Piney Point, Maryland
Members	5,000 (approx.)
Key people	Ed McNally (President)
Affiliation	Seafarers International Union, AFL–CIO

International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots

The International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (IOMMP) is a United States-based maritime labor union representing licensed deck officers on inland and coastal vessels. The organization participates in collective bargaining and regulatory advocacy involving the United States Coast Guard, Federal Maritime Commission, Department of Transportation, and National Labor Relations Board. IOMMP engages with other labor groups such as the Seafarers International Union, American Maritime Officers, Maritime Trades Department, and AFL–CIO.

History

IOMMP traces origins to late 19th-century seafaring associations formed after incidents like the sinking of merchant vessels that prompted reforms in United States Congress, New York City, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Early milestones involved interactions with entities such as the United States Lighthouse Service, United States Shipping Board, Emergency Fleet Corporation, and the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. During the World War I and World War II mobilizations the organization coordinated with the United States Navy, War Shipping Administration, Office of Defense Transportation, and Maritime Commission. In the postwar era IOMMP engaged with regulatory developments including the Jones Act, the International Labour Organization, and the National Labor Relations Board decisions that shaped maritime labor. Key historical episodes involved negotiations with shipping companies tied to ports such as New Orleans, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and disputes that reached courts including the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Organization and Structure

IOMMP is organized with a national headquarters and regional halls reflecting traditions similar to unions like Seafarers International Union, International Longshoremen's Association, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, and Transport Workers Union of America. Governance includes an executive board, president, secretary-treasurer, and local masters' committees paralleling structures in United States Merchant Marine Academy alumni groups and state maritime commissions in Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and California. The union maintains relationships with accreditation and certification bodies such as the United States Coast Guard National Maritime Center and the American Bureau of Shipping. Internal rules reference collective bargaining frameworks used by Pacific Maritime Association and dispute-resolution mechanisms similar to National Mediation Board procedures.

Membership and Certification

Membership comprises licensed mariners holding credentials like master, mate, and pilot endorsements issued under regulations from the United States Coast Guard, Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, and international conventions administered by the International Maritime Organization. Applicants typically hold training certificates from institutions such as the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, State University of New York Maritime College, and California Maritime Academy. IOMMP negotiates credential recognition with classification societies such as Lloyd's Register and Det Norske Veritas, and interfaces with credentialing reforms influenced by incidents investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the International Labour Organization conventions on seafarers' conditions. Members often transition between employment with operators like Crowley Maritime, Maersk Line, Costco Shipping Partners, and river operators on the Mississippi River and Intracoastal Waterway.

Collective Bargaining and Labor Actions

IOMMP conducts collective bargaining with employers including towing companies, passenger vessel operators, and freighters, employing tactics seen in negotiations involving United Auto Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Service Employees International Union affiliates. Labor actions have involved coordination with port authorities such as the Port of Houston Authority, Port of Los Angeles, Port of New York and New Jersey, and legal proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board and United States Court of Appeals. Historical strikes and slowdowns have intersected with national events like Energy crises, tariff disputes, and wartime requisitions by the War Shipping Administration, prompting mediations involving the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Safety, Training, and Professional Standards

IOMMP emphasizes safety standards codified by the International Maritime Organization, the United States Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The union promotes training programs that reference curricula at U.S. Department of Transportation-certified schools and aligns with competency frameworks similar to Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW), engaging with classification societies such as American Bureau of Shipping and Bureau Veritas. Safety campaigns have responded to incidents investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and congressional hearings in United States Congress committees on transportation and maritime affairs.

Political Activities and Advocacy

IOMMP lobbies on maritime policy before bodies including the United States Congress, the Federal Maritime Commission, the Department of Transportation, and state legislatures in Maryland and Louisiana, coordinating with labor coalitions like the AFL–CIO and the Maritime Trades Department. The union has taken positions on legislation such as the Jones Act, shipping subsidies debated in Congressional hearings, and security measures under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. Political engagement includes endorsements and participation in campaigns alongside figures and institutions that influence maritime policy, participating in forums with stakeholders like American Maritime Officers, National Maritime Alliance, and port authorities at New Orleans and Seattle.

Category:Maritime trade unions Category:Trade unions in the United States