John L Roper Iv

The American Waterways Shipyard Conference (AWSC) recently held its first membership meeting for 1989 in Tampa, Fla. At this meeting, the shipyard conference elected its officers for 1989.

C.H. Walters, National Maintenance & Repair, Inc., was elected to serve as chairman for 1989, and John L. Roper IV, Norshipco Brambleton, was elected to serve as vice chairman. The members also elected the following to serve as members of the Shipyard Steering Committee, terms to expire in 1991: Collins Brent, Superior Boat Works, Inc.; Robert W. Greene, Jeffboat/Louisiana Dock Company; and K.A. Wheeler, Walker Boat Yard, Inc.

The membership extensively discussed the current legislative initiative which redefines the term rebuild as contained in the Second Proviso of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, more commonly referred to as the Jones Act. The membership voted to recommend to the AWO board of directors that the Association continue its efforts to enact legislation and to endorse the action to broaden the scope of the legislation to include all domestic trades—fishing, coastwise and Great Lakes— and not limit activities to the fishing industry.

Wayne LaGrange, Jeffboat, and Gasper D'Anna, Platzer Shipyard, Inc., briefed the members on the activities of the Shipyard Employment Standards Advisory Committee. This advisory committee was established by the Department of Labor to complete the effort to establish one set of streamlined safety and health regulations for the shipbuilding and repair industry.

The next full meeting was scheduled for June 22-23, in Denver, Colo.

The program for this meeting will concentrate on educating the membership on environmental issues facing the industry.