Maritime Trades Department

06/25/2026

06/25/2026

⚓🌎 Only 2 Days Until the International Day of the Seafarer! 🌎⚓

The countdown continues!

In just two days, we will celebrate the remarkable men and women who serve at sea and keep our world connected.

This year’s theme for the International Day of the Seafarer reminds us of the vital role they play and the challenges they face every day:

🌎 “Carrying world trade. Carrying the risks.”

From cargo ships to cruise vessels, seafarers work tirelessly behind the scenes to transport nearly 90% of world trade. They spend months away from family, endure difficult conditions, and make countless sacrifices so that communities around the globe can thrive.

At Seafarers’ House at Port Everglades, we are privileged to serve these dedicated mariners through hospitality, transportation, communication services, pastoral care, advocacy, and a welcoming home away from home.

As we prepare to celebrate the International Day of the Seafarer, we want to express our deepest gratitude to every seafarer who has allowed us to be part of their lives. Through the years, countless friendships have been formed. Many of you have become more than visitors—you have become family.

Your smiles, stories, faith, resilience, and kindness have touched our hearts, and the memories we have shared together will remain with us forever.

Thank you for your trust. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for allowing us to walk alongside you on your journeys. We are better because of you, and we carry your memories in our hearts.

To every seafarer we have met, and to those we have yet to welcome—thank you. You are loved, appreciated, and never forgotten.

❤️ Thank a Seafarer
⚓ Honor Their Service
🌎 Recognize Their Sacrifice

Serving those who move the world.

06/24/2026

Waiver Jeopardizes U.S. Maritime Careers
https://www.maritimetrades.org/waiver-jeopardizes-u-s-maritime-careers/
American Maritime Partnership (AMP)

From the American Maritime Partnership, to which the MTD is affiliated: Over 1,250 Graduates of U.S. Maritime Academies Enter Industry as Jones Act Waiver P ...

06/23/2026

AFL-CIO Releases Labor Movement Agenda
https://www.maritimetrades.org/afl-cio-releases-labor-movement-agenda/
AFL-CIO

The following news release was issued by the MTD-affiliated AFL-CIO on June 23. Following Constitutional Convention, AFL-CIO Releases Labor Movement’s Agend ...

06/23/2026

MTD President Recognized as Global Maritime Leader

MTD President David Heindel is included in a newly posted list of “50 Influential Leaders in Maritime Transportation Globally.” In part, Heindel was chosen ...

06/19/2026

MTD E-Board Members Brown, Rexha Highlight AFL-CIO Convention Panel on Maritime and Shipbuilding
AFL-CIO Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association - MEBA United Steelworkers

At the thirtieth AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention in Minneapolis, two Maritime Trades Department Executive Board members took center stage on a panel dedic ...

06/10/2026

06/10/2026

Victory! The House passed H.R. 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act. Now, we call on the Senate to also swiftly pass the bill, so workers can continue to improve their working conditions and exercise their rights on the job. Read more: https://usw.org/press-release/usw-applauds-house-passage-of-faster-labor-contracts-act/

06/10/2026

Stephen Cotton, ITF General Secretary, and Katie Higginbottom, Head of the ITF Seafarers Trust, travelled to Odesa to see first-hand the conditions port workers are enduring as they keep vital trade moving in the face of war.

Ukraine's port terminals have been repeatedly targeted by Russian attacks - yet they continue to handle cargo every single day. Workers routinely take cover in air raid shelters, then return to work and continue to handle cargo under immense risk.

Let us be clear: no civilian worker should ever be exposed to the dangers of war.

Full solidarity with Профспілка робітників морського транспорту України - ПРМТУ and all transport workers in Ukraine. Peace is union business. ✊🇺🇦

06/10/2026

Congress is asking the same questions American workers have been asking for months. Congressman Salud Carbajal has launched oversight of foreign actors using the Jones Act waiver, seeking information on compliance with US laws, regulations, & other impacts.

The American people deserve answers.