T. Christian Spain for AMO National VP, Government Relations

09/08/2018

AMO Washington has been working in conjunction the Mariner Access issue for more than a decade. The 2010 USCG Authorization Act included a Mariner Access provision that AMO was instrumental in adding to the legislation. I have been able to use this on many occasions to assist vessel crews that are denied shore leave due to the construct of a facilities’ security plan. Sadly, I have not been able to help all vessels with this issue due to the fact that Homeland Security has not issued the governing regulation initiated by the statue. I have though spoken this year with several admirals at USCG HQ and with Commandant Zuknuft on the need to issue this important Regulation. This combined with a pointed question from the Chairman of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee to Admiral Fagan during her testimony to the committee earlier this year has gotten the mariner’s access regulation moved up in priority at Homeland Security for issuance.

08/31/2018

I would like to wish all my AMO brothers, sisters and their families a wonderful Labor Day weekend. At sea, in port or on vacation I hope that you all have time this weekend to reflect on and celebrate this national holiday in honor of the working people that build and maintain our country’s institutions and infrastructure.

Happy Labor Day,

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08/01/2018

My 2013 manpower study mentioned in the article “Numbers Matter” led directly to congressional legislation in the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requiring the establishment of the 2017 Maritime Workforce Working Group to produce an official number of working mariners with unlimited MMDs including STCW endorsements available for national emergencies. The MWWG made up of government, labor, operating companies and other industry entities met many times over 10 months in 2017 producing this report.

https://www.marad.dot.gov/wp-content/uploads/pdf/MWWG-Report-to-Congress-FINALR3.pdf

The MWWG used my criterions laid out in the 2013 manpower study to analyze the raw data, and happily came to a similar conclusions (a shortage of 2000 mariners for national emergency needs).

Why is this important to the AMO membership and maritime industry? Our congressional supporters, MARAD, TRANSCOM, DOD and the Whitehouse’s Office of Trade and Industrial Policy cite the 2017 MWWG study numbers and conclusions as reasons to support the Jones Act, MSP and Cargo Preference. Additionally, the 2000 mariner shortage is used to show the need for policies that will increase the number of vessels in the fleet now.

07/29/2018

My last command USNS SODERMAN. This 2010 testing was the culmination of decade R&D for Sea Basing

07/27/2018

Government Relations also includes use of the media when necessary. I wrote the article "Numbers Matter: As the U.S. Maritime Workforce Dwindles, so do Vital Defense Sealift Capabilities" for the January-March 2017 issue of the USCG Proceedings. http://digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com/publication/?i=408860 #

This timely article was published a couple of months before TRANSCOM’s Commander General McDew testified to Congress in multiple hearings that the declining number of U.S. Mariners was his second biggest worry coming only after his lack of replacement airlift tankers. During Senate hearings, also shortly after the article’s publication MARAD’s Executive Director for the first time since MSP was created publicly made multiple policy proposals to significantly increase the size of deep-sea fleet.

07/24/2018

As a mariner that grew up in Washington, DC I have many relationships, some going back more than 30 years which have been leveraged to AMO’s advantage. Many of these relationships are with USCG, MARAD, MSC, DOT and DOD as one might expect however, they also include the State Department, Federal Law Enforcement, Justice Department, Labor Department and the Office of the United States Trade Representative among others.

Relations with any entity on the national and international scale take time and effort to develop. With 5 years in Washington I hope to continue as your representative with your vote!

07/23/2018

USNS CAPABLE My first Captain’s job March 1999.

07/20/2018

In the last 5 years AMO Government Relations has spearheaded the innovative training programs for TECH Cadets, 30-Day Tankerman PICs, and ETOs in conjunction with the STAR Center. All these programs required long consultations with USCG HQ, NMC, MARAD, among others and would not have been possible without AMO’s active participation at the IMO and ITF.

All three of these programs have proved that AMO is a nimble and action oriented organization not satisfied with the industry status quo. They have been seen by industry as necessary and more importantly cutting edge and timely. Other organizations have tried to replicate our successes but have been unable to do so. I am proud of the work that has gone into these programs.

07/18/2018

Government Relations is an all-encompassing job, dealing with the 23 Executive Branch Departments and Agencies with-in the US government that think they have some piece of your job in their sphere of influence as well as the congressional committees and their leaders that write the statues affecting our industry. In the international sphere I represent your interests at the IMO where all the USCG’s STCW requirements originate. I am currently attending the Sub-committee on Human Element, Training and Watch Keeping (HTW) where we are currently working on revision of the IMO guidelines on Fatigue. This is important for safety but also as it relates directly to manning.

07/17/2018

After graduating from KP in June 1994 I signed aboard my first AMO vessel the USNS Tenacious in Port Hueneme, CA 9 days later.

07/17/2018

I have been a member of AMO since 1994 with a wide and varied career. From 1994-2014 I worked aboard more than 20 AMO vessels. For the last 5 years I have effectively represented AMO in Washington, DC and in the international community primarily at the IMO and ITF. AMO is a forward thinking and action oriented organization and I will continue working in this fashion, with your vote! Please contact me at 202-744-6939 or [email protected] with your suggestions or questions.