On ships caught in the huge floating traffic jam off L.A., seafarers with scant access to vaccines have been stuck in limbo for months. Unions tell of despair and violence.
Abrorizki Geraldy Aulia, the son of a ship’s captain, is part of the new generation that moves more than 80% of the world’s raw materials, parts and merchandise on commercial cargo fleets. At 24, he has already traveled farther by ship than most people ever will.Maritime union protections say Aulia should sail no more than 11 months a year on a contract with an employer-paid flight home at the end, but the Indonesian native has worked 15 straight months without a break.
They endure unbroken monotony and growing desperation. Their unions and charity groups describe exhaustion, despair, suicide and violence at sea, including at least one alleged murder on a cargo ship headed to Los Angeles.If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek help from a professional and call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK . Text “HOME” to 741741 in the U.S. and Canada to reach the“It’s hard for me.
That’s because the Pan Amber is a small break-bulk freight carrier, which hauls loose cargo as vessels have done for thousands of years, and unloads at less crowded docks than container ships, which became dominantCargo ships, which range in size from huge to gargantuan, are labor-lean operations with a dozen to three dozen crew members. Most are paid meager wages and work long hours.
Imagine weeks at sea or at anchor without the ability to contact loved ones, spotty Wi-Fi connections at ports, living on a food budget that amounts to $7.50 per person, per day. Imagine living in cramped quarters, confined to a 680-foot by 98-foot ship for months longer than you agreed to, your direct contact limited to a couple of dozen other crew members.The unvaccinated crews fear catching COVID-19, and no U.S. port will allow unvaccinated seafarers to leave their vessels.
Ship Master Fe Mar Logronio Quintana, in white, talks to Stefan Mueller-Dombois, right, a ship inspector with the International Transport Workers Federation, while his bulk cargo ship, the MV Ocean Satoko, was docked at the Port of Long Beach last week delivering a shipment of cement. Quintana was thanking Mueller-Dombois for verifying that his crew members were going to receive vaccinations before the ship left for its next destination.
said retired Navy Capt. Dick McKenna, who serves as chief executive of the International Seafarers Center, a safe spot with a clubhouse atmosphere near the ports where seafarers can bunk, soak up all of the Wi-Fi bandwidth available and relax.
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