18 Pinoy seamen settle strike aboard Greek ship

LONG BEACH (AP) — A group of 18 Filipino sailors aboard a Greek cargo ship berthed at the Port of Long Beach have agreed to settle a labor dispute over back pay that led to a four-day strike, a union official said Monday.

"We have a settlement. The crew is going to take the ship to anchor... disembark, and fly home tonight," said Jeff Engels, West Coast coordinator of the International Transport Workers Federation, and one of the negotiators who represented the sailors.

The crew members aboard the ship Endless had refused to work since Thursday night, when an inspection by the union found a discrepancy in the ship’s books that showed the sailors were due more than $300,000 in wages.

The sailors demanded they get paid before returning to work. In a show of solidarity, dockworkers assigned to load the ship with petroleum coke refused to continue doing so, leaving another cargo ship stuck while waiting to dock in the Endless’ berth.

Engels said the sailors would be receiving a cash payment of a "compromise amount" as part of the settlement, but declined to give specifics.

The sailors were expected to move the ship out of the berth to allow a ship waiting to enter to dock. A replacement crew was going to be brought in to take over the Endless and sail it back to port later to complete its cargo operations, Engels said.

A call to attorney Frank Brucculeri, who represents the ship’s operator, Greece-based Sea Justice S/A, was not immediately returned Monday evening.