Workers News

Direct Travel announced the expansion of Avenir, its global travel platform across its specialty market divisions, including Energy, Marine and Mining. Delivered through ATPl's specialist businesses, Avenir provides a single global platform and unified service model for executive and project-based business travel complementing the company's sector specific logistics and workforce mobility solutions.With this expansion, organizations operating in complex and logistically demanding environments will benefit from a more consistent and scalable approach to business travel…

C&C Marine and Repair, the full-service shipyard located on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, announced it has surpassed 700 barges blasted at its patented Robotic Blast and Paint Facility.Since opening in November 2018, the 83,350-square-foot, fully enclosed and climate-controlled facility has operated day and night, year-round, processing hopper barges, deck barges, and 10,000- and 30,000-barrel tank barges for customers across the inland marine industry.The facility's three fully automated blasting robots…

Following the BlueRights International Conference on the Protection of Health at Sea in March, organiser Prof. Dr Senka Šekularac-Ivošević is calling for holistic solutions to the current gaps in ensuring seafarers’ human rights are met.Frequent cases of crew abandonment, non-payment of wages, poor living conditions, and serious consequences for seafarers’ mental health demonstrate that the gap between regulations and reality remains significant. “Physical health, mental health…

The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) has released its sixth annual Offshore Energy Industry's Innovation & Workforce Excellence Report, a comprehensive publication showcasing how offshore energy companies are leading on environmental performance, workforce development, safety, and corporate responsibility.The 2026 report features case studies and highlights from NOIA member companies and partners, including Danos, Energy Education Foundation, Fugro, Medical Bridges…

Partners representing both labor and management have launched the USA Shipbuilding Coalition to urge Congress to take action to revitalize the critical American shipbuilding industry, including by passing the bipartisan SHIPS for America Act.This labor-management partnership will work to advance concrete actions to spur investment in and revitalization of America’s shipbuilding capacity, enhance the strength and utilization of domestic supply chains and ensure that the US can build, repair, maintain and man the vessels needed to restore U.S.

Jones Walker LLP has welcomed Kelly Haas as partner and associate Hayley Stancil as members of the Maritime Practice Group in the firm’s Houston office. Kelly represents vessel owners, charters, shipyards, offshore operators, and energy clients regarding collisions, property damage, personal injury, pollution, environmental, cargo, insurance, construction, and contract claims related to the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, OPA 90, Limitation of Liability, COGSA, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

The stop-start shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz underscores the profound uncertainty hanging over the world’s most critical oil and gas chokepoint. But one thing is already clear: even if the guns fall silent, flows through the narrow waterway will take months – and possibly years – to recover to pre-war levels.Iran said on Saturday that it was tightening control over the strait in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian tankers, firing at several vessels and warning mariners that the strait was closed.

Many claim to have ‘saltwater in their veins,’ but all you have to do is walk into the corner office of John McDonald, the new Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to see that him saying “I was born into maritime” is not hyperbole. The first thing that greets you is a Dusan Kadlec nighttime painting of the Brooklyn Bridge, a painting that has special meaning to him as he fondly remembers being on a boat in New York harbor in 1983, his father USCG Captain of the Port of New York at that time, watching the fireworks over the bridge for the celebration.

Mesabi Metallics, backed by Essar Group, has secured $150 million of financing from Macquarie Group, supporting the Q3 2026 startup of its world-scale Direct Reduction (DR) grade iron ore mine and pellet plant in Nashwauk, Minnesota.The financing follows Mesabi's recently announced $520 million senior secured credit facility with Breakwall Capital, further reinforcing the strong momentum behind the project.Mesabi has also recently received support from the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM), reflecting the project's growing strategic importance to U.S.

Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor celebrated the start of the 2026 international shipping season Saturday with the arrival of the Ocean7 Ranger. The ocean vessel completed a 52-day voyage carrying equipment for facility improvements at U.S. Steel Gary Works, the largest integrated steel mill in North America.The 2026 opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway to ocean vessels marked one of the shortest winter closures in history, totaling just 69 days from Jan. 12 until March 22.To commemorate the occasion…

The future of shipbuilding and maritime competitiveness will be featured at the Maritime Risk Symposium 2026, hosted by the Institute for Homeland Security, Sam Houston State University. On June 2–3 at LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology in Pasadena, Texas, leaders from industry and academia will examine the strategy, workforce, investment, and partnerships needed to advance America’s maritime comeback.A new era in American shipbuilding is emerging—and the U.S. Gulf Coast stands at its center.

Located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, the Atlantic Canada Bulk Terminal (ACBT) has undergone a transformation to adapt its facilities to the evolving needs of the offshore wind industry. This evolution is vital for future Canadian Offshore Wind developments, such as Nova Scotia Wind West. Consequently, the terminal has shifted from a facility dedicated exclusively to the steel industry and material storage to become one of the most important strategic hubs in the North Atlantic.Sarens…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have met representatives from Gulf States to address the ongoing conflict and its direct impact on seafarers and shipping in the Gulf.The meeting comes four weeks into the deadly conflict in which seafarers have been killed, ships have come under attack, and an estimated 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in conditions of fear and uncertainty, on ships unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz.Discussions focused on urgent practical…

Animals are being transported in their thousands to active conflict areas such as Israel, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia.Animal protection organisations have been calling on the European Commission to suspend the voyages, andtwo petitions have now been established.Animals could be exposed to rocket fire and air strikes, mishandled or abandoned by frightened workers while they remain in small, cramped vehicles, at port.Port closures due to conflict happen frequently, leading to animals being left adrift at sea for up to weeks in growingly desperate circumstances.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the death of a crew member on board the roro Laureline at Purfleet, England, on July 13, 2024.A crew member on board the Malta-flagged Laureline was fatally injured when he was crushed between the rear of a moving trailer and the vessel’s structure. The accident happened while Laureline was alongside, loading and discharging trailers using tugs driven by shore workers under the direction of the ship’s…

A powerful tropical cyclone in Western Australia has disrupted production at the country’s two biggest liquefied natural gas plants run by Chevron and Woodside, exacerbating a global supply crunch caused by the conflict in the Middle East.Australia became the world’s second-largest LNG exporter after Qatar shut down production this month following damage to its facilities from Iranian strikes. Global LNG flows out of the Middle East have also been upended by Iran’s blockage of…

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday he had spoken to the leaders of Iran, Egypt, Turkey and other regional countries and said Malaysian vessels were now being allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.Anwar in a televised address thanked Iran's president for allowing the passage of Malaysian ships."We are now in the process of releasing the Malaysian oil tankers and the workers involved so that they may continue their journey home," he said.Anwar said he talked with Iran and other countries as part of efforts to facilitate peace in the Middle East."But it is not easy, a

The Dredging Contractors of America (DCA) is pleased to report another strong year for the U.S. dredging industry in Fiscal Year 2025, with $1.8 billion in federal dredging awards executed entirely by the American-owned, American-crewed, American-built Jones Act dredging fleet.According to Michael Gerhardt’s U.S. Dredging Report, FY2025 marked a transition year. While the prior year featured major deepening and widening projects in ports such as Norfolk, Brazos Island, Sabine, and Mobile, FY2025 saw fewer large-scale channel expansions.

Manufacturing company Hadrian has opened a new facility in Cherokee, Alabama dedicated to the U.S. Navy's Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs.Known as Factory 4, the Cherokee facility is an advanced, highly automated manufacturing plant that will mass-produce components needed for submarine construction, including parts, assemblies, and finished products.These products have been identified by the industry as the largest drivers of submarine schedules, so increasing…

France's new aircraft carrier will be named France Libre (Free France), President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, as Paris advances its 10.2 billion euro ($12 billion) program to replace its ageing nuclear-powered flagship Charles de Gaulle.The warship is central to France's nuclear deterrent and Europe's bid for more defence autonomy, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump urged NATO allies to shoulder more of their own defence burden.Macron announced the name Free…

Iran accused Israel of striking its facilities in the huge South Pars gas field on Wednesday in a major escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war that sent oil prices shooting higher, and retaliated by vowing attacks on oil and gas targets throughout the Gulf, firing missiles at Qatar and Saudi Arabia.Qatar's state oil giant QatarEnergy reported "extensive damage" after the Ras Laffan Industrial City, an energy-industry hub, was hit by Iranian missiles. Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted…

Major US maritime organizations have issued statements voicing their concern over the Trump Administration’s decision to issue a sweeping 60-day waiver of the Jones Act.Under the Jones Act, goods shipped between U.S. ports must be carried on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged and mostly U.S.-owned. A coalition of U.S. maritime labor organizations, including the American Maritime Officers; American Radio Association; International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots…

Saronic announced it is opening a nearly 15,000 square foot office in downtown New Orleans. The new space will serve as an engineering and technical hub to support the company’s expanding shipbuilding operations in Louisiana. The new office will house hardware engineers, naval architects, marine engineers, and experts in system testing to support the design and development of Marauder, Saronic’s 180-foot autonomous ship. These vessels are produced at scale at the company’s shipyard in Franklin…