A Union You Could Believe In

Amsterdam
In thwarting the Somali pirates, the brave and efficient crew of the Maersk Alabama, led by their modest and heroic captain Richard Phillips, have shown an excellent example of American citizenship and maritime pride, as has the management of Maersk Shipping Line. These sailors have a backstory with lessons for today.

Last week we learned that 12 crew members belonged to the Seafarers’ International Union (SIU). The SIU is one of the last effective industrial unions in the country. But it also embodies a determination visible at its origins: The SIU was founded in 1938 specifically to block the widening control of the American maritime labor movement by Soviet agents.