Representatives from five different internationals as well as the head of the Baltimore-area labor council gathered at the Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) headquarters on April 17 to get the Baltimore Port Maritime Council back on its feet.
The first order of business was to elect Mike McHale as the PMC President and re-elect John Hoskins as its Secretary-Treasurer. McHale is the business manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 24 in Baltimore while Hoskins serves as port agent for the Seafarers International Union in the same city. MTD Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mark Clements administered the oath of office to the pair.
Besides the IBEW and SIU, other unions participating in this first meeting since the covid pandemic were the American Federation of Teachers, the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association and MM&P. Also attending was Courtney Jenkins, the president of the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO.
MM&P Secretary-Treasurer Don Josberger welcomed the dozen participants, saying Baltimore remains an important port city that will be growing as offshore windfarms are developed.
McHale told the body that he would start calling other locals to invite them to the next meeting, set for late May. He appointed a committee to update the Port Council’s by-laws.