Seamens’ unions cite Dali crew’s ’emotional distress’

Two unions say crew members of the ship Dali are distressed and fear they'll be "criminalized" over the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.

The Dali crew members, stranded in their vessel in the Patapsco River since it struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, are distressed and fear they’ll be “criminalized” over the incident, two Singapore-based unions said.

“While some crew members are coping, morale has understandably dipped,” according to a statement from the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen that The Baltimore Sun received ahead of a public release planned for Monday.

Salvage crews are expected to set off controlled explosives Sunday evening to break apart a massive piece of the Key Bridge that landed on the Dali, allowing them to remove the wreckage and eventually refloat the ship and return it to the Port of Baltimore.

Barbara Shipley, the Mid-Atlantic inspector for the International Transport Workers’ Federation, was part of a union group that visited the crew April 24.

“It was overwhelming to see the devastation so closely, and remembering that lives were lost,” Shipley said in an interview Sunday with The Sun.

The ITF is an umbrella group whose nearly 700 affiliates are based in about 150 countries and include the Singapore unions.

“When I spoke to the crew, they expressed sadness for the loss of life,” Shipley said.

She added that when the ship struck the bridge, “I understand several of them ran forward looking for survivors,” but were left “feeling helpless and sorrowful.”

Shipley expressed confidence in the crew’s safety during Sunday’s planned controlled demolition of the bridge section. “I trust the safety protocols,” she said.

The Singapore groups represent the Dali crew’s interests because the ship sails under the that country’s flag. Their representatives were joined on their visit by people from other unions that similarly advocate for seafarers and other transportation workers.

Saying the crew cooperated fully with an ongoing FBI investigation of the bridge collapse, the unions are calling for the return of the members’ cell phones, which agents confiscated last month after boarding the Dali.

“However long the investigation takes, the crew’s rights and welfare should not be infringed upon during its course,” said David Heindel, president of the Seafarers International Union. “We call on the authorities to be mindful that seafarers utilize mobile devices to conduct personal business for bill payments and more importantly, transfer money to their home country to sustain families.”

Additionally, the unions are asking for officials to arrange for shore leave for the crew once the ship returns to port, as their visas expired while they’ve been stranded. The unions also want crew members to receive expedited travel back home once they’re no longer needed for the investigation.

“They need some time off for their mental health and to refresh their minds,” Shipley said.

Synergy Marine, the Dali’s management company, has a mental health program that reached out to both the crew and their families, the unions said in their statement.

“The crew members have been one of our top priorities,” said Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Synergy. “This is a difficult time for them, too.”

Wilson said crew members have received visits from their embassies, those of India and Sri Lanka, as well as from seafarer assistance groups that have brought clergy aboard.

The crew has had to remain on board throughout, even though the ship has been immobilized, he said, and members have been assisting the salvage operation.

“It’s still a very complicated piece of equipment that needs to be maintained,” Wilson said. “No one knows the ship better than the crew.”

The seamen’s unions said the crew has been treated well by the company and agencies that have responded to the incident.

“We commend the U.S. Coast Guard and ground personnel for their empathy towards the crew, who have been cooperative throughout this ordeal,” their statement said.

In addition to the FBI, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident and has interviewed the crew on board the Dali.

Gwee Guo Duan, assistant general secretary of the officers’ union, said in an email to The Sun that when in Baltimore, his group also visited Key Bridge Unified Command. That’s the multiagency effort directing operations to remove the bridge debris and the Dali and reopen the port to marine traffic.

“I do hope we can do something tangible for the seafarers to ensure they are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve,” he said. “It’s crucial to acknowledge that our seafarers play a vital role in moving the world, with 80% of cargo transportation being reliant on them.”

The statement included several officials of unions from around the world, calling for the return of the crew members’ phones and decrying what Mary Liew, general secretary of the officers’ union called a growing concern over “the criminalisation of seafarers based solely on their position on board a vessel during an incident.”

“Access to communications, especially with loved ones and family members are essential for their well-being,” said Kam Soon Huat, president of the seamen’s organization.

The unions are the latest to express concern about the welfare of the crew, who are mostly from India.

The New York-based Seamen’s Church Institute said it was contacted by its shipping industry partners shortly after March 26 to provide support to the crew and received clearance within a week to board the vessel.

The group has a network of chaplains who are specially trained in “critical incident stress management,” according to its website.

The church institute’s executive director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, said has sent personnel to respond to crises the world over, “making sure seafarers’ welfare is not being overlooked.”

After spending a day on board the Dali, the group returned with chaplains who speak several Indian languages and has also advocated for the return of the the crews’ phones.

Local assistance groups, the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center and the Apostleship of the Sea, have also been looking out for the stranded crew, and say they will continue to do so after the Dali returns to the port.