Saltchuk Tanker Companies Ordered by NLRB to Bargain With Licensed Deck Officers

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ordered both Alaska Tanker Company (ATC) and Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG), Saltchuk Resources subsidiaries, to immediately recognize the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) and bargain in good faith with more than 125 Licensed Deck Officers.

The officers voted decisively for MM&P representation in separate NLRB-certified elections in 2024, winning 70% at OSG and 80% at ATC. Instead of beginning first-contract negotiations, ATC and OSG challenged the results and unlawfully refused to bargain. Following union unfair labor practice charges, the NLRB issued a formal bargaining order against ATC on May 19, 2026, followed by a second bargaining order against OSG on August 4, 2026.

The bargaining units cover Chief, Second, and Third Mates aboard 17 U.S.-flag oil tankers carrying critical energy cargo and militarily useful supplies. The risks these mariners face are increasingly direct: on August 18, Iranian state media reported that an Iranian military official identified OSG among shipping companies under scrutiny for supporting U.S. military logistics and warned of potential retaliatory measures.

Saltchuk subsidiaries receive millions in federal subsidies through the Tanker Security Program (TSP). MM&P maintains that companies benefiting from taxpayer support should not be permitted to violate federal labor laws while denying basic bargaining rights to the American mariners risking their lives at sea.

While Saltchuk seeks to drag the dispute into federal court and further delay compliance with the NLRB, pressure mounts with numerous politicians and labor federations including Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO are calling on corporate leadership to end its stalling tactics and begin good-faith negotiations immediately.