Ukrainian seamen stranded in Houston (07/12/98)

Ukrainian seamen stranded in Houston

by Volodymyr Romaniuk
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

HOUSTON - For the past three months 16 Ukrainian seamen have been stranded in Houston. Their plight has only now come to the attention of the local Ukrainian community. With the help of other local organizations and the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, they finally have some hope of being reunited with their families back in Ukraine.

The 16 Ukrainian seamen, who come from cities in southern Ukraine, were flown to Houston with the promise and the hope of earning hard currency by serving on a ship bound for Europe.

What they found upon arrival was something very different. The Greek-registered ship on which they were to serve was sitting in Port of Houston Dock 21, essentially derelict with no cargo, no plan.

The ship was being held by port authorities because of significant safety violations; however, the owners were unwilling to make the necessary repairs. Since the ship was the only way for the seamen to get back home, the owners were hoping to use the plight of the stranded crew members as leverage to have the ship released.

While the stalemate between the Port Authority and the ship's owners continued, the Ukrainian seamen sat and waited as things got worse.

Originally the crew members had been promised a salary and per diem, but neither was paid. With no money to buy food, the seamen turned to U.S. authorities for help. The authorities gave them some money and food so they would not starve, but little else.

The seamen's plight finally came to the attention of a local news reporter, who aired the story on the evening news on June 28. Local Ukrainian community members saw the condition of the stranded seamen and started to mobilize.

By the next morning, the Rev. Andrij Dwulit, Greg Buchai, George Wawrykow and Bill Burban were taking food and money to the seamen, and the local Ukrainian Catholic Church was setting up a relief effort to raise money for the trip home.

Mr. Buchai also brought the matter to the attention of Ambassador Yuri Shcherbak in Washington, allowing Ukrainian Embassy staff to begin work on the issue.

Fund-raisers were held in the Ukrainian and the broader Houston communities on July 4 and 5, respectively. The seamen now have enough food for the foreseeable future, and $3,000 that can be applied towards getting them home.

Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Buchai, Continental Airlines has pledged airfares worth $28,000 to fly the seamen to Frankfurt.

The community is now attempting to locate appropriate marine counsel to represent the seamen in their claim for unpaid wages against the ship's assets, which have since been seized by the Houston Port Authority for unpaid debts.

Other work remains. It is estimated that another $7,000 must be raised to cover travel costs from Frankfurt to Ukraine.

Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Ukrainian Seamen Fund, c/o Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church, 9102 Meadowshire, Houston TX 77037.