SSA board to vote on union contract
This Friday the Steamship Authority board will meet in executive session in Hyannis to decide whether to accept a new contract with its unlicensed deck hands. Union employees finally approved the contract last week after four years of negotiations between management and members of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association.

The contract, covering approximately 230 unlicensed workers, was initially agreed to in mid-June, but political issues between the union's president and vice-president, both of whom are running for the union's presidency, quashed the deal. The tensions were resolved and last week the union voted to accept the contract. Flint Ranney, Nantucket's SSA board representative, said he has not yet seen the contract language but is optimistic about its ratification.

"I am hoping the board will look favorably on it," said Ranney. "I think it would be great to have this resolved."

The SSA has yet to reach agreement with its approximately 30 licensed engineers whose contract expired three years ago. Afact finding process involving the positions of both sides began last week

and may take months to complete. I

- Mary Lancaster