Members of the Association of Terminal Operators Stevedoring and Shipping Companies of Micronesia meet at the Hibiscus Hall of the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.
The officers of the Association of Terminal Operators Stevedoring and Shipping Companies of Micronesia: President Lee Cabrera, Vice President Charles B. Stinnett, Secretary Steven P. Muna, and Treasurer George R. Torwan.
WORKERS’ availability and regulations compliance were among the issues discussed by the Association of Terminal Operators, Stevedoring and Shipping Companies of Micronesia or ATOSSCOM during their 49th annual general membership conference at the Hibiscus Hall of the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan on Oct. 15-18.
“We discussed current industry trends, and we brought in presenters and speakers to address current trends,” ATOSSCOM President Lee Cabrera said
Saipan is this year’s host of the annual meeting. “We are happy to have it here,” said Cabrera, who is also a Saipan Stevedoring Company executive.
“The last time Saipan hosted the conference was in 2018,” he added.
Asked about current challenges faced by the association, Cabrera said, “Some of the members have expressed challenges about having workers available…. It varies by ports, and…part of it is out-migration. That’s how they are losing workers. They have seasoned workers who…go abroad or to the mainland…to earn a higher rate of pay.”
Asked about making salaries competitive, Cabrera said, “It’s up to the members, but companies in order to continually operate and retain workers must provide incentives.”
This year’s meeting also discussed compliance regulations, he added.
“Guam and the CNMI are under the United States Coast Guard, and other members of the association must also comply with international standards that are very similar to the Coast Guard requirements — those are the types of issues we discussed,” Cabrera said.
Among the guest speakers was a representative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services.
“To keep up with the current challenges, we bring in speakers who can tell us how to address those challenges,” Cabrera said.
Besides companies that operate in the CNMI and Guam, the ATOSSCOM members include similar companies in the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.
ATOSSCOM’s objective is to increase the efficiency of ports and harbors through the development and dissemination of information useful to terminal operators, stevedoring, and shipping companies.
ATOSSCOM also provides members with an opportunity to further their knowledge in the fields of port organization, management, administration, operation development and promotion.