NEWS

Illegal Charters

Unlicensed boats pose risks to passengers and businesses

By Morgan Owen

Unlicensed charters sailing out of Marina del Rey have become a problem. Labor Day weekend it resurfaced after the U.S. Coast Guard and Marina del Rey Sheriff’s Department terminated the voyage of the Beirut, an illegally operating 58-foot pleasure craft. The Beirut, which had 15 passengers aboard, was operating without a licensed captain or a valid certificate of inspection, among other violations. The U.S. Coast Guard issued a port order for the Beirut to cease operations until the owners of the vessel remedy the violations. That did not stop the Beirut from being chartered again by 14 passengers that Sunday. Now, the owners and operators of the Beirut face additional civil penalties and a class D felony for violating the port order, punishable by up to six years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000 per individual and $500,000 per organization.

PHOTO BY HUNTER SCHNABEL

Coast Guard members terminate the voyage of an illegal charter vessel, the Beirut. “The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.” What is required to operate a legal charter vessel? The federal government requires all charter vessels to register their boat with either the U.S. Coast Guard or the DMV. The registration process is expensive, costing upward of $10,000 and may take years to complete. Boats with more than six passengers must also be operated by a Coast Guard licensed captain, undergo yearly safety inspections and belong to a random drug testing consortium. Beyond that, charter vessels must also comply with state regulations. In California, that means obtaining a water taxi license and a water taxi operator’s business license. This process is equally lengthy and requires the charter to operate out of a commercial dock. The difficulty with enforcement of illegal charters is the U.S. Coast Guard can only regulate federal violations and vice versa. An anonymous source familiar with these regulations said that, in

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Merchant mariner credential, otherwise known as a captain’s license, and uninspected passenger vessel examination card. some ways, it was lucky the Coast Guard could issue a port order for The Beirut. “This boat just happened to be violating everything, but there are some boats out there that only violate (the state) half.”

Passenger safety

Lt. Brett Losey, an investigations officer with the Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, said illegally chartered vessels “pose a significant safety concern to the public.” Charter regulations are in place for a reason: to protect the life and safety of the boat’s passengers. In 2018, Mauricio Alvarez pled guilty before a Florida U.S. District Court to misconduct or neglect that resulted in the death of a passenger. According to the Department of Justice, Alvarez, who did not have a valid merchant mariner license, neglected to confirm everyone was aboard the vessel before engaging the engine that ultimately struck and killed a swimming passenger. Licensing and inspections are in place to prevent negligent mistakes, such as the one Alvarez committed, from happening in Marina del Rey. As part of the training to become a licensed captain, students learn lifesaving skills, such as firefighting, navigation and CPR. Likewise, annual vessel inspections ensure vessels comply with vital safety regulations, such as having the correct number and type of life vests aboard. To make matters worse, passengers often book illegal charters, like the Beirut, unwittingly online through third-party sites, such as Boatsetter, GetMyBoat and Sailo. The U.S. Coast Guard could not confirm if the passengers aboard during Labor Day booked the Beirut through a third-party service because of an ongoing investigation. But an anonymous source indicated a current listing on the website GetMyBoat believed to be the Beirut. Illegal charters take clients away from local businesses. In Marina del Rey alone, there are approximately 160 charters available through third-party booking sites, but only 36 legal charter companies listed with the Marina del Rey Tourism Board. By that standard, if someone intended to book a vessel for the day, they are more likely to contact an illegal charter company than a legal one. Folks are attracted to illegal charter companies because they operate out of recreational docks and can book clients on short notice, whereas Dock 55 requires bookings to be filed 24 hours in advance. One legal charter company said the third-party service they use to advertise notifies them five to 10 bookings a month get canceled because of this issue. In addition to a permeated marketplace, illegal charters do not have to pay Dock 55 a 6% service fee for each booking. And without annual inspections, illegal charters decrease overhead by eliminating costs for licensing, maintenance, and inspection fees. This lack of overhead cost makes operating an unlicensed charter boat lucrative. Legal charter companies out of Marina del Rey have repeatedly asked the U.S. Coast Guard and state officials to crack down on illegally operating vessels with little success. “The Coast Guard is willing to help out here and there to bust some of these boats,

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but the state offers no help,” said an anonymous source. How does one tell if a charter company is legal? In Marina del Rey, the answer is simple. Marina del Rey Tourism works with the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors to publish a list of charter companies operating with a valid business license. It is also possible to book a “bareboat charter,” where a boat owner leases their vessel to you for a certain period, during which they cannot be aboard. Bareboat charters are still required to obtain California business licenses and should still appear with the Marina del Rey Tourism Board. Regardless if a charter is booked through a third-party service or directly from the charter company, Lt. Brett Losey said, the “Coast Guard urges passengers to ask to see their captain’s merchant mariner credential (captain’s license) before leaving the dock.” The best policy is to check a charter boat's federal and state documentation before departure to ensure you are boarding a legal charter boat. Fisherman’s Village/Dock 55.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARINA DEL REY TOURISM BOARD

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Fire in Venice Canals

Blaze destroys 2 homes, damages 3 more

By Morgan Owen

Afire at 421 Carroll Canal in Venice destroyed two homes and damaged three others late Sunday night. The fire began in a vacant three-story single family home under renovation and burned into the adjacent homes before firefighters extinguished the blaze at approximately 12:06 a.m. on Oct. 3. The Los Angeles Fire Department was notified of the fire through a 911 call at 10:44 p.m. on Oct. 2. By the time the fire department arrived at the scene, the three story home was “fully involved” in flames on all sides. The incident was given Major Emergency status as over 100 firefighters worked for an hour and 20 minutes to extinguish the flames. Damage was severe. “A total of five homes were damaged. The three-story home is a total loss, as is one of the exposed homes,” reported Margaret Stewart with the LAFD shortly after the fire was put out. The other three homes sustained damage to their roofs by embers from the fire. Firefighters remained at the scene until 6 a.m. to ensure hot-spots were extinguished and to conduct overhaul operations. No injuries were reported, and LAFD does not have an estimate of how many people were displaced at this time. Stewart could not comment on the initial cause of the fire due to an arson investigation automatically triggered by the size of the event.

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Union: Cedars-Sinai Negotiations ‘Alarming’

Hospital employees hold picket to bring awareness

By Morgan Owen

Cars honk at the request of picketing workers at the Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital. The workers, who belong to the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers Union (SEIU-UHW), have taken to the streets in protest of proposals put forward by the hospital as part of their contract renegotiation process. The proposal, according to SEIU-UHW representatives, is an attempt by the hospital to roll back worker benefits, including health care, free parking, and workers’ ability to conduct pickets like the one that took place Sept. 27. Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey denies allegations that they are working to roll back benefits, but a section of the proposal provided to The Argonaut lists striking and picketing as prohibited activities under the

(Continued on Page 12) Dinah Jacquez leads a chant during a picket outside of the Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital to bring awareness to SEIUUHW’s fight for better working conditions.

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proposal, punishable up to termination. Hospital operations declined to discuss individual negotiation points. Joanne Laguna-Kennedy, MSM, RN, vice president, and chief operations officer of Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey, said she wants to be “mindful of the process” as the hospital works to reach an equitable agreement for both parties. “We are trying to make sure that [our employees] understand we’re not taking things away,” Laguna-Kennedy said. “I never want anybody to be afraid or upset thinking that we’re doing something we’re not.” She further explained that Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey’s goal is to change the wording in SEIU-UHW’s contract so the hospital can add benefits without waiting for contract renegotiations, not cut them. Get great service & great rates. Union negotiations in the health care sector are notoriously contentious. This is the third contract renegotiation between SEIU-UHW and Get great service & Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey since Cedars-Sinai acquired the hospital in 2015 but the first Get great service & great rates. great rates.You know I’m always here with Good Neighbor service. But I’m also here with surprisingly great rates for everyone. Call me for a quote to see how much you can save. You might be surprised. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® Individual premiums will vary by customer. All applicants subject to State Farm® underwriting requirements.

since the pandemic. Allegations of misinformation flow from both parties.

Working conditions

Kaylee Martinez, an ultrasound technician in the radiology department, paints a picture of what it is like to work at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey. She said she takes on more duties for less pay compared to other hospitals she is employed at. Martinez stays because she said she believes in the strength of the community and values the bond she has with her coworkers. Conversations about possible wage increases and better opportunities in the new contract are tinged with concerns about inflation and reeling costs after the pandemic. Many of those picketing on Sept. 27 want Cedars-Sinai to treat their workers like the “health care heroes” they praised them as during the height of COVID-19. “Cedars-Sinai challenged us during the pandemic to be leaders in all aspects of patient care—even as we were short staffed and facing incredible risks to ourselves and our families,” said Vincent Creighton, a surgical technician at the Marina del Rey facility. “We stepped up. Now we are challenging them to be here for us… We want to come to work without worrying if we will be able to pay our bills, adequately care for our patients, or be truly recognized for all the sacrifices we have made.” Laguna-Kennedy said CedarsSinai Marina del Rey has implemented several additional programs for their employees since the pandemic, including tuition assistance and free LinkedIn learning opportunities. “We want the ability to enhance these benefits and not have our representatives sitting and waiting (for renegotiation).”

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Minimum wage increase

The Sept. 27 picket comes amid broad controversy in the Los Angeles health care sector regarding a city measure passed in July that would have raised the minimum wage for private health care workers to $25 an hour. The ordinance, blocked by a referendum before it could take effect on Aug. 13, covered a variety of employees, from janitorial staff to registered nurses. Cedars-Sinai, a private institution, would be required to comply with the wage increase at all their locations, including Marina del Rey. Opponents to the measure provided several rationales for halting the measure, including unfair targeting of private employers and undue financial burden to hospital operations. It is not clear if Cedars-Sinai was in support or opposition to the referendum. Further controversy emerged after SEIU-UHW alleged that petitioners obtained signatures for the referendum under false pretenses. Incident reports provided by the union show that the referendum was advertised as a chance at equal pay for all healthcare workers, based on the fact that the minimum wage increase applied only to private facilities. The LA city clerk has certified that the number of signatures submitted meets the referendum requirements, but is still in the process of verifying their authenticity. If the verification is successful, the city will have 20 days to either repeal the ordinance, schedule a special election, or place the measure for a vote during a regularly scheduled city election, likely in 2024. This situation lends uncertainty to SEIU-UHW’s renegotiations with Cedars-Sinai Marina Del Rey. Workers at the picket said they are hoping to ask the hospital for a $1 per hour wage increase moving forward.

Economic negotiations moving forward

The union is discussing economic proposals with the hospital, which means this is the period of the negotiations wage increases will officially be put forward. Valdez, chief negotiator for the union, said, “to be quite frank, we are just trying to protect the current agreement and address some of the economic challenges that have come with inflation.” Before COVID-19, the standard figure set forward for a wage increase was 3%, however, the economic squeeze felt by many workers is pushing

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SEIU-UHW to likely ask for more, according to Tom Parker, senior communications specialist. Last May, SEIU-UHW’s renegotiation with Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles led to a historic five-day strike that produced the largest pay raises in the history of SEIU-UHW’s relationship with Cedars-Sinai, at 17.46% over three years. That increase puts the minimum wage for workers at CedarsSinai Los Angeles at $21 per hour. Hospital operations are unaware of any intention by SEIU-UHW to strike, but it is still early in the renegotiation process. Union members' right to strike is protected under California law but they must give advance notice to the hospital before proceeding. SEIU-UHW represents more than 100,000 health care workers in California, many of whom still make less than $20 per hour. Cedars-Sinai is known for excellent patient care. That, at the very least, is a priority that both the hospital administration and union workers share throughout this contentious renegotiation process. Employees from Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey gathered outside of the hospital to bring awareness to their fight for better opportunities in the workplace.

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