Seafarer's Union Member Tackling Sacco
A law suit filed against Robert Swanson of the Seaman's Justice Center, an online newsletter for Merchant Seaman, for libel by the President of the International Seafarer's Union (SIU) has hit a snag as Swanson reports that he has been notified that Sacco has refused to have his deposition taken by Swanson.  Swanson has won a first round in the lawsuit when a Judge ruled that Sacco is a public figure.  Swanson and other merchant seaman who have been waging war against the union leadership for the last five years have been attempting to bring accountability to the handling of union funds and the process of union elections.
The Seafarer's have a training center at Piney Point where a large hotel and conference center is also located. 
The Seafarer's organize crews on international ships as well as domestic casino ships and tugs. 
 
The letter below was sent to ST. MARY'S TODAY by Swanson:

To the Editor:

On Tuesday, March 16, 2004, I filed a notice of taking a Deposition which
put Michael Sacco on notice of the deposition that I want to take in
Davenport Iowa. I both emailed and mailed a copy of that filed document to
his attorney, Matthew Glasson, in Cedar Rapids Iowa. The Deposition was to
have taken place in Davenport, Iowa on the 29th of March.

Mr. Sacco has informed me through his attorney, that he will not be coming
and has filed a motion for a protective order with the Court so that he will
not have to come to Iowa for a Deposition. I do not know the rationale
behind his refusal to come, but it better be a good one as I will be filing
within the next few days a motion to levy sanctions, including if the court
deems it, imprisonment because he is in contempt. Sacco knows that there are
only 15 days left until this case will be over unless he is joined to it as
a Plaintiff, and that seems unlikely at this point. A union as an entity
cannot prevail in an action for defamation and that is what they are trying
to do.

Between now and April 1, which is the deadline the court has imposed, I will
be serving upon the Union additional discovery documents. My experience with
this union is that they will fight tooth and nail to prevent me from getting
any information. I won't get everything I want, but I will get a lot.

I am certain that they have something up their sleeves, and I will know most
of it within the next 15 days. They continue to spend the members hard
earned money on this Frivolous lawsuit and one of you needs to step out and
find an attorney who will file a class action on behalf of all the members.
This action and it's expense is a violation of their fiduciary obligations
to you and that is actionable. If you win this Class Action, Mike Sacco
could be removed as the President of the Union.

Stay Tuned for further updates.
Robert Swanson