The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, SCI’s President & Executive Director, moderates Seafarer Panel at CMA-Shipping 2025.

The 40th edition of CMA Shipping, among North America’s leading maritime industry conference, was held from April 1–3 in Stamford, CT. This annual event brings together key maritime professionals, providing a vital platform for insight, networking and in-depth discussions on pressing industry challenges.

This year, The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, SCI’s President & Executive Director, and Phil Schifflin, Esq., Director of the Center for Mariner Advocacy, participated in a discussion titled “Seafarer Panel – Reporting on the Proposed Changes to MLC and an Essential Check-in on the US Labor Market.”

The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt moderated the panel, which explored the proposed changes to the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) and offered a critical update on the current state of the U.S. labor market. Phil Schifflin participated as a panelist, alongside Dr. Jason Zuidema, Executive Director of NAMMA and General Secretary of ICMA; Stella Kakouri, Associate General Manager, One Care Group, Ltd.; and Pat Keffler, Chemical Manager and Regional Manager–Americas, Intertanko.

This relevant and impactful discussion, highlighted the evolving needs of seafarers and the maritime labor sector.

The complete video recording of this session is available online.