TUGBOAT RAID ENDS IN LAWSUIT

Quality Towing Takes Guild President To Court Over Statements

A police raid on a tugboat has resulted in a lawsuit for defamation
against the union that represents ships' officers and its president.

Quality Towing is suing the Canadian Merchant Service Guild and its
western branch president, Capt. Tom Monteski, for comments made about
drugs being found on the tug.

Quality Towing claims the statements were "false and defamatory" and
hurt its business and reputation.

A call was made to the Canadian Coast Guard at about 11:30 a.m. on
March 25, claiming the skipper of the Iron Horse was "under the
influence of drugs and alcohol, was operating erratically and had made
threats to the life and well-being of the deckhand."

Vancouver police boarded the tug 40 minutes later with weapons drawn,
according to a writ filed in the B.C. Supreme Court this week.

The officers searched employees' personal effects, the engine room,
seat cushions and removed some floor boards. They found a sober
skipper and crew and no drugs or alcohol.

The writ says the crew was put in danger and suffered mental
distress.

Two days later, Monteski told union members and others that drugs were
found on the Iron Horse, the writ says.

"The statements were known to be false at the time they were made and
were made with the intention of causing injury to the plaintiff's
business and reputation," the writ says.

Guild secretary/treasurer Arnold Vingsnes declined to comment on the
case.

The union and Monteski have yet to file a response in court.