[QUOTE=jdcavo;161928]What’s wrong with wearing pink…?
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Nothing wrong with wearing pink but the “Hello Kitty” is a bit much
Nothing wrong with pink, red, orange, blue…hello Kitty or Cabelas…A sponsorship is always green in my view!!
Quote[tugsailor;160412]Remember the attempt some years ago by river mariners to form a new union called Pilots Agree? Merely by talking and posting online some years ago the Pilots Agree mariners prompted river employers ( many Southern and Gulf employers) to dramatically increase mariner wages. Now the larger river towboats pay $1000 a day.
The top five companies in the Gulf already pay better than union wages. What would a union do for Gulf mariners? How would it benefit them? Just talkng about a union might do something for Gulf mariners. A gcaptain subforum might be a good place to get that going.
The NLRB wont do anything for masters, because the NLRB considers them to be “management.” Its been that way for years.[/QUOTE]
Tug Sailor, I agree with your statement except the last sentence. There isn’t any blanket status given to Masters by the NLRB. The status of a Master has and always has been decided by the NLRB on a case by case basis. I participated in just such a case and the tug masters were ruled by the NLRB as non-management.
The biggest problem I witnessed with the NLRB hearing officers is that they hear the term Master or Captain and they envision a cruise ship, container ship, or a tank ship. The company attorneys do all they can to uphold that vision. NLRB Hearing Officers who take the time to learn what duties a tug, osv, and other limited-tonnage masters perform are in a much better position to determine the captains status in a case by case status.
In my own opinion, perhaps some of the ship captains meet at least one of the criteria to be considered a manager. However, on tugs, osv’s, and similar vessels, I believe we are more like heavy equipment operators. Like a shore-based crane operator who runs the crane but has a crew to guide the operator, maintain the crane machinery, and whatever else crane equipment requires. Or, what’s wrong with the term Captain? It has served us well for hundreds of years.
Maybe I’ll drop it here also…
I, myself was a union member on the west coast, I was not happy with the way everything worked, I am sure unions work for some people and for some companies. I liken union and non union as two kids in a playground sitting on a see saw, without one, the other just sits there.
No. But it is illegal to support unicorns.
It’s funny reading some of these comments now after all that’s happened.
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US laws afford precisely JACK SHIT to the regular worker, be it maritime or otherwise. Unions are an absolute must with any industry with trained and proficient employees
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Especially in this day and age when the government in power claims to be pro-worker, but really isn’t.
Have any of them ever truly ever been for the working class?
Right now ALPA is pushing pilot pay of heavy jets up up and up. Of course, the regional jet guys are still living in poverty.
And there is supposed to be a pilot shortage soon…but airlines could relax their arbitrary standards slightly.
Not to forget, that it takes much less time (as in calendar years) to get an ATP to fly a big jet than it does to get operational level USCG license of ships.
Nope, shortage is already there and even regional guys are making really fucking good money right now.
If the major airlines accepted 2000hr pilots into the right seat instead of 4000hr, would there still be a shortage?
No would you want that though?
Because unlike our USCG licensing process, the aviation industry and the FAA require extensive practical examinations performed regularly to ensure the pilots are up to snuff on their skills and knowledge. If one has gained the skills to safely fly the plane with 2000 hours, what drastic change is going to occur in 2000 more hours sitting in the seat with George in control?
The “low time” pilots flying the regionals have a much more difficult mission with more take-offs and landings per day flying into smaller airports. But their pay is dwarfed by guys that hop in a wide-body, set the auto pilot, and head across the ocean.
ALPA has done well for the pilots. Except, if they airlines ever do play hardball, the pilots have a chink in their armor. A system based purely on seniority ultimately traps members to the abuses of the company.
What do you do in the US Merchant Marine if you don’t mind me asking?
That sounds like comparing 100 ton or tug guys with unlimited guys.
The major airlines have hired 2000 hour pilots in the past and will do it again if there is a shortage.
Except both airplane pilots hold the same license. The only difference being their type ratings. Vastly different circumstance than comparing 100ton masterbaiter (“I’m Capt Tom”) to unlimited master.
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It is. The comparison between a 100 Ton captain eating spray in dirty weather while an unlimited master sips coffee on the bridge of a large vessel could be compared a senior captain sipping coffee in the cockpit of a large airliner over the tops while the small airplane captain is getting his butt kicked at a lower altitude. It’s a heavier workload on the little guy for less money, more dockings/landings, less sophisticated equipment, more hands on maneuvering etc…