[QUOTE=Azimuth;82346]I don’t know about all Norwegians but the ones I’m working with do not make as much as what the US boat companies (I generalize here) are paying. At least not the Licensed Officers.[/QUOTE]
The Norwegian officers here in the GoM make bank. For them working in the US is akin to us working in Nigeria! You should hear them piss and moan about Louisiana and the New Orleans Airport and how dirty everything is in the US! They all want to be back in the North Sea with their sweet work schedule and eating salted cod tongues but tolerate being in the miserable US because they make more money here! Lousy emmeffers*!
*but that do have damned nice vessels…I give them that! True quality and comfort!
I need to make a clarification at the request of the Coast Guard, but before contacting the PIC at USCG Headquarters, a mariner must make an application to Veolia for a specific position. Since the only place that Veolia appears to be running ads for positions is on RigZone, please respond there and then notify the USCG and only please if you have the qualifications required. If too many non qualified mariners hope to slip by, it will only obscure those who are qualified in the eyes of the USCG. We need to conduct precision and not saturation bombing on this target.
I really have got to say that it is complete bullshit on Veolia’s part to not have these positions on their own website. That has always shown that they don’t want any traceable records to get in the way of their claims.
Here’s the mailing address for Veolia Environmental Services, Marine Division
800 Ravia Road
Sulphur, LA 70663
US337.558.7450
I have no name to give or direct email for them there, but you can always send a resume and coverletter marked HR or Marine Supt. or anything like that and send it certified if you want proof that it arrived there.
Is their requirement of one year aboard saturation dive vessels a reasonable experience requirement for an AB, or just an attempt to disqualify most of the American AB pool?
[QUOTE=tugsailor;82504]Is their requirement of one year aboard saturation dive vessels a reasonable experience requirement for an AB, or just an attempt to disqualify most of the American AB pool?[/QUOTE]
I personally don’t think so but Veolia does get to establish their standards. The problem will be 1) that the Coast Guard needs to ensure that their standards are clearly stated and reasonable (the RigZone solicitations are rather vague is many respects to requirements especially for masters) and 2) that they don’t have a higher standards for an American that for a Filipino hoping that as soon as the Coast Guard gives the waiver letter nobody will then check the credentials of the people who get the OCS-B1 visas. If an American gets denied employment on some technical Veolia requirement then the foreigner who does get the job better have everything by the book.
I might be able to understand a company claiming that they need a Norwegian engineer, electrician, or Master for a specialized vessel,. But a Filipino AB ? Give me a break. That is solely about hiring cheaper labor.
ABs are pretty much generic and fungible laborers. I think it would be pretty hard to claim that an AB needs skills so specialized that no one in the US has them/ If so, its not really an AB position they are trying to fill.
The USCG ought to be smart enough to refuse any waivers for AB’s. Period.
There should also be a requirement that all personnel on the vessels must be paid at least the prevailing US wages and benefits for a similar position. If ECO is paying AB’s $325, then Veoilia should not ne able to offer $40, and then hire a Filipino after every American has refused to work for $40.
I know better than to ask this, but how stupid is the US government at a time of 8% unemployment?
For each skilled position, they should be able to get a waiver for one year, but be required to hire two American trainees. They should be required to have at least on American deck officer and engineer. If they cannot find any Americans or train them within one year, then they should send the vessel back to Norway.
Then you don’t know better!? This is the same government that can’t figure out how to not spend more than it makes. And you want it to ‘know’ how to require business to follow the Jones Act! The same business’ that ask for and get waivers for pretend ‘reasons’.
I hope that some investigative reporters take an interest in this story. The public should be made aware that American jobs in American waters are being lost to foreign workers while the government is asleep at the switch. The companies that are doing this need to be publicly shammed. Their shareholders need to start asking management if the cost savings are worth the bad publicity. The USCG needs to be flooded with press inquiries, and congressional inquiries.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;82620]I hope that some investigative reporters take an interest in this story. The public should be made aware that American jobs in American waters are being lost to foreign workers while the government is asleep at the switch. The companies that are doing this need to be publicly shammed. Their shareholders need to start asking management if the cost savings are worth the bad publicity. The USCG needs to be flooded with press inquiries, and congressional inquiries.
Anyone know a reporter?[/QUOTE]
Would be nice but I don’t think it would get any light although at the time the major media did make a bit of a deal about that the DEEPWATER HORIZON was foreign flagged and that did carry slightly over to the many support vessels at the incident scene.
Are any of the people who have applied for jobs at Veolia hearing ant response? .
I know of just one American who has had conversations with them but it was not in response to replying through RigZone. He had a name to ask for but I do not have that name myself. He also has the perfect resume so I imagine that they were receptive to his approaching them. I would love it if they offer him the job and believe that if they do, they’ll end up just going all American. He’d be a very good choice for Veolia and would build an excellent crew for their ship…so I have my fingers crossed for the guy.
[QUOTE=JP;82904]I’m well qualified for the position and applied, still haven;t heard anything from them.[/QUOTE]
Same here, more than qualified for the job they posted, and no response yet. I did notify the coast guard guy that c.captain gave me, have not heard anything from him yet either.
I did have one good thing happen last week, one of the drilling companies that I had been talking to called my HR guy for a reference, needless to say he flipped out. After all the yelling and screaming was over I did get a nice raise, out of the deal. That is going to make it hard for me to want to jump ship now.
However I stil support this cause in every way I can. It will only make it better for the rest of the industry. They should atleast offer the job to some of us.
[QUOTE=ChiefRob;82929]Same here, more than qualified for the job they posted, and no response yet. I did notify the coast guard guy that c.captain gave me, have not heard anything from him yet either.
However I stil support this cause in every way I can. It will only make it better for the rest of the industry. They should atleast offer the job to some of us.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I am smelling a stinking loaded diaper here. WTF is up with Veolia NOW? They know that pressure is being applied so why don’t they do something? Do they really expect the USCG to roll over again? Maybe they do but if it happens and Veolia gets is BS waiver again then this will have to go to the courts. I am getting prepared to take it there!
Wow man… you sure do have something against Veolia. You must be an ex emplyee?
How about busting everyone else’s chops for their hiring practices as well. Shut them down, like the rest of the industry using foreign flagged vessel and foreign personnel? Think about all the American’s employed by these companies that would lose their jobs. If a vessel company in the states would build vessels on spec to the standards of the “foreigners” we wouldn’t have half the problems you speak about. Here… its all “contract in hand and we’ll build a vessel.”
As much as I hate to say it… if America workers ([B]and not all of us[/B]) would work hard and not cut corners maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation either. Because I bet you $100 that the vessel builders here in the states use foreigners to build the vessels - I have seen it first hand! Just like you probably use a foreigner to mow your lawn - as bad that sounds. And if your curious… I mow my own lawn.
BTW… I understand they hired some America’s for the marine crew and damn near sank the vessel coming out of dry dock. They were replaced with America’s! To a lesser degree… this is like Unions running up overhead costs to the point now American manufacturing can’t complete - cutting off your nose spite your face as some would say!
I’m the biggest proponent of Buy American, but just another analogy a friend told me the other day… consider a class of doctors going through med school. You visit his/her office and you see the degree on the wall, but it doesn’t tell you if they were 1st in their class or dead last. All you know is they are a certified doctor. You may have all the qualifications in the world, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a dumb ars.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;83441]Bump. Lets not let this one drop off our radar.[/QUOTE]
No it is not off the radar but things are in a state of flux with new developments happening almost every day and I didn’t want to post misinformation here. I can say that the appearances are that Veolia has found the light and is moving towards a 100% American mariner crew for the SWORDFISH. I know a new prospective master for the ship who is scheduled to start in October for them so I am very hopeful now for this one. I just don’t want to claim any kind of victory…YET!
[QUOTE=c.captain;83447]No it is not off the radar but things are in a state of flux with new developments happening almost every day and I didn’t want to post misinformation here. I can say that the appearances are that Veolia has found the light and is moving towards a 100% American mariner crew for the SWORDFISH. I know a new prospective master for the ship who is scheduled to start in October for them so I am very hopeful now for this one. I just don’t want to claim any kind of victory…YET![/QUOTE]
I mailed a letter to both Montana’s Senators. As of this date, no response but it is election year.