To be fair, it was just over half, and nearly all of them were junior mates.
MMP is the ex who cheated on us. So, no, I don’t wish them well. Particularly with regard to the OSG/ATC mates…I hope that crashes and burns in spectacular fashion. Both for MMPs and OSG mates’ sake.
First couple dates with AMO seem to be going well…
I don’t understand this; cheated on you how? How do you feel cheated that ATC/OSG mates themselves, reached out to MMP and said “hey, we’d rather have you if this is gonna happen”…to which MMP obliged. Do workers not have a right to chose who represents them? I guess not according to you…unless I am misunderstanding this?
I still don’t see your logic; how do you feel wronged to the point you passionately dislike MMP? It seems irrational for a regular old seagoing employee to be that
pissed off about it.
Once again, I will reiterate my suspicion that I am beginning to think some of you guys are indeed shoreside higher ups either in a union or in a company.
Yes they did, and yes they did. They both chose their bed, so go fucking lie in it. As I said before (and enjoy reiterating) I hope it fails spectacularly for both parties.
Tbh, if we can look back on this as the event that drove us away from MMP and towards AMO I’ll say it was well worth it.
I’m not really in the know on all the MMP stuff, but to me it looks like AMO-MEBA are working well enough together to the benefit of our sailors. Isn’t that what our unions should be doing? It seems like MMP didn’t want to work together with other unions?
What good are unions if they undermine each other? We need all the unions working together and eventually unifying. If MMP is against that they can get bent.
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Once again, you have not accurately explained how you justify being so upset over the issue. A group of employees themselves reached out to MMP and said they want to be represented by MMP, not MEBA.
Am I correct in assuming you think MMP should have told the ATC/OSG people to pound sand because MEBA was already involved? It’s unfair to MEBA? Well would that have been fair for the workers? If the worker’s voice isn’t supposed to be the dominant factor in a unionization process, then what is?
In other words, screw what the workers themselves want and don’t listen to the voice of the workers. Workers wanted MMP on the ballot…mmp should have said sorry can’t do it?
These aren’t supposed to be crewing agencies. These are supposed to be organizations elected by the workers to represent them for their rights. The workers contacted MMP, said they want MMP, and eventually voted for MMP.
I look forward to your explanation/reply, but we should also get back on topic with APL/Osprey. I am sorry if we digressed a little too much. Just can’t see how it’s justified to get upset at MMP.
The topic is MEBA and AMO scored a huge win for their members with these new US Flag vessels with APL/ Osprey. This is new tonnage - I don’t see how it’s justified that people in MMP are upset. Take it up with your administration.
MMP is upset but alone they wouldn’t be able to crew the vessels anyway.
Osprey is AMO top to bottom so working with MEBA was a smart and logical move. I’ve always said MEBA-AMO would be way more beneficial than an MEBA-MMP relationship. The MEBA- AMO relationship is paying off and leading to more jobs for both Unions!
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Reviewing the various gCaptain threads regarding unions and ocean contracts, I am providing one mariner’s take on the situation we find ourselves.
Our situation is similar to John Mc Phee’s 1990 book “Looking for a Ship” where he identifies the reality of finding employment in a declining oceangoing US Merchant Fleet. Fast forward to today, we find the past is still the reality of the moment, where various maritime unions are avoided the competitive exclusion principle.
Simply, they are competing for the same limited resources of a declining US merchant fleet where they cannot coexist indefinitely. Eventually, the competition will eliminate one if not more of them. Especially if the nation does not address the issues and elements surrounding the needs and the future potential of a US merchant marine. By not addressing the problems of ships, manning, international and national regulatory requirements; the nation can only stand by and watch the eventual total decline of our oceangoing rapid response capabilities.
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Very wise thinking. I once thought a merger of MMP and MEBA was the right way, because historically we were “sibling” organizations. Then, over a beer, a wise man told me, “No fucking way, MMP is full of and run by mates…think about every ship you’ve been on and who thinks they know everything and always gets the final say and ‘fuck you, I got mine’”. LOL, such a great teacher, he was.
Doesn’t MMP let retirees vote? WTF?!?
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20 years and I have yet to see or experience a ship like that. He just sounds like a classic case of “deck vs. engine” asshole to me. 
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And that attitude has been seen by some of the mate posters on this and the other thread as well.
I’ve heard that too but I have no clue if that’s true. If it is- yes that’s messed up. It’s probably what’s holding them back from improving their situation.
The deck v engine seems to be more prevalent of vessels with different Unions or non Union and Union. But that’s all hearsay to me. I will say there is always assholes on a ship and life’s too short so find a ship where you fit.
That’s what I was getting at. You get deck officers who bitch that everything is broken and it has to be fixed day before yesterday and it’s the slackers in the pit who can’t/won’t move ass to do it… and on the flip side I’ve had engineers who introduce themselves with openers like “I don’t like deckies” and then proceed to attempt to issue letters of warning to deck officers like that’s within their power.
Think I’ve ever only seen that… twice?? And both times the characters involved had poor reputations. It had nothing to do with what union they were in. On just about every vessel I’ve ever been on (save for the Kensington) everyone has gotten along well. So remarks like the above (if actually said/real and not a fabrication of the poster) go straight into the trash bin along with the credibility of the “professional” uttering them— deck or engine.
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I had more than fifty gigs in my fifty-year career. I can count the assholes on one hand.
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Hell, they do it to THEMSELVES in their own union. They created a shipping system that basically forces new to starve to death waiting for their first job. What a great “brotherhood” that totally shits on new blood because “I had to do mine, you gotta do yours”.
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You mean the hiring hall system that every union, licensed and unlicensed, except AMO uses? That one?
I never starved. No one is now. The dry spell of the 1980s is long over…
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That’s good to hear, I was with AMO in 94, did one trip (as an AB) and was never able to get another gig. I ended up on tugs
I dont think thats different than any other hiring system nor is it necessarily unfair or unethical. Union, non union, any industry, when demand for labor goes down it affects the newcomers first and most severely. They have time to survive hard times and recover, which is better than giving the brunt of it to senior workers.
You’re being purposely obtuse. You know damn well the difference between the MMP system and vs the other guys. Applicants at MMP are below pond scum, and rarely have a chance to get a job.
Then again, looking out the window is much easier than sweating it out in the engine room. I guess that’s why there is more opportunity to move up faster in the engineer area?!? There’s a limited life span that the body can handle down in the dungeon.
Are the other unions any better when it comes to getting a job for new comers? Let’s rule out tankers because from what I can gather, AMO, MMP, and MEBA all struggle to find and retain tanker mates.
Box boats and car carriers; from the people I have spoken to, it’s actually easier to get on in MMP than the other ones. Maybe I have that wrong?
If APL (“Osprey”) goes through, will these be placed on the AMO “board” for fair grabbing? Or does the AMO start calling and notifying senior people in the fleet that they think might want first dibs?
What about the MEBA ships. When the Hapag Lloyd ships go back to MEBA, won’t it be a bunch of group 1 members and the new comers will be shafted?