I’m looking at apprentice programs for engineering. AMO requires a 5 year commitment after 2 year school and I will be ready for the 3rd Assistant Engineer Motor exam. I’m not sure on Piney Point other than the year of schooling/sea time. What program and union would you recommend for the long term?…

I ask every SIU member signing on if they want to sign up for 401k and probably 1 in 20 goes for it. Most will then also try to take more allowances than they are allowed and request cash at payoff. Financial planning does not seem to be their strong suit.

I haven’t been working that long, but it seems to be a particular problem among seafarers. Seems like a lot of guys work over just to keep the brand new car or boat or whatever other depreciating asset they whimsy. The irony is the more they work the less time they have to enjoy it! And retirement? …

To the OP, @HenryC , I hope this thread his proved informative. Which ever way you pursue this, go into it eyes wide open. There are pluses and minuses to every program whether it be time, money, or required commitments. The first step is setting a goal and maintaining that focus which can be hard as…

Belated answer to your questions, as you know we have no A,B, C books or “official” seniority list system. Everyone competes equally in theory but everyone knows that a members resume and experience and history with the contracted companies is the key factor as to who goes where. The companies hav…

[image] Memel: We are encouraged to pass our resume around to a company/ companies AFTER clearing with dispatch first. Backdoor shipping (contacting the company w/o prior permission is not permitted and members are fined and disqualified if caught doing so). First of all, thanks for the infor…

[image] Memel: The AMO dispatchers have ultimate discretion with placing members and will negotiate with the companies on our behalf. We are encouraged to pass our resume around to a company/ companies AFTER clearing with dispatch first. The old time maritime strikes fought for a union hall. …

[image] Hawespiper: Under what circumstances would the union not grant me permission to do that? If your envelope is not thick enough. That’s the circumstance.

[image] Memel: The flexibility the companies have with the AMO appears to be far greater than the other unions and that may strike you as a good old boy system but has advantages for the members as well. Seems to me it has everything to do with benefitting the company and not the membership i…

Apologies if I did not correctly clarify. We are encouraged to pass our resume’s to any and all companies but are required to notify dispatch to prevent members making arrangements for backdoor shipping w/o the union being notified. My use of “clear” was not to infer that they would deny the membe…

If I could go back I would have gone this route with the Army or gone to one of the maritime academies and done the ROTC thing so uncle sam could have paid for my tuition.

Apprentice programs - SIU or AMO?

Maritime Employment

boattrash1 May 18, 2019, 10:03pm 102

The old time maritime strikes fought for a union hall. This type of dispatching sounds like an old fashioned “shape up”

Topic		Replies	Views
Wanting to become a Merchant Marine Professional Mariner Forum	32	3506	February 17, 2019
SIU unlicensed apprentice program Maritime Academy	63	7604	April 16, 2018
3 A/E without OICEW Shipping Ideas Engineering	55	10359	January 26, 2019
Article in Popular Mechanics that applies to Mariners Professional Mariner Forum	70	5270	September 14, 2020
Seafarers International Union School vs Attending an Academy Professional Mariner Forum	70	9826	June 25, 2018

Apprentice programs - SIU or AMO?

Related topics