September 22 - In the USA, a proposal that may have led to significant changes in the manner in which the offshore industry operates on the Outer Continental Shelf has been withdrawn by the US Customs and Border Protection Agency. The proposal intended there to be a stricter interpretation of a 1976 Jones Act ruling about the employment of a foreign-built vessel “in the construction, maintenance, repair and inspection of offshore petroleum related facilities.”
The US agency had proposed a stronger interpretation of equipment deemed necessary for the mission of the vessel.
But watch this space. Reports suggest that the US CBP intends to publish a new notice on the subject “in the near future.”
Ah…the power of deep pockets lobbying in Washington…money talks and BS walks.
I have to admit this one taking me by surprise…with OMSA squarely the power behind this one and ECO squarely behind OMSA, I felt that is was a slam dunk but it shows that in the face of the oil majors and some very substantial European players like Coflexip and Heerema, that even ECO doesn’t swing a big enough bat to get this one over the fences.
So what will happen now is anyone’s guess. The CBP says they aren’t going to drop the matter entirely and there is still the issue of the manning waivers and OCS-B1 visa giveaway. Getting that one turned around will obviously be harder now but hopefully still not impossible. I just wish that American mariners could just come together as one voice to lobby Washington! Damn how we need that!
So what will happen now is anyone’s guess. The CBP says they aren’t going to drop the matter entirely and there is still the issue of the manning waivers and OCS-B1 visa giveaway. Getting that one turned around will obviously be harder now but hopefully still not impossible. I American mariners could just come together as one voice to lobby Washington
[B]C.Captain, If you can find a way to get American mariners to come together as one voice on any subject please make a suggestion. I’m not talking unions either. We need some type of organization on the issues of the Jones Act and the many changing and extremely ambiguous C.G. policies regarding Licensing. I’m suprised someone hasn’t gone postal yet. The Coast Guard clearly has no clue as to the frustrations they have and are causing and we need some legal action such as a class action suit to show what kind of damage they are causing finacially to Merchant Marine families because they can’t interpret their own written policies in a standard and uniform manner. If anybody has any suggestions on how to come together on these issues I will be more and happy to step up to the plate and join in…[/B]
Lets get these politicians that are supporting this know that we work to get out of office as soon as possible !!! I know of 1 DP rig in the GOM that has 2 foreign OIM/Captains and they have been there for 4 years with a letter from the CG stating that they need to replace them as soon as the Company can find a suitable replacement each year they get a new letter extending it another year - 4years !!!
Hi- Sometimes I wish I did the hourly billing stuff but alas Im the straight contingency kind of guy.
On the “What can we do” thing, I have a very good idea but it takes one person with some injury from this crap that has been taking place, [I]e.g[/I], lost a job to a foreign vessel or foreign seaman or did not get hired because of same.
Steve
ps- Oh…by the way…did I forget to mention that he or she has to have some cojones too! If you know of such a person shoot me an email at sgordon@gordon-elias.com and it is as confidential as it can get.
[quote=stevefoster;18538]So what will happen now is anyone’s guess. The CBP says they aren’t going to drop the matter entirely and there is still the issue of the manning waivers and OCS-B1 visa giveaway. Getting that one turned around will obviously be harder now but hopefully still not impossible. I American mariners could just come together as one voice to lobby Washington
[B]C.Captain, If you can find a way to get American mariners to come together as one voice on any subject please make a suggestion. I’m not talking unions either. We need some type of organization on the issues of the Jones Act and the many changing and extremely ambiguous C.G. policies regarding Licensing. I’m suprised someone hasn’t gone postal yet. The Coast Guard clearly has no clue as to the frustrations they have and are causing and we need some legal action such as a class action suit to show what kind of damage they are causing finacially to Merchant Marine families because they can’t interpret their own written policies in a standard and uniform manner. If anybody has any suggestions on how to come together on these issues I will be more and happy to step up to the plate and join in…[/B][/quote]
twinscrew.org was originally set up for this purpose. It’s run as a forum, but would be ideal for organizing political action for waterfront and maritime workers, also. It wouldn’t be difficult to set up a facebook group also. If folks are willing to admin or moderate either, I’m game.
The key, in my opinion, is to check the voting records of members of Congress and vote independently. It’s too easy to say, “They’re all crooked,” and just shrug this all off. It only takes a few of us–not the entire 69,000 or so mariners and tens of thousands of dockworkers. We just need to get a large enough number of people together to make this happen.
