In my experience, if they have a pulse, the proper documents, and there’s a position that needs to be filled, they don’t much care for trifling details like work history and such.
My experience as well. The company is starting to get wise to it, but for the longest time it was basically “be happy you got anyone to take the job.” Get them onboard and let the ship deal with it. It is always frustrating to watch a perfectly functioning crew turn to shit with the addition of even one bad actor from Jax. There are usually more than one unfortunately.
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Had one come on in Jacksonville when one of the old TECO ABs quit the ship as soon as the SIU took over. (He left the SIU in the mid 1990s to sail non-union and the union said he owed 17 years of back dues… real nice people…)
The guy they sent out was a real piece of work. Retired Navy ABH1 and a serious chain smoker. Whined about every damn thing on the ship including basic, routine tasks. At the end of the first and only trip he made with us to Davant and back to Jax he told the old man “fuck this ship, I’m outta here.” Went down the gangway without even taking his discharge holding his middle finger over his head for everyone on deck.
No one was sad to see him go. It was amazing how one shitbag was able to ruin morale in both departments top to bottom… he just Hoovered up all the good vibes on what was a really happy ship.
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It’s sad to see how one bad apple can really mess up a harmonious workplace. If I am spending more time on my ship than I am at home, I want to work in a place where everyone is pulling together towards th same goal of making our home away from home a decent place to be.
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I’ve had a few unpleasant experiences with these JAX deckhands in recent times. They can also drag people who might be a rung or two up the ladder in terms of quality right on down to their level.
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The people ashore in Jasonville such as longshoremen and line handlers are pricks and babies too. Jax is the worst port in the US for sure.
Although I have been retired from offshore tugs since 2003, I can’t speak for the ship guys,. The Mate,deck/tankerman fellows I worked with from the Jacksonville area for the most part did their job well. Perhaps some see a change nowadays. I never had much of a problem that I couldn’t handle myself, and made a few friends before and after they retired. No matter where they were from, I made the “correct adjustments” as needed with full support shoreside and different unions. We live in a small house, get it right or don’t let the door hit you in the ass when you are asked/suggested to leave. That goes from whatever port you may hail from.
In the PNW, JAX on an application is the KOD (KIss of Death) for employment.
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My experience with Crowley which is based in Jax is to cater to the Jax thugs- in-training and actual thugs. Thug is a lifestyle and professional description not a racial one unless you want to play the race card. WOKE Crowley lickspittles especially the retired Navy Captains love sucking up to them; was indoctrinated into them in the Navy which calls it “leadership”