Does anyone have any incite into being a member of 2 separate unions. Aside from paying dues for both, is there anything stopping me from sailing for one union then coming back, taking a vacation and sailing with the other while I’m on “vacation” from the other?
please let me know. Obviously I’m trying to maximize my chances for getting a job but im just curious how this could turn out. Ideally, I’d like to get work with one and stay with them.
thanks
I know a guy that was paying and sailing with both AMO and MMP and he took non-union gigs as well.
so theres no central database telling other unions who they have sailing for them? I guess it doesn’t hurt to throw my name into both hats then.
Yes, it’s possible to be registered an Applicant Member in both the MMP and MEBA. If you ship out with MEBA, then you would have to turn your MMP registration card back in, and vice versa. After your voyage is over, you can go back to both unions and re-register for work. By turning in both shipping cards you are prevented from building a “Killer card” while shipping in the other union. Once you become a full union member, you will be limited to that union.
My info is five years old, so I suggest you call each union for details. You may get conflicting stories. Over the years, MEBA & MMP have had ‘pass through’ agreements allowing selected MEBA mates to become MMP mates, but this is not what we are talking about. For example, I heard the Second Mate on the Maersk Alabama was a MEBA/MMP pass through mate.
Your question applys to ‘Duel applicant’ membersip, which is different as only MEBA members and not applicants can be accepted into ‘pass through’ program, which probably is closed anyway.
As mentioned above be sure to call. Who ever answers the phone at the union probably won’t know the process.
I will guarantee, they will ask the top union official present, “Hey, I got this ‘Jack Ass’ on the phone who wants’s to know if he can ship with both unions, can he do that?” Good Luck!
From my understanding as long as you’re only an applicant you’re not legally prevented from sailing outside the union. I know a couple recent grads that are sailing both with MMP and AMO. However, they also said that they keep it waaaay on the down low, because it’s definately frowned upon by other members.
By sailing on the ‘Down Low’ with two unions, you risk not being eligible for membership in either the MMP or AMO. If a guy regularly ships between AMO and MMP jobs, it is just a matter of time before he gets into trouble. Unions don’t usually care about prior non-union work. If there is a lack of work in the union, you can usually work non-union jobs provided those jobs do compete with the union. As far as I know, the AMO & MMP are still competing for contracts. Instead look into the MMP & MEBA process mentioned above.
The first question the Unions always ask, “Are your dues current?” Expect to pay quarterly dues, working dues, vacation dues, and initiation dues…
[QUOTE=jcneumann;30806]so theres no central database telling other unions who they have sailing for them? I guess it doesn’t hurt to throw my name into both hats then.[/QUOTE]
Just out of school, you should be alright registering with both. Just try and stay shipping with the one who hires you first. Back in 2003 the MMP fined at least 10 applicants $1000 plus for shipping as mates aboard the MEBA MARAD vessels headed to Iraq. If those guys had turned in their MMP shipping cards back in, they would have avoided their fines.
This is a VARY small industry, so trying to “keep things on the down low” about shipping out with too unions wood be hard to keep quiet. It is even a much smaller industry when you take the offshore portion out of the equation. I wood certainly bee vary careful when it comes to deep see sailing.
This is still pretty much the case. One MMP member did not do that however with either union and was promptly booted from both MEBA and MMP.
7 years, brother!
this may be a record for reviving a long lost thread.
At least it’s not about some old worn bullshit subject like the amount of STDs a Singaporean hooker might have… this is kind of a good topic to be honest
Is that a challenge?
stds and hookers is a bad topic?
…so this one time, I was in Orchard Towers… 