[quote=SeaBart;8712]I’m what your guys call a Foreign Mariner, I have been working in the GoM, running heavy-lift ships from all over the world regurlaly calling in the Gom ports. I have been working on an offshore-vessel in the Gom (which happens to be not on your socalled Black list).
I was intrigued by the title of the post and I read the whole thread and I was actually impressed by the way everything was worded…and then you got into a catfight with the Norwegian guy and you lost lot of credibility there.
Having worked all around the world, with all kinds of nationalities I think I can honestly say that working in America, with Americans is not much worse or better than anwhere else, with anybody else.
But this isn’t about the foreign marines, it’s about the companies exploring the loopholes in your own law…so please try a to keep us, the Non-American marines out of the discussion, we only try to do our job, send by our companies. And I guess that goes for you to.
And with regards to the foreign vessels working in the Gom, aren’t they hired by America-based Companies?? Shouldn’t they be forced to hire American owned vessels in the first place??[/quote]
Finally. Someone that makes sense. You are right, but waivers are granted for good reason. Some just don’t like the reason and build up animosity for whatever reason. I don’t know of anyone that was fired yet because of a foreign vessel working in the gulf. If I had those kind of specifics, I would have jumped on c.captain’s bandwagon long ago. American companies are going to hire what they need to get the job done. If it’s not located domestically, they will get it foreign. Some think law…is law, but if that was the case without exception, we would be still dragging women down the street by their hair. Vessels in the Jones Act trade that are foreign flagged are legal and that is the law…or the exception of the law, which consequently is the law. Until domestic companies can meet domestic demand, the situation will remain. Companies like BP and Shell are foreign and employ enough Americans to the point where if they left the GOM, there would be no argument because even the US flagged vessels would be out of work. That’s the reality of capitalism on both sides of the equation.