Have any of the unions shown interest in pursuing this issue?
I believe the unions don’t know their asses from their elbows when it comes to the Gulf and offshore industry and having been once upon a time in the AMO, I want no part of their own form of BS. For the most part, they are stuck in the heyday of the Merchant Marine in the years after WWII and until they wake up to the reality of the diversity of the 21st century maritime industry, I don’t believe they will ever stand a chance down here if they tried. I honestly believe that they do not know each type of offshore vessel or what its purpose is. They might not have any clue what DP stands for either. Big ships and occasionally tugs has been their turf for as long as they have been around and they can stay there imo.
What I would love to see happen is a “professional association” of American mariners form which would encompass deepsea, towing, offshore, and mariners from the rest of the industry although we would have to have common purpose in what that association was set out to achieve. This would be the intractable part since the industry is fragmented and most mariners do not have experience in the other sectors so don’t understand the perspectives of their fellows. If we could come together with common purposes like getting the foreign mariners out of the Gulf or demanding the USCG fix their f’d up NMC and the utterly asinine rules which govern the issuance of licenses and MMD’s then the association might really stand to make positive gains which might carry forward to more reforms. There are alot of us mariners out there (well over 100k when you count all license and MMD levels I believe) that we can have a voice in Washington. It would mean putting an organization in place with offices in Washington and involve collecting dues from members to fund the activities. As soon as money starts coming from outside sources, you would have to shut the thing down because then it is corrupted.
What’s important is that energy is going to be an increasingly critical part of this nation’s economy and offshore will be a big part of that sector. The pie is already a big one and it’s going to get bigger so if we can keep that pie to ourselves to enjoy there will be more than enough pieces to go around and everyone will leave the table fat and happy.
At least, this is what I hope to see one day but it will take more than one voice to make it happen…
C.Captain,
The unions do understand DP and at least one union, MEBA, is supplying excellent officers to DP vessels. I understand your feelings about AMO and I share those feelings but I don’t see the GOM forming any kind of professional organization as most employers down there would say it’s too close to a union for their comfort and the employees there won’t do anything to provoke the ire of their employers due to past experience.
I do encourage all mariners to write the congressmen on the list you provided, after all the next job these guys take may be your own.
Keep us informed and thanks.
tengineer
I know exactly what you mean that it would probably never ever get enough members to getr started, but it is a nice thought because there is no single group to represent ALL mariners in Washington so our interests can get heard as a united group. Industry has OMSA, AWO, American Maritime Association, PVA and of course there are the PACs of the unions but they lookout for the union mariners interest not all of us and their influence is decreasing all the time.
It is too bad because in the end it is us mariners who will always end up getting f’d and I think history bears me out. To come together is the only real chance to get issues that effect us heard. Who in Washington lobbied against moving the entire licensing and documentation of merchant mariners to West Virginia? Who lobbied for us with the medical standards change? What about the TWIC insanity? Now the invasion of foreigners which is already spreading to drillships from subsea vessels and stands a real chance of spreading from there!
we should all remember a flag flown during the American Revolution…
“JOIN OR DIE”
I’m afraid that we’ll end up choosing death.
btw tengineer
what DP vessels does the MEBA have? the Navy TAGSs? If so, it still means they don’t know offshore operations and I think that is important.
[quote=c.captain;7900]tengineer
owner/operators or charterers:
[ol]
[li]Ocean Intervention III [I][B][U](Oceaneering International)[/U][/B][/I][/li][li]Olympic Intervention IV [B][I][U](Oceaneering International)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Olympic Challenger [U][I][B](Global Industries)[/B][/I][/U][/li][li]REM Commander [B][I][U](Global Industries)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Siem Swordfish [B][I][U](Veolia Environmental)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Kingfisher [B][I][U](Veolia Environmental)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Nor Tigerfish [B][I][U](Veolia Environmental)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Gulmar Falcon [B][I][U](not known at this time)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Gulmar Condor [B][I][U](not known at this time)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Kestrel [B][I]U[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Uncle John [B][I]U[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Mystic Viking [B][I]U[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Balder [B][I]U[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Thialf [B][I]U[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Safe Concordia [B][I][U](Consafe Offshore)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]CSO Deep Blue [B][I]U[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Normand Clipper [B][I][U](Clough Offshore)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Epic Diver [B][I][U](Epic Diving & Marine)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]BOA Sub C [B][I][U](Aker Solutions)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]BOA Deep C [B][I][U](Aker Solutions)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Northern Resolution [B][I][U](C&C Technologies)[/U][/I][/B][/li][li]Caballo Buffala [B][I][U](not known at this time)[/U][/I][/B][/li][/ol]Coming soon will be the
- Haliva Phoenix[B][I][U] (Phoenix Diving)[/U][/I][/B]
- Viking Poseidon [B][I][U](Veolia Environmental)[/U][/I][/B]
- Caesar [B][I][U](Helix Energy Solutions)[/U][/I][/B]
I know there are more to be added, but I think this will suffice for right now. I think you get the picture…plenty of US companies going over to foreign real fast especially after Katrina when all the old rules were thrown out the window.[/quote]
Vessels like the THIALF and BALDER work worldwide, and will probably not linger in the Gulf once their work is done. To be fair, look at the list of vessels and try and find a US flag equivalent. For some of the older DSV’s and derrick barges, they were originally US flag vessels. For the newer vessels like the Heerema crane barges, they are highly specialized vessels. For whatever reason, no US construction company has chosen to make that kind of investment. Trust me, the day rates on some of these vessels are astronimical. Once the project is complete, they will be off to some other part of the world for a deepwater installation.
hello cmakin
actually the BALDER & THIALF have been in the GoM for some time now but of the bunch listed their highly specialized function makes them having highly experienced crew on those vessels which makes the waiver they receive perhaps more justified.
I also have to agree with you that no US company is able to do what Heerema does. Once upon a time J Ray McDermott was the big dog in the Gulf offshore construction industry but they have imploded and are now nothing! Do you know that the THIALF was once theirs. It was the DB-102 until the dissolution of HeerMac in the mid 90’s and they actually didn’t think they needed a vessel like that in the Gulf so let Heerema HAVE IT!
UTTER AND COMPLETE FOOLS AND IDIOTS! They deserve their miserable sorry assed fate!
btw, to McDermott’s credit…they took their foreign national crews off of the DB-50, DB-101 and OCEAN BUILDER in the 90’s because they saw that the law mandated they do. They could have asked for a waiver from Washington but chose to do the right thing. Of course, they are taking their equipment out of the GoM and replacing the Americans on those vessels with foreigners but that is not part of this discussion.
C.Capt.
I know MEBA was supplying engineers to Frontier Drilling a few months ago.
really!
couldn’t have been in the GoM though?
No not in the GOM, Alaska waters; USA waters.
Mention has been made of Lightering vessels shutteling cargoes from offshore to inshore facilities with forgien crews. Many of the Mooring Masters that perform this work for AET, OSG and Skaugen are also forigen mariners. Forgien Mariners are also finding their way into shoreside positions in the US. Port Captains, Port Engineeers, Fleet Supervisors etc are being filled by non-US Mariners. These individuals become qualified for shoreside positions in part because they are sailing in US waters. US Mariners should keep in mind that there is a good future in the industry shoreside and prepare ourselves to assume these roles as well.
Ableone
Wow! This is a very Good Thread! (Just Wanted to say that)
I appreciate the positive words and support
I am also glad that others do see what is happening and that it is gaining momentum so that the longer it goes on, the harder it will be to stop.
I can only hope that by starting this thread, those who don’t know what is happening will become aware of what is taking place and perhaps feel strongly enough to take some action. I would like to see a professional association form to represent American mariner’s interests in Washington, but as mentioned by tengineer, any attempt at that will be stepped on by the companies because they will see united mariners being a threat. If they knew that the association wouldn’t be a union and had a primary purpose of stopping this massive foreign labor giveaway, then they might see that supporting the mariners would be in their interest. The fact that OMSA has a Jones Act compliance officer says that they know that work is being taken away from them and given to the Norwegians. If they also could see that if they want to get those Norskies out, they will need more American mariners to fill the void. Our purposes can be in common with eachother, but I do not know how to convince the US vessel owners not to look at a mariner association as a threat.
The only thing we can do is to make our voices heard as individuals and if enough of us make a noise then maybe the Congress and Administration will hear what we are saying. Mine and the voices of a few others aren’t enough, it has to be voices in the hundreds and voiced all over Washington, from the USCG Office who gives the waivers, to the Senate and House Subcommittees that have oversight, to the Labor Department, to MarAd, to the White House, to the NOLA Times Picayune and to Lou Dobbs who is a crusader for the rights of US workers. The one thing on our side at the moment is that with so many losing their jobs in the US these days, the issue of jobs that should by law held by American workers being filled with foreign labor just might now become a political winner for those who support US mariners and thus might just get some traction where traction in needed.
Will enough others here see how we are ending up the biggest losers of all and stand up for our rights?..
…one can only hope.
They showed a thruster keelhaul operation aboard the Balder on the first episode of World’s Toughest Fixes. What a cluster f%$@! Almost killed someone twice and dropped the ROV from 50’ after the umbilical parted mid-air.
Not a rig I’ll ever volunteer to work on.
Let me guess know hows to do those jobs without them being a cluster f… People drop thrusters all the time from DP drillships and rigs to send ashore.
AMERICANS…that’s who!
c.captain - since you have done some research on this subject, how would you feel about writing a “form” letter that the mariners on here (if they choose), can send to their local senate & house reps? Speaking for my self, I would not have a clue where to start with a letter. I have read your letter on your blog and it seems very well formated. Just a thought from my lazy self on this chilly Florida morning.
[quote=john;8056]They showed a thruster keelhaul operation aboard the Balder on the first episode of World’s Toughest Fixes. What a cluster f%$@! Almost killed someone twice and dropped the ROV from 50’ after the umbilical parted mid-air.
Not a rig I’ll ever volunteer to work on.[/quote]
Some of those shows over dramatize those kinds of operations. The show “Oil, Rigs and Sweat” (or something like that) was probably one of the worst for it. That said, I didn’t see the show mentioned. I am involved with a fair amount of offshore repairs, not just to equipment, but to structures, pipelines, etc. Not everything can be planned for.
I agree with Capt Brian, c.captain you get a form letter I would sign it also. I guess that would be a start to a true grassroots effort.
I wish the companies would not be so scared of a mariners association but, in the past associations that were started had good intentions then were hijacked by unions.
I’ll compose an abbreviated version of the letter I’ve posted at my blog which will be available to anyone who wants to cut and paste it to Word.
I’ll also get working to get the exact names and addresses of the offices at MarAd, the Labor Dept., in the Administration and each member of Congress on the two pertinent subcommittees. Given time, I’ll try to find out who are the staffers in the Chairmen and ranking members of each subcommittee who handler maritime matters. Those staffers literally are the make or break people to convince the matter is a political winner for their bosses.
As I said before, it isn’t all about the benefit to us mariners, a big chunk is the benefit of the individual congressmen/women. When a bill is seen as a big winner, then you’ll see every possible member of the Congress climb onboard as a cosponsor.
a draft letter is posted at:
http://americanprofessionalmariners.blogspot.com/
Now let’s see if we can do this!