Hired a bunch if guys (most from ECO) and after bouncing them around they were put on tugboats. A few days later they get a vessel visit to inform them that the tugs were sold to another company and must go or quit.
So, this is the way they treat employees? Hire them knowing they are just filling up a boat with short service guys to sweeten the deal they were making?
I know a few who saw greener grass but there is more to consider than money alone. I hope all those who made the move are getting treated better than this!
So does this mean all those guys at ECO waiting to be bumped up to what is perceived as fair market value will continue to pine away for that raise via rumor mill and GCaptain threads? Does this give ECO that much more leverage to do nothing?
It is true, I have spoke with a few that decided not to stay. I was told Shane came on the boats and said “you guys can go or find employment elsewhere.”
If I had to think like management, I’d say there’s no need for a raise! Go elsewhere, we will replace you “Monday morning.” As much as some of us (and 50-60 year olds with decades of experience) think they’re not replaceable, you are. Have seen perfect examples at well respected good paying NE companies…don’t like it? Leave.
Big raise, first of the year. Hear it from my cousin, who’s also my father in law.
Boys and girls, experienced and new workers, get it thru your heads, you are a piece of meat.
We live in this system shoreside and shipboard. We all want the capitalist system , correct? The companies, as I said ashore and aboard ships, hold the cards.
It sounds like Mr. Shane wanted to punish $$ chasers, He has that right to do so as he owns the company. He also probably spoke to Chouest about it.
This happens shore side also, do not think it is only in the fleets.
The word along the waterfront is that Harvey prefers to hire experienced guys rather than train kids. As I recall, Harvey was paying large signing bonuses specifically to get quality captains (especially Chouest captains) to come over to Harvey. Harvey apparently believed that it was cheaper and easier to attract proven top guys from a competitor, than to train new guys and develop them in house. Most of corporate America works this way too.
It seems very odd that Harvey would want to piss away all that extra money they paid to attract top talent, and lose the talent too. The process of hiring and firing employees is expensive, especially when a company has just paid a large signing bonus to get a guy onboard.
What would a typical OSV captain know about running a tug anyway? Next to nothing.
Maybe I could believe that Harvey saw a chance to get rid of some deadwood by putting those guys on vessels being sold.
There is no way that Harvey and Chouest conspired to “punish” dollar chasers by defrauding them out of there jobs. The companies certainly wouldn’t want people thinking they had done this? That would make it harder for both companies to attract and retain top talent in the future. I bet the management at Hornbeck and other companies are smiling while they read this thread.
It would be interesting to know more about the folks involved…wheelhouse, engineers etc. how experience?
Again, as tug sailor said, doesn’t make sense to throw DPO’s on tugs, especially since I doubt very many have a MOT ticket and tug experience. Unless they were dumped there as 2nd mates to keep seats warm (3rd captain lol?).
If they were less experience money chasers soul they have necessarily got a sign on bonus?
Who bought them…Crosby? How do they pay compared to OSV’s?
I think there are a lot of “Masters of Towing” on supplyboats that have not done much actual towing. There are some good tugboat men, and AHTS men, on supplyboats. Harvey has (or had) some large tugs that appear best suited to rig towing.
As far as I can tell, Gulf Coast tugs are paying captains about $500 to $650. Less than bigger OSV companies, but about the same as the smaller companies. At least that’s the range I’ve heard from the people I have talked to. I’m always glad to hear more and better information. I stand ready to be corrected!
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[QUOTE=CaptKrunch;128671]The former ECO guys I know that this happened to were all experienced ABs. Apparently training was not a concern.[/QUOTE]
There is nothing wrong with being an AB, and its always nice to have a good AB. That said, AB’s are a dime a dozen. A guy that has never seen a boat before can become an credentialed AB OSV in 120 days.
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[QUOTE=rshrew;128668]Rumor I heard it was Signet bought at 75% stake in the tugs with Harvey retaining 25% share and washed hands of managing them[/QUOTE]
I have always heard good things about Signet. Those ABs may lose the extra Harvey rigging pay (and doing the cargo work to earn it), but they may be better off with Signet. I’m not sure those AB’s have much to complain about.
I would not leave any company for Harvey, Just walking in there office says that they are going to do just like every small company and get big quick and then sell everything.
