Master unlimited with Security Clearance, which Union would be a better fit ?
How long can I expect before my first rotation ?
What kind of pay ?
I’d like your contact information. I can help with some information.
Matt who are you with ?
“Private” meaning what exactly? Tankers, box boats, car carriers? Yachts…? (Please tell me it’s not yachts). Good chief mates are always in short supply. Captains not so much. Get ready to slum it for a while as a junior officer (unless you are a Cracker Jack chief mate).
Either road (union) leads to where they all do in reality. Making a decent name for yourself. There are plenty of threads dealing with the strength of each if you want to use the search function.
Welcome to the forum
Thanks. Not a yachty
Subsea Const , cable lay etc.
Who do you work with Union / Vessel if you don’t mind saying ?
Sent you an email.
MM&P. Started right out of school. One thing that will hold you back looking for senior officer (steady work) with MM&P is that you need to be a full member to get a permanent job and that takes roughly 5 to 7 years. The money is better than AMO but the ability to jump full in as a senior officer is slightly restricted.
That’s exactly how it was explained to me.
Once I pay my AMO dues , I’m a full book member and … it takes time to become an A book at MMP.
Thanks for the info.
Gonna make the move when I get home this time.
I’m curious how overtime and incentives effect your day rate … or does it not change for senior officers ?
I came from the oil field after 17yrs and was non-conversant in union politics, maritime schools and the do’s and dont’s of unions. However AMO for me was a very good choice. If you live in inland, middle west or the like, the thought of sitting in a union hall as I did a short while with SIU and paying for a flop house is not attractive. This is 2024 not 1884. No we have no C, B, A, or Cosmic books. Pay a one time initiation (was 5K been reduced since I believe) and the quarterly dues (modest, latest raise was first in many years) and you go from applicant to full book. Yes we are the lowest paid “scab” union as we are named. No we have no defined pension as we orignally had until 2008 when our plan staggered into the red zone and the feds took over. But we have scaled down “pensions” contributed by the companies in addition to the 401K of course, but is not quite comparable what we had before. Backstabbing is minimal as there are plenty of jobs even for deckies. Fine with me, goes along well with being oil field trash. But…we have jobs, lots of jobs, pages of jobs to be viewed online. One set of dispatchers in Dania Beach, FL. Yes companies have flexibility in keeping their “lists” and once you make your mark, you will be contacted by others. As long as you keep the dispatchers in the loop and ask you can pass your resume. Just do not make back door shipping arrangements and you’ll be fine. Yes when I started ~ 1998 it was very corrupt with the NY dispatchers wanting to fleece you, almost gave up as I could not ship out but that has dramatically changed ever since the management of that era were either jailed in the RICO Act, fired or quit. No, I have not sailed master, have sailed chief mate. Yes you will be scritinized but with your experience it will not take long before you sail master. Thats my two cents.