I have been lurking on this board for a long time but when I saw nothing about this I decided I had to at least make a profile and say something.
I am at home right now but I have been in touch with several captains and engineers at chouest and this is what is happening as far as I can tell.
Huge pay cuts: A: AB’s getting cut down to OS pay. That’s 300 down to 190
B: Extra captains and engineers that were making 500-550 a day will be cut down to QMED pay which is 290.
C: Masters, Chiefs, and their reliefs appear to not be getting any pay cuts. QMED's also appear to not be getting pay cuts.
All of this and many boats are going to even time. Many already have made the switch and more are to come.
Many people that have been with the company for a decade or more are being sent home to sit on their couch. kept on the roster only to avoid paying for unimployment.
About two months ago they sent out a letter that all officers had to sign. It basically stipulated that they were not allowed to talk to unions and if any talk of unions was heard it was to be reported. I have a copy of this letter if anyone cares to see it. I cannot imagine it is actually legal.
They stole our 401-K percentages. Chouest had a 401-K matching program that promised to match half of what you put in up to 6% (3%for them). We went through all of 2014 paying into our 401-K’s and then when the 2015 tax season came around (in spring 2015), when chouse twas supposed to add their 3% into the pot for the last fiscal year. what did they say?.. No… That is what they said.
I am starting to look for other opportunities and i implore my brothers are chouest to do the same. to the guys that havent had their pay slashed. I know you must feel relived right now but you have to know they will be coming for you next right? This is unnacceptable. all of this pay cutting and benefit slashing and these weird layoffs were you aren’t really layed off. All this while they are building a brand spanking new office building for the office workers. obviously they have plenty of money to spend of frivolous things.
I get the appeal of being loyal and holding out for better times in the hope that you will be rewarded. but things just keep getting worse and worse. If i stay with chouest I wont be able to afford my house and car for much longer, let alone be able to live comfortably.
Does anyone have any advice for me? Where is a good place to look for work right now? I am thinking the oil field is not the way to go at the moment. Where should I start looking?
(sorry if this topic is already on another thread, i didnt see these new round of massive pay cuts being discussed so here we are).
[QUOTE=Tugted;164514]You can claim unemployment regardless if you are kept as a employee. If you are due to report & told not to come in, you file.[/QUOTE]
Yeah. I know. It hasn’t gotten to that point yet for me but if they ever get to that point I will certainly be collecting from them.
[QUOTE=The Jack of Blades;164513]
B: Extra captains and engineers that were making 500-550 a day will be cut down to QMED pay which is 290.
[/QUOTE]
Bit of a miss quote there. extra engineers will be getting QMED pay, extra captains and mates are unknown at the moment but they will be getting a pay but. If I had to take a guess they will be getting AB pay 300 dollars. but they might just all get mate pay. who knows.
[QUOTE=The Jack of Blades;164513]I am starting to look for other opportunities and i implore my brothers are chouest to do the same. to the guys that havent had their pay slashed. I know you must feel relived right now but you have to know they will be coming for you next right? This is unnacceptable. all of this pay cutting and benefit slashing and these weird layoffs were you aren’t really layed off. All this while they are building a brand spanking new office building for the office workers. obviously they have plenty of money to spend of frivolous things.[/QUOTE]
This just in from a reliable source… Chouest is buying gCaptain for 2 billion dollars to get a list of everyone that has posted anything negative about Chouest… Frivolously!
Sorry for people to lose jobs and 401k cuts, but that is capitalism. That’s the system we all want , right? Cuts have been taking place in the maritime industry for decades, having experienced it and have stories for a dissertation here but wont. The group I worked for in 08 came out saying F U and your 401 match and cut many. This stuff happens , happened before and will in the future. Remember kids, it is called capitalism.i am not against it, that is how the system works.
Actually… It’s not Capitalism, oil is not a free market. It is government controlled in many countries (opec) and we are in in the same market as they are.
[QUOTE=Doodlebug;164550]Sorry for people to lose jobs and 401k cuts, but that is capitalism. That’s the system we all want , right? Cuts have been taking place in the maritime industry for decades, having experienced it and have stories for a dissertation here but wont. The group I worked for in 08 came out saying F U and your 401 match and cut many. This stuff happens , happened before and will in the future. Remember kids, it is called capitalism.i am not against it, that is how the system works.[/QUOTE]
It is how capitalism works in the USA it is not necessarily how capitalism works everywhere.
[QUOTE=psquiggs;164566]To be more specific, it is supply and demand. And we can’t demand a whole lot right now. The more people that leave, the better for me, less supply.[/QUOTE]
It’s not just about supply and demand. It’s also about risk. Because the concept of risk is more abstract it’s hard for many people to wrap their heads around. The banksters understand it very well, that’s how they get rich, privitize profits and socialize losses.
Being able to turn labor on an off like a faucet increases profits. Insurance is a way of buying and selling risk. For example if unemployment insurance benefits were higher companies would face higher costs hiring in booms and laying off in busts because they would have an increased share the risk of being laid off.
Companies also use contracts with other companies to reduce exposure to risk before they make large investments.
The Mariners themselves could have limited their exposure as well. When I opened the purse strings I warned all that these heady times would not last. Most of my long time employees used this boom to pay down or off their debt. The new and uninitiated chose to spend frivolously even after constant warnings as the slow down began. It is not my fault that people didn’t save enough for the lean times. We are all hurting here I’ve spent hundreds of millions on new boats I will struggle to pay for. The Mariners spent tens of thousands on homes, trucks, boats, and RV’s they will struggle to pay for. Can you not see our struggles are similar?
You choose to work at chouest, to work in this industry period… We all did… I’ve watched my older brother get laid off and hired back many times due to bust as well as my father, but we still choose to work out here… If you don’t like it go find a 9-5 at home… If you choose to stay here, suck it up, bite the bullet, and learn to save your money like the majority of us have learned to do…
[QUOTE=Jeaux Bawss;164573]The Mariners themselves could have limited their exposure as well. When I opened the purse strings I warned all that these heady times would not last. Most of my long time employees used this boom to pay down or off their debt. The new and uninitiated chose to spend frivolously even after constant warnings as the slow down began. It is not my fault that people didn’t save enough for the lean times. We are all hurting here I’ve spent hundreds of millions on new boats I will struggle to pay for. The Mariners spent tens of thousands on homes, trucks, boats, and RV’s they will struggle to pay for. Can you not see our struggles are similar?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Jeaux Bawss;164573]Can you not see our struggles are similar?[/QUOTE]
Yes Jeaux, I can see that indeed you are struggling. Please take the remainder of my meager salary. I can only hope that this helps you overcome your struggles.
[QUOTE=The Jack of Blades;164513]I have been lurking on this board for a long time but when I saw nothing about this I decided I had to at least make a profile and say something.
I am at home right now but I have been in touch with several captains and engineers at chouest and this is what is happening as far as I can tell.
Huge pay cuts: A: AB’s getting cut down to OS pay. That’s 300 down to 190
B: Extra captains and engineers that were making 500-550 a day will be cut down to QMED pay which is 290.
C: Masters, Chiefs, and their reliefs appear to not be getting any pay cuts. QMED's also appear to not be getting pay cuts.
All of this and many boats are going to even time. Many already have made the switch and more are to come.
Many people that have been with the company for a decade or more are being sent home to sit on their couch. kept on the roster only to avoid paying for unimployment.
About two months ago they sent out a letter that all officers had to sign. It basically stipulated that they were not allowed to talk to unions and if any talk of unions was heard it was to be reported. I have a copy of this letter if anyone cares to see it. I cannot imagine it is actually legal.
They stole our 401-K percentages. Chouest had a 401-K matching program that promised to match half of what you put in up to 6% (3%for them). We went through all of 2014 paying into our 401-K’s and then when the 2015 tax season came around (in spring 2015), when chouse twas supposed to add their 3% into the pot for the last fiscal year. what did they say?.. No… That is what they said.
I am starting to look for other opportunities and i implore my brothers are chouest to do the same. to the guys that havent had their pay slashed. I know you must feel relived right now but you have to know they will be coming for you next right? This is unnacceptable. all of this pay cutting and benefit slashing and these weird layoffs were you aren’t really layed off. All this while they are building a brand spanking new office building for the office workers. obviously they have plenty of money to spend of frivolous things.
I get the appeal of being loyal and holding out for better times in the hope that you will be rewarded. but things just keep getting worse and worse. If i stay with chouest I wont be able to afford my house and car for much longer, let alone be able to live comfortably.
Does anyone have any advice for me? Where is a good place to look for work right now? I am thinking the oil field is not the way to go at the moment. Where should I start looking?
(sorry if this topic is already on another thread, i didnt see these new round of massive pay cuts being discussed so here we are).
thanks guys. good luck.
~ Th:heart: J:spades:ck f Bl:diamonds:des[/QUOTE]
I went through the same difficulties in 1982. Working in the oilfield (1970–>1982) from OS up to Master 500 Ton Oceans (which was a pretty decent license at the time!!) Went through several slumps in the industry in the 70’s without too much grief. However, when the bottom dropped out in the early 1980’s I saw the handwriting on the wall. Returned to college (at age 34) and graduated with a Master’s degree from LSU in 1986. Have been steadily employed as a clinical social worker for almost 30 years and retiring in 2016!! I loved my time in the oil patch; lived in Scotland for 11 years and worked all over the world. But I also learned one immutable truth: There is no such thing as loyalty in the business…it’s all about the bottom line!!! Regardless of your skill set (I was multilingual (Spanish/French), worked in over 20 foreign countries, ran some of the biggest AHTS vessels at the time, etc.) when it came to $$$ you were toast. Don’t be afraid to make a career move…you must be a risk taker…you’ve been working in the oilfield!!! Good luck!!
Well said and good for you Jax. I agree. You really have to be willing to walk away or like others have said, have a back up plan and work the oil sector with a diversified method. I left a few weeks ago and was lucky to find something steady and a hefty raise. I will go back eventually. Smarter and wiser. It was a hard pill to swallow but you’re right about skill set and capabilities meaning little. Money is money. Business is business. You’re a tool on a job. No use getting mad. Accept your loss and learn.
f Bl:diamonds:des