Looking to make the move from the OSV business to the big leagues. Leaning towards MEBA (3rd A/E motor). I would like some pros and cons from any guys or gals there. Thanks in advance!!
[QUOTE=edso84;164505]Looking to make the move from the OSV business to the big leagues. Leaning towards MEBA (3rd A/E motor). I would like some pros and cons from any guys or gals there. Thanks in advance!![/QUOTE]
For people just starting out it depends on how shipping is. If shipping is slow you have to be set up (income, distance to the hall etc) to be able to advance in seniority to the point when you can reliably ship out. You also might have to take the less desirable jobs.
If you get lucky and shipping is good there are some good jobs out there.
With a 3 A/E the problem is the schools are pumping out a new crop every year. A year or so ago you could have walked into the hall and shipped out the next day. Don’t know the situation now.
Thanks for the advice. I figured about the same thing. I’ve been working here for ol’ Jeaux for about 10 years now, at a couple different companies. I came here to THE Jeaux Bawss hisself for job security. The fact that there hasn’t been a lay off or cut in pay in this company’s history was appealing to me. Now that he’s screwed the pooch on that, he’s got nothing to offer me that any of the other OSV companies can’t offer.
With that said, the next job I take will not be for the glamourous money, job security, or sweet boat. I’m hunting a retirement. Can’t get on of those that is worth a damn in the patch.
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Guess I should have named this thread “Disgruntled minion of Massa Jeaux looks for new job with awesome retirement and wonders if anyone has any recommendations”.
It wouldn’t hurt to vist the hall. Sometimes a bunch of ships get broke out. If there are any “open jobs” they should be posted where everyone can see. If they have a job you have join but the initial fee is small. If you do manage to ship there is no obligation. You can keep your options open or just not pay your dues.
Just curious, not accusing, but I have to ask…why weren’t/aren’t oil patch mariners able to fund their own retirement with all that sweet cash they’ve made over the successive boom cycles?? I would think it would be easy…
Because everbody wants to buy the toys before funding the retirement.
Toys yes, then all these children started appearing with my last name, lol. But really, I’ve contributed to the 401k program everywhere I’ve worked. Now I’m contributing to a college fund for my two kids. It’d be nice to have something that I could count on, that’s not depended on my employer deciding he made enough money to contribute his part.
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[QUOTE=Slick Cam;164623]Just curious, not accusing, but I have to ask…why weren’t/aren’t oil patch mariners able to fund their own retirement with all that sweet cash they’ve made over the successive boom cycles?? I would think it would be easy…[/QUOTE]
I personally haven’t ever seen any of that “Sweet cash” you speak of SC. If you know where I might find some, I’ll trade you some winning powerball numbers for your information.
Hey man, I hear ya. Not everyone cashed in, but a great many did, for a time anyways.
I’ve worked with MEBA engineers and AMO. MEBA has less jobs than AMO but generally pays more. I took a class at MEBA school recently. Everybody seemed pretty happy. Pay is less than GoM but they have that awesome pension. I think you only need to work three months a year to qualify.
You have to go to the hall in person to get jobs, so if you don’t live near a hall it will suck.
[QUOTE=cajaya;164666]I’ve worked with MEBA engineers and AMO. MEBA has less jobs than AMO but generally pays more. I took a class at MEBA school recently. Everybody seemed pretty happy. Pay is less than GoM but they have that awesome pension. I think you only need to work three months a year to qualify.
You have to go to the hall in person to get jobs, so if you don’t live near a hall it will suck.[/QUOTE]
Thanks. I was expecting the pay to be less, and I can handle that, in exchange for the pension. The commute isn’t too bad, 6 hours from the New Orleans hall. I’m going to swing by after crew change and talk to the folks there.
[QUOTE=edso84;164669]Thanks. I was expecting the pay to be less, and I can handle that, in exchange for the pension. The commute isn’t too bad, 6 hours from the New Orleans hall. I’m going to swing by after crew change and talk to the folks there.[/QUOTE]
You’ll need to be using your “social engineering” skills to get the lay of land at the hall. Don’t go during or just after job call because that’s when the dispatcher is busy. Not sure what time, I think call is about noon time.
The dispatcher is working behind a counter or desk. It might look like a clerk waiting to serve you but they are not there for walk ins. The union is trying to seek a balance between avoiding having too many members, too few jobs and not enough members to fill all the jobs. Too far either way and they feel the heat either from out of work members or companies demanding that contractual obligations be met. How they react to a non-member walk-in may depend largely on how shipping is.
The jobs are:
“night engineer” that’s relieving the duty engineer for any where from 8 hours to several days.
MEBA engineers also get hired for piston pulls or generator overhauls for daywork, not sure how common that is.
A “relief job” or trip relief is the relief for a permanent crew for a specific number of days, often one trip.
A rotary jobs is for a given number of days, often 90 days, then the job gets called again at the hall as “rotary”
A “permanent job” is more then one rotation. For a 3 A/E I think it’s one year (about two trips with vacation between) for a 2 A/E it’s a couple years, not sure. For C/E or 1 A/E it’s till you move on, ship gets laid up etc.
When a member (3 A/E or 2 A/E) with a “permanent” job takes vacation the job gets called as a “relief” job. C/E and 1 A/E positions generally have two permanant member holding down one job, but 1 A/E jobs often get called as people quit, retire or get promoted.
An “open job” is a job that’s been called at a hall and not filled. It goes “open” to several halls in acordance with whatever offical "shipping rules’ are in affect at the time.
Six hours sounds like a long haul. I was an hour away till I got a permanent job. (I sail with MEBA engieers, I’m deck not a member)
Currently lots of work in the MEBA for anyone who wants it. Pay isn’t that much less than gulf if you consider the whole package.
It is also a completely different culture from the gulf. MEBA engineers have a culture of learning, improving their knowledge and education, bettering themselves, taking themselves to the next level, and understanding how things work. Welding is also important.
I apptieceate the input y’all. I’ve worked out her in the GOM with retired MEBA Chiefs and they’ve always told me how many opportunities for furthering their education the union offered them. Currently, the company I work for takes the “we don’t give you troubleshooting instructions with your operational/technical manuals because we don’t want you screwing anything up” approach. Neither do they offer any training on the new systems onboard the new class of vessel. It makes fixing stuff interesting more often than not. And frankly it’s insulting. As far as walk in’s being welcome or not, I just hope I can catch them on a good day.
Again, thank y’all for the information.
Regards,
Fat Man
That’s sucks you don’t get any support like that. We’ve been having GE classes at Hosport a couple times month for the last several months. We’ve been getting a 5 day combined VCS and MV3000 class with the guy from Houston and a Factory rep from Pennsylvania.
[QUOTE=edso84;164776]I apptieceate the input y’all. I’ve worked out her in the GOM with retired MEBA Chiefs and they’ve always told me how many opportunities for furthering their education the union offered them. Currently, the company I work for takes the “we don’t give you troubleshooting instructions with your operational/technical manuals because we don’t want you screwing anything up” approach. Neither do they offer any training on the new systems onboard the new class of vessel. It makes fixing stuff interesting more often than not. And frankly it’s insulting. As far as walk in’s being welcome or not, I just hope I can catch them on a good day.
Again, thank y’all for the information.
Regards,
Fat Man[/QUOTE]
Take your MMC with you. I’d just hand it to them and tell them you want to go to work.
Good luck.
Oh, I think most of the halls are on Facebook, you can get a look at the faces.
I just passed 3A/E motor and DDE Unlimited S/M this week. Awaiting issuance. I have the paperwork for MEBA gov’t services div. They just completed contract re-negotiations with my (main) employer. 100 bucks a quarter, I think. Initiation fee waived. I’ve heard mostly good things about them, and especially the training.
[QUOTE=catherder;164789]I just passed 3A/E motor and DDE Unlimited S/M this week. Awaiting issuance. I have the paperwork for MEBA gov’t services div. They just completed contract re-negotiations with my (main) employer. 100 bucks a quarter, I think. Initiation fee waived. I’ve heard mostly good things about them, and especially the training.[/QUOTE]
Congratulations, well done.
[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;164800]Congratulations, well done.[/QUOTE]
Thank you. It’s a good feeling isn’t it?
[QUOTE=catherder;164789]I just passed 3A/E motor and DDE Unlimited S/M this week. Awaiting issuance. I have the paperwork for MEBA gov’t services div. They just completed contract re-negotiations with my (main) employer. 100 bucks a quarter, I think. Initiation fee waived. I’ve heard mostly good things about them, and especially the training.[/QUOTE]
Yes congratulations CAT!!