I mean the offshore union benefits are pretty good too. MSC isn’t a good deal compared to shipping union. It has a lot of cons. It has the pros of being a federal job, getting a security clearance(if you don’t have one already from navy reserve), and getting more seatime then the average Mariner wants. It’s only good to upgrade your license fast while you’re young. Comparatively, the biggest con of shipping out of the hall is actually getting work if you’re new.
Of course the union shipping is a good gig. I can certainly vouch for that. Gladly paid my dues and benefitted. The problem there is the Anti-Union companies and employees that have it hammered in their head that “Union is bad”. MSC offers many opportunities, but quick crew changes have never been their forte, well before this virus thing. They do however provide extensive training that is very costly had one have to pay for it themselves. As do the unions. You can be layed off or have to wait a while for a job as many in this country are right now, but still have access to the ability to upgrade or maintain your hard earned license or credentials at their most excellent schools.
Correct. They’ve gone from paying them to quit (2017), to cutting their vacation time in half (2019), to incarcerating them (2020). The only constant is change.
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I try to look at both sides. Perhaps by “incarcerating” as you say may be trying to save a life or two. No matter what age. Bank your bucks while waiting for a relief.
Sucks that the “Incarceration” is not universal on board. That would bother me too. Have quite a few friends affected by this issue.
It was a narrative of the recent progression of manning at MSC IRT entry level officer positions.
I remember the junior officers back in 2015-2017 taking five months off or more at home or traveling the world (mostly on leave without pay). There was training available to them till their little brains would burst. They’d fill up contract hotels in San Diego staying there months partying in Tijuana, Vegas and more. Once assigned they’d be offered early relief, or they’d be one of several augments on a ship with no important assigned duties. (During this time many other rates were overdue by months. ABs were routinely overdue three months.)
By 2019 the manning issues were largely balanced. (Everyone was a little overdue.) Time off for officers was reduced to 30 days and upgrade training was hard to get. The junior mates who grew up with liberal time off, liberal training and few responsibilities had an awful culture shock.
Today, with COVID training has all but vanished. Schools are closed. Reliefs are many months overdue with no reason to think things will get better. With gangway-up some crews are lucky enough to be permitted a walk to the end of the pier to speak to their families threw a fence or jog on the pier. Many crews don’t even have that option - visitation and yard exercise privileges available to convicted inmates in prison. (I’m referring to ships stateside and pier side, not at some distant shore.) Crew are being denied dentist appointments or doctor appointments unless it’s life-and-death. Crew have been relieved and paid off but are unable step off the ship to go home due to travel restrictions. Heck, a guy can’t even quit anymore to get off a ship! (That’s incarceration by another name.)
Yes, the times have changed. It’ll change again sooner or later.
Hopefully for the better. Those cats sitting on the beach would like to relieve you. You may not think so, but they are suffering as well.
Does this all mean that it’s a terrible time for an academy grad to join as a new 3m?
Depends. Do you not mind spending months longer than you expected away from home while making a bunch of money?
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There all always opportunities, but right now not near as many. Times are very tough. Don’t give up.
Well I’m not giving up lol I’m trying to decide if this really is just a terrible time to join MSC
No expert here, Buffet always says to buy when others are selling. There are many fellows and ladies anxious for a relief when the gangway orders are dismissed. Gonna be a helluva roll call from the MSC pools when that happens. Stay the course, the job outlook from the “other side” does not look too good as you perhaps have researched already.
What do you want?
a) If you want an income, seatime to upgrade your license and your family and friends will be okay not seeing you for a year or two then now is a great time.
b) If you don’t need money, if you want to take it easy, or you value time with family and friends as the most important thing now is NOT a good time.
Year or two is an overexageration. Did I spell that right?
Just so I’m clear, the gangway up orders don’t affect reliefs at all, correct? MSC is still providing reliefs (albeit probably slower than their normally slow response)?
Don’t know if that is correct or not.
If they instituted regular rotations of 4 months on/off instead of meeting people just stay indoors until whenever they request a relief that could eliminate the pool.
Just so I’m clear, the gangway up orders don’t affect reliefs at all, correct? MSC is still providing reliefs (albeit probably slower than their normally slow response)?
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yeah reliefs are still going out. way slower than before.
The pool isn’t going away because a civmar is a fed employee that must report to a work site while not eligible for teleworking or on a ship. No civmar is eligible for teleworking. federal government policies behind that one. The admins of the pool dont want the civmars in the pool as much as the civmars dont want to be there
I realize that. It’s possible to eliminate the pool, just not easy and not likely to happen.
more like it just won’t happen.