New AMO scholarship vs. MMP Associate Membership Program

Professional Mariner Forum
1

AMO came to the academy last week to speak of its new scholarship program it was extending to third classmen. The offer was that if you apply and are accepted to the program, they will give you $150 per month stipend and then senior year that is extended to $200. This also included a free Junior year training program at their STAR Center during the summer which could include PIC certification, small arms, BST, & Fast Rescue. This training would also count as my internship.

One of the things that made me interested most in the program was not only that I would get early affiliation with the union, but also that their union hall is online which would enable me to be more mobile. What I also learned was that MMP has an Associates program of a completely different sort.

Theirs is that I would pay a total of $200 while in school that would cover my membership costs over the next three years after I graduate. I am aware that wages are higher at MMP, but that jobs are also harder to come by and it requires going to a union hall, sometimes for weeks to obtain a job. The recruiter informed me that if I didn’t get a job that day there would always be night watch jobs that paid around $450 a night that were always hiring. I want to be a career mariner once I graduate, so…

I have a few questions:

  1. Besides the union halls are there any major difference between AMO & MMP?

  2. In your experience, do you think the pay cut taken by going AMO is worth the expense of greater rates once I would establish points with MMP?

  3. One of the major reasons I hear for the condemning of the over-the-phone union system is a lack of transparency and people getting screwed because of it. Is this true?

I apologize for the lengthy post, but I am trying to get as much information as I can before I head out for sea year. Thank you for any info you have.

2

And so it begins. The Unions are starting to hurt for members because of the GOM boom going on. With a bunch of tankers coming down the turnpike for AMO, there is not going to be anyone to crew them. All those guys are running for the Gulf ( I’m already there) and my contacts at my old company verify that every I talk to them. They are going to pump bilge in order to crew them with whatever they can drag up aka this program and promoting an SIU to AMO officer training.

As a former AMO sailor, I only took one job out of the hall. The other jobs I had as a permanent 3rd then 2nd engineer, I was directly hired for. Yes the wages at AMO is not as good as MMP, you have a greater chance to get a ship and start making some money right out of school. While I have no experience with MMP or MEBA union halls, it is my understanding that you could sit for months waiting for jobs depending on what the industry is doing. You might get a night job here or there to make up for what you spent in fuel to drive to the union halls. Sure there is lack of transparency with the phone system. I’m sure you can figure out what happens then. Then again, the companies run the unions, you can get directly hired.

3

I’ve never worked AMO or MMP but just wanted to warn you to check with the financial aid office with how it might affect any financial aid or loans you might be receiving. I know when they talked to us about about the MMR at Maine they told us the stipend/pay would be counted as income and be deducted from any aid. The net result was no extra ‘pocket cash’ and a military obligation. Just something for you to be aware of.

4

I’ve never had a problem getting a refund from the financial aid office from extra scholarships you receive. You just have to know how to properly file your FASFA. Of course by not applying it directly to your tuition you are going to be taking out Staffords, but I guess it might be better to have the extra cash now and worry about the loans later. Which is totally feasible in this industry compared to being say an English Major.

5

They came to CMA today and I don’t think many are interested. If you do the math it is like 4 grand and then you have to be in the union. This money does not count as scholarship but as an income which can make financial aid harder to get. They seemed like a mess the guy couldnt find the powerpoint for awhile then almost everything had changed since the time it was written. Also the guy didnt want to give any money to KP.

6

[QUOTE=auburnguy32;121621]AMO came to the academy last week to speak of its new scholarship program it was extending to third classmen. The offer was that if you apply and are accepted to the program, they will give you $150 per month stipend and then senior year that is extended to $200. This also included a free Junior year training program at their STAR Center during the summer which could include PIC certification, small arms, BST, & Fast Rescue. This training would also count as my internship.

One of the things that made me interested most in the program was not only that I would get early affiliation with the union, but also that their union hall is online which would enable me to be more mobile. What I also learned was that MMP has an Associates program of a completely different sort.

Theirs is that I would pay a total of $200 while in school that would cover my membership costs over the next three years after I graduate. I am aware that wages are higher at MMP, but that jobs are also harder to come by and it requires going to a union hall, sometimes for weeks to obtain a job. The recruiter informed me that if I didn’t get a job that day there would always be night watch jobs that paid around $450 a night that were always hiring. I want to be a career mariner once I graduate, so…

I have a few questions:

  1. Besides the union halls are there any major difference between AMO & MMP?

  2. In your experience, do you think the pay cut taken by going AMO is worth the expense of greater rates once I would establish points with MMP?

  3. One of the major reasons I hear for the condemning of the over-the-phone union system is a lack of transparency and people getting screwed because of it. Is this true?

I apologize for the lengthy post, but I am trying to get as much information as I can before I head out for sea year. Thank you for any info you have.[/QUOTE]

I VOTE YOU DO NEITHER.

the lack of transparency with AMO system of shipping is suspicous at best. a lot of wages at AMO are bad, and there are a lot 12hr day contracts.

shipping MMP off the board can be very expensive and it may very well, on a regular basis for the first 3-5 yrs, take MONTHS
to get a job, and may only be a 35-42 day relief job.

as things are currently running, it will take you AT LEAST 10yrs to get your A book with MMP. and that scenario is calculated based on you getting no less than 180 sea days every year for 10yrs.

you can not take/be offered a perm C/M job with MMP contracted company until you are an A book.

right now there is a serious lack of transparency in MMP General Exec Board selecting who gets voted up to A book. subsequently, the have been some very eye brow raising choices for selection.

so, like i said, NEITHER.

you’re better of getting a job with OSG, ATC, or Polar as an LDO.

The MMP is not a good place right now. i don’t think the AMO ever has been, in my opinion.

as far as the MMP stuff goes, i offer that advice as an MMP A book who previously worked for Maritime Overseas Corp (origin of ATC and OSG), Transatlantic Lines, and various large MODU operators.