I’ve heard of people joining MSC and paying MEBA dues so they can quickly become a group 1. Is this possible if you are sailing on OSVs and do the same thing? I’m not planning to do this myself I’m just curious if people have done it before!
Not that I am aware of. I am also not aware of any MEBA OSVs. You can always call or email MEBA for an answer. You pay dues and work as an applicant and move up from there. It is a long road from applicant to Group 1.
I don’t think you can do that on an OSV unless you guys unionize.
muh covid changed many things, including shortening this road.
The reason it works for MSC is because the contract is negotiated by MEBA. So mariners working for MSC can join MEBA Government division and pay dues for something like two or three years then transfer their card to non-Gov division as Group 2 if they leave MSC.
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Don’t know what company you work for but unless things have changed at other companies (and the Gulf in general) since I was hired, I would not recommend asking around too much about that.
I know when I hired on with Chouest that I had to sign a form stating that I had no active union ties and that I agreed not to cooperate with union officials/members attempting to unionize.
Also, if you do happen to work for Chouest, your officers all had to sign the now infamous “supervisor or manager letter” and as such “It is illegal for any supervisor or manager of the Company to support Union organizing, contribute financial support or other support to Unions” and they are expected to report any discussions of that sort to the office.
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Is that even legal?
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Vacancies in Group I shall be filled in the following order of preference:
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by those persons who had been dropped from Group I and had 150 days of sailing time on District No. 1 - M.E.B.A. contracted vessels subsequent to having been so dropped;
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by all others in Group II, who have the greatest number of accumulated days of sailing time as a licensed officer on District No. 1 - M.E.B.A., contracted vessels. Attendance at the M.E.B.A. School or employment with the Union or M.E.B.A. Plans shall constitute days of sailing time as a licensed officer on District No. 1 - M.E.B.A., contracted vessels for all requirements of this Rule 20.
It is not legal to prohibt employees from organizing or discussing it. It isn’t legal to spy on employees as a manager or supervisor.
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And yet Chouset made everybody sign that letter?
From what I understand you don’t have to sign but if you don’t you won’t get a job. Chouest has been that way for many years because unions are socialist/communist. Heck everyone knows that unions are un-American.
Chouest pays enough political contributions to keep themselves from pesky NLRB laws.
No
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