Does anyone have current information on the SUP? I’m a former member of the SIU & wondering about current status of the SUP. Is there work, are they looking for A/B’s? I left the maritime industry & tried a couple other professions but the sea is calling me back. Once it gets in your blood, the sea calls to you like the song of the Sirens. I miss being at sea but I prefer to stay out of the oil patch, looking for some updated information. I used to run into SUP guys on the launch boats in Saipan & they always spoke highly of their union & were always trying to sell me on the SUP. I plan on calling next week & talking to someone at the SUP hall but I figured I would throw a line out here & see if I can get some real world info first.
- It will be very tough to get work for a D card. You will have to wait a long time and be at the hall every day. Somehow you might eventually get a relief job. I did, so did everybody else but it could take a long, long time. You could get some work at the dock while waiting. The port agent will tell you just what I did.
- We are all waiting to hear about renewal of an 8 ship contract. We could hear at anytime. If the union loses those jobs it will be impossible for a D or even C card to get work.
Sorry I didn’t have better news. If I were you I’d go back to SIU at least until the contract is awarded.
Good luck!
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Never belonged but have worked with both unlicensed unions and from what I can see SUP is a better union with higher paying jobs but SIU has more work
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Thanks brother I appreciate your response. I kinda figured that’s how it would be. Are those 8 contracts the LMSR’s? I’ve been digging around for a seafaring job, seems like most work is inland or the gulf. I might just go back to SIU, I’m a couple of hitches away from the time I need for 3rd Mate, I should just go back and suck it up for a few months & move up. I got bored running the gulf & east coast on a tanker so I’m trying not to go back that way, I’ll find my way eventually.
That’s what I’ve heard too, good pay but not much work, only the Pacific/west coast. I might give the SIU another shot, maybe just sail out of a different hall.
What hall did you ship out of? I’m on the inland side of SIU now but sailed out of jersey city and Philadelphia for awhile. Philadelphia is dead but Jersey city has a decent variety of jobs…Maersk, military ships, some deep sea tankers (Maersk Michigan,Overseas Santorini), and a few other randoms. Little bit of everything there…
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I sailed mostly out of Wilmington but then I relocated to Florida so I started using the Fort Lauderdale hall which isn’t really a hall you go to if you want something off the board. I worked mostly USNS ships & enjoyed that, a couple tankers, cable ships, etc. I’m a C book now so I’ll have to take what I can get if I go back.
Does the SUP still use their hall in San Francisco? We used to head over to the bar in the basement for lunch between calls at the MEBA hall. . .way back in the day. Dollar Beer and Dollar Hot Dogs. . .
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I believe that is their headquarters although I have not been there myself.