Whats the story up there? My sources tell me they’re looking for some tractor tug guys to run boats up in the NW. Not interested in being a SCAB or leaving my current gig especially to break a strike, but I guess they’re tossing around big bucks for scabs to steer. Any info?
Hopeful you guys can work out a fair deal for anyone involved.
You talking Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA?
Down river at the grain terminals.
An agency contacted me about a month ago about this. Nine hundred a day for four months guaranteed. Shifting barges and docking ships.
I said “no thanks”.
[QUOTE=capnfab;119456]Down river at the grain terminals.
An agency contacted me about a month ago about this. Nine hundred a day for four months guaranteed. Shifting barges and docking ships.
I said “no thanks”.[/QUOTE]
has to have been Maritime Recruiters…
still $900/day for 4 months close to home ain’t slouch but I don’t scab…it’s so lowlife
Oh yeah. Not interested, just curious what was going on out there. Something with mmp/grain terminals, but I can’t find much online relating to the marine stuff.
Guess they say they’ll pay you the whole shebang regardless of whether you’re there a week or 4 months, but once again, not thanks.
Grain terminals are private and they want to load ships with there own guys. The ILWU wants the work. Union tug companies chartered a couple of tugs to the grain terminals to dock the ships so they are looking for operators to my knowledge this is what I have heard. Keep in mind this is just HEAR SAY…maybe someone else knows more
I would assume Unlicensed deck as well unless the IBU crosses their “shore” divisions own line.
Regardless I would not want to be a scab on one of these babies.
[QUOTE=“rshrew;119463”]Grain terminals are private and they want to load ships with there own guys. The ILWU wants the work. Union tug companies chartered a couple of tugs to the grain terminals to dock the ships so they are looking for operators to my knowledge this is what I have heard. Keep in mind this is just HEAR SAY…maybe someone else knows more[/QUOTE]
This is pretty much the deal
Good money and nice boats
[QUOTE=rshrew;119463]Grain terminals are private and they want to load ships with there own guys. The ILWU wants the work. Union tug companies chartered a couple of tugs to the grain terminals to dock the ships so they are looking for operators to my knowledge this is what I have heard. Keep in mind this is just HEAR SAY…maybe someone else knows more[/QUOTE]
I haven’t been following the story as closely as I probably should be, but the grain terminals have locked out the ILWU who has the contract for loading the ships. The unions representing the tug crews are probably standing in solidarity with the ILWU, but apparently they are in a minority as the ILWU just quit the AFL-CIO in protest of other unions crossing the line.
http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2013/09/longshore-union-quits-the-afl-cio/
[QUOTE=“captobie;119485”]
I haven’t been following the story as closely as I probably should be, but the grain terminals have locked out the ILWU who has the contract for loading the ships. The unions representing the tug crews are probably standing in solidarity with the ILWU, but apparently they are in a minority as the ILWU just quit the AFL-CIO in protest of other unions crossing the line.
http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2013/09/longshore-union-quits-the-afl-cio/[/QUOTE]
They really didn’t have a problem with other unions crossing the line and have support from the boat crews (hence the replacements) but they claim that the other unions are against them.
They are also bitter that they lost a battle where they were trying to steal a couple ibew jobs as well. Public support for the ilwu isn’t high in the area right now but they have brought a lot of it on themselves. They could have easily gained public support if not for terrible strategy.
If I were on that side of the country, I do it…$108k in 4 months, show me the way!
Non union myself…
Do an extended stay hotel. I would be on this if I had more then a few weeks on a z drive tug none of which was ship assist since im between jobs.
Word is they had a guy or two come through that couldn’t run a boat to save his life, but they still paid him off and sent him on his way rather than do damage. Hearsay of course.
It would be a pretty nice paycheck, but I don’t want to work for 4 months straight anymore.
ILWU has never done a damn thing to back up mariners but they screw us every chance they get. No mariner should hesitate to cross on ILWU picket line. Even the maritime unions don’t do anything g for us except bid again st each other for the lowest wage contracts
If Wish I had tractor ship docking experience I’d be there tomorrow
[QUOTE=tugsailor;119689] Even the maritime unions don’t do anything g for us except bid again st each other for the lowest wage contracts[/QUOTE]
This seems like a throw-away line.
The ILA never helped Local 333 during the big strike in 88 from what I have heard. They were still loading and unloading ships with scab docking pilots bringing them to the dock and scabs on the assist tugs. And scabs doing the bunker work. There were scabs everywhere and ILA didnt give a shit! And there are still scabs everywhere…
Say what you will, but why the guys holding the line are worried about losing everything before the strike ends the scabs are making bank and in this case a years pay in 4 months! And where are you at the end of the strike? That much poorer with very little to show for it. Most of the time it takes you years to make back what pay you lost while on strike, if you are lucky enough to get any type of raise.
All unions have done is keep the market rate for you guys years behind, and the owners are laughing all the way to the bank.
Face it unions are dead and holding you guys back. All they are doing is sucking dues out of your pay check and trying to under bid each other for the next contract. How is this helping the mariner?
The scabs are making more bank? Those scabs are lucky to get paid half of what the union guys would make and there definitely not getting the same benefits. All they do is lower the standards for pay and benefits for the rest of the industry. Nothing comes good from scabbing. And as for unions keeping the market back for us is completely wrong. You guys in the gulf weren’t making shit until a couple years ago. The unions kept standards high for everyone, standards were lowered when scabs came to take jobs away.
[QUOTE=Jemplayer;119721]Say what you will, but why the guys holding the line are worried about losing everything before the strike ends the scabs are making bank and in this case a years pay in 4 months! And where are you at the end of the strike? That much poorer with very little to show for it. Most of the time it takes you years to make back what pay you lost while on strike, if you are lucky enough to get any type of raise.
All unions have done is keep the market rate for you guys years behind, and the owners are laughing all the way to the bank.
Face it unions are dead and holding you guys back. All they are doing is sucking dues out of your pay check and trying to under bid each other for the next contract. How is this helping the mariner?[/QUOTE]
What strike are you referring to?