Tankers In Tampa

depends on where they finished, 10K/mo (+/-) 1,000? plus the MPB

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That’s what I’ve been trying to say. The rest of the fleet is not interested in joining.

Of course they are.

They even gave the OSG guys a year of pension credit for each year they had worked for OSG already. Not sure how the money math works out on that one.

Is this a serious question? Obviously those that trash the benefits of MEBA are truly blind. First off, a mate in MEBA can easily go get another job that pays much more and work fewer hours each day. And of course not live in fear of mr company dicking him over–guess people forgot the layoffs from the layups.

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Wow, hadn’t heard that… You know that for certain?

As certain as I can be without being 100% positive.

As a non-mariner, will someone explain to me what happens to the mariners that were employed by OSG when the three vessesl transferred to Keystone? It is easy to switch employer? I don’t understand all the union rules and which companies work with which union, etc. I have noticed OSG putting out job offers on LinkedIn, both tanker positions as well as tug positions. If would seem that if OSG has all the job openings that the crew on those 3 tankers shifted to Keystone? I know OSG is US-flagging Sun Coast, so will need a US crew for that ship. Maybe that’s what the job opening are for? I would have assumed at least some of the crew from the 3 now-Keystone ships might have stayed with OSG, and OSG would have enough mariners to cover their remaining fleet, even with Sun Coast US-flagging. Sorry if these are stupid questions - I am not directly employed in the industry but have been supportive of the Jones Act mostly because it was my understanding that without it, we would likely lose US mariner jobs, which would be a big loss to the country. Thanks in advance for any teaching you could provide.

I counted up MEBA deck officers ships / companies before. I did it again and this is what I got. MEBA has deck billets for 6 tankers, 7 RoRos, 5 containerships, 1 cruise ship and 12 ROS MARAD ships that occasionally get activated FOS. Additionally they have 25 MMP - MEBA cross over billets. They also have ferries but I did not count those.
The tanker contracts that mirror OSG pay are the lower when compared to most MEBA and MMP contracts. I would think that MEBA mates would not want want OSG mates to unionize then those OSG mates might try to compete/ get on ships with higher pay. Then those MEBA mates without PICs might be put in a tougher position. I don’t see OSG unionizing and I don’t see MEBA attempting to at this time.

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You forgot to include the 10 Interlake ships on the Great Lakes.

Thank you. I was mostly wondering because I was surprised to see OSG have job offers for what looks to be a whole tanker crew out there when I figured they would have enough, or even extra mariners on hand after returning three tankers last month. They have 18 various opening on LinkedIn (that’s the only place I know to look for who’s hiring). Thanks again.

Yes I forgot interlake, even had it written down! Opps!
So add an additional 10 dry bulk vessels and 1 ATB.

I though OSG had union employees? Is that not true?

The Engineers are MEBA. The unlicensed are SIU. The Mates (Deck Offericers) are not union. With regards to Tankers that were taken over by Keystone; The Mates will have the option to join MEBA. If they refuse, their best hope is another position with the ships remaining with OSG. The Engineers and Unlicensed will go with the ships.

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Thank you for the clarification. With the Red Hill tender for tankers (via MSC), and potentially expanding TSP program, I hope that the job opportunities for US mariners continue to grow and that additional tankers are bought into US fleets to be US-flagged for that work. I realize the Jones Act tanker market is stagnant, with little opportunity to expand. Bringing in non-US built/non-JA ships via these government-backed programs seems the way to go right now. Again, thank you for the explanation :+1:

Any mate that is not an applicant/member of another officer union can go into a MEBA union hall and try to get a job as an applicant and most likely succeed in short time. More jobs is almost always better for any union.

OSG company men think they are well paid because their pay conditions are very similar to the MEBA engineers package. However, I hear OSG is finding it difficult to attract and retain experienced engineers …because the pay/working hours are not very good compared to other companies. Said another way, OSG mates pay isn’t anything to brag about.

It would depend on the unions serving the two companies. Many years ago, I was CE on a (non union) ATB, and it was sold to a major oil company. I was out of a job instantly. The did call me at one point and asked me to make a trip to train up their engineers. I asked if it could lead to a permanent job, and was told no. So I stayed home. I did get another job with a different company, but at that point, the seagoing portion of my career was getting near the end.

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How does OSG pension compare to MEBA?