Can’t attest to any of that
The relevant federal statutes give the crew the right to sue for penalty wages, plus attorneys fees. A judge is authorized to order up to triple damages, plus attorney’s fees, but there is no guarantee that the judge will actually order the company to pay that amount.
Connecticut may have a state statute that also gives an employee the right to sue for penalty wages and attorney fees, but I’m not familiar with Connecticut law.
If Transatlantic files for bankruptcy, the crew might not be entitled to penalty wages under bankruptcy law because the penalty wages would be paid from money that is subject to the conflicting claims of other creditors.
Let’s face it, the type of guys who were working for Transatlantic and remaining on the ships without pay for months, are not smart enough, persistent enough, and don’t have cash enough, to pursue a lawsuit for penalty wages.
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#theresnoyouinunions
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What is this, a scab hotline now?
What?
Transatlantic is a MEBA company, not that MEBA did very much for their members and pledges.
Meant to be a response to fraqrat, not sure what he was trying to say there
I wonder what number of crew members MEBA actually represented?
MEBA won the election and the NLRB certified MEBA as the exclusive collective bargaining agent to represent ALL employees on the ship.
It sounds like MEBA did provide some assistance to some employees, but overall MEBA did a really pathetic half-ass job.
I meant exactly what it said.
This was a highly visible chance for any of the unions to step in and help with this debacle. All of the monthly union rags always have stories about how they helped out some ship load of poor foreign seaman stranded by some shitty owner. The unions all have tons of slush fund money that they give away to politicians for minimal if any return on investment.
Imagine if each union had pledged tens of thousands of dollars from their respective political activities fund to help theses stranded AMERICAN seamen. Imagine if each union sent just one of their lawyers down to the port to start the ball rolling on the legal aspects of his tragedy. Imagine if they hired a launch, bought plane tickets and gave each crew member some pocket money to get home. This could have been the biggest recruitment propaganda tool that no money could ever buy.
Instead every fucking martime union in the country LOOKED THE OTHER PHUCKING WAY AND DIDNT DO ONE PHUCKING THING TO HELP THESE STRANDED AMERICAN SEAMEN.
The only time they care is when it’s time to collect dues or negotiate contracts to protect their cut.
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Ok, so? What do you suggest? No unions? Not happy with the current ones, establish a new one, nobody would prevent you from doing so.
Also, why would another union barge in to assist a crew they have got nothing to do with? As far as I understand, the crew was represented by MEBA- it was their job, not any other union’s. MEBA did seemingly fuck up, but you’re blaming every single union out there.
Your right, it was MEBAs job to take prompt and effective action to protect its members and pledges on ships that it represents.
But Fraq is absolutely right that’s when MEBA failed to meet its responsibilities, the other unions should have pitched in to help AMERICAN seamen in a large US port.
Any union port agent could have very easily arranged to visit the ship at no cost to check on the guys and find out what was going on. Easy and no cost to get the seamens center to provide some help. Any union port agent knows a few lawyers and can find one to provide some basic pro bono advice to the crew.
The worthless USCG pulled the COI because the ship was unsafe, but failed to protect the crew at all.
The cheapskate tug, launch,and small boat companies in LA/LB could also have been a lot less greedy and a lot more helpful to the crew at trivial cost.
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Every one of these unions sells their image as pro American and pro worker. This was a big chance to put their money where their mouth is. MEBA had a public relations , recruiting gold mine laying right in its lap. That union isn’t some small underfunded local organization. They have more than enough $$$$ to have made this whole thing right, show non union mariners what they stand for and put the other unions on notice. They made a half ass attempt at it and quietly backed away.
Any one of the other unions could’ve called MEBA and said you don’t do something we will. That would’ve forced MEBA’s hand to be more aggressive or look ineffectual and weak. Which would have compounded the bad look they already have from half assing a response. If they wouldn’t step up then another union could swoop in save the day and get that PR shine that was just sitting there. More importantly they could have shown everyone that even though we don’t represent them we could not in good conscience sit idly by and watch American seamen be treated this way IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. They all sat on their hands and looked the other way.
Imagine the outpouring of help if each union put a response plan to a vote. Each hall calls an emergency vote for everyone on the beach. An email sent to each shipboard rep to hold a vote onboard. People log in to the union site and vote, etc. I betcha the membership of each union would have voted in a landslide to help these people out in any way they could.
This whole thing was a chance for these unions to show all of us non/anti union mariners what they were about. Most importantly they had the means and the clout to help this crew get paid or at the very least get home safely.
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Those are all pipe dreams.
Union is a business, just like most everything else in this country. I have no idea why any one of them would have any incentive to swoop in on the crew of a shit company with shit vessels. PR gold mine? Dream on. I work out of port of LA frequently, going out with old dogs who know these waters better than their own asscrack and I have so far been the ONLY one pointing out at the green anchored turd of a ship in the harbor and telling the sad story of her crew. We’re talking about it, people who are related to the incident are talking about it, nobody else knows. And this is local!
Too much shit going on in the port.
Small crew boat companies? All of them here, with the exception of Sause Bros. are little NON-union companies that don’t care about anything else other than quick profit and screwing over their own employees.
Those unions do not really care to show you “non/anti union” mariners anything. It’s very simple, you either have common sense or you don’t. Seems like TAL crews didn’t, until it was too late, and they ended up paying dearly.
The fact that MEBA messed up is well understood. It is unforgivable and a colossal let down. I would love to research more on why. I also know now which union I wouldn’t ever join (along with a lot of others).
PTS is IBU and American Marine is SIU…other than that you hit the nail right on the head!
Didn’t Foss buy Wilmington? Isn’t Crowley there too?
Wow. That is a really bad attitute — as bad as TAL and MEBA !
I guess you guys in LA steam right by other vessels in distress too?
It sounds like it’s mostly a bunch of kids new to sailing on the Transatlantic.
Fraqrat is completely correct. MEBA completely pissed away it’s credibility as a union by failing to represent its member and pledges. It had an opportunity to get a lot of good PR and show that it stands up for its members. Instead MEBA showed that it is just the stereotypical bunch of money grubbing thugs scamming their members that does not give a shit about anyone. MEBA knows that it is dying and just doesn’t care.
The competing unions missed an opportunity to show the maritime community that they are much better than the worthless MEBA and care about Mariner’s welfare. Instead the showed that they are just different gangs of thugs. They know that they are dying too. The LA boat companies and Sauce have always been the West Coast version of the Jeaux Bawss bayou boat companies.
Apparently, there is no “maritime community” in LA. That’s more pathetic than TAL or MEBA.
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Yes but he was referring to crewboat/launch operators.
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I know TAL was sniffing around to tow the transatlantic to Oakland for layup never heard anything more.
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Better to tow her to Ensenada for shipbreaking.
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