Hi i am a cadet at CMA and am graduating deck in april and was just wondering which union(if any) tends to have the most work as well as the pros and cons.(Doesnt matter what type of jobs they will all pay off the student loans)
It’s going to be tough to find a job right now anywhere. You can look at AMO and MM&P for jobs, but they have been pretty dry from what my friends have told me. I am a CMA alum, class of 08 engineer, but have lots of friends that work deck side. The unions usually have pretty good benefits and retirement packages, but then there is the initiation fees and dues. My best advice would be to take full advantage of the career fair in January to make connections and contacts. If you can get with a private company, they usually have good benefits packages and good pay. Keep your eye out for anything because like I said, jobs for mates are tight right now. Good luck and if you need anymore information PM me.
I have to reiterate what Nick has said, I am a MT class of 2006 and I haven’t sailed in almost a year. AMO and MMP are very slow right now, its insane when I graduated everyone was hiring.
When I joined AMO, they waived the initiation fees for academy grads. I don’t know if they’re still doing that, but it’s something to ask them about. Dues are $320/quarter which you can have them deduct out of your vacation check. It’s easier that way than remembering to send the union a check every couple of months. AMO is/will be changing the requirements for their retirement plan, so if you’re looking to make a career out of sailing that something else to look into. They also just re-opened their membership books after closing it for almost two years. I don’t know how many more members they’ve added, but members will have priority for any open jobs. You’ll have to sail 5 years as an applicant before you’re eligible for membership.
I’m a MMP member and as you probably know you have to sit in a hall and wait for calls I heard AMO does it over the phone. How does that work? Do you have to call their dispatch at a certain time or do they contact you? It just seems so strange not to be some where to put you shipping card in for a job.
Shipping cards are digital in AMO - you call and register, and you see on their website a timestamp from when you registered and what place on the list you are. You check in once a week with the dispatchers, and they call you when they have a job for you.
I sat in a MEBA hall for 2 months that blew. I think that system of going and sitting in a hall everyday is absoultely ridiculous. Plus, the way MEBA does their job call is ass-backwards.
Shipping is slow everywhere - it might pick up by the time you graduate, but if not, I would take pretty much any offer you can and worry about it all later.
I may be off on this, but according to AMO website, the Shell LNG program is starting to look at junior officer, academy grads. Worth checking into.
That’s on hold for a while - but it will probably come back. Again, by next May, I think everything will be different (at least I hope it will).