I see Weeks Marine are advertising Jobs for Captains, Deckhands, etc. Whats this company like to work for?
Dredge work, building dredge tows , subline work , tending hopper and cutter dredges , moving anchors . Mud scows , buckets dredges , anything and everything dredge related
I think 28/14 schedule…but don’t quote me on that
Considering they don’t tow oil, they do pay competitively. I have heard some horror stories of always getting off late and getting called back early too.
From the wheelhouse perspective, this would be a great place to get barge handling experience and quick like most other similair construction/dredge companies.
Then again, my info is a few years old. May have gotten better or worse since then.
That’s what I’ve heard also.
I am working with them not as a deckhand tho. Soon tho. They work 28/14 if you have any specific questions you want me to ask them I have 5 days left.
There is no gym. I was told there’s a lot of heavy shit on the boat and to make my own gym. Food is ok. Some part exploded a few days ago. If anyone was around they would be dead. We got it fixed. Very little snacks. Zero soda. Deckhand says captain is a dick. No WiFi. But you are close to land and get normal cell service.
Base pay is 15.15 hour but goes up after 6 months. Like I said if you want me to ask them something let me know.
Bruce
That’s some low pay
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Dredge work at 180/day? Fuck that.
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You don’t think you’d like the deafening roar of the running gear and the tooth loosening vibration 24/7?
Back in 2003 for an AB sure. Now? Nope!
Yeah pretty low , shit I saw a sign dominion delivery drivers starting at 15.15 why go jump on tanks and walk around mud scows when you can just deliver pizza
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You guys really need to unionize these companies. Who in the hell does that for $15 an hour.
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Weeks used to be local 25…i heard they are no longer union, but…
Yeah let’s unionize. That way entry level jobs will pay what officers make. Lets not forget that new blood can starve for a few years working on call until they gain ‘seniority’ then in turn a schedule.
Than dont, starve at $180 a day practically minimum wage. Seniority is great when you have it and a drag when you dont. It is well worth the wait.
I was making 180 a day almost 20 years ago. For folks making that now i say don’t get mad, get a license. As far as ‘well worth the wait’, thats debatable. Its a bit rough to expect someone to feed their families with ‘on-call’ scraps, and shame on anyone judging them for taking a sure thing with a schedule instead.
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All I’m saying is the wages in this industry are stagnant and people need to realize their worth as a mariner. Our dredge contracts on the west coast are exceptional and they should be for the nature of the work.
An entry level position on a dredge rig where you can lose life or limb in should be paid accordingly not minimum wage.
As a guy who walked into a schedule(non union) and waited for schedule(union) for me the wait was definitely worth it but I know for some not an option.
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I remember attending a dog and pony show prior to a contract being awarded to Weeks when our tour guide, a high ranking employee bragged that the company was making millions off of six month long contracts with the COE. I guess trickledown economics doesn’t apply to dredge crews.
This was about 10 years ago and our own inhouse project managers were tasked with making sure the dredge workers were making a minimum of around $15/hr. Many of the crew appeared to be illegal aliens. Maybe that’s part of what is keeping the wages down.
I thought it was ironic that the project managers were tasked to make sure the workers were getting paid at least $15/hr but not to make sure they were legally allowed to work in the US.
A former co-worker of mine, who was a shop steward at a ‘union’ company we both worked at, said something one time that was so brilliant. “If you feel you are being treated fairly, there should be no need for collective bargaining.”
I grew up in a union household, and my last lay off was at a union company. I am completely neutral on the subject. However, when a remark like 'you guys need to unionize ’ gets spoken in response to the 15 an hr thing. It strikes a nerve. Lets assume mr 15 an hr is an OS. Why should an OS or an OS position pay more? Maybe pay scales are in response to geographics. They could be in response to what credentials are required to fill the billet too. Its cheaper to live in the southern states so there are a lot more guys willing to work for that. Most folks have enough sense to realize its a means to an end and are simply paying their dues as they gain experience and upgrade.
If you want wages to become less stagnant and more competitive, just hope the oilfield rebounds. The oilfield could possibly provide the biggest concentration of jobs for credentialed mariners out there. Its to everyone’s benefit for the oil field to be healthy and steady no matter how you feel about union or non or whatever.
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The oil field will not rebound barring some worldwide catastrophe. Betting on the oil market to rebound in the GOM to the point it was 7-10 years ago is not something upon which I’d bet a future.
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Therefore, i would continue to expect ‘stagnant’ wages unless there ends up being a shortage of credentialed mariners…which i personally don’t see happening either.
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