[QUOTE=LI_Domer;157946]Back to the question at hand, I can’t for the life of me picture any born and bred GOM “mariners” going over to the MMP, AMO, or MEBA halls and waiting around for a job with zero seniority and a brand new book. Then shipping as a mate and having to do real work instead of button mashing in the wheel house.[/QUOTE]
There are a great deal of personnel that rather be running around on deck and not be at the DP panel. Unfortunately, being a “button pusher” for a period of time is necessary step in progressing toward Master, and compensation is good. You are correct. Personnel that have already chosen a career path, and in the middle of that process, will not drop that position and contemplate what you described. You cannot picture it because it makes absolutely no sense, and generally that sense is driven by ability to support oneself or family - not waiting on a job in a hall.
[QUOTE=LI_Domer;157946]Back to the question at hand, I can’t for the life of me picture any born and bred GOM “mariners” going over to the MMP, AMO, or MEBA halls and waiting around for a job with zero seniority and a brand new book. Then shipping as a mate and having to do real work instead of button mashing in the wheel house.[/QUOTE]
I’ve had half a dozen guys from the oil field the last few trips. Tired of the paperwork, the button pushing or just looking for a change. Shipping is good right now and working 28/28 gave them plenty of time to go to the hall without quitting their job.
[QUOTE=Number360;157950]The great thing about the GOM mariner is he actually has options. He gets state of the art equipment, an above Union day rate, and he doesn’t have to report to a hall and pay the Union for the work he does. If he wants to quit he is not under any contract. However, he does have to listen to a bunch of winers complain about it on the Internet and that sucks.[/QUOTE]
As to the “state of the art equipment”, You know they put HVAC in engine control rooms not so the engineer on watch can be comfortable but rather to prolong the life of the electronics / electrical equipment. Likewise they make a “state of the art” vessel so they can have a lesser skilled mariner. Or it is so state of the art even a coon ass can run it.
As to the quit not under contract, do your research
It will be okay. One day that equipment will get old and they will ship it over for you to run. You can use your superior skills and intellect to keep our trash afloat.
[QUOTE=Kraken;157989]Oh how the mighty have fallen. When the “boats” in the GOM is considered “state of the art equipment” something is seriously wrong.[/QUOTE]
If they aren’t, what are you considering “state of the art?”
If they’re happy to learn a different way of doing things, I’m happy to work with them. They’re usually pretty interesting guys. What I really don’t want to hear is “Well the way we did it on my OSV…”
Yeah and we don’t like hearing “well on a real ship it’s done like this” all the time. The whole time I’m thinking if you’re so great and this isn’t a real ship why the fuck are you even here. I welcome new blood into the industry and I’m not concerned with their geographical origin. I worked on ships before I came down here years ago. In those 5 years cancer was never cured onboard any ship I sailed. Oh and yes our equipment is state of the art and contrary to beliefs around here we fix it more times than not. It has to be really bad to cal “the guy” nowadays. You know how I know it’s state of the art? Most of the stuff is made in Norway or Germany…you’re welcome kraken.
Ok, I know all GOM workers are anti-union, but the constant “sitting in the hall theme” just shows a slight lack of knowledge of how shipping works for some. “Sitting in the hall” usually applies to either unlicensed guys (SIU) or licensed rotary guys who want to ship or route hop. News flash…deep sea has both permanent jobs as well as direct hire companies. Meaning you never see the damn hall unless you’re picking up your vacation check(which also can be mailed). Permanent you know, you crew change in other words. 75/75 90/90 120/120 with another human being, you don’t sit in the hall. Deep sea guys have very limited knowledge of the brown water world, hell some old timers aren’t sure what the letters OSV stand for. But an unlicensed stint for SIU (where paying a dispatcher to get a call out is an unfortunate truth)in the past definitely does not qualify someone to think they know the inner workings of officer unions such as MMP and MEBA. How could an engineer have first hand knowledge of MEBA with a limited license anyway? Cannot join with anything smaller than a 3rd unlimited.
The “sitting in a hall” and anti-Union comments came in response to this post by Ll_Domer:
“Back to the question at hand, I can’t for the life of me picture any born and bred GOM “mariners” going over to the MMP, AMO, or MEBA halls and waiting around for a job with zero seniority and a brand new book. Then shipping as a mate and having to do real work instead of button mashing in the wheel house.”
Notice you left AMO off the list of “officer unions.” Is this admitting that at least one officer union isn’t so wonderful as you say? Before you answer that, I’ll remind you that I left there for ECO in 2005. So for every rosy story you may have, I have history and the McKay brothers on my side telling the bad.
Would I go back to union shipping if I was laid off? Hell no. I’d rather be a Walmart greeter than do that. Plenty of non-union options out there anyway.
[QUOTE=jbtam99;158015]Notice you left AMO off the list of “officer unions.” Is this admitting that at least one officer union isn’t so wonderful as you say? Before you answer that, I’ll remind you that I left there for ECO in 2005. So for every rosy story you may have, I have history and the McKay brothers on my side telling the bad.
Would I go back to union shipping if I was laid off? Hell no. I’d rather be a Walmart greeter than do that. Plenty of non-union options out there anyway.[/QUOTE]
Good for you. Definitely seems rational to be so anti union that you’ll hang up your license for under $8hr. And I’m not quite sure how explaining the difference between permanent and rotary jobs is a “rosy Union picture”. And you’re correct non Union companies never rip of their employees. (Enron, Tyco, Lehman Brothers) because we all know CEOs would never ever think of screwing people out of their 401k, and would never dump their shares of sinking ship stock while telling the employees everything is “rosy”. I would never sail AMO not because of what the McKay brothers did but because of their constant race to the bottom of wages to get ships.
[QUOTE=bunker305;158017]I would never sail AMO not because of what the McKay brothers did but because of their constant race to the bottom of wages to get ships.[/QUOTE]
really something that as much as pumping massive quantities of cash at mariners has skewed the offshore industry to having too much influence in this forum how the AMO has skewed union shipping in the opposite direction! Everyone here should note that while I champion the idea of collective bargaining, I have never once championed the AMO here and in fact have taken a very negative stand against the cabal in charge there starting with the Ray McKay days of corruption going through the son Michael’s corrupt rule on to Thomas Bethel’s. They have done more harm to US flag merchant mariners that any other source. They developed a miserable business model of coddling the vessel owners to drive down the wages negotiated by the two legitimate officer unions and always relied on stoopid young school punks more intent to upgrade than to sail for principle and the most money. If anyone took a position against the cabal at AMO (your’s truly being one) they simply did not ever get any more work. There was always more fresh fish for them to find those they needed to fulfill their contract obligations. As much as I lay blame at GoM mariners being handmaidens to the OMSA mafia bosses, I lay as much, if not more, condemnation at the AMO rank and file for allowing their “union” to harm not just their own interests but the interests of all other union merchant mariners across the fleet. Nothing spells this out more clearly than when AMO stole the Liberty Maritime contract from MEBA-1. The AMO mariners should have refused to serve on Liberty’s ships in solidarity with their MEBA brothers but instead went right along with the AMO mafia in stabbing MEBA-1 in the back. PATHETIC DOESN’T DESCRIBE AMO MARINERS FOR THEIR STOOPID SHORTSIGHTED SELFISHNESS!
[QUOTE=c.captain;158022]really something that as much as pumping massive quantities of cash at mariners has skewed the offshore industry to having too much influence in this forum how the AMO has skewed union shipping in the opposite direction! Everyone here should note that while I champion the idea of collective bargaining, I have never once championed the AMO here and in fact have taken a very negative stand against the cabal in charge there starting with the Ray McKay days of corruption going through the son Michael’s corrupt rule on to Thomas Bethel’s. They have done more harm to US flag merchant mariners that any other source. They developed a miserable business model of coddling the vessel owners to steal the jobs from the two legitimate officer unions and always relied on stoopid young school punks more intent on sailing to upgrade than to sail for money. If anyone took a position against the cabal at AMO (your’s truly being one) they simply did not ever get any more work. There was always more fresh fish for them to find the bodies they needed so as much as I lay blame at GoM mariners being handmaidens to the OMSA mafia bosses, I lay as much if not more condemnation at the AMO rank and file for allowing their “union” to harm not just their own but all other union merchant mariners across the fleet. Nothing spells this out more clearly than when AMO stole the Liberty Maritime contract from MEBA-1. The AMO mariners should have refused to serve on Liberty’s ships in solidarity with their MEBA brothers but instead went right along with the AMO cabal in stabbing them in the back. PATHETIC DOESN’T DESCRIBE AMO MARINERS FOR THEIR STOOPID SHORTSIGHTEDNESS![/QUOTE]
So you are ok with what MMP and Patriot did to underbid even AMO on the wages on the LMSRs? And how about what MEBA did recently on the lakes?
I just flew out of Gulfport yesterday, after several weeks down here. Nice people, very friendly folks. I was on one of my employer’s vessels, we just did a trip and came back yesterday
Old ship, almost half-century mark. Spent a lot of time fixing leaks and wrists so sore I woke up the last several days unable to feel my hands…had to ice my forearms down today at home and double up on the Motrin. I need to resume stretches and exercises for carpal tunnel. Never been diagnosed but I suppose that’s what it is. It does pass.
I’d love to button mash with the “coonasses” for a while, lol.
Neither here nor there, I know. Just rambling a bit. but I am seeing more attacks on this industry and I sure wish we’d spend more time helping each other out and a little less time bashing each other over the head.
