OH NO! The AMO invades the Gulf of Mexico

[c.captain]

This posted yesterday here at gCaptain:

AMO Currents - Posted: May 13, 2011

New AMO jobs as union enters drill ship trade with PRONAV FLEX CREW (SM) program
American Maritime Officers members now have the opportunity to sail as senior officers aboard drill ships operating in the Gulf of Mexico.

These new job opportunities - pioneered by AMO officials and staff working with PRONAV Offshore Services LLC over the past two years - are available immediately and approximately 16 AMO officers will initially be hired for senior deck and engineering positions aboard drill ships under the PRONAV FLEX CREW (SM) program.

Hiring for these jobs will be on a competitive basis and PRONAV is seeking resumes/CVs from 50 AMO officers to form the first pool for the drill ship trade. Needed are masters, chief mates, chief engineers, first assistant engineers and second assistant engineers. For deck officers, Dynamic Positioning II experience and certification is preferred but not required.

"These are amazing opportunities for AMO officers to work in a trade with strong long term potential," said AMO National President Tom Bethel. "The FLEX CREW program with PRONAV will provide the membership with the ability to accept lucrative relief work in senior positions aboard drill ships as covered AMO employment.

"I am extraordinarily pleased with the success of the FLEX CREW program and the unique opportunities it is providing to AMO members as union-represented American mariners," Bethel said. "This is a fine example of AMO innovation and credit for this achievement is due to many - including Tom Laird and AMO National Executive Vice President Bob Kiefer, as well as STAR Center Director of Member Training and Officer Development Jerry Pannell - for their hard work and commitment to this project."

Rotations aboard drill ships under the FLEX CREW program will be approximately 21 days plus one day for travel, and the jobs will be considered off-duty or enhancement work, not permanent positions.

PRONAV will sponsor any necessary dynamic positioning training for deck officers hired for these positions, and AMO members who are hired and require additional training or certification will be paid a training wage while they complete any required courses or sea time for their position.

If it was any other union than the AMO this might be a good thing to happen but there is a reason these companies are thinking of doing this and it is "to get labor at lower cost" The AMO is going to drive wages DOWN for those of us in drilling!

Sorry for my French but THIS IS JUST FUQUE'ING GRANDE!

[Capt. Lee]

This is not good news. Guess I will try to finish my career overseas!

[tengineer]

"Rotations aboard drill ships under the FLEX CREW program will be approximately 21 days plus one day for travel, and the jobs will be considered off-duty or enhancement work, not permanent positions."

No self respecting engineer would accept a union job with BS like the quote above. Knowing the scab-like AMO "union" there are probably some other details they are leaving out. AMO hasn't a snowballs chance in the GOM.
I don't even consider AMO an employee's union myself, they are more an employer's agency disguised as a union.
tengineer

[c.captain]

AMO hasn't a snowballs chance in the GOM.

Man I hope you are right in that...time will tell

[Sukker]

It starts out as temporary jobs to fill in for shortages and the next thing you know everyone is required to join the Union. If its not stopped now then we'll be stuck with this forever.

[Constantino]

"PRONAV will sponsor any necessary dynamic positioning training for deck officers hired for these positions, and AMO members who are hired and require additional training or certification will be paid a training wage while they complete any required courses or sea time for their position."

Soooo they want guys who do not have drill ship Exp. with none to little D.P. trainning, to sail, and pay them a training wage.............not a large amount of AMO guys have DP unlimited certs, but this sounds like a good way to get into the D.P. world for AMO. its what do you do with a DP cert in a union with very little DP jobs

[Kennebec Captain]

AMO hasn't a snowballs chance in the GOM.

A strong maritime union which represents mariners does not have a snowballs chance in the GOM.

[c.captain]

A strong maritime union which represents mariners does not have a snowballs chance in the GOM.

Which is not the kind of union the AMO is and which makes it quite possible that they will get in to stink up the place. Do not count these mafiosi out...they win contracts by providing mariners for lower wages than anybody else.

As the saying goes "Expect more..pay less"

[Sukker]

From what I've heard through the grapevine is that the "Administration" is making it easier to for Companies to receive drilling permits that involve the Union. Remember Rahm Emanuel said "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste"

[join9527]

its what do you do with a DP cert in a union with very little DP jobs

[mazhiwei85st]

This is true? Hope God bless!

[chemcarrier]

The "Sick,Lame, and Lazy" are already too hard to get rid of anymore without a Union coming in! Now it will really take an act of Congress to get rid of a Shitbag.

[PR-9]

Last thing we need here (GOM) is unions!!! They don’t help anyone but themselves!!

[todd.harter]

So just to be clear - now that I have put in the years of DP time - they are fast-tracking it, and now that I have jumped the hoops to go from lower-level to upper level, while my CM is still in the e-mail and the ink isn't even dry, they are fast-tracking that as well. Where is the evil orange empire? Thought they had a stock-pile of $$$ just for keeping this mess out. But I guess, when it means lower wages, - they are strangely silent?? Maybe they have even offered office space to AMO on the bayou? Hope I am wrong. So I guess the best plan is to get every penny possible over the next couple of years until the market is flooded with who-knows-what? Correct me if I'm wrong - it can't really be that bleak. Still have to remember our blessings to be in such high demand in such a depressed global economy. I have seen DPO rates range from low to phenomonaly high (by more than double at the extremes). Just my two cents.
Would like to hear from someone "in the know" about when we should be expecting to see all of those billboards we saw ten years or so ago plastered up, down, and accross the bayou.

[GOMariner]

Does anyone think that the operaters are going to let temporary Captains ,Mates and DPOs work on their drilling rigs for long ? They tend to like stable and trained crews as do the auditors . They may be able to fill some some needed slots ie..CMAR but I dont see this long term . It may well backfire on them when their members get some experience and hire out to the drilling companies . I dont think drilling companies will put up with unions , However Frontier drilling did use some MEBA members for a while to get some personnel.

[Mate]

Looking around, there is nobody sticking up for AMO, not even their memebers. Hmm? Why do they all sail for AMO?

[Skoidat69]

"Rotations aboard drill ships under the FLEX CREW program will be approximately 21 days plus one day for travel, and the jobs will be considered off-duty or enhancement work, not permanent positions."

No self respecting engineer would accept a union job with BS like the quote above. Knowing the scab-like AMO "union" there are probably some other details they are leaving out. AMO hasn't a snowballs chance in the GOM.
I don't even consider AMO an employee's union myself, they are more an employer's agency disguised as a union.
tengineer

Just read that they are in talks with Global and Transocean...

[PR-9]

I hope the talk is just that and nothing else! I like the Gulf without unions!