K-Pos DP Simulator Basic Trainers. Image: Kongsberg

As gCaptain first reported in August, American Maritime Officers’ (AMO) union training facility, STAR Center, has announced plans expand its simulation training programs to include Dynamic Positioning training, furthering the maritime union’s sphere of influence within the Gulf of Mexico drilling industry.

Today, AMO has revealed some more details about the program, including its launch date of March 2012, in addition to enrollment requirements and the selection process.

AMO says that STAR Center will offer Basic (Induction) and Advanced (Simulator) DP courses that will satisfy classroom requirements for full Nautical Institute DP Operator certification and adds that its officers will have the ability to sail aboard AMO-contracted vessels with full DP classification to earn the required sea time for certification.

“The demand is expanding rapidly for officers with DP certification and unlimited licenses that include the STCW Officer in Charge endorsement,” said AMO National President Tom Bethel. “With the premier training available at STAR Center, AMO is poised to be a leading source in DP markets facing a growing shortage and a deepening need.”

For the program, STAR Center teamed up with Kongsberg Maritime Simulation to acquire a dual-redundant Advanced K-Pos DP trainer, in addition to six Basic K-Pos trainers.

The advanced trainer includes an instructor station and bridge simulator based on the Kongsberg K-POS DP22, a dual redundant DP system designed for all DP applications with a full range of functionality. The system is designed to satisfy class notations equivalent to DP Class 2, including dual redundancy, no single-point failure; failure detection; fault isolation; switchover to hot standby; and comparison of sensor data between computers.

Brian Long, Director of STAR Center in Dania Beach, FL, previously praised their choice to go with Kongsberg systems, as the company “dominates the industry in the Gulf of Mexico”.

In addition to the Basic and Advanced DP systems, STAR Center will also receive four DP Models, three of which will be twinned with three Polaris “ownship” models for use on STAR’s existing Full Mission bridge. DP models include a supply vessel, a semi-submersible, a tanker and a drill ship.

Of course, AMO’s move into the Gulf has not come without harsh criticism from current Gulf workers for fear of driving down wages.

AMO insists that the program is primarily geared to provide flexible manning options for operating companies under existing contracts with AMO and to provide an array of options for vessel managers looking for individual officers to fill key positions or an entire complement of skilled and certified officers.  One of AMO’s manning strategies includes the hiring of officers through a partnership with PRONAV Offshore Services, seeking to fill vacancies for senior officers looking to sail aboard drill ships.

AMO says that initial plans for the program call for four basic DP courses and four advanced DP courses at STAR Center in 2012, and additional courses will be scheduled based on the needs of AMO members and contracted operating companies.

Additional details about AMO’s DP training parameters and requirements can be found HERE.

The joint statement was released yesterday by American Maritime Officers, International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, and Seafarers International Union.

The Maritime Administration, more than a year ago, was tasked by Congress with identifying ways to boost American-flag shipping. Instead, the agency accepted a report based on incomplete information whose main conclusion – that in the deep-sea commercial sector, it often costs more to use U.S.-flag ships – isn’t news to anyone. The fact that MarAd chose to exclude a significant segment of the maritime industry from this process, and accepted a report that includes possible cost-cutting suggestions that are completely contrary to the overall best interests of the United States, represents a gigantic failure in Matsuda’s leadership and a missed opportunity on the part of the Maritime Administration.

The Unions say the the Maritime Administration, who is tasked with advocating for the U.S.-flag fleet and promoting the U.S. merchant marine, does just the opposite.

How could the Maritime Administration sign off on a report that suggests consideration of weakening or eliminating the Jones Act, one of the bedrocks of our national and economic security? How could the agency not refuse the mere notion of turning America into a second register?

The statement goes on to praise U.S. mariners for their superior training and professionalism.

American mariners are second-to-none worldwide when it comes to being properly trained for their profession. Yet MarAd’s report points to these factors as some of the reasons why it costs more, on average, to ship American. MarAd should be ashamed of itself for entertaining a study that suggests that beating down American mariners to the level of Third-World labor and lowering their standard of living are good for our industry and good for our country.

Click HERE for the full joint statement from the Unions.

The report from the Maritime Administration can be downloaded, HERE.

Join in the ongoing discussion about this report on the gCaptain.com Forum, HERE.

After reading the report what do you think?

Liberty Maritime Corporations M/V Liberty Grace is one of five vessels AMO has been contracted to man as of Oct. 1.

Liberty Maritime Corporation has found themselves in the midst of a heated labor union dispute after the company somewhat abruptly ended its long-standing labor relationship with the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (M.E.B.A) union, entering into a contract with the American Maritime Officers (AMO) to man its vessels instead.

Despite several months of negotiations with Liberty Maritime and M.E.B.A.’s agreement-in-principle to the terms of a new contract, M.E.B.A. and Liberty Maritime could not reach an ultimate agreement and ended their 22-year relationship as of midnight September 30.  Liberty Maritime has since signed a collective bargaining agreement with the AMO, locking out M.E.B.A. members from working on its vessels and replacing them with AMO officers.

As you can imagine, the decision made by Liberty Maritime does not sit well with M.E.B.A.

“Liberty Maritime has turned its back on the employees and the Union that have delivered great service since the inception of the company,” said M.E.B.A. President Mike Jewell.

In a written request to AMO members, M.E.B.A.’s Jewell pleaded for “union solidarity” and requested that AMO members to not “cross the picket line”.

“Liberty Maritime’s actions in locking out the M.E.B.A. officers and entering into a contract with the AMO is neither fair nor respectful to the mariners who have given excellent service to the company since its inception.” Jewell wrote in the letter.  “Liberty’s actions are only meant to divide the labor movement at a time when working men and women are under attack on all fronts. Therefore, I am personally appealing to you to not cross our picket line that we have set up to protest Liberty’s despicable actions.”

Jewell added: “This fight is between the M.E.B.A. and the company, not between labor unions. Please stand with us during this struggle and support us. Your leadership may encourage you to cross our picket line, I ask you to hold firm with us in Union Solidarity.”

AMO on the other hand, is happy with its new contract and has no plans on abiding by M.E.B.A.’s plea’s.

AMO National President Tom Bethel said in an AMO statement: “The fact remains the MEBA leadership was unable to come to terms with the company and secure an agreement despite having, as they said, several months to resolve the issues on the table. Liberty simply chose AMO as the superior option.”

“I am proud to be bringing these jobs to the AMO membership, proud that our union is manning these ships for continued service in the U.S.-flag fleet,” Bethel added.

UPDATE: In an update to written response, Mike Jewell criticised Bethel, saying he has “misled” his membership and cited a June incident where AMO members working for American Steamship Company (ASC) went on strike after a contract with the company expired.  Ultimately ASC and AMO reached an agreement shortly thereafter, but Bethel makes it clear that in that incident, “the M.E.B.A. and all other maritime labor unions did not interfere.” The update from M.E.B.A. also says that AMO members have started to walk off Liberty vessels in support of M.E.B.A.

Late Friday afternoon in the Port of Galveston, Texas, a Liberty Maritime Corporation management official walked off the vessel and drove over to the information booth that M.E.B.A. had begun setting up. This person said: “I just spoke with Liberty in New York, and told them I am not going to be part of this – I respect what you folks have to do, good luck.”

On Saturday evening, two U.S. mariners walked off the vessel in Galveston, Texas with their sea bags packed and draped over their shoulders. They had not even been on the vessel for 24 hours yet and obviously they had had enough. This morning, another U.S. mariner walked off the vessel with his sea bag packed and draped over his shoulder. He exited the gate with a nod to the picketers and off he went.

As of October 1, American Maritime Officers members replaced M.E.B.A. members on four of Liberty Maritime’s ships.  A fifth vessel is currently undergoing maintenance in a shipyard overseas and once completed, will be manned by AMO as well. The vessels include the M/V Liberty Glory, M/V Liberty Sun, M/V Liberty Spirit, M/V Liberty Eagle, and M/V Liberty Grace.

Join the discussion on this story in the gCaptain forum HERE. 

With the technological challenges associated with ultradeepwater offshore drilling increasing exponentially, and an ballooning number of new drillships and semi-submersibles on order in the far east, the need for educated specialists has never been greater.

In addition to the urgent need for manpower, a number of other factors have opened the door to unions.  The Obama administration’s preference for union labor has been clear since his candidacy but White House officials paid little attention to offshore matters until the Deepwater Horizon incident. Now all eyes are pointed offshore giving unions a politically favorable environment for expansion. In addition, the incident investigators have made clear their desire to place these rigs under the command of licensed personnel, of which the unions currently have the largest number.

And the offshore industry itself, long the realm of Texan oil interests, has been moving away from its epicenter, Houston Texas, toward Scandinavia and the UK. Countries with long histories of support for maritime culture. Today the largest offshore driller, Transocean Ltd, is still based in Houston (although it’s HQ is officially Switzerland for tax reasons), but the number two offshore drilling company, Ensco, is based in the UK. The number three company, Seadrill, is based in Norway and is primarily owned by the shipping tycoon John Fredriksen who “grew-up” managing tankers.

With large profits and increasingly “maritime”-centric operations, Fredrickson is not alone in turning his eyes from shipping to offshore drilling.  Stena, Maersk and Aker are just some of the shipping companies with a growing number of assets offshore. And US-based maritime companies are starting to follow suit with last year’s announcement that Crowley had won the contract to crew new subsea construction vessels built by Global.

With these changes taking place at an increased pace, today’s announcement from the American Maritime Officer’s Union is of little surprise. They tell us:

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. Continue Reading…

It’s an interesting move for sure, one that will certainly bring new eyes to this industry, and hopefully alleviate some of the manning, recruitment, and training issues faced by offshore contractors.

Will AMO will be successful in their move offshore?  Let us know what you think…

UPDATE: Be sure to read Ben Dinsmore’s response to this article titled “A Close Look at AMO’s Agreement to Crew Offshore Oil Rigs“. Ben is master of a large drillship in the Gulf Of Mexico and his new blog is well worth reading if you are a mariner working offshore.

Gathering that he was earning well in excess of $100,000 per year with about six months vacation, I chided him for complaining about a job situation that a lot of people would kill to obtain. My comments were NOT well received.

Well had Keefe called any member of gCaptain’s staff we could have gently clued him in on the likely response. The reason? Well he lays out all the major points but let us add a few minor ones. Mariners currently in top positions aboard ship are loyal to their profession. We have seen tough times and stayed at sea to the protest of loved ones and in doing so have payed the price. From high points to low a mariners life is one of hard misses. Personally I’ve sacrificed being with my family on the day of my father’s death and missed the birth of his namesake, my first child, Jack. Mine is one of the least troubling stories but the hardships are not the primary reason for the discord; it’s the rewards, or lack there of. To show my point I offer some examples;

• Mariners in the first Gulf War bravely supplied the troops in countless runs to the war zone and in return received “all you can eat” overtime pay and handsome bonuses. For my wife’s 30 days in the war zone she received little more than a medal.
• Mariner’s salaries are just recently breaking above the levels (not adjusted for inflation) of those in the same position 30 years ago.
• Sailing 30 years ago was an enjoyable experience that did not entail constant communication with management. Email and “real” phone service didn’t exist.
• Port time is currently non-existent.
• The U.S. mariner has historically come at a premium to their foreign conterparts but the gap is closing fast.
• With the decline in the dollar we are suddenly being recruited be European companies that are offering considerable bonuses. U.S. companies are not following suit.
• Specialists in support roles, mostly from Europe, freely share their salaries which can be considerable higher than an American Captain’s.
• The majority of mariners live in areas (New England, Florida, California) of skyrocketing housing expenses.
• Mariners are now getting arrested for incidents that, as CAMM (The Council of American Master Mariners) put it, “were at one point considered mistakes”.
• Today civilians are more likely to ask you how you can work for an Oil Company than reply with a statement once heard often; “Wow, what an interesting job”.

In addition to these points the personnel shortage in our industry is not only a concern of company, it’s a concern for the shipboard management. The simple fact is positions are being filled by people who five years ago would not be considered ready for the job. In the past twenty years crew levels have been brought down to record low levels but overqualified crews “stuck” in positions they long ago mastered have kept the ships running smooth. Today an alarmingly high number of vessels list 100% of their officers as short-service employees (in the position for less than a year). This is not only a problem for officers but also for those on shore. Ships rely on a foundation of support from town that increasingly comes from managers lacking experience due to the same stratospheric rise in the number of promotions. These two factors equate to rising difficulties for Captains, Chief Mates and their counterparts in the engine room.

A manager recently asked a good friend of mine if he was ready for the big promotion to Captain, his response angered the boss. I can only assume the anger derived from the fact his statement was both accurate and troubling. He replied, “Hell no, I have no business being Captain. Professionally I’m not close to being ready but if I’m not promoted in the next few rounds you’re making a big mistake because I can run circles around my competition!” Not a good sign for those who need to trust the next man in charge of a 500 million dollar asset.

What he did not tell the manager is also reveling, “Why take a promotion for a few extra dollars and have to sit at a desk filling out paperwork, answering phone calls from town and dealing with petty squables. The captain use to have a stateroom twice the size of a seaman’s and fly to work in first class, now he just gets paid more.”

While the article was impressively accurate the following comments are not entirely correct;

His pay had been augmented three or four times in the past 18 months and his employers had confirmed that pay scales had at least doubled during that period.

While it’s conceivable that the payroll has double I’ve witnessed between 10 and 40% increases in senior mariner pay.

Gathering that he was earning well in excess of $100,000 per year with about six months vacation

“But you get Six Months vacation” is the first thing mariners hear during salary negotiations but it’s a misnomer. I don’t personally know a mariner who took less than 4 weeks of training classes last year and know many Chief Mate candidates who took between 12 and 16 weeks of class… that brings us down to 5 months “Vacation”. Subtract travel days, visits to the Coast Guard and days spent at the union hall and your down to less than 4.5 months (139 days).

The average American takes 15 days vacation, 8 personal days and 10 holidays. Add this to the number of weekends and (if my math is correct) shore side personel have 137 days off or only 3 days less than the mariner. Ever leave the office early on Friday or take a long lunch to visit the dentist? Mariners work 12 hours a day, every day which equates to nearly double the number of hours a “40-hour per week” American works during the year. Now I can begin to understand why gCaptain’s email box gets flooded with shore-side job related questions.

The number one reason for the discord is rooted by Keefe’s statement;

It is tempting to dismiss this as seafarer whining, but maritime executives everywhere had better strap on their hearing aids and listen to what their employees have to say. To do otherwise will only exacerbate the current crisis.

On the return trip for a promising shore-side job a prominent divorce attorney joined the discussion on NPR’s Fresh Air and said he often sits at the arbitration table looking at two people in love who share a life others only dream about and asks himself why. The reason is not that argued by either party, the reason is that neither listens to what the other is saying.

Mariners are being marginalized and management isn’t listening. Captains no longer have the power to solve problems aboard ship without approval from managers who frequently ask “Who died and left him in charge?”. This response filters down to the crew who justly assume their boss can not communicate their problems to distant offices ashore. This problem is exacerbated by the increased regulatory pressures, technological requirements, and industry opposition not to mention burdensome levels of training, paperwork and hands-on management from shore.

So while the “24/7 satellite television, e-mail, voice comms, excellent (but SSDD) food and media room” are nice do something that compensates me for the extra work I’ve taken on lately or double salaries instead of payroll.

What are management’s concerns? Not sure, I’m knocking on the divorce attorney’s door and just not listening!

-JD

This post is in response to Maritime Executive’s article:

Long-Term Neglect of Mariners Continues to Haunt Maritime Employers