From one mate to another
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From one mate to another
Most of you have met me and spoken with me when I have been visiting your vessels. I have appreciated the time to get to know all of you as this journey towards unionization continues. Much of our union drive, we have been focusing on speaking with each one of you face-to-face to hear the issues that concern you the most. As the voting draws nearer, you will be hearing significantly more from M.E.B.A. via e-mail. We hope these will be informative, help you make the best decision for yourself and your shipmates, and provoke conversations on board about your future and with whom you see yourself best represented by.
Hearing from many of you, we understand that you are tired of uncertain futures and dwindling benefits from a company that forgets that you are still providers for your families and not just numbers on a spreadsheet so easily manipulated.
As a fellow deck officer, I explored all options available to a recently graduated 3rd Mate from Texas A&M. I settled on M.E.B.A. as my best option, and I can say that I am even happier now looking forward to collecting the best pension in the maritime industry than I was then just happy to go to work. You don’t necessarily think about things like a pension or even medical benefits as a young person, but time has a way of flying by. Pretty soon you’re looking back on a long career, and hopefully, as I will, you'll have something to show for it.
Without question, M.E.B.A. holds the best contracts in the industry with the best benefits for their members, and I will happily share our wage scales with you when I visit your vessel. M.E.B.A. is the only one that allows active members to control their futures, by limiting voting to active members, rather than including retirees in decisions that no longer are going to affect them.
M.E.B.A. has and always will prioritize the membership, your hard work, and the future for you and your family.
So let me give you the facts:
Superior Pension and Benefits
Visit www.mebaorganizing.com to compare M.E.B.A.’s comprehensive pension and benefits plans with MMP’s inferior plans. We give you the hard numbers and facts, not generalities like “our pension is comparable.”
Extensive Job Opportunities
M.E.B.A. doesn't just talk; we deliver results, securing real job opportunities for our members in the maritime industry. M.E.B.A. leads the pack with the fastest-growing deck officer job opportunities among all maritime unions, with over 40 new deep sea deck billets added in the last year-and-a-half. M.E.B.A. has contracts with many companies within the maritime sector and we offer unparalleled job prospects for deck officers. Presently, M.E.B.A. proudly offers over 250 deck officer positions across a fleet exceeding 35 vessels, comprising tanker ships, ro-ro vessels, container ships, and bulk carriers even representing the only US Flagged Cruise ship. See our current deck officer contracts below:
Protecting American Jobs
The prevailing attitude within OSG, demonstrated by their willingness to explore alternative methods to increasing wages, including sourcing foreign labor, are deeply concerning. M.E.B.A. stands resolute in opposing such practices and remains committed to ensuring fair wages and employment opportunities for American mariners, as demonstrated in our immediate response to Sam Norton’s interview with Trade Winds. Read each response put out by the Unions and tell me which one you would rather have represent you. One that is tentative and bland or one that makes it clear that American labor will not tolerate using foreign labor to drag down national standards.
Ask yourself, are you stronger standing united, arm-in-arm with your fellow engineers or on your own? Now is the time to take control of your future. Make the choice that is best for you, your future, and the future of all deck officers at OSG. Vote for M.E.B.A.