cDiver.net
The Commercial Diver Network
Doing some General research! You remember the 200.00 government hammers? Look what I found today!!
Looking at "Public pages " Posted by most of the larger Diving Companies has explained the leading reason for the extream drop in divers wages and the death of a large number of smaller companies. Do you know what your boss charges for your labor and risk of death?
Ex: (these are real numbers)
SURFACE SUPPLIED AIR DIVING
Shop Hr Onshore 8hr min Offsh 12hr min Overtime Hrly
Project/Dive-
Superintendent $ 72.00 $ 576.00 $ 1,090.00 $ 108.00
Diving Supervisor 67.00 536.00 1,015.00 101.00
Welder Diver * 60.00 480.00 914.00 91.00
NDE Diver** 56.00 448.00 848.00 84.00
Diver 55.00 440.00 828.00 82.00
Diver/Tender 38.00 304.00 575.00 57.00
Tender 34.00 272.00 515.00 51.00
Look at your check before taxes and the difference is what you should be taking to the bank!
MEDICAL
Per Day
Stretcher, (Required for U.S. Army Corp Jobs)................................................... $ 46.00
Oxygen Respirator, (Required for U.S. Army Corp Jobs) ...................................... 72.00
Gas Free Analyzer, Confined Space Entry .......................................................... 130.00
EMT Kit.................................................................................................................. 20.00
(stuff that should already be in the locker makes more money per day than a dive team gets paid!)
The reality gang! not all companies are doing this to their customers but the biggest (ADCI know the meaning of the abbreviation) are making more money on a case of bandages and machines than we make in a month!
Another benifit of pushing this wh*** ADCI "Were for the Diver Crap we keep hearing. From the standpoint of a business owner, I couldnt sleep at night knowing my people couldnt feed their kids but today I just earned enough to buy 5000 grinding disks and a Caddy!
Am I wrong, Ive heard of marking up a few things to cover "Overhead", but I have always passed the labor profit to my workers.
Views: 260
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by D Layda on
-
My wh*** point is that depth pay = compensation for f***ing our bodies up to get their work done.
Oh yeah, the shareholders deserve 2/3 of the revenue created as compensation for the fact that deep diving breaks the body down, double for gas, quadruple for Sat. This on top of the fact that we are working with pitching, swaying loads weighing tons, cutting things underwater....with electricity...in the dark. This work also requires a physical exceeding fighter pilot requirements, approaching astronaut level testing...because this s*** kills normal people easy and exceptional people regularly.
It is this simple:
Garbage men and their like do work that other people won't do.
Diver's do the work that other people CAN'T do
You know what? We should get ALL the depth pay invoiced, it is literal blood money, and should be ours... because it's OUR blood. This includes the diving supervisor as he assumes the true legal liability that companies falsely espouse as being risk exposure that they are stuck with.
Be great if the companies decided to do it on their own volition...
Sounds better than having the field hands take over the Association with a court order, jam their demands down throats in a public forum, on the news, the net, and most importantly, in the inbox of congressman, senators, environmental activists and bestest of all, your clients and their clients.
Who better to define pressure than those who truly work under it, or define risk as they truly take it.
Y'all should keep the troops happy, as they have all the training and the guns. (metaphorically speaking, of course)
We should get paid, truly paid, or let the owner dive, tend, rig and once his number is up, die.
-
Permalink Reply by Jerry Babin on
-
SOunds like some of you are beginning to understand what us older guys miss about the days before the ADCI!!
-
-
beginning to understand?...older guys?...look Jerry, I've been at this s*** for over 15 years and am not just beginning to do anything, understand?
-
-
Sorry Brother, Ive only bee here for awhile so Im not familiar with everyones age or Time in the Field yet,,, Ive only been around it since '83. Time tends to escape me.....
-
Permalink Reply by Dive Diva on
-
I agree with Mr Layda that the divers are not adequately compensated in most cases. But my question is this, What is to be done to fix the situation? The divers themselves are their own worst enemy. Any attempt that has been made to give the divers leverage has been thwarted. The majority of divers it seems are against unions or fear being black listed if they attempt it. They complain loudly via the various forums, yet none have taken action beyond the forums. There have been no lawsuits, no letter writing campaigns to lawmakers, no complaints to Congressional oversight committees, not even an story in a national media outlet. The diver deaths this last year didn't even register a newspaper write up drawing attention to the dangers you listed. The DOL isn't even aware that the conditions you describe exist, in some 3rd world country maybe but not in America, they scoff at the very idea. So how do you propose to effect change, to professionalize your industry, when the powers that right the laws governing your work think commercial diving is synonamous with SCUBA diving?
-
-
Divers , not the owners are the business. THey own the boats, but there are thousands of boats that would be glad to contract their services to house divers and equipment. Heres how it works. A "Divers Union" membership dues $1.00 lifetime membership. The "Union hires a lawyer to write and represent the divers. Divers sell their services DIRECTLY to the Oil companies. THey provide the materials, we provide safe certified "COAST GUARD and DIVER" approved equipment. The divers are paid for their services through their Union. (AN INTERNATIONAL UNION) Divers take back control of the fields by having direct communication with the customers, and BIG BUSINESS (ADCI) becomes a vendor again. Look gang they are NOT a federal agency, but a Group of Businesses using Government reps to control (MONOPOLIZE) this industry. IF EVERY DIVER REFUSED to DIVE for 1 week. THE ADCI would fall. only one problem rookie divers dream of Glory that doesnt exist anymore. No one has the balls (sorry ladies) to Cowboy UP and get involved. We lose a brother or sister in the field, b**** and moan and drag oru a**** back to the dock the next day. WHY? -$$$$$. Most young divers have no skill other than what they learn at school or on deck, and older divers dog the crap out of them the day they step out. No Unity!!!thats the problem. Alot of older divers are breaking their backs solo trying to get things fixed that dont make money for the ADC (or enough to consider it important). Like John's Burning skill project, or Dale Harrisis Fix for the leak days after the Horizon fell. If Divers controlled the field, than OECLLC (anyone know who this company really is?) wouldnt have taken credit for the stop soloution, a diver would have gotten the recongition deserved. Funny how quickly the Coast Guard was conned into giving control of a call center to a ADCI CONTRACTOR, and not assuming immediate control with government personnel. Ive lost friends - good friends to these cock eyed half baked regulations were stuck with and continue to allow. At my age I fear no man or machine breathing. I have always treated men and women with the respect that was EARNED. Fear rules this business thats why divers have no union- they hide in plie driver or carpenter unions. COW BOY UP or stop Complaining. Get organized or look real close to the wages in Singapor or Dubi cause next year that may be what you see in your check!
-
-
I agree with the need for unity, but a union? You'll have to convince this fella on that bit, I came up back in the day in Youngstown Ohio, known for teamsters, auto unions and the "Youngstown tune-up" and other little tidbits that make me question the need for an actual union.
Taking over the ADCI, now that seems like fun...
Should be easy once big oil realizes what a contracted diver is, and wherin lies the difference.
We're the divers, they are mere vessel owners.
-
-
$1.00 lifetime membership.... like those "Private Bar Pa****" that keep out unwanted company. THats the Idea Not to Take Over the ADC, but to walk away from it and let it die. Real Buisness Owners dont need the extra expence and most dont know anything about this business other than we will buy from them if the price is right nomatter which company we work for. THey pay dues (Look at the fees online) and have a vote, but we divers go through their courses, and our MEMBERSHIP should we choose to join carries no vote, no use of the logo, or anymention of the ADC on business cards references or referral sheets to prove we have a binding association. THat right there tells me we are the meat that feed the dragon. If we contact and contract with the Oil companies as an organized group, we can keep ADC boats in business by offering them a fair rent, or hire a guy whos family really needs the money.
Think about it callit a deep sea diver association, divers group what ever Union means unity (thats the definition) what ever word you use, divers just need to stand up stand out but stand together and refuse to die for peanuts. Most old school divers hate the U word too, but bottom line stand up or accept the pay that staying quiet has left you with. Insurance is easy to get, bonding and equipment.
Honor, Pride, and self respect are all earned.....
-
-
What you're describing Jerry, is a trade association. That's what ADC, IMCA and DEMA all profess to be. The OGP recognize them as trade associations and do business with then as such. The divers could certainly form their own professional trade association.
-
-
-
Roger that
Sups/DIVERS/Tenders
Rig for silent running, prepare for forthcoming instruction, secure all active sonar and prepare for general quarters.
What can they really do? we're already starving, fighting foreign scabs, and constantly threatened with replacement anyhow... -
-
-
tell us....
-
Permalink Reply by David Ronzoni on
-
There is no better trade where in which one could collectively join together with their peers and negotiate with contractors to earn better wages, than the commercial diving industry. Experience and skill are commodities to be earned by Divers, and its not something that can be "bought" somewhere else, there is no Walmart for these kind of high end skills. But the people who populate the Diving industry all too often do what you gentlemen have herein previously described, in short, undermine anyone's effort to better this industry.
The time is ripe for change, the key is that industry leaders, the people who make things happen, have to step up and say no more, this is what we want or else were out. In order to accomplish this feat, one has to get an accurate handle on the amount of work available in the near future, then make a list of crucial positions with in this industry, and get more than 50% of those individuals on board. Then you can get started. Now when it comes to compensation or business structure one should not limit them selves to just notions of wages and benefits.
If anyone has any more questions on this subject I will be more than happy to answer them, where there is a will, there's a way.
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by Adam Broetje.
Powered by
