The Commercial Diver Network
I always get on here and read all the discussions and the whining about the ADC and how they screw the divers and are not any good for us. i believe this to be true as well and see them as just a business trying to get rich off the fees they charge for membership.
The problem is that no one ever takes any steps to do anything. All that ever happens is more talk. I am a card carrying member of Carpenter's local 2119 in St.Louis but the diving here is done by a non-union company. I have been trying to lobby the union to put a stop to these union contractors using the scab diving company. It seems to be a slow process as I am the only "voice" with a complaint. But I am still trying.
I see the need for all divers, NOT just inland divers, to join together and force these companies to recognize us as a union and treat as us such. This would insure that all divers were paid a decent wage WITH benefits. When i got my 1st job out of school it was for a company here in St.Louis and the guy only paid $15 an hour and 1099'd me and did not have benefits. we all know how hard it is to live on that kind of money.
These companies can afford to pay us a union wage with benefits,they are making a freakin killing off of us. I know for a fact the guy I worked for charged $3000 plus a day for a 4 man dive crew and he was one of the crew so in reality hes only paying 3 guys. One was making 20,one 17 and me 15 so do the math and see how much was profit in his pocket.
I am not saying we should all be paid like brain surgeons but this country and the world for that matter run off the work that we divers do in the gulf and no country would have power if the trash racks and traveling screens were not cleaned. So is it fair to say that WE are just as important as doctors? I'd say we are worth the money..
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Look guys this is the kind of thing that causes a problem of trying to get us all together.
Obviously a gulf diver who is broke out and dives is going to be good at his job and obviously an inland diver is going to be good at his. Does that make one better than the other? NO. If you switch roles than neither of you would be as good at the others job thats the way it is. A guy who does drywall all his life isnt going to be good at laying a tile floor.
This discussion wasnt meant to start fights between us. It's purpose is to get us all together.
to quote a late diving brother Mr. Ed White who said "Diving Contractors have taken more from divers with a pencil than they ever would be legally allowed to with a gun"
What ever diver it is is just trying to make ends meet.
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Yep your right Scott $39. 00 a hr may seem like good rate on the surface but when they dont add in living and health benefits, vacation pay and dive equipment rental the diver who ever he is gets screwed. So this rate it isnt really squat.
Today A SKIMPY bag of grocerys is $75.00 and a gallon of gas is $4.00 . Today dive and welding equipment is spendy we need to come out of our dive dreams and be realistic.I know that the very moment I turn on my welding machine my customer had be right there ready willing and able to pay for it as its all money and this isnt a hobby.
Who ever you are when your a working diver your just trying to make this all work out weather its offshore inland. Dont think for one moment the contractors dont see you coming-they do. Labor is just labor and should be treated as normal business running expences that includes benifits. PROFIT IS SUPPOST TO BE MADE OFF THE JOB AND NOT OFF THE BACKS OF LABOR BY SHORTENING LABOR IN THEIR PAY AND BENEFITS.
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