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Started By
Message
re: River pilots seeking pay raise to nearly $700,000 annually despite shipping decline
Posted on 7/31/20 at 10:10 am to VernonPLSUfan
Posted on 7/31/20 at 10:10 am to VernonPLSUfan
I mean lets call it what it is, a government supported union/functional monopoly (in a state that is right to work and generally hates unions) that practices exclusionary and discriminatory hiring practices.
I mean imagine if any other group of unionized workers in the state tried anything like this...
I mean imagine if any other group of unionized workers in the state tried anything like this...
1
Posted on 7/31/20 at 10:12 am to NOLALGD
they've carved out quite the racket for themselves.
Posted on 7/31/20 at 10:16 am to IAmNERD
What evidence to you have to support your conclusion that the Calcasieu River Pilots Association allow for nepotism?
Posted on 7/31/20 at 10:32 am to Mo Jeaux
quote:
I assume because the one that pays more is more of a hazard to life.
I doubt it.
Which will have the most casualties, a crash of a Boeing 767, or a chemical tanker collision releasing metric tons of chlorine or other poisonous gas in the port of New Orleans? Considering the number of close calls that happen on the river due to equipment failure, weather, human error it’s incredible there are no more serious accidents, and I am a commercial rated aircraft pilot, not a river pilot.
Posted on 7/31/20 at 10:51 am to TJG210
Port of south Louisiana and port of New Orleans handles more tonnage than all of Houston. Supply and demand will always keep the river competitive. You can’t economically move that much grain to other ports on the gulf coast. Only one grain terminal on the river handles 1 /8th the corn exported and combined the river handles 60% of the grain export in the country.
Posted on 7/31/20 at 10:56 am to MrLSU
Posted on 7/31/20 at 11:01 am to DomincDecoco
If you read the ntsb report on the bright field was a human error on the ships part and the pilot took the lesser of two evils. Hit the paddles wheels and kill everyone or hit the dock and stop.
Posted on 7/31/20 at 11:34 am to SlidellCajun
Not sure when this was written, but from the Houston Chronicle
chron.com article
Another article from 2009
another chron.com article
I would assume "harbor" pilots are not dealing with the same conditions (turns, currents, channel changes, etc.) as MS River pilots which is why MS River guys are making some much more?
quote:
Nationally, harbor pilots average more than $400,000 per year. This translates to $192.31 per hour. The pilot's contract might also include allowances for travel or extra pay, called adjustments, that are not included in wages.
chron.com article
Another article from 2009
quote:
One industry study estimated the Galveston-Texas City pilots earn about $335,000 a year before taxes and benefits are deducted, and the Houston pilots earn about $460,000 a year.
another chron.com article
I would assume "harbor" pilots are not dealing with the same conditions (turns, currents, channel changes, etc.) as MS River pilots which is why MS River guys are making some much more?
Posted on 7/31/20 at 11:36 am to MrLSU
The pilots I know work 6 months of the year
Posted on 7/31/20 at 12:06 pm to cbdman
quote:
The pilots I know work 6 months of the year
Depending on the pilot group this is only partially true. One group where I know several of them, they are on call 24 hours a day for 6 months out of the year. Depending on ship traffic, they can have very long days and are away from their family for those 6 months. It equates to a lot more hours at 6 months than the normal person working 40-50 hour work weeks.
Posted on 7/31/20 at 12:09 pm to JasonL79
Agreed.....
Posted on 7/31/20 at 3:42 pm to Saskwatch
quote:
They have pilot associations in a lot of inland waterways in the south besides Ms. River. Savannah, Mobile, St. John's River, FL. I assume they are prevelant on West and East Coast as well. Seriously doubt they are compensated any where near the levels we see in LA though.
They're all over the place. The issue is that they cannot jump guilds. The other guilds won't vote them in. They want to reserve the spots for their kids.
My point is the State should open it up to the entire population and let these guilds know they no longer hold exclusive rights on the profession. The guilds have no power to stop the State because of above, but the State acts like these guilds own the river.
Posted on 7/31/20 at 3:55 pm to MrFahrenheitDontLie
Yes. Pilots are considered independent contractors for tax purposes and thus have to pay close to half of that $700,000 in taxes. Don’t get me wrong 350,000 to take home is still great money, but it’s close to industry standard. Captains of ocean going ships usually make around 250,000 so yes they are paid more then those captains, but I’d argue that they have more risk
Posted on 7/31/20 at 3:57 pm to Penrod
350,000 is what they pay after taxes. They are independent contractors and have to pay a good chunk of that 700,000 in taxes
Posted on 7/31/20 at 4:07 pm to SlidellCajun
I’d agree with you on most parts except it is now required that you have a degree from a maritime academy in order to be a pilot. Whereas tug boat captains are not required to have a degree. Many current tug captains are hawsepipers and worked their way from the bottom
Posted on 7/31/20 at 4:10 pm to mostbesttigerfanever
Hope you know that there is only 1 US flagged cruise ship so that would mean there’s only a handful of people who could apply. A requirement of a pilot is that they have to have a permanent address in Louisiana. Thus every cruise ship captain cannot apply
Posted on 7/31/20 at 4:23 pm to SwampAssassin
Taxes are taxes. At that salary, payroll or contractor, they will be in the highest tax bracket regardless. Speaking off taxes...
Wait what? Are they independent contractors to the state? Or to the "association"? When I was an independent contractor I paid for my own liability insurance, health insurance, retirement, SS security contribution, etc. Do they pay that out of pocket, or does the "association" pay that?
Maybe its just Friday afternoon and I can't think clearly right now but something feels wrong about this.
quote:
Yes. Pilots are considered independent contractors for tax purposes
Wait what? Are they independent contractors to the state? Or to the "association"? When I was an independent contractor I paid for my own liability insurance, health insurance, retirement, SS security contribution, etc. Do they pay that out of pocket, or does the "association" pay that?
Maybe its just Friday afternoon and I can't think clearly right now but something feels wrong about this.
Posted on 7/31/20 at 4:27 pm to SwampAssassin
quote:
I’d agree with you on most parts except it is now required that you have a degree from a maritime academy in order to be a pilot.
When did that requirement come into being? I'm rather curious as my father turned down the chance to be a pilot back in the 1950s and stayed with Freeport Sulphur..
quote:
Whereas tug boat captains are not required to have a degree. Many current tug captains are hawsepipers and worked their way from the bottom
that was my father and my younger brother...
Posted on 7/31/20 at 4:29 pm to MrLSU
The old'we are paid below the national average' trick.
Teachers have been using this for years.
Teachers have been using this for years.
Posted on 7/31/20 at 4:40 pm to vl100butch
quote:
When did that requirement come into being? I'm rather curious as my father turned down the chance to be a pilot back in the 1950s and stayed with Freeport Sulphur..
I'm not sure about maritime academy, but I know a 4 year degree is required, and it needs to be a real degree, not theater or mass comm.
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