Time off / vacations for sailors... When did that start

Discussion board focusing on Great Lakes Shipping Question & Answer. From beginner to expert all posts are welcome.
Guest

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by Guest »

Deap sea would put me to sleep boring, a lot of Captains who did both preferred the lakes because you got to do lots of ship handling you didnt do on the ocean.
Charlie
Posts: 135
Joined: April 19, 2010, 10:32 pm

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by Charlie »

My brother works deep sea and the lakes at times. The problem he tells me is that the deep sea gus say lakes is too much work.

He was working up here a summer or two ago and the relief wheelsmen was complain all the time about the amount of work he had to do. deep sea he only had to wheel going in and out [max couple of hours] and we all know it is a lot more up here.

he keeps trying to talk more to come up but the rumors of lots of work keeps them away. He don't care he is Chief Steward and they work the same no matter where they are. He just went back to the tanker for the holidays [lots of extra work to put on a good spread for the crew] he does extra for the crew like fresh rolls, bread, pies and so on.

To all at sea I hope you have a great thanksgiving and can talk to family.

3L 2S
guest

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by guest »

Unlicensed members of the SIU obtained paid time off starting in the late 70's.
I don't remember the exact year, maybe 78or 79 but surely by 1980. It was 90 days on, 30 paid days off. Was a great idea in theory but not so good in practice. If you had a rating it was hard to find a qualified relief man. OS, wiper, porter etc had no problem as there were always lots of entry level sailors registered on the beach. I sailed all 1980 due to no AB's to take my wheeling job. That was my last year so not sure how it worked out after that. Prior to the new procedure, you could get off for 2 weeks after 60 days aboard, without pay.
SIU is short of rated sailors now. They actually contacted me this past summer to see if I was interested in doing relief jobs. My book has been retired for 36 years And I am 62 years old, lol.I guess the port agent read my birth date wrong! I think some of the tug barge guys do 30 on., 10 off.
Guest

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by Guest »

For licensed personnel on AMO ships (MEBA District 2 back then) they won vacation time and pay back in 1974. The make an understandable fuss about it in the Union's history. Don't know about everyone though, sorry.
hugh3

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by hugh3 »

I was taking vacations of the Pittsburg Steamship boats back in the early 60's. It was dependent on the Lake Carriers having a replacement available.
ray 2

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by ray 2 »

i know imperial oil and canadian oil tankers were getting vacations in 1958
Guest

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by Guest »

I know the Canadian guys were getting holidays in the late 60s early seventies
Darryl

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by Darryl »

Some guys didn't take vacations by choice.
garbear

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by garbear »

I remember getting off on vacation on the Clarke in 1974. The crew members with more seniority were taking vacation before that.
JohnD

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by JohnD »

At least for US Steel, it had to be after the 1976 season. My father sailed through the 1968 season, and my uncle through the 1976 season. They never had vacation time off during the shipping season. They normally left home in late February, and did not return until late November or early December. I cannot recall a year that my father was not home for Christmas, although I remember going to a tree farm with my brother to cut a Christmas tree on a year that he was really late coming home. As a Chief, he also was able to arrange a brief time off to come to high school graduations.
Guest

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by Guest »

MY father was a Steward for Wilson and Kinsman in the 60s and 70s, I have his discharge book. His first job with Kinsman was on the Joe S Morrow in 1972, he worked the whole year with no vacation, in 73 he was on the George D Goble and had 2 weeks off in May and June. The following year he was on the Paul L Tietjen and was off in August, so I would say 73 or 74 would be the year. I know it was a big deal when I was growing up, when dad would get his vacation pay during the winter.
garbear

Re: Time off / vacations for sailors.. When did that start

Unread post by garbear »

I remember in the mid 70's we were getting vacation with USS.
BigRiver
Posts: 1090
Joined: April 28, 2010, 6:37 pm

Time off / vacations for sailors... When did that start

Unread post by BigRiver »

Past practice was when a sailor signed aboard a ship in the spring, he was expected to stay until layup and got a bonus for doing so. It was very hard to get time off, even for a death in the family. Now, sailors work a couple months, get a couple of months off, can arrange for reliefs if there is an emergency...

Question is, when did this shift take place? Was it gradual, or as a result of contract negotiations.

Thanks.
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