We often receive questions from crew members regarding ship visits i.e when, where and how. Below is a brief explanation.
The Union's goal is to visit all ships covered by our CBA, especially the cruise ships, at least once a year if possible. Some ships are visited more often than others because of the ship's itinerary.
A Union representative will normally visit the vessel around meal times such as lunch or dinner when there are several crew members in the mess/crew areas. In addition we walk around the ship, hand out our business cards, give information about the Union and explain what we can do for you as a Seafarer. We also answer any questions you may have and if we are unable to answer there and then, we will ask for your e-mail address so we can respond at a later time. If the guest areas are not too crowded, we will talk to crew members on duty as well.
Occasionally the ship management will assist us when we come on board by providing a place where crew members can meet ans wpeak with us and they also announce beforehand when and where we will be whilst onboard. Crew members can then com to us and ask any questions they may have regarding their rights under the CBA.
In the future, we will work to improve the direct communication with the ship management in order to make sure our visits are announced well in advance. This is to increase the general union awareness onboard. If you have suggestions on how we can improve our communications with the Seafarers, please let us know. Send your e-mail to nsumiami@nsu.org.
