I work on the US Govt Managed "Grey" hulls vice the "Black Hulls".  I am currently unrated and work in the Comms Dept.

 

"Our" MSC has it's good points and bad.

 

You get paid a consistant wage even when ashore and do not have to sail union.

We are placed in hotels and given a food allowance while awaiting assignments.

We do not have to bribe someone at the union hall to go out and sail.

Our STCW and misc training is paid for by MSC.

 

The downside.

It seems that MSC's Detailers love placing people with personal conficts together.

We hit very few ports anymore due to security concerns.

You can get detailed to the same type of ship and location over and over and over again due to ditsy (I call them biased)Detailers.

One ship you might earn decent money and another you will earn a buck o five over base pay. 

Half of MSC Captain's or Dept Heads are cheapwads causing a good amount of attrition.

There are many people in MSC who are reliving their military days through MSC and forget most of us came here to forget those type of people and earn some money for a good retirement.

Lots of guys are loosing their security clearances due to stupid things they did as kids: bad credit, old DUI, bar fight, etc.

(One guy got busted for a divorse he had 15 years ago, Ex got the house and did not make consistant payments on it so he got his clearance yanked even though his name had been purged from the house years ago.)

The people who manage us on the East Coast do not give a rat's ass about those that go out on ships and provide them positions.

 

MSC could be better but at least the pay is consistant.

my biggest problem with msc is that for alot of eng. positions reliefs come 3 monthes late.its not uncommon for reefer eng d-macs and especially pumpmen to wait that long.this gives us the feeling people running things on the east and west coast dont really care.if they did things would be different.ill never sail pumpman for msc again.if you think the fed govt will take care of you think again.in the world of government employees we're definitely 2nd class citizens.one can do well $ wise if they are on the right ship getting a lot of ot and hazardous duty pay.otherwise,you may as well work at burger world.the dept heads do cut ot and im not sure why.it must come out of their own pocket.or so it seems.i feel the unions presence on msc ships keeps these scrooges honest.im a member of siu government service division.you have to realize that msc is run by military brass whose idea of the merchant marine is msc,and would draft anyone in msc into the navy at once given the opportunity.all in all it is a paycheck,and steady.ive worked for many commercial outfits and they all have their good and bad aspects.personally id like to win the lotto and just sit under a shade tree, but for now....

I really feel if it was know what was going on in that agency thee would be a big investigation.

if I didn't have friends and family working there I would go to the media about it. That is all I

have to say about APMC, MSFSC right now.