In this age of instant communication the adage “the bulkhead has ears” has never been truer. It doesn’t take long for knowledge of events to spread, not just within the confines of the vessel, but even beyond the horizon. And sometimes doing the proper thing like standing up for your legal rights or for the rights of other crewmembers being treated unfairly can have unforeseen and unfortunate consequences on your ability to earn a living, i.e., being blacklisted.
Your best defense out on the water? Assume that everything is on the record and prepare yourself accordingly. Whenever any type of situation arises that you believe may eventually result in a complaint or legal action (see examples below), conduct a personal investigation of the facts. Record in your notebook the time, date, latitude/longitude, weather conditions, sea state, vessel location, equipment condition, et. al. Take pictures. Write down the exact words spoken that pertained to the matter at hand.
While this may seem excessive and unnecessary, being armed with precise details will give you significant credibility when you take the courageous step of seeking justice for being blackballed. The company’s accusations of you being just a disgruntled former employee will be met by the facts.
On shore, protect yourself from blacklisting by being careful with your references. Remember, companies do call the contacts on your applications and resumes. Even though it’s illegal for a company to bad mouth you to another company, they have code words to get around this.
Potential blacklisting situations to be aware of:
-
Creating a threatening work environment through disrespecting a supervisor-Filing a lawsuit for your injuries
-Filing multiple lawsuits
-Filing a harassment complaint
-Receiving a harassment complaint
-Failure to state that you witnessed mistreatment of other crewmembers
-Disagreeing with company safety procedures
-Union organizing
Protect Your Future V&B represents injured maritime workers and their families worldwide. We protect workers who have been blackballed or retaliated against for reporting safety concerns, injuries on the job, or asserting their legal rights.
To learn more about how you can protect your rights, order a copy of one of our Free Books and Reports by visiting www.http://www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com/getfreereport.cfm.
Many people want to talk to one of our maritime injury attorneys immediately. You can call toll free 877.724.7800 24 hours / day, 7 days a week to schedule an appointment
Category: Blackball Concerns?
Our maritime lawyers realize that maritime work can be dangerous when companies cut corners on safety. That's why we've dedicated our time to putting out free information for workers.
To reply to this message, enter your reply in the box labeled "Message", hit "Post Message."
