September-2016 #2
The Importance Of Reading Your Union MOU
Many times we get calls from workers wanting to sue a shipowner because they are victims of harassment aboard ship or they were wrongfully terminated. In most of these circumstances, collective bargaining agreements spell out the procedure that must be followed in these situations, and many others. The MOU contains important information that members should become familiar with. For example, the MOU will set forth the daily maintenance rate should a crewmember suffer injury or become ill aboard ship, as well as wage and overtime rates and other entitlements. Please take the time to read the MOU between your union and all of the companies for which you work. You may be surprised what it reveals!
Question From The Bridge
I feel that I was wrongfully terminated after I was involved in a fight with another crewmember. He attacked me and I was just defending myself. After the investigation confirmed that I was not at fault, they still said that both of us had to leave the ship. Can I sue them for my lost wages?
Answer:
You probably can’t immediately file suit, but read your union’s MOU with whoever your employer was. It should spell out a grievance procedure that must be followed first. If that is followed to completion and you are not satisfied with the result, you should then contact an attorney to determine whether to file suit. .
Temporary Address Change
We have relocated to San Francisco while our new Oakland space undergoes renovation from fire damage. We have offices on both sides of the Bay to serve you! Look for our Oakland opening sometime in late spring. In the meantime, please contact us at.
The Law Offices of Cavin and Marks, Jr.
535 Pacific Avenue, Suite 100
San Francisco, CA 94133
Our phone and fax remain the same
Ph: 510-291-4743
www.sealawyer.com .
About Our Law Firm
For more than four decades, merchant mariners, longshoremen, fishermen and harbor workers plying their trades at sea, on the docks, on our U.S. coastal waters and inland waterways have turned to the maritime law firm of Law Offices of Cavin and Marks, Jr. & Associates in Oakland. Today, we are proud to be recognized as one of the preeminent maritime law firms serving injured marine workers nationwide, as well as one of the most successful personal injury litigation firms serving victims of negligence in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the West Coast..
Team Approach To Every Personal Injury And Jones Act Claim
When you retain Law Offices of Cavin and Marks, Jr. & Associates for a Jones Act injury claim; or personal injury claim, you don’t get just one attorney, you get our entire team of dedicated professionals. Our attorneys offer more than 150 combined years of courtroom and negotiated claims settlement experience. We will represent your interests with unwavering dedication, speed and expertise..