Typical union style seniority pay (some exceptions, like if you can get security clearance you will get higher paying contracts, etc)

You can go into:

-Navigation (deck-hand to captain)

-Stewards (kitchen to chef to quartermaster)

-Engine (Jr Engineer to Sr Engineer); the initial apprenticeship program rotates you through all three

As the union is predicated on keeping sailing jobs occupied by US sailors you do have to swear an oath of loyalty to the US - but i mean it's just words really. The training programs also have some quasi-military style structure. You kind of start off in a boot-camp scenario but it's mostly to weed people out.

The only real catch is double-edged: You will be away from family and friends for long periods of time; so great if you don't really care for your family and don't have super close IRL friends. While you are in the training program and while you are at sea you have no expenses - this is why you only have to worry about rent for part of the year while you aren't working contracts. So, if I were doing the program I'd be looking for a situation where I either live family while I'm not at sea or find a person will to rent to me month-to-month. Paying rent for a residence you aren't living in for the majority of the year would be silly unless you are like the head of a family that at least gets to use it while you are away or something.

https://www.seafarers.org/training-and-careers/jobs/entry-program/

It's a bit of a rugged life-style but some people like that. Makes you feel alive and all. For the women comrades FYI: about 25% of the people enrolled while I was there were women and they seemed to be treated very well by staff and other people enlisted in the program. Felt very safe for everyone and everyone was pretty cool/chill (except the Commandant, he was cool but definitely not chill lol).

While the lifestyle is a bit rugged, the food is fucking amazing - no joke. People at sea eat like kings (for free apparently).

One of the cool things is that they have political education classes where they give you some union history (watered down, they aren't revolutionaries) and teach the power of unions to their members. Self-serving sure, but it is literally the only time I've seen institutionalized political education in action in the US, was pretty wild.

Honestly I'd recommend it to anyone who is:

-Is young and directionless

-Wants to be in a unionized sector

-Loves the open sea / wants to travel in a non-tourist way

-Is economically vulnerable

Don't apply if any of these describe you though:

-Unwilling to work on your drug habits/addictions

-Unwilling to work on your fitness/health generally

-Unwilling to tolerate any forms of authority/discipline

-Unwilling to to complete a 3 month training program where you live expense-free but have no income and are essentially chaperoned.

FYI, though: they will not tolerate drugs or alcohol while in their training program and if you get caught inebriated while working a contract they will come down hard on you (they have a rehab clinic they'd force you to attend).

But for real, if you are someone who just cannot find any economic traction and are living a meek existence - please apply for this program - you'll actually get to start living your life.

Of course if you don't like the sea/ocean then probably not for you.

Before anyone asks why I left the program, it was because of family shit - turns out mine falls apart without me around.

If any one does go through with an application my advise is to convince them why the program suits your particular life. Just like most jobs they are going to turn away applicants who seem to be applying on a whim who they might have a bad ROI on.