Mariners pay the price for being independent contractors at sea

摘要

Ihad agreed to take the mate's position on a 350-foot ship transiting from a shipyard in Bell-ingham, Wash., to the destination port of Bath, Maine. It was my sec-ond week of working long days in port, help-ing to get the vessel ready for sea, the plan being to get underway in a few days. That morning, I was in the chartroom laying out courses for the first leg of the trip when the owner's representative came up to the wheelhouse. Holding a big folder of paperwork, he handed me a sheet of paper and in a thick Nor-wegian accent said, "You have to sign this." Taking it, I asked what it was. He replied, "It's a contract that states you agree to being an independent contractor working in the mate's position for the voyage, and that you are not an employee of my company. That, and the daily rate we are offering to pay you."