Seafood Processor jobs in Dutch Harbor (Anchorage, Unalaska: subsidized, price, ticket)

[StankinJankin]

Originally Posted by laina1980

Quite honestly both are their own beast even though they do the same thing. I worked at Unisea many moons ago and worked in contact with both plants workers so I heard it all!
Unisea, what can I say they rule the island! Pretty much most people on island came from Unisea at one point in their lives, lol no joke. They are closer in town than Westward and room for advancement is very abundant(pre COVID at lesst) They have a bar and hotel and if you enjoy hospitality Jobs, they sre great to work for.
Westward is all by itself and some like that. You will spend quite a few bucks in taxi fare just to get away to stores.
I hear Westward works more hours as I think they can push you during peak season to 18 hours a day while Unisea is pretty strict at 12 hours a day. Both have decent food I am partial to Unisea on that end. Both are very gossipy and up in each other business like nowhere you will ever see. However you will meet great people at both plants. I like Alyeska plant. They are a smaller one that probably recruits far less than the others. But both are great stepping stones if you want to get a feel for a working island where work is always around. If it were me I would try harder for the at sea processors like American Sesfoods, Glacier boats or Enterprise. Golden Alaska is a good one though I forgot company name. I would avoid Icicle and maybe Trident. I hear it is hard to get with some of the at sea processors but if you are in Seattle area where they mostly hire, you can hustle the companies to find out when they do open hiring. The good boats ate good because people hardly leave but it is possible to get on at sone point. Right now though not sure where any of them stand with COVID.

Thank you so much, this is exactly what I was looking for!

[StankinJankin]

Originally Posted by Sminthian

I just left Dutch Harbor in July, I lived there for 13 months.

Unisea is bigger, they'd be my #1, Westward would be #2. And Unisea is downtown and you can walk to the other stores, Westward is way out on its own. Trident is also there, I don't know much about their operations, they are very secretive. I'd avoid Alyeska, they're really trashy.

Good to know, thank you.

[Sockeye66]

Originally Posted by StankinJankin

Good to know, thank you.

Don't leave us hanging Stankin, which one did you go with?

[StankinJankin]

Originally Posted by Sockeye66

Don't leave us hanging Stankin, which one did you go with?

What an absolute disaster. I went with Westward and was sent to Alyeska, now owned by Westward. No one should consider working in the seafood plants until either Covid is no longer an issue, or vaccines are mandatory. All plants there (except the bigger Westward one at the moment) are fully staffed and either completely shut down or on a partial lockdown. Outbreaks at each plant are inevitable and will continue to be, given the tight living situations at these places, especially with a few employees from each plant mingling at the bar, which is open.

[OurNextAdventure]

Well, at least in Alyeska you're on the mainland. Great opportunity to drive up to Anchorage on your off days in search of other jobs.

Also, how is the language barrier? When I was on Unalaska and Akutan years ago for work, many of the processors were from the middle east.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by ournextadventure

well, at least in alyeska you're on the mainland. Great opportunity to drive up to anchorage on your off days in search of other jobs.

lol

[Sockeye66]

Originally Posted by StankinJankin

What an absolute disaster. I went with Westward and was sent to Alyeska, now owned by Westward. No one should consider working in the seafood plants until either Covid is no longer an issue, or vaccines are mandatory. All plants there (except the bigger Westward one at the moment) are fully staffed and either completely shut down or on a partial lockdown. Outbreaks at each plant are inevitable and will continue to be, given the tight living situations at these places, especially with a few employees from each plant mingling at the bar, which is open.

Last year the industry was very successful in controlling the CV cases and spread. This winter season has been alarming. I can say it wasn't from lack of spending and getting sloppy with protocol. Maybe last year was fortunate luck, maybe this year was a more contagious variant.

Fortunately Alaska announced that they are recognizing seasonal and rotational workers as essential and will vaccinate non-State residents.

Sorry you had to go through that Stankin.

[thedwightguy]

IMO as a Safety Officer and being around food/meat plants, it was not surprising to me that the humidity/air circulation was a prime ground for Covid disasters, and that's exactly what happened in meat plants in the mid-west. (Management really dropped the ball). Seafood plants for various reasons may be a better culture, dealing with the same issues. Let's hope so for the employees on the ground.

[StankinJankin]

Originally Posted by OurNextAdventure

Well, at least in Alyeska you're on the mainland. Great opportunity to drive up to Anchorage on your off days in search of other jobs.

Also, how is the language barrier? When I was on Unalaska and Akutan years ago for work, many of the processors were from the middle east.

No, this was a seafood plant named Alyeska on Unalaska, ha ha, wish I was on the mainland!

Language barrier wasn't really an issue. Most everyone speaks English. Mostly Filipinos, lots of Mexicans, some Eastern Europeans and a few Somalis. You hear lots of other languages, but no obstacles, really.

[OurNextAdventure]

Originally Posted by StankinJankin

No, this was a seafood plant named Alyeska on Unalaska, ha ha, wish I was on the mainland!

Language barrier wasn't really an issue. Most everyone speaks English. Mostly Filipinos, lots of Mexicans, some Eastern Europeans and a few Somalis. You hear lots of other languages, but no obstacles, really.

Ohhhh. Gotcha. That sucks! But at least the island has a lot more amenities than it did 7 1/2 years ago when I was last there.

Have you hiked up to the WWII Pillboxes yet?