Seafarers Log: Vol. 19 No. 15 (1957-07-19)

•*<•.. •• •.
• OFFICIAL ^6R0AN OF THK SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION • ATLANTIC AND OULF DISTRICT • AFL-CIO •

NMU, SHIP GO'S OKAY
INDUSTRY BLACKLIST
BULLETIN—The SEAFARERS LOG learned

this week that an industry-wide blacklist has been
established by the American Merchant Marine in­
stitute with the full cooperation of the NMU. The
system allows the operators to refuse to hire any
NMU member who was ever fired off an NMU
ship. A central records bureau is maintaining the
blacklist. (For full details, see stories on pages
2, 5).

Defense Dep't Stand:

US MERCHANT
SHIP BUILD-UP
YITAL NEED'

Story On Page 3

jl Seafarers N. Richie (above, left)
|#OOfC VfleCfC* and J. J. Devine present books to
New York meeting officials before balloting began last
week on election of a six-man rank and file quarterly
financial committee. Both made berths on the commit­
tee, which is now conducting regular audit bf Union's
books, records and files at headquarters.

—.—. cruise ship J. « oxxv/wxx
during refloating efforts off Bermuda by the tug Justice.
She ran aground during a squall a few miles out of Ber­
muda en route to Liverpool, England. Confronted with
a 30-degree list, she was righted after removing cargo.

•r



Pace Two SEAfAkEkS LOG July 19, 1957

Secref Deal Perils
Men's Job Rights
• The National Maritime Union and its contracted
operators have negotiated an arrangement which
gives the operators a free hand to blacklist any s6a-
man who has been em
ployed on NMU-contracted
ships, the SEAFARERS
LOG learned this week.
The go-between in the new
blacklist system is none
other than the Marine Index
Bureau, an outfit that was
used by a labor spy apparatus
to finger SIU men in the course
of the Cities Service organizing
drive.

Under the industry-wide black­
list system, any seaman who was
ever fired off his job on any NMU
ship can be denied his employment
rights in the industry with the full
approval of the NMU. Thus far,
no announcement of the new sys-

AMMI Promoting
Ship Combine

The development of the secret
NMU-AMMI blacklist is just one
aspect of a campaign now being
promoted by a group of lawyers,
AMMI officials and other inter­
ested parties to establish a huge
cartel-type combine in the ship­
ping field and monopolize US
shipping. Such a campaign, if
successful, would mean a mo­
nopoly of US subsidy expendi­
tures.

By harnessing the NMU mem­
bership, lock, stock and barrel,
the combine is convinced it has
a key to control of US subsidies
and the taxpayers' money.

The SEAFARERS LOG is
currently examining and devel­
oping additional information
concerning the activities of this
combine. Further details will
be explored in future LOG
issues with a view toward initiat­
ing a full-scale Congressional
inquiry into how the industry is
disposing of the taxpayers'
money.

tem has yet been made in the
"NMU Pilot" although the ma­
chinery started operating early in
May of this year. The NMU-con­
tracted United States Lines has
operated a similar system on its
own for many years.

List Similar To 'Fink Books'
The blacklist system as negoti­

ated by NMU President Joseph
Curran is more or less a revival
of the old "fink book" system of
the 1930's whereby seamen were
to carry a continuous discharge
book. Skippers blacklisted them
then by entering disparaging re­
marks about a seaman's character
or ability in the "fink book." Now
the NMU has centralized and
refined the old system for use
wherever NMU men sail.

Interestingly enough, the nego­
tiations of the blacklist fitted
tightfy into the now well-known
Stalinist-type pattern which has
been employed for many years by
Curran. Accordingly, the negoti­
ations for the blacklist were car-'
ried on secretly under a cloak of
Tieayy drumfire against the SIU,
accusing the. Union of a variety
of sins against* seamen.

Here's how the blacklist works:
Whenever an NMU man is fired,

a r-ecord of the.firing goes into

the files of the Marine Index.
• For a dollar bill. Marine Index
will gladly pass the information
on to any shipowner who might be
considering hiring the man.
• The shipowner has the authority,
with the full approval of the NMU,
to refuse to hire^ the man if his
name shows up on the listings, no
matter how old the entry is or
what the reason.

For practical purposes it means
that NMU members have been
stripped of all job security as of
April 30. 1957, when the blacklist
formally took effect. The militant
delegate who gets into hat water
with the'officers, the seaman who
is simply the victim of a personal
dislike, or the man who is fired
without reason by a bucko skipper
can be fingered and barred from
the industry forever.

Since there Is no time limit on
the files, the companies can reach
back two, five or ten.years, if need
be, if they or the NMU leadership
are looking for an out to get rid

(Continued on page 5)

American Merchant Marine Institute, Inc
!l -groodwoy New York 4 . • .

1.
- '

April 90,

TO ALL STEAkShI? Ca.P.CJIZS .JU AOEf'TS
HAVI^ 3 CONIRiiCTUAL DELATIONS VJTH TiiE
HATIO;.aL k.A.1ITI.i llilOK OF ^.LRIGj

Dear Sin

in

.•Sie-
lend

CSci

been coi^cerhcd
reaeant Tlndi

the KatlJnel
paft proposals

tr.e collective
need not

Ipllrie records.

gro ' ' """i
ill aeoter concer.''

for rnTch the man is subse
ported^^^fTe^arlne Index Bureau. Ibis organization,
but the shipping Industry, has for ir.any years, provided
of seamen to sjbscrlblng steiasMp coopanies. The olan^
to Mild In. beginning at once. Irfor-aatlon concerrilna
discldMe. Then, theee coapanies rill be able to obtal

Excerpts (above) from letter sent to all NMU-contracted companies
by Ralph Casey, AMMI president, announcing the start of the
blacklist. At right is LOG clipping which predicted the system.

Oa tha basif of the announce­
ment In the NMU "Pilot" of Oc­
tober 23, 195S. that the "practice
of logging had been eliminated"
lt_ was reports by aOme ahlp op-]
efafbra that the NMU might allow
the ahlpowners complete authority
to fire or blaAUst crewmembara

L misting Work or wstch, in ex-
chsnge for eliminating of the prac­
tice of logging.

•rOet' Confbsed
The confusion over the manner

in which the NMU Intended to ap­
ply tha logging restriction arose
fron^porU In the NMU"'Pllot."

lipt;

-from Seafarers Log, 11/9/56

Seamen Unprotected;
Can't Appeal Blacklist

working on deck and puts in for
overtime for the gang'..
• The chief engineer fires a

black gang delegate who raises a
beef about the refusal of the engi­
neer to order necessary repairs
made to showers and the washing
machine.

In other words, the real targets
of the blacklist are not necessarily
the narcotics addicts, performers
and other foul-ups (who, inciden­
tally, are already subject to losing
seamen's papers through Coast
Guard action) but could be the
militant union seamen who try to
enforce the contract.

SEAFARERS LOG
July 19, 1957 Vol. XiX No. 15

US Lines' Blacklist Role
The industry-wide blacklist may be something new, but it

is an old story as far as United States Lines is concerned. For
years, as the SFAK ARERS LOG has pointed out on several
occasions, the NMU has main--*-
tained a blacklist for United
States Lines and even has an
office in its headquarters which
openly operates the blacklist.

Seamen can be blacklisted by US
Lines for such "offenses" as re­
fusing to sign on for another trip.

Now, US Lines, with.the cooper­

ation of the NMU, has succeeded
in spreading the blacklist through­
out the NMU-contracted fleet.

Incidentally, John Franklin,
president of the US Lines, and
NMU President Joseph Curran are
co-chairmen- of the so-called

'• (Continued on page 5)

One of the worst features of the newly-instituted NMU
blacklist is the lack of any form of appeal from its operations,
or any provision for informing the seamen why he is not
being hired. The lack of such-*-"
provisions and the blanket
right to blacklist any man
fired for any one of a do^en rea­
sons, lulhps all seamen Into the
same boat with the performers,
weedhounds and other foiil-ups.

AH any skipper has to do is
note In the log that a man was
fired for "disciplinary reasons" and
that is aU any company needs to
blacklist him. If a company wants
to, it can dip back into the files as
many years back as it likes to get
an excuse for not hiring a seaman.
Ten years from now, it can turn
down a man who was fired off a
ship in 1957.

The net effect is to destroy
NMU men's Job security and make
a mockery of the rotary hiring
system-.

Often Grudge Firings

Seafarers and NMU men well
know that seamen are often fired
off ships for reasons which have
nothing to do with essentials of
shipboard discipline. The "NMU
Pilot" itself highlighted this fact
in its last issue in reporting that
21 crewmembers of the Isbrandtsen
ship Columbia Heights were
charged with "mutiny" by the
skipper because they refused to
sail unless the engine room was
properly ventilated.

No doubt these men could wind
up in the Marine Index file for
subsequent blacklisting.

Several typical incidents wliich
could cause blacklisting would be
these:
• A chief steward is fired after

repeatedly arguing with the skip­
per over purchasing additional
stores.
• A ^eck delegate is bounced

after he catches the chief mate

PAUi. HAXX, Secretary-Treasurer
HERBERT BRAND, Editor. BERNARD SEA­

MAN. Art Editor. HERMAN ARTHDR, IRWIN
SPIVACK, AL MASXIN. JOHN BRAZIL. Staff
Writers. BILL MOODY, Gulf Area Repre­
sentative.

Editorial .11
Final Dispatch 15
Inquiring Seafarer .10
Labor Roundup 7
Personals, Notices ........11
Recent Arrivals . 6
Seafarers In Action 5
Seafarers In Hospitals 14
Your Dollar's Worth ...... 7

Publlthad biwtekly at tha haadquartara
of .tha Saafarart International Union, At­
lantic <1 Gulf District, AFL-CIO, «7S Fourth
Avonuo, Brooklyn 32, NY. Tel. HYaclnth
*-M00. Entorod at second class matter
at tha Post Offlco In Brooklyn, NY, under
tho Act of Aus. 24, 1*12.

120

/M



July M. M5T
' /

SEAFARERS LOG Pace Three

Good Shipping, Clears MFOW Hall

Large, impressive hiring end meeting hall on ground floor of the Marine Firemen's new headauarters
in Son Francisco dwarfs handful of Mf^W men still on the beach during good shipping right now.
New hall opened last month replaces structure that had to be vacated to make way for highway
project. Restaurant occupiei the rest of the main floor, recreational facilities and union offices cover
second floor and garage is .in basement.

AFL-CIO Body Holds Coal Hearing
A two-week breather in the crewing of the American Coal ships is due to come to an

end this weekend with the arrival of the Harry Glucksman at Norfolk for replacements.
Pending the calling of jobs for the Glucksman, a check-up on the shipboard count shows the
SIU holding a lead of nine,
103 to 94, over the Nationa'
Maritime Union. One ship in
the fleet is carrying 29 men be
cause of a mix-up in the hiring
when five ships came in during one
week.

With no ships in port, the cen>^
tcr of attention in the coal beef
shifted to Cincinnati where the
two-man committee appointed by
AFL-CIO President George Meany
held a mediation meeting with
the unions involved.

The committee, consisting of
George Harrison, president of the
Brotherhood of Railway and Steam­
ship Clerks, and Jacob Potofsky,
president of the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers, heard the par­
ties to the dispute on July 8 in the
headquarter's offices of the Rail­
way Clerks union. The meeting had
been called after an appeal by the
Masters, Mates and Pilots and the
Marine Engineers Beneficial Asso­
ciation for "earliest possible" ac­
tion on the dispute.

MM&P and MEBA representa­
tives were at the gathering as well
as SIU Secretary-Treasurer Paul
Hall, and NMU President Joseph
Curran. After thorough discussion
of various phases of the beef, Har­
rison and Potofsky announced that
they would forward a series of rec­
ommendations to President Meapy
offering possible settlement pro­
posals.

Further Postponement
Meanwhile, the National Labor

Relations Board has ordered an­
other postponement on hearings
dealing with unfair labor practice
charges and an election in the coal
fleet. Action on election proce­
dure has been stymied thus far by
NMU's refusal to accept the me­
chanics of voting as proposed by
the Board.

The Board had suggested that
notices be posted on all ships call­
ing for an election and instructing
the company not to favor the NMU
by any action between now and an
election date. The NMU, which has
been the beneficiary of repeated
company favoritism, objected stren­
uously to the posting of such
notices.

Still pending before the Board
are a number of SIU unfair labor
practice charges against thd com­
pany because of the company's
discrimination,'^ ̂ t^bist Seafarers,

including a rash of firings of SIU
oldtimers on the ships.

Despite the firings, the SIU has
persistently maintained its lead
over the past several weeks win­
ning 103 jobs to 88 jobs won by
NMU. The NMU had an original
edge of six "frozen" Jobs on the
Coal Miner.

Another factor in the coal opera­
tion is the persistent decline' in
coal shipping rates to Europe. The
rates slipped to a low of around
$5.50 a ton the past few days. Other
Hgures published recently have
shown a'decline in bituminous coal
production in the US this year as
European mines make a comeback.

Coal Ship System:
Mate fires Wiper

In desperate efforts to assist the National Maritime Union
on the American Coal ships, company-union ships' officers
have fired more than a dozen Seafarers to date on a variety
of trumped-up chargds. Des--^
pite these company moves,
and an initial handicap of six
jobs in favor of the NMU, the
SIU continues, to cling to a 103 to
94 lead in the coal ship fight.

Typical of the firings was the
treatment of Seafarer Candelerio
Ramos, wiper, who was booted off
the Cleveland Abbe, after making
three trips, on the specific orders
of the chief mate. The mate in­
structed the chief engineer that
Ramos was to be fired even though
the chief was reluctant to lose him
because he was one of the best
workers on the ship.

As Ramos explained it, "I was
sitting in the crew messhall when
the chief mate barged In. He
called, 'Hey you, Puerto Rican,
come here. Go up and see the skip­
per.'

Incidentally, all the skipper
wanted to see him about was to
square his slop chest account for
the trip.

Asked to Take Off Hat
"I told the chief mate as pleas­

antly as I could that he should
speak more politely to me. Besides
that he was wearing his hat and I
suggested to him that he should
take off his hat when he came into
the niessroom as that is the prac­
tice on all ships that I have been
on.

"The next thing I knew the chief
male went to the chief engineer in
the saloon mess and ordered him
to fire me because I told him to
take-bis hat off. He was: hollering

Seafarer Candelerio Ramos,
FWT, visits LOG office to de­
scribe how District 50 chief
mate engineered his firing
from the coal ship Cleveland
Abbe. He sailecL wiper with
ACS.

I am his superior' when th'e chief
engineer tried to calm him down.

"When it came time to sign on
for the fourth trip I was all ready
to sign but the company man came
up to me and told me I was fired.
This is the first time in the last
eight years that I have had to go
to Joralemon Street for the un­
employment insurance."

Ramos added that the District 50
officers were - doing every thing

(Continued on page 10)

Pentagon Calls
Shipping 'Vital'
To US Defense

WASHINGTON—A strong statement from the De­
partment of Defense has put to rest rumors that it had
withdrawn support from the US merchant fleet as a key
factor in US Defense plan-^—
ning. On the contrary^
Navy Secretary Thomas S.
Qates, Jr., told the House
Merchant Marine Commit­
tee that a "large, modern
and well balanced American
merchant marine is positively
vital to .our defense plan­
ning ..."

"Without it," he continued,
"neither the military effort nor the
war economy of our nation could
be supported."

For several weeka now, there
had been reports of a "new con­
cept" of defense planning for the
nuclear age. The concept had it
that the merchant marine would no
longer be a factor in a future war
on the theory that such a war
would be over in a matter of days
before shipping could play any
role.

If this outlook "were adopted, it
would knock the props out from
under US Government aid to mari­
time, including construction and
operating assistance, since such aid

American flag under ideal condi­
tions, but that he was willing to
accept the "effective control" idea
over runaway shipping as second
best.

Couldn't Get Manpower
He conceded that in an emer­

gency, the US would face a diffi­
cult problem in finding reliable
crewmembers for the runaway flag
sliips. crewmembers who could
come only out of the US manning
pool.

'The SIU and other maritime
groups have argued that wholesale
transfers foreign take away the
jobs of American seamen and re­
duce the manpower available for
shipping needs accordingly. Con­
tinuation of such transfers then,
not only raises a competitive buga-

.boo for US-flag shipping, but tends
to deprive it of adequate manpower
for expansion and emergency
needs.

Touching on another area, Gates
expressed concern over the dwind­
ling number of American-flag
tramp ships. He did not explain
Iiow this concern equated with the

is largely construed as being in the ' Department's policy of supporting
interests of national defense.

While supporting a large,
modern fleet as "vital," Gates re-
endorsed the Department's view
that ships under the runaway flags
are to be considered as under the
"effective control" of the US for
defense purposes. Another Navy
spokesman, appearing before the
Senate Foreign Commerce Com­
mittee, supported the sale of 67
US reserve ships to foreign nations.
The sales have been {^ttacked by
the SIU and other maritime unions
as weakening the competitive posi­
tion of US shipping.

Shipowner groups have also
opposed these sales, but have sup­
ported transfers to runaway flags,
indicating that they have no o«. •
jection to weakening the US mer­
chant marine as long as they own
the biggest piece of the shipping
placed under the foreign flag.

Gates' attitude on the subject of
flag shipping Indicated that De^
fense would prefer ships to fly the

SCHEDULE OF
SIU MEETINGS

SIU membershfii) meet-
?ngs are held regularly
every two weeks on Wed­
nesday nights at 7 PM in
all SIU 'ports. All Sea­
farers ore expected to
attend; those who wish to
be excused should request
permission by telegram
(be sure to Include reg-.

.istrotion number). The
next-SIU meetings will be:

July 24
August 7

August 21
September 4

.ship transfers. Tramp shipping
has been hardest hit by the trans­
fer program.

Indications that the Maritime
Administrations "transfer and
build" program for subsidized
operators is making headway were
shown in Gates' testimony to the
effect that the liner America could
be run under the flag of a NATO
country as far as the Defense De­
partment is concerned. Subsidized
ship owners are seeking the right
to transfer existing ships foreign in
return for construction of new
vessels under subsidy contracts.

Hi^e '3ergs
Peril Ships
in Atlantic

The Coast Guard has reported
that a dense flow of icebergs drift­
ing south of the Grand Banks has
forced transatlantic shipping to de­
lay a shift to the shorter summer­
time route between Europe and the
Western Hemisphere. It was In
this area that the White Star Liner
Titanic, foundered and sank on
April 14, 1912.

Unusually heavy ice has been
reported in the Labrador Current
and on the east slope of the Grand
Banks during the past five weeks.
A Coast Guard patrol is standing
by the largest of the southernmost
icebergs below the Banks, sending
reports throughout the North
Atlantic every four hours.

At least eight big icebergs have
'been spotted drifting in a southerly
direction about 80 miles north of
the Track A, the winter shipping

I route, and only 20 miles north of
Track B, the route now being
used. The northernmost summer
route, ^^eck C> is closed. : .

I •

T

/I



i -
raee row SEAFARERS tOG July 19, 19S7

it

||lli|l|i|||R^^^

Sfart of service between the new Alcod terminal in Port Newark
and the Caribbean it marked by company president William C.
White (left) and Governor and Mrs. Robert B. Meyner of New Jer­
sey aboard the SlU-manned Alcoa Partner. Capt. T. Haagensen,
master of the Partner (right), took port in the shipboard cere­
monies.

Alcoa Inaugurates
Port Newark Pier

NEWARK—^New Jersey Governor Robert Meyner took pax't
in ceremonies aboard the Alcoa Partner inaugurating a new
Alcoa service between New Jersey and the Caribbean.

The occasion was the first
sailing of an Alcoa vessel from
the company's new up-to-date,
terminal facilities at Port Newark.
Alcoa has been servicing the Carib­
bean area for nearly 40 years and
recently moved Its terminal facili-

House Votes
Farm Aid To
Red Nations

WASHINGTON—The House ha.s
passed legislation permitting the
Government to barter surplus farm
products with Iron Curtain nations.
The action clears the way for the
remainder of the promised surplus
deal of $95 million for Poland,
more than one-half of which has
already been granted. Thd^surplus
program comes under the provi­
sions of the '50-50' law.

The measure is another step
away from the heretofore steadfast
rule against trading with Com­
munist nations. It Is a link in the
program of aiding weak .Commu­
nist nations to break away from
Russian domination.

The proposal does stipulate that
the Government can not make any
deal with Russia, Red China, or
any area controlled by the Chinese
Communists.

The provision is part of a com­
promise bill extending the Agricul­
tural Trade and Assistance Act for
another year. This bill Increases
from $3 to $4 billion the amount of
commodities which may be sold
for foreign currencies, and makes
available another $300 milJion
worth of commodities for famine
and disaster relief and the like.

The bill provides that within CO
days after such an agreement is
made for foreign currency, a full
report must be made to the
Congress and the Senate and
House Appropriations committees.
Twenty-five percent of such
foreign currencies accruing abroad
should be used for loans to private
business to assist development of
foreign agriculturaLmarkets.

ties from New York to Port New­
ark because of the modern and
efficient cargo handling facilities
oflei'ed at this new port develop­
ment.

The Governor sent a first voyage
memento consisting of a leather
bound vdlume about the area's port
facilities to Venezuelan President
Perez-Jimenez. Mayor Leo Carlin
of Newark also sent a first-voyage
memento, a Jersey-made Weston
light meter, to Felicia Rincons de
Gautier, Mayoress of San Juan,
Puerto Rico.

The ceremonies were attended
by more than 35 government, port
and steamship officials. The Gov­
ernor and his wife were luncheon
guests of the company aboard the
Alcoa Partner.

Tankers Supply
Hub Business

BOSTON — Shipping has been
fair in this area during the past
period with Class "B" men taking
the majority of the jobs. Next
periffd, reports James Sheehan,
should be better. There is an ex­
pected payoff of a tanker coming
in from an eleven-month trip and
most of the men, he said, will be
anxious to hit the beach for awhile.
The Winter Hill will also be in this
coming week an^ there will be
some jobs on her.

There were four vessels paying
off and signing on in this area dur­
ing the past two weeks. The Gov­
ernment Camp (Cities Service)
paid off and signed on twice dui-ing
the period. The other vessels
were the Bradford Island (Cities
Service), and the Pan Oceanic
Transporter (Penn. Nav.).

Port

June 26 Through July 9'
Registered

Boston
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk .
Savannah
Tampa ...
Mobile ..... • •
New Orleans
Lake Charles
Houston .........f.
Wilmingtofl
San Francisco
Seattle

reeeeeeeeeea

Deck D«CX Eng. Eng. . stew. flaw. Total Total
A . B A B A . • , •• •• A B
7 9 6 .4 3 4 16 17

71 / 21 61 13 54. - 8 186 42
37 6 25 2 ;-12. 1 74 9
43 ' • 15 35 .25 26 21 104 61
13 2 3 10 4 5 20 • 17
5 0 10 2 8 1 23 3

11 2 6 4 ' 13 2 30 8
50 15 28 5 25 13 103 33
75 15 36 12 69 11 - 180 38
16 5 8 7 6 3 30 15
23 10 .21 11 13 5 57 26
15 6 9 4 8 4 ' 32 14
27 19 7 11 15 6 49 36
16~ , . 16 18 8 12 6 46 30
D<ck Deck eng. Eng. Staw. Itcw. Total Total

A B A B A B A B
409 141 2,73 118 268 90 950 349

Total
Roe.

33
228
83

165
37
26
38

136
218

45
83
46
85
76

Total
Rog.

1299

P^rt

Boston

Norfolk .
Savannah
Tampa ..

New

San Francisco.
Seattle

Total . 242

Oa>!k Dock Dock Eng. Eng. Eng. ttaw. Stew. Staw. Total Total Total Total
A B C A B C A B C A B c Ship.
6 4 0 1 3 0 1 2 - 3 8 9 3 20

68 14 .10 73 21 12 43 8 8 184 43 30 257
23 5 5 12 7 16 11 JtA 2 4 46 14 25 85
21 11 5 27 10 5 12 * 5 2 60 26 12 98
4 0 0 1 1 0 0 4" 1 5 5 1 11
3 1 2 5 2 1 5 0 0 13 3 3 19
4 2 2 4 4 0 4 1 2 12 7 4 23

21 5 4 11 9 8 12 3 0 • 44^ 17 12 73
42 17 3 43 9 7 46 11 8 131 37 18 186
,10 5 1 9 6 1 4 0 1 23 11 3 37
21 13 14 20 10 20 15 7 5 56 30 39 125
5 1 0 1 1 0 6 3 0 12 5 0 17
7 3 6 6 7 1 7 2 2 20 12 9 41
7 9 0 7 4 5 10 3 4 24 16 9 49

Dock Daek Daek Eng. Eng. Eng. Staw. Staw. Staw. Total Total Total Total
' A B c A B C A B c A B c Ship.

242 90 52 220 94 76 176 51 40 638 235 168 1041

SIU shipping during the past two weeks slipped back to the lowest point since March and
the second lowest total for thie year so far. The decline follows several periods of relatively
good shipping. There is every sign shipping will pick up again in the coming weeks.

Total shipping for the pe-"^"
riod was 1,041. The overall
registration for the District,
totalling 1,299, was way out in
front. .

Only five A&G ports showed an
increase over the previous report,
but none of the gains was of any
real consequence. These ports
were Boston, New York, Philadel­
phia,""Savannah and Houston. Ap­
parently New York is holding its
own, although other major ports
slowed up.

All of the West Coast ports,
plus Baltimore, Tampa, Mobile,
New Orleans and Lake Charles de­
clined. In addition, Norfolk stayed
the same: slow. Most ports expect
some improvement in the current
period.

Black Gang Even

Registration and shipping were
even in the engine department,
but far apart on deck jobs. There
was a little less lag in the case
of shipping and registration for the
steward department.

The seniority totals show slight
declines for class A and class B
shipping, all of which was taken
up by class C. Class A accounted
for 61 percent of the jobs dis­
patched, class B for 2$ percent and
class C men for the remainder.

The following is the forecast
port by port:

Boston: About the same .- . . New
York: Good . . . Philadelphia: Good
. . . Baltimore: Fair . . . Norfolk:
Slow . . . Savannah: Slow . . .
Tampa: Fair . . . Mobile: Fair . . .
New Orleans: Good . . . Lake
Charles: Fair . . . Houston: Good
. . . Wilmington Fair . . . San
Francisco: Should improve . . .
Seattlp: Good.

Waterman Beats PR Bid;
Delta Line 'Not For Sale'

WASHINGTON—The owners of Waterman-Pan Atlantic
.Steamship Corp. won a clear-cut victory before the Interstate
Commerce Commission when that agency ruled that McLean
Industries Inc. had legal right

. Want To Sail Engineer? See BME
The Brotherhood of Marine TIngineers is now recruiting licensed

men to fill open jobs resulting from new contracts and expanded
service by several of its operators. It prefers men who have come
up from the foc'sle with its affiliated unions, men who know their
jobs and share the outlook of the SIU of NA. If you're interested
in using your ticket, consult the nearest BME representative, or
inquire at any SIU hall.

to own the steamship opera­
tions. By making the ruling,
the ICC Sccepted Waterman's sur­
render of its intercoastal operating
r^hts as Arrow Line.

O^ynership Under Attack
The McLean ownership had been

under attack from the major East
Coast railroads on the grounds that
it constituted illegal operation of
both a trucking company and a
steamship company. At the time
of the purchase, the McLean fam­
ily owned and operated McLean
Trucking.

The ICC examiner found that
while the company had been il­
legally acquired in the first in­
stance, the McLean family l\ad
divested its control of McLean
Trucking and consequently should
be permitted to conUnue to oper­
ate Waterman-Pan Atlantic through
McLeafi Industries.

Examiner Reversed
The ICC decision reversed a

finding of a hearing examiner. Had
the agency upheld the examinei*,
the McLean group would have
been compelled to sell its holdings
in Waterman-Pan Atlantic.

The complaint instituted by the
railroads was obviously prompted
by the fear that the new owners
would make Waterman-Pan Atlan­
tic a powerful competitor in the
coastwise and intercoastal services.
The .energetic activities _pf the
McLean group are now coming to
fruit in the form of the first true
containership services due to start
next month.

Mississippi Rejects Bids
In another important develop­

ment affecting an SlU-contracted
shipping company, Harry X. Kelley,
president of Mississippi Shipping,

announced that the company's
board of directors had rejected
merger proposals from both Lykes
Brothers and W. R. Grace an:I
Company. -

Kelley declared that the direc­
tors decided it was "more desir­
able" for Mississippi to continue
as an independent shipping opera­
tion.

Mississippi, Incidentally, is re­
ported as owning 262,500 shares of
Lykes Brothers.

Pursers Win
6% liaise

The staff Officers Association
has announced the signing of a new
agreement granting a 6 percent
wage increase and other benefits
for pursers on the Atlantic and
Gulf coast steamship companies.

Meanwhile, the National. Labor
Relations Board election for repre­
sentation of pursers on the Missis­
sippi Shipping Company vessels
is still going on. Voting will con­
tinue until Aug. 31. The election
is the result of an organizing drive
by the SlU-affiliated pursers union
aboard the Delta Line ships.

SeA PA

' •' ft."



nm
V-'*-

.V • '

July 19, 19ST T- J . /, SEAFARERS LOG Par* FIT*

Seafarer John W. Logaii (right), one of four seaman-winner* of
SlU scholarships in 1957, checks over shipping picture with New
York dispotcheii Scotty Aubusson. He'll try to make one more trip
before starting school in the fall.

Scholarship Licks .
Seafarer's $ Woes

The urge to get a college education came to Seafarer John
Logan after nine years' sailing and two in Uncle Sam's Army.
When he got started in 1956
with a bang. In his first year
and a half of school he made
the Dean's list and came up
with an SIU scholarship besides.

A native of Poughkeepsie, a
thriving city on the banks of the
Hudson about 75 miles north of
New York, Logan started sailing
in 1945 at the age of 17. He be-

• came an SIU member, the following
year and put In several years' sea-

;hough, he got off the ground

time as fireman and electrician on
SIU ships.

In 1954, Uncle Sam tapped him
on the shoulder and he went off
for a two-year Army hitch. While
in service he decided he would go
to school when he got out.

He enrolled in New Paltz State
Teachers College, a division of the

(Continued on page 15)

La, Labor Aids'Audrey' Relief
LAKE CHARLES, La.—Seafarers and other union men here are volunteering in a co­

ordinated effort to relieve some of the losses caused by Hurricane Audrey. Victor Bussie,
president of the Louisiana State Labor Council, has organized a committee known as Labor'®
Disaster Relief Committee tof
start building projects and
fund-raising campaigns for
the people of Cameron County
and other hard-hit areas.

The committee, consisting of
representatives from each of the
council's affiliated unions, has set
up programs to help rebuild the
wiped-out parish. The state's car­
penters, plumbers, electricians,
and painters have formed build­
ing teams, and have volunteered
their weekends to help construct
complete homes for those stricken
people who are unable, financially
or physically, to do so. The mate­
rials for the project will be fur­
nished by the Government.

It is planned that under the well-
coordinated program en^neered
by skilled rescue and construction
men, each team will be able to
complete -one house every two
days. The Lake Charles Council
will furnish the necessai'y trans­
portation, food and shelter for the
volunteer workers.

Seafarers in the area, reports
Leroy Clarke, Lake Charles port
agent, are doing all they can to
help. They will furnish whatever
manpower and materials are at
their disposal when the work starts.
"Our cooks," he said, "can cer­
tainly cook the grub for the work­
ers and we can also work as help­
ers to the skilled crafts."

Meanwhile donations are pour­
ing into the relief fund from all
parts of the nation. The New Or­
leans Central Labor Council has
been instrumental, Clarke said, in
raising a large sum for the fund.

aium

The crew of the Cities Service
tanker Chiwawa wished to.express

thdir gratitude to Lake Charles port
agent Leroy Clarke for sending
a radiogram to the vessel inform­

ing them of the
welfare of their
families in the
hurricane-hit
area." A motion
made by W. Ta-
tum and seconded
by F. Reid to do­
nate the ships
fund for the re­
lief of the victims
of Hurricane Au­

drey'was unanimously carried.

t 1* 4"

Seafarer Paul Whitlow, ship's
delegate on the
City of Alma, was
congratulated by
the crew for the
time and effort
he put into creat­
ing a fine rela­
tionship "between
the crew and of-
f i c e r s for a
smooth running
ship."

Ship's delegate John G. Brady
on the SS Antinous WTote that at

Whitlow

the last meeting, he was asked to
convey a message from the Cap­
tain to the crew that "this is one of
the best crews that he has ever
sailed with, and that he appreci­
ates it." It adds up because Brady
said there were no beefs to report,

i t 4"
Delegates also made the reports

during the past two weeks for their
fine performance.
"A rising vote of ^ ^
thanks and appre­
ciation for the re-
signing ship's
delegate for the 1
last trip, Nick
Nickle, was called
for by the chair­
man and freely
given by all," was
the report from
the Mary Adams.

4* 4>
All delegate jobs on the SS Hast­

ings are in good hands, according
to meeting secretary J. E. Wells,
"All are capable of keeping th*
ship running in SIU Style." Th*
delegates are Aden Ezell, Jr.,
Ralph Taylor, John W. Mollis, and
Matt Oswald. And the crew of the
Steel Executive asked W. Morris
to remain as ship's delegate be­
cause of the fine job he had been
doing in that capacity. It all goes
to prove that good delegates are
well appreciated.

Nickle

NMU Blacklist Perils Job Rights
(Contiued from page 2)

of someone who is not to their
liking.

Further, the system sets up an
Industry-wide dossier making a
geaman's personal records wide
open to any kind of snoop, busy­
body or troublemaker who thinks
It worth his while to spend a
dollar for Information obout a

Logging Beef
Was Cover-Up
Last fall, when the SIU ne­

gotiated a "one for one" limit
on shipboard loggings, it's ob­
jective was to do away with
purely arbitrary and unrea­
sonable fines by ship captains.

The SIU's success infuri­
ated the NMU which for some
time had been unsuccessful
in seeking to establish a log­
ging limit. The NMU then, for
reasons which have since be­
come clear, attempted to con­
vince the world that 1) the SIU
had "sold out", 2) the NMU
was "first" with a loggings
limit and 3), the NMU had done
away with loggings altogether
even though its agreement
was a "one for one" clause
like the SIU's.

What had happened became
clear last week. It was neces­
sary for Curran to exaggerate
and mislead on the loggings
issue because Curran had
traded away the men's employ­
ment rights in the, Industry
by agreeing on a blacklist ,ln
return for a loggings limit.
The SIU, by achieving a log­
gings limit ahead of NMU-
without any weakening of Sea­
farer's job rights, bad pulled
the teefh out of Curran's plans.

particular Individual.
The industry-wide blacklist was

drafted under cover of a series of
vicious attacks on the SIU by
Curran. Its groundwork was laid
last fall at the time Curran was
blasting the SIU for signing an
agreement which outlawed two fo^
one loggings on the ships. While
shrieking "SIU sellout on loggings"
Curran took the same loggings
arrangement from the AMMI. In
'turn for the dropping of two for
one logs, Curran agreed that the
shipowners would have the right
to fire or blacklist NMU members
who were logged.

As the SEAFARERS LOG
pointed out on November 9, 1956,
"On the basis of the announcement
in the "NMU Pilot" of October 25,
1956, that 'the practice of logging
had been eliminated' it was re­
ported by some ship operators that
the NMU might ailow the ship­
owners complete authority to fire
or blacklist crewmembers missing
work or watch, in exchange for
eliminating the practice of log­
ging."

Revised Employment Clause
The next step was revision of the

NMU's employment clause. This
wa.s done over a period of weeks
and the revision was completed
in February. Ralph Casey, presi­
dent of the American Merchant
Marine Institute, quoted the
amended clause as stating, "the
Union need not register in their
employment offices men who, by
reason of discipline records, are
not considered suitable for em­
ployment. Of course, the company
retains the right to reject pro­
spective employees who are not
satisfactory to the company."

An abbreviated copy of this
clause without a word of explana­
tory material was buried in the
March 14 NMU "Pilot." This was
the same issue In. which Curran
launched an attack on the SIU as

betraying the hiring hall!"
The new employment clause

cleared the way for the blacklist
machinery which Casey announced
to the companies on April 30, 1957.
"For some time," Casey wrote, the
employers have "been concerned
with situations where a man fired
by one company for disciplinary
reasons finds employment with
another company. This problem
was taken up with the National
Maritime Union and the Union in­
dicated a desire to cooperate . . .
finally, the employment clause in
the collective bargaining agree­

ment was amended. . . .
"As a corollary to this revised

employment-clause" the companies
have worked up a system whereby
"breaches of discipline . . . con­
cerning which an official log book
entry is made and for which the
man is subsequently fired will be
reported to the Marine Index
Bureau."

Casey goes on to urge "all com­
panies to send in, beginning at
once," information about the fir­
ings. "Then these companies will
be able to obtain, by teletype or
telephone, disciplinary history, if

What Is Marine Index?
Marine Index Bureau, Inc., which is handlingjhe blacklist

machinery for the NMU at $1 per head, is a "private eye"
agency which specializes in investigations of seamen's injury
cases. It also niaintains files on such cases for the shipowners.

Marine Index will be remembered by Seafarers for its involvement
in the labor spy apparatus developed by William Potter Lage, who at
the time, was one of the attorneys for the Cities Service Oil Company.
The apparatus was disbanded following a labor-management relations
investigation by a Senate Labor Committee gi'oup. Lage is no longer
associated with Cities Service. •

Bruno Augenti, head and major stockholder in Marine Index, was
questioned at these hearings on September 26, 1950. Augenti submitted
a sworn statement to the effect that he had lent one of his employees,
Louis Scotti, to Lage. This loan came after "conversations with Mr.
Lage ... Mr. Lage would tell us about his activities with the Cities Serv­
ice Company . ... "

Scotti then went to see Lage and was assigned to fingering SIU men
so that the Cities Service hiring boss could refuse to hire them. "I
Was supposed to report to Mr. Hanaway any men who were seated in
that hiring hall (Cities Service office—ED.) who were members of the
SIU ... "

Scotti continued, "I would sit in this hiring hall in the morning . . .
and I would try to recognize their faces ... after sitting there for about
an hour or two, I walked down to . . . Beaver Street and would stand
across the street. . . and try to notice any men who were seated at the
hiring hall at 70 Pine Street who were hanging around the SIU hali . ..

"I did tell-Mr. Hanaway . . . that there were a few men, and I gave
him the description of these men, that were seen sitting in the hiring
hall, the Cities Service hiring hall, and seen going into theSIU hall«.."

Another part of the spy apparatus fingered SIU men on Cities Service
ships with the result that hundreds were fired. These men subsequently
collected over $150,000 in back wages in an NLRB settlement.

any, of each man dispatched to its
ships by the union."

Any Man for $1
A second letter from Marine

Index,, dated May 8, goes into
greater detail as to how the opera­
tion works and how the agency
will be happy to finger seamen for
the operators at $1 per head.

". . . all companies," the letter
says, "are to forward to this bu­
reau . . . information from all offi­
cial log book entries resulting hi
a man's being fired.

"Upon receipt of this form the
Bureau will code this information
and transfer it to a 3 x 5 index
card which will be placed in the
Bureau's master files. . . .

"Whenever an individual . . . is
dispatched for employment . . .
this bureau will then submit a full
report of previous loggings. . . .

". . . those companies who wish
to receive reports on the Log Entry
Service may do so on a 'per report'
basis for which a charge of $1 per
report will be made."

US Lines'
Blacklist

(Continued from page 2)
"Labor-Management Committee,"
a US Lines lobby which on various
occasions has fought to keep a
monopoly of North Atlantic trade
and passenger routes in the com­
pany's hands at the expense of the
industry at large.

Curran's participation in this
"labor-management committee"
and the committee's emphasis on
the desires of management as
opposed to the interests of seamen
was one of the reasons for th*
destruction of working unity be­
tween American Maritime unions
under the CAMU set-up.

a
•M'

#

m



Par« 8far SEAFARERS LOG July 19. 1957

Iv After 25 Years-
SSI Monthly Pay

^ Every time a US maritime union goes out for a wage in­
crease, the shipping journals editorialize that US seamen's
wages are "excessive," and complain that US ships have dif­
ficulty meeting foreign com-'
petition accordingly. If US
unions had listened to these
plaints years ago about keeping
wages "in line" with the competi­
tion^ seamen would still be making
$100 a month.

Here is how one British seaman

Seaway Bid
To Keynote
IBL Parley

CHICAGO—Emphasis on the
shipping potential promised by the
full opening of the St. Lawrence
Seaway in 1959 is expected to key­
note the convention of the AFL-
CIO International Brotherhood of
Longshoremen opening here Mon­
day at the Hotel Sherman.

Firmly entrenched in the Great
Lakes area on both sides of the
border due to the major economic
gains of the past four years, the
IBL discounts the "pie in the sky"
promises put out by the independ­
ent International Longshore's As­
sociation this week. The ILA has
just wound up its own convention
here.

Great Lakes locals of the or­
phaned ILA were among the first
to break away when the ILA was
ousted from the American Federa­
tion of Labor in 1953 and form
the cornerstone of the new AFL-
CIO dockers' union. Since then,
the ILA has tried, without suc­
cess, to woo them back. News­
paper accounts point out that even
the stevedoring firms see little
basis for the ILA campaign.

"There are loud noises but little
action," an official of one Lakes'
firm declared to newsmen.

Both IBL President Larry Long
and E. L. "Buster" Slaughter, sec­
retary-treasurer, are old Great
Lakes' hands and led the break­
away from the ILA. The AFL is­
sued a charter 'for a new demo­
cratic longshoremen's union in
1953 when it bounced ILA on
charges of "racket domination."

Prospects for vastly accelerated
shipping activity, coupled with ex­
panded opportunities for long­
shoremen, are in the offing when
the full Seaway opens two years
from now. So far, foreign-flag
operators have dominated the field,
but the Seaway i-oute for certain
offshore runs has already been de­
clared an "essential" route for
Government subsidies by the Fed­
eral Maritime Board, and US-flag
companies are angling for shallow-
draft vessels to put in service
right away.

When completed, the Seaway
will provide a 27-foot channel for
sea-going vessels as far inland as
Duluth, Minn., creating a fourth
United States "coastline." Although
most shippers are still dragging
their feet and slow to come up
with plans for the use of the Sea­
way, both longshore^ and seamen's
unions recognize the organizing
possibilities when the waterway
comes into regular use two years
from now.

In this connection, the next con­
vention of the SIU of North Amer-

'ica has been slated for Montreal,
Canada, in the spring of 1959; to
coincide with the formal Seaway
opening.

describes his conditions in a re­
cent letter to the LOG. The man
in question is employed by the
Union Castle Line.

"The conditions of service in
your mercantile marine," he writes,
"seem much better than ours. For
instance, I am a night watch keep­
er, on duty at sea every night dur­
ing the trip from 9:30 PM until 7
AM with NO nights off when in
port.

"My salary is 32 pounds, 10 shil-
ing a month ($91 at the official
rate of exchange—Ed.). Out of
this I have to allot my wife some
and buy my uniform. The Eng­
lish companies do not supply free
uniforms. However, after 25 years
at sea I got used to it!"

Obviously if American seamen
are going to enjoy an Amei-ican
standard of living they have to be
paid on the American scale. Any
other course would simply strip
US ships of American manpower
and lead to the wholesale transfer
or lay-up of the US merchant fleet.

All of the following SIU familtes
have received a $200 maternity
benefit plus $25 bond from the
Union in the baby's name:

Michel Henry Culpepper, boi;p
June 10,1957, to Seafarers and Mrs.
William E. Culpepper, Norfolk, Va.

Maurice Duke Duet, born May
15, 19.57, to Seafarer and Mrs.
Maurice Duet, New Orleans, La.

George Francis Hargroves, born
May 26, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs.
Carl Hargroves, Jenkintown, Pa.

Edward Robert Going, born June
13, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs. Ed­
ward Going, Brooklyn, NY.

Robert Earl Kiedinger, born
March 7, 1957, to Seafarer and
Mrs. Robert E. Kiedinger, Galves­
ton, Texas.

Marie Ann Cheramie, born May
16, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs. Jaclt
B. Cheramie, Gretna, La.

Ronald Paul Lightell, bom June
21, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs. Paul
G. Lighten, New Orleans, La.

Leticia Rodriguez, born June 8,
1957, to Seafarer and Mrs. Augus-
tin Rodriguez, New York City.

Betty Joe Mammae, bora June
21, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs. Al­
bert Hammac, Mobile, Ala.

Kevin Michael Allison, born
June 3, 1957, to Seafag^r and Mrs.
Cornelius Allison, Norristown, Pa.

Harold Monroe Gaskill, born
June 19, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs.
Horace B. Gaskill, Sealevel, N^I.

Carol Jane Wasmer, born June
11, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs.
Francis E. Wasmer, Kansas City,
Mo.

Rebecca Hally Siar, born June
17, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs. Rich­
ard C. Siar, Elmira, NY.

Jo Ann Williams born June 28,
1957, to Seafarer and Mrs. Charles
H. Williams, Plateau, Ala,

Charles Dale Tate, born April 15,
1957, to Seafarer and Mrs. Jasper
J. Tate, Lake Charles, La.
' Daniel Francis Patten, born
April 26, 1957, to Seafarer and
Mrs. Eugene F. Patten, Fall City,
Washington.

\ •

Worth Holding

On To

Tha standard injunction about
ladders and gangways is "al­
ways keep one hand free to hold
on to the rail." It may be old,
but it still rates as a very sound
piece of advice.

Figure it this way. If your
life is worth holding on to, then
it's certainly worth your while
to hang on to that ^il. Sure it
makes two trips out of one now
and then, but it may save you
from an extra trip nobody wants
to make—the trip to the hospital.

An SIU Ship Is A Safe Ship

« •* i V'V y/T.'-f hj'r



July If. IfSV SEAFARERS LOG

•y

Par* SeT*B

JL

: 3,3 •
I 3^3

YOUR DOllAR'S WORTH
Seafarer's Gaide To Better Buying

By Sidney MargoUua
' "

Inisurance, Housing Problems ^
Life insurance: I'm 35, bave two dependants, and own my own home

carrying a 30-year, $8,000 mortgage. Due to bad decisions wjien I left
service I converted my GI insurance to a $2,500 20-year-pay plan,
which I now realize is totally inadequate protection for a family.
According to an article by U.A.L. Capt. G. C. Kehmeir, one-year
renewable term insurance is the most economical buy for a wage
eai-ner. I have contacted a savings bank which sells five-year renew­
able term insurance. Are savings banks cheaper? I have a group life
Insurance policy from a previous employer which I was allowed to
convert to a whole-life policy of $1,000, at an annual premium of $20.25.
It's been in force three years. I was thinking of surrendering it for
its cash value and purchasing term insurance which would doable the
face amount for the same premium. I also have * $5,000 policy paid
for by my employer. If I'm laid off in the future, my protection will
be reduced further. Do you recommend insurance which pays off the
mortgage if the husband died?"—W.L., Wantagh, NY.

Answer: Assuming you have a wife and one child and earn at
least $4,200 a year, if anything happened to you your family would
get $162.80 a month from Social
Security until your child became
18. Then your widow would get
nothing until age 62, at which time
•he'd get $81:40 a month. To
supplement this payment and
especially help provide for the gap
In widow's payments, figure it
takes about $9,500 of private life
insurance to provide $50 a month
for 20 years, $14,000 to provide
$50 a month for 30 years, $19,000
to provide $100 a month for 30
years, etc. Term insurance is the
least costly way to provide a large
amount of protection for a young
family on a wage-earner's Income.
One-year term renewable insur­
ance is the jnost flexible plan but
five-year term is also quite flexible,
and reasonable in cost. Group life
Insurance is your best bet, since
costs are lowest. Furthermore, a
group policy paid by your employer
is non-taxable. You have to earn $1.20 in cash wages to buy a dollar's
wortb of insurance (which your employer may be able to buy for 50
or 60 cents), because you pay income tax ofi your cash earnings. Thus,
50 or 60 cents that your employer may lay out for group insurance
would save you $1.20. Savings bank insurance is very reasonable but
it is available only in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

• « 0

Financing a Home: "We are buying a home for $13,250, and the FHA
appraisal is for the same amount. We will pay down $1,950 and $88
a month for 30 years, including taxes and insurance. The house pay­
ment alone is $62.83 which brings the total cost in 30 years to $22,618.
We presume this is usual as all places cost almost double by the time
one is through paying. When we make a payment doesn't that mean
we pay interest only on the balance of the principal? We were told
by the interviewer at the bank that the one-half percent of the 5V6
Pjercent interest rate was for mortgage insurance. In case one or the
other of us died the house would be automatically paid off. Also, the
closing costs are $400. That does not sound like a gray market, but
you would know.

"Can we buy extra on the principal if we liave a few hundred more
to put on it, or does the contract have to state this can be done? I
presume we can deduct the five percent Interest on our income-tax
return but not the one-half percent? Can we deduct the taxes and
Insurance too? When claiming such deductions does one have to use
the long form and list all other deductions or can one use the short
form and still claim the above, deductions?. I am 44 and my husband
is 50. This house deal is new to both of us but it will be as cheap to
buy as rent for rents arte climbing all the time. It takes two employed
people to pay for a decent apartment here."—Mrs. R.L.T., Santa
Monica, California.

Answer: Yes, each payment includes interest only on the balance
of the principal. If this is an FHA mortgage, the bank interviewer
was wrong in stating one-half of one precent mortgage insurance fee
will pay the balance of the mortgage in case of death. This particular
kind of "mortgage insurance" only insures the lender against any loss
if you don't meet the payments.

The closing costs of $400 for this price house, in this writer's opinion,
do constitute a gray market in home financing and are even a little
high for the legal gray market. FHA permits the lender to charge
closing costs of one percent of the original amount, plus costs of title
policy, recording fee, survey and stamp tax. FHA will review these
closing, costs before it finally approves the mortgage, and will reject
them if it considers them excessive.

Prepay On Principal
You can prepay up to 15 percent of the original of an FHA mortgage

eac^ year without penalty. Over that amount, you pay a penalty of
onte percent of the original principal, or less if the total FHA insurance
premiums paid cover the required amount. When the mortgage is
finally paid up, there is a good chance some of the'FHA premium will
be paid back to you or the final mortgagor, since the one-half percent
fee is so high FHA already has a surplus of $365 million. On your
income tax, you can deduct the five percent interest and the property
taxes, but not the FHA insurance premium, nor the fire insurance.
You have to use the long form and itemize all your deductions to take

I ^ j^c^vantageMotftJw- iqter^st aqdi -.tiix deductions.. ^Anyi penalty jfor ,prer
,, ip?,ymtebt, also, is. deductible. ~ • • • ; • • • , i

fied, so that up to 226 loaded
trailers can be stowed above and
below decks each trip. Trailers
will be stored five deep in the
holds.

The Company embarked on the
containership program using con­
verted C-2s because it could modify
most of the C-2s, which it already
had, for what it would take to build
only one special vessel from
scratch.

At the time Pan-Atlantic under­
took the "piggyback" tanker con­

versions, it had planned to build
brand-new ships, but later on, when
the tanker-trailer operation proved
profitable, sought to charter up to
20 Government tankers which it
would have modified in the same
manner. Its failure to get Con­
gressional authorization spiked this
move, and led to the containership
idea.

The company has Government
approval to transfer its four
"piggyback" ships once the con-
tainerships are in service.

First of ten conventional C-2s undergoing conversion to coiitalnerships, the Gateway City is shown in
eorly shipyard photo before addition of sponsons and removal of booms. Movable deck cranes fore
and aft, addition of 72vfeet in width and enlarging of hatches and cargo holds will enable her to carry
226 loaded truck trailers in regular coastwise service. The ship should be ready to take SlU crew
next month.

first P-A Boxship Due Soon
Seafarers have already'been introduced to two variations of the seagoing trailership in lit­

tle more than a year, and will have a chance to "try out a third in the next few weeks.
Next month, Pan-Atlantic plans to unveil the first of ten lift-on "container-ships" when

conversion is completed on the
Gateway City, a former C-2.
She will be teamed with the
likewlste converted Azalea City to
offer regular weekly sailings be­
tween New York (Port Newark),
Miami, Houston and Tampa.

Eight other onetime conventional
C-2s will eventually be added to
the service, along with calls at
New Orleans, Baltimore, Philadel­
phia and possibly Boston and Prov­
idence as well.

Pan-Atlantic has operated a
"piggy-back" truck trailer service
with modified T-2 tankers serving
New York and Houston since April,
1956. Special platform decks built
onto four SPtT-manned tankers
enabled them to carry as many as
60 loaded truck trailers on ballast
voyages southbound and both
trailers and oil northbound.

The SlU-contracted TMT Trailer
Ferry Inc. last winter put the first
of two converted landing ship
docks into the first authentic US-
flag . "roll-on-roll-off" sei-vice.
Special cabs jockey truck trailers
and other types of vehicles aboard
the TMT Carib Queen under their
own power for storage above and
below decks. This ship was on the
transatlantic run to Europe for
several trips and now operates be­
tween Florida and the Caribbean
islands.

Under Own Power
These ships differ from the

piggy-back" tankers and the com­
ing containerships because the
vehicles, in the TMT set-up, go
aboard ship under their ovvn power
via special loading ramps. In the
case of the "piggyback" vessels, the
trailers are hauled oil and off the
platform decks by mammoth shore-
side cranes installed at Pan-
Atlantic's own coastwise terminals.

The innovation of the new "con­
tainerships" is that instead of con­
ventional booms they will carry
their own movable deck cranes fore
and aft with-a lift of 30 tons and
thus require no shore-based facili­
ties. More ports can be serviced
in this type of operation since only
a dockside'apron on which trucks
can manoeuver is needed.

In addition, special hinged jib
extensions, or sponsons, have been
added, which will overhang the
ships' sides during loading and will
fold inboard when loading is com­
pleted. These will add 72 feet to
the ships' width, improving dock-
sidte.stability. -Cargo hatches and
storage holds have also been modi-the retroactive date of a 6 tierceht

The last of three strikes by NY
City Construction unions was set-
tied when" 3,000 sheet metal work­
ers voted to accept an 81-cents-aa-
hour three-year package increase.
The other two, the ornamental iron­
workers and steamfitters, settled
early last week. Although the
strike of 16,000 cement manufac­
turing workers is still in progress,
the settlement of the sheet metal
dispute will enable much construc­
tion to resume. But the Building
Trades Employers Association said
that the city's $400 million-a-year
building construction industry is
still hard hit by the cement strike.
I

Talks are being scheduled with
both small and big cement pro­
ducers as more members of the
Cement, Line & Gypsum Workers
are joining the major strike. At
present there are a total of 13,000
employees out on strike. A settle­
ment reached at the -Marquette
Cement Co. called for a 16-cents
hourly "package' deal, with an
averaged 13.6 cents in wage in­
creases. It is hoped that this would
be the key to other settlements
throughout the industry. A major
obstacle to a settlement was
reached in the Marquette agree­
ment with a "sub-contractors
clause." This prevents contracting
out of work normally done by
union members.

3^ 3» 4-
Arbitration attempts to settle a

strike between 550 members of
the AFL-CIO Oil, Chemical, and
Atomic. Workers Union and the
Socony Mobil Co, at its East St.
Louis refinery have again fallen
throughi They disagrete.sp^giiply.pn

wage increase which has been ac-
ceptedljy the employees. The strike
is entering its fifth week Produc­
tion of most of the plant's gasoline,
fuel oil, coke and jet airplane fuel
has been halted since the strike
started on June 9. The striking
members are refinery workers and
marketing employees.

4 4 4
Some 3,000 striking New Jersey

carpenters have voted to accept
a newft;ontract calling for an im­
mediate pay rise of 35 cents an
hour. The men, members of the
Central NJ District Council of the
AFL-CIO United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners of America,
have been out on strike since June
3. The contract also includes an­
other increase of 15 cents an hour
on October 1, and 20 cents an hour
more on May 30, 1958. Befoi-e the
settlement, the carpenters had
been earning $3.45 an hour.

,4 4 4
The California State Federation

of Labor has charged that "right-
to-work" advocates "are talking
and preaching civil war." They
are turning labor and manage­
ment against one another in ways
which can only leave ugly scars of
hatred and bitterness, the Federa­
tion said. In an attempt to stamp
out a movement which is pushing
"wreck" laws at local levels, the
council announced plans for a co­
ordinated statewide labor cam­
paign. Several counties in Califor­
nia have enacted local "right-to-
work" ordinances. Although a su­
perior judge has barred the use of
one such law in the City of Red
Bluff, it did not effect the validity

,such statutes on a cauntx-iwi^f •,
basis. • '

•. H-i
.)



^ '••J-

rage Eight SEAFARERS LOG July 19. 1957

iV; 1

13..

Dr. John L Wilson (center) rises to thank SlU officials and USPHS .
staff medical personnel who honored him for his years of serv­
ice in NY area marine hospitals at SlU-sponsored gathering last
Friday. Looking on are S1U Mobile Port Agent Carl Tanner (left)
and Secretary-Treasurer Paul Hall.

New York, New Orleans
Hosp. Chiefs Swap Posts

Two Public Health officers who are well known to Seafarers
have swapped posts as medical directors of the US Public
Health Service hospitals in New York and New Orleans.

The administrative shifts ~
will put Dr. John L. Wilson
In charge of the New Orleans
facility, as Dr. John N. Bowden
takes over at Staten Island. Before
he moved over to Staten Island,
Dr. Wilson had been medical of-

New head pf Staten Island
PHS hospital, Dr. John Bow­
den, Is shown at desk In New
Orleans.

licer in charge at the Manhattan
Beach, Brooklyn, PHS installation.

At a gathering arranged by the
SlU last Friday in appreciation for
his services to seamen over the
years, Dr. Wilson viras presented
with an Inscribed desk clock as

B memento of his New York tour
of duty.

The inscription lauded his many
kindnesses to seamen who were
patients at the two Institutions.
Staten Island is the seryice's larg­
est general hospital, providing
facilities for all of New York har­
bor.

Before completing his tour at
the Crescent City facility. Dr.
Bowden took the occasion, in a
letter to New Orleans SIU Port
Agent Lindsey Williams, "to ex­
press my appreciation to you and
the membership of your Union for
the assistance that you have given
me.

'Excellent Relations'

"During the four years and nine
months that I have been here in
New Orleans, the relationships
between the hospital and your
Union have been excellent. This
Is of great value to us who attempt
to serve you. You have assisted us
by aiding in keeping the blood
bank supplied, by the donation of
gifts- for the use of the patients,
and in many ways too numerous
to mention.^

A fellow of the American College
of Hospital Administrators, Dr.
Bowden is a past president of the
New Orleans Federal Business
Association and a member of the
New Orleans Hospital Council.

to assist him, if they so.desire, in
preparing his defense.

Before the (rial can begin,
proper notices must be given the
accused of the charges against him.
These charges must be read at
membership meetings to determine
if they are properly brought under
the constitution. The membership
at those meetings also acts on the
findings of the trial committee.

The constitution specifies in de­
tail the headings under which
charges can be brought, and limits
the penalties that can be Imposed
for the various offenses.

Under the appeals provisions
procedure, a Seafarer found guilty
of violating the provisions of the
constitution is entitled to appeal to
another rank-and-file committee
elected by the membership, or he
may take an appeal to the inter­
national convention.
' The names of the accused and
accusers in the following sum­
maries are omitted for the purpose
of publication.

November 29, 1956
Accused: PB-9322; Accuser: H-31!,
Charges: 1—Accused deliberately Inter­
fered with execution of duties of an
official of the Union by persisting in
instructing a Class C man to fail to Join
the SS Venore. 2—Appeared in the
Union offices in a disorderly condition
and refused to cooperate with Union rep­
resentatives. 3—Drunk, disorderly and
abusive in Union haU.
Trial Committee: T. Urbina. U-16i F.
Argcnal, A-377: A. H. Blanchette, B-645:
H. E. Fossett, F-193; L. J. Zimmerman,
Z-22.
Findings: Guilty as charged. Fined $50
for each count.

December 13, 1958
Accused: D-385: Accusers: C-1, H-8, D-3
Charges: Accused charged dispatcher
with favoritism In shipping local men,
and with using improper procedure in
shipping men, attempted to tear up rec­
ords concerning procedure for those jobs.
2—Bringing disrepute on l^ion and offi­
cials by misconduct outside Union hall.
3—Abusing dispatcher and interfering In
his discharge of duties. 4—Disorderly
conduct in Union haU while drunk.
Trial Committee: A. Stracciollni, S-85S;
J. Popa, P-135i G. Pagano, P-196i C.
Rice, R-330; J. Batson, B-713.

Findlngit Accused refused to appear as
per the constitution. F'ound guilty and
committee recommended that he be ex­
pelled from the Union on the first charge.
On the second charge, suspension for two
years and $50 fine. Fined $50 each on
the third and fourth charges.

January 24, 1957
Accused: G-21x: Accuser: 51-350.,
Charges: 1—Failure to report for port
watch. 2—Failure to ' report second day
for port watch. 3—Reporting, on ship
drunk, bringing whiskey on ship, threat­
ening chief engineer. Union officials had
to go down and remove accused from
ship.
Trial Committee: J. Booker, B-613; W. H.
Mason, M-775: J. Davis, D-310: W. L.
Compton, C-96: J. B. Harris, H-200.
Findings: Committee recommended "7$3o
fine for each of the counts.

January 24, 1957
Accused: P-48: Accuser: A-2
Charges: 1—-Villifying and threatening
official in the course of his duties. 2—
Refusing to leave premises closed to
public after refusing to identify himself
as a member. 3—Refused to cooperate
with Union officials after Identifying
himself as a member.
Trial Commlttaa: Jes.se Bailgher, B-140,
Golden Parker, P-49: John Seiferth, S-166;

Raymond Perry, P-117; Adam Buchacz,
B-389.
Findings: Guilty as charged on counts 1
and 2, fined $50 for each count, GuilT
established on Third count also, but as it
'appears to be a duplication of charge
No. 2, it is dismissed.

Trial committees, elected from the rank-and-file membership in SIU ports throughout the
Atlantic and Gulf District, handled eight trials of Seafarers accused of violating the pro­
visions of the Union constitution, during the past sijt months.

Although the right of appeal
is guaranteed under the con­
stitution to any Seafarer found
guilty by the committee, none of
the accused availed themselves of
this privilege.

All of the proceedings, held in
conformity with the SIU constitu­
tion, are summarized below in ac­
cordance with the Union's policy of
keeping the membership informed
as to such proceedings. The cur­
rent half-year summary is the
ninth that the LOG has printed.

Procedures adopted in SIU mem­
bership trials follow closely the
methods used in courtrooms. The
accused is judged by a trial com­
mittee composed exclusively of
rank-and-file members and. on
which Union officials are baired
from serving. The accuser, must
be present to confr-ont the^accused.

The accused has the right to
cross examine witnesses, to call for
witnesses" In his own behalf, in­
cluding character witnesses, and to
call on any other Union member

Febraary 7, 1957
Accused: PB-5909; Accusers: H-272, B-1
Charges: 1—AWOL from duty on six dif­
ferent occasions, and unable to perform'
duties on another occasion due to own
misconduct. 2—Went ashore against or-
der.s, returned • drunk, bringing whiskey
aboard against orders—second offense.
Third violation was withdrawn from
charge. -
Trial Committee: J. Felton, F-81; E. C..
deBautte, D-208J C. Hartman, H-34; S.
Erlitz, E-43J A. L. Lake. L-41.
Findings: Fined $50 on first charge, fined
$50 and (hree months suspension on the
second charge.

February 21, 1957
Accused: B-765; Accuser: T-5
Charges: Accused neglected his duty
while a crewmember aboard the Del
Santos. Some of the notations from the
official log are failure to turn to and
perform duties, in quarters during work­
ing hours without permission, failed to.
turn to to secure for sea, failure to
assist unmooring, returning to vessel,
leaving and returning later.
Trial Committee: Louis O'Leary, O-dt
Emil Herek, H-423i G. Metting, M-31|
Michele Lluzza, L-483; H. Marumoto,
M-447.
Findings; The committee finds the ae-
cused guilty as charged and recommends
that he be suspended from the Union
for a period of two years.

February 21, 1957
Accused: PB-10510; Accuser:
Charges: The accused neglected his duties
while on ship. Noted from the official
logs are: returning to vessel drunk and
luifit for Quty, absent from duty without
permission, under the infiuence of alcohol
while at sea and unfit for duty, ex­
cessive drinking while at port and unfit
for duty.
Trial Committee; G. Metting, Jr., M-31:
P. Valentine, V-72: L. O'Leary. 0-6: E.
Hefek, H-423: M. Liuzza, L-485; D. MoUna,
M-680.
Findings: The committee finds the ac­
cused guilty and. recomends that he be
suspended from the Union for a period
of two years.

February 21, 1957
Accused: F-372; Accuser: T-5
Charges: Accused of failure to return to
ship, neglect of duties, drunk and unfit
for duty.
Trial CommlHse: O. Metting. Jr., M-31j
P. Valentine, V-72; L. O'Leary, 0-6; E.
Herek, H-423i M. Liuzza, L-485-; D. Mo­
lina, M-680.
Findings: The committee finds the ac­
cused guilty of four different counts, two
others being dismissed. They recommend
that he be fined $50 on each of the four
counts,, payable after making a trip.

MFOYf Seeks Welfare Boosts
SAN FRANCISCO—Delegates to the coastwise conference of port agents of the SlU-affil-

iated Marine Fireman, Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers Association have r^ommended
changes in the union's welfare dnd pension plans, and in other union procedures.

The agents suggested that"<
the union officials contact the
welfare plan trustees as to the
advisability of including hospital­
ization for dependent parents of
single union members, and a
limited plan for doctor's calls.
They also called for an increase in

Among the medical staff directors from Staten Island marine hospital who honored Dr. John L. Wil­
son (seated, center) for his services as medical officer in charge were (seated, I to r) Dr. F. S, French,
Dr. Wilson, Dr. L. Johnson; standing. Dr. D. C, Miller, Dr. R, H. Moore, Dr, I, li^auer, Dr .W. W. Car­
penter, Dr. P. E. Walker and Dr. T. Perrin. The affair was sponsored by the SIU.

the amounts allowed under the
surgery schedule.

It was also recommended that
negotiations be held with the West
Coast shipowners to do away with
the sixty-day clause in the present
vacation setup, and substitute a "12
months" accumulated time basis.
Under the present plan, if a mem­
ber sails with one line for six
months' accumulated time basis
and does not re-ship with it with­
in sixty days for another six months,
he loses the added two weeks
vacation time. Under the proposed
basis however, any time put In on
any West Coast company would be
pooled to make a seaman's 12
months' accumulated time count
for the extra vacation.

The delegates selected a commit­
tee to bring the constitution up to
date, and incorporate various
changes made in recent years.

In reviewing shipping conditions,
the agents thought that the union
might again take into consideration
the possibility of having standby
gangs in the different ports.

Upon completion of the amal­
gamation of the pension plans now
in process, they felt that benefits
paid imder the plan could be in­
creased. In conjunction with this
they proposed that all men receiv-1

Ing pensions should be allowed to
vote in any regular referendum
ballot, although they would not be
allowed to have voice or vote at
membership meetings.

It was also recommended that
the dues of the membership should
be changed tO a basis of $30 $
quarter, or $120 a year, and that
this amount should include all
assessments^'

. J-



• • • r>

jtar 19,1957. SEAFARERS LOG

The Ne^ Lpoii

in Puerfd

Huge tower Is lowered to Bull
Line Brookl:p dock for ship­
ment to PR oil refinery.

Thermoelectric plant near San
Juan helps fill growing demand
for electric power.

The old Puerto Rico of
eroded hillsides, tar-
paper shacks and low-
paid homework as pic­
tured at right is the'
target of "Operation
Boostrap." Vigorous
efforts are undetwayts,to
eliminate these condi­
tions.

Traditionally an area of poverty
and industrial backwardness, the
island of Puerto Rico is striving
mightily to boost job opportu­
nities, living standards and fu­
ture expansion through "Opera­
tion Bodffstrap." Among other
aspects, the program involves
development of industry and im­
provement of housing.

Seafarers have an important
stake in the program which has
brought 405 new industrial estab­
lishments to the island in the past
ten years. Since SlU-contracted
companies such as Bull, Water­
man, Alcoa and TMT are the, ma­
jor steamship services to the

island, the expansion of island
industry promises a parallel ex­
pansion of trade and job oppor­
tunities for SlU men.

In addition, the SlU and the
International Brortlerhood of
Longshoremen between them rep­
resent what is probably the larg­
est organized abor force on the
island and as such pjay a vital
role in the future of Puerto Rico's
trade union movement.

Pictured here ore a few of the
aspects of the "new look" in
Puerto Rico as opposed to the
old agricultural and homework
economy, which held the island
in thrall for many years.

Famed Caribe Hilton Hotel tes­
tifies to growth of' tourism as a
Puerto Rican industry.

Page Nina

Keeping pace with the "new look," SIU recently moved
-quarters in San Juan whipli it shares with the Internatiopfi,lJBroth^er|j
hood of Longshoremen.

^ •ew methods of homebuild-
ing, pictured below, are be-
ing employed to lick severe

. housing problem. Several huge
projects are underway on the
island under the lead of the In­
ternational Basic Economy Cor­
poration, a Rockefeller-spon­
sored organization designed to
assist backward economies. Int'l
Ladies Garment Workers Union
is sponsoring one of these proj­
ects.

After concrete slab is poured,
workmen set up framework of
steel reinforcement rod's

mi ^ I SiF J "'c'i: f

Crane then deposits framework
in place for pouring of concrete
walls.

Results are neat, attractive
homes with lawns, paved
streets, sewers and other needs.

to nev/ Island's growth means plenty of

'"'-hyyl*}: •: •

•it

-'-•I



11

rf Tea SEAFARERS LOO July It, ItSI

Coal Ship
Mate Fires

(Continued from page 3)

MCS cldtimer Sigvart Johnson (left) giadhands MCS patrolman
Wilder Smith in New York before heading back to Norfolk for
another crack at an American Coal job. Johnson had been on
the Casimir Pulaski.

MCS Vet, 70, Set
For 2nd Coal Stint

Marine Cooks and Stewards oldtimer Sigvart Johnson is
going to celebrate his 70th birthday next week in an unusual
way—by throwing in for another job on the American Coal
ships. Just off the Casimir :
Pula.ski for a brtef rest and
refresher ashore, Johnson has
headed back to Norfolk to help
the SIU keep its lead over the
National Maritime Union in the
coal fleet.

The spry, agile oldtimer is typi­
cal of the many men who have
come forward from the SIU West

• Coast affiliates—the Sailors Union
of the Pacific, Marine Firemen's
Union and Marine Cooks and Stew­
ards Union and are doing a terrific
job to win the coal ship battle.
Carrying a 1908 discharge on US
ships (he started sailing in 190.5
from his native Norway) Johnson
is a shoo-in for the next opening
in liis rating on the coal ships.

Scorn For District 50

stand by," he concluded, "and then
after this is all over I'll return to
the West Coast and take it easy."

possible to give the NMU members
every edge including the handing
out of overtime." The chief engi­
neer told me that if I made more
overtime than the NMU men, then
the NMU men would quit the ship.
Tf the NMU loses the election he
said, 'then I lose my job.' So he
and the other engineers were doing
everything to see to it th^ the
NMU men got the overtime.'"

Further commedting on the type
of men District 50 is "supplying"
the coal ships Ramos reported that
after the first trip the company
fired the captain, the chief and all
the other officers except one mate
and one engineer. "On the way
over on the first trip one of the
engineers started running wild on
the ship. The captain had to tie'
him up and put him in the sick
bay. So one of the engine utilities
was put to work to pinch-hit as the
3rd assistant."

A;

Johnson was saloon mess on the
Casimir Pulaski and had nothing
but scorn for the District 50 offi­
cers aboard. "The rank and file
got along pretty well," he said,
"but those damn fink officers are
all pro-NMU."

"The 1st and 3rd mates aboard
did nothing but hardtime me in
the saloon all trip," he said. "They
were always coming in late, for
supper and making things tough
in other ways."

Johnson, who hails from Seattle,
flew in to Norfolk to make the
coal ships. "I hadn't been able
to sleep on the plane so when I
got to the hotel in Norfolk at 5
PM I went to sleep. At 7:30 I was
called to go to the doctor for
examination and the next morning
I was on the ship?'

> Was On CoUier
His first American ship was actu­

ally back in 1907 on a coastwise
collier run. In 1908 he went to the
West Coast on a Union Oil tanker
and has been shipping there ever
since.

"I'm going back to Norfolk to

USPHS Has Last
Say On Duty Slip

I •' I

Under the SIU contract, US
Public Health Service doctors
havet the final say on whether
or not a man is fit for duty. If
tliere is any question about
your fitness to sail, check with
the nearest USPHS hospital or
out-patient ojinic fqr^ ta ;^iog.

INOUIRING SEAFARER
QUESTION: The tanker industry is planning some 40 offshore dis­

charge stations, so that the new supertankers will not have to come into
a dock. How do you think shore leave could be worked out under
this kind of a system?

Louis Mazza, FWT: A man is
certainly entitled to liberty, and

with those popu­
lar Canadian
ports, something
will have to be
done. The best
thing I can t^nk
of is, using shifts,
four hours on,
four off, or some­
thing of that na­
ture during- the
unloading and

refueling.
t t 4.

Gerald Sheehey, OS: Since some
men on the ships want overtime,
let them work
while . the com­
pany supplies
launches to take
the rest of the
crew ashore. This
way the Union
will benefit
doubly —first by
the men having
more overtime,
and second by
the company hiring more men to
run the launches.

4> 4>
Call Erickson, Deck: I think the

company should have a relief crew
com* aboard
when the ship Is
pulling in, and
have them un­
load. This w fy
the entire crew
could get leave at
the same time.
Some companies
are doing this
now and . find it
speeds up un­

loading,!, and- c^eatos,,better,.rela­
tions with the men.

Joe Wolanski, OS: Personally, I
don't like the idea of a ship not

entering port.
The men are en­
titled to get off
and enjoy them­
selves. The best
way I see would
be to work in
shifts, some
working while
the others get
leave and then

they would get leave when the first
gang comes back.

*4 4.
R. R. Teets, Oiler: If it is a short

run, one-half the crew could work
in one port while
the other half
works in the next
port. If it is a
long run, then
they would have
to use shifts,
with some of the
crew working the
first few hours
and getting the
next off when
the rest come back.

4 4*
G. Morales, FWT: The company

should use special taxis, three or
t four times a day,

each time taking
a part ^ of the
crew in as they
come off duty.
This is how it is
done in Puerto
Rico on the oil
bunkers there.
The taxis run day
and night, and as
far as I could

seet, everything k was .vqry satis­
factory.

ALCOA CLIPPIR (AlcM), June
Chairmen, •. Moydf Secretary, L.
Nlchelaa. 84 hours disputed over*
time in deck dept. 336 hours dis­
puted overtime in engine dept. AU
crockery, glassware and stainless
steelware to be returned to gaUey.

at lingapore to be Inspected. Food
SIU standards wiU ba re-not up to

turned and ship wiU not sail untU At
food is put aboard. Present food not
edible.

ALCOA PI0ASU8 (Alcoa), June *
—Chairman, L. Phillips; Secretary, R;
Ulatowskl. Ship's fund tlO.63. Ship
to be fumigated for roaches. Electri­
cian's shower faulty—should be at­
tended to. Keys to betaiade for crew's
bathrooms.

ALCOA PURITAN (Alcoa), June *
—Chairman, |.. Larkint; Sacratary, J.
Brasflald. Few hours disputed over­
time, and delayed sailing. To see
patrolman in New York. Reports
accepted. Cups to be returned alter

using. Corn bread to be eooked
more often for dinner. Good cooper­
ation among crew this trip.

BIENVILLR (Waterman), May 24—
Chairman, W. Coutant; Sacratary, A.
Johnson. One AB walked • off ship;
replacement also walked off. He-
ported to H. Troxclair. Cook drunk
and performing. Failed to turn to
for four days. Detailed report read
at meeting—to be presented at port
of payoff and placed in minutes.
Ship's fund 812.5S. SIU tug victory
communication. Discussion on use of
laundry and bathrooms.

BEATRICR (Bull), June 14—Chair­
man, A. Isaac; Secretary, A. Priend.
Repairs not completed. To be re­
ferred to patrolman. Very happy ship
—no beefs—good chow—no fights—
plenty night lunch. Need some beer.
Report accepted. Showers and bath­
rooms to be locked in port. Delegate
to contact patrolman about keys and
locks. Vote of thanks to cooks.

CATHERINE (Drytrans), March 31—*
Chairman, P. Wldegren; Sacratary, C.
Shirah. Ship's fund *10.81. New
delegate elected. NO smoking in gal­
ley. ^eed two salt and pepper shak­
ers On each table in messroom.

May 12—Chairman, N. Pattarian;
Sacratary, C. Sharah. Beef on menu.
Ship's fund *10.81. To write head­
quarters about beef. Discussicni on
menu change. Need port hole screens,
door keys for foc'sles.

DEL MAR (Miss.), Juna 4—Chair­
man, R. Stough, Jr., Secretary, C.
Dowllng. Two men missed ship. One
man rejoined ship: gear inventoried
and wlU ba left in New Orleans hall.
Two clocks removed from lounge to be
replaced. No major beefs. Ship's
fund 8339.33. Purchased bulbs for
projector and postage for films. No
logs and no disputed overtime. Re­
ports accepted. Suggest placing over­
time Blip totals in pay envelope. Pres­
ent system inadequate. Two games
scheduled—none played. Collected
S60 for athletic fund. Spent 823 for
shirts. Balance 838. Suggest regular
amount of money be set aside from
fund for films, nlovle projector to
be checked and repaired. Need bulbs
and springs for projector. Need new
films. Motion to save only one com­
plete set of records for preceding
year over a year old and dispose of
other material of no value. Suggest
night lunch be put out earlier. Sug-

d " gestlon to read minutes of safety'
meetings and facts and findings be
recorded in an effort to minlmlzn
accidents and stress safer working
conditions.

DOROTHY (Bull), Juna «—Chair­
man, O. Brannan; Sacratary, T.
Oraanay. Everything running smooth­
ly. Communications read ahd posted.
Reports accepted. To contact patrol­
man regarding buttermilk. Delegates
to post list of names and brand of
cigarettes requested. Need new wash­
ing machine or repair old one. Ques­
tion on grade and condition of meat
received from the Hilton. Need new
mattresses, metal straps and small
springs in some rooms.

EDITH (Bull), Juna 15—Chairman,
A. Adomatll; Secretary, M. McClurc.
Need new washing machine. Elected
new delegate. Coffee dlscus.slon on
whether to use coffee pots or urns.

FELTORE (Ore Nav.), Juna 4 —
Chairman, J. Waha; Secretary, W.
Strickland. One man critically in­
jured at Sparrows Point. One man
went to hospital in Panama—did not
return to ship. Sailed short deck
engineer.' Report accepted. Need bul­
letin board for recreation room. Vote
of thanks to fireman for rescuing in­
jured man from water.

JOSEFINA (Winchester), June 2—
Chairman, A, There; Secretary, J.
Marelar. Ship's delegate resigns. Orfe
man hospitalized—Injured In Goa.
Few hours disputed overtime. One
man reported to patrolman. -Few
beefs in engine dept.; .settled. New
delegate elected. Any partiality
shown by steward to officers in re­
gard to food will be reported to
headquarters by special letter and he
will be brought up on charges at pay-

FORT H08KIN8 (CItlat Barvica),
May 35 — Chairman, A. Van Dyka;
Sacratary, R. Holt. Two membera
opposa delegate's report. No dis­
puted overtime. New delegate elected.
Hot water heater in gMley to ba re­
paired. Thermostat not to be touched.
One man drinking and late in reliev­
ing watch. Book read on duties of
•hip's delegate.

HURRICANE (Waterman), June
aAr Chairman, a. Braxton; SecraAry, H.

Carmlchaal. New delegate to inform
captain about new agreement—draws
to be put out in every port, not every
five days. No beefs, everything run­
ning smoothly. Report accepted. New
delegate elected. Chips to be returned
to pantry. Delegate to see engineer
about shower head, in deck dept.

MADAKET (Waterman), Juna 8 —
Chairman, P. Arthofer; Sacratary, C.
West. Cook left ship in Bremerhaven
due to illness. Report accepted. Vote
of thanks to 4-8 watch for cleanliness.
Step ladder from gangway to deck
should have hand rails. Lagging in
deck dept. shower should be covered.
Cut port hole in door leading to
officers' quarters. Check top rung on
foremost crosstrea.

ROBIN LOCKSLEY (Saas Shipping),
June 9 — Chairman, V. DlOlaaome;
Secretary, A. Notturne. Ship's fund
81. Some disputed overtime—to be
referred to patrolman on arrival. Re­
port accepted. Suggestion that purser
be brought before patrolman regard­
ing draws, slop chest, overtime and
hospitalized seaman. Steward to requi­
sition stores in Boston and if refused
by captain to be referred to ship's
delegate. Steward dept. beef on over­
time to ba referred to patrolman.

ROBIN TUJCFORD (Robin Line),
March 31—Chairman, H. Curry; Sac­
ratary, L. Harris. Ship's fund 938.84.
Present delegate retained. Pantry
and messhall to be left clean. Wash­
ing machine wringer not to be toe
tight when wringing bulky clothes.

April 23-^Chalrman, J, Kumor; Sea-
ratary, L. Harris. Ship's fund *18.43.
Some beefs in deck dept. Discussion
on Union overtime; deck and engine
department painting.

Juna 9—Chairman, J. McKarrk; Sec­
retary, L. Harris. Ship's fund *3.4*.
Some disputed overtime. Vote of
thanks to steward dept. for fine co­
operation and fine job.

SANTORR (Ore Navigation), June 4
—Chairman, C. Kellogg; Sacratary, R.
Dabardelaban. New delegate elected.
Discussion about members drinking
and fighting aboard ship. Poem sent
to LOG. Ship's fund S4.60. Soma
disputed overtime—to be referred to
patrolman. Delegate to see patrol­
man about mattresses ordered eight
months ago. No effort made on com­
pany part to replace same. All mat­
tresses to be checked upon arrival in
port. Need new washing machine or
old one repaired. Vote of thanks to
organizing and negotiating commit­
tees for job well done regarding tug­
boats and American Coal ships.

SEAMAR (Calmer), Juna 9—Chair­
man, A. Chrlstansen; Sacratary, J.
Bowman. Report accepted. New
delegate elected, . Members to ba
properly dressed in messhall at all
times. < Beefs against steward dept.
to be brought ujr thru proper chan­
nels. Beef on serving cold meat and
soup. Delegate to ba sura to type
and mall in minutes.

8EATRAIN L0U8IANA (Sastrain),
June 15—Chairman, 8. Oarcla; Sacra­
tary, V. Whitney. New delegate
elected Ship's fund *36.79. Report
accepted. Notified Union about be­
havior of 3rd mate. Discussion on
light switch: two cold suppers per
week; better grade of ice cream;
domlnos for crew to be bought from
ship's fund.

8HINNEC0CK BAY (Tankship Man-
agemant), Juna I—Chairman, R.
Knolei; Sacratary, B. Falk. AU books
and pernUts to be presented to board­
ing patrolman. Ship to be sougeed.
especially passageways and foc-sles.

STEEL ADVOCATE (Isthmian), June
•—Chairman, O'Hannatey; Secretary,
R. O'Dowd. Used *4 of fund for
workaway to purchase cigarettes.
Messman left ship gfter a limit draw
and failed to return. Was hired off
beach by captain: worked one day
and failed to sail with ship to States.
Ship's fund 88c. Approximately 75
hours overtime. Repair list submit­
ted. Resolution and motion to be re:
penalty of one hour overtime for any
member required to dump garbage
back after or check steering engine
(when there is no passage from eng.
room), etc., when company falls to
provide a catwalk on aU deck cargos.
New treasurer elected. Garbage not
to be dumped aft midship house in
port. Consult captain about wash-"
ing down day after sailing. Clear
deck of wire and lines. Second safe­
ty meeting held. In six weeks only
one minor accident with no loss of
time. Oificers and crew show serious
attitude toward safety program.

VALCHEM (Vsltentlnc Tankers),
May 25—Chairman, S. Kersey: Sec­
retary, W. Nesta. Ship's fund *29.50.
Spent 50c to send Important Uocii-
ments to seaman by registered mail.
Sailed one dayman short. Some dis­
puted overtime. Report accepted.
Repair lists to be submitted. - New
delegate elected. New treasurer
elected. Keep messhall and pantry
clean when eating between meals.
Discussion concerning trouble caused
by an OS and dayman. Delegate to
caU Phila. SIU hall and send patrol-

'•

off. All £o9d and . stores , put ^abpjai?d v pan ^to eSfiip , t,o< s^ttlo flyuaUpp. , , ,



j«i7 II. im
')

SEAFARERS IPG Face Elcrea

1

Out Of The Past

Paul Macro
Please contact your brother-in-

law, Salvatore Turco at Cambridge
St., Burlington, Mass.

Fred O. Fleischmann
Would you please get in touch

with your parents at 25-44 41 St.,
Long Island City, N.Y.

'George E. Kinc
Contact the Welfare Sei-vices

Department in SIU headquarters
in reference to important papers
being held for you.

Andrew Danlluk
Please send forwarding address

for Dunkerque photographs to the
LOG.

Would the person who was ti'y-
ing to get in touch with Harvey
Hill concerning a bank deposit in
Inglewood, California, please con­
tact him at the SIU hall, 450 Har­
rison St., Sari Francisco, Calif.

Harvie Murray
Your sister, Mrs. Mary E. Am­

dahl, would like you to get in
touch with her. Her address is 961
West MacArthur Blvd., Oakland,
California.

Jerry and family
Troy Thomas received your

cards and would like to hear from
you. Please send him your correct
addi-ess.,He is located at PO Box
17, Waresboro, Ga.

Jack Devine
Your step-sister, Mrs. Florence

Jannatte, would like to get in
touch with you. Please contact her,
at Route 25 (box 48), Middle Is­
land, Suffolk County, Long Island,
N. Y.

Raymond Queen
It is very important that you

contact -your mother, Mrs. P.
Queen, at Cove Gap, West Virginia.

- For some short-sighted reason, company people high up in
the maritime industry still hanker for the "bad old days" of
the 1920's and 1930's. They look back with nostalgia to the
times when the seaman was held in semi-servitude and treated
with' somewhat less consideration than a beast, of burden.
The blacklist system that these shipping officials have worked
out with the connivance of the National Maritime Union
comes straight out of this dismal past when the' bucko skip­
per, the crimp hall operator and the shipowner were absolute
lords of their respective domains.

In those days, the niian who spoke up in protest against rot­
ten food, vermin, low wages, or overwork was chased off the
ship; usually without much ceremony either. Then when
maritime unions on both coasts started showing signs of re­
vival, the shipowners came up with the infamous Copeland
"fink book" proposal which would have made every seaman
carry a record of his "conduct" and "character," in a continu­
ous discharge certificate.

Led by the Sailors Union of the Pacific, organized seamen
gave the fink book the "deep six." But, now the shipowners
have come up with another scheme which is far slicker and
more dangerous. The entries will be made behind the sea-,
man's back in the Marine Index files, and no NMU member
will ever be able to- tell when the lightning will strike him
and leave him stranded high and dry on the beach.

No Hearings, No Appeals
No doubt apologists for the blacklist will proclaim piously

that the working seaman has "nothing to fear"—that the
blacklist is really only aimed at the performers and foul-ups.
But the mechanics of the system show up this claim as a fraud.
By concentrating all authority as it does in the hands of Ma­
rine Index an\i the shipowner; taking the word of the skip­
per as the final and absolute truth without any provision for
appeal or any kind of hearing before an impartial group, on
the charges, and finally, by not including any "statute of lim­
itations" on the shipboard offense, the blacklist system clear­
ly is designed as a club to keep seamen "in line." .The ship­
owner is judge, jury and prosecutor all rolled in "one. The
plain fact of the matter is that any seaman in the NMU who
is fired off a ship for any reason is now subject to being
blacklisted out of the industry.

We can just imagine how some skippers, who are irritated
by a crew delegate's insistence on contract enforcement, will
react from now on. "I'll fix this SOB. I'll fire him and put it
down in the logbook as a 'serious breach of discipline'." Then
that cre^member has had it.

As for the NMU leadership, its subservient role in establish­
ing the blacklist is something for which it will have to an­
swer to its own membership. From where we sit though, it
strikfeis us as a iM-etty shabby spectacle and a mockery of trade
union princifde.

House Gets Bill To Give
Sea Hiring Recognition

WASHINGTON—A bill to uphold the legal status of the
hiring hall in both the maritime and construction industries
has been introduced in the House by Rep. Thomas M.
Felly (R.-Wash.).

It is virtually identical with
an earlier measure put for­
ward by Sen. Warren G. Magnuson
to cover maritime hiring hails only
(S.2029). Sen. Magnuson 'D.) is
also from the state of Washington.

The Pelly bill differs only where
it would recognize not only the
union-operated hiring hall, as in
maritime, but also "a hiring hall
operated jointly by employee and
employer," as is the case in some
sections of the building trades.

For the purposes of the Pelly

bill (HR 8422),-hiring halls in all
industries employing skilled and
unskilled menribers of crafts or
trades in building and construc­
tion operations would be covered.

Both measures cover licensed
and unlicensed personnel in "off­
shore, coastal, intercoastal, or in­
land transportation," as well as
longshore operations. They have
been referred for action to the
labor committees in each chamber.
Both have the fuU endorsement of
the SIU and other maritime unions.

Hail tsf Graduates
Of AfCS Sthooling

SAN FRANCISCO—Diplomas have been handed out to the
first graduating class of the recently-dedicated Marine
Cooks and Stewards training center at Santa Rosa, California.

A "simple ceremony marked
the completion of training for
part of the students who
entered the school on March 25,
the first day of training in the
center. Others who also began the
class shipped out prior to gradua­
tion and will receive their diplo­
mas after returning and complet­
ing their formal instruction. Pre­
sentation of the diplomas was made
by Ed Turner, International vice-
president, SIU of NA.

Present at the ceremony uere
union and employee representa­
tives and civic leadei*s from Santa
Rosa. Among the ratings receiving
certificates were bakers, .butchers,
cooks, waiters and room stewards.

Agents Conference
At the same time the first for­

mal agents' conference of the
MCS got under way on July 1. On
the agenda for consideration were
the Union's participation in the
various activities .of the Maritime
Trades Department, the welfare-
pension plans, and clarification of
certain shipping rules.

The agents also took into con­
sideration the necessary procedure

for nomination and election of
union officials In the first MCS
election now coming up.

Temporary Lull
Hits San Fran.

SAN FRANCISCO—Job activity
on the West Coast was quieter than
usual during the past period. This
port was very slow, shipping only
41 men. But this is expected to be
only temporary and should pick up.
, There were no vessels paying off
and only two signing on. They were
the Iberville (Pan-Atlantic) and
Choctaw (Waterman). The Steel Di­
rector (Isthmian), Marymar, Ken-
mar (Calmar), Yaka, Andrew Jack­
son (Waterman) and Ocean Eva
(Ocean Carriers) were in-transit

Tampa Eyes
Job Pick-Up

TAMPA—Although shipping was
poor during the past period in this
area, it is expected to pick up'
in the coming weeks. There were
no vessels paying ofT or signing
on.

There were six vessels'calling
at the port to be serviced. They
were the Madaket, LaSalle, An-
tinous. Morning Light (Waterman);
Steel Rover (Isthmian) and the
Del Rio (Mississippi). >

NY Reports
Broad MAW
Pact Gains

NEW YORK—Seafarers in this
port have been kept fairly busy
during the past two weeks helping
the Marine Allied Workers Divi­
sion organizational drive. At pres­
ent, some 16 companies in the ma­
rine field have signed contracts,
but a number more are expected
to follow suit in the near future on
completion of negotiations pow go­
ing on.

In addition to these, reports
Claude Simmons, port agent, the
MAW has picketing going on with
three other companies.

Shipping Back To Normal
On the shipping scene, things

are getting back to normal in this
area. Shipping for the past two
weeks has been good with a fairly
steady turnover in Jobs on vessels
paying off. There were 35 vessels
in port during the past period.
They included 22 paying off, five
signing on and eight in transit. All
of these ships were in good shape
and running smooth, with no ma­
jor beefs on any of them.

The following vessels paid off:
Alcoa Ranger, Alcoa Partner, Al­
coa Planter. Alcoa Roamer (Alcoa);
Mankato Victory (Victory Car­
riers); Seatrain New Jersey. Sea-
train New York (Seati-ain); Calmar
(Calmar);" Frances, Beatrice, Eliza­
beth, Dorothy, Arlyn, Kathryn
• Bull); Ideal X, Almena, Maxton
(Pan-Atlantic); John B. Waterman
(Waterman), Robin Doncaster. Rob­
in Kettering (Seas); Steel Admiral
(Isthmian) and the Council Grove
(Cities Service).

The Atlantic Producer (Pan
Oceanic Nav.); Steel Scientist,
Steel Admiral (Isthmian); Jeffer­
son City Victory (Victory Car­
riers) and the Robin Locksley
(Seas) signed on.

The Vai Chem (Heron), Alcoa
Runner (Alcoa), Mankato Victory
(Victory C a r r i e r si, Seatrain
Georgia (Seatrain), Pennmar and
Calmar (Calmar) and Isthmian's
Steel Seafarer and Steel King
called into port to be sex-viced.



f •'
^ Puce Twelv* SEAFARERS LOG July 19, 1957

JV-

\ V

Santore Baker Knows His Dough
Nobody would be very surprised if the ship's reporter on the Santore got a big kick out of

writing about the birthday party held recently for shipmate Edward J. DeBardelaben.
DeBardelaben, of course, is the reporter in question. He was agreeably "surprised" with

a 22-pound cake for an im-+
birthday celebration

by "one of the best in the field
of baking, none other than Stanley
'Sea Guir Wojton." (He's probably
a weight-lifter, too!)

Obviously a go'od public relations
man, DeBardelaben knows where
his bread is buttered and spreads
it around accordingly. As a re-

• porter, though, he also should have
found out about his own surprise
party in advance, but we'll pardon
the oversight this time.

Turning again to the baker, who
is the real hero-of this piece, De­
Bardelaben says "everyone is very
satisfied with his work." If the
breakfast pastry menu he cited is
any indieation, Wojton must make
the Santore gang a real happy.

plump crew.
"For breakfast," says DeBar­

delaben, "we get hot raisin bread,
Danish goodies of all kinds, cinna­
mon buns dipped in honey and
fresh bread that stays fresh and
soft for days." Wojton is no slack­
er either in making "every kind

of pie and cake you can name to
give us something different every
meal." Anytime the crew asks for
something they get It the next
meal. "The entire gang offers its
best wishes to him for the future.
No matter what ship he's on he'll
always be tops with us."

Artisan Lauds Doctor's Aid

LOG-A-RHYTHM:

Queen Of The River
By Roy Fleischer

Oh! She was a proud ship.
An wise and compassionate ship
As she stately traveled
Up the river,
Lifting her skirt in front
And letting it trail behind.
All lace and foam.
Spread like a peacock's tail
Across the blue water.

Now and then she dipped slightly.
Majestically,
Bowing to the waves
That clamored around her
For recognition.
Like a mob around any queen.
Even slapping her sides
in frenzied enthusiasm.
But she did not become ruffled

By such goings on.
Calm and composed.
She held her course,
Not once looking back
At the disorder behind her.
Eyes straight ahead
On the future,
V/histles blowing,
The queen ojf the river boats.

Some of the gang on the Steel Artisan gathers on deck for picture-
taking after presentation of gift to Dr. and Mrs. L. N. Jentgen
(rear, 4th and 5th from left), who were passengers on the last
round-the-world run. Ship's delegate Harry Benner (front, 2nd
from left) conveyed the crew's thanks for the couple's medical as­
sistance and other help during the voyage, in the form of an en­
graved chronometer set. Photo by Marvin White.

8IU RAll DIRECTORY

Editor, "
SEAFARERS LOG.
675 Fourth Ave.,
Brooklyn 32, NY

I would like to receive the
SEAFARERS LOG — please
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CITY .........ZONE.

§TATE ^ .s • • •

SlU, A&G District
BALTIMORE 1216 E. Baltimore St.
Earl Sheppard, Agent EAstcrn 7-il900
BOSTON 276 State St.
James Slieehan. Agent Richmond 2-0140
HOUSTON "....4202 Canal St.
Robert Matthews. Agent Capital 7-6358
LAKE CHARLES. La 1419 Ryan St.
Leroy Clarke. Agent HEmlock 6-5744
MOBILE 1 South Lawrence St.
Cal Tanner. Agent HEmlock 2-1754
MORGAN CITY 912 Front St.
Tom Gould. Agent Phone 2156
NEW ORLEANS 323 Bienville St.
Lindsey Williams. Agent Tulane 8626
NEW YORK 675 4th Ave.. Brooklyn

HYacinth 9-6600
NORFOLK 127-129 Bank St.
Ben Rees. Agent MAdlson 2-9834
PHILADELPHIA 337 Market St.
S. Cardullo. Agent Market 7-1635
PUERTA de TIERRA PR 101 Pelayo
Sal Culls.j Agent Phone 2-5996
SAN FRANCISCO 450 Harrison St.
Marty Breithoff, Agent Dougias 2-5475
SAVANNAH 2 Abercorn St.
E. B. McAuley. Agent Adams 3-1728
SEATTLE 2505 1st Ave.
Jeff Gillette. Agent Elliott 4334
TAMPA 1809-1811 N. Franklin St.
Tom Banning. Agent Phone 2-1323
WILMINGTON. Calif 505 Marine Ave.
Reed Humphries. Agent Terminal 4-2874
HE.ADQUARTERS....675 4th Ave., Bklyn.

SECRETA RY-TREASURER
Paul Hall

ASST. SECRETARY-TREASURERS
J. Algina. Deck C. Simm^s, Joint
J. Volpian, Eng. W. Hall, Joint
E. Mooney, Std. R. Matthews. Joint

SUP
HONOLULU 16 Merchant St.

Phone 5-8777
PORTLAND 211 SW Clay St.

CApital 3-4336
RICHMOND. Calif... .510 Macdonald Ave.

BEacon 2-0925
SAN FRANCISCO 450 Harrison St.

Douglas 2-8363
SEATTLE 2505 1st Ave.

Main 0290
WILMINGTON 505 Marine Ave.

Terminal 4-3131
NEW YORK 675 4th Ave., Brooklyn

HYacinth 9-6165
t '

Canadian District
HALIFAX. N.S 128% Hollli St.

Phone 3-8911
MONTREAL 634 St. James St. Wert

PLateau 8161
FORT WILLIAM 408 Simpson St.

Ontario Phone: 3-3221
PORT COLBORNE 103 Durham St.

Ontario Phone: 5391
TORONTO. Ontario 272 King St. E.

t EMplre 45719.

VICTORIA. BC 617% Cormorant St.
EMpire 4531

VANCOUVER. BC 298 Main St.
Pacific 3468

SYDNEY. NS 304 Charlotte St.
Phone: 6346

BAGOTVILLte. Quebec /^.20 Elgin St.
Phone; 545

THOROLD. Ontario......52 St. Davids St.
CAnal 7-3202

QUEBEC 44 Sault-au-Matelot
Quebec - Phone: 3-1569

SAINT JOHN 177 Prince William St.
NB OX 2-5431

Great Lakes District
ALPENA 1215 N. Second Ave.

Phone: 713-J
BUFFALO. NY.... 180 Main St.

Phone: Cleveland 7391
CLEVELAND 734 Lakeside Ave.. NE

Phone: Main 1-0147
DETROIT 3rd St.

Phone: Woodward 1-6857
DULUTH 621 W. Superior St.

Phone: Randolph 2-4110
SOUTH CHICAGO 3261 E. 92nd St.

• Phone: Essex 5-2410

'Sea-Spray'By 'Red' Fink

Asks No Let-Up
On Performers
To the Editor: t

In the last LOG (June 7,
1957) I read a piece that should
have been written years ago.
The writer- should receive a
medal for it.

The headline on the letter
was indeed well put; It was
"Homesteaders Taken To Task,"
and the writer was Brother M.
Gottschalk. This man really did
a wonderful job. He hit on the

letters To
The Editor

All letters to the editor for
publication in the SEAFAR­
ERS LOG -must be signed
by the writer. Names will
be withheld upon request.

"Give the liiouse a drink..

homesteaders; now let me say
a bit about the "chiefs."

We seem to have plenty of
chiefs these days, but no In­
dians. Everybody wants to sail
bosun or steward or chief elec­
trician or chief wiper. It doesn't
matter what, as long as they are
chiefs. The funny part about
It is that many of the same
ones who want to sail chief are
the worst ones at their trade.

Can't Do Jobs
Some of these guys who won't

sail in anything but a top rat­
ing have the nerve to tell other
guys to do things they can't do
themselves. Then if the next
guy doesn't do it, the so-called
bosun or steward raises hell.

Yet if one of these chiefs has
to sail at a lower rating they
are always the first ones to say
that the guy they have to take
orders from is a dumb bunny,
and 1 don't mean bunny. In the
last few years 1 have personally
run into quite a few of these
guys.

What really burns me up is
that while they're In.the Union
hall, they«always let you know
what great guys they are and
hoA' they really tell those mates
off. But once on a ship all they
say to the mate is yes, yes, yes
and, as >Iong as the mate gives
them overtime, the yesses really
fly and to hell with their ship­
mates. It seems that the day of
the shipmate is gone. These are
the days of hurray for me and
to hell with you.

Should Prove Ability
1 am in favor of having every

man who has a rating and those
who are getting one to prove
they are capable of doing their
jobs and don't get them Just
because they have the seatime.
It's time every man realized he
is only hurting himself when he
goes aboard a ship and can't
do the job. Our agreements say
we are responsible for putting
capable men on a ship, but I
sometimes Wonder if we do.

1 just came off a ship which
had two daymw who weren't
even good ordinary seamen.
Yet one sailed bosun and the
other carpenter. The carpenter
couldn't go into a hold or a
tank, and I don't even know
what to say about the ojher one.
He couldn't go anywhere but
to the sack and the table. This
may sound funny, but it isn't as
funny as it sounds.

We have men at the head of
this Union who are fighting to
make It stronger and organize
new companies, ^et some guys
keep fouling up and making
trouble. There are some gas-
hounds who pay $50 fines on
one 3hlp, get off, go right on

another ship tod do the same
things all over again.

How long can we go on? We
the membership must answer
for this, and we cant take too
long with it. Guys moan when
a ship goes under foreign "flag
and cuss the company out, but
they never stop to think that
business must go on and can go
on without them.

It happens in the factories
ashore and will come In mari­
time, too. Go ashore and try to
bluff your way. Try going to
work gassed up—or have some
of you tried it already and
that's why you're back?

Bad Apple Ruins 100
There are a lot of wonderful

guys going to sea, but there's
always one foul-up to ruin 100
good men. Wake up, men. Our
officials have a hard job to do;
it's up to the rest of the mem­
bership to weed out the foul-ups
and those who can't do a job
even if it means revising our
rules and regulations and get­
ting guys mad.

Don't forget that you have to
live with these men. It's no
good beefing on a ship or at the
payoff and then forgetting it.
That's why it goes on and on.
1 think we should have a school
for ship's delegates so they can
be fully responsible for the
foul-ups and pull no punches.
Something must be done, and
you and you alone must do It,
for you are the membership
and you are the Union.

Dave Barry

Wants Pension
Rules Eased Up
To the Editor:

1 am one of the oldtimers on
this American Coal beef and
want to say that the hall on
Colley Street in Norfolk is the
finest set-up I've ever seen. Each
and every person connected
with the operation of the hall
deserves a lot of credit.

Everything to make the old-
tinrers comfortable is and has
been done. There are cigarettes,
tobacco, ice cream, milk, cold
drinks and the best of sand­
wiches, plus restaurants to go
to at all times, if you like. The
sleeping quarters are all In fine
shape.

One meets no strangers at
that hall, just a gang of old men
who were called on to do
a job. I'll truly say they re­
sponded ready for the call.
Maybe after we win this deal
the welfare plan will revise the
disability-pension plan so that
we who sailed 40 or more years
ago and have made the sea our
life's work can qualify.

Many of us will never get the
12 years of. seatime now re­
quired, as we are all over 60
years old. And we would like
to retire and take it easy for
the time left to us. We are tol­
erated on the ships, though we
know we are not wanted either
by officers or crew,

This coal beef may be the
best thing that could have hap­
pened for us old young men.

Robert W. Scales

Hails Tampa
Blood Donors
To the Editor:

We'd like to thank all the
brothers in Tampa, especially
Anthony Blanchard for his dona­
tion of blood for my father,
F. H. Delgado. He still is very
sick In a local hospital with very
little hopes for recovering.

It gives you a warm feeling
to know you have friends at a
time like this.

Mrs. John Croft



'-pa

Jidy 19, 1957 SEAFAkERS LOG Faff* Thlrtcca

•AMUBL P. MILLBR (aetfon Ship­
ping), Jun* 15—Chairman, H. Higgln-
bolham; Sacratary, J. Smith. Over­
time almost finished. Purchased
books and magazines from fund.
Ship's fund tl. Some disputed over­
time. One man hospitalized in Hono­
lulu. Bosun stood watch—no day man
available. AH doors to be closed
while in port except gangway door.
People to be kept out. Washing ma-
eliine to be fixed. Loud talking in
passageways to be stopped. No spare
fans aboard. Steward dept. given vote
of thanks for good food and service.

gether on safety precautions. Need
extra LOGS. Ship's fund $14.59. Han
missed ship twice. Report accepted.
Suggestion to stop chipping aroupd
messhall during lunch. Notified head­
quarters about poor sanitary condi­
tions. Keep recreation room, pantry
and messhall clean.

I
ROYAL OAK (Cities Service), June

22—Chairman, J. Higgins) Secretary,
D. Beard. Menus very unsatisfactory.
Two nien missed ship in Boston. No
cooperation to improve menus as re­
quested. Ship's fund $2.68. Report
accepted. Steward giving dent, lot
of abuse when they claim overtime.

ARMONK (NJ Industries), April 2t
—Chairman, C. Cantwall; $acratary,
D. O'Connor. .No expectorating on
deck. Captain will give US -money.
Doors to be closed in cold weather
during meals. New delegate elected.
Linen to be distributed on Friday in­
stead of Sunday. Steward refusCs to
put out canned fruit, to be reported
to captain.

June 9—Chairman, C. Cantwail;
$ecretary, D. O'Connor. If payoff not
made on arrival there will be a draw.
Cigarette butts not to be thrown In
passageways. Some disputed OT. Re­
quest pay statements for speedy pay-
olT.

MAXTON (Pan Atlantic), June 22—
Xhalrman, ^J. Flinn; $acratary, M.
Eschenke. Ail beefs squared away.
Crew to glvev24-hours notice before
lGa^ing ship. Ship's fund $47.40.
Some disputed overtime. Reports ac­
cepted: To purchase c.ribbage boards
end playing cards from ship's fund.
Cots to bo placed Inside when not in
use. Recreation room to be kept
ciean.

New delegate elected. Steward re­
fuses to serve canned fruit, tomato
juice or fresh tomatoes. More variety
of meats and vegetables needed.
Night lunch monotoiious. Suppers
not up to standard. Steward tight on
desserts and sweets, aiso giving black
gang a hard time on coffee. New
cots to be removed from deck after
using. '

OCEAN EVELYN (Ocean Trans.),
June 14—Chairman, J. O'Rourke; $ec-
ratary, V. Chavez. Beef about chief
mate working on deck. Soma dis­
puted overtime. New delegate elect­
ed. Repair leaking faucet In galley.
Portholes in engine dept. need re­
pairing and cleaning. Need porthole
screens. Engineer to check heating
system, rooms below do not get any
heat. Vote of thanks to steward dept.
for fine job. Fine cooperation of
delegates.

SEATRAIN GEORCIA (Seatralh),
June 22—Chairman, E. Vatis; Secre­
tary, F. Clanagan. Safety minutes-
submitted. Vacation blanks and wel­
fare cards available to all. Ship's
fund $32.40. Report accepted. Books
and magazines purchased. Cantalopes
and desserts to be kept in refrigera­
tor untli served. Need more flyp.ipcr
In messroom.

ALICE BROWN (Bioomfleld), May 5
—Chairman, J. Rawiint; Secretary, T.
Schuitz. Money draws to be in Amer­
ican money. Alcoholic beverages not
allowed aboard. Cleanliness in mess­
hall at night to be kept by everyone.
Men on watch designated certain
table and to be served first. Improve
night lunches, include eggs, sardines,
and cooked meat.

SEATRAIN NEW JERSEY (Sea-
train), June 22—Chairman, J. Oribbie;
Secretary, P. Brody. Some disputed
overtime. Reports accepted. Dlscu.s-
slon on deck lights and fruits In sea­
son.

June 1—Chairman, A. E. Cunning­
ham! Secretary, R. Wardlaw. Repair
list turned In and started. Delayed
starting time disputed some not en­
titled.

SEATRAIN SAVANNAH (Sealrain),
June 19—Chairman, P. Patrick; Sec­
retary, J. Ayala. Ship's fund $44.22.
Reports . accepted. New delegate
elected. Deck dept. rooms to be
painted and aft on fantall. Repair
awning. Sanitary line clappers to be
free.

, KERN. HILLS (Fairland) May $—
Chairman, F. Throp; Sec. T. Ballard.
No mall 45 da.vs, sent wire to head­
quarters. No cots in Elat, to get
them in Haifa. To see capt. about
traveler's checks for next draw. Speak
to capt. about chief engineer sending
sick man on watch.

STEEL DIRECTOR (Isthmian), June
10—Chairman, J. Rose, Jr., Secretary,
L. White. Repairs completed. Ob­
tained new washing machine. Ship's
fund $15. New delegate elected. Need
more cigarettes. Delegate requested
proper handling of washing machine.

KATHRYN (Bull) June 9—Chairman,
W. Ortiz; Secretary, A. Gonzalez.
$6 in ship's fund. Contacted patrol­
man about exhaust fan to be turned
on in hot climate. Mirror in bosun's
room to be put in. Exhaust fan for
toilets needed too. _

STEEL VOYAGER (Isthmian), June
15—Chairman, L. Eiiand; Secretary,
A. Tacey. Two men left ship in Bom­
bay. One man failed to rejoin ship
<— headquarters notified. No launch
service—one man missed ship.

TRANSATLANTIC (Tak), June 2—
Chairman, P. Conley; Secretary, L.
Pepper. Discussion on Sec. 28. Art.
II. Letter to be written headquarters
regarding lack of cooperation by mas­
ter re: Union agreement on money
draws in US currency and traveler's
checks.

VALLEY FORGE (Penn. Nav.), May
24—Chairman, D. Martin; Secretary,
W. Harris. New delegate elected.
Ship to be brought up to SIU stand­
ards at end of trip. Draw wliKbe In
local currency because of Yugoslav
laws. Sanitary men to clean laundry
and recreation room. Repair list to
be made up and sent from Yugoslavia
s& headquarters can handle matter
with company office. This is first
trip under SIU contract.

YAKA (Waterman), May 24—Chair­
man, J. Denals; Secretary, S. Joseph.
Benches to be made for crew back
aft. Screen doors put up back aft.
Money draws put out in greenbacks
and yen. Good safety record—no in­
juries—crew and skipper working to-

M V DEL VIENTO (Mississippi) May
24—Chairman, P. Plaseik; Sec. B. F.
D'Ferrafiet. Discussed the repair list.
Discussed the loggings aboard ship.
One man was told to leave for no
reason and this matter to be taken
up with patrolman. Some disputed
overtime and this also will be turned
over to the patrolman. Have all
mattresses inspected on board and
have the bad ones renewed. This
matter to be taken up with the pa­
trolman for final results. The con­
dition of the washing machine was
discussed and it was agreed that we
should consult the patrolman about it.
The roaches are in every foc'sle and it
was time that something was done
about it,- The steward agreed to can­
vas each foc'sle and make a Ust of
the mattre.sses that needed to be re­
newed and to requisition same. Re­
pair list was discussed and Hems
added to It.

—— (Ji

DEL MAR (Miss.), June 14—Chplr-
man, R. $tough; Secretary, C. Dowl-
ing. .Ship's fund $128. All disputed
OT settled. New delegate elected.
Reports accepted. Movie projector to
be repaired. Ail repairs completed.

GEORGE A. LAWSON (Penn Corp.).
June 14—Chairman, J. Schmidt; Sec­
retary. W. Dunham. One man short;
captain promises man at next port
o'call. New delegate elected. Ship's
iund $14.00. Coffee urn to be used at
breakfast and coffee time: percolators
at dinner and supper time. Beef on
hot rakes not being ready on time.
Ship to be fumigated for roaches.

Chief cook Burke grabs a
smoke on deck after a hot
doy in the galley during the
Alma's run to Europe.

Vatalie? She's A Plain
Stick-In-The-Mud Now

Saturday night was hardly the loneliest night of the week
for the Natalie last June 29th Mn Yokohama. There was no
lack of company for the ship.

Three Army fireboats, six
Japanese Are companies and
a couple of Navy tugs came
alongside and on the dock to help
whip a fire that broke out in num­
ber one hold. Most of the crew-
members who were ashore *lso
came bapk during the night to help
combat the stubborn blaze once
word of it got around, ship's re­
porter Mike Michalik noted.

The lire broke out in a cargo of
cotton about 10 PM Saturday and
was finally brought under control

Even with a stanchion in the way, it's easy to see that Alma had a
good trip. Among those on the poop deck ore Vega, PWT; Ziror
gone, deck engineer; Parker, oiler; Brock, DM; Benitz, OS, and
Totro, wiper. The photos by George Zoiensky were sent in by
Brock, ship's reporter.

JVFW GERMAN PORT IS
REAL TONGUE-TWISTER

It may sound like a sausage or a pastry, but Brunsbuttel-
koog is really the newest port on Waterman's run to northern
Europe.

The name of this town of-*'^
10,000 persons located at the
southern end of the Kiel Canal
proved to be a real tongue-twister
for the SIU gang on the City of
Alma, hut neither this nor the
generally chilly and damp weather
in Europe at the time spoiled the
crew's good time. Bremei'haven,
Bremen, Rotterdam and Antwerp
were the other ports of call along
the way, so it's easy to figure why.

"Two Mishaps
Only two events marred the trip,

according to reporter K. A. Brock.
First was the serious accident of
a German longshoreman who fell
from the lower 'tween deck to the
bottom of the hold. Since he suf­
fered severe injuries, this man's
outlook was not too good at the
time the ship left. A short hatch
board was believed to be the cause
of the mishap.

Once underway, jsix days out of
Rotterdam, wiper R. Hutto got

word that his mother back in the
States had passed away, but his
shipmates quickly stepped in to
ease the blow. Brock said, ship's
delegate Paul L. Whitlow immedi­
ately took up a collection among
the crew to send flowers and ex­
press the crew's condolences on
the loss.

Hutto later addressed a ship's
meeting "to thank, everyone for
their sympathy, understanding
and help. Thus the meeting ended
with one minute of silence in
memory of all our seafaring broth­
ers and loved ones."

Now the Alma is in the Gulf
"and where we go from here is
anyone's guess." Maybe it'll be
back to Brunsbuttelkoog, fellas. It
would be a shame to have finally
mastered the name just for one
measly visit. Once you've got the
pronunciation down pat you might
even get to liking the place.

Michalik

about 9 PM Sunday. "There was
considerable damage," Michalik
said, "and it looks like we'll be in
the shipyard out here for a couple
of months. Right now with half
of Tokyo Bay in the three holds
we're down by the head and stuck
in about five feet
of mud." There
apparently were
no injuries, con­
trary to earlier
reports.

After first ef­
forts to put the
fire out with C02
foam were un­
successful, the
ship was ordered
away from the dock by the port
director. It was feared "the fuel
tank might, explode and endanger
the lives of passengers aboard the
APL round-the-world liner Presi­
dent Polk which was tied up ahead.

Tug Shifted Ship
Army tugs shifted the Natalie to

the outer harbor at 2 AM Sunday
after the blaze had spread, and the
navy sent a salvage tug which
pumped out most of the water, "but
the ship is still stuck and listing.

"For. a while^ we thought she
was going to sink when the water
started pouring into the lower
passageways and seeping into the
engine room. But, quick work by
the navy salvage ship in hooking up
about seven pumps quickly got
things under control.

"On Sunday most of the crew
was crying about the cargo of beer
and whiskey that was destroyed in
number two hold. As they'are not
members of Alcoholic Anonymous
or the WCTU, j'ou can see how
deeply affected they were by the
loss," Mich.ilik added.

The ship had arrived from San
Francisco the same day, so most of
the crew was ashore that night.

Little knowing they'd soon
face the real thing, Tex Ringo
it pictured at the wheel of the
Natalie on her previous trip.
Photo sent In by Pot Conley.

'l?ll

Burly By Bernard Seaman



Pare Fonrteen SEAFARERS LOG July 19. 195T

Vk''-

-
ii-v -

t /

The Gang's All Here

The butcher, barber, bellboy and BR join messman Caspar Noto ^
(righrt as they mug for a photo on the Del Mar. Pictured
ore Tony Russo, barber; Frank Seefeldt, BR; Vic Ronio

I to rj

butcher; Bernie Guarino, bellboy, and Noto, who submitted the
photo. Reporter C. M. Dowling sent it in. Everybody but Gua­
rino gave the cameraman the glad-eye, but he seems to have
something more interesting to occupy his attention.

Ray Queen fright) gives one
of those 'l-didn't-do-any-
thing - whaddya - taking - my-
picture-for?" looks to the
shipboard photographer
aboard the John B. Water­
man while others In the gang
take a breather on deck.
Photo by Anthony C. Aronica.
Below, the galley gang on the
Dorothy steps up for a shot at
the camera. Who's who is
anybody's guess, since no one
let us know who took the pic­
ture or who's in it.

Some of the boys on the John C. Kendall who ran out of razor
blades on the wav into Barcelona, Spain, show off the whisker-
works on arrival. Up front {I to r) are Henry Bacon, OS, and Jim
Brazell, wiper. C. Lanier, AB; Steamboat Ellison, OS; Aubry
Smith, bosun, ^ and Star Wells, carpenter, bring up the rear.
Wells turned in the. evidence.

SEAFARERS IN
THE HOSFUALS

MONTEBELLO
CHRONIC DISEASE HOSPITAL

BALTIMORE, MD.
Francisco Bueno

- USPHS HOSPITAL
BALTIMORE, MD.

Elmer Baker
Edward Cannon
Estaban Cqnquet
Victor B. Cooper
Claudius Fisher
Gorman T. Glaze
Hetman Kemp

George LltchBeld
William Mcllveen
William Mellon
Thomas Rowe
Richard Savior
Claude. Walker
Albert Yumul

USPHS HOSPITAL
BOSTON, MASS.

August F. Eklund George T. Lampo*
Alvole Green

USPHS HOSPITAL
GALVESTON. TEXAS

Leland Ashley
WUliard T. CahlU
Edward CaudlU
M. N. Gendron
E. Manuel
James C. Mitchell

Albert A. Richards
Harold J. Romero
Frank B. Rowell
Charles M. Sllcox
W. R. Walker

USPHS HOSPITAL
NORFOLK, VA.

Joseph J. Bass Robert G. Sawyer
Will Beasley Maximo Tangalln
Francis J. Boner Charles T. Taylor
Frank Peskurlc

USPHS HOSPITAL
NEW ORLEANS, LA.

William Barbone Harry R. Lewis
John W. Blgwood
Charles R. Bourg
Henry Chemel
James Crawford
Serlo M. DeSosa
William Drlscoll
Everett Fairbanks
Leon Gordon
WlUlam Hackett
Martin Hagerty
James Hifdson
George F. Johnson
Oscar M. Jones
Ronald L. Karns
Edward 6. Knapp
Leo Lang
William Lawless

Timothy McCarthy
Robert McLamore
John A. Moloney
Simon Morris
Michael Muzio*
Wlnford Powell
Randolph RatcllS
Toxle Samlord
Toefil Smlglelski
Herman Smith
Wert A. Spencer
Melvln A. Spires
Gerald L. Thaxtoa
Donnle R.'Tickle
James E. Ward
Clifford Wuertz -
Jacob Zlmmer

USPHS HOSPITAL
SAN FRANCISCO. CALIF.

Roy J. Barker
Noah C. Carver
Alexander Lelner
Fred M. Morris

OdeU B. Powell
Stefan Trzelnskl
Sung C. Wang
George Warrington

USPHS HOSPITAL
SAVANNAH. GA.

Jose Blanco W. C. Sanders
Jlmnile Littleton Leslie F. Swegan
Fred Miller Edward Tresnick
BlUle Padget

USPHS HOSPITAL
SEATTLE. WASH.

Frank J. Bradley R. E. Kelley
Charles Cantwell Obert J. Morgan
Wayne T. Center Eugene G. Plahn
John Flanagan

USPHS HOSPITAL
" MEMPHIS, TENN.

Clauds F. Blanks Charles Burton

VA HOSPITAL
NEW YORK. NY

E. T. Cunningham

USPHS HOSPITAL
FORT WORTH. TEXAS

B. F. Delbler John C. Palmer
Siegfried Gnlttke August Paneplnte
W. E. Orzechowskl

VA HOSPITAL
HOUSTON. TEXAS

John P. Williamson

USPHS HOSPITAL
MANHATTAN BEACH

BROOKLYN. NY
Manuel Antonana Benjamin Martin
Eladlo Arls - Albert MartlnelU
Fortunato Bacomo Vlo Mllazzo
John J. Drlscoll - Joaquin Minis
Robert E. Gilbert - W. P. O'Dea
William Guenther George G. Phlfer
Bart E. Guranlck Graham Pulssegus
Howard Hailey Winston Renny
Percy Harrelson S. B. Saunders
Taib Hassen O. E. Stuimaker
Billy R. HUl Kevin B. Skelly
Thomas Isaksen Ernest Smallwood
Ira H. Kllgore Henry E. Smith
Ludwlg Krlstlansen Stanley F. Sokol
Frederick Landry Michael Toth
Leonard Leldlg Harry S. Tuttle
Patrick McCann VlrgU E. Wllmoth
Archibald McGulgan Pon P. Wing
Hubert Mclsaao Dexter Worrell

USPHS.HOSPITAL
STATEN ISLAND. NY

WUliard Blumen John Klepadlo
Simon Bunda Mauro Matonte
George F. Crabtree Ahmed Mehssln
Esteban Cruz Thomas Moncho
Raymond M. Davis Robert Parker
David B. Dunn Frafll Pnylor
Rufus Freemen Markos Potirladls
Burl Hali-e John H. Price
Hans Hanssen ' James Rlst
LoweU Harris Salvator Rivera
Henry Herklnheln Jose Rodriguez
Oskar Kaelep Manuel Bodrlgues
Alfred Kaju Joseph Wread

Shorthanded?
If a crewmenaber qulta whila

a ship is In port, delegates
are, asked to contact the hall
immediately for a replace­
ment. Fast action on their part
will keep all Jobs aboard ship
filled at all times and elimi­
nate the chance of the ship
sailing shorthanded.

Galveston PHS
Offered Thanks
To the Editor:

During my recent stay and
subsequent visits at the Galves­
ton marine hospital I not only
received the most excellent care
but also such kind treatment
that I would like to express my
gratitude to the sta^f.

Particular thanks should go
to Dr. R. B. Stewart, who went
out of his way while off duty to
pay me.a special visit. He also

letters To
The Mor

All letters to the editor for
publication in the SEAFAR­
ERS LOG must be signed
by the writer. Names will
be withheld upon request.

went so far as to personally
bring me to the ship. To him
and the staff I wish to express
my heartfelt gratitude.

James Sanlouzans
t 4» 4"

Daughter, 18,
Graduates HS
To the Editor:

I am enclosing a picture of
my daughter, Rosemary ~L.
Genco, who Just graduated from
high school in. Newton Falls,
Ohio. Rosemary is 18 and was
in the upper third of her class
in grades. We are very proud
of her.

She and my wife both read

GraduaHon Day was proud
moment for pretty Rose^ ,
mary Oeneo, shown outside
new home In Newton Falls,
Ohio.

the LOG when it arrives and
they are weil acquainted with
the welfare benefits and all the
other advantages we have in the
SIU. I began sailing with" the
Union in 1944, but retired after
World War II. I have been sail­
ing continuously since 1949.

The house in the picture, in­
cidentally, in our new three-
bedroom home. We moved into
it last March.

Vincent Genco
» t 4.

Wants Curb On
Poet's 'License'
.To the Editor:

Am looking forward to your
next issue, containing the prom­
ised poem of Brother Roy Fleis­
cher entitled "Queen of the
River," which ho composed
while sitting on the Brooklyn
Bridge watching a Hudson River
Day liner churning past.

Would like to be on a ship
with Brother Fleischer. What a
lookout! What eyesight!!!

The Brooklyn Bridge has been
undergoing repairs for many
years and Is consequently closed
to pedestrianSi You can't see

.the Hudson Riv.or from there,
and the Day Line does not
operate on the East River.
Brother Fleischer must have
soared very high on his winged
steed Pegasus. "

But Joking aside, the artist
takes his liberties; the poet,
poetical license, and Brother
Fleischer tries. He has the
poetical spirit. Wish him lucltt

^ Auge Jorgens
(Ed. note: Since the poet's

best defense is an offense, Roy
Fleischer's poem is on page 12.
of tkis issue.)

4 4 4 •
Union Welfare
Services Lauded
To the Editor:

It was good to read a letter
from a brother member in
praise of our SIU Welfare Serv­
ices Department in a recent
issue of the LOG. Like a great
many members, I have had occa­
sion to contact Welfare for
various reasons and am grateful
for the assistance I have re­
ceived at all times and for the
successful conclusion of all
problems..

Our Welfi^e Services Depart­
ment is one of the most impor­
tant units in our Union organiza­
tion, and it is important in a
more personal way as it so often
deals with personal problems.
We've always had a good wel-

' fare set-up in the past, but
nothing to compare to the pre­
sent one. Our officials are to
be commended for welding to­
gether such a competent and
efficient department as we now
have,? and for the tremendous
work that they are doing for
the membership.

Some of the problems those
fellows have to deal with are
pretty complicated, but they are
ironed out smoothly and effi­
ciently. A member is always
made to feel welcome with a
big hand and a smile regardless
of how busy they may be. I think
this later phase, the personal
approach of these brothers in
charge, of Welfare which creates
such a pleasant atmosphere, is
largely responsible for the suc­
cess of that department.

I was in the hospital on occa?
sion and noticed that this same
personal touch and friendly at­
mosphere was created each time
the hospital was visited by one
of these brothers from' Welfare".

-It was much appreciated by our
brother members who are pa­
tients in these hospitals. I'd like
to see more letters written to-
the LOG by those who have
been aided by Welfare Services.

The trouble is that, as mem­
bers of the SIU always used to
the best in everything, we grow
a bit complacent and are apt to
take too many things for
granted. But I do think that
when a person or group is doing
a particularly terrific job a word
of praise or commendation is in
order. It gives those concerned
a boost and I also think it's good
for the morale of everyone.

Art Lomas
4 4 4

'Red' GIbbs Has
A Social Note
To the Editor:

I would like to take this
means to let my friends know
of the engagement of my'neph­
ew, Russell Ardell Gibbs, to
Delma Shylaske. They both liye
in Baltimore.

Russell Joined the navy re­
serve air force about one year
ago, BO that kind of keeps the
seagoing angle in the family.
The wedding will be about July
20th.

Carl E. Gibbs

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The deaths o? the folloioing Sea-
jarera have been reported to the
Seafarers Welfare Plan and the
^lU death benefit is being paid to
their beneficiaries:

Clarence A. Dowdy, 44: On June
10, 1957, Brother Dowdy died in

Baltimore, M d*.
Death was due to
a shipboard acci­
dent. Ho joined
the Union in Nor­
folk on Septem­
ber 6. 1955, and
was sailing in the
steward depart-
m ejn t. Brother
Dowdy is sur-

mother,< Mrs.' Eva
Dowdy. Burial took place in Olive
Branch Cemetery, Portsmouth, Va.

^
Wiley D. Slarle,

Slagle died of a
heart condition on
August 24, 1950,
in NeelyvlUe, Mo.
He joined the
Union October 0,
1953, and sailed
in the deck de­
partment. Place
of burial is not
known.

4"
Frank J. Dovas,

povas died of a heart ailment In
San Francisco, on June 17, 1957.

56: Brother

Brother

He joined the Union in New York
and sailed in the steward depart­
ment. Brother Dovas is survived by
his wife, Mrs. Betty Dovas of Balti­
more, Md. Place of burial is un­
known.

Scholarship $$
Prove Big Help

IContinued from page 5)
New York State University system,
in February, 1950, paying his way
on the GI bill allowance and sum­
mertime sailing income. While at
the school he decided to apply for
an SIU sehoolarshlp and made the
grade.

Now that he has the $1,500 a
year coming to him Brom the SIU,
Logan Is considering transferring
to Albany State Teachers College
which offers preparation for a sec­
ondary school license. "I couldn't
make the grade financially without
the SIU scholarship," he said,
"unless I lived at honle while going
to school. Now that there's enough
money coming in. I'm free to fol­
low the course of study I prefer at
another school."

Logan is- currently sailing as
chief electrician aboard the Sea-
train Texas.

I
EVERY I

SUNDAY IDIRECT VOICE
IBROADCAST

•' •-.'I
I

TO SHIPS IN ATLANTIC EUROPEAN
AND SOUTH AMERICAN WATERS

MTD" "THE VOICE OF THE
WFK-39, 19850 KCs Ships in Caribbean, East Coast

of South America, South Atlan­
tic and East Coast of United
States.

WFL-65, 15850 KCs Ships in Gulf of Mexico, Carib­
bean, West Coast ot South
America, West Coast of Mexico
and US East Coast.

WFK-95, 15700 KCs Ships in Mediterranean area,
North-Atlantic, European and
US East Coast.

Meanwhile, MTD 'Round-The-Worfd
Wireless Broadcasts Continue ...

Every Sunday, 1915 GMT
(2:15 PM EST Sunday)
WCO-13020 KCs
Europe and North America

WCO-16908.8 KCs
Y East Coast South America

, WCO-22407 KCs
West Coast South America

— Every Monday, 0315 GMT
(10:15 PM EST Sunday)

WMM 25-15607 KCs
Australia

. WMM 81-11037.5
Y' . • Northwest Pacific

MAR*miliE TRADES DEPARTMENT

Artist's conception of how huge oir-filled robber tubes attached to sunken vessel by divers could be
used in marine salvage jobs. The scheme hos been proposed as a means of refloating the Italian
liner Andrea Doria whicli went down a year ago after a collision off Nantucket,

Co, Plans To Refloat Wrecks
A new plan is being developed for salvaging sunken ships. Developed by the United

States Rubber Company, the plan calls fhr the use of huge air-inflated rubber envelopes
attached to the sides of the ship to give enough 'lift' to the sunken vessel.

4 Although it is. in the experi­
mental stage, civilian and
Navy salvage experts are giv­
ing the idea some serious consid­
eration. It Is even possible, some
claim, that it might provide the
means to raise the Italian Line
flagship Andrea Doria. The 29,000
ton vessel has been on the ocean
floor off the Nantucket Shoals

since her sinking last July 25.
The actual method employed is

fairly simple. Engineers lower
large rubber envelopes, 100 feet
by 25 feet, reinforced by steel tire
cords to the ocean bottom. Divers
attach the envelopes to the ves­
sel's hull by means of fasteners.

Compressed air is pumped down

Toronto, Coast Operators
Sign With Canadian SIU

MONTREAL—The SIU Canadian District has won two
more contract agreements, .one extending representation to
seamen on the tugs of Toronto Towing Company Limited,
and the second terminating a
25-day strike against a Gov­
ernment subsidized ferry line.

The contract with Toronto Tow­
ing covers seamen on their tugs,
scows and other marine construc­
tion equipment in and around the
port of Toronto. The agreement
includes wage inci-eases from $50
to $141 retroactive to April 15,
1957, and a straight eight-hour day
with basic overtime rates of $1.62
per hour. The company also signed
up for the District's welfare plan,
agreed to provide standby rates
for the off-season and granted
numerous other benefits.

The company's operations ex­
tend from Cornwall to Leaming­
ton, Ontario. It has contracts for
hauling scows and freight in To­
ronto's harbor. It also carries pas­
sengers to the various Lakes, is­
lands during the winter months.

Seafarers working for the Coast
Perries Limited in British Colum­
bia staged a 25-day strike before
the company would come to terms
regarding a new wage scale and
various other benefits. The com­
pany's claim, that "the employees
are happy out there" was quickly
discredited when the Department
of Labor, at the request of the
union, held a strike vote of the
employees concerned. Not one
member voted against the strike.

The Minister of Labor stepped
In after the company threatened
to go out of business. The cabinet
met In Victoria and adopted rec­
ommendations for a. further sub­

sidy for this operation covering
the Gulf Islands. After signing
the subsidy agreement, the com­
pany came to. terms with the Union.

Among the benefits receiyed
were a 20 to 22 cents an hour in­
crease, 37 to 40 cents an hour
overtime Increase, a guaranteed
union shop and subsistence when
away from home port. Seafarers
were also given an annual leave
pay of four percent, a welfare
plan, and a 40-hour week. ;

Canadian National Strike
On another front, the union was

forced to strike the go'verfiment
owned Canadian National Steam­
ship Company when it refused to
agree on wage Increases. Hal C.
Banks, SIU yice president pointed
out:

"At the present time, an able
bodied seaman, who is required
by law to serve a three year ap­
prenticeship to attain • his rating,
is paid exactly 88 cents an hour.
A common laborer," he argued,
"receives $1.76 per hour.

"A family man required to work
away from home in Canada today
just cannot exist on 88 cents an
hour. A single man cannot live'
under similar conditions for 88
cents per hour." Canadian Na­
tional operates eight ships in the
West Indies trade.

Ifi the nine years that the com­
pany has been under contract with
the SIU, he noted, the District
has been forced to call .only one
strike.

to the rubber containers through
individual air lines running from
tenders. The number of envelopes,
of course, would depend on the
amount of weight that had to be
displaced.

Individual air lines connected to
the envelopes make it possible to
control the degree of inflation indi­
vidually and in turn, by varying the
pressure in the envelopes, aid in
raising the vessel on an even keel.

Deflated Tanks
In case of extra heavy vessels,

greater buoyancy could be created
by filling the holds of the vessels
with deflated tanks which would be
inflated through air lines.

For practical purposes, the plan
might make possible the salvage
of valuable ore cargoes of numer­
ous ships sunk off the Atlantic and
Gulf coast during World War II.
There,.are, at least 40 ships, com­
pany engineers point out, between
New York and Miami, which lie in
60 feet of water or less. Their steel
scrap value alone is estimated at
many millions of dollars.

Surprise At Home

Seafarer AugusHn Rodriguez
found surprise package Let-
cia Rodriguez when he arrived
In NY home after trip on Al­
coa Pointer.

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SEAFARERS LOG
• OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION • ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT • AFL-CIO •

How Much Does
Air-Conditioning
Cost Oh Ships?

Tap any Seafarer on the shoulder (especially in the sum­
mer) and ask him what shipboard improvements he would
like and the answers are invariably (a) individual rooms
and (b) air-conditioned ships.
Both of tihese developments

Lake Charles
Cleaning Up
After Audrey

LAKE CHARLES—This city is
slowly digging itself out of the
trash and mud left all over the
streets and buildings by H^ricane
Audrey, said Leroy Clarke, port
agent. "It will be a long hard job,"
he said, "but still, we were much
better off than most of oim neigh­
boring communities, one of which
Cameron, Louisiana, was com­
pletely wiped out."

Shipping Normal
Shipping too is Just getting back

to normal. There were 12 vessels
calling into port during the past
period. They were the Council
Grove, CS Miami, Chiwawa, Gov­
ernment Camp, Cantigny, Winter
Hill, CS Norfolk, Bradford Island
(Cities^ Service); Ideal X, Maxton
(Pan-Atlantic); Valchem (Heron)
and the tug William S. Smith &
Sons, out of New Orleans.

All were reported in good shape
with the exception of a couple
of clarifications for the crews
which were quickly straightened
out.

are slowly making headwajrtn
shipping, particularly in new
supertankers now under construc­
tion. Before a few years are out
they could become commonplace.

Up until now, it has been gen­
erally assumed that air-condition­
ing is a very costly item. But a re­
cent article, in "Marine Engineer­
ing Log" of June, 1957, claims that
the cost is much more nominal than
would be expected. While open to
question because it is written by
an executive of an air-conditioning
firm, it raises some interesting
points on the subject.

30-Cents Per Man Daily?
The article's author, who is a rep­

resentative of the Carrier Corpora­
tion, claims that air-conditioning
for crews' quarters comes to be­
tween IS and 30 cents per man
per day over the long haul. For
passenger accommodations the fig­
ure is a little higher, $1 per day,
based on the time spent aboard.

These figures, of course, apply
to air-conditioning on new con­
struction. Installing air-condition­
ing on already-existing merchant
vessels would undoubtedly be far
more costly and probably involve
considerable overhauling of the
ship's interior.

"Considering the costs," the
author claims, "which may vary for
different types of ships, air-con­
ditioning will quickly pay for Itself
and will -continue to return divi-

YOUR

SEAFARERS WELFARE PLAN
r

Hospital Aid j
For Family j

1

i . /

The comprehensive
family hospital-surgical
benefits program has sev*
eral features not nor­
mally found in plans of
this type. It gives cover­
age to dependent parents
and disabled Seafarers as
well as to wives and chil­
dren of Seafarers.

It also offers extended
payments for as long as
the patient is hospitalized
and provides a sliding •
scale of surgical benefits,
payments for doctors*
visits to the hospital and
hospital extras.

Requirements, like for
most SIU benefits, are
one day's seatime for the
Seafarer in the previous
90 plus 90 days in the last
calendar year.

SEAFARERS
INT 'L UNION,
A&G DISTRICT

New passenger ship Matsonia also boasts air-conditioning through­
out aH living and work spaces. Here three SIU Marine Cooks
members relax in their foc'sle.

President Coolidge Is one of four air-conditioned freightships operated by American President Lines
on its round the world run. The four ships are converted Mariners manned by members of SIU Paci­
fic District.

dends in the form of Increased •
revenue, improved crew efficiency
and maintenance of cargo quality."

Ventilators Already^ In
Elsewhere, he adds, "Contrary

to common belief, the cost of com­
plete air-conditioning, compared
with the cost of ventilation, is not
too great. It must be considered
that fans, duct heaters, duct work,
grilles, radiators and other acces­
sories must be provided as a mini­
mum for any vessel. The cost of
the refrigeration plant and condi­
tioning apparatus plus controls,
therefore. Is the major additional
cost."

On the passenger ship side, the
author estimates the additional cost
of,, air-conditioning as $1,000 per
ton for the "cooling" capacity,
based on a M-ton capacity per
stateroom. On a 500-stateroom ship,
the cost comes to $750 which over
the life of the ship, he says, comes
to $85 per year per room.

Increase Efficiency
For crewmembers, the lower cost

figure of 15 to 30 cents per day
is based in part on the assumption
that air-conditioning will reduce
crew turnover and increase crew
efficiency and work output. The
author cites studies made in shore-
side plants which figure a gain in
efficiency of three to five percent
as "a reasonable and conservative
expectation." A gain of two per­
cent, he adds, is sufficient to pay
off the air-conditioning costs.

If the higher fignre of 30 cents
per man per day is valid, then on
a typical cargo ship carrying a
crew of 43 to 45 officers and men
the absolute cost of the air-condi­
tioning would be in the vicinity of
$400 a month without figuring on
any gains in working efficiency.
In terms of the total monthly wage
bill covering overtime, feeding
and other benefits of around $30,-
000, the cost of of the air-condi­
tioning would come ' to a little
more than one percent, assuming
that the ship is busy all year.

"On APL Ships
On the cargo ship side, air-con­

ditioning has been installed on
four American President Lines
converted Mariners on the 'round-
the-world run as well as on a numr
ber of new supertankers, many o^
them under foreign flags. Air-con­
ditioning on passenger ships is al­
ready a "must" and no operator
would dream of putting a new ship
in the .water without that feature
unless he is prepared to run in the
Alaska trade.

With US shipowners preparing
for a major ship replacement pro­
gram, it remains to be seen
whether the operators will have
the foresight to provide for uni­
versal air-conditioning on all their
vessels.

Unions Halt Hospital
Croup's Rate Boost

A bid by the Blue Cross hospital plan for a rate increase in
New York was knocked on the head after prompt action by a
group of AFL-CIO unions in the state. Over 200 unions wired
the New York State Insurance
Department demanding a pub­
lic hearing on the company's
application and on its claim of
losses.

While the company filed claims
of losses of $4,600,000 last year, it
was disclosed that its ledger as­
sets amounted to over $99 million,
an increase of approximately $2
million during 1956.

Last year Blue Cross spent $2,-
400,000 for soliciting subscribers,
and almost one-half million for ad­
vertising. The salary of the presi­
dent was listed as $58,796 while
the combined salaries of the offi­
cers, directors, etc. amounted to
$5,961,566. In short, $9 million of
the $112 million collected in pre­
miums for the past year went for
operating expenses, or approxi­
mately eight percent, The SIU
Welfare Plan, for example, report­
ed expenses of 4.9 percent.

So far this year,. Blue Cross has
raised its ̂ ates 17 percent in New
Jersey; 11 percent in Durham,
NC; 19.8 percerit in Wilmington,
Del., and 12 percent in Michigan.

Meanwhile delegates to the

American Bar Association heard a
pitch from an Insurance lobby rep­
resentative complaing of federal
tax differentials and discriminatory
regulation burdens being imposed
on insurance companies and not on
non-insured pension plans.

'Too Much Tax'
Albert Pike, actuary of the Life

Insurance Association of Americas,
told, the insurance panel that in­
sured plans suffered a "discrimina­
tory tax burden" while non-insured
plans did not. Besides that, he
claimed, the non-insured plans
avoided many of the regulations
placed on insurance companies.

Other speakers urged the appli­
cation of the rules governing in­
surance companies to non-insured
employee pension plans. A propos­
al for a uniform system of diselos-
ure and audit, standardization of
terms and an actuarial review of all
funds was urged by Adolf Berle,
professor of law at Columbia Uni­
versity. Tha nfet worth of these
(non-insured) plaujl, he said, would,
within the next 30-50 years grow to
almost $90 billion.

' ;

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CONSTITUTION
Seafarers International Union • A&G District • AFL-CIO

EVERY SEAFARER IS GUARANTEED

• Protectionpj the rights and privileges guaranteed
him under the Constitution of the Union.

• The right to vote.

• TJie right to nominate himself for, and to hold, '
any office in the Union.

• That every official of the Union shall be bound
to uphold and protect the rights of every member
and that in no case shall any member be deprived
of his rights and privileges as a member ivithout
'due process of the law of the Union.

• The right to be confronted by his accuser and to
be given a fair trial by an impartial committee of .
his brother Union members if he should be
charged with conduct detrimental to the welfare
of Seafarers banded together in this Union.

• The right to express himself freely on the floor of
any Union meeting or in committee.

• The assurance that his brother Seafarers will
stand with him in defense of the democratic prin­
ciples set forth in the Constitution of the Union.

Th9 SlU constitution has been hailed in and outside maritime and labor circles as an
outstanding example of trade union democracy. Here are a few of the many reac­
tions to the document from members of Congress.

Senator Henry M. Jackson, Wash.:
. I have looked over the constitution

and offhand it would appear to be emi-
ently fair and just. I was particularly
interested in the fact that it was adopted
in such a democratic manner by the full
membership of your organization."

Senator James E. Murray, Montana:
"I am particularly impressed by the pro­
visions of the constitution providing for
a trial committee to hear charges against
members, and guaranteeing the tradi­
tional American rights to representa­
tion, cross-examination, and confronta­
tion by the accuser ... I am happy to
note that your new constitution is drawn

in the spirit of democratic trade union­
ism."

Senator Hubert Humphrey, Minn.:
"The constitution seems to me to be an
extremely democratic one and I am im­
pressed with the emphasis which is
placed upon ratification by members. I
also approve the provisions with respect
to providing for a trial committee ..."

Senator Paul H. Douglas, III.: "I ap­
preciate your sharing the constitution
with me and I commend the sense of
public interest which moves you to feel
that these are of concern to persons out­
side the ranks of your own member­
ship."

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/ 8appleiiMBtanr~P«ff« Two SEAFARERS LOG July 19, 1957

CONSTITUTION
Seafarers International Union A&G District AFL-CIO

(4s Amended, August, 1956)

PREAMBLE
We, the Seamen and Fishermen of America, realizing

the value and necessity of a thorough organization of sea­
faring men, have determined to form one union, the
SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH
AMERICA, to embrace all seamen and fishermen of North
America, Canada, Alaska, and the Territories, based upon
the following principles:

Whatever right belongs to one member belongs to all
members alike, as long as they remain in good standing
in the Union. - /

First of these rights is the right of the American sea­
men to receive their employment through their own
Union Halls, without interference of crimps, shipowners,
fink halls or any .shipping bureaus maintained by the
Government.

That it is the right of each member to receive fair and
Just remuneration for his labor, and to gain sufficient
leisure for mental cultivation and physical recreation.

Further, we consider it our right to receive healthful
and sufficient food, and proper forecastles in which to
rest.

Next, is the right to be treated in a decent and respect­
ful manner by those in command.

We hold that the above rights belong to all seamen
alike, irrespective of nationality or creed.

Recognizing the foregoing as our inalienable rights, we
are conscious of corresponding duties to those in com­
mand, our employers, our craft and our country.

We will, therefore, try by all just means to promote
harmonious relations with those in command by exercis­
ing due care and diligence in the performance of the
duties of our profession, and by giving all po'^ible assist-

- ance to our employers in caring for their gear and
property.

Based upon these principles, it is among our objects;
To use our influence individually and collectively for the
purpose of maintaining and developing skill in seaman­
ship and effecting a change in the Maritime law of the
United States, so as to render it more equitable and to
make it an aid instead of a hindrance to the development
of a Merchant Marine and a body of American seamen.

To support a journal which shall voice the sentiments
of the seafaring class, and through its columns seek to
maintain the knowledge of and interest in maritime
affairs.

To assist the seamen of other countries in the work of
organization and federation, to the end of establishing
the Brotherhood of the Sea.

Jo assist other bona fide labor organizations whenever
possible in the attainment of their just demands.

To regulate our conduct as a Union and as individuals
so as to make seamanship what it rightly is—an honorable
and useful calling. And bearing in mind that we are
migratory, that our work takes us away in different direc­
tions from any place, where the majority might otherwise
meet to act, that meetings can be attended by only a
fraction of the membership, that the absent members,
who cannot be present, must have their interests guarded
from what might be the results of excitement and pas­
sions aroused by persons or conditions, and that those
who are present may act for and in the interest of all,
we have adopted this constitution.
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND DECLARATION

OF RIGHTS
In order to form a more perfect union, we members

of the Brotherhood of the seamen, fishermen arid allied
workers ashore—realizing the value and necessity of unit­
ing in pursuit of our improved economic and social wel­
fare, have determined to bind ourselves together in the
Seafarers International Union of North America, Atlantic
and Gulf District, and hereby dedicate ourselves to the
following principles:

In promoting our economic and social welfare, we shall
ever be mindful, not only of our rights, but also of our
duties and obligations as members of the community,
our duties as citizens, and our duty to combat the menace
of communism and any other enemies of freedom and
the democratic principles to which we seafaring men
dedicate ourselves in this Union.

We shall affiliate and work with other free labor or­
ganizations; we shall support a journal to give additional
voice to our views; we shall assist our brothers off the
sea and other workers of all countries in these obligations
to the fullest extent consistent with our duties and ob­
ligations. We'shall seek to exert our individual and col­
lective influence in the fight for the enactment of labor
and other legislation and policies which look to the at­
tainment of a free and happy society, without distinction
based on race, creed or color.

To govern our conduct as a Unioq and bearing in mind
that most of our members are migij^ory, that their duties
carry them all over the world, that their rights must and
shall be protected, we hereby declare these rights as
members of the Union to be Inalienable:

i
No member shall be deprived of any of the rights or

privileges guaranteed him under the Constitution of

the Union.
n

Every member of this Union shall have the right to vote.
No one shall deprive him of that right.

m
Every member shall have the right to nominate himself

for. and to hold, office in this Union.
IV

No member shall be deprived of his membership with­
out due process of the law of this Union. No member
shall be compelled to be a witness against himself in the
trial of any proceeding In which he may be charged with
failure to observe the law of this Union. Every official
and job holder shall be bound to uphold and protect the
rights of every member in accordance with the principles
set forth in the Constitution of the Union.

V
Jgvery member shall have the right to be confronted by

his accuser whenever he is charged with violating the law
of this Union. In all such cases, the accused shall be
guaranteed a fair and speedy trial by an Impartial com­
mittee of his brother Union members.

VI
No member shall be denied the right to express himself

freely on the floor of any Union meeting or In committee.
vn

A militant membership being necessary to the security
' of a free union, the members shall at all times stand ready

to defend this Union and the principles set forth in the
Constitution of the Union.

vni
The powers not delegated to the officials and job

holders by the Constitution of the Union shall be reserved
to the members.

CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I

NAME AND GENERAL POWERS
This Union-shall be known .as the Seafarers Interna­

tional Union of North America, Atlantic and Gulf Dis­
trict. Its powers shall be legislative, judicial, and execu­
tive, and shall Include the formation of, and/or Issuance
of charters to, subordinate bodies, corporate or otherwise,
the formation of funds and participation in funds, the
establishment of enterprises for the benefit of the Union,
and similar ventures. A majority vote of the membership
shall be authorization for any Union action, unless other­
wise specified In this Constitution. This Union shall, at
all times, protect and maintain its jurisdiction over all
work which belongs to the seaman and all such work as
seamen now perform.

ARTICLE II
AFFILIATION

• This Union shall be affiliated with the Seafarers Inter­
national Union of North America and the American Fed­
eration of Labor. All other affiliations by the Union or
by the Ports shall be made or withdrawn as determined
by a majority vote of the membership.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Candidates for membership shall be ad­
mitted to membership In accordance with such rules as
are adopted, from time to time, by a majority vote of
the membership.

Section 2. Candidates for membership shall be
American citizens, or eligible for such citizenship. No
candidate shall be granted membership who Is a mem­
ber of any dual organization or any other organization
hostile to the aims, principles, and policies of this Union.
No candidate shall be granted membership until he has
taken the following oath of obligation:

OBLIGATION
"1 pledge my honor as a man, that 1 will be faithful to

this Union, and that 1 will work for its Interest and will
look upon every member as.my brother; that I will not
work for less than Union wages and that 1 will obey all
orders of the Union. I promise that I will never reveal
the proceedings of the Union to its Injury or to persons
not entitled to know it. And if I break this promise, 1
ask every member to treat me as unworthy of friendship
and acquaintance. SO HELP ME 60D!"

Section 3. Members more than one quarter in ar­
rears In dues, or more than three months in arrears In as­
sessments or unpaid fines, shall be automatically sus­
pended, and shall forfeit all benefits and all other rights
and privileges in the Union. They shall be automatically
dismissed if they are more than two quarters in arrears
In dues or more than six months In arrears In assessments
or unpaid fines.

This time shall not run:
(a) While a member is actually participating In a strike

or lockout.
(b) While a member Is an In-patient in a USPHS

Hospital.
• (c> While a member is under an Incapacity due to ac­
tivity In behalf of the Union.

(d) While a member Is in the Armed Services qf the

y
United States, provided the member was in good standing
at the time of entry Into the Armed Forces, and further
provided he applies for reinstatement within 90 days
after discharge from the Arme^ Forces ^

(e) While a member has no opportunity to pay dues
because of employment aboard an American flag mer-
criant vessel.

Section 4. A majority vote of the membership shall be
sufficient to designate additional circumstances during
which the time specified in Section 3 shall not run. It
shall be the right of any member to present. In writing,
to any Port at any regular meeting, any question with re­
gard to the application of Section 3, In accordance with
procedures established by a majority vote of the member­
ship. A majority vote of the membership shall be neces­
sary to decide such questions.

Section 5. The membership shall be empowered to es­
tablish, from time'^to time, by majority vote, rules under
which dues and assessments may be remitted where a
member has been unable to pay dues and assessments for
the reasons provided in Sections 3 and 4.

Section 6. To preserve unity, and to promote the com­
mon welfare of the membership, all members of the Union
shall uphold and defend this Constitution and shall be
governed by the provisions of this Constitution and all
policies, rulings, orders and decisions duly made.

Section 7. Any member who advocates or gives aid to
the. principles and policies of any hostile or dual organiza­
tion shall be denied further membership in this Union.
A majority vote of the membership shall decide which
organizations are dual or hostile.

Section 8. Evidence of membership or other affiliation
with the Union shall at all times remain the property of
the Union. Members may be required to show their evi­
dence of membership in order to be admitted to Union
meetings.

Section 9. Only members In good standing shall be al­
lowed to vote.

ARTICLE IV
REINSTATEMENT

Members dismissed from the Union may be reinstated
In accordance with such rules as are adopted, from tinre
to time, by a majority vote of the membership.

ARTICLE V
DUES AND INITIATION FEE

Section 1. All members shall pay dues quarterly, on a
calendar year basis, on the first business day of each quar­
ter. except as herein otherwise provided. The dues shall
be those payable as of the date of adoption of this Con­
stitution and may be changed only by Constitutional
amendment.

Section 2. No candidate for membership shall be ad­
mitted into membership without having paid an Initiation
fee of one hundred ($100.00) dollars.

Section 3. Payment of dues and initiation fees may be
waived for organizational purposes only, in accordance
with such rules as are adopted by a majority vote of the
membership.

ARTICLE VI
RETIREMENT FROM MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Members may retire from membership by
paying all unpaid dues, dues for the quarter in which they
retire, assessments, fines, and other monies due. and ow­
ing the Union. A retirement card shall be Issued upon re-

.quest, and dated as of the day that such member accom­
plishes these payments and request.

Section 2. All the rights, privileges, duties, and obli­
gations of membership shall be suspended during the pe­
riod of retirement, except that a retired member shall
not be disloyal to the'Union nor join or remain in any
dual or hostile organization, upon penalty of forfeiture of
his right to reinstatement.

Section 3. Any person in retirement for a period of six
months or more shall be restored to membership, ex­
cept as herein indicated, by paying dues for the current
quarter, as well as all assessments accruing and newly
levied during the period of retirement.' If the period of
retirement is less than six (6) months, the required pay­
ments shall consist of all dues accruing during the said
period of retirement, including those for the current
quarter, and all assessments accrued and newly levied
during that period. Upon such payment, the person In
retirement shall be restored to membership, and his mem­
bership book, appropriately stamped, shall be given to him.

Section 4. A member in retirement may be restored to
membership after a two-year period of retirement only
by majority vote of the membership.

Section 5. The period of retirement shall be computed
from the day as of which the retirement card is Issued.

ARTICLE VII
SYSTEM OF ORGANIZATION

Section 1. This Union, and all Ports, Officers, Port
Agents, Patrolmen, and members shall be governed, In
this order, by: ^

(a) The Constitution
(b) Majority vote of the membership
Section 2. The functions of this Union shall be ad­

ministered by Headquarters and Ports.
'Section 3. Headquarters shall consist of the Secretary-

Treasurer, and one or more Assistant Secretary-Treas­
urers, the exact number of which shall be determined by
majority vote of the^embershlp to be held during the
month of August In any election year, as set forth more
particularly In Article X, Section 1-D. '

Section 4. Each Port shall consist of a Port Agent and
Patrolmen, as provided for herein, and the Port shall
bear the • name of the city in which the Union's Port
Offices are located.

.. I ' ' I



July 19, 1957 SEAFARERS LOG Supplemenfiry—Pare Thres

• "S!

Section 5. Every member of the Union shall be regis­
tered in one of three departments; namely, deck, engine,
or stewards department. The definition of these depart­
ments shall' be in accordance with custom and usage.
This definition may be modified by a majority vote of
the membership. No member may transfer from one de­
partment to another except by express approval as evi­
denced by ,a majority vote of the membership.

_ ARTICLE VIII
ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT OFFICERS. FORT

AGENTS, AND PATROLMEN
Section 1. The officers of the Union shall be elected,

except as otherwise provided in this Constitution. These
officers shall be the Secretary-Treasurer and one or more
Assistant Secretary-Treasurers.

Section 2. Port Agents and Patrolmen shall be elected,
except as otherwise provided in this Constitution.

ARTICLE IX
OTHER ELECTIVE JOBS

Section 1. The following jobs in the Union shall be
voted upon in the manner prescribed by this Constitu­
tion:

(A) Meeting Chairman
<B) Delegate.s
(C) Committee Members of:

(a) Auditing Committee
(b) Trial Committee
(c) Quarterly Financial Committee
fd) Appeals Committee
(e) Negotiating and Strike Committee.

Sectipn 2. Additional committees may be formed as
provided by a majority vote of the membership. Commit­
tees may also be appointed as permitted by this Consti­
tution.

ARTICLE X
DUTIES OF OFFICERS. PORT AGENTS. AND OTHER

ELECTED JOB HOLDERS
Section 1. The Secretary-Treasurer '
(a) The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the Executive Of­

ficer of the' Union and shall represent, and act for and in
behalf of, the Union in all matters except as otherwise
specifically provided for in the Constitution.

(b) He shall be a member ex-officio of all committees,
port or otherwise".

(c) He shall be responsible for the organization and
maintenance of the correspondence, files, and records of
the Union; setting up, and maintenance of, sound account­
ing and bookkeeping sjistems; the setting up, and main­
tenance of, proper office and other administrative Union
procedures; the proper collection, safeguarding, and ex­
penditure of all Union funds. Port v,r otherwise. He shall,
be in charge of, and responsible for. all^ Union property,
and shall be In charge of Headquarters and Port Offices.
He shall issue a weekly comprehensive report covering the
financial operations of the Union for the previous week.
Wherever there are Jime restrictions or other considera­
tions affecting Union action, the Secretary-Treasurer shall
take appropriate action to insure observance thereof.

(d) Subject to approval by a majority vote of the mem­
bership, the Secretary-Treasurer shall designate the num­
ber and location of Ports, the jurisdiction, status, and
activities thereof, and may close or open such ports, and
may re-assign Port Agents and Patrolmen of closed ports
to other duties, without change in wages. The Ports of
New York, New Orleans, Mobile, and Baltimore may not
be closed except by Constitutional amendment.

Where ports are opened between elections, the Sec-*
retary-Treasurer shall designate the Port Agents thereof,
subject to approval by a majOiTity vote of the membership.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall supervise the activities
of all Ports.

Subject to approval by a-majority vote of the member­
ship. the Secretary-Treasurer shall designate. In the event
of the incapacity of a Port Agent or Patrolman, a replace- „
ment to act as such during the period of incapacity.

At the first regular meeting in August of ev^ry elec­
tion year, the Secretary-Treasurer shall submit to the
membership a pre-balloting report. This report shall rec­
ommend the number and location of Ports, the number
of Assistant Secretary-Treasurers and Agents, and the
number of Port Patrolmen which are to be elected for
each Port. It shall also recommend a bank, a bonded
warehouse, a regular officer thereof, or any other similar
depository, to which the ballots are to be mailed or de­
livered at the close of each day's voting,,except that the
Secretary-Treasurer may, in his discretion, postpone the
recommendation as to the depository until no later than
the first regular meeting in October.

This recomniendatlon may also specify, whether any
Patrolmen and/or Assistant Secretary-Treasurers, shall be
designated as departmental or otherwise. The report shall
be subject to approval or modification by a majority vote
of the'membership.

(e> The Headquarters of the Union shall be located in
New York. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also be the Port
Agent of that Port.

<f) The Secretary-Treasurer shall be chairman of the
Agents' Conference and may cast one vote.

(g) He shall be responsible, within the limits of his
powers, for the enforcement of this Constitution, the
policies of the Union, and all rules.and rulings duly
adopted by a majority vote of -he membership. Within
these limits, he shall strive to enhance the strength, posi­
tion, and prestige of the Union.

<h) The foregoing duties shall be in addition to those
other duties elsewhere described in this Constitution, as
well as those other duties lawfully imposed upon him.

ti) The responsibility of the Secretary-Treasurer may

not be delegated, but the Secretary-Treasurer may delegate
to a person or persons the execution of such of his-duties
as he may in his discretion decide, subject to the limita­
tions set forth in this Constitution.

(j) Immediately after assuming office, the Secretary-
Treasurer shall designate one of the Assistant Secretary-
Treasurers to assume his duties in case of his temporary in­
capacity. This designation may be changed from time to
time. These designations shall be entered in the minutes
of the Port where Headquarters is located. The provisions
of Section 2-A of this Article shall apply in the case of a
vacancy in the office of Secreta> y-Treasurer, as set forth
in that section.

(k) Any vacancy in any office of the job of Port Agent
or Patrolman shall be filled by the Secretary-Treasurer by
temporary appointment except in those cases where the
filling of such vacancy is otherwise provided for by this
Constitution. Such appointment shall be submitted to a
regular meeting for approval, modification, substitution of
a replacement, or postponement of a vote to a later date,
by a majority vote of the membership. In the event of the
postponement of the vote, the temporary appointment shall
remain in effect until a vote is taken.

(1) The Secretary-Treasurer is directed to take any and
all measures, and employ such means, which he deems
necessary or advisable, to protect the interests, and further
the welfare, of the Union and its members, in all matters
involving national, state or local legislation, issues, and
public affairs.

Section 2. Assistant Secretary-Treasurer
(a) In the event the Secretary-Treasurer shall be unable

to carry out his duties by reason of incapacity, the Assist­
ant Secretary-Treasurer designated in accordance with
Section 1-J of this Article shall assume the office of Sec­
retary-Treasurer during the period of such incapacity.
Upon the death, resignation, or removal-from office of
the Secretary-Treasurer, succession to the office shall be
determined as follows:

That Port Agent of the Ports of New Orleans, Mobile,
or Baltimore who received the highest number of votes
in the last regular election shall be the first in line of
succession. The next in the line of succession shall be that
Port Agent of the said Ports who received the next highest
number of votes in that election. The next in the line of
succession shall be that Port Agent of the said Ports who
received the next highest number of votes.

The Port Agents of the said Ports shall also be deemed
to be Assistant Secretary-Treasurers, whether or not so
referred to on the ballots or elsewhere.
, (b) The Assistant Secretary-Treasurers shall assist the
Secretary-Treasurer in the execution of the latter's duties
as the latter may direct.

(c) The Assistant Secretary-Treasurers shall be mem­
bers of the Agents' Conference and each may cast a vote
in that body.

Section 3. Port Agents
(a) The Port Agent shall be in direct charge of the

administration of Union affairs in the Port of his juris­
diction.

(b) He shall, within the jurisdiction of his Port, be
responsible for the enforcement and execution of the Con­
stitution, the policies of the Union, and the rules adopted
by a majority vote of the membership. Wherever there are
time restrictions or other considerations affecting Port
action, the Port Agent shall take appropriate action to-
insure observance thereof.

(c) He shall be prepared to account, financially or other­
wise, for the activities of his Port, whenever demanded
by the Secretary-Treasurer.

(d) In any event, he shall prepare and forward by reg­
istered mail, addressed to the Secretary-Treasurer, a
weekly financial report showing, in detail, weekly income
and expenses, and complying with all other accounting
directions issued by the Secretary-Treasurer.

(e) The Port Agent, -or someone acting under his in­
structions. shall open each Port meeting and shall deter­
mine whether a quorum exists. Nothing contained herein
shall permit the Port Agent to otherwise act as chairman
of any meeting, unless so profSerly designated by a
majority vote of the members present at the said Port
Meeting.

(f) Each elected Port Agent may cast one vote at any
Agents' Conference.

(g) The Port Agent may assign each Port Patrolman to-
such Union jobs as fall within the jurisdiction of the Port,
regardless of the departmental designation under which
the Patrolman was elected.

'h) The Port Agent shall designate which members at
that Port may serve as representatives to other organiza­
tions. affiliation with which has been properly permitted.

(i) The foregoing is in addition to those other duties
prescribed elsewhere in this Constitution.

Section 4. Port Patrolmen
Port Patrolmen shall perform whatever duties are

assigned to them by the Port Agent.
Section 5. Meeting Chairmen
(a) The chairman of each meeting at any Port, including;

the Port in which Headquarters is located, shall be the
presiding officer of the meeting, shall keep order under
rules of order provided for. from time to time, by a
majority vote of the membership and, if none, then by
such rules as are adopted, from time to time, by a majority
vote of the membership in each Port.

(b) The meeting chairman may. cast a vote only in the
event of a tie.

(c) The meeting chairman shall not permit the discus­
sion of any reiigious subjecL

Section 6. Delegates

.(a)-The term "delegates" shall mean those members of
the Union who are elected, under the provisions of this
Constitution, to attend the convention of the Seafarers
International Union of North America.

(b) Each delegate shall attend the Convention and fully
participate therein.

(c) Each delegate shall, by his vote and otherwise,
support those policies agreed upon by the majority of the '
delegates to the convention.

Section 7. Committees
(a) Auditing Committee <
The Auditing Committee in each Port shall audit the

regular weekly financial report of the Port Agent and, in
writing, certify or refuse to certify said report. The
Auditing Committee for the Port, where Headquarters is
located shall also audit the Secretary-Treasurer's financial
report, to which the same rules as to certification and
refusal to certify shall apply. The said report in its en­
tirety shall then be presented to the membership with
action thereon to be taken as per a majority vote of the
membership.

(b) Trial Committee
The Trial Committee shall coi.duct trials of persons

charged, and shall submit findings and recommendations
afe prescribed in this Constitution. It shall be the special
obligation of the Trial Committee 1^ observe all the re­
quirements of this Constitution with regard to charges
and trials, and their findings and recommendations must
specifically state whether or not, in the opinion of the
Trial Committee, the rights of any accused, under this
Constitution, were properly safeguarded.

(c) Quarterly Financial Committee
1. The Quarterly Financial Committee shall make a

quarterly (thirteen week) audit of the finances of Head­
quarters and each Fort, shall note discrepancies where
they exist. Shall report on their findings, and make rec­
ommendations. Members of this Committee may make
dissenting reports, separate recommendations, and sepa­
rate findings.

2. The report and recommendations of this Committee
shall be completed within a reasonable time after the
election of the members thereof, and shall be submitted
to the Secretary--Treasurer who shall cause the same to
be read in all Ports, at the first or second regular meet­
ing subsequent to the submission of the said report and
recommendations.
. 3. All Port Agents are respdnsible for complying with
all demands made for records, bills, vouchers, receipts,
etc., by the said Quarterly FinancialTlommittee.

4. No report shall be considered as complete without
an accompanying report and audit statement by a com­
petent accountant, and the Secretary-Treasurer is charged
with the selection of such an accountant, who must be
certified under state law.

5. Any action on the said report shall be as determined
by a majority vote of the membership.

(d) Appeals Committee
1. The Appeals Committee shall hear all appeals from

trial judgments, in accordance with such procedures as
are set forth in this Constitution and such rules as
may be adop^.d by a majority vote of the membership,
not inconsistent therewith.

2. The Appeals Committee shall, within not later than
one week after the close of the said hearing, make and
submit findings and recommendations in accordance with
the provisions of this Constitution and such rules as may
be adopted by a majority vote of the membership, not
inconsistent therewith.

<e) Negotiating and Strike Committee
1. The Negotiating ancT Strike Committee shall repre­

sent the Union in all negotiations for contracts and
changes in contracts, with persons, firms, corporations,
or agencies, etc., wherein wages, hours, benefits, or other
terms and conditions of employment of the members of
this Union are involved.

2. Upon completion of negotiations, the Committee
shall submit a report and recommendations to the mem-
bership of the Union at a regular or special meeting.
The Committee may also make interim reports and rec­
ommendations and submit them to thp membership at a
regular or a special meeting.

3 A Port may establish a similar Committee for itself
provided permission by a majority vote of the membership
has been obtained. In such event, the Port Negotiating
and Strike Committee shall forward its report and rec­
ommendations, together with comments by the Port
Agent, to the Secretary-Treasurer, who shall then cause
the said report and recommendations to be submitted to
the membership of the Union at the earliest subsequent
regular or special meeting, whichever he chooses, to­
gether with any report and recommendations which the
Secretary-Treasurer deems desirable to make. The Port
Negotiating and Strike Committee shall submit the report
and recommendations upon completion of the negotiations,
and may submit interim reports and recommendations, in
the same manner above set forth.

4. In no event shall a Negotiations and Strike Commit-^
tee obligate this Union or any Port thereof, in any man­
ner, without the approval of the membership of the
Union as evidenced by a majority vote of the member­
ship.

5. A Negotiating and Strike Committee may decide
the time of entry into a strike, provided prior authority,
as evidenced by a majority vote of the membership, is
granted therefor. In all other cases, a majority vote of the
membership shall decide when a strike shall begin.

6. This Committee shall be charged with the prepara­
tion' and execution of a strike plan which shall be bind­
ing on all members and other persons affilated with

V i-rl •• .



Supplementary—Pace Four SEAFARERS LOG July 19, 1957

•-.r

•1i

this Union, ftowever, a majority vote of the membership
may repeal, or otherwise treat or dispose of any part or
pll of a' strike plan.

ARTICLE XI
WAGES AND TERMS OF OFFICE OF OFFICERS AND

OTHER ELECTIVE JOB HOLDERS. UNION
EMPLOYEES. AND OTHERS

Section 1. The following elected offices ana Jobs shall
be held for a term of two years:

Secretary-Treasurer
Assistant Secretary-Treasurer
Port Agent
Patrolman

The term of two years set forth herein is expressly
subject to the provisions for assumption of office as con­
tained in Article XIII, Sec. 6(c), of this Constitution.

Section 2. The term of any elective jobs other than
those indicated in Section 1 of this Article shall continue
for so long as is necessary to complete the functions there­
of, unless sooner terminated by a majority vote of the
membership or segment of the Union, whichever appiies,
whose vote was originally necessary to elect the one or
ones serving.

I Section 3. The compensation to be paid the holder of
any office or. other elective job shal' be determined from
time to time by a majority vote of the membership.

I Section 4. Subjecfto approval by a majority vote of the
membership, all other classifications of employees of the
Union shall be hired or discharged, as well as compensated,
as recommended by the Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 5. Subject to approval by a majority vote of
the membership, nhe Secretary-Treasurer may contract
for, or retain, the services of any person, firm, or corpora­
tion, not employees of the Union, when he deems it neces­
sary in the best interests of the Union.

Section 6. The foregoing provisions of this Article do
not apply to any corporation, business, or other venture
in which this Union participates, or which it organizes or
creates. In such situations, instructions conveyed by a
majority vote of the membership shall be followed.

ARTICLE XII
QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICERS, PORT AGENTS.

PATROLMEN, AND OTHER ELECTIVE JOBS
Section 1. Any member of the Union is eligible to be a

candidate for, and hold any office or the job of Port Agent
br Patrolman, provided:

(a) He has at least three (3) years of seatime.'in an un­
licensed capacity, aboard an American Fiag merchant
vessel or vessels; if he is seeking the job of Patrolman or
Assistant Secretary-Treasdrer in a specified department,
this seatime must be in that department, and

(b) He has at least four (4) months of seatime. in an
unlicensed capacity, aboard an American flag rnerchant
vessel or vessels, covered by contract with this Union, or
four (4) months of employment with, or in any office or
Job of, the Union, its subsidiaries, or affiliates, or at the
Union's direction, or a combination of these, between
January 1st and the time of nomination, and

(c) He has been in continuous good standing in the
Union for at least two (2) years immediately prior to his
nomination, and

(d) He is a citizen of the United States of America.
Section 2. All candidates for, and holders of, other

elective jobs not specified in the preceding sections shall
be members of the Union.

Section 3. All candidates for and holders of elective
offices and jobs, whether elected oi appointed in accord­
ance with this Constitution, shall maintain membership in
good standing. Failure to do so shall result in ineligibility to
hC'ld such office or job and shall constitute an incapacity
with regard to such office or job. ^

ARTICLE XIII
ELECTIONS FOR OFFICERS, PORT AGENTS

AND PATROLMEN
Section 1. Nominations
Any member may submit his name for nomination for

any office, or the job of Port Agent or Port Patrolman, by
delivering or sending a letter addressed to the Credentials
Committee, in care of the Secretary-Treasurer, at the ad­
dress of Headquarters. The Secretary-Treasurer is charged
with the safekeeping of these letters and shall turn them
over to the Credentials Committee upon the latter's- re­
quest. This letter shall be dated and shall contain the fol­
lowing:

(a) The name of the candidate
(b) His home address and mailing address
(c) His book number
(d) The title of the office or other job for which he is a

candidate, including the name of the Port in the event the
position sought is that of Agent or Patrolman

(e) Proof of citizenship
(f) Proof of seatime and/or employment as required for

candidates.
The letter must reach Headquarters no earlier than Au­

gust 12th and no later than September 12th of the election
year.

Section 2. Credentials Committee
(a) A Credentials Committee shall be elected at the first ! ' * •

regular meeting in September of the election year, at the
Port where Headquarters is located. It shall consist
of six members in attendance at the meeting, with two
members from each of the Deck, Engine and Stewards De­
partments. In the event any Committee member is un­
able to serve, the Committee shall suspend until the Sec*
retary-Treasurer calls a special meeting at the Port in
order to elect a replacement. The Committee's resu5:s
Shall be by majority vote, with any tie vote being resolved by

a majority vote of the membership at a special meeting
called for that purpose at Headquarters Port

(b) After its election, the Committee shall immediately
go into session. It shall determine whether the person
has submitted his application correctly and possesses the
necessary qualifications. The Committee shall prepare a
report listing each applicant and his book number under
the office or job he is seeking. Each applicant shall be
marked "qualified" or "disqualified" according to the find­
ings of the Committee. Where an applicant has been
marked "disqualified." the reason therefor must be stated
in the report. Where a tie vote has been resolved by a
special meeting of the membership, that fact shall also be
noted, with sufficient detail. The report shall be signed
by all of the Committee members, and be completed and
submitted to the Ports in time for the next regular meet­
ing after their election. At this meeting, it shall be read
and incorporated in the minutes, and then posted on the
Bulletin Board in each port.

(c) When an applicant has been disqualified by the
Committee, he shall be notified immediately by telegram
at his listed addresses. He shall also be sent a letter
containing the reasons for such disqualifications by air
mail, special delivery, registered. A disqualified appli­
cant shall have the right to take an appeal to the mem-,
bership from the decision of the Committee. He shall
forward copies of such appeal to each Port, where the
appeal shall be presented and voted upon at a regular
nieeting no later than the second meeting after the Com­
mittee's election. It is the responsibility of the applicant
to insure timely delivery of his appeal. In any event,
without prejudice to his written appeal, the applicant may
appear in person before the Committee within two days
after the day on which the telegram is sent, to correct
his application or argue for his qualification.

The Committee's report shall be prepared early enough
to allow the applicant to appear before it and still reach
the Ports in time for the first regular meeting after its
election.

(d) A majority vote of the membership shall, in the
case of such appeals, be sufficient to overrule any dis­
qualification classification by the Credentials Committee,
in which event, the one so previously classified shall then
be deemed qualified.

(e) The Credentials Committee, in passing upon the
qualifications of candidates, shall have the right to con­
clusively presume that anyone nominated and qualified in
previous elections for candidacy for any office, or the job
of Port Agent or Port Patrolman, has met all the require­
ments of Section 1-A of Article XII.

Section 3. Balloting Procedure.
(a) The Secretary-Treasurer shall insufe the proper

and timely preparation of ballots, without partiality as
to candidates or Ports. The ballots may contain general
information and instructive comments not inconsistent
with the provisions of this Constitution. All qualified
candidates shall be listed thereon alphabetically within
each category. The listing of the Ports shall follow a
geographical pattern, commencing with the most northly
Port on the Atlantic coast, following the Atlantic coast
down to the most southerly Port on that coast, then west­
erly along the Gulf of Mexico and so on, until the list of
Ports is exhausted. There shall be allotted write-in space,
on each ballot, sufficient to permit each member voting to
write in as many names as there are offices and jobs to be
voted upon. Each ballot shall be so prepared as to have the
number thereon placed at the top thereof and shall be
so perforated as to enable that portion containing the said
number to be easily removed. On this removable portion
shall also be placed a short statement indicating the nature
of the ballot and the voting dates thereof.

(b) The ballots so prepared at the direction of the Sec­
retary-Treasurer shall be the only official ballots. Np
others may be used. Each ballot shall be numbered as
indicated in the preceding paragraph and shall be num­
bered consecutively, commencing with number 1. A suf­
ficient amount shall be printed and distributed to each
Port. A record of the ballots, both by serial numbers and
amount, sent thereto shall be maintained by the Secre­
tary-Treasurer, who shall also send each Port Agent a
verification list indicating the amount and serial numbers
of the ballots sent. Each Port Agent shall maintain sepa­
rate records of the ballots sent him and shall inspect and
count the ballots, when received, to insure that the amount
sent, as well as the numbers thereon, conform to the
amount and numbers listed by the Secretary-Treasurer
as having been sent to that Port. The Port .Agent shall
immediately execute and return, to the Secretary-Treas­
urer, a receipt acknowledging the correctness of the
amount and numbers of the ballots sent, or shall notify
the Secretary-Treasurer of any discrepancy. Discrep­
ancies shall be corrected as soon as possible prior to the
voting period. In any event, receipts shall be forwarded
for ballots actually received. The Secretary-Treasurer
shall prepare a file in which shall be kept memoranda and
correspondence dealing with the election. This file shall
at all times bo available to any member asking for in­
spection of the same at Headquarters.

(c) Balloting shall take place in person, at Port Offices,
and shall be secret. No signature of any voter, or other
distinguishing mark, shall appear on the ballot, except
that any member may write in the name or names of any
member or members, as appropriate, for any office, or the
job of Port Agent or Patrolman.

• (d) No member may vote without displaying his
Union Book, in which there shall be placed an appro­
priate notation of the date and of the fact of voting, both
prior to being handed a ballot. A ballot shall then be

— T q
handed to the member who shall thereupon lign hfs nam*
on a roster sheet (which shall be kept in duplicate). to>
gether with his hook number, and ballot number. Th#
portion of the ballot on which the ballot number is printed.,
shall than be removed, placed near the roster sheet, and]
the member shall proceed to the voting site. '1^

(e) Each Port Agent shall be responsible for the esiab*.
lishment of a booth or other voting site where each mem* i
her may vote in privacy. <i

(f) Upon completion of-voting the member shall fold the
ballot so that no part of the printed or written portion is
visible. He shall then drop the ballot into a narrow-slotted
ballot box, which shall be provided for that purpose by
the Port Agent, and kept locked and sealed except as
hereinafter set forth.

(g) Voting shall commence on November 1st of the
election year and shall continue through December 31st,
exclusive of Sundays and (fog: each individual Port) holi­
days legally recognized in the city in which the Port
affected is located. If November 1st or December 31st
•falls on a Sunday or on a holiday legally recognized In
a Port in the city in which that Port is located, the bal­
loting period in such Port shall commence or terminate,
as the case may be, on the next succeeding business day.
Subject to the foregoing, voting in all Ports shall com­
mence at 9:00 AM, and continue until 5:00 PM, except
that, or Saturdays, voting shall commence at 9:00 AM
and continue until 12 Noon, and, on regular meeting
days, voting shall commence at 9:00 AM and continue
until 7:30 PM.

Section 4. Polls Committees
(a) Each Port shall elect, prior to the beginning of the

voting on each voting day, a Polls Committee, Consisting
of three members. For the purpose of holding a meeting
for the election of a Polls Committee only, and notvvith-
standing the pro\" .ns of Article XXIV. Section 2, or
any other provision of this Constitution, five (5) mem­
bers shall constitute a quorum for each Port, with the
said meeting to be held between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM,
with no notice thereof required. It shall be the obliga­
tion of each member wishing to serve on a Polls Com­
mittee, or to observe the election thereof, to be present
during thfs time period. It shall be the responsibility
of the Port Agent to see that the meeting for the purpose
of electing the said Polls Committee is called, and that
the minutes of the said meeting are sent daily to Head­
quarters. In no case shall voting take place unless a
duly elected Polls Committee is functioning.

(b) The duly elected Polls Committee shall collect
all unused ballots, the voting rosters, the numbered stuDs
of those ballots already used, the ballot box or boxes,
and the bal.ot records and files kept by the Port. Agent.
It shall then proceed to compare the serial numbers and
amounts of stubs with the number of names and corre­
sponding serial numbers on the roster, and then com-
Ptire the serial nun^ber and the amounts of ballots used
with the vei fication list, as corrected, and ascertain
whether the unused ballots, both by serial numbers and
amount, represent the difference between what appears
on the verification list, as corrected, and the ballots used.
If any discrepancies are found, a detailed report thereon
shall be drawn by the Polls Committee finding such dis­
crepancies, which report shall be in duplicate, and signed
by all the members of such Polls' Committee. Each
member of the Committe. may make what separate com*

, ments thereon he desires, provided they are signed and
dated by him.- A copy of this report shall be given the
Port Agent, to be presented at the next recular meeting.
A copy shall also be simultaneously sent to the Secretary-
TreaSbrer, who shall cause an investigation to be made
forthwith. The results of such investigation shall be re­
ported to the membership as soon as completed, with
recommendations by th'- Secretary-Treasurer. A majority
vote of the me.nbership shall determine whal action, if
any, shall be taken thereon, with the same effect as in­
dicated In Article I.

(c) The Polls Committee shall also insure mat the ballot
box Is locked and sealed, which lock and seal shall not
be opened except in the manner hereinafter set forth.
The same procedure as is set forth in the preceding para­
graph with regard to discrepancies shall be utilized in
the event the Polls Committee has reason to believe the
lock and seal have been illegally tampered with.

(d) The Polls Committee shall permit qualified members
only to vote. Prior thereto, it shall ascertain whether they
are in good standing, stamp their book with the word
"voted,"-and the date, issue ballots to voters, insure that
proper registration on the roster takes place, collect the
stubs, and keep them in numerical order. It shall preserve
good order and decorum at the voting site and vicinity
thereof. All members and others affiliated with the Union
are charged with the duty of assisting the Polls Committee,
when called upon, in the preservation of order and
decorum.

(e) In order to maintain the secrecy and accuracy of
(he ballot, and to eliminate the possibility of errors or
irregularities in any one day's balloting affecting all the
balloting in any port, the following procedure shall be
observed:

At the end of each day's voting, the Polls Committee,
in the presence of any member desiring to attend, pro­
vided he observes proper decorum, shall open the ballot
box or boxes, and place all of that day's ballots therein
in an envelope, or envelopes, as required, which shall
then be sealed. The members of the Polls Committee
shall thereupon sign their names across the flap of the
said envelope or envelopes, with their book nurnb^rs next
to their signatures. The Committee shall also place the



^3\;ryr^/j:-»rv :

July 19, 19ST SEAFARERS LOG Sapplementary—Pice Fhre

date apd name of the Port on the ,fal(| envelope or en>
Velopea, and shall certify, on the envelope or envelopes,
that the ballot box or boxes were opened publicly, that
pi! ballots for that day only were removed, and that all
of thdse ballots are enclosed In the envelope or envelopes
dated for that day and voted in that Port. The Polls
Committee shall check the rosters, and any other records
they deem appropriate, to Insure the foregoing. At the
discretion of Headquarters, official envelopes may be pre­
pared for the purpose of enclosing the ballots and the
making of the aforesaid certification, with wording em­
bodying the foregoing inscribed thereon, in which event,
these envelopes shall be used by the Polls Committee for
the aforesaid purpose. Nothing contained herein shall
prevent any member of a Polls Committee from adding
such comments to the certificate as are appropriate,
provided the comments are signed and dated by the
member making them. The envelope or envelopes shall
then be placed in a wrapper or envelope, which, at the
discretion of Headquarters, may be furnished for that
purpose. The wrapper or envelope shall then be securely
sealed and either delivered, or sent by certified or reg­
istered mail, by the said Polls Committee, to the deposi­
tory named in the pre-election report adopted by the
membership. The Foils Committee shall not be dis­
charged from its duties until this mailing is accomplished
and evidenci. of mailing or delivery is furnished the Port
Agent, which evidence shall be noted and kept in the
Port Agent's election records or files.

The Polls Committee shall also insure that the ballot
box or boxes are locked and sealed before handing them
back to the Port Agent, and shall place the key or keys
to the boxe" in an envelope, across the flap of which the
members of the Committee" shall sign their names, book
numbers, and the date, after sealing the envelope se­
curely In addition to delivering the key and ballot box
or boxe? as aforesaid, the Bolls Committee shall de­
liver to the Port Agent one copy of each of the roster
sheets for the day, the unused ballots, any reports culled
for by this Section 4, any files that "they may have r^
ceived, and all the stubs collected both for the daj and
those turned over to it. The Port Agent shall be respon­
sible for the proper safeguarding of all .he aforesaid ma­
terial. shall not release any of it until duly called for,
and shall insure that no one illegally tampers with the
material placed in his custody. The remaining copy of
each roster sheet used for the day shall be mailed by the
Polls Committee to Headquarters, by certified or regis­
tered mail or delivered in person.

(ft Members of the Polls Committee shall serve without
compensation, except that the Port Agent shall compensate
each Polls Committee member with a reasonable sum for
meals while serving.

Section 5. Ballot Collection, Tallying Procedure,
Protests, and Special Votes.

fa) On the day the balloting in each Port is to termi­
nate. the Polls Committee elected for that day shall, m
addition to their other duties hereinbefore set forth, de­
liver to Headquarters, or mail to Headquarters (by certi­
fied or registered mail), all the unused ballots, together
with a certification, signed and dated by all members of
the Committee that all ballots sent to the Port and not
used are enclosed therewith, subject^o the right of each
member of the Committee to make separate comments
under his signature and date. The certification shall
specifically identify, by serial number and amount, the
unused ballots so forwarded. In the same package, but
bound separately, the Committee shall forward to Head­
quarters all stubs collected during the period of voting,
together with a certification, signed by all members of
the Committee, that all the stubs collected by the Com­
mittee are enclosed therewith, subject to the right of each
member of the Committee to make separate comments un­
der his signature and date. The said Polls Committee
members shall not be discharged from their duties until

• the forwarding called for hereunder is accomplished and
evidence of mailing or delivery is furnished the Port
Agent, which evidence shall be noted ai.d kept in the
Port Agent's election records or files.

(b) All forwarding to Headquarters, called for under
this Section 5, shall be to the Union Tallying Committee,
at the address of Headquarters. In the event a Polls
Committee cannot be elected or cannot act on the day
the balloting in each Port is to terminate, the Port Agent
shall have the duty to forward the material specifically
set forth in Section 5(a) (unused ballots and stubs) to the
Union Tallying Committee which will then carry out the
functions in regard thereto of the said Polls Committee.
In such event, the Port Agent shall also forward all other
material deemed necessary by the Union Tallying Com­
mittee to execute those functions.

All certifications called for under this Article XIll
shall be deemed made according to the best knowledge,
information, and belief of those required to make such
certifications.

(c) The Union Tallying Committee shall consist of 14
members. Six shall be elected from Headquarters Port,
and two shall be elected from each of the four ports of
Baltimore, Mobile, New Orleans, and San Francisco. The
six to be elected from Headquarters Port shall consist of
two from each of the three departments .of the Union.
The others shall be elected without regard to department.
The election shall be held at the last regular meeting in

.'December of the election year. No Officer, Port .Agent,
^Patrolman, or candidate for office, or the job of Port
'Agent or Dofroltnan. shall be eligible for-election to this
Committee. In addition to its duties hereinbefore set
forth, the Union Tallying Committee shall be charged

with the tally of all the ballots and the preparation of p
closing report setting forth in complete detail, the results
of the election, including a complete accounting of all
ballots and stubs, and reconciliation of the same with the
rosters, verification lists, and receipts "Of the Port Agents,
ail with detailed reference to serial numbers and amounts,
and with each total broken down into Port totals. The
Ta.iy.rg Committee shall be permitted access to the eiec-
» records and flies of all Ports, which they may require
to be forwarded for inspection at its discretion. The re­
port shall clearly detail all discrepancies discovered, and
L.iaii «jntain recommendations for the treatment of these
discrepancies. All members of the Committee shall sign
the report, without prejudice, however, to the right of any
member thereof to submit a dissenting report as to the
accuracy of the count and the validity of the ballots, with
pertinent details. '

The Tallying Committee is also charged with the re­
ceipt and evalyation of written protests by any member
" ho claims an illegal denial of the right to vote. If it
finds the protest invalid, it shall dismiss the protest and
so inform the protesting member, by wire, on the day of
dismissal. If it finds the protest "valid, the Committee
shall order a special vote, to be had no later than within
the period of its proceedings, on such terms as are prac­
tical, effective, and just, but which terms, in any event,
shall include the provisions of Section 3(c) of this Article
and the designation of the voting site of the Port most
convenient to the protesting member. .Where a special
vote is ordered in accordance with this Section 5(c), these
terms shall apply, notwithstanding any provisions to the
contrary contained in this Article. Protests may be made
only in writing and must be received by the Union Tally­
ing Committee during the period of its proceedings. The
reports of this Committee shall include a brief summary
of each protest received, the name and book number of
the protesting member, and a summary of the disposition
of the said protest. The Committee shall take all reason­
able measures to adjust the course of its proceedings-so
as to, enable the special vote set forth in this Section
5(c) to be completed within the time herein specified. No
closing report shall be made by it unless and until the
special votes referred to in this Section 5(c) shall have
been duly completed and tallied.

Id) The members of the Union Tallying Committee
shall proceed to Headquarters Port as soon as possible
after their election but, in any event, shali arrive at Head­
quarters Port prior to the first business day after Decem­
ber 31 of the election year. Each member of the Commit­
tee not elected from Headquarters Port shall be reim­
bursed for transportation, meals, and lodging expense oc­
casioned by their traveling to and returning from Head­
quarters Port. Ail members of the Committee shall also be
paid at the prevailing standby rate of pay from the day
subsequent to their election to the day Ihey return, in
normal course, to the Port from which they were elected.

The Union Tallying Committee shall elect a chairman
from among themselves and, subject to the express terms
of this Constitution, adopt its own procedures. Decisions
as to special votes, protests, and the contents of the final
report shall be valid if made by a majority vote, provided
there be a quorum in attendance, which quorum is hereby
fixed at nine (9). The Union Tallying Committee, but not
le'ss than a quorum thereof, shall have the sole right and
duty to obtain the ballots from the depository immediate­
ly after the termination of balloting and to insure their
safe custody during the course of the Committee's pro­
ceedings. The proceedings of this Committee, except for
the actual preparation of the closing report and dissents
therefrom, if any, shall be open to any member, provided
he observes decorum. In no event shall the issuance of
the hereinbefore referred to closing report of the Tallying
"-•vimittee be delayed beyond the January 15th imme­
diately subsequent to the close of voting.

(e) The report of the Cominittee shall be made up in
sufficient copies to comply with the following require­
ments: two copies shall be sent by the Committee to each
Port Agent and the Secretary-Treasurer prior to the first
regular meeting scheduled to take place subsequent to ^e
close of the Committee's proceedings or, in the event such
meeting is scheduled to take place four days or less from
the close of this Committee's proceedings, then at least five
days prior to the next regular meeting. Whichever meet­
ing applies shall be designated, by date, ip the report,
and shall be referred to as the "Election Report" meeting.
As s«on as these copies are received, each Port Agent shall
post one copy of >he report on the bulletin board, in a
conspicuous manner. This copy shall be kept posted for
a period of two months. At the Election Report meeting,
the other copy of the report shall be read verbatim.

(f) At the Election Report meeting, there shall be
taken up the discrepancies, if any„ referred to 1.. Section
5(c) of this Aiticle and the recommendations of the Tally­
ing Committee submitted therewith. A majority vote of
the membership shall decide what action, if any, in ac­
cordance with the Constitution, shall be taken thereon,
which action, however, shall not include the ordering of
a special vote unless the reported discrepancies affect
the results of the vote for any office or job, in which
event, the special vote shall be restricted thereto. . A
majority of the membership, at the Election Report meet­
ing, may order a recheck and a recount when a dissent to
the closing report has been issued by three or more mem­
bers of# the Union Tallying Committee. Except for the
contingencies provided for in this Section 5(f), the closing
report shall be accepted as final.

(g) A special vote ordered pursuant to Sec. 5(f) must
take place and bd completed within seven (7) days after

the Election Report meeting, at each Port where the dis­
crepancies so acted upon took place. Subject to the fore-

; going, and to the limits of the vote set by the member­
ship, as aforesaid, the Port agents in each such Port shall
have the functions of the Tallying Committee as set forth
in, Section 5(c), insofar as that section deals with the terms
of such special vote. The Secretary-Treasurer shall make a
sufficient amount of the usual balloting material immedi­
ately available to Port Agents, for the purpose of such spe­
cial vote. Immediately after the close thereof, the Port
'Agent shall summarize the results and communicate them
,to the Secretary-Treasurer. The ballots, stubs, roster sheets,
and unused ballots pertaining to the special vote shall
be forwarded to Headquarters, all in the same package,
but bound separately, by the most rapid means practicable,
but, in any case, so as to reach Headquarters in time to
enable the Secretary-Treasurer to prepare his report as
required by this Section 5(g). An accounting and certifi­
cation, made by the Port Agent, similar to those required

:of Polls Committees, shall be enclosed therewith. The
'Secretary-Treasurer shall_then prepare a report contain­
ing a combined summary of the results, together with a
schedule indicating in detail how they affect the Union
Tallying Committee's results, as set forth in its closing
report. The fobm of the letter's report shall be followed
as closely as possible. Two (2) copies shall be sent 'o
each Port, one copy of which shall be posted. The other
copy shali be presented at the next regular meeting after
the Election Report meeting. If a majority vote of the
membership decides to accept the Secretary-Treasurer's
report, the numerical results set forth in the pertinent

'segments of the Tallying Committee's closing report shall
be deemed modified accordingly, and, as modified, ac­
cepted and final. If the report is not accepted, the
numerical results in the pertinent segnlents of the Tally­
ing Committee's closing report shall be deemed accepted
and final without modification.

If ordered, a recheck and recount, and the report there­
on by the Ur.ion Tallying Committee, shall be similarly
disposed of, and deemed accepted and fi. 'l, by majority
vote of the membership at the regular meeting following
the Election Report meeting. If such recheck and -e-
count is ordered, the Union Tallying Committee shall be
required to continue its proceedings correspondingly. "
'Section 6. Installation into Office and the Job of

Port Agent or Patrolman.
(a) The person elected shall be

largest number of votes cast for t
job involved. Where more than

lat person having the
e particular office or
one person is to he

elected for particular office or ji i, the proper number
ively highest number
These determinations

of candidates receiving the succes
of votes shall be declared elected.
shall be made only from results fl^emed final and ac­
cepted as provided in this Article. \ It shall be the duty
of the Secretary-Treasurer to noUfy each individual
elected. — \

(b) All reports by Committees and ihe Secretary-Treas­
urer under this Article, except those of the Polls Com­
mittees, shall be entered in the minutes of the Port where
Headquarters is located. Polls Committee reports shall
be entered in the minutes of the Port where it functions.

(c) The duly elected Secretary-Treasurer, Assistant
Secretary-Treasurers, Port Agents, and Port Patrolmen
shall' take over their respective offices and jobs, and
assume the duties thereof, at midnight of the night of the
Election Report meeting, or the next regular meeting,
depending upon at which meeting the results as to each
of the foregoing are deemed final and accepted, as pro­
vided in this Article. The term of their predecessors
shall continue up to, and expire at, that time, notwith­
standing anything to the contrary contained in Article
XI, Sec. 1. This shall not apply where the successful
candidate cannot assume, h'- office because ho is at sea.

In such event, a majority vote of the membership may
grant additional time for the assumption of the office or
job. In the event of the failure of the newly-elected
Secretary-Treasurer to assume office, the provisions of
Article X, Section 2(a), as to succession shall apply until
such office is assumed. If .he does not assume office
within 90 days, the line of succession shall apply until
the expiration of the term. All other cases of failure to
assume office shall be dealt witji as decided by a majority
vote of the membership.

(d) Before assuming office, every Officer, Port Agent,
and Patrolman shall take the following oath:

"I do solemnly swear that 1 will faithfully execute
the duties of of the Seafarers
International Union of North America. Atlantic and
Gulf District, and I will, to the best of my ability,
protect and preserve the Constitution of this Union
and the welfare of the membership."

ARTICLE XIV
OTHER ELECTIONS

Section 1. Auditing Committee.
Each port shall elect an Auditing Committee on Friday

of each week, at 3:00 P.M.. for the purpose of auditing the
financial report for that week. These reports shall be
submitted to the next regular meeting of that port, for
membership action. The Committee shall consist of three
members. No Officfer, Port Agent, Patrolman, or employee
shall be eligible to serve on this Committee. The election
shqjl be by majority vote of the members in attendance
at the meeting, provided that any member eligible to
serve may nominate himself.

The same provisions shall apply with regard to the Port
where Headquarters is located except that the Auditing
Committee there shall audit the finaqcial reports of the
Headquarters Port Agent and the Secretary-Treasurer.

I
i I

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I 4
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M'

SuppIementaiT—Pare Six SEAFARERS LOG July 19, 1957

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Section 2. Quarterly Financial Committee.
The QuMfterly Financial Committee shall be elected at

the Port where Headquarters is located, at the first or sec­
ond regular meeting held after the close of the calendar
quarter for which the Committee is to make the required
audit. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to
^ecide at which of these meetings the election shall .take
place. The Committee^ shall consist of six members, with
two members from each of the Deck, Engine and Stewards

. Departments. No officer. Port .'Vgent, Patrolman or em­
ployee shall be eligible to serve on this Committee. The
members shall be elected by a majority vote of the mem­
bers present at the meeting provided that any member
eligible to serve may nominate himself.

Section 3. Trial Committee.
A Trial Committee shall be elected at a Special Meeting

held at 10:00 A.M. the next business day following the
regular meeting of the Port where the Trial is to take
place. It shall consist of five members, of which -threa
shall constitute a quorum. No Officer, Port Agent, Port
Patrolman, or employee may be elected to serve on a Trial
Committee. No member who intends to be a witness in
the pending trial may serve, nor may any member who
cannot, for any reason, render an honest decision. It shall
be the duty of every member to decline nomination if he
knows, or has reason to believe, any of the foregoing dis­
qualifications apply to him.-The members of this Commit­
tee shall be elected under such generally applicable rules
as are adopted by a majority vot of the membership.

Section 4. Appeals Committee.
The Appeals Committee shall consist of seven members,

five of whom shall constitute a quorum, elected at the '
Port where 'Headquarters is located. The same disqual­
ifications and duties of members shall apply with regard
to this Committee as apply to the Trial Committee. In
addition, no member may serve on an Appeals Committee
in the hearing of an appeaLfrom a Trial Committee deci­
sion, If the said member was a member of the Trial Com­
mittee.

.Section 5. Negotiating and Strike Committee.
The members of a Negotiating and Strike Committee,

whether of a Port or otherwi<"!', shall be composed of as
many members as shall be determined, by a majority vote
of the membership, upon recommendation of the Secre­
tary-Treasurer. Any member niay attend any meeting of
this Committee provided he observes decorum. However,
a limit may be set by the chairman of the Committee on
the number of those who may attend. "

Section 6. Meeting Chairman.
The meeting Chairman shall be a member elected from

, the floor by majority vote of the members at any meeting.
Section 7. Delegates.
As soon as the Secretary-Treasurer is advised as to the

date and duly authorized number of delegates to the con­
vention of the Seafarers International Union of North
America, he shall communicate such facts to the Port
Agent of each Port, together with lecommendations as to
generally applicable rules for the election of delegates.
These facts and recommendations shall be announced and
read at the first regular meeting thereafter. Unless
changed by a majority vote of the membership during that
meeting, the election rules shall apply. These rules shall
not prohibit any member from nominating himself. The
results of the election shall be communicated to each Port
Agent, posted on the bulletin board, and announced at the
next regular meeting of the Port. Rules of election here­
under may include provisions for automatic election of all
qualified nominees, in the event the number 6f such
nominees does not exceed the number of delegates to be
elected.

ARTICLE XV
TRIALS AND APPEALS

Section 1. Any member may bring charges against any
other member for the commission of an offense as set
forth in this Constitution. These charges shall be.in writ­
ing and signed by the accuser, who shall also include his
book number. The accuser shall deliver these charges to
the Port Agent of the Port nearest the place of the of­
fense, or the Port of pay off, if the offense took place
aboard ship. He shall also request the Port Agent to
present these charges at the next regular meeting. The
accuser may withdraw his charges before the meeting
takes place. ' i

Section 2. After presentation of the charges and the
request to the Port Agent, the Port Agent shall cause
those charges to be read at the said meeting.

If the charges are rejected by a majority vote of the
Port, no further action may be taken thereon, unless
ruled otherwise by a majority vote of the membership of
the Union within 90 days thereafter. If the charges are
accepted, and the accused is present, he shall be auto­
matically on notice that he will be tried the following
morning. At his request, the trial shall be postponed
until the morning following the next regular meeting, at
which time the Trial Committee will then be elected. He
shall also be handed a written copy of the charges made
against him.

If the accused is not present, the Port Agent shall im­
mediately cause to be sent to him. by registered mail ad­
dressed to his last known mailing address on file with
the Union, a copy of the charges, the names and book
numbers of the accusers, and a notification that he must
appear with his witnesses, ready for trial the morning
after the next regular meeting, at which meeting the Trial
Committee will be elected

In the event a majority of the membership of the Union
shall vote to accept charges after their rejection by a
Port, the Trial shall take place in the Port where Jlead-
quarters is located. Due notice thereof shall be given to
the accused, who shall be informed of the name of his
accusers, and who shall receive a written statement of
the charges. At the request of the accused, transportation
and subsistence shall be provided the accused and his
witnesses.

Section 3. The Trial Committee shall bear all pertinent
evidence and shall not be bound by the rules of ievidence
required by courts of law but may receive all relevant
testimony. The Trial Committee-may grant adjournments,
at the request of the accused, to enable him to make a
proper defense. In the event the Trial Committee falls
beneath a quorum, it shall adjourn until a quorum does
exist.

Section 4. No trial shall be conducted unless all the
accusers are present. The Trial Committee shall coiiduct
the trial except that the accused shall have the right to
cross-examine the accuser, or accusers, and the witnesses,
as well as to conduct his own defense. The accused may
select any member to assist him in his defense at the
trial, provided, (a), the said member Is available at the
time of the trial and (b) the said member agrees to render
such assistance. If the accused challenges the qualifica­
tions of the members of the Trial Committee, or states
that the charges do not adequately inform him of what
wrong he allegedly committed, or the time and place of
such commission, such matters shall be ruled upon and
disposed of. prior to proceeding on the merits of the de­
fense. The guilt of an accused shall be found only if proven
by the weight of the evidence, and the burden of such
proof shall be upon the accuser, Every finding shall be
based on the quality of the evidence and not solely on the
number of witnesses produced. *

Section 5. The Trial Committee shall make findings as
to guilt or innocence, and recommendations as to pun­
ishment and/or other Union action deemed desirable in
the light of the proceedings. These findings and recom-

- mendations shall be those of a majority of the Committee,
and shall be in writing, as shall be any dissent. The Com­
mittee shall forward its findings and recommendations,
along with any dissent, to the Port Agent of the Port
where the trial took place, while a copy thereof shall be
forwarded to the accused and the accusers, either in per­
son or by mail addressed to their last known addresses.
The findings shall include a statement that the rights of
the accused under this Constitution, were properly safe­
guarded. The findings also must contain the charges
made, the date of the trial, the name and address of the
accused, the accuser, and each witness: shall descril^ each
document used at the trial; shall contain a fair summary
of the proceedings, and shall state the findings as to
guilt or innocence. If possible, all the documents used at
the trial shall be kept. All findings and recommendations
shall be made a part of the regular files.

Section 6. The Port Agent of the Port of Trial shall,
upon receipt of the findings and recommendations of the
Trial Committee, cause the findings and recommendations
to be presented, and entered into the minutes, at the next
regular meeting.

Section 7. The Port Agent shall send the record of
the entire proceedings to Headquarters, which shall cause
sufficient copies thereof to be made and sent to each
Port in time for the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 8. At the latter meeting, the proceedings shall
be discussed. The meeting shall then vote. A majority
vote of the membership of the Union shall:

(a) Accept the findings and recommendations, or
(b) Reject the findings and recommendations, or
(c) Accept the findings, but modify the recommenda-

, tions, or
<d) Order a new trial after finding that substantial jus­

tice has not been done with regard to the charges. In this
event, a new trial shall take place at the Port where Head­
quarters is located and. upon application, the accused, the
accusers, and their witnesses shall be furnished transpor­
tation and subsistence.

Section 9. After the vote set forth in Section 8, any
punishment so decided upon shall become effective. The
Secretary-Treasurer .shall cause notice of the results
thereof to be sent to each accuse<* and accuser.

Section 10. An accused who has been found guilty, or
who is under effective punishment may appeal in the fol­
lowing manner:

He may send or deliver a notice of appeal to the
Secretary-Treasurer within 30 days after receipt of the
notice of the decison of the membership.

Section 11. At the next regular meeting of the Port
where Headquarters is located, after receipt of the notice
of appeal, the Secretary-Treasurer shall present the notice,
which shall then become part of the minutes. An Appeals
Committee shall then be elected. The Secretary-Treasurer
is charged with the duty of presenting the before-men­
tioned proceedings and all available documents used as
evidence at the trial to the Appeals Committee, as well as
any written statement or argument submitted by the ac- .
cused. The accused may argue his appeal in person, if he
so desires. The appeal shall be heard at Union Headquar­
ters on the night the Committee is elected. It shall be
the responsibility of .the accused to insure that his written
statement or argument arrives at Headquarters in time for
such presentation.

Section 12. The Appeals Committee shall decide the ap­
peal as soon as possible, consistent with fair consideration
of the evidence and arguments before it. It may grant ad­
journments and may request the accused or accusers to
present arguments, whenever necessary for such fair con­
sideration.

Section 13. The decision of the Appeals Committee shall
be by majority vote, and shall be in the form of findings
and recommendations. Dissents will be allowed. Decisions
and dissents shall be in writing and signed by those partic­
ipating in such decision or dissent. In making its findings
and recommendations, the Committee shall be governed
by the following:

(a) No finding of guilt shall be reversed If there Is sub­
stantial evidence to support such a finding and,, in such
case, the Appeals Committee shall not make its own find­
ings as to the weight of evidence.

(bi In no event shall increased punishment be recom­
mended.

(c> A new trial shall be recommended If the Appeals
Committee finds—(a) that any member of the Trial Com­
mittee should have been disqualified, or (b).that the ac­
cused was not adequately informed of the details of the
charged offense, which resulted in his not having been
given a fair trial, or (c) that for any other reason, the ac­
cused was not given a Tair trial.

(d) If there is no substantial evidence to support a
finding of guilt, the Appeals Committee shall recommend
that the charge on which the finding was based be dis­
missed. ,

(e) The Appeals Committee may recommend lesser
punishment.

Section 14. The Appeals Committee shall deliver its
decision and dissent, if any, to. the Secretary-Treasurer.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall cause sufficient copies to be
published and shall have them sent to each Port in time
to reach there before the next regular scheduled meeting.
He shall also send a copy to each accused and accuser at
their last known address, or notify them in person. ^

Section 15. At the meeting indicated in Section 14 of
this Article, the membership, by a majority vote, shall
accept the decision of the Appeals Committee, or the dis­
sent therein, if any. If there is no dissent, the decision of
the Appeals Committee shall stand.

If a new trial is ordered, that trial shall be held in the
Port where Headquarters is locate,d, in the manner pro­
vided for in Section 2 of this Article. Any decision so
providing for a new trial shall contain such directions as
will insure a fair hewing to the accused.

Section 16. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the
accused and each accuser, either ifi person or in writing
addressed to their last known address, of the results of
the appeal. A further appeal shall be allowed as set forth
in Section 17.

Section 17. Each member is charged with knowledge of
the provisions of the Constitution of the Seafarers Interna­
tional Union of North America, and the rights of. and
procedure as to, further appeal as provided for therein.
Decisions reached thereunder shall be'binding on all mem­
bers of the Union. ^

Section 18. It shall be the duty of all members of the
Union to take all steps within their constitutional power
to carry out the terms "of any effective decisions.

Section 19. Any accused may waive any or all rights
and privileges granted to him by this Article. If an accused
has been properly notified of his trial and fails to attend
without properly requesting a •Postponement, the Trial
Committee may hold its trial without his presence.

ARTICLE XVI
OFFENSES AND PENALTIES

Section 1. Upon proof of the commission of the follow­
ing offenses, the member shall be expelled from mem­
bership:

(a) Proof of membership In any organization advocating
the overthrow of the Government of the United States
by force;

(b) Acting as an informer against the interest of the
Union or the membership in any organizational campaign;

(c) Acting as an informer for, br agent, of the Company
against the interests of the membership or the Union;

(d) The commission of any act as part of a conspiracy
to" destroy the Union.

Section 2. Upon proof of the commission of any of the
following offenses, the member shall be penalized up to a
penalty of expulsion from the Union. Tn the event the
penalty of expulsion is not invoked or recommended, the
penalty shall not exceed suspension from the rights and
privileges of membership for more than two (2) years, or
a fine of $30.00, or both:

(a) Wilfully misappropriating or misusing Union prop­
erty of the value in excess of $50.00;

(b) Unauthorized use of Union property, records, stamps,
seals, etc., for the purpose of personal gain;

(c) Wilful misuse of any office or job, elective or not,
within the Union for the purpose of personal gain, finan­
cial-or otherwise, or the wilful refusal or failure to
execute the duties or functions of the said office or Job.
or gross neglect or abuse in executing such duties or
functions:

(d) Unauthorized voting, or >inauthorized handling of
ballots, stubs, rosters, verification lists, ballot boxes, or
election files, .or election material of any sort;

(e) Preferring charges with knowledge that such charges
are false;

If) Making or transmitting, with Intent ttf deceive, false
reports or communications, with knowledge of the falsity
thereof, or unauthorizedly altering reports or communica­
tions which fall within the scope of Union business;

(g) Deliberate failure or refusal to join one's ship, or
misconduct or neglect of duty aboard ship, to the detri­
ment of the Union or its agreements;

(h) Deliberate and unauthorized interference, or delib­
erate and malicious villification, with regard to the execu­
tion of the duties of any office or job;

(i) Paying for, or receiving money for, employment
aboard a vessel;

(j) Wilful refusal to submit evidence of affiliation for
the purpose of avoiding or delaying money payments to
the Union, or unauthorizedly transferring or receiving
evidence of Union affiliation, with intent to deceive;

Ik) Wilful failure or refusal to carry out the orders of
those duly authorized to make such orders during time
of strike.

Section 3. Upon proof of the commission of any of the
following offenses, members shall be penalized up to
suspension from the rights and privileges of membership
for two 12) years, or a fine of $50.00, or both:

(a) Wilfully misappropriating or misusing Union prop­
erty of the value under $50.00;

(b) Assuming any office or job, whether elective or not,
with knowledge of the lack of possession of the qualifica­
tions required therefor:



July 19, 1957 SEAFARERS LOG SuppIementuTr-lPace Senilis.

(c) Misconduct during any meeting or other offlclal
Union proceeding, or bringing the Union Into disrepute
by conduct not provided for elsewhere In this Article;

(d) Refusal or negligent failure to carry out orders of
those duly authorized to make such orders at any time.

Section 4. Upon proof of the commission of any of the
following offenses, members shall be penalized up to a
fine of $50.00:

(a) Refusal or wilful failure to be present at sign-ons
or pay-offs:

(b) Wilful failure to .submit book to Union representa­
tives at pay-off;

(c) Disorderly conduct at pay-off or sign on;
(d) Refusal to cooperate with Union representatives in

discharging their duties;
(e) Disorderly conduct in the Union Hall;
(f) Gambling in the Union Hall; -
(g) Negligent failure to join ship.
Section 5. Any member who has committed an offense

penalized by no more than a fine of $50.00 may elect to
waive his rights under this Constitution and to pay the
maximum fine of $50.00 to the duly authorized representa­
tive of the Union.

Section 6. If offense against the Union and its principles
and policies takes place in the meeting, the meeting may
go into a Committee of the Whole and try the member
at once, and in this case, the findings and recommendation
of the Committee of the Whole shall be acted upon as
if the report were made by a duly elected Trial Committee.

Section 7. This Union, and its members, shall not be
deemed to waive any claim, or personal or property rights
to which it or its members are entitled, by bringing the
member to trial or enforcing a penalty as provided in
this Constitution. , , , ,

Section 8. Any member under suspension for an of­
fense under this Article shall continue to pay all dues
and assessments and must observe his duties to the Union,
members, officials and job holders.

ARTICLE XVII
PUBLICATIONS

This Union may publish such pamphlets, journals; news­
papers, magazines, periodicals, and general literature, in
such manner as may be determined, from time to time,
by a majority vote of the membership.

ARTICLE XVIII
BONDS

Officers and job holders, whether elected or appointed,
>as well as all other employees of the Union, may be re­
quired to be bonded under such terms-and conditions as
may be determined, from time to time, byji majority vote
of the membership.

ARTICLE XIX
EXPENDITURES

Section 1. Policies or specific instructions with regard
to expehditures to be made or expenses to be incurred
shall be determined by a majority vote of the membership.
In the event no contrary policies 4)r instructioiis are in
existence, the Secretary-Treasurer may authorize, make,
and incur such expenditures and expenses as lie within
the authority conferred upon him by Article X and Ar­
ticle XI of this Constitution.

SecUon 2. The provisions of Section 1 shall similarly
apply to the routine accounting and administrative pro­
cedures of the Union except those primarily concerned
with trials, appeals, negotiations, strikes, and elections.

• Section 3. The provisions of this. Article shall super­
sede. to the extent applicable, the provisions of Articles
X and XI. ARTICLE XX

INCOME
Section 1. The income of this Union shall include re­

ceipts from dues, initiation fees, fines, assessments, con­
tributions, loans, interest, dividends, as well as income
derived from.any other legitimate business operation or
other legitimate source.

1 Section 2. No member shall be required to pay or de­
liver any sum of money to any Union representative with­
out obtaining an official Union receipt, signed and dated.
It shall be the duty of the member to demand such re­
ceipt.

I Section 3. No assessments shall be levied except after
a ballot conducted under such general rules as may ba
decided upon by a majority vote of the membership, pro­
vided that:
1 (a) The ballot must be secret.

(b) The assessment must be approved by a 2/3 ma­
jority of the valid ballots cast.

/ Section 4. All payments by members or other affiliates
of this Union shall be applied succe.ssively to the mone­
tary obligations owed the Union commencing with the
oldest in point of time, as measured from the date of
accrual of such obligation. The period of arrears shall
be calculated accordingly.

ARTICLE XXI
PERMITS AND OTHER TYPES OF UNION AFFILIATION

1 This Union, by majority vote of the membership, may
provide for affiliation with it by Individuals in a lesser
capacity than. membership.^.qr in a capacity other than
membership. By majority vote of the membership, the
Union may provide for the rights and obligations incident
to such capacities or affiliations. These rights and obli­
gations may include, but are not limited to: (a> the applica­
bility or non-applicability, of all or any part of this Con­
stitution; (b) the terms of such affiliation; <c) the right of
the Union'to peremptory termination of such affiliation
and, (d).the fees required for such affiliation. In no event
may anyone not a member receive evidence of affiliation
equivalent to that of members, receive priprity or rights
over members, or be termed a member.

ARTICLE XXII
FORMULATION OF SHIPPING RULES

Section 1- The formulation of shipping rules shall not
be deemed part of any routine administrative task. Ship­
ping rules governing the details of the assignments of
jobs and governing conduct and procedure connected

therewith may be issued and take effect only after ap­
proval by a majority vote of the membership. Shipping
rules duly issued shall be deemed to b'e Union policy.

Section 2. A majority vote of the membership may
make special exceptions or rules for any company or
vessel, for organizational purposes, whether covered by
a contract or not . .

ARTICLE XXIIl
QUORUMS

Section 1. Unless elsewhere herein otherwise specif­
ically provided, the quorum for a special meeting of a
Port shall be six members.

Section 2. The quorum for a regular meeting of a Port
shall be seven members.

Section 3. The quorum for the Agents* Conference shall
be a majority of those eligible to attend.

Section 4. Unless otherwise specifically set forth here­
in, the quorum for any committee shall be the majority of
those duly elected or appointed thereto;

Section 5. Unless otherwise specifically set forth here­
in, the decisions, reports, recommendations, or other func­
tions of any segment of the Union requiring a quorum to
act officially, shall be that of the majority of the quorum,
and shall not be official or effective unless the quorum
requirements are met.

ARTICLE XXIV
MEETINGS

Section 1- All ports shall hold regular meetings, provided
a quorum is present, on every other Wednesday, at 7:00 P.M.
If such meeting night falls on a holiday, th6 meeting shall
take place, providing a quorum is present, at 7:00 P.M. the
following, night. In the event a quorum is not present at
7:00 P.M.", the Port Agent of the pertinent port shall post­
pone the opening of the meeting until a quorum is pres­
ent, but in no event later than 7:30 P.M. A majority vote
of the membership rtiall be sufficient io change the date
of any future regular meeting.

Section 2. A special meeting at a Port may be called
only at the direction of the Port Agent. No special meet­
ing may be held, except between the hours of 9:00 A.M.
and 5:00 P.M. Notice of such meeting shall be posted at
least two hours in advance, on the Port bulletin board.

ARTICLE XXV
AGENTS* CONFERENCE

Section 1. The Secretary-Treasurer shall call an Agents'
Conference once a year, and may call, with the approval
of a majority vote of the membership, additional Agents*
Conferences during the year. The time and place of each
such meeting shall be fixed by the Secretary-Treasurer.
These conferences may be postponed or cancelled by a
majority vote of the membership in case of emergency.
A majority vote of the membership shall determine when
such emergency exists.

Section 2- The .Agents* Conference may discuss and
prepare reports and recommendations on any part of the
Union's activities, policies and plans. The adoption of any
such recommendation by a majority vote of the member­
ship -shall make the provisions thereof binding Union
policy, until modified or otherwise altered by a majority
vote of the membership provided such recommendation
is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitu-

ARTICLE XXVI
DEFINITIONS AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

RELATING THERETO
Section 1. Incapacity. Unless otherwise set forth or

dealt with herein, the term "incapacity,** shall mean any
illness or condition preventing the affected person from
carrying out his duties for more than 30 days; or absence
from the United States; or suspension from office or
membershfp as provided for in this Constitution; or the
due replacement of one under an incapacity as indicated.
However, nothing contained in this Article shall be deemed
to prohibit the execution 6f the functions of more than
one job and/or office, in which event no incapacity shall
be deemed to exist with regard to tlie regular job or of­
fice of the one taking over the duties and functions of the
one incapacitated. The period of incapacity shall be the
time during which the circumstances exist.

Section 2- Unless otherwise set forth or dealt with
herein, the term "vacancy," and the term "vacancy not
caused by an incapacity," shall be deemed to be the same,
and shall include failure to perform the functions of any
office or job by reason of death, or resignation, or expul­
sion from the Union with no further right to appeal in ac­
cordance with the provisions of this Constitution.

Section 3. When applicable to the Union as a whole,
the term, "majority vote of the membership,'* shall mean
the majority of all the valid votes cast by members at an'
official meeting of those Ports holding a meeting. This
definition shall prevail notwithstanding that one or more
Ports cannot hold meetings because of no quorum. For
that purpose of this section, the term ."regularly scheduled
meeting night at which the pertinent vote may take place"
shall refer to a meeting or mretings during the time
period within which a vote must be taken in accordance
with; (a) The Constitution

(b) Union policy, and
(c) Custom and usage of the Union

In the indicated priority.
Section 4. When applicable solely to Port action and

not concerned with, or related to. Union action as a whole,
and not forming parf of a Union-wide vote, the term,
"majority vote of the membership,'* shall refer to the
majority of the valid votes cast by the members at any
meeting of the Port, regular or special-

Section 5. The term, "membership, action" shall mean
the same as the term "majority vote of the membership."

Section 6- Where the title of any office or job, or the
holder thereof, is set forth in this Constitution, all refer­
ences thereto and the provisions concerned therewith shall
be deemed to be equally applicable tQ whomever is duly
acting in such office or job.

Section 7. The term "Election Year" shall be deemed

A to mean that calendar year prior to the calendar year 1»
which elected officials and other elected Job-holders ar«
required to assume office. The first election year shaU be
deemed to be 1954. f

Section 8. The terms, "this Constitution," and "this
amended Constitution," shall be deemed to have the same
meaning and shall refer to the Constitution which takes
the place of the one adopted by the Union in 1939. as
amended up through August 1951.

Section 9. The term, "member in good standing," shall
mean a member not in arrears or under suspension or
sentence of expulsion. Unless otherwise expressly indi­
cated, the term, "member;" shall mean a member in good
standing.

Section 10. The term, "membership book," shall mean
any official certificate issued as evidence of Union mem­
bership.

Section 11.. Whenever the day on which a Union meeting
or action is to take place falls on a holiday, the meeting
or action shall be put off until the next business day, at
the same hour.

ARTICLE XXVII
AMENDMENTS

This Constitution shall be amended In the following
manner:

Section 1. Any member may submit, at any regular
meeting of any Port, proposed amendments to this Con- '
stitutlon in resolution form. If a majority vote of the
membership of the Port approves it, the proposed amend­
ment shall be forwarded to all Ports for further action.

Section 2. When a proposed amendment is accepted by
a majority vote of the membership, it shall be referred
to a Constitutional Committee in the Port where Head­
quarters is located. This Committee shall be composed
of six members, two from each Department and shall be
elected in accordance with such rules as are established
by a majority vote of that Port. The Committee will
act on all proposed amendments referred to it. The
Committee may receive whatever advice and assistance,
legal or otherwise, it deems necessary." It shall prepare
a report on the amendment together with any proposed
changes or substitutions or recommendations, and the
reasons for such recommendations. The latter shall then
be submitted to the membership by the Secretary-Treas-
ui'cr. If a majority vote of the membership approves
the amendment as recommended, it shall then be voted
upon, in a yes or no vote by the membership of the
Union by seciet ballot in accordance with the procedure
outlined in Article XIII, Section 3(b) through Section 5,
except that, unless otherwise required by a majority vote
of the membership at the time it gives the approval
necessary to nut the referendum to a vote, the Union
Tallying Committee shall consist of six (G» members, twO,

..-from each of the three (3) departments of the Union,
elected from Hea-iqrarters Port. The amendment shall
either be printed on the ballot, or if too lengthy, shall
be referred to on the ballot. Copies of the amendment
shall be posted on the bulletin boards of-all Ports and
made available at the voting site in all Ports.

Section 3. If approved by a % majority of the valid
ballots cast, the amendment shall become effective im­
mediately upon notification by the Headquarters Tallying.
Committee to the Secretary-Treasurer that the amendment
has been so approved, unless otherwise specified in the
amendment. The Secretary-Treasurer shaU immediately
notify all Ports of the results of the vote on the amend­
ment.

ARTICLE XXVIII
TRANSITION CLAUSE

Section 1. It is the purpose and intent of this Article
to provide for an orderly transition from Union operations
and activities as governed by the Constitution in effect"
prior to the adoption of this amended Constitution, to
operations and activities conducted in accordance with this
amended Constitution. Accordingly, the following sections
are to be given the interpretation required to effectuate
the foregoing purpose and intent.

Section 2. All routine administrative, accounting, and
other similar procedures-and processes of this Union, in
effect Immediately prior to the adoption of this amended
Constitution, shall be deemed to be permitted hereunder
and shall continue in effect, unless or until changed, in
accordance with the provisions hereof.

•Section 3. All methods and means of collecting and
disbursing Union funds, all segregations of Union funds,
the sequence of regular meeting nights, rules of order
generally followed, bonding procedures, shipping rules,
permit systems, reinstatement procedures, and any other
practices or procedure, in effect immediately prior to the
adoption of this amended Constitution, shall be deemed
to be permitted hereunder, and shall continue in effect
unless or until changed in accordance with the provisions
hereof.

Section 4. All Union policies, customs, an(\ usage, in­
cluding those with regard to admission into membership,
in effect Immediately prior to the adoption of this amended
Constitution, shall be deemed to be permitted hereunder
and shall continue in effect unless or until changed in
accordance with the provisions hereof.

Section 5. The Secretary-Treasurer, the Assistant Secre­
tary-Treasurer, all Port Agents and Patrolmen, and all
others elected as a result of the balloting held by this
Union during November and December of 1952, shall be
deemed to have been duly elected in conformity with the
provisions of this Constitution. From the date of adoption
of this Constitution, they shall execute the powers and
functions, and assume the responsibilities, of the said
offices and Jobs, as set forth in this Constitution. They
shall hold office, pursuant hereto, until the expiration
date of the terms of office set forth herein. The terms of
Article Xni, only insofar as they apply to election of
Officials, Port Agents, and Patrolmen, shall take effect the
first election year.

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ARTICLE I—Name and General Powers: nates the
name of the union and defines its general powers.

A nTi/"i r 11 A f£'l* A' Provides for affiliation of the At»
ARI ILLt I l"~"AiriliailOn; lantic and Gulf District with the
Seafarers Internatfona! Union of North America, the American
Federation of Labor and other bodies as may be determined by a
majority vote of the membership.

ARTICLE Ill-Membership,
set by a majority vote of the membership—Defines certain eligibility
requirements that must be met by candidates for new membership
—Provides relief for members who may be unable to pay dues
because of incapacity beyond their control—States the Union's oath
of obligation—Outlines rules for suspension and dismissal for non­
payment of dues and assessments—Rights of naembership to expel
those who might support dual and hostile groups.

ARTICLE IV—Reinstatement:
statement of dismissed members.

Gives the membership the
right to set rules for rein-

Cites the ex-ARTICLE V—Dues and Initiation Fee: isting du^s
schedule, initiation fee and method of payment—^Provides dues may
not be changed except by constitutional amendment—^Permits the
membership, by majority vote, to waive dues and initiation fees for
organizational purposes only. -

ARTICLE VI—Retirement from Membership:
Defines the procedure by which a Seafarer may retire his book and
outlines the method of reinstatement,

ARTICLE VII—System of Organization: Slpan^-
rnents of the Union and provides for administrative authority

ARTICLE VIII-Officers:'SS:'?hV°^^^^^^^
urer, Assistant Secretary-Treasurers and Port Agents and Patrol­
men.

ARTICLE IX-Olher Elective Jobs:.^7ch,?rM™.'de'ie:
gates and members of certain committees must be elect^ by the
membership.

ARTICLE X-Dufies oi Elective Officers:
the Secretary-Treasurer, Assistant Secretary-Treasurers, Port
Agents, Patrolmen, Meeting Chairmen, Delegates and members of
the Auditing, Trial, Quarterly Financial, Appeals and Negotiating
and Strike Committees—^Provides procedure for filling vacancies
in office—^Requires all Port Agents to file weekly financial reports—
Establishes membership control over actions and reports of officials
and committees.

ARTICLE XI—V/ages and Terms of Office:
Provides that the Secretary-Treasurer, Assistant Secretary-Treas­
urers, Port Agents and Patrolmen shall serve for two-year terms
and that their wages shall be set by a majority vote of the mem­
bership—Provides for hiring and dismissal of other employes and
personnel, subject to a majority vote of the membership.

ARTICLE XII—Qualifications for Elective Office:
Sets forth that any member has the right to nominate himself for ^
any office—Lists eligibility requirements for the various offices.

ARTICLE Xlll-Electlons: KTSov'deTt '
election of a six-member Credentials Committee to inspect the .
candidates' eligibility according to rules of Constitution—Estab­
lishes safeguards for the right of a member to nominate himseU to
office. Describes the Union's balloting procedure in detail—Pro-
vides for election of Polls Committees to conduct elections and of ,
a district-wide Tallying Committee, including members from'New
York, Baltimore, Mobile, New Orleans and San Francisco to tabu­
late results—Sets forth ̂ a^ner ^^r installation of officers. •

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ARTICLE Xiy-Other Elections:
chairmen, delegates and members of the following committees:
Auditing, Quarterly Financial, Trial, Appeals, Negotiating-^ and
Strike—Defines qualifications for these positions.

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ARTICLE XV—Trials and Appeals: righV'o/"my
member to
brothers.

a fair trial by an impartial committee of his Union

Lists, in detail the procedure for bringing charges and for pre­
senting charges to the membership—Provides for election of nve-
member trial committee and defines Committee's procedure and
duties—Requires that accused must be confronted by the accuser-
Gives accused right to representation by a brother member before
the trial committee—Requires presentation of the Committee's find­
ings to the membership for acceptance, rejection or modification by
a majority vote of the members—Provides procedure for appeals.

ARTICLE XVI-Offenses and Penalties:
fenses for which a member may be brought to trial—Places limita­
tions on penalties that may be imposed upon members found guilty
of such offenses—Gives a member the right to waive trial and
accept an automatic penalty for infractions not involving suspensfon
or dismissal from the Union-r-Provides for trial by meeting acting
as committee as a whole for offenses committed during course of
meeting.

ARTICLE XVII-Publlcatlons: right to "authorize the^pub-
lication of a newspaper and other literature,

ADTI^I C V\/m Provides for bonding of officers
AKII^LC AVIII DOnQS: and employes oLthe Union under
suth conditions as may be determined by the membership.^

ARTICLE XlX-Expendlfures:
cies or specific instructions with regard to expenditures.

ADTii^l c vv Defines the Union's sources of .in-
AKI ILLt AA—income: come-Sets forth the duty of mem­
bers to require Union representatives to give them a receipt for any
payment of money to the Union—Provides that no assessment may
be levied unless approved by a two-thirds majority of the valid
ballots cast by the members in a secret election—Gives mefnber-
ship power to set up general rules for assessment balloting—Pro*
vides for the Union to derive income from dividends, intere.st and
legitimate business operations.

ARTICLE'XXI-Degrees of Membership: fT"?'
rules for affiliation of individuals other than full members must be
determined by the Union's membership. -

ARTICLE XXII—Formulation of Shipping Rules:
Guarantees, as did the previous Constitution, that shipping, rules
may not be revised unless approved by membership.

ABTiz-i c vvm Provides that the quorum for
ARTICLE XAIII—Quorums: » special meeting of any port
shall be six members and the quorum fot a regular Port meeting
shall be seven members.

ARTICLE XXIV-Meetlngs: ̂ regular meetings at 7 PM on
every other Wednesday—Exceptions are noted for holidays and
failure to obtain a quorum.

ARTICLE-XXV-Agenl's Conference:
ence of Port Agents to be called by the Secretary-Treasurer.

ARTICLE XXVI-Deflnltlons: frequently in the language
of the Constitution.

ARTICLE XXVII-AmendmenIs: amendment^of the Con­
stitution by the membership. ,

ARTICLE XXVIII-Transition Clausetfrlnsfel of unSS
practices and procedures to regulation by proposed Constitution.

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