Media
Issue Date
1941-05-07
Volume
3
Issue Number
9
Plaintext
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SECURITY
IN
UNITY I
J]
^I^URAKERS JOQ
OFFICIAL OEGAN OF TJKE ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT,
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL X7NI0N OF NORTH AMERICA
^ VOL. Ill NEW YORK, N. Y., WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 1941 445 No. 9
AGENTS' CONFERENCE ACTS TO
STREAMLINE SiU FOR RIG PUSH!
>
Membership Okays Steps to Open Books,
End Permits, Extend Organizing Drive
i:.
CJ, Wrecking Crew at Work:
Currah & Co. Fink On
Marine Engineers
Amidst the loud cheers of the shipowners and the b^g
"^business press, "No Coffee Time" Joe Curran and his whole
ijlique of Communist Party stooges forced National Maritime
, Union.members this week to break through picket lines flung
around the Ainerican Export Line docks by the Marine En
ginaers Benevolent Association, an organization afOliated
,' vfith the CIO like the NMU itself.
The MEBA pulled the pin<^
on the S.S. Siboney two
weeks ago when that ship
• '» landed in New York upon be
^'ing transferred from the
Ward to the Export Line. The
'Ward Line is under eontract
with the Engineers' union. On
the Export Line, a company
union Outfit has been rigged
*up, known more popularly as
the "Mystic Knights of the
8ea." When, upon the ship's
• transfer, the Company took
, steps to force the Siboney's
• • engineers to joi^ the company
union, the men decided that
that Avas the time to hang the
hook and pull all the Export
.. engineers out qf the toils of
company unionism. The strike
r* action was taken after consul
^ tation and by agreement with
Curran and his gang of mis
leaders.
From the first the NMU crews
;• on the four Export ships—the Ex
celsior, the Bxminster and Ex
' ' cambion quickly followed the Si
boney's lead—immediately sup
i . ported the action of the engineers.
Then, suddenly, last Wednesday,
"No Coffee Time" hurriedly re
turned from a meeting with Gov
ernment ofTicials in Washington,
discovered that the strike was
"phoney" and ordered tlie NMU
crews to cross the MEBA picket
' line after strong resistance by the
men to such scabby action.
"The National Maritime Union
has wisely disapproved the stand
of the Marine Engineers Benevo
' lent Association," the 'Journal of
Commerce' remarked in an en
thusiastic editorial approving
Curran's finky action the next
day.
What a contrast from the labor
. baiting 'line this big business pa
per took when the Seafarers' In
• teriiatioiial Union of North Amer
lea demonstrated solid support
• for the MEBA in their recent heel
with the Robin Line!
Contrast in Solidarity
' What a contrast In the attitude
, ef the two organizations them
selves. When the Engineers
struck the Robin Line, the SiU,
although A. F. of L. in its affilia
# ̂ tion, did not for a moment hesi
tate to back up the MEBA, ai
(Continued on Page 4)
**For 30 Pieces
Of Silver. . 99
By coincidence, it seems,
the American Merchant Ma
rine Institute announced the
day after Joe Curran ordered
• ^;MU men through the MEBA
picket line on the Export
ships, tlutt it had granted ths
NMU a raise from $30 to $60
per month on the Portugal
and African runs. What the
Seafarers International Union
gets by militant action, Cur
ran and Co. get hy strike
breaking.
By coincidence also, Curran
got a $30 raise, wlijch re
minds us of one of the mosl
ancient sellouts in history.
We are referring to the sell
out perpetrated by a gent
named Judas Iscariot. If we
recall correctly, a little poem
has been written about that
incident which begins wtli
the line;
"For thirty pieces of silvei
he sold Him. .
It fits like a glove for this
modern version as well, for
"Judas" Curran too . . .
In a twoday conference of intense activity, the Agents of the At
lantic 'and Gulf District of the Seafarers International Union took meas
ures in Washington last week to streamline the organization for a hig or
ganizing drive to cope with the tremendous opportunities opened up
hy the wartime shipping hoom. At the same time, steps were taken to
gird against the danger of fink Hiring Halls under Government control
as well as against the vicious, disrup tivc tactics of the Communist Party
wrecking crew in control of the top machinery in the NMU. ]
The Conference, which was^
SIU Conanicut
Boatmen Get
20^0 Hike
A 20 per cent hike in wages
was granted to the Conanicut
Island Boatmenfs As30v3i»l%on,
SIU affiliate, when the Union
threatened to hang the hook
after several days of dead
locked arbitration procedure.
The representatives of the em
ployers, the Jamestown and
Newport Ferry Company of
Rhode Island, quickly joined
the two other members of the
arbitration board in granting
the award after it became ob
vious that the Union meant
business when it decided to
strike the ships.
Serving on the board for the
Union was Donald E. Spears,
president of the Newport Metal
Trades Council (A. F. of L.); for
the employers, General Manager
Charles Brooks, with Professor
Philip Taft of Brown University,
appointed by the Governor as
neutral, arbitrator.
convened at the Ileadquarter.s
office on April 30, by Acting
President Harry Lundeberg,
was attended byJphn Hawk,
Atlantic Representative; M,
D. Biggs, Gnlf Representa
tive; John" Mogan, Boston
Agent; Arthur Thompson,
New York Agent; W. McKay,
Baltimore Agent; Berger
Hansen, N or f'olk Agent;
Charles \Y aid, Savannah
Agent; Carl Rogers. .Tack.son
ville Agent; Olden Ranks,
Mobile Agent; A. W. Arm
Strong, New Orleans Agent;
Morris Wei.sberger, Agent of
the S.U.P. in Now York and
Sydney Greteher, Secretary
Treasurer protem of the At
lantic and Gulf District,
Other agents could not attend
because of either ^great distance
or pressure of activities in their
home ports.
On Monday, May 5, all the
Branches in the District voted at
reguiar meetings to concur In the
conference recommendations list
ed below.
1. Government Conference on
Shortage of Seamen
President Lundeberg reported
that Hawk, Biggs, Weisberger
{Continued on Page 2)
Flash! Union
Signs Up
Bernstein Co.
The Arnold Biemstein Ship
ping Company and the SIU
have just agreed to sign the
South Atlantic agreement—
plus a top bonus arrangement.
First ship of the Bernstein
American flag fleet, the Na
marib, sails soon for India.
She was once the Marsodak,
but you'd never know it now.
Wages and . . .
Profits
According to a compila
tion of figures made by the
American Federation of
Labor's economists, involv
ing some 1,495 business
concerns, wages of workers
have risen the past year by
5 per cent; while net prof
its for employers have
risen by 25 per cent.
REPORT ON GOVERNMENT MARITIME CONFERENCE
SIU Representatives' Report on the Conference
Called by Chairman Land of the Maritime Com
mission Concerning a Shortage of Seamen for
American Ships.
(Held in Washington, D.C., April 28 and 29,1941)
At' the request of the United States Government, Harry Lun
deberg;. Acting President, M. D. Biggs, Gulf Representative and
John Hawk, Atlantic Representative of the SIU, and Morris Weis
berger of the SUP, were called together with Representatives of
the Shipowners, Government and CIO Unions to discuss ways
and means to relieve the shortage of seamen in American ships.
The meeting was attended by approximately 60 to 70 men from
all parts of the country.
Admiral Land opened tlie meeting and stressed upon every
one present the need and urgency of everyone connected with
the shipping industry, both Labor and Shipowners, to cooperate
with the ITnitwl States Governnicnt and see that the American
Alcrciiant Bliips will be propeily manned.. Ho furihcr stateti
that it was the duty of the Union and the Sliipowner.s to fur
nish men to sail the shii)s, and that if a solution could not be
worked out by tbe Union and the Shipowners, that the Gov
ernment would have to work out ways and means to assure
the Amei'ican !\Ierchant Marine of having sudkieiit pei'soiinel.
He stated that it was the intention of the Government to work
out tliis problem with the interested parties on a coopeiative
basis, and that it was not the intention of the Government to
disturb the existing contracts between the Shipowners and the
various Unions.
The question of making new seamen is a very dangerous
one for the Union, due to the fact tliat if it is not controlled
and watched closely, that thousands of prospective seamen
might be mamifactureil l»y schools v^liont taking into con
sideration the necessity which in the long run would break
down the Union.
Various people representing the Union and Shipowners spoke
on the qiieslion as to whether or not there is at present a shortage
of seamen. Curran speaking for the GIO stated tliat there was
no shortage of seamen in the Atlantic and Gulf. Representatives
from the SIU, Atlantic and Gulf, Brothers Hawk and Biggs slated .
that seamen were getting scarce, but at the present time they
{Continued on Page 2)
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http://www.pdfcompressor.org/buy.html
THE S E,A FARERS' LOG
'''' ^'' ' '' ^'''" ' ' • • ' ll
• "P"V|;
Wednesday, May 7, 1941 ; \;i
Published by the
ATLANTIC & GULF DISTRICT
of the
Seafarers^ Intematiancd Union
of North America
Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor
HARRY LUNDEBERG, Acting International President
110 Martet Street, Room 402, San Francisco, Calif.
ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS
PUBLICATION TO-.
"THE SEAFARERS' LOG"
P, O. Box 522, Church St. Annex, New York, N. Y
PAoM^: BOwling Green 93437
Agenfs' Conference Acfs t<>
(Continued from Pof/e 1)
and himself had attended a con
ference called at the request of
the United States Government, at
• which Admiral Land of the Mari
time Commission presided and
which was attended by represen
tatives of the shipowners as well
as of all maritime unions. The
subjfect matter under discussion
was the shortage of seiamen and
the manning requirementsof the
big shipping program for national
defense. Luudeberg reported that
they had successfully com batted
a move by Curran for a National
Committee to handle the prob
lem, such a committee to be com
posed of representatives of the
shipowners, the unions and the
government.
"This, of course," Lundeberg
stated,' "was another Commie
move and something the SUP and
^ ~ SlU could not go for because with
a committee of the shipowners
and the government the seamen
vvcuid have two strikes against
tiiein and we would practicaliy,
with such a setup, relinquish the
functioning of our unions and
Would jeopardize our hiring halls.
There is no need t6''say that no
body Went for Ciirran's pihoney
suggestion." i.
He further reported that the
confeffence' had agreed' unani
mously on the following points:
1) That the granting of green
A.B. tickets to trainees aboard
Maritiriae Commission schoolships
be. stopped, and that they should
serve a total of one year at
school and at sea. getting a blue
ticket only after passing an ex
amination at the end of the year,
2) Increasing percentage of blue
ticket A.B.'s to be carried iii
crew. 3) Easing up regulations
regarding legally admitted alien
seamen. 4) Opposition to using
physical examination by compa
• nies for blacklisting purposes. 5)
Epdorseme.nt of the principle of
unemployment insurance for sea
men. 6) Action by the Maritime
Commission to obtain better ac
. tion on deferment of seamen by
the Selective Service Board.
On other points, there was not
unanimous agreement in the Gov
ernment conference, our Acting
President reported, but an SIU
SUP recommendation to add
7 three deck boys on every vessel,
' to be shipped through the Union
? hali, was being considered.
' Mov^a«d seconded by Arm
H*.i^tfdng and Morgan to concur
with the above report and rec
ommendation.
2. Permit System and Open
ing of B,opks
Brother Lundeberg explained
the "hew conditions brought about
by . the shipping boom which
made previous methods outdated.
"At the present time in the At
lantic arid Gulf District of the
SlU," he''said; "the books are
practicaHy closed and no man
' jj,,fan get into our organization un
:£j|li88 he sails six months on a per
Thle^ciion was taken some
time ago when Jobs were scarce
and there Were plenty of men
around. THIS PICJURE HAS
MATERIALLY C H A N O E b
WITHIN THE LAST SIX
MONTHS. The SlU has agree
ments with more ships today
than they have ever had and the
various companies with SlU con
tracts are building hew ships
and are adding new ships to their
fleets. As a consequence, we find
that in lots of instances our or
ganization has been unable to
furnish book members to man
those . ships. This has now
reached the stage of acuteness,
it Is up to us to remedy this sit
uatlon'which threatens to retard
our organization. IT IS CLEAR
TO. EVERYBODV THAT WE
CANNbV EXPECT TO RETAIN
JOB CONTRbL IN OUR HIRING
HALLS IF WE ARE NOT ABLE
TO FURNISH MEN, AND WE
MUST ACT OUICKLY TO
REMEDY THIS SITUATION BE
FORE THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT T O G LT HER
WITH THE SHIPOWNERS
FIND WAYS AND MEANS TO
MAN THOSE SHIPS THROUGH
FiNK HALLS."
The following recommenda
tions were made:
1. That the SlU Atlantic and
Gulf District Imrnediately do
away with the Permit System.
llToved and seconded by Arpa
strong and Hawk to concur wi{h
this recommendation. Carried
unanimously.
2. That the SlU immediately
open their books to bona fide sea
men from all avaiiable sources.
Moved and seconded by Waid
and Collins to concur with this
recommendation. Carried unani
mously.
3. Organizational Activities
A report, on the organisational
driveoh the Isthmian Line ships
was made. The need for intensi
fying this drive was pointed out.
"It should be the duty of every
elected officer and every member
of the SlU to do his utmost to
organize these ships," the report
stressed. The penetrafion of
other unorganized lines depends
on success in thig drive, it was
further stated. There was con
siderable discussion on this mat
ter and as to whether to take
men on unorganized ships into
t.lie Union oil the $1.00 l)ook or
whether to charge them the
regular Initiation fee.
It was moved by Rogers and
seconded by Collins to issue $1.00
books on all unorganized ships
and explain to the crew before
they can ship on SlU ships, that
they vyiil have to pay the other
$9.00 plus assessments. Motion
carried.
4. Organization and Finances
Brother Sydney Gretcher, who
had served the six months stipu
lated in his appointment, re
signed as SecretaryTreasurer
pro tem. In order to tighten up
on finances, it was felt to be nec
essary to abolish the office in
WashingLon and to combliie the
posts of SecretaryTreasurer and
Atlantic Representative. Brother
Gretcher's resignation was ac
cepted and the following motions
were made:.^
Moved and seconded by Waid
and' Armstrong that President
Lundeberg be empowered to
move the office of the Secretary
Treasures from Washington to
New Y'qrk when he sees fit. Car
ried unanimously.
It was recommended by Presi
dent Lundeberg to the members
present that Brother Hawk as
sume duties as SecretaryTreas
urer and District Representative
as this would not conflict with
his present duties.
Moved by Waid, seopnded by
Biggs, that the recommendation
of the Acting President be con
cnnecl in. Motion carried unani
mouslv.
5. sup. and Pacific Distr. SIU
A' report ''was made ooncevning
a conference held In Los Angeles,
Califovnin a mouth ago. under the
auspices of the CIO Maritime
Committee, whose chapman Is
Harry Bridges. The purpose of
this conference was a move on
the part of the Communist Party
and the NMU to move in on the
Pacific Coast via an attempt to
organize the tankers there under
the NMU. It is obviously meant
to encircle the SUP, the parent
body of tbe SIU. The ^UP has
taken immediate steps to counter
act and fight this phoney move
will) all Uicir resonVces. The
SUP went on record on a coast
wise scale to organize every sea
man, fireman and cook on the
tankers into tb/1 Paci'fl'c Ui.strict
of the SIU, However, since the
Marine Cooks and the MFpW
control other West Coast ships]
such seamen cannot he offered
jobs by the SUP on these ships.
"Therefore," the report stated,
"in view tire importance of es
tablishing a Pacific Coast District
of the SlU, including firemen and
cooks, which is the final step In
making one union for all, we
recommend as follows;
"That all firemen and cooks or
ganized on the Pacific Coast un
der thg SIU. banner be given
equal shipping rights on SIU con
tract ships]"
Moved and seconded by Han
sen and Rogers that the Atlantic
and Gulf District of the SIU. co
operate with the Pacific District
oUthe SlU to the fullest extent.
Carried unanimously.
,6. Log and W. C. SaUor
It wa.s tnuved and seconded by
Biggs and Hansen that Lunde
berg explore the po.ssibilities of
consolidating the West Coast
Sailor and Seafarers Log.
Under discussion on the above
matter it was brought out that
"ill this time it would he a step
toward economy and also elimin
ate^ the repiintlng of articles in
the West Coast Sailor and the
Seafai'ers Log which has • been
done very, oft.en in the past. Mp
.tion canied unanimously.
After considerablj^ discussion
by those present on affairs of the
Union in general and contract
questions in particular, the con
ference was adjourned with ev
erybody satisfied that solid prog
ress had been achieved for the
welfare of the Union.
Another Angle
On the Vinson, Bill
The Vinson Bill would open
the way for employers noW
having Closed Shop contracts
with Unions to scrap them by
organizing "dummy" compa
nies to take over their busi
ness, it was pointed out in
Washington last week. They
could claim to be "new" firms
and as such forbidden under
the Layv, from signing Cjpsed
Shop agreements. This is just
onp mor^ clever layyyer's trick
(the L'aw is full of th«m) de
signed to break the Unions.
REPORT ON GOVERNMENT
(Continued from Puye 1)
were able to furnish men, but if any iqore ships were jput in com
mission they would have a hard time manning them. Represen
tatives of the Shipowneis brought out' facta apd figures to show
to the effect that several ships had been held up due to tlfe ina
bility of tlie Unions to furnish crews, which of course is true.
After a general dbscussion was had by all parties who wanted
to make statements at this time, the big meeting was finally
broken down to three different groups; one composed of repre
sentatives. of the unlicensed seamen, the shipowners and the gov
ernment; orie of representatives of lieeused officers, shipowners
and the government; one for radio operators, shipowners, and the
government. The Sailor's Union was represented in the unlicensed
seaman committee by Lundeberg and Weisberger, and the Sltl
was represented by Hawks and Biggs. In this meeting a lot of
.steam wap^blown and a Iqt of phoney statements were made by
various parties who had their various axes to grind. With the
thought in mind of forestalling any possibility of inaugurating
any training factories where th.ey would train men by the thou
sands, we haVirig no'controiling foice over them, which, would in
the future be a detriment and danger to our unions, your represen
tatives submitted the following proposal: (And, the syP and
the SIU were tlie oniy representatives who had any constructive
proposal to offer).
l_It was reconiinended that tlie granting of green A.B.
tickets of trainees aboaid IVIaritime Commission school ships he
.stopped. It was agreed hy all present that trainees from these
ships should serve a total of one year's time at sqiiool apd at
.sea and then upon passing an examination he giyen a
ticket. Every representative of organized lahor piesent, Tues
day morning, April 29, 1941, when the discussion took place,
stated that all snhseqneiit agreements were cbmiitioiied i>Pon
the aapptlon of tljis ftr.st" recommendation.
2—It was agreed tlwt H. B. 4446, which deals with the per
centage of bhic ticket seamen wlileli may legally he carried
aboard American ve.s.sels, would assist materially in meeting any
sliortage of able seamen. A,ll present were in favor of tliis leg
islation which expires automatlcany in 1942 except Mr. Curran
of the National .iViai'itiiiie ijhion, who did not object to the leg
islation.
3_it was agreed by all present that certain alien seamen
now in the country, not subjcj to deportation nor able to se
cure citizenship papers, should be permitted to go to sea. It was
further agreed, in principie," that a relaxation of the law, Inso
far as it applie.s to alien seamen legally admitted to the United
States', was desirable.
4—The question of the stringency of the physical examina
tion given by steamship operators was thoroughly discussed,
and it was agreed by the representatives of the 4bperators that
they would investigate this situation very carefully and discuss
their findings wftli the representatives of organized labor. It
was agreed that if it was found that the medical examination
was used as a blacklist that every effort would be made by
those concerned to eliminate such practice.
5—It was recommended that the Committee unanimously
endorserthe principle of nnemployment insnrance in order that
the" sea hecbme a more attractive calling. This recommendation
was nnanimonsly agreed to.
6—It was recommended that the developing situation, Insp
far as the availability of personnel for manning merchant ves
sels, be followed very closely by all concerned, particularly the
Maritime Commission.
7—It was recommeuded.. that the present training program
of the Maritime Commission be expanded no further and that
to augment this program three deck boys be placed aboard
every. American merchant vessel of over on.e thousand tons
whenever possible. Mr. Lundeberg, Mr. Biggs, Mr. Hawk and
Mr. Weisberger favor this'proposal, the ship operators were
noncommittal, and all other representatives of organized labor
opposed it. A similiar position was taken by all present on the
question of cariyiug boys in Llie engine and steward depart
ments.
8—(a) It was recommended that the present six months
experieijce requirqmejit as wiper, fpr machlnl.sts and refrigerat
ing engineers bp eliminated and that in its place be substituted
an exaramation for competency, ifhis was unahiraously agreed'
to.
(b) It was recommended that the present six months expe
rience requirement as wiper for pumpmen be eliminated and
that three months experience ih any capacity in the engine
room be substituted therefor. This was unanimously agreed to.
9—B was recommended that additional ordinary seamen
be earrted in lien of the present Maritime. Cpmmiasion training
program. This Was agreed to hy Mr. Currah, Mr, Haliing, Mr]
Haddock, Mr. Druery, Mr. Malone and Mr. Snmners. It was
not agreed to by any others present.
10—It was recommended that three additional wipers be
carried on every vessel in lieu of .the present Maritime Com
mission training program. This recommendation was made bj^
Mr, Malone of the Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders and Wiperg i
Association of tjie Pacific and was agreed to by Mr Malope, Mr
Sumners,. Mr, Curran, Mr, Hailing, Mr. Haddock,' Mi;. Druery,,
The others, prespnt did not favor'this,
11—It was nnanlmpnply reconin^enilcd that tlje, Mgrltime. ̂ ^
Commission require the Selective SeiWic.e Board to issue a fiir
ther directive <m the question of dpfement of seamen. iDap
tain Garnett, USA, was present and wa^. vprbal^ inifpiWiied
the (letAds Involved.
The Committee recpminended that In the event the prplj. : :;
lem of manning American merchant vessels becomes mor<M||^i|^ ^ .li']
tnat j:he Commission caii the Committee togetheir
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http://www.pdfcompressor.org/buy.html
Wednesday, May 7, 1941
,. • ' • ': • ,'• • • • ;
THE SEAFARERS* LOG
W^h a t * B Doing
NORFOLK
j
s
• Editor, Seafarers Log
Dear Sir and Brother;
Well, things are still going
i, along as per schedule witlr the
" Agent' getting raises for all hands
, Oil all tugboats. Since the raise
In wages became effective, the
boys are a little more willing to
work and are better satisfied on
the job, which goes to show what
good Union men can get when
they have a democratic organiza
tion behind them 100% like the
SIU,
Now that negotiations for new
tugboat agreements are to get un
der way in the near future, would
like a few suggestions from some
of the men who sail these sea
going hedge hoppers.
We are getting the gassos edu
catcd to the fact that the hall is
not to be used for a fiop house oi
gin mill. Some of them thouight
the Agent and Patrolman should
let them take over the hall for
this purpose, but when they saw
the light they either shipped out
or boxcar'd out of town to some
other port' to try and carry on.
We believe Brother Butts in
San Juan chased all his GMEN
this way.
Shipping continues good with
the usual shortage of rated men
in all departments.
Wc have been making them re
pair the quarters on the towboats
down here, so every no\y and
then they try to take one to Bal
timore, thinking they may get
away with something, but McKay
gets his enfprcing squad duvyu to
them^ and .they come home prop
eriy donie.
So as always in the SIU, fiill
steam ahead!
Bud Ray, Patrolman.
the ship, and all three left with
a smile. Upon offering the same
amount of lettuce to the SIU
member, he was somewhat sur
prised to learn that he owed the
man a day's pay. Without any ar
gument he paid off and the man
came back to the hall.
This just goes to show that the
men in the NMU have been kicked
around to where they don't be'
lieve they are entitled to what is
coming to them, whereas our
members know their righte and
believe, me it's not going to be
their fault if they don't get Ui«m.
Steady as she goes.
Army.
TEXAS CITY
PHILADELPHIA
April 24, 1941.
Editor, Seafarers Log
Dear Sir and Brother:
I suspect that we, you, him, her
and they, meaning all persons in
terested in the maritime indus
try, have heard the ery for the
shipowners: "Why are we having
a shortage of rated men? (Some
question.) The writers, in their
own personal opinion, think that
there are plenty of reasons. For
instance: (1) The lack of consid
eration from some of the draft
boards in various states. (2) The
uter disregard for the welfare,
health and general conditions of
the men. (3) The wages of the
seamen in comparison with other
fields of Industry.
Editor and Brothers:
This has been a very slow week
with only a couple of ships in.
Everything is fine when you go
aboard. Then just before sailing
time some supermilitants with a
few under their belt want you to
help them hang the hook. It may
be, to see their girl friend a little
longer or it may be that they
want to lift a few more to get' a
little more courage. This is not
helping us one bit. How are we
going to better our conditions, if
a few men take that attitude?
Sure we have good conditions, bar
none, but they can always be bet
ter. And, if we all pull together
they will be better.
* « *
NEW^ ORLEANS
Apyl 25, 1941.
Editor, Seafarers Log
Dear Sir and Brother:
Things are still rocking along
in the garden spot of the south.
The main issue is the boys inhal
ing their tea through a straw and
for some unknown reason, this
seems to make them rather hard
to handle..
«>»• *
* * *
Take our industry, the Mer
chant Marine. "We are getting no
higher wages now than we did in
1918, but, in all other industries,
wages have increased as high as
33%. So, is it any wonder that
between the Draft and wage con
ditions, we are losing most of oui
rated men?
*
• The deadest week, of some time
I
down here for the boys. All hands
' rather bored with the setup. No
big beefs, no big squaks, no noth
ing.
The laugh of the week took
place here yesterday when a cer
tain, small ship came in and need
ed a couple of A.B.'s All unions,
crimps and flosseys started vShfp
ping men to this seamen's home.
Result: first man aboard^was the
local crimp's stooge. He got.
signed on. Then came the deluge.
Two men from oui' hall went
down to the ship, rode the same
ferry across the river as two men
from the NMU and another man
from th.e crimp's or some such
—dive. It looked like the scow was
crewing, up complete when all
hands went over the gangway.
The Skipper of this floa|;ing spa
told the men with tears in his
eyes that there was only one job
So the; two SIU men flipped a
coin to see who would takie the
rest'cure and wilo would have to
returri to the rigors of the beach.
Thejr. JiiSt' ciisregarded the other
• Xf, men completely. "The Master heing
ft good fellow, gave, the NMU
members., anil the misfit foui'rbits
apiece to .pay thein for their trou
ble and their .fare to and from! toilets
Who is to blame? If the men
who owned the ships would only
anteup the wages and make
working and living conditions a
slight bit more attractive, possi'
biy this wduld deter the rated
men from seeking employment at
top vvages as machinists, riggers,
bqliermakers, pipe fitters, welders
and what have you on shore.
• « •
• \Ve often hear that Congress
men are greatly interested in the
acute shortage of seamen at this
time. Well, we, the writers have
a few very good suggestions to
make; that is, tliat some of the
Congresemen who are on the Com
mittee of Merchant Marine &
Fisheries ' would only take the
time to visit some of the ships
owned . by A,merican companies
and notice the conditions that ac
tually exist (such as: eight men
to a room "With one. man's feet
sticking in the other man's face,
one electric fan in each forecastle,
no j'ugs or carpets on the floor,
no curtains over the port holes,
old antiquated, iron bunks to sleep
in, and if you weigh over 190 lbs.
you can't sleep in fliem, not even
a cuspidor on the floor to throw
debris in, no chairs, but only old
fashioned benches to sit on, old
rusty buckets to wash your
clothes in, impossible facilities to
heat, water to bathe with, batb
rooms, where orie man lis bathing
and he gives a batJi to the sailor
who Is washing his teeth, condl;
tions so congestedthat there is a
qathrqom for ten men, and only
one can batlie at a time without
splashing dirty water, on the
other fellow, messrooms that have
opposite the doors and
One thing that I want to see is
what the Federated Seamen o
New Zealand have, and that is:
a double day's pay for Sunday or
holiday that you are out to sea,
and a half day off in port for
every week that you have been
aboard ship.
The SIU isin its infancy, and
we have gone a long way to bet
ter our wages and conditions. Just
compare our agreement with
those of Joe the Great's (NMU).
Look at the quarters off their
ships. Show me a ship of theirs
that pays Oilers $110.00 per
month, as some of the companies
that we have signed up.
So, fellows, let's all put our
shoulders together and build this
baby up into the most powerful
maritime unions In the woi Id,
run by the seamen, for the sea
men, and not a bunch of button
hole makers and pantspressers to
dictate to you and take control.
. "The Delmar was in today with
a few minor beefs that were set;
tied to the satisfaction of all con
cerned. The David H. Atwater
and the Plow City of Bro, Coliiri'a
Navy will be in tomorrow. ,
This is something that concerns
every .man that comes into this
port. We have an ambulance
chaser that comes over froqi
Houston every Wednesday to the
Marine Hospital in Galveston to
drum up trade. My advice is, it
you go to the hispitgl in Galves
ton, don't have anything to do
with any shyster that approaches
yon for the case.
Over the bar to the most power
ful seamen's union in the world!
Fraternally yours,
E. R. Waliace.
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
Atlantic & Gulf District
• • •
HEADQUARTERS
Room 918, Washington Loan & Trust Co. Building,
flth and F Street, N.W., Washington, D. C.
F. O. Box 6180 Phone: District 5963
DIRECTORY OF BRANCHES
BRANCH ADDRESS PHONE
NEW YORK ..,..2 Stone St. BOwling Green 93437
BOSTON 330 Atlantic Ave. ...LIBerty 4057
PROVIDENCE .. 465 South Main St. ..Manning 3572
BALTIMORE ... 14 North Gay St. ... Calvert 4539
PHILADELPHIA ,6 North 6th St Lombard 7651
NORFOLK 60 Commercial PI. ..Norfolk 41083
NEW ORLEANS 309 Chartres St MAgnolia 3962
SAVANNAH 218 East Bay St Savannah 31728
JACKSONVILLE .136 East Bay St. ....Jacksonville 51791
TAMPA 206 So. Franklin St. . Tampa M1323
MOBILE 55 So. Conception St. Dexter 1449
TEXAS CITY, ... 105 4th St., N. ...'..Texas City 722
MIAMI ........i. 1348 N.B. First Ave., Miami 22950
SAN JUAN 8 Covadonga St San Juan 1885
MOBILE
S*S. Schoharie Due for 200 Hours
Overtime—Draft Trouble
sometimes being used while men
are eating, harsh cheap towels to
wipe^your face with, .foods that
are ofttimcs greatly unbalanced,
such as ice cream fri cold weather
and then again hot tea going
through the Panama Canal, and
God knows there are things too
numerous to mention). We really
believe that if the above were
eliminated, there would be a pos
sibility that there would be no
reason for a shortage, as the men
would be contented to such an ex
tent that they would not be seek
ing employment ashore or else
where.
• • •
In closing, we would like to
state that ,seuvien are seamen the
country over, and if an .able
bodied seaman makes .$137.00 a
month on the Great, Lakes, then
why in Hell can't we do the
same?
W.R.B.. iNo. 1994.
r a.F.E., No. 542.
D.C.J., No. Gllfi.
H.J.C., No. 496.
Editor, Seafarers Log
Dear Sir and Brother:
Shipping has been very bright
for the past few weeks here in
Mobile. What with the Water
man, Alcoa, Mississippi, South
Atlantic and Bui! ships touching
at or near this port, we have been
as busy as the proverbial one
armed paperhanger with the
itch.
Last week we had the S.S.
Schoharie in from a fareast trip
with approximately two hundred
hours of overtime in dispute
which we managed to collect. She
laid here for about a week and
finally sailed for another fareast
voyage. We signed her on here
with a Bonus Rider that calls for
fifty dollars per month from the
date of signing articles until the
time she discharges in the first
U.S.A. port. That means that on
this particular ship the boys will
get around t\vo hundrifd and fifty
dollars as. bonus money because
the trip will take about five
months to complete.
We have here in the shipyard
two vessels that will fly the Alcoa
house flag and vyhioh should be
ready to crew up in the near fu
ture. They will be known as the
Alcoa Rambler and the Alcoa
Pardner. They have been in the
drydock for about six weeks and
should be very nice ships to ride
oh oompietlon. They will in all
probability be put on the Bauxite
run.
UP until three weeks ago, a
drafted seaman was just some
thing that we occasionally read
about in this neck of the woods.
We were under the impression
that tlie Merchant Marine" was
really short of seamen due to tlie
fact that every issue of the local
paper carries a news item pro
claiming the fact that there is a
serious shortage of skilled sea
men in the Merchant Marine. We
also wore sent a bulletin to tlia
effect, that all the Local Draft;
Boards had been instructed to
give every possible consideration
to' experienced seamen, but there
is one Board in this vicinity that
evidently did not get those in
structions because we have, lost
two of our seamen in the past two
weeks.
The S.S. Del Rio of the Missis
sippi Steamship Company came^
In last week with a^ little beef
about fruit juices on her. It
seems that the Company does nof^,.
bejieye in putting out things Ijke'
that. Just the least little persua
sion convrnced the Company thai
maybe it would be best to go; .
ahead and give the Steward au
thority to order the fruit juices,
which he'dld. Now the boys_ are
happy again.
Our current headache in this
port is having men wait until tho'
last moment and then deciding'
that they have a sick aunt or they
are sick themselves, and pile o3
the ships. The last two ships that
have sailed from this port have '
Sailed shorthanded .from the
abpvementioned causes. It is my
opinion that it is just time that
the membership woke up and de"
cided to take a little action to
have this sort of thing stopped.
Robert A. Matthews,
Patrolman.
SEAFARERS' LOG
if 1
'11'II
• a ..
r"."P
•
S.S. POETMAR $11.95
S.S. TEXMAR 5.65
S.S. CARRABtjLLE (DeelcDept.) ....'. 2.75
H, A. Smith 50
A. Peterson 1.00
D. Johnston . 1.00
S.S. BEAUREGARD, .....! 2.90
S.S. FLUORSPAR 10.00
S.S. WEST IJVIBODEN ...... 26.00
S;S. ALCOA CARRIER, 7.55
S.S, CATAHULA A55
J. McGrath SiOi),
TOTAL. $87.75
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THE SEA FAR E R S ' L O
"''.I if
Wednesday, May 7, 1941
P ill
il
Out of the Mailbag
Rielates Experiences of Crew
On Maiden Voyage of Alcoa Pioneer
April" 30, 1941
Editor. Seafarers' Log
Dear Sir and Brother:
The crew, black gang and steW'
ards department' left New York
for Frisco on the Challenger, and
we all had a lot of fun going
across. We didn't see much of the
country as it's pretty tough' to
look through the bottom of a beer
bottle.
Blackie Prevost and some of the
SUP members were on hand to
greet us when we got off the
train. 'We went right down to the
ship after having our picture
taken and signed on.
We started our examination of
this seventh wonder of shipping
' elcrles in the galley. One • would
'"almost think you'd walked into
' the kitchen of a modern hotel in
stead of a ship's galley. There
were electric potato peelers, elec
' trie range.s and a very versatile
machine in one corner which does
everything from mixing cake bat
ter, slicing vegetables, grinding
meat to sharpening knives. The
''pantry has an electric diswasher
'and a: fourslice toastmaster be
'sides an improved style coffee
"lifn.
' ' The messroonis are equipped
%lth benches upholstered in Wiie
^leather, swivel chairs and tables
'With some pretty neat aluminum
trim. No more than four persons
laftt at a table.
The foc'sls are equipped with
new style lockers which are di
,vided into sections that facilitate
the stowing away of a great
amount of gear. There also are
neat bunk lights that throw the
light where, it belongs and not
any place else. The wash basin,
with hot and cold running water
all the time and an especially
handy shaving mirror, with plen
ty of illumination in the right
places, were also a great conveni
ence. All the quarters have a
builtin receptacle for a radio an
tenna and ground to plug in. The
bunks are extra long and extra
wide, with thick mattresses. All
the quarters as well as the en
gine room are air conditioned.
The fire room and engine room
are built together with no sepa
rating bulkhead. In the Are room
all the controlling equipment op
erates automatically, using com
pressed air as the controlling me
dium. But, if necessary, it can be
controlled by hand much the
same way as the oldtimers. Tn
the whole plant below you can
count the steam pumps on one
hand. Everything else is electri
fled. The two generators are tur
binedriven and are rated at 350
K."W. apiece at 230 volts. To give
you an idea of the current they
put put, they could light 2.800,000
fiftywatt light bulbs, which is
enough light for a fairly large
city. The main engine is a tur
bine, built more compact than the
average.
All the deck machinery is elec
tric, which makes it pretty good
sleeping when they work cargo
all night.
The deck gang has it pretty
soft with .that iron "mike" they
have on the bridge. They also
have advanced types of direction
af finders and fathom meters.
1 guess the next thing we'il be
hearing about will be radiocon
trolled ships with robots fur a
crew!
L, Enflstrom, No. 4447.
Organizers Report On:
ISTHMIANLINE
ORGANIZING
DRIVE
PHILADELPHIA
Brings 44 Hour
Week to Sea!
More About
Curran & Co, Fink On
Marine Engineers
(Continued from Page J)
though its affiliation was CIO,
it acted with that fundamental
labor solidarity which is the ele
BON VOYAGE, SMITTY!
' "At the age of 60. Mercer A.
Smith, SIU No. 4985, breathed his
Idbt on Sunday, April 27, 1941.
More widely known among sea
men ,'hs "Smitty," he had served
the Union as janitor in (diarge of
tiife' New York office and hall for
tiie past niimber of years after
i^b'fe than 35 years of actual sea
B^i^ce.'^
"Smitty" was one of the first
c'dfbred men to join the old Ma
rine Cooks and Stewards Union
upon Its formation and remained
loyal to seafaring unionism to his
very last. His ready wit and kind
ly disposition made him liked and
respected among seamen where
evbr he went.
'A funeral service was held at
Perkins Memorial Gliapel in Har
lem on Wednesday, April 30, al
which scores of union membei's
paid their last respects to their
departed brother. The staff of
the SIU presented a sixfoot
wreath in tlie shape of an anchor,
as was fitting for the occasion,
constructed of iris and roses,
7«Hster lilies and lilly of the val
ley.
The New 'York membership of
the Union and the crew of the
S.8. New York also presented
beautiful floral offerings.
. Patrolman F. Hart Invoked the
following testimonial to the late
Brother in the name of the Sea
farers International Union of
North America:
He saw a hand we could not see
That beckoned him away
He heand a' Voice we could not
hlSr"'!'"
Thai bade him come and stay.
It has pleased Almighty God to
call from labor to reward all that
is mortal of the late Brother Mer
cer A. Smith.
Brother Smith has been a loyal
and inhuential member of the
Seafarers' International Union
since its inception, and prior to
this he was a membei of the Ma
rine Cooks and Stewards Union
for over thirty years, both these
organizations being units of the
American Federation of Labor,
Brother Smith had always
taken an active interest in all
things pertaining to his Union
was ever devoted to his friends,
always ready and willing to sei vo
at any and all times his fellow
seamen. His is an irreparable
loss to this organization and he
shall live long in the memory
of all the olficqrs and mem
bers of the Seafarers' Interna
tional Union.
Tlie officers and members ot
this Union bow in humble sub
mission to the will of Ilim who
dooth all things well, fully realiz
ing that our loss Is Heaven's
gain. We iecommend the Be
reaved Family to the Great Ruler
of the Universe. "The Souls ot
the righteous are in the hand 61
God, and there shall no torment
touch them."
« « «
Now the laborer's task is o'er
Now the battle day is past
Now upon a farther shore
Lands the voyager at last.
Father, in Thy gracious keeping
Leave we now Thy servant sleep
ing.
May 3, 1941.
Editor, Seafarers' Log:
Well, there was one Isthmian
Line ship around last week, down
in Baltimore. A permit man on
the ship and Patrolman Yakovo
nis up in Boston signed up four
of the crew. I got. • three more to
take books here. A couple of SIU
agreements which I gave them to
read did the trick. Only tough
break was that, with the ship
three A.B.'s short for two days I
couldn't get a single one to go
down and ship on her and ride
her to Pedro, at least.
Headache of the week was a
guy named Hedger, who paid
$300,000,000 for the Plow City and
the Suwied of the Range Line,
and had himself a steamship com.
pany.
We held down tlie Plow City
against a possible NMU finking
raid for two days. A pat on the
back to the gang aboard of her
for staying sober and staying
around, and for the gang from the
hall in Philly who .stuck close to
the shi^, too.
Hedger finally showed up with
a lawyer and a Port Captain, took
one look at what he paid for and
beat it to the nearest gin mill for
solace. After 28hours in a
room with him. Agent Collins and
I got disgusted and walked out
and over to the ship. We knocked
the gang off and kept them that
way until he came down and put
the old John Henry to the same
agreement we have with Water
man, probably our best. Plus—a
great big clause which brings the
44 hour week to sea for the first
time In history. All men doing
routine work or standing routine
watches without payment of over
time at sea on Saturday after
noons, Sundays and holidays,
shall receive time off equal to
the weekend time put in, in an
American port. Galley to be
closed day after arrival in port
to free the steward's department.
Good luck, • • 'i
Leonard Tir, Org.
HOUSTON
April 28, 1.941.
Editoj', Seafarers Log:
Have contacted one of the Isth
mian Line Ships this week, and
the boys seem to be interested in
lining up with SIU. I joined up
two members and have the prom
ises of quite a few of the boys
to line up on the return of the
ship fiom Corpus Christi to Gal
veston.
From their conversation, the
wages, bonuses and working con
ditions we have with other Com1
panics is what sells them on the
SIU program. There are some
NMU men aboard this ship and
after I had talked with them and
showed them our agreements
with other companies, they seem
to be very interested,. and some
of them went so far as to say
they were going to join up' In Gal
veston. So I hope to send in some
Moscow books to headquarters
the later part of this week.'
Shipping is so good here that' ]
don't have a full book member on
the beach. It looks as though 1
will have to get out my heaving
line and lasso some of the cow
boys for these scows.
D. L. Parker, Org.
mentary duty of all union men
in a dispute between the bosses
and the workers, full support for
the workers!
It acted on the principle that
Union men cross no picket lines
in "a bona, fide strike by employees
against employers, regardless of
alflliation or other differences.
How different Curran and his
stooges act on the Export Linet
Fs there a real or fancied advan
tage for this clique involved—
then they say to hell with labor
solidarity, to hell with the fact
that the organization they are
disrupting is, like their own, even
affiliated with the CIO!
These slimy creatures of the
gang in the Moscow Kremlin do
not' hesitate for a moment to vio
late the most timehonored tradi
tions of labor solidarity if it
serves the shady purposes of
those In control of the Commun
ist Party!
Now, what is behind this flnky
move of Curran and Co.? What
truth is there in the spurious
charges that the strike is "pho
ney"? What are the true facts in
the case? Moreover, how do they
concern SIU men affiliated with
the A. F of L.?
In the first place, it must bo
borne in mind that this finky ac
tion of the NMU officialdom on
the Export Line is not an isolated
case, that it is not an accident. It
is part and parcel of the program
of "raiding" other unions, infring
ing on their jurisdiction and dis
rupting the improved status of
the men in the maritime indus
try, which the Tliirteenth Street
headquarters of the Communist
Party in New York has ordered,
under the false front of a CIO
"organizing drive" on all water
fronts.
This strikebreaking on the Ex
port Line is of a piece with the
attempt of Jack "Rasputin' Law
renson to supply fink crews to the
Eastern anpl Aluminum ships
when they were recently tied up
by the SIU men on them for im
provements In conditions!
It is one more link In the chain
of intrigues which has brought
about the disruptive drive to "or
ganize" the tankers on the West
Coast under the NMU, at a time
when the Sailors Union of the
Pacific has a tanker drive under
way and when the disruptive Cur
ran gang has not even been able
to make the slightest dent In the
company union control of the
East Coast tankers!
It is part of the same plot by
means of which I'he Comniimi.st
Party wrecking crew is trying to
infringe oh MEBA jurisdiction on
the Great Lakes by taking offlcera
on the lake ships into a spurious
NMU "Officers' Division, as wit
nessed by their recent signing up
of the licensed personnel of Cleve
land Tankers, Inc.!
Facts on MEBA Beef .
In other words, we have before
us just one more incident in a
huge conspiracy to disrupt ALL
maritime organizations on both
coasts who do not knuckle under
to the vicious, dictatorial, zigzag
ging control of the c. P. hatchet
whlch. they say could be negotiat
ed by the company around a con
ference table.
The fact Is that the main point
In dispute is the company union
of engineers organized by the
Export Line owners. The MEBA
wants a Union contract: that is
the real issue!
The crummy Curran crpwd
claims that the Export Line en
gineers do not support the strike.
The fact is that not a single man
on the Siboney has gone back to
work.
Tbe fact Is that the MEBA
membership at a meeting last Fri
day voted solid support to the
strike.
The fact is that during the 1936
strike, when the engineeia as well
as the licensed .personnel hit the
bricks together, the MEBA was
offered a separate contract bf the
Export company, but like good
union men, refused to sign as
long as the unlicensed personnel
were also offered an agieement.
The fact is that, when the
NMU finally got a contract 'in
1937, the MEBA asked for similar
support but never got It from
Curran.
The fact is that for more than
three year.s fiie MRBA's case
on this Line has been given
the usual runaround In the Na
tional Labor Relations Board,
while the company was mean
while given every opportunity to
weed out' militants among the en
gineers and replace them with
company stooges.
The fact is that the company
union headquaiters is located
right in the Export shipping
office.
The fact is that Curran has
ordered (NMU men to work with
as lousy a gang of finks as was
ever assembled on any vessel.
The Chief Engineer on the Ex
cambion, for instance, is a cer
tain twostarred fink by the name
of J. W. Miller who scabbed in
the 1936 strike!
The Marine Engineers do not
intend to let tTie case rest. Under
instructions from the member
ship, they have sent' a cable tp
Philip Murray, President of the
Congress o,f Industrial Organiza
tions, as follows:
"'We protest against tbe ac
tion of Joseph Curran, a vice
president of the CIO, which
brought about the replacement
of eight striking CIO engineers
with" company union strike
breakers. We ask that you call
for a complete investigation of
all the facts in the Export Line
strike." •
!t is to be hoped that the union
men in the CIO will not allow
such strikebreaking tactics to be
used by the "leadership" of the
NMU without calling them on the
carpet. What is involved is an at
tempf to disrupt labor solidarity
all along the line. If Curran and
Go's actions go by unchallenged,
a fratricidal struggle is bound to
result in which dogeatdog will
be the ruie. Nothing can better
aid the reactionaries in the gov
ernment agencies! Nothing can
help the employers and their ,
stooges put over regimentation
better under the phoney pretext
of a "national defense" emer
gency!
The SIU for its part will not
I let this monstrous conspiracy go
' • '• I'.'.'
-^1
men, a gang whose interests have by unchallenged. It will meet the
s. J J' .:
nothing in common with those of
,the vast mass of American sea
faring men.
Now, what are tlie facts in the
Export' Line beef? Curran and
Company charge that the main
dispute Isaver thq War bonus.
- y
C. P. wrecking crew head on,
wherever it shows its ugly, fink
ing head. It will support to the
full the actions taken in selfde
fense by all maritime organiza
tions subjected to the disruptive
raids of the <5, disrupters.
• J'
http://www.pdfcompressor.org/buy.html
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SECURITY
IN
UNITY I
J]
^I^URAKERS JOQ
OFFICIAL OEGAN OF TJKE ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT,
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL X7NI0N OF NORTH AMERICA
^ VOL. Ill NEW YORK, N. Y., WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 1941 445 No. 9
AGENTS' CONFERENCE ACTS TO
STREAMLINE SiU FOR RIG PUSH!
>
Membership Okays Steps to Open Books,
End Permits, Extend Organizing Drive
i:.
CJ, Wrecking Crew at Work:
Currah & Co. Fink On
Marine Engineers
Amidst the loud cheers of the shipowners and the b^g
"^business press, "No Coffee Time" Joe Curran and his whole
ijlique of Communist Party stooges forced National Maritime
, Union.members this week to break through picket lines flung
around the Ainerican Export Line docks by the Marine En
ginaers Benevolent Association, an organization afOliated
,' vfith the CIO like the NMU itself.
The MEBA pulled the pin<^
on the S.S. Siboney two
weeks ago when that ship
• '» landed in New York upon be
^'ing transferred from the
Ward to the Export Line. The
'Ward Line is under eontract
with the Engineers' union. On
the Export Line, a company
union Outfit has been rigged
*up, known more popularly as
the "Mystic Knights of the
8ea." When, upon the ship's
• transfer, the Company took
, steps to force the Siboney's
• • engineers to joi^ the company
union, the men decided that
that Avas the time to hang the
hook and pull all the Export
.. engineers out qf the toils of
company unionism. The strike
r* action was taken after consul
^ tation and by agreement with
Curran and his gang of mis
leaders.
From the first the NMU crews
;• on the four Export ships—the Ex
celsior, the Bxminster and Ex
' ' cambion quickly followed the Si
boney's lead—immediately sup
i . ported the action of the engineers.
Then, suddenly, last Wednesday,
"No Coffee Time" hurriedly re
turned from a meeting with Gov
ernment ofTicials in Washington,
discovered that the strike was
"phoney" and ordered tlie NMU
crews to cross the MEBA picket
' line after strong resistance by the
men to such scabby action.
"The National Maritime Union
has wisely disapproved the stand
of the Marine Engineers Benevo
' lent Association," the 'Journal of
Commerce' remarked in an en
thusiastic editorial approving
Curran's finky action the next
day.
What a contrast from the labor
. baiting 'line this big business pa
per took when the Seafarers' In
• teriiatioiial Union of North Amer
lea demonstrated solid support
• for the MEBA in their recent heel
with the Robin Line!
Contrast in Solidarity
' What a contrast In the attitude
, ef the two organizations them
selves. When the Engineers
struck the Robin Line, the SiU,
although A. F. of L. in its affilia
# ̂ tion, did not for a moment hesi
tate to back up the MEBA, ai
(Continued on Page 4)
**For 30 Pieces
Of Silver. . 99
By coincidence, it seems,
the American Merchant Ma
rine Institute announced the
day after Joe Curran ordered
• ^;MU men through the MEBA
picket line on the Export
ships, tlutt it had granted ths
NMU a raise from $30 to $60
per month on the Portugal
and African runs. What the
Seafarers International Union
gets by militant action, Cur
ran and Co. get hy strike
breaking.
By coincidence also, Curran
got a $30 raise, wlijch re
minds us of one of the mosl
ancient sellouts in history.
We are referring to the sell
out perpetrated by a gent
named Judas Iscariot. If we
recall correctly, a little poem
has been written about that
incident which begins wtli
the line;
"For thirty pieces of silvei
he sold Him. .
It fits like a glove for this
modern version as well, for
"Judas" Curran too . . .
In a twoday conference of intense activity, the Agents of the At
lantic 'and Gulf District of the Seafarers International Union took meas
ures in Washington last week to streamline the organization for a hig or
ganizing drive to cope with the tremendous opportunities opened up
hy the wartime shipping hoom. At the same time, steps were taken to
gird against the danger of fink Hiring Halls under Government control
as well as against the vicious, disrup tivc tactics of the Communist Party
wrecking crew in control of the top machinery in the NMU. ]
The Conference, which was^
SIU Conanicut
Boatmen Get
20^0 Hike
A 20 per cent hike in wages
was granted to the Conanicut
Island Boatmenfs As30v3i»l%on,
SIU affiliate, when the Union
threatened to hang the hook
after several days of dead
locked arbitration procedure.
The representatives of the em
ployers, the Jamestown and
Newport Ferry Company of
Rhode Island, quickly joined
the two other members of the
arbitration board in granting
the award after it became ob
vious that the Union meant
business when it decided to
strike the ships.
Serving on the board for the
Union was Donald E. Spears,
president of the Newport Metal
Trades Council (A. F. of L.); for
the employers, General Manager
Charles Brooks, with Professor
Philip Taft of Brown University,
appointed by the Governor as
neutral, arbitrator.
convened at the Ileadquarter.s
office on April 30, by Acting
President Harry Lundeberg,
was attended byJphn Hawk,
Atlantic Representative; M,
D. Biggs, Gnlf Representa
tive; John" Mogan, Boston
Agent; Arthur Thompson,
New York Agent; W. McKay,
Baltimore Agent; Berger
Hansen, N or f'olk Agent;
Charles \Y aid, Savannah
Agent; Carl Rogers. .Tack.son
ville Agent; Olden Ranks,
Mobile Agent; A. W. Arm
Strong, New Orleans Agent;
Morris Wei.sberger, Agent of
the S.U.P. in Now York and
Sydney Greteher, Secretary
Treasurer protem of the At
lantic and Gulf District,
Other agents could not attend
because of either ^great distance
or pressure of activities in their
home ports.
On Monday, May 5, all the
Branches in the District voted at
reguiar meetings to concur In the
conference recommendations list
ed below.
1. Government Conference on
Shortage of Seamen
President Lundeberg reported
that Hawk, Biggs, Weisberger
{Continued on Page 2)
Flash! Union
Signs Up
Bernstein Co.
The Arnold Biemstein Ship
ping Company and the SIU
have just agreed to sign the
South Atlantic agreement—
plus a top bonus arrangement.
First ship of the Bernstein
American flag fleet, the Na
marib, sails soon for India.
She was once the Marsodak,
but you'd never know it now.
Wages and . . .
Profits
According to a compila
tion of figures made by the
American Federation of
Labor's economists, involv
ing some 1,495 business
concerns, wages of workers
have risen the past year by
5 per cent; while net prof
its for employers have
risen by 25 per cent.
REPORT ON GOVERNMENT MARITIME CONFERENCE
SIU Representatives' Report on the Conference
Called by Chairman Land of the Maritime Com
mission Concerning a Shortage of Seamen for
American Ships.
(Held in Washington, D.C., April 28 and 29,1941)
At' the request of the United States Government, Harry Lun
deberg;. Acting President, M. D. Biggs, Gulf Representative and
John Hawk, Atlantic Representative of the SIU, and Morris Weis
berger of the SUP, were called together with Representatives of
the Shipowners, Government and CIO Unions to discuss ways
and means to relieve the shortage of seamen in American ships.
The meeting was attended by approximately 60 to 70 men from
all parts of the country.
Admiral Land opened tlie meeting and stressed upon every
one present the need and urgency of everyone connected with
the shipping industry, both Labor and Shipowners, to cooperate
with the ITnitwl States Governnicnt and see that the American
Alcrciiant Bliips will be propeily manned.. Ho furihcr stateti
that it was the duty of the Union and the Sliipowner.s to fur
nish men to sail the shii)s, and that if a solution could not be
worked out by tbe Union and the Shipowners, that the Gov
ernment would have to work out ways and means to assure
the Amei'ican !\Ierchant Marine of having sudkieiit pei'soiinel.
He stated that it was the intention of the Government to work
out tliis problem with the interested parties on a coopeiative
basis, and that it was not the intention of the Government to
disturb the existing contracts between the Shipowners and the
various Unions.
The question of making new seamen is a very dangerous
one for the Union, due to the fact tliat if it is not controlled
and watched closely, that thousands of prospective seamen
might be mamifactureil l»y schools v^liont taking into con
sideration the necessity which in the long run would break
down the Union.
Various people representing the Union and Shipowners spoke
on the qiieslion as to whether or not there is at present a shortage
of seamen. Curran speaking for the GIO stated tliat there was
no shortage of seamen in the Atlantic and Gulf. Representatives
from the SIU, Atlantic and Gulf, Brothers Hawk and Biggs slated .
that seamen were getting scarce, but at the present time they
{Continued on Page 2)
!h'
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http://www.pdfcompressor.org/buy.html
THE S E,A FARERS' LOG
'''' ^'' ' '' ^'''" ' ' • • ' ll
• "P"V|;
Wednesday, May 7, 1941 ; \;i
Published by the
ATLANTIC & GULF DISTRICT
of the
Seafarers^ Intematiancd Union
of North America
Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor
HARRY LUNDEBERG, Acting International President
110 Martet Street, Room 402, San Francisco, Calif.
ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS
PUBLICATION TO-.
"THE SEAFARERS' LOG"
P, O. Box 522, Church St. Annex, New York, N. Y
PAoM^: BOwling Green 93437
Agenfs' Conference Acfs t<>
(Continued from Pof/e 1)
and himself had attended a con
ference called at the request of
the United States Government, at
• which Admiral Land of the Mari
time Commission presided and
which was attended by represen
tatives of the shipowners as well
as of all maritime unions. The
subjfect matter under discussion
was the shortage of seiamen and
the manning requirementsof the
big shipping program for national
defense. Luudeberg reported that
they had successfully com batted
a move by Curran for a National
Committee to handle the prob
lem, such a committee to be com
posed of representatives of the
shipowners, the unions and the
government.
"This, of course," Lundeberg
stated,' "was another Commie
move and something the SUP and
^ ~ SlU could not go for because with
a committee of the shipowners
and the government the seamen
vvcuid have two strikes against
tiiein and we would practicaliy,
with such a setup, relinquish the
functioning of our unions and
Would jeopardize our hiring halls.
There is no need t6''say that no
body Went for Ciirran's pihoney
suggestion." i.
He further reported that the
confeffence' had agreed' unani
mously on the following points:
1) That the granting of green
A.B. tickets to trainees aboard
Maritiriae Commission schoolships
be. stopped, and that they should
serve a total of one year at
school and at sea. getting a blue
ticket only after passing an ex
amination at the end of the year,
2) Increasing percentage of blue
ticket A.B.'s to be carried iii
crew. 3) Easing up regulations
regarding legally admitted alien
seamen. 4) Opposition to using
physical examination by compa
• nies for blacklisting purposes. 5)
Epdorseme.nt of the principle of
unemployment insurance for sea
men. 6) Action by the Maritime
Commission to obtain better ac
. tion on deferment of seamen by
the Selective Service Board.
On other points, there was not
unanimous agreement in the Gov
ernment conference, our Acting
President reported, but an SIU
SUP recommendation to add
7 three deck boys on every vessel,
' to be shipped through the Union
? hali, was being considered.
' Mov^a«d seconded by Arm
H*.i^tfdng and Morgan to concur
with the above report and rec
ommendation.
2. Permit System and Open
ing of B,opks
Brother Lundeberg explained
the "hew conditions brought about
by . the shipping boom which
made previous methods outdated.
"At the present time in the At
lantic arid Gulf District of the
SlU," he''said; "the books are
practicaHy closed and no man
' jj,,fan get into our organization un
:£j|li88 he sails six months on a per
Thle^ciion was taken some
time ago when Jobs were scarce
and there Were plenty of men
around. THIS PICJURE HAS
MATERIALLY C H A N O E b
WITHIN THE LAST SIX
MONTHS. The SlU has agree
ments with more ships today
than they have ever had and the
various companies with SlU con
tracts are building hew ships
and are adding new ships to their
fleets. As a consequence, we find
that in lots of instances our or
ganization has been unable to
furnish book members to man
those . ships. This has now
reached the stage of acuteness,
it Is up to us to remedy this sit
uatlon'which threatens to retard
our organization. IT IS CLEAR
TO. EVERYBODV THAT WE
CANNbV EXPECT TO RETAIN
JOB CONTRbL IN OUR HIRING
HALLS IF WE ARE NOT ABLE
TO FURNISH MEN, AND WE
MUST ACT OUICKLY TO
REMEDY THIS SITUATION BE
FORE THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT T O G LT HER
WITH THE SHIPOWNERS
FIND WAYS AND MEANS TO
MAN THOSE SHIPS THROUGH
FiNK HALLS."
The following recommenda
tions were made:
1. That the SlU Atlantic and
Gulf District Imrnediately do
away with the Permit System.
llToved and seconded by Arpa
strong and Hawk to concur wi{h
this recommendation. Carried
unanimously.
2. That the SlU immediately
open their books to bona fide sea
men from all avaiiable sources.
Moved and seconded by Waid
and Collins to concur with this
recommendation. Carried unani
mously.
3. Organizational Activities
A report, on the organisational
driveoh the Isthmian Line ships
was made. The need for intensi
fying this drive was pointed out.
"It should be the duty of every
elected officer and every member
of the SlU to do his utmost to
organize these ships," the report
stressed. The penetrafion of
other unorganized lines depends
on success in thig drive, it was
further stated. There was con
siderable discussion on this mat
ter and as to whether to take
men on unorganized ships into
t.lie Union oil the $1.00 l)ook or
whether to charge them the
regular Initiation fee.
It was moved by Rogers and
seconded by Collins to issue $1.00
books on all unorganized ships
and explain to the crew before
they can ship on SlU ships, that
they vyiil have to pay the other
$9.00 plus assessments. Motion
carried.
4. Organization and Finances
Brother Sydney Gretcher, who
had served the six months stipu
lated in his appointment, re
signed as SecretaryTreasurer
pro tem. In order to tighten up
on finances, it was felt to be nec
essary to abolish the office in
WashingLon and to combliie the
posts of SecretaryTreasurer and
Atlantic Representative. Brother
Gretcher's resignation was ac
cepted and the following motions
were made:.^
Moved and seconded by Waid
and' Armstrong that President
Lundeberg be empowered to
move the office of the Secretary
Treasures from Washington to
New Y'qrk when he sees fit. Car
ried unanimously.
It was recommended by Presi
dent Lundeberg to the members
present that Brother Hawk as
sume duties as SecretaryTreas
urer and District Representative
as this would not conflict with
his present duties.
Moved by Waid, seopnded by
Biggs, that the recommendation
of the Acting President be con
cnnecl in. Motion carried unani
mouslv.
5. sup. and Pacific Distr. SIU
A' report ''was made ooncevning
a conference held In Los Angeles,
Califovnin a mouth ago. under the
auspices of the CIO Maritime
Committee, whose chapman Is
Harry Bridges. The purpose of
this conference was a move on
the part of the Communist Party
and the NMU to move in on the
Pacific Coast via an attempt to
organize the tankers there under
the NMU. It is obviously meant
to encircle the SUP, the parent
body of tbe SIU. The ^UP has
taken immediate steps to counter
act and fight this phoney move
will) all Uicir resonVces. The
SUP went on record on a coast
wise scale to organize every sea
man, fireman and cook on the
tankers into tb/1 Paci'fl'c Ui.strict
of the SIU, However, since the
Marine Cooks and the MFpW
control other West Coast ships]
such seamen cannot he offered
jobs by the SUP on these ships.
"Therefore," the report stated,
"in view tire importance of es
tablishing a Pacific Coast District
of the SlU, including firemen and
cooks, which is the final step In
making one union for all, we
recommend as follows;
"That all firemen and cooks or
ganized on the Pacific Coast un
der thg SIU. banner be given
equal shipping rights on SIU con
tract ships]"
Moved and seconded by Han
sen and Rogers that the Atlantic
and Gulf District of the SIU. co
operate with the Pacific District
oUthe SlU to the fullest extent.
Carried unanimously.
,6. Log and W. C. SaUor
It wa.s tnuved and seconded by
Biggs and Hansen that Lunde
berg explore the po.ssibilities of
consolidating the West Coast
Sailor and Seafarers Log.
Under discussion on the above
matter it was brought out that
"ill this time it would he a step
toward economy and also elimin
ate^ the repiintlng of articles in
the West Coast Sailor and the
Seafai'ers Log which has • been
done very, oft.en in the past. Mp
.tion canied unanimously.
After considerablj^ discussion
by those present on affairs of the
Union in general and contract
questions in particular, the con
ference was adjourned with ev
erybody satisfied that solid prog
ress had been achieved for the
welfare of the Union.
Another Angle
On the Vinson, Bill
The Vinson Bill would open
the way for employers noW
having Closed Shop contracts
with Unions to scrap them by
organizing "dummy" compa
nies to take over their busi
ness, it was pointed out in
Washington last week. They
could claim to be "new" firms
and as such forbidden under
the Layv, from signing Cjpsed
Shop agreements. This is just
onp mor^ clever layyyer's trick
(the L'aw is full of th«m) de
signed to break the Unions.
REPORT ON GOVERNMENT
(Continued from Puye 1)
were able to furnish men, but if any iqore ships were jput in com
mission they would have a hard time manning them. Represen
tatives of the Shipowneis brought out' facta apd figures to show
to the effect that several ships had been held up due to tlfe ina
bility of tlie Unions to furnish crews, which of course is true.
After a general dbscussion was had by all parties who wanted
to make statements at this time, the big meeting was finally
broken down to three different groups; one composed of repre
sentatives. of the unlicensed seamen, the shipowners and the gov
ernment; orie of representatives of lieeused officers, shipowners
and the government; one for radio operators, shipowners, and the
government. The Sailor's Union was represented in the unlicensed
seaman committee by Lundeberg and Weisberger, and the Sltl
was represented by Hawks and Biggs. In this meeting a lot of
.steam wap^blown and a Iqt of phoney statements were made by
various parties who had their various axes to grind. With the
thought in mind of forestalling any possibility of inaugurating
any training factories where th.ey would train men by the thou
sands, we haVirig no'controiling foice over them, which, would in
the future be a detriment and danger to our unions, your represen
tatives submitted the following proposal: (And, the syP and
the SIU were tlie oniy representatives who had any constructive
proposal to offer).
l_It was reconiinended that tlie granting of green A.B.
tickets of trainees aboaid IVIaritime Commission school ships he
.stopped. It was agreed hy all present that trainees from these
ships should serve a total of one year's time at sqiiool apd at
.sea and then upon passing an examination he giyen a
ticket. Every representative of organized lahor piesent, Tues
day morning, April 29, 1941, when the discussion took place,
stated that all snhseqneiit agreements were cbmiitioiied i>Pon
the aapptlon of tljis ftr.st" recommendation.
2—It was agreed tlwt H. B. 4446, which deals with the per
centage of bhic ticket seamen wlileli may legally he carried
aboard American ve.s.sels, would assist materially in meeting any
sliortage of able seamen. A,ll present were in favor of tliis leg
islation which expires automatlcany in 1942 except Mr. Curran
of the National .iViai'itiiiie ijhion, who did not object to the leg
islation.
3_it was agreed by all present that certain alien seamen
now in the country, not subjcj to deportation nor able to se
cure citizenship papers, should be permitted to go to sea. It was
further agreed, in principie," that a relaxation of the law, Inso
far as it applie.s to alien seamen legally admitted to the United
States', was desirable.
4—The question of the stringency of the physical examina
tion given by steamship operators was thoroughly discussed,
and it was agreed by the representatives of the 4bperators that
they would investigate this situation very carefully and discuss
their findings wftli the representatives of organized labor. It
was agreed that if it was found that the medical examination
was used as a blacklist that every effort would be made by
those concerned to eliminate such practice.
5—It was recommended that the Committee unanimously
endorserthe principle of nnemployment insnrance in order that
the" sea hecbme a more attractive calling. This recommendation
was nnanimonsly agreed to.
6—It was recommended that the developing situation, Insp
far as the availability of personnel for manning merchant ves
sels, be followed very closely by all concerned, particularly the
Maritime Commission.
7—It was recommeuded.. that the present training program
of the Maritime Commission be expanded no further and that
to augment this program three deck boys be placed aboard
every. American merchant vessel of over on.e thousand tons
whenever possible. Mr. Lundeberg, Mr. Biggs, Mr. Hawk and
Mr. Weisberger favor this'proposal, the ship operators were
noncommittal, and all other representatives of organized labor
opposed it. A similiar position was taken by all present on the
question of cariyiug boys in Llie engine and steward depart
ments.
8—(a) It was recommended that the present six months
experieijce requirqmejit as wiper, fpr machlnl.sts and refrigerat
ing engineers bp eliminated and that in its place be substituted
an exaramation for competency, ifhis was unahiraously agreed'
to.
(b) It was recommended that the present six months expe
rience requirement as wiper for pumpmen be eliminated and
that three months experience ih any capacity in the engine
room be substituted therefor. This was unanimously agreed to.
9—B was recommended that additional ordinary seamen
be earrted in lien of the present Maritime. Cpmmiasion training
program. This Was agreed to hy Mr. Currah, Mr, Haliing, Mr]
Haddock, Mr. Druery, Mr. Malone and Mr. Snmners. It was
not agreed to by any others present.
10—It was recommended that three additional wipers be
carried on every vessel in lieu of .the present Maritime Com
mission training program. This recommendation was made bj^
Mr, Malone of the Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders and Wiperg i
Association of tjie Pacific and was agreed to by Mr Malope, Mr
Sumners,. Mr, Curran, Mr, Hailing, Mr. Haddock,' Mi;. Druery,,
The others, prespnt did not favor'this,
11—It was nnanlmpnply reconin^enilcd that tlje, Mgrltime. ̂ ^
Commission require the Selective SeiWic.e Board to issue a fiir
ther directive <m the question of dpfement of seamen. iDap
tain Garnett, USA, was present and wa^. vprbal^ inifpiWiied
the (letAds Involved.
The Committee recpminended that In the event the prplj. : :;
lem of manning American merchant vessels becomes mor<M||^i|^ ^ .li']
tnat j:he Commission caii the Committee togetheir
il
.^1
http://www.pdfcompressor.org/buy.html
Wednesday, May 7, 1941
,. • ' • ': • ,'• • • • ;
THE SEAFARERS* LOG
W^h a t * B Doing
NORFOLK
j
s
• Editor, Seafarers Log
Dear Sir and Brother;
Well, things are still going
i, along as per schedule witlr the
" Agent' getting raises for all hands
, Oil all tugboats. Since the raise
In wages became effective, the
boys are a little more willing to
work and are better satisfied on
the job, which goes to show what
good Union men can get when
they have a democratic organiza
tion behind them 100% like the
SIU,
Now that negotiations for new
tugboat agreements are to get un
der way in the near future, would
like a few suggestions from some
of the men who sail these sea
going hedge hoppers.
We are getting the gassos edu
catcd to the fact that the hall is
not to be used for a fiop house oi
gin mill. Some of them thouight
the Agent and Patrolman should
let them take over the hall for
this purpose, but when they saw
the light they either shipped out
or boxcar'd out of town to some
other port' to try and carry on.
We believe Brother Butts in
San Juan chased all his GMEN
this way.
Shipping continues good with
the usual shortage of rated men
in all departments.
Wc have been making them re
pair the quarters on the towboats
down here, so every no\y and
then they try to take one to Bal
timore, thinking they may get
away with something, but McKay
gets his enfprcing squad duvyu to
them^ and .they come home prop
eriy donie.
So as always in the SIU, fiill
steam ahead!
Bud Ray, Patrolman.
the ship, and all three left with
a smile. Upon offering the same
amount of lettuce to the SIU
member, he was somewhat sur
prised to learn that he owed the
man a day's pay. Without any ar
gument he paid off and the man
came back to the hall.
This just goes to show that the
men in the NMU have been kicked
around to where they don't be'
lieve they are entitled to what is
coming to them, whereas our
members know their righte and
believe, me it's not going to be
their fault if they don't get Ui«m.
Steady as she goes.
Army.
TEXAS CITY
PHILADELPHIA
April 24, 1941.
Editor, Seafarers Log
Dear Sir and Brother:
I suspect that we, you, him, her
and they, meaning all persons in
terested in the maritime indus
try, have heard the ery for the
shipowners: "Why are we having
a shortage of rated men? (Some
question.) The writers, in their
own personal opinion, think that
there are plenty of reasons. For
instance: (1) The lack of consid
eration from some of the draft
boards in various states. (2) The
uter disregard for the welfare,
health and general conditions of
the men. (3) The wages of the
seamen in comparison with other
fields of Industry.
Editor and Brothers:
This has been a very slow week
with only a couple of ships in.
Everything is fine when you go
aboard. Then just before sailing
time some supermilitants with a
few under their belt want you to
help them hang the hook. It may
be, to see their girl friend a little
longer or it may be that they
want to lift a few more to get' a
little more courage. This is not
helping us one bit. How are we
going to better our conditions, if
a few men take that attitude?
Sure we have good conditions, bar
none, but they can always be bet
ter. And, if we all pull together
they will be better.
* « *
NEW^ ORLEANS
Apyl 25, 1941.
Editor, Seafarers Log
Dear Sir and Brother:
Things are still rocking along
in the garden spot of the south.
The main issue is the boys inhal
ing their tea through a straw and
for some unknown reason, this
seems to make them rather hard
to handle..
«>»• *
* * *
Take our industry, the Mer
chant Marine. "We are getting no
higher wages now than we did in
1918, but, in all other industries,
wages have increased as high as
33%. So, is it any wonder that
between the Draft and wage con
ditions, we are losing most of oui
rated men?
*
• The deadest week, of some time
I
down here for the boys. All hands
' rather bored with the setup. No
big beefs, no big squaks, no noth
ing.
The laugh of the week took
place here yesterday when a cer
tain, small ship came in and need
ed a couple of A.B.'s All unions,
crimps and flosseys started vShfp
ping men to this seamen's home.
Result: first man aboard^was the
local crimp's stooge. He got.
signed on. Then came the deluge.
Two men from oui' hall went
down to the ship, rode the same
ferry across the river as two men
from the NMU and another man
from th.e crimp's or some such
—dive. It looked like the scow was
crewing, up complete when all
hands went over the gangway.
The Skipper of this floa|;ing spa
told the men with tears in his
eyes that there was only one job
So the; two SIU men flipped a
coin to see who would takie the
rest'cure and wilo would have to
returri to the rigors of the beach.
Thejr. JiiSt' ciisregarded the other
• Xf, men completely. "The Master heing
ft good fellow, gave, the NMU
members., anil the misfit foui'rbits
apiece to .pay thein for their trou
ble and their .fare to and from! toilets
Who is to blame? If the men
who owned the ships would only
anteup the wages and make
working and living conditions a
slight bit more attractive, possi'
biy this wduld deter the rated
men from seeking employment at
top vvages as machinists, riggers,
bqliermakers, pipe fitters, welders
and what have you on shore.
• « •
• \Ve often hear that Congress
men are greatly interested in the
acute shortage of seamen at this
time. Well, we, the writers have
a few very good suggestions to
make; that is, tliat some of the
Congresemen who are on the Com
mittee of Merchant Marine &
Fisheries ' would only take the
time to visit some of the ships
owned . by A,merican companies
and notice the conditions that ac
tually exist (such as: eight men
to a room "With one. man's feet
sticking in the other man's face,
one electric fan in each forecastle,
no j'ugs or carpets on the floor,
no curtains over the port holes,
old antiquated, iron bunks to sleep
in, and if you weigh over 190 lbs.
you can't sleep in fliem, not even
a cuspidor on the floor to throw
debris in, no chairs, but only old
fashioned benches to sit on, old
rusty buckets to wash your
clothes in, impossible facilities to
heat, water to bathe with, batb
rooms, where orie man lis bathing
and he gives a batJi to the sailor
who Is washing his teeth, condl;
tions so congestedthat there is a
qathrqom for ten men, and only
one can batlie at a time without
splashing dirty water, on the
other fellow, messrooms that have
opposite the doors and
One thing that I want to see is
what the Federated Seamen o
New Zealand have, and that is:
a double day's pay for Sunday or
holiday that you are out to sea,
and a half day off in port for
every week that you have been
aboard ship.
The SIU isin its infancy, and
we have gone a long way to bet
ter our wages and conditions. Just
compare our agreement with
those of Joe the Great's (NMU).
Look at the quarters off their
ships. Show me a ship of theirs
that pays Oilers $110.00 per
month, as some of the companies
that we have signed up.
So, fellows, let's all put our
shoulders together and build this
baby up into the most powerful
maritime unions In the woi Id,
run by the seamen, for the sea
men, and not a bunch of button
hole makers and pantspressers to
dictate to you and take control.
. "The Delmar was in today with
a few minor beefs that were set;
tied to the satisfaction of all con
cerned. The David H. Atwater
and the Plow City of Bro, Coliiri'a
Navy will be in tomorrow. ,
This is something that concerns
every .man that comes into this
port. We have an ambulance
chaser that comes over froqi
Houston every Wednesday to the
Marine Hospital in Galveston to
drum up trade. My advice is, it
you go to the hispitgl in Galves
ton, don't have anything to do
with any shyster that approaches
yon for the case.
Over the bar to the most power
ful seamen's union in the world!
Fraternally yours,
E. R. Waliace.
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
Atlantic & Gulf District
• • •
HEADQUARTERS
Room 918, Washington Loan & Trust Co. Building,
flth and F Street, N.W., Washington, D. C.
F. O. Box 6180 Phone: District 5963
DIRECTORY OF BRANCHES
BRANCH ADDRESS PHONE
NEW YORK ..,..2 Stone St. BOwling Green 93437
BOSTON 330 Atlantic Ave. ...LIBerty 4057
PROVIDENCE .. 465 South Main St. ..Manning 3572
BALTIMORE ... 14 North Gay St. ... Calvert 4539
PHILADELPHIA ,6 North 6th St Lombard 7651
NORFOLK 60 Commercial PI. ..Norfolk 41083
NEW ORLEANS 309 Chartres St MAgnolia 3962
SAVANNAH 218 East Bay St Savannah 31728
JACKSONVILLE .136 East Bay St. ....Jacksonville 51791
TAMPA 206 So. Franklin St. . Tampa M1323
MOBILE 55 So. Conception St. Dexter 1449
TEXAS CITY, ... 105 4th St., N. ...'..Texas City 722
MIAMI ........i. 1348 N.B. First Ave., Miami 22950
SAN JUAN 8 Covadonga St San Juan 1885
MOBILE
S*S. Schoharie Due for 200 Hours
Overtime—Draft Trouble
sometimes being used while men
are eating, harsh cheap towels to
wipe^your face with, .foods that
are ofttimcs greatly unbalanced,
such as ice cream fri cold weather
and then again hot tea going
through the Panama Canal, and
God knows there are things too
numerous to mention). We really
believe that if the above were
eliminated, there would be a pos
sibility that there would be no
reason for a shortage, as the men
would be contented to such an ex
tent that they would not be seek
ing employment ashore or else
where.
• • •
In closing, we would like to
state that ,seuvien are seamen the
country over, and if an .able
bodied seaman makes .$137.00 a
month on the Great, Lakes, then
why in Hell can't we do the
same?
W.R.B.. iNo. 1994.
r a.F.E., No. 542.
D.C.J., No. Gllfi.
H.J.C., No. 496.
Editor, Seafarers Log
Dear Sir and Brother:
Shipping has been very bright
for the past few weeks here in
Mobile. What with the Water
man, Alcoa, Mississippi, South
Atlantic and Bui! ships touching
at or near this port, we have been
as busy as the proverbial one
armed paperhanger with the
itch.
Last week we had the S.S.
Schoharie in from a fareast trip
with approximately two hundred
hours of overtime in dispute
which we managed to collect. She
laid here for about a week and
finally sailed for another fareast
voyage. We signed her on here
with a Bonus Rider that calls for
fifty dollars per month from the
date of signing articles until the
time she discharges in the first
U.S.A. port. That means that on
this particular ship the boys will
get around t\vo hundrifd and fifty
dollars as. bonus money because
the trip will take about five
months to complete.
We have here in the shipyard
two vessels that will fly the Alcoa
house flag and vyhioh should be
ready to crew up in the near fu
ture. They will be known as the
Alcoa Rambler and the Alcoa
Pardner. They have been in the
drydock for about six weeks and
should be very nice ships to ride
oh oompietlon. They will in all
probability be put on the Bauxite
run.
UP until three weeks ago, a
drafted seaman was just some
thing that we occasionally read
about in this neck of the woods.
We were under the impression
that tlie Merchant Marine" was
really short of seamen due to tlie
fact that every issue of the local
paper carries a news item pro
claiming the fact that there is a
serious shortage of skilled sea
men in the Merchant Marine. We
also wore sent a bulletin to tlia
effect, that all the Local Draft;
Boards had been instructed to
give every possible consideration
to' experienced seamen, but there
is one Board in this vicinity that
evidently did not get those in
structions because we have, lost
two of our seamen in the past two
weeks.
The S.S. Del Rio of the Missis
sippi Steamship Company came^
In last week with a^ little beef
about fruit juices on her. It
seems that the Company does nof^,.
bejieye in putting out things Ijke'
that. Just the least little persua
sion convrnced the Company thai
maybe it would be best to go; .
ahead and give the Steward au
thority to order the fruit juices,
which he'dld. Now the boys_ are
happy again.
Our current headache in this
port is having men wait until tho'
last moment and then deciding'
that they have a sick aunt or they
are sick themselves, and pile o3
the ships. The last two ships that
have sailed from this port have '
Sailed shorthanded .from the
abpvementioned causes. It is my
opinion that it is just time that
the membership woke up and de"
cided to take a little action to
have this sort of thing stopped.
Robert A. Matthews,
Patrolman.
SEAFARERS' LOG
if 1
'11'II
• a ..
r"."P
•
S.S. POETMAR $11.95
S.S. TEXMAR 5.65
S.S. CARRABtjLLE (DeelcDept.) ....'. 2.75
H, A. Smith 50
A. Peterson 1.00
D. Johnston . 1.00
S.S. BEAUREGARD, .....! 2.90
S.S. FLUORSPAR 10.00
S.S. WEST IJVIBODEN ...... 26.00
S;S. ALCOA CARRIER, 7.55
S.S, CATAHULA A55
J. McGrath SiOi),
TOTAL. $87.75
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.:r: mmm
THE SEA FAR E R S ' L O
"''.I if
Wednesday, May 7, 1941
P ill
il
Out of the Mailbag
Rielates Experiences of Crew
On Maiden Voyage of Alcoa Pioneer
April" 30, 1941
Editor. Seafarers' Log
Dear Sir and Brother:
The crew, black gang and steW'
ards department' left New York
for Frisco on the Challenger, and
we all had a lot of fun going
across. We didn't see much of the
country as it's pretty tough' to
look through the bottom of a beer
bottle.
Blackie Prevost and some of the
SUP members were on hand to
greet us when we got off the
train. 'We went right down to the
ship after having our picture
taken and signed on.
We started our examination of
this seventh wonder of shipping
' elcrles in the galley. One • would
'"almost think you'd walked into
' the kitchen of a modern hotel in
stead of a ship's galley. There
were electric potato peelers, elec
' trie range.s and a very versatile
machine in one corner which does
everything from mixing cake bat
ter, slicing vegetables, grinding
meat to sharpening knives. The
''pantry has an electric diswasher
'and a: fourslice toastmaster be
'sides an improved style coffee
"lifn.
' ' The messroonis are equipped
%lth benches upholstered in Wiie
^leather, swivel chairs and tables
'With some pretty neat aluminum
trim. No more than four persons
laftt at a table.
The foc'sls are equipped with
new style lockers which are di
,vided into sections that facilitate
the stowing away of a great
amount of gear. There also are
neat bunk lights that throw the
light where, it belongs and not
any place else. The wash basin,
with hot and cold running water
all the time and an especially
handy shaving mirror, with plen
ty of illumination in the right
places, were also a great conveni
ence. All the quarters have a
builtin receptacle for a radio an
tenna and ground to plug in. The
bunks are extra long and extra
wide, with thick mattresses. All
the quarters as well as the en
gine room are air conditioned.
The fire room and engine room
are built together with no sepa
rating bulkhead. In the Are room
all the controlling equipment op
erates automatically, using com
pressed air as the controlling me
dium. But, if necessary, it can be
controlled by hand much the
same way as the oldtimers. Tn
the whole plant below you can
count the steam pumps on one
hand. Everything else is electri
fled. The two generators are tur
binedriven and are rated at 350
K."W. apiece at 230 volts. To give
you an idea of the current they
put put, they could light 2.800,000
fiftywatt light bulbs, which is
enough light for a fairly large
city. The main engine is a tur
bine, built more compact than the
average.
All the deck machinery is elec
tric, which makes it pretty good
sleeping when they work cargo
all night.
The deck gang has it pretty
soft with .that iron "mike" they
have on the bridge. They also
have advanced types of direction
af finders and fathom meters.
1 guess the next thing we'il be
hearing about will be radiocon
trolled ships with robots fur a
crew!
L, Enflstrom, No. 4447.
Organizers Report On:
ISTHMIANLINE
ORGANIZING
DRIVE
PHILADELPHIA
Brings 44 Hour
Week to Sea!
More About
Curran & Co, Fink On
Marine Engineers
(Continued from Page J)
though its affiliation was CIO,
it acted with that fundamental
labor solidarity which is the ele
BON VOYAGE, SMITTY!
' "At the age of 60. Mercer A.
Smith, SIU No. 4985, breathed his
Idbt on Sunday, April 27, 1941.
More widely known among sea
men ,'hs "Smitty," he had served
the Union as janitor in (diarge of
tiife' New York office and hall for
tiie past niimber of years after
i^b'fe than 35 years of actual sea
B^i^ce.'^
"Smitty" was one of the first
c'dfbred men to join the old Ma
rine Cooks and Stewards Union
upon Its formation and remained
loyal to seafaring unionism to his
very last. His ready wit and kind
ly disposition made him liked and
respected among seamen where
evbr he went.
'A funeral service was held at
Perkins Memorial Gliapel in Har
lem on Wednesday, April 30, al
which scores of union membei's
paid their last respects to their
departed brother. The staff of
the SIU presented a sixfoot
wreath in tlie shape of an anchor,
as was fitting for the occasion,
constructed of iris and roses,
7«Hster lilies and lilly of the val
ley.
The New 'York membership of
the Union and the crew of the
S.8. New York also presented
beautiful floral offerings.
. Patrolman F. Hart Invoked the
following testimonial to the late
Brother in the name of the Sea
farers International Union of
North America:
He saw a hand we could not see
That beckoned him away
He heand a' Voice we could not
hlSr"'!'"
Thai bade him come and stay.
It has pleased Almighty God to
call from labor to reward all that
is mortal of the late Brother Mer
cer A. Smith.
Brother Smith has been a loyal
and inhuential member of the
Seafarers' International Union
since its inception, and prior to
this he was a membei of the Ma
rine Cooks and Stewards Union
for over thirty years, both these
organizations being units of the
American Federation of Labor,
Brother Smith had always
taken an active interest in all
things pertaining to his Union
was ever devoted to his friends,
always ready and willing to sei vo
at any and all times his fellow
seamen. His is an irreparable
loss to this organization and he
shall live long in the memory
of all the olficqrs and mem
bers of the Seafarers' Interna
tional Union.
Tlie officers and members ot
this Union bow in humble sub
mission to the will of Ilim who
dooth all things well, fully realiz
ing that our loss Is Heaven's
gain. We iecommend the Be
reaved Family to the Great Ruler
of the Universe. "The Souls ot
the righteous are in the hand 61
God, and there shall no torment
touch them."
« « «
Now the laborer's task is o'er
Now the battle day is past
Now upon a farther shore
Lands the voyager at last.
Father, in Thy gracious keeping
Leave we now Thy servant sleep
ing.
May 3, 1941.
Editor, Seafarers' Log:
Well, there was one Isthmian
Line ship around last week, down
in Baltimore. A permit man on
the ship and Patrolman Yakovo
nis up in Boston signed up four
of the crew. I got. • three more to
take books here. A couple of SIU
agreements which I gave them to
read did the trick. Only tough
break was that, with the ship
three A.B.'s short for two days I
couldn't get a single one to go
down and ship on her and ride
her to Pedro, at least.
Headache of the week was a
guy named Hedger, who paid
$300,000,000 for the Plow City and
the Suwied of the Range Line,
and had himself a steamship com.
pany.
We held down tlie Plow City
against a possible NMU finking
raid for two days. A pat on the
back to the gang aboard of her
for staying sober and staying
around, and for the gang from the
hall in Philly who .stuck close to
the shi^, too.
Hedger finally showed up with
a lawyer and a Port Captain, took
one look at what he paid for and
beat it to the nearest gin mill for
solace. After 28hours in a
room with him. Agent Collins and
I got disgusted and walked out
and over to the ship. We knocked
the gang off and kept them that
way until he came down and put
the old John Henry to the same
agreement we have with Water
man, probably our best. Plus—a
great big clause which brings the
44 hour week to sea for the first
time In history. All men doing
routine work or standing routine
watches without payment of over
time at sea on Saturday after
noons, Sundays and holidays,
shall receive time off equal to
the weekend time put in, in an
American port. Galley to be
closed day after arrival in port
to free the steward's department.
Good luck, • • 'i
Leonard Tir, Org.
HOUSTON
April 28, 1.941.
Editoj', Seafarers Log:
Have contacted one of the Isth
mian Line Ships this week, and
the boys seem to be interested in
lining up with SIU. I joined up
two members and have the prom
ises of quite a few of the boys
to line up on the return of the
ship fiom Corpus Christi to Gal
veston.
From their conversation, the
wages, bonuses and working con
ditions we have with other Com1
panics is what sells them on the
SIU program. There are some
NMU men aboard this ship and
after I had talked with them and
showed them our agreements
with other companies, they seem
to be very interested,. and some
of them went so far as to say
they were going to join up' In Gal
veston. So I hope to send in some
Moscow books to headquarters
the later part of this week.'
Shipping is so good here that' ]
don't have a full book member on
the beach. It looks as though 1
will have to get out my heaving
line and lasso some of the cow
boys for these scows.
D. L. Parker, Org.
mentary duty of all union men
in a dispute between the bosses
and the workers, full support for
the workers!
It acted on the principle that
Union men cross no picket lines
in "a bona, fide strike by employees
against employers, regardless of
alflliation or other differences.
How different Curran and his
stooges act on the Export Linet
Fs there a real or fancied advan
tage for this clique involved—
then they say to hell with labor
solidarity, to hell with the fact
that the organization they are
disrupting is, like their own, even
affiliated with the CIO!
These slimy creatures of the
gang in the Moscow Kremlin do
not' hesitate for a moment to vio
late the most timehonored tradi
tions of labor solidarity if it
serves the shady purposes of
those In control of the Commun
ist Party!
Now, what is behind this flnky
move of Curran and Co.? What
truth is there in the spurious
charges that the strike is "pho
ney"? What are the true facts in
the case? Moreover, how do they
concern SIU men affiliated with
the A. F of L.?
In the first place, it must bo
borne in mind that this finky ac
tion of the NMU officialdom on
the Export Line is not an isolated
case, that it is not an accident. It
is part and parcel of the program
of "raiding" other unions, infring
ing on their jurisdiction and dis
rupting the improved status of
the men in the maritime indus
try, which the Tliirteenth Street
headquarters of the Communist
Party in New York has ordered,
under the false front of a CIO
"organizing drive" on all water
fronts.
This strikebreaking on the Ex
port Line is of a piece with the
attempt of Jack "Rasputin' Law
renson to supply fink crews to the
Eastern anpl Aluminum ships
when they were recently tied up
by the SIU men on them for im
provements In conditions!
It is one more link In the chain
of intrigues which has brought
about the disruptive drive to "or
ganize" the tankers on the West
Coast under the NMU, at a time
when the Sailors Union of the
Pacific has a tanker drive under
way and when the disruptive Cur
ran gang has not even been able
to make the slightest dent In the
company union control of the
East Coast tankers!
It is part of the same plot by
means of which I'he Comniimi.st
Party wrecking crew is trying to
infringe oh MEBA jurisdiction on
the Great Lakes by taking offlcera
on the lake ships into a spurious
NMU "Officers' Division, as wit
nessed by their recent signing up
of the licensed personnel of Cleve
land Tankers, Inc.!
Facts on MEBA Beef .
In other words, we have before
us just one more incident in a
huge conspiracy to disrupt ALL
maritime organizations on both
coasts who do not knuckle under
to the vicious, dictatorial, zigzag
ging control of the c. P. hatchet
whlch. they say could be negotiat
ed by the company around a con
ference table.
The fact Is that the main point
In dispute is the company union
of engineers organized by the
Export Line owners. The MEBA
wants a Union contract: that is
the real issue!
The crummy Curran crpwd
claims that the Export Line en
gineers do not support the strike.
The fact is that not a single man
on the Siboney has gone back to
work.
Tbe fact Is that the MEBA
membership at a meeting last Fri
day voted solid support to the
strike.
The fact is that during the 1936
strike, when the engineeia as well
as the licensed .personnel hit the
bricks together, the MEBA was
offered a separate contract bf the
Export company, but like good
union men, refused to sign as
long as the unlicensed personnel
were also offered an agieement.
The fact is that, when the
NMU finally got a contract 'in
1937, the MEBA asked for similar
support but never got It from
Curran.
The fact is that for more than
three year.s fiie MRBA's case
on this Line has been given
the usual runaround In the Na
tional Labor Relations Board,
while the company was mean
while given every opportunity to
weed out' militants among the en
gineers and replace them with
company stooges.
The fact is that the company
union headquaiters is located
right in the Export shipping
office.
The fact is that Curran has
ordered (NMU men to work with
as lousy a gang of finks as was
ever assembled on any vessel.
The Chief Engineer on the Ex
cambion, for instance, is a cer
tain twostarred fink by the name
of J. W. Miller who scabbed in
the 1936 strike!
The Marine Engineers do not
intend to let tTie case rest. Under
instructions from the member
ship, they have sent' a cable tp
Philip Murray, President of the
Congress o,f Industrial Organiza
tions, as follows:
"'We protest against tbe ac
tion of Joseph Curran, a vice
president of the CIO, which
brought about the replacement
of eight striking CIO engineers
with" company union strike
breakers. We ask that you call
for a complete investigation of
all the facts in the Export Line
strike." •
!t is to be hoped that the union
men in the CIO will not allow
such strikebreaking tactics to be
used by the "leadership" of the
NMU without calling them on the
carpet. What is involved is an at
tempf to disrupt labor solidarity
all along the line. If Curran and
Go's actions go by unchallenged,
a fratricidal struggle is bound to
result in which dogeatdog will
be the ruie. Nothing can better
aid the reactionaries in the gov
ernment agencies! Nothing can
help the employers and their ,
stooges put over regimentation
better under the phoney pretext
of a "national defense" emer
gency!
The SIU for its part will not
I let this monstrous conspiracy go
' • '• I'.'.'
-^1
men, a gang whose interests have by unchallenged. It will meet the
s. J J' .:
nothing in common with those of
,the vast mass of American sea
faring men.
Now, what are tlie facts in the
Export' Line beef? Curran and
Company charge that the main
dispute Isaver thq War bonus.
- y
C. P. wrecking crew head on,
wherever it shows its ugly, fink
ing head. It will support to the
full the actions taken in selfde
fense by all maritime organiza
tions subjected to the disruptive
raids of the <5, disrupters.
• J'
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