https://seafarerslog.org/archives_old/files/original/0ab7da6f9fbea3f374dcdc50bf59bed6.PDF 0c4dee089614175ac1cd3b6152dae00d PDF Text Text SIU Helps Canadians Strike Ships To Gain Full American Conditions Canadian District's March To Higher Wages Begins Official Organ of the Seafarers International Union of North America VOL. IX. NEW YORK, N. Y.. FRIDAY. APRIL 18. 1947 Phone Strike Gets Helping Hand Of SiU tt No. 16 WE'RE WITH YOU NEW YORK — A milestone in the history of Canadian seamen was marked this week when a Canadian steamship company, operating six ves­ sels, was forced to sign a standard SIU contract, embodying all the provisions of the Waterman agreement. The six vessels were taken over by the India Steamship Company, a Canadian company, and men were shipped from Vancouver to man the ships at the wage scale set up by the communistdominated Canadian Seamen's Union. Two o? the .ship.s are in New r — York, undergoing repairs, and four are in California for the same purpose. Those in New York are the SS Dominican Vic­ J. P. Shuler, Secy-Treas. tory and the SS Lewiston Vic­ Seafarers Int'I Union 51 Beaver StreeL N.Y, tory. No SIU Members in the ter­ The crewmembers of the ships rible disaster in Texas City. berthed in this city wei'e not We are helping in every way satisfied with the wages and we can. conditions under which they D. L. Parker worked, and they called the SIU Galveston Agent to find out what could be done Texas City Disaster NEW YORK — Reinforced by hundreds of white-capped Sea­ farers, the picketlines of the striking telephone workers bore evidence this week of the soli­ darity of labor. While assistance and support of commie-dominated unions was refused, the SIU was called on about it. to help bolster the thin lines of A special meeting of these men to win anything is to pile off the New York telephone em­ was called at the Hall, and at your ship—and whenever you do, When the Canadian seamen called on the SIU for aid. if was ployes who are out on strike as this gathering the crews were we'll be there to help you." given to them immediafely. They held a meeting at the SIU part of a nation-wide action to pledged the full support of the Hall, where they were pledged any help they needed by Paul force the American Telephone OPERATORS UNHAPPY SIU, and its strong maritime af­ Hall. SIU Director of Organization. Hall, back to camera, is and Telegraph Company to bar­ filiates. shown addressing the crewmembers of the two ships. It is expected that internation­ gain with the National Federa­ al. operators and foreign govern­ tion of Telephone Workers, an GATHERING MOMENTUM independent union. ments -will do all in their power By this time events were roll­ And New York Seafarers were ing along in snowball fashion. to break this contract because it not the only ones who were called Taking heart from the promises sets, for them, a dangerous prece­ upon for aid. In New Orleans of the SIU, the Canadian sea­ dent. the unions formed a committee men voted to use economic ac­ to plan the .strike strategy for If the SIU program is e.xtendtion, if necessary, to force better ' the telephone workers, and all wages and conditions on their, ed, all seamen all over the world possible assistance is being given Instructions regarding the ternational implications because vessels. will soon get the same wages and to the strikers. planned boycott of Panamanian forgign ships, once they docked conditions now enjoyed only by It did become necessary for the Meanwhile, the almost two- ships went out to all SIU Ports in an American port, were pre­ the Seafarers International Un­ weeks long strike rolled along this week. If, and when, it be­ vented from moving until the men to use job action, but be­ ion of North America. cause of the solid backing of with seemingly little chance for comes necessary to take such ac­ victory was won. the SIU, it did not last long and For many years the just am­ a settlement. The company turn­ tion to protect the interests of At the time foreign ship.s were the company capitulated to all bitions of Canadian seamen were ed thumbs down on a Govern­ American seamen, the Seafarers hung up during the 1946 General the demands made by the men. subverted to the aims of the ment proposal that all issues in will be prepared to jump into Strike, foreign seamen pledged In a congratulatory message communists who have captured dispute be arbitrated by a single instant action. full support to the SIU, and no at­ following the signing of the con­ the Canadian Seamen's Union. arbitration board, preferring in­ No date has been set for the tempts were made to scab ships This was recognized at the Third stead ten regional boards. tie-up, but since notice has al­ out in violation of the picketlines tract, Paul Hall, SIU Director of Biennial Convention of the Sea­ Organization, said: (A full page of pictures of ready been served on President set up by the SIU-SUP. farers, when a new Canadian "The SIU policy of economic telephone strike appear on Truman and the Congress of the District was set up. Now. however. Panamanian action at the point of production page 5.) Unted States, the boycott can ships in foreign ports will be has always been successful. We Already the move has borne In refutation of this idea. La­ stai t at any time now. are glad to see that you came fruit, and Canadian seamen have bor Secretary Schwellenbach boycotted, and this is a project All AFL Maritime Unions have quoted a report made during the pledged their active support and which has never before been off your ships in good SIU style. taken new hope from the fast We told you that the only way moving militancy of the SIU. war by a telephone panel and in cooperation in this beef, and the attempted. which AT&T had concurred. International T r a nsportworkers The main objective in the en­ This report held that it would Federation, of which the SIU tire beef will be to prevent be "unrealistic to make wage and the SUP are members, have Panamanian ships from moving, adjustments without taking into piomised that Panamanian ships or from loading or discharging account the inter-company rela- will not be worked in any for­ cargo. Once this i^ accomplish­ eign port where the ITF has af­ (Continued on Page 4) ed, it is certain that the ship­ filiates. owners will discontinue their PHILADELPHIA — Another the issue came to a vote, the This means that any action phony practice of "transferring" taken by the SIU will, in a U.S. ships, to Panamanian and company was added to the ever- NMU withdrew. Of course, with its usual dogshort time become worldwide. Honduran registry in order to lengthening string of bargaining in-the-manger attitude, the NMU Never before in the history of avoid paying decent wages and, elections won by the SIU when Last week the membership waited for six months before the merchant marine has there guaranteeing decent conditions a National Labor Relations Board withdrawing, and that deprived of the SIU went on record ben such a wide-spread tie-up to American seamen. election here resulted in a 27 to 2 the men of union conditions for declaring the Merchant Mar­ planned, and if it goes through Every consideration will be victory for the Seafarers. iners of America a phony that much longer. will mark the second time that outfit, and ordered its rep­ The balloting was held on The NMU officials boasted the Seafarers completely stalled shown to the crews of the struck vessels, since the beef is with board the SS Petrolite, a tanker many times that the SIU would resentatives to be kept off shipping on a large scale. the operators, not with the men operated by Mathiasen Tankers, never be able to wlh a tanker SIU ships and out of SIU INTERNATIONAL SCOPE sailing the ships. Arrangements Incorporated. Halls. The MMA purports to election on the East Coast. The be a fraternal organization, Certification is expected on results of this voting should The first time was during the will be made for the comfort of and has been claiming that 1946 General Strike, when, in the men once the ships have April 21, after which negotia­ force them to eat their words. it has been approved by the tions for a contract are expected The result of the bargaining answer to a ruling by the Wage been tied-up. election made the crewmembers SIU. THIS IS A LIE! They to start. Stabilization Board which would Everything is in readiness now have never had SIU indorse­ very happy. Some of them stay­ At one time the National Mari­ have robbed SIU members of for the jump-off. The AFL Mar­ ment. and the membership's wage increases won in negotia­ itime Trades Department, and time Union, CIO, was endeavor­ ed with the ship for a period of action is the answer. KEEP tions with the shipowners, the the International Transport- ing to organize this company, but eight months to insure an SIU THEM OFF SIU SHIPS AND SIU brought all United States workers Federation are prepared it soon became apparent that victory, and to them goes the OUT OF SIU HALLS! shipping to a standstill. to puU the pin as soon as the the members of the crew wanted lion's share of credit in this no part of that union, and before worthwhile achievement. Seafarers gives the signal. Even then the action had in­ SIU Prepares To Tie-Up AH Panamanian Ships Seafarers Wins Union Election On Petrolite, Mathiasen Tanker Attention Seafarers! �Page Two THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday. April 18. 1947 SEAFARERS LOG Published Weekly by the SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA Atlantic and Gulf District Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor At 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N. Y. HAnover 2-2784 International Officers HARRY LUNDEBERG ---------- President 105 Market St., San Francisco, Calif. PAUL HALL --------- First Vice-President 51 Beaver St., New York 4, N. Y. MORRIS WEISBERGER - - - Vice-President 105 Broad St., Nbw York 4, N. Y. CAL TANNER ------ Vice-President 1 South Lawrence St., Mobile, Ala. EDWARD COESTER - - - - Vice-President 86 Seneca St., Seattle, Wash. JOHN HAWK ------ Sccy.-Trcasurer 105 Market St., San Francisco, Calif. District Officials J. p. SHUI.ER - - - Secy.-Trcas. Atlantic & Gulf District P. O. Bo.x 25, Bowling Green Station, New York, N. Y. HARRY LUNDEBERG Secy.-Treas. Sailors Union of the Pacific 15') Clay Street, San Francisco, Calif. FRED FARNEN - - - - Sccy.-Treas. Great Lakes District 1033 Third Street, Detroit, Michigan HUGH MURPHY - - - - Sccy.-Treas. Canadian District 144 W. Hasting.s St., Vancouver, B. C. Entered as second class matter June 15, 1945, at the Post Office in New York, N. Y., under the Act of August 24, 1912. GEORGE K. NOVICK, Editor Bosses' Offensive The present Congrcs.'; of the United States could be likened to a bunch of small boys showing off to catch the attention of a pretty little girl. When one boy stands on his head, another docs cartwheels, while the third walks aloitg a fence imitating a tight-rope walker. All for love of the pretty little girl. The men who represent us, supposedly, in Congress, arc much the same. One Senator comes up with a bill to out­ law industry-wide bargaining, another comes up with a mea.sure to prohibit the closed shop, and then another brings out his pet, a bill to combine all anti-labor measures into one bill. All for the love of big business. In the past year the SIU has made vast gains in wages and conditions. It has gone to the aid of the United Finan­ cial Workers, the Office Workers, the Telephone Workers, besides assisting its affiliates in the AFL Maritime Trades Department. None of those gains could have been made, and not one of those unions could have been helped, if the laws which are now being considered in Congress had been in effect. There is a mad rush going on in Congress to pass laws to curb labor. Senators and Representatives partial to labor are, in the minority, and in hearings on the various lav/s, labor-haters have been cordially received while labor leaders have been harassed and brow-beaten. Do these sound like the actions of men elected to rep" resent the majority—people who work for a living— rather than the minority—those wbo employ others and live by exploiting them? -ALII of the bills now being debated could have been written by Hitler, Mussolini, or Stalin. All are designed to rob the worker of his rights, and all are designed to strengthen the hand of the already too-powerful employer. If these bills go through, and the bosses are exerting every effort to make sure they do, it will mark a serious de­ feat in the history of the American labor movement. TJje time for us to fight is right now. The AFL has entered, the battle against restrictive labor legislation with all its forces. AFL affiliates all over the country are going into tliis fight together, and the fight won't be over until the dignity of labor is so well established that big business serving politicians are retired to running errands for the' companies they so dearly love. ' Hospital Patients When entering the hospital notify the delegates by post­ card, giving your name and the number of your ward. Staten Island Hospital Men Now In The Marine Hospitals These are ihe Union Brothers currently in the marine hospitals, as reported by the Port Agents. These Brothers find time hanging heavily on their hands. Do what you can to cheer them up by writ­ ing to them. '' NEV/ ORLEANS HOSPITAL GU.S KREZTER C. MASON STEVE MOGAN R. B. "BOB" WRIGHT N. LONGTINE ED. DUDEK J. J. O'NEILL E. J. NAVARRE J. N. HULL C. TYNER C. J. COMPAN WM. H. CAO J. W. DENNIS ED. CUSTER WM. BROCE, Jr. GEO. F. DUFFY ADAM KARPOWICH C. LOCIGNO WM. MEAGHER D. LAUBERSHEIMER G. F. HART H. N. LEAVELLE S. HAMILTON » » » BALTIMORE HOSPITAL FRANCIS O'BRIEN FRANCIS BRENNAN CHARLES SIMMONS CHARLES MILLER CORRIE SHARTZER BEN PRICE MICHAEL J. LUCAS MANUEL ROMERO PETER LOPEZ JOHN FOX JOHN APPLE JOSEPH PODGORSKI LESLIE BRILHART LEONARD BAILEY ANTONIO AMARAL EDWARD CAIN JR. STANLEY ROWE SALEM COPE WM. BENNETT JOHN RILEY (G. L.) JAMES McMAHON (G. L.) ELLIS ISLAND HOSPITAL W. R. MUIR C. RAMUSSEN J. KOSLUSKY D. MCDONALD B. HOFFMAN J. C. J. R. L. L. J. C. L. NEPONSIT^HOSPITAL R. HANCHEY LARSEN S. CAMPBELL A. BLAKE TORRES CLARK FIGUEROA SCHULTZ L. LEWIS You can contact your Hos­ pital delegate at the Staten Island Hospital at the follow­ ing times: Tuesday—1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (on 5th and 6th floors) Thursday — 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. , (on 3rd and 4th floors.) Saturday—1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (on 1st and 2nd floors.) H. BURKE E. FERRER S. i- i STATEN ISLAND HOSP. O. KAELEP M. BAUCSKI E. CARRERAS R. G. MOSSELLER J. A. DYKES K. KORNELIUSSEN C. H. SULLIVAN E. E. CASEY D. NELSON W. R. BLOOM M. MORRIS ^ F. NERING H. R. BELCHER L. JILES P. REYES P. LATORRE J. BOLGEK H. A. ECHEVARIA ^ ^ BRIGHTON HOSPITAL E. DELLAMANO H. SWIM R. LORD E. JOHNSTON E. MOFENE J. LEVACK -D. BURLISON T. MAYNES �Friday. April 18, 1947 THE NO SCABBING ALLOWED SEAFARERS LOG Page Three The Social Security Act, And How It Affects The Merchant Seamen By JOSEPH VOLPIAN The little man with the cap is being told in no uncertain terms that he can't go through the picketline to work inside. This picture was taken at the picketline of the office workers who are striking against the George E. Flinn Company in Brooklyn. Seafarers were called in to help, and as this picture shows, they came through. Striking, Office Workers Get Aid from Seafarers As the fund increases, broad­ er coverage may be expected, probably in the form of disabil­ ity paymdhts. UNDERSTAND LAW NEW YORK — The militant members of the Seafarers Inter­ national Union took on a new as­ signment this week when they went to the aid of the 17 office workers who struck against the George H. Flinn Corporation, contractors for the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Work on the huge project came to an end when the strikers, members of Local 153, Office Employees International Union, AFL, threw a picketline around the job. • The office employees quit work because the Flinn corporation re­ fused to bargain with the union, nothwithstanding the fact that Local 153 had been chosen as bargaining agent by them in a labor board election last October. Even in the face of the com­ plete stoppage of work, however, the corporation continued to stall negotiations, and it was then that the SIU was appealed to. SIU ON HAND A squad of volunteers was dis­ patched to the site of the pro­ ject, where their presence im­ mediately heartened the strikers. The Seafarers wore their tradi­ tional white caps, and carried the picketsigns of the office workers. The striking employees include timekeepers, checkers, and tele­ phone operators. Their demands are for a 44-hour week, a 15 per­ cent wage increase, and a 10 per­ cent night differential. Accord­ ing to a union spokesman, the average wage is now $43.00 for a 48-hour week. The same spokesman indicated that unless the corporation agrees to negotiate within a short time, -x-r-o- will -a similar work stoppage be caUe^'at the ' ManhMtln end of the tunnel. Blood Donors To carry on the work of returning sick and injured merchant seamen to health, the Marine Hospital on Staten Island has put out a call for blood donors of all types. All men who wish to do­ nate blood to aid their fel­ low seamen can do so by call­ ing at the offices of the Sta­ ten Island Marine Hospital. No longer could old people Special Services Representative count on being taken in by their relatives. Social legislation be­ In the early days of American came necessary to fit the needs life, we were an agrarian na­ of the changing times. tion. Family groups were close­ The Social Security Act pro­ ly knitted and security was at­ vides a measure of security for tained by each family taking you in your old age and for care of its own. The burden of your survivors in case of your caring for the aged, decrepit and death at any time. It is operated survivors of the deceased was by the government and has no accepted as a family responsi­ stock-holders to payoff. bility. Your Federal Old Age Bene­ As the nation expanded west­ fit or Social Security tax of 1 ward and machinery began to percent is really the premium replace muscles as a means of on your insurance policy. After production, the family group was benefit payments are made and no longer self-sufficient. The old the cost of administration de­ homestead became a nostalgic ducted, the balance goes into a memory. fund which now stands at seven billion dollars and is growing all the time. Side by side, an office worker and a Seafarer picket together to button up the George E. Flinn Company. • Another example of labor unity. See story on this page for more details. Inasmuch as seamen have theii taxes deducted when their ship pays off, quite often taxes are deducted on money that has been earned in the previous year. For instance, an electrician ships out in May and pays off the following January. His earnings may be approximately $2800 from which $28.00 is de­ ducted for his Social Security tax. He then ships out again in February and returns in Novem­ ber with approximate earnings of .$3500 of which $35.00 is de­ ducted. Thus, he had paid $63.00 in taxes in one year. He may then apply for a refund from his nearest Federal Security Agency and have $33.00 returned to him. The Social Security Adminis­ tration's main offices are in Bal­ timore, Md., and all records are kept there in numerical order instead of alphabetical order. The reason is that there are about 88,000 J. Johnsons in the files and there are no duplica­ tions in a numerical system. However, employers sometimes get the number of your Social Security Card wrong, and as a result someone else may get credit for your payments. You may check your account at any time by sending a card to the Baltimore headquarters asking for a statement of your account. Special po.stcard forms are available at any of their field offices. Merchant seamen, like 70 mil­ lion other Americans, are cover­ ed by the Social Security Act. It is important that the law be understood so that full benefit can be enjoyed. Unlike private insurance, in which the entire premium is paid by the workers, the Social Security tax is paid by both the w o r k e r and his employer in equal parts. This makes it possible for you DO have protection that could not be bought elsewhere for what is paid under the govern­ ment plan. BENEFITS Your share of the cost is 1 At the present time there are percent of your earnings up to $3,000 in any one year. You two kinds of benefits—retirement can get a refund on any amount and survivors. Retirement benefits are pay­ paid in excess of this $3,000. able to the wage earner when he retires at 65 or later. Survivors benefits are payable to his family when he dies no matter at what age death oc­ curs. bring results. Specifically, the retirement At the meeting I was greatly benefits are payable to: 1. The impressed by the genuine feel­ wage earner when he is 65 or ing of common interest which prevailed. The most striking older and stops work; 2. His feature of the meeting was that wife when she reaches 65; 3. His seamen's interests were being unmarried children under 18. Seafarer Watches The ITFAt Work By W. J. BRADY Attending a meeting of the International Transportworkers Federation as a rank and file member of the SIU, I saw for the first time how our interests are protected by our affiliation with the ITF—the world-wide organi­ zation to which the SIU, SUP and MM&P are affiliated. At the invitation of the New York Port Agent, Paul Hall, I attended an ITF meeting in Brooklyn this week, where the ITF took up the issue dealing with the boycott of ships flying flags of non-maritime nations— particularly Panamanian ships. The gathering was presided Willy Dorchain, representative of the ITF to Ameidc^ ^nd representative of the ITF of Belgium. Paul Hall representing the SIU and Morris Weisberger the SUP explained the American aspects of the boycott in a thorough manner. The Norwegian representative, Johansen, was quick to point out that he had already taken steps in notifying his union in Norway to have engines on stand­ by should the boycott take place. Clausen, representing Denmark, and Scott, representing England, both gave strong support to the American position on the pro­ posed boycott. This was added to by the rep­ resentatives of Greece and Sweden. A glance at the countries represented at the meeting show­ ed them to be the leading mari­ time nations in the woidd, and a boycott of Panamanian ships by these unions would be positive to (Cimtinucd on Page 14) (Contiftued on Page 9) MORE SIUBROTHERS �Page Four THE SEAFARERS LOG Fxiday. April 18. 1947 ttWIIK.,. QUESTION: the SIU message? As a volunteer organizer, what was your greatest obstacle in getting acrpss O. E. "BUDDY" BASS, Wiper: I was aboard ihe Sovereign of Ihe Seas which is an Isthmian scow. There wasn't much prob­ lem to organizing on that ship since most of the men realized lhat without a union they were sunk. Isthmian has a long anti­ union record, and the men could see that their conditions and SOTIRIOS FOSCOLAS, OS: I was on tv/o ships as a volun­ teer organizer, and on both it was practically the same story. My first ship was the American Trader, American Trading and Production Company, and the second was a tanker that later signed with the SIU. Most of our trouble on these ships was with ihe NMU. They would come on board and spout a load of bushwah, and then when the crew found out what liars those guys •were they even resented ihe SIU organizers. We had to undo all the harm those phonies did, and after that v/e were able to start our own job. ABOUT FACE wages had stood still, while the it contrasted with the NMU. I rest of the industry had ad­ answered all their questions, but Now this same company is re­ vanced. Every time the SIU wins when an NMU organizer came on, fusing to put into operation all a new contract or a beef, it boboard, he refused to answer most arbitration plan which would comes thai much easier to do a of the questions and that - made take . into consideraton the "in­ good organizing job. Seamen are a bad impression on the men. ter-company relationships" re­ like everybody else, they want to Of course the officers tried to ferred to above. join a movement that is militant give us a hard time, but as soon Scliwellenbach took the com­ and that will win gains for them. as they saw that the men wanted pany to task in very strong lan­ And that's why the record of the to choose their own union with­ guage, but he also found time to SIU is such a good selling point out outside interference, the criticize the telephone workers. in organizing new companies. Skipper and the Mates started There was not^ much he could On the Sovereign of the Seas leaving the crew strictly alone say about them since they have the officers gave us a little trou­ on that matter. I've heard other been willing to abide by arbitra­ ble. They couldn't stop us from volunteers tell about the diffi­ tion since the negmtiations began talking union, but they could and culties they had in doing an or­ many long months ago. Never­ did stop us from making any ganizing job, but with me it was theless, the Secretary of Labor overtime. Our engineer, the First a snap. Maybe on the next ship scored the union for failure to Assistant, took over the Third's I'll have a hard time, but I think realize that "they are working watch, and he took over the du­ ,that the. SIU record speaks for for a public utility which must ties of the Wipers. He was so itself, and for that rea,son the be maintained constantly . . ." busy doing this work thai he CHARLES MISAK, OS:. crewmembers are receptive to us On another front, the telephone failed to do his own, and as a re­ I'm one of those lucky fellows when we tell them our story. workers in New Jersey were sult we almost had a serious ac­ who didn't have any obstacles to Certainly in the past few months granted an injunction prohibiting cident at sea. As it was, we had overcome when I went aboard a we have won plenty of gains for the arrest or prosecution of tele­ to stop in the middle of the ocean ship as a volunteer organizer. seamen, and we have knocked phone strikers under the drastic to make repairs. But that really When the other members of the over quite a number of new com­ new law passed by the state— wasn't an obstacle to organiz­ crew found out that I wanted to ing; in fact it helped us by show­ talk to them about the SIU, they panies. That shows that unor­ after the strike had already ing the men that their best pro- were anxious to hear from me. ganized seamen respect our Un- started. The injunction was handed toction would be a signed and They asked questions about ouriioH' and want the kind of prodown by a Federal Judge, and sealed SIU contract. Union, and wanted to know how teclion we can furnish. was based on a Supreme Coui-t decision which held that the right JOSEPH DINKINS. Oiler: to strike could not be abridged As soon as a fellow makes up by the stales unless such striking his mind that he's going to ship would result in "grave or im­ out as a volunteer organizer, he mediate danger to the commun­ starts to get nervous. I know ity." that happened to me. But once He maintained that this did I made up my mind, I decided to not hold true in this case since go through with it, and so I ap­ emergency service is still being plied for a job on an Isthmian provided. ship. I was turned down a cou­ have stock in the company, in­ On that AT&T ship, the Skip­ stead of being just plain work­ per put pressure on the crew- ing guys like the rest of us. They members to join the NMU. I go around damning all unions •wouldn't do thai, and the Skip­ and trying to talk the men into per made it so hot for me that I voting for the company in a bargaing election. BuV those people was finally forced off the ship. arp npttJnr, j xi. are Another source of trouble on or­ are getting scarcer, and they ' ganized vessels are the company so discredited that hardly anystiffs. Those guys act like they^ body listens to them any more. ple of times, but one day they needed a man in a hurry, and that was me. I was assigned to the St. Augustine Victory. As soon as I came on board I knew that there would be trouble. The Skipper, was violently anti-union, and even more het up against the SIU. He forbade any union talk, and he went all out to make sure that ibis rule was lived up to. bers of the NMU for a couple of Of course, we didn't let him years. I know we did a bang-up stop us, and we continued to talk job on the St. Augustine Victory, about the advantages of the SIU, and the NMU must have felt the and we gave out our Union same way about it because all 36 literature and copies of the Sea- votes on the ship were chal­ campaign was lenged by them. From the way successful that some NMU the men talked to me while I T. j i. j j • XL xx. men on board handed in their was on the ship I'm sure that books and joined the SIU. A few'they voted right down the line of these guys had been mem- for the Seafarers. HOMEWARD Unclaimed Gear BOUND Members whose gear has . been held for more thcui three months in the fourth floor baggage room of the New York Hall are- advised to call for it immediately, or notify the Hall where they wish it sent. Crowded conditions make it impossible to hold gear longer than three months. All effects remaining unclaimed after three months will be sent to the owner's home via express collect. Gear without addresses will be disposed of otherwise. (Cottthmed^from P^ge I) tionships which have always played a part in the wage his­ tory of the Bell System." NO EMERGENCY In regard to emergency long distance service, it came to light that the financial bigwigs in Wall Street, and other money districts the nation over, had made arrangements for long dis­ tance service before the strike started. These financiers have open long distance lines at their disposal 24 hours per day, re­ moving many lines from emer­ gency operation. But even in the face of all these maneuverings on the part of big business, the ranks of. the tele­ phone workers are solid, and the support of all honest labor is strictly on their side. Beside assistance from the SIU, the NFTW received a check for $20,000 from the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, AFL, as "a first practical token" of its sympathy with the strikers. The money was contributed for the special purpose of placing ad­ vertisements in newspapers. NEW HOURS ; - Heading up the Detroit River after. discharging-hjBir first load of aulomphiles at Cleveland, is the SS George VA Mead, a McCarthy ship. Shets an-SIU ship, and a good vessel. Everything thai floats is being made ready on the Great Lakes this year, for what Lakes seamen expect to be the greatest year in history. More cargo will probably be carried this year than during the war. Due to the large number of ships in New York calling for crews during off hours and on Sundays, the New York Hall is now operating on a new schedule of hours for registering and shipping. The new hours are: From Monday through Friday from 8:30 a. m. to 9 p. m.; Satur­ day 8:30 to 5 p. m. and Sun­ day from 10 to 3. �Frfday.'Aprtl'-18.-<d47 PtiE SEAFARERS Pade FifB LOG i 'i' /I Seme people have mors pep than others. After walking the piclretlines, these tc-lephona workers adjourned to the SIU Hall for a spot of jive. Such energy will come in handy in forcing the Bell Telephone Company to bargain honestly. Seme apples hove worms in them, and some unions have scabs to contend wiih. Take this picture above. Note the scabs scurrying out of Ihe telephone office at 104 Broad Street, New York. They've got their heads dov/n and who can blame them. The company paid good money for scabs, up to S25.CJ0 per day, but who wants blood money. ' • • •• ' V'./ -v '' ^ESTEp^jSr - a. y ipjjssp-...? .r '• - '• • Seafarers joined telephone workers on the picketlines in New York. From this point the sidewalk looks like a sea of white caps, and to the strikers it looked like real labor solidarity. Here's the strategy committee for' the New Orleans striking' phorte workers. Left to li^ht. Steely White, SIU New Orleans Port Agent; Ray Gtiidiry, 'Publicity Director, N. O. Coordinate Strike Committee; Jimrriy Mahafdy, slate di­ rector 6f the Southern Federation of Telephone Workers; and Bill 'Ranier, Secretary-'Treasurer of Local 410 of the same union. s I « . .,•> ; ?7r>v.;-cv.-T??tSS'. ^ . aj- Tsc5?-^;.y;;•- ly'.':- "H .• i . ,. • ^ • " In every stale execpf Indiana and Virginia, which have laws preventing utility strikes, telephone workers quit work on April 7, These telegrams were photographed in New Orleans. Posed in front of the telephone company office in New brleans, theise ^iretfy operators hold up the picket signs which 'tell at a glance that they are out on strike. All 6v6r'the nation the story was much the same, but the militant spirit of the lelephohe' workers was still as high'after ten days'6f strike as it was when the action first started. Pictured above are Leona Himmel end Zoe'Seigfried, in the usual 6rder. North or South, picketing is the same. - New Orleans has scabs, loo. Unmindful of the picket, these parasites go into ihe telephone of­ fice to work. Wonder if they realize that they are harming themselves in the long run? ^ �Page Six THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, April 18, 1947 American Legion-Stooge Of Big Business What the American Legion is and what it stands for is no sec­ ret to the working people of the United States. They have pictures, clearly etched in their memories of the many union halls broken into by American Legion mobs, the union and liberal newspapers wrecked by armed goons from Legion chapters, and the distur­ bances caused by the Conven­ tions of this group. The dark days following the end of World War I saw the Legion playing a leading role in cracking heads on the picket- ny and darkness. The huge more than members of the armed tifies as the noted naval and submarine filled seas and then quantities of supplies thaJt forces in , the final analysis. military analyst of the New York make their way back through have already been brought ac­ There were no Government Times. enemy patrolled waters for more ross the Atlantic are a testi­ shared allotments for merchant Although many valiant men men and equipment. monial to the job that has al­ seamen. There were no clothing served in the merchant marine, Some only made one trip be­ ready been done." and uniforms for them either. against them must be measured a fore they went with the ship to At the same time. General There were no wages coming in great many others who "sought the long layoff, but some made Douglas MacArthur said of the during illness or injury for the the merchant marine as a soft many runs, and lived to have "heroes in dungarees," as they berth; they escaped the draft, and their sacrifices and contributions merchant seamen, were then called. they got whacking big salaries to the war effort depreciated by "With us they have shared While members of the armed and bonuses while doing it," says a smearing article in the Amer­ the heaviest enemy fire. On services received furloughs with Baldwin. ican Legion Magazine. these Islands I have ordered pay, seamen took time off withThe men who fought the war, HIS RECORD them off their ships into fox­ whether on land or on the sea, Hanson Baldwin may be re­ had only the highest respect for holes when their ships became membered as the anti-labor col­ the merchant seamen. True, there umnist of the New York Times untenable targets of altack. who. in the midst of the 1946 At our side they have suffer­ Masters. Mates, and Pilots Strike, ed in bloodshed and death. asked in print for a return to the The high caliber of efficiency good old days when Masters and the courage they display­ were able to flog seamen, and the unions had not made a sea­ ed in their part of the invasion man's life a half-way decent one. of the Philippines marked But during the war, his paper their conduct throughout the made far different points. entire campaign in the South­ On March 24, 1945, this influ­ west Pacific. They have con­ ential newspaper joined the tributed tremendously to our ranks of those calling for a Mer­ success. I hold no branch in chant Seamen's Bill of Rights. higher esteem than the Mer­ out pay when they could afford In pungent paragraphs, the Times to do so. And when gear was made the following points; chant Marine Service." lost at sea, through torpedoing or "It is .said that 80 percent of The American Legion Maga­ bombing, the seaman had to re­ those sailing since the start of zine, the official publication of plenish his own supply. No ask­ the war have been sunk at lea.st were a few men, in both camps, lines. In every community, the the American Legion, in an ar­ ing Uncle Sam for more. who were not all they should be, men of the Legion took an ac­ once. ticle appearing in the March, but thej' were few and relations tive and leading part in the CHARGES UNJUST "There is no provision for con­ 1947, issue, takes the merchant strikebreaking that was so Most of the charges contained tinued periodic treatment for between the armed services and seamen to task for daring to re­ prevalent prior to the growth in the articles are unfounded, or these men, even though the GI the merchant mariners were quest a Bill of Rights. and strength of unionism. pertain to only a small number of Bill of Rights holds out the prom­ warm from the knowledge of ATTACKS SEAMEN And they are following out the merchant seamen who kept ise that every veteran of the dangers equally shared. The article is authored by the sealanes open even before the armed services may have free But in the postwar world, the their self-designed roles of un­ ion busters in their activities William Hyatt, and is called, United States had been attacked necessarj' hospitalization for the American Legion has taken up­ since, the end of World War II. "The NMU: Paid in Full." at Pearl Harbor. rest of his life, if he is unable to on itself the task of destroying the good-will between the serv­ Although the NMU is speci­ It is well known that the Only 70 per cent of the United pay for it. ices, and at the same time deprive average soldier, sailor, and ma­ fically picked out for attack, it States armed forces saw service "Also, there is no permanent rine had no anti-union preju­ is obvious that all seamen's un­ overseas in World War H, and pension program for the disabled merchant seamen of the benefits dices. The Services tried to ions are the object of this sneak of these, not more than 75 per­ merchant mariner. The rehabili­ which are granted to any mem­ make the men in the armed for­ attempt to steal from merchant cent ever heard a shot fired in tation program promises well on ber of the armed services, no ces into union haters, but that seamen a decent postwar fu­ anger. These are official figures. paper, but there arc substantial matter how safe or dangerous his job might have been. ture. program proved ineffectual. But the soldiers, sailors and reports that the service is suf­ It .should be remembered that The main line of argument is marines who never met the en­ fering from poor administration When the was over, the American Legion took on the centered on the fact that mer­ emy are not being denied the in many states, and from ignor­ merchant seamen did not have task of baiting unions and chant seamen were draft de­ GI Bill of Rights. No attempt ance of the operation of it, rather to land in enemy territory to be­ come the target of concerted at­ showing veterans how to fight ferred, received good pay and has been made to exclude WACS generally. tack. Every time a ship ventured against labor. It is significant allowances, ate decent food, and or Waves who served their full "The results is that disabled that the largest World War II slept on white sheets. time in the safe shores of the merchant marine personnel who a mile out into the Atlantic and Pacific, it became an immediate veteran's group, the American While this was going on, the United States. need rehabilitation have been prey to the lurking Nazi sub­ Veterans Committee, is strict­ article states, all members of Why then attack merchant, sea­ discharged in large numbers from marine wolf-packs. ly pro-labor, and has attracted the armed forces were drafted. man who were the first to fight? the hospitals and have disappear­ PONDER THE FACTS many union men into its ranks. In this next paragraph may lie ed to become probable charges Let Mr. Hyatt and the Ameri­ on the community as indigents. the answer. We quote from Mr. FOR CURBS can Legion Magazine ponder over Hyatt. "At least there should be an The leaders of the American these facts. Let the memory of Legion have made it almost a ". . no merchant seaman effort to recognize the dignity six thousand dead merchant sea­ of the service and give to the life work to appear before Con­ could sign on a ship without men cause both of them to think thousands of disabled merchant gress on practically every Bill being forced to join a union. twice befoi-e writing and pub­ marine veterans some distinction that would limit the rights of As a result union coffers were lishing such irresponsible .state­ from members of the civilian labor unions, or limit the rights swollen with the tribute exact­ ments. population who have taken no of free people, living in the ed from these thousands of risk and suffered no injury conIf their object is wrecking the young men." United States of America. existing, seamen's unions, they ' nected with war." But it is significant that this In other words, the author of have bitten off much more th.ah WAR SERVICE same organization is struck the article is angry because the they can chew. dumb when it comes to fighting seamen were strong enough to More than 1500 SIU members The same issue of the maga­ against Bills which give as­ force decent demands from ship­ were lost as a result of enemy zine that carried the attack on tounding powers to big business owners who were reaping a for­ merchant seamen also carried an or entrenched wealth and power. tune from the war situation, and article entitled "Why I Joined Right now the American Le- got very little money per month, is even more angry because the The American Legion." This is gion is howling down the trail ate poor food, and slept on .straw unions had made such an im­ an interview with 20 vets who mattresses and in foxholes. pression on men going to sea for against a Merchant Seamen's became Legionnaires. Incidently, the first time that were eager to On the face of it, these com­ Bill of Rights. This legislation, merchant seamen are not eligible similar to the GI -Bill of Rights, parisons are absolutely untrue. join a union at the first oppor­ for membership. would compensate merchant Merchant seamen were subject tunity. It is a subject.^of much con­ seamen for their wartime serv- to the same terrors and hard­ It becomes more and more ob­ jecture whether these men would ship that most of the soldiers, vious as the piece continues that ice. have joined the American Le­ Outstanding Americans, sailors, and marines experienced. the author is not so much in­ gion if they had been aware that among them soldiers and sailors ^ Their lives were no different terested in withholding the bene­ the Legion would stoop low from privates up to Generals from what most Navy men went fits of a Bill of Rights from mer­ enough to attack the merchant and Admirals, have given praise through, except that an armed chant seamen as he is in doing seamen, the men who were the to aciljvities of the merchant battleship or destroyer is a lot his little bit to discredit seamen's first to fight. safer than an unarmed freighter, marine during the war. unions in the eyes of the public. action. In addition, seamen stood or a tanker loaded with high oc­ General Dwight D. Eisen­ From what is known of the One of the most serious, as well side by side with servicemen dur­ tane gasoline. hower said, in 1945, as the most unfounded, charges ing the awful days of establish­ average veteran, it is reasonable High wages is another source made by Mr. Hyatt is that mer­ ing beachheads and fighting off to believe that he would have "In behalf of the men of held his nose and hurried past my command, I thank the of contention in the article. If chant searten entered the mari­ enemy attacks. the Legion Headquarters before The odds against merchant men of the Merchant Marine the author had thought, or want­ time service so as to escape ac­ becoming a party to such a be­ seamen were practically double. for their pledge of full coop­ ed, to delve further into the sub­ tive service. trayal of all that this country ject, he could have found that eration in our common effort In this connection he quotes because they had to transport fought for. merchant seamen were not paid Hanson Baldwin, whom he iden- the troops and supplies through to destroy the forces of tyran- �Friday. April 18. 1947 T H E SEAF ARERS LO G For Small Place, Port Arthur Has Good Shipping This Wilmington Finkherder Is Riding To A Fail By HARVEY C. JAMERSON PORT ARTHUR —There isn't much down here in the way of payoffs, but for a small port this place gets more than its share of ships in transit. Each ship has a few beefs which don't amount to much, but which keep us step­ ping. Much as I hate to say it, in more than a few cases the fault lies with the crew. That doesn't mean only the Iripcarders or per-' mitmen. The full bookmen feel that they can stay drunk and foul up a ship without anything happen­ ing, but as soon as a TC or permRman goes off the beam, the full bookmen call the Hall and ask the Agent or Patrolman to come down and kick the per­ former off. You all know that the agree­ ments of the SlU are the best afloat. To keep them that way we must have a strong Union, composed of men who live up to the Union rules and furnish a day's work for a day's pay. For men with ratings, this Port is a lulu. We have shipped every­ one around here except the cowpunchers and the oilwell diggers, and we still need more men. Come on down here Brothers, and if you don't want to ship, just come in and visit. Page Seven BY CHARLES STARLING i SAVANNAH — Things in the ! Port of Savannah still look on 1 the brighter side, as v/e-are ex­ pecting quite a few .ships to pay­ off within the next month. As I said in last week's report, '.ve hu\ e two paying off this week Silence this week from the By JOHN MOGAN and are expecting about eight Branch Agents of the follow­ BOSTON — Business and .ship­ the bosun, who gave the Patrol­ more within .a month. So, .ship­ ing ports: ping in the port of Boston re­ man a bad time foi' a while in ping .-hould be I'ea! good in the Port of Sa\'annah. mains definitely on the upswing. connection with his beef. NORFOLK However, the bosun was de­ An invitation is open for any As a matter of fact, the Cham­ TAMPA ber of Commerce has been gloat­ finitely high ma.n insofar as of ou:' Brothei'.s to come down ing in the newspaper for .several overtime hours worked was con­ and ship, out at any time. GALVESTON days about the enorm.ous in­ cerned; it was the Sunday We haci quite a beef on the JACKSONVILLE crease in exports and imports watches which gave the ABs l-M'mttmk Point, here in SavanHOUSTON slight edge in total hour.s. through the port. j nah this la.^-'t week, in regard to CORPUS CHRISTI It would bo well to .see this i thi.^ fink herder in the Port of The patrolmen, and particu­ MOBILE larly our traveling man, Jim clause ciarific'd in a special ai'- ' Wilmington. Sweeney, have had a busj' week ticle in the LOG, as the dispute :I Thi.s bird .seems to be shipping CHICAGO does arise from time to time, and of it. DETROIT I all im n that he can get a hold of Brothej' Sweeney was in Provi­ no doubt wil continue to come on any and all ships, without DULUTH dence for the payoff of thtr SB up until each and every bosun ever making an effort to call our TOLEDO knows the score. ports for men. 'Well, we will be starting off This practice must stop, as it The deadline for port re­ the new week with a bang, with is involving some of our book two Watcrmans scheduled for ports, monies due. etc.. is the members who live in the port of payoff on Monday—the Simmons Monday preceeding publica­ Wilmington and also new men Victory in Portland, and the tion. While every effort will NEW starting out to sea who do not Niantic Victory, which was out DESIGNbe made to use in the current know the score. five months, in Boston. RgAR . issue material received after I am writing the SecretaryAlso scheduled for payoffs ENGINE' Treasurer a letter regarding this early in the week are three West that dale, space commitments matter, and am .sure when he Coast tankers. generally do not permit us to contacts Moran Towing and other So once more an urgent in­ do so. vitation is extended to all hands companies in the Poi't of New to come up this way for good York that this practice will stop shipping; it's heartbreaking to immediately. New Eghoto, tanker; in Port­ see a ship go out light a couple -About all that is left to say land for the SS Irvin S. Cobb; in of men, but we've seen them go is that we are having some beau­ Providence for the SS Fort Win­ that way fairly often recently. tiful weather in the port of Sa­ nebago, tanker; in Portland for Lastest dope on the Evange­ vannah. and Brother Smith and the SS Simmons Victory, Water­ line fs that she'll be ready about I are working like the devil right man, which, incidentally was de­ May 1. now. By WILLIAM RENTZ layed owing to a heavy blow out­ BALTIMORE — Like all other thing to do with it. We all I'e- side; then back to Boston for the SIU Ports, this Branch is hav­ membcr Red as New Orleans payoff of the Fort Erie, and on ing its share of trouble in get­ Patrolman for two years, and Sunday, back to Portland for a ting enough rated" rnen, espec­ we all know what kind of a Monday morning payoff of the Simmons Victory. ially in the black gang. swell job he did there. In the meantime, the SS South­ We have been saying for some Let's hope that the ships con­ By W, PAUL GONSORCHIK time that our membership is not tinue coming in here with less land paid off in Boston, with a too large for the number of jobs beefs and fewer gas hounds on lot of stuff hitting the port in NEW YORK—One of the most of the Union. You are the ones under contract, and this situa­ board. Baltimore is bearing transit, most of which had better important items of the Seafarers' ' who will in time run the SIU. tion proves that we were cor­ down on performers as these than a fair share of beefs. structure is the shipping rules. The responsibility for main­ The SS Greenville Dodge These rules, drawn up by the taining a strong union depends characters can cause a lot of rect. This does not mean that we commotion and "tftsruption in a (Grace Lines-SUP) and the SS membership, are part of the SIU's on you; and there is only one Warrior, both in port loading, foundation. should open our books. While port. waj- to insure that: a thorough called on the same day with iden­ we may be a bit shorthanded understanding of the shipping If a man expects to hold on Unfortunately, however, all at the present time, we should to his valuable SIU Book', he tical beefs—performers aboard. members are not living up to the rules. prepare ourselves for the pos­ better be sober at the payoff. FEW AGAINST MANY shipping rules, either through a The shipping rules are not hard sibility of a shortage of jobs It is a damn shame that one lack of knowledge or a desire to to understand. They were drawn It seems that oilers are claimdue to permanent lay-up of some or two men can make a ship mis­ desregard them. up by the membership in terms erable for the majority, and ships. It is hard to understand this every man can understand. Another factor that may add wherever such a condition is It wasn't easy. A gi-eat deal of lack of knowledge, as it has been to lack of jobs for merchant found the Union must crack time and effort •w.^ent into their taken for granted that all mem­ seamen is the transferring of down on the troublesome min­ preparation and the final draft bers are acquainted with the pro­ American vessels to the Panam­ ority. was voted upon and accepted by visions of the rules. anian or Hondurian flag. Now that there is a spurt of the membership. It can be seen now that too I believe we should tie those good shipping, with a consequent much was taken for granted. FOR THE MAJORITY ships up wherever they come scarcity of rated men, there are Here, where an understanding of ^ HA"VSM! HICinto an American Port, other­ A few members do not see eye those who figure they can af­ the shipping rules and constitu­ I'M MOT AIDwise our standards will be driv­ to eye on the rules and will make ford to get fired. MlC-P-feKpORM£Rf tion are a real necessity to the en down and our men put out a practice of disregarding them. But it should be remembered gaining of a livelihood, many sea­ of work. It is too bad that everyone can't that the book or permit might farers show only indifference. At the present time we have see a subject in the same light, be lost also, which is a lot more Where are the oldtimers who the MV Gadsden in Port. She but disregarding anything that serious. should know the rules and by­ is a heavy lift ship belonging to displeases one is not helpful to The Warrior also had a few the American Eastern Company. ing overtime for cleaning centi- necessary repairs due which, ac­ laws of the Union? Have they the Union or the majority of sea­ The SS Mandarin, Robin Line, fruge strainers on C-1 type en­ cording to the crew, were rather forgotten that our Union fought men who voted for them. is also here waiting to be turn­ gines. Ths is always routine duty slow in shaping up. However, for these rules and the strength An important thing about the ed over to the Bloomfield Steam­ and is to be done Without the it was learned that they will be and effectiveness of the Union ship^ng rules is the correct in­ depend on them? ship Company. This is another payment of overtime. terpretation. It is understand­ made okay, and that their new Ben Rees, formerly Dispatcher newly organized company, under AND THE NEWCOMERS able that the rules can be in­ refrigerator for the crew mess in Norfolk, has taken over as SIU contract. terpreted differently, so for this will be delivered before sailing. And the younger Brothers just Stewards Department Patrolman reason I will point out some of CLEAN AND QUIET out of school: Why are the ship­ OVERTIME PROBLEM here. Reliable Ben, or "Old Hoss" the most misinterpreted rules in ping rules so difficult to under­ Another beef which came up The City of Alma, Waterman as he is known, is right on the a subsequent issue of the LOG. recently (on the SS Southland) stand? Steamship Company, paid off ball, as always. In the meantime, if you have It has always been an accepted here on April 5. This was a Permit and trip card men are was in connection with Article 3, any questions pertaining to the good payoff, and we want to being promoted aboard'ship. This Section 12 of the Agreement re­ fact that a knowledge of the shipping rules, ask your Dis­ commend the _ three Delegates is in violation of the Union's garding the bosun being allowed shipping rules is the first prin­ who bought this ship in clean Official Shipping llules, which to make as many hours overtime ciple that must be learned to in­ patcher, Patrolman or any of state, "Section 30 — Wipers as the high man's overtime in the sure smooth operations both your officials for clarification. and with no disputes. We arc here for that purpose aboard ships and ashore. Our old pie-card buddy. Red must not be promoted aboard Deck Department. and we will gladly help you with On the shoulders of you young­ On the Southland, some of Sullivan, was the ship's Dele­ vessel, but must come off and any questions. er Seafarers depends the future the ABs had more overtime than gate, and maybe that had some­ register." Boston Covers All New England NO NEWS ? ? As Shipping Maintains Peak Baltimore, Too, is Having Trouble Finding Men For The Rated Jobs Knowledge Of Shipping Rules Called Basis Of Union Strength �THE Page Eight SEAFARERS Petty Chiseling Cheats Seamen Out Of Launch Service Money LOG Friday. April 18. 1947 ALCOA'S NEW PASSENGER SHIP By EDDIE HIGDON PHILADELPHIA — Last week i informed as to when the launch a situation that we will show up. we had naa a haven't had in a long time, All our members ought to be mean that a launch beef came on the watch for these chiseling up on the Cape Briton, Bull Line, tactics, and when they crop up and that's something which we wait for the launch — otherwise haven't had to contend with in the money spent Cannot be col­ lected from the company. many moons. The ship pulled out into the stream at about 6 p. m. and no launch was supplied by the com­ pany until the next morning. Some of the crewmembers, how­ ever, signaled a launch, and paid $1.00 apiece each way. , . West Coast Gets A New Probiem: Shortage Of Men least eight and J half pounds of coffee on board for each day. However, when it came time to bring supplies on board, damn if By W. H. SIMMONS coffee wasn't found to be short again. So we went to bat with SAN FRANCISCO — Shipping the company and this time ia so good out here that we are enough Java was supplied. experiencing something new for Shipping is very good down us. There is a shortage of all ratings, and we are forced to here. We have plenty of jobs Any move heaven and earth to get and not enough takers. enough men to crew the ships. rated men who want to ship out Last week we had a case in of the City of Brotherly Love are point. The Waterman Steamship invited to come on down here Company took over the Xavier and get acquainted. Victory in Coos Bay. We had the problem of crewing the ship and we only managed it by grabbing men as they came into the meet­ ing, giving them bus tickets and Members of fhe SIU have subsistence money, and sending a long record of supporting them on their merry way. other unions in a just beef. From this instance, and others For this reason, all Seafarers too numerous to mention, it can are urged not to purchase the be seen that the Gold Coast is really humming again. Vancouver Daily Province, However, although we are en­ a. scab newspaper, set up and joying plenty of activity here, printed by non-union labor. our income has dropped off The Vancouver. B. C., slightly. Atlantic and Gulf mem­ SIU Branch is supporting the bers touching any port on the West Coast, can pay their dues. International Typographers SUP representatives are carrying Union, AFL, both morally A&G Dues Receipt Books, and and physically in their eight there is an A&G office in the month old strike. Port of San Francisco. Canadian Seamen When in Vancouver show your contempt for the scabs by refusing to buy a news­ paper put out by strikebreak­ ers. This will help the ITU members to win their strike for better wages and condi­ tions. ~ •: • ^ .'I " - m - •-. - DOUBLE TALK Another beef last week con­ cerned the Skipper of the John Gallup, Smith and Johnson. This character came on board at 5:30 p. m., and ordered all hands to stand by fore and aft. He then They were told by the launch- tried to beat the men put of two tender that if they presented hours penalty time. their receipts to the company When this was brought up to they could collect the money they him at the payoff, he stated in paid him. The company refused front of both Patrolmen that the to pay, and claimed that a launch had been furnished, and some of hree Delegates had never menthe crewmembers had used the tioned the matter to him. So the service going to and from shore. Delegates came up, and then the Captain stated that he had not said anything to the Patrolmen SEA LAWYERS about not hearing from the Dele­ According to the agreement, gates on the beefs. when a ship is out in the stream Some guy. He had a split awaiting a berth, and it is ex­ tongue, and he tried to use both pected to stay there for eight hours or longer, the company parts at one time. The crew also beefed about a must furnish a launch for one shortage of coffee. We got every­ complete trip every 24 hours. thing straightened out, and the The company officials claimed Port Steward promised to put at that they do not have to furnish a launch until the ship has been at anchor for eight hours, and that they can furnish the launch anytime they please, just so long as one complete trip is made each 24 hours. Well, according to the agree­ ment, they are right, but this is awfully damn technical, and cer­ tainly the Delegates ought to be It has also come to my atten­ tion that some of our members are disregarding the Agent in Coos Bay. This shouldn't be since Jack Barton, the Agent, was put in there for both SIU and SUP protection and service. Let's stop by-passing, and go all out to give him a hand. • jj i ; — One of Alcoa's three new passenger-cargo vessels maned by a Seafarer crew, the Alcoa Cavaler is pictured on her recent trial run on the Columbia River at Portland, Ore. The Cavalier, now in New York, will make 17-day trips through the West Indies beginning May 2, while her sister ships, the Corsair and the Clipper, will sail from New Orleans on dates to be announced later. Crew quarters are air-conditioned on the 14,870-ton ships. New York Has Plenty Of Ships, But Men To Sail Them Is Prohiem By JOE ALGINA By JOHNNY JOHNSTON Getting a letter home in the 1800's was not an easy matter for a seamen. The Captain of the ship Mary of Boston, writ­ ing home to his wife in 1808 from Smyrha, comments as fol­ lows: •T send this by a Barbaiy Corsair, such acquaintance as I make here, and perhaps I shall experience as much faith in a Turk as we find in the general­ ity of Christians. He will leave it in Malta, and there I expect it may find someone to forward it on, if possible, to America." A Corsair was a privateer of the Mediterranean, usually Tur­ kish, whose activities often ver­ ged on piracy. i 4 4. There have been many stories told about the ways and means that were used by waterfont characters to relieve the oldtime seaman of his payoff when he came ashore. The most ruthless of all was the boarding-house runner. This character was paid by the Shipping Master before the sea­ man was signed on, thus the man went to sea, with his wages well drawn against. It was common practice for the landlord to charge the sea­ man double what he obtained from the Shipping Master. This meant many days of no pay be­ fore the seaman had paid his debt and was working for money of his own. ATTENTION! If you don't find linen when you go aboard your ship, notify the Hall at once. A telegram from Le Havre or Singapore won't do you any good. It's your bed and you have to lie in It. NEW YORK — This port is still a beehive of activity. Not a day goes by that we don't have plenty of ships paying off, signing on, or being squared away. That goes for tankers, freighters, and passenger ves­ sels. With so many things happen­ ing at once, the Dispatcher and the Patrolmen take a real beat­ ing. A shortage of rated men is making the Dispatcher see things at night; and being kept on the run until all hours is not doing the Patrolmen any good, either. Our new companies, notably Bloomfield and American East­ ern, are adding to their fleets. That means more jobs, and so the pick of ships is good here. On Overtime All overtime must be turn­ ed in to the head of each Department at least 72 hours before the ship is scheduled to dock. But this does not mean to hold the overtime until then. As soon as penalty work is done, a record should be given to the Department head, and one copy held by the man doing the job. In that way there is less chance for things to get fouled up. Last week the SS Francis, Bull Lines, paid off after a fairly long trip. Everything went along in ] fine shape and the crew col­ lected a good piece of cabbage. Same thing on the SS Richard Rush, Robin Lines, in from a trip to South Africa. The sign on of the Waterman's SS Yaka was delayed due to certain repairs i-equested by the SIU. These have been complet­ ed and the ship is ready to leave any day fon Bremerhaven. Four Sea trains are now on the steady lun from New Orleans to New York. This is good news for many Seafarers who like the run. New York is now having a smallpox scare. In order to avert a real epidemic, all inhabitants of the Big City have been re­ quested to be vaccinated. If any Seafarers are contem­ plating coming' to New York, it is wise to be vaccinated before arriving here. In case there are any SIU men who want to be immunized here, many spots have been set up for that purpose. Here are the addresses; all city hospitals; all police stations; all Depart­ ment of Health clinics; and the Health Department's main office, 125 Worth Street. The whole business takes only a few seconds, and it doesn't hurt fellows — they tell me. The Patrolmen Say... NEW YORK—I found the ship that cannot be beat for fine food and an excellent Stewards De­ partment. She is the SS Mclntyre, South Atlantic Steamship Company. When I went aboard for the payoff, while she was in the stream here in New York, my nostrils were assailed by the in­ describable perfume of broiling steaks. It was wonderful. Never have I seen a more contented crew than the boys aboard this ship. Each meal is looked forward ho with the impatierice that accompanies the payoff. The crew found itself unable to bestow upon the cooks all the praise they felt for the fine cooking laid before them and on that point I can back them up— it sure was wonderful. The cooking was wonderful and the Steward treated the crew like kings. There waij nothing* that possibly could be done that wasn't provided for the men at chow time. From the crew and myself a rousing hand of applause to the Stewards Department of the Mclntyre. Jimmy Sheehan �Friday, April 18. 1947 THE Canadian SlU After Raise For Restorer Crew I\ SEAFARERS LOG LEAFLET Marcus Hook Blasts Mineowners Who Put Profits Above Lives By BLACKIE CARDULLO MARCUS HOOK— Everything is shaping up fine in the Port of Marcus Hook — shipping is good, the girls are beautiful, and there is plenty of work to do on the unorganized ships. Any of the boys who would like to come down here and give us a hand organizing will be welcome with open arms. We have at 1 e a s t 10 unorganized ships coming in every week, and the work involved keeps us right on the ball. We wonder if some of those Washington crack-pots and la­ bor-baiting bums, like peg-leg Pegler and his comrades, have read the paper lately—and we don't mean the jokes or the funnies. We're referring to the Centralia mine incidents, where 111 men lost their lives recently. These dead men were the same men who were asking for a raise in pay and a lousy nickel-a-ton royalty to take care of their families in case of acci­ dents such as the one just oc­ curred. These men had to risk their lives time and again to bring about correction of the unsafe conditions in the very same mine. This also includes calling of the Illinois governor's atten­ tion to the conditions. NEW YORK — Representing the Canadian District of the Seafarers International Union, Secietary-Treasurer H. Murphy this week began negotiations with the Commercial Pacific Cable Company to gain the six percent increase recently won on SIU American ships. Operators of the Canadian cableship, Restorer, the company is expected to fall in line and sign up without too much diffi­ culty. The Union demands, identical to those gained from the Ameri­ can operators, call for a six per­ cent increase in wages, overt i m e, standby, longshore, and tank cleaning rates retroactive to January 1, 1947. • Also asked for are increases in the traveling and subsistence rates from $4.00 to $4.25 and the meal allowance from $1.00 to $1.05. These rates call for re­ troactivity to March 11, 1947. The Restorer, now doing cable repair work in the Pacific, oper­ ates out of Vancouver, B.C. with a Canadian crew. Contracted to the SIU Canadian District, she enjoys the highest standard of wages and conditions of any ship in Canada. Negotiations are expected to wind up shortly when the man­ ager of the company returns to New York for a meeting with Brother Mui-phy at the c o m pany's offices. GREED Commie Union Sabotages Auto Union Demands •J- For the second time within a year, the communist-dominated United Electrical, Radio and Ma­ chine Workers of America, CIO, sabotaged the wage-increase de­ mands made by the CIO United Auto Workers on General Mo­ tors with the acceptance early this week of a I5c raise following a secret meeting with company officials. The UAW is pushing for a 23Vic raise for its mem­ bership. Last year, when the UAW was conducting its longest ond most costly strike against GM an<#was holding out for a IQVijc hourly wage increase, the UE signed a pact with the auto corporation for 18% cents in cricumstances strikingly similar to this week's settlement. Terms of the latest UE-GM agreement, which was announced just 24 hours before the opening of a special meeting of the UAW's executive board in New York City, pointed up the in­ tense degree of the " communists' hatred for the auto workers president, Walter Reuther. The UAW head, a bitter foe of the communists' destructive trade-union tactics, has been hamstrung by them in his own union in his fight to better con­ ditions for the membership. In addition to spiking the ef­ fectiveness of their brother un­ ionists' demands, the UE's action, dealt a a blow to efforts of the CIO to bargain on an industry­ wide basis. Page Nine ,KER4 IMT€i:t4«nONAl. ONION CANADIAN PISTRICT • t Reproduced above is the front page of the leaflet, "The Sea­ farers in Canada," the first in a series of organizational litera­ ture to be issued and distributed by the newly-formed Canadian District of the Seafarers International Union. , Addressed to the vast number of unorganized Canadian seamen, the leaflet explains in question and answer form the structure, policies and unparalleled maritime accomplishments of the SIU. There are 111 men dead, hun­ dreds of mourning relatives^—all because of some greedy mine owner, who wouldn't spend a few dollars to make conditions safe. We see w here some lame­ brained jerk wrote into a Phil­ adelphia paper, blasting John L. Lewis for calling a six-day mourning period. This character suggested that Lewis send the miners back to work, and that the men set aside a certain sum of money out of their pay to help support the families of the 111 dead. This stupid individual lias ab­ solved the company of all blame for this tragedy and holds Lewis as directly responsible. If the writer of the vicious letter didn't have a one-track mind he'd realize that Lewis and the United Mine Workers have organized and fought for safer conditions a lot harder than they have for pay increases. When some big shot dies, he gets big headlines and a nation­ al holiday is declared, but when 111 hard working men are reck­ lessly killed, and their co-work­ ers pay tribute to them by de­ claring a mourning period, they are bombarded. We know what John L. Lewis stands for and we are with him 100 percent, if it will just change unsafe working c o n d itions. If some of • these people who are so quick to blast the miners were made to work in these same mines, they would very soon change their tune. As far as I am concerned, I have sailed ships on all oceans and sailed all through the war, from beginning to end, and if these people were to depend on me to mine coal under these horrible conditions to keep them wai'm they would all soon freeze to death. MC School Saves 7 Million Bucks — By Closing American taxpayers will bene­ fit by a saving of $7,000,000 with the closing down of the Pennsyl­ vania Maritime Academy at Morristown. Pa., on May 31. Only 49 cadets are now enrolled in the school. It was also disclosed that work on a $6,500,000 project to establish a shore base at Morrisville already had been halted. The a n n o u n c ement of the abandoning of the training school points up the validity of the aiguments presented by the Seafarers International Union. The Maritime Commission's ti-aining program has long been the object of attack by the SIU, which contends that the entire project is a needless and unwar­ ranted drain on the taxpayers' money. Arrangements are being made for the completion of the train­ ing of the cadets at other east coast maritime academies whose wastefulness far exceeds the ex­ penditures for the Pennsylvania school. How The Social Security Act Affects Seamen {Continued from Page }) Retirement benefits are pay­ able to the wage earner and his wife until the death of both and to the unmarried children until the age of 18. Survivors benefits are payable to the following survivors of the insured; 1. Children (including adopted and stepchildren). These receive monthly payments until they reach the age of 18. 2. Widow, regardless of age, caring for a child entitled to benefits — If she does not re­ marry, she receives monthly payments until her youngest child is 18. Payments stop then, but begin again when the widow becomes 65 and continue until her death. 3. Widow, without child—she receives monthly payments when she reaches the age of 65, pro­ vided she has not remarried. 4. Dependent parents—where the deceased left neither widow nor child who might never be­ come eligible for monthly bene­ fits, his parents 65 or over may receive m o n t h 1 y benefits if chiefly supported by the wage earner at the time of his death. A lump sum death benefit is payable to the widow immediatelj' upon the death of her hus­ band. The regular monthly bene­ fits then begin when she reach­ es 65. There are .special provisions for survivors of men who serv­ ed in the armed forces if death occurred after they left the ser­ vice. Details may be had at any field office of the Social Security Administration. It is important that claims be filed as quickly as possible af­ ter death, as retroactive pay­ ments will not be made for more than three months. In order to qualify for the benefits of S(.icial Security, the wage earner must be fully in­ sured. To gain this status, the wage earner must have paid tax on $50 or more in at least half the number of calendar quarters as there are between January 1. 1937, when the program began, and the quarter when he be­ comes 65, or dies. In no case can he become fully insured unless he has been paid at least $50 in wages in each of at least six calendar quarters. You may become fully paid up for life when your record shows that you have acquired 40 of these $50 quarters—called quar­ ters of coverage. Thus, you are assured of re­ ceiving payments when you be­ come 65 or your survivors may collect benefits in case of death. This does nut mean, however, that your payments will not change. If you continue to work in covered employment after earning the 40 quarters of cov­ erage. your benefits, generally speaking, increase. If you leave covered employment, they de­ creased. CONCLUSION The Social Security Adminis­ tration maintains 450 field of­ fices throughout the United States, all of whom are there to serve you if you have any prob­ lems. From personal contact with the New York staff, we have found them to be very courteous and helpful. They seem anxious to see to it that you get what is coming to you. If you cannot call at one of their offices for assistance, they will go into your individual cas« if you contact them by mail. �Page Ten T H E SEA F A R E R S Friday. April 18. 1947 LOG SBIPS' MINUTES AND NEWS NORTH ATLANTIC STORM MAULED THE MANDAN VICTORY Crew Stages Rip-Roaring Vodvil Show Crewmembers of the SS Wil­ liam Cox shook the mothballs from their stored up talent, when the vessel tied up in Gal­ veston recently, and shaped up a star-studded shipboard show that, at least, was a screaming success. Seventeen sizzling vau­ deville acts, running the entire range from an accordion recital right down to the inevitable strip-teasing bump and grind routine sparked the night's en­ tertainment. There was little doubt as to the Seafarers' versatility when the curtain rang down on the last glittering act. The three passengers who came in on the Cox beat the drums in booming measures for the lads who shuf­ fled across the boards. Their acclaim for the performance was reported by Ray Sweeney, Gal­ veston patrolman. The heavy seas and. gales that played hell with irans-allantic traffic last month didn't skip over the Waterman vessel. In the ruckus the night of March 20. the forward mast was ripped out. went splashing over the side. Damage up forward is seen in photo above. Top n' lift laid across and creased the starboard boom. ; -s . AMONG THE BEST A ten minute intermission fol­ lowed the ninth number — a group singing of "Hail, Hail, Safely tied up at a Brooklyn dock, the Mandan "Victory presents this picture of a vessel minus her mast. After the mis­ hap. the ship heaved to and waited fd«r days for the storm to subside. The Gang's All Here," which was reported heard in some quarters of the borough of the tree and the Lipless bums. Refreshments —FREE—were served as a cour­ tesy of the Stewards Department. Then back on the boards went the spoofing and hoofing mem­ bers of the Deck and Black Gangs for the second half of the production, led off by "Teddy, the Troubador," singing "If I Had A Nickel" under a shower of coins from the responsive audi­ ence. In addition to the song, strip­ per and accordionist, the riotous program included a soft shoe shuffle, the tearful "Frankie and Johnnie" ballad, and a scintil­ lating samba sung and hipped by "Rosie" Terrill. The committee which arrang­ ed and produced the shipboard spectacle was comprised of the following: Arthur J. Moelter, Ch. Eng; Thomas Case, Third Mate; Sylvester Zygarewski, Steward; Thomas Brescia, OS; Andre Touchon, AB; Mar ice Parker, Oiler. The program states the committee was given special assistance by Ludwig Proskauer, apparently a passenger. The program distributed to the audience was as follows: At Seven-Thirty P.M. The Deck and Engine Departments present SEVENTEEN, COUNT EM, SEVENTEEN BIG ACTS OF VAUDEVILLE ! 1 featuring that sensational comedy team MOELTER & CASE and MAESTRO LUDWIG PROSKAUER (on the accordion) PART ONE That great Gershwin Classic "Rhapsody in Blue." poured sweetly from the accordion by .MAESTRO LUDWIG PROSKAUER A Hot Little Numbah, "By Mir Bist Du Schoen," a rendition by TINY. THE SINGING WAITER "A Few Words from one of the special guests of honor".. SlLLY, 2nd MATE The Black Gang Band with "I'm Sure of Everything But You" on his guitar ; MJCKY, THE PITS A Soft Shoe Shuffle to the tune of "Darktown Twisted ladder hangs lonesomely at spot where mast stood solidly before storm look a. hand. No one was hurt. Donald Herlihy. AB. who took the pictures was in the wheelhouse when the accident occurred. He said the ship was traveling light on the return voyage when she ran into the storm's fury. SS Yarmouth's Black Gang Asks Change In Quarters The Black Gang men of the SS Yarmouth, Eastern Steam­ ship Lines have urged steps to procure a change in their quar­ ters to "C" deck aft, charging that the rooms presently assign­ ed to them are crowded, poorly ventilated and . generally un­ suitable. The Engine department men, in a resolution adopted April 1, recommended that officials in the port of New York act in the beef upon termination of the present series of Nassau runs. Conditions in the quarters now a-vailable were likened to those prevailing seven years ago when the vessel Was chartered to the Alcoa Steam.ship Com­ pany. At that time the Seafar­ ers International Union fought successfully to have the Black Gang quartered in "C" deck aft. "Today, after a lapse of seven years," the resolution says, "we again find ourselves forced to occupy the original quarters un­ der even more unsuitable condi­ tions, while the licensed person­ nel have been given new quar­ ters." 'The resolution concluded with a recommendation that "we re­ quest our New York Hall to" contact the Boston branch to insure similar steps being taken in regard to the SS E'vangeline, now in the process of reconver­ sion." Maiden Comes In Ship-Shape With Militancy Marks A Crack Crew the payoff in New Orleans First Meeting On lastAt week, the Seafarers Inter­ national Union's crack, crew aboserd the SS Maiden Victory, Seatrain Ship Waterman Steamship Corpora­ Strutters Ball" by -JOE FRISCO" ZYGAROWSKI Militancy marked the first That International Two-Some in an Intimate Love meeting aboard the SS Seatrain Song, "Take Me In Your Aims" MARIE and GENE New York, one of the four new And now, to that popular show-song. "A Prettye Girl Is Like a Melody," the bumps and grinds of ROSIE, THE STRIPPER Seatrain ships, with the passage "Rainbow at Midnight," guitared and moaned by of several motions calculated to the Deck Gang hill-billy TEDDP. THE TROUBADOUR insure safe and satisfactory con­ Hail, Hail, The Gang's AH Here," Everybody raising ditions on the vessel's coastwise their voices and shaking the Brooklyn Bridge EVERYBODY!! trip. — TEN MINUTES INTERMISSION — The meeting, held April 1, FREE REFRESHMENTS I ! I FREE REFRESHMENTS I I I was chaired by Fred Lewan and (Courtesy of the Stewai^d's Department) Real Elegant Service by TINY THE SINGING WAITER and Arthur L. Smouse did the reThat Continental Concubine MADAME ANDRENEVA TOUCHON I corcling. PART TWO In the interests of safety, the Plunking and crooning "if I Had A Nickel," crew unanimously declared that a return engagement of TEDDY, THE TROUBADOUR the ship would not sail until the By Popular Demand, shuffling to the "St. Louis Blues," in his own inimitable way ZIGGY, THE FRISCO KID cargo was properly secured. Nor Lifting his dulcet voice on the wings of that would it leave until all Stewards Neapolitan melody, "O, Solo Mio" TINY. THE SINGING WAITER stores were aboard. A sizzling South American number, "Ay, Ay, Ay, I Love Under Good and W.elfare, it You Very Much," danced by luscious ROSIE TERRILL was agreed that an effort should Our illustrious Maestro, playing a medley of Russian songs on his accordion MAESTRO LUDWIG PROSKAUER be made to set up a library "Frankie and Johnnie" GENE, THE PURSER aboard ship. Also that a wash­ Rendered by that Hangover from the Gay OO's board should he placed in the At last, THE STAR OF THE. SHOW assisted by MOELTER and CASE laundry room, and that paint A Community Sing: "My Bonny Lies Over The Ocean" should be made available for "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" i he Deck and Engine Depart­ "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" "Auld Lang Syne" EVERYBODY!] ments. tion, wound up "a very good trip" that was highlighted by an exceptional spirit of cooper­ ation amjong all hands. The vessel called at Bremerhaven and Bremen, Germany, and stopped at St. John's, New Brunswick, and Jacksonville, Fla., before paying off in the Crescent City. Patrolmen who hoarded the ship at the point of. payoff complimented the crew on the cleanliness of their quar­ ters. At shipboard meetings during the course of the voyage, mat­ ters which received unanimous support were Union control of the slopchests and measures to maintain shipboard cleahliness. The crew also concurred in the resolutions adopted at San Juan and New York meetings calling for pictures and biographical sketches of men running for Union office to appear in the SEAFARERS LOG. �I / Friday. April 18. 1947 THE SEAFARERS LOG Page Eleven SIU Ship's Minutes In Brief SEAFARER SAM SAYS DEL MUNDO. Nov, 24 — Chairman Johnson; Secretary James Johnston. Discussed matter of payment of overtime. It was decided to check with Patrolman to find out if over­ time was involved owing to fact that deck men were called before sailing time. Deck and Engine Delegates reported all okay in their departments. Slight difficulties in Stewards Department were straightened out to everyone's satisfaction, reported the Delegate. Mo­ tions carried: to see Purser about keeping slopchest open from 2:30 p. m. to 3:30 p. m.. and from 8:30 to 7:30 p. m. to give all hands chance to be served. Discussion on number of men eating in both unli­ censed messrooms. Decided to retain status quo on seating ar­ rangements. FLORIDA. March 2 — Chair­ man Dan Thomas; Secretary Charles Cuminskey. Delegates reported good cooperation from ship's officers. New Business: Motion carried: that Deck Dele­ gate be instructed to see that all members of the Deck De­ partment stand their watches, or get someone to stand in their place if they wish to go home in port. Motion carried: that Delegate have a sign placed in crew's stairway forbidding all persons other than crew mem­ bers from entering crew's quar­ ters. Motion carried: that Deck Delegate be instructed to see Steward and inform him that messmen shall not be al­ lowed to procure native help for the messroom while in port, unless those persons have a doctor's certificate stating that they are free of all communi cable diseases. i. S. S. WALTHAM VICTORY, Jan. 11—Chairman P. A. Tumasi; Secretary P. A. Kenfield. Min­ utes of last meeting read and approved. Discussion on Stew­ ards' stores. Stores will be checked as they come aboard, with motion being carried to make purchases from a dif­ ferent chandler. Motion car­ ried to extend thanks to Third % S- t Mate Sullivan for the work he did for the unlicensed person­ Mandarin Slopchest nel. One minute of silence ob­ Got Under His Skin served for Brothers lost at sea. Thanks to shoreside competi­ i 4, 4. ROBERT R. McBURNEY, tion, Brother Laffler, AB aboard Feb. 19 — Chairman L. A. the SS Mandarin didn't have to Wright; Secretary T. A. Lau- shed his skin to purchase a suit mann. Proceeds of fines are to of underwear at the ship's slop­ go direct to hospitals. Motions chest. But he did get scraped a carried; that sand soap be is- bit in the deal. When he popped in on the Pur­ isued each week; that desk light be installed in 12-4 ser, who was doing business as foc'sles; laundry scrub board be usual at the old seagoing cliprepaired; if possible, to install stand, and ogled the price, he steam pipe in laundry room for figured he'd be trading his shirt boiling clothes. Third Cook for the cotton undies. The tar­ will attempt to change books. iff was $2.40—per pair. ShoreDecided foc'sles will be left side the price was $2.04. clean, with fresh linen on Brother Laffer wasn't going bunks for next crew. to be caught with his pants— ccratinly not without a suit of underwear. So he squawked. The Purser dropped the price somewhat. Laffer squawked some more. The price finally came down to J" S* 4" YORKMAR, (Date not given) $2.25 for the doo-dads. But they Chairman William Speaker; have got to come down still Secretary Arthur Reciniti. De­ more. The price, that is. cided to check fans and replace 4- 4. 4. missing ones. No cols aboard. Steward said they would be put aboard at first opportun­ ity. No hand soap or stoppers for sink. Several necessary re­ BRAZIL VICTORY, Maxch 2 pairs listed for action. Crew —Chairman Daniel Segal; Sec­ decided to call for additions to retary Leo M. Morsette. Delelibrary when the ship hits port. gales reported. New Business: t & t Motion carried to have messDIAMOND HITCH, Feb. 17 rooms and pantries locked at —Chairman Howard Guinier; all times to keep unarthorized Secretary H. Carroll. (Special persons out. Motiop carried to meeting) Deciding whether the have the Delegates go through ship should sail with present crew's quarters and pick up all Chief Engineer. New crewlibrary books not being read. members aboard do not realize Motion carried to instruct head­ the situation—matter explain­ quarters that when improve­ ed in detail. Motion carried ments and changes are made not to sail with present Chief they should become standard Engineer. on all similar type ships. This 4. 4. 4. would eliminate a lot of head­ DEL MUNDO. Jan. 19— aches and beefs. Motion carried Chairman Trewil; Secretary to have N. O. Agent check and Adolph Capote. (Special meet­ see if there is a penalty for ing) Charges by one of the 183 tons of butane and Petro­ crewmembers against a crewleum gas. as crew is uncertain member of another ship were whether or not this is consid­ discussed. Crewmember de­ ered explosives. nied ever making the charges. ROBERT M. T. HUNTER. Feb. 23—Chairman M. Pappadakis; Secretary Tom Williams. New Business: Motion made to donate 50 cents each to send radiogram to Sec.-Treas. con­ curring with his answer to Jo­ seph Curran of the NMU. Mo­ tion carried. Fines set up for various offenses in messroom. Money to be sent to Seafarers LOG. Two plates of night lunch to be put out, one for watches after midnight. Good and Wel­ fare: Suggestion that members refrain from removing toilet paper from one head to another. Arrangements made for each department to clean recreation room. All crewmembers to help keep library clean and in or­ der. RRANGE MUTUAL TIM6-0ff TWROOGH HEADS OF / PEPARTMENTS f X % t ROBERT R. McBURNERY. Feb. 9—Chairman L. A. Wright; Secretary T. A. Laumann. Deck Delegate reported four or five hours overtime. Engine Depart­ ment Delegate reported at­ tempting to get two or three hours overtime for wipers cleaning hot well. Steward De­ partment Delegate reported all okay. Old Business: Motion carried to make all fines one dollar, except laundry which will remain the same. XXX ARTHUR M. HULBERT, Feb. 16—Chairman O. F. Martin; Secretary Haold Evans. List of fines for offenses drawn up all fines to be donated to hos­ pital fund at payoff. The crew as a whole ga.ve credit to the Stewards Department for the splendid work they have done during the hard luck they have been having. A thorough check of the slopchest and medical supplies to be made and all shortages to be ordered upon arrival in the United States. List of repairs and improve­ ments drawn up. 4. 4. 4. EZEK HOPKINS, (Date not given) Chairman A. R. Valasco: Secretary W. T. Barber. New Business: Delegates reported everything running smoothly. All members stood for one minute in silence in tribute for brothers lost at sea: Motion carried to have OS and Wipers clean the crew's recreation room and laundry; to have crewmembers keep the messhall clean from cigarettes and matches. Each person who uses laundry to clean it after use, CUT and RUN By HANK We would like to advise the Brothers who have been and are now using the fourth floor Baggage and Mail Department for their letters, baggage, etc., that after three months these articles cannot be held in New York any longer. However, they shall be sent to home addresses, etc., or if addresses are not given, they shall be disposed of otherwise. So, Brothers, when you come back from your trips and hit the other ports down the coast, before you make an­ other trip make sure you have notified your New York Mail and Baggage Department asking for your mail, etc., and where you want it sent . . . New York shipping continues to be real good and more and more Brothers are coming into the Hall to get away from the hot summer weather which will be baking New "iork soon . . . In fact, shipping is swell down in Mobile, says little Charlie Stevens, who same in from his trip without his familiar cigar. We'll bet a deflated dollar that New Orleans is booming with ships for those Souse American voyages with plenty of cool weather and Latin jazz . . . Brother Herbert Braunstein, whose hometown is Waterloo, Indiana, shipped out for New Orleans and elsewhere. Let's hear from you, Herbert! 4- 4- 4. We would like to extend this shipmate-type of a message. Blackie Koffstein, Bosun on the Captain Knot, says that he has another dog for good old Peg Leg Anderson. Doggone it. Brother Anderson is sure lucky to have a shipmate like that, indeed . Fred Johnson, the oldtimer of a deck engineer, says that he feels like a million dollars now after working seven days on a ship which was finally sold. Now he's going to grab the first deck engineer's job he can and enjoy a trip for awhile . . . Oldtimer Paddy Nash is all set to ship out while his son Eddie Nash just came in from a trip to Nassau . . . Little Eddie KasnowskL the oldtimer of a Steward, really did think of his shipmate, little Joe Ehrhart, whose home town is in St. Louis, Missouri. The LOG is now being mailed every week so little Joe can keep up with current union activities or catch up with what happened during the months he's away on a voyage. Deck Engineer Claude Davis said last week that he was going to ship out with Brother Pete De Pietro who had just came in from a trip to South America. Let's hear from you guys how the trip is getting along ... To Steward James "Skeets"' Coyne we want to let him know that his shipmate Johnny Burke is here in New York, fresh from a trip concluded in Houston Texas. Your pal, Johnny Burke, heard that you were asking for him while you were 4^ ^ 4* ROBIN GOODFELLOW, Mar. in New York. No doubt you two shipmates will meet each other 5—Chairman Bud Bryant; Sec­ unexpectingly in the hall one of these days . . . We received a short retary Cameron. Motion car­ letter from oldtimer John Santos who is taking it easy up there in ried to take up only new busi­ Massachusetts; "I'm writing to say hello and how are all the boys in ness and farewell of the crew. New York. Okay, 1 hope. I'll be seeing everybody sometime in Motion carried to get library June." . . . Brother Blackie Vince Kane, who loves those trips to aboard. Motion carried to elect the islands, just dropped in to say hullo and confessed that he's a departmental committee to anxious to grab a ship down there again. In fact, he'll even fly down investigate stores and slop­ there if he has to. Well, as they say it down in South America, chest. All hands stood in sil­ Blackie, take it easy, boy . . . Brother Lucky Lee Luciano said last ence for one minute for broth­ week that Captain Fi-ancis Buyer is one real swell skipper and it's ers lost at sea. Good and Wel­ a pleasure to sail any ship with a man like him, indeed . . . Brother fare: Quite a few members James J. Sills, who proudly announces that his nickname is "Box­ blew their tops, mostly on edu­ car Kelly," just came in from a trip out of New Orleans and is all set for another voyage out. cation of union members. �Page 'Twalire THE S"E'A^F'A^ii'-E*n"'S Friday. April 18. 1347 LOG TWO CREWMEN AND THE MONROE VICTORY Backs Michelet's Voluntary Plan For Assessment Log'A 'Rhythms To the Editor: I have just read a letter in the LOG by Brother Macauley wherein he, like me, found Frenchy Michelet's open letter full of sound advice for the membership. However, I think that Brother Macauley misundersto od Frenchy's voluntary assessment proposal. Brother Michelet defin­ itely meant that the proposal should be submitted to the mem­ bership for referendum vote. Frenchy is a stickler for consti­ tutional procedure, as anyone who was within shouting dis­ tance of a regular meeting in New Orleans several months ago can testify. I am wholeheartedly in favor of a voluntary assessment as proposed in the open letter. No book member would be obliged to pay it unless ho wanted to from purely militant union prin­ ciples. On the other hand, it could be made obligatory in practice fur all future tiipcard members. Half of these guys arc only going to sea to skim off the cream. As soon as things get tough again, they'll head back for the farm. So why shouldn't they bear some of the costs. The money would be used to con­ tinue the fight for decent con­ ditions for those men who went to sea in the lean and hungry years, and who propose to keep right on going to sea for th'e rest of their lives. If this type of assessment had been in effect during the v/ar years, we would now have an additional two hundred grand in the treasury to fight seamen's battles. Charlie Wilson Baton Rouge, La. (Ed. Note: Michelet's propo sal was made in the following paragraph of his open letter, which apepared in the Jan. 10, 1347 issue of the Log: "Brothers, the financial re­ serves of our organization has been dangerously depleted dur­ ing our recent successful strike (Sept. 1946). The Union was forced to lay out an enormous sum to feed and flop the mem­ bership and to conduct the busness of striking. So I want to take this opportunity to urge all of my brother members tb abtively work for a ten dollar voluntary rehabilitation assessrhent.") Memo To Michelet: We Miss You To the Editor: See by the LOG tha 'Frenchy' Michelet has been 'seen' in ump­ teen more places. That guy get's to'more places than Kilroy. Next time he shows up will you please put some salt on his tail. The garig here would like to make another swell trip with him like the one we all made to Savofma on the Cecil Bean. Jimmy Judd 8E The Gang Here's Why! By "Loliia" In answer lo Vic Comb's, "How Come?" which appeared in Ihs LOG March 21. Your words have a ring as true as slecl, II lells so clearly how you big lugs feel, Bui since you can'l define Ihe reason why— I'd like lo lell you whal I Ihink— al leasl I'll Iry. Jack Tropeano, Wiper and Robert Bell, Messman. The Isthmian ship returned recently to New York after a voyage to Honolulu. Photo above shows vessel lied up in the Hawaiian port. Oldtimer Bids Young Seafarers Carry On In True Union Style To the Editor: I am one of those Seafarers who doesn't have a chance to get the LOG hot off the press, but even at this late date I'd like to answer Brother Henry Sohl on his letter "Strengthen­ ing Ties Binding New and Old Members," (LOG, Dec. 20). Brother Sohl has mixed union­ ism with money loans, and when it comes to new members I believe he has the wrong course. I have sailed with many young members, some were the finest boys I ever met. During the war I taught them to the best of my knowledge, but now I am a sick man trying to teach a bunch of back-riding tripcarders who think the Union is only a place to get a job so they won't starve to death. Many times I've had the hon­ or of acting as delegate, and serving the men was my great­ est pleasure. This trip I had to give the delegate's job up be­ cause it's impossible to be a bo­ sun, a teacher and a father to seven tripcards out of eleven men. TRYING TASK Did Brother Sohl every try to delegate a man to stand gang­ way watch during overtime hours and hear six refusals? Or did he try to teach a guy to splice and have a tripcard tell you its the Bosun's job? But when it comes to sweet overtime they stand in front of me blowing their tops and tell­ ing me "how do you expect us to be good union members un­ less you teach us?" According to them I should stand th' weekend gangway watch because I have no girl in this port or such other bilge water arguments. I suppose Brother Sohl would take it to the Mate instead of straightening it out. Of course, if you take it to the bridge you are a jerk. It doesn't matter how much you try to do the right thing, you're still a bum in their eyes. No Brother Sohl, I don't want you and the young seamen to learn the same way I learned in the 1920.S and up. I have a son, too, who may go to sea and I don't want anyone to kick him around as they kicked me.. Nor do I want him to eat from a tin 'plate covered with dirt and rust or stand watch on and watch off without making a full day. Okay you say, why don't these guys get on the ball? Okay, you see that the young jokers get on the ball then we old jokers will do the rest. The young members should realize that many old jokers died to build a union. To them we owe what we have today. Let's remember and honor our departed brothers es­ pecially those who fell during the 1934-37 struggles. Let you. Brother Sohl, write an article to the LOG about calling on them for their share instead of living on the struggles of the For decades and cenluries beyond our ken. This world has always been ruled by men. And yel behind each man, bolh small or greal, A woman always helped fo de­ cide his fale. When a man is "on Ihe make," He'll do anything for her sake— So I'm willing to wager "Baby" is now his wife. old men who are tired now. And Vic's acting male cause she's After four years of war it kind hooked him for life. of got the best part of our en­ ergy, it's time for the young seamen to start learning. It's SEAMEN'S WIVES time for them to put their hands URGED TO BACK to the job instead of standing TIGHT FOR RIGHTS' by with their teeth in their mouth like a bunch of fools To the Editor: while the old men do all the I want to congratulate you for seamen's work. the interesting articles appearing PITCH IN! in the LOG. I read every page, Pitch in, fellows! You can't and if it does happen that some­ learn with books alone. You thing isn't quite clear, I ask my must get your hands dirty. Give husband, who is a merchant sea­ a hand Brother, ask questions, men. And now a word to the forget the portlight zone just wives of seamen. for a few hours a week. When Calling all seamen's wives: the serang gives you a'job that Now that I have the oppor­ you don't know — tell him, he tunity to get my hands on the will gladly teach you. LOG every week, I realize how Remember your serang is be­ this paper can help you get ac­ tween fog and' fire. He must get quainted with your husband's along with topside and you. Co­ job. To be a seaman's wife means operate with him, and you will more than counting the days have a fine trip and bring in when he will be ashore, and until another SIU ship with fiying you will be saying goodbye to colors. him when he sails away again... We want you to keep on sail­ Stand by his side and help him ing in SIU style, the best ^ind in the fight for his rights! nothing but the best. How about "Mrs. Charles B. Martin it Brother Sohl and all the rest Mobile, Ala. of you young men? V. PEREZ SS Fisher Is Covered All Over With Rust To the Editor: I have read in the LOG that you would like good tips about different ports we hit. Well, if any of you fellows hit' Port of Spain, Trinidad, stay away from" the local doctors. If you need treatment for anything go to the Carribean Medical Center. They have a nice hospital, they give you the best "of service, and the doctors are very good. So much for my trip. We are aboard the SS'Benja­ min A. Fisher, an Alcoa pride and joy (so the Skipper thinks.) There is nothing but rust from stem to stern. The Skipper and Chief Mate- would like to get her all cleaned up but they Won't'turn the Deck Gang to on overtime, because they are afraid 'it will hurt Alcoa's bank­ roll. BELL TO BELL They only work the watch on deck,-end it is stricUy'from bell to bell. The' Chief Mate is so afraid of "his jbb that he lies awake all night thinking about it. SHUTTLE RUN • Since sailing ftdm ' Pensdcola, Florida on the 28th of JanUUry, we have made a trip' to Rdggio, Italy, with coal, and from there we went to Paramaribo, Dutch Guinea for Bauxite. Since then we've made one shuttle run to Port of Spain and back to Par­ amaribo. We don't know whether they are going to keep us down here on 'a shuttle run or send us straight home. I can be safe in saying the crew is praying they will • send us straight home. Well, I guess that is about all I know of to squawk about. I'm sorrry I haven't anything good to say about the trip other than we have a very good SIU crew. -G. "B. Gillispie ' Fbri'-bf' Spain,• B. W.^I. �THE Friday, AprU 18. 1947 S EA^F ARER S LOG AND mSEBALIi W THE EHIliIjPPlNES . Union Men Must Respect Picketlines, Says Brother To. the Editor: This article is in regards to the crossing of legitimate picket lines. We note from time to time in front of stores, restaurants, apartment buildings, small shops and various other places, one or two picket lines marching up and down. Their picket cards clearly state that such and such a local union is on strike for bet­ ter wages and working condi­ tions. SIU-SU? men sparked the. game between the crews of the SS Niantic Victory and the SS Mount Greylock. Seafarers in the photo above are, front row: 3rd and 4th from left, G. J. Miller, SIU, and L. H. Westcott, SUP; back row, left to right, Denny White, SUP; I. P. Martin, SUP; and 4th and 7th from left respectively, Bernard E. Lin lin, SUP and Julien Tomas, SUP. Page Thirteen wages and conditions. Such is not the case. The intent behind the front is to spread false prop­ aganda, and to strengthen the ideology of certain foreign pow­ ers. Let's not be misled. It is al­ ways a good policy to inquire of the pickets just who it is they represent and the object of their beef. If their beef is legitimate we .should back them. If they In spite of this, I have noted, in various cases, many people ignoring these small picket lines and patronizing the struck places. This is, in my opinion, a sorry situation. Strikes, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, should bo supported by all work­ ing people. The crossing of a picket line stamps the violator as a scab in the eyes of true un­ ion men and women. These beefs are legitimate beefs for wag^s and working con­ are simply fronts for commie and ditions and should be respected, fascist oi'ganizations making a regardless of size. Of course, it ' political line, .they should be igis well to remember that poli­ ,nored. SCORES JOB tical commie and phony fascist j Bui to be remembered is the STUNTS PULLED lines are another story. Picket jfact that regardless of how large lines of these types are pui'ely or small a picket line is, if it is BY PERFORMERS for the purpose of misleading there because of a genuine tradeTo the Editor: union people into thinking that union beef, don't cross it! they're out there for increasing Louis Goffin The practice of some men tak­ ing jobs in order to work a few STOPOVER IN THE PHILIPPINES days and then collect port pay is drav/ing a iiot ot resentment from the membership. These men sign off the ship a day or an hour before the ship sails. This practice not o n 1 causes animosity among the members but also between com­ pany and Union. I propose that a stiff fine be imposed on members who pull suc'i stunts if they fail to give a valid excuse for their actions. Seafarer Bill Willridge stretches for an easy putout. (Name withheld on request) Conditions For Unorganized Lakes Seamen Are Far Below The Seafarers' Standards To the Editor: Well, I've been reading in the daily papers lately what a num­ ber of people think of John L. Lewis. Well, here's what another one thinks. John L. Lewis has always been, and always will be for the man who works. Wish we had some men like him in Congress—in the House or Sen­ ate—and then we'd have a little more justice. We're backing Lewi.s 100 per cent. It's about time we Americans woke up, and started to really fight for our rights. Sure, the industrialists give us a raise of 5 to 8 cents an hour, but what happens? Bread goes up a cent a loaf; meat from 4 to 6 cents a pound; rent maybe $5 monthly; clothes go up 15 per cent; shoes 10 per cent; and everything rises from 5 to 25 per cent. Isn't it so? What ,we need is more fighting to have the income tax lifted from the low 'income brackets. I'm no commie! In fact, I hate them and all fascists, and all they stand for. But, there is one "ism" that I believe in—that's Americanism I We've supported some of these politicians for years on the basis of their empty promises. And ever tried to expose these Lakes most of these guys have never ' outfits like the LCA. Why, when done an honest day's work in I left the Lakes to sail on West their lives. Let them go out and j Coast ships for a while, I was struggle, and try to get along on astounded. They had three watches where I'd worked two on the Lakes, two men in a room, fed like a ho­ BOY. MVfZEULF- LOJkS tel, linen changed twice a week, MORt; fOdPcO TM-VN) j Posing in the bright sun in the port of Masinloo are five Sea­ overtime over 48 hours, and re­ farers, crewmembers aboard the SS Fairland. Left to right: lieved the watch for 30 minutes Brothers Baumgardner, Howard, Jonier, Church and Steele. for coffee and smoke anywhere and any place. On the Lakes, some ships have no coffee time or relief from 6:15 A.M. and 12:45 P.M., and no relief at any To the Editor: The headlines says, "Union time on the rivers, depending on Action Denies Vet Job on Ves­ Have you seen the latest type sel." the Skippers. of shipowners' propaganda? En­ GIVE GIs CHANCE If this guy was as American closed is an article from the New as he says he is he wouldn't want Yes, that's why I say give these kids and ex-GIs a chance down Orleans States, which at first to kick another man out of a job what they think we can. Let's in Washington. They can't do glance seems to be about some to make way for himself. If he try, to replace these parasites. any worse than the guys we have GI blowing off. But if you read has such a good background as Another thing, why don't they down there now, and will prob­ he claims in the article, why it over a couple of times you can give these GI kids a chance? ably do a lot better. doesn't he just get a job ashore, Most of these kids in the last so he could be with his two Most of those guys down there see all the holes. The article tries to say that children after being away from war are wise, not like us goofs were sitting around Washington in the first one. They pulled the' while we were going to Russia, this GI is an American, served in them for so long. wool over oui- eyes, but not these J Italy, North Africa, South Pa­ two world wars and can't get a Even so, with an NMU con­ fellows. They're on the ball, and' cific, and Japan. Now they want job as a steward because the tract those companies had the I know, because I've been withj to push us around, and cram the NMU told him their men wait­ right to hire their own Stewards, them in all zones. open shop at us. But, we won't ing to ship out would be given providing he joined the union. A number of outfits like the take that kind of pushing around. first preference. The article says If the company wanted him, they Lake Carriers are behind this We in the SIU have won all of that the guy was told by several could have had him. open shop drive, but they can't our beefs in the past^ and we'll shipping companies that he could P. A. Carlson have a job if the Union would cram their phony propaganda win against these phonies, SS Cape Edmont Robert "Baldy" McAdoo] give him papers. down our throats. No one has Hits Anti-Union Sob Stuff �THE Page Fourteen SEAFARERS Friday. April 18. 1947 LOG Seamen Meet The Queerest Characters Here Is A Whole Boatload Rank And File The Skipper Cut Gapers SeafarerSees ITF At Work By JAMES PURCELL By LOUIS GOFFIN In recollecting my experiences the ship back on its course. I have been reading with in­ in the Third Mate's room—plenty At another time, while clad with seagoing characters, I feel of noise and what have you. terest the articles in the LOG that I cannot overlook the ex­ only in a pair of shorts he acci­ At three o'clock in the morn­ about the various characters who perience I had with a Skipper I dentally locked himself out of his • have been found aboard ships. I ing the Old Man came do'WTi to sailed under many years ago. room. Realizing his predicament •wonder, though, if Louis Coffin break it up. The Third Mate be­ His career has a tragic end, but and "Steamboat" O'Doyle ever gan weeping on the Old Man's (Contmued from Page }) while he followed the sea, he was sailed with a whole shipload of shoulder, pleading with him to acted upon, not by brass or pom­ the source of much shipboard lot them have a little fun. characters at one time. My last ship, about a year ago Up stepped the Bosun and pous politicians, but by men with amusement, and at times, specu­ was just such a ship, so pull up Deck Maintenance. They asked experience at sea and experience lation. I first encountered him aboard a chair while I unravel the an­ the Third Mate for permission to with seamen's problems collec­ the SS City of Joliet in New Or­ tively. throw the Old Man over the tics of these birds. leans during the early '30's. He The first character was an Oil­ side. Just as the shipowners of the er, a collector of saponification Ye Gods! That aquavit is pow­ different countries have the same was skippering the ship and interest, so do seamen the world what a Skipper he was. erful stuff. products. , When I came aboard he was in One day, just prior to sailing Well, to show the Old Man over have a common interest. It for the other side, the boys were they meant to have some fun, was this common interest and the twilight of his career, and knocking off a few bottles of they went below and broke determination of the ITF mem­ his capers were well known to beer in the Oiler's focsle when Soapy out of his sack. Soapy, bers that left a deep impression the regular gang aboard. There was little doubt as to where he someone tried to move a body you see, could play hell out of on me. was destined to wind up, but he out of the way. It wouldn't an accordian. They told him to With attempts by large ship­ still clung to a thread of sanity, he grabbed the knob and started budge. ping interests to transfer tonnage so there was little to do but stay shaking it, but the lock held. DUZ DOES So, tne boys investigated and to Panamanian registry to avoid EVEPVTrii.^G He looked at the door, and then out of his way. discovered it loaded to the gun­ union conditions on their ships, The Officers were not so for­ addressed it yelling, "I am the wales with soap. the role of the ITF becomes one tunate as they had to obey his Master! Everyone has to obey It happened to be the body of of prime importance. orders—orders that at times me . . . that goes for doors too!" one of the Oilers who, being the (Sorry, no "Open the Door, Rich­ courted disaster. INTERNATIONAL ROLE romantic type, used to go ashore One time in particular when we ard" joke). The door however with a few bars of soap, and Just as a seaman's occupation were coming home from North ignored his order. when he found a fair damsel he is international, so are his bosses After a few minutes of this would give her a bar to clean international. For this reason, if useless expenditure of energy, up so he could see what she look­ no other, the seaman's protection he got red in the face and in a ed like. should be international. TWO BLOCKS blind rage he reared back, took If she passed muster she was To Pof?r/ No member of the SIU would a flying leap and threw both feet supplied with soap from then on. against the door. Nothing hap­ This earned him the nickname of start playing and the first time feel out of place attending an pened. he stopped—over the side he ITF meeting. It is just like a "Soapy." bunch of seamen on an SIU ship would go. Over and over again he NO EARLY RISER Soapy played, and no one got discussing their problems—only charged the door with his feet, all Then we had a Wiper whom no any sleep for the rest of the on an international scale. the while cursing and shaking one less than the Chief Engin­ night. All night long he squeezed After the meeting I began to a threatening arm at the obstacle. eer could get out of the sack. It and the sweat rolled off his brow- realize that this powerful group Finally exhausted he lay in a was a regular morning ritual. ike someone had turned a hose is almost unknown to many sea­ heap on the deck, black and blue The Oiler would call him at 7:30 from his many unsuccessful sal­ on him. What a night that w-as! men. The tremendous power of a. m. and again at ten to eight. this organization and the work it Europe, the ship was off the coast lies. GREAT LOVER Then the First Assistant would is doing should be on the lips of of Florida. The Skipper came up His wind-up performance, that Then we had a Purser, and an­ every Seafarer. call him at eight, and the Deck on the bridge and ordered the gave him a one-way ticket to the Engineer at quarter after, final­ swer to a maiden's prayer—Don Some method should be em­ Mate on watch to take the ship local bughouse, came in a New ly the Chief at 8:30. Juan himself. In every port he ployed to spread the facts about in close to the coastline. Orleans movie house. During the With this he would roll out of fell ~ in love and wanted to get the ITF and its work. EXPECTING HIM course of the picture he lit a,ci­ the sack, yawn a few times and married, but he always sailed garette, and after getting in a One of the best v/ays of mak^ When the Mate told him it was then raise hell with the Cooks leaving a broken heart behind couple of puffs he was told by ng the ITF known to the mem­ unsafe, and there was a chance and Messboy for his breakfast. him. the usher that it was against the bers' of the SIU and SUP will that the ship might be ground­ We had a Third Mate who was This voyage, on the return law to smoke. a professional wrestler. He con- trip, we carried some passengers. be through the effectivene.s.s of a ed, he only growled and said he was the Master. Instead of stamping out the Among them was a young refu­ boycott of Panamanian ships. "Besides," he told the Mate, butt, he stuck it in his coa^pockO, HE'SCHIP- I gee, a girl about 21, so the race Just as the 1946 SIU General fjMGPAiHT.' began. Stidke was an education to most "I have some friends living on et. Shortly smoke started pour­ The Purser turned on his Seafarers as to how the govern­ the coast and I want to stay 'hel­ ing out of his pocket, but he charm, but he couldn't speak her ment bureaucrats can be licked, lo' to them. They are expecting ignored the whole matter. Soon the smoke was billowing around language. The only crewmember .so will an international boycott it of mo." him like a smudge pot,.and it was When the Mate, saw that the who could speak to her was of Panamanian ships teach the only the quick action on the part Skipper was serious and the ship Soapy, who was immediately en­ importance of the ITF in beating of the usher that a panic was pre­ was heading dangerously close to the international shipowners. listed as interpreter. vented. Needless to say he was the reefs, he had no choice but Unfortunately she had a broth­ SEE IT IN ACTION soon installed in a .suite at the to grab the Skipper, chase him er on board and every time she Louisiana Retreat. out of the wheelhouse, and put disappeared he would dash all There is no better way of over the ship looking for her. learning about a thing than by NEW ADDITION This got on Soapy's nerves, so it seeing it in action. The Caliber was no soap for Soapy. Of course, of the men I saw representing tinually boasted of his prowess the Purser wanted to marry her the unions of different countries as a wrestler. before wo got in. convinced me that they are of One day the boys had a drink­ One night before we got in, the the same material that gives us ing bout in the Bosun's room. Fir.st Assistant went on watch the strong representation we re­ Among those present were the loaded to the gills, unable to ceive at home. Bosun and Deck Maintenance, stand up. The Old Man heard Our affiliation with the Inter­ young and strong Swedes. about it, rushed down and threw national Transportworkers Fed­ During the course of the fiesta. him out of the Engine Room. eration will demon.strato its the question rose as to the Mate', The First came up on Deck value by an effective boycott of wrestling ability—the next thing'and tried to get the" Deck Gang There I knew the Third Mate was slid­ to lower a boat so he and a sleepy the Panamanian .ships. ing along the alleyway on his Oiler would not have to face can be no question of its success. It now remains for all mem­ nose. charges upon arrival. bers of the SIU and SUP, as It appears the Deck Mainten­ BLONDE SHADOW members of the ITF to make the ance was a rough and tumble Of course, the Old Man had his boycott a real success, if and fighter from the paper pulp coun­ try of Sweden, and he had put faults. He had a blonde passen­ when we decide to hang them the hooks to the Mate before he ger v/ho followed him all over up. the ship. Whenever you .saw one could lift a hand. you saw the other. Well, that do to deserve this." WHAT HAPPENED made it easy for the BR StewWell, he sure did deserve it, for This week the . rew of the SS Petrolite, Mathiasen Tankers, i'he next day the Mate asked ard, because she became the cus- he was possessed of a neat little voted for the SIU to represent them as their bargaining agent. me what happened. I told him 'todian of the Skipper's room. habit of taking pot shots at the It was an overwhelming victory, with the Seafarers garnering he had tripped in the alleyway. With all these capers going on, Deck Gang with his pistol. 27 votes to 2 for the company. This picture was taken aboard the I don't think he knows to this the Skipper would sit in the Sa­ There were more characters on Petrolite, and shows her to be a clean, trim ship. Negotiations day what happened. loon, holding his head in his the .ship, but you'd go mad if I for a contract will start soon, and that's what the men are The next night the party was hands moaning, "What did I ever went any further. * waiting for. �THE Friday, April 18. 1947 W)Hoe'^\jN SEAFARERS Page Fifteen LOG Great takes Seafarers Petitions NLRB For Flections On Five Fleets By EARL SHEPPARD DETROIT — This woek the SIU petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for elect­ v., N. B. Donaho. $1.00; C. A. Kreiss. $2.00; ions aboard the ships of three NORFOLK A.. W. Gowder. $2.00; B. J. French. more Great Lakes fleets. This INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS $2.00; T. Catherine. $1.00; T. E. Mcmakes a total of five unorgani­ D. P. Copes. $3.00; M. P. Powell. Henan. $2.00; A. Olanginbel. $3.00. zed outfits, with 32 ships, so $3.00; J. N. Willmms. $3.00; A. C. NEW YORK far petitioned since the start of Nelson. $3.00; W. E. Culpepper. $3;00; INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS V. E. Vlict. $5.00; W. R. Wil!inn-.s. the Seafarers current organiza­ $3.00. E. J. Clark. $2.00; Judson Lee. $1.00; tional campaign. J. W. Cox, $3.00; M. W. Drury. $3.00; H. Mathisen. $2.00; J. Soyer. $1.00; F. Considerable progress is also M. W. Cfirraway. $3.00; A. R. Beaslcy. Logan. $1.00; Hugo Reinson. $1.00; A. made in several other $3.00; W. B. Smith. $3.00; R. K. llen- Ferrara. $.50; Paul R. Smith. $1.00; J. being dcson. $3.00. Maldonado. $.50; C. Williams. $1.00; A. non-union fleets, and we expect E. Wyler. $ LOO. BOSTON to petition the NLRB on these SS DOROTHY INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS outfits in the near future. R. R. Marion. $2.00; R. B. Taylor. O. Crindahl. $5.00; R. McFarland, As fast as we secure pledge $2.00. $5.00; W. Calhoun. $1.00; M. Evans. cards from 75 percent or more SS GEORGE W. McREARY $1.00. George A. Fowler. $1.00; R. E. Hen- of the seamen, in any unorgan­ GALVESTON nessy. $2.00; G. Vidal. $2.00; J. M. ized fleet, the SIU intends to INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS Hand. $2.00; A. Morales. $3.00; M. petition the NLRB for elections C. E. Finlay. $2.00; W. E. Lavier. Cidroils. $2.00; E. J. Hallinan, $2.00; W. $3.00; R. McDougald. $2.00; J. Caspard. J. Graley. $2.00; M. Garcia. $L00; J. V. aboard those vessels. That way, $5.00; C. B. Kennedy. $2.00; C. C. Ru.ssell. $2.00; H. M. Lamm. $2.00; T. we lose no time in bringing Gross. $3.00; D. E. Erase. $2.00; C. O. Cameron. $5.00; T. A. O'Hanlon. $2.00; SIU .conditions to the Lakes sea­ Cross. $2.00; J. O. Roling. $2.00; W. L. Compton. $1.00; K. E. Morie. men who want them. D. Royles. $2.00; SS Wm. Cox. $19.00; $E00. At the present rate of progress R. A. Derrough. $2.00; SS Stefanik. SS EL MORRO being made in our organization­ $12.00; SS James Jackson. $18.00; F. G. E. Muddleston. $1.00; A. J. Surles. S. Bor^owski. $1.00; T. E. R. Bach. Jr.. $E00; R. Lichon. $1.00; E. Luzier. al drive on the Great Lakes, we $2.00; John C. Spuron. $2.00; C. Wood $1.00; J. R. Albert. $1.00; W. Martin. are confident that the entire ward. $4.00; T. J. Calvert. $2.00; D. C. Jr.. $1.00; E. A. Yancy. $1.00; J. L. campaign will be a successful Lym.-.n. $2.00; 11. E. Vail. $2.00. Yakush. $5.00; R. L. Gunn. $5.00; G. one. Eventually, the Great Lakes W. L. Montgomery. $2.00; F. Fred- M.atrozzo. $1.00. .seamen will make a solid bloc reksen. $2.00; SS Winfield Scott. $17.00; SS MacINTYRE within the Seafarers Interna­ SS Cellio. $8.75; G. Portillo. $1.00; F. Karl Nikander. $2.00; M. E. Jones, H. Post. $L00; SS Hood River. $3.50; tress. $2.00; Lester W. Spence. $1.00; tional Union, AFL. W. E. Taylor. $5.00; SS King Canyon. $2.00; John Anderson. $2.00; J. G. FenToday, as never before, the $I5.50( S. E. Ausmus. $1.00; J. A. Bar- James Roberts. $5.00; S. K. McFarland. Lakes seamen are receptive to one. $2.00. $2.00; L. Welch. $2.00. the union, and their almost un­ C. F. McDowell. $1.00; SS Chas. H. SS TOPA TOPA, animous choice is the SIU. Cugle. $25.00; J. H. Moorse. $2.00; V. J. Smith. $1.00; K. V. Zeits. $1.00; P. Bergeron. $2.00; D. W. Collins. $4.00; They've had a bellyful of the H. Jacobovitch. $1.00. R. W. Clark, $1.00; A. Rocka. $5.00; open shop conditions on tha SS COLABEE E. DiPietro and Crew. $9.00; G. Lakes, and want thhe security Brown. $2.00; 1. P. Gomes. $1.00; H. and protection of an SIU con­ NcUelbladt. $1.00. tract. And, we're going to see SS WILLARD that they get it! ASHTABULA 1027 West Fifth St. SlU HALLS At the request of AFL Organizational Director Frank Fenton and President William Green, we gave all possible assistance to the United Financial Em­ ployes, affiliated with the Of­ fice Emp loyees International Union, AFL. This assistance took the form of leaflet distri­ bution in the Wall St. financial area, picketing of the Cotton Exchange, and the loaning of all our facilities to this union during their beef. It's past history how the UFE won their one day strike against the New York Cotton Exchange with SIU-SUP assistance. It's a part of the record now. and the grateful Office Employees asked SIU President Harry Lundeberg to address their re­ cent Convention in Chicago. PHONE STRIKE Currently, the National Fed­ eration of Telephone Workers is striking all of the phone ex­ changes and facilities in the country in an effort to win their just demands. Although broken up into a lot of smaller corpora­ tions, the Bell System is owned and controlled by the huge A.T.&T. trust. So, the phone workers really have a tough fight on their hands. .SIU members in a number of cities throughout the country are cooperating in every possible way with the phone workers. This cooperation has taken the form of handbill distribution, token picketing, and any neces­ sary support, these union broth­ ers and sisters need. The NFTW is composed of a number of affiliated unions scat­ tered over the country, and is an independent union with more than 280,000 members. There is also a strong possibility that they may affiliate with the AFL some time in the near future. In Detroit, we have offered the striking phone workers J. E. Utz. $1.00. 14 North Gay St. FERRIS BILL SS YAKA Calvert 4S39 B. Thompson. $5.00; M. R. Dorfman. BOSTON 276 StaTe St. As this is being written, hear­ $1.00; L. Bugajewski. $5.00; H. Calzia. Boudoin 4455 ings are being held in the Mich­ $1.00 F. R. Hall. $1.00. BUFFALO • • . ID Exchange St. igan State capital in Lansing Cleveland 7391 on one of the most drastic antiCHARLESTON 424 King St. labor bills ever dreamed up by Phone 3-3680 CHICAGO 24 W. Superior Ave. a reactionai-y legislator. This Superior 5175 ^ biH 's kuowu RS House Bill 217, CLEVELAND 1014 E. St. Clair Ave. MAGNUS OLE SVARTER | introduced by State Main 0147 Get in touch with Rose Cohen Rcrcscntativc Chester A. Ferris CORPUS CHRISTI . . 1824 Mcsquite St. at the Baltimore Hall, 14 North of Wayne County — the county Corpus Christi 3-1509 DETROIT 1038 Third St. Gay St., Baltimore 2, Md. where Detroit is located. Cadillac 6857 i iDrastic provisions of this bill DULUTH 531 W. Michigan St. KURT FAHRNER make it a misdemeanor for any Melrose 4110 J. W. CALLIS Get in touch with your wife at' non-employees of a company to GALVESTON 308>i—23rd St. Receipts belong to you have Phone 2-8448 2352—80th St., Brooklyn, N. Y. picket that company- Ip other HONOLULU 16 Merchant St. been turned in at the Norfolk words, no sympathy picketing in J. 4. SPJxpne 53777 Branch. HENRY E. HICKS support of our union brothers HOUSTON 1515 75th St. 35 4- 4. Contact Mrs. F. L. Ackerman, in another union will be permit­ Wentworth 3-3809 ted if this bill becomes law. JACKSONVILLE 920 Main St. 60.6 W. 37th St., Savannah, Ga. MARVIN HAUF Phone 5-5919 That's why we must fight it. Your check for $25.00 is being MARCUS HOOK 1'/« W. Olh St. held in the Baltimore Hall. Con­ There is no doubt that this GLEN^E.^4ADDEN Chester 5-3110 tact Patrolman Masterson and he Patrolman Masterson, Balti­ legislation is designed solely to MIAMI 1356 N. E. 1st Ave. MILWAUKEE 6.33 So-Ch 2nd St more, is holding your book. Get break up the growing solidarity will send the check to you. MOBILE 1 South Lawrence St. in touch with him. between various international 4- 4- 4 Phone 2-1754 BARNEY SPEEGLE unions in fighting for a common JOHN E. KNIESS NEW ORLEANS 339 Chartres St. You failed to pick up $125.00 Both AFL and CIO Please contact your mother, cause. Magnolia 6112-6113 NEW YORK 51 Beaver St. 1257 Lunt Avenue, Chicago 26, unions have shown an increas- due you on overtime from the ,ng awareness of tire need for Belle of the West, which paid off HAnover 2-2784 Illinois. NORFOLK 127-129 Bank St. la'cor unions to cooperate with in Baltimore. Phpne 4-1083 c-ach other in all ways possible. JOHN^E.^KOENIG 4- 4- 4. PHILADELPHIA 9 South 7th St. This is a must if labor is to surGEORGE D. SMITH Get in touch with your mother, Lombard 3-7651 Please check your last cash vi3e. PORT ARTHUR . . 909 Fort Worth Ave. Mrs. Eugene C. Koening, 3229 receipt. No. 56796, which you re­ Phone 2-8532 South Taylor Ave., Milwaukee 7, SIU COOPERATION PORTLAND Ill W. Burnside St. Wisconsin. ceived in Baltimore. Contact En­ Beacon 4336 In the past, and at this time, gine Patrolman at once. 4. 4- 4. RICHMOND, Calif 257 5tb , St. top, the record of the SIU is LOUIS E. MEYERS Phone 2599 DEWEY & BLAND Contact Mr. V. U. Hainmer- outstanding in, respect to coop­ SAN FRANCISCO 105. Market St. Douglas 5475-.8363 shaimb. Vice Consul, at the.Con­ erating with other unions on Your gear from the Fort MaSAN JUAN, P. R. ... 252 Ponce de Leon sulate General of Denmark, 17 any legitimate beef. Our union tanzas is being held at the Hous­ San Juan 2-5996 has always practised what a lot ton Branch. Battery Place, New York City. SAVANNAH 220 East Bay St. of other unions preach — co­ 4. 4. 4. Phone 8-1728 operation and solidarity. SEATTLE 86 Seneca St. HAROLD L. SMILEY Mqiin 0290 Your family is very anxiqus.to ; Our relations with the CIO TAMPA 1809-1811 N. Franklin St. Shipyard workers have been get in touch with you, Fdione M-1323 SS DOROTHY very successful. This union pull­ 35 A 4. TOLEDO 615 Summit St. All, crewmcmbers. of the SS ed, their mqn out in support of OECAR ANDERSSON WJLMI.NGTON ...... 440.,Ayplpi> Blvd., In Dorothy, Bull Lines, who work­ Terminal 4-i313V ^ A crewmepiber of the SS Wal­ our stride la$t September. VICTORIA, B.C. 602 Boughton St. ter Fleming in June 1944, please return, we have supported them ed April 4, 1947, have eight hours Garden 8331 contact special services office in on any of their beefs, like the overtime due them. Money can VANCOUVER 144 W. Hastings St. strike at the Ira Bushey ship­ be collected at Bull Line Offices, Pacific 7824 Union Hall, New York on an im­ BALTIMORE PERSONALS NOTICE! MONEY DUE portant matter. '.1.1iit/.Liii-'-1,. yard in Brooklyn. 115 Broad Street, N. Y. every possible assistance. On Tuesday, we sent some pickets over to picket with the strikers in front of the Michigan Bell Building on Cass Avenue. Al­ though we didn't have a large number of pickets, due to the fact that most of our boys were either on the ships or assisting in the organizing drive, the Sea­ farers with their white caps and SIU-SUP buttons made quite a showing. They carried several signs containing the printed messages, "AFL SEAFARERS WHITE CAPS OFF TO PHONE WORK­ ERS, SIU - AFL" and "SIU AFL BACKS LEGITIMATE DE­ MANDS OF PHONE WORK­ ERS." Yes, if we let these reaction­ ary Michigan legislators get away with anything like the Ferris Bill then the SIU will no longer be able to support other unions in their legitimate beefs, and these unions will not be able to support us in our beefs. We must do all in our power to prevent any such bills from be­ coming law in any state. It's been too hard to win union solidarity between international unions to allow anti-labor legis­ lation to break up such solidar­ ity. Check To See If P.R. Dockers Are Union Men By SAL COLLS SAN JUAN—Members coming to Aguirre (Jobos) should make certain that the dockworkers and the men working in the holds and on the winches are union men. The scabbing com­ pany which handles the work there refuses to sign a contract w i t h any union representing its employes. The outfit is taking men put of the factories and off the streets to do the longshore work. See to it. therefore, that all men at work there belong to a bona fide union. This can be accomplished by asking for the union delegate before they start woi'king the cargo. 5 If the workers do not belong to a . union, call up the SIU Hall in San Juan. The phone number is 2-5996. The International Longshore­ men's Association recently tried to hit the company for a con­ tract. but was turned down with a flat refusal to negotiate. The outfit works along the same lines as the Calmar Line. It owns the factory and the property for three and a half miles from the docks, and they maintain a rigid guard to see that no one gets anywhere .near its docks. Retroactive Pay MORAN. TOWING CORP. Retroactive wages are now available for payment to all crewmembers of Moran tugs which sailed out of West Coast, ports. A.pply at the company's' office at 17 Battery Place, New York City. �Page Sixteen THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday. April 18, 1947 Hie VICTORY ?AMK/ Ibr thedfirst time in niaritime nistom Cgntidion ^^aausnhkm bekiioia&To secims a cbtitlrcicir tnat gete -QtemAaiei:^«.T<iigges and am<^tions-through. tHe ejg^zlsof^ihe iKTERKAncNAL UNION OFNDRIH AMERICA.. SEAEAREBS IJTlEKNariONAL UNION • •• CANADIAN DISTRICT •VANCOUVER-ViCTORiA-MONTREAI. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Seafarers Log Issues 1939-1949 Description An account of the resource Volumes I-XI of the Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Hall Maritime Library Microfilm 1939-1993 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 18, 1947 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Seafarers Log Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Hall Maritime Library Microfilm 1939-1993 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newsprint Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Vol. IX, No. 16 Description An account of the resource Headlines: CANADIAN DISTRICT'S MARCH TO HIGHER WAGES BEGINS PHONE STRIKE GETS HELPING HAND OF SIU SIU PREPARES TO TIE-UP ALL PANAMANIAN SHIPS SEAFARERS WINS UNION ELECTION ON PETROLITE, MATHIASEN TANKER BOSSES' OFFENSIVE THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT, AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE MERCHANT SEAMEN STRIKING OFFICE WORKERS GET AID FROM SEAFARERS SEAFARER WATCHES THE ITF AT WORK SIU HELPS PHONE STRIKERS KEEP LINE BUSY AMERICAN LEGION--STOOGE OF BIG BUSINESS FOR SMALL PLACE, PORT ARTHUR HAS GOOD SHIPPING BOSTON COVERS ALL NEW ENGLAND AS SHIPPING MAINTAINS PEAK THIS WILMINGTON FINKHERDER IS RIDING TO A FALL BALTIMORE, TOO, IS HAVING TROUBLE FINDING MEN FOR THE RATED JOBS KNOWLEDGE OF SHIPPING RULES CALLED BASIS OF UNION STRENGTH PETTY CHISELING CHEATS SEAMEN OUT OF LAUNCH SERVICE MONEY NEW YORK HAS PLENTY OF SHIPS, BUT MEN TO SAIL THEM IS PROBLEM WEST COAST GETS A NEW PROBLEM: SHORTAGE OF MEN CANADIAN SIU AFTER RAISE FOR RESTORER CREW MARCUS HOOK BLASTS MINEOWNERS WHO PUT PROFITS ABOVE LIVES MC SCHOOL SAVES 7 MILLION BUCKS--BY CLOSING COMMIE UNION SABOTAGES AUTO UNION DEMANDS CREW STAGES RIP-ROARING VODVIL SHOW SS YARMOUTH'S BLACK GANG ASKS CHANGE IN QUARTERS MALDEN COMES IN SHIP-SHAPE WITH A CRACK CREW GREAT LAKES SEAFARERS PETITIONS NLRB FOR ELECTIONS ON FIVE FLEETS CHECK TO SEE IF P.R. DOCKERS ARE UNION MEN Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 4/18/1947 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Seafarers International Union of North America 1947 Periodicals Seafarers Log