Media
Issue Date
1943-12-17
Volume
5
Issue Number
37
Plaintext
^ABBRS Jpc(
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT,
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA
Vol. V. NEW YORK. N. Y„ FRIDAY. DECEMBER 17. 1943 No. 37
Old Timers No. 1 Enemy pf Bureaucrats
I ' '•!>' '
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0om &er
UAP
PANTS /
FISHERMEN STILL ON STRIKE;
O.P.A. MAKES COUNTER OFFER
The strike for a living wage being conducted by the
Atlantic Fishermen's Union, SIU, entered its third week
today with little prospect of any immediate settlement.
The Fishermen are demanding that the OPA raise the whole
sale price of certain fish in order to give the men sufficient
income to meet the rising cost of^
living. The .union has also charg
ed that reductions in fish prices
at ex-vessel level which went in
to effect last July had not been
passed on to the consumer—rath
er did the middle men absorb
this extra profit at the .expense
of the fishermen.
The strike, which affects all
vessels operating out of Boston
and New Bedford and draggers
operating from New York, has
cost about 1,000,000 pounds of
fish a day.
The OPA rejected the request
of the striking fishermen for a
temporary suspension of price
ceilings on cod, haddock, black
backs and yellow tails. Instead
it promised to do these things:
(1) To establish dollars-and-
cents retail prices for most East
ern species of fish in Easter cities
• which have community dollars-
and-cents ceilings for groceries.
(2) To increase the ex-vessel
price of lemon sole to 16 cents a
pound and of sea scallops to 38
cents a pound for the winter in
addition to the seven-cent in
crease in the price of pollock for
December already authorized.
(3) Wholesale mark-ups will be
revised to prevent the obtaining
of unwarranted multiple margins
and to reduce wholesale margins
in port cities which are out of
line with 1942 levels.
(4) A New England fisheries
committee will be appointed by
OPA's Boston regional office
from the whole industry. The
committee will discuss the best
solution for the present two-price
system for black backs and yel
low tails, and the problem of port
differentials and re - examine
wholesale margins at all levels
for both port and interior points.
Keep In Touch With
Your Draft Board
French Seamen Set
Up Union H.Q.
ITF—After, several years of
existence in exile, with head
quarters in London, the French
Seamen's Union has transferred
its headquarters to Algiers, it
was learned today at the New
York Office of the International
Transport Workers' Federation,
of which the French Seamen's
Union is an affiliate. The cabled
report from London also states
that the French seamen in North
Africa are almost 100 percent or
ganized.
Branches of the French sea
men's Union have sprung up dur
ing the pa.st several years, in
whatever ports French ships
found themselves. Almost imme
diately after North Africa was
freed from the clutches of Vichy
and Vichy's anti-union laws, the
French seamen reorganized their
union. The union will be greatly
strengthened now that these
branches are pulled together
within one union whose head
quarters is in the same place as
the seat of the French Govern
ment.
Government -Shipowner
Offensive Is Pressed
The Washington bureaucrats may be fighting the
Germans and Japanese (we'll give them the benefit of the
doubt), but they have a third enemy which is much closer
at hand and therefor claims more of their attention- -this
enemy is the old-time merchant seaman with a reco'-d o£
union militancy.
The WSA health examination^
proposals, the Gestapo-like hear
ings held by the Coast Guard
every time a seaman parts his
hair on the left side, the contin
ual chiseling on union contracts
by the shipowners, all these are
but part of an employer-govern
ment offensive which has as its
goal the supplanting of militant
New Pocket
Liberty
Ships
The. Maritime Commission's
new 4,000-ton "pocket Liberty
ship," consti'uction of which will
begin shortly, will be adaptable
to war services and wiU appar
ently be used chiefly to restock
the nation's "unbalanced" cargo
fleet with the moderately small,
shallow-draft vessels that will be
required in the post-war period
for the coastal and short-sea
trades.
The new vessel, identified by
the commission as the "Cl-M-
AVl," is a single-screw Diesel
powered motor ship 320 feet in
length. It will be powered either
with a six-cylinder Nordberg or
with a Busch-Sulzer eight-cylin
der engine, the horsepower in
either case being 1,750 and the
speed about twelve knots, which
makes is slightly faster than the
j Liberty.
The heavy damage done to
many of the major ports of Eu
rope may make it impossible for
large ships to dock there for
some considerable period after
the war, and it follows that the
nation that will get the business
will be the one having smaller
vessels able to visit the compar
atively u n damaged secondary
ports and the deck machinery re
quired to service them.
The new vessel appears in pro
file to be a cross between a col
lier and a large barge, with the
entire superstructure set aft, like
a tanker's. Access to three large
cargo holds, extending from the
engine room to the bow, is pro
vided by three equally large
hatches. The Diesel engines,
weighing 130 tons, take up more
space and account for more
weight proportionally than those
of the Liberty ship.
old-timers with the green kids
being graduated by the thousands
from the RMO schools.
LATEST EXAMPLE
There are literally hundreds of
examples of this persecution of
old-time militants, but here is the
latest which came to our atten
tion, and which we repeat be- .
cause it is typical of what is go
ing on in the industry.
Brother Hugh A. Drake first
went to sea 29 years ago. In
those 29 years he has sailed as
everything from Ordinary to
Second Mate. When the war
broke out he was working in a
shipyard at $100 per week. He
was over the draft age and there
was no reason for him to leave
the safe berth in the shipyard,
but somehow he wanted to be
with his old shipmates during
this period of excitement and
danger.
FOUGHT SUBS
In April 1942 Brother Drake
signed on the SS Unico as Bos'un.
He fought torpedoes and Atlan
tic storms for eight months, ar
riving back in Mobile in Novem
ber. Upon signing off he was-
picked up by the Coast Guard Ott
the charge of being intoxicated
while aboard the ship. He re
ceived the old brass hat razzle
dazzle and his papers were lifted.
The charge against him was a
frame-up. The frame-up was so
raw that when the skipper of the
Unico heard about it he sent a
special letter of protest to the
Coast Guard, saying that Drake
had not been intoxicated and
that he performed his duties ta
his (the skipper's) complete sat
isfaction.
Faced with the skipper's letter
the Coast Guard could do little
but return Drake's papers—^un
stamped. That is, there was no
official blackinark against hinj
and he was (supposedly) inno
cent of any crime against God
and country. Yeah? But wait!
A BOMB THROWER?
Drake then shipped out aft
Bos'un on August 15, 1943. Hi#
ship hit Puerto Rico three months
later and a brass hat comes
aboard to see how he had been'
behaving himself. Up until the
{Continued on Page 4)
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Page Two
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THE S E A F A H E R S LOG Friday, December 17. 1943 "'-"Ti la 1 •?.'
SEAFARERS LOG
FuUisbed by the
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
AOantk and Gislf District
Affiliated uHh the American Federation of Labor
HARRY LUNUEBERG ------ Vreiident
110 Mirkec Street, San Francisco, Odif.
•T!
JOHN HAWK Secy-Treas.
p. O. Boi 25, Station P., New York City
MATTHEW DUSHANE - - - Washington Rep»
424 5 th. Street, N. W., Washington, D; C
Directory of Branches
BRANCH ADDRESS PHONE
NEW YORK (4) 2 Stone St BOwIlngGreen 9-3437
BOSTON (10) 3)0 AtlanUc Ave Liberty 4057
BALTIMORE (2) 14 North Gay SL ,^lvert 4539
PHILADELPHIA 6 North 6th St Lombard 7651
NORFOLK.T.t^. . 25 Commercial PI Norfolk 4-1083
NEW ORLEANS (16) ..309 Chartres St Canal 3336
SAVANNAH 218 East Bay St Savannah 3-1728
TAMPA 423 East Piatt St Tampa MM-1323
MOBILE 55 So. Conception St Dial 2-1392
PUERTO RICO 45 Ponce de Leon Puerto de TIerra
GALVESTON 219 20th Street Galveston 2-8043
FT. LAUDERO.ALE 2021 S. Federal Highway. .. Ft. Lauderdale 1601
JW W!
PUBLICATION OFFICE;
ROOM 213, 2 STONB STREET
New York City BOwUng Green 9-8346
~ 267
T]
Ector's Mail Bag
Editor,
Dear Sir:
My son James has been in the
merchant marine for the past 18
months and he likes it quite well.
He has been to several foreign
counti'ies of which he use to hear
and study about in his geography
in school. James was telling his
sister and me all about these
countries. They must be wonder
ful countries because his stories
were vei-y interesting.
James is home for a few days,
thank God and I, his mother, can
really get some rest without
having to worry whether he's
torpedoed, lost or missing in ac
tion.
Please don't think me conspi
cuous when I say James has been
a darn good son to me, and a
wonderful brother to his 3
younger sisters and little brother.
These youngsters love their big
brother, believe me.
Enclose you will find a poem
composed and written by my
oldest daughter, Dorothy, age 18,
for her brother James ' Of the
Merchant Marine,"
j:', I have another son in the
' ' army. He is Staff Sgt. Robert
Seeds, somewhere in the U.S.A.
James read Dorothy's poem
and told me to .send it to you.
That's how I happen to get your
address.
I hope you like Dot's poem as
much as we do. Writing poems
is one of my daughter's hobbies.
She has a book full of poems
she's composed herself.
Again we all say and can nev-
-©r say it too often: ''God bless
the Merchant Marine."
I remain,
Yours truly,
Mrs. MADELINE SEEDS,
Silver Run Road;
Mellville, New Jersey
RED 1—Box 600
THE MEN OF
THE MERCHANT MARINE
All the credit goes to the Navy,
A lot to the Army, too
But a bit should be spread for
some other boys
In their coats of navy blue.
I don't mecin the Navy
Nor the Army with its sheen,
I mean those other sailors
Called "The Men of the Mer
chant Marine."
Without those brave and daring
men
Supplies would never be seen;
Because our defenses depend a
lot
On "The Men of the Merchant
Marine."
As they ride the high and rolling
seas
No danger from them is
screened.
So now I end this poem with
God bless the Merchant Marine.
—DORTHY M. SEEDS
• * *
Editor,
Dear Sir:
We are fully aware of the ob
ject of this medical bill in Wash
ington, and we know that swivel
chair kings who have nothing to
do merely take a puff of their
cigar and say, "Well, what can
we do to the .seamen this week?
It seems the Maritime boys are
having troublfe shipping; so, why
not pass a bill that all seamen,
even those crazy from making
the Russian run, must pass an
examination as stiff as the one
these lads have to pass to enlist
in the training schools? Yes, let's
get to work on it. After all,
these old salts must move aside
for our young boys, and why
should we worry? We don't have
to worry about the North Atlan
tic, or wonder if the streamlined
Liberty ship will come apart.
We've never been to sea, so what
rfJfPORTOrV.
^^ASHII\GTOIV
• Bv MA-rT44ew DUSUAME-* '
O. Banks, SIU Agt., Mobile-
Crew members in making allot
ments were always entitled to
allot part of their bonus. The,
bonus rate allowed for this pur
pose was the lowest rate of bonus
paid. At present there are two
bonus rates, 100% and 40%. Al
lotments can be made on the
40% bonus rate.
Since the twenty percent with
holding tax has been in effect
the U.S. Coast Guard has issued
instructions to all shipping com
missioners on this matter, which
reads:
Headquarters is in receipt of
a lelter from Ihe Senior Mer
chant Marine Inspector (per
sonnel) at New York dated 19
June, 1943 (file allotments)
asking if the withholding lax
authorized in Public Law 68-
78th Congress should be de
ducted before permitting a sea
man to allot the maximum
amount under the regulations
now in effect.
Under the regulation in ef
fect at this time a seaman may
allot up to 90 per centum of
his regular wages plus the low
bonus as provided for under
Decision 2A of the Maritime
War Emergency Board. For
example, a seaman who signs
on at $100 a month is being
allowed to make a maximum
allotment at current low bonus
of 90 per centum of $140 or
$126 per month.
Inasmuch as the difference
in these two amounts is only
$14 a month which would be
inadequate to cover the vari
ous authorized deductions in
cluding the withholding tax,
the allotments made by seamen
on or after July 1st ,1943
when ihe new lax law becomes
effective should not exceed 90
per centum of their regular
wages and the low bonus after
allowing for a deduction of 20
per centum to cover the with
holding tax.
In other words, under the
above example 20 per centum
of $140 would be $28 leaving a
balance of $112, of which 90
per centum may be alloted or
$100.80—"
The WSA has advised all its
agents to instruct Masters of ves
sels, to make certain that after
allotments, advarfces, slops, etc.,
that there will be sufficient
money to the seamen's credit at
the termination of the, articles to
cover all the necessary deduc
tions, such as old age benefit
taxes—social security and with
holding lax.
During the week I attended a
meeting called by the WSA re
garding its "Proposed Seamen's
War Saving Plan." Under this
plan seamen could make volun
tary allotments to themselves
during the war, and the Treasury
Department would pay three per
cent intere-st on all savings. The
postal savings pay two percent
interest, and the average bank
pays one per" cent interest on all
savings accounts.
Seamen may name any person
that they wish to be the benefi
ciary. It was recommended that
the WSA notify a person who
has been named as the benefici-
'ary. No savings shall be subject
to liens, attachments, or any
other legal process.
Several suggested changed
were recommended by the diff
erent maritime union represen
tatives. These are now under
consideration. When the final
draft is completed, they wiU be
sent to all branches of maritime
unions for action thereon by the
rank and file.
This proposed savings plan
looks to me like a good pi'oposl-
tion for any seamen who would
like to have a few bucks stacked
aside for any emergencies after
the war. All savings accounts
will be governed by Treasury
Department regulations. If the
recommendations are adopted,
there will not be any strings or
red tape attached to the savings
plan.
MONEY DUE
HERCEL, KOHLER, DOYLE
and TRIANO; You were acling
AB's on the S.S. Marina but sign
ed off with OS pay. You have ihe
difference in wages coming from
the Bull Line Office, 115 Broad
St., New York City.
* « a
.J. Smardjic: You have $3.60
overtime coming from the Bull
Line.
* » »
H. MERKHEIMER: You have
12 hours overtime coming from
the Waterman Line.
a • •
JOHN WHITE and JAMES
LINDSAY: You have overtime
coming from your trip on the S.S.
iienry Lamb. Collect Bull Line.
VINCENT COSTER: You have
50 hours overtime coming from
the Bull Line.
» » »
R. H. TAURIN has overtime
coming from the Calmar Line,
See patrolman Sheehan cibout it.
a It- »
R. McLAURIN has overtime
coming from the New York ofi*
fice of the Calmar Line.
'eAMovutls
CARL ERIC FALK
Get in touch with your wife.
Her address is 35 N.W. 6th Ave«
Apt. No. 1, Miami, Fla.
do wc care? Yes, let's get to
work at once."
A few of us are. familiar with
Act Three, Scene One, Hamlet:—
To Be or not to be,—that is the
question:—^Whether 'tis nobler in
the mind to' suffer the slings and
arrows of outrageous fortune, or
to take arms against a sea of
troubles, and. by opposing end
them.
What shall we do? Take arms
against a sea- of troubles and by
opposing end them?
ERIC IVIE UPCHURCH
Book No. 24611
"My maid asked for a raise foday. But I told her it would
cause inflation."
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Friday, December 17, 1943 THE SEAFARERS I.QC
SAVANNAH
Shipping in this port is picking
up some what. Am going to need
crews for 3 new ships in the next
couple of weeks. Now would be
a good time for any of you old-
times who would like to come
down here for a little vacation
before shipping out to do so.
you get down here now and get
on the shipping list you will find
that you won't have any trouble
shipping out when the time
comes.
fShipped a full crew this last
week for a new Liberty for South
Atlantic. Had to use a few WSA
men on this one but the last
out of here carried a full crew o
old-timers. If some of you old
timers will come down to take
these jobs that I'm expecting ou
in the next couple of weeks, we
won't have to call the WSA for
any men to help man these ships
Don't have much news to re
port -from this port as we don't
have very many men on the
beach at one' time here any more
About the only news I can senc
to the LOG is to report the new
ships that are coming out down
''here so that the members can
keep in touch with how shipping
is in this port. Things look good
for the coming couple of weeks
CHARLES WAID, Agent
Pago Threo
WHArs Donra
Around the Ports
BALTIMORE
When the local membership at
Baltimore was informed of the
RMO upgrading program, the
general reaction was that the
Union was fully capable and able
to give this service to its mem
bers gratis. Yes, Brothers, with
out a red cent for red tape, or a
nickel cost to the people or Gov
ernment. We proceeded to give
our membership just such ser
vice, also any one else who cared
to was welcome to this service.
No elaborate school system was
set up, and no high paid specialist
was hired. The tutors were vol
unteers who understood seaman
ship and engine-room practice.
The results would be called
amazing by the WSA super-
duper instructors, but to us they
T iwere ^erely what we expected.
! i In less than six weeks' time
niore than 150 members and
others wei-e upgraded through
our system, and further it took
from two hom-s in most cases, to
no more than two days for the
tutoring course which enabled
these men to obtain- ratings any
where from AB to Junior En
gineer and in some cases the men
decided to go the whole hog and
get engineers or mates licenses.
Wliat did llris cost the union?
Brothers read carefully, $3.00,
three big dollars for books. SH—
quiet please.
We contrast the above with the
WSA provisions for same up
grading program. To start' with,
they allow thirty days for any
rating. It cost the people around
$300.00 per man. It aisp costs the
people large sums for schools and
high paid instructors who, more
than likely, never have been
aboard a ship, and is some poli
tician's friend, or maybe an in
law or relative of some WSA
big shot, and' wouldn't know the
differance between a piece of
marlin and a nut. There you have
an idea of the squandering or
gies indulged in by the WSAj not
to mention the $2,000 per man it
-ijicost' to send so-called trained kids
on ships taught by just such kind
of instructors as mentioned
above., Yes, Brothers, the Tea
Pol Dome issue was insignificant
compared to the WSA squander
ing of people's money. The later
have billions to play politics with.
Dohaney dickered in mere mil
lions, the piker. The only dif
ference is that the people are the
fall guys in this WSA case.
It all sums up to one thing,
and that is that the union can do
it and the WSA- can't. Dispite
the antagonism shown us by
WSA we still are able to man
the ships with capable and effici
ent men whereas the men sup
plied? by WSA invaribly turn out
to b€K as green as a new born
babe, until they are taught by
our men aboard their ships. Fur
ther, we maintain that there
never would have been any
shortage of seamen of any rat
ings if the people had let the
union carry out this very vital
responsibility towards the war
effort, and if the WSA had not
blocked the unions' efft)rts tow
ard this end.
For the good of the country,
seamen, and people this outfit
caUed the RMO of the WSA
should be either aboli.shed or
cleaned out entirely, as the pres
ent set-up is definately hindering
the war effort.
JOSEPH FLANAGAN, Agent
of
an-
MOBILE
Last week, in a practical way,
yours truly tried to give you the
definition of the NMU. After
ooking through this masterpiece
of hooey published by one Leo
Huberman for the educational
committee of the NMU, I will try
and define the second phrase,
"the NMU, What It Does."
Now the NMU is a front or
ganization in the maritime indus
try for the unlicensed personnel
on ships. It has been function
ing for the past six years, and
the best that they can boast of
n the form of agreements for
their members is mediocre. In
fact, you can't terrn them any
thing else but company contracts.
As compared to the agreements
that the Seafarers International
Union has secured for their
members there is no comparison.
Now I am basing my conten
tions on what I have seen print
ed in the NMU Pilot. Oct. 8, 1943.
The negotiating committee ap
pealed to these companies for
equal pay for equal work. Now
what is the equal pay for equal
work that this negotiating com
mittee is talking about? This is
the whole thing in a nut shell:
they are asking the shipowners
for overtime for dumping gar
bage which is sometliing that tlie
SIU had in their agreements be
fore Pearl Harbor. Also overtime
for work after 5 p.m. and before
8 a.m. in port, which all other
maritime unions had before
Pearl Harbor. Now this negoti
ating committee is asking the
shipowners for the same thing,
two years after thia_country en
tered the war, and the only thing
that Joe Gurran can holler
about in the same issue of the
Pilot is their record of the "NO
STRIKE PLEDGE." Which
means, in a few words that the
shipowners should give the
NMU negotiating committee the
concession that they are request
ing on these groimds.
Now if these stooges think tha
the pirates that call themselves
shipowners, who wrap themselves
up in the American flag during
war time for the purpose
chiseling on the seamen, are go
ing to give any concessions on
the record of "NO STRIKE
PLEDGE," then they have
other think coming.
Now brother, just feature any
Union demanding or requesting
concessions from the shipowners,
which is the most vicious em
ploying element in the whole
world, and basing their conten
tions on the record that they
have lived up to their no strike
pledge since the Nazies raided
Russia! This same element
claiming that the old officials of
the International Seamens' Union
were so reactionary that they
had to form this NMU to save
the poor seamen from slavery
These stooges makes them look
like a bunch of pikers.
Now my dear brothers, I will
just take a few questions and
answers from the Pilot of the
same issue.
"McKenzie; Will you pay over
time for Saturday afternoons in
port, Sundays and holidays as
specifled in the contract?
"Taylor: It must be interpret
ed.
"McKenzie: Will you pay over
time for work performed
watches stood after 8 hours
p6rt?
"Taylor: The committee for
the shipowners hold that they
have been carrying out those pro
visions according to their inter
pretations of the contract.
"McKenzie: Will you agree to
pay the settlement which MAY
finally be reached on these two
points retroactively back to the
date on which the War Shipping
Administration guaranteed the
collective bargaining agreements
with the companies and the
NMU?
"Taylor: The committee for the
companies cannot agree to pay
any thing retroactive that is
against their interpretation of the
contract."
And then the Negotiating Com
mittee reported to members of
the NMU that this is a victory
for the union. And this is the
same element that claims that
the old officials of the Interna
tional Seamens' Union were so
reactionary that they had to
form the National Maritime
Union! If this assertion is not a
farce, then I don't know what it
is. In the face of six years func
tioning, they stiU have to ask
the shipowners to give them the
conditions that other maritime
unions are receiving. Their claim
ing to have the leading union in
the industry is the biggest joke
that yours truly has ever heard
about.
OLDEN BANKS, Agenl
NORFOLK
The blacklist showed its face
again, in Norfolk via the Martin
Marine Transportation Company
which operates tow-boats under
agreement with the SIU. A coal
burning fireman dispatched from
the hall was refused by the Cap
tain and Chief .Engineer of the
Eui-eka on the grounds that he
was a "trouble maker," and then
the trouble started.
The dispatcher immediately re-
dispatched him and the company
was informed that the union was
prepared to carry the case
through the whole governmental
alphabet from the WSA and
NLRB clear to the White House
if necessary.
The result was that this black
listed fireman. Brother Fred D.
Bullock, is no longer on the
blacklist but instead is wielding
a slice bar somewhere between
here and Philly.
Agent Rogers has served no
tice on all tow-boat operators
that the "family boat" .days are
over.
There is a shortage of coal
burning firemen, both white and
colox-ed in this port and jobs are
available for any who want
them. This case shows these men
that the union is behind them
100% and doesn't intend to take
any monkey business.
The port here has a big job to
handle with ships coming in con
stantly, many merely making
this a topping off or stop-over
point enroute. There are ninety
miles of dock area from Lyn-
laven to Berkley back around
Portsmouth and up to Berkley
and Point Comfort. To cover
his area Patrolman Tucker has
been assigned to Newport News
with Patrolman Martin being
responsible for the immediate
Norfolk Area. Agent Rogers
pinch-hits over the entire area
assisted by Brother Atwood, the
Dispatcher-Patrolman and a spe
cial Patrolman covers the harbor-
craft, tow-boats and ferries.
Brother Wilson, SUP Patrolman,
catches his ships wherever they
happen to- dock or anchor. In
this way the 90 miles of dock
area plus the entire Hampton
Roads anchorage area is com
pletely covered. Remember that
figures show that every ship in
the world can be at safe dock or
anchorage simultaneously in this
port.
Beefs, both phony and genuine,
are coming in on every sliip. A
few of them have to be referred
to headquarters but most are
settled on the spot. The usual
beefs relative to work being done
by soldier passengers and prison
ers have been ironed out fairly
well here with most claimed
overtime being paid.
Atwood only has to give one
loud shout over the telephone
and fresh milk and turkeys ap
pear as if by magic.
The miracle of miracles has
finally happened and Norfolk
held a regular meeting with
thirty-one full book members
plus almost an equal amount of
probationary members. Also the
boys seem to be finally realizing
that this is the best shipping port
in the country and we are now
able to man ships with a mini
mum of the uniformed
of the WSA.
Among the battered faces of
the old-timers recently arrived in
Norfolk are those of William
"Curly" Rentz, and "Red" Lof-
ley. A group of eight refugees
from "monkey wrench corner"
arrived simultaneously yesterday
and immediately shipped out to
gether on a Mississippi Shipping
Company rust bucket.
Agent Rogers has" taken over
with a bang assisted by a new
bunch of patrolmen. The beach
situation is good with plenty of
jobs available and the beer sup
ply holding out. Live ones are
as common as collection cans at
a NMU meeting and the beach is
so prosperous that beachcombers
piece off leading citizens.
—Norfolk Reporter
progeny
GALVESTON
Things have not been so hot in
the past week, but rest assured
that Bro. Parker's Flagship, the
Brandywine, is now rid of the
NMU finks that were so hard to
get off. After we won the elec
tion had a few more boys come
in and turn in their NMU books.
So here is the "Last Will and
Testament of Joe Curran, Kom-
rade president deluxe of the
NMU."—Dated very soon:
"I Joe Curran being of unsound
mind and in misery, and consid
ering the possability of a fatal
colapse through the rank and file
of the NMU, also known as the
end of me, declared this to be
my last will and testament. To
{Continued on Page 4)
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Pags Four
Government -Shipowner
Offensive Is Pressed
{Confinwd from Page 1)
time the brass hat appeared,
Drake got along with the skipper
OK, but immediately afterwards
the skipper began to ride him,
thinking that he must be some
sort of a bomb thrower if the
Coast Guard had to go around
checking up on him in every
poi-t.
It now appears that for the
rest of the war (and God knows
~ how long afterwards) Drake is
going to be hounded by the Coast
Guard at each port. His reputa-
.tion will be smeared with each
skipper he sails under, and his
slightest violation of some regu
lation will probably be cause for
a prompt jerking around by some
90-day wonder covered with
brass.
CASE TYPICAL
We sight Drake's case because
it is typical of the treatment giv
en hundreds of other old-time
seamen whose only crime is that
they are militant union men. This
campaign against them is design
ed as a "softening up" tactic; it is
meant to demoralize the leading
elements in the unions and thus
weaken organized labor prepar
atory for the final assault upon it
after the war* ends.
Tom O'Reilly
At Sea
It was a rotten night and cold.
The Liberty Ship "Mulligan
Stew" was pitching and rolling
off one of the world's worst capes
in a terrific sea. For days there
had been neither sun nor stars
with which to navigate. Further
more, a radio warning told of
submarines in the offing. The of
ficers were edgy. The crew
strained every eye. Up in the
heavily aimrored and blacked-out
wheelhouse, the bearded young
helmsman inquired of the mate;
"Where do you stand in the
draft. Sir?"
The mate, a family man, re
plied, laconically, "3-A."
<"Well," said the helmsman,
soberly, as the ship's nose dipped
into a giant sea that washed
completely over the forv.'ard
gun, "you ain't got nuthin' ,to
worry about. You're safe."
Somehow this true story is ty
pical of the attitude of the aver
age American merchant seaman.-
He'll fight. But he'll weai- no
inan's collar. He loves to shock
people by saying he's at sea to
duck the draft. This attitude con
fuses landlubbei's. Seamen are
boistex-ous, courageous, loyal, un
disciplined, proud, defiant and
breathtaking. But don't let them
kid you. Most of them not only
know their business but each one
feels that the ship couldn't move
two feet without him. That's
what they call morale.
—PM
Honor Roll
S. ROBIN LOCKSLEY .$10.00
FRANK OLEARY 5.00
Keep In Touch With
Your Draft Board
A wartime savings plan, where
by merchant seamen would be
assured of a steady income dur
ing the slack period immediately
following the close of the war, is
being worked out by the War
Shipping Administration, the
Tx-easury and labor unions.
The plan was presented to
union leaders by the War Ship
ping Administration during the
course of an executive conference
designed to get laboi-'s reaction
to the program. The extent to
which the pi'oposed plan will be
put into effect, WSA officials
said, is dependent upon the at
titude of the maritime trade
unions, and will only become ef
fective if regarded as necessary
and desirable by them.
.Subject to the satisfactory
completion of details and final
agx-eement, it is pioposed that
the WSA and the Tx-easury De
partment sponsor a savings plan
for seamen, including both li
censed and unlicensed personnel.
Seamen, WSA officials said,
would be encoui-aged to make
voluntax-y allotments for the dur
ation of the war, of such portions
of their earnings as may be avail
able for savings after provisions
for other allotments such as tax
es, etc. Withdrawals would be
held in a fund by the United
States Ti-easury, subject to the
payment of interest at approx
imately 3 per cent. Funds al
located to the savings account
could be obtained fi-om bonuses,
overtime or wages, or all three,
WSA said.
Withdrawals of deposits in the
fund would be x-estricted, subject
to some degree of flexibility for
emei-gency needs, until after the
war. At the conclusion of hostil
ities, withdrawals would be per
mitted and provided for on the
basis of paynxents to an individ
ual seaman for the cux-rent year
based upon the amounts deposit
ed by him within a given twelve
month period. In other words, if
a seaman has deposited funds in
1943, and the war ends in 1946,
he could draw upon his account
only to the extent of the amounts
he deposited in 1943. In 1947 his
withdrawals would be limited to
the funds deposited in 1944.
It is fui'ther proposed that ar
rangements be made whereby
the withdrawals by an individual
seaman would be divided into
monthly or quarterly payments.
Under the tentative plan WSA
will work out ax-rangements with
its agents to facilitate pay roll
deductions, the agents to make
the deduction fi-om the seaman's
wages at the time of paying off.
Amounts so deducted would be
remitted to the Treasury Depart
ment, all in accordance with reg-
iilation.s agi-eed upon by the
Tx-easury and WSA.
For its part the Tx-easury De-
pai-tment will hold the funds and
the interest thereon and will ad
minister them subject to regula
tions.
Disbursements to seamen
would be made through the pos
tal savings system, subject to ar
rangements mutually agreeable
to the system and the Tx-easury
Departmen*^.
Around The Ports
{Contimied from Page 3)
Russia and Mustache Joe, I leave
all of the faithful fellow travel
ers, button hole sevvexs, pants
pressers, Myer's, Stone, and the
13th Street Commandoes of the
NMU. To France I leave all of
the beautiful madamoiselles in the
occupied NMU branches, and
hdqts. I never was one fox- the
girls—whoops.
"To England I leave the orig
inal NMU agreement and plans
to take over the seamen. But I
will never forgive you for not
letting me ashore in Africa last
summer. To Norway, I leave you
another quisling, Thos. Christen-
sen of the NMU, Pan-American
Division. To President Roosevelt,
I leave my apologies for trying
to interx-upt his war duties by
flooding his office with screwball
wires from NMU fellow travel
ers. And to America, I leave you
Walter Winchell, who always said
to hell with Curran and the
NMU. I know he will be very
busy on my funeral day, so he
would not come, business before
pleasure. To the SIU, I leave 20
by 10 gold framed pictures of
myself to hang in their union
halls to scare hell out of any
young seaman who might think
along Commie lines, and to the
RMO, I leave you what is left of
the fellow travelers in the NMU
to the Sailors Union of Pacific, I
leave money for my tombstone,
with the following epitaph:
Enney, meeney miny moe.
Here lies Curran by the toe.
Underneath he seems to say.
You cannot beat the Old
SIU of NA.
"And to the entire maritinxe woi-k-
ers, I just leave, and will they
thank God."
After making this will Joe
Lay down last night, was-too
tired to wait.
Had a chill this morning, was
too tired to shake,
I sure was tired.
I'm tired of coffee, I'm tired of
tea.
The NMU, I built and love is
tired of me.
Oh, hell, I'm tired.
After this doctor crap put out
by the WSA the new Secretary
of the MM&P, Capt. John Yordt
and the MERA backed us up 100
per cent, notifying all ports of
their action. The NMU is as .si
lent as a church mouse about the
affair. They are only interested
in feathering their nest with the
USS and what have you. Any
thing for the benefit of their
membership is out.
E. R. WALLACE. Agent
»• * »
P.S.—
After holding a joint meeting
with the Master Mates and Pil
ots, and the Marine Eng. Benifi-
cial Ass'n., we got on the front
page of the Galveston News. The
NMU Donkeys were invited to
Germans Reported
Deserting Ships
(ITF) From the Swedish port
of Sundsvall, the report has
i-eached the International Trans-
portworkers' Federation that itij
the middle of August, a German
ship was held up due to the de
sertion of its crew of eleven, of
whom ten were aliens. The cap
tain tried to sign on a Swedish
crew and offered 1,000 crowns
for the journey without success.
In Harnoesand a German ship
was detained for si.x days. Four
of its crew deserted en route and
another two upon reaching this
port. The entire crew of this
ship, including the Captain and
mate were alien and only the two
soliders serving the ship's gun
were German. Because they
could get no Swedish seaftien to
sail the vessel, they were forced
to take German seamen from an
other ship in order to get the
ship back to Germany.
attend but they were not inter
ested. The Longshoxemen of Lo
cal 407, Galveston, held a meet
ing Friday night, Dec. 3rd. Also
the Longshoremen of Texas City,
they will bring this WSA crap up
and give us their backing.
(The Galveston News gave
Brother Wallace's protest on the
proposed medical exams a 5-inch
story on page one—-Editor).
Keep In Touch With
Your Draft Board
[1 g. ,• • .
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OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT,
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA
Vol. V. NEW YORK. N. Y„ FRIDAY. DECEMBER 17. 1943 No. 37
Old Timers No. 1 Enemy pf Bureaucrats
I ' '•!>' '
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0om &er
UAP
PANTS /
FISHERMEN STILL ON STRIKE;
O.P.A. MAKES COUNTER OFFER
The strike for a living wage being conducted by the
Atlantic Fishermen's Union, SIU, entered its third week
today with little prospect of any immediate settlement.
The Fishermen are demanding that the OPA raise the whole
sale price of certain fish in order to give the men sufficient
income to meet the rising cost of^
living. The .union has also charg
ed that reductions in fish prices
at ex-vessel level which went in
to effect last July had not been
passed on to the consumer—rath
er did the middle men absorb
this extra profit at the .expense
of the fishermen.
The strike, which affects all
vessels operating out of Boston
and New Bedford and draggers
operating from New York, has
cost about 1,000,000 pounds of
fish a day.
The OPA rejected the request
of the striking fishermen for a
temporary suspension of price
ceilings on cod, haddock, black
backs and yellow tails. Instead
it promised to do these things:
(1) To establish dollars-and-
cents retail prices for most East
ern species of fish in Easter cities
• which have community dollars-
and-cents ceilings for groceries.
(2) To increase the ex-vessel
price of lemon sole to 16 cents a
pound and of sea scallops to 38
cents a pound for the winter in
addition to the seven-cent in
crease in the price of pollock for
December already authorized.
(3) Wholesale mark-ups will be
revised to prevent the obtaining
of unwarranted multiple margins
and to reduce wholesale margins
in port cities which are out of
line with 1942 levels.
(4) A New England fisheries
committee will be appointed by
OPA's Boston regional office
from the whole industry. The
committee will discuss the best
solution for the present two-price
system for black backs and yel
low tails, and the problem of port
differentials and re - examine
wholesale margins at all levels
for both port and interior points.
Keep In Touch With
Your Draft Board
French Seamen Set
Up Union H.Q.
ITF—After, several years of
existence in exile, with head
quarters in London, the French
Seamen's Union has transferred
its headquarters to Algiers, it
was learned today at the New
York Office of the International
Transport Workers' Federation,
of which the French Seamen's
Union is an affiliate. The cabled
report from London also states
that the French seamen in North
Africa are almost 100 percent or
ganized.
Branches of the French sea
men's Union have sprung up dur
ing the pa.st several years, in
whatever ports French ships
found themselves. Almost imme
diately after North Africa was
freed from the clutches of Vichy
and Vichy's anti-union laws, the
French seamen reorganized their
union. The union will be greatly
strengthened now that these
branches are pulled together
within one union whose head
quarters is in the same place as
the seat of the French Govern
ment.
Government -Shipowner
Offensive Is Pressed
The Washington bureaucrats may be fighting the
Germans and Japanese (we'll give them the benefit of the
doubt), but they have a third enemy which is much closer
at hand and therefor claims more of their attention- -this
enemy is the old-time merchant seaman with a reco'-d o£
union militancy.
The WSA health examination^
proposals, the Gestapo-like hear
ings held by the Coast Guard
every time a seaman parts his
hair on the left side, the contin
ual chiseling on union contracts
by the shipowners, all these are
but part of an employer-govern
ment offensive which has as its
goal the supplanting of militant
New Pocket
Liberty
Ships
The. Maritime Commission's
new 4,000-ton "pocket Liberty
ship," consti'uction of which will
begin shortly, will be adaptable
to war services and wiU appar
ently be used chiefly to restock
the nation's "unbalanced" cargo
fleet with the moderately small,
shallow-draft vessels that will be
required in the post-war period
for the coastal and short-sea
trades.
The new vessel, identified by
the commission as the "Cl-M-
AVl," is a single-screw Diesel
powered motor ship 320 feet in
length. It will be powered either
with a six-cylinder Nordberg or
with a Busch-Sulzer eight-cylin
der engine, the horsepower in
either case being 1,750 and the
speed about twelve knots, which
makes is slightly faster than the
j Liberty.
The heavy damage done to
many of the major ports of Eu
rope may make it impossible for
large ships to dock there for
some considerable period after
the war, and it follows that the
nation that will get the business
will be the one having smaller
vessels able to visit the compar
atively u n damaged secondary
ports and the deck machinery re
quired to service them.
The new vessel appears in pro
file to be a cross between a col
lier and a large barge, with the
entire superstructure set aft, like
a tanker's. Access to three large
cargo holds, extending from the
engine room to the bow, is pro
vided by three equally large
hatches. The Diesel engines,
weighing 130 tons, take up more
space and account for more
weight proportionally than those
of the Liberty ship.
old-timers with the green kids
being graduated by the thousands
from the RMO schools.
LATEST EXAMPLE
There are literally hundreds of
examples of this persecution of
old-time militants, but here is the
latest which came to our atten
tion, and which we repeat be- .
cause it is typical of what is go
ing on in the industry.
Brother Hugh A. Drake first
went to sea 29 years ago. In
those 29 years he has sailed as
everything from Ordinary to
Second Mate. When the war
broke out he was working in a
shipyard at $100 per week. He
was over the draft age and there
was no reason for him to leave
the safe berth in the shipyard,
but somehow he wanted to be
with his old shipmates during
this period of excitement and
danger.
FOUGHT SUBS
In April 1942 Brother Drake
signed on the SS Unico as Bos'un.
He fought torpedoes and Atlan
tic storms for eight months, ar
riving back in Mobile in Novem
ber. Upon signing off he was-
picked up by the Coast Guard Ott
the charge of being intoxicated
while aboard the ship. He re
ceived the old brass hat razzle
dazzle and his papers were lifted.
The charge against him was a
frame-up. The frame-up was so
raw that when the skipper of the
Unico heard about it he sent a
special letter of protest to the
Coast Guard, saying that Drake
had not been intoxicated and
that he performed his duties ta
his (the skipper's) complete sat
isfaction.
Faced with the skipper's letter
the Coast Guard could do little
but return Drake's papers—^un
stamped. That is, there was no
official blackinark against hinj
and he was (supposedly) inno
cent of any crime against God
and country. Yeah? But wait!
A BOMB THROWER?
Drake then shipped out aft
Bos'un on August 15, 1943. Hi#
ship hit Puerto Rico three months
later and a brass hat comes
aboard to see how he had been'
behaving himself. Up until the
{Continued on Page 4)
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Page Two
I
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It^.
THE S E A F A H E R S LOG Friday, December 17. 1943 "'-"Ti la 1 •?.'
SEAFARERS LOG
FuUisbed by the
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
AOantk and Gislf District
Affiliated uHh the American Federation of Labor
HARRY LUNUEBERG ------ Vreiident
110 Mirkec Street, San Francisco, Odif.
•T!
JOHN HAWK Secy-Treas.
p. O. Boi 25, Station P., New York City
MATTHEW DUSHANE - - - Washington Rep»
424 5 th. Street, N. W., Washington, D; C
Directory of Branches
BRANCH ADDRESS PHONE
NEW YORK (4) 2 Stone St BOwIlngGreen 9-3437
BOSTON (10) 3)0 AtlanUc Ave Liberty 4057
BALTIMORE (2) 14 North Gay SL ,^lvert 4539
PHILADELPHIA 6 North 6th St Lombard 7651
NORFOLK.T.t^. . 25 Commercial PI Norfolk 4-1083
NEW ORLEANS (16) ..309 Chartres St Canal 3336
SAVANNAH 218 East Bay St Savannah 3-1728
TAMPA 423 East Piatt St Tampa MM-1323
MOBILE 55 So. Conception St Dial 2-1392
PUERTO RICO 45 Ponce de Leon Puerto de TIerra
GALVESTON 219 20th Street Galveston 2-8043
FT. LAUDERO.ALE 2021 S. Federal Highway. .. Ft. Lauderdale 1601
JW W!
PUBLICATION OFFICE;
ROOM 213, 2 STONB STREET
New York City BOwUng Green 9-8346
~ 267
T]
Ector's Mail Bag
Editor,
Dear Sir:
My son James has been in the
merchant marine for the past 18
months and he likes it quite well.
He has been to several foreign
counti'ies of which he use to hear
and study about in his geography
in school. James was telling his
sister and me all about these
countries. They must be wonder
ful countries because his stories
were vei-y interesting.
James is home for a few days,
thank God and I, his mother, can
really get some rest without
having to worry whether he's
torpedoed, lost or missing in ac
tion.
Please don't think me conspi
cuous when I say James has been
a darn good son to me, and a
wonderful brother to his 3
younger sisters and little brother.
These youngsters love their big
brother, believe me.
Enclose you will find a poem
composed and written by my
oldest daughter, Dorothy, age 18,
for her brother James ' Of the
Merchant Marine,"
j:', I have another son in the
' ' army. He is Staff Sgt. Robert
Seeds, somewhere in the U.S.A.
James read Dorothy's poem
and told me to .send it to you.
That's how I happen to get your
address.
I hope you like Dot's poem as
much as we do. Writing poems
is one of my daughter's hobbies.
She has a book full of poems
she's composed herself.
Again we all say and can nev-
-©r say it too often: ''God bless
the Merchant Marine."
I remain,
Yours truly,
Mrs. MADELINE SEEDS,
Silver Run Road;
Mellville, New Jersey
RED 1—Box 600
THE MEN OF
THE MERCHANT MARINE
All the credit goes to the Navy,
A lot to the Army, too
But a bit should be spread for
some other boys
In their coats of navy blue.
I don't mecin the Navy
Nor the Army with its sheen,
I mean those other sailors
Called "The Men of the Mer
chant Marine."
Without those brave and daring
men
Supplies would never be seen;
Because our defenses depend a
lot
On "The Men of the Merchant
Marine."
As they ride the high and rolling
seas
No danger from them is
screened.
So now I end this poem with
God bless the Merchant Marine.
—DORTHY M. SEEDS
• * *
Editor,
Dear Sir:
We are fully aware of the ob
ject of this medical bill in Wash
ington, and we know that swivel
chair kings who have nothing to
do merely take a puff of their
cigar and say, "Well, what can
we do to the .seamen this week?
It seems the Maritime boys are
having troublfe shipping; so, why
not pass a bill that all seamen,
even those crazy from making
the Russian run, must pass an
examination as stiff as the one
these lads have to pass to enlist
in the training schools? Yes, let's
get to work on it. After all,
these old salts must move aside
for our young boys, and why
should we worry? We don't have
to worry about the North Atlan
tic, or wonder if the streamlined
Liberty ship will come apart.
We've never been to sea, so what
rfJfPORTOrV.
^^ASHII\GTOIV
• Bv MA-rT44ew DUSUAME-* '
O. Banks, SIU Agt., Mobile-
Crew members in making allot
ments were always entitled to
allot part of their bonus. The,
bonus rate allowed for this pur
pose was the lowest rate of bonus
paid. At present there are two
bonus rates, 100% and 40%. Al
lotments can be made on the
40% bonus rate.
Since the twenty percent with
holding tax has been in effect
the U.S. Coast Guard has issued
instructions to all shipping com
missioners on this matter, which
reads:
Headquarters is in receipt of
a lelter from Ihe Senior Mer
chant Marine Inspector (per
sonnel) at New York dated 19
June, 1943 (file allotments)
asking if the withholding lax
authorized in Public Law 68-
78th Congress should be de
ducted before permitting a sea
man to allot the maximum
amount under the regulations
now in effect.
Under the regulation in ef
fect at this time a seaman may
allot up to 90 per centum of
his regular wages plus the low
bonus as provided for under
Decision 2A of the Maritime
War Emergency Board. For
example, a seaman who signs
on at $100 a month is being
allowed to make a maximum
allotment at current low bonus
of 90 per centum of $140 or
$126 per month.
Inasmuch as the difference
in these two amounts is only
$14 a month which would be
inadequate to cover the vari
ous authorized deductions in
cluding the withholding tax,
the allotments made by seamen
on or after July 1st ,1943
when ihe new lax law becomes
effective should not exceed 90
per centum of their regular
wages and the low bonus after
allowing for a deduction of 20
per centum to cover the with
holding tax.
In other words, under the
above example 20 per centum
of $140 would be $28 leaving a
balance of $112, of which 90
per centum may be alloted or
$100.80—"
The WSA has advised all its
agents to instruct Masters of ves
sels, to make certain that after
allotments, advarfces, slops, etc.,
that there will be sufficient
money to the seamen's credit at
the termination of the, articles to
cover all the necessary deduc
tions, such as old age benefit
taxes—social security and with
holding lax.
During the week I attended a
meeting called by the WSA re
garding its "Proposed Seamen's
War Saving Plan." Under this
plan seamen could make volun
tary allotments to themselves
during the war, and the Treasury
Department would pay three per
cent intere-st on all savings. The
postal savings pay two percent
interest, and the average bank
pays one per" cent interest on all
savings accounts.
Seamen may name any person
that they wish to be the benefi
ciary. It was recommended that
the WSA notify a person who
has been named as the benefici-
'ary. No savings shall be subject
to liens, attachments, or any
other legal process.
Several suggested changed
were recommended by the diff
erent maritime union represen
tatives. These are now under
consideration. When the final
draft is completed, they wiU be
sent to all branches of maritime
unions for action thereon by the
rank and file.
This proposed savings plan
looks to me like a good pi'oposl-
tion for any seamen who would
like to have a few bucks stacked
aside for any emergencies after
the war. All savings accounts
will be governed by Treasury
Department regulations. If the
recommendations are adopted,
there will not be any strings or
red tape attached to the savings
plan.
MONEY DUE
HERCEL, KOHLER, DOYLE
and TRIANO; You were acling
AB's on the S.S. Marina but sign
ed off with OS pay. You have ihe
difference in wages coming from
the Bull Line Office, 115 Broad
St., New York City.
* « a
.J. Smardjic: You have $3.60
overtime coming from the Bull
Line.
* » »
H. MERKHEIMER: You have
12 hours overtime coming from
the Waterman Line.
a • •
JOHN WHITE and JAMES
LINDSAY: You have overtime
coming from your trip on the S.S.
iienry Lamb. Collect Bull Line.
VINCENT COSTER: You have
50 hours overtime coming from
the Bull Line.
» » »
R. H. TAURIN has overtime
coming from the Calmar Line,
See patrolman Sheehan cibout it.
a It- »
R. McLAURIN has overtime
coming from the New York ofi*
fice of the Calmar Line.
'eAMovutls
CARL ERIC FALK
Get in touch with your wife.
Her address is 35 N.W. 6th Ave«
Apt. No. 1, Miami, Fla.
do wc care? Yes, let's get to
work at once."
A few of us are. familiar with
Act Three, Scene One, Hamlet:—
To Be or not to be,—that is the
question:—^Whether 'tis nobler in
the mind to' suffer the slings and
arrows of outrageous fortune, or
to take arms against a sea of
troubles, and. by opposing end
them.
What shall we do? Take arms
against a sea- of troubles and by
opposing end them?
ERIC IVIE UPCHURCH
Book No. 24611
"My maid asked for a raise foday. But I told her it would
cause inflation."
http://www.pdfcompressor.org/buy.html
Friday, December 17, 1943 THE SEAFARERS I.QC
SAVANNAH
Shipping in this port is picking
up some what. Am going to need
crews for 3 new ships in the next
couple of weeks. Now would be
a good time for any of you old-
times who would like to come
down here for a little vacation
before shipping out to do so.
you get down here now and get
on the shipping list you will find
that you won't have any trouble
shipping out when the time
comes.
fShipped a full crew this last
week for a new Liberty for South
Atlantic. Had to use a few WSA
men on this one but the last
out of here carried a full crew o
old-timers. If some of you old
timers will come down to take
these jobs that I'm expecting ou
in the next couple of weeks, we
won't have to call the WSA for
any men to help man these ships
Don't have much news to re
port -from this port as we don't
have very many men on the
beach at one' time here any more
About the only news I can senc
to the LOG is to report the new
ships that are coming out down
''here so that the members can
keep in touch with how shipping
is in this port. Things look good
for the coming couple of weeks
CHARLES WAID, Agent
Pago Threo
WHArs Donra
Around the Ports
BALTIMORE
When the local membership at
Baltimore was informed of the
RMO upgrading program, the
general reaction was that the
Union was fully capable and able
to give this service to its mem
bers gratis. Yes, Brothers, with
out a red cent for red tape, or a
nickel cost to the people or Gov
ernment. We proceeded to give
our membership just such ser
vice, also any one else who cared
to was welcome to this service.
No elaborate school system was
set up, and no high paid specialist
was hired. The tutors were vol
unteers who understood seaman
ship and engine-room practice.
The results would be called
amazing by the WSA super-
duper instructors, but to us they
T iwere ^erely what we expected.
! i In less than six weeks' time
niore than 150 members and
others wei-e upgraded through
our system, and further it took
from two hom-s in most cases, to
no more than two days for the
tutoring course which enabled
these men to obtain- ratings any
where from AB to Junior En
gineer and in some cases the men
decided to go the whole hog and
get engineers or mates licenses.
Wliat did llris cost the union?
Brothers read carefully, $3.00,
three big dollars for books. SH—
quiet please.
We contrast the above with the
WSA provisions for same up
grading program. To start' with,
they allow thirty days for any
rating. It cost the people around
$300.00 per man. It aisp costs the
people large sums for schools and
high paid instructors who, more
than likely, never have been
aboard a ship, and is some poli
tician's friend, or maybe an in
law or relative of some WSA
big shot, and' wouldn't know the
differance between a piece of
marlin and a nut. There you have
an idea of the squandering or
gies indulged in by the WSAj not
to mention the $2,000 per man it
-ijicost' to send so-called trained kids
on ships taught by just such kind
of instructors as mentioned
above., Yes, Brothers, the Tea
Pol Dome issue was insignificant
compared to the WSA squander
ing of people's money. The later
have billions to play politics with.
Dohaney dickered in mere mil
lions, the piker. The only dif
ference is that the people are the
fall guys in this WSA case.
It all sums up to one thing,
and that is that the union can do
it and the WSA- can't. Dispite
the antagonism shown us by
WSA we still are able to man
the ships with capable and effici
ent men whereas the men sup
plied? by WSA invaribly turn out
to b€K as green as a new born
babe, until they are taught by
our men aboard their ships. Fur
ther, we maintain that there
never would have been any
shortage of seamen of any rat
ings if the people had let the
union carry out this very vital
responsibility towards the war
effort, and if the WSA had not
blocked the unions' efft)rts tow
ard this end.
For the good of the country,
seamen, and people this outfit
caUed the RMO of the WSA
should be either aboli.shed or
cleaned out entirely, as the pres
ent set-up is definately hindering
the war effort.
JOSEPH FLANAGAN, Agent
of
an-
MOBILE
Last week, in a practical way,
yours truly tried to give you the
definition of the NMU. After
ooking through this masterpiece
of hooey published by one Leo
Huberman for the educational
committee of the NMU, I will try
and define the second phrase,
"the NMU, What It Does."
Now the NMU is a front or
ganization in the maritime indus
try for the unlicensed personnel
on ships. It has been function
ing for the past six years, and
the best that they can boast of
n the form of agreements for
their members is mediocre. In
fact, you can't terrn them any
thing else but company contracts.
As compared to the agreements
that the Seafarers International
Union has secured for their
members there is no comparison.
Now I am basing my conten
tions on what I have seen print
ed in the NMU Pilot. Oct. 8, 1943.
The negotiating committee ap
pealed to these companies for
equal pay for equal work. Now
what is the equal pay for equal
work that this negotiating com
mittee is talking about? This is
the whole thing in a nut shell:
they are asking the shipowners
for overtime for dumping gar
bage which is sometliing that tlie
SIU had in their agreements be
fore Pearl Harbor. Also overtime
for work after 5 p.m. and before
8 a.m. in port, which all other
maritime unions had before
Pearl Harbor. Now this negoti
ating committee is asking the
shipowners for the same thing,
two years after thia_country en
tered the war, and the only thing
that Joe Gurran can holler
about in the same issue of the
Pilot is their record of the "NO
STRIKE PLEDGE." Which
means, in a few words that the
shipowners should give the
NMU negotiating committee the
concession that they are request
ing on these groimds.
Now if these stooges think tha
the pirates that call themselves
shipowners, who wrap themselves
up in the American flag during
war time for the purpose
chiseling on the seamen, are go
ing to give any concessions on
the record of "NO STRIKE
PLEDGE," then they have
other think coming.
Now brother, just feature any
Union demanding or requesting
concessions from the shipowners,
which is the most vicious em
ploying element in the whole
world, and basing their conten
tions on the record that they
have lived up to their no strike
pledge since the Nazies raided
Russia! This same element
claiming that the old officials of
the International Seamens' Union
were so reactionary that they
had to form this NMU to save
the poor seamen from slavery
These stooges makes them look
like a bunch of pikers.
Now my dear brothers, I will
just take a few questions and
answers from the Pilot of the
same issue.
"McKenzie; Will you pay over
time for Saturday afternoons in
port, Sundays and holidays as
specifled in the contract?
"Taylor: It must be interpret
ed.
"McKenzie: Will you pay over
time for work performed
watches stood after 8 hours
p6rt?
"Taylor: The committee for
the shipowners hold that they
have been carrying out those pro
visions according to their inter
pretations of the contract.
"McKenzie: Will you agree to
pay the settlement which MAY
finally be reached on these two
points retroactively back to the
date on which the War Shipping
Administration guaranteed the
collective bargaining agreements
with the companies and the
NMU?
"Taylor: The committee for the
companies cannot agree to pay
any thing retroactive that is
against their interpretation of the
contract."
And then the Negotiating Com
mittee reported to members of
the NMU that this is a victory
for the union. And this is the
same element that claims that
the old officials of the Interna
tional Seamens' Union were so
reactionary that they had to
form the National Maritime
Union! If this assertion is not a
farce, then I don't know what it
is. In the face of six years func
tioning, they stiU have to ask
the shipowners to give them the
conditions that other maritime
unions are receiving. Their claim
ing to have the leading union in
the industry is the biggest joke
that yours truly has ever heard
about.
OLDEN BANKS, Agenl
NORFOLK
The blacklist showed its face
again, in Norfolk via the Martin
Marine Transportation Company
which operates tow-boats under
agreement with the SIU. A coal
burning fireman dispatched from
the hall was refused by the Cap
tain and Chief .Engineer of the
Eui-eka on the grounds that he
was a "trouble maker," and then
the trouble started.
The dispatcher immediately re-
dispatched him and the company
was informed that the union was
prepared to carry the case
through the whole governmental
alphabet from the WSA and
NLRB clear to the White House
if necessary.
The result was that this black
listed fireman. Brother Fred D.
Bullock, is no longer on the
blacklist but instead is wielding
a slice bar somewhere between
here and Philly.
Agent Rogers has served no
tice on all tow-boat operators
that the "family boat" .days are
over.
There is a shortage of coal
burning firemen, both white and
colox-ed in this port and jobs are
available for any who want
them. This case shows these men
that the union is behind them
100% and doesn't intend to take
any monkey business.
The port here has a big job to
handle with ships coming in con
stantly, many merely making
this a topping off or stop-over
point enroute. There are ninety
miles of dock area from Lyn-
laven to Berkley back around
Portsmouth and up to Berkley
and Point Comfort. To cover
his area Patrolman Tucker has
been assigned to Newport News
with Patrolman Martin being
responsible for the immediate
Norfolk Area. Agent Rogers
pinch-hits over the entire area
assisted by Brother Atwood, the
Dispatcher-Patrolman and a spe
cial Patrolman covers the harbor-
craft, tow-boats and ferries.
Brother Wilson, SUP Patrolman,
catches his ships wherever they
happen to- dock or anchor. In
this way the 90 miles of dock
area plus the entire Hampton
Roads anchorage area is com
pletely covered. Remember that
figures show that every ship in
the world can be at safe dock or
anchorage simultaneously in this
port.
Beefs, both phony and genuine,
are coming in on every sliip. A
few of them have to be referred
to headquarters but most are
settled on the spot. The usual
beefs relative to work being done
by soldier passengers and prison
ers have been ironed out fairly
well here with most claimed
overtime being paid.
Atwood only has to give one
loud shout over the telephone
and fresh milk and turkeys ap
pear as if by magic.
The miracle of miracles has
finally happened and Norfolk
held a regular meeting with
thirty-one full book members
plus almost an equal amount of
probationary members. Also the
boys seem to be finally realizing
that this is the best shipping port
in the country and we are now
able to man ships with a mini
mum of the uniformed
of the WSA.
Among the battered faces of
the old-timers recently arrived in
Norfolk are those of William
"Curly" Rentz, and "Red" Lof-
ley. A group of eight refugees
from "monkey wrench corner"
arrived simultaneously yesterday
and immediately shipped out to
gether on a Mississippi Shipping
Company rust bucket.
Agent Rogers has" taken over
with a bang assisted by a new
bunch of patrolmen. The beach
situation is good with plenty of
jobs available and the beer sup
ply holding out. Live ones are
as common as collection cans at
a NMU meeting and the beach is
so prosperous that beachcombers
piece off leading citizens.
—Norfolk Reporter
progeny
GALVESTON
Things have not been so hot in
the past week, but rest assured
that Bro. Parker's Flagship, the
Brandywine, is now rid of the
NMU finks that were so hard to
get off. After we won the elec
tion had a few more boys come
in and turn in their NMU books.
So here is the "Last Will and
Testament of Joe Curran, Kom-
rade president deluxe of the
NMU."—Dated very soon:
"I Joe Curran being of unsound
mind and in misery, and consid
ering the possability of a fatal
colapse through the rank and file
of the NMU, also known as the
end of me, declared this to be
my last will and testament. To
{Continued on Page 4)
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Pags Four
Government -Shipowner
Offensive Is Pressed
{Confinwd from Page 1)
time the brass hat appeared,
Drake got along with the skipper
OK, but immediately afterwards
the skipper began to ride him,
thinking that he must be some
sort of a bomb thrower if the
Coast Guard had to go around
checking up on him in every
poi-t.
It now appears that for the
rest of the war (and God knows
~ how long afterwards) Drake is
going to be hounded by the Coast
Guard at each port. His reputa-
.tion will be smeared with each
skipper he sails under, and his
slightest violation of some regu
lation will probably be cause for
a prompt jerking around by some
90-day wonder covered with
brass.
CASE TYPICAL
We sight Drake's case because
it is typical of the treatment giv
en hundreds of other old-time
seamen whose only crime is that
they are militant union men. This
campaign against them is design
ed as a "softening up" tactic; it is
meant to demoralize the leading
elements in the unions and thus
weaken organized labor prepar
atory for the final assault upon it
after the war* ends.
Tom O'Reilly
At Sea
It was a rotten night and cold.
The Liberty Ship "Mulligan
Stew" was pitching and rolling
off one of the world's worst capes
in a terrific sea. For days there
had been neither sun nor stars
with which to navigate. Further
more, a radio warning told of
submarines in the offing. The of
ficers were edgy. The crew
strained every eye. Up in the
heavily aimrored and blacked-out
wheelhouse, the bearded young
helmsman inquired of the mate;
"Where do you stand in the
draft. Sir?"
The mate, a family man, re
plied, laconically, "3-A."
<"Well," said the helmsman,
soberly, as the ship's nose dipped
into a giant sea that washed
completely over the forv.'ard
gun, "you ain't got nuthin' ,to
worry about. You're safe."
Somehow this true story is ty
pical of the attitude of the aver
age American merchant seaman.-
He'll fight. But he'll weai- no
inan's collar. He loves to shock
people by saying he's at sea to
duck the draft. This attitude con
fuses landlubbei's. Seamen are
boistex-ous, courageous, loyal, un
disciplined, proud, defiant and
breathtaking. But don't let them
kid you. Most of them not only
know their business but each one
feels that the ship couldn't move
two feet without him. That's
what they call morale.
—PM
Honor Roll
S. ROBIN LOCKSLEY .$10.00
FRANK OLEARY 5.00
Keep In Touch With
Your Draft Board
A wartime savings plan, where
by merchant seamen would be
assured of a steady income dur
ing the slack period immediately
following the close of the war, is
being worked out by the War
Shipping Administration, the
Tx-easury and labor unions.
The plan was presented to
union leaders by the War Ship
ping Administration during the
course of an executive conference
designed to get laboi-'s reaction
to the program. The extent to
which the pi'oposed plan will be
put into effect, WSA officials
said, is dependent upon the at
titude of the maritime trade
unions, and will only become ef
fective if regarded as necessary
and desirable by them.
.Subject to the satisfactory
completion of details and final
agx-eement, it is pioposed that
the WSA and the Tx-easury De
partment sponsor a savings plan
for seamen, including both li
censed and unlicensed personnel.
Seamen, WSA officials said,
would be encoui-aged to make
voluntax-y allotments for the dur
ation of the war, of such portions
of their earnings as may be avail
able for savings after provisions
for other allotments such as tax
es, etc. Withdrawals would be
held in a fund by the United
States Ti-easury, subject to the
payment of interest at approx
imately 3 per cent. Funds al
located to the savings account
could be obtained fi-om bonuses,
overtime or wages, or all three,
WSA said.
Withdrawals of deposits in the
fund would be x-estricted, subject
to some degree of flexibility for
emei-gency needs, until after the
war. At the conclusion of hostil
ities, withdrawals would be per
mitted and provided for on the
basis of paynxents to an individ
ual seaman for the cux-rent year
based upon the amounts deposit
ed by him within a given twelve
month period. In other words, if
a seaman has deposited funds in
1943, and the war ends in 1946,
he could draw upon his account
only to the extent of the amounts
he deposited in 1943. In 1947 his
withdrawals would be limited to
the funds deposited in 1944.
It is fui'ther proposed that ar
rangements be made whereby
the withdrawals by an individual
seaman would be divided into
monthly or quarterly payments.
Under the tentative plan WSA
will work out ax-rangements with
its agents to facilitate pay roll
deductions, the agents to make
the deduction fi-om the seaman's
wages at the time of paying off.
Amounts so deducted would be
remitted to the Treasury Depart
ment, all in accordance with reg-
iilation.s agi-eed upon by the
Tx-easury and WSA.
For its part the Tx-easury De-
pai-tment will hold the funds and
the interest thereon and will ad
minister them subject to regula
tions.
Disbursements to seamen
would be made through the pos
tal savings system, subject to ar
rangements mutually agreeable
to the system and the Tx-easury
Departmen*^.
Around The Ports
{Contimied from Page 3)
Russia and Mustache Joe, I leave
all of the faithful fellow travel
ers, button hole sevvexs, pants
pressers, Myer's, Stone, and the
13th Street Commandoes of the
NMU. To France I leave all of
the beautiful madamoiselles in the
occupied NMU branches, and
hdqts. I never was one fox- the
girls—whoops.
"To England I leave the orig
inal NMU agreement and plans
to take over the seamen. But I
will never forgive you for not
letting me ashore in Africa last
summer. To Norway, I leave you
another quisling, Thos. Christen-
sen of the NMU, Pan-American
Division. To President Roosevelt,
I leave my apologies for trying
to interx-upt his war duties by
flooding his office with screwball
wires from NMU fellow travel
ers. And to America, I leave you
Walter Winchell, who always said
to hell with Curran and the
NMU. I know he will be very
busy on my funeral day, so he
would not come, business before
pleasure. To the SIU, I leave 20
by 10 gold framed pictures of
myself to hang in their union
halls to scare hell out of any
young seaman who might think
along Commie lines, and to the
RMO, I leave you what is left of
the fellow travelers in the NMU
to the Sailors Union of Pacific, I
leave money for my tombstone,
with the following epitaph:
Enney, meeney miny moe.
Here lies Curran by the toe.
Underneath he seems to say.
You cannot beat the Old
SIU of NA.
"And to the entire maritinxe woi-k-
ers, I just leave, and will they
thank God."
After making this will Joe
Lay down last night, was-too
tired to wait.
Had a chill this morning, was
too tired to shake,
I sure was tired.
I'm tired of coffee, I'm tired of
tea.
The NMU, I built and love is
tired of me.
Oh, hell, I'm tired.
After this doctor crap put out
by the WSA the new Secretary
of the MM&P, Capt. John Yordt
and the MERA backed us up 100
per cent, notifying all ports of
their action. The NMU is as .si
lent as a church mouse about the
affair. They are only interested
in feathering their nest with the
USS and what have you. Any
thing for the benefit of their
membership is out.
E. R. WALLACE. Agent
»• * »
P.S.—
After holding a joint meeting
with the Master Mates and Pil
ots, and the Marine Eng. Benifi-
cial Ass'n., we got on the front
page of the Galveston News. The
NMU Donkeys were invited to
Germans Reported
Deserting Ships
(ITF) From the Swedish port
of Sundsvall, the report has
i-eached the International Trans-
portworkers' Federation that itij
the middle of August, a German
ship was held up due to the de
sertion of its crew of eleven, of
whom ten were aliens. The cap
tain tried to sign on a Swedish
crew and offered 1,000 crowns
for the journey without success.
In Harnoesand a German ship
was detained for si.x days. Four
of its crew deserted en route and
another two upon reaching this
port. The entire crew of this
ship, including the Captain and
mate were alien and only the two
soliders serving the ship's gun
were German. Because they
could get no Swedish seaftien to
sail the vessel, they were forced
to take German seamen from an
other ship in order to get the
ship back to Germany.
attend but they were not inter
ested. The Longshoxemen of Lo
cal 407, Galveston, held a meet
ing Friday night, Dec. 3rd. Also
the Longshoremen of Texas City,
they will bring this WSA crap up
and give us their backing.
(The Galveston News gave
Brother Wallace's protest on the
proposed medical exams a 5-inch
story on page one—-Editor).
Keep In Touch With
Your Draft Board
[1 g. ,• • .
• -
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