Media
Issue Date
1943-01-22
Volume
5
Issue Number
2
Plaintext
PAFAKERSJOC
OFFICIAL ORGAN OP THE ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT,
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA
VOL. V. 280 NEW YORK, N. Y., FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1943 No. 2
Washington Boards Attempt Underhand
Chisel Of S.I.U. Wages And l^curity
WSA Stooge Suddenly Opens
Bull & Alcoa Union Contract
The War Shipping Administration is sticking its long
nose into bargaining contracts held by the SIU which were
signed, sealed and delivered long before the WSA became
operator of the merchant fleet and before wage levels were
subject to review by the War Labor Board.
On January 6 the SIU received^
a copy of a letter Hubert Wy-
ckoff had sent to the War Labor
Board concerning the contracts be
tween this union and the Alcoa
and Bull lines. Mr. Wyckoff, who
holds the title of Director of Di
vision of Maritime Labor Relations,
WSA, suggested to the War Labor
Board that it "consider" the SIU
contracts with Bull and Alcoa
dated July 6, 1942. The impli
cation of Wyckoff's letter was that
wage increases were contained in
the contracts which might not be
legal under the WLB wage-freez-
ang policy.
A Fast One?
Mr. Wyckoff seems to be en
gaged in some sort of a slick-man
euver, though we are not just cer
tain what it is. We do, however,
{Continued on Page 4)
THANKS FROM
FORT STANTON
The mem^rs of the SIU and
SUP on the Atlantic Coast sent a
Christmas present of $15 J to the
Brothers in the hospital at Ft.
Stanton. Thefollowing letter of
thanks was received.
"Received your very nice letter
dated Dec. 30th, accompanied by
the two checks No. 616437,
616438, in the amount of $15 5
(one hundred and fifty-five dol
lars) .
"There isn't a shadow of doubt as
to the appreciation offered by me
and the remainder of the S.U.P.-
S.r.U. men, to those that so gen
erously responded to my appeal.
"We profoundly thank you and
all those" men that so willingly do
nated. If it didn't get here in time
for "Xmas, it did for New Year. I
knew my appeal would not fall on
deaf ears and as food restrictions
are getting tighter here, the money
came in very useful in the way of
extras and was equally divided
ampng the following members:
John J, Ennis, 1412
Edward Reville, 2361
H. Carlson, 3074
J. H. Gleason, 49
i 'i., Jokn Dooley, 1931
S. Shakes, 4833
W. D. Johnson, 3590."
Ship Losses
Decline After
1 Year of Sub War
WASHINGTON—A year ago
this Jan. 14 a Nazi U-boat man
euvered 100 miles off New York
harbor to torpedo the first United
Nations vessel in American waters.
She was the Norness, a 9,577-ton
tanker under Panamanian registry.
The anniversary prompts a look
at the record of the submarine war.
Since the beginning of the war,
the Navy has announced the sink
ing of 504 United Nations mer
chant vessels (up to January 11).
Among these were 262 United
States ships.
Other reports — of unidentified
United Nations sinkings in the
Caribbean and elsewhere — bring
the total up to 587 as of the same
date.
{Continued on Page 4)
Bulletin
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 — The
Maritime War Emergency Board
held public hearing today on Itr
proposal to eliminate all port
and area bonuses unless the port
or area Is under actual attack.
CaptalnT Edward Macauley,
chairman of the board, was ask
ed by the SIU Washington Rep
resentative, Matthew Dushane,
If any employers was disputing
the payment of the bonuses and
had asked the board to inter
vene. When Macauley admitted
that no dispute on the subject
had been reported to the board,
he was reminded that under
those conditions the board had
no authority to Intervene and al
ter the bonus rates.
The MWEB was established
to arbitrate all DISPUTES be
tween the unions and operators
over the question of bonus. In
the present case the MWEB is
attempting to create a dispute
where none existed.
One member of the board said
that In his opinion the seamen
were getting too much money.
Union representatives point out
the fact that seamen's wages
fall short of many shoreside
wages where the men are not
even subjected to bombings and
torpedolngs and slow starvation
in a life boat.
The MWEB found all mari
time labor firmly resolved to
fight any move to deprive them
of earned bonuses. The board
adjourned without handing down
any final decision.
M.W.E.B. Moves Illegally To
Scuttle Established Bonuses
The Maritime War Emergency Board has announced
its intention to hand down a decision which is a direct blow;
at the very existence of the maritime trade unions and un
dermines the safeguards given labor under the State of
Principles signed between the War Shipping Administra-
••tion and the SIU-SUP in Decem
ber 1941. The Board's proposed
ruling would eliminate the pay
ment of area bonuses, except when
seamen are under actual attack,
and would thus remove the basis
for the payment of port bonuses
which are provided for in the bar
gaining contracts between the op
erators and the union—such con
tracts having been entered into
Tax Exemptions
Are Explained
For Seamen
The SIU has conferred with the
Internal Revenue Department re
garding the exemption from in
come tax payments for seamen
who have spent the majority of
1942 in foreign waters, and ports.
Here is. the score.. Any seaman
who has spent six calendar months
out of the year in foreign waters is
exempt from income tax payment.
The six months do not have to be
consecutive, they may consist of
any six scattered throughout the
year. However, parts of months
cannot be added together to con
stitute a full month.
If your tax collector disputes
this point, ask him to turn to the
following directive and read it for
himself:
{Continued on Page 4)
Hawk Protests M. W. E. B. Move
To Eliminate Area Bonuses
f
January 12, 1943 gard to any question relating to' ment between the Sailors' Union of
war risk compensation or war risk'the Pacific and the Pacific Coast
insurance of personnel of the ves- ^ steamship operators in May of
sels of such steamship operator and 1941. Shortly thereafter port
Maritime War Emergency Board
Edward Macauley, Chairman
John R. Steelman
Frank P. Graham
Department of Commerce Bldg.
Washington, D. C.
Gentlemen:
The membership of the Atlantic
and Gulf District of the Seafarers
International Union"of North Am
erica has gone on record to stren-
ously oppose the Maritime War
Emergency Board's proposed
Amendment No. 9 to Decision No.
7, Revi.sed.
Pursuant, to paragraph two (2)
on page two (2) of the Statement
of Principle's "Whenever any dif
ference shall arise between any
steamship operator and any union
representing its employees with re-
such question shall not be settled
through the ordinary procedure of
collective bargaining between such
steamship operator and its em
ployees, such question shall be re
ferred to the Board by such steam
ship operator or such union by
giving written notice to the Board
and to. the other party of the in
tention of the party giving such
notice to refer such question to the
Board. Such notice, shall'specify
the question to be referred to the
Board," and paragraph three (3)
on the front page of the Statement
of principles, the Board is over
stepping the power granted them
by the signatories thereto.
Pqrt bonuses originated primar
ily as a result pf a mutnal agree-
before the creation of the board
and guaranteed by the government
for the duration of the war.
Illegal Function
This latest move is an outrage-
pus pervertion of the entire func
tion for which the MWEB was
created. The MWEB was created
as an arbitration body whose func
tion it was to aid the operators and
unions in settling disputes on
bonus payments. That was the be
ginning and the end of the auth
ority given the Board at the time
of its creation.
Here is part of the letter an
nouncing the impending new de
cision—^it is dated Jan. 2, 1943:
"After an investigation of the op
eration of the provisions of at
tachment -No. 2 of Decision No. 7,
revised, the Board has determined
that the present system of port
bonus does not provide a just and
accurate port bonus based on the
risk involved. The board has,
therefore, determined that a re
vision is necessary."
Profit Motive
Already making record profits
Operators.
In September 1941 the Atlantic
and Gulf District of the Seafarers
International Union of North Am
erica followed .by the Sailors'
Union of the Pacific called a strike
for an increase in the war bonus,
e.ttend bonus areas and to include
the Caribbean Sea. Because of the
expensive National Defense Pro
gram at that time and also appeals
from the Secretary pf Labor and
the Chairman of National Defen.se
Mediation Board, the Union re
leased the ships and the dispute was
{Continued on Page 4)
bonuses were mutually established
in contracts between East Coast shipowners
Unions and East Coast Steamship and government boards launch a
double pronged drive to get even
greater profits. One drive is aimed
at Congress and designed to win
inflated payments from the gov
ernment for the bottoms taken
over by the War Shipping Admin
istration; the other drive is at the
seamen and would chisel the few
dollars due men who sweat and
bleed, and often die in carrying
cargoes to the hell holes of the
world.
Now let us see what the board
is contemplating as a "fair and ac
curate port bonus based upon the
risk involved." Here it is:
{Continued on P^ge if*'•
http://www.pdfcompressor.org/buy.html
Page Two THE SEAFARERS' LOG Friday, January 22, 1943
\ ptam*h4d iv fh9
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
Atlcmtic and Guli District
Amtiatta tatth th* Amvican FtOmrtton of Lalor
HARRY LUNDEBER3. InlwmoUonal I^sldvut
110 Mcirkst Stxsvt, Room 402, Scm Frandico, Colli.
ADDRS3B ALL OORRESPONDENOM OONOERNINO THIS
PUBLIOATIOE TO'.
"THE SEAFABEBS' LOG
P. O. 25. Station P. Now York. N. Y.
Phone: BOwling Green 9-8346
ATLANTIC AND GULF SHIPPING FOR
DEC, 28 TO^ZAN. 9, INCLUSIVE
DECK ENGINE STEWARD TOTAL
SHIPPED 301 267 200 768l
REGISTERED 319 205 - 180 704
ON HAND ..364 218 ' 172 764
" - ' ' II I
Hn Wmwjdam
BASEL, MIKE AB
BETANCOURT, PRIMO Watertender
BOCCEDORA, CARLO Wiper
BORGMAN, UBERT Wiper
iCHRISTENSON, SOREN AB
COX, DONALD • • Fireman
DAWSON, EUGENE OS
DIXON, ROY Oiler
DUERSEL, HERBERT Watertender
DUFFY, JOSEPH Messman
ELIASSEN, ARVID Oiler
FLYNN, JOSEPH AB
FUHRMAN, BYRON Fireman
GILL, ODUS Wiper
GURRY, JAMES Oiler
HARRISON, MOODY AB
KLEINSMITH, RONALD Fireman
LINDSEY, HENRY AB
LISKOYS, VICTOR F AB
LIVINGSTON, ALEXANDER AB
MacDONALD, MARK Oiler
MALONE, THOMAS Watertender
MCDONALD, ALBERT Messman
MERRYFIELD, WILLIAM Watertender
MESSICK, WILLIAM Messman
MIXON, JERRY 2nd Cook
MUNEZ, ERASMO Messman
O'BRIEN, EDWARD OS
PALMER, FRANK AB
PENTZ, THEODORE VON Deck Eng.
POLOMS, RICHARD Oiler
RHODES, CECIL AB
RIVERA, JUAN Cook
SELF, B. R, PRESTON Bosun
SMITH, MATTHEW Watertender
SOUSA, MANUEL Steward
STYPCZYNSKI, ARTHUR ' AB
SUTHERLAND, MELVIN Cook
FUGATIVE FROM
MUTTON STEW
WRITES BIGGS
Cape Town, South Africa
October 1st, 1942
My Dear Biggs:
When I return frOin Africa, I
am going to publish a new book
called, "Why sailors prefer the
shipyards" or "Don't bite the hanc
if you can get better."
In my 20 odd years at Sea, I
have sailed many foul feeding ships
but this one truly represents the
most pronounced "manifestation of
mass hunger on which I've ever
had the pleasure of starving.
Our cooks can prepare only two
dishes—one is mutton stew and the
other one ain't. We all prefer the
one that ain't because we have eat
en mutton until all hands smell
like British subjects. Only tv>day
one of our messboys passed away at
the dinner table—^knife and fork
in hand, and we all thought he was
the victim of a heart attack. But
the doctor declared the poor man
died of Galloping malnutrition.
Hunger has reached the acute
stage when one man will eat an
other, but I believe most anyone
on here would relish a barbecued
oiler or a nice fat suckling Cadet,
baked with a red apple in it's
month.
The African authorities have
denied us shore leave until the sail
ors promise to quit eating the can
nibals. In Cape Town last week,
Bill McQuistion brought a big
stevedore into the mess room
and when asked why, replied, "I
brought him in to eat." Irish Ken
nedy suggested, "Let's eat him in
the shaft alley so we won't have to
share him with the gun crew."
Frequently I dream of the time
in the last war, when my ship was
torpedoed and 11 of us spent 127
days in an open boat. We subsist
ed the final two months on raw
fish, rope yarn and storm oil. For
a special treat on Sundays, the
good old Captain allowed us to lick
the Albany grease off the shackk
pins. My, my, them was the days.
^ Biggs, if this ship is an example
of the way we are to be fed for
the duration, I would suggest you
put .up a sign by the Dispatcher's
Cage reading as follows:
BE CAREFUL IN CHOOSING
YOUR SHIPMATES MEN, YOU
MAY HAVE -TO EAT 'EM.
Love—Goon
REPORT FROM
Washington
PROVIDE LIBRARIES
FOR SHIPS' CREWS
American merchant marine ves
sels are to be provided with port
able libraries filled with books
and magazines for the use of of
ficers and crews on ships operated
by the War Shipping Administra
tion.
Arrangements were made by J,
E. Gushing, assistant deputy ad
ministrator for ship operations,
with the Merchant Marine Library
Association which will deliver to
WSA yessels the small libraries
containing at least 40 books of
current literature suitable for use
in the reading room aboard.
They are contained in cases es
pecially constructed for display
and can be transferred from one
vessel to another, thus keeping a
fresh supply of books and rriaga-.
xines in circulation.
By Matthew Dushane
Maritime War Emergency Board:
On a letter dated January 2, 1943, the MWEB has invited all the
signatories of the statement of principles to attend' a meeting that will
be held in Washington, D. C., on January 14, 1943. This letter is,
rather interesting so I will quote part of it. !
"AFTER AN INVESTIGATION OF THE OPERATION OF,
ATTACHMENT NO. 2 OF DECISION NO. 7, REVISED. THE
BOARD HAS DETERMINED THAT THE PRESENT SYSTEM
OF PORT BONUS DOES NOT PROVIDE A JUST AND AC^
CURAIt PORT BONUS BASED ON THE RISK INVOLVED.
THE BOARD HAS, THEREFORE, DETERMINED THAT A
REVISION IS NECESSARY."
Now let us see what the board is contemplating is a fair and ac
curate port bonus based on the risk involved.
"A PORT BONUS OF $125.00 SHALL BE PAID TO EACH
SEAMAN FOR EACH PORT OR ANCHORAGE WHEREVER
SITUATED THAT EXPERIENCES AN ENEMY ATTACK
DURING A CALL AT SUCH PORT OR ANCHORAGES. NO
OTHER BONUSES SHALL BE PAYABLE."
The Board under this proposed decision will eliminate all port and
area bonuses that we have negotiated with the employers and under
the decision of the National Defense Mediation Board prior to the es
tablishing of the Maritime War Emergency Board. This is what they
feel is a fair and just decision.
Let's check on the statement of principles and see where they get
the authority if they have any authority to change any agreements that
were negotiated prior to the establishment of the M.W.E.B.
QUOTE FROM 3 STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES.
. "THE UTILIZATION OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
WILL IN NO INSTANCE BE IMPAIRED OR RESTRICTED
BY REASON OF ANY ACTION TAKEN AT THIS CONFER
ENCE. IT IS UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED THAT ALL'
RIGHTS GUARANTEED TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY WILL
RESPECT TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WILL BE RE
TAINED AND ALL AGREEMENTS WILL IN NO WAY BE
VIOLATED."
It can plainly be seen by the above that all agreements that were
negotiated by the unions and the emplojyrs are not to be violated by
the Board, and the Unions and the employers did negotiate an agree
ment prior to the Board being set up where by port and area bonuses
shall be paid.
The Board in assuming that they can rule that "port and areat
bonuses are not to be paid unless the port or area is under enemy attack
is out of order and entirely out of the Board's ̂ jurisdiction. The only
Way that they can adopt this ruling is to make null and void the State
ment of Principles, perhaps that is the intent of this proposed decision.
Under 4 of the Statement of Principles, it is agreed that the Board
shall settle 'disputes with the employer and the Unions when they can
not agree, our dispute is not where there are bonuses at present estab
lished,-it lies with the fact that in some ports and areas there are no
bonuses being paid, and I contend that the Board has no power to take
away any bonuses that we are at present getting, but in the dispute that
we have with the employer where there are no bonuses being paid they
have the power of settling this problem only.
Draft Case:
E. R. Gottsch A.B., going to sea 14 years was ordered Inducted into
the army. Case was referred to the proper authorities and the Board
was notified to reconsider his case.
Victory Tax:
Internal Revenue Commissioner Guy T. Helvering has ruled that
the I per cent Victory Tax must be assessed against seamen's wages paid
on or after January 1st, 1943. Helvering held that the services of sea
men on American Vessels which touch American ports are "performed
within the United States."
Casa Blanca:
The board has ruled that a port bonus is payable for Casa Blanca.
This bonus is retroactive to the day that hostilities started there. I will
send copies of the decision to all the respective headquarters as soon as
they are mineographed by the MWEB.
Selective Service:
Still getting plenty of complaints from some of our agents re
garding local draft boards trying to induct active seamen. Wire your
cases in so that we can put a stop ta some of these local boards. Send
in all the facts in the case. At present I am working on a standard
from to send to all the agents for them to fill out when they have a
case.
i
http://www.pdfcompressor.org/buy.html
Friday, January 22, 1943 THE SEAFARERS' LOG Page Three
WHArS DOm G
Around the Ports
TAMPA
For the past few weeks there
have been any number of beefs
about steamship companies refus
ing to pay transportation money
to those men that wanted to quit
their ships after signing off the
articles in a port other than the
one that they have signed on.
This is another underhanded at
tack against organized seaman
which if allowed to continue, will
do much to undermine our Union.
The companies in cahoots with the
W.S.A. say that, in affect, if a man
signs on articles that are dated for
12 months, then he must stay on
that ship for that time. This prac
tice has, up to date, not been at
tempted, however, that would
seem to be their next step.
'• In Mobile last week, there was
a transportation beef with a South
Atlantic S.S. Co. ship. This out
fit has refused to pay transporta
tion money to the crew to North
of Hatteras where they signed on.
They have also enlisted the Coast
Guard in their phony contention.
The Coast Guard has issued a state
ment saying that inasmuch as the
crew have signed on for a period
of 12 months, they were not en
titled to any transporation money.
It then stands to reason that if
• the operators get away with this
phony move then they will try to
keep those men that wanted to
quit from paying off. Even if they
have completed a round trip. This
will be, in affect, a freezing to the
job policy, which the union and
the membership has gone on record
to fight. It also will tend to keep
him out of touch with his union
hall and thereby keep him from
knowing what is going on. And
another thing, if the seaman are
''^frozen to their job, then there will
be no turnover of jobs for .the
S.I.U. So you can see why
we have to fight this policy with
all the vigor at our command.
I have noticed that the member
ship in New York went on record
not to sign on ships that do not
have their articles dated to ter
minate after each foreign voyage.
If each crew will adhere strickly to
policy, then I feel sure that we can
do away with the operators at
tempt to regiment the seaman.
Another business that I would
like to bring to light, is this policy
of some of the companies in say
ing that they cannot get the food
to put aboard the ships. They give
the excuse that there is a war on
and that there is a shortage of some
foods. Well, who the HELL is
fighting this war? The seamen
have been sent out to sea without
convoys and without guns. Gottfen
torpedoecl, received no assistance,
no recognition, messed around by
the very company that they were
working for, and then still went
back out to sea for some more of
the same.
Then some damn office clerk
comes to them and tells them that
there is a war on and that because
of that reason they cannot obtain
food to supply to the men that
have given over'* six thousand of
our union brothers to the cause of
Victory.
Fraternally
JOE SALTIS
GALVESTON
This is an open letter to the
"emancipator of the seamen" Joe
Currant «
Dear Joe:
. You will pardon, I hope, the
presumption which allows me to
write thusly after a silence of so
many months. By this time I have
learned to what extent some of the
people will go to get control of
the seamen and to benefit from the
publicity.
The fates have geen kind to the
men of the SUP and SIU. In a
war where any semblence of pleas
ure is hard to find, our member
ship have been furnished much
amusement by watching you, and
then looking at what we have in
our own organization.
Our two unions are not run by
any can shaking faction. And Joe,
when you made your speech of
how you saved the seame*, the
speech you made before the Pro
peller Club, well the Lykes Bros,
gave your speech three pages in
their Employees magazine.- I'm
wondering Joe, just which side of
the fence you' are on.
Many of my friends are now
dead. They died with a nonchal
ance which they would have denied
was courage. They would have
shunned the fanfare and publicity
which you continually seek over
their dead bodies. These men "de
livered the goods" when you were
shouting that the "Yanks are not
coming" and they continue to de
liver the goods while you shout,
"We Keep 'em Sailing" from your
swivil chair.
Do you remember what happen
ed to the seamen after the last
war? And where they stayed until
1934? My suggestion to you is to
get in there and pitch for your
membership and stop playing the
shipowners game. And once again,
Joe, don't try -to muscle in on
something that doesn't belong to
you, or the union which you rep
resent.
In closing I see that you claim
to represent 85% of the seamen
on the West Coast. The facts, as
you know, are that you don't rep
resent 10% of the men. Your ex
aggerations don't help a lost cause
one damn bit—and you should
know that by now.
I also notice you have been do
ing some fast financial juggling.
Your dues are going up four bits
a month in order to pay for all
that real estate you purchased. Our
dues continue at $2 but we put it
into benefits for the members—not
in fancy buildings. We pay $2 per
week hospital benefits to the boys
in the hospital and we fight like
hell for wages and conditions—not
for publicity and glory.
What this all adds up to, in my
opinion, is the fact that you can't
play both ends towards the mid
dle. Not without your member
ship suffering.
E. R. WALLACE, Agent
NEW ORLEANS
Since the war started the mem
bers of the U. S. Merchant Marine
have faced all Hitler, Hiroitio and
Mussolini could dish out and have
gone back for more, but now they
face a dread more dreadful than
all three combined could dish out.
That, my friends, is the "Internal
Revenue,' on the day they pay off.
Since the 5% Victory Tax has
gone into effect the Seamen have
taken a worse licking than anyone
else. According to the law any
money paid a person in 1943 is
taxable as 1943 income although it
is earned in 1942. The seamen who
have fought off the dive bombers
on the way to Russia, the seamen
who took part in the allied inva
sion of Africa, and any other sea
men coming in in 1943 will be
faced with taxation on the money
they earned out there in 1942. The
people of the U.S.A. (and that in
cludes the ones that made and
passed such a phoney law) depend
a great deal on the work of the
men of the Merchant Marine, and
especially the great job they are
doing out there. They had no
chance to get their pay on Decem
ber 31st, 1942 so as to avoid pay
ing the tax on 1942 income. Due
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICAN
ATLANTIC and GULF DISTRICT
Secretary-Treasurer's Office
ROOM 213 — 2 STONE STREET, NEW YORK CITY
P.O. Box 25, Station P. Phone: BOwIing Green 9-8340
BRANCH
Directory of Branches
ADDRESS PHONE
NEW YORK 2 Stone St
Dispatcher's OfiBce BOwIing Green 9-3430
Agent BOwling Green 8-3437
BOSTON 330 Atlantic Ave Liberty 4057
BALTIMORE 14 North Gay St ...Calvert 4539
PHILADELPHIA 6 North 6th St Lombard 7651
NORFOLK 25 Commercial PI Norfolk 4-1083
NEW ORLEANS 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 2-1332
PUERTO RICO 45 Ponce de Leon Puerto de Tierra
GALVESTON 219 20th Street Galveston 2-8043
to Strict censorship and very little
mail or information going out of
the country they had no ide.-t they
would be so unjustly taxed.
So as it stands now the U. S.
Merchant Seamen are not only
faced with the perils of the Sea,
Hitler, Hiroitio and Mussolini, but
they are also faced with the dread
of the Internal Revenue Collector
when they come in and pay off.
What the Seamen would like to
know is, will the seamen that are
now in Russia, Africa and any
othei" ports in foreign lands and
have been there quite some time,
be faced with the same unjust tax
ation when they get back?
What we would also like to
know is what are all the Senators,
Congressmen, etc., that boasted so
much of the great work being done
by the 'Unsung Heroes doing
about this unjust, and speaking as
a Seamen, 'Phoney Law'.?
No seamen objects to paying the
5% tax, but sure object to paying
it on 1942 income, when none of
our law makers (that are sitting
at home with nice square meals,
and a swell fireplace to sit in front
of) have to pay it, due to the rude
interpetation of the law by the
Treasury Department.
C. J. STEPHENS, Agent
DRAFT NOTICES
The following men have been de
linquent in reporting to their local
draft boards. They should clear up
this matter at- once, otherwise they
may find themselves in the army.
JOHN MARKOVIC
HAROLD TATTLE
JOSEPH WHALEN
JOSEPH DAMES
JOHN CIELETON
RICHARD BARBEE
GARLAND BONNEY
WELL LOOK WHO'S ASKING!
Harry Bridges, that super-militant leader out
on the West Coast, now has his hat in his hand
and a fawning grin on his long face. Harry wants
a wage boost for his longshoremen. And how does
he go about it? By militant union action? By
strikes? Or even by direct negotiation with the
shipowners?
Hdrry Bridges does none of these, rather does
he meekly appear before the War Labor Board and
complain that his men receive less than the East
Coast longshoremen! He thinks the government
should correct the situation.
- This is, a fine kettle of fish. Here the East
Coast, longshoremen have been struggling along
all these years without the benefit of Bridges* lead
ership—^and yet tliey wind up with more in the
pay envelope than the West Coast men! (It ain't
rig:ht.)
Here's how the two scales compare:
ILA ILWU
(East Coast) (West Coast)
Regular Hourly rate: $1.25 1.10
Overtime rate: 1.87/2 1.65
The East Coast men recently received a 5 c
wage boost on the regular hourly scale and z 7Yzc
overtime boost. Far from calling upon the gov
ernment to aid it, the ILA resisted all efforts of
the War Labor Board to enter the case and^'wDn
the increases through direct negotiations with the
operators.
On October 16 Harry Bridges made a speech
to the California State CIO Convention at which
he said, 'We've got a lot of our unions still think
ing they can make gains by getting wage increases
of so much per hour, or per day, and they are
fooling themselves if they only think in terms of
dollars and cents."
He then went on to explain that they should
think in terms of a "Second front in Europe,"
"Keep 'em Sailing," etc., etc.
Maybe. But even if Harry doesn't pay much
attention to the question of wage increases, we can
be sure his mcmbetship docs. Otherwise he would
n't now be coming to the government and whin
ing about the difference in scale between the two
coasts.
SAVANNAH
Shipping around this port has
been very good lately. Have had
a new ship coming out just about
every week that has passed since
December. Have shipped just about
everything I can get my hands on
around here and am still looking
for men. Will have two new ships
for South Atlantic Line coming
out, one on January 28th and one
on February 26th and will be
needing men with ratings in all de
partments for them. Will more
than likely be able to use any of
the boys who want to ship out if
they will come down around that
time.
Steady as she goes
CHARLES WAID, Agent
MISSING PAPERS
The following men have pass--,
ports, Identification papers, disi
charges, etc., in the Philadelphia
hall. Write for them at once.
MEARLE WYCOFF
FRANK McCALLEN
JAMES RYAN <
ALEX SLEDGE
HAROLD WOOD
WOODROW WOLFORD
GEORGE MACK
ARTHUR ANDREW
JOHN SRVBEHUK
CHARLES SPAULDING
MONEY DUE
Crews of the Alcoa Leader and
Alcoa Master may now collect theii)
Casa Blanca bonus by calling at 17
Battery Place, New York City
4- .4 4
Black gang of the S. S. Delmai}
can collect overtime money by ap*
plying to Mississippi Line offic^
17 Battery Place, New York City.
4 4 4
Steward's department of Alcoa
Pathfinder and Alcoa Cutter hav0
overtime coming. Collect at 17 Bat-<
tery Place, New York City.
4 4 4
Linen money is due crew of Al^
coa Trader. I
PERSONALS
CHARLES H. DELMONACO
See the" Secretary-Treasurer thq
next time you are in New York.
RICHARD O'CONNOR
See the Secretary-Treasurer tha
next time you are In New York.
IN MEMORY OF
Kenneth J. Hack
A. B.
1906 - 1942
Died of Diphtheria
San Jaun Hospital, Dec. 8, 1942
. 1 • u
.-.l ..-.A
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ik-
Page Four THE SEA,FARERS' LOG Friday, January 22, 1943
fej'-
Hawk Protests M. W. E. B, Move
!To Eliminate Area Bonuses
referred to the National Defense
Mediation Board to be known as
Case 80.
Increases Won
The National Defense Mediation
Board not only approved the meth
ods used to measure the war risk
port bonus, but they did not
think it adequate. The union
agreements with the shipowners
called for a flat $75.00 bonus for
the port of Suez, regardless of how
long the ship laid there. The Na
tional Defense Mediation Board
ruled in their decision Case SO,
paragraph one page three (3),
"For the pot of Suez or any other
port which is subject to regular
bombing, $100.00 plus $5.00 a
day for each day beyond five days
that the vessel is in port." In the
same decision the National :De-
fense Mediation Board respected
fhe unions collective bargaining
tontracts on page five (5) para
graph ten (10), "Nothing in these
recommendations shall be inter-
perted so as to reduce benefits npw
existing under collect bargaining
contracts, except as herein modi
fied existing contracts and arrange
ments shall continue."
The shipowners were pleased
with the National Defense-Media
tion Board decision Case 80, and
immediately signed samed. ' The
Maritime Commission expressed ap
proval of it, and the unions ac
cepted it."
Chisel Begins
The Maritime War Emergency
Board took away the original port
bonuses that were embodied in the
unions contracts, and substituted
in their place what is now known
as area bonuses. Although the
unions realized that this was a
substantial modiiication of their
uriion contracts and of the Na
tional Defeiii. Mediation Board
decision Case 80; in the interest
of peace and harmony in the in
dustry and for the furtherance of
the successful prosecution of the
war effort, the unions accepted the
area bonuses without protest.
The American Merchant Seamen
have been highly. commended re
cently by the Fresident of the
United States and numerous other
high government officials, includ
ing Admiral E. S. Land and the
Chairman of the National Defense
Mediation Board, Captain E. R.
Macauley for the splendid job that
they are now doing unflinchingly
in this total all out war effort. The
morale of the Merchant Seamen at
this time is very high and this at
tempt to abolish the now existing
area bonuses certainly will not help
in maintaining this high morale.
Withdrawal Demanded
In conclusion the Seafarers In
ternational Union of North Am
erica in behalf of all American
Merchant Seamen respectfully re
quest that the Board withdraw
their proposed Amendment No. 9
to Decision No. 7, Revised, and we
further request that the Board
render a decision which will be
retroactive to November 7, 1942,
providing for an area bonus of
$125.00 for the area of North
Africa on the Atlantic Coast.
Very trulys yours,
JOHN HAWK, Sec.-Treas.
Seafarers International
Union of N. A.
Atlantic & Gulf District
Ship Losses
Decline After
1 Year of Sub War
Out . of the Focsl
by
Navy records, as well as those of the S.I.U., show that 579 mem
bers of the Atlantic and Gulf District have lost their lives due ..to
enemy action. 84 contracted ships fully manned by the SIU have been
sunk.
' ' The one unfortunate incident of the war was the loss of three
ships and the entire crews.* The Bull and Waterman ships had lost the
greatest total of men 13 5, and 134 respectively. The South Atlantic
Line has lost neither men nor ships. The Delta Line runs a close second,
having lost only 3 men since the start of the war.
AAA
Phil Acrce recently informed us that he has been torpedoed five
times. That is the record for the SIU, as far as this war is concerned.
Jules Sousa after spending 34 days in a lifeboat, had to recuperate in a
hospital for 6 months, arid had to grab a ship in a hurry as the Draft
Board was after him. It is rumored that Doug Muncaster, will have to
enter the Krmy in spite of making two trips, and exerting every effort
to stay out of the Service. Bill Messick who had been on the beach for
5 months shipped out recently, and was lost with all his shipmates on
his recent trip. Bill was a great guy and a good Union, men and we
regret his loss.
A ~ A A
"Whether alone or in a crowd,
Never write or say aloud,
; ,.s5 What you're loading, when you hail 7 : ,
Where you're bound fdr, when you sail."
{Continued from Page 1)
The first ship flying the Ameri
can flag known to have gone down
in American waters was the tank
er Allan Jackson. A submarine got
her on January 20, 1942, off the
North Carolijia coast. She went
down blazing and^ twenty-two of
her thirty-five-man crew were lost.
The S.I.U. has lost 579 men on 84
contracted ships sunk by the
Nazis.
Although Axis submarines still
take heavy toll, they have pretty
well been forced away from our
shores in the year since the Nor-
ness rocked under the impact of
Nazi torpedoes.
Sinkings at first were heaviest
oflE.„our Northern Atlantic Coa.st.
Then the heavy toll moved south
ward as we got more forces afloat
against them. The Navy says the
big toll now is off the South Amer
ican bulge and in the general vi
cinity of the Cape of Good Hope.
M.W.E.B. Moves Illegally Tq>
Scuttle Established Bonuses
•'iti
»
Tax Exemptions
Are Explained
^{Continued from Page 1)
Internal Revenue Cumulative
Bulletin 1940—1 OB
General Counsel Memorandum
No. 22065 Page 100
The SIU has also been attempt
ing to clear up the confusion sur
rounding the new "Victory Tax"
which is automatically deducted
from the pay by the shipowner.
Shipowners have been deducting it
from whole trips in 1942 if the
payoflf came in 1943. The SIU
has protested this to Washington
and a clarification should be hand
ed down by the end of the monthT
» » «•
TELEGRAM
John Hawk, Sec.-Treas.
Seafarers International Union
Of North America «
Room 213, 2 Stone Street
New York, N. Y.
Southern Conference of Amer
ican Federation of Labor held in
Atlanta, Georgia, attended by five,
thousand officials and delegates
went on record to send wires of
protest to Southern Senators and
administrators of the Victory Tax,
protesting the methods»^ now being
used in deducting the Victory Tax
from the American Seamen wages
which was earned in nincteen-
forty-two, also to refund all
moneys taken out of the seamen
wages that was paid off in January
nineteen-forty-three.
"M. D. BIGGS
{Continued from Page 1)
The *'Fair" Plan
"A port bonus of $125.00 shall
be paid to each seaman for each
port or anchorage, where ever sit
uated, that experiences an enemy
attack during a call at such port
or anchorages. No other bonnse$
shall be payable."
This all brings sharply to ques
tion the entire role of th4 various
maritime boards functioning in
Washington. In the past year
there has been a veritable plague of
them. The seamen have always
been suspicious of these govern
ment agencies for they have been
largely sponsored and packed by
the shipowners. The majority of
these boards have not been the im
partial" governmental agencies they
posed to be—but rather the profit-
lusting shipowner moved from the
waterfront to Washington.
Shipowners* Hole
The seamen have had enough
experiences with the Maritime
Commission and the War Shipping
Administration to know just who
calls the turns there. But now the
Maritime War Emergency Board
is apparently being used in an ef
fort to break union conditions^
While the decision has not been
formally handed down, but only
formulated for action, all seamen
will carefully watch the public
hearing being held and the votes
cast by the three Board members—
Dr. John R. Steelman, Frank P.
Graham and Edward Macauley.
Past Guarantee
Here is what the Statement of
Principles says: "It is understood
and agreed that all rights guaranr
teed to labor and industry with re
spect to collective bargaining will
be retained and all agreements will
in no way be violated."
If the MWEB persists in sabot
aging those portions of the union
conditions which established the
basis for port bonuses,, let Steel-
man, Graham and Macauley an-^
swer to the seamen and explain a
twisted logic which can at once
solomnly guarantee a right, and in
the next breath violate it.
WSA Stooge Suddenly Ojpens
Bui! & Alcoa Union Contract
S. S. Louise
All officers and unlicensed crew
members who made the last voy
age aboard the S. S. Louise, should
contact Sol C. Bcrenholtz, 312
Equitable Bldg., Baltimore. The
case trial is set fbr February 1.
{Continued from Page 1)
know^the following facts:
1. The contracts with Bull and
Alcoa were concluded in good faith
by the SIU, and signed by all par
ties.
2. The wage clause in the con
tract signed July 6, 1942 contain
ed no increase over the 1940 con
tract plus the addendum.
3. The War Labor Board has no
authority to knock out wage in
creases won by labor in 194Qi
Knowing these facts, one nat
urally wonders about Mr. Wyc-
koff's move in submitting the
contracts to the WLB for "con
sideration."
Who Was Consulted?
One would think that before
taking such a step as this Mr.
Wyckoff would have consulted
with the union and with the op
erators. He did neither! Labor
relations between the SIU and Bull
and Alcoa have been stable and
this maneuver comes as a great
surprise to all parties.
&>mc people might conclude
from all this that Mr. Wyckoff
is a knuckle-head and doesn't know
the score. As for us, we doubt
that Wyckoff is so thick between
the ears that he would pull some
thing like this without some very
definite motive.
Who did Wyckoff consult with
if not with the SIU or the oper
ators involved?
Who .would be interested in dis-
rqpting labor relations between
the SIU and its contracted oper
ators?
Who would be anxious to chisel
SIU wages and conditions down to
the level of other east coast unions?
We think that the answers to
these questions are not too difficult
to find. But before we make the
answers, we intend to do a little
investigating In New York and
Washington.
Seafarers' Log-
HONOR ROLL
CREW S. S. JAMES CALDWELL $34.91
CREW OF 8. S. DELMAR 19.50
CREW OF S. S. FRANCIS MARION 19.20
CREW S. S. ABRAHAM BALDWIN 17.50
CREW S. S. ROBIN DONCASTER 17.00
CREW S. S. ROBIN TUXFORD .14.00
CREW OF S. S. BENJ. CHEW 14.00
CREW S. S. ROBIN ^HERWOQD > 12.00
EASTERN RESTAURANT .'. 10.00
CREW S. S. ALCOA MASTER 7.00
LARRY DAHL .7. 5.00
L. FUNK 2.00
W. E. MIXON 2.0O
M. RUTHERFftRD 2.00
J. STANKOWITZ 2.00;
KENNETH CLARY ....... j. 1.Q0 '
TOTAL / .......v)..- ..$189.11
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OFFICIAL ORGAN OP THE ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT,
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA
VOL. V. 280 NEW YORK, N. Y., FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1943 No. 2
Washington Boards Attempt Underhand
Chisel Of S.I.U. Wages And l^curity
WSA Stooge Suddenly Opens
Bull & Alcoa Union Contract
The War Shipping Administration is sticking its long
nose into bargaining contracts held by the SIU which were
signed, sealed and delivered long before the WSA became
operator of the merchant fleet and before wage levels were
subject to review by the War Labor Board.
On January 6 the SIU received^
a copy of a letter Hubert Wy-
ckoff had sent to the War Labor
Board concerning the contracts be
tween this union and the Alcoa
and Bull lines. Mr. Wyckoff, who
holds the title of Director of Di
vision of Maritime Labor Relations,
WSA, suggested to the War Labor
Board that it "consider" the SIU
contracts with Bull and Alcoa
dated July 6, 1942. The impli
cation of Wyckoff's letter was that
wage increases were contained in
the contracts which might not be
legal under the WLB wage-freez-
ang policy.
A Fast One?
Mr. Wyckoff seems to be en
gaged in some sort of a slick-man
euver, though we are not just cer
tain what it is. We do, however,
{Continued on Page 4)
THANKS FROM
FORT STANTON
The mem^rs of the SIU and
SUP on the Atlantic Coast sent a
Christmas present of $15 J to the
Brothers in the hospital at Ft.
Stanton. Thefollowing letter of
thanks was received.
"Received your very nice letter
dated Dec. 30th, accompanied by
the two checks No. 616437,
616438, in the amount of $15 5
(one hundred and fifty-five dol
lars) .
"There isn't a shadow of doubt as
to the appreciation offered by me
and the remainder of the S.U.P.-
S.r.U. men, to those that so gen
erously responded to my appeal.
"We profoundly thank you and
all those" men that so willingly do
nated. If it didn't get here in time
for "Xmas, it did for New Year. I
knew my appeal would not fall on
deaf ears and as food restrictions
are getting tighter here, the money
came in very useful in the way of
extras and was equally divided
ampng the following members:
John J, Ennis, 1412
Edward Reville, 2361
H. Carlson, 3074
J. H. Gleason, 49
i 'i., Jokn Dooley, 1931
S. Shakes, 4833
W. D. Johnson, 3590."
Ship Losses
Decline After
1 Year of Sub War
WASHINGTON—A year ago
this Jan. 14 a Nazi U-boat man
euvered 100 miles off New York
harbor to torpedo the first United
Nations vessel in American waters.
She was the Norness, a 9,577-ton
tanker under Panamanian registry.
The anniversary prompts a look
at the record of the submarine war.
Since the beginning of the war,
the Navy has announced the sink
ing of 504 United Nations mer
chant vessels (up to January 11).
Among these were 262 United
States ships.
Other reports — of unidentified
United Nations sinkings in the
Caribbean and elsewhere — bring
the total up to 587 as of the same
date.
{Continued on Page 4)
Bulletin
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 — The
Maritime War Emergency Board
held public hearing today on Itr
proposal to eliminate all port
and area bonuses unless the port
or area Is under actual attack.
CaptalnT Edward Macauley,
chairman of the board, was ask
ed by the SIU Washington Rep
resentative, Matthew Dushane,
If any employers was disputing
the payment of the bonuses and
had asked the board to inter
vene. When Macauley admitted
that no dispute on the subject
had been reported to the board,
he was reminded that under
those conditions the board had
no authority to Intervene and al
ter the bonus rates.
The MWEB was established
to arbitrate all DISPUTES be
tween the unions and operators
over the question of bonus. In
the present case the MWEB is
attempting to create a dispute
where none existed.
One member of the board said
that In his opinion the seamen
were getting too much money.
Union representatives point out
the fact that seamen's wages
fall short of many shoreside
wages where the men are not
even subjected to bombings and
torpedolngs and slow starvation
in a life boat.
The MWEB found all mari
time labor firmly resolved to
fight any move to deprive them
of earned bonuses. The board
adjourned without handing down
any final decision.
M.W.E.B. Moves Illegally To
Scuttle Established Bonuses
The Maritime War Emergency Board has announced
its intention to hand down a decision which is a direct blow;
at the very existence of the maritime trade unions and un
dermines the safeguards given labor under the State of
Principles signed between the War Shipping Administra-
••tion and the SIU-SUP in Decem
ber 1941. The Board's proposed
ruling would eliminate the pay
ment of area bonuses, except when
seamen are under actual attack,
and would thus remove the basis
for the payment of port bonuses
which are provided for in the bar
gaining contracts between the op
erators and the union—such con
tracts having been entered into
Tax Exemptions
Are Explained
For Seamen
The SIU has conferred with the
Internal Revenue Department re
garding the exemption from in
come tax payments for seamen
who have spent the majority of
1942 in foreign waters, and ports.
Here is. the score.. Any seaman
who has spent six calendar months
out of the year in foreign waters is
exempt from income tax payment.
The six months do not have to be
consecutive, they may consist of
any six scattered throughout the
year. However, parts of months
cannot be added together to con
stitute a full month.
If your tax collector disputes
this point, ask him to turn to the
following directive and read it for
himself:
{Continued on Page 4)
Hawk Protests M. W. E. B. Move
To Eliminate Area Bonuses
f
January 12, 1943 gard to any question relating to' ment between the Sailors' Union of
war risk compensation or war risk'the Pacific and the Pacific Coast
insurance of personnel of the ves- ^ steamship operators in May of
sels of such steamship operator and 1941. Shortly thereafter port
Maritime War Emergency Board
Edward Macauley, Chairman
John R. Steelman
Frank P. Graham
Department of Commerce Bldg.
Washington, D. C.
Gentlemen:
The membership of the Atlantic
and Gulf District of the Seafarers
International Union"of North Am
erica has gone on record to stren-
ously oppose the Maritime War
Emergency Board's proposed
Amendment No. 9 to Decision No.
7, Revi.sed.
Pursuant, to paragraph two (2)
on page two (2) of the Statement
of Principle's "Whenever any dif
ference shall arise between any
steamship operator and any union
representing its employees with re-
such question shall not be settled
through the ordinary procedure of
collective bargaining between such
steamship operator and its em
ployees, such question shall be re
ferred to the Board by such steam
ship operator or such union by
giving written notice to the Board
and to. the other party of the in
tention of the party giving such
notice to refer such question to the
Board. Such notice, shall'specify
the question to be referred to the
Board," and paragraph three (3)
on the front page of the Statement
of principles, the Board is over
stepping the power granted them
by the signatories thereto.
Pqrt bonuses originated primar
ily as a result pf a mutnal agree-
before the creation of the board
and guaranteed by the government
for the duration of the war.
Illegal Function
This latest move is an outrage-
pus pervertion of the entire func
tion for which the MWEB was
created. The MWEB was created
as an arbitration body whose func
tion it was to aid the operators and
unions in settling disputes on
bonus payments. That was the be
ginning and the end of the auth
ority given the Board at the time
of its creation.
Here is part of the letter an
nouncing the impending new de
cision—^it is dated Jan. 2, 1943:
"After an investigation of the op
eration of the provisions of at
tachment -No. 2 of Decision No. 7,
revised, the Board has determined
that the present system of port
bonus does not provide a just and
accurate port bonus based on the
risk involved. The board has,
therefore, determined that a re
vision is necessary."
Profit Motive
Already making record profits
Operators.
In September 1941 the Atlantic
and Gulf District of the Seafarers
International Union of North Am
erica followed .by the Sailors'
Union of the Pacific called a strike
for an increase in the war bonus,
e.ttend bonus areas and to include
the Caribbean Sea. Because of the
expensive National Defense Pro
gram at that time and also appeals
from the Secretary pf Labor and
the Chairman of National Defen.se
Mediation Board, the Union re
leased the ships and the dispute was
{Continued on Page 4)
bonuses were mutually established
in contracts between East Coast shipowners
Unions and East Coast Steamship and government boards launch a
double pronged drive to get even
greater profits. One drive is aimed
at Congress and designed to win
inflated payments from the gov
ernment for the bottoms taken
over by the War Shipping Admin
istration; the other drive is at the
seamen and would chisel the few
dollars due men who sweat and
bleed, and often die in carrying
cargoes to the hell holes of the
world.
Now let us see what the board
is contemplating as a "fair and ac
curate port bonus based upon the
risk involved." Here it is:
{Continued on P^ge if*'•
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Page Two THE SEAFARERS' LOG Friday, January 22, 1943
\ ptam*h4d iv fh9
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICA
Atlcmtic and Guli District
Amtiatta tatth th* Amvican FtOmrtton of Lalor
HARRY LUNDEBER3. InlwmoUonal I^sldvut
110 Mcirkst Stxsvt, Room 402, Scm Frandico, Colli.
ADDRS3B ALL OORRESPONDENOM OONOERNINO THIS
PUBLIOATIOE TO'.
"THE SEAFABEBS' LOG
P. O. 25. Station P. Now York. N. Y.
Phone: BOwling Green 9-8346
ATLANTIC AND GULF SHIPPING FOR
DEC, 28 TO^ZAN. 9, INCLUSIVE
DECK ENGINE STEWARD TOTAL
SHIPPED 301 267 200 768l
REGISTERED 319 205 - 180 704
ON HAND ..364 218 ' 172 764
" - ' ' II I
Hn Wmwjdam
BASEL, MIKE AB
BETANCOURT, PRIMO Watertender
BOCCEDORA, CARLO Wiper
BORGMAN, UBERT Wiper
iCHRISTENSON, SOREN AB
COX, DONALD • • Fireman
DAWSON, EUGENE OS
DIXON, ROY Oiler
DUERSEL, HERBERT Watertender
DUFFY, JOSEPH Messman
ELIASSEN, ARVID Oiler
FLYNN, JOSEPH AB
FUHRMAN, BYRON Fireman
GILL, ODUS Wiper
GURRY, JAMES Oiler
HARRISON, MOODY AB
KLEINSMITH, RONALD Fireman
LINDSEY, HENRY AB
LISKOYS, VICTOR F AB
LIVINGSTON, ALEXANDER AB
MacDONALD, MARK Oiler
MALONE, THOMAS Watertender
MCDONALD, ALBERT Messman
MERRYFIELD, WILLIAM Watertender
MESSICK, WILLIAM Messman
MIXON, JERRY 2nd Cook
MUNEZ, ERASMO Messman
O'BRIEN, EDWARD OS
PALMER, FRANK AB
PENTZ, THEODORE VON Deck Eng.
POLOMS, RICHARD Oiler
RHODES, CECIL AB
RIVERA, JUAN Cook
SELF, B. R, PRESTON Bosun
SMITH, MATTHEW Watertender
SOUSA, MANUEL Steward
STYPCZYNSKI, ARTHUR ' AB
SUTHERLAND, MELVIN Cook
FUGATIVE FROM
MUTTON STEW
WRITES BIGGS
Cape Town, South Africa
October 1st, 1942
My Dear Biggs:
When I return frOin Africa, I
am going to publish a new book
called, "Why sailors prefer the
shipyards" or "Don't bite the hanc
if you can get better."
In my 20 odd years at Sea, I
have sailed many foul feeding ships
but this one truly represents the
most pronounced "manifestation of
mass hunger on which I've ever
had the pleasure of starving.
Our cooks can prepare only two
dishes—one is mutton stew and the
other one ain't. We all prefer the
one that ain't because we have eat
en mutton until all hands smell
like British subjects. Only tv>day
one of our messboys passed away at
the dinner table—^knife and fork
in hand, and we all thought he was
the victim of a heart attack. But
the doctor declared the poor man
died of Galloping malnutrition.
Hunger has reached the acute
stage when one man will eat an
other, but I believe most anyone
on here would relish a barbecued
oiler or a nice fat suckling Cadet,
baked with a red apple in it's
month.
The African authorities have
denied us shore leave until the sail
ors promise to quit eating the can
nibals. In Cape Town last week,
Bill McQuistion brought a big
stevedore into the mess room
and when asked why, replied, "I
brought him in to eat." Irish Ken
nedy suggested, "Let's eat him in
the shaft alley so we won't have to
share him with the gun crew."
Frequently I dream of the time
in the last war, when my ship was
torpedoed and 11 of us spent 127
days in an open boat. We subsist
ed the final two months on raw
fish, rope yarn and storm oil. For
a special treat on Sundays, the
good old Captain allowed us to lick
the Albany grease off the shackk
pins. My, my, them was the days.
^ Biggs, if this ship is an example
of the way we are to be fed for
the duration, I would suggest you
put .up a sign by the Dispatcher's
Cage reading as follows:
BE CAREFUL IN CHOOSING
YOUR SHIPMATES MEN, YOU
MAY HAVE -TO EAT 'EM.
Love—Goon
REPORT FROM
Washington
PROVIDE LIBRARIES
FOR SHIPS' CREWS
American merchant marine ves
sels are to be provided with port
able libraries filled with books
and magazines for the use of of
ficers and crews on ships operated
by the War Shipping Administra
tion.
Arrangements were made by J,
E. Gushing, assistant deputy ad
ministrator for ship operations,
with the Merchant Marine Library
Association which will deliver to
WSA yessels the small libraries
containing at least 40 books of
current literature suitable for use
in the reading room aboard.
They are contained in cases es
pecially constructed for display
and can be transferred from one
vessel to another, thus keeping a
fresh supply of books and rriaga-.
xines in circulation.
By Matthew Dushane
Maritime War Emergency Board:
On a letter dated January 2, 1943, the MWEB has invited all the
signatories of the statement of principles to attend' a meeting that will
be held in Washington, D. C., on January 14, 1943. This letter is,
rather interesting so I will quote part of it. !
"AFTER AN INVESTIGATION OF THE OPERATION OF,
ATTACHMENT NO. 2 OF DECISION NO. 7, REVISED. THE
BOARD HAS DETERMINED THAT THE PRESENT SYSTEM
OF PORT BONUS DOES NOT PROVIDE A JUST AND AC^
CURAIt PORT BONUS BASED ON THE RISK INVOLVED.
THE BOARD HAS, THEREFORE, DETERMINED THAT A
REVISION IS NECESSARY."
Now let us see what the board is contemplating is a fair and ac
curate port bonus based on the risk involved.
"A PORT BONUS OF $125.00 SHALL BE PAID TO EACH
SEAMAN FOR EACH PORT OR ANCHORAGE WHEREVER
SITUATED THAT EXPERIENCES AN ENEMY ATTACK
DURING A CALL AT SUCH PORT OR ANCHORAGES. NO
OTHER BONUSES SHALL BE PAYABLE."
The Board under this proposed decision will eliminate all port and
area bonuses that we have negotiated with the employers and under
the decision of the National Defense Mediation Board prior to the es
tablishing of the Maritime War Emergency Board. This is what they
feel is a fair and just decision.
Let's check on the statement of principles and see where they get
the authority if they have any authority to change any agreements that
were negotiated prior to the establishment of the M.W.E.B.
QUOTE FROM 3 STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES.
. "THE UTILIZATION OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
WILL IN NO INSTANCE BE IMPAIRED OR RESTRICTED
BY REASON OF ANY ACTION TAKEN AT THIS CONFER
ENCE. IT IS UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED THAT ALL'
RIGHTS GUARANTEED TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY WILL
RESPECT TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WILL BE RE
TAINED AND ALL AGREEMENTS WILL IN NO WAY BE
VIOLATED."
It can plainly be seen by the above that all agreements that were
negotiated by the unions and the emplojyrs are not to be violated by
the Board, and the Unions and the employers did negotiate an agree
ment prior to the Board being set up where by port and area bonuses
shall be paid.
The Board in assuming that they can rule that "port and areat
bonuses are not to be paid unless the port or area is under enemy attack
is out of order and entirely out of the Board's ̂ jurisdiction. The only
Way that they can adopt this ruling is to make null and void the State
ment of Principles, perhaps that is the intent of this proposed decision.
Under 4 of the Statement of Principles, it is agreed that the Board
shall settle 'disputes with the employer and the Unions when they can
not agree, our dispute is not where there are bonuses at present estab
lished,-it lies with the fact that in some ports and areas there are no
bonuses being paid, and I contend that the Board has no power to take
away any bonuses that we are at present getting, but in the dispute that
we have with the employer where there are no bonuses being paid they
have the power of settling this problem only.
Draft Case:
E. R. Gottsch A.B., going to sea 14 years was ordered Inducted into
the army. Case was referred to the proper authorities and the Board
was notified to reconsider his case.
Victory Tax:
Internal Revenue Commissioner Guy T. Helvering has ruled that
the I per cent Victory Tax must be assessed against seamen's wages paid
on or after January 1st, 1943. Helvering held that the services of sea
men on American Vessels which touch American ports are "performed
within the United States."
Casa Blanca:
The board has ruled that a port bonus is payable for Casa Blanca.
This bonus is retroactive to the day that hostilities started there. I will
send copies of the decision to all the respective headquarters as soon as
they are mineographed by the MWEB.
Selective Service:
Still getting plenty of complaints from some of our agents re
garding local draft boards trying to induct active seamen. Wire your
cases in so that we can put a stop ta some of these local boards. Send
in all the facts in the case. At present I am working on a standard
from to send to all the agents for them to fill out when they have a
case.
i
http://www.pdfcompressor.org/buy.html
Friday, January 22, 1943 THE SEAFARERS' LOG Page Three
WHArS DOm G
Around the Ports
TAMPA
For the past few weeks there
have been any number of beefs
about steamship companies refus
ing to pay transportation money
to those men that wanted to quit
their ships after signing off the
articles in a port other than the
one that they have signed on.
This is another underhanded at
tack against organized seaman
which if allowed to continue, will
do much to undermine our Union.
The companies in cahoots with the
W.S.A. say that, in affect, if a man
signs on articles that are dated for
12 months, then he must stay on
that ship for that time. This prac
tice has, up to date, not been at
tempted, however, that would
seem to be their next step.
'• In Mobile last week, there was
a transportation beef with a South
Atlantic S.S. Co. ship. This out
fit has refused to pay transporta
tion money to the crew to North
of Hatteras where they signed on.
They have also enlisted the Coast
Guard in their phony contention.
The Coast Guard has issued a state
ment saying that inasmuch as the
crew have signed on for a period
of 12 months, they were not en
titled to any transporation money.
It then stands to reason that if
• the operators get away with this
phony move then they will try to
keep those men that wanted to
quit from paying off. Even if they
have completed a round trip. This
will be, in affect, a freezing to the
job policy, which the union and
the membership has gone on record
to fight. It also will tend to keep
him out of touch with his union
hall and thereby keep him from
knowing what is going on. And
another thing, if the seaman are
''^frozen to their job, then there will
be no turnover of jobs for .the
S.I.U. So you can see why
we have to fight this policy with
all the vigor at our command.
I have noticed that the member
ship in New York went on record
not to sign on ships that do not
have their articles dated to ter
minate after each foreign voyage.
If each crew will adhere strickly to
policy, then I feel sure that we can
do away with the operators at
tempt to regiment the seaman.
Another business that I would
like to bring to light, is this policy
of some of the companies in say
ing that they cannot get the food
to put aboard the ships. They give
the excuse that there is a war on
and that there is a shortage of some
foods. Well, who the HELL is
fighting this war? The seamen
have been sent out to sea without
convoys and without guns. Gottfen
torpedoecl, received no assistance,
no recognition, messed around by
the very company that they were
working for, and then still went
back out to sea for some more of
the same.
Then some damn office clerk
comes to them and tells them that
there is a war on and that because
of that reason they cannot obtain
food to supply to the men that
have given over'* six thousand of
our union brothers to the cause of
Victory.
Fraternally
JOE SALTIS
GALVESTON
This is an open letter to the
"emancipator of the seamen" Joe
Currant «
Dear Joe:
. You will pardon, I hope, the
presumption which allows me to
write thusly after a silence of so
many months. By this time I have
learned to what extent some of the
people will go to get control of
the seamen and to benefit from the
publicity.
The fates have geen kind to the
men of the SUP and SIU. In a
war where any semblence of pleas
ure is hard to find, our member
ship have been furnished much
amusement by watching you, and
then looking at what we have in
our own organization.
Our two unions are not run by
any can shaking faction. And Joe,
when you made your speech of
how you saved the seame*, the
speech you made before the Pro
peller Club, well the Lykes Bros,
gave your speech three pages in
their Employees magazine.- I'm
wondering Joe, just which side of
the fence you' are on.
Many of my friends are now
dead. They died with a nonchal
ance which they would have denied
was courage. They would have
shunned the fanfare and publicity
which you continually seek over
their dead bodies. These men "de
livered the goods" when you were
shouting that the "Yanks are not
coming" and they continue to de
liver the goods while you shout,
"We Keep 'em Sailing" from your
swivil chair.
Do you remember what happen
ed to the seamen after the last
war? And where they stayed until
1934? My suggestion to you is to
get in there and pitch for your
membership and stop playing the
shipowners game. And once again,
Joe, don't try -to muscle in on
something that doesn't belong to
you, or the union which you rep
resent.
In closing I see that you claim
to represent 85% of the seamen
on the West Coast. The facts, as
you know, are that you don't rep
resent 10% of the men. Your ex
aggerations don't help a lost cause
one damn bit—and you should
know that by now.
I also notice you have been do
ing some fast financial juggling.
Your dues are going up four bits
a month in order to pay for all
that real estate you purchased. Our
dues continue at $2 but we put it
into benefits for the members—not
in fancy buildings. We pay $2 per
week hospital benefits to the boys
in the hospital and we fight like
hell for wages and conditions—not
for publicity and glory.
What this all adds up to, in my
opinion, is the fact that you can't
play both ends towards the mid
dle. Not without your member
ship suffering.
E. R. WALLACE, Agent
NEW ORLEANS
Since the war started the mem
bers of the U. S. Merchant Marine
have faced all Hitler, Hiroitio and
Mussolini could dish out and have
gone back for more, but now they
face a dread more dreadful than
all three combined could dish out.
That, my friends, is the "Internal
Revenue,' on the day they pay off.
Since the 5% Victory Tax has
gone into effect the Seamen have
taken a worse licking than anyone
else. According to the law any
money paid a person in 1943 is
taxable as 1943 income although it
is earned in 1942. The seamen who
have fought off the dive bombers
on the way to Russia, the seamen
who took part in the allied inva
sion of Africa, and any other sea
men coming in in 1943 will be
faced with taxation on the money
they earned out there in 1942. The
people of the U.S.A. (and that in
cludes the ones that made and
passed such a phoney law) depend
a great deal on the work of the
men of the Merchant Marine, and
especially the great job they are
doing out there. They had no
chance to get their pay on Decem
ber 31st, 1942 so as to avoid pay
ing the tax on 1942 income. Due
SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION
OF NORTH AMERICAN
ATLANTIC and GULF DISTRICT
Secretary-Treasurer's Office
ROOM 213 — 2 STONE STREET, NEW YORK CITY
P.O. Box 25, Station P. Phone: BOwIing Green 9-8340
BRANCH
Directory of Branches
ADDRESS PHONE
NEW YORK 2 Stone St
Dispatcher's OfiBce BOwIing Green 9-3430
Agent BOwling Green 8-3437
BOSTON 330 Atlantic Ave Liberty 4057
BALTIMORE 14 North Gay St ...Calvert 4539
PHILADELPHIA 6 North 6th St Lombard 7651
NORFOLK 25 Commercial PI Norfolk 4-1083
NEW ORLEANS 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 2-1332
PUERTO RICO 45 Ponce de Leon Puerto de Tierra
GALVESTON 219 20th Street Galveston 2-8043
to Strict censorship and very little
mail or information going out of
the country they had no ide.-t they
would be so unjustly taxed.
So as it stands now the U. S.
Merchant Seamen are not only
faced with the perils of the Sea,
Hitler, Hiroitio and Mussolini, but
they are also faced with the dread
of the Internal Revenue Collector
when they come in and pay off.
What the Seamen would like to
know is, will the seamen that are
now in Russia, Africa and any
othei" ports in foreign lands and
have been there quite some time,
be faced with the same unjust tax
ation when they get back?
What we would also like to
know is what are all the Senators,
Congressmen, etc., that boasted so
much of the great work being done
by the 'Unsung Heroes doing
about this unjust, and speaking as
a Seamen, 'Phoney Law'.?
No seamen objects to paying the
5% tax, but sure object to paying
it on 1942 income, when none of
our law makers (that are sitting
at home with nice square meals,
and a swell fireplace to sit in front
of) have to pay it, due to the rude
interpetation of the law by the
Treasury Department.
C. J. STEPHENS, Agent
DRAFT NOTICES
The following men have been de
linquent in reporting to their local
draft boards. They should clear up
this matter at- once, otherwise they
may find themselves in the army.
JOHN MARKOVIC
HAROLD TATTLE
JOSEPH WHALEN
JOSEPH DAMES
JOHN CIELETON
RICHARD BARBEE
GARLAND BONNEY
WELL LOOK WHO'S ASKING!
Harry Bridges, that super-militant leader out
on the West Coast, now has his hat in his hand
and a fawning grin on his long face. Harry wants
a wage boost for his longshoremen. And how does
he go about it? By militant union action? By
strikes? Or even by direct negotiation with the
shipowners?
Hdrry Bridges does none of these, rather does
he meekly appear before the War Labor Board and
complain that his men receive less than the East
Coast longshoremen! He thinks the government
should correct the situation.
- This is, a fine kettle of fish. Here the East
Coast, longshoremen have been struggling along
all these years without the benefit of Bridges* lead
ership—^and yet tliey wind up with more in the
pay envelope than the West Coast men! (It ain't
rig:ht.)
Here's how the two scales compare:
ILA ILWU
(East Coast) (West Coast)
Regular Hourly rate: $1.25 1.10
Overtime rate: 1.87/2 1.65
The East Coast men recently received a 5 c
wage boost on the regular hourly scale and z 7Yzc
overtime boost. Far from calling upon the gov
ernment to aid it, the ILA resisted all efforts of
the War Labor Board to enter the case and^'wDn
the increases through direct negotiations with the
operators.
On October 16 Harry Bridges made a speech
to the California State CIO Convention at which
he said, 'We've got a lot of our unions still think
ing they can make gains by getting wage increases
of so much per hour, or per day, and they are
fooling themselves if they only think in terms of
dollars and cents."
He then went on to explain that they should
think in terms of a "Second front in Europe,"
"Keep 'em Sailing," etc., etc.
Maybe. But even if Harry doesn't pay much
attention to the question of wage increases, we can
be sure his mcmbetship docs. Otherwise he would
n't now be coming to the government and whin
ing about the difference in scale between the two
coasts.
SAVANNAH
Shipping around this port has
been very good lately. Have had
a new ship coming out just about
every week that has passed since
December. Have shipped just about
everything I can get my hands on
around here and am still looking
for men. Will have two new ships
for South Atlantic Line coming
out, one on January 28th and one
on February 26th and will be
needing men with ratings in all de
partments for them. Will more
than likely be able to use any of
the boys who want to ship out if
they will come down around that
time.
Steady as she goes
CHARLES WAID, Agent
MISSING PAPERS
The following men have pass--,
ports, Identification papers, disi
charges, etc., in the Philadelphia
hall. Write for them at once.
MEARLE WYCOFF
FRANK McCALLEN
JAMES RYAN <
ALEX SLEDGE
HAROLD WOOD
WOODROW WOLFORD
GEORGE MACK
ARTHUR ANDREW
JOHN SRVBEHUK
CHARLES SPAULDING
MONEY DUE
Crews of the Alcoa Leader and
Alcoa Master may now collect theii)
Casa Blanca bonus by calling at 17
Battery Place, New York City
4- .4 4
Black gang of the S. S. Delmai}
can collect overtime money by ap*
plying to Mississippi Line offic^
17 Battery Place, New York City.
4 4 4
Steward's department of Alcoa
Pathfinder and Alcoa Cutter hav0
overtime coming. Collect at 17 Bat-<
tery Place, New York City.
4 4 4
Linen money is due crew of Al^
coa Trader. I
PERSONALS
CHARLES H. DELMONACO
See the" Secretary-Treasurer thq
next time you are in New York.
RICHARD O'CONNOR
See the Secretary-Treasurer tha
next time you are In New York.
IN MEMORY OF
Kenneth J. Hack
A. B.
1906 - 1942
Died of Diphtheria
San Jaun Hospital, Dec. 8, 1942
. 1 • u
.-.l ..-.A
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IK.--?-.
ik-
Page Four THE SEA,FARERS' LOG Friday, January 22, 1943
fej'-
Hawk Protests M. W. E. B, Move
!To Eliminate Area Bonuses
referred to the National Defense
Mediation Board to be known as
Case 80.
Increases Won
The National Defense Mediation
Board not only approved the meth
ods used to measure the war risk
port bonus, but they did not
think it adequate. The union
agreements with the shipowners
called for a flat $75.00 bonus for
the port of Suez, regardless of how
long the ship laid there. The Na
tional Defense Mediation Board
ruled in their decision Case SO,
paragraph one page three (3),
"For the pot of Suez or any other
port which is subject to regular
bombing, $100.00 plus $5.00 a
day for each day beyond five days
that the vessel is in port." In the
same decision the National :De-
fense Mediation Board respected
fhe unions collective bargaining
tontracts on page five (5) para
graph ten (10), "Nothing in these
recommendations shall be inter-
perted so as to reduce benefits npw
existing under collect bargaining
contracts, except as herein modi
fied existing contracts and arrange
ments shall continue."
The shipowners were pleased
with the National Defense-Media
tion Board decision Case 80, and
immediately signed samed. ' The
Maritime Commission expressed ap
proval of it, and the unions ac
cepted it."
Chisel Begins
The Maritime War Emergency
Board took away the original port
bonuses that were embodied in the
unions contracts, and substituted
in their place what is now known
as area bonuses. Although the
unions realized that this was a
substantial modiiication of their
uriion contracts and of the Na
tional Defeiii. Mediation Board
decision Case 80; in the interest
of peace and harmony in the in
dustry and for the furtherance of
the successful prosecution of the
war effort, the unions accepted the
area bonuses without protest.
The American Merchant Seamen
have been highly. commended re
cently by the Fresident of the
United States and numerous other
high government officials, includ
ing Admiral E. S. Land and the
Chairman of the National Defense
Mediation Board, Captain E. R.
Macauley for the splendid job that
they are now doing unflinchingly
in this total all out war effort. The
morale of the Merchant Seamen at
this time is very high and this at
tempt to abolish the now existing
area bonuses certainly will not help
in maintaining this high morale.
Withdrawal Demanded
In conclusion the Seafarers In
ternational Union of North Am
erica in behalf of all American
Merchant Seamen respectfully re
quest that the Board withdraw
their proposed Amendment No. 9
to Decision No. 7, Revised, and we
further request that the Board
render a decision which will be
retroactive to November 7, 1942,
providing for an area bonus of
$125.00 for the area of North
Africa on the Atlantic Coast.
Very trulys yours,
JOHN HAWK, Sec.-Treas.
Seafarers International
Union of N. A.
Atlantic & Gulf District
Ship Losses
Decline After
1 Year of Sub War
Out . of the Focsl
by
Navy records, as well as those of the S.I.U., show that 579 mem
bers of the Atlantic and Gulf District have lost their lives due ..to
enemy action. 84 contracted ships fully manned by the SIU have been
sunk.
' ' The one unfortunate incident of the war was the loss of three
ships and the entire crews.* The Bull and Waterman ships had lost the
greatest total of men 13 5, and 134 respectively. The South Atlantic
Line has lost neither men nor ships. The Delta Line runs a close second,
having lost only 3 men since the start of the war.
AAA
Phil Acrce recently informed us that he has been torpedoed five
times. That is the record for the SIU, as far as this war is concerned.
Jules Sousa after spending 34 days in a lifeboat, had to recuperate in a
hospital for 6 months, arid had to grab a ship in a hurry as the Draft
Board was after him. It is rumored that Doug Muncaster, will have to
enter the Krmy in spite of making two trips, and exerting every effort
to stay out of the Service. Bill Messick who had been on the beach for
5 months shipped out recently, and was lost with all his shipmates on
his recent trip. Bill was a great guy and a good Union, men and we
regret his loss.
A ~ A A
"Whether alone or in a crowd,
Never write or say aloud,
; ,.s5 What you're loading, when you hail 7 : ,
Where you're bound fdr, when you sail."
{Continued from Page 1)
The first ship flying the Ameri
can flag known to have gone down
in American waters was the tank
er Allan Jackson. A submarine got
her on January 20, 1942, off the
North Carolijia coast. She went
down blazing and^ twenty-two of
her thirty-five-man crew were lost.
The S.I.U. has lost 579 men on 84
contracted ships sunk by the
Nazis.
Although Axis submarines still
take heavy toll, they have pretty
well been forced away from our
shores in the year since the Nor-
ness rocked under the impact of
Nazi torpedoes.
Sinkings at first were heaviest
oflE.„our Northern Atlantic Coa.st.
Then the heavy toll moved south
ward as we got more forces afloat
against them. The Navy says the
big toll now is off the South Amer
ican bulge and in the general vi
cinity of the Cape of Good Hope.
M.W.E.B. Moves Illegally Tq>
Scuttle Established Bonuses
•'iti
»
Tax Exemptions
Are Explained
^{Continued from Page 1)
Internal Revenue Cumulative
Bulletin 1940—1 OB
General Counsel Memorandum
No. 22065 Page 100
The SIU has also been attempt
ing to clear up the confusion sur
rounding the new "Victory Tax"
which is automatically deducted
from the pay by the shipowner.
Shipowners have been deducting it
from whole trips in 1942 if the
payoflf came in 1943. The SIU
has protested this to Washington
and a clarification should be hand
ed down by the end of the monthT
» » «•
TELEGRAM
John Hawk, Sec.-Treas.
Seafarers International Union
Of North America «
Room 213, 2 Stone Street
New York, N. Y.
Southern Conference of Amer
ican Federation of Labor held in
Atlanta, Georgia, attended by five,
thousand officials and delegates
went on record to send wires of
protest to Southern Senators and
administrators of the Victory Tax,
protesting the methods»^ now being
used in deducting the Victory Tax
from the American Seamen wages
which was earned in nincteen-
forty-two, also to refund all
moneys taken out of the seamen
wages that was paid off in January
nineteen-forty-three.
"M. D. BIGGS
{Continued from Page 1)
The *'Fair" Plan
"A port bonus of $125.00 shall
be paid to each seaman for each
port or anchorage, where ever sit
uated, that experiences an enemy
attack during a call at such port
or anchorages. No other bonnse$
shall be payable."
This all brings sharply to ques
tion the entire role of th4 various
maritime boards functioning in
Washington. In the past year
there has been a veritable plague of
them. The seamen have always
been suspicious of these govern
ment agencies for they have been
largely sponsored and packed by
the shipowners. The majority of
these boards have not been the im
partial" governmental agencies they
posed to be—but rather the profit-
lusting shipowner moved from the
waterfront to Washington.
Shipowners* Hole
The seamen have had enough
experiences with the Maritime
Commission and the War Shipping
Administration to know just who
calls the turns there. But now the
Maritime War Emergency Board
is apparently being used in an ef
fort to break union conditions^
While the decision has not been
formally handed down, but only
formulated for action, all seamen
will carefully watch the public
hearing being held and the votes
cast by the three Board members—
Dr. John R. Steelman, Frank P.
Graham and Edward Macauley.
Past Guarantee
Here is what the Statement of
Principles says: "It is understood
and agreed that all rights guaranr
teed to labor and industry with re
spect to collective bargaining will
be retained and all agreements will
in no way be violated."
If the MWEB persists in sabot
aging those portions of the union
conditions which established the
basis for port bonuses,, let Steel-
man, Graham and Macauley an-^
swer to the seamen and explain a
twisted logic which can at once
solomnly guarantee a right, and in
the next breath violate it.
WSA Stooge Suddenly Ojpens
Bui! & Alcoa Union Contract
S. S. Louise
All officers and unlicensed crew
members who made the last voy
age aboard the S. S. Louise, should
contact Sol C. Bcrenholtz, 312
Equitable Bldg., Baltimore. The
case trial is set fbr February 1.
{Continued from Page 1)
know^the following facts:
1. The contracts with Bull and
Alcoa were concluded in good faith
by the SIU, and signed by all par
ties.
2. The wage clause in the con
tract signed July 6, 1942 contain
ed no increase over the 1940 con
tract plus the addendum.
3. The War Labor Board has no
authority to knock out wage in
creases won by labor in 194Qi
Knowing these facts, one nat
urally wonders about Mr. Wyc-
koff's move in submitting the
contracts to the WLB for "con
sideration."
Who Was Consulted?
One would think that before
taking such a step as this Mr.
Wyckoff would have consulted
with the union and with the op
erators. He did neither! Labor
relations between the SIU and Bull
and Alcoa have been stable and
this maneuver comes as a great
surprise to all parties.
&>mc people might conclude
from all this that Mr. Wyckoff
is a knuckle-head and doesn't know
the score. As for us, we doubt
that Wyckoff is so thick between
the ears that he would pull some
thing like this without some very
definite motive.
Who did Wyckoff consult with
if not with the SIU or the oper
ators involved?
Who .would be interested in dis-
rqpting labor relations between
the SIU and its contracted oper
ators?
Who would be anxious to chisel
SIU wages and conditions down to
the level of other east coast unions?
We think that the answers to
these questions are not too difficult
to find. But before we make the
answers, we intend to do a little
investigating In New York and
Washington.
Seafarers' Log-
HONOR ROLL
CREW S. S. JAMES CALDWELL $34.91
CREW OF 8. S. DELMAR 19.50
CREW OF S. S. FRANCIS MARION 19.20
CREW S. S. ABRAHAM BALDWIN 17.50
CREW S. S. ROBIN DONCASTER 17.00
CREW S. S. ROBIN TUXFORD .14.00
CREW OF S. S. BENJ. CHEW 14.00
CREW S. S. ROBIN ^HERWOQD > 12.00
EASTERN RESTAURANT .'. 10.00
CREW S. S. ALCOA MASTER 7.00
LARRY DAHL .7. 5.00
L. FUNK 2.00
W. E. MIXON 2.0O
M. RUTHERFftRD 2.00
J. STANKOWITZ 2.00;
KENNETH CLARY ....... j. 1.Q0 '
TOTAL / .......v)..- ..$189.11
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