Hi • -ii -T Vffjl •[ • • • • - *".-? •f f" 4^- •:?«. t •' . >1^ I H , , v ...'/J:/•• Sin Hi'^i'-r.'- ' • '• ••. • ••,' -••• .« ^^-•- ' • '". ._' ",. • . ... \ •. i!:.v. .H."'... ..'. > 'b'bb V 4;,;':/ ;•-'; it'•)rr •#i'}'m4 And a Year Filled With Smooth Voyages See Special Supplement .'•n• < I ^ i: J U.S. and Russia Seek New Shipping Pact The Soviet Union, negotiating a new countries, Soviet officials said they were buy 13-million tons of American grain. Terming the new Soviet rate proposal bilateral shipping agreement with the unwilling to pay anything above world Only five-million tons of the grain have "totally unacceptable," Blackwell ex­ U.S. to replace a three-year agreement market rates for American vessels car­ been shipped so far and lower, unprofit­ plained that the dispute centered which expires on Dec. 31, is insisting rying grain after Dec. 31. able grain rates which would* prevent around the Russians' "inCerpretation of that the grain freight rate must be Early this month, negotiations were U.S.-flag ships from carrying their share the words 'mutually agreed-upon rates,' lowered from the $16 per ton level suspended and were to have resumed of the cargo might provoke renewed which they take to mean charter market agreed to by both America and the after Christmas. However, as the Log labor action against the sale similar to rates and which we take to mean Soviets earlier this year to the world was about to go to press, Blackwell was the longshoremen's refusal to load grain charter market rates plus whatever ad­ charter market rate which is about $10 suddenly asked by the Soviets to return bound for Russia last September. ^ justments are necessary to insure that per ton. to Moscow, and negotiations have been SIU President Paul Hall, one of the United States ships have an opportunity Last September, President Ford sent stepped up. More details will be avail­ leaders of organized labor's attack to carry one-third of the cargo." The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for able in the next issue of the Log. against the grain sale last summer, said Russian insistence on a lower grain rate Maritime Affairs Robert Blackwell to Blackwell stated that the Soviet po­ that if the current grain rate is not main­ is considered by U.S. officials to be a Moscow to negotiate a new grain rate sition "came as somewhat of a surprise" tained a meeting of U.S. maritime tough bargaining tactic and a typical because the world rate was too low to because, due to a poor domestic har­ unions would be called to decide upon game the Soviets play which brings allow American shippers to profitably vest, the Russians have contracted to a course of action. negotiations right down to the wire. carry the one-third of the cargo for U.S.-flag vessels under a standing mari­ time agreement. U.S. Employment Stagnant in Last 6 Months It was at these meetings last Septem­ ber that the Soviets agreed to the $16 The nation's unemployment rate de­ statistic most closely watched by econ­ What movement there was in the No­ per ton rate, allowing many U.S.-flag clined slightly last month, after it had omists—also remained unchanged at vember job figures occurred in the area tankers to break out of lay-up and load risen during October, but overall statis­ 77.5 million. This figure on "payroll of employment of adult men, where the grain bound for Russia. tics released by the U.S. Labor Depart­ employment" had risen quickly from unemployment rate declined from 7.1 However, when Blackwell returned ment this month indicate that the total July through September leading many percent in October to 6.9 percent last to Moscow last month to negotiate a job picture has remained virtually stag­ economists to believe that the recession month. The marked increase in unem­ new, comprehensive, three-year mari­ nant for the past six months. was easing and that recovery would be ployment for the month of October had time pact to govern the whole range of The number of jobless Americans strong. As of last month, however, the been for adult women, from 7.5 to 7.8 shipping relations between the two dropped from 8 to 7.7 million in No­ upturn had virtually stopped. percent; however a Labor Department vember, and the unemployment rate was These sfatisfics have led Labor De­ analyst did not attach any significance listed as 8.3 percent, down from the partment officials to conclude that while to the opposite movements in the unem­ U.S. Pension October rate of 8.6 percent. However, the job market is not deteriorating, it is ployment rates for men and women. the total number of Americans holding also not improving. The concern now The Labor Department's^ statistics jobs was unchanged for the third straight by some Government officials is that also showed that there has been very BUI month at 85.3 million. what were originally thought to be signs little change in the job picture for blacks The total number of persons em­ of a positive recovery were just tempo­ over the past few months. In November, See Pages 9-10 ployed on regular business and Govern­ rary shifts in the statistics, and signs the unemployment rate for blacks was ment payrolls outside agriculture—the now point to a rather sluggish recovery. 13.8 percent. Looking at the U.S. maritime industry, a "runaway" is created a little more simply. An American shipowner just registers his U.S. vessel to Panamanian, Liberian or Honduran-flag, hires a foreign crew and that's it. the In effect then, what these "runaway" industries are doing are creating huge windfall profits for a few American exporters and importers while tens-of-thousands of American workers get shafted and the American con­ sumer continues to pay top dollar for foreign-produced products and serv­ PRESIDENT'S ices, which in many cases, are of inferior quality. Tlie growing problems of the "runaway" industries has not gone totally unnoticed. Under provisions of the Trade Act of 1974, the U.S. Labor Panl Hall Department has set up the Labor Advisory Committee on Multilateral Trade REPORT: Negotiations. I represent the AFL-CIO and the interest of workers on this committee as chairman of the service sector. The main goal of this committee is to protect American industry here, as well as fighting discrimination against U.S. industry abroad. Now^ It's Up to You in 1976 American labor's goal in the committee is to protect the interests and jobs of American workers by keeping U.S. industry here and bringing back When the year 1975 began, nearly eight million American workers were others that have left. out of jobs and on the unemployment lines. And tragically for this country, as the year 1975 draws to a close nothing has changed—nearly eight mil­ The Labor Advisory Committee on Multilateral Trade Negotiations is lion Americans are still out of work. not a cureall for the ills affecting the U.S. industrial system and job market: Economists tell us why there is unemployment, politicians tell us why, The committee is, though, one important and specific area in which the SIU and businessmen tell us why. But one very simple fact—a fact that business and labor must participate to protect the jobs and job security of Seafarers would rather hide under the rug and Government has chosen over the years and the American worker in general. largely to ignore—is that America's growing "runaway" industries are a The SIU participates on literally scores of committees like the Labor Ad­ major contributing factor to unemployment in this country. visory Committee. Whenever the jobs of Seafarers and the health of the U.S. These "runaway" industries are American-owned concerns which have maritime industry, and for that matter, the jobs of any sector of the American defected from the United States and are now based in foreign countries to labor force and its industries are threatened, it is the duty of the SIU and take advantage of low-paid overseas labor. Yet, these industries still utilize labor to become involved—and we do. the vast American consumer market to make their profits. The SIU participates effectively in every area of the U.S. political scene Hardest hit by American "runaways" are the U.S. clothing and manu­ not because politics is a pastime, but because to the American Seafarer, facturing industries and the U.S. maritime industry. politics is a matter of survival. And without the Union's participation in the Using the clothing industry as an example, an American "runaway" political arena, we could just about kiss our industry goodbye. operates in jnost cases by exporting American raw materials, via foreign- In many of our own political fights, we receive the indispensable support flagships, to Taiwan or South Korea, where the materials are processed of our brother unions in the AFL-CIO. Yet no matter how much help we into finished products. These goods, produced by workers paid anywhere might get on an issue affecting maritime, it is the SIU that has to spearhead from 19 to 44 cents an hour as compared to an average of $3.92 per hour the issue. This is where the individual Seafarer comes in. Without the con­ for U.S. textile workers, are then transported back to the U.S., again by tinued support of our members, the SIU cannot carry on the vital political foreign-flagship, and dumped into the U.S.