Mathiasen Signs Up; Agreement Is Called Best in Tanker Field New

,111,1, Iijl^ljipfpiilwwwi Official Organ of the Seafarers International Union of North America VOL. IX. NEW YORK, N. Y.. FRIDAY. AUGUST 1. 1947 No. 31 Mathiasen Signs Up; Cominle Tactics New Contract Signed; A good lesson in how com munists operate to capture control of trade unions is Agreement Is Called indicated by a letter, sent in SIU Gets 5% Increase anonymously to the LOG, written by James Romanoff, former MEBA official, to one Best In Tanker Field of his comrades in the MEBA Andt Paid Vacations New York office. PHILADELPHIA—True to the promises made to NEW YORK—Eight companies, among them Portions of the letter, plus the men sailing the ships of the Tanker Sag Harbor Cor explanatory material by the some of the largest carriers of freight cargo in the Editors, appear on page 3. poration, the Seafarers International Union this week sign United States, this week signed a contract with the Seafarers and readers of ed a contract with the company calling for the highest the LOG are well aware of SIU calling for a 5 per cent wage increase across how communist party mem wage and overtime rates ever known in the maritime in bers seek to get a strangle the boards, paid vacations after a year of service, dustry. This company was recently won by the SIU in a hold on a union's apparatus and nine paid holidays at sea for members of the so as to force the union to National Labor Relations Board bargaining election. The follow the straight and nar Deck and Engine Departments. This last provision balloting showed the Union a hands-down victor, with row Moscow line. was already a part of the Stewards agreement. only two votes going to the'® t The eight companies which broke the solid front of ship company. The NMU with owners were Alcoa Steamship drew at the last moment, NMU Withdraws From Cities Servire Company; American Liberty without explanation, and Lines; A. H. Bull and Company; resentation they have been seek therefore did not appear on NEW YORK—The last ally of the CIO union has been taking Bull Insular Lines, Incorporated; the Cities Service Company in lickings in elections on both ing. the ballot. Eastern Steamship Company; its attempts to stall an election coasts and on the Great Lakes. Although the first obstacle has South Atlantic Steamship Com The announcement of the in its fleet of tankers quit the After having been beaten in been hurdled, and an election is pany; Seas Shipping Company; Tankers Sag Harbor pact came field on July 28, and made it the Isthmian balloting, the NMU virtually certain to take place, and Smith and Johnson. just at the time that the National certain that a bargaining elec held up proceedings in the Tank the job of the SIU membership The vacation clause stipulates Labor Relations Board sent rec tion will be held in the near fu er Sag Harbor (Mathiasen) Cor has only started. There are nu that men employed on one com ords of proceedings on the Cities ture. poration, and pulled out of the merous men in the fleet who pany's ships for one continuous Service Company case to Wash That ally was the National runnings at th? last moment. have questions regarding Union year are to be granted one week's ington to ascertain whether or Maritime Union, CIO, which VICTORY IN SIGHT policies and procedures, and it is vacation with pay, and for each not an election will be held in played the company's game after On the Lakes the SIU badly the responsibility of all good subsequent year of continuous that fleet. the Isthmian election was won defeated the NMU in the Huron Union men to sail those scows service shall receive a vacation Some of the best features of by the Seafarers, and would prob election, following which the and give correct answers to any ^f'^'dayrwithYuTl'pay. StYting queries that come up the SIU freight ship agreemelits ably have done the same thing NMU stalled the Wyandotte date for computing continuous are embodied in the new con after the Cities Service election hearings as long as possible and Shoreside organizers cannot do time is July 31, 1947. tract, while other features in goes the same way. then took a run-out powder. the job alone, but with coopera CONTRACT EXTENDED clude 28 days vacation per year, The NMU backed out by not Now that the NMU has drop tion of men who ship as volun The original agreement enter all holidays at sea to be paid for being represented at a National ped out of the Cities Service teers, the task can be wrapped ed into on October 23, 1946, plus at the overtime rate, and ahy Labor Relations Board hearing case, the SIU has a chance to up in short order and entered the amendments and changes in work performed in port after 5 held on July 28. bring to those seamen the rep as a win in the Seafarers column. corporated in the new contract, P.M. and before 8 A.M. also to Representing the SIU were is extended until July 30, 1948. be paid for at the overtime rate Morris Weisberger, International However, the question of wages of pay. Vice-President; A1 Kerr, organ can be reopened by the Union at izer; and Mr. Parness, la\^yer MEMBERS PROTECTED SIU Reopens Washington Office any time, a provision that is not from the staff of Ben Sterling. contained in the contracts of The overtime rate provides for Also present as qbservers were In keeping with the action voted upon by the Seafarers In ternational Union Convention in Chicago, and ratified by the any other maritime unions. $1.10 per hour for those earning Secretary-Treasurer J. P. Shuler Th e increase in wages and less than $210.00 per month, and and George "Frenchy" Ruf, or membership, Matthew "Duke" Dushane, has been appointed International Representative on Legislative Affairs and has been overtime is retroactive to and in $1.40 per hour for those making ganizer. cluding June 16, 1947, while all $210.00 or over. In a formal discussion on the sent to Washington, D. C. Brother Dushane represented the Union in Washington during the war. other provisions go into effect Although the agreement was situation, the company would not July 31. He will keep in close contact with all legislation affecting sighed for one year, it contains agree to. an election in its fleet Representing the Seafarers the maritime industry and the labor movement. Any requests an exclusive SIU provision that to decide a bargaining agent for during the negotiations were J. from the Ports for information or service should be channeled the wage question can be reopen the unlicensed personnel unless P. Shuler, Paul Hall, Joe Algina, through Headquarters so as to prevent duplication of work. ed any time during the life of the ordered to do so by the NLRB. Bob Matthews and Steely White. contract. This protects the mem Therefore, a copy of the hear bership in case the cost-of-living ing, with all the pervious records risest of the case, will be forwarded to the Washington office of the AFL-CIOUnitylsA Nust', Green Tells Murray Negotiations commenced the Board, where a decision will be latter- part of May and moved rendered on whether or not an WASHINGTON — AFL Presi tecting living standards of Amer that the AFL and CIO form a along sporadically due to com election is to be held. dent William Green told CIO ican people and to assure effec common legislative front to fight pany stalling. However, all fea PRESSURE SUCCESSFUL President Philip Murray again tive political expression on the the Taft-Hartley bill, but this tures of the recently executed On one point, however, the last week that there is no Chance part of organized labor and to suggestion was rejected by Green contract are retroactive to May company did give in to Union of common action between the elect progressive representatives who insisted that organic unity 28, so the men sailing the ships pressure. It was agreed, that if two organizations without or to the U. S. Congress as set forth mi^st be discussed first. have lost nothing. an election is ordered, the bar ganizational unity. in your letter, without first end Green concluded; "I extend to The Negotiating Committee for gaining unit would include In a letter to Murray, Green ing division within the ranks of you and your associates in behalf the Union consisted of J. P. all the unlicensed personnel in said that he had submitted the labor thru the establishment of of the Executive Council of the Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer; Paul the Deck, Engine, and Stewards ClO's proposal to the AFL's Ex organizational unity. AFL an invitation to meet with Hall, Diftctor of Organization; Departments, with the exception ecutive 'Council. Gi-een said that "This is a primary requirement representatives of the AFL at Eddie Higdon, Philadelphia Port of Pursers and Radio Operators. the Executive Council "decided to the success of any plan or pro some convenient date within the Agent; and Robert Matthews, The withdrawal of the NMU it would'be impossible to formu gram as you outlined in the third ranks of labor and establish la special Headquarters Repr-esen- from the proceedings comes as late a common and unified policy paragraph of your letter." bor solidarity and organizational tative. no surprise to the Seafarers since of action for the purpose of pro Murray had proposed to Green unity." THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, August 1, 1947 SEAFARERS LOG Published Weekly by the SEAFx\RERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA Atlantic and Gulf District Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor At 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N- Y.

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