..7 • m ^j^^RERS JOQ OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT, ^ SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA y-o I' Vol. VI. NEW YORK, N.Y. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 18. 1944 No. 4 ILGWU Bonds New SIU Officials Elected Buy Fourth Liberty Ship 1944 Officers Installed By Tally NOTICE! BALTIMORE, Md. — High praise was bestowed on the war The New York office of Ihe record of members of the Ameri­ Of Vote; Members Gains Protected Atlantic and Gulf District of can Federation of Labor by Gov­ the SIU has been notified that ernor Herbert O'Conor of Mary­ all seamen's papers that are land at ceremonies here attend­ ing the launching of the Morris Tabulations of votes cast in the annual elections of officers for the Atlantic and lost must be turned over to the Sigman, a new Liberty ship, nam­ Gulf District of the Seafarers International Union have been completed. The results U. S. Shipping Commissioner's ed after the late President of the were submitted by the Tally Committee in a report to the membership meetings on a office according to Govern­ International Ladies Garment coastwise basis. The membership concurred in the report installing those elected in ment regulations. Workers Union. office. Although many of those renamed to office are incumbent officials some changes In order to avoid trouble The Morris Sigman is the fourth were made. Liberty ship in the past few In re-electing Brother John for the Union all members weeks to be sent down the ways Hawk as Sec'y-Treasurer of the SIU Purchases $75,000 finding lost seamen's papers bearing the names of past District and returning many of are asked to comply. Those I.L.G.W.U. leaders. The others the Port Agents and Patrolmen seeking their papers can re­ were the Morris Hillquit, the Ben­ to office the membership assured War Bonds In DHve cover them at the respective jamin Schlesinger and the Meyer the Union of capable and experi­ London. The ships were financed Commissioner's office. enced leadership for the difficult {Continued on Page 3) year that lies ahead. Coastwise concurrence with a resolution instructing Gains Stressed Sec'y-Treasurer John Hawk to invest a portion of the SIU Stressing many of the gains Atlantic and Gulf District's funds in War Bonds has been that the Union has made during tabulated with a practically unanimous membership in RMO Anti-Union the past year and warning the favor of putting the Union's idle money to work in the membership and all officers to be war effort. constantly alert to the maneuv­ of the Pacific. Brother Dwyer Drive Fostered ers of anti-Union elements the The resolution directed that was lost on a ship without trace Union's leadership pointed to the $45,000 from the General Fund during the war, as were all hands record of the organization for de­ and $10,352 from the Hospital aboard the same vessel. Mrs. In Lakes Area livering the goods to the men on and Burial Fund be ear-marked Dwyer worked in connection with the fighting fronts. to complete the transaction. These the State AFL Committee on the bonds will have a matured value Fourth War Bond Drive in ar­ Striving to perpetuate the RMO of the War Shipping Also on the general ballot were of $75,000 and are in addition to ranging the purchase. amendments to the Union's con­ Administration as a permanent organization in the post^ the present total of $102,000 The bonds have already been stitution and a resolution altering (matured value) now held in the war period certain officials of that Government group are the shipping rules to conform paid for and upon receipt of safety vaults by the Union's same they will be deposited in planning to set-up an economic stranglehold on all seamen! with the present war-time con­ membership. dition. The resolution calls upon the Union's safety deposit and manning every type of vessel in the American Merchant The decision to purchase the make a grand total of $177,000 all members to sail when they Marine, or connected with it in a#- bonds came when the Union was worth of War Bonds at matured {Contimied on "Page 2) subsidiary capacity: Tugs, barges method to provide an outlet to solicited to buy bonds in the value being held in trust for the employ the thousands of trainees Fourth War Loan Drive by Mrs. membership. and flat scows not excepted. they have crowded the industry The resolution ordering the William J. Dwyer, widow of a The purpose of the RMO's drive with who are currently on the A labama Sta te late member of the Sailors' Union (Continued on Page 2) for control is discerned as a RMO payrolls at some $6.50 per day and to justify the RMO's AFL Fights wastage of the taxpayers' money before the Appropriations Com­ Bradford Act UNION DRIVES TO PROTECT mittee in Washington. This is seen in the controversy MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A recently indulged in concerning' panel of three Federal judges BONUSES FROM MWEB CUT the recruitment and maiming of Thursday of last week denied an ships plying the Lakes area and injunction sought by Alabama the RMO's being granted control labor leaders of the AFL to block The membership of the Atlantic and Gulf District of the Seafarers International over the area under a new "plan." enforcement of the reactionary Union are driving to protect their current scales of war bonuses from further attempts This was worked out following Bradford Act which is designed to cut them by the War Shipping Administration through the Maritime War Emer- between the to hamper Trade Unions in this gency Board. Wires and letters are being sent by individuals and groups of members the War ML^poLr'^c'oSSS State. from all ports and branches protesting the attempts to cut the present scales. All com- the RMO and the Lake Carriers' The law passed by the evidence of the Union's Marine after Pearl Harbor. effect, it is said, that la' 1943 State Legislature provides to members of the Maritime War ... the new set-up aids the RMO that all union activities be regu­ position and for when the mat­ The War Shipping Administra­ Emergency Board, as follows: which has been blocked in some lated under a State Labor Dept. ter must come up for an advisory tion's Recruitment and Manning Dr. Frank P. Graham, National respects by both the Lake Car­ created for the purpose by the committee meeting soon. Organization has kept up a con­ War Labor Board Dept. of La­ riers' Ass'n and the Office of De­ same Act. stant barrage of propaganda over bor Building; Edward Macauley, Officers of the Union in com­ fense Transportation—and it will the radio and through the press Section 7 of this law requues Chairman of the Maritime War menting upon the proposed re­ further strengthen the anti-Union urging men to return to sea, and that unions must file their con­ Emergency Board, Commerce ductions point out that they are plans of the RMO, for they have stitutions and by-laws, numbers Bldg., and Dr. John R. Steelman, not consistent with present day recruiting men for service with been given: of members and salaries of of­ Director of the Conciliation Ser­ economic factors due to the bur­ the American Merchant Marine. ficers, dates of elections and lists vice, Dept. of Labor Bldg., Wash­ dens of additional taxation and In all these statements the RMO 1. Control of the oecupation- of all dues and assessments le­ ington, D.C. All are members of increased living costs. clearly indicated the approxim­ tional deferments of men in se­ vied, as well as lists of properties the MWEB in addition to the They cite the fact that count­ ate earnings and bonuses provid­ lected age groups and capacit­ owned by the unions. other posts they hold. less thousands of patriotic Am­ ed for under the war-time emer­ ies. gency. In addition to this the Brad­ Copies of such letters and tele­ erican seamen answered the pleas 2. Complete control of re­ ford Act requires the unions to grams are being sent to the of their Country and left lucra­ This is the bargain that the cruitment and manning for the file complete financial statements Union's Washington Representa­ tive shore-side jobs to return to WSA now seeks to set aside even lakes operators. ' {Continued on Page 3) tive, Matthew Dushane to be re­ sea and serve in the Merchant {Cwitinued from Page 2) {Contmiuf on Page 4) Page Two THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, February 18, 1944 MONEY DUE Union Drives To Protect SEAFARERS LOG The Maritime War Emergency Bonuses From MWEB Cut Published by the Board has authorized payment of a port attack bonus of $125.00 to {Continued from Page 1) their backs when it comes to ac­ SEAFARERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION the crew members of the S.S. though they guaranteed the same tually sailing the ships. OF NORTH AMERICA James M. Gillis for ihe enemy in order to aid the HMO ,in re­ The old-timers who disregard­ attack on the Port of Naples, cruiting seamen. ed ofA-is of safe shipyard work Atlantic and Gulf District Italy. Payment o£ the above In addition to that the WSA's at high wages—as well as other eunount can be obtained by call­ RMO has maneuvered to freeze Affillfted u-ith the American Federation of labor shore-side jobs—remained in the ing at the office of Smith & John­ those who answered the call in­ industry sailing hazardous ships son, 80 Broad Street, New York to the industry as well as those without guns and without de­ HARRY LUNDEBERG ------ "President actively engaged as seafarers at 110 Market Street, Saa Francisco, Calif.