Vol. XX Doeombor B No. 2B SEAFARBIIS«^I.OG 19St » OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THI SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION • ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT • AFL-CIO • I't ~' ''•/.'X '"ll j ' J '* "i ' i'^J.Z fmt ' ' i' l- «• «"••• k . « • f. V Hfl .. i t." • €>EATTLe \ • Joint Picket Action r' , Affects 160 Vessels NEW YORK, Dee. 4—Jolnriy led by tho SiUNA and NMU, the American union - ?: •.. protest on the runaways produced the following results as of 10 PM (EST) tonlghtt b 160 runaway ships affected in 20 poets. b Only 23 ships escaped from behind picketiines. Most of them left with little or no cargo handled, and i/dthout tugs or pilots. 4. " b Injunctions halted picketing on only six ships, b No American-flag ship lost time due to picketing in any port. —Complete Details on Page 3 . ?'y^' - • •••• •' l' • - • : --.-f/;". ^ Ci i,'ji Misi® :li:;.'•/•••; •/.Kl »it [EMS toe •^1 i '•,•• i'!.. V • • • • 'Go To NLRBV Court EXCERPTS FkOIN JUDGE'S RUUNC Says; OK's ITF Beef {Ed. not*'. The following are tom* direct gtiotei .from Judge Bryan'* decision in u^ich he refused to glM tunawcty shipowners Hopes entertained by American owners of runaway tonnage that the US an injunction against demonstrations hy But American maritims courts would block united labor demonstrations against them< were deflated by unions.) ^ the decision isisued by Federal Judge Frederick van Pelt Bryan, lit addi^n to » » » refusing to issue an in-^ front when the National Labor Re­ ing that any fraud or violence has f'The Taft-Hartley Act ... doies not authorize any per­ junction against the SIU lations Board ruled that the run­ been CT will be resorted to lo as son aggrieved by unfair labor piractices to bring suit in and the National Maritime away ship SS Florida was actually to bring the case within those sec­ the courts ... the National Labor Relations Board is given Union, the judge suggested subject to US labor law. The Board tions of the Nonis-La Guardla Act aclusive primary jurisdiction. , the runaways go to the Na­ held then that the corporate man­ which autbo^e injunctive relief "... the first eonsideraticm is wfaeth^ thk is a case in- tional Labor Relations Board ipulations Involved in the transfer by the courts under such excep­ Tidvins or srowiaf out of a labor dispute. I think that It dearly is . .. If they had a complaint. of the ship to a runaway flag did tional circumstances." ". .. it Is not for the court to say whether or not the defendant li la the opinion in the Industry not change the realities of the sit­ However, he still left the com­ unions are wise in pursuing the course they seek to follow ... As that the runaway operators would uation—namely that it was an plaint on the calendar stating that long as their activities concern terms or conditions of employment be extremely reluctant to so near American ship engaged in Ameri­ he would study the unions' request ... or the representation of persona in negotiating . the case the Labor Board for the simple can commerce. for a dismissal. > involves or growr out of a labor dispute and the courts are pro­ reason that It would Involve ae- In his decisV>n, Judge Bry.-ui Judge Bryan's ruling was the hibited from Interfering with such peaceful activities . .. third recent action which indicated fcnowledslnr the fact that they are told the runaways that he lacked 'Legitimate Labor Objectives' ossentlaUy American businesses. Jurisdletioii ever the issue. ''This that the American-owned run­ In turn, that would mean their court," he said, "has no Jurisdio- away flag Ships come under the "I find nothing in the Norris-LaGuardia Act, or the Sherman I"' crews could be organized by Uie tion over this action, the subject Jurisdiction of US law. Just last Act, or indeed in any other statute which prevents . .American I 611} and other maritime unions. matter of which Is udthln the cz- week, another Federal court Judge labor nnions from acliiis in concert . wiUi fweign trade unions Up until now. the runaways have clu^ve Jurisdiction of the board," ruled that an American-owned run­ ... to carry out legitimate labor objectives in the course of a labor been able to evade the Jurisdiction referring to the NLRB. away ship was subject to lawsuit dispute ... of US labor law by claiming that The Judge also upheld the claim by a seaman under the Jones Act, . the plaintiffs find themselves on the horns of a dilemma. they were actually foreign busi­ presented by SIU and NMU at­ even though the ship was reg­ The remedy against unfair labor practices condemned by the Taft- nesses. However, last May the torneys that the unions were in­ istered under another fla^ (See Hartley Act lies exclusively under that Act . • person aggrieved SIU scored a major breakthrough volved In a "peaceful protest" }n story on page .5.) The Jones Act must-first appeal to the NLRB . - I <?••;• against the runaways on the legal j a labor dispute. "There is no show- ruling, like the Labor Board rul­ ing in the Florida case, held that . Indeed, the defendants argue that the Peninsula and Occi­ corporate and registry changes dental ease before the NLRB [SS Flwida ease: Ed.] indleates that could not alter the realities of the Board would take such Juriadietion, partlenlarly in light of American ownership. the conceded facta here ahowing that the plaintiff eorporatlona were Over 600 Feast At The companies which sought the controlled by Ameriean corporations ... Injunction against the SIU and "Moreover, sueh eases . eited . give some color to the NMU included most major Amer­ claim that majority owners^ and control by Amerieans of the ican oil companies who operate corporate owners of foreign vessels might nuke . sueh statntes NY's Thanksgiving foreign,tonnage.'Among them were aa the Taft-Hartley Aet applicable to such vessels ... Gulf Oil, California Standard, "If the plaintiffs have the right to seek the aid ef the NLRB, Amoco, Cities Service, Socony, they have not done so ' Esso and Atlantic Refining as well as Independent tanker and bulk "1 conclude . the plaintiffs liave not shown that they arc en­ cargo operators Including Na­ titled to the preliminary, injunction wldch they seek. To sum­ tional Bulk Carriers, Marine Trans­ marize, as far as n6;v appears, this case involves a labor dispute port, Naess Shipping and Keystone within the meaning of the Norris-LaGuardia Act. There is no show­ Shipping. ing that any fraud or violence has been or will be resorted to . ." -• Mates Get Part Of Mobile Part n AFL-CIO President George Meany has handed down his arbitration award in the con­ I '^-i •• I' tract dispute between the Masters, Mates and Pilots and 21 shipowners represented by th« ,t • American Merchant Marine Institute. Meariy accepted the post of arbitrator after the Mates tied up East and Gulf^ Coast shipping for six days at crease in pensions from $100 to addition, noates have now the right $150 a moiith, and a vacation sched­ to terminate articles in any con­ the beginning of October. ule patterned after the West Coast tinental US port or In Puerto Rico. The nine-page award preserves agreement All three items are Provision has also been made for the traditional contract parity be­ retroactive to June 15, Instead Of the payment of severance benefits tween East and West Coast mates October 1, when .the East Coast when a mate loses his Job per­ and between mates and engineers contract expired. manently because his ship has been !iT>. on East and Gulf coast ships. It Other Improvements call for sold or transferred foreign. gives the Mates the full West overtime pay while, working cargo Nine issues that are up for fur­ Coast contract, plus 28 items from in foreign ports on weekdays be­ ther negotiation include organiza­ Readying o couple of turkeys for the Thanksgiving Day dinner, the agreement they negotiated tween 5 PM and 8 AM, greater or­ tional security, relief deck officers, with a group of shipping companies ganizational security, overtime pay shifting ship, seniority lists, ship- headquarters cafeteria chef Al Clark does a little basting with the in Mobile last August. Nine other gravy. » at sea and in port, and a miniifium ping of relief Jobs through tho items from the Mobile agreement manning scale of two 3rd mates On MM&P hiring hall, and coastwise will be renegotiated by the mates Seafarers and members of their families had their fill of all four-mate ships. Maintenance reliefs. Negotiations will resume f-•'' •• and the Institute In the next two and cure coverage has been won December 8 in New York. i: holiday fare at the six-course Thanksgiving dinner in New weeks. If they fail to reach agree­ for masters, and first-class air The new 3-year agreenaent will ft, York last week. Sixteen large turkeys,.80 pounds of prime ment, the items will be submitted transportation for all mates. In expire June 15,1961. rh-' ribs of beef and 40 pounds of^" to Meany for arbitration. w ham were eagerly attacked by included cream of turkey soup and Among' the key gains of the m. 628 Seafarers and their adult shrimp cocktail, chefs salad, yams, award are welfare benefits of $50 guests plus about 75 children. creamed onions, whipped pptatoes, a week for up to 39 weeks when a Coast Guard Alters Rules Besides the entrees, the menu asparagus tips, mince, pumpkin mate is sick or hospitalized, an in- I f</ • and apple pies/ fruit cake and 4; On Lite Preserver Content Ifc'- SEAFARERS LOG apple cider, plus coffee, tea and Use Only One WASHINGTON—The C^ast Guard has Issued orders re­ I fe-L' milk.