C Stoiy On Page 2 u - > ' r.-' •S SEAFARERS^LOG '••J. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION • ATLANTIC, GULF, LAKES AND INLAND WATERS DISTRICT • AFL-CIO 28 Ships |j'» c. • '!P' Vote SiU y! N - i\ L4*' . 410-124 The SIU Great Lakes District has won representation rights for crewmembers of three non-union steamship companies in National Labor Relations Board elections. Results of the voting released by; the Board on Friday, May 27, and Tuesday, May 31, show the SIIX victorious by an over-all margin of better than three to one. Com- panieslnvolved were Pioneer Steamship Company, with 16 ships; Buckeye Steamship Company, six ships, and Steinbrenner Steam­ ship with another six ships. Since 1957, the SIU has won elections on a total of 55 vessels on the Lakes, involving close to 1,400 seamen. Stories On Page 3 Incres Men Win I •S. w Cfffff MJ Th? bright and comfortable faciliti^ of the rOt SflU IfidI* new hall for Seafarers in Philadelphia are Pay, OT Cains being readied for occupancy in that port. Shown here is view of hiring i h^ and lorpge area. (Other photo on page 2.) "" Story On Page 5 I t •» •«.>' I' J > I^ / -• V . • ' - ^ V.I ILi, r • Ships of the SlU-contoacted Calmar Line havQ Lookuig ovcr award for 1,541 accident-free "joined the ranks of other companies: which ^OtCfy MWOrO» days alraard Alcoa Roamer are (L-R): David ' ijii ibave agree purchase higher-quality steak meats; Above (1 to r) K. Nunh, steward, Milt Robinson, bosun, CG Capt. John F. Kettlers, Capt. George Taylor, skipper, Paul ifsdebaugh, AB and,V. D. Becker, strip ;:lolng pi§r. - j^eward dept. Safely Council presented citation. FMW TWO SEAFARERS LOG JaiMllllM Three Cases At Issue: Sunny Hay Spot F^r Seafarers ^ NLRB Heats SlU ~ 'V Bid For Runaways WASHINGTON—The National Labor Relations Board has held a key hearing on the rights of US maritime unions to organize the crews of rimaway-flag ships. A session held before the Board in Washington on May 31 dealt with SIU organizing activity among the crews of three runaway-flag • -.-JI shipping companies — P&O, ment and other agencies to block the foreign eonuuerce of the runaway organizing. United States and upon American West India Fruit and Steam­ The three cases involved deal workmen . ; the present comple­ ship and Eastern Shipping. with the crews of the Liberian- ment of the Florida ... is in direct The hearings were called on flSg cruise ship SS Florida, the competition witti American seamen long-pending SIU election peti­ Panamanian-flag SS Yarmouth for employment opportunities . tions and unfair labor charges, and the Sea Level, the former the organization of the vessels' some of which have been hanging SlU-manned Seatrain New Orleans, crews ... is, therefore a matter of fire over a year. It is believed in now under Liberian registry. concern, to American seamen . maritime circles that the action The Florida, operated by P&O, As a result, the NLRB ordered setting the hearing dates at the was the target of an SIU organiz­ an election on the Florida which time of the International Maritime ing campaign back in 1958. At that the SIU won by 87 to 21 in July Workers Union beef against Incres time, the NLRB issued a precedent- 1958. However, the company since Line reflects Washington pressure setting decision recognizing the has refused to bargain with the for a blanket policy on runaway right of US unions to organize SIU and is under unfair labor 'Outdoor patio area of new hall for Seafarers in Phiiadelphio organizing. The American Com­ runaway shipping. The NLRB so. charges for this refusal as well as should be popular spot in pleasanl weather. Hall Is in last stage* mittee for the Flags of Necessity, ruled because, as it stated. .. the the firing of pro-union crewmem- of completion. (See other photo, page 1.) a runaway operators' front, has employer's operations have a di­ bers. Several of the charges have - been pressuring the State Depart­ rect and substantial effect upon been upheld by an NLRB trial ex­ aminer. The other two vessels involved, the Yarmouth and Sea Level, are- both the subjects of NLRB elec­ Senate Bill Would Bar Seven More Seafarers tion petitions. The Panamanian- flag Yarmouth fired its 136-man West Indian crew in September, 1958, when they sought union rep­ RR Selective Rate Cuts Get Disability Pensions resentation and hired a new crew. WASHINGTON—A favorite weapon of the railroads in The Yarmouth, like the Florida, Trustees of the Seafarers Welfare Plan have approved their war against domestic shipping, the selective rate cut, operates in the West Indian cruise would be outlawed under terms of a bill which would subject seven more Seafarer applicants for the SIU disability pen­ trade out of Miami with, as the sion. The action by the trustees assures the Seafarers the NLRB notes, "most of its passen­ such practices to the anti-^- ^ $35 weekly disability-pension gers picked up and returned to a trust laws. terstate Commerce Act of 1958 benefit because they are no Cook and steward. He had to stop US port." The agency which oper­ The bill, introduced by Sen. which bars the holding up of rates Ralph Yarborough (Dem., Texas) longer able fo sail. sailing because he is suffering from ates the Yarmouth, Eastern Ship­ on one mode of transportation to arthritis. ping, is a Florida corporation a member of the Senate Interstate protect the traffic of another com­ Thfe latest additions to the spe­ and Foreign Commerce Commit­ petitive mode. cial disability list include Aloyslus The SIU disability benefit is owned by the wife of the ship­ owner. She is an American citizen, tee, would prevent railroads from With the passing of this act, A. Kessen, Carl G. Pederson, Man­ payable to Seafarers of any age cutting their rates in only one geo­ railroads started engaging in all uel R. Perez, Wong Yau, John who are no longer able to sail although he is a British citizen. "Eastern is the exclusive agent graphical area to kill off shipping kinds of price war and manipula­ Ossmow, Antonio Ferreira and because of physical infirmities. competition. It would force them tions, putting intense pressure on Clarence Lott. for McCormick (the shipping com­ Twelve years' seatime with SlU- pany) in the US," the Board notes, to apply these rate reductions to trucking and water carrier com­ Kessen is 57 years old and was contracted companies is the basic "and has no other bus^ess." the whole system. petitions. disabled by hypertension and ar­ requirement for an applicant. The Sea Level runs between It would thus serve as an anti­ Additional Support teriosclerotic heart disease. He In addition to the SIU benefit, Louisiana and Havana, Cuba, with trust regulator, adopting^ the con­ sailed in the steward department. which comes to $150 a month, thg The Inland Waterways Common a crew of Cuban nationals. The cept that prices may not be re­ Carrier Association; a'non-rail car­ Pederson is 66 years old and Social Security system provides owners are a Virginia corporation duced selectively, lower than nec­ benefits for disabled workers over rier group, has supported the Yar­ sailed in the deck department. He with US citizens as officers, direc­ essary to meet competition. borough bill, contending that it joined the SIU in 1938 and sailed 50, plus the benefits paid to retired tors and stockholders. In Decem­ Blast Rate Cuta workers over 65. Such benefits are will correct an "unjust" situation. until recently when he was dis­ ber, 1958, the Union obtained Maritime transportation inter­ abled by heart trouble. in addition to the payments made pledge cards for a majority of the Railroad interests-have not com­ by the SIU Welfare Plan. ests have blasted $he ICC for al­ mented on the bill yet, hut strongly Perez sailed in the deck depart­ crew and petitioned for an elec­ lowing the /ailroads to reduce tion. As a result, 26 crewmembers oppose any step to limit their rate ment until his recent retirement. rates between specific points on reduction freedom and are ex­ He also was disabled by heart were fired. The SIU then picketed certain commodities upon which the ship and filed charges of dis­ pected to fight the bill vehemently. trouble. water carriers depend for revenue. Up till now, maritime, truck and Yau, who joined the Union in crimination with the New Orleans The railroads would not be so regional office of the Board. Evi­ organized labor groups have tes­ 1950, sailed in the steward depart­ prone to cut rates if they had to tified, uniformly blasting the ICC ment until heart disease sidelined dence was submitted that crew- do so across the board. members were told they were be­ and railroads for discriminatory bin>. The railroads have argued that practices, actions in restraint of Ossmow is 58 years old and is ing fired for having asked the SIU they are of primary importance in to represent them. They were told- trade, and similar activities Dur­ unfit for iluty because of a nerve National defense and that the Gov­ ing the remainder of the time set ailment. they could get their Jobs back if ernment is Indirectly subsidizing they would revofte their SIU aside by the Senate for-hearings Ferreira sailed in the deck de­ the railroad's competitors. The fhe railroads will attempt to an­ partment until he was disabled by pledge cards and testify against railroads have b^en juggling their Kessen Ferreira the SIU before the NLRB.