'4'. Feature On Page 7 ­M February 27, SEAFARERS»LOG 1959 • OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION • ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT • AFL­CIO • Navy—Run Missile Ships: • '• 5 I PACIFIC SIU HITS MSTS if—, Readying the ship for annual inspection and refur­ bishing, SIU porters Yee Chuen Lee (left) and R. Cohn lay canvas over carpeting, in passenger lounge aboard SIU­ SHIP PLAN contract^ American Banner liner Atlantic. Canvas will help avoid ­Story On Page 3 damage to carpeting while ,vessel Is in shipyard. Next voyage is slated to begin March 7. (Story on Page 16.) Courts To Get Runaway Issue ­Story On Page 2 Cite 2 SIU Crews "M For 'Heroic Acts' ^ 'I '­EI ­Story On Page 2 'E'EI SIU CHRISTMAS ^ 'Armei with camera and notebook, K. Saito (left), an KOREA If fSIfor* official of the All­Japan Seamen's Union in Tokyo, gets first­hand information on SIU shipboard conditions from steward Wil­ Photos, Story On Page 9 liam Vidal on the Ines. Saito is in the US studying American working conditions and has been observing SIU operations at headquarters and aboard ship for past two weeks. ^ ~ ' ­ ' Fwe Tw» SEAFA*BJM £OG Fptory 2^, im Runaway Beef Will Go On The Peck At Headijuarters To Trial, Judge Says A trial is in the oflFing in Federal District Court in New York on "issues Of fact" arising from the joint picketing by American maritime unions in a protest demonstration by the International Transportworkers Federation .last December against runaway^flag ship­ ping. jlUthough Federal Judge Frederick Van Pelt Bryan A Congressmen Stafes originally dismissed the runaway operators' petition for a temporary injunction against picketing, he The Heart Of The Issue ruled this week that the questions raised on both sides required a (Ed. note: The JollovAng is the text of the letter sent by Rep. full hearing in court. In denying Abraham J. Mutter of Brooklyn to the "American Committee for the temporary writ. Judge Bryan Flags of Necessity." The committee, which represents American had ruled that if the operators owners of runaway tonnage, had sent out wires to Congress ot­ sought relief, the proper place to tacking the SW­NMU stand on the runaway issue.) seek it was before the National La­ "I have read with interest your lengthy telegram of Februaiy 8, bor Relations Board. apparently intended to offset the telegram of February 5 sent to However, in a calculated effort Members of Congress on behalf of the National Maritime Union, to bypass the whole question of AFL­CIO, and the Seafarers International Union, AFL­CIO. NLRB jurisdiction in such dis­ "This problem will not be' solved by trying to equate the patriot­ Sdafarer Ai Arnold took the floor under "good and welfare" at putes, the operators are challeng­ ism' of the members of those Unions with that of the members of SIU headquarters meeting lost week to discuss mall facilities. His ing the unions' contention that the your noup. From my experience, the members and officers of those suggestion on operating mall room was quickly adopted next day. beef witli the runaway operators UniojUB have laid their Uves on the line whenever and wherever is a, "labor dispute," The com­ that was needed. 1 am certain that their interest in onr national panies claim the issue is a "poli­ SMurity is at least equal to that of any other group. , tical," matter arising from a "for­ "Their desire to m^taln­and improve their standards of living eign relations" dispute. They is an admirable American trait. Cite SIU Ships have also challenged the status of "I cannot more vigorously disagree with your conclusion that the ITF as a labor organiz^ticn. the practice of permitting American vessels to be registered imder f The precedent for NLRB juris­ foreign flags is 'at no cost to the American taxpayer.' Whenever such practices resuits in the elimination of the jobs of Americans, for 'Heroic Acts diction in determining bargaining' rights for crewmen on runaway ob prevents them from getting fair compensation for their work, NEW'YC)RK—The crews of two SlU­manned vessels, the ships was established when the the American taxpayer is required to carry the increased burden Alcoa Pioneipr and the Steel Age, received Citations of Merit SIU won. bargaining rights for the resuiting therefrom. from the American Merchant Marine Institute and the Na­ crew of the Liberian­fiag liner "One test of your good faith in this matter would be your will­ onal Safety Council for their^ Florida, last May. ingness to support the enactment of legislation which would require }a]^t in. heroic acts at sea durr that those employed on American ships flying fmeign flags be paid Meanwhile, in Washington, rep­ ing the past year. resentatives of the Niarchos ship­ the same wage seale and be granted the same working conditions as those employed on shim flying the American flag. ^ The award given to the Alcoa ping interests moved to counter a Pioneer was for its hand in rescu­ AFL­CIO "I await your reply with interest." demand for a Congressional in­ ing the five­man crew of the small vestigation of Niarchos' far­flung Sincerely yours, Abraham J, Multer schooner, Amber jack II, after the American­flag and runaway­flag vessel was swiped in rough seas operations by Rep, Herbert Zel­ in the Straits of Florida last Janu­ Studies ILA enko (Dem.­NY). A Niarchos A disclosure by a shipyard official New York metropolitan area have ary. The award was for saving the spokesman said the Maritime Ad­ last year that construction of the gone on record most strongly in ministration had agreed to insure Niarchos supertanker was being crew during "boisterous weather favor of the union's proposals. In conditions" which forced the Pio­ the,. mortgage on a 106,500­ton stalled sparked demands for a addition to Rep., Emanuel;Celler, Return Bid neer to accomplish the rescue tanker on which construction was Congressional probe of the orig­ ; (Continued, On page iSl) ; SAN JUAN=A four­man com­ supposed to start a year ago. inal trade­out transaction. thrqugh "extensive maneuvers." The, Steel Age received its award mittee appointed by the AFL­CIO An MA official, however, said At the same time, following the executive council will investigate M only that an agreement "in prin­ joint SIU­NMU caii for legislative i or helping put out a fire in the ciple" had been reached on the action to ^eal with the runaway hold of the Oeman freighter Cros­ formal application for readmission mortgage insuran«f and that de­ ship issue, the unions received ad­ tafels in the Indian 'Ocean. The to the merged labor movement by tails remained to be worked out. ditional pledges of support and as­ vessel had radioed the Steel Age the Independent International that a fire broke out in a hold surance from a large number of Longshoremen's Association. The Congressmen, which contained, among other cargo, a shipment of calcium car­ action was approved by the coimcil Members of the Senate and bide, and that the ship had no COi during its mid­winter meeting House merchant marine commit­ BALTIMORE — ^AlUiough last Grain Ship fire fighting equipment aboard. here. tees and.jother legislators coming period's predictions about the Six members of the Steel Age from seaboard states . have re­ Irenestar (Triton) and the Texmar The ILA said in its bid for re­ boarded the vessel with COi cylin­ admission that it had corrected sponded to the unions' call for (Calmar) cgming out of lay­up and ders, oxygen­breathing aparatus, changes in the Merchant Marine taking on crews came true, heavy and eliminated the conditions Boosts Hub fresh air breathing apSratus, pip­ which led to its expulsion from the Act to protect the US­flag fleet registration in ail departments kept ing, hose and fittings. The hatch to BOSTON—^When it gets cold, against "administrative abuse" old AFL in 1953. shipping for the port down in pro­ the burning* hold and all ventila­ the shipping business usually and runaway depredations. portion to the number qf men on President Larry Long of ^e picks up in Boston, and the past :prs were securely battened­ down In addition to pledges of sup­ the beach, 'Earl Sheppard, port AFL­CIO International Brother^ two weeks were no exception to and a hole "cut into the deck. The port previously reported In the agent, reports. 12 bottles of COt were then emp­ hood of Longshoremen said his the rule. In addition to the usual union, which was chartered after load of tankers carrying fuel oil SEAFARERS LOG, such influen­ Administratbrs of the SIU medi­ tied into the hatch. This smothered to the frozen north, shipping got tial legislators as Rep. John Mc­ cal clinic in .this port haye asked the fire and enabled the Crostafels the ouster of the ILA, would follow the decision of the Investigating an unexpected assist when the Val­ Cormack, (Dem.­Mass.) majority the Union to remind the member­ continue into Karachi under her iant Hope (Ocean Carriers) loaded leader of the House, and Senator ship to make sure they have ap­ own power. committee and the Federation. grain at Portland, Maine, for a Warren Magnuson (Dem.­Wash.) pointments for themselves and Last year the SlU­manned Clai; Long said that if (be council ap­ voyage to Tunisia. indicated their sympathy for the their families before going in for borne won'the group's top annual proved the ILA bid, it was likely Most grain ^ going overseas has 'unions* position against nmaways. a check­up.